Chelsea is the teenage daughter of Tim, the owner of First Uniform, one of our koi retailers. One of the things that makes Chelsea a shining star is her generous heart. Chelsea loves quilting and sewing and makes beautiful quilts, which she often donates to those in need.

Here’s Chelsea with a “koi” lap quilt she made with koi fabrics for an elderly neighbor.

If you know of anyone who you think deserves mention as a shining star, please let us know at shiningstar@koihappiness.com.

koi founder and designer Kathy Peterson just flew back to L.A. from Hawaii last night, where she hosted koi day at Uniforms Hawaii. But that wasn’t the only big event Kathy attended during her trip. Kathy’s parents, James and Alice Takamoto, who live in Honolulu, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past Sunday. They were joined by Kathy, along with friends & family, who helped them celebrate this very special occasion.

Congratulations, James & Alice on your 50th anniversary! Your friends at koi wish you many more!

A big “Mahalo” to everyone who joined us for koi day at Uniforms Hawaii in Honolulu yesterday. koi founder and designer Kathy Peterson was there and had a great time meeting and chatting with koi customers. Kathy grew up in Hawaii and always loves going back to visit. The event exceeded everyone’s expectations and Kathy particularly loved getting feedback from customers firsthand. We want to thank all the customers and staff at Uniforms Hawaii for making us feel so welcome. Thanks, Nora and Lynette!

From left to right: A big shout out to Cathy, Jody, Nicole, Brenda and Joanne from Queens Medical Center. We had a great time meeting you all!

Kathy Peterson and Juvy, a loyal customer who made the trek from the other side of the island to join us for koi day.

From left to right, Uniforms Hawaii owner Lynette, Kathy Peterson, and Uniforms Hawaii buyer, Nora. Mahalo, Lynette and Nora, for making us feel so welcome!

Kathy Peterson with koi customer Nicole, who is looking great in one of our new Tori tops for Spring! 

If you’re in Hawaii this Thursday, January 14th, you won’t want to miss koi day at Uniforms Hawaii. For one-day only, you can get big savings on koi merchandise, a free gift with all koi purchases, special deals and a chance to win a koi shopping spree! 

Plus, koi founder and designer Kathy Peterson will be there in person from noon until 2 pm. So stop by and say hi and let Kathy know what you think of koi’s latest collections and what you’d like to see from koi in the future. It’s also a great time to check out koi’s new styles for Spring.

You’ll find Uniforms Hawaii at The Shops at Dole Cannery, 650 Iwilei Road, Suite 115, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817. Their phone number is 808-536-6699.

Don’t miss koi day at Uniforms Hawaii this Thursday, January 14th. Be there. Aloha.

Team up with koi founder and designer Kathy Peterson to achieve your weight-loss goals and you could win a $500 koi wardrobe for the new you!

Here’s what our fearless leader Kathy Peterson had to say:

I always hated New Year’s resolutions and never made them in the past. I think it was probably because I never had a resolution I felt passionate about. This year is different.  

I was inspired by Laura, our customer service manager, who just started a weight-loss competition to encourage the koi team to be healthier. Anyone who’s been around our office knows we’re a food-focused group that loves food. We have some of the best cooks around on our koi team. I’m not one of them, but I am the person that brings in all the sweets.

I’ve decided to make a yearlong commitment to become healthier and lose 22 pounds from my current weight of 132 pounds for a goal weight of 110. My current weight may not seem like a lot, but it puts me in the BMI index of overweight because of my petite frame.

I want to encourage everyone to live healthier longer lives. We owe it to ourselves and everyone around us. In the spirit of koi, I created a contest to encourage you to reach your weight-loss goals. I hope you all join me. The more people who join our contest, the more it will help to encourage me and the koi team to reach our goals.

The Challenge:

Tell us your weight-loss goals and work to achieve them, charting your progress each month through the end of 2010.

The Grand Prize (One Winner):

$500 koi Wardrobe for the new you!

(The winner can pick 4 new outfits per season from our new Spring, Summer and Fall catalogs that come out in 2011. A total of 12 new koi outfits!)

At the end of 2010, koi will select one winner that we feel best achieved their goals. We will publish the winner’s story in our blog in January 2011.

Entry Requirements:

Initial requirements:

All entrants are required to submit (by email or mail):

• one current photo of yourself (clothed)

• your height, chest, waist and hip measurements

• your current weight

• your target weight or weight-loss goal

• why you want to achieve this goal

• name and address

• phone number

• email address

Monthly requirements:

All entrants will be required to check in with koi once a month to give us their updated status. Entrants who fail to meet these requirements may be disqualified.

Note: Please consult with your physician before starting any weight-loss program.

Entry Deadline:

All entries must be submitted by January 31, 2010.

Bonus Prize #1:

Everyone who meets the initial entry requirements (as outlined above) will receive a free reusable koi tote bag!

Bonus Prize #2:

To show her commitment, Kathy Peterson vows that if she does not achieve her weight-loss goals by 12/31/10, she will give $100 in koi merchandise to each contestant that sticks with the program through the end of 2010, as long as they continue to provide monthly progress updates to koi.

So what have you got to lose? Enter today. Let’s motivate each other to a healthier, happier you!

Submit your entry by January 31, 2010 to:

shiningstar@koihappiness.com

or

koi “healthier happier you” contest

2904 Colorado Avenue

Santa Monica, CA 90404