kat uno designs

geisha on moped

at times blogging can feel like you're in a self made bubble but occasionally a note of encouragement lands in my inbox which confirms there are others out in the world who love the same modern island designs as me. recently, i received happy news from freelance designer kat uno who made a design connection of her own while shopping at alliway (after discovering the ward boutique on h|h - yay!).

originally from maui, kat landed on oahu to study art at uh manoa and earned her graphic design chops while working for a local company after graduation. she has since hit the freelance scene balancing work, school (studying web design), and the launch of her paper goods line.

when i first started h|h a few years ago, girl about town illustrations were everywhere online but no one quite captured life of an island girl as fabulously as kat who blends her lifelong love of design with the culture surrounding her. kat's illustrations are fun, flirty and filled with all the sweet details that make life in hawaii oh so internationale.

tropical sunset

i love sushi

you can scoop up kat's note cards at alliway as well as in her newly minted etsy shop which will soon stock a menagerie of handmade amigurumi designs (custom work is also welcome - convo kat for details).

hsn hearts closet fetish

sex & the city's turn on the big screen seems to be perfectly timed for the introduction of a new shoe box design by mililani's closet fetish. creator sommer meyer will make three appearances on the home shopping network this week for the exclusive launch of closet fetish's collapsible storage box.

the boxes are sold in sets of two for $19.95 and available in six colors to coordinate with your space.

take a peek below to find your local airtimes and remember to set your dvr to cheer on summer!

• hawaii: thu, jun 5th - 6p hst & fri, jun 6th - 2a & 5a hst
• west coast: thu, jun 5th - 9p pst & fri, jun 6th - 5a & 8a pst
• east coast: fri, jun 6th - 12a, 8a & 11a est

aqua coconut waikiki

aqua resorts continues to bring its updated boutique vibe to waikiki with the refreshed aqua coconut waikiki which just opened its doors a few days ago. if hotel renew was a bit too sleek for you, take a peek at the recently renovated coconut waikiki which is sporting a more approachable cheery decor and offers perks like free wi-fi, 40-inch flat screen hdtvs, complimentary continental breakfast, and, as an added bonus, the property is completely non-smoking.

the location is on lewers (near the ala wai) which is good for those who require a shopping fix when traveling (waikiki beach walk, royal hawaiian shopping center, dfs galleria & marqet are about a block away) but expect a few blocks walk to reach the surf and sand.

depending on when you go, rates start as low as $100/night in the off season and $130/night in the summertime which is a pretty sweet deal for waikiki. a few ways to save include a 12% kama'aina discount and 10% off for auto club & aarp members plus a handful of package deals for longer stays.

as of this posting, no reviews of the renovated rooms had hit tripadvisor yet but management seems to be very responsive to comments left by guests which is always a good sign.

happy traveling!

keeping up with kinohi designs

quilted floral

the other day i dipped into my stationery stash happy to find a few remaining thank you cards left over from my wedding from way back when. while a graphic designer friend pitched in to create our invites, the thank you notes came from kinohi designs who was first on the scene with modern island wedding invites that i swooned over and coveted very much but, alas, were beyond my budget.

when i clicked over to see what's new with kinohi, i discovered that designer jennifer tanabe has quietly shuttered the custom paper goods side of her business to focus on other projects. luckily, she continues to offer her charming designs in a fresh mix of island motifs via wedding paper divas and tiny prints, an online print house that helps you craft semi-custom invites and announcements to celebrate life's big moments.

beach stones

baby fern * under the sea

all of the designs are digitally printed to keep the cards at an appealing price point for personalized stationery. and, if you find the perfect card but the sample text doesn't quite do it for you, just remember that a few clicks will allow you to tweak the wording to better reflect your event.

sustainable design open house

tara from design within reach recently sent along word that the ala moana studio will be hosting a sustainable design open house for the malama learning center on thursday evening. the kapolei campus is envisioned to be a spot for lifelong learning and a gathering place for lovers of the arts, culture, and the environment while being a model of sustainable architecture for hawaii.

a design competition for the center received over 200 submissions and architects from eight inc., the honolulu/sf/ny firm that created the winning proposal, will be on hand to discuss their plan. it looks to be a lovely modern open air campus that thoughtfully combines natural elements while incorporating sustainable standards like powering the campus with solar energy, recycling gray water, installing a green roof, and siting buildings to take maximum advantage of trade winds (when possible) to attain leed certification. cheers to that!

the non-profit center is still in the planning stage and looking for donors and volunteers to help make the dream a reality.

the dwr open house will also feature an expert on the green roof concept plus installations by guest artist bundit kanisthakhon of tadpole studio.

• when: thu, jun 5th - 6p to 8p
• where: dwr, ala moana
• fyi: light pupus & drinks will be served