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  • Happy New Years

    These past few days have been really strange. Not bad enough for me to say they were bad days. But not great.

    I came home from slaving away at work and host dinner for friends. My body ached but I was happy to be in good company and even better food. Then we suit up and head to Embarcadero to watch the fireworks. I don’t remember so many ghetto people before. Or nerdy people who feel the need to act ghetto. Then we get on the bus and WTF… I probably take the bus once a year and now I remember why I should never take the bus for as long as I can.This man who looked normal was falling asleep on me and only when he got off the bus did I realize HE was the one who made the whole bus smell like piss even though everyone kept blaming the bums. Then we got followed home by a drunk guy looking for trouble. Good thing Won was there. 
    Not going to lie. As scary as it was and as much as I prayed the stalker did not have a weapon, it was sexy seeing Won gear up for a fight. He should take off his  jewelry and clothes and throw them on the floor in anger more often. Hahahaha!
    The aura at the salon has been really strange too. So I’ve been spending my lunch outside of the salon to refresh myself from the screaming clients from hell (first time ever in the history of this salon) and the lack of clients. I guess it always slow after the holidays but I don’t remember it being THIS slow since.. ever. 
    The New Year has gotten off to such a strange start. 
    The good news is I keep falling in love with Won more and more every time I see him. I have no doubt he is willing to do anything for me, including risking his own safety and well being. That and he spoils me like crazy even if it means he has to wake up early to drive me to work, then go meet me for lunch, then pick me up from work. He carries everything. And I’ll never have to worry about being warm at night because his body heat is all I’ll need. And it’s not like this is new, he has ALWAYS done these things for me and then some. For whatever reason now I actually notice and appreciate it. I guess because a small part of me fears the thought of us being together FOREVER. But the more time I spend with him, the more I am convinced that this is going to be the best thing EVER. And  that he loves me more and more as I love him more and more. 
    Because it’s winter break, I’ve been dragging him around to all my little get together with my old friends that come back into the city during break. And everyone has the same thing to say to me, that we’re made for each other. And it’s so obvious that we’re so in love. And we entertain each other and everyone around us. Everyone approves of Won being perfect for me, always taking care of me. And everyone is so happy for us, beyond happy than they are for any of their other friends. 
    My mom gave me a long lecture about how I should not take advantage of Won. And how I should not make him do everything because it makes him look bad. And it shows that I do not respect him. I was shocked because for the first time ever, my mom spoke out FOR Won and not against him. In the past she always lectured me about how I should not fall head over heels and how I should reserve myself and keep in control and etc.. but now she’s telling me I am being too mean to him! Lol. 
    Something to understand about us is that it’s not I get my way because Won is a pushover. I get my way because Won lets me because he wants me to be happy. I feel so blessed he is so in love with me. 

    And I don’t know what else to write. 

    Abrupt end. Bye.

  • Midnight Madness

    I am currently going through a mid life career crisis. Who knew that at age 17 I was so set and determined to be a makeup artist for life. And while my friends suffered through school and jobs they said I was so lucky to work in something I am passionate about. I mostly smiled with a trailing off, “yea…..” 

    I always knew one day I’d wake up and want to do something else. Don’t get me wrong, I REALLY enjoyed working and good thing I was good at it. And I had always visioned myself with my own salon someday with kids running amok entertaining clients. I fully plan to do that in the future. But right now, I want to do something else. Something completely unrelated to beauty. 
    I used to look at older artists who decided to pursue another career even though they were successful being an artist. And I used to think.. they must have failed as an artist and need other income. But now I understand it does not always have to do with money. 
    They say when you work in a field you enjoy, it’s not work. That is not true. Even when you do something you enjoy, you still have to do the business that comes with it if you want to make any money to survive and buy nice things. And honestly, I’ve been feeling a dull burnt out feeling so xanga, you will be the first to hear it straight from me! 
    I am going to go back to school next year to be a dental hygienist, or maybe a nurse, or maybe a fashion constructor. Okay maybe not a not, that’s a little too gross for me. Anyhow, I am going to continue my study in those other fields and complete it! And finish my bachelors. And I don’t know. Maybe school will fill my void. Or maybe little babies will.. hahaha
    Not to say I am going to leave beauty. Maybe rent out a studio in Seattle and serve only a handful of lucky clients who fit my criteria. I will always enjoy it and have a yearning to learn all things beautiful. But not right now. Now is the time to step our of my comfort zone that fell into my lap so many years ago. Now is the time to do something different and know I have a light (doing beauty) waiting for me at the end of whatever tunnel I choose to pursue. 
    This post is not supposed to have a negative tone to it even thought it sounds like it. I’m actually VERY excited to start! As much as I hated the thought of leaving San Francisco, I welcome the change of moving to Seattle. Fresh new air. Fresh new career. 
    Also, I started listing things on Ebay to sell. This was my first time. I listed it on Won’s account since he has more credibility. Someone told me you’ll be surprised at what junk will sell on Ebay. So random. I know. Let’s see how it goes! If it goes well, I told Won not to panic if things go missing from the house. Hahahahaha He was not as amused -___-  

  • Midnight Madness

    The only thing that kind of sucks about my life right now: No cable, nothing to watch on tv on a Thursday night :)

    Work: I’ve come to a realization that I like working with people in general so maybe when I am tired of being an artist I can be a receptionist or something. Maybe I’ll be a dental hygienist that I’ve always wanted to be… For kids. I think I would like working with screaming kids all day :) Or something still in a women’s only environment… like a check in desk for a domestic abuse center. So many things I can do and be happy about. 
    Family: My mom retired and she does things now like old people Tai Chi at the lake every morning. Or how she takes dance class for old people at the old people center. Maybe she’ll meet a partner friend there. LOL. My friend told me how her grandpa goes to those events and find women to cheat on her grandma with 0.o. On the bright side, mom cooks a lot now a days, I come home and anything everything I want to eat is there. 
    Wedding: Everything is officially booked and done!!! Time to wait 8 months. *sigh* 
    Working Out: During my lunch break, I walked 4 blocks up hill and 4 blocks down hill and 6 blocks on flat land. I can feel my legs and butt getting toned!! That and a hole in my lungs from breathing so hard. Won said I can probably burn more calories chewing gum all day. ANYWAYS…..
    Friends: I’ve been getting in a lot of alone time with my girl friends. Seriously no matter how busy or tired I am, if a girlfriend asks me to hang out I make the time and energy. This particular month has been full of girlfriend blessings.  I squealed through stories of new engagements, advised through stories of roommate issues, and cried through stories of abuse. Tears of happiness, tears of sadness, I love it all. My goal in Seattle is to make new girl friends there that I can connect with and complain about Won to. LOL.
    Won Choe: So special he gets his own category. Love the man more and more because he looks at what I was searching on Ebay while on his laptop. Then he went ahead and buy it for me!! :D I didn’t even have to ask this time.
    I can’t wait for Thanksgiving!!!!! We’re going to host a family dinner this weekend. Then on the actual day we’re going to crash someone else’s dinner. YAY! I LOVE traditional Thanksgiving dinner, why don’t I eat it more often during the other times of the year? I’ll be sad when I move to Seattle because I don’t think Won’s family eat traditional Thanksgiving food :(

  • Seattle, Paradise. Hehe!

    1. Won FINALLY let me tag along to the gym, his house of worship. I went for the first time.. ever. Now he is going to get me a membership. I proved to be not as weak and annoying as Won thought I would be. I ended up running on the treadmill for almost an hour straight. Question: Why on the treadmill I can run for so long but on the streets I can barely speed walk half a block? Another question: How does one avoid getting dizzy after getting off the treadmill?

    2. Won and I have this AWESOME new business plan. I’m SOOOOOO excited for when it comes to fruitition. We’re gonna be ballers and life of every party. Better become friends with us now before our plan takes off! hehe
    3. Wons parents are moving us into the Master Bedroom! And everyone else in the house are going to shuffle rooms. So thoughtful of them and so exciting for me! I guess moving in with the in laws wont be so bad after all! 
    4. Wons mom bought me a hanbok for our wedding. Its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO awesome cuz its totally cute and modern and couture. It still holds the essence of a hanbok but isn’t so traditional and boring. Good thing we found one in my size already made at the store and I don’t have to have it custom made. Not to mention the owners couldn’t get rid of it cuz it was too small to sell (yet I fit it) so they were happy to get it off their hands so they gave it to us for super cheap. Let’s just say we spent 1/5 of what I was expecting to spend.
    5. I spent quite a bit of time with Won at the university while he was going to class. I got to explore the place a bit and do some emails in the common areas.*sigh* Maybe this will be my future school? One thing I will miss about California is everyone is Asian so everyone is only slightly taller than me. Here in Washington, everyone is mostly white and they TOWER over me. I hate that. So sad :(
    6. Surprisingly, I am getting along with Wons friends much better than I thought I would. I am starting to find their jokes funny and not just pervy or offensive. Lol. Also, the groomsmen are down to do and wear anything for the wedding that I want them to. That was my biggest worry! Won was scared I would try to boss and bully them around but luckily they like my ideas too! Yay! Win! Win! 
    Abrupt ending of another amazing Seattle trip summary.

  • Lovey Dovey & Halloween Party Pictures

    I used to ask ALL my clients.. how do you know when it’s THE ONE? Once a client told me… “I didn’t know until 3 months after the wedding.” I was like.. whaaaaaaaaaaat? 

    Then I totally get it! Cuz I love Wonn Choe more and more everyday. After every hug and kiss and especially after every fight! 
    Speaking of fighting!
     
    My little fist looks so not powerful… -___-

    Chun Li: Special Attack: Posing! hehe!

    And making friends with super cute twin Hello Kitties!
    Although I felt someone tug on my hair strings and turned around to see a girl running away. I THOUGHT it was my friend playing a trick on me so I grabbed her angel wings and dragged her over to me so I could see who she was. Turns out I did NOT know her. So I pushed her back in the crowd. Awkward. 

    Stripper shoe store in the ghetto had the perfect shoes I needed. I was timidly trying them on when a stripper walked in and highly highly recommended these, saying she gets really rough in these and they last a long time. Surprisingly, they are the most comfortable 6 inch heels I have. Lol!!! 
    Won and I were such a popular costume that night. We were stopped many times and asked to take pictures with Street Fighter fans. My bad, I thought we were from Mortal Kombat. Fail. LOL!!! 
    After carefully looking at the pictures from Halloween, I cannot say I look slightly chubby because of bad camera angles. I have truly gotten fatter than I would like to be. From now on when anyone wants to hang out with me, we will not be getting lunch and fancy shit, we will be EXERCISING. Except today, my cousin came over and we went hiking then I threw up after trying to jog up some stairs. UGHHH.. FML!! How am I supposed to get skinny. And for anyone who says, “OMG! You are already skinny!” You can just shut it because who cares what you think? I only care what I think of myself. And I think I need to get “skinny bitch” especially in time for the wedding. 
    After that totally awkward run turned torture session we decided to go get Japanese 3D nail art for the first time at this famous place in SF. I LOVE THEM SOOO MUCH!! If they were so bad for your natural nails I would get them ALL the time. I’m going to find someone to train me in these so I can offer it as a specialized service in the future. So cute!!

    Gun (bad ass!), flower, diamond, cross (for skipping church whenever Won’s in town), heart, and love <3 <3 <3

    Engagement ring, pink Chanel, tiara, heart, and baby turtle (cuz Won loves turtle)!! 
    Wishing everyone enjoys everyday of their lives as best as they can! Our daily lives can change so drastically within a matter of hours so surround yourself with positive thinking and people :)

  • Non Wedding Related Fun

    Aside from wedding stuff, which I am effin’ sick of (like I am sure you ALL are..) I’ve been having a steady life of work and rest with a few AWESOME vacations sprinkled in between.


    Hawaii was pretty awesome. On a bored day we decided to stroll the mall and there happened to be a free dance show! I stalked these little dudes to take pictures with them. Why so cute!?!?!

    Hawaii forced me to be the most active I’ve ever been. We swam out too far and the captian had to jump ship to save me. More proof that I can’t hang with the big dogs.

    My titanic moment!

    Encore! New fact: Boating does not make me sick. But kayaking makes me seasick. wtf. Also new fact: when you throw up in the ocean all the fishes swim to eat it so everyone snorkeling will get a kick out of it. Hahahaha

    Coconut on Maui were no good, surprisingly. And this was the ONLY coconut place we passed by! WHY!?!

    Doing the little wave dance. My cousin did the big wave dance and a big wave came and slammed her face first into the sand, she came up with a bloody nose and a bathing suit full of sand… wtf… do not mess with ocean.

    Went to my friend’s Arabian Nights Themed birthday party. I actually did not want to go but Won made me go cuz she is a good friend and I should go even if I wasn’t friends with her friends. To save me the awkwardness I made Trina bo beena go with me.
     
    We got free hand jewelry and those coin belts that make a lot of noise. So I guess it was worth it to go. LOL!
     
    There were also other activities like henna, magician, and free candies/bubbles. Best birthday party I been to in a while.

    If only Won would let me get a REAL wrist tattoo. That would be so awesome.

    Speaking of Trina Bo Beena, my partner in crime since literally our diaper days.. upped and moved to New York City!!! In under 2 weeks notice too. I’m happy for her. But so sad at the same time. This was at her spontaneous going away party in which people started bawling at the club even before anyone got drunk! I’m going to miss her soooo much! Who am I going to party with now :( :( :( :(  
    Then I took my bridesmaids to Los Angeles (not all pictured) so those beezies can pick out their bridesmaids dressy. They got SUPER fancy ones…  I asked to borrow it someday so I can wear it to the opera. Hahahaha. And this is us clubbing at Icon night club, which is a rooftop club with cabanas in the beautiful warm  night air. WTF!! Why does San Francisco not have nice things like this? And also why don’t we have Fashion District?!?!? Oh right, because I will spend ALL MY LIFE SAVINGS there every single day. WTF. I hate you LA!!! You guys are so lucky! You have EVERYTHING there. After our wedding and before we get pregnant I am going to ask Won for $15k to move to LA for a month and go to makeup school. Hahahahaha. <3 <3 <3 <3 
    Okay bye all! kisses! Sorry for lack of more than one picture per event, Trina Bo Beena has always been the camera carrier, without her… we just don’t take pictures :(
    I lost best friend. Anyone want to apply for newly open position? *cries*

  • Wedding Entry #5

    I’ll share pictures of dresses I did NOT buy! haha

    My recommendation for all brides to be is to shop at David’s bridal first because unlike all the other bridal stores that only carry sample sizes 8 -12, David’s Bridal carries ALL the sizes for all their dresses. This means you can try on a dress in YOUR size and see if the shape is flattering on you. From there you can go to other stores and have a good narrowed down idea of what you want. Also, surprisingly out of ALL the bridal stores I went to (10+) David’s Bridal had the best customer service. Who would have thought right?!

    I thought I would hate tight fitting dresses. But it ended up being not so bad… 

    This one is from Nordys in Seattle. Drama drama!

    For some reason a lot of people invisioned me in this specific dress. Me thinks not!

    After a while, all the ball gowns started to look the same to me but nothing wowed me. I was losing hope fast seeing as I was on my 9th wedding store and every store only like like 1 or 2 ball gowns with a natural waistline.
     
    Not the dress I chose but I liked this picture because it shows the super cute bridesmaids who went me to me all my appointments and were brutally honest (bishes) about what was good and not.
    Btw, I been watching A LOT of Say Yes To The Dress. And in a lot o the episodes the brides totally deflate because their friends hate what they love. So sad! Glad I have bridesmaids who, although may have different taste than myself, knows exactly what my taste is and were so good at keeping me on track and finding me my so Van Pham dresses. 

  • Wedding Entry #4

    So there was one time I was in Seattle and asked Won to take me wedding dress shopping. 


    Won: Fiance rule # 1. Do not schedule anything on football Sunday
    Me: But we have dress shopping appointments!
    Won: I thought it was Monday
    Me: No! It’s Sunday
    Won: What time?
    Me: …….
    Won:……..
    Me:……What time is football?
    Won: -_____-

    Anyhow, during the appointment while I tried on about 3 dresses Won awkwardly sat there and read a book. Did not even look up once, except to nod and say, “do YOU like it?” when I asked if he liked it or not. Later in the car….

    Me: So did you like any of them?
    Won: Any of what?
    Me: !?!?!? Any of the dresses I just tried on
    Won: No
    Me: WHAT!?!? YOU WANT TO DIE?!  WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!!?
    Won:.. you didn’t like them, so I didn’t like them :D
    Me: -_____-

    Which brings us to this common theme

    Me: YAY!!!!!!!!!!! The church approved the chandeliers!!  I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!! CHANDERLIERS!!!!!!! YAY!!!! 
    Won: ……. 
    Won:…… Is it really that big a deal?
    Me: YES! OMG! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?! WE’LL WALK DOWN THE AISLE IN BETWEEN CHANDELIERS!!!!
    Won: …… oh
    Won: Then I’m excited too! YAY! CHAND0LIERRRSSSSSSSS!!
    Me: -___- 

    But sometimes he can be such a butt..

    Me: I’m cutting out all the boutonnieres okay?
    Won: What’s that?
    Me: It’s the flower that usually the family members wear on their shirt to signify that they are family. But it’s so tacky and doesn’t go with any outfits and it’s a waste of money. Are you okay with that?
    Won: Huh? What? yea. Whatever
    Me: No boutonniere for you too either okay? 
    Won:Yea, whatever
    Won:……
    Won:…….
    Won: wait no. It’s always been my dream to wear that thing
    Van: What?! No it’s not. You didn’t even know what it was a minute ago!
    Won: I want it now
    Van: -_____-  

    And while I am stressing and researching everything

    Me: Do you care who I book? I mean, do you even want to see their work? 
    Won: um… Uh…. Um… Uh… 
    Me:…..Well?
    Won:…..
    Won: I just care about the budget

    And that concludes our clueless groom entry. 

  • Wedding Entry #3

    OMFG I went over budget for EVERY SINGLE THING… Thankfully my yobo says that if I REALLY love something then the couple of thousands will not make a difference in the end and that he would rather I get whatever it is I really love. The problem is I love the really expensive shit. But how did I get such a wonderful guy to love me so much? Such a blessing <3 <3 <3

    In other news.. I got my wedding dresses!!! Yes, dresses. Hahahaha. 3 down, 1 more to go. 2 wedding gowns, 1 Vietnamese dress, and 1 Korean dress. 
    But no luck with the bridesmaids dresses despite our shopping efforts so all these beezies and I are actually flying down to LA for a girls trip with the mission of finding their dress in fashion district. We’re so effin’ vain. *sigh* Mental note: next time hire ugly hags.. none of this super cute super pretty super fabulous bridesmaids business anymore. Lol.
    For the venue, I’m lighting up EVERYTHING in pink, pink, and pink!! And the place is going to sparkle in chandeliers! Meeting with all the vendors have been such an interesting experience, especially because I am a wedding vendor myself. Here are some observations:
    - I EFFIN’ hate vendors that DO NOT listen to me. I mean, I get that some brides are indecisive or don’t know bat shit about what they want and need a lot of direction, but I am not one of those and so I think vendors should gage their clients and act accordingly. I came in with a vision and I hate it when vendors keep trying to talk me into extra services I don’t need, or into doing something I specifically did not want. I started getting really pissed off when the florist and I kept arguing about getting tall centerpieces when I specifically said I did not want tall centerpieces. And what pissed me off even more is that I did not even want her damn floral business, I was there just to rent chandeliers!! Needless to say, I am renting chandeliers from somewhere else for almost twice the cost so I did not have to deal with such annoying people with their “floral degrees” and whatever other bull shit they have *roll eyes.* She needs a degree in listening to people is what she needs.  
    - I hate shady vendors who for whatever reason can not give me a straight price quote. And every single time I talk to them, suddenly the price is different. And before the company was going to set up the rentals and now I have to pick up the rentals myself. I’m like.. wtf.. get your shit straight!
    I made it a personal rule that I will not work with anyone I do not have a good feeling about, no matter HOW FREAKING CHEAP THEY ARE. I see this type of shit unravel all the time. I’ve had brides who scream and cry into the phone at stupid shady vendors who do not deliver on the wedding day, all while I’m trying to finish up their makeup. I learned it is just worth it to fork out the extra money for reputable honest people for peace of mind on the wedding day. Knowing me, I will flip a table over anything wrong on the day of. Lol.
    Bridezilla commence!! 

  • Wedding Entry #2

    Not much has change since Entry #1. Actually NOTHING has changed. I’ve been lazy and on vacation in Hawaii. And now Won is yelling at me for not setting a date/booking a venue yet. Gaaah. So he is coming here ONE day next week to do all the wedding stuff, mainly booking a venue so we can have a date.

    Because you see, you can’t book anything else if you do not have a date. And the small town videographer I originally wanted to hire.. in a matter of 3 days became INTERNATIONALLY famous. wtf -____-   Now I probably can’t afford them not to mention they probably wont even be available because they are so famous and booked with celebrities and such. ARGHH!!! If only I wasn’t slow and booked a venue, set a date, then I could have booked the video guys BEFORE they got famous. WTF. FML.
    Here is their wedding video that is sweeping the nation following Gangnam

    Anyways…. I have been meaning to get a custom made suit made for my super buff yet small waisted fiance. Meaning he is basically a triangle and cannot fit into any pre-made suits even with alterations. Custom made suits can cost as much as a regular designer suit. Everyone told me to send his measurements to Asia to get it done but I didn’t trust our measuring skills. But then guess what I found? The famous Asian company is coming here to the US to measure peoples! Yay! Everyone I’ve talked to said the quality is really good since most fabrics come from Asia anyways. I guess we’ll see!!At only $300 – $400 for a 3 piece tux we just had to give it a try

    What else??.. I have not yet found a dress I am in love with. But I do love the back of this dress! So whimsical!
     
    I just think how awesome it will be when I walk down the aisle and when I pass the peoples, this is what they’ll be looking at the whole time. I never thought I’d want a train because they seem so dated. But hey, I am loving this train of tulle! So fabulous how can I not. 
    Its REALLY hard finding the dress I want, not because I am indecisive but because I am sooo particular about what I want (which unfortunately is NOT the popular trend right now) that all the stores I’ve been to only have one, maybe two, if any dresses at all that is even close to what I want. Sad!! The search continues! Will keep you all posted once we actually make some progress! Exciting!!