A Wonderful Start to Our Public Holiday

We went for a late-night movie sesh to watch The Hobbit on Christmas Eve. Despite my very bad sore throat and slight fever, we braved the Wednesday movie crowd for one of my 2014's must watch movies. 

So by the time we got home in the wee hours of Christmas morning, I just couldn't wait for my meds to kick-in. 

It was while I was reading manga on my tab in bed that Husbie suddenly switched the lights on, yelling "Surprisssseeeee!!!"

OMG! Seriously, I totally didn't expect anything. Below are some sneak-peek pictures on what I got...hohoho... Me likeeeeyyy!!!

Come morning, we went on to spend most of our day at The Gardens and Mid Valley. It was not even 10:30 in the morning and the mall was already packed! 

#Tanahairku - National Pride Expressed Through Street Art

It's amazing how many stunning street art can be developed by referring to a poem by our Nobel Laureate, Usman Awang, entitled 'Tanahair' as inspiration. A reflection of our local talents' creativity, encompassing our country's diversity, strength, culture and heritage, the #Tanahairku Street Art exhibition proved very much satisfactory to my inner-artist's palette. The myriad of vibrant colours were just amazing.

The product of a collaboration between Petronas and 14 street artists, six new artworks have been developed and installed across Kuala Lumpur. Now, it's being showcased in the Galeri Petronas, KLCC.

"OMG! Cantiknyerr...take picture take picture!" *snap* *snap*

"Awesome background for selfies!" (Yes, my narcissistic side started to rear it's head. I'm awful at taking selfies by the way. Never comes out right)

"Wish they drew more on the riverside. Like in Seoul. You know...revive the city."

" Do they have a workshop? A piece of their work would look good on our wall."

"Gosh, that would look great on a tote!" ( A total Jeremy Scott-Longchamp influence)

The exhibition will remain at the Galeri Petronas until 4 January 2015. It's free of charge so it's a great way to spend any free time and weekends in the city. Do pay them a visit and see the street arts up close and personal.

Patty & Pie

So the girls made an agreement that we will always meet up at new cafes/restaurants every time to catch up. Just to change it up a little and have fun tasting different food together.

I'm good with this kind of arrangement because it presents the opportunity for me to blog about these new places.

This time the chosen place is Patty & Pie in Aman Suria Damansara. Please don't confuse the locale with the one in Kota Damansara (KD). It's the one past KD, where you can see it from NKVE and enter via the Subang tol and Kelana Jaya exit. Alternatively, you can get there via LDP. If not for one of us who got there early, Husbie and I would have been making turns around KD. Did I mentioned I got an earful all the way on NKVE from Husbie for confusing the location? Uhhmmm...spoil mood ok.

What are their specialties? Their burgers and pizzas...oohh...and milkshakes...omnomnom. They opened sometime three months ago and I can see from the packed restaurant that it is definitely doing well.

I enjoyed how Patty & Pie allows orders for half and half. So this definitely gave us the chance to taste four different kinds of pizzas without having to order four different pans. 

Did I mention that the pizzas here are baked in their wood fired brick oven? Oh Yeaaaaahhhh!!!

Do pay them a visit if you ever feel like having awesome pizzas.

Address: F-G-40, Jalan PJU 1/45, Aman Suria Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 12pm-3pm; 6pm - 10pm.

Daffy on the left (includes smoke duck in it), Baba on the right (awesome for vegans, a less-guilt pizza for calorie freaks)

Half Margherita (of which I always pronounce Margherit just to annoy Husbie and everyone maybe) and half Carne (Beef fest with jalapeno)

Menu which made us all contemplate more than 10 minutes on what to eat

Peanut butter and banana milkshake on the left and Oreo milkshake on the right

The colour for 2015 -Marsala

So sometime last week Pantone announced the colour for 2015. 

Marsala.  

Huh? Reddish-brown... Wine-hued inspired colour...

I am definitely a fan of earthy rustic tones. So I can't wait how fashion designers, interior decorators and other merchandises will incorporate this colour.

In the meantime, stars have already fashioned it on the red carpet and some make-up products have included Marsala inspired tones in their line. 

Hmmm, I went make-up shopping at Nars two weekends ago, how come I did not even realise the Seduction coloured blush? Must drag my husband to Nars again.

Hiro's encounter with the cleaning crew

The other day Hiro was making his usual rounds, exploring the neighbourhood and showing off his good looks.

I was serving drinks to the gardener when one of the ladies from the cleaning crew outside whom was busy pulling off weed from the nearby drain started making meow noises.

" Meow Meow"

"Kenapa kak? Kucing ker?"

"Yer. Ngandung tu"

(Meoooow...sounded like Hiro)

" Huh. Tapi bunyi macam kucing saya. Kucing saya jantan kak."

(Checked the drain. Truly it was Hiro)

"Kak, itu kucing saya. Kucing saya jantan. Mana boleh ngandung. Gemuk ajer."

" Hah...yer ker?Ooooooohhh...aduuuuuuhhh" (Started calling her friend and pointing at Hiro)

Hiro was so frustrated he rushed into the house.

Hehehehe...

I don't care. It just means that I'm feeding my cats well.

The next eccentric place to stay- Wanderlust, Little India, Singapore

We were watching Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Experiences on Astro last night, lo and behold, in their list of eccentric places to stay was one particular hotel where Aimi and I were curious about whilst we were in Singapore a few years ago.

Whatsapped Aimi about it and she confirmed it was the one opposite our Hotel 81. No wonder it looked so familiar.

Which hotel am I talking about? Wanderlust of course! Definitely the place to stay the next time we're in Singapore. A one-of-a-kind hotel for grownups. Some say you'd have to reserve at least two months in advance to get the room with your preferable concept. Even the locals would reserve rooms in Wanderlust for a short weekend getaway to experience their quirky and funky rooms.

The floors' themes are Industrial Glam; Eccentricity; Is It Just Black and White and Creature Comforts. So the designs and concept of the rooms on each floor would take their cue from the theme of their floors.

I foresee awesome selfies, wefies and  picture-taking sessions throughout our stay there and melantak session at their french cafe.

Jom gi Singapore!

Milk it for all it's worth

So during the weekend, Husbie and I were busy being tour guides to his Penang cousins whom were in KL for the school holidays. After spending most of our day in KLCC, we went to William's for a late lunch. In our case, it's a super late brunch. Super hungry by then weeeiii...pukul 4 tak makan lagi!

Forgotten how big the portions were at William's.

Husbie ordered the Nasi Goreng Ketam and I ordered the Nasi Goreng Tom Yam with Ayam Pandan.

Our ala-carte dishes arrived with many at the table in awe.

Husbie : "Hah, banyak nih...nak makan separuh, belah nasi siap-siap macam Pak Long nih" (instructing one of his nephews coupled with invisible cutting action)

Moi' : "But Im already half way through my half..."

Husbie : Macammana tak square? ( Saying this to his loving wife whilst puffing out his cheeks to demonstrate how babab I've become)

Moi' :  -_-"   ( Frusssstttt...)

A few minutes later...

Moi': I'm full. I'm tapau-ing this for dinner. Aiksss...aper jadi ngan your half?

Husbie: Takper...makan slow-slow...boleh habis...

Moi' : (Sedaps ajer panggil orang square) I still ended up tapau-ing my half! So take that!

Lesson for wives out there, do harp on this incident and milk it for all it's worth. Hmmm...I think it's time to trade in my old handphone for a new one...hehehe

Konichiwaaaa...

I've been surveying countries, places and locales to explore in 2015 and Insya Allah,  Japan will be included in our travel plans for 2015.

Apart from checking out travel blogs and reading travel books for tips and recommendations, I've also recorded a bunch of travel programmes on Astro both from the local and international perspectives. Unfortunately, my local travel programme was accidentally deleted by Husbie.

"I thought you taknak tengok dah..."

Huarghhhhh...takper Husbie. I have other sources thankfully.

One of my fave things to do when I'm in a different country is to shop for local brands. We're not just talking about local handicrafts here but true Japanese made clothing and brands. Most have that Americana feel to them but they are definitely Japanese. So don't let that throw you off from shopping to your heart's content.

To appeal to the inner-shopper in Husbie, there are a few Japanese jeans' brands for men I would like to take a closer look at. Among them are Samurai Jeans; John Bull, Blue Blue Japan; Studio D' Artisan and Evisu.

In my case, those close to me know I'm a fanatic for awesome shoes so I would definitely want to drag Husbie to the closest Aso Matsumoto outlet once we're in Japan.

Oh Japan , Japan...I can't wait to see you!

My Top Three 'Baju Murah' picks

Want to buy that nice top but you've burst your monthly budget already? Trying to curb your spending in time for Christmas shopping? Having difficulty saving that portion of income for a special gift for that special someone? I have nothing to wear? I want, no I neeeeeed, to shoppp!!!

Well, stress no more. Now splurging on clothes won't mean you have to break the bank. You can even shop in advance as a christmas pressie for your girl or your friends.

What you can do is head online to Zalora for great offers. My choice would be to purchase any of these three basic staples that everyone should have in their closet.There are three main types of baju murah collection which are not only stylish but very affordable to purchase. 

The first piece is the simple basic t-shirt. Women can get t-shirts in many different colours and styles, from a short sleeved to a long sleeved one, according to their preference. The basic tees are definitely a must have for any women to own in their closet. It can be worn on a casual day out, doing errands or even at home during the weekends. Mix and match it with a nice pair of jeans, track pants, shorts, skirts or skorts to complete that stylish yet effortless appearance.

The next affordable piece of clothing to have is the trendy yoga pants or more known as leggings. Leggings are more fitted and made from spandex. The leggings are the perfect substitute for women who are just bored of wearing jeans on a day out around town. From hitting the town to the gym, switch that blouse to a basic tee with a nice pair of leggings for that productive workout session. Affordable and multi-purpose, a definite YES in my book.

Last but not least, the final must have, cardigans. Cardigans can definitely serve your wardrobe well because it can perk up an outfit in a matter of seconds making it look more revamped. Layer it on top on your tees or tank tops and walk in confidence every step of the way. 

So go online and check out ZALORA. Not only can you get these three 'baju murah',  it also offers a wide range of apparel for women from various brands online at the best price ever!

Our first wedding anniversary

Alhamdulillah, we had a wonderful long weekend to celebrate our anniversary.

We spent our first anniversary dinner at Alexis, GE mall. Since we both wanted to have different dishes, Alexis was the best option to cater to our tastes. He had the biryani and I had the carbonara. For dessert, we just had to have their pavlova.

Reminiscing on our dinner, I don't think I could have been that sort of lovey dovey woman. Before I met my husband, I wasn't even the type to hold hands with my then bfs. But here we are, sitting next to each other, feeding each other our dinner, joking around, holding hands and sharing dessert.

Yes, very much cliche' lovey dovey couple stuff. Nonetheless, very happy. My old self would have told the new us to get a room...bluarghhh...

Hahahahah...

Happy 1st Anniversary to us and here's hoping to many great years to come.

Kicking off my November weekend

Sunday started off with brunch at Acme South, Bangsar with the girls. Between the non-stop chatting and stuffing our faces with awesome dishes, I only managed to take two pictures. Sorry guys...

Since it was our first time there, we decided to try three different main dishes, two side dishes and sample it all. We ordered the brisket which came with two sides; po' boy shrimp sandwich; a plate of jambalaya; some hush puppies and mac and cheese. All were good but I must say that the mac and cheese was a bit of a let down in comparison to all the others. The jambalaya was the first to go. Sedaps whoaaa...the brisket with its two sides were absolutely divine and kena lar with the price (RM49)...I enjoyed the sandwich as they are very much generous with the shrimp, the garlic ciabatta was soft and nicely baked and the sauces I complimented it with ( watermelon and expresso) made the sandwich even more yummers.

Again, sorry not enough pictures to make you drool.

After brunch with the girls, Husbie and I made our way to KLCC Convention Centre to attend the Home Dec Expo Part 2. Husbie and I are making an effort to beautify our house, combining our tastes and balance the space in our house without overcrowding it with useless things. Choices were limited before the visit. I mean, apart from Ikea, Kepong, Kare, Viva, I Wanna Go Home and other commercially known places, where else can we go? Now, we know where to get the things we want. The halls were packed with interested patrons looking for awesome deals. Husbie and I were truly smitten with the chesterfield and meshed armoire from Kava.

After herding ourselves through all the crowd in all the halls and finally the exit, we killed time in KLCC before picking my sis up for an early dinner at Mali's.

There I finally got to buy my fried banana cheese fritters. I remember somewhere early in our marriage, one night, I was craving for them so bad that I actually cried when the stall was closed. Stressed lar..between my cravings and adjusting to married life...i need my banana cheese...hahah...I told my sis about it. She couldn't believe it! Hahahah...

Now we're both lepaking in front of the telly. Husbie enjoying his footie, yelling at the telly when his team misses a chance to score a goal and me blogging next to him. 

An awesome Sunday indeed to kick-off my November.

Hello Kitty's 40th Anniversary

The loud cries of a very much dissatisfied little girl, lots of pink, other brightly girly colours and a familiar kitty cat's face greeted my visit to a section of Isetan's 3rd Floor.

If you're a big fan of Hello Kitty merchandises, do visit KLCC' Isetan for the 40th Hello Kitty Anniversary. Hello Kitty ( a kitty cat or little girl, I am not sure what it is) is still very much coveted by little girls and avid fans everywhere. So hurry! It's there only till the 29th of October.

I don't have a little girl of my own yet...but if I do I would have bought the Hello Kitty dresser for sure...urrgghh...or dress her up in one of the cute Hello Kitty dresses.

In the meantime,  I guess I can scan through their collection of totes, purses and cute pouches that can double up as a make-up bag.

Your "fren" or My "fren"?

Has this ever happened to you?

Location/ Set/ Scene : Toys' R' Us, GE Mall

After dinner, Husbie and I went to Toys 'R' Us. Why? Sajer. Surveying how cool and damn good kids' toys are these days. Their Halloween costume is a bit limited and they still carry the old toys I used to, and still, like e.g. I like the rotating fish thingy, but mostly we were there just for fun. 

Sambil jalan-jalan, saw this dude and his little boy. Damn familiar sumore you know. Started to walk ahead then he waved. I had to do a double-take and tap my husband's shoulder to point out that his friend had waved.

We both walked over to him, exchanged salutations, salam-salaman and minor chit-chat. Said our goodbyes and went ahead to the boardgames section.

Husbie: "Who the eff was that?"

Moi' : "Say what now?"

Husbie: "I don't even recognise him?"

Moi' : Pale faced by this point. "Bukan any of your old schoolmates? If not, then why did we go and greet him? Why did he waved at us? Maybe dia salah orang also kot."

Husbie: "Are you sure he's not your friend?"

Moi': "I don't think so. No wonder you didn't have much to talk about. Usually you're all talkative with your old schoolmates"

Husbie : "But he does seem familiar though"

Moi' "Let's get out of here, please. Urghhh"

Out of the shop, walking towards the escalator, Husbie was busy checking his facebook and kept on repeating that he seemed familiar.

Ayooooo, time tu lar i teringat how I last entertained my Arwah nenek and how she mentioned to my mom how we both suka buat lawak.

Haiiiiizzzzz... 

Dinner at the Masterbutcher's - Me'nate Steak Hub, Ampang Jaya

We spent the day recovering from our flu, so after Maghrib, Husbie was determined to go jalan-jalan and not stay cooped up at home.

Ingatkan nak gi KLCC ajer, but Husbie decided to go somewhere he has been eyeing at for awhile whenever we have drinks nearby which is Me'nate Steak Hub.

Upon entering Me'nate, I can see that the restaurant very much had that "family-feel-good" ambiance with its simple and original decor. There are no doors to the restaurant giving off that statement that everybody is welcomed and that Me'nate is the place you can come over, relax and be comfortable.

You can either head on straight to your table and order off the menu where the waiter will present you the prime beef of your choosing at your table. The other option is for you to browse their freezers and choose the steaks yourself.

We had Me'nate's mushroom soup as our starter. We didn't want to be too full by the time our entre' arrived.

We both had the Grass-Fed Rib Eyes, medium well. I usually have my steaks medium-rare but this time round I decided to have it just the way my husband likes it. 

All of their beef and lamb produce are imported from Australia and halal.

If you have the urge to splurge, do try their signature Wagyu steaks.

The steaks are totally yummy. Even without the black pepper sauce, the steaks were cooked to our preference, perfectly seasoned and soooo good. The fat literally melts in your mouth. Dip or pour the black pepper sauce over the steak gives that boost of flavour to your meal. I feel that this is the only place where the black pepper sauce does not overpower the steak.

Over dinner, we didn't talk much. We were both too busy eating and enjoying our meal. The only conversation we had was confined to verifying how good each other's steaks were.

By the way, drinks are free flow and included in the price of Me'nate's steaks. I think that's another reason why families prefer Me'nate Steak Hub.

I opted for a warm cup of Milo to end my meal. Though from the machine, Milo sodaps whooaa...frothy and rich.

At the end of our meal, we were both very much satisfied and even happier that it was a meal that didn't burst our budget.

Growing my own Bali

It's raining now. Looking out the window, I see we need to trim the yard this weekend.

It takes me back to my conversation with my husband a few months back. Since we had not found a gardener back then, the yard was left a tad "bushy".

Husbie : We better potong rumput soon.

Moi' : Don't worry. In the meantime, with all these greenery, macam Bali. Time hujan we can pasang lagu gamelan and we have our own little Bali in our yard.

Husbie : I think our neighbours heard you. I rasa they're shooting daggers now.

Moi' : Pffft...you're exaggerating again.

I need some space

Years ago, I "met" Peter Walsh in one of Oprah's segments. Let's just say I totally agree with his decluttering ways and how it can have a big impact on a person's life. Decluttering does not only makes it easier to organise things in your home or brightens and lightens the "air", so to speak, but it can also affect the person emotionally.

In many of Peter Walsh's decluttering efforts, I noticed that people in his show will often experience difficulty and display emotional affection when sorting things into the different bins e.g. things to keep, give away to charity or simply to throw away. It's amazing but I guess all of us can relate to having some sort of difficulty of letting go of things we love.

However, always, after the sorting and decluttering process, the people seem happier and less burdened with all the stuff they've been hogging throughout the year.

In my case, I love decluttering. My mum instilled among myself and my siblings on the importance of "spring cleaning" our collection of toys and clothes etc.  However, this year I intend to declutter differently. How?

Well, I thought of giving mudah.my a try.

To my readers out there, do visit www.mudah.my and see what I have prepared to offer. I am letting go many of my pre-loved, not-so-old clothes or clothes I think I can't fit anymore. My old Jovian Mandagie's, Gap and Next winter clothing, M&S dresses, TM Lewin blouses etc. Prices range from RM10- RM200. Clothes sold and indicated as J Closet are basically from my own wardrobe.

Also included for items to be sold are boxes of wedding doorgifts. From the 1000 pieces of doorgifts I ordered for my wedding last year, I have some balance of which I'd rather sell off at a much cheaper price.

Why?

For the sake of space. Seriously...it's time...

So...buy buy buy...help me reclaim some space...!

Afternoon tea - Anya Hindmarch's Official Launch AW2014 collection #CounterCulture

I am a big fan of English brands and Anya Hindmarch is way up there in my list. I got my first Anya in July 2009 as a birthday gift from Boyfie now Husbie. Since then it has become a favourite brand of mine and the go-to birthday present by Boyfie/Husbie.

My husband and I were invited to attend an afternoon tea for the official launch of the Autumn/Winter 2014 collection in KL Hilton. However, since it was a work day and Husbie couldn't get away from work, with Husbie's permission, I brought Matt to accompany me for the event.

This year's Autumn/Winter 2014 collection is themed Counter Culture. A video showcasing the runaway show while guests dine were presented and I can admit my heart went overdrive all the while.

The star of the show are the cereal imperial clutches. The printed snakeskin miniaudieres ranging from Kellog's Cornflakes, Frosties to Cocopops are very much a fun way to spice up your wardrobe. 

Husbie's fave is the Smiley collection but sad news for the fans out there, it is sold out worldwide. The one clutch with the Smiley print is only for display and was sourced out from Tokyo's Anya Hindmarch. Uwaaaaa!!!

Nonetheless, I was very happy with the sample collection. Some collection are all ready for purchase while some are for pre-booking. Whatever purchase of the day will receive a 20% discount.

I was already going gaga between the Cream Custard clutch and the Albion shoulder bag. Maaaaaaybeeee... somebody can get it for me as a  Christmas present? Hint hint... :p

The crowd for the afternoon

The Imperial clutches

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Matt maintaining his cool while I go cray cray for this Smiley clutch.

Crisps packet clutches

Biscuits anyone?

My blue Albion shoulder bag....so pweeeetyyyy...

The Cream Custard I was eyeing a lot!

I feel good with the clutch...need to work on my pose though... :p