bonne anniversaire to moi! (thean hou temple, tea at majestic hotel, dining in the dark kl)

You know 'maturity' has caught up with you when your husband wakes you up first thing in the morning to make birthday prayers at the temple. We've been going to the Thean Hou temple for about 2 years now. We're not hard up Buddhists but we do trying to inculcate more faith in our lives nowadays. Dang the autopilot of aging! Funny how much a little belief can make all the difference. Frankly I can't even remember my own age. It is as if everything becomes a blur post-25! 26, 27 what does it matter... the only time I ever felt the significance of an age was when I turned 29. After turning 30, 31 32... what does it matter? All I know is that the older I grow, the quieter I want my birthdays. 

As much as it irked me to rise early, a sense of tranquility washed over me as I waded through the temple grounds and up the many flight of stairs to the temple's peak. There were so many brides in white dresses and hand bouquets. It must be an auspicious date for weddings. That's a good sign :)

In Thean Hou you can find special nooks and altars for people to place wishing lotus / waterlily candles. The lotus is used as a symbol of purity as it grows with its roots in the mud (roots of evil: greed, hatred, delusion) but it blossoms above the water (enlightenment). Profound, non? It has become a ritual for Guy and I to light a lotus candle and this time I get the honours of hogging the wish lol! :D

Thean Hou Temple

65 Persiaran Endah

off Jalan Syed Putra

50460 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

Tel: +603 2274 7088 

Birthday afternoons are meant for lovable activities... and in my case it was tea at The Orchid Room over at the newly refurbished Majestic Hotel! 

"The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur includes the original Hotel Majestic which is documented as a national heritage site under the Malaysian Antiquities Act. This colonial heritage building was built in 1932 and became one of the great hotels of Kuala Lumpur in its time. 

The hotel was an icon of Malaya's boom years leading to World War II and came to be the place for glamorous social events, government receptions and the residence for prominent international visitors. The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur is positioned to share the glamour, heritage and success of its predecessor as a YTL Classic Hotel."

... The Majestic Hotel, introduction ...

Let us not dwell on the fact that we got lost and circled the traffic-infested city thrice, instead let's go straight to... 

Miss HweiHwei captured the ambience at The Orchid Conservatory perfectly!

You know how Tom Ford came out with Black Orchid? I used to think it was an overrated scent because I never thought orchids could ever possess a fragrance strong enough to be perceived. I was SO wrong.. because the moment I stepped into The Orchid Room, the overwhelming scent of the Philaenopsis orchids blew my mind! I felt the aroma envelope my body in a floral hug and exploded in my lungs. Beautiful. Stunning even.

So glad that their hot items came in a warmer. The cheeseball thing was my favourite!

Tiers of delectably dainty nibbles! Best: Red velvet cupcake. Other favourites: tuna sandwich, cherry cheesecake, scone :)

Why yes, those ARE cherries (not apples) on my head! This is me channeling my inner Anna dello Russo !

Headpiece: handmade bazaar
Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Damn I love afternoon teas! *erected pinkie*

Smoky wishes!

cake: Delectable by Su

Afternoon Tea @ The Majestic Hotel
5 Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin
50000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +60 (0)3 27858000


A super day would not be complete without an extraordinary dinner. I was rather surprised that Guy actually reminded me to make reservations at Dining In The Dark KL for my birthday. It's nice to know that he does occasionally pay attention to my yapping. I've been meaning to try them out (cue the scene from 'When In Rome' and that CSI episode) but their reservations were always full. Trust KL-ites to hog the new restaurant in town! I did not have any expectations with regards to how things would roll out through the night. I don't think I've ever dined in utter darkness before. We were lead to a lounge to get our eyes accustomed to the dark. There we played a game with each other: trying to fish out paper clips from a bowl of beans all the while blindfolded. I performed pretty poorly but Guy was real ace at it (wonder why? ;D)! When it came to our time slot, we were called upon to save our valuables and light emitting gadgets in their locker. Our waiting staff was Darius who was visually-impaired (the main weight of the staff are visually impaired and I'm more than happy to support a restaurant which allows work opportunity for the disabled) lead us pass layers of blackout curtains before arriving at our table. It was definitely dark... very very dark. Couldn't see nuts!

Off to dine in darkness!

I seriously have no recollection of the menu.. all I know is that cherry tomatoes are best eaten in the dark! Seriously! All that heightened senses and refined dining experience... all true especially when it comes to the cherry tomatoes! Guy ate mainly through his fingers (he usually eats with his hands anyway!) but I maintained the use of cutlery. The food was nothing to shout about I'd have to be frank but... The best part was dessert (oh and soup but I guess that shouldn't count 'cos it came in a cup) of which I enjoyed immensely. They paused the dinner awhile to play me 'Happy Birthday' on the piano while the wait staff gathered around me and sang. I know they gathered around me because I could hear them in close vicinity of me. Me learning yah... me karate kid, non? That was special. On top of the dining experience.. that was indeed special.

Appetizer, main course, dessert... bah they all look the same!

Even if it's just for the experience, I'd recommend a visit. Prepare gossips 'cos it will be a long night filled with conversations and most of all be nice to the waiters. Remember, in this instance we're the clumsy ones not them :)

P.S. @mymakeuporganizer: I hope you kept your hands to yourself LOL (I did. but my toes... well they had a life of their own *wink*)


Dining In The Dark KL

44A & 46A Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Reservation Tel: + 6012 251 5797

how to throw your friend a bridal shower / bachelorette

So a good friend of mine is getting married and it goes without saying that I was gonna give her a good shower. Yup we did spend quite abit on her, Miss ChongChong and I (thank you for your emails. I hope my post helps explain your queries). The way I look at it, there are moments when one needs to take a step back from one's self-centred egocentrism and be nice to a friend. It's just about being generous... stepping up to the plate and being a good mate. Also for you babydolls who are yet to be married, do note that you may one day come to a point in your life when you anticipate a bridal shower in celebration of yourself. How do you expect to be treated like a goddess if you were such a calculative b*tch before? Yes, it certainly was an expensive affair and ever since I quit my job, money has been tight and occasionally hard to come by. Hence I saved. I worked (really) hard and I saved.

Anyhoots, Miss ChewChew desired something quiet and nature-inspired. It was a toss up between Sekeping Serendah, AwanMulan or The Dusun. We scraped The Dusun as she had just attended a bridal shower there. And then suddenly I thought of The Banjaran and everything seemed to pale in comparison. It's hefty but the facilities were so compelling especially since Miss ChewChew loves yoga. Yoga in their famous meditation cave sounded surreal! So I made a reservation for us via Agoda and Miss ChewChew offered to chauffeur our lil' party there since the stay was on us (Miss ChongChong and I). We despise rural living but yet we earn all this money in the bustling city only to give it away to a retreat in the village. The dilemma of a city girl *lol* 

Check out our porch :) Damn I love private villa pools!

We received a complimentary upgrade from the Water Villa to the Garden Villa! Score! Checking into the resort was a breeze... relaxing even. We were handed a warm towel and a lemongrass tea concoction which was yum! Just before we were showed our villa, Miss ChewChew was given the honours of 'BANGING the gong'! We were given a brief tour of the resort in a buggy before stopping at the doorstep of our villa. We immediately jumped into our bikinis before heading out to the springs. Oh wait the heading out to the springs part was delayed for over an hour with Miss ChewChew and Miss ChongChong having to deal with work on the phone and me getting busy with Instagram and replying *bisou* bonbon emails. But soon enough we pulled ourselves together and snapped out of work mode and left the stressors in they city behind.

Clockwise from top: view of the resort from The Balcony, Miss ChewChew bangs brass, L-R: Miss ChewChew, Miss ChongChong, moi

Me thinks the bride-to-be enjoyed wading in The Reflexology Pool the most.

After The balcony, we decided to check the Thermal Steam Cave out. It was very very HOT!

It was SO HOT that I felt light-headed. Everyone was just starting to break a sweat and my face had already turned into a ripe tomato 0_0'

The Freeform Swimming Pool has got to be my favourite! It's mildly warmed by the natural hot springs which gives it just the right temperature for a comfortable swim. I could stay in it forever!

Such a serene good morning greet on the way back from brunch. Health alert: they serve quinoa in their breakkie buffet!

The Banjaran
 No 1, Persiaran Lagun Sunway 3
31150 Ipoh
Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia
Tel: +60 5 210 7777


All in all I think Miss ChewChew enjoyed the weekend cityscape :) But hey there's more! OK, the initial plan was to whisk Miss ChewChew off to The Banjaran and then driving her post-check out to her Bridal Shower tea party in Botanical! Unfortunately that didn't quite work out as planned and the bridal shower had to be postponed to the week after. Miss ChongChong and I went a little early to prep the place up. Turns out Miss LizDiz was already there! She was in charge of Miss ChewChew's tiara and sash and did a mighty fine job at it :)

I love Botanical! It's a garden tea cafe in a mall :D Ah... an almost natural surroundings with the comfort of air-conditioning and faux sunshine! 

Gave the girls a pinkie Cíate Caviar Manicure <3 and="" botanical="" do="" in="" lol="" nbsp="" oh="" only="" ros="" serve="" slices="" sparkling="" td="" they="" watermelon="" with="">

Since it's a tea party, the party favour comprised of: a wooden teaspoon / mini shovel for the tealight candle (geddit? geddit?), wheatgrass 'sugah' and nail lacquer as milk with a block of *bisou* bonbon Hiver soap 'cake'!

I don't know 'bout Miss ChongChong but my favourite part in any Bridal Shower is always the part about presents!! Mine was 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'.

Some of Miss ChewChew's good friends were unable to attend the Bridal Shower so I collected handwritten home recipe cards from them (all over the world). Now she can have a piece of them to take home with her! :)

Botanical

BVII, 1F28
Bangsar Village Shopping Center
Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : +603 2287 6566

helping a friend destash her jewellery (tiffany + co and chloé)

Preloved Tiffany & Co and Chloé jewellery. I'm helping a very busy and not-so-tech-savvy friend do some jewellery destashing. There are 3 (original) items all of which come with their own boxes and cards. 

All prices are gently negotiable :)

Tiffany Twist bow pendant. 
(worn once or twice) 

Pendant in sterling silver. On a 16" chain.

Original price: US$300 / RM 912. Current selling price: RM547.

Reference link *click here*

Tiffany Twist bow ring. 
(worn once)
Ring in sterling silver. Size: 7 (according to Tiffany ring guide)
Original price: US$275 / RM 836. Current selling price: RM501.
Reference link *click here*

Chloé Mandy Daisy bracelet 
(2 of the mini diamantes have fallen off, afew scuffs here and there)
Original price: £169 / RM 788. Current selling price: RM394.
Reference link *click here*

Keen buyers can get in touch with me here via comments or via email: khoshelby@yahoo.com or via facebook album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/set=a.530980676944529.1073741825.371496262892972&type=1

how to throw your friend a birthday dinner party

Amy Sedaris' 'I like you. Hospitality under the influence' is my favourite hosting book!

I love parties. I love attending them and I certainly enjoy curating one. Despite being likened to Carrie Bradshaw (SATC), I've always had the affinity for Charlotte (Sex And the City) and Bree (Desperate Housewives). I love the thoughts that go into their dinner party planning and most of all their insane obsession with having everything matched to the tee. I share the same sentiments. You'll be surprised to know that when in a book sale, you'll find me hunting for books on hosting and throwing good parties first and others second. Miss Badges is a good friend and I wanted to give her the gift of having a good time. So I decided to take upon myself the reigns of helping to organize her party... and to return the favour (of a party she threw for me last year).

Whether you live in a basement with the income of a ten-year-old girl or on a saffron farm in the south of Spain, the spirit of hospitality is the same. It's the giving of yourself, a present of you to them from me for us.

"Hello, and I like you." This is what you're saying when you invite somebody into your home, without having to hear yourself say it out loud. 

... Amy Sedaris, 'I like you. Hospitality under the influence.'...

1. THEME (+ DRESSCODE)
The first thing I ever ask about a party is the theme. I believe the theme is the backbone of the entire event. It determines the budget, the food that will be served, the cocktail / drinks and even how the hostess / party peeps will be dressed. For this party, I went for something a little low-key and simple as the event fell on a week day (birthday girl's choice): roses. It is Miss Badges' favourite flower and scent so we're looking at deep red / pink / fuschia shades along with a slightly vintage and baroque tone. No dresscode this time (weekday mah) so the guests were free to come in whatever they like.


2. APPOINTMENT WITH BIRTHDAY PERSON

This is crucial 'cos, seriously, what is a birthday party if the birthday person is NOT present?? So if you're planning a surprise (or not), do make sure that your plan includes the attendance of the birthday person. We made it a non-surprise party for Miss Badges this year because when we cleverly devised a surprise plan to whisk her off to dinner with the 'gang' last year, she in turn made for the surprise to be on us by joining her family for (another) surprise birthday dinner 0_0. Trust me we were all stunned and had no choice but to feebly laugh at ourselves. So not cool!


3. DATE + TIME
I know it's abit of a repeat with regards to no.2 but equally as important as having the birthday person is to also ensure that a substantial crowd is present to get the party goin'. Naturally parties are held during the weekends but if majority of your invitees are bazaar peeps (we, hawkahs, work weekends mind you) then week days would be the most plausible choice. The date and time was of Miss Badges' request. That worked too.


4. INVITE LIST (+ BUDGET)
This will require you to summon as much common sense as you possess. If you're abit of a noob then I'd highly suggest you consult another friend of the birthday person to help curate the invite list rather than risk getting the evil eye from the birthday person for inviting that ex-she-never-got-over / relative-who-never-fails-to-embarass-her / a person she unfriend-ed (not talking facebook here but in real life!) 2 years back / an idiot -_- Choose people that makes her happy and that she loves. Birthdays aren't about putting up with morons or enemies.. we have other festivals for that like CNY reunions.

As how Bridget (Jones) would call this: her urban family.

Since I'm not cooking for the party, the crowd will also determine the venue of choice (to be explained). Aiya in simple terms, if you're inviting struggling musicians to go dutch, don't-lah choose The Ritz.


5. VENUE
I have a mild obsession for 'It' dining places and cafes. Ish.. macam hipster-lah pulak, oh wait hipsters would never be caught dead uttering those words LOL! This time around I chose Huck's Cafe for it's intimate setting and good food. It's very Underground Supper Club-ish minus the snob and absolute secrecy.

My early reservation meant that we were able to bag the exclusive private room!

I have to admit it was a challenge to navigate through their extensive menu along with the pre-order system especially if you have to take orders from 10 pax. Also having them charge a nominal fee for corkage was a little on the meh side. Otherwise it was a really pleasant dining experience. I enjoyed the privacy and rustic yet elegant decor. The food was SO GOOD. Huck was such a gracious and inviting dude and his wait staff were nice. The sentiments were echoed by other diners when they left. Oh I cannot stress enough the importance of  reservations especially if your party is rather large. It is unwise to show up at a busy restaurant demanding for a table for 6 pax and above unless you're OK with waiting an hour or more to be seated (which is a buzzkill for a birthday thingy, don't you think?).


Huck's Cafe
22, Jalan Abdullah
Off Jalan Bangsar
59000 Kuala Lumpur, 
Tel: +603 2282 2126 / HP: +6012 604 8719 (After 3pm)


6. INVITATIONS
Facebook event page. Enough said. You even have the option to make it a secret event. Awesome.

There're also email invitations which iare helpful if you prefer it less casual. Still, email doesn't have the advantage of knowing if your recipient has read the message which Facebook trumps!

Having said that, when it's a very special party that I'm hosting (example will be given in the near future), I do make an effort to send out invitations. It's certainly much more endearing and personal. It's like receiving an invitation to a Fashion Week show! It seems as if fashion houses and to-be-married couples are the only ones who bother to send out fancy invitations.

Last but not least, there's Whatsapp and iMessage. I don't have a smartphone so Whatsapp don't apply to me. I'm a rebel like that.


7. MENU + BAR

As mentioned prior, Huck's Cafe is strictly pre-order unless you want to be given the surprise menu which I don't particularly recommend, maybe because I'm not one for surprises. Otherwise this shouldn't be a problem in other eateries. Do note the religious / cultural practice of the bulk of the guests. Halal / non-halal. Vegetarians and non-beef eaters. Be considerate-lah.

It's free flow water at Huck's and 2 drinks to boot. The first is a basil seed berry drink. The second (not featured in the post) is amla juice.

Starters are on the house. The first is keropok with caramelized onions.

The second is a choice of mushroom or cauliflower soup. Both soups are SEDAPS.

The lamb shank was very good. I had positive reviews of the other mains as well. 

There's a choice of desserts of the day as well. Not too bad. Overall the food was smashing!

8. DECOR + HELP

This is my favourite part! Ask anyone I know and they'll tell you that my party pet-peeve is an undecorated event! Let me present you my past work (most of which are embarrassingly amateur..):

My Graduation Party circa 2008 @ West 57th St Cafe.

My Blog Birthday Party circa 2008 @ Wondermilk Cafe

IKEA Crayfish Party circa 2010 @ Shelbyfornia (my home-lah!)

Hawaiian 'rooftop' BBQ circa 2010 @ Miss ChewChew's

New Year's Eve Camp Nowhere circa 2010 @ Shelbyfornia

Christmas Potluck circa 2011 @ Shelbyfornia (notice my paper plate angels?) 

A Parisian Tea Party Picnic circa 2011 @ Hotel Maya

You know how in parties, people always ask if they could help. I usually try to handle it all by myself but since this was sort of a communal-hosting party, I cheated and seeked a little help. Do not feel flustered about juggling everything on your own. Rather than holing up in the stress of doing everything on your own, learn to delegate little tasks to people. I'm sure they're more than willing to help. I took up the bulk of the work which was the table decor of flowers + candles (and organizing). Here's a list I used that could be helpful for you:

Table decor (flowers, candles etc): moi
Printables (sign, place cards, etc): Miss Jahit
Balloons (if applicable): Ah Lix
Cake (and toppers if applicable): Miss Buku & Miss Polkadot
Wine / Cocktails / Mixers: Miss Bangle
Music (if applicable): Miss Polkagot
Party Favours: Miss Marsh

This was not my first choice of colours but they were the only ones left. They turned out beautifully. Like Nate Berkus, I'm a fan of single colour bouquets.

Used the leftover "lidi" bits in an attempt to offer the arrangement a touch of sophistication! LOL not sure if it's of any success(?).

Voila! You likes??

9. ENTERTAINMENT (+ GAMES)

Ever since my birthday last year, it's pretty much our ritual to have helium-karaoke where you untie helium balloons, breathe the helium air in with your mouth and sing in the acquired chipmunk voice. That is hilarious especially after some wine!

Polaroids are entertaining and a nice keepsake for the birthday person.

10. GIFTS (FOR THE BIRTHDAY PERSON + GUESTS)

Always bring the birthday person a gift even if it's a store gift card or a generic bottle of wine. It's so ridiculous for people to turn up empty handed! It's also nice to give it some thought and get the birthday person something he/she would like or use often. I gave Miss Badges a Voluspa Champagne Rose candle (a bestseller and constantly sold out here in KL) for her newly refurbished room :) Look at her other fun presents!

For the guests, Miss Marsh was generous enough to post over little wee packs of her famous marshmallows in rose (in keeping with the theme, bless her!) as a contribution to the party on her part. Always provide party favours / door gifts. Sometimes it can be the ONLY highlight of the event.

There you have it: 'How to throw a friend a nice birthday party'! Hope this offers you some inspiration and I look forward to hear about heartfelt parties you threw for your friends (just leave the link to your party post in the comments section) :)

*b*