I first found out about DECO clay flowers many years ago after taking a demo/discovery class at…read moreNeiman Marcus. After that experience and seeing the beauty of a clay flower - I was HOOKED!! Clay flower? What? That's exactly what I expressed before seeing it. I initially thought it would be reminiscent of my elementary school art work with play dough clay but au contraire it ''twas not. Seeing is believing and I couldn't believe anyone could actually craft such a delicate flower with clay! I never took any classes further than the demo/discovery class but I was head over heels with their products. So much so that I had ordered my bridal bouquet as well as floral hair picks and corsages for my bridal party as a keepsake of that day. Each flower was exquisitely HAND MADE and put together without a hitch (pardon the pun) for my big day. Unfortunately here on Oahu there are not many options to preserve your fresh flowers (if you decide you want to do that) and using fake silk flowers for our wedding was not an option I wanted to entertain. The unique bouquet made for me is something I can treasure and hand down to one or both of my daughters for their wedding. Who says you can't have peonies in August? Forget the fact that peonies are out of season that time of the year but if you're insisting on that particular flower forget about it unless you decide you want a timeless floral pick made from clay. That's exactly what I wanted but since my options were nil, deciding on a clay bouquet was an easy decision. And uh...no, it wasn't heavy at all!! In fact, it's lightweight in comparison to any real bouquet you could ever have. Ordering a bouquet, corsage, wristlet, haku lei or pretty much anything you could ever use a flower for was easy, fast and delightful! You pick the flowers, colors, size and look you want for your piece(s) and the staff will get back with you promptly with a price. It is a bit expensive but it was something I did not make a fuss about since the flowers are truly beautiful and the effort to craft each flower - petal by petal is not an easy task. I don't remember how long it took them to make my bouquet nor to finish my order of floral picks and corsages but I do know that there wasn't any problem with their quotation of time of delivery. I was called immediately after my flowers were crafted and completed. Fast forward almost five years and I'm back at DECO clay inquiring about placing another order for flowers. Again the ordering process is quite easy and this time, instead of placing an "actual" order, I'm going to take refresher class and make the flowers instead. The gardenia flower is perhaps the easiest and simplest flower to make and I'm going to attempt to complete 100 pieces in two months time. This location on Pohukaina Street is a lot easier to access as compared to their previous location on Kapahulu Avenue. Parking is easy and plentiful. They have been at this location since 2012 which makes my DECO Clay experience even better because of the location. There are member classes available to those who aspire to make the beautiful flowers pictured but I'm told there are levels to complete and hours put in to create those floral pieces. Membership is a one time annual fee of $50.00 and member classes are discounted to only $40.00 each. Classes area held on a weekly basis and are available by inquiring and signing up for the class.

This was a lot of fun. I don't take very many craft courses but consider myself creative. However,…read moreyou don't need to know anything to take the class. I was also visiting from LA, so you don't even need to be a local. There were a range of students there so the instructor teaches you individually based on your project. It was a two hour class and I made 3 flowers. If I lived here, I would definitely take more classes. Note: you need to book ahead since they have limited availability. I got in because someone canceled. I made the plumeria, gardens and hibiscus below. Wish I could take classes back home.

Make sure you don't miss the Old Jail Gallery at the Lahaina Arts Society. Its downstairs and a…read moremust see. Really nice art and Artists to meet and talk story with. Just being in the space is a fun history lesson as well.

Also called the Banyan Tree Gallery is spread over 2 floors of the Old Lahaina Courthouse. We stuck…read moreour heads around the door for a quick peek and stayed nearly 2 hours. There are some stunning pieces and all made by local artists who fund this gallery through a co-operative. It was a tough choice but I went home with 2 plates by Bob Hoenig and a pendant by Kai Pua. Andre, the Art Consultant, was very knowledgeable and generous with his time. Downstairs, in the jail house gallery, Amanda welcomed us and we left as friends. You must also check out Johanna's lei's - meticulously crafted out of ribbon. This is a dangerous place for your wallet, but you'll leave with a warm glow and great memories as well as a little piece of authentic Maui.

Darice is such a kind and fun art teacher. My family decided to try to pineapple paintings. Darice…read moreguided up for the two hours and then some, was super patient and motivating, and even brought us water on a warm Hawaiian day. Our paintings came out super fun and beautiful! We gave them to our mom for Mother's Day and she loved them. Darice also let us use her good quality paints and fun powders/glitters! We would definitely go back to try painting other beautiful Hawaiian themed works of art.

Aloha... Looking for the perfect souvenir of your maui vacation - try creating your own! In one 3…read morehour lesson with Darice at art-e-studio in Lahaina I had a beautiful masterpiece to take home.... In fact it was so much fun I decided to make two paintings! Darice is a very gifted artist and a patient teacher - I would highly recommend doing this on your next Maui vacation! She also gives lessons to kids

Our daughter attended HPA 6-8 grade. At first, all was well until she went to middle school which…read morestarted 7th grade. Once in 7th grade, she was severely bullied and develop anorexia. The school's response was to throw her out and the call child protective services. Not only did they throw her out they lied to my wife and I. I don't say this lightly but HPA's behavior was despicable. Once we placed her in a new school the anorexia cleared up and she is now completely healthy.

My experience: I attended HPA beginning my sophomore year through senior year and the school was…read moredefinitely an experience that changed my life in a positive way. I love that the school has many international students and offers countless opportunities to learn from a diverse group of students and faculty. I was a varsity athlete of the dive team for three years with Mrs. Kassis and Mrs. D and we were the first divers in a long while to make the team well-known for diving. Although the dive team was always small, I loved competing at meets on the Big Island and on O'ahu. In addition to diving, I was part of the cheer team my senior year which was super fun and that year we became HPA's first competitive cheer team. I also participated in dance for my third trimester of sports/activities and always looked forward to performing on the Kahilu Theatre stage every year. Another activity I loved from HPA was the Olympics that was held every year before spring break. This event brought the students together and helped us create connections with other classmates. I was also able to go on a study abroad trip to China and Taiwan during my senior year for spring break, which was a trip of a lifetime and an amazing experience. This school broadened my perspective of different cultures and gave me many opportunities that I couldn't have acquired at a public school on the Big Island. HPA gave me memories that I will cherish forever. Suggestions: Although I had an amazing time at HPA, I feel that the school needs to provide more opportunities to connect the students to the Hawaiian culture. I think they should require 'Ōlelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian Language) courses, especially to those born and raised in Hawai'i. I also think HPA should celebrate May Day, as it is a highly important holiday in Hawai'i. I suggest that the students should be required to do work with the island community to learn more about Hawaiian culture and to find ways to change the school's reputation on the Big Island. One thing the school definitely needs improvement on is the bus system to and from Kona. Kona students have to wake up extra early everyday to make the bus to school, which is great to have transportation to school; but there is no bus going back to Kona at 5:30pm when sports are over. Most parents have to carpool to pick up students and it's A LOT of extra work and gas money. Overall, I loved HPA and I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend HPA and for the countless experiences the school has given me.

Went here for my son's 4th grade Big Island Study Tour for Kipapa Elementary School on Oahu. High…read moreschool students were our tour guides and shown us their labs & experiments which were all awesome! What a wonderful charter school with bright students. They are surely blessed! I was told this is their new location, took a year to build and it is surely is a nice breezy spot! Did I mention the school is solar powered?

Thank you for opening up for our school group to tour. We all, students, teachers, and chaperones,…read moreare very inspired! We wish you the best of luck and continued success in your educational pursuits!