bradley & lily

the long awaited launch of bradley & lily, the boutique letterpresserie known for its contemporary couture wedding stationery, has finally arrived! having been on letterpress watch for quite some time, i was delighted to finally take a peek at designer stacey nomura's gorgeous invites which have been stunning local brides with its artful take on traditional wedding announcements since the very first cards rolled out of its antique printing press.

one look and you can spot how mother nature, architectural motifs, and other design details, often captured by stacey's camera for future inspiration, have been translated from rolling waves, swaying palm trees or koi fish into finely crafted paper goods.

more peeks below:

old hawaii

digital printing is another option for budget crunched brides & grooms who refuse to skimp on the design possibilities offered by their big day. and, letterpress fans take note, bradley & lily's minimalist aloha & mahalo note cards are hot off the presses and can now be found both à la carte and in boxed sets at soha living who will also offer b&l's demi-couture invites in-store later this summer.

to celebrate bradley & lily's online debut, stacey is offering 15% off all demi-couture and couture stationery to readers who mention h|h before june 30th.

p.s. for brides short on time, b&l also offers a gift concierge service featuring elegant favors and other delightful offerings for your guest list with delivery available around the islands and to northern california.

{photo credit: kelly + fergus, visionari}

here comes the sun

happy earth day! put the islands' abundance of sun to good use with these stylish solar finds:

1 - outdoor spaces can light up the night with the soji lanterns, a solar makeover of a midcentury classic.

2 - the bogo flashlight has been languishing on my wishlist but waiting has finally paid off with the introduction of an updated version with even more bells and whistles. the best part is that for every solar flashlight purchased another is donated to villages in developing nations through the company's lights for good program.

3 - charge your gadgets while relaxing on the sand with reware's juice bag beach tote.

4/6 - ikea's summer offerings include its solar/led-powered, budget-friendly and stylish solig collection.
{via unplgged; click over to notcot for an in depth review}

5 - getting lost is no fun so install matter inc's solar house numbers to help guide visitors right to your door.

and, if you are so inclined, rinse off après-swim with a solar powered outdoor shower.

new peeks: shop toast

hello again! you may have noticed that i took an impromptu break from blogging for a spring fling slash media fast. the opportunity to share lots of eco-friendly finds for earth day was hard to resist so . . . on we go!

it seems while i was disconnected from the online world that our friends at toast released a handful of new designs including these cheeky don't blow it hankies. yep, the old school handkerchief is making a comeback and toast's cotton offering is printed with a timely reminder (in water-based ink, natch) to save the planet by nixing disposable tissues in favor of a reusable alternative.

next up, toast's adorable take on the traditional carp streamers flown to celebrate children's day. boys and girls big and small (and certainly a few grown-ups) will get a kick out of the mini koinobori flags filled with blueberry or strawberry jelly beans.

the limited edition design ($3) is stocked in the online shop and in the toast showroom:

• where: 3434 waialae avenue, suite 3, kaimuki
• shop hours: m / w / f / sat - 12p to 6p

portraits with a purpose

honolulu photojournalist david murphey, who splits his days between assignments for modern luxury hawaii and capturing island weddings, is donating his time and talent for the first ever portraits with a purpose, a photography project to benefit the hawaii chidren's cancer foundation.

in exchange for a tax-deductible $30 donation (which, fyi, is significantly reduced from david's standard sitting fee), you can book an hour-long session with the freelance lensman to snap a senior portrait, family photo, or professional head shot. you will also receive a 5x7 print for your kokua, however take note that additional prints will cost extra.

spots are limited so hele over to the reservation page for more details.

{via seasons of life}

new peeks: shivhon rugs

kohola + coral

since we continue to rent our digs (i heart the ny times' rent vs. buy calculator), i am a big believer in rolling out a pretty rug to add a bit of personality to bland apartment-issue spaces. from seagrass to angela adams and our all white kitchen's kitted out flor, a rug is a simple way to transform a room without putting your security deposit at risk.

so enjoy a little decorating eye candy courtesy of the north shore's shivhon who has released a new round of looks for your floor. the locally designed line continues to give traditional island style a modern translation from intricate tribal drawings to introducing artistic abstracts like the lovely big splash of blue featured on the kohola design.

siapo + kuiki

all rugs are made to order in tibet so click rewind for more details.