| FOLLOW THE BLOGGER Check out Hong’s blog or visit the store at 122 N. Harbor Blvd. Ste. 103, Fullerton. :: ohhellofriendblog.com |
Stepping into the Oh, Hello Friend store in the small strip of shops in downtown Fullerton is like walking into a life-sized time capsule. The wooden tables, metal bins, old books, tin cans, black-and-white photos, beige walls, aged furniture, and price signs written out in chalk submerge you into an industrialized Victorian era. The intricate amount of detail and the authentic vintage décor makes you want to browse every inch of the store for hours so you don’t miss a thing.
Danni Hong and her husband greet you with a smile and encourage you to take your time, so that you feel comfortable and welcome. With the warm and cozy atmosphere it is almost impossible not to feel as though you have stumbled upon something great and unique.
Oh, Hello Friend is the perfect place for finding one-of-a-kind vintage and vintage-inspired products. The store made its grand opening on Febuary 2 with a line of people waiting outside the store to get a chance to see their favorite blogger, Danni Hong, and her favorite items finally in one store location. Hong, a graduate of the Art Institute of Orange County, was moved by the number of people who turned out at her small, humble store, which shows that there is a very loyal active creative community in Orange County that will follow whomever shows exceptional talent.
Originally, Hong never planned on going to art school. But after some encouragement from her mom, she decided to attend the Art Institute and fell in love with it. Hong then created Oh, Hello Friend in 2008 as a blog and Etsy store online as a way to express what was on her mind and share all of her favorite things. She not only wanted to help spark people’s creativity, but she also wanted to inspire others in their life’s aspirations. In her blog, she posts things that she loves, including entries related to flea markets, shoes, vintage décor, and locations around the world. She also posts about herself, including her hobbies and goals. The blog is very genuine and authentic, which is why today Oh, Hello Friend has more than 25,000 followers.
Along with the blog and online Etsy shop, Hong participated in a myriad of craft shows and vendor fairs to feature her work and her products. From San Francisco to London, she immersed herself in the craft that she loved and her affinity for vintage things, and in the back of her mind, she always wanted to open up her own store. Two years ago, she looked into it, but it wasn’t till just recently that she made her move.
“It’s definitely a risk,” Hong says, “but the company has been around for five years, so the next thing to do was to open a shop.”
Hong and her husband did a lot of the interior setup for the store themselves. Since her blog and products inspire many DIY projects, many parts of the store, like the lit up Oh, Hello Friend sign over the cash register, are DIY projects they did themselves. If you want to see how they did it, you can go check out the marquee light DIY tutorial featured on her blog. It’s little touches like these that make her blog and products so popular.
So what are some items you can find at the Oh, Hello Friend store? Everything in the store is vintage or vintage-inspired, from the cash registers to the wall décor to the products for sale. The items Hong sells range from stamps to stationery kits to cards, clothes, jewelry, purses, packaging kits, and even party supplies. Some of the items are handmade; others are collected from her favorite Etsy shops and flea markets. The store is literally a huge collection of her favorite things, and her goal is to share them with everyone.
Hong’s modesty still remains intact as she expresses how shocked she is that she reaches so many people around the world.
“Blog what you like and stay true to yourself. Original, true content will stand out,” she advises to aspiring bloggers.
