Kids love hanging out in this lounge area on Sunday mornings, reading or playing games waiting for me and Andrew to wake up.

I’ve been eyeing on this settee for a quiet some time now and finally decided to get it. It’s a perfect size for the space. 🙂

It’s still in working progress but when it’s finished, it’s going to be kids “arts & craft studio”.

I have very exciting news! A few months ago an editor-in-chief from Vogue UK magazine reached out to me via email. She found my collection worthy to be featured in the fashion bible, Vogue. Ha. Insane. I know.

It was unreal. I am no longer working with a PR  firm so I was surprised that they found me! Towards the end of last year, I was thinking about folding my business as it was too much to handle with two kids and a full-time job. I felt I couldn’t really keep up with my jewelry passion. I haven’t even updated my website for months. I always have new collections  for trunk shows, holiday sample sales and such, but I found it very stressful and time consuming to update my site regularly. Then when I was contacted by the magazine, (and several others which I’ll announce later) I knew I had to make a decision. I thought and thought about it…Although it was very hard for me to let go, I decided to fold most of my jewelry line and focus on 1 product, my baby pendant collection. I figured it’s easier for me to keep up the baby pendant orders then stretching myself thin and making various pieces and collections. This baby collection is what I’m most proud and passionate about. It was inspired by my first baby Chloe and I loved the idea of making new moms feel special with this custom pendant. I do admit that I am a little sad but who knows, maybe I’ll be able to devote myself as a full-time jewelry designer one day. Or not.

At least for now, I’m excited that I’m featured in Vogue. 🙂

Chloe’s so into Egyptian history and mummies. She read through the whole thing and both kids were looking so closely at every details. I was so creeped out, couldn’t even stand so close. There were real decayed bodies…

Chloe touched the bug!

It’s a gorgeous morning here in D.C. After stopping by at the White house, we walked down Pennsylvania Avenue which is a street that joins the White House and the United States Capitol.

We went inside the Old post office tower to check out the view from the top.

You can see the whole city up here.

Kids started piano lessons about a month ago. They love playing but when it comes to practicing everyday it’s been an endeavor. It just one more thing trying to achieve in a couple of hours before bedtime. ;P

We’re having guests over for a dinner tonight so I picked up some flowers to brighten the mood.

Chloe’s Daisy event was held at Mosaic Glassworks shop.

They had a choice between a butterfly design or an owl design.

Chloe picked an owl.

She did a beautiful job all by herself. I was so tempted to help her make it. I literally had to hold my arms back from reaching in because it looked so fun! I think I’ll have to come back here with Shane later. 🙂

We woke up to this view.

Everything is frozen… quite beautiful.

I began the day with arranging flowers that I bought from Whole Foods. I love having fresh cut flowers in the house. They instantly liven up the house.

I’m looking forward to celebrating the long weekend with friends and family!

This looks like all fun and play but this is actually part of my work day. We are doing our quarterly trend tracking in the city. Our first stop was at Vanity Projects where each of us got “high-end” nail art while visually stimulated by curated video art. Pretty cool.

Melt bakery: unique, seasonal flavored ice cream sandwiches made with locally source ingredients. Yum. Yum. Yum!

@Obsessive Compulsive cosmetics: 100% vegan and cruelty-free cosmetic boutique.

Thank you David for my pictures!

I have been home all week. I had another cyst situation which first happened last year and it has been a miserable week. Even though I had so much me time from being home to rest, relax, then maybe pray and think/reflect, but I couldn’t do any of them. The pain I was in consumed all of me. I couldn’t eat, I was nauseous, constantly vomiting, not to mentioned the abdominal and back pains, fever and chills. I could barely walk, talk without getting out of breath and towards the end of the week, I became very emotionally drained and weak and almost depressed. I cried a lot. I cried myself to sleep, and would wake up with terrible migraines.

It was Halloween yesterday and I had planned on hosting a little kids party after school. But instead, Andrew and I spent the whole day at the doctor’s trying to find some relief for me. I had missed my kids parades, Halloween party and trick-or-treating around our new neighborhood. I thought at least I should take pictures of the kids in their costumes. But by the time I got all my strength to get out of bed, get my camera ready and go outside to take a picture, Shane was not in his costume anymore. He had already been wearing his costume all day at school and he just refused to put it on again. I begged for him to put it on just for one more time so I could take a picture but he refused and ran away and I got so mad at him. I yelled at him like he had done something horrible.

That night, I took the strongest medicine I ever took in my whole life. When the medicine kicked in, I was falling inside a hole and there’s another hole inside the hole and another hole and while I was falling, kids came to me by my bedside to say good night. I started bawling and I apologized over and over again to Shane. I felt so awful. Shane was gracious and forgiving. He was wiping away my tears and said, “Mommy, it’s okay. You don’t have to say sorry anymore. That’s okay. You are nice. You’re nice.” My sweet boy…He ended up getting back in his costume that day right after I yelled at him and he even gave me a big smile for the camera.

This morning my cleaning lady came to clean so I slept in the guest bedroom(my mom’s room) all morning still drenched in medicine. When I woke up I had no idea where I was. I just stared at this beautiful view of the maple tree through the window. What a beautiful color. Then I wondered around the house looking at all the views from every window to admire the beauty of God’s creations. Then all of sudden, I wondered if there was a reason for all this. Of course, there was. I needed to stop my life so I can see those trees. I have been too busy for God.

Too busy with work, with kids, cooking, planning parties, decorating house, catching up on my TV series at night, shopping online while watching, then it’s only when I’m about to fall asleep, I say a short prayer to God. He came at the very end of my day. I always tell my kids that God is the most important thing in our lives and that nothing else matters. I was not living what I was preaching.

I am. A hypocrite…

{ guest room where I was sleeping }

{ from my bedroom }

{ from Chloe’s room }

The Good news is, God’s always been here with me… that I know my Jesus loves me unconditionally. I need to prioritize my life and sort through some stuff so that I can love him more.