Moving On

Thank you for visiting here.

This blog started way back on the year 2006 and have grown along with me throughout the years. And now I have felt that it's time for me to move on.

More posts and updates will no longer be written in this blog, but the blog will still be open as an archive of my old writings. And I will be publishing a new space, where I would post any ideas, notes, and even my recent works. Thank you again for everyone, old readers and new.

My new journal available at:

http://dossierie.com/

xoxo,
Dee

Current Addiction: Shugo Tokumaru



Check out one of his music video:
Shugo Tokumaru - "Katachi" (Official Music Video)

Official Website: http://www.shugotokumaru.com/

PepperPotts Photoshoot

I have finally decided to start selling out some of my knitting works. My knitting line is called Pepperpotts and I have also launched a special online page where I posted the collections that are available for sale.

A few days earlier (before the blog and online shop was launched) I had two days of photoshoot for the collections, hiring my own husband as the photographer and myself as the model.

Day 1 of photoshoot

Had the short photoshoot session at one of Jakarta's own city park that was located at the center of the city. It didn't go as well as planned, since we got stuck in traffic jam a bunch of times on our way there - it turned out that one of the presidential candidates and a large crowd was visiting the election committee's office nearby. well, we're not voting for them - so we only had a couple of shots taken then we moved to another venue.

Too bad though, because the weather was totally perfect.



What I wear on top: Red dress by Dlaalune, Denim legging by CottonInk, Blue Frilly Scarf/Beige Infinity Shawl/Knitted Pumpkin hat by Pepperpotts

Day 2 of photoshoot

This time we decided that we wouldn't go too far from home, so we went to the nearby park and one of the malls we hangout so often at. The weather and sunlight was awesome, we totally had a great time. And since it was done at working hours, both of the venue wasn't too crowded so we took our time and actually had a lot of great photos.





What I wear: Black dress by ASOS, unbranded tights, Shoes by Kickers, Light Blue Infinity Shawl/Gray Neck Warmer by Pepperpotts, Chicago Totebag.

We spent the rest of the afternoon (and evening) window-shopping at the mall and ended up shopping.
Dating while working is always fun :)

My husband with his new pair of Wakai shoes

My Chicago totebag. I'm thinking of selling these totebag also. What do you think?



Well there you go, a sneak preview of what I've been doing and what's coming on my little project. You can visit and start shopping for Pepperpotts' first ever collection, SIGNATURE. Links added below.



PEPPERPOTTS
Online shop: http://pepperpottsproject.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/pepperpottsknit
Blog: http://pepperpottsdiary.blogspot.com/

melantur

Seperti bangkit dari mati suri. Akhir saya kembali membuka halaman demi halaman coretan tangan, kumpulan gambar dan potongan-potongan kenangan saya di blog ini.

Seperti halnya saya yang pernah berkata bahwa hidup adalah rollercoaster, hidup pun telah memberikan saya perjalanan yang penuh ombang-ambing dalam kurun waktu singkat selama saya berhenti menulis. Dan saat ini saya seperti kehilangan arah.

Pernah merasa memiliki sebuah tempat berteduh yang begitu nyaman hingga kamu lupa caranya menghindari perubahan cuaca yang selalu datang dan pergi tanpa peringatan? Atau memiliki sebuah tempat untuk berpegang sehingga ketika bumi terasa berayun kencang semua goncangan tidak berasa, dan ketika pegangan tangan itu lepas yang terasa hanyalah tubuh kita jatuh dan jatuh dan jatuh.

Saya bukan hanya seperti kehilangan arah, tapi juga seperti tersesat dalam langkah kaki saya sendiri. Dan yang saya rasakan hanyalah betapa jauhnya orang-orang berada saat ini sehingga saya tidak dapat lagi berteriak memohon pertolongan. Saya sudah tidak bisa lagi menangis karena tahu tidak akan ada lagi yang dapat mendengar.

Kata "takut" terdengar seperti an understatement. Saya bukan lagi merasa takut. Saya tidak lagi merasa. Hanya tersesat, dan tak tahu lagi harus mengarah ke mana.

Hidup memang mengejutkan. Tapi yang paling mengejutkan adalah ketika saya sadar bahwa bahkan ketika saya dalam sekian tahun selalu mengingatkan diri untuk bersiap akan hal apapun yang disodorkan kepada saya, tetap saja saya tidak siap untuk menghadapinya. Dan sekarang semua sudah terlambat.

Seandainya waktu bisa berputar balik. Seandainya saya bisa lebih bersiap diri. Seandainya ada yang bisa mendengar tanpa saya harus berbicara apapun dan memeluk saya tanpa bicara apapun. Seandainya saya bisa menghilangkan rasa kesepian yang menyakitkan ini. Seandainya menjadi dewasa tidak begitu terasa sepi. Mungkin suara di dalam kepala saya ini akan berhenti berteriak setiap saat dan saya bisa berpikir dengan lebih tenang untuk dapat menjalani semua. Mungkin.
At a cousin’s wedding event. While chatting with my grandmother, I saw a little girl, tall and skinny with a straight long hair, standing awkwardly in her purple dress and half clinging to her mother as if looking for protection.
I was reminded immediately to myself, on my early teenage years and thought of how much alike she is to how I was on those years.

And then a few minutes later her Mother approached this woman who sat next to me and told the girl to introduce herself.
The girl shakes the woman’s hand while introducing herself, “Dita”.
2013 
Diawali dengan langkah-langkah kecil baru dalam hidup, pekerjaan baru, rumah kontrakan baru, teman-teman baru, bahkan anggota keluarga baru.

Kemudian sedikit demi sedikit Tuhan memberikan ujian-ujianNya.

Pada pertengahan tahun Ibu menjalani operasi pengangkatan tumor payudaranya. Dan berturut-turut keluarga kami kehilangan orang-orang yang berharga.
Dimulai dari Pakde Djarot, paman yang banyak berjasa untuk keluarga kami dan berperan dalam acara pernikahan saya dengan suami di tahun 2012, meninggal menjelang puasa setelah berjuang melawan kanker paru-paru.
Tak lama kami kehilangan Eyang Is, tante dari Ibu yang juga meninggal setelah beberapa lama sakit. Mendekati akhir tahun cobaan semakin berat datang.
Om Ayik, adik kandung Ibu dan bapak kedua saya yang saya panggil dengan sebutan Papi Ayik, harus berjuang menghadapi kanker hati dan berpulang di awal November.

Pada waktu yang sama orangtua saya pun sakit.

Maka saya pun meninggalkan pekerjaan saya dan saya bersama suami kembali ke rumah orangtua saya supaya saya bisa selalu mendampingi Ibu yang setelah kehilangan adiknya langsung mulai dirawat di RS karena serangan tumor ganasnya.

Awal Desember Ibu berpulang ke Rahmatullah dan tepat di penghujung tahun Bapak pun pergi menyusul Ibu.

Masya Allah... 

Mungkin rasa sakit di dada dan kehilangan yang luar biasa ini akan butuh waktu yang lama untuk sembuh dari cobaan yang bertubi-tubi datang di tahun ini. Tapi saya benar-benar berharap bahwa tahun mendatang akan lebih "terang" baik untuk keluarga dan diri saya sendiri.
Semoga bisa jadi lebih kuat.
Semoga kami bisa meneruskan cita-cita dan berbagai ajaran hidup Bapak Ibu dan mereka yang telah pergi meninggalkan kami.
Semoga...

Selamat tahun baru 2014. 
Bersyukurlah untuk hadirnya orang terkasih yang ada di samping kalian saat ini. Jangan sia-siakan segala momen hidup yang kalian miliki.

Salam,
Dita.
Mom & Dad
on their 30th wedding anniversary dinner

"Ibu sama bapak itu kaya kisah Romi dan Yuli ya. Dari SMA sampai seumur ini", Ibu - sewaktu sakit.

"Bapak ibumu memang kaya Romeo&Juliet ya. Apa-apa sama-sama, susah senang sama-sama, sekarang sakit aja kok sama-sama", Eyang Uti.

Gak pernah menyangka Bapak Ibu bisa berjodoh dunia-akhirat seperti ini.

2013 jadi masa yang tersulit untuk keluarga kami, dari eyang Is, dua paman tercinta, kemudian Ibu berturut-turut pergi meninggalkan kami.
Dan pagi ini kami kehilangan bapak kami, yang setelah berminggu-minggu merindukan Ibu akhirnya menyusul Ibu ke surga.

Semoga Bapak Ibu bisa bersatu dalam damai di Surga. We love you forever, Mom and Dad.

Always.

Dedicated to 
Our beloved Father, 
alm. Sri Danardono (26 April 1955 - 30 December 2013)


Each year on Mother’s day I always wake up in the morning and rush to find you in your bedroom or at the dining room and I would kiss your forehead before sitting with you having tea and plan for our special dinner. I did that this morning and you were nowhere there. I miss you, Mother. I hate this a lot.

Happy Mother’s day, Mom.

I am sending my prayers as always for your peace in heaven and sending my kisses through the air I’m breathing.

I love you, Mom
You are the light of my life.
You are my angel.
You are my inspiration.
You are my ultimate hero.
You are the one I run to whenever I am scared, alone and lost.
You are the one who always hugged me and tell me that everything will be alright.
You are the most forgiving person I have ever known.

Thank you will never be enough to repay everything you have done for us.
Forgive me for not being able to give you more.

I will always remember your beautiful voice, your beautiful smile, and the warmth of your touch.
My love for you is eternal.

Rest in peace, Mother.

Our beautiful Mother,
Alm. R. Ay. Waty Ariani Hestiwulan
(6 Agustus 1956 - 6 Desember 2013)

You are my home...


Mengutip sebuah tulisan lama:
"it's amazing how life can play tricks on us."

Ketika waktu terus berjalan tanpa henti, hidup - melalui jalannya yang terus bercabang - juga terus bergerak. Dan di atas jalan hidup kita berdua terus berjalan, terkadang berdampingan tapi terkadang berjauhan, menuju arah yang sama.

Semua berawal dari tahun 2003. Dan semenjak itu berbagai kejadian telah kita hadapi, berbagai kejutan hidup kita lewati, dan entah seberapapun jauhnya kita berjalan kita selalu saling menemukan lagi di tikungan-tikungan kecil yang kita lewati. Sepanjang waktu dan hidup yang berjalan mata dan hati kita tampaknya memandang terlalu jauh ke depan, tanpa melihat ke kanan ataupun ke kiri, melupakan banyak hal yang ikut berjalan di sekeliling kita, dan selalu gagal menghindari lubang yang menganga di depan langkah kita. 

"life is beautiful with all its tricks and surprises."

Tahun 2010, hidup lagi-lagi memberikan kejutannya. Di saat kita sama-sama terpuruk di dalam lubang, setelah kita sebelumnya berjalan saling meninggalkan, tikungan itu muncul lagi. Dan kali ini kita baru menyadari, bahwa kita selalu tetap berjalan searah namun berlari terlalu kencang dan melupakan satu sama lain.

Akhirnya perlahan-lahan potongan demi potongan puzzle yang selama ini kita cari itu pun terkumpul. Dan kita dapat melengkapinya bersama. Kemudian pada tahun 2012 kita memenuhi beberapa potongannya bersama mereka yang telah menjadi saksi kejutan-kejutan kecil kita. 

***

Ada sebuah potongan puzzle dari hari itu yang terlambat untuk dibagi, tapi selama waktu dan hidup masih berjalan tampaknya kata 'terlambat' terlalu tabu untuk diucapkan.

Untuk kalian yang telah lama ada di sekeliling kami dan selalu ada untuk berbagi, silakan menikmati...


World's full of strangers
You're the only one I see
No matter how far I'm lost
Always coming back to you I'll be
Life tells us nothing
They make what we believe
Wrote down words to a story
Full of flashes of memories
 
This has been a nice, nice dream
Don't fade as I wake
For I'll be here for you to take
 
You are a piece of my surprise
Hidden beneath all mysteries
It's you who I want to keep and to keep me forever
 
I know I've gone too far for too long
I'm coming home
 
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
I'm coming home
To you
 
I'm coming home

-HOME-
 
Song/arr. : Wahyu Adi Pramardika
Lyrics : Dita Wisnuwardani

A Short Getaway

Last week I went to a short trip with my husband on his company's one day tour. The company where my husband is working at held this short trip for their employees to West Java, starting the tour at Carita Resort, then to Tangkuban Perahu and then finished the tour at Lembang. All of the destinations were at the mountains area on West Java, so it was actually quite refreshing since Jakarta's weather was extremely hot.

We didn't take any photos at Carita, but my husband (and everyone else, of course) had a lot of fun bathing at the steamy hot pool. The resort that we went to at Carita was a huge area of public pool and baths with hot water. The natural mountain water was mixed with sulfur that came from the deep mountain that cause the water to be really hot, and they also said that bathing in the water could cure a lot of sickness.

We took more photos at the next destination, Tangkuban Perahu. It was really awesome to be back there again since my last visit many many years ago, which I took with my family back when I was a child. It's really crowded now but the view was really beautiful. Too bad that only after about 15 minutes that we got to the crater (which is located at the peak), it immediately started to rain and the fog got so thick that we couldn't take any photos of the crater. The weather was so cold but fresh. I was grateful that I wore a thick cardigan on the trip.

What I wore: Apricot Striped Tribal Asymmetric Hem Cardigan Sweater from SheInside, Brown Top from Shopatvelvet, Logo Jeans, CottonInk x TLTSN Flat Shoes




Though we didn't take any photos of the crater, we did take photos on the scenery. And we also noticed that the forest surrounding the crater site and the forest that we passed along the way looked really awesome, both mystical and beautiful at the same time. Here are some of the photos that I posted on instagram from the tour. 

 



The photos of the surrounding forest I postes on Instagram.
My husband took this with camera that we brought at the tour.
See how serious my husband looks trying to look at the crater through the fog :*
Taken from my husband's Instagram. Looks so mystical with the wet earth and the fog. Love it so much...
The one day tour really reminds me how I miss travelling with my husband. Hope we can have another travelling trip together again soon.

Until next time!

xoxo,
Dee~~ ♥



Monday Inspirations: Creative Presentation


Read more on the ideas shared by the video on these following links:
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/10/23/susan-cain-molly-crabapple-rsa/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU&feature=youtu.be

November Project: Two-tone Knitted Shawl



DIY Project: Handmade Craft Journal

It's been awhile since I updated this blog. I won't exactly use my current activities as the reasons to my lackness of blogging, but let me just say that my current mood to write is a bit off...I just don't spend that much time in front of computers lately except for working. For this first comeback post I'll try to share something from my current hobbies.

I have been developing a new hobby lately on crafting. I have started scrapbooking, both digital and paper scrapbook, and I also started knitting and learning how to sew. I guess I got too deep into these new hobbies of mine that I kind of not having some extra time to write.

But I do miss writing, and since it's been years that I don't have any personal diary book (I use to have some when I was growing up), I decided to have another one again now that I actually have a lot stories and problems and ideas to share. I wanted to have a special book to write on, and have been looking for a notebook with special designs that would make me love the book enough to write on them often but i couldn't find the perfect kind of book that I like. So I figured, "Why not make my own? So I can have a special diary book that will show my personality best?". And so I did...

                                                

Let me share how I made it...

First, I prepared the items that I need to make it. I found this black notebook at Grand Indonesia which have unlined pages and the kind of paper that I love, and I prepared some fabrics to make the special covers. The first fabric was a pink double chiffon with butterfly graphics that I chose because I adore butterflies dearly, and the second fabric was a white lace with flower details that was actually the same fabric as my wedding outfit. Other items I prepared was sme scrapbook materials, contains of vintage butterflies pieces from Prima Flowers, and some of the digital scrapbook materials that I have printed on recycled papers. If you want to do this at home, I suggest that you pick any kind of notebook that you like or most comfortable in writing on and make sure that the covers are plain and thick enough so it would hold the fabrics perfectly. And you can choose any kind of fabrics that you like most, or perhaps use wrapping papers if you prefer them more. I also use special glue that I use for scrapbooks and crafting, and a sharp scissors.

The materials needed
 Now once everything is ready, let's start the steps.
  • Measure the fabrics so it can cover the whole surface of the notebook perfectly, and make sure that there's a lot of extra fabric. It's better to have more than less. And then put glue on the edges of the front of the outside covers evenly and generously, but be careful not to put too much so the covers and the fabrics can get too wet from it. Pull the first fabric straight above the surface and gently press them on the covers until it stays. Make sure there's no air bubble on the surface. If you can see at the image below that there's a dark line at the edges, that's exactly where I applied the glue. If you apply them too wide on the surface it will show through the fabric so be extra careful about it. Do the exact same thing to the backside covers.

The first fabric applied evenly covering the surface of the notebook's cover

  • After you have applied the fabric to the front and back covers, you can have fun with the covers. What I did to my diary was I add some of the scrapbook materials on the front covers for decorations. I used one of the scrapbook items that I printed on recycled paper at the center and I put some of the Prima Flowers butterflies around it to give the extra touch on the butterfly theme.

This is how I decorate my front covers. I then added my name at the center with my own handwriting

  •  Once you're done decorating the front covers, now it's time to add the second fabric, the white lace. Do the exact same steps as the first step above on applying the glue and fabric to the covers. Since both fabrics that I used were so delicate, I had to be careful when I was applying the glue. And since the first layer of glue would come through the fabrics so I actually didn't have to apply much of the glue for the second time. I just have to add a little amount at the exact same area as the layers of glue underneath and let them rest just as that. After this step I let the book stayed one night to let the fabric stay at place and let the glue, fabric and cover dry, so I can go to the next steps more easily.

How it looks like after I apply the second fabric.
Don't worry about the excess fabric at the adges, we''l work on that later.

  •  Next step - which I continued the night after - was to do the inside cover. Since if I let the fabrics only covering the outside covers and trim the rest at the edges won't make the covers look neat enough, I figured that it's best to flip it to the inside covers. This step is a little tricky so be careful. First, apply glue at the inside covers (what I mean by inside covers is the surface exactly beneath the ones that you've done before), and again apply the glue evenly and generously only at the edge of the surface. Right after you've done so, pull the excess part of the first fabric straight across the surface you're covering until it sets evenly and press hard until it stays. And then add a little more glue at the exact spot as before but this time on the fabric, then pull the second fabric the same way to cover the first. Make sure they covers evenly at the surface without any air bubbles. And while you're doing both steps, flip along the fabrics at the other side edges to the insides and arrange so the other sides of the excess fabrics are evenly covered by each other.

                    


  •  After you have flipped all the excess fabrics to the inside covers, take the first pages after both the front and back covers and glue the edges of the opposite pages from the surfaces that you just worked with. Usually some notebooks have that extra first page which were made with different material papers than the papers in the body of the book, you can use this. And just use the paper of the very last page of the book for the back cover. This way you don't have to worry if you make a mess on the fabrics that you flipped to the inside. Just glues these papers together with the inside covers that you just worked on and makes sure that all fabrics are neatly set between the covers that you've wrapped with the fabrics and the glued paper opposite them. Press hard so they will set in place perfectly. See the image below to see clearer.

Glue the first and last page to the inside cover to cover the excess fabric.
                                
See how the edges are automatically trimmed.
Then press hard so it will set.


  •  To make the whole covers set perfectly let it stay overnight until the glue and the whole fabric and covers/papers are dry. I pressed the under a heavy dictionary for one night so the whole cover that I worked with will stay in place until they are dry.
  • Take a look at your diary the next night/morning. If all the wet glue are dried, and both front and back covers are as stiff as a novel book covers, then you are done. Enjoy your own custom made diary book.
There it is. The final result, my own custom made diary.
That's all the steps needed. If you're interested to know more or confused with the steps, feel free to email me with questions.

Until next time!

xoxo,
Dee~~ ♥

Current Moodbooster



Two of my favorite songs by my favorite artist, amazingly performed live. Enjoy :)

Current Addiction

Kimbra
Angus and Julis Stone
Gotye
Warpaint