Ramadhan Kareem

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Ramadhan Kareem
InshAllah the first of Ramadhan is tomorrow (in the UK). May your Ramadhan be blessed and all your good deeds accepted. Ameen.



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Canvas Art: Salaam

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Meaning: Peace (greeting)

Trying my hand at Arabic calligraphy using fabric paint on canvas. Simple pearl white writing on black background. Canvas (stretched on wooden frame) from Poundland.

What do you think?



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Hijabi Tip: Occasion Wear

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So it can sometimes be a little difficult to find something to wear for special occasions if you're a hijabi. Depending on whether the occasion is segregated (e.g. dinner events/weddings) or mixed (e.g. Eid/weddings) and whether or not it's at your home or at another venue, you have to dress accordingly. As I wear a jilbab, I've become used to wearing jilbabs to occasions although there are plenty of other oufit choices that can be easily hijabified and worn to special occasions.


Here are a few idea's which can be adapted to form Hijabi Occasion Wear:
Occassion Wear

From abaya's to maxi dresses, embellished tunics paired with wide leg trousers to flowy shalwar suits, there's no limit as to how to mix and match your clothes to find your perfect outfit for any occasion. All that's needed now are a few accessories and a classy hijab to finish the look.

Let me know what you would wear at an occasion or event =)




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Hijabi Tip: Hijab Pins (and possible business idea)

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Hijab pins are a nice way to add an accessory to your hijab without being too much. Hijab pins can range from simple stick pins, to fancy earrings that have been attached to a long pin. Here are a few pins in my collection. The gold one was an earring that I attached to an eyepin, after removing the earring post.



If you want to make your own hijab pins (or attach earrings to them), then you'll need eyepins. These pins have a loop on one side, (which is why they're called eye pins). The one's which are suitable for hijab pins have a sharp point, whereas eyepins that are used in jewellery making are not sharp. These pins may come with a pin cap, which covers the sharp point of the pin.

I'm considering selling a few handmade hijab pins, which are made using 4mm Swarovski Bicone beads and are similar in style to the hijab pins at the bottom of the image. The beads are attached to the chain, which can be worn dangling from the pin, or draped from the other side of the pin.

Would you be interested in seeing these hijab pins? Let me know in the comments below =)




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Ramadhan: How I prepare

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The month of Ramadhan is drawing nearer (less than ten days). Fasting (Saum) is one of the Pillars of Islam and its purpose during Ramadhan is to spiritually cleanse oneself. The month of Ramadhan has many blessings and through fasting we gain self control, not only of our eating habits, but also things such as gossiping and lying. We fast for the sake of Allah (swt) and this can be seen in the intention "I intend to fast today for the sake of Allah. O Allah, make it easy for me and accept it from me".


Ayah's and Hadith's regarding Fasting during Ramadhan:


"...whoever witnesses the Month of Ramadan should fast through it..." Q(2:185)
"Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwaa." [2:183]

‎"Ramadan is the (month) in which the Quran was sent down, as a guide to mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind will distinguish from right and wrong).." (Q 2:183)
"Indeed We have revealed it (Qur'an) in the night of Power. And what will explain to you what the night of Power is? The night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein descends the Angels and the Spirit (Jibreel) by Allah's permission, on every errand: (they say) "Peace" (continuously) till the rise of Morning!" Q(97:1-5)
“Whoever does not give up lying and evil actions, then Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink” [Saheeh al-Bukhari]


When I prepare for Ramadhan it includes:
- Cleaning and tidying up all my stuff, so that it's out of the way.
- Replacing music on my mp3 with Quran Recitation and nasheeds.
- Returning all my library books before Ramadhan starts.

This year, I'm also going to 'ban' myself from random shopping and buying unnecessary items during Ramadhan, including makeup and clothes. This means I'll be at home more (rather than shopping on the High Street), and it also means that when Westfield Stratford opens (September 13th I think), I will have an opportunity to treat myself!

Some preparation is also done including the rest of the family, which includes:
- Food which can be stored in the freezer, for easy cooking during Ramadhan. This ensures that during Ramadhan we're not spending a huge amount of time cooking for Iftar, and that this time can be used for Ibaadat.
- Cleaning the whole house. Again so that items which aren't needed can be stored out of the way.
- Make sure all shopping (apart from the fresh products such as milk and fruit) is done prior to Ramadhan.

InshaAllah I plan to make the best use of time this Ramadhan.


Also, I'm considering having an Eid giveaway at the end of Ramadhan. Let me know in the comments if you think this is a good idea (and what should prizes be) =D

How do you prepare for Ramadhan?


Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Creams [review]

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A treat to myself for successfully completing and handing in my final year proposal. These Collection 2000 Cream Puff lip creams are available at Superdrug for £2.99 each (current promotion: any two Collection 2000 £2.99 products for £4.99) and come in four different shades. I chose to pick up the two shades shown below. Don't you just love the name Cream Puff? =)



The Angel Delight 4 is the perfect nude shade for me. It doesn't blank out the colour of my lips completely, but leaves a peach-ish tint (which I prefer). The Cotton Candy 1 is a muted candy pink. I picked this one up as it was a darker shade than the other pink that was available and I'm personally not a big fan of bright pink lip colours!

(cotton candy 1 isn't really that bright in real life!)

They both have a matte finish which is different to the usual lipglosses available, however this means that the cream does settle into lip lines and accentuates dryness. I use a clear lipbalm underneath the lip cream to counteract the dryness, which solves that problem. The lip creams are pigmented, although not to the point where it stains the lips (or skin), but you would need a mirror handy to apply these as the application can be uneven. The formula on both of these lip creams is soft and creamy and definately not sticky (major positive). The smell is very sweet but I can't quite figure it out, but it reminds me of ice cream =)

What do you think of the Cream Puff lip creams?



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July update

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Sorry about the lack of posts! For the past week I've been juggling with my final year project proposal and helping out with a neighbours wedding which occured over the weekend. Let's just say that the wedding was great, with plenty of late nights and early mornings and lots of food! Also, I've just submitted my proposal (deadline is today!) and thought I'd share my freedom with a blog post. Posts which will be coming up in the near future will be focusing on preparing for Ramadhan and outfits for Eid. Hope you all are having a great summer =)


Check out my mendhi (only on one hand) =D











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