Treasured Little Things

I used to get Barbies as x'mas presents when I was young. Everyone thought all little girls like dolls. The truth is - I was really scared of them. It isn't because I didn't think they are pretty, but when I was little, I was so convinced that they move by themselves at night. I think this fear stemmed from a pair of dolls dressed in Korean traditional costumes, a souvenir from my parents. These dolls had blinking eyes. I'm sure you girls came across these kinds at some point. When you lie them flat; their eyes close and when you stand them up; their eyes open. I was very disturbed by that eye blinking mechanism. They were placed opposite of my bed on a dresser. I would refuse to go pee at night, because I thought if I move they move. Yes, it was all very silly.

Last week, my mom asked me to go home and figure out if I need any of the stuff in storage, so she can make space for her clothes (Yes, she hoards, she has kept most of her clothings from her 20s and I want them and she refuses to let me have them). First box: crayola crayons, 5 boxes of them, all missing half the colors. Artworks from elementary school and a few toys. Second and third box: yarns and more yarns, my attempt at knitting and crocheting. Also some old photos. Forth box: Unwanted presents through out the years, specifically Barbies. Still in their packaging, looking all pristine behind the plastic panes. Now that I'm older, I'm no longer scared of them, I can understand why girls go crazy for them. Their elaborate outfits, long luscious manes and beautifully painted faces are fantasies for so many. So, I decided to donate most of them to charities, in hopes that some other girls who are not afraid of dolls, would treasure them, play with them and dream of having a beautiful wardrobe with these dolls. I kept 3 of them. They are now up on Ebay for auction. Burberry Barbie Designer Collection. Hanae Mori Barbie Designer Collection. Silkstone 3rd Lingerie Barbie Fashion Model Collection. If you are a Barbie collector, they would be a great addition to your display. And, happy 60th birthday to Barbie (of course I didn't know about it, was informed by a friend).

The typhoon no. 8 signal was taken down to a no. 3. Businesses were reopening. It was a good time to hurry out to finish some errands before 6pm. While I was standing at a crossing waiting for the light to turn green, it felt like I was being pushed by millions of little people from the back. The wind was not as vicious anymore, but it would definitely blew me over if I were a few pounds lighter.

No matter where she goes, my grandmother is always wearing a Chinese cheongsam. She always looked so beautiful and well groomed, oozing elegance from a time long forgotten and much treasured. She gave me one of the tailor made cheongsam she wore when she was at her 20s, that is when my love for vintage bloomed. Since then, I have developed an OCD with collecting vintage things.

After graduating from SVA with a graphic design degree and working for a few years in nyc, I decided to move back to Hong Kong. With clothes, flips clocks, old books and all kinds of gadgets I have collected through out the years that amounts to the size of a shipping container (yes the huge ones you see parked at docks), I realized it's impossible to bring them all home, so I decided to part with my collection through Ebay. It was such a fun process that I wanted to continue even after I returned to HK. And so, Treasured Little Things came into existence. Now, I hand pick vintage pieces mostly from the Japanese market. I can't get enough of their pretty prints and slinky fabrics. The concept of recycling and finding vintage pieces that are relevant to the latest trends, makes me feel that I'm helping the environment, however small the effort seems.


My 2 doxies love to pose in my pictures.