pop star

hope everyone enjoyed a lovely weekend filled with the sweet scent of springtime blossoms and may day festivities! with spring in bloom, it seems the perfect time to share a little eye candy from oahu illustrator kat reeder who has created an enchanting world of candy colored vintage pop starring hula girls and island lovelies.

at first glance, you can almost hear a hint of skirts swaying and beachy 'dos being swept aside by the trade winds, but dig a little deeper and you will discover layers of sketches mixing with digital brushstrokes and handpainted details to create the fresh now-meets-then charm of kat's illustrations.

happily, kat was kind enough to share a peek into her world and i discovered that her roots (born in peru and raised in miami before arriving in hawaii) add a bright, latin-influence while her love of art nouveau, tropicalia and retro packaging from bygone eras are the top notes inspiring her cosmopolitan coquettes. don't you just love all those luscious locks befitting 70's starlets and crime-fighting angels?

sally's song

hawaiian girls

2009 w's triple crown * this dream of mine

{designer notes}

how has living in hawaii influenced your work?
i've lived many places, but my senses have never been aroused like in hawai'i. i am bombarded by natural beauty and color. the skies are the bluest blues. the flowers are unapologetic in their vibrance. the intensity in my work palette is richer since moving here. i can't help it. i'm surrounded by beautiful things.

what is your definition of good design?
good design stays with you for a long time. it tickles your intellect and makes you feel something real. designers love to dissect grids, layouts, and fonts but all that means nothing to someone who's mesmerized by packaging. good design smacks you in the face. good design you keep in a shoe box, under your bed, with all your sketches.

little moments of bliss that recharge your soul?
discussing art with my husband, who is also my best friend. making up funny songs about my dog lola. opening a fresh jar of nutella.

local delights that are a must in your beach picnic basket?
chicken empanadas from valerio's bakery, ube roll from golden coin, and a six-pack of inka kola (peru's national soda) from the latin market on s. beretania.

pay it forward with a few words of wisdom that were passed on to you:
the best advice given to me recently was by wonderful local artist mark swanson. i was feeling insecure about hawaii embracing me as a digital artist. he told me i had to ultimately create art for myself and everything else would fall into place. he was right.

mahalo kat! (ditto on the nutella)

kat's artwork has already graced the coveted w's triple crown poster and has gained the notice of a growing list of local galleries. upcoming projects include an official calendar for 2011 but, until then, you can order up prints and more in the online shop.

p.s. personal commissions are also welcome!

and the winners are . . .

juanita from ma'ili who gets to surprise her little one with toast's koi treats crafted just for children's day! although your chance for the weekend giveaway was over in a flash, the online shop is open 24/7 and oahu friends can hele over to the toast storefront tomorrow to scoop up delicious delights for your favorite keiki:

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

congratulations juanita!

{mahalo jeremy & michelle!}

p.s. kat from japan was the lucky winner of the letarte sarong from last month's talk story challenge. it was so much fun to discover which designs make you do the happy dance and i hope everyone will continue to post about their favorite finds shared on h|h. congratulations kat!

aloha friday scoop

jo.jah.jae stops by olive for a lei day trunk show with a chance to personalize sparkle for mom. plus, enjoy 10% off in-store goods (alas, jewelry excluded from offer).

• when: sat, may 1st - 11a to 9p
• where: 43 kihapai street, kailua
• fyi: pupus and sips served between 6p to 9p

enjoy a sneak peek of [ki-ele]'s summer sparkle when designer marylea conrad previews her new collection at shasa.

p.s. make a [ki-ele] purchase during the trunk show for a chance to win $100 of [ki-ele] jewelry.

• when: sat, may 1st - 12p to 5p
• where: shasa emporium, kahala mall

say hello to noelani designs during the lanikai craft fair and save 25% off all handcrafted adornment.

• when: sat, may 1st - 9a to 3p
• where: lanikai park, kailua

Click to read more ...

and the winner is . . .

koi crush

chelsea from honolulu who scooped up one of toast's super sweet cheerful gift crates which seem to be quite adored by readers all around oahu.

and, happy news, our fabulous friends at toast (and one of h|h's lovely sponsors) just released an updated jelly bean-filled koinobori flag favor earlier this week and have paired it with one of their new koi fabric wraps for another lucky reader. hooray!

with children's day arriving next wednesday, consider this your sweet reward for peeking into h|h this weekend. plus, our friends across the islands and around the mainland are welcome to enter so long as you don't mind the possibility of the package arriving after may 5th. oahu readers, as always, are invited to stop by toast's kaimuki studio for pickup to surprise your little one with koi goodies in time for the keiki celebration.

here's the scoop on how to enter:

• click here to send your name *and* current hometown by sun, may 2nd (12p hst)
• please put toast keiki koi giveaway in the subject
• one entry per person/household

winner will be announced on monday . . . good luck!

congratulations chelsea!

{mahalo nui loa to the toast 'ohana for sharing more cheer!}

{update: winner list posted}

petal pusher

eco lotus loveliness

may day's shower of flowers will soon be upon us so it seems the perfect time to share a charming twist on floral accompaniments for springtime. mililani designer anela ota established lei chartru, her small line of "curious finds", after being bestowed with a box of upholstery remnants to play with. nel cheerfully accepted the crafty challenge and eventually happened upon a subtle yet gorgeous formula of upcycling the leather castoffs into a fresh and flirty accessories collection.

the leather loveliness is carefully constructed and embossed with delicate designs and embellished with swarovski crystals creating an unexpected dose of ooh la la combined with a hint of modern sensibility. the lightweight looks are a fetching holiday for fatigued earlobes while leather blossom clips are a sweet upgrade to your favorite outfit, handbag or hairdo.

you can find the eco lotus collection along with handmade paper bouquets and naughty and nice convo pebbles stocked exclusively in nel's etsy shop with complimentary shipping on all orders placed by june 1st.

oahu readers also have a chance to meet nel during this weekend's mililani town association's mother's day craft fair:

• when: sat, may 1st - 9a to 2p
• where: mililani rec center 5, 95-1101 ainamakua drive

p.s. nel happily accepts custom orders and offers complimentary consultations if you need a design whim brought to life.