Will & Kate’s Fairytale

After weeks of steadfastly ignoring all the hoopla surrounding Prince Williams’ impending marriage to Kate Middleton, today I found myself glued to the tv, oohing & ahhing over all the pomp & ceremony of the royal wedding. Undoubtedly, Kate Middleton is living every little girl’s dream to marry her Prince Charming (albeit a balding Prince, but a Prince all the same) & the closer we came to Kate’s arrival at Westminster Abbey, the more excited I became.

I literally started clapping the minute Kate stepped out of the Rolls Royce, I was so excited! I just loved her simple yet elegant dress (so similar to Grace Kelly’s wedding dress which I also love), her veil, her loosely curled hair & her minimal makeup (which I just found out she did herself. Now, that's gutsy!). By choosing the most simple of adornments in the most classic of styles, Kate allowed her beauty to shine through & for that she will go down in history as one of the most well dressed royal brides. Of course, William also dashing in his uniform & I found it so charming when he blushed after that first kiss. How cute was that? I was very lucky to have my iPhone with me right at the moment the first kiss happened & there you have it, the picture above. Wish I snapped Will blushing too but iPhones aren’t quick enough. 

Anyways, along with many, many other well-wishers across the world, I’d like to offer up the heartiest of congratulations to the new Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. May the two of them have a blessed marriage.

P/S: It just dawned on me that Bobby & I are married the same year as Will & Kate AND we have known each other for 10 years but have been dating for 8 just like Will & Kate AND I was born the same year Charles & Diana tied the knot! Perhaps there’s some sort of celestial connection or something? Haha wishful thinking, I know!

See You At Crafty Art Market!

I’m blasting Florence + The Machine’s album while I squeeze in some last minute ideas for Crafty Art Market tomorrow, which I can’t wait to share with you along with some new jewelry designs. In the meantime, please enjoy my fave video of my current fave singer, Florence Welch & her band simply called The Machine… Here they are performing Dog Days Are Over at the 2010 Glastonbury Festival (I love the part when Florence gets the audience to jump). See you tomorrow lovelies!

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Jutta Rikola

The home of illustrator Jutta Rikola (of Kootut Murut) & her husband is filled with so many interesting details & bright, happy colors that I’m swooning over these pictures, I kid you not. Have a peek here & swoon away!

Via Design*Sponge.

DeAnna & Stephen’s Proposal

Although I loved the very romantic, spur-of-the-moment way my husband proposed, I can’t get enough of stories of elaborate & planned proposals & this particular one is one of the sweetest I’ve come across. Here’s the original post that features the happy couple’s engagement shots but I’ve taken the liberty of taking the excerpt of the story just for you folks…

”Stephen planned out my proposal perfectly. My dad was in town visiting Memorial Day weekend in 2010. It was a Sunday…the end of the weekend. I knew we had to take my dad to the airport that evening to head back to the East Coast. Stephen kept insisting that we go to the beach, an hour out of our way I might add, to have dinner with his parents. When we arrived at the beach, everyone was being kind of strange…so, I excused myself to the restroom. When I returned, the only person standing in the room was Stephen’s mother, Lynn. She was holding a bouquet of flowers and she was crying. My first instinct was, “This is it!! He’s proposing!!” But seconds went by for what seems like forever and Stephen’s mom was still crying. Then, my feeling turned to fear as I blurted out, “Mama Bear, you’re scaring me.”
We laugh about it to this day because she cried, which was so special, but I could not prepare myself for the beautiful things she was about to say. Stephen’s mother told me about how she had prayed for a woman like me to come into Stephen’s life, how she is happy to have me as a daughter, and that she loved me so much. Then, she hugged me and walked me about 25 yards down the beach to Stephen’s father, Frank. Frank did the same thing, told me that he already considered me a daughter, he loves me very much, and that he wants me to know that I now have two fathers to trust and confide in. Frank then walked me another 25 yards down the beach to Stephen’s twin brother, and my friend, Michael. Michael and I just cried because we were both so happy! Michael told me he loved me and was happy to call me his sister. Michael then walked me 25 yards down the beach to my very own father. My dad hugged me and kissed me, told me he loved me, and how proud he was of me. My father then walked me down the beach toward the ocean and in between two sand dunes, standing in the middle of flowers laid around him, my father handed me off to Stephen. Stephen told me how much he loved me, how happy he was that he found me, and that he wanted to love me forever. He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. This will forever be one of the best days of my life. It was a perfect moment and a perfect proposal.”

Daydream List

This Daydream List by The Wheat Field inspired me to create my own little list. Here it goes:

+ reading a great book under a tree with the sun peeking through the leaves
+ cuddling a purring cat & kissing a puppy’s forehead
+ glamping across Europe
+ cloud menagerie identification
+ cream caramel & fresh lemon juice with a sprig of mint
+ hot air balloon ride on a clear, Spring day
+ holding hands with the man I love under a waterfall
+ falling asleep on a hammock on the beach
+ a baby deer for a pet
+ sunlight filled home with a lush garden

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! What’s on your list my lovelies? Would love to see your list, so if you’re gonna do one up, please leave me a comment below with a link & I’ll link back here.

Crafty Art Market 3

 

Wheeeeeee, I can’t wait for this Saturday’s Crafty! I was starting to feel a little rusty after taking a couple of months off to plan my wedding & this market couldn’t come at a better time. Do drop by for an awesome dose of creativity & handmade lovin’ while supporting some local & indie crafters, mostly from Team Etsy Malaysia of which yours truly is a proud member. You won’t regret it, I promise. Here are the details…

Date : 30 April 2011, Saturday
Time : 11am – 6pm
Venue: Jaya One (in front of The Bee)
Crafty's FB event page here

Miss Dior Cherie 2011

Dior seems to come up with the cutest little ads for their Miss Dior Cherie perfumes, don't you think? Although I like the Sofia Coppola version a teensy bit more, Natalie Portman is just so captivating in this latest one that I can’t take my eyes off her. Check out the making of the ad too while you’re at it.

Via See Hear Say.

ImagineNations

ImagineNations™ are vintage globes made of recycled materials and each design is unique with its own whimsical little message & is handcrafted with love by Wendy Gold, an artist based in San Francisco. I just love them & it got me wondering as to how are globes made so thankfully, Wendy was kind enough to post this video below to help answer the question.

Happy Easter Sunday!

Hope you're having a great Easter my darlings! The prints here and other great animals shots are by Sharon Montrose. Her baby deer is my personal favorite of the lot but the bunnies are so darn adorable too.

Audrey Audrey Audrey

This Flickr set devoted to Audrey Hepburn is a gem. What’s not to love about Audrey? She was a wonderful actress (my favorite movies to this day are Breakfast At Tiffany’s & My Fair Lady) & a humanitarian (she was once a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador). Often described as elegant, stylish & radiant, Audrey remains a fashion icon & was even inducted in the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1961. I mean seriously… How can you not love her?

Via The Drifter & The Gypsy.

Najwa

I picked up Najwa Mahiaddin’s CD yesterday & I got to say it’s the perfect antidote to the gloomy weather we’ve been having in the evenings. The album, titled Innocent Soul has 10 songs co-produced by Widi Puradiredja of Maliq & D’essentials & all the songs written by the talented chanteuse who is currently studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. Yup, she’s juggling her studies overseas & launching her album at the same time… Hat’s off to ya’ Najwa!

If neo soul is your thing or if you just like good music (like, who doesn’t?), I suggest you pick up a copy. At only RM21.90, you can’t go wrong. Support our local Malaysian artistes, I say (regardless if they’re the daughter of our Deputy Prime Minister or not! Heh). I can’t decide which track I like best because they’re all good, but Got To Go above is a contender for my fave song & it’s the first single launched so have a looksee & listen. You be the judge & let me know what you think.

P/S: Here’s another review on the album.

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Eline Pellinkhof

I can’t get over the lovely details captured at the home of Eline Pellinkhof. Everything is so charming, girly & obviously handmade with a lot of love, but the cross stitch rose in the bedroom has got to be my favorite element. I wonder if I can pull myself together to recreate something similar in my home office? Hehehe.

Via Bloesem.

DIY: Tiny Baby Bunnies

For all you knitters out there, here’s a free tiny baby bunnies pattern by Mochi Mochi that’s perfect for Easter this Sunday. For the life of me, I can’t figure out how to knit or crochet so if you’re feeling generous, how about you send some my way once you’re done making a gadzillion of these adorable baby bunnies? My thanks in advance ;)

Freebie: Charming Animal Note Sheets

It’s been awhile since I did a freebie post right? Well, here’s a sweet little notesheet set by Tocotoco to make up for making you guys wait so long. The site is in Japanese but all you gotta do is click the blue arrows to open the files in a new window. Save it, print it out & enjoy!

Via Creature Commforts.

Oui Paris

Seeing this video taken by Chelsea of Oh My Deer makes me long to walk the streets of Paris once again. Perhaps someday when Bobby is not so busy with work, we can plan a trip to the city of love for our second honeymoon (we have yet to go on our first honeymoon but a girl can dream, can’t she?).

In the meantime, I’m going to sigh & moon over this video Chelsea took on her trip. I just love the dreamy quality of the shots & Edith Piaf singing La Vie En Rose on the background is just perfection.

Blessed

I sat back & went “whooooah” when I this picture came on screen. Doesn’t it make you just marvel at this wonderful world that we live in & feel oh so blessed to be alive? I certainly feel that way. Thank you God for creating such beauty to look for.

Photograph by Laura Tidwell, via Creature Comforts.

Masak-Masak: Bolognese Sauce

Now that I have officially moved in with Bobby the hubby, people seem to expect that I cook dinner for him every night but the truth is, Bobby actually cooks more than I do & he’s definitely better at it too! We eat out almost every night but in my quest to eat healthily (and at the same time to pamper my man a little), I’m going to cook dinner at least once a week. Baby steps I say but to make things a little more interesting, I’m going to share my experience here with you folks of my cooking (mis)adventures. Wish me luck!

I thought I’d start things off with the one thing I make almost every month with sure-fire success when my “monthlies” come because to me, Bolognese sauce is comfort food & when I get the cramps, all I want is a large bowl of it to eat with some pasta or hot dinner rolls or if I’m in a hunger-rush, plain ol’ crackers as pictured above. Sooooo yums!

Now, I’m the queen of improvisation & may not make Bolognese sauce in the “proper” or traditional way (thank God for Prego) but this recipe is so simple & fool-proof that you can easily modify it to suit your tastebuds. Bobby once told me my Bolognese sauce is better than his mother’s who makes it from scratch so if that’s not enough to vouch for my recipe, I don’t know what will! Anyways, here it goes…


The ingredients:
397g Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce
200g of minced chicken (I try to avoid beef & lamb)
4 garlic cloves (I actually use more because I love garlic but it’s totally up to you)
1 large yellow onion
1 package of Baby Portobello mushrooms (or Swiss Browns if you can’t get it)
1 large carrot
1 large capsicum pepper
2 large tomatoes
1 cube chicken stock
1 heaped tablespoon sugar (or to taste)
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil (or any kind of oil will do)


1. First heat the oil in a heavy-bottom pot, add the onion & stir over medium heat until onion is soft. Add garlic, stir till they start to brown a little.
2. Add the minced chicken & cook over high heat until the meat is well browned & all the liquid has evaporated. Make sure you break up any lumps of chicken as it cooks.
3. Add mushrooms & brown it a little then add the carrot & capsicum. At this point I like to cover the pot for about 2 minutes & let the everything kinda steam & soften a little.
4. Add the pasta sauce. Fill up the empty jar with water (cover the jar & shake it up so that you get every bit of leftover sauce) & add that to the pot along with the tomatoes, chicken stock & sugar to taste.
5. Let everything come to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cooked uncovered, for at least half an hour (1 hour would be ideal but I usually can never wait that long) or until the sauce has reduced & thickened.
6. Serve over cooked fettuccine (my fave), regular spaghetti, or penne. Tip: Boil your pasta with a teaspoon of salt. Don’t use oil, it’s a myth.

And there you have it! Fool-proof Bolognese sauce. Let me say it again, thank you Prego!

Look who decided to crash my photo shoot! Say hello to Hassan the cat.

DIY: Floral Crown

As my first official blogpost after a long wedding hiatus, here's a little something that I wish I could’ve done for my wedding; a floral crown for my adorable flower girl. If you have a wedding coming up or you just want to make one for yourself to wear whenever you like, here are some simple instructions to follow, thanks to Bleubird. Have fun!

Getting Used To Being Called Puan

Hello lovelies! I’m back with a ring on my finger & a wonderful man I can now call my husband by my side. With the akad nikah & our two wedding receptions over & done with, I can safely say that these last couple of weeks (months, really) have been mad but fabulous & incredibly eye-opening. There’s nothing quite like marrying your best friend & being blessed by your friends & family while showering in their collective love that I now have a deeper appreciation for all of them but most especially for my family. This may sound corny, but words simply can not express how much they mean to me & the gratitude I feel towards them on how they rallied around me to make sure I had a best time possible at my own wedding. Not only did they help me set up all the decorations & favors but they somehow managed to sneak behind my back for practice sessions & surprised me with 4 performances that left me alternately tearing up & whooping out loud right there at the main table! How unladylike but I couldn’t be bothered because I had the best time & I just love them :)

Really now, I have heaps of wedding-related things to share with you guys but I’ll wait till I get more pictures from our photographers, Snap Attack. Till then, I have tones of work & emails to catch up with but I missed this little ol’ blog that I’m dying to check my Google Reader & share all the pretty things that come my way that I’m going to do that right after this. Did you all miss me? I certainly missed you…