Everything New

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year" - Ralph W. Emerson

Hello, lovely readers!

I haven't been able to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and wishes 2013 a 'Hello!'. Hope everyone is enjoying their 2nd month of 2013, coz I totally do.

Amazing things keep happening in my life and 24 hours are no longer sufficient in a day! A new career, new work place, new member in Dato' Ahmad's undeniably small family, new daily routines, new number at the 'Age' column, but still the same old me. Oh, and you know what else is new?

A NEW BLOG PAGE!

To all my loyal blog readers out there, I will no longer write here, due to some complications I'm facing with Blogger.com.

So, cheers to the new and improved ARRESTED FOR LIFE at http://gracedenna.wordpress.com!

Do not forget to drop by and say 'HI'!

Why BALLET?

Ballet is widely known as a form of classical dance that demands for flexibility, grace and strength from its dancers. But why do parents send their daughters (or even sons) to ballet classes at extremely young ages? Why ballet? We've talked about pointe works last post, so now I'll tell you folks the advantages of dancing ballet.

Forward fold

FUN is definitely the number one factor why most parents send their daughters to learn ballet. Jumping, dancing, and twirling are all that they need to do in first grade classes, not forgetting the pink lace tutus and ballet slippers that they hafta put on. What is NOT fun about that?

Besides fun, ballerinas' bodies will benefit a lot from the movements they learn in class. Ballet is a GREAT EXERCISE for girls/women to create lean muscles and slim figure.Joy of movement equals to laying the groundwork for a life time of good exercise habits for health and longevity.

Full split

Ballet increases dancers' FLEXIBILITY. More flexibility means wider range of movement and less potential for injury. Every girl dreams of doing full splits, cart wheels and somersaults!

Loose pigeon (half split)

Learning ballet also equalizes to learning the fine art of mental control. Mind over matter is a huge skill that can be applied in every aspect of life for the remainder of one's lifetime. A high level of DISCIPLINE will come along with it.

Ballet is fantastic for keeping your brain lively. It will heighten your MEMORY and LISTENING SKILLS when you strive to stay ahead and catch up with the lessons in class.

Attitude

Dancers such as ballerinas move differently than the rest of the human counterparts, as they spent a huge deal of time and energy cultivating GRACE, STRENGTH and CONTROL. Precision of movement is one of the most fundamental requirements of ballet. Ballerinas will achieve POISE and BALANCE too as they progress. 

Balancing act on pointe

Want more reasons why girls/women should learn ballet? You'll achieve BETTER POSTURE, CREATE BODY & SPATIAL AWARENESS, and not forgetting that ballet is gonna be an outlet for dancers' personal expression through the movement of their bodies. Ballet will also enhance one's FEMININITY coz everything around is pink!

Last but not least, it is never too late to learn ballet or send your little ones to learn them. I can promise you that you'll NEVER regret that decision for the rest of your life. Ballet benefits everyone in every single way, at any age.

Pointe Break

Oh yeah!Above are definitely my two wobbly feet in my dirty yet precious pointe shoes :D

As you might know, I'm craaaazy and highly passionate about ballet. Or dancing, in general. I'm not gonna talk bout ballet in this post but specifically bout pointe work.

Pointe work is not for every one. Even if you're blessed with arched feet and strong ankles, that doesn't mean you're cut out for pointe work. Pointe work is an evolution and extension of years (or less) of ballet training. And being able to go en pointe is considered as the biggest accomplishment a ballerina can achieve. Well, besides getting accepted to a great ballet company, promoted to principle, and having to dance Swan Lake every single night, of course ;D

Anyway, getting your first pointe shoes to proceed with pointe works is most probably the highlight in every ballerina's dancing life. Like having your first boyfriend or falling in love for the first time. But bear in mind that a new pair of pointe shoes is not like getting a newly purchased ballerina flats. A new pair of pointe shoes is completely 'naked' and you gotta accessorize it with ribbons and elastic bands. Besides being naked, it is also as hard as a wooden clog, so breaking them in with all sorts of preferred methods will be another mission that a ballerina needs to accomplish.

The moment I get a new pointe shoes (at the moment is from Sansha, but definitely going to upgrade it soon), the first thing I'll do is what I consider the toughest job ever, sewing the ribbons. I'm obviously not the best sewer and the only time I'll ever touch a needle and thread is when I need to complete my pointe shoes with ribbons.

Now you guys get what I mean when I said I'm not a good sewer? But a ballerina gotta do what she gotta do, you know. No matter how tedious or ugly the hand work is. Next, after you've sewn the ribbons on both shoes, you hafta sew the elastic band for a better support of your ankles while dancing.

After all the sewing jobs are done, it is time to break your pointe shoes in. First, you need break the shanks according to your natural feet arch. Some might bend the shanks at the door frame but I prefer the conventional way, using my hands.

First, I'll separate the lining from the base as it'll be so much easier to bend them. Do not be afraid to make your shoes look ugly, they're meant to be one to fit your sole like gloves. Keep bending the shank every time before you put your shoes til it properly supports your arch. Next it to break the shoes box.

Some might spritz water across the shoe box to soften the box but I prefer to go on demi pointes several times to break the box, as well as stepping on the box with one leg with pressure. I love my shoes so I do not intend to make any permanent damages to them. 

Once I'm done with all the process, I'll start warming with the shoes up with pointe exercises before I actually dance in them. Breaking into pointe shoes is not as easy as breaking into your new pair of Aldo's. They need time to perfectly serve your soles, but once they're broken in, you'll feel like leaving the house and walking down the streets with your pointe shoes on! Coz they're just simply more comfy than a normal pair of shoes. And also, you'll get to do this......

........dancing gracefully on your toes! God I love dancing en pointe!

So that's all for now folks! If you love ballet and beauty like I do, keep coming back to this blog :) Toddles!

Wedding Bells in Syawal

Along and Abg Kidzrol's wedding at Selayang, KL.

Ikhwan and Anees' wedding at Taman Botani, Putrajaya. Opps, I totally lost the pictures of the celebrated couple :P

Memories of Syawal 2012

Trying to suck up all those emotions..

Tears streamed down my dolled up face after asking for forgiveness from beloved hubby.

Newest addition to the family : my lil new nephew, Irfan.

Unforgettable 1st Syawal celebrated with a new pack, at Setiawangsa.

Fabulous 2nd Syawal in Muar, Johor.

Memories of Ramadhan 2012

Iftar at Grand Blue Wave Hotel.

Iftar at Raku Restaurant, Concorde Hotel.

And the rest....were not captured on film. But great, wonderful memories.

Crazy Lady On The Loose!

It was not that I didn't wana drop by and say 'HI' once in awhile to my lovely blog readers for the past couple of months, but my schedule had been so tight and let me just add, CRAZY! I was working for almost 10 hours under freezing cold buildings that dried the crap out of my fragile skin and damaged the natural lipid barrier (sounded awful eh?) every weekday (and some weekends), gracefully doing plies and arabesques by the barre at the ballet studio every Monday evenings, hitting the yoga mat to connect with with my inner self and peace almost every evening, buka puasa gatherings with my family members in Shah Alam, Terawikh prayers on some nights (;P), and a committed beauty scholarship student. Pheww!!

Forgot to mention that July was the month of internship, so all of the academy students including myself, were sent to separate beauty centers all over KL and Klang Valley to complete our 300 practical hours. A mandatory requirement for taking CIBTAC. I was placed in Hartamas Shopping Center most of the time, and also a week at Setia City Mall for a roadshow event. Now, we're all gathered back at the academy, facing quizzes, exams, and assessments.

*Taking deep breaths*

Anyway, I'm back! And will try my very best to update this precious blog of mine with the juiciest informations about myself, general beauty tips that I find useful for everyone, and hip events that you should know about.

Hope everyone is enjoying and cherishing the month of Ramadhan with lotsa amal ibadah. Will be writing more soon. Muahhs!

Zen Beauty

The Padma-Asana. Lotus posture in yoga.

With the hectic and stressful lifestyle we are caught up in, it is for us to be brought down with very low self esteem. The tendency of practicing bad beauty habits is high too. All you need are Zen beauty philosophies to remind you that it's about inner beauty just as much as what (products) you apply on your face. 

Here are some uplifting beauty advices to look up to for a quick pick-me-up when feeling blue :

(1). GIVE PRAISE - Whether you agree or disagree, everyone views beauty in their own way. Give others compliments as they might lift their spirits more than you know.

(2). LOVE YOURSELF - It's easy to be hard on yourself about physical looks, but remind yourself that outer beauty is a product of what's inside. Love yourself just as much as you need to love others. After all, a beautiful soul generates a beautiful body.

(3). BE FEARLESS - Overcome any obstacles and chase your dream!

(4). CELEBRATE IMPERFECTIONS - All those 'beauty is about symmetry' craps are foolish and nonsense! Perfect beauty doesn't exist. Therefore, celebrate those unique facial features that you have.

(5). EXPLORE YOUR CREATIVITY - Let your creativity shine by picking up those brushes and stroke on a living canvas (you!). Creating a beautiful you is art ;)

I hope you find those advices I've compiled together useful and thoughtful. Who knows you might just need them on one rainy day. Heading to my Hatha yoga class now, so signing out! 

Take care, Beauties!

Sweetie Pie's Return

He FINALLY came back after a long month being away from his beloved wife, family, cat and home!

Picked him up at KLIA!

That gorgeous smile and cheerful laugh of his totally lighted up every single corner of our condo and now it is back to its original ambience, filled with so much love and laughter.

Of course, he didn't come back empty handed. Our fridge is now stocked with delicious chocs (not a good snack for your skin), and additional fridge magnets to our current collection, and I was surrounded with pink stuffs! Yeay!!

Victoria's Secret's merchandises (a pink cosmetic bag was my fave), a Hepburn pink table clock and a pair of fluffy house slippers were more than enough to make me smile up to my ears the whole week! And did I mention, we went to Pet's World Exhibition at Midvalley right after Sweetie Pie's arrival at KLIA? Yeah, and it was a lot of fun and cutie, Polly, got a lil something too. A new cat furniture at a knocked down price! She loved it!

Pet's World Exhibition, entrance fee was RM5.

Having a blast with her new toy furniture.

I would never want Sweetie Pie to be away overseas for such a long period of time, but the waiting was worthwhile. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all, as presents would come together in the package. Hehe :D 

Durian Buffet

An unfortunate event repeated again yesterday. I blacked out in the morning at class due to low blood pressure. It was a depressing moment by I couldn't be more grateful to have such wonderful friends around me. They helped me back home safely before Sweetie Pie could take over his official duty of taking good care of me. Yeah, he took a day off the moment he got the news. Another great human being in my humble life. Alhamdulillah.

Talking bout those unbelievably great friends, we made a lunch trip down to SS2 for a durian buffet! Yeah, I know some might interpret durians as fruit with a smelly-human's-feet smell, but we couldn't get enough of them! They were just yummy! So, at SS2, there were whole lot of stalls offering durian all-you-can-eat buffet as it is currently durian's season. 

We were all charged RM9 per head to enjoy as much as durian kampung that we could eat. And they were all split opened for us! Imagine our joy!

Vennicia, Jennie, June (trainer), and myself.

All the opened durian on our table. Heaven!

Anem, Sze Qian, and Shi Man.

"Oh, this one is juicy!" - June

Among us all, there was one who actually thought that durian stinks! She couldn't even inhale the smell, what more eating them.

Poor, Angeline :(

And I ate this much!! :D

We totally enjoyed our first lunch treat together and trust me, those durians were more than enough to fill those empty stomachs after a long day at class. Caring for the skin is important, so does caring for our craves for durian :D All we needed was a coconut drink and liters of water to calm our stimulated bodies.

Are you a fan of durian? Perhaps you should try the buffet!

Adult Acne

The school holidays has started, so of course, wedding bells were everywhere! I actually followed my parents for a trip around the South for 4 weddings in 2 days last weekend, and trust me, eating nasi minyak from one place to another wasn't that much of a great experience. The moment I reached home at Sri Hartamas on Sunday, bathroom became my favourite place in our condo as I visited it every couple of hours. Lucky Sweetie Pie wasn't around to have witnessed me conquering the bathroom.

Anyway, last 2 weeks we've talked bout the importance of a balanced hormones in our body. Now, I would like to share with all of you fellow readers bout the most dreaded skin condition among us ladies, acne.

When a person above the age of 25 is constantly experiencing breakouts at certain/all parts of the face, he/she is suffering a condition called adult acne. It is mainly associated with active sebaceous (oil) glands in the follicles, as well as overproduction of androgens (male hormones) in the body. Those who suffers adult acne will have sensitive or sensitized skin which needs extra gentle care or it will worsen the condition of the skin.

The strength level of your immune system plays such an important role in curing adult acne. The organs associated in your immune system hafta be in their best condition, in order to create high level of protection armies, fighting bacterias that have been invading the follicles in the your skin.

An active sebaceous gland which causes blockage at the follicle. Blackhead (open comedone) is formed due to oxidation of the sebum

When harmful bacterias starts feeding off the sebum at the face surface of your skin, your skin will experience inflammation that will eventually turns into acne. Trust me, it is not pretty. But fear not, dear folks. Adult acne is curable but quite tricky. You need lotsa drive and determination on wanting a healthy beautiful skin.

To cure adult acne internally, you'll hafta boost your immune system (the natural fighter) to its maximum capacity. There are a few supplements out there that will help you polish the gears of the organs combined in your immune system. Externally, you'll need a damn good range of products to treat your skin from within. You'll definitely not see the results overnight, but never give up, dear folks. Give the products at least a month to work their magic.

You have no idea how great the power of cleansing, toning, exfoliating, and moisturizing. NEVER skip any of the steps mentioned, or your skin will start screaming and coding S.O.S. signs at the surface. Treat your skin well, and they'll repay you with the most valuable gifts ever. Beautiful glowing skin, confidence, and happiness :)

Unreleased/trapped energy inside the body which eventually turned into stress, will release toxins that affects the immune system. Once the immune system is wrecked, acne will start to form as the protection and barriers have shattered. So ladies, don't stress yourselves out unnecessarily. Stay positive and avoid negativity that surrounds you. Can't handle something that bothers you? Let it all out and transfer those trapped negative energy to mother earth (stepping on the ground), any forms of exercise or socialize with those who understands you.

Now that I'm equipped with all kinds of useful knowledge bout the skin and systems related to it, I'm more than happy to share all that I know to the whole world via 1 on 1 consultation or blog posts. I even invited people around me that I care bout to experience the magic of a single facial treatment that instantly transformed their skin appearance, either to my humble shack at Sri Hartamas or the academy I'm currently studying at. 

Future sis-in-law, Bella, paid me a visit at the academy. She was rewarded with a full treatment that made her skin instantly glow from within. 

Hope all of the information given above will be useful to any of you out there suffering adult acne. Remember to love and respect yourself by taking very great care of yourselves before demanding for love and respect from others. 

Til the next beauty topic to be discussed here! Goodnite! :D

P/S : Eat a banana and apple a day to treat acne prone skin. Rub banana peel to acne-infected part of the skin till the peel goes brown.Leave your skin dry for at least 10mins before washing the peel off your skin. You'll be amazed with the result ;)

Beauty Talk

It's funny how the female brains work. Obsessing about millions of things all together at a period of time is something that men's brains can't do, but us. Personally, I have problems dividing attention to all of my obsession in my brain. They keep blinking simultaneously in my head like 'Wheel of Fortune' s unrevealed letters, demanding for attention, resulting to overspending of my salary and pocket money every single month. Particularly when I decide to pay attention to ALL of my attention seeking obsessions. A new Louis Vuitton, Forever New dress, Ferragamo ballerinas, Allure (every issue), books from the 'New Arrival' shelves at Kinokuniya, new mineral makeup and skin care products in the pages of magazines, Sweetie Pie (priority!), cleaning and sanitizing the condo, spending time with besties, froyos and fries, homeworks and assignments, Polly, visiting parents as frequent as possible, and........more. All in my tiny little brain! Goodness! It is no surprise that our foreheads have been forming wrinkly fine lines even as early as the age of 18!

We all have the same problem, ladies. But it is all about making smart decisions and prioritizing what's more important. Such as your kids, husband/boyfriend, parents, education, career, and most importantly YOURSELF. Your health and beauty matters most and I believe all of you must know why. The healthier and prettier you are, the happier you'll be, and the rest will just fall at the right places. Yeah, once that happy hormone conquered your entire system, WHAMMM! Like having a magic wand, things will go the way you want it. But of course, along with the blessing and permission from Allah S.W.T. :)

Putting aside the other craps (obsession), I'm currently focusing more on happiness and looking good (inside and outside) for my husband and myself. It feels so great to have gained a little weight and not looking haggard due to inconsistency of my sleeping pattern and higher level of stress. Aware of my passion towards health and beauty, Ibu invited me to tag along while she attended a beauty talk organized by Menara Esthetics and Wellness Clinic last Saturday.

Overall, it was an informative talk, hosted by Dr Linda, Ibu's close acquaintance. Basically, she fed our minds bout the importance of a well balanced hormones in our body to fight aging process. The main female hormones in our body, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone (male hormone), insulin, melatonin and etc, have to be equally sufficient and work harmoniously in the system to stall the process of aging and avoid uninvited disease such as obesity and diabetes. Hair loss, trouble sleeping at night, short length of period/menstruation, weight gain, dry skin were all the early signs of premature menopause, caused by the imbalance of hormones in our body. Honestly, those detailed knowledge on hormones were new to me. Never thought that balancing the hormones could be so essential!

Besides listening to the talk, there were also activities held such as free facial, makeup demonstration, skin analysis, and products (approved by esthetic doctors) selling booths. Yummy refreshments were also served :)

Ibu and Dr Linda.

I was simply lucky to just be there accompanying Ibu as I benefited from it, tremendously! All of us received a goody bag filled with product samples, free expensive items from all purchases, and Ibu even bought me a fantastic lip plumper from KISS (a mineral makeup product brand) which contains Niacin (Vitamin B) and Dligopeptides to effortlessly plump and increase the collagen level in the lips. It is Halal and contains zero harmful chemicals to the skin.

Exciting, huh?

Did I mention that there were lucky draws with super expensive prizes too? And Ibu was among the lucky ones to get picked and received a prize! She won a set of treatment products by CL IV. Good for her! :)

Now that I've lived separately from my parents, attending a beauty talk was definitely a great way of spending time (besides shopping and eating out) with Ibu as we shared the same interest. It was beneficial and so much fun! We're so gonna do this again in the nearest future :)