happy 2014!

Since last year is just a mere two weeks away, I guess this entry is still not too late. Like everyone else who felt compelled to look back at how last year had been, I, too, will jump into the year-ender tradition.

To sum it all up, 2013 was a wonderfully blessed year. 

1.

The first quarter of 2013 found me relishing in my new job as the managing editor of Real Living magazine. I had always wanted to be part of an editorial team. My prayers were finally answered. Now, I'm part of a hardworking team that churns out fantastic inspirations month after month. Plus, with the many home stores we feature, my own house gets all the perks with the home decor items I eventually buy, haha! And of course, the magazine also inspires me to take care of my own household and make it as inviting and pretty as the homes we feature.

2. 

Francis and I were able to bring home this baby last March. We christened it Midori, Francis' favorite character in the film adaptation of Murakami's Norwegian Wood. (Francis actually has a crush on the actress who played the character, haha!) This car has been such a great blessing. We are now able to unwind and go anywhere after a busy week at work. The only downside? We have been eating out more often lately, and we know we have to curb the bad habit because it's not practical!

3. 

My little sister got hitched to the love of her life! It was a bit stressful being the matron-of-honor, but all was well that ended well. It was a lovely night of music and mini-reunions, as with all weddings. Now that my sister is a Mrs. herself, I hope this new chapter in her life will bring us closer together. Do I smell frequent double dates?

4. 

I got to pick up my 400D and shoot food again! It's always a joy to take photographs of food. I always get a kick whenever I look at the shots--whether they're mine or my fave food photographers,  like Helene Dujardin.


Thanks to my friend Mems and her business partners, I got to shoot their food products. The brand is called Forklore Bites, and it has really yummy goodies! (I'll post about their products soon in my other blog.)

Unfortunately, while I was packing up after the shoot, my camera, with my 50mm still attached to it, fell on the floor. Ugh. It's a good thing the camera body is okay, but my beloved 50mm is now useless. I better get myself a new one in time for more photo shoots with Forklore Bites!

5.

Francis and I were finally able to get bedroom side tables! We were initially gunning for upcycled bespoke side tables from Resurection Furniture and Found Objects, but when I saw wood crates that were made into tables (like this one and this one), I was instantly enamored by the idea. And when I showed the photos to Francis, he got really excited that he wanted to buy crates pronto. 

I actually saw wood crates at Urban Abode, a new home store in CW Home Depot in Ortigas (I promise to writer about Urban Abode in my other blog soon). So the following day, I called the store to have four crates reserved. We picked them up once the weekend came. Francis stained them in mahogany, and ta-dah! Not your run-of-the-mill bedside tables!

Also, I promised Francis that this year, I'll start improving our unit, and the bedroom is the best place to start since we've neglected it for quite some time. As soon as I'm done with it, I will move on to our living area, which needs less tweaking compared with our bedroom. I hope that by the end of 2014, our tiny abode will be homier and cozier so we can have friends more frequently. We love entertaining, that's why Francis and I are hell-bent on keeping the place tidy (no more dust- and clutter-gathering corners!) and welcoming. 

So, it looks like 2013 was fantastic, and 2014 is looking equally promising. And despite the many trials our country had gone through last year, our resilience and faith will pull us through anything (but there's no harm in praying for a gentler new year, right?).

Have a wonderfully blessed new year, everyone!