Greetings from By Mara!
Mara has been selected to be one of 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 4th 2011.
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
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)
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!
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!
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!
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!
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
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!
We are really looking forward to our big day in September!!! We can hardly wait!
MATADOR MARCH
March 13, 2009
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
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
HOLIDAYS
Early Christmas
The 2008 holiday season was the best ever! Early in the month of December, my family, Jon an
d 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.
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.
At first, I didn’t know what I was going to do on New Year's Eve...
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.
The 2008 holiday season was the best ever! Early in the month of December, my family, Jon an
d 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!
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