moleskine hearts hawaii

moleskine hawaii edition

my morning email included the most delightful news from interisland terminal about its new collaboration with moleskine, maker of the legendary notebooks adored by so many. (the pocket calendar is my constant companion whenever i am on the go). the limited edition notebook features local designer angelica rabang's modern take on the hawaiian islands embossed on the front cover which will surely make paper goods geeks who love the 808 state swoon with happiness.

extra details: large notebook. grid pages. hard cover. $25.

even more noteworthy, every single dollar will benefit interisland terminal's public programs for contemporary art, film and design. isn't that nice to know?

notebook pre-orders just opened on the IT website earlier today. oahu pickup starts next week at na mea/native books at ward warehouse or ship to your mailbox for $5.

sketch artists

tools of the trade * ocean of peace

the arrival of my winter cold meant very little shopping was done on my trip home last month. after a leisurely lunch with friends at uncle's fish market, i mustered up just enough energy for a quick stroll around chinatown and popped by super citizen to peek the shop's eco-friendly goods.

my plan was to nudge the mister over to the super soft organic tees by vers, but, happily, he was immediately drawn to the very cool screenprinted designs all on his own. the newly released tools of the trade tee with its collage of surf necessities was quickly snapped up while the ocean of peace tee was the perfect gift for our dear friends' two-year-old cutie who delighted us with his sweet declarations of "aloha" and "malasada!" during his first trip to hawaii.

lady logger * pen belt

malolo & love tree

the hand drawn designs are from the sketchpad of local artists roxanne chasle and matthew ortiz who produce each organic offering in small editions. the pair founded vers with the intention of crafting wearable art made for everyday, and their detailed depictions of waves and nature (along with the occasional irreverent design) will be a happy find if you also happen to be on the lookout for sustainable style.

prices range from $20 for toddler togs to $35 for grownup tees. although the online shop is not taking orders just yet, you can browse the gallery of designs for your wishlist then shop locally at super citizen in chinatown, drift in kaimuki, and aloha 'aina in waikiki.

take a peek and share your favorite vers!

aloha friday scoop

happy aloha friday! it's mostly quiet on the sales front but here are a few weekend possibilities:

hele over to shop toast and stock up on tiny tin's sweet delights which are now 50% off online & in-store.

• when: until the cupboard is bare
• where: 3434 waialae avenue, suite 3, kaimuki
• shop hours: m / w / f / sat - 12p to 6p
• fyi: online orders will receive a refund via paypal

save an extra 10% off all sale items during soha's sidewalk sale plus score a $5 gift card for every $50 spent in-store this weekend.

• when: fri, jan 7th to sun, jan 9th
• where: soha living, kahala mall
• shop hours: fri/sat, 10a to 9p & sun, 10a to 5p

mamas & papas have a chance to edit baby's nursery and pad the college fund during this weekend's buy-in for the brand new exchange at baby awearness. face painting and storytelling will amuse the little ones while you trade in too small togs, maternity clothes, and no longer needed keiki gear and toys.

• when: sat, jan 8th - 10a to 2p
• where: manoa marketplace, 2752 woodlawn drive (second floor)
• fyi: eco-friendly labels, please. read the fine print for the list of accepted items.

Click to read more ...

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}

a shop toast holiday

ocean in my pocket calendar

before dashing off for the holidays, i wanted to share the small delights that jeremy and michelle from shop toast have been busy crafting in their handmade workshop. we all know the toast team is an essential source for whimsical gifting all year long, but this year's playful selection of elf-approved xmas goods made me smile from the wood veneer ocean in my pocket desk calendar ($8) to furoshiki-wrapped boxes filled with gourmet cookies ($5).

there's even the brand new and super cute tiny tin's grocery store where you are welcome to mix and match sweet treats and tasty snacks ($3 to $8 each) cleverly concealed in pint sized packages to create a yummy yet one-of-a-kind gift basket. even nicer is that a portion of tiny tin sales will benefit the hawaii food bank.

more peeks after the jump!

while it may be too late for mail order, oahu friends still have time to pop by and scoop up last minute gifts during the kaimuki storefront's extended holiday hours:

• when: thu, dec 23rd - 12p to 6p & fri, dec 24th - 12p to 4p
• where: 3434 waialae avenue, suite 3, kaimuki

p.s. the scoop will be on hiatus this week. happy wishes for a very mele kalikimaka to you & your 'ohana!