and the winner is . . .

koi crush

chelsea from honolulu who scooped up one of toast's super sweet cheerful gift crates which seem to be quite adored by readers all around oahu.

and, happy news, our fabulous friends at toast (and one of h|h's lovely sponsors) just released an updated jelly bean-filled koinobori flag favor earlier this week and have paired it with one of their new koi fabric wraps for another lucky reader. hooray!

with children's day arriving next wednesday, consider this your sweet reward for peeking into h|h this weekend. plus, our friends across the islands and around the mainland are welcome to enter so long as you don't mind the possibility of the package arriving after may 5th. oahu readers, as always, are invited to stop by toast's kaimuki studio for pickup to surprise your little one with koi goodies in time for the keiki celebration.

here's the scoop on how to enter:

• click here to send your name *and* current hometown by sun, may 2nd (12p hst)
• please put toast keiki koi giveaway in the subject
• one entry per person/household

winner will be announced on monday . . . good luck!

congratulations chelsea!

{mahalo nui loa to the toast 'ohana for sharing more cheer!}

{update: winner list posted}

toast cheerful giveaway

cheerful gift crate

ah, sweet memories . . . remember this cheerful gift crate featured last week during the toast-y spring goodness roundup? one lucky oahu reader will be gifted with a medium ready-to-go design (retail: $45) stocked with a pre-filled mix of sweet and savory mini pops compliments of the toast 'ohana!

pickup will be at toast's kaimuki studio so please take a peek at the fine print:

• click here to send your name *and* current hometown by thu, apr 29th
• please put toast cheerful giveaway in the subject
• one entry per person/household
• oahu readers only, please

p.s. the lucky reader will be announced this friday. good luck!

{update: winner list posted}

puppy love

luz lamp

imagine my delight upon discovering this adorable puppy lamp after clicking open fishcake's latest email. the whimsical design seems more likely to have been imported from the mainland or europe, but, i am happy to report it is the creation of waikiki designer melissa rivera torres moir of unleash studio which launched last year as an outlet for her many creative sparks which cheerfully marry function with whimsy.

it turns out melissa's pup luz (spanish for light) was the inspiration for the design which playfully turns the vet-issued doggie lampshade into a witty source of illumination. luz's silhouette also pops up in the form of her lightbox terrier which is a delightful mini playspace complete with paper holder and storage for crayons and blocks for your budding design star.

raised in mexico, melissa's first connection to hawaii came via her mom who grew up in the islands. a trip to kaua'i with her grandmother was the catalyst for her move to oahu where she has spent the past few years teaching design at local museums and non-profits before her current gig at hpu.

a peek at her portfolio reveals some serious design chops so it should come as no surprise that before arriving in hawaii melissa studied industrial design at the rhode island school of design where she also received a master's in art and design teaching education. in her off-hours, she can be found sketching and building prototypes on her apartment lanai which has been cleverly adapted into a working studio (photo below).

lightbox terrier

robonaut * j skateboard shelf

dj shark * fashionista giraffe

melissa on her studio lanai

{designer notes}

how has living in hawaii influenced your designs?
living in hawaii has been an amazing experience for me. it has allowed me to take time to breathe and really think of the things i want to do in life, just like creating unleash studio, and it has been a great place of inspiration. there is nothing like living in a place where you are not freezing all the time, or where you can go and skate or bike right outside your apartment, or just take a walk on the beach whenever you need to have time for yourself.

hawaii is a great melting pot and i have had the chance to meet people from all over the world and live a healthy lifestyle. all of this has affected my designs in a positive way. living in hawaii influenced me enough to start my small business, something that i had never actually had thought about before in the past.

what is your definition of good design?
a good design is one where emphasis on form and function are equally balanced. the design has to look good and be appealing to the eye as well as work well. you could have the coolest looking bench, but if it hurts when you sit on it, that is not a good design, or you could have a really neat/cool working television, but if it makes your living room look horrible because it's so ugly, people will not buy it.

little moments of bliss that recharge your soul?
too many, but some that i love . . . being surrounded by people i love, skateboarding on my snakeboard, biking outside on my lil bmx bike, listening to music, creating things that make people happy, making people laugh, blowing bubbles!

local delights that are a must in your beach picnic basket?
anything is good. i like eating simple and clean like a veggie wrap and a coconut juice. ;) when i go to the beach i mostly like to take my sketchbook and draw (you might find that in my picnic basket too! haha no worries tho - i do not eat pencils and paper).

pay it forward with a few words of wisdom:
criticize by creating "michelangelo" * keep it simple * a balanced diet is a cookie in each hand ;)

mahalo melissa!

little luz, his pal lightbox terrier, and the bad to the bone bench have all moved into fishcake's showroom where they are available for purchase. fishcake also stocks the animal series tee collection as does split obsession, the contemporary museum gift shop, and unleash studio's online shop.

p.s. custom commissions are also welcome. contact melissa for more details.

{photo credit: cory lum}

shop toast spring goodness

happy children's day!

i finally stopped by toast's studio in kaimuki while home which, in addition to being stocked with a complete selection of design delights, is a brilliant lesson in how to display wares in what may be the tiniest storefront square footage on the island. my little visit was filled with happy chatter about upcoming releases which have just begun to pop up in my in-box.

first up, toast adds a new screenprinted fabric wrap to their offerings strategically twisted into cheery koi ($6) which unbundle to reveal yummy tomoe ame rice candy. the design riffs on the abundant koi banners flying above island homes in celebration of boy's day and the all-enclusive children's day (may 5th - mark your calendar!). alas, due to small parts these are meant for older keiki (ages eight and up) so best to keep away from little hands.

woodland creatures were originally introduced last summer and have returned with a technicolor edition ($5) which are quite possibly even more charming. and, for those who want to sweeten up surprises, get ready to be charmed by the brand new cheerful gift crates ($45 medium & $75 large) meant to be personalized with happy or sorry emoticons, a custom message, and stocked with an assortment of mini pops.

please note gift crates have a minimum five day order turnaround and mini pop fillings may vary depending on availability.

all of the new designs can be ordered in toast's online shop or pop into the kaimuki studio to stock up and say hello to jeremy and michelle!

• where: 3434 waialae avenue, suite 3, kaimuki
• shop hours: m / w / f / sat - 12p to 6p

introducing sugar fresh

the counting peacock * mister numbers

hopefully, you are all pau with the tax man and have a moment to enjoy today's etsy find - sugar fresh from the big island! one peek at the cheery prints is sure to tickle the imagination of keiki and grown-ups with the line's fresh and delightful designs. basics like the alphabet and counting numbers earn a gold star for their simply charming take on learning posters and are just a few of sugar fresh's happy offerings.

lindsay, sugar fresh's creator, moved to hilo with her husband a few years ago and dusted off her graphic design chops when she decided to stay home with her baby daughter. when decorating the nursery walls proved to be a challenge, she began designing artwork that would both brighten the walls and grow along with keiki.

anyone else think the all a flutter print (shown below) with its cascade of sweet butterflies would be just as suitable on grown-up walls?

all a flutter * now i know my abc's

sugar fresh just recently opened up shop on etsy where you can find the debut collection of 8x10 acid-free giclée prints. and, if you are hoping to coordinate with your decor, a handful of designs can also be customized in size and color.

p.s. find out what inspires lindsay over on the official sugar fresh blog.