Home Office

So I got to settign up my spanking new home office.

It has a view of the telly :), and boo boo watching the telly.

Check out the new office chair. Cost me quite a bit but I am supremely happy with it. Of course, I'll be sharing this with AK. We'll roll it back and forth from the room and here.

I removed the keyboard drawer from my new desk (it comes in a very classy dark stain, by the way). Bought it on sale and absolutely love it - comes with a compartment for a CPU, but I placed my personal finance folders in it.

Installed the remaining Ikea lamp.

Hooked up the extension sockets to plug in my laptop and charger if need be.

Actually managed to get quite a tidy amount of work done this weekend.

Doing My (Little) Part

When I was of single-digit age, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I loved reading books on animals, and could tell you what a remora or a hyrax is, and which sharks you should be afraid of and which ones that are more harmless than a fly.



I always had a passion for the environment, borrowing and re-reading a book titled Reduce, Reuse, Recycle again and again. That was when I learnt that reducing is the first choice - always, as recycling does take up its share of resources as well. That book was where I read about composting, about reusing tin cans and bottles.



I've been doing the simplest of things for as long as I can remember - use both sides of a sheet of paper,



Now I can't believe I work for an oil company, one of Big Oil. We print pamhlets to promote Earth Day, for goodness' sake. We guzzle mineral water during meetings, and then leave the half consumed water in the bottles to be tossed. And replace those bottles again for the next meeting. It's ridiculous. It's blatant disrespect.



But I digress. After all, one does what one can:-

1) I bring my own water, as often as I can. When I travel, or go off to a meeting in a hotel, I make sure I have my own supply of water. One bottle saved is still, well, one bottle saved.

2) I recycle as much as I can. Separate my papers and plastics and toss them into the recycling bin.

3) Started growing my own herbs - lemongrass, mint, curry leaves and basil.

4) I use organic, eco-friendly cosmetics. My day moisturiser is Origins Have A Nice Day (really brightens the complexion - totally recommend this), my night cream is the discontinued Olive Brightening Cream (something like this but for night), my foundation is by the Body Shop. Oh, and of course, my body cream (Shea Butter) and my perfume (Lemon Verbena - I have never believed that I could NOT live without a fragrance, but I've used this for 2 years and I don't wanna use anything else) are also L'occitance. I do use mascara from Lancome though - and not much else. I also bought the cherry blossom glitter lotion (for goodness knows what) and am looking forward to trying the Immortelle range next.

5) I set the timer on the airconditioner. Easy peasy.

6) I've sealed my room doors with insulating strips to prevent the loss of cool air. AK doesn't believe in doing this but he obliges me anyways.

7) This is something I've started doing only recently. Trying to anyway - when I peel my fruit, instead of tossing the peel i save it in a plastic bag to add to the soil of my plants. Less waste and a bit of nutrition for my poor suffering heliconia - worth a try anytime. I've also tried this with eggshells.


8) Reduce the use of plastic bags. I have about 8 various-sized canvas shopping bags. I am so diligent with using these that AK has to remind me NOT to bring them because we sometimes run out of bags to put garbage in :)



I want to try these next:
1) Make my own cleaning agents. I cleaned my sinks with squeezed out lemons before and was left with super shiny sinks after that. Here's what I gleaned from Oprah.com:
- For Countertops & windows -->
Combine a tablespoon of white vinegar and a quart of water in a spray bottle, squirt, and wipe dry. Vinegar is a mild acid that dissolves dirt, hard water deposits, and soap scum. (Be careful when using vinegar, which can irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.)
- FOR FABRIC STAINS --> attack with white vinegar or lemon juice

- FOR FAUCETS & DIRTY OVENS --> Sprinkle baking soda over the area (only when it's cool) and scrub with steel wool and water. The gritty soda scours off dirt and raises the pH of water, which helps remove chalky white buildup around faucets. (Avoid this abrasive method on glass stovetops.)
- FOR A CLOGGED DRAIN (I've tried this before - it not only unclogs the drain, but removes any smelly odours as well) --> Pour in half a cup of dry baking soda, followed by half a cup of vinegar, then cover the drain. Wait 15 minutes, then flush with two cups of hot or boiling water.And keep in mind... If you don't want to give up commercial cleaners, cast a skeptical eye on products labeled "eco-friendly" or "organic." Look instead for specific claims (such as "solvent-free" or "phosphate-free") and for the "Design for the Environment" label: These products have been carefully screened for their environmental effects.
I've already bought my vinegar - so cheap at RM3 per half litre. Watch this space!

On the Heart, the Mind and Work

I've been beaten up pretty bad - by my standards anyway. Public rebukes, dismissal of my opinions, unrealistic and unclear demands, work that I had to re-do again and again.

But surprisingly I've been more than mature about it. I used to sob and cry over smaller insults and missteps, but this time I remember what Fr. Gino told us during the Women's Conference - don't let people get you down. Stand up straight, and remember that YOU are someone, God's child. Let people throw sticks and stones and say whatever they want to say. Let it slide. Water off a duck's feathers.

Get your priorities straight, be it family, money, enjoying life to the max, whatever. And remember that it's just a job. Something to put the moolah in the bank.

And so, I continue with a hardened heart. Not cold and unfeeling, but cool and unwavering. And it's time to put the brain in charge when it comes to matters of work and the career.

I came back yesterday with a resolve to win things over. Like I always do. Usually it's sooner, but now it's later - but the important thing is not to give up.

And the world is with with me, like Oprah when she go El Divo to sing Amazing Grace and I caught it twice - so beautiful.

And American Idol and the Inspiration week - my remaining favourite Lee Dwyze (my other fave Didi Benami got booted off earlier) - sang The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel wonderfully.

And so, I move on.

Splurge or Save, and Ipa-Nima Love...

I have been meeting lots of new people lately, partly due to my relentless search for a good piece of property (or two). So I've been collecting lots of business cards - from housing agents, bankers, lawyers, owners, building management, etc.

Work-wise, I also got business cards from other oil and gas companies as I've started attending meetings with them. Heck, even my car wash gave me a card.

So, of course (any excuse will do), I'm in the market for a card holder. And I've decided that I don't want something in my normal style - plain and simple with a touch of sophistication (or so I think). This time I wanna indulge my feminine side a little. A whimsical (but not too ridiculous looking) one is in order.

My favourite so far is this one from Ipa-Nima, a Hong Kong bag designer who is based in Vietnam. Her designs apparently showcase Vietnam's fabulous embroidery and needlework traditions and is a fantabulour success. I've read that the sitcom Friends showcased it and her bags are frequently toted by Hollywood stars. And she makes 1st class amenity kits for Cathay Pacific - how nice.

This is perfect - lots of space for lots of cards, whimsical and unique but not too comical. I mean, I saw ones on Etsy that have birdcages and peace signs on them. Some have caught my eye:

AccessoryHeaven


Same

But no love. All of the above are too cutesy for me.

This one I'm pretty keen on though. According to the site, it holds minimum of four cards (that's not much). But for just 13 US dollars, it's worth giving it a try? Or should I hold out for the one the Ipa-Nima?

But, sigh, I have fallen head over heels over Ipa-Nima stuff! Not sure if I'm bold enough to carry her larger bags but they sure are pretty to look at.

These patchwork ones will go well with bohemian white dresses. Or even a white shirt-and-jeans combo. But given that they're so fancy in their own right, best not to pair them with anything too colourful.

I love elephant motifs, especially Indian-inspired ones. Ever since my colleague gave me adorable key chains shaped like colourful elephants, I've been wanting to get more of the like for my home. Not too sure about wearing them though...like these 2 would make such adorable mummy bags, given their pastel colours. So sweet.

I can just picture this one holding clean diapers and milk bottles.

This one's slightly funkier, but still very cute.

These are absolutely gorgeous - embellished clutches that come in yellow and teal. Pity they're so difficult to match - and it's not like I'll be needing anything like these anytime soon - Miri is a strictly jean and tee town. So for now, for admiring only.

This one I'm absolutely pining for - an elephant motif coin purse. I love it because I believe that the fanciest stuff should come in small packages so they don't overwhelm. Subtlety is best. But the price tag...sigh, even with the exchange rates, is something to just dream about for now. RM300+ for a coin purse is crazy extravagant.
But it comes with this adorable elephant charm...surely that's a plus? :) Why, it's almost like buying two things for the price of one!

Even with my hard-earned increment coming up, should I splurge or practice some delayed gratification?

Weekend Humdrum

Here's what I did this weekend despite the double whammy - major food poisoning episode and a particularly horrible episode of the time of the month. I managed to makeup for sleeping the entire Saturday by being extra productive on Sunday. Here's what I did:-

1) Expanded my little garden. I managed to find a guy in the market selling mint and basil plants, and I had to have them both (2 mint plants, actually). I then immediately made a beeline to the the Pottery shop and bought 3 square shaped pots with built-in drainage. Genius!

I can't help putting up more photos of the progress I've been making. Granted it's small and painfully slow at times, but it is enriching somewhat to see something you've nurtured show signs of growth and flourish.

2) I made dulche le leche, or the easiest milk jam in the whole wide world. Just a can of condensed milk in a pot of water over a slow simmer for4 hours, reheat to dissolve a pinch of sea salt and you've got a wonderful caramel condiment to spread on crackers, to top cupcakes and dress fruit salads.






Oh, and I also made a huge pot of soup, to sustain us for the week ahead.
Can't believe it's Thursday already.

It Might Never Happen

It might never happen, you know.

And I don't know if it's the biological clock or just peer pressure, I find myself daydreaming more and more about the details.

I've bookmarked little girls' dresses (one pink and blue and has pink flamingoe patterns on it, the other a brown on tiffany robin's-egg blue jumper) as my Etsy favourites. Heck I almost plonked down the money and ordered them (almost).

I scroll through this blog and this one for inspirations.

Someone slap me before I order white Christian Loboutins.

I want a classic all-white one one. With white paper lanterns hung in the trees. With candles everywhere. With Michael Buble's Everything playing my dance. And I want to splurge on the cake, so I can show it off in my FB photos. Hahahaha, yes, I am that shallow.