Fashion suggestions for Raya (Eid Mubarak)

Well, here are some more fashion designs for you to try. For some people who are stuck with 'ugly' materials given as gifts from relatives or friends, why not try some mix & match. You do not have to use all the 4 metres material for a pair of 'baju/kain' suit. Bring it to textile shops and shop around for few matching materials. Buy the stripy ones, the plain ones and always do the trick - buy the matching chiffons!



We always buy 4 metres of the same material for a whole one-suit 'baju kurong' or 'baju fesyen' . If we bought them from the famous textiles shops like Kofom, Firoz Jaya, YMRM, De'Iyad and many more, the chances for embarassing 'clashes' are very high. So instead of buying 4 metres of the same pattern, buy 2+1+1 metres of different but yet colour coded materials or buy different colours that matched well when put together. Be bold if you want to be different. But dont over do it. We do not want to wear a 'selimut' (patched quilt) for Raya... telebih sudah..

But bottom line, the 'cutting' is very very important. We have to choose boutiques or tailor shops that understand your fashion needs. I had years & years of bad experience of bad 'cutting'. And it even give me phobia to try new places, for fear they will mess up my expensive/exclusive materials. If the cutting is bad, no matter how beautiful it looks on the hanger, if it is unwearable then it is a sad sad waste! For now I stick to AMANDA boutique (in Serusop, near Sek Men Berakas) and SR design @ Kiarong is not bad as well. I tried it last year.

P/S neesa, aku alum ada butik so inda apa lah.. aku share my designs di sini dulu.. ;-)

Looking for Raya fashion??

u
Got flu... so I could not go out. Just have to stay home.



Well raya is coming so I do some fashion designing using my scrapbook papers. Have a look.

Sorry, I cut the papers rather carelessly... When I got flu I dont care about perfection.. ha.. ha..

Dont feel like writting...
So I do sketches instead...
Only 4 for now.. Want some more?


This pink one is my favorite, simple yet elegant.

At this point of time, 2 months to Raya, most tailor shops do not want to accept any more new orders so make it simple but nice and sweet.

Happy Father's Day June 09

Happy Father's day to my husband! A good, loving, devoted dad. To my son he is everything!! we love him very very much. He is my hero...

Well, I have not attended the scrapbook class yet cos I could not find another partner to complete the smallest class of 2 beginners!
In brunei, scrapbook community is considered very small. Ladies here prefer cooking class or dressmaking class to artcraft class. Food is so dominant here in Brunei. And textile industry are very much well fed!

Scrapbook class or not, I decided to do some scrapping for my husband & son to celebrate father's day. Afterall, I have spend >$100 buying scrapbook stuffs @ shabbychic last weekend, so why not use them...
Happy Father's day to all good fathers out there. Thank you for all you have done for your family...

With Lots of love, this post is dedicated to you dear 'babah' - from me & Aiman

{Al-Fathihah for my late father Hj Mohammad Jaafar & my late father in law Pg Hj Mohamad Daud}

Scrap or crap

I always thought that creativity is one of my strength, somehow 'installed'. However recently, I am beginning to think that my creativity is now much diluted. I am specially creative if I am motivated. Perhaps no motivation = minimal creativity (below mediocre level even!).

Perhaps I need 'competition' cos my competitiveness or rather 'kiasu'ness has been the strongest driving factor for most of my successes. Do notice that most of my links here are to scrappers' blogs & webs. Hmm.. I create these links in attempt to absorb their creativity. Ha.. ha..

I thought I could do scrapbooking without having to attend (at least the very basic) class. I was wrong!
My plan now is to first, sign up for the scrapbooking class. I need to do this once & for all!
I have spend lots of $$ buying scrapping stuffs, papers, brads, ribbons, stickers etc.. And I did attempt to create a book for my son.

See what I meant? Scrap or crap?! This WAS an ugly album but I did not want to just throw it away, so I used it for my scrapbooking exercise.. I am way out of the scrapbookers' league!
Nevertheles, I love pretty papers. In fact it is one of my childhood hobbies, to collect pretty papers... wrapping papers, candy wrappers, perfumed letter papers, even boxes! I own few books about papers & papercrafts.
My love of papers & papercrafts attract me to scrapbooking. So now I just need to sign up for the basic class 1st and soon!

Scrapbooking - expensive yet addictive

I did not go out shopping this weekend cos my sis (Wati) need me to do a scrapbook for her Dr friend. I need to finish the whole book of >15 pages within 12 hours! Ha.. ha..

Can I do it? Of course! I manage to finish the whole book before 5pm. But did I manage to scrapbook it? I really am not sure... feel like just a sticking photos & stickers activity. Felt sorry for my sis but she is okay with it as she do not know scrapbooking that much. And she is paying me $$ as well (for the book/album and the stickers/stationaries as it is from my own stock - my 'store').

Whether I have succesfully create the scrapbook or perhaps CRAPBOOK of her friends life, it depends on the reaction of the receipient (Wati's friend). I will update you all on that..

Here is the update... Thank Goodness, she likes it.

Blogging

I am very new to the blog world so bear with me if my blog is a bit boring.. I will try to update it & will probably make changes to the layout if I have the time to do so..

I am actually still trying to find 'myself' here in this BLOG world.

KAIN UNTUK RAYA - Cheap doesnt mean low quality

Assalam...
Sorry for such along essay-like post below (07/06/09). I will try to make this one short!

If you are looking for materials for "baju Raya", you should start your search @ De'Iyad warehouse at Tanjung bunut Home Centre building. The materials are mass produced, true but you can exercise your creativity buy mixing & matching the materials you need. Or else macam kumpulan nasyid tah Raya ani nah.. Some of the special offered items are really worth buying, like the $13.00 4 metres suit. It come with considerable varieties. Some other textile shop sell it for 2 suits for $30, so if you buy from De' Iyad, you can save $4 for every 2 pieces you bought! And you do not have to buy 4 mtrs/ 4 mtrs. Perhaps you can buy 4x 2metres materials, all for 'kain' only. For the top part, you can shop elsewhere & use a more expensive or exclusive materials.
Or perhaps you want to be 'sedondon' in the office for Raya this year? So group up with your colleagues and buy the materials at warehouse prices there. Dont forget the tudung/scarfs, the $5 scarfs are very nice and surprisingly comfortable to wear (inda bangal telinga!).

Weekend shopping!

The 1st week of June just past a few hours ago and I felt contented with the shoppings I have done most recently. Yesterday we went to Athirah. We seldom go there but I manage to convince my 3 years old son to agree with the destination when I told him that the shop next to it (Soon Lee) have Thomas & friends stuffs!! He loves Thomas & Friends so much!! He can spot even the tiniest T & F items from the shelf high or low.

But thats not what I want to share with you now... I will dedicate one post for my son's 'obsession' with Thomas and Friends. This time I just want to update you on what I bought this weekend. all in Brunei, guys...

Saturday - my weekend shopping started @ Athirah. I sort of have to go there to get my contact lenses that I have pre-ordered before via Bright World. I very much prefer and recommended FRESHKON coloured (disposable) contact lenses to FreshLook lenses.

Freshkon lenses to me are much easier to put on and last longer without irritating my eyes. So that is why I do not hesitate to buy 3 boxes (as it is Bright World's requirement) for my degrees are 800. I wore the groovy green ones today... Lawa kali ah! Totally worth it!! $30 per pair so all together $90. At least I do not have to worry about my stock for Raya ani. I usually ask my friends or sister to buy for me from Miri because from other local optic shops, freshkon are not easily available and certainly not cheap ($40 per pair). I was happy when I know I can order FRESHKON from Bright World and they charge me $30 per pair as compared to $40 @ an optic shop In Manggis Mall! Of course in Miri I can get 2 boxes for B$50 but in the long run it is still economical & the hidden value (of shopping locally) is much higher.

Lavanita (Athirah) - Best collection of tudong/scarfs.
While waiting for my husband & my son from Soon Lee next door, I went in to Lavanita, a textile shop. This shop might not be well known for its textile collections but it sure does have the best collections of original silk scarfs! Actually, they have some rare items as well, that most textile shops did not cater. They have the interesting variety of Black or white (lace & Satin) matched sets for Istana functions (July) and they also have the best range of Dubai's Jubbah at reasonable prices!! And I have my eye on one particular pendant in the display cabinet. I will probably come back after payday!

Crocs shopping@Brunei

I dont exactly fancy crocs but I did bought one last nite from Yana.

My friends decide to take a different course in life. They start a small business selling currently in stuffs like crocs products, handbags, jewelries etc .. Congrats on thier BOLD decision.. Insyallah they could succeed.. Good luck Nita & Yana (Nits & Yan he.. he.. ). Their blog is legacysurya-store.blogspot.com. Nice stuffs indeed.. Other Than the crocs slippers, I bought 6 crystal bracelets!! Shopaholism attacks.

Jalan jalan cari crystal - panjang kaki ke Tutong

I went to Tutong last weekend for shopping. I believe in shopping locally. I do not fancy spending my $$ in other country. Support local economy... the money we spend locally will somehow come back to us.
There is a shop in front of TAIB's ATM @ Hua Ho Tutong's front building. I believe the shop has its own blog, DaRosse. This shop may be small but it has the best collection of crystals bracelets & necklaces I have come across here locally. Creative and much more current designs of crystal bracelets, with affordable prices!! I actually think they are relatively cheaper than here in Bandar.
I bought a medium-sized pink gift box with slightly damaged corner for a bargained price of $7.50 (from $12). I like to shop from these kind of shops, small yet unique great stuffs!! I believe the owner have good taste and work at staying current. Congrats!! Way to go...

We seldom got the chance to shop @Tutong but when we did, I usually spend >$100, mostly on shoes and jewelries. Speaking of shoes, not far from this shop, there is a shoe shop though not 'branded' it offers better range of 'currently in' shoes @ a relatively cheaper prize. For example, I bought a formerly cost $26.50 shoes for a special offer price of $10!! Its comfortable, current & looks grand! Totally worth it! I bought 2 pairs for my sis & niece as well...

So Bruneians, shops locally.. There are some great stuffs out there with great prices as well. Injects our money to our own economy not others.

Gift stocking, a sickness?

I have a tendency to stock gifts especially toys & jeweleries for future birthdays of those close to me (especially for children). It give me great satisfaction to be able to remember people's birthdays & be able to present them with gifts on their birthdays. I have a special storeroom for this purpose. My sisters call it 'Kadai Kajah' (my shop). Going through my store-room (scanning stuffs) is like shopping, they say. They would hint (or literally say out) what they want for their next Birthday.

At least once a month I will do some 'mindless' shopping for "the stuffs". I dont really need them & some do not even suit me but hey these are not for me! They are for others!! The shopping itself gave me great satisfaction, shopaholics would understand this. Mindless? perhaps, but certainly not heartless. I have a 'talent' to spot the best stuffs that was surprisingly best priced as well. Something that is not common, unique, that I happen to come across and I will be compelled to buy on the spot or else I will regret it over & over again..

My husband called it a sickness... I simply do not agree, as I still have control over it. I will indulge myself in 'mindless' shopping only if I have extra money to do it. And it is not self indulgence right? I buy these stuffs for others... with intention to make other people (especially kids) happy!!