fifteen eleven.

I think I’m done with weddings. I think. The only thing I haven’t reviewed on is probably the difference between the spa at Tanamera and the one at Jentayu. I can still remember both experiences well, but I don’t feel like reviewing them at the moment, so let’s just talk about other things.

So many things have happened in this past week.

And yet, I have been so quiet, why’s that? Because I was an idiot, that’s why. But let’s talk about that one in a different post as well.

On my birthday (which was a week ago exactly), I received many texts and facebook messages. Favourite question for the day was – how’s life as a missus?

Well, I’ll tell you what’s different.

tormented soul

I woke up next to a guy, that’s one. And the “best” thing is that the moment I opened my eyes to greet the world, he kept tormenting me about how old I was. =.=" Hmmppphh. So, yeah. That’s 2 things there.

We were supposed to begin the day with Broga but of course, despite the many alarm(s) (!!!) we set, we weren’t alarmed at all. Slept all the way past sunrise like a baby. Hmmmmppph.


I'm a better jumper than basketballer


So, as a substitute, my husband taught me how to play basketball instead. That kind of like became a defining moment of some sort as it confirmed that I suck at ball games. *No wonder I didn’t join any back in school.* We had a quick breakfast afterwards and then got ready.

As I was brushing my hair, someone (who else could it be apart from my husband?) conveniently spotted something on my head. 2 grey hair, that’s what!!! So, that makes it 3 things different as a missus already. On my own, I would’ve never spotted those grey hairs (they were in my “blind spot”). I told him to chop it off. He chopped off like 6 strands of hair, even the black ones =.="

We got ready and headed for Jusco Balakong. Yeah, I know. So romantic right? Jusco Balakong? Whatever for?

Well, as I mentioned here, I was obsessed with the Panasonic washing machine priced at RM 598.00. The entire week before my birthday, my husband had patiently brought me to every single electrical shop I wanted to go to, but I knew that his patience was waning so I promised him that the next place we went to, I would just buy it already. So, we bought the washing machine, FINALLY. Hahaha.

He told me that he would take me to The Curve for my birthday treat, but first, Mamin and Amed invited us for lunch since we didn’t make it to their house-warming party before. I happily obliged.

Mamin made spaghetti Bolognese and bandung soda *yumyumyum drool*.

The next thing I know, a huge butterscotch pecan cake *pecan my favourite thing in the world!* came out of nowhere and I was gobsmacked. And silenced. I mean, who is this man with the huge cake and where did you hide my husband? Hahaha. I never in a million years thought that that was my surprise birthday party! Didn’t have an inkling of an idea. AT ALL.

I know, I should be ecstatic rather than shocked (I was ecstatic later), it was my birthday after all. But you know, for the past 6 years, when we were just friends, he had never surprised me like that before. It took me a while to get used to all the attention and fussing and then, when I felt that overwhelming feeling flooding over me, I just felt like hugging that man. Like wow, Abdul. I didn’t expect that at all!

What ensued was a great day. I was surrounded by good, fun loving people. We all went furniture hunting, which we all loved. I got myself a haircut *which my husband thought was a waste of money because I didn’t look much different* We ended the day stuffing our faces with meatballs.

And I am more than sure that I went to bed smiling widely that night. Oh, how I love being married. I feel so loved and content. Even with the simplest things in life ;)

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sanggul dan songket

Finally! I got the photos from my bertandang.

I didn't have much to do with the preparations for bertandang. My in-laws had everything under control and all I had to do was to choose the dress and come for my fitting.

We didn't really plan on having different themes for all ceremonies, but so happens that my mother-in-law wanted it to be an all traditional affair on their side and I happily obliged.

Since that was the case, I went all out with my sanggul (head dress) and I absolutely love my hairdo! It was so classic and retro and despite the heavy cucuk-cucuk sanggul on my head, I enjoyed every single minute of it and felt that no amount of photographs could immortalise my happy and content feeling on that day.

But,

after the whole ceremony was done and after I took my sanggul off, phew, I couldn't feel my neck anymore sebab berat weiii!

The make-up was something I was pleasantly surprised with as well actually. Since I didn't choose my own make-up for the bertandang, I just had to have faith in the mak andam and told her that I didn't want to look too much like someone else. And the other trick I learnt (from all of my events) is that I shouldn't look into the mirror when my make-up is being done and everything will be alright. That worked for me at least ;).

The contact number for the mak andam in Melaka? It's at home and I'm not at home. I will update this when I get the number.

I super love the traditional theme do for my bertandang :) So different, yet so very nice.

updated: 
The Contact Number of the Butik Pengantin :
Seri Andaman Yazid (Encik Yazid Abu Bakar 012 610 4490)
No. 8, Jalan IKS 1, Tangga Batu, Melaka

So, Melaka brides, what are you waiting for? Their range of clothes is not bad, not bad at all :)

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henna.

A friend who is getting married in exactly a month’s time called me just now to ask about my henna. It was done by none other than Nafissa. I think all 3 of us (Nanad, Jaja and myself) have used her services. And the outcome has so far been breathtakingly beautiful.

Her contact numbers and samples are all there at her blog (though yours will probably never be the same like any other bride's because she handpaints them from the heart without any stencil!)

Since the only close up photo of my henna is in black and white, if you are wondering about the colour, this is what it looks like:

Beautiful, yes?

The henna dries really fast actually, but I slept with it anyways just to make sure it falls off on its own when it’s ready.

Here are some tips I got from Nafissa and my friend Batul (and also some through my own experience).

1. Leave the henna on until it is dry. Once dried up, it’s actually ready to be scraped off. But there is no harm with sleeping with it on. I did mine at around 10 p.m. and left it on ‘til about 9 a.m. next morning.

2. After you scrape the henna off, DO NOT wash your fingers immediately. Instead, get olive oil and vicks (yes, vicks vaporub) and lather it on your skin where your henna is. It brings out the colour of the henna and also makes the colour stay longer.

3. When bathing, use gloves. It can be those surgical gloves or those gloves they provide together with hair dyes sold at pharmacies. Yes, you cannot stop water from flowing into the gloves, but it sort of helps the patterns on your palms (if you decide to apply henna on your palm) stay longer because there will be no direct contact with soap. The only time my henna kena air was masa wudhu’.

4. The colour of henna on your palm and on your skin will turn out differently, so don’t worry of they don’t look the same.

5. Continue applying olive oil and vicks like it is lotion and wearing gloves until all your events are over. Its a good excuse not to cook, do dishes or any other house chores ;p

6. Re-apply henna on your nails the day before because normally the colour is not so dark the first time round.

7. If you have henna on, DO NOT dip your hands in air mawar (rose water) because it will turn black (like charcoal, as if your hands were burnt)

8. To get rid of henna, use milk.

I love applying henna. If only it lasted longer heehee.

p.s.: Memang ada certain parents yang object the usage of henna conteng-conteng ni. Even mine had their own reservations. But we're only going to get married once. Plus, mine had no animal motives, just leaves. If your parents have some reservations, do what I did - APPLY ON YOUR PALM WHERE IT WILL BE LESS VISIBLE. CHOOSE A SIMPLER DESIGN FOR YOUR FINGERS. Baru la merasa pengantin, ye tak? ;)



And no, this is not Nafissa. This is Adik and I want to see her new hair. Grrrr.

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yang berubah...

so blessed with a great view at night.

Apakah?

I wanted to write more about my bertandang because I loved my hairdo and make-up. But I only realised that I saved my photos to my sister-in-laws laptop and not my harddisk

So, let’s talk about something else.

At the end of every meeting or discussion or social greets and meets, people ask me,

“So, how’s married life?”

My standard answer?

“So far so good!”

Most people said that married life is supposed to be GREAT. Not just “so far so good”.

Thing is, that is my standard answer. Life has been great in many aspects. There have been ups and even downs, even though we have only been married for only like a month. Dramas? Plenty. Misunderstandings? Goes without saying. Good times? Countless. Irreplaceable. Priceless.

Last night was probably one of the best nights we had. And no, don’t get the wrong ideas. The only thing people think of come Khamis malam Jumaat is that thing. Being married is so much more than that. So much more.

For one, I now have a sister-in-law (as referred to above), which is a good thing seeing how much I love being the Kakak. But it still feels weird. I have in-laws now. Wow =.="

I have no curfews anymore.

I have a chauffer everyday now.

I have never been this excited in my life to see fish at Tesco, which, if you go at around 9+ p.m., is super cheap and super fresh.

My days are filled with my obsession to get a Panasonic washing machine priced at RM598.00

Every time I go back to TTDI, I say that I balik kampung, not go home. Home is where we’re both staying.

Every time we are in Melaka or TTDI for long periods of time, we miss home. Even though there’s scarcely anything there in the house.

People keep on asking us whether dah ada isi ke belum? Last time I checked, not yet. :)

I have never been pestered about having a house-warming party this much in my life before. Hari-hari ada orang sebut pasal house-warming. Hahahha.

And as to why last night was one of the best nights we had, it’s because we went on a couples date with our good friends Amed and Mamin. Stayed at the shop until close to midnight and on many occasions, we laughed until we felt like falling off our chairs.

There is just so much that married couples have in common. There were so many stories which we could relate to. And in the end, we’re just all so happy and relieved to be married despite our respective antics. In the end we all agree that being married is amazing. Even if we don’t say it.

Even if marriage changes us sometimes.

Tapi yang paling berubah (dan paling tak boleh blah).....



click to enlarge.



... kita orang semua minum teh tarikh sekarang.

Bijak.

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The Bean Cup Mystery.

Once upon a time ago, when I was still a teenager, anyone who could afford Starbucks was considered filthy rich. It was a status symbol of some sort.

Now, most people I know can afford Starbucks. But bear in mind that most of the people I know are gainfully employed so it kind of figures, no? Plus, with Jusco Card, you can get 10% off your drink. Did you know that? I do, because I’m a bargain hunter like that.

Anyways, my take on it is that we buy Starbucks either because we are so addicted to coffee (ehem, Mamita) or we just cannot resist that sweet smell of caramel macchiato (ehem, Abdul) or simply, some of us are still stuck in a time warp, where expensive coffee still equals to a status symbol of some sort.

Well, maybe, just maybe being able to afford Starbucks (in Malaysia at least) is reflective of your status symbol to a certain extent. Just maybe.

But, even if it does, I still believe that you’ve got to wisely choose where you want to assert such social stature. And most importantly, it’s got to be at a logical time of day.

No one will question if someone comes back from lunch with a cup of Starbucks in their hand. It’s there at Alamanda (opposite Nando’s) and no one should stop you from getting a cup if it makes you happy.

But waltzing into the office at wee hours (and we start work really early here) of the morning with a cup (cardboard box cup, not tumbler okay?) in hand? Now, that’s mysterious don’t you think? Well, okay, so maybe you didn’t finish your drink the night before or something, but is there really a need to do that?

Okay, entah apa pasal perempuan PMS ni nada annoyed dia melampau-lampau harini.

Oleh sebab saya rasa tidak puas hati yang semacam (entah apa-apa I know, I know), I checked the website just for fun to see their operating hours. I found no information on it. I just found out that the first Starbucks Drive-Thru in Klang Valley is at Setia Alam (still doesn’t state their operating hours. I’m guessing early morning?). There is a drive-thru (?!!) Wow! I didn’t know that. Lucky for those who stay in the vicinity.

I don’t know. Perhaps if ada drive-thru some place near our place, I’d do the same as well?




Maybe not.

I still think of it as an unnecessary accessory to bring to the office so early in the morning. Nescafe 3 in 1 sudahlah ;)

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bukan sesat.

Iye, jangan risau, anda bukan sesat.

I was going through a piece of work and got bored of it. It's an Agreement for God's sake and I am not a huge fan. So, I decided to tweak. I've kept the previous template for so long now that I suddenly felt the need for a change - current theme of my life at the moment.

Haha. But what I'm afraid of is that it has affected my widgets and the amount of "likes" I've gotten for my previous posts. I know, I know, such a bimbo but considering the amount of years I have grown on this blog, it simply matters to me. Haha.

I have to get back to work.

Will update more later probably (not that there's much to update on). But that's sokay ;)

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i love being a bride.

It’s been a month since my reception. I have to stop writing about my wedding reviews soon. Life’s got to move on, right? Well, life already has moved on and everything is just wonderful, actually. But for sake of completeness (and my own sake), I’ll (try) finish off all reviews ASAP (not that anyone wants to know pun, I know).

Here goes nothing (again).

After the rehearsals, I couldn’t stop pacing. I was worried if everything started late. I was worried if I couldn’t be ready before the VVIP arrived. I was worried I was going to screw up when the time came for the protocols. I was a ball of nerves. Haih!

At 11.00, a Shah Alam number called me. I held my breath. Turns out that Kak Liza only wanted to double confirm that I didn’t need to rent any accessories from her. Phew. I thought she couldn’t make it or something.

When Kak Liza finally arrived, my mom and sister were already being made up by non other that Eija. She came with my (huge) handbouquet and my, oh my, did I love the colour of that handbouquet or what! Anyways, back to Kak Liza. She is seriously, seriously so baik, I tell you! And so pretty too! I can’t believe she has 3 kids already! I mean like, look at that figure and that face. Wow! Unbelievable.

It was a pleasant experience being dolled up by her. I felt the love as she painted my face pretty and did my hair. I felt the passion and love she has for making people pretty throughout the entire process. I would recommend her to anyone out there without any hesitation. Like seriously!

I got into my dress and felt like a princess. I really love the dress for its simplicity. And this time round, although we tailor-made the dress to fit my size, I decided not to keep it and return it to the boutique.

And since I know that I wouldn’t be keeping the dress (boohoo, I wish I could!), I opted for white. The all time favourite colour for weddings. So classic. So pure. So bride-ish.

At that point, I didn’t care so much about the initial drama I had with the designer. I didn’t care that I was still so scrawny. I was just so happy.

I felt amazing throughout the entire day. I couldn’t stop smiling. I smiled and smiled and smiled. I cannot believe the number of people who turned up. I don’t think any of my family members got any rest from start to finish. But because they helped out with hearts full of love, they didn’t mind at all, so I was told.

And since this was the first wedding on my mom’s side of the family, everyone was just so excited, I could die! To them I will be eternally grateful. And I hope to be there when any of your turns arrive. Perhaps then, I’d have some juniors of my own for you to summon as your minions ;)

My friends helped me out as well. Mamita came so early because I'm a baby like that and I am so used to having Mamita hold my hand every time something big happens in my life. Jaja, despite her morning sickness, made the time to make my bunga rampai for me and for coming so very early walaupun kepala pening-pening. And of course, the rest of you, for being there. For just being apart of my life. For making sure I am happy and being super protective of me.

I didn’t plan on having a grand wedding. I wanted it to be simple. Simple colours, simple dais, simple food, simple people. Just simply, simple.

That’s who I am and where I come from.

One of my colleagues commented that even though the event was held at Merak Kayangan, it still very much felt like a Malay wedding because friends and family were roaming around the place, meeting, greeting and taking photos just like what they do if the wedding was held at home. That was exactly the concept that my dad intended to achieve. So, I’m glad everyone was relaxed and stayed on until the end.

If you ask me, frankly, I do really miss being a bride. I don’t miss the research and drama prior to the event, of course. I had enough of all of that. But I miss being a bride. I miss being made up and being photographed. I miss the adrenaline rush. I’d get back into that dress any time just to revisit those memories again.

But,


life moves on, does it not?

I actually enjoy being a wife too and there is still so much for us to learn.

I’m glad I got married and I’m glad that all the events (including bertandang) went well, Alhamdulillah.

Sometimes the things you plan the least are those which turn out to be the best surprises ;)

photo credits to Fotoeve Asia and Uncle Zai.

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Reception Reviews

live  sketch by Mamin

Happy Chinese New Year all! I just got back from a good brisk walking session and my husband is still asleep. So, since I've got some time, I thought I might as well get over and done with my reviews. Here goes nothing!

Reception list:

Date: 08 01 2011
Nikah Venue: Dewan Merak Kayangan
Catering: Felda D'Saji
Maintable deco: Felda D'Saji
Theme colours:

• Bride and Groom – White
• Family –burnt orange/orange/yellow/brown

Photographers/Videographers: Fotoeve Asia
Wedding outfit: Jimi Ali (Selayang)

Make-up: Kak Liza of Saidatunnisa

Favours: 1, 000 gold boxes with chocolates inside all handmade with love by Mama and the whole family.
Cards: L H Creative
Hand bouquet: Eija

So, why did I have to wait for a week before my own reception? Because ladies, the queue to book a venue is massive! It's really ridiculous to see how far in advance people book their venues! I could have easily booked Dewan Komuniti TTDI since my house is about 5 minutes away from there, but I'd have to wait until the 15th of January for that!

My dad chose the reception venue. He visited all 3 Felda halls and decided that he liked Perdana Felda the best. But he was not very keen on having a sitting-down affair, so Merak Kayangan it is. We all decided on the colour scheme and all about a month away from the Reception.

At that point, we had more or less distributed some of the cards and already had an estimate of the number of guests who would be attending. What we least expected was that the VVIP would agree to attend. Oh, dear. I am no fan of protocols, actually. But since the VVIP is my dad's friend, I decided to be a sport. Tak rugi pun ;)

We had our rehearsals early Saturday morning (08012011). It was a little bit risky to have our rehearsals so late, I know, but like I said, the hall is jam packed and booked to the brim and the only slot available was the morning of the ceremony itself. It didn't turn out so bad after all because the dais was already up and that made rehearsals way easier.

When I first looked at the dais, I was in awe. Call me pathetic for loving my own dais, but seriously, all the arguments and long hours picking it was worth it. If it were up to me alone, I would have loved it to be an all white dais. But turns out that red worked better than off white, after all ;). I did want something more for it actually, which is the additional fairy lights. But looking in retrospect, it didn't turn out so bad, did it?

I was a lil' shocked with the colour scheme that morning though, and thought that they had made a mistake. I mean, where did the apple green napkins come from? I thought we were supposed to be red? But... as usual, looking back, it looked great! Somehow the apple green made the entire scene a lil' cooler ;)

photo credits to Uncle Zai

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some photos

Henna Art by Nafissa

Ring bought at Habib.

Bilik pengantin by Kak Shima

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they were inspired.

If you gave been an avid follower, you would know by now that I am picky where photographers are concerned. Yang lain-lain mungkin boleh compromise, but when it comes to the memories… hmm.. I don’t think so.

My history with photographers ni panjang ceritanya. Dipendekkan cerita, some time in April 2010, I shortlisted my choices to the following:

1. Photographer A
2. Locophotography
3. Fuzuri Design
4. Shafeex

Kenapa yang lain diberi nama tapi Photographer A has no name? Sebab I STRICTLY DO NO RECOMMEND.

Padahal, that was the one that I booked but decided to hold deposit first. Agaknya memang Allah nak tunjuk, so one day when I was bloghopping and doing more research on my wedding stuff, I came across another Bride’s blog and read about the terrible service that Photographer A ni kasi.

At first, I wanted to ignore sebab the chemistry was great with Photographer A plus the price memang more than reasonable. Tapi, setelah berfikir semasak-masaknya, I decided to not take the risk and canceled. Nasib baik cancel! My friend’s sister tak dapat album AND softcopy lagi. Padahal dah kahwin 5 months okay? Entah-entah dah ada anak pun tak tentu dapat lagi.

I didn’t choose any of the other 2 options (No. 2 and 3) above sebab mereka tak selalu update portfolio masa tu. So, although photos cantik and service bagus, that is one of the things that I cannot stand. I need to see their current work. Shafeex I didn't hire because with him, I hanya interested nak photobook dia (cantik gila!). After seeing the photobook, I knew that I had to have it, tapi tak cukup budget kalau nak tambah videographer and all. Tapi Shafeex, I highly recommend juga kalau you have enough budget.

Maka, bermulalah drama mencari photographer yang baru.

Luckily, my cousin got married some time in May. That’s when I met my Official Photographers. Actually, it all began because I also didn’t have a Videographer yet and at that point, I more or less made up my mind that I would hire their videographer team.

But consultation after consultation, I decided to hire Fotoeve Asia for both Videography and Photography services. It’s easy that way sebab they all come from the same team and so, kita dah sure that they would be able to work well with each other.

And when I tell you that this team is extremely accommodating, I kid you not!

Fotoeve Asia has a mix of all kinds of talents. Manager/Founder is good, patient and very customer oriented. Their photographers rajin fikir concept. They know good photography angles and they do ample research before attending your event. Trust me, untuk my post-wedding pun, they did research and siap ada concept proposal and whatnot. And I thought that we were going to ambil gambar suka-suka saja. And their editor is superb I tell you! Hands down tak ada benda lain nak cakap pasal their editor.

To me, there are a few things which are important where photography is concerned.

1. Gear.

Dulu, I was very snobbish. Since I use Nikon, I wanted only photographers yang guna Nikon. Tapi, don’t be a snob. Skills tu lagi penting dari gear. I learnt that albeit a bit too late. But having said that, I do still think that it’s good to know what kind of lenses they have. Like me, I don’t really like fisheye effect. But I love panoramic views and I love that place to look big. So, telephoto lens for me it is.

2. Album.

I am quite particular about what kind of paper they use. Glossy or matte or hot text. Because to me, that determines the lifespan of the photographs. Lagi satu, I do not fancy sticky albums, so ada a few very talented photographers yang hanya sediakan sticky albums which to me is a waste.

I am also very particular about photo selection. Sometimes, there are some quite good photos in raw yang cantik-cantik, tapi photographer tak masukkan dalam album. So, to me, the editor has got to find a balance between gambar-gambar pengantin saja and also gambar the rest of the family and surroundings, etc. Photo selection is very important!

3. Venue

Make sure your team is well-equipped with knowledge and skill in shooting at that particular venue. Mind you, some people are not used to shooting in yellow light conditions. Some people don’t have the gear. Make sure you get a team yang dah biasa buat events at that place your wedding is going to be. You might end up looking like a pumpkin kalau orang tak biasa. Or if your wedding is at night, make sure your team dah biasa shoot malam-malam. You are going to look at your photos forever, so it better be cantik, man.

4. Team

The team I chose has a huge team. Normally they don’t send the entire team tapi somehow, before the wedding, we’ve all become sort of friends jugaklah sebab selalu ada consultations and meet ups for contoh gambar and video that I like, so, they decided that the whole team will turun for my wedding, which I feel so honoured about up until now! These people really have great patience and great PR. With them, I am very, very frank. What I like and what I don’t like semua dah bagitau siap-siap. And so far, they have delivered very good results. For me, kalau buat baju semua, designer tu PR tak bagus, tak kisah (tak sangat la) as compared to photographers. Sebab you have to remember that you akan work with the photographers all day long, you’ve got to be comfortable with them vice versa.

All in all, I recommend this team. Price and all eloklah kalau tanya tuan punya company sendiri. It is not my place to negotiate for you or to reveal their pricetag. All I know is that if you have enough faith in people and inspire them enough, they will turn you into their inspiration and create a masterpiece out of their work.

What’s important is that kita sendiri kena baik and cakap elok-elok our requirements and insyaAllah, orang akan balas kita dengan perkara-perkara yang baik.

Siapa takda photographer lagi? Pergi hire Fotoeve sekarang sebab diorang ni terbaik. Memang terbaik. Kalau call Safa (founder) tell him I said “Hi!” Saya tak dapat commission, jangan risau. Ni memang promote secara rela ;)

Dah, dah. Pergi call Fotoeve sekarang. Sebab diorang memang best!

Okay, entry nanti lepas ni I'll update wedding photos.



from Safa's page

 

picture credits to uncle zai



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up until now I had sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness.

... but you are the only exception.

I highly recommend this team. Very accomodating. Excellent PR. Will write a full review of them soon.

Shy to comment? Well, never mind! Your reactions mean the world to me! Make me smile today :)