It's Christmas!

Err mah God ... it's Christmas! Seasons greetings everyone and enjoy the rest of the weekend! xoxo, yours truly.

Source - tumblr

5 days till Christmas

Gone were the days of classic green Christmas trees and colorful baubles and lights. Until today, it didn't cross my mind that Christmas too can have themes! I've scoured some themes that you may like, so do share if you have your own theme =)

I know it's too late to change themes now, so keep these in mind for next year!

#1 - Monochrome Christmas. Decors consisting of white, black, an earthy color or just one color.

#2 - White Christmas. The whiter it is, the better.

#3 - Minimalist Christmas. You know the saying, less is more.

#4 - Vintage Christmas. The first Christmas tree I remember having had a lot of toys as decorations, similar to these.

#5 - Beach Christmas. If you live for collecting beachy decorations, use them during Christmas too!

7. Rustic Christmas. I've always associated rustic with burlap, beer barrels, tree trunks etc but I was being told by my wedding planner that rustic is also about incorporating lots of natural elements, materials and earthy colors into the decoration.

8. Go All Out Christmas. And if you're the ultimate Christmas lover, I'd say go all out with all the decorations and lights - in and outdoor!

8 days till Christmas

I've always wanted to do a Christmas wish list but my mind turns blank once I sit in front of the desktop. So this time I made sure to write it all down:

1. Christmas candles. I recently found out Yankee Candles are being sold right here in Malaysia at 1 Utama, Great Eastern Mall and Sunway Pyramid! Can't wait to get one to add to the festive ambience at home.
2. Mystery Case Files - Shadow Lake. I'm playing catch up with the Mystery Case Files series. The game gets a little pricey once the price is converted. We're now RM4.30 for $1.
3. Concealer. I never bothered much about make up when I was growing up because my mom didn't use much of it, save for lipsticks. I was also for an all natural look, until I attended a wedding and saw pale photos of me; that was when I decided that I have to put more colors on my face. I have the basics like foundation and eyeshadow, and it's time to purchase a concealer.
4. Lipstick. The one I bought was too bold pink and it wouldn't hurt to buy a more subtle one.
5. Wedding heels. I own a lot of black heels so I thought that could be my something old for the wedding. Except a lot of people got shocked by that color so here's adding yet another item to buy for the wedding.
6. A new handbag. I own one proper handbag, given to me by my mom's boss's wife.
7. OPI nail polish. I have achieved some milestones this year, and one of them was a manicure. I never thought of painting nails as a big deal but once I saw how shiny and sparkly they were, I must get one bottle!
8. Starbucks tumbler. I've always wanted a Starbucks tumbler but it's either not liking their design or it was too expensive. I saw these 2 Christmas tumblers priced at RM62 each and my hands.are.itching.to.get.one.
9. Purse. The purse I'm using now is older than me. My folks went for their honeymoon in Europe in the early 80s and bought a leather purse, and it's still in great condition. The color has faded a little and has only 3 compartments but I still love it; however it doesn't hurt owning 2 purses, right?
10. Primer. Another item needed to add into my makeup bag.

11 days till Christmas

My 10 favorite things about Christmas.

1. Decorating the tree. The tree has been around since I was born. One time we were too lazy to dismantle it so we just left it there for the whole year. Now that I've got a place of my own, I got one (but have yet to get it out of the store room) to keep the Christmas spirit alive as much as I can.

Source - drew-fuller.com

2. Christmas songs on the radio. Keeps me company during the 2 hour drive home.

3. Decorating the office. This department decorates during each major celebration and takes them very seriously. Last year we won 3rd prize for the inter-departmental best Christmas decoration.

4. Opening gifts. This was a huge deal when I was a kid because I'd get so many gifts. I believed in Santa back then; but one time I didn't get a gift from him and I didn't question as to where he was, so the surprise present just stopped coming. These days, we exchange presents with the whole department so I still get very excited over this.

5. Starbucks' Toffee Nut Latte/Frap. I love toffee, I love toffee nut syrup, I'm okay with latte - basically I like sweet things. Plus, it's a festive drink so I'm used to associating it with Christmas. And if you want to know, I don't have a beef with the plain red cup this year.

6. Shops' displays. One of the signs that the Christmas season is here are the displays malls and shops put up. From simple Christmas trees to elaborate designs .. you have to give them the thumbs up for their effort every year.

7. This Hallmark Christmas ad. This.gets.me.everytime.

8. Snow. Thanks to Christmas movies and stories, I grew up wanting to celebrate a snowy Christmas (I will, one day). For some, snow can be savage but for people like me who has never experience snow falling, so allow me to fantasize the beauty of it.

9. Christmas candles. There are so many candle scents you can get from departmental stores or a cute little vintage shop. I'm mostly familiar with the fruity scents from Ikea, but the one scent I came so close to buying was pomegranate (that's going into my wishlist). And if anyone knows where I can find Yankee Candles, do let me know so I can try it too.

10. Christmas spirit. At the end of the day, it's the joy and warmness you get and feel from this particular day. It could be from receiving gifts, being with the people you love, showing kindness and generosity to people around you. So do something good during this festive season!
All images courtesy of Tumblr unless stated.

14 days till Christmas

Hiya gang! It's 14 days to Christmas!

I hope you're starting to feel the Christmas joy already! It has been raining almost everyday here, so I can pretend it's the winter chill.

And one of the things I like to do during this season is to prepare a Christmas/Winter playlist to get me more into the holiday mood. I personally do not think there's anything better than that. Listen to it in the car, in the train, put it on speaker in the living room .. anywhere really.

You may notice most of the songs I've picked are covered by legendary crooners. I think there's something so nostalgic in the voices and it makes you all warm and rustic feeling inside.

Do share your favorite holiday songs and spread the joy during this festive season!

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

2. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

3. Let It Snow - Dean Martin

4. White Christmas - Bing Crosby

5. Frosty The Snowman - Gene Autry

6. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

7. Christmas - Michael Buble

8. Winter Wonderland - Frank Sinatra



9. Last Christmas - Wham



10. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano

17 days till Christmas

The highlight for 2015 for me was becoming a wife. I still can't believe it to be honest, because we're still doing the same things we did before. Like working late, occasionally cooking and other times, ordering take outs, him watching football and me doing whatever I feel like doing (playing Sims .. lol) but hey, we're just like that.

Christmas time can also be a time to reflect, and to start afresh. Be thankful for the life you have as of this moment and anticipate for better things in the coming year.

As for me, I'm thankful for:

#1 - our health
#2 - having a job, despite complaining so much about it
#3 - moving into our new place without much issues
#4 - wedding plans are underway but we should really stop procrastinating
#5 - the friends around us
#6 - learning to not stress too much because I'd end up with tension headache

And as for next year, I hope to become a better person. Be nicer to people, discover and learn more things and control my temper. Oh, and not turn into a bridezilla.

19 days till Christmas

Holy Christ! It's December already?! It feels like we only ushered in 2015 couple months ago and it's the end of the year already. Can you believe it?

And synonymous with December, Christmas is also approaching! Hands down it is the holiday I always look forward to. There is just something so magical about Christmas, don't you think? Setting up the tree and lighting it, cozying up with Christmas movies, seeing Christmas decors at departmental stores, listening to Christmas songs .. it's making me all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it ..

[inhales]

And then I google snow and Christmas to get more in tune, since we don't have snow here in Malaysia =/

Anyways, Christmas is also the time all of us return home to our hometown, Ipoh and spend quality time with family. All the cousins and uncles and aunts get together and have a hearty meal (not necessarily turkey and eggnog) but it's the gathering that matters. We just have so much fun sitting around and talking about anything that comes to mind. And we also watch the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show =)

Since Christmas is only one day, we try to make the most of it; by slowing down and savoring every second of it. Different people celebrate in different ways (or maybe won't celebrate at all), but the most important thing is - be happy and enjoy the one day holiday!

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas!

Source - encuentraunarazonparasonreir

Christmas stuff

So Christmas this year was okay - I managed to take 2 days off from work but couldn't find anyone to work for me on Dec 26 so yeah, I spent Christmas morning eating and the other half driving back to KL. Well, I've learned my lesson so I've got 2 people to work for me for next year's Christmas already. Hah!

Red tree at Bukit Jalil. With twinkling lights 24/7.

Cousin Bee's tree. Loaded as usual.

Underneath Bee's tree. Also loaded as usual.

Food! I had 2 plates of rice and 2 plates of spaghetti. Cuz when I'm hungry I get all pissed as to why I didn't stuff myself more.

Early birthday dinner

Since Christmas this year will be spent driving along the North South highway (and not enjoying it!) I decided for an early celebration at Chili's. Since it was a weekday and Mid Valley's parking lot would be full by lunch time, I'd always start my journey at 11am to park in my usual spot (Garden's Zone B, level P2). Why - because it's a single spot so no irresponsible people would carelessly open their doors too wide and touch mine. Believe me, I've seen it happen when this auntie did in in front of my eyes.

But since I'll be tagging along with K, who overslept, we arrived when all spots were filled up and spent a good half hour finding one. Dang. That is why I prefer going out by my own.

Anyways, I spent the day at my usual hangout spots - bookstore and pet store before dinner. Also did some Christmas tree ornaments shopping in an effort to make my tree look nice for once.

I ordered the usual New York strip, with my fav *half eaten* mashed potatoes with black pepper gravy, garlic bread and fresh vegs! It never ceases to fail me and totally worth my money.

K's lamb shank with mashed potatoes and black beans. He wiped everything clean.

My mango juice.

K's tomato juice. He then opted for a pineapple refill, but the waiter thought he wanted to mix both together which resulted in a "quite good" taste, according to K.

Home away from home

Dec 24th - While the family is at home chomping on ham and mouth-watering dishes I had my very first teppanyaki! I picked this one cuz it’s like the 2nd cheapest plus I’m addicted to beef.

While waiting the food to digest we lepaked around Jusco and looked at food and how we’re gonna survive in Liverpool and what we’re gonna eat who’s gonna cook .. you get the idea lah yea.

Gerenti can live forever

So cute I want!

Then Lydia and I ordered sundaes :)

The other two had fries. And we were still going to Mali’s later to see if there were fireworks displays and also to eat more.

On the way to Mali’s I was already in the SMS mood. I really suka Dec 25th lah cuz it’s like that one day in the year where I get countless messages and calls. It’s like people out there still remember your existence. Ha!

Then we waited on the slope where we could get a good view of KLCC and the KL tower. My phone couldn’t really reach that far so no point take pic or video lah. Mana tau langsung tak dak fireworks, just some colorful light display on KL tower itself. KLCC blackout except for some twinklie lights.

Dec 25th - The gang gives up and we retreat to another mamak cuz Mali overcrowded. I continued receiving and replying messages, very very happy in the center of attention. I pretty much forgot my roti pisang.

Out of nowhere, this came:

Omg like so overjoyed lah like never see cake before. I thought the gang forgot all about it but I didn’t really peduli lah cuz too busy reading SMS. Aiseh … looks like my first birthday and Christmas in KL wasn’t that bad after all.

We left at 2 in the morning and I still had the mood to add more for the thesis. Not before I opened up the gifts!

Hostel gang bagi

Roomie's. We got the same gifts for each other .. haha

K's 39.90 bunny. Somemore he left the price tag there. Idk if he's that calculative or just plain sengaja.

In the afternoon I ajak K out to lepak and belanja him. I spent 22 bucks on Twilight tickets alone, dang the cinema really profit a lot on public holidays.

He say don't want McD's for dinner so I treated him to Chilli's (2nd time this month alone!) We sengaja ordered the cheapest food but the bill still came up to 76 bucks. But incredibly worth lah since it took us very very long to wipe out our food. Knowing me lah I memang anti-wasting my food cuz when I'm starving the next day I'd think about the food I wasted before. Yet another bizarre info.

While walking to the car I counted I spent 98 bucks. 2 bucks left for the LRT ticket the next day then. That was before the parking cost us a massive 14 bucks! K only had 3 bucks in his wallet so I sigh and say I pay lah >.<

That was my Christmas slash Birthday.