Thursday, June 30, 2011

Dia Frampton from The Voice

If you guys have been keeping up with the Voice... we all found out that Javier won last night... but it's definitely not the end for Dia Frampton.



Of course I was rooting for Dia... Her voice is just so unique and raw and definitely love her style. I remembered hearing of her when she was in the band Meg and Dia and definitely did not recognize her until way later in The Voice. She has such a cute personality and you can tell she's just so very humble. Here's once of my favorite performances from her (not from The Voice). This is an acoustic rendition of "Someone Like You" by Adele. Hope you Enjoy!


Love,
Dora D.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Dress-Up


I thought it would be fun to do some dress-up post time by time to share with you guys. Since this blog is about fashion after all :) As a kid I love to play dress-up. My child hood best friend and I would play dress-up and take pictures so very often...hahaha...it was a lot of fun.


I love thrift shopping since I was young...especially, looking for vintage pieces and the cool thing about that is that it's least likely for anyone to to have the same pieces as you have. I remember getting many compliments from people when I was in high school about my style (not trying to brag) little did they know most of my clothes are from the thrift store. Though I did have some friends that knew and they asked me to shop for them. Yes, I find pieces at the thrift store and resell it - just because they asked me too :) And that's how I developed a hobby until today.


I love putting different pieces of clothing together and create my own personal style. Finding your own style really reflects who you are and really speaks your character without having to say anything. I LOVE to work with people and help them figure out their own style, what fits best with their body type and make them look gorgeous; and learn how to speak characters through clothes. Looking good and feeling good in the clothes that you wear definitely helps boost up another notch of confidence!

We have a lot of exciting things happening at Embriven, we will start posting some more personal fashion post, DIY post, and more fun post. We also would love to know what you want to see more from us so feedback is welcome! We also will be launching our online shop soon - launching date is still tentative but will announce it when it is ready. We're so excited! Not to even mention our sponsorship for the Embrace fashion show! Stay tuned for more fun things from Embriven!

XOXO,
Athena

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Our Story. Our Vision.

Hello! What an amazing story that my sister had shared! Her passion and talents are such an inspiration and I'm so excited to be a part of it!

As for me, my story and my vision all started when I've decided to join the Peer Counseling Club in high school. It was a club where we learned how to counsel people our age, we learned how to listen to people's heart and learned how to comfort and encourage them - to bring hope and strength. As a club member I've attended a conference in Anaheim, Los Angeles. There were many workshops at the conference and many stories were told...stories about young girls being hurt and the one story that stood out to me the most was a story of a girl being raped at her prom at the after party – and others threaten to be killed. I still remember that story till today because after hearing it I've told myself to stand strong, to help as many people, especially young girls as I can. I dreamed of changing the world :)

Just like my sister there was a point in my life where I thought to myself, who am I that can make a difference? I believe we all have moments like that, right? It’s not until I took the leadership role in church and started leading a group of young girls. That’s where my passion grew even stronger – passion to help young people to understand the unique beauty within them and recognize that there’s a purpose for them in this life - that they are valuable to God. I was around great mentors and one of them shared a quote that hit home to me, “To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.” That’s when I realized that if you can just make a difference in one person’s life it’s as important as making a difference to many people. As the story was told by my sister about me doing makeup for clients…I was literally in tears of joy when I see the sparks in those women’s eyes realizing how beautiful they are. It touched my heart to see how a simple thing can build up so much confidence in a person and from then on I started to build myself a vision. I love fashion, art, and I especially love putting pieces together and styling people up. I want to use my gift and talents to reach out because I want people to understand that whatever is given to them is valuable and there’s a reason for it. We are so fortunate to be able to sit in front of our computer talking about our dreams but imagine the girls that are captive…they too deserved to build themselves dreams. If each and every one of us take our eyes off ourselves for a bit and focus on others…I think we all can do amazing things. Compliment someone, encourage someone or just humble ourselves and serve. The little things you do can go a long way…


(photo from Aura Joon)

My sister has such a big heart to help show awareness for human trafficking and I am so inspired by it. I hope you join her with me to take part in this fashion show to make a difference and give the opportunity for others to dream too.

Dear Beautiful Girls, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be?..." (quote: Maryanne Williamson). I pray that you will learn to embrace yourself and drive to fulfill your purpose because you are important.

Love,
Athena

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Bohemian Summer...

Outfit for Saturday outing!

Definitely digging the bohemian summer look this year. Some favorites are the embellished sheer tops, earth-tone maxi dresses, loose/slouchy tees, and the lace skirts. Believe or not, this outfit was under $50!


Hope you all are enjoying your summer. Take a breather and smell the fresh air! It's beautiful outside =)

Love,
Dora D.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Our Story. Our Vision.

Hey everybody. Hope you all are doing well. Wow, it has been a while since I've blogged. I've been a busy bee! It's been full of work, planning, and of course fun ever since I got back to California. The pace is definitely different from state to state. It's so calm in Minnesota!

Well I promised I was going to tell you about my story and my vision of how this fashion show came about... so here goes!

A very close friend of mine went on a missions trip to Vietnam more than 5 years ago and he came back with tons of stories and testimonies. At the time, I didn't know much about Human Trafficking, what it was, or that it even existed. He shared many great stories, but the one that really broke my heart was the one about a little girl. He saw it with his very own eyes; a man, walking down the alley way holding the little girl's hand. Mid-way down the alley, he stopped in front of the other man, gave the little girls hand to him, and took what it looked to be money. He had sold the little girl to the other man.... my heart sank, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing...

From then on, I felt a burden in my heart for young girls who were forced to take their innocence away from them... but at the time, I felt there was nothing I could do because I felt like I was a nobody who didn't have a voice or who wouldn't be able to make a difference even if I tried.


As the years passed, my big sis shared her dream to me one day... The things she was passionate about, and the goals she wanted to set for herself. My sis is a very humbling soul and the first thing she said was that she wanted to be able to help others through her passion and love for the art and fashion industry. I asked her how that was possible and she began to share with me the different experiences she had at work as a makeup artist. As a makeup artist, she was able to see the self-consciousness and the self-esteem these women had. She said the greatest joy was to see these women start to see how beautiful they really were when she was done with their makeup. She began to explain that it wasn't the makeup, but that they looked beautiful because they are already beautiful... the other stuff just helped enhance it and bring it out. It touched my heart hearing these stories and in my heart, I wanted to do the same thing... I wanted to help these girls who felt helpless and hopeless...

The name Embrace and be Driven came from that story. I've started my blog about 7-8 years ago.. but it's more of a personal blog and about my little arts and crafts here and there... after I heard both their stories... I knew I wanted to change the image of the blog... My sister and I wanted a blog that will inspire people through the arts, creativity, music, and fashion. We wanted people to see the world in a different way... the beauty in everything that surrounds us, but especially the beauty in oneself.

"Embrace and be driven..." God has created you to be beautiful in your own unique way... so embrace it. Embrace the tiny things in life... life is too short not to enjoy it... And to embrace both the good/bad things in life... you'll always learn something from it. These are the things that should drive and inspire you...

Anyways, back to the fashion show! After hearing my sister's dream... I knew there was something I could do to make a difference, especially with the things I'm passionate about. I wanted people to be aware that modern day slavery still exists. This was such a great opportunity to show awareness for those who are suffering and those who are hurting. I wanted to do a fashion show to reflect beauty and hope... I've had this vision for about 5 years now and its finally going to happen this year! The vision eventually grew to have all the arts and creativity involved... from music, design, art, fashion, and dance. And now, we're in the middle of planning this event; Embrace: 2011 Fashion/Art Show.

Embrace Fashion Show Mission Statement:

Embrace: Our mission is to provide a platform for local talents to showcase their unique artwork, designs, and music that will transpose and translate into a forum in purpose of inspiration and encouragement. We believe every man-made creation has a purpose, as we would like to reflect love, confidence, and beauty through others. In addition to our efforts support our love for fashion and art, this event also provides opportunities to increase public awareness and education towards human trafficking movement, as much of the proceeds of our event will be donated to these organizations.

Embrace 2011 Fashion Show
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Urgency Recreation Center
174 Nortech Parkway
San Jose, CA 95143


Check back in July for more info and ticket sales and come back to hear my sister Athena's story.

Love,
Dora D.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it...Dad
~Author Unknown

Standing up from left: Athena, brother - Kevin, Dora, brother - Manly
Sitting: Mom, Dad

We are so grateful for our father who is such a dream fighter. If it wasn't for him I don't think we'd be where we are today. It was him who chased after the American dream, who believes there's no mountain that is too high to climb and has faith that can cross all seas. Thanks Dad for working so hard and for being such a freedom fighter for our family! We love you!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Dollhouse

As a little girl our parents couldn't afford to buy us whatever toys we wanted. For the most part, our toys were either given to us from the church or it was a hand-me-down toy. We could only play with what we were given. The one thing I've always dreamed of having was a dollhouse, I love playing with dolls. I remember we visited someone's house one day and their daughter had a dollhouse...from that day on I kept dreaming of having a dollhouse with all the accessories and dolls to play with. I remember looking at the ads and wishing I could make a wish and wish for all the toys I wanted in the ads to come alive. Yeah, I know, it was a very silly fantasy but hey, I was a little girl :) Even though I've never had a dollhouse and that dream was still just a dream I am still very grateful for everything that I had.

Here is a video - made for Target - that bought me back to that memory. Reminds me of a fairy tale...


Have a great Father's Day!

Love,
Athena

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Ready Get Set Summer!

I am so ready for summer! The weather hasn't been too bad but it can be a little confusing sometimes. One minute it will be very humid and the next minute it will be windy or rainy but Mr. Sunshine has been out quite a bit. Funny story - during my sister's visit she experienced sun, humidity, rain, wind, cold and stormy weather...hahahah. She was so shocked with the weather and repeatedly said the weather is so weird - she doesn't know what to expect. Too bad she didn't get to experience the snow :)

I found a new drink that I like for the summer and it's watermelon lime juice! It's soooooo good. The recipe is so easy and simple to make. Here's all you need to do...
Watermelon Lime Juice

Ingredients: watermelon, lime, ice

Direction: juice the watermelon, cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice in a glass. Mix the watermelon juice with the lime juice and add ice.

I found this on Ingredient Challenge.

Hope you enjoy it if you decide to make it! Happy weekend!

Love,
Athena

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

"Beauty Begins with Heart"

I had a chat with my best friend the other day about beauty and we both agreed that it's a shame how so many people tend to judge people's beauty from the outside. We just wish we could change everyone's way of thinking and ask them to search in a little deeper before they judge someone...and who are we to judge anyways? I love the quote "Beauty Begins with Heart" - I think real beauty comes from the inside out. Without a genuine heart...the most attractive person can end up being the most unattractive person, if you know what I mean :)

Anyways, here's some fun/goofy pictures of us during the Memorial Day weekend...



Trying to be a little more bold with these pictures :) I'm wearing vintage sunglasses that our mother use to wear in the 80's - pretty funky, eh? And my sister is wearing a pair of glasses from Ragstock.

XOXO,
Athena

Friday, June 3, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend Part 2

Historic Saturday…
this was the highlight of our weekend. My sister-in-law planned a sister outing on Saturday so I got to hang out with all of my sisters and the little one (niece) all together. Here was how our schedule looked like:
The Arch Bridge..we walked on this bridge from one side to the other.


Little Ev walking along...






Then we visited the Historic Milling District. It was fun to see all the ruined buildings. Very vintage :) We went through those buildings to take some pictures. Thought it would be funny to share my unprepared/fake smile on this picture...hahaha


Adorable dresses!

We went to the farmers market in the area. This was a picture taken by Dora at the mirror viewpoint nearby the farmers market - great idea!



We had a little picnic



We passed by St. Anthony Main. It was a beautiful place with great restaurants where you can eat outside the patio. We dropped in Aster Cafe for tea and lemonade and the food looked so delicious that Dora and I wanted to come back to try it out.


Hanging light made out of egg cartons



Our last visit was the Soap Factory with some very interesting art.

Aster Sunday…
We did some more shopping on Sunday and went back to St. Anthony Main to eat at Aster Café – the husband went with us – and the food was AWESOME! Such a nice place to eat and be. The husband likes it a lot too!

Inside Aster Cafe

Hanging outside of Aster Cafe :)

Hope your Memorial Day Weekend was as fun! Happy weekend!

Muah,
Athena

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend

We’re still here :) I’ve been hanging out with the most special girl in the world! My sister, Dora came to visit and we had a blast – shopping, eating, laughing, taking pictures and more. This is the best Memorial Day weekend I’ve ever had! To make up for our long disappearance, we'll do our best to share with you in details about our Memorial Day weekend.

Starting off with Chit Chat Thursday…
is when my sister, Dora arrived and we were so happy to see each other. My sister arrived late so it’s more of a chit chat and rest day. Preparing for shopping Friday!
This is a picture of Dora's suitcase with half being filled with food for me sent from my mom and best friend, Linh…hahahaha. I felt bad that it took up half the space of the suitcase but felt loved at the same time :)

Shopping Friday...
We went shopping at Mall of America and at Calhoun Square in Uptown, Minneapolis.
Here we are looking around at Paper Source, one of my favorite stores to get some creative ideas from.

We shop till we drop :) My sister has prepared herself for “tax free” shopping! I haven’t been shopping with a girlfriend for the looooooooooongest time and it was so much fun having my sister with me. We went shopping to all of our favorite stores and at the same time trying to get inspirations for a special event that Embriven is hosting in the fall. We will share that with you in a later post so you don’t want to miss it.

Check back again to read about our Historic Saturday and Aster Sunday...wink, wink.

Love,
Athena
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