Love for the weekend...

This week has been a really busy week for me. Lots of things have to be done and I can feel my head is always buzzing and thinking a lot of things. I drop by here to send you some lovely pictures by Chris Craymer, that remind me about the person that I love. I remembered I once posted the image but I feel like posting those images again. The reason is because everytime I see the images of Chris Craymer's Romance, I always feel loved and those images really do make me smile. Hope you have a great weekend and of course, be with the one you love...xoxo

Virtue...

Life is always about give and take, it's all about balancing your actions in life. This means that you can't always get get get what you want without giving something to other people too. Virtue...that is one small word with a big meaning. I define virtue as something good and something morally right that you have within yourself. I guess that's the best definition that I can give about the word "virtue". So, I was thinking what is the relationship between life's balance and virtue? I think those two terms really connect to one another in a way that your virtue somehow gives you insight and thoughts about how to make your life in balance. Found this really good article about what it takes to be a person of good virtue on Self-Esteem-Enhances-Life.

Virtues – Be Admired – Live A Good Life

To be a person of good virtue does mean living a good life. Giving as well as taking. Sharing as well as using. Looking out for others as well as looking after themselves. Trying to act for the common good rather than just for selfish reasons. That all sounds a bit nebulous to me

And so it may. Yet, is it not our right to live a good and wholesome life. A life where

• we help others as well as supporting ourselves
• we participate as well as take part
• we share as well as act
• we contribute as well as belong\

(article via Self-Esteem-Enhances-Life - image via csebastian.tumblr)

Fate..

Ooops...I was so busy yesterday that I didn't manage to put anything on my blog. First day of a new week has always been the busiest day for most of us, don't you think so? So, as usual...I'm going to ask you about your weekend. How did it go? Did you all have a long weekend? I did, it was fun. I managed to do a pre-wedding photo shoots with my boyfriend, but too bad I can't share those photos here..yet! Still a secret but I'm sure going to post it later on after my wedding day =)

This is out of the topic, but have you ever thought about fate coming into your life? I often discussed about fate topic here on my blog. You can read my post "Our Own Fate" - HERE and you can also read my other post "Fate and Destiny" - HERE. But you might wonder why I often bring this topic again and again. That is because I do believe in fate that we're making and also the fate that we're destined to have. What do you think about fate? Is it a choice or is it a chance? I do believe that fate is a combination of both, in a way that we are directed to our own fate but at the same time on our way to pick up or fate, we can also make the ride worth while. God has written a unique story for each one of us and there are things we're destined to be. But there's one quote about what you have to do in order to meet that fate that you are meant to have. It's a quote from Nocholas Sparks that said:

"I have faith that God will show you the answer. But you have to understand that sometimes it takes a while to be able to recognize what God wants you to do. That's how it often is. God's voice is usually nothing more than a whisper, and you have to listen very carefully to hear it. But other times, in those rarest of moments, the answer is obvious and rings as loud as a church bell."

— Nicholas Sparks (The Last Song)

Do I make any sense at all? I hope I did. Whatever it is, the most important thing to do is to make sure that what you're doing now is toward a better life and a happier life. Whatever it is the road you're taking, make sure it is on your way to a much better state =)

(image via vi.sualize.us)

Easter Breakfast..

This is for your special Easter weekend. It's going to be a long weekend and I am sure many of you have already made plans for this weekend. Do you what would be nice? Having a wonderful breakfast before doing all the plans you've for the weekend. Here's one breakfast recipe for you. Not only it has a cute look but it is also a healthy breakfast. It's an "Easter Egg Brunch Basket" I found on Living Sugar Free.

For those who celebrate Easter..Happy Easter =)

Easter Egg Brunch Basket

Ingredients (makes 12):

1 Loaf 12 Grain Bread, sliced thin
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 ounces cheese (extra-sharp cheddar, comte', etc.)
1 dozen small eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven 375 degrees F.
2. Place thin slice of bread on cutting board and roll bread as thin as possible with rolling pin. Cut out bread round with a 4" cookie cutter being careful to avoid the crust. Repeat until you have 12 bread rounds.
3. Press rounds of bread into the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan. Brush bread cups with melted butter and bake until light golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, grate cheese and set aside.
5. Place an equal portion of cheese in the bottom of each bread cup. Crack 1 egg into each cup, season with salt and thyme. Return muffin pan to the oven and baked until egg whites are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Check oven often, as cooking time and preferred doneness varies.
6. Remove muffin pan from oven, garnish with parsley, fresh ground black pepper and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

(image by Living Sugar Free)

Transparent Boots..

There's always something new everyday for fashion industry. And women know that we always need new shoes, right? So, I found this boots on beautips.info, and I don't know whether I should love it or hate it. It looks nice but I don't know how our feet will feel using those boots. If it's comfortable, maybe I would wear it. But I have to make sure that my nails are done though =) What do you all think about this "transparent boots"? I will try to ask my Tumblr followers and try to see what they think about these boots...

The Boy In The Stripped Pajamas

Last weekend I just finished reading a book called "The Boy In The Stripped Pajamas" by an Irish novelist John Boyne and afterward I watched the movie with the same title. The story is about a boy named Bruno who had to move out from his house in Berlin with his mother, father and his sister to a place in which he never been before. Turns out that it was an Auschwitz concentration camp because his father was a Nazi Commandant. He was so bored and upset about the new place of his house until he met this boy, Shmuel, a Jewish boy on the camp. Shmuel was the boy Striped Pyjamas. The story of their friendship starts from then on until one day something happened. Do you wanna know what happened to both of the boys? You should read or watch the movie. Here's the trailer of the movie. I really recommend both the book and the movie. It's a very touching story.

Daily Survival Kit

Hi there...Hello Monday =) Below are some daily tips for you. It's funny how we often find complex things to figure out about this life but then there are those very simple things that can guide us through this life...Below is a really good example about how simple things can actually means a lot to us a reminder about this valuable life. It's called a "Daily Survival Kit". A unique kit that can you can bring and you can always see everywhere...

DAILY SURVIVAL KIT

• Toothpick ... to remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone,including yourself.
• Rubber band ... to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it can be worked out.
• Band-Aid ... to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else's.
• Eraser ... to remind you everyone makes mistakes. That's okay, we learn by our errors.
• Candy Kiss ... to remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment everyday.
• Mint ... to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family & Me.
• Bubble Gum ... to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.
• Pencil ... to remind you to list your blessings every day.
• Tea Bag ... to remind you to take time to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings.

(source: funzug.com - image source: weheartit.com)

Dramatic Photos...

The amazing photoshoots below was captured by Patrick Hoelck. He's American filmmaker and photographer. He's famous for capturing dramatic portraits of celebrities. No wonder the first time I saw the images below I think the images were all so stunning...dark images but yet very dramatic. The make-up, the background, the lightning and the expression of each of thje celebrity really complete the image a s a whole. My most favorite image is the one that has Christina Ricci and Samuel L Jackson..Super wonderful!

(all images by Patrick Hoelck)

April Showers...

April shower is a common term that we often use. I found this perfect article for that perfect statement from Positively Present. The title of the article is "Why You Should Embrace the April Showers of Your Life". It's about those things that we should be able to grab. By that I mean that we should be able to make the best of every single thing and to know that there are always a positive side out of every single thing. Even a bad thing must have a positive side...always. May April showers bring May flowers for all of us and may tomorrow always bring a positive energy for your life =)

Why You Should Embrace the April Showers of Your Life

1. You teach yourself to be positive, no matter what. When you find yourself staying positive through a difficult time, you'll feel amazing. Getting to the point in your life -- or in the way you think about your life -- where you can take a negative situation and see the good in it is one of the best feelings. Embracing the difficult times in your life will, without you even realizing it, teach you to be positive no matter what comes along.

2. You grow stronger with every single storm you weather. With every single difficulty you face in your life, you become a little bit stronger. It's hard to realize this when you're actually going through a tough time, but no matter what the outcome, you gain strength from every hardship. And that's a great reason to embrace the struggles you face in your life. Every single one of them is making you stronger.

3. You need the tough times to bring out the best in your life. I'm sure you've heard it before: "Without the rain, there can be no rainbow." Cliche? Yes. True? Yes! Without the really tough times in your life, it can be hard to appreciate all of the awesome things. It would be great if we could just have awesomeness at all times, but the tough times really do help us to see (and be grateful for) what we have in our lives.

4. You will uncover new things about yourself -- and your life. Another cliche, but true, face is that when you're struggling to make it through a tough time, you'll learn a lot about yourself and your life. When in the midst of a difficult situation, this fact can be hard to wrap your mind around -- but it's one of the greatest things about a tough time. Whether you realize it initially (or years later), you always learn something when you struggle to get through a difficulty.

5. You can be refreshed and revitalized by a spring rain. Just like the flowers begin to bloom after April showers, you too can be refreshed and begin to blossom after a tough time. It might not happen right away, but with time, you will see that any difficulty you've struggled to overcome has left you feeling oddly renewed. Though you may feel beaten down at first (as I'm sure those flowers' stems do when the rains come), you'll eventually begin to show your true colors, blossoming into a new self after the storm has passed.

(article source: positivelypresent.com - image source: sopaz.tumblr & weheartit)

Fun Girl's Room

Seeing a girl's room is so refreshing. It feels like you have nothing to be worried about in this world, all you have to do is just to have fun in your room...with friends, books, music and dolls. I used to have green pastel painted room with wallpaper border when I was a little girl and I changed it to blue color. I always loved to put posters, paintings, hanging lamps and all of those cute stuffs in my room back then. How about you? The images below really brings back the good old times....fun girl's room =)

(image source: room-galleries.myhomeideas.com)

What Your Name Means...

"What is in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet." That's one of the Shakespeare's lyrical tale of Romeo and Juliet. In which I think that what matters the most is the people behind the name, not the name itself. But what if we can actually find the meaning behind our name. You don't have to take this seriously, we can just do it for fun =) I've found this really fun "name meaning generator" on Paulsadowski.com. It's an easy and fun way to know the meaning behind your name. You just need to type your name, click submit and you'll find the numerology and the meaning of your name. Below is the result of my name, I submitted my full name "Boya Arsila". Click HERE to find your name meaning.

What My Name Means

There are 10 letters in your name.
Those 10 letters total to 40
There are 5 vowels and 5 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 4

The characteristics of #4 are: A foundation, order, service, struggle against limits, steady growth.

The expression or destiny for #4:

Order, service, and management are the cornerstones of the number 4 Expression. Your destiny is to express wonderful organization skills with your ever practical, down-to-earth approach. You are the kind of person who is always willing to work those long, hard hours to push a project through to completion. A patience with detail allows you to become expert in fields such as building, engineering, and all forms of craftsmanship. Your abilities to write and teach may lean toward the more technical and detailed. In the arts, music will likely be your choice. Artistic talents may also appear in such fields as horiculture and floral arrangement, as well. Many skilled physicians and especially surgeons have the 4 Expression. The positive attitudes of the 4 Expression yield responsibility; you are one who no doubt, fulfills obligations, and is highly systematic and orderly. You are serious and sincere, honest and faithful. It is your role to help and you are required to do a good job at everything you undertake.

If there is too much 4 energies present in your makeup, you may express some of the negative attitudes of the number 4. The obligations that you face may tend to create frustration and feelings of limitation or restriction. You may sometimes find yourself nursing negative attitudes in this regard and these can keep you in a rather low mood. Avoid becoming too rigid, stubborn, dogmatic, and fixed in your opinions. You may have a tendency to develop and hold very strong likes and dislikes, and some of these may border on the classification of prejudice. The negative side of 4 often produces dominant and bossy individuals who use disciplinarian to an excess. These tendencies must be avoided. Finally, like nearly all with 4 Expression, you must keep your eye on the big picture and not get overly wrapped up in detail and routine.

Your Soul Urge number is: 9

A Soul Urge number of 9 means:

With a 9 Soul Urge, you want to give to others, usually in a humanitarian or philanthropic manner. You are highly motivated to give friendship, affection and love. And you are generous in giving of your knowledge and experience. You have very sharing urges, and you are likely to have a great deal to share. Your concern for others makes you a very sympathetic and generous person with a sensitive and compassionate nature. You are able to view life in very broad and intuitive terms. You often express high ideals and an inspirational approach to life. If you are able to fully realize the potential of your motivation, you will be a very self-sacrificing person who is able to give freely without being concerned about any return or reward.

As with all human beings, you are prone to sometimes express the negative attitudes inherent to your Soul Urges. You may become too sensitive and tend to express emotions strongly at times. There can be significant conflict between higher aims and personal ambitions. You may resent the idea of giving all of the time and, in fact, if there is too much 9 energy in your nature you may reject the idea. You may often be disappointed in the lack of perfection in yourself and others.

Your Inner Dream number is: 22

An Inner Dream number of 22 means:

You dream of being a master organizer and a builder of monumental projects; of guiding a truly huge endeavor. Your secret fantasy is to think big and imagine what could be done for the world. You may also dream of the huge rewards.

(image via weheartit.com)

Happy Weekend..

Hello Monday. Hello You =) How's your weekend went? Mine was perfect! Yesterday (April 10th) was my Engagement Party. We, Indonesians, call it "Lamaran" in which literally means "Proposing". This is how we do it in our culture:

My man and the rest of his big family, not just his father, mother and siblings but with the whole family from his father's side and his mother's side came to have a visit to my place. On the same condition, I have to gather all of my father's big family and my mother's big family to come to my house to greet my man's big family and to welcome them into my place. The event consists of the introduction of whole family members and the most crucial thing on the event was when my boyfriend's father asked permission to my parents to let his son marry me. After my parents gave permission, my boyfriend's family gave me some kind of gifts called "Hantaran". In return, I gave my boyfriend "Hantaran" too. That's how we do it in our culture.

Other than the engagement itself, what makes me feel so happy is to see the whole family from both sides getting along. And seeing that all of our family member were willing to spend their Sunday to attend the event. I feel so grateful to be surrounded by my big family. There's no better feeling that finding new family members. Below is what I was wearing yesterday. I will post some of the other pictures later =) Have a great Monday...

Spacious Apartment

I found another great home decor from Freshome. Located in Eriksberg, which is said to be Gothenburg's finest neighborhood.And once again, of course...if you see one of those bright but warm home or apartment..you'll think instantly that those are Swedish decor. I just love all of those Swedish decor. Swedish seems to know exactly how to make a home, not just only a house to live in. The house below looks modern but somehow we still can feel the homey feelings seeing the decor of all the spaces. I love how the open space seem to be connected from one room to another but at the same time you can also see the "visible" limit to each of the room. Perfect!

(all images via freshome.com)

Only Once In Your Life

I found this really great writing by Bob Marley, it's about someone you've found and that someone turns out to be special that you can almost share everything with that someone. It's a wonderful thing when we're able to know someone who can share our ups and downs, whom we can share our thoughts without making any judge to us. Really is a wonderful feeling. Have you found one?

"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.

When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are.

The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby.

Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life." - Bob Marley

(image via: weheartit)

Now and Then...

Look at the photos below. I found it very cute and very interesting seeing a "now and then" photo. You can always remember the things done in the past just by looking at old photos. The photos below was a project of Irina Werning (irinawerning.com). The project was called "Back To The Future".

Monday Quote

Hello Monday...Hello Everyone =) How are you all doing? Hope you had a great weekend. This Monday I am going to share a quote with you. It's about life lessons, more precisely about simplicity, patience and compassion. Lately I've learnt about patience, it's not easy being patience towards something but when you do it with an open heart and a sincere heart, you will see that being patience brings a very positive impact on you. You will feel that life can be lighter, no burden, and eventually people will look at you and feel that you're a kind person and the one that cares about others more than yourself. So, here's the quote..

"Simplicity, patience, compassion.

These three are your greatest treasures.

Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.

Patient with both friends and enemies,

you accord with the way things are.

Compassionate toward yourself,

you reconcile all beings in the world."

Laozi (Tao Te Ching)

(image via claler.deviantart.com/)

Simple things to do..

If you had a rough day, maybe the image below will be able to loosen up your mind a bit. I was speechless and breathless the first time I saw the image below. Too good to be true. I think it's not those material things that can make us feel more relaxing but it's those simple things that can make us more relaxing such as a comfortable bed, a fun picnic or maybe just a fluffy pillow =) Often, we need those expensive vacations or maybe a massive shopping spree so that we will feel happier or maybe to satisfy ourselves. But there are other things that can make us feel happier or lighter, just like the image below. You don't have to go anywhere, you can do it at your backyard or maybe in the park nearby your house or even inside your house. You can do it all alone or with a good company. You don't need expensive things, just pillows, popcorn, a great movie...and a cuddle with the loved one will do just fine...perfect. have a great weekend.

(image via vi.sualize.us)