HOUSTON – The American dream is a symbol of hope for many families throughout the world. For Kim To, Owner of Arcadia Floral & Home Décor in southwest Houston, it’s a dream her parents worked hard to make come true for her. Her family immigrated to the United States when Kim was just 14 years old. Now, she’s passing that dream on to her own children and helping others have the holiday home of their dreams too.
“Coming to America is a big change. The culture is different. The people look different,” said Kim. “I’m very grateful for our parents. They were determined and they worked hard. Doesn’t matter how difficult the situation, they tried to overcome it.”
After school, Kim would help her parents by working in their small gift shop. From bookkeeping to tidying up, Kim did what she could to help and was able to learn a great deal in return.
“I was very creative as a child. My parents saw my creativity, so they encouraged me to do better by sending me to classes to learn how to do crotchet, macramé and also embroidery,” said Kim.
Kim’s father pushed Kim to find something she enjoyed doing that would also be profitable, but though she enjoyed crafts, she had her sights set on a different path initially. Kim knew that as a doctor she could support her family very well, which is something she prioritizes above all. After high school, Kim was accepted to Texas A&M. where she began taking pre-med classes. Her classes were interrupted in her junior year when she received bad news from home.
“My father was very sick. I had to come home and help my family’s business to take care of my siblings,” said Kim.
Kim’s father was impressed with how Kim handled things at the shop and told her she would be a great business woman. From there, Kim realized she could merge her two passions, family and home décor, into one fulfilling career.
“My husband is my partner right now. I love my job so much that sometimes I work such long hours, and so he says ‘Go home,’” said Kim. “He’s like a timer. He tells me when to go home because I would never stop.”
But as any small business owner knows, there is no such thing as a nine to five. Though Kim loves what she does, she also finds it difficult to find a healthy work-life balance, particularly when it comes to her two children.
“I have to ask my children, ‘Am I a bad mom? I don’t have time for both of you at all. I don’t cook food like all the moms cook,’” said Kim. “And they said to me, they’re very proud of me, and I’m an amazing mom. They say they don’t want anything different, and they encourage me to keep doing what I’m doing because they know I’m doing it for them.”
Walking into Arcadia Floral & Home Décor is like being transported to a magic land. Each piece of décor is beautifully and meticulously made, and there is a lot to take in. One very common piece is the artfully crafted holiday bow, the perfect addition to any gift or a festive way to add a touch of glam to your holiday home. Follow the steps below to make your own beautiful bow.
MAKE A HOLIDAY BOW LIKE A PRO
YOU WILL NEED:
- Scissors
- 3 yards of 2.5″ or 4″ wire ribbon
- A piece of wire
- Chenille or pipe cleaner
DIRECTIONS
- Measure about 1 foot of ribbon for the first tail of the bow *(Tip: no ruler? About 2 hand spans will do)
- Use both of your thumbs and forefingers to pinch the ribbon tightly together
- Fold the ribbon into a loop about 6 in. long or one hand span
- Pull up the ribbon and make a second loop that’s the same length as the first loop
- Pinch the ribbon tightly at the center
- Twist and turn the ribbon so that the pretty side of the ribbon faces up towards you
- Measure the third loop of the ribbon to be 1 in. longer than the first loop
- Pinch it tightly at the center, put it underneath the other ribbons and hold it with your thumb & forefinger
- The fourth loop of the ribbon will be 1 in. longer than the second loop
- Repeat this step until you have 6 loops (3 loops on each side)
- Gather the middle of the bow together
- Insert the pipe cleaner into the center of the bow and twist the pipe cleaner together tightly
- With one hand, use your thumb & forefinger to hold the center of the bow firmly
- With the other hand, pull each loop away from each other
- Fluff and spread out the loops
- For the end of the tail, cut it at an angle to create a design
- For my design, I like to roll up the end of my ribbon and make it curly
To connect with Kim, visit the Arcadia Floral & Home Décor website.