Tiki Farm Magazine ...

Keeping up to date with all the great new creations coming from Tiki Farm is tough ... as they pointed out in their latest newsletter they've been asked to create mugs for designers, restuarants and events across the world ... even those far flung places like Australia!!

To help out they are going to print with the very first copy of the Tiki farm Collectors magazine...

We decided the best way to keep all of our collectors “in the know” is with our new magazine. For years now, we’ve been fielding so many questions about “what’s coming out”, “what events are coming up”, “what artists are doing new mugs”, etc. We’ve been asked for years to do a magazine.

Also if you weren't able to get to any of the events held this year but still want the mug (and maybe a t shirt) then get down to the Farm today as the surplus stock is being sold now...

Reviewing iPhone Cases Tiki Style ...

It's been a while since Tiki Talk (on of my favourite Tiki Blogs) drew my attention to a rubber iPhone case for the third generation model.

But having upgraded to the 4G version I'm looking for a new case to replace my rather nondescript black one, the reception is remarkably good here on The Secret Island. I was disappointed that the makers of the case above don't have a 4G update and so it was onto the internet to find the best of the rest and I thought I would share...

#3. Tiki Amakua skin from Skinit.com


This one comes in at $14.99 and is a front and back skin. Not a bad look but offering minimal (none!) protection against drops but will keep those scratches at bay!

#2. Magma iPhone 4 Slider Case from Cafepress.

The Magma Tiki iPhone 4 with this back cover, two-piece case. It features a removable bottom (with a soft grip for easy handling) that slides off for quick docking. A hard plastic design protects from scratches.

• Fits iPhone 4g
• Hard-shell two-piece protective case
• Sliding case, with removable bottom for docking
• Felt-lined inside
• Easy access to all controls
• Apple® and iPhone® are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries

They also have the Eclipse... both available for $25. Cheap when you consider the price of a replacement!

#1. Tribal iPhone 4 case by Grove.

Okay, okay so it's not strictly speaking a Tiki but my choice case is hard to resist. Part of its artist series (Jonny Wan, UK) this skull design has all the trademarks of a quality tattoo etched into bamboo. Each case is created from a piece of bamboo with a scary amount of accuracy. The back is a mere 0.075" while the whole thing weighs .6oz!

You might not even notice its there ... even your wallet will feel lighter! But I guess at $89 and taking into account the style and workmanship you certainly get what you pay for!

Trader Sams ... open for business.

Back at the start of May I posted about the imminent opening of Trader Sams at Disneyland. Well the question is, is it any good?

Well what better place to find out than check Critiki . Well it would appear that its well worth the visit, scoring an average of 9.4. Whilst the decor is grabbing the headlines it is disappointing to see that its lowest scores come when reviewer score the drink quality, drink selection and food... all key elements of a quality Tiki Bar. The Critiki review states...

"Trader Sam's is named for the "head" salesman from the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland, and the decor is a mix of influence from that ride and the Enchanted Tiki Room, with a little of Walt Disney World's Adventurer's Club thrown in for good measure. Top-notch Disney designers Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily were able to work on some of the decor. There are reports of some interactive elements at the bar.

The early word is that the drink quality is higher than one might expect, with syrups from Portland's Trader Tiki in use. If you like the punny performance given by the Jungle Cruise skippers, you'll love the drink names: "HippopotoMaiTai", "Schweitzer Falls" and "Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum" are some of the cleverly-named cocktails."

To mark the opening Richard at the Designerland Blog has created and shared a rather nice unofficial Trader Sam's Soundtrack. Get over there and check it out...

Finding NEMO aka artist Mike Mendez ...

These stunning hand carved and painted sculptures are created by the mega talented hands of NEMO (aka Mike Mendez). I have to admit that I've been unable to find out much about the man behind the magic, however you can clearly see why he's so hot on the designer toy scene at the moment.

 

When you consider that the piece above "Hello Tiki Hello Kitty" measures just 6cm in height you get a sense of the detail involved! These hand painted and carved pieces don't last long after they are posted on the Tenacious Toys website so you need to stay in touch with what he's up to via his blog Nemo's Sculpture Studio and get to the newly listed items quickly! 

London Calling ...

The jungle drums are beating a little faster here on The Secret Island as your very own Tiki Sasquatch has been invited by the delectable Aubrey London to make contributions to the brand spanking new Aubrey London's Tiki Lounge. Its such an exciting venture and I have to say that I'm over the Moon of Manakoora to be asked and have the opportunity to have an input.

Aubrey is someone I have a lot of respect for in the web design and pinup world so I'm just hoping that I can do her blog Aubrey London Pinup justice!

UPDATE: Aubrey has launched Pin Up Photoshoot Packages with Yellow Bubbles. You'll be amazed what you'll get so if you're in the San Francisco area follow the link.

The Careless Navigator ...

Despite it's location in the Southern Ocean and proximity to some tropical island paradises Tiki Kulture really hasn't taken off in Australia. There are a sprinkling of Tiki Bars across this huge continent which make the arrangements for a bar crawl complex. There are however signs that this is about to change, mug makers are moulding and carvers are busy carving and sharing their expertise. Today I returned from a two day Tiki Beat carving workshop with Marcus Thorn in Sydney... more on that next time.

Websites and blogs play an essential role in the sharing of Tiki finds, experiences, music and art with others across this sun baked land. The Careless Navigator is an Australian based portal that does just that. It is designed as a "dedicated online resource for all of you interested in Polynesian Pop and Tiki across Australia and an opportunity for all of us Australia wide to connect and share discoveries from across the planet."

There you will find Hidden Treasures (...well hidden in Australia I can tell you!) as well as some Adventures in Paradise. There is also a Ship's Store where you can pick up goodies such as prints and posters. There you will also find details of the the HAWAII HOME MOVIES DVD put together by the Careless Navigator himself. Its a selection of standard 8mm, super 8mm and 16mm films from 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s…taken by travelers/tourists to Hawaii from all over the world. He is currently working on the second DVD which will feature the excellent “Aloha Amor” from Tiki Joe's Ocean. In this special preview clip we see the Coco Palms resort in all its almost technicolor glory!



A trip to the Careless Navigator would be anything but careless... set your course carefully and take a look!

The Secret Island - still a secret?

There was great excitement today on The (not so) Secret Island when we were featured on the wonderful blog of Aubrey London. This week she celebrated her birthday at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville before heading over to the Forbidden Island for another Mai Tai or three!

I'm not sure if its the rum, the decor, the fun times with friends or the Hawaiian shirts she's most interested in, but the Tiki bug certainly has bitten hard! She has some big Tiki plans for the blog, her home and wardrobe in the coming months ... knowing Aubrey all will be styled to perfection, here on The Secret Island we can't wait!

Viva Tiki Kate...

Poly Pop and Tiki Lifestyle is strange in the way that draws people together from all backgrounds and from every corner of the globe. It doesn't matter that you're the only person you know who insists on wearing Hawaiian shirts long after the holiday makers have dropped theirs off at the Op Shop, because you know from events and places like Tiki Central that there are people just like you out there. So when a community looses someone it is felt widely, even if most of those people never had the pleasure to meet them.

One such person was Tiki Kate who sadly passed away on Wednesday September 22nd. I never had the opportunity to meet her but felt a connection through her love of anything Tiki, Ooga-Mooga and contributions on Tiki Central. Humuhumu has put together a wonderful blog for Tiki Kate simply called Viva Kate!. Its a fantastic tribute to a terrific Tikiphile. Check out the blog and the wonderful urn she commissioned from Squid which has become known as "Her Last Tiki Mug."

Kustom Kulture Australia ...

Our frequent searches of other Tiki and Polynesian inspired blogs help keep us up to date with whats going on out there on other Islands. Being a near neighbour we've taken quite a shine to Hewey's new blog Kustom Kulture Australia. It features sweet cars, hot pin up girls and the best artists that the Land Down Under has to offer.  On top of that, there are also a bunch of links to interesting Kustom Kulture stuff from all over the world! ... He obviously loves the Vintage Lifestyle and isn't afraid to share it! 

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In his most recent post had me salivating over his vintage display cabinet which is full to the brim with Tiki trinkets. He also shows that mood lighting needn't come at a price... Keep up the good work Hewey!

Tiki PinUp - Tiki Kulture by Aubrey London....

Here on the Secret Island we are huge fans of Aubrey London and her blog aubreylondonpinup.com. Now being a male I suppose that I'm not her target audience but we both just love her infectious enthusiasm and her light hearted take on all things PinUp...

A while ago she published a post on Tiki Pin Up and Tiki Kulture which served as a useful summary of both. I hope that we can look forward to more Polynesian infused posts from Aubrey and maybe even a Tiki shoot of her own! In the meantime check it out the post and her blog ...