MARA

2010-07-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings from By Mara!

We all are extremely excited to be working at the DeafNation World Expo with approximately three hundred exhibitions along with workshops, sporting activities and the list goes on in Las Vegas.

The admission is absolutely FREE to all events!

For more information, please go to the website: deafnation.com

We, By Mara hope to see you all there and please

be sure to stop by our booth and see what we have for you!

We will be having a Las Vegas logo along with a little sign of Handshapes on the star.They are limited edition, so purchase them before they are sold out! We have those in black and blue shirts for $15 each.

We have other limited editions as well, which are ‘PAH’ and ‘Don’t Scream I’m not that deaf’. Purchase them while it lasts. We also have several new arrivals: keychains, shorts, and One Love tank tops.

To see what we have, please check out our website: www.bymaracollection.com

If you have any more questions, please do not hesitant to ask. You can contact us at info@bymaracollection.com or RachelTan@bymaracollection.com

Thank you! We hope to see you at our booth 'ByMara'.

2010-07-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Deaf Contestant wore V-Neck Handshapes.

CHECK THIS SHOW - THE PRICE IS RIGHT Deaf Contestant (part 1) & (part 2)

Kristine Hall and Drew Carey with a sign language interpreter. In this clip,

Kristine goes immediately to the PIR floor after winning a bicycle.

She wins again and hugs Drew! Shown nationwide on CBS 10/19/09.

2010-07-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

Mara has been selected to be one of the Pearls!

What is The Pearls?

Let me share a short story with you, several years ago, I watched Oprah’s TV special, “The Legends,” where Oprah selected outstanding African American women that have done something significant for their communities. This inspired me to do something of a similar nature for the Deaf Women across America. After contemplating various names that will reflect what they have done, one day I saw the word pearl and knew that it was the perfect symbol. The pearl signifies several attributes such as being objects of beauty, unique, admirable, and most of all, rare. As a bonus, who doesn’t like to dress up all pretty in pearls!

Our Search and Selection Committee, composed of the legendary Bernard Bragg, up and coming Carlos Aponte Jr., revered Fred Beam, sensation Sean Forbes, and visionary Sheena, looked over all over the USA for Deaf women that have transcended others in their fields. First ofs/Founders, Advocates, Artists, Business, and Hidden Pearls are the five categories we’ve chosen to recognize twenty women. We hope to have the Pearls grace their presence at The Pearls Affair, which will occur in Los Angeles area on June 4^th 2011.

www.themprojects.com

2010-07-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

DEAF ASIAN FESTIVAL

Little Tokyo, LA

By Mara Team!

I met an awesome Photographer Joshue Flores.

His projects are very creative and artistics!

Check out his facebook LOVESAU

2010-05-31T00:51:00.000-07:00

We are happy to let you know that we will be at the Deaf Asian Festival in Downtown Los Angeles! The good news is that it’s FREE admission.

Please come by our booth, ‘By Mara Collection’ and check it out! We have many interesting tees to sell along with other products as well, such as totes.

June 12, 2010 | Saturday @ 9am - 5pm
JACCC Plaza (Japanese American Cultural and Community Center)
244 South San Pedro Street (between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
Los Angeles, CA 90012 (Little Tokyo - LA downtown)

For more information about the Deaf Asian Festival, please go to the website: www.deafasia.org

And, check out ByMara’s website at: www.bymaracollection.com

If you have any questions regarding ByMara, please email info@bymaracollection.com or RachelTan@bymaracollection.com.

Thank you and we hope to see you there!

2010-05-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

Deaf Nation in Pomona, CA

May 1, 2010

This is my second time selling HANDSHAPES at Deaf Nation in Pomona and I want to share my experience with you .

I want to say Thank you to my team, Jonathan Reyes, Rachel Tan, and Chris Peter for working with me at this event. Customers visited our booth throughout the day. It was pretty busy. We missed taking a lunch break but we had a great dinner together. GOOD NEWS- we reached our goal so we decided to call the event a success.

Shopping Experience

Our first customer was a deaf guy who bought a tee from the new line of Paha shirts. He wore it right after he purchased it. I guess he was proud to wear the Paha! shirt at Deaf Nation.

A teenage girl wanted to wear the “Don’t scream I am not that deaf” tee. She went to the cash table with her deaf mother. Her mother thought the shirt was free and she told her daughter “ YOU DO NOT NEED THIS SHIRT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT DEAF”. The teen did not buy the shirt and she was really sad.

I wondered why the girl would want this shirt. I guess that she wanted to give a message to her parents, who may have been talking to her in a loud voice. I tend to talk to my parents in a loud voice too. Maybe they would want to wear this shirt. Funny!!

The crowning moment of this day was my interview with the LA Times reporter. Her article about me came out the following day.

Check out the website:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/01/local/la-me-deaf-nation-20100503

The by MARA team and I are looking forward to the next Deaf World Expo in July 19-23 2010. We hope to see you all in Vegas!

2009-06-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I apologize for not being consistent with my blog updates. I have had and STILL have so many errands to do. It feels like I never have enough time in the day...time is flying by so fast and my wedding day is getting closer and closer! Today is my day off and I grabbed this opportunity to update my blog starting with events from January 2009 to the present.

One Love Over Violence
January 31, 2009

Jennifer Burnett, who is one of my good friends, is involved in a non-profit organization called “Peace Over Violence” (POV). Jennifer invited me to be a part of her fundraiser event, which was a fashion show. The fashion show was called “One Love Over Violence,” and I was glad to help out and support the cause. Not only that, I love to share my clothing line with anyone who wants to see my designs.

The event was a huge success! The fashion show was packed with people who enjoyed watching the models who wore clothes from my Handshapes and Silhouettes line. In addition to the fashion show, there was a special theme that accompanied the POV fundraising event. The models modeled African dresses that were made by a woman from Africa.

Following shortly after the fashion show, I sold products from my Handshapes line and earned a great deal of money! The best part was that everyone was happy and pleased with my Handshapes products.

At last, I want to send my special thanks to:

Jennifer Burnett – Host
Peggy Reyna – House owner
Sheena McFeely – Event Planner
Jonathan Reyes – Mara’s Assistant
Jessica Sanchez – Mara’s Assistant
Davis Nyguyen – Volunteer

The Models
Rachel Tan
Kaitlin Fleming
Kristin Leete
Caridad Reyner
Ashley Griffith
Josh Josa
Chris Peters

Long trip to Philippines

February 6-15, 2009

Jonathan and I were looking forward to our long awaited vacation in Manila. However, after the trip, I realized it was not our “vacation.” We were very busy and had a lot of wedding planning to do!! We needed to complete our wedding chores; for instance, we had to meet with our wedding planner and several photographers and florists. Not only that, we went and met with the dress designer, priest, and many other important people!! Jonathan and I did not have enough time to get some rest. However, one day out of the week during our stay in Manila (we lost the track of the days), we enjoyed 4 hours in a day spa. I felt so relaxed and at peace while I was receiving my massages. I cannot believe it was so cheap!! During our time at the day spa, we each had an hour worth of massages, and I got a manicure and pedicure. And the best part is we got FREE shabu shabu. This spa package only charged us 40 DOLLARS for the both of us! Oh man, I miss it! Other than the amazing spa therapy, we enjoyed eating A LOT OF FILIPINO FOODS. I gained so much weight because we ate like 5 times a day! The food was so delicious, especially the fruit smoothies!!! YUMMY!

Here are some pictures from our "vacation"...

The middle picture that look like from the movie "slumdog millionaire".

Jon and I want thank my Mom who also went with us to the Philippines. She was a BIG HELP to us!!! We are so thankful and grateful to her...she is the best Mom!

I also want to thank Ate Jocelle, our schedule/information manager; our nanny who took care of us during our time in Manila; and last but not least, our wedding planner, Lanie Mustard.

We are really looking forward to our big day in September!!! We can hardly wait!

MATADOR MARCH
March 13, 2009

Gabe Silva and Didi Pelletier, the fundraiser co-chairpersons for Deaf CSUNians, invited me to participate in their fashion show. The fashion show became my fifth fashion show and it was fun!!

Thanks to the models who volunteered their time in planning and wearing the products from my Handshapes and Silhouettes line.

Matador March reminded me of great memories from the first Deaf CSUNians' fashion show that was hosted by an old friend of mine, Kristi Doris, in 2003. I was involved in the fashion show as a model and it was fun to walk the runway with other models. We all had a blast and this group was the best team.

2nd Annual Sign 'n Run 5K
at Cal State University, Northridge
April 29, 3009

The Sign 'n Run event is a fundraiser event for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Many runners included students who ran for 5 kilometers around the CSUN campus. The event also provided entertainment and some fun activities. It also had many booths where people sold or advertised their products; those booths had representatives from companies such as Sorenson, Viable, Purple, and various clothing/accessories companies. I was one of them! NCOD and Dr. Roz focused their goals in the fundraising events on scholarships and programs for students.

Many customers were surprised about my business and Handshapes logo. They love my handshape logo since it is very unique. Many customers were excited to purchase their very own Handshapes products. Not only did I get a chance to sell my products, I had a great experience in meeting many different customers. However, it was very, very HOT that day since the Sign 'n Run event was an outdoor event. I realized I should have rented or bought a tent for my booth...it would have been nice to keep cool and stay out of direct sunlight!! I will definitely bring a tent for my booth to the next event! Other than that, the event was a big success for my company!

I want to thank Crystal Eusebio and Jessica Tanner, who helped me sell Handshapes products at the booth. I also want to thank Jon for taking the time out of his busy schedule to help me as well.

My Birthday

April 22, 2009

I didn’t know what to do on my birthday. I was not scheduled to work on Wednesday but everyone else was at work. But luckily, my best friend Jessica Sanchez visited me right after she came back from NYC the day before my birthday. We spent my birthday by catching up on our recent news and changes in our lives over lunch, and we went to a nail salon where she treated me to a manicure and pedicure. Jessica and I also went to Santa Monica and shopped on Third Street Promenade, and we went to the beach and watched the sunset. After that, Jonathan joined Jessica and I for dinner after his night class. We had a good time together.

During the last few years of my college years, I used to go and sit on the beach and watch the sunset in Santa Monica by myself when I was stressed out in my personal life. When I noticed Jessica was stressed out and overwhelmed in her personal life, I decided to take her to Santa Monica to watch the sunset with me. During those times, especially while watching the sunset, we enjoyed relaxing on the beach and found that sunsets at the beach lightened up our mood, even if it was just for a little while. It gave us a nice break from reality. During those moments, it was the best feeling ever. I’m so grateful to have Jessica, who is always there for me.

When was the last time you watched a sunset? I recommend you go to the beach, sit on the sand and watch a sunset or even a sunrise. Take some time out of your day, go to the beach and watch one of nature's beautiful sights! It is therapeutic!

My Belated Birthday
I went out to dinner with my family and Jon’s parents at Burner Barn in Pasadena. It was a mini feast and the food was GOOD! I had a good time with them.

Deaf Nation Expo in Pomona, CA
Deafnation.com
May 2, 2009

The Deaf Nation Expo was where I had my first time selling my products in a big convention. Approximately 2,500 people attended the Expo to see different exhibitions. Several exhibitions provided a vast expanse of information in deaf culture, deaf awareness/needs, and also electronic devices and clothing that were available for sale. I found out that approximately 7,000 people attended the Deaf Nation Expo last year in the same city. I think that the number of people at this year's Expo was lower than last year because of the economic recession and/or swine flu concerns.

Anyway, I had a pretty busy but good day selling Handshapes products and meeting old and new faces. It was very interesting for me to meet a diverse group of customers, and it was nice hearing their positive feedback about my business. Jon and I could not have handled it all by ourselves with so many customers, and we are grateful for our sale associates. Many thanks to Crystal Eusebio, Jessica Tanner, Lynn Moran and Chris Peters for all their help. They did an awesome job and I loved their high energy which I believe, helped brought in the customers and successful sales. The By Mara Business was successful with their help!

I am really looking forward to selling more of my products at the next Expo!

Matt Hamil was my booth neighbor; his booth was right behind mine. He is a martial arts fighter for Ultimate Fighters Championship (UFC). Jon and I have watched a few of his fights, and he is really good. We are proud of Matt for his hard work and efforts in representing his amazing abilities. Matt is the only deaf fighter in the UFC and he was there at the Expo, selling shirts as a fundraiser that will help support him in his training as he prepares for the next UFC match. There were a lot of fans at his booth. Near the close of the Expo, we traded our shirts and took a picture together. =)

PHOTOGRAPHY AND WEBSITE

I finally hired Ali Mojahedi as my photographer and website developer. He is doing such an amazing job! I am thrilled to be working with him. Thank you, Ali! The website is NOW activated !! You can order your products ONLINE!

Check out www.bymaracollection.com

I also want to send special thanks to my models who were willing to volunteer their time:

Kaitlin Fleming
Kristin Leete
Didi Pelletier
Caridad Reyner
Rachel Tan
Fernando
Chris Peters

Thank you for your time and patience with me! You all did a wonderful job! lmL

Wow! I wrote about six different events in one sitting!! From now on, I will try my best to update the blog more often and consistently. I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog.

If you have any questions about this or By Mara company, feel free to contact me at Info@bymaracollection.com

Hope you have an awesome summer!

Cheers,
Mara

2009-05-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

DeafNation Expo Pomona

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Location:
Fairplex
Building 9
1101 West McKinley Ave
Pomona, CA 91769

COST: FREE ADMISSION

HOURS: 9:00AM - 6:00PM

www.expo.deafnation.com

2009-01-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAYS

2009-01-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Early Christmas

The 2008 holiday season was the best ever! Early in the month of December, my family, Jon and I went to Las Vegas. We all went to the Pac Man vs. Oscar de la Hoya boxing match. We supported Pac Man. Of course Pacquiao won after old Oscar gave up in the eighth round. I had a great time with the family, short but good time with my best friend during her cousin's bachelorette weekend, playing poker and clubbing in Rok club in New York, New York, and in the Bank club in Bellagio.

Christmas Eve + Christmas Day

Finally, I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Reyes family. This was my first Christmas with them. It is often hard for me to find the time to get together with the Reyes family since my work schedule is always hectic! It was interesting to see the difference between my family and Jon’s family at Christmas time. My family is very simple; I grew up receiving just one special gift from my parents. In Jon’s family, they give a BUNCH of Christmas presents to each person. It was a good experience.

Also, the Reyes family and I went to Disneyland on Christmas Day. It was very wet and COLD outside. But we enjoyed the rides and watching the Christmas parade. It was beautiful. Jon and I had never been to Disney's California Adventures before but we finally got the chance to go! The Reyes family and I rode on the roller coasters there two times. It was fun!

New Year's Eve

At first, I didn’t know what I was going to do on New Year's Eve...

When I found out that I had days off on December 31st and January 1st, Jon and I made a last minute decision to go to VEGAS!! We had a blast with our friends from our university, sorority and fraternity. We celebrated New Year's Eve in Caramel bar in Bellagio. We played Roulette together, enjoyed the USC vs. Tenn. game in ESPN restaurant in New York, New York and walked around in Downtown Las Vegas.

I can’t believe what happened one night in Vegas! My good friend and I were walking

around in Bellagio very late in the evening. My friend wanted some water so we stopped at a bar in the casino area and asked a bartender for water. The bartender seemed to have a problem with us. He asked her for her ID and then pointed at me for my ID, even though I didn't want a drink of anything! It didn’t make sense! Later, we found out that the reason why the bartender had asked us for our ID was because we looked so young. It flattered us but...for WATER???

Anyway. Jon and I were sad when we had to leave Las Vegas. We had to leave our friends since they were staying for another night and go back to reality.

Overall, I am so grateful to have my wonderful family, both Ladines and Reyes families. *Thank you from the bottom of my heart* I am also very grateful to my friends: thank you for planning the reunion in Vegas. I had a good time and would love to have another university reunion in the future.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year '09!

2008-12-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T00:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T00:22:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T00:13:00.000-08:00

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!

A Happy Little Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

As nature begins this quiet time of rest may our hearts be filled with joy.

TRIP TO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

2008-11-13T13:21:00.001-08:00

I was excited to visit my best friend Jessica in her hometown of Visalia, Ca. Visalia is about 45 minutes from Fresno. Anyway, I finally was able to take a break from work for three days and spend time with Jessica for her birthday. It was my first time driving alone from Los Angeles to Visalia for three hours without a passenger! Her hometown is a very small town and has many farms. I enjoyed spending time with Jessica and it was nice to see her family and relatives again as well. Also, Jessica recently moved into a new house; it is a nice, big home. At the end of the trip, I felt that three days was not enough for a vacation. It was like three days equals 12 hours. I felt sad when I went back to L.A. because it was time to go back to work.

2008-11-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

Cocktails n' Cookies

Preview By MARA in time for the holiday season.

10% off all Handshapes and Silhouettes!

On November twenty-first, two thousand eight

At five o'clock to eight o'clock in the evening.

Eleven Eighty Lida Street.

Pasadena, Ca.

RSVP by November 19, 2008

j_sanchez6@yahoo.com

Come mingle with friends, view the By Mara collection, and enter the raffle event for a chance to win fabulous prizes!

Deaf Center of Idaho - Deaf Event

2008-10-31T01:25:00.003-07:00

My good friend, Kristi Dorris will be my salesperson at the Deaf Center of Idaho's 2nd annual DCI holiday Bazaar. At the event, Kristi will sell my HANDSHAPES products.

If you are interested in attending this event, here is the information:

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Time: 10am – 4pm

Place: 1720 Westgate Dr. suite D
Boise, ID

Website: www.deafcenteridaho.org

I am so excited about this as it is my very first event! I will keep you all updated about the event and how well it works out after November 8th.

2008-10-31T01:25:00.001-07:00

“Commercial” by Thunderoaphy

My good friend, Storm Smith has developed a new business called "Thunderoaphy," which is a photography and multi-media video company. She showed me her projects and her work is so AWESOME!! I am so thrilled and looking forward to the "by MARA" commercial that Storm will make some time in 2009!

Good bye to my hearing aid

2008-10-31T01:22:00.000-07:00

IMPOSSIBLE! Where is my hearing aid at? I can’t find it! It should be somewhere in my house and I still cannot find my hearing aid. I feel sad and I will have to pay for a new hearing aid from my own pocket. It’s very EXPENSIVE! I miss hearing sounds. I haven't heard anything for about one and a half weeks. I hope my new hearing aid will be ready by next week.

HANDSHAPES Models

2008-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

My photography partner, Rachel Tan and I took pictures of four wonderful models. I wanted to thank Chris Peters and his roommates for allowing me to take pictures at their place in Northridge, California.

Chris Peters… My models, Rachel and I showed up at his place at 6 AM. We waited outside his door while Chris was sleeping. Nobody heard us. We rang the doorbell and banged the door and windows many times! So I decided to break into his house =X However CP locked his bedroom door. My hub Jon provided Krispy Kreme donuts and orange juice for breakfast. Later, Chris finally came out of his room and said "I am D**K" and told us that he will change his clothes. CP went to his room, he locked his room and fell asleep again. I cannot wait for him. We just moved on and took pictures of the models individually and then as a group. I asked Jon to join the Handshapes group with the other models since it was an emergency. Chris finally woke up at about 7:30 AM because he said that his alarm clock woke him up at the wrong time and he had gone to a party the night before. Tsk tsk.

Many thanks to my partner, Rachel Tan. She helped me a lot! I am so grateful to work with her. She did a great job!

Models: Chris Peter, Josh Josa, Amy Conway, Caridad Reyner
Thanks to all the models for taking the time out of their day for me! I hope they had a good time and good experience as a model.

Final Handshapes photos will be posted on my official website and advertisements as well.

I LOVE POKER!

2008-10-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

One of our good friends introduced Jon and I to the Texas Hold'em game. I have played poker for more than five years. I usually play poker at friends' houses and casinos as well. Poker is my hobby. Sometime I play honest or bluff my way through a game *wink*

SoCal Deaf Poker hosted a poker event last Saturday. Twenty-two deafies attended the event. I was at the final table, however I was out of the game on King and 10 - same diamond suits - and the flop cards did not match my cards. Another player got pocket. I got 7th place but, Jon got 4th place with a small prize.

Jon and I like to play poker at least once a month. If you are interested in joining, please let me know!

TAX TAX TAX

2008-10-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Jon and I recently took the California Board of Equalization Seminar. We learned a lot about taxes and it was very interesting! If you want to be an accountant or a business owner like restaurant manager, photographer, designer, constructor, etc. -- I highly recommend that you go and take the Board of Equalization seminar. There, you will learn very important information and how to protect your business. And the best part? Its FREE!

I wanted to thank my Mom who helped us by interpreting the seminar for us. We are very lucky to have her. She did a great job! I love you, Mom!

ONE LOVE fashion show

2008-10-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

On September 6, 2008, my good friend Sheena, the Soup Event planner, hosted ONE LOVE fashion show. We worked together as a team. It was SUCCESSFUL! I will post it again when Kiss-Fist Magazine's third issue is coming soon!

SPECIAL THANKS

Sheena Mcfeely-Johnson, the Soup Event Planner
Barbara Montan, for allowing us to use her home for the One Love fashion show event.

Manny Johnson, CVSDR sponsor
Jonathan Reyes, Supporter
Jessica Sanchez, Assistant designer

Beautiful MODELS:Bethany Gehman, Adriana Mendoza, Crystal Eusebio, Jenny Choi, Nancy Ngo, Didi Pelletier, Kaitlin Fleming, Rachel Tan, Jessica Sanchez, Chris Peters

I also want to thank everyone who supported our ONE LOVE fashion show.

I will keep you updated on my upcoming fashion shows.

Sweet Embrace Dress

2008-10-13T23:16:00.001-07:00

I made this custom dress for a customer.
It is a dark chocolate embrace dress.
She loves it!
She wore this dress for her sister’s wedding.

My Domain Name

2008-10-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

I was excited to post my official website www.byMARA.com as my domain name. However, my website developer told me that byMARA.com is already taken. I couldn't believe it! I was so disappointed. I did not have any idea what my alternative domain name would be. It took me two days to think about it. I thought I would make a minor change to the domain name I wanted, such as "byMARA.net". But the website developer recommended that I use ".com" because it is more professional. It's true. My family and my best friends helped me by giving me their feedback on alternative domain names.

The possible alternative domain names were:

byMARAshop.com
byMARAsigns.com
byMARAcollection.com
byMARAcreations.com
CollectionsbyMARA.com

There were so many options! I am thankful to my family and best friends for taking the time to help me decide on an official domain name.

I finally decided on "byMARAcollection.com." To me, it sounds good. So, my website developer is working on the domain name right now, and I hope "byMARAcollection.com" is NOT TAKEN!

Mini Fashion Show at CSUN 08

2008-10-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

Almost a year after graduating from California State University, Northridge, an organization at Cal State Northridge named Deaf CSUNians, asked me to join their fashion show and to debut my fashion line to the public as a deaf designer. I had five models that modeled the five dresses I chose to showcase in the fashion show, and Jessica Sanchez as my assistant. The models were Crystal Eusebio, Adriana Mendoza, Amy Conway, Kaitlin Fleming, and Rachel Tan. The show was great and I got great feedback from the audience. They all loved my dresses and shirts!

Fashion/Trunk Show – May 2007

2008-10-01T01:12:00.000-07:00

Instead of the usual pomp and circumstance march at California State University, Northridge, I hosted my very own, first fashion show at my parents' house in Pasadena, California. I invited all of my family and friends to my fashion show in lieu of a graduation ceremony. The fashion show showcased ten of my dresses - all of which I made throughout my college years. The fashion show was a success!! It was more than I had imagined it to be and everything that I wanted it to be. My big sister Melissa, flew from New York City to support me and to help me. One of my close cousins, Joi helped as my stylist assistant. My best friend Reeann Hosein flew in from Florida for my graduation and to model one of my dresses. Another best friend of mine, Jessica Sanchez, helped me so much as my assistant. My professional interpreter was Jill Melendes and two friends from my sorority, Jennifer Spensieri and Becca Nelson, helped me as hairstylists and make-up artists to the models. My ten beautiful models were Amy Conway, Sheena Mcfeely, Crystal Eusebio, Adrianna Mendoza, Jenny Choi, Bianca Walker, Kristin Leete, Rachel Tan and Reeann Hosein, all wore the dresses I made. I am so thankful to all my family and friends for being there and for their support. One of the dresses named "Sweet Embrace" was a big hit at the fashion show; and everyone loved the shirts I created with my logo on it. It was very stressful planning the fashion show but in the end, it was all worth it and I was so happy to share my creations with all of my family and friends.

One more year to go!

2008-09-26T00:48:00.000-07:00

Jon and I can't hardly wait to get married on September 26, 2009.

Want to get know about us? Check out our wedding website JonMara26.com

Enjoy!
Mara

My business name

2008-09-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

My Business Name

Hello everyone!

I wanted to tell you about today. I went to the bank to open my business account. One problem I have is I do not have a federal identification number, which means I cannot open a business account. So I went to business services where I met a wonderful man. The two of us discussed the business stuff before he started filling out forms. The man wanted to make sure that I could use the name that I chose for my business before I established the website. But for a while, I was worried because it seemed like someone else had the same name that I had chosen. I was worried because I love my name MARA.

But before I got ahead of myself, I had to be patient and wait while the man conducted his internet search. During his search on international, USA, California and local database, the man found many websites with the name Mara, such as: MaxMara, Mara with a last name, and many more websites with that name. One weird website named mara.com, was related to Wild Animal, but anyways. While I wasn't surprised that someone has the business name MARA, I had other alternative names that I could use. My sister Melissa and I had discussed alternative names in case the name of my choice was already taken. I asked the business service man if there were any websites and business name that had the name BY MARA. He checked and found that someone already has BYMARAMARA, so this was good news for me!! I could use the name BY MARA as my business name. From now on, my business name is BY MARA. I am hoping I will get a new business account and soon!

Other than the good news, there is a little bit of bad news...I still have to go to City Hall to change my previous business name MARA to my new business BY MARA. I did not feel like going there today since there is always a lot of traffic and my schedule is pretty hectic at the moment! But I will let you know what happens when I do go.

Until next time...

Mara

Tees that started Handshapes

2008-09-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my college graduation from California State University, Northridge, I had a fashion show at my parents' house in Pasadena. As a bonus, I made shirts that has my logo on it for my family and friends. Lots of people LOVED it and I got so excited because they all wanted to buy a shirt for themselves. The shirts sold out fast and this is what inspired me to create an additional fashion line called "HANDSHAPES." I can't wait for you to see what other items I have created and will make available to the public soon. In the meantime, if you are interested in purchasing shirts, please let me know.

ImL Handshapes tees - MORE COMING SOON in NOV. 2008

ImL H a n d s h a p e T e e - boy
Deaf Pride in this 100% cotton tee with a
` handshape at the front.
• Grey, black handshape
• S, M, L, XL
• Machine wash
• Cotton

$20

ImL H a n d s h a p e T e e - girl
Deaf Friendly in this 100% cotton tee with a
` handshape at the front.
• Eggplant, light gray hands
• S, M, L, XL
• Machine wash
• Cotton

$20

my first

2008-09-23T05:31:00.002-07:00

Hi! I am so excited to inform you about my new business *MARA*. I want to thank my sister Melissa, for all her help and support, especially in establishing this blog for me. This is the very first blog that I have used so far and I will be using this blog to keep you updated about my new products as well as myself!

I never thought the day I start my own fashion business would arrive this early in my life. Establishing my own business has always been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I have always wanted to work as a designer or stylist, in production and patternmaking for fashion industry/company. Unfortunately, they never hired me. Of course I was disappointed. I was not sure if my deafness or inexperience in the fashion business was the factor in me not being hired.

In my experience so far, most companies will not provide an interpreter for job interviews. This was problematic in addition to my often imperfect speech and lipreading, which I sometimes have trouble with from time to time. I'll never forget the time I told interviewer that I am deaf and they reacted with their eyes wide-open and particular body languages that showed nervousness. It was sad that they did not know what to do when interacting with me because the word "Deaf" had affected them.

Thankfully, that experience did not last too long. I currently work at H&M at the Americana in Glendale, California. So far, the job is great but it is not something I would like to do for a long time. I am not fond of the work schedule retail business. Also, since the time I started working at H&M, I realized I lost a part of my identity. The only times I use sign language to communicate with someone is with my love of my life, Jon, and with my friends, and these interactions usually happens outside of the business. I realized I cannot work like this for the rest of my life. I feel I need to move onto something better than where I am at this time in my life. So I was back at square one regarding my career plans.

I realized that the constant support from my family, Jon, and my close friends would be enough to begin my own fashion business, and to turn it into a huge success. Many people are constantly asking me where they can purchase my handshapes tees and dresses. I always felt bad that I did not have enough products to sell since I had not planned on starting my business in the near future. I am also still new to the business world but thankfully, my sister Melissa is very helpful and supportive of my new business. Melissa will be a valued business partner of mine.

At this stage in establishing my fashion business, I recently got my seller's permit business license and copyright for my logo. Last weekend, I bought new materials for dresses and products. I also talked with my website developer about my official website. At this time, I have quite a bit on my plate: my Jon and I are currently planning our wedding coming in September 2009, my job at H&M, and developing the fashion business, Mara... However, I am looking forward to seeing my website and products being ready for release by November 2008. Between now and then, I will keep you updated, and please do check out my website at blog and website coming soon www.byMARA.com when you get a chance!

Many Thanks,

Mara Ladines
Fashion Designer

setting up

2008-09-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

hi. its melsa, mara's sister aka future business partner. been helping my sister set things up to help her with her business. first things first, a blog. this way mara and i can update you daily if not weekly on life and living as a deaf fashion designer. enjoy..