pinkbluyellow

Visit me at HipPea.com!

2012-01-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

A new year, new blog - I've moved over to a new website. Please visit me at Hip Pea where I'll continue to post finds with a modern and vintage-inspired twist, as well as product reviews, working mom tips, and other general musings :) See you there!

www.hippea.com

My little man turns ONE

2011-10-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

The little man had his milestone 1st birthday last month, and seeing what a blast he had (despite his initial shyness with a crowd of people he didn't know) was worth all the time, energy and occasional bouts of stress that went into the planning. I'm still waiting for pictures from the big day but I do have one from the dohljabi that never fails to put a smile on my face when I see it:

No pressue buddy...this only determines the course for the rest of your life.

1st birthday party inspiration ideas

2011-09-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

It's almost little guy's first birthday...I still can't and won't believe he's growing up SO fast. I remember last year at this time I had just started maternity leave and was pretty bored out of my mind for the first week or so. In order to take my mind off of feeling swollen and heavy, I perused 1st birthday ideas for fun (did you know I like to plan ahead?).

Korean tradition makes a big deal out of the first birthday (or dohl) as its original intent was to celebrate an infant's survival back in the time of high mortality rates. Over the years, especially with the rise of the internet and photography blogs, people have been one-upping each other to put together an even bigger, highly styled, more whimsical bash. I won't even try to keep up given my already crazy life, so I'm trying to keep things simple and easy.

So for those curious to know what a dohl celebration is like, I thought pictures could explain this better than any words can :)

From uncleowly - an example of a traditional dohl table.

from kokoliving.com - one that combines tradition with a modern flair.

From terryandesther.blogspot.com - whimiscal princess theme

from kokoliving.com - simple and elegant

It's been difficult narrowing down the design elements from so many insipirational blogs and photos online, but I think I've put together something simple and fun at the end. Pictures to follow after this weekend's festivities!

It's been a LONG time

2011-07-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

...since my last post. Juggling work, family, baby, friends, and miscellaenous other stuff (like trying to maintain a tiny fragment of a social life), really eats away at the time I planned to allocate to updating this blog. I can't believe the July's ending soon - summer is halfway over already (and so is 2011!)

One of my biggest challenges in blogging is re-learning how to write in a open and engaging way, especially given that the bulk of any writing in the last several years has been very cut-and-dry stuff like emails and application review comments. I hope that this blog will help me develop a stronger writing style which infuses more of my own personality within its contents!

Moving onto another topic, I've belatedly started planning A's first birthday party (called the dohl), which is a pretty significant event in korean culture. I like to call it "my second wedding," as it entails just as much planning and stress (many moms say even more). With the event less than 2 months away and nothing really done, I've got a ton of stuff to do. More details on dohl planning in future posts!

Decoration-less for Xmas

2010-12-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays, but this year it seems to be passing by in a big blur. With the little one and now the anticipation of returing to work, I've barely had time to acknowledge the fact that Christmas is only a few weeks away.

Cluttered rooms make me feel claustrophobic, and I've always liked minimal, simple decorations for the holidays. With our small living room already filled with furniture and miscellaneous baby items, getting a tree is out of the question. However, I still want the house to feel a little festive and this picture from Ohdeedoh would be great for our space. Unfortunately, we have a big flatscreen TV above our mantle, but the stockings, twinkle lights, and knicknacks might work.

I love the chalk-drawn fire in the fireplace! So cute...

2 month update

2010-12-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the year, one of my resolutions was to be more consistent at writing blogs. I've failed somewhat miserably at this. Though I tried justifiying this because of the pregnancy and being a first-time mom, they aren't the best excuses because I see lots of pregnant and/or FTMs that somehow find the time to update their blogs. These women must either have clones of themselves or not sleep more than 2 hours a day.

Every year around this time, I say the same thing - "I can't believe the year's almost over!" What's really scary is that time seems to go faster on a daily basis. I clearly remember writing my first blog post back in September 2009 while traveling for recruiting trips, and now it's already been over a year since then. Ever seen the episode of "Twilight Zone" where a man finds a stopwatch that stops time? I need one of those.

November has flown by and Aaron's grown tremendously. He's almost double his birthweight - currently at 10 lbs. 11 oz. Granted, he was a tiny baby...but still! I'm a little sad that he's no longer the wee little newborn swimming in his baby clothes. My eyes got a little watery as I put away some of the clothes that no longer fit him because he's outgrown them.

I'm returing to work in less than 2 weeks, and each day my heart aches a little more thinking about it. The first few weeks of motherhood, I was itching to get back to my old life and return to work, craving that sense of normalcy and the "good old days" because I was so tired and overwhelmed. I missed the silence of our house pre-baby, and the prospect of a solid 8 (or more) hours of sleep after a long day of work. How things have changed...how I've changed! I don't mind getting up at 3AM to the sounds of Aaron's cries for food. Squeezing in a shower during naptime and wearing the same spit-up stained clothes for days on end isn't so bad either. Hanging out at home amusing Aaron with faces and babytalk isn't boring - the smiles they bring forth are worth it.

I've always feared that I was born without a maternal bone in my body, and the first month of motherhood almost made me feel like this was confirmed. It took a while to bond with little Aaron, and now I can't imagine life without him. Gladly, I give up sleeping in, drinking alcohol, and my overall independence for him. Being a mother is the hardest thing I've done, but the rewards are totally worth it!

1 month update

2010-11-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since Aaron was born. The time went both slowly and quickly. Slowly during those early days coping with sleep deprivation and learning the hard way all the tricks of becoming a new parent. Quickly because, well, it's already been a month and I can see so much growth already. Some milestones over the past 4 weeks include:

week 1: breastfeeding - it was painful for both of us. He developed nipple confusion from taking some glucose water and formula from a bottle, so our first night home included an epic fight to get him to latch onto the breast. For the next few weeks, I dealt with sore, blistered nipples :(

week 2: sleeping - sleep deprivation started to wear on me at this point. Fortunately, Aaron started to sleep better through the night, and he took regular daytime naps.

week 3: stir-crazy - baby blues combined with being confined indoors started to drive me crazy. I didn't think that it would affect me that much since I normally don't get very moody and my emotions were pretty level during pregnancy, but it's so crazy how hormones can affect a woman on such a level!

week 4: sleeping again - somehow, Aaron's developed an attachment to being held. Late this week, it's gotten to the point where he won't nap unless he's held during the day. Strangely, he still sleeps perfectly well during the night in his crib. What to do?

Now we're in week 5, and aside from the daytime napping issues, he's great - eating, pooping, and growing like crazy.

Here's a picture of Aaron from his first Halloween, dressed as a bee!

Welcome Baby Aaron!

2010-10-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

After months of waiting and preparing, Aaron arrived on September 30th at 1:45am - just a few hours past his expected due date!

He's so precious. Ever since we first laid eyes on him at the hospital, we've been amazed and delighted by everything he does.

I have to admit, the first few weeks having him home were EXTREMELY tough. No matter how much one can prepare for parenthood, there's nothing that you can do to know exactly how challenging it is, especially for a first time mom like me. From breastfeeding to sleep deprivation to baby blues, every day was a challenge. However, now that he's 3 weeks old, life has gotten a bit easier. We sort of know what we're doing, and we've also been fortunate to have help from family members a few days a week.

Even though he's not even a month old yet, Aaron's already changed a lot. Initially, all he did was eat, sleep and poop, with occasional crying throughout the day. Now, he's more alert during the day and he's sleeping a little longer at night. Born a small baby - 6lbs 3 oz - he's been gaining weight at a steady pace, which makes sense given the amount of breastmilk he takes everyday. I think he's close to 7 lbs. by now!

Despite the fact that life as I know is forever changed with the addition of a baby, I'm looking forward to what lays ahead with Aaron and our new threesome family. Now, it's time for a nap!

Bye bye work...hello maternity leave!

2010-09-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was my last day of work before maternity leave. I've been looking forward to this for months but now that it's here, I'm finding myself being rather bored and restless. Everyone's been telling me to relax, rest up, and do absolutely nothing, especially since I'll never be able to regain this time once the baby's born, but try as I might, this is tougher to do than it sounds! Maybe it's because of my short attention span - I can barely sit through a movie or spend hours finishing up a craft project. Or perhaps the pregnancy makes it difficult to be in one position for long periods of time. Whatever the case...man, I'm really bored. It doesn't help that I'm stuck without a car since it's currently at the dealer's.

I guess it's time to go refold the baby's clothes (for the 10th time).

9th month - just a few more weeks till baby arrives!

2010-09-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe almost 9 months of pregnancy are over and that my life will be forever different with the addition of a new member to our family. Though we've spent the past few months slowly preparing for the little one, I don't think the reality of this event has hit us yet. It's fun to squeal over cute baby clothes, obsess over strollers and cribs, and decorate the baby room, but I've tended to gloss over (or not think about) the hard parts - labor, saying goodbye to uninterrupted sleep, endless loads of laundry, lack of alone time, etc. However, moms have been doing this for thousands of years, so I'll get the hang of it, right?

I've come to terms with gaining 35+ lbs. since January. It seems like ages ago when I competed in a mini-Biggest Loser competition...which ultimately left me $600 poorer since I found out I was pregnant during the last week of the competition. I guess one good thing about being broke is that I have no choice but to lose the weight to fit into my old clothes...no money for a new wardrobe!

Here's a shadow pic from my 5th month...at the time I thought I looked huge, but compared to now, that's nothing!

Dreamy Diana Lens Fun

2010-08-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

I bought a Diana lens with adapter for dSLRs several months ago and of course forgot about it. While on an organizing binge, I rediscovered it in our office storage closet, and thought I should try it out again for fun. Experimenting both indoors and outdoors, I found that it takes very pretty, dreamy, soft focus pictures.

It's not the easiest lens to play with - I didn't realize when I first bought it that you can only use the manual setting when using this lens, and the only thing you can adjust is the shutter speed to produce unique effects. That's probably why I lost interest when I first purchased this lens. Since then, I've taken a beginners photography class and now actually know how to use my camera on manual setting.

When I lose the baby weight...

2010-08-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna go on a huge shopping spree! Just kidding...we're going to be so broke by then. New baby + single income (during my maternity leave) + husband's b-school tuition equals eating ramen noodles by candlelight at night for the next 3 years.

One of my favorite online shops, Red Dress Shoppe, recently added some cute retro-inspired dresses to their inventory. I fantasize about fitting into their size small like I used to. Now, I"ll be happy to squeeze into a large.

The Holly Dress looks airy and comfortable

The Miss Sadie Dress looks like something out of "Mad Men"

The Lemon Drop dress looks perfect for summer

Love the huge rose belt on the Shoshanna dress

See their entire stock on their website - there's tons of great retro-inspired clothing at a very reasonable price! I'm so tempted to buy something right now...to help motivate me to lose weight, of course...haha...

Where did the summer go???

2010-08-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's already mid-August! Why is it that summer flys by so quickly? It's been a weird one in LA this year...the weather has been unusually mild, with temperatures averaging in the high 70's, even in the valley! Normally this time of year, the valley's scorching with temps over 100 on average. Not to complain though...I was dreading a hot, sweaty summer during my last trimester of pregnancy. God's blessed all the pregnant mamas in LA with great weather this year. Hopefully this won't mean we'll have a crazy heat wave in the fall, though!

Second trimester of pregnancy was great - I had tons of energy, slept pretty well, and had a healthy appetite (almost too healthy, since I gained about 25 lbs. during that time!) Unfortunately, third trimester isn't so wonderful. The past few weeks have been pretty tough...lots of back pain, especially from the afternoon on, difficulty sleeping at night, heartburn, and peeing every hour has been super annoying. Good thing there's a light at the end of the tunnel, since the little guy's due at the end of September!

I've done a fair amount of travel during my pregnancy. Here's the rundown:
-March: Pismo Beach for a destination wedding
-May: Bachelorette party in Santa Barbara, 1 year anniversay/babymoon to Cabo
-June: Chicago and San Diego for business trips
-July: Hawaii for a destination wedding

The last trip, while it was super awesome, was definitely tiring. My aches and pains started after I got home from the airport and haven't really gotten much better since. Now's the time to take it easy, which means I'll be missing my nephew's 1st birthday in Seattle at the end of the month.

My Retro Baby plus giveaway from Design Mom

2010-07-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Design Mom is giving away a $250 gift certificate to My Retro Baby, a really cute website with all things retro for your little one! They have all sorts of stuff, from baby clothes to shower favors, all with a vintage twist. The website itself is adorable too, so check it out!

The most awesome items are the retro pedal cars - check out a few:

The deluxe fire truck classic pedal car. Look at all that detail!

Pink Princess pedal car. Totally cute!

Drooling over Dwell Studio

2010-06-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

If money were no object, I'd probably buy everything that Dwell Studio has to offer.

owls sky crib set

owl boudoir pillow

elephant bookshelf

sparrow weekender bag

Photo experimentation

2010-06-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

With summer approaching and daylight hours growing longer, I came home from work and played around with taking some pictures as the sun was setting.

I love the look of shooting into the sun and capturing flare, so I tried replicating it:

(this was the best I could do!)

I've been too chicken to venture out of my backyard with my camera for some reason.

(morning glory growing wild)

Sophie was watching me quizzically during the entire process. My favorite subject graciously allowed me to capture one nice photo of her before she went to chase some squirrels.

Baby shower from Twig & Thistle

2010-06-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

I opened Google Reader today and saw this super cute baby shower idea from Twig & Thistle, one of my favorite stores/blogs.

The post includes a link to instructions on making the cute banner above, as well as closeup photos of the letterpressed invitations:

Man oh man do I wish I had a lettepress machine! Though I have no idea how to use it nor is there any space in my house to keep it, but one can always fantasize about it :)

Baby gear basics

2010-05-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

We just found out that a baby boy is on the way and now we can start doing the fun stuff - shopping!

Actually, it's a bit overwhelming. I didn't realize how much stuff a little infant needs, especially after reading blogs and baby books. Plus, there are so many choices out there for car seats, strollers, cribs, clothes, bottles, diapers...my head's spinning already.

I came across this article today narrowing down baby items to the five essentials that a parent only needs. According to the author, parents really only NEED the following:
-car seat
-crib
-stroller
-bouncy seat (more of a maybe)
-baby bottles

Of course, obvious items like diapers and baby clothes weren't included. Unfortunately, the first three items are probably the ones that'll cost the most amount of money, especially if you go for top-of-the-line items. And realistically speaking, who can't resist buying teeny little baby clothes and cute baby room decor, no matter how impractical or expensive they may be? I should've stopped spending money a year ago to save for our expensive little one.

baby room inspiration

2010-05-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

I discussed my obsession with purple and grey several months ago, and recently stumbled across this really delightful baby's room on ohdeedoh. It has a nice, tranquil ambiance about it. I've been looking for ideas on how to repurpose our guest bedroom into a nursery and this example is definitely going to be one of the inspiration rooms.

Love that mural on the wall!

DIY printable invitations

2010-04-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

I confess - I still love reading wedding blogs and perusing wedding-related websites. It's been almost a year since my wedding, but I still haven't let go of admiring all of the whimsical ideas that vendors, designers, and brides-to-be have. It's so fun!

iDIY recently posted some really cute printable invitations...free for anyone to download! Though mostly intended for weddings, they can easily be customized for bridal showers, birthday party invitations, or whatver else you want. I wish this was available when I was doing my planning! Oh well...I guess I can still use them for birth announcements :)

A long hiatus

2010-04-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hello world! I broke my promise made in my last post to blog more consistently and often, and after a few months, I'm feeling a bit rusty. So please forgive me if the next few posts seem to ramble on or not make much sense.

Work has kept me super busy the past few months, but fortunately the majority of things that kept me away from blogging are over, and my personal life won't have to take a backseat anymore (at least until next year).

I don't want to blame my job for everything, though. Something happened that ensured my life will never be the same going forward....

I'm pregnant!!

There's a blurry picture of me, excitedly showing off the results. I don't know if anyone can tell, but I was still in a state of shock when this picture was taken. I was so sure that I wasn't pregnant that my response upon seeing the test was, "see two lines - not pregnant!"

I'm in the beginning of my second trimester now, ready to share the news with the entire world now that my family and friends know. The gruesome details on my severe morning sickness will come soon.

Now I can start blogging about baby stuff without sounding like a crazy person!

Mobiles galore

2010-02-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

Yikes, can't believe it's been so long since my last post! With work and personal stuff going on the past few weeks, I guess I haven't had much time for anything else. I'm not doing a good job of keeping my new years resolution of regular blog postings...eek!

Anyways, I saw these amazingly whimisical and airy mobiles at The Wonderland Studio and fell in love. They're so modern, simple, and somewhat organic-looking - and the prices are good enough for them to be accesible to almost anyone.

It might fit nicely in a corner of our guest room to add a splash of color and design. I'm seriously contemplating purchasing one soon.

Haute Couture Meets Fast Food

2010-01-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help smiling after seeing this post on Eat Drink Chic juxtaposing McDonald's menu items and iconic design houses for Fashion Week.

Yes, I'd like a Burberry Big Mac and a small order of Hermes fries, please.

Valentines Day - legit holiday or corporate ploy?

2010-01-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

With work picking up and an intro photography class that I just started, not to mention fighting off general laziness, taking time to write and post something has been tough. However, I was suddenly inspired after seeing a lot of ads and blog posts about Valentine's Day, mostly pertaining to gifts, DIY ideas, and general musings.

I've never really been one to take Valentine's Day very seriously. When I was younger, I bought the typical supermarket Looney Tunes/Alvin and the Chipmunks cards and passed them out to my classmates along with sweets marked "secret admirer" for the boys you had a crush on. The chalky taste of those little pastel-colored heart candies always transports me back to my elementary school days. I still get sad upon hearing about the unpopular/socially awkward kids who only received a few cards.

Anyways, flash forward to the teenage and adult years, and I honestly can only remember a handful of times (mostly during my 20's) actually going out to celebrate. Each time was marked by annoying waits at restaurants despite a reservation, bad service, and mediocre/expensive food. The husband and I decided to cook a nice meal at home on the actual day instead of venturing out, and it's worked really well for the past 3 years.

So maybe it's just me being a buzzkill, but I find Valentine's Day to be a bit overhyped. Sure, it's nice to go out to dinner, receive flowers and chocolate, and celebrate with your significant other, but how's that day different from any other day? Can't you do the same thing on an anniversary, birthday, or even just a plain old regular day of the week? I mean, don't get me wrong, I won't turn down any of these things when I do receive them, but I won't be devastated if my husband doesn't come home on February 14th with an armful of roses marked up 500% to take me to dinner where the food tastes like something from a mediocre wedding.

I know the above rant makes me sound like a big grouch (maybe it's because I'm hungry)...but I think I'll be content staying in and watching a DVD that night :)

DIY project inventory list

2010-01-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing some really fun and whimisical DIY/crafting ideas and thought I'd share them in a post dedicated to future projects I hope to undertake:

DIY crocheted-flower bunting from Project Nursey:

Awesome but labor-intensive DIY felt wreath from Domestic Fluff:

DIY flower garland from Once Wed:

DIY birdcages from The Brides Cafe:

DIY silverware chandelier from Apartment Therapy:

(check out the $4500 version at Anthropologie)

Say goodbye to InStyle Weddings

2010-01-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

I just found out that InStyle Weddings is no longer with us. Their last published edition went on the stands this past Christmas. Though it wasn't one of the magazines I religiously bought during wedding planning days (like Martha Stewart Weddings), I'm still a bit bummed because it contained lots of gorgeous celebrity wedding pictures fabulously out of my price range. Perhaps they'll continue their website - I just took a look at instyleweddings.com and seems to be going strong. btw, Christina Hendricks of Mad Men and her 60's inspired wedding is featured...wonderfully eclectic and worth taking a peek!

It seems like wedding magazines, or to be honest, the entire publications industry, is heading south pretty rapidly. InStyle Weddings is just another casualty in the market catering to brides, like Elegant Bride and Modern Bride, which makes sense given the amount of free information and resources you can find online.

Out of curiosity, I googled publications that went belly up in 2009 and was surprised by the number that popped up. Check it out for yourself to see if there are any surprises.

Jeggings (jean leggings) are the best!

2010-01-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

Our LA winter has been relatively mild thus far, but there have been a good number of chilly nights so I haven't been able to unpack my shorts/flip flops from storage just yet. I bought a pair of J Brand jean leggings (aka "jeggings") which have been a staple of my wardrobe for the past several weeks. They look just like regular jeans, including front pockets (which are actually fake) and back pockets (real), plus a zipper and button. Did I mention they're also SUPER comfortable and go well with anything?

from Piperlime

from denimblog

I'd buy another pair except I've placed myself on a budget this month.

Dieting sucks

2010-01-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Since January 1st, I've been part of a "Biggest Loser" contest with 5 friends/family members, with the winner taking an $1800 cash prize (we each put in $300 to participate). Normally, I'd be watching the Food Network while cooking dinner, but to get my mind off hunger, not to mention forbidden items like chocolate, bread, pasta, etc., I decided to treat myself to shopping instead. Zero calories, but tough on the wallet!

I've been living on a diet of these:

Okay, I haven't been THAT extreme to the point of denying myself anything remotely delicious, but it's definitely not very fun. However, I'm determined to win the $1800, so excuse a little grumpiness and delusional ramblings until January 31st when the competition ends.

The whole point of this contest is for us to have a motivating factor to jumpstart healthier diets and regular exercise, but given the amount of money at stake, I know we're all going to partake in a little cheating (sauna, master cleanse...any other suggestions?) the last few days of the month.

So far...I feel a little lighter and less bloated from consciously watching what I eat (mainly less carbs) and trying to exercise regularly, but the scale is still reporting very few pounds shed. I gotta kick it up a notch since we're almost at the halfway mark!

Small bedroom? No problem with vinyl stick-on headboards!

2010-01-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, my sister (who lives at home) told me she ordered a stick-on headboard for her queen-sized bed. It sounded kind of cheesy to me, to be honest. The only vinyl appliques I could think of were those of the child-like variety, such as princess castles, trees with cute little birds, etc...something you'd find in a nursery or kid's room.

On my next visit home, I took a peek at her room and upon first glance, thought she bought a new (real) headboard. It looked pretty good! And for a recent college grad still living on a budget, 30 bucks to spruce up an otherwise boring bed is a pretty good deal.

Of course, she scored on Etsy...here's a picture of the "headboard" from seller artwallproject's site:

I wish I knew about this before buying bedroom furniture for our guest bedroom...that room's relatively small and a sticker headboard could've created the illusion of a real one without sacrificing space.

I'll have to take a picture of my sister's room and post it up to show the results!

Swallow bird necklace from Etsy

2010-01-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

There's just something about handmade gifts, no matter how small or inexpensive, that seems to elicit a lot more excitement and satisfaction from both giver and receiver vs. something mass-produced. One of the reasons why I love Etsy is that I can connect with a virtual global marketplace for such goods, and with so many vendors offering tons of items, I'm bound to find that one unique or perfect gift for someone.

(from AnnsCrafts)

(from mycellardoor)

Sort of late in the game, I stumbled across these really cute sparrow necklaces that I wanted to give as gifts to some of my family members. With only a week left before Christmas, I wasn't sure if they'd arrive on time. Fortunately, there were several Etsy vendors who sold these necklaces (I guess since the bird charm isn't handmade), so after doing some research, I was able to locate two sellers that had them in stock. And lucky for me, they arrived by Christmas Eve!

You can find this necklace on several Etsy vendor sites, so shop around for the best price if you'd like. I ordered one for myself and I gotta tell you, I receive many compliments everytime I wear it!

New scent for a new year

2010-01-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

I'm such a sucker for perfumes and things that smell nice (candles, soaps, new laundry, and so on). On a recent trip to Sephora where my mission to was purchase ONLY a new brow pencil, somehow I ended up spending almost a hundred bucks, which included this:

It was one of those impulse purchases from the bins of small items placed strategically in line while you wait for the register. The fragrance includes notes of Mandarin, Yuzu, White peach, Mountain Strawberries, Freesia, Orange Blossom, Osmanthus, Orris, Musk, White woods (per Sephora's description online). Not quite fruity, not really floral, a hint musky in the undertones, with a subtle strawberry note. The only downside is that the scent disappears after a few hours, so you'll need to respritz at least once during the day. The limited edition bottle holds only 1 fl.oz., which makes it a very portable scent you can carrry around in your purse. Only $24 right now at Sephora!

Paper project - DIY bows

2009-12-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

This gift bow tutorial from How About Orange came in handy this Christmas to create some pretty and unique bows for many a holiday gift.

Experimenting with different types of magazines and catalogs (it wouldn't be as fun or as eco-friendly with regular paper, IMO), I found that the prettiest bows are made using...

Paper Source catalogs!

The variety of colors in the catalog and the stiffness of the paper stock itself is perfect for this project, which you can do even while watching TV. Save them up to use to wrap gifts all throughout the year, and never buy another pre-fabricated plastic-y bow in the store ever again!

Out with the old, in with the new

2009-12-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a very joyous and festive Christmas! Now that the craziness of the holidays are almost over, we have a moment to catch our breaths and reflect on all that's happened over the past year. I always marvel at how quickly each year passes, and as I get older, time seems to go even faster. Not only is it the end of a year, it's also the end of the first decade of the new millenium. I remember thinking on January 1st 2000 that 2010 seemed SO far away, but look...we're almost there!

Of course, with the start of a new year come new resolutions. I've never been one to really make new years resolutions (maybe because I'm terrible at keeping them), but with the start of a new decade, perhaps now's a good time as any to make and committ to some. Looking around my house at the myriad of unfinished craft projects, abandoned hobbies, and unkept promises in my head to finish what I've started, I think my resolution will be to follow-through on anything that I committ myself to. First order of business - follow through on finishing this blog post.

Done!

Random backyard photos

2009-12-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

The overcast skies and setting sun made for a pensive mood today, so I thought I'd try to capture this ambiance through pictures. Here are some examples...

(this one's my favorite!)

Pros and cons of full-time crafting

2009-12-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

There's an interesting article in the New York Times regarding the risks and benefits of turning a hobby into a full-time job. Specifically, they interviewed a number of Etsy sellers, who to the outside world, seem to have hit the jackpot - having transitioned a side job or hobby which they loved into a full-time, profit-turning business.

However, many sellers tempered their enthusiasm with what seemed like sheer exhaustion. Doing what you love and being an entrepreneur seems like the perfect situation, but as with anyone who owns their own business can tell you, the amount of sweat equity one puts into it can be enormous, far more than a typical 9-5, 40 hour/week job. Calculate into that the time spent thinking about new products, ways to improve your business, and a million other items and one can easily spend 90% of their waking hours on their business, not to mention shouldering a ton of anxious, sleepless nights and tremendous amounts of stress.

Of course, many people will tell you that the gratification that comes with being your own boss and doing something you're passionate about far outweighs any of the downsides associated with it. I've thought long and hard about taking the risk to start my own business, but realized that it's easier said than done, and that it will take more than just a good idea to make it successful - am I willing to make my job my life? Yes...but only for something that I truly enjoy and I'll be willing to put 110% of my effort into. And at the end of the day, that what it looks like some of these Etsy sellers are doing.

To read the full NY Times article, click here.

DIY pom pom failure

2009-12-16T21:22:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm not following instructions. Maybe I'm using the wrong kind of tissue paper. Or maybe I'm just not a crafty person.

Whatever the case, I attempted to create some DIY pom poms like the ones I've seen on Martha Stewart's and others' websites. Since they required little in the way of materials, skill, or time, I thought this was the perfect project for me.

In order to be sustainable, I reused some anthropologie tissue paper I had saved. The result was something that looked rather...sad.

The pictures above that I took don't look TOO bad because I tried using flattering angles/lighting. In reality, they sort of look like blooming cabbages. Or some sort of albino vegetable with red veins.

Maybe using recycled tissue paper was the mistake. I looked at several different sets of instructions from Martha's to other crafters' blogs. I do have this theory though that Martha's instructions are purposely a little off to get people frustrated, subsequently leading them to buy her premade craft projects instead.

Argh!

Go crazy with printable moustaches

2009-12-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

The Inspired Bride has a post on some quirky printable moustaches for all your nefarious holiday (and post-holiday) shennanigans! See the full post, complete with PDFs and instructions, here.

I'm having family over for Christmas lunch and plan to make everyone take silly moustache photos then, heehee.

A little rain = winter in LA

2009-12-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

I've had to bring out my winter scarves and coats now that winter has arrived in LA. Anyone who lives in um, less temperate climates than us are probably laughing their heads off when we complain about 50-degree weather and a thunderstorm. Despite catching a cold and feeling a little woozy from medication, I love this weather because it finally feels like winter and the holidays. It's simply not the most festive feeling when you see your neighbors putting up christmas lights in shorts and flip-flops and sunglasses.

I'll be heading up to Seattle this weekend to visit relatives up there, and I hear temperatures are below the 30's at night, so I better pack up puffy jackets, earmuffs, and mittens in excess to stay warm!

The days are getting shorter..it's barely 4:30 in the afternoon, but the sun is already starting its way down the horizon...

Kusudama balls as wedding decor

2009-12-06T00:13:00.000-08:00

I love the clean, elegant look of kusudama balls, and decided to forgo flowers for our wedding ceremony aisle decor and use these instead.

Initially, I was totally psyched and ordered several sheets of blue and silver mulberry paper, excited to get started on this project. Can you believe it took me about 6 months to make 12 balls? Let's see...5 petals per flower times 6 flowers per ball times twelve balls...okay, makes sense. I'm pretty flaky when it comes to crafting, but even with every spare minute dedicated to cutting the paper to size, folding, and gluing, it felt like a neverending task. Even with the help of one of my bridesmaids, it was still pretty daunting.

After the wedding, I managed to find and keep 3 of them, which are now hanging from a lamp in our office. I have no idea what happened to the rest.

DIY mini-magazine holder

2009-12-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've seen several DIY magazine holder tutorials online. Since I had some time last night, I decided to create a holder for my Martha Stewart Food magazines, which are smaller than the average size periodical.

A family size cereal box proved to be perfect for this quick project:

I measured about 3" on the shortest side, up to 7" on the tallest

Then cut along the lines using a craft knife

Here's what it looked like after cutting

The trickiest part was covering the box with patterned paper. Other sites recommended using fabric, but since I didn't have any I liked for this project, I ended up going with a Wooster & Prince paper I had on hand.

I ended up just tracing each side of the box on the back of the paper, cutting out each piece with about a quarter inch allowance, and then gluing them in place with a glue gun.

Here's the finished product:

Easy peasy! Now I just have to actually start cooking some of the recipies in these magazines...

Anthropologie in-store crafting sessions!

2009-12-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

Throughout the month of December, select Anthropologie stores will host special crafting sessions and/or reading hours for children. Hopefully they'll teach shoppers how to create some of those amazing displays they showcase!

All the stores around LA look like they'll be hosting these events, lucky for me! The complete list can be found on their Facebook event page, located here.

Who can pass up free crafting lessons and babysitting?!

Deliciously delightful baby shower inspiration from Project Nursery

2009-12-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when I saw this baby shower inspiration board on Project Nursery, especially with all the juicy, eye-popping colors and simple but whimsical details!

This would also work really well for a cool blue summer wedding or a lucky child's birthday party - just substitute the birds nest for something wedding or birthday-themed! For more details, check out the post on Project Nursery.

Purple & Grey...my new favorite colors?

2009-11-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

Based on the current trend in my closet, I think purple and grey have outshined blues and browns as my new go-to colors. I've seen lots of posts about how grey is the new black, which is funny because I painted 2 rooms of my house a beautiful light grey before I picked up on this trend. It's pretty true though - grey is a wonderful background and can really help make other colors pop. In addition, there are so many shades of grey to choose from, as opposed to black.

Some items I'd put on my wishlist include:

reclaimed wool sweater brooch from Etsy seller thejunebride

funky purple belt from Anthropologie

The "Carrie" necklace from Etsy seller erinkeys

Elizabeth & James dress from Shopbop

funky vintage-style candle from Etsy seller Madhatterspottery

Happy post-Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful and festive Thanksgiving! We had a joint family lunch yesterday and I seriously think I gained about 5 lbs. from eating nonstop for 6 hours. There are some terrific cooks in our family, and everyone brought a couple of dishes to complement the turkey and glazed ham...yummm!

gotta have kimchee at every meal in a korean family!

To help burn off some of the food above, I'm comtemplating whether or not to bother trying to do some shopping later today. Maybe I'll make up my mind after I polish off some leftovers.

Fun with the Nikon D90

2009-11-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

This past week, I've spent my spare time learning as much as possible about the Nikon D90 and the tricks to using an SLR in general. Currently, just trying to get used to all the different functionalities of the camera is a big learning curve, but the vast improvement in the quality of phots I can take is really gratifying to see! Some examples are below:

Went to the Montrose farmer's market and took some pictures of scrumptious produce and pretty flowers:

I love strolling down the flea market section and perusing the housewares displayed:

Our family dogs are my favorite subjects to shoot, and I never get tired of their funny poses that guarantee to crack me up:

my dog Sophie, always looking so serious

gazing pensively off into the distance (or looking maybe scanning the trees for possums to kill)

My sister's always hilarious dog Bender is full of personality and mischief, as you can see:

Hopefully, my photography skills will continue to improve over the next few months. I must admit that this camera is so user friendly, especially for SLR beginners like me, that getting some great shots didn't take a whole lot of effort. Note that all pics above were taken using the 50mm 1.8f lens - a lens I HIGHLY recommend!

Moustache reference guide on your desktop

2009-11-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is going to be my new desktop wallpaper at work.

For some reason, it makes me smile everytime I see it. :)

(from the Moustache blog)

Kids clothes, cameras, parties...yes this is random

2009-11-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

So this post is really a bunch of miscellaneous items thrown together...

-Anthro kids
I wrote a previous post about how I wished Anthropologie had kids clothes, and it seems like my wish came true! Originally stumbled across a limited selection of items at the store in Newport Beach when I was down there for work event, but now you can find them on their website and in the latest catalog. Super cute stuff (just super expensive too!)

how adorable is this little apron!

(all photos above from Anthropologie's website)

-the long-awaited camera

It finally arrived in the mail on Wednesday and I've been happily clicking away at the most banal and uninteresting subjects to practice (with the exception of my dog Sophie, who's been patiently acting as my primary live model). I'm still trying to figure how to use the darn thing - there's so much more to SLRs than a regular point-and-shoot - but I'm at least shooting in "P" mode right now, having skipped the Auto functions altogether. So far, the pictures, even with my nonexistent skills, are looking pretty good!

-party party

Our housewarming a few weeks back was a hit, despite a couple of glitches (namely a few drunk guests and me buying way too much food). I was so busy with about 40+ guests in our small home at one point that I didn't have time to take any photos. With the holidays approaching, I can't wait to host more soirees, though this time, they'll definitely be a much smaller and more manageable group. Hosting duties are fun but can be quite stressful! I can see why some people call it an art.

Happy weekend!

DIY letterpress? Sweet!

2009-11-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love letterpress anything? I'd letterpress napkins, business cards, toilet paper (ok maybe not that far), if the price was right. My wedding invitations were letterpressed, even though it meant going over budget a little and entailed a ton of work (only because I tried to design them myself and didn't know what the heck I was doing).

Lifestyle Crafts has debuted a new DIY letterpress machine which actually looks pretty simple to use. Though you're currently limited to using their customized printing plates at this time, the range of different projects you can do so far is fairly cool.

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Something else to put on my christmas wish list...

Engagement photos - a trip around Los Angeles

2009-11-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Our engagement photo shoot took us all throughout Los Angeles, and lasted almost 9 hours. I have to hand it to my husband, he was a real trooper throughout the entire process, and our photographer Paul (also a good friend from college), worked tirelessly to capture our personalities in some wonderful moments.

We drove from the westside to start the morning in Old Town Pasadena...

@ the corner of Fair Oaks & Green

in the alley behind Colorado Blvd

Then moved on to the Gamble House, a beautiful craftsmen-style home that's now a museum:

the house is more stunning in real life

Next, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed over to the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art):

@ the vintage lamppost exhibit

It's now late afternoon, and monstrous LA traffic is starting to creep into the freeways. Despite this, we head to our final destination: Manhattan Beach...

@ an old-fashioned ice cream parlor...yummy pistachio ice cream!

we moved over to the beach...

and ended our day as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

We promptly passed out at 9pm that night. I don't know if I'll be able to convince the hubby if we can do a grueling photo shoot ever again, so it was worth it!

Fake moustache craze

2009-11-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

There's this weird fad going on.

Moustaches.

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Fake ones, that is, in all kinds of photos online and in places you wouldn't normally see them.

Even Paper Source has a campy set of fake moustaches that they sell in their store:

(my sister bought these)

I'm starting to see them pop up in wedding photos:

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And on pets...?

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The Moustache Blog is actually pretty awesome, haha. Wonder what my husband will say if I decided to try to grow some facial hair...

My first dSLR!

2009-11-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

I'm SO excited. Our faithful Canon Powershot broke on Halloween, which finally gave me an excuse to retire it and purchase a new camera. Since I've been coveting an SLR after seeing too many amazing photos from other bloggers, I promptly started my research on different cameras. With so many choices out on the market, I quickly became a bit overwhelmed. For an indecisive person, too many options can actually be a bad thing. I rethought my strategy and began going through a more systematic process:

1. Entry level, prosumer, or professional? Immediately ruled out the professional models, which had a ton of features that I probably wouldn't use. Plus they're super expensive!

2. Price point? Somewhere in the under $1000 range.

3. Brand? Based on tons of reviews and my own experience with point-and-shoot digital cameras, I knew I wanted either a Nikon or Canon. I've owned many Canon cameras (both film and digital) so my initial loyalty leaned that way, but Nikon SLRs have an esteemed reputation. I was torn until...

4. Lenses? I had no clue as to how to choose these. However, I learned that a good lens can be even more important than the camera body. A good lens consistently delivers quality photos and can be used for many years, even as you upgrade or change the camera body (assuming you stay with the same brand, I think). Nikon lenses have an awesome reputation for sharpness, color, clarity, and all-around reliability. Ok, now I'm sold.

5. Where to buy? Fortunately, my brother-in-law happened to purchase a dSLR a few months back. He sent me a great spreadsheet organized with information on cameras and accessories with their prices broken down by online stores. I initially planned to purchase everything from Amazon, but ended up with a better deal at Buydig.

After this exhausting but fruitful search, I chose (drumroll)....

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The Nikon D90! It comes with an 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens, which I learned was a fairly good all-around lens for everyday photos and portraits.

However, I was also told that a 50mm lens takes the coolest, funnest photos, so I bought this too:

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Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - only $124 on Amazon!

Orders have been placed, and now I have to wait 5-9 business days to start playing with them.

Did I mention I'm SO excited?

DIY tweed leaves headband

2009-11-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

My second DIY post is a headband to complement fall colors and fabric textures. The material comes from an old tweed skirt I that couldn't part with since I was so attached to it. What better way to keep it a part of my wardrobe than to turn part of it into a headband! So here we go:

Materials
tweed fabric (or any fabric with a similiar texture)
thin headband
scissors
glue gun

Instructions

Step 1: Cut out a piece of fabric for your leaves from a heavier fabric with a nice texture. I really liked the green tweed of this skirt (will be using it for future projects for sure) and ended up using a piece about 6"x12".

Step 2: Cut leaf-shaped pieces from your fabric. I didn't bother drawing them on the fabric or anything, just cut free-form shapetoids. Each were approximately 1.5-2" in length. I didn't want to wrap the entire headband with them, so I only ended up cutting around 15 pieces.

Step 3: Arrange them by size, and get your trusty headband purchased for under $4.00 for 2 at Forever 21.

Step 5: Start gluing pieces onto the headband. I started with the largest leaves and worked my way up, overlapping the bottom ends as I made my way around the headband.

I started on one side of the headband a few inches up, and went around until just past the halfway mark, using smaller leaves as I got toward the end.

Here's the final result:

The picture quality totally sucks in these photos, which I apologize for. I'm currently shopping around for a dSLR to replace my old point-and-shoot, which is frustrating to use indoors, to say the least. I think I'll try making another one of these headbands, using smaller leaves on my next try!

I give in to the Twilight fad...

2009-11-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

I blame my sister. We had a mini-sister day planned, so while I was waiting for her to come home, I picked up the book and started reading. While the writing isn't exactly Nobel Prize-worthy, I found the book to me strangely addicting.

Back to my happy place

2009-11-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Where's that, you ask? Depends on my current mood, but the place I usually find something to cheer me up is Etsy. I'm constantly amazed by how many creative souls are out there and I'm happy to support entrepreneurs and independent artisans as much as possible. I have many of them to thank for various items purchased for my May wedding.

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and here are some special finds that would be great for the holiday season:

tiny quilted pumpkins

mmm...pumpkin bread

festive thanksgiving bunting

amazing autumn garland

Happy Friday!

"Sweet" downloadable cup wrappers

2009-11-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

So I'm having a housewarming party this Saturday and have been looking for ways to decorate without spending too much money. On Eat Drink Chic, I came across a post on some super-simple DIY cup wrappers for candy or other little snacks. Check it out!

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I think I'll fill these with all my leftover Halloween candy (someone other than myself needs to help eat these).

Any other simple, hassle-free, and cost-friendly ideas for a housewarming party? Let me know!

The cutest baby costumes - KAM party

2009-11-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

Through the magic of Facebook and its links to tagged photos of friends, I came across pictures from a group called Korean-American Mommies (KAM) and a Halloween party they held last week, complete with a collection of photobooth pictures that will make anyone's heart melt. Seriously, kids costumes have come a long way since my childhood in the 80's, where we wore plastic devil masks with matching plastic (and probably flammable) outfits, or repurposed old clothes and rags tied to sticks to dress up as hobos.

Check out Youkeun's blog for highlights, and his Facebook gallery for the entire set of pics. My favorites included a baby Hershey kiss, a Super Mario Brothers family, and an unhappy little flower. What were yours?

Back in the bay area...for the last time this year

2009-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm on the final leg of my fall recruiting trips, back in the bay area until Friday. Luckily, my hotel is right next to Union Square so the first thing I did upon checking in was change and hit the shops.

Since this is the last time this year I'll be up in the bay area, I figured I might as well make the most of the shopping opportunities here. At Anthropologie, I watched the employees in the middle of creating their winter store displays - using plastic cups, straws, chicken wire, cotton balls, cash register tape...how the heck do they come up with such whimiscal displays using the most random items??

I also bought a pair of grey boots, which I've been searching forever for, and long-sleeved shirts (which I have plans to embellish with some flower pins that I'll make in the future).

My last trip of the year! Bay area, I love you, but after 5 trips in 2 months, I'm ready for a break.

Take a peek at my house - living room

2009-10-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

Although we moved into our new place about 5 months ago, we waited a while to have a housewarming because of some pretty major renovation work after we bought our place. Some work we did include opening walls, replacing all windows with energy efficient ones, expanding master bedroom closet, completely gutting and redoing a bathroom, adding a sliding door in the kitchen, painting the entire interior and exterior of the house. We'll hopefully be done once our new driveway and walkway are complete (which should be this weekend). I wish I took some before and afer pics to document the transformation that took place.

Here are some pictures of our living room. We added plantation shutters, mounted a flastscreen above the fireplace, and installed some nice mirrors above a buffet table. We scored huge deals on our furniture through buying stuff at the Z Gallerie Outlet and at Crate & Barrel's floor sample sale. Woo hoo!

Here's our buffet (Z Gallerie Outlet ) and 2 mirrors (Crate & Barrel floor sample sale). I think the vase & flowers were the only item we paid full price for.

This was my wedding rehearsal bouquet, with ribbon flowers made from instructions found at Martha Stewart Weddings.

Couple of pics of the flatscreen tv (craigslist), white couch (Z Gallerie Outlet), bamboo & vase (vase had a crack so we got it for 40% off!). Though you can't see this too well, the moss green floor rug from Crate & Barrel was also from their floor sample sale.

I'm having trouble figuring out how to decorate the bedrooms. That's my next home project!

That's Sew LA!

2009-10-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

So after my skirt-to-apron attempt, I realized that the sewing skills from my 7th grade home ec class aren't up to par anymore and it's time to take a sewing class. I found a really cute one in Silver Lake called Sew LA which isn't too far from my place (well, without hideous LA traffic, that is).

Sew LA offers classes for students of various levels, including private lessons, but they also have a great selection of really cute fabric, plus supplies and books. I'm gonna have to check this place out soon! They actually have a class on making vintage aprons...

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Wedding Day @ the Cravens Estate

2009-10-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our wedding day was truly magical. During our rehearsal the evening before, the weather was cold, misty, and gloomy, and I was freaked out that our predominantly outdoor wedding would have an unexpected guest in the form of rain. The next morning, I woke up to more gray skies and all throughout the time my bridesmaids and I were getting ready, I anxiously watched the weather forecast, crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

The morning and early afternoon continued to be overcast, which was actually great for pictures since it diffused the lighting. Half an hour before the ceremony began, sunshine broke out from among the clouds. The rest of the day was splendid indeed...not too hot, not too cold. Phew!!

Without further ado, some pictures...

Our venue, the Cravens Estate, is the home of the San Gabriel American Red Cross. They have a beautiful old building in Pasadena that they also rent out for filming and special events.

The house, inspired by a french chateau, has many beautiful areas for pictures. What sold me when I first saw the venue was the beautiful wrought-iron staircase in the middle of the house.

The backyard had a lovely grassy lawn with trees that was also a great setting for pictures.

The ceremony was held at the front of the house, in front of the main entrance.

Reception was held in the backyard, facing the back of the house.

It was a fun-filled, stress-free day (surprisingly!), and our awesome photographer, Paul Lee, did a fantastic job capturing so many wonderful memories for us. It's hard to believe almost 6 months have passed since then!

What to do with fabric flowers...

2009-10-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

I made three fabric flowers last night, but not quite sure what to do with them. Any thoughts?

I'm thinking either headband, necklace, or embellishment for a shirt.

LA Sample Sale - Rock Scissor Paper!

2009-10-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

Rock Scissor Paper Studio sells a variety of cute, modern stationery with vintage flair to stores like Anthropolgie, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and smaller boutiques. Fortunately, they're located in Los Angeles, and even better, their sample sale taking place this Sunday in the San Fernando valley is close to my house!

I've seen a lot of their merchandise in the stores above, and always forced myself from not buying too much of it since I already have a ton of stationery at home that I find too cute to use.

Take advantage of this offer, LA denizens!!!

Details: Semi-DIY skirt to apron project

2009-10-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here's what ya'll been waiting for...my instructions for converting a skirt into an apron!

This is my first tutorial, so please bear with me if some instructions are totally obvious.

Step 1: find an old skirt, knee length or a couple of inches shorter, to start with. Mine was a cute retro-inspired one from Red Dress Shoppe that's a bit too pink and floral for my tastes now.

Step 2: Take your skirt and lay frontside down, and cut out the back of the skirt. I left about 4 inches on each side (sorry no picture of this!). Set this piece aside, as it'll be used later!

Step 3: Take about 1/2" on the left and right edge, pin, and iron down.

Step 4: With a sewing machine, sew the hems on each side of the skirt, then remove the pins. I just used a basic running (?) stitch with white thread.

Step 5: Take the piece of fabric you cut from the back of the skirt, and cut two 4" strips from each piece. Fold in half wrongside out, pin, and iron. Sew around bottom and side edges, then turn inside out. These are going to be the apron ties.

Step 6: Pin the apron tie to the inside of the top edge of the apron skirt and sew. I made two parallel running stitches to make sure that the tie was securely attached to the apron skirt. Repeat on other side of the apron.

inside of apron

what it looks like from the front (sorry my stitches suck)

That's it! Now, try on your apron and see how it looks!

What's sad is that as simple as this project was, it still took me several days to finish since I'd only work on it an hour or so every few days. And as you saw, my sewing skills are pretty depressing. Hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon and start creating Etsy-quality items soon!

Semi-DIY: turn a skirt into an apron

2009-10-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of crafting and creating cute, functional items. But the reality is, I'm terrible at DIY projects. Horrible. Undisciplined. Impatient. Easily distracted.

So I'm trying to start off slowly, by doing easy projects that don't require complicated steps or extensive preparation time. Have you seen that show "Semi-Homemade" on the Food Network, where the host take something like 75% store-bought items and combines them with 25% fresh ingredients to create something that emulates homemade goodness? Well, my version of this is "Semi-DIY: Even You Can't Mess This Up." This involves taking already made items, applying a little bit cutting, tearing, gluing, and sewing to create something that you can pretend was entirely handmade. You can stay quiet on the details and bask in praise from others when you proudly show off your finished product.

My first project was a flower headband made from an old shirt, which turned out okay, actually. Current project is an apron made from a skirt. Since this involved a sewing machine, it was more complicated and maddening (especially since I haven't used one in ages). It's still in the works...after more than a week. I'll post pictures soon!

Mad for AMC's Mad Men

2009-10-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows on TV is AMC's "Mad Men." Every Sunday night at 10pm for the past few months, my husband and I have eagerly watched the drama unfold in Season 3. Character development throughout the series is very intruiguing, as each person has many layers and facets to his or her past and personality. Simply put, it's a superbly addicting show.

I love how much attention to detail is paid on each episode of the show - from the dialogue to hairstyles to clothing to decor, every aspect has been meticulously researched and authentic to life in America in the early 60's. Especially delightful are the wardrobes of the leading ladies on the show: Betty Draper, Joan Holloway, and Peggy Olson. There's so much inspiration to draw just from the clothes and accessories the women wear on each episode.

all photos from Mad Men's official website on AMC

Betty Draper

Betty's like the quintessential 60's desperate housewife - reluctant suburban housewife bored to death with a lot of anger and resentment pent-up inside. But her outfits are faaabulous. I love how easily she transitions between squeaky clean Stepford wife to fashionista. That last picture reminds me of a blonde version of Audrey Hepburn.

Joan (Holloway) Harris

Um, how hot is Joan? She channels Marilyn Monroe and Jane Seymour with her curvy figure and sexuality. The bold colors and confidence she exudes makes her stand out and shows that she's not someone to mess with. She's someone I'd be scared of hahaha.

Peggy Olson

Peggy's probably the most boring fashion-wise. She seems to be somewhat naive and innocent at the start of the show, but her character becomes more worldy and jaded as the show progresses. This development's also seen in her wardrobe - it goes from being somewhat old-fashioned to more modern (though she's definitely the most conservative dressed of the group). Who knows though - she seems to have a wild streak that she's holding back, so maybe when the sexual revolution emerges in the late 60's, she'll go crazy.

Anyways, I can go on an on about the show, but you get the picture. Watch the it 10pm on Sunday nights!

Home sweet home

2009-10-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back from my extended trip along the west coast! Compared to others I've done in the past, this one was a piece of cake, especially since I only had to go to airports 6 times (compared to 12+ on other trips). What's all the travel for, you ask? Well, I work in graduate admissions for a large research institution, and every fall the admissions team travels throughout country and around the world to recruit high-caliber applicants to our program.

Yawn...so enough about work. The nice perk to the job is the opportunity to visit lots of different cities and countries, though after several weeks on the road, going home and sleeping in your own bed is something I look forward to more than anything. In the past, I've had opportunities to travel to parts of Europe and South America. This year, as luck would have it, I've done only domestic events. But that's totally fine by me...it's nice to give my passport a break once in a while!

Constant refinement

2009-10-06T23:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so when I first started this blog (just a month ago), I initially wanted to focus on baby products and gear. However, I'm finding a greater desire to expand the scope of my thoughts (for now at least) beyond baby stuff to more general vintage-inspired finds that matches my personal aesthetic. So for the time being, I wont solely focus on products for babies. I'm sure when it's time for kids, the focus of the blog will change yet again. In the meantime, please bear with this newbie to the blogging community as I continue to refine the purpose of this site and make it relevant to other readers out there.

Jessica

Monster slippers - in time for Halloween!

2009-10-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

Seeing costume stores pop up in previously empty storefronts has gotten me thinking about Halloween. I've been looking for the Maggie Simpson star costume from the Simpsons for my newest nephew, but it's surprisingly really hard to find.

I found these darling monster slippers on Etsy that I'm thinking of getting for him instead:

from Etsy

Okay, gonna go back to looking for that Maggie Simpson costume online now.

Living a nomadic existence

2009-10-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

My work entails a lot of travel, as I mentioned before. I was in SF last Saturday, then spent 5 days in Seattle and came back to the bay area last night. I'll be here until Tuesday, then heading to Berkeley for an event and finally going back home on Wednesday.

Sleeping in your own bed is something that I haven't looked forward to since, well, last fall during my travel season.

When I get home, I promised myself to get started on writing thank-you notes from our wedding in May. It's something I've put off but I know that I should do them soon.

I am now going to head out to take advantage of my strategic location in the heart of Union Square to do some shopping. There's a Goyard store right next to my hotel and they have some super nice (but expensive) diaper bags! Doesn't quite fit with my usual affordable and vintage-inspired aesthetic, but a girl can at least look, right?

Red Dress Shoppe

2009-09-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

My love affair with vintage inspired clothing and accessories started when I came across Red Dress Shoppe several years back in Old Town Pasadena. While looking for street parking on a side street off of Colorado Blvd. (the main thoroughfare in the area), a cozy little clothing store with a whimiscal sign caught my eye. I can't quite remember why I was in the area but eventually I ended up in the store and felt an instant connection with everything, from accessories to dresses to tops to skirts (even the wall decor).

Over the next few years, I frequented the store regularly, as well as their website, and learned about snoods and circle skirts.

all pictures from Red Dress Shoppe

Unfortunately, the store closed a few years back and now only takes online orders. BUT, they recently opened a new showroom in Eagle Rock (a few miles southwest of Pasadena) that's open by appointment only. The owner, Madeline, is also a new mom and I give her lots of props for maintaining her website and store while juggling mommy duties.

So in the spirit of promoting vintage-inspired fashion and entrepreneurship, I encourage you to check out Red Dress Shoppe. You'll love it as much as I do.

Janie and Jack in a new light

2009-09-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

I remember seeing this store, Janie and Jack, in the mall since high school, but didn't really know (or care) what they sold, since nothing inside seemed to fit my aesthetic (or size).

Fast forward about 10 years, when my friends and colleagues around me were starting to get married and have children. When the wave of baby showers and birthday parties started rolling in, J&J started to catch my eye. At the present, I admit that I am enamoured by the cutest morsels of clothes and accessories that I find here. Even when I'm not on the hunt for a gift, I sometimes still go inside to peruse their latest kiddie styles and wares and take a moment to search their sale rack, just in case there's something too adorable to pass up...

They're currently running a nice little sale both in stores and online. I'm getting a kick out of the names they give to each of their different lines of clothing (Parisian Park, Soda Fountain, Santorini Island...makes me want to set off on an impulsive trip to Europe):

All pictures from Janie and Jack website's sale section. Prices are very reasonable and though many styles are from the summer, some (like the ones above) are still very appropriate for fall!

If only Anthropologie had baby stuff...

2009-09-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Because Anthropologie is, hands down, my favorite store in the world.

And what at Anthropologie is my favorite part of the store? The sale section!

Now if I won the lotto, I'd probably buy out the entire LA store, but until my winning numbers pop up, I don't think I can afford to blow my entire paycheck every month there, no matter how tempted I am to do so. Their sales are actually pretty good, and if you're like me and lurk around this section on a weekly basis, there's a good chance you'll find some great items for 20-50% off.

Too bad Antro doesn't sell baby/kids clothes or products, because I would so be there. Their current home decor stuff though, would actually be really cute in a baby room. In fact, all their store decor would be cute in a baby room. I hope they don't mind if I borrow some of their ideas in my own home...

My job entails a lot of travel, so I'm currently in SF, fortunately within walking distance of the store near Union Square. I was pleasantly surprised to find a VERY robust selection of discounted items. Since I was on a time crunch (unfortunately having to work duing a prime shopping Sunday afternoon), I was only able peruse the racks for a few minutes. But rest assured, I will be back soon.

So, you got babies on the mind or what?

2009-09-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

So I mentioned that I've recently gotten married. Wedding planning was acutally a really fun process for me. Sure, it had its moments of stress and a few (dozen) tears were shed here and there throughout it all, but overall the time I spent researching, negotiating, meeting, and budgeting were happy months. About a year of my life outside of work was devoted to this huge project, and after it was over, I found myself 1) relieved to have everything done but 2) somewhat bored with a lot of free time on my hands. I tried oocupying my time in a variety of ways, from crafting to classes to cooking, but I finally realized that I needed to find another big, long-term project, something I could work on intermittently throughout the day on a consistent basis that might actually be useful to myself and others around me. Naturally, after love and marriage is the baby in the baby carriage...and given my love for all things in miniature form (from food to clothing), I thought, hey why not blog about baby products, especially seeing that a significant number of my friends have babies or are pregnant (some with their 2nd and 3rd on the way!).

So to make a long story short, I guess I do have babies on my mind, and though I'm not knocked up yet, it will most likely happen in the semi-near future, and so I hope this blog will be a great resource for me once my time comes.

You can probably tell I'm a little anal about planning ahead.

In the meantime, I hope to share my findings and thoughts with others who can find this information fun and useful!

Pretty pillowcases - Peacock Alley

2009-09-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

One Kings Lane is an online sales site, simliar to Gilt and Haute Look, but specfically focused on home goods. They have some pretty awesome sales - I've seen great finds from Vera Wang and Kate Spade (which sell out quick), but they also have other well-known and established brands in the design world. Most of these items would be out of my reach financially, but through online sample sales, I'm able to find items that fit my budget...hooray!

Take for example, these beautiful pillows from Peacock Alley:

all images courtesy of One Kings Lane

They'd actually be quite lovely in a baby room on a rocking chair or small sofa, as an alternative to a regular bed.

If you'd like to become a member of One Kings Lane, let me know and I'll be happy to forward an invitation email to you!

Baby shower idea: baby bookworms

2009-09-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

I adore Paper Source. A lot of my money has been spent there on items that still have yet to be used. When the site started a blog with various projects and ideas, I was literally in heaven.

Here's a really fun baby shower invitation idea that they created using their circle card and sticker products. Clever, huh?

Being a bookworm myself, this project totally resonated with me. The "thanks" card in the foreground is also super cute too. Now I know what my next project is gonna be!

Why hello there...

2009-09-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hello world.

I'm combining my love for vintage inspired design and goodies geared towards moms and babies in a blog that hopefully reflects my taste and interests.

After a year spent happily planning a wedding (will post some pics soon), I found myself going through a period of post-wedding-planning blues with an abundant amount of free time on my hands. As I sat in my new home thinking about the meaning of life and what to cook for dinner, I came across the idea to start documenting some neat baby gear inspired by stuff I love. More on why baby stuff to come soon.

So here's to yet another blog on the internet...hopefully you'll find my ramblings interesting and continue to visit regularly. I'll do my best updating and posting on a regular basis!

JC

p.s. - came across some cute vintage bird prints at twostraightlines...would make really cute wall decor!