Johor Bahru Old Town

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee is my favourite street in JB. In fact, it calls my name again and again. I envision myself running a business in a quaint and delightful shop there. Oh yes.

On a lot of Saturday mornings, I'd be there for breakfast, at a little corner coffeeshop. A couple of weeks ago, I took a stroll around the area.

The popular corner of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. At night, there used to be a bar on the little roof where the black umbrella is. SO cute!

Love this simple white coffeeshop.

Suitcase shop sign!

The landmark of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. A lot of performances and events take place here at night, mostly during festive occasions.

A sketched mural. Amazing details.

A number of boutiques.

I saw some empty shoplots for rent/sale. My hearts-a-beating.

More cafes...

The shops are usually closed in the daytime. But this street is awesome at night! It really comes to life! There will be rows of small stalls on the street, and the cafes will be brimming with people. Almost like Jonker's Street of Malacca.

I wish I had inherited a shop there...

Meh

It's one of those nasty PMS moments again. I wish the husband knows what to do but he just pushes my buttons more and more. I'm angry and he's blur. I become uncommunicative and cold, and he doesn't know what I want, and he doesn't ask, and I interpret it as he doesn't care, and I don't want to tell him because I'd expect him to take the initiative. Oh vicious ding dong.

SO. The Chinese New Year is in 6 days.

The bathroom door is broken.

There are ugly wirings in plastic tubing sticking out of the garden.

There is still no washing area at the garden corner where he said he'll do.

The gate lights/wiring are screwed up but nothing has been done.

AND. He still has time for golf and drinking.

Last month, he widened the gate for better feng shui, you know, wider gate, more luck can come in.

But let me tell you this, ANY good feng shui won't work when you have an angry wife.

There!!  PPPBBBLLLHHHHHH!

My Happy Place

How many IKEA products can you spot? Hehe...

Mid Century Modern Trend

I just love the creative IKEA Hacks people have done around the world. While I have done my share of hacks, but it is mostly small projects, and not furniture (yet!). Yesterday, I saw a table on the IKEA website and I really love that IKEA is keeping up with trend! It's the mid-century modern furniture style trend!

Say whaaaat?

Say it with me. Mid-century modern. Think our parent's era. Remember the 3 seater bamboo/wooden framed sofa with 6 cushions in big gaudy floral covers? Sometimes it came with the 2-seater or single armchair set. If you'd slouch on the sofa longer, the cushion you sit on will shift slowly to the front until your bum lands on the row of rods... hahahhah! I remember removing all the cushions, turning the sofa frame upside down and pretending to be in a prison.

Now, the trend is the same sofa frame, re-upholstered with simple striped linen or just a solid colour.
I DIG IT.

That's why I bought this book. From Amazon.

I think the main characteristic about the design, is the legs of the furniture, usually slanted outwards and tapered. Like this new TRENDIG table from IKEA.

 By the way, this table is RM790 in Malaysia and SGD349 (RM 893.44) in Singapore.

WHY IS IKEA NOT IN JB YET?!!

I must say, IKEA is keeping with the blogosphere on IKEA Hacks because it is getting popular. This site is a prime example. It's the 20 Best IKEA Hacks of 2013. I can't wait to see the best in 2014.

My favourite is this LACK table turns mid-century hack.

The details can be found here.

And then recently, I saw this. From Scanteak Singapore. It's the PROLOGUE collection. LOVE LOVE LOVE! But I think it's not comfortable relaxing in this one. I like to curl myself on a soft cushy fabric sofa when I've relaxing or watching the TV. I think I'll stick to tables and consoles.

And how about chairs? Oh I love em chairs. Like this one from houzz.

I hope some furniture designers in Malaysia have enough foresight to start new designs. In fact, I was thinking of starting a furniture makeover movement here. I see some shops selling second hand furnitures or those from shut-down establishments. There is one in Sutera Utama shoplots, and one called Woodpecker at Tampoi Indah. I see lots of potential in some of the furnitures there.

So... I bought this book! Also from Amazon.

 It's very inspiring but I'm still browsing it casually. I don't know when I will get down and really do it. The materials and tools recommended in this book are actually quite hard to find here. Most of the time, the dude at the hardware shop don't know what I'm talking about.

I have a tad too many dreams at the moment...eeek.

Motherhood and Sarcasm

Some time ago, a colleague showed me a small picture book she found in the library and it cracked me up. Here are some of my favourite pages...

 This one looks creepily like Kirsten Stewart

On The Way...

I'm feeling a little excited on my next crafting endeavours.. some things I've been dreaming to do for a long time. Before a little peek, there were many things I had to buy and set-up for the photoshoot.

I must say.. photography is a challenge! I own a basic Canon DSLR and armed with a tripod, I had to try many shots and I'm not sure if I have taken the best one because I keep comparing my photos with those on top blogs. Theirs always look so bright and sharp whereas mine looks... hmm... not up to par yet.

First, I set up my background. My favourite is wood panels.

Bought these at Daiso. I painted one surface of each board with white acrylic paint, so that I can have the option of white painted background and natural wood background.

Natural wood background.

White painted wood background.

An image from Oh So Beautiful Paper.

This card inspired me!

I gotta keep trying!

So now my little secret is out... I hope I don't jinx it!

A Little Down...

To be honest, I didn't feel happy and hopeful on the start of the new year. I don't know why, I just felt depressed.

When everyone else is having a new year's day holiday on 1st January, Daniel had to go to school.

Then today (Friday) he asked me why I am working as it is a holiday for him. I want to slap someone, really I do.

I sent a gift to my friend in Sydney but found out she moved to Melbourne!

I took a joy ride during lunch because I got lost at the new road diversion and the new Marine Coastal Expressway. I thought I could go to my usual paper shop and Art Friend at Bras Basah to get my supplies, but alas, not today I guess.

I should count my blessings instead, yes? Oh WTF.

***

After work, I joined my mom and the boys at AEON. She brought them out to play. Ah, grandma is a blessing. It felt like a Saturday, or maybe it is crowded like that everyday. I thought since this is the first 'new Saturday', we should all have a family dinner together, but the husband had to be somewhere else. Oh well.

On the way home, the little one had a 'milk drama'. Demand high but no supply. So we swung by my usual Kedai Ubat Cina to get a can, but didn't have enough cash! I asked the stupidest question, "Do you accept credit card?" HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA. Of course. But the owner was so kind to give me an IOU because I am a regular there. So I took the milk bottle out, mixed some hot water and made the milk there and then.

Then we got home and I tucked the boys to bed. The house was quiet.

And then I broke down. It was just one of those days.

But tonight, I did something liberating. For me. I usually hide. But tonight, I changed, grabbed my laptop and drove out for wifi and tea. La solo.

I just had to get out.
.
.
.
.
.
.
For wifi.
.
.
.
.

Because I exceeded my internet quota.

Good night!!!

Something in Pinterest stopped me in my tracks...

Found this on Pinterest by surprise...

Happy 2014

Happy New Year!

I think I had a fabulous 2013. I had enough to wear, enough to eat, enough to get by and that sounds great if you ask me.

And I'm starting to think about my financial future ie. my retirement plan. I have some money parked in those mutual funds but I'm starting to think about what else I can do to make my money grow. But based on my past investing-experience, I have no luck! Every time I put my money in a fund, it drops! Aiyaiyai..

Maybe I already have fortune right in front of me... my family and my fabric... hahaha.

Well, let's have an awesome 2014!

*****
For the fun of it, I created an excel spreadsheet of my expenses in 2013. Have you ever done something like that? Thanks to my journal-keeping habit, I write my expenses down, and the result is startling...

Major expenses:

Groceries from Giant = RM 5380
Groceries from wet market = RM 7800
Pharmacy/Milk powder/Doctor = RM 4713
Eating out = RM 3123
Clothes/Shoes/Bag/Accessories = RM 2868
IKEA = SGD 718
Home = RM 1845
Crafts = SGD 697
Gifts = SGD 1008
Foodstuff = SGD 588

And then there's the fixed monthly expenses:

Car = RM 22,200
Tol = RM 2274
Petrol = RM 5200
VEP = SGD 5383

Yikes...