merrie monarch market

if you plan to explore hilo town while attending merrie monarch festivities this week, be sure to find your way to the kuikawa boutique which will be stocking a handpicked selection of goods from local designers.

kudos to akemi from paradisus who coordinated this wonderful pop-up shop! in addition to paradisus (including kumu hula sonny ching's collection), you will be able to stock up on h|h favorites like indigenous soap, kealopiko (who will also be in-store), meleana, saffron james, sleep under stars (discovered on h|h!) & kuleana.

even better, a portion of sales will be donated to the nawahi hawaiian immersion program.

• shop hours: wed, apr 7th to sun, apr 11th - 9a to 5p
• where: 160 kamehameha avenue, hilo

p.s. click over to kfve which will be live streaming all the hula performances during merrie monarch week!

introducing: sleep under stars

sweet birthday lei

i happened upon the sleep under stars etsy shop last week and found myself instantly charmed by the delightful paper goods line with a sweet hint of the islands. kate, the mililani girl (now based in the bay area) who launched the eco-friendly stationery last month, is a former magazine designer and based the playful designs found throughout the collection on her own watercolors and sketches (occasionally, a hand painted detail will find its way onto a card for an unexpected note of whimsy).

sleep under stars' extended 'ohana is filled with cuddly creatures reminiscent of childhood companions who, although stuffed, are always ready for a good adventure. her sweet duo, papoose and whalephanty (a hapa whale/elephant), enjoy the little delights of life in hawaii from stringing lei to popping firecrackers to scooping up crack seed at the neighborhood sweet shop.

and, readers still on the lookout for winter greetings will be happy to become acquainted with their friends who are known to merrily slip on long johns to throw snowballs, wrangle xmas trees, and partake in other festive fare.

firecracker new year + li hing mui

hawaii buttons + shooting the curl

handpainted skies

also, take note that many of the card designs can be customized with hawaiian greetings, and one of a kind artwork crafted just for you may also be commissioned.

meet more of the sleep under stars 'ohana, including hula loving honeygirl, over in the etsy shop where you can add a little more wonder to your world via buttons, bookplates, and gift tags.

and, remember to mention h|h at checkout to receive a complimentary set of three hawaii bookplates with your order!

• secret code: hapahale (enter in notes to seller)
• expires: fri, jan 1st