sumo sized fun

if you grew up in hawaii, chances are you caught one of the many sumo tournaments broadcast from the blaisdell to televisions across the islands. i thought of my fella when i first spotted the sumo match salt & pepper set which has a belly magnet that keeps the shakers attached when not in use. the design just makes me giggle.

and, if that's a bit too kitsch, you can still add a little sumo love to your holiday with pop ink papers' chop sumo gift wrap (individual sheets can be found here).

joie to the world

it's always a happy day around h|h when a new discovery of paper goodness is uncovered. it's no secret i heart the old world artform of letterpress, and, after finding this mahalo letterpress note card on etsy, i knew i had to find out just how the designer was connected to the islands.

it turns out, tina pham, the creative mind behind joie studio, did indeed grow up on oahu and followed the path many of us know so well of going to the mainland for college and setting down roots far from hawaii after graduation. a web designer by trade, tina started designing invites as an extension of her work creating wedding websites, and eventually caught the letterpress bug after taking a few classes.

tina now spends countless hours by the side of her early 20th century golding letterpress churning out charming paper ephemera featuring a mix of antique and modern illustrations. the mahalo card is the first in joie studio's old hawaii series (a new design will be released every few months), and tina is now collaborating with the toast team to give their playful graphics a letterpress touch.

peacock

naughty & nice

2008 blooming desk calendar

click over to the joie studio etsy shop to take a peek at the lovely holiday designs, and be sure to scoop up one of the remaining limited edition 2008 blooming desk calendars which has received a lot of online buzz since its debut last month. custom work is available and the joie studio design house also offers web design and event planning services.

go behind the scenes via the joie studio blog.

a twist on tradition

modern interpretations of the traditional origami crane seem to be everywhere lately so i thought it was high time to gather up a few designs for show and tell.

1 - adorn your xmas tree with these delicate porcelain ornaments from semplice.

2 - red envelope stocks this double crane vase which would be perfect for newlyweds who prefer to surround themselves with more traditional objects (fyi - the photo is deceiving as the vase is actually quite smaller than it appears)

3 - a new way to stick to tradition and still add a little whimsy to your space via oneupdesigns' origami crane wall decals.

4 - alas, grownup sizes of the paper crane tee have already sold out at threadless, but you can still gift this homage to the karate kid to the little one in your life.

island style book picks

since books are always a lovely gift idea, here is a quick roundup of recently published tomes, both modern and old school in style, that are sure to be a welcome find under the christmas tree.

for the hostess with the mostess on your gift list:

party hawai'i which is filled with updated tips and menus to throw a contemporary island style bash. {via mixed plate special}

for the foodie:

everyone who enjoys reading betty shimabukuro's by request column in the star-bulletin will appreciate a copy of what hawai'i likes to eat. betty and co-author muriel miura gathered up 137 old school island favorites including the dobash cake recipe from woolworth's.

for the design junkie:

while checking out party hawai'i online, amazon's on point recommendation was the hawaiian house now which spotlights fresh interpretations of the aloha spirit in island architecture and design. perfect timing since my latest project is stocking up on design titles for my library.

and, the book i am most excited about: hawaiian modern which will be released in late january. in design circles, you always hear about people living in a case study house or a neutra house . . . who knew hawaii had its own acclaimed architect of mid-century modern design?

hopefully, we will make it home sometime during the vladimir ossipoff exhibit at the academy of arts which kicks off later this month.

tabletop luau

a quick roundup of fun design finds which will add a little tropical spark to your thanksgiving table.

1/6 - floral and tiki summer melamine plates from target keep disposable serveware out of the trash and can be used season after season.

2 - napastyle's pig bowl is made of reclaimed wood for a one of a kind luau centerpiece.

3 -  italian ceramic hibiscus bowls add a pop of color for condiments and crudités.

4 - vessel's rechargeable luau lamp lets you take the party wherever you please.

5 - no worries about guests losing track of their drink with these reusable tropicalia clinqs.