NEW CANDLES | BATH & BODY WORKS

I am obsessed with scented candles. The lingering presence of a dreamy scent be my sweet escape at any time of the day. My favourite time to enjoy my candles, however, has got to be night - when I'm all tucked up in bed. I love to watch the candle light flicker. Its careless, spontaneous and composed nature has its way of infusing serenity, comfort and stability into the atmosphere. 

I was electrified to find a Bath & Body Works outlet in Penang when I visited 3 weeks ago. Never ever dreamed that it would come to Malaysia. I spent almost an hour going through every single candle in the shop and you bet! I brought two 14.5oz candles home! I have been enjoying them so much the past 3 weeks so I thought I'll share them on the blog today. 

Turquoise Waters

Turquoise Waters is truly one in a million. Sends me straight to ocean paradise. It is subtle yet deep. Complex. Perfect for an ocean lover like me. 

Sweet Pea

This one's from the Signature collection. It's a nice blend of a light floral and a light sweet scent. Its fresh, bubbly and rich scent transforms anywhere into a happy place. 

What are the candles you're loving at the moment? 

STARTING THE WEEK WELL | 5 THINGS

Hello hello hello! It's yet another Monday. This time, I'm feeling fresh and exuberant. I'm positive it is because I had such a lovely weekend. Work was strictly off-limits. All I did was unwind and did a bunch of non-work related things. I realised that as much as planning well for the week is necessary and getting work done is important, rest is equally necessary and important. Starting the week well rested makes it easier to have a positive and clear perspective of things. Here are some of the things I did and maybe, some ideas for you to have a well rested weekend, so you can start your week well!

Watch a good movie

There's nothing like watching a good movie in the comfort of your own bed. It only gets better when the movie is so good you get so caught up in it and you forget the world. Last weekend, I watched not one, but two good movies. Inside out by Pixar and Saving Sarah Cain by Fox Faith. If you're like me and you enjoy movies that make you emotional and think a lot, these two are for you.

Keeping up with fitness

The past two weeks were so hazy here where I live and I have been travelling so my workout routine was back-burnered. It was nice to finally get back to lifting weights and the haze cleared enough to go outdoors for a run. I always feel so energised and alert after some good sweaty exercise. Not forgetting how well it makes me sleep at night.

Rest 
I found rest in a few naps and some quality me-time. Quiet times with nothing on my mind, and quiet times paying attention and analysing my every thought and writing them down. Accompanied by my amazing new candle from bath and body works. I needed that so much.

Organise Stuff
Weekends are perfect for tidying up and putting things back in order. Putting things back in their own respective homes, doing the laundry, changing my beddings, and organising my warzone aka my bedroom, wardrobe and floordrobe.

Spending time with friends and family
I love being around my family and friends. Time spent with them are always the most comforting, encouraging and inspiring. As I get older and commitments start to flood my schedules, I realise how little time I have left to spend with people I treasure dearly. Making time for them must be done intentionally.

I hope this post has inspired you to start your week well! Have a beautiful week! x

TWO MONTHS AS A FREELANCER | 5 THINGS

Hello hello hello! It's been three weeks - such a long time since I last blogged. I've had so much on my plate - working on the projects that I mentioned in my last post, travelling, making sure my home is taken care of and trying to have a social life in between.

As you already know, I quit my 8-5 job 2 months ago and took a sabbatical. Looking back from where I am now, that was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It seemed like that short career break was vital looking at all the good that came out of it. My little business was birthed. My vision has never been clearer and chasing my dream full-time has brought an explosion of energy I've never had before.

Coming from an 8-5 job, having an independent job is a luxury in so many ways: working from the comfort of home, managing my own time, working at my own pace, chasing my own dream etcetera. I have been enjoying every moment of it. But behind that ideal facade lies a handful of responsibilities, challenges and a couple of matters I have learnt about freelancing.

Discipline

Having a free lance job has given me the freedom to work anywhere and at any time that is convenient and effective. I've been dreaming of this. As much as I thank God for giving me the opportunity to work my dream job, the struggle with working from home is real. There can be so many distractions that require a great amount of discipline to get work done. I find designating an area at home away from common distractions for work extremely helpful in keeping me focused. Also, setting daily goals and following a schedule helps to curb procrastination. 

Focus

This job proved to me that anything can happen. This world has so much to offer. Dreaming and striving to make things happen was so overwhelming in the beginning. Looking at all the amazing things people do and being so successful at it put a lot of pressure on me. I wanted to do everything and I burnt out. I took a step back and defined my own success, refocused on my dreams and realised that I must not ever try to fill my bowl with everything.

Keep on learning
It is just impossible to ever stop learning. Posturing myself to learn, being eager to grow, and having the right attitude about criticisms make learning so exciting and enriching. I have been learning about publishing books over the past two months. Though it has been challenging and some times I want to pluck my brains out, it has been worth it. Can't wait to show you what I've been working on!

Create opportunities

Having a business made me a lot more observant to the things around me. Even the little things. Anything can be turned into an opportunity as long as we keep our souls curious and be willing to push boundaries. As long as we crave for things beyond the ordinary.

Know how much is enough
Last but not the least for sure - know how much is enough. Content is the only thing that separates strive from greed. It is the one thing that secures joy. Know when to strive. Know when to switch it all off and call it a day. Know when to say yes. Know when to say no. Know when to take. Know when to let go.

What an exciting journey it has been! I hope this post will be helpful to some fresh freelancers out there. Have a beautiful day x

THE CRAZY CONTINUES | 5 THINGS

Hello hello hello! Can you tell I've been way too busy lately. It's almost like I just had a baby. I have been sleep-deprived, and challenged to my wit's end working on a few projects. Its been a fun and exciting adventure nonetheless. I actually really enjoy it. Knowing I've channeled every ounce of energy to realise my dreams makes going to bed every night with no leftover energy from the day so rewarding. Here are some things I do to cope with the busyness!

Create a to-do list

Being the organisational freak that I am, I start my day by creating a to-do list and I can't imagine going without it. Oh the joy of crossing off completed tasks! Not only that, this old school habit of mine helps me carefully think through everything I have for the day, set priorities, and set the pace for the day. Also, breaking big stressful tasks down into mini tasks makes the task less overwhelming. 

Organised and bright workspace

There is no doubt that the way a workspace is put together does affect productivity and work quality. It can either make or break your flow of work and ideas. I like my workspace to be wide, clear and bright. As much as possible I try to keep my workspace minimalist and neat as I find that having a spacious and organised workspace keeps me focused and calm. However, I'd die for little pretty clutters here and there. A vase full of peonies, a scented candle and some pretty notepads please. It's even better with a space filled with natural light. It keeps me awake and alert and that's excellent for my productivity.

Turn on airplane mode

Turning my phone on airplane mode or leaving my phone far away from me when I work definitely increased my productivity many many folds. I mean, how is it even sensible to work with social media notifications and worst of all, alerts from 10 Whatsapp group chats going off every single second? 

Take time off

I learnt the hard way. I worked and worked and worked and at the end of the day, I achieved little. Don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay to take little breaks and free your mind. Grab a cup of tea, switch on some music, light a scented candle or get some fresh air. Be kind to yourself. 

Socialize

This is my favourite way to recharge and free my mind! Taking my mind of work is so easy when I'm having a good night out with my amazing friends. or even a night in. Surrounding myself with good good vibes and conversations is such a fun way to chill, learn, be inspired. 

Have a beautiful and productive week! xx

REPEAT OBSESSIONS

Hello beautiful people! It's Monday again, did you have a good weekend? Mine? Think of all the words you can possibly think of that carry the meaning 'crazy' in one way or another. That's probably what my weekend was. I felt like I was running on 32x fast forward mode. My sister and I held a debut sale for our very own label, Flint and Steel Borneo last weekend. We have been working past midnights, creating designs together. At long last we got them printed on postcards and mugs and finally saw them reaching the hands of people who appreciate our work. That is the best feeling. Lost count of all the times I imploded from the overwhelming force of good things that happened. What an extraordinary weekend. Proved my fears and doubts wrong again and again. My dreams got bigger, and many more dreams were awoken. Definitely one of the highlights of this year. 

In the midst of all that's been going on, I have my trusty safe place to turn to. Music. It always amazes me how music has the ability to reach out to me in such a calm and effective way even in the most chaotic of times. Whether to inspire, to empower, to calm, or to help me feel and express every emotion contained inside me. It brings out the sadness, anger, happiness, and the hopeless-romantic in me. It even makes me think and think deeply.. and some times it makes me wanna get up and dance away the blues. There is beauty in words and melody flowing together. It creates a bubble of peace and freedom, in that one moment I feel sheltered from everything else. 

Thought I'd share some of my favourite tunes that has been getting me through the past couple of crazy weeks. Repeat repeat repeat! I hope you enjoy xx

Moments Like This by The Afters

Rainbow by South Borders
How Long Will I Love You by Ellie Goulding

Maybe This Time by Sarah Geronimo

Broken Record by Shakira

Flashlight by Jessie J

Cheerleader by OMI

I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston

Heartbeat by Mat Kearney

Can't Take That Away by Mariah Carey

Love Never Felt So Good by Michael Jackson

Make It Simple by Shayne Ward

LEFT MY HEART IN BANGKOK

Hello, hello, hello!! I am back from my epic Bangkok holiday! This beautiful city captured my heart in a different but bigger way this time. This time I took home so much light and hope. I was intrigued by the endless city lights spread before my eyes from the plane. As we were descending, everything started to get bigger and bigger, clearer and clearer. The movements of cars, buildings and buildings and more buildings, and then I eventually got to smell, hear and feel the vibrancy of Bangkok.

I'm truly truly truly inspired by everything I was able to sense. There were so much to see and feel from every single angle. The lights, the eclectic markets, the hustles and bustles of the city, Bangkok's crazy traffic, the thrills of sitting on a tuk-tuk! Our driver made a u-turn in the middle of the highway, followed by the dangerous act of zooming pass 4 lanes to get on to the other side of the road. Oh my lord. The hawker man who wouldn't stop singing while frying up his omelettes, the smiley and lovely masseurs at midnight, the crowd putting their market bargaining skills to the test, all the little things that simply make Bangkok, Bangkok. A million little worlds spinning on their own axis. I could not put my camera down though my shoulders were aching. I just wanted to snap everything so I can remember it forever and ever.

The people - Its safe to say that they're my favourite thing about Bangkok. Their bright and fresh faces at anytime of the day is the radiation of the strength they possess. How they champion such harsh lives with flawless gentleness and joy. These are just a few of the many reasons they inspire me.

The life - basic but big. Simple but so full of life. Something I've never seen or felt before. Harsh, tough, imperfect. But imperfect has no power over them. Imperfect didnt blind them from seeing the power they own to change their reality. They live like nothing can dampen their spirits or blow out their faith. or stop them from waking up to a new day with strength and grace. Nothing could stop them from truly living. With smiles and singing. Not even if pain and tough is all they ever know. These people know how to truly live as fighters. as champions. 

They inspire me. Their attitude and the way they choose to live as overcomers come what may. Their city inspire me. Their world made me realise how tiny and small my problems are. What a way to remind us all that the best way to live life is to be brave, to have hope and to never give up. To make the best of the little things, to give the smallest task our best effort. to always choose better, to fight for better. And to always be thankful.

INSTAGRAM DIARY | RECENTLY

 {Buns and books}

{Drinking straight from a coconut}

{Jetty Fishing and Sunset}

{I love this book}

Had my nose screwed in this book for two days. If you haven't read it, you should! 

{Obsessed with patterns}

Not even the patterns on my sisters cactus can slip pass my radar.

{Made patterns out of leftover gold present wrappers} 

Its now framed and ready to join the rest of the decor in my room. Yay! My room is slowly turning into a pattern museum, but why not?

{Be Yourself} 

Painted by me 

Nothing beats clearing out a couple of minutes in my day to reflect. July was great. There were many quiet moments. Quiet moments invading unknown territories, rekindling passions, finding fresh energies in the silence... Quiet but so empowering. So full of life. I finished reading Zoe Sugg's Girl Online cover to cover in 2 days, painted some watermelons, made some patterns out of some leftover gold present wrappers and went fishing. and these are just some of the little things. Ready to embrace every thing August days have in store with a lion's heart. Happy August! x