A Birthday Wish -- Celebrating Gratitude

" It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy. " -Anonymous                                                           

Nothing says Happy Birthday better than coral peonies | Photography via Chandara Creative

My 30th year was marked by dreams--realized, including the completion of business school, and perhaps even more importantly, the end of one chapter of my career, and the beginning of yet another one.  The decision left me anxious & scared, but in the end, much more fulfilled that for the first time in my life, I finally had the courage to let go of certainty to embrace my gift of creativity. And then, one of my dearest friends from college recently welcomed a precious little bundle of life into his family...and my heart jumped leaps and bounds, knowing how lucky this little guy was because they'd make two amazing parents--no doubt. And as I cradled all five pounds of him in my arms, I nearly melted from the tenderness of the moment--the moment when their big, sparkling eyes meets yours and all you can sense is the purity and innocence of their gaze, and how their entire life awaits them.

But my 30th year was also marked by loss...the loss of my aunt (the maternal figure to my father)...one that shocked our entire family, but further strengthened our filial bond.  And as I delivered her eulogy in both English and my native tongue of Laos, I couldn't feel more blessed and proud that in this lifetime, I was gifted with being her niece.  For an entire day, as an homage to the deceased, I was ordained as a Buddhist nun, cloaked in nothing but white fabric, and as I listened to the monks chanting, their words became a symphony to my ears...perhaps made more beautiful because we all sung it in unison for my aunt.  And so for the first time at a funeral, as I observed the ceremonial rituals being performed as part of my Theravada Buddhist religion, I was left with an overwhelming sense of peace & tranquility knowing that  her battle with cancer no longer consumed her being, and that her suffering had ended because she was in a much better place.

So, on this day, as I begin yet another year of life, I am grateful....grateful that another year awaits me, and that my heart is full & brimming with love for all the meaningful people in my life, including...

A husband who has never stopped believing in me (despite how crazy my imagination may get) and continues to amaze me with his love, patience, and generosity, but most importantly, for continually making me a better person...imbued with my own flaws, idiosyncratic tendencies, and quirks (yet loves me despite them all).

A loving family that has always stood by me, held my hand, pushed me, and supported me in my most trying & joyous moments.

Nieces & nephews...they color my world with shades of craziness and thoughtfulness I never knew existed. Each day with them is another wild ride full of laughter and they continue to remind me that I can don my rose-colored lenses any day and join them.

The very best of friends (my chosen family) whose unwavering love & support for all of my life's decisions continue to inspire me exponentially.  They are my Team Awesome, my dreamers, believers, doers, movers & shakers--the people who saw greatness in me even when I didn't see it in myself.

And for each of you out there who visit this blog and while I don't know all of your personally, I am grateful. For every like on Instagram & Facebook, follow on twitter, and hit on this blog, I smile. I really do.

In Remembrance

" The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart...should swell into a mighty chorus of remembrance, gratitude, and rededication..." - Abraham Lincoln

Memorial Day takes a special place in my heart. I come from a family of honorable men who sacrificed their lives to make this day possible for me. After all, my own existence has been one that was borne out of political turmoil.  And as I write, my heart remembers seeing the grim, melancholic expression on my husband's face when we last visited his military base to pay our respects to his fallen soldiers, yet another solemn reminder that our freedoms of today have not been without its price.  And so, today, as many of us take a reprieve from work, I am taking some time to honor and remember our brave men and women who have served, thereby making their ultimate sacrifice to our country.

Fallen Soldier Memorial | Schofield Bks, HI | Photography via Chandara Creative

Published on SMP Living: Entertaining with Oysters

I'm absolutely thrilled and giddy beyond belief that my first styled shoot with my favorite briny friends was published today over at Style Me Pretty Living.   Many thanks to the fabulous Silvana di Franco for capturing the beautiful day. 

____________________

Oftentimes, whenever we do something new, we talk about and embark upon grandiose goals, but truth be told, when I woke up this morning to this tweet, my heart jumped up and smiled like I'd just won the lottery. No, no money involved, but just this crazy passion of mine doing backflips to the nine. I still remember drooling over the features from other amazing creatives they'd highlight, and wondering if perhaps someday, if I ever created something just as amazing, that just maybe...I could grace the SMP Living blog, even for a split nano-second, that would be uber-fantastic in my little world. And so today, when my feature did just that, I realized that these small, incremental moments of happiness are what I live for...these milestones that serve as a recurring reminder that doing what makes me smile is really why Chandara Creative was born and why I know, it will continue to shine on.

Don't have an oyster set? No worries. I used a drink dispenser stand and a small plate to re-create my own. No biggie.

See the full feature at SMP Living. 

Appreciating Apples

If you can read this, thank a teacher.

I have so much respect for teachers. 

My mother is a pre-school teacher; my sister was a kindergarten teacher; my friends have dedicated their lives to a humble (but immensely rewarding) teaching profession, and quite frankly, I don't know where I would be today without my first grade teacher, Mrs. Cooper -- who graced me with the gift of literacy at the tender age of 6. I picked up my very first book and read it from cover to cover. I loved every bit of it, and haven't stopped loving it since then.

Back then, my family didn't have money to go on lavish vacations, so books became my portal for traveling to wherever my imagination would take me, and goodness gracious, the possibilities were endless. I remember tilting my head up and wishing meatballs really would fall from the sky as it had in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs; I remember envisioning a room filled with golden silk threads with a little, old, wrinkly man riding on a spoon after learning about Rumpelstiltskin, and I remember feeling my first pangs of injustice seep in after finishing my first chapter book, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry. To this day, I gift all of my friend's children with childhood literacy...it is truly the only gift that keeps on giving.  And when I do travel, my hubby and I collect children's books in different languages, from different countries.  We would love nothing more than to create our own multicultural library in our home one day, and judging from the stockpile we've amassed over the years, I know we're well on our way.   

" You're never too old,
too wacky, too wild,
to pick up a book,
and read to a child! " 

 -- Dr. Seuss

For all my teachers who have helped nourish my passion for reading, 'Thank you, Thank you."
Happy Teacher Appreciation Day...you are the apples of my life.

Stay Inspired,

Chandara

Oh Sweet Pea

English sweet pea tendrils + arugula flower blossom | Watanabe Farms | Photography via Chandara Creative

There are weeks that go by when I don't pick up my camera--it sits idle, restless, completely neglected.  I know I'm guilty of finding comfort in my handy iPhone--it's just so light and easy! But then I begin to wonder if maybe...just maybe, I've managed to forget how to frame a shot in my head, how to play with luminous light, or how to capture the essence of my subject. And then there are days like yesterday when I have a reason to get snap happy...when I get to work with an executive chef on his portfolio and when I'm entrusted to deliver simply nothing but my best work..and it happens.

I get inspired. All over again. And I clap (yes, I clap).

And I fall in love, hopelessly, in love and smitten with...my art.

And I have to keep on telling myself: Oh sweet pea...it's just like riding a bike.  You still got it. Yes, you do.

Fab Friday

Oyster bedding [Tomales Bay, CA]

This week was a whirlwind....there's been such devastation in the news, but on the bright side, there's so much good to be had. While I can't tell you everything (just yet), I'm elated that an upcoming trip to the East Coast to meet and eat with some amazing creatives is in the works; an editor from one of my favorite new magazines has rekindled my literary fire; and I had the amazing opportunity to style a shoot with an amazing new photographer friend who I'll be introducing to you shortly.  Above is a little snippet of what's coming up and of course, I'm over the moon for this weekend as I'm helping my dearest friends with their baby shower.

So, go out and enjoy your Fabulous Friday!  I know I will!

LOVE for BOSTON

Via

It's taken me a couple of days to process what's happened...and I'm not sure any words can really relay my feelings, but the recent tragedy in Boston breaks my heart.  To think that somebody can be filled with so much hatred that their only recourse is to take to the streets and lash out on innocent lives leaves me in sheer disbelief.  I can only hope that despite the senselessness of this heinous act, we can still spare room for compassion in our hearts.  Because this act of terror is further evidence that the proliferation of hate only perpetuates a vicious cycle of destruction, obliterating all in its path.  Our lives are much too short to be consumed by hate.  So with each passing day, if we can learn to love deeply, forgive often, and fill our hearts with more light than darkness, then perhaps we can pass these values  on to our own children because....

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.  People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite"-- Nelson Mandela