joie studio new year giveaway

hau'oli makahiki hou! hope everyone enjoyed the loveliest of holidays and happened to catch a peek of the brilliant blue moon floating high up in the sky last night before the first decade of the millennium slipped into the history books.

i had a chance to visit with tina from joie studio while scooping up xmas gifting during uniqueLA a few weeks ago, and she kindly sent me on my way with a new year's surprise just for the h|h 'ohana. two lucky readers will be absolutely delighted to greet each new month throughout 2010 with joie's super limited edition luxe letterpress calendar (retail: $20) plus a handful of coasters rocking a letterpressed pineapple design.

only 125 calendars rolled through joie's presses for 2010 so make a wish and follow the fine print below on how to enter:

• email your name & current hometown to: aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by mon, jan 4th
• please put joie studio 2010 giveaway in the subject
• one entry per person/household

winner will be announced next tuesday.

good luck!

{update: winner list posted}

happy hale*days 09: gifting edition

little wonders

hopefully, everyone has been busy with their holiday preparations and failed to notice my unintended absence this week. alas, between tending to a lovely new project, nursing the mister back to health over the weekend, and hurriedly finishing up all the little holiday details, this year's gifting guide got pushed (and pushed) to the back burner.

anyhoo, please enjoy this tardy roundup of last minute stocking stuffers scouted around the islands and beyond!

for the play date: the delightfully handcrafted emma the alien. ($45 | cuddle with aloha)

for the sumo baby: a wee onesie in sizes from 3m to 18m. ($15 | sweet dumplings)

for the keiki: adorable teddies and stockings made with fabric remnants. (mu'umu'u heaven; in-store only)

for the future picasso: sketch away with mini twig pencils in a rainbow of colors. ($8/dozen | available at toast).

for the tidy tot: handmade art roll featuring a fab orla kiely pattern. ($17 | tasha bags & baby)

design geek loveliness

for the frugalista: help her save her pennies with a pretty piggy bank. ($26 | not neutral)

for the not-so-green thumb: water-sipping succulents blossom in a living vase. (1st look exteriors)

for the office mate: rock that return address with a custom peacock rubber stamp. ($21.95 | for yoo)

for the saimin connoisseur: slurping ramen is tastier in a kitschy ceramic noodle cup. ($12.99 | available at think geek)

for the coffee lover: enjoy each sip with the blue flora coffee service. ($64 | not neutral)

for the front door: modernist mainlanders will appreciate an understated remove shoes plaque. ($32 | rae dunn)

beachy goodness

for the teacher: ecolicious canvas totes featuring waves, butterflies, flowers and fishes. ($24 | ecolicious)

for the treehugger: tread lighter on the 'aina with eco-friendly slippers made from natural rubber. ($30 | organik)

for the armchair adventurer: slip under the waves with the shorebreak art of clark little coffee table book. ($100 | clark little)

for the surfing 'ohana : a custom surfboard sign for the hale. ($40 | three ladybugz)

style makeover

for the indie spirit: wearables for the entire 'ohana (w's pom circles shown above) plus new arkotyke goods for the little hipster. ($22 | arkotec)

for the beauty queen: sweet solid scents made to linger with a blend of shea butter, vanilla bean extract, and essential oils. ($22 - $9 off and free shipping with secret code birthday | maoli perfumes)

for the surfer girl: handpainted star pendants add a little whimsy to the waves. ($30 | christie shinn)

for the water warrior: paddle in style with a lovely tiare jersey. ($40 | 'oiwi ocean gear)

for the mister: represent the 808 with an embroidered tiki crew sweatshirt. ($70 | kicks hawaii)

for the ironman: triathlon and honolulu marathon-inspired charms. ($50 | fly jewelry)

for the local boy: limited edition hi life warrior cap. ($40 | available at butigroove)

p.s. be back on friday with the final sales sheet before santa lands on your rooftop!

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

blue crush

big waves continue to thrill the north shore which makes today perfect for a show and tell of the latest pillow collection from honolulu designer kaypee soh. typeface designs have been popping up in home decor for quite some time now so you can imagine my delight upon discovering that the islands finally got a little font love when i happened upon kaypee's latest lumbar pillows.

the north shore and waikiki offerings reverse to a colorful listing of local beaches known for sunning and surfing while the island edition is made for readers who swoon for blooms. all are a lovely way to add a local but modern hint of your favorite surf spots whether you live just around the way or simply want to sweeten your faraway space with a little hawaiian style.

retro waikiki

island aloha

vintage north shore

in the so'mace tradition, pillows are reversible and are currently available in colorways reminiscent of glassy seasides and glowing sunsets.

the new designs ($90) await you at the so'mace studio and can also be ordered up via tel/email.

• where: 1115 young street
• shop hours: mon to fri 10a to 6p | sat 10a to 3p

happy hale*days 09: mele roundup

big storms seem to be pounding both sides of the pacific today so cozy up with a toasty mug of cocoa and enjoy a little roundup of merry finds from hawaii and beyond designed to delight your december with the xmas spirit!

1 - heather brown's charming peace bird ($20/set) is a budget-friendly way to share a peek of the local artist's work.

2 - tina from joie studio tipped me off on these mele kalikimaka wishes ($16.50/set) by fugu fugu press, pasadena letterpress friends who swoon for a permanent island holiday.

3 - dress up your bulletin board with xmas magnets ($2 each) featuring kat uno designs' adorable reindeer, cheery santas, and sweetly snarky gingerbread (available at alliway).

4 - 100% recycled notes printed with soy-based inks is just one reason why my favorite peeps found norie & lee's sweet surfing buddies ($9/set) in their mailbox last year.

5 - vertallee letterpress wraps xmas lights around balmy palm trees to send faraway friends wishes for a hot holiday ($16/set)

6 - bvik ink from san diego offers up a swell santa ($20/set) letterpressed with folksy charm.

7 - seaworthy silhouettes compose portland-based kapuanani designs' carefully constructed xmas tree cards ($12/set) printed with aloha on 100% recycled cards.

8 - mele kalikimaka stickers ($12/set) by kauai's simply embellish can be customized to adorn gifts or holiday cards.

9 - nix the paper wrap and give cheer ($10) via chewing the cud's reusable eco-friendly furoshiki wraps printed on organic cotton.

10 - hand appliquéd pineapples add an island pop to arcadia home's felt tree skirt ($180).

11 - dimmalimm's hibiscus slip-on coasters ($24/set) i.d. wine glasses and protect your tabletops with a hint of tropical cheer during holiday bashes.