Q&A Friday Number 2 😎

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Hello dah-lings! I’m quite excited about this week’s question and right off the bat I want to apologize if in asking it I exclude some people …. Some people who haven’t seen or do not like the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” …. OMG! (I fell off the chair again, picking myself up …) 🤭

I really, really, really love that movie (and you can tell by the number of emojis I use in this post). I haven’t smiled while watching – in deep appreciation and from start to finish – a movie in such a long time. What an experience. Amazing!

Okay so, as I carefully balance my crown (a paper bag with some yarn in it) and flamboyantly flip a corner of my cape (my baby’s bathtowel, because yes, I’m channeling my inner Freddie Mercury 🤭😄) here’s this week’s question:

What is your one most favorite scene in the movie and why?

My answer is -> that moment when Freddie tells his bandmates that he finally fired his assistant Paul Prenter (Allen Leech) and, when asked on what grounds, simply stated “villainy”.

OMG! 🤩 (There I fall off my chair again 😄).  I laughed so hard at that scene. It was the way he said it, it was so on point – the term, the acting, the succinctness of the response. Ah, just delightful 😘 If Freddie indeed talks that way in real life, and I have no reason to doubt it, I just want to hear him talk 24/7. My mouth would be agape in delight, I think. I think it’s the blend of highbrow words, the accent and the flamboyancy.

In any case, my neck is starting to get painful from this “crown” 😄 so now on to you – tell me in the 👇comments section👇what your one most favorite scene in the movie was and why.

And, have you downloaded the songs yet? I mean, come on!  ❤️ 🤩 What’s on loop in your player? (Ha! That’s question #2 for today and you can answer this too if you like ❤️).

Q&A Friday 😀

 

It’s been a while since I’ve had some sort of Q&A fun on this blog and I miss it. I always have fun answering those simple, get-to-know-yourself questions or self-reflection prompts and I bet many of you do too.

Hmmm, might even make it a regular Friday feature. (Or every other Friday? 🤔) Oh well, let’s just play it by ear because when you’re taking care of a tiny human, unpredictable‘s the word 🤪

So lemme start with this week’s prompt — join me in the comments section, ok? 😀

Have you done anything [a bit] out of character lately? What was it and why.

My answer to this is a “yes”. And it was sharing my goals for next year with my friends. Why? Because I realized I needed “cheerleaders”.

~ oOo ~

I recently opened an Instagram account because I’m intending to sell my crochet/knitting next year. There are already a few posts of my creations on there and, of course, none of me [because it’s pure business]. I wasn’t planning on telling my friends about it because I’m afraid of what they might think (silly, right? 🤭). But when we had a group chat earlier this week I went ahead and announced it, even asked them to like every post and follow me 😁

Originally I thought I could just tell casual acquaintances about my IG and let it grow organically, and then (maybe) tell my friends about it much later. I’ve always been like this. I don’t mean to be secretive, just that I don’t want attention at the start of something, when everything is “iffy”.

But lately I had a thought where I realized perhaps thinking this way is unfair. Perhaps in doing so I was instead cheating myself out of “cheerleaders”. And perhaps what I needed to think was that if any of them should think negatively, for me to not let it deter me.

I then thought back to times in my life when I had done something without talking to friends about it, and I realized a few wrong moves could have been avoided had I just done so.

To be totally honest with you, there was a full minute-and-a-half of internal struggle going on in my head before I finally told my friends about my IG. And right after that I went “whatdidIdowhatdidIdowhatdidIdooooo???“.  But now, I’m relaxed and feeling emboldened. Like, okay, now to give them a grrrrreat show! 😎

~ oOo ~

And that’s me. How about you? Fire up my comments section right away! 👇👇 I’ll be waiting 🙂

May: Parties, Heels & Lace

The marvelous month of May turned out to be much, much more than I anticipated 👍

This coffee date earned me 3 invitations to all-wives-only get-togethers that did wonders to my soul. Of course, they were a bit challenging to work up to, not just because as a SAHM with a small baby I have difficulty finding time to even get a decent shower every day, but that I’m also an introvert whose default mode is a preference for solitary activities.

Nevertheless I noticed that these get-togethers energized me so much that I felt like treating myself to some heels 🤣 🤣

Out of all the urgent things that my wardrobe needs RIGHT NOW, I focus on my feet (which is not the first time) 🤣 Well, for one they’re so easy to dress up, they don’t have flab to skillfully camouflage with cut or color!

I bought them for special occasions (or just for walking around the house when I’m feeling sassy 😉😆) since I’m always scrambling at the last minute for what to wear whenever a special occasion pops up. I guess the vague plan is to work from the bottom up as far as updating my wardrobe is concerned 😆

I also finished a huge lace doily. Is it still a doily if it’s that huge? I think it’s earned table cover status 🤔

Channeling my inner home decorator ….

This house, although spacious and I love its location, is old and old fashioned. It’s got paint chipping off a few of its boring white walls, the furniture is ugly & uncomfortable (but they came with the house and they function 🤨), and it only has windows on one side so it can get hot and gloomy during daytime. I am grateful but resigned. 😏

— digression:

We can’t do any remodeling because it’s a “staff house” that comes with my husband’s expat package, rented long-term by the company to house any given foreign employee for certain periods of time. We can only request for repairs and maintenance; re-painting walls would fall into that category but we have a baby so we’re not very keen about that at the moment.

— end of digression:

Anyhoot, I decided no harm could come from letting my colorful personality shine now that I’m no longer pregnant & sleepy! So …

We had an A/C unit installed in the living room to counter the heat, I then claimed one of the boring walls with some frames, & put a carpet on the floor.

And now this is where the family loves to hang out, including the baby 😍 It gets really cozy in the evenings when only the lampshade is on, there’s a good movie on TV, and a huge bowl of popcorn is being shared 😘

The kitchen also needed some color so I was truly pleased that a simple yellow tablecloth could make such a huge difference!

What else …?

Oh yes, I did read a book, just need to finish a few more pages, but it’s technically done so I can rake this up to a May finish as well:

And the reason why I’m taking so long to finish this book – which is a lovely read by the way 💘) is because right after the pineapple table cloth, I went right in with my knitting needles for a racerback tee:

This is the back portion of the tee. I’m working on the front portion now alternating work on another project, a lace crochet pullover. I don’t know, I guess I’m just on a creative roll right now 😁

And that, my sexy friends, was May for me 💖

How about you guys, what did you do in May?

Going Out For Coffee Isn’t Really Going Out For Coffee

Leave it to my girls to turn a coffee date into something much, much more 😘 This time, it was a stroll through the spanking new Harris Resort Barelang.

The mesmerizing blues will immediately draw you in upon entrance to the lobby

At the end of which a glass wall will stop you from falling to the dining area below 😆

You will continue on in a happy daze like a moth to a flame

and discover the many pools to choose from

It was very hot. Extremely hot. Excruciatingly hot! 🔥🔥🔥 It was mid-day for goodness’ sake but two of my friends had their daughters with them and they wanted to frolic in the pools of course 😀

One of my friends stayed the night before so after the kids got their fill of the pool (and exhausted from the hellish heat I imagine 😟), we all went up to peruse the showers & enjoy the relief of temperature control 🤪

You first have to climb a lot of stairs though, if coming from the pools 🤪

The view from the balcony

And to your left is the Barelang Bridge, where the hotel gets its name from

After a scrumptious meal of seafood cooked the way only Indonesians can, I came home enthusiastically telling my husband about the hotel and how we should definitely check in ourselves some time soon  😍  I don’t really care much for being out in the sun and water, but there is something to be said about being in posh environments that does wonders to ones soul 🤩

So that’s one goal for May that’s been ticked off my list 😁😁😁

The Awesome Month of April & The Marvelous Month of May

April. Gurrrl how fast you go! But you gave me some awesome victories that I am definitely grateful for:

👉🏼  I sorted out my feelings about blogging and this blog. As a result, not only does this blog now enjoy a fresh “coat of paint”, but more importantly, I’m staying true to sharing about me and my life as it unfolds.

👉🏼  I started on a path to beauty because I hit rock bottom on this matter. There was a time when I was younger when I didn’t care about my appearance, and I could get away with it. But now I need to swallow my pride and get help because, as a stay-at-home-mom and as I grow older, I’d rather be an inspiration than a warning 🤭

👉🏼  I discovered a new & interesting author, understand Indonesia better, and no longer feel guilty for a few not-so-nice observations I’ve had about this country and its people (in general) because the author has actually observed the same! As they are fond of saying here “begitulah” (that’s just the way it is)!

👉🏼 I had my first FO of the year 🤩

👉🏼 This month my husband went on his second overseas trip and I’m no longer panicky about it 😀 As a matter of fact, I kinda enjoy the change of atmosphere 😀 It’s not that I no longer worry about what to do & who to contact in the event something unforeseen happens. But I think it’s because I’ve been learning a bit more Indonesian lately and I’m exposed to more people as a result of my new hobby.

👉🏼 And lastly, I think it could be the start of the rainy season. Yay! It’s been raining the past few days and right about time too because the heat was sweltering. (When is it ever not sweltering hot over here, eh? 😜).

And Now for Making May Marvelous

A lot of people have a monthly bucket list and I enjoy reading them. I do agree that it’s a wise & deliberate way to ensure time is well spent. I’m also an enthusiastic goal setter myself (ok, way too enthusiastic most times) although the implementation part is often a bit problematic 🤭

But anyways, in that spirit, here’s what’s on my May bucket list:

👉 👉 Stay away from anything crochet (or knitting) 😁

I just thought it’d be cool to give something I’m obsessed with a break and see what rushes in to fill the void. I’m considering the following in its place:

💄  read a book, maybe 2

💄  learn a new recipe, maybe 2

💄  craft something out of paper, maybe 2

💄  have coffee with a friend, maybe 2

💄  celebrate Mother’s Day in a positive way

💄  buy a doll

 

Now on to YOU:

What are some of your April highlights? Looking forward to something special in May? Do share! 😊

What Could You Buy That Could Help You Make the Most of Where You Live?

Author Melody Warnick asks a very smart question that immediately resonated with me:

~ What could you buy (or borrow or rent) that would help you make the most of where you live? ~

For me the answer is the 2 outdoor chairs that you see in the above photo 😊

I make no secret about the fact that I LOOOOVE to spend time under the wide open sky in the evenings. I used to just stand or walk in circles looking up at the wide, astoundingly beautiful night sky, say my prayers and feel grateful & content. Evenings are usually cool and breezy making the personal time even more pleasant.

A few weeks ago I had the brilliant idea to buy those chairs and, now my evening musings are even that much more delicious 💖 At times my husband joins me, at times my eldest, but mostly I’m alone.  And sometimes, in the late afternoons, I also do my crochet outside thanks to these inexpensive chairs.

How about you? What’s your answer to the question? 🙂

 

Go Outside

I remember having listened to a health podcast last Friday where a well-renowned MD was sharing a story about how he almost lost his young son due to Vit D deficiency. And since Vit D is something you get from sunlight, it immediately reminded me of one of the pillars of keeping sane while being a SAHM – go outside.

Fortunately for me, there’s a temporarily re-purposed (still vacant for many years now) residential area within walking distance from where we live which I’ve taken to calling “the oval”. This was our destination last Friday.

So off I take the girls for what we expected to be a pleasant & relaxing afternoon stroll.

Unfortunately, the walk to the oval was anything but pleasant & relaxing. It was basically an obstacle course 😱

Yes, I went back just to snap this picture of a beautiful work of art 😤😤 The dried palm frond does unmistakably call to mind the letter “L” for the loser who did all this 🤬

You do see there is ample space for the garbage along the sides of the footpath, don’t you?

Then why place all the garbage ON the footpath? Whyyyyy??? 😖

All this navigating around trash was annoying, not to mention really tiring with a stroller, and I was truly irked at the lack of common sense by whoever did this.

But we somehow made it.

Aaaaah, finally!

But we were SO tired that we needed to rest.

Never mind the itchy, dry grass, I was tired 😫

Riri and mom ❤️

All was right again in paradise until 2 rowdy boys decided to kick around a ball in the same space we were in 🤯🤯🤯 I kept looking at them in the hopes they’d get the message – I’m with a baby for goodness’ sakes! – but noooo, they remained oblivious to me and my eldest’ worried glances. It reminded me of author Elizabeth Pisani’s comment in her historical fiction about Indonesia that Indonesian children are misbehaved. Well, I certainly wasn’t going to put up an argument considering what was just happening 😤😤

My thoughts were escalating from upset to murderous so we decided to hit the asphalt and try to get a decent walk out of it before we went through the obstacle course again on our way home.

Cotton candy on the horizon.

Holy sh*t, I was tired, sore and miffed upon arriving home. I am so out of shape that the walk and all that navigating around obstacles with a stroller really made my abdominal muscles sore. I might have gotten us some Vit D but I sure need to do something about my lack of fitness!

Okay, I had good intentions and, at least I tried. For the sake of sanity 😉