Welcome to ASILO•MAR! I'm so excited that you're here and can't wait to share a bit of the heart behind this shop.
From being a 12 year old sewing beach towels into tote bags and selling them door to door, to being a busybody college student, selling crafty accessories out of my dorm room, I've always harbored a passion for creating things that would make others happy. I put this on the back burner when I entered the corporate world out of college, but was quickly thrown back into entrepreneurship when I lost my job during the pandemic. I painted custom house portraits, took on freelance social media work and eventually decided it was time to start my own business.
I started 'Happy Place Boutique' a handmade jewelry business which quickly rebranded into Asilomar in 2024 and have been working day and night to grow the business since. In February 2025 I lost my corporate marketing job from budget cuts and decided it was time to go all in on myself. From that little girl who loved creating to an almost 30 something entreprenuer, not much has changed. I love creating things and now curating things, to create a happy and memorable experience for all who choose to shop with me.
The literal meaning of Asilomar can be broken into two parts. ASILO: meaning asylum, haven or refuge and MAR: meaning sea.
When deciding what I wanted this shop to be about, I thought of my favorite place in the world - Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove California and knew that was the feeling I wanted to capture in the clothes I curate and the pieces I make.
I spent a lot of my youth on this beach, combing for shells, playing in the seaweed and watching the sealife in the tidepools.
A refuge by the sea -- that's what I think of when I remember the days I've spent walking along the water in Asilomar and that's what I hope you all feel when interacting with this shop!
To the lovers of coastal living and the sea, anywhere you are, this shop is for you! Thank you for choosing to spend your hard earned money here, shopping small and supporting a dream.
-Han