~How To Turn One Bedroom Into An Elegant Master Suite, A Toddler's Bedroom, and A Nursery All In One~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

First of all, I apologize for the excessively long title for this post.  But I couldn't figure out how else to title it using any fewer words LOL.

After a lot of discussion with the hubster the two of us have decided that in order to save money to buy a house in the future, we are going to stay in our one bedroom apartment for another year or so.  If we are able to stick it out even longer (until mid 2012) there is a probability that we will receive a sizeable buy-out from the city, so they can demolish our building and expand the local airport.  And as good as a two-bedroom apartment sounds NOW....a nice lump sum of money in a couple years sounds even better.  And so begins our attempt at patience. (Allah help us!!)

So, the best part of our plan (other than the lump sum, of course) is that I get to redo our bedroom!  The only problem is; turning one bedroom into a nursery for the new baby, a fun bedroom for my toddler, and an elegant master suite for my husband and I is turning out to be a bit harder than planned.  I've already had my husband rearrange the existing furniture twice, and I still don't like it, so I decided that before I make him rearrange it again I would draw a To-Scale diagram of the room with mini furniture so I could see how it would look.  My husband made fun of me for a couple of days after seeing my diagram, but he'll appreciate it when he learns he only has to change the furniture one more time.

After figuring out how I am going to set up our beds I started searching the internet for different ways to divide the room in order to give my daughter her own space to play and sleep, and to allow my husband and I to have some privacy.  I have browsed literally thousands of different room dividers and chinese screens, and have finally decided on one similar to this:

Although at first I was concerned that this style wouldn't coordinate with our bedspread and other decor, in the end I've decided this screen is the best bet because of the stand at the bottom.  With a toddler playing around the screen, and working with limited space, the ability to have the screen stand straight up (instead of zig-zagged) and be more stable is much more important to me than the style aspect.  And, the opposite side of this screen is plain white, without the grids, so I will have that side facing the door, and possibly hang a nice picture from it or decorate it in some other way.  If you like this screen you can go to iroomdividers.com and check out their huge selection of room dividers ranging from Shoji style (like this one) to modern, and even some with art prints and photographs.

I'm going to use this screen to separate a space for my daughter's bed, a bookshelf for her toys and books, and her table and chairs.  Here is all the stuff that will be on her side of the screen:

This is my daughter's bedding set.  Her bed is similar, but is in a dark espresso colored wood.  Also the bedding looks much more pink in person, rather than the lavendar that is showing up here.  You can't see the polka dots so well at the bottom of the comforter, but they match the canopy I've chosen (shown below).  If you like this bedding, or want to see other beautiful bedding for anyone from babies to adults, check out bacati.com.  Their customer service is amazing, and the quality is superb.

And here is the adorable canopy from ikea.com that I will hang above her bed.

I've looked around at many different bookshelves, and my original plan was to get a bookshelf that I could use two cloth baskets on the bottom shelf, and stack her books on the top shelf.  But then I came across this adorable sling bookshelf with storage bins from OneStepAhead and I loooove it.  I can also personalize it with my daughters name for only $5.00 which is such a cute touch!  The wood is available in Espresso, to match her bed, so I'm sold! yay!

I also found this adorable rug, which is wayyyy expensive (for a rug...and my budget) but I am going to keep searching for one similar, because the style of the bird looks like her bedspread, and the pink color matches perfectly.  This one is from rosenberryrooms.com.

Now...my daughter has this cute set of table and chairs from Ikea (that I can't show because they don't have that style anymore) that are solid wood, and unfinished.  I bought them because I despise (not just hate....but DESPISE) plastic furniture for kids.  (unless it's for use outdoors)  I also chose them unfinished because at that time I wasn't sure what colors I would use for my daughter's bedroom, and I wanted to paint them myself.  After a lot of thought I've decided I will stain them to match her bed, and her new bookshelf, and paint the seat of one chair bright pink and the other turquoise, to coordinate with her bedspread.

Whew!! So....those are the plans I have so far for the "Other Side Of the Screen" (sounds like a cheesy horror flick, doesn't it??? LOL) I'll wait to bore you with the plans for the adult side in the next post.....but I will give you a hint....

I just got a BEAUTIFUL bedding set...and got it on sale!!  And you ladies know...there is not much that makes me happier than getting something beautiful...unless it's getting something beautiful ON SALE!!

Please ladies, let me know what you think of my plans so far!! Feel free to tell me if you think something else would look better, or if you have any home improvement projects of your own right now! 

Ma'Salaama and Happy Home Improvements!

Fashionably Yours,

The (yes I DO use my stilettos to hammer the nails in) Mujahada in Prada

~Bassinet Browsing~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Afternoon My Stylish Sisters!

Insh'Allah all of you had a wonderful weekend, and a productive start to the new week!

Alhamdulillah since my last post I am feeling much more optimistic.  I have kept myself very busy these past few days.  When I got back from my trip with my daughter, my poor husband was living in a house completely void of any groceries, and badly needed some laundry done.  He is very independent, and fends for himself when he needs to, but the poor guy is working 70 hours a week and gets home from work ready to shove anything close by into his mouth and pass out in his work clothes.  So, after unpacking our suitcases (we came back with one suitcase more than we left here with, and all three suitcases overweight!-oops!) I spent a couple days washing clothes, cleaning house, and stocking up on some much-needed groceries. 

This past weekend my hubby had a day off and we were able to take our daughter, his little sister, and his younger cousin to a nearby aquarium which was an amazing experience for the kids.  We all enjoyed looking at sharks, beautiful fish, turtles, stingrays, and the craziest looking seahorses called Leafy Sea Dragons!

Yesterday I was kept busy running all over town getting some other odds and ends we needed for the house, as well as running some errands for my mother-in-law, so today I am enjoying a peaceful and MUCH-needed day of rest and relaxation.

I decided since I'm home, with my feet up, and my cappucino by my side, it was a good time to start cruising the internet to check out some beds for the new baby.  Holy Shmoly!! I can't believe all of the different choices there are out there now!  My daughter is only two years old, but I don't remember seeing all of these options out there when I was choosing a crib for her!  I wanted to share some of the options I found with you amazing Muslimahs and see what you think.

Old World Cradle

I absolutely love the traditional, old school look of this cradle from ababy.com.  I can imagine it staying in the family for years to come, and filling up with the baby's toys, stuffed animals, and other treasures as they grow up.  I also like that it could easily be used for a girl, or a boy, depending on the blankets and accessories that you use with it.

Oval Elite Bassinet

This bassinet is a beautiful compromise between traditional and modern.  Like the cradle, I can imagine this bassinet sitting in the corner of the room even as the baby grows up, and becoming somewhere for him or her to hold their stuffed animals, or other toys.  The round shape is different and unique, and I could easily remove the canopy and bedskirt to convert it into a more modern, and simple storage place for extra blankets or other trinkets.  This style is available on various websites and varies in price and color, this one is on sears.com.

Fisher Price "Zen" Bassinet

I looked at this bassinet when I was pregnant with my little girl.  I love the modern look of this one, along with the special features it has.  It plays fifteen different songs, and makes various soothing movements designed to help put the baby to sleep.  My only reservations about this bassinet is that it is made out of mainly plastic, as opposed to the solid wood construction of more traditional bassinets.  I do like the little shelf under the bassinet, which would come in handy for extra sheets and blankets, but the construction of the bassinet concerns me, and I don't see it sticking around for very long.  This bassinet is available at amazon.com.

Traditional Swag Bassinet

I absolutely adore the traditional, flowing shape of this bassinet.  The sash around the top can be changed from green, to blue, to pink, depending on the sex of the baby and the color you choose to decorate with.  It is formal, yet simple, and reminds me of the elegant bassinets used in the 1800s by royalty.  Although I'm not sure it could be used for too long after the baby outgrows it, I think it is absolutely beautiful.  I debated getting a bassinet like this for my daughter, but instead got a co-sleeper which I quickly regretted and will NEVER do again, and honestly I still feel guilty that I robbed her of the opportunity to sleep in such a gorgeous little bed.  This beautiful bassinet is available at ababy.com.

The Cocoon Hammock

Although this hammock style baby bed is not as beautiful or elegant as the others, it appeals to me for personal reasons.  When my daughter was still very young she was extremely colich-y and would go for hours (and sometimes what seemed like days) screaming.  My husband would walk her up and down the hallways of the apartment we were living in, which would soothe her, but as soon as he would come back into the house and lay her down she would start screaming again.  It was very stressful for the two of us (and I'm pretty sure for our neighbors!) and it was hard not to feel like we were doing something wrong.  Finally her pediatrician suggested we let her sleep sitting up, so we would often sit her in her baby swing and let her sleep there.  I'm not sure if it was the sitting up, or the gentle rocking of the chair that helped her sleep, but she rarely slept in her crib the first four months of her life.  When she outgrew that little swing we were panic-stricken, but alhamdulillah her colich-y days were over and she slept peacefully in her crib.  Because of those sleepless nights pre-baby swing, I am considering getting a hammock bed for the new baby just in case he or she has the same problems sleeping as their older sister.  This cocoon bed is available at armsreach.com.

It's nice to be sitting at home, enjoying my time with my daughter and searching around for the new baby.  It's good to feel hopeful again, and actually be excited for the arrival of the new one.  It was hard to admit that I wasn't exactly overjoyed at the prospect of having another baby, and I felt guilty for not being happy.  Alhamdulillah, Allah is the Best of Planners, and now I know that He has blessed me with another wonderful opportunity to be a mom, and blessed my daughter with the chance to be a big sister.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Bassinet Browsing!

Fashionably Yours,
The (getting bigger by the day) Mujahada in Prada

~Ooohhhh...That Explains It!~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

Before I say anything else I want to say a big THANK YOU to those sisters who commented on my last post, gave me your support and suggestions, and made du'a for me to recover from my bout of the blues.

Alhamdulillah I have discovered one BIG reason why I was feeling this way, and it's not because I didn't accomplish something I had planned to do, nor was it because I was feeling pressured to wear hijab, nor was it because of a lack of support or kindness from my sisters in Islam (although that IS quite discouraging at times)

It was because of.............................


HORMONES!!!


That's right! Yours Truly is Preggo! Alhamdulillah, it wasn't exactly planned, but Allah swt is the Best of Planners, and He has blessed me with the responsibility of being a mother.  Again  :)

So, there ya have it!  Definitely a cause for my sporadic crying spells, bursting into tears at advertisements with puppies or babies, and my totally illogical anger toward my husband, friends, daughter, or random strangers on the street.

I am feeling much better alhamdulillah, and have found that the thought of having another child insh'Allah, has encouraged me to buckle down and get my schooling done, start practicing Islam the way I should, and be the best mother I can be to my daughter and the future baby.

So, alhamdulillah for everything.  I have lots of future plans, but right now my biggest plan is to go get some much-needed shut eye next to my amazingly adorable, yet frustrating, two year old.  :)

Ma'Salaama and Happy Dreams!

Fashionably Yours,
The (Preggo) Mujahada in Prada

~Plug Me In....I Hate Sleeping!~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Morning My Stylish Sisters!

Up until a couple of months ago I hated sleeping.  I had so many other things I wanted to do with my days (and nights) that I often wished that Allah swt had made me with some kind of charger that could just be plugged into the wall for a couple of hours a day.

The house was never clean enough, I had never studied enough, I hadn't read all the books I wanted to read, I hadn't played with my daughter enough or spent enough time with my husband.  The list went on and on of excuses why to stay up, instead of getting the sleep I needed.

Then in the last couple of months that has all changed.  You see sisters, I have reached a bit of a speedbump.  I am not the super motivated perfectionist Mujahada that you have come to know.  I've gotten lazy...even lethargic. 

I realized a couple of days ago I just need to admit the fact that I'm a bit blue.

This last couple of years has been really tough for me.  My personal life has been uprooted more than once, and thrown into turmoil by people surrounding me.  I have had to move five times since my daughter was born two years ago.  And I don't mean to say all of this to complain, but simply because I think it's time that I face the music and pull myself out of this rut.

The weird thing is, I still avoid sleep like the plague.  For some reason my dreams are never happy, and when I wake up from sleeping I actually feel worse than when I laid down. 

Tonight while I was doing everything possible to keep from going to bed I heard screaming in the neighborhood behind my house.  There was a man's voice yelling at a woman to stop screaming, and I could hear someone being hit with something loud.  I called the police, but by the time they arrived the screams had stopped and I don't think they found anything.  It was scary to me, but as I called to the police wandering the street below I realized they were probably wondering who this crazy woman was sitting in her window waiting for some kind of excitement to happen.  *sigh*

Anyways...I have to find a way to get out of this funk sisters.  My husband suggested I get back into something creative....which would be wonderful if I could figure out a way to get my sewing machine back from Amman (it's a looooong story).  My mom suggested I make a small goal for myself each day that I can feel good about crossing off my list before going to bed every night, which I am going to try to do tomorrow. 

How about you amazing Muslimahs?  Do you have any suggestions?  What do you do to pull yourself out of a fog, and help feel better when you're not running at your optimal speed?

Well, I guess for now I'd better get some sleep.  It's getting late, and before I know it my daughter will be shaking me awake to make her some breakfast.

Ma'Salaama and Sweet Dreams!

Fashionably Yours,
The (down in the dumps) Mujahada in Prada

P.S.  The police didn't find anything.  Insh'Allah what I heard was someone's TV and my overactive imagination (combined with watching too many episodes of Cops and The First 48) I'll keep you updated if I hear anything else.

~So Sorry My Pretties~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Afternoon My Fabulous Fashionistas!

It has been WAY too long since I have seen you all.  I have missed our little chats together, and am happy to say that I am back and will insh'Allah be posting much more often than I have this past month.

Insh'Allah Ramadaan was wonderful for all of you!  My hubster, daughter and I spent almost every iftar at my mother-in-law's house surrounded by wonderful family, lively conversation, and yummy food alhamdulillah.  Our Eid was amazing as well mash'Allah, and we threw a lovely and quite successful Eid party on the 12th which insh'Allah I will be posting about next time (just as soon as I organize all of the pictures).  I had a blast decorating and organizing, and the kids had a blast tearing down the decorations and dis-organizing LOL.  But alhamdulillah everyone enjoyed themselves and I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with some special sisters.

This past month has been absolutely crazy for my family.  My poor husband had an accident at work right before Ramadaan started and broke his kneecap which has put him out of work and driven him absolutely crazy because he is confined to the house.  Alhamdulillah it's been a wonderful opportunity for him to spend lots of quality time with our daughter and me, we have had some great conversations, watched some good movies, and gotten on eachother's nerves more often than we usually can when he is working all hours of the day.  My daughter has also been in and out of a pediatric cardiologist's office for multiple tests to determine the cause of her heart murmer, and today we were told she has what is referred to as a Mitral Regurgitation (which you can read more about here).  The seriousness of this condition can vary from mild to severe.  Alhamdulillah because she is a vibrant, happy, energetic two year old, the doctor is not too concerned, but we will be keeping an eye on it, and will return to the doctor periodically for further ultrasounds, EKG's, and various other testing.

Because of all of the stress from these situations (and one other that we will be chatting about in the near future) it has been hard for me to maintain the happy, positive outlook that I usually have in life.  My imaan has not been as strong as it has been in the past, I've become lazy with praying, and didn't push myself during Ramadaan as I usually do to make extra prayers, read Qur'an and otherwise study Islam.  It's hard for me to admit feeling this way, but I am determined to turn myself around.  Today, while driving home from the doctor's appointment, I looked into the rearview mirror of the car and noticed my two year old daughter singing along word-for-word to one of the popular songs on the radio.  I realized that if I played Qur'an for her instead of the radio she would memorizing THAT which is a million times more beneficial than some pop song.  It is my responsibility to set an example for my daughter of how a good Muslimah should act, whether in good times or bad, and one day I will answer for my actions in doing this for her or not.

And in a totally unrelated sidenote, I would like to apologize for urging you sisters to defend me, and defend Islam in general, against the commenter in my last post by the name of Jay.  One of my dear sisters quickly informed me that he is a serial commenter, debate-starter, and cynic of Islam on almost every single Muslim blog there is.  I will not take his comments to heart, as we all come to a point with people like him that we must accept that Allah subhanahuwata'la will guide whom He wills.  Insh'Allah we will all continue to be guided.

Be back soon with a much more interesting and fashionable post my stylish sisters, but I had to check in and let you know I had not forgotten you all.

Ma'Salaama and I Missed You!!

Fashionably Yours,
The (do bad things REALLY come in threes? ACK!) Mujahada in Prada

~My Ramadaan Diary-The Five Pillars~

Since my conversion to Islam four years ago, one of the most recurring comments I’ve received from non-Muslims is their concern that Islam is so “strict”. I’ve been asked how we keep track of so many rules, how we still enjoy ourselves when we can’t do anything “fun”, even how we have time to do ANYTHING else in our lives when we have to pray SO MUCH.


That last one especially makes me chuckle a bit inside, although I try not to be rude when confronted with it, because really: we were blessed with twenty four hours every day by Allah (God) so how can praying for maybe three of those (and that’s including Sunnah and Taraweeh prayers) be SO MUCH?

I can understand how others may feel Islam is especially strict in comparison to other religions. But to put it simply, we do not have any more rules than any other religion; we just still try our best to follow them as the original Muslims did insh’Allah (God-willing), instead of shifting or bending them to fit modern life more easily.

In my last diary entry I talked a bit about fasting and the reasoning behind it. I attempted to answer a couple of the most common questions I’ve been addressed with by non-Muslims, and tried to clear up a few misunderstandings that seem to persist. I thought it was only fair after covering one of our five basic “Pillars” or requirements of Muslims, that I should address the other four.

Faith…Prayer…Charity…Pilgrimage

When we talk of faith, we don’t mean faith in a general sense. Faith when relating to Islam specifically indicates faith in only One God, and the knowledge that Muhammad was His messenger. When one chooses to revert/convert to Islam there is a statement that is made, usually in front of an imam (head of a Mosque or Masjid) along with another one or two witnesses. This statement is referred to as the Shahada and is said in Arabic.

Ashadu an la ilaha ila Llah, Muhammad ir Rasoolu’Llah.

There is no god except God (Allah) and Muhammad is His messenger.

To Muslims, especially converts, those simple words can bring tears to your eyes. Witnessing someone take their shahada is probably the single most uplifting, emotional experience that Muslims can have (other than taking their shahada themselves). This faith is the first pillar of Islam and is quite simple and straightforward. Muslims do not believe in a trinity, or the status of Jesus as God’s son. We believe in one god (Allah) and in the importance of Muhammad as His messenger, the one who received the revelations of the Qur’an.

The second of the five pillars is prayer. In Islam there are two different types of prayer, the required (fard) prayers that we must say throughout the day, and supplemental prayers (du’a) that we can make whenever we feel the need for support, guidance, or protection as we live our daily lives. Many non-Muslims have asked me why we pray SO MUCH. According to authentic (sahih) stories (hadith) that have been passed down by scholars throughout the generations, Allah (God) first commanded His followers to complete fifty prayers a day. Prophet Muhammad ascended with the angel Gabriel to the heavens to beg on the people’s behalf that we would not be able to complete this number of prayers a day. After much begging, Allah commanded that we complete only five prayers a day, and we would still receive the rewards as though we had completed all fifty. (Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, #345) The fact that we are given the reward for fifty prayers, by completing only five shows how merciful Allah is, and is an example of how although the guidelines in Islam may seem more strict, there is great reward in abiding by them. Five prayers a day may seem to non-Muslims to be a lot of time spent in prayer, but it is also time that prevents a person from falling idle, committing sins, or otherwise wasting time. It is much easier to spend this time praying than to spend it suffering from the effects of our behavior.

In Islam we are required to give charity to others. We refer to this charity as Zakaat The purpose of Zakaat is to spread wealth throughout the community, to prevent us from becoming greedy or miserly, and to help us to remember others during times of need. The importance of Zakaat is revealed in the Qur’an, as well as hadith. Although the giving of Zakaat may seem to others to be hard, especially in tough economical times, it is shown in many hadith that giving something even as small as a half of a date will be rewarded.

"Save yourself from Hell-fire even by giving half a date-fruit in charity." (Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 24, #498)

The pilgrimage that Muslims are required to make is called Hajj. Hajj is a time of symbolically stripping away people’s social and economic standing, by wearing simple garments, traveling to Makkah and completing seven rotations around the Ka’ba, as well as seven trips between Mount Safa and Mount Marwa. At the end of this journey all the pilgrims join together in prayer, a time that is the most uplifting and spiritually moving experience in a Muslims’ life. After Hajj is over there is a huge celebration called Eid Al-Adha that includes prayer, and exchanging gifts. Although Hajj may seem to others to be demanding and difficult, it is only required of those physically and economically able to make the trip.

When asked if it is “hard” to be Muslim, or when confronted with skeptics who view it as too demanding I like to counter with this thought: Which is harder, to prostrate yourself in front of your Creator five times a day and beg for forgiveness, or to pull yourself out of a life of sin or despair that was caused by too much idle time and a lack of direction? Which is harder, to share your wealth a bit with others who are worse off than you, or to be one of the “worse off” with no one to turn to because you refused to help anyone when you had the chance? Which is harder: to stay strong in your imaan and avoid drinking alcohol, abstain from improper relationships with the opposite sex, and steer clear of gambling and cheating; or to lose the respect of your family, your relationships with your loved ones, and your potential for a good future due to alcoholism, pre-marital and extra-marital affairs and excessive debt?

This is exactly why when someone approaches me with their concerns over the “strictness” of Islam, and pity me that I don’t have any fun in my life I just smile. You can have your fun. I don’t need it, I have my faith…my prayer…my fasting…my charity…and my pilgrimage. And I am happy with that. Alhamdulillah.

Ma'Salaama and Happy Fasting.

Fashionably Yours,
The (yes, I still have fun) Mujahada in Prada

~Wow!~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Morning My Stylish Sisters!

Insh'Allah I will be back soon with a much longer post, but for now I had to let you amazing muslimahs know that Love Nyla is having a HUGE sale!!!! Everything is 25-50% off!

Love Nyla

There are some amazing designs at even more amazing prices right now!  Sterling Silver bracelets with Swarovski Crystal charms, Sterling Silver Key Necklaces, Beautiful Hijab Pins, Stunning Chandelier Earrings, and more!

Yay! I'm excited!  Insh'Allah you ladies get some great things before the sale runs out!

Ma'Salaama and Happy Jewelry Shopping!

Fashionably Yours,
The (Swarovski Crystal-loving) Mujahada in Prada