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.

kokua auction - round two!

congratulations to the winning bidder of the first kokua auction lot who scored a sweet deal!

the second lot of the kokua auction includes nona beamer's keiki book pua polu: the pretty blue hawaiian flower featuring the artwork of caren loebel-fried and an audio cd with music composed by keola beamer.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to aloha harvest.

kokua lot no. 2 (est. retail value: $75):

• 1 pua polu children's book compliments of caren loebel-fried
• 1 letterpress note card set (3 cards) and gift tag set (8) from miemiko atelier
• 1 note card set (6 cards) from big island artist caren loebel-fried
• 1 coconut lip balm from north shore soap factory
• 1 ola hawaii lilikoi face wash & 1 kalo face mask from hawaiian body products
• 4 handmade gift tags (panda/hippo/pig/lion) from downtown general store
• 1 package of pat's pineapple salsa

the opening bid is under $25 and remember shipping is on me if you live in the states (international bidders pay a flat shipping rate of $5 usd).

mahalo for your kokua!

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.

kokua auction kick off

i am very excited to announce the kick off of the first annual kokua auction which is now posted on ebay! 100% of the proceeds will be donated to aloha harvest which matches up food donations with island charities working to feed kama'aina who might otherwise go hungry.

this all came to be after receiving the occasional note from one of the subjects of my scribbles who wished to send a little something my way as a thank you for being featured on h|h. my policy is to decline swag for personal use (in the spirit of staying objective, natch), but one day a little idea popped up and so the kokua auction was born.

it seems like a nice way to accept the generosity of island designers/artists/makers while giving the h|h 'ohana a way to sample some of the goodies they have been reading about on the blog - all in the name of charity. it's a win-win-win situation!

so here's the scoop: there will be a total of four auctions, one per week, featuring a mix of goodness from companies like miemiko atelier, ola, riches hawaii, fighting eel, and many more! i've tried to create lots with various price points so everyone can participate in the fun, and, to sweeten the deal, shipping is on me if you live in the states and will be a flat rate of $5 usd for international bidders.

let's get on with the good stuff . . .

kokua lot no. 1 (est. retail value: $40):

• 2 sets of letterpress note cards (6 cards/3 cards) and gift tag set (8) from miemiko atelier
• 1 note card set (6 cards) from big island artist caren loebel-fried
• 1 mama coco's real vanilla lip balm
• 1 plumeria soap from north shore soap factory
• 2 ola hawaii solid fragrance pots in passion fruit citrus & vanilla ginger [11/15 update: please note these are samples]
• 4 handmade gift tags from downtown general store

since i set up an ebay account specifically for the kokua auction, the feedback is currently a woeful zero, however if you message me via your ebay account, i will be happy to send the link to my personal ebay feedback (which is very very good).

love the idea? then please help spread the word about the kokua auction via the *email this* link at this bottom of the post.

mahalo for your kokua!

sock it to me

peekaboo sock bunny

it's etsy day! continuing with yesterday's keiki theme, these adorable handcrafted sock creatures would be so much fun for the little ones on your holiday list. the collection is whipped up by talented kailua crafter denise mollison who transforms the humble sock into a rainbow of cuddly creatures.

i am loving the peekaboo sock bunny which would be perfectly paired with pat the bunny (one of my favorite books from small kid time). and, if you're looking to go green this year, take a peek at max the organic sock puppy and the rest of his eco-friendly pals.

max

color bears

and, for those who insist on gifting toys that will educate the tots on their list, look no further than a set of color bears which helps little ones learn the difference between red and blue with their deceptively cute exteriors. it's a bit of a splurge but a layaway option is available for all the sock toys stocked in denise's etsy shop.