willy-nilly waterlily

blushing blooming cactus

it has been cloudy and gray in my part of the world so it was off to etsy to find something cheery to brighten my day. enter the crafty fabulousness of willy-nilly waterlily, an island crafter who, in her own words, has "dedicated my life to the scientific study of cute".

the delightful offerings that leave the little lab devoted to all things cute cannot help but put a smile on your face, and it is obvious that rima, willy-nilly's creator, puts a lot of love into the sweet soft goods crafted with a mix of crochet and carefully chosen fabrics.

little owl * ami bunnies * happy cupcakes

the etsy shop is currently low on inventory however custom orders are welcome so, if you have a crush on the handmade amigurumi bunnies, you best hop to it if you wish to tuck one into an easter basket.

p.s. click over to the willy-nilly waterlily blog for a glimpse behind-the-scenes.

malia mills swim 2009

pucker strawberry fields

whether your beach body issue is coverage or curves, ny-based swimwear architect malia mills (who may be the first hawaii-born designer to be inducted into the cfda) has a suit designed to flatter no matter your shape or size. the new collection recently hit the online shop with looks ranging from urban sophisticate with a minimum of fuss to pinup glamour complete with flirty shirring and cinches.

since malia was last featured, the eponymous label has expanded its seasonless offerings with a swoon-worthy selection of frocks for readers who covet city girl coverups. plus, a girls swim line also made its debut with the option to rock a matching mother & daughter set (phone order only).

more peeks below . . .

pleated flirt & majorette

dreamboat

diana * marais * tie me up

in happy news, the coconut wire sent along word that malia mills is returning to los angeles this week with the opening of an outpost at the brentwood country mart. 'tis the closest shop to the islands, so next time you find yourself in lala-land, hele over for a personalized fitting and the chance to scoop up jewelry from bliss lau, yet another local girl designer based back east.

• where: 225 26th street, santa monica
• shop hours: mon to sun, 11a to 6p

you can, of course, shop online or click over to the stockist list to locate a brick and mortar shop near you.

p.s. the bittersweet brown colorway is being retired so if you splurge on a new suit you can score one in b.brown for 50% off. click here for more details.

{update | feb 13th: the malia mills 'ohana sent over an exclusive $50 coupon just for h|h readers. enjoy the extra savings by mon, aug 31st.}

arkotec design lab

 manatee lab

if you haven't stopped into [area] lately, you may have missed one of the most promising design lines homegrown in hawaii of late. arkotec founder christian hastings recently returned home to the islands to pursue his lifelong dream of opening up a multidisciplinary design house via a fusion of old school production ways and modern meets sustainable design concepts.

in a world where far too much is outsourced to faraway lands, the big island-born designer (who currently calls honolulu home) is happily reviving the cottage industry one product at a time. first by producing a tee collection with thought provoking graphics and most recently with the introduction of arkotec's products for people line (sewn by christian's talented wife shandra).

take a peek at arkotec's latest offerings . . . delightfully green pillows, handbags and plush toys handmade with fabric reclaimed from the thrift shop mixed with new textiles for a totally one-of-a-kind look:

quasi

currently, the arkotec line is exclusively stocked at [area], the fab mid-century modern showroom in chinatown, with plans to open up an online shop of its own later this year (off-island readers are welcome to email christian to place an order).

click over to the arkotec website to learn more!

{update | feb 2010: arkotec recently opened up an online shop stocked with all of the featured designs shown above!}

happy hale*days 08: keiki edition

the official holiday season is upon us so i hope you enjoy today's kickoff of holiday finds collected throughout the year. the economic uncertainty means many of us will be shopping less so consider this a friendly reminder to shop locally when possible - be it your favorite island maker or spending your dollars at a neighborhood shop.

alrighty, on to the good stuff . . .

1 - make waves with the new eco-friendly in-house line from organic keiki (boy's tee here).

2 - island fishtales introduces new gyotaku prints and colorways to its homegrown collection (free shipping on orders over $50).

3 - lucky pebble offers up a handcrafted cuddly duo perfect for playtime.

4 - delightful designs from jolie + jane embrace all that is sweet about childhood (available from cupcake boutique at ward warheouse which is offering free shipping on small items until dec 7th).

5 - inspire tiny recyclers to become little builders at the beach with green toys' sand play set made from recycled milk jugs.

6 - make reading fun with nemu*nemu, a locally produced comic that chronicles the everyday adventures of two bff's and their stuffed pups.

7 - create crafty christmas surprises (and thank you cards for the pile of presents) with niko art's charming rubber stamps.

8 - cupcake also stocks tiny toms, the wee addition of toms shoes who gives a pair of shoes to children around the world for every pair purchased.

b is for bento

earlier this year, i was introduced to the bento goes kawaii phenomenon via enthusiastic blogs and flickr pages devoted to the art of playing with food (literally). who knew cafeteria cuisine could be so adorable?

and while i lack the patience to whip one up myself and would feel guilty decapitating such artfully prepared nibbles, readers up to the challenge may want to pick up a copy of the recently published hawaii's bento box cookbook which is filled with tips and tricks on how to transform your food into funtime.

the cookbook was inspired by the little lunches local chef turned sahm susan yuen began making for her little ones after noticing the delightful bento boxes prepared by the japanese moms at her daughter's pre-school. recipes include local favorites along with step-by-step instructions on how to make musubis in the shape of penguins and bears and owls (oh my!) and the intriguingly named char siu bunny bao.

bon appétit!