bunny love

my favorite part of easter growing up was the little chocolate bunny tucked into my easter basket . . . although i always felt a bit guilty when it came time to say goodbye to its sweet little face. happily, no such dilemma presents itself with toast's newest creation - the delightful cotton tail which features a custom printed handkerchief that has been magically coaxed into a bunny shape with perfectly placed twists and ties.

hidden inside the bunny's belly are a mix of chocolate confections in the form of kit-kats, mini cadbury eggs and reese's pieces (yum!). as an added bonus, once your sweet tooth is satisfied the hanky remains as a cheerful reminder of your little buddy.

toast's charming cotton tails are available in three hues of bunny pink and can be ordered in the online shop or scooped up at toast's studio:

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

p.s. toast recently debuted an in-store mini pop bar where you can mix and match sweet and savory bottles and scoop up preprinted labels whenever you require just a handful of favor fun.

candy land

our friends from toast have just added sweet little lollipops to their repertoire just in time for valentine's day! while many of us may have outgrown bestowing paper valentines upon our childhood chums, the charming fabric wraps are sure to brighten the day of your favorite sidekicks.

each lovely lollie is filled with a mix of fruit flavored jelly candies (strawberry, raspberry and cherry) and are priced at $4 a pop. if you really want to delight someone, be sure to take a peek at the super adorable lollie bouquet ($25) which features six candy treats wrapped in a handkerchief that doubles as a leaf.

lovely lollies are now available to order in toast's online shop or can be scooped up at their kaimuki studio:

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

halloween treats roundup

with halloween just nine days away, it seems like the perfect time for a sweet roundup of delightful treats (no tricks!) handpicked for your enjoyment!

1 - ravenchase returns to the streets of honolulu and is recruiting agents for its zombie elimination task force to crush the undead invasion (tix: $35) expected next weekend.

2/3 - trick out goodie bags with niko art's spooky stamp set ($18) and simply embellish's personalized halloween labels ($6).

4 - dress up your tiny hula girl in a sweet tutu ($22) handmade by hilo's palm tree princess.

5 - maui jewelry artist kira ferrer mixes black onyx and sterling silver to create her along came a spider pendant ($52).

6 - keep track of your candy stash with whimsical arach notes ($3) made by our friends at toast.

7 - glam it up all autumn long with a juicy triple stand of carnelian gemstones ($275) by stacey lee designs.

p.s. you can also order up gourmet halloween candy cheesecakes at ottocake in chinatown or stop by sweet paradise chocolatier (kailua & waikoloa) for seasonal artisanal confections like creepy chocolate fingers, pumpkin spice truffles, and green fairie absinthe chocolates.

etsy scout: mi cielo

faith from sugarcane tipped me off on mi cielo's playful onesies, and the honolulu line's adorable appliqués made it a shoo-in for today's etsy find. a few months into new mommyhood, kayo, mi cielo's crafty creator, soon tired of her baby boy's basic onesies and lap tees and began hand stitching felted flair to add a bit of variety to his wardrobe.

naptime sewing sessions eventually resulted in stacks of embellished togs, and, at the behest of her hubby, kayo decided to offer mi cielo to a wider audience who would appreciate the giggly happiness of childhood that her designs capture so delightfully.

superhero panda * rainbow whale * gecko

inspired by her new(ish) island home, kayo recently added a hawaii collection to the line-up, and offers the option to personalize designs for your favorite little one. all of mi cielo's creatures can be ordered on onesies as well as tees for toddlers and even grown-ups, and organic alternatives are currently being explored for parents who prefer pesticide-free cotton next to their little one's tender skin.

click over to the etsy shop to take a peek, however take note that designs are made to order with an estimated 10 day turnaround time (prior to shipping). oahu peeps can also find mi cielo at sugarcane in kaimuki and baby awearness in manoa.

p.s. order up three or more items and score complimentary shipping. more details here.

new peeks: maui thing

wailuku bridge

maui thing, the designer collective offering screenprinted "clothing with a conscience", has become a favorite of maui residents since its launch and just marked the one year anniversary of its flagship shop this summer.

happily, the line continues to hatch community-minded missives wrapped in fresh island design that distills local culture, environmental thoughts, and playful branded looks into stylish and reasonably priced wearables for the modern 'ohana.

more peeks below . . .

kopiko * crane * apapane

honu

drive aloha * clean oceans

hele over to the mt boutique (shown above) to scoop up the latest designs and say hello, or hit the online shop which offers complimentary shipping on all orders shipped to a maui mailbox.

• where: 7 north market street, wailuku
• shop hours: mon to fri, 10a to 6p & sat, 10a to 4p