p a t i k y m

I Live for AWKWARD Moments

2012-01-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have followed my journey as a clothing designer from the early days, you'll recognize my title as one of my first ever designs. It's true...I'm awkward. The common theme for the last year seems to be me asking people about their significant others and not realizing that they are no longer together. Well, how am i supposed to know? It's not like I ~~creep your Facebook wall~~ was informed! And what do you say after that awkward moment when they tell you that they broke up?

a) I'm sorry for your loss
b) Oh, that sucks.........
c) MMmmM, don't you think the pearls in this taro bubbletea are so soft?

The most awkward would have to be when I asked someone (who i don't know very well) how her wedding plans were going, only to have her break it to me that the wedding has been called off. Oh great. All I could muster up was "Oh... OH!... Uh... I hope you didn't lose too much of your deposit for booking the venue and stuff". O___o

Have you encountered an awkward situation recently?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com and post videos about it on my YouTube page

Toblerone Hot Chocolate

2012-01-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

Remember the giant toblerone a friend gifted us for Christmas? As it turns out, it's pretty difficult to eat because of it's size so i decided to get creative with it and make... toblerone hot chocolate!

It's pretty easy to make and it doesn't require much toblerone!
Step 1: melt toblerone on low heat, stirring consistently.
Step 2: slowly pour milk while whisking chocolate + milk together.... that's it!
A friend got me this hug mug as a gift - it's uniquely shaped so that your hands have to "hug" the mug! :P Definitely a great gift for hot chocolate lovers.
What else should I make with Toblerone?
tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com and post videos about it on my YouTube page

I Jumped for Joy This Christmas

2011-12-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful celebration filled with love, laughter, and lots of good food! ;)

Since it was the first Christmas as husband & wife for us, I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. Because we are usually busy with every day life, we haven't had time to explore the city and actually go places like we used to when we were just in the early days of dating! We decided to do something Christmas'y and went to Queen Elizabeth Park's conservatory to see their lights display. (see pics below)

It was peaceful and quiet that night (Christmas Eve), not a lot of people out exploring like us, so it was perfect for my jumping photos... uninterrupted and without an audience! :P

walking on water
Did you do anything out of the ordinary this Christmas?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com and post videos about it on my YouTube page

Go Big or Go Home: Giant Toblerone Edition

2011-12-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

sugar santa came through for me this year...

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com and post videos about it on my YouTube page

To Be Honest... I'm Scared.

2011-12-06T11:47:00.001-08:00

I've written a lot about happy milestones in my personal life, successes in my business, but rarely have i spoken about the not so pleasant side of being an entrepreneur.

The frustrations, the anxiety, the stresses, the sleepless nights, the tears, and the questions.

Shortly after I started my own business, I took the plunge and quit my well paying full-time job so I could work part time and dedicate more to growing my business. It's been a real blessing to see where God has taken me in the last 2.5 years but now i'm at that awkward and frustrating stage where I ask... What's next? and When/How do I get there? My next goal is to be able to quit my part time job so I can fully concentrate on running the business but to be honest...

It scares the socks out of me.

Quitting my part time job would mean getting rid of my "safety net", not having the security of knowing a paycheck will arrive at the end of each month. It would probably mean cutting down on entertainment and eating out and buying people presents. I feel like it would be unfair to my husband to quit my job at this stage and put the pressure of paying bills on his shoulders. Then there is that part of me that says...

What if?

What if quitting my job is what it will take for me to take my business to the next level? This would allow me more time to dedicate to perfecting details, meeting more people, coming up with new ideas, etc. I've read many articles where people tell their story and encourage others to take the plunge, not to be scared, that things will fall into place, that the risk will be worth it. But then again... What if i fail?

Taken at the edge of the Westin Grand Hotel, Downtown Vancouver. Photo by Charles de Jesus.

I'm truly thankful for a supportive husband who's always there to listen to my frustrations and lift me up. Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if I continued to work at my full-time job and ignored the tugging in my heart to start my own business. We'd be able to afford going on more vacations, up to date on the latest gadgets, in the know with the trendiest restaurants... but then again, i think about how much closer this experience has brought us...I think back to the "thank you" messages I've gotten from others who were encouraged by my story...I think about the amazing people I have met because of my business and I think about the reward at the end of the sacrifice... and i wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Like the saying goes...

"If your dream doesn't scare you, you're not dreaming big enough."

Do you have a dream so big it scares you?
tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com and post videos about it on my YouTube page

Giant Bubbletea = A Happy Me.

2011-11-21T10:27:00.001-08:00

It's a well known fact... I have a bubbletea addiction.

Bubbletea to me is what coffee is to Nikolett. I love it so much that I had it at my wedding last June! This weekend, my girlfriends and I went to a bubbletea place that I heard had massive bubbletea, i had to see for myself! It was definitely big, probably enough for three people because my sister-in-law and I shared and there was still some left over. O___o

Other highlights from my weekend:

I was going to caption this with something emo like "behind this smiling face lies the true feelings of a broken heart" but no... just happy! :)
Happy because... It's almost Christmas (my favorite time of the year) ! Cutting up scenes for baby charades. My sister-in-law and I were in charge of games for a friends jack and jill baby shower and it was a ton of fun playing games like charades and seeing grown men trying to act out "breast pump". Another game we played involved the guests putting a paper plate on top of their head and trying to draw a baby.... it resulted in many alien baby drawings. Haha!
What was the highlight of your weekend?
tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com and post videos about it on my YouTube page

If You're Going to Stare at Me, At Least be Subtle About It.

2011-11-16T11:10:00.001-08:00

As part of a show I am taking part in for Herro Hachi, I decided to get a giant t-shirt made to use as my booth sign. I was going to make a YouTube video regarding my preparations for the show but because of some hilarious footage, I decided to change directions and make a "tutorial" instead.

My friend and I went downtown to catch up, go shopping, and eat and I told her I wanted footage for my video of someone looking at me funny because of my giant t-shirt. What I got was way more than what I expected. Hahaha! Since it was raining, I couldn't get the original footage I wanted which was of me walking through busy downtown streets w/ my giant shirt on. Plan B was to go into a coffee shop and just ask the cashier what he thought of my t-shirt. After I did that, I told my friend that I noticed there was a woman who had been staring at me for a good 5 minutes since I came in... she turned the camera on to capture it and the woman was so busy staring at me, she didn't even notice!

After capturing that footage, I took the t-shirt off and pretended nothing happened. I noticed three of her friends turned around and looked at me at the same time, then staring lady said "oh, she took it off" Hahaha!

But you know what...

HATERZ GON' HATE! ;)

Look at the Snuggie... people laughed at it for a long time but now... you probably have one at home! haha!

Wearing the giant t-shirt started out as a joke for video footage but I must say, it's quite comfy. Hmmmm...

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Help Others and You Will Always Succeed...

2011-11-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

...That's what my dad told me when i shared with him my desire to do more with my business other than just selling clothes. Don't get me wrong, designing and selling my own clothing has been amazing, i love what i do ... but at the end of the day, the poor are still poor, the hungry are still hungry, the abused are still being abused.

What can i do? People say things like

"You can't help everybody"

True, but helping even just one can make a world of difference! I decided to commit to donating a portion of my t-shirt earnings to Gentle Hands in the Philippines. It only made sense to start with my home! :) You can read more details on my blog post here or watch the video below:

For those of you in the Philippines, it would be so cool if you guys visited these children... they will change your life, seriously!
Has a persons act of kindness changed your life in any way? tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Neeenja Strikes Again!

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

I was never really big into dressing up for Halloween as I enjoyed the candy more than the dressing up (and costumes are so expensive!) but this year I decided that i can still dress up and not spend so much money on something i'll only wear once. The challenge was now... what am i going to be? After much thinking, it only made sense that I become one of the characters from my clothing line --- NEEENJA! I then thought it would also be fun to be fruit ninja inspired from one of my favourite iPhone games but in the end, I could not find a watermelon to go with my outfit. :(

Total cost of outfit: $5 !!! (sword & dagger set), everything else was from things I already had at home!Face: inside out t-shirt + black t-shirt + pants i don't wear anymore + black socks + black TOMS shoes + Waist: extra fabric at home + Hands: cut-up socks.
I came as neeenja for two parties and then yesterday, my sister in law and I were Facebook Profiles. I won't post the picture b/c it's funnier to be facebook in facebook so those of you who have me as a friend can check my album! ;P

What did you dress up as this year?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

If I Had $10,000...

2011-10-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

"...If I had ~~a million~~ $10,000..."

I would book this room... well probably not but it was cool to get to hang out in a $10,000/night room for a few hours! Thanks to my friend who works there and "won" a stay in that room, my husband and I were able to hang out there last Saturday night. You would think with a price tag like that, a lot of celebrities stay there but I was told that high profile celebrities actually don't like staying in that room because of the floor to ceiling windows...

paparazzi / stalkers dream come true!

You may remember me blogging about this room back in April when I first got a tour but this was my first time seeing it at night - the view of the city lights = gorgeous!

We're headed up there!
View from the second floor - see that chandelier? It's made purely from Swarovski Crystal and is worth about the same as a condo (not in Vancouver though!)
The bedroom with a huge closet and fireplace - people in the building next door could freely watch you though, unless you use the blinds.. which i'm not too sure many people do. haha!
Your own private rooftop patio
This bathroom was bigger than my living room
Bathroom with a very open concept. Again, people next door could watch you bathe unless you use the blinds. But why would you want to when you can afford to pay for this! haha!

Dream office - spacious, clutter free, with stunning views of the city!

What would you do with $10,000?

P.S - if you haven't watched my first YouTube video for my clothing line yet, you can do so here! :D

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Bizarre Foods - Waffle Edition

2011-10-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

When i think of waffles, I think fruit toppings, maple syrup, and whipped cream but my girlfriends and I decided to venture out of the "normal" waffle and try some bizarre ones. Miura Waffle Milk Bar in Vancouver offers both sweet and savoury waffles and I knew I had to try their Bulgogi waffle when I heard about it.

I like waffles...I like bulgogi...

so I should like it together right?

My bulgogi waffle - the beef was inside the waffle with kimchi, egg, and sauce in between the two waffles.
Check out their other bizarre waffles - Wasabi Salmon Waffle, anyone?It doesn't look that appetizing when you look in between the two waffles but i promise it tastes better than it looks!
Besides bizarre waffles, they also offer bizarre drinks and desserts. Have you ever tried ice cream with teriyaki sauce? or a milkshake with wasabi in it?
My sis-in-law ordered this one - the Chilli Dog Waffle with cheddar and onion
What's the most memorable waffle you've had?
P.S - if you haven't watched my first YouTube video for my clothing line yet, you can do so here! :D

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

How Do I Start My Own Clothing Line?

2011-10-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Oh hai!

Am i the only one who feels they have to explain themselves to the virtual world for being blog absent for a few weeks? :P Anyway, for many months now i've been pushing aside the idea of making videos for my business but I finally decided to just go for it. Better to try and fail than to not try at all and regret it later on!

Some of you have followed me in my business venture since Day 1 (thank you!) while some of you may not even know I have a business! Here is my story:

I hope you guys enjoyed it and learned something! Please feel free to share with any others you think would benefit from the video.

Have you ever wanted to start your own business?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Attending My First Indian Wedding

2011-09-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

For many years, I've been curious about what an Indian wedding would be like and I was excited to finally get to experience it yesterday! Here are the things I learned about Indian weddings...

1) They don't start on time. We were told to arrive by 9:30 but the ceremony did not start until 11:30.

2) Part of the reason why the ceremony started late was because we were served breakfast and chai before going up to the ceremony. Their breakfast food included (and i don't know the official names for them) deep fried battered vegetables and deep fried breaded cheese.

3) Before entering the ceremony, everyone must have their heads covered and their shoes removed. Men and women take a different set of stairs to go up to the ceremony and they also sit on separate sides of the room.

4) When you enter, you must present a money offering of coins to the front and touch your head to the ground.

5) The ceremony is about 2 hours long, filled with the reading of passages and song. Everything was in punjabi but thankfully, they had an overhead with the translation.

6) The bride and groom get to wear the coolest outfits ever. The groom has on a traditional indian outfit and he gets to carry around... a sword!!! The bride wears red and gold and is beautifully adorned with jewels... absolutely breathtaking!

7) After the ceremony, you eat again! The whole meal was vegetarian but very delicious! It reminded me of a bento box, but indian style :)

If you are ever invited to an indian wedding, make sure you invest in a sari. My sister-in-law and i thought that since there would be other non-indian attendees, it would be okay for us to wear non-indian attire. We were wrong... everyone including non-indian people were wearing saris so you can imagine how much we stood out... but it was a great time nonetheless :)

Have you attended an Indian wedding before?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Eat Like a Lady.

2011-09-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

...which is probably the exact opposite of how I eat. I don't know about you, but i grew up with an older brother and i had to eat fast and get lots in advance if i wanted to eat at all! That's why it's nice to change things up a bit from time to time and enjoy a nice girly afternoon having afternoon tea.

chicken salad in a waffle cone - it doesn't look too appetizing but it was actually pretty good!
My girlfriends and I caught up with each other at the Urban Tea Merchant in Downtown Vancouver a few weeks ago. This was my second time ever having afternoon tea and I quite enjoyed it! It was a different experience from my first time at the Fairmont Pacific Rim as this was a little less "fancy" which meant it was more affordable, they had a bigger and more creative tea selection (mango flower black tea...amazing), annnnd best part of all - you get your own tower. I liked this better because I didn't have to think about the speed at which i took things off the tower and ate them, whether or not i should wait for the other person to get their share of chocolate dipped strawberry before i get mine, etc, etc. :P The food was much simpler though, you can tell just from the photos (in comparison to my tea experience here).

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Hi, You're Fat.

2011-09-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

I was going to blog about a tea party today but I decided to switch gears instead and write about this topic, inspired after i got many passionate comments on this facebook status update i posted today:

"I love my culture, I do. I just don't understand why we think it's okay to call people fat to their faces. That person might laugh along with you and agree, but you don't know what's really going on inside."

I know this is common in Filipino culture (and probably many other Asian and non-Asian cultures, young and old) where you are greeted this way. Not even a "hello, how are you, you've gotten fatter" it's just straight up "you're so fat!" accompanied with a smile... not knowing the effect of their "casual" words. Many people use excuses like "we are just being brutally honest!" or "it's just our culture" or "it's just the way we were raised!" but...

would you feel comfortable using those excuses to someone who became anorexic because of it? bulimic? depressed? suicidal?

I guess what i'm trying to say is...

Words are powerful, let's use them

to uplift people instead!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Life Lessons From a Stranger

2011-09-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hola, friends! I'm still here! It's been a busy month so far with moving as well as releasing a new fall/winter line for my clothing line which you can check out here (if you haven't yet!). Last Sunday, I took part in a little show that celebrated Vancouver as well as raised funds for Cystic Fibrosis research, it was called the "We Love Vancouver" festival. A young guy passed by my table, stopped, back tracked then asked my friend and I:

Guy: What is this about?
Me + Friend: It's the "We Love Vancouver" festival
Guy: *leans in and gives us a suspicious look*...... Do you really love Vancouver?
Me + Friend: Uhhh... yeah.
Guy: F**K VANCOUVER!!!
Me + Friend: O___O

To try to break the ice, I asked him "Oh, are you Filipino?" which turned out to be a huge mistake b/c after that, I guess it did break the ice... enough for him to tell my friend and i his life's frustrations for the next 20 minutes. I won't bore you with the details of his rant but in the end, he left us with some pretty valuable life lessons. SO valuable that I thought it would be wrong not to share it with you... get your pens and papers ready for note taking. (these lessons are not exaggerated)

1) To survive in life, you must always lie.
2) Always be negative, never be positive.
3) If someone asks you for money, beat them up instead.

It was a very awkward and uncomfortable conversation... actually, it wasn't even a conversation as we couldn't get a word in (we were trying to tell him that the answer to his problem is to MOVE if he hates our city so much). I feel for the guy as it's evident he has some real hurt and anger in his life but I hope you know that that really isn't the lesson I want you to depart with... the real lesson is:

Use your energy to fix the problem instead of complaining about it!

Have you learned a "valuable" lesson

from a stranger lately?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

"Those Were the Best Days of My Life..."

2011-08-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

"...back in the summer of ~~'69~~ 2011"

With August coming to a close and summer soon ending, I thought i'd recap what i'd consider to be one of the best summers of my life! I haven't been able to post very much as my husband and i are in the process of moving and we've been busy building IKEA furniture. For those of you who own and have had to build your own IKEA furniture, you know how time consuming it is to build one piece... now times that by 14 pieces of big furniture. -____- In fact today, it took me about 5 hours to build one dresser. ONE dresser. Anyway, that's besides the point... here are my top favourite memories from this summer (you can click each link to read the full post):

got married // visited the philippines again after 10 years // 2nd wedding reception in the philippines // met krissy & jessica in the philippines who i was waiting to meet for 2 years! // my 24th birthday // met passion, leejay, victor kim, and others // got involved in my first benefit concert // my clothing lines fall photoshoot // and many memorable days in between!

from my fall photoshoot - read more about it here!

What has been the best part of your summer?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Who Doesn't Love Sales?

2011-08-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I have my own clothing line which I started in 2009. Because of all your support, I have been able to expand my line in the past two years and it's time again to make room for a new Fall line! With that being said, half of my store is...

60% off = $10 shirts!

At the end of August, i'll be getting rid

of these on-sale designs for good!

Shop HERE! ^___~

Enjoy!
tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

My Luck w/ Make-up Artists

2011-08-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

I don't have very good experiences with make-up artists. Do you guys remember this make-up disaster? 17 years of make-up "experience" and this is what she did to my face. :( Thankfully, it wasn't my wedding day but because of that experience, i decided that when it was my turn to get married, I wouldn't cheap out on my make-up artist b/c after all, you get what you pay for. (read more about that experience here)

L: Vancouver wedding ceremony + reception R: Philippines reception Photographs by Tracey L Heppner

I was very happy with my wedding make-up as my make-up artist knew what would suit my face, she made me feel comfortable and most important of all, she had the skill. When we got to the Philippines for Reception #2, it was a different story. For starters, I didn't know who the make-up artist was and we didn't get a trial session. Let's just say at the end of it, I was close to tears because...

I looked like a ghost with a very white face and a white dress on!
He powdered my face like there was no tomorrow, he made my eyes smaller and when he put fake eye lashes on me, he doused the lashes with glue so I had glue all over my lids and to top it all off, he pointed a hair dryer to my face to dry the lash glue. Yes. He also did my hair (i wish you could see the back of my hair in the photo above) and used a straightening iron to curl it which I know can be done but by the time he was finished, my hair was all frizzy and it just looked like I hair sprayed my hair stiff and folded it a few different directions in an attempt to create curls. Oh and not to mention, his hand smelled like cigarettes and fish. Thankfully, our photographer did a great job making the damage look minimal in our photos. :P

Have you had bad experiences

with make-up artists?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

True Friends Help You Pee.

2011-08-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

read: my wedding story // my engagement story

True friends are hard to come by nowadays but i knew I picked the right bridesmaids for my wedding when they were willing to take our friendship to a whole new level. Ladies, let me tell you - those wedding dresses are super heavy and it is very difficult to go to the restroom by yourself!!! It took all 4 of my bridesmaids to help me - two to hold the dress, one to pass the tissue paper, and one to... snap this photo. Haha!

wedding behind-the-scenes

Based on experience, fill in the blank:

"True friends help you ___________" ^__^

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Indian Parties, BBQ's, and YouTube Stars

2011-08-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

.... for lack of a better title.

That pretty much sums up my August BC Day long weekend!

I attended my first ever formal east indian party to celebrate a friends engagement. Can i just say that the indians sure know how to party! No matter what age or gender, they were all on the dance floor at the end of the night, dancing their hearts out. Also, they had this one tradition where the bride and groom to be sit at the front and people line-up and drop cash on their laps. Yup. I like that tradition.

BBQ with family is always fun... two cultures on one stick. IKEA's swedish meatballz + dumplings. Haha!

Last but not least, you may recognize these guys from YouTube or even TV (America's Best Dance Crew, anyone?)! Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of meeting Passion, Leejay, Summerbreeze, Victor Kim, and Kristie Yung while I was showcasing Herro Hachi at the AXIS concert. Read more about it on the HH blog here. :)
How was your weekend?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Philippines Pt.4 : Interesting Finds (Forgery Services, Anyone?)

2011-08-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, 3 weeks later, I am still posting about the Philippines - there is just that much to cover! :P Here are some interesting finds from the Philippines... it may be normal to some, but having spent most of my years in Canada, it was definitely interesting to me!

Walls and walls and walls of good quality fakes
Seriously the best theater experience ever! For only $8 CAD, you get reclining la-z-boy chairs, assigned seating, and a server taking your order for unlimited drinks and popcorn. Awesome.
I was minding my own business, looking through racks of clothing, when suddenly all employees in the store break out into a dance routine!
I see this a lot in Asia... not so much in North America.
The pic isn't that clear but can you see what is in those cages? PUPPIES! being sold on the street.
These people are selling forgery services for everything from land titles, marriage certificates, birth certificates, passports, diplomas, etc. Right on the street...
Normally, we would see people running for office promising things like lower taxes, better education, but this particular councilor is promising "operation tule" ... in english, operation circumcision!
Malls in the Philippines have people at the entrance checking your bags before you enter. This particular mall had a Michael Jackson theme... just to make the experience a little more interesting.
Last but not least - check out this giant toblerone! My new uncle collects unique items from all around the world - this one was my favorite. ^____^

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Trading my Polly Pockets for Measuring Cups

2011-07-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Like most girls, i loved playing with barbies as a little girl. As I got older, I graduated to Polly Pockets and for several years on my birthday, I would wish for the newest polly pocket to add to my collection. I would spend hours upon hours re-enacting scenes from my favourite book series, The Babysitters Club, as well as scenes from real life, as i knew it.

In my pre-teen years, I wished for anything Tommy Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren.
In my early teen years, I wished for the newest and most popular pair of kicks.
In my late teen years, I wished gatherings and time to celebrate with friends.
In the last two years, I wished just to spend time with my family.

This past birthday, I wished for the above..........

........and for a set of measuring cups and spoons.

Sis-in-law: what do you want for your birthday?

Me: measuring cups and spoons to add to our kitchen collection.

Sis-in-law: no seriously, what do you want? it's your birthday!

Me: seriously, that's what i want.^__^

It's funny how things change as you get older! This year, I spent my birthday picking up furniture, hanging out at Costco to find good books and an air conditioner, going around town to find free food/drinks that are offered on your birthday, and spending time with my family. And i was perfectly okay with that. :)

Have your birthday wishes

changed through the years?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

If It's Free, I'll Take Three!

2011-07-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Last year, I started a tradition on my birthday where i'd try to get as many free things as I can from restaurants, coffee shops, and stores. If it's free, why not? :P Total value of free things I got in my adventure this year: about $125 but I only got to take advantage of $70 worth!

This one wasn't from a store and didn't require a coupon... i just went home to mom! :P
My parents are totally amused by this tradition of mine, they just laughed and shook their heads each time i came out of a store/shop with my next free item.... as if to say "man, we've raised such a cheap child" hahaha!
HERE'S WHAT MY DAY LOOKED LIKE:
BREAKFAST: If you sign up for IHOP's newsletter, they will email you a free coupon on your birthday for a Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity meal which consists of bacon, eggs, sausage, and pancakes with fruity topping. Besides getting a free meal on your birthday, they'll also send you a free meal after you sign up and again on the one year anniversary of when you signed up for their newsletter. Sign up for their newsletter here!
POST BKFST BEVERAGE: Before the mall was even officially open, I lined up for my free drink from Blenz Coffee. This is the easiest one to take advantage of on your birthday because you don't need to sign up for anything or print anything, you just show them your I.D and they'll give you any drink of any size, on the house. (Some franchises may not participate in the celebration so just ask before demanding your free drink)
NON-EDIBLE GIFT: Since I was already in the mall, I stopped by Sephora to pick up my free gift. Their birthday gifts are different each year and this year I got a 180ml bottle of vanilla birthday cake shower gel from Philosophy. To get this free gift, you have to sign up for a Beauty Insider card either online or in-store. All you have to do on your birthday is show them your card, no coupons needed!
LUNCH: If you sign up for Vera's Club newsletter, they will email you a voucher for $10 to use on your birthday! This year, i tried the "Ringo Starr" which is a beef burger with cheese and 3 giant onion rings. Sign up for their newsletter here!
PRE-DINNER BEVERAGE: You guessed it, back at Blenz again (different branch this time, hehe) :D THE NEXT DAY, DINNER: Since some places allow you to use your birthday coupon until the end of the month, I took advantage of my $25 free dinner voucher from The Boathouse. In order to use this deal, you must dine with 3 other people. I was surprised because even though the coupon said I would only get $25 off, they gave my whole to me for free ($32 value) and even gave me and my party free dessert to share! Sign up for their newsletter here.
OTHER DEALS I DIDNT GET TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF:

Free beverage at Starbucks, must have a starbucks card.
Free ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Sign up for their newsletter here.
Free dessert or pasta at Boston Pizza. Sign up for their newsletter here.
Free burger at Red Robin. Sign up for their newsletter here.
Free fish & chips at Pajo's. Sign up for their newsletter here.
Free drink at Orange Julius. Sign up for their newsletter here.
BOGO ice cream at Cold Stone Cremery. Sign up for their newsletter here.
BOGO blizzard from Dairy Queen. Sign up for their newsletter here.

What free things does your city offer on your birthday?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Philippines Pt.3: Serenaded.

2011-07-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, i thought getting serenaded was the most romantic thing ever. I always dreamt that my future lover would throw rocks at my bedroom window and serenade me with his guitar while he was on bended knee. All i ever got was a song sang through a telephone by one boy i liked in high school. I didn't even understand what it was about... some Filipino song where the title reminds me of the word for eggplant. Romantic.

2 weeks ago, before my husband and I left the Philippines, we ate at a popular buffet called Saisaki where they have people going around to each table and taking song requests! I was too excited and flustered that I couldn't think of a song to request so I told the group to surprise us. They sang "Grow Old With You" :) It was nice but I have to admit, it was also a little awkward at times. What do you do while they're singing to you? Do you keep eating or do you just stare at them? I didn't know what to do so i just videotaped. haha!

Have you been serenaded before?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

The Art of Jumping

2011-07-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

I thought i'd take a break from the Philippines re-cap series to post some photos of one of my favorite camera past times: JUMPING. If you're a friend of mine, you know we pretty much have to do this in most major events involving photos. Here are my latest favourite poses...

levitation + mary poppins + air running.

Do you have a fave jumping pose?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Philippines Pt.2: Photoshoot @ Old Manila

2011-07-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Before our Manila wedding reception, we headed out into Intramuros (Old Manila) for a photoshoot with Tracey Heppner again. This was definitely different from our pre-wedding photoshoot here in Canada where we were by sand and water. Here we were by old ruins, which were beautiful in it's own way, but there'd be little children following us... waiting to ask for money, waiting for their chance to take something, or perhaps just interested in watching. I'd like to think and hope it's the latter!

My dress and the location of our photoshoot was a total coincidence! About 5 months ago, I started corresponding with a dress maker in Manila. I showed them a picture of the style of dress I wanted - one shoulder, ivory dress, and i told them to make it more "bride-y" aka bling it up! I had doubts as to what they would come up with b/c what if we have different tastes and styles right? I had no idea what the dress looked like until I tried it on for the first time when we landed in Manila. It was beautiful! It very much reminded me of a greek goddess - there was so much detail in the dress and the belt was my favourite - hand stitched with beading and jewels! Tracey did not know what my dress looked like and neither did I but it went so perfectly with the surroundings in our photoshoot site!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Philippines Pt.1: Culture Shocked.

2011-07-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'M BACK! Terribly jetlagged and missing the Philippines very much but happy to be home as well.

For my next few posts, I will be re-capping different aspects of our 2.5 week long trip to the Philippines. Many people thought that this trip was our honeymoon but it was really for our second wedding reception. I think it'd be a little awkward to go on your honeymoon with your parents, brother, and sisters. No offense to anyone that's done that. :P

It has been 10 years since my last visit to the Philippines so many things were surprising and new to me.

I have to pay to use the clean restroom
that has toilet paper???

Here are some other things that culture shocked me:

What countries have you been to that culture shocked you?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

My Wedding - A Look Back...

2011-07-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

FOR PAST, SOON-TO-BE, & FUTURE BRIDES.
All photos were taken by our friend and photographer, Tracey Heppner.
To view more photos, read her blog post here!
Read our engagement story here!

Our wedding ceremony & reception venue - UBC Boathouse in Richmond, BC

Herro! I'm still here in the Philippines but finally have some down time to put together a post. I wanted to reflect on my wedding planning process and the wedding itself so that a) I have something to look back on in the future and b) hopefully it will help those who are currently planning their wedding and those who will be getting married in the future.

DON'T PROCRASTINATE - If you're like me, you like to leave things to the last minute because you know you'll get the job done anyway no matter what but if you're planning a wedding (especially a wedding on a budget), you'll need time to carefully plan for things like DIY projects.

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT - Though it's your wedding, there are many others to think about and consider when it comes to wedding details, mainly.... PARENTS! They will likely want to invite so-and-so who invited them to their son's wedding as well as your cousin's second cousin's brother. Their taste is also likely different from your taste so you may have to come to a compromise... you may have to let your orange polka dot chair covers go.

All of us including bridesmaids and groomsmen stopped in the middle of the aisle and posed for a photo, this was my pose. :P

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF - This is so important! You don't want to look back at your wedding and think "that wasn't me at all" Even with the above point in mind, make sure the wedding is still YOU. It made me smile every time someone came up to me and said "this wedding is totally you guys" It's challenging trying to keep parents and other requests in mind while staying true to yourself but in the end it is worth it!

details that were "us" one: my silver glitter TOMS shoes that matched our theme colors of gray & aquatwo: as most of you know, i have a clothing line called herro hachi - of course, it had to be incorporated into the wedding somehow. "herro?" pins were on all boutonnieres, my bouquet, and my bridesmaids' dresses. three & four: two of our favorite things - japanese snacks and bubbletea! a bowl of pocky sticks were at each table and bubbletea was served during "cocktail" hourfive: instead of photo booths, we had flip books vancouver at our reception! you get 6 seconds of video time and it comes out in a book :)

CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES, especially on your wedding day! Know that not everything will go according to plan. Things will go wrong - at my brothers wedding reception, the audio didn't work, at my friends reception, her cake started melting and leaning sideways, at my wedding reception, it took 30 minutes for us to get our slideshow working. It's okay!

WORK AS A TEAM - I have to say that planning a wedding is really a test of your relationship with your partner. Many times my husband (still feels weird saying that) and I disagreed on many details during the wedding planning process. We also disagreed on what was worth spending money on and what wasn't worth it. Communication & Compromise is important! (Patience & Perseverance too :P)

Our wedding reception entrance to "Thunderstruck" by ACDC

TAKE A MOMENT TO BREATHE - It gets stressful... really stressful. I had plans to lose weight for my wedding day but in the end, I didn't have time or energy to include a work out routine but i lost weight because of stress. Stay healthy and take time for yourself. Outings with your bridesmaids and close girlfriends are great for venting, laughing, crying, and just enjoying each others company. :)

Instead of a cake, we had home made cupcakes made by our very good friend. She even made a bride and groom cupcake for the very top of the cupcake tower!

ACCEPT HELP - If you're like me, you like having control over most details because you want things done a certain way. During the wedding planning process, especially during the last few weeks before the wedding - you will need help! My matron of honor (my sis in law) was great because all I had to do was tell her what needed to get done and how I wanted it done and she took care of delegating and instructing others. She was also great at answering questions because trust me, days before the wedding, people will be asking you 13402983 questions and many of them are the same questions you've answered tons of times already. Make sure your bridesmaids are always in the loop so they can take the Q&A off your shoulders.

HIRE A WEDDING CO-ORDINATOR - If I were to do it all over again, i would definitely hire a coordinator to help from the beginning to the end of the wedding planning. If it's in your budget, go for it! It'll make your life easier and you'll actually have time and energy to enjoy the process. If hiring a wedding co-ordinator isn't in your budget, make sure you at least have one for the day of your wedding. Nothing worse than someone coming up to you at the head table and complaining that you've sat them at the same table as someone they don't like. ;)

So... ready to get married? :P

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

I'm a Mrs. !!!

2011-06-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

After 9 long months of planning, stressing over details, and worrying about the big day - ITS FINALLY ALL OVER! On June 20th, I married my best friend and today we landed in our homeland, the Philippines to get ready for reception #2. I'll be sure to write a proper detailed post about the wedding day (as soon as we get photos from our photographer) but all i can say is that it was the best day of our lives - what's better than celebrating with family and friends? :)

I'll be back ("full time") in the blogging world soon!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Countdown to the Big Day - 7 days!

2011-06-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

This is what we're using as table numbers! We did a mini photoshoot with a friend 2 weeks ago with blank boards and then I just photo shopped the numbers on it.
SEVEN DAYS LEFT!
I feel:
- nervous... is everything going to go well? is it going to rain?- stressed... am i forgetting something? - sleepy... though my body is asleep, my mind is awake all night long going through things i still have left to do... thus i wake up more tired than i was when i went to sleep!- excited... that i never have to think about wedding planning again after 7 days! and that of course... i get to marry my best friend! woohoo! oh, AND i get to leave for the philippines after for a second reception and to meet Krissy and Jessica for the first time!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Dressing in the Dark

2011-06-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry for being MIA in the blog world! For those of you who are keeping up, today makes it exactly 2 weeks away from my wedding day so needless to say, blogging has been a little low on the priority list! =S

Last month, my wonderful bridesmaids threw me a bridal shower full of laughs, good food, and great friends. :) If any of you are throwing your friends a bridal shower, some of the games we played would be great to add to your game list! For one of the games, instead of the usual "create a wedding gown using toilet paper" game, my guests had to create lingerie using random items such as pantyhose, string, party hats, etc.

Another funny game was when my bridesmaids had me dress myself blindfolded... Here's one way to wear a button up shirt. Haha!
Hot stuff!!!
What are your favorite bridal shower games? (if any)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Bachelorette Pt. 2: FIGHTING CRIME!

2011-06-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

Read about Part 1 of my bachelorette party HERE - bungee jumping!

My bridesmaids and I were in Whistler, BC last weekend for my 3 day bachelorette party. It was a dare filled weekend and a fun time at my expense. They wanted me to do things like pretend I was pregnant and ask a cute boy if he would donate money for my unborn child. O.O

The beautiful condo we stayed in... it had a nice view of the village.
We each had capes that had offensive things written on it. Mine had some of my dares listed on it.
We wanted to take a photo at the Olympic rings and i got stuck trying to get up there. Haha! *must diet*
Super heroes busy ~~fighting crime~~ posing for photos
Keeping a watchful eye over the village.... now off to fight crime!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Bachelorette Pt. 1: BUNGEE JUMPING!

2011-05-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my bridesmaids and I headed to Whistler, BC for my bachelorette party. The highlight of our trip was definitely when we all went bungee jumping for the first time! I was really nervous leading up to the jump since, well, it's not everyday i jump off bridges! They asked me to take my shoes off because my TOMS looked like they would fall off, that's why I was freaking out in the video about my toes hanging out. haha! The whole experience went by super fast and I wish i had my eyes open the whole time. Because I was scared, I had my eyes closed for the first 3 seconds :(

I'll let the video and the photos do the rest of the talking!

Would you ever go bungee jumping?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

I Know How to Pick 'Em

2011-05-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

Okay guys, *panic mode* 27 days until the BIG DAY and my to-do list is ever growing!!! Yesterday, my fiance and I did one of the more fun things on the to-do list - compile pictures for our wedding slideshow! We had a good laugh at the outfits we wore, the expressions, poses, etc. This was one of the photos we found - taken during my family's first visit to Las Vegas when we still lived in Hong Kong.

I'm not sure if it was my idea or my parents idea to have me pose with this guy. He's cute and all but a part of me feels that maybe he's.................. nevermind. =P

I'll be blogging in spurts for the next month and a half because of wedding planning, the wedding itself, then the trip to the Philippines for our second reception (where i'll finally get to meet Krissy!). I'm excited for this weekend though, my bachelorette party in Whistler where i'll be going BUNGEE JUMPING! Video to follow ;)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

The Accent Did It...

2011-05-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Nikolett of Better Than Coffee again after our long 9 month separation! :P We only got to hang out for a couple of hours but it was fun nonetheless.

We stopped for fries and gelato here. We had such a giggle about the name "Bojangles" because it's more of a Southern name but they were serving Italian gelato, and the owners/all workers were Chinese. Haha!

What's a Kym + Nikolett meet-up without jumping photos! This time, we attempted to make it look like we were levitating (we've graduated from just "ordinary" jump shots)... we didn't quite perfect it but i'm sure we'll get it right the next time we see each other! :)

We attempted a D-I-Y photo of both of us with the above view in the background (you know, where you awkwardly stretch out your arm and take a photo of yourself) and guys walking by kept asking us if we wanted them to take the photo! It was funny b/c at one point, 2 guys (i won't say the race to avoid offending anyone) came up to us and said...

"Laaaadddiiiiesss, want us to take your photo?"

....in a really creepy manner. We just looked at each other, back at them, and said "uhhh.. no, it's okay, we're good."About 5 seconds later, a British guy and his buds walked up to us and Brit guy just kind of came up to us with command and made the gesture as if he was taking a picture as a way of letting us know he was offering to take the picture. I guess we were quite mesmerized by his hotness that we didn't "get it". He then said, in his british accent, "let me take your photograph". We agreed (and giggled). As they walked away, the other two creepos who asked to take our photo walked by us again and probably saw that we allowed someone else to take our photo. Haha! I felt a little bad... but remembered how creepy they were. They had an accent too... but it didn't quite cut it as much as the guy with the British Accent. ;)

What is your favourite accent?

Check out videos of the first time Nikolett and I met last year! Part 1 & Part 2.

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Wedding Venue Preview

2011-05-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Hi, remember me? :P Sorry for the mini-absense. With just over a month left before the big day, i'm starting to run around like a headless chicken (has anyone actually seen what that looks like? Hmmm... maybe i'll YouTube it after this) I visited our venue one last time last Friday to hash out final details with the in-house co-ordinator and I thought i'd "bring you guys along" to get a sneak peek of the venue. Excuse the loud wind in the background!

What do you think? ^___^

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Me as a Little Boy

2011-05-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Girls, let's face it - we've all looked like a boy at some point in our lives right? (or maybe it's just me... that's fine. T__T) Truth be told, my name is really Jim, not Kym. :P For most girls, the boy-ish looks usually happen when they are young, likely under the age of 10... can you guess when the picture on my ID card was taken? :D

My fiance and I were at the grocery store yesterday when i pulled out my ID card and we had a good laugh about me looking like a little boy. As we passed the magazine aisle, he said "look, there's another little boy who looks just like you!" hahaha! Me + The Biebs... we were twins separated at birth. ;)

Girls, i challenge you - post a pic of you as a "little boy"! ^__^
(don't lie, i know you've got at least one picture floating around somewhere!!!)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Bloody Expressions!

2011-05-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy and exciting time for the past week as YouTube guru, Saaammage, & I released our first collaboration shirt together! It says "I'm Just Sayin'" based on one of her favourite expressions and an expression she's known to say a lot in her videos. ;)

This reminded me of all the expressions I've one through in my life. In elementary school, "DUH!" and "WHATEV" were really big (complete with "W" sign with your fingers), then when i moved to California 6 years ago, I was using "SICK" and "DUDE" a lot. Now there's sheesh, geez, omg, el-oh-el, wtf, just sayin, and many more.

Expressions from other cultures are even better - "bloody ____", "bollocks", "jologs", and many others. Expressions are either made up words or ordinary words made into expressions, right? Hmmm... so does that i mean we can just throw out words like "ahh, toilet paper!!!!" in a moment of frustration? or "MACAROON!!!" in a moment of victory? Oh the possibilities.

get yours here before they sell out!

What is a widely used expression/saying in your country?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Jam w/ the Mayor

2011-05-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Manny Pacquiao took home another victory against Shane Mosley. I've watched his other fights before but this time was different. My family and I were invited to an event where the Mayor of Vancouver showed up, showed his support for the Filipino community and actually watched the fight with us! After the fight, he even jammed with my dad, my brother and other friends. I thought that was pretty cool as I haven't heard of too many other Mayors doing that. ;)

Like any other person (especially a person in the spotlight), he isn't loved by everyone but i really believe that things change when you get to meet the person. Sure, he may have different views and ideas but he's really down to earth and seems like a nice guy... he even wore a Manny Pacquiao t-shirt that night. Haha!

I guess the lesson is that you shouldn't create your own ideas about someone before you meet the person :)

Have you not liked someone because of what you heard about them, but changed your mind after meeting them?

My brother on the far right on guitar, my dad on the far left also on guitar, the Mayor of Vancouver in the middle on drums. // Photo by ElevenThirty Photography

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Countdown to the Big Day

2011-05-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Planning Progress:
Even though i'm accomplishing things every day, it still feels like my to-do list is growing instead of shrinking. My fear is that i'm forgetting something big... kinda like when you're packing for a vacation and you forget something important like underwear (or your passports).

Bought vases for centrepieces through craigslist. Normally retailing for about $2-$3/pc, i got them for 50 cents each!
Found the silver glitter wedding shoes i've been looking for. They are similar to this Christian Louboutin pair that I originally wanted except it costed $50 instead of $3,695.
Applied for our marriage license. I'm not sure I understand why it costs $100 to later declare that we are officially married. -_-
Best part of all... POCKY is going to be incorporated in our wedding. Ohhhhh yeaaaaahhhhh.

Feelings:

I've come to terms with the fact that though it is our wedding, we won't get everything we want because we have to accommodate requests from certain family members.
Planning can definitely get stressful. We've been tempted several times to just drop the planning, head to city hall and get it done and over with!
I tried on my wedding dress today. It's heavy and I wasn't really sure whether I was to "enter" from the top or the bottom... I went from the bottom and it was very awkward trying to search for the top opening through all that material!

46 days left!
for my new readers...
you can read our engagement story here!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

My Life as a Cheeseburger Neeenja

2011-05-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a dream. I dreamt that I was wanted and had a group of assassins chasing after me. For murder? For terrorism? Nope... for theft of a cheeseburger. I only remember some details since as you know, you lose almost all memory of your dreams when you wake up. I do remember that my friends parents hid me in their floor/secret hiding spot while the assassins raided their house. It was a pretty intense dream but sadly, i don't remember if that cheeseburger even tasted good and i don't know if i ever got caught for my crime.

What do you think my dream is trying to tell me?

top: neeenja pullover by me / herro hachi // neeenja headband: the black bow from my sister-in-laws maid of honor dress.

P.S - for the sole purpose of this blog post, i went to McDonald's to purchase a "burger" - it wasn't a cheeseburger though, it was a junior chicken burger.

P.P.S - now i feel sick so ya'll better appreciate this post. hahaha! jk ^_~

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

The Way Men & Women Think...

2011-05-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Actually, my initial idea for the title of this post was "Women Are Smart, Men Are Not" but I got overruled. Hahaha, just kidding! Still friends, Rick? Nino? :P

Once a month, the young married (or engaged) couples in our church get together to hang out, eat, and rant about our significant others. :P Yesterday, we played a couples game where the guys were asked questions about us while we were not in the room, then we came in and answered the questions to see how well our men knew us... and vice versa. It was really interesting and hilarious to see the thought process of men and women during this game. For example:

His answer was a), mine was c). First of all, i've probably only used a hammer twice in my life and secondly, zero out of two times were done in the presence of my fiance. When I asked him why he picked that, he said that he thought it'd be something i'd be good at. Haha! Another question asked "What would your wife prefer to do on your date?" a) dinner and a movie b) watching a game c) candlelight dinner d) stay home and cuddle. I answered with a) dinner and a movie because that's what we usually do and we both enjoy it. He chose c) candlelight dinner because he says I always bug him about doing "romantic" things. Haha!

My fiance wanted me to let all of you know that...

MEN DO LISTEN! (They're just good at making it look like they don't.) ^_^

on a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the listening skills of guys?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

I Didn't Realize I Look Like a Fob.

2011-05-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Most of you already know I get mistaken for everything under the sun (except for african american). Since I live in a city that has a large Asian population, I get a lot of people who talk to me in Chinese assuming that I understand, sometimes I get Filipinos talking about me in front of me thinking I can't understand because i am of a different race but last Friday was the first time I've been asked...

Do you speak English?

I was thrown off for a second. Did I give off such a "fobby" vibe? Hahaha! Granted, the guy looked a little "off" but it's pretty funny now that I think about it. I should have played along!

"Whaaa? Engrish? No Speeky Engrish! No, no!!"

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Blogging Pet Peeves PT.2

2011-04-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

You can read PT.1 of my "Blogging Pet Peeves" here!

Please note: this post (and this one too) is not meant to offend anyone, but hopefully it'll make you laugh because you can relate! :)

1. BEGGING FOR FOLLOWERS. This is one of those things where you actually lose followers instead of gain them. If you want followers, create content that will make them want to follow you. :)

2. "READING" A POST. You know the comments that make no sense because it's obvious they didn't read the whole post? For example, you're telling a story (with pictures) about how your brother just celebrated his birthday and instead you get a comment greeting you a happy birthday and mentioning how cute you and your boyfriend (aka brother) are.

What are your blogging pet peeves? :D

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Oh, You Fancy Huh?

2011-04-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, actually I was the opposite of fancy last Saturday.

My sister-in-law and my dad helped my fiance and i paint our new place. Our colors are going to be black & brown ! I know a lot of people say black and brown don't go together but it actually gave the place a really nice, warm and sophisticated look. :)

Halfway through our painting, my sister in law and i decided to take a break and grab screamers (slurpee w/ ice cream on the top & bottom) at a nearby convenience store. We didn't have time to change so we went there looking like we haven't showered in several days. Our hair was a mess, we smelled like dust and paint, I had paint splatters on my face (since it was black paint, it looked like i had massive black heads all over my face, hahaha!), my black sweater and shoes were more like dark gray b/c of the dust. My sis-in-law had large paint splatters on her jeans and we were both carrying two large drinks in our hands (for my brother and fiance). We looked like we hadn't showered or eaten anything in days. hahaha!

It's funny when I think about it because if that was several years ago when we were still in high school, we probably wouldn't be caught dead outside looking like that. In high school, I'd make sure my hair looked proper, my clothes were "cool", i smelled nice, etc, even if i was just going to the mall for 15 minutes. Now - yes, of course i still make an effort to look nice but I'm not afraid to look like a scrub once in a while if there's good reason for it. Emphasis on "if there's good reason for it". Trust me, it's not like i would purposely go somewhere with paint on my face. haha!

Are you less conscious about your appearance now compared to when you were younger?

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"It's Just Our Culture..."

2011-04-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

You know what bothers me? When CULTURE is used as an excuse.

I'm going to arrive an hour later than our agreed meeting time but don't be mad...
it's just our culture.
I'm going to talk to you in a demeaning manner but i'm not trying to be rude...
it's just our culture.
I'm going to show up to your party without RSVP'ing, it's not inconsideration...
it's just our culture.
I'm going to gossip about you but i don't mean any harm by it...
it's just our culture.
I'm going to tell you you look fat even though I know you have image issues...
it's just our culture.
I'm not allowed to date you because you're (insert race) but don't be offended...
it's just our culture.
I'm going to physically and emotionally abuse you but don't cry...

When have you heard 'culture' used as an excuse?

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Don't Trust Me w/ A Gun

2011-04-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I tried my hand at shooting for the first time. I'm not ashamed to say that I suck. I won't explain further but you'll see what I mean by watching the video below. At around 2:10, I pretty much almost broke the most important rule which was "make sure your gun is always facing forward towards the target". Haha, whoopsie!

For those who are wondering about the experience: it was loud, a little nerve wracking in the beginning, but tons of fun! I kept leaning back on my first try because the shell casings kept bouncing back towards my face!!! Also, I couldn't really tell if I was actually hitting anything - the target was too far for my near sighted eyes :P

P.S - i was wearing the same pullover in my last video... i swear, i have more clothes than that. hahaha! That pullover is just my go-to item of clothing cus it's so comfy (and i'm not just being biased. :P)

VIDEO: Eating my bacon cookie + shooting for the first time.

Have you tried shooting before?

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Eating for a Cause

2011-04-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

So, you're all probably tired of hearing that i'm getting married in less than 2 months but... i'm getting married in less than 2 months and I should be eating well, exercising, all that good stuff but how can you resist when it's for a good cause!?

Last night, my sister-in-law + one of my bridesmaids and I went to a fundraiser called Bake for the Quake where different bakers come together to sell their specialties and hungry people like me ~~looking for any excuse to eat~~ come to buy them to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

As if you weren't drooling enough from my last post, here are some more pictures!

Yes, a bacon cookie (with ginger)! I'm a pretty big fan of bacon and it seems to be popping up everywhere nowadays - bacon mints, bacon cupcakes, bacon ice cream sundae.

What is the oddest dessert you've had?

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10 Things I Love - Food Edition

2011-04-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lei for tagging me to write about "10 Things I Love". Since i've done this post before, I decided to do one focused on one of the things I love most - FOOD!

I used to be a really picky eater when I was a kid especially when I was culture shocked from my move from Hong Kong to Canada. In Hong Kong, I was used to eating rice and noodles, not sandwiches, salads, wraps and other 'north american food'. I didn't like spices, sauces, and anything "out of the ordinary"(yes, i considered salad out of the ordinary) I'm happy to say that i've since expanded my horizons in the food world! :P

Were you a picky eater as a child?

Below are just some of my faves!

What are your favorite foods?

photo credit:

poutine from http://www.awesomecanada.ca/ + baked potato from http://www.kraftrecipes.com/ + sushi from http://www.sushibarbluefin.com + okonomiyaki from http://www.pref.osaka.jp + eggplant from http://asiasociety.org/ + mango from http://www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/ + deep fried tofu from http://gastronomyblog.com/ + bbq from http://itallstartswithbutter.com/ + kare kare from http://goodhealthnewsandreview.com/ + burger from http://aprilandwes.blogspot.com/

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Preparing for the Culture Shock...

2011-04-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

To prepare for my trip back to the Philippines in about 2.25 months, i've been talking to several friends who have been there recently to get some tips. You see, I haven't been back to the home land in 11 years!!! I don't know what it looks like anymore, what it smells like, what the authentic food tastes like, what the shopping is like, etc! I definitely don't want to look and sound like a foreigner so I can bargain well at the markets, hehe.

For those of you who don't know, I am originally from the Philippines although I only lived there for 2 years. My family then moved to Hong Kong for 10 years and then we moved to Canada. My first taste of culture shock was when we visited Canada before moving here. I was stunned. Where was everybody? I was used to the streets of Hong Kong which was packed at almost every hour of the day. People would walk shoulder to shoulder and you'd often get elbowed! And what do you mean the mall closes at 6PM? What do you mean the bus arrives every 30 minutes instead of every 5 minutes!? What do you mean people don't wipe boogers on bus and train poles? :P

Where did you experience the biggest culture shock?

Speaking of cultures, travel, and far away places. Check out what arrived in the mail today all the way from INDONESIA! I ordered two prints from my lovely friend Tiara, one for me and one for my four year old cousin. Tiara's imagination, creativity, and skill radiates through her artwork. Seriously amazing! Check out the rest of her prints HERE! The quality is great, her prices are reasonable and my prints arrived quickly. Thank you Tiara!

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An Expensive Lesson Learned

2011-04-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I went to one of the busiest parts of our city to run errands and what I hate about this part of the city is that it's mostly pay parking on the street (as opposed to a parking lot). I found an area with many cars parked so I decided to park there too. This was 2:43PM. When I returned to where I parked my car at 3:17PM, I was stunned... I couldn't find my car!!!

It turns out my car had been towed. The signs said "no parking from 3PM to 6PM" and I didn't think to look since I saw many cars parked there when I arrived :( When I went back to my car, none of the other cars were there so either we all got towed or the other people were smart enough to look at the signs. Haha! And the kicker? My parking violation ticket was clocked in at 3:15PM, 2 minutes before I arrived. BOOOO!!!!

Total cost of lesson? $144.50 CDN. Ouch.

What's the most expensive lesson you've learned?

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Cheap or Thrifty?

2011-04-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, I didn't really understand the value of money. In my tweens, I would ask my parents to buy me brand name clothing like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, etc without a worry about money because well... it wasn't my money! Haha! I didn't think about how hard my parents had to work to gift me with that one piece of clothing that I begged for... all that mattered was that I was COOL!!! And now that I look back at my photos, i certainly did not pull off cool with my large circular glasses complete with protective string, awkward hair, etc... haha! (i'll post a pic sometime :P)

Now that i'm nearing my mid-twenties and I fully realize the value of money, i've really been into.... COUPONS! Some people think it's weird or that you're "cheap" but really... why would you pay for something full price when you can get it for almost, if not, fully free! (Extreme Couponing, anyone?)
Have your spending habits changed as you got older?

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So tell me what you want, what you really really want...

2011-04-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a pretty hopeful person, but at the same time, still human. I have moments of weakness, moments of frustration, moments of wondering "why am i doing this?", moments of feeling like i've been at Point A for so long that Point B is starting to look further and further away. Do you guys ever feel that way?

In my frustration and longing, i created the image below. I guess sometimes it's good to remind yourself of what you want so that you remember what you're working towards. :)

What do YOU want?

P.S - Thank you to everyone who made love song suggestions in my previous post. I'll have a lot of listening to do in the next few days! :)

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Help Me Brainstorm: Love Songs!

2011-04-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

As my wedding day approaches in just a little over 2 months, my fiance and I have been thinking of songs to be sang and played during the ceremony and reception. We both love old slow jams from the 90's and new songs as well. We'll be having mixtures of songs from Jason Mraz (to give that summer wedding feel :P), Side A (a Filipino Band), Corrine Bailey Rae, and more.
Here's where I need your help - Many of us grew up with the same love songs and i don't want to miss any good ones! We'll have music during the ceremony, reception, couple slideshow, and dance (for the slow songs) so we'll need lots of songs! :D
What are your favourite love songs??? It can be slow jams or fun/happy tunes (like that of Jason Mraz)

By the way, for those of you who were wondering which child I was in the kindergarten picture in my last post ("Kindergarten Kym", read here), i circled me for you! click here. :)

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Kindergarten Kym

2011-04-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, my mom found my kindergarten graduation photo and we spent some time reminiscing about what my brother and I were like when we were little. Some of you have heard this story before but when I was in kindergarten, i was the shyest kid ever. As in, I wouldn't talk to anyone in school and I couldn't even muster up enough courage to tell my teacher that I had to pee (or poo, haha!). You can imagine the number of accidents I had in class. :P My mom just showed me my kindergarten report card and I got an "A" in all the academic stuff but a "B" for friendliness...and that's probably being generous.

can you spot me? :P

As I grew up, I started becoming the complete opposite of what I was like when I was younger. I went from not talking to anyone to now being a chatter box who loves meeting new people. Haha! My fiance is now also the opposite of what he was like when he was younger - he went from being a chatty, mischievous kid to now being an introvert.

Are you now the opposite of what you were like when you were much younger?

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Boring Wedding Stuff

2011-04-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

I've been mentioning my upcoming wedding for a while now but i've never actually shared many details at all. You're probably wondering "is she really engaged?" yes... yes, i am. :P I didn't share any details because I didn't have many details to share, haha! (procrastination at it's finest)

We wanted a really non-traditional wedding that is unique and represents who we are. We went with a japanese inspired wedding with theme colors of gray & aqua (as you can see from the invitations i designed, pictured below). There are lots of exciting details incorporated in the wedding but i will keep that a surprise until after the wedding. :D

7 4 D A Y S L E F T !

Do you have any ideas for japanese touches we can add to our wedding?

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My 30 Minutes as a Baller.

2011-04-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I talked about my first afternoon tea experience at the Fairmont Pacific Rim and mentioned that I went on a tour of the hotel's rooms after tea. About 5 years ago, I started working in a hotel and trained someone who is now a good friend of mine and now also works at this hotel. It is one of the most prestigious hotels in Downtown Vancouver and one of the first picks for celebrities to stay at.

My friend started by showing us their "regular" room:

These regular rooms have TV's in the mirrors of the bathrooms!

Next she took us to the Presidential Suite (pictured above) and this is where Lady Gaga stayed not too long ago. The price? Oh... just $5,000 CAD per night. No big deal.

They have enclosed kitchens in these suites that have two entrances. One coming from the outside so that your private chef can come in and cook your meal without disturbing you.

This is the balcony of the Presidential Suite with a view from the 22nd floor. You're probably wondering why i'm holding my shoe? Lady Gaga has a photo of herself on this very balcony, holding her stiletto and using the heel to mix her drink. :P

Inside the huge bathroom of the Presidential Suite - you get to bathe and put on a show for the other surrounding buildings. haha!

Still in the same bathroom... If bathing for the world isn't enough, you can also poo for the world to see. ;P There are blinds that you can pull down for privacy but I wonder how many people actually use them?

This is the most expensive "room" in the hotel - The Chairman Suite going for pocket change of $6,000 CAD per night. The chandelier you see up there costs $200,000 CAD and made purely from Swarovski Crystals. Some people don't prefer this suite though because it's on the 8th floor as compared to the Presidential Suite which is on the 22nd floor.

You can't tell from this picture but this bathroom is about the size of a small condo, no joke. It was HUGE. And again, you can bathe for the world to see.

People have said to me that the windows must be one sided but I can assure you that they are not... i've heard stories. O.O

So there you have it... a glimpse of how ballers travel.

Which room would you like to stay in?

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My First Afternoon Tea Experience

2011-04-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my sister-in-laws early birthday, our friend & I took her to the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Downtown Vancouver for Afternoon Tea. As we sipped our tea, we laughed and agreed that us having tea is a sign of getting old. :P We imagined that this is the sort of thing we'll be doing in years to come as my sister-in-law plans to have kids in the near future and i'm preparing to get married in 2.5 months. We first met when we were 9 and 11 years old so it's quite surreal to think that my sister-in-law (who was my best friend before we officially became family) is turning 26 in five days!

Anyway, i'll let the pictures do the talking...

I was very tempted to photoshop the "i" into a "y" :P
Beautiful tea pots - we each got a different color pot :)
I'm not really a tea kind of person (unless it's bubble tea :P) but I really enjoyed this vanilla tea!
We started off with a plate of fresh scones (to the left), the sandwiches were on the bottom tier and the desserts were on top. $35/person.
The Fairmont Pacific Rim served traditional sandwiches but what makes them unique is that they also serve sushi! Everything was fresh and full of flavour.
After dessert, we were craving for something salty to off set the sweetness so we shared a plate of poutine with beef on top. It was delicious but wayyyy overpriced! A plate of plain poutine at other restaurants is about $5-$7 but this was $16.
After tea, a friend of mine took us on a tour of the nicest rooms in the hotel (which i'll post about this week) and we ended the day with these chocolate buns (aka Chocolate Zeppole) from Giovane Cafe (attached to the hotel)! We originally came for their famous sugar buns but apparently, they sell out first thing in the morning. This was still a good alternative though. :)
It is definitely not "first date" kind of food though... it was messy to eat, and the bun poo'd on my hand.
Do you notice your outings changing as you get older?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Long Distance Friendships

2011-04-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge... yes, you read correctly. the topic was "babies and boobies".

In 2009, I started blogging so I could document all the things I was making (like greeting cards, graphics, random things, etc) but little did I know that it would allow me to make great friends both locally and internationally!

Last Saturday, I had my first Skype date with friends i've been talking to online for a long time. It was fun trying to identify whose voice was whose and it was great to finally be able to put a voice to the face/picture. :) I was able to meet Nikolett for the first time last year since she also lives in Canada. In about 2.5 months, i'll be able to meet some of my friends who live in Asia when i fly to the Philippines for my 2nd wedding reception! :D

I remember a few years ago, people would get weirded out when you say that you met with someone who you met online but now, people are getting married to people they met online and creating long lasting friendships! I'm glad technology has allowed me to "meet" you guys! *awwwww* :)

What has technology done for you?

Speaking of long distance friends, my dear friend Krissy is celebrating her birthday on April 6th and she's giving away some AWESOME prizes, including a shirt from me! Enter the giveaway HERE!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Heroes

2011-03-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

One of the stories I read recently on CNN Heroes was about this Italian man who came to America many years ago and started out working as a dishwasher. He eventually became the chef and owner of this high end restaurant and has made it his lifes mission to feed "motel kids" every day by making them fresh pasta. Motel kids are kids whose families live in motels because they cannot afford to pay rent or put food on the table for their kids. Read more of this heart warming story here.

It reminded me of 6 years ago when i spent 9 months in California to do missions. Every week, my group and I would visit this low-income/government housing community and spend about 2 hours with the children in that complex. Most of these kids came from broken families, had abusive parents, and their escape was that one or two hours every week that we would come and play with them. There was one particular family that has stayed close to my heart and 6 years later, the kids still email me to let me know simple things like they've been getting good grades at school, their soccer team won their last game, etc. Sometimes we may not have money or material things to give but the most precious thing you can give is TIME.

Who are the heroes in your community?

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What's My Age Again?

2011-03-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

many of you may recognize this photo from my birthday last year ;P

The other day, a friend of mine made a comment on my Facebook profile picture:

"You look 16 here! How old is this picture?"

To which i responded with "2 weeks old, hahaha!" Today I am 23 years and 8 months old but I still get mistaken for a 16 year old! Some people may get offended but to me, it's a compliment. If I continue looking 8 years younger than my real age, then I'm set for life! :P I still get ID'd at most places I go to, even movie theaters (which is kind of funny and annoying at the same time). The only time I don't get ID'd is if I wear high heels.

Do you get mistaken for being much younger than you really are?

P.S Don't forget to check out all my new releases HERE. Use code "NEWHERRO10" to enjoy 10% off your order, code valid until April 3rd.

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Like an Episode Out of "Hoarders"...

2011-03-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

There's a bed under there, somewhere..... haha!

I hang my head low in shame as I reveal to you the state my bedroom was in for months up until last Friday. It starts off with "i've got so much to do...i'll put this sweater away later" until you eventually collect a mountain of clothing on top of your bed and you can no longer sleep on it. Haha! There was no urgency for me either because we have two guest bedrooms in our house that I could sleep in! Finally, with the help of my mom, I was able to pack and clean my room in preparation for moving and marriage - 2 MONTHS + 3 WKS AWAY!!! Eeeeek!

No, the rest of our house does not look like this, especially not my work area. I'm actually quite a neat person (hard to believe from that photo, right? haha) but I guess with packing and preparations, i slowly started neglecting the mountain of things that needed to be organized. Hey, at least you won't find any squished cats or 20 year old sandwiches anywhere.

Would your room be featued on "Hoarders" or in a funky home decor show?

P.S - The wait is over!!! Check out all my NEW RELEASES HERE! Use coupon code "NEWHERRO10" to enjoy 10% off!

Code is valid until April 3rd, 2011.

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

You Get What You Pay For...

2011-03-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

To date, I am subscribed to about 20 group buying websites (Groupon, LivingSocial, etc) . If you aren't familiar with group buying websites - they are websites that give you heavily discounted deals if a certain number of people buy the deal. Last January, my girlfriends and I bought a spa voucher for a hot stone massage + sauna package that is worth $160 but was selling for $29. We snatched it up right away and used the voucher yesterday.

We were supposed to get a total of 1 hour and a half of spa time including a hot stone massage and sauna but what did we get?
A total of one hr of spa time and someone rubbing (not massaging) our body with hot stones.
I've never had a hot stone massage before and i'm no expert on massaging but I truly feel like I could have asked a child to put massaging oil and rub hot stones on my back and I would have gotten the same thing. -_-
I guess you get what you pay pay for...
The only good thing about the place was that they have a Party Room. A huge room with a projector screen where you can watch movies, stations for manicures and pedicures so that was pretty cool.

What was your worse spa/massage experience?
P.S - Before you go, please check out Behind the Scenes photos from my Herro Hachi photo shoot yesterday (click here)! New releases will be up on Monday, March 28. :)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

You Can Call Me Patty.

2011-03-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

People usually get my name wrong whether it's saying it or spelling it. I've gotten all kinds of variations to my nickname from Kem to Ken, to even an inappropriate word (use your imagination). I was blown away yesterday though when I received an email addressing me as...

Yes, Patty. I know it was meant for me b/c it had to do with my business. I just feel like if you're not going to spend the time to even find out what my name is, why should I spend time responding to you? Is that too much to ask? :)

It did make me laugh though... I can't imagine myself being named "Patty"... haha!

What variations of your name have you gotten? :D

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Oh hai, i'm still here!!!

2011-03-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

You know how on some days you say "i'm tired, i'll blog tomorrow" then when tomorrow comes, you say the same thing and before you know it you've been away for 2 weeks? Yeahhhh...

Anyway, this is what's kept me busy in the last two weeks...

Helped my brother and sister-in-law move
*mmmmmmmmm*
I finally found a workout that I actually enjoy and don't just do b/c I have to do something active... MARTIAL ARTS! Lately, i've been doing kickboxing, combat, and will be starting krav maga today.
3 months and 6 days until the BIG DAY. We're going to get our own wine made - it's cheaper and more personal... let's just hope it tastes okay. haha!
And the most exciting part during the last two weeks? Kimora Lee wore the customized tank top I made for her!!! More info on my official website here. (to those of you who follow me on facebook and twitter, sorry for spamming you with my news and excitement! :P)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Rich Man's Soup

2011-03-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

It's a known fact that food is pretty expensive here in Vancouver. On top of it being expensive, we also get taxed 12% so sometimes a bowl of soup at a restaurant can cost you almost $10 including tax and tip.-_-

For my soon-to-be-sister-in-law's birthday last week, we celebrated by going to a nice Chinese restaurant close to home. The soup page was the most interesting for me b/c it showed how crazily priced some of the bowls of soup were. The most expensive being... of course, shark fin soup for a whopping $368 CAD. Mind you, this isn't a giant bowl of soup with sprinkles of gold or anything, it's about a medium sized bowl good for about 6 people.

So... iPad or a bowl of soup?

decisions, decisions.

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

My Life in 5 Years...

2011-02-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

clearly drawing isn't my forte... :P
I've always been a very visual person but never really knew the power of visualization. I've heard many stories of people who visualized where they wanted to be and got there. For example, I remember hearing about Charice Pempengco and how she drew herself singing on stage with her favorite singers... look where she is now.
I decided to do the same and set goals for myself in 5 years. A part of me is afraid because... 5 years isn't too far away but at the same time, I feel like if I don't put an actual number as my goal... it would just be left open ended and unaccomplished.
Above is a little preview of my visualization of the life I want to live. I keep it in my day planner and look at it everyday, visualize how i'm going to get there and imagine life as if I were already there. I look at it to remind myself of where I want to be so that I stay motivated to keep working hard.
How do you stay motivated? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Turning Japanese...

2011-02-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

"... I think i'm turning Japanese, I really think so!"

I've always loved cute Japanese things... especially having spent most of my childhood in Hong Kong but it wasn't until I got older that I really got to appreciate more of Japan's food, culture, and people. (Now you know where my brand's inspiration comes from!!!)

Don't laugh... but last Sunday, I actually bought an English-Japanese dictionary and I couldn't wait until I got home to use it so I sat in the car with my fiancee in the shopping mall parking lot and just recited random words. :P

What I find so awesome is that a lot of Japanese words sound like the English word... except with a Japanese spin on it :P Here are some of my favorites:

Ejannz also pointed out today that my full name sounds like "Camera" if you say it with a Japanese accent. Rove it!

What language would you love to learn?

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On My To Do List : Do Things on the To-Do List

2011-02-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was tagged by the lovely Abby to Make a list of 7 things I want to do in 7 days and.... ACTUALLY DO IT!

Here we go:

(1) Write a blog post every day until Friday
(2) Surprise someone randomly by sending them a package
(3) Send out most, if not all, of my wedding invitations
(4) Run 4/7 days this week
(5) Memorize 10 Japanese words
(6) Send a Facebook Message (or email) to someone I haven't talked to in a long time
(7) Finish all new designs for the spring line for Herro Hachi

I will be held accountable for this list... If i don't complete it... I will... eat a hamburger bigger than my face.... but then again, that might be incentive to not to complete my list. Haha! :P

Who wants in on this challenge???

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It's Just a Mental Game...

2011-02-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Filipino dishes is called SISIG - which is basically chopped up pig ears, face, and innards on a sizzling plate. It sounds kinda gross but it's really quite delicious... this wasn't always how I felt about it though. The first time I had this dish was when my family went back to the Philippines for a visit in 2001 (I left the Philippines to live in Hong Kong when I was 2 or 3 so that was really the first time I "experienced" it). My cousins took us out to see a live band and they ordered a bunch of food for us - one of the dishes was sisig. After it was all gone, my cousins asked me if I liked it... I responded with an satisfied "YES!" and that's when they broke it to me...

"you know you just ate a pigs face and innards right?"

O.O

If they told me that in the beginning, I probably wouldn't have eaten it... but since they waited until afterwards, It was okay b/c I already tasted it. It's just a mental game!

This reminds me of the time my mom tricked me into eating deer. She told me it was her usual beef steak specialty but when I tasted it, it didn't taste right at all but I didn't think much of it b/c why would my mom lie to me? WRONG! My brother passed by, saw me eating it, and said "you know what you're eating right?"

O.O

It turns out it was a dish a family friend made and my mom knew I wouldn't eat it if she told me what it actually was. Hahaha!

Is there a dish you ate without knowing what it was until afterwards?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

I'm Now a Flight Attendant!

2011-02-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Yup. I recently got hired at AIR HERRO, a new airline company that launched this past weekend. I've been dying to tell you guys the news but I had to keep it top secret since I signed a confidentiality agreement. Here is my new employee promo photo:

Haha! Okay, obvs i'm just playing... I'm not a flight attendant. Last Saturday, I went to my church's valentine's banquet and had some fun with my outfit (don't worry, i only did this for one photo.... i didn't show up to the banquet looking like a flight attendant. ;P) It just goes to show, accessories can make all the difference!
HAPPY VDAY TO ALL!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

What Kind of Girl Are You?

2011-02-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

Recently, I got tagged by the lovely Suki Pooki to answer a lil' questionnaire. I love tags because they give me a break from thinking of a topic to write about. ;) You may think that this tag is about "what kind of girl you are" but it's really not.... you'll see the connection later on though.

Enjoy!

1.) Why did you create this blog?

It’s a bit of a long story. I created this blog so I could separate business + personal blogging from my original website which started out as a personal blog that turned into a business and personal blog that will no longer exist in 7 days because this does. Does that make sense? :P

2.) What kind of blogs do you follow?

I prefer following personal blogs, tutorial blogs are great too but I don’t really wear make-up or do my hair very often or paint my nails nicely. I guess I’ve always been more of a masculine girl, in a non-butchy man looking way. Not to say that I don’t like dressing up but most days you’ll find me in a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and jeans with no make-up on and half blow dried hair. Okay, so back to the question – personal blogs, I follow mostly personal blogs.

3.) Favorite make up brand?

Refer to #2

4.) Favorite clothing brand?

Is it tacky to say Herro Hachi, my own brand? Hahaha! In all honesty, I don’t have ONE particular favourite brand – if it looks good, I’ll buy. Brand name or no brand name.

5.) Your indispensable make up product?

Refer to #2.

6.) Your favorite colour?

If black, gray, and white count as colors then they are my fave but if not, my favourite is red and aqua.

7.) Your perfume?

Refer to #2.

8.) Your favorite film?

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Gran Turino, Brothers, The King’s Speech

9.) What country would you like to visit and why?

What country wouldn’t I like to visit??? My dream is to travel the world one day but on top of mine and my fiance’s travel list is JAPAN. We love everything about it... the food, the people, the culture, etc(hope to meet you soon, Ochi! :)

10.) Make up the last question and answer.

Referring back to #2 since I’ve referred back to it enough times…

Are you a girly-girly girl or a masculine but still sometimes girly girl like me?
(you don't have to answer this... Rick, Nino, Shingo... haha!)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces // tumblr

Simple Smiles: The Eyeless Oinker

2011-02-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

One of my fave ladies, Nikolett, does blog posts entitled "Simple Smiles" where she writes things that made her smile that day/week/month.
I really have quite a ball playing around with photo apps on my iPhone. This particular app is similar to the Photobooth on a macbook where it does things like make you fat, give you a big nose, etc. This time I used the mirror feature on my fiance and couldn't stop laughing at the outcome.
Doesn't it look like a bucktooth piggy with a moustache and no eyes? HAHAHA! This is my simple smile of the week. :)
By the way, I signed up on Tumblr today!
http://herrohachi.tumblr.comfollow me! i'll be doing giveaways and things there soon! ;)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

The Madness that is CNY

2011-02-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that I live in Canada but what you might not know is that I live in Hong Kong in Canada... if that makes sense. Basically, the city I live in has a hugeeeee population of Asians, mainly Chinese people which means that Chinese New Year is widely celebrated in my city. This past weekend, my family went to one of the Asian malls nearby without even realizing that it was CNY! It didn't take long for us to realize though because as soon as we entered the parkade, it was a zoo. It's a zoo on normal days but this was a zoo, magnified. As in, my car almost got hit twice in a span of 30 seconds - no exaggeration. O.o

Anyway, my favorite part of this particular mall is the big Daiso store (remember this mall, Nikolett?) Sometimes, i don't even buy anything when I go... I just go to see what new Engrish things I will find.

Beware of magnetic blackboards though.... it could steal your door. Seriously.

Did you celebrate CNY?

P.S - off topic but one of the best parts of my weekend was seeing this.... notice what shirt she is wearing? EEEEKKKK!!!! (okay, for those of you who are new and won't get why i'm so excited... check out my official website here :D)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Inspiration: Robots in Trouble

2011-02-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

I got a little surprise in the mail yesterday! Two little ninja's from Abby who created a new shop called Robots in Trouble! Her and I were talking about inspiration yesterday - I am inspired by people like her who dream, but doesn't stop there. She does something about the dream and takes the first step to making it a reality. :)

So i'll ask you the same thing I asked Abby:
What's your dream and when are you taking the first step? Check out Abby's shop, Robots in Trouble. Most things are 50% off as part of her grand opening promotion!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Choco VJJ's for a Good Cause

2011-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year again! (Those of you who have been following me since last year know about my fave choco v's ;P) Every year before Valentine's Day, chocolate vaj's are sold to raise awareness on violence against women (read more about it here). I buy it every year because it's for a good cause and also because it makes me laugh and creeps my fiancee out. haha!
What is the funniest food you've ever come across?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

What's That On Your Lips?

2011-01-31T15:07:00.000-08:00

I originally wanted to entitle this post "Poo On My Lips" but decided to change my mind when I realized that some weirdo's looking for videos that include things like girls and cups might find this.... if you catch my drift.

Anyway, last week, the lovely and also engaged MJ tagged me to do a post where I share 7 funny things about me. Here we go:

(1) When I was a tweenager, I was convinced that Chinese people did not have intercourse.

(2) I laugh at my own jokes and the only reason people around me are probably laughing too is b/c they think i'm crazy.

(3) My ICQ username back in the day was: "dabomb08" i really thought i was "da bomb" haha!

(4) When I was obsessed with AsianAvenue, I changed the "guestbook" link to "g-spot" because everyone was doing it.... at that time I thought "g-spot" was just a cool saying.

(5) When I was 8, I loved cutting barbies hair so i thought "it can't be that hard to cut my own hair too!"... I ended up with a bald spot where my bangs should have been.

(6) When I was around 5, and my family and I were walking around the busy streets of Hong Kong, I decided to pretend I was blind. I ended up getting lost.

(7) Please refer to picture above. As much as you might think I like to have poo colored lips - i don't. When this picture was taken, my lips showed up that color on the camera! Weird and kinda creepy right? Maybe it's because I wanted to pretend I was an old lady on a wheelchair. Maybe the ghost of the original person who owned that wheelchair decided to take revenge on me by smearing my lips with poo color. Maybe.

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

A Hollywood Kind of Love

2011-01-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I read something on the newspaper that really stuck with me. Ryan Gosling, star from the 2004 popular romantic drama The Notebook, said that his movie can cause break-ups because it sets unrealistic romantic standards for real life couples.

"People would come up to me and tell me that they thought it was romantic, but one guy told me that he was engaged and (his fiancee) broke up with him after that movie because she said to him, 'You wouldn't build a house for me, would you?' He was like, 'Well, no, but I don't know how.'"

"She said, 'But if you knew how?' He said, 'No, I wouldn't. But it doesn't mean I don't love you.' She said, 'Yeah, it does.' And she called it off," narrated the 30-year-old actor. (Read full article here)

During my drive home last week, Bruno Mars hit "Grenade" was playing on the radio and remembering Ryan Goslings article, I turned to my fiancee and jokingly asked:

"Would you catch a grenade for me? Throw your hand on a blade for me and jump in front of a train for me? Cus if you won't, you don't love me and i'm calling off our engagement."

Hahaha! It sounds silly and extreme but I wonder how many young kids nowadays have this idea of love?

What do you think about the message Hollywood is sending about love?

Unrealistic? Or is my fiancee just really unromantic? haha!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

My First Tweet-Up

2011-01-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

Those who have been following my blog for a while now know that I used to strongly dislike Twitter. In fact, I vowed never to sign up on Twitter because I didn't want to get updates about what people were eating and what time they woke up that day. In April 2010 though, I gave in and decided to give it a shot. 9 months later, I'm so into it that I actually even attended my first Tweet-up! A tweet-up is a social gathering of people in your area who are on Twitter.

It was fun b/c everyone was wearing different masks to fit the Masquerade theme... I brought my authentic mask straight from Mardi Gras '06 in New Orleans! It was such a cool but nerdy experience. As soon as you walk in, you register and they give you a name tag with your Twitter handle (@herrohachi) on it so that once you are mingling with people, they can add you on Twitter right then and there. haha! It is the only place I've ever been to where EVERY SINGLE PERSON had their Blackberry or iPhone out the entire night so they could tweet about what was going on and who they were meeting. It sounds boring but it was a lot of fun being able to meet those you've only been talking to on Twitter!

It was great meeting people but I must say, the highlight of my evening was getting to try Lobster Mac & Cheese for the first time EVER! Thanks to Samantha for introducing this dish to me!

Have you ever attended a Tweet-Up? If not, would you?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Earrings? Door Knob Decor? What ARE Those.... ?

2011-01-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my sister-in-law accompanied me to an alternative wedding show. I love it because it's super non-traditional (as you might see in the following photos). Some of the things we found there were definitely... interesting.

'love life'

This was our favourite table at show. It made me stop, stare, and ask "... is this what i... think it is?" hahaha! The girl manning the booth enthusiastically said YES! and demonstrated how to use it. Apparently there is an art to tassle spinning because they were offering classes for it O.O So yes... these are not earrings, door knob decor, or hair accessories.... heeheehee.

Moustaches were everywhere! It's funny how 'everyday things' can become such trends. I wonder what will be next - unibrows perhaps?

I was happy to find a grey & white moustache in my goodie bag. Naturally, i tried it on and took pictures... whatcha think? ;P

Now it's your turn - let's see a moustache picture of you!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Bungee Jumping? Check! (well... almost)

2011-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

Exactly 5 months from today, I will be tying the knot!
Before getting married though, a stagette is in order! (aka bachelorette, hen's party.. what do you call it in your country?)

My bridesmaids & i originally planned to party in Las Vegas the month before my wedding but I really couldn't get myself to spend hundreds of dollars to fly to Vegas and only stay for 1.5 days! =\

At the beginning of this week though, I got an email that the Groupon of the day is 50% off Bungee Jumping in Whistler! I decided that this would be a better alternative for my party - it'll be fun for all, a once in a lifetime experience, and something I can cross off my bucket list! Besides, I can't do things like this with my husband-to-be b/c he doesn't understand why i would pay money to jump off a bridge. hahaha!

For those that don't know, Whistler is about a 2 hour drive away from Vancouver. It is where part of the 2010 Olympics were held.

<--- photo from www.whistlerbungee.com

What is one daring thing on your bucket list this year?

side note: i restocked sizes for my Engrish Menu & "I'll Shoot You" tees! Check them out here & here.

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Don't Believe Everything You See on Facebook...

2011-01-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

Last night, my sister-in-law posted a link on my brother's wall and made mention of "their kids" who are non-existent at this time. Just for kicks, I decided to see what would happen if I made a comment about her being pregnant (see photo above). The blurred out part is where people congratulated them on their non-existent baby and where people wondered whether my statement was true or not. My "heeheehee" came after they had to break the news to everyone that they weren't actually expecting. haha!

todays lesson, kids... don't believe everything on Facebook! ;)

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

What's Your Passion?

2011-01-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

I came across a quote today that read:
"Passion is a pre-requisite. Without passion, you won't be successful. But you can't be stupidly passionate, you have to do your homework"
Passion is something that creates powerful emotions (whether it's love, hate, or something else)... so tell me, what is your passion?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Here's My 7.

2011-01-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

I recently got tagged for the following blog awards - Stylish blogger award from nancakes.org and the Versatile Blogger Award from crazzyanne.blogspot.com. Thank you both! The tag asks that you share 7 things about yourself. I've done this tag several times before so my long time readers may already know most of these things about me...

How was your weekend?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Awkward Wedding Moments

2011-01-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

As you know, weddings have been on my mind for the last few months! Lately, my fiance and I have been trying to prioritize things since everything has a dollar amount attached to it and things add up quickly! We agreed that one of the things we remember the most when we go to weddings is...

THE FOOD!

I'm sure you're not surprised :P Another thing I always remember from weddings would be the AWKWARD MOMENTS. My #1 favourite awkward moment is the part where the groom goes under the brides dress to retrieve the garter - just take a glance to grandma/grandpa/mom/dads table - awwwkkkward. Maybe this is only in Asian weddings since Asian parents are a little more traditional/conservative!?

Alcohol + crazy uncles also make for great awkward moments. I remember a wedding I went to back in California where the bride was several months pregnant. While someone was giving their speech, the drunken uncle yelled out something about her getting knocked up. *crickets* *tumbleweeds* haha!

What do you remember the most from weddings?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

The Aroma of... Intestines.

2011-01-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

I like to think i'm pretty adventurous when it comes to food - i'll try most things at least once but at the same time, I have spent the most number of years living in North America so "weird" food here doesn't really compare to the types of food you see in Asia. My fiance on the other hand, can stomach almost anything... in fact, he accidentally ate mold once and continued eating it after he realized what it was... he claims he was that hungry. haha!

Yesterday, we went out for bubbletea with friends and his eyes lit up when he saw PORK INTESTINES on the menu. *cringe* I was fine with him ordering it since I wasn't planning to have any anyway but when it arrived, i almost threw up... not because of what it looked like but because of the smell.

It seriously smelled like BUTT.

My fiance laughed and asked "how do you know what butt smells like" - you just know! It's like how one time, I tasted something and said it tasted like feet... i've never tasted someones feet before but you just know! haha!

What's the smelliest food you've come across (or eaten) ?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Great Minds Think Alike

2011-01-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law & i bought the same dress when we were shopping in L.A. As I was getting dressed for church last Sunday, I had a passing thought "I wonder if she's going to be wearing this dress today too... that would be funny." When we saw each other that morning, we both screamed and laughed out loud... what were the odds we'd both be wearing it on the same day, styled almost the same way. You can imagine how many times people at church asked us if we planned to show up like twins. Haha!
Have you shown up to an event where someone was wearing the same thing?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Newsflash: You're Not the Only Person in the World.

2011-01-04T15:49:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I really dislike, it is inconsiderate people.

Dictionary definition of inconsiderate:

without due regard for the rights or feelings of others

You know the kind of people i'm talking about... they're the ones who park their car in 1 1/2 parking spots during the busiest time of the year, allowing nobody else to be able to park their vehicle in that spot... unless they're riding a bicycle or a scooter. Or the ones who put their feet up on the bus (a FULL bus) so everyone else has to stand and the elderly person standing in front of them can't sit down.

What about this one... ?

My parents and I were trying to find a seat at our gate on our way back home from Christmas vacation. It was a packed gate and we couldn't find a place to sit... and then we see that (refer to picture above). Seriously?

My mom and I walked by them, slowly, looked at the bench, and hoped that they would realize how inconsiderate they were being... but the wife just looked at us, looked at her husband, then back down to her book. WOW.

On a brighter note, there are still many wonderful people out there so don't take them for granted. A Thank You goes a long way :)

Do you have any stories about inconsiderate people?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

A "My Sassy Girl" Inspired Engagement Photoshoot

2011-01-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

One of the most memorable days of 2010 for me would be December 18 when my fiancee and I had our engagement shoot with Tracey L Heppner Photography. I knew that I wanted to have a theme for our photoshoot as I've seen some cool ones like the "Up" inspired engagement shoot... but what would our theme be?

We started brainstorming ideas and soon realized that none of the movies we liked would work. My fiancee is into movies that involve zombies & war... that would be unique but i wasn't so sure our parents would be too thrilled to see a "zombies in love" type of photoshoot. We even had fun with it and imagined our engagement shoot with themes like Avatar and Shrek, haha ;P After much brainstorming, it finally came to me - MY SASSY GIRL! We both enjoyed the original Korean version (and also watched the English version which was horrible compared to the original). All we needed was a train, a tree, and a shopping cart! :P

My fiancee is a shy guy (total opposite of me, haha) so having to take photos in very public places was a little hard for him. :P

This is the biggest tree we could find for our tree scene.

Inspired from the English version of the movie - see original scene here.

One of my ultimate favourites from the sneak preview Tracey showed us! Something about the train passing by, our closeness, and the wind in my hair. haha!
What was your best memory from 2010?

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces

Here's to another awesome year...

2010-12-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

thank you everyone for a great year of...
friendshipslaughterstoriessupportlove
here's to another great year - 2011!

Christmas in L.A

2010-12-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

I'M BACK! I spent the last 9 days celebrating Christmas with my relatives in California - BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!
It was a vacation filled with lots of food, shopping, family, laughs, and more food. So much food that when I tried on wedding dresses during my vacation, I was told I had to try dresses a size up from my usual size. Uh-oh. O.o Oh well, 2011 is a new year... no more excuses since my wedding is less than 6 months away!
The best part of my trip? Spending time with family (of course) but most especially my now 4 year old cousin! Lately she's really been into high heels so it's no surprise that her favourite section in any store is the shoe section. She walks in them quite well which is scary - i don't want her to grow up too fast!
How was your Christmas?

Friendly Reminder...

2010-12-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

be careful how many cookies you eat

during the holidays.

Cheap or Thrifty?

2010-12-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

Oh hai!

I've missed you guys, but i'm back! The reason I was away for a little while was because I was busy prepping for my first big show! (One of a Kind, Vancouver) I really had to get creative with this show because my space was only 3 x 3 (where i'm normally used to at least 8 x 5) but with the help of IKEA and my dad, the end result was not too shabby! :D

On to the title of this post... I'm a pretty thrifty shopper, I like to think I use my money wisely and wait for most things to go on sale before I make a decision to buy it. I'm definitely not cheap and that was confirmed this weekend when I met the definition of cheap. This person actually tried to bargain with me to give her a $2 item for $1 (50% off!). Yes... It wasn't a big ticket item or anything.. it was selling for $2. TWO DOLLARS. Now, I understand in Asia, bargaining is a normal thing to do and I've had my fair share of it when I lived there....but this was a high end show! *smh*

Have you had experiences with overly cheap people?

I'm glad my shows for 2010 are over, i'm ready to relax! This weekend, my fiancee and I are having our engagement photoshoot and then the next day, my family and I fly out to the States for Christmas vacation with our relatives! Woohoo! Since we're heading to the States, i'm offering free shipping to those (in the U.S) who place their order by Friday... order will then be shipped out on Monday. Shop here!

9 days till Christmas!

MIA

2010-12-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'll be a little MIA for a while as I try to accomplish all the things that need to be accomplished this month!
My little fingers have been busy....
making Christmas cards for friendsfolding several hundred t-shirts and pulloverspacking/preparing for a family trip for Christmasplanning for the upcoming wedding... it feels like just yesterday when i got engaged but now time is slipping away!!! 6.5 months left! I wish there were more hours in a day. -_-
P.S - for those interested... i've got an important notice/announcement regarding Herro Hachi in 2011. Please read here.
What are you busy with this month?

Clearly, I'm Not a Plant Person...

2010-12-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

I can lick a banana slug and laugh about itI can brave -20 degree snowy weather in a summer-y dress and high heels I can hike up high and rocky places even with my bad knees

...but I cant...
keep a plant alive !!! haha!
If this was a love fern ala "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" - our love would be past dead.

My Stuff on TV!!! + A Giveaway Worth $700+

2010-12-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

Last October, I had the opportunity to contribute to Kelly Nishimoto's Anniversary Party Gifting Suite. Kelly Nishimoto is a television host and fashion designer based in Los Angeles, CA. She is best known for her cute booty pants!

Click on the screen shot below to watch the video

my stuff shows at about 1:55 !!! :D

Lots of super awesome prizes to be won!! The total value of the gift bag is over $700 USD! The contest/giveaway is only open to U.S Residents though :(

Enter giveaway HERE!

Wedding Nightmares

2010-11-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

photo from www.keithpanel.com

Last Friday, I was able to cross one thing off my wedding to-do list: book venue! The picture above is where we will be having both our ceremony and our reception. The ceremony will be held right on the dock and the reception will be held upstairs in a large hall with floor to ceiling windows which will give us nice views of the water, mountains, and of course - the sunset!

I must be in denial about how overwhelming all this planning is b/c i had my first wedding nightmare last night. I dreamt that I did such a horrible job planning my wedding that I ended up with weeds as my wedding bouquet!!! I had uninvited guests who showed up and they were all wearing matching bedazzled neon green disco outfits. Worst of all, I saw my groom for the first time and he didn't look amused. hahaha!

Did you have any nightmares this weekend?

Kym the Kymeleon

2010-11-25T16:24:00.000-08:00

so i'm not exactly changing colors, but i'm changing faces. hehe ;D
Happy Thanksgiving to our neighbouring country!Have lots of potatoes for me!

My Night Job... Inspiration for a Giveaway!

2010-11-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

For those who have been following my blog since last year, you'll already know all about this so you're welcome to skip ahead :)

Last April 2009, i took a walk during my lunch break and reflected on life (sounds so cheesy, but it's true. haha!) I had a great full-time job and was enjoying life but something was missing. I didn't feel fulfilled. I knew that hands-on creativity was more of my forte instead of working a regular "9-5" office job so I decided to do something about it. At first I thought that making handmade cards would be a great business so I ventured off to the arts & crafts store that weekend to stock up on supplies. While I was looking around in the paper goods section, my bf spotted a t-shirt printing machine and said "why don't you just make t-shirts? you're a t-shirt kind of girl." I brushed the idea off and proceeded to look for paper goods. Weeks later, something brought me back to the t-shirt machine and I ended up getting it, completely scrapping my idea of making cards.

I have a machine, i have some supplies, but what would I call my business? My brother, bf and I brainstormed together and started out with really cheesy, "try hard" names and after awhile we just got tired and started fooling around by throwing out silly names. My brother, in his best asian accent, said "'herro?' you should just name it that! Herro Kishi! Kishi because your name starts with a K!" We eventually decided that it sounded too much like Hello Kitty and that might create legal problems for me down the road. We kept the "Herro?" part and I decided on "Hachi" for the second part as it means Bumblebee in Japanese which has a personal meaning to me. That same week, I marched to City Hall to apply for my business license, set-up an Etsy shop online and began blogging. I've come a long way since, thanks to many of you!

I started out with just ONE item on Etsy! My first ever design was "Fluent in Engrish" Since then, i've also been able to release an official website:
www.herrohachi.com
thanks to one of my fave people/bloggers - Nikolett for helping me code/design everything!
Now for the GIVEAWAY part of the title.

Anne from LOLANNE was one of my first few customers back when I started and when I created a "Boy Neenja" she requested that Boy Neeenja have a girlfriend so "Girl Neeenja" was born. She's now hosting a giveaway inspired by the two + many many more! Thank you Anne for thinking of me for this giveaway :)

Enter her giveaway here!

tweet, tweet // i design clothing: www.herrohachi.com // book of faces