Toilet Paper Tube Spaceship-Quarantine DIY

Super easy and quick DIY to do with your kids is to use the left over toilet paper rolls from the #stayhome #quarantinelife All materials are things I had at home (dont even have to risk your health for going out to grab these things)

After we made this my son was playing with his spaceship for two days. Its like it was a new toy and we never had to go to Target to get him something. Kids are so easily entertained! Their imaginations are the best

Toilet Paper Tube FREE

Markers

Scissors

White Paint

Hot Glue Gun

Toy Box, Cereal Box, Cracker Box FREE

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!

Back to Documenting My Life!

I have been away AND I have been busy. Being a new-ish mom (feels like this lasts forever) and now opening up a store. What a crazy year it has been.

If you were on my newsletter, I sent everyone a very detailed story of what happened and how I got laid off. Now I am more passionate than ever about women’s rights and for us to all be equal.

In Japan a female hardly ever asks for a raise even though they went to a better school or faster/smarter than the guy next to her. Income levels between men and women in Japan are not equal; the average Japanese woman earns 40 percent less than the average man, 

In Japan once you get pregnant the job that you worked so hard at for the past 3-5 years, ‘assumes’ you will quit your job to be a house wife. Women are often found in part time or temporary jobs. … Japan has a strong tradition of women being housewives after marriage.

Being fired in this way for this reason was shocking and heartbreaking, but I see clearer now than ever before.

I am now being “forced” to pursue the very dream that got me fired in the first place. This is all part of the plan. The time is now and this excites and terrifies me at the same time!

I am back and ready to start sharing more of my life and what I learn from it. Would also love to learn from you all as well! I always say this but, every time there is a comment or DM I try to reply to all of you and hopefully we get to connect. We live in an amazing time where we can create friends on the other side of the world via online.

See ya around here again!

xFriedia

Renegade Craft Fair x New Moon Paper Goods

My first experience with Renegade Craft Fair San Francisco was amazing! The location, the creators, the customers, the weather! The weather was actually warm!

There was a line outside Fort Mason Pavilion! It was exciting to have customers that were excited to be there. Thank you to everyone who came down to pick up a card or pin or even to just say a simple hello! Really means a lot that you did!

SHOP New Moon Paper Goods now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cannot wait to apply to future San Francisco shows at Renegade!

I had a lot of new Mothers Day Cards that I launched that day and most of them sold out! Need to re-stock before I run out of time! eeeek

Also have been vlogging everyday in the month of April! Here are the two days of the show~

And Day 2

Birthdays

I am not the one to “promote” my birthday or “brag” about the gifts that I receive. But the older I get the more I forget lol #mombrain and I thought I wanted to remember these days, especially with my child. So about a month ago was my birthday and I vlogged a bit about it!

And now a month later my husbands birthday comes along and I got to surprise this man once again for his special “over the hill” birthday! Surprised him twice within 24hours!! Have the video to prove it.

Happy Birthday to the love of my life!

I get to call this man my husband! Happy Birthday Love!

Sure, you make fun of me (all the time). Your texts mostly always have a joke in them and you laugh at your own jokes. Even though we don’t have the same sense of humor all the time, it is a part of your charm and honestly, it all makes you…YOU. Love that you keep the light and laughter in my world. You have also created a small comedian in Everest. I love you Sunny – thank you for being you. Thank you for being a father worthy to be called Daddy. Thank you for being a husband that is faithful, true, loving and kind. Happy, happiest 40th! I’m so excited to celebrate with you this weekend!!

確かに、あなたは私のことを（いつも）ジョークで楽んでいる。あなたのテキストもほとんど冗談があり、あなたはあなた自身のジョークにも笑います。私たちはいつも同じユーモア感覚を持っていないかもしれないが、それはあなたの魅力の一部だと思う。あなたが私の世界で光と笑いを持って来てくれるから大好きです。エベレストも小さなコメディアンになってきたね。 Sunny愛しているよ – 素敵なお父さんになり、素直な旦那でいてくれてありがとう。 ハッピーで幸せな40歳を！今週末にあなたと祝うことがとてもたのしみにしているよ！

Happy New Year GIFT!

Totally late “Happy New Year” to you all! Wishing you all the happiest and most successful year yet! It’s gonna be a good one.
2018 is already feeling a little different, hasn’t it? It has gotten me pumped and inspired to do more! Or… in reality…I will try to post as much as I can being a one woman show lol
BUT, in my heart and soul I want to do SO MUCH MORE its hard sometimes. If you haven’t seen any of my new videos yet, then please do go by my channel and check out some recent vlogs. Another new thing is that I have started a PATREON page and would love to get your support on it in any way you can! Doesn’t even have to be funding! Just you stopping by my ETSY page or shop Instagram or personal IG page and saying hello helps! Knowing you are there helps!;)
OKAY~
For this month I wanted to give back so I thought if I made something downloadable for you to use that it would be easy for the both of us LOL …hope this works.
I have illustrated a handful of wallpapers that I am personally using myself and would love for you to use it on your desktop and/or laptop too! So sorry it is the last week of January, am hoping to do a FEB one pretty soon too so keep an eye out! If you are looking for wallpaper for your tele’s, I have also made some for your phones that you can find on my New Moon Instagram page!

ENJOY!

this is my desktop right now!

The Ups and Downs of a Freelancer

I have been doing freelance work for about 13 years now and you would think that I would be used to the fact that every opportunity I get will always end ( no company will hire a freelancer forever) But when I do have to say good bye it always does scare me. I get frightened on things like “how will I pay the bills next month” or “who am I going to work with next?”
So the other day I had to walk away from another company. From the start it didn’t feel right but I tried to make it work and some companies just don’t understand the importance of building a social media presence or building that community. And there is only so much one freelancer can do! Good Bye, it was time.
Before that though I had a high by meeting the daughter of one of my favorite companies in Japan! She was sweet and we talked about paper goods which always gets me happy. Maybe it was all a sign that its time for me to go full force with my little shop and build it into something!

Here was my day:

5 Item Fashion Game Changers For This Fall

JUMPSUITS
Okay, I am starting off the list pretty bold…I know. But IF you really want to step it up you gotta wear items that not everyone wears, right? We saw a lot of jumpsuits this summer and now for fall you pair it with a turtle neck or long sleeve and some boots.

Mara Hoffman Idola Corduroy Jumpsuit

METALLIC PLEATED SKIRT

You may think this is waaaay out of your comfort zone but its actually not as crazy as you think when you put it on and pair it with sneakers.Don’t this too hard about this one and it will work its way into your wardrobe.Sorry, not sorry for the mustard color. Am slightly obsessed with it right now.


ENGLISH FACTORY Metallic Satin Pleated Skirt

MULES AND SLIDES

I am going to suggest to go bold in color or bold in design for this one even though the beige would be great too since it can go with anything. Will make you look like you have bare feet:) What I love about Fall is that BOLD colors can totally make the outfit. So if you are wearing a simple denim and tee/long sleeve you can add this bright red mule and a red lip and you are ready darling!


Jeffrey Campbell Felicitas Mules

 

BOLD LIPS
Which brings me to bold lips. When I say red, it doesn’t have to be the scary apple red you might be thinking it about. It can be a deeper red or even close to a dark beige like the one I chose here. I saw this new color and thought “ooo this would be a great everyday color!” This always saves me since recently my makeup is always natural and simple and I spruce it up with a lip color.


& Other Stories Thrummed Mocha

 

STATEMENT EARRINGS
You may have realized a lot of girls, ladies using more of a bold earring casually. And even though I love a very dainty piece, switching it up to wearing something simple and upping my game with a bold piece of jewelry is always fun. Especially when its a very non-chalant everyday thing.The earring I chose here comes in all different colors but even just the basic colors, black or white can make your look stand out.

Vanessa Mooney The Astrid Knotted Tassel Earrings

 

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