So I recently did a crazy giveaway where you guys had to DM personally and got to chat with over 2,000 if you! I realized quickly there are so many new readers here and thoughts I would introduce myself so we can all get to know each other more!
- My name. As far back as I can remember every time I would introduce myself as Ellen Kim, people would ask “is it Ellen or Kim?” I would say 85% of people (who weren’t Korean) would always ask that and to be clear, it’s not that it’s a bad thing and I know they mean no harm. So just as a running joke, I put Ellen or Kim on my IG and it just stayed that way till now! Eventually, brands and agencies got used to Ellenor Kim so that’s that!
- I’m full Korean. No surprise here, except for the freckles maybe. It’s not typically that Koreans have freckles but my mom and my SIL both do so that’s pretty cool! A lot of you guys wonder but John is full Korean too.
- I was born in 1987. Yup, I’m not that young nor that old I suppose but honestly, age is just a number. I feel more alive and healthier in my 30’s than I ever did. I would say my experience in life up until this point is also what makes my blog authentic and more real.
- I’m married. Pretty sure everyone knows this because John’s in all my stories (I mean I live with the man), so also no surprise here. We meet five years ago at a friend’s birthday party at a bar in Koreatown and really hit it off. After 1.5 years of dating, he popped the question and we’ve been married for 2.5 years now! You can read our story here and see our wedding photos here.
- I started my blog in 2009. While I was in college, I started my blog with simple DIY projects, sharing pieces I found at thrift stores and finding designer dupes at Forever 21. My blog was really just my hobby. A lot of my close high school friends all went to different colleges and since I didn’t dorn I often times felt lonely. So to keep myself busy I would go shopping and find affordable dupes of things I saw on the runaway. Once Instagram started I started sharing more and more, and well… here I am! I quit my job in 2018 to pursue my blog and it’s been the best yet most challenging years ever.
- I used to work in digital marketing & e-commerce. I worked for about seven years in corporate and made my way up to a Sr. Director level position before quitting my job. I worked on tons of e-commerce projects for notable brands (Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, BB Dakota to name a few) but my blog started to grow crazily and once I got to a director position there was no way I could keep both up. One aspect would suffer and I wasn’t comfortable putting my only 50% in either my job or blog so I quit and never looked back.
- I’m 5’3″. This one is a shocker for most of you but as a blogger who’s been shooting for nine years, you perfect your angles. My camera which is a Leica Q also gives me fisheye effect making me taller and leaner. Secrets out!
- My husband works in finance. I know this has nothing to do with me but so many people always ask so here it is for the world to know! He works on the investment side to be more precise and that’s about all I understand. Often times I get comments like “I bet her husband bought it for her” and that is not the case. My husband is not a millionaire, guys hah! If I want something I’ll consult with John about it, see if it’s a smart thing to purchase, and if everything looks good then I buy it myself.
- I’m the oldest of three. Growing up my parents weren’t home on the weekdays since both my parents owned their own businesses. My mom’s an optometrist and my dad’s works on investments. So at a young age, I learned to cook, clean, and take care of my siblings and myself fast. We always had a nanny, don’t worry we weren’t abandoned, but I basically grew up extremely independent and taking care of others. My sister Mia, who is five years younger than me, is basically my best friend. We share everything and talk to each other every day even though we’re miles apart. My youngest brother and I are 12 years apart so I’m not as close to him as I wish I was but more of a motherly figure. I would do anything for him in a blink of an eye and it’s been fascinating watching him grow from a baby to now a college kid.
- I love cooking. Cooking is my stress release. I love coming up with recipes and healthy dishes. My cooking philosophy is keeping it easy, simple and fast preferably under 20 mins.
- I’m originally from Orange County but moved to LA 10 years ago. I love LA with my heart. It’s so lively, playful, inspirational, and youthful but I see in our near future that we may settle down in Orange County once we have kids. I just don’t feel it’s ideal to raise kids in the city. School districts are terrible, parking is always a bitch, and living expenses in LA just don’t make sense when you have kids. Good bye $10 juices and $15 avocado toasts.
- We want to have kids. Hopefully in the very near future. If you read my baby blog post then you know why I’m hesitant but I’m slowly getting more comfortable about giving birth and the pain so we’re probably gonna start trying after our Asia trip in May.
- My engagement ring. This one is such a funny topic because I get asked a lot where are my rings from and why I don’t wear my rings. First off my ring is from Tacori. It’s a three diamond prong setting. I picked it out, showed John and that’s the ring he got me. Diamond was all him. We have a private jeweler in Chicago and she’s responsible for my colorless diamond and my wedding band. Why I don’t wear them often is because the setting on my Tacori band is very intricate with tons of details. Every time I wear my ring, tons of dirt and shit gets all up in the cracks and it bothers me cus it always looks dirty and I’m constantly cleaning the setting. I clearly have problems. It’s also platinum so it’s heavy… yeah I have problems I know *eye roll*. So I just wear my rings on the weekends or when needed. I might get a new band this year, something more simple so it’s more comfortable.. but we’ll see! If you’re newly engaged, read my engagement tips here.
- I hate flying. Not sure when I developed this fear because in my 20’s I didn’t mind it at all, but after I got married my fear got worse. I’m much better at flying now than I was two years ago but UGH I still hate it. I go more into detail about this if you’re interested here.
- Lastly, I try to live a healthy balanced lifestyle. I’m all about eating healthy and putting healthy nutrients in my body but I’m not gonna lie, I also love Taco Bell and pizza! I try to work out 3-4x a week but sometimes I end up just lay on the couch too lazy to move. Bottom line is that I’m not perfect nor is my life. Social media really shows only the good stuff so remember I’m just human too. I might be eating a salad on Stories but probably had a bag of chips before. It’s all about balance and doing what makes you happy.
It’s really sunny out today so I’m gonna go take my dogs out and go for a walk. Talk to you guys in the next one!
xx