The Ruin of Sena

Can you guess what kind of this building named Sena in the past? I don’t know the story behind the place closeness many years ago; but this place had ever attracted many visitors at that time.

This ‘building’ located near the traditional market in my husband’s home town. I’ve been here for four days. It let shattered slowly there. The left ruin is only the lobby and one wall behind.

Your options are: (a). A restaurant/café (b). A cinema (c). A shop.
Happy Monday!

Waiting for the Airplane

At the boarding room, inside an airport, my father was waiting for the flight time patiently. He didn’t move from that spot at all.

Weekend Portrait and The Weekend in Black and White

Needs to be Done When Painting the House

For painting, there are a number of steps that need to be taken so that to get maximal results and safety. Before painting, plan first the job and the goods that will be packed. Ideally, a painting job done within an empty room. But if not possible, the furniture can be covered with plastic or newspaper.

When painting, open all windows and doors for air circulation can be run properly. Secure all children and pets during the painting.

When using more than one can of the same color paint, use one large container for mixing paint. This is to prevent the existence of a different color.

In addition, use safety goggles when painting or when the paint preparations. If we also paint the wood or metal with a paint solvent oil-based, do not forget to wear a mask.

When the painting was stopped temporarily, put paint cans in a cool and safe place. The paint brush should be wrapped with paper and place it in a standing position (handle of the brush facing down). If the rest of paint on the brush was hardening, wash with warm water.

Be careful when painting the borders between walls and floors. Use masking tape to prevent paint seepage onto the floor or carpet. If you hesitate to paint your own, you should use an experienced painting services, but you have to spend more!

Image: secretsofsoa.com

Easy Way to Clean Chandelier

After used in your candle light dinner, you have to clean the chandelier. It can be a complicated job if your chandelier is made of metal material filled with carvings. It takes many hours to extract the remaining attached candles.

There are easy ways that can ease the job. Insert the chandelier into the refrigerator freezer for several hours or let it inside the freezer overnight. The next day, you just tear out the remaining wax with a toothpick. Molten wax that will stick came off easily without leaving a trace.

If your candle is silver plated, do not use sharp objects to extract it, because it will damage the silver lining.

/image:mindanit.blogspot.com/

Another Durian Pancake

Last Saturday, we broke our fast at an eating place that popular with its durian pancakes. The place was already full, we must share the table with others. The pancake is yummy; but it's too sweet for me.

A Portrait of An Owl

click to enlarge

Meet Erik, an owl that belongs to my husband's friend.
Today, the owl is often used as a symbol for education, and used as a graduation mascot. Many cultures have connected the following characteristics to the owl:intelligence, brilliance, wisdom, power, knowledge, intuition, messages, mysticism, mystery, unconscious, silent observation, independence, protection, bravery, transition, longevity, reincarnation.
The Weekend in Black and White

Wall-Hung Dish Rack

For a drying and storage facility in one, this wall-hung dish rack provides the answer. The drying aspect dispenses with the need for a tea-towel or the expense of the electricity-gobbling drying cycle in your dishwasher. The rack relies on there being a sink directly underneath it, one with a wide shelf behind the bowls so that the draining water is caught.

The unit illustrated utilises hollow stainless-steel rids but, depending on the style of your kitchen, wooden dowels may appeal to you more (unfortunately, they aren’t as durable). Painted Tasmanian oak has been used to keep the timber members to a relatively small dimension, but polyurethaned radiate pine would be equally suitable providing it were made a little bigger (for instance, 50 mm wide). Although expensive, teak would be the ultimate choice as it could be left in its natural state.

Hardwood such as Tasmanian oak is suitable for the framework because it had the strength necessary to support the weight of the dish without being too bulky.

Horizontal Blind: Alternative Window Closing

Glass windows serve the sun light entering from the outside and it is a medium for the residents to get a view from the inside toward the outside of the house. But there are times when we want to shut down access from the outside in, both for the sun and for people.

For example, if the sun shines too bright so the house is hot, or at night, when the lights in the house turned on so that the room inside is easily visible from the outside.That’s why we need a glass window cover. The cover commonly used is a fabric curtain. It might be said that 90% of homes have fabric curtains.

But nowadays, there are alternatives to cover the glass window except fabric curtain, which is a blind. You've probably heard the term vertical blinds, the window coverings in the form of rectangular pieces of material and placed in a vertical row. Materials commonly used are a mixture of fabric and plastic. This kind of cover often encountered in offices.

In addition to vertical blinds, we know what is called horizontal blinds. Basically both are the same thing, only a single blade-blade placed vertically, while others align horizontally.

The working principle of horizontal blinds: each blade is connected with some kind of rope on both sides. With the control stick at the edges, the blades can be rotated 180 degrees. You can adjust the slope of the blades.

If you want more light in, just set the blades so that it stands upright. Or if you want to direct light toward the top, just set the slope towards the top. If the blades are arranged in a tilted position, its shape resembles a jalousie door or window.Vertical blinds and horizontal blinds are commonly used in offices. But horizontal blinds then it seems more acceptable for use in homes. The advantage of using window coverings like this is that we can regulate the amount of light and the direction of incoming light into the room.

For housing, we can find wooden horizontal blinds which are warmer than aluminum. This type is suitable for use in modern style house. Looks more neat, practical, and elegant.

/ HOME /
/Image: beyondwindowsindia.com/

Beautiful Lights

When we had dinner at a Middle East themed restaurant, I saw lovely candles, hanging lamps and lights here and there. It gives you a romantic sensation but I can’t see the food well, hehehe. We chose the open area, near a pool. Nice spot!

It’s rather dark there. I can’t see around clearly, but the lights appears so lovely!

A Fishing Place

click to enlarge

This fishing place isn't far from our home. It only needs ten minutes to reach it. While my father and my husband are fishing, I prefer to wandering around and taking pictures.Can you see the man sitting alone? He's my husband :)

The Weekend in Black and White

Different Types of Cookware:Advantages and Disadvantages

Stainless Steel Cookware
Stainless steel would have to be the most familiar kind of cookware materials. You will possibly discover it in most homes. Stainless steel is really an alloy of metals including steel, carbon and chromium. It’s called ‘stainless’ because of its capability to resist rust.

Stainless steel is a good choice for cookware but because of its incapacity to conduct heat well; it is significant that you select stainless steel cookware that has an aluminum or copper core. Without it, you will find that you will get hot spots on the cooking surface and foods will cook unequally.

Advantages
Relatively low-cost
Long-lasting
Scratch resistant
Keeps it glossy look for a long time
Doesn't react with foods
Warp resistant
Disadvantages
Not a good conductor of heat

Cast Iron Cookware
Cast iron is a matter that has been used to make cookware for hundreds of years. Those that apply cast iron cookware completely affirm by it for its excellent cooking ability. On the other hand, cast iron cookware is not a simple to retain product. It needs a little attempt to maintain it working the way it should.

It is extremely durable and it is not uncommon to find cast iron cookware that has been passed down through the generations.

Advantages
Relatively inexpensive
Extremely durable
Good heat retention
Disadvantages
Reacts with foods unless seasoned
High maintenance; requires regular seasoning
Is heavier than most other types of cookware
Can rust unless seasoned

Aluminum Cookware
Aluminum is used in just about 50% of all cookware produced nowadays because of its exceptional heat conduction. Aluminum is a soft metal and can simply scratch and dent. It can also react with definite foods which is why it is usually sandwiched between other metals. You will often find stainless steel cookware with a layer of aluminum providing the advantages of both materials.

Aluminum is also often treated through a process known as anodization. This process places a layer of aluminum oxide onto the surface making it scratch resistant as well as making sure that it doesn’t react with foods. Aluminum cookware is often finished with a nonstick coating to guarantee food remains unburned.

Advantages
Excellent heat conduction
Disadvantages
Reacts with acidic foods
Scratches and dents easily

Copper Cookware
Copper cookware is usually used between professional chefs because of its outstanding heat conduction. Copper cookware on its own is generally quite costly so it is not often applied in home kitchens.

Copper is also often found sandwiched between layers of other materials like stainless steel. Copper cookware is the cookware of chefs and for good cause. It conducts heat extremely well which means it heats quickly and adapts to changes in temperature fast. This allows better direct over your cooking.

Advantages
Excellent heat conduction
Disadvantages
Relatively expensive
Reacts with acidic foods
Requires regular polishing

data source:whatscookingamerica.net

Yellow Things at Gubeng Train Station

Monday is time for us to see splash of yellow! I can share yellow things that I saw at Gubeng Train Station in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. When I waited for our train, I saw another train coming; lots of yellow on it. A large glass window near the ceiling has yellow touches, too. Nice! A camera can be a good friend while we started feeling bored waiting, right?

At Juanda Airport

These pics were captured at Juanda Airport Surabaya (East Java Province, Indonesia) last week.

The Weekend in Black and White

5 Tips for at Home Flower Arrangements

Floral arrangements can take a room from drab to fresh, vibrant and filled with atmosphere. Even in winter, when it feels like everything has died off and the weather is getting you down, a spray of flowers in each room can bring much needed warmth.

There are a lot of reasons to include flower arrangements in your home decorations, but the best of them is simply that they make you feel happy. On a dim day, when the sun is hidden, you're tired and overworked, anything that brings a smile is a God send!

Arranging flowers at home is less about perfection and more achieving something that lights up your room. It is about incorporating an air of brightness, and feeling like you produced something of beauty. So why not give it a go?

What you need to get started:
1. The tools
To get started you will need a number of different sized or shaped vases so you can work out what sort of look you are going for. You will also need a good set of sheers and thorn strippers so you can get around the flowers and make the flowers truly look their best.

Finally clean out your vases with a little bleach so you kill off any bacteria and provide an environment where flowers can live longer.

2. The flowers
Selecting the flowers you use is the biggest job. What is available will depend on the season and also the size of your florist, however for more popular flowers head to an online rose site and order them in. You will want some feature flowers, some smaller sprays of flowers and some foliage to go in between. Think about what would combine well in terms of size, colour and shape. Don't go overboard and pick conflicting flowers just because you like the look of them.

3. Colour vs scent
When selecting your flowers you also need to consider what your drive is for creating the arrangement. Do you want something bright and colourful that matches your room and brings it to life, or something that fills your home with a beautiful sent? If you're lucky, you'll find some that do both! Keep in mind sent isn’t for everyone, and for those with allergies or asthma, it may make your home unbearable!

4. Traditional approaches
Traditional arrangements use flowers, such as simple roses and complimentary sprays, cut at different lengths to create an arrangement that is well balanced and not overdone. The colours are complimentary, there are generally a range of different types of flowers, and the vase is simply the base of the arrangement. These look beautiful in entrance ways and on benches or shelves, especially if they have some height.

5. Modern or arty approaches
Some more modern approaches are a little more minimalist and rely on the vase to create the effect. For example, beautiful long leafy flowers wrapped around the inside of a round fish bowl, and filled with water. This fresh approach works great as a table centrepiece.