my sweet escape

Looking for a Good Print Shop in KK

2013-12-02T11:00:00.001+08:00

I have a number of things that I want to get printed and looking for a good print shop is not an easy task here in KK. I've sent a couple of documents to get printed before and the colors were so lackluster that I just wasn't happy with the end product. The thing about KK-ians that gets on my nerves, is that when you ask if they can do things the way you want them to, they say, "SURE! NO PROBLEM! I can do it EXACTLY like that!" then when you come by and pick up your order, not only does it fall short of your expectation, it's like a totally different order. And this is not just an isolated case. During my sister's wedding, it happened with almost ALL the vendors! It's crazy!

Anyways, if I didn't have to spend on international shipping, I'll just print my documents online. The online printing services online offer such a great range, you can even print catalogs online.

Anybody in KK can recommend a good printing place, I'll be super thankful!

RIP Paul Walker

2013-12-02T10:52:00.003+08:00

Image credit: AskMen

RIP Paul Walker. So tragic. I came as a shock because I had just watched Fast and Furious 6 just a couple of days before this happened. Feel sad for his daughter. :( It makes you realize that your life can just end in the blink of an eye. Tell your loved ones you love them every day and never part with an angry note.

"Laugh when you can, apologize when you should and let go of things you can't change"

Costume Jewelry Wholesale

2013-11-29T22:20:00.001+08:00

I keep seeing a lot of new Instagram accounts selling costume jewelry popping up lately. I, personally, don't wear a lot of jewelry and even the ones I do wear are on a daily basis so I don't go changing it up. However, even a simpleton like me has fallen victim to the lure of the costume jewelry retailers. I bought myself a really pretty necklace for my Hari Raya outfit this year.

I used to wonder why suddenly an influx of these accounts, then I realized that it's not that hard to find a costume jewelry wholesale site. They're a dime a dozen!

So if you want to jump on the bandwagon and try your hand at selling some costume jewelry, go ahead and give me a heads up! I'll check it out and might even purchase an item... or TWO! :)

Back in KK for School Hols

2013-11-29T22:10:00.000+08:00

I am back in my hometown of Kota Kinabalu as usual, for the school hols. The last time I came back was in June for the first semester school holidays. Nothing much has changed, which is nice. A smattering of developments are underway but that's about it. I haven't really been going around town after all, it's the school holidays and going to town means getting stuck in the traffic jam. Having been living in KL, I wish to avoid THAT, thank you very much.

I've been back since the 17th, actually. It's been almost 2 weeks since I got back and of course, you can't go back without enjoying yourself at the beach. Loooove going there. It's so calming and the kids always have a great time. The view is so beautiful, I wish I can take it back with me to KL.

Oh and my baby boy Zaidan turned 1 last week! My hubby came over from KL to celebrate and we were so excited about it that no one took a SINGLE picture of his birthday celebration. Oh well.

How time flies. I feel like it was just a couple of months ago that I was sharing my happy news with everyone and now, baby Z is already 1!! Even Allie will be starting primary school next year! That means she's 7 next year and I've had this blog even before I had Allie. Look at how big everyone is. Buddy will be 10 years old next year. Even my kid sister Seri is all grown up. She'll be 21 in 2014! OMG!

Wow. Lots has changed. Regardless, all the changes have made me a better person, and more importantly, happier. Definitely happier. I am so blessed. Alhamdulillah.

Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful end of the year and enjoy the school holidays with your kids!

Much love,

Marine Wildlife Inspired Jewelry

2013-11-29T12:03:00.000+08:00

I was doing some online browsing last night (mainly because my sister asked me to find some stuff for her guinea pigs) and somehow, from Etsy, I moved onto eBay and somehow or other, I ended up on reeds.com/designer-jewelry/Guy-Harvey-cat1041.html!

I know, right? It's almost Christmas and retailers are pushing ads under our fingers like moms pushing veggies into their kids' mouths. I'm not much of a jewelery gal myself (I only wear my wedding and engagement rings and a thin necklace with a diamond pendant that my late dad bought for my 17th birthday) but I do appreciate looking at pretty things.

This new jewelry designer Guy Harvey works mainly with precious metals and gemstones and his designs are inspired by his family and his love for the sea. Don't you just love it when you see someone's passion exude from his designs? Not only does he manage to capture the beautiful wildlife in their habitat ONTO his designs, percentage of Guy Harvey Jewelry sales will be donated to The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the conservation of our oceans and nurtures the next generation of marine scientists and guardians of our seas.

If you know anyone obsessed with marine wildlife, this may be the perfect Christmas gift for them! :)

Christmas Decoration Idea

2013-11-29T11:49:00.000+08:00

Although I don't celebrate Christmas, I do love looking at Christmas decorations. There's just something about lights and Christmas colours that just remind me of a time when I used to celebrate Christmas at my late grandma's and my late uncle Joshua's. My late uncle Joshua was amazing with Christmas decorations. There are like 4 huge trees in his house with different themes! And since the family is pretty extended, there are mountains of Christmas presents under each tree which makes it even more exciting to look at.

Wow, I haven't gone back to Kuching to celebrate Christmas with my uncles and aunts and cousins there in a veeery long time. Yet whenever I see Christmas decorations, they are never far from my mind.

Anyways, if you're bored of your annual Christmas decorations, or having a theme for your Christmas tree and don't know what to do with the rest of the ornaments, probably you can show them off this way!

You don't need even need glue. You just need to find a shadow box or deep frame for this! I know that the RIBBA frame from IKEA is extra deep. It has a 4.5cm depth. If your ornaments don't fit in, any other Christmas decoration will do. Perhaps you want to put in a wreath instead? Or fill it up with candy cane? The options are ENDLESS! And there's nothing like a DIY project that will impress your guests when they come over!

Thanks to 52 Mantels for this wonderful idea! Check out how her nursery turned up!

So easy and so beautiful! Try it yourself!

FMSPhotoADay Day 5: Here Forever

2013-09-05T20:03:00.002+08:00

Here. With my kids. Traveling between two homes. Forever. Paradise. :)

FMSPhotoADay Day 4: Alone

2013-09-05T19:48:00.001+08:00

Alone against the backdrop of nature.

p/s: I don't know the photographer. LOL!

FMSPhotoADay Day 3: Lines

2013-09-05T19:22:00.001+08:00

I think my baby niece Naeema looks splendidly adorable in her beautiful colourful line-patterned baju kurung.

FMSPhotoADay Day 2: My Name Begins With..

2013-09-05T18:40:00.001+08:00

My name begins with N.. or S.. depends on how you call me.

Someone Like Seri

2013-09-05T15:55:00.002+08:00

I've been scouring my family's photo albums, the ones online (Facebook and Instagram) for pictures from my sister's wedding last March. Apparently everyone is just too lazy to upload the pics. I have pics in my DSLR but since I don't have a laptop right now, I couldn't upload them yet. But my family.. well, they have NO excuse!

I just want to find a picture of my kid sister karaoke-ing her a$$ off to Adele's Someone Like You and Rolling in the Deep. LOL! It was classic! Thank goodness she didn't use a cloudlifter at musician's friend to use on her microphone. She certainly does not need an additional 25dB. The neighbours would have sued. Hehehe. Sorry Seri! :) But I have to give her props for singing like she just doesn't care! Hahahah that's what I call bravery!!

Although I couldn't find my sister's karaoke debacle picture, I did find a photo of my sister, the bride, that I love. Thanks to my cousin, Azrie (TanganSeni) for taking this pic! :)

FMSPhotoADay Day 1: Together

2013-09-02T21:20:00.003+08:00

Day 1: Together

Here's a picture of my mom and 2 of my children together during the third day of Hari Raya. The kids miss their Nana so much and they're begging me to bring them back to my mom's for my niece Naeema's 1st birthday. I really wish I could go, but... we'll see.

p/s: Until I get my phone back, I'll be posting my #fmsphotoaday prompts here on my blog. :)

Knee Walkers

2013-09-02T20:23:00.000+08:00

I know a lot of friends who run marathons, half marathons or 10k races. Most of my friends have been injured at one time or another due to intensive training. And most will also not be able to stop themselves from remaining active and resting enough so that their leg will heal properly. Therefore, I propose that we have knee walkers available here.

In the US, it is so easy to rent one of these knee walkers. So many sites like http://www.rentakneewalker.com offer these services easily. I think we should have these available for rent at malls too. What do you think?

FMS Photo a Day: September

2013-09-02T20:11:00.003+08:00

To those of you who follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, you would know that I have been playing this widely known photo-a-day challenge for a while now. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to finish off August because my phone has been out of order for a while now. I've sent it for repairs and it's back in working condition.. except.. it's back in my hometown. Since I haven't been back and I don't want my sister to post it over, it seems like I'll only be able to get my phone back when I go back there.

So, how do you play, you ask?

click to enlarge

So for this month, since I don't have a phone that connects me to Instagram, I might just follow and do the challenges on my blog instead. :) Here are the challenges for this month!

So, anyone interested in joining?

Guitar Heroes

2013-06-28T20:33:00.001+08:00

My guitar playing knowledge is limited to the lead guitar of Guns and Roses's Patience and a couple of other songs but that's about it. I used to like playing guitar until I realized it would harden the pads of my fingers and I used to think that was probably the most unsexy thing for a girl.

Anyways, I know my niece would be into playing the guitar since both her mommy and daddy play guitar really well.

Even my 7 month old son is pretty much starting to love the guitar as well, because he just loves strumming it or loves listening to it being played. Perhaps I should send him and my niece for lessons as soon as he can walk and they'll be the next child prodigies? Ha!! I'm not that overzealous type of parent, though.

Even if baby Z and baby Naeema are in fact going to be good at guitar, it's gonna be ages before I have to buy them those excellent rocktron pedals at guitar center. Maybe I'll wait until they start a band or something.

Haze No More

2013-06-28T20:18:00.001+08:00

So now that the haze is gone, what are y'all gonna do with the 5 billion masks that you all bought? Maybe make your baju raya out of it? Hehehe. I'm still using my mask because I'm still not well. I'm barely recovered from a fever, flu and cough so instead of making you all suffer with my unmasked germs, I am doing you all a fever and not spread my germs any further.

As for the kids, I'll just let them play Mask of Zorro every day for the next 30 years? :)

I'm glad the haze is gone, though.

Mom's Advice

2013-06-28T20:04:00.000+08:00

Ever since I moved here, I talk to my mom on a regular basis. Either I call her or we Whatsapp each other.. and usually she does what moms normally do. Give sage advice and reminders to pray, stay healthy and be safe. My mom is so worried about city life that she always sends emails regarding kidnapping stories or mugging stories or robbery stories that tend to make me even more paranoid than I normally am.

The thing is, I told her, bad things can happen anywhere and anytime. Someone I know refuses to travel because every place in the world is unsafe and full of people shooting each other. You can't stop it if God wills it. But you can always take preventive measures to stay safe. Like equip yourself with pepper spray and always be alert. Don't walk around with your earphones on. Or text when you're walking in the carpark.

But I guess the best thing to do is, just listen to your mom. If she's worried, then do your utmost best to assuage her fears, even if it means buying batons and keeping them in the car or house. I used to have a baseball bat in my room. But since it would harm me more than I could do harm with it, my brother took it back.

So wherever you are, readers... Pray, stay healthy and be safe! ;)

Little Miss Piggies

2013-06-28T19:35:00.001+08:00

It's been so long since I blogged here. I used to blog about every single event that happened to me. Last time when something happened, I'll say "I need to blog about this" then it later turned to "I need to tweet about this" and now, it's turned into "I need to... ahh, who cares?" and don't blog or tweet about it. I think I'm just too tired of social media networks.

I'm very much active on Instagram though. But that's only because I'm addicted to Photo-A-Day challenges though. :) Plus, it helps me learn about photography even more.

ANYWAYS, I was looking at my sister's guinea pigs and thought, these guys would have made it to my blog long time ago if I were still an actively active blogger. But poor things haven't even made it to the front page. So, just for the sake of updating my blog, I decided it's high time I featured our latest additions of our family members. Here are the 5 girlies at home (yes, they're all girls) mostly Americana breed guinea pigs. There's Lucy, Tammy, Mama Tow, Piggy and Kubis. Cute little things.

By the way, if anyone out there knows where to get fleece, please let me know because they are really happy in fleece bedding. :)

Gift Ideas for Geeky Dads

2013-06-09T03:50:00.000+08:00

Are you a member of a fandom? Star Trek? Star Wars? Minecraft? Doctor Who?

Well, if you know any dads out there who are members of a fandom and don't know what to give/buy them for the upcoming Father's Day, then you might want to check out what I have in store for you. Well, it's not in the literal sense that I have these things in store. But you know what I mean, right?

Here are some items that I thought are pretty cool to own if you know are/or know a geek dad.

I know my husband is a sucker for torch lighters and if only he was a sucker for Minecraft, I know exactly what to give to him. So, if you're really running out of ideas, check out ThinkGeek.com. They really do have awesome and cool stuff.

Gotta Help People Out Sometimes

2013-06-09T03:39:00.001+08:00

Hey everyone!

You guys know that Youtube is the my only other source of entertainment (besides Twitter, Instagram and Candy Crush) when I can't sleep, right? Well, I love Ray WJ's Equals 3 videos so, check them out! He's not always crass and rude all the time. He helps too, you know.. So enjoy this one and help out if you can!

Perfect Distraction

2013-06-09T03:11:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow I'll be headed back home to KL and I've got 1001 things that I really need to do when I get back home. Among some of the things I need to start on is cleaning up my sister's room. Now that she's a married woman, I can turn her room into a guest room so my mom can have a room all to herself when she comes to visit her grandkids.

I can't wait to decorate it and since Allie is using my sister's old mattress (Allie shares a room with Buddy) then I need to get a new good quality Latex foam mattress that doesn't hurt my mom's back. One of those orthopedic types. I hope they don't burn a hole in my wallet, though.

Anyways, with all this planning and work that I have to do, it's the perfect distraction for me.. especially because I get homesick a lot. I really do miss KK when I'm in KL.

2 a.m.

2013-06-09T02:42:00.001+08:00

It's 2.30am and I am finally done packing. I can't fall asleep yet so I decided to blog a little. I feel like I've neglected my blogs for far too long and decided to pay them a visit.

If you're wondering why I'm packing, well, as most of you know, there's not a school holiday that goes by that I DON'T go back to my hometown. I MUST go back. That's just the way it is. I get homesick. A LOT. So, it's basically the end of the school holidays and it's time to return to KL tomorrow. My flight is in the morning which is not the norm for me because with 3 kids to handle, I normally prefer an afternoon or evening flight so I don't have to rush.

However, flights are mostly full due to the school holidays and so the only available flight left was in the morning. So I will try my damnedest to get everyone ready and out the door by 9am. Argh!!

Anyways, wish me a safe flight, k??

Getting Antsy

2013-05-21T11:22:00.003+08:00

I can't believe I haven't been blogging for more than a month. I used to blog EVERY SINGLE DAY. But I guess those were the days when I wasn't saddled with my own home and three kids. Yet, I wouldn't change what I have now for what I had back then. :)

Anyways, everything on the home front is good. Buddy and Allie are schooling, which leaves the morning free for me and baby Z to do whatever we want. Which usually means, him sleeping and me doing my chores. Lately, though, while doing my chores, I noticed that the house is just full of ants. Big ants, small ants, they're everywhere. It's strange because just last month, we had pest control over to do treatment on the house.

I don't know if this is usually how pest control does their thing, but someone told me that this looks pretty shady. I don't know. I haven't had a lot of "pest control" experience.

For now, I think I have to use phantom bug spray to get rid of those pesky little ants.

The Beauty of Motherhood

2013-04-09T17:12:00.001+08:00

Is motherhood really that beautiful?? Is motherhood really what it's cracked up to be?? Is motherhood all pretty flowers and sunshine and perfect children with perfect grades and unicorns that poop rainbows??

From the moment a woman gives birth whether naturally or c-section or heck, even if you've adopted a child, it's all blood, sweat and tears. Literally.

There's nothing beautiful about having a familiar stranger's face up your "hoohoo", with blood spewing forth and telling you "one more push". There's nothing beautiful about being scared to poop a day after giving birth. There's nothing beautiful about the pain of chapped nipples combined with a very hungry baby. There's nothing beautiful about staying in your pjs (truth be told, it's actually nice and comfy) the whole day because you don't seem to have a moment to yourself from the moment you wake up until the time you fall asleep -- all 10 minutes of it. There's nothing beautiful about the price of diapers and formula. Period.

And don't even start about forgetting to pretty yourself up for the husband. For all you know, you're probably still wearing the most unsexy grandma panties of all time because the laundry is piling up and the cooking and the dishes and the dusting and the mopping still needs to be done.

Yet, in the midst of all that craziness, moments of contentedness (is that even a word?) still do exist.

Moments when your baby gives you a heartstopping smile and nestles in closer to your chest. Moments when out of the blue, your daughter comes up, gives you a big fat kiss and says "You're beautiful, mommy. You're the best ever ever." or when your son says "Mommy, your burger is crusty today" but finishes his food because to him, your crusty burger is still his favourite. Moments when your husband gives you a long big hug and helps with bathing the children without you asking because he knows. Moments when, for a split second, the house is all quiet and everyone is happy.

These moments are the moments that makes your heart fill up with joy and pride and no matter what other people say, you know you did good.

Actually, it's moments like these that make you crazy enough to think you can handle more kids. Hahaha.

But yes, despite the madness, craziness, blood, sweat and tears, I do believe that motherhood is all that it's hyped up to be.. and MORE. I admit, it sometimes makes you want to just close your eyes and ears and ignore everything. But it makes me the person I am today.

I used to think that parents make and shape their children. I just realized that my kids make ME. They taught me (and still continue to teach me) to be patient and kind and tough and strict and funny and be less uptight and more importantly, make me appreciate my mom a whole lot more and have a better relationship with her than ever before.

That, my friends, makes motherhood CRAZY BEAUTIFUL.

Author's note: This is just my account of motherhood. I can't speak for the rest of the mothers especially those who have nannies aplenty, time to go to the gym, wear Zannottis and Atwoods and Louboutins on their feet and moms who don't own a single grandma panty. Evidently, I am no Mrs Beckham. But I am ok with it.

In this moment, I am at peace.

*a moment later, i retract my last sentence, baby Z just woke up and the havoc ensues*

Time to sign off.

Photo A Day Challenge

2013-03-14T02:39:00.001+08:00

If you've been following me on Instagram (@nazshemah), you might have seen my #fmsphotoaday picture prompts and hashtags. If you're not on Instagram but follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you would know what I'm talking about too (since I link 'em together).

The photo challenge I'm doing is one of MANY out there on Instagram and there are different challenges from different users. I used to try to do it through Tumblr but I failed miserably. I guess it's just easier to do on Instagram. The one I'm currently doing is by @FatMumSlim, you can check her out here (FatMumSlim.com.au) and it's a pretty cool way to practice my photo-taking skills.

If you're not familiar with a photo-a-day challenge, it just means you're given a prompt a day for the whole month and you have to just post a photo according to the theme of the prompt. For example, today's prompt was SOUND. So I posted this picture.

It's a picture of my brother's old guitar. It may not be a Fender Stratocaster but it sure does produce some sweet music.

See how simple it is? I would love to try to do the challenge on my blog, so my blog gets updated every single day, but that's just being too ambitious. But it would be good especially if I put my Canon 60D to good use instead of using my phone's camera.

But if you guys would like to join in on the fun, get your monthly prompts from FatMumSlim. You can do it via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or via blogging as well.

This month's prompts:

If my explanation is still confusing for you, check out the instructions here. Btw, shout out to Chantelle (FatMumSlim) on her bun in the oven! So precious!

So people, join in on the fun and you might even be inspired to set up your own challenge or make new friends or perhaps discover a new passion for photography.

*my sweet escape*