One of my favorite online store will definitely be TLA.
I have been shopping with them for a couple of years now. They have a wide variety of choices and some are hijab friendly too.
The only down side of this online store is their reply. It takes a while for them to reply on your inquiries. But they will definite ship your item but it might take weeks. Majority of the choices are pre-orders. Their prices start from as low as RM18.
TLA also provide bulk orders or wholesale.
I believe that a question that will always be the topic in every wedding you attend or perhaps you're the bride and groom, 'Can have kids d lor after this'. Cliche, I know. Been there and currently still going through it. I have people asking me 'Ei, got d ar?'.
Well, it's never and will never be the first or last time. I used to be that nosy person of asking people 'So when you wanna have kids ar?'. Often actually until I stumbled an article about why you don't ask married people this question.
Photo courtesy of PetaPixel
I have been married for eermmm....around 8 months now but I still don't have bun in the oven...Layman's term...pregnant. Reason being, I'm not mentally prepared plus having babies are expensive. Things are different compare to the olden days. In the olden days, majority don't take out their calculator to have rough estimation of how much will it cost to have A baby. People don't go around asking other mothers, which hospital is the cheapest or affordable. But now, including me, they do.
Everybody wants to have children of their own. Who on earth doesn't? If you hear a woman says 'Don't want kids la forever'. She's lying. Every woman has been instilled with that motherly instinct .
Apart from financially, an individual has to be mentally ready to have small feet crying in the middle of the night for milk or running around the house especially working mothers. Now, don't say 'other mothers also working what'. God created different facial shape, different body shape as well as different mentality. What does it mean? It means people are different.
Yah, yah, I've heard 'You'll never be ready for anything'. I am me and you're you. Everyone has the ability to identify your own emotion and physical strength. So you know your own capability, so do I.
Yes, I've heard 'anak itu rezeki Tuhan' too but sometimes, God works in a mysterious way. Rezeki can come in many forms even though you don't have kids. Children is an extra blessing, that I don't deny. Or, perhaps, not because of financial burden that a couple doesn't want to have kids, but instead, emotional state?
Seriously, it takes a lot to be a mother. I was 10 when I had a sister. 10 is an age where you have the ability to remember things. So I have seen the things my mother had to go through when carrying my sister. Plus, babies are a lifetime commitment. You can't sell babies like real estate. You can tell people 'Ala, sakit kejap ja' or 'When you see your babies face, all the pain will go away'.
You know, there will come a time where 'Ok, let's have kids'. I want to have kids. If not, why do I bother to get married? Just the sake of making it legal?
Again, different people has different plans as married couple. People appreciate the concerns you have but let time decide and let things flow as what He has plan for them. Insyaallah, one day, there'll be small feet running around the house.
I was back in my hometown last weekend. It was the usual monthly thing that I do except that I skipped the trip back home last month. Spent my December in Singapore during the holidays.
This time, I had a goal in my mind. To have my nasi kandar that I used to have back when I was small. It was still the same old small cart placed in front of a clinic. The clinic was also the place where the doctors saw me and my sister grew up.
I was pretty excite. Not knowing on what to expect of the taste. Well, to my surprised it tasted the same and I was a happy girl.
The nasi kandar starts their operation around 6pm until for as long as there's still food left. But it's better to go early as the queue can be quite long later in the evening. Seats were also very limited.
Fatimah nasi kandar is a family business established more than 30 years ago. The nasi kandar is much different that the one you see in Penang. It's more a like of nasi tomato. You should try once.
After dinner, my dad brought us to a newly opened rojak shop. The concept was the same as the nasi kandar except now, they have their own shop lot. But the unique thing is that, they incorporated their old fruit cart in the shop itself. Their specialty? Of course, their rojak. They too saw me and my sister grew up. In a small town like Perlis, people basically knows each other. You can't run or hide from one another. We also live harmoniously.
I believe that bumping into Dnas Qaseh wedding planner was no coincidence. Perhaps it was fate.
When I started planning for this wedding, I have a budget in my mind. That it will not exceed 20k. With the budget that I had in mind, I begun scouting for a wedding planner.
If you have many family members or siblings, uncles or aunties who stay around your location or maybe the same state, wedding planner is not necessary. But because my mum and dad were not locals, we had to get help.
My dad had a few co-workers who used to work with him last time, staying around. They actually helped a few things too.
I had a few ideas in my mind. I wanted to combine the element of traditional with a little twist of modern into the wedding outfit. So, Scha Al-Yahya wedding outfit was my inspiration. I had 2 fitting session and even on the day of the reception, some amendment had to be made in the hotel suite itself *who said I grew fats?*.
Although my outfit was modern + traditional, I wanted to retain the traditional style in the groom's outfit. With the tengkolok and keris on him. I knew what I wanted because I had everything written in my organiser. From the color of the fabric for my outfit to the color of the deco for the wedding dinner. I made it easy for both the hotel event manager as well as the wedding planner.
As for the pelamin, my mum specifically requested to have the traditional bench made of kayu jati. So my wedding planner had to use the one she had at home.
There are a few things consider when hiring a wedding planner:
1. Know your budget. This is the most important element even before your start planning for your wedding. Most wedding planner are flexible enough to play around with your budget. The cost to hire a wedding planner in the city will definitely be higher from the suburb.
2. Things will be easier if you have a rough idea on how would you like your wedding to look like. Perhaps, you can start with the theme and color scheme.
3. Prior to meeting your wedding planner, jot down your inspirations in a book or keep it somewhere in your phone. Show it to your wedding planner. Perhaps the combination of your idea and your wedding planner's idea would create a much better outcome. Above your expectations.
4. As a girl, especially, you tend to add the unnecessary little things for your wedding. Everyone wants to have fairy tale wedding but let's be realistic, not everyone can afford it. If you have a budget to stick to, keep it within that limit. Some things are not necessary or perhaps if you are creative enough, you can DIY.
5. Meet your wedding planner prior to your wedding date to discuss on the details again. Your deco, your outfit and whatever that is necessary. This is to make sure both side are on the same page.
Lastly, don't FORGET TO LEAVE SOME FOOD FOR THEM.
By Juan Rafel
I love food especially Western. But I can do local cuisine as well. My wife has a different taste. She prefers the authentic 'masakan kampung'. Although she has a Chinese blood line in her, but we both both agree that I'm more Chinese than her.
I read food blog from time to time. Hunting for good food has always been my favorite past time during the weekend.
So I've been reading about Noor and Dean for quite some time now. So I thought why not give it a try a few weekends before.
Dining in Noor & Dean’s Cafe is a stroll down the memory lane. The atmosphere boasts collectibles depicting historical community of yesteryears Penang, all accompanied by a casual and tasteful menu ranging from favorite local delicacies to Western. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served seven days a week. Before dining, join us in the heritage Dean’s Lounge, enjoy our caffe or vino while socializing with friends and loved ones. Come and jump into our time machine.
Noor and Dean was featured on TripAdvisor so I believe that this cafe is a must go place when you visit Penang. Situated along a row of shop houses in front of 1st Avenue, this cafe looks like it came from the past. The deco of the cafe are mainly antiques.
You can have delicacies like cucur udang (prawn fritters) and surprisingly they're delicious although the price is slightly expensive compare to those in mamak stall. The place is also cosy and you can hear jazz music playing in the background.
Noor and Dean cafe is partially cafe and partially boutique hotel. The rooms are situated on the 2nd floor of the old building.
71 & 73, Noordin Street, Heritage City of Georgetown, 10300 Penang, Malaysia. info@noordinstreethouse.com
Tel: 604-262 7173 Fax: 604-2627172
The wedding plan started a year before the actual date. In fact, it was before we set the exact date *being a perfectionist*. Basically I already had an idea how my wedding will look like. One thing for sure, I wanted something very traditional. From the interior of the hotel ballroom to my hantaran baskets to my reception outfit. My mum wanted something bright, that was the reason why the songket was to be red.
The groom side was more of a simple and leisure concept. Therefore, we did not customize anything even the outfit. We took a simple wedding package from Putree by Kuang Yee. They provide the dress and the decorations and the luncheon was held at Anjung Budi, USM.
As for my hantaran, I requested for fresh flowers because I wanted something different. I hired Syurga Cinta Abadi who was also a friend of mine who owns a bridal boutique. I specifically told her that I wanted something simple. She created a mock hantaran and sent a photo of it. I agreed and on the day of my nikah, she brought everything along.
I was absolutely pleased with the outcome. It was what I have imagined and wanted. The base of the hantaran were my own. Made of wood and rattan.
No. 33, Jalan Kota Permai, Taman Kota Permai, Bukit Mertajam
012-4760334
Because this is a home based business, I suggest that you call to make appointment.
Sekeping Kong Heng, in the charming old town of Ipoh, is the latest addition to the Sekeping family of retreats. It is located in a 3 storey neo-classical building which also houses a famous coffee shop of the same name on the ground floor that serves great coffee and the best local dishes in town. All effort has been made to preserve as much of the character of the existing building as possible in contrast to the surrounding new architectural interventions. In addition, an extension has been added at the back, tucked away to reveal an inner courtyard with a dramatic stairway to take guests up to their rooms.
Hotels or retreat places like this has been mushrooming throughout Malaysia especially in Penang and Perak. Mainly because, only places like these 2 states, one can witness the architecture of British era buildings and its remain.
Many of these old building were turned into inn or motels but they still retain the originality of the building itself. Although some of them may look creepy, but it rather brings you back to the olden days. The stains that were left on the wall makes you imagine how life is back in those days.
Sekeping Kong Heng has it's advantage of being situated in the heart of Ipoh. Most of the infrastructures are close by like the Ipoh KTM station (8 mins), coffee shops and cafes (1 min), medical clinic (8 mins), wet market, night market (30 mins), banks, money changer, post office (15 mins). Access is easy. For those who don't travel by your own transport, I believe that Sekeping Kong Heng is a very convenient place to stay.
Although the rate of the rooms are rather 'burn your pocket' price, it will be an unforgettable experience for you and the family. Modern and antique can never go out of style. You can book the rooms at a lower price from Agoda.
Photos courtesy of Husna
