Keeping it simple

Gone are the days when I have every square inch of my house decorated for Christmas.  As  I grow older  I feel claustrophobic when surrounded by too many things.  I've spent the last five years simplifying my life and "re-gifting"  objects I'd acquired including many of my Christmas decorations.   They are now resting in someone else's house thanks to  the effectiveness of donations to thrift stores.

Each time I send a box  off I feel like I can breath a little easier.  My home is enjoying this freedom too.  While it is calm and comfortable, I still  want little touches of colour and the unexpected.  Some of the things I couldn't bear to part with get rotated from year to year and I enjoy them so much more when they take centre stage.    

The one thing I can't part with are tree ornaments because they represent so much family history. Contrary to what many people anticipate when they know I am a decorator, I do not design  a fancy themed tree each year. I admit I feel like I'm letting them down in some way, but  it's that family history  and warmth that are more important to me when I decorate for myself.

So here are some glimpses of Christmas at my house. You already know I rely on what is left in my garden, but I also like a little bling.  

Wall colour:  BM Rockport Gray HC 105

My kitchen always has a fresh plant for Christmas and the amaryllis is my favourite.  It shows up in my art work frequently.  More about that in a later post.

The artwork to the right of the window is an encaustic piece titled Thaw  (8 x 10 inches) painted by yours truly.  It is appropriate for the season.

The only addition to the window ledge in my kitchen is the glass of lime green berries which work well with the sea urchins and the first piece of stained glass my hubby made. 

walls: AF Fusion 675
shelf: AF Wish 680

I just repainted my entrance with AF Fusion which is a soft gray with a purple undertone.    One little wreath on a coat hook and a Santa that a dear friend gave me years ago is just enough to say it's Christmas. 


 Wall colour: BM Light Khaki  2148-40 

I always have candles on my dining room buffet (made by my man) so each year I just add one thing to the arrangement.  This year it is a pearl star that used to be a tree topper attached over a candle.

 

table:  BM Kendall Charcoal  HC 166

This year I painted my oak coffee table and end table and they are now  some of my favourite pieces of furniture in the house. Wood is prominent in my house because my husband is a woodworker.  I'm always battling the painting of solid wood horrors.  My IKEA bowl usually holds ornaments at Christmas time.  This year they are white and silver to honour the new look of my table.

 Wall colour: BM   Elephant Tusk  OC 8

Silver finials are my Christmas addition to  a red poppy and poppy coasters on the end table. They are just  enough to say it's Christmas

YES, I love gray and purple too ! 

World news

Sometimes reading the news can be a jaw-dropping experience. It is a worry how some people take things to a whole new level of extremity. Click on the links to read more about it.

1. . Eye for an Eye: Iranian man sentenced to have drops of acid poured onto his face for blinding his lover's husband.
 
2. 14 year old girl says, "Marriage is my right": She is ready to be a good wife

Bunga Telur?

Hujung tahun, musim cuti sekolah, musim orang kahwin ...setiap hujung minggu ada jemputan kahwin..

Alhamdulillah, kebanyakannya adalah kawan-kawan semasa belajar dahulu, atau kawan anak-anak belajar... bermakna.... kita juga kena bersedia... mana tahu tiba-tiba salah seorang anak akan berkata, " Ummi..abi...saya nak kahwin!" 

Sudah bersediakan kami? 

.................

Malam semalam kami menghadiri kenduri kahwin anak kawan juga di Shah Alam..

besar-besaran juga walaupun anak lelaki...(hurm..selalu orang buat sebelah pihak lelaki tidak lah sehebat kenduri anak perempuan....)

tetapi yang saya tertarik adalah "bunga telur" yang diberi...

sebenarnya bukan telur..tetapi dapat coklat..!!! dan saya rasa lebih praktikal, daripada membeli bunga telur, nak rebus telur lagi (kalau orang Johor..selalu nak telur pindang...alaaa yang warna coklat tu..)...

 Coklat besar tu untuk ummi dan abi, anak-anak remaja dapat Toblerone, kanak-kanak (Hana' dan Zubair) dapat lollipop ...(hehehe..Hana' cakap...alaaaa..Hana nak Toblerone jugak!)

Hurmmm....agak-agak kalau anak saya kahwin nanti saya nak bagi apa ya sebagai "Door Gift"?? (kena tepuk poket, tanya budget...hehehe)

PAGparanormal Short Fan Films (PAWANG)

Calories in Pasta, Noodles and Rice

Back home I know its carbs, I know its fattening, I know too much of it isn't good. But I've always chose to ignore it. As of right now, since I am doing most of the cooking on my own, I somehow become more aware of the 'bad stuff' of certain food. It's like when I earned my own money, I tend to be more concious of how I spend it. So, the same goes for the food I consume now.

Again, Google was my bestfriend =D

The LINK pretty much provides the answers I was searching for.

On another note: Does everyone know how to read the food labels on packets? I spoke to EJ yesterday and she was telling me how she reads the food label everytime before buying the item. of course, sometimes she closes one eye during those chocolate craving moments. I've probably glanced through the label, but only when I felt like it, but the labels were never really my first priority. Cravings were MY top priority! ;)

SOURCE
Food label claims are not as straightforward as they may seem. For instance, a food labeled "Sugar Free" actually contains sugar, and foods labeled "Calorie Free" contain calories.
What the food label really means: 

• "Reduced," as in Reduced Sugar, Reduced Fat, Reduced Calories, Reduced Sodium, et al: Contains at least 25 percent less of the named offender than the regular version.
• No Added Sugar: No sugars were added during processing.
• Sugar Free: Contains fewer than 0.5 grams per serving.
• Low Calorie: Contains 40 or fewer calories per serving.
• Calorie Free or No Calories: Contains fewer than 5 calories per serving.
• Light or Lite: Contains one-third fewer calories than the regular version, or less than 50 percent fat per serving.
• Low Fat: Contains 3 grams or less fat per serving.
• Fat Free: Contains fewer than 0.5 grams per serving.
• XX% Fat Free: Based on the amount, by weight, of fat in 100 grams of the food. For example, a 100-gram serving of a food that is "97% Fat Free" would contain 3 grams of fat.
• Low Cholesterol: Contains 20 mg or less cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving.
• Cholesterol Free: Contains fewer than 2 mg of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
• High Fiber: Contains 5 grams or more fiber and 3 grams or less fat per serving.
• Good Source of Fiber: Contains 2.5 to 4.9 grams fiber per serving.
• More Fiber or Added Fiber: Contains at least 2.5 grams more fiber per serving than the reference food.

Brocolli - the main staple in my diet in Glasgow. Read about the good and the bad, will write about it another day.

Jalan-jalan cari makan

Kebanyakkan entri dalam blog ni lebih pada persekitaran di Langkawi. almaklum la deena pun baru jer berhijrah kt sini. boring ? mula sampai mmg blur rindu ngan kengkawan di Kl,
dan keluarga di Puchong.. aduhhh sabor jer la kan..

cantikkan suasana di restoran kantan ni, tmpt ni terletak di pantai cenang, so biasa nyer
bila ada group atau orang perseorangan yg inginkan kelainan hubby deena selaku yg menguruskan percutian ke Langkawi dan aktiviti2 dorang akan bawa kt restoran ni. klu nk melalak layan karok pun ado..

restoran ni asal nyer dr rumah kampung jer, tapi bila dah di upgrade dengan cantik deena tengok dari luar rumah, bawah rumah sampai la bahagian dalam haa.. klu rasa nak buat candle light dinner dgn orang tersayang tempat ni yg sesuai coz suasana memang romantik beb.. deena tingin gak tapi tah bila nyer nk merasa huhu..


klu ada kengkawan plan nak dtg Langkawi tu hello2 la kat deena k...  byk lagi tempat2 
menarik yg deena x pegi lagi, insyaallah ada cite yg best deena share kt sini...


Deena : tingin nk usya tengok Gunung Raya plak :)

Such a fan...

of Kiara DioGuardi! I AM!! :)