'In the midst of all the glamour I hope you find God.'

Jan 31, 2013

OOTD Pink & Stripes

This is a simple outfit I wore to work. I spiced things up by adding a colored heel since the outfit is neutral. 
Shirt: Zara // Pants: Forever 21 // Heels: Bakers
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Thoughtful Thursday: Quote of the Day

Good Morning everyone! I've decided to start a new 'trend' for my blog. Thursdays will be 'Thoughtful Thursdays'. This will include inspirational quotes, answers to any questions you might have of me and occasionally it will be 'Tutorial Thursdays' including videos and such. This is still a growing idea for me, so please feel free to comment any suggestions or ideas you may have!

Source: khadimulquran

I picked today's quote as a reminder that we must strive to just do our best and that perfection is not necessarily ideal. As long as we are trying our best, we can at least say we gave it our all and be satisfied. This is great for a Thursday because after a long week of work, school or whatever it may be that you do throughout the week, it may be hard to stay positive and motivated to continue to give your all. This is just a reminder to keep pushing through! I know this week has been hard for me personally since I've been traveling for work and working long days. It's a personal struggle to get used to the demanding needs of my job and the hours that it requires and adjusting from the former 'college life' of napping between classes and having more free time, etc. I hope this helps motivate those of you who may also be in a trying situation. 
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Jan 30, 2013

Recent Looks

Hey all, I've wanted to become more consistent with my postings according to the poll results you all want more ootds, but unfortunately it's the middle of busy season at work and getting time to blog is so hard! I didn't forget about it though and I've managed to take outfit shots throughout my week. Here are some of my recent looks from work!

 Top: Forever 21 // Boots: Enzo via Nordstrom
 Blazer: Forever 21 // Necklace: Forever 21
 Top: Target // Necklace: H&M
 Top: Target // Necklace: H&M // Boots: Bakers
Top: Old Navy // Boots: Enzo via Nordstrom // Necklace: Forever 21
The client I'm on has jeans day every Friday at their office which I love!
Blazer: NYC // Sweater: H&M // Jeans: Lucky // Shoes: Marshalls

PS. Birthday Post II coming soon!
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Jan 25, 2013

Birthday Part I

Yesterday was my birthday, I turned the big 2-3.... ok not so big haha. I named this post Birthday Part 1 because this is just my outfit from work. I had another long day in the office so I didn't do much celebrating. The celebrating will be this weekend iA, so check back after the weekend for more birthday outfit posts! Anyways, I kept my outfit casual and I made sure to wear my aqeeq necklace my mom got me for my 21st birthday from Iran. It's really one of my favorites and I don't wear it a lot because it has Ayutl Kursi engraved on it. Please excuse the quality of the pictures, I just took a few cell shots before heading out to work.

Shirt- NYC
Pants- Forever 21
Shoes- Aldo
Rings via Etsy HERE

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Jan 23, 2013

Drink More Water!

Hey all, I just wanted to do a quick post on something that I absolutely can't live without, my water bottle! I've done a post before with my Victoria's Secret water bottle, but I recently bought this water bottle online and I love it much more. This one has a straw which makes drinking easier, as funny as that sounds! This Camelbak water bottle is usually around $15 in stores, or you can save a couple dollars and gas by buying it online from here. Shipping was free and it came the next day!

As you can see this pic was taken while I was at work. I seriously take this thing everywhere!

Each refill of the water bottle is a little over 4 cups of water and I drink between 3-4 full bottles in one day. For those of you who don't like plain water like me, you can add Propel flavored water packets to your water. There are many brands and flavors of water packets but I only drink the Propel brand because not only is it zero calories, but it also does not have any aspartame which is an artificial sweetener and something you should stay away from. Here is a detailed article on the reasons to stay away from aspartame. Unfortunately, aspartame is found in so many things which is why reading nutritional labels is so important. That being said, Propel is a great brand and they have a huge variety of different flavors, my favorite is raspberry lemonade. 
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Jan 21, 2013

OOTD Cheeta Pants

Here's what I wore on a casual Sunday out to go shopping, of course. It was so cold I didn't even take my sweater off outside for pictures, but I wore a green studded sweater with a black tank underneath with cheeta pants and flats. I love wearing statement necklaces so much lately that I'm starting to plan outfits around my necklaces instead of the other way around!


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Jan 20, 2013

Chains & Links & Knuckle Rings

Last night I went out for an early birthday dinner with some friends. It's a busy time at work, working late nights and even Saturdays, so it was nice to take a break and relax. For a very long time I've been looking for the perfect knuckle rings and finally found something I loved on Etsy! There's nothing like coming home to a package in the mail and when my rings finally arrived I was so excited I opened them right at the mailbox. The rings, were exactly what I wanted. A set of 3 knuckle rings, two chevron style and one straight is what I ordered, but the lovely Marci sent me an extra straight one and I was so excited! The chevron style is so unique which is why I fell in love with the set to begin with. So simple and delicate, I love them! You can find Marci's etsy page here.
Jacket: Zara
Shirt: H&M
Boots: Enzo
Purse: Michael Kors
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Jan 17, 2013

What's for Breakfast?

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day because I LOVE breakfast foods. Recently I tried out these Van's 8 Grain waffles from Target with peanut butter and cinnamon for breakfast and they kept me full till lunch time! The waffles are 160 calories for 2 and have only 3g of sugar. Instead of syrup I always top my waffles with peanut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Peanut butter can add a lot of calories to your daily intake so I recently got some Better'n Peanut Butter from Trader Joe's which is less in calories, fat and sugar than regular peanut butter. This is a healthier option of peanut butter which doesn't go unnoticed--> I wouldn't lick the knife after spreading it, but it still gets the job done by adding a creamy fulfilling taste that I look for. I try to eat more calories in my earlier meals rather than for dinner so I usually will pair this with either yogurt or walnuts & almonds. 


I once read an article explaining the many benefits of cinnamon for your health which is why ever since I sprinkle a little bit on my waffles and cereal for breakfast. I recently came across this summary of benefits on pinterest and thought I'd share. 


You can follow my health  board on pinterest here!
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Jan 14, 2013

Oversized Sweater

This past weekend I headed back to good 'ol Baltimore for my old University's Alumni Basketball game. It was a lot of fun and even better since we won in overtime! Sunday before heading back home I got lunch at Busboys and Poets, one of my favorite places to eat in the area. I got the chicken panini and it didn't last long enough for me to take a picture. For those of you who haven't been to Busboys I highly suggest you try it out and they have many different locations as well. The weather wasn't too cold but it was a little chilly which made it perfect weather to wear my oversized sweater.

Sweater: H&M // Jeans: Forever 21 // Shoes: Aldo // Purse: Michael Kors
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Jan 9, 2013

Don't lend me some sugar, I'm still your neighbor!

Living and working between a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods is probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I love going to either store and just browsing the aisles for new treats that I know I'll love. Yesterday after work I stoped by Trader Joe's to pick up some lemons and came home with a bag full of goodies. What's in my shopping bag you ask? Dont worry, pictured below are my most recent purchases.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you have seen my recent rant about the app called "myfitnesspal". This app has become my best friend for the past month and I must say I don't think I'll ever stop using it, at least not any time soon. This app is great for keeping track of the calories and nutrients that you are eating to make sure you get enough of everything that you need. I must stress that for me, this app is not about losing weight but rather staying and eating healthy, making a lifestyle change. For those of you who have been following me since I started blogging, you know I've been a healthy consious eater for years now, but this app has put a few things in perspective for me. Today, I'll start with one of them:

1. Sugar is in almost everything.

What most people don't know is that the biggest culprit of weight gain is SUGAR. You may think you're eating something healthy, but it is LOADED with sugar.. this is why you must READ the nutrition labels, they are there for a reason!! Don't fall victim to the advertising of low calorie foods without looking at the sugar content as well! Women should have 26g of sugar intake in a day and men should have 36g. It is okay to go above by a little, like women staying in the 30-range and men in the 40-range, but it's important to be consious of your sugar intake. Depending on the yogurt you eat, it can easily have 24g of sugar which is basically all your sugar intake for one day! So I can't begin to stress the importance of READING THE LABELS!!! That being said, once you start reading labels, trust me you'll find foods that you love that are low in sugar. I've found my favorite low sugar yogurt, pita bread, chips, pretzels, ice cream, cookies... etc. etc. So my first tip is watch your sugar to also help prevent diabetes, especially if you have family history of diabetes which will put you at a higher risk for it.


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Jan 8, 2013

Muslim Women, Struggles of Hijab


Recently on Instagram, I've seen a lot of Muslim sisters 'going at it' about the things each other do and the clothes they wear. Unfortunately, these days Muslim sisters are not supporting each other as they should, but rather being critical and judgmental of each other. Hijab is not an easy task, and instead of being critical of each other, I think we should aim support each other. I understand these sisters are just trying to advise one another of the 'correct' guidelines of Hijab in Islam, but unfortunately it does not come off that way but rather it comes off as offensive and judgemental. Today, more than ever, I feel like it is very difficult to be a Hijabi. Each girl has their own struggles and battles that they deal with while trying to maintain their Hijab. In order to continue to grow as one Ummah, I think we need to be a little more supportive of each other and let God do the judging. One simple comment or reaction can steer someone in the total opposite direction and discourage them from wearing Hijab. This is not what we want, rather we should support all who are trying to do their best in wearing the Hijab and even support those who don't wear it or decide to take it off. We are sisters in Islam regardless of if we wear Hijab or not.

I like this video because it goes along the lines of something my brother and his friends call 'hijabi props'. He told me that him and his friends have noticed that a lot of girls are starting to take off their hijabs and that they wondered if it is because they are not getting the type of attention that they want from men, and if that was at any amount a part of the reason, that they felt guilty for it. They come up with the idea of 'hijabi props' as a platonic way of telling a hijabi you look great and that you have their support.The idea is to be supportive and give compliments in a non-creepy way. I think this video should be the anthem of their idea!
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Jan 3, 2013

All Aboard for Dinner on a Boat!

Sushi is one of my favorite foods ever! Lately I've been on a sushi high from New Year's Eve and now a night out with the fam. We went to Moshulu which is a docked boat restaurant. It was built in 1904 and was really nice! The staircase reminded me of Titanic and sitting at a table with the view of the water was a nice touch. In the summer they open the top of the boat up for seating too which I'm sure is even more gorgeous! We had some great sushi and of course dessert! If you're ever in the Philly area I suggest you check it out! 
 
Jacket: Zara // Sweater: Zara  // Over the Knee Boots: Bakers

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