Anya's Geomatric Floral Collection

So a few weeks back was London Fashion Week. 

Of course I didn't miss watching Anya's Spring Summer 2017 collection. Live streaming/online only though. Don't think I'll ever have the chance to see it there live as in physically be there at the runway. Nonetheless, Anya never fails to surprise and keep us Anya fans on our toes. 

My latest craze...this mini vere! I MUST HAVE IT! Only out in their boutiques next March though.

See how cute it is. And I so love the colour! Would be a nice addition to my collection.

For her SS17 collection, Anya had expanded her designs to include new styles to her collection. Among them is the barrel below. 

I love this combination of intricate geometric leather detail on the glitter blue bag.

Arghh, can't get over this lime glitter mini vere!

Oooh, look at those capped sleeves? You think I can try incorporating the design for Raya next year?

The geometric sorbet coloured designs definitely gives off this retro yet fresh vibes. I can't wait for it to reach our shores. 

Imagine going out to lunch at work without having to lug your handbag or bring your purse in hand. Kinda cute, no?

Ooh, to end this post, from 3rd Oct to 20th Nov 2016, Mandarin Oriental serves an exclusive afternoon tea inspired by Anya's Autumn Winter 2016 collection. I've not gone for it yet but if I do I will definitely share pics and give reviews. Give MO a call to get more info and make reservations, k?

#Anyahindmarch #Baglady

Sale Shenanigans

Last Friday, Hubs took a day off for some quality time with moi' i.e. Lovely Wifey.

It was all planned in advance of course. In the few weeks leading towards the planned day-off, we received e-mails on Anya Hindmarch's as well as Valiram's sale to be held on certain dates. So the day-off coincided with the first day of those sales. To top it off, our trip to BB area has been long overdue with Hubs needing to do some minor repairs to one of his dress watch and the service centre is located in the same row as the locations for those sales. Great! Perfect.

Anya's sale was great. Deals were definitely good. At first instance, I felt that the sale collection available were very limited. Macam tak ikhlas almost. Nonetheless, those who love Anya still kept coming in. We almost left if not for the usual Sales Assistant we usually engage with informing us of a different location for regulars. Better collection for sure and a lot more choices. I know some may argue that it's not fair. On the other hand, I can see the benefit from this method. This gives their regulars preferred treatment and ample opportunity to view more of their collection. Perhaps they had received many complaints from their regulars beforehand from their previous sale whereby they didn't get the chance to view or purchase the previous sale collection.

Then off to the Valiram sale. It's our second time attending one of their sales. Previously, we went on the second day and many of their items were already sold. This time we managed to get there on their first day. 

Oh my gaaaawddd, soooo many people. 

Take a look at the pictures below. These were taken before 12 noon yer. Itu pun ramai dah hold items while they tour other booths and some even already made payment outside.

REMINDER: 

THESE PICTURES ARE MINE. NOT TO BE CIRCULATED OR REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON OR OTHER PURPOSE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. PLEASE REFER TO SIDEBAR FOR DETAILS.

But please yer, not the "rempuhan and minah menjerit-jerit to get a number and buy a certain type of tudung" kind of crowd. There were lines going in. All coordinated and organised. The only "berpusu-pusu" was done and concentrated at the many different booths. Especially those selling Tory Burch and Kate Spade. Crowds were civilised and decent. Have not heard of anyone terjatuh or kena pijak kepala or injured to get to the items.

The discounts were awesome, ranging from 50% -80% sales. Branded items from Tumi, various luxury dress watches, Giuseppi Zanotti, Michael Kors, Victoria Secret, Bath & Body, Godiva, TWG and many more were up for grabs. I didn't even bother looking at Kate Spade and Tory Burch. Next time lar. I was not in the mood in getting my toes stepped on further, or worst, rolled on by those on wheelchairs. There, Alhamdulillah, dapat lar rezeki suami beanie from Tumi. Hubs also got a steal from Mont Blanc. 

We didn't want to spend too much time at BB area. So we quickly made a bee line for the cashiers outside the ballroom. I like standing in line and observing what people purchased. Like the last time, I can see many had borong for resale purposes or maybe made multiple purchases for their large families, to which Hubs doubts on the latter. Maybe next round I nak borong and jual jugak lar. Bring in my own 'rempuh' gang and spread out at different booths. I siap ckp ngan Hubs I'm gonna place two at the front, two in the middle and one at the back and attack each booth. The bigger ones should be placed at the front. Easier to infiltrate. Hihih. 

In line, I also observed many had purchased Tory Burch and Kate Spade as well as MK bags. What's up with MK yer? I really have to make a closer inspection of its appeal the next time round. All the women in line had at least one MK in hand. Am I missing something? Not forgetting those VS cosmetic bags with mini perfumes or shower gels. Must not miss them next time.

Many would take these pictures and argue "Kata ekonomi gawat!". Well, that's one way of seeing it. Another view would be pasal ekonomi gawat lar orang tertunggu-tunggu for these sales. Good branded quality items at extreme discounts, mana hang nak dapat? When I shared these pics on my watsapp group, of course ada yang excited and asked for location, dates, etc. and there are those commenting "oooh, people living beyond their means and shopping based on wants rather than need bla bla bla". NORMAL. DON'T WORRY. TEPUK DADA TANYA SELERA. All are entitled to their opinion of course. 

By the way, the sales weren't just for us mere mortals yer. I saw one Puan Sri and children in tow as well as high ranking execs there too. They know when to snap a good deal when they see one. Everyone is allowed to be frugal where they can be. They just have to be smart about it.

That's the end of our sale shenanigans.

There's actually a continuation to our day off post-Valiram. A different one totally unrelated to shopping kind of post. Look out for that one. 

No.1 Kid Clothes Online Store

With two nephews in the family, I’m always on the lookout for toys and clothes to lavish them with. However, with most of my time nowadays occupied with classes, law books and others, online shopping is my preferred mode to shop for kids clothes.

Where exactly?

Zalora , of course!

With just a few clicks, my purchase will be sent directly to my home safely, without having to go through the hassle of finding parking or fighting through the busy crowd to shop.

  

Not just kids clothes but the whole enchilada so to speak…shoes, belts, accessories...SEMUA ada kat Zalora Malaysia.

ZALORA carries hundreds of brands specifically for kids at a range of prices to suit your needs. Not just that, we pun dapat enjoy perkhidmatan penghantaran percuma dari ZALORA kid clothes online store terus ke rumah. We’d also get to return the items secara percuma within 30 days after the date of purchase.

At the moment, I have my eye on this cute little shark bathrobe.

So, don’t wait for the weekend to shop. Start clicking on Zalora and get those cute clothes for your kiddy cuties.

Shopping for seafood in KK

It was the day we were scheduled to fly back to KL.

So, after checking out the wet market nearby with the added information from our own surveying done throughout our stay, we decided to purchase our frozen seafood from this shop. It's located near the hotel and comparing the selection from other shops, we felt here was the best place with more choices and comparatively moderate prices.

We didn't get the lobster but opted for these giant tiger prawns. You won't get them in KL for the price you pay here in KK for sure.

Other assortment of frozen seafood.

Prawns, prawns everywhere.

We left the shop with two boxes of frozen seafood. Any purchases made here are packed according to airport restrictions so you guys don't have to worry. Also, you won't need to pay extra for the packaging services at this shop.

Oooh, something to point out here. All transaction are done in cash. Cash business only yer! They don't accept credit cards.

Of course we made sure we bought dried seafood too. 

Memang borong ikan bilis Grade A banyak-banyak, cumi kering and a bit of the ikan kurau masin.

They were just packing the udang kering. Of course I just had to buy them. Tried them in my cooking once we got home and was definitely happy with our purchase. They were fat and succulent and weren't overly salty.

This was the dude whose shop we bought the dried seafood from. All were good purchases. 

However, upon our return, despite all the extras he gave, we felt the price he quoted was slightly on the pricey side. Just slightly, nothing too drastic. Definitely still cheaper from anything you would get in KL. 

I would still recommend a visit to his shop. His is situated at the front part of the Filipino Market, near the main road. Somehow I felt that his shop had more good stuff and definitely more selection to choose from. Just look out for the Afro dude and you won't miss his stall. 

Maybe those visiting KK soon may want to try buying from the shops inside? Or bargain harder with the Afro dude?

Welcome to the Family, Valorie!

Since I've come on home,
Well my body's been a mess
And I've missed your ginger hair
And the way you like to dress
Won't you come on over
Stop making a fool out of me
Why don't you come on over, Valerie?

Valerie [x3]

This was the song which ran through my mind as soon as I walked out of the boutique. Well, to be honest, just the chorus bit alone. Physically, I was swinging both our held hands and couldn't stop smiling away like what we Malays would term as "kerang busuk".

I absolutely am crazy for clutches. Once, right after our honeymoon, Husbie thought I could spare two of the three Indonesian Batik clutches I chose from one of the Batik factories in Bali for his mum and sister-in-law as he thought the Bali shirts we gave as souvenirs weren't enough. 

My response was a dead stare. No way!

Anyways, enough side-tracking.

Crazy for clutches. Some might easily dismiss it as impracticable or only reserve it for special events (Well, I'm partly guilty for the latter. Won't be doing this anymore as much). A clutch is an excellent and awesome way to spice up the wardrobe instantly without having something slinging on your shoulders and taking away the attention from you and your clothes. It can be worn with anything including jeans. 

Behold, say hello to my Valorie Rainbow!

Anya's Valorie is always an instant hint. A year or two ago, I remember holding one of them in my hands and contemplating between the multi-coloured, dark blue and black Valorie. In the end, I didn't purchase either. Only later, when I heard it ran out-of-stock, there was a twinge of regret in not purchasing it earlier on. Oh, nothing to worry about. Just a teeny-weeny bit of regret. Though they were beautiful, they didn't exactly stopped me in my tracks. Unlike this Valorie Rainbow.

We knew that Anya was having a 50% storewide sale so we intended to just pass by and view their collection from afar. Zero intention of buying anything. The moment we passed by their window display in Pavi, I had to back-track. Even Husbie, who usually prefers the classic look and designs, couldn't deny that this is one piece that I must absolutely get. 

Hell yeah!!!

Before this, the only 'near-funky'/fun design bit in my bag/clutch collection is my Anya Valentine clutch which he gave as part of the hantaran for our akad nikah, with my initials and the date of our akad nikah engraved in it. My most 'favourite-test' of them all. Yes, not enough with stating it as the 'most', must add the "est" in my expressions too. Still is my ultimate fave and forever will be.

Next to it, will be my new Valorie Rainbow. Just a dash of "fun" with elegance and class. Arghhhh...just writing about it makes my heart go "dup-dap". Hahah!

For all those other Anya fans out there, you better get it fast. It's not on sale but I heard other regular customers have booked it in the hopes of buying it later at a discount or maybe buying them later with their next paycheck. Don't know how that would work. Don't think you can pre-book and wait for a discount. By then, it would have all flown off the shelves, even at full price. 

Always a Brit at Heart

I can't seem to stay away from Anya Hindmarch. Same goes for the Hubs. 

If we go about in the shopping malls or we go window shopping or even where my supposed 'heart ache' needs to be mended with a new handbag or clutch, our feet takes us to Anya. 

Haiz...and this comes after me telling Husbie that I would like to go for brands other than Anya for my next birthday/anniversary/other special occasions. I've been eyeing another Brit designer since early this year (not available in Malaysia as yet) and I am hoping to grab one of her bags soon. For now, back to Anya.

We always find that Anya's designs can range between bespoke classics and those from the funky side. Of course the Hubs prefer the classic looks. In my case, I can go both ways. I don't mind the classic designs being that it is timeless and easily matched with other outfits. If I ever want to be a bit playful, I can always get the Anya stickers but I find that I'm always reluctant to do that. The bag is nice as it is. Better to get the already embossed designs/stickers on the bags.

Loving the shade of red for this Bathurst Satchel.  It reminds me of chillies. Not too bright and has a bit of a red darkish side. What's even more special is that Anya's signature is on the bag. For now, it's safely tucked in my closet until the rainy season eases off. Wouldn't want the suede in the bag to get ruined now, would we?

Valiram Sale

A few weeks back, Matt invited me and the Hubs to a Valiram sale. I had nothing specific in mind but wouldn't skip a good deal for sure. Once in the showroom, we browsed through the promotion and found many good deals.

Got my first Kate Spade there. Been to their boutiques and even viewed their latest collection as well as the sales when were in HK but somehow I always decided to opt for another. 

There was this huge black leather tote that was on very good offer, so good that you won't believe how much I saved on it, and I've been using it for work ever since. I don't recommend it but it's huge enough to tuck in some of my books or my laptop instead of lugging my bag pack or briefcase around. I don't do it often. I wouldn't want to ruin the bag. It has however, become one of my 'lasak' or casual bags. 

Since we were already there, thought of scoring on one of Kate Spade's flamingo designs. Found out it was sold out on the first day of their sale. Waaaah...economy not so good people can shop like mad ar? Well, I remember the couple behind me, either she was stocking up for her family or boutique, or she and hubs are cray cray.

Redeeming my #JakelSelfieJumbo prize

Earlier in the month, I had received a message from Jakel informing me that I was one of the lucky winners to have won a prize from my previous purchase and hashtag on insta.

So, I snuck off slightly early from work to stop by Jakel Mall to pick it up. It was already late in the week and my mission was to go in and leave ASAP to escape the KL jam. The prize was basically free 4 metres fabric of my choosing from a designated Room/Section in Jakel. Whilst choosing and sending pics to Husbie for his views, I cuci-cuci mata and surveyed other designs not included as part of the prize to choose from. 

Ooooh, I think my hubs made the right decision to not accompany me. So cantiiiikk!!! 

Takper, takper, next time. Plus, just sent mine to the tailors takkan nak beli lagi?!

Hard day at work can still smile ar!

Hong Kong- Day 3; Check Out

Still aching from the day before but I had to toughen up for the sake of not ruining our brief weekend away together.

It was our last day in HK. Our flight back to KL was scheduled at night and we were due to check out late in the evening. Plenty of time to do some last minute jalan-jalaning and shopping.

But first, BREAKIE! Most important meal of the day...YAY!

There were some pics in front of the Bistro but muka masing-masing penuh and up-close, so tak jadi nak include in my post.

Together at the main chandelier in front of the bistro.

Picture courtesy of dear Husbie. Husbie was being cheeky at breakfast and wouldn't stop teasing me. Hmpphhh... 

After breakfast, we made our way along Nathan Road for some last minute shopping. First stop, Sogo. We tried to buy something for our dads here but couldn't find anything suitable. So we went back to the Icon Mall near our hotel.

There, Husbie continued for some final purchases at HMV. By the way, if you shop at HMV on Mondays, you get to enjoy 10% off from your purchases. This applies to all the items. If we had bought Husbie's turntable and speakers that day, we would have gotten 10% off. It's OK though. We got good service from the HMV in Central and we didn't want to risk rushing about at the last minute.

We then found some nice items for our dear ol' dads. Also, managed to buy some items Husbie's friend asked for his little boy. Alang-alang, beli sekali for my good friends' children. Thank you Husbie.

Now, back to the hotel for a short nap and to finish packing for home.

Hihi...happy with my haul. Loooooooveee them. I've been eyeing Kotur for quite a while on Insta. To finally get my hands on them and on discount to boot was just icing to my cake.

All nicely wrapped and packed.

Bubye Hong Kong. Till' the next visit!

We decided to drop our bags then go in to have lunch. Rupanyer the counter lambat bukak. So we had to wait a few hours and only then we could go in. By this point, my back was so painful I couldn't breathe. Husbie had to hunt down for sum ketotop patches to put on my back and my sides. I was beyond caring and just lifted my blouse a bit higher without showing my bra so that Husbie could apply the patches. I had five on them on my back and sides in total. Husbie at this point was already starving and his fever had started to take its toll. Luckily nak balik KL dah.

The design reminds me of Issey Miyake's tote

Dah drop bag, terus get through the Gate and head to the Food Court. Lucky for us,we didn't have to wait long for seats. For those of you whom have not been in HK airport, be forewarned that it may be challenging to get dining seats as seatings are scarce and are always full. I chop'ed the seats, Husbie went straight to Popeye's. The only halal place there. Popeye's never tasted so good!

Here, I made the mistake of not making the extra effort to go through the long queue to purchase a bottle of mineral water. All we had with the lunch set was Pepsi and since Husbie was in dire need for panadol, I fed him anyway and he took it with Pepsi. Almost immediately he started shaking. Panic jugak! Aduuuh...

He went to the loo to put on his jacket. Baru ok sikit. 

Since we had a bit more time, singgah lar at the Disney HK outlet. 

There was a slight flight delay, so a bit more time to get some mags, miniature perfumes and chocs. 

Some travel tips

Pre-HK

1) Download the MTR app. Really useful for guidance on which line to take . It gives you notification as well if there are any delays on train travel.

2) No visa required to go in HK. However, if you plan to extend your trip to China, make sure you get your visa beforehand.

Upon Arrival

1) Buy the MTR card. Really handy and you can always top up the value.

Post-HK

1) Be reminded that our Customs will randomly flag passengers to check through luggage. 

Despite stating that the things you shopped for is for personal use, they will issue out penalties or tax as according to Customs, there is a quota for each passenger. So cut off your tags beforehand! Also, there's tax for electronics. When the Customs Officer told me they'd have to tax our electronical items, I was livid! I was calm mind you but livid and frustrated.

"Tax aper? GST?"

"No, 30% tax on electrical items."

-_____-"

Lucky for us, we got off with a warning only. Husbie was quiet all the while so I had to take over in dealing with Customs. Aduuuuh, it was almost 1 a.m. and I just wanted to take the Airport Limo asap to go home. So, my take is that if you can wrap it or put it in a nice hand luggage, do so to make it less obvious.

2) Be wary of your surroundings. 

After picking up our luggage at the baggage claim area, the Customs flagged us to go through the scanning machine. Be careful here especially if there are a lot of people going through the scan. 

There were many passengers whom already went through the scan and was waiting at the other end. Then there was this one Indian or Pakistani passenger, kept on picking my luggage at the other end of the scanning machine and putting it in his trolley. When I alerted him that he'd made a mistake and that the luggage was mine, he merely waived to apologise but while I was taking my pink bag out of his trolley, he went on to take the speaker I was carrying which just got through the scanning machine. 

I find it a bit odd that if you've put your own luggage, or even if your friend's luggage from the same group, through the scanning machine, for sure you would have noticed that your friend was not carrying a shocking pink luggage or a speaker in a clear plastic bag. Not your usual 'mistook your luggage for mine' or 'just helping out my friend here' sort of thing. Husbie noticed it and quickly took the bag with the speaker in it from his trolley. Again, I'm not sure if it was a syndicate of any sort or merely an innocent mistake, but it doesn't hurt to be wary at all stages of your travel itinerary, even if you're drop dead tired, suffering through severe back pains or horrible fever at this point.

Which one should I get?

One of the British brands which I've been eyeing at for a while is Sophie Hulme. She made her mark with her A/W 2012 handbag collection and since then her collection reached worldwide status. 

I've been coveting for one of her bags, specifically her tote. I find her designs clean and sophisticated.

However, browsing her site more and more I'm not sure now whether I should get the tote, the bowling bag or the bucket bag?

What do you think?

A Day Off

We took the day off during a weekday to just breathe, relax, do our chores and have some quality time together. We totally needed some time together after these past few busy weeks.

By noon, we completed our chores and made our way to Jakel. Raya dah dekat and we have not bought any fabrics for our 'raya sedondon' look. One of the sweetest things I find to do as a married couple is to have this 'raya sedondon' look. Padahal dulu dok pikir cliche' lar benda-benda macam nih. ;p

Our second time round in Jakel was much relaxed. Finally we were able to browse through all the fabrics with not many crowds bustling about. 

We weren't sure with what colour to go for this year. I wanted something metallic based. Nonetheless, I was open to other colours suitable with our skin colour and different from any what either of us had before in creating another year of happy raya memories.

Upon rolls of fabrics, we finally have our theme colour. Not gonna share it yet...wait for Raya yer...

On the way to the carpark, nampak lar promo Ariani RTW. My general take on Asian made ready-to-wears is that they don't cater to my bootylicious size. Tapi Alhamdulillah, dapat lar satu set. Either I'm gonna wear it soon or second day Raya. 

Worth a visit. Cantik jugak designs Ariani RTW and prices are ok. They're having a competition at the moment. Insya Allah will be one of my pit stops to shop for Raya.

Hujan dah lebat kat luar building. Kena cepat-cepat keluar KL to escape the jam. 

A very productive and enjoyable day off...definitely.

Jane Iredale - The Skin Care Makeup

So, recently I had the urge to mix it up and add some mineral makeup to my current collection. I'm generally very picky with my makeup and my collection is rather limited. I believe there's no point having too much and wasting makeup. Plus, this is my first time using mineral makeup.

First impressions? Very light and I feel my skin can breath through my application. Though all of them are very nice, I am super in love with my sugar and butter lip exfoliator and plumper. The sugar is edible tau but I don't think I'll be munching on the brown sugar stick.

Kalau nak beli, you can get them from Evon at Davon's. Try lar...time panas-panas nih best pakai lighter makeup.

Clockwise: Amazing Base-Loose Mineral Powder; Liquid Eyeliner; Smell the Roses Hydration Spray; Sugar& Butter Lip Exfoliator/Plumper; Smooth Affair Facial Primer & Brightener; and Liquid Minerals Foundation.

The 'Slaughterhouse'

So one day after facial, alang-alang dah dekat, we decided to visit the new Jakel building. It was so hot during the day, nasib baik didn't ruin all my beautician's efforts. We parked at the usual place...since we weren't sure where the new building was. So it was quite a walk to make our way there. Hari tu time pasar Jalan TAR, lagi lar you feel the heat.

Sampai-sampai ajer, WOW! Besarnya! According to Husbie, the new location was formerly an empty site so to think they built it from ground up means business is really good. The new building even has its own parking so sesiapa nak datang you can park at their allotted space. They suggested masuk ikut Cap Square lagi senang. It was also on that same day, I discovered one of their strategic arsenals... What is it?

HAPPY HOUR

We sampai-sampai ajer baru start Happy Hour. What is Happy Hour? It's where they drop their prices so low it's impossible not to buy their fabrics! It's at selected sections of their building at a selected time and for just 10 minutes! They will have it on Fridays to Sundays, at no specific time. Biler ramai orang ajer they will have it. So you won't even have time to browse or think twice. Ambik ajer yang mana suka! I almost skipped it to naik atas but Husbie suruh give it a go. Seriously, lagi muka merah berpeluh. Sepasang kain silk berbatu RM189 jadi RM50, washable silk RM88 junam jadi RM50. 

So much for just looking and checking out the new place.

I came out with 6 pasang, nanti hantar jahit buat baju kurung and baju kurung modern for work. At one point, I nak gelak time-time the racks kena serbu, this one dude (teman wife dia kot) siap terpegun kat tengah-tengah jalan screaming "Ya Allah! Ya Allah!". Don't underestimate your wife's behaviour masa crazy sales k! The smart ones stand aside and watch the show, including my Husbie. Ajak terjah the crowd to have a closer look dia tak mo, so aper lagi, I bring the batang kain terus to him. Amek kau!

After paying for my merchandise at the counter and thanking my personal salesgirl, we continued upstairs with out initial mission to survey kain raya. Lagi cantik whoaaa!

"Ooooh, cantik pusat penyembelihan (suami) sekarang. Tak tau pulak diaorang dah buat pusat penyembelihan macam nih" ("Ohhh, such a nice 'slaughterhouse' (for husbands). Didn't know they have these kind of slaughterhouses these days")

Husbie ingat I tak dengar dia ngomel sorang-sorang. Biler letak dalam FB baru dia tau how observant his wife is.