April 26, 2012

  • Korea 2012, Giveaway + iPhone Apps

    Korea 2012

     

    Finally~~ I had a chance to sit down and go through my Korea pics which were mostly on my phone.  In fact, only 4 photos below were taken on a regular camera~ lol!  I loved this trip because we were just in Korea a year and a half ago so I didn’t feel any pressure to go sightseeing or take tons of nice photos.  Here’s a photo tour of my favorite moments in Korea, the 2012 edition. 

    * Hanging with Joy on the flights.  The flight there was pretty tough but then she slept most of the way back!

    * Seeing my brother meet Joy for the first time.

    * Being smooshed in the back seat of my aunt’s car while taking silly photos with my grandma.

      

    * Giving my mom the opportunity to celebrate her birthday with her mom for the first time in decades.

    * Baby’s Lounge!  By far the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in a department store.  They have an area for sleeping, changing, nursing/feeding and even measuring your baby’s stats.  There’s a helper who cleans and even looks after your baby if you want!

     

    * The Banyan Tree & our views.

    * Seeing how my family loved Joy so much.  They told me she reminded them of me at that age.  Photo on the left is of my former movie star uncle teaching Joy how to be dramatic~ lol!

      

    * Hearing my grandpa’s wise and funny stories.  He is truly an amazing person.  He’d probably give you a copy of his book if you met him, lol!  He’s 89 years old and still blogs for his church and invests in the stock market.  He once represented himself in a case against a huge corporation and was touted as a “David” winning over “Goliath” in the newspapers.

    * Loved getting to experience life as a local since we got to hang with our family & friends who live there.

     

    * We took Joy swimming for the first time.  Loved the pool in our room~ perfect for a little one to learn how to swim.

    * We’re so lucky we got to experience jjimjilbang (Korean sauna), Dr. Fish (where fish eat the dead skin off your feet…eww!) and many other adventures with one of our favorite couples in the world, Miny & Steve.  Thanks to Steve’s friend (thanks Jay!), we got chauffeured around Seoul in a limo taxi.

    * Wandering around the streets of Seoul late at night.  We noticed a lot of the taxi drivers watching Korean dramas while driving~ lol or eek?

    * Being an honorary groomsbuddy for my dear law school friend.  Congrats Sam & Crystal!  It was also awesome seeing my buddy Dave and my beautiful @petitetokio.

    * Loved getting to spend quality time together.  Just the two of us…along with thousands of Seoul locals.

    * Our favorite part of each day was getting a letter & photos from Evan & my in-laws.  He was having a blast on “vacation” and loving all the extra attention.  So blessed to have such amazing in-laws.

     

    * Joy was so happy during our trip!  My grandpa read somewhere that a baby smiles more than 300 times a day.  He told us that we should strive to do the same!

    * Saying goodbye to my grandparents and aunt broke my heart but it just made me realize how lucky I was to have spent this time with them.  They have a special place in my heart.  They basically adopted me from when I was 2 to 5.  My parents couldn’t afford to take me to the US so I had to stay behind.  These were the days before the Internet, Skype and cheap international calls so they were all I had.  And for that…I will love them forever.

    * My favorite moment of the entire trip…fulfilling my dream of having all four generations of women together.  An image that will inspire me for a lifetime.

    What a whirlwind of a trip!  I learned that the best memories aren’t made from grand events but from the simplest things…like culling mini anchovies together or staying up late talking.  I saw how even the smallest gestures like putting curlers in your mom’s hair show immeasurable love.

    We didn’t get to make a video for this time but if you haven’t seen it yet~ here’s the link to our video from our last trip. heart

    Korea/Japan Goodies

    The last time I was in Seoul I spent a lot of time putting together gift packages for my friends.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to do it this time around!  I did make one set though to give away here.  Just leave a comment telling me you’re interested and I’ll pick/send out the package next week!  [Congrats wizki!]  

     

    These are just a few little favorite things from Korea/Japan.  We made a quick day trip into Japan on the way back.  Here’s what it includes:  coin bag made of hanbok material, hair turban, stripey twist ties, fuzzy socks, white board (perfect to write stuff on & take photos), non-stick self-standing rice scooper, 22 pack of colored thread, oilcloth bag, flower stickers, brown rice green tea, embosser, lunch bag, giraffe socks, plastic gift bags, metallic markers, 6 patterned tapes & a reusable bag.  

    iPhone Photo Apps

    Since most of my Korea photos were taken with my iPhone I wanted to share a few of my favorite apps. 

    Instagram, Be Funky, Pic Fx and Tadaa are great for editing and fun borders.

    Pic Frame and Diptic are what I use for collages.

     

    Tegaki Camera, Label Box and Phonto are what I use for text.

    Enjoy~ and share some of your phone photo creations! happy

Comments (66)

  • Looks like u had a ton of fun with your family!! Joy is so cute, she looks so much like evan!! :)

  • What beautiful photos! I think you’re right, the photo editing apps help, but what really makes these photos special are the subjects and warmth in the pictures.

  • I loved reading about your trip! Joy is just the cutest baby ever.  She looks squishy :D  

  • looks like you guys had a great trip!! beautiful family & the cutest baby! (i want to pinch her cheeks :D ) the fiance just got back from korea not too long ago too.. wish i could’ve joined him! next time i guess :P

  • Wow!  I’m so jealous that you guys got to go to Korea!  I haven’t been back there since 1992.  We’ll definitely have to make a trip out there with the kids.  I loved reading this blog and seeing all of the wonderful pictures.  It looks like Joy had a blast too!  She is such a good baby!  The Banyan Tree Hotel looks really, really nice!  A swimming pool in your room?!  That’s crazy!  I’m so glad you guys had a great time!  Thanks for posting the pictures!

  • @nomorepink - Thanks buddy!  She totally does look like Evan~!  I’m so curious to see who your little one is going to look like!  =)

  • @gggsss - Thanks so much!  Wow~ 1992!!  That would be so awesome if you guys made a trip out there with the kids.  Lol~ the swimming pool was small but the perfect size for a baby.  =)

  • @leprovocateur - You are so sweet~ thanks so much!  =)

  • looks like u guys had an amaaazing trip!!!  i always love looking at ur pics and now i  need to look for those apps on my phone so i can make my pics look all pretty/fun like urs!  i didn’t know ur mom went w u guys!  u look so much like ur pretty mom.  she must have been so happy to be reunited w her family and to spend her bday there!!!  =)  also never seen ur brother b4!!  does he live in korea?!?  how cool~~

    ps. i want to be entered in the giveaway..ur so sweet/thoughtful to bring back lil goodies to share =)  ur socks are the cutest!!  oh and the ones of u guys at the spa are hilarious and cute!  love the one of u and andy <3

  • @jennifer - Awww~ thanks so much for your kind words!  Next time you’ll definitely have to join your fiance!  There’s so much fun stuff to do, esp. when it’s just the two of you.  =)

  • Quick question. Did u get Joy her own seat or was she a lap baby?

  • @yunbug - Thanks so much buddy!  Yeah~ it was so awesome to take my mom since all she does is work so hard here.  She totally needed a vacation!  My brother lives in Korea~ one of the reasons we went.  Hope you like all the apps~ those are the ones I use all the time.  =)

  • @gggsss - For international flights they have bassinets!  For babies under 1 it is usually 10% of a regular ticket price.  That’s why you guys should go somewhere before C turns 1!  =)

  • What a wonderful trip! And great photos for a lifetime of memories. Pick me, pick me. for the giveaway. Such a cute collection you’ve put together.

  • yay your korea post that i’ve been waiting for!! looks like an amazing trip. so many wonderful memories to cherish forever and ever! i just love the photo of the four generations. i have been wanting to do this as well. your grandmother reminds me a lot of my late grandmother. your grandfather…. wow can’t believe that he blogs!! sooo awesome! he looks like a sweet man. the pic of joy and daddy in the pool… makes me grin from ear to ear! her smile and those cheeks are tdf! babies smiling 300x a day.. i believe it and agree that we should do the same. such a wonderful post jenny!! thanks for the app tips too, gonna have to install a couple of them. i use those stripey twist ties you gave me all the time. they come in so handy in the kitchen! enter me! :D

  • love all the photos and the way you edited them and the collages!  i’m so glad you all had a great time and that joy wasn’t difficult on the trip.  i love all the ‘city’ pictures but by far, the best pic is of the 4 gens of women… so precious!

  • Wow I love all the pictures. It’s amazing how much we use our phone for everything these days! Ooh Korean goodies, if they are still available I want! I hope that in the future I can go back to Korea to see my extended family/friends and have Sae meet them sometimes photos and emails are just not enough.

  •          Oh wow, it looks like you had a great time. Your grandma must have been so proud to see you as a mama. I love the 4 generation pictures. And chimchil bang with fish? weird, but sounds kinda cool too. I’m impressed you survived an international trip with 2 kiddos! Welcome back :)

  • Beautiful pictures and beautiful family!!! It looks like you guys had a blast out there. i would love to take a trip to Korea in the near future..it’s been so long! Gosh, Joy is super duper adorable!!!!

  • Hey gorgeous it was so good to see you and finally meet Andy! (Andy not Andrew? Jenny not Jennifer lol). Will definitely try to take a trip out to see you and your beautiful family! Miss you heaps. I’m in Hawaii right now thinking about all the great advice you guys gave me hahaha. Will definitely enjoy singledom while I can!

  • Your 4 generations picture brought tears to my eyes!!! I think it’s so wonderful that you got to take your mom to Korea with you.. Thanks for sharing your trip with us!! Love you guys!

  • makes me want to go traveling to the asian countries again :)

    can i enter in for the giveaway!? ;)

  • @Celia - Thanks so much!  I don’t think there will be that many entries for the giveaway so you’ll have a good chance.  =)

  • You know that i always love love love your photos as always chingoo~ I know I have said this many many times before but I can’t help but remember constantly~ you are so beautiful on the inside and out. You look so pretty in all of your photos the love just shines through when you are with Joy. How special you got to share a trip with her, and how wonderful that you have such amazing inlaws that gave you a daily “report” on sweet ebear!!! You didn’t tell me that your grandma raised you when you were younger~  the four different generations gave me a shiver. So so special. I was going to ask you which ap you used for you collage – i like how its so minimal and simple- you already answered my question. Going to find it now, and try to play around with it hehe. Miss you mucho, and let’s have a skype date soon- must show you how crazy and big E is now~~ (yes~~~ its ok if you can only see me;) miss you!!!!! xoxoxo!! 

  • @HSookiC - Buddy~ you are so sweet!  Thank you!!!  You know whenever I put together a post I think of you because I know out of anyone out you’d be the one to take the time to read every word and look at every photo.  That means so much to me.  =)

  • @akemom - Thanks so much!!  Really appreciate your comment because I didn’t think my photos this time were that great~ lol!  That’s what happens when you take most of your photos with a phone.  =P

  • Im so glad you guys had such a wonderful time! And how special that joy got some alone time with you! That’s sooooo rare for the 2nd child! I always get teary eyed when I see pics of your grandma. What a blessing to still have your grandparents. You got some good genes in your family!! :)

  • @sooae - Lol!!!  Yes to a Skype date where only I can see you!  =)  Thanks so much for your kind words buddy!  You are so sweet and always so encouraging.  *hug*

  • @orangemomo01 - Thanks sweetie!!  That would be soo awesome if you took Sae to Korea to meet your family/friends.  They would fall madly in love with her!  =)

  • @petitetokio - Lol!!  I’m so happy you’re enjoying your time being single!  Seriously, before you know it you’ll be like me looking into Disney Cruises!!!!  It isn’t a bad thing but just oh so different.  Can’t wait until you visit CA!  *hug*

  • @radio03 - Of course you can enter~ no official rules or anything~ just random!  =)

  • @chopsuey119 - Thanks my love!  It was truly a beautiful trip.  Love you too!  =)

  • It is so heartwarming to see how much our families love our babies :) Sometimes I feel like I’ve done something really great by having a baby at a young age so that my grandparents can see him grow up haha. I totally believe that babies smile 300x a day and I know mine makes me smile that much too!
    Love the yang-muhri at the jjimjilbang, so cute! You and your husband just look like a college couple on a date in the pictures without Joy :)
    I soooo wanna visit Korea again, so I enjoyed looking through your pictures with a bit of envy~ glad it was such a great trip for you, what great memories you made!

  • Yay!! Was waiting for this! Love love love everything about it :) u are sooo blessed!! See u tomorrow buddy :)

  • It’s so awesome you guys having some bonding with just Joy! I love love the 4 generation photo. We did that last year and it brought tears to my eyes and warned my heart. I’m just glad we were able to do that. Love all your photos. I would also love to entered in the giveaway. Thanks!

  • It was so nice to see a glimpse of your family members! your grandparents seem like such wonderful people, and that’s so great your mom got to spend her birthday with her mom!

    the 4 generation picture is wonderful, and the one of your mom putting curlers in your grandmas hair made me tear up for some reason haha its so sweet!

    when I get an iPhone I am SO getting all those picture applications! haha

    and I guess if there’s still time, I’ll enter the giveaway why not! :)

  • Looks like a wonderful trip!! :)
    Sooooo glad that you had a smooth trip with Joy! :)
    My favorite is the 4 generations photo…. that is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL and completely priceless….and brings happy tears to my eyes. :)

    I have one…. of my mom (pregnant with me), her mom, and her mom’s mom. It’s the closest thing I have to yours; my great grandmom passed a few months before I was born so she never got a chance to hold and see me.

    The pics look awesome and thanks for posting up the apps you use!
    Korea has been on our list to visit for awhile now! :)
    Please put me in for the drawing for the goods too. :)

  • I love your pictures!  They remind me of my trip to Korea last September (when N was still considered “good”). :)  Your babies are super lucky to have you J!  Thank you so much for sharing your life with us.

  • @graciegrace2000 - Such a coincidence! I just messaged you.  Which means we were thinking of each other at the same time?!  Thank you for your comment!  Sometimes I wonder if anyone would even be interested in seeing my random pics~ lol!  Wish you still blogged too.  =)

  • Glad you had so much fun in Korea and got to spend so much time with your family.  I’m sure nothing will ever compare to the time you got to spend with them.  Makes me miss my family there so much. =)   Your 4 generations picture totally made me emotional!  I hope one day I’ll be able to take a picture like that with my mom and my children and  grandchildren.  What a precious photo.   (ps. Every time I see Joy’s picture with her round little belly…it totally make me chuckle!  Such a cutie!)

  • Hi Jenny :) ! So happy to reconnect via our blogs. What did the fishy feel like? Did they make your heels softer?!? Love seeing your photos and Miss Joy. Thanks for sharing all the different apps you use for photo editing. Am d/l-ing them now as I type. I want to enter the gift package giveaway if you haven’t already selected a winner. Yay!

  • aww love the pics of eric and joy. and is andy wearing your nursing cover?! =P

    totally wish we got to go swimming with joy! still just thankful we got to see you guys all the way in korea!

  • Hi Jenny,

    Thank you for sharing your trip to Korea with us.  Korea is definitely a place that I really want to visit.  I think maybe the next time that we go to visit family in India or Vietnam, we will have to stop by Korea for a week.  

    I am so glad that you had a good time with your family during this memorable trip.  Actually reading it make me want to reevaluate my priorities.  I want to bring my 16 months old daughter back to visit my grandma in Vietnam but I am concern about the challenges of bringing her there alone because my husband cannot come back with us this year.  The last time that I saw her was when I got married in 2008 and my husband and I visited Vietnam to meet her.  She’s old and is suffering from a terminal illness so I am concern that time is limited.  I would love to take a picture just like you guys did of the 4 generations of women in your family.  Family is everything.

    Your family is adorable and I hope for nothing but happiness for you guys.  Your Xanga is always so positive and it always remind me to appreciate all the good things that I have in my life. 

    Please also consider me for the giveaway if it is still available!  

    Thanks so much, N.

  • Jenny, love the trip pics. The one with the 4 generations of women was my favorite. it’s such a meaningful photo. Joy has gotten big! Love that you used your iPhone for 90+% f the photos. It’s amazing!

  • I love your posts so much!  Will definitely stay on xanga just to see posts from my fave moms!  Oh and I’m interested in the giveaway. :)  See you soon hopefully!

  • awww these photos are too cute!! :)  it looks like everyone had tons of fun!  Your posts just make me so happy ^_^  

  • OMG, I just LOVED your post!  I only wish I can have the chance to take the photo of the four generations of women since my grandmother is still alive and in Korea too!  LOVE your comment about the anchovies and curlers in the hair – because it is so true!!  How awesome!  I’m glad that you had such a great time.

  • you are too awesome and sweet to do such a great giveaway!   you know, you are the only xanga that i still read!  =)

    eunice

  • @hana_sj - Thanks buddy!  I really hope you have a chance to go visit Korea again.  It’s really awesome that L’s grandparents will be able to see him grow up.  Andy never got to really know his grandparents~ so sad!

  • @jpjchen - Awww~ that’s so perfect that you were able to do the 4 generations photo too.  It’ll be something we’ll always treasure and I’m sure our kids will too.  =)

  • @raspberryjade - Thank you so much for your kind words!  I really hope you get an iPhone~~ I can’t live without mine!  =)

  • @idyllicjem - Thank you!!  That’s so awesome that you have a 4 generations photo when you were still in the belly.  I wish I had treasures like that~ but my parents only have a handful of photos from the past.  You & your hubby would have so much fun in Korea.  =P

  • @Jenn - Hi Jenn!!  So happy I found you and your awesome site!  The fishy felt soo funny!  They tickled my feet so much I couldn’t really stand it.  The guys loved it though but I don’t think it really helped that much.  You should try it the next time you’re in Asia!  =)

  • @wizki - Awwww~ you are so so so sweet!  Thank you for making me smile and for brightening up my day with your kind words.  So sorry to hear about your grandma and her terminal illness.  Makes me sad thinking about how much you must miss her and want her to meet your little A.  I know it would be really hard for you to go without your husband but if you can find the courage it would be so awesome for you to visit!  I was soo nervous about traveling with Joy and even other times before when I traveled with Evan as a toddler but it always ends up being worth the trouble and headaches, hehe.  =)

  • @miniminy - Lol!!  Yes~~ Andy’s wearing the nursing cover.  It’s actually good for so many things!  Mine is a larger size that my friend made me.  So it’s really good for covering the stroller/car seat and also for when Joy is sleeping in the carrier or to block the wind.  =)  So happy we got to spend all that time with you in Korea.  Now I’m sad though that we barely get to see you.  *sniff*

  • @punie628 - Awwww~ you totally made me smile.  Thank you!!  Will definitely enter you in the little giveaway.  =)

  • @jec2008 - Thanks so much!  You’re so sweet and your kind words mean a lot to me.  I wish you could go visit your grandma or have her come visit you~ that would be so awesome.  =)

  • @radioactivexxrainbows - Thanks so much for taking the time to read & comment!  =)

  • I am sooo excited, thank you so much for picking me!!!  This really made my day.  

    My husband and I really have to have a talk again about the possibility of going to Vietnam.  We have to figure out what’s important to us but we definitely have to juggle a few things around.  We have his parents who wants to visit from India, planning baby # 2, and me potentially going to Vietnam alone.  My mom is currently there right now to spend time with my grandma, so maybe it won’t be as bad as I imagine in my head.  I really regret us not stopping by Vietnam the last time we went to India (last Oct), I think bad planning on our part.

    Once again, thank you soooo much.  

  • Hi!  sounds like a blast!  i LOVE japanese/korean stuff!  i’d love to get some goodies!  that’s super nice of you!  and joy is such a cutie!!!!

  • so good to see your update! i haven’t been on in so long and to see that you’ve updated made me instantly smile. you have such a beautiful family just like your heart! your trip to korea seems like it was awesome! and the picture of the 4 generations, priceless! i haven’t been to korea since ’99 and the hubs and i have been talking about going again. i hope it happens soon. kekeke!!! 

  • @wizki - I’m so happy you won!  I really hope you guys can work out all the logistics so you can make a trip to Vietnam!  If your mom is there then you just have to tough out the flight!  Can’t wait for you to get the package!  =)

  • @Connie Pyo - Aww~ I just picked the winner & mailed out the package yesterday!!  I do have a few extra goodies I’d love to send to you.  Just because I’m smitten with your little cutie and I always look forward to your posts!  Email me your address at skippee[at]gmail[dot]com.  =)  

  • @klariie - So happy to hear from you buddy!!!  From time to time I think about you, N & E and wonder how you guys are doing.  I really hope you get to go to Korea soon!  Things have changed so much there since ’99~ you’d be shocked!  You need to update soon…please.  Hope you’ve been doing great!  =)

  • i’m not on xanga often but finally was able to log on to see some updates and so sad i didn’t see this post til now! jenny, i dunno why but this entry brought me to tears. like you, i have a lot of family in korea and used to go every summer when i was younger. i love korea and miss my family so much! i hope i can go back someday soon too. you are so talented in capturing such precious moments and like you said, it’s the lil things that matter and touch the heart! now i know where you get your tender heart and selfless love – from your family. you can’t help it, it’s part of your dna :) . and how in the world is joy sooo sooo cute! ahhhh, i wanna bite her! we will be in socal in july so for sure i am going to do whatever it takes to hang out w/ you and your cutie pies! i won’t take no for answer ;) !

  • wonderful pictures!  I feel like I was on the trip with you!  You truly have a blessed life~

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