Christmas Tree , Andy Warhol , * BEAUTIFUL!

The Last Dance

Last Song

New York, I Love You

COME KOMPIA LAI!

1st of December 2009. The finale of 2009 saga. There were tears and chuckles. Life is like that for heaven's sake. Why I'm talking as if I'm losing my breath? lol. The effect of my roller coaster emotions lately perhaps?

Been thinking of cutting my hair but at the same time, I do hope I can highlight 'em. I have a big and wide angular face, so have to carefully picking the right styles for myself. It's hard to squeeze my tight schedule but will try my best to visit my personal hairstylist - yay! Trying to reduce rice this week, just to go for trial but morning I normally take on the heavy side. Kolok Mee, Kampua, something like Kueh Chap, so in the afternoon I would go for a lighter snack and a bottle of fresh soy bean milk. Talking bout breakfast, I had these yesterday, oh, don't envy me don't simply do because I had;....................

Kompia.

I have always loved you. Love eating you, actually. Be it bold, plain, stuffed or not. I still love you!




Stuffed with minced meat, this burger-look-alike pastry is sold for RM0.70 each! Quite expensive, so Sibu peeps! I am jealous with you guys because hubby told me Kompia in Sibu is cheaper and tastier! I do! If you wish to see other mouth watering pics of it, can see here.

Adios people,
it's time for lunch. My 'Ayam Masak Kicap' is awaiting.


Hungry g-host,

I am an avid follower of Christmas lights trends. I have loved all types of Christmas lighting since I was a little child. I can still remember, as a child, glancing up at that paste board box placed on a high shelf in our cold storage room, knowing that it held our precious strings of shimmering Christmas lights. In those days Christmas lights were highly fragile so I knew not to try to pull the box down for a quick glimpse however tempting it might be.

Over the years, all types of Christmas lights have been transformed. The days of strings of screw-in incandescent light bulbs have gone. Although with the demise of those strings of Christmas bulbs go some of my fond Christmas memories. On a random day in early December my dad would arrive home from the office and announce it was time to put up the Christmas lights. He would put on what he referred to as his grubby clothes and make the pilgrimage to the cold storage room to collect the paste board box full of Christmas lights. He would then begin the process of testing each bulb in the string. If one bulb had burnt out often the entire string of Christmas lights would fail to light up. Some years putting up the outdoor Christmas lights went quickly but some years we were sent to bed without seeing the final glorious display of Christmas lighting. I have never lost any of my enthusiasm for these wonderful sparkly rites of late December.

These days there is an enormous array of different types of Christmas lighting. Of course, there are still many strings of white and red and green bulbs but now there are many other options as well. There are spectacular focus pieces such as hanging light balls, and hanging lighted Christmas stars, each made from over 100 tiny led bulbs. Some of these focus pieces are very large and taken up a visually large space (ie. 3 feet by 3 feet) while others are much smaller and can easily fit into most home Christmas lighting schemes.

There are Christmas string lights. These are simply the popular white outdoor string lights constructed with red and green led lights. Of course, white string lights are also a perfectly suitable addition to many Christmas lighting decor schemes.

The annual lighting of Christmas lights can be wonderful small family times or they can result in a splashy party. For example, Stella McCartney has a few friends over when she lit her Christmas lights last week. The event was held at Stella McCartney store on Bruton Street in London. It was hosted by Stella and Mary McCartney, Twiggy and daughter Carly, Jamie and Louise Redknapp and the Mighty Boosh gang, who re-created their famous Nanageddon episode dressed as grey-haired "nanas". Stella and her friends served mini mince pies, chocolate Christmas puddings, Champagne, apple juice with cucumber and pints of Guinness. I will try to post a pictures of her Christmas lights scheme in a latter post.

Whatever your Christmas lights scheme might be do it with joy. It doesn't matter if you have a huge budget (like SMc.mentioned above)or a modest budget. It doesn't matter if you host a blow out party or just put up the lights yourself. Holiday lighting is a special thing and, whatever the next Christmas lights trends might be, they are sure to be beautiful.

Eco-Friendly Bath, Body and Beauty Gifts Under $30

Eco-Bath, Body and Beauty Products



The women (and some men) in your life will love finding bath and body products in their stockings…if you choose wisely.



Whether it is sweet smelling perfumes, relaxing bath salts or uplifting shower gels make sure to go for the green…as in eco-friendly green.

If you have a young woman on your list be sure to check out Glory for Girls, all natural skin care for younger girls to help “inspire each and every girl to believe in her unique self and take pride and responsibility for how she looks, how she feels, and how she acts.” These fun and unique products are 100% natural, no artificial colors, fragrances, no parabens or phthalates…just natural ingredients for healthy skincare.



Most products are under $30, a full size gift set is only $42 and while a little over budget well worth the price to get 3 full size Glory for Girls basics







Bebe Dulce Aspen has amazing handmade, all natural bath and body products that are aromomatic spa quality products that smell amazing and leave your skin soft and smooth. I highly recommend the All Natural Lotion in Clementine- a delightful fresh citrus aroma that isn’t overpowering, it will leave your skin so wonderfully smooth even in the middle of winter. At just $16.00 it is a worthy stocking stuffer.



All of their mom gifts are under $30

SkinnySkinny has some fabulous organic bath and body products (along with many other great green goods). They are one of the greenest companies you’ll find since they are 100% carbon neutral and they offer certified organic ingredients in all of their products.



Their soaps are one of the best and their lip balms and bath salts are so awesome.



A 4.3 ounce bar of soap is only $8.00 and a 3 pack is $20.50, skinnyskinny lip balms are $6 each



Another great soap that is much more than your average soap bar is the Pomega5 Oil of Life cleansing bar. This little aromatic bar is filed with omega rich olive oil along with pomegranate oil and a rich blend of essential oils. It purifies as it cleanses and can be used on both face and body.





A bar of this rich lathering soap is $18.00









Indigo Wild offers some of the greatest bath and body products. I love the goat’s milk soap Zum Bars. Their catch phrase is “any more natural and you’d be naked.” Gotta love that.



Indigo Wild offers a full line of bath and body products including soap, lotion, lip balms, massage oils, and a fun selection of holiday inspired products.



The 3 ounce bars of soap are only $5.50, most other products are well under $30 including some of their gift sets





Garden Girl Skin Care Products are completely natural bath, body and beauty products that are completely free of phthalates, parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and mineral oil. These are products that even the picky lady on your list is sure to enjoy- Pucker Up Coconut Body Scrub, Liven Up All Natural Energizing bath Salts, Smooches Body Butter Chill Out Body Lotion- these are just some of the fun products you can find for under $30, most are well under $30. This is one of the most reasonably priced all natural bath and body companies I’ve come across. They offer high quality products at affordable prices. Perfect for a tight budget this holiday season.



Gift kits are almost all under $30, some as low as $14.00 for a kit that contains three or more products



Green Tea Goods are handcrafted with ancient Chinese herbs and all natural ingredients. Green Tea Goods Pulse Point Elixers are so awesome, you have got to try them for yourself or get them for someone on your list. They come in two formulas: Energize & Focus which has a minty aroma and my favorite: Calm & Relax which has a lavender, rosemary, tangerine aroma which is delightful.



Green Tea Goods also offers lip balm, cuticle cream, body balm, and natural hand refresher.



Everything in their online store is under $10







Coco Zen is the place to shop for the any woman on your list. Why? Because Coco Zen offers women what they really want…chocolate! Coco Zen offers delightful organic bath and body products made with organic and fair trade chocolate, yes real chocolate.



Not sure what to get her from Coco Zen?



The Head to Toe Chocolate Body Gift Set is a great choice containing one of each of these bath and body products:



Chocolate Edible Lip Scrub (in Chocolate Brown Sugar) - .5oz recyclable metal screw-top tin

Chocolate Lip Balm (in Chocolate Mint Bliss) - .25oz recyclable metal slide tin

Chocolate Salt Scrub (in Chocolate Brownies) - 4oz amber glass jar

Chocolate Soap (in Chocolate Mint Bliss) - individually wrapped bar

Chocolate Lotion (in Chocolate Milkshake) - 4oz amber glass jar with pump



Gift sets are around $40 but individual products cost under $30



Shea Terra Organics is another wonderful company that offers a great selection of luxury organic bath and body products. Shea Terra Organics has a variety of creams, lotions and bath products made with pure, organic shea butter that will leave skin soft and smooth.



Many Shea Terra products are around or under $30

Brittanie’s Thyme offers a variety of delightful organic herbal products for skin and hair care: facial cleansers, organic oatmeal and yogurt facial scrubs, natural green clay, sea salt scrubs- all wonderful little eco-luxuries that a lady might love to find in her stocking.





Brittanie’s Thyme offers many products for under $30

The Joy of Soap creates “natural handmade soap from scratch using the finest-quality ingredients resulting in a luxurious and soothing soap that is gentle on your skin.” All of their vegetable based soaps contain certified organic oils, sustainable and therapeutic grade essential oils, and organic or sustainably wild crafted botanicals. The result is a “wonderfully moisturizing and creamy bar of soap with soft, fluffy bubbles that leave your skin clean and smooth.”

These fabulous soaps have fun names like Feeling Frisky, Ginger Snap, Lay Me Down Lavender and Manly Man. 2 ounce bars are only $3.50 and full size 5 ounce bath bars are $7.50

Trillium Organics has created a couple new lines of products that are made especially for pregnant women and new babies. OGmama and OGbaby are natural and truly 100% organic bath and body products.

If you know someone who is expecting or has a new baby, these products will make a great gift. They are even perfect for moms who aren’t expecting but just want to use the safest and most natural products that they can on themselves and their little ones.

When purchasing from Trillium Organics you won’t break the bank either, all of their wonderful products are less than $30 a piece. A sample OGBaby set is $9.98 for the congestion clearing set or $12.98 for the bath and body set. An OGMama sample set is $19.98

The Elemental Seaweed Body Scrub from Donah’s Passions is wonderful. You will not believe how good you’ll feel after using it. Not only will it make your skin look and feel glorious on the outside it will make you feel better inside as well. I can’t get enough of this stuff.

A 4 oz.jar of the seaweed scrub is only $17.50, Donah’s Passions also offers several other natural, eco-body products for under $30

Dr Dobbs Old Fashioned Remedies may have the perfect gift for someone on your list who really loves to reminisce about the good old days. These products can take you back to the days of general stores, peddlers with their carts, and small family owned drugstores. Dr Dobbs products combine old fashioned, time tested formulas with modern know how and natural ingredients.

With all products of Dr Dobbs products coming in at under $30 you are sure to find something to stick in a stocking

If you have someone on your list into natural hair products and old fashioned style pomades then check out Product, yes that’s the name Product and they offer all natural, pure ingredients for gorgeous hair.

One 1.5 ounce jar is just $14.00 while Lil Product for children is $8.00 for a .75 ounce jar

Ely Organics has a huge variety of Miessence organic beauty, bath, and body products for under $30 for the whole family. Make sure to drop by the website to see what they have to offer.

New Zealand’s ecostore has found its way to the US. Ecostore was founded on the principle of “No Nasty Chemicals”. The popularity of ecostore’s natural products now has their USA team working to bring the best of their products to stores in the US. Ecostore USA now has fabulous shampoos, conditioners, soaps, baby products, cleaning products, even pet products available on the web and ins several stores including Michigan based Meijer stores.

Most ecostore products are all under $30

Haileys Dragonfly Garden offers luxurious, all natural and organic body products for the whole family, including fairy items and all natural perfume sprays. I am eyeing Remember- which is a blend of Vanilla and Coconut fragrances-mine and my husband’s favorite scents.

And it is only $9.95 for a 1 ounce bottle. Many of their products are well under our $30 budget

Cactus and Ivy has a great variety of all natural, organic and vegan bath and body products. Body scrubs, balms, lotions, soap, lip balms and so much more and all eco friendly.

Most Cactus and Ivy products are well under $30

The Dazzle Dry Nail Polish System is made for the “on the go lifestyle” with polish that goes from wet to dry in less than five minutes. The quick drying Dazzle Dry Nail System contains no harmful chemicals, it is free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, and camphor and is also nitrocellulose free (this is the stuff that turns your nails yellow). The Dazzle Dry formula is also Vegan and Non-Toxic.

The whole Dazzle Dry kit, which comes with nail prep, base coat, top coat and three colors, is $54 but each individual polish is only $9

Neroli Rose all natural body products are made with hydrating shea butter from Southern Sudan. Sudanese Shea Butter is thought to be the finest natural moisturizer in the world. Neroli Rose product ingredients are organic, wild-crafted or ethically produced, with no synthetic ingredients, chemicals or petroleum derivatives in any of their products. They use the best therapeutic-grade essential oils in the world and create proprietary blends with aromas that can enhance physical and emotional well-being.

Many Neroli Rose products cost less than $30

If you have a woman on your list who loves things a little exotic then check out Auric Blends Egyptian Goddess Perfumes. These exotic aromas are sure to bring out the goddess in your lover of all things exotic. The perfume products are 100% natural, made with pure essential oils.

Perfume roll ons are $11.95 and $15.95 depending on scent chosen

If you have someone on your list that isn’t really into “green” products or that really loves a certain brand then consider holiday gift sets from Paul Mitchell. A portion of all proceeds from the Paul Mitchell Holiday Gift Sets will be donated to Amnesty International while a portion of Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Gift Sets will be donated to benefit American Forests. So these are traditional gifts that give back.

Paul Mitchell Gift Set Trios retail for $19.95, Duos for $14.95, and the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Gift Sets retail for $21.95 and $24.95 and can all be purchased in professional salons

For gifts that really give back consider shopping with Peacekeeper Cause-Metics they are the first company to donate all of their after tax distributable profits to Women’s Health Advocacy and Human Rights issues.

Peacekeeper Cause-Metics offers lip balms, lipsticks, lip glosses, and nail paints that are some of the cleanest in the business. No parabens, no artificial coloring or artificial fragrance, no toluene, no formaldehyde, no acetone, no phthalates, no mineral oils…just clean, natural cosmetics that will help you look and feel good while doing good.

Peacekeeper natural lip glosses are $9.98, nail paints are $7.98, lip sticks are $11.98 and a diplomat gift set featuring a nail polish, lip stick and lip gloss in lighter shades is $30 a visionary gift set includes a lipstick, lip gloss and nail polish in darker, bolder shades also for $30

For the little ones who need safe, eco-friendly bath and body products consider eco.kid products. They have a full line of products that are kid and eco-friendly. My personal favorite is the Call Me Bubbles Hypo-Allergenic Bubble Bath. Many natural bath products don’t bubble and let’s face it kids like bubbles. This product gives you the best of both worlds.

A bottle of eco.kid bubble bath is $26.95

For the guys on your list try Pacific Shaving Company for some all natural sahving products that can save guys from getting nicks and cuts while offering a smooth shave...naturally.



They have natural shaving cream, oil, and blade oil along with nick sticks for when you do get a razor nick.



Everything is well under our $30 budget

Here’s something fun to stick in someone’s stocking that’s been naughty- a lump of Santa’s coal soap. Made by Sweet Soaps, the Santa’s coal soap is a natural glycerin soap scented with peppermint essential oils. It’s great for good or bad kids (but could really make a statement to the bad ones). The soap even comes packaged in an eco friendly muslin drawstring bag. Sweet Soaps also offers a fun Snowman Poop soap that is coconut scented. Perfect for a fun holiday gift that will get a laugh out of everyone.

Sweet Soaps also offers custom soaps for businesses, weddings, and other events.

Both soaps are $5 a piece for a three ounce bar

Building a Backyard Bird Habitat

This morning as my husband and I had breakfast, I heard a horrible noise from the front yard.  When I looked out the window, I saw a hawk that had pinned a flicker to the ground.  We watched in horror as the hawk waited until the flicker died and then flew off to enjoy his dinner.  I felt guilty as  I feed the birds and might have brought this on myself.  My son says "Mom, you fatten the flickers for the hawks."  Oh my goodness, what do you think?  Do I feed the flickers and I feed the hawks?

Anyway, here's an article about turning your yard into a bird habitat. And be prepared, it's bewildering and you might feel like a murderer enabler.

When leaves are down, it's time to assemble backyard bird habitat | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan,

JIG JIG!

Dang, today was a hectic. Meetings were up, bosses going down to attend. End of the year, all the meetings held were about $$$$$.

"It's all bout the money, it's all about dum dum dee dee dum dum".
-- All About the Money by Meja

Brother has gone to Sri Aman, yet another new chapter in his life before his ordainment as a new priest next April. Hope he is OK. I mean OK with cooking and washing, can I count on y0u brother? Takkanlah tak boleh kannn?? Stakat telor goreng dan maggi tu budak tadika pun boleh buat ekekeke! Susah2 ko bukak jelah tin sardin.

Been eating like pig lately, bila mau diet daa! Last night, my uncle Bernard belanja we all makan stimbot. Dem yami!

My cuzzy, Timothy cooking his heart out. Haha!


Yo Bro! What's with the eyes?

The fat palate. Uncle bullied me by placing those chunky slices of big, fat, piece of meat in my plate. Yucksss!

The dinner was actually to celebrate bro. In fact, he was said, really, really sad to leave some of his possessions, especially;

His 'kids', his children. Look at those! He still needs one more display cabinet to place those unpacked figurines in the box. Boys are always boys.

His 'car'. This is his pride and joy. Brother Thad always envies this lil' monster's speed. Yeah, a speed demon in his series.

Don't worry bro, Utamakan Keselamatan, eh? Pekerjaan. wakakakak...!!

Enough. Lets take a break.
Jigsaw puzzle, anyone?

Have Fun & Good Luck!

Materialistic Gorging

Our society has become gluttonous. The newspaper on Thanksgiving day had over 60 ads in it.



Sure, it's good to have lots of fun products to choose from. But there's a limit.

A couple of days ago I did a little post about TVs. Let's start there. I have a 26-inch LCD TV which I like a lot. I bought it a couple of years ago, it has a great picture, and works great.

This past month I have been considering buying a 32-inch or 37-inch TV and maybe giving my current TV to my daughter.

But if you walk into a store, well, all they can talk about is how BIG a TV you can buy. Looking for a 32-inch? Don't be crazy, dude! (I hate that term!) Check out this 60 inch plasma! LCD? Hey, dude! Can't go under 46 inches man! Get real, dude!

I am real. I know what I want. And if some 20 something calls me "dude" there may be one less "dude" working at that store! Heh! Want to go big?? Here's a picture of an 82-inch LCD TV!



But wait. You can buy a 108-inch model if you like. I think there are movie theatres with smaller screens than some of these new TVs!

How about a cell phone? My phone looks pretty much like this one. People call these clam shell phones. It works great.



Most people today buy a phone that looks like this. It does everything you can do at your computer and you know what? You can even use it as a phone!



Don't get me wrong. I think all these new and improved products are great. I would love to have a few new things, too. But what I don't like is this mentality I seem to see in so many people who feel they have to have the newest, biggest, fastest and most incredible product on the market.

I am reminded of a West Wing episode when Aimee Mann is singing a James Taylor song at the House of Blues.



Donna is talking to Josh and says

"there are 53 players on an NFL team. The University of Colorado has 130. Eighty-five are on full scholarship. I'm all for back ups and substitutes, but can't the guy who's fourth on the depth chart at right outside linebacker also be fourth on the depth chart at left outside linebacker?



If a college football team cut back to 70 scholarships they would still be 3 deep and still have a fourth string punter and place kicker. Fifteen scholarships ..... that's a wrestling team."



Well, what the heck? I love the West Wing and this is a clip from one of my favorite episodes. It's too much for a blog post but I'm going to be a glutton. Enjoy if you have the time!