My Dear Darling Blog

Free DIY Printable Valentine's Day Card

2012-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

print-it-yourself valentine card

The printable Valentine's Day card will require a little bit of work (complete with instructions) but I hope you enjoy putting it together and sharing it with your loved ones... or maybe keeping it for yourself? ;)

printable valentine with niko darling

(free download here)

materials:

8.5" x 11" card stock paper

xacto and/or scissors

scoring tool (optional)

ribbon

hole puncher

tape

glue

hearts & My Dear Darling bows patterned paper

step 1: Print My Dear Darling Printable Valentine and the hearts and bows patterned paper onto an 8.5" x 11" paper. I suggest using regular paper for the hearts and bows and card stock (thick paper) for the printable Valentine.

step 2: Cut out the card and as many hearts as you wish. You can use an xacto knife with a ruler to get a clean straight cut for the card itself. (A metal ruler would be best but I only had an "ultraflex" that Husband let me borrow.) :p

step 3: Fold the card in half. I used a scoring tool to get a cleaner fold line.

step 4: Punch out the white circles on Niko's hands with a hole puncher.

step 5: Tape the hearts on ribbon and tie onto Niko's hands. You can write a message on the hearts before you put it on the ribbon.

back view of card at this point

step 6: Glue the patterned paper onto the back of card and trim down.

step 7: Write a love note and gift it to your Valentine. Hehe, Bruce just happened to make this cute little face when I showed the card to him yesterday morning. I think he liked it. ;)

you can gift your card by itself...

or with a package wrapped up in hearts too!

I hope you like these printables! I'd love to hear feedback so if you get a chance please leave a note. :)

Lots of Smiles,
Akiyo

Please note: The Printable Valentine's Day Card design and PDF download are copyrighted material. For personal use only. Please do not reproduce, copy, and/or sell. Thank you!

Free Printable Valentine Hearts Wrapping Paper

2012-01-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

a box of chocolates wrapped up in hearts for Valentine's Day

Good news! :D Over the weekend, I put together the free printables (yes, 2!) and got it ready to share with you today. Are you excited as I am? ;)

The first of the two is this hearts and My Dear Darling bows patterned paper:

printable hearts & My Dear Darling bows pattern

(free download here)

I wanted the first design to serve multiple purposes. You can print it to wrap a small gift or print lots, tape it together and wrap something bigger. You can use it for scrapbook backgrounds, cards, envelopes (see below) and tags. I'm sure you can think of other creative ways to use the patterned paper too.

hearts and my dear darling bows patterned envelopes

line a greeting card

If you have a chance to download and use this free printable, I'd love to see what you do with it so please share and link back. ;) I'll be posting the Printable Valentine later today!

Lots of Smiles,

Akiyo

Please note: The hearts and My Dear Darling bows pattern and the printable PDF download are copyrighted material. For personal use only. Please do not reproduce, copy, and/or sell. Thank you!

Sneak Peek: Valentine Hearts

2012-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

hearts & my dear darling bows

Since my last post, I've gained a few Google followers, Facebook fans, and Twitter friends so I wanted to say hello and thank you! :) And thank you to those who are long-time supporters too!

I think I'm all set with the Valentine card design! I'll be test printing this weekend at a local FedEx since I didn't bring my printer and I'm excited to see how it turns out. Hoping to share it next week so you have plenty of time to make it for your Valentine. ;)

Have a lovely weekend!

Lots of Smiles,

Akiyo

Shop Closed (Temporarily)

2012-01-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

penguins and pillows all boxed up for the move

Hello from Los Angeles! :)

As you may already know, we've been busy with the move from SF to LA for my husband's new job. 2012 has started out with an exciting big change! We drove here last night and have settled into our temporary housing as we wait on our permanent home situation which we'll be moving into next month. Sounds a little crazy, right? Moving twice! But thankfully, we'll be moving all our belongings only once: from our old home to our permanent home. (Does this make any sense to you? :x I hope it does.)

brucie checking inventory

So the sad news is, My Dear Darling shop will be closed temporarily. Apologies for any inconvenience. I've been receiving quite a bit of Valentine inquiries and I've had to turn down every single one. :( It bums me out to no end.

So I've been thinking, for those that were looking forward to My Dear Darling Valentine's products; Although I'm unable to craft any plush dolls or pillows (because my tools and supplies are boxed up in SF), I could possibly make some downloadable items for Valentines Day. What do you think? I'm brainstorming ideas right now but maybe some cards that you can print out and give to your Valentine? Would that be something you'd use? :)

my new workspace in LA

I was able to fit my iMac and a mini penguin in the car so I'll be working hard on the computer the next couple months in hopes of creating some digital love for you. ;) It's still surreal that we're living in LA. I feel like we're just on a very long vacation and our apartment back in SF is still waiting for us to come home to. Maybe in a few days it'll really hit me...

Have a wonderful weekend!

And as always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. :)

Lots of Smiles,

Akiyo

Cookies In A Jar With A Mini Wreath Ornament

2012-01-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

chocolate chip cookies in a jar

with a handmade wreath ornament

I've been meaning to share this with you but it's been quite hectic over here. Our whole family has come down with the flu and in the midst of all the sniffles and coughs, Brandon and I have been packing up to move to Los Angeles this week! Eeek! But I got a little down time right now so I thought I'd share my handmade Christmas gift I sent out to a few of my family and friends last year. ;)

I used Julia's best ever chocolate chip cookies in a jar recipe, printed out directions, and added a handmade ornament which was also part of our phamily Christmas card/magnet that we sent out. It was so much fun to put together, I can't wait to make more for other occasions with possibly my own recipes! :D

Things to note:

• I tried other versions of the recipe that some of the reviewers suggested, but I've found that the original recipe is perfect the way it is.

• Mix the flour, baking soda, and sugar together to make different layers - flour mixture, chocolate chips, brown sugar, chocolate chips, flour mixture. I suggest packing firmly after you put the brown sugar, if you're layering it like I did.

• The round piece of fabric should be at least 7 inches in diameter. It's easier to tie the ribbon on without having to shift the fabric a million times. ;) You can also place the fabric under the screw part of the lid but personally, I liked the way it looked completely covered.

• Double knot the fabric piece on first then tie on the instruction card along with the ornament or trinket.

• This might be a no-brainer but when baking the cookies, use butter that is NOT melted. I've made this mistake many many times when I first started baking so I thought I'd share. :)

I'm looking forward to baking some more once we move and get settled in our new home. :) If you try this out, let me know how these cookies turned out for you!

Lots of Smiles,

Akiyo

2012 Desktop Wallpaper & Resolutions

2012-01-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

{1024x768} {1680x1200} {2560x1440}

A big thank you to Stephanie for asking for a My Dear Darling desktop wallpaper! :D I was inspired by the photo of Bruce and me on New Years Day. I added a six month calendar too. I hope you like it!

Although I got sick on New Year's Eve and I'm still feeling under the weather, I feel like this year has started off on an exciting path. New adventures await and I'm feeling inspired more than ever. It's only been 3 days, but I've been filling out my journal and sketchbook everyday of 2012.

Originally, I was going to do a recap of 2011 but I decided not to bother with it. It was personally a tough year full of ups and downs so I'm happy to get a fresh new start. As far as resolutions, I'll stick to a short and simple one like last year.

*Be the best mom & wife I can be.

This is something I'll continue to put on my resolution list every year since I will always strive to do better. Of course, I make mistakes but I'm learning and changing as I go. :)

*Update and accomplish more on my 101 in 1001 list.

I'm nearly halfway done and I'm going to be honest... I'm not going to be able to cross everything off before the countdown ends. But I love having the list and looking back at where I was in my life when I accomplished each task. I admit I've been cheating a little. ;P I've updated ones that don't apply to me anymore like numbers 81-90. So I'll be changing a few things again and share some of my projects on the blog.

*Do more ART.

I use the term 'art' in the most generalist of terms. ;) Is that even a word? I want to be spoiled by creativity. Sew. Paint. Craft. Dance. The list goes on. I want to go to more exhibits, museums, theaters, and classes and just explore the world!

So now I want to cheer you on with your endeavors like Niko in the wallpaper above. ;) Good luck and let's enjoy a new year.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

photo by my husband, Brandon

Wishing you a year full of smiles, good health, and new adventures in 2012! :)

Lots of Smiles,
Akiyo

My Dear Darling Workspace Goodbye

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to pack things up around our apartment to get ready for our big move and realized I haven't shared an updated office photo since 2009! It's changed quite a bit since I first started My Dear Darling. A lot more going on than before... but it's a good thing, right? ;) Okay, so it could've been a little more organized but this is what it looked like before I sent out Christmas gifts.

handmade mini wreath ornaments

I mentioned on Wednesday that I handmade all the Christmas gifts this year. I realized I made an oops! I forgot, we gave books to friends with children so I didn't make all the gifts! :p But back to the handmade gifts. I made these mini wreath ornaments and I think everyone loved it. It was a ton of fun making it so I'm looking forward to making gifts next year too!

The Snowman Penguin was personalized for a special client and he was hanging out, singing Frosty the Snowman to me before being wrapped up. ;)

original watercolor painting by irene

This is my most favorite thing I've EVER bought for myself. Seriously. I LOVE IT! If I could cuddle with it every night, I would. That's how much I love this painting. L. O. V. E. Dijya get that? Lol.

It's an original work by Irene of dimdi. I've been meaning to do a Shout Out to her but haven't gotten around, unfortunately. But eventually, I will because this penguin makes me smile every time I walk into my office. When I keep the office door open, I can see him smiling back at me when I walk by. I think I sound crazy but I have never felt so connected to a painting as I do with this penguin. Love. Really.

Irene, if you read this, you're an amazing artist! :) Thank you!

a view from Bruce's height ;)

Sulley from my favorite movie, Monsters Inc.

& a pretty thank you card from friends

I'm sad that I'll be leaving this place behind but I'm very excited to start over in our new home. I wonder where the penguin and Sulley will end up.

Goodbye, my first My Dear Darling workspace. You will be missed. <3

Holiday Recap

2011-12-28T00:03:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas is over already and we'll be celebrating the new year in just a few days! It's been a crazy busy month but I had tons of fun. December never disappoints. :) Here's a little peek into what our phamily's been up to:

December 17, 2011

• This year, I handmade all our Christmas gifts! :D (I'll share details once my sisters get theirs.)

• I dressed up as Jovi from Elf, my favorite movie, for our gingerbread house making party again.

• Each of my friends had their own place setting - gingerbread house kits, gourmet hot chocolate, candy cane hearts, Christmas cards, and gifts!

• Our sweet and colorful town of gingerbread houses.

December 21, 2011

• Husband took me out on a date for my birthday.

• We had to order a Takeshi roll because it's Bruce's middle name. ;)

• Delicious Japanese flan at Sushi 69.

• He surprised me with a movie and a shopping spree. I bought a pair of bright pink pants!

December 25, 2011

• On Christmas morning, Bruce helped make pancakes.

• We used the Pancake Creator that my talented friend, Bryce, designed to make some Christmas pancakes.

• Bruce opened his first present - a toy mic - and didn't care to open the others.

• Bruce and Katsu opening presents together! So precious.

I hope your December has been filled with lots of joy! Let's end the year with lots of smiles! <3
Akiyo

Happy Holidays from My Dear Darling

2011-12-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from our Phamily to yours

WHAT News: Moving Sale

2011-12-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

We're moving!

Brandon, my husband, recently accepted a new job offer in Los Angeles so we'll be packing our bags and heading to Southern California. Our family will be moving in the beginning of January so we have lots to do! It sounds like a sudden announcement but we just decided a couple weeks ago and have yet to pick the exact move date. It'll be an exciting new year with a new place to call home. :)

I will be closing shop temporarily in 2012 until we get settled in and take care of licenses and such. (I'm thinking the shop will possibly closed until March.) So before we pack everything up, I thought you could help us lighten the load by offering a shop wide sale! 25% OFF ALL MY DEAR DARLING GIFTS that are available in the shop for the rest of the year! This offer is good while supplies last and not valid on purchases made before December 18th, 2011. Thank you so much for all your support!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at info@mydeardarling.com

Lots of Smiles,

Akiyo

Win A My Dear Darling Gift!

2011-12-13T00:28:00.000-08:00

Enter the MY DEAR DARLING FAN FOOD CONTEST by THIS FRIDAY for YOUR CHANCE TO WIN one of these prizes! :)

GOOOOD LUCK!

My Dear Darling on Super Cute Kawaii!

2011-12-12T22:22:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to Super Cute Kawaii for featuring My Dear Darling! :D

Fan Moments: Niko Spies Tiramisu

2011-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

This Niko mug is enjoying his home with a fellow penguin lover and spies some delicious dessert and wine in the background! ;) Thank you, Misono and Juli for sending this photo!

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

On the first day of December, we opened the first advent from our phamily advent calendar and decorated our tree. The first to go up was Bruce's handprint ornament. We were surprised at how big his hand had gotten in just one year! I'm so glad we made this keepsake! I'm tempted to do another this year but is that silly, doing it every year? :P

penguin ornament from bryce

muir woods leaf ornament

We had a couple new ornaments to hang this year. One was a very cute penguin for Bruce, which was a Christmas gift from my friend, Bryce. And speaking of Bryce, I saw a photo of her Christmas tree last year and absolutely loved the fact that each ornament of hers had a meaning behind it. Whether it was from a family trip or a gift, each one brought back special moments from the past. I'm guessing this is normal for most families but I hadn't heard of it before. Growing up, our Christmas tree had ornaments but only a handful were special handmade keepsakes which are still at my dad's house. So this year, I tried my best to remember to look for ornaments when we traveled to new places. Unfortunately, most of the time I either forgot or some places didn't have one that I liked... except when we visited Muir Woods!

This leaf ornament contains an actual Cottonwood leaf! Pretty neat, huh? ;) And I like how it says where we bought it from to help me remember years and years later.

our top two-thirds of the tree was filled with ornaments

and the bottom third was bare

Bruce loved the plastic snowflakes, taking them off the tree and placing them back in between the branches so we knew better than to hang the glass ornaments where he was able to reach. ;) But look! The bottom half has our new tree skirt! I love the scallops, the quilted details, and how it matches our stockings. And guess who got lucky at Target the other day? I did! There was one stocking left so I grabbed it before other stocking shoppers got it. Woohoo! :D

christmas wouldn't be complete without Mickey and Minnie

and a few snowflakes

Have you decorated your tree? Do you have special ornaments that take you down memory lane?

Sneak Peek

2011-12-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

can you guess what magical place this penguin is from?

Featured in Piccola Mag

2011-12-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

My Dear Darling interviewed in the Business Showcase for Piccola Mag

When Heather of Piccola Mag asked if I wanted to be interviewed for their Business Showcase, I didn't hesitate to answer YES! with a huge smile on my face! :D Please click on over and check out the interview and show some love for Piccola Mag.

~ & ~

I was also flabbergasted when I saw that Emily of Emmarie Designs shared a photo of the original penguin face card she's had up on her inspiration board for quite some time! :D Ah-mazing!

Thank you, Piccola Mag and Emily! <3

Muir Woods National Monument

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

With Christmas quickly approaching, I thought I better share our first visit to Muir Woods National Monument which was during our Thanksgiving break! It was gorgeous. breathtaking. clean. Oh, so naturale. When I close my eyes, I can still see myself surrounded by the redwoods.

We've been trying to explore Marin and the Bay Area these past couple months since we really hadn't done so since we moved here over 3 years ago. Actually, we have no idea where to go or what to see or do until a friend recommends it or takes us or even invites us to a wedding! So it was great that my dad, who came to visit, asked if we could take him somewhere he could be surrounded by nature. Muir Woods was the perfect place. :)

my favorite boys in the world

bruce made a new friend, we called him "katsu" lol

I highly recommend visiting this place if you're visiting Marin County. I want to go again at different times of the year to see how much the scenery changes. Wouldn't that be interesting? :) It's such a nice change to be completely surrounded by trees and feeling like you're just a tiny spec on this big beautiful planet!

Have you been to Muir Woods? What do you think of it?

NEW Let It Snow Niko the Penguin Hoodie

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Beat the winter chills with this darling warm hoodie adorned with a faux knitted image of Niko playing in the snow!

Click over to the shop now to order today!

OR if you're feeling a little creative, you can enter the My Dear Darling Fan Food Contest for your chance to win the Let It Snow Niko Hoodie! :D

2011 Phamily Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today is a special day. It's December first! When Brandon comes home from work, we'll open the first envelope of our first phamily advent calendar. And since I remember what I wrote as the first activity, I'll whisper it to you: "We'll be decorating our tree!" :D I'm so excited as it was very hard for me not to hang up all the ornaments the day we put up the tree.

Last year, this wall was decorated with white snowflakes and now it holds our very first advent calendar. I saw this on Pinterest and loved it. Although I've simplified the project from the original, I love how ours reminds me of Christmas with a fireplace in the house I grew up in.

Oh, did you notice I've got white quilted stockings? Remember I was looking for a white tree skirt? Well, on one of my many trips to Target, I found a pretty quilted white tree skirt and matching stockings. Perfect, right? But they only had one! So my sweet friend Erin swooped up 2 more at her Target and shipped it to me. (Thank you, Erin!) And now I'm just looking for one more! Let me know if you see it at a Target near you. Well actually, that will do me no good if I don't live near you so never mind. ;) Bummer that they don't have it online. And well, the search continues...

The advent polka dot envelopes and the cutest, tiniest clothespins were from Somerset Market. Tamara was helpful and my little items were packaged neatly and arrived quickly. I printed the activity cards with the numbers in my new favorite font, Didoni. :)

Did you set your advent calendar out? :) What does yours look like? I'll be sharing the rest of our Christmas decorations later, after we decorate the tree tonight! :)

p.s. Don't forget to enter the annual My Dear Darling Fan Food Contest!

Just Beat It, Beat It

2011-12-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

penguin plush personalized with
Michael Jackson's "Beat It" jacket

just beat i~t, just beat i~t

Back in October, I shared a sneak peek of this MJ penguin. Did you guess right? It was so fun listening to MJ while working on this project. I'm actually listening to Beat It now as I write this post! We had fun while he was here but this little penguin danced his way home to New York. ;)

me and my shadow

2011-11-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

"me and my shadow"

acrylic painting on flat panel

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! My dad drove up to visit and he melted when Bruce ran up to him and hugged him for the first time. He was in tears and didn't want to let go. It was definitely a special moment that we won't forget. :)

Between all the food and outings, I was able to finish a painting I started during the snow trip. (Bruce and I stayed at the cabin with Courtney to paint and craft while everyone went snowboarding.) Courtney chose "snow" as our subject and I finished this painting I titled me and my shadow:

I'm so thankful to be surrounded by friends that inspire, support, and love me and my little Phamily! <3

Lots of Smiles,
Akiyo

p.s. Did you see the sneak peek of the newest My Dear Darling gift? ;)

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

the view from our bedroom at a cabin in Lake Tahoe

Before I leave you for the week to stuff my tummy with food, here's a little peek into what we did last weekend to celebrate a dear friend's birthday:

bruce got to see and play in the snow for the first time!

his rosy cheeks and red nose *love*

my little harry potter

Unfortunately, we had a little accident a few hours before heading to Lake Tahoe. I had walked away for a minute and something had fallen on Bruce's face, leaving a mark between his eyes. :'( I'm so sorry, honey. I hope it doesn't scar.

brucie-bear & my handsome husband

I snuck in a little kiss here and there

brandon showing bruce and me how to make a snowman

brandon's perfectly round mini snowman

my second attempt at making a snowman

Let me tell you, building a snowman is no easy task! My first attempt was embarrassing. It turned out to be a mound of snow, which is why I won't waste internet space to show you. ;) I don't know how people make human sized snowmen! One day... one day, I shall succeed. But for now, my mini snowman was good enough for me to cross off number 25 on my 101 in 1001 list. Yay!

We tried showing Bruce how to play with the snow but he didn't seem too interested. He loved walking around in it though. I mean, who doesn't love walking around on fluffy snow? Oh, now I'm missing all the good times we had. Snow definitely makes me smile. :)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And if you just so happen to play with your food and make a penguin out of it, make sure you take a picture and enter the Fan Food Contest! ;)

Fan Food Contest 2011

2011-11-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

niko the penguin on a pumpkin

Enter My Dear Darling's annual Fan Food Contest 2011

From now until December 16, 2011, you have the chance to win a My Dear Darling gift! Create My Dear Darling's Niko the Penguin out of any type of food. Take a photo of your penguin creation and submit to info@mydeardarling.com!

Prizes:

1st Place Prize - Let It Snow Niko Hoodie

2nd Place Prize - Smile & Celebrate Fly High Mug Cup

3rd Place Prize - Let's Get Personalized TShirt

Rules:

* Entry must be a photo of Niko Darling (My Dear Darling penguin mascot) made out of food.

* No entries will be accepted after Friday, December 16, 2011.

* Keep it clean - PG.

* One entry per person.

* Must have a valid delivery address.

* Official winners of previous Fan Food Contests may not enter.

* Fan Favorite winners of previous Fan Food Contests may participate.

* If you do NOT follow these rules, you will automatically be disqualified.

* Contest rules and details are subject to change without notice.

I'm so excited to see what everyone comes up with! :D For inspiration and to see past entries check out the links below:

Fan Food Contest 2009 (more pix)

Fan Food Contest 2010 (more pix)

My Dear Darling Turns Three

2011-11-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

niko the penguin turned 3 today

Thank you to everyone that has supported me and My Dear Darling these past 3 years and many more years to come! I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by such an amazing group of friends (in real life and in the online world), it sincerely makes me the happiest of business owners. It truly is a dream come true.

Thank you for all the emails, messages, comments, FB "likes," and fan photos that you've sent my way! They are the reasons why I love doing what I do and the fuel to my creative fire. Lol, does that sound silly? It's okay, 'cuz I like it. ;)

I hope you're enjoying your Monday as much as I will be enjoying celebrating little Niko's birthday!

Lots of Smiles,

Akiyo

p.s. Fan Food Contest 2011 info will be posted soon so be on the lookout!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2011-11-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

this snowman penguin seems to hear something...

can you hear it too? ;)

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week?! I still have lots to do including putting up the Christmas decor! I don't know if I mentioned this before but we put up the tree before turkey day to celebrate Christmas with my dad since he's only able to visit during Thanksgiving break. Ahh, all this turkey talk is making me hungry!

But before we gobble up some delicious food, My Dear Darling will be turning 3 on Monday! Do you know what that means? The annual Fan Food Contest time, of course! Here's a look at past the past two contests: 2009, 2010.

Will YOU be participating? ;)

Fly High Mug on Viva la Blogette

2011-11-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

What a pleasant surprise when I checked my email earlier today! The Fly High Mug Cup was featured over at Viva la Blogette! :D

Thank you, Heather!

Fan Moments: Cookies & Tea with Niko Darling

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

This little mug found his way home to some sweet chocolate chip cookies. :D Thank you, Misono for sending this photo!

The Perfect Pair Pear Pillows

2011-11-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

pear pillows personalized "b" & "n"

happy one year wedding anniversary to the perfect pair! ;)

Thank You!

2011-11-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I Can Has Cheezburger posted my Fly High Penguin Mug on their Must Have Cute site and I'm so thrilled by all the thumbs up! :D I just wanted to pop in and say thank you~!

Under Your Umbrella for Jason & Megan

2011-11-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

under your umbrella print for jason & megan

penguin face cards for the special day

Congratulations to J&M! <3

NEW Smile & Celebrate Collection: Fly High Mug Cup

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing the NEW Smile & Celebrate collection:

Inspired by the joys of motherhood and the love from my little Pham-ily, I created the Smile & Celebrate collection. The designs featuring Niko Darling the Penguin, remind friends that everyday is a celebration of life and everyday deserves a smile on your beautiful faces.

The Smile & Celebrate Mug Cup can be used as a pen holder, a vase for flowers, and a piggy bank. Or if you're a coffee or tea drinker like me, you can simply drink out of the Mug Cups every morning to start your day off with a smile. I hope the Smile & Celebrate collection brightens your day as it has for me throughout its creation.

The first to be released in the Smile & Celebrate collection is the Fly High Mug Cup!

Grab onto a handful of balloons and FLY HIGH with Niko Darling!

Nothing will weigh you down when you use this darling mug cup.

Now for another exciting announcement! The Fly High Mug Cup will be available tomorrow at noon PST over at My Dear Darling Shop.

Since I'm so excited about this collection and want to spread some love (and smiles!), the first 10 Fly High Mug Cups will be available for 50% OFF! So make sure you order yours when the clock strikes 12! :D

Update (Nov 2): The first 10 have now been sold. Thank you oh so much! :)

Phamily of Pumpkins

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

our phamily of pumpkins

It's Halloween weekend already! Have you chosen which costume you'll be wearing? Bruce will dress up as a monkey, a costume my sister got him last year. We didn't use it previously because he wore his Bruce Lee yellow jumpsuit I made him. (Brandon is to blame for that one. Hehe.) I'm wanting to take Bruce trick-or-treating but is that a little silly with a one year old? Maybe I'll drag my friend and her daughter out too. ;)

Although I won't be wearing a costume this year, I did get my Halloween spirit on by baking lots of pumpkin goodies: pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin whoopie pie, chocolate chip pumpkin bread! And I'm still not tired of this pumpkin goodness... and neither is Brandon and our friends that I've been sharing all this with. I also carved 3 pumpkins after Bruce finished pudding painting his. So before I run off to look for more pumpkin recipes, I'll share the rest of our pumpkin decor!

my dear darling, niko the penguin

p for pham

this carving tool is my secret weapon

happy halloween!

Did you have a pumpkin carving party? What did you carve? :) And please tell me I'm not the only pumpkin happy person!

Have a wonderful Halloween weekend! *evil witch laugh*

Wait List Status

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have now closed the Wait List for all personalized gifts and made-to-order gifts. Thank you so much for your patience as I work through the current list! :D It's an amazing feeling to know that there are so many friends out there who want a special My Dear Darling gift. I'm very excited to work with every one of you!

Unfortunately, if I did not receive an email to be added to the list, I will be unable to create your gift at this time. If you'd like to find out when the Wait List will open again, please follow my blog or sign up for the mailing list here. Thank you!

Lots of Smiles,

Akiyo

Sneak Peek

2011-10-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

almost ready

My Dear Darling Shop

2011-10-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Just updated the My Dear Darling shop to display available gifts that are ready to ship. :) Thank you for your patience!

P.S. There's a couple items over at my Etsy shop too.

Bruce's Pudding Painted Pumpkin

2011-10-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

chocolate pudding painted pumpkin

On Saturday, we had a little Pumpkin Party at our house. A couple of my girlfriends came over to carve pumpkins that we picked out from the Petaluma Pumpkin Patch. It was Bruce and my first time going to an actual pumpkin patch so we had a blast seeing some animals, playing with the haystack, running through a mini corn maze to find the chickens, and picking out our favorite pumpkins from the farm. Once we loaded the wheelbarrow and purchased our finds, we headed back home to start decorating.

trying to decide which way to go

during the mini corn maze

helping to push the wheelbarrow

Since this was Bruce's first Halloween where he's old enough to participate, I had to make sure Bruce could join in on the fun. He's not quite ready to carve a pumpkin and I was too afraid he'd eat actual paint so I came up with the idea of having him paint his own pumpkin with chocolate pudding. The pudding painting idea was from Jon & Kate Plus 8 which I knew I'd do with my own kids after I saw that episode. And my wish came true.

painting his tray with chocolate pudding

All you need to do this activity with a toddler is a pumpkin, a pack of chocolate pudding, and duck tape or painters tape. Oh, and old clothes since pudding will get everywhere. After I duct taped a bruce-o-lantern face onto the pumpkin, I scooped a generous amount of chocolate pudding on his tray and he immediately started painting... the tray. I had to encourage him to paint the pumpkin and to my surprise, he didn't try eating the pudding! After he finished painting his pumpkin, I peeled off the duct tape and let the pudding dry. A simple fun project for the little ones.

once he realized he could eat the paint...

bruce's pudding painted pumpkin

Needless to say, Bruce had fun painting his pumpkin while we all watched laughing away. I definitely recommend this fun activity if you're okay with a little mess. Let me know how yours turns out as I'd love to see! :D

I'll be sharing our carved pumpkins at the end of this week. ;)

Sneak Peek

2011-10-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what inspired this work-in-progress jacket? :)

NEW Pumpkin Penguins

2011-10-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

pumpkin penguin 2011

with a happy jack-o-lantern tummy

Katsu-Bee with my pumpkin bear

I hope you're in the spirit of a little Halloween. I've been wanting to make the pumpkin penguins but always forgot once October rolled around. So this year, I made them two months in advanced so I wouldn't forget.

The Pumpkin Penguins are inspired by the Pumpkin Decorating Contest entry I made for my art school way back in 2007! My pumpkin bear won "Most Original" and I was super proud! The only sad part of this story is that the stuffed animal bear I used for the contest was thrown away. I had it with me since I was 5 when I won it in Las Vegas. So as awful as these photos are (quality wise) I'm so glad I have them because it reminds me of those two victorious moments. :)

handwritten trick or treat on back of pumpkin bear

pumpkin penguin

I'm A Mama Of A One Year Old!

2011-10-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

My little boy turned one last week and we celebrated with family and friends and delicious food! I don't have a single photo of the event as of yet so I thought I'd share what Brandon got me as an one-year-later push present. :)

my first tattoo "bruce"

I love it. It's perfect. Just like my son. :)

We Turned Three!

2011-09-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

lattice chicken pot pie for Brandon

inspired by this

heart rice krispie treat for Brandon

my beautiful white kitchenaid mixer from Brandon

A glimpse of what we did for our special day. I promise that's the last of the anniversary posts because now I'll be busy with Bruce's first birthday in just a couple days! :D

Wedding Anniversary Newspaper

2011-09-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

My personalized take on a greeting card - a phamily newspaper! :D I had so much fun working on this project mainly because I went through most of our photos since we started dating. Lots of memories came flooding back which put me in the lovey dovey mood and made it that much more special.

I started out with a crossword but was "puzzled" (heehee) on how I'd give it to him. My sisters suggested many different (mostly ridiculous) ideas like putting it in a bottle and throwing it in the ocean. But then they mentioned publishing it in a newspaper. There was no way I was going to do that but it sparked the thought of creating our own newspaper together: The Phamily Times. I'm corny like that so it's okay if you want to laugh. ;)

yes, I call my husband "tanny poo" :)

his vietnamese name is "tan"

the original crossword puzzle

3 things i love about you

3 memories i love

3 things i'm excited for

(inspired by this pin on pinterest)

the hearts & maps idea was taken from pinterest here

I put it in his ~~man purse~~ bag in the morning before he went off to work and asked if he could make copies of paperwork if he gets the chance. Of course, he didn't check what it was and I received this text message about an hour later:

"tricky bastard." "pretty damn cool. love it. love u."

Lol. He loved it and enjoyed "a major trip down memory lane" (as he put it). <3 Happy Anniversary to us! :D

Thumbody Loves You Card

2011-09-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

thumbody loves you card in a red fabric envelope

for my husband, Brandon

I've been wanting to make this card for Brandon since I posted my list of 101 things in 1001 days. It's taken a while, but I was able to add a small touch that I couldn't before. ;)

the little card in Brandon's hand

my thumbprint girl

a simple note

the little addition I wouldn't have been able to add years ago

bruce's tiny thumbprint boy

Brandon loved it :)

Here's a list of materials and pointers if you'd like to make one yourself:

paper - cardstock

stamp pad

scrap fabric

scissors

pen

glue

I bought a pack of different colored stamp pads so I first tested each color to see which one showed the thumbprint the best. Originally, I wanted to use yellow (since it's the husband's favorite color) but it wasn't reading as a thumbprint even on dark paper. Testing is key so you know how hard to press too.

Then I cut the cardstock so my thumbprint would fit just right. But maybe you want to use a bigger size to show how small your thumbprint is? I made my mark, let it dry and drew in the face, arms, and legs. I did Bruce's thumb right when he woke up since that's when he resists the least.

For the envelope, I kind of just eyeballed it so you can see it's not perfect. But you can find many envelope templates online so if you're nitpicky, you could use that as a guide and draw it in before you cut. Glue the flaps down and wait for it to dry before putting in your card.

After you squeal in excitement, put it on your husband's keyboard while he sleeps so when he wakes up to work on his computer, he'll be pleasantly surprised by your love note. ;)

This completes number 2 on my 101 in 1001 list. If you want to check out the other two handmade notes I made for Brandon here are the links: a plush heart card & cupcake notes.

Tomorrow's our 3 year anniversary and I finally finished my card last night. :D So excited for him to see!

Pictures In The Frame

2011-09-26T01:45:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to update our little gallery wall last week, just in time for our anniversary weekend! Remember Valentine's when those three picture frames on the bottom right had the default Ikea labels in them? Okay, maybe not. But here they are, our Phamily gallery . ;)

I'm so glad I changed out the photos that were in these two frames above. It now has a more casual and cheerful feel than before. The one on the bottom is now one of my favorites. It's from our first wedding which we celebrated with just us and a couple of our friends as witnesses. We never got around to printing any of the pictures so it's so nice to finally be able to see and remember fun moments from that day. The top photo is from our second wedding and I added "you make me smile" because it does just that every time I see it.

On this side is the wedding gift I made for Brandon back in 2008. It's inspired by this, but I wanted it to be more us, so I used buildings that were relevant in our relationship and added a lot more personalized touches. The little note is the first written note from Brandon that was left on my car so I'd stop by the library to see him. I kept it all these years so I framed it. :) The rest are photos of us with Bruce. Hopefully we'll get a photo with the entire phamily, and by entire phamily, I mean with Katsu too!

I catch Brandon looking over at the pictures every once in a while and it makes me smile. Mission complete. ;)

Sneak Peek

2011-09-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

As I promised, here's a sneak peek at what I'm hoping to release next month! What do you suppose it is? ;)

Next week is a big week for our Phamily. Brandon and I will be celebrating our anniversary and Bruce will be turning ONE! (I can't believe how fast the year flew by.) I'm hoping to share the personal projects I've been working on, you know, projects I have yet to surprise Brandon with and I'm all kinds of giddy inside! Heehee. But until then, have a wonderful and safe weekend! <3

Surprise Attack By A Dinosaur Penguin

2011-09-19T16:52:00.001-07:00

penguin in a dinosaur costume surprising a mini penguin

Seems like these dinosaur costumes are quite a hit. This one was named Harry and he was shipped off to the UK to meet his new family. I love it when customers share the names they give to their plushies! :)

Thank you SO much for everyone who gave me insight on the Wait List question! You don't realize how helpful it is receiving feedback from all of you! I'm still making a decision so I'll share what I end up doing once I work some things out.

And for those of you waiting for those two new products that I mentioned in this post, I seriously can't wait to share! I'm working on the packaging for one and hoping to release it by early October... I promise I'll share a sneak peek soon. ;)

Rawr! Dinosaur Penguin In Love

2011-09-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

yellow dinosaur with initials on each arm

for Kelly from her boyfriend, Thomas

"i love you kelly"

i'm dino-mite ;)

My Dear Darling Wait List Question

2011-09-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

I asked this over on my Facebook Fan Page last Friday but only my husband responded so I thought I'd ask here too:

Would a viewable Wait List (for personalized orders) with names on my website be helpful?

Labor Day With Grandpa

2011-09-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Dropping in to wish you a happy weekend and to share a few photos of last weekend. :)

he made a new penguin friend

at the Sausalito Art Festival

Grandpa's hooked on Bruce

bundled up at Fisherman's Wharf

News: Blogging

2011-09-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, September! :) So nice to see you!

August has come and gone but it was a very productive month. I completed a design job consisting of 3 projects for a client (will share once their business opens), 4 personalized gifts, started Bruce's birthday planning, and worked on 2 new products! Isn't that unbelievable? And I don't work full-time! I get a few hours a day while Bruce sleeps to work on anything and everything. Although, I hate to admit, it was starting to look a little shabby around the house. Haha, I can't do it all!

The blogging "break" was a success in that I was able to focus on projects instead of worrying about blogging on a daily basis. I usually complete a couple orders a month and that's if I'm lucky! Personalized orders take time since I email back and forth with customers which sometimes takes as many days as it does making the gift or more. So last month I took on a few clients at a time and it worked out perfectly!

Now, news that you may or may not like, depending on what side you're on. I had been contemplating on stopping my personal posts on my blog or even quitting the blog altogether. As I looked through old posts, I realized there's a lot of me instead of My Dear Darling, which isn't too bad if it was balanced but clearly, it wasn't. There's so many beautiful and inspirational blogs out there that lured me into wanting to put more effort into blogging frequently. We'd be spending family time and I'd bust out my camera saying, "Wait! Lemme take a pic for the blog!" This part was not my favorite. It took time away from enjoying living in the moment with whoever I was with. My goal isn't to become a fulltime blogger. My love is creating, crafting, designing and my goal is to share that with you. So with last month's blog approach being a success, I decided to continue with the break (not really a break at this point since this will be the norm) and I'll be posting My Dear Darling news, sneak peeks, personalized gifts, with the occasional shout outs and a little look into my personal life. :)

My focus had been offtrack and now I'm back. There's other changes I'm still working out but I'll share those with you once I'm ready.

How was your August? Were you productive?

I'm happy to welcome my second favorite month of the year, September, where we'll be celebrating Brandon and my anniversary along with Bruce's first birthday! :D So much to look forward to.

Running Into Friends, Little Twin Stars

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Fan Moments: Kisses For A Tiger Pillow

2011-08-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

This is Ariella on her first birthday giving kisses to her own tiger pillow. :) She's too cute for words.

Cow Penguin With Two Extra Spots

2011-08-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

extra spots on penguin's cow costume

a gift from soon-to-be parents for their baby

Wishing your family all the best! <3

Shout Out - Choice Kuts

2011-08-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

My talented friend, Tommy, started a side project called Choice Kuts and I am blown away with his latest paper kraft: Digital Love - a glow in the dark paper sculpture of Daft Punk.

Check out his blog for more detailed photos along with the other paper sculptures he's made. He's going through the alphabet and I can't wait to see what he does for "P" (or "N" for Niko, perhaps?)! ;)

And yes, he's also the sweet husband who made his lovely wife a paper robot necklace box on Valentine's Day.

One Happy White Tiger Pillow

2011-08-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

white tiger pillow with grey stripes and a smile

personalized ARIELLA

Yesterday we celebrated our friend's daughter, Ariella's first birthday. They asked me to make a special personalized tiger pillow for her so that I did! Complete with grey stripes, a pink nose, and a smile, this little tiger was so happy to meet her new best friend. Ariella was so cute, she kept kissing the tiger! <3 My heart melted every time. I never get to see how kids react to my products so it was a very special moment. We had lots of fun stuffing ourselves with a delicious home cooked meal and a beautiful pink cake all made by Ariella's mom. :)

Graduate Mini Penguin M

2011-08-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

mini penguin plush personalized with a mini graduation cap,

a pink heart and a black M

I thought I'd pop in and share a personalized mini penguin I made for a graduate of 2011. :)

Sneak Peek: Moo!

2011-08-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

looking forward to meeting his new family

101 in 1001: #90 Nautical Headband

2011-08-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! :) I hope I find you well. I'm taking a little sewing break with a blog post that should have been posted last week. Oops!

I made this nautical headband as my last Facebook handmade project for a dear friend I met in art school, Sandra. I found this tutorial on pinterest for the crochet and knot portion and used this tutorial for the hairband portion. I wanted to use materials I had so the only thing I bought were the hairbands. It was so fun to make, I ended up making three more! Presents for my lady friends?

The only thing I had a problem with was the hot glue gun. But I think I'm just hot glue challenged because I tend to get it everywhere in huge globs. :x Then I broke a machine needle because I accidentally tried to sew through the glue. Haha, so learn from my mistake and stay far away from the glued areas! ;)

niko in a yellow headband - heehee

It took me six months, but I completed my Facebook handmade project! Woohoo! I have to say it's rewarding to give random gifts that you made yourself. You should try it too, if you dare! Just post this on your FB wall:

I'll send something I handmade to the first 5 people who comment on this update. You must in turn promise to repost this as your status, and do the same for your 5. The rules are that the work must be made by you personally and must be received by those 5 people in 2011!

And to top off my accomplishment, I received this sweet thank you card from Anne Young for sending her the pink pouch I made! :D

~&~

If you missed any of the previous posts for this project, here are the others I made:

makeup brush (or pen) holder for courtney

rope coasters for veara

blue market tote for sarah

pink bow pouch for anne young

Busy As A Bee

2011-08-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

bzzz - niko in a bee costume

I'll be taking a little blog break this month because I have a ton of projects with deadlines coming up. I'll try to stop in once in a while with sneak peeks or news so it's not completely silent around here. :)

And speaking of news, I found out earlier today that I won a day pass to the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs from the lovely Danni of ohhellofriend! :D It'll be the first time I'll be spending a full day away from Bruce which worries me but I'm so excited about all the helpful info I'll be getting out of it.

Well, I gotta get working now. ;) Have a wonderful week!

Shout Out - ilovedoodle

2011-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

I know a while back, I shared a couple links to Lim Heng Swee's ilovedoodle on my Facebook and Twitter, but I simply had to share them here too! I love love love! They're so cute and funny, what's not to love? Once Bruce moves into his own room, I'll be buying a few of these. :D

shop: ilovedoodle

website: ilovedoodle

photos: my belly is a polar bear, i can bear it, we are all stars

Pink Mini Penguin Q

2011-07-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

a pink mini penguin for a little girl in the netherlands

with a red Q for her name

Sneak Peek

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

working on the website

101 in 1001: #89 Pretty In Pink Bow Pouch

2011-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! :) I finished all 5 of my Facebook handmade gift projects last week and I'm here to share the fourth gift which was for my sister's friend, Young. I found this darling tutorial over at Make It and Love It by Ashley. Both zipper pouch patterns were so cute but I chose to only make the bow pouch. I used the pink and white patterned fabrics instead of the faux leather because it's what I had on hand and decided to make a rectangular pouch instead of round for room to put more items.

loved the white floral print on the inside

and the pink textured fabric

The tutorial itself is very easy to follow even if you're a beginner sewer. I loved the way it turned out and wanted to keep it for myself and my mom requested I make her one too! ;)

P.S. She has a ton of awesome tutorials including this one that reminded me of the rope coasters I made!

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! This week wasn't quite as I expected it to be but I'm leaving you on a good note. :)

1. I don't know if I've ever said this but I truly am grateful for everyone who takes the time to comment on my blog, Facebook, and Twitter! And lovely emails too! It not only brings a smile to my face but it seriously makes my day. Recently, I've been getting a lot of positive feedback about My Dear Darling and it amazes me how my penguins or pillows can bring a smile to others! Thank you so much for sharing your stories and thoughts!

2. This week, I started planning Bruce's 1st birthday! Can you believe it? He's turning ONE at the end of September. I've been looking through photos and watching random videos including one of Brucie squirming around in my pregnant belly. It's crazy to think that he was living in my belly not too long ago. My sweet baby is now growing into a little boy. Too fast, I tell ya. ;)

3. I was going to share this silly photo of me last week, but I just wasn't in the right mood. So here it is now. Lol! Bryce suggested I write uplifting quotes on my kitchen mirrors since I was feeling less than crummy one day. So I took it a little further and drew thick brows, glasses, a mustache, and a hat with a red flower. Needless to say, it put me in a better mood! Brandon and I have been using it once in a while to write each other silly notes. ;)

Have a LOOOOVELY weekend!

Shout Out - Mabona Origami

2011-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Paper sculptures, including origami, is another one of my loves. I want to try and sculpt, cut, fold many things out of paper but I've only managed to fold paper cranes. (Oh, and this paper doll too!) So you can imagine my amazement when I stumbled across the intricate hand folded masterpieces by Sipho of Mabona Origami.

Stunning, is it not? :D

shop: Mabona Origami
photos: Rainbow Origami Koi, Origami Kohaku, In Pursuit of Happiness

Cupcake Notes

2011-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

One of my 101 in 1001 projects is to make Brandon 3 handmade notes. I shared the first one with you and here is my second: a handmade cupcake note. :) I made zucchini bread for the first time using this recipe. (Note: I always read the tips from the first few reviewers on AllRecipes.com because they're very helpful.) I couldn't find my bread pan so I made them into cupcakes instead... Or muffins? Hehe, whatever you'd like to call it, they were yummy!

While they were baking, I took a few toothpicks and cut pieces of washi tape to create a mini banner. I wrote a simple note and once the cupcakes were done, I stuck them in and voila! Cupcake notes! I left them out for Brandon to find them the next morning and he was pleasantly surprised. Random love notes = smiley faces. ;)

I'm so happy to start this new week because I had such a good weekend. My family friend drove up to Bodega Bay with her husband and friends from Orange County. They invited us over for a BBQ on Saturday so we got to take a little adventure outside Novato. On the drive there, we saw such beautiful landscapes of rustic farms, animals, huge trees, and even a wedding! So humbling.

Anyway, my friend and her husband rent out a house at a chosen destination and get together with all their friends at least once a year to catch up and take a break. Brandon and I love this idea and hope to do it with our friends! We had so much fun chatting it up and stuffing our face with delicious food, it was hard to leave and come back home. :P

Do you have get together with your friends from all over? How would you spend your weekend with all your friends?

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from my mom informing me that our family friend, my Aunt Shoko, lost her long battle to cancer. Our thoughts and love are with her family.

It's been difficult for me to talk about her passing and express my feelings to anyone, let alone my husband, so please bear with me. I've lost people I've known in my life and have even witnessed my great grandmother take her last breath. Maybe it's age or maybe I've become more sensitive, but the loss of my Aunt feels a lot different. At times I found myself emotionless, staring into space, finding anything I do meaningless. Other times I'd start crying without any warning, even in the midst of a smile. I felt angry for hurting and perplexed by life. I would think back to the last time I saw her. I can see her smiling at my mom's last flamenco show and I can see her congratulating me at my engagement party. I can even go back to the time when we'd all be eating corn by the pool on a hot summer day with her daughter... over 15 years ago. These and all the other memories of her will never be forgotten. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and friend. I miss her. We miss her. She will always be in our hearts.

I know that this post seems out of place, it being under "Things That Make Me Smile." But I thought it was appropriate because the memories of my Aunt Shoko make me smile. It hurts and I'm still mourning, but I've been encouraged by friends from unexpected places to "laugh at the good times we shared and live on as a part of who I have become." Thank you, Lafayette!

Thank you friends for sending your thoughts and prayers. <3

WHAT News: Work In Progress

2011-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

new logo

Whew! Let me take a quick little breather...

Ok, thanks! :D I've been working late nights to get the ball rolling for an updated look. We said goodbye to my tagline, gave Niko an animated look, and I've been playing around with coding on the blog to change some things around. Do you like the changes so far?

Yesterday, I had the chance to swap out a lot of graphics including my updated logo that you see above!

old logo with tagline

old logo without tagline

The biggest thing I needed to change was the gift bow icon. "Oh! That's what it was?!" Yup. It's suppose to be one of those pull ribbon bows you put on the top of gift boxes. No? You don't see it? Hahaha, it's ok. I've had people point it out calling it a flower and ever since I came across this dog butt cover, I never really stopped imagining my icon on Katsu's butt. (I love their tagline: "No more Mr. Brown Eye!" Lol!) So a new icon was a top priority. I designed a more simple bow that was a better fit with "mydeardarling" and changed up the colors for a less in-your-face pink. I kept my original type as I'm currently in the works of creating the whole alphabet. Go, me! :D

Other graphics I changed out:

old 2009 & 2010 avatars

2011 avatar

(it's a little embarrassing posting photos of myself everywhere)

twitter background

niko in a twitter bird costume!

etsy shop banner

(I do see the alignment issue but right now I'm pretending not to notice)

And poor Facebook. It didn't get a banner update because I didn't realize you can't have a text banner without it being jumbled up every time the page is loaded. (-_-)" So I'll have to design something else for that.

I've also joined Google+. I mean, how can I not! I'm a big Google fan so it was a no brainer. Add me in your circle if you'd like. I'm still exploring so maybe you can teach me a few things. ;)

That's it for today! How are you liking all the updates? There's still more updates to come as I work on projects along the way. :) A special thanks to my sweet husband, my sisters and Bryce for their critiques during the final phase of my logo.

101 in 1001: #88 Blue Market Tote

2011-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! Welcome to a new week. Hope you had a good weekend. I feel like I didn't have much of a weekend because I was busy getting lots of projects done, including the updated logo. (I'll share that with you sometime this week.) But it definitely feels rewarding when I cross things off the long long to-do list!

Today, I wanted to post about this tote bag I made for my friend Sarah. I found the tutorial over at the long thread and I loved making it so much that I'll be making it again. One for myself too! :P I love how easy the instructions were and how big & roomy the bag is! I don't even have any pointers or tips to share because Ellen covers it all in the tutorial. :)

This was my favorite gift I've made so far for the Facebook handmade gift project. Only two more to go and I'm actually in the process of finishing them up and shipping them off! Here's to a productive week! ;)

*Apologies for the poor photo quality.

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

This week flew by mostly because we had fun activities, planned and unplanned, that we did! :)

1. Last Saturday, we went to the Marin Fourth of July Fair in San Rafael. It was Bruce's first and we went with our Thursday playdate friends. But let me tell you, it was hot hot hot! And even though we were all sweating, we enjoyed seeing our friend's photograph being displayed in the Golden Gate exhibit, taking photos with a stormtrooper (another one of Bruce's firsts!), being inspired by all the works of art from origami paper sculptures to bonsai trees, drinking ice cold lemonade, and making friends with the local farm animals. Yes, we did a lot! But we missed out on the fireworks because ~~the babies~~ we were too tired. Hehe, so we'll be saving that for next year.

2. Then on Sunday, we went to our friend Jenny's birthday picnic! :D It was a potluck which I was so excited about because I wanted to bring something I made, but I failed. The night before, I cooked rice to make some inari sushi. After the rice cooker beeped, I took out the rice and put sushiko like I normally do. But instead of continuing on and stuffing my inari sushis, I decided to take a mini break to let the rice cool a little more. Bad idea! I completely forgot about it and by the time I realized it, the sushi rice was super hard. :( Brandon didn't want me to stress and convinced me to just buy something on the way. Oh well, lesson learned: Don't forget about the inaris!! :P Anyway, the picnic was so much fun, it being Bruce's first and our first time playing Apples to Apples. Loved it! If you've never played it, you're missing out!

3. Monday was more of a relaxing day and we decided last minute to BBQ. It was just the four of us (including Katsu) and Brandon made the perfect steak. Although I can't give him all the credit because I'm the one that marinated it. Lol, okay so maybe I should give full credit to the Garlic Crusted Ribeye Steak recipe from Weber's Way to Grill. Sounds good, doesn't it? It was goooooood! Anyone want to come by for a BBQ?

4. I got a package delivered this week from The Land of Nod. I saw this a while back and finally bought some storage baskets for Bruce's toys. But I wasn't just happy with the product and how soft they are or even the cute little illustration of a rocket ship on their shipping box. I loved how they included a cute children's activity book for free! :D I know Bruce isn't old enough but it was such a delightful surprise, it made me want to order more in the future. Yes, just because of the cute activity book. Don't tell my husband that. ;)

5. And here's a photo of Bruce from yesterday's play date. Need I say more? Lol!

Have a wonderful weekend! See you next week!

Shout Out - Laura Amiss

2011-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know where to begin because I get speechless every time I look at Laura Amiss's works, especially her mixed media stitched canvases. Aren't they amazing?! I love everything about them from the design to color to fabrics to patterns down to the stitching. Make sure you check out her Flickr photo stream too! Don't miss this, this, this and this! (My faves.) ;D

shop: Laura Amiss
website: Laura Amiss
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauraamiss
photos: rain, over the sea, home is where you take it

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

after

Good morning! :)

I don't have a personalized plush to share with you today so I thought I'd share one of the many projects I ~~accomplished~~ worked on last weekend. I stuck some mirrors above my sink for $6. It was a spur of the moment project and I'm still deciding whether I like it or not. Hahaha, yeah, one of those projects.

Originally, I wanted a cute poster (one of these, perhaps) or a white framed mirror or even a medicine cabinet, but we were at Ikea and I had no idea what the dimensions were. So I went with the 4 square mirrors for $5.99 that you just stick to the wall. I thought it'd be a cheap & simple solution to bring light and space into the corner. And it does! So I don't know if I just don't like where I placed the mirrors or the fact that I'm pretty short so I only see down to my chin. Sometimes I love it, sometimes not so much.

before

Of course, this isn't the dream kitchen since we live in an apartment but it's a nice temporary fix. I'm definitely looking forward to getting that dream kitchen one day. ;)

How was your weekend? Did you get any projects done?

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday & July!

This week was a good week but I'm ready for some fun over the holiday weekend! Do you have any plans? :) We'll be at the Marin County Fair one of the days and a birthday potluck on another, but before I go off to figure out what to make for the potluck, here's what made me smile this week:

goodbye Ms. CRV

1. Last weekend, we took a quick road trip down to Orange County, bade farewell to our CRV, and welcomed the Pilot into our Phamily. I was a bit sad to part with the CRV because it's what brought Bruce home from the hospital and shared countless other memories. But after spending 8 hours on the ride back with Mr. Pilot, I think I've warmed up to him. :)

2. Watching my dad play with Bruce. I could never get tired of this.

3. Katsu sunbathing by my dad's pool. Isn't it ridiculous that he uses the lounge chair? And if someone jumps in the pool, he has to join the fun. His rules, not mine. ;)

4. Irises. It's been so nice to have flowers around the house lately. From my peonies, hydrangeas, a mixed flower bouquet, and now I have these vibrant irises in my home. My mother always said that flowers never fail to put a smile on her face. Oh, how true it is for me too!

5. Yesterday, Bruce and I had a play date and my goodness, my friend's daughter, Ariella, makes me want to have a girl one day! She's just a little older than Bruce but she's calmer and just so darn cute and spunky! :D We all went for a walk and both babies passed out by the time we got back. It's always nice chatting it up with girlfriends who are mommies too, especially when they give you countless advice on motherhood. ;)

Have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend and see you next week!

Niko Smiles

2011-06-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

Yay! I've been so eager to share these smiles with you. Not my smiles but Niko's! He was already smiling on his name reveal post too. Did you notice? ;)

The biggest inspiration to begin all these changes with Niko has been my baby Bruce. Can you believe it's been NINE months since I gave birth?! It's such a wonderful experience being a Mommy and watching my little boy grow day by day; albiet tough at times, but great times nonetheless. His smiles and laughter melt my heart and his pouty faces crack me up. So each time I would get back to work while he takes a nap, I'd always feel like there's just not enough emotion in Niko's original face. Niko's always happy but you simply couldn't tell what he'd be thinking (which is one thing I love about the "content" face). But now, with these expressions, you can really see how happy he is!

I'm already using these happy faces in my current project (you know, the one with the Christmas deadline? Haha), but I hope to use them more in other projects too. I haven't decided whether I'd ever change my penguin plush faces though... Oh, decisions decisions. ;)

Shout Out - Mochi Qtie

2011-06-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Cuteness overload! <3 I stumbled across Mochi Qtie yesterday trying to look for kawaii ("cute" in Japanese) items on Etsy. Here's a few of my favorites but there's so many more in her shop; you should definitely check it out! :D

shop: Mochi Qtie
photos: Furry Ball Bear, Fan of Mickey Mouse, Chubby Panda

Tagline

2011-06-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

before

Were you able to spot the minor change that I mentioned last Friday? I took out the "Handcrafted gifts personalized for you" tagline in my logos and everywhere else they used to be. I'm doing my spring cleaning in early summer. :P These are just a few of the changes I'm making and there's more to come in the near future! Can I get a "woot! woot!" for all the good changes going on? Lol! Ok, enough with the corniness. Getting back to business.

Air Force Penguin

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

air force penguin

from a to her fiancee

Darling Moments: Mini In A Bowl

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I came across this ohdeedoh post and brought out some bowls and spatulas Bruce could play with. Here's his Mini getting a little break from all the excitement. ;)

Note: Yes! I found his Mini that I was looking for. He was hidden in the laundry basket waiting to be washed. :P

101 in 1001: #87 Rope Coasters

2011-06-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Good morning!! I'm going to start off by saying, I love Martha Stewart! :) She has some great tutorials for all types of gifts and even personal projects for yourself. I bet you can guess where I got the tutorial for these rope coasters I made for my friend, Veara! :D

Here's the link to the rope coaster tutorial. The directions are quite simple. I think the only hard part was making sure my ends of the rope didn't fray, which you can kind of see in this last photo that it started to do so. I used a lot of glue and even used a brush to make sure I got every nook and cranny so it wouldn't fall apart. I went glue-happy. :) I chose to coat it with white acrylic instead of color because I figured it'd match with any type of home design style, even Veara's bachelor pad. ;) What do you think?

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's Friday already! This week went by so fast and I was pretty productive. :) Here's a glimpse of what went on:

1. Sharing Brandon's first Father's Day. It took me a while to bake the Postcup mug we got him because I kept forgetting. But it's all ready for him to use now! He says he'll be using it at work which kind of bums me out since I wanted to see it being used. Haha, or use it myself! ;)

2. Announcing the My Dear Darling's original penguin's name: Niko the Penguin! :D I'm so glad it got a positive response! Thank you again!

3. Earlier this week, I moved my iMac to the living room/dining room to cool down. Life is so much better when it's not 90+ degrees while you work. (My screensaver reads 80 but that's in SF. We live in Novato.) And see that dinky box on the wall? That's what Bruce, Katsu, and I survive on throughout the hot summer days: our air conditioner. :) Life is good. Oh, and we ended up buying a fan for our bedroom because it was much too hot to sleep there without it!

4. I updated one main image throughout my website. I don't know if you noticed but I'll talk about it more next week! ;) Can you spot it? It's very subtle.

5. Every time Katsu finds a nice comfy spot to sleep and relax, Bruce comes up behind him wanting to play. So one day, I realized I hadn't seen Katsu for a while and I called for him with no response. I looked around and found him in the furthest corner of the house ~~hiding~~ sleeping. :) This made me laugh out loud.

I apologize for the lack of photos today. Hopefully, I'll take lots of photos this weekend (with my iPhone again) so I'll be back next week with lots to share! :D Have a great weekend!!

An extra for today:

I found this duck(?) with a nice hairdo

at the farmer's market this past Tuesday :D

hehe, so cute!

Shout Out - Oh The Cuteness

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't quite remember how I came across Chase's blog, Oh the Cuteness, but one thing I know is that I signed up for her Finish It project almost a year ago. I think I miserably failed at completing most of the tasks, but I had the pleasure of following her blog along the way. :) She shares great tutorials and has cute handmade items in her Etsy shop.

I love the sequin mushroom! :D Don't you?

shop: Oh the Cuteness!

blog: Oh the Cuteness!

photos: lovebirds wedding cake topper, sequin mushroom ornament clip, oh the cuteness blog banner

Will You Be My Valentine?

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I realize Valentine's Day was way back months ago but I hadn't shared this special penguin that I made for B to give to his girlfriend, Tessa. :D I hope they had a lovely Valentine's Day!

for Tessa from B

Darling Moments: Bubbles

2011-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got out the bubbles to play with Bruce and Katsu. They both loved it. Mini loved it too! ;)

P.S. Thank you to everyone that let me know they liked the name Niko! :D

Niko the Penguin

2011-06-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on twitter or Facebook, I've hinted at exciting changes that I've been working on and today I'm ready to reveal the first of many. I started My Dear Darling selling just one personalizable original penguin plush and with that, I explained the reason why I didn't give the penguin a name was because I wanted the new penguin owner to name him. But over two years have passed and I've changed my mind. My penguin wants a name! He deserves a name, don't you think? :) So after lots and lots of searching, I've found the one!

I started out looking at popular British butler-esque names. Lol, I know, random right? But how can you not like Alfred, Winston, or Edwin for a penguin? :) But every time I looked at my penguin and repeated English names, I realized my penguin ain't British. I searched around some more and ended up looking through Japanese names. Nothing stood out and I was stumped. I went back asking myself why I started making penguins in the first place and BAM it came to me: smiles! I wanted to make penguin plushies in hopes of bringing smiles to others. I finally came up with the name Niko!

"Niko-niko" is a Japanese onomatopoeia that describes a smile. If you didn't know, I'm Japanese (my last name is Vietnamese because I'm married to a Pham) so it was natural for me to give my original plush-baby a name taken from a Japanese word. I was just trying too hard with the butler names. Maybe I can name another character Winston... no? ;)

I'm so excited and I hope you like his name too! What do you think of Niko the Penguin?

Father's Day Weekend

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning! :)

This weekend was quite different from our usual weekend as we celebrated the marriage of a wonderful couple on Saturday and Brandon's first Father's Day yesterday! I wanted to share some photos from the beautiful wedding venue, Marin Art and Garden Center. It was gorgeous! It made me realize we really don't know much about our town (technically, not our town but a couple cities over). The entire place is immersed in trees! It made me want to lay on the grass and watch the clouds roll by as the breeze make the leaves dance on the trees. :)

The wedding itself was wonderful and the food was delicious. Congratulations to the newlyweds, C&J!

a lovely night to end a perfect day

A special thank you to my dear friends Diana and Courtney for babysitting Brucie & Katsu for us on top of my hair & makeup, dress, fresh mushrooms & avocado from the farmers market, and these beautiful flowers above. Do I have the greatest girl friends, or what?! Love them! :D

~ & ~

What did we do for Father's Day the next day? Brandon wanted to eat ramen so we headed over to Japan Town in SF and pigged out. :) Oh yes we did! Hehe. Earlier that day, we all Skyped with my dad to wish him a happy day too and he was tearing up because he couldn't believe how much Bruce had grown. He can officially stand up on his own! :D Then Bruce and I gave Brandon his gift that I was excited about since this post:

We got him a Postcup by Bailey Doesn't Bark! :D I've been wanting it for so long and finally found a great reason to give one to Brandon. I bought another since they were on sale here just in case I botched the first one. I'll be baking the one in the photos tonight in hopes that it'll turn out fine and have an extra one to gift. :)

And not to worry. I traced Bruce's hands on a piece of paper first, cut it out and then traced it onto the cup. So no harm to little Brucie in the making of this personalized gift for Daddy!

What did you end up doing this weekend?

Oh! And I have an exciting post coming up later today! ;D

Baking Extravaganza

2011-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Instead of having my regular Friday post today, I thought I'd share all the great things I ate this week since, you know, yummy food always makes me smile. ;)

homemade strawberry shortcake cake

My friend Bryce came up to visit and we actually went through making everything that was on our list! I had so much fun, I know I'll definitely be doing it again.

my first artichoke

For starters, I know this isn't a baked good, but I wanted to share: I had never had a whole artichoke before this weekend. I've had the hearts in pasta and salads but never one I had to pick at myself. Boy was I missing out! It was all so foreign to me (Brandon too!) so she had to show us how to eat it, which reminded me of the time I taught my college roommate how to eat edamame. Apparently, I wasn't a good teacher because she ended up eating the whole pod! :X Oops! Anyway, Bryce was a good instructor and I ~~loved my~~ love artichokes!

inside filling was the best part

Okay, so the very first thing we baked was a strawberry shortcake cake. I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman (thanks to Erin, "team P-Dub!" hehe) and it was de-li-cious! It's a bit heavy so you only need to serve small slices but it's so good. Like sooooo good. Yes, you must try it!

Then we made apple pie pops* (pie-on-a-stick), which are Bryce's creations. These were good both when served fresh out of the oven and when served the morning after for breakfast! :)

Since I had never had cake pops* before, we made those too! The kicker here was that we used See's candy chocolate which made them rich and that much better.

Okay, I'm bracing myself because this was my favorite dessert we made this week: Macarons topped with a little hint of cinnamon. Drool. Bryce bought me the book, I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita, so we used the recipe and read through all the tips to create the most amazing macaron ever. I can't wait to try making it myself (haha, since I was busy with Bruce during this time) and only hope that it'll turn out just as good as they did. Heaven.In.Your.Mouth. Really. These have become my favorite dessert. Period.

Last but not least, she made mint meringues*. Ahhh, these were so good too! I got to eat them while we watched Bridesmaids at the theater. Yup, we snuck 'em in. ;) Best in-theater snack I've had. Beats popcorn to the curb. Lol. A special thank you to Bryce for coming up to visit my little Phamily. ;)

*I didn't provide links to the recipe for the ones with stars because Bryce had them. Sorry! ;) Maybe she can share in the comments section?

Was this enough inspiration for you to do some baking this weekend? Hehe, I hope so! If you do, let me know how it went. And if you have recipes for me to try, please share! :D Have a wonderful Father's Day weekend! (It's Brandon's first Father's Day! How exciting!!)

Shout Out - summersville

2011-06-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Did I ever mention how much I love Etsy's "Suggested Shops" section that finds similar shops from the ones you've already favorited? Well, I love it! Simply because I find shops I would've never come across without it... Like summersville!

Look at these beautiful graphics screenprinted on fabric, paper and mugs!

Everything in Lu's shop is handmade in England. Just lovely. :)
*I love the glass cup in the first photo too. I wonder if she made that too!*

shop: summersville

blog: summersville

photos: droplets, bloomsbury, weave

The Dancing Chef Penguin

2011-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I said I'd reveal who made that salmon nigiri for the USC penguin. Well, let me introduce his girlfriend, Chef Penguin. :) She loves to cook and sing:

they are simply inseparable ;)

personalized penguins for her bf from C

Darling Moments: Baby & Penguin Pillow

2011-06-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

I know it looks like Bruce doesn't have a right arm but he was too excited patting his penguin pillow after seeing it for the first time. I love that kid! ;)

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! But tomorrow can't come any sooner! Hopefully I'll remember to tweet what Bryce and I make throughout the weekend. She'll be visiting and spending quality ~~girl~~ (forgot about Bruce and Brandon, haha) time until Tuesday!

Here's what made me smile this week:

1. A huge THANK YOU to our friends Tommy and Erin for taking our Mother's Day photos and Rinaldo for fixing a few up for us! The one above is our favorite of our little monster. He's my favorite monster too! ;)

2. Last week, I shared a photo of the peonies that followed me to every room I was chillin' in. (I seriously took them everywhere so I can glance at them ever so often. Yes, I think I was obsessed.) But I loved watching the flowers change each day and I'm glad I got to document them!

loved the pop of color it brought to my desk

*If you noticed, I still haven't fixed my Nikon. :( It keeps showing the "ERR" message even after I reformatted the memory card as directed by the camera people. I'll be handing it over to the professionals to help me fix it. Fingers crossed!*

3. Are you tired of all my flower posts yet? I got new flowers to fill the peony void yesterday! Yellowish white hydrangeas. And since they fit in three different vases, I get to spread them around the house so I don't have to move one around everywhere I go! Lol. And here's a photo of my favorite bird vase that's sitting at my desk right now. They smell less intense than my peonies, which I like.

4. Packages in the mail never fail to make me smile! I've ordered quite a few things this week and it's been so nice opening packages. The first one was the print handbook that I ordered almost two weeks ago. I loved seeing the envelope stamped from the UK! I actually wish I saved the darn thing. :/ Maybe I could find a penpal?? Ahh well, back to my packages. The one I'm most excited for is Brandon's Father's Day gift. ;) Will share about that after I gift it.

5. Lastly, it wouldn't be a complete "smile" post if I didn't talk about the food I ate! I had one of the best rotisserie chicken and tots from the farmers market. *drool* If you're ever in town on Tuesday, you should definitely take one home for dinner. Next week, I think we'll try the pizza!

So what made you smile this week? I really want to know!

Shout Out - Luciles Kitchen

2011-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about this weekend because my best friend, Bryce is coming to visit! And while she's here, we're planning to cook and bake like crazy. I'm just imagining a kitchen full of food... I don't think she knows what she's getting herself into. ;)

Speaking of food, I thought today I'd give a Shout Out to a talented French illustrator, Lucile, and her shop Luciles Kitchen. I love her art style because it's one I cannot master and the colors she uses for each painting is just simply perfect. Here are some of my favorite prints (and not to mention, foods!):

Did it inspire you to want to bake? ;)

website: www.lucileprache.com

shop: Luciles Kitchen

blog: Illustrations-Off

photos: La tarte aux fraises, Cupcakes collection, Tea time rendez-vous

P.S. France is my dream vacation destination. I'm smiling from ear to ear writing this post as I imagine myself there...

Penguin with USC Pride

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

personalized penguin with USC hoodie

... and a love for football & sushi!

Do you recognize that salmon sushi? Thankfully, Mini gave it back before he ate it. ;) I'll reveal who made that nigiri sushi next week!

Fan Moments: Wedding Penguins

2011-06-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I shared the mini wedding penguins for Mike & Kristine's wedding. And now here's a shot of the plushies next to their gorgeous cake! :)

Thank you M&K for sharing this beautiful photo!

101 in 1001: #86 Makeup Brush Holder

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning! :)

This weekend, a couple of my girlfriends came over and I was finally able to give Courtney her handmade gift she signed up for via my Facebook. It's where you post a FB status that states you'll make something handmade to the first five people that comment but in return, you have to post the same status. I decided to make her a makeup brush holder that she can use to store her pens or markers. I found this wonderful tutorial by Susan of Freshly Picked and just added a flower applique on the front to match the inside fabric design. Her instructions were so easy to follow, I totally recommend the tutorial if you're in need of a simple gift for a lady. Or even for yourself. ;)

And a special thank you to everyone who commented on my FB fan page photo to help me with the thread color!!

She was surprised that I actually did the project because most everyone probably just forgot about it. I have to say, I agree. But I enjoyed making something completely different from what I'm use to. So now I'm starting to work on handmade gift #2... along with 10 other projects I'm currently working on! :D I love being busy and missed this type of workload while I was away. It's good to be back!

Note: Sorry my photos are a little blurry. I took them with my iPhone again. In need of fixing my Nikon asap! :P

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-06-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Oh Friday, you've sneaked up on me this week! You too, June!

I'm excited to enter warmer weather and head to the beach for Bruce's first time. He's never played with sand either but I think he'll cry like he did when he sat in grass for the first time. Lol, he simply didn't know what to do. Maybe my dislike of bare skin on grass rubbed off on him somehow. Speaking of firsts, check out the picture below to start off my list of things that made me smile this week:

1. Last weekend, we went on a Phamily morning walk. It was quite chilly but it was nice to finally be able to get some exercise. We walked around for almost two hours each day so my butt and legs were sore. Yep, I'm that out of shape. Hahaha. We stopped by what I call the Pant Park (there's an odd sculpture of what looks like a woman's pants) and Bruce enjoyed swinging for the very first time. This made me smile. :)

2. On Monday, Brandon was going to BBQ on the grill but instead, he took us out to Mill's Restaurant. I was very skeptical but he promised it was good... I don't always agree with his opions. ;) So I was pleasantly surprised after getting my California burger (I think that's what it's called) because it was delicious! I loved the smokey flavor.

3. My friend Erin recommended the documentary, No Impact Man, about a guy who changes his family's lifestyle to live as eco-conscious as possible for a year. Loved the film, especially watching his wife's take on the whole thing, and I was inspired to try at least one of the things that they experienced: buying from your local farmers market. The Novato Farmers Market is on Tuesday evenings so on Tuesday we went. :) Loved the food, loved the people, loved the whole experience. Brandon and I decided we would try to do this every Tuesday and next time, we'll bring our own grocery bags! I had completely forgotten. :X

Anyway, we bought quite a bit of vegetables, fruits and this amazing Indian Spinach stuffed bread with Fire Roasted Eggplant Spread (Baingan Bharta) and Paratha Dip. On Wednesday night, we had Teppan Yaki with most of the veggies and we were stuffed. I can't wait to try other different foods next week! (Do you see a pattern? Food = :D for me! Lol.)

4. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo to share for this one but Bruce tried avocado for the first time and he rejected it. His what-the-heck-did-you-just-feed-me look was just priceless.

5. My pink peonies make me smile every time I look at them, especially when I watch the petals opening. I hope I don't kill them before they bloom! The vase is by pretty random objects that I bought a while back along with others.

What made you smile this week? :)

I think I'm going to try and figure out what's wrong with my Nikon D80. I've been taking all my photos with my iPhone and as convenient as it is, I miss my Nikon. What will you be doing this weekend? Hope you have a good one!

Shout Out - la casa de coto

2011-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I for one, have no room for any more furnishings in our small apartment BUT I absolutely want a pouf! ;D I love these hand crocheted poufs by la casa de coto. The vibrant colors are perfect for children's spaces and how fun would it be to sit or lay belly down on one of these?

Ahh! I totally want one!

shop: la casa de coto
blog: la casa de coto
photos: floor cushion crochet, pouf crochet - small, crochet stool cover - gray

Wedding Penguins

2011-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to share these special penguins with you for the longest time! :D It's been almost a year since I first started working on them for a special client. I had been wanting to make a wedding cake topper type plush but never had the chance to until Kristine asked if I could make one for her. I jumped at the opportunity and after many emails back and forth and testing different materials, these two love birds made it to a very special wedding!

Congratulations to Mike & Kristine! <3

Darling Moments: Baby & His Penguin

2011-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

bruce playing with his own mini penguin

Things That Make Me Smile

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

This week felt so great! It felt great to be back home, healthy and productive.

I've been able to update my blog daily and have my creative juices flowing again. I have an idea for a product... Well, I have tons of ideas but one in particular that I hope to launch by Christmas this year. I know what you're thinking: "Isn't Christmas so far from now?" It is! But with a lot of things going on right now, I thought it was a legit deadline. I want to do this right in hopes that it'll be a success. More on this project later as I get it going.

I was talking to Brandon the other day about My Dear Darling and he mentioned that I should use my "smiles" more in my branding because I always sign my MDD handwritten letters with "Lots of Smiles, Akiyo", use a lot of smiley emoticons, and even made my Maid-of-Honor speech for my best friend's wedding around smiles! So I thought to start it off with Friday posts being dedicated to things that made me smile throughout the week. Simple as that! :) I'm even thinking of changing my tagline too but now I'm getting way ahead of myself. Seriously though, smiles are contagious so maybe some of these will make you smile too!

1. I joined in on the Instagram madness. I've seen many of my Facebook friends post Instagram pics so I finally downloaded it and tried it out. Works pretty well and now I have more photos of random things in different photo filters. Good random things, that is.

2. I mentioned on Monday and yesterday that I've been trying to dress a little nicer everyday. Note that before this week, I would wear sweats and a T sans makeup around the house or jeans and a sweater with makeup when I know I'll be going out. Boring, right? Well, look how not-so-boring I looked on Monday! Yes, it's somewhat of an improvement. But I've been keeping it up and I have to say, it has been a mood booster! I just need to hone my own Five-Minute Face routine and work on my hair.

3. My mom brought these cookies up with her last weekend. I have no idea what their called because the packaging is in Korean but they are so good! There's creamy goodness sandwiched between two Ritz-like crackers. They made me smile. :) Yummy food always makes me smile.

4. After reading Ez's Pinterest post, I checked out if anything from my site had been pinned. I figured nothing would come up but I tried it anyway. To my surprise, Sticky Penguin, had pinned two of my own works! :D Thank you, Sticky Penguin!

5. Yesterday, I ordered A Print Handbook for Designers and am excited for its arrival!

Woohoo! I think I'm diggin' this Friday's post. What made you smile this week? :)

I'll be home this holiday weekend doing a lot of cleaning around the house. Hope you have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!

Shout Out - BlueBirdHeaven

2011-05-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier this week, my friend Erin has been inspiring me to "look good, feel good" by accessorizing outfits. I stayed over at her and her husband's home while I was in Orange County and of course, I fell in love with all their home decor; one of which was an awesome jewelry display case made out of a printer drawer. How clever and unique! Then a couple days ago, when I was going through my Google Reader, I came across this sweet a** lego storage made out of a printer tray as well. So I looked around Etsy and found Jessica's shop, BlueBirdHeaven.

I actually don't know if this is where Erin got hers but I really liked the craftsmanship of Jessica's work just by looking at her photos. I also like a lot of the jewelry in the pictures. ;) Now I have to find a bigger home to move into so I have space to buy one and hang it up!

shop: BlueBirdHeaven
photos: Printers Drawer Jewelry Display (dark distressed), TEAL Printer Drawer Jewelry Display, Printer Drawer Jewelry Display (white distressed)