island air

kauai boogie boarders

have you ever gazed upon the mediterranean seaside snapshots by massimo vitali and wished for a hawaii edition? luckily, la-based photographer gray malin started the new year by booking a helicopter to fly over poipu beach where he captured aerial shots of the island's turquoise blue waters dotted with happy beachgoers.

while the à la plage, à la piscine series can be found in the official online shop, for the next few days you can scoop up flash sale priced photographs on one king's lane. (fyi: you do need to register for a okl account to access the sale which ends fri, may 25th @ 5a hst.)

let's hope waikiki beach (or makaha!) is next up on gray's shot list.

shop toast: festive flags

an island graduation is an iconic rite of passage from friends and family showering the newly minted graduate with lovely lei and party invites booking summer social calendars with carport celebrations, beach picnics, and resort receptions.

if you still have a few weeks before the big party, our friends at shop toast recently introduced candy-filled festive flag favors in school colors to cheer on your grad's scholarly accomplishments.

with cap & gown season already upon us, do hele if you hope to festoon your festivities with tiny banners since a custom design (starring your grad's photo perhaps?) requires a three week turnaround. you are welcome to send along your own artwork or hire shop toast to whip up something special to make your grad smile (for an additional fee, natch).

order online or pop by the kaimuki studio for more details.

a so'mace summer

ocean collection

our friends at so'mace have had quite a year so far between the local design house's debut at the ny int'l gift fair, welcoming pretty pacific-inspired tableware to the collection, and a spring move to a new showroom space.

if you adore designer kaypee soh's modern take on island style, the whimsical laminated linen trays and bowls will surely find a place in your home. the smallest sizes are perfect for keeping little pretties tidy while their larger mates make for carefree displays and will certainly charm guests when pressed into service.

the new rug collection caught my fancy as soon as the lovely isla (who pens the official so'mace blog) first shared sneak peeks last year. the designs are already making me sigh from afar and while preparing this post i discovered my favorite motifs (chevrons! sea urchins! fish scales!) will say hello in the summer 2012 flat-weave collection. hooray!

more to adore after the jump!

Click to read more ...

tribal gathering

sending happy hellos to wherever you may be tonight! much to my delight the tribal trend has been inspiring more than a few island designers which makes my inner boho swoon.

on the chance you might share my crush, gather 'round for a little show & tell of a few favorites collected during my interweb wanderings . . .

1 - designer sierra dew's hand hammered aztec earrings update the feathery look with metal mystique.

2 - wings hawaii transforms a vintage belt buckle rubbing into a trio of handcut thunderbird designs.

3 - the mystical agates found in modern philosophy's tribal chevron rings promise to rebalance your aura and help you find your way in life and love.

island crush: pacific impressions

happy may day wherever you may be! my love affair with vintage maps has been well documented on h|h along with my paper crush on pretty letterpress goods. so you can imagine my delight when i happened across the loveliest letterpress map featuring the hawaiian islands.

and it's printed in turquoise ink!

{sigh}

the etsy shop of quail lane press woos with hand drawn illustrations of seaside locales (the lost art of cartography just happens to be a hobby of the designer) impressed on a vintage vandercook press. each print is then carefully tinted with watercolor for an extra helping of handmade sweetness.

limited edition and only 75 will be printed so hele over to peek our part of the pacific in all its glory.

$45 online.

p.s. a chocolate print is also offered if you prefer a more subdued design.