More than you ever wanted to know about me

This picture has nothing to do with the post, but I hadn't shared it yet, so why not? Hehe. Everyone knows you can't write a post without any pictures! Moving on.

I have seen the blog awards and surveys go around but haven't gotten to answering any of them previously (thanks to everyone who has tagged me!). But when Susie of Even Sweeter Dreams nominated me (thank you!) and wrote up some fun questions, I just couldn't resist. =) By the way, if you don't follow her blog already, visit and you'll quickly find that the Liebster description fits her perfectly! Subsequently, I was also tagged in another questionnaire by the awesome and talented Michelle of Creature Type, so I decided to combine the two... and write a super epic long post for any of you who have way too much free time. =D Thanks, ladies!

Liebster Award and Questions From Susie
The Liebster Blog Award is given from blogger to blogger – meant for bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

1. Your first pet was?
Hrm, now first pet was a bit of a story. It would definitely be one of the Indy's, a pet name my family used twice that clearly wasn't meant to be. On my eighth birthday, I was lucky enough to visit relatives in the Philippines with my grandparents. The day I left, my family went out and chose a dog. We named him Indie. He ended up not being a good fit for my family... so they sadly brought him back the morning right before I flew home. So I really never met my first family pet.

2. What's your favourite outfit?
My tastes change frequently and it completely depends on my mood, so it's hard to say. But it just might be my red Jessica Louise dress!

3. What does your perfect day look like?
My perfect day would start with waking up around 10am and having a leisurely brunch (preferably something sweet and something savory). Then I'd head to a warm beach and somehow get a chance to hug a shark without being bitten. After that, it would definitely be time for ice cream, dinner with friends, and then heading home to make art all evening while watching TV shows and filling up on pasta and cupcakes.

4. What is your favourite season?
Summer! That's an easy one. I'm starting to gain an appreciation for autumn, but I'm always happiest in the summer. Cute clothes, beaches, ice cream, and most importantly... (mostly) no rain! Sold!

5. What were you like as a kid?
I was actually a pretty good kid (Mom, you can comment if you disagree). I'm the oldest child of three - as a baby, my parents brought me to restaurants and all sorts of places and I never screamed. They quickly learned that not all babies were like that when my brother, Corbin, was born.

6. What is your favourite song to sing along to?
There are so many! Really almost anything that's playing in the car. Lately, that's been "One More Night" by Maroon 5.

7. Where in the world would you like to go on holiday?
Everywhere!! If I had to pick somewhere... it would most likely be in Europe. I haven't seen England, France, or Spain yet... there are so many places, I really can't choose.

8. What's your worst habit?
Oh gosh, I'm sure I have a ton. Possibly the fact that I really, really hate doing laundry. In college I'd get compliments near laundry day because I wore all my comfy clothes already and had to move on to fancier stuff. I have also been known to purchase new clothes instead of doing laundry. True story.

9. What's your favourite TV show?
Another tough call! I have lots of favorites. I suppose the ones I love most are the ones I rewatch most often... so Friends, Scrubs, and Arrested Development. For ongoing shows, I'm digging White Collar and How I Met Your Mother right now.

10. Do you prefer rain in summer or sun in winter?
SUN IN THE WINTER. No contest. That may be because I live in Seattle where it rains 9-10 months out of the year, so we're in no short supply of it. Including in the summer.

11. When are you happiest?
I'm happiest when I feel like I've accomplished something real and substantial. Or when I've just finished reorganizing my craft room - it's seriously an addiction. I reorganize it all of the time. Otherwise all sorts of little things make me happy - seeing friends and family, travelling, making art...

Questions from Michelle
1. Do you believe in guilty pleasures? Why/why not?
Well, we all have things we like that make us feel a little guilty or embarassed. Most of the time, it's silly, because you should do whatever you want regardless of what others think. But sometimes that's easier said than done.

2. What is your favorite/most-loved souvenir?
Oh, that's not easy. I have a whole room I'm decorating with a travel theme, full of postcards and pretty artwork from far away. The one that instantly brings a story to mind whenever I see it is my graffiti Colosseum piece. I watched this super cool graffiti street artist make the piece right on the spot in the streets of Rome... it was so incredible. I had to wait a while to get mine because people kept snatching up her pieces immediately!

 3. What's the worst job you've ever had to work?
Well, I really haven't had too many different jobs, but I did do temp work at an amusement park kitchen one summer. Having been in the kitchen, all I can say is I would not eat the food there...

4. Even if you don't generally like pop music, what's your favorite pop song?
It changes by the day (see a consistent theme to my responses?)... right now I'm digging "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry.

5. What hobby/subject has made you the most fan-girly or obsessive? Was it a phase?
Hrm, my hobbies and obsessions also change constantly. I don't really do the whole fangirl thing and could care less what conventional celebrities do with their lives. But I do have role models - people who have started their own businesses from the ground and gotten to the point where they are actually self-employed, living comfortably, and doing what they love. It may look like easy living for some of them now (though I doubt it really is), but I know they worked so hard to get there, and I admire them for that. I know I didn't really answer the question, sorry! Sooo... my latest obsession is cacti. Better?

6. What's your favorite kind of cuisine?
Depends on the day... haha. I do consistently love Italian and Chinese, though. Really, anything with noodles. I will never, ever be sick of noodles. Maybe for a day or two, but I always return to them!

Oh hey... I found an actually relevant picture! Noodles from one of my favorite restaurants!

7. Which is your favorite Harry Potter book? Movie?
The last one for sure (book - I didn't watch the movies). I'm always very cautious and skeptical when reading the last book of any good series. It takes an incredible amount of talent and skill to wrap up a good, complex series effectively. J.K. Rowling definitely did a skilled job of it, and the last book upped her talent level in my mind immensely.

8. If you could have any hair color - naturally and maintenance free - what would it be?
Well... I pretty much do get whatever hair color I want all of the time. I wish it was natural and maintenance free... but most importantly, damage free! I did love the rainbow hair I got last time I was in the salon. I guess I'd have mood hair color, if that's possible. Ya know, like mood rings? Color that changed with my whims!

9. What is your favorite drink? Not necessarily boozy!
Good thing, because I rarely drink alcohol. My most consistent favorite is orange juice. Iced vanilla chai when I need caffeine... or hot chocolate with whipped cream when it's cold out.

10. What musical(s) do you know all the lyrics to?
I do know quite a bit of Phantom of the Opera and some of Les Miserables and Aida. Such good musicals.

11. What's the last movie you saw in a theater?
Wow, I don't even remember. Iron Man 2, maybe? Yeah, I don't go to movies very often.

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Thanks to Susie and Michelle for the nomination and tag! I had way too much fun with this! Oh, and a little update. I have lots of posts planned that I haven't gotten to... including the final update on the Help a Heart + pictures from the Heart Walk, a little feature of my favorite cupcake shop, awesome mail I've gotten recently, and much more! I kinda epic failed on delivering a lot of the October stuff I had planned (making of last year's Halloween costume, the pumpkin I carved two Halloweens ago, etc.) and now I feel stupid posting Halloween stuff after Halloween. Eh well. Life goes on! Maybe next year I'll be better. =)

Happy Halloween!

To all the east coasters / anyone affected by Hurricane Sandy... I hope you're okay! Stay safe, please!

Here on the west coast, we have a much more normal Halloween this year. Got a few trick or treaters so far tonight, which just reminds me that I am one of the most awkward people on the planet. I actually opened the door to the first group of trick or treaters, but I was too nervous to speak... except to mumble "take a few." They were all very polite and thanked me... hah. I'm such a spaz sometimes.

Anyway, I wanted to share some of the beautiful Halloween decorations I've seen businesses put up this month!

I loved the cute pumpkins and lights put up by the little coffee stand near my work!

Remember Impress? They added these cute Halloween cutouts to their window display!

And... my favorite cupcake shop went all out! I'll be doing a more extensive post about it soon.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Artist of the Month: Alvin and Cheri Ong, October 2012

I love when businesses make it a part of their mission to share a positive message or cause... which is part of why I was so excited to have come across Furry Feline Creatives! (The other part being their incredible artwork and style, of course.) I'll let Cheri and Alvin tell you a little bit more about their cute and colorful business!

Thank you for joining us on Pink Wonderland today, Cheri and Alvin! Can you please tell us a little bit about yourselves?

Hi! My name is Cheri Ong - I’m the mastermind, creative artist and designer for Furry Feline Creatives.  I’m also a drummer and a avid fan of analogue photography. And I’m Alvin Ong - I write the stories for the characters, run the business side of Furry Feline Creatives, play guitar, and love everything geek.

Tell us about Furry Feline Creatives, how you started it, and the concept behind your business.

Furry Feline Creatives is a character design studio founded by Cheri Ong and Alvin Ong. Cheri had been drawing all her life. She made a career and profession out of it, doodling all the way since elementary school, drawing characters based on her friends and people she knew. We started off by doing a couple of t-shirt designs and selling some artwork at various venues until one day, we were chatting among ourselves as we were looking at our kids playing. We said to ourselves, “What can we do to teach them at this very young age that they would remember and keep until they grow up?”.  Being fans of popular culture and geekdom, we wanted to do something that we ourselves could enjoy, share, and bond with the kids. The idea of creating handmade plush toys came to mind along with a message or a story that reaches a wide spectrum of children to adults.  Like the dolls, there is a uniqueness in all of us that has to be seen and heard. We are made special and distinct from each other.

Cheri, I believe you started making plushies for the shop without any prior experience with it. How did you learn how to make them?

Sewing was the last thing I wanted to do, but I gave it a try. I watched YouTube a couple of times for the basic sewing patterns and Alvin was like, "Why don't you make the plushies like you draw them?" Since then, it has become an expression of my hands and to reveal what is on my mind.

How do you incorporate those concepts into your children’s lives?

We emphasize individuality. Just like the dolls, each doll features slight variations that enhance the dolls’ uniqueness. As young as they are, we teach our kids to be confident and embrace their differences. We also let them play with our toy collection... with supervision, of course!

Where or how do you usually find inspiration for your cute and colorful characters?

Everyday life brings is a lot of inspiration to our work. We meet all sorts of people from different walks of life. These usually brings us ideas in the way we create our characters.

Does your location inspire you in any way?

Yes - we are huge fans of pop culture and living in the City of Angels, Hollywood, with all its glitz and glamour. It's not too far away from San Diego, which hosts Comic Con International, the largest pop culture mecca in the world. We love it here.

Who are your favorite artists?

Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, and Simone Legno.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

We are both musicians. Alvin plays the guitar and Cheri plays the drums. You would usually see us playing some tunes.  We also take special time every week to go to department stores and browse around the toy section and see what the big companies are doing now.

Favorite animal?

Cats!

What is it like working with your significant other?

Working together with your spouse is very rewarding because you get to work on something that involves love, patience, and understanding. You give and take ideas, and offer honest opinions and suggestions. It is the best team possible.

Are there any major events or experiences in your life that affected your work or business?

The birth of our two kids really prompted us to think about our work. It gave us direction for what we wanted to do and why we are doing it.

Tell us about your creative process and workspace.

We look for ideas in everyday life, drawing doodles on sketchbooks. Our workspace is by the window, literally, which gives us inspiration.

What advice would you offer an aspiring artist or someone who wants to start a small business?

We always tell people three things that we go by - not just in art or business, but in life in general.  

1.     Love what you do, no matter what other people say about it. If you believe you were put in this earth to do what you need to do, go do it.

2.     Real failure happens when you don’t start.

3.     Have the attitude that you will never arrive, but are always arriving.

Furry Feline Creatives was a vendor this year at the San Diego ComicCon and earlier this month at the New York ComicCon – how exciting! The winter craft fair season is coming up… any advice for small business owners who are preparing for craft fairs?

Be sure to keep yourself warm! haha.  But seriously, be prepared to work not just on your products, but also the look of your booth as well.  If someone passes by the aisle, you want to get their attention for them to come in.  Another is: be approachable. Greet and smile. The last thing you want people to perceive is that you just don’t care.

Are you working on any projects or pieces that you are excited about?

We are always working on exclusives that we are doing for comic conventions all throughout the year and are constantly working on various projects, some of which are top secret for now.

Tell us if there are any events you have lined up where we can find you and your artwork in person.

- Designer Con || November 3rd, from 9am to 6pm, at Pasadena Convention Center.

- Renegade Craft Fair Los Angeles || December 8 & 9, from 10am to 5pm, at the Los Angeles Historic Park.

And many more! For our full schedule, please check our events calendar.

Thank you so much for sharing your stories and advice with us on Pink Wonderland, Cheri and Alvin!

You can find Furry Feline Creatives at these places:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Artist of the Month is a monthly interview feature with an artist. I am very selective about whom I interview - I pick artists I believe in, whose style I truly love. See all previously featured artists here.