Some ideas on…

We have been home more than ever and possibly have watched everything during this pandemic. We have so many streaming services and it still feels like there is nothing to watch! What have we become. (thats another blog post)

Luckily the services put out new content every week whether we like it or not. I have a small list of things I am excited to see, but before I share those here are some that I watched and enjoyed. Maybe it’s something you had your eye on.

In exchange of me sharing what I have watched and liked, please share what you watched and enjoyed in the comments below!

Let’s go by categories:

MOVIES

PALM SPRINGS: This movie was most talked about during Sundance and you can now enjoy it on HULU. It is a modern day groundhogs day movie and even though it might not seem like its a reality, from us being home and having the same routine everyday…it kinda does seem like we are living the same day over and over. Hulu

“When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated as they are unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.”

KNIVES OUT: I remember when my husband came home after seeing this in the theatre and telling me how great it was. It is a crime drama/comedy. When it first starts out I will be honest, I wasn’t too interested in watching but the end is good. Everyone in it is enjoyable to watch too! Amazon Prime

“A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.”

HAMILTON: Do I need to say more? It was filmed in 2016 and it’s about time…the PERFECT time for it to be out. I became an instant fan and have been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack. Can’t wait to watch it again! Disney+

“An American Musical, it’s a musical theatre production. Specifically, one that tells the story of forgotten American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his ascent out of poverty and to power against the backdrop of the American War of Independence”

DOCUMENTARY/DOCU-SERIES

13TH: If you haven’t seen this one. Just stop and watch. This is everything that has/is happening in the world and why BLM. Netflix

“An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequality.”

LITTLE AMERICA: Since my parents are also immigrants, this series hit home in a lot of ways. Inspired by true stories/events the actors reenact what the immigrated families have gone through their experiences to come live and work in America. Just read they are picked up to do a season 2 and am super excited about it. Apple+

“Little America goes beyond the headlines to bring to life the funny, romantic, heartfelt and surprising stories of immigrants in America.”

THE LAST DANCE: Currently binging with my husband and all I want to do is watch some more! We don’t even watch sports! We know barely anything about basketball. BUT we remember the time Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls and it was an exciting time. Listening to everything that went behind the scenes is just fascinating. “Hard work really pays off”<- this quote is constantly going through my brain as I am watching this. Netflix

“Charting the rise of the 1990’s Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.”

MURDER MYSTERIES

I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK: Where do I start with this one? There is definitely a trigger warning. If you are not comfortable with murder/rape then this is not something you would be able to watch easily. There were many times where I would watch this and just think about why and how it could’ve happened to anyone. Everything about this is just crazy and cannot believe it was real and took THIS LONG to catch the ….. HBO Max

“A six-part documentary series based on the book of the same name, I’ll Be Gone In The Dark explores writer Michelle McNamara’s investigation into the dark world of the violent predator she dubbed “The Golden State Killer,” the man who terrorized California in the 1970s and 80s and is responsible for 50 home-invasions…”

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: I grew up watching this show, then Netflix brings it back in a cool way. Just from episode 1, the reddit crowd went crazy on all the theories of what might of have happened. With the internet and so many of us invested, we might actually be able to solve the mysteries!

“Real cases of perplexing disappearances, shocking murders and paranormal encounters fuel this gripping revival of the iconic documentary series.”

REALITY SHOWS

ALONE: It all started from Netflix ALONE Season 6. My husband and I watched it and got Hooked! THEN, we got our family hooked! THEN we found out the other seasons are on HULU. So now I am slowly starting from Season 1 and about to start season 4!I can’t stop! And all I want to do is test my survival skills out in the wilderness. P.S I would never survive LOL

“Equipped with limited resources, an isolated group of individuals is subjected to the harsh conditions of the wilderness and must survive — or tap out.”

INDIAN MATCHMAKING: Arranged marriage is so different from way back when. This show is just so fascinating. You start your date with marriage questions and money/family. Right to the point. No time wasted. I hope they do another season of it because I want to see if they all found love and how they are doing. Netflix

“Matchmaker Sima Taparia guides clients in the U.S. and India in the arranged marriage process, offering an inside look at the custom in a modern era.”

LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM: Another dating show is the sweetest show! These young adults just want to find love like anyone else and we get to watch them go on their first dates. The pureness and honesty of all of them are so enjoyable to watch. Their parents have been through so much ( I tear up everytime a dad cried talking about the struggles) and all they want for them is to find true love, a partner for life. Netflix

“Finding love can be hard for anyone. For young adults on the autism spectrum, exploring the unpredictable world of dating is even more complicated.”

KIDS

TUMBLE LEAF: Something about this show just calms my son down. Its a stop motion adorable series of Fig the Fox and his friends. It is the sweetest show and love it so much I don’t mind sitting with my son to watch it!

“
Tumble Leaf is a series aimed at preschoolers, set in a whimsical land where a small blue fox named Fig plays each day and discovers adventure, friendship and love around every bend in the path. Children will be enriched by these narratives that promote play, the fun of learning and understanding the world around them.”

THE FLOOR IS LAVA: Remember playing this game when you were little? Throwing all the sofa cushions on the ground and jumping from one pillow to another. It’s the most simple game show, and it works! They use real people (not muscle peeps that can do just about any super power move) The editing of after you fall in the lava is good too because it looks like they are sinking! Funny stuff and now my whole family plays this when they come over.

“Teams compete to navigate rooms flooded with lava by leaping from chairs, hanging from curtains and swinging from chandeliers. Yes, really.”

OMG friends. I have more but let’s stop here for now.

Please share your favorite shows! I am ready to start something new.

xFriedia

Asian Americans

I have been watching the @PBS #AsianAmericans and it makes me feel so many feelings. Happy that so many strong beings have made changes to this world and mad that in ways we are still dealing with the same problems today.
Being Brazilian/Japanese and growing up In Virginia was’t the best of times. I had big glasses and somehow got categorized as Asian and at my lunch with other fellow Asians whom were from India. And when I moved to Japan I got categorized as Foreign, and got picked on for having big eyes or curly hair…really anything they could find they reminded me of it. Being mixed you never know where you fit in.
And now having a shop in Chinatown and dealing with the racism with the Coronavirus there is tough. How people can profile a Chinese American for carrying the virus is crazy to me. When I go to LA Chinatown I see more windows being smashed or vandalized with no one walking around during the day.May I add that when we went to see the space for the first time there were so many people walking around, we met tourists from all over and as soon as the chaos hit Chinatown was the first to feel it. Its sad. Truly heartbreaking to have another racist recurring pattern in American history to happen during times like these. We need to learn from the past and stop this racial hatred. I just pray this is over soon.

  • Japanese Father
Brazilian Mother, our dog Pinga and me

2019 in Review

January 2019
Started the year 2019 with cutting my bangs. I had needed a change and its funny how I am having the same feeling now! Lol
We start to rent out our home to photoshoots and documentaries. Here we are trying to help others while it helps out with the mortgage.
The company I was working for did not set up their NYNow booth and I somehow was able to get things together and set it up. Which brings us to February.
February 2019
Very first ever NYNow and Stationery Trade Show. I got to attend and showcase my cards from New Moon Paper Goods.
And from all the stores I had written where I wanted to receive an order from, I got half of those dream orders! I couldn’t believe it myself.
Fell in Love with the stationery store McKnally Jackson Goods For The Study and CW Pencils and got to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge!
Had a wonderful quiet birthday with the family.
March 2019
Had a great visit to the doctors with E lol
Really got to start to see his sense of humor come out. Started being silly and making us laugh. A little jokester.
Shipping out the NYNow Orders and getting to see them in stores and online was definitely a highlight of the month!
I start shipping out to all my dream stores!
Loved this day packaging it all and getting it ready.
April 2019
Craft Shows start up again. Applied to as many as I could and kept me busy doing them all in LA and SF area. Hopefully in 2020 I can expand and go to other states too.
Around this time I also started to share my art and sketch book to my Patreons.
May 2019
Had a lot of pop-ups this month. Mothers Day cards are always a hit! wink wink
Got to pop-up in a few historical buildings in Los Angeles,loved seeing another side on LA.
My husband and E surprised me at work with some flowers on mothers day. I love surprises.
May was also the month that the drama with the roof started.
Roof started to leak in March-April and the company we hired didn’t tarp the roof after they peeled off the shingles and the rain got in our house!! How does that happen??
It was and has been a nightmare with all of this. It’s a long and on going story…
June 2019
E’s little friend, since they were 1.5-2 years old had a going away party.
She is leaving for Portugal for six months!
Had a little scare where I had to call the Police to see if my father was home since he didn’t respond to any of my texts, emails, phone calls and letters.
Luckily he was okay and we got to go see him right around his birthday but I still have a hard time pinning this man down! Adulting is hard.
My husband and I rarely go on dates, and on our 9 year anniversary we got to walk around frogtown and chinatown. Fun exploring LA like the good ol days.
July 2019
Little E starts to express his interest in drawing. And he is REALLY good at it!
Photo above is his first attempt to draw a t-rex! How did he do that?!

Wasn’t my first time and hopefully won’t be my last but I got to illustrate on the store window and just wanted to keep going. Might have to add this into my 2020 goals!
It also marked my official one year working at a job that I needed to be in full time. Until this job I was mostly freelance working from home. Time to ask for a raise!
Also around this time, a freelance contract I had with a company I had worked for around 6 years let me go. They let a lot of their team go and some went back to Japan. End to an era.
It was pirate day at school and the teachers told us to dress up so I made a pirate sword, pirate hat and boat from used up cardboard boxes that E helped me color.
BUT when we got to the school everyone had the same outfit on: Black colored clothing with a bandana over their heads LOL
Mom didn’t get the memo.
I might have gone a little overboard.
My mom got to come and help me with E while I worked. It was her first time to SF and I was so excited to show her as much as I could! (never was there enough time)
Loved connecting with her during the drive up and back. Also loved that we found some Brazilian super markets and she was able to cook up a delicious meal for everyone!
The winery hop was fun too! I think I need to go back to SF with mom.
E’s first trolly ride. He loved every minute of it!
August 2019
Lion King movie had just come out and we decided all the kids and parents should go watch it together. In the kids minds, this was the best day of their life! To this day they talk about how much fun they had watching Lion King. The BFF’s. The gang.
Traveled back to NY for the trade show. Once again I set up a whole booth (bigger than before) within a month and a half. “Make it Work”
I got to show my cards again but wasn’t as great as the first show.
The people/owner at my job had made it super weird and secretive during this trip.Hard to work with people knowing they are not on the same team. This was not a fun trip.
Had a feeling that this was going to be the last one with that company.
Also the last time I saw my favorite mustard art teacher like wrap….
loosing this was like an ending to a chapter.
(someone in NYC is looking real cute in this tho!)

Getting to see my cards in Goods For The Study around NYC and Brooklyn really got me excited and wondered why I didn’t put more effort into it! Another goal for 2020!!
Answer to that was: I put too much effort into this full time job I had. Was so determined to make it the best I could. It’s time to work on ME!
September 2019
Originally I had been thinking about this dream stationery shop from long long ago. Back in May I had actually started to call and looked at some brick and mortar locations. When I was told that the store manager position I had ,wanted me out by the end of September, Christine and I decided to become business partners around this time.
When we were brainstorming names, we were joking around and Christine had blurted out “yeah, paper please” and we both stopped, looked at each other and immediately fell in love with the name. From that day I started working on the logo!

My son’s imagination and creativity start to do it’s own thing. Am so in love with everything he draws with ease. Without a care in the world.
My last day at work was a weird one. Girls you thought were friends acted weird and the boss that ignored you for three months all of a sudden had so much to say.
I will leave it as “it was a bad breakup”
Door is closed. Let’s move on.
October 2019
We literally set up a shop, online shop, bought as much as we could, raised money with Indie Gogo to try to get Paper Please off the ground!
We got some funding , some attention and a small investment/loan!
With all the support from friends, family and new friends it has made me more confident and passionate about why this stationery shop needs to happen!
Was also able to go to E’s Field Trip to the pumpkin patch. I missed it last year because I had to work and this year I hope to be with my son more than last.
November 2019
Nov 1st we start our two month residency at Two Kids Coffee in Pasadena for Paper Please.
We didn’t know how we would fill the space but we did and it looked beautiful!
Opening night was so much fun that I never picked up my phone to document any of it. Lesson learned: hire a photographer for opening night!
First workshop of Letter Writing Night went super great. Many people arrived and we got to sit and chat about stationery.
And before the month ended I was able to interview my ever so talented friend Esther Kim.(who is killing it in Asia right now as we speak!) x It was an intimate gathering which made it even more special.
It was my father in law’s 70th Birthday and we all got to celebrate by going Bowling and enjoying time together in Disneyland!
December 2019
This was our busiest time at the shop. There were days when it was just one of us and didn’t know if we would manage without going crazy lol
We hired our first employee!
New Moon Paper came out with new pins, stickers, tissue paper and notepads.
My sons 4th Birthday Party. Toy Story 4 themed. He said it was the best party he has ever had.
My dad came to see me at my shop and we chatted about random things for a couple of hours which was really nice.
Our pop-up ended and we felt content and happy with what we achieved.
On our way to Colorado everyone in the plane sang Happy Birthday to little E. We traveled on his actual birthday. After we arrived the whole family sang him Happy Birthday!
What a fun trip it was. Getting to connect with family members and meeting new ones.
The year 2019 was personally hard on me. A lot of moments when I felt like I got hit and couldn’t get up. I am praying that 2020 will be a fresh new start to a new decade, new me and new adventures to look back on!
Happy New Years Everyone. Thank you for all the support in the past ten or so years I have been on social media. Love the new friends I made from it.
This year is all about more connecting with others.
Cheers!