happy hale*days 2011: keiki edition

because the best things come in small packages . . .

1 - tea party guests will be delighted when handmade felt cupcakes crafted by ooh la lollipop are served by their hostess. {$12; save 25% off on your entire purchase with secret code etsysale25. while supplies last.}

2 - charm your honu-loving little one with rockabella's tiny gold & sterling silver turtle pendants. {$25; save 20% in the online shop with secret code hapaholidays. offer ends sat, dec 31st. order by mon, dec 5th for usps delivery by xmas.}

3 - handcarved rubber stamps by honolulu's hugfish and orange will inspire crafty cuties to fill endless playdates with the sweetest creations. {starting at $2.50; order by mon, dec 12th for xmas delivery.}

more pint-sized possibilities after the jump!

Click to read more ...

beach read: moloka'i

growing up, my understanding of kalaupapa was limited to the occasional classroom mention and wandering past father damien's statue at the state capitol. then i borrowed moloka'i from my mom which turned out to be a beautifully written tale of how the dreaded epidemic upended the life of a seven-year-old girl.

the fictional story transports you to old honolulu and its inquisition-like investigations of the whispered about ma'i pake before journeying across the kaiwi channel where the inflicted were expected to embrace life on a forsaken slice of 'aina. and while tear-stained pages are inevitable, little rachel kalama stubbornly proves that happiness, even if fleeting, is possible in small moments of freedom be it secret surf sessions, teenage escapades, and unexpected friendships that blossom during an almost lifelong colony existence.

if you adore a good story, this is a must for your summer beach reads list!

p.s. there are plenty of copies waiting to be discovered on the shelves of your local library.

morning crush: bookplate stamp

while the grown-up me would be hesitant to mark up a page, the little me who daydreamed about the coveted sixth grade assignment checking out books at the school library would have made fast friends with this sweet owl & branch bookplate stamp from hilo's niko art.

$12 online.

lovely and amazing

just popping in with the happy news that rachel from lovely clusters invited me to guest post on her dreamy blog while she enjoys a little off-island holiday. since i am savoring every moment of my own abbreviated getaway (this morning's fun: playing in the sand at makaha), please click over to lovely clusters to discover which island lovelies are being introduced to rachel's online 'ohana.

p.s. hello hello and many mahalos to everyone visiting h|h for the first time!

and the winner is . . .

jana from honolulu who will have to make space on her bookshelf for her copy of wedding belles!

mahalo to everyone who entered! remember h|h readers can save 30% off the list price when they order the book directly from the official website:

• secret code: hapahale

congratulations, jana!

wedding belles book giveaway

the first day of june rings in the official start of wedding season so it seems like the perfect time to part with my review copy of wedding belles, the first book penned by tanna dang, the popular proprietor of the wedding café. although the book was published earlier this year and, i must confess, arrived in my mailbox quite some time ago, i finally had a moment to take a peek inside and discovered a breezy read filled with stories and sage advice shared by island brides and grooms.

page after page is filled with a kama'aina take on everything from proposals to planning to big day bloopers plus the inside scoop on the reality of incorporating the many, many island wedding customs without going mad or alienating the more traditional branch of your 'ohana. tanna also pops in throughout the book with a host of helpful tips acquired since she and her husband, bryson, took over twc a few years ago.

it's definitely a fun read which i suspect will become a popular engagement gift for island lovebirds taking their first steps together on their wedding day adventure.

here's the scoop on how to enter:

• email your name & current hometown to: aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by thu, june 4th
• please put wedding belles giveaway in the subject
• one entry per person/household

click back on friday to find out if you are the lucky winner.

{update: winner list posted}

and the winner is . . .

katherine of houston who will be adding the lovely naupaka to her bookshelf soon!

many mahalos to all who entered . . . it seems caren's lovely block prints have found fans from all over. you can scoop up a copy of naupaka at island bookshops and online at amazon.

congratulations, katherine!

p.s. clf's gorgeous artwork can be found in her etsy shop.

{mahalo caren!}