Meeting A New Friend

Dear 2017,

I virtually met Idrina while I was looking for this cute wrap dress from Mimpi Kita via FashionValet a few years back. It was something I could envision myself wearing to work, after work meet with my girl friends or maybe to a wedding over the weekend. Yup, I sure had a great vision of it in my mind. Unfortunately, when I wanted to purchase the dress, low and behold, the dress in my size was out of stock and they were not planning to restock it.

Out of stock?

No restock?

I wanted to cry blood. Why FV?? Why you gotta be so cruel? Oh you can imagine the drama over at my side. I was probably going to lose sleep for the next few nights.

So I tried my luck and posted a question on FV if they were going to restock the dress in my size. Idrina messaged me to tell me she has an extra piece in the size I was looking for. Her friend got her the same dress as well, hence she has 2 of the same dresses. Oh wow, she sold me her extra piece and ever since then, we became virtual friends on instagram. Interesting, is it not?

Idrina decided to spend her birthday in Singapore in 2016. Her birthday falls on the last day of December every year. And on the morning of her birthday yesterday, we finally met in person. Oh my, Idrina is one very gorgeous lady on the inside and out. I felt blessed crossing path with such a kind and friendly soul. See, beautiful people get fireworks presented to them on their birthday every year, in every part of the world. What's more, her boyfriend popped the question to her. *Squeals in excitement* Such a lucky girl she is!

Hey Idrina, if by any chance you found my blog and read this, it sure was an honour to meet you in person. May you constantly be blessed and may all you wishes always come true. Not to forget, congrats on your soon to come new chapter in life, elevating your status and changing it as a lucky guy's better half. Enjoy the upcoming preparations. Oh and I will be in KL some time next year, see you soon :D

Dear 2017

My personal project, Capturing 2016 has finally come to an end. Although I did not manage to even come up with 33 stuff in the list, I sure had loads of fun along the way doing some of the listed stuff on my list.

I learned more about the art of flay lays, the lighting, the way to lay the items, the focusing point and more.

I was reading some books and got lazy to do reviews on it. I spent more time catching up on drama and fell in love with a fictional character, Abang Ri, in the drama 7 Hari Mencintaiku.

I actually drew my favourite flower, peonies. I have not drawn in a very long time. It felt good seeing how my drawing turned out.

There were a whole lot more that I did. Basically, I had an enjoyable time working on this personal project of mine.

It then got me to think of 2017. I started to get a 365 planner from Kikki.K which has this lovely pink design. Not that I am into pink, but the cover design was sweet. I started working on the content. What should my personal project be like for 2017?

What I would really want to do in 2017 is to take things easy and in a slower pace. I would like to enjoy life, such as unboxing my duck scarves boxes, designing the pages of my planners and filling it up with pieces of memories for the year. I would like to book in to a secluded hotel and just sleep all day, read a book by the pool which no one uses and maybe eat a scoop of chocolate ice-cream in the middle of the hotel restaurant where no one knows me. And perhaps a short getaway nearby.

I would love a happy, quiet and stress-free 2017.

So Dear 2017, let's make this work!

The Fall

I had a fall at work yesterday. It was bad. The corridor was slippery, I slipped and fell, hitting bulls eye right onto my tailbone. Major ouch! I had to be rushed to the A&E, the hospital where I had my spine surgery done. After all the x-rays and checks done, the x-ray showed no signs of fracture. Phew. Even after all these years, ever since that surgery, I am always afraid of x-rays when it concerns my spine or anywhere along it. 

I am right now recovering painfully in bed. It is definitely no fun. It hurts when I walk, hurts when I lie on my back, hurts even more when I need to get up from my bed to walk to the washroom. It even hurts as I type this entry in bed. 

This fall did however made me think of some stuff. As I sat on my wheelchair waiting for the X-rays and the doctor to examine my condition, I thought about how my personal life has slowly seem to be non-existent. I have been swamped with many stuff that I chose not to work on my social life. I gave up quite a number of things this year to focus on some other stuff. I am not sure if that was the right move or the right thing to do now. What I do know however, it is time to work on that aspect again. Balance, they say. 

So once my tailbone is up and rocking again, I am going to do something. Wait for it.  

I am No Longer...

For ages,I wanted to blog about being 33, which of course, never happened in the month I turned 33. Till right now I guess. I wanted to reflect about how life has been as I turn 33 this year, which has passed by a good 6 months ago. 

I am happy to be at this age to be frank.

No, I am NOT old. Age is just 2 numbers right? Although the number keeps increasing every 12 months and we grew may a tad wiser. 

Do I feel old? Hmmm. But there are some changes that I noticed about myself.

When I was a kid, I thought being in the 30s was considered old. Now that I am in my 30s, I feel that there is still a whole bunch of things for me which I have yet to achieve, try, explore, manage and more. But there are certain areas which I believe that I have changed over the years.

 And yes, at time these days, I do feel that there are areas which I feel fall into the 'I Am Too Old For...' category. Or that I am no longer at that age where I fuss over some matters.

I was talking to a friend about how our age is catching up on us and there are some things which we no longer enjoy doing. Or perhaps we do not seem to be in our prime anymore. It may be due to us being in our 30s, or maybe due to us spending so much energy on it in our earlier years that we now get tired of doing it. So what am I too old for, or no longer at THAT age for? 

I am no longer bother to convince others about where to eat or places to try out when I am out with others. Of course, due to my hectic schedule, I do would love to try some new eateries that was promoted by Facebook or recommended by friends. But I do have to take into considerations that not all may agree. It no longer matters to me where we eat. No need for fancy shamancy restaurants or dining places. I am fine with a glass of teh tarik at the coffee shop. Or if we keep going to the same places over and over again. Or even if we just hang out at someone's place and chill over junk food. It does not matter as long as I am in the company of the people who matters to me, spending quality time, catching up. 

I am too no longer at that age to argue with others about my stand on a number of matters. Except maybe matters which I strongly believe in. But generally, everyone has their point of view. I respect theirs. I may not agree with it but it does not matter. I lose nothing if I choose to agree or disagree. Neither do they. 

I am no longer at the age to handhold or teach a future partner certain expectations. There are some things which I believe ought to be known by him, for himself. Hey, we are not getting any younger. If he does not have it, do something about it. he is not a kid, and I am not the one who will be the head of the family, he is.

These days, whenever I encounter difficult, negative or 'whatever' kind of people, I find it easier to simply keep quiet and ignore them. They are probably frustrated with their own lives to not be having positive thoughts. I do not wish to add fuel to the fire that is burning in them. At times, I do try to calm them down with some positive encouragements, but if they refuse to change that fixed mindset to growth and convert into the positive notion, I no longer have the luxury of time to sit around and wait for that change to happen.

There is only so much one can do, to be everything that we would like to become, the possibly best version of ourselves. We aim for that, we strive to be among the best that we can. There are many other things that matter to me these days. Being blessed with wonderful parents, siblinghood, beautiful friendship, being healthy and being blessed in many more countless ways. I am thankful for all that. And if someone comes along who does not fit into that puzzle of happiness, we all do what we usually do, walk away. I was never in the first place, obligated to stick that person into my life. I am not a tree, I can move away.  

C for Chiffon

When D mentioned in her post that there will be a new premium basic dUCk that will be launched, my gut feelings told me it would definitely be the chiffon material. Guess what, I was right! Chiffon material scarves are a must have in many hijabis scarf collection. How can one not love chiffon? 

Even though I already have more than enough chiffon scarves in my collection, I could not help myself but to be curious and check out the dUCk scarf chiffon pieces. I wanted to know first-hand how it felt like and how it will look like on me. Is it like every other chiffon scarves in my collection? Should I give the next release of colours a pass? 

From my personal point of view, I liked the fact that this time, the length was 173cm in length. I usually prefer my scarves to be 2 meters long. This piece as a chiffon material made styling of the scarf real easy for my petite frame. Do not get me wrong, whether the scarves are long or short, I always believe in making it work to my advantage under any circumstances. This piece covers the necessary parts and the neutral colour (cornsilk) ensures that anyone can match it easily with most of our clothes. The best part is, the chiffon material is soft, slightly stretchable and flowy. At the same time, it is able to remain in its place without me having to constantly check the mirror to see if I look alright. 

I think this material is now my current favourite in my dUCk collection. I foresee myself getting more colours from this range in the future. Wait for it!

For now, it is time for me to prepare my clothes for this weekend's duck for the weekend fun. The theme is the KL duck and I hope I can do a decent #ootd at my favourite backdrop. 

naimefied look:

scarf: dUCk chiffon

top: Aere Nyla

dUCk For The Weekend Debut

So many dUCk scarves. Which to choose? What to wear? 

Do any of you dUCk scarf lovers have this same problem as I do? 

I had this issue of not wearing my ever-growing duck scarves collection simply because they were too precious to be worn. I could probably create my own museum of dUCk scarves in my room. The online battle I had to go through,  feeling a little defeated and then getting my amazing personal shopper to ensure I get them all. By the time I get my hands on them, I felt like it was so sayang to be worn at any time. I wanted to keep them and make their debut on special occasions such as someone's wedding, a special day for myself or some wonderful event. After all, they were not cheap to begin with. Hey, I am talking about those limited edition ones. Even their premium basics are not cheap. Some of their premium basics are also sold out even even before I knew about the restock.

And then I look at my collection which I store in my wardrobe. Seriously, some are still untouched, with their ribbons still intact. I looked around as I walked by places and see these beautiful ladies donning on these amazing pieces of duck scarves. I do admit, conversations just start up easily when we queue up to pay at the cashier or at some events. 

We simply smile and go, 'Hey, I see you are wearing a DUCK!' 

Or if I did not manage to get a certain colour from the limited edition collection, one cannot help but to go, 'Lucky you, you got the Blurred Lines!' whenever I bumped into someone wearing it. Or 'It was sold out by the time I checked out', as part of our conversations. I am sure many duckies could relate to this moments. And just like that, we get to know another duckie and the world seems to be a much more peaceful and happier place already. 

I think if Duck created their own game app, catching some rare duck scarves along the way, submitting selfies of the duck scarves in other to earn a badge or something, I think it will be interesting to unite us dUCk scarf lovers. Duckies would gather at a certain spot and ta-daa, dearly beloved, we are all gathered together.

In the mean time, how can one duck scarf lover possibly unite with others? And also get that duck scarves out of their boxes. I have a group of friends who share the same interest and love for dUCk scarves. Whenever possible,  we help each other out in getting these duck scarves. So I rolled this idea of dUCk for the weekend to them. Here's the condition to unite us:

• One duck theme will be chosen (it could be a colour or any Limited Edition pieces)
• It will be worn on that particular weekend, either Friday, Saturday or Sunday (maybe in the future D could chose a day for all duckies to unite?)
• Anyone can choose to be part of this fun and sit out anytime. 
• One can also choose to be creative. Do a flatlay or others if you are too shy.
• Post and share our love for duck scarves with other duckies

So the dUCk for the weekend starts off with the theme of The Songket Duck. Check out how creative my friends got as we unite even though we are not physically next to one another.

Gosh, I love these lovely girls so much. Look at how sporting they all are. Such a beautiful friendship indeed. I love how beautiful everyone looked. 

So the tribe has spoken, let's continue the #duckfortheweekend fun for next weekend as well. 

Next's weekend's theme is THE KL DUCK!

Let's have fun duckies!

The Scoreboard

What was I thinking when I mentioned that will prepare my clothes for work the night before?

I felt restless these few evenings. I decided to grab my fitness gear and head out for Zumba classes. I love this new place Erwin introduced me to. They conduct classes every weekday nights and even aqua fitness every Saturday mornings. All I have to do is check their schedule and my mood for the day. Then it will be me moving that body, sweating it out, pumping those non-existence muscles and later diving my aching body into my bed. Well I did land myself into dreamland easily. 

Did I manage to prepare my clothes for work the night before as I initially planned? 

My reply: Obviously not. 

Did I manage to get up earlier than usual to do all the necessary stuff (that was supposed to be done the night before at my own pace) and enjoy a 'no rush' mornings the next day as I had planned?

My reply: And miss those extra moments of sleep? Oh, I just cannot!

I ended up running around the house as usual, grabbing clothes which did not need to be ironed off the rack. Or dashed to the ironing board while eyeing the clock. Snatched whatever scarf I saw that matched the outfit and matching flats.

So how did the scoreboard looked?

Caleb: Countless Win

Me: 0

Conclusion is, my bed will always win. Do not make me choose between my bed or my sleep time to anything else, everything else (well mostly I guess) will lose.

And now, I am enjoying my Saturday morning with a round of flatlay in, you guess it, in bed. By the way, I name my bed Caleb as we have a great time understanding each other. To a wonderful Saturday ahead.

Monday

How does one get ready for work everyday?

How do LADIES get ready for work every morning? I always wonder about that. Some men I know wear uniform to work, hence, they just need to iron their clothes and wear them. But those like us girls who are privileged enough to dress up for work, is an entirely different story altogether.

I mean there is the wardrobe to think about, you know, the tops, the bottom, et cetera. Then you have the hair or in my case, the scarf area. How about the choice of bags for the day, the shoes department and many more. Wait, I have am not even anywhere close to those who need to prepare breakfast for their husband and kids. What about those who need to send their kids to their caretakers? Gosh, my species are definitely created to be Super Women. 

I have to be at work everyday by 7am. Oh boy, what I can tell you, waking up is the hardest part of any morning. I am definitely not a morning person. Being up at 5.30am every morning is torturous!  

First I have to convince my body to move, limb by limb. Then the next stage, making sure I reach the bathroom and not dive back into my bed. Then when I am in the bathroom, I would be starring at the walls and ask myself, "Is it Friday yet?"

So this week, and this week only, I am going to prepare my clothes the night before in order to be able to enjoy that extra few minutes of no rush moment the next morning. 

Good luck? 

I know I will definitely need all the luck considering I am such a bum who loves any extra time I can get with my bed. 

dUCk X Bowerhaus

Remember that time when I said I will buy lesser clothes, but NOT limited edition dUCk scarves? How can I not? I just cannot. Well, I believe I have been fulfilling that part of my personal goals quite well. *flips scarf* Pretty soon, I think I might need a chest of drawers specially to store these growing number of dUCks in my wardrobe. 

During the launch of the limited edition dUCkXbowerhaus collection some time ago, I lost the online 'battle'. A friend of mine, Linda, managed to grab 2 out of 3 of these pieces for me, the jade and the pink dUCks! I really wanted the grey piece but hey, 2 out of 3 is better than none at all. Plus, I was busy at work to head on over to the store. Hugs to you Linda for your gracious help.

I am having loads of fun with these mix-and-match series. I have been doing them more often these days, digging up those clothes and seeing how to make them work. What's more, this collection came with a hanging dUCk charm and a bracelet in each set. I hung the charm on my Pandora bracelet instead and have it with me almost everywhere I go.

Dear D, your ideas always melt my heart. 

In the mean time, I have to arrange and make time for my long-time-no-see besties, Ayu and Ratna. Miss them loads.

Mix-And-Match

Part of my Capturing 2016 Project was to ensure that my clothes are fully utilised and STOP getting more new clothes. You know how we girls are, 'I do not have enough clothes!' Or how we would be browsing through our closet daily before heading to work or a meet up with friends, and say, 'I have nothing to wear!' 

It is hard I tell you. Seriously. Us girls. 

I am trying to mix and match what I already have and make it a point to wear them as much as possible before my wardrobe outgrows them. I would usually spring clean my wardrobe every six months and try my best to remove clothes which are hardly worn or never been worn before. If I have never wore them, I am never going to get around to wearing them at all. These clothes are usually passed to my niece who is about the same size as me. Thank god we share the same cute, fun sized body frame. 

I always have a thing for culottes. They are meant to be three-quarter pants for the tall people. However, standing at around 1. 58 meter or a perhaps 5 feet 1 inch, culottes would equate to long pants for people of my height. I love them! Pair them up with some pretty pair of high heels and I believe it'll look great for work or any non-formal and casual occasions with family and friends.

With these idea in mind, I hope to be able to create more mix and match posts in the future. Sometimes I do wish my clothes simply grow in my closet, but such is not the case. To a wonderful remainder of 2016, whatever is left of it anyway.

naimefied look:

scarf: Kaffah

top: Ralph Lauren

bottom: Haflins (culottes)

shoes: Studio

A Break

I stand corrected, it should be; a longggggg break. That is what I truly need.

I do enjoy reading other blogger's stories, experience, et cetera. Sometimes, I do wish I have the luxury of time to blog more often. Or make that extra effort to blog like they do despite their busy life. Unfortunately, I do not seem to be able to blog at all these days.  Hence, I decided to take a break for a bit and spend some real down time with my loved ones who are always surrounding me. Despite the hectic schedule I had to deal with, I am blessed with a bunch of wonderful family and friends who were concerned of my well-being. 

When my blog went off the radar for a while, some friends emailed me to ask if everything was going well. Some called and whatsapp-ed asking if something was not alright. Truth is, I was feeling down and negative for a while back there. I was not my usual happy self. I do not feel like talking about it at all. It was not something I would want to share with the world nor was it something meant to be remembered. We all had our down moments, I too was blessed with it for a while back there. That was when I decided to disconnect from a number of things for a while. I needed that space and I got what I asked for. That space to be left alone for a while and get my focus back together.

It was a good break. A break I needed to drown myself with matters that I have always focused on; what I love and the people who truly cared. 

I spent time catching up on my much needed sleep. Found some comedy which I never knew existed. I look through the interior design magazines to refresh my ideas on how cozy my room should be as well as areas I could work on. I love my room, it is my sanctuary. I enjoyed my time with my cousin and niece. They got me to download snapchat and we crazily created funny nonsense. My parents and my friends got hooked on it and we could not stop laughing at ourselves. Oh and I also got back to indulged in some of the country's yummiest home baked desserts (like the one featured above).

Honestly, I was having a ball of a time. I reconnected with people who had always stood by my side through thick and thin since forever. I witnessed the wonderful blessings I was bestowed with, Masya Allah. I could not have asked for things to be better than it already is. Surely, if we constantly open our eyes wide enough to see, we will always be able to see the beauty in everything as well as the blessing in every situation, no matter how bad it may seem. 

And now, it is time to move forward and leave the negativity behind.

To another new chapter.

Bismillah.

For Memory Sake

It feels like it was just yesterday I was enjoying my blocked leave. Waking up later than the usual working days, enjoying the free-from-work moments doing things I do not really have a chance to do on normal working days. Please do not get me wrong, I love my job and I also love my blocked leave. It is no joke to start work by 7.15am almost every day and having to be at work until 5 or 6pm. On certain days, I bring my work back to ensure that my work is complete and deadlines are met or else I will be dead. Erkkk.

In the blink of an eye, the next thing I know, I have been back at work and entering the 4th week already. Where did week 1, 2 and 3 go? What did I do in the past weeks? And when I do look back at my planner, the list just does not seem to end that at times, it scares me.

Eid has been great so far although I do have a lot on my plate at work. I love my job and the excitement behind it. Whenever I am free, I try my best to visit my family members, cousins, aunties, uncles, et cetera. I still have a whole lot more people to visit and I do feel bad that this year I could not do as much visiting as I would like to as before.

Today, I visited my grand uncle, my late dadi's elder brother and his wife. It was nice meeting the elderly even though we barely see much except for special occasions. They are growing older and it was amazing to see how much they could still remember, such sharpness, Masya Allah. I do hope when I am older, my memory is as great as theirs. Which is why I guess I had this blog in the first place. To look back and remember all the good stuff.

I am still on my Capturing 2016 project which I love sooo much. I cannot wait to blog more about them in the future.

naimefied look:

scarf: dUCk scarf

top: Mimpi Kita

skirt: Kaffah Apparel

bag: Celine

shoes: Studio

Deir Scarf

When my PS promoted Deir scarf to me, I was not quite keen on this. I already had so many dUCk scarves that I have not worn, some boxes still have their ribbons intact and untouched. The ones I already had worn, hardly had the chance to see the sun much. But then I thought, oh well, let's just give the Deir a try for a change. 

So here's the result of how the Deir scarf looks like when it is don on me. 

The scarf is made of satin silk material, like the ones from dUCk. It is a little heavier and it stays in place nicely the entire day before I remove it for prayers. This piece has the Moroccan tile design on it making it look unique when any lady dons it on. 

Many thought it was the dUCk scarf and mentioned that the design looks great on anyone. That is my personal take and comments from my friends. I give this scarf (by the way, this design is also a limited edition piece), a thumbs up. I read that many others thought it looked like the dUCk's Blurred Lines scarf. Honestly, except for the similar caramel colour, this design does not look similar or alike. I like it the way it is and I felt have having a piece of Morocco on me, which was a pleasant feeling. 

I am not sure if this design is still available from Deir, but if it is, I personally think it is a must have in any lady's closet. 

Eid Mubarak 1437H

Ramadhan has left and the next thing you know, it's Day 5 of Syawal. There's a lot of visiting happening and open houses here and there. Such love and joy filling up the air. 

This year is slightly different for my family and I. My Dadi recently left us in March. I miss my Dadi and Dada loads. I miss annoying them, kissing their hands on the first day of Syawal, seeking forgiveness from them. I miss meeting long-time no see extended family members at their place and looking into the family tree to see how we are all interconnected. All that is gone now, but blessing comes in other ways.

Some of my mom's siblings gathered at our place on the first day of Syawal. My uncle from Japan returned to celebrate Eid with us as a family. My elder brother and his family came over as always to liven up the spirit of Eid. It was such a nice feeling, having family members unite as one.

Before we could fully enjoy it, the day goes by and we're back to work the next day. After work, we are out visiting our extended family members and friends all over the country. Perhaps that is the beauty of Eid, strengthening our family bond, making amends and excuses to do good. 

To everyone out there, this may come a little late, but Eid Mubarak to all Muslims from all over the world and happy holidays to everyone else.

 

naimefied look:

dress: designed by me 

scarf: dUCk scarf

bag: Gucci

shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Art of Flat Lay

Reality is hitting me soon, real soon.

As much as I would like to think that I would be having a hard time accepting reality, I am actually quite excited to head back to work. I have been heading back to work since last week to get my engine started and looking into some of my newly added job scopes and projects.

I am quite excited with some new projects given and I look forward to it.

3 weeks of blocked leave and I enjoyed the personal time and space away from stress to recuperate my emotional and mental well-being. I think my parents were perhaps the most happiest person having me around at home almost everyday. They probably had a blast ensuring that I sharpened and polished some skills.

One of the things on my list of the Capturing2016 project was to learn to do flat lays.

I am a noob when it comes to flat lays and I envy dUCkies around the world who are good at doing flat lays. I researched a bit on this art and observed how it is done. I checked out instagram posts on what is needed to work on this.

After quite a bit of failed attempts, here's the result of my baby steps attempt at doing a flat lay.

This flat lay features the black and white Singapore skyline dUCk scarf, as well as the limited edition rose blooming dUCk in monochrome. 

I know it's nothing compared to others, but I am learning and hope to get better at this art.

And now, time to look for what to wear for work tomorrow. 

dUCks Over Guys

Each time I look at my dUCk scarves collection, I would fall in love with them over and over again.

Getting a or any limited edition dUCk scarf is hard and perhaps may even burn a small hole in our pockets. I would think most girls would agree. But it is definitely worth it.

It is easier to get and maintain a dUCk, than dealing with a guy. 

I was reading some comments by some dUCk lovers who shared her dating experience wearing her first dUCk scarf. The guy left, while her dUCk scarf is pretty much still around. I thought that was funny. 

Some friends asked why I am not dating anyone.

To be honest, I do not see the need to at the moment. Things are going great. My personal project, #Capturing2016 has kept me busy. I am constantly looking for ways to improve, things to add on to the list as well as achieving them. It helps that my family and friends have been great support pillars. 

So for now, it's dUCks over guys, till further notice ;)

The dUCk Fuss

Perhaps a number of ladies would know, the dUCk battle in the virtual world is not something uncommon, especially in this wonderful 2016 year. It is the battle of the clicking and speed of our fingers.

So what is the dUCk brand all about?

The dUCk brand is a brand created by the well-known Asian entrepreneur-cum-fashion icon, Vivy Yusof. Vivy wanted the brand to be able to reach the hearts of ladies all over the world and be worn or used in their daily lives or any way possible. What started as simple modest scarf made out of many different materials such as mixed crepe, satin, peachskin and many many more, spun into stationeries (such as notebooks, notepads and planners) and is now, in the process of creating a cosmetic line. In 2015 they collaborated with Aere to produce their own RTW collection which was pretty unique. 

dUCk brand was not meant to be positioned as a 'cheap' scarf in the market. As I spoke to one of the Singapore dUCkies I met earlier today, her husband commented, 'You have only one head, how many scarves do you need for that head?' Hahahahahha. Men, they just don't get it. ppffttttt.

One of the most exciting thing-slash-event about this dUCk brand is their limited edition (LE) scarves.

What's so good about these LEs?

Why all the fuss and battle and consumers showing their good and even ugly side (for some) over a scarf? I have met people who don't get why people go crazy over this. It's ok, I do not go crazy over limited edition cosmetics, watches, bags, cars or celebrities either. It just boils down to our likes and interest, that's pretty much it.

For the sake of those who are still unsatisfied anyway, let me spell it out in laymen's term:

They ....

- are limited edition (duhh, hence the exclusivity)
- are produced in limited quantity (hence they are known as limited editions)
- are usually produced in print designs (non-LEs are produced in solid colours)
- provide a huge satisfaction for those who managed to secure even a single piece of these LEs (considering we are battling with perhaps thousands of other customers from all over the WORLD!)
-are meant to make you feel like you are owning a piece of potential history in your closet
(not everyone is able to own a piece of Hermes Birkin right?)

Due to its limited production, some people become personal shoppers to help others who are busy saving the world and have entrusted these PS with the hopes of fulfilling the dreams of others. There are people who had to resort to engaging the service of PS. This is because during almost ALL the launches of these LEs, many do not have the luxury of time to fight this battle out. We are needed at work, either stuck in a meeting, in a discussion here, there, everywhere and many more.

Some launches happened in the middle of the night, not midnight, but between 2 to 5am kinda timing. We cannot afford to stay up all night just to wait for this and are needed to be fresh and alert all day the next day to give the best towards our work, our responsibility. After all, our work is our ibadah and we need to prioritise that. If by a twist of faith, we happen to land myself a piece of these LEs all by ourselves, the satisfaction is pure happiness. Like Yay! *pompoms in the air*

The latest launch of The Eid dUCk is a piece of art. It reflected the traditional songket design which I thought would look amazing on any lady. 

Sadly, the site crashed for hours and many were unhappy. I do understand the feeling of many dUCk lovers who have to keep refreshing the page only to keep seeing the a crashed page, blank pages, missing items from their carts, unable to make payment and more. Some kind soul helped others by putting up the links to the direct pages itself. What I did not understand though, why be mean to the FV team? These things happened, we are not perfect either. Nothing wrong in being a little more forgiving especially in this beautiful month. A month of gratefulness and forgiveness. 

Since I was on leave yesterday, I contemplated on heading to the FV boutique which was located in the heart of town, at 313 Somerset. It is not near where I stay.

A lot of questions whizzed in my mind. What time should I head there? Parking chargers may be a killer. Should I just grab a cab? Plus the long waiting hours, the queue and it is fasting month. But I figured, I will just leave everything to fate. If it was meant to be mine, in shaa Allah, I will get them. If I do not get any, then it is not my rezki, turn back and try again at the restock. It is the holy month of Ramadhan after all and we can be tested and many unseen ways.

Yes, I waited for hours, something which I probably may never get the chance to do at their flagship store in Bangsar, KL, or on days which I am stuck at work and will never get time off or ask for half day leave to run personal errands such as this. I made new friends who were willing to endure the wait together. We got to know each and turns out, we are somehow interconnected. 

And at 5pm...

I managed to bag home a piece of history!

I always believed in anyone's rezki coming from our Maker. He made things happen for anyone He chooses to. If future launches were at 10am, I doubt I can make my way to the boutique as I do not work within the area, neither can I ask for time off, half day or full day leave on any working days to make this purchase. Even if the future launch is at 5pm, I may not even be able to make my way there earlier as I may not be able to leave work before that. Or maybe by the time I get there earlier, the queue might be so long that by the time I reach the payment counter, there might not be any left despite the long hours of waiting which could be done doing other things. 

Like my dad always remind me, even if we did/do not get what we want (and there are many many previous LEs that I did not manage to get at all, not even a single piece of it), that too is our rezki, we need to be thankful still, no matter how bad it may hurt us. 

Anyway, there will be a restock at the FV website soon, keep a look out on their updates through theduckgroup and duckscarves instagram account. Good luck! 

Ramadhan Resolution

The month of Ramadhan has reached upon us again. 

Alhamdulilah.

Another round of detoxing and cleansing for the mind, body and soul. 

Every Ramadhan, I would try to my best to have one resolution and commit to ensuring that I accomplished that resolution. A couple of years back I made it a point to break fast every evening with my parents at home. This is a rare moment for us, to sit, dine and talk about a whole bunch of things and then clear the table and off we go for terawih prayers. Every since then, this is the one resolution that I will always try my best to commit to and add another one. 

This year's holy month fell on the early month of June, where I am doubly blessed with blocked leave. I asked myself what shall I commit myself to this year and still ensure that it is part of the Capturing2016 Project? My answer was, let me utilise this moment given to sharpen my cooking skills. After all, I need to record my journey as a couch potato Masterchef. *flips scarf*

Also, I had always wanted to learn the secrets to my Dadi's cooking that my mom inherited. Dadi was an amazing cook and my mom learned a lot from her. I believe it is now my time to learn as well. 

For day 1 of iftar, I learned to make chapati...

and dhal kacang hijau (aka green peas dhal?) I cannot seem to be able to find this kind of dhal anywhere in Singapore. I do not know where or how my Dadi learned this from, but I have to give credits to her on this as this dish is one of favourite and it did not take as long as I thought it would. I am taking baby steps to learn cooking properly and I think I can increase to a toddler's step next.

Dear all, 

On this holy and blessed month, I and on behalf of my family and friends, seek forgiveness for any of our wrongdoings which we may have caused knowingly or unknowingly. May we be blessed and be elevated us in this beautiful month. 

Love, 

Me