Resolutions... new year notwithstanding

I don't recall ever making New Year's resolutions before... to me resolutions can be made at any time of the year, don't you agree?

I've had several resolutions in my mind for quite some time (since last year, I think), but have never publicly or privately documented them. So now, almost 10 days into 2010, I feel like writing these down in no particular order (simply because I feel putting them into solid words would strengthen them, and in return strengthen my resolve to actually achieve them):-

1 - to not come home so late from work (sadly, I left the office after 8pm on 3 out of 5 days this week... will try harder next week onwards but I know March to June would be a huge challenge for me...). Work-life balance, work-life balance, work-life balance... maybe if I repeat it over and over again I can actually find that point of balance?

2 - to sew more and build up a stock of selected items, and try more new patterns/items to make to enhance my skills...

3 - to figure out what I want to do... do I wanna stay as an employee makan gaji? Do I want to remain an employee, but be in a totally different job function? Do I want to branch out on my own? Do I have what it takes to be on my own, if that is my choice? Sigh.... career direction... does anyone know a good career counselor (not the school counselor ye... never felt they gave any good advice when I was in school)? Who knows, I may not even get a choice in the future... job security is longer a sure thing these days in the company...

4 - to be more patient with my loved ones... somehow I keep my temper better with people at work (even those who damn well deserve a tongue-lashing) than with my dearest and nearest... definitely need to work on that pronto...

5 - to source for the best home-loan package available out there... need to seriously get started on refinancing the house (this is related to item no 3... in case I decide to strike out...)

For now, these are the key items... I hope I'll be able to achieve them, in the timing that He has determined... may I be wise enough to know and understand that when the time comes...

Happy New Year!

The kids stayed up to watch the fireworks show from both 1Utama and The Curve...

The view from my parents' house memang very nice, cos you get to see both malls' displays. Kakak definitely enjoyed the show, but Adik clung tight to me and my dad hehehe... Adik, Adik... chicken jugak anak mama ni...

Happy New Year everyone... may this year be better than the last, and may you be one step closer towards achieving your goals...

Cupcake Decorating Class

Aren't these cute???

I am proud to say that these were all made by yours truly, after almost 7 hours of work :)

Spent the day with several friends at a cupcake-decorating class, and I have to admit, although it was quite tiring (my face was so oily at the end of the day!) for someone without a single artistic bone in her body, it was really kinda relaxing and therapeutic too! Of course it helped that we had a teacher guiding us all the way, and the vanilla and chocolate cuppies were absolutely yum!

This was my tray, surrounded by the other trays at the end of the day...


I liked the hat and booties the best.... the roses were the most difficult for me...

Will definitely try out making the cuppies using the new recipes soon... the decorating? Hmm... we'll see how confident I am hehehe...

Latest bag creations

Over the weekend (before I got really really sick), I tried out a pattern from one of my new books. The end result:-

The size is about 15"x11"x2.5", and is big enough to fit a couple of books and magazines ( I thought it'd be a nice bag for my daughter to use for her 'mengaji' classes). Since a good friend has asked me to make her a document bag, I'm gonna see if she likes this design and make a bigger one for her.

The previous weekend I tried out this pattern from Cath Kidston's new book, Sew! Well, it didn't really require cutting out the pattern cos the book came with all items needed to make the bag on the cover. All I had to do was figure out the instructions hehehe, which wasn't that easy I tell you!

Patience and perseverence has its rewards, and so.....


Looks just like the one in the book, kan? :) It's a nice enough bag, but I think the next time I try it, I'll be making the revised version (the Shopper Tote) instead, cos it uses a lining, is slightly bigger and has a shorter strap.

I am SOOOOO enjoying making bags... just have to find the time to make 'em...

I've already bought the less-than-a-year-old Singer Confidence sewing machine from my mom (which gave her the fantastic excuse to upgrade to the Singer Quantum 9940... damn cool machine I say! but too advanced for me heheh), so am now the proud owner of a real, working sewing machine ya'all!!

Let the sewing continue!!!

Sick & tired...

You name it, I've got it.... fever? Check! Cough? Check! Phlegm? Check! Very sore throat? Check that too... Runny nose/sneezing? Yep... Tight chest & difficulty breathing... All in....

At the moment I'm lying on the couch propped up by a huge cushion... the chest tightness is slightly better after 2 puffs of Ventolin, and the runny nose is manageable while I'm on my back... after almost a week away from home, we are now back at our own place to do some laundry and general house-cleaning... but I just don't have the energy to do anything other than lie down for now... my poor Hubby's had to do some funky arrangements with the extension cords due to a blown fuse (or is it several too-sensitive fuses?) that's disrupting the power supply to the washing machine...

I willed myself to stay at work on Friday, with the hope that the weekend will give me enough rest to be OK by Monday... at the moment I'm not even sure I'll be well enough to go to work tomorrow though, but I have to.....

Do you think it's possible to negotiate with your own body? If so, then I'd like to propose the following arrangement, body... Monday, get me well enough so I can go and finish off the urgent paperwork... Tuesday, I can afford to be sick and rest at home, but I have to be better by Wednesday... agaknya boleh tak?

*sigh*... what a hectic working life... I can't even take time off when I'm sick... I am soooooo looking forward to finishing off my leave at the end of this month...

OK, enough whining....

p/s. Adik is doing a lot better... now just waiting for the scabs to heal and drop off before he can go to school again... the cheeky kid's been picking at the scabs and then complaining 'Mama, Adik thakit....' otherwise, he's his usual self.... get well soon OK...

Aidiladha under quarantine...

Adik has chickenpox, real bad chickenpox...

As a result, we spent Hari Raya Haji at my parents' place... had to cancel plans to go back to Seremban (although Hubby did go back this morning to help out with Qurban, and came back with lots of yummy food courtesy of my MIL and SIL :) ), had to cancel our planned family dinner outing, and have had to make alternative plans for tomorrow...

What's tomorrow? The annual school concert, where Adik was supposed to join in for the first time! He's got his own routine with the rest of the 2-year-olds, but we don't quite know what it is... But now he'll have to miss it and stay at home with Opah who's volunteered to watch him... I think I'm more upset about him missing the concert than he is hehehe...

We thought it was great that Amani got a very mild version only 2 weeks ago, and never thought Adik would come down with it again (within a span of 2 years!)... sekali tengok, his case is worse than Kakak's! He's got the spots everywhere... around his hairline (under his bushy hair, sian dia...), on his body, on his face, even right near his anus!

So now Kakak will get to do her speech with her classmates, and we can only record Adik's friends performing... hopefully when we show him the video, he'll do his own performance :)

*Sigh*.... dah la mama tak boleh nak cuti next week... Opah la yang tolong jagakan... sorry Adik ye... nanti Adik dah sihat & mama dapat cuti hujung December, we go jalan-jalan ok?

My New Project - Completed!!

Ever since I got started on the whole 'tudung'-making venture, I got a renewed interest in sewing. In particular, bag-making and tops for myself, for now at least. I've half-sewed a jersey top for myself (just needs the finishing touches around the hems and such), and now I'm so proud & happy to declare I have 1 finished bag to my name!!!


Meet my first-ever handmade bag!!!

I'm especially proud cos I made this from scratch - no patterns, no drafts... just a rough measurement as per my mom's instructions (and no cheating by asking mom to complete it too!) ... but I have to say, using a paper pattern would definitely have been easier... leceh tul nak lukis line atas kain yang bergerak as the pencil draws on it!

I started on this last week (just the outer shell), and got to work on the rest yesterday. Beriya-iya nak siapkan jugak this weekend, tau! Broke a needle in the process too hehehe... sorry mama... In the end, managed to complete it this afternoon. It's not perfect obviously... it's a basic, simple tote design lined with red fabric with no pockets, zippers or buttons, ada some wavy stitches, ada uneven stitch size (still learning to adjust the tension and stitch size for each fabric type), but it's all my own! I love the fabric pattern too... so bright and cheerful... I guess it's also reversible, cos I just turned it inside out and it still looks OK stiches-wise...

Now I can get started on the many other patterns and tutorials I've collected from the internet, magazines and books... I've spent a bomb on sewing books and mags this year, on top of my usual literary interests... no wonder I've exceeded my tax deduction quota this year! Cute fabrics are calling out to me as well... my wallet is doomed I tell ya....

Gatal dah tangan nak buat this very cute wristlet (like I don't have enough as it is!!) I saw earlier... the pattern seems do-able to a novice (hehe, confident je kata)... a girl can never have too many bags, right? A cloth wallet for my daughter, a wristlet for the many membership cards I have, a simple cloth tote bag for shopping, another for quick trips to the store, another for my daughter's books, another for me just for kicks, another to cart all my additional stuff to work, and another and another and another...ahhh, what bliss to think of all the bags to be made...

Of course, it doesn't mean I'll stop BUYING bags (that's still a must!! Even now I'm eyeing another acquisition... yum yum... can I afford it???? I must make myself afford it hehehe)

Kalau macam ni, my own sewing machine would make a good investment, kan?

Agak-agak boleh berenti keje and just do this all day long tak? Hehehe... ke nanti mati kutu pulak tengok mesin je manjang?

I love the feeling of creating something!!! Let's make more!!!