[Inspiration | Musing] 2025 a quiet storm

Everything happens for a reason, and for good, and much intended by the universe. 2025 was a quiet storm brewing in the distance. We accepted it with grace and eventually grit to weather it. Through the cloudy days we guided our thoughts in the grind of reality, we worked through it, all thanks to the power of love and with an open mind. 

Just breathe, we told ourselves, silently, in the dark, at the crack of dawn, between rumbling sheets and fallen leaves as season changed. Time played witness to our endurance behind the curtains of uncertainty, softly caressing and testing our patience and tenacity, adversity in the face of changing circumstances. We are grateful no matter. 

A change of new locale and environment breathed fresh air and perspective this 2025. The lack of opportunities in some ways forced us into dwelling deeper within, in search of our true ikigai and what is meant for us, the days or coming year(s). How should we live with clarity, intention and meaning. 

A new meaning emerged - CHANGE is inevitable to grow, to transform and to aspire to become a better self, one who can bring value and inspire quiet presence, while dancing in the noise of new big environment and societal pursue of speed, technology and another form of intelligence - way more powerful than we can imagine. Some fear it, others embrace and ride with it. We love to explore new frontiers, therefore found it to be intriguing and powerful, yet we approached it with a degree of reservation and restraint. It gave us a different perspective of working with it, which we are excited about for 2026 and beyond. 

We believe in this new era, true human voice matters more than ever. Let's do this. Make it happen and 2026 is a time we all should be looking forward to - with gusto! 

Wishing everyone a very happy new year of 2026 and see you on the other side of eternal sunshine with occasional cloudy and romantic tropical rain, that comes with a wash of colourful ethereal rainbow - elusive yet alluring, most definitely. 

With love, 

Jeann (Ruohan) 

[Inspiration | Musing] Call My Name

Call me 

The summer heat that sizzles and melts you down, dripping with the sapphire intoxication of gemstone littered in the sand of time

Call me

The lonely darkness that is hidden deep within, waiting for someone to unleash its fearless calling, one who is brave enough to see beyond everything else

Call me

The serenity that fits right into your hand when you are reaching out for a touch of  gentleness, hoping for that little peace of mind 

Call me by my name

If you know me well enough, if you know that all I truly wanted is just a little love, a little kisses, a little gentle touch, a little more understanding, a little more tender loving care

2019 has left us gingerly, without making a huge fuss, yet we could not help but missing her so much, yet we are excited about what the rest of 2019 will bring. New challenges in life, new things to discover and learn, after all. 

We hope you have lived your first half, luminously and of course, remain your happiest selves, always, lovelies *_^

Visuals via LUMI Pinterest

Woman in black | Woman in white sheets | Inspirational words | Gal in the sunshine | Earthy space |

With love, 

Jeann

[Inspiration | Musing] Touch Me Like You Do

Saturated rain hits the sunshine like a pair of whirlwind lovers who believes in opposite attracts, perfuming each other with an intoxicated mind and living in the moment, losing their mind, yet a colourful rainbow peeks through the clouds that drifted away just to make way for such little magic.

You touch me in ways you could not even comprehend, in ways I could not even utter a word myself to describe this feeling of sunny stormy disposition. I have hidden away long enough to confide in my own consciousness, not certain if I should even show this other side of me, but never was a shred of regrets for I can only be who I am, and more. 

I have come a long way, discovering the woman that I should have been. 

Lifting my face towards the sunny sky, I brave myself for what has yet to come and will eventually come my way and take a seat at the table of destiny, sipping my gorgeous cup of tea and my music, now who says you can't have it all in life? 

It is about living in the moment and find your little happiness, one that touches you deeply, in a quirky meaningful way, only you know best. 

Have a luminously beautiful new week ahead, lovelies *_^

With Love, 

Jeann

[Inspiration | Musing] That Change Of View

I can't help falling in love with you, space, for you give me a new way of looking at things, you show me that a different view is possible as long as you have an open heart and mind. Fear of the unknown and unfamiliar is terribly real yet beautifully inviting at the same time. I embrace this change, I took it all in, head on, without having a shred of doubt that I would eventually be fine, over time. 

Space, you seem forgiving, you seem friendly enough to accommodate my weakness and all my shortcomings, a woman who only wishes to be happy, no matter where she is, to be free of the worries of the world, yet she knows too well that life is never a bed of roses and worries can only be kept at bay with strong hopeful thoughts and solid baby step actions. 

The new space seems more peaceful, rendering me more solitude of the mind and soul, to be just who I want to be - a simple woman with simple needs, to have ample mental space to think, to explore, to do the things I enjoy doing. 

I have come home, somewhat I feel. The person who I am and who I perhaps would eventually be, are equally similar yet so different in ways I could hardly comprehend but could only embrace as much as I could. Life is beautiful after all when what you search for is only happiness and good intentions, nothing more as the rest seem to fade away like the whispers of the winds.

Some things are just meant to happen that way ... 

Have a fantastic and luminous rest of the week, lovelies *_^

With love, 

Jeann

Lifestyle Review | Gaston Luga, That Swedish Minimalist Backpack That Is Stylishly Functional

You kept me close, you kept me warm, you kept me company and 

kept my letters of adventurous journeys so vividly colourful that 

what is there not to love about you? To journey beyond your eyes and mind is 

to understand the true essence of discovering one true self ... 

and yet, after all there is to explore out there, 

one comes back home to the unfamiliarly familiar. 

That perhaps, is one of our greatest adventures yet, one fine day.
What better way to go on an adventure with a trusted companion
that looks stylishly sleek and yet is a work horse and
come back home full of great memories.

Visual via Gaston Luga Online

We have always been fascinated by Scandinavian design aesthetics, especially its minimalistic and simplicity towards making things look elegantly refined, yet they do not seem to lose their charm on someone like us, it is equally captivating and mesmerising how they could seem to pull it off effortlessly *_^ When Gaston Luga, a Swedish backpack retailer (here for more) located in the heart of Stockholm approached us to explore if we are keen to collaborate with them, we were pleasantly surprised but all too happy in fact to have a further look into the brand. Once we read their brand story (here) and discovered more of their varied ranges for both men  (here) and women (here), we were enthralled by the idea of owning one already. After a few exchanges of email correspondences, our preferred choice of Gaston Luga Pråper Pink arrived in slightly less than a week! 

Visual via Gaston Luga Online

From our browsing on the brand's official website, we realised that Gaston Luga's uniquely designed backpacks fit into quite a variety of settings from their 3 main collections - Clässic, Clässy and Pråper. Our first impression of the backpacks via their social media platforms and online presence was that they are definitely chic looking. The designs are, to say the least, pleasing to the eyes, aesthetically. It got our interested piqued when we read more about the sturdy canvas materials that are used to produce each backpack. 

[Inspiration | Musing] I Truly Miss You

You whisked away without a trace, in silence, the air was thick, the silence was deafening, that very moment when I discovered you had gone. I thought I lost you forever, but I guess you went away quietly, yearning for a hiatus, a break, one which you had to go through. I left it as it is, I am after all, fairly accommodating. Secretly, the rain came and cried for your leaving, incessantly, as if mourning along, with me, even though I do miss you, but I rather not be too emotional about it. How sweet and thoughtful rain was. Rain is just being sentimental, just like me. 

I long for your return, I would love for you to come back to my embrace and let all your words and passion for visuals just flow, naturally. You don't need to feel restricted at all, for I see through you ... I do see you and all your hopes and dreams, for this life, perhaps even some broken pieces and tears that tag along with them, like some pesky cat who loves to cling tight onto you, which you do find annoying some times. Yes, this is you, the way I see you. Cat is never your thing anyway. 

I hope when you return, you bring with you the sun, a sunshine of renewed inspiration, passion, love and hopes, a pocket full of sunlight that not overly bright, but warm and tenderly inviting, almost like your touch and your gentle smile, whenever you have funny thoughts swirling in that crazy mind of yours. Yes, that is how I see you, you silly one! 

Come home to me again, my dearest. Life is unpredictable, we don't have a lifetime. 

Visuals via LUMI Pinterest here. A Face With Flowy Hair | Catching Her Hair In The Sun | Flowers & Sunlight At Home

Have a luminously happy new week, lovelies *_^

With love, 

Jeann

Travel | Ibis Melaka, The Irresistible Charm Of The Colour Red Part 1

Visual courtesy of Ibis Melaka

Nestled within walking distance to Melaka busy Jonker Street (15 minutes approximately), places of tourist attraction like Christ Church Melaka (400m), Dutch Square, Princess Hang Li Poh's Well (400m), A Famosa Fort, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, this 3-star hotel which is centrally located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site is set to charm you with its unique little details in its warm decor, super friendly staff, the most comfortable and relaxing "sweet bed" in your hotel room and so much more. Yes, we are talking about our recent stay at the lovely IBIS MELAKA HOTEL (here for more), a part of the already famous and established Accor Hotels brand worldwide. In fact, the name Ibis itself carries much weight for delivering ultimate comfort at a competitive price - economic for business and leisure. 

There are in fact three variants of hotels under the flagship name IBIS, each being represented by a different sets of coloured logo. Ibis Hotel (red pillow logo) is one that offers ultimate comfort with great ambience - well-being at a great price. Ibis Styles Hotel (in green) provides comfort and designs, all inclusive. Last but not least, Ibis Budget Hotel (blue), essential comfort at a budget price. Discover more here. Over 2000 Ibis hotels around the world, we are absolutely certain one can be sure to find an Ibis hotel that suits one's travel needs, comfort level and budget requirement. In Malaysia, Ibis can be found in Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Ipoh, Sandakan. Ibis Melaka is their latest addition to the Ibis family. We were invited by the gracious host previously, so let us share with you now our little experience staying there. 

[Inspiration | Musing] She Is All That She Dreams Of, And More.

Free, drifted, enviable, at times confused, she represents the deepest part of her soul, she hangs onto the final breath of her insanity hoping to infuse herself with that sense of freedom that she longs to keep close to her heart, but never to be forgotten how fragile that could be. 

She is the hero within herself and the stars and the sun and the moon, for only the clouds could gather them all and make a beautiful universe out of them and sprinkle star dusts that leave trails of delight to those who wish to follow her and see where she leads them.

Give her your shoulder of confidence, show her that a whole world of exploration is out there, yet allow her to retreat to her own world of solitude and quietness at the end of each day, so that she could be who she really wants to be, one who loves the lullaby of words and the imaginations they bring. Let her indulge in her musical notes of fantasising. She is, after all, a dreamer at heart.

She embraces what is hard to bear, yet welcomes the unexpected traces of new discoveries and possibilities. She believes that anything is possible, only if you believe hard and deep enough, ever so foolishly. 

Hello June ... in advance

You are all that she dreams of, and more ...

Visuals via LUMI Pinterest here. Her in black and white | Sensual In Bed | Words on Dreams of Hers | Her Writing At The Coffee Table | Delicate Fingers In The Sun | White Cotton Candy Over An Americano | Clouds And Soft Bed

With love, 

Jeann

[Inspiration | Musing] The Truth of The Matter

We tend to swing from mood to mood, life drags us along like herds of slave, slaves to our own crazy little wild mind, running along the streets of boredom, down the valley of mundane little act of sanity, trying to make sense of each and every little of our nuances, or reactions towards life.

The truth of the matter is, in fact, we can always turn things around. There is always a choice...

Today is one of those days, that we choose to move beyond our insanity, and try and re-capture that little specks of happiness, just by flipping our own mind over, to something more beautiful than what our eyes could see. 

Write yourself a love letter, plug into perhaps the kind of music that makes your head dance, and your heart skip a little soft beat, making you feel all alive, again, or just do whatever that makes you happy, even just for that brief moment. It is all worthwhile, after all, for we only have this one lifetime to live.

May as well make it count and live like there is no tomorrow!

Enjoy your weekend ahead, lovelies. We know we will.

Visuals via LUMI pinterest here | White bra | Eyes closed | Black typewriter | Freckled nose | Pink envelope | Listening to music | White headphones 

With love, 

Jeann

[Inspiration | Musing] It Is What It Is, No More No Less, Just Let It Be

 
"Life is a dance between making it happen and letting it happen" says Arianna Huffington. It happened that you walked into my week with such amusement that I found it wicked, but I could only leave it to chances, let's just say that perhaps fate would like that the universe to speak in an utterly strange language that only the both of us could comprehend, in a strange oddly manner. Between staying awake in a make-believe world and dreaming in a real world, words could only be as real as we choose to believe, or otherwise, never to be taken seriously. Just let it be as it can only be a playground of strung-characters that dance to the rhythm of life's lessons, to the beat of the imaginative stage, like the performances of shadows in the light, never meant to come alive, only for the amusement of its puppet owner. It feels a lot like love - love for the sake of loving the fun of it.

Pretence is a subtraction of the state of truth, but can be an addition to a form of entertainment. Perhaps it all depends on which window of perception you choose to open. It feels so much like having to feel the warmth of the sun amidst the coldness of the rain, all at the same time, contradicting, yet could co-exist within the same space and time. Sadly illusive, nonetheless real. Yes, you, the piece(s) of happiness and sanity that we are always searching in life.

Just let it be.

Wishing you lovelies a luminously lovely new week *_^

Visuals via LUMI Pinterest | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 - fight for happiness, bowl, music & vinyl and asian face

With love, 

Jeann