I'm still here

It’s been long.. It’s been long!

The blog sure needs some mowing. I could see not only grass has gone wild in this pasture but cripples too has conquered many parts of it.

So many things and events had taken place for the last 5 months or so, good, bad and the in between. But let’s leave the bad aside and just cherish the good ones because seriously, there're too many good ones that the bad one just seems unseen.

In the big family, we had weddings, engagements, Raya this year which was so much better than last year’s though I was forced to do office work during the break, welcoming new family members … among many more other happy events.

Yeah, I know... the one showing fist is mine....

 At 3.45kg, Zairoul Naquib. My cousin's or more like little brother's son.

 

In my immediate family, of course Nada has the most to tell about which I just do not know where and what to start.

She really talks a lot now – Malay and English equally used. Kelantan dialect, she’s trying so hard to master. Sometimes I just can’t seem to believe what came out of her 5 year old mouth.

On  one Sunday at Ikea, she missed the boat in her queue to enter Smaland by just couple of kids in front her. I told her the next session would be at 7.30PM which really boiled her up that she had to wait for another 1 ½ hour.

In a single breath, she just needed to let the steam out, almost shouted at me :

“This all your fault. Not my fault. Why do you come here late? I am so upset with you and angry. You stay away from me. Don’t come near me!”

… o my.. I almost crawled on my knees hearing she said that.

One night, out of the blue she asked us :

“When Mommy and Daddy were children, you meet is it? Then, did Daddy ask you – will you marry me?”

... like, why would she thought about it?

We celebrated our 9^th year wedding anniversary the night before 20.08.13 at home. Only us, where I bought a Baskin Robbins cake for the tiny celebration we had. 

 

However to Nada, all cakes are for her. Hence, she wasn’t happy that the cake was not meant for her, till the extend she sobbed so badly. I didn’t want her sulking for too long and told her that the cake was indeed for her.

 

You see, she needed an event for herself to be having the cake.

She asked me : “Why do you buy cake for me ? My birthday is in January. Now not yet January”

Clever mom I am, I told her : “O… I bought you the cake because you did well in your spelling bee at school.”

She was delighted with the explanation.

The next night, that is the actual day of our Aniversary, we had steamboat at Johnny’s we called it “NADA’S SPELLING TEST EXCELLENCE CELEBRATION DINNER” instead of Anniversary Dinner. Talking about the extent parents would do to make their kid happy, huh?

 

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Of course, handmade dos that I wish not to miss the blog.

I finally fixed Baby’s OR Ary's leg!

 
 
I also managed to make this cute baby smock romper for Baby Naquib…. And of course, a pair of cloth shoes to match. Owh.. I'm in love with that boy already.

 

I now can cross the ROMPER from my list.

Still recuperating

I'm still at home.. recuperating.

Though Lady Gaga is like calling me to mend her and make something, I just dare not touching the machine for now. Mesin jahit kayuh .....kalau ader motor lain la jugak.

The free time I have, I thought why not do some cooking! Cooking is not that bad after all. I'm not that bad, either. Nobody got diarrhea thus far.

 Beef curry with potato

 

Stir fried cabbage/pepper and crispy fried anchovies

Stir fried chicken with ginger in oyster sauce.

Masak putih kobis!

Days in recovery



It's Saturday today! I'm still on medical leave due to the surgery I undergone 3 weeks ago. Feeling so much better, I am now able to walk faster even though not to the pace I usually do and at least able to do light house chores.

 

Few days back, I walked up the stairs to the first floor of our home after not going up for close to three weeks. Rasa macam nak pengsan! Not because of the stairs .... but chaos of all. The unfolded clothes, mess in Nada's closet, habuk yang tak boleh nak cerita, stacks and stacks of nick-nack here and there.. I don't know where to start.



 

I decided to let them just be and walked down.

 

Got hold of my phone.. texted Nada's Nanny : "Ani, hujung minggu ni boleh datang tolong saya kemas rumah"

She replied : "Boleh ma Nada..."

 

Forget about cleaning, I made beef fried rice with bak choy.



Always like fried rice with lots of vege and I prefer the vege to be crunchy. Yums! Nada makan bertambah.

 

Today's breakfast, bread with cheese and half boil ayam kampong eggs from my FIL breeds.

Don't tell my Mami about the soya sauce, she keeps saying it's not good to take after surgery.. Nanti kesan jahit jadi hitam. But I'm stubborn like that.

RM 20.00 Curtain for our Guest Room

I did make a declaration that sewing curtain for me, is nothing easy. However, because 'I do take sewing challenges seriously'.... I did sew another curtain for our home.

It's now nicely hanged in the guest room.

I know, the photo is bit blurry... but I'm just lazy to snap more.

Again, I bought the fabric during our trip to Japan at a shop called TOMATO. It was on price reduction which only cost RM4.00 per meter. Dirt cheap I would say considering the quality and thickness of the fabric. I didn't really know what I would end up with when I bought all the fabrics. For this one it was only 4 meters or so. Hence, I didn't have enough for the conventional curtain which the curtain tape is sew on one side of the fabric and gathers are formed once we slot in the curtain hangers. Y'know what I mean.

Instead, I took the pain staking step to create the pleats before sewing the curtain tape. In this way, I would be able to dictate the required length to suit my window size. I consider it as pain staking as I did try hard to get the match print due to repetitive print design of the fabric.

For more little detail, I capped the curtain top with bias in cream that I made from selvages cut out from the fabric.

 

Having done with two sets of curtains for our home, I now am looking at the main sliding door at our living room.

 She sure needs a new set, doesn't she?



For now, she is dressed with an unappropriate size curtain which need to be clipped together, so it will close!

 

I already have in mind the fabric that I'd love to have, however, it's quite steep in price... so that will have to wait. Hopefully.... I'll get it done someday.

 

For now, I want to strike out curtain from my list first.



Interpreting a 5 year old design

I once read an entry by the preacher’s wife on how she managed to interpret her daughter’s design into a dress. I thought it’s so cool, but never it cross my mind that I would be doing the same until one day Nada came to me with an "awesome" sketch : 

 

Nada  : “ I want a dress like this. Can you jahit (sew) for me, Mom?”

Mommy : “Huh? What’s this? Can you explain how you want the dress to be?”

Nada : “Owh.. I want many colours. Have red, purple, blue, orange…. Pink!. See, like I draw.”

Mommy : “Hmmm.. that’s good choice of colours. What about the bottom? You want frills?”

Nada : “Ya, just little bit. I don’t want so much. Later, I lemas! (uncomfortable).

 

And so, this Mommy put on her thinking cap and cracked her head. I think I got it.

We then on one Saturday head to Jalan TAR and I purchased plain cottons mostly only 1 meter each. Slightly frustrated that after I purchased the red, purple blue, pink and green plain cottons at Nagoya with price tag RM 5.50 per meter.. only to find out I could have at Kamdar for RM 2.50 per meter. Chech! Talk about quality, I don’t see much difference. I only bought orange colour cotton at Kamdar! Just hate being in the sort of ‘regret’.

 

The next day on Sunday, I sew the dress and it turned out to be :

:

:

:

:

:

A Colour block dress, Not bad, huh? I was contemplating either to use or not the much love white linen that I bought in Japan for this dress. But then again, would I not use it for my favorite girl ... who else ?

 

 

I now can strike out play dress from my list.

Walking slow and deodorant

I had to undergo an emergency surgery last Friday. It sounds frightening, right? Indeed it's frightening. The surgery was to remove a twisted right ovarian cyst and it hurts so much! I'll try to write about it someday.

Since it's been a week since the surgery, I now feel a lot better though I still walk so slow like a slow-lorry. Funny thing, Mok my beloved grandma is at our home now.
Nada said : "There are two people walk so slow now... Tok and Mommy!". ...... Aku cili jugak kang mulut budak nih!

Since I came back from the hospital, I can't walk up the stair to our bedroom. So, Harris took the trouble to bring down the bed downstairs to our multi-purpose room for my usage. I've been sleeping with Mok's company just like during my childhood years.

Apart from the bed, I also asked Harris to bring down my daily stuff. One of the request was, bring down the organizer box, make sure to put inside my comb, baby powder and deodorant.

He did just as that. Only thing was......

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the deodorant was not mine! I didn't realize till I wanted to use it, Harris was at work. So, I text him :

It says : "Why do you bring down your deodorant? Mine is white colour. Man... Just use!"

 

and he replied me :

It says : "Make you stronger.."

 

Yeah,.. that's my hubby. He also sometimes has loose screw... I love him lots, nonetheless.

 

Note : Trust me, that's my 'high-tech' phone. See the trouble I had to go through just to get the text into this entry. Every body's laughing at me.!

My husband's pyjamas

Everybody loves comfortable, loose and soft pyjamas. So is my husband. Well, he doesn't really has pyjamas. Mostly they were only tees and sarong!

 

We love the comfort of our pyjamas, most of the time we do not mind small tear or anything like that. I say small tear. Small tear ok. Nothing like what's gonna be posted here. 

 

Look at Harris's tee pj after the last laundry.

 !!!!!!!!!

Hence, I wrote a love note for him and clipped it together at the hanger. Soft warning, I would say.

My note is in red which says : Hello ! Do not wear this roti canai (paratha bread) anymore.... love, love, love, love.

 

He got the chick to reply : Lagi garing Lagi sodap (The crispier, taste better)

Eye-candy :

 Paddington Underground Station, London

Somewhere near Westminster Underground Station. At the background is the famous Big Ben, London.

Sit down and breathe...

 How I wish the luxury of having a craft studio like this :

 with nice big table, plenty of room for fabric cutting for any sort of projects.

or like this :

 cute and neat.

 

or like this :

 pale green in color and an island table.

 

or like this :

 colorful and chearful, full of stuffs.

 

images from Google

 

 

But what I have is :

just this tiny 4'6" x 4'6" space.

 

The trusted machine is an 80's inherited from Mami, named Lady Gaga. The console was previously my kitchen cupboard. Small-humble space it may seems, I however find peace here. I can't thank enough that my husband hung the light as a surprise gift for me while I was away in Britain. 

And these pair of butterflies are from my daughter : "It's for your curtain, Mommy..." says her.

 

Alhamdulillah, Thank You ya Allah Rabbil Alamin.

Messy but not Dirty

There's a BIG mess in our multi purpose room now. Bad, yes. However, I want to take it at a good side. It means projects are in tow....

 

 

In my list, I have :

- Curtain for the guest room. Curtain again?

- Smock garmet at 12month size, definitely not for Nada.

- Play dress, yup for my girl.

- Another smock dress for my girl also, Blossom from issue 88, Australian Smocking and Embroidery magazine.

- Shoulder bag from Cath Kidston sample.

- Hot pot holder. (badly needed in my kitchen)

 

Too ambitous, huh? I don't know which one to start first. There's no priority. Well, it should be curtain.

 

Harris said : "Start all at one go. If you are bored with one, go to another...." He sure has the right thing to say, doesn't he?

YA, I think I'm gonna start all at the same time and see when all would be finished. Next year, perhaps? Heheheehehehh

Cardiff and Shoes, not a rhyme.

One morning at Nada’s school few days before I left for Britain :

“How’s your shoes, Nada? Come, sit on the bench and let me check if they’re still good fit to your beautiful feet.” said Aunty Jeanne (the school principal) while she kneeled down and started pressing front of Nada’s shoes with her finger.

“Awww…. Your feet are getting bigger, leaving just tiny space at front. Strong big girl, you are!”

* I was standing right next to them*

“Mom… it’s time to find new pair of shoes ya…..”

I felt like I had been boxed by Muhammad Ali straight to my face. It sure hit me well, like, really I need someone to tell me my daughter’s shoes are tight?

I had meant to buy Nada new shoes knowing the one she’s been using for P.E class during school is getting smaller. I’m a procrastinator!

Until Aunty Jeanne told me so, never I felt that I’m such a slow-mow.

However, things have to be taken on a bright side. Wouldn’t it good that we have someone like Aunty Jeanne? Like I say, she’s meticulous. Children are her interest. Children are her priority. It’s just natural for her to do what she did, been doing and I believe will continue to do.

“Oh ya… it’s true Aunty Jeanne. Ah, I must find time for some shopping!” I reacted, trying to blame on ‘time’ which definitely will never be a good excuse.



 Shoes and slippers being washed for storage. No longer fit her feet.

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Aida and I hailed a bus from London during our Britain trip to meet our friend, Sawiyah whom has been residing Cardiff, Wales for 18 years. She was our wonderful host for 3 days that she had perfectly planned a tour for us despite her tight, I really mean tight life schedule.

The day we reached Cardiff, she just returned home from Essex for work with groceries supply done for our through out stay. Efficient!

Two days after we bid farewell to her, she’ll also be flying back to Malaysia, to her hometown in Besut for a surprise visit to her mom, then back to KL for a 4 days motivational program, off to Vietnam after for a girl trip consisting her mom, two sisters, three nieces. She then will fly back to Cardiff for 3 days stay and off to Sates for 3 weeks.

That’s just her lifestyle. I do not know how she adapts to time zones and jetlag!

It is so fortunate for us to be able to slot into her pocket time in Cardiff, as she told us, though she own a home in Cardiff, her actual time spent in Cardiff is only about 2% a year. Other than that, all over the globe.

In her BMW X3, we were driven around Wales covering bit here and there for visits and shopping whilst being awed with her spirit in embracing her life in all the humbleness that she has. I’m so proud of her, I’m sure Aida is proud too.

Aida's feet.

 

 

Sawiyah and I - traditional Welsh Village, Llandaff

 



 

The scenic Welsh Life Museum, St Fagan. We had picnic too, all prepared by Sawiyah without Aida and I realizing it. 

Penarth Marina for the rich

Cardiff Bay

 

Cardiff City

Sawiyah is living single and when I asked about having a family of her own, she has nothing to hide. She admitted how she longed for an other half and child of her own, but she makes a stand that if now she’s travelling only in Business or First Class, she will not make herself travel in Economy just because of love…. that her partner couldn’t afford. It wouldn’t work. Period.

I get her clearly and I salute her. BOLD.

Time and again, despite her clear vision of wanting to be Rich and Happy she repeatedly preach Aida and I that : 

“whatever we have now, we actually own nothing ....... it’s not ours” MasyaAllah, humbleness.

Sawiyah's Western Home.

View from her backyard

Yummy curry mee for farewell dinner prepared by Sawiyah. Here is me and friend from TKC, Adibah. She too has been living Cardiff for 20 years. A doctor operating her own practice.

 

One of the places that we toured, Sawiyah brought us to Bridgend Designer Outlet.

Sawiyah told us to go ahead with our shopping while she waited for us. For two hours Aida & I roamed the shops, Sawiyah was on her 4 phones - working! Once we were done, she handed to us :  "You all must be hungry, here I bought you guys donuts. Let's sit and eat!" - Allah s.w.t bless my friend. 

A-hah! Here, I found my worth-it buy. I like buys like this. A pair of Reebok shoes at a further reduction price for my energetic bunny. Reduction from 20 to 14 to 9pounds.

It could be clearance from last year Spring, but who cares, I don’t. My bunny sure doesn’t.

Suits her 40 pence Britain socks, huh?

 To school today.

Back home, not to my knowing, Harris too did some shoes shopping for the tiny feet. A pair of pink shoes for her P.E class. Hehehehehe, somebody also felt slap by Aunty Jeanne’s gentle reminder, I guess.

 

 and new slippers too.

 

Note : Most photos in this entry are credit of Sawiyah and Aida.