Wowowowowow

aSalaam uAlaikum My Stylish Sisters!

Insh'Allah you are all in good health and high imaan.  I don't know about where you are, but here in Southern California it is still HOT!  So, no tea tonight.  Instead let me pour you some iced coffee.

I have recently become totally and helplessly addicted to iced coffee.  My morning routine every day is to wake up and make a huge pot of extra strong coffee.  I let it cool for an hour or so before mixing it with some cream, Splenda, and pouring it over ice and sipping it throughout the day.

By the way ladies, just a bit of advice: STAY AWAY FROM ULTA!  This store has a magical force that will suck you in by your feet, point out every single blemish, stray hair, or wrinkle, and make every dollar in your wallet disappear.

I swear that's what happens.  (Why are you looking at me like that???)

On Eid my dh gave me some money as my Eidiyah and he told me I better go spend it ALL on myself, instead of buying things for the princesses like I always do whenever I have money in my pocket.  So, I headed to the mall in search of something that would catch my eye.  While taking the girls to ride the choo choo I noticed that Ulta had finally opened up, so I decided to take a look.

Ladies, I should have turned around and gone home at that moment, but did I?

Noooooooo.

About 15 minutes later I walked out totally broke with a facial mask, blemish treatment, mascara, and concealor.

And as much as I'd like to complain about it, all I can think about is how badly I want to go back.

*sigh*

I'm hopeless.

Ma'Salaama and Caveat Emptor.

Fashionably Yours,
The (anyone want a refill?) Mujahada in Prada

 

~Ramadan is Here!~

aSalaam uAlaikum My Stylish Sisters!

Just wanted to wish you all a very happy, very beneficial, very blessed Ramadan!

Ma'Salaama and Happy Fasting!

Fashionably Yours,
The (so excited!) Mujahada in Prada

Cotton Candy, Lalaloopsy, and Plink Plank Plunk

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

It is so hard for me to wrap my head around, but my first born princess just turned four this past week! Subhan'Allah time flies so fast, it feels as though I just brought her home from the hospital!

This year I really wanted to do something over the top and special for her, as she has been super patient and wonderfully loving toward her little sister mash'Allah. Sooooo, I decided that I would throw her a carnival themed party!

Of course not just a carnival themed party (oh no, that would have been wayyyy to simple) but a Lalaloopsy Carnival-themed party.

What made it so complicated is that there are NOOOO Lalaloopsy birthday decorations! None....zip...nada...zilch. I searched EVERYWHERE, but no one has decided to make any decorations with these slightly creepy, but super cute, button-eyed dollies.

Soooo...I had to make them all. Alhamdulillah there is such thing as Etsy, because those stay at home small business-owning moms are GENIUSES! I was able to get the PDF files for a custom made Lalaloopsy birthday banner, as well as other decorations, and I took them to the local printer to have them printed out. I was also able to find an adorable Lalaloopsy shirt, a custom-made Lalaloopsy inspired top hat, and some super funky leggings and arm warmers for the princess to wear to her party.

All in all I think the party was a huge success. We had way more kids actually attend than I had planned on, but they were all mash'Allah super patient and cooperative. A family friend rented a cotton candy machine and snow cone machine, and my BFF brought a custom made Lalaloopsy pinata. I had made six games for the kids to play, complete with carnival tickets they turned in at the end of the party to get their goody bags (which were actually old fashioned popcorn bags tied with a ribbon). The best thing about a Lalaloopsy inspired birthday was that if nothing matched, it was OK because the dolls are a hodge podge of patterns and fabrics!

Here are a few pics from the event. Insh'Allah they give a bit of inspiration for any future carnival shindigs you may be throwing!

The Cotton Candy Machine

It took a couple of tries until you could make a decent-sized cotton candy stick without being burned by flying bits of melting sugar.  But it was yummy!

Home-made Photo Booth

We had clown noses, googly eyes, funny glasses, buck teeth, masks, and top hats available for the guests to use in their photos.  I made the phone booth out of a refrigerator box that I got from the local hardware store.

The Games! 

We had 'Lasso the Giraffe', 'Shoot 'Em Down', 'Krabby Patty Toss', 'Plink PlankPlunk', 'Guess How Many', and 'Ring Toss'.  Every single game was entirely made at home by my family and I.

Streamers Galore!

The decorations were nice and simple.  Colorful streamers, mis-matched balloons, and plenty of bunting set the carnival atmosphere.

Lots To Eat

We kept the food simple.  Mini cheeseburgers with tons of toppings, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad and corn on the cob.  It was the perfect carnival food, and great for young picky eaters. 

Something Sweet

I ordered these adorable Lalaloopsy stickers off of eBay, and then attached them to a bunch of gourmet lollipops.  These cute waffle cone looking cups were from the 99cent store!

So Much Fun!

Full to the brim with cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, and candy!  I'm sure the parents loved me by the time they all left! LOL

The Cake!

I just made a simple white cake with three layers.  I used fondant to make the diamonds, and candies for the dots.  The Lalaloopsy sugar paper melts I got from eBay.  They were so easy to use!  They just disappear right into the frosting so it looks like they are airbrushed on!  I also made the bunting topper out of scraps of the fabric I used for her big decorations.

 

The Cake (again)

The inside of the cake.  It was yummy!

Alhamdulillah everything turned out well for the party, although it was a lot of work, and NOT a lot of sleep, it was well worth it to hear all of the kids rave about how much fun they were having.  My husband swears, though, that he can't handle another party like this next year, and he's insisting we just go on a cruise as a family instead.  Hmmmmm...I'll have to think about that one.

And now....to get ready for Ramadan!

Ma'Salaama and Party On!!

Fashionably Yours,

The (Only Two More Days!) Mujahada in Prada

The Chip On My Shoulder...

aSalaam uAlaikum My Stylish Sisters...

Jummah Mubarak!  Insh'Allah you have a fun weekend planned ahead, full of laughter, fun, and fashion!

You know, I am always surprised at just how many people still give me rude looks, or make evil comments to me because of my hijab.  I mean, I live in the second largest metropolitan area in the United States, and there are people here of every nationality, ethnicity, and religion!  I don't know if it's because they don't understand me (I am super pale, with green eyes...yet wear hijab, which tends to confuse a lot of people) or if it's because they are so brainwashed by the media they can't think for themselves.

Lately, though, I've started wondering if my own attitude has something to do with it.

You see, when I first started wearing hijab I would hear comments like "You're glowing!" or "You look beautiful in that scarf!" whereas now it's more like, "Aren't you hot?"  and "Don't you get tired of putting that on every morning?"  I didn't really realize that this chip on my shoulder might have something to do with the shift in people's attitudes around me.

The other day I took my youngest princess to the doctor's office.  The waiting room was PACKED, I was worried about her, my day had been hectic already, and in short, I had attitude oozing out of my ears.  BUT, immediately a woman sitting next to me told me that she loved my scarf, loved my religion, and had been thinking about converting.  She went on to tell me that she loved Islam the most because of the way the men cater to the women and hold them with such high esteem.  (*gasp...normally I hear the exact opposite from people!)  I was so shocked, I didn't really have time to react more than saying "Well thank you, I hope you find the truth and do what feels right for you."  (duuuuuhhhhhhhhhh) 

A second later, another woman who was with her teenage daughter confessed to me that she previously wore a scarf, but felt too scared and discriminated against, and she and her daughter both chose to stop wearing hijab.  I was so overcome with sadness for her, because you could see in her eyes it was a difficult decision she had made.  I told her that insh'Allah she would put it back on again soon, because Allah swt will not give us more than we can handle, and HE will reward her for doing the right thing. 

By the time the nurse called us in, I had given my business card to the first woman and encouraged her to call me if she need someone to talk to about Islam, and the second woman confided to me that I had inspired her to start wearing hijab again and she would give it serious thought. (Alhamdulillah!)

My mood lifted, the clouds disappeared, the chip on my shoulder was gone.  And for days following that incident I was walking as I did when I first put the hijab on...with my head up, a smile on my face, and nice words on the tip of my tongue.

In short, I'm not downplaying the ignorance that American hijabis often face (and I'm sure hijabis face in other non-Muslim countries).  I KNOW that hate exists.  But, I've learned that by staying positive, and expecting the best out of a stranger, instead of fearing the worst, often the situation turns out better than expected.  By finding that glow on my face again, I've lost the chip on my shoulder.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Hijabi-ing!!

Fashionably Yours,
The (*glow*) Mujahada in Prada

~And Now I Am A Nine....~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters...

I know it's been a loooong time since we last saw eachother, and I'm so sorry!  It's crazy to me sometimes how quickly time passes subhan'Allah.  It seems like only yesterday I was sitting down at my laptop, determined to start a blog where I could express myself and my views on topics important to me, and now we've had over two years together!  When I sat down this evening to check in with my favorite fashionista muslimahs, and noticed it's been almost two months since we last visited, I was shocked and ashamed at how negligent I had been! 

Well, anyways, I'm glad to be back, and I hope insh'Allah that you ladies are glad too.

I guess the biggest news to share with you is that I've lost some weight! Yay Me!  I was so fed up with not feeling comfortable in my own skin, that I made a conscious decision to make some changes in the way I was living my life, and alhamdulillah it has definitely paid off!

The first step to my transformation was a Detox Diet that I did for one whole week.  I didn't eat any dairy, meat, white flour, sugar or caffeine for seven days.  It was hard to stick with (it doesn't sound too hard, but once you start thinking of all of the things you normally eat, you'll realize they probably have one or more of what I just named) but alhamdulillah I was able to finish the week, only cheating once because I ate two Ritz crackers.  Since I finished the diet, my cravings for chips and sweets have pretty much disappeared, and I get full much faster than I did before.  Two months ago I was a size 14....and now I am a nine!!  Insh'Allah I can keep it up and get close to my pre-baby weight so I can feel comfortable with myself once more.

One of the best things about losing weight is that all of your clothes stop fitting anymore which means YOU HAVE TO BUY NEW ONES!!!  My mom and I planned a Girl's Day together, and this past week that "Girl's Day" turned into three "Girl's Day"s in a row!  It was a great Mother's Day present to eachother to spend the day chatting, lending support, enjoying eachother's company, and of course encouraging eachother to spend way too much money LOL.  I can't wait until my own girls are old enough that they enjoy these girl's days with me, the way I've always loved them with my mom.

Because work has been picking up alhamdulillah, and there is a possibility that my position within the company might change sometime in the next few months, I decided that I should invest in a few classy business pieces.  I had never shopped much at Express in the past, but I decided to check out what they had, and ladies....I think I may have found my new favorite store.  They had beautiful suit jackets of varying lengths, colors, and fabrics...the most adorable collared short-sleeve shirts in tons of colors to wear under them, and some of the nicest quality jeans I've seen since Seven Jeans went downhill.  I decided to wait on the jeans until I got down to my ultimate weight goal (they were pretty pricey for jeans I will insh'Allah only be wearing for a month or so until I lose more weight), but I got a suit jacket and this adorable shirt to wear under my work blazers in a few different colors. 

Okay, so it's hard to picture how well it can hijabified just by looking at this picture, but I wear these tops with a tank underneath (just in case my scarf rides up) with a longer blazer (like the one below by Ann Taylor) and loose fitting trousers or a skirt and (of course) a pinstriped, or color-block scarf.  All in all, these are basically a professional-looking pop of color to go with your business suit.

Ladies, if you live here in the United States, and live anywhere that the seasons actually change and tank tops and short skirts are the only thing available in the summer, then you KNOW how impossible it is to find nice, modest, cotton clothing that will be cool, yet still modest enough for the summer months.  That's one reason I loved Express so much, the store had plenty of long skirts, long sleeve cotton shirts, and tunic length tops to be just the right amount of "fashionable", while still maintaining the vital "modest" factor!  I have definitely found my new favorite store!

Well my Amazing Muslimahs, I would love to sit and chat all night, but unfortunately my java is wearing off, and my eyes are slowly drooping.  I must be off to get my beauty sleep (I need as much as I can get LOL), and to dream about the chocolate cakes and potato chips I can longer eat.  It was lovely to see you ladies again, and insh'Allah I will be back sooner than later.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Healthy Eating!

Fashionably Yours,
The (Size Nine...yay!) Mujahada in Prada

~Blah-dity Blah Blah~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Sweet Sisters!

Insh'Allah all of you are doing well, enjoying watching the weather slowly turn from winter into spring.  Here in Southern Cali the weather has been as unpredictable as the traffic is.  One day it's 65 degrees and sunny, and the next it's hailing.

Have you ladies ever gone through a time of feeling like you're just hanging on by a thread?  Like there isn't really anything specific bothering you, but you feel just a tad slower on the uptake than usual?  Recently between work, the girls, planning birthday parties, keeping the house presentable, and trying to spend a few minutes with my husband every day I am totally drained.  I look forward alllll day long to those few minutes in the evening when I can sip my tea and think my own thoughts in silence....but by the time those minutes come I'm too exhausted to think at all.

I know I haven't blogged about fashion in a long time, and for that I truly apologize.  But with so many horrible things going on around the world, sometimes I feel a bit superficial talking about which style jeans I like now, or how who should wear what.

I do have to share one absolutely adorable discovery I made recently though....baby sized ballet shoes:
The Cutest Ballet Shoes Ever

Aren't they just the sweetest things?  I've been shopping a lot on Etsy lately.  I searched high and low for a party dress that I wanted for my youngest princess to turn one year old in (can you believe it already???) and couldn't find ANYTHING....until I looked on Etsy.  Within five minutes of logging on I'd found this adorable little dress for the baby, along with the second amazingly cute outfit for her big sister:

Birthday Girl:

Big Sista:

We're doing a ladybug theme, and I am all geared up to make a giant ladybug cake and 24 polka-dotted cake pops! Yay!  I couldn't find red, black, and white outfits anywhere for the girls because those colors are usually seen around Christmas time, so I was soooo excited to find them on Etsy!

My husband can't stand the month or so before the kids' birthday parties because that is ALL I talk about.  Teehee....I'm not sure who likes the parties the most:  the birthday girl or me!  I will insh'Allah share lots of pictures of the cake and cakepops with you ladies to get your opinion on my workmanship.  (It's my first time doing cake pops, so please be kind!)

Well, either way, I just wanted to stop by and send my salaams and let you amazing Muslimahs know I hadn't forgotten about you.  Things have been truly mind-blowingly hectic, and like I said....I'm barely hanging on by a thread.  Alhamdulillah for everything though, I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Ma'Salaama and Happy Etsy Shopping!

Fashionably Yours,

The (Anyone have an extra life vest?) Mujahada in Prada

~Shoes...Stress....and Renewed Opportunities~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!!!

It's late here...after one in the morning, and as I sit here enjoying the peace and quiet that finally fills my busy home after another long day...I decided it was about time for me to catch up with all you ladies and find out what's been going on in YOUR busy lives...

Alhamdulillah everything has been going a bit better here.  I have found different ways to try to ease my anxiety a bit.  I've made attempts to come to grips with the fact that with a preschooler and toddler in the home chances are that at least 50% of the common areas in my home will be covered with toys laying about....no matter HOW many times I try to pick up during the day.  I've also realized that if I am constantly worried about where I'm going next and what I need to get done next...that I can't really enjoy what's going on NOW. 

I need to bake more.  (Random....I know)

Anyways....I've gotten totally addicted to this website called www.shoedazzle.com.  In case any of you amazing Muslimahs are new to my blog....I am completely, totally and helplessly addicted to shoes.  Stilettos, Wedges, Sandals, Peep Toes, Pumps, Platforms, Ballet Flats, Espadrilles....you name it.  Shoedazzle is this website where you go fill out a short profile about yourself, and name some of your preferences in shoes and they will specifically select a small selection of shoes for you each day.

I haven't placed an order...yet.  I've been trying to restrain myself until dh gets his tax returns.  But, I'm not sure how much longer I can wait. 

Alhamdulillah we had an amazing time with dh's cousin while she was here.  She has young children, one around my daughter's age, and they had a blast with eachother for the week they were here.  Seeing my princess having so much fun with someone her age, (then feeling guilty she didn't know any kids her own age) I decided to enroll her in some classes to keep the two of us busy and spending time together.  She started her classes this past week and alhamdulillah LOVED them.

While dh's cousin was here we started to discuss business ideas.  As you ladies know I am already somewhat of an entrepreneur, having started my jewelry line Love Nyla a couple of years ago, but I have about a million and one other ideas for business....we've just been waiting until we could save up the capital to start one of them.  She, on the other hand, has the capital and no ideas!  We sat and chatted about different ideas I have and decided to focus on one in particular....so I'm starting to draw up a business plan now.

I mean, how exciting is THAT?  As soon as I decide to stop sitting around the house complaining about not feeling well, and actually get busy doing things...an opportunity fell into my lap!  When Allah swt closes the door...He opens a window. 

Anywho, I've noticed more and more through close observation of friends and family members that women tend to overlook themselves way too much.  I mean, not to sound like some bra-burning feminist or anything, but we truly ARE the backbone of every single successful family unit.  It is the woman who is there for her children, her husband, her parents, and her in-laws through thick and thin, yet we practically never take the time to spoil ourselves!

That's why recently I've tried my best to make myself a priority at least one day a week (okay it's turned into more like one day a month....but whatever).  Although I feel a bit guilty spending the money, it really does help the stress levels to go once in a while and get that mani/pedi, or new hairdo (yes- even hijabis should have their hair styled once in a while!) or just a day to grab lunch and a movie with some sisters.  Alhamdulillah I have a hubby who completely agrees, and even encourages me (probably because he enjoys my less frequent nervous breakdowns LOL).  My sensational sisters, please do take a bit of time to yourselves to do those things you used to enjoy doing pre-baby/marriage/career days!  You deserve it!

Anywho, I know this post was completely random...insh'Allah I will be back to my normally sheduled program soon and actually have some fashion posts for you.  In the meantime, go grab that Starbucks or Tim Hortons and read the newest People magazine while pampering your tootsies! (then enjoy the look on the manicurist's face when you say "No polish, please!" LOL)

Ma'Salaama and Merry Manicuring!

Fashionably Yours,
The (Totally Scatterbrained) Mujahada in Prada

~Forgiveness~

aSalaam uAlaikum My Stylish Sisters...
(and whoever else may be lurking about my blog)

Insh'Allah this finds all of you ladies in the highest imaan and good health.  Alhamdulillah everyone here is doing well.  Keeping busy, recovering from colds and all of those fun things that come around this time of year.  I've been seriously considering purchasing one of those French Press coffee pots, do any of you ladies have any experience with those?  I've heard the coffee tastes amazing, and they just look so fancy and elegant that I've always wanted one.

Anyways, I digress...this post is NOT just about coffee.  (I can hear the sighs of relief)

This post will be brief, to the point, just a quick reminder for all of my sisters (and lurkers) out there....and of course for myself.

I wanted to chat a bit about forgiveness. 

I can remember before converting to Islam, seeing people on the TV whose loved one had been badly hurt, or killed by someone speaking to the press about how through forgiveness they were able to move on with their life and I would think to myself  "They're CRAZY!"  First of all, how could you forgive someone for something like this, and second of all....how does forgiveness have ANYTHING to do with moving on in your life?

Well...I didn't have something quite THAT bad happen to me.  Alhamdulillah no one in my family was killed or anything by anyone else, but I personally was badly hurt by someone close to me a couple of years back.  And when I say hurt I mean kicked in the gut, doubled over on the ground, sobbing kind of hurt.  I mean the not wanting to get up in the morning, forgetting to brush your hair, not wanting to eat kind of hurt.  In short...I was a MESS.

In time, I was confronted with the choice of forgiving this person, or keeping my heart hard toward them and hating them forever.  I prayed A LOT.  I made TONS of du'a.  I fasted, I attended the masjid, I made dhikr....and I prayed some more. 

And eventually...I forgave them.  I don't think it was even a conscious decision I made.  I honestly think it was a change that Allah swt made in my heart for me.  He knew what was best for me (as He always does) and He emptied my heart of the rock that had formed there, and replaced it with forgiveness.

The funny thing is...sometimes it's the actual moving on part that is even harder than the forgiveness.  You see, if you turn to Allah swt HE will take care of the forgiveness...and of course He helps you with the moving on too....but that's something you have to keep trying at.  Every.  Single.  Day.

Alhamdulillah, it's taken time.  There have been ups and downs.  Lots of tears.  Sleepless nights.  And many days I asked myself if I made the right decision.  But that doubt in my decision only lasted until I realized that it wasn't a decision I had made, it was a path that Allah swt had chosen for me.

So you see ladies (and lurkers) forgiveness takes a long time.  A lot of patience, and tons of prayer.  But in the end....

Alhamdulillah it's worth it.

Ma'Salaama and Remember:
"Those who control their anger and are forgiving towards people; Allah loves the good." (Qur'an, 3: 134)

Forgivingly Yours,
The (Insh'Allah I too will be forgiven one day) Mujahada in Prada

~What to say....what to say....~

aSalaam uAlaikum waRamtuallahi waBarakatu!

Good evening my Stylish Sisters!  It is about midnight here in Southern California, and despite the fact that it is barely the 8th of January, it has been sunny and warm for the past few days.  Before I forget....

Alhamdulillah, so far this year has been good.  Unfortunately both of my princesses and I caught some kind of a virus while we were traveling over the Christmas holidays and it's clinging on to us for dear life.  It's been tough because my oldest daughter, who is three, has never ever ever ever ever been sick in her entire life, and my youngest (who is still a baby) now seems to be making up for all of those missed sicknesses for her older sister.  *sad face*  Ahhhhh well, that's the way it goes.  Alhamdulillah it's nothing worse.

Anywho, I struggled for a while to decide what I should chat about for my first 2012 blog post.  At first I was considering a post about New Years Resolutions (to be more patient with my daughters, and to get back down to the weight I was when I met the hubster), or the latest fashion trends (Owls- LOVE, Skinny Jeans- OVER THEM!), or my most recent home improvement projects (trying to make more room magically appear for all of my daughter's toys) but I've already talked about all of that, so instead I've decided to tell you about the super fun time I had last night baking with Princess Curly Q. 

As I've said before, Princess Curly Q is three years old, a lover of tutu's, a hater of jeans (they FRUSTRATE me, Mama!) and THE most creative little three year old genius I know.  (Yes, I have to say that....I'm her Mum)  Like me, she loves to cook, loves to clean, loves to bake, yet somehow manages to still maintain the most un-domesticated attitude.  Hehehe.  It's quite hilarious actually.

After being stuck in the apartment for a week with a raging fever, she decided yesterday (after her fever broke) that to finally bring in the New Year, we should bake cookies.  And, being the cookie lover that I am (there goes New Years Resolution #2) I of course agreed.  We pulled out an ancient recipe that was my grandmother's, for Peanut Blossoms, and got to work.

Peanut Blossoms are actually just little slightly Peanut Buttery tasting cookies that have a chocolate kiss in the middle.  In case you've never seen these culinary masterpieces, you can find a recipe HERE.

Well, we got through adding all of the ingredients without her insisting on changing the recipe (which happens a LOT when making anything with this girl)....until she decided the normal Peanut Blossom color was just too boring. 

So she decided on creating this lovely Teal Green color....

See how pretty that color looked all rolled up in the shimmering sugar coating??

We also decided to use dark chocolate kisses, instead of the normal milk chocolate, because I am a HUGE dark chocolate lover...and really, those little purple wrappers are just so much prettier than the regular old silver ones!

So...the first few out of the oven looked like this:

Other than the odd coloring, they look pretty normal.  Which was NOT satisfying for the Princess...who then decided that the kisses looked like beaks, and we should start making them look like birds.   And here are our final Peanut Blossom Kiwi Bird Cookies......

We had so much fun....she even cracked the eggs herself, and we haven't run across any eggshells in the cookies yet!  I swear this girl is a Mini Martha Stewart.  I can't think of any way I would have rather rung in the New Year (even if it WAS a week late).

Ma'Salaama and Happy New Year!!!!

Fashionably Yours,

The (okay, now I'm REALLY going to start my diet!) Mujahada in Prada