My Dear Darling Workspace Sneak Peek

I'll be taking the rest of the week off to prepare for Thanksgiving and cleaning up and decorating the house for my family and friends. I hope you have a lovely rest of the week and for those of you who will be with your families, eat lots! ;)

But before I leave you today, I want to thank my wonderful husband for helping me revamp my workspace. After a year of sharing a desk with the husband (which was really meant for one, not to mention the desk shaking while I'd sew on it), he came up with a wonderful layout where he has his space and I get my crafting space AND a separate computer desk. I think you'll be able to tell which is his side and which is mine. I love working in this new bright room and feel more inspired than ever.

You can view more photos here.

Episode 12: Thanksgiving & Values

Show Notes:

Thanksgiving:
What are you grateful for this year?
What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving?
Have you challenged yourself to make a dish for Thanksgiving?


Values:
Are you a fair and just person?
Will having fun make you happier than studying or working?
Do we control technology or does technology control us?

Would you like to be featured on our podcast or share your thoughts with us? Please comment below or email us at HeSaidSheSaid@MyDearDarling.com! :)

OFF Topic: Gratitude Project

I hope you had a nice weekend. :) Here's my final entry of The Gratitude Project.

Day 7: The Best Friend

I'm grateful for...

1. meeting you at Black & Decker.
2. the regular phone calls during the weekdays on your ride home from work.
3. you attending every important event I've had.
4. all the times we chat and video chat on AIM.
5. being there for me and believing in me during tough times.
6. your creative talents.
7. all the similarities we share in our lives.
8. the time we went camping and you made fun of my funny faces anytime a bug would come near me.
9. all your help to make MDD better and promoting it to everyone you meet.
10. the awesome links you send me throughout the week.
11. the portable heater you got me last year which Katsu and I are glued to throughout the winter.
12. the subscription to Real Simple magazine, which is quite simply the best magazine for a housewife like me.
13. being probably the only friend that would remind me that I have gum in my mouth and let me spit it into your hand before I walk down the aisle.
14. the little joyride we had after an emergency bathroom break.
15. you tearing up with me every time we have to part since we rarely get to see each other.
16. the marshmallow gun fight we had and silly photos from that weekend.
17. all times we hung out before I moved away (spaghetti and garlic toast, spa treatments).
18. your honest opinions anytime I ask (wwbd).
19. our talks about how our lives will be in the future.
20. you being such a wonderful girl friend and knowing that there's no doubt in my mind I can always count on you.

{ Day 1: Brandon } { Day 2: Katsu } { Day 3: Daddy } { Day 4: Mom } { Day 5: Fans } { Day 6: Shiz&Kao }
{ Day 7: Bryce }

OFF Topic: Gratitude Project

Hello to a lovely Sunday. :) Okay, so the weather doesn't exactly look so nice but it's still a good day. Thank you for your sweet comments and follows from yesterday's post! I didn't realize it had been exactly a year until the day before, when I was going through old posts from my blog. The Gratitude Project came at such a perfect time. My mom read her post the other day and told me she started crying. She thanked me back for writing and for being a good daughter. If you haven't started yours, it's a great way to let people know you're thankful for them or other things you're grateful for. You know, get in touch with your sensitive side? ;)

Day 6: The Sisters

I'm lucky to have really close relationships with both my younger sisters. Together, we laugh at the most ridiculous moments, cry over the smallest problems and share stories and experiences about anything and everything. It's crazy how fast we've grown up. From the times we'd play with our Barbie dolls and make up songs of our own (like "uuuu, mamamamama piiiiyaaaa"), to now, where we're walking our independent paths to reach our own separate goals. Oh dear, and it made my friends and me feel so old when I told them that Kao had gone off to college in a far away state and found herself a boyfriend, since we all remember her being the baby of the family. So here's a couple old photos I found of them along with their gratitude list. :)

Shizuka

I'm grateful for...

1. you calling me every weekday.
2. your creativity.
3. your spot-on impressions of people.
4. you letting Brandon crash at your place when he didn't have a place to stay in San Francisco.
5. your happy-go-lucky attitude.
6. all the times you were there for me.
7. your clumsiness.
8. the way you continue to see the best in others, even if some don't treat you as well as they should.
9. all the times you've styled and cut our hair, did our nails and for those countless beauty tips you've given me.
10. you being independent.
11. the way you put everything down just to help a person in need.
12. all the times we went shopping together.
13. our inside jokes.
14. the way you challenge yourself to do better.
15. you being straight forward with me.
16. you being in our podcast.
17. your fast puzzle solving skills.
18. the times you start singing and pretend you're in a music video.
19. always trying to find out a way to fix any problems I may be having (like migraines).
20. being the best middle sister there is.

Kaori

I'm grateful for...

1. you waiting six days for this post. ;)
2. all the yummy deserts you make.
3. your ambitions.
4. the awesome time we had in the few hours we visited Boston.
5. you keeping up with my blog.
6. you posting pictures of Katsu on your computer and Facebook as if he was your dog.
7. the times you remind me to let go of my worries.
8. you acting very mature when you need to.
9. you being the baby of the family.
10. you always trying to do the right thing.
11. the way you accept people for who they are.
    
12. you letting us crash at your dorm and showing us around when we visited you in Rhode Island.
13. you setting a goal for yourself and sticking to it.
14. the way you've learned how to critique deserts when we go out to eat.
15. experiencing life, becoming an adult all the way on the East Coast.
16. your chubby cheeks.
17. your ability to do your own thing without worrying about what others might think.
18. the times you call me up and ask for advice and letting me be your big sister.
19. your surprise visits.
20. you being the best youngest sister there is.

{ Day 1: Brandon } { Day 2: Katsu } { Day 3: Daddy } { Day 4: Mom } { Day 5: Fans } { Day 6: Shiz&Kao }

My Dear Darling's One Year Anniversary

I'm really excited for this bit of news I wanted to share with you. Today officially marks the one year anniversary of My Dear Darling! :D One year ago, I started with one penguin and a few awful photos.

It took me a few months to prepare for that very moment. I read most, if not all, of Etsy's guidelines, subscribed and read every newsletter they sent out, read many relevant forum topics, took detailed notes while reading books on starting a business, you know, the standard research before jumping off. I wrote out a business plan, my husband and I came up with a name, created a branding identity and put a lot of hours and days into really scoping everything out. Then, I was ready. I was so excited, I let all my friends know about it and I could not sleep. Then it dawned on me, "Will anyone else like my stuff? Is this good enough? What if I never sell anything? What if, what if, what if...?" It was the biggest test to see if my vision of My Dear Darling was going to be approved by others or if it was going to go anywhere at all.

Within the first two weeks of opening, I was lucky enough to receive my first sale! A personalized order at that! I was super ecstatic and quite nervous. I put my heart and soul into that penguin, making sure I crafted the best thing I've ever made in my entire life for my very first customer. (Thank you, T!) After shipping it off, I was glued to the computer, checking my Etsy views every few minutes. I soon realized that watching my shop 24 hours a day wasn't going to get me anywhere so I went back to crafting. I started making pouches and posted them in my shop. Yay, my second sale! Then to my third, fourth, all the way to today's 125 sales (on Etsy alone). I learned many many things along the way and soon found myself chatting with customers, taking personalized orders, making new products, joining the CCCOE & SF Etsy Street Teams, selling wholesale, creating an official website and becoming a regular at the Post Office. Every bit of this experience has been so wonderful, I'm very grateful for everything! I know I'm not a top seller or anything, but I have to say I'm proud of where I am and how far I've come along. :) I couldn't have gotten here without everyone's support, so thank you all!

Now, I'd like to take a moment and do today's Gratitude Project, dedicated to YOU!

Day 5: My Dear Darling Fans

I'm grateful for...

1. your support.
2. your comments and feedback.
3. your participation in contests & giveaways.
4. your Fan Moment photos.
5. your visits.
6. your smily faces and lols.
7. your votes.
8. your time.
9. being able to work with you to create your personalized items.
10. the way some of you take your plushies along with you on your trips!
11. you listening to our silly podcasts.
12. your questions.
13. your patience.
14. returning customers.
15. all your help.
16. the followers and subscribers.
17. your excitement, which gets me even more excited about projects.
18. your thank you notes.
19. your inspirations.
20. the best clients and fans.

{ Day 1: Brandon } { Day 2: Katsu } { Day 3: Daddy } { Day 4: Mom } { Day 5: Fans }

Okay, I realize this is a long post today but I wanted to offer a little something to say thanks for a lovely year! ;) It's somewhat useful and something everyone can use: a FREE desktop wallpaper calendar. You can download it by clicking on whichever screen size you'd like. I hope you enjoy it!

{ 1024x768 } { 1152x864 } { 1600x1200 }

WHAT News

Late last night, I updated the main My Dear Darling website and posted photos of the Fan Food Contest on the front page. :) I also posted all the links to the current He Said She Said podcast episodes. Brandon and I haven't been able to figure out why the older episodes have been disappearing in our iTunes, so if you've missed an episode, you can find them here. (If you know how to fix that problem, we'd love to get some help. Thanks!)

Brandon was able to help me fix some things up on the blog too. Now you can click around and the blog is linked straight to the official site. :D There's a few more things that I'd like to fix (like font color and size issues) but I'll have to play around with that a little more later.

If you've missed it, we've come out with a new product for the winter holiday: The Snowman Penguin Greeting Card. You could send a little note to distant friends and families or even along with the gifts you'll be giving. :)

I can't believe next week is already Thanksgiving! We'll be doing a lot of grocery shopping this weekend, preparing for the meal at our place. :) Last year, I made so much food and although it was a lot of hard work in the kitchen, seeing everyone stuffed and happy was totally worth it. This year, we'll be partying a little differently by having a BBQ! I'm super excited since that cuts my kitchen time in half. Hopefully, it won't be raining like it is today. :X Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Are you doing anything offbeat this Thanksgiving?

OFF Topic: Gratitude Project

Good morning. :) It's already Day 4, half way done with this project and I have to say, I absolutely love it! I've been taking a lot of time and thought into the things I appreciate in each person (or in Katsu's case, dog) and it brings tears to my eyes. Happy tears, of course. It's not often that I take a moment to say "I'm thankful for you being in my life", which is quite a shame. I've been looking through old photos of each person, remembering special moments that I've shared with them, taking everything in and really being grateful for them being in my life. :') Thank you, Jilliene, for letting me join in on this project!

Day 4: The Mother

I'm grateful for...

1. her wicked laugh that's very contagious.
2. the way we can talk about anything to each other.
3. her delicious meals.
4. her love for making others laugh.
5. her flamenco performances.
6. her dedication.
7. her flashiness.
8. her being my mom.
9. everyone who comments on how we look more like sisters.
10. her physical and emotional strength.
11. her attention.
12. the way she sometimes wants to be babied by us.
13. her forgiveness.
14. her youthfulness.
15. the way she always puts us first.
16. her calling to check up on us often.
17. her freakish ability to remember any number combination from just hearing it or seeing it once.
    
18. the way she can make friends out of anyone she meets.
    
19. all her advice.
    
20. her love of dancing and showing off her skills no matter where or who she's with.
    

{ Day 1: Brandon } { Day 2: Katsu } { Day 3: Daddy } { Day 4: Mom }

OFF Topic: Gratitude Project

Day 3: The Father

I'm grateful for...

1. his good health.
2. his happiness.
3. his wisdom.
4. the way he answers his business phone and says, "Shinzo Auto Service!" in a high pitched voice.
5. him caring.
6. his success.
7. the way he nicknames all our friends with celebrity names or famous characters.
8. him being my dad.
9. his bluntness.
10. the day he walked me down the aisle.
11. his acceptance.
12. his love for food.
13. letting us stay at his place whenever we visit Southern California.
14. his passion for cars.
15. his ability to see the positive in most situations.
16. the times he watches Japanese dramas and tears up during sad scenes.
17. his corny Japanese puns.
18. him teaching me countless things about life, even to this day.
19. how he thinks he can buy his cologne only in San Francisco, when in fact, there's a Macy's everywhere.
20. the twenty-something years he's been there for me.

{ Day 1: Brandon } { Day 2: Katsu } { Day 3: Daddy }

OFF Topic: Gratitude Project

Day 2: The Dog

I'm grateful for...

1. his loyalty.
2. his cuteness.
3. his ability to play catch on his own.
4. his love for all his toys, especially his penguin girlfriend.
5. the way he tries to have a conversation with me.
6. his warmth.
7. being able to spoil him.
8. his strength.
9. his way of making visitors smile and laugh.
10. his playfulness.
11. the times he doesn't bark.
12. his obedience.
13. the way he demands attention by making me put my hand on his head to scratch.
14. him bringing the tennis ball back everytime it's thrown.
15. the way he snores and talks in his dreams.
16. him cuddling up next to me whenever he's cold.
17. him letting me know when he's about to vomit so I can take him to the bathroom in time.
18. the way he knows he did something bad and tries to hide behind the nearest person.
19. him waiting at the door until I come home.
20. the five years I've had him and many more to come.

{ Day 1: Brandon } { Day 2: Katsu } { Day 3: Daddy }

OFF Topic: Gratitude Project

Last week, I received a wonderful email from an SFEtsy team member, Jilliene of Jilliene Designs, about the Gratitude Project. It's where you post 20 things you are grateful for each day for 7 days, the perfect project to do around Thanksgiving. You can see her Gratitude List here along with other members who are participating. I knew I wanted to join but I didn't want to start it last week in fear of interrupting the Fan Food Contest, so I'll begin my Gratitude List today. :D Mine is a bit different from others, where I'll be picking one special person and listing 20 things I'm grateful for about that individual.

Day 1: The Husband

I'm grateful for...

1. his love.
2. his patience.
3. the time we spend together.
4. his support.
5. him providing us a roof over our head.
6. his thoughtfulness.
7. his mellowness.
8. the tiniest things he does for me.
9. him trying to surprise me.
10. his good health.
11. his intelligence.
12. him trying to cook for me when I'm sick.
    
13. his positivity.
14. his creativity.
15. his corny jokes.
16. his hotness.
17. his geekiness.
18. his motivation.
19. his willingness to do whatever it takes to make me smile.
20. meeting him, dating him and marrying him.

{ Day 1: Brandon } { Day 2: Katsu } { Day 3: Daddy }

Fan Food Contest 2009 Winners

I can't thank everyone enough for participating and voting for your favorite food creations! :D Brandon and I had so much fun. It was very difficult to choose the Official Winner because every single one of the entries brought something different and awesome to the table. We ended up having to use the old point system and break it down into three categories for judging: Creativity, Likeness (My Dear Darling character resemblance) and Quality. It was a close call, but the Official Winner of My Dear Darling's Fan Food Contest 2009 is...

Family of My Dear Darling Characters by Bryce

Also, if you haven't already checked, the voting for the Fan Favorite ended last Friday at midnight. The Fan Favorite Winner for this year's Fan Food Contest is...

Caught In A Snow Storm by Katy

Congratulations to both of the winners! :D I hope everyone had fun creating the characters and/or looking through the photos and voting! I can't wait until next year's Fan Food Contest. ;)

(Other Entries)

Episode 11: Birthdays & Power

Show Notes:

Birthdays:
Do you still look forward to birthdays?
What's your favorite birthday memory?
How would you spend an ideal birthday?

Powers:
If you can choose between power and strength, what would it be?
If you can get your way by manipulating someone without harming them, would you?
If someone above your position is less qualified, what would you do?

Katsu, before & after the latest trip to the groomers. :(

What he SHOULD look like.

Extra Question: If your dog came back from the groomers with an awful haircut, what would you do?

Would you like to be featured on our podcast or share your thoughts with us? Please comment below or email us at HeSaidSheSaid@MyDearDarling.com! :)

WHAT News

This is a bit of old news, but I just found out today that one of my Mini Penguins made it on the front page of Etsy... three months back. Lol. Still exciting news to me. :P

Thank you, Etsy Admin.

Inspirations

One Thousand Cranes


As I was doing my daily blog reading, I came across this post by futuregirl. I was instantly moved by Pam's project of collecting 1,000 origami cranes for her former classmate, Jen, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although I'm not acquainted with these women personally, I was touched and am very familiar with the Japanese legend of 1,000 cranes.

"An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury."


I happen to have folded 122 (I know, random number) cranes so I'll be sending those off today. If you'd like to make and send some cranes, you can find more info here.

WHAT News

Wow! :D Lots of votes are coming in for the My Dear Darling Fan Food Contest! Thank you to everyone that's stopping by to support your friend or stopping by just to vote for your favorite. I have posted more photos that were sent in to me here. It was difficult choosing just one to represent the entries. ;)

Remember: Today's the last day to vote, so get them in by midnight tonight!! :D

NEW My Dear Darling Gift

Under Your Umbrella


I'm excited to announce that I've been working on a new product for My Dear Darling: digital illustrations! I started a series called The Little Moments depicting darling moments in my relationship with my husband. Yesterday, I released the first print which can be purchased here.

Under Your Umbrella:
Sharing an umbrella with someone is a very intimate moment. The cold weather makes you huddle up closer together to stay warm. The first time it rained after meeting my husband, he took out his umbrella and was trying to cover us both from the raindrops. In that moment, I blushed and felt so warm, I didn't mind the rain anymore.


Have you shared an umbrella with someone special? ;)

My Dear Darling Fan Food Contest 2009

Brandon and I are both wowed by all the creative entries we received for this year's Fan Food Contest! (We loved it so much, we decided we'll be holding this contest every year!) I seriously can't stop smiling and I keep looking at these photos over and over again. Thank you SO SO much for everyone who participated! We'd love to send you a little gift for taking your time to enter the contest, so please email us your address at HeSaidSheSaid@MyDearDarling.com :D

Without further ado, here are the entries for the 1st Annual My Dear Darling Fan Food Contest 2009! Please vote for your favorite creative creation:

Caught In A Snow Storm by Katy

Ingredients: rice crispy treat, chocolate, marshmallows, coconut flakes

Family of My Dear Darling Characters by Bryce

Ingredients: rice krispie treats, chocolate

Mummy Penguin by Kay
Ingredients: sponge cake, frosting, coffee bean


My Penguin by Anne
Ingredients: yellow cake, sugar cookies, dark chocolate icing, white icing,
strawberries, reese's peanut butter pieces, orange frosting, spork, love


Penguin Wearing A Hat by Nick
Ingredients: eggplant, american cheese, icing, chocolate chips

The Most Awesome Penguin Ever by V
Ingredients: rice, ketchup, mustard, frosting, baking soda, chocolate chip

The Fan Favorite Winner will receive a Mini Penguin in the color of their choice and the Official Winner will be announced next Monday! (Contest Info)

Favorite My Dear Darling Fan Food Creation?

Voting ends Friday, November 13th at midnight PST.

Episode 10: Fall & Moods Affected by Weather

Show Notes:

Fall:
What's your favorite part of Fall?
Do you tend to eat more during the fall than other seasons?
What are some fall activities that you'd like to share?

Moods Affected by Weather:
What is your favorite type of weather?
Do you find yourself more productive during a particular type of climate?
If you could live anywhere in the world, year around, where would it be?

Fan Food Contest:
Don't forget to submit your entries to HeSaidSheSaid@MyDearDarling.com by the end of the day today! Fan Favorite Poll will begin tomorrow! :D

Would you like to be featured on our podcast or share your thoughts with us? Please comment below or email us at HeSaidSheSaid@MyDearDarling.com! :)

NEW My Dear Darling Gift

2009 Holiday Penguin Series: Snowman Penguin

Although I live in sunny California where it only snows in a few places up on the mountains, the holidays wouldn't be much without snow, or snowmen! I've actually never made a snowman in my life. In fact, I don't recall making snow angels either. Since there's no snow around me to make any, I decided to make Snowmen Penguins. Each of the penguins are holding branches and are complete with a carrot nose and a top hat. :)




Does he make you want to build a snowman? ;) Have a lovely weekend!

Shout Out - Keepsake Blossoms

Handcrafted Clay Flowers

As you know, my husband and I renewed our vows a couple months back. Prior to the wedding, I was scrambling to find the right bouquet and boutonniere since there were restrictions on having real flowers on a cruise ship wedding. I vaguely remember hearing about clay flowers from a friend of mine back in college but after doing a serious search online, I decided these were the perfect way to go: artificial, realistic, beautiful, lasting, strong, and the list goes on. I contacted an Etsy seller but she was already completely booked, which made me panic. If she couldn't do it, what were the chances of getting it done at all? But she referred me to Keepsake Blossoms and I was (still am) more than pleased with the results.


Deb, who is behind the breathtaking creations, is one of the sweetest people you could work with. She'll make sure you get what you want and her portfolio is full of beautiful shots of her works. I'm pretty sure I annoyed her with my endless list of questions in the beginning but she answered them all in such a short amount of time. I think I learned a thing or two about being a helpful seller. ;) During the preparation, I was starting to get very stressed and got pretty sick. But when I opened the box of beautiful flowers (I ordered a few more boutonnieres and a couple corsages) I was shaking with excitement. I literally teared up with relief and actually started looking forward to the wedding. ;P You should definitely check out her flickr page and blog which showcases all her crafts and even publications she's been featured in.

Photos: Mini Blending in with Flowers, Mini with Flowers

Did you check out her work? Wasn't it amazing? ;)

My Dear Darling Personalization

Personalized Penguin Plush

A matching pair. :)

Penguin Plush in Red

NEW My Dear Darling Gift

2009 Holiday Penguin Series: Elf Penguin

Yes, the holidays are just around the corner. Have you started on your shopping list already? I used to always start looking for gifts the first week of November to avoid the crowded mall. But now... hmm, not too sure what happened. :) Marriage?

When I think of winter, I think, Thanksgiving, Birthday, Christmas and ELF! Elf is one of my favorite movies, so what better than to dress a penguin with Buddy's outfit.




Does he put you in the holiday spirit?

Episode 9: Halloween & Lying ft V

Show Notes:

Halloween
What's the best costume you've seen or you've worn yourself?
What's the scariest story you've heard or what's a scary story from your own personal experience?
What's your favorite treat?

Russell grown up = V

Guy seeking amputee on Craigslist for Halloween costume

Lying
When is a good situation to lie and when is it not?
How do you deal with people lying to you?
Everytime you lie, do you regret it? And if you can take it back, will you?