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Nouveau Grunge


- A day off in white shirt, pencil skirt, and the joy of blogging -  

Brown Brows

One day, I saw one of my girl friends looked totally different. I was wondering what was so different about her face whereas she didn't wear any heavy make up or something so eye catching. Oh, then I realized that she got her eyebrows plucked. Since that moment, I realized that the shape of our eyebrows has the ability to frame our face. A friend of mine who is also a makeup guru said that makeup around the eye area is the most important part that gives the 'whole' look.

Since I don't do any eyebrows plucking, I wanted to give a try experimenting with the eyebrow colouring brush. Luckily, I have a college friend; Ellysee who sells original Etude House products with cheaper price! So, I bought the Color My Brows product number 2. I chose the light coloured one because my eyebrows are dark, thick & bushy already. This one blends perfectly with my eyebrows because it lighten up but not too striking.   

First Experience: Jakarta Fashion Week 2014

When I saw this post on my instagram feed, I was so excited to win this invitation because I need to get rid of my curiosity about the fashion week event. The requirement to win the invitation was to regram the photo above, alongside with the reason why we want attend the show. So, here's my entry in Indonesian language:   
Assalamu'alaykum kak @fitriaulia_, perkenalkan namaku Mila, asal dari Bandung. Alasanku ingin mendaptkan salah satu undangan Fashion Show kak Fitri karena, selama aku mengikuti perjalanan karir kak Fitri, kerap kali aku terinspirasi dengan karya-karya kak Fitri untuk KIVITZ. Berpakaian stylish namun syar'i itu menurutku bukan lagi menjadi penghalang bagi muslimah dalam menjalankan syariatNya sekaligus mengespresikan diri. Menurutku hal itu tidak mengapa karena, dalam hadist pun Rasulullāh mengatakan bahwa kita boleh makan, minum, dan berpakaian sesuai keinginan kita, namun jangan biarkan kemewahan atau kebanggaan membuat kita menjadi lalai. Dari situlah, aku selalu suka style kak Fitri yang kreatif namun tidak terkesan berlebihan dan sederhana. Dengan berpakaian stylish, aku rasa hal tersebut bisa menunjukkan bahwa Islam adalah agama yang ramah, dan terbuka pada siapa saja. Dengan menampilkan kreatifitas, maka orang-orang yang 'belum' paham tentang Islam lebih jauh, akan cenderung bertanya-tanya dan ingin mengetahui Islam lebih dalam. Mungkin.. *ngarangya aku nih ya kak* hal ini juga bisa disebut dengan pendekatan kreatifitas. Tapi tetap, hal yang esensialnya adalah untuk mendakwahkan Islam. 
Alasan keduanya adalah, karena kak Fitri mengangkat tema suku Moors di Andalusia. Andalusia adalah salah satu tempat yg sangat ingin aku kunjungi suatu saat nanti. Tentunya fashion show kali ini menjadi sesuatu yg aku harap bisa saksikan. Aku selalu tertarik dengan ragam kebudayaan di dunia. Terlebih lagi aku baru tau akan adanya suku Moors di wilayah tersebut.
Dan tentunya, kalau aku terpilih, ini akan menjadi kali pertamanya aku menghadiri sebuah peragaan busana. Dan aku akan senang untuk meliput acara ini untuk menjadi bahan tulisan untuk di blogku. Terlebih lagi, aku ingin bertemu dan berbincang sedikit dengan kak Fitri yang shalihah, cantik, dan inspirasional itu :)
Terimakasih sekiranya sudah membaca postinganku ini. Sukses selalu kak! Go go go #FitriAuliaforJFW!
- @milaanzib (dengan sedikit perubahan)
Briefly, I said that I've been inspired by kak Fitri's design for KIVITZ which is simple, modest, yet stylish. Referring to a hadith: "Eat what you want and dress up as you desire, as long as extravagance and pride do not mislead you", said by Muhammad salAllahu alayhi wasalam, lead me to the thought that for a Muslim to look good in appearance is absolutely fine. Even when we use creativity to represent our identity as a Muslim, perhaps others who don't really acquaintance with Islam would be more interested to know more about this beautiful religion. Through this 'creativity approach', Islam could be felt more like an open and friendly religion for anyone. But still, the main intention is for dawah. Another interesting thing is the theme for Fitri Aulia's collection. It was called "Glorious Moors", the tribe from Andalusia, Spain—one of places I want to visit one day because of its historical sites & cultures. And the last one is I surely wanted to meet the shalihah & inspiring kak Fitri in person too.     
Alhamdulillāh! I got the chance to attend the show. Soon after knowing this, I contacted my friend; Hutri to join my very first fashion show experience to Jakarta. 

Eid al-Adha 1434H

"Their meat will not reach Allah , nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good." Q.S. Al-Haj (22) : 37
Alhamdulillāh, today we all are still able to taste the graceful day of eid. The event of slaughtering which is commemorated every 10th Dhul-hijjah has reminded all Muslims about the great sacrifice done by Ibrahim A.S. He has incised a noble example for us all to show our submission to Allāh S.W.T. On this day, thousands years ago, Ibrahim A.S. was commanded to slaughter his own son, whom he had been waited for years. It was such a huge dilemma, how could he sacrifice his beloved one. More than that, his love for Allāh S.W.T is greater than anything. 

The Arabic word islam means 'to submit' or 'to surrender', and 'to enter into peace'. As the name of this religion, it means submitting and surrendering oneself to God and thereby entering into peace. Islam teaches that the whole of the universe around us, the earth, the stars, the sun, the trees, everything is in a state of submission to God. The Holy Quran says:
"To Him submits whatever is in the heavens and the earth" Q.S. 'Ali `Imran (3) : 83
This means to say that everything in nature is working according to fixed laws and cannot deviate from those laws. Your own body, and all its parts and organs, are working subject to the laws of nature, and have no choice but to work as they are intended to. But God has given the human soul freedom whether to submit to Him or violate His laws. And then through His Prophets, God revealed what that guidance is, to which man must submit.

Have we sacrifice our love to this worldly life for akhirah's sake? From this event, we can learn something really important that must be applied to the way we are living. Allāh S.W.T wants us not to be enslaved by this dunya. Therefore, we must not have an excessive sense of belonging towards everything in this dunya. Even our body, our existence in this world has its own time limit.  

Ikat x Stripes

Ikat is one of the current trends right now. We can see them worn as clothes, and it also works to beautify the interior designs. The word ikat (pronounced 'ee-KAHT') derives from the Indonesian word 'mengikat' or 'to tie'. It is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibres prior to dyeing. 

Double Ikat is created by tying both the warp and weft prior to weaving or more specifically, employs a variety of tie-dye resist techniques. This form of weaving requires the most skill for precise patterns to be woven and is considered the premiere form of ikat. Indian and Indonesian examples typify highly precise double ikat. This fabric has been used as prestigious trade cloths during the peak of the spice trade.
What if these two iconic patterns mixed together? Ikat—pattern that gives an ethnic, traditional feeling mixed with b&w stripes pattern which has the mod feeling. Mod's subculture is where the graphic-printed was so iconic during the 1960s era.

Yes, we surely can put them together to create a beautiful clash.      

A Shade of Dream

Oh. Finally,  after a while!

I can't express how much I missed blogging. Today, I want to start off by posting an art content. In this post, the art itself is a creation of a civil engineering student. She is a lovely friend of mine named Junisa who is usually called Jujuy. 

Are you curious already?
Lets take a look by clicking the link down below to view more! :)

Metanoia

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم

Some of frequent visitors of this blog might have wondered where all these posts are gone. Well, I did turn all the published posts to be saved as drafts. Here, on this 'come back' post, I'd like to explain the reasons that background the idea:
  1. Metanoia—is a noun that represents the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life (source). Another source also said that it is: a fundamental change of thinking; a transformative change of heart (source). I recognize that the beginning of this phase was started on mid-2011 when I was just entered my first university year as a freshman. The process I've gone through wasn't a piece of cake. Undeniably, I'm still struggling to hold on to the path I'm about to take. I was like this and I am trying to be like "that". This blog has stored the days where I was still becoming this person. To write is something that I've always do since I was in elementary school. This blog is the media where I use to speak up the ideas inside of me, the media where I need to channel things I want to share, and the media where I can widen the silaturrahim. That's why I started off by emptying this blog. I want to make a fresh restart while staying true to myself with a "cutting-edge" kind of way. Well, I think that the phase of metanoia itself would likely to approach us at any (unexpected) time as long as we live. This life is so dynamic even each second has its own unique moment. Hopefully, those metanoia moments would take us to be a better person, in syā Allāh.
  2. I'd like to formulate, and rethink the whole concept of this blog. At first, I was focusing on fashion—with an abundance of personal touch (haha!). For now and later, probably I'd like to generalize this blog simply as a personal blog. (p.s.: the new introduction might be posted separately)
  3. Another thing is my consideration related to the law of creating animated pictures in Islam. There's a hadith by Bukhari, Tirmidhi, and Imam Nasa’i that relates the prophetic hadith form Ibn Abbas which says; "Whoever makes a picture (that animate), Allah shall torture him with it on the Day of Judgment until he can breathe life into it, and he will never be able to.” The reason for the unlawfulness of pictorial representation is that it imitates the creative act of Allah Most High, as is indicated by the hadith related by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim that A’isha A.S. said, “The Prophet S.A.W returned from a trip, and I had draped a cloth with picture on it over a small closet. When he saw it, he ripped it down, his face colored, and he said, “A’isha, the people most severely tortured by Allah on the Day of Judgment will be those who try to imitate what Allah has created,” (source). I've been wondering and making some research about this issue while *sadly* not having anyone highly knowledgeable to be asked for disjointing this law and its relation to the phenomenon of the modern era. I mean, photography is inevitable nowadays (especially for me). To take photographs of the animated creatures has been considered as something normal. I also read in one reference which said that there are two versions of the interpretation from the theologians which related to the hadith of creating pictures. One side highly bans, and the other side permits the existence of the animated photography with the argument: photography does not imitate nor create something new that would be reckoned as an effort to compete with Allāh S.W.T's creations. It's rather a form of capturing the creation itself on another media. Wallahu a'lam bishawab. Another thing is, the inventor of the optic law is a Muslim man! His name is Ibn Al-Haytham, a man from 1000AD who invented the first pinhole camera which is also known as camera obscura. I believe that his invention which contribute to the photography world until today has brought many advantages although it depends on the user itself: human. Even there's another option which I think is making sense—to create animated beings via photographs—I would try my best to decrease the intensity to post un-useful animate pictures. But, I also can't deny that I will post some animated pictures in the future as long as the intention is pure for something good. As we wonder, we can get some benefits from photography, can't we? those benefits can be various for each person. The thing we need always to remember is on how we react towards those pictures. Don't let the pictures "bewitched" us. The one and only who is appropriate to be praised is Allāh S.W.T. So, just keep our focus towards Him ♥ 
  4. Messy Writer—what a classic reason. I believe that I must improve my writing skill for the better. On the previous posts, I barely do recheck to edit the writings. And when I re-read those posts again, I found countless grammar mistakes, and some not-understandable writings. 
In the future, I also would like to make some reconstructed throwback posts which I found might be useful to be posted again here. Hopefully, my intention to blog is purely for goodness, to search for His ridha, and anyone who enjoys reading this blog would find some benefits in syā Allāh. ☺

Bandung, 24th August 2013 | 18 Shawwal 1434H  

Thirty Days of Peacefulness

Assalāmu'alaykum

Depiction of how I feel for getting the chance to be alive on Ramadan 1434H

Ramadan this year is like a whole new experience for me. I've never been either so religiously-concerned or been into a religious society in my whole life. Ramadan this year is like a refreshing start for me, a month that is undoubtedly listed as my second first-love on 2013—yeah, you've experienced yourself that kind of first love, right? you will go buoyant, readily accept any kind of challenge whatever in front of you as long as we can be 'near' with what we love—It's just that I've never experienced Ramadan like this before.

Printing the Dreams

"I want to print those prada heels somewhere on my canvas/nylon tote or shirt since I can't afford 'em. They'll be my forever obsession~" Me, one year ago.
Dream Outfit // 29

I've always wanted to do my own print, but I don't know where to find my own transfer paper since I only googled them, and they're only available overseas. When I finally found it in this country, I was really glad to start my own dream to print my favourite images on wearable surfaces! So, here's my first project. Printing one of my most favourite image -- ever -- from Vogue US September 2006 issue.

Illustration Workshop

Dear Ramadhan, it's hard to believe a week of you has already passed. Please slow down. Sincerely, Me.
- Pearl Daisy Ltd
How come Ramadan has passed faster than I thought? I wish we can make the most of it! Ameen. 

I attended a free illustration workshop at Sekolah Tinggi Desain Indonesia (STDI) with Hutri today. At first, Hutri would like to join the tie die workshop, but it's only available another day whereas we wanted to join the workshop today. So, here we went. We firstly shocked when we arrived at the place because all the participants were guys  (but later, some ladies are joined in too -- yay!), and they were sharing about the manga illustrations. At first Hutri refused to enter the room, but I forced her because I was only halfway there, and all those guys have already seen me. Sooo, err.. it would be so awkward if I suddenly ran away. And then we joined in. Oh thanks GOD they didn't continue to discuss about all the manga thingy. The main material discussed about Norman Rockwell's illustrations. I haven't noticed this artist before because I am more into fine arts, but after I attended this workshop, I finally could feel how it's like to be an art student for a day. Discussing art pieces is like a long long story. It's a proof that a picture worth a thousand words. It was pretty refreshing to me because I hadn't had an art discussion for quite a long time, and it's the first time to me to draw on A5 sized paper, again! Art is no easy business. It needs another kind of intelligence to make, or even to understand art.  

Tour de Europe | De Oranje

Here comes the Volendam town; our very first destination located in the north of Holland. The town's architecture recalled my childhood memory of something that wasn't realistic; Doll's house, the scenes in one cartoon show, etc. The houses are organized well, and Volendam has cracked my perception about the view which I thought it's only existed in the toy land. 

Bandung's Mayor Election 2013

Salaam! :)

Yep, lets jump for awhile from the continuous post I had talked previously. Today's big event happened in my town is the mayor election! I'm quite excited about this because it's my prime time to use my own vote for the governmental election. And actually, it's also the first time for me to become aware about the governmental election throughout these years. I became aware that there were so many candidates for this year's mayor election in my town, and I also experiencing for the first time to faithfully support one of the candidates, without being dictated by the others. The freedom is mine, yippie! 

And I think most of the youths in this town are likely to prefer this creative guy because on these past months his campaign is appealing yet creative. The way he engaged the citizens through several mediums and especially social medias has made me easier to do my own research about himself. He also has collected numerous achievements which add more trust for the citizens towards him. There were several distrusts that tried to lower his prestige. When the others talked bad things about this candidate, I just thought, "Oh, c'mon.. to make oneself to be looked bad just does not work for me to change my belief. If you want to persuade me to your side, why don't you try to explain why your chosen candidate is simply better to be chosen". I don't want to talk a whole lot more about politic, or even things related to it because it is not (yet) the right space for me to talk about.      

Tour de Europe | Excursion Studies 2013


It has been almost two weeks since I got back from the excursion studies with my fellow colleagues. Excursion studies is a program held by the External Division of International Relations Student Association, with the purpose to have a brief trip for leisure and education. This year's destination was taken place around some parts of Europe with the theme: Exploring Non-Traditional Issues in International Relations. The countries are included the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Italy.  

This program has occurred for several years in this department, and the program itself has always been accompanied by the tenured lecturer within the department. Unfortunately, this year, our lecturer couldn't guide us throughout the trip due to some stumbling blocks related to the funding from the rectorate on the very last minuetes. At first, that is quite disappointing because the agenda to visit Universiteit van Amsterdam or the University of Amsterdam must be canceled. To have such official visit, we must have our own commensurate representation to the lecturer who was prepared to welcome our visit. Eventually, the show must go on, they say. The program was finally carried out by one tour leader, six program's committees, and nineteen participants (I am included in this group).

Here, I start off my own video documentation which is really amateur.. 


Since it was my first time to be out from the continent I've been living in, I had been documenting things quite excessively along the trip. I was supplied with two 32gb memory cards for the camera, brought notebook + pen wherever I went, some zipped plastic sheets, and an iPod for recording voices. And yes, to have  discovered a whole new world, I'm so grateful to have felt the breeze of a vibrant spirit inside of me that kept me awake of thoughts that fulfill my brain. Even more, when it comes to Europe; one relatively small continent that has bountiful both natural and man-made beauties, and it also has inscribed remarkable developed civilizations throughout history and remains a referral in many aspects until now. 

4th Semester in Review

Final exam was over on last Friday! as I have mentioned on this post, I said that I'd like to share about my life in college. Since 4th semester is already finished, these college stories would turn into some reviews. I also would like to mention about the lectures and activities I had on this semester. The lectures that won't be mentioned from this semester are Conflict Resolution, Hukum Ekonomi International (International Economic Law), and Metodologi Ilmu Hubungan Internasional (Metodology of International Relations Sciences). It doesn't mean that the lectures mentioned previously were boring and uninteresting. I actually found that those lectures I got were mind-stimulating. That is one of the interesting facts when I make comparison on how does the learning process between high school and college is really different. When I was still passing through the 12 years of schooling, I hardly got the 'vibe' like I get in college. In those years, I admit that I also found interesting facts about the world from the subjects I learned at school. I absorbed what I know, and mostly—just it. At college, when I attended some lectures, the knowledge that transfered from the lecturers could electrify me with the sense of excitement!

I remember about my first year of college, and my very first favourite thing I found at college where I'm studying was the Pancasila lecture! It was the one and only lecture on the 1st semester that helped me to build the foundation of love for this country, Indonesia. Before that, I was such an 'easily-to-be-influenced' kind of person—and all I wanted to do was moving out from this country with under the idea that the western part of the world was just seem to be better from where I'm living in, my country had no hopes, and many negative a priories. The point is, that lecture helped me to mature my own thought. Alhamdulillāh. 

After I mentioned all the positive stuffs here, I won't deny that I do have the experience the phases of boredom, being sleepy, letting my thoughts wander inside the class, not being connected when the lecture was lecturing, study on the night before, not entering the class because I was too late, not joining midterm exam because I forgot to bring my student card, wishing myself for the lecture to end soon, being frustrated by the assignments, getting low scores, and so forth. But after all, I am glad to get through these processes. 

Later, I'd like to make a "4th Semester in Review" kind of group post. The format of the post' title would be like this: 4th Semester in Review | <topic of the post>.           

Oh Writer(s)!


Oh writer! An Angel watches over all you write. Make your writing meaningful for it will eventually return to you and you will be questioned about what you wrote. 

—Ali ibn Abu Talib

First Things on May 2013

First updates on my social networkings on May 2013
Instagram: 1 | Twitter: 1, 2, 3, 4 | Blogger: THIS POST!

Okay, I know.. what an odd intro from this post. But the thing is that, I am currently going to end my teenage years in few days. From thirteen all the way through nineteen, I feel a great gratitude towards Allāh SWT for giving me this experience to live until this time. Although number is just a symbolic matter, I can actually come into a realization that number does give the warning. Time is one of the simplest measurement for us to be more aware of our own beings as a human being. In syā Allāh, if Allāh permits, I also will turn 20 this month, which means.. it's the first time for me to; say goodbye to my teenage years; become 'berkepala dua', as Indonesians would say (two-headed—which means your age is started with the number 2, and followed by another number—and this year, I'm starting it with a zero!, in syā Allāh); to get new experiences outside this continent (in syā Allāh); and many more. As time is unstoppable, we are also have to keep on 'moving' in order to keep living. Being older and older is a bliss that we have to counterweigh by being more and more responsible.

Gray Flannel

Just another ordinary day - went to campus
Outfit on 11/04/13
Fashion Formula:
"Onthel!" white shirt from Jogjakarta + Flannel buttons up + Gray maxi skirt + White pashmina (as hijab) + Sneakers + Canvas bag 

Some friends thought that I wore the high school skirt, because high school uniform in Indonesia is like this. Okay, err.. I didn't realize that. Though it's quite alike, I don't feel it's pretty much the same because it has different fabric and it has wider cutting. But it makes me misses to wear high school uniform, and all that memorable high school life :')  

Pikiran Campur Aduk

Assalāmu'alaykum

Saya mulai nge-blog di akhir tahun 2008 atas dasar keinginan untuk berbagi pandangan mengenai salah satu minat terbesar saya kepada dunia mode. Dalam blog tersebut, mayoritas postingannya berbentuk selera pribadi saya dalam berpenampilan. Blog pertama saya yang bernama Viva La Mode telah menyimpan dokumentasi yang pada umumnya terkait dengan dunia mode selama kurang lebih dua tahun. Setelah saya memutuskan untuk berkerudung, saya pun bermigrasi ke lahan blog baru yang dinamai Colour Me Fuchsia (CMF) ini. CMF tidak jauh berbeda dengan blog pertama saya yang secara garis besar berisi seputar seni dan mode, perbedaannya hanya terletak pada aksen yang lebih menegaskan sisi kepercayaan yang saya yakini. Meski sebenarnya saya akui bahwa, mode yang saya tampilkan masih belum sesuai dengan syariat yang telah dipaparkan dalam sumber-sumber hukum Islam.

Sebagai seseorang yang telah memiliki minat besar terhadap mode sejak kelas enam Sekolah Dasar (SD),  dalam kurun waktu tujuh tahun selama masih bersekolah, saya pun pada mulanya meyakini akan angan-angan saya untuk berkarir dalam industri mode. Tetapi kenyataannya, saya tidak melanjutkan jenjang pendidikan yang terkait dengan mode di perguruan tinggi. Akhirnya realita membawa saya untuk melanjutkan studi di fakultas ilmu sosial dan ilmu politik. Pada mulanya saya masih bertanya-tanya tentang identitas saya sebagai mahasiswa tingkat pertama. Masalahnya yaitu, selama sekian tahun saya begitu optimis dalam 'menghidupkan' bidang yang saya gemari, namun pada kenyataannya saya memasuki dunia yang benar-benar berbeda dengan dunia mode. Saya pun sempat mengalami semacam kebingungan selama berbulan-bulan. Ini merupakan alasan saya untuk menganggap bahwa saya telah 'terdampar' di lingkungan ini.  

Kini, saya sudah memasuki tingkat dua dan, pengaruh-pengaruh perkuliahan sudah mulai merekonstruksi pemikiran-pemikiran saya terhadap kehidupan. Apa yang saya terima selama kuliah mulai menggeser beberapa nilai yang sudah tertanam cukup lama dalam diri saya. Saya pun mulai memberi perhatian terhadap tema-tema yang terkait dengan sosial dan politik. Awalnya masih terpaksa dan masih sekedar formalitas kebutuhan pendidikan, namun lama kelamaan tema ini dapat berhasil mengubah concern saya. Meski belum "secanggih" kolega-kolega di kampus, saya akan terus berusaha agar ilmu yang saya dapatkan selama kurang lebih dua tahun di kampus ini, dapat bermanfaat dalam kehidupan saya maupun orang lain.

Dari situ lah, saya ingin mengkolaborasikan kegemaran dan perkuliahan saya dalam blog ini. Selain membicarakan tentang ranah personal, seni, mode, musik, dan sebagainya, saya akan mulai untuk membuat postingan dengan tema yang merujuk pada perkuliahan yang saya dapatkan maupun hal-hal di luarnya yang berkaitan dengan sosial politik. Dengan begitu, selain saya dapat mempelajari kembali pelajaran yang didapatkan, saya berharap agar ilmu yang saya pelajari saat ini dapat berasimilasi dengan minat saya sejak kecil. Sehingga, dunia sosial politik pun bisa semakin saya gemari dan minati. Harapan lainnya juga yaitu, apabila ada di antara pembaca yang turut tertarik dalam  wilayah ini bisa turut mendiskusikan topik pembicaraan ini bersama-sama, memberikan pendapat atau kritik, dan bisa mendapatkan manfaat dari post yang saya buat.    

Wassalāmu'alaykum

Lukis Indah Mimpi

Assalāmu'alaykum
source
Tak sengaja hari ini aku mampir ke situsnya kak Mesty Ariotedjo. Salah satu wanita Indonesia yang inspiratif ini telah memiliki segudang prestasi. Dalam bidang akademis, kak Mesty merupakan salah satu alumnus Fakultas Kedokterkan Universitas Indonesia, pandai bermusik, aktif dalam kegiatan sosial, selain itu juga ia cukup eksis dalam membintangi iklan berbagai produk. Cerdas, pandai bermusik dan cantik. Perempuan mana sih yang gak menginginkan sosok tersebut? Sosok inspiratif pada kak Mesty juga bisa ditemukan di sini. Ternyata, faktor di balik kesuksesannya kak Mesty ini bukan hal yang muluk-muluk untuk diraih, rahasianya adalah manajemen waktu yang baik. Manajemen waktu ini merupakan hal yang paling fundamental bagi setiap insan selagi masih hidup di dunia ini. Meski terkadang sulit untuk konsisten, kita harus yakin bahwa kita bisa meraih tujuan kita. 

Pada beranda situsnya ini, aku menemukan ada lagu karya kak Mesty yang dapat diunduh secara gratis. Kamu pun bisa mendapatkannya di sini. Mendengar alunan musik yang lembut, dan syair yang menggugah semangat, aku pun secara otomatis memainkan lagu ini berulang-ulang kali untuk saat ini. Menurutku syairnya begitu indah, dan memiliki banyak korelasi bagi wanita-wanita muda yang sedang menggapai impian. Pesan yang disampaikannya pun memberikan kesan penekanan yang luar biasa bagiku. Bait yang menjadi kesukaanku yakni: 
Lukis indah mimpi semu jadi nyata
Tak putus berdoa dan tak henti belajar
Ya! inilah pesan yang benar-benar saya butuhkan saat ini. Berdoa segiat-giatnya, belajar dengan fokus, dan sedapat mungkin berkarya untuk negeri ini.  

LUKIS INDAH MIMPI
dinyanyikan oleh Dewi Andarini 

Putri-putri malu
Indah dipijak kaki
Sering tak disadari
Terlalu lama bulan kaupandang  
Hanya merindu khayal tuk menggapai

Ketika surya terang bersinar
Mengapa tetap pejamkan mata  
Kemana engkau hendak melangkah
Hatimu tahu, tapi kau tak tahu

Lihat tapak lurus telah lama menanti
Usang telah rapuh dan tak pernah kau datang 
Akankah kau pilih jalan yang bertekuk  
Hatimu bicara kau tak pernah mendengar

Garuda kecil pun mulai kepakkan sayap  
Menantimu terbang lebih tinggi bersama
Lukis indah mimpi semu jadi nyata
Tak putus berdoa dan tak henti belajar

Bukankah surya terang bersinar
Lihat tapak lurus telah menanti
Garuda kecil kepakkan sayapnya
Lukis indah mimpi, terbang, tak henti belajar

Terimakasih kak Mesty, telah berbagi karyamu yang inspiratif ini. :)

Wassalāmu'alaykum

Repost: "Kita ini bukan siapa-siapa. Dan tidak akan pernah menjadi siapa-siapa."

: a repost :
(source)


Merinding, air mata berkaca-kaca mendengarnya. Siapalah kita di dunia ini berjalan dengan kepala mengadah ke atas, menganggap diri ini sudah cukup baik. 

Arabic Class

Assalāmu'alaykum dear readers,

I'd like to share you about my day today. Actually I am in the mid-term exam weeks. But the next exam I'm going to have is on Tuesday.. which is going to be about the Regionalism around the Middle East! Yes, I am so interested learning current studies on this semester, Alhamdulillāh. I also take an Arabic Language course at Salman ITB Masjid (Mosque) since late February this year. So, the vibe of Middle East is really impassioned on this semester. I think Salman is one public Masjid(s) I know in my town which is really 'alive'. I've hardly seen this place is deserted from the visitors  even on Sunday. It's not just a place for praying, but people are also busy seeking knowledges there. The people are busy learning, gathering, and do so many positive activities there. 

Since I am not studying at the college with islamic atmosphere, and moreover, I have never been into the circle of Keluarga Masjid or the Member of Masjid, I am a kind of newbie to experience the 'eagerness' in the true Islamic society. I've been passionated to learn Arabic language because I want to understand deeper about Islam, and perhaps it would help me in reading literatures for my focus study. And finally, I found one friend at college who has the same passion, and we finally signed up for the course together there. It's our 10th attendance today, and there are many new lessons I can absorb about it when the teacher talked relating to some surat(s) in the Qur'an, he also discusses about the root of some Arabic words. Subhanallāh, when I learned about this language, I am trully amazed. The language is just: SO AMAZING. How beautiful the script is, how 'flexible' the use of the words are, how the language itself is really broad in meanings, how there are so many things I can not find in  other languages I have learned (such as Indonesian, Sundanese, English, Japanese, and French). Truly, behind Allāh's decision.. there are so many beautiful mysteries. But for the use of the language itself, I still have to do so many many exercises and I must do that extra-memorizing thingy.    

Be Careless, NOT.

Assalamu'alaykum,

Today, 14th March 2013, 8:36 AM I’ve just been kicked out of the International Organizations mid-term examination. It’s because that I didn’t bring my:

KTM (Kartu Tanda Mahasiswa)
a.k.a the Student Card

I forgot to bring my wallet and every morning I was such in a rush. When I asked my brother in law to pick me up to campus, he has always been more ready than I am. So then, I don’t know why today I didn’t pick my wallet, which have been always there, the place where I put nearby my mobile phones and stuff. It is today. Yesterday I brought it though I was more in a rush than today, and mas (Javanese form from Mister/Mr.) 'M' (the lecturer & the overseer for Conflict Resolution mid term exam), didn’t mention a thing about it. 

BUT WHY TODAY. Today I was freaking forgotten to take it and put it in my bag! Could this be a warning from Allāh? I felt the start of today was joyful. I prayed my fajr prayer though I was quite late, I studied some materials for today’s examination, and then.. I had taken a bath, I made my bed up, I just didn’t feel any burden this morning as much as yesterday. The same thing happened today with yesterday is that I haven’t got any breakfast. And now if I’m gonna get some, I can’t. I just don’t have money to buy some. 

What kind of trial is this? I know that this kind of thing happened because of my own fault. MY OWN FAULT. Bad luck, today I have the examination, which has the exam’s overseer who is terribly strict to the rules, he’s the lecturer for this course too. If I didn’t bring the wallet yesterday, my only problem would only be the way I went back home. 

At 9.00 AM my brother in law brought my wallet (I am so sorry, & thank you so much bro! Jazakallāh khayran katsiran.. I wish you a great reward for helping me). And when I showed my student card to the exam's overseer, he’s still not giving me any chance.

OH GOD. WHY.

I am questioning everything related to the bad luck happened to me today. After I have questioned these all, I learned so many lessons. Alhamdulillāh.. 

  1. Mama said that I was so careless, though I have been in my desk staring at my laptop screen for such a long time… I can be so careless for not bringing my wallet. So then, I must be more aware and be less careless next time. I’ve been realizing this bad habit of mine, but after experiencing this.. In shā’ Allāh, I’ll be more aware. It's true that, we have to prepare things the night before. (I've just been oversimplify).  
  2. Thanks to one of my friend; Yossi. She said that it’s better to have a certain punishment. It’s better to have my own lecturer for this course as the overseer. If it wasn’t him, perhaps there would be many steps I should go through.. and ended not getting any permission to join the examination. 
  3. I should be more eager to be actively participated in class. Because mas 'P' is a kind of lecturer who sees more the participation inside the class. The percentage for assignments takes 40% in scoring. The mid term and final examinations take 30% each. OK, be ready, and GAME ON!
  4. I can meet my Lord through dhuha prayer.
  5. Be connected though it’s just only a few word. 
  6. I MUST NOT HATE anything/anyone (my carelessness, my university's strict regulation/my lecturer). Now, after thinking some reasons, I must appreciate mas 'P’s decision. Though what I did isn't against the humanity or anything cruel, (and just for the sake of man-made procedure), what mas 'P' did is for obeying the laws, his decision is to create no more rebellion like me (well, that’s exaggerating). He's also the vice-dean anyway, so he must exemplified how does the rule go. This is one big point I try to learn: how to appreciate things I don’t like. I also have done the same thing once in the 2nd semester, and I have been warned not to do the same thing. That seemed fair. 
  7. This reminds me of one thing. I once read a hadith. It said that when we ease others in difficulty, in shā’ Allāh, Allāh will help us in the time when we are in need of other’s help. This got me think that I should not complicate others. SHOULD NEVER. Perhaps.. to my little brother, especially. Probably I have complicated him with stuff all these times. I have to learn to be a better teacher. 
But, the thing that sadden me about this is that I disappoint my mama. I am so sorry mama. But the most important is: we must remember that any trials we face in this life must have positive impacts for ourselves. Once again, remember: don't look after this temporary life in the dunya. Be more focus on the aspects for the akhirah. I shouldn't lie, or do reckless things just to get PARTICIPATED in that bloody exam. No, the point of life is not to reach perfection, become the bloody smart person, and get straight As in schools, or colleges. In life: man makes mistakes, man learns from their mistakes, man changes because of it, and man becomes a happy learner ever after. In shā' Allāh.      

I Suffered, I Learned, I Changed.
Wassalamu'alaykum.

Life in Mono

Lime and Gray

Outfit on 08/03/2013
Fashion Formula:
New Look white long sleeved shirt + Floral jacket from online shop + Mom's skirt + Zara waist belt + Lacoste shopping bag + Green Converse + Black pashmina

Morning Has Broken


"Mine is the sunlight, Mine is the morning, Born of the one light Eden saw play. Praise with elation, praise ev'ry morning, God's recreation of the new day."
Fashion Formula:
Graphic dress from Mangga Dua + Forever 21 Blazer + Black pashmina + Nike Sneakers + Zara sling bag

N°14 Rossetto

Collages I made on prada.com/rossetto

Weekend Fun!

Fashion Flashback
What I wore 7 days ago.
Fashion Formula:
Marc by Marc Jacobs shirt + Marks & Spencer ombre cardigan + Dark teal blue maxi skirt from Pasar Baru + Black pashmina + Lacoste shopping bag + Green Converse 

LOVEmbellishment

These fashion pieces which made me go: "Oh, This is so me!"
I grabbed this skirt soon as I saw it when I was in Minimal store at Rumah Mode though, I know that it's seemed impossible for a hijabi to wear such knee-length skirt. I fell in love with its black polyester fabric, moreover.. it has these embellishments detail on its waist. Instant L.O.V.E. I tried it on with a black long trousers and a simple shirt. Imagining that the outfit would fit well if I worked at a fashion magazine. If I could find black polyester fabric, I would like to make one too but with a longer length.    

Then again, I am attracted to a jeweled cloth just at a glimpse. It's the Jewel Digital Print Tee from Topshop. This shirt has an opulent photo print that glams up an oversized tee. I've always liked these kind of jersey tee because it's really comfortable to wear and it's nice to paired up with most of any kind of outers such as blazers, cardigans, or jean jackets. 
Prada A/W 13 - "Some silhouettes and fabrics we recognized. Same with shoes (particularly the lug sole). The appetite for decoration signposted a signature Mrs. P herself defined as "a mix of rich and poor". Her collection proved the power of the dress as an accessory to a life. "Through cloth, you can really make movies," the designer conceded. The music from Betty Blue was on the soundtrack as an aural cue: fixation with beauty, romanticism run riot. "I'm obsessed with impossibilities," she continued. "Romanticism is forbidden. It's not 'modern.'" Tell that to David Lynch, or Alfred Hitchcock, or any of those filmic geniuses who stepped outside the "modern" to delve into the truly timeless with their celluloid paeans to those lost souls who sacrifice everything for obsession. And that's where Miuccia Prada went today (21/02/2013). If fashion is ultimately an emotion, she pinned it to the wall for good and all." -Tim Blanks on Style.com Review

"Makeup artist Pat McGrath fleshed out the story line a bit more. "We were obsessed with the contrast of rich and poor," she said, stressing the word "undone" when describing the beautiful burgundy-stained mouths she was drawing in darker toward the center of models' lips and then diffusing outward with a clear balm. "It's the shadow of formerly amazing makeup," she continued of what were essentially traces of pigment, including a gray tone on lids, that were used to mimic the animated shadows of tiny-waisted women (and cats) that had been projected onto the walls of Mrs. Prada's runway. When asked about the growing prevalence of slate and asphalt smoky shadows this season, instead of more standard black incarnations, McGrath admitted that they're not the easiest colors to wear. "It needs to be transparent to give it more depth," she said, adding a greasy shine with "tons" of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream as well as multiple licks of mascara on top and bottom lashes." - Celia Ellenberg on Style.com Review

The look worn by Hanne Gaby and that stained mouth is winning over me. Enough said. 

Bali | Day 4

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Bali | Day 3

Made with Love

As I arrived at home from college this evening, I soon grabbed my camera to capture the sun rays that were shone beautifully. The weather today gave me the warmth that could calm my soul unlike those days like yesterdays which have been descended by the rain and the gale.  

The Bali Vibe

Fashion Flashback
Got that 'Bali' vibe in chilly Bandung
on Monday, 14th January 2013 

Fashion Formula:
Bali tie dyed shirt from Krisna + Thrifted gray maxi skirt + Turquoise pashmina + White sandals from Giovanni + Ikat bag from Krisna
Inside my bag:
  1. Power bank
  2. GSM Phone
  3. The Happiness Project book by Gretchen Rubin
  4. Academic guidance book
  5. Clear binder from Muji
  6. Ikat phone case (souvenir from a wedding party)
  7. Stationaries case
  8. Wallet
Actually, the sling bag I wore for this outfit was bought in Bali about three years ago when I joined the comprehensive study with my high school friends. The outer of the bag is still in a good condition, but the inner side is too frail. I think the producer of this bag should change the fabric quality for the inner side. 

Bali 2013 | Day 2

This is my granny and I. We were at Beachwalk, Kuta. This place is next to the hotel where we were staying. After walked around for a while, we went to Tanah Lot. More pictures >> 

Bali 2013 | Day 1

About on the last last two weeks, I had the chance to go on vacation to Bali with my family. It's the fourth time I visited the Dewata Island, and for the first time to be on Air Asia. 
It was on 6am in the morning the plane took off. The weather is not really good, but then after I have arrived Bali welcomed us all with its best sunny weather! The photos above are for my documentation while I was on the plane. For breakfast, I ordered Nasi Minyak Palembang à la Farah Quinn, the famous female chef from Indonesia. I think the food was really delicious, and I also got shocked when I see "Cha Time" on their menu! It's like my current favourite bubble drink, it's like when I found their store wherever I go, I would always order one. I like it to be hazelnut chocolate milk tea, no ice, normal sugar, with pearls and regular sized. I didn't order Cha Time though, because my favourite menu wasn't served there and it's not certified as halal! Astaghfirullāh, I didn't know about that before. I didn't know if it's only on the plane that they're not certified as halal drinks and the drinks at their stores on the 'land' are already certified halal. But I prefer not to buy it now until I saw there's a halal certification for what they serve. 

Minimal

About Minimal


Minimal was launched in 2002. As an affiliation of Rumah Mode Factory Outlet in Bandung, Minimal's launching was based on the credo of focused vision of excellence. Minimal offers high quality and affordable casual and formal fashion apparel, shoes, handbags, and accessories.

The mission is to make every woman well dressed for their activities and to let them feel that they can be whatever they want to be with the clothes and accessories that they wear. Minimal provides a wide range of selection, from formal to casual, from woven to knits, and from solid to printed. Our chic collections of apparel and accessories are perfect for working in the office, socializing on weekends, and other activities in between.

The first Minimal store opened in 2005 at Istana Plaza, Bandung. Since then, Minimal has expanded to 35 retail and 2 outlet stores throughout Indonesia. More openings are planned in 2011.

Photographic Shirt

Fashion Flashback
Dinner with mom and dad 
on Wednesday, 2nd January 2013
Fashion Formula:
Shirt from Mirota, Jogjakarta + Zara beaded cardigan + Marks & Spencer black trousers + Maysaa cream chiffon scarf snood + Calvin Klein clutch bag + Montego Bay Club wedges from Payless
As (perhaps) some of you may have noticed, I am a big fan of white t-shirt. Here's the evidence. It's so comfy and almost can be mixed up with most of the things. And yet, the simplicity is the most important. 

I also have a memorable history behind that CK clutch bag. It is the one which the last time I carried my Sony Ercisson's Xperia some years ago. It was stolen from that clutch bag because it has an 'easily-to-be-opened' style. Since I didn't wear it that much again after the accident, and I wore it again on that day... mom also said, "Oh, the bag that gave your xperia away."

Formal Wear

Fashion Flashback
What I wore to two wedding parties in one night 
on Saturday, 29th December 2012
...Congratulation for the newly weds!...
Fashion Formula:
My Sister's Biyan mega mendung blouse + Black inner shirt + Black trousers + Paris Hilton quilted bag + Ayoka hijab + Montego Bay Club wedges from Payless

Merci, deux-mille-douze! xx

Alhamdulillāh, this is my first post in 2013. I personally think last year was better than 2011. Though it is 11th January 2013 already, on this post, I would like to share you the things that happened on the last day in 2012. In the closing day of 2012, I spent a fun day with Nisa. We went to Blitz Megaplex PVJ to watch Habibie & Ainun the movie. It was my first time, and second time for Nisa.  B.J. Habibie is  the third president of Indonesia. His love story with her wife; Almarhumah Ainun was written in a book by himself. It's one of the best selling book and when the story's brought up into movie, it is also one of the most of successful Indonesian movies has ever made. The romantic and everlasting true love story surely attracts people with various ages. I mostly saw people were sobbing after the movie ended, even myself! Nisa and I wished to get just one our own 'Habibie'. LOL. The inspiring part isn't just from the love aspect but also the integrity that Mr. Habibie has. His dedication to this land, the land of Indonesia was tremendously strong. And that is a very good example for the Indonesian youth to bring goods for this land, in shaa Allaah.
Habibie & Ainun, Laughters with bestie, and Pasta (on the upper picture is beef cannelloni, and the lower picture is spaghetti aglio olio)! what a lovely day it was ♥
Late lunch at Javana Bistro
The picture on the let t is the photo booth we had on 19th September 2012 which is the last time we met before 31st December 2012! It's a pretty a long time, isn't it? And photo booth on the right is the photo we had on the last day of 2012. The last photo (bottom right) is so LOL.