Hello 2019 + 2018 Recap 🏹
Hey angels, happy 2019!
Okay it has been a hot minute since I last posted but I definitely wanted to start the year off by wishing all of you lovely humans who read my blog a very happy and blissful new year.
2018 has been a year of letting go for me. I had things I needed to work through that had dragged on from 2017, but I'm happy that I managed to end the year off with a lighter heart.
I've been seeing lots of people do "Highlights of 2018" on their Instagram stories, but I decided that I'm going to do mine on here instead. If you'd like to know how my year went, stick around!
1. My very first collaboration
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be good enough at content creation for a brand to want to send me PR/ work with me. But innisfree did. They, together with The Good Folks, sent me my first ever PR package of sheet masks! This was honestly the start of an amazing year of collabs with other brands and I am forever grateful to the teams for seeing something in me and liking my content.2. Started working full-time
As many of you may or may not know, having graduated from uni in 2017, I took a gap year that year to figure myself out and adapt to moving back to Singapore. In 2018, I was finally ready to take on adulthood and started working at my very first job out of college. I'm a Social Media Manager for a beauty brand and I absolutely love my job! I'm currently on my 2nd year of working adult life at the same company. Happy to say that I've grown so much professionally in the past year and am so thankful for a job that makes me feel happy and excited to go to work every day.3. Reconnected with old friends
This one is extra special to me. I know that it is not uncommon for friends to drift apart as we grow up, but the joy of being able to reconnect with someone again is an amazing feeling. I am happy that I managed to become even closer with friends that I've known for almost half my life and rekindle friendships that I thought were lost.4. My grandparents celebrated more than 50 years of marriage
This highlight isn't really mine per se, but this was such a wonderful experience that I had to document it. My parents signed my grandparents up for a ceremony for elderly couples that have been married for more than 50 years to renew their vows and receive a plaque of sorts to commemorate this milestone. Our family got to attend this event together and it was so special for us.5. My 22nd birthday
I know 22 usually doesn't call for a huge celebration, but I just wanted to document how lovely it was for Ben to arrange everything just to make me happy on my birthday. We had an early celebration with Ben's family at Open Farm Community - I was blindfolded on the way there and was so surprised when I realised where we were! Then on the eve of my birthday, this precious boy surprised me after work by coming to pick me up to send me home. :') The next morning he brought me to MacRitchie for a morning walk before bringing me to lunch with my family at Shop Wonderland (which has now closed down so it's even cooler that we managed to eat there while it was still operating!). We went for a good old karaoke session afterwards and had dinner at Chijmes. :)6. Invited to my very first event
innisfree invited me to check out their pop-up at Bugis for the relaunch of the green tea seed serum and it was honestly so much fun! My heart swells up very time I think about the opportunities I was presented with this year because I really could not have imagine that working hard on my photos/ content etc can be rewarded in such extraordinary ways and it makes me want to keep pushing myself to do better.
7. I met JENN IM
This was definitely one for the books. I freakin' love Jenn so much and it was incredible being able to see her and hug her in person and feel all the positivity she has for the world. I wrote a pretty detailed recount of my experience at her meet-up so if you haven't read that here's the link! :)
8. Other brand collaborations
- The Statement Collection
- St Ives
- Caseapp
- Amusse.co
- Herhappydose
- Native
- Purpur
- Sen Natural
When innisfree first contacted me, I never thought that more would follow and that I would be lucky enough to work with them. Like many other bloggers, there are a couple of other inquiries that I have rejected, so these ones that I collaborated with are truly brands that I love and that I believe you guys would love as well.
9. SEOUL with my mum & sis
This was the first girls' trip that my mum, sis and I have ever been on! Seoul is a feel good place for me and I always leave feeling refreshed and inspired. I vlogged on the trip and if you're interested you can check it out here. :)
I also did an outfit rundown on my blog so if you're interested in that, here's the link!
10. Supporting Ben at his first 10km in a long time
Being able to cheer him on was definitely a highlight of my year. Running is something Ben loves and going for a race was something he's been meaning to do but haven't had the chance to ever since we started dating. So 2.5 years on, being able to watch him do something he is passionate about and being there every step of the way was something that made this year pretty special to me.
11. Our 2nd time in HK together!
Ben and I went on our annual couple holiday to Hong Kong again! It is so fun to be on vacation together and we even hiked Dragon's Back which was a feat for me because I'm probably the weakest person you'll ever meet. I have an IGTV vlog up so if you haven't seen it, here's the link to watch!
Oh and similarly, I have a Hong Kong outfits post up as well; you can read it here. :)
12. Watched my mum perform in Singapore's National Day Parade
My momma is such a champ! This was her third time performing in the NDP and I'm so happy that Ben and I got to go watch her do her thing on one of the previews. It was a first for Ben and I to go for a national day event so it was extra special.
13. Went to my very first "blogger" luncheon with St Ives
This was totally unlike anything I've ever been to! From personalised name cards to making our own overnight oats, this event was an eye opening experience for me. I got to bring my sister along as a plus one and we both enjoyed a hearty meal at Vineyard in Hort Park together with 19 other Instagrammers. It was very fun being able to connect with all these people who share the same passion and getting to know the people behind St Ives Singapore was so wonderful as well!
14. Hopped on the plane to NYC for the 2nd time/ my first business trip!
Okay, if I loved New York the first time, the second time made me fall in love even more. I feel like NYC is a city that never stops giving. Every time I'm there I feel like something's different and that there's more to be discovered. This trip was a milestone for me because it was my first time leaving Singapore without my family/ Ben. I was on an official business trip to attend the Indie Beauty Expo. Like what? Me at the start of the year couldn't even imagine being strong and independent enough to do something this huge on my own. But after going through that experience I really learnt how to depend on myself and also had a blast there.
15. Celebrating 3 years with Ben
On December 8th, Ben and I turned 3! This boy planned out every moment of our anniversary as though it was my birthday. He even got me starfish earrings as my anniversary gift. 3 years may seem like a long time to some and a short time to others, but for me, every day is refreshing as we continue to learn more about each other and how to love each other better. Ben truly makes me a better person and I am excited for our life together.
16. Sydney with Ben's family
I'll just do a quick summary because a more in-depth post/ vlog will come soon! We spent a week in Australia today and it was so nice to be back in my second home. I've missed the people and the place so much so it felt amazing being in Sydney. I'm also really thankful that Ben has such a loving and supportive family and that I'm lucky enough to be a part of that.
17. First time in Bangkok with my family & Ben
Last highlight was my family's vacation to Thailand! It was my first time in Bangkok and Ben's first time on a holiday with my family. I also vlogged on the trip so we'll save the details for later. ;)
All in all, 2018 was kind to me and I hope to bring the realisations I had last year into the new one.
Happy New Year guys and hope you all have a blessed one ahead!
Till the next,
M x
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