First Day Back At Work

Yesterday was my first day back at work at That Special Occasion. A good start to 2010 as it was relatively busy, especially in the afternoon.

Also had the pleasant surprise of being paid visits by 3 of our industry colleagues. Anizah of TrulyScrumptious! and Natasha of The Peak Xperience brought clients over and Lyn of My Bridal Florist came by with a thoughtful New Year's floral gift basket. I hope such mutual collaborations will continue throughout the year.

Today sees me getting back to my other 2 jobs, weddingsmalaysia as well as doing the news at RTM. It always takes a bit of effort to get back into the groove of things after a short break, but I am looking forward to what's in store. Smooth sailing days ahead!

Photo of gown by That Special Occasion, courtesy of Kid Chan Studio.

Comfort Food

I know I am stressed when I have cravings. Boy, I could really do with a toffee apple or two. The ones featured in the photo were concocted by Anizah of TrulyScrumptious! for a Halloween party which I attended.

Comfort food always comes to mind when I need a pick-me-up. A warm bowl of tau-foo-fah, sweet seedless grapes, Swiss chocolate, an A&W root beer float, vanilla flavoured cupcake topped with buttercream, teh tarik, New Zealand Natural ice cream, pavlova, the list goes on.

Sinful for the body, great for the soul. Have a look at this videoclip.

Photo of toffee apples, aptly named Forbidden Fruits.

New Blood

The Association Of Wedding Professionals (AWP) held its AGM yesterday evening. After a year at the helm, founders Leticia of Events Wizard and Eileen of Nupts & Such were returned as President and Vice President respectively. Members who turned up for the meeting made such a proposition in order to have some continuity, considering that AWP only recently turned 1.

After numerous 'I propose', 'I second' and subsequent voting, some new blood have been injected, namely Pam of Covershots, Irene of The WeddingCard Shop, Lee Kuen of Bridal Glam, Anizah of TrulyScrumptious! and Yeh of Wondrous Vision, either as office bearers or committee members. New blood means new ideas, a perfect complement to the continuity quotient, which will hopefully lead to an expansion of membership and enhanced enthusiasm.

Debra of Acadia meanwhile has been retained as Treasurer whereas I have changed portfolios from Secretary to Membership. Running an association demands passion and commitment. Here's to the 2009/2010 team!

Photo shot at Covershots in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Industry Insights

Kid Chan, founder of Kid Chan Studio, a featured industry partner at The Wedding Hub was to have presented a workshop on 'How To Choose A Wedding Photographer' for soon-to-be-married couples yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, a bad habit of some Malaysians - RSVP yes but don't show up - reared its ugly head, and the audience in the end comprised mainly of industry colleagues. What was a loss to couples became a gain for our fellow wedding professionals, as Kid, ever the optimist, decided to instead speak on his journey as a wedding photographer from the modest inception of his business to his present-day success, and shared ideas with new entrants into the industry on how to bring their business aspirations to fruition.

The session soon evolved into one of a discussion on the prospects of the industry in the immediate future. Our friends from Bridal Glam, TrulyScrumptious!, Wicked Wax & Craft, Classic & Vintage, Asha Carlos Photography and yours truly all offered views and opinions, encouraging each other to better ourselves in our pursuit of the goals we have set out to attain.

Here's to a motivated bunch!

Photo of Kid speaking to friends in the industry.

Do It Well Or Don't Do It At All

My faith has been somewhat restored after the ranting of my previous post! I was speaking with my friend and fellow wedding industry colleague, Anizah of TrulyScrumptious! at the opening of The Gallery at Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa last evening, and we both concluded that when taking on a task, it is really better either to do it well or to not do it at all. Halfhearted attempts invariably end up with mediocre results. And that's not the way to do business or live one's life, for me anyway.

Being second rate does not appeal to me, so I seek to be the best I can be, whether in my personal life or in my work. Work hard and play hard is one of my mottos. Sze of Creative Clicks mentioned in passing whilst at the same event that I seemed to be having quite a number of holidays this year. And that's true to a certain extent. If I go on a business trip, I make it a point to add-on an extra day at the end just to have a little bit of time to explore the surroundings in the hope of discovering something new or perhaps to just relax and be refreshed, in preparation to tackle the frenetic pace that awaits back at the office. If on holiday, I take my time to take in all that the destination has to offer, well, at least the attractions that catch my fancy. No group tours for me. I much prefer planning my own itinerary with my trusted Lonely Planet guides.

Back to my conversation with Anizah, I would have to say that she is certainly a person who 'steps up to the plate' when a challenge is thrown at her. Yes, we complain to one another every now and then about how exhausted we are with the demands that are placed on us, but at the end of the day, we share the same work-ethic of wanting to deliver the best for our clients. In return, we are rewarded with a sense of achievement and pride, and that really, is what it is all about.

Photo courtesy of TrulyScrumptious!