As Christmas comes, there’s joy to be found in each sight and sound For the spirit of love can be seen all around When Christmas brings joy to the world! Have a very Merry Christmas.

"Twilight" Movie

Before "Twilight" came out in the theaters, I had read only half of the "Twilight" book since I rarely have time to read in between my job and business. It is hard for me to find some quiet time for myself so I can read "Twilight" as well as the rest of the series. I had somewhat set a goal to read all of "Twilight" before the movie was released to theaters.

Last Sunday, Jon told me that there were some closed captioned showings for "Twilight" in Alhambra, CA. I was SO tempted to watch this movie especially after all that I had heard from my best friend Jessica as well as other friends who had seen the movie already. I was on the fence on whether I should read the entire book first and then watch a movie, OR to just go ahead and watch the movie and then finish the book...

After thinking about it, I realized Jon and I hadn't spent much time alone together so I decided to grab the rare opportunity and go see the movie with him. After we saw "Twilight," Jon and I discussed the movie. Jon thought the movie was interesting and he liked it. As for me, I can see the differences in the story between the movie and the book. Of course I like the book better (of what I have read so far), and the movie makes me want to read the book again and to finish reading it! The movie was pretty good. The only thing I did not like too much of was how Edward Cullen stared at Bella too much, especially in the biology lab scene where he was shaking and holding his mouth. Other than that, I found that scene funny! Overall, I like "Twilight!" Jon and I are looking forward to seeing the sequel, "New Moon." 

Thanksgiving with Families

For Thanksgiving lunch, Jon and I went out with Jon's family and relatives in Santa Monica. It was very nice to see Jon's relatives again and we enjoyed eating some turkey and Filipino food!!

On the evening of Thanksgiving day, my family and my parents' friends enjoyed a big feast at our house, which included lobster, turkey, and many more delicious foods. We also had a great time playing a White Elephant game that had many special gifts.

Here are some pictures of my beautiful families.

Cocktails n' Cookies – Business Opening

The Cocktails n' Cookies event was a huge SUCCESS! The house was pretty packed. My family and friends enjoyed mingling with the guests, eating some cookies, and drinking some wine. Everyone had the chance to check out the Handshapes and Silhouettes by Mara, as well as some new additions to the clothing lines. I absolutely had a great time!

Special Thanks:

Thanks to my family for always supporting me and my business.

Thanks to Jonathan Reyes for helping me out with the By Mara business.

Thanks to Joi Salvador for all her help in visualizing and setting up the display of the Handshapes and Silhouettes clothing lines.

Thanks to Jessica Sanchez and Rachel Tan for making the delicious cookies for the event! They were yummy!

Last but not least, thank you to all my family and friends for coming to my Cocktails n' Cookies event!

First Deaf Event

The first deaf event that a friend of mine sold Handshapes products was at the Deaf Center in Idaho. Many thanks to Kristi Doris for all her help and support for my By Mara business. After the event, Kristi told me what happened at the event. Before this event, consumers had never seen my new business By Mara, which made them interested in purchasing Handshapes products! The funniest part of Kristi's report is that the customers thought Kristi was Mara, the business owner!

     Again, thank you Kristi!