We have yet to get it maid...

I am sad today. My maid of 2 years has gone back. I dn't know whether I am sad that she has gone back or is it because I have no maid. *sigh*

When the last maid went back 2 years ago, I dn't remember feeling this sad. Maybe because I already knew then that d new maid was already on her way here. It was also at that time that I was more preoccupied with d operation that I had just gone thru a few days prior to her departure.

I probably also wasn't that sad because my MIL's maid was still around then to take care of my son while I was recuperating from the operation. I had one less thing to worry about. This time around, not only my maid went back, but also my MIL's long serving maid of 6 years also went back on d same flight with my maid.

I worry about how we (my MIL and myself) are going to cope up without a maid because we have yet to know when the new maids will be coming in. As it is, I am already taking off a few days from work to take care of my son. My hubby will be taking a few days off too from work when I have meetings to attend at work which cannot be delegated to anyone else. But, for how long can we be away from the office? *sigh*

My son needs to go to school. We kind of resolve how to handle things in the morning as we get ready for work and get my son ready for school. It is when my son gets bck from school at noon that I worry about how my MIL is going to cope up without a maid because my son needs to eat. Sure, I can buy lunch and bring it over to my MIL's hse. But, hardly do meetings end any earlier than 12.30 noon. My son gets off school at 12.15 noon. *sigh*

I don't expect my MIL to cook because she is not as healthy as she used to be (she use to runs a restaurant some time back). My FIL too is not as strong as he used to be either.

I can only hope that both our new maids will come soon. I could only pray...... *sigh*

Happy Birthday with Love!

Card making is another hobby I dabble in enthusiastically when I am in the mood! LOL! Aahh! Another one of my many hobbies that goes round the wheel! LOL!

This birthday card is a two-in-one card coz it is a birthday card cum a valentine card. I enjoy experimenting and trying out new ideas and this card combines card making and punch art too.

Do I look old?

Ok, so I am old, but I am very much young at heart! LOL! *wink* But, I am not even 45 yet!

Yesterday I wnt shopping at Midvalley looking 4 some necessities but decided to drop by this cart selling crystal earrings that was going for 3 pairs for RM10.00. I was admiring them for it's design (so I can get inspirations for my scissor/handphone bracelets), when d girl manning d cart asked me if M buying for myself or for someone else.

I decided to play on so dat it wudn't look too obvious tht M `stealing' ideas. She showed me some nice big earrings with drop crystals and said dat this wud be really nice if d person M giving to is young. I asked her what if M getting one for myself? She showed me some small classic earrings tht looks very old fashion and said dat this wud be suitable for someone my age. Huh? And what age wud dat be? *sob*

When I asked her Y the ones shown earlier wudn't be suitable 4 me, she kinda looked at me in a weird way. She must think that I must have gone out of my mind! Dah buang tabiat agaknya orang tua nie! LOL! ...cedih...*sob*

Really! Do I look that old? *sob*sob*SOB* SOB*....crying getting louder! LOL! LOL! LOL! *wink*...all taken in good spirits!......

The tooth is out....

On Monday, my son's 1st baby tooth finally dislodged itself after 2 weeks of loosening it since the permanent tooth had already started making its way out a few weeks earlier. My earlier attempts to pull it out was received with frightening shriek frm my son! Even after I told him that I will give him 50cts if I can pull out the tooth for him, he wudn't let me touch it.

I remember the time when I went thru that. I was just like that, refusing for anyone to touch the already loosen tooth 4 fear that that person might pull it out! I was more scared of the pain which I couldn't anticipate how painful it was going to be, considering I was only 6 years old then, and my son is only 5 years old.

I am glad it is finally out so that the permanent tooth cud finally grow properly. I am hoping (don't we all? *wink*) dat my son will have a great set of teeth with a great smile.

Attempts at overdyeds

Both these pieces of Kitchen Sampler was stitched on my very own hand dyed 14ct aida. Had fun playing around with paint. Almost wanted to abandon this piece coz it didn't turn out exactly like I wanted it to be. But, after stitching on it, it didn't look too bad. Wouldn't U agree? *wink*

Worried, worried, worried.....

I woke up this morning with a big problem hanging over my head. I just realised that my maid's contract ends the end of this week and we still have yet to get a replacement maid. *sigh*

My son needs to go to school. My hubby and I needs to go to work. How do I work this out? *sigh* Take leave from work? That's one solution, but, for how long? *sigh* We don't even know when the new maid can come in. In the mean time, my hubby and I, we both have meetings which sometimes makes it impossible for us to take long stretches of leaves......

I wonder how people with 10 kids manage it without a maid, and I only have 1 kid, and M going out of my mind, worried sick, how to handle this situation until a new maid comes in! LOL!

Well, it's only Monday. I hope to have better news with regards to d new maid later this week. If not, M going to have one hectic week next week! *sigh*

A 1st attempt

Hmm....I seem to be spending more and more time here, huh? *wink*

Well, actually, I am doing a lot of experimenting......this blogging is a new experience 4 me and I am trying out how else to make this blog more interesting.

This morning I installed the Picasa2 and managed to upload one photo (purrfect birthday cake) here using Hello with Picasa, but the following few attempts keeps giving me errors. Uuurrgghh! I wonder why? *scratching my head*

So, in another attempt to upload photos, here's another look at my stitching work. This piece is a actually from a clipart which I scanned and converted it into xs using PCStitch. I think it's a good 1st attempt. Dn't you think so? *wink*blush*

A piece of cake......

The purrrrrrfect birthday cake!

Yeah....I know.....it was in April that I baked this cake for my son's 5th birthday. But I didn't know how to blog yet then......I still don't quite get it yet.....this blogging...but I am getting there...*wink* ..but I thought I wanted to share with you all another hobby of mine..baking!

Yep! Baking is yet another hobby of mine in a wheel of hobbies that seems to be getting bigger and bigger (the wheel)! LOL!

I haven't baked for sometime since my son's birthday. Well, ok, other than getting distracted by my many other hobbies, LOL!....my 20 year old oven which was handed down to me by my mum, has started to throw tantrums. I had to bake this birthday cake 4 son 3 times b4 it came out right!

The 1st one got burnt because the oven thermometer no longer shows the correct temperature. Well, ok....it hasn't shown d correct temperature for the past 10 years actually, LOL! but I have been able work around it by buying a portable thermometer. But, somehow, this time, even the portable thermometer was not showing the right temperature either! *sigh* That's getting old too......

The 2nd cake was undercook pula! LOL! That's because I was being too careful not wanting to burned the cake....

Finally the 3rd one turned out ok...phew! I was like all tired out by the time it got baked that I couldn't bring myself to do the frosting until the next day! Luckily is was a public holiday the next day!

The cake got delivered the following day and I think the kids enjoyed the cake. They especially like the eyes of the cat and almost everyone wanted the green eyes and kept poking at it while I was cutting up the cake! LOL!

Happy Birthday, dear son! You are growing up so fast!

Fickle Minded RR

It's finally being sent for framing together with the Happy Stitcher's RR. Can't wait to get them back.

Had wanted to finish this and have it framed before my birthday, but, work has been hectic....as usual..so what's new, huh? LOL!

Thanks, Azie and Zalita (Cheeze) for stitching ur part on this RR. Coincidentally, the initials of Azie and Zalita added up to become my initials - NAZ. The 3 of us are geminians, who are always so frickle minded when it comes to deciding on some things... Azie changed her pattern twice before deciding on what she finally wanted to do! *wink*

Are my clothes shrinking?

Uuurrgghhh! I can't fit into most of my clothes these days...they all seem to shrink! LOL! *wink*

I went shopping looking 4 some new clothes coz I got a couple of functions to attend to, but came back frustrated and sad. All the clothes these days are small....*sob*......or am I getting oversized? *wink*

I need an excersize regime where I can fit it into d short time I hv after office, picking up my son, rushing home, still do some xs and my many other hobbies and extra curricullar activities which does not include excercising..LOL! *wink* but still have time to excersize, and still get my 5 hours of beauty sleep!! Anybody can help?

More beads......and stitching....

Beads, beads and more beads! I just can't seem to get enough of it! LOL!

Now I have a whole box of it! Within a span of only two weeks, I have managed to accumulate so many beads that I had to start buying boxes to accomodate the stash of my latest craze!

But, today, I am back to stitching. Why? Because I was in Penang on Thursday for a meeting and dropped by Tammy's (thanks, Ina, for bringing me around!) to have my Frickle Minded and Happy Stitcher's RR framed and couldn't resist buying a clock chart. I blame this on Gen for asking me to buy the chart for her and it got me tempted! LOL!

Yep, I just started on yet another stitching project when I actually have many UFOs already waiting for me to complete them...*sigh*...guess they will just have to wait for maybe....another year, perhaps? *wink*

Finished....

..my Teacher sampler which I intend to give away to my son's school when he leaves the school this year end.

I really enjoyed stitching this piece bcoz of d vibrant colors. It could have been completed sooner had I not suddenly got bitten by the bead bug! LOL!

Finally................

.....I am moving a step forward in my attempt to get this blog up and going! Phew!

U know, today I spent my whole lunch time trying to figure out how to put in colored text in between my sentences. I went round and round at http://www.w3schools.com/html/ looking for the appropriate HTML tag, until finally, when my tummy could no longer take it and started kicking.....nope..no baby in there...LOL!..just a very empty and mad tummy.....I had to give up and went down for lunch.

When I came back from lunch, now that my tummy is happy, I decided to buzz Cheeze to ask her how to go about doing it. When she told me the way, I had to laugh coz I had spent the whole lunch time looking for the rite HTML tag......hmm..is that the rite term?........it was just staring there at me! All I had to do was edit my post under the `compose' format and not the `HTML' format ! LOL! *blush* Duh!

Well, live another day, learn another thing...........

My latest craze......

It's been so many days since I last posted anything here, and many things has happened since. I wanted to drop a line or two, but work has been a little hectic, and besides, I got into yet another craze! LOL! That's it! Another new hobby yet again and this time I am into making beaded scissor/handphone bracelets!

My hubby was amazed that I picked up yet another new hobby! Told him dat all my hobbies are part of a wheel that goes round and round. I will come back to x stitching, patchwork, scrapbooking, sewing, card making, stamping, crocheting, baking, cake decorating, when the wheel comes around next time.

His comment? My wheel seems to be getting bigger and bigger by the day that it is taking ages for any one hobby to come back to its first postion! LOL! LOL! LOL! blush!

I just can't seem to get enough of this new hobby! It all started as a quick visit...which didn't turn out to be quick after all..LOL!....to Brenda's Mayfair shop at USJ Taipan.

Ok, let's start from the beginning.....I had wanted to learn beadwork for some time. In fact, when I last went down to Johor Bahru and met up with Wendy, while waiting for her at d specific time, I browsed the bookshop at City Square and the bead magazine was just calling out to me! LOL! I picked it up and it got me really curious on how to make all those lovely bracelets and necklaces. There were instructions for beginners in d magazine, but I still cudn't make out how or where to start. I bought the magazine anyway with the hope that some day, I'll learn how to make one of those lovely bracelets in the magazine.

Coming back to KL, I asked a few of my stitching friends from Malaysian Stitchers to show me the ropes, but, as much as they wanted to help me, but because everything was done virtually, and I somehow just cudn't figure out the terms used in beadwork, that I just got totally lost! Duh! I don't even know what findings mean! LOL! Another duh! *wink* But, as usual, being the curious me and always wanting to learn and try out new things, I made several visits to the bead section of Jucso Midvaley with the hope that the shop assistant there would show me the methods. But, alas, she cud only make one for me if I buy the things but was not that willing to actually show me how to do it. Disappointed I was, but I never gave up. So, back to current time.....heheh.....

While paying for the things I bought (which was just some DMC threads and buttons) during my so called quick stop at Brenda's *wink*, my eyes caught the lovely handphone bracelets showcased. I asked Brenda how much it cost. Her answer? Why buy when U can make them yourself! Heheheh....told her that I have been wanting to make them but don't know how. She said that if I buy the things from her, she will teach me how to do them. As they say it, the rest is history! LOL! Thanks, Brenda! Muaaahhhhh!

I came back from Brenda's and simply couldn't get enough of bead work! LOL! Finally the bead magazine I bought in JB made sense! I understood the terms being used! LOL!

The next day I made a trip to Jusco Midvalley, but this time with confidence to buy the things needed to make more handphone/scissor bracelets! Those interested in this hobby, be warned! This is one expensive hobby! But, aren't all my hobbies expensive? LOL! *wink*

Because of the price of the beads at Jusco, I purchase only enough to make 3 more bracelets, but I still couldn't get enough. My mind was full of ideas on how to make more varieties of the bracelets. I woke up thinking beads, and went to bed thinking beads! LOL!

I just needed to make more handphone bracelets. The same week, after asking my stitching friends where can I get nice beads without spending a fortune, I was told that one shop called Ondori in Petaling Street carries nice beads at a reasonable price. Thanks, Margaret, for the info!

So, Friday, 26 August, 2005, I went happily driving down Petaling Street, armed with just an info that it is next to a Purple Cane Tea shop and near to Mandarin Hotel. You have to remember that the last time I went to Petaling Street was almost 15 years ago! But, did it stop me from going? Nope! Not at all! After asking for some basic directions from friends, off I went!

It rained heavily. But, so determined was I at getting to this shop that no heavy downpour could dampen my spirits! LOL! Did I find the shop at the firt round? Nope! The second round? Nope! I found Mandarin Hotel but I cudn't find the Tea Shop and nor could I find the Ondori shop. After the 3rd round, I decided to park the car and called Margaret to get more specific directions. Guess what? When I called her, I was parked directly in front of d shop! LOL!

Again, thks, Margaret! I really had fun at d shop! Wish lunch time was longer, but, then again, d more time I spend der, d more I will spend! LOL! BTW, the name of the shop is NOT ONDORI! LOL!

Because of this new hobby, I didn't do any stitching for so many weekends! LOL! All I wanted to do was to try out different variations to d scissor/handphone barcelets. Many variations I did. Take a look at my webshot album to see what I have been crazy doing the past month!

Always on the move!

I have many hobbies. I am always doing something. I simply do not know how to realx, as my husband puts it. I am always on the move! LOL! Even while I am watching TV, my hands are busy doing something - reading, sewing, stitching, eating! LOL!

One of my favourite hobby (yep! I sure have lots of hobbies! *grin*) is cross stitching. I find it simply therapeutic, especially after a stressful day at the office. I have been doing cross stitch for as long as I could remember, but, I stopped for a while when I was furthering my studies in Architecture. Architecture is one course that simply does not leave you with much time for leisure, what with all those projects and presentations you have to put up weekly, not to mention all those late nights spent preparing for the project presentations!

I caught the cross stich bug again some 10 years back. My interest got even more intensified when I found friends on the net just as crazy about cross stitch as I am! Since joining a stitching group online, I have made many new friends and I have been inspired to try many new things and techniques in this pleasurable hobby. Here are some of my finished pieces. Take a look!

http://community.webshots.com/user/nainun

Cheerios!
Za

This is only my 3rd posting in this blog which I have set up since January 2005. I have been meaning to write more, but time simply wasn't on my side. I have written about a lot of other things - my hobbies, my sentiments about the recently completed Akademi Fantasia fever, the recent shifting of my mother-in-law to her new house, projects I am involved in, pantuns and what not that I need to get off my chest! *wink*

My husband has been encouraging me to compile all my works so that our children and grandchildren would someday be able to appreciate what my thoughts and feelings were about life, and hopefully, will be able to provide some guidance and also some humour *wink* in our future generation's every day life.

I love to write (guess I got that from my dad who I simply adore!). I love to put into words my thoughts. My mind is constantly `writing', be it as I am driving to and from work, while cooking, while watching TV, while stitching, doing up my son's scrapbook, sewing, patchworking (yep! I love anything crafty! ), and of course in the bathroom! LOL!

I love sharing my thoughts with people, though not everyone shares the same thoughts as I, but, heck, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, right? *grin*

I am still trying to figure out this blog thingy. I am still new at this blog thing. I am playing around with how to make this blog more interesting. In time, I hope I will be able to make this blog an interesting stop for everyone who has been here.

Till then, hope you will drop by again as I add more things!

Cheerios!
Za

The AF Fever is back…..

I have read many blogs and many sites related to Akademi Fantasia 3. Most blogs and sites I find very disheartening (mengecewakan) coz terlalu ramai yang mengutuk sesama sendiri dan pelajar AF3. Kesian pelajar-pelajar tersebut yang tidak tahu apa apa except what is told to them.

However, when I chance upon this group (Kefli_af Yahoo Group), I find it very encouraging that most of the members there have managed to control their emotions and not go into `kutuk gear' each time someone posted anything negative about Kefli. The members have instead decided to put all efforts to AFUNDI KEFLI instead of wasting time and money condemning (mengutuk) the other AF3 kids. Kudos to them all! A very matured and wise move. Keep it up!

To be frank, I, too, am a fan of Kefli *blush*, and not mainly because he is cute, though, that is a bonus *wink* *blush*, but because I see that he has talents which needs to be polished. Shy, budak nie sebenornya! Rupa pun dah ada (cute, adek nie!). He needs to be a little bit more menyerlah though, but always being in d shadows of someone who have such a large fan (Forgive me if there are Mawi, Felix and other fans here too. I only speak frm d heart and my intentions are sincere), I dn't blame him for feeling `small'. Kesian tengok muka dia setiap kali permulaan konsert masa Aznil bacakan peratusan undi. But, I am glad that all Kefli fans has worked hard to keep him in d akademi. I hope you all will keep on voting him into d finals.

I knw it wud be hard for him to jadi juara for as long as Mawi and Felix fans are fanatically voting him, and what with Amylea's strong vocals, and Marsha's sexy composure, (but I cud be wrong! Rezeki masing masing kan?), but, to me, just to get him into d finals is already a success in itself.

Takut kalau dia jadi juara pun, mungkin akan ada yang mempertikaikannya (especially fans of d WORLD! *wink*) coz performance dia tak consistent. Sayang. Dia ada bakat sebenarnya dan suara dia OK, macam kata Iman Wan, kalau dapat lagu yang sesuai dengannya, he cud really nail it!His best thus far is Konsert Ke 5 which is really WOW! If only he cud repeat that great performance in d next 2 weeks he will really be a JUARA! He did good in Mungkin and Kenang Daku Dalam Doamu too. I missed Nur Kasih.

To me, kalau dia dapat placing number 2 or 3 after Amylea pun dah kira bagus. Orang takkan pertikaikan kedudukannya kalau placing dia is after Amylea (saya bukan peminat Amylea, but, let's be realistic, she does have d voice, though she needs to work on d attitude part). He will be safe frm kutukkan orang yang akan merasakan dia tak layak jadi juara. Kesian dia nanti. But it wud be realy nice if he cud actually walk away with d condo and d car! That wud be really wow!

Lately nie ramai di luar tu tak puas hati kerana Kefli masih bertahan di akademi (Thanks to his voters who have worked hard to keep him in d akademi!). Pedulikan itu semua. You can never please everyone. Though it hurts to read all those postings, d important thing is to keep voting 4 him till he gets to d finals. That is d utmost target. Pedulikan apa orang lain kata.

I hope this week, Kefli can do another WOW performance with Hati Emas. Let's wish him ALL D BEST! Tapi kesian tengok undian dia masih yang tercorot sekali hari ini walaupun selepas konsert hari tu he was at number 4. Moga he will still remain in d akademi sehingga ke konsert final. Let us make his dream come true! Boleh juga kita dengar dia nyanyikan lagu Aidil (yang saya rasa cute juga! Shhh… let's not let my hubby hear this! *wink*) yang Aidil kata akan gubahkan untuk dia.

My hectic week......

Hi all! Boy! It has been one hectic and challenging week for me last week!

I started my week already knowing dat I have back to back meetings everyday, but it got worse when meetings were not only back to backbut overlapping with d one already scheduled earlier.

On top of that, I was involved in d organising of d competition to choose and present d pavillion for this year's intl quran reading competition which ran frm 6 - 8 of July (d pavilion competition).

If dat was not enough, my Pengarah roped me at d last minute into an adhoc committee to produce a power point presentation of D DG's biodata for his (DG) farewell dinner which was to be on Friday, 8 July.

I was like going frm a whole morning meeting, rush thru lunch,another meeting at 2.30 pm, then rush off to d biodata presentationmeeting that last till 8.00 pm. Had to rush to pick my son coz hubby outstation pula 4 most part of d week.

To add more challenge to d week, my son had a high fever on Wednesday at d peak of my hectic work schedule. I slept at 2.00 am on Wednesday nite in between taking care of him and writing d script for d power point presentation. Bcoz I hardly slept d nite b4, I woke up late d next day and it was d day I was supposed to meet up with d Minister for d Pavilion presentation! Rushed like crazy thru traffic to drop off my son b4 proceeding to work! Got there just in d nick of time! phew!

On Friday, I was like a mad women trying to juggle the pavilion presentation to d Minister in d morning while trying to stay focuson d presentation of d biodata for our DG d same nite. I was like a zombie frm lack of sleep. Bcoz of time constrain, we cudn't do a proper rehearsal for dcitation presentation at d hotel, but, luckily everything went on smoothly dat nite at d dinner. Macam pro pulak! LOL!

Is der anymore? Yep! To make this week more memorable, I had to drop my handphone into a bowl of curry on Tuesday! LOL! I thot I had lost all d important telephone numbers coz d phone just went dead! I needed d phone coz it was d only way to communicate with d organizing committee, my staff and my boss since I was tied up in meetings all day.

I had no choice but to go out and buy a new handphone on Tuesday nite. Boy! It was one really quick buy! I just grabbed a reasonable priced HP, paid 4 it and jumped back into d car b4 heading home! Phew! Nasib baik d sim card was ok, and after some juggling with d old handphone, I managed to get it to work just long enuff to transfer all d memories frm d old phone to d new one!

M still feeling very tired frm last week's hectic schedule, and this week is no less hectic. M off to Melaka esok for a project briefing, but d rest of d week are just meetings here in KL to attend. phew! I really need to take a break, but dn't forsee one coming so soon.*sigh*

To Harsha and Lillie, thks for d sms and email asking where I hv been. Nice to knw that U are being missed! *wink*

...still tired....

First posting

Hi! This is my first attempt at doing up a blog. Hmm...is that the right term being used? Well, anyway, hope this is the fisrt of many more to come.......