apology

too many things to share, too little time & blogging mood is just not there!

insyaallah later.. till then!

we need...

1) a washing machine
2) a dryer
3) a toaster
4) a bottle opener
5) a blender
6) a lesung batu
7) tudung saji

all above are what we still don't have.

if you are interested in swapping your wedding gifts with us, do email me at aishah_ara@yahoo.co.uk.

i have 3 rice cookers, a table fan, a coffee maker, 3 queen fitted sheet sets & a microwave oven to swap.

i got loads of glasses, jugs & tea sets from the wedding, but i've decided to keep them all because they might be useful for some occassions.
but, for some stuff (e.g. coffee maker or microwave oven), i don't think i need it more than one.

so, if let say, you need a rice cooker & you have a blender to let go, do email me.

thanks!

mizzayna.blogspot.com

there's this sweet girl who i met months back at a victorian themed tea party.
from the first impression, honestly, she looked very much friendly and approachable.
i think she really knows how to "smile with her eyes".
very warm & inviting - her smile put anyone at ease.

her name is ayna.

her blog is one of many blogs that i follow - sugary, spicy & everything nice!

i think she's a very erm what we call it.. is it committed?
okay, i think she's a very committed blogger.
nothing like mine, her blog is something worth reading.
she's so rajin to put reviews on products & attending events.
compared to my blog which is more to syok sendiri stories, you can get new knowledge from hers.

okay let me be honest..
i'm writing this entry about her blog because she's giving away a brand new laura mercier tinted moisturizer spf 20 in nude worth rm159 to her lucky blog reader.
yeayers!

it's not that i was lying when i told you that she has sweet smile, she's very friendly, nice & all - she really is!
but i'm taking advantage of this perfect time, to praise her & win something LOL :P

all i have to do to be in the running to win the tinted moisturizer is just to promote her blog's giveaway at either my blog, facebook or twitter.
it's so easy, i don't want to miss this chance of winning something!

anyway, you can also check out her blog's giveaway here --> CLICK HERE!
and you have until 12am, 25th december 2011 to participate.

ayna & i

p/s ohh ayna, i hope i can be the winner!
i just love wearing tinted moisturizer or bb cream or anything light to my skin.
my skin's full of flaws, i can't go out with completely bare skin.
somemore, i need to protect it from uv lights for long term benefit.
but i don't really fancy foundations, because i prefer to look flawless yet natural, i hope you get what i meant.
so this is SO what i need.
and i know it's so good, so i don't want to miss this out.

you are what you say

have you heard of this - "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"?

do you know why?
because when you say bad things about others, you are actually make yourself look bad, not them.
i'm not saying that you can't criticize or complaint about anything.
it IS okay to critique someone's work, but it is NOT okay to criticize others.
there's a big different between those two.

you are what you say.
what you say about others reveals a lot about you.

LOL i don't know why i came out with this entry.
i don't have problem with anyone saying bad things about others.
this entry is purely a public service message.
remind others & at the same time remind myself too.

nanite, lovelies!

spending brilliantly

it's november already, phew, how time flies!
so 2011 is coming to its end and before we realize we'll be in 2012.
wow.

2011 has been very good to me and i hope it will be the same for the following years.
this year 2011, i entered the new phase in my life - i.e. married life.
i must admit that sometimes i forgot that i'm someone's wife, yes, teruk i know!
but not to the level that i wonder what did i get into LOL.

i do think married life is fun.
it is maybe not as wonderful as in the fairy tales, because surely there will be loads of disagreements now & then.
and there will be a lot of issues to work out, but yeah, i believe there's price for everything.

i once read somewhere, "if you want a comfortable life, stay single. if you want the pleasure of having a meaningful relationship, get married. just remember, the pleasure comes with a price".
simply said, the most basic thing to do is - "be prepared!"

okay, haha i actually wanted to write about "spending brilliantly", hence the title.
i wrote the title first & started with the new year thingy.
i don't know how suddenly i was off-topic & started with the love-life stories LOL.
ouh it's actually not a good sign because it shows that i'm not a focused person.
well, staying focused might require some planning & obviously i didn't plan before i write.
there's no more rangka isi-isi penting like what we used to practice back then when we were school students.

so yeah, i actually wanted to share with you girls a brilliant deal on milkadeal.
there's this rm20 instead of rm42 for 1 personalized 2012 tabletop calendars with free delivery to peninsular malaysia.
i think it's a good grab.
i bought 2 for myself, 1 to be put at home & will force ask my husband to put another 1 on his office desk.
i know you know already, i will put our wedding pictures on that calendars.

so yeah, that's it.
i guess that's the main thing.
just wanted to share that good-grab deal on milkadeal.

happy holiday!

the duty that we owe to Allah s.w.t.

Allah, the Exalted, says: "And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka`bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for one's conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e., denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allah], then Allah stands not in need of any of the `Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)." (3:97)

Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "(The superstructure of) Islam is based on five (pillars), testifying the fact that La ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammad-ar-Rasul-ullah [there is no true god except Allah, and Muhammad ((PBUH)) is the Messenger of Allah], establishing As-Salat (the prayers), paying Zakat (poor due), the pilgrimage to the House [of Allah (Ka`bah)], and the Saum (fasting) during the month of Ramadan."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

At this time, thousands of muslims from all over the world are performing the Hajj ritual which is the fifth pillars of Islam.
I believe all of us - Muslim - know that Hajj is compulsory for a person who fulfills the qualifications required for it.

To all Muslim who are performing the Hajj this year, Hajj Mubarak.
May Allah accept our prayers and sacrifices, and grant us with His blessings.

Don't forget to include my name in all of your Dua's (special tag: mama & ayah).

miss you both! xoxo

inspiration for the uninspired

I love reading quotes.
It is really an inspiration for the uninspired person like me.

Feeling like to share these with my blog readers, these are among my favorite quotes in my collection.

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” - Robert Muller

“My dear friend, clear your mind of can't.” - Samuel Johnson

“Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life” - Harvey MacKay

“Work like you don't need the money, love like your heart has never been broken, and dance like no one is watching” - Aurora Greenway

“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly” - Sam Keen

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” - Winnie the Pooh

“You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, 'I release the need for this in my life'.” - Wayne Dyer

“Learn and grow all you can. Serve and befriend all you can. Enrich and inspire all you can.” - William Arthur Ward

All of the above are seriously meaningful for me.
Everytime I feel down or upset or mad with anyone, reading quotes helps a lot to recover myself.

Try it!
Happy weekend, lovelies.

are you inspirational enough?

I don't know why suddenly I came up with this topic.

I read my blog just now and realized that my blog is so lame.
So lame that it has nothing special that could be proud of.
So lame that I wouldn't follow this blog if I am the reader.
So lame that it decribes the lame side of me.

I don't know what type of blogger I am because there's no specific area that I try to cover in my writings.
Does that make me a lifestlyle blogger?
NO!
Because a lifestyle blogger writes because ppl want to know what's happening in her/his life.
There could be number of reasons that would drive ppl to bother about other's life.
Maybe the person's life story is interesting to read.
Or maybe the person really knows how to do something or is an expert in any field.
Or it could be because of the high level of sense of humor of the blogger that could spread positivity to the readers.

So what drives ppl to read my blog?
Nothing.
And that shows that I'm a pathetic person.

As I read through my own blog, I realized that I'm a boring person that is non-inspirational at all.
I don't get inspired by myself, so do the readers, I guess.

I would love to inspire ppl around me.
I'd love to share stories that could bring change or can make a difference in someone's life.
Well, inspired or changed in a positive way, I mean.

I hope to inspire at least one person (the more the better), so that I know that I'm contributing something to the society.

So how to become inspirational?
First thing first, let's change ourselves first!
We need to check ourselves first before we could inspire ppl around us.

How about you?
Are you inspirational enough?

what to blog?

okay, so here the question comes again... what to blog? what should i write here?

sometimes, i have so many things to write that i don't want to wait until tomorrow and double posted on the same day.
there were times when i have things to share, but i just don't feel like writing.
and sometimes, i want to write so badly, but i don't have topic to write about.

this time, i think i have so many things to share - of my brother's engagement, of the new addition to my family, of raya, of birthdays, of our house, of my baju raya, of this, of that - there are loads of things to share, but i think the mood is not there.

i have a love-hate relationship with blogging.
i'm not doing this for money, like i said, this blog is created because i wanted to have 'my own place' over the internet.
so i guess, suka hati i lah kan.

till then!

keep safe!

i cried watching videos of tsunami in japan (blame the hormones).

if you're a malaysian in japan, kindly inform the malaysian embassy that you're safe - +81334763840.

the malaysian foreign ministry operations room to monitor the situation and to help malaysians in japan - 03 8887 4570/4770 and 03 8889 2746/2830.

spread the news if you have family members or friends over there.

my prayers and thoughts are with all malaysians in japan.
and for all in sabah/labuan, stay away from beaches.
keep safe!

benci blog header

benci blog header baru ni.
sebabnya header image sebelum ni dah didelete oleh imageshack.
sekarang tengah takde mood nak design2.

sila bertabah dengan header sementara yang buruk itu.

update 24/2/2011: okay, dah cantik dah. tak perlu bertabah, cuma selalulah berkunjung ke blog ini. walaupun update jarang-jarang, tapi berkunjunglah selalu ye :)

alas hantaran & bekas cincin up for rent

alas hantaran
beautiful embroidered white organza embellished with japanese beads (handsewn by yours truly) and sequins + white matte satin lining
rental price: rm50 / 9 pairs

bekas cincin
silver ring holder
rental price: rm30

self pick up & return for both items.
location for pick up & return: seputeh kapas spa, sungai merab luar, bandar baru bangi.
rm100 deposit needed for both items which will be refunded upon return of good(s).

interested? kindly email me at aishah_ara@yahoo.co.uk.

and ohh.. this kurung moden is still available for grab.

pink lace kurung moden + embellished chiffon silk veil + matching shawl
worn once (less than 1 hour) for studio photo shoot
selling price: rm400 rm300
rental price: rm150

more items for rent will be added later.

update (more items for rent):

-bantal / alas nikah (rental price: rm50 for 2) - click here.

dress up my book rack

last tuesday was a public holiday when i decided to tidy up my room.
it was almost a month since my e-day but the goods from that day are not yet packed or kept or cleaned up.
not that i didn't have time but well, i just being lazy hihi.

i have lots of flowers from my e-day that are ready to be used again.

since my book rack previously was kind of boring.

i decided to give it a little touch up using those flowers from my e-day.

and since i already finished my studies, i can now store all my books in a storage box without feeling guilty.

flowers really can bring a room to life, be it fresh or artificial ones.

and this is the end result, which i really like.

paling suka idea d.i.y. flower frame from aty.
nanti nak tiru.

lurvyu

she dropped by my blog yesterday and dropped some comments.
after i submit my reply for her comments, i clicked on her name because i simply love the picture of the red roses hand bouquet that she put as her profile picture.

know what, i stuck in her blog for hours and i'm hooked!

http://lurvyu.blogspot.com/

and i'm sharing the link with you, so that you can read it too :)

happy DIY-ing!

happy hari raya

and finally, it's raya again.

may your raya be filled with happiness and joy.
drive safely and don't risk your life.
have a defensive driving and a blessed raya.
hey, it's time for remembering your loved ones!

for those who celebrate hari raya aidilfitri, happy hari raya and maaf zahir batin.
i hope you enjoy your raya in your own special way.

me myself, this year is going to be a seriously colorful raya for me.

ohh ohh semangat!

bad shopping experience

i hate walking into a shop where the sales assistant jumps on me straight away and starts following me around like i am a shoplifter.
i hate when the sales assistant pressures me to make a purchase.
i hate when the sales assistant does not allow me to think and try too hard to sell.
i like shopping in a shop where the sales assistant let me shop freely without being harrased.
yes, you can greet your customers, you can ask them if anything that you can help.
i know that you can tell if we want to be left alone or not.
if we want, we will buy.
if we have questions, we will ask.
your role is just to monitor your customers and always be ready whenever the customers need your help and give opinions where appropriate.

i have experience in such shop, have you?

i think the fault is more on the supervisors and managements.
maybe the sales assistants were asked to act like that.
sebab kedai yang i maksudkan tu, semua sales assistant dia berperangai begitu.

pelik.

10 things i hate about myself

been tagged by my sister, timah to write on "10 things i hate about myself".
since i don't have idea on what to write here in my blog, which explains why there is no new entries for almost a week (except for a short and sweet happy ramadhan wish), so here goes my version of "10 things i hate about myself".

1. my acne-prone skin.
2. bad in time management, tend to do things at the very last minute.
3. my stubborn attitude.
4. the fact that i learned from my mistakes but sometimes i tend to do the same mistakes again and again.
5. my low metabolisme level which makes me getting fat in no time if i eat more than the normal intake but hard to lose weight even if i'm on a strict diet (pss my body age is 34).
6. i don't do sport and i actually hate it, hence no. 5.
7. wasteful, i spend more than what i earn.
8. sometimes likely to say yes when i actually wanted to say no.
9. the fact that i am ignorant to what is going on in the world.
10. unmarried at the age of twenty six.

yeyy cukup sepuluh!

happy ramadhan

may Allah..
honour you,
forgive you,
purify you,
accept ur all ibadat and dua,
elevate you,
inspire you,
envelope you with his nur,
mercy and protect you.

happy ramadhan :)
may your patience and strength take you closer to Allah.

zila ziman: freelance makeup artist

who is zila ziman?

she used to be my housemate back then when we were in matriculation.
we did our pre-degree at maxisegar, rawang.
now there's no maxisegar anymore.
in fact, we are the last batch pun.

my first impression of her, "cantiknya budak ni, chinese look, mesti mak atau ayah dia chinese" (cakap dalam hati).
and i was right, she has got chinese blood on her mom side.
added with pak sheikh punya blood on her dad side.
no wonder she's super beautiful and tall.

at that time, we all berhempas pulas belajar sains.
zila was in biological science and i was in physical science stream.
but both kena berhempas pulas bergolok gadai demi mendapatkan tempat di universiti awam.
slept at 3-4am, woke up at 7am, got class from 8am till 7pm, that was normal for us, cewah.
sangat berkorban sehinggakan sanggup memakai lab coat gedoboh bersama lab goggles yang memburukkan muka untuk masuk lab.
ye, sangat berkorban. kan?

now that we have grown up, she's still pretty and i'm still fat.
but we both have changed our career path!

i am with my spa business and she's a full-time makeup artist.
i used to berangan nak jadi makeup artist, but for some personal reasons, i think i'm not going to make it as a career, so i retired.
cece, retired kunun, start pun tidak.

anyway, there are three important things that are very much important if you want to be a makeup artist.
one: Partice.
two: Portfolio.
three: Publicize.

i took part in all three P's when zila told me that she seriously wanted to join into this business.
Practice: i jadi salah seorang dari bahan eksperimen dan latih tubi zila.
Portfolio: i jadi salah seorang bahan portfolio zila dan mencadangkan rakan-rakan untuk mendapatkan servis makeup pada rm50 yang mana sebenarnya zila nak jadikan sebagai portfolio.
Publicize: i provide servis makeup di seputeh kapas spa menggunakan khidmat zila dan i makan komisyen sahaja.

now that she's already famous, her skills have already so much improved and her services have expanded which is not limited to makeup services, i am very proud of her.
she's so much passionate about what she does and really work hard at it, and that what makes her successful.

a big smile on a very satisfied customer

tapi jangan cemburu buta, kamu juga boleh menjadi seperti zila.
sebabnya zila juga ada buat kelas makeup supaya kamu kamu boleh menjadi protege dia.
yang seronoknya adalah, sempena ramadhan, zila baik hati menurunkan rate untuk kelas makeupnya.

normally, the fee is rm350 for a basic to advanced makeup class.
but for ramadhan, the fee is only rm200 per pax which is sangat berbaloi-baloi.
but seats are limited to 6 pax per class and sekarang sudah pun open for registration.

you don't have to have any experience.
the class is open to everyone even with zero knowledge dan tangan bangku.
and don't worry if your makeups and tools tak complete, you can still attend her class.

click on the picture to make it larger

how to register?
just inform zila that you are interested via sms (+6012-3474745) or email her at info@zilaziman.com along with your full name, IC and phone number.
rm100 is needed for registration as commitment fee.
payment can be made to her maybank account and you are in!
the class will be held at zila ziman studio which is located at damansara damai, PJ.
for more information, you can go to her website www.zilaziman.com.

lets do some good

readers, lets do small things for needies.

Sempena menyambut kedatangan Ramadhan Mubarak 1431H, ABIM Negeri Selangor akan menjalankan “Kempen Seorang Sekampit Beras” khusus untuk membantu fakir miskin di seluruh negara melalui huluran bantuan keperluan harian. Simbolik sekampit beras menggambarkan keperluan makanan asasi yang perlu ada sekurang-kurangnya bagi menampung keperluan untuk hidup terutama bagi mereka yang memerlukan.

Dari Anas bin Malik r.a. katanya Nabi s.a.w. bersabda : "Sesungguhnya apabila orang kafir mengerjakan kebajikan di dunia, dia diberi upah dengan amalnya itu berupa rezeki di dunia. Adapun orang Mukmin, maka pahala kebajikannya disimpan Allah Taala untuknya di akhirat serta diberinya rezeki di dunia berhubung dengan taatnya."

Bandingan (derma) orang-orang yang membelanjakan hartanya pada jalan Allah, ialah sama seperti sebiji benih yang tumbuh menerbitkan tujuh tangkai; tiap-tiap tangkai itu pula mengandungi seratus biji. Dan ingatlah, Allah akan melipatgandakan pahala bagi sesiapa yang dikehendakiNya, dan Allah Maha Luas (rahmat) kurniaNya, lagi Meliputi ilmu pengetahuanNya.

SEKRETARIAT KEMPEN SEORANG SEKAMPIT BERAS
ANGKATAN BELIA ISLAM MALAYSIA (ABIM)
NEGERI SELANGOR
ANJUNG BERKAT 02-02-06
WISMA MAIS 3/9A
40000 SHAH ALAM SELANGOR
PEJ/FAX : 03-55118994 / 019-3636394 / 012-3920132
www.abimselangor.blogspot.com