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LOOK YAY! ⛅️

@itslookyay

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♡ enamel pins inspired by real memories
♡ cambodian american · lgbtqia+ · woman owned

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We’re so excited to be joining @goldenguideorg @pacartsmovement and @socialartistry.co for our very first San Diego Asian Film Festival! We can’t wait to be part of a space that celebrates Asian stories + filmmakers and be in a place where our stories get to be seen, heard and celebrated.

We’re finishing off November with one of our favorite night markets in our home away from home @khmertownnightmarket ! We have a couple new drops coming your way + some collabs I can’t wait to share with y’all. Stay tuned. by @itslookyay

LOOK, YEY. LOOK WHAT WE MADE.

#lookyayofficial #cambodian #cambodianfood #cambodiansmallbusiness #longbeach by @itslookyay

Today, I’m excited to share a glimpse of the inspiration behind our first LOOK YAY! pin production. Meet my Grandma, the remarkable woman who inspired it all. I didn’t inherit any tangible keepsakes from her, so I decided to create a pin in her honor.. a piece that now travels with me on my backpack wherever I go. It’s more than just an accessory.. it embodies strength, resilience and protection, knowing she watches over me, always near ⛅️ Stay tuned as we continue to share the stories and inspirations woven into LOOK YAY! 💛 #LookYay #HonoringGrandmas #chosenfamily #strengthinheritage by @itslookyay

The first time I saw Noel’s ( @taikonoel ) work, it was his design for the @proudasianmen @proudasianmensd tee. I remember stopping mid-sentence and thinking, this is SOOO DOPPE!! And almost immediately, I thought about how cool it would be to work with him one day.

I hesitated for a bit, but then finally said, fuck it, and asked him if he would be down.

A few DMs, phone calls, and conversations about Did You Eat Yet? later, Noel shared this illustration with me.

For Noel, this piece takes him back to a simpler time. Coming home to the smell of freshly cooked rice with a little bit of bay leaf, being welcomed by his Lolo and Lola. A time when life felt limitless and he felt invincible as a kid. When his days were full of love for sketching and drawing.

The more I look at the little details and imperfect lines, the more I love this piece and I’m so grateful to add this to our collection. And I think that’s what makes this piece so special. It’s a little piece of his childhood that he’s sharing with all of you 💛

Now you’ll be able to check these out in person! You can see “Pot of Rice, Side of Memories” this Sunday at @goldenguideorg @goldenmakersmarket 12–5 PM at the @pacartsmovement San Diego Asian Film Festival ✨ by @itslookyay

🌟 Vendor Spotlight | @itslookyay 🌟

Are you ready to get pins-LOOK YAY at the Khmer Town Night Market? 🤩💛

📅 Sat, Nov 14th 2026
⏰ 12PM – 8PM
📍 F&M Bank Long Beach
3140 E Anaheim St, Long Beach, CA 90804 | Freeman Ave (parking lot)

🍱 Mouthwatering street food
🛍️ Local small biz pop-ups
🎶 Live Performances & Traditional Dance
👨‍👩‍👧 Family Fun & Community Energy
🎟️ Free Entry
🎪 Free Jumper for Kids
🎨 Art Activities

🙏🏻 Organized by: @uccoflongbeach @visit_cam_town_long_beach @battambongbbq
🙏🏻 Supported by: @farmersmerchantsbank1907 @portoflongbeach

#longbeach #foodmusiccommunity #communityevent #khmertownnightmarket #pin by @itslookyay

When I first launched Pong Thea Koun aka Balut, I shared stories about our summers in Stockton. We’d sit on a kathal (woven mat), with baskets of Pong Thea Koun in giant metal steamers and just eat away. 🥹

But as we bring Pong Thea Koun back for those who are new here (HI 👋🏽), I wanted to share a different kind of memory. 👀

As an adult, I started thinking about my childhood and how I wanted my own son to have those same core memories. SO I went to the nearest Asian market, saw trays clearly pink stamped as fertilized eggs and grabbed a whole tray. I remembered how many I could eat as a kid and I figured I could probably eat even more now.

I asked the grocery worker, “Are these ready to eat?” They said yes. I went home, got my steamer going, and made our little sauce of salt + black pepper + lime. I was READY to show my oldest how we do it. Would he like it? I had no idea, but I was excited to pass down a little piece of my childhood.

The eggs finished steaming. I grabbed one, ready to crack the top with the back of my spoon like I remembered. Except… it wouldn’t crack. 🤨

AH! Wrong side. I flipped it over. Still wouldn’t crack. 🧐

So I picked up the whole egg, started peeling it, and y’all. IT WAS A REGULAR SHMEGULAR BOILED ASS EGG. 😭

I opened another one. Same thing. And another. SAME THING.

I was laughing at myself because somehow, I had managed to steam an entire tray of eggs. 😂

So much for passing down generational flavors. Instead, I got about 20 eggs for egg salad.

And this will always be one of my favorite memories as an adult. I was just a mom trying to recreate her childhood for her son, and it turned into a whole different kind of core memory.

Which is kind of what LOOK YAY! is about for me. Sometimes it’s the memories we grew up with and sometimes it’s the ones we’re trying to create for our own kids. Sometimes they go as planned and sometimes you end up with 20 boiled eggs. 🤷🏻‍♀️💛

What was your first time like eating Pong Thea Koun | Balut? by @itslookyay

MEET THE VENDOR
@itslookyay designs enamel pins to celebrate love, life and identity rooted from Cambodian and Filipino memories.

meet @itslookyay at the @goldenmakersmarket mini at the 2026 San Diego Asian Film Festival presented by @pacartsmovement on sunday, november 8 from 12PM-5PM at @ultrastarsd in @shopthelanding!

free RSVP -- 🔗 in bio and get tickets to #SDAFF2026 at sdaff.org. by @itslookyay

(CLOSED) Wow! By Soph & Co has reached 3000 followers! I wouldn’t be here without YOU! To say thank you and to share the love, I’ve partnered with 5 other amazing small business to gift one lucky winner a HUGE prize 🏆🎉❤️

PRIZES
@bysoph.co_shop (me): Pair of abalone studs, oyster studs, & lotus earrings. You can choose the colors!
@itslookyay: Papaya Salad & Jasmine Flower Pins
@scented.sips.craft.co: Freshie, Bag Charm, Magnetic Bookmark
@halfsweetstudio: “Spring Onion” Print
@butterbanditbakery: Mix Box of Cookies & Crispies
@myhappitat: Temporary Tattoo “Critter Pack”

To Enter:
✨Like this post
✨Tag 3 friends below in the comments
✨Follow all 6 accounts
@bysoph.co_shop
@butterbanditbakery
@itslookyay
@scented.sips.craft.co
@halfsweetstudio
@myhappitat

✨OPTIONAL BONUS ENTRY: Share to your stories and tag all 6 accounts. If you are private, please screenshot your story post and DM me so I can see 😊

⏰Giveaway ends 10/31 on Halloween and I will announce the winner the next day on 11/1

**Open to only US residents**

**This is not sponsored by or affiliated with Instagram**

#polymerclayartíst #supportlocalbusiness #artcommunity #pnwbusinessowner #washingtonbusiness by @itslookyay

SHE’S BACK ✨

If you grew up in a Khmer home, there’s a good chance you know exactly which portrait this is from.

The beautiful, glamorous, royal women who lived on the walls of our family’s homes. The portrait we probably walked past a thousand times without realizing how much it would mean to us one day.

Growing up, there weren’t a ton of Cambodian cultural pieces to find so when Ma, Pa, Look Yay, Look Tha found something that reminded them of Srok Khmer, they made sure to grab one. And this portrait became a shared memory across so many Cambodian homes.

That’s what inspired this pin. For those who may not have that portrait anymore and for those who just want to carry a little piece of our culture wherever life takes us.

AND AFTER SELLING OUT…
SHE’S FINALLY BACK IN STOCK. 🥹✨

If you missed her the first time, this is your sign. And if you’ve been asking when she’d be back, we got you! Apsara is back at the link in our bio. Limited quantities available.

📸: @crystlestudios by @itslookyay

THE CCO HAS ENTERED HIS HALLOWEEN ERA 👻🎃

Dressed for the occasion and clocked in for his very important job of picking our giveaway winner 😂🙌🏽

Congratulations to our winner @strongholdmom !🥳 We hope you love your new pins designed by @comic.kody ❤️

Please DM us your name + shipping address so we can get these babies packed up and sent to their new homes! The CCO will personally oversee absolutely none of the shipping process but will be taking full credit for the operation 🫡😂💛 by @itslookyay

What a way to celebrate Filipino American History Month!

"Pot of Rice, Side of Memories" by Noel Garcia

Thank you to Tiffany at @itslookyay for reaching out to collab with me with the "Did you eat yet?" series. It's such an honor, and I hope it's not our last!

#FilipinoAmerican
#filipinoamericanhistorymonth
#filamartist
#aapiartists
#PasalubongProject by @itslookyay

Some memories have a scent 🌼🥹

Meet the Jasmine Pin, inspired by the flowers our parents and grandparents grew in their backyards to feel closer to home. The smell takes me back to running around the backyard with my cousins and catching the scent when we ran by or finding dead petals in our Grandma’s pockets and purse! 🥹 She also used to pick jasmine and make little bouquets for my mom too.

How were Jasmine flowers part of your childhood?

The Jasmine Pin is here. Find yours at the link in bio. 🫶🏽 by @itslookyay