Not-So-Scarecrow

Mix It Up a Notch: Dark-Coloured Jeans

Okay, I have to be honest: there are actually two pairs of pants in this post—the last one is a different pair—but since I can't find enough outfits with the first pair, I thought I'd just mix the two. Eh, why not, right? They are both hand-me-downs from my Stepmom that she gave me the middle of last year. Yeah, still quite 'new,' I suppose. But, since I've gained significant amount of weight, these became the only pairs of pants to fit me just right—although now the second pair barely fits me anymore. At first glance, I thought the first pair was navy in colour but my Stepmom insisted it was actually black. Now I can totally see that she was right—what was wrong with my eyes! They're both super comfy and perfect for a day when I just felt like throwing on any random clothing item I could find. Since the colours are dark and not too distinct, they're so versatile and quickly became a closet staple. Absolutely going to wear them more, though more out of necessity than style choice.

Birthday Blues

Adorable little enamel pin by Aufa that I purchased as an early present for myself

Last week was my birthday. Yup, I turned 24 and can't be any giddier! This year I decided to have another celebration, like I did three years ago, just because. My stepmom and I cooked up a storm in the morning and had my friends over for lunch. Uli, Sindi, Cynthia, Enggar and Oji all made a special appearance—it just so happens that the majority of my guests have had the experience of taking photos for my blog, wow! It was a simple three-course meal, with creamy mushroom soup for appetiser, this recipe as the main course and es campur for dessert. I'm so glad to see everyone enjoying their food—even Cynthia claimed to like the appetiser although she hates mushrooms!—but I feel like I failed as a host, because we ended up breaking into small groups at times and watching TV for the most part. I even sneaked out for several minutes to take these pictures. I'm sorry, you guys, and thanks for coming! They brought me presents too, which I didn't expect but was so happy to receive. They're all very meaningful to me and I'm so happy they know me so well :')

Book of Deer 'Stove' shirt // hand-me-down/vintage skirt // thrifted loafers // fish pin by Aufa // dept. store hair scarf // photos by Akita

Birthdays have always been bittersweet for me. I've always loved—and claimed to love—my birthday, but it always disappoints me without fail. I hate the actual day, but I think I'm enchanted by the idea. When it comes to my day of birth, I have really high expectations and every year reality lets me down. This year I decided to invite my friends over—which somehow only amount to 5 people—because I decided it was time I took action on my birthday instead of waiting for something good to happen. But alas, the wheel turns outside my control again and shit happens anyway. Like magic, though, the next day I felt absolutely fine, as if a cloud just hangs over me every October 20th. I was also constantly reminded by all the people I wish could be there too, like my Mom and Firu—and all of my friends who live abroad, including you guys. But hopefully you had a better day than I did—not during the celebration, but during the actual birthday!

P.S: It was VERY important to me to be wearing Book of Deer on my birthday. Yep, yep, yep!

24 Before 25

I can't believe that by this time next year, I'll be in my mid-twenties. When I was much, much younger, I thought it would probably be the age in which I would be getting married or having a permanent job. Guess life never goes the way you plan it—or if it does, you might be asking questions about what you HAVEN'T done. Last year I said my list was about self-growth, but in hindsight, it didn't seem like much growth happened to me anyway. This year, I feel like getting in touch with the adventurous side of me, flipping through pages of the past and really investing on the future. No Firu-related goal this year because I don't want to get hurt by my own expectations anymore. Things will happen when they happen, but, meanwhile, there's this list.

1. Finish all the YA series that I followed

Maybe a last huzzah before I step into adulthood? I used to follow tons of YA series when I was in high school—junior and senior, but sometimes these series take years to conclude and the price of books just keeps getting more and more out of my budget range. I think it's time for some closure and read the ending of these stories. These series include Artemis Fowl and The Keys to the Kingdom.

2. Borrow (a) book(s) from the library

One of my favourite pastimes when I was still in school and living in Germany. Ever since I got back home, I haven't really ventured to libraries much—except the one at my campus, and even then have only ever borrowed one book. I'd like to do this more often, maybe even borrow some German books from Goethe Institut. We'll see.

3. Create a series of illustrations

Something I've been meaning to do for a long time, but I'm so easily distracted, it's not even funny anymore. I feel like I need to set this one as a goal to keep myself focused and create pieces that I can add into my portfolio. I'm thinking something blogger-related or maybe something more general. The goal is to make more than one series, so fingers crossed.

4. Send my work to a publication

I know, this was included in last year's list too. But, since I have yet to achieve it, I thought I'd include it in this one as well, as I still wish to get published one way or another. Last week I actually sent something out to Fashion Revolution to be used in their new zine. The result hasn't come out yet, though. If any of you is making a zine, please let me know. I'd love to contribute!

5. Try the traditional cuisine of a new country

When I say a 'new country,' I'm not talking about a newly independent country. Just a country whose traditional cuisine I have yet to taste. It'll probably be hard to find in Jakarta, though.

6. Meet up with a (new) blogger friend

Yes! I'd love to meet up with you, if you consider me your blogger friend. I'd like to make more online friends in this field and 'collaborate'—or, you know, hang out. If you don't live in Indonesia but will visit one day, let me know when! I'd love to meet you!

7. Try taking analog photos

I've always admired the way analog photos look. I think there's a certain sentimentality attached to the way the images are developed. It also reminds me of my primary school years, when I used to carry around the analog camera my mother had on field trips and school events. Plus, you can't constantly check what the photo would look like, so I want to be surprised with how it turns out.

8. Read more German books

Absolutely! Last year I finally finished a German book that I bought way back in 2011 when I first moved there. It turns out to be quite a tremendous read and I'm super thrilled to have read it. All languages have their own characteristics and charm, including German, so I'd like to explore that more. My friend Frederick gave me three books to kick start this challenge, I'm so excited!

9. Visit a friend I've never met before

This also goes to all my online friends out there—are you out there? When I wrote down this goal, I thought of going abroad to visit my online friends. So, you know, having an adventure as well as meeting someone I've known—and not known—for so long. Double the fun, right?

10. Try doing something spontaneous

To be honest, I don't remember the last time I was being spontaneous. It was a huge part of me in Germany and I miss that. I want to be that person again, who doesn't take life too seriously and can just be in the moment.

11. #MeatlessMonday

If you don't know, there is a bit of a social movement going on, where people don't eat meat every Monday. I know, it's not exactly veganism, but I think it helps reduce our carbon footprint—if even by a little. Personally, for me, I'd like to take it a step further and become a vegan once every week.

12. Work on my blog design (seriously!)

Self-explanatory, no?

13. Explore more historical sites in Jakarta

Jakarta is filled with so many museums, historical landmarks, and such, but I cannot believe that I've only been to probably 10% of them. I'd really love to explore the town more and learn more about our history and culture—as well as find new photo settings, I suppose.

14. Re-read my books

This goes hand-in-hand with the first goal. It's been so long since I read all the YA series I have yet to finish, so I think I'd need to re-read all my series to know where I left off. Also, there are plenty of books that I remember enjoying, just sitting on my bookshelves. I think it's time to revisit these great stories.

15. Join a Goodreads Indonesia challenge

There's a group on Goodreads for Indonesian users. They often have a monthly or so challenge. I'd love to join in on one sometime.

16. Start buying organic/recyclable products

This goes not only to food—which, I think, will be the hardest to commit to, actually—but also to beauty and bath products. What I mean by recyclable is the packaging, so products with recyclable/recycled packagings. Recently, I bought shampoo and conditioner from Organic Care and I'm loving it so far!

17. Attend a talk/workshop

I think attending a talk/seminar is part of being an adult. It's interesting to see experts talk about things that I'm interested in, acquiring new knowledge and be part of the discussion. A talk is more favourable for me, at the moment, because they are usually free.

18. Read one scientific article every week

In order to be more responsible towards nature, I think it's important to know about the universe that we live in. Plus, there are breakthroughs all the time and I'd like to keep with the programme.

19. Take the public transportation (whenever possible)

Again, trying to do my part for the environment. I already take public transportation on a daily basis anyway, but sometimes my lazyness gets the best of me and I take something less public—like the taxi—which is obviously not as eco-friendly as, say, a bus or a train.

20. Join and complete an artistic challenge (at  least once!)

Yes! There are so many artistic challenges lately and I've been missing out! I don't want to miss out anymore. Right now, I'm still going strong with my inktober, but I'd love to join watercolour month or other challenges in the future too.

21. Talk more about being a conscious consumer on the blog (and social media)

Although I try to practice this in my daily life, I think I don't share as much as I'd like or should on the internet. I'd love to do more of that. I think it's important to inspire people to become a conscious consumer, and I know I've been inspired by many fellow bloggers as well. Hopefully, I can inspire you too!

22. Invest on zero waste appliances/tools (NO PLASTIC!)

Yup! Zero waste lifestyle has been sitting at the back of my mind for the past year or so. It needs to stop sitting and start moving. Baby steps to get there that will, hopefully, really get me there.

23. Lose at least 5 kg (Goal: 58 kg)

Before you say anything about body positivity and body image, this is not that at all. It's just that, when you've ever reached a certain weight and posture in your life, where you feel better and more confident than ever, you kind of want to go back to that—or am I the only one? This is that. I want to fit into all my clothes again, to feel like I'm the best possible version of myself and to know that I've done what I could to be my best.

24. Manage money better (and save up for the future!)

As always, the most important goal for last. Money is a huge issue when you've reached an age where you can't possibly ask for allowance from your parents anymore. It's just good sense to manage it better and work out a system where you won't go broke in the middle of the month—or year, or any time period of choice. Plus, I want to really start thinking about my future and set up a budget to achieve the future that I want.

Style Swap with Divina Aulia pt. II

Last year, my friend Divina and I did a little collaboration where we swap outfits. When we left off that day, the duty was clear: she was supposed to edit the video, I was supposed to edit the photos. While I delivered my end of the bargain, she turned out to have lost the footage completely. So, knowing that she would be back in town this year, we decided to reshoot the whole thing—though with completely new outfits. Maybe we should really start thinking of making this an annual collaboration. What do you say? However, this time due to some personal reasons, we were underprepared and only came up with two outfits. Plus, we didn't swap completely—we kept an item or two from our own outfits in the end. It still creates a whole other feel, though, so it still serves the purpose. Enjoy!

The first thing you need to know about these photos is that they were taken a day after Divina's wedding—yes, she's a Mrs. now—which I helped document for her vlog. We were both pooped from the experience and, hence, were underprepared in terms of clothes. I also lost a bit of weight over the course of 12 months, so I became less considerate about whether or not an item would still fit the both of us—stupidly brought something my sister owns, which I struggle to fit into. We made it work—by not swapping fully—and other tricks up Vina's sleeves. Still not swapping shoes, obviously, since our sizes are still significantly different. Let us know what you think about the partially swapped outfits and if you feel it's different from last time!

I think this photo summarises how different we are

I thought I'd spice this post up by editing the pictures differently for the first two outfits and the last two. I really like this staircase, off-angle kind of shots. It looks almost candid and mysterious, don't you think? Second error I brought to this session is bringing a top that doesn't even cover the elbows, which is simply unwearable for hijab wearers like Vina—I'm so sorry! But I do think it looks so different from if we stuck to the rules and swapped everything. Our window of opportunity for a photoshoot at the time was also quite tight, so we had to hurry up snapping these shots and recording the video. So that's it for our experience this time around. It didn't take as long and wasn't as well-planned, but it was still quite a session. You should be able to catch our video on her channel next week, stay tuned!

23 Before 24 List - RECAP

It's my birthday in two days. I can't believe I'm turning 24. I swear it was only yesterday that I entered my 20s; yesterday that I, for the first time in my life, felt like an adult. How did time just fly by? It's getting scary how it travels at the speed of light. Every year I try to think up various goals I'd like to accomplish for the next 365 days—give or take. You probably know the drill, if you've been following my blog for over a year. You can see last year's list here. To be honest, I think this year was the worst of all. I have no idea what happened. Maybe life just caught up with me and I didn't know what I was in for. Anyhow, here are the things that I managed to accomplish.

1. Draw At Least Once Everyday (& Post It!)

This goal was created to encourage myself to draw everyday. And I thought, since I'm a Design student now, I would have to draw everyday anyway. It turns out, that didn't happen at all. Yes, I have to draw everyday, but I barely have the time to pause and take some shots to post anyway. Also, they are usually sketches for the same project, so it would be really boring to see. But, a few months into the new year, I somehow landed a job at TigaGenerasi, where I basically have to post one illustration everyday. It doesn't take me a whole day to make one, though, so I basically drew for max. 2 days per week and they post my work daily. Does that count?

2. Watch More Documentaries

I feel like this didn't turn out as I had thought it would. The goal was to watch more documentaries, and that was accomplished with flying colours. But, still, I thought I'd be watching more by now. At the very least, I managed to watch The True Cost, which is strange since I've been in on the movement long before I even knew about it. Be a conscious consumer, guys! I've also watched a few other fashion-related documentaries, such as The Next Black and In Vogue: The Editor's Eye. Aside from that, I also watched The Act of Killing, which I've been very much intrigued to watch for a while now. And, after reading A Nation in Waiting, it's only right that I watch this documentary too. If you guys have any more titles to recommend, please leave them in the comment.

3. Follow a Webcomic Regularly

With platforms like Line Webtoons and Tapastic popping up on the internet, it's getting easier to follow webcomic series now. For the majority of this year, I've been following an Indonesian webcomic sensation called My Pre-Wedding. It's finished beautifully last June but has recently made a comeback. Yaay! On Tapastic, I subscribe to chilled strips such as BFGFs, HJ Story and 4-Panel Life, as well as solid stories, such as The Outer Door, Slavonika and Fisheye Placebo—though they can take forever to get updated. Otherwise, I'm very, very into old school webcomics, such as Blindsprings and The Boy Who Fell, which you can find on Hiveworks. 

6. Enter a Competition (Not Giveaway!)

Yet another goal which I hope had turned out better. Yes, I did enter a couple competitions—and I'm still intrigued to enter more—but I didn't put as much effort to either one as I'd like to. They all just seem to happen at the same time, though. The first competition I joined was Where Women Create's Box Contest and Kreasik Sticker contest—both of which I didn't win. But I'm glad I joined them...for some reason—I guess they were a whole lot of fun. This won't be the end of my competition-entering days, though, so hopefully I'll get my name out there and win something someday.

7. Become a Committee Member of an Event

To be fair, this goal was a bit of a cheat. I noted it down because I knew I was going to be a committee member of an upcoming event at my campus—pictured above, as you can see. However, since then I've joined two other committees and it's been various kinds of experiences. It really taught me about organisational work. Sometimes you could be dealt the bad card and have no other choice but to roll with the punches. Sometimes, though, you could win a jackpot and work with the best kind of people and enjoy the experience so much you don't want it to end. As we speak, I'm working yet in another committee for an event in January. So far, the experience has been superb—my superior is the absolute best!—so I'm very grateful.

9. Read At Least One Non-Fiction Every Month

By this point, a reading challenge feels like: "Read one book a month? Yes, please!" And I end up not doing anything else, ha! I've been very well accustomed to reading fiction since I first own a library card—which is the 2nd grade, mind you. But the last three years have introduced me to more and more non-fictions—and even cool ones that I enjoy reading—that I feel like it's time for me to actually read books which aren't imagined by the mind. You can read all about the 12 books in this genre that I managed to read this year here.

10. Open My Online Store

Technically, my online store is open. Technically, you can already head over there and purchase my product. TECHNICALLY. However, I do feel like it a.) lacks selection and b.) lacks quality. So I'd like to change it up soon and have it ready to serve actual costumers. That being said, I'd really love it if you guys would come over there, check it out and let me know of anything that you think I should do to improve the store, the products, etc. I'm very open to criticism so please don't hold back!

11. De-clutter My Life and Space

Not really sure if I've done it. I certainly have done some cleaning and organising of my work space and I've turned off the outside voice that corrupts my thoughts and soul. That being said, I don't think I've really accomplished it yet, since I've only started feeling quite serene and my desk is already a chaos again. Maybe this is one of those things which are always a work in progress. I just have to keep in mind that it is necessary to feel less dragged down by the world.

12. Stick to a Responsible Diet Regime

Not at all sure if I've accomplished this. However, I do try to eat less meat, try to eat more veggies and fruits—though not always—and try to cut down on snacks. I've been noticing some serious weight gain on my part, due to some leisure and mindless snacking. I thought if I don't try to control what I eat and pay attention to my food more vigilantly, I might end up obese! My effort to try and do this is by creating more healthy recipes on the blog. You can check them out here and judge for yourself.

13. Open a Booth at a Convention

This year a few friends and I made a group circle, who will be selling our stuff together. It's not a binding contract but since we were all convention virgins, we thought it would be a good idea to stick together. Last July we managed to grab a booth at the Comic Frontier convention in Jakarta. We printed our stuff individually and sold our stuff at the same booth. We managed to rope in Snowlattes as well, who has been quite experienced in the convention booth arena. It was an absolute emotional roller coaster—for me, personally—and I'm not sure if it was worth it. But, by the end of it, it was quite an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I forgot to take a photo of our booth, just in case you were wondering.

14. Read More Diversely

Another literary challenge! I don't think I've ever done a double challenge like this year. But, hey, as time goes by, I'll only get older, which means the list only gets longer and it's time to get creative with each field of challenges that I'd like to take on. Anyway, this is something I've been meaning to do for a while, but for some reason never really focus on. I thought if I made a challenge out of it, I would be more than willing to accomplish it. Reading different books from different continents really open up the world for me. This year, I managed to learn a little bit more about Africa and pre-Taliban Afghanistan. It was one hell of a ride and I'm not coming down yet. You can watch the review video here.

16. Invest on More Ethical Brands

Truth be told, I feel quite proud of myself this year. Why? I've only shopped around twice this year—and only one of them is brand new, while the other is thrifted from a friend. However, I'm very proud that this year I can FINALLY own a piece from Book of Deer, which I've been lusting after for years—which you might have known if you've followed me for a few years now. It's my favourite collection too, so I'm super, super happy with my decision! Though I don't know if BoD is particularly sustainable, I know for a fact that it's sweatshop-free, so I'm glad to be supporting the right business. In the future, I hope to be able to actually purchase something that is 100% ethical—environmentally friendly and fair trade and all that. 

19. Visit More Museums/Gallery/Exhibitions

August in particular was tremendously filled with exhibition outings for me. Starting from the 1771 exhibition, Negeri Dongeng Nusantara, Atlas Tubuh until Monster in Disguise. Yep, I've got around. Aside from that, I've been visiting quite a number of museums too, thanks to my photography class, which basically forced me to go on field trips to historical sites and museums. It's opened my eyes too, to visit more of Jakarta's historical sites and all these cultural places Jakarta has to offer. I mean, there a tons of them! Hopefully, we'll get to visit more places like that next year too.

21. Meet More Local Illustrators

Since this year I have an ongoing Indonesian feature for Illustrators Arise, I think it's helped me talk to and get to know several local illustrators. Most of them are really open, friendly and warm that I feel like we're friends already—I'm really presumptuous here, guys, in case any of them is reading this :') Aside from that, I've also met them at art markets and conventions too. This is where I usually collect name cards, socialise with the exhibitors and find out their contact information for further conversations with them. I'm very much amazed at how many talented people our nation has—and that's basically from one city! Really looking forward to getting to know more talented local artists out there. Give me a holler, if you're reading this!

22. Do a Book/Clothes Swap with Someone

This didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Yes, I did a swap, but I thought it would something more like a book for a book or a clothing item for a clothing item. It turns out, it was a book for a clothing item. So, as you might have known from my instagram, my friend Divina was in town not too long ago. While she was here, she put some of her clothing items for sale. A thrifting addict, naturally, I couldn't resist asking to see her listing—before anyone else, I urged. A couple weeks before, she also had an eye for a particular book that I recently thrifted. Long story short, we decided to swap the book for the dress in the picture above. I'm super thrilled about that, because not only do I get to pass the book along to someone who might like it better than I do, but I also get to acquire an adorable piece of clothing. Double score!

23. Design a Clothing Item (and Have It Tailored!)

Last but not least. This is something I've been wanting to do since I designed this batik dress over 4 years ago. This time, though, I want to design something for someone else too. Since I promised Cynthia to design a dress for her in return for some bubble tea—or something like that, I forgot what the contract was—I thought I'd give it to her on her birthday. Pictured above is the design I made for her. Cynthia doesn't have a lot of dresses, so I hope to design something substantial, which she would be happy to wear forever and something that is simple enough that she would be able to wear it wherever. I'm planning to design some stuff for myself too, though, so we'll see what else I'll come up with.

That's it! That's what I've accomplished (out of my list) all throughout last year. I feel like I've been given countless opportunities to improve myself as a person—both in heart, soul and mind. Though, to be honest, last year felt like I was coming short of what I set out to do. Hopefully this year/next year I'll do better. Again with the tl;dr. I'm so sorry if this post is too long for you. Huge thank you for those of you who's read this far. As always, you're my hero! I'll be back with this year's list ;)