Hijab of the Day
These days all I seem to do is go to parties where I take pictures. I’m usually the camera person, so it’s nice to occasionally get my picture taken.
My best friend’s Valima or Reception was yesterday. So we went and had a good time. When we came home, we all took pictures of our outfits, because we never get the opportunity to do so when we’re rushing out the door.
Here’s my Hijab of the day.
I didn’t want to show my full outfit, because I don’t feel entirely comfortable, but I wanted to show how I styled my Hijab or head scarf style that I did.
This time, I decided to wear this gorgeous blue and pink pashmina I bought. Only problem was, it didn’t exactly match my outfit. My mum suggested I just wear my Duppata, the long thin scarf over the head scarf, which worked out perfectly.
Concocting this look took a lot of time. First, I scraped my hair into a ponytail. Then added a bun puff from Primark (£1) and secured my hair around that. Then added a lace underscarf, secured it at the sides with hair pins. Then added this long blue silky scarf I’d gotten from Primark a while ago on top to give the the pashmina something to hang onto, and making my bun a little fuller. Then I put on the pink and blue scarf, with my earrings.
I wore it in the same style described in this video by Sabrina from Slice of Lemon. But it didn’t look great, so I tucked my scarf into my shirt to hide the neck, and then my mum helped position my thin duppata on top to a more uniform look.
If I was to do it over again and if I had more time, I’d wear a plain coloured scarf in a matching or contrasting colour underneath. The pattern was waay too busy for this outfit. Also, I’d secure the duppata better so the pattern shows more on that. And then add pins to the side to secure the dupatta to the scarf as I kept having to pull it as it kept falling.
One party outfit two ways
One of the things I’d really like to do with this blog this year is to post more pictures. While there is a wealth of information about how to wear Hijab, I find there is scarcely any information about how to wear Hijab with indian/pakistani clothes.
Yesterday my best friend got married, so I wore this outfit that I’ve worn for the past 3 weddings so far. The first time I wore it, it was to a wedding where the males and females were segregated, so all the women who wore hijab were able to take them off, which is why I can’t post any pictures of that time here. The second time, was to my neighbour’s daughter’s wedding. And this latest time has been to my best friend’s wedding.
Truth be told, I don’t go to a lot of weddings. I haven’t been to many in the last couple of years so to have 3 in one year has been very overwhelming. But it’s pushed me to find new ways to do makeup and make my Hijab look better than it normally does. I don’t make the effort a lot of the time, but this time I did because she’s one of my best friends and like a sister. I didn’t want to let her down especially as all the other bridesmaids were decked out as well.
I was one of the few Hijabis, and the only girl in Hijab. I wanted to make sure people didn’t think that just because i CHOOSE to cover my hair, doesn’t mean I can’t be fashionable and presentable. Which is why I wanted to share these pics to show you the difference between good and better.
OK, if we look at the picture on the right hand side, my scarf does not match my outfit at all. My dupatta, the long transparent scarf piece is not well draped. And I’m wearing flat sandals, so I look ever shorter.
On the picture on the left, I bought a cream coloured scarf with some stripes on it. Purchased from here.
My dupatta is draped much better so that it covers me , and it was actually pinned at the sides, and my mum pinned it at the back as well to make sure that it didn’t slide off as it was very sheer and light. I wanted the border to show a little, so she pinned it at the front as well where the two sides met to create a cape-like effect. My mum also pinned a circular broach from Primark on the side of the dress to hold it all in place.
The other difference is in the accessories. In the November wedding, I didn’t wear many accesories as it’s a very difficult colour to find accesories for. I wore some simple gold bangles. This time, my mum spotted this full bangle set from my collection that I got years ago to wear with another outfit and didn’t have a chance to wear till now.
I’ve also learned the value of wearing a LOT of rings as they come out better in pictures. And since I can’t do anything with my hair, I can at least accesorise my hands with some bling! Rings were bought from Primark.
The dress itself is one from our local pakistani market that my mum had made for me. Initially I didn’t like the blingyness of the dress, because I tend to dress more simply and conservatively, but after it was made I loved it!
In the left hand side, the shoes are not matching the outfit and make me look really short. Plus it was freezing that day and I didn’t want to wear high heels in the icy weather. In the right hand side, I managed to find some gorgeous gold sandals from New Look in the sales, that actually fit, and the heel wasn’t too high.
So, that’s how I accessorised that outfit.
Let me know if you’d like to see more posts like this.
What I’m Watching Now
I’ve started watching a few regular programmes now so thought I’d share them and get some ideas for future programmes:
In Treatment – Watching this on DVD and Wow. So glad I put this on my list. It’s about a Therapist called Paul, played by Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, and a week as he handles his patients over 9 weeks and deals with their complexities. Really good series, and worth watching.
Pan Am – Currently being shown on BBC2. Didn’t think I would like this, but the main draw was initially Christina Ricci. The show is about Pan Am stewardesses in the 1960s, in the golden age of the jet area. It’s like a lighter version of Mad Men. Great costumes, great characters but it’s very female centric which I love.
All-American Muslim – A bit on the fence about this one to be honest. It’s based on a Shia Lebanese-American muslim community in America. The funny thing is the community is not at all a reflection of the diversity of most muslim communities, so if this runs I’d love to see them focus on a more diverse community next time, but enjoying so far.
What are some shows that you are watching regularly?
Sick and HFW
Ugh, I’m sick! Unfortunately this means I have to drop out of Hijab Fashion Week because I can barely keep my eyes open without them streaming with water.
So sad, but maybe for the best. I’ll try and participate properly next time inshallah.
Hijab Fashion Week – Day 2 – Hobby/Recreation
The second theme is Hobby/Recreation: What do you do when you have free time? (hike, sail, write, paint, etc.)
I picked Reading.
During my Masters course, I did so much reading for my course that it kind of put me off reading anything for fun for a couple of months. I’ve recently come back to it and I LOVE it! Reading is the way I relax. It transports me more to other worlds, and its something I can share with almost anyone I meet. I like to do my reading in bed, in my PJs, but for the purposes of this theme I couldn’t do that!
So I tossed on the shirt I am currently wearing over jeans and am proudly displaying one of my favourite books, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It’s a beautifully written book and I absolutely love it. I read practically anything. In my teens it was more about the vampire/fantasy genre (This was before Twilight, I was very into Harry Potter, Babysitter’s Club, Nancy Drew etc.)
Anyway, right now I’m wearing a very bright long tunic called a Kamiz, it’s actually part of a set along with the Shalwar or baggy trouser, but I didn’t want to wear that on camera. I’m wearing it with jeans, a purple Hijab and some flat shoes. As the sleeves of the top are a little short, I put on some purple arm sleeves, which are detachable, to add extra coverage. If you know me, you know I LOVE my flats and you can’t get me out of my trainers. I’m picky about my comfy footwear, so I don’t mind spending bit extra on them as I live in them.
Here’s the look:
When I’m at home I tend to stick to traditional indian/pakistani clothes as I find them incredibly comfy. I’m one of those people who hate to be in jeans, I find them restrictive, so I only wear them when I’m out and about.
Hijab – Lilac (Not sure where from, probably some islamic store here in the north)
Top – Custom made Kameez
Arm sleeves – Lilac arm sleeves from Hijab Al-Muminat
Trousers – Blue bootcut jeans from Dorothy Perkins
Shoes – Beige ballerina shoes from Primark
What do you wear for your hobbies?
Hijab Fashion Week – Day 1 – Leaders in Hijab
Today is the first day of Hijab Fashion Week!
The first theme is Leaders in Hijab: what leadership roles do you have or want to try? (President, teacher, mother, Volunteer Leader, CEO etc.).
I picked Employee/Business Owner.
I’m hoping one day to A) Have a job again inshallah (god willing) and B) Have my own business or run a business on the side. Not sure which. I had a concept planned and everything (It involved stuffed animals…) but unfortunately, I’ve gotten ill with the flu or as we say here Up North, The Lurgy! Granted it’s not as bad as my sister or mum, but it’s inconvenient if nothing else.
Anyway here’s my look:
This is actually my interview outfit. Wearing Hijab I find it’s best to look professional, sensible and polished. I chose neutral colours as they make me feel more confident and wearing a little heel makes me stand taller and feel more in control, also cos I’m short!
Hijab – Beige (Not sure where from, probably some islamic store here in the north)
Top – New Look
Jacket – Dorothy Perkins
Trousers – Dorothy Perkins
Shoes – New Look
What do you wear to be a leader?
Hijab Fashion Week
I must be crazy because I signed up to participate in Hijab Fashion Week. Argh! What was I thinking?
If you haven’t guessed by now, I am a Muslim. I wear the Hijab or headscarf on a daily basis. And no I don’t shower in it (True story). I’d heard about Hijab Fashion week and seen how wonderful the looks the ladies shared last time were, so after thinking it over I decided to take the plunge.
This time Hijab Fashion Week will start on November 27th – December 3rd. During the week women who are participating will post up looks based on the themes provided by the organisers. It’s just a fun way to show how you’d dress for the gym, work, a night out etc.
So, next week I’ll be posting up my 7 looks and we’ll see how I get on! I’m a little nervous as it’s so out of my comfort zone, but if you don’t Carpe Diem then life’s pretty boring!
Just as a heads up, the seven themes are:
Day 3 — Break the Rules: A stylish hijabi can look good in anything, even when she’s breaking the rules! Pick a fashion/style rule you always follow, and show us how you’d break it in style! (Any style rule may be broken, except the Islamic criteria for hijab).
Challenge Update – Week 1
I talked about the healthy eating/ exercising challenge I’m doing for the next 21 days in my last post.
So, this is a little update.
The first week has been HARD! I always find 1st weeks to be the weeks where you’re going to be a better person and everything will work out, but after the first day’s enthusiasm, by Day 3 you’re ready to go back to your old ways. I did slip, I’ll be honest about that. Friday I had a ferrero roche milk shake and Saturday night pizza, chips and Pepsi. While the Ferrero Rocher milk shake is a treat, the Pizza is an even rarer treat, it was cold. So I didn’t really like it that much to be honest.
I always feel that if I try to deny myself I’ll rebel more, so I have tried my best to not eat carbs or at least limit my carb intake at lunch. I’m also having smaller portions of food, I’ll eat my meals in a bowl or small plate now instead of normal dinner plate. The only exception to that would be salad which I’ve yet to make.
I have made Hummus which was yum, but I made too much and it can only keep for 3 days in the fridge, so I froze it in smaller containers. It keeps in the freezer for a month, and when I needed it I just took it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge overnight. I’ve also been juicing regularly which I feel is extremely beneficial and makes me feel I’m getting all my fruits and veggies into my diet because salads every day is boring to me.
I also tried out that banana chocolate ice cream recipe and OMG! So delish! The only thing I learned is that you need to peel the bananas before freezing them in a baggie, you can do a few at a time cos once you taste that recipe, you’ll be craving it.
As for exercise, if I didn’t explicitly exercise during the week, I made sure to get some activity in anyway e.g. cleaning, walking etc. My body does not take kindly to exercise, so I have to take it slow and coax it into doing things. Lets see how we get on this week on that front!
Overall, I feel healthier, lighter and more positive than I’ve felt in weeks alhamdulillah. Let’s see whether i can keep it up.
If you have any recipe suggestions especially vegetarian/vegan ones for healthy meals, salads or snacks let me know!
Challenge Accepted
I’ve accepted Sabrina of Sliceoflemon’s challenge to do something consistently for 21 days that you’d like to change about yourself.
I picked two things, eat healthy and exercise more. So day 1, which was Tuesday and as I speak today is Thursday and Day 3, of the challenge. Well, after being inspired, I dusted off my 30 minute Jillian Michael’s workout. Except the weights I used were too heavy and I sort of over-exercised as I had to stop my workout mid-way to drop my brother to the train station. And then I warmed up again and my whole body was screaming by the time I cooled down.
Day 2, my body was in so much pain I could barely walk because I exercised way too much. But I still got some activity in when I went walking around Leeds for 20 minutes while waiting for a meeting.
Day 3 today, back on the exercise routine with some Tabata workouts and then core ab workouts.
As for healthy eating, I bought a juicer earlier this week. I’m still trying to figure out where the idea germinated in my head, but I think it’s when I read something about juicing helping you to lose weight quickly. I’m not one to follow fad diets, I have like literally no will power. But something stuck as I’d recently read about how Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima got ready for the Victoria’s Secret show. Homegirl follows a strict diet and exercise routine that gave results.
And then the universe conspired and reminded me that when you keep doing the same thing over and over again consistently, obviously you’re going to get the same result over and over again. I think I’ve talked before about my struggle to workout, because something ALWAYS gets in the way of motivating myself. So, I took it as a sign and thought, 21 days I can manage. Hopefully. It sounds nicer that 30 anyway.
So, back to my juicer. Well, I bought it on a whim and decided to start juicing. Let me tell you fruits and veggies are not cheap, but I have more veges in our fridge now that are being USED more than ever! I don’t always like eating salads every day, so hopefully this will make sure I get the good stuff into my bloodstream without chewing.
Plus it’s fun to watch all these vegetables and fruit squeezed into juice.
My first juicing recipe was Apples, carrots and ginger juice. Delish! Today I tried some beetroot, spinach and some apple which was yummers. The good thing about the juicing is that it leaves you satisfied for a few hours, and for dinner I chose to eat my meal in a small bowl instead of a plate. I find I’m drinking more water and consciously avoiding the soda so far. It’s tempting, but we’ll see if I survive the challenge.
My biggest weakness is desert or anything sweet after eating. One of my fave youtubers/health and fitness guru Bexlife posted up a recipe for vegan chocolate ice cream. It looks yummy but I’ve yet to try it. The week before last I bought some incredible coconut yoghurt. And today I found some dessicated coconuts in the pantry, so mixed it with some plain yoghurt. It was OK, but not as sweet. I might try adding honey next time.
Yoghurt, even one spoonful a day, is good for keeping the digestive system in good running order. I forget like every day, but after sampling this, I’m going to make something healthy as my after dinner treat instead of chocolates and sweets. I’m posting this so I don’t end up buying Pringles and Bueno tomorrow!
What are you looking to change over the next 21 days?
Tumblr and Links Update
OK, I have finally given in and created a tumblr. I’m not sure exactly what to do with it or how it works, but if any of you have tumblrs, please either follow me, or leave a link in the comments explaining how this works. Mine is here.
And I’ve also decided to update my links section again cos I’m bored, so I thought I’d let you know the cool new blogs that are being added. I’ve also decided to clean up some links on blogs I don’t visit anymore.
Anyway, let’s start with Arthur Recreates Scenes from Classic Movies. I’m not sure where I found this, but Arthur is a little boy whose parent dresses him up to recreate scenes from classic movies such as The Blair Witch Project, American Beauty etc. Needless to say, if you need an injection of cute in your life, Arthur adorably provides it.
Beauty is Truth – Ayesha Ahmed is a photographer who mainly photographs brides, but sometimes her own family, does portrait sessions and blogs about them. I have been following her a while but I find her photographs vibrant, full of life and capture the essence of the people involved.
Oh OK, I thought I had more but some are not personal blogs so I won’t include them. Enjoy and let me know of any new blogs you’ve added to your bloglist.
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