what mariel made: a midweek list + diy wooden key chains

midweek greetings, gentlepeople. i hope this day finds you well rested or at least looking forward to the weekend. i am thoroughly enjoying the warmer weather and cherishing this taste of early summer.

since it’s been a little while, below is a list of familiar + favorite things alongside a quick diy project.

1. terrace house // sugoi~ i have a secure seat on the bandwagon for this show, especially with the aloha state house. guy sato + lauren tsai are my favorites. i’m just going to leave it there. find it on netflix.
2. swimming lunches // the warmer weather has lent itself to more lunch hours spent swimming. i’ll take a swimming pool over a treadmill, any day
3. cornflower blue + periwinkle // this color seems to be all the rage, especially on toe nails. i use an inexpensive and well-formulated sinful colors polish, but see here + here for other alternatives
4. ava ryan’s boss lady alter ego // one of my favorite ways to start a work day and feel empowered is by watching one of ava’s boss lady montages
5. getting clothes tailored // i think this is one of the most “grown up” things i will ever do in my life, getting my clothes tailored for my short torso and my short legs
6. charlie brown jazz // my favorite playlist for working, cleaning, chilling…doing everything. i usually listen via spotify, but youtube seems to have a good playlist going as well
7. day trips // in an effort to make the most of my weekends, more specifically my saturdays, i want to get out early by driving somewhere unfamiliar to explore
8. drinking my oatmeal // been making a version of this smoothie lately for lazy weekend mornings: 1 ripe banana, a handful of ice, 1/4 c. rolled oats, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp maca powder, 1 tbsp raw cacao powder, 3/4 c milk, blend until smooth
9. mooki + girl named george // two of my favorite, most aesthetically-pleasing dog instagram accounts
10. everydollar // shoutout to my friend, elaine, for introducing me to this free app ages ago. finally taking another grown up step towards accurately budgeting and keeping myself accountable

it’s diy project time. i’ve had this project sitting in my draft box since february, but after being reminded of this project by none other than a random detail from terrace house, i’ve decided to finally share it on the blog.

see the terrace house screen capture for reference 

i first started seeing these wooden keychains on pinterest and random blogs a couple years ago, and decided to make some myself.

supplies you will need //

• key chain rings (i decided to go with these gold ones from amazon)
• suede cord (i got mine from michael’s)
• wooden beads (with holes large enough to fit the leather cord)
• scissors
• optional: acrylic paint + sealant, if you want to paint the wooden beads

step 01 // depending on how long you want your keychain to be, double the length and fold suede cord in half, to form a loop

step 02 // place the loop behind the keychain ring and loop the rest of the suede cord over and through the loop, to make a knot on the keychain ring

step 03 // thread both suede cords together through your wooden beads

step 04 // when you are done threading your wooden beads, fasten a knot at the end + trim away any excess suede cord

and voilà! you’re done!

i love this project because it’s so easy to personalize + easy to turn into a necklace or a bracelet, etc.

extra notes //

• use a thin screw driver or a safety pin to make sure all of the wooden bead openings are hollowed out; sometimes, there are wood chips or uneven surfaces, which make threading the beads onto the cord more challenging than it should be
• to make an adjustable necklace or bracelet, use this tutorial on how to tie adjustable or “sliding knots”

thank you for reading along + checking in with this very humble blog. i try to strive for consistency but still have many drafts awaiting completion in my blogging arsenal. thank you for your patience!

until next next time! i hope you have a meaningful day or a restful evening.

❤ mariel

p.s. is anyone else excited for queer eye season 2 coming out on friday? i’m over the moon. can you believe?!

who mariel celebrated: sister creatives {international women’s day 2018}

happy weekend, everyone! as a result of all the woman love stemming from international women’s day this week, i want to give a nod to four women, who breathe creative life into me through their lifestyles + content.

puno / long-time creative crush
i have an actualized, super in-depth post coming up on puno. seriously. she is one of the most inspiring, creatively upbeat people that i discovered on youtube about 10 months ago, and i haven’t looked back since. you absolutely rock, puno puno. (also, yes, she recently changed her legal name to puno puno. i know. so rad.)

where to find puno
/youtube
/website
/instagram

christine mai nguyen / youtuber
i found puno via christine last year, so thank you, christine! simply put, christine is just a cool girl. she doesn’t adhere to all of the same editing trends that you typically see on youtube, which is refreshing to watch. i enjoy her “general favorites” videos and turn to christine for fashion, interior design, skincare/makeup, and photography inspiration.

where to find christine
/youtube
/instagram

laura izumikawa / content creator + mom to joey
you may or may not already know of “laura iz” from the instagram account @lauraiz, where she used to dress her daughter, joey, up in a variety of costumes during naptime. since falling in love with laura’s creative take on being a stay-at-home + creative mom, i’ve come to truly enjoy her sense of humor and take on story-telling as she documents her moments + milestones with joey. just a couple nights ago, i cried watching this video.

where to find laura (+joey)
/instagram
/website
/youtube
/book (naptime with joey)

joy sunyoung fitzgerald / illustrator + mom to nunu (+babygirl)
joy sunyoung fitzgerald (what a name), also known as madebysohn (“made by hand” in korean), is one of my favorite content creators. her writing is clear, simple, and sincere, much like the style of her illustrations and hand lettering, and i love her thoughts on motherhood. she has a beautiful family and is about to welcome a baby girl in the coming weeks. what a dreamy little family.

where to find joy (insert pun here, ha!)
/instagram
/book (august to august)

that’s all folks. i’ll keep this post short and sweet. as i mentioned earlier, please keep an eye out for a puno-centric post as well as a little diy project. have a restful day / night!

❤ mariel

p.s. here are a couple things to explore via the internet this weekend.
/did you know that barbie vlogs?
/janelle monae channeling prince
/12-minute tabata workout
/zucchini grilled cheese
/trader joe’s breakfast hack
/queer eye on netflix is my new favorite.
/reviewing bad apps
/17 ways to hold a baby
/nailed it! on netflix (oddly stressful yet fun to watch)
/for my fellow netflix rats
/this quirky artist’s apartment
/the first ever episode of broad city

p.p.s. all photos from instagram + edited via procreate app

 

what mariel does: checking in on a monday night

I’ve been itching to reignite the proactive blogging fire in my belly for a chunk of time. Despite having a full thought catalog of ideas, I haven’t felt convicted to write about anything in particular and it’s debilitating. I am both bursting at the seams to write something but cannot muster up the confidence to effectively write anything. I have been stuck in this fruitless cycle for a little while, but a dear friend suggested that I write about this exact topic: feeling stuck, feeling caught between my aspirations for the future and my own expectations from the past. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do: just write + check in.

As I scroll past my previous blog posts, I see old favorites, where I feel as though my words actually did my thoughts justice or where I was satisfied with the visual content shared. The productivity-crushing sentiments stem from reminiscing and being fearful of the possibility that future content I produce will not be as meaningful or as intentional. However, these fears will never end, and it’s not productive to dwell on them. It is productive to reflect and check in with yourself…and it’s kind of fun too, so here we go.

Checking in with the rest of my brain:

in my ears // this + this song by maggie rogers + this entire tiny desk concert.

before my eyes // cup of jo’s blog lately, especially this + this post. the readers’ comments contain enough content for an entire blog too. i also enjoy her home tours and her a week of outfits posts (on a separate note, this article is on my internet reading queue, love me some greta gerwig!)

on my wish list // wishing i could flawlessly throw a perfect bowl in ceramics class (need more practice) + currently admiring the work of this person + this person + my prolific cousin

on my plate // at least two eggs in any form but usually soft boiled or sunny-side up + a perfect piece of buttered toast (holla at my favorite butter brand, i use this butter sparingly, so precious…) + also, this tortilla soup has been warming me through and through (i substitute one of the cans of black beans for pinto beans)

on my diy bucket list // christmas season is rapidly approaching and i’m ready for another advent calendar diy (this was last-last year’s naked advent calendar + last-last-last year’s advent calendar from chelsea petaja)

in my hands // incoming + outgoing mail, especially because autumn is when the bulk of my friends are born (wuddup, birthday central). i am also blessed to be surrounded by people, who have a knack for capturing moments of beauty, so i have several friends’ photos that i have printed and framed, ready for my walls.

on my mind // the concept of friendship, especially female friendship, the importance of women having other women to support them. this poignantly written article describes facets of it well. other thoughts on friendship at first sight.

in my heart // a conviction to pray aloud more, vocalizing my prayers has been instrumental in processing my thoughts and emotions recently. i’m slowly trying to practice being more generous with my prayers, especially for my coworkers + people pressed on my heart.

in my anticipations // re-prioritizing and re-dedicating myself to certain practices in efforts to improve my physical, mental, and spiritual health. (i.e. prayer, regular gentle exercise, making, writing, reading, seeking more learning opportunities + collaborations, and much more.)

in my camera roll // 1. aforementioned tortilla soup | 2. photos captured by my friend, kelly + framed by me | 3. happy place, bed | 4. spotting hidden illustrations | 5. a wholesome meal, egg + company included | 6. the stanford times at 7am | 7. sisters

Thanks for kicking it with me; in exchange for your time, here’s something to make you laugh and something else to make you smile.

I hope, whoever you are, wherever you are, that you have the bandwidth to check in with yourself soon. It’s well worth it.

❤ mariel

what mariel made: a friday list

greetings, sweet people. and happy friday!

i just wanted to check in and archive a list of the random things making me happy these days.

1. punodostres’ youtube channel + i love creatives // where to even begin with puno? keep an eye out for a separate puno-dedicated post coming soon. she has lit a creative fire in me, for which i am so grateful. start with taking a gander at her youtube videos: this is a good one to start with, especially if you like mukbangs
2. podcasts // a separate post coming up on my favorites but in the meantime, i’ve been listening to this one + this one
3. devendra banhart’s + kelis’ home tours
4. full circle farm volunteering opportunities // farmer mariel at your service
5. henry jamison’s album – the rains // especially “real peach” + “if you could read my mind” + “dallas love field“
6. clem leek’s album – rest // explosions in the sky + julien baker-vibed instrumental music.
7. matt blease’s illustrations // i love how he creates visual puns from colloquial phrases.
8. summer picnics + barbeques // need i say more? what time is it?  s u m m a t i m e ! ! (rachel chung, that was for you.)
9. wide legged pants // i wear my white ones at least twice a week.
10. pointed mules // i wear mine almost every day.
11. giving up coffee // more than the caffeine, i just miss the act of getting coffee. i’ve been trained to be a caffeine capitalist. but giving up coffee, i think has been improving my skin.
12. cold naengmyeon on a hot summer’s day // mmm, i can already hear the noodle slurping.
13. having breakfast // no matter where or when it is, having just 15-20 minutes of quiet in the morning makes the world of a difference. i want to make this one day and this, ooh, and this too.
14. andrew wyeth paintings // i need a print of this or this in my house one day
15. researching home plants // got my eye on a rubber tree + a zz plant + a ficus pandurata bush plant
16. spotting fruit trees // i saw a beautiful fig tree on my way to work today. i am so tempted to take my fruit picker there this weekend and get a couple figs for breakfast.
17. new city catechism study // been doing this with several brothers and sisters at church, so good. thank you, tim keller!
18. janelle monae’s voice // “oh, maker” is where my love for janelle’s voice began years ago, just listen + you’ll understand.
19. the creator of danny phantom recreating the characters 10 years later // did anyone else have a crush on danny phantom growing up? nope? only me? okay, byee.
20. snail mail // you get a letter and you get a letter and you get a letter!

thank you for being remotely interested in what’s been interesting me lately.

have a most *everything good* start to your weekend,
❤ mariel

where mariel went: korea {may 2017}

I am sitting in the Incheon International Airport, four hours away from binge watching movies on a 12-hour flight back to the Bay Area, so I couldn’t think of a better time to word vomit (for lack of a better word) and reflect on the past eight days I spent in Korea.

For me, coming to Korea has always included a heavy bag of mixed emotions. I traveled here from Texas about seven years ago, and long-story-short, due to my Korean American appearance and elementary Korean language skills, I stuck out like a sore thumb, which left me feeling disoriented and in between two cultures. Prior to that trip, I had heard great things from other friends who had visited Korea before me, especially when they related their shopping and food ventures (definitely still worth the hype). However, when I went to Korea seven years ago, I ended up feeling completely overwhelmed and inadequate as a person of Korean heritage.

One of my strongest insecurities is not being able to fit and blend in to a given place. Growing up in the U.S., I encountered multiple Korean elders who looked down upon the fact that I could not speak Korean well, which further triggered my insecurity being in Korea, not being able to fluently speak Korean—not being able to fit into the spoken culture. My main point is not to complain about how awful I feel when I go to Korea because I did not feel awful this time. Rather, during this trip I found myself being more in awe of the place from where my heritage stems. I am in awe of how resourceful and creative Korea proves itself to be thru its long history, public transportation, packaging, and food, among many other things.

Coming back to Korea has been challenging and on my part requires humility and boldness. It takes boldness to dive in and order food without the help of my parents or to ask where the bathroom is at a restaurant. I need humility when I mistakenly ask for the price of a notebook or when I don’t understand what someone is saying to me. As a side note however, my sisters and I agree that we felt less conspicuous as Korean Americans in Korea during this trip, perhaps due to the continuous global wave of hallyu as well as mutual styles of clothing (thanks to the internet + social media).

Overall it was a lovely albeit brief stay in Korea. We came to Korea for a family wedding, which was a uniquely striking intersection of Korean, American, and Latin American cultures. It was heartening to see that my paternal grandmother still contained the same amount of her characteristic moxie, if not more, as she did seven years ago. It was refreshing to be reunited with cousins we have not seen in years, to see how they further matured and established themselves. And, I personally was over the moon to see the myriad of picturesque cafes in Seoul.

All this being-said, I am incredibly proud to be Korean American and to have roots in the beautiful, resilient, and resourceful nation. I am grateful to have grown up experiencing two completely distinct cultures, even if it means sometimes being caught in the middle.

If you so desire, please see the photos I managed to capture these past eight days.

some notes:

• If you’re wondering what milk in heaven tastes like, go to Korea and drink the milk there. It’s insanely delicious. (I grew up hating milk, by the way.)
•  The favorite things I ate in Korea were the cheap kimbap + fresh fruit juices. The total cost for one roll of kimbap + one medium juice was around 5,500 won (~$5.25 USD).
• Korean convenience stores are so well stocked + the variety of drinks you may purchase impresses me to no end.
• My cousins, Jon+Dan, started a chocolate business called P.Chokko in Korea not too long ago, and we were able to visit their brick + mortar shop during this trip. Check them out here + here.
• The Seoul Sky / Lotte World Tower is a must-see if visiting Seoul, in my opinion. The design of everything from the tickets to the magnets in the gift shop are wonderful.

Thank y’all for following along. I hope to keep this blog rolling throughout the summer + beyond.

Have a productive day and restful night.

 

what mariel made: reflections on a season of newness {happy 2017}

Despite my growing aversion to setting (usually futile) new year’s resolutions, I enjoy reflecting on past and current seasons of life in preparation for looking ahead. Whilst thinking specifically about this current season, I keep coming back to the notion of newness. Doesn’t that sound nice? A season of newness. It pairs nicely with the advent of the new year, but as I continue to parse this phrase, a variety of thoughts and emotions come to mind.

Newness. After double-checking on Dictionary.com that “newness” was a legitimate word, I read through its seven definitions. The first couple definitions were expected: “of recent origin, production, purchase…appearing for the first time.” However the last definition in particular, struck me, as it precisely described how I use the term here: “coming or occurring afresh; further; additional.”

2017 was not the official start of this season, it commenced at the beginning of the school year, last September. During that time, I began working my first job after college, sought out a church community, and began my life on the West Coast. There was a lot of “newness” happening in my life, in the sense of the first couple definitions of the word. However, the West Coast was not entirely new to me, so it was interesting to be back in a familiar yet fresh context. I had lived and worked on this coast for short periods of time in the past, but this time I was moving here indefinitely. Likewise, I had sought out a church community before, when I moved to New York for school and found my invaluable college ministry, so seeking out a community was nothing too unfamiliar to me either. This is where the last definition of “newness” comes into play, “occurring afresh; further; additional.”

I am not starting from scratch with zero work experience and friends; I am simply developing additional and further experiences and relationships. For instance, making friends has never been an unfamiliar or “new” process to me, however, as I jump into this next “stage of life” (for lack of better words), I can already see how deep some of these friendships have grown. I see the expanding potential for permanence.

Now it’s 1:17am in the morning, and I am not sure that anything is making complete sense, but my point is that the newness I feel right now, is simply the newness of becoming an adult. I caught glimpses and blips of it during college, but now the process has fully begun, and that is good. It’s exciting and daunting, but good.

I could write an entire post on why growing up is good, but in an eggshell, growing up means you learn more about the world around you and your place in it. You learn how to effectively face the bleakness thrown at you on a daily basis and in turn, how to love with a deeper capacity.

Instead of usual “resolutions” I have made in the past, I am following in stride of someone (namely, a blog) I admire, Cloistered Away, to hearken in the new year by answering several questions. Feel free to join me and answer these questions too.

What is one specific way you want to take care of yourself this year? Is this daily, weekly, monthly? Write it down. If possible, share it with someone you trust, someone who will help you prioritize it.

I really want to cultivate and create my own space this year. Physically-, mentally-, and spiritually-speaking, create a space by forming habits of quiet time, exercise, and general organization.

What is one specific, concrete way to connect with someone(s) outside of your home in a more meaningful way? Begin with one. Is this a daily, weekly, monthly practice? Write it on the calendar.

Simple. A coffee or tea date (aka, what I spend most of my free time doing).

What is one area of your daily routine you’d like to shift? What do you need to eliminate? Simplify? Add? Have more consistency in? Write it down.

I would like to fall asleep to a book instead of the same two episodes of The Office every night (in particular, The Deposition + Dinner Party). Less screen time equals more dream time.

What encourages you the most in your daily living? Write down one action to cultivate encouragement.

In my daily living, I am the most encouraged by the humility and vulnerability of my friends. They create the safest spaces to be honest and for me to be my ridiculous, weird self. Mar, make sure to return and acknowledge your friends’ encouragement via a text, a hug, a handwritten note, etc.

I have been going on about change and newness, but I must note one constant in my life, the one Constant throughout all my seasons: Jesus. Amidst the struggles of re-adjusting to new settings and loneliness, He has never left my side. He’s been there in the form of supportive friends, humble mentors, good coffee, articulate music, relevant Bible verses, and more than I even know. There’s not much else to say other than, thank you, Jesus, and in all seriousness…

Jesus take the wheel.

Thank you for hearing me out and reading this far. May your 2017 be filled with hope, courage, and mindfulness.

Have a productive day/night.

❤ mariel

p.s. I have not been the best at consistently documenting 2017, but here are a couple moments from my new year thus far.

p.p.s. yes, that is a selfie of me + my first ever crunchwrap supreme (note to self: chicken chalupa is still the apple of my taco bell eye)

where mariel lived: new york.

One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak. -G.K. Chesterton

Since my father shared these words from Chesterton with me earlier this year, I find myself coming back to them, for different reasons. For instance, with the outcome of the 2016 U.S. election, I glean hope and patience from this quote. Retrospectively-speaking also, I see how Chesterton’s words continue to ring true.

I graduated from Barnard College in the spring, bringing to a close a rich season of valleys and peaks. Living and going to school in the city for the past four years taught me so much, but that’s an entirely separate blog post. Let’s keep this one short and sweet. Here is a glimpse into my last year in New York, the city of deepest valleys and highest peaks, in the form of video footage + disposable camera photos.

 

what mariel did: a day in brooklyn with ophelia

I’ve had the privilege of meeting a plethora of amazingly talented and warm-hearted people in recent years, and Ophelia Ding is no exception. She is endlessly creative, kind, inspiring, and one of the most kindred spirits I’ve gotten to know. We met serendipitously last summer via a mix of having a mutual friend and exchanging multiple Instagram compliments.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having an entire morning and afternoon with her when she visited New York from the West Coast. We bopped around Brooklyn through the cold and wind, but thankfully saw some gems dispersed throughout the borough.

To save y’all the trouble of reading my recount of the day, I’ve made a vlog summarizing our lovely afternoon together. Please, enjoy!

For more details and photos of our day, go see Ophelia’s blog post, here!

Have a productive day/night, y’all.

❤ mariel

what mariel does: taking stock #11 {february 2016}

Making: this smoothie/milkshake pretty much on the daily as long as I have bananas on hand (haha and yes, that is also a shameless plug for my last blog post/video)
Cooking: a lot of sweet potatoes in various ways (i.e. roasted, boiled, mashed with marinara sauce, in brownies, etc.)
Drinking: hot water with lemon (because I had a lemon that was on the verge of going bad and I hear this is a good drink to help with digestion and jumpstart your body’s processes)
Reading: lots of short stories for a fiction workshop I’m currently taking (why didn’t I do them before today #timemanagement #alwayschallenging)
Wanting: to cook all day and watch The Office (my perfect day, right there)
Looking: forward to spending a day with a friend from California whom I haven’t seen since this past summer
Playing: the Deep Focus playlist on Spotify a lot lately for when I do work (but for a good song with words, try this one on for size)
Wasting: time sleeping in on Thursdays usually
Sewing: together game plans for Valentine’s Day + future projects
Wishing: I could bake and have a slice of this cake at this very moment
Enjoying: a lot of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts lately (Shakey Graves’ most recent one is great, as is the Sylvan Esso one)
Waiting: for the next Tegan and Sara album to be released #lp8whereareyou #icantwait
Liking: the fact that I’m actually working out nowadays (big shoutout to FitBear workout classes + all the amazing instructors who are helping me stay in shape this semester)
Loving: my final senior semester of college
Hoping: to put out a lot more video content this year (keep an eye out for one later!)
Smelling: fried, homemade dumplings (perks of living with a sweet, diligent person named Alice)
Wearing: the death out of my camel cashmere sweater from Talbots (I got it on sale and I wish I had gotten two more…I love it so much, it’s so soft and warm.)
Following: a mostly non-dairy diet lately, lactose and my stomach don’t get along (but I won’t give up cheese just yet)
Noticing: my tax return forms and realizing that I need to file those soon!
Feeling: sick of school work already but also so grateful for some of the amazing classes that I have the privilege of taking right now
Bookmarking: this recipe for roasted cauliflower “wings” from hot for food’s blog
Opening: and refreshing this website a lot lately to find affordable, unique events around the city (gotta take advantage of this amazing city, people!)
Giggling: at Jim’s antics and Dwight’s reactions (The Office is my go-to Netflix show in my free time lately)
Feeling: excited for this semester and a bit nostalgic (All praise be to God, who let this last semester be an enriching and more relaxed one. 97 days til graduation. Eek!)

Have a productive day/night.

❤ mariel

p.s. here’s a Youtube channel that I enjoy for it’s creative and crisp video content (I gave up Youtube for Lent, so I’m feeling pretty the Youtube withdrawal symptoms pretty hard right now.)

 

what mariel made: choco coffee date shake

Happy February, friends! Fun fact, according to this site, February is National Chocolate Lover’s Month.

Here’s a chocolate-y recipe for you.

Have a lovely day/night, y’all.

❤ mariel

p.s. shoutout to my friends, Anjali + Kat for being uber cute and making egg tarts beside me right now.