Because we love you guys so much, as early as now, we’re already brewing ideas in our little wizard cauldrons and cooking up our dream stories, shoots, and events for next year. Last week, we holed up in a cozy room at Diamond Hotel and just basked in one another’s brilliance…just kidding. No, we actually sat down to discuss our major themes (I must say they’re pretty exciting!) for 2013′s eleven issues, as well as come up with our wishlist of events and special projects. We’re keeping everything hush-hush at the moment, but if you love all the changes we’ve been rolling out this year, then we promise you’ll love everything we have in store for you. I am almost peeing myself with excitement as I type (either that, or I should REALLY stop guzzling so much coffee), so that’s something.

For now, a behind-the-scenes look at the Candy Team’s Planning Session for 2013:

Family portrait before we get this partey started.

Room with a view.

Bianca, Macy, and Koko take a cookie break. Macy whipped up an amazing batch of Toblerone sea salt cookies for that afternoon. She’s the sweetest!

Everyone! Minus me. Because I took the photo. I explain too much.

Pretty tree in the middle of Yurakuen, Diamond Hotel’s Japanese resto.

Melt-in-your-mouth sweet pork ramen. Almost finished the entire bowl by myself—I am proud and ashamed in equal measures. (Okay, mostly proud.)

Ube ensaymada for breakfast. It was buttery, gooey, and two-syllable goooo-ooood in ways I cannot even begin to describe. I bet love poems have been written about it.

Hope you’re having a great week so far! And Happy Independence Day, USA! #nonsequitur

Big hugs,
Marla