DIY Bedroom Decor - DIY #2 Glass Bottles Decor

So I'm back with my second DIY blog post. If you haven't checked my first one, go check it out as well. If you are not keen on reading about this DIY, I've also made a video of the DIYs that I did prior to re-decorating my sister's bedroom on Youtube.

If you are still here, let's get the project started!

DIY #2 Glass Bottle Decor

So I thought that it would be cool to turn some used glass bottles into decor pieces. It's kinda like decor vases which people place on top of tables or desks or it could also be something functional e.g. stationery holder, make-up brushes holder etc. This DIY is considered a smaller scale project. It's not too difficult to do and you can even do it with your own sense of style. So the supplies that I used are as follows:

+ Glass bottles (Different sizes and shapes)

+ Masking Tape

+ Glue gun or multi-purpose glue

+ Hemp cord

+ Spray paint

+ Acrylic Paint + brush

I worked with four different class bottles for this DIY. So in this post, I'm going to refer to these four bottles as A, B, C and D.

1. Bottle A and B

For these two bottles, I DIYed them with the same style. I wrapped some parts of the bottles with masking tape and A4 paper, leaving some parts exposed for painting. Then, using flat white spray paint, I spray painted them thoroughly. I also spray painted them with a clear coat spray paint so that the color won't peel easily.

Once dried, I dip a painting brush with some acrylic paint, and using my thumb, I flicked the brush letting the paint splatter on the bottle. I did the flicking motion randomly until I've covered all parts of the bottle. There was no specific design or anything. It was just random splatters. So you'll end up with some texture and abstract details on your bottle which I think looks really cool and cute.

Acrylic paint is fast-drying, so be sure to wash your hands immediately after you're done with it. So here we have some two cool half-painted glass bottle decor.

2. Bottle C

For bottle C, there was nothing fancy for it. I just spray painted bottle C with golden yellow spray paint, covering the bottle from top to bottom. I was really just experimenting with colors for this one since I have an extra can of spray paint. Surprisingly it looks 10 times better than it used to be. 

3. Bottle D

For this last bottle, I spray painted the middle part of the bottle only. I covered the top and the bottom of bottle D with masking tape. The plan was to wrap the part which was not painted with hemp cords. 

Once dried, I cut some 1mm hemp cord into smaller lengths so that it'll be easier to wrap it around the bottle. To start wrapping, I glued the tip of them hemp cord to the bottle and made sure that the tip stuck properly. After that, I started wrapping closely to each turn. You don't have to glue the entire bottle. Only use the glue when it's necessary. Maybe after 2-3 turns, you can put some glue to make sure it's properly secured and then continue wrapping the hemp cord. 

To finish bottle D, I burnt the excess strands that were coming out from the hemp cord. Just use a lighter and move it around the cord very quickly. 

4. Finishing touches

So this how my glass bottles look like. To finish the pieces you can put dried leaves, faux flowers, or even use them to store your own personal items.

So that is all for this post! I have one more DIY project that I wanted to share which is also my personal favorite! So be sure to check my next post as well. If you are more interested to watch me do these DIYs, head on to my Youtube Channel and watch it there. Until next time! :)

DIY Bedroom Decor - DIY#1 Hanging Wall Shelves

It's a tough time for the world right now. Coronavirus really took the world by storm. I hope everyone is staying safe whether at work or at home.

As for me, I'm making use of this time for some DIY projects. I decided to help my sister to re-decorate her bedroom. Well, she'd been asking for my help for almost a year but I just didn't have the time. I was busy with work and studying. Now, since it's quarantine period, I thought what else to do than make use of this time to help her with the bedroom? So that's exactly what I'm going to share with you guys in this post.

But I'm not exactly sharing the bedroom makeover just yet. I'm only going to share three DIY projects that I did prior to that. These DIYs vary in terms of scale. There's one small, one medium, and one quite large-scale project. Nonetheless, I'm pretty sure most people can do it as well. Oh btw, I realized that this post is going to be quite long. So I'm only featuring one DIY here. The other two will be featured in another post.

I even documented these projects on my youtube channel. Go check the video out if you would enjoy watching me doing the projects instead of reading about it here.

Well, if you are still here, then let's get this project started!

DIY #1 Hanging Wall Shelves

So this first DIY is the one which I considered a quite large-scale project. I'm saying this because for this project, I actually worked with some power tools. I used a jigsaw and a power drill. Other supplies needed besides the power tools are as follows:

+ Pine Pallet Wood
+ Flat wood bracket
+ 9mm Jute rope
+ Wall hooks + Wall plugs
+ Wood stain
+ Sander/ Sandpaper

1. Cutting the wood

Like I mentioned earlier, I did use some power tools for this first DIY. I started this DIY from scratch. I have some extra pallet wood from my previous project (I built a bed frame using the pallet wood). So I decided to use them for this DIY instead of buying new pallet wood. This particular pallet wood is pine wood. There are lots of different types of pallet wood but pine pallet wood is the best to work with (at least for me) for interior decoration. They are easy to cut, sand, and stain/paint. if you're looking for industrial or farmhouse aesthetics, pinewood can give you that.

First, I dismantled the wood pieces from the whole chunk. If you buy raw pallet wood like this, you'll have to do a lot of prep work. That's a lot of work honestly. But for the whole chunk, which costs me only RM10, I couldn't care less. You can buy reconditioned/refurbished pinewood from Shopee or Lazada, or even from any wood supplier near you, but it would cost you a lot. The price ranges from RM10-RM15 for one piece of a 1" x 4" x 4' wood. So if you're planning to do a bigger project, you'll have to do the math.

I'm going to build 2 hanging wall shelves. So I cut 4 pieces of 50cm wood, each shelf will have 2 pieces of wood bound together. You can choose whatever length you want. I went with 50cm because it would fit my wall just nicely.

2. Drilling some holes

Next, I drilled one hole on each end of the wood. These holes are for the jute rope that is going to hold the shelves. So after drilling make sure you test the size of the hole. Make sure the jute rope can go through the hole. If not, you will have to drill a bigger hole.

3. Sanding the wood

I sanded the wood using my drill and a flap disc. Flap disc is meant for sanding metal most of the time. But I found it useful to be used on wood as well. If you have a sanding machine, that would be better. But if you don't have any power tools, afraid not. You can still use sanding paper and sand them manually. Just got to put a little bit more effort there.

4. Binding the wood

I bind the two wood pieces together using a bracket. I didn't have any flat brackets. So I flattened two L-shape brackets and screwed them onto the wood. It doesn't have to be too sturdy. As long as the two pieces of wood are attached to each other, that's good enough. So I used one bracket for each shelf and screwed them in the middle.

5. Staining the wood

I already have a can of wood stain from a previous project. It was the 'golden pine' wood stain from Seamaster. Since I already planned to incorporate a lot of gold and yellow color in the bedroom, it was a perfect color to use for the shelves. You can personally choose your own color of stain for the shelves. Mahogany, rosewood, walnut, just to name a few.

Before staining, wipe your pinewood with a damp cloth to remove the dust and debris from the sanding earlier.Then, use a brush or a clean rag to spread the wood stain on your pinewood.

6. Drilling the wall

I traced the length of my shelves using masking tape on the wall. I did this because it would give me a better look at the layout for my shelves. One shelf will be hung slightly higher than the other. After that, I measured and marked the drilling spot for my shelves. I set them both to 30cm from the shelves (but I kinda readjusted a little bit after that).

I started drilling with a smaller drill bit then change to a bigger bit. Doing this made drilling easier instead of drilling with a bigger bit straight away because the concrete wall is super hard. Most western houses use drywall which is way softer and easier to drill. But Malaysian (southeast asian too?) houses, we use concrete walls. Also, make sure you drill deep enough so that your wall plug can fit all the way into the wall. I used a normal wall hook, which you can get from most hardware stores or even supermarkets, and spray painted them gold.

7. Hanging and finishing the shelves

Now it's time to hang the shelves and finish them off. First I insert the rope into the holes on the wood. I tied a knot for both holes on one side, but I left the rope on the other side as it is. I'm going to tie the other side once I have hung them on the wall.  So I went ahead and hang them and adjusted the rope length. It was slightly shorter than 30cm (which was my initial shelf-to-hook length). Once the shelves are adjusted and balanced, I tied the rope on the other side into a knot. I then cut the excess rope that was hanging just to give it a clean finish. You can also leave the excess rope and dissolve the excess to give a tassel-look.

So there you go. Two DIY hanging wall shelves. Two more DIYs will follow up in my next blog post. Thanks for reading and be sure the check my Youtube channel as well! Have a good day! :)

44th UKM Convocation Ceremony 2016

I officially graduated from the National University of Malaysia on the 7th of November. I don't know how I should feel about this. It was really exciting but at the same time, I felt sad and lost. It was good to see your parents smiling because of you. You proved to everyone that you had invested your time and effort for something fruitful. Now you have to start thinking about 'what's next?'.

I guess everyone had been thinking about the same thing since last September, right after we finished our internships. Some of my colleagues have already started working although they are yet to confirm a permanent position, but at least they have started. How about me?

Well, in case you wanted to know, currently I'm focusing on coaching taekwondo students, 4 days/ 18 hours per week. At least for now, that's what I do. I haven't applied for any professional jobs yet because I'm planning to travel to Australia for a while in December.

Whatever it is, I'm grateful for all the support given by family, friends and all teachers for the past 3 years.

Knowledge, experience, friendship.

I cherish them all. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

And here are some of the photos out of the convocation ceremony.

The gentlemen who have been right beside me since the first year.

Two families united !

ICM-GSMP Family in the Convocation gift book ! 

I'm Still Trying

I wouldn't say I gave my all.
I hardly do something right.
Yet, I'm not saying I screwed it.
I just haven't given my best.

People think I'm doing well.
Seemingly, I look well.
But inside, I'm not.
I feel guilty.
I'm a selfish, egotistical man who only thinks about himself.

I don't want to stay this way.
I've promised everyone I'll change.
I still need time.
I'm still trying.

The Craziest Trip to Hong Kong

I know the title sounds a bit too much. But for a first timer like me, it was indeed crazy as hell. Warning: This is going to be a very long post.

It was a 3D2N trip from the 5th-7th September 2016 and I went with a hometown friend, Faiz. So let's start !

Flight ticket?
Mine was bought a year earlier during one of the AirAsia Promo sale. I got mine for RM300+. But Faiz bought his a day before the trip and got his for RM800+ (Lol. Ikr? Crazy!). Both of us didn't buy any luggage weight/space. But I would recommend you to buy some. In case you decided to do a lil shopping in HK.

Pocket Money? Other budgets?
Well, personally, I think RM800 is enough. But since I had more than RM800, I spent more than just the essentials. Let me break things down for you.

Transportation = RM 150 (MTR.Teng-teng, bus)
Budget Hotel = RM200 (2 nights, twin room, aircond, wifi, heater, hairdryer)
Food = RM 150 (Arab food)
Disneyland = RM 270 (But I got it half price, courtesy of a friend working there)

Total = RM 770

You can save more through food. Our initial plan was to bring some instant noodles but we forgot. So we had to eat outside throughout the trip.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

Day 1 - 5th September

7.00AM
Flight at 7.10am and we almost missed it because we thought, AirAsia was definitely going to have a delay. It was a heart-thumping 3 minutes waiting for the gate-keeper to ask for the pilot's permission to let us in. Morale, always be early for your flight.

11.00AM
We arrived around 11.15 am and straight away took a train to Kowloon. We took the airport speed train,(similar to the one we have going to KLIA from KL sentral/TBS) which costed around RM 85 for a round-trip. Unless you're in a rush, this is not recommended because you can just take the free bus at the airport. Bus=1 hour. Speed Train=25mins.

2.00PM
Arrived in Kowloon, walked around Tsim Sha Tsui looking for Nathan road, and found a budget hotel. We searched this place on Trivago and the reviews were quite good. We had a bit of communication problem while dealing for a room with the reception lady, but once we were in, everything was great.

4.00PM
Walked around TST in the evening, to Kowloon Park, Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers,late lunch in an Arab restaurant, made an 'Octopus' card in TST MTR station and went back to hotel. Couldn't walk much actually because it had been raining since morning in HK.

The restaurant name is Ebeenezer and the food was soooo delicious. Trust me !

11.00PM
Woke up from a long nap to find dinner but most shops were closed already. So we went to McD and found no pork content from the menu. We had our meal there. I had Big Mac and Faiz had Doube Cheese. But later we found out that McD serves pork in sausage mcmuffin. So McDonalds a big no-no for the muslims okay.

Day 2 - 6th September

9.30AM
Got ready and took a train to Disneyland from Tsim Sha Sui. You can just google which station you should stop and change or you can just drop at any MTR stations near you and look for the train maps. It's super helpful and so easy. Trust me. Arrived in Disneyland around 10,30am and waited for the tickets from a friend who is working there. Take your breakfast first if you don't want to spend RM30 for a pack of sandwich and a mineral water in the DL.

11.00AM
THE DISNEYLAND ADVENTURE STARTS !
Look for the time and map guide at the information kiosk or you can just download the Disneyland app on your phones. Take note of the timings. Parade, Lion King play, fireworks etc etc. We started our tour from Adventureland to Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point and up to Tomorrowland. There are several Halal restaurants inside and consult the City Hall for the prayer room. They'll explain to you where to go.







8.30PM
After the firework, we went back to Tsim Sha Sui and dropped by at the Temple Night Market for some souvenirs. The stuffs there were quite cheap. You can find fridge magnets, keychains, signature shirts etc etc there.



10.00PM
Bought dinner at Ebeneezer and ate it in our room because we were too damn tired.



Day 3 - 7th September

9.00AM
Got ready and checked out, brought our bags as well. Walked to the Star Ferry Station and took a ferry to the Central Hong Kong. Stored our baggage in Hong Kong MTR Station (RM22 per item for 3 hours, RM30 per item for more than 3 hours.)

11.00AM
A friend of mine, John, joined us and guided us to the Peak Tram station.  We took the street tram (Teng-teng they called it) to reach there. The Peak is similar to what we have in Penang, Bukit Bendera. Taking the bus would cost you cheaper but it takes a longer time to reach the peak. The Peak tram will cost you around RM28 for a round-trip.

1.00PM
Had a coffee at the Peak and had a catch-up session with John. There's a shopping mall up there. Got our Hard Rock cafe and Madame Tussauds souvenirs there. On normal days, you should be able to see the view of Hong Kong city from above. But during my visit, sadly, it was raining and the mist/fog was too thick. We couldn't see anything.

3.00PM
Went down and walked around the Central. Saw the Zoo and dropped by. It was a public zoo, no entrance fee but still it is well-managed by the authorities. Not much animals there but considered okay for a family visit.

4.00PM
John left for work and we went to visit the Man Mo temple. On our way there, we took a cigg break by the street. 4 police officers approached us and asked for our ID. Guess what, I left mine in my backpack at the luggage storage. I was dead scared and worried. But after a short interrogation, they let us go. Lesson, always bring your passport anywhere you go, or at least a copy and put it in your wallet or purse.

Only one officer was willing to take a photo with us.

In front of the Man Mo Temple

6.00PM
Went to the airport using our speed train ticket from HK station. Our flight was at 9pm but we didn't want to be late again. We checked our baggage in. Since we brought back more stuffs compared to when we first arrived, we had to pay for some weight. RM90 for 15kg.


Overall it was a wonderful trip. Our first time travelling on our own and hopefully many more trips to come. If you'd like to know more, in depth details about our short trip, you can just tweet me @mkhairinazli. I promise I'll reply ! :D

Hold On To Me

I may have lost a piece of myself,

Before I met you,

I was in my own journey,

To hell and back.

But here I am,

Not sure how to define myself,

Ruined or broken,

Yet bones and limbs are still attached,

Though my strength dwindled by the pain.

Hold on to me,

For as long as I believe that you are eternity, 

Keep holding on to me.

What I Can Be

I can be as warm as the sun

Or as cold as snow

I can be stiff as a frozen shadow

Or as soft as the falling dew

I can be as hard as flint

Or as soft as wool

I can be as strong as a raging storm

Or as weak as the drizzle 

I can be as bright as the fullest moon in the blackest sky

Or as dark as a blind man's sight

I can be as deep as the sea

Or as shallow as a puddle

But you dont get to choose nor get to cheat as you wish.