Random

In couple of months, wouldn't I write in this space it just meant ONE year of shear neglect. Hmmm…. I blame Mr FB for that. It has taken all the glory on updates about Nada’s antiques, my past time favorites, our family stories bla-bla-bla. Hehehehe… what a lame excuse. But today, I feel like blabbering.. on random things.

• Alhamdulillah, I’d don the headscarf on Harris’s 43^rd’s birthday last year December,27. O Allah, please guide me.
  Hi-Tea at Hyatt in celebration of our little family only boy's birthday.

• My beloved grandmother, Mok had a mild stroke early this year. She fell in the bathroom. I was devastated. 

           -         Once got the news, I can say.. almost ALL, ALL of the family members from near                       and far drove, flew, swam (err…) back home to see her. We gathered around her,                       we talked to her, we cried near her.... together. I’m proud of my big family. 

-          She eventually ‘recovered’ but not fully. She now has short term memory which is so not her just a year ago. Sometimes, she remembers my name. Many times she forgets. It breaks my heart every time, for I’m a self proclaimed her favorite grand daughter!

-          Recently, she gave me 16 sets of her baju kurung all nicely paired and folded in plastic wraps. Reason – those kurongs are now too big for her that she has lost weight and in a way shrunk due to ageing. Those kurongs suit me well.. I know, I'm always her favorite grand daughter.

-        Now, at any possible opportunity we have - we will go back home to visit Mok. We here means, my whole big family.

I love these colorful photos of may be just 1/8 of my cousins taken during 2013 Raya at Mami's house. Many times, people tell stories of how close they are with their brothers and sisters. Not many however, can describe their cousins like my family do. 

• We threw Nada the first birthday party (which actually deserve an entry on it's own) she ever had at Jungle Gym Bangsar. My favourite girl is 6!

 She was excited about the party, she didn't mind at all to make her own invitation card,

helped with the making of goody bags.

• ·         Nada is soon to start ‘real’ school in 2015. Yikes! Really? She’s gonna be 7? S.e.v.e.n? 

•         My cousin Ika married in March.

and I was entrusted to make the flower girls dresses. 

•   Then another cousin, Shasha got married in May. They are same age and both are now preggars. 

 Shasha - didn't I tell you she has the most beautiful eyes. Those are real lashes..

I made Nada a special dress to wear for Shasha’s wedding.

• Ika’s two younger sisters, Nina and Mira got engaged. Both in August. It will be a busy year again next year for us.
• Mira’s engagement was held in my cousin, Feby whom is Mira’s other sister living near us in Ampang. Since my family somehow, is fond of cooking for our own family affairs, it was decided cooking to be done at our home. Hence, we were the co-host for Mira’s engagement dos.

• We went for a holiday trip in Krabi last April.

• I so love travelling and totally agree with Diyanazman, that travelling is the only thing that you buy and makes you richer. Even if one invest on a property, one remains 'poor' until one sell the property off.
• For the love of travelling – we’re planning for another family trip upcoming October. Oh – I’m so excited
• Speaking about travelling, my most-trusted-sought-after aunt, Busu and her husband are now in their most sacred travel, being one of the selected ones to perform Hajj this year. I pray for their health and may they be rewarded with Jannah.  
• Harris and I celebrated our 10^th year wedding Anniversary last August, 20^th.  It’s been fancy years living with this man so far. I love him.

• I sure made few handmade dresses for Ms Dew in the last 8 months or so, which I'll put up photos later if I have the time.

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 :

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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.

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.

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.