oh, provençal!

I had a shoot last Saturday, and normally, working on a weekend would instantly bum me out, especially since I was just recuperating from a bad case of the sniffles. But the shoot proved to be a respite from the city stress. Plus, since Francis now has Saturday work again because of his new project, leaving the comforts of home on that day didn't seem to be a bad idea (versus being stuck at home, alone).

Arriving at the location meant instant stress-relief. Consider this view: 

I had this urge to just run up those hills and soak up the sun (this lass didn't have any basking-under-the-sun summer, so...). And the charm of the place is just so wonderful!  Francis and I could spend the weekend there, shut off from any social network connection, and everything will still be perfectly all right.

Apparently, I am already itching to get a break. That Hanoi trip can't come any sooner!

P.S.
A pleasant surprise after the shoot: a spur-of-the-moment date with le hubby, who drove all the way to Nuvali from work just to pick me up. *giggles*

after almost a five-month hiatus...

Wow. I had no idea until now that I haven't been updating this blog for almost five months! Tsk, tsk. Such a shame!

So, what have I been up to the past months that I've become such a lame blogger? Work, mostly.  It's been crazy-busy, but mostly fun. I am not complaining. In between the hectic work schedule, though, are pockets of glitter and joy.

Last February was our 5th wedding anniversary.  Francis planned a surprise dinner date for us. A full day of anticipation found me with my sweet hubby at La Cocina de Tita Moning. It was such a romantic dinner, and the food was really good! 

Pretty blooms from le hubby on our 5th anniversary

Then it was his birthday and mine. We spent Francis' hatch day with a brunch date at Rustic Mornings, then headed to Nuvali on a whim. Impromptu roadtrips rock, yes? Meanwhile, my big day was spent reviewing Philippine history and culture at the National Museum, and was concluded with a fantastic dinner at Harbor View Restaurant in Manila, where we basked in the marvelous sunset of Manila Bay. 

A lovely mid-morning at Rustic Mornings as hubby and I celebrated his birthday

On my 34th birthday, we got front-row seats to this magnificent view!

There's so much more to be excited about in the coming months. At the top of the list is an upcoming Hanoi trip with my family. It's going to be a belated celebration of my Mom's 60th birthday. Despite the different travel philosophy between me and my sister (haha!), I am very much stoked about this trip. It's been a while since Francis and I have flown out of the country, so this is a much-deserved break. Add to that the fact that this is the first time my family will be traveling to another country, so it's going to be a fun riot, for sure. I just pray that the weather here in the Philippines will be bright and sunny as we leave and come back from Vietnam (it's going to be summer there, so hurrah!). 

Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. Image from meracushotels.com

Another wonderful thing that has happened is an unexpected collaboration with my fave sandal brand of the moment: Renegade Folk. I have written about it in my other blog a few month's back, and I've already purchased two pairs from this amazing local brand. Naturally, I have posted a few Instagram photos of me wearing my pairs. It's one thing to have them like those photos; and another to see them asking for my email address. I immediately replied, of course, and was a bit intrigued. Long story short, they asked me to do a collab project with them! It's so amazing and surreal, really. Aside from the obvious perks, what I love about this endeavor with them is that I get to be really creative and expressive using a medium I love: photography. Along the road, I hope to once again rekindle my passion with photography (my 400D misses me already!), and ultimately, inspire others to embrace their passion and celebrate their uniqueness. See more of this cool collab on my Instagram and on my VSCO Grid.

My third Renegade Folk pair, along with some of my arsenal for our Hanoi trip

And yes, I really, really will work harder in updating this blog more often. Definitely no months-long hiatus!

Have a wonderful weekend!