new peeks: kat uno designs

tropical geisha

after a long hiatus, graphic designer kat uno recently reopened her etsy shop stocked with more of her charming paper goods documenting the ideal day in the life of a modern island girl. the cheery designs are a fun way to send a snail mail hello to your girlfriends (in fact, i just received one of kat's cards in the mail from a pal much to my delight) who may be tempted to cash in a sick day after opening the envelope.

modern geisha

kat is also adorning petite pins with her sweet illustrations accompanied by mottos ranging from perky to cheeky making for a budget-friendly find for those last day of school goody bags.

click over to the etsy shop to scout out your favorites or stop by alliway at ward warehouse which continues to stock kat's playful paper offerings.

new peeks: forest treasures by toast

the official arrival of graduation season is here and with it a summer filled with celebrations. the toast team just released the woodland creatures edition of their popular heart stumps favor line which are a sweet surprise for newly minted graduates who have a soft spot for the cute and cuddly.

the wooden tube is filled with a savory mix of nuts and once empty will make a charming repository to stash desktop necessities in those notoriously tiny dorm rooms.

order one of four limited edition designs (squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, owl) in the online shop or stop by toast's showroom to say hello:

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

uncommon envelope

the sales sheet is taking a breather this week so i am taking today to share the charming designs from uncommon envelope which i happened upon while catching up with pacific wedding guide. designer maggie roberts made her paper debut while dreaming up gorgeous weddingscapes at pacific aisles, but upon returning to the mainland decided to add an everyday line to experiment with new looks and layouts.

the result ranges from geometric loveliness to cheeky offerings guaranteed to make even text addicts take a break from their gadget to savor the handcrafted greetings made on an antique chandler & price platen press.

more peeks below . . .

wisdom collection

lemur coasters

the collection features playful designs from simple hellos to ready-to-go wisdom to share with your peeps to a stylish celebration of the papa part of parenthood just in time for father's day.

uncommon envelope's wedding invites can still be found online (take a peek at the custom portfolio inspired by maggie's time in the islands) or in-person at the tacoma-based studio while the rest of us can enjoy a modern day stationery scoop with a quick click over to ue's etsy shop.

p.s. maggie keeps a fabulous blog filled with daily paper finds.

here comes the sun

happy earth day! put the islands' abundance of sun to good use with these stylish solar finds:

1 - outdoor spaces can light up the night with the soji lanterns, a solar makeover of a midcentury classic.

2 - the bogo flashlight has been languishing on my wishlist but waiting has finally paid off with the introduction of an updated version with even more bells and whistles. the best part is that for every solar flashlight purchased another is donated to villages in developing nations through the company's lights for good program.

3 - charge your gadgets while relaxing on the sand with reware's juice bag beach tote.

4/6 - ikea's summer offerings include its solar/led-powered, budget-friendly and stylish solig collection.
{via unplgged; click over to notcot for an in depth review}

5 - getting lost is no fun so install matter inc's solar house numbers to help guide visitors right to your door.

and, if you are so inclined, rinse off après-swim with a solar powered outdoor shower.

new peeks: shop toast

hello again! you may have noticed that i took an impromptu break from blogging for a spring fling slash media fast. the opportunity to share lots of eco-friendly finds for earth day was hard to resist so . . . on we go!

it seems while i was disconnected from the online world that our friends at toast released a handful of new designs including these cheeky don't blow it hankies. yep, the old school handkerchief is making a comeback and toast's cotton offering is printed with a timely reminder (in water-based ink, natch) to save the planet by nixing disposable tissues in favor of a reusable alternative.

next up, toast's adorable take on the traditional carp streamers flown to celebrate children's day. boys and girls big and small (and certainly a few grown-ups) will get a kick out of the mini koinobori flags filled with blueberry or strawberry jelly beans.

the limited edition design ($3) is stocked in the online shop and in the toast showroom:

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