It's time for Q&A!

My breastfeeding challenges # Part 1

2012-01-10T12:15:00.012+08:00

As much as I wanted to fully breastfeed my baby,
I have ongoing challenges I'd love to share with moms out there.

I personally think breastfeeding need 3 very basic things.
Rezeki, semangat & determination.
All the other things are just accessories
(e.g. breastpump, cooler bag, storage bottle, ice packs, etc).

And the best personal advice I could give :
Learn about your own milk & your own bodily function.
What others are giving are just guidelines!

Jiwa kacau I baca post kat Facebook moms yang buang susu because all the silly reasons. I understand if their supply are abundant or it reaches the expiry date, for me who's struggling to keep my baby on breastmilk, I've tested it to the extreme.
Trial and error. Kalo tak sedap, baby will reject. It's natural.

And those who manage to exclusively bf, do not judge a mom who couldn't. I believe they must have their own good reason having chosen not to give their love one the best option available.

So here goes my challenges.
Challenge #1: Inverted nipple.
It causes baby to have hard time latching on. Lucky it was just on one side so she can continue nursing on the other :)

Solutions:
1. Pumping will help form your nipple.
2. I'd swear by Medela Softshells/Nipple Former!! Works when you don't even know it ;)

Challenge #2: Sore nipple.
I know it's common. The fact that it hurts so much when baby suckle, I find it's soothing at the same time. Tapi sakit mmg boleh menitik air mata. Nak pump pon tak boleh. Mama told me not to wash the nipples using soap as it will dry the area and make it worse.

Solutions :
1. Nipple cream. I tried Purelan & Lanolin. Prefers Purelan ;)

2. Soft shells again!!! Love it to the max!!!
It covers the area from any contact with fabric and ensure fast healing.

3. Using the right size breastshield for pumping.
The fact that my nipples rub on the breastshield is the reason causing the sore. Thanks Nasrah for asking. I managed to find answer for her and help me heal myself ;)

Click image to enlarge.
Challenge #3: Excessive lipase in breastmilk.
It turns out my milk contain excessive lipase (enzyme to breakdown the fat in the milk for digestion) that cause the milk to smell fishy (other moms might experience soapy/metallic smell).

Initially, due to lack of knowledge and experience, I thought it was my handling that caused such faulty smelling milk. Hampir semua susu yang dibekukan hasil perahan dalam pantang berbau sangat tengik. So memang tak boleh buat stok. Susu yang disejukkan ok pulak. I think when it freezes it changes all the composition. And my baby refused to take it. Yelah, dah ada yang fresh, kenapa nak accept yang frozen kan?

Thanks to Yaya for posting that subject ;) I googled and found some moms lagi teruk. If chilled pon susu boleh tengik. So I bersyukur la sikit... heh.

Solutions:
1. It was suggested to scald the milk. Scald = panaskan dalam pan hingga naik buih2 kecik kat tepi pan, tapi jangan sampai mendidih. I did a few times and yes bau mmg kurang...
2. My baby became less fussy and agreed to take it when I was away. Haha.
3. The lipase content reduces by time I think, sbb skarang dah ok.

Get more info on lipase in breastmilk here & here.

To be continued.

So you're half a year...

2011-12-23T17:24:00.010+08:00

Dear baby girl,

I just can't believe it happens so swiftly.
I don't believe those who said you'll be a toddler
in a blink of an eye, either. Obviously I'm in denial...
I'm just so proud of you.

Look at you. All the personality & character you acquire.
Wonder whether it's from me or your father...

Not a day went by without me feeling blessed and thankful
to have you as my daughter.
I keep telling your dad how an angel you are,
from the first night we spent together.
Yes you do throw tantrums at times but I guess it compensated
all the other moment you gave us pleasure being the parents.

Gazing into your loving eyes, watching them flutter,
those generous smiles and infectious gummy grin...
There were times when I wish the clock to stop ticking...
I just want to savour the moment...
not wanting you to grow even just a tiny bit more.
But I too want to see you becoming you.
Filling all the potentials and taking in everything
life has to offer...

I want you to know I've tried my best and I'll try better.
Each and everytime.
Each and everyday.

Happy 6 months Qyrin Aulia! :)

Breastfeeding

2011-12-19T15:13:00.020+08:00

I'm back!!! Before I starts with trail of stories (and I've got PLENTY!), I guess I should get all my drafts published.

Breastfeeding is almost the most talked about topic for new mom, I guess... so just bare with me... I'm not telling you it's gonna be easy, I'm telling you it's gonna be worth it.

As a matter of fact, being able to breastfeed is a blessing. Not everybody is blessed to do so. Everybody has their own challenges & limitations. So let's not judge anybody and just do our best to provide the best for our baby. Each drop of milk dah dijanjikan pahalanya.

To exclusively breastfeed, we need to be strong - mentally & physically. Getting good support from people around us is a bonus. Dealing with the crowd who has low awareness & knowledge on exclusive breastfeeding is never easy, but the good thing is the awareness is spreading. Pekakkan telinga, butakan mata to those people who offer advises on how you should feed your baby but at the same time showing their lack of knowledge & awareness. Equip yourself with knowledge, books, pamphlet and whatever it takes to support your point and divine intention.

But please, do not freak out when somebody give some water to your newborn. I personally think, a few drops will never harm your baby. You know when it comes to a point when you have to tolerate those elderly who know more because they've been living longer, kinda situation. Banyak hati kena jaga, unless they're open minded and willing to learn, tak perlulah kita share/tunjuk pandai lebih2. After all, they 'know' better.

I'm not against formula milk, it's just that it should be our last option. Try our best to boost up the milk production, join support groups like Kumpulan Ibu Menyusu (KIM) or susuibu.com, cari petua, try everything, turn to Lactation Councillor, if you must. If all else fails, then only opt for formula. And if you are only supplementing, do not rely on it. Do you noticed on every formula milk packaging, there is a statement saying :
"Susu ibu adalah makanan terbaik untuk bayi"?
EVERY brand, EVERY packing.
Well, we should always show that to those people
who 'know' better.

Personally, I never knew it could be such a hard work to keep a pumping schedule (when you're not always working from your desk) or even waking up for the night pumping session when you're all tired from the day workload.
*Why do i sound like I'm complaining here?

Ok, my point is that it's not that easy. At least for me.
I wonder how other moms do it, always on the go, dealing with the working schedule, and yet manage to produce a heapful of EBM
to fill their deep freezer. *envy*

Again, I'm not against formula milk or those who formula feed their babies. I have my personal challenge and I will continue on the next post...

And here's something for us to ponder :
Diriwayatkan bahawa 'Amr bin Abdullah berkata kepada isterinya yang sedang menyusui anaknya -

Janganlah engkau menyusui bayimu seperti haiwan menyusui anaknya. Haiwan pun menyusui anaknya kerana kasih sayang. Akan tetapi, susuilah bayimu dengan niat mengharap redha Allah dan agar dengan air susumu ini hiduplah seorang makhluk yang mentauhidkan Allah dan beribadah kepadanya.

Petikan daripada buku Prophetic Parenting,
Cara Nabi Mendidik Anak

Going again... TONIGHT!

2011-11-19T05:41:00.004+08:00

I have not finished unpacking and yet I have to repack again. This is crazy hectic!

Touchdown Monday afternoon, reached home, did some laundry, went out to pickup t-shirts & pillowcases from vendor, masuk office kejap, mlm blk Alor Setar, reached there at dawn, packed my baby stuff to bring back home, mlm flew off back to KL. The next day masuk ofis lg settlekan a few thgs. T-shirts & pillowcase delivery (hope all you customers love 'em!!!). Unpacking, unpacking, unpacking. (will share with you about it later!)

This month boleh kira dgn jari how many days I'm with my baby. Sgt kesian... My milk production went down to zero due to fatigue, now that it's building up after a few days, I'm leaving again yet for another week. This time it's Melbourne.

Thought I'll never get there again after a week honeymoon. But of course, this time it's duty travel. I've almost maxed out my card from Seattle trip. Hope I manage to control myself this time. I'll just have to stay away from baby stores...

Anyway I have a contigency plan... I 'may' let go a few things coz I obviously overspent! Bought things I couldn't resist, lepas tu tak sanggup nak jual sbb cute sgt! Tutu beli sampai 3, sapa nak satu???

Ok, have to continue packing. Over & out!

I should start this somewhere, somehow...

2011-11-15T08:40:00.006+08:00

Watched this video on Virgin America connecting flight
from LA to Seattle.
And it got me teary and homesick stricken!
Definite a must-share!

Would wanna have something like this.
Something that 'can't wait to share these with you someday'.
Will this blogspot fit the purpose and serve us decades to come?

I shouldn't be so lazy at updating.
Let's do this moms & dads!

Sleepless in Seattle

2011-11-12T16:40:00.009+08:00

It's been more than a week but I'm still jet-lagged. It's not easy to trick our biological clock into believing we're in the same time zone. I'm still failing even after series of activity (err shopping, mostly!) to get my body weary and get myself to sleep out of exhaustion. 15 hours difference is too much to catch up. I'd better stop trying coz we're returning home in a couple of days.

Part of it is because come night time, I am all alone just watching tv. Short of activity. It was fun the 1st few days - I have the all time to myself, but come the 3rd day I'd rather spend it connecting with my love ones though it is 4 AM local time. Homesick, terribly.

And it is not even a fortnight. I feel bad the fact that I always tease A about how great it is being able to travel the world for free (having the travel expenses covered by the company), not knowing how homesick he could have been. And his travel duration is normally 4-8 weeks, my poor baby.

Credit.

Thanks Xora for sharing the video. I need to document such a beautiful clip in this blog. It very much feels like watching ourselves in there.

And leaving your lil baby is much worse!
I'm not even gonna get there!
My most favourite cupcake of all time!!!

Just a friendly reminder...

2011-11-07T13:29:00.013+08:00

Ever heard 'Google before you post' is the new
'Think before you speak'?

Jgn malas buat research dulu before you post a blog entry
or a question online.

The blog content you posted might be misleading without proper substance or basis. The question you raised probably
has been asked million times before.

Try reading this entry by amusing Mr Kahuna.
Googling the subject of your concern will give you the answers though they might not be totally accurate. At least you'll get some idea what it is all about. And if you're still confused after all the simple research, at least you'll not be posting stupid remarks. And by googling, you'll get substantial info that might be worth sharing with others. And do not forget to put your credit. Do not act as if the valuable info just popped up in that little empty head of yours.

It's annoying to see lazy bimbo acting parrot. Oops!

Her 1st flight

2011-10-31T13:11:00.008+08:00

Had to send her to my parents in Alor Setar last weekend
coz I'll be going on a duty travel for 12 days!

And we checked in a cooler box!
I thought she would be cranky due to the deferential pressure during flight. I nursed her so she can keep swallowing
and reduce the effect of pressure on the ears.
And she slept through out the journey!

I've never been apart from her longer than 12 hours ever
since she was born... I can't imagine it how it's gonna be...
Everyday I can't wait to be home cuddling her,
and she too sometimes refuse her evening nap at the babysitter's
knowing I'll be picking her up within the hours...
I really hope both of us survive this lengthy absence.

I know she'll miss me.
And one thing for sure, I know I'll miss her more.

Couple T-shirts & Pillowcases are BACK!!

2011-10-11T16:46:00.004+08:00

I'm now officially announcing that you may send in your orders
for Bride & Groom and The King & The Queen
T-shirts & Pillowcases!

For T-shirts, please click this link.

For pillowcases, email me your details to qisas.ku@gmail.com
Name :
Address :
Phone Number :
Colour :

Pillowcase price : RM 45 a pair/sepasang.
The colours are subjected to availability because I don't sew them myself. I beli sarung bantal tu... So kalo kat situ takde stok warna mcm you ordered, I have to source it somewhere else.
Bila dah jumpa, baru I can take it to the printing company
for the stamping...

Thus it might take sometime for the delivery. Payment shall be made once I found the colour that you requested.

You may order available design:

OR

Credit to Aina.

Thanks A LOT for all your supports!!!

I'm here...

2011-10-04T11:30:00.008+08:00

It's been a couple of months!
The longest break I've taken from blogging ever since.
I need this!
But I know I've promised to come back with my products updates end of last month but things are so out of hand I had to postpone.

But now I'm back to keep my promises.
My dear customers, fret not. I'll be putting the advertorial post ASAP. Just hold those emails... ;)

Motherhood is wonderful despite the never-ending to-do-list and soooo little time. I can't even sit down peacefully for a meal and let alone watching TV unless she's sleeping! And even if I could, I'd be screening through my brain whether I've checked each item on the to-do list. How come nobody ever warn me about this whole thing? Haha. I'm not complaining, though.

I love motherhood.
I love my little adorable bubble blower.
My 3-months old has started rolling and laughing heartily!

And I really gotta go, I'm sooo time-bounded ~ I can't even write or speak proper sentence. I wish I have 36 hours a day.
I'm a sleep-deprived lipas kudung...

But, I'll be back with my products updates, y'all!!

L.O.V.E

2011-07-30T18:34:00.001+08:00

My little obsession

2011-07-24T07:48:00.002+08:00

So she turned 1 month late last nite
and today we have an appointment at local KK
for our first month postnatal checkup.

I know she's been all the things I talk about these days.
I'm one of those excited first time mom~!

She's been sooo good... such an angel as her name implies.
I just pray this behavior lasted her whole life!

But I don't quite enjoy my confinement period, honestly.
I felt helpless, inadequate, secretly stressed out
(yeah, 'secretly' ~ but I know these are all due to postpartum hormones which are almost as evil as our monthly PMS)
having to stay in bed most of the time, all covered up,
limited movement and those limited choice of food.
Coz I'm used to moving all the time, everywhere, independently.
Now I'm made handicapped and it's not fun.

Until I read 'Breastfeeding : Tips for moms' posted by Fasha.
"If you are tired, your baby will be fussy and demanding.
Rest as much as you can for the first six weeks."

OKAY!!!
The only gateway is the unlimited internet access.
A and I get to skype twice a day
(being hindered by 6 hours time difference)
for him to catch a glimpse of his daughter daily development...

And I know I'll be better being all inspired.
So I turned to Pinterest.com. And I was hooked.
Thus, that is my other little obsession ;)

However, there's no latest pic of her. A brought along our camera.
And Iphone photos frustrate me big time!

Of names...

2011-07-13T07:42:00.000+08:00

Since my initial is QF and A's initial is AF, when we first talked about baby's names, we decided that we shall name our daughter(s) with QF initials and son(s) with AF.

Pastu I browse through names starting with F,
tak banyak yang berkenan...

And it occured to me, kalo our children semua boy, semua AF. Takde Q. Same goes if all were girls.
And that would be kinda unfair... :P Am i rite? :P

So I came up with a win-win situation ;)
Initials:
For son(s) AQ.
For daughter(s) QA.

I have bunch of names starting with Q that I like.
But we kinda run out of names starting with A!
Sebab semua A's siblings punya initial AA.
Same goes to his 2 nephews & 2 nieces.

Haha, that would be his part finding one.
Yang penting nama yang ada maksud yang baik.
Since we didn't know baby's gender, I have prepared names for both girl & boy. 3 of them each. Haha!
Ok, dah xyah pikir nama after this.

Qyrin (Khairin)
Good, blessing, boon, wealth, fortune.
Source

Aulia
Leader, Spirit, Angel, Friend
Source

The chronicles

2011-07-11T08:11:00.001+08:00

I figured it's more bearable reading something dry in point form.
And I'm all inspired by Sara's Life Lessons!
So here goes :

22 June 2011
1. Scrubbed the toilet floor while taking my morning shower. (Heard some says doing so will escalate the delivery… I’m all determined! ;P)

2. Filled up a bottle of air rendaman akar Siti Fatimah lent by a Chief Clerk at my office. Googled about it the day before and found that it can be drank once we hit 7th month of pregnancy.
*Do not take my words. Read the whole post.

3. Went to work. Took time off at 11 a.m for weekly checkup at KK.

4. Asked the nurse the tips for early delivery. She told me something interesting. Was planning for it later that nite ;)

5. A wanted to drop by the clinic. He was on his way to the office… (Yeah, yeah, it was 12 noon, how lucky!)

6. But I was done with the checkup. Jumped in his ride and asked him to taste the air rendaman (Yeah I brought it along…)

7. He said it was yucky. The smell it is.

8. I kept sipping.

9. Continued working. Went for Zohor prayer about 3.30 p.m. Sitting down. Felt liquid flowing. NOT gushing. No pain.

10. Continued working. Figured that my bontot basah sikit. And so my chair. Odourless & colourless. Still no pain.

11. Posted a FB status.

12. Received some feedbacks from friends doctors. Planned for check up at the hospital that nite.

13. Abis keja balik rumah masak kentang goreng. Lapar la…

14. Nasrah called. Gossiped. (sempat lagi… haha!)

15. Went to the hospital at 9.30 p.m.

16. Seluk itu sakit!!!

17. Dipasangkan alat CTG. Graf tak cantik. Nurse tanya, “Awak ada minum air selusuh ke apape? Baby macam bergolak.”

18. Saya jawab, “Err, air akar Siti Fatimah.” She looked away and said, “Kita tak galakkan…”

19. Opps!!!

20. Was admitted that nite. Masih blur.

23 June 2011
1. Contacted a friend doctor. She explained that I might be induced and it would be safe since I was already in 38 weeks.

2. Got pitocin (INDUCE drug) at 2.30 p.m.

3. Start sakit pinggang at 4.30 p.m.

4. Check up at 8.30 p.m. Seluk itu sakit!!! 2 cm opening.
Was offered the painkiller. Thought I can hold it longer so I decided I would take it later – so the effect lasted longer.

5. I figured why the doc & nurse didn't make eye contact when I blurted out, "I'll take it later. Would want to be able to sleep tonite". Yeahh, riteee.

6. Wanted painkiller at 10.30 p.m.

7. Nurse came to do CTG (procedure before giving painkiller). Graf tak cantik due to contraction. Seluk itu sakit!!! 6cm opening. Tak sempat painkiller!

8. To the labour room about 11++ p.m.

9. Dah tak sempat nak pasang segala mak nenek tiub, wire, mesin semua. Seluk itu sakit!!! Induced contraction lagi sakit!!!

10. 11.49 p.m. – I heard the sweetest baby cry.
Alhamdulillah.
p/s: Baby keluar dah tak sakit ;)

For leaking cases (more than 24 hours before delivery), memang kena admit for 48 hours to monitor the baby in case ada infection. In my case, baru je cukup 48 hours post-delivery, baby kuning pulak... So we had to continue staying for the next 3 days.

Having to stay longer than expected is demoralizing. Heh. I decided to keep quiet and just enjoy my alone time with my newborn. Sorry for all the unanswered phone calls & texts. It was handful but I gotta say I enjoyed every moment of it!

Today...

2011-07-07T17:17:00.005+08:00

... is my EDD.
But Allah answered my prayers. Baby came out 2 weeks earlier.
Kinda unexpectedly intentional on my part.
Will write about it.

A left for Swiss late at nite last Sunday for 42 days.
Packed him baby's pillow and used napkin.
Buat pengubat rindu...
Alhamdulillah. Sempat jgk he spent some time with the lil angel.
He'll be home mid Ramadhan.
And we'll get to celebrate Aidilfitri together
for the first time this year!
YAY! Can't wait!

I'm currently at my parents' up north,
completing my confinement period.
Love the fact that I'll be spending most of my Ramadhan here.
Am soooo grateful. Thanks Allah. Alhamdulillah.

Credit

I love motherhood.
And bonding moment with my baby and my mom.

It's time for Q&A...

2011-06-30T23:59:00.017+08:00

...to be parents!!!

It's been a week!
Just got discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago.
Nothing serious, really...
(will post an entry about it soon!)

Syukur ALHAMDULILLAH! We're a proud parents to this lil felon who has stolen our hearts way before we even get to meet her.

Click to enlarge.

Thanks a lot for all the wishes and doa!!!
It's been a great adventure with series of wonderful discoveries.
I'm sorry for all the late replies and late birth announcement...
It's been handful. And I found this Manifesto for Mums,
(simple guidelines that work!)
that I feel I need to share with the world.

Credit

Yeah, being a mum is the coolest thing ever!!!

Almost...

2011-06-23T21:51:00.001+08:00

Credit

Sedang menunggu masa...
Melaporkan dari wad bersalin.
Haha! Sempat lagi...
Doakan semuanya selamat.

Maternity Photoshoot

2011-06-16T11:10:00.002+08:00

Bila tgk gambar2 maternity Balkidz, rasa macam nak jugak la kan...
I don't remember capturing my baby bump officially.

So yesterday we had the most wonderful picnic on the grass.
Credit

Haha.
Click to see some of the pics @ Jabbe's Blog.
Tp it was late in the evening, matahari pon dah nak terbenam.
But Jabbe did a great job!
Thanks Jabbe!
Thanks Balkidz jgk secara tak langsung! ;D

Pregnancy Part 2

2011-06-14T16:11:00.017+08:00

WeightMy food aversion caused me to lose a bunch of kilos, more like back to my wedding weight tp tak la nampak kurus pon... *Ok, semua org mmg akan gemuk sikit kan awal2 kawen tu... Hehe. I'm blessed with extra fat on certain part of my body and pregnancy causes the fat tissues to expand. Tempat yg I harap gemuk tak pulak expand. Ciss.

Currently I've piled up about 10 kg from pre-preggy weight.

CheckupsI'd say go for both (private & klinik kerajaan) if it is convenient for you. Klinik Kesihatan (KK) Presint 3 is just 5 minutes walking distance from my office. Thus, I guess I shall not disregard the facility. Lagipon it is not as congested as other KK... I normally go on Wednesdays or Thursdays coz I heard Mondays & Tuesdays are quite jammed packed.

But here are the cons at KK: normally it takes 2 hours to complete the whole process, hubby tak boleh masuk during checkup, some nurses are not so experienced or nice, etc. But I like the idea of having the 'Buku Pink' to record details of our pregnancy. The clinic has a copy and so do we. So it's good for the fact that you hold your own health record. And the vitamins are FOC. Other than that, just go to private clinic together with your hubby for 2nd opinion from experienced & nicer docs, monthly ultrasound, faster service, etc.

Sapa ckp SEMUA org yang pegi check up kat KK kena minum air gula (MGTT - Meal Glucose Tolerance Test)? I read somewhere that minum air gula tu skrg compulsory for all first time moms above 25. Maybe it is true for certain places, but I did not have to go through it. I siap puasa the nite before 7th month checkup, sekali nurse cakap "Puan tak perlu, tapi puan nak ke?" Sapa nak kan... You will have to with these either 2 conditions:
1. Your parents ada history of diabetes.
2. Your weight naik mendadak during pregnancy.Alhamdulillah, my parents are healthy and my weight increases accordingly.

Stretch marks
:(I started applying Bio Oil once my tummy started growing... It was fine until 7th month kot... Pastu it started coming out like the image below. Memang nampak mcm kena cakar = scratch marks!!
This is NOT my bump :P
Image credit : Google.Agak stress kulit perutku degil and my Bio Oil was running out. Pastu pegi beli kat Watson's, I just learnt that the price is RM 52. Mahalnye! The 1st bottle that I used - A bought in UK, £3 je which is equivalent to RM 15. A cakap nyesal x beli byk2 botol... Anyhow, dah gigih pakai pon tak bleh prevent them from multiplying... Sedih jugak perut buruk. Haha. Until I found this beautiful quote from Aien's blog.
How beautiful...
Baby's genderOk, tak tau sampai sekarang. Series, tak tipu...
But I guess I like it this way...
All we wish is for the good health and segalanya dipermudahkan...
Credit
Haha! Oh I love Cathy Thorne ~

Pregnancy Part 1

2011-06-09T07:20:00.006+08:00

Every pregnancy is unique.
It varies between individuals and for the same individual,
it may vary each time you conceive.

I'd read a few mommies' experience
and some I can relate to... So here are mine.
I only have 4 weeks before EDD
so I'd better sum up the whole journey all in one go.

Alhamdulillah, I would consider myself lucky as my 1st trimester was very gentle on me. There was minor nausea, but I think
I vomited 10 times je kot my whole pregnancy. And I slipped easily into boredom - I find everything membosankan!
Buat semua benda tak kena as in I don't feel right doing anything
and I couldn't get things right when I do something...
2nd trimester is pretty heavenly. And now I'm in the 3rd,
it's all different journey (with the wiggly little us inside me).

The worst thing about 1st trimester was the fatigue.
Come night time, sgt flat. Sometimes I can't even lift my hand.
I noticed I akan sakit badan/sendi bila tak bergerak...
so I have to move allllll the time (sampai sekarang!).
Dalam kereta (if I'm not driving) - sakit belakang, sakit perut,
sakit kaki. Bila jln2 shopping, ligat. Haha.

Dan kelembaban otak (1st & 3rd trimester).
It took me sometime to think things over as in where I put some stuff, important info relating to work, etc. Rasa sgt lembab!~
1st trimester was the worst! 3rd trimester ni I asyik pikir nak siapkan kerja, clearkan meja before that longggg leave.

Maternity ApparelSince my bump was not so big, I got to wear my daily working baju kurung up until the 5th month. The rest, I picked up all my old baju kurung back in high school, matrix & uni at my parents' and they fit until now. Pelik jugak. Tak tau la dulu I mmg gomok, atau mmg I pakai oversized (Haha, nampak sgt tak nak ngaku gomok!). So, kalau anda berubah saiz, jgn buang baju yang dah tak muat. Simpan. Coz you might need it again.

Due to my forgetfulness (tak ingat pasal baju2 yang ada) & fatigue (tak larat nak korek2 cari dalam almari), I went out to buy a couple of maternity shirts that I need to wear for field work/visit. Pandai sgt konon nak pakai lama, I took size XL siap2. Honestly, I feel fat in those. So, belilah mengikut saiz anda yang sepatutnya - sbb you might not grow as big as you think you would.

Pastu masa 2nd trimester, I dug out my closet, rupanya banyak baju cantik yang sesuai dipakai lagi... Happy! I once asked my colleague, Kak Zura - kat mana nak cari maternity dress yang cantik. She answered, "Hang jgn cari maternity dress! Hang cari dress yang muat perut hang." Couldn't agree more. Maternity dress can be costly. Dresses kat Nichii are to die for! Murah, cantik, worth it!

SleepEarlier stage I had difficulty sleeping. I simply can't sleep. Sometimes ngantuk gila tapi takleh lelap. Sometimes I was so tired I slept as early as 9pm, tp terjaga midnite, dah takleh tido sampai pukul 3. Terjaga tapi tak larat nak buat apa2. Kot la boleh mengemas or do some laundry or ironing ke apa kan? Terkebil2 je atas katil sambil main Sudoku. Haha. Mimpi2 pon boleh tahan mengarutnya. Rasa macam tidur bayi yang terganggu sbb bila pagi, malas bangun & cranky.

MakanI'm the person who can eat everything (yang halal). Suka, tak suka tu cerita lain. Thus, I just couldn't understand picky eater. Now I understand - they just don't feel like eating the food.

I had food aversion all the way during pregnancy (sampai sekarang!). Sapa cakap semua org mengandung banyak makan. I wanted to eat, tapi tak boleh. It turned out my mouth, tekak & perut have their own brain. Mulut teringin tapi tekak takleh terima walaupon perut sgt lapar.

Tak lalu makan nasi. Earlier on I can't eat anything, tp lapar... I ate bread + mayonnaise spread. Itu je sepanjang hari... 1st trimester, I was so in love with fish. Bukan ikan dlm bentuk ikan, but more like laksa, sandwich tuna & sushi. Dislikes chicken, loves meat & fruits! I don't fancy anything sweet. But I can't resist carbonated drinks, before pregnant was not so into it.

1st trimester jugak, whatever I drank, didn't go through my digestive system. Minum air, terus air tu masuk bladder. I had to go to the toilet every 5 minutes. Ok tipu. But it was more or less like that.

*Opps, mcm dah sgt panjang.
I'd better continue in the next post.

He's coming home...

2011-06-07T13:48:00.008+08:00

It's been almost 3 weeks...

So blessed I have awesome job & colleagues
to wake up to every morning,
piles of work to distract my brain,
bunch of activities during the weekends,
but I'm a zombie most of the time when I'm home.

Things are left as is since he went.
I promised to do some de-cluttering
and search for his missing earphone
but I guess he will have to find it himself
under the heap of mishmash he proudly made
(everytime he packs before going on a duty travel).

I don't know. It's been the worst distance between us
though it is just a local posting of 3.5 hours driving.
Probably because of the additional weight I'm carrying
or the additional hormones
or the additional pains
but no, I'm not complaining...

Please, balik cepat & tolong urut kaki...
Credit

For you...

2011-06-03T11:08:00.008+08:00

My dear friend,
who is getting married in a couple of hours.

You know we've been through so much...
Look at us now.
Isn't it just a beautiful path we've shared...?
Those ups & downs, rise & fall.
Silly complaints, uplifting words.

And most of the time we tell each other things
we don't want to hear.
But NEED to hear...
And we keep coming back for more.
Quoting words from book we recently read
or heard from someone/somewhere.
Rationalizing each thought, accepting the level of insanity and pulling each other back on ground.

Credit

We both shared our lowest point.
She was around watching me rising and falling for A.
I was there when she tried letting go her excess baggage.
Constantly convincing each other we're doing the right thing.

Semoga ALLAH mempermudahkan segala urusan
perkahwinan dan rumahtangga.
Sayang hang!

No word can describe how happy I am for you. Through this whole journey. And knowing we'll always be there for each other.
Time and time again.

On a final note : Always remember this.
Credit

Glad you're around every step of the way.
Selamat kawin.

A poem

2011-05-27T18:45:00.002+08:00

-By Khalil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

Addicted!

2011-05-20T18:25:00.015+08:00

I didn't know online shopping can be soooo addictive!
Haha.
Though I run small online business for the t-shirts & pillowcases,
I honestly had never purchased anything online before.
Until recently I was introduced to websites for baby items by my colleague, Kak Sue. Kak Sue gave birth to her son almost 7 months ago and she's one of the person who I refer to for guidance.

I limit myself to buy things only up to confinement period since I can always do the online purchase again depending on the baby needs and what suits us best. EllyMama Shop had a big anniversary sales last month and I grabbed myself a few things including Flexibath at fairly discounted price!

Love the fact that it is compact & portable!

And the other baby stuff that I fell in love with is the Moses basket.
Credit. (Click to check out for more).
More info on Moses basket here & here.
And I found a local site that sells Moses basket at a very reasonable price! Bumblebee's & Mothercare's Moses basket costs about RM300++ and Kak Ina sells at half the price. Check out her site! Yes, you will only be using the basket in the first few months, but aren't the other things as well? It's too damn cute to resist and a great prop for majlis cukur jambul, etc. ;D

The other site that I love is Enjoy Breastfeed! Bought quite a bunch of items there. Yes, I would wanna breastfeed my baby exclusively (i.e. no formula milk) despite my hectic working schedule, insyaAllah. And for all aspiring fully-breastfeed working moms out there, this is a must-have!

Credit
RM 10
For baby wear, I think I've bought enough. Mama cakap during confinement baby won't need so much baju sbb akan selalu bedung je. So, tunggu dah abis pantang baru tambah koleksi. After all, it would be better since we have no idea whether its gonna be a lil prince or princess. One thing for sure, never underestimate places like Uptown/Pasar Tani as you can find cutest piece of wear at a verrrryyyyy cheap price. Carter's rompers etc. are sold as low as RM 8! Baju baby kat Giant pon takde yang semurah dan se'cute' itu... My most favourite shopping spot for baby rompers, busha etc. - carpark Stadium Shah Alam, awal pagi Ahad.

So far everything for baby is complete and I'm left contemplating my own confinement set.

So I guess, that's all. For baby/nursery room or corner, perhaps we can use these tips from FitPregnancy. And check out this breathtakingly beautiful site & let's get on dreaming and drooling ;)

Perplexed enough?

2011-05-12T08:27:00.009+08:00

Now that I'm already in my 32 weeks,
I think I should be writing more about pregnancy and preparation for the arrival of Q&A jr...

When somebody ask me, dah berapa bulan?
I find myself contemplating option of answers to give.

32 weeks = 8 months, no?

Ye lah, 32 ÷ 4 = 8. But the week is calculated from the 1st day of your last menses - when obviously the baby is not yet formed, bukan the date that you conceive (mcm la boleh tahu the exact date of conceive, kan? *ehem ;P). So I find it quite misleading when I say I'm 8 months pregnant and my due date is 2 months down the road.

8 + 2 = 10 bulan. Bunting gajah kah? Haha.
(Ape ke laut sgt ni? Hehe.)

Padahal logik la kan, full term 40 weeks = 10 bulan.
Walaupon all this while we were told : normally
ibu mengandungkan kita selama 9 bulan 10 hari...
(mcm tutorial matematik plak arini...)

Anyway, so instead of saying 8 bulan, I answer 7 bulan setengah. Or the lower threshold - 7 bulan.
Coz it can be hard trying to explain all those medical terms
in layman words...

And the other thing is the gender.
Honestly we ourselves are eager to know.

Is it a
OR

Tapi setiap kali scan tak nampak sebab baby rapatkan kaki... and doctor pernah cakap it could be a girl, but I don't wanna risk buying all the cute lil pinky stuff (though they are sooooooooo tempting) and having my baby boy (50% of the chances) being dolled up in pink. Lucky I do prefer green & brown lately instead of neither pink nor blue...

I did try Ancient Chinese Gender prediction but it is meant to be calculated in Chinese lunar months (for month of conception) and Chinese lunar year (for our age during conception). But the sites gave several confusing outcomes so I decided to ditch 'em all together...

Anyhow, I'm up for the surprise!

Some wishes...

2011-05-05T08:35:00.003+08:00

Credit

So my expected delivery date (EDD) is July, 7th.
And his flight for the next assignment was scheduled
on the 4th of July.

Isn't it ironic?

All I can do now is to pray real hard that baby will come out naturally a few days earlier and healthy enough to do so.
Or I will have to take early leave, go back to my parents'
and wait for the right time.
I dread thinking A might not be with me in the labour room.
Dan untuk azan/iqamatkan baby :(

And he'll be going for 2 months!
Which I really don't mind since I'll be back at my parents' for confinement. But there is possibility the duration might be extended to two and a half months...

...which means he'll only come back mid September,
when all the raya frenzy starts to die down.

We didn't get to celebrate our first Aidilfitri as husband & wife
last year since he was on a job assignment in London.
He had to go there merely 5 days before 1st Syawal.
I remembered the moment he touched down at KLIA, he started calling his friends telling them to arrange an open house for him, though Syawal ended a week before. Sgt kesian.

And I really hope for some miracles for the three of us this year.

And I really hope I'll be just fine
with whatever that will turn out to be.

But now, writing this, I feel like crying.

Pakcik tua datang sekali sekala

2011-04-30T14:15:00.001+08:00

Kisah pakcik tua sambungan kepada kisah makcik tua...

When I read Moose's Domestic God entry, what crossed my mind was - "Ohhh, that's very impressive... He did the all the cleaning? My A may ONLY come up with a good meal on the table
(followed by extra cleaning & tidying the kitchen - on my part),
but I should be grateful nonetheless..."

If he'd ever clean (the whole house), I'd be over the moon!

The other day we had minor fall-out early in the morning and I left him for work with minimal words exchanged between us.
He was watching tv (!) - at 8 a.m... (agak2 la, xde cerita menarik pon buat2 mcm something interesting was on air...)

Later that evening I received a call from our mutual married friends who were coming over. They were already right in front of the house. And I was still at the office and had to rush home.

And I love the surprise I was about to encounter.
The house was neat & sparkling and he was busy preparing delectable nasi lemak in the kitchen.

Only later that nite he told me he took a day off
(this is the perk working on project basis - bila tak pergi site atau takde project assignment, he only has to turn up at the headquarter when needed, and boleh cuti sesuka hati...).
He cleaned, mopped and cooked sambil layan perasan dengar lagu 'I don't wanna talk about it by Rod Stewart'. Cheesy la suami saya... (I love you, syg!!)

I suspected the bathroom was cleaned as well.
I felt oh-so-loved!
And he said, "I know you're tired..."
Bet he notices my endless efforts for the spotless house.

I was over the moon. Indeed.

WTH I've been?

2011-04-21T10:26:00.006+08:00

Around...
contemplating which direction I should be taking...
(with regards to this blog...)

There are bunch of drafts but I can't seem to either start it right
or finish it off. And when I'm in the mood,
there are piles of work on my desk... and the drive to write
vanishes along with each work assignment I've completed.

Or perhaps I'm in the midst of other form of excitement.
Bet you can guess it, anyway...

Yesterday I bumped upon an interestingly amusing post -
Why blogging can feel like high school...
All of you should click the link!

You know what, no matter how interesting high school life might have been, I would never want to go back, given any chance. Yeah, it was fun. But I'm more interested in unfolding the future. And back then, we were naive and every tiny little thing seemed to matter so much. We took things too seriously. Who we are now,
and who we will become is what really matters.

High school ends.
Let's not get ourselves caught up in such naiveté.

As I mentioned before, I am not a follower to any blog,
but that doesn't mean I do not 'follow' any.
Good content or style of writing, together with nice layout -
will get me coming for more.
*padahal aku punya blog sendiri pon serabut... haha.
but I love all the gadgets... sayang nak remove... heh.

Oh, by the way, I've sent out all the t-shirts & pillowcases
(except those who wanted dark rose, tiffany and some white... ~ they are out of stock, am looking for it but to no avail... )

Orders will be close this end of April and will only be open in 2012.
I need time preparing myself for mommy adventure ;D

On preparing...

2011-03-30T11:55:00.012+08:00

When I first knew I was pregnant, honestly I was a bit taken aback with the fact that I'll be a mom. One question that keep bugging me was, "Am I ready for this, personally?"

I was clueless when it comes to being a mom or preparing for baby's delivery... (I still am!!!) I guess I'll just learn along the way... And the good thing is there are a lot of resources now that we can learn from... Kena rajin search for the info... Lucky I have bunch of friends who are 1st time mom and they are very keen to share & willing to help :)

The other day, Kak Su went to Jusco for some shopping, there was baby stuff sales going on, and she grabbed me this pamphlet... I think it's a great list to share with mommies2be!

*I scanned it for you!
Double-click to enlarge/copy image.

I noticed there are bunch of books on pregnancy out there,
and these are 2 books that I would recommend for future moms.

Pic credit
Diari Hamil - RM 26.
The main reason I like this book is because of the layout and presentation. Sgt comel! It is a weekly diary for mommy to jot down things... (I tak tulis apape pon, haha!) And it comes with a lot of tips & info yang pendek dan padat, together with some doa & amalan untuk ibu mengandung, bersalin & berpantang!
I love the cuteness & simplicity!

Pic credit
Yasin Ibu Hamil - RM 7.
It is a compilation of Surah Yasin, Surah Luqman, Surah Maryam, Surah Yusuf, doa, etc together with terjemahan right under each ayat... (bukan di muka surat lain atau at the end of the surah).
I love this book because of it's size and easy to carry.
Some books are just too tiny or too thick
(sbb ada tips & panduan ibu mengandung, baby name, etc).
Just sharing!

1st Anniversary

2011-03-14T15:55:00.016+08:00

It's been a month since I last posted an entry.

Life's been busy, but great.
Sorry for all late email replies...
I'm still stuck with bunch of work till the end of this month...
*apart from me having writer's block moment.

But anyway, today is Q&A 1st anniversary!!!

He was scheduled to Shanghai last Sunday but it was postponed to this Wednesday. Thought we can do something special but both of us are now at work. (err... i taip ni masa rehat... :P)
We had some family affairs last weekend, perhaps we can fix something before he goes off for 2 weeks...

And I have an announcement!

It's been quite sometime...
I'm reaching 6 months in a couple of days!!!

It came true when I posted this entry.
Later posts on pregnancy.
I planned to show off my baby bump on our anniversary but it isn't too obvious (so taknak la mcm gigih sgt ambik gambar padahal nampak mcm buncit aje... Haha...).
A's 'baby' bump is bigger so that's my benchmark... :P

And last but not least...

A great day...

2011-02-14T14:58:00.005+08:00

Today is a great day...

It's not that we're celebrating 'today' but we spent quite a beautiful morning & lunch together... (I keja... *ehem*, dia yg ponteng.... :P)

He was already informed on his next assignment. Somewhere in rural China, if I'm not mistaken. 3-4 weeks, perhaps...
I'm ok. It's his job. But the fact that he's going ONE day before our FIRST anniversary that hit me. We're not planning for something big, but he was thousand miles away when we're supposed to celebrate our first Aidil Fitri as husband and wife, and now this...?

I hope he will be around when I really need him the most. Soon.
Otherwise, if circumstances were not on our side,
I hope God spare me with more strength...
Till then, I'll just savour each and every second we have now.

Here's something I got in an email...

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up -- goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, or "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage... And old cars... And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce, are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

It's not easy...

2011-02-08T23:21:00.011+08:00

I find Diah's latest tips for newly wed is so interesting.
All brides-to-be, do take note!

When I was preparing my wedding, I remembered asking a friend how does it feel now that her status has changed.
She just got married and settling in a nice crib...

She said, "Letih jugak...
It's not easy taking up new responsibility being a wife...".

I thought I understand her statement.
It took me months to realize how clueless I was!
Now that we're an entity (Q&A) ~ we had bunch of things to do, places to go, events to attend, etc. Apart from learning about each other, adapting getting into his life and him into mine, there are a lot more in between.

I do agree with Diah the part that we didn't expect it would take a lot of energy to be a perfect wife. It didn't occur to me earlier in our marriage...

Then A was away for duty travel months in total.
I was literally back to my single life.
Currently he is around since 5th day of Aidil Fitri... and was just assigned to local site that is 20 minutes away from our home.Such bliss.
Then it hit me. I honestly enjoy acting housewife and do all the chores around the house. But I can’t help whining… Haha. Bukan la all the time. But there are times when I have to do things repeatedly ~ berkali2 dlm sehari… baru je smlm I mop, esoknya ada bekas tapak kasut… atau I baru je susun throw pillows kat sofa, lepas beberapa jam ~ bersepah di ruang tamu…

Oh laundry. There were the days, for some reason I can’t even lift my hand, he once took charge and hit the button on the washing machine, without removing some tiny pieces of paper from his pocket… Pastu I la yg nak kena brush off all the habuk from the fabric! One t-shirt took me almost an hour… I’d rather hit the button myself next time… Haha. *padahal dulu masa bujang ok je he does all the things by himself, kan...

I know I shouldn’t be complaining…
He does things as well...
Taking out the garbage, help me mopping, etc.
Sometimes he cooks. Good food…
Nasi lemak, nasi ayam, lamb chop, semua sedap gila
and some are better than mine...
And I seldom have to do the ironing, coz he goes to work wearing collar t-shirt and jeans (bos & manager pon pakai camtu je...).
Baju2 pon xbyk nak lipat coz mostly we hang aje...

When I read Diah's Rahsia Kebahagiaan Rumahtangga point no 3 tu sgt kelakar. So instead of membebel, I cakap softly kat A,
"Ha, letak la kat situ... Sok pagi ada la makcik tua yg datang kemaskan..."
*coz I normally tidy up early in the morning before he wakes up.
So one weekend I was so tired to get up, I continued sleeping after Subuh without tending to the mess. He woke up, went out of the bedroom and came back saying, "Yang, arini makcik tua tu tak datang la... rumah sepah..." *while holding his laugh.

T____T Tsk. Sakit ati, tahu..!

For all that could've happened...

2011-01-29T09:41:00.020+08:00

I watched a clip I have to share today.

When I was so crushed with what happened on my wedding day (which without doubt, I'm over it now),
Shera said to me, "It's just like our SPM results.
It was so damn important at that point of our life,
but nobody ever ask us about our SPM results nowadays...
Look at you now... Who you are now that matters..."
*those words are brilliant as she is.

It could have been worse.
I mean, before the wedding, I'd imagine there were possibilities of all the worst case scenarios that might happen.

Onto any of our family members.
Onto ourselves.

However, all the things that had happened were not comparable to anything I had imagined. They had no significant effect on our life.

"When you consider the number of unexpected things that could happen in each second of our fragile existances -
each day a miracle, which indeed it is.” - Paulo Coelho.

"There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein.

Here's the clip about a cute couple,
talented Chris & gorgeous Juliana.

Hope their story will inspire millions out there and make us feel grateful for whatever life has to offer.

Pre-Order Pillowcases!!

2011-01-26T13:04:00.020+08:00

As I mentioned yesterday, the ready stock for the pillowcases were just to test the market...

And it is looking good!!!
For those who were unable to grab any yesterday,
you can pre-order them! With the colour of your choice.

However, the colours are subjected to availability. Tsk.
Sorry...

I don't sew them myself.I beli sarung bantal tu kat shopping complex... So kalo kat situ takde stok warna mcm you ordered, I have to source it somewhere else (ie. other shopping complex). Bila dah jumpa, baru I can take it to the printing company for the crowns stamping ;)

Thus it might take sometime for the delivery.

And those who are interested for
Bride & Groom and The King & The Queen stamping
pon boleh, but the stamping size is the same size as on the t-shirt (ie. will be comparatively small), so I don't think it will stand out. But we can discuss about it... Or you just wait till I go out sourcing for square-cushion pillowcase and that will be better!

Ok, those who are interested to pre-order...
Email me your details to qisas.ku@gmail.com
Name :
Address :
Phone Number :
Colour :

White

Cream

Dark Rose

Rose

Pink

Soft Purple

Tiffany

Payment shall be made once I found the colour that you requested.
Thanks A LOT for all your supports!!!

Pillowcases - Ready Stock

2011-01-25T09:22:00.021+08:00

I know it's been quite sometime...

So now here they are! Limited quantity.
(nak test market...)
1st come 1st serve :)
YES, you may use the coupon!!!

*I love the sight of them on the bed!!!

These are the only colours available.
(I tried to put the nearest colour possible,but it might differ
as our monitors colour setting are not the same).

White
Sold out

Cream
Sold out

Dark Rose
Sold out

Rose
Sold out

Pink
Sold out

Soft Purple
Sold out

Tiffany
Sold out

CEPAT!!!!
Email me your details to qisas.ku@gmail.com
Name :
Address :
Phone Number :
Colour :

Will get back to you on the payment terms.

No, not forgetting it...

2011-01-14T23:59:00.009+08:00

Though it's almost midnight already...
*Ok, I promise not to post this banner once we hit
our 1st anniversary.

I know it's a bit cheesy... but, this is the reason ensuring me to keep posting at least one entry per month :P

It felt like just a week ago I posted the 9 months banner.
Come to think of it, we've been together for 2 years & 8 months (knew each other longer than that...). And honestly it still feels like yesterday when I sneaked into his work station for a small chat.*Balancing room, remember? Haha!
I only had one relationship prior to being with A. I was from all-girl school so hooking up with someone was not my priority. But yeah, I did have crushes... (who doesn't? :P) Until I was in my final year at the university. The relationship ended after 2 years & 2 months, I think. I got lovey dovey messages on the anniversary, and 2 months after that, some maki2... Ironic.

Nak sampai ke 2 years tu mcm neraka. Ok, too much. Tp macam best ayat tu... Haha. All I can remember about the dysfunctional relationship was lots of money & tears. Pelik kan, I got all these visions (aka signs) in my head about all the bad things (that the relationship was ridiculous) and I always cry for silly reasons that most of the time were just something I created in my head. Sayang sgt, nangis. Feel inadequate, nangis. Gaduh, geram, marah tu xyah cakap la.

Padahal that filthy scumbag yang tak deserve I.
*Ok, diva kejap.

Or perhaps I stick to the relationship partly because it annoyed someone greatly.
I hardly cry being with A... (Ok, I am gembeng, I cried watching The Biggest Loser Finale, for example) but he just know how to dry my tears and make me smile in an instant. And it never felt like almost 3 years that we've been together, because I can't wait for the next 30 years to unfold.

I know I'll age gracefully. By his side. :)

Ok, time to celebrate :P
Good night ;)

I started off a bit late...

2011-01-04T10:46:00.005+08:00

Haha! :P~~
Cartoon Credit
1st January is just another day for me... because any day can mark a start to something important in our life... And I normally would come up with new resolutions whenever I feel like it... and give myself ample time ~ just by enjoying the journey achieving it...

Sometimes good things just come
knocking on your door.
It’s a blessing.

Sometimes Uncle Murphy come visiting.
It’s a blessing as well, I’d say.
Life lessons coming your way!

I came across a good new year advice in Paulo Coelho's blog.
Obviously, it's not particularly for 'new year'...

Mark your new journey and ride on!!!

1] The path begins with a crossroads.
There you can stop and think what direction to follow.
But don’t spend too much time thinking
or you’ll never leave the spot.
Reflect a lot on the choices that lie ahead,
but once you have taken the first step,
forget the crossroads for ever or else
you will always torture yourself with the useless question:
“did I take the right path?”

2] The path doesn’t last for ever.
It is a blessing to travel the path for some time,
but one day it will come to an end, so always be prepared
to take leave of it at any moment.
However enraptured you may be at certain landscapes,
or scared whenever you have to make a great effort to go ahead,
don’t get too used to anything.
Neither to the hours of euphoria, nor to the endless days
when everything seems so difficult and progress is so slow.
Don’t forget that sooner or later an angel will appear
and your journey will reach an end.

3] Honor your path.
It was your choice, your decision, and just as you respect
the ground you step on, that ground will respect your feet.
Always do what is best to conserve and keep your path
and it will do the same for you.

4] Be well equipped.
Carry a small rake, a spade, a penknife.
Understand that penknives are no use for dry leaves,
and rakes are useless for herbs that are deep-rooted.
Know also what tool to use at each moment.
And take care of them, because they are your best allies.

5] The path goes forward and backward.
At times you have to go back because something was lost,
or else a message to be delivered was forgotten in your pocket.
A well tended path enables you to go back
without any great problems.

6] Take care of the path
before you take care of what is around you.
Attention and concentration are fundamental.
Don’t be distracted by the dry leaves at the edges
or by the way that others are looking after their paths.
Use your energy to tend and conserve the ground
that accepts your steps.

7] Be patient.
Sometimes the same tasks have to be repeated,
like tearing up weeds or closing holes
that appear after unexpected rain.
Don’t let that annoy you – that is part of the journey.
Even though you are tired, even though certain tasks
are repeated so often, be patient.

8] Paths cross.
People can tell what the weather is like.
Listen to advice, and make your own decisions.
You alone are responsible for the path
that was entrusted to you.

9] Nature follows its own rules.
In this way, you have to be prepared
for sudden changes in the fall, slippery ice in winter,
the temptations of flowers in spring,
thirst and showers in the summer.
Make the most of each of these seasons,
and don’t complain about their characteristics.

10] Make your path a mirror of yourself.
By no means let yourself be influenced by the way
that others care for their paths.
You have your soul to listen to,
and the birds to tell what your soul is saying.
Let your stories be beautiful and pleasant
to everything around you.
Above all, let the stories
that your soul tells during the journey be echoed
at each and every second of the path.

11] Love your path.
Without this, nothing makes any sense.

Losing the track of time

2010-12-23T10:30:00.006+08:00

Now that we're nearing the end of 2010... seriously mcm tak rasa dah nak masuk tahun baru... I think I've been like this for the past few years... I stop celebrating the 'new year' but instead trying more on celebrating the 'new day'... always works at making me feel good about small achievements.

And I've achieved A LOT in 2010.
Alhamdulillah.

The other day, somebody asked us,
"So, both of you were married this year?"

And there was a brief of sheer silence, before I blurted out,
"Yeah, March..."
*sedangkan baru a few days I posted the 9 months banner
in this blog.

It was later in the afternoon when A brought up the topic again... "Tadi org blur masa org tu tanya kita kawin tahun ni ke..."
and I was like, "Tu la, org almost nak tercakap last year... Haha..."
A: Bila dia ckp Mac, baru org tersedar awal tahun ni...
Q: Haah, apsal rasa macam dah lama kawin?

Is it a good sign or a bad one?
Haha.
Macam dah lama sgt je kawin, padahal setahun pon belom.
I just felt good about it...
About feeling that we've been married longer than it actually is... ;)

On the other note, later that evening when he was driving, tiba2 dia cakap, "Org ingat nak buat bisnes syarikat bas la..." Then he paused before continuing, "Org nak bagi nama..." Longer pause...

I just kept my silence until he continued, "Q&A!"
followed by a big smile to me.
Elleh, ambik ati! :P

Route : Kedah - Johor.
Haha..

The truth about : BUBBLES!

2010-12-14T10:32:00.006+08:00

As I mentioned in my old entry, I wanted to give bubbles to kids as wedding favour. And I found the bubbles-in-a-bottle
(mcm kita main kecik2 dulu...) at super cheap price -
Kat Pekan Cina, Alor Setar.

I went to the same shop a few times to check out but the stock was hardly there. Until one day, a few weeks before my wedding,
I called up the apek to check...
Lo and hold ~~ ada 25 packs of 2 dozens!
That makes 600 bottles of 'em. I booked 'em all.
Sapu bersih!

Tak pernah2 apek tu dpt stok 25 packs dan habis kesemuanya sederap to one customer. Since I was back in here working,
I asked my mom to pick 'em up...
My mom was like, "Nak buat apa ni byk2...?" Hehehe, mmg betul tak habis pun masa majlis tu, extended to A's side of event.
Habisss... Seronokkkk... Main buihhh....

Since today is our 9-months of being married...
Let me share some of the bubbles moment...Actually agak susah nak bergambar dikelilingi bubbles ni...
Byk gambar yang spoil sbb bubbles were not at the right places.
Kat muka la, kat mata la... etc.

Pastu bubbles landing kat baju la... kat muka la...
habis cair la mekap!
This is the photo taken the moment kitorg dah rimas
sbb byk sgt bubbles coming to us...

A dah sgt rimas... I dah lari... Haha.
And these are the culprits.
Memaksimumkan penghasilan buih menggunakan kipas...
Tidak perlu bersusah payah untuk meniup.
Bijak tak? ;P

BALLOONS continued...

2010-12-09T09:56:00.015+08:00

Ok, tak habis lagi ckp pasal belon. Haha :P

Anyway, I despise it when people stereotyping balloons with birthdays. Or balloons with children's birthdays, to be precise. Like cakes to birthdays. Padahal wedding cake pon ada.
Cake nak makan bila2 masa pon boleh... Pegi je la cake house beli.
Or bake your own. Asal ada kek je kau ingat hari jadi...

*Ok, sesuai tak metafora itu?
Haha :P
Ataupon sarkas, funfair. Asal ada belon je - sarkas, funfair.
Sarkastiknya aku hari ni. Haha. Hormon.

If they were of multitude of colours, then it's a different story.
Unless it's meant for Mexican wedding theme.
Still balloons are relevant, people. I'm just simply balloons lover.
So just bare with me.

Let's cut the jinx and move on with the story.And so we decided to have balloons on A's side as well. This time, we found a helium balloons supplier. I couldn't remember the quotation (as all was done through phone calls), but if it's more than 300, we can get it like RM 1 each. Less than that RM 1.30...

After going through such a hassle being my own balloon-man, I came to agree with the arrangement. BUT, I decided that we would be using:
1. our own balloons - since I had no idea what kind of balloons they were going to use and so I decided it's better that I buy myself. So glad I did - And so I went to kilang getah for yet another round of purchase...
2. our own ribbons - the thin satin ribbons leftovers
- thus I managed to get the balloon-man to reduce it to RM 0.70. After all, we were just using the helium gas & inflating service...

Come the day, all was inflated very much earlier in the morning as A's family was having majlis cukur jambul for his nephew, Aydin. Turned out it wasn't the balloon-man who showed up but his workers. And they went on tying the white & pink balloons with blue benang bulu kambing. I've told them to use the white & pink ribbons but I guess the info was lost somewhere in between the crowd.

I was not around the scene to act bridezilla. After all, I resigned the post early in the morning as it was majlis bertandang/ menyambut menantu... :P So, hands off ~~~

They somehow tied some of the balloons with the satin ribbons. And that's how I knew - be it benang bulu kambing, or satin ribbon - all will entangle. Again, sila guna riben plastik.

Inflating in-process.
Expectedly, the balloons were such a hit amongst children. Comel tau makcik2 pon nak belon as doorgift. Baru halfday, hampir semua belon dah hilang. Haha. And it was drizzling that afternoon, the raindrops yang kena kat belon tu cause it to be heavy and unable to float. So nak bagi dia float, kena lap air2 kat permukaan belon...

Balloons by the fence
Before the day ends, I tried to demonstrate the effect of helium on our voice - the chipmunk/donald duck effect. Turned out it didn't happen. I so doubt what kind of gas the vendor really used...

Lepas tu, masa nak clear the payment he said we used 500 balloons. Punya la penipu! I bought 600 of them and I had balance of 200 in my hand. Again I wasn't there. A paid extra RM 70.

So I wouldn't suggest this guy. Blue benang, doubtful gas and extra 100 pieces that we didn't get - I've deleted his number :P

The truth about : BALLOONS!

2010-11-30T06:49:00.004+08:00

I've been meaning to write about this long time ago...
But I would cease to give any excuse.
I received a lot of emails asking about this bunch of balloons I had on my wedding day. And instead of writing a post about it, I went all the way replying each personal emails. Sekarang dah malas nak dig out the old email archive dan juga malas menaip berkali-kali...

NOTE : I sourced for the raw materials (balloons & gas) myself.
But to save you all the hussle, it's best to find a helium balloons supplier and get them do it all for you.

So here are the things:
1. First thing first, in order for the balloons to float, you have to use helium gas.
Ada yang tanya did I blow all the balloons myself
ataupon guna pam basikal...Udara tiupan kita mengandungi kandungan karbon dioksida yang tinggi dan karbon dioksida lebih berat daripada udara sekeliling, maka belon anda tidak akan terapung. Same goes to pam basikal, yang sumbernya juga adalah udara sekeliling. Gas helium lebih ringan daripada udara.

But anyway, here's the trick:
You can blow the balloons yourself, tie it up with a ribbon, and put doublesided tape on the top-side of the balloon. Lekatkan ke siling. It will look like its floating ~ saw an optical shop did it ;)

2. Gas helium
These are the normal sizes for gas tank.

The cheapest I found was RM 380 for size G.
Tapi itu di Selangor. Di Alor Setar RM 420.
Itu hanya harga gas.

Tidak termasuk deposit untuk tank.
Dan sewaan harian tank. Dan caj pengangkutan.

Deposit untuk tank size G = RM 500. (smaller tank, cheaper)
Sewaan harian tank = RM 1/day. (habiskan dalam masa sehari)
Caj pengangkutan = RM 10 pergi balik. (bergantung kepada jarak)

And pressure regulator to control the tank pressure output.
Sewa RM 50.

*I arranged all that with pembekal gas industri.
Sebab tak jumpa helium balloon supplier di Alor Setar.

3. Balloons
Ada banyak gred, warna dan saiz.

I bought metallic balloons in bulk (600 pieces) from a rubber factory that produces all kind of rubber products (latex gloves, co**om, etc). I didn't know it at first, dah sampai tu baru terkejut and I texted Nasrah, "Gigih gila aku mai beli belon kat kilang getah... Hahaha..."

And she replied, "Hg mmg psiko."
Those balloons I bought are shining (nama pon metallic), tebal dan tak mudah meletup walaupon kena cahaya matahari atau rumput. They are not the normal balloons yang boleh ditiup menggunakan mulut... Sbb dah cuba dan hanya menyebabkan pipi sakit tapi belon tak kembung. Heh.

4. Ribbon to tie the balloons
Jangan guna benang bulu kambing atau any fabric type of ribbons to tie the balloons. It will entangle. Sila gunakan riben plastik yang bakery-slalu-ikat-kotak-kek ~ if you know what I mean...

5. Helium balloons do not last long
Give it 3-4 hours or 5 hours max. Ia akan mengempis/mengucup dgn sendiri walaupon cuaca tak panas. However, there is a glue-like chemical that we can fill in the balloons before we fill in the gas. It will prevent the gas from penetrating out. That can make your balloons last for a week.

6. Get a helium balloons supplier
..to get it all done for you. Senang cerita. Most of the time, they have their own supplies of balloons, gas and all the equipments required. Plus, you don't have to fork out the money on the deposit (though you will get it back...) and all the hidden charges... The normal helium balloon is sold at RM 2.

However, I guess what I did was all worth it...
For that amount of balloons, it's cheaper and worth the effort.
Actually at first I do think that it was totally unnecessary... mcm nak spend too much on balloons... but when I think about it, I don't have flowers deco... some more I didn't splurge on pelamin, makeup, doorgifts, hantaran deco, things like that... So all the savings make it up to it...

And the children love it.
So as the adults ;)

FUN Fact:
Swallowing helium makes your voice sounds like the Chipmunks/Donald Duck.
We had a good laugh finishing up the leftovers... :D

For some reason...

2010-11-23T17:04:00.005+08:00

from Everyday People Cartoon

The Bird & The Cage

2010-11-14T12:34:00.006+08:00

The other day I came across this short story
in Paulo Coelho's blog.
It's deep, beautiful metaphor about married life.
Love it and I believe everybody should take this
piece of wisdom to live by.

In his book - Eleven Minutes.From Maria’s diary:
Once upon a time, there was a bird. He was adorned with two perfect wings and with glossy, colorful, marvelous feathers.

One day, a woman saw this bird and fell in love with him.
She invited the bird to fly with her,
and the two traveled across the sky in perfect harmony.
She admired and venerated and celebrated that bird.
But then she thought: He might want to visit far-off mountains!
And she was afraid, afraid that she would never feel the same way about any other bird.

And she thought: “I’m going to set a trap.
The next time the bird appears, he will never leave again.”
The bird, who was also in love, returned the following day,
fell into the trap and was put in a cage.

She looked at the bird every day. There he was, the object of her passion, and she showed him to her friends, who said:
“Now you have everything you could possibly want.”

However, a strange transformation began to take place:
now that she had the bird and no longer needed to woo him,
she began to lose interest.

The bird, unable to fly and express the true meaning of his life,
began to waste away and his feathers to lose their gloss; he grew ugly;
and the woman no longer paid him any attention,
except by feeding him and cleaning out his cage.

One day, the bird died. The woman felt terribly sad and spent all her time thinking about him. But she did not remember the cage,
she thought only of the day when she had seen him for the first time,
flying contentedly amongst the clouds.

If she had looked more deeply into herself, she would have realized that what had thrilled her about the bird was his freedom,
the energy of his wings in motion, not his physical body.

And today...

Foto By Razali : Wedding Photography Giveaway contest

2010-11-11T02:46:00.000+08:00

No, it's not that I'm joining the contest...
(I'd loved to, but that would be totally unfair
for others who really deserve it for their wedding...
Coz I had my chance...
they've been very kind for covering my bertandang outdoor! Impressively great photos, I couldn't ask for more!)

So this post is out of courtesy.
And my vote will go to Nasrah.
(not that she uses my pic for the contest entry, mind you - but it's because she's been a great friend through my high and low,
thick and thin - dan selalu berdoa untuk kawan2 dan doa tu jadi kenyataan ;) haha, ok - semua pg kat Nasrah Si Kecil suruh dia tolong doakan apa2. Haha!!!)

Foto by Razali is having a Free Wedding Photography Package Giveaway!! He is giving away a full coverage wedding photography package to one lucky couple. He will be shooting your whole day from the solemnization to the reception to the outdoor portraiture session on the evening.

All you have to do is:
1. Click “Like” on his Facebook page: (www.facebook.com/fotobyrazali)

2. Find the blue poster and share it to your friends.
You can also copy and upload it to your wall.
Tag 10 of your friends to that poster.

3. Now you select one of the photos you like from any folder or from his blog or even from his personal Facebook (facebook.com/razali), write an entry in your blog.
The title must contain:
Foto By Razali : Wedding Photography Giveaway contest,
and express why you like his photography.
Put a link under the photos such as source:
Foto By Razali – http://blog.mohdrazali.com

4. Share with friends.

5. Leave your comment.

Review:
Ayie, can I not limit this to only your photography?
(I'm not the kind who really do the networking through Facebook, so let me let it all out here.)
I'm impressed with your blooming talent.
I'm always stunned with your skill - manipulating colours
and getting the best, honest and purest angle.
I adore the way you love your wife.
And the way you express it.
And your love for literature.
Keep on posting - they really makes my day.

And Akmal, keep up the good work!
Hope everything is well for you and baby ;)

This is my outdoor photo.
Click for my outdoor photo post.

Real colour.

Foto By Razali – http://blog.mohdrazali.com
Look what he did! Impressive kan?

Akmal & Ayie, I still owe you something... Sorry didn't get the chance to drop by to see you guys.... It's been months. Korang pon dah nak jadi parents... Promise I will make it up to it... See you in Kluang/Ayer Hitam! ;)

And Faiz jugak!

Love Dove

2010-11-01T15:10:00.000+08:00

I've always love white bird.I even posted an entry a year before my wedding, that I would want to have a cage & white doves as part of the prop on my big day.... Click for my old entry on my wedding dreams.

I just learned recently doves and pigeons constitute the same bird family Columbidae. It's just that doves are much smaller in size as compared to pigeon.

So the day came by...
but we couldn't find any white dove... or even white pigeon...
yang ada cuma burung merbuk...
tapi merbuk juga keluarga merpati-Columbidae.*Sangkar yang baru saya catkan putih.

And that was us prior to releasing the birdies ;)
*Merbuk dalam genggaman ;)

Look what had just landed today... ;)
I just gotten my parcel... Oh they are so beautiful!

But I was expecting them to be bigger but 8 inches in total length with 4 inches body isn't that bad... Each wing is 4.5 inches and they are adjustable for a unique touch to any arrangement!
There are also wire on each of its feet for easy attachment.

I have a flock to let go ;)
RM 25 each.
(not inclusive postage fee)

Very limited quantity.
Interested?
Email me - qisas.ku@gmail.com

p/s: tengah contemplating nak beli the bigger size... hehe ;D

And the answer is....

2010-10-21T17:28:00.019+08:00

Yeah, most of you got it right about the similarities...
in my previous entry.

But the 'thing' that I ordered from the American vendor
has nothing to do with sangkar,
since you can get them pretty easily locally.

*Try walk into "Kedai Haiwan Peliharaan - Burung/Ikan"
and you'll get them pretty cheaply.
Don't ask me kenapa kat kedai ikan ada sangkar burung.
Haha. Sila tanya tokey kedai :P

Sekadar gambar hiasan.

*Of course, the sangkar are not meant/suitable for you to put your hantaran, they're meant for real birds!!!

*Bought one, already. Painted it white, already ;)

Now, the round table. Available in IKEA.
Click picture for more info.
I think they are available in black, as well.

That leave us with only one unique guess by Moose.
The dove.

Except it's not turtle dove.
I just learnt that turtle dove is brown in colour.
So that means white dove is not turtle dove?

But anyway, you got it right Moose.
7 white doves will go on sale.
Once I received my American parcel!!!

p.s. They are artificial and yes, you don't have to feed them, nor clean their poops... Perhaps only require occasional dusting off ;)

Spot the similarities!

2010-10-15T08:00:00.001+08:00

Cepat!!! Cuba teka!!!
It's kinda obvious anyway... Hehe...

I love both pictures.
The top one is actually a photo of the interior of Fullhouse - Lifestyle Store & Cafe in Niu Ze Xiu (NZX) Shopping Complex,
Ara Damansara. Photo credit to Adrian Photography.

In fact, I once posted an entry with photos of the same spot...
Click for the old entry.
I simply love the interior. All Fullhouse outlets are sooo gorgeous.

And the 2nd photo is from my 'Wishlist' folder.
I couldn't track the source. Stylemepretty if I'm not mistaken.
I just LOVE (with capital L, O, V, E) the couch. Still locating the place and budget to buy it ;P
But anyway, that is not the purpose of this entry. I just placed an order to an American supplier for something that I've always been in love with. No, not the couch. Yet. Haha! Something I first saw in Fullhouse.

Been trying locate the local supplier tapi takde. China only entertain order with minimum quantity of 1000. Thailand is better with only 100, but the supplier never get back to me on the shipping arrangement or even the price. Screw them.

Some western suppliers have complicated shipping arrangement to us Asia. Screw them as well.

Until I found one, that requires minimum order of only 12.
It's now on its way...
but I only need maximum of 5, perhaps.
Will put the rest on sale.
It's irresistable. Honestly ;)

7 months and counting...

2010-10-13T13:52:00.010+08:00

Despite the fact that he's been away like 3 months in total... and that gives us the privilege to claim ourselves still the newlyweds, thank you very much! ;P
Now that he's around (and his next posting will be like 40 minutes from the house! YAY!!), it's great to live a normal life, again...

Anyway, last nite I had a weird dream which I can remember vividly, it's almost like it's real. Except one scene that Ayah pushed in a needle into my arm (to assist a nurse who couldn't get it right!!) to get a sample of my blood. Knowing my dad who can't stand the sight of blood convince me that it was all in my dreams.

How I wish it truly happened...
Coz it was a happy ending and got me smiling 'till the morning.

Pre-order Couple T-shirts!!

2010-10-11T17:52:00.006+08:00

All designs available in BLACK & WHITE. ONLY.
Prices noted for each pair.
(inclusive postage fee for west Malaysia ONLY).

RM60 - Code: B&G

RM60 - Code: K&Q

RM65 - Code: KC&QC

Send me an email at qisas.ku@gmail.com.
Tell me :
1. The sizes for the groom/king & the bride/queen
2. Warna : BLACK or WHITE.
3. No telefon anda
4. Nama penuh & alamat utk tujuan penghantaran

I will get back to you on the payment terms.

Refer utk ukuran saiz anda.
Click image to enlarge.

Ukuran
Bahu	Kelebaran bahu
Dada	Ukur lilit dada
Lengan	Kepanjangan lengan
Badan	Kepanjangan baju

IMPORTANT tips before ordering:Ambil t-shirt yg anda rasa paling selesa dipakai, bandingkan ukuran t-shirt tersebut dgn ukuran di atas. Pilih saiz yg paling hampir dgn ukuran t-shirt anda.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ):1. Knapa ambil masa yg lama utk dpt t-shirt tu? Tak de T-shirt yg dah siap ke?
These t-shirts are pre-ordered. There is no ready stock. It is purely based on your personal orders.

Supplier perlukan masa untuk sort the sizes, do printing, and finally deliver them to me. I need some time to sort the sizes and deliver them to you. So you have to understand there is no such thing as - order hari ni, dpt dlm masa 2,3 hari...

2. Boleh tak tempahan saya tu deliver lebih awal?

I'm sorry, supplier akan ambil masa 2-3 minggu utk proses. Tiada instant delivery... Harap maklum.

3. Kenapa harga t-shirt KC & QC lebih mahal drpd t-shirt B&G dan K&Q?

Printing Bride & Groom dan King & Queen hanya di depan. Printing untuk King & Queen Crowns di depan & di belakang (crown besar). Sebab itu ada charge tambahan minimum.

4. Boleh tak tukar saiz kalo tersilap order?
Sorry, I mmg tak order lebih... for the replacement if you want to change sizes... So be careful before ordering ;)

5. T-shirt untuk 'Bride' tu baby-T atau girl-cut ke?
Sorry, all t-shirt size are standard. If u order size S for Bride, and size S for Groom, you'll get same size t-shirts... Tak mungkin size S utk Bride tu lebih kecik...

6. Boleh tak order black for Groom/King and white for Bride/Queen? Or vice versa?
Boleh, takde masalah... :)

7. Ade warna lain tak selain hitam dan putih?
Sorry, I couldn't find the coloured t-shirt (other than black & white) of good quality... Some colours are not that nice, I personally don't want to take the risk.

8. Kalau saya order lebih, boleh dapat diskaun tak?
Boleh, hantar dulu email tempahan, nanti kita kawtim ;)

He's...

2010-10-05T09:12:00.012+08:00

YAY!
and then only we get to celebrate raya sama2...
it's still Syawal, anyway :P

*I know my post is getting shorter by the day -
mcm update status kat Facebook je plak... hehehe.
But seriously, been busy with unfinished business,
(yep, I've explain all the mishaps to all related customers,
you may come back to me through email for any enquiry,
again, I'M VERY SORRY...)
all t-shirts have been delivered, and will launch the new order
for the new and old products again, as well....

Will be back.
Soon ;)

Coming soon ;D

2010-09-30T09:54:00.001+08:00

Yes, they are pillowcases ;)

I'm loving it!!!

Design baru ~

2010-09-25T08:28:00.001+08:00

Memandangkan ramai yang bertanya,
maka saya ingin persembahkan...

Preview je ni...
Order tak buka lagi...
Harap maklum.

*more to come ;)

True love is effortless...

2010-09-21T17:25:00.010+08:00

I've always loved Cathy Thorne's wit.
Check out her EverydayPeopleCartoons.com
and get yourself amused by her enlightening view
about our daily life events.
All in single-panel comic.

Yes, I strongly believe that true love is effortless.
(Even though the other person can be irritating at times :P)
Yes, we do need effort to constantly be in love, to get married, to built a happy family, but it will all come naturally. Bukan bersusah payah trying hard to make the other person fall for you, always insecure and worried that the one might fall out of love, everything turns out to be such a big mess, things like that...Tapi taknak la cakap lebih2 because when it comes to JODOH, Allah knows better ;)
With A not around, I can't help getting mushy... Lagipon, tak boleh biarkan hati kosong nanti banyak benda tak elok nak menyinggah. Haha. That's why we should surround ourselves with love and people who are worthy of our love.

I will write a couple of love stories, a real one of course, of those who are dear to me... so that I will not forget the magic. And the magic is always there, for us to discover - everyday ;)

Am gonna name all the male characters 'A'. Sebab coincidentally, semua pon mmg nama 'A'. Hehhehe... Yes, these people are A-list people ;)

The 6th Sense... ;P

2010-09-14T23:34:00.015+08:00

Yeah, time flies... And it really doesn't feel like it. Probably because he's not around for almost half of the period of time.

Kurang semangat mahu berblogging. He's been away since 5 days before raya. Raya ni sama je macam tahun2 sebelumnya, walaupon sudah bertukar status. Kurang semangat mahu beraya juga. Kurang sihat juga. Stress sbb t-shirt masih blom dapat dari supplier juga. Sebab diorg raya juga.

Patutnya bergembira.
I know I should.
Malas mahu update personal related stories. Nanti tak pasal2 I down lagi. Haha. Dan itu hari masa bercerita dgn sahabatku pendengar setia, dan berkunjung ke rumah terbuka sahabatku yang jelita, terdetik cerita cinta yang ingin dikongsikan.

Nantikan ;)

Salam Aidilfitri!

2010-09-10T11:23:00.003+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya! Maaf Zahir Batin.

Mohon ampun atas segala salah silap baik disengajakan atau tidak andai ada yang tersinggung dengan entri, komen, email etc.
Especially to my t-shirt customers, I'm really sorry for the late delivery.

Will start distributing within Syawal.

Thanks and sincere apology.

10 things all SINGLE people MUST do

2010-08-31T23:59:00.005+08:00

Everytime I update my bloglists from those of 'Brides-to-be' to 'Once a bride', I have this feeling inside me... You see, now the list of 'Once a bride' is much longer than the 'Brides-to-be'... I'm beyond happy to share your journey of the 'before & after'... and proud to be part of this community ;)

I found this and would really love to share with you guys...
A checklist of experiences for single people to try
before settling down.

Full article by Amy Spencer @ yahoo.match.com
1. Travel alone. Traveling by yourself builds the confidence you simply can’t get any other way. In an unfamiliar place, you have to make decisions by yourself, for yourself every day, which will build a self-reliance you’ll always treasure — even when you become part of a twosome.

2. Wallow in the ache of a broken heart. Oh, the pain. The agony. Yep, getting dumped is beyond awful, but guess what? It’s the only way that you’ll develop the empathy you’ll need to be a better partner in a relationship. Because if you’re sensitive to the grief someone else has caused you, you’re less likely to do the same to anyone else.

3. Spend a weekend with a married couple your age. On lonely nights, it’s common for single folk to envision marriage as a cozy scene from a classic film. But by spending 48 hours with a real couple, you’ll learn that in between the snuggling and pet names comes growling, bickering, silent treatments before they ultimately compromise. It will show you what married life is like.

4. Don’t come home all night. That’s right, wild thing. Crash on a friend’s couch, take your friends up on that offer of a last-minute trip… Once you have a mate, you can’t just take off on your own without explanation. And, truthfully, you won’t want to. So if you don’t have someone you have to call and check in with every few hours, take this opportunity to check out!

5. Stand up for a cause you care about. Get fired up over an issue while you have the time to devote to it. It will remind you that while, yes, finding your soul mate is pretty important, there are other issues at stake in the world that could use your help. And besides, the big-heartedness you’ll be cultivating is very attractive.

6. Have a real adventure. Give yourself a thrill by doing something just for you, just for the experience — without having someone at home worrying about you or nagging you not to.

7. Learn how to take care of yourself. Being solo shouldn’t keep you from cooking for yourself, so learn how to make an impressive meal for one (even if it’s mac and cheese with your own added favorite extra thrown in). While you’re at it, learn how to back up your hard drive and sew on replacement buttons. You’ll feel strong and self-sufficient — and you’ll be armed with skills to share when you are in a relationship.

8. Buy something hugely impractical just because you love it. Once you’re in a relationship, you’ll start thinking about your partner before you purchase pricey items — not just “Will he or she hate it?” but “Is this where I want to be putting my money if we’re saving for a wedding?” The single life means a single bank account and an excuse to blow a wad of cash without guilt. So, make yourself happy and buy something you crave.

9. Develop a hobby. Learn to woodwork, play acoustic guitar, speak French, or make digital short films for fun. Of course you can (and should) still have hobbies when you’re dating someone, but your solo time is prime time to devote yourself to something that makes life more interesting for you — and makes you more interesting to others.

10. Be completely, utterly, wholly single for at least three months. Hopping wildly from one relationship to the next can do you a disservice. Why? Because you’re never more ripe for self-reflection than when you’re on your own — and the more you know yourself, the more likely you are to find someone who’s right for the real you.

*Been there and done all that ;)
what about you?

URGENT - King & Queen t-shirts customers...

2010-08-27T09:23:00.008+08:00

Entri ini ditujukan kepada mereka yang telah membuat pesanan dan pembayaran.

Delivery for your t-shirts will be a week after raya, the latest.
If you have urgent matter and you need it much earlier,
email/text me so that we can discuss.

Bulan puasa. Jgn tipu. :P
Sila beri kerjasama.

*This is also subjected to product availability.
I'm pushing the supplier to deliver ASAP.
Nasib baik bulan puasa, and I'm done with being bridezilla.
*dah kawin dekat setengah tahun, lagi nak ngaku 'bride'...

Bad news vs. Good news

2010-08-24T08:19:00.005+08:00

It's been 3 weeks since I forwarded the t-shirt orders to the supplier... But I'm really sorry I have to break the bad news. I was curious and called up the supplier yesterday about their delivery date. The supplier told me there might be a slight delay as they're quite busy in Ramadhan. Nak marah pon tak jadi... Partly it was my fault for the wrong timing...

I know it will cause some problems when it comes to delivery soon. Sebab ada yg balik kampung untuk raya, etc. I will confirm the address with you prior to delivery... Just wait for the updates, ye?

So, how do I make it up to you guys?
How about some discounts for your future purchases?
Ok tak?
(limited to King & Queen Crowns t-shirts customer only :P)

Is that the good news?
Well, part of it ;)

I'm changing supplier and this new supplier will accept any order
(without minimum quantity)
anytime of the day, anytime of the year...
Low quantity means low turn-around time
(you don't have to wait for weeks to receive your t-shirt!!!)

Thus, the Bride & Groom t-shirts are back in business!!!
...and more irresistable products to come. ;)

And those who missed the King & Queen Crowns t-shirts due date, you can now get back into the line ;)

*tapi, bagi can la I nak raya ;)

Let me clear up current order first,
then only I will announce when I can start receiving new orders...

Celebrating...

2010-08-14T16:26:00.004+08:00

Sometimes it feels like a dream and I don't want to wake up ;)

I've been away but nowhere, really...
Life's been hectic with work and series of events...
but I'm enjoying 'em to bits... ;)

How I handled those 45 days without him? You never want to know... hehehe. My bestfriends were of course the dinding & siling, apart from those who I can talk to... Thanks, Nasrah ;)

We've never been apart for that long period of time... When he was away for his 1st assignment of two weeks, I flew down south during the weekend to be with him... So when he went thousands miles away, tipu la kalo tak sedih... Yep, he called like everyday, but the time difference was something that really bothers... Sometimes I waited him to call for hours and he only called when I'm deep in my sleep. Not fun.

The first couple of weeks, I was always on this sad tone everytime on the phone. Until I figured, things should not work out that way... I should be chirpy, celebrating the time passed (every second passed will bring him back to me...) ;)

Sekarang, masa untuk bersuka ria...
eh, bulan puasa - mari menambahkan amal ibadah...

Celebrating today.
Celebrating everyday ;)

His next assignment:
Two days before raya.
Just as far as the previous one.
Probably just as long.
NOT FUN.

YAY!!!

2010-08-07T14:35:00.000+08:00

Finally... after almost 7 weeks!

Tertarik

2010-07-27T09:21:00.015+08:00

Ok, tertarik dgn post Xora hari ni...

Ye, saya juga mahu memohon maaf jika ada yang terasa if I did not approve your friend request. I have the same stand as hers...
(Sila click utk ke entry Xora)

Another thing...

There's only a few days left for
King & Queen Crowns t-shirt order.

Those who haven't make your payment,
appreciate if you can do so
before 30 July 2010.

If you failed to do so, your order will be cancelled.

Thanks for your cooperation ;)

Click here for more info.

King & Queen Crowns in BLACK

2010-07-24T08:09:00.013+08:00

Some asked me how the King & Queen Crowns t-shirts look like if they were in black...

So I went to Paint and invert the colour.

Here they are.

For more info, please click this link.

Order opens until 30th July 2010.

NOTE: Please make your payment by 30th July 2010.

As promised...

2010-07-20T01:36:00.013+08:00

I will announce the winner
for 'Best shot in your Bride&Groom t-shirt' contest!!!

Oh the competition is tough! I find hard time choosing the winner
since the pictures sent are all nice & great!!!
Thanks a lot for your participations.

I almost add up the prizes sbb nak tambah winners, haha!!
*almost! ;P

So here they are!!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Ok, kidding.
Best tau bersanding pakai t-shirt. Haha.
Waktu ni dah senja on my big day... Dah salin baju pon...
Tu semua kawan A yang kerja on that day and had to come late after work...

Let's go back to the lucky winners.

The 1st winner : Wani & Azhar.
(will be getting King & Queen Crown t-shirts)

They used the t-shirts for their post-wedding pics and Wani send in a few photos and they are all so nice I couldn't choose which one (= =') eheh.
I already requested her to post all those photos in her blog...

And the consolation prize winners.
(will be getting King & Queen pillowcases)

Azwin
{love it's candid and honest}

Wanie Nasir
{both of you looked so happy... great view ;) remind me of my own honeymoon}

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

So glad to be part of your memorable moments!!!

To those who didn't make it, it's ok, y'all can try again next time ;)
Thanks a lot for your supports & love!! ;D

Memories revisited...

2010-07-17T21:40:00.008+08:00

*blank kejap.
seharian pandang dinding & siling aje...

I know this is getting rather personal...
But pardon me, I just miss him too much.

The other day he posted this song on my wall...

A couple of years back. At the office. I don't remember when was it exactly (was I still with the stupid someone or I've broken up at that time)... when M asked me, "Weih Qistin, ape tajuk lagu ni & sape nyanyi? Lagu tu start camni... - I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes..." *diikuti muzik yg dibunyikan sendiri...

"Ohhh, Love Is All Around. Penyanyi dia Wet Wet Wet."
"Hah? Amende? Ko tolong printkan lirik dia untuk aku..."
"Aku tulis kat kertas ni tajuk & penyanyi dia. Ko google je lah... ko print la sendiri..."
"Tempat ni comot... Nanti lekat plak kat kertas tu... Aku nak bg org."
"Ok lah... Ko nak bagi sapa M? Hehe..." ;) dan aku berlalu...

Belum sempat aku blah dari tempat keja diorg, tetiba A dtg (he was M working partner), bagi satu kertas kecil bertulis - You don't know me - Michael Buble. "Dude, tolong printkan lagu ni jugak..."

Dan aku ambik je tanpa byk ckp... *Aku mmg tak byk ckp dgn A pon dulu... Weird enough, I found that I still keep that piece of paper he gave me.

Moving on. I googled, printed, and passed it to them. And I fell for "You don't know me" lyrics and saved it in my lyrics folder. Never heard of the song before that.

And not until before I quited my former company, when I was clearing the disk that I came across the lyrics again. *we were already engaged at that time... And I asked him about it; as to why he asked me to print it.

"It was for you..." Cheh. No wonder I saw the paper (that I printed) sat in his tray for ages.

You Don't Know Me

You give your hand to me
Then you say hello
I can hardly speak
My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell
You think you know me well
But you don't know me

No, you don't know the one
Who dreams of you at night
And longs to kiss your lips
And longs to hold you tight
Oh I'm just a friend
That's all I've ever been
'Cause you don't know me

I never knew
The art of making love
Though my heart aches
With love for you
Afraid and shy
I've let my chance to go by
The chance that you might
Love me, too

You give your hand to me
And then you say good-bye
I watch you walk away
Beside the lucky guy
You'll never never know
The one who loves you so
Well, you don't know me

Before the day ends...

2010-07-14T23:47:00.002+08:00

With him not around, I almost forgot about today.

Hidup mcm zombie for the past 3 weeks...
And there's another 4 weeks to go
before he comes back.

Hopefully not just for a few days (again!)...

p.s. Bride & Groom past t-shirt buyers, only 2 days left for you to send in your entry for the contest. Good luck!!!

Click here for more info.

King & Queen Crowns t-shirts!!!

2010-07-12T19:19:00.013+08:00

I know some of you missed the Bride & Groom t-shirts.
Fret not.
King & Queen Crowns t-shirts are now up for orders!!!
And they're not just for the bride-to-bes or newlyweds only!!!
Everybody can wear it!!!
- Our lovely parents perhaps ;) -

Please read the whole entry.
Something fun awaits you!!!

It's RM 65 for king+queen
(inclusive the postage fee - Pos Laju).

Female

Male

Maaf, tidak dijual berasingan.

Also available in black!!!
(Printing in WHITE!)

Send me an email at qisas.ku@gmail.com.
Tell me :
1. The sizes for the king & the queen
2. Warna : BLACK or WHITE.
3. No telefon anda
4. Nama penuh & alamat utk tujuan penghantaran

I will get back to you on the payment terms.

Refer utk ukuran saiz anda.
Click image to enlarge.

Ukuran
Bahu	Kelebaran bahu
Dada	Ukur lilit dada
Lengan	Kepanjangan lengan
Badan	Kepanjangan baju

IMPORTANT tips before ordering:Ambil t-shirt yg anda rasa paling selesa dipakai, bandingkan ukuran t-shirt tersebut dgn ukuran di atas. Pilih saiz yg paling hampir dgn ukuran t-shirt anda.

Jika anda membeli 5 pasang (atau lebih)
anda akan memperolehi hadiah BEST!!!
King & Queen pillowcase (white)
and your postage fee will be reduced.So go ahead ask around if they are interested to order through you!!!

My lovely past Bride & Groom buyers,
stand a chance to win a pair of this new design.
Click this link for more info.

Pink kah? :P

2010-07-09T19:10:00.013+08:00

1. Link kepada orang yang bagi award ni
Moose terlepas... :P
(moose on the loose)

2. Nyatakan sebab musabab anda minat PINK :
Ahaiii pon tak suka pink... Percaya tak? :P
Moose pon tak suka, tapi dia suka baju tunang dia...
(bak kata Huda)
which is in pink anyway :P
Oh, baju tunang saya pon pink aritu...
And I don't like pink too :P

3. Sejak bila suka PINK :
Sejak template blog saya ada warna pink.
Pastu nak colour coordinate everything, semua pon kena pink :P
Only virtually...

4. Nyatakan 5 barang yang anda paling sayang berwarna PINK :
In reality...
(bangun survey seluruh rumah mencari objek berwarna pink...)
hanya baju tunang, beberapa helai baju kurung, beberapa helai tudung, uninflated pink balloons balance masa wedding aritu...
of coz la syg itu semua...
eh, and my pinkish blog, of course.

5. Snap gambar anda dengan salah satu barang PINK :
Carpet pink pinjam :P

6. Tag 5 kawan anda yang minat PINK :
Si Kecikku Nasrah - sememangnya hantu pink...
Huda - geng baju tunang pink ;)
Cik Belle - geng baju tunang pink juga ;)
Fikaryna - pengantin pink :)
Farah Fatiha - I know you like pink... ;)

*eh, tag ni pasal suka pink ke pasal tak suka pink? :P

Ok, ye... saya ngelat...

2010-07-08T07:39:00.008+08:00

Ok, ok... It's been a week into July and I've promised to put an advertorial entry on the King & Queen t-shirts order, but I haven't... (but July has not yet ended... ;P)

I have an exam tomorrow...
(I'm in a short technical course)
Please pity me :P

Ok, however, an idea popped out this morning
and I would wanna run a contest!!!
(I loveeee running a contest!)

The 1st prize is a pair of
King & Queen t-shirts!!!

Dan 2 hadiah saguhati!!!
The King & Queen pillowcase (white)
I LOVE IT!!!

What you have to do?

Send in your best shot wearing Bride & Groom t-shirts!!!
to qisas.ku@gmail.com

Syarat penyertaan:
Tu lah. Past buyers who managed to grab Bride & Groom t-shirts.
Hahaha. *mode kejam. ahaksz!!!

Please include your name and phone number.

Contest ends 16 July 2010.

Result will be announced on 20th July 2010.
All the best ladies!!!

Awards awarded...

2010-07-07T07:19:00.003+08:00

Sorry for this late posting...
I didn't notice I haven't published this and it was on draft all this while... Sorry sgt.

Thanks a lot to Xora, Ryna & Renee Meow... I noticed a few bloggers did put me in their list as well, but I've lost track... ye la, dah basi kot nih... Xora & Ryna je yg inform aritu... But anyway, thanks a lot for honouring, girls... Really appreciate it...

7 things about myself:

1.
Ada a few yg email, ckp "Qis, u ni misteri la..."
Hahaha, I'm not mysterious, I'm just a lil private...
about some personal issues.

2.
I still think I'm 25. I don't know why I stop counting.
It's not like I'm in my 40s or 60s.
It's silly - when people ask,
I have to do the math in my head to get it right.
EVERYTIME.

3.
I don't like to be surrounded by negativity
(especially people who only know how to complain).
I'd flee.
Yes, I do complain too. Nasrah yg dengar... :P

4.
Always think of myself as very ~~lucky~~ blessed.

5.
I've made lotsa mistakes but some I hardly regret.
Things happen for a reason ;)

6.
I secretly think there's a thin line between
being baik & being bodoh.
Now it's not so secret anymore.
Anyhow, any good deeds you've done will come rolling back to you in tenfold.
Who cares if it's bodoh :P

7.
Very independent.
Do most of the things on my own.
HOWEVER, being apart for weeks from my knight in shining armour made me handicap.
In the inside.

Acting damsel in distress :P

Make up review

2010-07-01T20:28:00.003+08:00

There are a few yang tanya pasal MUA in Kedah...
Saya menggunakan khidmat ~~Abg~~ Kak Ram.
Kak Ram was recommended by close friends (Shera & Nakisha) yang menjadi pembuka tirai perkahwinan di kalangan kawan2...

I love how Shera looked on her solemnization day.
Sgt natural, she looked herself,
yet her beauty was enhance at the right spectrum.
Nakisha used MUA from Penang for her big events, but on one occasion (family dinner after solemnization) she used Kak Ram, and she regretted not picking Kak Ram for the whole event. Knowing Nakisha - dia mmg suka something simple... but the Penang MUA did a bit over the top. We still think she was gorgeous on her big day, but she did mention she didn't feel like herself... Dah cun tu, cun jugak la kan...

*Nakisha - Kak Ram's touch.

My skin is very oily and Kak Ram did wonder
I looked matte all day. Sgt tak percaya!
*Sila fokus ke t-shirt yg saya pakai ;)

I think Kak Ram is best at making make up
looks natural & long lasting.
*In case you're looking for some dramatic do,
I have no experience to review.

All photos credit to Aween Rashdan Photoaura.
Kak Ram is based in Alor Setar. She worked as ASTRO make up artist a few years back... and currently she's handling some kelab tarian budaya in Kedah. She's humble, tak pokpek and listens to our request. Highly recommended.

Nasrah's light engagement make up by Kak Ram.
Photo credit to Shasha.

Charges - for engagement RM 100.
I booked her for the whole day
(make up & touch up until 4 pm) and was charged RM 350.
Alor Setar b2b, call her at 0175556589.
She's a busy person ;)

My tie-back corset...

2010-06-30T23:56:00.000+08:00

Saya berkeras mahukan tie-back corset untuk baju saya... susah betul nak cari org yg boleh dan sanggup buat... walaupon buat, berkali-kali jugak kena alter... dan hasilnya masih belum memuaskan hati sepenuhnya. Tapi redha je la... Heh.

*the area was supposed to be reinforced with thick material supaya tak berkedut... tp tailor saya tu melayu, mana pernah buat baju mat saleh ni... haha.
tu la, demand lebih sgt :P

And it was supposed to look like this.
(without the kedut...)
V-shape. Loose kat atas, ikat ketat kat bwh...

Tapi masa photo shoot, Kak Ram (MUA) betulkan ikatan tali2 tu...
{I LOVE THIS SHOT!!!}

...dan hasilnya... agak comot.
Patut la baju aku mcm ketat je ptg tu... heh.
(padahal perut dah penuh nasi minyak...)

But who cares the comotness with this lovely shot :P

Jangan perasan...

2010-06-23T12:27:00.008+08:00

...pengantin baru lagi.
Inai pon dah nak abis... :P

And he'll be going again tonight for another 7 weeks.
Will not see each other the whole July.
Haih. Jauh plak tu...
Tak boleh sesuka hati weekend getaway lagi...

I should distract myself away from lonesome.
Get myself busy. Like really busy.

King & Queen t-shirts to be ordered in July.
The whole July.
Will post an entry on it.
Gotta work it out =)

A nice card...

2010-06-17T08:50:00.003+08:00

I have a few things to post about the wedding, (yeah, I know this blog is getting off-course to middle of nowhere these days...) but all the things are scattered around in boxes when we moved out the other day...
Tak sempat nak kemas lagi since I was out of town last weekends...

I would wanna post about my guestbook and the interesting wedding wishes, tp mana ntah letaknya...

However, the other day when we were back for my cousin's solemnization, my younger sister slipped a nice little handmade card on the sidetable.
I almost thought she did it herself...
From Paperer's Cards.
Click the photo for the blog post and click the link for her site.

And a piece of polaroid photo!
Love all these to bits.
Thanks, Tasya!

Masa untuk berkemas sebelum suami pulang!
Kotak2 semua masih berteraburan.
Oh, I'll be going on a kursus later today, so no need to go to the office. And yes, he was scheduled for early flight this afternoon. Yay!!! Oh, kena masak juga... ;)

Ok,... tipu ;P

2010-06-14T15:32:00.007+08:00

Ye, saya ckp saya mahu bercuti drpd blogging slama sebulan...

Tp mcm tak boleh je... ;P
Because I wanna post this... ;D

Layankan aje... mungkin in a few months to come, dah tak kuasa nak post wedding counter tu... :P But for now, as things are still hot and heated, layankan aje ye...

Busy tetap busy, so jgn tanya pasal order untuk design t-shirt yg baru tu dulu... Julai ye semua... ;)

I guess sindrom malas post entry kat blog ni bukan melanda saya sorang je... Most ex-brides pon nampak mcm makin berkurangan kekerapan entry mereka... I think we're not up to any ongoing project & updates (like wedding, of course!) and we do less of dreaming, and have to face up the actual reality...
*Oh, I miss dreaming of the wedding!

However, it doesn't mean life's getting less interesting.
It's just a little too private to share.
*haeippp, jgn pikir yg bukan2 :P
Ye la, malas nak cerita daily life routines, basuh baju, kemas rumah, masak, etc... Nanti korang (b2b) dah kawin pon mesti malas jgk nak maintain blog... heheh :P So I decided to commit myself to post less entry per month... Dulu boleh la 10 entries per month, skrg probably 5 je dah ok ;)

And my last weekend getaway...
The Floating Casino.

I love these colourful well preserved ol' buildings...

I went on AA after work on Friday and reached there late at nite. We just went for a walk on that Saturday evening
and he has to work on Sunday (!).
Ok, la... kejap pon takpe, janji jumpe ;)
So when I was on my way home, and he reached his hotel room, I called to ask how he was doing. And he answered, "Org tgh cari apape note dia tinggalkan utk org,... Takde pon... Sedihnye..."

I didn't know he's looking forward for such a thing... Sgt comel!
Q : Ada la...
A : Manade... takde pon...
Q : Ada... cari la dulu...
A : Org cari kat kertas notepad ni takde pon...
Q : Tengok kat cermin...

And he was beyond happy...
Nasib baik tulis... Abis tobek lipstick favourite, tau! ;P

Hiatus mode

2010-06-08T00:37:00.032+08:00

Life's been hectic since the last 3 months we've been together...
(almost! ;P)

Bila sesapa tanya, "How's married life...?"

I tend to answer, "Penat...!!!" and it will then followed by big round eyes of the person who asked...

Then I have to explain. Like HAVE TO :P

After my wedding kat KEDAH, kemas2 my house sikit...
blk kerja kat SUBANG...
weekend - Bloggers & B2B Gathering,
jemput2 his friends to his reception & prepare things...
the third week - his reception in JOHOR.
The weekend after that, blk JOHOR to kemas2...
Then, I pegi kursus for more than a week...
Blk kursus, busy cuci baju and all... kenduri lagi...
posting all the T-shirts... etc.
Then we're off for our honeymoon.
Then he went to a training in PERAK...
Pastu kitorg PINDAH!!!
Last 2 weeks we went back to KEDAH
to attend my cousin's solemnization...

And last week, I went back ALONE for my dearest friend,
Nasrah's engagement.
Sorry wey, xthn nak post...
Really like this pic with u on the background!
Nak post clearer picture, but the privilege is yours! ;)

A has already started his new job... and been away.

We have not went through a life of normal husband and wife
who stay together in nice lil cute home yet...

And now we're officially in a Long Distance Relationship.
Pindah rumah baru, dok sorg2... :(

He'll be coming back on the 18th.
Yay? No.
Coz I'll be going on a kursus again (for goodness!) on the 17th.

Ok, too much of complaining...
I know I should be grateful.

That's why I'll be flying into his arms this weekend!
Nasib baik dekat aje... :P
*kalo tidak mmg tak tau bila bleh jumpa
after his next assignment...

p.s. Since life is so hectic and I'll be going on a kursus, will only continue blogging in July.

And sooo sorry will have to postpone the new design t-shirt orders. See y'all in July!!! And take care!

APA YANG KAU CARI???

2010-05-31T15:45:00.000+08:00

Are you waiting for my answer to your comment
"What goes around come around..."
you wrote in my Bitchy Bridezilla Entry 1?

It is COMES. With an 'S'.

What actually that goes around in particular
that make it comeS around?

In simple words, what exactly did I do?

To your wedding in particular.
Or to you in general?

And you waited 2 months just to say that.
Pathetic kot.

My ANSWER is:
GO GET A LIFE.

FYI, none of my readers open my blog
just to read those particular entries.
I guess you just enjoy reading
other's disappointment & frustration...
For what?
So that you can feel good about yourself?

You always prove that I'm so right about you.
So glad we mean nothing to each other.

Did it, too!

2010-05-30T15:21:00.001+08:00

Thanks to Nad Nazira for her brilliant wrapping tips using paper serviette. Check her entry here.

I LOVE IT!!!

Yes, I found the pink one!

And there goes my thank you tag.
A version of it...
sbb ada design lain jugak ;)
*remember i used wrapping paper...

Honeymoon... Final.

2010-05-27T17:23:00.000+08:00

Ok, sgt malas sbnrnya...
...as there are so many things going on these days.
Good ones, of course! ;)

And these are all the random pictures during our honeymoon.

Jalan-jalan malam-malam...
@ Southgate.

Jalan-jalan siang-siang...
Tallest building in Melbourne.
Right next to our hotel - Travelodge Southbank.

Burung2 comel je beratur menunggu makanan.

Peel Street.
Flinder Street Station.Free tram for tourist!

Met my friend Venesa @ Blok M.
Indonesian Cuisine Restaurant... Sedap sgt!
She then brought us to The Crown!!!
And bought us gelato!Before we went outside to watch The Crown fire display...
Sorry takde gambar, but it is a MUST SEE!!
They shoot high fire - every hour at night.

And whatever happens in The Crown, stays in The Crown ;P
And last but not least...

eheh ;P... Product of Australia, ok!

Honeymoon... Part 4

2010-05-25T13:11:00.000+08:00

On the 3rd day, we went on a tour to Great Ocean Road!!!
Its a must-see!
The tour pricing ranges from AU$125-150, but thanks to Venesa (a friend of mine who migrated to Melbourne) introduced me to this particular website, Scoopon and we got 2 coupons at only AU$50 per person!!!
Totally worth it!!!

Click on picture for more info.

Started off as early as 7.20a.m, on a small bus of 25 pax......and stopped for morning tea at Bells Beach, on the Surf Coast.

The Bride & Groom ;)
...but I think I prefer the white ones.

Pintu Gerbang
The history - Great Ocean Road was constructed to provide work for returning soldiers and dedicated as a Memorial to those killed in the First World War. It is one of Australia's great scenic coastline drives.[Source: Wikipedia/GreatOceanRoad]

I love the beach... tp sgt sejuk dan angin sgt kuat...
Awan bergerak dgn sgt pantas... Mcm laporan cuaca, tak? :P

Stopped by a small town, ada wild koala...
Yg ni tak manja dan tak boleh pegang...

This one is my most favourite koala...
Yg ni manja... ;P
We stopped at a few places in the journey, termasuk la an ancient rainforest at Otway National Park...
tapi A ckp, "Ala, kat Malaysia pon bykkk..." heh.

And then we went to a magical-looking place...

The sun was too bright my camera didn't do justice as to how stunning it actually is...
Muka kagum bangat...

The other side of the walkway...

Then, proceed to Loch Ard Gorge
on Shipwreck Coast...

The Two Survivors ;P

I kept telling A - "Lets enjoy it to the fullest as we might never come back again..."
And A asked me why...
It takes hours to reach there and we would never go there on our own... since we better explore somewhere else :P

Let it be once in a lifetime experience...
Such a perfect honeymoon... :)
p.s. Bateri camera habis at Loch Ard Gorge, (just imagine how many pictures we took) then pegi London Bridge pon boleh tgk je...

Reached the city at 9.30 p.m. Tido je all the way in the bus on the way back to the city :P

Honeymoon... Part 3

2010-05-21T22:17:00.001+08:00

Saya malas... upload gambar pon malas nak letak watermark... Anyway, gambar banyak sgt... And here are some of them...

These were on our 2nd day,... rode on free tourist shuttle bus, stopped by their majestic historical monument...
Shrine of Remembrance. Worth stopping by.

Bertapa :P

;)

Overlooking St. Kilda road. Close up.

Overlooking Port Melbourne & Albert Park.
(from the other side)

On the way out...

That monument was built as tugu peringatan utk askar2 dan wanita2 Victoria yg telah berkorban utk mempertahankan negara semasa perang dunia pertama dan kedua.

Very educational. Superb architecture.

Then kitorang berjalan (sebelah jalan je...)
ke Royal Botanical Garden...
pegi lepak2 kat taman yg indah...
The weather was sooo good!!!

Tgh sesat mencari tasik yg cantik...
Tasik dpn tu tak besar sgt...

Ok, jumpa tasik cantik!

Both places - no entrance fee.

Tu je lah, malas nak upload byk2...
But our trip on the 3rd day was the best!!!
Stay tuned!

Honeymoon... Part 2

2010-05-19T15:00:00.012+08:00

The first day there was cloudy and chilling with lil bit of rain... Sejuk... tp ok la, redah je jenjalan explore the city on foot. Diah did mention in her horneymoon entry that the city isn't so big and I totally agree. But they have lotsa old beautiful buildings around...

From Southbank, we had to cross the Yarra River to go the other side (city). The good thing about staying at Southbank - it's close enough (short walking distance) to everything convenient - tourist shuttle bus stops, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station (for train), yet it’s rather secluded from the hustle bustle of the city... Quiet! ;)

And we walked! to Queen Victoria Market... exercise je sepanjang hari... Org kat sana tghari pukul 2 pon boleh selamba berjogging... sepanjang hari, sepanjang minggu. A mentioned to me he’ll be fit if we lived there... Sbb boleh jogging je bila2 nak... sejuk, tak penat & tak byk peluh...

Ye la sgt... :P Diorg tu tak keja agaknya? (I guess these people are rich enough not having to go to work...) Kalau diorg tu tourist, mcm pelik gak... Would you ever travel just to jog around foreign city...? hehhehee

It was fun at Vic Market! A excited buah pear kegemaran dia besar2 kat sana... Dan ada penjual yg boleh ckp Melayu... Things are quite cheap there... (avoid calculating & converting the currency in your head!).

We found nice t-shirts with prints & embroidery (tulis Melbourne etc) selling at only AU$5. And cheaper if you buy in bulk. But it was our first day, so we decided, hari last baru dtg balik, borong for souvenirs... Guess what, on Tuesday, all t-shirt stalls sepakat tukar tanda harga to AU$8. Chesss... rugi x beli on that Friday!

The market is quite big, so dah penat jalan pusing market, dah tak larat nak jalan balik... Turns out there are free shuttle busses for tourist and there was one bus stop nearby the market... Kiorg naik bas je pastu sambung jenjalan cari halal food restaurant for our dinner.

It was quite hard on the first day finding for the restaurants because some restaurants in the list that I printed from the internet courtesy of Google was outdated and byk kedai dah tutup. We end up at Sawasdee Thai Restaurant. Halal certified. Good food. Big portion.

I have to say Melbourne is a very tourist-friendly city. There are tourist free shuttle busses and trams that encircle the city, and stops at tourist attractions... things like that. And their people are nice as well... We were reading map one time and ada pakcik tua ni dtg tanya if we needed help. And something similar happened a few times. Nice...

These pics were taken on the 2nd day.
When the sun was out and shining!

Southbank
I love their skies!!!

...to be continued.

Go grab it, girls!!!

2010-05-18T13:44:00.003+08:00

Honeymoon @ Melbourne, maybe? ;)

Thanks Uncle Tony...

Syg, dia nak gi Goldcoast kan?
Jom? Hehe...

Honeymoon... Part 1

2010-05-17T11:21:00.024+08:00

Hahahaha, saya dah byk kali taip tp padam berkali2 jugak... Dah lama x tulis entry panjang2, it feels awkward. Don't know where to start...
Ok lah, let me keep it simple.
On November last year, bila AirAsia launch je promotion for cheap tickets, I quickly grabbed the chance to book something for our honeymoon. That was like 4 months before our wedding... heheheh *excited kan? :P

After trying a few times - to get a good match for the dates to be booked (yes, you have to check what day can give you cheaper rate... if u're booking for weekend flights, the price is normally higher...), we decided to go on the 6th May afternoon and come back midnite on the 11th. Weekdays.

And it very much depends on the season they're in. Kalau summer & spring, harga tiket mmg mahal. Kalau winter, murah sikit... (Sape nak pegi travel sejuk2 tu kan...) So AirAsia promo tu buka starting autumn till end of winter kot. Tak ingat... So bersemangat ambik date masa autumn jugak. Sbb saya sgt tak tahan sejukkkk...

Mmg masa nak book tu web page asyik hang je... Nak byr online pon tak sempat... Pastu that very nite jugak I log in to pay, harga dah naik 1k+++. Nak nangis je rasa... hampir2 nak tukar date sbb nak cari lower price ticket (tapi dah masuk musim sejuk...). Tapi alhamdulillah, booking siang tu went thru sbnrnya, so I only need to pay the initial amount when I 1st made the booking...

And guess how much we have to pay?
Return flights.
For both of us.
RM 1278. All in.
Inclusive the airport tax + on board meals + 15kg luggage
(that we had to add up upon checking in sbb terlebih bwk baju :P)
+ travel insurance.

2 org ye. Pegi balik.
Average one-way ticket per person = RM 319.50...
Mcm tiket blk Alor Setar naik MAS!

Wasn't that a super great deal?!

Now everyone can fly! ;)

I love AirAsia X!
Bila nak buat promo lagi, Uncle Tony?
However, it was an excruciating 8hours of flight. Congok je kitorg. Baca majalah, settlekan Sudoku. Hahaha... boring! Inflight entertainment kena byr RM30, but we guess we better sleep je sudah...

Flight tghari, mana reti nak tido. We were like, "Baru 2 jam?". Pastu, "Baru 4 jam?". Pastu bila dah tak tahan, "Bila nak sampai ni...???" heheheh... Balik Kedah naik bas express pon tak camtu... hehhehe... boleh singgah R&R etc. Seat sempit plak tu (dah la byr murah, dpt window seat, byk songeh plak).... Lucky the seat next to us kosong, so kitorg conquer je baring2 buat mcm rumah sendiri :P

We reached there midnite. Terus headed to our hotel - Travelodge Southbank. A friend of mine who is staying in Melbourne ckp, "Hey, you ckp nak murah2 je... Apsal book to stay at Southbank?"

I didn't know the location was rather hip in Southbank. But Travelodge ni mcm Hotel Sri Malaysia je... there are bunch of them around the world. And we got a good rate from airasiago.com. AU$160 per nite (+ 4th nite free), so we only pay average AU$130 per nite! Backpackers hostel kat sana pon dah AU$120-170.

That was a bargain jugak sbb after a few hours, we tried to go in the website and found out the hotel rate dah bertukar menjadi AU$190!!! Fuhhh!

Alamak, blom cerita pasal jenjalan pon dah panjang...

Will continue shortly ;)

It's been 2 months...

2010-05-14T16:55:00.017+08:00

...since our wedding!

And we just got back from our honeymoon 2 days ago.

It was oh so wonderful...

I love his company... love travelling with him...
love spending time and sit around watch tv or rugby
or even doing nothing...

Yes, baby... I love you.
It's been 2 wonderful months :)
and I think we're lucky ;)
eh, silap... blessed.
Yeah, blessed is what I meant to say...

*tak, tak... we're not blessed in that way, yet.

p.s. Honeymoon updates to come... ;)

T-shirt dah sampai!!!!

2010-05-05T09:38:00.015+08:00

YAY!!! Akan deliver everything by today!!!
Sbb esok saya akan bertolak untuk honeymoon! *excited!!

Hopefully t-shirt akan sampai kat tangan korang esok atau lusa...
Terima kasih bebanyak kepada pembeli budiman ;)

Hmm, ada yg tanya2 apa design lepas ni...

Presenting...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Bakal raja sehari atau bekas raja sehari...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Pastikan anda dapatkan INI!!!!

Female

Male

Akan berada di pasaran
pertengahan Jun ini ;)
*Not open for order yet!
p.s. Ye, saya mmg sgt suka crowns... (yet i didn't wear one on my big day... :P) and credit to Nasrah for the words inspiration!

Black Bride M & Groom L t-shirts!

2010-04-30T09:17:00.005+08:00

I had this one difficult customer, ordered black Bride & Groom t-shirts. Bride size M, Groom size L. Since she ordered before the due date, I took her order into account. Pastu bile dah due date, tak bayar2...

I called her the other day, then she mentioned she doesn't want it.
Why didn't you tell me way back then?

I need the payment to secure your order,
ni dah order takmo bayar camni...

Ada yg tanya2, but they wanted white instead.
Dan size tak sama...

Ok, sape yg nak, boleh email saya.
qisas.ku@gmail.com
1st come 1st serve.

Diserang...

2010-04-29T20:31:00.000+08:00

Tak, ini bukan design terbaru t-shirt saya :P

I'm just tired.
I'm just sick & tired.
And I'm sick & tired
of being sick & tired.

Saya rasa selepas majlis selesai, saya diserang wabak malas...
I have not been functioning well months before the wedding (dlm otak berbilion2 benda nak pikir...) and now I wish I could focus on my work, but it's just so hard...

Not just career wise. I wish I'm the old freak I was.

Nothing interest me now.
Everything seems so lame.

I wish I have the energy I had before the wedding.
God knows (dan hg jugak, Nasrah) what I did.
It was like I can do anything...
Superwoman.

And then it happened...

I hate to believe it, but deep down,
saya rasa saya sudah hilang semangat...

And then, he just got an offer for a better job...
I really have to get up and cheer up.

Tuhan tidak pernah tidak menjawab doa makhluknya.
HE has HIS own beautiful way of doing it.

Sorry...

2010-04-28T11:59:00.002+08:00

T-shirts Bride & Groom tak dapat lagi from supplier...
Latest update a few days back,
dah siap cuma a few sizes tak cukup stok...
Tunggu ye...
Maaf sesangat...

Will update once I got it from the supplier...
Been away for 9 days kursus... Penat! Dah la tempat ceruk, i.e. jauh nak balik rumah, takde broadband coverage, wifi hotel pon pakai sistem satelit - the reception was unstable... Pagi petang siang malam ~~makan~~ masuk dewan ~~tido~~ dengar ceramah...

Byk cerita sebenarnya... Kalo lambat sgt nanti basi... hehehe... Tapi nanti lah... Sangat busy nak membasuh baju (oh, saya cuti arini... :P), nak pegi kenduri, kenduri dan kenduri - esok... dan nak finalize itenary for our honeymoon. Yippee!!!

Harap2 t-shirt anda selamat sampai sebelum saya bertolak...!
In these few days... :)
Can't wait!

Slideshows...

2010-04-15T13:53:00.010+08:00

L.O.V.E

Aween uploaded more pics into slideshows.
They are here & here. *click on the links.

p.s. Noticed my muka yg sembab sbb nangis pagi tu... huhu...
dan khemah hijau itu juga...
dan bunga pahar sumpahan...
*aku boleh gelak je skrg...
"the power of letting it all out and letting go"

I like my big day somehow...
Walopon banyak kekurangan, it looked very simple,
low-key & humble... :)

ALHAMDULILLAH...

Official Photos!!!

2010-04-14T09:02:00.005+08:00

And thanks to Aween Rashdan!
*for these lovely official photos...
There goes my tieback corset...

My handsome groom...
*Sorry about last nite, baby...
Kita celebrate mlm ni ye... ;)

Balloons... (again!)

Burung tu dtg kat tangan kitorg...
*percaya tak? :P~~~
(x de merpati putih... tekukur kelabu pon jadi la... hehehe)

I'm so lucky to have found you...

More at Photoaura.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a FLOWER...

2010-04-09T10:55:00.025+08:00

We're going for our honeymoon somewhere - in its autumn!!! ;)
Tapi belum pon kitorang pegi, our outdoor photoshoot during A's side was already as if we're enjoying the season. Right here in Malaysia. (Kluang, Johor to be precise... :P)

Thanks to Akmal, Razali & Faiz of Heroes PhotoWork!!!
I really appreciate the 'heroic' job they did that day...
Tak tau camne nak ckp how greatful I was to meet them.

They are so cool!!!
(Series, saya bkn bodek ye ;P )

Akmal was Anil's classmate... and she reads my blog...
Akmal, thanks A LOT!!!
Razali & Faiz, tabik spring dari saya :D
for all these jaw-dropping, gorgeous artwork...
It was raining and some of A's friends were still around so we had to wait till quite late in the evening for the outdoor session... It was almost sunset + baru lepas hujan, so the scene was quite dark and gloomy...

Waktu photoshoot tu, they kept saying - "Kitorg ni amatur je..."

Trust me, they lied!

More pic at Razali's blog.
He put them all into a nice vid clip... Go figure! ;)

And these are somewhat the REAL colours...
*by Faiz.
Coolness, 'aight?
Trust me, go for them...
Heroes PhotoWork.
Worth your every penny... ;)
Highly recommended. Downright talented.

And, here's to you Xora ;)

Reminder...

2010-04-07T14:28:00.010+08:00

Only a few days left for ordering the Bride & Groom tees...

Maka jgn ketinggalan...

Sila click banner t-shirt di sebelah utk maklumat lanjut...

*Bride & Groom tees ni mungkin akan hanya kembali ke pasaran apabila saya sudah mempunyai modal yg cukup utk menjualnya secara retail... :)

*Impian nih ;)
p.s. For those who haven't make your payment, please do so...

My most favourite part...

2010-04-04T11:43:00.004+08:00

Alhamdulillah...

Everything went on so smoothly yesterday walaupon hujan sepanjang hari...
*Kluang dah kemarau lama sgt tapi semalam hujan dtg seiringan dgn kehadiran pengantin... Hujan rahmat... :)
Harap rezeki kami akan bertambah murah ;)
I was so happy meeting his big bunch of family & friends and seeing my family came all the way from the north.

My younger sis pass me a cd containing her snapped pics (she's in Photography Club in her uni and she did quite an awesome job!) during my big day... It's like she's the backup photographer la that day...

And I'm soooo excited to share with all of you
my most favourite part of the day...
*Apart from me officially became A's wife, of course! ;)

Love these pics to bits.
They are raw, unedited.
Thanks a lot, Tasya!!!
Love you!

Cadangnya nak run bisnes helium balloons lepas ni ;) *wink

Bitchy Bridezilla Entry No 3

2010-04-02T23:47:00.012+08:00

I was supposed to write this entry earlier today but my fingers were all full with inai... so takleh bergerak untuk beberapa jam...

Why the inai?

Oh, esok majlis bertandang sebelah A... ;D
And so I would want to finish my ramblings on my wedding by today, and enjoy tomorrow to the fullest. I need to finish it once and for all.

After my solemnization ceremony (at the surau before balik), Ayah told A's family to wait for like half an hour before proceeding to our house... Just to wait for the crowd... Tak best la kalau family A sampai, org tak ramai dtg lagi...

I only know the real situation when I reached home... The food was actually not yet fully ready (I don't know which food, couldn't even imagine...) - patut la those 'pakat' people told Ayah to say so... padahal aku tgk ramai je yg dah dtg... dan hanya tercongok... sbb lauk tak siap lagi.

*Can I swear & curse again?
Should I be appreciating their intention, again?

Their stupid arrangements made our guests waiting,
which I didn't favour at all.

Nak tolong org, do it out of respect.
Respect our decisions and preferences.
Because it's us who have to face it.
Not you.
Yes, you people who're laughing with the meat that morning.
Your did something unnecessary,
and thanks to you...
Look, it's us facing the guests.
Thank you, very much.
But again, NO, thank you.
Saw friends from workplace dah sampai... Sgt terharu diorg dtg jauh2 naik bas department ramai2 ;)

I was seeing them when A kept on pestering me - he was not comfortable keeping his family waiting too long (remember, they were there since 10.30 am...). Asked my younger sister to tell my parents about it and the next thing I knew, one of them said ok, and the other one said we need another half an hour. I'm like, no - the statement was just for info - A's family was already on their way, whether we like it or not. Lagipon it is not nice to keep the guests waiting...

Makanan sbnrnya baru je siap... Guess what, disebabkan makanan lambat... Penghias makanan pengantin pon missing in action, agaknya gelabah the other side is already coming - this is how they put my food on the table...

Ini makanan pengantin...
Berderai air mata aku kat situ jugak... Hello, ingat ni lawatan keluarga sana nak makan tengahari ke? Maki boleh tak?

Kot ye pon bangang sgt, letak la bunga ke apa... bkn aku takde duit nak bayar kau!!! Again, I keep on shouting inside me, "Eeeeesshhh, KALAU DAH KAMPUNG TU, KAMPUNG JUGAKKKKK!!!!!"

Dah la takde sesapa entertain us (like to serve, add up food and all)... I was so ashamed with A's family... They are from Johor, and you know how Johorian punya standard when it comes to things like this... I've been to her sister's wedding and it was nicely set up... And look at mine! Aku malu dgn semua kengkawan yg dtg juga...

Those yg tak dpt dtg, it's ok...
You missed nothing.
Area meja makan tu takyah ckp la... I have no guts to publish the pic here pon... Yes, it was all that bad...

I know people said the food was good...Like really good (BUT DO KEEP IN MIND - IT WAS LATE!!!!). I couldn't taste nothing... with tears. A keep saying, "Sudah, jgn nangis dpn tetamu..." But I couldn't help it... It was all sucks!!! A sambil makan, sambil lap air mata I... hehhehe... :)

Lepas makan, terus masuk dlm rumah for photo session... Had my make up touched-up, pastu my MUA dah nak balik around 3.30... So takleh nangis dah... :P

And Aween Rashdan of Photoaura really made my day... He did a great job (walopon tak tgk official photos lagi...) and I really wish he will do miracles with the pictures... ;)

I didn't cry till the end of the day... That nite I didn't know what strikes me, I went on cursing all the things again... Ayah talked to me and asked what hit me the most... I was like - everything that went through my hands was all fine. But do I need to cook myself, and run my own tent company to get it all right? What if I'm the kind of bride who just sit and look pretty? I did my best. And yet my day was screwed, by people who couldn't even careless...

Called up friends and had myself consoled. A pegi tgk bola. Chess :P Malas dia nak layan the bridezilla in me...

Thanks to super powerful words from Shera and her super cool wedding gifts & tips, I was back to normal the next morning...

.............................................
The next day - Afternoon.

There was a wedding on the other lorong in my housing area (walking distance)... Since the uncle came to our wedding the day before, we decided to pay homage and went his son's wedding...

Sampai je kat situ, I saw the same person who handled my makanan pengantin, and the makanan pengantin that day was all nicely set-up... Of course, part of the reason is their food wasn't late (they used caterer)... I menangis (well, again...) kat situ jugak...

I felt so betrayed.
They can actually do good job.
But why not at mine?
Makanan kitorg dah letak dlm pinggan ni... Air mata I meleleh2... A ckp, "Kalo nak nangis, jom kita balik..."

So, sempat makan 2 suap aje... Terus balik...

I couldn't contain it anymore. I was crying so bad all the way to my house... (bukan cry quietly - air mata je yg meleleh2 tu ye...) Sampai depan rumah, A rasa bersalah... Kang kalo bawak I masuk rumah crying, my mom will know... Tapi dah nangis mcm tu, Mama pon boleh dengar... Ayah baru balik sembahyang zohor dari surau, when he saw me crying...

He sat down on a chair and asked why... I was not able to talk... A plak tak tau nak explain mcm mana... Ayah picked my hand, pulled me to his lap... and asked me why...

I said, "Majlis org boleh je elok... Awat depa buat kat majlis kakak mcm tu..."

I'm already somebody's wife and yet I was on my father's lap, crying on his shoulder.

*The moment I treasure most about the wedding mishaps.
Feel like I'm telling him I'm still his little girl...
(couldn't remember the last time sitting on his laps...
perhaps since I was a kid...)

He kept saying, "Nak buat mcm mana... dah jadi dah...".
Pastu he continued in a lower tone,
"Kalo boleh buat lagi skali, ayah buat cantik2 utk kakak..."

*cry*

:)

p.s. Doakan majlis esok diberkati oleh Nya ;)

Hmm...

2010-04-01T23:02:00.009+08:00

Sbnarnya saya nak sambung cerita hari besar saya… Tp hmm…

I knew my “Bitchy Bridezilla Entries” will invite some negative comments… (obviously I knew I was being bitchy and so the title goes…)

Mungkin saya kurang menyatakan kesyukuran
ke atas majlis saya yg selamat selesai…
Kesyukuran kami kini berbahagia sbg suami isteri yg sah…
Kesyukuran kami dikelilingi ahli keluarga yg menyayangi…
Kesyukuran majlis saya yg indah di mata sesetengah anda…
Berkali-kali juga saya nyatakan di sini saya perlu keluarkan semuanya. I wrote those entries crying, and reading them again and again laughing…

Dan saya adalah seseorg jujur dgn diri sendiri… Saya bukan seorg yg hanya tahu menceritakan yg gah dan menyembunyikan yg tidak indah. I was being truly honest with my feeling and so goes my writing…

Maaf, saya juga berasal dari kampung… When I say kampung; what I meant was the attitude (and mind you, org bandar pon ramai yg mcm tu…). It’s about the mentality on wedding so typical with certain set of impractical rules…

Everybody has their own preferences.
I think the best way to work around it is by respecting others.
Their decisions and preferences ;)

Nak menolong tiada masalah…
Tetapi jgn disertakan dgn niat yg tidak semenggah…

And here’s my stand about explaining myself…
“You don’t have to explain yourself;
those who love you don’t need it,
those who dislike you won't believe it.”

Terima kasih, all your points noted.

And again, this is my personal space
that I’m willing to share… ;)

To all my sayangs, I still have A LOT to tell…

Yang baik dibuat tauladan,
yang buruk dijadikan sempadan ;)

Bitchy Bridezilla Entry No 2

2010-03-31T18:25:00.011+08:00

Thanks for all your supports and comforting words for the previous entries... Those thoughtful virtual hugs really makes me feel better... THANKS A LOT! Akan saya reply semua komen anda secara pukal *pinjam ayat Xora... hehehe ;)

Ok, sambung cerita... Before I went on crying that morning, I was looking for my mom and I saw my cousins were working on the balloons under the porch...

Hampir semua belon dah inflated dan semuanya dah dilepaskan ke ceiling... but they put the ribbons too short! I was like, "Awat, riben tak cukup ka...? Riben byk lagi ni ha semua... Pakai la..."

My cousin answered, "Saja ja buat riben pendek... Kalo panjang, nanti budak2 ambik belon..."

I was speechless at first because my intention is to give them all to the kids... and some to be put on all tables as centerpiece... (meja pon pasang lambat - centerpiece apa ka menda!!!)

And I told them my intention, asked them to put long ribbons - on the balance that were not yet inflated. Diorg pon tunduk je... (Feel bad about it because they're helping me... It's not that I didn't appreciate it, but they have to get it right... *Bridezilla mode. I've already given them sample to do...) Satu keja plak nak capai tarik belon tu semua & tak sampai pon sbb riben pendek sgt :( There goes my centerpiece...

Some inside the house at the pelamin area...
Photo credit to Wawa!
Thanks for attending!!!

NOTE: It will look so much better with long ribbons!!!
At 11, I'm all ready. Mama & Ayah were nowhere to be seen. A's family dah tunggu kat surau since 10.30 lagi... To cut short all the drama, at 11.30, off we went to surau for my nikah ceremony...

Masa on the way keluar rumah tu, I saw the deco at my meja makan beradap... It was sooo ugly I almost fainted... Malas nak describe mcm mana, but there were 3 jambak bunga palsu warna merah yg sgt buruk diletakkan di kain tabir kat belakang meja tu... Through out the day, I was so bitchy and cursing inside me, again, INSIDE! "Eeeeesshhh, KALAU DAH KAMPUNG TU, KAMPUNG JUGAKKKKK!!!!!"

YES I WAS BITCHY. YES I WAS BAD!!
I called up Makcik Pah jiran depan rumah and told her to remove them all. Nasib baik Makcik Pah memahami... I'd rather have nothing than having something ugly. No, thank you.

Solemnization CeremonyI thought I would cry (because I was teary at friends' ceremony... even at strangers' slideshow pon... ) but I was so numb I didn't feel anything... I got carried away...

Nothing extraordinary about it except I was shock to see Ayah sitting down to do the akad... because I thought he prefer Imam tu do it... sgt terharu... And A only did in one go...

Alhamdulillah.
He was being so playful (perhaps to cover up his nervousness...)
he really loosen the tense in me...
*I only cried when ayah cried at the end of ceremony semasa menyerahkan saya kepada suami...

Coming back from surau at almost 1, saw they put a small green khemah (yg org slalu buat cover utk park kereta) right at the entrance... I was like, "Damn, it's GREEN, stupid!!!" Org lain letak arch la ape, aku punya ada khemah kecik berwarna hijau.... Rasa mcm nak pegi tengking suruh diorg tanggalkan kat situ jugak, dah la muat untuk 1 meja je... I don't see the purpose for the khemah selain drpd mencacatkan pemandangan... Saya pegi dekat khemah tu but I saw some guys eating under it sambil bergelak ketawa... Nasib baik korang mcm have fun... So I tried not to look... Again, "Eeeeesshhh, KALAU DAH KAMPUNG TU, KAMPUNG JUGAKKKKK!!!!!"

I walk to my porch and again, I almost fainted. There stood proudly 4 pahar penuh dgn bunga telur berwarna pink, merah, ungu dan biru - setiap satu! Letak betul2 right in front of my house... Terus aku panggil Makcik Pah suruh tanggalkan semua bunga telur tu beri pada tetamu... Just get 'em rid off.

I knew who the culprit is... I think everybody know what my theme is... (Hello, dah sebulan kot dinding luar rumah aku tu stripes pink... Apa kau buta?) And I already told Mama, nobody have to sponsor anything... Again, NO, THANK YOU...

Ayah actually bought some crystal-like bunga pahar (the leaves & batang are crystal-like & the top is a crystal-like rose with scented pink-coloured water) that I love so much... Itu pon aku tak letak kat pahar kot, makcik oi!

The nite before the wedding when we were busy sorting the favour and cleaning the house, this one neighbour of mine came offering, "Nak carpet tak? Kalo nak, ade kat rumah tu... boleh bg pinjam... Letak kat depan ni..."

Hello, letak kat depan? Ko ingat rumah aku dah takde carpet sgt? The reason we didn't put the carpet - was because people were going in and out the house that day... Of coz la akan comot... Yg kau beria-ia nak letak carpet kau kat depan tu kenapa? Apa carpet kau cantik sgt??? Ha, ambek kau.

Pastu, upon seeing the favours, she said, "Aaa, kat rumah dah siap bunga telur... tp taknak bagi lagi hari ni..." Sambil senyum bangga... I knew right away, she'd get her way... Waktu tu I already had the feeling, tp malas nak pikir...

Anyway, she's normally like that.... Apa yg dia bg, mesti kena display (walopon buruk gila...)... So that people can see... so that she can tell people those are hers...

Well, makcik, I don't appreciate it a bit. Ape kau ingat ni majlis kau nak suka hati mencari publisiti???
"Eeeeesshhh, KALAU DAH KAMPUNG TU, KAMPUNG JUGAKKKKK!!!!!"

Bitchy Bridezilla Entry No 1

2010-03-29T11:33:00.028+08:00

I intended to write about the Bloggers & Brides2Be Gathering last Saturday, but I noticed gambar ada sket je... (ye kitorg mmg malas pegang camera..) Tu pon byk yg kabur... Hehe. Just wait for others to upload theirs... All in all, it was a lot of fun!!!

Thus, I'd want to continue with my wedding hiccups.
*I may sound very bitchy in this entry, but just bare with it...
I need to let it all out and move on... :P

Yes, I was a bridezilla. I was frustrated. I was mad.
Ok, sambung kes khemah runtuh... I walked into my house crying... saw my mom in the kitchen and asked about it... Mama said, "Nak buat mcm mana... Takpa, nanti mlm ni depa settlekan, jgn susah2 hati nak pikiaq..."

But I couldn't help crying :`( Nasib baik Aman hugged me, gave a peck on my forehead and said - it will all be fine... It was truly comforting.
NOTE: Org Kedah ni keras sket, and we hardly do things like that... We don't hug each other (hug parents aje...)...
It was very consoling...
Getting a kiss from your younger brother before becoming someone's wife.

End of drama for the day.
Fast forward - around 8 in the morning... I started getting agitated looking at the lack of khemah with nobody came to fix it or replace it... look around for Mama and guess what? She's busy preparing food untuk org-org yg memotong daging di bwh khemah yg tidak runtuh, putih bersih + sudah siap digantungkan lanterns...

Mana dtg org-org ni semua? I thought we already arranged with the butcher to get all the meat ready, dah potong semua, for us just to cook??? And why Mama busy preparing food for them, a few hours before my nikah??? And where the hell are my replacement khemah??? And why are the tablessss not yet pasang??? For goodness!!!

Those people are supposed to work on cooking. Bukan pagi ni baru terkial-kial nak siang daging! Apekejadahnya! And they are supposed to help with the khemah & tables, bukan bersuka ria bergelak ketawa mcm esok baru nak majlis!!!

I've told my parent beribu-ribu kali, I want things to be simplified! Apa yg boleh dimudahkan, mudahkan. Dah butcher boleh buat - buat apa kita susah2 nak habiskan masa dan tenaga... Ayah came telling me, 'they' said to Ayah & Mama, "Hgpa slalu tolong kami masa kenduri, kenduri hgpa, mai la kami plak yg buat..."

Call me ungrateful, but I don't appreciate the intention at all. No thanks. I don't need your favour, if your favour led to ruining my big day.

I've been requesting for catering all along instead of this 'Pakat' (masak ramai-ramai thingy - org 'Rewang' utk org selatan) to avoid such thing sbb mesti ada org yg pandai2 nak suggest arrangement sendiri... Some more my family is not that big enough to handle things all by ourselves...

**** (isi tempat kosong....) la korang!!!
Kalau majlis korang sendiri, tau plak korang tak nak arrangement stupid dan sial mcm ni!

*Thanks to them - my food lambat siap.
Org dah dtg pon makanan tak siap lagi!
MARAHNYA SAYA!!! *crying...
And Mama is the one who cook for org2 yg buat kerja - kalau ada kenduri jiran... And guess what? And that very morning, Mama jugak yg preparekan food for them... yes with the help of my makciks but she's the mother of bride!!!

I went on crying about the whole thing saying we're doing things that we're not supposed to do! They wanted to deal with the meat (which is totally unnecessary!!!!), and we have to feed them!!! Khemah & meja tak pasang lagi... those are the things that they're supposed to help!!!

I was crying so bad to Mama saying "Kakak geram, awat depa buat mcm ni kat kenduri kakak... KAKAK GERAM SANGAT!!!! Kakak geram, kakak geram..."

Yes, I was so mad... Mama tarik saya naik ke tingkat atas sbb tak nak org dengar. But I was so mad. I was so frustrated. Those things are avoidable!!!!!

Mama keeps asking me to say 'Alhamdulillah' but I just can't. I was mad. And I was bitter. I think I still am...

About 9am, my MUA and Aween Rashdan from Photoaura came. I think these two people are the reason I stop crying (sblm saya sambung blk right after majlis selesai) sbb I dont want my make up to melt & I wanna look good in pictures... :P

Photo credit to Wanie.
Apart from the dulang hantaran yg kehabisan stok sbb terlalu byk majlis kenduri on the 13th March, sebenarnya khemah pon kehabisan stok... Dan disebabkan hujan pada petang dan malamnya, maka kerja menanggalkan khemah tidak dpt dijalankan. They came at almost 10, pasang khemah & meja... And I wanted only white scallop, but guess what? Khemah I takde scallop, sbb semua stok scallop pon abis basah the day before...

How can I not hate my wedding day?

It was such an anti-climax...

2010-03-26T11:12:00.029+08:00

I’ve been contemplating whether or not to write this entry,
for some reasons as...1. Shera told me nobody will know there were mishaps during the wedding (or so I think...) unless I told them...
2. Somebody wants to know the story for all the wrong reason... To sit back & laugh hard...
Yes, I know you read my blog.
And no, you’re not getting the t-shirts for free from me.
So, jgn mimpi.3. Diah suggested during the meeting that I reveal the story during the gathering... but knowing A, he hated it when I started whining about my wedding to friends and even family members... Inikan pulak in public...

But I’ve been suppressing the feelings, been shutting the scream inside me... (Ok, I lied – I did mention I cried for 3 consecutive days – before, during & after :P) and you know what happen when you keep it inside you... I still cry everytime I think about it... secretly (honest!).

Ye, sayang, if u read this... I’m sorry... I still do...
Dia pon ckp org mmg gembeng, kan... :P

So allow me to let it all out here...
Pastu kite boleh tutup buku, ye... ;)
p.s. Please be informed that this is nothing close to a tragedy. And I know I should be greatful...
Alhamdulillah, we are now happily married...
We’re blessed by Allah and our loving families.

14 March 2009
(Take note – it’s a year before...)I was in my room back in Subang and I called Nasrah who was back in hometown for particularly one reason... The weather.
“Hg ni peddia tetiba tanya pasai cuaca... Mcm la hg x tau Aloq Staq ni bkn penah salji pon...”
(Aku xtau hg ingat lg ka dak... :P)“Dak, aku cuma nak check, hujan ka dak... Majlis aku kan next year, so at least I know what to expect during this time of year... ada paham?”
“Oh, ok... Tak hujan. Panas gila. Mcm biasa... Muka aku dah start naik jerawat, blablabla...” Hahaha :P I love you, babe.

13 March 2010Early morning I was with my younger brother, Aman - hanging bunch of lanterns under the tents when A called saying he’ll be reaching in an hour.

I called up Mak J** (homestay owner) telling her about it dan A & family nak masuk homestay tu this morning...

And guess what? She had already given the homestay to other family!!! Terduduk aku sekejap sbb homestay kat Alor Setar mmg la byk tp semua dah fully book 2 weeks before (and some more it was school holiday...). I was furious as I already paid the deposit and I’ve met her in person to check out the homestay and we have closed the deal!

I was considering checking some hotels (hoping they are not fully booked) when she called and mentioned she’s making some arrangement – letak A’s family in her other homestay (until afternoon sbb rumah tu pon dah di booked and the people will come in the afternoon)... Lucky those who were staying in the one that I booked nak checkout that afternoon jugak...

Ok, problem fixed. I brought A to the homestay and there he handed me the chocolate brownies cake covered in white cream that I requested a sweet friend, Najidah to bake... When I opened up the box, again, saya terduduk...
My wedding cake pecah.
This is not my cake, but this is how it looked like - more or less...
Ok, ye, cake boleh beli, kan... But it was a day before the wedding! I still have bunch of things to do at home! Mana sempat nak tempah kat bakery... Ok, beli cake siap? Ye lah...
*A bought a cake ganti for me,
but I was so down, I totally forgot about the cake.
So, there was no wedding cake on my wedding day... :P
I went out in the evening to pick up dulang hantaran and it was raining. It has been very very hot for the past few months and there were short drizzle days before, but it was RAINING HEAVILY – a day before my wedding. Air bertakung atas khemah and I saw Aman pushing the water down with a stick. Just this one particular khemah... khemah lain tak bertakung plak...

Upon reaching the town, air kat jln dah tutup kaki saya... separuh betis. So saya redah je, pegi mengangkut 9 dulang hantaran dlm plastic sampah hitam...

*Ok, iklan kejap pasal dulang hantaran...The day before I went to pick them up (dah booked) but the boutique was unable to give it to me yet – as there were so many weddings on the 13th. So I have to come back on 13th evening, when the dulang were returned. Take note – dulang kat butik tu sgt bykkkkk tp still tak cukup stok and they are renting at RM2 per piece. Gile murah, kan? *Butik De Kasih, City Plaza.

Sesampai je kat rumah, I saw my khemah dah kurang... the one yg air bertakung tu dah runtuh!!! I didn’t have the strength to come out from the car... And those hanging lanterns?? Terus saya call Anil (some of the lanterns were rented from her) nangis2 gtau dia... Actually I bought some lanterns myself, ingat nak sewakan during this gathering... tp byk yg dah rosak :( Ada yg rosak sbb kena kipas juga... :P

Ok, sudah la dulu cite satu hari... dah pjg sgt ;)
I know I’m still lucky and blessed as there are many other worst things that could have happened and had happened to other... tp x kire... nak drama jugak :P

Bride & Groom T-shirts

2010-03-23T15:54:00.034+08:00

The most awaited...

So here it is...
Sesiapa nak beli, it's RM 60 for bride+groom
(inclusive the postage fee).
Maaf, tidak dijual berasingan.

Now available in black!!!
(Printing in WHITE!)
Send me an email at qisas.ku@gmail.com.
Tell me :
1. The sizes for the bride & the groom
2. Warna : BLACK or WHITE.
3. No telefon anda
4. Nama penuh & alamat utk tujuan penghantaran

I will get back to you on the payment terms.

Refer utk ukuran saiz anda.
Click image to enlarge.

Ukuran
Bahu	Kelebaran bahu
Dada	Ukur lilit dada
Lengan	Kepanjangan lengan
Badan	Kepanjangan baju

Tips before ordering:Ambil t-shirt yg anda rasa paling selesa dipakai, bandingkan ukuran t-shirt tersebut dgn ukuran di atas. Pilih saiz yg paling hampir dgn ukuran t-shirt anda.

See you at the gathering...
Will be taking your orders, dearies!!!
p.s. I'm planning to come up with a new design, tp will have to wait till I get Adobe Illustrator to work with... :)