lady of leisure & her [FAVOURITE] things

trying something new, yet again!

2012-02-02T10:18:00.003Z

Yes, I am indeed guilty for being quite greedy in my quest for the perfect skin. I have always been interested in what's new in the skincare market, what works and what doesn't. As long as there is no major harm in trying anything out, me think. I am very grateful for my skin is more on the calm and well-behaved side, hence needing a rather basic approach to skincare. That being said, I have certainly noticed some age-related changes of late such as more freckles on my already-freckled-face and my skin appears somewhat 'kusam' to me. Yes, I do wear the basic amount of make-up product on a day-to-day basis and as unrealistic as this may ring to most of the readers out there, I'd like to have the kind of skin that needs nothing artificial for it appear bright and healthy.

If you have been following my skincare posts, you'd be aware of different range of products that I have tried and tested on my skin -- Clinique, Clarins, Clearasil, Creme de La Mer, Trilogy -- all are great stuff and very highly recommended by yours truly. Just towards the end of 2011, I also came across Kiehl's products which I decided to give a good try and are indeed amazing. Whilst all these products do help in keeping my skin clear and definitely less-temperamental, they do not address the real pressing issue with my skin: the age spots or in malay we know it as 'jeragat'. BB cream only covers it up for me, and whilst MAC skin brightening serum does make my skin feels super-soft post-application, my skin is non-the-brighter than pre-serum. I contemplated trying Clarins dark-spot-corrective Vital Light serum but then decided otherwise due to the price factor and lack of success with the previous others.

Coincidentally, my younger sister (who is probably the only other person I know that is super-obsessed with getting the perfect complexion) decided to become a supplier for a local skincare product called N3, which she has been using for almost a year now. I saw her last during my trip home in 2011 and although her skin has always been beautiful, she had rather unluckily suffered from pregnancy-related acne vulgaris which had left her skin mottled with superficial scars and discoloration. She then started using N3 and continued using it. During my trip home, I noticed that despite the residual discoloration from old acne spots, it was evident that her skin was improving and was in fact very soft in texture. She told me she had a some skin-peel from the product in the first 2 weeks and within a month her skin had reverted into normality but in a better form -- soft, brighter, clearer with minimal scarring or age-spots.

I have to be absolutely honest here -- I don't like any kind of skin-peel! I don't like discomfort, pain, disfigurement etc. If I'd like my skin to come off, I'd have gone for microdermal abrasion a long time ago. Even at the most micro-level, I really am not prepared to go for any kind of skin-off experience. But I love to exfoliate, and perhaps this is the answer to my vigorous exfoliation which has rendered my skin raw and worse than before. And I also haven't forgotten my sister's youthful-looking skin. So I told her that I want to try this N3 thing out. She gave me some advice on some important how-to and sent me the 'set jeragat' over.

I only received this lot yesterday evening and decided to give it a try starting today. I am not gonna lie -- I am nervous like never before, and I already warned my other half of the possible side-effects! I have to use half of the products diligently 3 times a day for 2 weeks and switch some of the first half, and add a few other treatment products from the 3rd week on. I still can't believe that I am doing this. I have to ban my other skincare stuff that I have been using for the next 4 weeks, so I'll be able to provide an honest review of these products. No, my sister did not put me up to this. I still had to pay for the products like any customers and I do not have any financial affiliations with the company apart from being their first time customer and my own sister's positive experience with the products. What makes me do it, you ask? This is why:

I will be updating my progress on weekly basis -- with or without photo evidence, depending on how good/scary i look! To my sister, you better get ready for a backlash! For a healthier-looking skin. Here we go: Bismillah.

Nota Bene: for any readers out there who are interested in embarking on this scary journey with me, here is the information on how to contact her, Mellissa: 019-3338077.

scaredy-catlady,

my day in [still] photos

2012-01-29T14:15:00.000Z

I, too, have been infected with the Instagram fever and have been snapping away all day. My most favorite photo effects are rise, lomo-fi, early bird, brannan and hefe. Truth be told, I have uploaded the application onto my iPhone for over a year already at this stage and never really bothered to use it. However, my age has finally caught up with me and foolishly, I forgot to bring my faithful Sony NEX-5 to my son's first karate competition. Thanks to the late Steve Jobs and his powerful creation of an iPhone (and all the apps creators too!) I managed to capture the special event via Instagram.

Whilst at that, it is always difficult to resist the temptation to snap really random things around me. Since I am lacking of grand words and interesting tales of late, I thought I'd share with my readers what i'd call: life through my instagram eyes *cliche -- i know* if you haven't discovered Instagram just yet, this is it -- go check it out and start snapping. Although you could always share it online via Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter et cetera, I prefer to keep it to myself bar on this occasion.

Heidi & her Daddy | watching the karate kids intently

Pink plimsolls | summer-wear in winter

my super-comfy summer catch for fall | Carvela by Kurt Geiger ankle boots

Seiza before starting | 'Oss Sensei'

all lined up | practice session

Harris | our very own young karateka in his gi

Red plimsolls from Penneys which costed me only €2 last summer

notice board | checking out the schedule for the day's competition

canteen deco | basket on the wall

the hallway | waiting

harris | heidi

better blurred than never

outfit of the day | all mashed up

sorting out competitors in the dojo

2 red-belters competing against each other

Aungier Street, Dublin 2 | on our way out of the city

the masked boy | H&M

art work on electric box | Dublin 2

Breton-striped sweater dress | H&M

love the combination | red jersey blazer and breton t-shirt by H&M

harris | heidi

purple leather gloves | Brown Thomas

long-sleeved t-shirt | Marks & Spencers

my busy wrist | old watch with new-ish red leather strap
| Chanel bracelet
| monochrome H&M bangles

my current navy-blue favorites | YSL Arty ring
| enamel & metal bangles by FCUK
| alphabetical silver charms by Molly Brown

I am loving all the Instagram photos I have come across online and I feel rather inspired to join the Instagram camp. Thanks to my ageing, distracted brain and poor short term memory in leaving my camera behind, I probably would never appreciate what little joy this whole thing brings me.

more reason to love my iPhone,

2012 -- what have you for me?

2012-01-25T12:13:00.001Z

I seemed to have been neglecting my place of solace quite a bit, of late. Truth be told, I had to shy away for sometime due to workloads and focusing on other things *read: lots of sleep and family time* -- my other half has developed a rather strong aversion to the sight and sound of my incessant typing. he is always pulling me away to face some movie on the TV screen. So, the obedient partner that I am, I obliged. I had a bit of time this morning, did some web-surfing and watched some cool videos on YouTube and Vimeo. I feel inspired somehow.

I turned 34 earlier this month and as quiet as it went, I had the best time of my life so far -- got pleasantly surprised by a birthday gift hiding in my soft and fluffy pillow! Harris turned 8 on the same day and we held a small birthday do for him at Captain Americas. Lucky us, there were a balloon-making lady clown and a face painter on duty organized by the restaurant. The birthday boy himself seemed happy having his friends around and Mr Daddy ended up broke *and broken!* i'm sure after all the spending. I definitely feel blessed and so thankful to Allah the Almighty for every single blessing he bestowed upon each and all of us.

2011 was a truly positive and one great years for yours truly. I set a few goals and key performance indicators for myself and although there are still quite a number of them that I haven't managed to achieve, i feel like I have given my all and for that I am truly grateful and satisfied. I feel like I have grown a little bit towards a better me, both from a personal point of view, as well as in my career and quest for the meaning of life in general. I strived to achieve certain credentials whilst climbing that endless ladder of what I'd like to call success, but I am glad I haven't neglected what is really, the most important objective of my entire existence: to be a good person -- a good moslem, an obedient daughter, a loyal partner and loving wife, a devoted mother and a dear friend. For that, I am happy to think that 2011 has been a great year despite all its challenges, through which I grow and learn important key lessons of life.

2012 will hopefully bring me:

patience as a virtue that I'd like to further develop
happiness as a goal for me to bestow upon others and hopefully, others upon me
consistency as a trait that I always strive to gain and maintain
composure & contentment both in my personal and working lives
health -- both in physical and mental state
gratitude for Allah's every little blessings that comes my humble way
love for me, my beautiful family, my great friends and lovely people who cross my paths

And last but not least,
May 2012 offer you many great things too!
All set for the new year,

Live vicariously through others

2012-01-25T11:37:00.000Z

feeling mushy today

2012-01-25T09:38:00.000Z

Glossybox: yay or nay?

2011-12-16T12:24:00.000Z

Have you heard of Glossybox before? I fell in love with the idea of getting a mystery box full of goodies each month. My first encounter was from my regular visits to one of my favourite Irish beauty bloggers and they mentioned that Glossybox does shipping to Ireland. I didn't really know what to expect but was excited nevertheless and decided to subscribe for November. It costs me about GBP12 per month. Let's take a look, shall we?

November Glossybox

Some really random stuff: bath salts, nail wraps, face cream, hand cream and 2 EDT samplers

I have to say that the November glossybox is disappointing for me. The only thing that I have tried is the Monu face cream or recovery balm which I must say is superb and moisturising. I was hoping for more make-up stuff rather than skincare and so I was so looking forward to December box. It being Christmas month and all, right?

December Glossybox : I love the red packaging!

It normally comes nicely wrapped like so, with a card explaining the content.

Again, a selection of rather random stuff: shower gel, lipgloss, nail polish, face cleanser and mascara.

Was I impressed? Not really. I tried the nail polish on, and it was too runny -- even H&M ones I bought for Heidi is way better consistency. Pretty disappointing I must say. I haven't tried anything else -- the mascara has apparently accumulated good reviews, and I'll probably let Heidi have the sparkly lipgloss and definitely the nail polish. I'll probably wait for the January box and if it is still as disappointing as these two, I'll call it quit then?

a wee-bit disappointed,

my [so-called] French connection

2011-12-16T02:12:00.000Z

As I get a bit older each day, each month and each year, I, finally realized albeit with massive reluctance the horrendous extent of my genetically-inherited trait of hoarding which has rendered my home-sweet-home super-cluttered. I have inadvertently developed a strong sense of unhealthy attachment with my worldly things and I find it extremely hard to throw or give anything away. It is almost impossible. I have previously packed away my things in boxes and black bin liners, only to re-discover them again and unpack each and every piece of my things back into where they don't belong -- my super-crowded drawers. I, for one, know that this cannot continue any further. I need to de-clutter so badly that it hurts my soul. My only worry is my propensity in re-accumulating unnecessary things. Try as I might, I know that will start hoarding in no time. So I dare myself: Don't just buy any things. They become meaningless. Try getting only nostalgic things. Things that may be meaningful. Things that may help signify certain experience leading to my existence.

So, I packed away some more of my accumulated worldly belonging and handpicked only the ones that have sentimental values to me. Like, a white top that my significant other bought for me in Manchester while I was slaving away in an exam course; or a couple of striped and colourful bangles my sister gifted me from her Bangkok trip. And a few others. Well, the ones that were accumulated on a whim or without much thoughts I packed in boxes to be shipped home, for the pleasure of my sisters. Perhaps, those things will become some form of nostalgic tokens for them. What do they say: another girl's junks are some other girl's treasure? Anyways, for those who know me well -- can I really do without shopping? Very, very hard to achieve. I can try to abate, for sure. Hence, instead of quitting shopping cold-turkey I started to only buy things that mean something to me. For example, I have always wanted to collect charms from all my travels and wear them on a bracelet. I wanted to get myself personal souvenirs from the country I visited, not just some random fridge magnets or meaningless postcards.

It began with my first nostalgic token from Prague. A silver and garnet pendant. Garnet is my birthstone. I would have preferred white gold but silver would do me just fine. I wear this pendant with a white gold chain gifted to me by my dearest Ummi for my birthday back in 2009. Earlier this year, I was gifted a charm bracelet by one of my really close friends and that sparked my journey in collecting charms from my travels. About 20 days after receiving the gift, I went to Paris for an academic meeting and set out to get myself my first travel token: an Eiffel tower charm. On my last day in Paris during the said trip, I managed to swing by Printemps on Boulevard Haussmann and purchased what I hope is going to be the first of many.

my Eiffel tower charm, dangling on its own for now.

I have since been to a few different places but didn't find anything worth keeping -- oh, except for a beautiful grey, cocoon-shaped coat that I purchased for €17 from a thrift shop in Bayswater, London during my trip to Bristol and London in Autumn this year. You do find interesting things in thrift and charity shops alike and the best thing is, they don't cost you a lot of money. A little out of our French topic of discussion but I hope relevant, nevertheless.

My favourite thrift-store find: cozy cocoon-shaped grey wool coat

Anyways, when I found out that my next trip was to be my romantic city -- Paris, la ville de l'amor -- I knew exactly what I wanted to get from this trip. Something French that I have been lemming for quite a while but couldn't find a good enough reason to spend my hard-earned money on. But of course, a decent French-cafe CD collection won't cost me much of my monthly salary and I already got my Paris charm during my last visit, so what could it be?

All French things: Eiffel tower charm, a Frech CD collection and a Monet pillbox.

I have always love Monet's colour-palette but only now do I get to appreciate his artistic brush strokes. For now, a fridge magnet of Woman with A Parasol 1886 and Water Lilies 1906 will have to do me.

Edith Piaf: Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien is my current favourite

Aren't these chocolates look so French 1920s to you? I couldn't bring myself to rip the nice wrappers!

It is rather weird the fact that this was not my first trip to Paris and yet I behaved as if I have never been there before. I never planned to do any souvenir-hunting but as it happens, lovely things sometimes do fall into your lap! It all seemed to happen in a somewhat serendipitous way but here we go. I wanted to go to Avenue Montaigne, just off your famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées to get something specific and French from YSL only to be told by a lady in Valentino that the nearest YSL is on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré which is 33 minutes by foot according to Google map and about €8 of cab fare. So being the sports that we were, Mr Husband and I decided to try do some much-needed physical exertion by walking to our destination only to find ourselves a bit lost in space and translation. I then saw a tourist tricycle near the French Roulette and persuaded Mr Husband to abandon our hike. To my dismay the tricycle tour would cost us €15 and after some bargaining, we agreed on €10 which I thought was quite reasonable.

Poor Mr Tricyclist had to cycle so far to get us to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in fact we later discovered that he had taken 3/4 way around Paris when all he needed to do was to do a U-turn and we were there! But he was so helpful, asking around for directions, double-checking the shop address, I could almost see his sweats dripping from his chin. We finally arrived at our destination and as I handed my €20 note, he took out his scrunched up white plastic bag which probably contained his whole collection for the day -- which also didn't seem to have the necessary change for my note -- I decided that €10 as previously agreed was a bit cheap for both of us. If I was going to get myself something completely unnecessary from YSL, surely I could spare an extra €10 for this French gentleman. As a token of his appreciation, he gifted us 2 rare sets of coasters in Vlaminck-style Paris illustration.

The coasters from Mr Tricyclist: how is that for something nostalgic and meaningful?

A set of Moulin-Rouge themed coasters I managed to grab at the Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Some fridge magnets from Musee d'Orsay and Charles de Gaulle airport

Enough about souvenir-hunting, let's move on to another of my serendipitous French find. Annick Goutal it is. I have heard about Annick Goutal parfum for a quite a while now but never had the pleasure to experience any of her perfume range before. As I was boarding my Aer Lingus flight from Dublin that day, I thought to myself: must try to sample Annick Goutal in Paris. I watched out for any of AG shops during our Paris walkabout but didn't spot any. So, I decided that perhaps this wasn't the time -- until I came across a really small but quaint Annick Goutal boutique on my way to Musee d'Orsay.

Madame Marie-Nadine Raymond was a lovely French lady who was so warm and charming, and appeared to really understand her olfactory science. She let me try everything and attended me so patiently even though I made it pretty clear that I wasn't really there to purchase any. Especially when they were not exactly what I would call cheap or reasonable. She thought I was a Charlotte: fresh and fruity; so she told me. Nevertheless, I told her I wanted something French; something with understated elegance. 'For that', she said, 'you must try this one'.

Mon Parfum Cherie, par Camille

Madame Raymond insisted that I should wear it on my hijab and my coat, enjoy all the Monets and Renoirs in d'Orsay as much I could and come back to her if I liked it. Mr Husband was already in the queue for the busy museum and as I stood beside him, he asked me 'what is that lovely smell?' -- and for the next hour, I got to experience the wonderful work of Camille Goutal and Isabella Doyen which in all honesty I must say, curiously smelt like wet earth on the first spritz. Suffice to say, I made my way back to Rue de Bellechasse and even managed to get 10% discount plus a few EDT samples of the other Annick Goutal range. Little did I know that this quaint little space was the original shop where Annick Goutal first launched her perfume collection back in 1980. If you ever make your way to Musee d'Orsay, do swing by this Annick Goutal perfume boutique and in the mean time you can find out more about their perfume range here and more on Annick & Camille Goutal here.

I love the simple design, deep red colour and the black bow.

Musc Nomade, Neroli, Vanille Exhuise, Un Matin d'Orage & Petite Cherie

And last but not least, my guilty purchase of the whole trip. Yes, the one that dragged us from Champs Elysees to Avenue Montaigne to getting lost and finally Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore. One of the only two things I planned to get during my trip in Paris. Yves Saint Laurent Arty ring.

The one that Mr Husband picked for me for I went completely lost as to which one I should bring home.

The final one that I brought home -- the silver version is definitely c'est moi!

For me, this Paris trip was absolutely lovely. I got to enjoy the original French Laduree macarons and their The Melange Special Laduree; I saw the authentic Monets, Renoirs and Whistlers for the very first time of hopefully many more; I took the Metro without feeling completely overwhelmed and best of all I got to experience all things French with my loved one. I sure hope to return to the city of love and lights very soon and on our next time, we go on the French Roulette, shall we?

love, love & love

Paris, oh so lovely!

2011-12-07T18:10:00.002Z

I really did get lucky a few weeks ago -- Mr Husband was invited to attend a medical conference, and as I am also in the medical world albeit different area of specialty, I, too, was invited. After clearing it all up with my boss for a couple of days off, deciding sleep-over venues for the kids and last-minute packing, we eventually took off on a cold Thursday evening. I must confess that I was so extremely excited and looking forward to this trip -- not only this was Paris, but it was also a trip for just us sans the kids. Our last romantic trip together was way back in 2008 and it had indeed been a good while since we last had the chance to feel like a couple of newlyweds again. Excited that I was, there was definitely a great sense of guilt having to leave the kids behind but it was somehow relieved on the realization of them being super excited to go for a 3-nights sleep over. Phew!

We stayed at the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel and the Saint Jacques Metro stop was just about 200m away from the hotel entrance. We spent the first night mingling with the other Irish delegates before retreating to that deep and much-needed slumber. The weather was beautiful on the very first morning we were there. After spending half of the day listening to a series of cardiovascular lectures, we went on a Paris walkabout and found ourselves at the foot of the iconic Le Tour Eiffel. Since both of us have been at the Eiffel top before and the length of the queue for the lift to go up, we decided to continue our journey towards the famous Champs Elysees Avenue. Along the way, we had sumptuous lunch at Lebanese eaterie called 'Noura' and plenty more of photo opportunities. I also managed to swing by a local pharmacie and grabbed myself Avene Thermal Water spray.

It was wet and raining on the morning of our second day but that wasn't so much a problem as we had decided to spend the first half of the day attending the conference and bumped into 3 young Malaysian medical students presenting their scientific posters. It was such a lovely coincidence and it was great to meet other Malaysians in a foreign country. I felt all patriotic all of a sudden! Mr Husband and I went for another quick Paris walkabout, did some shopping for the kids at Disney Store on Champs Elysees and enjoyed our nutella crepes with a cup of hot coffee. Later that night, the conference organizer had already arranged for a private dinner on board of a boat cruising along the River Seine attended by all the Irish delegates, in the backdrop of a sparkling Eiffel tower. It was indeed magical.

During my last 2 trips to Paris, I didn't quite get to enjoy the French artistic scene. Yes, I made it The Louvre during my first visit but all I cared was to take a peek at the infamous and mysterious 'Monalisa' and I must say that it was quite an anti-climax in itself. I have since developed some interest in Impressionistic arts and decided that I must finally make that trip to Musee D'Orsay where gorgeous Monets, Renoirs and Van Gogh's all displayed. Typical of any museums, any type of photography wasn't allowed but I managed to steal a photo of two -- mostly with my meager iPhone -- not without some strict and disapproving look from the curators. I couldn't capture any of the beautiful pastels by Monet but any of you remember this Whistler's Mother painting which had made an appearance in one of the Mr Bean's films over the years?

My idea of a day in Paris was rather simple. As long as it involves a beautiful and cozy French cafe, gorgeous vanilla caramel tea, some sweet and delectable desserts, and of course plenty of people watching -- I am happy. Parisians are so stylish and definitely in a class of their own. I saw an elderly French lady with a gorgeous cape-like coat and a pair of above-the-ankle cullotes, accessorized with a pair over-sized sunnies. I swear, I could just sit anywhere in Paris and people-spotting while sipping away my warm concoction of exotic tea. We had a lovely time at a Laduree cafe on rue Royale. I love the service; the waiter was so accommodating and helpful -- all I needed to do was to describe what kind of tea I would like to have and, Voilà, it's done. We decided to try their chocolate cake which was embellished with tiny speckles of gold leaves but we were lost as to which macarons flavors we should try. In the end, the lovely waiter recommended a coffee, chocolate, cinnamon and berry ones. Sadly, I didn't get the opportunity to sample any of Pierre Herme macarons which are touted as the best French macarons ever.

As a self-confessed shopaholic, I must say that I have indeed surpassed my own existential expectation of myself. I managed to avoid going into Chanel much akin to running away from the plague, even my significant other was curious. He kept pointing at them rampant Chanel boutiques which were literally everywhere. Well, why should I put myself through mental torture knowing fully well that I won't be able to afford any of those gorgeous and supple quilted beauties. However, allow me to enter a caveat here. Avoiding unnecessary drooling over everything Chanel surely doesn't have to mean avoiding window-shopping altogether, right? Except that I didn't manage to only do window. I had to grab a couple of French things or two of which I will tell you about on my next Paris chapter.

All in all, I love being in Paris. I love the language, I love how Parisians are oh-so soft-spoken, polite and cultured, I even love the crowded Metro and especially how efficient the system is. Never mind missing your Metro train, God forbid, there is another one coming in a mere 2 minutes. Yes, the food is probably a tiny bit bland for my typically oriental taste-buds but it is definitely compensated by their soft and fluffy pain au chocolate, my all time favourite. I also love how they have different kind of tea and not just your typical Earl Grey or peppermint. And they even have some romantic names for all them teas such as Thé Mélange Spécial Ladurée blend tea scented with orange, rose, vanilla, cinnamon which I get to sample in the gorgeous Laduree Cafe.

More on my French excursion next. A little sneak peak into the world of Yves St. Laurent (no, no more bags -- just simple accessories) and my current olfactory obsession with Annick Goutal. Until then, I will be dreaming of that stylish city of Paris.

Missing Paris already,

wordless [Wednesday]: Paris, see you next week!

2011-11-23T11:09:00.000Z

Le Tour Eiffel: January 2011

All giddy & excited,

being SMART in the quest for health

2011-11-21T14:29:00.002Z

I used to be quite physically active in my early to mid-twenties -- going on the treadmills, swimming, a game of squash or two, core exercises and doing Tae-Bo religiously -- and of course with the lack of financial means as a student, it wasn't as hard to skimp on food too. I was indeed in my physical best then and haven't been in quite a long time. Bearing two children would have resulted in a slightly different body-shape and composition, so i believe. I have gained and lost the unwanted so-called baby-weight with strict goals but as I get older, it is getting so much harder to remain in shape. I know what worked for me, but it is not always as easy to get to where I want to be. I would blame my 'hectic' work schedule if I could, but I know that would just be a complete lie. The truth is: I am just lazy and amotivated, unlike the person I was 10 years ago.

My list of difficulties are by no means exhaustive. I would blame my age, my slowing down metabolism -- at one point I even queried the normality of my thyroid function. This prompted a much-needed general health overhaul where I got my bloods taken and sent for analysis. I was quite disappointed to discover that my total cholestrol was elevated and although this could well be a familial thing (cardiovascular and metabolic disorders are rampant in both sides of families) I was convinced this must be a result of my usually sedentary lifestyle. What else could I do for a healthier lifestyle, though? I don't smoke, never touched alcohol, averse to caffeine, have cakes and ice-creams only on occasions now. In fact, I have been exercising more regularly since April of this year. I still haven't lost much weight, to my dismay. I decided to look at what I eat and what I put out, to ascertain where the deficits are.

Between April and June, I spent 3 times a week on Power Plate machine doing toning and strength-training exercise as well as twice weekly Zumba which is essentially cardiovascular. During this time, I would have healthy breakfast and lunch but equally hearty dinner, eating whatever my heart desired. I lost quite a bit, but what was more obvious was the change in clothing size. By July I was able to get into my size 8 jeans -- triumph, indeed. But of course then I went home to Malaysia for 3 weeks, ate whatever I wanted, came back to Dublin for Ramadhan, followed by a month of feast during Syawal -- brought me back to square one.

I don't believe in dieting, nor do i believe rigid regime for weight loss. On the flip side, I am too exhausted of feeling bloated, not looking great in clothes, feeling frustrated to discover that I could barely get my legs into my favourite pair of jeans. I need to do something, and I need to be consistent with it. I need to be smart in devising my SMART goals.

S: Specific
M: Measureable
A: Attainable
R: Realistic
T: Time-oriented

I want to specifically be as healthy as I can -- healthy being defined as fit, to be comfortable in my own skin and be able to get back into those jeans I was talking about! I could measure my progress by weekly weighing or alternatively, keeping a close eye on the size of my clothing. My goal(s) should be realistic and attainable -- I shall aim to get back into my size 8 jeans, but I ought to be realistic that I may not acquire my pre-pregnancy body-shape which has changed dramatically since the experience of pregnancies and childbirths. I believe that I could attain my goals of losing what I need to lose over the next 8 weeks (which will bring us nicely to mid-January of next year -- the anniversary of birth) but I need the ability to be consistent and to focus on the tasks.

I love my food and nosh. How on earth would I live without enjoying the food? I would rather exercise than to do diets. I would rather be fat that be starving. Not really, I don't. I love food but I love feeling good about myself too. When half of my wardrobe is no good to me, that's when the wake-up call slaps me in the face. I have been over-indulging myself. It's time to go back to basic and enough with all this unhealthy obsession with food. So, I have re-discovered Ryvita. What it is, is a very boringly tasted biscuit-type cracker. It is so boring that Jacob's cream cracker is 100% more appealing and tasty, believe me. But with low-caloric content and different ways to make it palatable, I have decided to give it a good go. My choice as depicted above is the Ryvita crispbread.

Today, I have decided to have it this way:

Yes, with sambal ikan bilis which is low-fat and laden with protein. I had this for brunch and it is so tasty that I probably will eat this again for lunch and dinner today. Now, now. I haven't forgotten about my goals being SMART. It has to be realistic and attainable. It is not realistic to expect that I would eat just Ryvita for the next 8 weeks, nor it is realistic for me to believe that I could sustain my energy expenditure just on these super-bland crispbreads. Not when I am spending an hour 5 days a week doing Zumba. Or else, I am gonna fall off the wagon in no time. So what do I do? I trawled on the Ryvita website and there are a number of other suggestions such as dipping the bread in a bowl of fresh tomato soup, or eat it with tuna pate. I could have them at work and have normal but healthy dinner when I get home.

Oh, and after much thinking, I finally discovered the lame culprits that prevent any effective weight loss in the last 4 weeks despite vigorous exercise:

late dinner after Zumba
copious amount of sweetened Rose-syrup (exactly like the ones we have during kenduri kahwin)
skipping breakfast and sometimes lunch as well

It is quite thick of me that I keep committing all these cardinal sins of trying to live a healthy living when I know exactly what not to do. I hide behind my exercise routine and use that as a justification to eat and drink anything my heart desires. One cup of sweetened rose syrup apparently equates to 2 slices of bread (gasp!) -- according to my Endocrinologist pal. You should have seen the look of horror on my chubby face. Ah well, it is an ongoing quest. Here we go again!

An authentic Ryvita (and sambal ikan bilis) fan,

feeling organic & [ethically] chic

2011-11-19T01:15:00.000Z

For a person as vain as I am, to say that I am obsessed with wasting my money on skincare products would utterly be an understatement. Back in my college heyday, I was forever testing and changing products, that was until I developed a rather horrible and unexpected skin reaction to Johnson&Johnson pH5.5 products (remember them?) which took my poor youthful skin approximately18 months to return to it's natural state. I then discovered Clinique and was happily contented for a significant while until just after my motherly hormones kicked in when I sadly discovered that my skin needed much more active ingredients for actively working, no-time-for-self mother than Clinique could offer. So I switched to Clarins which has great products on offer, does what it says and more.

But my 3-year itch has returned. I am restless and dying to try some other skincare stuff out there. Apart from Creme de La Mer, obviously -- although money aside I'd love to try the whole range after my pleasant 6-months encounter with it's €170 per jar Eye Concentrate! My skin is ageing and I could feel it. I do have a rather well-behaved type skin: not too dry, not too oily, suffers from not-so-frequent breakouts, and certainly not the too-sensitive type. I was getting oh-so-confused with all the anti-ageing, anti-oxidant, brightening serums and concoctions. I feel like I need to just go back to what's basic:

cleanse
exfoliate
tone
moisturise

I got so caught up with all the technology that my skin is probably suffering from chemical congestion. It may not be such a bad idea to do skin detox -- although it should also mean free from make-up stuffs, I am not ready to go out bare-face *hehehe* not just yet -- so I decided to trawl through some of my go-to beauty blogs and searched for any honest-to-goodness skincare products. A few of my favourite hardcore beauty bloggers wrote good reviews on Trilogy products and I feel uber-compelled to check them out. I must say that it proved quite a feat to track down Trilogy in Dublin. The Health Store was where I destined to be.

A brief introduction on Trilogy's beautiful story and philosophy can be found here and although they are originally from the lovely and lush land of New Zealand, you dont have to fly all the way to NZ, instead try to get your hands on these organic products from here. I got mine from my local health shop where health-conscious people often flock together to find the latest Acai berry-containing products or the most effective herbal weight-loss supplement. The sales assistant was a friendly lass who told me that Trilogy is one of their most popular organic skincare products. Was I sold? Go figure.

After 2 visits to the store and spending definitely more than just 20 minutes deciding what I would bring home, I finally decided to pay for the following:

Trilogy Cream Cleanser (Face Care range)
Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner (Face Care range)
Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

Trilogy Energising Face Lotion (Face Care range)

First of all, I must confess that I never was am avid fan of cream cleansers. And believe me, I have tried quite a few. I am more of a foam or gel-type cleanser kinda girl. I prefer my skin to be squeaky clean. yes, squeaky would be key. So one might ask, why then did i proceed to purchase yet another cream cleanser? Well, I did some much-needed research and this particular one received rave reviews. I really took my time to decide and eventually went home with it. I must say that I am very happy with the product: so soft and gentle on my ageing skin, yet powerful enough to remove all the gory stuff I put on my face every morning. I love the clean, fresh smell and my skin felt pampered and nourished during and after using it. This particular cleanser is not simply creamy, it is also oily albeit in a good way.

The next step is, of course, toning. I haven't been using any toning lotion in a good while, since i finished the very last drop of my go-to Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile a few months ago. I was looking forward to get a new toner and how exciting was it for me to learn that for any 2 purchases of Trilogy products, I get this full-size product for free? It smells rosy and lovely, gives my skin a cooling effect and can be used so many time during the day, under as well as over make-up for a dewy look. I love it so much that I bought 4 Trilogy products in total to get 2 free full-size bottles!

The Rosehip oil was THE reason why I wanted to try Trilogy. I have come across glowing reviews from beauty bloggers on this apparently brilliant product and my curious mind wonders if it is really any good, or is it just another one of of those cosmetics hyperbole. This oil is supposed to be great for reducing redness, improves the appearance of scars and is packed with anti-oxidant with anti-ageing properties. I have always loved face oil. I used at least a couple bottles of Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil as part of my before-bed routine but decided to switch to Clarins Multi-Active Night Youth Recovery cream instead. I love the tinted apothecary bottle The Rosehip Oil came in (which is supposed to protect the content from reacting with sunlight -- not that I would deliberately leave them out in the sun or anything) and the pipette-drop is handy and practical. The rosy smell is not overwhelmingly fresh, 2-3 drops with a nice oily consistency really are more than enough for the whole face and neck. I have used this after my favourite Hydrating toning mist both in the morning just before my face lotion, at at night as my night moisturiser. I am very happy with the experience so far and my skin feel fresh and dewy in the morning without feeling in any way too oily.

My initial plan was to get the Vital Moisturising Cream which comes in a jar or my personal preference -- the much more hygienic pump dispenser -- but it was not available. I deliberated and finally went with The Energising Face Lotion which is much more light in consistency. My skin tends to be more on the dry side especially coming to winter time, and so I was worried if this lotion was gonna be moisturising enough. In fact, it is and in the harsh winter weather I will combine this with The Rosehip Oil for better moisturising effect. So far, so good!

I have only been using these 4 products in less than a week and although it still too premature to say if it will definitely do what it says on the individual bottles, I do have great feelings about them. The products appear to suit me well, very gentle and soothing with a certain nourishing feel about it. The fact that they use natural and organic ingredients, as well having them tested on human volunteers instead of animals gives me great confidence in my decision to switch from my go-to Clarins and go all organic for my basic skincare regime. So, here's to going organic, ethical and gorgeous!

Feeling super-chic & gorgeous already,

Word for today: Bibliophage

2011-11-18T09:47:00.002Z

As a rather insolent child, I was actually one of those bookworms who just couldn't stop reading anything and everything. My high optical prescription was forever blamed on my being rather bookish and my awful propensity at reading under low-light condition. But the truth is it was in my great genes *thanks Mom -- hehehe!* and 3 out of my 5 siblings all require some extra much-needed assistance in achieving their 20/20 vision. Due to time contraint, I have fallen out of favour with those thick books and to fulfill my affinity for words, I have recently installed an iPhone app called Free Dictionary. Everyday some weird and wonderful new word will just pop up. I do try to incorporate most of the new words into my daily spoken language but mind you, some are just too sophisticated (ridiculous even) for your regular and oh-so-normal market-place conversation. But today's word is easy to use, in fact it kinda describes who I was and probably still am. A book-worm.

bibliophage.
[bib-lee-uh-feyj]
- noun

1. an ardent reader; a bookworm.

I suppose the bibliophage in me played the imperative role in seeing yours truly walking through my Alma Mater yesterday where I received my MSc parchment, witnessed by my 3 significant others. It was nostalgic, brought me back to 8 years earlier where I had spent 6 years of my life slaving away (yeah, right!) for my medical degree. Unfortunately my dear parents were unable to attend as they need to attend my youngest and dearest brother who is currently sitting for his obligatory and hopefully life-changing SPM papers. It was indeed a double celebration for me as I had to miss my MRCPsych conferring ceremony in London last year due to unforeseen circumstances. It is quite funny how nerve-wrecking graduation ceremony can be -- I was praying to God: please don't let me trip -- the whole time!

For somebody like me who really is just an academic fraud, it is very humbling to see young high achievers such my dear friend, the go-getter, super-organised and super-reliable Yummy Mummy who was recently promoted to Associate Professorship in Chemical Engineering at the age of (only) 33 goes about her fabulous daily routine in such a breeze. Prof Madya Dr Suraya Rashid was top 5 during her undergraduate days and obtained her PhD at a mere age of 26. My super-capable sister, Dr Nadeeya, who is half-way through her PhD in Public Health just proves me that mothers too can juggle academia and climbing up the career ladder. So, to gloat on my so-called achievement yesterday was a bit embarrassing, to say the least. But as my darling Abah always says: Count our blessing, dear. Bersyukur dengan apa yang kita ada. And for that, I am grateful to Allah for granting me physical and mental health, and to continue working in the area that I truly love.

My next move? perhaps trying my hands in doing a research degree obtaining either an MPhil or an MD -- or if ada rezeki, panjang umur and ongoing support from my significant others who knows, a PhD maybe. The world is for us all to explore. To my fellow bibliophages who are struggling hard for a chance of a black mortar board and that must-have parchments: you can and will do it. Selamat Maju Jaya!

Ever grateful,

London calling: A series of [un]fortunate events

2011-11-09T23:50:00.001Z

It all kinda started approximately 4 weeks ago. My lovely SIL texted me asking if we would join them for a short break in Cotswold. Strangely, I had heard nothing about it until then so off I went to Mr Hubby looking for a favourable answer. I was indeed itching to get away even for mere 24 hours. He said 'no, tickets mahal lah -- we are not going'. So that was that and I left the matter as it was. About a week later, Mr Hubby casually mentioned that our niece had bought her flight ticket to East Midlands to meet up with her maternal cousin in Leicester, with whom she will be travelling to Cotswold during the said weekend. Despite the prospective great fun time with his side of the family, he remained well affirmed and said 'no -- we are not going'. I suppose we are all in some ways feeling the pinch in the time of recession, so I was completely in agreement with him hence didn't push the subject any further despite his obvious longing to see his beloved brother.

Come 2 weeks later, he predictably came up to me with a long face saying 'I really wanna go. I really do. I want to see my brother.' And I was like: okay, sure -- let's take a look at the tickets. Of course it was already super expensive. Driving our car and travelling by the ferry was not really an option as it was as dear plus extra time needed for travelling plus petrol etc. So looking at the flight tickets, we both agreed that it wasn't wise to spend €700+ for the 4 of us for a 48 hours excursion albeit how much we wanted to be with our loved ones. Of course then, I received a text from my SIL 2 days before the supposed weekend asking me if we were really not coming. They were obviously hoping that we were only kidding. I decidedly searched for tickets and found a price that I like (after making our travel dates flexible) and rang Mr Hubby to convince him that we should go. And so he agreed. We decided to keep this to ourselves and deviously planned to just turn up in Cotswold on Saturday morning as a surprise. All was well until the wee hours of that unforgettable Saturday morning.

Now, super-long story cut short -- here are my series of (un)fortunate events:

Tickets were quoted online as €576 but of course not without hidden charges. We ended up paying €700+ for them after all this-and-that fees that came with it.
We needed to check in online 4 hours before departure, but I didn't realise this was compulsory and we ended up paying €40 per person for checking in at the airport.
I lead us to the wrong path, we ended up in the one-way-no-turning-back immigration section for arrivals and had to go all the way from the beginning through the security checks etc again. Our supposed flight was boarding practically 50 metres from where I had led us astray.
While running to catch our flight, I managed to twist my already sore and weak right ankle.
Running through the pain, the lady at security check couldn't scan our boarding pass correctly and we wasted about 5 minutes there.
And of course, we missed our flight. Yes, the one that we paid almost €1000 for.
Thinking positively, I checked for the next flight which was in 4 hours. We rushed through immigration again and was told that we had to pay €110 per person to get on the next flight. We decided to go for it. Now, that should be the end of the unfortunate events right? Wrong.
After waiting for about 3 1/2 hours, we were finally boarding. And then I realised that my hand luggage (that contained my laptop and some souvenirs) was gone. I had accidentally left it at Eason, which was about 20 metres away from where we had parked ourselves, When I went back to them, the bag had already been taken away by the Airport Police and I would have to get the bag myself: go through immigration, arrival hall, Airport Police Station is completely outside the building, sign some papers, get back upstairs to departure, get through security again and run for my life towards the plane (which by the way is already boarding) with a very sore and swollen right ankle. I didn't do it. We left the bag where it was.

Yes. It started out as a truly unfortunate day for me (and Mr Hubby & the kids). And it was all my fault. No doubt about that. Why did it happen the way it did, I did wonder. And through reflection, I decided that there were absolute lessons ought to be learned:

After finding out that Mr Hubby actually did want to go after all (I knew all along that he was going to change his mind at the very last minute), I was constantly annoyed at his 'lack of decision-making capacity' and blatantly blamed him for the super-expensive tickets. This was indeed his only fault and how pale and trivial this was by comparison to all my blunders all committed within 8 hours. I should have just let it go, nobody is perfect. In actual fact, he made the right move by weighing his decision to spend any money in time like this (regardless of the fact we ended up paying more in the end).
I was even more livid after failing to check in online and having to fork out an extra €160 just for checking in -- absurd still -- but I should have just be zen about it. It was my fault for not making myself aware of the tickets condition after all.
At the airport, all the way from security to boarding gate, I kept going on and on about how annoyed I was and certainly looking for any faults at all in everything and everybody but myself. I didn't even flinch to double-check where I was going and I refused to listen to Mr Hubby when he questioned my sense of direction. I simply ignored him. I blamed the airport for putting up 'confusing and completely false' signage (some truth in it *hehehe*) and I even bitched about the seemingly rude immigration officer, calling her a narcissistic bitch behind her back (of course!).

The fact is: I should have stopped ranting and complaining right from 4 weeks before that fateful morning. I made such a big deal about everything that it was impossible to just simply step back and assess the bigger picture. I was rigid and resentful, I wasn't able to stop for a minute to look at myself and sort myself out. This had to happen for me to stop and think: Why did it happen? Why did it happen to me? Well, all lessons learned *smile* I am much more zen today by comparison to 5 days ago.

Anyways, I have decided to post some photos we took during our memorable travels with our loved ones. It was worth it -- the money, the hassle, even the sprained ankle. We had the best of times with my in-laws and to see the mega-watt smiles on Mr Hubby and his older brother's faces were simply priceless. I'd do it again tomorrow!

Yes, that's me with my literally poor Mr Hubby.

All smile and cheeky before realising that I was after leaving my hand-luggage unattended *sigh*

I had wasted some precious time at the Bobbi Brown duty free counter and decided to slap on their gorgeous Burnt Red lippy for a change. I looked somewhat peeved because Mr Hubby was after telling me off: stop whining. I was wearing a beautiful Aztec-inspired waterfall cardigan from New Look.

I love freebies. This gorgeous Cowshed moisturising lotion came gratis with this month In Style. If only I didn't stop at Eason *hehehe*

That's Mr Hubby's hardworking hands trying out the free lotion. He loved it. But I accidentally left it at Bristol Airport before boarding our flight back to Dublin. I seriously need to slap myself.

And this lovely lady from Hertz, she truly made our day. She was warm, nice and lovely. She had managed to re-instill my faith in humankind. A smile really does make anybody's day.

Due to my very bad sense of direction, Mr Hubby (God bless him) tried to educate me as much as he could by making me spot Bristol and Bicester.

We even made it to Stonehenge albeit a wee bit late for the tour. I was happy to finally see one of the 7 wonders of the world. Simply intriguingly amazing.

Some smiling faces after a truly long and trying day.

The backyard of 'The Crook' where we stayed for the weekend in the beautiful Cotswold. It was far too cold for a BBQ but it was still nice to dream about it.

My halal English breakfast at Bagel Bite.
Sinfully yummy.

A London cab driving through sending the autumn leaves flying by beautifully.

A wild-yet-friendly squirrel probably looking for some food.

Some random London road near Buckingham Palace.

Heidi Emilya: the apple of my eye.

I told Mr Hubby that Coco Chanel must have been one of the most-celebrated sponsors of London infrastructures.

Harris Emir: the love of my life.

My niece, Aisyah, walking alongside some construction work in the Parlimentary Estate.

Your typical British telephone boxes. I just love them.

Despite all the apparently challenges, I am ever so glad that we decided to grab the opportunity to be quasi-spontaneous and spend some precious time with our loved ones. Life is indeed too short to dwell on negative and trivial daily things. Yes, money is a funny one -- we can't live without it and we can never have enough of it -- but no matter how much you have or spend, it sure can't substitute for true love and absolute happiness. The numerical cost of meeting your family members will never meet the spiritual and emotional return you acquire from a warm hug, a sincere look of shock and happiness in their eyes when they realised it was really you who stood in front them. For my family, I'd drive across continents, I'd travel twice around the world and I'd certainly fly from the moon and back. I definitely learned something important about myself through it all and for that I really am grateful.

As ironic as it is, it was indeed a series of fortunate events.

The more zen me,

Heidi & Tallulah

2011-10-09T19:48:00.001+01:00

All I seem to be doing these days is capturing Heidi and her feline sister, Lola with my camera. Why Heidi, not Harris, you might ask -- Harris is still adapting to Lola's present. He loves Lola too but is not yet able to sum up the courage to be any closer to stroking her forehead without causing each other to jump with nervousness. Tallulah or Lola, for short, is one adorable pet. One wide-eyed look at you and your heart will melt.

Love her big eyes and that cute pink nose Xxx

We love you, Lola!

Afternoon Tea by the Sea

2011-09-28T12:12:00.001+01:00

We attended a lovely birthday party recently and afterwards we decided to spend an hour or two at the nearby hotel for an afternoon tea. It was meant to be a light late afternoon snack with sandwiches, scones and pastries. The last time I was here, I was too early for the 'Afternoon Tea by the Sea' so I took it to my full advantage on this occasion.

Mangopassionfruit and Rhubarb Cheesecakes

Officially the BEST scones I have ever tasted

An assortment of pastries: Pain au Chocolate, Raisin Danish, Chocolate and Custard pies

How do I survive without a bowl of shoestring fries?

Really lovely soda bread with butter

Toasted Tuna sandwiches (and Mrs W enjoying her Seafood Chowder in the background)

Freshly squeezed OJ to quench my thirst

and not to forget my staple drink with a slice of fresh lemon

But the best of all cakes (bar my all-time favourite Red Velvet) is Mummy Nana's Rainbow cake which was so moist and so sinful!

Never mind the over-exposed ladies in black but hail the lady in blue, Mrs J, who was the much-commended hostess who successfully executed her eldest's 5th birthday party without her dear husband around. well done, you!

gushing over Lola

2011-09-26T22:06:00.000+01:00

I never really had a cat. When we were young, my Abah used to feed them stray cats and one of those was an adorably cute white one with a distinct black circular spot on his back. He was quite manja and always trying to get some affection by rubbing his body against you feet. I was awfully ticklish and truth was that I was petrified that if I had let him do what he wanted, I might end up scratched or worse, bitten. I avoided him like a plague. It wasn't until his death that I knew how I loved him. But it was too late. It hit me hard, nobody knew this but I cried alone for days -- feeling of horrendous guilt for not letting him show his affection towards me. It was completely alien to me that I was grieving for his loss.

That was probably more than 20 years ago. I have made a decision a long time ago to not be too attached to any animals for I know myself really well -- I'd be devastated to have to endure the loss again. The fact that I am petrified of being scratched and bitten just made is ultra easy for me to avoid them. I just never considered having a pet after all these years. But I was persuaded by my other half. The animal lover in him managed to sway me into saying 'yes'. So we picked one fine day and made our way to our local animal shelter. It took us 3 trips before we identified the one we like.

Welcome home, Lola

I knew I had to be the one to pick the cat. We wanted a kitten so the kids could bond right from the very beginning but there wasn't much choice for us. I kept looking at the more grown up ones and thought it would probably be best to adopt the older ones instead. And that was when I saw her. She was sitting comfortably in her pod with her big eyes. There was something about her. She looked so ordinary and yet so special. The caretaker let us played with her for a few minutes and I immediately fell in love with her personality.

It has been 3 days since we brought Lola home. She is settling in just fine. Last night she joined us on the couch watching 'Bridesmaids' and today she stretched herself beside me while I lie down for a good rest. She has proven herself a wonderful companion in such short space of time. We love you so much already, Lola.

A mommy of 3,

technology blew me away

2011-09-23T15:43:00.000+01:00

I did some much-needed furniture-shifting in the living room this morning. I probably should have done some more elsewhere but I couldn't resist parking myself on my newly found lazy spot: in the corner, on my Eames, netbooking. Fridays are my research days which I intend on spending reading and researching. Now, did i?

Yes, I did. I read Marie Claire Oct 2011 edition and I researched on a number of beauty stuff and of course took some snapshots of interesting issues. Here I am completely chilled out accompanied by my cute iPhone and my 3 year-old netbook, also staring at the view of back garden *what view??*

A gratis L'Occitane hand cream is a good enough reason for me to part with my hard-earned money next month. I don't buy fashion magazines that often anymore, only if they have really nice free stuff with it or on this particular occassion: Keira Knightly was on the front cover and it was quite a jumbo issue, stuffed with great insight into the world of women and fashion. Plus, I am suffering from a lot of guilt for reading non-academic materials these days. I have stacks of BJP unopened and unread still. And I wonder why did I stutter when my boss asked me about the treatment of Catatonia. Shame.

Anyways, Marie Claire is getting to the top of my magazine list. I don't buy much of Vogue or Elle anymore. I am always looking for fashion magazines with some substance and In Style used to be one of those, only that for some reason I feel that In Style is getting really thin and I fear that it's not worth my money. Like I said, I bought the October edition because it looked thick and because of that pretty girl called Keira. I figured, this better be a good read. I wasn't disappointed. I was also pleasantly impressed by Marie Claire's attempt to assimilate technology into beauty and fashion. Have you ever heard of QR reader? Well, this was my first.

With the QR reader, you will be able to read the code that will direct you to a webpage, instead of typing the corresponding http://whatever. I have come across barcode reader for iPhone before where you could obtain the price of the items scanned on a number of website like amazon etc. It is pretty clever and innovative. Just like the barcode scanner, QR reader app can be downloaded from your iPhone apps store FOC and you can start scanning. In the current Marie Claire edition, a number of featured articles were accompanied by some backstage videos. By scanning the QR code, you will be directed to the video without further ado.

If you haven't tried this out, please do. I am thoroughly impressed. The videos are also of high quality in high definition and it will not disappoint. Thank you, Steve Jobs. I mean, what do I do without an iPhone should it extinct?

A Marie Claire fan now,

until we meet again

2011-09-21T00:18:00.001+01:00

In less than a fortnight, one of our dearest friends will be leaving the soil of the Emerald Isle heading to brighter, summery pasture -- Malaysia, that is. As a last minute dash, a couple of friends and I took the opportunity to spend a few relaxing hours with lovely Sue and her darling Danish by having brunch by the beach of Portmarnock. The scones are the best according to one of the girls but I was dying for a chocolatey kind, only to be satisfied by an array of yummy pastries. Oh, and no dessert is complete without a dollop of fresh cream, with some kind of berry on top.

them fattening pastries are nothing without a dollop of fresh cream!

the best freshly-made scone in North Dublin, so I was told!

my lunch for the day: spinach ravioli in ricotta cheese sauce

and who doesn't love Diet Coke?

Grilled salmon on a bed of stir-fried noodles

The ones who will be leaving soon: Sue & Danish

We had a splendid time, just sitting and talking, enjoying the green view by the beach. It was a rather stormy morning but the weather settled just as we pulled into the lovely hotel. It was raining but the coast was clear and the sky was blue. A lovely morning indeed to enjoy the company of lovely people.

To Sue & Danish: we shall meet again, dear. This is not goodbye.

with lots of love,

what's her name?

2011-09-20T12:12:00.000+01:00

I am no cat-lady.
In fact, I am not an animal person as such.
I was 'cajoled' by Mr Hubby repetitive pleading.
But upon seeing her stretching her paws, I fell in love.
Her big eyes and that feisty stare.
Her given name is Lucky.
But I am thinking of Lola.
Lucky Lola.

still waiting for DSPCA to call me back,

the burst of colours

2011-09-19T08:47:00.002+01:00

Although black is super easy, I really do love colours. The truth is, I have tops in so many colours that I could nearly have coloured sections in my wardrobe if I am organised enough. But I am not. I am messy and to have an organised, colour-coded fashion section wouldn't really be me. The only thing that is remotely close to it would be my hijabs or scarves drawer. It just can't be messy for I may never find the matching hijab that I want at any particular time. My love for colours do extend to my love for colourful accessories.

rainbow scarf | Jalan TAR

floral iPhone 4 cover | Cath Kidston

green chunky ring | Aldo

red watch | my husband's

I have been meaning to wear this rainbow, tie-dyed oblong scarf which I purchased from the infamous Jalan TAR recently. The colours are so rich and vibrant I just had to have it. I thought having a few different colours meant that I won't be having any 'matching top' dilemma. Boy, was I wrong. I couldn't decide which colour top I should wear. In the end I opted for a plain yellow Polo RL t-shirt and a black knit cardigan with a pair of dark-wash jeggings. Pretty safe choices although I did feel like a walking rainbow or worse, a set of traffic light. The matchy-freak in me protested but we both survived the colour-burst.

feeling colourful inside,

I love [dusty] pink

2011-09-16T22:15:00.003+01:00

pink tulips

pretty lady in pink outfits

pink mineral blush

white polka-dots on pink background

pink wool yarn

gorgeous pink curtain with matching upholstery

smart and casual pink blazer

mini polka-dots

pink lips

beautiful pink plain pashmina hijab

stylish MK in pink boyfie blazer

frilly and flowy pink skirt

pink heart

lacy top and satin skirt

all [but one] photos are googled;
{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

out with the old

2011-09-16T09:40:00.001+01:00

Have any of your ever want something that similar but somewhat different than what you already have? But don't really want to spend much (or any) money for it? Well, I have. I have been dying to get a super-size wristwatch for a good while now. At least since I wore my youngest sister's big-faced, red-leather strapped TH watch when I was home recently. But I am trying so hard to be good with money and refrain myself fromspending unnecessarily and so I have curtailed myself somewhat fruitfully. I know in my head how insensible it is to get a new watch just beause I want a different-looking one. After all, I already have a bunch of them that I rarely use and I am not even that good with time-keeping despite my affinity for time works. I just find it is so difficult to not go for what I want versus what I need. Once I get the idea into my head, it's like worms spawning. I seem hopeless, it's like there is no way out of this addiction for pretty but unnecessary little things.

And then I remembered it. An old big-faced, gentleman wristwatch my husband used to wear before he purchased his current one. The battery was long gone. The old, dirty brown leather strap looked desperate. It didn't fit me, the strap, I mean -- but the watch itself was perfect. So I took it over to our local jeweller and had the battery changed, and the much needed new strap. There were a few to choose from: typical black or brown ones, dark green and dark blue. But my eyes where drawn to a beautiful shade of mauve pink and a bright red one.

Red is feisty and it reminds me of my sister's watch that I love so much. Plus, Mr Hubby was really hesitant when I proposed that I should make it a very girlie watch and have a pink leather strap instead. Red seems to be the better compromise for both of us. Although I am pretty sure he won't be seen roaming around town with a red-strapped wristwatch anytime soon. I think I have successfully hijacked his old watch and make it new for me. I let him keep the old battered brown strap, in case he wants to take it over in the future. This isin fact a very special watch for both of us. It is more than 8 years old. It was one of the gifts for him on our wedding day.

I am so happy now and can finally let go of my stupid obsession with yet another watch. Not only I have managed to secure a new watch for myself without succumbing to shopping and spending more money unnecessarily, but more importantly it will be a constant reminder of our bond and love for each other. Red like a bleeding, beating heart. So, friends, if you have an old watch -- change the strap, put new life to it and donate it if you don't like it, or hand it down to your kids. Somebody, somewhere will love it. I promise.

In with the new,

Speechless Sunday: Bobbi Brown's own BB [cream]

2011-09-11T21:26:00.000+01:00

P.S. a million thanks to Kak Emma & Nadia

Bobbi Brown fan[atic],

The vanity hype: BB cream

2011-09-09T10:19:00.000+01:00

Now -- first and foremost -- before we even go any further, let me include that my iPhone dictionary have seven somewhat similar definitions of hype:

to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually fol. by up): She was hyped up at the thought of owning her own car.
to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize showily: a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.
to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or questionable claims, methods, etc (usually fol. by up).
to trick; gull.
exaggerated publicity; hoopla
an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the ffect.
a swindle, deception, or trick.

The word hype originated from an American word 'hyperbole [hahy-pur-buh-lee]' which simply means obvious and intentional exaggeration or an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally as "to wait an eternity".

Ok, so let's get back to my original point of discussion and subject matter: BB cream. Blemish Balm cream. Beauty Balm cream. Have you heard of it? Are you familiar with it? Have you tried it? Do you like it? Well, I certainly have heard of it. In fact, I am familiarising myself with it. Yes, I have tried it. And, yes, I do like it! In fact, I LOVE BB cream. How so? Well, here goes.

As some of you might know, I was back home in Malaysia in July for a really short 3-weeks holidays. In between of incessant KL-PD-KL-PD driving, visiting beloved close relatives and plenty of unnecessary visits to mamak-places, I somehow failed to latch onto the BB cream hype. It wasn't until I came back that I realised those 3 short days in Tioman Island had darkened my skin by a shade or two, prompting me to frantically look for some miraculous brightening products. but it's Dublin, Ireland -- where ladies and gents alike are naturally pale -- brightening products are almost a sin. My search was futile and to soothe my aching heart, I flipped through my Eh! Malaysian magazine i picked up from KLIA -- lo and behold, i saw an ad for a BB cream which claimed to do the following:

kuasa pembetulan untuk ton dan tekstur kulit yang sempurna
kuasa penghidratan dari dalam
kuasa pengenyalan untuk kulit muda berseri

Now, knowing fully well that BB cream may not be available locally to me, I set myself out for frustration by going on the web and start googling to see what's available out there. To my pleasant surprise: the Garnier BB cream was just launched in the Irish market literally the week prior! I was super-excited to get my hands on any BB cream, it didn't matter to me that I was not that familiar with Garnier (despite using Garnier eye roll-on in the recent past). I was completely bought by the BB cream hype. I discovered that Garnier BB cream was made available at Boots pharmacy and within 24 hours i got my hands on that much sought after tube.

pic credit: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector

Now, the packaging would claim so many good things that people should think all these BB cream business is such a hype. I mean, of course it is. How can a simple, tinted cream be everything from anti-wrinkle, sun protecting cream, moisturiser, providing radiance and also a brightening compound all at once? it is too good to be true. but I was sold from the get go. Let's take a look at my personal experience.

The before picture

this is my bare face after facial cleansing, toner, moisturiser, hydrating eye cream and SPF lotion application. please take a note of my freckled skin, redness around my nose and darkness under my eyes as well as on both sides of my nasal bridge and 2 newly developed pimples *oh no!*

The after picture

I had Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB cream in light shade on and nothing else. i think all the noted imperfections in the previous photo are now effectively 'blurred'. you can still see it, but it's ignorable hence giving me the natural but improved look. that huge pimple on my chin really spoils my review lah hahaha. i didn't use any under eye concealer in this picture.

the look is less dewy and more on the matte side here as i used some loose powder to reduce the shine. you do have the option to leave the BB cream on as it is. it is based on your own preference. it can be a bit too shiny for some people with oily skin but should not be such a big issue if you have normal to dry skin. i also have some blusher on and lipgloss on.

and that's me all ready to go.

So, what do i really think about the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB cream? oh and by the by, I do not have any affilitiations whatsoever with Garnier nor do i receive any free goods for my opinion. I am just doing a voluntary public service *hehehe*

it is reasonably priced at €13.49 for a 50ml of hygienic, practical squeeze-out tube
it is easy to get from the local drug stores and stock should not be an issue
Garnier will need to develop more shades -- 2 shades of light and medium are not sufficient
it suits normal to dry skin more so than oily or combination -- probably increase the risk of breaking out
it is so easy to apply, so moisturising it makes me feel like I am putting something nourishing on my skin, i don't know if it will improve my skin in the long run -- i sure hope so!
i love it that it provides some sun protection but SPF15 is not quite high enough for me
it can be quite greasy on application but it is less sticky after 10 minutes or so
i love the dewy finish which can be toned down by loose powder if needs be
i do think that it brightens my skin as well as emanating radiance by comparison to my before photo
it definitely blurs out my skin imperfection and some blurred imperfection is actually more realistic than 110% flawless skin up close & personal
it lasts longer if you use loose powder to set it, staying power is not that great otherwise
it washes off easily, no real need for make up remover as such
some complained about the strong fruity scent, but it really doesn't bother me at all

All in all, i love this cream and taking into consideration that this is my first encounter with a so-called BB cream I am convinced there are better ones out there. in fact, I am eagerly waiting for my Bobbi Brown SPF35 BB cream to arrive soon. cant wait *hehehe* if you have had any positive or negative experience with any BB creams, please do leave a comment -- i'd love to hear it! So, what do we think: is BB cream the real deal or just a hyped-up hyperbole?

the self-confessed beauty junkie,

what i did with my most recent paycheck

2011-09-08T01:02:00.000+01:00

it is proven so difficult to save up money for anything. my Macbook Pro piggy bank is virtually penniless what's with all these yummy-looking pieces i found in Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Zara. Thankfully, my student card hasn't expired just yet and 10% discount is way better than nothing.

my Topshop paperbag and an old-ish Fendi hobo -- i am 'fasting' from bags. i am saving up for my Macbook Pro. any philantropists out there interested in funding my Apple quest?

a pale pink frilly sleeveless top by Miss Selfridge -- it was on sale and I managed to get a further 10% on it. a pair of pale pink ballerina from Zara.

a lovely pale pink 80's style boyish blazer with turned up sleeves from Topshop. pretty dear, this one -- but my student card was thankfully at play. I truly love this.

These should just do it for a while. I was supposed to refrain from unnecessary purchases which these were. I was supposed to save up for my Mac which these managed to sabotage. I was supposed to do a whole lot of other things but these prevailed. I have gotta toughen up. No more shopping.

Really?

The struggling shopaholic,

of Eid Mubarak di perantauan

2011-09-07T12:23:00.003+01:00

So, I am barely out of my homesick-rut and back to work -- full swing style. Except that I have a bunch of Hari Raya pictures that I'd like to share, to, sort of, mark the occassion. If you have been reading my random musings, you'd know that I love posting up pictures of my loved ones but not so much of me. i have decided to post a few that feature yours truly as well on this occassion -- just to show off my Hari Raya outfits *hehehe* please! As it happened, I had to be at work on the first Raya day itself but managed to get all things done to leave early for our 1st Syawal celebration. Mr Significant Other managed to twist his colleague's arms and got the whole day off *grrr*!

our humble abode -- the venue for our Syawal this year. notice that I was watching 'Nacho Libre' *hehehe* Love Jack Black - how irrelevant!

I was indeed uber-knackered on the eve of 1st Syawal, only started cooking after I came home from work on the Raya day itself. what is Hari Raya without nasi himpit, rendang and kuah kacang -- right? The pulut kuning and sambal ikan bilis were Mr Deris's hardwork. well done, you!

Permata hati: Heidi Emilya & Harris Emir -- wearing matching baju kurung pesak and baju melayu teluk belanga bought from a boutique in Semua House during our recent Malaysian Trip. Looking pretty cozy there, kids.

The essential loves of my life looking absolutely dapper in grey shades. And it must be mentioned that both songkoks were borrowed!

Harris showing off his brand-new sets of teeth. His Daddy has already prescribed him braces. I say we should have pulled the milk teeth when they already began to wobble *sigh*

I love Heidi's simple baju kurung with the embroidery details.

Yup, that's me and my beloved kids. I wasn't fully ready here, and had my tortoise-shell glasses on. i looked somewhat unkempt *hehehe*

Yours truly with Mummy Nana and my dearest girlfriend Mama Jay -- as the kids would fondly call her. This was taken on the 5th day of Syawal, the only day that we could all meet up and spend our Syawal together. I wore a turquoise chiffon kaftan dress bought from some random shop in Carrefour, matched with a soft grey long dress jersey inner and head cap from Hajaba, and a turquoise pashmina shawl from our infamous Jalan TAR.

Our very close friends: Jazreen and Wizana.

And last but not least: a must-have Raya portrait with my significant other. We are indeed terrible at wearing matching outfits. He refused to wear his turquoise baju melayu because it is too loose and sadly i don't have anything in olive green. we are mismatched but we are made for each other *nausea-inducingly cheesy, guilty*

We listened to Maher Zain and some random YouTube Raya Takbir video. It was bitter sweet in so many different ways. This was our first raya in Dublin after 3 years hence the bitter sweet sentiment to it. I must say that I am already setting aside some piggy bank renamed from 'Macbook Pro' to 'Raya 2012 going away fund'. Lagi tua, lagi homesick -- oh well. Selamat berpuasa ganti, my readers!

Homesick no more (yeah right),

what do you do when you are still homesick

2011-08-28T15:10:00.000+01:00

frankly speaking, all the talk about driving home 'balik kampung', doing last minute shopping at Jalan TAR and all raya-related activities really are driving me down my melancholic way. but, hold on, do i stop reading about it, or better yet, have i stopped talking about raya myself? sadly, no. couldn't really help myself from browsing fashionvalet.net for the latest radzuan radziwill's kaftan dress or if Pu3's bubble baju kurung is restocked. yes, ironic that the very thing that saddened me is my antidote to my homesickness. thank God for technology, i enjoyed having witty exchanges with my beloved parents and let them see eventhough i am sad, i am still one to flash my smile. i still wish i am home, though.

well, what do you do when you are still homesick and can't do nothing about it?

i did my much-needed raya spring-cleaning. although we didn't change anything about the house -- no new curtains or cushions, the carpet is still the same ol' stripey one and no furnitures have been consequently moved -- there is a certain fresh feeling about it. i decided that out with the old and in with the new. raided the fridge and threw out anything and everything that's inedible; took a good look in all the cabinets and discarded anything that i couldn't remember purchasing; and sat myself down in front of my collection of kuih raya for 2011. so this was what i did.

i susun kuih raya! trust me, it was so therapeutic. like i said earlier, it is ironic that the very thing that reminded me of home ended up being the thing that helped me through. mujur i managed to bring home a few jenis of kuih and on top of that, i bought a few jenis from my friend as well. perhaps i should have baked a few kuih myself but i was feeling a wee bit too down to be baking. well, a couple more days to go, who knows i might just.

so, to all of you readers who are so blessed and ever-so-lucky to be spending your Eid-ul-Fitr with your loved and dearest ones: Eid mubarak and may Allah grant you his blessing. I will look forward to next Syawal and who knows, i will be right there celebrating it with my dearest too.

selamat hari raya,

demam rindu

2011-08-27T16:57:00.000+01:00

it has been 25 trying days since we arrived back from our Cuti2 Malaysia. i have been back at work and the kids have been asking 'when are we gonna go to Malaysia again, Mommy?' *sigh* being away from home has obviously taken its toll on the kids. and worse, their mommy. i guess the title itself is quite telling, I am homesick.

every thing reminds me of home.
every where i go, makes me wanna be home.
every body i meet, i tell them i wanna go home.

my Mom and Dad told me not to be so sad. after all, its my 14th year being abroad. 5 more years, i'd have spent the same length of time in Malaysia growing up, and in Ireland growing old. if you had asked me many years ago, would i be such a cry baby, crying 'i'm homesick' to random people -- i would certainly answer 'no. not a chance. i am a tough cookie'. indeed i am. tough on the outside, cookie crumble on the inside.my sisters vowed to sooth my laughable suffering by showing off their baju raya on skype. thank God i only have an iPhone -- it would surely be double painful to have to skype with them on an iPad.

anyways, it did cross my mind to abandon this virtual asylum which i kept barely alive. but where would i profess my undying love for my loved ones and put up pics that nobody really cares about, bar myself? i'll probably keep this blog alive for a little while. after all, it's not like i have other more imprtant things to do than to wallow in self-pity *not!*

saya yang melankolik,

Wordless [wednesday]: Walimatul urus

2011-08-03T13:20:00.001+01:00

To our dearest Halimah & Syed Azlan:

Selamat pengantin baru, semoga bahagia hingga ke anak cucu

Xxx,

Outfit du Jour: to the beach in peach

2011-06-26T01:27:00.002+01:00

Dublin has been suffering from miserable wet weather for weeks now, thus it was such a delight when the sun finally decided to stay today. we initially planned to watch Captain Jack Sparrow going about his usual adventure in the mighty Black Pearl but we hopped on the car and drove to Port Marnock beach instead, to enjoy the good weather while it lasted.

We ate ice-creams and sat by the beach; did some people-watching and dog-avoiding. i wanted to walk on the beach but Mr Deris wasn't having the prospect of beachy sand in his car *rolled eyes twice* so i had to settle with just watching the gorgeous beach from afar. Port Marnock beach, gorgeous as always.

I decided to wear a chiffon bat-wing, peach-coloured top which i got a while back from my favourite shop: Penneys. I just can't live without Penneys. This morning my friend told me she bought TWO gorgeous tops from Penneys and I am itching to go have a look at their current selections. And it sure doesn't help that Penneys is actually quite cheap and affordable. For today, I have managed to distract myself by heading to the beach.

Floral hijab | Penneys

Peach chiffon bat-wing top | Penneys

White long-sleeved inner | Carrefour

White jeggings | A-Wear

Platform flip-flop | Benetton

Turqoise chunky ring | Aldo

Aviator sunglasses | Chanel

and look at my boy who is getting darker by the minute from all the playing time. he certainly had great fun today, au contraire to the face depicted in these pictures!

Harris: Mommy, i can't see anything! i think we need money!

Heidi: Mommy, i can't see anything too!

Mommy: we should have brought our step-up stool.

After our quick bouts of ice-cream and people-watching, we decided to do plane-watching at the Dublin Airport which is only a few miles away from the beach. I have never experienced this before, unlike Mr Deris who may have successfully woo-ed numerous girls by his charming plane-watching tricks.

We saw 13 landings and 3 take-offs within the hour. the kids truly found it fascinating, it was a pity we don't have a sun-roof. Plane-watching is interesting, indeed. if you haven't done it yet -- do it already!

have a great day,

day 11 | my kids are my favourite memories

2011-06-25T16:15:00.001+01:00

with lots & lots of Love,

gallery: attitude & style

2011-06-22T21:39:00.001+01:00

Mr Postman came and pushed this through my letterbox this morning.

and, just thought i'd post a few of my favourites:

the sparkling peachy-pink lipstick

the striking red mademoiselle

the elegant Theodora of Byzantin- inspired pendant

j'adore Chanel,

Outfit du Jour: purple|mustard|turquoise combo

2011-06-12T17:25:00.002+01:00

I am still in the colour-blocking mode, although still very much a novice in the colour-combo department. i wore red, black and yellow yesterday for a puppet show outing with the kids and Mr Deris, but today I have decided to take black out of the equation. we had a rather early Sunday today -- went to watch the earliest show of Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D and then did a bit of grocery-shopping. here goes.

oblong purple & white floral-patterned scarf | Olsen

purple long-sleeved top | Hard Rock Cafe Prague

long purple cardigan | Penneys

white jeggings | A-Wear

mustard-coloured leather sling bag | Marni

large turquoise cocktail ring | Aldo

my 2 favourite items today are the bag and the ring. i have had the bag for well over a year now and although it did cost me quite a bit considering it is only a sling bag, i have to say that it is one of my best purchases ever. it is designed to be versatile -- a sling and cross-body bag, it is also convertible to a clutch as the metal chain is detachable.

before i finally decided to get the cocktail ring, i have looked at many others within the similar price range but this one really did it for me. it also came in red stone but i decided that a turquoise one is more wearable for me. it took me several trips to Aldo before i decided to just close my eyes and paid for it -- no, not because it is expensive or what, it is rather reasonably priced at €7 -- rather because i want to only get one cocktail ring. so this was it.

i do like the purple|mustard|turquoise combo very much.

do you?

cheers,

Day 10 | the best food is in the house

2011-06-11T21:58:00.002+01:00

i love food so much that every waking hours is spent thinking, planning and savouring food. although that being said, i am not really an adventurous foodie, come to think of it. i am a rather boring eater; i tend to pick the same thing over and over again -- even if i am out of my comfort foodie zone, i'd find an alternative as close as possible to my usual staples. when we were younger, eating out wasn't really part of our family tradition. my Ummi is a brilliant cook and my Abah prefers home-cooked meals so much more than eating out. wy not, if you can have pretty much anything you want in the comfort of your own private space, right? both of my parents are not really that much into western food. we are more into laksa johor and terengganu, nasi lemak, mee and bihun goreng, rendang ayam and daging, laksam and the typical malays sweets and condiments. nevertheless, being in the army and living abroad for almost a couple of years did sway my Abah a wee bit. there were moments when he craved for 'something English' -- as he would call it -- and mom would then prepare for an array of sausages-scrambled egg-type-of-brekkie. but he has never been fussy with food. it is always 'kalau boleh lah' instead of a king's demand.

my Ummi and sister, N: posing in front of our Raya Puasa spread last year

it wasn't until i was on my way out to college when i really discovered western food. i was 19 when pizza hut became one of my favourite food haunts. i was 20 when i merrily discovered Dave's Deli and Kenny Rogers' roast chicken and salad. yes, you could say that i was a late bloomer in the food department *hehehe*. i didn't know what was spaghetti bolognese until i was formally introduced to it by one my dearest friends in Dublin, soon after i arrived. i have since mastered the dish and am more than able to whip it for lunch or dinner with my eyes half closed *chewah*. i refused to try steaks and 'chops' for a good while but eventually rendered to the appeal after an old friend summoned me for a taste at our local Victoria Station. i have always been a nasi-lemak-satay-mee-goreng-mamak-type-of-girl. back in 2005, my baby brother got hitched to the best sister-in-law anybody could have -- she has inherited a mamak-place eaterie in Ampang Jaya, since then, my love affair with Malaysian food was forever sealed. this may also explain my 6kg imperative weight gain during every single home visits *sigh* should i start suing them?

my husband and I, we would often make plans to try different kinda food at different kinda restaurants for when we have the chance to be home. we never really make it. simply because we are always offered fab food at home, and we seem to have much more gastronomic fun and satisfaction when we are surrounded by family and friends, in the comfort of our own neighbourhood. plus, eating out is massively expensive -- it begs the question: how much do you have to spend when you are out for lunch at work everyday and out with family at night? i dare not suggest a figure.

my dearest Abah enjoying his home-cooked nasi himpit with rendang and kuah kacang

so, if anyone ask me: what is your favourite place to eat? without even a fraction of a second to blink, i'd have answered my parents' place, enjoying my Mom's soulful cooking, made more enjoyable by easy banter with my Dad. when you are thousands of miles away, there is nothing in the world you'd want more but to be close to your heritage and your loved ones -- to feel that familiarity of love, contentment and happiness. 28 more days to my next foodie trip, then. yee-hawww!

jotted with contracting salivary glands,

40 [practical] tips for mental health, well-being & prosperity

2011-06-10T02:19:00.000+01:00

The Basics

look after your basic needs first: eat and sleep.
listen to your body and use your breathing.
happiness happens without money.
laugh and remember the laughs.
try to find something to be grateful for.
get active.
drink alcohol responsibly and in moderation.
engage in meaningful, creative activities.
do what you love.
see fun as a priority not an indulgence.
lose yourself.
don't let a little anxiety stand in your way.
set yourself realistic goals.
avoid conversations about weight and appearance.

Daily Routine (Home, School & Work)

exercise your brain.
remember to remember.
set academic goals to better yourself, not others.
study together.
choose an activity, join a group and get involved.
remember work isn't everything.
get to know your work-mates.
volunteer.

Children

listen to what children have to say.
focus on your children's inner strengths.
emphasise learning and enjoyment over winning fro children in sport.
learn and teach media-wise skills.

Tough Times

be hopeful.
work on developing different ways to cope.
write things down.
ask for support.
get intimate.
simply getting together can be supportive.
find support online.
be a support.
focus on things you can control.
think about how you label events.
do something!
be flexible in your thinking.
remember your triumphs.
think about mental health and see the person first.

cheers,

p.s. you can find a PDF version of the above with further explanation on individual tips and sections at Psychological Society of Ireland

Day 9 | pembelian terakhir

2011-06-08T00:23:00.000+01:00

i had promised myself one last self-reward and fell in love with a grey suede bubble beauty from the House of Craziness, way back in January. i was besotted, head over heels -- but, alas -- it just wasn't meant to be. after all, it was never a priority. if anything, it was a total luxury. i walked away thinking, perhaps someday i'll get myself another one. one last one.i kept myself busy with work and college; pursuing the senior training position and submitting my dissertation -- it did the trick. my focus and priorities were realigned and i told myself to not be swayed by only material things anymore. i shall improve my spending habit and to avoid impulsive purchases at all cost. well, until this happened.

this was the exact same bag i wanted but in black lambskin. it was my very good friend's -- she bought the black version of my most wanted grey suede beauty and had only carried this less than 5 times in the last 5 months. it is practically brand new and when she was contemplating another bag last month, i made her let this one go to a new home -- mine *hehehe*. it was not an easy decision for her though. she wanted to hang on to it but i managed to change her mind. we made a pact -- she could get another bag only if she let me buy this one off her. it was excruciatingly difficult for her. but she relented in the end. i even managed to squeeze for discount *wink wink*

one could never have enough black bags. this bubble quilted one offers such versatility that it can be worn as a shoulder hobo, a cross-bosy sling; be it casual or formal. my last black bag was an Anya Hindmarch Elrod in interwoven leather, bought in 2008. so it has been a good while, indeed. i cannot wait to dump all my junks and carry it around town. only then, i finally can properly retire. thanks, Mrs I for letting me pulling the wool over your eyes. and thanks for buying this in the first place, for if you didn't, i wouldn't have this great opportunity writing about it. i am going to enjoy this beautiful self-reward because it is my last purchase not only for the year but for a good while from now. don't believe me? i guess we'll just have to wait and see *hehehe*

Cheers,

Day 8 | a dream wedding

2011-06-07T08:25:00.028+01:00

planning a wedding, in my opinion, is a major nightmare. one has to know what one wants, from the outfits to dowry to tablecloth and khemah. if one is not born anal, one better hire a wedding planner -- in my case, it was my dearest Mom *hehehe*. well, actually further in my case, i only picked out the colour of my bridal outfit and everything else was then developed around it. i was busy preparing for my final exams, hence i was more of a nerd than your typical bridezilla. getting married a week after graduation, seriously, was not the best plan we both came up with but as far as getting married were concerned, it was the perfect timing really. so, if you can imagine me slaving away, burning the midnight oil, trying so hard to get through medical school -- would i care very much about the wedding preparation? to be honest, didn't even cross my mind that often. as far as i was concerned, no scroll no wedding *hehehe*

so, i am sure it is understood that i didn't put much effort in thinking and planning out the wedding. there was only two things i requested from my parents:

i wanted a garden wedding *and my Ummi said: biar betul?*
to get married on 6th of June

No garden wedding because as the first wedding in the family, of course it was expected to happen at my childhood home. after all, i was just trying my luck -- *hehehe* -- i remember loving the idea of a garden wedding but i didn't even come up with any suggestion. my Mom said: takde dibuat orang lah -- only to laugh out loud a few years later when Erra Fazira married Yusry in a massive garden wedding in Titiwangsa! it was not such a crazy idea after all, right? oh, and we got married on the 7th instead. so, here is the question: if i can turn back time, what kind of wedding i'd have?

first of, i have no creativity whatsoever. i do see myself delegating most part of the prep to my Mom and sisters. i probably will stick to picking the wedding theme and the bridal outfits, at the most. to think about the design of the hantaran , the menu, the type of meja and khemah and sitting arrangement blah-blah-blah -- oh, God. i don't think i'll be able for it. even typing this I have developed a mild headache *no kidding* so fairplay to all you bridezillas out there. serious salutation from me to you! anyways, for the purpose of fun, i will do my best to think up of a dream wedding. here goes.

a beautiful nikah outfit by Rizman Ruzaini

a simple bridal bouquet of red roses

3 different sized cakes with 3 different flavours

okay. what else do people need for weddings? hantaran. okay, so i will probably request 11 dulang berbalas 13. what would be on it? okay, let see:

our wedding rings
senaskhah Al-Quran
sepasang telekung solat
dowry in cheque or bank draft
a pair of *preferably beige YSL low-heel tribute* gladiators
a matching medium/large Chanel classic flap in beige claire
sirih junjung
a basket full of fresh fruits
a basket full of assorted candy
a gadget of my choice -- a MacBook Pro, boleh?
a set of Laura Mercier stuff

phew, what a long list eh? okay, this is really hard. this is hard work and i am only just imagining planning a wedding. i am glad my Mom and sisters were around to help me plan mine. if not, pengsan 10 kali lah. i picked turquoise as my colour accent then, but today I will stick to a combination of cream and scarlet red. simple, no fuss and yet elegant. all my hantarans will be placed in a sterling-silver decorative box each, on a simple cream satin kain lapik dulang and fresh red roses for decoration. OMG. even my explanation of what i want is terrible, right? so tak creative-minded *hehehe*

what else?

oh, okay. photo and videography -- i think i would probably hire CST for the solemnisation and the reception. or maybe Manggis. they do produce simply wonderful results. for my make up, i would definitely hire Sweet Dream -- have you seen her works? beautiful transformation. next, my flower girls. my bestfriends are my flower girls who will wear maroon-coloured lace and satin dresses. i wouldn't have nieces and nephews yet, hence me picking up grown-ups instead.

okay, i am officially running out of wedding ideas. i realised i haven't picked out my wedding theme song, whether to have a hotel or home reception, whether to hire a karaoke machine or have a live band, what type of khemah etc. this is seriously a tough project to tackle. i was definitely better off having my dear Mom planning and executing all aspects of my wedding *hehehe*. to all you soon-to-be bride, i wish you all the very best in your wedding undertakings. with stress mounting, it is not a wonder why 3/4 of us turned out to be bridezillas. i am just glad that my bridezilla days are well over *phew* -- yeah, i know, i suck at this!

on a happier and more realistic note: it is our solemnization anniversary today and I would like to dedicate a quick thought to my darling better half:

Happy anniversary, you. i will marry you 100 million times over if needs be -- be it in the masjid or hotel, with dowry or nil -- it don't matter. i still can't believe that we have spent 9 years together -- all full of ups and downs -- but i hope we'll have many more fabulous ones to come. thank you for being you and i hope you'll continue taking me as I am.

always yours,

gallery: a weekend of Bloom & organicity

2011-06-06T23:48:00.001+01:00

went to Bloom Festival today and tasted delicious healthy organic spread of food
saw beautiful flower arrangements and garden mock-up, felt like building one myself in the back garden
walked along numerous beautiful paths and held hands blissfully with my loved ones
beautiful day, beautiful weather, beautiful people, beautiful feelings, beautiful everything
life is good - alhamdulillah...

Cheers,
ladyLOVESleisure

Day 7 | a pet in another lifetime

2011-06-06T08:06:00.002+01:00

First of, i am honestly too far off to even consider myself even pet-friendly. Truth be told, i would love to have had some wonderful memorable experience with a cat or even a goldfish but i just never did manage to develop any amazing chemistry with any entity you and I can call pet. I am totally against animal-cruelty, of course, but i am not exactly your animal-loving friend either *sigh*

Back in secondary school, we had a very interesting and rather successful extra-curricular club called 'Friends of the Zoo'. Given my not-so-friendly nature with the members of the animal kingdom, the club didn't have any appeal to the somewhat apathetic younger version of me. I vaguely remember looking at some photos of my schoolmates 'on duty' in the zoo with some elephants and other animals, it did look fun. Honest.

Thankfully, i am married to a wonderful animal-lover. His ultimate dream house should have an adequate space for a small petting zoo to house a couple of rabbits, some exotic birds, goats, ponies, red pandas and strange enough, a pair of wild foxes! But petting zoo aside, his ultimate dream pet would be a baby tiger. To that i frown my wrinkly forehead and scrunch my already-short neck in a mixture of sheer amazement and wonderment at his fantastical idea of a home pet. A tiger, eh?

Obviously it will take me many years still to even consider a pair goldfishes in a bowl of oxgygenated water, but despite my initial unsupportive reaction to his baby tiger wish, i must confess that i am rather taken by the idea. Perhaps the sheer fact that it is not legal to house an almost extinct animal made it appealing to me *hehehe* -- even more cruel, i had agreed to only a monochrome Siberian tiger which more widely known as the White Tiger.

As reluctant as i am, i do want to be fully supportive of his dream and so i have been seriously thinking about lifting up my household animal ban (which btw has a lot to do with my Dad's tendency to attract stray-cats by placing free cat food on the floor of our front porch akin to bagi ayam makan, resulting in serious urea-stench problem for years) but only to a small kitten that resemble a White Tiger. Like, seriously.

via source

oh, and have any of you seen any of these cute not-so-little cubs?

via source

The kids have also been asking for a pet. Harris wants a goldfish in a small aquarium. Heidi wants a puppy. At one point, they wanted a pair of hamsters but had a change of heart when they realised it will involved cleaning up after the excrement. A goldfish is do-able, i guess. A puppy is obviously a fantasy of hers that will never be fulfilled. We did consider getting a pair of tortoise, but man, it would have set us back €200 each! A cheaper alternative is labi-labi which they called turtle, which is about €5 to €10 each. Yes, thats more like it.

Anyways, in order to get adequate exposure and training in the looking-after-a-pet department, i shall subject myself to buying a sea-monkey. What say you?

come-back [fashion] trends

2011-06-05T19:15:00.004+01:00

Have you ever encountered years old magazines when you are trying to tidy up and ended up sitting on the floor browsing and reading instead of cleaning? I most certainly have done so. one of my weaknesses used to be fashion magazines and i used to foolishly spend up to €40 a month on different ones like Elle, Vogue and even Oprah's O. i have since ditched this bad habit and only limit myself to occassional ones. visiting my friend today, i spotted an old Malaysian Cleo on her bookshelves. still my vice, i just had to seclude myself and read through it. never mind it was almost obsolete, as far as i was concerned it was this month's copy. sitting with my friend's MacBook Pro on my lap, i stopped blogging for a few minutes and started enjoying the 'new' magazine i just discovered.

love the 17" Macbook

Vanessa Hudgens and her gorgeous smile on the cover

yes, that's May 2009 Cleo. I love Cleo, used to spend a significant amount of my pocket money on these way back in my early 20's. we don't have Cleo over here in the Emerald Isle, only the typical Elle, Vogue, In Style and the likes. anyway, if you love discovering old magazines, I bet you know how excited i was reading this. as i flipped through the pages, i had a sense of deja-vu -- you know, a 'back to the future' type of thing. i decided to share with you some of the trends way back in spring 2009 and i guess it is no surprise, the trends are pretty much here today in spring/summer 2011.

candy-coloured pants

assorted stacked bangles:
bold colours, bejewelled, spikes, animal print, DIY -- you name it!

platform heels and wait for it, harem pants!

ethno-arts

crazy mix of colours akin to colourblocking and wide-legged pants

and the evergreen scarlet red lips

retrospectively looking to the so-called future, if anybody told me i would don a pair of dropped crotch harem pants 2 years from then, i would probably laugh at their faces. the idea of me wearing a pair of pants that would make my already massive backside look even mightier would be rather hilarious and utterly ridiculous. but lo and behold, although i still look laughable the harem pants is actually a very comfy trend that I have taken a liking to.

do you ever experience something similar? like, looking through old magazines that you have obviously read before and only to notice a few things or trends that you have finally taken on without even taking a double glance the first time around? it took me 2 years to warm up to sheer chiffon tops, harem pants, coloured jeans and tapered pants, stacked bangles and animal-prints. for this, i promise to never throw out any piece of clothing for it may just come back in trends even years later. i must start to vacuum-pack my not-so-fashionable clothing pieces starting now for Heidi may want to wear them as part of her vintage collection 15 years from now,eh? *hehehe* talking about some grandiose sense of self here, but really I am only joking. but come to think of it, i do have a couple of tops belonged to my Mom, worn by her 20 years ago. so, vintage stuff for Heidi? definitely, maybe.

Day 6 | the happy [lazy] song

2011-06-05T13:43:00.002+01:00

It is a lazy Sunday for me. I am enjoying lazying around doing pretty much nothing. Tomorrow we are going to Dublin Bloom Festival and a BBQ in the park right after. I am feeling absolutely lazy today, hence the chosen song du jour: The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars.

C'est la vie, everyone.
Enjoy!

Day 5 | I am indeed, [no] different

2011-06-03T08:48:00.002+01:00

this is so random. how am i different than anybody else? i have to be honest, i am not entirely sure. i am, by no means, unique. if anything, i am exactly like everybody else who yearns to be loved and cared for, ambitious and determined to achieve whatever it is i need in this world and the next. i am just a human being who constantly learns from her past towards a better future, with God's will.

how am i different than the rest of us?
I am indeed, no different. but i'll try to differentiate, if I may.

i love orchids.
fake, silk orchids.

i love typing and writing.
in the dark.

i love this picture.
i wanna go back there and capture the same view.

i love what's in the box.
do you?

Day 4 | best[ies] day out

2011-06-02T21:50:00.004+01:00

choosing just one picture of one bestfriend certainly was not an easy peasy task. i am a lucky girl; i do have have more than just one friend i could call in time of crises. being thousands of miles away from home, friends are your chosen family. i am ever so grateful to have these fabulous peeps in my life, especially after coming across a certain some who weren't really worth anyone's precious time. my friends don't really visit here, so i have decided that to post up their pretty faces wouldn't be such a crime -- as long as they don't find out *hehehe*

celebrating my 33rd

the one who is always dear to my heart *hugs*

the one who is always there for me, no matter what *God bless her*

my partner in crime *oh yeah*

the one & only

my favourite people in Dublin, life would be so boring without them!

some do think that it is always easy to move on and leave the past behind but certainly not when it involves great people with whom you have shared lovely memories together. just because your pictures are not here, does not mean that you are not in my heart. camera can only capture so much, but my brain cells stored better.

To my bestfriend whom i have befriended since I was seven, we are so different from one another but we were always together.

To my most favourite girls in black blazers who used to sneak me into the dorm during unsocial prep hours.

To the 3 of 5 stooges who definitely made being 18 my official best age ever. I miss those good old times.

And to a friend, who is a friend no more but always in my heart.

a person with no friend is one with no reflection. thank you for being there for me, thank you for putting up and persevering. Thank you for sharing and caring, thank you for being earnest even in the most impossible. thank you for putting me in my place; pedestals and not. thank you, for just being you.

Day 3 | the [perfect] first date

2011-06-01T22:35:00.000+01:00

wow, shall we go down the memory lane? I say, we shall *hehehe* -- before i begin, let me enter a disclaimer as to warn you that I will not be held responsible for any induction of nauseous sensation from the pits of your stomachs, nor would I be held responsible for any loss of appetite before, during and especially after the journey down the lane.

It must be said, that I, am a self-confessed hopeless romantic bonehead. I had been warned that my idea of the perfect first date was so over the top that it was never gonna materialise. I imagined almost a princess-like experience where my charming prince who was also my knight-in-shining-armour would come and fetch me in a beautifully decorated horse carriage. Like, apa kena kan? Ingat awak sapa, erk Cinderella?

But of course, my first date with you-know-who didn't happen the way I always imagined. Ha-ha. We were, in fact, set up by eager friends who obviously felt so absolutely sorry for us that they somehow managed to drag us down somewhere and left us there looking stupidly at each other. And I am not kidding. That was how our first date began. Now, now. It must be said that I was indeed spoken for at the time of our first meeting (which was not our first date, btw) but that silly girl did fall head-over-heels in love with this young charmer, I now call husband. Yes, it wasn't the most honourable thing to do but at least I was honest with myself and everybody else around me -- I was really lucky: I had found my one. The young charmer himself was conveniently single and available *thank God -- hehehe*

Venue: A cinema in town *typical right?*
Movie: K-19 The Widowmaker *yes, the most unromantic movie to watch on any first date ever, and, do not ask me why*

okay. So it wasn't actually meant to be a date -- well, at least to both of us. we were out with some friends and they deliberately bailed on us, citing some much-needed studying for finals blah-blah-blah and there we awkwardly stood looking at each other, not really knowing what just happened. If i may be honest, i'd rather stay home and watch MTV than to be placed in that awkward situation. What was worse, we had even stumbled into his ex-girlfriend of 2 years *cringe* right there, smack in the middle of the panggung wayang. She was with his group of friends who were curious as to who I was, and what was he doing without them knowing -- the girls were asking each other and eventually asked me: keluar dating ke? How awful, i didn't even know if this was indeed a date. So, i said: No. Little did I know that Mr Young Charmer had overheard this curt statement of mine and took it in as me being less than interested in him. No wonder the weird choice of a movie on a so-called date *hehehe* -- only friends watch war movie together *sigh*

but we survived The Widowmaker and he sent me home, all the while remained so weirdly quiet in the car. I attempted to korek apa cerita but to no avail. it was even weirder than meeting most of his friends they way it did. remember our fabulous mutual friends who thought what a great idea it was to ditch the two of us there? yes, they were curiously found in my living room, watching some random TV show -- no, not studying at all. Mr Young Charmer himself looked especially down and being the good friends that they were, they questioned me what went down after not getting sufficient response from him. so i quietly told them what happened and i was convinced, it must be the ex-girlfriend who spoiled his mood. as i later found out, he was absolutely bummed that i curtly denied we were on a date. in my defense, we really weren't. I didn't remember being asked out on a date *hehehe*! i was encouraged to ask him directly, so i did:

me: you seem moody. what's going on?
him: *just looked at me*
me: did i do something wrong? did i offend you?
him: *still was just looking at me*
me: *feeling uneasy to be stared at*
him: *still staring*
me: ok. I am so sorry. whatever i did or said.
him: why did you tell them we are not dating?
me: what? why? *erk*
him: you told them we are not dating.
me: i was telling the truth.
him: *more staring*
me: what was i supposed to say though? *confused*
him: well, next time kalau orang tanya, cakap lah yes.
me: *erk* really?
him: yes lah.
me: okay.

so that did it. what a charmer this one. he didn't ask for my number -- his friend got it for him. he didn't arrange or ask me out for a date -- his friends tricked us into it. he didn't even have to ask me to be his girlfriend properly -- i just said yes! come to think about it now, it seemed like i was bullied into it, no? *hehehe* so since that day, we were officially a couple. yes, after our so-called first date. i know, i know. i am being cheesy. once in a blue moon, please forgive me *hehehe*

not a photo taken on our first date

could the first date be any better? oh, sure -- i don't mind being dined *hehehe*. but is it perfect in our own crazy ways? most definitely, yes. would i have changed it if i could? not even for a second. it was indeed the perfect first date for me. we are not the dining, fancy kind of couple. McDonalds was apt, as were any Chinese take-aways. so although i love The Notebook *this seriously should have been the movie to watch on the first date* K-19 was more the kind of movie that we would actually watch together. yes, he can't stand love story *go figure*.The fact that matter is: it could have been The Notebook; there could have been rose petals everywhere; we could have had candle-lit dinner -- but none of those would have mattered if it wasn't him with me and for that, to me, it was just perfection.

Day 2 | Favourite Movie -- The Notebook

2011-05-27T09:49:00.001+01:00

source

This was an easy choice for me. In fact, I have posted my top 5 romantic movies of all time not so long ago. I could have easily picked
a more recent movie, a different one, but I am always drawn to this particular choice of mine. I am a hopeless romantic. I believe that love will save the world; that no, two lovebirds don't really need money -- they can indeed survive makan pasir and tinggal dalam parit! well, i did say that i was hopeless, didn't i? *hehehe* anyways, I am confident that I won't be the only sappy, hapless romantic buff that will pick The Notebook as their top movie choice.

source

I remember being as madly in love the way Noah and Ally were; defying gravity of society gap as the Glee club would sing; finishing each other's sentences; so in love with each other that life is almost meaningless without him or her beside each other. Yes, extreme indeed -- but that's what love is about to me -- love makes me emotionally dizzy, it is dangerously addictive, and potentially hazardous.

source

I want to grow old like Duke and Allison; to remain in love to our last breath; to be so devoted and deeply, hopelessly in love with each other that one is pulled out of dementia and sun-downing just by reading out love memories together; to have a bond so strong that when one half is feeling poorly, the other half feels the pinch.

And every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. i will always be yours, and darling, you will always be mine. Noah

Day 1 | Favourite Song -- The Way I Am

2011-05-26T21:18:00.005+01:00

I am quite a musical person. I love music, I love to sing and I particularly love singing songs that mean something to me. I have gone through probably thousands of songs and it is particularly difficult to pick just one song as a favourite. I am convinced that I could pick at least one favourite number from every possible genre. I even have a favourite from the classical section. Well, for today's challenge, I am indeed torn between 2 songs: Canon in D Major by the Japanese duo Depapepe, and , The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson. They are so different and yet I am in love with both.

Nevertheless, I am to pick only one and today, I am feeling particularly soppy so I am going with Ingrid's The Way I Am. To me, the lyrics is just so honest without pretention, so simple and spot on with an almost autistic quality. People often search for ostentatious type of so-called loving gesture -- renang lautan api, belah dada bagi jantung type-of-thing -- but really, I only ever look for simple day-to-day gestures from my loved ones.

If you were falling, then I would catch you

You need a light, I'd find a match

Cause I love the way you say good morning
And you take me the way I am

If you are chilly, here take my sweater
Your head is aching, I'll make it better

Cause I love the way you call me baby
And you take me the way I am

I'd buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair
Sew on patches to all you tear

Cause I love you more than I could ever promise
And you take me the way I am
You take me the way I am
You take me the way I am

[help] accrued

2011-05-26T10:00:00.010+01:00

for days, i was trying to find time to write -- but of course, I had to prioritise and complete my academic commitment beforehand. And its has been almost 3 weeks since I have regained my 'freedom', yet i am still at lost as to why has it been so difficult to post anything interesting up thus far. so i thought really hard and came up with a number of really lame excuses:

i do not enjoy blogging on Blogpress anymore
i do not like posting up photos from iPhone anymore
i had accidentally dropped my teeny netbook and damaged the screen
i could not find the courage to pick up my camera and to snap pics about town
i do not have my camera half of the time when i see something worth capturing
i want to write -- but the ideas escaped me!

so, instead i have been visiting my favourite blogs whilst on temporary hiatus. it has been fun and i really do enjoy trawling around. its the first and the last thing i do almost everyday. i enjoy seeing what people have been up to; the places they visited, the books they read, the places they went to have great meals at, the clothes they donned -- everything really. but i especially enjoy great photos the most.

talking about photos, back in January I saw that Sha Elaiza had posted a 30-day photo challenge. I love her photos, by the way. She takes gorgeous photos. I thought, i'd love to do this one but unfortunately i was sort of busy with work and other things, i didn't manage to join in the fun. And the yesterday, I stumbled upon Ms Pancake's entry and she had posted something similar too. So, I have decided to give this 30-day photo challenge a good whip. I have decided to go with Ms Pancake's version and here it is:

Day 1 — Your favorite song
Day 2 — Your favorite movie
Day 3 – Your idea of the perfect first date
Day 4 – Your favorite photograph of your best friend
Day 5 – What makes you different from everyone else
Day 6 – A song to match your mood
Day 7 – A photo of an animal you’d love to keep as pet
Day 8 – Your dream wedding
Day 9 – A photo of the item you last purchased
Day 10 – A photo of your favorite place to eat
Day 11 – A picture of your favorite memory
Day 12 – Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is
Day 13 – A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to
Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without
Day 16 – Short term goals for this month and why
Day 17 – How you hope your future will be like
Day 18 – 5 things that irritate ME about opposite/same sex
Day 19 – A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name
Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy
Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 23 – 15 facts about you
Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you
Day 25 – Who are you?
Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you want to go
Day 27 – What kind of person attracts you?
Day 28 – In this past month, what have you learned?
Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing
Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today & three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

I am obviously running out of ideas and yet my hands are itching to write. So hopefully this will be a good method of resurrection and who knows, I'll have something really interesting to share in the days to come. My first 30-day challenge will commence today *because I am dying to start hehehe* and hop on, peeps -- let's do the 30-day photo challenge together!

Cheers,

Wordless [wednesday]: I want it.

2011-05-18T15:37:00.001+01:00

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

i want to colourblock, too!

2011-05-15T15:16:00.007+01:00

So they say, for colourblocking to be successful the colours have to be bright and yet complimentary to your skin tone. 2 colours are for amateurs and 3 are for people who are up for a challenge. I am amateurish -- have always been wearing 2 colours anyways. Oh wait, does black count? Probably not. I am into pastels these days, probably not bright enough for successful colourblocking activities *hehehe* plus, I am not brave enough. I figured that for me to even be remotely ready for this new fashion trend, first I would require colourful jeans -- yes, like all the above. What say you?

Flipping through an old magazine one evening at the park, I spotted this gorgeous red sling bag with studs by Valentino. Imagine accessorising this beauty in this ensemble: a pair of emerald green straight-cut pants with lemon yellow flowy chiffon top and red tank top underneath, matching red pashmina hijab and simple red ballerina shoes. In my head, that sounds like an achieveable colourblocking outfit. Red, yellow and green. Or green can be swapped with a pair of electric blue one. The question is: where do you get these colourful pieces for adults? I was in Penneys recently and saw really nice stuff for kids and bought a couple for Heidi.

There, she did it. Colourblock fashion for kids. Oh, but I forgot. It has always been the trend for kids. Kids can pull off any colours, any cuts and they are still adorable. Aren't they? Yeah. I love this colourblocking fashion trend. I saw a photo of Camilla Belle the other rocking an outfit consisting of green, orange and purple items -- brave girl, that one. It worked for her though. So, what say you? Yay, or nay?

Especially for you

2011-05-14T13:16:00.000+01:00

I, most definitely, am not the most hardworking person when it comes to studying. However, a fantasist that I have always been, I decided a long time ago I was never to be satisfied with having a post-graduate specialist qualification and so, I embarked on a new challenge to enter an unknown territory just about 2 years ago. It was either pursuing a Masters degree in Neuroscience or Management; yes, not even remotely similar. In the end, it all came down to 2 very crucial deciding factors:

time
money

I was among the 20 health professionals selected through electronic application and interview process for the Neuroscience one year full time Masters programme. It meant taking a full break from clinical work but more importantly, it also meant no salary for one whole year. I thought deeply about it, for days to weeks. But it just wasn't meant to be. I couldn't afford going back to college to live a student life the way it was. Not when I have to fulfill my financial obligations. Not when I had no choice to but rely 100% on my other half. The college fee was indeed manageable as I was entitled to the European band, but I had to forgo. Although I had always known that I was going to do something else after getting my specialist qualification, I had neglected to build a sufficient college fee fund during all those years. i opted for bags, clothes and other accessories. Oh, no. please, do not read me wrong. I had no regrets whatsoever for rewarding myself after days, weeks, months and years of hard work -- but -- I wished I had saved for the future. And that silly, silly me didn't. As a result, I had to decline the opportunity. For this, I was regretful.

However, being a grandiose me, I also applied for a Masters degree in Healthcare Management; an area that had always intrigued me, nevertheless. I often heard random misconceptions about how them managers really do nothing at work apart fom attending meetings after meetings, supplied with a trolley full of munchies while acting social, and above all earning truckloads of money. I had this concrete idea that it is imperative for any high-ranking managers in healthcare organisation to possess a medical background. okay, so maybe not ALL of them board directors or governors -- at least one, or two. A medical or clinical director has to be somebody with a medical qualification. I mean, what do those managers know about healthcare? So I thought. Oh boy, I was in for a great experience in my lifetime.

Anyways, fast forward almost 18 months later, here I am. Here I am, proudly submitting my Masters thesis. Proudly showing off my hardwork being a project manager albeit only for a college work; even only for a short length of time. What have I managed to take home from this experience?

Don't speak until you know what you are talking about.
Don't assume until you have all the facts.
Don't doubt your ability: if you think you can, you really can.
Don't be scared of change. Change is good. It broadens your horizon.
Don't let time and/or money distract you from your goals in life.
and above all: Don't forget to persevere.

When I was a little girl, being a doctor was permanently on my list of ambitions. I was over the moon and back when I finally made it. It felt like heaven, it felt like all my hardwork had paid off. I saw my parents swooning with pride. I did good. I did it for me, and for them. But it just wasn't enough for me. Being a doctor was totally over-rated. It was a complete myth, as far as I was concerned. It was nothing like I had imagined. But it was essentially my choice to either remain in misery of turn it around. I made an executive decision to pursue a specialty that I found interesting, challenging and personally rewarding -- and how lucky, I have never looked back since. This specialty had exposed me to more than just clinical world. When I chose to pursue a degree in Management, some of my peers did curiously ask: why management? And to that I responded: why not?

Doing the course has taught me more than just how to critically appraise the health system. My outlook to life in general has definitely altered. I even feel like I am a better person just by going through this invaluable experience. All the managerial concept I learned were more than relevant to my personal development and I have learned that reflection is an active process that is regularly required in order to improve myself; to be a better person in all aspects of my life. It made me think that although I do have had regrets for all my mistakes and miscalculations in the past, there are no reasons for me not to learn from it and change to become a better me -- although hard and challenging, there will be benefits to reap at the end of the journey. It may be just another degree to some, but to me, it surely meant more than a piece of paper. And it surprises me too, for when I started it was purely for academic reason and to climb up that career ladder. But I came out of it, a better person.

My parents are my inspirations. We were not rich but we were never poor. We were loved and cared for in the best way possible and never once would we be denied of any opportunity to learn. I had the best books Minerva or MPH or any bookstores could offer. I had all the complete range of textbooks for PMR and SPM. Little did I know that my parents were often left with RM50 at the end of the month. We were never let to know, only told to do well in school and go to universities so we could obtain whatever it is that we ever want in this world. My Dad used to say that if you are not rich but you are educated, you will never be poor -- but, if you are rich with no education, there are always that risk that you may become poor. And I have hold onto that mantra for years. For that, I dedicated my 2 years worth (although not even remotely close to repay everything they have done for all of us over the years) of work to my beloved parents. Well, who knows that my sister might just dedicate her Doctorate dessertation to our parents when she completes her research in a couple of years, eh? *winks to Anne*

Well, this is the end of one chapter in my ever-evolving life. This meant so much to me that I figured I owe myself a special entry. I believe in celebration, even if it just a small win. That's what life should be about. Be mindful, be in the moment, be the best you can ever be. Thank You, Allah for you have given me the inspiration to learn and the ability to persevere. Praise be upon You.

Wordless [wednesday]: the Cliffs of Moher

2011-05-11T08:42:00.004+01:00

road trip Feb 2011

happy mother's day, Mom!

2011-05-08T22:35:00.001+01:00

Kasih ibu sejati,
membawa bahagia,
harus lah dihormati,
hidup mu sempurna.

Jangan lah kau derhaka,
terhadap ibu,
budinya amat besar,
terhadap kamu.

Dari itu sentiasa,
hormat ibu bapa,
agar hidup bahagia,
selama2 nya.

selamat hari ibu, Ummi!

gallery: kids & [face]painting

2011-05-08T19:48:00.004+01:00

occassion| Heidi's 6th birthday party

venue| Adventureland, Fort Lucan

Heidi | the birthday Tigress

the roaring birthday gal with the multi-talented Aunty Jo

Athia | the Japanese school girl

Alyssa | the Rock Chick

Husayn | the adorable Tigger

Ameera | the social butterfly

Hisham | the cute little puppy

the bestfriends
Umar | the spiderboy
Harris | the batman

Wordless [wednesday]: black & gold

2011-05-04T23:57:00.003+01:00

Chanel | black & gold

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused and pondered while on the train to work ~

ODJ: someone is feeling [fabulously] peachy!

2011-05-02T12:32:00.006+01:00

spring is here and summer is soon to arrive. I cannot help but to fall head-over-heels in love with those pastel-coloured tops akin to different kind of ice-cream sorbets they have displayed in the ice-cream parlours. i was always rather shy and sceptical when it comes to wearing any of them pastels on me. i do prefer dark colours -- especially on those bad *fat* days. but you know what, i can't resist them no more. everywhere i go, everywhere i turn -- there they are. minty green, all kind of pinks: peachy, dusky, mauve. baby blue. lemon sorbet. Just irresistible. so, i cant do nothing more but to readily succumbed to my frontal lobe executive decision.

i had gone astray in H&M recently and saw 2 items that i immediately fell in love with. tried them on and guess what, the damage is done. it's been a good while since i bought any maxi dress and i thought i'd allow myself one on this rare occasion. it's an uber-comfy long jersey dress in peachy pink background with black spots. for a moment i thought a simple, plain black cardigan will do with it but wait, i saw a matching peachy soft cardigan from afar. must. get. them.

i want to wear less black this spiring/summer so this should be a good start -- although truth be told, i have been wearing much less black in recent times. the weather is so beautiful, it is such a pity to be clad in depressing black all the time. although that being said, i'd still wear something black in most of my outfits. why? err, coz black works...? *hehehe* anyways, those cream and gold accented bangles are my good friend's costume jewelleries and she was too kind to lend me those! i don't know what to buy when it comes to accessorising. time and time again, i'd stand in front of rows after rows of cute bangles and whatnots, only to walk away minutes later feeling overwhelmed.

a close-up shot of my peachy cardigan and the oh-so comfy long jersey dress

a full-body shot of the same outfit -- yes, not so keen on the size of my upper arm either but rest-assured. i am working on it *wink* oh, and do ignore the desperate fitting room shot

i am still hunting for more pastel-coloured top. there is one in minty green i saw recently and i just can't stop thinking about it. flowy, chiffon top is my main weakness these days and imagine them in sorbet-type colours -- irresistible! they are nice for all occasions and always successful in helping me feel extra girlie for the day.

this is NOT me, holding a friend's newborn baby girl, Amelia Hanna

now, who says that lovely clothes don't make you feel better? *hehehe*

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

Will & Kate : Happy ever after

2011-04-29T18:20:00.004+01:00

I was so busy thinking about my MSc dissertation all week and today was not an exclusion. looking through my piles of academic notes, the blinking cursor on my Word Doc and zero word count to-date just made me ever-so-slightly dysthymic. i distracted myself by posting a new status on my FB: menyesal lengah2. i regret very much my tendency to majorly procrastinate *sigh* oh well. i will trod on anyway. back to my FB, i saw a message in my inbox and it was a friend of mine who casually asked me if i was watching the royal wedding. i was, like: oh no! i dont want to miss the royal wedding!

it was 10.45am and i quickly switched on E! to watch the live telecast. Gorgeous Kate was en route to Westminster Abbey accompanied by her doting father, Michael. phew. i haven't missed much. when she stepped out of the car, she was the image of a proper princess. so elegant and demure. BFF Mrs R and I was simultaneously whatsapping while watching the live telecast, and both of us felt like a proud mother watching the two lovebirds wedding procession. Kate's dress, designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, was reminiscent of Princess Grace Kelly's -- beautiful bodice and lace covering her arms, with manageable train. The modestly-sized, diamond-encrusted Cartier tiara which was loaned by the Queen herself, apparently was constructed in 1936. according to the Royal Wedding Website, the Cartier tiara was originally purchased by the Duke of York (later King George VI) for his Duchess (later Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother), three weeks before he succeeded his brother, Edward, as King. The tiara was given to Princess Elizabeth by her mother on her 18th birthday.

so beautifully regal, the new Duchess of Cambridge

although Will is undeniably handsome *despite the unfortunate gene in the hair department*, Kate undoubtedly stole the limelight

i was hoping that they would be even slightly lovey-dovey during the wedding procession but i guess the royal protocol had them in their best behaviour. Kate was all smiley and Will was beaming with confidence. I do prefer their engagement photos, in fairness, as they seemed more normal and happier. I trawled the web for gorgeous pics of the Prince and his new wife, and it's true: they are in love. just look at them. just awww.

what a gorgeous couple, eh? now, who would miss that gorgeous 18-carats diamond and sapphire engagement ring. certainly not me.

gorgeous Kate in royal blue dress designed by Issa. so apt. The Clarence House had officially announced their engagement in November 2010.

the ring was the late Princess Di's engagement ring which apparently cost Prince Charles US$60,000 way back in 1981. how much does it cost now? a stipulated half a million US$. Will allegedly carried the ring in his rucksack for 3 weeks while on holiday in Kenya and eventually popped the big Q in October 2010. How romantic is that? soppy romantic, i'd say. i just thought of how romantic it was for Will to ask for Kate's hand in marriage presenting the very same beautiful ring hand-selected by his beloved mother who was also dearly beloved by the whole nation for the person that she was.

Diana & Kate: The sapphire & diamond ring

the engagement ring

now, i have to be absolutely honest. it is not really my cup of tea, the ring. it is gorgeous for Kate though. it suits her. just the way it suits the late Princess Diana. i just love the idea that Kate has inherited Princess Di's ring. and I wasn't at all surprised. I have seen pictures of Princess Diana wearing the ring and i remember wondering if Will will present the ring to his chosen bride. He did.

Anyways, back to the historically momentous royal wedding. Did we see Pippa Middleton in a white satin dress also designed by Sara Burton? the Middleton sisters sure do have great genes although i do think Kate is the gorgeous one. again, a simple dress but gorgeously cut. i guess Pippa has the body to carry the dress off. I will not even bother to imagine myself in that kind of dress. it will bring me from dysthymia to full-blown major depressive episode *hehehe*

Philippa Middleton, the flower girls & pages.

while watching the live telecast, i caught glimpses of most of the royal family. I thought to myself, Camilla looks great! C&C look the happiest. They look so good together and i barely remember how Charles & Diana used to look as a couple. I don't remember not one picture of them looking happy or even connected. anyways, back to reality. The Duchess of Cornwall looks lovely btw.

Charles & Camilla

I couldn't find a lot of the fashion snaps of the guests yet on the web but here are a few i thought worth publishing:

The impeccably dressed Beckhams

HRH Princesses Eugenie & Beatrice

a lot of people may disapprove but i just love Beatrice's ensemble. She looks great. looks like she has lost massive amount of weight lately. i especially LOVE the quirky hat. and the pastel colour. LOVE. love. LOVE.

and Chelsy Davey. such a beautiful face but i wish she had made slightly more effort in the dress department. and the messy hair. yeah, i dont know. she definitely could do better.

there, my take of the Royal Wedding. May Will & Kate live a fairy tale love story. May they live happily ever after. May she stay gorgeous always and I hope she will stay grounded for many years to come. Who says romance is dead? i swear this wedding reminded me of those historical romance novels by Judith McNaught *hehehe*

Okay, my MSc-dissertation-induced-anxiety is back with a vengeance. I have to get back to the more important task in hand. soldier on, typing 11,000 more words and babysitting Misha Merissa all at the same time. multi-tasking all the way. I shall finish my thesis by Monday. An impossible feat but hey, must be done.

Have a great weekend, everyone.
p.s. pics all googled :)

Happy birthday, dear Heidi!

2011-04-28T10:33:00.003+01:00

6 years and 3 days ago, i gave 4 massive pushes and out came this cute little pinkish thing -- we named her gorgeousness, Heidi Emilya Aryssa. Yes, long names, indeed. Intentionally done so to give her more options as to what she'd rather be known or called as later in her teenage life *hehehe* -- for now, we just call her, Heidi.

When heidi arrived, i was so beyond over-the-moon. We already had Harris and Heidi's arrival just completed our gentleman's family. Whilst Harris was an extremely easy, non-tempremental child, Heidi was way easier. Okay, except for when she started to develop no taste to most food. She is such a fussy eater this one *sigh*

Other than that, she is beyond cute, so smart and oh-so fluent with words. I just love it when she starts telling us stories about things happening in her little life. Such a day-dreamer, this lil one, her teacher is always amazed at how swift she gets from reality to dreamworld -- it often involves twirling her curly hair with her fingers and looking at imagined shapes or figures on the classroom ceiling. Typical girls, eh?

I could have never imagined a little girl as girly as Heidi and yet so independent that she is almost boyish being born to me. I am glad she is more like her Daddy than me *phew* -- her smile, her cheeky laugh and her kind heart. She is my pride, my little heart-breaker and always a love story. I am already dreading her turning 16 and start telling me to leave her alone or worse, I hate you, mom! everyday I pray that we will be bestfriends forever *hehehe*

Yeah, I am a wee bit pathetic but hey, what can I say. Heidi is my little girl, always will be and never will i forget the size of her adorable tiny little feet in my hands when I had her on my lap for the very first time. I just hope that she will always have me close to her heart.

To my dearest Heidi: Mommy and Daddy love you, more than life itself. I pray always for your life to be full of happiness and blessings from Allah the Almighty. May you grow up to be the best person you can ever be, amen!

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

Wordless [Wednesday]: my dear mom's rendang daging

2011-04-27T09:52:00.002+01:00

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

So random : Harris & Heidi fresh OJ

2011-04-24T14:06:00.001+01:00

One saturday morning, we got a few eager knocks on our bedroom door and a small voice calling for Mommy & Daddy. the voice said something about 'orang juice'. the first thing that jumped out of me was the thought of some orang juice being spilt somewhere. so i got up with the sole intention to scold and give out to my little rascals and there he was, Harris, standing outside the bedroom door with a smile as big as the door itself:

Mommy, i made you orange juice!

And i turned around to Mr Deris to say, did you hear what he said? out of tremendous curiosity, i followed my Harris and he lead me to a cup of orange juice which he placed rather strategically on top of the small drawers in Heidi's room. i looked at him, and he looked back at me. He was waiting patiently for me to take a sip. i was sure this cup of orange juice was to taste exactly like them Caprisun OJ i normally bought in bulk for their lunch at school. But, wait for it, this wasn't Caprisun. it was 110% freshly-squeezed OJ!

By this time, Mr Deris was up and about, also was curious at to what was all the commotion about. I showed him the cup with fresh OJ in it and like me, he looked sceptical. Taste it, I said -- You won't believe this. You will be more than impressed. And he was, enough said. but true to our parent-selves, Mr Deris & I quickly ran downstairs to measure the mess done by the 2 kids. and, wait for it, there were none! i was double-impressed *hehehe*

yes, yes. we were bad. shouldn't have harbour buruk sangka at our kids but knowing how messy they can be most of the time, surely no parents would be looking forward to a messy kitchen any day, let alone a refreshing Saturday morning. but i have to give it up to the 2H. they had an idea and initiative, they went for it and successfully put 2 broad smiles on their unsuspecting parents' faces. well done, kiddos!

Harris aka 'The Mastermind'

Heidi aka 'The Miss Little Bossy'

this was an act of randomness that was totally unexpected. i recalled a conversation I had with Mr Deris about the time when the kids are big enough to make us breakfast in bed -- wouldn't that be fun? being a neat-freak that he is, Mr Deris thought for a few seconds and said: ooh. but the house is gonna be messy. Hahaha. typical. So, now that they have successfully and specially squeezed orange for a cup of fresh OJ just for Mommy & Daddy, i think not so long from now when we will be treated to a serving of semi-burnt toast slathered with Nutella and yet another bout of fresh OJ with minimal spillings.

Thank you, kiddos. you guys really did make our day. gone were the days of toddlers and pre-schoolers, here comes our two primaries. May Allah have the best plan ahead for the both of you, and may Allah include both Mommy & Daddy in those great plans of His too. Amen.

Wordless [Wednesday]: No Comments

2011-04-20T07:12:00.000+01:00

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

Wordless [Wednesday]: optimism

2011-04-13T07:19:00.000+01:00

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

hit the [clutch], please!

2011-04-09T20:06:00.002+01:00

I have been super-busy, super-lazy and super-whatevs. My sister has been asking my whereabouts and my whatsup. I am still around, just hibernating for a bit. anyways, I thought I should do a quick post to relieve my sister's anxiety. Although, my deepest apology for the shallow *as some people might say* nature of this post.

How do you like my outfit du jour? I have finally worn this ensemble out and about -- thank God, the outfit survived the real world test. I am an all black outfit kinda person so to be strutting around town in off white skirt is a bit of a challenge.

Yes, the gorgeous clutch is only for show. Not mine, never will be. But I thought I'll snap a pic to see if it completes the outfit. And it does. Well, at least I think so.

What say you?

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

Wishlist: H&M

2011-04-07T10:23:00.001+01:00

What say you?

[ladyLOVESleisure] paused & ponder while out and about.

Wordless [Wednesday]: kickback & relax

2011-04-06T07:28:00.000+01:00

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

Idaman kalbu

2011-04-02T16:22:00.001+01:00

I love Gossip Girl -- yes, i know... I am ever so slightly older to be hooked to the teenage-infested small screen delish. Nevertheless, i am a fan and although i am not stuck to the TV on the hour i do get over-excited when i stumble upon GG airing on the TG4 Irish channel. So, anyways, i was watching an episode of GG -- the one in which the evil Juliet trying her worst to ousted Serena from
Columbia for dating Prof Ben -- and i was unhealthily fixated on this:

Dan Humphrey -- if only i am 16 *hehehe* he'd totally be my type -- or Penn Badgley in real life, is truly a dashing eye-catcher. Not only that I fell in love with Dan's facial expression through out the series [have i mentioned how handsome he is already?] but oh, the way he talks and just the way he looks at Serena *melts*

But actually, he is not the idaman kalbu i am writing about. Its the retro-clad Eames 2-piece that i am drooling after. Yes, i have a thing for Charles Eames chair. Not all of 'em though, just this particular kind. I didn't even know they have Eames chair in printed fabric/leather. i'd love to get my hands on this cute printed set too.

It will just brighten up any room and just perfect for sitting back, reading your favourite book or simply kicking back and putting your feet up enjoying your favourite tunes. I was lucky to score one set in dark brown leather, something that looks like so:

I love it so much, no one's allowed to even come near it! *no lah, just kidding!* the kids especially love spinning the ottoman -- i swear i soon will lose my voice from telling them off! To this day, this is by far the best furniture piece i have spent my hard-earned money on. Honest.

I didn't know it also comes in off-white leather finish. This particular one isn't gonna last even a millisecond in my messy home -- okay, okay, let's just be fair, I'll give it 12 hours top -- I can guarantee you it will unwittingly suffer from all kinds of multicoloured doodles all over. Or worse, colour transfer from my darkwash H&M jeans *no can do*

I am seriously in love with these printed Eames. Colourful and vibrant, granted, it may not be everybody's cup of tea but definitely is mine. Perhaps when I am bored with my boring dark brown leather one, I can get it reupholstered in some dizzying, psychedelic prints -- it might even prevent people from further abusing my Eames.

And last but not least: the image of my dream kickback room -- ceiling-high bookshelves with different kinds of interesting books from all genre possible, abstract artworks which will also add splashes of colours and a soft-to-touch shaggy carpet that will complete the whole look. Someday, perhaps.

With 2 books on my lap and Maroon 5's Adam Levine silky voice in the background, I am on the verge of kicking back to relax. Have a great Saturday and a beautiful Sunday, everyone!

{ladyLOVESleisure} paused & pondered while out and about

love & luck (and everything else that matters)

2011-03-31T22:47:00.007+01:00

i have been meaning to write more and procrastinate less but it seems that time is envious of me *oh so cheesy, i know* in actual fact, i just got busy with everything else happening around me,work, kids and life in general -- whats more this viral illness i contracted almost 2 weeks ago still lingering around. one week through my 14 days Clarithromycin course, i am feeling much better indeed -- alhamdulillah. the weather is beautiful and spring has definitely sprung. i just can't wait to have a BBQ picnic by the beach soon and have a pretend sunbathing session *cue sunscreen SPF150 everybody*

anyways, being under the weather prevented me from the shops *probably not a bad thing* so to have enough energy to just go round and round aimlessly looking at pretty little things, it's honestly quite nice. Mrs A and I dragged our poor little kids to the nearest shopping centre to get a couple of presents for our friend's birthday dinenr tomorrow night. i didn't really know what to get her, so i opted for a simple pendant necklace and earrings set from Debenhams. we were so focus in our mission, I swear we were so good only to fail as we entered Topshop. typical. well, actually -- i almost bought this:

image: google

but i walked away simply because i still have a few bottles of old perfumes still needed spritzing and spraying. i do like this one though. not too strong, not too sweet and i especially love the smell even more a few hours after. i love the packaging and it's apt name: Love & Luck. i have had lots of love and luck, but who says i could not do with a little bit more *hehehe*? maybe when i finally run out of perfumes, i will get my hand on this one *wink wink* but not for now. so moving on swiftly to: Topshop.

yes, this was when our focus crumbled little by little. first it was a blue chiffon batwing blouse i saw -- tried it on, decided that it was not blue enough *yes, there is such a thing*. and then all those costume jewelleries trying to seduce us but i was very loyal to my sole Topshop owl pendant i got only recently with 20% student discounts *hey mature student also can get discount okay* and then, before i even knew it, we were already trying on some Topshop eye shadows and lipglosses. and i have to say: impressive. now, now. i am no make-up expert but i do like my make-up stuff. i mostly get mine from Bobbi Brown but i also have some random Chanel quads and Laura Mercier. I especially love my baked eye shadows. anyways, back to Topshop. i tried a plum-coloured eye shadow that looked more black than plum on yours truly. i tried a few more shades -- great pigments i do have to say, easily applicable and shimmery. and then something specific caught my eyes:

not only that i crumbled at the sight of these crayons -- i even got myself 2 of those *arghh* -- a blue one, and a bronze one. not sure exactly what the colours are called but i think it's cosmic blue and somekind of bronze. so easy to apply, and they do make my eyes sparkle *hehehe*. i wanted to wear the crayon on my lower waterline so to achieve a seemingly bigger and sparkling pair of eyes. like this:

image: Stephanie Pratt

i cannot wait to try this out tomorrow.
now, where is my non-existent pair of blue contact lenses....?