I have heard this so much recently and I have even been saying this myself. 2018 has been tough. It’s been rough and busy and stressful and I am done with it! So how can a word like this add anything at all to this year? December 2018: Shine. What does it even mean? How can one shine at the end of a year that has just seemed all too much?
2018
The year began for me full of ambition, goals, plans for amazing acts and looking back, I didn’t really tick anything I planned to do off my list. Seriously, just take a look at our word for January 2018: Positivity. Meaning to live with all of the best intentions and positivity… How did that go? My projects took on a very different direction and nothing really had the outcome I had expected.
So Shine you say…
Maybe the year hasn’t been as expected but certainly, it has been spent busily. Many a coffee date has been missed and my children neglected. All due to the busy that enveloped me this year… What was I up to? I suppose you could say that I have been helping to build other businesses while in the meantime adding an entirely new skill to my abilities. All of this has been done step by step. Now at the end of the year, when I stop to think of all that has occurred, I realise that I did do a lot this year and I think we should celebrate the little victories that have built up to bigger achievements or achievements yet to come! It’s all a journey, sometimes it happens slowly and step by step in order to get to the end… and it’s ok NOT to know what that end will be.
This girl takes pictures!
You may have noticed how my images have improved and changed over this year. Last year, I was getting by with my Samsung 8 phone camera and now I have a flat lay hoist, a lightbox, flash, diffuser and my trusty mirrorless Canon EOS M6 plus a handful of lenses of which I actually have my favourites. This is a feat because prior to this, I didn’t know the difference between a prime or a zoom.
How has all of this happened in a year? Perhaps I can be a bit boastful and say, literally by taking thousands of shots, doing lots of work and research, getting help from people who know more, asking lots of questions, pulling my hair out, cringing at my old images that are just awful and taking pride in my recent work (while knowing that a year from now, these might seem mediocre too). I’ve also spent a little bit of time on YouTube watching The Bite Shot, We Eat Together and looking up different tools and techniques.
Can you believe that when the year started, I didn’t even know what a flash was or how to use it? These days I will happily spend a day taking pictures, playing with light and styling… all day long. I’m super grateful to the businesses who have let me play with their products and even paid me to do so. You guys are wonderful! Check these amazing businesses – thetabletales.com, perkcoffee.co and avoandco.com’s Instagram feed.
Adding a shop, that’s just crazy
Why would anyone try and sell something online? It’s crazy! The market is saturated and everything has been done and is available at cheaper places. Why do people do it? For me, it was because I had spent so many years bullet journalling and drawing out spreads, lists and attempting to be organised. So this year, just recently, we launched a Vanilla Beige online shop. Yes, we only have one product, the Vanilla Beige Weekly Planner… and we are super proud and grateful for the positive feedback we’ve received. Keep them coming! It means we’ll keep working on new products to help you make the most of your time… and by all means, send any suggestions our way to hello@vanillabeige.com – we can’t wait to hear from you!
Reviews, who me?
This year we also had the pleasure of reviewing some great products like Max Factor makeup and Canvas Beauty. So much fun getting back into the world of makeup and beauty and it was amazing to be able to try these items as well. (Find them on Lazada or Zalora). Just a day ago, I was sent some lovely lip colour, foundation and mascara by Max Factor which is exactly what I need for this silly season. They are all super easy to use and helps me to look and feel my best when I’m out and about. An added bonus is that they last all day long! And they looked fantastic as a prop with our December 2018: Shine Calendar 😉 Thank you so much Max Factor! (ps. my favourites of their entire range I’ve tried would be their Masterpiece Nude eyeshadow palettes and the Miracle Glo Duo.)
Food glorious food
On the foodie front, we’ve enjoyed tasting chocolate with our friends from Hello Chocolate and various bars from Fossa Chocolate. We’ve enjoyed dining out and reviewing restaurants like Panamericana and Jaan.
We’ve enjoyed still more flavours and new foodie experiences with conversations with friends. Some of this was done at a dinner table where we set up our flat lay hoist and made our guests endure a photo shoot while trying to enjoy fresh Arctic seafood. Would love to have more of these though I’m not sure if our dinner guests would agree…
All of this is something I’d like to do more of because it also means I have great locations, props and inspiration for all those pictures I’ve been taking!
Content creation… everyone does it.
They do. And there is so much fantastic content out there. I find inspiration at every turn and in every swipe of the finger while browsing through Instagram. So I suppose it’s time I put a stake in the ground and say yes… this is what I do too. I create content. I can only hope that it’s the type of content you would like to hear about. From writing about my own experiences to curating stories from amazing people like Susana Amaro who wrote about moving to Singapore or Sabina Spiteri who writes from Deepest Darkest Suburbia or Mehrunisa Zafar who is passionate about sustainability… telling stories through word and images is a world that I love and hope to bring you more in 2019.
If there are any aspiring lovers of content creation out there who need a platform, I hope you’ll contact me and let me know. Perhaps Vanilla Beige could be your home too.
So shine… I say absolutely!
I suppose what I’m trying to say is this. If I can teach myself new tricks, I think everyone can. So shine, I say. And if you have nothing spectacular to show for it (and to be honest, I don’t really find anything I do to be spectacular), remember that everything takes time. Everything. So reflect on where your year has gone. The failures, the successes, the happy moments… It’s time to shine!
DOWNLOAD NOW: DECEMBER 2018: SHINE CALENDAR
We were not paid to write this story and our reviews are honest. Makeup by Max Factor was gifted to us under no obligation.
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