Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim....




The Mujahada in Prada

Monday, August 2, 2010

~Hot Mama Muslimah!~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

This blog entry is dedicated to one amazing Muslimah in particular.  In celebration of her newly announced pregnancy (mabrook again habibti!!) I thought it would be fun to do some searching for some highly fashionable, hijabi-fied outfits for those mommy-to-be Muslimahs.  Some fun, some classic, and all modest enough to cover the necessary parts even when you're ready to pop, here are some of my top picks for muslimah maternity wear:

Mama Muslimah "Baby Blue" Outfit


Mama Muslimah "Crayola Colors" Outfit:


Mama Muslimah Classy Kimono Outfit:
Kimono Dress
bellablumaternity.com
More dresses »


Cheap Gucci Silk Scarf for sale
$109 - scarfonlineshop.com




Point 925 Jewellery - Silver cuff bangle bracelet
point925jewellery.co.uk
More bracelets »


This post has just inspired me to do many more Polyvore Preggo outfits for our Hot Mama Muslimahs, so I may be back with more! But hubby is calling, lunch needs a-cooking, and the day is young so I am off for now! Insh'Allah you enjoy the sets I've thrown together, and if any of you fabulously fashionable followers have any other great preggy websites with hijabi-worthy pieces, please post them in the comments!!

For now,
Ma'Salaama and Mash'Allah to all our Mama Muslimahs!
(and the rest of you stylish sisters too!)

Fashionably Yours,
The (Is it just the cute preggy clothes, or am I having baby fever?) Mujahada in Prada
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Saturday, July 31, 2010

~Everybody...Meet L!~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

Tonight I have some very exciting new to share with you ladies, so sit down, kick off those heels and pour yourself a cup of tea. 

I know I promised that I wouldn't disappear on you guys again and I haven't, I SWEAR, but you have to understand how excited I am right now about what I'm about to announce to you ladies....

I found a friend!!

Yes, I know that may sound a bit....hmmmm pitiful?  But the fact of the matter is, being a stay at home mom with a young child who is not yet in school doesn't provide one with too many outlets to meet sisters.  I try to attend the masjid as often as possible, but unfortunately even there I haven't found any sisters I "clicked" with.

Alhamdulillah I have a few close friends online who I know I can count on anytime I need to vent or am looking for advice or sympathy, but unfortunately they are just that: online.  I have a couple of close friends who I see sporatically, but lately those visits have been few and far apart because we live far away from eachother and are both caught up with our own lives.  This blog has been the closest I've gotten in a long time to actually sitting down with other sisters, sharing a cup of tea or coffee, and gabbing about whatever comes to mind.

So, I'm sure you can imagine how excited I am that I finally have found a sister to sit with.  To drink tea with, eat wayyy too many sweets with, go for frozen yogurt with, take my daughter to the mall with.

And mash'Allah she is a hijabi, very stylish, very smart, very pretty mash'Allah, and wears the same shoe size!!! Hellooooo the girl has almost as many shoes as I do!! (or maybe more, she still has suitcases to unpack)

Anyways, I actually am working on a nice blog post that is semi-inspired by her and her current fashion needs (suspensful, huh?) and am hoping to insh'Allah have it posted in the next couple days...believe me it will be worth the wait! (the suspense is killing you isn't it?)

It just goes to show that alhamdulillah, Allah swt knows when things are best for us.  Because honestly if I had met her even one year ago, I wouldn't have been ready to be a good friend back to her....which means I would have screwed up a good thing, and probably ended up hurting one of the sweetest girls I've ever met.

So....Fashionable Followers....meet L........L....meet my beautiful, supportive, fantastic, Fashionable Followers  :)  

More tea, anyone??

Ma'Salaama and Thanks for being good friends...

Fashionably Yours,
The (how many shoes can two girls own?) Mujahada in Prada
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Saturday, July 17, 2010

~Tea Cups~


aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters,

It's been a loooong time since I've posted about something truly fashionable, so tonight I decided I would vent a bit about the trouble I'm having trying to find what SHOULD be a very simple functional accessory to give a jump start to my home decor for my new place.

The item I am referring to are tea cups.

"Tea Cups?"  you say scratching your head and wondering WHY on earth something so basic could be causing me such consternation.

Yes....Tea Cups.  Because, you see, I don't want just ANY tea cups.  I don't want the little white china ones with the tacky blue and pink flowers or the oversized American coffee mugs that hold two liters of liquid.  I want the simple, traditional Middle Eastern style, non-handle having tea glasses.

I have searched high and low on the internet.  And when I FINALLY found a set that I really liked I discovered that the shipping for them cost just as much as the actual cups do.  That to me is just...well...un-necessary!

I can distinctly remember being in Jordan walking into a regular, run-of-the-mill kitchen supply store in downtown Amman and being totally shocked at the amazing selection of both beautiful and inexpensive tea and coffee sets.  Anything from the plain glass, to the simple gold-rimmed to the ornately decorated...and all under 10 JD.  (for those of you who have never been to Jordan that means all under around $18.00)

For the record...I did find a set I liked on ebay for a reasonable price and was going to get them until I realized they were a set of FOUR...ummmmm who EVER heard of an Arab household (okay even a half-Arab household) only have FOUR guests at once???

So, you can just imagine how disgusted I am with myself that I am sitting here wasting two hours of my evening searching high and low for some tea cups that I KNOW are just waiting for me on some dusty shelf of a tiny shop in the city I love half-way around the world.

Well...anyways, during my search I did see some beautiful cups that I thought I would share with you marvelous muslimahs, even if I'm not actually going to purchase any of them. 


I like these well enough, although I wasn't sold on the plum color of them.  The price was right, until I discovered the shipping costs.  If you like them, you can get them at http://www.justmorocco.com/.  They have many beautiful styles, but I was somewhat turned off by their crazy prices and the fact they have a monopoly on all things Moroccan.  If you notice they have like four or five websites that look different, but upon second glance are really the same company.


These are beautiful, and are in the blue hue that I had in mind...albeit a bit TOO blue for me.  These are from Amazon.com and come in a set of six which is nice...but after shipping they are still over $40.00 which is kind of hard for me to stomach, especially when I normally get free shipping on Amazon but these are excluded   : (
Okay, so these are the ones I am currently considering.  Enough blue to tie in the color of my carpet, along with a tan to match my furniture.  I like the understated gold accents instead of the bright and shiny in-your-face gaudiness that so many Middle Eastern tea sets possess.  I haven't actually purchased them yet though, so feel free to grab them at http://www.amazon.com/Moroccan-Tea-Glasses-Blue-Smara/dp/B000TRC2VY/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1279352112&sr=8-11 if you like them!


These are very pretty, although they are silver and I was hoping for something with gold.  It doesn't really matter anyway because they are NINETY DOLLARS.  Yeah...crazy, huh?  Probably made in China and cost the company around twenty-five cents per glass to make, but you know us crazy Americans and how much we'll pay for anything "exotic."  Well...some of us anyways...I know better.  But if you don't... go ahead and get them from http://www.stlloftofstyle.com/.  You would think if they're charging that much for some tea cups they could afford to spell 'decor' correctly...sheesh.
And last but not least my all-time favorite set.  Beautiful...inexpensive...and SOLD OUT.  Ugh...just my luck, eh?  Anyways, you can see the picture if you want to at http://www.mightyleaf.com/.

Well ladies, my search for the perfect tea cups is over for the night.  I was really hoping to find some pretty little tea glasses for serving guests, especially with Ramadhan fast approaching, but I need my beauty rest.  It looks like my hunt will continue, but I would really appreciate any suggestions from you lovely ladies!

Ma'Salaama and Happy Tea Cup Shopping!

Fashionably Yours,

The (tired of sipping my tea from a styrofoam cup) Mujahada in Prada 
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Sunday, July 11, 2010

~Inna Lillahi wa Inna Illayhi Rajioon~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Afternoon My Stylish Sisters,

I'm not really sure how to write this post.  It's been a long time since I have suffered the loss of a loved one alhamdulillah, and grieving is a very private process for me.  But for some reason I have the urge to let the world know that recently I lost one of the greatest people in my life, and it is unbelievably hard.

I'm not sure if you sisters remember my post a while back about being in New Mexico and my Aunt and Uncle's dog eating my shoes.  Well if you do...I have since lost something much more important than a stupid pair of clogs.  Early this morning that same Uncle passed away.

It was a huge shock to all of us.  He had just recently gotten healthy after struggling with some health problems.  He was happy, vibrant, hilarious, and loving.  Even though he wasn't a blood relative, he and my Aunt have been best friends with my parents for 40 years, and I can't imagine them not being in my life.

I can remember when I was young we spent every single Thanksgiving at their house.  The adults would be upstairs cooking and laughing, and the kids would be playing downstairs.  I remember one year as I was running up the stairs I cut my foot on a wayward nail, and started bleeding everywhere.  In his true character my uncle made jokes to make me laugh while my mom and Aunt cleaned my foot and bandaged it.  After I converted to Islam and didn't drink alcohol anymore, he was always considerate enough to make me a "virgin" of whatever drink everyone else was drinking at family functions.  The last time I visited them my aunt highlighted my hair, and I can remember he was disappointed he couldn't see how the end product looked.  Even though I'm 30 years old with a child of my own, he always called me kid...I will miss that so much.

I have soooo many memories of this amazing man that I could fill up pages with them.  Instead though, I will continue to let them fill up my heart.  He may not be with us anymore, but every time we gather he will be with us in spirit.  There are many things I wish I had done differently, called them more often, not made such a big deal over their dogs eating my stupid shoes, but I can't change that now.  All I can do is hope he knew how much he was loved by all of us, and continue to honor his memory by telling my daughter about this amazing man that she unfortunately will have to grow up without.

I will miss you Uncle R.

Ma'Salaama

The (Tearful) Mujahada in Prada
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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

~Happy Birthday~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

Today is a very sentimental day for me...my baby daughter turns two years old.

I remember the day she was born like it was just yesterday.  I was in labor for hours...they had sent my husband home thinking I wouldn't be giving birth for at least a few more, when the doctor rushed in and announced I needed an emergency C-Section.

I remember thinking that I should be scared, but I wasn't.  You could argue it was the drugs, but I strongly believe it was Allah swt telling me to be strong, that He was there with me and with my unborn child and that He already had everything planned out.  Alhamdulillah everything went smoothly and two days later I brought home my amazingly beautiful, smart, and energetic little girl.

As I sit here alone, listening to the neighbors laughing and planes zooming overhead I imagine my beautiful baby sleeping in the next room.  She loves to snuggle with one green bear in particular, and she hates having her feet covered when she sleeps.  Her nose is a little stuffed up, and I can picture her in there breathing peacefully in and out of her mouth, twitching from time to time as her little genious mind dreams about playing, running, and jumping.

My little girl is growing up so fast.  The other day someone jokingly said we should give her some pill to keep her this age forever.  There is actually a part of me who wants to do just that...keep her this small and dependant and snuggly.  But there is a bigger part of me that marvels at how much she learns every day.  The awe on her face as she discovers a new bug, the excitement when she hears her favorite song, or the squeals she makes when her baba comes home from work.

Her life has been pretty complicated compared to most toddlers'.  She's moved around much more than the average two year old, flown at least ten times, and had to adjust to several new beginnings.  Each time I am so impressed at how easily she seems to sink right in to her new life, her new surroundings...usually long before I am able to do the same.

I could sit here and name all of the things I love about her, the sayings she uses that make me giggle, even the mischevious acts that I try my hardest not to giggle act.  But I would be here all night, and I doubt you ladies would want to hear them.  So instead I will simply say Alhamdulillah...Allah swt has blessed me with a gift much greater than I could ever deserve.  I learn more about myself in one day from this tiny little human, than I have during the rest of my life combined.  She lights up my life, and insh'Allah I will always do my best to be the mother to her that she deserves.

I love you habibti.  Happy Birthday.  May your life be full of sunshine, laughter, and unconditional love, and may Allah guide and protect you always.  Ameen.

Ma'Salaama and Happy (Birthday) Shopping!

Fashionably Yours,
The (who knew someone so tiny could give so much love?) Mujahada Mama in Prada
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Friday, July 2, 2010

~The Purple Tree~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

I am soooo excited to see all of you!  Please, let me pour you a cup of tea...or coffee.  Have some goodies to snack on, and relax...I am so happy to finally catch up with you again!

I sincerely hope that each and every one of you have been doing well since we last met insh'Allah.  I hope you all know that my disappearance had nothing to do with you lovely ladies, but was a combination of my life getting a little extra crazy, and me being a little extra lazy.  My family and I have had to move three (yes THREE) times within the last month due to reasons beyond our control.  We were able to take a short vacation in the middle of it, which made a truly stressful time a bit more bearable, and now FINALLY we have put down roots in a new area, with new surroundings, and loved ones nearby ALHAMDULILLAH!

The only thing about our new place is that I feel I am living in a sort of ghost town.  I know that sounds strange...we are, after all, in a city of ummmm like almost 10 million people.  The view from my balcony is one that would be next to impossible to get anywhere around here-it is literally a huge empty field with one gorgeous purple tree in the center.  This beautiful tree, although tall and healthy looking seems a bit sad to me for one reason.

Not even five years ago all of these fields were houses.  Homes...memories.  Children running and laughing, mothers cooking for their kids, fathers kissing their wives before going off to work, young couples planning their lives together.  I almost hear the echos of these people when I sit on my veranda at night.

All of these houses, these homes, were bulldozed.  All to make way for an expansion of a multi billion dollar a year business.  I know in a way it is a positive change.  The expansion of this business will of course provide jobs for hundreds of people and will boost the city's economy.  And these people were not kicked out of their homes, they were given sizable settlements to ensure they could rebuild their lives elsewhere.  But, I have to wonder...do any of them return?  Just to drive down the street and imagine where their home once stood?  To remember that special barbeque they had for their child's birthday, or where they themselves took their first ride on a bike?  These homes were over 50 years old, if not older...and I'm sure that although the houses are all gone, the memories are all still standing.  Just like that beautiful tree....left to sway in the wind and remember.......until it is bulldozed too.

Now before I go, I would like to cheer us all up a bit with some positive news.  Despite all of the recent turmoil and transplantation of my family and me, I am excited to announce that Love Nyla finally has their website up and running!  Mash'Allah the site is amazing, with some beautiful pieces of jewelry ranging from earrings to necklaces to hijab pins.  And of course, their gorgeous customizable charm bracelets.  I definitely urge you sisters to check it out at http://www.lovenyla.com/.  Let me know if you found anything, and share with us what you got!! There is nothing better than buying a fabulous new piece of jewelry, except showing off a fabulous new piece of jewelry to your good friends!

Ma'Salaama and Happy Memory Making.

Sentimentally Yours,
The (Purple Tree Loving) Mujahada in Prada
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Friday, June 11, 2010

~Love Nyla~

aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!

Sorry this post is so short but I HAD to share the great news!  The Love Nyla website is finally up!! Full to the brim of beautiful charm bracelets, necklaces, and (most of all) amazing hijab pins!  Check it out ladies!

http://www.lovenyla.com/

Ma'Salaama and Happy Shopping!

Fashionably Yours,
The (in love with Love Nyla) Mujahada in Prada
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