So we’ve been married for… 5 days now… and it still hasn’t really sunk in.

Maybe it’s because we’re STILL cleaning up the aftermath of the reception on Saturday – probably the only downside of having the reception in your backyard! But I am glad we went that way nonetheless; it would have been a shame to waste money on a venue when we had a perfectly HUGE backyard to host the outdoor wedding we wanted anyway!

And despite threats of rain, the day was absolutely beautiful. A few clouds and moments of overcast sky but it warmed up in the end and we had some lovely rays of sunshine. I think God heard my prayers to delay the rain because it certainly bucketed down the next day. Ant and I stood by the door on Sunday morning, watching how saturated the yard had become and thanked our lucky stars. Repeatedly.

We were so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed themselves. Our wedding wasn’t big and fancy. But it was us.

The menu reflected what we loved to eat instead of relying on preset, generic menus offered by catering companies. Our candy buffet, was somewhat quirky – unlike the neat, colour-coordinated professional set ups you can order, we decided to use a mish mash of vintage glassware, new pieces and borrowed items. We filled them with lollies from different corners of the globe  – peanut butter cups in one jar, candy love hearts in another and hawflakes and white rabbit candies in others… to name a few.  I’m just a little annoyed we forgot to put up our mini hot air balloon to reference Around the World in 80 Days! D’oh!!!

All those hours spent decorating the mason jars were worth it too.  Even the kiddies loved using them – the special tumblers we bought for them were ignored!!

Speaking of kids, it was so lovely to see my new nieces get along so well with the clone army kids. Both Ant and I can’t believe how well they interacted with each other. It was also lovely to see how genuinely happy they were for us – Ava and Lola (Ant’s nieces) kept coming up for cuddles. And the only JUST met me on the Thursday we were solemnised!

Wow. I’m married. Aside from getting to wake up next to my best friend every morning, it doesn’t feel much different to before being married. But maybe because my tiny little brain needs to recover from the best party weekend of my life. One that’s got me smiling every few minutes of the day because I keep getting little highlights popping up in my head – like when I surprised Ant with the caricature. Or when I remember particular lines of the speeches. Or seeing the completed wedding tree.

I’m so thankful to our family and friends who flew in to spend the day with us… and especially the ones who spent so much time and effort helping us create our special day.

I’m feeling pretty darn blessed. Even if I’m not quite feeling like a married old woman yet. Hehe.

Current Mood: Contented

Hai everyone! I’m the new Mrs Edwards! Well, unofficially.

No no, we didn’t pike on getting married. We definitely got married on the 6th… but I will be retaining my maiden name.

I never thought it would be a big issue but lots of people have asked and almost seemed concerned that I’ve made such a decision. Admittedly, the husband (omg, what?) also wasn’t the biggest fan at first but he’s accepted my decision and still loves me anyway.

So… why am I not taking his name?

The simplest answer I can give you is that in Islam, one’s name is supposed to reflect their ancestry. Therefore, changing my name to Nadia Edwards would imply that Anthony and I are related.

Now we know that I’m not the most staunchest of Muslims… so why would I stick with tradition? Because, like some of the other religious rules that I do follow, I believe in the logic and rationale behind this one.

While I love Ant and he is a big part of my life, I believe it’s only fair to acknowledge my family in my identity. After all, they have brought me up and moulded me to the person I am today… since the day I was born. And the thing is, while I will (if I’m lucky) be married to Ant for the rest of our lives, my family too will be there for me till the end of my life.  I could have a double barrelled surname but to compare the impact my family has had on me to the impact Ant has, is unfair. As wonderful as Ant is, nothing he can do in the next forty years will be able to come anywhere close to what my family has done for me since I landed on Earth. And so, I believe it’s only fair to keep my father’s name as a reminder to myself to remember my roots.

Don’t worry,  I have no qualms about being called Mrs Edwards (and sometimes I find it quite amusing, especially when the hubby says it oh so adoringly). Just don’t expect to see any official paperwork declaring that I am.

Current Mood: Bouncy

I have to admit, not only do I love my food… I LOVE my carbs. I try not to eat too much of it nowadays but if I could eat anything I wanted without worrying about the consequences, there would be a hideous amount of mashed potato on my plate every night for dinner. And garlic bread. Or just bread. Lots of bread with lots of naughty butter*

That said, I’m starting to wonder if my capacity for carbs has diminished. And by carbs, I mean carbs of the starchy variety – potatoes/rice/noodles/pasta/bread. Sugar, on the other hand, is a completely different ballgame. For me anyway.

ANYHOO. I’ve had a very naughty weekend and I’ve come out of it feeling very heavy and bloated. It’s a really strange feeling because back home, Natt has always referred to me as being the Jughead of the family – always hungry. And I don’t think I’ve eaten more than what I usually do on my foodie treks in Singapore.

But for some reason, Jughead is out of office, apparently. Instead, I sit here in desperate need of a detox. So tonight, I am banning both the boy and me (cos we were BOTH naughty) from carbs and we’ll be having a nice protein-laden dinner. With veggies. And I’ll be back on the lime water/ apple cider vinegar solution detox so that I’ll feel a little better. Hopefully.

In the meantime, I’m going to console myself and say the reason I feel so bloated is that my stomach has shrunk and thus cannot accommodate as much food as before. Hah!

*naughty butter because it’s full fat butter. Not low fat butter. Although that said, I don’t eat margarine because I don’t like the chemically taste. I’ve always steered clear of it because I’d rather have full fat than weird chemicals in my body. Ant tried feeding me Nuttolex once – I promptly spat it out and gave him the death stare for assaulting my system with such foulness that early in the morning.

Current Mood: Poopy

Happy 2013 everybody!

Yes, it’s been a month since I last blogged. And yes, we’re already halfway into January… but I can’t help it because I’ve been a little occupied off late… and when I’m not, I’m completely knackered!!! Zzz.

All this exhaustion has not been good for my dancing or my belly… so I will definitely have to give myself a kick up the bum and get myself back into it. Properly.

All the yawning and whining aside, I really am quite excited for this new year. I’m starting it with a wonderful man by my side and I’m pretty sure I’ll have some weird and wonderful adventures too.

My bank account is currently cringing at the thought of all the travel I have planned for the year. It’s barely recovered from the recent trip to Singers and Bangkok yet I am still excited about heading Eastside for dancing and dining with ze cubbilicious one.

The last time I felt this excited for a year was probably 2010. Bruce and I broke up in November 2009 and I was determined that 2010 would be the year I’d dare to do whatever the hell I wanted, seeing how I was sans boyfriend baggage. It turned out to be a pretty damn fantastic year, one which ended in me becoming an absolute salsa addict.

So, yes, I truly believe that 2013 will be nothing short of fantastic. No doubt I will have my downs… but I think overall, I will truly relish this year and everything it brings.

And I hope you do too.

I’m so insanely proud of the boy right now. Actually, I’ve been insanely proud of him since yesterday afternoon and I can’t stop feeling this glow of pride in me every so often.

He took the plunge and decided to give dancing a go yesterday.

It may not seem like a big deal to some people but it is for me because:

1. He stepped out of his comfort zone
2. Most guys see dancing as being a sissy activity
3. He’s making an effort to cultivate a shared hobby with me
4. He’s got added pressure because people know me on the scene, seeing how I manage Perth Salsa Scene

I really am feeling like a proud momma bird and I pray to God that I’ll be able to nurture him on his dance journey. Might be time for me to re-examine my own journey and get back into it properly… starting with SLF