Strong Durians!

Dear friends,

Kirsty is our hostess at Our Beautiful World this week and her word prompt for us is;

'STRONG'

I cannot help myself but to write about Durian, or infamously known here as the King of Fruits!. What is it gotta do with this week's theme?. 

Well, this thorny tropical fruit is the whiffiest of them all!. You either love it or hate it :). The aroma is so strong that quite often you see 'No Durian' signs in hotels, airports and on public transports!. [I wish I could add a whiff-me button in the post somewhere, so you could sample some :)]. 

The fruits can be found anywhere in South East Asia countries, either grew commercially in orchards or in someone's backyard. Or better still, buy them at local farmers market by the kilos!. It's a common sight to see people enjoy these fruits right there on the streets and not carrying them home in their cars. Smart.

Nevertheless, it brings comfort to a lot of people. Such as my family, minus me :). My uncle used to have a durian orchard in the hill up north. When we were kids, my mom would packed us up and spent the week at my uncle's and you've guessed it ... feast on durians!. Then I got really sick after all the heat from eating them and that possibly made me hated it, ever since. 

One doesn't pick a ripe durian from the trees. We have to wait for them to fully ripen on the trees and fall on the ground when it's time. Nifty?. FUN!!. My cousins and I would listened to the loud boom of the fallen fruit and make a dash to pick it up. Back then, I thought of wearing a helmet when looking for durian in the bush, much to my cousins' amuse. Well, you never know. 

Nowadays, one can enjoy the spiky fruit in little doses too. Like in ice-creams, jellies, cakes, fritters, pancakes, custards, chips, puddings, spicy sambals, you name it. Such as this crepe recipe. For the faint-hearted, this is your chance at trying :).

That's all friends, durian in a nutshell. Thank you Kirsty, for bringing up such sweet childhood memories. 

If you too have a story about 'Strong', why don't share them with us at Our Beautiful World this week?. Until next, have a great one!. HUGS.

Birthday

Hello friends,

It's cool that my friend, Milagros has chosen the theme 'Birthday' at Our Beautiful World this week. 

I celebrated my birthday just last week :). A quiet week for me, a nerve wrecking one when my camera broke down, and then I got sick. There is a flu going on in my area and I'm still not well enough. I hope you're not alarmed by how short my post would be today :).

A cool quote from a wrapping paper.

What birthday means to you?. I always associate birthday with renewal. Birthday is the first day of another journey of 365 days around the sun. An opportunity for growth.

Or, to goof around :). I went out to have some coffee on my birthday. I said my name was Hermione, much to the delight of the sweet barista. She must be a fan.

A cup of joy.

You are welcome to share some giggles with us too, even when you're not celebrating your birthday this week. Link up your photos at Our Beautiful World and I'll visit you soon!. 

Hugs.

{Notes: All photos are taken with Samsung Galaxy SAdvance phone,

edited in Pixlr and PhotoScape, applied Region Out-of-focus}

Everyday 'Wonder'

Hello sweet friends,

This week, it's my turn hosting at Our Beautiful World. And I have chosen one of my favorite word as a prompt for us to play;

'Wonder'

I believe we all wonder at something, every single day :). I wonder at the beauty that I see around me. [And yes, I do wonder at things that I can't see too]. Celestial bodies like the sun setting or the moon rising are simply a 'Wonder' to me. 

The sunset we saw when out driving to Putrajaya.

Eclipses, comets, shooting stars intrigue me to no end. Do you know that NASA recently mapped that our solar system has a tail like a comet?!?. As if, all planets are moving in a spiraling motion across our galaxy. Interesting stuff :).

The full moon on July 22nd, looking east from my window.

No matter where we are in the world, we are looking at the same moon. Humbling to think how small we are in the grand scheme of things. A speck of dust in the infinity of space. Have you ever felt that way?.

Clouds are another wonder to me. I love watching them changing forms, like cotton in the wind. I saw a dragon cloud one year!. 

'Angel' clouds appeared in my backyard, recently.

Moments like this, always make me smile.

In Jun, I visited the annually flower exhibition at Putrajaya and saw pitcher plants. Another wonder, even when I know how they trap little insects. A few years back, I brought home a delicate, foot-long pitcher plant from a field trip in Sabah (Borneo Island). Cool specimen!.

A pitcher plant seen at the Putrajaya Floria exhibition.

During my walk at the park, I saw patches of moss on the wooden bench I was sitting on. I got a few macro shots of it. I'm a big fan of the little folks, you see. Always think about them when I see moss or little mushrooms in the woods. 

What a little wonderland in there?.

Do you wonder at simple things in life too?. I love to hear about them. Do share with us at Our Beautiful World this week :).

Wishing you a great weekend. And if you're watching the early morning sky tonight for the Perseid meteor showers, have fun!!. Hugs.

hello August

Sweet friends,
Hello, August!. Wow, time flies. In a week, we will be celebrating Aidilfitri, after a month-long fasting in Ramadan. So excited. Later this month, the whole nation will celebrate our Independence Day or Merdeka Day.

This week's prompt at Our Beautiful World is;

'August'

August has a special place in the hearts of every Malaysians. We earned our independence from the British on 31st August, 1957.

The Malaysian flag, or Jalur Gemilang as we fondly call.

The flags from other states in Malaysia, as seen at Merdeka Square.

56 years ago at the Merdeka Stadium, our very first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj announced Malaysia's independence (known as Federation of Malaya, back then). 

The National Monument.

Merdeka Day is a day to be thankful for the peace, unity and prosperity we have enjoyed since then. 

A day of remembrance for all heroes who fought for our freedom and still keeping us safe today :). 

KL Tower and the Petronas Twin Towers seen from the nearby National Monument.

Though our nation is rather young compares to many European countries, I'm very much grateful for the joy that comes with being independent. 

Sitting on the grass at Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur.

Nowadays, Malaysians proudly gather at Merdeka Square where large parade is held every year and celebration abounds.

Clock tower of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. 

I must share our National Anthem :). I fondly remembered how excited I was at school assembly every week during primary school days. I LOVE singing, but mostly the chance at spotting my cute crush, really. Naughty!. 

A close up of the Moorish architecture.

Thank you, Malaysia. I've enjoyed great childhood, good education, fair chance at making a living and no wars. I can't imagine living without a country!. This fact alone should make anyone feel humble, don't you think?.

I love to hear what 'August' means to you. No moments are ever so small :). Do share your stories with us by linking up a photo at Our Beautiful World this week. See you soon. Hugs!.

Patiently Waiting ...

Sweet friends,
Some of you may know that I keep a windowsill garden at home. Apartment dweller that I am, trying to live a healthy lifestyle by growing my own vegetables. Far from the ideal here, as I could easily kill a cactus!. Even plants that enjoy neglect.

Ros is hosting Our Beautiful World this week. Her prompt for us to play is;

'Waiting'.

It's a wonder really, for me to lunge from painting seed pockets to actually plant them :). I even keep a garden journal!. 'Waiting' has quickly becoming the order of the day.

Say hello to my spinach seedlings :).

Spinach is my first home-grown vegetable, ever. I believe it's the strongest vege because Popeye said so, LOL. I tried growing ginger, garlic, and Chinese parsley earlier but they all died on me. Anyhow, my experiment continues :).

They are two months old now.

Waiting, and more waiting ...

These babies are just about 2-3" tall.

They seemed to love the organic potting soil with some coconut fibers & coals in them. 

I have to remember NOT to over-watering them. [That was how I killed my succulents!].

I saw the tiniest clover growing underneath my spinach seedlings. Can I hope for some luck? :).

With an angel companion, I hope they'll grow :).

I have a collection of heart pebbles, scattered around the pots for good energy & fun. Anything, to help my plants live happily. 

A concrete pebble.

This one is a sandstone.

And this, a marble pebble.

That's all garden update for today. Hop on to Our Beautiful World to share a photo that signify 'Waiting' for you.

Waiting can be fun especially when you're rewarded with something delicious at the end of it. Like waiting for coffee, or pizza!. Or 'Waiting' for someone precious, like Prince George Alexander Louis :). For me, my first spinach will do for now :).

Have a great week, everyone!. Hugs.

I Love Old Books

Dear friends,
I love old books, always on the look out for them whenever I go flea marketing. Not much of a reader, but I simply admire books for their beauty. The shabbier, the better.

I especially love the crimson ones.

In the beginning, I looked only for Jane Austen's.

I think this is sweet!.

Later, I looked for details on the covers.

This week's, Wendy is the host at Our Beautiful World :).

And she has sweetly chose the prompt;

'Details' 

I thought I'd share some close ups of my old books. [Quietly wishing I had a fancy lens to play with :)].

Unique engravings intrigue me to no end.

So as intricate insignia, crests and medallions.

Torn, but much loved.

Recently, I collect books with colorful covers.

Such as this, almost fairy tale-ish. 

Often I used words from these old books in my art. 

Strange it may be, but I could read a dictionary for hours!. Looking for sweet phrases & words, of course :).

I took these pictures with Pentax K200, and I used Raynox DCR-150 macro lense. All photos were edited with PhotoScape [can you imagine I do not know how to use Photoshop???. Silly girl]. 

Do you love experimenting with your lens too?. Come share with us some of your 'Details' shots at Our Beautiful World this week :). Have a great weekend. And enjoy the full moon tonight!. HUGS.

Summer of Color 3 - Week 6

Dear friends,
It's the final week at Summer of Color 3. The winning color Sage & Sepia, seemed to be mimicking what we all are feeling, gloomy almost. Though, I had fun these few weeks playing along with all of you. 

Book for Week 6; measures 2" X 2".

In the world today, they are still much suffering but things are changing fast, for the better. You can almost feel the hope and the happiness that greet us on both sides of any road we're taking. We only need to look :). 

I'm thankful for the gifts of life. The friendship, the inspiration and the joy from visiting you :). My book this week, is a tribute for these bounty.

The back.

A hint of green, underneath brown lace.

Folded signatures sewn in the middle, decorated with lace and tiny beads at the spine.

If my books inspire you to look at things with your heart-mind, or feel a brief of joy and comfort ... I've done the job here.

Shall we take a peek inside?.

I hand-stitched words again, truly a fun thing to do.

My pages read; "I am thankful for the gifts of life".

I stamped mint green acrylic paint on the linen.

Added green satin cloth, in between linen pages.

Flowers on the ribbon add cheer on the otherwise sedate page.

Dry branches in the wind.

Doodle-stitched dry twigs.

If you like to try doodle stitching, I recommend you to check out delightful books by Aimee Ray at the link here. 

Smudgy last page :).

The lady sitting in lotus position (or Padmasana), was done in watercolor. The beads halo implies contemplative prayer.

What a sight to enjoy when all is done.

And, I made a storage for these tiny books. I decided to alter an old make-up case which I found at the flea market months ago. I don't have a tutorial for it yet, but I'll share soon.

Remember this?. Read more about it here.

After a little paint, stamping, decoupage and distressing;

I had to add 'climbing roses', it's summer after all. 

Can you see my books got thicker each week?.

Six cubes of delights, tucked nicely in the case.

A bagful of gratitude :).

That's it for this week. Again, much LOVE and thank you for dearest Kristin. Such graceful host, as always. Thank you dear friends for beautiful inspiration every week :). HUGS.