Monday, September 12, 2011

Travels in my head: The house that we built.

On this day, where the skies are no longer blue and the air conditioning is still broken, I'm inspired to travel inside my head to escape this reality for a mere moment.

I head to my shop, eager to start the day. I've brought some new samples that I've been making in my studio the past week. Inspired by my last dive in Maldives, my new collection has some 'fishy' elements injected into it. The break was a welcomed one, and nothing refreshes me better than the clear blue azure waters and colourful marine life. I knew I could trust my partner Arina to take care of things while I was gone. I'm blessed with good people.

Boxes, stationery, dolls and miniature furniture. Who would have thought those would belong together happily under one roof? Well they do. In my shop that is. When I first started, I just figured that the ingredients of my shop would be happiness and love. The actual products and services? It was a result of well, happiness and love.

My love for design transcends all disciplines and mediums, I couldn't decide. So in the end, I figured, why not just do everything?

To me, good design makes people happy. That's it.

Having taught graphic design for a while before I started to to go full fledged business woman, helped me meet a lot of people without whom, my shop wouldn't be here today. And this shop, this is what makes me happy. I'm happy when making things that make people happy. I am happy looking for new experiences to get new ideas and inspirations. Great ideas are everywhere, looking for it and knowing how to use it is the fun part. The challenge would be translating it to a design that works. But when it finally comes to life and you see the joy that lights up in people's eyes when they see your design? That is my bliss. It is what beauty in the form of beautiful things, do, give pleasure and delight. And it is definitely delightful.

While I was working on my prototypes, my husband was busy with his. Our studio at the topmost room of the house is even bigger than our bedroom. We spend most of our time there. Play and work are one and the same for us. Alhamdulillah, we are blessed with the ability to work by doing things that we love. My husband with his toys and me, with mine. And the twins have their own space here, Khazana preferring to help her Daddy while Kaizen is my little design protege. All those books and toys we bought for them are also our references so it makes sense to put it all in one big space.

When either or both of us needs a break, we just walk out to the rooftop garden and enjoy the view of the sky reflected on the lake. This was truly a dream house. And the endless supplies of Shaza's bakes and cookies ensure our lasting bevy of comfort food.

The best times are when we have friends and family over. Over the years, we built friendships that hopefully lasts a lifetime, now they have become our family friends and these people, we trust with our lives. They were with us all the way, some of them since school, and some of them, whom Allah has fated to enter our lives and enriched us with their love and camaraderie.

Every time we have a family gathering it is chaotic, because its so hard to get everyone together because they are super busy, that when we finally do get together, we use what little time we have, and make the most of it. It gets a bit crazy at times (in a good way of course). I mean, it is actually a good thing that everyone is busy, it just means that they have lives to get back to. And I know, no matter what, we all love each other, and that's all that matters. And it is during these times at the gatherings in this house, that I prefer to be the quiet one and just stand back to capture that mental image of the joy on our parents faces to see everyone together.

I'm pregnant with our third child, we don't know whether its a girl or a boy yet, so no names have been planned as yet. As I'm touching my growing belly, I am grateful that this child will be born into a household though not perfect, will always be filled with love. As God has shown his bounty in this world for me, I raise my two hands in syukur and hope that He will love us as much if not more in the hereafter as well.