Jules for Father's Day 2009 - Part 1

...Father, Dad, Ayah, Abah, Baba, Walid, Pok, Pa... however you call them, they're the people who bring sparkle to a child's eye... :)

My sons' dad, their beloved Ayah, well, what can I say, he's like any other guy out there...but to my goons, he's the hero of the world! Ayah will tell them bedtime stories, Ayah will turn on the mosquito destroyer at night, Ayah will take them "shopping" at McDonald's, Ayah will binge on snacks and junk food with them, Ayah will marathon computer games with them...and Ayah will stay up to fan them at night when the electricity is out, Ayah will carry them and say a "jampi" when they have bad dreams, Ayah will zoom them off to the doctor's when they are down with something... Ayah, however he may be to the rest of the world, is forever Ayah to his kids...

In this Part 1, are 4 tins I managed to spruce up these past days; each with its own unique feel, for the unique dad. And based on my goon's Ayah's preference, I'd load them up with cheese stix, pizza stix (both available from JulesDelightfulness) and Pepperidge Farm's Milano Orange. But, you could have it empty and then fill it up with whatever your "Ayah"'s heart desires.



And this morning, I hope I was able to bring a smile to a very special lady, who is dearly loved by her children and grandchildren...

Jules in Purple Overture...

...for the love of all things purple...

...joy be to all those who love purple! Dear Adrian and Liza Ann, I hope this gift brings lots of happy things to your dearest Aunty Gwen... :)

And, though I had missed to photograph the gifts (plus the fudgies) I had made for Lisa, for her friends and new twin cousin-nieces, I hope those creations filled their purposes...to bring joy to all who receive them, insyaAllah...

Here is a special Baby Gift for a special Baby Girl, that I made for Giftmagique for Microsoft Services...

The answer to my anxiety a few days back was answered when Sinar FM was named Malaysia's #2 Radio Station. Congrats to darling husband and his fab team for a fantastic job! Then, I received another fab news : that my Lulu Guinness limited edition shopping bag had arrived!...in UK, that is. Thanks Linda, and Hanip, and Raouf and Jazmine and Adam! I shall patiently wait for this new precious Lulu to reach me via the Tangerine Rezal family, when they return from their trip.

This limited edition Lulu Guinness is a special project by my favourite handbag designer, to contribute to The Royal Marsden, which is the world's first Cancer Hospital. And I've actually wanted to share this delightful shopping bag with family, friends and patrons of Jules, for their undying support...but sadly, apart from Wiz the Wiz, no one had dropped any comment on whether Jules should do a 2000th Hit Surprise...huuhuuhuu... Well, I'm not giving up in this just yet, I still want to share my heart's joy with all of you; so, perhaps I will pick another date/event in the future, to find a reason to give away this lovely bag to one lucky Jules viewer!... :)

My friend Fid, of My Life Journey, asked me, "What's so special about Lulu Guinness that you're just so crazy about her?" Well, let me share with you these extracts from her book, Put On Your Pearls, Girls!, and maybe you'll be able to understand the fascination I have for her...

"This book, dear reader, is like all of Lulu's creations: a delicious confection, a little life-enhancer. Lulu in turn observes one of my own little aspirational aims in life, which is to remember to live with imagination; to bring fantasy to the quotidian; to splash what can be the gray and drab days with a little pink,"...Helena Bonham Carter (in her foreword), London, 2005.

"Lulu (in the book) is a fictional character, based on myself, except that she is timeless, ageless, and has long legs I can only dream of possessing. Through her I am trying to encourage you to live life with wit and wisdom, and to find the confidence to create an individual style for yourself on the outside and, perhaps most important of all, to have a good heart on the inside. Put On Your Pearls, Girls! is meant to inspire you to be proud of your femininity and to laugh at yourself and with others."...Lulu Guinness, London, 2005.

And, her dustbag is purple, her box packaging is purple and white stripes...so, go figure! :)

Jules is Anxious...

...awaiting some exciting news from Darling Husband. He says that the announcement should be made by midday today. And for some reason, he had me bake my fudgies last night so that he could bring them to the office today, to be shared with his colleagues... I wonder....

Anyhow, Esfahan is celebrating his Teacher's Day at his SK Desa Pandan today. His anxiety had been building since last week, when he brought home the memo stating that the school's Teacher's Day celebration will be on 19 May 2009. He had listed down the names of his teachers whom he wishes to give presents to, which dear old mommy here helped to create lah. And this morning, he wrote on each card "Selamat Hari Guru" and the respective teachers' names. Then off he scurried into the car with a big paper bagful of gifts for his beloved teachers. Damascus and Marrakesh had their Teacher's Day party last Friday itself; it was a no-uniform-party-day, and all was fun :)

Amidst all this joy and excitement, my heart goes to the dearest people in my life who are going through some very trying times. Yeanti, the champion of all matters benevolent, hang in there dear friend, God is multiplying your strength in a manner that you will soon come to realise, insyaAllah. Other family and friends, don't give up on your faith, strength and love come to those who believe...

In the meantime, I am also anxious about some news and some things from afar; where one of the things has something to do with Lulu Guinness. Well, it's just too bad, and too sad, that no one has written in to tell me if they think Jules should have a 2000th Hit Surprise, so, I guess there's no need for me to share this news and I also guess that I'll just keep it all to myself then... Nevertheless, Jules is, as always, truly, truly grateful for the continued support from dear family, friends and patrons...everything is made possible by you! :)

...some of Jules's handmade cards

...a fab birthday gift for a fab lady!

Jules goes rustic this Teacher's Day

...JulesTins - fill up with yummy cookies or candies, or load up with red inked pens, and you'll have the best, most unique gift, exclusively for your fav teachers!

Empty tin @ RM25.00 each
Empty tin + card (with envelope) + gift pouch @ 32.00 each

I soaked up the sun...

...and am indeed grateful for what I have...fiercely loyal family and friends...and wonderfully supportive patrons :)

The booth at the MarketPlace@KLiDC proved to be a test of another sort...the scorching heat, the Jalan Ampang dust, and.... the unfortunately sad customer flow... !... :)

But, fortunately for me, I have people who never fail to pop in wherever Jules may be...Thank you... and thank you all Jules family, friends and patrons for the constant encouragement... because of you, those excruciating 7 hours under that hot, stuffy tent, seemed like a leisurely walk in the park...in lovely autumn! And, there were also my fellow vendors, from whom I learnt new things, and with whom I joyously traded! :)


...more tins...it was so hot that I didn't have the will to even take any pictures at the booth!...Now I look forward to another new experience at the A Shopaholic's Den Birthday Bash Bazaar tomorrow...

Jules's Ideas for Mother's Day

There'll be more at Jules's booths at the MarketPlace @ KLiDC and the A Shopaholic's Den Bazaar !

It has been quite a weekend...

...Marrakesh came down with fever due to a bad case of tonsilitis plus some horrible mouth ulcers, and I'd spent most of it nursing a sick koala... :)... Hence, I greatly apologise to all Jules family, friends and patrons, whose requests I genuinely could not meet these past 2 days...

Fortunately, I had managed to finish a special project for Eila, for her engagement do, just in the nick of time. Hopefully everything went well for the delightful Eila and her family...Thanks dearie... :)




Amidst all this, there were some folks, very close to me, who'd gone thru a very trying period...of sadness, faith and courage. My heart goes to them...I pray that they remain strong and unperturbed, because all around them, they will continue to receive a lot of love and support, from family and friends who will never stop caring. Though at first it may seem crappy to try to be strong...but with a lot of faith and prayer, the dark clouds will always pass to make way for sunshine... and without even realising it, we're always a little bit stronger, and wiser, than we were moments ago... :)

...and Jules will unwiltingly continue to be part of everything that elevates life, so that we will always have a reason, no matter how tiny, to celebrate ... :)

Jules Shops!

ya...wouldn't it be great if I literally went SHOPPING?! lol

Jules will be busy at bazaars throughout the whole month of May 2009. I'm truly looking forward to see all Jules family, friends and patrons at all these bazaars! Up for sale will be my fudgies, my tins, my handbags, and, if you have any needs for JulesMD services, it will be my pleasure to entertain... :)

See you all!

Is there life before coffee?

Nope. I had a huge mug of my nescafe o kosong kow punya... Now, though the flesh is still weak, but the spirit is pumping!

This was the best whole family pix we managed, plus our 2 nephews in the striped rugger shirts, Faiz and Raziq. You can't see Damascus's face coz he's busy poking me and Esfahan with his plastic cake knife!

...well, perhaps, this pix isn't too bad either...

...thanks wiz, for the wondrous cakes, and the pix :)


JulesAddiction : Tins
O, o, o...I must share this! At the Hospis Charity Bazaar, I met a fellow booth owner, who bought one of my tins. And she told me that she actually loves tins, and boxes and paperbags, and that she collects all those that she falls in love with! Yay! I found a kindred soul!

JulesAddiction : Handbags
...my picks this round...

Jules Cup Cake

...as in, "cake in a cup"...as in, "fudgy in a cup"! :)

Specially for Mother's Day 2009, which will be on Sunday 10 May, Jules presents a petite serving of her JulesFudgyliciousness in a ultra feminine cup and saucer ensemble, plus a pretty teaspoon to match. Mom can delight in the fudgy wudgy, and afterwards treasure the lovely teacup set as she enjoys her favourite tea or coffee in the days and years to come. The words "I appreciate memories of all the good times we've shared" (available for Luxury Fine China Collection only), on the cup and saucer makes this set the perfect gift this Mother's Day...And, also specially for Jules Mother's Day Collection 2009, Jules Gift Tins will be decorated in an assortment of floral motifs and embellishments.

This special gift package comes in a wide range, from the Luxury Fine China Collection to Wedgwood Fine China, and is priced from RM50.00 to RM300.00.

Jules becomes 4 years older today...

...as Damascus celebrates his 4th birthday...Alhamdulillah...





Wiz the wiz made the fab Ultraman cake; she wasn't too thrilled with her freehand this time though, saying her Ultraman face looks distorted, disfigured. Well, I think it's fab, coz not only can I not produce the same myself, I feel like it's Ultraman himself looking right at me! In my understanding of art, art is perfect when it lets you feel or sense that feeling you seek, and in this case, Damascus and I wanted it to be Ultraman, and that's what we got. But most importantly, the birthday boy himself loves that Ultraman face, and he specifically instructed that that part remains untouched, while the rest of the cuppies were fair game to be gobbled up by his kindy friends at his little party in school this morning.

Each child enriches me differently, each with their own unique ways. Last November when Esfahan turned 7, I became 7 years wiser. Today, as Damascus turns 4, I am yet enriched by 4 years. Esfahan at 4 wasn't like how Damascus is today, so, it is always a different experience. In August, insyaAllah, I shall experience becoming 3 years older, again, in yet another unique way, through my youngest son, Marrakesh. I can't wait... :)

...my 3 most precious treasures...

Jules Made Pancakes...

...but not all turned out round, some were honey coloured while some were more brown... but to her darling goons those things didn't really matter, 'twas the syrups and the ice cream that they were actually after...!


And, I must confess, even after viewing many episodes of Sugar and Nigella, it's still good ole Betty Crocker that I turn to for breakfast! Hee hee... It really bewilders me, how some fab women out there not only efficiently manage more than 3 children, a husband, (and some, parents and/or in-laws too), an entire household and still make wonderful pancakes (and/or other foods as well) from scratch, while keeping their kitchens spick and span, without any help (maid)! Aaaaa! And come festive seasons, they actually MAKE their own cookies/goodies, instead of buying them! Aaaaa! I know two of these women personally, and they are indeed an extraordinary bunch!

This morning, as I read my Facebook updates, many filled my heart with joy, ie birthdays, new babies, accomplishments... but one stood out and really touched my heart : Perhimpunan Sosial Pediatrik Onkologi ke 7, 2009, UH. It was an event that my fab new friend, Han Ghazi, and her many fab friends helped to organise yesterday. Naturally, children amaze me. But children with challenging circumstances? There are no words, nor gestures, that can truly express the admiration I feel towards their courage and tenacity for life. Sometimes I feel that in such situations, it is the children who actually give us, the healthy adults, strength to face life. Well, I do believe that this is all part of the divine power that keeps this world in balance, and that helps us to truly appreciate what we have. And, Jules feels ever so blessed to have been given yet another opportunity to be part of a good cause...Alhamdulillah...



Thanks Matt Marzuki, for sharing these photos...


...JulesPreciousness, to add cheer to the Perhimpunan Sosial Pediatrik Onkologi ke 7, 2009, UH

Jules Fed Koalas...

...named Damascus and Marrakesh...! During lunch today, Damascus clung on to my hips and thighs, while Marrakesh glued his arms round my neck. If you didn't know better, you'd think it was some great circus act! :)! But, this is the normal way in which I, often, not always, tend to my two younger offsprings...


2 koalas & a kangaroo, a.k.a. Thing 2, Thing 1 & Cat In The Hat, a.k.a. Marrakesh, Damascus & Esfahan


Phewh, today was really hectic! I'm finally sitting down properly now to type. Though one koala sticks ever so comfortably on my lap as I work, at least I know I don't have to jump up the next minute to run out on errands again. :)
I'm finishing up on the gifts I'm giving to some very special children this Saturday, then there's my Easter delivery, my corporate gifts, and I must start making goody bags for Damascus's birthday do at his kindy next Wednesday, and my translations still require my close attention...


Thanks Carmen for thinking of JulesFudgyliciousness for your precious Enya.


Okay, now I just need some sinful ultra black coffee, and perhaps my fudgy, to recharge...

Meantime, my Vintage Garden pan in yellow and blue...starts next week....

Jules Gets Busy!

I read in the newspaper yesterday that some of the journalists covering the F1 this year do not wear makeup because the weather here is just too hot, and that any makeup would end up looking messy. I'm glad to hear this, because that's also the same reason why I don't wear makeup, when I go out, unless I know very well I'm gonna be in a comfortable airconditioned room all day long. I honestly admire women who can keep their makeup intact and look gorgeously presentable the whole day of running here and there. I can only get away with a little dab of my compact and lipstick or lip balm...

Anyway, I have a long list of activities coming up...helping out with a party for cancer kids at a hospital, helping friends add cheer to Easter, working with Giftmagique on some corporate gifts, contributing to Hospis Malaysia, and organising fun events for next month... I'll definitely share these with all Jules family, friends and patrons as closely and quickly as possible... :) !

...Beauty is skin deep...

...beauty is in the eye of the beholder...beauty is subjective...... I must admit that I don't quite comprehend all of the above. One thing I know for sure is that, growing up, I was never a candidate for any beauty related matter, mainly because my skin is dark... It was always like...Julie? Oh, she's....erm...cute...!...? And, there was the constant comparison to my much fairer, in all the senses of "fair", sister. Perhaps, it was a more polite manner of asking, "so, what went wrong with Julie?"

Then, there were also the "hitam manis", "black is beautiful", and the presumably more humourous "oh, this one stayed longer in the oven!"...to further justify my "darkness"... Sigh... Well, just my luck, I suppose. It's really darn hard surviving in my own homeland, where I have to endure all these nonsense, just because I have dark skin. And, have you ever heard someone shriek out in histerical fear, "Eek! It's so hot, I'm gonna get so dark! Darn!".Yeah, like being dark is the end of the world! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It's like a long sharp knife piercing directly through my heart and my core... Well...that's how things are...story of my life...

In my whole 39 years of living, I was never truly appreciated, by Malaysia's general public at large, as someone worth "watching"...yup, the dark skin thing. But, when I lived in Rome, Italy, woohoo! My "value" was raised many notches, as the hip and happening Italians persistently commended my "glorious skin", saying, they wished they had my skin, they wished they could look like me all year round, they wished they didn't just look glorious in summer and then turn to dead white in winter! Ah, yess! Finally, it was strangers in a strange land who could appreciate me as I am...

I always ask my very fair skinned husband, why he married me? I ask him sometimes, "aren't you embarrassed to walk by my side, don't you feel ashamed?" My eldest boy has my skin, my 2nd a little bit toned down, while my 3rd is fair like ayah. I have had to, so many times, face with the typical Malay/sian remark, "Eh, this 3rd one is very fair ya...he's so cute... Abang Ngah (Middle Brother) is fairer a bit and have big eyes...handsome...(fyi, apart from being dark skinned, i have small eyes, behind big glasses, not pretty...!) Why is Abang Long (Eldest Brother) so dark...oh, but it's okay, he's smart in school...

Well, I can't stop how and what people think, it is their human right. And, they will continue to think this way for a long, long time... I tell my boys that people who don't think much of you, are people who are not worth your time. And for myself, I rejoice with the likes of Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna, Vannessa Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Kimora, Tina Turner, Oprah Winfrey and my forever idol, Ella Fitzgerald... dark skinned women who made good...yess!

To my darling Lulu Guinness, thank you, at least I know you wouldn't come up with your range of "whitening" cream...

Jules is recharged...

...After coming to terms with a great loss and such sadness, I am back to running my life, at full speed, yet again... :)

There are a few things that I've been up to these past few days, in my own quietness...on top of my mind boggling translation work... (yup, I've been toying with some new things) but, mmmm..., they're not quite ready just yet for me to share with you.... So, in the meantime, I'll share with you my offering for Easter. I hope you like, coz I liiiiiiike... :)! I'm just a real sucker for cute plates with cute colours...:)

It has been very sad...

...last Saturday, 28 March 2009, I received such devastating news...one of our family friends, Dr Haliza Shafie, Dr/Aunty Tini as we knew her, had been killed in a terrible trekking accident...

There's not very much I can say now, without tears welling up in my eyes...she was such a kind soul... and my family and I will remember her always...

Cepat...Cepat!

Today, I'm literally going "cepat! cepat!"...and I'm so glad I have Jac Victor in the background to keep me moving!

Haaaa...yesterday was a really challenging day...physically! After almost 10 years out of the adventure, outdoor scene, yesterday, though ardously challenging to my muslces and limbs, proved that, hey, I've still got it!...Hee hee... not bad for an old gal who's hitting the big 4...0 soon!

It started with fun learning time at Domino's Pizza where the Krista Nirwana kindy kids, which included my darling Thing 1 and Thing 2, had a thrilling time learning the art of making pizza. After enjoying some Aloha Chicken, we headed to FRIM (Forest Research Institute, Malaysia) for the outdoor part of this educational field trip.

Haaaa...nature...lovely, wondrous nature...it's been so long since I was surrounded by the "jungle". The museum and the fish pond were cool. Then off we finally went into the man made jungle, where the guide gave us very interesting insight into the the trees and vines of Malaysia. This was at the foot of the hill, and Marrakesh was still walking on his own. Then the moment the guide indicated that we were to move forward uphill for the rest of the tour, Thing 2 had insisted he be carried by dear old mommy. So, off went mommy with a 10kg backpack (filled with bananas, a 1lit water bottle, change of clothes and snacks) on her back, and the 18kg Thing 2 in her arms...uphill...over roots and tree trunks and slippery mud...with about 50 other friskies and some 10 adults (other parents and teachers) either in front or at the back. And it was understood that the accompanying parents would assist the teachers in minding the kids, not just their own; Thing 1 was holding my right hand, which alternated with taking pictures too. So, it was mommy with her 2 darling goons, halting every now and then to see if the rest of the group was okay. We continued... uphill... with occasional stops for information by the guide. It was a good 45 minutes going up.... OMG...!!! By the time we reached the last stop (the trail actually goes further on, but for this Krista Nirawana group, it just had to be the last!) at the top, sweat from my face was flowing like a mountain spring, my left hand (in which I carried Marrakesh) was almost numb, and my knees? Well, they're practically gone now! But this mommy had no choice, but to just hang on until we were back down and inside the tour bus, else, what?...let the jungle take my kids?! Nooooo! So, as we turned back downhill, I was forced to transfer Damascus's grip to his class teacher, who by now was holding on to 3 Playhouse children. But the kids were amazing..... With the exception of my dear Marrakesh, who had nicely fallen asleep as we descended, and 2 other Playhouse young ones, the rest just walked happily on, some holding on to their parents' or teachers' hands, most just completely on their own. It was really mind over matter for me at this juncture. I couldn't give up coz my children needed me to carry on moving. Finally, we got back to the bus, and into the comfort of AC and plush seats. Well, it didn't stop with me just sitting back and immediately dozing off. No, I couldn't doze off. With Marrakesh still asleep in my arms, his weight feeling even more now coz he was fast asleep, and with one hand free to work, I took out from inside the backpack the bananas, the packet drinks and the snacks, which Damascus gobbled up in no time. I had 1 banana and almost emptied the 1lit bottle. Phewh!... There was no chance to snooze coz by this time we were already approaching the school, our initial rendesvous point. It was another task getting off the bus as it was raining. But, realising that there was no way that I could manage an umbrella, I just popped the boys' caps back on, then scurried to the car. And rushed home...to send the day's Fudgy delivery and to bake the batch for the next day's delivery.

But my darling goons were happy. So, does anything else count?.... :) And, hats off to the principal and teachers of Krista Nirwana, who did a fab job in organising the trip! No doubt, some things could have been planned better, but, hey, can you take care of 50 kids in the jungle????!!!!

So, this morning, after a good dose of very brute caffeine, I managed to finish baking the rest of today's Fudgy batch, and while they all wait nicely on the racks to be cooled, I have some minutes to share bits and pieces of my life with you...

The kids' field trip yesterday was really cool...it brought back fond memories of my younger days exploring our National Park in Pahang and hiking up Mount Kinabalu. I would and could still do all these you know... after at least 6 months of rigorous training, and definitely a porter service throughout the hikes, not to mention proper bathrooms!!! But the sights that nature holds...aaaahhh...simply magnificent...they'll never fail to amaze me....

A Time To Breathe...

Hi there... it may seem that I don't spend much time on Jules...well, just so you all know, I HAVE been spending loads of time on Jules, the "physical creation" part that is, and that's why I haven't had much time to LOOK at Jules, the tech part. Please do know that my thots are always with you, my dear, dear Jules family, friends and patrons...sometimes the spirit is very willing, but the flesh is just too weak...or there are just too many goons clinging on to me...!!! :) I try to push my body against its natural limits, but at the end of the day, or after 2 whole days, I just simply need to sleep...or become DocOc : multi tasking made easy!

Okay, I'd like to share with you what I've been up to, chronologically, since my last post. Here goes :

Friday , 20 March 2009
Morning : Delivered weekly JulesFudgyliciousness batch to loyal friends at TM
Afternoon : Went galavanting with fellow dolce enthusiast, Wiz the Wiz...showed her the nooks and crannies of KL coz she claims not to know her way round the city.
Evening : Rushed out Fudgy orders for Saturday and Sunday
Night : Packed stuff for Putrajaya escapade; said bye-bye to darling husband who left for Langkawi for a media event; drove to parents' home in Klang where darling goons were nestling during the school break.

Saturday, 21 March 2009
Morning : Woke up at 5am to prepare for Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Escapade; Left Klang at 6.30am, then WHM2929 broke down enroute; detoured to Tony's BigBenz, but WHM2929 couldn't be saved the same day; BroJoe came to the rescue and drove us back to Desa Pandan where we jumped onto WKB4097 to proceed on to Putrajaya; but sadly, we had missed the Hot Air Balloon escapade (my mom insists that it's a blessing in disguise...);
Afternoon : checked in at the Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside at 2pm; had a fabulous surprise when I met, for the first time, a Facebook friend, Nora, who was also there with her family; got to the room, and...the TV didn't work, the mini fridge was locked, the window was not locked and Thing 1 and 2 had opened it and were happily half jutting outside (TO MY SCREAMING HORROR!!!!!!!!!), couldn't locate the "qiblat" directional sign (which was supposed to be somewhere on the ceiling), which had my parents (in the next room, yup, my parents were with us) complaining inside out, and by this time (after locking back the window) all 3 goons were already jumping on the bed, until the maintenance guy finally got the TV working, after waiting a good 20 minutes or so...sigh...
Evening : (4pm) went to the Hot Air Balloon site but could not see any hot air balloons, only saw rows and rows of food stalls, and kites and super hero balloons flying aflight, the heat was scorching and everyone was hungry; managed to find a table and got some food; then Thing 1 said he felt the call of nature and needed a pottie; so we gobbled down our food and rushed to go back to the hotel...still no hot air balloon in site.
Late Evening/Nite : Thing 1 did his job, and it was then Fun Water Play for all 3 goons in the bathtub of room 2247; after order was regained, we set off to tour Pullman, my sister and niece also popped by; Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside is indeed a gorgeous hotel with brilliant design and architecture...wish I cold say the same about the service...anyways, then grumbling tummies wanted food, so off we went to the hotel's restaurant, b's; oh, I must mention that while touring the hotel, we did catch a sight of 2-4 hot air balloons in flight, from afar; it's a wonder why the balloons didn't cruise by the lovely Putrajaya lake for all to see; anyways, dinner was another fiasco; our table wasn't laid properly, we didn't have any napkins, our pizza was brought to us but we had no plates to eat from, we then had the wrong food delivered, my mediterranean sandwhich with grilled veges was cold, the fries were cold and no one came to our rescue; such a disappointment for a hotel so beautiful...I suppose that's why we've all been told not to judge a book by its cover...But my consolation for the day was the call from Tony to say that WHM2929 is all fine and well, and I did not need to reach far deep beyond the lengths of my pockets...Phewh!

Sunday, 22 March 2009
Morning : Took the goons to the pool, only confined to the kiddy pool coz this momsy was not about to go running or lapping after goons in the absence of their darling ayah; had breakfast, which amazingly turned out better than our experience at dinner the night before; went to the games room and played monopoly; rushed back to the room, showered and packed, and got ready for the 12noon checkout; as soon as I closed the door I realised I had left the boys' milk in the fridge, but I couldn't go back inside coz the key was already cancelled (past 12noon, mind you...very strict you know...); I told this to the lady at the reception and she said, sorry, there's no one to assist me, she can reactivate the room key but I'd need to go back up there myself to get the milk from the fridge; so, I said, it's okay, you can keep the milk...
Afternoon : Off we went in search of Alamanda to grab some lunch; after leaving Precinct 5 where Pullman is, we went round and round and round looking for signboards showing the way to Alamanda, but there were none, and we had given up and decided to just find lunch back in KL, when we finally found the signboard to the mall...phewh...
Evening : We left Alamanda circa 4pm and headed to Nadhrah's for a simple makan2 to celebrate Qawiem's birthday; then we headed back to Klang
Night : left Thing 1 and Thing 2 in Klang and headed back to Desa Pandan with my Cat In The Hat.

Monday, 23 March 2009
Morning : baked fudgies
Afternoon : baked fudgies
Evening : baked fusdgies
Night : prepped ready fudgies and baked a few more

Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Morning, to date : delivered 50 fudgies to the forever-delightful-Fiz-the-Peach and the rest to Jules friends here and there, then headed back home to prep a special birthday surprise...

hhhhhaaaaahhhhh....sigh....that's to date....a bit of time for a strong coffee and a breather...before I'm up and about again with Jules...

Jules Shopped But Didn't Drop!

...Yup, coz, I was shopping for Jules, not merely for my own personal pleasure nor satisfaction... :) Hence, the head was still well in check and didn't go astray !

I wasn't too happy with yesterday's task though, coz I didn't quite get what I was looking for...something to thrill Jules's patrons in my next batch of JulesFudgyliciousness. But, I'm not giving up, there's still today and tomorrow. I hope I'll find something fab to share with everyone :)

I must thank Jules friends at AMP for clearing off my JulesDelightfulness Chocolate Chip Cookies yesterday...you guys are simply fabuloussss! And TM friends too, of course, for never failing me... :)

I'll stick with my Quote Pick by the fab Billie Holiday for the rest of the week, but I think I'll give a new vibe to go with it; hope everyone likes... Now I have to plan out my trip for this weekend with my darling goons, to see the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at Putrajaya...

A piu tardi...

In the meantime, let me share with you the little bit of joy that I achieved from my shopping yesterday...yet another square plate to add to my collection, this one's called 'Born Free'...i think it's so cute, with all the ginger bread men running 'free'!...And the candelabra to complete my Amber Rose collection...

Jules came to terms with her greatest fear...

...that her offspring would inherit her trait of poor sight. Eye sight.

Today, it was confirmed that my Cat-in-the-Hat is nearsighted, something which could have been caused by so many things, ie. too much TV, computer, video games. But I believe it's my genes. I started wearing glasses at the age of nine, until now, I'm sadly, still in denial... that I now need multifoculs!

I was sad...that at 7+ he'll already have rims on his nose, and a very distinct nose he has...a handsome trait of his sire. It'll be a shame to have his charming nose hide behind those rims. This whole day was about getting Esfahan his glasses.

Well, I pray that he not only inherits my nearsightedness (in terms of a 20/20 vision defect that is), but also my audacity for life. Then, I can rest assured that he'll learn to turn his shortcomings into advantages that will help him breeze through life. And, I tell him, 'be yourself...just carry on being your true, wonderful self, and don't let those lenses get in your way'... :)

Jules is Refreshed!

I had a very productive day today...grabbed some cool stuff from The Curve's weekend bazaar and got a great deal on new dining chairs. Very refreshing to the soul... :)

And with that, I figured JulesMD could do with a new, refreshed look too. So, I did a few cleanups here and there, and changed a few things here and there, and...voila! A new look to JulesMD!

Among the things I acquired today is a cool fridge magnet by papelline that says, "Be Yourself, Imitation Is Suicide"...


(They, papelline, say that they search for quotes, but create their own design for the magnet...cool eh?)

Yup, I do indeed believe in being original myself, I do not imitate, nor do I use or wear imitations, especially handbags!

Moral of the story... it's always refreshing to be original...

Jules is very touched by the support at her Charity Booth

Hi everyone,

I was going to wait until I've gotten some pictures from the Charity Bazaar before I posted anything. But, then again, I figured that might take some time, so...I shall write something now.

I am truly, deeply humbled by the keen support that I received at Jules Charity Booth recently. No doubt some people could not make it, but they communicated the support and the encouragement, and that means very much to me.

I must thank the fabulous ladies of Soroptimist Ampang, for directly, and indirectly, helping me to clear off my wares at the booth. My parents visited, my sister took charge of admin while darling husband promoted aggressively! All my friends and patrons of Jules who were there...you know who you are...a zillion thanks...

I greatly value your faith and respect... I shall thrive to produce more and better Jules products...

Phewh, it's been hectic...

Wow...what a challenging Ramadhan it had been...and then an even more challenging Syawal...

The thing about challenges is that no matter how prepared you think you are, you really never are, until you're faced with them. My father taught me to always "hope for the best, but anticipate the worst". And, the worst always comes along! Ha ha! But, I've learnt to take them all in stride, coz after the worst has gone, the best reward usually comes strolling by too....

My Merdeka gift for Petronas was indeed a rewarding challenge. No doubt the financial reward does extremely good for the home front, and where the need for new handbags is concerned. But the Ringgit Malaysia can't beat the overwhelming sense of pride when emails pour in with "...wow, such a brilliant idea...", or "very impressive, such extensive research...". Hmmphh...Hhaaaa... Alhamdulillah...syukur...

Then come the post Raya challenge in Syawal when my mum fell seriously ill. Since the world around me has been evolving with "that granduncle passed away...", "this aunt has stage 4 cancer...", "that friend's mum passed away...", you'd think I'd be prepared for the worst to hit me right? Well, I thought I was prepared for the worst to hit me. I hade it all planned : engaging the qariah's khairat kematian, closest relatives and friends to call, arrangements to make, and so on. The first round my mum was admitted to IJN, the pacemaker implant, preparing my downstairs spare room for her and my dad to stay for a month while she recuperated...these were all good. I was calm, and prepared. Then, came the second round she was admitted. I was shaken and taken by surprise. It finally dawned on me that this could be it. What if the implant didn't work? What if that last time I said goodnight to my mum was really the last time I said goodnight to my mum? I was awake, alone, and I thought of all this while I passed Marrakesh his 3rd bottle for the night.

But, Alhamdulillah, things didn't turn out for the worst. My mum returned to my place 3 days later. It had been a mismatch of meds and they just had to try new ones. And my mum was going to be okay, insyaAllah. But, that thing, that night, that I thought about all by myself...it was something that I could never ever be prepared for. I realise now, that it is something that I would only know when the time actually comes.

I hope to be the strong woman that my mum is. At this moment in her life, she made it very clear to me that she doesn't fear what God may have laid forth for her, for she has lived her life fully, has loved well and has not any regrets. She postponed being admitted to IJN, the first round, because she wanted to hug and kiss my 3 boys first, as she had not spent Hari Raya with them. We had gone back to Rostam's kampung in Selama this Raya. That night, after she had hugged and kissed each boy ever so lovingly as she always does, she was ready to go, no fear, no regrets, come what may. She looked at me calmly, kissed me and passed me all her jewellery, and said, "...just in case...". Then, we were in the car enroute to IJN.

I am 38 now. I hope that in 30 years, I would be as strong and fulfilled as my mum is now. And I hope that my 3 boys will have as much love, respect, understanding and admiration for me as I do my mum.

Jules makes her debut!

Alhamdulillah...JulesDelightfulness made its debut yesterday in the form of Ramadhan/Syawal favours by f-tersix, and some Raya cookies ordered by friends of JulesMD. InsyaAllah, i truly hope they receive positive response.

For this debut, I have packed JulesDelightfulness in Jules' signature Black&White Polka Dots. InsyaAllah, for future lines, I hope to present designs to reflect the season or the festivity/celebration, while still maintaining the signature image.

JulesFudgyliciousness too has spread cheer this week as Ramadhan Barakah to a group of very savvy people! And next week, more JulesFudgyliciousness will be sent out to add merriment to the Syawal celebration.

I wish to thank all dear family and friends who have strongly supported me in building my Jules Brand. Mainly, of course, darling husband and beloved offsprings, only God knows what they've had to put up with! Family, Friends, Business Friends, DropDeadGorgeous Fashionistas, Giftmagique partner, KerepekLa & Ole-Ole partners, and very importantly, Tangerine team. Thank you, I am indeed very blessed to have all of you in my realm.

I hope Jules will go on to add more goodness and sweetness and richness in many more lives!

I'm back...with JulesMD!

Hey there! It's been a while...

I've been busy with my usual things...and also creating new things! They're not all completely done yet. And with me not so savvy with these IT things, I'll need a bit more time to set things up perfectly.

Almost there...