one shabby chick kokua auction

australia quilt

with 2011 already filled with a lengthy list of diy projects, making the rounds of my favorite design and craft blogs has jumped high on my daily to do's. the curated eye candy is always inspiring, but it was an unexpected post that immediately brightened my day late last week.

the sweet discovery was made while catching up with the north shore's one shabby chick. amber carrillo, the crafty goddess behind the blog, recently joined the craft community's efforts to help australia recover from the devastating floods and is auctioning off one of her gorgeous handmade quilts to benefit relief efforts. the quilt is charmingly contemporary mixing patterns from amy butler, anna marie horner and heather bailey in a warm rainbow of color.

such a pretty antidote to rainy days and chilly weather!

more auction details & peeks from one shabby chick's sewing studio after the jump.

fetching aprons

pretty potholders

summer days camera strap

bidding is already up to $300 and ends next monday (jan 24th) with 100% of the winning bid going to the premier's flood relief appeal.

while handmade lovelies are occasionally listed in one shabby chick's etsy shop, a custom order may be your best bet if you covet a quilt, apron or camera strap. current turnaround time is four to six weeks for a quilt and two weeks for smaller items.

happy bidding!

introducing pretty swell

vintage carnival garland + preppy citron hairpins

happy 2011! my wicked winter cold has lingered on into the the new year and a stuffy head sidelined any hope of writing pithy posts until now (fingers crossed). i always heart a fresh start and today's etsy find encompasses just the type of loveliness i hope to share with you this year.

i chanced upon the playfully named pretty swell while browsing etsy and immediately swooned over the chalkboard backdrops and gorgeous product photography. (take note: shop purveyors-in-the-making.) although little pockets of modern goodness have popped up since h|h was established many moons ago, delightful design experiences are, alas, too few and far between so a glimpse inside pretty swell gives me hope that there are more lonny-reading, design lovelies hiding out around the islands.

all of the playful confections are handmade by katie speed of laie who scores a well deserved gold star for the modern yet old timey reusable decorations in addition to the spot-on art direction. the whimsical fabric floral garlands promise to be an instant charmer, and i can just imagine the smiles of guests when greeted by such a cheery welcome.

the little sage cottage makes my heart happy too. as does this noel edition. don't you just want to string up a few strands and invite your friends over for cake?

the price tag hovers in the $20-range with complimentary shipping on orders over $9. in addition to garlands, fabric floral crowns, hairpins and cake toppers can be found in pretty swell's etsy shop. custom orders are also welcome for those wishing to coordinate a color palette just for you.

have you discovered any fresh island delights for the new year?

{photo credit: party/natalie norton}

happy hale*days 2010: foodie edition

a handful of holiday discoveries for your favorite foodie's pantry!

1 - charming appliquéd towels from honolulu's coco and bee add a touch of whimsy when prepping in the kitchen. ($17/set; online only) {via cupcake boutique}

2 - a spicy hint of cinnamon brings a little xmas cheer to big island bee's fragrant organic lehua blossom honey. ($29/3 jars; shop online or email for local stockists)

3 - big island candies' chocolate dipped shortbread are legendary but who can resist the temptation of the ultimate chocolate chip cookie? ($13.50; shop online or in-store if you call hilo home)

4 - chef alan wong traces the inspiration of his 'ono hawaii regional dishes in the blue tomato. ($40; officially releases in jan 2011 but can be purchased at both of aw's oahu restaurants or online at books hawaii before the holidays)

check back tomorrow for more last minute ideas!

party saver: event essentials

bubble club sofa * wood stump cake stand * sake cups

one of the benefits of hawaii being a destination wedding hot spot are the decorating possibilities courtesy of the rental services catering to the most swoon-worthy i do's. when the future mister and i peeked into a traditional party rental supply on island way back when, the pickings were quite depressing - think standard issue china, glitzy 80's centerpieces, and a surprising lack of anything stylish to compliment our modern un-wedding. and, this was a few years in to the 21st century.

when tara from pacific bride guide mentioned the lovely goods available at event essentials, my daydreams of one day hosting a fabulous soirée became ever more delightful as i imagined mixing in whimsical bubble club sofas (compliments of tara), dreamy french beverage dispensers, and the oh-so-toasty fire pit.

if your budget allows, it's a briliant way to add a little more loveliness to the occasional celebration when more seating is required, you simply cannot justify ownership of an oversized confectionary jar in your small space, or if, like me, your borrowing circle does not share your crush for moroccan lanterns and tree stump cake stands.

more peeks of pretty party possibilities after the jump!

wooden cake stand * rattan charger * glass cookie jar

teak lounge * moroccan lantern * frenchie dispenser

rustic buri lanterns

party bonfire!

event essentials owner christina farrow (who also creates pacific aisles' lovely weddings) was kind enough to share a little cheat sheet to save you some extra clicks over the hectic holiday season:

• inventory is limited so it's best to reserve asap. especially if your event date falls on a saturday.
• no minimum quantities required so mix and match to your heart's content.
• posted rental fees are for 24 hours but extended rentals may be accommodated upon request.
• delivery is available on oahu for a fee (starting at $75; required for furniture rentals), however you can arrange to pick up smaller items at ee's aiea storage space.

a sampling of rental price tags include $2 for a ceramic sake cup, $20 for the large french beverage dispenser, and $150 for the fun bubble club sofa.

is hosting a festive fête on your holiday must do list this year?

{photo credit: 1/pacific bride guide (sofa) : punam bean (stump) : visionari (sake); 2/visionari (stand & jar) chrissy lambert (charger); 3/chrissy lambert (lounge) : visionari (lantern) : nineteen owls (dispenser); 4/frank amodo + alex rapada (buri)}

machinemachine lab: vintage bark branches

i happened across machinemachine's vintage bark branches when shannon posted a wrap-up of her trunk show on kaua'i. instant crush! there are so many possibilities . . . from a whimsical coat rack to a charming and unexpected xmas card display. since so many readers also share my love for diy design, shannon kindly agreed to whip up a tutorial so you can make one or two of your very own.

just like small kid time, let's all give a friendly, happy aloha to shannon for stopping by!

{how to make vintage bark branches}

i dreamt up these vintage bark branches for a koke'e themed machinemachine trunk show at halele'a gallery in september. prior to the event, some friends and i booked a cabin in koke'e, located in the magical uplands of kaua'i, for a couple days. when we weren't eating, hiking, or cooking, we spent our time spread out on the lawn getting crafty.

we completed about thirty branches for the event, scattering them in clusters, along walls, under tables, and strapped to clothing racks. in the end, the vintage branches are not just a lovely visual symbol of the uplands, they also represent the act of binding and nurturing nature, like wrapping an ace bandage around an ankle.

{supplies}

• sturdy branches
• 1-inch wide strips of assorted fabric 15"-30" long (i use knit polyester, it's slightly stretchy with great geometric prints)
• thread
• scissors
• glue

{basic branch}

start at the base of the branch. lay about 2-inches of the end of one fabric strip on the branch and wrap the strip around itself and the branch, hiding the start of your fabric tail. keep wrapping your way up the branch, making sure to completely cover the bark by slightly overlapping the strip upon itself as you wrap upwards.

if you want to change colors or need to add another fabric strip make sure to begin wrapping with a new strip well over where your old one left off. if you reach a point where the branch splits into a y-shape, fret not! all you have to do is wrap about 1.5-inches up both arms of the y, then resume wrapping just one arm of the y.

to finish the tip of the branch, wrap the fabric all the way up, leaving about a 50-inch tail then tightly twist thread around the tail, cinching it into a nub. put a dab of glue on the thread, it should dry clear.

{advanced :: doily bark branch}

for this version, you will need a few doilies cut into strips wide enough to wrap around the branch (like a hot dog bun). you will need a needle and thread to stitch up the back side of the doilies, taking pains to allow for a .5-inch seam allowance, since doilies tend to unravel when cut.

{uses}

make a few and put them in a big vase in the corner of the room; hang some from the ceiling; hang a few on the wall; bind 3 to 4 together with left over fabric strips and set them on a table; hang ornaments off them during the holidays; give them away as gifts!

me again! it really is a simple project . . . especially if you have lots of scrap fabric tucked away.

many mahalos to shannon for sharing a little craft love with us! and, do click over to the machinemachine etsy shop to peek all the fresh new styles. you can also locate your neighborhood stockist over on the official website.

will you be gathering up fallen branches and vintage fabric to decorate your nest?

{photo credit: top/blenda montoro, tutorial/shannon hiramoto}