Hawaii General Store spreads some aloha in Wallingford

Eight years ago, when Honolulu native Gail Stringer couldn't find any leis in Seattle to console a friend who was having a bad day, she did what any determined gal would do: She set up her own shop.

It wasn't that easy, however. "I realized that selling leis wasn't lucrative enough; that's why nobody was offering them," says Stringer, who moved to Seattle from Hawaii in 1993. "I had to make sure there were other products at the store to support my lei habit."

Stringer, along with her partner Sara Eaton, then opened Hawaii General Store to give Seattle residents and homesick Hawaii expatriates a slice of the Aloha Spirit right in Wallingford.

"Building the shop was an ohana (family) effort," Stringer says. Her father helped build the interiors -- featuring a replica of an island snack shop -- while Eaton and her mother nailed up the bamboo decorations, and friends helped out however they could.

"My goal is to support businesses back in Hawaii," says Stringer, "and to offer island products here in Seattle."

There's something for everybody in Hawaii General Store. Here you'll find a hodgepodge of Hawaiian merchandise that you could get in the islands or receive as souvenirs: colorful aloha shirts, board shorts, surfing T-shirts, women's muumuus, children's clothing, handmade quilts, beachwear slippers, hats and bags with flower prints, fabrics by the yard, wall art, ceramics, books, Hawaiian music CDs, traditional ukuleles, scented candles, sweet-smelling bath and body products, including the fun puka shells and kukui nut accessories that are now appearing on major fashion pages.

JOANN NATALIA AQUINO

Hawaiian-print fabrics

For many Hawaiian locals, it's a home away from home.

"This is a place where if anybody ever feels homesick, or wants to connect with the Hawaiian community, they come here," says store manager Kiapu Wolfe, who moved to Washington from Pearl City, Hawaii in 1971.

This one-stop Hawaiian shop is known as the pipeline in the Hawaiian community not just for its merchandise, but also for providing events information, offering concert tickets for touring Hawaiian artists, and selling airline tickets through its in-home travel agency.

Certainly, a Hawaiian store would not be complete without its delightful edibles. A scrumptious selection of snacks and crackseeds (a variety of dried and preserved fruits) are conveniently placed in glass canisters, and are too tempting to resist. Must-have snacks include mochi crunch rice crackers, baked banana chips, coconut chunks, sweet-and-sour shredded mango, crispy taro chips, tamarind candy, honey roasted macadamia nuts and other delectable munchies for just $1.85 to $4.35 per bag.

JOANN NATALIA AQUINO

Island-style snack shop

Customary vacation gifts such as chocolate-covered macadamia chocolates, Hawaiian coffee and cookies are on hand. For the gastronome in you, island gourmet products such as crushed pineapple syrup, coconut butter spread, passion fruit jelly, mango chutney, organic papaya seed salad dressing and macadamia nut cooking oil, amongst other gourmet edibles, are also not to be missed.

A mini-section for pups fond of the islands can also be found at the shop. It includes the cute-as-a-button Island Paws Aloha shirts available in various prints and colors, and special dog biscuits that get tails waggin' with flavors like Sweet Potato Sweethearts, Peanut Butter Crunchies, and Kalua Chicken and Poi Munchies ($4.95 each), straight from the Hawaii Doggie Bakery based in Honolulu.

As the weather gets warmer in time for summer luaus, you can find all the supplies needed for a theme party including island-motif invitations, decorations, tablecloths, tiki mugs, paper cups, napkins, patio lights and other kitschy items. Choosing a few items from amongst the goodies is tough, though the big draw for many are the fresh poi (pounded taro, $4.99 per pound) and fresh leis ($12.50 and up) shipped to the General Store on a weekly basis.

Poi, a staple starch in the Hawaiian cuisine that's as common as rice is to the Asian Pacific Islander culture, is not very easy to find in "mainland" grocery stores. "Locals know that they can count on getting fresh poi every week here," says Wolfe.

The fresh leis- made of aromatic plumeria, fancy orchids and any other Hawaiian flowers "you can ship out of the islands"- are the most popular during high school and college graduations. "We get lei shipments almost every single day during graduations," says Wolfe. "It's a crazy time of the year for us."

Though it has been hard work, the shop's owners and staff are grateful to have been able to provide a communal place for displaced islanders to "talk story."

"People can come here and know that they can find a piece of home," Stringer says. "They can get some aloha even on a rainy day."