Childhood Home in Kerteh, Terengganu

During the 3 day weekend in conjunction with Hari Merdeka, my family, hubby and I went on a 1 night’s trip to Kemaman/Kerteh Terengganu. My parents had a wedding and invited us along for the trip. I was excited and happy that hubby wanted to go.  We planned to visit the house we lived in when I was about 3 to 7 years old and eat all the delicious delicacies from the state.

We left really early on that Saturday. We made a few stops along the way and reached Kemaman at around 11.30 am. Since it was still early for my parents to go to the wedding, we made a stop at warung Che Wan (if not mistaken) . We bought satah’s and had it to go. We (hubby, brother and i) then went looking for Warung Aziz Satar since the internet suggested it has all the food I was looking to try.

We got so excited to see Pais ikan, sotong, ketam, & kerang, there was satah,’s, otak2 (terengganu style), pulut panggang, fried seafood and a wide variety of lauk kampong.

We had a feast..but I must say that the satah’s from warung che wan was better…

After lunch the 3 of us headed to Kerteh which is a 15-20 minute away. Kerteh has a lot of meaning to our family.. We lived there in the late 1980’s to 1990…

I’m tearing just by typing this…. I had so many good memories..My dad being a employee of an oil & gas company was transferred to the Rantau Laut neighborhood..

The house we lived in was big, a 7 room bungalow, it was a gated community so we didn’t have our own gates. So the neighborhood kids and I roam freely. My house was right next to the playground. And at the other end of the street is literally the beach and a clubhouse with a restaurant, a pool etc…

I was worried the police guard manning the security gate would not let us in, but after a bit of explaining we were headed into the neighborhood. Even though a lot of the houses there are now uninhabited.. it was still well kept.. it was really quiet. Hardly saw a soul at that hour.. maybe it was too hot in the afternoon for anyone to be roaming around.

In the beginning we weren’t sure of the street we lived in, so we called mom and asked for the street number. We arrived in front of our house.. Was soo happy. Memories came flashing. All the festivities, the Halloweens, the neighbours…Our neighborhood was a mix of races and also expatriates..I had so much fun…

Took pictures with my brother and husband in front of the house and left to go check into Resorts World/Awana Kijal..

Mom and Dad met us at the hotel and all of us rested for abit. Since I love seafood goreng, I suggested we go have some. My brother, while he was studying had his internship in Paka a couple of years back. So he knows his way around Kemaman, kerteh and Paka. He brought us to a stall by the beach in Paka to have keropok lekor and all the other fried seafood. Imagine having fried seafood like having pisang goreng in the evenings…We also went back to the house because my parents wanted to see it too..This time around we saw a few people jogging and walking around. After that, we went around the area (all the while dad was reminiscing the past) before we headed back to wash up and pray before we go have dinner at a restaurant I fondly remember in Kemaman famous for its stuff crabs. Tong Juan Restaurant. Anyone who’s familiar with the area will know about Tong Juan.  Used to go there while we were living in Kerteh. And have not been back ever since I left. My dad and brother being in the oil & gas industry would occasionally go back to kerteh for work, so they have been back at Tong Juan..Glad hubby enjoyed the food there.

So the next day, after checking out we made another stop to warung che wan to buy satah’s to bring back..We arrived home before 6 pm..

It was a meaningful trip for me.. I hope to go back there soon ..

Bandung

Hello to whoever reading.
Again i've  abandoned my blog. Dont know why i completely forgot that i have a blog.
Ok i'm vowing to start blogging. at least every month. We'll see about that.

Can u believe its already August?!
The recent ramadhan & syawal month went by so quickly. As usual, the first few days of syawal was spent in Melaka with my husbands family. This year was a little different.
We (including my inlaws) all 19 of us planned a raya family trip overseas on the 6th day of raya.
It was our first overseas trip together. In the beginning, the plan was for my husband and i to take my mil to Jogjakarta, but when Airasia had their sale, I saw that Bandung was less than rm250. So i mooted the idea to invite my sister inlaws and their families.
It was going to be my 4th visit to Bandung but I didnt care because I had such good memories of Bandung and i loved the weather.

I was nervous as i was in charge of booking the flights, looking for a tour company and accommodation. Syukur that everything turned out well.

We went to see the volcano, the new floating market and of course did lots of shopping.
My sister in laws really enjoyed shopping for materials in Pasar Baru , that they went there twice, 2 days in a row. We stayed at Anggrek Shopping hotel which is in Jalan Riau. Famous for its factory outlets that are a 5 minutes walk away from the hotel. Our hotel was also connected to a shopping mall and made things easy when we had to get things from the supermarket, pharmacy and also food from the foodcourt. This hotel for sure suits our requirements and caters to our needs. I also recommend our tour company Jack Tours to whoever planning to visit Bandung

I got myself blouses that are leass than rm40 which looks like they're from H&M, Dorothy Perkins etc. Happy!! Not all outlets have clothings that are to my liking. You've got to go outlet hopping/shopping to find whatever that tickles your fancy.
On the last full day there, I got my pisang bollen and brownies fix from Kartika Sari. Yumm. I've missed those so much..

We have already planned on going for another trip next year. Its nice to get to spend qualtiy time with my sister inlaws/ bro in laws and my nieces and nephews.
Hopefully we make this a yearly affair.

Bangkok Make Up Haul

So about a month ago my family, hubby & i went for a mini vacation to bangkok during the labor day weekend. 

I was in charge of arranging the accomodation and itinerary etc. since it would be my 5th time in Bangkok and the latest trip was on my birthday last year. I chose to go back to the trusted Arnoma Hotel which has a fantastic location, surrounded by malls right in the city centre and a 5 minutes walk to the BTS station. 

We had such a good time there, and ate good Thai food and arab food (went to the arab street at night), managed to squeeze in Chatuchak market and of course shopping. The highlight of our trip was having dinner on a cruise along the Chao Phraya River.

That was really nice. 

One of Thailand's pharmacy chain is Boots! I lovee Boots! Only during my birthday trip that i discovered there is a  Boots in the mall just beside my hotel which is literally 2 minutes walk away. The main reason i love Boots is for their makeup section. They carry the brand 17, No. 7, and so many more. Brands that i can find from Boots in London!

I also just diacovered the brand Catrice during my birthday trip. It was hella cheap and i've always loved the brand 17. So of course getting more beauty items from Boots was on my to do list .

Here are the items i got. All of this for around 1450 baht. Cheap right

I was sooo happy i got them from the Boots beside my hotel as the same item from a different Boots outlet has a surprisingly much higher price. 

Loved the mini trip. 

Here are the makeup items i bought

Contouring & Bronzing

Hi!

Been too long!
I'm back to talk about my current favourite makeup product.
Since the beginning of my enthusiasm for make up, i have always liked adding bronzer or contour to give my round face dimension after applying foundation or a bb cream with contouring and bronzing. 
From what i've learned, contouring can avoid the face from looking flat after the application of foundation.

My first contour/bronzer product that i bought is the Sleek Face Form in medium if not mistaken. It comes with the contour powder, highlighter and the bronzer. I only contour when i'm going out for a special event or at night as it does tend to look too strong if worn during the day. Instead I bronze everytime i use make up. i would rather use a bronzer than a blush.
I love contouring and bronzing as i can sculpt my face to highlight and contour the areas i want to bring attention to or hide.
Just recently my interest towards cream contour and bronzer grew. Almost all the youtube gurus have a video on how to contour n highlight to achieve the Kim K look. so of course i had to buy a cream sculpting kit and my mom managed to get me the Chanel Tan De Soleil Bronzer Universal while she was on a cruise on a recent Scandinavian trip. Been looking for this product for awhile and concluded that it's not available in Asia because its not available in KLCC and I also asked at the airport in Bangkok & Narita, both do not have this item in their collection.

I am a MAC NC 40-42 and this product does appear on my skin tone. Was worried it wouldnt appear. But i do need to build it up a bit. 

So now i'm trying to find the best brush or sponge to use with a cream contour or bronzer product to give me the best result . Working with creams are on a whole different level. you've got to make sure you blend it into the face properly and all. But using creams definitely gives you a more natural and dewy look compared to using a powder.

There's so many contour and highlight videos on youtube that takes you step by step and can help u get an idea on what goes where. 

DHC Cleansing Oil

Have you tried cleansing oils?

I myself have never until i bought the DHC cleansing oil while i was in Japan.
Before the trip, i googled : beauty items to get from Japan and this cleansing oil was one of the list of item to get.

I must say that i was skeptical initially, since i have oily skin. But i am SUPER happy i tried it. It removes make up easily.  I just need 2 small pumps to completely remove all the make up including mascara. The oil melts the make up away. During my first try, i thought i would still need to cleanse my face with my everyday cleanser after using the oil. but i didnt need to. after rinsing my face, there wasnt the slightest bit of oil residue . and i felt squeaky clean.

I personally would use this oil for days when i have a full on face of make up. I now have a new perspective on cleansing oils. I also heard the shu eumura's one is good too..

I would definitely repurchase.

In Love with Japan

Nabana No Sato ( Flower Garden)

Hello!

Or Konnichiwa darlings!

About a month or so ago i went to Japan for a short vacation. I never thought i would fall in love with Japan. I visited Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya.  It was fall in Japan and the weather was cool (around the mid teens during the day) and the trees were turning into beautiful golden and red colors. I must admit if we went abit later we would be able to experience the kyoto autumn foliage in full effect. Nevertheless it was still breathtakingly beautiful. 

I love Japan. I'm already planning to go back with my husband. 

Here are some of the pictures:

Osaka Castle

Toyota Museum

Kyoto

SHOULDER BAGS FOR WOMEN- THE 3 MUST HAVE ITEMS

What is your favourite handbag style? There are a many types of shoulder bags for women..I personally gravitate towards totes. A tote can give you a laidback look and also a polished look depending on the size, design and colour. Large totes are practical for moms to double as a diaper bag and also for women who loves to throw in practically everything in it (like me), heck some days I even carry cat food for the strays. (I love cats). The smaller ones are just chic for every woman really. It’s just up to your taste and style to define what mood you are in or what type of look you are going for. I have a few favourites when it comes to handbags. The first would be a staple in every woman’s collection. A black coloured handbag. It is perfect for women to wear to the office looking professional, sophisticated at a formal dinner and basically everywhere. You can never go wrong with black.

The second shoulder bag is for the ladies who love playing with colours and perking up their fashion style. My mom and I love pops of colour. A bright coloured handbag is a great accessory to brighten up your whole look. Gone are the days that you have to colour coordinate your shoes with your handbags. Go to town with the wide arrays of colourful handbags available these days.

The third handbag that a woman should definitely own is a beige or a tan/nude coloured one as this colour is a neutral and portrays an elegant yet soft look. Women can wear it to parties, to work or even with a plain casual outfit and still look amazingly ravishing and polished. The beige shoulder bag is also a very versatile colour for women who do not want to spend a lot of time figuring out the perfect choice of bags to match with their clothes.

Having colleagues that share the same passion in beauty and fashion, we love browsing through Malaysian online shopping websites for handbags and beauty items during our lunch breaks. I find that ZALORA have a wide variety of handbags and gorgeous accessories at an affordable price. I love handbags, and I’m pretty sure almost every woman does.