All posts in: Home Life

07 Mar 2021

Blog Roundup

  • 13 Things A Designer Would Never Do In Their Living Room [My Domaine]
  • The 43 Breathable Face Masks to Shop Now [Vogue]
  • FKA Twigs Discusses Shia LaBeouf Allegations in Gayle King Interview [The Fader]
  • Margaret Zhang Named Editor-In-Chief of ‘Vogue’ China [Fashionista]
  • Marin County May Be the Fakest ‘Woke’ Place in America [The Bold Italic]
  • Ten Years Later, ‘Greek’ Remains TV’s Gold Standard for the College Experience [The Ringer] not my college experience, but a series I loved!
  • Trailer for Michelle Obama’s Waffles + Mochi [Source]
  • Why I’m No Longer Staying Silent About Anti-Asian Racism by Sophia Li [Vogue]
  • Chloe Zhao’s America [Vulture]
  • We said goodbye to Daft Punk after 28 years
  • Swallowing Our Bitterness [The Cut]
  • The Future of Work Might Look Like This [Surface Mag]
  • I Love You, Please Get Vaccinated [The Cut]
  • The Invisible Artistry of Asian Actors [The Atlantic]
25 Dec 2020

Blog Roundup

  • The 40 Best K-pop Songs of 2020 [Paper Mag]
  • The Year Instagram Became Facebook [The Verge]
  • Some Cities Will Pay You $10,000 to Relocate [NPR]
  • The Missed “Magical Negro” Trope in “The Queen’s Gambit” [Bitch Media]
  • Steve Yuen on the Honesty of ‘Minari’ and His Eclectic Career [Variety]
  • Meet Pdogg, the Musical Dynamo Helping Shape BTS’s Greatest Hits [Fast Company]
  • Your State’s COVID-19 Epidemic, Explained in 4 Maps [Vox]
  • The 100 Best Songs of 2020 [Pitchfork]
  • The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020 [Teen Vogue]
  • 10 Remote Airbnbs As Stunning As They Are Secluded [Architectural Digest]
  • ‘The Bachelorette’ Stylist Shares How the Fashion Came Together for this Unprecedented Season [Fashionista]
  • The Journalist and the Pharma Bro [Elle]
  • Why Dave Chapelle Doesn’t Want You to Stream Chapelle’s Show [Vox]
  • Best House of 2020 [Arch Daily]
  • My Unusually Normal Life in Taiwan Amid the Global Pandemic [Bloomberg]
24 Dec 2020

My Thoughts On Micro Apartments: Then and Now

Like [Doobybrain] I once loved the idea of a micro apartment. I remember first being interested in them when I was college and learning that my neighborhood was planning on building spaces specifically like these. At the time, I was constantly on the move. The studio I was living in wasn’t more than 400 sq feet, maybe 350 at most. Since I was between school and work constantly, I was really only in my apartment when I wasn’t at those places or to sleep.

I loved the idea of staying minimal. Having a smaller space meant that I needed to be better at managing my own belonging and knowing when to get rid of things. It’s 10 years later and having gone through a pandemic where I’ve spent the majority of my time indoors and at home, I’ve had a change of heart. Watching a video of these micro apartments doesn’t evoke the same kind of desire I had for them once before. In fact, it’s much farther than what I actually want. Even as we shift towards a more remote workforce, I still am not sure if these will be as appealing.

06 Dec 2020

Blog Roundup

  • 5 Ways to Elevate Your Lunchtime Sandwich [Men’s Health]
  • For My Asian Mom, Feeding Me “Everything” Was An Act of Love [Refinery29]
  • TikTok’s Top 10 Songs of the Year [Hypebeast]
  • How Tinned Fish Took Over the Internet [Refinery29]
  • 11 Minutes of Exercise A Day May Help Counter the Effects of Sitting [The New York Times]
  • The Bay Area Will Fully Lock Down on December 6 [Eater]
  • Around the World in 130 Chicken Soup Recipes [Atlas Obscura]
  • How to Make Hot Cocktails That Actually Taste Good [Thrillist]
  • Photographer Explores Asian American Identity in ‘Where We’re Really From’ [NPR]
  • Whether on the Street or in Museums, KAWS is Having an Effect on Popular Culture [The Study]
  • Warner Bros. to Release All 17 Movies in 2021 Lineup on HBO Max [Hypebae]
  • Radio Disney to go off the air in 2021 [FADER]
29 Nov 2020

Holiday Gift Guide 2020

[Ohom Kopi Mug and Warmer Set] – $75

When it comes to Christmas shopping, Kevin and I are no strangers to waiting until the last minute to shop for my parents. Instead of shipping things directly to our parents’ home (to avoid spoilers obviously) we wait until we’re back in Seattle to do all of our shopping. Most times, it can be what you expect it to be: hectic and chaotic. Other times, it gives us an excuse to leave the house and visit some of our favorite local spots while we’re out.

This year, we won’t be returning home for Christmas. Instead my parents will receive their presents unwrapped, but boxed from USPS. It’s not the holiday we hoped for, but we’ll make this sacrifice for the safety of those we love. In previous years, you’d be getting this holiday guide from me the week before Christmas. Since I had some time off this week from Thanksgiving, I decided to get a head start. You all may need it since you might also be doing some shipping of your own!

I didn’t intend for the theme to be so focused on home life, but after the year we’ve had and what 2021 may look like, this seems fitting. Moreover, festivals and celebrations are all about cheerfulness and colorfulness, one way of achieving it could be through decorating the home with some beautiful lights and lamps like the ones available at thelamplife. When the home looks bright, our mood brightens up instantly. This is the reason this time, I have focused on the gifts that can make your home a little more “home-y” and you more comfortable. In addition to getting this guide earlier than usual, you’re also getting MORE because nothing is sold out yet.

[Ortofon Orbit Special Walnut Turntable with Built-In Pre Amp] – $549

Read more “Holiday Gift Guide 2020”
22 Nov 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Get Out of Thanksgiving With This Interactive COVID Risk Map [Lifehacker]
  • How Lorne Michaels Created Saturday Night Live [Far Out]
  • Curfews Will Do Almost Nothing to Stop the Spread of COVID [Curbed]
  • 10 Winter Cocktails to Warm You Up this Season [MyDomaine]
  • Second Life Podcast: Jenna Lyons (former President of J. Crew and now Founder of LoveSeen) [WhoWhatWear]
  • The Making of BTS’ “Dynamite” with David Stewart | Deconstructed
  • It doesn’t Matter If Trump Never Concedes, Twitter is Giving @POTUS to Biden [Gizmodo]
  • Why Even A Small Thanksgiving Is Dangerous [FiveThirtyEight]
  • Timelapse Videos Show How Much Our Houseplants Move in a Day [Moss and Fog]
  • People Are Waiting 12 Hours In Line For the First In-N-Out in Colorado [SFGATE]
  • A Pioneering Vietnamese-American Pop-Up Bows Out After A Stellar 9-Year Run [SF Eater]
  • Carine Roitfeld Has Some Thoughts on Emily in Paris [The Cut]

20 Jul 2020

Zen Work Pods

While we’ve been in quarantine, I’ve been fortunate to not have to share both my work and living space with someone else. It makes video meetings and calls externally a breeze. However, I know friends of mine who can’t say the same. They struggle with noises that they can’t control and roommates that feel like they’re all on top of each other. [Autonomous] has created these new functional and very minimalistic zen work pods that are quite pleasing to the eye, but come at a steep price. These mobile work spaces give you the privacy you need and come with some basic office furniture like a desk and chair. The only caveat though is that you actually need to have the space for it and for those in the city, that might be hard to come by.

From the website, it looks like there are three different options with prices starting at $5,400.

[Source]

10 May 2020

4 Things I Love in My Home and 4 Things I’d Do Over

As you can imagine, I’ve spent some quality time with my home in the last two months. Maybe we were acquaintances before, but things have really escalated. I’m more aware than ever of the corners that have always existed, but that I never noticed. Finding new things to toss out brings me a joy like no other. Since I’ve had a lot of time in this space, it has made me think about the pieces I have that make a huge impact. I also spend some time looking back on purchases or decisions I’ve made that I would re-do.

4 Things I Love in my Home

My Sectional – Once you have your first, you’ll never go back to a normal couch. And why would you? Right before I moved to California, I got my first sectional and that sealed the deal for me. I couldn’t live in a home where I can’t prop my feet up 24/7. While it tends to take up more room, I find that for entertaining purposes, it provides more seating for guests. This is the one item that gets not only the most use, but is where I spend the most time.

Kitchen Cart – Initially, I bought the kitchen cart not for storage, but to have my microwave sit atop so that it would reach a different outlet. Despite how tiny it looks, it was already taking up precious space in my already small kitchen. After I bought this, I didn’t set it up for months, but it’s a true game changer. The top provides extra space when prepping meals and the shelves are used for storage of anything I want to grab more conveniently. I know I could have hung some of these often-used items under the kitchen shelves using some glue to make them a little more handy, but now because I have this cart, I make the most use of it. Moreover, it’s also a great surface for my laptop when I want to listen to music along with cooking.

Record Player – This items gets the least amount of use in the home, but I love having one. It’s a unique style in that it doubles not only as a record player, but also a radio. While my collection of records currently stands at three, looking at it is a reminder of what I need to build on. I used to imagine that when I was “very adult” that I’d have my, but I’ve been lucky to have this for eight years now.

Clothing Rack – To be honest, I likely have more than enough room for all of my clothes. In fact, I could actually remove 30% of what I already own to create more space. Buying the rack was storage, but served a second purpose. With many items, it’s easy to get lost amongst pieces. Your new ones get mixed in with what you already have and eventually, things never get worn. The rack was a way for me to put on display recently purchased pieces. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad thing about owning one of these.

4 Things I Would Re-do

No more obvious IKEA furniture – I am so grateful to IKEA for helping to furnish four places that I’ve lived in. However, as we graduate to bigger and better things in life, some of the pieces I once found functional and affordable don’t fit in the same way. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the coffee table found in every college home and frat house. The square bookshelf with four spaces in the middle. Those pieces are still with me today, but I’m ready for an upgrade.

Gallery Wall – In 2013, gallery walls were the thing to have. It signified that you had enough items to frame to have one and that you were thoughtful and precise on putting the wall together. This is now the second home I’ve lived in where I have had one and I realize, I should’ve stopped at the first. After living in my previous apartment, I thought I had loved it so much that I wanted the same set up I had before. I was afraid to branch out and start fresh when the opportunity was given to me.

Old Artwork – In 2012, I didn’t know any better. I came across a site called [Society6] and picked out several pieces I wanted framed. When you pick out artwork, you don’t necessarily think it’s going to be forever, but when is it an acceptable time to change it out? I still have those pieces today, but they don’t necessarily reflect my aesthetic currently. They are your more cutesy, inspirational quote type pieces.

Gotten organized from the beginning – Is there anyone in the world that enjoys moving? The day before and the day of are the most stressful periods of time and the ultimate goal is just getting things from point A to point B. If I could do things over for my currently place, I would’ve assessed the storage situation much sooner. In comparison, my last home was much larger than my current. While unpacking, the focus was just to get everything into places, but doing that without rhyme or reason doesn’t set you up for success. Mail organizers, desk organizers, storage containers, and knowing where everything should go in the kitchen would have prepared me long term.

03 May 2020

A Collection Part 57

It’s safe to say that this is the first time I’ve ever created “A Collection” while in quarantine. Let’s hope that in this lifetime, we don’t ever have to live through another pandemic. I used to look forward to these posts for a number of reasons. They were so different than any of the usual posts that I normally did for Yow Yow! Instead of spending a lot of time around the words I was using, this was my visual diary. It was calming for me to dig through the archives of Tumblr accounts I manually followed (I don’t have a Tumblr account!) and make a decision on what photos to include. It wasn’t always a simple yes or no. There’s certainly an intent for each one that is selected and for how I’m feeling at the moment.

Being in Shelter-in-Place now already for a month and a half, I thought I would have gotten to this post much sooner. It seems like I’ve found my calm through a number of other outlets during this time.

Read more “A Collection Part 57”
02 May 2020

Blog Roundup

  • Photos: Scenes of a New Normal in San Francisco [The Bold Italic]
  • Top E.R. Doctor Who Treated Virus Patients Dies by Suicide [New York Times]
  • Mexican Wrestlers Sew Luche Libre Face Masks to Help Fight Against Coronavirus [Hypebeast]
  • 10 Remote Homes [dezeen]
  • 19 Outrageous Dennis Rodman Stories [Vulture]
  • Restaurants After COVID [Slate]
  • The Spaces Between Us [The Cut]
  • Taco Bell Celebrates Cinco de Mayo w/ At Home Taco Bar Kits [Hypebeast]
  • How to Make Your Groceries Last Longer
  • How Normal People Does Sex So Good [Vulture]
  • 87 Cloths Masks To Shop Now [Vogue]
  • The New Rules of Chivalry [Valet Mag]
  • Love in the Shape of Cut Fruit [Refinery29]