Mother's Day Pop-Up Shop: May 8th

I am super excited to share that Home Bakeshop will be having its first pop-up shop this Sunday on May 8th for Mother's Day! 

I will be partnering with multiple local businesses that day, specifically for all the mamas you know and love. Please see below for details, and I hope to see you there!

8:30 - 11:30 am | Copa Vida East Village (905 J Street)
in partnership with Copa Vida and VEN/AE Floral

12:30 - 3:30 pm | West Elm San Diego (5080 Mission Center Rd.)
in partnership with West Elm, Parpala Jewelry and Blanc Floral Design.

Pre-order your box for pick up at either one of these locations! Email homebakeshopll@gmail.com to pre-order. 

**Home will also be having a special, limited-edition Mother's Day Gift Box of 6 Mini for pre-order ONLY! See above for details and flavors and make sure to order yours before Saturday, May 7th!

highlights + reflections + thanks

happy new year! It's only been a month of operation and it's surreal to think that this all started from a simple conversation. I am grateful for how much God has refined me during this last month, and I look forward to what He has in store for the next months to come.

within the past thirty days, more than half was spent in the kitchen. some highlights:

  • coming back from Mexico at 12:30 am (due to border traffic) and having to fulfill an order for that morning. it was a family affair where my brother helped to grease pans and mother stayed up to wash dishes. ended up sleeping a couple hours later and waking up after four hours to finish them and deliver.
  • ending up receiving three orders for the same day within a span of a few hours; lots of baking and little sleep that night.
  • waking up at 4 am to a call that a friend was in labor. had to finish an order for that morning, so ended up finishing everything within the next 2 hours and rushing to the hospital to make it just in time for the birth - all before 7 am. talk about a busy morning.
  • when my oven abruptly turned off mid preheating, while I was filling up pans. instead of panicking, i found myself calmly thinking about whose house I can go to use their oven. minutes later, oven turned back on and resumed as if nothing happened. praised Jesus.
  • washing dishes so much that my hands started to scab, making my mom worry (more so that I won't get married because of ugly hands) and take on the dishes from that day forward. so grateful.
  • hearing how these little donuts are playing a part in creating relationships to ultimately share the Gospel and advance the fight for life. 

common threads:

lots of baking, little sleep;
truly a family affair;
Jesus is key to any sort of success. 

as I look back on each of these highlights and reflect on everything in between, i know that it was not me. people ask how I am able to balance a full-time job with all of this going on, and while I tell them that I just sacrifice some sleep (and my social life), i know it's more than that. looking back, i know that i was not alone in the kitchen while my family members were sleeping and the rest of the house was dark. every time my alarm went off before sunrise, i know that it wasn't my willpower or ambition to succeed that pushed me out of my warm bed. it was something Bigger and i know that without Him, i seriously wouldn't have been able to continue. 

i sometimes wonder why He cares and would lead me into this kind of business; i wonder where He will lead me in 2016 and how He will use this. but what i do know though is that Home is not about me, and that whatever comes next, it will continue to reveal His strength despite my weakness. 

thank you to everyone who has been there to support and encourage me from day 1. thank you for your prayers and your interest. 

2016, welcome.

photoshoot + behind the scenes + update

photoshoot + behind the scenes + update

I am incredibly excited to share some photos from last weekend's "donut photoshoot", all taken by my very talented and beautiful friend Elaine Chang! 

Executing this shoot was one of my bigger feats by far on this journey. On top of one of the busiest work weeks of the year coordinating a two day, annual conference, I spent almost every night baking for Saturday's shoot (literally MTW and F). It was a lot of flour, butter, sugar, and very little sleep that week. By the time Saturday morning rolled around, the kitchen was a mess and I was still in pajamas glazing and topping each donut before it was time to start shooting. I remember asking myself, surrounded by bowls of glazes, nuts and close to 100 donuts, "what have I gotten myself into??". I am so very thankful though to have had close friends help and support me that day, and honestly, it was worth it! I sincerely wish I had taken more pictures of the explosion in my kitchen and all the crazy behind-the-scene things we did to get the best light/shot (moving around furniture, standing on tables, throwing nuts everywhere, etc.)..

While planning for the shoot a month ago, we settled on the 31st as it was the best day for both Elaine and I. Seeing that it was Halloween, Elaine suggested passing out the donuts around my neighborhood afterwards and I thought it was a great idea!. After three hours of shooting, we cleaned up, ate real food and rested a bit before I went out to meet my neighbors and pass out some mini donuts. Honestly, I was dragging my feet because I was lazy and tired, and not feeling extremely extroverted, but so so thankful and happy that I went out and had the opportunity to meet new people and hopefully new relationships. A lot of them accepted and asked me why I had so many donuts, in which I got to share a little about Home. Some even told me to bring by business cards when the donuts are available for order!

In terms of updates, I have turned in my CFO application a couple weeks ago and have spoken with the SD Department of Health last Friday. I expect to get the full approval in the next week or so! God-willing, donuts will be available for order very soon!

Okay, enough writing. Photo time.

small beginnings

It's only been a month since today's reality was merely just a dream. It all started with a simple conversation about life and what I can see myself doing. But the dream to open up a business/cafe/bakery was just that - a dream. An abstract thought that had been floating around - sometimes forgotten - since I was younger.

Since that conversation however, that dream took hold instead of retreating back to where it usually hid. The weeks following were a whirlwind of sorts, and the dream slowly became a reality as practical steps started to emerge out of the fog. I had stumbled upon websites informing me that home based businesses have been approved by the city only a couple years ago, and at the same time, remembered a brief conversation I had with a coworker last year about teaming up to do a UCSD baked goods service. Things kind of came together since then and as crazy as it sounds, I charged forward with each step.

The last month wasn't all smooth going though as I struggled personally with doubts, pride and wrong motivations + ideas of success. The dream became about me, who I can prove wrong and how well I can use my hands to create something out of nothing. It neglected the One who had planted the seed, given me the talents (Mt. 25) and crafted my hands out of (literally) nothing. It wasn't until shortly after that rebuke and realization that I had understood this dream is in fact a gift, not to make some $$ or a name for myself, but rather an opportunity to know more of my Creator (who He really is and why/how He created me for His glory) and also, make Him known to those around me. A gift no different from the greatest Gift He had already given. Every time I felt discouraged, angry and ready to give up, there was a voice that helped me remember the gift and how I mustn't easily throw away what I believe was thoughtfully crafted and given to me. The gift soon after turned into a practical means to work out the other Gift - the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - not with the type of fear and trembling that assumes threat, but the type that evokes awe and honor to how we must treat our talents and gifts.

There is no guarantee that this will ever surmount to something bigger or that I will make any profit and gain recognition. I can end up not getting my CFO registration or I may face a challenge that will inhibit me from going any further. Nevertheless, I am thankful for today and the days to come where I will continue to have the opportunity to do what I love (whether it's baking or something else) and share with others - not just the somethings I create from nothing, but hopefully also the One who has been doing so since the beginning of time. 

Home Bakeshop was not named due to the home-kitchen business, but as a reminder for me to focus Homeward instead of inward, eternal and not internal. I welcome you to join me on this journey toward Home, where we can learn to know Him more together.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. - Philippians 2:12-13