i am sure you all understand

Finally bought my spankin' new bridal corset and girdle last weekend!

 

Decided that it was too leceh and will makan masa to order something off Spanx online and wait for it to be shipped so my mat and I headed to Tangs to buy my corset and girdle off their physical racks. Discovered Spanx didn't have the kind I want, which is:

- a sturdy corset that comes with bra cups, something like this (Pakai satu kali harung lagi senang, babe. Malas pe aku nak pakai bra lain corset lain)

- comes with three levels of hooks for easier adjustment

- comes with adjustable and removable straps.

Told the Spanx salesperson my requirements but she said they didn't have anything like that in their line and directed me to the salesperson for XIXILI instead. The salesperson was really nice and let me try a few pieces before I settled on a basic plain black one that has all the features I listed above, and a matching girdle as well.

So happy I got this out of the way already!!! Okay lah memang dah kena cepat cepat beli anyway, because must bring them along for the the fitting this Thursday ma.

Rushed back to my place after that to prepare follow-up information for Dessert Artisans (our dessert tier vendor) before finalizing our wedding dinner songlist once and for all!!! Tinggal nak run through the itinerary with our orang orang kuat before we can pack them off to our Medialite (our wedding emcee). Sneak peek!

Tapi sneak peek tak guna because bukannya korang boleh nampak the chosen songs pun lah kan hahahahaha. Really don't mind posting up the songlist now but my mamat dah warning jangan letak dalam blog dulu because he thinks we should play them for our dinner guests first before publishing the songlist - and I agree!

We've also agreed earlier on that my mat will be in-charge of the dinner songlist since he is more uhmmm, tuned in to music than I am heh heh, and I am proud to report that my mat did very well on the list! He even took the initiative to include a column which indicates the timing of each song so kita boleh total up and know how long the whole songlist will be. Hehe sayang awak! Meh kita kasi awak standing ovation:

I love that he included Pink's True Love into the mix by the way - it's not exactly a song that caught our attention from the get go or our default go-to love anthem but it might as well be:

Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say
Sometimes I wanna slap you in your whole face
There's no one quite like you
You push all my buttons down
I know life would suck without you

At the same time, I wanna hug you
I wanna wrap my hands around your neck
You're an asshole but I love you
And you make me so mad I ask myself
Why I'm still here, or where could I go
You're the only love I've ever known
But I hate you, I really hate you,
So much, I think it must be

[Chorus]
True love, true love
It must be true love
Nothing else can break my heart like
True love, true love,
It must be true love
No one else can break my heart like you

Just once try to wrap your little brain around my feelings
Just once please try not to be so mean
Repeat after me now R-O-M-A-N-C-E-E-E
Come on I'll say it slowly (Romance)
You can do it baby

At the same time, I wanna hug you
I wanna wrap my hands around your neck
You're an asshole but I love you
And you make me so mad I ask myself
Why I'm still here, or where could I go
You're the only love I've ever known
But I hate you, I really hate you,
So much, I think it must be

[Repeat Chorus]

(I love you, I think it must be love, I love you)

Why do you rub me up the wrong way?
Why do you say the things that you say?
Sometimes I wonder how we ever came to be
But without you I'm incomplete

[Repeat Chorus]

I love it. It's like this song was made with our relationship in mind. Heh.

Wish we can include Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines into the mix too, walaupun that song is not ~exactly~ a wedding-friendly song ah, not when it has lyrics that go like this.

Yes, yes, I know the lyrics are controversial and people have accused the meaning behind the song as being questionable - there's a number of written arguments against it on the good old Internet as well as Blurred Lines video parodies, which - I have to admit - are as entertaining as the original video haha. And I particularly love this "Lame Lines" parody video because it has this stud sauntering in with all his hotness at 0:15 and my oh my, he is mighty fiiiiinnneee *fans self*

(Google search "Robin Thicke Blurred Lines Meaning" or "Robin Thicke Blurred Lines Feminist Response" and you'll get a slew of articles and videos bashing the song)

Personally? I think the song is catchy, maybe a little cheeky, and I'm inclined to think that people are overreacting when it is ultimately just a song. But still, we can't be sure as to whether any one of our guests will be bothered by this, right? Mana tau someone in our guestlist might get offended if we play this song during the reception, right? What if some guests get find it distasteful and walk out during the reception??? Will people accuse us of encouraging sexual harassment??? D: D: D:

ERMAGAD LAH I AM TOTALLY OVERTHINKING THIS, RIGHT???

Hahahahaha. Ya. Overthinking. Just like how some extremists will overthink and relate every single bloody thing on this goddamn earth into a hardcore feminist issue. I have no problems kalau orang nak pertahankan women rights lah because it is a complex hot button issue after all and should be dissected and debated. But nak dissect and debate pun agak agak lah wei. 

Aku rasa these extremists kan, kalau orang cakap pasal aisbox belakang rumah datok dorang pun dorang boleh twist and turn sampai jadi feminist issue sak. "Why must the aisbox be belakang my datok punya rumah? Why not my nenek? Is it because my nenek is not seen as an equal as my datok because she is - gasp - A WOMAN? If the aisbox is behind my datok punya rumah, does this mean it belongs to him? Is my nenek, as a woman, not worthy of owning an aisbox??? This cannot be right! We must protest this inequality! We must give my nenek the right to own her own aisbox so she can put that bloody aisbox wherever the heck she wants!"

Hahahahaha what. Not I exaggerate hor, these people the ones who like to exaggerate. 

(If there is one video that strikes it right with me, it is the viral video parodying the treatment and perception of sexual violence against women, particularly in India, titled "It's Your Fault" - more information about this video and its message here. Clear and effective message, does not resort to extreme statements and does not run off its course.)

...... EH BAIK AH FARNA.

Dari berbual pasal songlist sampai berbual pasal topic heavyweight gini HAHA

Aaaaaaanyway. I was talking about my freaking wedding songlist kan? Ah yes.

My mat and I already decided on our march-in song as well and as much as I didn't want a slow-mo emo snoozefest song for a slow-mo emo snoozefest march-in... kita cannot run away from it lah geng. Because of three simple reasons: 

(1) my orang orang kuat tak cool so dorang tak nak dance haha;

(2) I will have to worry about my footwear because there is no freaking way I am going to wear my 4-inch bridal shoes for a march-in dance and risk tripping and falling flat on my face... even if we can laugh over it 10 20 years later;

(3) My future mother-in-law dah pesan "You all march in takde joget joget kan? Kalau Ibu mintak you all jangan joget joget time march in, boleh tak?" Aisehmenbedah, kalau mak mertua dah sound macam tu, takkan nak membantah kan? Plus her request is not unreasonable - I understand her reason for not wanting any joget joget + she is an excellent mother and FMIL to my mat and I so this is the least we can do to show our respect.

Ah well. So much for making my bridesmaids dance to K-pop during the march-in entrance lor HAHA. Nasib ah korang! Okay lah actually kita dah planning nak joget dua ekor je okay, when his supermother dropped the bomb on us. But no biggie, at least now we have a legit excuse if anyone asks why our march-in is not something friends would expect us to do :p

Not like we'd force our groomsmen and bridesmaids to still dance during the march-in if his supermother hadn't expressed her objection lah! They've registered their discomfort - no surprise there - and we respect them enough to not push them on this. Plus they've already done/will be doing so many things for us and our wedding! The least we can do is ensure they are comfortable and happy being our orang orang kuat, yes???

Oh, interesting related point: Last week, I happened to speak to two different girls who will be bridesmaids to two different brides-to-be and both of them expressed discomfort at some of the stuff they have to do for the sake of their bride-to-be friends. My take on this?

To the brides-to-be, pause at every important juncture and make sure your bridesmaids are happy and comfortable with whatever you're asking them to do. If your requests are reasonable by normal standards and it is merely the bridesmaid being uncooperative at every turn, cut the girl and change to someone else who can get the job done efficiently, happily and willingly. (I did this for my own wedding, and I cannot be happier with my decision. Will explain this in detail if I feel like it once the wedding is over.)

Or if your requests are reasonable but your bridesmaid's level of comfort or ability is different from yours then make adjustments that you can afford to make. Give and take. Yes, you're the bride and she's the bridesmaid... but that's exactly the point, isn't it? She is your bridemaid. Not your unpaid slave, not your emotionless puppet... your bridesmaid. This is the girl who is going to give you the help you need when it's crunch time. If you're nice to her, she'll do her best to do what's nice for you... assuming the person you choose to be your bridesmaid is a nice person at heart lah. Kalau dia pendengki, yang kau pilih dia tu apesal, kau punya salah jugak.

To the bridesmaids, if you're not happy or comfortable with the tasks you've been bestowed with, express your grievances to the brides-to-be sooner, not later - I won't blame the bride-to-be for going gangster on you if you decide to bolt 1 week before the wedding. If your concern/feedback is reasonable and the bride-to-be is an understanding sweetheart, she will do what is right - fix the problem or make the necessary changes. 

If your concern is reasonable but the bride-to-be cannot understand your grievance, tell her you cannot carry on being her bridesmaid... nicely. If she knows what's good for her, she'll apologize for putting you in a spot, find a replacement bridesmaid and still be gracious enough to put you on her guestlist instead.

If she wants to be a bitch about it and your friendship won't be able to survive this incident, then she is not worth your friendship in the first place. You don't need toxic people in your life. Cut the girl, cut the friendship, cut the toxic. You might feel terrible for the first few months but honey, those first few months of initial grieving is so much better than a lifetime of suffering a terrible friendship with an unreasonable person who demands the oceans and the mountains from you.

... Eh eh aku ni. Masih ah nak sidetrack???? Dah lama ke jadi counsellor?! Haha! 

Oh, talking about toxic people and toxic friendships lah kan, I first read this "This Terrifying Bride Is Only Joking Except When She's Not" article last week and wanted to MUNTAH DARAH, CAN.

Not sure how legit this story is but whatever - KORANG JANGAN JADI MACAM GINI EH PLZ

Perangai monster bawah katil LAST WARNING.

Okay lah guys, before I end this yet another panjang lebar takde purpose entry, I now have a teeny weeny request for my dear bridesmaids who better be reading and refreshing thisblog every hour because they will be tested on its contents once a week - Kalau this weekend kita cancel our trip to the tailor and I request you all pakai this baju below for the dinner march-in instead, you all akan tolak my permintaan tak?

TAKKAN TOLAK KAN??? You all akan pakai kan??? This baju kena with my ideas for you all tau.

I am sure you all understand.


[Editted as at 26 September 2013, 10:20am:

Okay, maybe not then. HAHAHAHAHA]

for the hair, body and soul

So happy to know I can still buy my Avalon Thickening Shampoo locally!!! :D

I first blogged about Avalon Thickening Shampoo here, but found out a month later that the shampoo has been discontinued for sale at Watsons. Was pretty crushed about that because the shampoo did what it was supposed to do and worked so well for me :(

But I only mentioned about the shampoo's discontinuance recently here. 

A few days later, I received this sweet little email from another BTB:

Rupanya boleh beli dari sini!!!!!

Thank you so much for letting me know, my dear Rina Raihana! <3

The reason why I didn't Google for this earlier is because of the "Exclusively distributed by Watsons" sticker that was on the bottle I previously bought from Watsons! So I thought no other kedai would be selling this shampoo and didn't bother to do a search. Meh.

Anyway, I was actually going to complain about the shop location being so far away but realized it's 7 train stops away from my office after I looked at SMRT's network map. Heh heh. But the best part has to be the fact that at $12.50 per bottle, it is much cheaper than when I bought it from Watsons lor!!!

I also think what the website suggested - as pointed out by Pretty Orkid here - is a good idea: Order the shampoo on their website first, then once they inform you that your order is ready for collection, you can make your way dow to their physical shop. Takut you suka suka lenggang kangkong turun their kedai only to find out dorang tengah takde stock pulak.

Guess I gotta find an available date to go buy the shampoo after work once my Phyto hair products dah habis pakai. Maybe siapa siapa yang tinggal kat East side and/or sanggup datang collect Tampines and nak try the shampoo jugak, can kirim from me??? Hehe.

Even if it doesn't work for you as it did for my friend and for me, only $12.50 wasted, right? But don't know when my Phyto products will finish ah. The box says the products can last me up to almost 2 months from day of usage so..... man man lai lah eh.

Okay since I dah story pasal hair product, sekarang I nak story pasal two other products pulak - the Sleep Balm and Shower Salt Scrub from Haus of Spa!!!

Okay before I bercerita, I (baca doa and) tunjuk gambar dulu:

 The front portion of the Sleep Balm

 The back

 The pretty top! Heh.

The vanilla shower salt scrub!

I was particularly interested in trying out the sleep balm because I have difficulty getting to sleep... kalau kira kambing sampai dorang beranak pinak sepuluh generation pun masih tak boleh terlelap ah sebenarnye. Then sejak dua menjak dah nak jadi pengantin ni, I know I must get enough sleep because it is very important for my health and my face, you know??? 

(My bridesmaid Nina, a freak who survives on 3 to 4 hours of sleep per day tells me that "sleep is for the weak" but I say sleep is also for the pengantin who does not want to look like The Walking Dead on her wedding day.)

Also interested in the sleep balm because it smells of lavender and I love the smell of lavender. Heh.

Anyway! I don't know why I was expecting the sleep balm to be more lembik and jelly-like but it isn't! Feels pretty "solid", actually. All you need to do is rub over the surface of the balm to get it on your fingers before  rubbing it on your temples and a bit under your nose before you sleep... macam Vicks Vaporub, you know??? (I don't know if other people's mothers did this, but when I was younger, my supermother will rub Vicks Vaporub on my temples, chest and under my nose whenever I fell sick.)

Actually kan, I ingatkan lepas pakai this sleep balm then when the head hits the pillow, I will go to lalaland immediately tau. But that didn't happen for me because I still tossed and turned in bed for a while... but the period taken to toss and turn seems to have decreased, I guess? To be fair, I've only used it for two days so I'll have to monitor the progress on that.

But what I like about the balm is its ability to somehow calm me down and help me get such deep sleep when I finally do terlelap!!! Used the balm for two days and I woke up feeling fresh and relaxed instead of lethargic like I used to... it's the lavender working??? :D

I also like the fact that the balm won't run out so fast because you only need to use a little bit on your temples and under your nose - at $16.90 per tub, that is very the worth it, yo.

And next is the vanilla shower salt scrub!

I was told that this salt scrub is a little more coarse compared to other brands so best to use only once a week... but I beg to differ! I actually thought the coarseness is just nice for me - not too fine sampai takde guna dia hidup sebagai semangkuk salt scrub yet not too coarse sampai badan boleh berdarah darah ah (lol drama.) I've tried coarser scrubs before, and dia punya kasar ya ampun nenek... feels like you kena heret across a sandy field when you scrub down your back kind.

Washing it off was relatively easy, and there was no degil greasy feeling thereafter. And I get to smell of vanilla, I SUKA!!!!! Other than lavender and lemongrass, vanilla is one of my most favourite smells (and flavour heh) in the world. (Smells I do not like: coconut, rose and any kind of fruity smells.)

Think I'll use it again before I jumpa vendors next week... and will use this regularly sampai hari kahwing. Need to ask my mamat if he likes his wife smelling of vanilla?! Hurhurhur.

Sorry if my description of the products macam cannot make it gitu!!! I'm not used to giving reviews about beauty products so ada kental sikit bila part part gini. I'm not really an avid beauty product user or tester whatever - my skincare and beauty/make-up regime is really basic and I tend to stick to tried and tested stuff already recommended by family and friends.

Anyway, if this is not enough for you, you can also read Eleventh October's entry here, because she has tried Haus of Spa's shower salt scrub before... sampai borong satu kampung when she recently went to their exhibition booth at Suntec City with Miss Twenty Nine June, you! So bahagia eh these kakak kakak bride bloggers pergi outing. Hehe.

Oh, and in case you didn't know already (Hi, selamat keluar dari tempurung!), Haus of Spa is actually the 'baby' of another bride blogger Kahwin X Jitters! :D

Okay, the reason why I dah cerita panjang panjang pasal benda ni is because I have good news to share... Haus of Spa will be participating at the upcoming wedding exhibition at Singapore Expo tau!!!

In case you don't know which wedding exhibition I'm referring to, I'm actually referring to The Wedding and Shopping Galleria 2013 organized by MegaXpress International which will be held next week.

What? The Wedding and Shopping Galleria 2013

Where? Singapore Expo, Hall 6B, Booth J5

When? 12th September 2013 to 15th September 2013

Everything on Haus of Spa's webstore will be on promotion i.e. shower salt scrubs will be going at 2 for $40 instead of $24.90 each and the sleep balm will be going at $15.00 instead of $16.90.

You can stock up on their scrubs and soaps and balms so you can pamper yourself in the comforts of your own home before your wedding, or buy them as bridesmaids' gifts for your orang orang kuat, orrrrr buy them as wedding gifts for your bride-to-be sisters, cousins or girlfriends (Orang dah kahwin must smell harum for the hasbern, you know??? :P)

Alternatively, you can borong and letak their products on your dulangs as barang hantaran jugak. Amaciam??? Idea or what - perfect for people who tak nak spend so much on barang dulang because House of Spa punya products seriously very affordable.

And you know what's the best thing????? Haus of Spa has tied up with Batam Holidays Travel Pte Ltd to give away this special promotion which will be given during the bazaar only:- Spend over $100 and receive a 2D1N Hotel Stay in Batam including breakfast!!! You can choose any of the 4-star hotels available like Harris Hotel, Novotel or i-Hotel. Shiok or what, got freebie all.

Lagipun, if you make your way down to look see look see Haus of Spa, you can also recce for wedding vendors if you haven't settled any of your wedding-related items jugak - vendors such as Farah Diana Catering & Wedding Services, Theme Photography, Chinta Weddings, FpB Productions, etc will be there to sell their wedding packages and give away promos... satu kali harung, yo.

Think I'll drop by Haus of Spa's booth on one of the days because I really want to get something for my girlfriend Shafilah - as a apology gift for not attending her wedding last weekend!!!!! I know,  I know, I am the worst person ever for not going to her wedding even though we have known each other since we were little toads but it was just not meant to be :( 

I'm hoping to tebus it a teeny weeny bit by bringing along a nice little gift for her when I see her and the rest of our (retired) geng cilaka next week... for my second bachelorette party!!! Hehe. But before I get all excited for next weekend, I really must focus on the tasks already assigned for this weekend:

Hoping to squeeze in some time to discuss and finalize the songlist that my mamat has diligently complied over the last few months as well but I think we've already packed enough tasks in a day already... and I'm sure we'll ter-overshot timing for one or two tasks :/

By the way, it's true what you hear - the list of wedding-related things to do gets longer and longer and longer as the day gets nearer. 

But what to do? A pengantin's gotta do what a pengantin's gotta do.

mencari berkat

Starting to slow down on wedding preparations and research because there's nothing much to do now until early next year. In the meantime, cuma kena work hard and grow grow grow our savings!

(After my mat received his permanent full-time position offer, I received news of my promotion! Syukur Alhamdullilah, boleh tokok tambah lebih sikit for our wedding savings :-D)

Still casually trawling through wedding sites for inspiration but since nothing much has been happening on the preparation front, there's nothing much to share now.

Well, except maybe the list of berkat service providers that I've come across in my research after I listed down ideas for wedding favours in an earlier entry!

• Berkat Inc
• Divine Favorz
• Hadya Gifts
• Gubahan Klassique
• Kahwin Kawin
• Nuraz Favors
• Ola Lola
• Our Midas Touch
• Sri Gubahan
• Xquizyte Favors

(Note: Some providers have a more extensive range of products than others.)

Alternatively, if you want to beli sendiri food products in bulk pastu DIY the hiasan sendiri (ikat ribbon ke, masuk dalam paper bag ke, tampal sticker ke) then you can order directly from Walson!

(Tried looking for other local distributors but yang ada pun, distribute brand yang niche or merepek, orang dari Mars pun tak pernah dengar the brand agaknya).

Sooooo many favours and providers sampai I pun dah malas want to think about it anymore! At least for now lah. Will pick up momentum again early next year when we start to recce for / book / attend / design / prepare / decide:

- kompang groups
- wedding favours
- wedding bands
- barang barang for dulang
- kursus rumahtangga
- register online at ROMM and book tok kadi
- guestlist
- guestbook
- invitation cards
- outfits for our orang-orang kuat
- entertainment for wedding dinner
- song list

All that to be settled early part of 2013 because by the time we reach middle of 2013, we will start going for fittings and appointments with vendors. Senang cakap this time next year, our schedules will be packed with wedding-related appointments or tasks! In a way I'm quite glad we didn't choose a date that's too near Hari Raya next year so at least there'll be some breathing space between Hari Raya and our wedding... I hope.

You know, I still don't get why some couples choose to get married right after Hari Raya. I don't mean those held on the 3rd or 4th week of Hari Raya tau - in a way, itu tak counted because festivities would have died down by last two weeks of Hari Raya.

But now I hear of people getting married one week after Hari Raya starts! Ape maksud??? Is there some kind of discounted rates for services kalau kahwin time Hari Raya that I don't know about??? Or some kind of religious stand that I'm not aware about??? Lagi berkat if kalau kahwin one week lepas Hari Raya or something??? Is it supposed to be more convenient sebab family family semua boleh jumpa at one event??? Is it done so that guests can pakai baju kurung baju melayu all, attend a wedding and then conveniently go off to jalan raya and visit relatives??? Will it be more meriah because got tempias Hari Raya festivities???

Hahaha sorry jadi fanatic sekejap, my parents recently received wedding invitation for a wedding which will be held one week after Hari Raya so it kind of got me wondering. I know perkara yang baik tak sepatutnya ditunda tunda but I don't know lah, wouldn't hurt to wait out until the last two weeks of Hari Raya if you insist on holding your wedding during Hari Raya period, right.

Or maybe I'm just being kuno, I don't know. Aiya! To each his own lah hor.

Suka hati lah eh bila nak kahwin. Aku nanti pun kahwin time raya, ape. Cuma bukan hari raya aidilfitri ah, tapi hari raya deevapali hahaha