Potato Couch

I'm officially turning into a potato couch.

I am not exaggerating... this is true! Due to excessive amount of brain usage at work, I always came home feeling tired, restless, sleepy, hungry (don't I always?) and most of the time, with headaches. Don't get me wrong, I extremely love what I'm doing, but I'm just tired.

When I was about to go home from work (late. again!) I thought to myself, I needed to relax and unwind. What should I do...? And then my mind shifted and went "Eureka!" when I remembered what's waiting for me at home. These.


Ah... yes! I have a couple of extremely large Mangoes in my fridge. Cool, sweet and yummy. Just what I need. And with a hot green tea with honey and lemon on the side, accompanied with a magazine I just bought, it made my evening unforgettable.

Tomorrow's a new day!

Potato Couch

Girlfriends in God

I subscribed to this daily devotional for women from Crosswalk called "Girlfriends in God". I have them sent everyday to my office email, so before I start the day I will read through it and take it all in.

This one from yesterday was really good... How many times in life that you thought you will be happy when you already achieved something? And when you did, you set yourself another 'goal' and ensure yourself that you will be happy once it's fulfilled... I know I did that sooo many times.

So I just want to share with you, what I believed is very encouraging. I need to work on this as well!

Be happy TODAY and right now! I hope this will bless you as it has blessed me :)

(and while you're at it.. feel free to browse that Crosswalk website and subscribe to a devotional or two! note: The weekly Max Lucado one is really good as well - he's my favorite author!)

***

I have come that they may have life,

and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

Jesus lived and died so that we can experience abundant life! "Abundant" literally means "going beyond; full or exuberant". In other words, life should be saturated - not punctuated - with joy. Yet, we postpone joy.

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another baby. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we get that promotion, when we are able to go on our dream vacation or when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges, dark times and trials. Understand and accept the fact that we live in a broken world but also accept that fact that because God lives, we can choose to be happy anyway. Treasure every moment that you have and remember that time waits for no one.

Stop waiting...
...until your car or home is paid off
...until you get a new car or home
...until your kids leave the house
...until you go back to school
...until you finish school
...until you lose 10 lbs.
...until you gain 10 lbs.
...until you get married
...until you have kids
...until you retire
...until summer
...until spring
...until winter
...until fall
...until you die

"There is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Work like you don't need money.

Love like you've never been hurt.

And dance like no one's watching."

Girlfriends in God

I have seen the light!

No, no... this posting is not about The ROCKS's last year Christmas musical which had the same title.

If you have been staying in WA in the month of December, you might know about the fact that WA held an annual Christmas Lights competition for the houses. So basically, what happen is that the houses will be decorated in Christmas lights and what-nots to compete for the best every year. At night, the lights will be on until about 10pm, for people to visit and they can vote online on which house they like the best.

Every year before everyone went back for Christmas holidays, my friends and I always circled around Perth, 'hunting' for those Christmas lights houses. We downloaded a list of the address from a website, and went searching for them. Our survival kit those nights were our maps, because most of the houses are located in the suburbs that we (sometimes) never heard of. So, it's a christmas lights hunting with a twist :P

So, I'm planning to go again this year. My must visit suburb would be Joondalup (which I reckon the best decorated ones!). I already downloaded a list from The West Australian Newspaper for the addresses of the houses. You can get it from the link below, and I also posted some pics I get from The West for your eyes' indulgement :)

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=50412

Aren't they gorgeous? The only thing missing is winter... Yes Australia, keep on dreaming of a white Christmas!

Apart from their beauty, I was just wondering... how much do they spend on electric bills??

I have seen the light!

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff.

My goodness, December is already here! Time flies so fast, ey? This means that the countdown until X'mas has officially starts.

So, how've u guys been? I hope all is well with you :) As for me, I've been really really busy. The 'Heaven's Lamb' production was last week, and it was a huge success. All of us really enjoyed ourselves that night, even though we're anxious and tired. Despite the 'messy' dress rehearsal in the morning, the actual production went really smooth to our surprise. I think we all a HUGE thanks to Mr Alamin who prayed with his friend in the prayer room the whole time we were doing the production.

There was a miracle as well during the production. Sharleen, our lead ballet dancer, hurt her back during the final dress rehearsal. She accidentally fell down while she was doing a move, and strained one of her muscle on her hips. She barely couldn't stand straight and was visiting a physio on our break, and she had to use one of that wrap thingie around the waist and hips to keep it straight.

Before her dance scene, I found her in the dressing room and she was in pain. I asked her not to give it her 110% shot because I'm scared she'll get hurt even more. She said she will give her best shot. So I offered to pray together with her, that God may help her to do her best. During her dance scene, I couldn't believe it. She was smiling and could do all her dance moves perfectly.

The next day I called her to check how she was doing. She said she's still in pain but better. Then she told me that on the day, when she was waiting for her turn, her hips still felt sore. But the minute she was on stage, the pain was gone completely, and she can move freely. The minute she got off the stage, she started to feel the pain again. I also found out that Mr Alamin prayed for her before the production as well... God is good, yah? the power of prayer, the power of healing! it's true! and I hope that Sharleen will get well soon!!! :)

A lot of people had been given us a positive feedback regarding the musical. A lot of them feel blessed from it, and they also said that they could see us enjoying ourselves as well on the production. When it was all over, we felt really happy because we were enjoying ourselves even though we're tired and it went well. Great job everyone! good times yahh!!!

And now, people are starting to leave Perth for holidays. Well, I will be stuck here for December as I've got a lot of things to do at work. By the way, the new work is great and I'm enjoying every bit of it :) we're sooo busy, especially around this time because everyone wants to get something for their beloved ones for X'mas, but I feel really happy to go to work everyday and learn new things. The environment is great, my co-workers are really friendly and the boss if cool.. and not to mention the beautiful things I get to see everyday.. hehehe. Being busy at work really makes ur time flies, suddenly it's lunch time.. and then suddenly it's home time. HoHoHo ^o^

Oh btw, I just had an epiphany. Life is so much easier if you don't sweat the small things. Whining can only waste your energy upon something that's not even worth it. There's this big quote upon our wall in the office that clearly say it. Winning is not whining. Rather than using your time to whine about people, 'contemplate' about them (which I usually did) trying to analyze why did they do this and that, be all 'detective' like (sherlock holmes wannabe, i say) or even worse bitchin about things in your surroundings... you could use your precious time to actually makes your life even more worthwhile. After all, we only lived once, right?

That's about it! My random rambles for today :P I hope your week will be good and you will have a fabulous weekend as well (and btw, I have to work as well this weekend). My crew and I will have our very own Xmas celebration this weekend before we all part ways in celebrating Xmas holidays.. gosh, I'm so gonna miss them! Come back soon yah peopleeeeeeee...

Have a good one, everybody! :)

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff.

In between weddings, facebook and Heaven's Lamb

Hi folks! How've you been? I hope everything's been well with you guys :)

At last, I finally have the time and willingness to do another post... I know, i know.. it's been a while! As you guys might know, I've been busy with wedding preparations and no, not mine! I've been helping some friends out in their weddings. Two weddings in four weeks... that was kinda exhausting but I had fun :)

The Bridal Party: Rey, Fang-Fang, Indra, Rafael, Me and Defy

The first ones to tied the know was two of my best friends, Indra & Fang-Fang. I've known them for about 6 years now and we've been close friends since God knows when. I've been helping her preparing for the big day since the first day she planned it, it was frustrating but FUN! The day was special also because Defy, our best friend, came all the way from Sydney to join the fun!

After weeks of preparing the timeline, to our relief, the events went smoothly... even though it's a lil bit wet at first. The weather forecast for the day was raining. We could actually see grey skies as we walked out from Fang's house to go to the ceremony. Fang was very worried that it would rain all day, but then we decided to just get on with it. The motto for the day was "Ya... sudahlahhhhh!!!" (which means: Oh, well..) but to our surprise, it was bright blue skies! Thank God! Sure to keep the bride & groom happy :)

The reception went smoothly as well... Old Swan Brewery looked really nicely decorated with handmade napkin rings and table cloth by Fang's mom (good job, tanteeee) and the flowers were nice too. The only disappointment that I had was when the slideshow's music didn't play at all because of a faulty cable! And I stayed up all night to make it :( but, oh well... no sweat!

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves that day and I am certainly very happy for my two best friends! They are perfect for each other and I believe that God has a lot of good things in store for them... So next step, our own business?? Fang, Ndra? hehehehe :)

The next wedding took place two weeks after their's. It was Ivan & Adeline's. Despite the flies and horse-manure-smell during the ceremony (note to self: outdoor parties could be really challenging!) it was a fun night, with most of the guys DRUNK. I don't have many pictures yet so I'll keep you posted when I have one :) Anyway, congratulations guys!

And these past four weeks I found out that Facebook is addictive! It's soooo much fun than Friendster! It has all these applications you can add to your profile page and you can play around with it, poke people, and stuff. It's sooooo cool!

My latest favorite is the Polyvore application, where you can make some sort of 'scrapbook' with real items taken from websites (even net-a-porter!) to describe your sense of style. Highly addictive! I've posted some of my collages here for you to look at... You can create your own background with items and pictures and positioned them the way you wanted them to be... so cool! Hey friendster users, switch to facebook! Hoho...

My Stylesheet #1 - "Night & Day"

My Stylesheet #2 - Pink Is The New Black

My Stylesheet #3 - Passport To Paris

Pheeewww... at least I don't have anymore weddings to go to this year! But then, I am currently busy with the production of The ROCKS Christmas Musical: "Heaven's Lamb". It's scheduled to be performed on 1st December 2007 at 6:00 pm at Perth Christian Life Centre. I will post the poster here after I get the soft-copy from my friend.

With only three weeks left in our window, we are rushing and stressing to prepare everything. It's so hard to produce musicals because we're not only have to practice dialogues, we also have to remember dance moves and song lyrics. Believe me, if you've seen our practice schedules you would say the same thing. I almost cried when I see it! Full on, even on Sunday!

I'm so eager to get this production up and running. Over and done with! I know we'll all be very relieved after the day and have our well-deserved break over December... I think I'm going home, but still not sure... I am currently looking for another job opportunities because I decided that the place I'm currently working with (more to the boss though) doesn't suit my principals and I'm going to move on... so, we'll see :) wish me luck so I can find my dream job, guys!

Over and out, people! Have a good one!

In between weddings, facebook and Heaven's Lamb

FUNNYYYYYY! :)

Check out these funny DVD commercials from Thailand!

HILARIOUS!

FUNNYYYYYY! :)

It was beautiful...

Hello folks...

Just a quick update from Lisyen's wedding last Saturday (29/09/07). It was sunny but breezy, clear blue sky and the weather just absolutely beautiful...

My friends and I as the wedding committee arrived around 8:30 at the venue. We set up the tables, the decorations, and the food as well. Met Lisyen in the 'back room' where she was hiding and oh-my-goodness.. she looked absolutely gorgeous! Went outside to meet up with Agus, the groom and he looked stunning as well :) What a gorgeous couple they make!

Anyways, the ceremony ran late because of the so-called culture of Indonesians 'ngaret'ness. So if you put 10:30 on your invitation, please expect them to be there at least 10 minutes late. Despite of it, it was a beautiful ceremony. Of course Lisyen's siblings successfully made us cry (tears of happiness, of course) on their surprise speech for the newlyweds (good job cici, mingki n alung!). The Sunday School kids also sang a song for their beloved 'oma' which was really really good :)

The ceremony ended with lots and lots of food! And of course photo sessions with the newlyweds :) oh and by the way, I caught the bouquet - and NO it doesn't mean anything! I don't believe in those kinds of myths!

After the newlyweds left the building, the committee cleaned up the place. We ended up with so many left-over blue cupcakes that we have no idea what to do with them at all! So... one of us (I can't remember who) had a brilliant idea of taking those 4 trays full of cupcakes down to the streets and gave them away for free... so we did exactly that and in 15 minutes, it's all GONE! :)

...the cupcakes and fairy flosses as silent witnesses to the special day...

[photo by: Indra Pratama]

In conclusion (gw kayak lagi bikin essay aja gitu), it was a beautiful wedding... I want to congratulate the happy couple for their new chapter in life and all God's blessings that lie ahead of them...

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Agus Joewono!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres...
[1 Corinthians 13]

I wish you guys all God's best in everything. May your days be filled with happiness, joy, love and laughters... Keep being a blessing for others as you have been a blessing to us in Perth... I love you both very dearly, and please visit Perth oftenly as I will miss you guys sooooo bad :(

It was beautiful...

Ready... Set... Go!

Hello, people! I finally have time to do a blog update. These past few weeks has been really really hectic for me due to a lot of events coming up... and one for tomorrow is Ariel's wedding! She has officially opened the 'Wedding Season' this year, with Indra&Fang's following up 2 weeks after hers and Ivan&Adel's on the next fortnight. Crazyyyyyy!

My body feels exhausted but I am excited! I am so happy for the three of my friends who are going to tie the knot because I've known them all quite well... It seemed like just yesterday that we discussed assignments, exams, guys (as in potential boyfriends!) and here they are now.. ready to walked down that aisle, promised to be together for a lifetime and opened up a brand new chapter in their lives... I'm just so happy for them! :) because that means I get to organize their hens nights! (be afraid, girls... be VERY afraid!!!)

Last week we had Lisyen's hens night (to avoid any confusion: Ariel = Lisyen). It went quite well but if I had more time to prepare, it would be better I guess... but hey the most important thing was Lisyen enjoyed it (IYA KAN SYEN???!!) and for those of you who was curious on what was happening.. you can check her friendster for a very very sexy sneak-peek photo :P

Oh and the highlight of this week is the LONG WEEKEND ahead! *woo-hoo!* I'm so going to relax and do me-moments that I need to catch up on (like mani padi, gym, book, cleaning... ahhh the serenity!) Perth Royal Show is also back in town starting tomorrow (we're going next Saturday guys!! calling all RoyalShowBoys Band :P) and my colleagues at work are starting to get psyched out over the AFL Grand Final this weekend... At least this week is long weekend.. I believe that all my full-time workers friends agree with me that we are all looking forward to this week as we feel like the below video week after week after week :P

I've got my annual leave for Fang's wedding approved by my boss... I've got 5 days off to fully helped her prepare for the wedding day. Defy is going to be here a week before (YAY!!!) so a full team of bridesmaids are ready to help, fang!! Kikis & Lia (Indra's lil bro and his gf) are coming this Monday from Jakarta so it's going to be merry and brighttttt... (emang Christmas?)

Crazzzyyyyy... See how time has changed us hey... From boys, exams and parties to work, financial and weddings... Xenia is having her baby in 2 weeks, and who knows who might come next (iren? hehehehehehehehehehe) One thing does not change though... I still feel and look like a sausage!

Over and out people :) Will update more with pics pics picsssss :D

Ready... Set... Go!

On medication

For the last week and a half, I've been down with this throat infection virus thingy and still am at this moment. The virus managed to knock me out last week, resulting in a full week of work absences, two doctor visits, and a week of bed-rest and 'home-arrest'.

The two doctors I saw told me the exact same thing: "It's a virus and antibiotics won't cure it. You just have to take it easy, drink plenty of water, and get some rest. Do not overworked or overstressed yourself because it's only going to make it worse." No antibiotics... greatttttt. No quick way to cure this because the doctors told me "it's going to take you a while to be 100%". Great.

Some problems in life are just like this virus, don't you think? No quick way of curing your disappointments, no antibiotics. Like a friend who broke a promise he made from a long time ago just like that, or an ex-boyfriend who moved on too quickly, or the pain and agony of being away from your loved ones, to have a near-death experience, being pissed off at someone but couldn't do anything, or being pressured by work and your boss... y'know, those kinds of things.

You wished you'll get over it quickly. Painless. But the reality is.. it won't be that easy. There's not antibiotics to cure it, the only way is for you to chill, take your time.. take it easy. But life's gotta move on. The world does not stop for your grief...

So for now, I'm just going to take it easy... thank goodness I have the new super-thick US Vogue with me tonight, to help me rest and 'take my mind off things' :)

On medication

Updates updates

Well, hello there! Been a while since I last blogged, ey? I've been very busy lately, with work, ministry, events and also things going on in my mind and in my heart. Go figure :P I guess it's the time of the month already. I can't believe how fast time flies... It's almost September.. that means one month to Ariel's wedding, two months to Fang's and two months and a half to Adel's. wooo.. busy busy!

Anyway, some updates here for you guys... My weekend was packed! I couldn't believe this is already Sunday night (the fact that I hate so much because it means that tomorrow is Monday again, and the start of a new working week...) I hardly had the time to unwind and have 'me-moments'... Feel sooooo exhausted now, and I don't feel that great either... I feel like a flu is coming but noooo.. rebuke in the name of the Lord yaaahh :)

Saturday...
Woke up at 6:30 in the morning.. went to the flower warehouse to buy some gorgeous tulips for the beautiful yummy mummy to be :) Organized the baby shower for xen.. so went to Carousel to find some stuff. Couldn't find the stuff that were on my mind, so had to find alternatives for them. Went to the venue early to set up.. the party went good though :) Came home around 6:30, had a shower and then on my bed.. wif my laptop.. and fell asleep at 8 pm!! hahah all the way to the morning... this is the most decent sleep I had in months i think...

Sunday...
Woke up early today because I had to be at church by 9 am. Leading worship again this Sunday. Went home after church, brought KFC! hahaha.. i'm craving for it since I dunno when.. Had a friend's farewell dinner tonight. Had too many cocktails!!! I have a headache now as we speak.

And that's it!! full on! I hardly had the time to relax... my whole body feel soooo sore right now. I want another Friday, this time I gotta take it easy ey... Another monday tomorrow, another five days to a weekend. Man, that feels like a loooooooong time. But then again, thank God I have a job... and a nice co-worker to have lunch with (right, Lauren? hehe)

Updates updates

Our "pursuit of happyness"

Lately I felt so tired. Tired of routines, the things that I have to do on a daily basis day after day. It seems like my life's pretty much the same. Nothing is exciting anymore and to add to that I feel like I didn't have enough rest.

So tonight I dragged Rey to accompany me to Video Ezy (hehe, thanks Rey!). I need to unwind, and one of the easy ways to do it is to watch some DVDs. One DVD in particular caught my eyes. It was the movie I really wanted to watch since it came out but never had a chance to watch it. It was Will Smith's 'The Pursuit of Happyness' which was inspired by Chris Gardner's true story... I know it's really lateeeee since the movie came out months ago, but better late than never, right :)

I was so amazed on how 'personal' and deeply moving this movie is. It told us about a man named Chris Gardner who pursued his dream and put his son's welfare and safety more than anything. The movie potrayed the most crucial and painful moments in his life, when he thought his world had ended, but he always managed to soar right through it. He even experienced being homeless, completely broke and had to sleep in a public restroom with his son.

His diligence and persistence gave him the reward (or happiness, as he called it) in the end. Resulting on him being one of the most well-known broker in the world until this very second (he even had a private conversation with Nelson Mandela and even helped Bill Clinton managed the economy while he was still the president of USA), but what amazes me is that he created more work opportunities for people. He spreads his 'happiness' to others.

As I finished watching this movie, I couldn't help but wonder... how do we define happiness? As Pastor D's sermon at THE ROCKS last week said... we don't even know for sure what makes us happy. In a way, that's true... a bit ironic, isn't it?

I guess our definition of happiness would be different from each other. Some may state a wealthy life as their happiness. Some may state having a happy family or going on a trip around the world. Different people have different definitions. What's mine? what's yours?

I don't know for sure what's my happiness is, but I know some things are able to make me feel a little bit better... things like:

• Knowing that my favorite pair of shoes are on sale for half price (or more)
• Having a stash of my favorite sambel pete around to eat
• A good hair day
• When the clock hits 5 pm on working days... that means home time!
• Staying at home on a rainy afternoon, slouching in bed all day with a good book and jazz music playing on the background
• The sound of my loved ones' voices
• Being slapstick-silly with my dad
  
• Hanging out with friends watching Australian Idol with KFC for dinner :)
• A good homemade meal back at Indonesia
• Cuddling around my lil sis and mum every night. Chatting away until we got very very sleepy
• Chit chat coffee-time with my nyonkies
• Shopping spree!!! or window shopping would do as well
• Going to Ikea and then redecorate my room
• Buying a Chanel Le Vernis
• Having a manicure and a pedicure
• Watching a good movie on DVD, accompanied with a bowl of chocolate ice cream (like tonight!)
• Helping others and put smiles on their faces

Those are only some I can think of. I'm sure we all will be adding to the list as we go through the journey of life, until we find that eternal happiness (which I found in my Salvation, thank God). Pay attention to the word 'pursuit'. We all are in a journey to find happiness, to pursue happiness and to have hopes to achieve it someday, somehow. And again, the word 'pursuit' means it won't come easy at all. We will have to push through, shed tears, feel pain, sacrifice and a whole lot more... But in the end it's going to be worth it... it's happiness :)

Oh and by the way, Euphoria means at the state of extreme happiness (if you don't get what I'm talking about... read the post before this one). So I think it's just the proper name for the business as our aim and goal is to help them and bring happiness to others.

After all,
There's no point of being happy if you can't bring happiness to other people's lives, right? :)


PS: for those of you who are struggling this very moment. No matter what you are facing, I am praying for you. Heaven is not far away :)

Our "pursuit of happyness"

Crafty crafty!

Another weekend has gone by! I can't believe tomorrow is Monday again already. Not enough weekendss!! but then again, I have to be thankful because I have a job, though... so, less complaining please! hehehe :)

Anyway, just recently some of my girlfriends and I have decided to 'start' our own party planner business. Since we have a lot of bridal showers, weddings and one baby shower on the way (who knows there will be a lot more next year?? *hints to my married friends! hehehe) those events will be the perfect occasion for us to have trial-and-errors.

As a result of our ideas, we decided to help a friend to plan a baby shower for her big sis at the end of August. Last Saturday I stayed at home for the day, and made handmade invitations for the event. We are also scheduled to decorate and entertain the guests for the events as well, so I am currently doing a research as we speak for activities and games to be played on the day. If anyone of you has an idea, please feel free to let me know! I need all the help I can get my hands on!

Because the shower is for a baby girl, I've decided to use pink as the main color scheme for the event. However, since the mother-to-be is not a big fan of pink, I splashed pastel green here and there for accent.



The invitation itself was created with Christina Re range of paper couture. I got the idea of the invitation from my Bible bookmark, because it's small, compact and people are able to put it in their bible (I do that, by the way hehe) for keepsakes. I was about to print the wording, and then found out that my printer is out of ink!!!! So... I handwrote them. All 40 pieces of it! took me ages... (Lesson no 1: check ink level in your printer!). I've uploaded some of the pics here, but excuse my camera... it's not that clear. I'll took some better pictures later alongside the decorations and stuff for our so-called 'portfolio' :)

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with the result, however I felt that I can do better if I have more time. I can only go shopping for the papers and ribbons on Saturday since that's the only day I'm free... I hope the recipients for the invitations love them as well! So we can go on and designed some more... and maybe one day it can be a full-time job... who knows, right?

I have already bought some blank canvases... to finish my delayed craft project hopefully by this coming weekend. Stay tune for the finished results :)

Oh, and I've been thinking about what the business name should be... How does Euphoria sound?

Crafty crafty!

More than just a pretty face

Lately, I found myself obsessing over flowers. I don't know why! Maybe it's because I've been helping in organizing one of my best friends' wedding and the fact that everyone is getting married so I'll be seeing lots and lots of flowers. And I'm really into a shabby chic vintage kind of mode at the moment, so maybe that explains my flower obsession.

It's incredible that God creates such beautiful things... like me! (haha!) no no, seriously... There are so many different types of flowers with different shapes, forms, textures and colors. It's just amazing how God came up with that! I have a few flowers that I really fancied. Roses are classic, Tulips are cute and Lilies are classic. But, my current favorite (the one that I'm obsessing over) is Peonies.



Somehow I found them classy and chic, with a subtle hint of flirtatiousness. It has lots of ruffles which adds texture and volume to it looks topped off with pretty pastel colors as well (the one pictured above have strong fuschia colors.. still loved it though!). I had purchased some fake ones (mind you, I don't have a green thumb so might as well go with the fake ones hehehe. But I really wanted the real one though...) to be placed in my so-called 'vintage corner' in my room. I did take a picture of it, however the flower that I placed on my dressing table aren't the peonies (I placed it somewhere else) but I'll just show you a peek on that vintage-corner anyway...


Anyhoo, Peonies have been used a lot in weddings as bouquets and centerpieces. So I'm a bit curious on what's the meaning of the flower itself. Apparently, flowers have language! Therefore we can't just by any flower for any occasion since it might send the wrong message. The language of flowers are called Florigraphy. I managed to google it, and found some... here you go for your guideline (especially for you, Adams... hehehe)

• Alstroemeria: a cut flower available in a variety of colors, symbolizes strong bond with another person, as well as prosperity
• Amaryllis: an indoor flowering bulb whose showy blossoms represent pride and radiant beauty
• Azalea: symbolizes first love and romance
• Carnations: represent pride and beauty
• Chrysanthemum: symbolizes fidelity- a great choice to celebrate your wedding anniversary!
• Daffodil: a sure sign of spring, but also represents chivalry
• Daisy: signifies loyal love
• Delphinium: this rare blue flower symbolizes all things heavenly
• Peony: a flower originally from China, traditionally means "I love you"
• Statice: stands for remembrance–include them in a bouquet to tell your sweetheart you miss them
• Stock: a fragrant flower meaning "you'll always be beautiful to me"
• Sunflower: a statement of pure love, longevity, and adoration
• Tulip: a symbol of fame, but also stands for the "perfect lover"
• Violet: represents faithfulness and affection

Ahh... perfection :) can't wait to use it on my own wedding (which is, WHEN? hahaha)

More than just a pretty face

She said...

".. Later that day I got into thinking about relationships...

There are those that open you up to something new and exotic,
those that are old and familiar,
those that bring up lots of questions,
those that bring you somewhere unexpected,
those that bring you far from where you started,
and those that bring you back.

But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all
is the one you have with yourself.

And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous..."

-- Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and The City Season 6 - "A Girl In Paris Part Deux" --

She said...

Hype!

The long awaited The Simpsons movie has finally showing in every major cinemas in the world. The wait has been for almost 20 years, and last week some friends and I went to see it. It was typical Simpsons movie (quite short, really. only 90 minutes) but it was really hilarious, konyol, funny and very entertaining.

The rating for this movie in Rotten Tomatoes is actually really good (about 86% at the moment) and it beats Harry Potter & The Order of The Phoenix in the box office (sadly, I was quite disappointed with that movie.. not as good as the book!). But, I never realized that the hype of The Simpsons movie is "that-crazy" until I found this on the web...

The Simpsons family has been featured in the fashion spread in US Vogue for the August 07 edition! The lady in the black bob hair is Linda Evangelista (yes, the supermodel) who are 'supposedly' take them to visit the major fashion labels in the world. The clothes that they are wearing (very well illustrated) were actual clothes from the collection of each designers. They are Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Lanvin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, Versace and Viktor & Rolf. As you can see from the spread, each designer has been illustrated to the picture too. Donatella and Karl Lagerfeld are very obviously illustrated, don't you think?

By the way, doesn't Marge look hot in a wavy hair like in the Versace shoot? and look at Homer trying to mimic Karl Lagerfeld in the Chanel shoot!

In my personal opinion, I don't think they would ever let The Simpsons family in the front row of any fashion shows considering Homer and Bart are very much the trouble makers :P (I know I wouldn't).

Hype!

Sister 2 Sister

Being a very self-centered, forgetful and arrogant kind of big sis, I forgot to mention about how talented my little sis is in the posting below!! (honest mistake sis, sorryyyyyyy)

Anyhoo, let me give you a little background on her.

Her full name is Alexandra Talissa. People call her Tali (yea i know, sad! hahahaha :P) but for me, she's simply my Tabbies.. hehehe.

She's going 18 this year (even though she looked 16! hahaha) - and she's so talented in art! She's currently studying Graphic Design in The One University, Malaysia yang konon kabarnya one of the best Design Institute in the world.

Her life revolves around photoshop, copic and anime (this is true!) I still remember on how I taught her how to draw her very first manga character (yeap, I was her 'guru' back thennn..) and then I saw her grow to become more and more creative in that area. I stopped sketching a long time (sketched more to fashion nowadays) but Tabbies definitely still does. Her skills are like, WOW! She learned it by herself by playing around with photoshop a lot.

I was amazed when I saw her latest creations. She has this portfolio book she used to carry around EVERYWHERE (literally, everywhere!) full of her amazing sketches and artwork. It's unbelievable how someone so young can produce highly skilled artworks like her. She produced a short comic book last year (or was it the year before?) and she made like double-profit from it. I've got one copy here with me, so if anyone wants to have a look, give me a buzz :)

I believe that she'll be huge someday, looking at her talents. She has already helped her highschool magazine as being the illustrator and design coordinator, who knows she'll own her own business soon?

Please check out her works at http://kunisaki.deviantart.com and be amazed, be VERY VERY amazed :)

I love you lil sis! *^__________^*

Sister 2 Sister

Creativity

Since I was a little girl, I enjoy and love art in any form. My family has intense art blood running through our veins. My grandpa (from my mum's side) is a musician. He played piano and saxophone. His mum is an architect. She was the one who design the house my mum spent her childhood in (still standing until this very moment... very beautiful house!). My grandma (again, from my mum's side) was a dressmaker. My mum herself graduated with an English Literature degree.

As from my dad, he's an architect. The house we live in at the moment (in Indonesia, of course) was designed and built by him 15 years ago. He renovated it oftenly, changed the paint color on the wall, the color of the couch, the verandah, the garage, EVERYTHING! - so we never get tired or bored with the house. Many people who had been to our house loved it! Many of the furnitures in our house are custom-builed (designed by my dad, of course) and vintage. My grandpa from my dad's side was a carpenter and owned his own workshop with some employees working for him. My grandma is a cook (really good one... i'm craving for her cooking at the moment.. huhu) and a singer.

So during my sparetime, I love to do a little bit of art... I don't do a lot of sketches like I did before, but I do like to play around with my photoshop. I like to edit pictures and give them a little edge, then make it into an icon. It's not much, but I really enjoyed it. Most of the pictures that I edited was picture of celebrated icons or a clip from a movie i like.

I've posted some here... it's already in the perfect size to be used for MSN display pic... So, please feel free to use them if you want to, and let me know what you think! :)

Creativity

Fight!

Have you ever felt so helpless because you can't help those around you? At times like this, I really wish I'm omnipresent or owned the 'Pintu Ajaib' that Doraemon has. My loved ones around the world are hurting, fighting their way to conquer problems, and how I wish I can be there for them physically and mentally. While prayers, support and encouragements are possible... it's impossible for me to be there physically even though I so badly want it.

I saw Laras's nick a few days ago in MSN. It said: "Fight the GOOD Fight". Christians are not designed to just 'accept' the way life as it is without a fight for the better life. God allows problems to come into our lives so that we can soar and rise through it, and come out as conquerers and winners. As it's stated in the Serenity prayer:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can.
And the wisdom to know the difference."

This is it. This is the good fight.

For the queen of my heart: Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). You're always on my mind, everyday and everytime. His eye is on the sparrow... so don't you worry. Oh, how I wish I can be there with you to hold your hands... but I can't. I will be with you there in spirit and prayers. I miss you everyday and I love you so much... Everything will be alright.

My ever-dearest best friend... I don't know what's God's plan for you behind all this, but I know it is for the best. Everything will be beautiful in His time yah nyonk... Really really wish I could be there for you physically but unfortunately can't.. But I'm always just a phone call and a prayer away :)

Fight!

Hillsong - One Thing

One thing I desire
One thing I seek
To gaze upon Your beauty
Your Majesty

God of my salvation
Lifter of my head
Teach me how to live O Lord
Your righteousness

So I pray to You
So I pray to You

Lord Your name
Is higher than the heavens
Lord Your name
Is higher than all created things
Higher than hope
Higher than dreams
The name of the Lord

In the days of trouble
You cover me
In the secret place of refuge
Lord I will sing

I will seek Your face
Call upon Your Name, Jesus
All I want is You
Jesus...

Hillsong - One Thing

Nothing but the truth.

As a sanguine-melancholic individual, I often trusted my 'guts' and my so-called intuition more than anything in this world. Oftenly, I got caught up so easily towards something, and fell flat on the face... and how many times I pledge not to let that happened again, yet I found myself in a similar kind of situation?

You think you know someone so well, to find out there's heaps more about those person that you didn't actually know about. You think you had it good, to find out that you didn't. You think you were on the right track, to find out that you were NOT. You assume assume assume and assume.

That's why I'm so easy to please AND to disappoint. It doesn't take much to make me happy (seriously). People always said, just bring me my favorite food and I'll be alright (well, sometime that IS just the case. hehehe) but of course, I often found myself being disappointed by people around me, again and again. Worse, I let my self down all the time.

Actually, that's the whole truth. I let myself down all the time. People don't disappoint me... it's what I expect of them that disappoints me. My expectations disappoint me.

I think, we can always expect high standards from God alone yah... You can't put that measurement to human beings as they will never be perfect. You should put your expectations in God alone, that should be more than enough. He's the one who completes you.

I remembered that I read in a book (I can't remember the title on top of my head now) that we shouldn't rely our happiness on other people. It's like, you expect someone to complete you. To understand you, to never hurt you (purposely or not). The ugly truth is: no one will be great enough to do that. NO ONE will ever be that perfect.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not suggesting you to go on a solitary mode and have no human interactions whatsoever. I'm telling you for not being TOO clingy on something. We're human beings, no matter how independent we are, we will always need others. We can't never live alone. Being independent is good though, it's like an achievement in a way, but trust me you can never live by yourself.

But you just told me not to rely on anyone???

Proverbs 4:23 said:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Never trust someone else with your heart, for it is clearly stated in the verse... 'guard your heart'. God is telling YOU (yes, yourself!) to guard your heart. Believe me, I know how it feels to put your heart, emotions, thoughts, feelings to someone else's hands and you ended getting hurt badly. Oh, but of course you can't do it alone... that's why God's here to complete you :)

Life is a leap of faith though... Some mistakes are allowed to be made because He wants us to learn from it (jangan kaya saya yah yang agak lemot gini, lama bener belajarnya hehehe) but the good news is: when you are going the wrong way, God always allows U-turn kok :) He will always catch you when you fall, I know that for sure.

And in the words of my good friend, Laras (and I quote her directly on this one! love ya nyonkkkk!):

"And as for my heart, I will guard it with all diligence. If I ever fall, I will let God mend what's broken. After all, 24 years living this life, He never failed to do it. Not even once."

Ditto :)

Nothing but the truth.

The wait is OFFICIALLY over!

Yes, that's right people! The wait for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is officially over. The final series of the book has been released today at 7:01 am (Perth time) in every bookstores in WA.

Being a fan of Harry Potter myself, I woke up today at 6, got ready and headed straight to Dymocks Carousel (thank God, it's only 2 minutes away from my house!) on foot. It was cold, dark and raining heavily! I forgot my umbrella, so I ran to Carousel and got soaked wet. Thank goodness I have my sweatshirt on, my ugg boots and my beanie so it wasn't that bad.

When I arrived there, there were already a sea of Harry Potter fans waiting anxiously outside the Carousel gate. Some of them even dressed up as the characters in the book! I saw Dumbledore, Tonks, Snape (YES!), Professor McGonagall, Professor Trelawny (seriously! hahaha), Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Cedric Diggory, Gryffindor squads and even Slytherins!

Kok gak ada yg dressed up jadi Dolores Umbridge yah? hihihi that would be funny.

The gate was opened at 7:05. 4 minutes late from the scheduled release. Some fans were furious and start yelling towards the security guards. It wasn't pleasant! Chill people, you'll get your book!!!

Anyhoo, I managed to get my hands on the book at approximately 7:10. Thank God I pre-ordered it so I didn't have to get in line for payments and stuff. Lisyen managed to call me at 7:01 sharp to ask "Did you get it already????" hahahaha :D you would have to wait to read yours yah syen... Sorry to hear that...

I had to go to the post office at 8.45, so I decided to sit down at Coffee Club... ordered a Green Tea. Sipped my tea and read the book all the way to chapter 3 (at the moment). Everyone in Coffee Club was reading Harry Potter! It was crazy.

I managed to get a few pictures wif my phone. Sorry, it's not that great! But at least you'll get an idea on what I'm talking about.

For those people who asked me to do things with them today... Sorry, I have a date wif Harry Potter today :) I'll try to read as much as I can today since I have things to do tonight. Sorry that I have to turned offers down...

Ok, so now... I'm going into a hibernate mode and enjoy Harry Potter. For those of you who already have a copy of the book, ENJOY! :)

See ya peeps!

The wait is OFFICIALLY over!

“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

~Mitch Albom

Mr. IP said: you know what, i think you are scared of yourself.

She said: Gak usah dipikirin, better stay this way aja.

Miss D said: go for it. Nothing to lose anyway.

LS said: i can 'see' that, nyonk... i can 'feel' it too :)

FX said: basah2 dikit sih gpp, asal jangan nyebur aja dulu yah. trial and error :)

I said: I hate this.

The morning after...

So, people has been asking me what did I get for my birthday?

• FOUR different types of cakes! I seriously need to get my diet back on track :P
• A very thoughtful birthday card from Atuy. Thanks bro :)
• A beautiful necklace and brooch from Fanny
• A very surprising birthday gift from The Bunnies
• A surprise (spoiled by Wendis, btw. hahahaha that's okkk) from Rockers
• Dinner at OSB with the birthday boy and the rest of the gank (minus Lisyen.. I miss you!)
• A return flight ticket Jakarta-Perth from mum *thanks mommy...*
• A ticket to Christina Aguilera concert @ Burswood Dome THIS SATURDAY! woowww
• A gift voucher from my Morrison colleagues! SHOP SHOP SHOP :P
• Birthday wishes from testimonials, smses and phone calls.
• Hugs hugs hugs :) I'm such a sucker for hugssss.. You hugged me, you got me. hahaha :D

Back to reality, back to Monday. Have to work again, but I was kind of hoping of some event to happen on Monday... it didn't, so I kinda have a love/hate relationship with Monday today (hate on most cases, though :P). But then I received some more surprises today from colleagues and friends, which left me with the biggest smile on my face.

As I traveled back home from work today, I put on my iPod, stared outside the window and just contemplated. Somehow, I feel that God is trying to cheer me up today. He seemed to remind me that even though things didn't go as I expected them to be, people didn't do what I want them to do, it's not the end of the world. Really, I feel so spoiled today, it's overwhelming, it's unreal.

I didn't wish for these gifts that my friends gave me. But I do wish for one (amongst of my OTHER WISHES which is, like, a lot! hehe) and God made it really clear today. I have people that I love, whom loved me back as well. It's funny that the gift that matters the most is the gift that money can't buy. Doesn't matter the price/shape the gift has, it's the thought that counts.

But, hey, you gotta admit... cool gifts I got huh? hehehe :) and about my other wishes: that's between me and God aja yah...

Thanks everybody, for making my day! I love you guys soooo much :)

My goodness... time goes by so fast this year and I suddenly realized it's July already! and.. it's my birthday! oh noooooiiiii...

Yeap, the magic number: twenty three.

That stands for Psalm 23 or Michael Jordan's number hehe :) I am both excited and a bit nervous on being 23. More mature, more responsibilities yea? that's alrite.. I'm sure I'll be ok wif God on my side and also wif the encouragements, prayers and support from my loved ones.

So what's my plan for today?

Well, I have purchased my favorite bookcases (note: i purchased TWO!) from Ikea, and re-decorate my home for the whole evening. The other rooms are still in progress (ya kalo mau sekaligus gw bokek atuhhhh..) but I did my living room today.

After hours of hard work (and help from my lovely housemate: diana), I am very satisfied with the result!

Voila!

Please ignore the orange peels as Fang2 took this picture after we ate a plate of sweet tasty mandarins.. but I'm sure are happy with this look (even if red is my least favorite colour.. but yea..) I reckon it looks like something out of a catalogue *CIEEEEE*

So yeah, that's my gift to myself. I still am accepting gifts from family and friends.. so i'll be waiting guys! I do thank God for everything He has done in my life and i believe there'll be MORE to come!

Thanks everyone for the lovely birthday wishes :) God bless you guyss..

PS: happy birthday to you too! (you know who you are or should i mentioned name here? hehehehe)

The Morrison Concept

Old friends (and some-not-so-old-friends) has been asking me question about where I'm working at the moment. Once I mention Morrison, I get three different reactions. They are:

1. "WOW!! How did you get that job??!! You're so LUCKYY!!" - people who know what Morrison is.




2. "er... what is Morrison yah?" - people who have no idea what Morrison is (mostly guys!)




3. "OHHHHH.. yg designer itu kannnn?? yg cowo kepalanya botak" - people who mistaken Morrison to MORRISEY! that's two different thing, dahling!

To set the record straight, let me explain to you what and who Morrison is.

No no, the girl is not Morrison. He is the charming black dog sitting there in the portrait! Morrison is a labrador-kelpie dog owned by the two owners of the business, husband and wife, Richard Poulson and Kylie Radford.

Richard tackles with the development, concept and management of the business, while Kylie is the genius behind the Morrison design. The business started five years ago, and now has been quite a well-known high end fashion label in Australia.

Morrison currently has five stores around Australia. Three in WA (Fremantle, Claremont and Garden City), one in Paddington and a child-store called Mini Morri in Fremantle as well. The Morrison design is unique, well-tailored with exclusive fabrics imported from Europe. Morrison is famous for its pants design called 'The Good Butt Pant' since it sits perfectly and make your bum looks good (trust me, I've tried different styles of the pants and it IS that good!).

I've always wanted a job in Fashion. I know that God provides this job as a stepping stone for me and I am confident that it won't stop here. I love working at Morrison! My colleagues are very friendly, funky and easy-going, the work environment is great great great, and last but not least... FREE CLOTHES!

Typical? I know :)

The Morrison Concept

Beautiful Nails

One of my latest addiction (apart from dark chocolates and vietnamese rolls... yum) are the Chanel Le Vernis range.

Pictured above is the classic Rouge Noir Le Vernis by Chanel. What makes it different from other nail polishes? Why pay more?

I have tested it myself and found out that the brush is flawlessly perfect. It coated your nail perfectly even if you just put on a single layer. It doesn't chip easily, and their range of colour is just great. I am just so amazed that I fell in love with the range that very second.

My first purchase was the Madness Le Vernis, which has sort of like brown-red colour. It took me quite a while to hunt down the legendary Black Satin Le Vernis (as seen on Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton) but I manage to get my hands on it. I haven't found the Silver one yet since it was limited edition, so I doubt it I can find it anywhere except in eBay when they charged ridiculously high price. No, thank you very much.

And then the Ballerina and Sand followed - the perfect nude shade for your nails. Rouge Noir - which more like a black-red mixture, and the Barcelona Red - the perfect red *as in red!* shade.

Gotta love 'em :)

Beautiful Nails

Making A Comeback

After ages of not posting anything on my blog (almost one year to be precise) I have decided to go back to it!

What took me by surprise was (ok, you can laugh) that blogger has a new thing called 'layout'. No, it's not 'template' anymore. I've spent hours and hours trying to figure out how to modify this and that since the default templates from blogger can never satisfy me.

So, what you are viewing at the moment is the first draft of the all-new-cintapopia.blogspot.com. I'm pretty confident that in time I can overcome my gaptekness with CSS and XML and produce something spectacular!
In other words, I'm like Britney Spears (only I'm far better!) making a comeback into the blogger community! YAY :)

Here are some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) that people asked me:

• How's work? - extra crazy, extra fun! I'm building my own stack of Morrison clothes in my wardrobe. Supersize me, please :) Morrison has opened a new branch in Garden City Shopping Centre and has recently been ranked as number 35 from the Top 100 Business Starters Award in Australia.
• Life...? - is good in general. Still have a lot of room for improvement, but no tree grows without it being pruned, right?
• Have you got your Permanent Residency? YES, Thank God! I'm now officially a resident of Australia. So I can cross that out of my list for 2007 goals :) Thank you everyone for you support and prayers. It got me through!
• Who's the lucky guy? I don't understand what you're talking about...

So, that's a very brief and quick update on what's going on in my life currently.

Watch this space as I will definitely making regular entries and this time it's not only about personal issues and thoughts, I'll keep you updated with what's hot and what's not *thanks to Morrison's monthly subscription of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, I am pretty well informed now.. haha*

Ciao bella :)

Making A Comeback

DetoX

So 2007 is finally here. Can't believe that 2006 has ended so soon! As usual, I think we all have our own new year resolutions.

My new year resolution is simple this time. I'm going for Detox. BIG TIME!

I'm not only saying about the physical detox. Eating more greens rather than fats (even though i love em). Exercising daily. Avoiding chocolates (yes, chocolates!!! noooo). But yea, a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do.

I'm going for the spiritual, emotional, material detox as well. So, I'm making a list on what I want to do in 2007:

To get rid of those impurities, lies, bad habits, characteristics.
Focus more on Who's important.
Recycling stuff in my wardrobe. Trying to mix and match clothes so I don't have to buy more.
Sell those stuff in the market so that I can actually make some cash :)
Nab my mum's vintage earrings and belts! (thank God you still keep it!)
Read, read, read... my brain needs em!
Work and achieve.
Dream big. Hope big. Pray big!
Maintain relationships that matter.. my gurls, i love ya :)
Do something extraordinary for my mum!
Taking dance classes.
Getting on some part time classes for fashion management or cloth making.
Polish, dear.
Lead a more happy and fruitful life.

And the list goes on and on...

But when it gets too much to handle, always remember to go to the basic.
To the reason why, you're doing it.

DetoX