Parasols in Maui

UTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Parasols by Rose Potter STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Home Furnishings CATEGORY: Rose Potter  DATE: 09/04/2009 10:51:52 AM ----- BODY: 
Parasols by Rose Potter
Here in Maui, it seems like summer is just beginning.  September is the hottest month, based on my own personal research of living here for a few years.  But, since everyone on the mainland is preparing for fall and I thought I'd do a post on parasols, as a symbol of summer coming to an end.
We have the sweetest parasols and patio umbrellas made from old embroidered skirt fabrics.  Each one is a unique mix of pattern, color and texture. 
This is a picture of one of the patio umbrellas stuck into one of the planters in front of the store.  I can't tell you how many times I've noticed people photographing it as they're driving by.  The patio umbrellas sell for $560, and there's only a few left.
The parasols are a whole new level of cuteness.  I recently came across this picture via Stylecourt, and it made me start daydreaming about carrying my parasol on the beach. 
It's a photo by Robert Capa, Magna Photos 1996.  
So I guess my daydream wasn't about carrying my own parasol, but having someone carry one for me...
We have quite a few of the smaller parasols and they sell for $138.  
Walking down the beach with one of these cute parasols guarantees that you look just like this too...
This picture is from a fashion show we had this summer, and while I can't guarantee you'll look exactly like her, you'll still feel pretty stylish.
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: Here in Maui, it seems like summer is just beginning.  September is the hottest month, based on my own personal research of living here for a few years.  But, since everyone on the mainland is preparing for fall and I thought I'd do a post on parasols, as a symbol of summer coming to an end. ----- KEYWORDS: Parasols, Umbrellas, Rose Potter, Indigo Paia, Maui

Crossing the border to Afghanistan

AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Crossing the border to Afghanistan STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: afghanistan CATEGORY: Daniel Sullivan's photography CATEGORY: Travel CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 08/23/2009 09:23:47 PM ----- BODY: 
The American I met in Pakistans  name was Terry Reid and he began to teach me the art of rugs. He showed me the difference between vegetable and chemical dyes, dating rugs and how rugs were made. I photographed Terry's rug project, a model for the UN tours of the area, that employed over 300 Afghan Refuges, and his schools that educated their children. My education in Asian Arts, would span the next decade, and five years later, Terry would become my father in law. 
The more I became involved with Refuges, the more I became fascinated with Afghanistan and the war that was raging there. It was with this fascination  that I left Peshawar with a letter in my hand, heading for Afghanistan. The letter, which had been written in Dari by the refuges I had been living with, was addressed to a friend of theirs in Afghanistan. If I found him he would protect me. 
 
                                              Smugglers Bazaar, Dera Pakistan 2000 Daniel Sullivan
As I left Peshawar I headed North through the Hindu Kush mountains to Chitral, then headed West through the Bombret Valley where I hiked for three days among the Kalash tribes. The Kalash are  descendants of Alexander the Great, and their blond hair and blue eyes still show testament to their Macedonian blood.  Unique in Central Asia the Kalsh are the last tribe to refuse to convert to Islam, still worshiping the Macedonian gods.  The women do not cover their long hair and are know for their singing and dancing. I was immediately enchanted by the sparkly eyed Kalash children who followed me through town.
 I was invited by the villagers to a funeral where I sat in an old Macedonian temple with the elder women as they sang to the dead. The deceased was an elderly man who was laid out on rope charpoy covered with fruit and offerings. As we sat and ate cheese that was so pungent it smelled of rotting flesh, I smiled and politely and tried not to regurgitate the death offering. As I left the temple the fires of the Kalash homes illuminated the hill like a Christmas tree. 
From Bombret I hitchhiked West again and caught a ride on a cargo truck, then on a lapis truck heading towards Afghanistan. I sat in the back with a dozen angry Afghans for eight hours with  cramped legs and a rocky ass. Any movement was met with glancing stairs and grunts,  and eventually I had to give into the fact that my legs were going to cramp up and hurt and there was really nothing I could do about it. During the Talibans rule, smiling had been banned, I tried to remember that as I smiled to the Afghans grimacing across from me. 
The roads were pot-marked with bombed out craters from years of war, filled with mud and water from the melting snow. I carried my Nikon, 14 roles of film and two lenses in  a small goat skin bag, I had bought at the market. I dressed in a Shalwar Chemise and Chitrali hat( hoping my disguise wouldn't fail me). My hopes were that in Afghanistan I would be able to photography a game of buscatche(a primitive game played with a dead goat, but that had been  banned, with all other games, by the Taliban. In the North however it was still rumored to still be played where the Northern Alliance held out the Taliban.
It had been years since journalists had been able to get any photos our of Afghanistan. I hoped that if I made it inside I might be one of the first.
After hours of bouncing around in the back of the truck we approached a military tent. It was the Afghan border. The angry guards  whipped around the vehicle inspecting the motley crew of us in back,  as I tried to keep my head down. But quickly to my dismay (and alarm) they noticed the skinny white guy hunched over  in the back, and shouted something to me in Dari. I had no answer and could only pretend to be deaf, but it was too late. They prodded me in the back with a stick and pulled me out of the truck. 
"Passport," they said pointing at me with a stick. I handed over my passport(with no Afghan Visa). The guards left  and into their tent. After what seemed like an small eternity they returned. I pointed to my passport which one of the guards still held in his hand, but he refused to hand it over. He pointed towards Afghanistan. So this was it: me free to enter Afghanistan without my passport, perhaps never to return, or stay and try to hitchhike back to Pakistan. I hoped back into the truck and hoped for the best. In this crazy moment of desperation, off we went. Looking back at Pakistan, it was perhaps the dumbest moment of my life.

 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: The more I became involved with Refuges, the more I became fascinated with Afghanistan and the war that was raging there. It was with this fascination  that I left Peshawar with a letter in my hand, heading for Afghanistan. The letter, which had been written in Dari by the refuges I had been living with, was addressed to a friend of theirs in Afghanistan. If I found him he would protect me.  ----- KEYWORDS: hindu kush, Kalash, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Alexander the Great, Dera Pakistan, Terry Reid, Daniel Sullivan,  -----

Building Schools in Afghanistan

Building Schools in Afghanistan
I believe one of the biggest causes of the situation in Afghanistan is a lack of education and schools. When I was traveling through the countryside near Jalalabad in 2004 I was amazed by the site of hundreds of children sitting in fields studying in makeshift open air classrooms. Where all the schools had been destroyed, the kids still wanted to learn. Below is a photo I took of one such classroom. 
       
 One of the things Davies-Reid and Indigo have worked to do with our rug production is help the children of the Afghan Refuges get an education. In the past ten years we have helped build two schools in the tribal borderlands between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Below is a good segment that Christiane Amanpour just produced for CNN on the problems with schools in Afghanistan.

                                                                                                          Girls School, Afghanistan 2004 Daniel Sullivan
This is a photo I took of one of the first girls schools built in Afghanistan after the war in 2002. During the rule of the Taliban girls were not permitted to attend school. One of the scary things about the rise of the Taliban again is many of these schools are being blown up. Greg Mortenson who has built many schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan wrote Three Cups of Tea which is an excellent story of the challenges of working to build schools in Central Asia. 
If you would like to read more about our Refuge Rug Project and the schools we support, please visit us online at
www.indigopaia.com.

 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT:  believe one of the biggest causes of the situation in Afghanistan is a lack of education and schools. When I was traveling through the countryside near Jalalabad in 2004 I was amazed by the site of hundreds of children sitting in fields studying in makeshift open air classrooms. Where all the schools had been destroyed, the kids still wanted to learn. Below is a photo I took of one such classroom.  ----- KEYWORDS: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Afghan Refuges, Davies-Reid, Indigo Paia, Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea, Daniel Sullivan, Building Schools in Afghanistan ----- --------

This morning I have a sunburn from a walk yesterday as part of one of my "favorite day" activities on Maui. Wake up semi-late and go have breakfast at Grandma's Coffee in Keokea (on Saturdays there's an awesome ukelele player).  After eating on the porch bordered by coffee trees inhabited by Jackson chameleons, go for a nice long walk down a country road where there's amazing views of Kaho'olawe, Lanai, South Maui, and the West Maui Mountains, along with some friendly cows and horses.  After the walk I go pick up some vegetables  and flowers at the Kula Country Farm and head back home....

Even though it was such a nice day, my red shoulders make me wish I would have done another of my favorite things and built a sari tent on my porch where I can sit in the shade, read a stack of magazines and partake in a tasty beverage or two. 

                                                        This is a picture from Living Etc's online gallery, but it shows exactly what I like to construct on my porch.   I have a four pieces of bamboo that I push into large planters that are already on my porch (while trying to avoid killing my succulents).  I have a beautiful tie-dyed or bandhani silk chiffon sari that was my first purchase as an employee at Indigo, and I just use rubber bands to wrap the fabric around the tops of the bamboo poles.  I've often thought I could make a more permanent solution by sewing tabs or ties onto the sari at the appropriate places, but I just like rigging things up I guess.  It is honestly so nice to have it all put together and for me, makes me really focus on relaxing.  It's like my little makeshift massage cabana near the beach. Now where's the pool boy with palm fronds to cool me off?

This is an image from domino magazine and it looks like the bench was built for the fabric, but same idea..   When we get our poufs in, they'll make perfect little side tables!

This beautiful shot is also from domino magazine, and I think it's perfect for a brunch or baby shower.  It looks like multiple saris were sewn together along their longest seams and then hung for shade in a courtyard or some other outdoor area.  This technique could create a nice outdoor living area where maybe there isn't one that's usable.  The sun is so bright and hot out here so it's nice to create a shady space to hang out.  Just as with the sari tents, you only have to find places to secure the saris at each end, whether its more bamboo poles, a fence, or even a couple of trees.  

This image is from a book, Fandango, by Sandy Hill.  I just had to include it because a sari could create the same atmosphere for a special outdoor party.

Of course, Indigo has lots and lots of saris to choose from.  There are silk, cotton, sequined, mirrored, and other versions to look through.  Some of the prettiest have gorgeous bead work along the edges creating nice texture.  If you're not available to stop in, just let us know what your favorite colors are and we'll send you some pictures. Then you can be well on your way to making your own sari tent.

Daniel took some gorgeous shots of the saris drying after women washed them in the Ganges River.  The first is probably my favorite shot from last year, and the second really shows off the variety of patterns and colors used in the saris.

sunburns and sari tents

AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: sunburns and sari tents STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Daniel Sullivan's photography CATEGORY: Decor CATEGORY: Home Furnishings CATEGORY: Rose Potter CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 08/17/2009 10:51:13 AM ----- BODY: 
This morning I have a sunburn from a walk yesterday as part of one of my "favorite day" activities on Maui. Wake up semi-late and go have breakfast at Grandma's Coffee in Keokea (on Saturdays there's an awesome ukelele player).  After eating on the porch bordered by coffee trees inhabited by Jackson chameleons, go for a nice long walk down a country road where there's amazing views of Kaho'olawe, Lanai, South Maui, and the West Maui Mountains, along with some friendly cows and horses.  After the walk I go pick up some vegetables  and flowers at the Kula Country Farm and head back home....
Even though it was such a nice day, my red shoulders make me wish I would have done another of my favorite things and built a sari tent on my porch where I can sit in the shade, read a stack of magazines and partake in a tasty beverage or two. 
                                                        This is a picture from Living Etc's online gallery, but it shows exactly what I like to construct on my porch.   I have a four pieces of bamboo that I push into large planters that are already on my porch (while trying to avoid killing my succulents).  I have a beautiful tie-dyed or bandhani silk chiffon sari that was my first purchase as an employee at Indigo, and I just use rubber bands to wrap the fabric around the tops of the bamboo poles.  I've often thought I could make a more permanent solution by sewing tabs or ties onto the sari at the appropriate places, but I just like rigging things up I guess.  It is honestly so nice to have it all put together and for me, makes me really focus on relaxing.  It's like my little makeshift massage cabana near the beach. Now where's the pool boy with palm fronds to cool me off?
 
This is an image from domino magazine and it looks like the bench was built for the fabric, but same idea..   When we get our poufs in, they'll make perfect little side tables!
 
This beautiful shot is also from domino magazine, and I think it's perfect for a brunch or baby shower.  It looks like multiple saris were sewn together along their longest seams and then hung for shade in a courtyard or some other outdoor area.  This technique could create a nice outdoor living area where maybe there isn't one that's usable.  The sun is so bright and hot out here so it's nice to create a shady space to hang out.  Just as with the sari tents, you only have to find places to secure the saris at each end, whether its more bamboo poles, a fence, or even a couple of trees.  
 
This image is from a book, Fandango, by Sandy Hill.  I just had to include it because a sari could create the same atmosphere for a special outdoor party.
Of course, Indigo has lots and lots of saris to choose from.  There are silk, cotton, sequined, mirrored, and other versions to look through.  Some of the prettiest have gorgeous bead work along the edges creating nice texture.  If you're not available to stop in, just let us know what your favorite colors are and we'll send you some pictures. Then you can be well on your way to making your own sari tent.
Daniel took some gorgeous shots of the saris drying after women washed them in the Ganges River.  The first is probably my favorite shot from last year, and the second really shows off the variety of patterns and colors used in the saris.
 
 
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: This morning I have a sunburn from a walk yesterday as part of one of my "favorite day" activities on Maui. Wake up semi-late and go have breakfast at Grandma's Coffee in Keokea (on Saturdays there's an awesome ukelele player).  After eating on the porch bordered by coffee trees inhabited by Jackson chameleons, go for a nice long walk down a country road where there's amazing views of Kaho'olawe, Lanai, South Maui, and the West Maui Mountains, along with some friendly cows and horses.  After the walk I go pick up some vegetables  and flowers at the Kula Country Farm and head back home.... ----- KEYWORDS: Grandma's Coffee in Keokea, Kula Country Farm, Living Etc's, tye-dyed, bandhani, silk ciffon, sari, daniel sullivan's photography, varanasi, ghats, Indigo,  -----

The Back Road to Hana

DATE: 08/15/2009 04:23:48 PM ----- BODY: 
 
                                                                                                                            Kaupo, Maui Photo by Daniel Sullivan
Little known to most visitors to Maui is the off the beaten path , back road to Hana. I believe its actually more beautiful and diverse than the front Road to Hana, and definitely less visited.  The  back road which takes you up through the Ulupalakua Winery and then down towards Kuapo was just recently reopened after an earthquake several years ago took out a bridge. I took the back way which takes about 2 and a half hours last week with my family and we were one of the only cars on the road.  Following are some of the photos I took. 
                                                                                                                             The Back Road to Hana Daniel Sullivan
The backside of Haleakala Volcano where the intense moonscape is like no where else on the island is simple awe-inspiring. 
 
 
 
 
The old Kaupo General Store still in operation. 
 
 
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT:  Little known to most visitors to Maui is the off the beaten path , back road to Hana. I believe its actually more beautiful than the Road to Hana, and definitly less visited.  The  back road which takes you up through the Ulupalukua Winery and then down towards Kuapo was just recently reopened after an earthquake several years ago took out a bridge. I took the back way which takes about 2 and a half hours last week with my family and we were one of the only cars on the road.  Following are some of the photos I took. ----- KEYWORDS: The Back way to Hana, The road to Hana, Kaupo Maui, Daniel Sullivan photography ----- --------

Journey to Pakistan

AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Journey to Pakistan STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Daniel Sullivan's photography CATEGORY: Travel CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 08/13/2009 09:14:28 AM ----- BODY: 
When I finished college, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my life. I tried working as a busboy for about a month until my tuxedo got stolen out of my car. Call it fate or call it serendipity, or call it just wanderlust, but I knew at that moment that I wanted to travel. A week later I sold my car, and with the money I had made, roughly $5000 I bought a ticket to Jerusalem for the millennium celebration. I ended up traveling a lot that year, between Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. And I had some incredible experiences. For a while I lived in a cave in the Syrian monastery of  Deir Mar Musa and spent my days meditating on what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. I learned a lot in my time there.
                                                                                                                                      Luxor, Egypt 2000 Daniel Sullivan
Several months later I bought a plane ticket from Istanbull to Pakistan. I landed in Karachi, and after checking into one of the darkest hotels I've ever seen, I took a rickshaw to see the cities biggest mosque. It was big modern mosque, packed with Muslims late Friday afternoon. I was immediately befriended by 6 Muslim men who were so excited to have an American to show around that they insisted on taking me to eat at all of their houses. What soon became a late night became even more bazaar when at 2 am they took me to a large warehouse where jihadis were getting ready to make the pilgrimage to Afghanistan, to join "the holy war". Apparently the six Muslim men had believed my coming to them had been a sign from Allah and this was where I was supposed to be. The warehouse was a bizarre scene of men dressed in shalwar chemises and black white and green turbans sleeping, praying and sitting in small groups. 
 
                                                                                              Dera Smugglers Bizzar, Pakistan Photo by Daniel Sullivan
As I had no desire to join the great holy war, I convinced the men that I had to return to my hotel to get my bags. As they waited outside I snuck out the back door and caught a taxi that happened to be parked on the back street. I had him drop me off at the train station where outside there were so many homeless people sleeping in the street I could barely walk with out falling over them. 
I bought a ticket for Lahore, in third class, the only ticket available and hoped my new friends wouldn't catch up to me. In Pakistan third class is bench class and you don't actually have a seat. I sat crunched between two men from the Sind whose wives sat across from me covered  from head to toe in black chadwor. As the train made its way through the dust desserts of Pakistan, sand and dust swept through the passenger train covering everyone and everything. The two men next to me covered their faces with their turbans and I just closed my eyes trying to keep the sand out. 
It wasn't until about ten hours later that someone spoke to me in english. I'll never forget his words. He said. 'Do you know, Bin Ladin? He is a great hero.' It was November of 2000 and 9/11 had yet to happen, but I still knew very well who he was. The USS Cole had been bombed just two months before and Osama's name had widely been circulated in the news. 
 
                                                            Tribal Borderland Between Pakistan and Afghanistan Photo by Daniel Sullivan
'Yes I know him,' I answered, 'he is very infamous where I come from.' The man seemed satisfied with my answer, though I don't think he knew what infamous meant. 
After several weeks in Lahoree, then on the Islamabad, I found myself ever drawn to Peshawar and the Afghan Refugees who lived there. I had spend the past year reading about the camps there and the 4 million refuges who had been forced to flee during the years of Civil War. In a mosque one day I became friends with a young Afghan boy by the name of Azos Ahmend, who invited me to live with him and his family. He had been studying english for several years and spoke almost fluently. 
His house which was no more that a mud room, housed, himself, his brother, his sister, his two mothers, his two uncles and their wives, their countless children and his two grandfathers and grandmothers. The room was kept divided be thick velvet curtain and when it was time to eat, a tray would slide under. The men would then sit around the food, usually rice in a circle and share nan, oval Afghan bread baked in a tandor. We ate with our hands which always made a good laugh with the kids watching me make a mess of myself, usually dropping more rice then I got in my mouth. After dinner we would listen to news from the fighting in Afghanistan, they always hoping they might someday return. 
 
                                                                                                       Homeless boy in Peshawar Photo by Daniel Sullivan
During the day Azos and I would walk through the market place and I soon began to love the many hanging rugs, pillows and saddle bags displayed in the markets. It was one such day that I couldn't resist myself and after getting into a bidding war with a rather shrewd Afghan rug dealer(they are all shrewd), I ended up with and 8x10 rug. The investment was quite silly, as I had no home, no way to send it anywhere and it far exceeded the size of my backpack. Later that night as the family sat admiring my new rug, and telling how I paid way too much and they were going to go out and beat up that rug seller, the family mentioned that their was a famous American man in town who knew a lot about rugs and might be able to help me get my rug home. 
The next day Azos took me to a big rundown old hotel in the middle of Peshawar's old city. The American was sleeping at the time in the back room, and when they awoke him he sounded like a big bear being woken from a great slumber. I was actually a little nervous. The American whose name was Terry Reid and I became friends and over the next few day we worked out a deal in exchange for me photographing his rug production he agreed to ship my rug home for me.    
Continued next week....
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: I bought a ticket for Lahore, in third class, the only ticket available and hoped my new friends wouldn't catch up to me. In Pakistan third class is bench class and you don't actually have a seat. I sat crunched between two men from the Sind whose wives sat across from me covered  from head to toe in black chadwor. As the train made its way through the dust desserts of Pakistan, sand and dust swept through the passenger train covering everyone and everything. The two men next to me covered their faces with their turbans and I just closed my eyes trying to keep the sand out.  ----- KEYWORDS: Jerusalem, Egypt, Pakistan, Peshawar, Afghan Refuges, Lahore, Daniel Sullivan, Terry Reid, Deir Mar Musa, ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: alma EMAIL: almabune@yahoo.com IP: 66.91.128.170 URL:  DATE: 08/13/2009 11:32:45 AM daniel, thank you for sharing this.  -----

Textiles at Inidgo Paia

AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Indigo Textiles STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Decor CATEGORY: Home Furnishings CATEGORY: Rose Potter CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 08/10/2009 02:51:10 PM ----- BODY: 
Hi, my name is Rose and I work for Caramiya and Daniel at Indigo.  Over the past 11 years, I've lived in 18 different homes.  I moved from home to 2 dorm rooms and then two houses in Wilmington, NC over 3 years, 6 homes in 4 years in Gainesville, FL, and now 8 homes in over 5 years in Maui.  I guess that sounds crazy looking at the numbers, but all the places I've lived have been filled with lots of people in transition (i.e. college towns and tropical isles), so it hasn't been so easy to set down permanent roots.
The only reason I'm telling you all of this is because I think it explains my growing love of textiles over the years.  Textiles, allow you to travel light, but can create a great impact in your space.  Textiles, especially super unique ones,  can be used in so many ways.  I've used vintage batiks as curtains, bedspreads, wall hangings, couch covers, tents, tablecloths, and then even worn them a la Scarlett O'Hara.  Old saris have become bed canopies, window treatments, banister decorations, and even impromptu party decor.
So, for the next few weeks, I'll run through some ingenious uses of textiles, many of which can be found at Indigo.
This is a photo from domino magazine's website. When I moved to Maui, someone told me that gecko droppings are toxic.  Who knows if that is true, and I know the odds are slim that it would land in my mouth while I'm sleeping, but I've had various fabrics hanging over my bed like this for the past 5 years. Obviously, hanging fabric over your bed isn't rocket science, but it does create a fun "fort-like" atmosphere, and a nice punch of color when everything else is pretty simple.
I know suzanis are the darlings of design magazines, but wouldn't be nice to look at this as you go to sleep?  The traditional Uzbeki designs are supposed  to resemble various celestial orbs, so that makes it even more appropriate for the bedroom.  This one is approximately the same size as a full size bed and would be pretty tacked up in the same way as the photo before.  It is all hand embroidered silk on cotton and is available for $585 at Indigo Paia.
 
I always thought something mirrored would be pretty hanging over the bed too. This sari is about 16 feet long and is embroidered throughout with tiny mirrors.  You could either hang it full length over the length of the bed or hang it over the headboard creating a small canopy.  With a lamp on your bedside table, the mirrors would become sparkly and create a nice effect.
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: Textiles, allow you to travel light, but can create a great impact in your space.  Textiles, especially super unique ones,  can be used in so many ways.  I've used vintage batiks as curtains, bedspreads, wall hangings, couch covers, tents, tablecloths, and then even worn them a la Scarlett O'Hara.  Old saris have become bed canopies, window treatments, banister decorations, and even impromptu party decor. ----- KEYWORDS: Suzani, Sari, Rose Potter, Wall hanging, Canopy, Antique Textiles, Hawaiian Textiles, Home furnishings in Maui ----- -------- AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Antique Gold Jewelry at Indigo STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Antique Gold Jewelry at Indigo CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 08/07/2009 01:37:15 PM ----- BODY:  
Antique Gold Jewelry at Indigo
  
One of the most interesting things Caramiya and I get to do for our store is shop for antique jewelry. Over the years between Caramiya, her parents Sharon and Terry and myself we have found some amazing  pieces of jewelry in Asia. Below is a beautiful antique 18k gold Russian cross brought back from Istanbul. 
  

  
 
  
This beautiful Sri Lankin Sapphire necklace has many admirers. The antique Mugal design contains 1060 faceted sapphires. I counted one day. The work that went into faceting all of the sapphires and individually wiring them with gold to each other is mind blowing. A piece like this would have been made for a wedding and is considered a dowry necklace. The Mugal empire which began in 1526, ruled most of Hindustan (South Asia) by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century.[4] The Mughal Emperors were descendants of the Timurids, and at the height of their power around 1700, they controlled most of the Indian Subcontinent — extending from present-day Bangladesh in the east to Balochistan in the west, Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri basin in the south
  
 
  
This is a beautiful piece we sold last year to a client. The gold amulet in the middle is an excellent example of the filigree work done in Northern India  The necklace is stung on brioletted naturally colored red, blue orange and yellow sapphires
  
  
The ancient art of jewelry making from India and Nepal is called navrata or Navaratna jewelry. Women would visit an astrologer to find out what stones it was auspicious for them to wear according to the day, hour and minute they were born and where the planets and stars were at that time. The word Navaratna is a sanskrit word meaning  nine gems and the jewelry revolves around 9 sacred stones.  The Late Thai astrologer Horacharn Thep Sarikabutr has given the meaning of these nine gems in his Parichad-Jataka (chapter 2, verse 21, page 35-36) translated as follows[3]:
“Top quality and flawless ruby is the gem for the Sun, natural pearl for the Moon, red coral for Mars, emerald for Mercury yellow sapphire for Jupiter, diamond for Venus, blue sapphire for Saturn, hessonite for Rahu (ascending lunar node), and cat’s eye for Ketu (descending lunar node).”
  
These hammered 18k gold earrings were made for us in India. The design is a beautiful tribal design . To see more of our Antique Indian Jewelry and our gold jewelry you can visit or website www.indigopaia.com
  
www.indigopaia.com
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: One of the most interesting things Caramiya and I get to do for our store is shop for antique jewelry. Over the years between Caramiya, her parents Sharon and Terry and myself we have found some amazing  pieces of jewelry in Asia. ----- KEYWORDS: Navaratna jewelry, Mugal Empire, 22k Gold jewelry, Jewelry in Maui, Indian Subcontinent, gold jewelry in maui, gold jewelry in hawaii ----- -------- AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Ladakh Part 2 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Daniel Sullivan's photography CATEGORY: Travel CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 08/04/2009 05:13:50 PM ----- BODY: 
  
Ladakh Part 2
  
Each month I am going to publish photographs and essays on some of my favorite places. This month I have chosen Ladakh, the very top of India between Pakistan, Tibet and Xinjiang in the upper North-East. I had the pleasure to travel there this Spring and visited some of its amazing monasteries.
  
  
                                                                                                                                        Ladakh Photo byDaniel Sullivan
  
The landscape of Ladakh perched high up in Himalaya is truly awe inspiring.  This was the view from my guest house window.
  
 
  
                                                                                     Lamayuru Monastery Photo by Daniel Sullivan
  
The majority of the people in Ladakh are Buddhist and there are 35 Monasteries spread across the area. The oldest Monastery there is the Lamayuru which dates back to the pre-Buddhist Bon religion.  
  
  
                                                                                                       Photo by Daniel Sullivan
  
The monasteries of Phyang, Hemis, Chemrey and Lamayuru all belong to the Red Hat (Kargyu-pa) sect of Tibetan Monastic Order.
  
  
                                                                                                                       Zanzikari Shoes Photo by Daniel Sullivan
  
A pair of traditional Zanzakari shoes, sits outside the entrance of a monastery in Ladakh as pilgrims make their way to all the shrines on an auspicious day in the first month of the Tibetan year.  
  
  
                                                                                                                  Chemrey Monastery Photo by Daniel Sullivan
  
 
  
                                                                                               Monk on the streets of Leh, Photo by Daniel Sullivan
  
 
  
                                                                                                                       Monks in Ladakh, Photo by Daniel Sullivan
  
 
  
                                                                                                             Ladakhi Woman, Photo by Daniel Sullivan
  
If you would like to see more of my work you can visit our website at www.indigopaia.com
  
Prints of the images above are available for the prices below.
  
8x10 print $58
  
11x14 print $96
  
20x30 print $360
  
  
http://photocrew.com/danielsullivan
  
  
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: Each month I am going to publish photographs and essays on some of my favorite places. This month I have chosen Ladakh, the very top of India between Pakistan, Tibet and Xinjiang in the upper North-East. I had the pleasure to travel there this Spring and visited some of its amazing monasteries. ----- KEYWORDS: Phyang Monastery, Hemis, Chemrey, Lamayuru Monastery, Leh, Ladakh, Daniel Sullivan Photography, Indigo Paia ----- -------- AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: The beautiful new duvets  STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 08/01/2009 01:51:34 PM ----- BODY: 
Daniel and I ran into this fabric whilst shopping in India 2 years ago- I thought it was so pretty, Daniel encouraged me to design pillows made from it. The pillow were very popular and we sold out.  I then decided to make duvets.....very simple envelope style with soft voile (very thin cotton) backing. We just got the samples and,  I was delighted that they turned out exactly as I had planned.  Except for the tags which read Daniel Sullivan instead of  Indigo Paia and was woven instead of printed  (I spent at least an hour explaining this but this still is India and we are still working with Indians)  we will see if they get it right the second time around, it could be worse. 
My only worry for this design that it would be impossible to wash (and who wants to take their duvet to the dry-cleaners).  I decided to test it... I first tested a pillow that has been on our daybed and was in need of cleaning  (with 2 kids nothing stays clean around our house for long).  I threw it in the wash, regular everything and tossed it in the drier, it turned out looking fine- even the silk border was unaffected although the block print did not look quite as metallic.  Since this worked out so well I threw a duvet in the wash (delicate this time with low heat to dry) and it came out looking great- with the block print just as shiny.   I do not know how they fare after several washings and my professional advise would still be to hand wash and line dry but I will  personally be throwing mine in the washer and drier. Now I just need to settle on which one. 
We are also getting all these colors and designs in bedcovers which have a simple velvet border around the block print velvet. Bedspreads are a great alternative for the tropics as they do not need a filling and though pretty light can be easily layered and kicked off during the summers sultry nights. 
If you want to see all the pictures of these duvets check out our online store, you can get there through our website indigopaia.com. 
   
this is the bedspread after it has been washed- this pic is taken with my phone so it is not all that but as you can see it washed up well... if you want to compare to the pre-washed photos it is the 3rd down. 
  
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: Daniel and I ran into this fabric whilst shopping in India 2 years ago- I thought it was so pretty, Daniel encouraged me to design pillows made from it. The pillow were very popular and we sold out.  I then decided to make duvets.... ----- KEYWORDS: velvet, duvet, indigo, paia, maui, home, caramiya, daniel sullivan, davies-reid, bedding, pink, black, blue, white, red,  ----- -------- AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: caramiya's first blog... STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 07/28/2009 09:21:31 AM ----- BODY: 
ok, just the idea of this blog has given me nightmares... but here it goes, don't expect more then 2 sentences from me. 
 I am going to start this blogging business with sharing the dress i made yesterday while the kids were napping, or rather Tristan napping and Evie screaming (we are still working on that one). 
This was a skirt that Daniel brought back from Thailand, it is made from old hill-tribe fabric, but the skirt was ugly... a big black top with some all-too eighty's elastic that would be flattering on very few. So I was sitting at the jewelry counter looking at these skirts when I realized they would make adorable dresses! I took them home (7 in total) and went about making the dress. Cute pinktucks made it fit nicely and some elastic in the back kept it close and comfortabe (also makes it fit several sizes). Also I found some great buttons at a local sewing store. 
This is the first of many dresses that I will be putting on our big cartel site and our etsy site. 
Link to the big cartel site through indigopaia.com 









 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: This was a skirt that Daniel brought back from Thailand, it is made from old hill-tribe fabric, but the skirt was ugly...  ----- KEYWORDS: hill tribe dress, hill tribe fabric, caramiya's dress, caramiya, indigo paia, daniel sullivan, maui, paia ----- -------- AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Leh, India STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: wysiwyg ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Travel CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 07/27/2009 05:31:03 PM ----- BODY: 
Indigopaia
                                                                                                                                                    Leh, India 2009 Daniel Sullivan
In March I traveled to Leh, India .At 11,483 ft,  bordering Tibet, Leh is one of highest towns on the planet. Dominated by the Tibetan and Ladakhi culture, the region is still largely nomadic. In the center of the town of Leh is the massive Leh Palace built in the same period as Tibet's Potala Palace once home to the now exiled Dali Lama. 
The flight to Leh from Delhi was breathtakingly frightening. Soaring like a rapture, beaten down by the winds, we cut  through some of the highest peaks of the himalaya, then bounced down to a landing at the worlds highest air strip. As I settled into my little guest house the affects of altitude quickly set in and it was soon hard to walk up several steps without stopping to gasp for air. Stubborn and intent to see the area's monasteries I took a car    and driver to the Labring Si Monastery. Along the way we stopped at the sangam of the Zanzikar and Indus Rivers where I took this photo. It was an amazing site to see the emerald waters of the Zanzikar coming from Tibet flowing into the Indus heading down into India.
 
                                                                                                      Sangam of the Indus and Zanzikar Rivers Daniel Sullivan
Leh traditionally had been a trading town along Central Asia's historic Silk Road.
Thee jewelry, stones and rugs I saw were largely coming from Tibet, India and Nepal. Below is an example of one of our rugs which would have been found and traded in Leh around the turn of the century. It is a Pau-Tu rug from Tibet circa. late 19th century. The traditional Tibetan Tiger rugs  like these were used to replace the rugs made from the pelt of a Tiger that lamas used for meditation.

                                                                               Antique Pao-Tu Rug circa. 19th century- Indigo Paia

 
                                                                                                                     Auspicious Tibetan Reliquary box- Indigo
Above is a Tibetan Reliquary box which we have at our store in Paia. It would have been worn on pilgrimages to Mt. Kailash and held the relics of  departed monks and lamas.  Below is one of the many amazing monasteries of Leh, India. 
 
                                                                                                                                                 Leh, India 2009 Daniel Sullivan
www.indigopaia.com
 ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: In March I traveled to Leh, India .At 11,483 ft,  bordering Tibet, Leh is one of highest towns on the planet. Dominated by the Tibetan and Ladakhi culture, the region is still largely nomadic. In the center of the town of Leh is the massive Leh Palace built in the same period as Tibet's Potala Palace once home to the now exiled Dali Lama.  ----- KEYWORDS:  Leh, Mt. Kailash,  Antique Pao-Tu Rug, Zanzikar, Leh Palace, Labring Si, Potala Palace, Reliquary Box, Tibet, Tibetan Rugs ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: hollywood EMAIL: hollywood5683@gmail.com IP: 64.237.77.12 URL:  DATE: 07/27/2009 11:20:43 PM it's been a long time since i've read about your travels. i'm smiling... ----- -------- AUTHOR: Daniel sullivan TITLE: Indigo Paia STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: 0 ALLOW PINGS: 1 CATEGORY: Weblogs  DATE: 07/25/2009 10:50:53 AM ----- BODY: 
 
Welcome to our first blog. Indigo Paia is a small boutique on Maui's North Shore, specializing in home furnishing, custom  jewelry, tribal art, and handmade rugs from Central Asia. My wife Caramiya Davies-Reid and I, Daniel Sullivan opened Indigo in November of 2005. Our goal was to bring beautiful arts and textiles from the places we loved to Maui while at the same time bringing work and support to the people of  Central Asia.
Before we moved to Maui in 2005  Caramiya and I had been living in Kabul, Afghanistan where I was working as a photographer documenting the return of Afghanistan's Refuges after the war. I had spent the past five years photographing human rights issues in Central and South East Asia. From the refugee camps of Peshawar, Pakistan to the children of Cambodia I had witnessed a great deal of human beauty and suffering. My experiences had also brought me to love and appreciate the tribal arts, jewelry and antiquities of the region. Over the years I had begun to amass a collection that eventually would become the antiquities and relics of Indigo. 
For nearly two decades Caramiya's family Davies-Reid had been supporting a refugee weaving project bringing work, water and education to over 300 Afghan Refugees. Caramiya studied jewelry and fashion design at CCAC in San Francisco. Her eye for jewelry and interior designs are part of what makes Indigo so unique. Balancing tribal and contemporary with the finest textiles her one of a kind designs have been wonderful to watch develop over the years. 
Together when we left Afghanistan we began the work that would eventually bring us to Maui and help us realize our dream of opening a beautiful boutique. Please feel free to visit us anytime you are in Maui. Indigo is located at 149 Hana Highway in Paia on the North Shore. 
We hope this blog will help to inspire through our designs, travels and photography. The newest addition to the Indigo family Rose Potter will share her knowledge of Indian and tribal arts, while Caramiya shares her inspiration for design and I my love for Central and South East Asia through my photography. Please join us!
 
Indigo Paia on Facebook
http://photocrew.com/danielsullivan ----- EXTENDED BODY:  ----- EXCERPT: Welcome to our first blog. Indigo Paia is a small boutique on Maui's North Shore, specializing in home furnishing, custom  jewelry, tribal art, and handmade rugs from Central Asia. My wife Caramiya Davies-Reid and I, Daniel Sullivan opened Indigo in November of 2005. Our goal was to bring beautiful arts and textiles from the places we loved to Maui while at the same time bringing work and support to the people of  Central Asia. ----- KEYWORDS: Indigo Paia, home furnishings, Daniel Sullivan, Caramiya Davies-Reid, Handmade Rugs in Maui, Afghanistan, Kabul, Davies-Reid, Paia Maui, tribal art ----- --------