on a thursday afternoon

how'd you know that?

i know, cos i'm always there with you...

errr, that's creepy dude

hahaha

other girls might have said "awwwww"

that's why i married you....

*blushing*

364th day of being 32

33. i turn 33 tomorrow. what did i do while being 32?

actually a lot.

planned our wedding, got married, became a new member of his extended family. traveled to bali, yogyakarta, manado, lombok, (bangkok and bangka were last year but i wasn't 32 yet i think.. hongkong? last year or the year before? forgot...). set up Tea for Two with my best friend. as for daily life, living with my husband definitely taught me a thing or two (or 2 hundred) about him, us and myself, our priorities, responsibilities.. and we decided to purchase a house!

it's been quite a busy year, an abundant one filled with joy and laughter. for that i'm endlessly grateful. Alhamdulillah for our health and family's, for the streaming luck and wealth of material and mind. Thank you God for the chance of living this life and having it overflowing with love.


ps. thank you God for sending to me my husband, he's a good, good man.

baby is born!

One of the resolutions this year, besides the lombok trip with the girls (that i totally scored!) is setting up this accessories line with my best friend, called Tea for Two. We actually kind of stumbled upon this project, well, we don't really know how it started, but i think we were both making hair bands and adis' piece especially was getting a lot of great feedback. they were in demand! she taught me how to make them, we made many as souvenirs for family and besties for my wedding. that was last year. As things were moving along slowly, and we both had busy lives, this project was put on hold, on and off.

To cut things short, we took it step by step, made small goals for ourselves, and we made our Tea for Two available for public last week! So far, our items have gotten good reviews, hopefully we get things going... it's tough since we're doing all the handwork ourselves, but it's so exciting and rewarding to see an item being sold, and the person receiving it happy.

here's where you can see our treats :)

http://teafortwo.asia/
http://www.facebook.com/teafortwo.xoxo
http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=266408231404

or follow us on twitter:
http://twitter.com/TeaforTwo_xoxo

35 Simple Ways to Be Beautiful

by Lori Deschene


“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” ~Sophia Loren



It seems like such a cliche to say pretty is as pretty does, but the truth is physical beauty is subjective. And no matter how closely someone matches your ideal of physical perfection, that will eventually fade. What endures are the qualities, passions, and habits we nurture.That’s what makes us beautiful–and believe me when I say there is something beautiful in everyone. If you’ve done any of the following lately, you are absolutely beautiful:


1. Smile. As the quote goes, “I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.”


2. Be there for someone who needs you even if there’s nothing in it for you–give without expectations.


3. Make a sacrifice for someone you love.


4. Admit a mistake, even if it’s hard to say you’re wrong, and work to make amends.


5. Share your struggles, putting your ego aside, to make someone else feel less alone.


6. Create something that helps people. A song, a blog, a support group, a non-profit–anything that inspires.


7. Help a child feel good about him or herself.


8. Tell someone what you appreciate about them, even if you feel vulnerable.


9. Forgive someone without needing to hear the words, “I’m sorry.”


10. Give someone an uncomfortably long hug when they need it.


10. Create positive energy around you by thinking positive thoughts and acting with positive intentions.


11. Sit with reality without judging anyone or anything.


12. Accept someone for who they are instead of trying to change them to who you want them to be.


13. Treat people like you want to be treated.


14. Notice something simple but beautiful in the world around you.


15. Acknowledge the beauty in others, instead of feeling threatened or competing with other people.


16. Be the change you want to see in the world, as per Gandhi’s suggestion.


17. Tap into your personal power and do something that makes a difference in the world.


18. Find strength in a challenging moment. It’s not easy to do, and you deserve credit for it.


19. Talk kindly about the world around you instead of gossiping or complaining.


20. Forget yourself for a minute and do nothing but listen to someone who needs it.


21. Measure a person by their best moments, not their worst.


22. Give yourself the same courtesy–focus on the good you’ve done, not the mistakes you’ve made.


23. Take the high road when someone hurts you instead if being cruel or catty.


24. Make someone laugh. A smile can literally melt stress and pain away. How beautiful of you to do that for someone else!


25. Make someone cry–tears of joy that is. People want to feel moved, inspired, motivated. Never underestimate the power of touching someone’s heart.


26. Keep an open mind instead of sticking with a judgment or assumption.


27. Love what you’re tempted to fear.


28. Be the voice of optimism when the people around you need it badly.


29. Show humility when your accomplishments would make it easy to stand above people.


30. Handle rejection or failure with grace. It’s far more easily said than done–and it sounds so cheesy and cliche–but accepting loss gracefully makes you a true winner.


31. Show unbridled enthusiasm for something that excites you. All children are beautiful, and I think their unadulterated joy has a lot to do with it.


32. Hear what someone means, not just what they say. Anyone can nitpick. Not everyone actively works to be understanding.


33. Imagine a world where people know peace, and do one small thing to create it.


34. Honor the values that matter to you. Showing integrity is the first step to feeling good about yourself.


35. Accept and love yourself–or as Ben Folds sings, “Learn to live with what you are.”


And now a disclaimer: some days you may not do anything written above–in fact, you might do the exact opposite. On those days you are still beautiful.


There are times when, like Alexander, I’m having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Times when it seems like I might get swept into the tornado of chaos around me. Times when the voice in my head is unkind, and I interpret everything that happens through a negative filter. When I think the worst of people and complain about it; when I expect the worst of my day and lament it.


This admission might seem like the biggest possible acknowledgment of hypocrisy, but I have nothing to give if not my honesty. And the reality is I am imperfect. We all are. We all have moments of weakness–but they’ll only define us if they far surpass moments of kindness, compassion, love, and strength.


Being beautiful doesn’t mean adhering to some picture-perfect fantasy, or living every moment that way. It means realizing this moment is a new opportunity to be who you want to be, and making the effort to seize it.


How will you be beautiful today?


copied from adis' email. just thought it'd be good to share and to remind myself, that everyone is beautiful and perfect, just the way they are.

missing

i've been missing my grandma immensely since the lombok trip, and my husband said "try to remember that she'd like you to be happy, and that she's in a better place now." i couldn't begin to imagine what he went through when he lost his father when he was just 9 years old, then losing his mother to cancer 10 years later. just thinking about the possibility of my parents dying makes my heart ache.

i heart you, in darkness and in sunshine

and anywhere in between the color spectrum

photo by RAS

cancer - the zodiac

Crabs live in the inter-tidal zone of the oceans, where tides rise and fall twice every day. This is the most dynamic and changeful place on earth, but also the most nutrient rich. Because of the constant change, Crabs have developed a hard outer shell for protection. You Crabs can use the hard outer shell of your home as your protection. But it's more than just that. Typically, your sensitive Crabs can hold your feelings quietly behind your own walls.

Crabs also have large pinching claws, and your Cancerians can hold onto things, especially from the past. You are fiercely loyal and have a difficult time letting go. But you are also quick to bring those you love inside the safety of your outer shell while you nurture them. Your love is protective, but unless tempered, can be smothering.

Your motto could be, "A good defense is the best offense." Like a Crab in its cave, your attack can consist of baiting your opponent into your territory. What appears to be a retreat to others can be your best aggressive tactic. As you feel your way through life, building your security by developing your home and family relationships, remember that unexpressed anger can turn into resentment and depression, so find someone you can trust and share your feelings.

Element: Water
Astrologically, the water element symbolizes emotion. Water runs deep; it seeks its own level and will flow until it has found it. The cycle of water is endless with the snows falling in the mountains and melting. The mountain streams join to make the great rivers that run to the sea. The tides and currents churn the oceans. Similarly, our feelings are flowing as they connect the present with past experiences. Sometimes the waters are so deep that we cannot put words to our feelings.

The water of Cancer is that of the changing tides. Regular rhythms that bring food and nurture the creatures who live there. But this is also about the water of a smoothly surfaced lake. No movement is apparent, yet beneath the surface there is movement, currents and much hidden activity.

House: Fourth
The Fourth House is related to the mother. It is where we are nurtured, and takes in not only our real mother, but all those who nurture us -- especially early in life. This is the house of childhood surroundings. It is where we retreat from the noise of the outer world.

Key Planet: Moon
The Moon is always changing, not even the same two nights in a row. It races around the Earth once a "month," and as such we are familiar with her regularly repeating patterns. Women's menstrual cycles are naturally tied to the lunar rhythm, putting them in closer touch with the subconscious realms of the Moon. But to man and woman alike, the Moon is the key to our feelings and our emotional cycles. As the key planet of Cancer, the Moon symbolizes our basic needs -- how we need to be nurtured and how we nurture others.

Greatest Strength:
Your ability to nurture others

Possible Weakness:
Fear of the past repeating in the future


thanks adis for the info! :* by the way, princess diana was a cancer.

from www.tarot.com