Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Reflection 2013 :: Resolution 2014

It's been a long time since my last post.  There were lots of ups and downs in 2013 and I'm happy to say I have learned so much this year about myself.  2013 alone was the craziest year I have ever had so far.

I got engaged to my best friend in late February.  It was out of the blue for me because I had thrown the idea of marriage/family in the back burner when I made my New Year 2013 resolution to refocused my life more on Me and growing my etsy shop.  The proposal came at a surprise and it didn't fully sink in until I was able to to share the news with my sisters and my best friends, two months later.  Honestly, I was not as happy as I thought I would be once I got engaged, but the moment I was able to share the news with my four best girls, my heart literally lighten and I was floating on cloud nine.  I suppose seeing how happy they were for me made me really excited about the wedding and the future ahead.  Prior to the engagement, I was feeling extremely lost in a whirlwind of nothingness for a long time.  A mini depression period is what I would call it.  When 2013 began, I had new plans, bigger and better plans to be a better Me.  When I got engaged, I had no idea 2013 was going to be one chaotic roller coaster ride.  Here is my story...

Ayden, 1 day old
Ayden 4 months old
The very same night of my engagement proposal, I also became an auntie.  My nephew, Ayden was born, eight pounds, six ounces, twenty and a half inches.  He has been such a blessing to our big growing family.  My parents have never been happier and I must admit, being an auntie is pretty darn awesome.

When I asked my best friend, Nancy, to be one of my best girls for the wedding, I had no idea we both were holding onto news that we could not wait to share.  I was getting married and she was pregnant with her first child.  My memory of that moment was beautiful because I remember I cried when she told me the news.  I was simply so happy for her.

Every year, Hong and I make it a must to travel as much as we can.  Early Spring 2013, we went to Washington DC.  We tried to time it perfectly for the National Cherry Blossom festival, but that did not go to plan.  The entire country had been experiencing a really cold Spring season and the blossoms did not bloom by our arrival.  We were two weeks early so we didn't get to view the cherry blossoms, which is okay, we really enjoyed DC.  We decided to save the cherry blossom for when we visit Japan instead.

I shipped out my first wholesale order.  When I received a message that a division of Urban Outfitters, Terrain, wanted to carry one of my cards for their Valentine's series, it felt like I was on top of the world.  From that day on, the shop just took off, I finally realized my potential.  Things keep on getting better and better, shop wise anyway.

In between these bright moments were also my lowest of the low.  Anxiety and depression was fighting me again.  Shop wise I was riding the high.  Personally, I was sinking deeper into a hole with family, my dad and my brother.  I was caught in endless arguments and senseless situations.  But, in the end, I believed it made everything around me stronger.  That was the moment in my life where I learned to let go and to enjoy the good things that are happening around me.

 Patchwork Craft Show, Long Beach 2013

One of my goals for 2013 was to vendor at a craft show.  I was devastated when I got rejected from Renegade Craft.  I sat there crying and questioning my potential, "maybe I did not have what it takes after all".  I sat there and I cried, and I cried some more because it was bad news after bad news after bad news.  Everything and everyone was hitting me with their worse.  I did not want to be around anyone.  I had my shop to keep me busy and to ease my heart from the rejection.  A few days later, I received an acceptance e-mail from Patchwork craft and I was jumping up and down.  The rejection from renegade did not matter to me any longer.  I was in and I got to do the show in Long Beach.  I don't think I would have been able to do it without my loving support system from Hong, my sisters and best friends rooting for me.  Turnout was just too awesome and it definitely helped pushed my shop towards a path I had envisioned but never had the guts to push forth.  The shop will be taking a different route this year and I'm excited to see what 2014 will bring.

I met my cousins from Oklahoma for the first time.  We had a big family reunion days before the wedding.  I was also recovering from food poisoning two days before the wedding, and Hong had food poisoning two days before I did.  It was the worst four days of our lives.


I got to visit Yosemite thanks to my sisters, my cousins, and my best friends.




Lisa Chu Photography

I got married.  Hong and I finally said our I do's almost 13 years later.  When we look back to when we first became boyfriend and girlfriend, we were teenagers at age 15 and 16, it all seem a lifetime ago and yet everyday is always an adventure.  No matter where we are in life or where we go, I love that each day, bad or good, we go at it together.  It would have never mattered to neither of us if we never got married because we already feel like our hearts were already married together.  To us, having the wedding was more of a celebration with our family and friends.  We wanted to celebrate our love story with everyone who have touch our hearts in our journey.

 Photo Credit: Nancy Sah

My relationship with my sisters is stronger than ever.  Everyone has this misconception that we are the three musketeers, we share secrets, and do everything together.  We're as different as strangers on the streets.  Our common ground comes in when we are together.  We've never done anything with just the three of us even though we're all one year apart from each other.  You'd think we be best friends since childhood.  I'm the big sister, 28 years old, my little sister is 27 years old, and my baby sister is 26 years old.  We're suppose to be like three peas in pod right?  And in many ways we are.  Even though we live our lives separately, somehow I could never imagine my life without them.  I'll always feel proud and blessed to be their big sister.  Not to say that I do not have regret, and that is I was not the big sister they looked up to.  2013 has brought us so much closer together, not only because of the wedding mishaps and family crisis, but because we are starting to finally understand each other.



Lisa Chu Photography  
Rekindled old friendships.  Everyone comes in and out of your life for different reasons.  My best friend Lora and I have come to a conclusion that friendships are like seasons.  Each chapter of our life is different, and if you're lucky like I am, you'll have a couple of them that are there for you year round.  I am so lucky to have my sisters and best friends in my life.

Crossed four things off my bucket list.


Spending Christmas as one big family.

 End 2013, as I break my sales record of all time in December!

Thank you to each and every one of you who held my hand when I was scared, offered hugs when I needed it, cheers me on when I was off to a new adventure, ride the wave with me when I was sure I was not going to make it, offered heartfelt advice to ease my pain, took charge when I could not do it all, stayed by my side when I was ill, shared laughters and joy with me, and mostly for loving me and being my friend.  I wish for each and every one of you the best 2014 has to offer, good health and lots of laughter.

To the love of my life, my husband, my best friend, I count myself among the lucky ones.  You are my home.  I love you my whole life.

Although I would never want to repeat 2013 again, I am glad that 2013 happen the way that it did.  I am looking forward to life ahead and ready for just about anything.

2014 Resolution:

Start a wedding series in the shop
Punch Renegade in the face for my rejection in 2013 by getting into Renegade 2014
Do at least two craft shows
Travel overseas with Hong to Japan or Europe
Visit grandmother in China
Keep the house tidy even when work overtakes the grounds and living area
Don't let laundry pile up to 10 loads ever again
Have more lunch and dinner with my sisters
Plan ahead so I'll be more prepared
Walk away from drama and people who drag you down
Visit my best friends more often
Buy a cook book and cook my way through it
Be the best wife to my wonderful husband

BRING IT ON 2014!!!
xoxo