It's hard to believe that we'll be leaving 2020 in less than 24 hours... We bid farewell to 2019 with so much hopes and dreams but 2020 definitely teach us to be more thankful and learn to appreciate all the things that we used to take for granted before. I see people around me deeply affected from this health crisis and there's nothing more I wish than a safe and healthy environment for all of us to live in.
Hello lovelies, I guess it's not too late to wish all of you a very Happy New Year! How is your 2020 so far? Mine is pretty calm surprisingly but hey, it's too early to say, who knows what the future might hold! A little recap for those of you who might be wondering, my baby boy Ammaar is not so little anymore, he will be turning 5 this May and already in preschool this year. He's such a great kid, I'm beyond grateful, Alhamdulillah. Always so gentle and kind, funny and independent too. Can't believe how fast he is growing up, I can barely keep up!
Technically, Ammaar Zahran is already 3 last May but as usual, I like to take my time writing about the object of my affection. If you knew me well, you probably noticed how reserved I can be when it comes to everyone I loved and hold dear. Surface stuff like OOTD and beauty review, I don't really mind sharing that for the whole world to see but intimate moment with my loved one, I like to keep it private and confidential. I do however make an exception for my son's birthday every year as a tradition that I intend to keep for as long as I lived =P
Somebody turns 2 recently and believe it or not, I still can't get the hang of it! He may be bigger physically but in my heart he'll always be my baby. He seems to adore his daddy a lot more lately... Always following him around, copying his every move and sometimes even gang up together against me, pfttttt~ Despite all that, I know he love me too in his own weird way. Besides, I can't really find any reasons why someone would enjoy squeezing my nose and cheeks if it's not out of love, right? Or maybe he just like to see me blushing, lol
I've talk about how devastating it is to see my little boy struggling with pain in my previous Surviving Motherhood entry here. However, don't let that discourage you because motherhood also comes with a lot of perks! One of the most fascinating one is when you see your child learning new tricks everyday. You'll be amused when you noticed how much they imitates or mimics people around them and guess what? I think I've raised a Mr. Drama King!
It's true, nothing breaks a mother's heart more than seeing her child in pain. I thought I'm one tough cookie but when I saw my son putting up a brave face while the doctor insert the needle on his hand, I cried like a baby... In fact I'm still crying whenever I'm thinking of that moment, how my little baby try to comfort his weepy mommy with his reassuring gaze, that's without a doubt a super heroic move in my book T_T
Looking at our current economic situation, I can't help but thinking thoroughly before making any purchases. Just like any other parents, I still want to give the very best for my son even if it means I have to cut down on some of my expenses. But no, I won't spoil him with designer items regardless of how much I love him... Unfortunately, good quality products doesn't always come cheap so I have to find ways to get it for a reasonable price instead. I'm very lucky that my son is not a picky eater and wasn't allergic to any foods so far. He do have sensitive skin that's prone to insects bites and rashes though which makes me a little bit particular in terms of choosing his body products.
Whenever I'm feeling blue, I'll take a look at your pictures and I'll be whole again~ Yes my darling Ammaar, that's exactly how I feels about you, honey! You've bring so much joy into our life and honestly, I can't even remember how I've been living all this while without your presence. Okay, a little big dramatic there but hey, I'm all about drama these days especially when you have a toddler who seems to think that he owns you =D
Nothing keep the memories and love more alive than photographs (so Ed Sheeran says) And just like any other mothers, documenting my son growth and taking pictures of him is definitely something I enjoy doing but let's face it, I'm obviously no professional... So I've been toying with the idea of having our family official photoshoot for ages and when IQ Studio invited us for their soft launch last weekend, I couldn't be any happier. Finally, we can have the family portrait I always dreams of and me being me, I mentally pick color coordinate outfit for the three of us right away! We gonna be in fifty shades of blue - kidding it's only 3 shades of blue, lol
One of the most challenging thing that I never thought I'll have to deal with when it comes to motherhood is actually the guilt trip... It's not easy to juggle between your work, family, friends, your passion and your study, sometimes I'll start questioning whether I'm a good mother for still wanting to do all these even when I know I have a little one who clearly needs my undivided attention. I feel guilty when I have to leave my son to work everyday, I feel guilty when I spend my time with my friends every now and then, I feel guilty when I have to attend my classes on weekend, in fact I even feel guilty when I'm buying something for myself instead of him!
All my life I always dreams of having a little family of mine with miniatures version of myself, clad in matching outfit + attitude and ready to rock the world and Alhamdulillah, my prayers were answered on 22nd of May 2015 with the arrival of the love of my life; Ammaar Zahran ❤_❤ I never knew I'm capable of loving someone so very much and looking at him, sleeping soundly next to me every night making me feel deeply humbled and blessed to be given such joy, thank you Allah for this beautiful gift =)
Sometimes we are too busy chasing after worldly material that we tend to forget that there are lots of other things that’s so much more important than that like spending quality time with your family and expressing your feelings towards your loved one. I know I know, I’m as guilty as most of you out there but what actually we really do to fix that problem?
Going through my Raya photos always bring back smiles and laughter to my day =) When me and my 6 other siblings united, it's pretty much like watching episodes from Keeping Up With The Kardashian; we can be very loud and noisy, fulls of drama and energy and we love to irritate each other consistently, hehe =P
Raya Scene 1 : Alien Resurrection
Raya Scene 2 : The Fight Club
Raya is more than just a public holiday to all of us... We bonded like never before, getting closer to each other by sharing our ups and downs stories, seek forgiveness from one another and celebrate our special day happily together since Raya is probably the only time we all can be at the same time and place~ =_=
Raya Scene 3 : Freaky Friday
Raya Scene 4 : I Know What You Did Last Summer
Despite all that, we always enjoy the moment we have to the fullest and creating memories to live for years~ But photos alone I'm afraid, can't make up for the presence of my siblings who I missed dearly and rarely met T_T I hope for this upcoming Raya, we can captured our time together in another medium instead... Wondering what I have in mind?
A brand new Samsung NX2000 of course =) With it's amazing capability to shoot Full HD 1080/30p video, smooth and professional looking video is no longer a mystery and I can re-live our precious time over and over again through the video, weeeeeee~ Besides that, this camera also come with ultra-sensitive 20.3MP APS-C CMOS Sensor that allows you to create images full of detail with colors that fire up your imagination.
Who in the right mind can resist a beauty like this right? So SAMSUNG if you read this, please oh please make my Raya wish come true, I truly need a fabulous camera that's sleek and chic with fast forward functions to help photography catastrophe like me to enhance my lovely family's Raya experience and documenting our precious moments together ❤_❤
Do you have any interesting Raya photos worth sharing? Upload yours now at Samsung Potraits of Raya website here and who knows you could win yourself cool movie treats for your family, wink2 Before I'm signing off, check out the heartwarming Samsung's 2013 Raya commercial above and I challenge you to look straight into my eyes and tell me you didn't feel anything... Till then, love the people who loves you & adieu~
It's so true that a picture worth a thousand words... People can interpret a picture differently from one another; see it from different perspective and view, and not to forget see the unseen little things that others might overlooked... Honestly, I'm not a very good photographer, I'm still working on it from day to day and knowing about the FatMumSlim "November Photo A Day Challenge" from my friend Yati really intrigued me to give it a shot (literally & figuratively =P) Let's take a look at it, shall we?
This is what its all about, every single day in November, we're required to take a picture that represent the theme of the day... Easy right? It's a very unique way of expressing yourself without a word (I did wrote a very long caption with every picture btw, I just can't help it, LOL) and I did my best to follow the theme each day =) And here's is what I come up with...
Day 1 - I finally bought my first beauty gadget; Clarisonic after eye-ing it for more than a decade year, thanks to Sephora 20% discount, coolness =) Day 2 -The brightest color I can find in my possession, it's the Spurr platform in fuschia!!! ♥♥♥ n_n Day 3 -Tea & Choc from my mum, she know I can't function without decent breakfast, thanks mama @_@ Day 4 -Working out seems so much fun with my sisters nearby & Jillian Michaels watching me on the TV, LOL Day 5 -I hate waiting; especially @ 5pm when I rather be anywhere else, sigh~ thanks to Vina, all these Benefit goodies certainly make me feel so much better, wink2
Day 6 - One of my fav stuff is this cute ukelele bag & the ukelele inside; another instrument that I heart besides guitar, a gift from someone dear to me ♥ Day 7 - I super love the combination of black + white + peach; this picture reflects how I feel perfectly n_n Day 8 - I will feel so weird if I don't play Anipang in a day; thanks to Shinwa, now I'm addicted, haha =D Day 9 - What's the better gift for all the mumtaz students than the small tafsir to guide them further in life? I'm helping out my mum to wrap the gifts she sponsored for my little sis school =) Day 10 - I can live without a lot of things, but my specs will never be one of it XP
Day 11 -It's great to know even though I'm out & about from day to night, I still have this lovely studs by my side, wink2 Day 12 - Our fav drinks at our fav restaurant; Gummi Bear & Blue Lagoon =) Day 13 -I am bless with the power that can make me easily fall asleep whenever & wherever I want too; my fav spot? It is always be in my homey car, hehe =P Day 14 - This pond may be man-made; but the fish @ Ajlaa Village certainly don't mind, LOL Day 15 -I have lots of stuff in my bag; purse + makeup + perfume + lotion + sanitizer + mp3player + handphone + keys; you'll never find any food though, hahaha =D
Day 16 -I really2 enjoy feeding the fish while day-dreaming from the Ajlaa Village window, it's the time to get in touch with the nature =) Day 17 - The last thing I bought was this cheap ice-cream maker from Daiso; it's only 5 bucks ^_^ Day 18 - Spending the weekend preparing myself for the Twilight Saga finale by browsing back all the details from the books ^_^ Day 19 - It's awesome to know that I have a mini me in the making, we pout a lot & have the same name, hehe =P Day 20 - It's so easy to switch from work to play look with just your shoes, you will never get it wrong, LOL
Day 21 - It's the Breaking Dawn Part 2 premiere day & what's the best outfit to compliment a vampire than a kebaya? hehe =P
Day 22 - I'm thankful & grateful for my family; their unconditional love keep me going every single day =) Day 23 - The greatest thing about this plain black box is it hides a very colorful world underneath @_@ Day 24 -Doing chores is not a bore when you can sing-a-long & listen to the stereo n_n Day 25 -The calm before storm describe the sky perfectly in this picture X)
Day 26 -I keep all my collectibles in this cupboard; love letters + concert tix + LE books, fragrance bottles + makeup palettes @_@ Day 27 - This tree really steal the show @ Ajlaa Village, I wonder why? LOL Day 28 - One of my fav family picture was taken at Tioman plane hangar runway, it made us all feel a little like P.Diddy, hehe =P Day 29 - I can't think of anything bigger than Big Bang in my house, this jacket never wash condition prove it all =) Day 30 - Our living area wall never left alone without my little sis artwork... Her latest mission apparently is trying to persuade my dad into buying her a new handphone, wink2
I'm happy that it's over & can't wait to begin the new one, the new list is out already & hopefully I'll be more inspired this time around =)
I'm not a "fashionista", not even a fashion "connoisseur", but I do know a thing or two about fashion, what works for me, what's not, having tons of hits and misses myself, learning few basic rules from magazines and from my observation; and as I getting older and wiser I finally come to terms with my body, embrace my imperfection and dress myself accordingly =) My favorite fashion icon has always be Charlize Theron, I just can't love her enough!!! She's the embodiment of classy and sexy, carry herself stylishly in every occasion and never fail to impress =) I love how she turn something so simple like a sweater and black pants and somehow manage to turn it into a showstopper!!! With her, everything look so effortlessly and fabulous, me envy~
rock chic + hot chick ^_~
Fashion is very2 subjective, not everything works for everybody and not every style worth trying... For example, I knew long skirts and palazzo pants will never work for me as it can overwhelm my body frame and potentially make me look shorter than I already am~ =_= The same goes to stripes and prints... Horizontal stripes can make you look so much bigger than you really are, unless that is your intention, dump it for vertical stripes instead!!! I did try wearing it and you know what, I kinda hate the unwelcome attention to my bosom =(
say NO to zebra crossing!!! LOL
Prints is quite tricky btw, too much prints is never a good thing, but if you mix and match it with one plain color it can turn out pretty well =) I'm very wary when it comes to prints, so I'll experiment and asking my sisters first before making any decision, thank god my sisters can be painfully honest with me all the time, haha =D My sense of style is very2 predictable or in another word "boring"... A Taurus like myself, we always cling to something that we feel comfortable with and stick to something that we know will never go wrong... I get adventurous and rise to the occasion sometimes when I feel like dressing up, usually during special events and yes it's fun and kind of nice to get out from your comfort zone once in a while...
Charlize Theron inspired ♥
One of the trend that I've come to love is skinny jeans, at first I'm skeptical, it did look weird at first sight, but once I tried it on with my highest heels, I feel like hitting the jackpot!!! I do look so much taller and I can see my legs instantly elongate before my eyes, super ♥ it =) Another thing about fashion, you don't have to spend a fortune to be in style... Taste is something you either have it or not, it is not necessary come in expensive price tags or designer labels, if you smart enough, you can get it from pre-loved stuff sale, car boot sale or even warehouse sale... Or you can wait till it get out of season and bought it at discounted price =)
statue of liberty XD
Anyway, I do have a great respect for the people nowadays who're not afraid to experiment with fashion and try lots of new style... However, some of it tend to make them look so much older than their own age or sometimes looks like they're trying very hard to be younger than they should which doesn't really scream "look at me" in a good way!!! So here's what me & my little sister come up with during our fashion intervention, the 5 DONTS we see almost everyday, hopefully we don't offend anyone because doing this is so much fun, we can definitely do it all day, hehe =P
Syawal 2012was a bit different for me, a lot actually... Since my grandma (from my mom side) passed away early this year, we don't really feel like going back to my mom hometown in Terengganu, too much drama to deal with =( We only took short holiday and spend it with relatives on my dad side at Johor instead. As usual, we celebrate raya very simply but still festive and jolly like Syawal should always be ^_^
To tell you guys the truth, we didn't prepare anything until the very last minute, thankfully all of us still haven't use our abayas which my parents bought from their recent umrah trip. It's so different from our normal outfit and come to think of it, it's quite fun to play dress up especially when we can be the mysterious Arabian princess with loud eye makeup, wink2 Here is one of my fav raya picture, there were never dull moment when it comes to my siblings, lol
the black -berries *_*
Another great thing about Syawal is the never ending open houses, I even had to turn down some of the invitations... Luckily, I somehow managed to squeeze in one wedding along the way!!! It's my dad colleague's daughter wedding ceremony, which was held at Menara TM, Bangsar... I run out of raya outfit to wear and finally settled on my ButtonMyButtons signature bow kurung =) I planned to use it for another occasion but I think I find another way to wear it later on, hihi XD This is me & my little sis, both of us wearing cotton kurung that we both adore ^_^
cotton candy girls ^^
My high school classmate/roommate, Asmah invited me all the time to her house ever since she moving here... Only this year however I get the chance to drop by and catching up with her... She didn't change much despite her marital status unlike some of my friends and it definitely feels good to reminiscing the good old days while indulging my taste buds with all the delicious food she had, hee~ Her son, Amirul is the exact mirror image of her and really fun partner in crime too, super coolness!!! ★_★
triple A's - Ayna + Amirul + Asmah =)
Last but not least is my workplace raya open house... Nothing interesting really, unlike everyone else, I don't have the luxury to enjoy it due to the nature of my job, sigh~ Being me, no matter how unhappy I am, I always try to find the beauty in every situation and I'm fortunate enough to know a few great people that day =) I met my new soulmate too, she love kebaya & cosmetics just like yours truly, we're kinda match made in heaven isn't it? We even wear identical accessories (almost), hehe =P
my soulmate, Athirah ❤
And I did try something new too while waiting for my family to get ready for an open house nearby, I experiment with couple of my fav tunes and come up with this simple music arrangement, hihi x) it's the combination of 3 songs, Bila Cinta (Gio) + I Need a Doctor (Eminem) + Butterfly (Melly Goeslow) All these songs were introduced to me by 3 different people and I think I pleased all 3 of them with my video, wink2 It might not be perfect but I like it anyway, haha =D Hope you guys will love it too, enjoy!!! XOXO
I'm 28 years old, considered quite old to some people standard to even feel excited about birthday gifts, still I can't help the inner child in me that always looking forward for my birthday year after year, wink2 I love giving and made other people day but sometimes I wanna be on the other side too, and thank god I have great support system around me that appreciate me and love me the way I am ^_~
my dream birthday cake ^^ I kind of obsess with panda, hehe =P
My birthday was like 3 months ago, but of course all these babies need their moment to shine in yours truly blog too, right? The first birthday gift that I received this year was from my special someone; who gave me a limited edition memorabilia of my fav band, The Beatles!!! I ❤ it so very much honey, muackkksss ^_^
My second gift was from my dear sis (all 4 of them) who pinch in to get me my fav hair products- Redken, Jimmy Choo's perfume & also a cute colour block top!!! Thank you sistah, you girls are super awesome, I'm lovin the surprise so freakin' much!!! ★_★
The third gift was from my bff, Deya... It's the latest body scrub from Soap & Glory, Pulp Friction & the Ralph Lauren Pony Range - No 1 fragrance, both smells so lovely on my skin & made dressing up for hot date more fun than ever, thanks babe!!! @_@
The next gifts were from my blogger friends; Harim, Cuna and Hanna... I knew these girls for more than 3 years through blogging and they're very2 nice and wonderful people that I wish I met earlier in my life!!! 2 of them were married now and we didn't meet that often anymore but we still keep in touch and update each other with all the cool info through other mediums... Thanks girls for all the great time we had, I just can't wait for more adventure to come, wink2
The next gift coming from one of my fav hijabista, Shazwani Hamid... She's one of the blogger that I knew through our mutual love for girly stuff and knowing her in real life really change my perspective of her; she's genuine & kind, funny too actually and remind me a lot of my long lost good friend, Aishah that I just found back through Facebook couple of weeks ago!!! It's been a pleasure to get to know you, Wani @_@ For my birthday, she gave me a mustard tunic that fit me perfectly & L'occitane Cherry Blossom bath set that I really2 adore!!! Thanks dear for the fabulous gift ^_^
There is another gift from my parents that I can't reveal since I haven't got the time to redeem it yet... Before I end this post, I just wanna share with you girls what I bought for myself for my birthday this year, it may not be as adrenaline pumping as my last year birthday gift for myself here, but it still make me smile and happy like a kid till this day, hehe =P Check out my makeup brushes collection from Sigma & Real Technique which cost me almost RM500... I guess I'm still very young and dangerous at heart, wink2
It would be unfair to say goodbye to 2011 without at least glancing back to all the beautiful memories it represent. My oh my, what a great year 2011 turn out to be and I'm nothing but thankful for all the good fortune that fall upon me, wink2 Okay, now It's time to do the recap for the 10 most memorable stuff that took place in yours truly un-eventful life last year, hihi =P
1) A Tiger by the Tail ^^
After intense grueling, pleading, and spending, I managed to collect all the 60 stamps needed in order to obtain this cute little Tigger (one of the characters in Winnie The Pooh), you have no idea the hell I've been going through to get this little fella, I for one have no wishes whatsoever to repeat this whole ordeal all over again but the wonderful feeling after possessing this baby is certainly classified as "I'm over the moon" kind of feeling, it's beyond awesome!!! This actually a surprise birthday gift to my significant other who have a weird fond-ness for anything Tiger related stuff except Tiger Beer of course, hehe x)
2) Life is a Beach n_n
This unique picture of our family vacation at Pulau Pehentian made it into the New Straits Times travel column in the middle of March 2011, cool isn't it? I never really thought our funny pose will be chosen as the winner of their weekly travel giveaway but luck certainly shining bright for me in 2011 =) The prize is a weekend getaway at Corus Paradise, Port Dickson that I used to celebrate my sister birthday but it's not the prize that really intrigued me at that time actually... The once in a lifetime opportunity to imprint our family sweetest time in view of thousands others and our daily newspaper is definitely hard to pass on, I still remember the moment and the surprise shriek coming from my mother when she read the newspaper that day, hee~
3) Two is Better than One @_@
Early April last year, I was fortunately given a rare chance to meet up, close and personal with the Annie & Maggie Ford Danielson, the daughters and nieces of my favorite makeup brand, Benefit Cosmetic founders, Jean and Jane Ford =) The moment was so surreal, and I had to pinch myself a few times to believe it!!! They're both my beauty icons and I really look up to their sheer geniuses in creating a very fabulous line of makeup, I'm such a big fans of the brand and meeting both of them definitely deserve a big highlight in my book!!! They both are very warm, friendly and approachable in person and I can't get my eyes off their effortless beauty and height, I felt very much like a midget next to them, haha =D
4) Foot-loose ^_~
As written in my previous post, I bought myself a rather unusual birthday gift last year to compensate for my lack of "music & me time" in the last couple of years, hihi =P I had the best-est musical experience in my whole lifetime in this one night performance from my favorite band since forever, Switchfoot!!! I don't mind to relive the moment again and again for even twice the price, coming from someone who barely make ends meet, it certainly speaks volume of their performance aura, wink2
5) It's my birthday!!! ^_^
My 2011 birthday celebration is quite different last year I must say since I'm celebrating it with my love one for the very first time =) We're hundreds miles apart so seeing each other frequently is definitely not an option and a luxury that we can't afford T-T But he did came all the way even after a hectic day to spend my birthday with me ^^ He even surprised me with my favorite flower, white lily and an instrument I've been eye-ing for quite sometime, ukelele... I love both gift so so so very much!!! =)
6) Tie the knot =)
One of the main highlights of my 2011 life is none other than my best friend forever (it's 14 years to be exact, hee~) Deya engage to be married day with her now fiancee, Alfian... Knowing her for almost half my life, I'm very2 happy that she finally met someone who treat her right and someone that I highly approve, hehe =P She deserve a guy who love her unconditionally and I knew that she did get it right this time around... They both are perfect for each other, I couldn't think of better person who could complete her the way he did!!! I'm wishing you guys the very best, be nice to each other okay,@_@
7) Who's that girl? n_n
Another milestone that I reach last year was I finally succeed in my vain attempt to wear contact lenses, fake lashes and blue-ey eyeshadows, hehe =P I'm too afraid to wear lenses before and too lazy to master the art of wearing falsies, LOL After I figured out the way and experimenting with lots of neon colors, I can proudly say that blue is no longer included in my "NAY" eyeshadow shades list, it certainly took me quite a long time to get it right but I'm so happy nevertheless with the results, I only have two more colors challenge to conquer, yellow and red which I'm in no rush to pursue yet ^_~
8) Lucky Strike @_@
2011 really2 was my luckiest year ever, I won not only 1,2 but 3 big concerts tickets from big names like Micheal Buble, Maroon 5 and 30 Seconds to Mars!!! Life is good, hee~ ^^ I won a lot of other stuff too from perfumes, skincare, book, handbag and even a hotel stay, I felt very2 lucky and surprised actually because I have no idea that I'll be on my winning streak for the rest of the year... Now,I witness it first hand that you do gain a lot more when you give more, may 2012 bring me more luck and excitement, wink2
9) Aye Aye Captain x)
During the Merdeka's month last year, Fly FM had came up with their own version of Captain America named Captain Malaysia (no surprise there obviously, LOL) which planned to help out 54 different Malaysians to overcome their difficulties in everyday life... I'm just trying my luck there and submit my application, little that I know I'm among the lucky 54 who had been granted a visit not only by Captain Malaysia but all the Fly FM's Rock Pagi Crews, yeay!!! I will not unveil what I had been asking for from them because It's quite embarrassing actually to even mention it here but it really2 made my day (and week too to be honest =P), to have all of them paid me a visit, hehe X) The only regret I have was not having my digicam with me at that time to capture the moment~ =(
10) The One That Got Away =P
The last but not least of my favorite highlights of 2011 was I finally brave enough to took the challenge of uploading my very own Youtube video, hehe =P I'm not even close to perfect but I'm very2 proud of myself for going through the motion and producing my very first Youtube cover... I now have a brand new respect for all the Youtubers because it's not as easy as it look, my singing and plucking were all over the place and I couldn't trust myself to speak even a little in this video because I'm afraid my voice will betray me, hahaha =D I do get a lot of positive reviews from my friends, and I'm looking forward to produce more covers in the future ^^
