18 years full of love...

Alhamdulillah...18 years have passed and we're blessed with 3 lovely children and lots of love for each other. Looking back...I wonder how we ever made through all the obtacles together. It wasn't easy, and Allah knows...the whole period was full of testing moments for the 2 of us. Z always said that if we were to write a book on us, no one would ever believe how much we have been through. And to that, I agreed..

We almost lost each other. Almost. But Allah still wanted us to be together, so he gave Z a lot of patience to deal with me who at that point of time already stopped hoping. I thank my hubby for standing so close next to me during that difficult time and never gave up. When I was hard and cold, Z stayed on waiting. He didn't even complaint despite how I acted.

We always forget what we had until we lost it. But alhamdulillah, I came back to me senses before that happened...God knows how thankful I am today.

And I sincerely hope that our love for each other be blessed hingga ke akhir hayat, and hingga ke akhirat...We're seeing more rainbows nowadays...after the long rainy days. Hope to have more and to do more together...Ameen...

Out and about..

Gonna be busy these few days...Putri Sarah Liyana's wedding is just a few days away. And like others in the family, I have been given my special tasks...that is to be the "master" of the door gifts..hehe. And also to be the usher on the reception day.

Today, gotta run to the cake house to order the fruit tarts and make sure they are ready on Thursday evening. Then later to the bride's house to see what else I can help them with... Looks like I'll be home late, so Z shall stay home to accompany Nayli to study. Poor birthday girl, she has another 2 papers to go..Anyways, the birthday girl was already given a birthday dinner treat at Secret Recipe last nite. And Tasha gets the honour to also tompang sekaki ;-)

Not much of a celebration though..but it's the moments shared chatting, laughing and giggling together that means so much ;-)

It's new year...Ma'al Hijrah

Salam Ma'al Hijrah, it's the beginning of a new year full of hopes for me. Please ya Allah, please give me the courage and strength in this hijrah in becoming a better person...especially to YOU..my creator, to my family and to the society..

"Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light." (2:257)

002.286 On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith." Al-Qur'an, 002.286 (Al-Baqara [The Cow])

A glimpse of my November & December days

Many important things are happening in November and December.
1. Nayli's sitting for her SPM. A stressful month for her..and us too. We pray hard to Allah the Almighty to be with us all the time, and please...please let her do it with flying colours.
2. Adam has got his UPSR result..Alhamdulillah, he scored straight A's... It pays all the effort ;-)
3. Tasha's and Nayli's birthdays. Happy birthday gals, I love you with all my heart. We will celebrate next year in February in a special place, ok.
4. Our 18th anniversary is coming soon in Dec...ooh, yeah.. 18 colourful years together, Z & me. Thanks Allah swt for all the great things you've granted us during these years..
5. Got my little car in November... Although not my dream car, but this will surely drive me towards my BIG DREAM.. Yes, go girl!
6. Adam accidently broke the LCD screen of my 6 mth old Lumix camera...sighh... Checked with the service centre and the LCD is gonna cost approximately RM300... ;-(
7. Ayang's wedding. It's mama's first grand daughter's wedding and everyone's looking forward to the big event. On our part, yuppp...the lace dresses for the girls are nicely done. Superb new tailor I got here! Cheers ;-)
8. Mama's birthday - 31st Dec... mudah-mudahan mama dikurniakan kesihatan yang baik dan bahagia selalu... I love you, ma..so much. More than I love myself..

And most importantly, at this moment when I'm updating my blog...I am fueled up with energy and enthusiasm to live a better life. These few days, in between catching up with my chores to send and fetch Nayli from school...I have accomplished significant little things like planning for my business, setting new goals and spending valuable time with Z and the kids... I'm happy and thank God for what I am and the great family I have... Alhamdulillah... May this continue and make me a better person.

Colorful & lively

Too many blacks, greys and browns in my wardrobe so far...and I'm thinking of switching to some lively colours for a change. I'm attracted to these designs by Junko Shimada..they are very simple and stylish, with no sexy notes if worn with long pants. The loose cutting and legth that lands nicely below the hips, its long sleeves and high / covered necks. Just purrfect for a hijabi ;-)

Happy birthday to me..

-22 September-

Alhamdulillah,
Another year older, and I grow even bolder. Thanks to Allah swt for allowing me to live on this earth and have what and who I have now. Letting go of past rage and pain, living life and feeling sane. Life hasn't been so bad..

Thanks to my beloved hubby and children for making my life so meaningful. To my sibblings and friends who are there to listen and cheer or even cry with me. Million thanks for the birthday presents, I love them all ;-)

Z said, this is a special year. So, 2 bottles of fragrances for me as a bonus, and should last me for a long, long time ;-)

thanks for this beautiful VS make-up bag, Normie (she's my partner in crime). I likeeee

birthday cake & celebration @ the office pantry.. thanks to the gurlfriends!

Ouww, and to my loving sista...for d "you-must-take-whether-you-like-or-not" lovely Bonia mocassins.. hahaha, LOL! Will put that up too later!

Lesson learnt

That was a huge and not-so-smart (stupid?) mistake I have done that almost ruined my life again. Big mouth = disaster. And so it was, close to a disaster!

Can't help thinking about it over and over again. If love is stupid, then what's not? If jealousy is stupid, then what's not? Maybe the answer is..be modest in everything. Jangan over! But again, if speaking the truth is stupid, then what's not? Keeping my mouth shut and get hurt inside? Is that smart?

I dunno, but lesson learnt here is... use the head more, not just the heart.. Alhamdulillah, Allah showed me the way to fix things that I've screwed up. There goes my ego, down the drain. But, here I am, smiling...for I've done the craziest thing any creature in this whole wide world could have ever imagined to safe the situation.

Astaghfirullah hal Azim..

Phew...it's pretty dusty in here! Haven't stopped by for quite sometime already, I guess I better start with some cleaning, polishing and scrubbing, hahaha!

Have i been too busy? Nope... Too lazy, maybe... Ok, so let's see how I can get started again.. Hmm...

Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2010

Todays' one week of hari raya to be exact.. This year's raya hasn't been a very joyful one for me. My mum and my siblings were all away. Mama went back home to home town and my sister and brothers were all at their in-laws'.


We spent the first day of raya with Z's parents, then with his sis, aunt & cousins in Seremban. 2nd hari raya was a cool outing and shopping at Pavilion!! Tangs still had the big sale on!! Then met my chidhood friend Iza at Renaissance to collect my handbag that she kindly bought for me in Los Angeles. Iza came back with her Mat Salleh hubby, Joe for hari raya. It was a beautiful moment seeing each other again after... I think 7 years. She's still the same Iza I knew since I was 8!! She's kewl and hasn't changed a bit!

On other days, I was busy cleaning up the house. Orang kemas rumah before raya, but me on hari raya... ;-) Managed to get rid of our old junks like the magazines, computer table in Tasha's room and even Adam's old bike. The "surat khabar lama" man weighed everything up and paid us RM10 for everything!! Oh my!! We bought the bicycle for a few hundred ringgit, man!! Hahaha...what an investment we had on that bike!! So the kids got RM3 each from the jumble sale ;-) Better then nothing!

I haven't uploaded the raya photos yet...wait till the mood is recovered..in the meantime, they are safe in the camera.

At times of depression

Sometimes, every single thing that happens to us seems to be wrong. Then we get upset and depressed. Even if that happens only on ONE particular day, all the great things that we had all these years are already forgotten.. We tend to let the sadness take control.

If we come across this situation, insya Allah we'll be strong again by remembering what is said in the Quran:
"For truly with hardship comes ease. Truly with hardship comes ease" (Surat Al-Inshirah, 5-6) and;
"Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can bear" (Surat Al-Baqarah, 286).

Even IF our troubles never end, I believe these are concealed blessings and that the patience will be granted the finest returns in the afterlife. We do our best as a person and Allah will do the rest because only He knows what's best.

Beautiful wristlets

I saw these two wristlets at a shop in Ampang Point the other day and I think they are so beautiful. Great for dinner where we don't need to carry much. If I'm not wrong the size is about 5" (L) x 3" (W), just right to carry a handphone ;-)


There's a glamourous touch coz they are fully sequinned and look at the handles! Large rings to fit the wrist, instead of the usual handle..whoo, i like! From the look, I think they are made in India... Ahh! I believe my good friend there can help me to find this for me...;) hehe! After all that's what friends are for...

Adam

My poor little Adam had a prolonged fever early this month. It was a bit tricky as the temperature went yoyo every now and then even after taking his medicines. Even his gum was bleeding and he complained that his joints ached. So, on the 4th day of his fever, we took him to the specialist and... as expected, the doctor wanted a blood test to be done on him immediately. I was praying hard that it wasn't dengue fever, although the doctor said Adam had all the syptoms. He wasn't eating and was so, so weak.

Alhamdulillah, after waiting for about an hour or so..the dengue test result was negative. Doc said it was only viral fever. And Adam was given another 3 days mc, until that weekend to rest. I had almost a week of sleepless nights, making sure that his temperature is under control all the time.

And what a relief, 2 days after that...he already started singing a Hindi song for me. Hahaha..then I knew that he was alright!


Adam sleeping in the emergency room while waiting for the blood test result.

I'm feeling BLuE..

Searching for blue stuff?

Have got a few really nice ones here..

Hmmph, I don't have much blue in my wardrobe right now.. time to get'em ;-)

..I'm feeling BLuE...

Baggy pants

Baggy pants would certainly help in getting the "extra air" in our humid weather. It also allows us to move freely and stylishly in lighter weight & great comfort... Pair it with a nice top, there you go girl!






This one's by Emporio Armani


Victoria Beckham

Hubby's birthday @ home

A home-made moist chocolate cake with cute candles on it. We love you papa!



Pizzas delivered on time for dinner ;-)






Adam leading the doa, ameen...



Birthday boy enjoying his pizza ;-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LUV!

Today's Z's birthday...my hubby is another year older & wiser ;-) Wish you all the great things in life, and thanks for being there for us.

Yesterday, we finally bought him a black wallet & belt set by Pierre Cardin. It wasn't expensive but I knew he desperately needed one because it has been years since he bought one... And I knew that this one will last long enough, just like the last one he had.

We had the pizzas delivered to our home while Z was having bath after coming home from work today. Then, tarrraaaaa....comes a small chocolate cake with 3 candles (I O U) on it! It wasn't a big celebration and very impromptu, but we had a great time together and Z hasn't stopped thanking us for the "surpise"! Will post some photos later..

While I'm posting this, my darling hubby is already asleep...kekenyangan & maybe dreaming of more great things to come his way. Insya Allah, his wishes to be a better person will materialise. Happy birthday, young man. I luv you very much and will always be with you through thick and thin. May Allah bless you always...Ameen.

Ayang's Engagement

We had a joyous moment yesterday, on my niece's engagement. Ayang is 23 and just graduated in Geology (geology, mind you..a course that required this petite girl to be out in the field, studying the soil, the rocks, etc. hehe..)

So this is her special day, where all of us were there to celebrate. But before the celebration, of course there were the hard work part...angkat kerusi meja, remove the almari to put extra carpets and a lot more laa.. Me as usual, was running up and down..between helping those people and peeping at the make-up work by our "Nasha", the make-up artist...hehe!


Ayang: Work-in-progress


Beautifully done ;-)


The highlight...the presentation of the engagement ring by Nizam's mum..


Ayang gets warm kisses on the cheeks from her papa & mama


My big bro and her family ;)


My bro and her daughters giving the posts..

My nEw tOy

Thanks to my darling hubby. On Friday, I got a big surprise from him. At the point of time when I'm busy thinking what to get him for his birthday present, instead I got a present from him... It's this special thing that has been in my wish list for so long...but couldn't afford to buy. Everytime I had the chance to, I would tell myself not to...coz it's not in the toplist and I have more other important things to deal with ;-) Pendek kata, tak mampu la..

So this is my new toy ;-) It's a D90 semipro DSLR. And since I know nuts about this new toy of mine, Z has also enrolled me for the "beginner's" class at the Nikon centre in Berjaya Times Square in August. Oooh, I'm so excited.. Thanks so much, darl..i luv u ;-D

There's so much to catch up with.. to learn about setting the ISO, the apature, the shutter speed... Wadoii...kalau nak senang, just use the "auto" mode and everything's done for me ;-)

Tapi Z macam tahu2 what was in my mind, and said "jangan pulak end up pakai Auto mode.." Mmmm..tak bagi chance langsung ;-/ hehe..

Well, hopefully I will have my next posts captured using my new toy ;-)

Bali Escapade

Bali, Indonesia (18 - 20 June 2010)

This honeymoon was surely a short and sweet one. The quite moments spent together with Z was a great remedy after my work stress. Too short though, that I wished we could have stayed longer..

Since the original intention was to distress & unwind, we skipped the visits to many places due to the distance factor from one place to another. We just visited a few, like Tanah Lot, a famous "pura" or temple, about 20 minutes north of Kuta.

We only enjoyed the view of the pura from far and dared not go any closer ;-). Did some shopping at the market and had our portrait done by a Sulawesi born artist there. Hmm, nice moment..and I didn't know that Z knew so much about the Indonesian legends, the Presidents Sukarno & Suharto until I heard him chatting to Francis (the artist). Hey, my hubby's not bad at all, yeah...he reads a lot, and he reads on just anything! Unlike me, my love is LOVE, so my kind of books are..hehe..Daniel Steel's! Such a hopeless..

Then at Ubud (the center of arts), we bought a few paintings & some souvenirs for d kids ;-). There were beautiful & colorful ones everywhere...and we had a tough time choosing one! Along the way to Ubud town, there were gold and silver factories, stone carvings centers, wood carvings centers, etc. No wonder Bali has always been famous for these uniqueness..

even the pavements were nice..

Then, more shopping back in Kuta! Dresses, t-shirts, parios (can't help it, they are too nice to ignore), and shhhh...Tiffany's bracelets and ring for me. That was the highlight, hehe..

The must not miss of all in Bali was....taraaaa....the spa! We rewarded ourselves with a Balinese massage treatment at the spa, and it was a greaaaaat one! The use of aromatherapy oils, with the ancient techniques (skin rolling, kneading and stroking, acupressure and reflexology...around my body, mhhhh... really brought deep relaxation!

The best moment we had was at Jimbaran Beach, where we just walked together slowly hand in hand..watching the sunset. It's so, so beautiful and no words can describe the beauty that Allah has created for us. I'm so blessed..

We both have gone through a lot of hick-ups throughout our marriage. It is essential to have quiet moments like this once in a while to recharge... We are looking forward for sweeter and greater things ahead of us..

Black can never go wrong..

With the right accessories, black can never go wrong.. Gorgeous! Which do you like most? I love them all..

Been so long...haven't had the time to sit & keep track of my fav blogs, let alone to write. Work is killing, one deadline after another and some are overlapping... already feeling like an exhausted machine. Feel so bad for not taking leave during this school holidays, except next week. But that's for MY holiday...uhh, am I doing the right thing? I'm so sorry kiddo..

Our car broke down twice this week, yup, TWICE! The first time, we had to change I don't know what hose which seem to be overused and cost RM600. The 2nd time, that's just 2 days after.. was the battery, that costs RM250.. Saw my RM1K flew away just in split second..wadoi!
No doubt Z paid for it, but it could have been mine if not for the car..;-( should have been..

It's my sister's birthday today... and just called to wish her happy birthday. Maybe i'd get her a present in Bali..she deserves something nice ;-) Ou, and that reminds me that I need to get a special gift for Era's newborn baby boy too! And.. a Father's Day gift for my darling hubby, of course! Hulaa...that's so much to celebrate..;-)

Purple..?

Last week my tailor called to tell that our baju raya are ready. Ou, but i thought earlier she said it should be ready at end of June...so she's 1 month early, and that means i'm 1 month out of my budget (3 pairs to pay..!) I have another pair of baju sent to Dzulldeclassique that's also ready for pick up! Ou, ou! I don't know how much that one's gonna cost me ;-)

Also last week my sis called to ask if I've got new baju for Ayang's engagement ceremony in July. Proudly I said yes, already sent to tailor and ready to pick up. "Purple, right?" she asked. "No...., it's brown & peach". "Hey, the colour theme for the family is purple la dear...." Hah! Why didn't anyone tell me it's purple?? Why? ..alahai... sob sob...don't tell me I have to make another baju...
Anyways, I told my sis ...very sorry, but whatever happens, I'll be the only one wearing brown on that day +*%$# ...

Not that i don't have purple baju kurung..my last 2 year's baju raya was purple. But, so tak cool kan pakai baju lama.. I think I've worn that baju many times on many weddings already.. huuhhh...

now..should i make new one?..that would be nice...but, hmmm more $$$$$... sighhhh...

Can't wait for my next holiday... There's a lot to do at the office. The trainings, and of course all the preparation to be completed before hand. But how..? My brain is already off the hook ;-) I'm all set for the vacation, mind & soul...hahaha..

This time it will only be Z & me...time to discharge and destress. Already imagining the beaches.. the mountain view...the shopping spree...the spa....oooh la la.. Anak2 duk rumah diam2 ok, only for 3 days. Insya Allah, kalau ada rezeki...the next one will be your turn.. Anyway the kids have been so understanding & supportive. They keep on reminding us of this "honeymoon".. Alhamdulillah, they are big enough and they have each other's company...and of course the best grandma's home to go back to..hehe. Rasa guilty la jugak for having to go without them, so lately Z & i have been giving them good treats already to bribe them...hahaha, and hope it works ;-D. The last time I went on an escapade was end of last year, when I joined Z in Kota Kinabalu for 2 nites.. Tapi tak boleh nak kira how many times I called home. Missed the kids like mad!

One thing about going on holidays.. can't help myself from eyeing on new clothes. Memang ni satu perangai tak elok I, nak kena ada new clothes..at least 1! Then merapu, cari pulak matching scarves. This time, I'm also searching for a new pair of shades..with solid reasons, the place we're going is hot! So I NEED NEW SHADES. Fullstop. Hehehe, how about dat?

Ohh Bali...here we come ;-)

Trip to New Zealand

NZ Part 1

This is gonna be my long overdue diary on my last trip to NZ. I hadn't witten a single line ever since, and hope I haven't forgotten much.

I was travelling alone this time..no chance of doing it together with Z and the kids as the whole thing was quite a costly one. I wished we could go together, definitely would have been a more meaningful vacation. Anyhow, still had so much fun with my beloved big sister being my superb host there! From KL i took the Malaysian Airlines System flight direct to Auckland. Upon arriving Auckland, I had to check in for my connecting flight to Dunedin, with a short stopover at Wellington. At Dunedin airport, my sister ANA and Octavian (a handsome young Phd student from Romania) were already waiting for me..and off we go to my sister's home at Otago. It was beginning of autumn and it was a cold..cold nite.

A little bit about Otago.. it is nestled near the bottom of the South Island. Its unique character is defined by a magnificent landscape and diverse climate. My sister's house is within a walking distance to her university (Uni of Otago). Actually the town is within the university area, which is big enough to place all the necessities. You don't have to go out of the area to find big shopping malls, banks, mosque..etc. We have to walk across a botanical garden (full with beautiful, colourful roses..) to go to my sister's office. I followed my sis to the her office almost everyday when I was in Dunedin, as she was actually very busy completing her Phd thesis before returning home. And at the same time having to entertain me...Ohh, my poor sista!


Peeping through the roses at the botanical garden on my first day.



Lepak at the univ area, with the brown leaves on the ground...

Later that day, Octavian did us a favour by driving us up to Otago Peninsular that frames Dunedin’s harbour, providing a spectacular setting for unique and natural scenery. The peninsula is spectacular and visits to this area gave me the opportunity to view albatross, fur seals and penguins..live! The Royal Albatross Colony at Taiaroa Head is the only mainland breeding colony of albatross in the world!! The albatrosses are a group of large to very large birds.T hese feathered giants have the longest wingspan of any bird—up to 11 feet (3.4 meters)! They use their formidable wingspans to ride the ocean winds and sometimes to glide for hours without rest or even a flap of their wings..fuuhh! So much about the albatross!


At The Royal Albatross Centre...hehe, that's the female albatross in action..


On the way to Otago Penisular.. indahnya alam ciptaan Allah..


Peeping into the penguin hole and saw this cute little baby..


NZ is a beautiful place with lakes, mountains & rivers everywhere... For someone who lives in a highly polluted city, i appreciated every single place and the breathtaking view there! The lakes there were so, so big and endless..macam laut.

A stop at one of the largest grapevines on our way to Queensland. Tak ingat kat mana, but i think this somewhere near Cromwell..



After a few hours drive, we finally reached Wanaka..






At Queestown, the famous town in the Lord of the Rings country which placed the famous Lake Wakatipu (3rd largest lake). People come from all over the world to do bungy jumping, sky gliding (paragliding), gondola rides etc.. and for me, tadaaaaa... shopping is just heaven here!





At the skyline, for famous and unforgettable gondola ride. Absolutely fabulous view!



Macam dalam postcard...that's Queenstown from the air!







Behind me..Lake Wakatipu, sungguh wa tak tipu...and the beautiful mountain covered with snow is Mount Cook if I'm not wrong. I didn't get to go there, but my mum did when she went there earlier.

We stayed overnite in Queensland at the backpackers (my sis, her friend Hanim and me) and left on the next day to return to Dunedin. Made a few stopovers on the way back for many more beautiful pictures..

Me, under the apple tree..

At a damp..so clean and picturisque. No where you can see anything like this in Malaysia..sad to say.



I was admiring the sheeps, and they were also admiring me, obviously..haha!
That's a special post for me, from the sheeps. And, oooo..aren't they fat and cute?!


my beloved sister and me ;-)

(to be continued to Part 2)