To the Better Days

It's crazy how we're sometimes being teased by time. When we have to attend to the things for one of the most important events in our lives, that's when we are bombarded with even more work. It's driving me all nuts, really! I get work left and right these days, and one equally demanding than the other. Add to that is my crazy schedule. I work 8am to 8pm already, with not even a lunch break, since I've been bullied into accepting two additional teaching loads. (Okay, bullied is exaggerating it, really... but it feels like it.) I sometimes wish I can just say no whenever I want to, but I freakin' can't! I can't, and its frustrating! And currently, I've been having a bad case of jitters, which is not helping at all. Blame that to the overwhelming excitement/anxiousness/fear/busy-ness. 

Anyway, life goes on. I'm still up for embracing positivity, still clinging on to all the positive energy left in me. Better days are ahead, and I'm going to make the most out of them. Now let's cheers to that! (Sudden moodswing, eh? I get that these days, pardon me.)

Top, Pants - thrifted

Shoes (which is not shown. Bummer!) - Zara (old)

100: A Milestone

5. 13,500. 100. That is For All Things Pretty in numbers now.

Five months. Thirteen thousand five hundred page views. One hundred posts. 

Hurray! A new milestone for the blog... and, of course, for Jhet and Janjie, too!

At 5 months old, this blog is still a baby, and yet it has showed a lot of potential and gained loyal readership already. Though earning from this is not much of a top priority for us, it has slowly been leading us to that direction with more and more opportunities opening up. This blog, however, has served us more than that. It's kind of life-changing really; no matter how cheesy that may sound.

Jhet:

When we had our very first photoshoot, I was so excited to post everything on our blog. But on the verge of clicking the 'publish' button, some randomly overthinking thoughts rush through my mind, like 'what would be the reaction of people who know us?' and 'are we really doing this?' stuff. And whenever Janjie and I go to the mall or pass by people eyeing us, it's always 'oh my did she read our blog? ugh! what am i wearing?' scenario with myself. Although we never can avoid negative thoughts swirling round our heads, still we have to make that step to move forward. Look at us now, already at our 100th post to date! 

Over the last five months we have already been used to this (and so our friends and family too). Everytime we go on a photoshoot sometimes there's that certain feeling of 'getting tired of it all' coz of that question 'why again are we doing this?' and yet we still keep it going. I don't know why but everytime I try to think of how long we've been through and the 'goal' we are trying to aim is I think what pushes us to take another step forward (not to mention the growing number of pageviews we have had) and simply because we love what we're doing here. 

Well, now it's more like 'I know they'll love this new post' and 'we should do this' attitude.  Now it's more of excitement rather than fear. So, nah! who cares about stares and criticisms and the like? We want to do this and we love what we are doing. So that's probably it, I have learned to become even more positive and confident through this. As TS would say it, fearless.

Janjie:

I actually have been blogging since 2007, but my old blog is pretty much personal. This one, however, is different, because this is basically grounded on our passion - our love for clothes, food, and all other things pretty - and share to the world our thoughts about them.

Those five months with For All Things Pretty have been really fulfilling. Despite it being a hard work maintaining and regularly updating a blog, you can tell how much fun we are having based on the number of posts we've completed this early.

If there's one thing that blogging changed in me, it's acceptance and added respect to the diversity of humans. Personally, I've learned to accept my flaws as a person. We just cannot compare ourselves with others. They, too, have flaws of their own. The only way one can continue to get inspired to get on with this kind of thing is to acknowledge what others have to say, while standing on your own ground. Once we've completely accepted things, then, follows respect. The web is a wide universe, and it's dominated with people of diverse personalities and backgrounds. Comparison here then becomes futile, as never can we set one against another on the grounds of diversity and multifariousness of our existence. Everything basically boils down to doing what you love and respecting what others do, too. 

In celebration of this significant milestone in the life of For All Things Pretty, we are happy to announce the following developments in the blog.

1. For All Things Pretty New Logo

Hurray! So, to mark this celebration, we are launching this blog's new logo!

What do you think?

2. http://jhetandjanjie.com

Yep! Our own domain name. Hooray! We thought it's about time to use our names on shorten the links. Hehe...

3. Garage Sale

Aaaannndd! We'll be holding an online garage sale at SUPER-DUPER-ULTRA-MEGA LOW prices via Pastelleshoppe (https://www.facebook.com/PastelleShop) soon! So, you may want to like the page to keep yourself posted. Oh, and on that note, might as well like our official Facebook Fan Page, too, https://www.facebook.com/forallthingspretty, for updates on giveaways and stuff.

We also wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to YOU, our dear readers, for making all these wonderful things happen. We promise to continue giving you more top quality, fair, and legit posts, so please stick around, okay?

A BIG thanks also goes to Argey (https://www.facebook.com/argeydp) for always taking wonderful pictures of us.... and, Keith for being our PA most of the time. *wink!

'til the next 100, 500, and many, many more posts to come...


xoxo,

Jhet and Janjie

Budapest

Love is not all red. It can be a black and pink combo, too!

Happy Valentines Day, lovies! And no, I'm not being bitter with this LBD. Porke ba naka-black on VDay, bitter agad? Di ba pwedeng delayed post lang to muna? hehe...

For this post, allow me to introduce to you my newest love... so, read on. ;)

Look at my pretty collar necklace. It's so cutey, isn't it? That one's actually Jhet's DIY. She's such a sweet, crafty girl, and I keep on pushing her to create more and make some serious money out of it. Like, really, we do not want to make that creativity go to waste, do we? Hey, Jhet!   

Here it is, pretties! My new Budapest cut-out booties! Aren't they adorable?! Their fuschia-ness is just so gorgeous. They're pretty eye-catching, too! I have had several compliments for them already, and I often hint the jealousy in the eyes of those ladies I pass by. Well, I can't blame them, I'd probably be super jealous myself to see somebody wearing these cute-ies.

I got this lovely pair just recently from Hebe Manila, and I still can't get over its comfy feel and prettiness that I constantly remind myself to stop obsessing and use my other shoes, too! True story.  

Dress - H&M

Collar necklace - Jhet's DIY

Cloth braided bracelets - Jhet's DIY

Spikes bracelet - Gorgeous 

Rosary bracelet - a monastery in Cebu

Budapest cut-out booties - Hebe Manila

Life is Better in Color

Recently I have been addicted to colorful stretchy pants. It’s definitely fun to wear since you could pair it with a contrasting colored blouse or with heavy designed tee. Whatever suits your day. I've always worn colorful outfits whenever I fear boredom is gonna strike my beautiful day. It helps fight the not-so-good-moods-and-auras-from-other-people trouble. And you'd be like a walking rainbow. Now, ain't that something? ;)

Life is indeed so much better if it is in color. We should always see it as it is. Trust me, it's better that way.

Top: Local shop

Pants: Popstar

Boots: Thriftes

Bracelets: Gifted

24

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." - Oprah Winfrey 

There's so much in my life that I ought to be thankful for - wonderful family, supportive boyfriend, great friends, a blossoming career and the many sidelines, and dreams that are slowly inching towards realization, just to name a few. 

God has been really good to me ever since. He never fails to show and make me feel how much He loves me through showering me with so much blessings. For this added year in my life, I will strive to become an even bigger blessing to others, and wish that everything that this year promises will finally reach fruition. 

My 24th was spent in a nearby resort with my family and some very close friends. It was also an opportunity for the parents to finally have a serious talk about the plans Jheck and I laid for ourselves. It was a day filled with laughter and fun; I could not ask for a better way to celebrate my birthday. 

3 Shades of Pink

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."  - Audrey Hepburn 

Dress - thrifted

Shoes - Zara

Accessories - Pastelleshoppe

Pink Cheetah

I am not exactly drawn to animal prints, but when I saw this one, I know I just had to make an exemption. This pink cheetah-printed dress is so gorgeous, I just can’t afford to let it go.

Because I cannot go to work in a dress as skimpy as this, I often use this as a top. The first time I wore this, my weird Iraqi fellow faculty member then noticed it and shouted, “Hey, you look like a cheetah!” I just grinned at him and answered, "I am! I'm a pink cheetah!"; and playfully did a little ‘rawr’.  

Funny how I unconsciously posed beside a wooden cage. I swear we did not do it on purpose! Now, it looks like the pink cheetah just escaped from the cage! 

Dress - thrifted

Shoes - Zara

Necklace - Pastelleshoppe