The Dating Life: Are You The One?"

Hello all...

Disclaimer: If you are to read this post, kindly read till the end because this is not a rant. Not really. There is an important lesson here that I think all of us could learn from.

I recently "met" a guy on Tinder who has good looks, a great job with unique interests, is intellectual and comes from a heritage/culture that I so happen to have an interest in. We had been talking about meeting up for the past few weeks. I was trying to get the details of our "meetup" in place when he suddenly asked me,"Are you up for a fling?"

Now my first reaction to that was disappointment. I know Tinder is known for hookups and such but I didn't think he was "that type". I was like,"It's such a pity that someone with so much to offer had to be just the same as guys that I could get from any parit and pelusuk around here". As the initial disappointment ebbed off, I took a step back to rationalize what is it about this situation that made me feel that way. Why on earth am I feeling disappointed in someone I do not even know? The honest answer is because I had placed unnecessary and unrealistic expectations on him.

Source

I remember this one video I've watched on YouTube by Matthew Hussey. He basically said that women need to give men a chance to get to know them without having to bear the burden of being measured up to their idea of an ideal man. Give a man 5 minutes of interaction without thinking about what happens after that and whether or not you will be in a relationship together. If something more DOES happens beyond of that 5 minutes (you discover common ground, you're attracted with each other, etc.), then great. If not then we can simply (and easily) move on because we did not have expectations for 'what might be'.

I think this is good advice for myself and every single women (and men for that matter) as this is some of the most common dating mistakes we make. We shouldn't twist ourselves into knots (e.g. feeling disappointed, etc.) over what someone we just met is (or isn't) because he/she is NOT yet worthy of such emotions from us.

Also, I realize that for someone that I had yet to know nor met, it was quite harsh of me to disregard everything else that he is and stuff him into the same category as some of the men I actually know to be real douchebags. After all our lifestyle doesn't necessarily define us. I am sure he would make a wonderful partner to someone somewhere when he is ready to commit. At least, I hope so. Haha...

In the meantime, I will shake it off and continue to enjoy the eye candy and "5 minute" interactions as they come.

Have you tried Tinder before? If you have, what is the craziest conversations you've ever had?



Love,
Phy

Mamahood: 5-Day Menu From A Shopping List

Hello there..

I have a confession to make. All these while I had complacently left the preparation of Sophie's meals to my mum since she was 1 year old because she eats rice porridge. My grandma eats porridge too so it was convenient for my mum to just prepare one big batch for the both of them.

As Sophie got older and need more nutrition from various sources I had to find a way to cook for her fitting her eating habits and taste. Initially I would just pull whatever that is available in the fridge but most of the time I find that I'd either be missing certain ingredients for a meal I had in mind or I'd have no idea how to cook something I bought on a whim for Sophie to try (such as tomatoes). I have since discovered that it is always better to have a cohesive weekly meal-plan so that I'd know what to stick to a shopping list.

Here is an example of how a weekly plan of Sophie's menu looks like with a shopping list of chicken meat, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, potato and Cheddar cheese. Garlic, Bombay onion, salt and pepper is a staple in our home so I don't count that in.

Ingredients:
600gm chicken breast meat, diced (separated equally into 4 portions)
1/2 a medium carrot, shredded or diced (separated into 4 equal portions)
5 medium sized mushrooms of choice, diced (separated into 4 equal portions)
20 medium florets of cauliflower, chopped (separated into 3 portions with 1 portion being slightly more than the other 2)
1 medium potato, peeled
1 small Bombay onion, (1/4 roughly chopped, the rest minced and separated into 3 portions)
1 clove garlic, minced (separated into 4 portions)
1 tbsp grated Cheddar cheese (optional)
1 Litre water
Cooking oil
Salt & Pepper
Maggi Seasoning
Oyster sauce
1 tsp of cornstarch

Day 1: Chicken & Carrot Stir-fry (Serve with rice)
1. Sauteed 1 portion of garlic and Bombay onion in a pan.
2. Add 1 portion of chicken meat.
3. Once all the chicken meat starts to turn white, add 1 portion of carrots.
4. Season to taste with Maggi Seasoning, salt & pepper.
5. Leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

Day 2: Cauliflower & Potato Mash (Serve as is or with Day 1 meal)
1. Boil the potato with a pinch of salt.
2. Once the potato starts to soften (but not completely cooked yet), add 1 of the smaller portion of Cauliflower.
3. Add 1/2 portion of garlic (yes, you need verrryyy little of this stuff) after 5 minutes.
4. Once the potato is cooked through, strain the water out and leave to cool for 5 minutes before mashing manually or using a food processor for 30 seconds.
5. Stir in the grated Cheddar cheese and leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

Day 3: Carrots & Mushroom Clear Soup (Serve with rice or noodles)
1. Sauteed 1 portion of minced Bombay onion in a pot with a bit of cooking oil.
2. Add 400ml of water and bring to boil.
3. Add 1.5 portion of mushrooms and carrots each and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
5. Leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

Day 4: Hearty Chicken Soup (Serve as is or with grated Cheddar cheese)
1. Sauteed 1.5 portion of garlic and roughly chopped Bombay onion in a pot with a bit of cooking oil.
2. Add 300ml of water and bring to boil.
3. Add 2 portions of chicken meat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add 1.5 portions of carrots and the bigger portion of cauliflower.
5. Season with salt & pepper to taste and simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Let it cool for 15 minutes then blend using a blender.
6. Leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

Day 5: Chicken with Mushroom & Gravy (Serve with rice/pasta/noodles)
1. Sauteed 1 portion of minced Bombay onion.
2. Add 1 portion of chicken meat and continue to sauteed.
3. Add 1.5 portions of mushrooms, 1 tbsp of Oyster sauce.and 200ml water
4. Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with 100ml water and add to the pan.
5. Stir until the gravy thickens.
6. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
7. Leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

So there you have it, 5 days of different meals that can be made from a shopping list of 6 items (cheese and garlic is always available in our household). I have made room for day 6 and day 7 because families would usually have a day in a week where they eat out. At any rate, most of these recipes will have leftovers that can be used to 'fill in the blanks' so to speak.

I hope this post have helped to give you an idea of how to streamline you child's menu without wastage.

Potty Training The Little One...

Hello hello there lovelies!

In this post I'd like to share my experience potty training Sophia. No, this is not a guide on how to potty train your child (believe me, I wish it is!) because I have not yet succeeded. You see, I have been trying to potty train Sophia since almost a month ago. I even scheduled 3 days leave after reading that it is possible to potty train a toddler within that time. Unfortunately, Sophia is still in diapers.

I took off her diaper and get her to sit on her potty for a minute every 15 minutes. Initially she would always be fine with it but by the time 1 hour has gone, she would be running away from me when it is time to sit on the potty! At most I'd only be able to coax her to sit on her potty for 6-7 times within 2 hours and after that she'd be struggling to get out of my grasp if I attempted to bring her to the potty. Sometimes she'd get up from the potty, run to the far end of the living room and pee. In case you can't imagine, this is a very frustrating and emotionally exhausting process.

Yes, I even made 'Shhhhhh' sounds (Source)

I didn't want to force her too much as I know it will only traumatize her and make her not want to even go near her 'throne' so I'd wait a few days and try again. It's been almost a month now with no signs of success. I am quite anxious to get her potty trained because not only will it cut down a significant amount of cost (I just got to know that the next batch of Huggies diapers size L will be RM44++ instead of the usual RM38++) but also because I noticed that she is starting to get rashes around her pubic area despite me frequently changing her diaper. I'm sure as toddlers get older, their skin in that area matures and they are no longer able to wear diapers for extended periods of time.

Story of my life.. Huhuhu... (Source)

I have a feeling that she isn't quite ready yet. When I ask her if she wants to go to shee shee she wouldn't give me any indication (yes or no) which I think plays quite a big role in potty training. Doesn't stop me from feeling guilty though, as if I am not trying hard enough. Sigh...

Have you succeeded in potty training your toddler? Do share you experiences and tips in the comments section below. Thanks.


Love,
Phy

Phy Says: Dressing Better = Dating Someone?

Hello there..

Since I have been taking an active interest in what I wear, I've had a nagging suspicion that my colleagues were going to speculate on the "Why"s. True enough, I was off duty on Saturday but had to go back to the office to do a daily report for a few minutes before going for breakfast with my parents and Sophie. I wore my lacy mint dress with a black shrug over it, black flats and a thin, mint hairband in my hair. When I went to the lower offices to submit my report, the clerks were like,"Whoah! Giiirrlll, you MUST be meeting your boyfriend!".

The outfit..

I blush really easily so even though I suspected that they would speculate as such, I couldn't stop myself from blushing which they took as a "Yes" to their theory. I laughingly told them that no, I didn't have anyone special and can't a girl dress for herself? They hemmed and hawed and finally said,"But you look soooo different recently!". Still doesn't explain why they assumed that dressing differently (and better) equals having a boyfriend. And I think they didn't believe me when I told them that I was just going out with family. Lol..

What do YOU think? If you see someone suddenly dressing up, do you immediately assume he/she is dating someone? If so, why?


Love,
Phy

P/S: I almost wanted to play a prank on them and say,"Yes, he's working here too" and let them wrack their brains till the cows come home on who it might be. Lol!

The Winds Of Change Has Come..

Hello hello...

I have a confession to make. You guys know I love makeup right? You've seen me haul makeup goodies every month (almost) without fail (check out my August beauty haul here). Recently however, things have been a bit lackluster on the beauty front for reasons unknown to even myself. I have a lot of ideas for posts but I just can't seem to type and when I do, the words seem insincere when in fact I didn't mean for it to be that way.

As you might have noticed, I have been posting about being plus-size, working my way towards accepting and loving myself regardless. Part of that process includes me honoring my body by taking an interest in how I dress. Experimenting with what works and what doesn't has been a really enlightening and enjoyable experience for me. The more I dress myself up, the more I like what I see and my confidence is building up. I feel great!

Here are some of my looks for the day this week. For live outfit updates, follow me on Instagram.

Oh, this is my favorite outfit. Safari Chic! 

My usual ensemble, spiced up with accessories. Loving that owl ring and robot necklace. 

 Gone tribal. This is actually a sleeveless dress. I added a black inner shirt for decency sake at the work place.

 I feel that this green sweater top has a vintage shape to it. It just says 'Old School Nancy Drew' to me.

I have never worn a midi dress to work EVER. I'm glad I took the plunge though. I love this look. Dare I say Jackie O.?

With that being said, I think it's time to make a few changes at phylliciarobert.blogspot.com. Beauty is something that will always be dear to me and I'm not about to stop talking about it all together. I will simply be focusing more on plus size matters. From now on, you can expect plus size fashion posts called Outfit Du Jour, rants experiences and musings of me on a journey towards achieving Body Positivity and lots more. I'm no fashion expert but hey, what I wear might just inspire you to try something different. If you are just as clueless as I am, we'll figure it out together. It will be fun!

Life posts are still on of course. I am planning to incorporate parenting posts as well. Not sure yet how that will go. It will be interesting to see how that develop though. Aaanywaaaays, the reason for this post is just to give you guys a heads up before going all out at making the changes mentioned above. Wouldn't want you to get confused at the sudden change in direction of this blog. Hehe.. :)

Have you ever had a change of heart when it comes to your interests? Do share in the comments section below. Toodles!


Love,
Phy

Plus Size Prattle - "You're Gonna Eat All Of That?"

Hello dearies..

Last week one of the kitchen staff brought Curry Puffs and Pulut Panggang (local kuehs) to sell. They were sold RM1 for 3 each so I bough RM2 of both kuehs to have later with my family and RM1 of each for my staff working the afternoon shift. After tasting 1 of both kuehs, I thought that the Curry Puffs were really good and knowing that my mum liked them, I decided to buy RM1 more. I figured if we couldn't finish them up, we could always have the rest for breakfast the next day.

I went down to buy said extras and I noticed 2 of the staff in that office looking at me, smirking. They had already commented on my sizable initial purchase, to which I (regretfully) felt the need to explain that I was not buying them all for myself but for others as well. I felt my face getting warm because I knew they were probably thinking,"Hmph, as if we don't know it's all for herself". I pulled back my shoulders and lifted my chin and thought to myself,"It doesn't matter what they think. What's important is who this is really for".

Towards the end of working hours Lilian, one of the clerks, told me that the kuehs are being marked down and was I interested to buy? I was like,"Why not?" (there's always breakfast) I was about to go down to clock out from work when the elevator opened and I saw a staff from my other unit. I was like,"OMG! I've forgotten about her". Yeah, I didn't count her in when I bought the kuehs for the evening shift. I felt so bad that I bought her RM1 of each kuehs. I felt so happy seeing her face light up at the prospect of having them for tea. And no, I didn't buy any for myself the 3rd time around. Just saying.

I was in the car with the engine on when my mum called. They were out of the house and she asked if I had my house keys with me. Unfortunately, I didn't so I decided to hangout with the staff in the lower office to kill time. When I walked in one of the Smirky Sally staff said,"Oh my God have you come to buy more?!" referring to the kuehs. I (again, regretfully) quickly explained my predicament so as not to the thought as the Greedy Chubby Girl From Upstairs. "Oh, I thought you came back to buy more" she said smiling like a Cheshire cat. "That would be too much", I said trying to laugh it off but for some reason, I feel ashamed which was silly because it wasn't like I was the one making bad assumptions about other people.

I guess I was embarrassed to be thought as greedy. This was not the first time I was judged as such. I've been to a Bazaar where I was buying food for my friends when the hawker said,"Wow, so many! You're gonna eat all of that?" and grinned meaningfully, displaying a row of rotten teeth. It's an unfair assessment that when a big girl buys lots of food, she's greedy and it's all for herself. If a skinny girl bought tons of food I know that people' would have IMMEDIATELY assumed that she's buying for others as well. How ridiculous is that?

Have you ever face with this prejudice? Do share your experience in the comments section below.

I laughed last with this delicious tea of Curry Puffs and ABC.

Love,
Phy

Plus Size Prattle: My Dysfunctional Relationship With Clothes

Hello there..

For as far as I can remember, I've almost never walked into a clothes shop feeling confident that I would find clothes that fit me. Yup, not even at my thinnest. Looking back, I realized that it was a simple matter of the clothes not being suitable for my body type. I didn't know that then of course, I just thought that I was fat.

The clothes sold in my hometown were mostly from China, where people had small body frames. I could always fit clothes at the waist but not the bust area. Button-up shirts were a joke. If I took a smaller size I'd have unsightly gaping holes between the buttons. If I took a size bigger to accommodate my boobs, I end up looking like 'Ah Soh's grandmother'.

Jeans were no better. My waist was 25" and my hips were 36". Big difference. There were no Low-rise jeans back then and the only style available (at least at the stores in my hometown) were semi-high waist.Whatever that could fit my booty would leave a huge gape on my lower back which just looked plain fugly to say the least.

Unsurprisingly I disliked clothes shopping. When I actually gained weight, I HATED clothes shopping. I avoided buying clothes like the Plague. When I absolutely have to like for Christmas, I would usually be reduced to tears because I couldn't find anything to that fits me without making me look like a 40 year-old.

When I was working in Putrajaya I had access to Nichii, a hip clothing store. I LOOOVVVEEE Nichii to bits. They had a lot of styles that flatter plus-sized ladies, the material of their garments are comfortable and durable, it's not too pricey and they always have XL sizes of a particular style on the racks. They also seem to have something new every week! I kid you not! That was the time when I actually dressed up, the 10% from my whole lifetime that I knew I would walk out of a clothes store with a purchase every.single.time.

I came back to Sabah in 2010. DISASTER. The Nichii in KK is hopeless, carrying limited (not to mention unflattering) styles which stops at L size AND I swear some of the items stay on the rack for nearly a full year. Other shops that carry plus size are mostly horrendously expensive while impressively managing to look cheap at the same time. Me starting to gain more weight didn't help matters either.

Then I moved back to my hometown 2 1/2 years ago. DOUBLE DISASTER. Although we have lots of new buildings and clothing stores now, the clothes are STILL mostly from China *face palm*. After one too many frustrating episodes in the changing room, insecurity reared it's ugly head again. I decided not to care anymore because if I do, it would hurt too much. I just viewed clothing as something I put on in order not to walk around naked.

After discovering plus-sized fashion and style blogs recently however, my views on my body and clothes as well as fashion has changed a little. Seeing these women push the boundaries of fashion with fabulosity and sass is very inspiring. I especially love it when they show the clothes they tried on in the fitting rooms and give their impressions on them. It really helped me to realize that clothes should fit ME and not the other way around. If something doesn't fit, it's okay. Just move on to the next one.

With this in mind I have started to take more care and consideration with the way I dress instead of just pulling things from hangers randomly (preferably, something that does not need to be ironed). Since I haven't been giving two hoot about the way I dressed the past few years, I have very limited amount of clothes and even lesser amount of shoes. Hence, I started to play with accessories to (hopefully) change the look and feel of the outfits each time.

Here are some Outfit Of The Day (OOTD) photos from the past week:

 My baju kurung top has a bright and busy pattern on it so I kept it simple with just adding bangles and pinning a brooch in my hair bun to keep it classy.

I chose a wooden bead necklace to go with my Batik print top. I also stringed a pearl bracelet in my hair bun. By the way, just how cute is my owl ring?

 One of my fave tops from Nichii. I did my hair in a braided bun and added a thin mint green headband for a fun twist while anchoring the whole look with a black blazer.

Pretty laid back in this ensemble. Wore a red camera necklace with it for a 'cool' vibe.

I ain't no fashionista by far but I just feel the need to dress up more than usual. In a way, I think that by doing so, I am giving my body the attention and acknowledgement that it deserves. It's funny because now I already have a few outfits planned for next week and it's only Saturday. For someone who almost never plans her outfits, that's pretty extreme. Lol..

By the way, if you are in need of some inspiration, check the videos out below.

Dressing Room Confidential - Fall Fashion
Dressing Room Confidential - Workwear

What is your style? Is it Romantic or Bohemian? Punk or Classic? Whatever it is, do share in the comments section below. Toodles!



Love,
Phy

Body Positivity: My Mental And Emotional Makeover

Hello there...

Throughout my life my weight had fluctuated quite drastically time and again. I was thin until kindy, when I had a chronic cough and was given cod liver oil. I gained weight and became a chubby chacha kid until I was 10 years old. Lost the weight without even trying when I hit 11 years old and stayed thin effortlessly until 14. Gained a little weight when I was 15 and lost some again when I was 16 when I moved into boarding school. Then I discovered that I had problems with my thyroid which contributed to my weight gain in 2013.

That's when the nightmare started. Relatives and teachers started to call me out on my weight. One teacher in particular always puffing out his cheeks at me while bending his elbows out from his body, indicating that I was fat (in actual fact, he was quite big himself and his daughter was no slender swan either. Cis!). Because of all this, I truly, truly believed that I was fat.

I seriously gained weight during the holidays after SPM. I was depressed and heavily (pardon the pun) embarrassed by my less than stellar SPM results, I was always moody because of my Thyroid and I was sad because of my weight. So I ate my sorrows away. Bad idea.

By the time I entered Matriculation together with my friends from boarding school and former high school, EVERYONE was shocked my physique. Of course they gasped and pointed and commented on it. I felt like running away. I became a recluse, avoiding most of my friends because I didn't want to see the bewilderment and pity in their eyes.

I continued to lose and gain weight throughout the years due to new environments and stresses of study and work but I never hit below 66kgs. The heaviest I had ever been was back in early 2013, at 80kgs. Now I am 77kgs. Relatives, friends and even strangers seemed to think that it was alright to commented on my weight, never mind that they were no Giselle Bundchen themselves.

When I look back at the old photos of me especially that time I was in form 5 where all the comments and fat teasing started, I realised that I wasn't fat at all. AT ALL! Yet back then I remembered being all upset and bitter over the thoughtless talks of others. I let them believe that I was huge. It makes me so upset when I think about it now. Imagine, I told myself since I was 17 that I would be happy once I get to my ideal weight of 55kgs but I never did. That means that I have been unhappy and upset with myself for the past 11 years of my life. What a waste!

Recently I have discovered a lot of blogs written by plus-sized women talking about body positivity. About being in the now and accepting, even loving, one's body regardless of it's size. Thanks to these blogs, I've started to regard myself differently now. I know that recovering from self-loathing will take some time and it cannot happen overnight although I wish it could.

This is not to say that I will not continue to exercise and eat right in order to lose weight. That ideal weight of 55kgs is still waiting for me (but if I hit 60kg pun okay juga bah. Hehe..). However, I want to love myself and my body NOW regardless of my size because I know I deserve that love and I am more than just my size.

To those out there who are still harboring self-loathing over your weight, I understand how you feel. Do check out the links below to body positivity blogs. I hope it helps you as it has started to help me. Let's go a journey to recover what we've lost all this while, our self-respect and confidence. In shaa Allah, Amin,

Fashion, Love and Martinis
Plus Size Princess
A Must-see Video! - Take time to watch this, it's worth every single minute of your time. In shaa Allah.



Love,
Phy

August Haul: Makeup Removers, Lippies and Glitter..

Hello hello dearies!

I had such an abundance of Rizqi with beauty products last month from freebies to passed on items and ones that I bought myself. Hence a haul post is inevitable. Hehehe.. Let's start according to the chronology of acquisition shall we?

About a month ago, I discovered Celeste Choo's blog where she posted about Neutrogena's Deep Clean Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub. I commented on that post and she generously offered to send me a deluxe sample of Neutrogena Hydro Boost SPF Gel and a piece of their Deep Clean Hydrating Mask. Isn't she the sweetest?

Yay, new products to try! \(^o^)/

In case you haven't noticed with my previous hauls (check it out here and here), they always seem to have a 'theme'. For example I'd buy a bajillion sheet masks in one month and then the next month I'd buy dozens of lippies at a time. Okay, I'm being dramatic but you know what I mean.

This time around, the 'theme' is makeup removers. My fave which is from the brand Pixy was on it's last leg so I got one to replenish. Then I saw that Nivea has come out with a makeup removing mud cleanser, so that went into my basket. At the last minute I saw that Watsons had a deal where with a purchase of RM20 and above, I could buy Silkygirl's Gel Makeup Remover (which I had been eyeing for months) at 30% discount. Er, so I did. Ngeee... I was given a Vaseline makeup pouch, a Rexona roll-on and a Nuteen cleanser (both deluxe size samples) for free. How cool is that?

Also bought 2 lippies and a breath spray.

The freebies...

Product List (prices are after 10% discount):

1. Ultra Fresh Breath Spray (Price N/A)

2. Silkygirl Pure Fresh All-in-One Gel Makeup Remover for face, eyes & lips (RM15.90)

3. Pixy Gentle & Moist  Cleansing Lotion (RM11.82)

4. Silkygirl Moisture Boost Lipcolor Balm in Coral (RM17.01)

5. Maybelline ColorSensational Pink Alert in POW3 (RM26.91)

6. Nivea Extra White Make Up Clear 3in1 Mud (RM13.52)

7. Free items: NuTeen Oil Away Cool Cleanser (30g), Rexona Women Anti-Perspirant Deodorant (Shower Clean scent) (15ml) and Vaseline Cosmetics Pouch (Pink).

I made a 2nd trip to Watsons and added 2 more lip products, a sheet mask from Watson and an acne patch from Miacare that I've heard so many good things about. Didn't get any freebies this time but that's okay.. :)

Round 2.. ;)

Product List:
1. MiaCare Acne Patch for Night (Price N/A)
2. Watson Milk Smoothing & Whitening Facial Mask (Price N/A)
3. Silkygirl Moisture Boost Lipcolor Balm in Rose (RM17.01)
4. Maybelline ColorSensational Pink Alert in POW4 (RM26.91)

My sister passed some of her fab stuff to me and I am over the moon! There's The Face Shop Volcanic Clay Blackhead Scrub Gel Oil, 3 Victoria Secret underwear and several sheet masks from My Beauty Diary as well as The Face Shop. She also gave me a body scrub from L'Occitane's Almond range (Delicious Paste) which was very timely since I just finished my Vineyard Peach body scrub from The Body Shop. Whoopee!

Love, love, love!

I have been into crafting the past month and so I got a few things that I feel would make a nice addition to my limited collection of glitters and stuff. They are all so cheap and the quality is pretty good for 80% of the items. I got a mixing palette for mixing lipstick colors (okay, this is not for my craft I know), glitter glues, loose glitter, heart-shaped post-its and color pencils (not happy with the color pencils' quality though).



So that's all that I got for the month of August guys. Alhamdulillah for the Rizqi. Did you buy anything beauty or craft related last month? If you did then share in the comments section below. Toodles!



Love,
Phy

First Experience: Making Nasi Lemak

Aloha dearies!

2 days ago I was hit by a sudden need to have Nasi Lemak for lunch. It got me thinking how nice it would be to know how to make it myself. As long as I have the ingredients, I could make it at any time (oh-so-dangerous for my waistline!). And so I scoured the Internet on how to make Nasi Lemak with the help of my trusty sidekick, Mr. Google. At last, I found 2 versions that I felt was easy enough to follow.

The result?

Tadaaa!!!! I cooked everything myself except for the fried peanuts. My dad did that while I was a work.

I am so happy it worked out well! The rice was fragrant and tasty even though I just used instant coconut milk. The sambal wasn't bad either but I had to add some sugar to give some dimension to it's taste. My dad even gave his stamp of approval! I am feeling very grown up and proud of myself at the moment. Lol!

There's just something so satisfying about eating something you created yourself, especially if you thought that it was way too difficult all this while.

The best part of knowing how to do this is that I could customize it according to my liking. Mau lebih sambal kah, lebih bilis kah, I'm in control. Best kan? Since I find that sambal needs some work I won't be posting the recipe today. Will post it up once I've found my 'magic blend' so to speak.

That's all for now dearies... What's your favorite food? Have you learnt how to make it?



Love,
Phy

Dainty Pearls: 'Rat-bitten' Hair Cut, Me Time & A Car Accident

Assalamualaikum..

Another Dainty Pearls post is here! Whew, the past 2 weeks had been a real whirlwind for me guys. I'll be honest, it's not so much of the physical business that was tiring me, but more of the emotional side of things. You'll know what I mean in a bit. Without further ado let's get on to the the topics of discussion today shall we?

1. An upstanding member of our community passed away over a week ago. You can read my tribute to him here. His death made me think about where my life is headed and question myself if I am doing enough to fulfill my purpose in life.

2. I was so out of sorts last week that I lost concentration while driving and rammed  the side of the family car against a steel gate. A hardy as Bessie The Old Car was, the accident left an ugly indentation on one of the doors as well as the paint being scratched and peeled in certain places. Teruk oh. I feel so bad about it.

3. Sophie's hair was growing out and 'crowding her face'. We tried tying her hair but she didn't like that very much so my mum decided to cut her hair. It is normal for her to put up some resistance but usually she could be distracted long enough for my mum to complete the task. This time however she could not be 'tricked'.

After my mum cut the first chunk of hair at the back, nothing could distract her enough for my mum to balance out the cut. She has now ended up with a bob that looks Victoria Beckham-esque from the front and 'rat-bitten' from the back. Sigh... Tell me, do you have much trouble getting your child's hair trimmed?

4. I have been craving some 'Me' time lately. It just frustrates me that I have so little time to do what I love. I miss KK; the food, the sights, sounds, smell and the excitement in general. There is always some cool event and activities being held every week. I need a break from the daily grind and just get in tune with myself.

Thank goodness recently I have rediscovered the 'creative' side of me. Makes me remember my high school days when we had to make folios as assignment for various subjects. It has really been helping me to release some of the stress, Alhamdulillah.

 Bought some 'artsy' stuff recently.. And an unfinished doodle..

One of my creations - ribbon decor for pressies..

5. I had the opportunity to re-arrange my makeup last Sunday and I am so happy. It is not perfect by any means but at least everything is positioned to be in easy reach especially my face products. This is important for me because I usually start my makeup with face base and work my way to the eyes, cheeks and lips. If I can't get to my face makeup products easily then I tend to just skip putting on makeup altogether.

Foundations, BB and CC creams..

Face primers, powders and concealers in the 2nd tier.

My biggest nightmare to organize would have to be my lip products. It's mind boggling to see so many lippies and glosses all at once. In the end I decided to just separate them by high-end and low-end then group the 2 lower-end brands I have the most products of together (which is Revlon and Maybelline by the way) while the rest go to a separate pile. I used 3 biscuit plastic trays with a separator for this. Lastly but not least, for each tray I put lippies in 1 section and glosses on the other. Again, it needs some work but I'm quite happy at the moment because it is sooo much better than before.

6. I have been obsessed with eating chopped birds-eye chillis + lime juice with my lunch and dinner lately. It goes really, really well with fish and isn't bad at all with chicken. It's just heaven really. Hehe.. Under different circumstances, with such cravings I'd have thought that I was preggers. Hehehe..

The most perfect combo in this world when it comes to bird's-eye chili and lime

Maggi Goreng Ayam is a 2nd fave of mine with chili and lime. Heaven!

So that's what has been going on in my life. How about you, did anything significant happened lately? Do share in the comments section below. Toodles!




Love,
Phy

Finally, A Facebook 'Like' Box On My Blog!

Hello all!

I had been wanting to put a Facebook 'Like' box on my sidebar for literally years. I have tried several times but always get confused on the process and would give up. Tonight  I decided to give it another whirl and searched for a how to vid on this topic. The first one was too complicated, just like the rest I've ever watched.

As I love my blog too much to take the risk of coding gone extremely wrong, I decided to watch another video and have found the solution that I have been waiting for! It's so, so simple peeps. Whether you're a newbie or been blogging for some time, I think this video will come in very handy for you if you want to put up a Facebook 'Like' box on your blog on Blogger platform.

I am so, so happy I found this video!

Have an awesome weekend peeps!

Love, 

Phy

How To: Maintain The Tip Of Your Pencil Lip Colors

Hello there!

When I go to the makeup counters and look at the testers for pencil lip colors, I always find the tip to be flat from usage. This might be fine for some but I personally like to keep the 'pointed' tip of my pencil lipsticks. I find that it helps me to apply the colors quickly and and precisely, saving me valuable time and effort. If you'd like to know how I apply my pencil lip colors while still maintaining their tips, keep on reading!

Step 1:

First I outline my lips using the tip of my lip color. 

Step 2 & 3: I tilt the pencil at an angle so that the 'side' of the tip rests on my lip. Starting from one corner, I drag the pencil along my bottom lip to the other corner

Step 4 & 5: While maintaining the same position of the pencil, I repeat the same steps as 3 & 4, only this time on my top lip. Maintaining the position of the pencil ensures that both 'sides' of the tip are used, hence balancing the shape of the tip.

Result: Easy and precise lip color application that maintains the tip of your pencil lippy. 

Note: Don't forget to check the shape of you pencil lipstick before using it so that you can see which 'side' to use. A lopsided tip indicates excessed use of one 'side'.

I hope you find this pictorial useful. Tell me what you think and feel free to share your own tips in the comments section below. I'd love to hear from you. Toodles!



Love,
Phy

P/S: By the way, I am wearing Revlon ColorBurst MatteBalm in Unapologetic in this pictorial. :)

Beauty And Accessories Haul: The Body Shop, In2it, Padini And More!

Hello hello peeps!

OMG, I am so excited about this entry because it is a haul post! I have to warn you that it's pretty sizable because they're a collection of products that I had purchased since May this year. It's also different from other hauls that I have done before because it includes not only makeup and beauty products but accessories as well. 

Unfortunately I will not be able to give the price for most of these items because I lost the receipts! Huwaaa! Some of the photo quality are also less than stellar because I had to take them at night under fluorescent lighting. I hope you can look past all that and enjoy this post nonetheless. Let's get right into it shall we?

May 2014

I was running out of body scrub and I had heard good things about The Body Shop's Newly Harvest Raspberry Body Scrub (RM66.90) on Youtube so I decided to check it out during my trip to KK City. I have never tried a gel textured body scrub and after testing it out in the store I decided to give it a go. The Newly Harvest Raspberry Body Butter (RM60.90) also smelled so good that I could not resist getting it too.

At Guardian I found the product that I had been searching in vain weeks prior: Nivea's In-shower Body Moisturizer Skin Conditioner (Whew! Such a long name). I was so excited to find it available that I practically ran down the aisle and grabbed them off the shelf! They had one for Normal skin which contains Sea Minerals and they have another for Dry Skin containing Almond Oil. I chose the latter simply because I find Almond Oil is much more believable for a product ingredient that Sea Minerals if you know what I mean. Like how on earth do you harvest sea minerals? I don't get it.

Body care items for the month of May.

For makeup I went a little lip-product crazy (not as bad as before though) at Guardian. I had been wanting to try the Revlon ColorBurst Laquer Balms for the longest time (they were released shortly after the Matte Balms) but I got such an extreme conflict of opinions from varying sources that I held off from buying them. This time however I decided to just take the plunge and bought Flirtatious first to see how it goes. I liked it so much that I went back and bought Provocateur as well. Hehehe... 

Guardian was also having a 'Buy 1 Get 1 Free' deal (which is pretty much unheard of for any drugstore in KK) on their Revlon Lip Butters. I must confess, I have all the colors already with the exception of 3. Out of the 3 that I didn't have I decided to get Sugar Frosting (shimmery light pink) and Brown Sugar (light brown). I am pretty happy with both as I don't have a lot of brown lip colors and I think the light pink can be paired with a strong smoky eye.

Since my elder sister was eligible for a 30% birthday discount on her purchases at The Face Shop, I jumped at the opportunity to buy some makeup items (Duh!). I got 3 of their Lovely ME:EX You & Eyes eye shadow in Peach Kissed (Satin finish), Creamy Peach (Matte) and Cocoa Powder (Matte). Out of a whim I also bought their Glitter Nail Polish in 01 which is a pretty lilac-y color with multi-colored glitter.

Makeup haul for the month of May.

Early June 2014

When I bought the Newly Harvest Raspberry Body Scrub and Body Butter at The Body Shop back in May, I had actually 'sniffed and tested' through the whole range available in the store (I kid you not, I went through ALL the scents there. I also went back and forth between scents. Even the Beauty Consultant gave up on me and left me to fend for myself). In the end it was a toss-up between the Newly Harvest Raspberry and the Vineyard Peach scent. Since I got the former in May, I decided to get the the Body Scrub and Body Butter in the latter scent for June. The scrub is a cream formula though rather than a gel. 

June is my Birthday month so I was eligible to purchase one product at 50%  at The Body Shop. I did not have a face powder from them so I decided to try their Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder. I had also never tried their Colour Crush Eye Shadows and when I saw Sunshine Yellow which is the most unique shade of true mustard-y yellow in Matte formula, I knew that I had to have it. I Came, I Saw and I Conquered. Hehe..

As my purchases were close to the amount where I could get a full-sized shower gel for free, I topped up the remaining amount by getting their normal-sized and small-sized loofah. I chose Vineyard Peach for the shower gel as well so that I could layer the scent and make it last longer.

My purchases from The Body Shop. Gave my sister the smaller loofah which is why it's not in the picture.

I continued on my way to the LG floor at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall and whatdaya know? Guardian is having a sale! I checked out what they had on display and, no surprise here, got sucked into buying several items. I got the In2it Waterproof Gel Liner Pencil in Steel and Henna Brown (twin pack), In2it Gel Tint in Strawberry, In2it Waterproof Blush Set in Romance (I had been wanting to try this for a while now) and the In2it Waterproof Brow Liner in Acorn as well as In2it Brow Gel in 02 (the final 2 items were in a twin pack).

Makeup items from Guardian.

All together now.

Late June 2014

(Remember when I stayed at The Magellan Sutera Resort? I purchased the items below during that trip to KK)

I received a 30% voucher from Padini for my birthday and so I got some new accessories to update my look. I was in dire need of a new pair of sandals so I decided to get this flats with red and cream stripes which just screams 'Summer' to me. I also bough a pair of sunnies because I have astigmatism so I need them to make driving more comfortable and chic. I threw in the light blue thin headband as well because it's cute and I hoped that it would give me a youthful vibe since everyone seems to think that I am older than I really am. *Rolling eyes*

All of the items were RM29.90 each before discount.

Now on to the makeup items. First of all me and my sister Hana went to The Face Shop at Warisan Square hoping to buy their sheet face masks. Unfortunately they didn't have much products in stock because apparently they are moving to KK Times Square. Bummer. I managed to snag 2 of their Lovely ME:EX You & Eyes eye shadow in Purple Fog (Shimmer) and Toast (Matte) though. I had been eyeing Toast for some time and Purple Fog is such a unique color with both silver and gold shimmer in it so I was a happy camper.

L-R: Purple Fog, Toast.

Next we went to The Body Shop where I got 2 of the shades that I had been wanting since the month of May (I had wanted to get these together with Sunshine Yellow but decided to buy them in future instead). The Body Shop Color Crush eye shadows that I got this time were Moonlight Kiss (Matte Black) and Something Blue (Satin Teal). 

L-R: Something Blue, Moonlight Kiss

I also purchased 2 body care items from The Body Shop. The first one is a Shower Gel in Mango scent which might just be my 2nd favorite scent after Strawberry. It smells so yummy! The next one a Body Sorbet in Strawberry which is a new product from The Body Shop. It comes in 3 scents; Strawberry, Moringa and Satsuma.

 L-R: Shower Gel in Mango, Body Sorbet in Strawberry

After The Body Shop, I went to Watsons to discover that Maybelline had new colors for their 24 Hour Color Tattoo cream shadows! I was so happy that I almost did a jig then and there! The new colors are Inked In Pink (which shares the same cult favorite status as Bad To The Bronze by the way) and Gold Rush. They are not added to the current 24 Hour Color Tattoo collection though, instead they had replaced Tough As Taupe (Taupe) and another color that I can't remember. It might be Fierce And Tangy (Orange) but I am only 80% sure about that.

So is that all I picked up? Nope. After browsing further through Watsons, I got the Waterproof Eyeliner Pen (with  beveled fibre tip) in Very Black from In2it. I had never tried an eyeliner with a beveled tip so curiosity got the better of me. Hehehe..

Top L-R: Gold Rush, Inked in Pink.

Bottom: Very Black.

All the makeup items for late June.

Group photo time. Hehe..

So there you have it, my big collective haul throughout the month of May and June. I have been enjoying all of these products, some more than others. You will definitely see some of them in my June favorites (I know it's late but hey, there's no harm in sharing right? Hehe..) as well as my July favorites post. 

Have you tried any of the products above? Would you like me to do a review on any of them? Do share in the comments section below. I love hearing from you. Toodles!

Love,

Phy

Dear Diary: A Double Celebration For The Month of June

Hello hello there dearies!

This month of June is calls for a double celebration for me. Not only is it my 28th birthday, but I just received news a few days ago that I had been officially confirmed in my job. Alhamdulillah, now my pay scale has increased and I am entitled for medical benefits as well as Annual Leave. Hooraaayyy!!!

The past year as a 27 year old had been a roller coaster ride for me. I had to let go of someone I had loved and who had been a part of my life for a very long time, I was unemployed for more than half a year, worked overnight shifts and dived head first into a job that I had 5% knowledge about with minimal guidance.

At the same time I had also watched my darling Sophia grow into an intelligent toddler and grew with her as a mother, gained confidence in my job and am now doing interviews for recruitment. I had chaired meetings, been part of preparing for inspections that could have made or break the place I work for and came out triumphant. Now I have been confirmed.

Yes, oh yes, I have certainly came a long way from the 27-year old who came back to her hometown from the City with her head down with defeat. Alhamdulillah, they say time heals and I am certainly well on my way there.

I am truly looking forward to entering my 28th year on this Earth and will do so with an open heart and mind, in shaa Allah. May this coming year (and beyond) brings me ways to achieve my dreams as a makeup artist, enrich my experience as a lifestyle and beauty blogger, bless me and Sophia with health and happiness, the opportunity to travel to my number 1 destination at the moment which is Melbourne and meet me with my future husband. Amin.


How old will you be this year? Is there anything that you are celebrating this month? Do share in the comments section below.


Love,
Phy

March 2014 Beauty Haul: And The Lippie Madness Continues..

Hello hello peeps
Oops I did it again. Yup, went overboard buying lip products. Again. Huwaaaa!! But I love, love, love them all so aside from having to be poor for the rest of the month, I don't  have any regrets bringing these bad boys home with me.

Interested to know more? Come and have a looksee...

Taraaaaaa....

Product list:
01. Revlon Colorburst Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Sweetheart Valentine
02. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Standout
03. Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry
04. Za Pure Shine lips in Red Coral
05. Maybelline Lip Polish in Glam 2 (Pink)
06. Maybelline Lip Polish in Glam 3 (Tangerine)
07. Maybelline Lip Polish in Glam 5 (Mauve)
08. Maybelline Lip Polish in Glam (Berry)

L-R: Sweetheart Valentine, Sultry, Standout, Red Coral, Glam 2, Glam 3, Glam 6 and Glam 5

Here are some full-faced lip swatches:

Red Coral

Sultry

Standout

Sweetheart Valentine

Glam 2

Glam 3

Glam 5

Glam 6

The Revlon ColorBurst Balms (both Just Bitten Kissables and Mattes) just glides dreamily on my lips. For those who have dry lips however, you might want to scrub your lips and put on a moisturizing balm before applying the Matte Balms because they tend to highlight the flakes on dry lips.

The Maybelline Lip Polishes are awesooommeee. They to glide on the lips and has a unique texture like I have never come across before. Very smooth, almost slick but not quite. You'd get an opaque color payoff with 2 swipes for the lighter colors. For a darker color like Glam 6, 1 layer is enough for the color to show. (I only used 1 layer for all the lip swatches above).

As for the ZA Pure Shine Lips in Red Coral, the color is not so opaque. As it's name depicts, it's more on the shiny (or rather, glossy side). It also has a moisturizing formula. I think that it is the perfect sweet shade for Spring Season and a great product for those who are just starting to wear makeup.

As I mentioned before, I love all of them but my ultimate favorites would be Sultry (it made into my Beauty Monthly Favorites for March 2014), Glam 6 and Sweetheart Valentine.

Did you see anything you like? If you'd like me to do a review on any of the particular products or shades, do leave your request in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next post. Toodles!

Love,
Phy