2009 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Fashion

The scene on the red carpet of 2009 Grammy Award recently was quite safe and 'risk-free' to get a picture perfect. Here are my picks for some hits and misses during the red carpet arrival..

Miley Cyrus surprised many and succeeded in a simple yet sophisticated black one-shoulder Max Azria gown.


No doubt, I personally love Fran Drescher's black and white dress. It shows her softer personality and graces her body.

Katy Perry wore a skintight, blush-pink dress with ruffles down the front.Her stylist found the pink frock by Lebanese designer Basil Soda.

Kate Beckinsale gives us her best smile on the red carpet of Grammy Awards 2009. That's night she looked really gorgeous in strapless black dress by Reem Acra.

Sara Bareilles was "total perfection" in her pink dress by Louisa Beccaria with a bright red sash around her waist that matched her lipstick, said Suze Yalof Schwartz, Glamour magazine's fashion editor at large.

In a sea of black, Marisa Miller stands out with her strapless white mini dress. This girl is not afraid to don a little bling, and she uses her standout necklace to dress up the look.

Kim Kardashian shows off her sexy legs in mini baby pink dress by Maticevski and silver heels, she looked incredibly sexy.

LeAnn Rimes in Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti LeAnn Rimes' works the carpet in this simple but fun two-toned outfit. Leann Rimes reminded us a little bit of a modern-day Cleopatra in her blue-and-bronze dress.

Leona Lewis's dress by Randi Rham makes her looked fatter on the red carpet,while it is quite a stripperish dress for Kim Caldwell and Lisa Rinna's dress shows too much leg, too much clevage and too little class.

Jennifer Hudson in a white, silver and black color-blocked origami cocktail dress by Roland mouret; The top of Jennifer Hudson's frock was okay,but the middle ... not so much.

Adele's green and black getup doesn't please the eyes and too bad the rest of Adele's boring black ensemble wasn't as much fun as her green overcoat was!

Estelle looks like a space cadet who is just landed on earth! It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but Estelle's dress by our own Bernard Chandran definitely stood out in her futuristic silver frock and metallic booties.

Paula Abdul might get people talking with her sunshine yellow gown with overdone gold trim by Basil Soda.

For Duffy who is wearing Alberta Ferritti, this dress makes her look shapeless and old.

Carrie Underwood's gold and crystal slip gown by Zuhair Murad would look like she's wearing a curtain.

An extremely pregnant rapper M.I.A. deserved big props for not only showing up at the Grammys on her baby's due date, but also performing! Unfortunately, her blue flouncy frock by Manish Aurora was horrendous.

Bai Ling caused multiple cases of nausea upon arriving in this Pepto-Bismol-pink prom bomb.

Paris Hilton tries to make the Grammys "hot," but perhaps "classless" is a better adjective.

Well, hoping for a more stylish + unique fashion on the red carpet next year!

Source: just jared and e!online

To Bugatti Veyron with love..

You have a special and unique place in my heart. Everything about you is beautiful...

I know that you are the current fastest convertable car in the world with a dazzling speed of 253km per hour. Only a 150 of you worldwide, and with your price starts at 1.4 million Euros (USD2.2 million) making you one of the most expensive ones in the world...

I started to fall in love with you since I first saw you in 2005. At that time , the first one that catches my eyes was the 16.4 EB with sleek colour combination of black and maroon...

To me, you are an amazing art that ever made.You are stylish, sexy, and most definitely beautiful!!! You are the one of my dreams...

The thing I like the most is that I can dream of you.. :), and is that the dream is free!

Thank you Bugatti, thank you for giving me something to dream about. I will see you soon...:) :)

Disney and I...

I love Disneyland, Disney movies and Disney songs since I was 4.

As a young girl I, of course, I loved Snow White and Cinderella. As all girls dream about finding their prince and to become the princess , I was also fall in love with Mickey Mouse and Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck. The best part from Snow White that I will rewind every now and then is when Snow White sings her love story “Someday My Prince Will Come” to the 7 dwarfs in their cottage. As the years pass my love continues as I found new Disney movies to fall in love with like the Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, the Lion King and Toy Story .

Although I have been to UK couple of years back, at that time, it was too limited for me to travel to the nearest Disneyland in Paris.

Anyhow, I wish I am a Disney princess…..I love all the Disney classic songs as they always make me believe in a happily ever after.....

The Beauty of Negeri Sembilan's Adat Perpatih

Since I was a kid, I was exposed to history from around the world not only through reading but mainly by my own mother who is an avid history teller. I was so excited about to know on stories which most people do not bother to take notice of. Hence, I grew up with sufficient information on various world histories from British Monarchy and Kunta Kinte to our own Adat Perpatih in Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus ("State of Nine - the Special Abode").

Generally people know that every time a King dies, the throne will be passed on to the King’s eldest son or Crown Prince. Otherwise, if the King does not have an heir, then only the throne will be succeeded to the next line of succession.

Truly, as a Negeri Sembilan citizen, I was not surprised by the recent selection of the Yamtuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan as I realized on how the Adat Perpatih will be fully implemented on the Yamtuan selection process.

A beautiful Minangkabau royal palace at Pagaruyung

courtesy of Wikipedia

I excerpted the following fact which basically explains the origin of monarchy system in Negeri Sembilan:

Yamtuan Besar, also known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar, is the royal title of the ruler of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. The ruler of Negeri Sembilan is selected by a council of ruling chiefs in the state, or the datuk-datuk undang. This royal practice has been followed since 1773. This unique form of government later inspired the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, to implement a form of rotational constitutional monarchy for a newly independent Malaya. Thus the office of Yang di-Pertuan Agong was created.

**You may find out more info from Wikipedia

Negeri Sembilan is the only Malaysian state that still practices the custom of Adat Perpatih since the 14th century. History tells of two brothers - Datuk Temeneggong (the elder) and Datuk Perpatih - who were both of the same mother but different father had conflicting ideas and how eventually Minangkabau was finally divided into two lands. The areas were governed under two systems called Adat Temenggong and Adat Perpatih respectively.

I have always been fascinated by the fairness of Adat Perpatih. As for me the Adat Perpatih really uphold its principle feature of the matrilineal system in which the nucleus of the society is the female and her female offspring.

Wealth in Adat Perpatih is divided into four; harta pembawaan (wealth owned by the wife before marriage), harta dapatan (wealth owned by the wife after marriage), harta carian (wealth gained by the couple after marriage) and harta pesaka (inherited wealth).

These rules may appear strict but the beauty that lies behind it is noble and just. It is this rule that makes Adat Perpatih distinct from other systems.

It is amazing when history is not only created but turns out to be relevant to the present day.

All of us wish the new Yamtuan well and all the best! It has been a long 40 years wait indeed.

Source:Information from Warisan Diraja Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus and Wikipedia

"Lucky" again!

This is really a coincidence where I'm falling in love again...with another "Lucky" song. My previous entry was about "I'm the Lucky One" from Anuar Zain. This time it's from Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's song entitled " Lucky".



With those lucky titled songs starting to absorb my mind,emotion and soul; i'm just hoping that somehow my life also will be luckier!!

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=49776296

Lucky by Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat

Do you hear me,

I'm talking to you

Across the water across the deep blue ocean

Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying

Boy I hear you in my dreams

I feel your whisper across the sea

I keep you with me in my heart

You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky

I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

They don't know how long it takes

Waiting for a love like this

Every time we say goodbye

I wish we had one more kiss

I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

Lucky we're in love every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed

Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea

To an island where we'll meet

You'll hear the music fill the air

I'll put a flower in your hair

Though the breezes through trees

Move so pretty you're all I see

As the world keeps spinning round

You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

I'm lucky we're in love every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed

Lucky to be coming home someday

Michelle Obama:Is She The New Fashion Icon?

The newly appointed First Lady may not need to be a fashion icon, as her main task would always be the greatest supporter for her 'President'.

Nevertheless, as the current hottest public figure, most people can't help but still comparing her with previous fashion icons i.e Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn or the most iconic fashion figure of White House; Jackie O.

I have brought 2 of my fashion icons in my previous entry of Fashion Icons which is obviously Jackie is still my favourite.

courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

No doubt, Michelle Obama has the body of most women would envy for; 5' 10'' tall, toned arms and a slender figure. It would be a disappointment if she wears anything that not up to her role as the First Lady of the United States.

However, there are some of her dresses that I like which I hope she would consider to wear the style more often especially those dresses with halter neck design, soft colours with strong designs and more..

Well, we can see somehow she's getting there!





This beautiful halter dress by Moschino enhanced Michelle Obama's solid figure with soft colours.




Michelle Obama complimented this azure halter dress with an up sweep style hair.

A simple yet classy style by H&M. I heard it's only USD34.90!




An elegant classic long dress by Isabel Toledo.

Michelle donned in this black and white casual wear




I really love this dress by Donna Ricco which I think the most stunning dress ever worn by Michelle Obama in public. Moreover, I also have quite a similar dress which I bought at H&M, UK in 2007...:):)

Accept Me the Way I am

We want people to accept us, it is a fact of human nature.

I wish they would only take me as I am.....quoted by Vincent Van Gogh. These words have reminded us how many times we have wished for someone to accept us as we are.

We dream of the total acceptance whether from families, partners or friends, to accept all our faults, weaknesses and still support us in the same way even after knowing the truth.
In most of us, there is always something in us we don’t particular like about ourselves.

Well… nobody’s perfect anyway!

Some times we can’t help but keep the personal side hidden even to our partners. We are so afraid of negative sides to ourselves and we do not like the thoughts of someone else not accepting them scares us to death.

So, this is it. If you ever want to be the real you with another person, then you may have to put up a risk.. Accept that you cannot please everybody, open up our mind on accepting other people's weaknesses and spend more time with those who love us the way we are.

It is all up to us to decide. To be totally accepted as the way you are.

I excerpted this song phrase from Demi Lovato which somewhat portrayed me...

I've always been the kind of girl

That hid my face

So afraid to tell the world

What I've got to say

But I have this dream bright inside of me

I'm gonna let it show

It's time to let you know

This is the real me

No more hiding who I wanna be

This is me

Do you know what it's like

To feel so in the dark

To dream about a life

Where you're the shining star

Even though it seems

Like it's too far away

My Designs:Piala Seri Endon 2008

--Some of my memorable moments during Piala Seri Endon fashion show recently..:):)

during presentation...

Pose before the runway..

Casual design -3 pieces

My first menswear design..

Evening wear..

Finally...

How to Avoid Bad Dreams

This information might be useful especially if you frequently have nightmares like me..

No one likes being jolted awake from a deep sleep, especially when what riled you up was an assailant, a snake in the bed, or being engulfed by flames.
Bad dreams—or worse, nightmares—aren’t just annoying; when reoccurring, they can disrupt a good night’s sleep, and sometimes, life.
On the spectrum of dreams, missing an important exam or showing up naked to work pales in comparison to nightmares, which are defined as bad dreams that wake the sleeper.
They occur during rapid eye movement (REM) late in the evening and because we jerk awake during them, we usually remember all too clearly the fear, anxiety, and horrors.

Is there anything we can do to prevent the bad things from creeping into our sleep?

1. Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety and stress, are sometimes the cause of nightmares and bad dreams. According to the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD), a major surgery or illness, grieving over the loss of a loved one, and suffering or witnessing an assault or major accident can trigger bad dreams and nightmares. Everyday stressors, such as job or financial anxiety, or major life transitions such as moving or divorce, can also cause nightmares.

2. Spicy Foods

When and what we eat may affect our nighttime rest. A small study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology had a group of healthy men eat spicy meals before bed on some evenings and compared their quality of sleep on nights where they had non-spiced meals. On the spicy nights, the subjects spent more time awake and had poorer quality sleep. The explanation is that spicy food can elevate body temperatures and thus disrupt sleep. This may also be the reason why some people report bad dreams when they eat too close to bedtime. Though few studies have looked at it, eating close to bedtime increases metabolism and brain activity and may prompt bad dreams or nightmares.

3. Fat Content of Food

Some research has indicated that the more high-fat food you consume during the day, the greater the chance that the amount and quality of your sleep may suffer. A small study published in 2007 in Psychological Reports found that the dreams of people who ate a high amount of organic food differed from those who ate “junk foods.” The authors hypothesize that certain foods may negatively influence dreaming.

4. Alcohol

Though alcohol is a depressant that will help you fall asleep in the short term, once its effects wear off, it can cause you to wake up prematurely. Excess consumption can also lead to nightmares and bad sleep; nightmares are also a common occurrence for those going through alcohol withdrawal.

5. Drugs

Some drugs, including antidepressants, barbiturates, and narcotics, can cause nightmares as a side effect. Nightmares usually cease once the drug is cleared from the system.

6. Illness

Illnesses that include fever, such as the flu, can often trigger nightmares. And other sleeping disorders, including apnea and narcolepsy, may also increase the incidence of bad dreams and nightmares.

While bad dreams and nightmares are considered normal responses in dealing with everyday experiences, but trying to eliminate these six factors first may be the best place to start in your quest to sweeten your dreams and chase the nighttime demons away.

By: Brie Cadman