Memoirs... La la la la la...

Time to sleep...

2012-01-16T22:07:00.001+08:00

Zzzzzzz... ;)

January 2012

2012-01-16T21:40:00.002+08:00

The month is already just over halfway through, practically in the blink of an eye, I must say. :) I'll need to get a few of my posts I've been working on complete and post in this little blog of mine soon. Hehehe... In the midst of hectic everyday life, time is available. It's just that I need to find the right time to concentrate on this blog. Hehe. :)

Last year, the biggest event for me was the birth of my son. This year, to take on a huge move on my Master's work is definitely one of the biggest event I need to get through with... especially with my upcoming colloquium scheduled in mid February. Yikes! :p

Last year I simply registered first to get a place at the university. With my pregnancy, I had excuses to move rather slowly with my research work. ;) Yet, now with baby out (hehehe), I have to find the time to get more on my research done. Yes, there is a big responsibility towards my son and hubby and family, work, etc, etc, etc, but I'll get through things, insyaAllah. :) I'm very lucky to have an extremely supportive hubby, family and friends.

To be honest, having a Master's degree is something I've been trying to achieve ever since I was in uni. As I was bonded to my current company, I had to serve my time first instead of directly continuing my studies. Now that I have a good chance of pursuing my dream, I'll definitely not waste the opportunity. :)

I guess it all breaks down to good (if not excellent) time management, support, hard (smart) work, perseverance, and most importantly, faith. I can do it!!! :D

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T09:39:00.000+08:00

May the year be wonderful and filled with love. :D

2011 at its end

2011-12-31T22:55:00.006+08:00

The year is coming to an end. A wonderful, "adventure"-filled, unforgettable year. Hehehe...

Pregnancy was an interesting period of time for me (early pregnancy bleeding, pregnancy induced asthma, hypertension during the 3rd trimester, holiday in Kuching, 1st time celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri with my hubby's family, etc, etc, etc. Haha!), and of course, giving birth to my son was also an unforgettable experience. Yes, labor was excruciating but the moment I saw him, all gooey and covered with blood (hehe), all the hardship & pain just went away. ;)

My smiley baby boy...happy to be going home to Kedah for the long New Year's weekend. :D See you all in 2012! :)

Work-&-Pump Mama ;)

2011-12-17T06:48:00.002+08:00

Well, I've started my journey as a "work-&-pump mama" for about a month now. Hehe...

What do I mean by "work-&-pump"? Well, it's just a term I learnt from other working mamas. Haha! It simply means, I pump out my breastmilk at work. ;)

At work, of course there are many "obstacles" in pumping as much as I want. It's a good practice to pump every few hours but it's not always achievable for me. There are days when I can pump 4 times but there are also days when I can only pump 1 or 2 times. Huhu... Well, what can I say... Work of course comes first at the office. If I don't get to pump much at the office, I'd try my best to pump a bit at home when my baby's asleep and already well fed. :)

Oh, what do I use to pump and store my breastmilk at work? Well, I have my trustworthy Medela Mini Electric pump set with my Autumnz storage set.

My Medela Mini Electric (also known as Mini-E) & Autumnz storage set - cooler bag, milk storage bottles, reusable ice packs
(image from Google search. Hehe!)

To boost my "just-enough" milk production, I've started taking supplements for about a month. It's Shaklee's Triple M breastfeeding set. Up to date, my milk production hasn't increased much but I noticed that my milk is thicker and results in my baby to be full faster (I think). I usually just manage to get about 8oz (about 240ml of breastmilk from my pumping sessions a day, which is only about twice feeding for my growing baby boy. Since I can only get two bottles a day, he has to drink formula milk as well when he's at the nanny's.

It's only been a month since I started consuming the set so for me, it's still an improvement. I will not give up so easily. Haha! So what does a Triple M set consists of?

Shaklee's Triple M Set
(images taken from Shaklee's website)

This is how I consume the set:
- Alfalfa Complex: At least 3 times a day, 2 caps each time (best taken after direct breastfeeding)
- B-Complex: Once a day, after breakfast (1 capsule)
- Energizing Soy Protein: At least twice a day, morning and night (or after direct breastfeeding)
- OsteMatrix: Once a day, after dinner or just before bed (2 capsules)
- Vita-C: Once a day, after lunch (1 capsule). I take this 2 caps a day if I have a cold.
- Vita-Lea: Once a day, after breakfast (1 capsule)

Seems a lot to consume, right? Yet, I'm ok with it as long as I can provide nutrition for my baby and myself. :) I pray that my milk production will improve but most importantly, my baby will get enough nutrition and grow healthily. :D

Another stage in life

2011-12-01T20:55:00.002+08:00

Can't believe it's already December. The final month before the year ends.

Just over a year ago, I turned from a single woman to a married woman. A few months later, I was carrying my first child, the fruit of love between my hubby and I. :) After several months of ups and downs (pregnancy swings...hehehe), our little baby was born and we were brought into another stage in life: parenthood. And now, I'm a working mama & wife. :)

In a way, I feel complete now. I've gone through several stages of life (childhood to adulthood) and now having my own little family (which I hope will keep on growing. Hehe), I feel extremely blessed.

Oh, a few more days till I need to take my son for his 3-months-old immunization injection. ;)

1433 Hijrah

2011-11-27T17:18:00.000+08:00

A new year, a new leaf...

I pray to be a better person, overall. May my son grow up to be a good Muslim & son. May my dear hubby always be wonderful like he is now. May all be well. Amiin. :)

Happy Birthday, my love! :)

2011-11-23T06:51:00.001+08:00

Today's my darling hubby's 29th birthday. Yay! ;)
Many hugs & kisses for u, abg syg, from both of us (your wife & little baby boy). :D

Friday morning

2011-11-11T09:28:00.007+08:00

Today's already Friday, which means I'll already be working soon... Soon as in this upcoming Monday! Yikes! Has it really been just over 2 months since I gave birth to my little baby boy? My maternity leave is already coming to an end? My life as a working mama is starting soon? Wow! Hehehe...

Oh, and the date today is just beautiful... 15th Zulhijjah 1432H (15.12.32) and 11th November 2011 (11.11.11). Too bad I did not realize today's the 15th of Zulhijjah. Otherwise, I might have fasted yesterday and today, as today is one of the recommended days to fast in Islam. In Islam, it is not a good practice to fast on Fridays only. It has to be with another day, either the day before or the day after.

I guess I've kind of not really thought about fasting since I'm breastfeeding my little baby boy. While breastfeeding, I need to take in a fair amount of fluid / water to ensure the consistency of my milk production. It is possible to fast, but in my case, I think I'll need to consume some supplements first as at the moment, my milk production can be classified as just enough for my baby's daily needs. In other words, I rarely get to collect / pump extra for my baby. That's why I have to feed my baby both my breastmilk and formula. Huhuhu... Gone is my wish to exclusively breastfeed my baby. :(

Nevertheless, I've just learnt the "art" of power pumping i.e. pump a few minutes-pause a few minutes-pump a few minutes-pause a few minutes for about 1 hour. Hehehe... I may still not get that much per session (1 - 2 oz), but at least I get to clear my milk out while baby's asleep. :) I hope I can properly pump my milk once I start working. Will need to find the time and place to do so, without disturbing my work and other people.

Breastfeeding / pumping breastmilk for baby is definitely not easy, but it's a joy and pleasure that's indescribable. For my little son's well-being, why not, right? :)

Oh, Adam Asyraf is such a little strong boy (says this proud mama. Hehehe). Hubby and I took him for his 2 months immunization injection on Wednesday evening. The little boy barely cried out. Just a little sound after the injection and he fell asleep all the way home from the clinic. Hehehe... By the way, Adam Asyraf weighs a healthy 5kg at age of 2 months! :D

Awake after reaching home from the clinic. :)

Sound asleep after a nice, long feed yesterday evening. :)

Chubby!

2011-11-09T12:14:00.006+08:00

Well, chubby is definitely the word to describe my little baby boy. Hehehe... Adam Asyraf is 2 months old today, and growing healthily. Yay! ;)

Baby boy dozing off after a nice, good feed. Hehehe... :D

I've started sending him to the babysitter's for a few days now, half days instead of full days (i.e. from around 8.30am till 3.30pm only, instead of 7am-7pm like when I start working again next week). So far, so good. :) He seems to be happy enough at the sitter's, who's only two levels up from my house (erm, I live in a flat. Hehe). I hope he's in good hands while I'm away at work.

To be honest, hubby and I were (still are) very concerned about where to send Adam Asyraf when we're both at work. We went surveying to a number of day cares/nurseries and inquired on babysitters who advertised their services around our flat area. Taking good care of a baby, especially newborns/infants is not a responsibility many are willing to take. Our son is extremely precious (as all parents would feel about their child, right? Hehe), so of course we wanted to make sure he's in good hands when we're not there. There are many pros and cons, on both sending a child to a nursery and to a babysitter. I guess, the only thing to be done is to try and pray for things to be alright, right?

After thinking long and hard on various matters, we decided to try sending our son to the babysitter near our house. She's a grandma of two very cute little girls, and an ex-nursery and kindergarten teacher. Very friendly too. Hehehe... Only God knows what my feelings were at the moment I left him there for the first time. Well, I still do worry, and will probably always have this worrisome feeling, every time I leave him. ;)

Till today (although only a few days), all seems to be well. He looks well fed, well dressed, and in good mood when I pick him up from the sitter's. Hehehe... So, let's pray he's taken care well of at all times. Amiin. :)

At 40 days old

2011-10-27T20:19:00.001+08:00

This photo was actually taken last week, but only managed to be posted today. Hehehe... I just love his look here. :D

The 3 of us

2011-10-27T20:05:00.005+08:00

Our first family photo... :D

Oh, hubby and I are just over 1 year married now. :) Praying for many, many more wonderful years to come. :D

44 days

2011-10-22T16:31:00.007+08:00

Alhamdulillah, my 44 days confinement period is ending today. How time flew. :)

However, with the end of the confinement period, I still need to take care of my food and drinks intake for a few more months, especially since I breastfeed my little baby boy. It'll be a bit of a challenge (as quite a number of menu that I do like to take are on the "watch list") but hopefully I will prevail. Hehehe... For the sake of my baby, a little sacrifice is not too much to be asked for, right? :)

I thought during my confinement period/maternity leave, it'd be easier to get some things done (i.e. blogging more frequently, reading journals, etc), but today just proves that time flies so quickly with the little one around. :) Whatever it is, I am thankful for everything. :)

2 weeks old

2011-09-24T12:29:00.002+08:00

Adam Asyraf turned 2 weeks old yesterday. Photo below was the only one I managed to capture yesterday, while he was sound asleep... ;)

1 week old

2011-09-16T23:03:00.004+08:00

Adam Asyraf after 1 week... :)

Erm, photo simply snapped using my mobile phone camera by the proud daddy. Do excuse the quality, ya. ;)

Our little baby boy :)

2011-09-11T22:46:00.015+08:00

Alhamdulillah, praise to the Almighty, I safely gave birth to a healthy 2.99kg baby boy at 10.19am on Friday, September 9th 2011 (09.09.2011). :D

Hubby & I weren't actually expecting to receive our little baby as fast as we did. Hehehe... The baby's EDD was actually on September 29th, but due to few complications (& God's Will), the baby just couldn't wait to meet us. Haha! :)

A couple of weeks before delivery, during my antenatal check-up, I was detected with having high blood pressure. My BP was as high as 160/110. Yikes! In addition to that, baby was already in engaged position, just waiting for time to meet the world. ;) My O&G specialist did inform hubby & I possibility of me having to deliver the baby earlier than expected due to those conditions. However, we never expected the baby would be born 3 weeks earlier than EDD.

On Thursday (08.09.2011), I noticed that my baby's movement inside my womb was almost non-existent, which was very peculiar since he's an extremely active baby. I also noticed few drops of blood with my urine when I went to the toilet twice that night. Worried sick on the possibilities of something wrong was happening, hubby & I quickly got ready and went directly to the hospital at around 11.45pm. After a few tests were conducted, I was admitted to the hospital at 1.30am.

Erm... we actually managed to snap a photo of me before leaving for the hospital that night. Maybe we knew it would be the last photo of me pregnant with our first born. Hehehe... ;)

I felt no contractions or pain throughout the night. By morning (around 9am), the doctor decided that I should be induced into labor. My opening was already 4cm, BP high, baby in position... By 9.15am, contractions began slowly and increased rapidly at around 9.45am. Doctor came in to see me at around 10.05am and baby was safely delivered at 10.19am, via assisted kiwi vacuum. :)

Adam Asyraf Bin Helman Razani, our first born child.

Photo taken at around 5.45pm on September 9th. :)

The proud parents of the little newborn. ;)
Photos taken on Saturday morning, about 24 hours after the birth of Adam Asyraf. :)

Our heartiest thanks and appreciation to all who came to visit us (both at the hospital and at home), especially our dearest family members, as well as the well wishes from friends and colleagues. Many thanks to the doctors and nurses and attendants at the hospital too, for making our first born's delivery a wonderful experience. :)

Oh, by the way, I delivered at DEMC Shah Alam, not KPMC Puchong. Why? Erm, nothing wrong with KPMC Puchong, just my preference to have a female O&G specialist instead of a male one such as at KPMC Puchong. ;)

Eid Mubarak 1432H

2011-09-06T10:24:00.004+08:00

Although it's been a week, I still want to wish everyone everywhere a wonderful and blessed Eid Mubarak. :D

Pic from Mr. Google... :)

This Eid is truly special to me, as it's my first time celebrating it with a "bigger" family - with my beloved hubby, my family, my in-laws and all. Hehehe... Next year, definitely "bigger" with the addition of my baby, insyaAllah. :D

Nuzul Quran

2011-08-18T05:52:00.003+08:00

It was Nuzul Quran yesterday, marking the day the Holy Al-Quran was brought down to mankind over 1000 years ago. It also marked the 17th day of Ramadhan. How quickly has the month passed! :)

Alhamdullillah, praise to God Almighty, I have not missed a single day of fasting. I'm praying to complete the month. :)

Up-to-date, fasting has started to take it's toll on me a bit. Maybe not really the fasting part, but the routine my baby's starting to take. Hehehe... The baby tends to be up around 3-4 am, moving quite actively and sometimes kicking too at those wee hours. Therefore, being during the fasting month, it gets a little tiresome to be woken up at around 3-4 am and then waking up to have 'sahur' (early morning meal) around 5 am. I guess, baby's just getting me ready for it's routine. Hehehe...

Ramadhan Al-Mubarak 1432H

2011-08-01T12:54:00.009+08:00

Alhamdulillah, praise and glory to the Almighty God, today's the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadhan. :)

This year, the fasting month is definitely more special to me. I am a wife and a soon-to-be mama... Hehehe... I pray the month will go smoothly, especially with me 7+ months pregnant now. Hehehe...

To all Muslims, have a wonderful and blessed Ramadhan. :D

Oh, in addition to that, a wonderful, wonderful Happy Birthday to my darling sister. It's her birthday today. Also, happy belated birthday too, to my lovely sis-in-law, who celebrated her birthday on Saturday, 30 July. Love u so much, my dearest kakaks! :D

* photo from Mr. Google :)

Finally finalized

2011-07-30T11:19:00.009+08:00

Dear Hubby and I have been contemplating quite a bit about where I'll be delivering our baby come this end September. We've been contemplating on this and that for quite some time. ;) Finally, we've finalized it on today (July 30th), which is my so-called "hospital day". Hahahaha...

So, the chosen hospital is KPMC Puchong, the nearest hospital to my house as well as ascertained to be a panel hospital for my company. Yay! Hehehe... This morning was my first antenatal check-up there. The facilities seem OK, the staffs and doctor were nice and most importantly during the check-up, my baby's doing fine and estimated to weigh 2.3 kg now (then). :D Next appointment is two weeks from now. I pray all goes well until after my delivery. :)

Next appointment was at DEMC Shah Alam, for my asthma check-up. Alhamdulillah, my asthma is getting better. Less wheezing and stuff, just a bit out of breath now and then due to my growing tummy. Hehehe... However, still need to monitor closely to avoid any complications.

Anyways, I need to complete my Kuching "babymoon" story / stories soon. The entry has been in my "Drafts" for quite some time now, but I've yet to finish it and furnish it with photos. Hehehe... Let's hope I can get the entry / entries done before I deliver my baby. Hehehehe... :D

* photos from Mr. Google :)

Jam-packed!

2011-07-04T15:45:00.002+08:00

What's jam-packed? Well, my "babymoon" with hubby, that is. Hehehe... We're at the airport now (Kuching International Airport), waiting for our flight back home. The flight's supposed to be at 4pm, but announcements have been made on the slight delay to 4.15pm, I think. Let's hope the delay won't be long. :p

Anyways, our 4-days-3-nights holiday has been wonderful. We are totally exhausted but overall, happy with our holiday. I'll post an entry later (at least!) on this wonderful, jam-packed, adventure-filled (huh??) "babymoon". ;) For now, I'm just going to patiently wait for our flight to arrive. Ciao! :D

Here we come!

2011-07-01T07:37:00.000+08:00

Hubby n I are at the LCC terminal at the moment, waiting for our flight to Kuching, Sarawak. Yay! :)
This will practically be our honeymoon (or should I affectionally call it 'babymoon' as I am pregnant?? Hehehe). We never did have a real honeymoon/holiday together since we got married last year. So,this trip is a definitely a plus for us. :)
We'll be boarding soon. Yay again! Hehehehe.. May this holiday be safe n memorable,ya. :)

It's a...

2011-06-29T20:48:00.009+08:00

... healthily growing baby! Hehehe... No, I am not going to reveal my baby's gender just yet. ;) My next ultrasound scan is due tomorrow during my check-up (entering week 27), but I won't be telling here yet about my baby's gender. Let's wait till the baby's born, ya. :)

Anyways, I was just checking on my weekly development over the Internet and I got the below illustration (and good info) from babycenter.com.

Thinking of my baby in the above position, really makes my heart melt... Aaaaww... ;)

Looking at the illustration and imagining my baby's developing at that stage and in that position, nearly made me cry. Hehehe... I've been feeling my baby's movements more and more these past few weeks, some soft and some rather strong kicking, I must admit. When the baby's really active and I am stretching myself on my back, I can even see the bumps on my tummy my baby's making from it's movements. Even my dear hubby can feel the bumps. ;) Moments like those are truly precious. :)

Pregnancy so far has been wonderful. Yes, I've been diagnosed with pregnancy-induced asthma. Yes, I have had some complications during the earlier weeks of my pregnancy (I bled quite a bit. Not spotting, I practically did bleed out like I was menstruating. Huhu). Yes, my blood sugar level was/is a bit high (I haven't mentioned about being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, have I?? Hehe). Yet, overall, the experiences so far (and more coming) have been extremely exciting and humbling. These past few weeks even more so, as my baby's movements have become more and more prominent each day. There's even a feeling like a schedule is developing / has developed... The baby's usually up and active around 6-7am, between 11.30am-1pm, around 4-5pm, and these active movements usually stops by 10.30-11pm. :)

2nd trimester is ending soon... With the coming of my 3rd trimester, things will definitely work its way faster... Baby dearest, Mama & Ayah love you so much and are patiently counting the days till you are in our arms, safe and healthy... :)

The year in half

2011-06-01T17:34:00.002+08:00

Hmmm... it's already the month of June today. Half of the year 2011 has come and gone. Wow! ;)

The 1st quarter of the year for me (February to April) has been quite a tumble here and there, since I faced quite a bit of adjusting to the 1st trimester of my pregnancy. Hehe... I didn't really experienced much morning sickness (no vomiting at all, thank goodness, but definitely lightheaded most of the time. Hehe). However, I had asthma... pregnancy induced asthma, that is. :p

Being asthma-free prior to my pregnancy, I didn't actually suspect I was having asthma attacks during the first few weeks of my pregnancy. Only after a visit to my obstetrician (who I had to consult with due to my early pregnancy bleeding...huhu) was I directed to meet another specialist about my breathing problems. Well, then was when I found out I had / have pregnancy induced asthma. Huhu...

But, all is much better now. My medication has been "downgraded" and I no longer huff and puff as much now compared to a few weeks ago. Yay! Hehehe... :)

Most importantly, my baby is growing healthily. Can't wait for my next check up session at the clinic next week to know more of my baby's progress. Yay! :D

Felt flowers

2011-05-31T00:18:00.003+08:00

I've made more felt flowers over the weekend... Here are just a few of them. :)

Cake!

2011-05-22T16:44:00.003+08:00

Just wanted to share a photo of my birthday cake (though it's a little blurry. Hehehe). Isn't it cute? "Mummy-to-be". :D

Oh, not only is the cake lovely to look at. It was also extremely delicious! :) My nieces and nephews can certainly vote on that, as they enjoyed the cake so much. Loved watching them finishing up their cake slices. :D Many thanks to my wonderful brother and sis-in-law for the scrumptious cake, ya.

Though we celebrated together a day later (on 30th April, instead of on my actual birthday on 29th April), many thanks, love, and hugs to my hubby, parents, brother, sis-in-law, nieces, sister, bro-in-law, and nephews (my family, the lot of them...hehehe) for the heartwarming celebration. I love all of you very, very much! :)

Note: My darling hubby took me out to a rather expensive dinner the night before the family celebration (on my birthday). I truly enjoyed the dinner, Abg... :)

Another note (hehe): Next year I'll be celebrating my birthday with the addition of my own child, my own little family. Yay! :D

Free time...

2011-05-22T16:22:00.005+08:00

So, what do I do during my free time these days? Back to felt crafts! Yay! Haha! It's been a long time since I've left out my hobby involving felt fabric. :) Below are just a few of my latest projects from the past couple of weeks. Hehehe...

A couple of simple tissue holders that have been hand-stitched quite badly. Hehehe... Oh, the tissue holder opens up as shown in the photo below...

Simple to make, yet very convenient and fits cozily in my handbag. ;)

My little felt flowers. Still in the midst of deciding, whether to make them into brooches or hairclips. :)

Note: Sorry for the low photo quality. Just snapped 'em using my mobile phone camera. ;)

21 weeks & counting

2011-05-17T21:15:00.002+08:00

I am at my 21st week of pregnancy. Wow! Halfway through now. Hehehe...

My baby's growing well, along with my tummy. Haha! It's wonderful to now feel the little movements inside my womb. The movements are more like little flutters, soft but can still be felt. :)

I'm also feeling much better compared to my rather tumultuous 1st trimester. Hehe... My pregnancy-induced asthma has receded, which I am extremely grateful for. My days & nights are more peaceful, compared to when I was having rather bad asthma attacks. I've never had asthma before, so, it was definitely a big shock to me when I had the attacks. Huhu...

Anyways, need to work on my Masters degree research proposal now. Oh, yes. I've enrolled for a Masters degree program, Master of Engineering (Mechanical - Materials) a few weeks ago. Well, actually, on my birthday (29 April 2011). Hehehehe... Need to submit a 5 page research proposal next Monday, so I'd better get a move on it. Wish me luck in completing a good one, ya! :)

Note: Lacking photos/images in my last few posts, ya... will need to brighten up my posts more! Hehehe... :p

Happy Labor Day! :)

2011-05-01T06:51:00.001+08:00

Have a good weekend everyone! Enjoy the long weekend, ya! :D

28!

2011-04-29T22:36:00.002+08:00

It's my 28th birthday today. Yay! The day's been wonderful. Many heartful thanks to family and friends for the lovely birthday wishes. I really appreciate them. :D

Hubby dearest, thank you so much for the wonderful dinner treat! :)

My month! :-)

2011-04-28T20:00:00.003+08:00

April's already coming to an end and I've only posted 1 entry?? Whoa... time simply flew by this month.

Today is April 28th. Tomorrow (April 29th), Prince William & Miss Kate Middleton are getting married. Hurrah! Yet, most importantly (to me) is that I'll be 28 years old. Yay! Hehehehe... Some people may not welcome the coming of their birthdays or are readily open about their true age, but I'm fine with it. With every passing year, I learn new things, experience new things, may they be good or bad, happy or sad. It's all part of life's cycle. :-)

Anyways, this year my birthday is extra special. It'll be the first time I'll be celebrating it as a wife...and... as a soon-to-be mummy! Yay again! Hahahaha... Yup! I am officially pregnant and starting to show too. Hehehe. If according to my EDD (expected due date), I'm just about 18 weeks pregnant on my birthday. :)

14 weeks now...

2011-04-01T13:00:00.003+08:00

... and another 26 more to go! :) What to? To the addition of another member of my family. Hehehehe... :D ps: Sorry. Very short post after over a month. Soon, the reasons will be revealed. ;)

Tree Top Walk @ Sungai Sedim, Kedah

2011-02-17T22:36:00.010+08:00

In November 2010, my husband and I managed to take a short trip to one of Kedah's many attractions, the Tree Top Walk at Sungai Sedim area. :)

It was actually a shortly planned trip. We were at my parents' home in Lunas for the weekend, to attend my best friend, Afifah's wedding. On Sunday before returning back home, we thought, why not go somewhere first? Due to various reasons, we were unable to go off for our honeymoon after our wedding (we just got married a couple of weeks before...hehehe). The Tree Top Walk sounded exciting. So, off we went to Sungai Sedim, which was about 45 mins drive away from my parents' place. :)

We're here! :)

Views from the bridge...so pretty! (erm, excuse the feet...just wanted to take a pic of the wire mesh and the view straight down...hehehe)

All in all, it took us almost an hour to complete the less than 1000m walk (I can't remember the exact bridge length. Huhu). It felt refreshing being up there, among the trees, the soft breeze, crisp air...pure nature. Oh, it actually drizzled a little, but that just added soft mist to the area. Wonderful!

When we got down from the bridge @ Tree Top Walk, we went to enjoy the view and immerse our feet in the cool river at the bottom of the walk. It's just so pretty and serene there. Can't wait for another chance to visit the river again and have a proper picnic. :)

Mini-honeymoon... continued...

2011-01-31T22:03:00.010+08:00

Singapore nearing Christmas was really pretty. There were festive decorations everywhere. Erm, since we didn't have anyone else to snap a photo of the two of us together, at least our feet were proof we were there... Hehehehehe... ;)

On that Friday evening, my husband and I decided we wanted to go to Sentosa Island, just for a night stroll. We wanted to get tickets to Universal Studios for Saturday, but tickets were completely sold out. Well, it was during the school holidays and Singapore was practically jam-packed with people. So, off we went to Sentosa Island.

Since it was night time, many of the attractions were already closed...but, we did manage to get our hands on a pair of tickets to the "Songs of The Sea" show. Yay!! :)

The show only lasted less than a 1/2 hour, but it was enjoyable. We were quite immersed with the whole show that we didn't really get many good photos. Hehehe... Sentosa Island is very pretty at night... the lights, the decorations, etc, etc, etc. :)

The huge Christmas tree at Vivo City. So pretty! (I seem to like using the word "pretty" this time, ya? Hehehe).

Friday was soon over and it was Saturday morning. Since we didn't get tickets to Universal Studios, we planned to just go around Singapore until it was time for us to catch our bus back to Malaysia later that night. Singapore Flyer was our first choice to start the day. :)

After getting off the Flyer, we headed towards the Olympic Youth Park, Esplanade, Merlion... all on foot. Whoa...did we really walk that day. That wasn't the end of it. We just walked and walked here and there. From Marina Bay / Esplanade to Bugis Street, to Arab Street, to Kampong Glam (where we performed our prayers at the mosque) and finally we walked towards Lavender Street, to wait for our bus. Fuh! How our bodies ached the next day. Hehehe...

Just a little row of shops on our walk towards Arab Street. Isn't the view just adorable? :)

So, I guess, that sums up my mini-honeymoon in Singapore. Yay! I finally finished on this. Hahahaha... I hope to go to Singapore again in the future, specifically to Universal Studios and Sentosa Island, as a whole...and for a real holiday with my loved one(s). :D

End of January

2011-01-31T21:58:00.002+08:00

January is already coming to an end, and I didn't really post anything throughout the month! Yikes! I have so much that I want to blog about, but always end up not blogging. Boohoohoo... :p
I'm gonna work on my next post (most probably the continuation of my mini honeymoon story...hehehe) and hopefully will post it up before February ends, ya! ;)

2011

2011-01-01T00:15:00.001+08:00

:)

Ps: very, very, very short post... I know. Hahaha! :p

2010... Memoirs...

2010-12-31T20:56:00.005+08:00

La la la la la... :)
The year 2010 is quickly coming to an end. I have to admit, this year has truly "flown by". ;) My biggest achievement this year was settling down, getting married to a man I love and loves me back, truly. Hehehe...

My life revolves a lot around my work, even after becoming a wife. So, when I think back of the things I've gone through in 2010, a lot of it involves my work (projects, issues, etc, etc, etc), including my overseas trip to India and Singapore. ;)

A short look back through the months (important note: work, work, work in all of 'em. Hehehe)...

January
Beginning of the year. Work, work, work
February
Love blossomed between my husband and I (we finally admitted each others feelings...hehehe)
March
He met my family. :)
He proposed before I went to India. :)
Began my work trip in India
April
End of my work trip in India
My dad's 62nd birthday! (missed it as I was India, but we celebrated after I returned the week after).
My 27th birthday!
May
Met with his family. Dup dap dup dap! Hehehe
Met with his friends. :)
My niece, Hanisah's birthday!
His sister met with my parents, to "officiate" his intent to marry me
June
My mama's 58th birthday!
I got engaged! :)
July
Wedding preparations
My sis-in-law's birthday!
August
My sis' birthday!
Fasting month, Ramadhan 1431H
September
Eidul Fitri, Syawal 1431H
Wedding dress fitting... :D
My triplet nephews', bro-in-law, and my bro's birthdays! Whoa... 5 family birthdays in a month. ;)
October
I got married! Yay! Hahahaha...
November
My best friend's wedding! :)
Very short time-out with my husband to Tree Top Walk, Sedim, Kedah. :) (Will find time to blog about that soon, after my mini honeymoon story completes...hehehe)
My husband's 28th birthday! Love u so much, Abg... Mmmmmuuuah! :D
December
Short business trip + mini honeymoon to Singapore. (part 2 of Mini Honeymoon story is currently work in progress...haha!).
My niece, Sakinah's 4th birthday!
Weddings!!! Hehehe... Quite a few weddings during the school holidays. :D

Along the way, I've gone through a multitude of emotions, the good, the bad, the ugly, the beauty, as well as the many ups and downs in life. Whatever they were, the most important, I felt love and loved in return. Syukur alhamdulillah and praise to the Almighty for everything. :)

For the soon approaching year 2011, I pray for health, happiness, prosperity and strength for all. Also, I pray for a child of my own (or can we have twins, Abg? Hehehe). :)

An advance Happy New Year 2011, everyone! :D

The Tourist

2010-12-31T02:10:00.002+08:00

(poster from Google)

A good watch. :)

I enjoyed the movie... just came back from the midnite show. Hehehehe... Off to bed...the last day of 2010 (it's 31st Dec. already!). ;)

Mini-honeymoon... Day2 (part of it...hehe)

2010-12-18T14:09:00.012+08:00

As I was on business trip, we didn't actually get to do much or go around as much as we wanted on Friday. After breakfast, I left for work and came back around 2pm to the hotel, where my husband waited patiently for me (and partially planned on our destinations during the short trip). Hehehe...

Just to note: My husband and I were too absorbed with going here & there together, that we didn't really take as many photos as one would on a holiday / honeymoon. Also, very, very few photos of the two of us together. :p Readers be informed, ya! Hehehe...

Since we weren't sure what to have for lunch and not wanting to have fast food, we had our lunch at Ayam Penyet Ria restaurant in Lucky Plaza, a few minutes walk away from the hotel.

Our scrumptious lunch for the day... Ayam penyet set for my husband, cumi-cumi penyet (baby squid) set for me (photo not available), pempek palembang (fish cakes), keropok udang & emping (prawn crackers), es kacang & es cendol. Yum! Yum! :D
*All photos taken from Ayam Penyet Ria's official website :D

After filling our tummies to the brim (haha!), my husband & I strolled along Orchard Road. The time was already 4pm, so we just walked and walked along the road. We passed by numerous shopping malls - Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City, Paragon, The Heeren, etc. All were cheerfully decorated with the coming Christmas celebrations. :)

Mini-honeymoon story...

2010-12-16T06:12:00.011+08:00

My so-called mini honeymoon was really, a mini honeymoon (9th to 11th December 2010).

Hehehe… I was actually in Singapore on a business trip. There was a testing activity by our vendor that needed a company rep’s verification i.e. me, as the test engineer. ;) Initially, it was supposed to be three people from my company (the part designer, myself as the test engineer, and my technician). However, only my name got through with the management and my colleagues were slashed from going. Huhuhu… So, this is where my husband gets into the picture. Hehehe…

To save what little budget we had (ehem…hehe), we decided to go to and fro Singapore via express bus (plus the fact that I just didn't feel like getting on a flight on my own just to go to Singapore: ~1 hr taxi ride to KLIA + 2 hrs waiting for flight + ~1 hr flight + ~30 - 45mins taxi ride to hotel...& I can't really just sleep whilst waiting alone, to avoid accidentally missing the flight...hahaha!).

As I only got confirmation about the trip on Wednesday afternoon, that night itself, my husband and I went to Bukit Jalil bus station to purchase tickets. We initially tried to purchase online tickets (Aeroline, Transtar, Firscoach, etc), but either the timing was not right or tickets were already sold out. Huhu… So, off we went to Bukit Jalil to purchase tickets over the counter. Round and round we went at the station, over various counters, but in the end, we chose Plusliner / Transnasional. Many tickets were already sold out, so we just took whatever we got. The bus was scheduled to depart from Bukit Jalil at 5.30pm and arrive at Lavender Street, Singapore at 11.30pm on Thursday, 9th December 2010. As we didn’t want to take a chance on not getting a return ticket in Singapore (due to the many “sold-out” status…huhu), we bought return tickets as well (10.00pm on Saturday, 11th December 2010)...

Skipping out on other minor details (hehehe), we arrived safely in Singapore at 11.15pm on 9th Dec. 2010. From Lavender Street, we took a taxi to our hotel, Meritus Mandarin Orchard Road.

The hotel, Meritus Mandarin a.k.a. Mandarin Orchard

(Erm, I managed to get a room at the hotel, since many other hotels (including my company's panel hotel - Holiday Inn Park View) were fully booked and this hotel offered a good price, despite it's 1st class category...hehehe)

Entry to the room (on the right is the wardrobe)

The extremely comfy bed (King size!)

View of the entryway...

The wardrobe, equipped with a safe, iron & ironing board, room slippers & robes for two. :)

The shower. :)

The tub (I love it! Hehehe)

View from the room. As it was after 12am, night lights were not as bright... ;)

So, end of Day 1 of mini-honeymoon... :)

Singapore 2010...

2010-12-13T00:35:00.002+08:00

... my so-called mini honeymoon with hubby. Yay! :)

More weddings! :D

2010-12-07T14:59:00.008+08:00

It's the school holidays season and weddings are definitely in the air. Hehehe... My cousin, Abg. Muhsin's wedding reception was held on 28th Nov. 2010, while hubby's aunt, MakCik Dalin (Dalina), tied the knot last Saturday, 4th Dec. 2010. Lovely! :)

Abg. Muhsin & his beautiful bride, Bazilah

Family photo: Kak Muna (groom's eldest sis) standing beside the groom, MakTeh Zawariah sitting in front of the groom, Abg. Mursyid (groom's older bro) with his daughter Alisha & wife, Fara, and the groom's mother, my aunt MakLang Zaleha. :)

- Wedding reception at Abg. Muhsin's family home in Kuala Kangsar (I totally love the silver theme, which I totally matched with my engagement dress...hehehe... too bad I forgot to take a photo of myself throughout the reception. Hehe!)

The bride waiting for her groom... :D

The gorgeous MakCik Dalin & Pakcik Azlan (with Makcik Dalin's sons, Qairan & Qaif)

- Wedding reception was held at Jeram, Kuala Selangor. Pakcik Azlan's reception will be on this Saturday (11th Dec. 2010 in Merbok, Kedah)

Oh, hubby & I went to Abg. Muhsin's reception with my sister's family i.e. with the triplets. Haha! We (the 7 of us) managed to fit in rather comfortably in my hubby's Grand Livina. :) Here's a couple of pics of my sis' family seated in the 2nd and 3rd row seats...

Erm... I couldn't manage to take better pics, since I just turned myself around in the car to snap the pics. Hehe... Oh! Below's one of my fave pics from Abg. Muhsin's reception... My nieces, Hanisah, Alisha (Abg. Mursyid's baby gal), and Sakinah. Pretty, cheerful lil' gals! :D

There's like at least another 2 weddings by the end of the year, that I'd love to attend. My officemates, Zuhdi (who's also my uni. junior) & Azlin's reception on 25th Dec. 2010 (Alor Setar, Kedah) and Md. Noor & Anis on 26th Dec. 2010 (in Gemencheh, Negeri Sembilan). Hmm...the two venues are pretty much in opposite directions from one another. Let's hope I'll manage to attend both, since both of them made way to attend my wedding reception in Kedah. :)

1 Muharram 1432 Hijrah

2010-12-07T10:33:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah, praise to the Almighty. Another year has passed and I am still alive.

Alhamdulillah. A new year, a new leaf in my book of life. :)

Mama Kembar 3 Buat Giveaway, Yay!

2010-12-07T10:15:00.003+08:00

Yup! My sis is having a giveaway... & the prizes are fabolous - heavenly sweet scented Victoria's Secret products and cute & convenient Travel Telekung! Click on the pic below for more info. :)

I'm tagging the lovely LadyNaza, the cheerful aNgAh_aLiFaH, & new friend Sha. :)

Too bad I can't join...since itsybitsysecrets is "co-owned" by me... :p Hehehehe... Hmm, will think of something to giveaway as well, after this giveaway is closed (& depending on the response this time)... ;)

Good luck, peeps! :D

December

2010-12-01T20:52:00.002+08:00

The year seems to pass too quickly. I can hardly believe it that it's already December 2010! Yikes! Where has all the time gone? Hahaha... Well, this year has been exceptionally full for me, with the biggest event being my wedding. Hehehe... :)
There's so much I want to blog about, but all needs good timing. Will definitely post more sometime soon.

*I'm actually feeling a little under at the moment... Runny nose + ache in my head + my faithful monthly cramps. :p Huhuhu...

Hubby's birthday!

2010-11-23T23:37:00.001+08:00

Nov. 23rd, 2010... Happy 28th birthday, my love~ ;)

Love

2010-11-22T23:38:00.001+08:00

Us... :D

My best friend's wedding

2010-11-21T23:05:00.003+08:00

Although a little overdue, but here's a photo taken from my best friend's wedding, dated November 6th 2010.

My lovely friend, Afifah & her hubby, Suhaili

We (hubby & I, plus my parents...hehe) got to the mosque just in time to witness their solemnization. Fuh! Haha! :) I wish her & her hubby all the happiness & blessings. May their marriage always be blessed. Love u, Ifah! :D

ps: I simply heart her flower bouquet of fresh roses. Beautiful! :D

Hari Raya Qurban 1431H

2010-11-17T12:55:00.001+08:00

It's a festive day today for Muslims around the world. Alhamdulillah, I am able to still be here today, and with my loved one. It's our first raya together. Hehehe... Getting ready to go over to my brother's house. :D

Syukur alhamdulillah

2010-10-29T10:04:00.006+08:00

Praise to the Almighty, I am now a wife to the man I love dearly. :) My solemnization & wedding reception took place last Sunday, October 24th 2010. Overall, the event went smoothly, alhamdulillah. Below are some of the unofficial photos, taken by one of my hubby's best friends (official photos from professional photographer will be shared another time...hehehe)...

My family members at my solemnization, with the triplets being as "quiet" as they can. Hehehe... ;)

Part of hubby's family members. Even his aged grandma came, which made me really happy. :)

The two of us, officially husband & wife... :)

These photos were taken after my solemnization. Wedding reception photos? Another entry, ya. ;)

Tomorrow's the day!

2010-10-23T06:57:00.001+08:00

It's Saturday morning...just over 24hrs more till my solemnization! ;)

Dub dab dub dab

2010-10-17T10:32:00.002+08:00

This time next week, I'll be at the mosque, waiting to be married, waiting for my fiance to say the right words to make us husband & wife. Yikes! Hehehe...

Am I prepared to be a married woman?? I don't really cook well, do housekeeping that well...well, not yet. Hehehe... Erm, not too sure about being fully prepared for it, but I'm definitely gonna give it my best. Hehehe...

I've been living on my own for so long, being single all this time. To share my life with someone (package includes families & friends too! Haha!) is indeed a huge step in life, right? Well, I'm willing to give it a go, and so is he. I'm sure it won't always be sugary sweet, the eternal sunshine with happy smiles all the time, but well, that's part of marriage. :)

The Wedding Invitation Card...

2010-10-16T07:17:00.001+08:00

The black-&-white artwork... :)

Too bad the beautiful olive-green with silver scribbles can

10 more days...

2010-10-14T18:52:00.001+08:00

...till I'm no longer a single woman... ;)

Pretty pic

2010-10-08T13:32:00.003+08:00

It's just too pretty. A swan at Serpentine Lake, London (pic courtesy of my lovely colleague, Zanita, who went to the UK with her son a couple of months ago).

Psst: Notice the shape made by the swan?? A heart! (Suddenly reminded of that song, which goes "Love is in the air... Everywhere I look around..." Haha! Well, love is definitely in my air!) Hehehe...

October

2010-10-02T08:39:00.004+08:00

...already??? This is my wedding month... Yikes! :p Hehehe...

I've still to hand-out / distribute (post) my wedding invitation cards. Need to post to my FB as well, since I'm running out of cards (erm, over-distributed at my workplace...haha!). Although I know most of my colleagues or work acquantaintences will not be able to attend my wedding (a bit far from here...my hometown is 4hrs drive away), I just felt it better to hand them my cards, to still invite them as we've worked together for some time now. Same goes to a number of my friends. :)

My theme... off-white & green... Not exactly like in the pic, but just wanted to put it up. Hehe... ;)

Oh, the card... ;)
The envelope is white, with olive green lettering and design. While, the card itself is olive green in color with silver lettering and design (embossed). It's actually quite glossy, but not well captured in the pic. Simple, but still nice, right? :) (Do excuse the bad photography, ya...)

Erm...just realized the post office's closed today, as it's the 1st Saturday of the month. Huhu... So, guess I'll have to wait till Monday to post the cards (since I haven't got the stamps yet. :p)

Raya! Raya! Raya! Part 2...

2010-10-02T07:51:00.013+08:00

In the midst of preparation, as food just arrived... Yum! Yum! Looking at the pic, just realized that the 3 of us (myself, Kak Liza, Razman) at the table were in shades of pink! Hehehe...

Some of the menu for the event. :) Mouth-watering watermelon, delicious festive cookies (traditional & modern ones), lemang, roti jala... Yum, yum, yum! :D

Preparation got done earlier than expected (by 3.30pm. The event was scheduled to start at 4pm, when everyone available that day, is available. Hehe). So, everyone back to their own work first, before the event officially begins... Well, work still needs to get done, right? ;)

Arrival of the engineers, led by our Manager, En. Rahim (smartly dressed in full Baju Melayu attire)... Hehehe... We didn't actually plan our arrival from the upstairs office to be in a flock, like this... It just happened that we were all at the office and En. Rahim led us all to the lab downstairs. Haha!

In the previous post, pic of the ladies were posted. Now, here's a pic of the men of System Testing. :) Almost all of them were there, minus a few. :)

Oh, we also mass-celebrated (is that the correct expression?? Hehe) August and September's birthdays that day. Aren't the cupcakes just lovely? (after tasting, also yummy!) Oh, simply chose the "football field" theme as only the "boys" celebrated their birthdays within those two months. Hehehe...

Well, the event was a success, in my honest opinion. Everything went on nicely. Slight hiccups here and there, but nothing significant. :)

Selamat Hari Raya, everyone! :D

Raya! Raya! Raya!

2010-09-27T22:44:00.004+08:00

My office held a special raya celebration on last Friday... In a nutshell, it was fabulous! Hehehe... The event was practically simple, but the people made it so much fun. :)

Isn't the cake just lovely? Oh, System Testing is the name of my section...a part of PROTON's Testing Department. :)

The ladies (minus 1, who was at a meeting at that time)...

L to R: Juliana, Mimi, Laila, Me, Samihah, Liza, Alia, Mas, Nuruz (missing is Zanita)

More to come in the next entry. :D

Midnight...

2010-09-26T18:13:00.005+08:00

No, it's not midnight yet at the moment... far from it, actually. Hehehe...

What I'm referring to is that I am in love with Victoria's Secret's Limited Edition Midnight Garden Collection (scents)! The tagline (I assume), "Magic in the shadows. Mystery in the moonlight" definitely caught my eyes. :) There are 3 midnight accentuated scents - Love Spell, Amber Passion, and Pure Seduction.

Love Spell - A lavishly lush blend of cherry blossom, muguet, red apple and Georgia peach, with hints of tamarind and blondewood.
Love Spell Midnight - Dark. Mesmerizing. a rich, velvety twist on the luminous blossoms of Love Spell, warmed by a soft embrace of vanilla.

Amber Passion - A warm, alluring blend of black cherry, créme anglaise and sandalwood.
Amber Passion Midnight - Enchanting. Mysterious. A sweet, succulent twist on the creamy richness of Amber Romance, heated by the sensuality of musk.

Pure Seduction - An enticing blend of casaba melon, plum and freesia.
Pure Seduction Midnight - Sensual. Captivating. A deep, sultry twist on the luscious fruits of Pure Seduction, enveloped by the provocative warmth of woods.

The packaging itself looks yummy enough to me. Sleek, elegant, provocative, sultry. ;)

My sister is taking pre-orders for the collection (body mist & body lotion), which she'll soon update the details on our blogshop (itsybitsysecrets.blogspot.com). I definitely want a set for myself, at least! Hehehe... ;)

* All descriptions taken from Victoria's Secret's website.

Chubby!

2010-09-26T10:32:00.002+08:00

Well, both of us look chubby in the pic... me and my then-6-mths-old niece, Hanisah. Hehehe... Erm, but I'm still chubby now too... haha! :p Hanisah was born on May 5th, 2005 (05.05.05). The pic was taken sometime in Nov. 2005, I think. (I've just taken off my permanent braces at that time...)...

* Erm, I'm rather in the mood to post entries to my blog this morning, aren't I?? Hehehe...

Green!

2010-09-26T10:16:00.003+08:00

Just a random photo snapped from my car a few months back, on a road somewhere in Selangor. Love the feeling of calmness it exudes (to me, anyways...hehehe). :)

evil??

2010-09-26T08:59:00.004+08:00

Well, "evil" is definitely the word to summarize the movies I've recently watched - "Resident Evil - Afterlife" and "Devil". Haha! ;)

Though I don't play the game, I've been following the series of Resident Evil movies for years now. The movie can be rather gory (all Resident Evil movies are. Haha!), but I still love it. Milla Jovovich rocks as Alice. Yeah! Hehehe... Didn't watch "Afterlife" in 3D, though. As I wear glasses, it's not too comfy to put on the 3D glasses over my glasses. The whole 3D experience would be ruined anyways. :p

Another of M. Night Shyamalan's movies, "Devil", the first in his "The Night Chronicles".

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. There were definitely moments of shock and surprise, suspense, thrills... I can't wait for more of the chronicles. ;)

* Erm, as usual, I googled for the images. ;)

Sis has a personal blog! ^_^

2010-09-26T08:24:00.004+08:00

My sister has finally created her own personal blog... Yay! And what is it all mainly about? Well, her heroes, of course (erm, including her hubby too)! Haha!

mamakembar3.blogspot.com

The triplets have definitely impacted many peoples' lives, other than my sister, her hubby and us all (family). Hehehe... It's just a wonderful feeling, and a forever abundance of gratefulness to the Almighty for such a gift. :)

I am forever amazed at how my sis and her hubby manages with the boys, now as they grow more and more cheeky, and definitely more lovable! Hehehe... Everyday life is a multitude of experiences with them. :D

PS: Wish I have more photos to upload in my entries, like my sis. Her blog's so cheerful with photos of the boys! :D Hmm... will have to make my life more colorful too... Hehehe... ;)

Lovey dovey!

2010-09-26T08:01:00.005+08:00

How cute is this template?? Hehehe... Like my entry title, I'm feeling lovey dovey these days, as I get closer to my wedding date. Haha! So, why not change my blog's template to the way I'm feeling these days? ;)

I can hardly believe it that I'm getting married in less than a month... Yikes! Hehehe... I need to get a move on with my wedding invitation cards. Up-to-date, only office mates and few friends have received them. Collecting addresses of others, so I can get my cards posted out by end of next week. :)
Preview to my wedding dress, off-white base with green beads... Like there's much to see! Haha! ;) I snapped a photo of the dress using my mobile phone camera, before trying it on during my fitting session over a week ago (last Saturday, to be exact). Hence, the rather blurry photo. :) I absolutely love the dress. It's actually pretty simple, some might say. But, I just adore it. :)

* So much more cute templates at http://www.leeloublogs.blogspot.com/ :D

Exactly...

2010-09-24T19:10:00.001+08:00

30 days to go! ;)

Distribution time

2010-09-21T00:12:00.002+08:00

It felt a little funny earlier at the office, when I began distributing my wedding invitation cards... Hehehe... I've always been at the receiving end up till now. So, it felt a little weird handing out my card to others. Hehehe... But, it definitely felt good, and slightly humbling, I guess. :)

OK, off to bed... past midnite already... Zzzzzzzzzz... :)

Holiday's over!

2010-09-19T23:55:00.001+08:00

After almost 2 weeks of break from work (12 days, to be exact...haha!), need to find the will & strength to get back to work tomorrow... :p

Counting the days...

2010-09-17T13:47:00.007+08:00

...till my wedding! Hehehe... I'm getting married on October 24th, 2010. :)

Today's the 17th of September... So, including today, just another 38 days left till the big day. Yikes! Hehehe... I'm in a jumble of emotions and thoughts. Of course I'm ecstatic, grateful, etc, etc, etc, but at the same time, nervous, scared...just a mix of this and that. Haha!

Marriage is a HUGE step in life...but I'm open to all it has to offer. May God bless my marriage and the family I'll build with my love. May the relationship between both families, mine and my fiance-who-is-soon-to-be-my-hubby (hehehe), be blessed as well.

I'm going for my wedding dress fitting tomorrow. That's why I'm suddenly thinking of the number of days till the wedding. Hehehe... The theme will be off-white with green. (Green is my fave color, ya.. Hehe). I've seen the dress, and I just adore it. Let's hope I've not gained too much weight from eating so much festive food, to fit into my wedding dress tomorrow. Hehe! ;)

Eid Mubarak 1431 Hijrah

2010-09-17T13:23:00.008+08:00

It's already the 8th day in the month of Syawal... How time flies! :) A wonderful eid mubarak wishes to all Muslims, around the world. Last Friday marked the end of Ramadhan and the beginning of Syawal. Aidilfitri this year has been wonderful...havoc with my nieces and nephews but extremely wonderful. :D

My lovely parents with my beautiful nieces, 5 yr old Hanisah & soon-to-be 4 yr old Sakinah, on the 1st day of Raya... :)

The girls and their Mak Usu (me! Hehehe...) :)

My sister and her heroes (her hubby & triplet boys...hehehe) only came back on the 2nd day of Aidilfitri...

The empty carbonated drink bottles seem to be such great sources of fun for the boys. U can shake it, hit it, use it for "sword play", and so much more! Hehehehe... Well, anything as the cheeky little boys are happy. ;)

September's arrived!

2010-09-01T00:15:00.003+08:00

Oh, time really does fly... It's already September, the year's already 2/3 gone! ;)

Merdeka!

2010-08-31T07:15:00.003+08:00

It's August 31st, 2010... 53 years of independence of Malaysia. Through thick and thin, through ups and downs, Malaysians everywhere remember this date. :D

I've lived abroad in my life before, enjoyed my stay there and loved the experiences I've been blessed with. Yet, nothing beats being back home, to my Malaysia. :)

Malaysia's not perfect, but it's where I belong to. :)

Happy Independence Day, Malaysia! :D

"Lost" by Anouk

2010-08-22T08:23:00.001+08:00

If roses are meant to be red
And violets to be blue
Why isn't my heart meant for you

My hands longing to touch you
But I can barely breathe
Starry eyes that make me melt
Right in front of me

Lost in this world
I even get lost in this song
And when the lights go down
That is where I'll be found

This music's irresistible
Your voice makes my skin crawl
Innocent and pure
I guess you heard it all before

Mister inaccessible
Will this ever change
One thing that remains the same
You're still a picture in a frame

Lost in this world
I even get lost in this song
And when the lights go down
That is where I'll be found

I get lost in this world
I get lost in your eyes
And when the lights go down
That's where I'll be found
Yeah yeah

I get lost in this world
I get lost in your eyes
And when the lights go down
Am I the only one
Ooh...

The song's absolutely beautiful... Anouk's voice is beautiful... Just a beautiful song...love it... :)

Ramadhan 1431H

2010-08-18T18:39:00.002+08:00

...came so quickly. :) Alhamdulillah, God has graced me with life, being able to welcome another blessed month of Ramadhan. :) It's already been over a week since the beginning of Ramadhan. How fast time flies...
May God grace me with meeting more Ramadhans to come. :)

Marc...

2010-08-09T18:44:00.003+08:00

I was lucky enough last week, when I got the chance to visit Ismene's (a consultant from Spain) apartment near KLCC (very, very near to KLCC...walking distance!). The building is called 'Marc". :)

It's absolutely cozy. The single room apartment is located on the top floor, 35th floor, with a stunning view of Kuala Lumpur. It had all the basic amenities. The living room was just comfy in size, with a soft sofa, glass table, cute bookshelves, and hi-tech entertainment system. There's also a little kitchen attached to it, with a small dining table for 4. There's also laundry room, equipped with a washing machine and dryer. I love the bathroom. ;) It's practically spacious...hehehe...with a nice little tub and shower and all.

Yet, best of all, I simply love the view. Being on the top floor, the main advantage is having a really, really nice balcony. Hehehe... Here are some photos I took from the balcony (erm, took the pics shakily with my mobile phone camera, since I'm actually afraid of heights. Hehe)...

Isn't the view lovely?? :)

Cakes...

2010-08-07T11:54:00.005+08:00

...from my lovely sisters' birthday celebration. :)

My sister's (yummy choc cheese!)

My sister-in-law's (delicious choc banana!)

I didn't actually mean to buy choc cakes for both of 'em, but the cakes looked just soooo yummy (and they really were!), I just had to buy them both... Hehehe...

Oh, love this pic...the triplets giving their mama birthday kisses... Sweet! :D

We want cake, mama!!! Haha! ;)

One of my fave...

2010-08-02T00:32:00.003+08:00

Made this a couple of weeks ago... just playing around with what resources I had then. Just too cute! :)

August already??

2010-08-02T00:06:00.002+08:00

That's what I thought a couple of days ago... Hehehe... Time really seems to fly bythis year. So quickly has January come and gone, and the rest of the months seem to just flew by, and it's now August. ;) (The wonderful month of Ramadhan is coming soon... Yay!!)

So many, many things have happened up-to-date. Getting worked up with (and enjoying...yes...enjoying...hehe) work, falling in love, getting engaged, and soon, getting married! Hehe... Maybe the best thing so far is the falling in love part. Haha!

After so long, I've finally found me a someone special, my other half. :) He makes me happy, lovey dovey, compassionate, grateful, emotional, sometimes touchy, angry, and just about everything (the whole package)! ;) We're simply two different, imperfect people, but we complement each other. That's what I think, anyways. :)

Anyways, this weekend was all about celebrating my sisters' birthdays. Yay! My parents came all the way from Kedah to my brother's house in Seri Kembangan (about 4-5 hours drive away) on Friday for Saturday's celebration. :) My sis-in-law's birthday was actually on Friday (30 July), while my sis' 1 August, which is today, or should I say yesterday (hehe). So, to make it simple, we celebrated it in between the dates, on 31 July. :) It was a wonderful family gathering. My family is small in number. There's only us 3 siblings (my brother, my sister and myself)...plus the kids, which makes the current total of 7 adults and 5 kids. It was a really cozy feeling. Just us... I wished my fiance could join us, but he himself had his own family gathering. I couldn't be with him, and he couldn't be with me. Still, it felt OK, as our families were kept happy...so we're happy too. :)

Other than that, I did manage to go to a warehouse sale on Saturday morning... It was Alliance Cosmetics Warehouse Sale, where I got some nice make-up by Silky Girl and Revlon. A few lipsticks, lip balm, lip gloss, eyeshadow, etc...all under RM100 and at least a couple of years before expiring (checked the product's manufacturing/expiry dates before purchasing). Yay! :) Oh, I've managed to get some more of my handmade stuff going too. More lovely little brooches. Can't upload any photos at the moment, since my camera's totally out of battery and I need to charge it first (the battery's completely exhausted, the camera won't even turn on even when I connect the USB to my laptop here...hehe).

It's almost 12.30am now. I've been typing out this post whilst checking my mail and Facebook...hehehe... Working in the morning, so I'd better get some shut eye now. :)

Current state of mind...

2010-07-21T20:54:00.003+08:00

...happy! Haha! :)

Well, other than the fact I'm a little unwell today, overall, I'm in a happy state. Woke up with a thumping headache this morning, and soon slightly feverish. Had to skip work (coz if I did go to work, I still wouldn't be able to get much done with my then sickly condition). Just feeling a bit better now, checking my mails and sorts... That's that for this post then, coz I can't look at the monitor for too long or my head starts to thump again. Boohoohoo... :p

The Saga Continues...

2010-07-09T00:24:00.003+08:00

Eclipse...

Watched the movie last night. Enjoyed it, like I enjoyed the other two (Twilight & New Moon). :)

mybakeryna

2010-07-01T23:01:00.000+08:00

I love, love, love my engagement cake...

It's official...

2010-06-29T19:15:00.003+08:00

... I'm engaged! Yay! Hehehe...

A date to remember... Saturday, June 26th, 2010 (13 Rejab 1431 Hijrah).

A few more days...

2010-06-22T00:28:00.002+08:00

...before something life-changing is about to happen... :)

Baby baby baby ooooo....

2010-06-22T00:07:00.001+08:00

It's been months and the song's still stuck in my head... Aiyayayai! ;)

ps: The song's "Baby" by Justin Bieber

Time to change

2010-06-18T23:47:00.001+08:00

I just love the new designer templates Blogger is offering. This template I'm using is just one of my fave's at the moment... :)

Anyways, I'm having mixed emotions and feelings these past weeks. Happy, sad, overjoyed, fatigue... all can be felt at the same time. Overall, I think everything's pretty balanced. Every time I'm feeling down about something, another picks me right up. :)

Quando quando quando (Tell Me When)

2010-06-06T00:22:00.003+08:00

First heard this song when I was a little girl, at home with my parents. It was sung by Engelbert Humperdinck. A few years ago, heard it again, sung beautifully by Michael Buble and Nelly Furtado...

Tell me when will you be mine
Tell me quando quando quando
We can share a love divine
Please don't make me wait again

When will you say yes to me
Tell me quando quando quando
You mean happiness to me
Oh my love please tell me when

Every moments a day
Every day seems a lifetime
Let me show you the way
To a joy beyond compare

I can't wait a moment more
Tell me quando quando quando
Say it's me that you adore
And then darling tell me when

Every moments a day
Every day seems a lifetime
Let me show you the way
To a joy beyond compare

I can't wait a moment more
Tell me quando quando quando
Say its me that you adore
And then darling tell me when

Whoa lover tell me when
Oh darling tell me when
Oh come on tell me when
Yea tell me when...

The song's extremely laid back. Love it! (& definitely soothing to a lovestruck heart! Hehehe) ;)

In the hood??

2010-06-06T00:06:00.004+08:00

I've finally watched the movie "Robin Hood" the other day. Russell Crowe as Robin Hood...nice. :D Hehehe... Thought I would miss out on the movie, since it's been out for some time in the theaters. But, luckily enough, managed to get tickets to the evening show. :)

*Googled for the poster... hehe...

Anyways, had a wonderful weekend, last week, that is. Hehe... After 5 months, I finally went back home to Kedah. Yay! My parents have been coming over here for the past few months, that I didn't realize that it's been close to half a year since I've been back home. Huhuhu... Time really does fly... Whatever it is, quality time with my parents, with my family, is always precious.

Movie times...

2010-05-28T10:19:00.002+08:00

Shrek Forever After & Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time... Yay! :)

I enjoyed both movies, quite a bit. Hehehe... Googled for the posters below... ;)

A passing...

2010-05-11T13:52:00.001+08:00

A friend informed me, one of my ex-lecturers passed away on Sunday. :(

Despite certain misunderstandings we had some time ago, we parted in pretty good terms the last time I saw him. For that, I am glad. If we had parted badly, I would feel worse about it.

He will definitely be missed... He was one of the lecturers that ignited my interest to pursue Materials Engineering whilst I was in uni. For that too, I am glad and grateful to him.

111th!

2010-05-10T14:21:00.004+08:00

It's my 111th post! :D Nothing special... I just like the repetitiveness of the numbers. ;)

It's freezing cold at the office. Bbbrrrrrr... The air-conditioning seems to be extra cool (cold!) today. I've already put on my jacket, but my fingers are close to numb. Yikes! :p

Anyways, I've just watched Iron Man 2 last night. Not bad... hehehe... I enjoyed the movie... Still prefer the first one, but the 2nd one's not bad. :)

I like this poster...took it off the net. ;)

Reading...

2010-05-03T23:54:00.001+08:00

Harlan Coben's "No Second Chance"... Nice. ;)

"Mass" celebration! ;)

2010-05-02T22:00:00.003+08:00

Friday was a particularly good day. Why?? Maybe because the office celebrated my birthday this year. Hehehe... Well, not just mine, but the office's so-called "April babies". There are 5 of us "April babies": Mazlan (20 April), En. Rahim & Nizam (24 april), Nuruz (26 April) and me (29 April).

R to L: Mazlan (from Strength Lab), Nizam (from Safety Lab), En. Rahim (our manager), Nuruz (from Electrical lab), me (Material Lab). Thanks to Izani for the photo. :)

Just realized something about the photo...our positions (from R to L) are according to birthdates! Earliest to latest! Hehe. Nice one.

Itsy bitsy secrets

2010-05-02T08:37:00.002+08:00

I've started a simple blogshop with my sis a few months back, in January 2010, actually. ;) My sister has her stock of Secret (VS) products (body lotions, body mists, lip gloss, etc) while I have my little handmade accessories, at very reasonable prices. :) We've been selling offline, so why not try selling online too? Hehehe...

itsybitsysecrets.blogspot.com

I keep forgetting to mention it properly here. Huhu... Anyways, since I've been away to India, I've not been updating anything there. I've got a few new stuff ready. Will post 'em up soon. Need to take better pics, though! :p

Fun times

2010-05-02T08:22:00.005+08:00

L to R: Laila, Me, Nuruz, Roza, Mas... girls trip :D

My friend, Laila, posted these photos on her Facebook... I just had to take 'em, since they have me in it! Haha! Anyways, the photos were taken in early 2009, when the 5 of us girls from the office went to a couple of our friends' weddings in Kelantan. The above photo was actually taken opposite of Pasar Payang, Terengganu. We had a wonderful time then. I miss those days. Hehehe...

At Kuala Terengganu...still in our baju kurungs from the weddings. Too excited to go to the beach, we just couldn't be bothered to change first! Haha!

Shopping! At Rantau Panjang, Kelantan... We practically conquered this particular little shop. If I remember it right, each of us bought 2 pieces each, minimum! Hehe. :D

Girls, when are we gonna have another of this "JJCP" trip?? ;)

2010-05-01T07:16:00.001+08:00

Happy Labour Day! :)

India

2010-04-30T23:54:00.005+08:00

India was definitely an interesting experience. I was there from 21st March 2010 till 13th April 2010, about 25 days out of Malaysia. :)

I never really thought I'd reach India, not on my own anyways. Hehe... Work took me there (which I am extremely grateful for the opportunity)...to the northern-central areas of India. We were mainly based in Delhi, with road surveys to Jaipur and Kashipur, and the actual data acquisition actitivies taking us to northern areas of Ambala, Manali, Shimla and also to Agra, the city of Taj Mahal. Good times with a few not-so-good times were all experienced there. All in a day's work. ;)

Delhi's not that much different from Malaysia, in terms of the weather - it's hot! Hehe... However, it's dry and quite a few of the other places we went to are arid/semi-arid. Malaysia's hot and humid, while the places I went to India were mostly hot and dry. Yet, we did manage to play with snow/ice in Manali/Rohtang Pass (highlands). Hehehe...

The bustling Meena Bazaar near Jama' Masjid, Delhi

Having hot coffee along the road to Rohtang Pass, nearing the Himalayas...
Bbbbrrrr.... it was cold! :D

27

2010-04-30T18:24:00.000+08:00

Well, I am officially 27 years of age as of 11.37pm last night. Hahahaha... :D

2010-04-28T22:19:00.001+08:00

Big day tomorrow... Hehehe... :D

Lovely!

2010-04-17T13:47:00.003+08:00

Lal Quila (Red Fort), Delhi

Taj Mahal, Agra (view from Yamuna River)

Back from India!

2010-04-17T13:44:00.002+08:00

Praise to the Almighty God, I've safely arrived back in Malaysia a few days ago. After over 3 weeks of interesting experiences in the land of India, I'm glad to be back in the warmth of my home. :)

So much to share...but it will have to wait for another time... which I'm sure will be a loooooong entry! ;)

Namaste! :)

Wonderland

2010-03-14T07:36:00.002+08:00

Quite a bit has been going on these past few weeks... mainly related to work, of course, since I'm practically a workaholic! Haha! :p

Anyways, managed to still go catch "Alice In Wonderland" the other day. I enjoyed the movie quite well. A tad different from the original version (as I expected), but still enjoyable. Love the Mad Hatter! ;)

Oh, I'll be in India from 18th March till 2nd April 2010...work-related... :D