machinemachine {hearts} workshop

one of my favorite designers to follow (since 2007 . . . my, how time flies!) has been shannon hiramoto of machinemachine, and i am so delighted to share the happy news that the doors of her very own studio will be opening tomorrow night on kaua'i. the former auto bay tucked away in the hanapepe arts district has been reimagined as workshop, a space for making all the upcycled pretties adored by island lovelies and devoted fans across the pacific.

in addition to creating a dedicated sewing studio, a small plantation-style storefront will be stocked with machinemachine merch along with vintage finds and keiki goods and paintings made by friends forever little, the wren collection, and artist mary bethany.

shannon kindly sent along a few sneak peeks to share with you . . . after the jump!

Click to read more ...

island crush: low-key lovelies

even the smallest and most utilitarian objects deserve some design love.

today's case study: leather popper keychains handmade by love kauai which elevates an often overlooked everyday companion with a few exquisite loops.

effortlessly modern yet still a little bohemian. and i love that a portion of every purchase is donated to beach cleanups & land restorations on the garden isle.

$9 online. 

p.s. save 25% on orders sent to hawai'i mailboxes with secret code lovelocal.

aloha sunday supply co.

it should come as no surprise that so many mainland-bound kama'aina settle in san diego when making a new home across the pacific. after spending my college years and early grownup life in america's finest city, i am happy to confirm that the transition to mainland living is a little less jarring when surrounded by sd's gorgeous coastline, (mostly) balmy weather, sizable islander population, and mom & pop spots dishing up plate lunches to satisfy cravings in between trips home.

although the mister and i make the trip down the freeway a few times a year to visit friends we left behind and get our fix of homestyle mexican food (woefully lacking the farther one finds herself from the border), a chance to venture to north park to pop into aloha sunday supply co. has yet to present itself. however, online peeks of its collection of modern day goods made for land and sea have proved to be quite intriguing . . . particularly the jfk-inspired swim collection which i suspect will be a welcome change for those weary of slipping on the same boardshorts as little groms.

the hawaii connection comes by way of co-owner kahana kalama, the fashion forward pro surfer from kailua with a passion for making life better for new friends encountered while surfing faraway shores. the shop and its line of in-house goods is an evolution of the islands' end-of-week celebration moved up five days to encourage customers to begin their week with the same enthusiasm when greeting the weekend.

isn't that the most lovely idea?

arnaz * parker * parkman * manitou

boards & bags

in addition to aloha sunday's lineup of tees (handscreened behind the shop) and boardshorts (produced in california), you can expect to find stylish collaborations with indie design friends stocked alongside handpicked selections by kahana and fellow proprietor billy wickens, vintage finds curated by the missus, a handful of loveliness for the ladies, and made-just-for-them boards in both the brick and mortar & online shop.

• where: 3118 university avenue, north park (near balboa park for those who have visited but are unfamiliar with san diego's collection of neighborhoods)
• shop hours: tue to sat, 11a to 7p + sun, 12p to 5p

p.s. discover new arrivals along with fascinating brand stories and surf adventures on the shop blog.

hello september!

hopefully, your summertime was filled with good times spent with your nearest & dearest along with random new discoveries destined to become lifelong favorites (mine: duck confit corn dogs handmade by the delicious kitchen at real, a gastropub. next time, our pau hana party agreed to order up enough plates so we each have one to call our own rather than splitting with our sweeties).

let me begin the first post of fall by sending a big mahalo to you, my sweet h|h 'ohana, for all your patience so i could enjoy a much needed summer free of online obligations. it allowed me to be next to my dear hubby's side as we said our final farewells to his dad and then recharge my soul with downton abbey marathons, reading stacks of books borrowed from the library to fall in love again with well-written words, and tackling all the tiny projects that had fallen by the wayside (mending pile - check!, archive emails - check!!, transfer domain to new company as my small protest against former registrar's ad campaign objectifying women - check!!!).

i'll be back tomorrow with an especially sweet post but 'til then find a few fun diversions for your week ahead along with the makers of the fab designs featured above after the jump!

• click over to gypsy's online shop & scoop up discontinued styles for 40% off with secret code luna (expires: fri, sep 7th).

• photographer rita coury who just happens to be one of my lovely sponsors & who snaps the most delightful photographs of little ones and the people who love them will be hosting her second annual mahalo showcase on fri, sep 7th. a gallery of rita's favorite pictures snapped over the past year will be shared (find an adorable preview in h|h's sidebar) along with giveaways galore.

• super citizen, the indie emporium specializing in eco-friendly goods, has decamped from chinatown and opened up shop at kahala mall. (alas, former neighbor chinatown boardroom shuttered its doors earlier this year.)

oh, and a bit more background on the designs featured above before i sign off for the day. i first spotted these cheery hi tees at the human imagination in chinatown which offers them in a generous selection of styles and colorways for keiki and grownups.

and the bubbly typeface featured in ashley johnston's happy-go-lucky we live hawaii design can't help but make kama'aina smile. stickers can be had in a rainbow of colors or share the aloha with a trucker hat.

off to make a batch of pineapple fried rice and listen to the first lady's speech!

new peeks: malie style collection

i dare say i have not been this excited about a new collection in quite some time. malie, the kaua'i company best known for their island scented offerings and pampering body treatments, recently welcomed a gorgeous new resort wear collection made to woo island lovelies far and wide.

a sampling of malie's thoughtful design details: a palette of ocean blues reminiscent of the pacific, an eco-friendly organic cotton/bamboo jersey knit chosen for its comfort in the tropics, and playful patterns featuring modern interpretations of island sea life (the i'a print above is inspired by our state fish).

the tunics, convertible skirts, maxi gowns (ombre alert!), and fluttery wraps are simply too pretty to describe so let's have a look at a few of the beauties from malie's debut collection after the jump!

hanalei tako & ombre

makani wrap * waikiki ombre

{swoon}

lucky for us malie founder dana roberts turned her daydreams of effortless island chic wearables into a fetching real life wardrobe for the rest of us to covet and call our own.

the capsule collection is happily made in the usa which officially ticks all the boxes on my elusive wishlist (pretty + sustainable + produced in the states = style trifecta . . . hooray!).

peek the entire collection in the online shop (fyi: complimentary shipping on orders over $100) or pop into a malie boutique to admire in person:

• kaua'i boutique: 2-2560 kaumuali'i hwy, kalaheo
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9a to 4p

• oahu boutique: royal hawaiian hotel, 2259 kalakaua avenue, waikiki
• shop hours: daily, 9a to 9p
• fyi: if you follow the garden path from the royal hawaiian shopping center, the malie boutique will be on your right tucked away in the famous coconut grove