Conquered by the Scandinavian.

Part of my job is to look for trends and websites for one of our lifestyle magazines. Recently, I compiled a trend page on Scandinavian furniture.I think I'm falling in love with the cosiness and masculine protective vibe that Scandinavian designed rooms exude. Here are some photos I borrowed from +obsessilicious. I couldn't find the sources for most of these so I can only point you all to the blog that I sourced it from.

I've added some comments on why I'm particularly drawn to these photos.

Enjoy the domestic Viking voyage below! :)

What I love about Scandinavian design style is how eclectic the furniture is allowed to get yet the room sustains a very homey and cosy ambience. 

I love the combination of the fluted timber wall and glass curtain wall. This picture is hauntingly beautiful especially because of how the vegetation indoors is more lush than those outdoors.

Low concrete ceiling and gorgeous mix of designer chairs. Not to mention the splendid view of the courtyard. How 'secret agent' is this?

If there's exposed roof trusses, I'll be staring upwards with a beatific smile plastered on my face. Combine this with a glass atrium and gorgeous trees blocking the views from outsiders. Imagine this room at night. Very bachelor-pad-ish but I'm betting this gets the guy lucky.

This is more modern, to my opinion. Especially with the neutral tones found in finishing and matching furniture. The design is not so harsh because of the curvaceous furniture and lush outdoor view.

A sunken kitchen! I love level changes in homes. It signifies the room boundaries without being overly closed-up and exclusive. And, of course, the timber finishes makes the kitchen more inviting and cosy.

A modern rugged take. Very minimal in furniture choice, finishings and layout but incredibly cosy.

I must admit that the bookshelves caught my eyes in this one. I don't really like the fireplace being soooo near to all those books. It looks unsafe for humans and literature.

The timber plank walls! The black stone flooring! And I'm guessing (or hoping) that the stairs are a mix of marble slabs and steel. Sexy materials all in one room. 

I'm not a fan of too much clutter (even though my room is in a constant state of clutter) but the dining table with mixed designs of chairs always remind me of the Mad Hatter's tea table, which I love and want for my own.

More glass curtain walls with huge trees outdoors! Not a fan of the bare concrete bricks walls paired with the Scandinavian furniture, though. Somehow, it doesn't mesh well.

Anyone who knows me understands my obsession with patterns. I also have an obsessive adoration to material juxtaposing. This photo is incredibly sexy to my eyes and I can only imagine running my hands along the fenestrations and grooves.

Sink or swim : Friendship

The concept of friendship is something that becomes clearer the older you get and the more mistakes you make (as in the more fake friends, toxic friends or mismatched friends). I think there must be so many labels out there on these "negative" friends yet the simplest "true friend" is enough to encompass all that is positive from this relationship.

Friendship, to me, has always been a more important aspect in life than romance (maybe because I lack the latter in my life thus far) and so I may over-think the things concerning friends. Fall-outs happen and I try to figure out why it happened and whether it could have been prevented.

Whatever it is, it's a relationship between two people. And like a relationship of romantic love, you need to work things out. Communication, trust, balance. If you don't have those, no relationship may work, even the unconditional love ones with your family.

Sometimes people are not aware of how they hurt you. Most of the time, good intentions turn into bad situations but I've always believed that this always happens if you're not being true to yourself. We, being human, like to dress up our selfish needs as good intentions. Come on. Don't deny it.

But just be careful to not be toxic to your friends as well as not to keep friends who are toxic to you.

(Here is a helpful page to help you identify you toxic friends or, God forbid, your own toxic traits)

If you're doing a favour, do it because you really are sincere and not because you want a reward.

If you're lending a helping hand, help because you know you are able to and your friend is in need and not because you want to look good or get some brownie points out of it.

If you actually have some hope or expectations of a reward or payment, tell them. If they are really a friend to you, they'd appreciate the honesty.

If you just can't seem to be honest with them, well, what's the point anyway?

The older you get, the oftener you tend to count your true friends. But why don't we make a difference here by counting how many people we are being true friends to. 

I'm still working on being a friend when you're in need. InsyaAllah I'll be a better one in the future. Bismillah.

Lover of Lines

A couple of pages from my moleskine. I'm thinking of turning these into embroidery / canvas artwork. It would be nice to run your fingers over those lines and feel a sort of texture, yes?

Warm hearts.

I've been watching Internet Icon on Youtube and it's getting more fun day by day. My favourites are The Fu Music and Brothers Riedell.

This video is the sweetest. :)





I hope someday you'll be my home, insyaAllah.

Mid-year Updates and Check-ups.

I haven't updated anything personal for quite some time. I have been keeping a written journal just to unleash the sometimes overwhelming adoration I feel towards him, so that is not a necessary topic to put here. Just know that I am happy and delighted to have found someone I can joke freely and talk deeply to. Alhamdulillah. If He feels this to be the best for us, then let it be the best we want.

I got into RCA. Mixed feelings about this as I'll be leaving behind a home I've known for 28 years and finally venturing out on my own. This is scary regardless of how old you are when the time comes. I just think I'm lucky to have the chance after technology has made the world a smaller place. Skype, WhatsApp, Viber and all kinds of communication tools to keep me in touch with the other side of the world.

We're at the other half of 2012 already. I think it's time to check the resolutions made and see how we've been so far, don't you?

Be nicer, be smarter, be stronger, be prettier.

I think being a bit more positive this year by being more grateful and realising that I have debts to pay Him, I've tried to be a better person. There's no limit to being nice and I think I still need more work there.

Working in editorial after a long hiatus has taught me a lot. This time around, I'm learning new tricks and re-learning forgotten ones.

I still cry easily but it doesn't mean I give up. There's no harm in giving in to some tears but there's a lot of wasted time in giving in to self-pity. And getting older makes me realise that time goes by so effortlessly fast and progressing with it is a much better thing to do than dwelling on pasts.

My self-esteem problem is not as terrible as before and therefore, I feel much more attractive. But I should probably work on being more healthy and fit.

At least 20 non-fiction books must be consumed.

This is terrible. I haven't done anything about this. And I'm going to be a M.Phil student soon. How embarrassing!

Tawbah, Tawakal, Sabar. Repeat daily.

Sometimes I forget. Nauzubillahiminzalik. I need to work harder on the "repeat daily" part there.

Write something daily. Draw something daily.

Have been writing daily since it's part of my job. Haven't been drawing daily, though. Might need to remedy that. Maybe at least an hour with my moleskine every night?





So far, this year has been a good year. I am blessed, alhamdulillah. I hope I deserved every single blessing. If I don't yet, I hope I shall continue working on deserving all this.

I hope the year has been kind to all of you too. Remember that difficulties may be tests from Him but that also means a chance to "increase your CGPA" with Him. So let's all work hard because it's not the end until the end of our breath.

Alhamdulillah and insyaAllah.