Friday, 28 October 2011

Beaded Heels Project

Kebaya, kerongsang, kasut manek and cucuk sanggul are the perfect combination for typical pure Nyonya or bibik.

Bibik refers to aunty in nyonya language. 
Nyonya refers to female peranakan like myself :)

Not many know about "peranakan baba-nyonya" except Malaccan and Penagite because there are plenty of baba-nyonya in these two states.

We speak Nyonya Malay, we use hand to eat and we eat spicy!
Show mixture between Malay and Chinese.

As a peranakan, I often receive questions like :
#1  Do you take pork? - Hello world, we are Chinese. :)
#2  Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? - Back to #1 
#3 So, you are Chinese? - Why on earth such question exist? LOL

I have decided to wear kebaya with kain on my wedding reception. My sister, Sharen came out with an idea of us doing the kasut manek instead of wearing heels that doesn't match our kebaya. Oh well, initial idea was from her and I take up the challenge. :p
Never wear Kebaya in my life and not to mention about kasut manek. 
So, I'm gonna wear complete nyonya outfit on my very special day!!!

Started my beading project somewhere in June. 
Sharen got the design and materials from An Yang, Bunga Raya,



additional beads from Mei Wah.

beading in the office. HAHA

completed one side probably after a month

excited mode - fast progress less than a week
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ta-daaaaaaaaaaa

Mission Accomplished


up close - crooked beads (LOL)

Completed first round but I was asked to add on more beads on the both sides.
*balik sambung lagi*
And finally sent to the shoemaker last weekend!

(Updated - Collected my heels on 6th November.)
Definitely satisfied with the outcome!



Signing off with the kebaya that I will be wearing on 19th November.
*was late to complete the beaded heels before photoshoot*


♥♥♥♥♥


Friday, 23 September 2011

If I Was A Girl







“Are you guys ready for this?” or “Why so soon?” or “Do you have the money to get married?” and all sorts of other questions that the world bombards at people who have the slightest intention to tie the knot in marriage. The truth is, I don’t really understand why people are so concerned over such petty and trivial things. If I do love her, (and I have the blessings of our parents and spiritual leaders) then that’s all that matters. Everything else is secondary. Period. NOTHING else should stand in the way to hinder me from spending the rest of my life growing old with the love of my life.

  • If I was a girl and the man I love does not want to make me his girlfriend because he thinks I'm not ready, then I'd be very offended because he's not sure if the relationship gonna work.
  • If I was a girl and the man I love does not want to marry me because he thinks he’s not ready for marriage yet, then I’d be very offended. Offended because he’s not sure if I’m the girl he’d want to spend the rest of his life with. 
  • If I was a girl and the man I love does not want to marry me because he thinks he doesn’t have enough in his bank account, then I’d be very offended. Offended because money has robbed early marriage, youth and happiness from me. 
  • If I was a girl and the man I love does not want to marry me because he thinks he needs to climb the career ladder, buy a house, buy a car and get everything else so that I can live comfortably before he can marry me, then i’d be very offended. Offended because he did not include me in his life experiences and achievements.

That is, if I’m a girl.

p/s : well-written by one of the blogger and this is what exactly happened :)

Thanks to my beloved WY. 

-J&J-

Monday, 12 September 2011

Relaxing weekend getaway


Guess where were we during Raya weekend?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ta-daa...........

Putrajaya view.. :p


Woot... Second birthday celebration with him. We choose Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside for out weekend getaway. Quiet and far from the city. Relaxing stay and we had lakeside view room. So nice of them to upgrade our Standard Room to Deluxe King Room without additional charge. Thanks to HP for the corporate benefits. :)

welcome drink 

the cows couple. LOL 

complimentary fruits from the hotel 

excellent pool view..  

clock tower in the hotel area 

our favourite hangout place 

There are foosball, pool table, wii, flat screen TV, darts, board games, table tennis and congkak available in these room. Awesome right?

still remember how to play congkak? 

WY in action 

and I lose to him in bowling :( 

Good Morning :) 

man-made beach - great for photoshoot 

belated birthday cake 

Check out my review at tripadvisor on 2nd September 2011.

Love and impressed with the hotel architecture. Satisfied with everything from the room, customer service, pool and even the restaurant. We received a complimentary RM50 cash voucher as well.
Will be here again!!!

Dining challenge begins... HAHA. Seems like Alamanda is the only place for dinner and totally forgot about fasting month. All the restaurant were fully booked. *deng* Including 'Roti Boy' !! Had coffee and donuts at Starbucks for almost 30mins until we get our seats at TGIF. fuh... Glad that Muslim done their dinner not more than 1 hour. Else, we might end up eating bread for that night. *poor the birthday girl*

Oh ya.. And sneak peek from kebaya photoshoot.

Love the fact that I do look 'nyonya' here :p

busy checking KLSE.


-Thanks WY for the birthday celebration. Love ya-

Tuesday, 23 August 2011

Lucky Number #26

I'm officially 26 year-old today~! 


Been busy since I last updated this blog. Things have been running pretty smooth so far. Let me share little updates on what the double JJ did for the past 3 weeks :)
  •  Singapore short trip on 6-7 August :: WY was sent to Singapore for business trip. WY's mum, cousin and myself went for a short trip over the weekend. Should name it as Shopping Trip instead. LOL
    • Second photoshooting to Port Dickson on 12th (Friday) :: Sun tanning and I'm now 30% tanner than before. Gotta hide myself indoor until the big day :) Photo selection the next day. Our package consists of 55 poses/photos. It was kinda tough to select the photos our of 362 photos taken. 
     love this dress
      • BIG surprise on the morning before we went for photoshooting. I won myself an iPad2 from Spotted Malaysia. Oh.. WOW... Birthday present that I have never expect!!! I have been talking about getting an iPad. And wish granted... *bliss*
      ta-daa



      • Besides the iPad2 as birthday present, I got myself a guest room voucher from Doubletree by Hilton and 4 TGV tickets from nuffnang. What more could I ask for? Million thanks for the freebies!!!!
      TGV tickets + Doubletree voucher
      • Met Grace from Stories to discuss about our photoshooting coming Friday. We have decided to settle at The Wok, a peranakan restaurant with lots of antiques, furniture etc. Definitely a perfect match to my kebaya!!! Grace came out the venue suggestion after knowing that I'm going to wear kebaya for the shoot.
      • Attended makeup class with Pui at Malswisse, SS2 last Saturday (20th August). Class went pretty well. We paid RM88 for 3 classes and complimentary makeover/facial. Glad that I can redeem the makeover for Friday photoshooting. Save $$ for the makeup artist. Hehehe :p
      • WY's grandmother birthday celebration at Puchong on 20th night. Huge gathering close to 50 guests.
       new member in the grandchildren list :)

        Thursday, 11 August 2011

        Wedding Budget

        Where to start with wedding planning? I'm pretty sure most women have their own dream wedding. Fancy reception, walk down the aisle with stunning and glamour dress, gorgeous wedding cake and perfect honeymoon. Well, not everyone can afford to fulfill their dream wedding. The fact is, you can spend as much or as little as you want - the idea is to create a memorable occasion that will carry you into a happy marriage.


        The very first thing came into our mind was to set a wedding budget. It is essential thing for a successful of our wedding. We have a spreadsheet to keep track of our planned costs. (excel plays its role here) Need to know if we will be funding the wedding ourselves, bride's family, groom's family or a combination of sources. 

        Steps to maintain the wedding budget accordingly :

         Image from Weddings Place
        1. What is style or concept for our wedding?  * more on simple, elegant and affordable wedding (decided to have both receptions at restaurant instead of hotel with some reasons - food quality and cost). Of course hotel provides better ambiance. So, we came out with an idea for the decoration.
        2. How many guests to invite? * the advantage of having the reception at the restaurant that we can at least cover the cost of banquet (exclude beers and liquors). Yet, there is still limit for the number of tables in the restaurants. Guest list is not the major issue in term of budget.
        3. Do check on every hidden cost. * WY said, take note on every expenses for our wedding preps. We tend to ignore those small and little things that may cost a lot of money. Again, the spreadsheet helps to monitor the expenses and mange the money efficiently.
        4. Google is my best friend - I have been reading quite a bit on wedding preparations. * there are plenty of wedding vendors and services out there. Research the vendors and get price quotes. Forum and some wedding websites are useful that take much of the stress out of planning a wedding. I found forums are a great way for couples to share details about their big day.
        Besides having proper spreadsheet for budget, WY and I do communicate and discuss with each other in problem solving and decision making. Glad to have a considerate and happy partner.. :p 

        Friday, 5 August 2011

        August updates

        What's up this month? My Birthday, of course!!! :p
        2011 August is not about my birthday ONLY. We have other important things to do as well.

        There are few wedding preps need to be settled by end of this month :
        • pre-wedding photo shootings
        • invitation cards printing (Malacca + KL)
        • wedding heels
        • wedding favors (Malacca)
        • groom shirts - Singapore shopping and before Mega Sale ends
        p/s : Wish to complete above list by Raya break.

        Our photo shootings are scheduled on 12th and 26th August. Yet to finalize the props to bring along. Thinking of getting minimal, focusing on the scenery and of course we are the main characters in the photos. NOT the balloons.

        Getting my heels next Wednesday (10/8) - right before our PD photo shoot. My very first custom-made shoes. *finger crossed*

        I need to slot in an appointment with Hawa to further discuss on the wedding favors and cake. Mummy is planning to order cuppies for GDL as well. Erm... Minor change for the favors and cake.

        Can proceed with our card printing once we get the photo from Lasposa. - confidence level HIGH (fail big time if we can't get these simple task done. Haha)

        Now I see the importance of hiring wedding planner.. I am not saying couples MUST hire planner to survive. Here is an article "Is A Wedding Planner For You?" for those who are planning a wedding in the near future.
        Planning for the big day can be the most stressful part of a wedding. Make your own time and appreciate every single moment - like we do.

        Honestly, we never think of getting a wedding planner for our big day. We still manage to get most of the things done as planned (satisfied, although not as perfect we would like it to be). Wedding budget is absolutely essential and should one of the first things to do. (we have an excel sheet to keep track of wedding expenses - at least we don't use 555 notebook. LOL)
        We enjoyed preparation process despite the stress and tiredness. Can't really remember if there is any argument in between.
        Some good practice to be shared includes - plan ahead, prioritize and communication. :)
         
        Apart from the wedding preparations, there are other activities/plans coming up this month. Excited about paintball, party with girls, birthday celebration and Raya break. *woot*

        Sunday, 31 July 2011

        Why Marry?

        Very common questions asked (I get bored sometimes) ::
        • How do u know he's the one? 
        • Don't u think it's too early to get married?
        Tough questions and I usually answer it simple - my heart tells me that. :)

        Seems like everything happens in the blink of an eye. We met in my previous company (he is still working in the same company). We were both shy initially (so-not-Julie, oh well... I have crush on him). Here are some of what I love and know about him.

        * He is my good listener when I need him - listens to me, source of guidance and support (I would say, women are easily emotional when problems arise, unlike men - calm and cool :p r).

        * He makes me feel good about being myself. Never complains anything about myself (Although I keep saying I'm FAT. Haha), while always encouraging each other to be better. He pampers me through his words and actions.

        * Trust. I know he is doing his best and he wants the best for his partner too. A common saying "The secret to growing in trust is not to expect your man to be perfect." I know he is the perfect man for me.

        * He completes my life. A good partner who encourages and supports me professionally, personally and spiritually. My inspiration and did I ever mention he is quite cute. LOL

        * He sacrifices his time, energy and money to the woman he wants. That is me. :)

        * He is intelligent and smart enough to fall in love with me. Haha, I know u'll definitely like the last point. :)

        An article that catches my eye - "Why Compromise a Necessity in a Happy Marriage".

        In my opinion, compromise doesn't mean we need to change ourselves to suit each other. Being two different personalities - myself as an extrovert and he's introvert (such a shy boy), it is important in our relationship. We respect each other - we do things we love separately besides spending time together in sports. I'm pretty sure, nobody wants to be controlled. And soon, we are living together as a family. I used to have negative thoughts. Thinking unnecessarily, make myself worry and unhappy. I learn about sharing problems and ideas with partner. Open communication helps to make the relationship stronger. He is always the one compromise.

        Some thoughts about being married or benefits to married couple :
        (Taken from "Importance of Marriage to Society")

        ************
        Living Together: In a marriage, two individuals who tie the knot come together to set up a home of their own. They live under the same roof and sleep on the same bed. This ensures that the two partners feel lonely no more and get each other’s close company round the clock. They can speak to each other anytime they want and generally benefit from each other’s physical presence. (Looking forward to our new room and enthusiastic about living under one roof)   

        Functional Division of Labour: There are many advantages of living together. With marriage, there is a functional division of labour in all of the life’s activities. The wife usually takes care of household work such as laundry and cooking food while the husband goes out to work everyday to bring home the bacon. This makes things easier for both and they develop a specialisation in their area of work, concentrating fully on their individual responsibilities. The home and family functions are much smoother this way. (We might have opposite role as he will be doing cooking instead. :p)

        Financial Security: When two people get married, their lives intertwine in more ways than one. Both of them bring to the table all the savings and assets they have accumulated over the years gone past. This combined wealth increases the purchasing power of them both and they can afford to collect many luxuries for the home to make their life comfortable. If both the spouses have a job, then their salaries jointly add up to a tidy sum and they can now afford many assets, both movable and immovable, that they couldn’t earlier.

        Emotional Support: Perhaps the biggest benefit marriage offers to the partners is emotional support. The two of them stay together and lead a very close-knit life. They share their personal secrets with each other and do not hide anything. They discuss all of life’s big and small events and go to social functions together as one unit. When a partner is depressed or life takes a sudden turn for the worse, he or she is provided support by way of soothing words and encouragement by the spouse. Marriage is clearly a win-win situation for both. According to one survey, due to the emotional support they get, married people tend to live substantially longer and fall ill less often compared to individuals who never marry in their lives. (Yes. I agree 100% in emotional support. Based on my experience, married people fall ill less often because married couple are happier and healthier.)

        Rearing Children: To have children and begin a family, there really is no better option than getting married. This is because it is easy for the married partners to establish a safe and secure nest in which the children can be reared to grow up into healthy adults. The kids too grow up in the full-time presence of parents and bask in the deep emotional support that they require from adults for their psychologically healthy development. While the father ensures discipline, general guidance and physical security for the children, the mother offers them soft emotions such as tenderness, intimacy and affection. (3 years from now perhaps.)

        Social and Legal Recognition: Marriage, unlike live-in relationships, is an institution that has the full backing of the society and law. Duly married man and wife have a certain social status and respect that is denied to people past marriageable age who have never married.

        Marriage is also recognised by the law and has legal validity. The rights and duties of the married couple are well defined and enforceable in a court of law. If the partners want to split, there is a particular procedure that has to be followed with respect to not only untying the relationship but also for matters related to division of assets and liabilities, child custody and maintenance to be payable to wife.

        ************

        In a marriage relationship it is about the commitment that you have chosen to make to the person that you married. As such, love is a promise. When you got married, you promised to love, you did not promise to feel a certain way. You should remember that this promise was made for better, or for worse. I'm offically Mrs Tee. I love being married and everything has been great. :)


        WY, thank you for loving me. *hugz n kisses*


        Btw, my hands are too short to show how much I ♥ U :p