Khadija Says Hi.

tik tok, turkey and the novel coronavirus

2020-07-21T12:38:00.002-07:00

Okay listen.

I know I said I'd drop by this corner of the internet every now and then, but I really didn't plan on the difference between now and then to amount to almost a year. You have to believe me. Look, I'll make it up to you. Let's do a very detailed breakdown of what the past year of my life has been like, okay? Okay.

July - September 2019

We begin where we last left off, somewhere in July. It was in July that I discovered that Joyland: Rawalpindi Edition™ was a thing that existed, and so I forced Minahel, Fatima and Aaliyaan to visit it with me. A short trip, made even shorter by our inability to have estimated the sheer volume of the crowd that had amassed outside the ticket booth. Nevertheless, we got our 6 minutes of stomach-sinking, freefall emulating Pirate Ship fun, even if Fatima, in true Fatima fashion, chose to wait outside the ride instead of actually experiencing it with us.

Another notable moment: I got my first prime lens, a nifty fifty, and I love it. Took a still-in-her-nightsuit Fatima outside to take some test shots, and ended up really really loving them. Other subjects of said lens: Breeha, Shayan, Ameera and Chip.

Sometime in August Baba discovered that a new chain of the famous Mian Jee truck hotel from somewhere between Kharian and Gujrat had opened up in Pindi, somewhere on the GT Road. And so a plan in favor of that ever-glorious tandoori paratha and channay ki daal was made. Good call, even though we had to stop at a couple of fake Mian Jee's along the way.

September was when I was unabashedly greedy; I didn't want to waste my time simply because I didn't have much of it left. No, I wasn't dying, I was just moving to Istanbul for a six-month internship. And because of that, I tried to spend every passing minute of it at home, with mama, baba and Chip.

September - December 2019

Would you consider it a good omen that my first day of work was on my birthday? I've always liked my birthdate: 30th September has a good feel to it, it just sounds right. Good omen or not, it was the start of six very interesting months in my life.

I had never experienced a formal work environment before, let alone a non-Pakistani formal work environment, and it was both different but also the same. I got a chance to shed some of my sometimes-restrictive South Asian takkaluf - here people did not think twice before initiating a conversation with you, a stranger. Nobody seemed to get offended if you asked them seemingly personal questions, age differentials didn't matter too much, if at all.

I did stay true to my disbelieving political science student self, and reaffirmed my suspicion of the United Nations as a concept. Also to be found was the usual petty politics. The fact that a 24 year old working at an actual UN organisation could still end up embroiled in petty drama, was mind-blowing. Drama is eternal y'all.

On 3rd November a bunch of my new friends had a potluck and I had tteokbokki for the first time!! Love you Hyeonsoo! (I wonder if her listening to me rave about how much I wanted to try Korean food was similar to goray saying 'omg I luv India I luv butter chicken I luv Indian food'?). Anyway, I took with me Achari Aalu and Haleem, capitalised for I don't know what reason. I found it fascinating that the spice from the Korean rice balls (Jumeok-Bap) was making me cry, but Yeni and Hyeonsoo were fine, and the spice from the Achari Aalu was making them cry, but I was fine??

On 30th November Fatima and I went to see Mac DeMarco in concert (30 again!!). We had great 'seats' (the general admission stand right by the stage) and we stood for 3 hours under the glowing lights listening to die-hard fans singing along word-for-word next to us. Thora sa guilty feel kiya, because we weren't die hard fans, just fans, and that too, barely. Oh, and he threw a guitar at us. Not me and Fatima specifically, and not because of our admission of not being big enough fans, but because Mac Demarco is insane and that's what he does. It landed in the row right in front of us, and there was a 2-minute long stampede as people scrambled to grab it. Eventually two people were taken out by security because they would not stop fighting over it. Did you need to know this much detail?

Honorable mentions: a holiday party at Karen's that I was embarrassingly early to, and at which I somehow managed to meet other Pakistanis? A cute Christmas party for people alone on Christmas, where I had really terrible food but the conversation was nice? Being home alone at New Years Eve because Fatima had gone out with her friends and so I Skyped with Nimra for 3 hours and showed her the fireworks outside my house at 12 AM? Happy new year.

January - March 2020

In January I discovered Cajun seasoning, and subsequently made Cajun fries for dinner almost every night. I also went to Bogazici University for the first time and fell in love, as I followed the muffled sound of someone playing the drums in a small studio tucked away on the basement level of one of the buildings. Did I proceed to stare in through the window like a creep? Yes.

Also at Bogazici was the dog shelter where I went once, but (rather unrealistically) planned on going every weekend. Needless to say, I fell in love with every dog. Also saw the reincarnation of Scooby-Doo, rather blasphemously named Omar. Turks, amirite?

February was when I saw my first snowfall!! It was magical! I loved it! This month also comprised of a lot of coffee cup fortune telling, and a lot of photoshoots with unassuming victims. Zeynep took me to an expensive Turkish kebab place, which was amazing. Can't wait to go back. In return, I took her to a Beatles cover band, which was not so amazing. And then we went to her place where we made our new years resolution lists. I left her house next morning to meet my next model, Yunus, who was surprisingly alright with most of my editorial decisions, even if they involved pink blush. In return, I took him to see Leprous, a band neither of us had listened to before. I'm beginning to realize that maybe taking people to see mediocre bands isn't a good enough return for their kindness...

Hey! I threw a party this month! It was a nice cute small Valentines Day party for people who were deeply sad and lonely. Ha! Just kidding, it was for my friends, who just happened to be deeply sad and lonely. I loved it so much. Fatima and Minahil also invited their friends, and it was just a nice weird mish-mash of university kids and UN employees (how weird is the word mish-mash?). I also made a googly eye cake. As you do.

I went home to Pakistan for a week for my graduation, met my parents and my dog and my friends and my lovers Mr. Johnny and Mr. Jugnu. LSE did not disappoint, the graduation was a trainwreck. But it was an excuse for me to meet everyone; Amal had also come back from Karachi, so the gang was truly complete. My mother met Shayan's mother for the first time since I started LSE :)) About time?

And then back to Istanbul in March. And what a bizarre month, because no one knew how crazy the whole coronavirus thing would get, and how my time would get cut short by a week. So while Fatima and I Great Dong Fang-ed (an all-you-can-eat Chinese Buffet that I miss so deeply), and Hazal, Zeynep and I Gozlemio-ed (a fast food style Gözleme place that I miss so deeply), we didn't really think about doing all of that fast enough and frequently enough. And we definitely didn't think about when we would say goodbye for the last time, and unbeknownst to us, our last Gozlemio day became the last time that we would see each other. And so, on the 20th of March, when we were flying back to Pakistan, I hadn't said goodbye to Hazal, Zeynep or Yunus before I left, which pained me immensely. I needed closure, dammit.

Other notable days: random Kadikoy pizza night with the girls. Tik tok and Uno and dog filled Maçka Park picnic with Fatima and Minahil. Very delicious ramen with Z, H and F. All the times Yunus and I said we would play Mario Kart and then just ended up googling bad tattoos instead. Boba-less Monster tea runs, followed by walking to get mcnuggets at Beşiktaş with Fatima. Slowly winning Fatima over to Team Grocery-Shopping-Is-Fun (my crown achievement, tbh).

April - July 2020

We spent a week and a half in isolation when we got back; me in the drawing room and Fatima in our actual bedroom. And then. Honestly, April to July is an insignificant blur.

I developed a very unhealthy Caroline Calloway obsession, included but not limited to scouring a Reddit blog dedicated to snarking. My tik tok obsession declined significantly, mostly because the Pakistani algorithm was shit (although, a topic for another day: what does it mean when Pakistani tiktok REALLY irks me but western tiktok doesn't?? And does Pakistani tiktok annoy us simply because it's a platform that gives all classes equal access to fame and fortune??).

Fatima and I cooked a lotttt, and I realized that broccoli is God's gift to mankind and undoubtedly one of the best vegetables to exist. Chip had to get a surgery for his hernia, and had to wear a silly looking cone for a few days. His ability to open doors just keeps getting better btw. I made focaccia, and a bullet journal, and got back into reading, thanks to booktuber Noelle Gallagher. Luv u Noelle <3

Also got obsessed with Kabuli Pulao from this place near my house, and I think I have it at least once a week. It's ridiculously good. Also bought my first ever copy of the Quran. As in, my own copy, with translations in English, because I am nothing if not a thoroughly colonised bongu jissay Urdu nahi samajh aati sahi tarah se. And on that note, I started reading Urdu literature as well, currently reading out Mumtaz Mufti's 'Labaik' to mama, which is really fun.

So there you have it. A very quick recap of basically my entire last year. That nobody asked me for. But it's okay, because this is more for me than it is for you, truthfully. I have no idea what August holds in store for me, but I hope that everyone is safe and the coronavirus just fkn goes away already yaar, bass ho gai hai. (Sidenote: is it normal to feel like a sell-out for italicising urdu phrases?)

Ok bye. See you aglay saal.

hello darkness my old friend

2019-07-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

Logging into this website felt like unearthing a time capsule from fifty years ago; kind of weird and cringeworthy, but also warm and nostalgic at the same time. Except it hasn't been fifty years really; it's only been three. Three years since I last opened this box of...whatever it is thats in here. I'm not really sure what made me log back on, and write this (seemingly pointless) post at 2:17 AM on a Saturday. I guess its the guilt of feeling like I abandoned this space? Yes yes, classic KD problem, feeling guilty because I'm 'letting down' inanimate objects like blogs and cars and old lanyards. Somehow, three years later, I still haven't seen a shrink.

Anyway, to remedy my self-inflicted guilt, I'm occasionally going to resurface on this here platform (we are midwest southerners now thank you) and if anyone remembers this exists, which is thankfully unlikely, they're more than welcome to 'come and join the joyride'...I need to stop binge watching youtube..

It's funny how this post is titled 'hello darkness my old friend' cuz like, thinking of this blog in 2019 makes me want to die, but back then, I was one optimistic little shit head, wasn't I? And God was I preachy! NGL, kinda wanna hit old-KD on the head with a frying pan. Like dude calm the fuck down and let people be sad. Have I gotten more cynical now? Perhaps. Or maybe I'm just more levelheaded and realistic now. I am 3000% a nihilist, but an optimistic one. Nihilism can be comforting, if you let it.

You should know by know, if you're still with me, that this entire post has absolutely no purpose, meaning or direction. I'm just writing for the sake of writing. Because I can't sleep. And because my mind won't shut up and turn off for a little while. So anything that I write here today, right now, is just me indulging myself in a good old fashioned Internet Rant™. Therefore proceed at your own caution. Violators will be prosecuted and prosecutors will be shot. Thank you.

So anywaaaaayyyyy. You know whats weird? For a brief amount of time, while I was 'seriously' blogging, I got very into the whole PR thing, and this PR firm would send me stuff to post about, and so one of my posts, a post about lawn (something I knew -300 about) was like that. So anyway it was a really half-assed post (cuz ya gurl had zero knowledge) and honestly, not even that fun to read. But for SOME reason. That post is getting comments? In 2018? In 2019???? Literally a month ago. And they're all weird cloth wholesaler type dudes, which makes me think its probably spam. But still. It's so weird. I was very weirded out. Have I mentioned it was weird?

Meandering bakwaas aside, I feel like a personal update is also due, for whatever purpose. So here is your update, friend: I am now 23, I graduated this May and am now back home where I watch unhealthy amounts of YouTube all day. Other than that I force my dog to wear socks and headbands only because he looks adorable in them and not because I am a cruel cruel monster.

I still do photography, very much so (instagram is still @khadijasayshi); in fact I even post to YouTube now occasionally. I got into music, weirdly enough, and now I am struggling to teach myself how to produce music LOL. The music thing was a real oddball for me, because never did I ever imagine I'd get to do half the stuff I've done (musically), and somehow I did it...albeit in a very anxiety-ridden, noob-ish way. Better noob-ish than boob-ish, amirite. Ok sorry.

I don't want to talk too much about what the future holds or what I want it to hold, because real talk, that shit scares me very much. So I like to not think about it too much, and kind of just go with the flow. Very Sagittarius Moon of me. Oh yeah, I calculated my birth chart and got very into astrology. Just for funzies though. Don't fucking @ me.

Idk man, I'm just zoning in and out of consciousness. Now I'm quoting Drake. I feel like I've grown a lot, and there's been a lot of improvement in a lot of aspects. But MAN is there still a long way to go. There's a lot still to uncover and understand, and I hope I can do it without hurting the people that I love.

ok das it kd out luv u byeeee <3

Cake: A Study

2016-01-31T07:36:00.004-08:00

Again, I'm not going to say much, except to tell you that the cake in question (or in study) was this amazing one, which is a family favorite of ours. And the best part about it is, it has only five ingredients so you can whip it up in no time. (I usually overbake mine just a little bit, resulting in THE MOST RIDICULOUSLY EASY brownies EVER!!) (and you don't need cooking chocolate omg??!!!)

In other news, this winter business has gone on long enough, i want summer nowww. I really don't like these foggy, biting-cold-wind kind of days. Me and winter, we just don't get along :/ Sorry House Stark, but Winterfell just seems like a huge no :/

What I find somewhat funny (and irksome too) is that I took exactly zero pictures of the cake itself :))))) So I guess a more apropos title would have been 'Cake Batter: A Study'. But oh well, you win some you lose some. (?????) Although to be fair, by the time it finished baking, there was no decent lighting left (i love natural light), and also v v hungry :}

I find this short sporadic rambling/posting really refreshing, to be honest. Also, I was about to write 'tbh', but then I thought of how my Communication Skills teacher would disapprove, and thought better of it. Do I get points/cookies/edible-rewards for being an awesome student? I really should.
xxx

Khadija The Model Student O:)

Sadiq Garh Palace // Lorem Ipsum

2015-12-30T06:48:00.001-08:00

After a long long hiatus, I am back. I'd been super busy with school, and missing my family and my darling dogs, but once the semester ended and I came back to the familiarity and comfort of my house and family, I felt like visiting this old haunt again. So in this post, I wont say much, except to tell you that Sadiq Garh Palace is a beautifully tragic place to visit. This fading gem is located in the small town of Dera Nawab Sahab, in the Bahawalpur State. Once a place of the highest grandeur, it now stands alone and forgotten, almost in ruins. Just a reminder to never take anything for granted, I guess. But I won't lie and say my heart didn't break when I saw this magnificent beauty, because it did. Everything was rusting and fading and breaking away. Every embellishment had been pried off ages ago, so much so that in some places even the tiles and the wallpaper had been stolen. Where there were once huge crystal chandeliers imported from Belgium, there now swayed frayed rope. This was a place where Queen Victoria once stayed, and now only ghosts of a forgotten past roamed the halls. If this is not pain itself, I do not know what it is.

To finish off this post, here's what came out of me dabbling (rather poorly) in Photoshop for the first time today. Et voila. Stay happy and kind and safe!

xxx

Khadija

Happy Birthday, Mr. Jinnah

2015-12-24T22:27:00.001-08:00

Do you see this man? Do you know who this is? Do you remember? What's that, you do? Okay okay, I believe you. For anyone who doesn't know, this is Muhammad Ali Jinnah, fondly known in this country as Quaid-e-Azam, Founder of Pakistan. In fact, I think more people call him Quaid than his actual name, which is fine as long as you remember the actual name too.

I feel like sometimes people, including myself, forget that Mr. Jinnah was in fact a real person. We forget the enormity of the feat he achieved. We've been reading about his life and his struggles in putting Pakistan on the map, but we haven't been grasping the actual feeling behind it.

Think of it like this; something possessed an ordinary lawyer to aspire to create an entire new country. This isn't something trivial. And I mean, he didn't just aspire, he brought it home. And I don't know about you, but when I think about it like that, when I put myself in his shoes, I am left in a state of perpetual awe.

For a short time a while ago, I, to be very honest, lost all hope in the people of Pakistan. My eyes bled scarlet tears when I thought of Pakistan herself. My heart sang songs of wretchedness and misery, and I could have sworn I heard her cry to me, through her soil, through her air and through her being. I wondered if the blood of those valiant people who 67 years ago fought for something we still take undue advantage of today, was lost in vain.

For the longest time I thought education was the answer. Educate people, and things would be roses and sweet dreams again. But then people who were apparently educated began to do things I wouldn't expect of them, and a hundred daggers went flying at my heart. I closed the gaping wound in my chest with the faint hope that maybe this was just one person, just a small group? My answer came to me when I saw my hope drenched in the blood of a broken heart. I then asked myself; how can I expect education to solve our problems when the educated are just as bad? I ask you this too, for in all honesty, I don't really have an answer.

What I do have, is the tiniest sliver of hope, carefully threaded against my chest, holding in that once broken and now on the verge of healing heart. I know that for every bad person, there are a few good ones out there, hidden like the gems they are. I don't know what can save us as a nation, but knowing that isn't my job. All I know is that I must be the very best I can be, and I must pay my forefathers' debt, and I must never let my Quaid or my country down. Happy Birthday, Mr Jinnah.

xxx

Khadija Muzaffar

5 Great Instagram Accounts

2015-08-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hello guys! Today I wanna let you guys know what my picks for the 5 greatest Instagrams are (listed below in no particular order). Obviously, there are a LOT more accounts that I love, but those are more like, personal accounts? Like Instagrams belonging to youtubers/models/bloggers/actors I like, and so they might not be 'great' for everyone. BUTTTT these 5 accounts, I'm sure all of you would like. Should like? Meh, I'm not your mother. Anyyywayyyy....

NUMERO UNO: I Have This Thing With Floors

You guys might probably already know about this really popular page. People post selfeets (is that a word yet?) on really gorgeous floors, and we love it. I don't know why, but we do. I mean, come on, LOOK at those floors! They're beautiful! Definitely one of my favorite accounts out there. (???out where???)

🌹Regram @elodieinparis #ihavethisthingwithfloors

A photo posted by I Have This Thing With Floors (@ihavethisthingwithfloors) on Aug 2, 2015 at 1:23am PDT

DUOS: Hot Dudes Reading

Okay this account is hilarious. And those dudes really are hot. AND THEY READ!!! But what I love best about this page, is the captionssss. Not only are they super funny, the people behind this page know how to work a good hashtag, that usually leave me a bit jealous over how brilliant they are!

This ruggedly handsome guy looks like a long lost Hemsworth brother and I am NOT mad about it. His blatant disregard for those subway safety signs has me thinking he isn’t afraid to break the rules. I could pretend I'm an officer writing him a ticket and if everything goes as planned, he'll be the one handcuffing me. #NextUpStripSearch #hotdudesreading #HDRfangram

A photo posted by Hot Dudes Reading - Official (@hotdudesreading) on Jul 14, 2015 at 6:33am PDT

TRES: My Kid Can't Eat This

Guys omg this account is hands down my favorite, even though I said this list would be in no particular order. Although actually, considering that my favorite account is coming third, it probably IS in no particular order. But there hasn't been a time when this account HASN'T made me laugh out loud. And I don't even mean the nose exhale thing we usually do, I'm talking about proper, real, sounds like bells laughter!

#MyKidCantEatThis grilled cheese sandwich because it has a "tail" and he doesn't eat animals. #NiceTry #CheeseTail #BandNames #EatYourFood - @rugratmommy

A photo posted by My Kid Can't Eat This (@mykidcanteatthis) on Jul 21, 2015 at 2:17pm PDT

CUATRO: Robert Jahns

I feel like I've mentioned his account before, somewhere on this blog, but I don't care. Mostly cause I can't remember..... Okay so Mr Robert is mad talented in the art of photoshop. His feed consists of magical and mesmerizing pictures that leave you awe-struck, buttttt, they're not real! Well not really. They're mostly different images photoshopped together to create one hella rad picture. Must see.

Another whale came up in Venice 🐋

A photo posted by Robert Jahns (@nois7) on Jun 28, 2015 at 12:35pm PDT

FIFTH: Josh Hara
This is where my knowledge of Spanish numbers dies out. Although, I really could have googled what fifth is called, but oh well. ANYWAY. Josh Hara! He does this really cool thing where he draws amazing and funny stuff on coffee cups. I actually had a hard time believing he drew them by hand, some people are just crazy talented, and that makes me so happy.

Coffee is my morning savior. #100CoffeeCups

A photo posted by Josh Hara (@yoyoha) on Aug 6, 2015 at 6:13pm PDT

So these are 5 of my favorite Instagram accounts. I'd love to know your favorites! Also, if you wanna follow me on instagram, my username is @khadijasayshi. There, now that I've shamelessly publicized myself, I can end this post :p
Stay happy, stay kind and stay safe!
xxx
Khadija

(Top Photo Source: I Have This Thing With Floors)

Stop. Glamorizing. Depression.

2015-08-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends! Hope you all had lovely eid holidays, as did I! I come to you today with a topic that's rather sordid, but its one that I feel we all need to discuss and understand.

Depression is a serious mental illness. Maybe I should put that in bold; it's an ILLNESS. Like cancer. We wouldn't associate ourselves with cancer, or even the measles, then whyyyy do we rush to diagnose ourselves as depressed?? So many early-teens and teenagers are misdiagnosing themselves with depression, just because they get a little sad, or even VERY sad. We're humans, we're bound to feel sad some days. We go on tumblr and we see pretty photos with sad writing on them, and pretty girls with sad eyes and sad scars and we mistake them for 'angels who want to go home'. We want to be sad. Because apparently sad is unique and sad is quirky. Sad is mysterious. Sad makes us different, and someone will like how unique we are and kiss our scars and put out our cigarettes and make it all better. Or the world will see how bravely you've been suffering, how absolutely brave you've been.

CAN YOU SEE HOW FLAWED THAT THINKING IS??? Life is not a freakin' John Green book. It's okay to feel sad, or angry or lazy sometimes. But if you let it take you over, if you say it's become a part of you, well you're just lying to yourself. Depression, self-harm, freakin' suicide are not beautiful, are not fun and should not be thought of as beautiful or fun. So next time you feel sad and decide to write that very sad piece you're going to write, just make sure you don't make it sound like you have a mental illness. It's very offending to people who actually HAVE the illness.

When I was 15, I too, like younger girls nowadays THOUGHT I was depressed. I suppose teenage is when you really start experiencing actual sadness over stuff. Before that you're too young to care about most stuff. Do you remember being truly deeply sad over anything as a 9 year old? Probably not.

So, I misdiagnosed myself. I mean, sad thoughts? Check. Trouble sleeping? Weight gain? Oh that definitely has to do with depression, not the fact that I'm shoving 15 kinds of cake in my mouth and quickly turning into Augustus Gloop. (who, if you'll remember, was great big nincompoop, much like 15 year old KD.)

Anyway, I started getting worried because in addition to thinking I was depressed, I thought I was Bipolar and also suffered from a Split Personality Disorder, and wasn't getting any treatment, oh no. So, aged 16, I went to my mother, told her everything, and she told me something that made so much sense.

See, we're all humans, right? (No jokes pls) And we all have a brain that allows us to feel emotions like sadness, rage or euphoria. Sometimes, when the brain becomes ill as in the case of mental illnesses, it messes up and triggers waaaayyy more emotion than is needed. So those individuals feel excessively sad, or excessively angry, or even both for alternating periods of times. So basically those same standard emotions, are being portrayed in way more drastic amounts, leading to very serious illnesses. And because normal healthy people like us experience those same emotions, but in NORMAL amounts, we misdiagnose ourselves with something terrible. Makes sense, no?

And of course, sometimes, we feel like a mental illness is the perfect excuse to not doing anything, or not meeting anybody, or just being really anti-social in general. And I mean, I'm sure we can agree that our generation is the most anti-social one yet. So depression gives us an excuse to feel irrationally angry or sad or grumpy. I hope you're seeing the whole point of this post. If not, lemme tell you. The point is, illnesses are NOT to be taken lightly. Depression is not beautiful. Flowers don't grow out of scars. Suicidal people aren't trapped angels. Whats beautiful, is your life, and no matter how cliche this sounds, it IS very precious, and it's not eternal, unless you're a vampire, in which case hullo immortal being, SO TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT. Stop brooding, stop being sad, stop thinking sad is rad because its not. Happy is rad. Happy is pretty. Happy is nice. BE HAPPY, YOU SILLY POTATOES.

And now I will insert a cute little GIF of a doggie, because that makes me so very happy.

"I am the prettiest lady in all of the spains."

I just :') LOOK AT THAT FACE OMG ANIMALS ARE THE FREAKING BEST. As are you all! Let me know what your opinions on this are in the comments below. Stay happy stay kind stay safeee!

xxx

Khadija

(Top photo: Gala Darling)
(Augustus Gloop GIF: Paper Fury)

(Prettiest Lady of Spain: Reddit)

Summer Bucket List

2015-07-14T01:36:00.000-07:00

*cue 'This Summers Gonna Hurt' by Maroon 5*

*then switch to 'While I'm Alive' by Strfkr, because I'm an indecisive duck*

Ahh, summer. Possibly my favorite season. At least it WAS till I moved to the freakin' desert. Now all I can think about is cold winds and winter rains...kind of. Anyway, in an effort to NOT waste this summer, like just about every summer of my past, I decided to finally make a small bucket list AND ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH STUFF TOO. And lo and behold, I present to you, my lazy/not so lazy bucket list :)

1. Go to the gym everyday. The gym is like five minutes away from my house so umm...

2. No more junk food...this is gonna be difficult BUT LEZZ DO IT FOR THE FAB-POINTS*

3. Learn to drive. Getting there, getting there.

4. Go on more walks with Chip. Even if its a hundred degrees outside. Even if its burning.

5. Learn to play tennis. Again, I live five minutes away from the tennis court, so yanno.

6. Print new pictures and frame them. Does anybody else forget to get their pictures printed? Damn you digital cameras :/

7. Find time to read more...and go on the internet less.

8. Have a huge waterfight. Mandatory.

9. Go to Lahore by train. omg I SO wanna do this, its been ages since I've been on a train :(

10. Paint more. Also buy yourself a new sketchbook please. Thanks.

11. Call, not text your friends more often. Because we all need to do this.

12. Be thankful. I wanna do this every night before bed. Good form.

13. Be kind. Be nice. Even if the other person is in the wrong. Radiate positivity!

So my friends, these are my plans so far. I should probably add RETURN THOSE DAMN LIBRARY BOOKS considering its been more than a month since I borrowed them...oops?

What are your plans for summer? What do you hope to accomplish by the end of it? I'd love to hear :)

ALSO, did you guys notice the new site layout? What do you think? Do you love it? Hate it? Can't be bothered? LET ME KNOWWW. I think it looks cleaner than the previous one, so I'm happy :) But i wanna hear what you think! Leave a comment below, okay?

Stay happy, stay kind and stay beautiful!

xxx

Khadija

The Best Caramel Popcorn EVER.

2015-05-23T12:09:00.004-07:00

Sighhh. Well, now I've dunnit :/ I suppose Cupcake Jemma deserves half the blame, but the rest belongs to me. I've made something so easy and so addictive and so dangerous. Why did I crave toffee popcorn at midnight? Why did I MAKE toffee popcorn at midnight? Why did draw a fake tattoo on my arm three weeks ago? These are all questions no can really answer :/

But there's stuff I can answer. For instance, was the popcorn bonkers awesome? Indeed, it was. Will I make it again? You bet I will. Is the tattoo still there? Ummmm...lets get to the popcorn shall we? O:)

I grew up devouring pack after pack of Korneez Toffee Popcorn...yup thats their name. I can't even. Anyway, I never really liked the caramel popcorn you get at movie theaters mostly cause there's just a very superficial caramel flavour, and that just doesn't do it for me. Imagine my delight when I tried this popcorn only to discover THAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE CARAMEL OH MY GOD. It was crunchy and sweet and salty and everything caramel corn should be :') I was in bliss.

Just one problem tho: I couldn't stop eating it.

Today I'm gonna be watching Divergent with a bunch of my friends, for the first time. It just didn't seem like my kinda thing, thats why I put it off for so long. I've heard it's good though. And I do love Shailene Woodley, she's so pretty! (Because popcorn talk leads to movie talk)

This popcorn takes hardly 20 minutes to whip up, and it would be great for birthdays, or movie nights or even as a gift if you put it in a clear bag and put a ribbon on it :') But just be warned, it is HIGHLY addictive :)

Caramel Popcorn Recipe

(From Cupcake Jemma//Jemma Wilson)

1 packet microwave popcorn, butter flavored

210 g sugar (1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of sugar)*

100 ml water (1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon of water)**

1 tablespoon of butter

*measure 1 cup and then remove 1 tablespoon

**measure 1/2 cup and then remove 1 tablespoon

Make the popcorn according to the instructions on the packet. Put in a bowl.

Meanwhile, measure out ALL the ingredients for the caramel before you start cooking it. Place them near you so you can reach them easily. In a pan, add the sugar, and then pour the water. DO NOT STIR. You must PROMISE not to stir it. Just swirl the pan around so that the sugar settles into place and then put it on medium-low heat. Patiently wait for it to bubble up. It will now start to color, and you have to keep a close eye on it at this point. You're looking for a uniform, even amber color. It's going to be a translucent sort of caramel color, and it's gonna take a little time to reach that color. Remember, it has to be even. That means you cant be okay with patches of amber, you need a pool of amber lusciousness. Just swirl the pan occasionally. Once you reach the uniform amber stage, add the tablespoon of butter. It is going to fizz and foam, but dont worry, its not dangerous. Start stirring and keep on doing so till ALL the bubbles go away and you get a smooth caramel liquid. (You might want to take it off the heat and stir it after 3-4 minutes of stirring on heat).

Now you have to work quickly. Pour the caramel sauce all over the popcorn and STIR STIR STIR. Work quickly or else the caramel will set. Make sure everything is coated and then scoop out the popcorn and press it into a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Again, work fast. Press the popcorn neatly, and then let it cool for 5 minutes. (I didn't wait initially, and I got slivers and threads of caramel in the first bunch I ate...not bad, but not what you want in your popcorn.)

After it has cooled, break the popcorn into smaller pieces and TREAT YO' SELF!!

I hope you guys try thissss, it is so simple and lovely and addictive. YOU NEED TO TRY THIS!! Stay safe, stay happy and be kind to everyone!

xxx

Khadija :)

Update: Divergent was awesome :) You should watch it!

Carrot & Walnut Cake

2015-05-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

Usually, I don't eat carrot cake. When I do, I like it with cream cheese frosting. BUT. I had a major mind blown moment the other day when I learnt how to make this cake. To be fair tho, I feel like its more like banana bread, but with carrots, as opposed to actual cake. Prolly cause of the walnuts and brown sugar. But who cares as long as it tastes like heaven??

Our tale begins with some orange carrots that I discovered were not all that easy to grate :/ What can I say, I'm weak ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ So now two things that I very much dislike are grating carrots (or anything, really) and shredding boiled/steamed chicken. So much dislike :(

Oh look at that. Another GIF. This time I'm squeezing the bejesus out of my grated carrots. Such is life. I'm planning a scavenger hunt today for my friends and I. Except for the fact that I have no prior scavenger hunt knowledge, I'm doing good. Isn't a scavenger hunt like a treasure hunt, but you dont really have to hide anything cause its already hidden? Hmm I thought so too.

I love these white flowers, I don't know what they're called, but they're so pretty. These days I'm really into flowers and rustic bouqets, not the flashy kind with shiny sparkly paper, but the ones using brown paper sheets, or that white buttery paper locally known as guddi kaaghaz (literally 'kite paper').

This is the kind of cake that doesn't need a glaze or frosting or anything really, but it becomes a truly wonderful treat if you plop on a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm slice :') Seriously heavenly. In fact, that is what I had for breakfast and lunch today :p

CARROT & WALNUT CAKE RECIPE

2 eggs
250 g brown sugar
140 ml oil
250 g flour
50 g walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking soda
pinch of salt
250 g grated carrots

(I tried to write the ingredients list in order of what goes first, but it looks so messy, no? :/)

First off, you need to grate the carrots. I know, I know, but someone's gotta do it. Carrots done? Grate xD Okay sorry, moving on. Squeeze all the water out of the carrots. Then, in a bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar until it pales a bit, after which add the oil. Mix well. Add everything except the carrots, mix well. If your beater cant handle it cause its too thick, shift to a spoon. Add the carrots, fold 'em in. Oil and dust a pan with flour, and spoon the batter in and dont leave in any gaps. Okay? Thanks.
Oh and bake this for around 40 minutes, OR until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Eat warm with (or without, im not your mom) ice cream, or eat cold. This cake is brilliant either way.

And here is Chip, the king of flowers-that-have-been-used-to-decorate-cake. He's so moody and camera shy :/ Anyway, hope you try this cake. Stay safe, stay happy and stay kind!

xxx

Khadija

Sugar Cookies with Pink Royal Icing

2015-05-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

You know how you see those big beautiful cookies with lovely designs on them? I was like 'Yeah, I wanna try my hand at those.' Turns out, its not easy. You need a steady hand and a better paper-cone making ability than I have. That being said, it isn't difficult either. No really. The cookies are your basic roll-out sugar cookies that you cut into shapes with a cutter. And the royal icing needs just two things. Making both these things isnt rocket science. What does require practice, however, is piping them so that they look pretty. You don't need to be goddamn Da Vinci, but you do need to be able to draw a circle or a square.

Of course, your work will be a whole lot easier if you use a store-bought (or synthetic, i think) piping bag. I dont like those because cleaning them is a...well, a chore :p So I tried to learn how to make a piping bag out of parchment paper, and it was messy at first. Which is why icing them was hard.

But once you get the hang of it, it's pretty fun. I kinda ran out of ideas about what to pipe on them hehe...BE MORE CREATIVE THAN I WAS. Don't be like me.

I chose a pretty light pink color, mostly because I only had pink/red food color but also because its prettyyy *~*

Oh and look, I made my very first GIF :D (do you pronounce it 'Jiff' or 'Giff'? I say it with a hard G, Jiff. idk) Nothing fancy, but maybe later I can progress towards GIFs of me pouring syrup or frosting or something. Idk, just a thought.

A few notes about these cookies, and the icing:

♡ The cookies are just as good on their own. Seriously, they're like the ones you find at bakeries.

♡ The frosting will seem REALLY sweet if you taste it on its own. BUT worry not, it all balances out once it sets on the cookie itself. In fact, you'll be surprised because they've got JUST the right amount of sweetness.

♡ Speaking of set, the icing is called Royal Icing. It dries REALLY fast, so you need to cover it with a damp towel when not in use, and you also need to work fast. It sets hard, so whatever you 'draw' on it will be preserved :p I sound so unprofessional but you get the idea right? If not, lemme say it one more time: the icing sets hard. This is not a soft icing. It is a hard icing. An icing that is not soft. (I'm actually Mojo Jojo...)

♡ You can use this icing to draw intricate patterns on cakes as well.

♡ The iced cookies last quite a while, in an airtight jar. The icing however, would best be used within two days, otherwise it begins to set.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

(slightly adapted from Cake Central)

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup (two 100g sticks) softened margarine*
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
A good pinch of salt

* You can use butter too. I used margarine because thats what I had, and I found it made the dough a little sticky and soft, and hence a tad bit less easy to work with.

Cream the margarine till there are no lumps, then add the ground sugar and continue to cream till the mixture becomes pale and fluffs up. Add the egg and vanilla (but dont add too much vanilla because our local pakistani vanilla essence tends to be verrryyy strong and artificial-y) Beat well. Add the flour and baking powder, a little at a time till the flour is fully incorporated and the dough forms.

Chill for two (2) hours. (The dough, not yourself :p) I know i know. But do it, it makes everything so much easier.

Roll out the dough to your desired thickness on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter to cut shapes.

Place the cookies on a piece of wax paper, place the wax paper on a cookie tray, and place the cookie tray in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the undersides of the cookies are golden. (The tops remain pale-ish.) Let 'em cool.

Royal Icing Recipe

(from Elisa Strauss)

2 egg whites
1 500 g pack of icing (confectioner's) sugar
White vinegar

Soak a tissue with some vinegar and use it to wipe the bowl you'll be using, the spatula and the beater paddles to remove any fat or grease that might be there. Separate egg whites CAREFULLY. There shouldn't be a single bit of yolk in it, otherwise they wont stiffen up. Sift your sugar to remove lumps and add it to the egg whites. Beat them for a steady 10 minutes. (This is important ok. Ten minutes. I promise it doesn't take too long :p)By this time, the icing will have fluffed up considerably. Now is the time to add half a teaspoon on vinegar and your food coloring. Add 1 & 1/2 tablespoon of water. Mix well. 

Additional Piping Instructions

Put spoonfuls of the icing in your icing bag, cut a small hole, and trace the outline of your cookie's shape on your cookie. This is called outlining, and it prevents the rest of the icing from running off the edge of the cookie.
Take something like a chopstick, or the other end of a paintbrush to place small dollops of icing inside your outline. 'Pat' the icing (move it in a small swirly motion) to fill in the empty areas. Don't drag or spread, just dab. Watch this video to learn more. This is called flooding.
Wait for it to dry. Then using a different color, draw whatever you want on the top of the cookie. I just saved some of the icing from before i added the food color, so I had some white icing for the script.

That's it my darlings, its a lot of fun, and you'll feel so proud of yourself! These are great for themed parties or really any occasion. Have fun, stay happy, stay safe and stay kind!

xxx

Khadija.

Honey Soy Chicken Wings

2015-05-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hey there! How've you been? Do you have your CIEs? Poor you. I'll be praying for all you poor souls, especially those ones that don't try these wings right away. Seriously. The first time I made these was a couple of weeks ago when my father had a bunch of his work associates over for dinner. Both my parents were swamped that week, they were hardly ever home, poor things. As my mother rushed off to her 5797th Ladies Club meeting that week, she told me "You're in charge of the wings" anddd she was gone. I was like...yay?

I knew what I wanted though, something savory with a hint of sweetness. It's always that, really. Sweet'n'sour is my thangg. And so these babies were made. And once the work friends left the dining room, I attacked the wings. I didn't even wait for them to leave the house. Silly KD. I made these a few more times over the weeks because HELLO? These are really good. Like reallyyyy good. And they only take 20 minutes to go from box to belly, so thats always a plus.

Ohhh and I tried using a black backdrop too :D Except for the part where I didn't know what to use, so I propped up a folding table on its side on the counter, and used a black oven tray as the base....

I don't know though, I'm going to have to figure this out, because my kitchen has meh-ish lighting and also I do most of my cooking at night...so no sun..so yeah..ok.

Anyway, moving on to the recipe, which is totesss simple. (I'm harnessing my inner valley girl these days, like omg) Whatchu need is this:

Sauce (enough for around 30 wings):

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons Honey

3 tablespoons Chili Sauce

3 tablespoons Chili Garlic Ketchup

3 tablespoons oil + enough to fry the wings

1 1/2 tablespoon White vinegar (the synthetic kind) (is there any other kind tho?)

A box of wings. Or a packet. Or just get wings, whatever, I'm not your mom.

Fry your wings. I usually fry them for 5-6 minutes, and they finish cooking up in the glaze. Next, in another pan, add the two spoons of oil. Use the frying oil if you want. Add all the sauces, the honey and the vinegar. Stir well. TASTE. If it needs more of anything, add it. It should be a balance of sweet and salty, and have a hint of heat from the chili sauce and a little sting/zing from the vinegar. Adjust accordingly. Then add your wings, stir them to coat them evenly. Cover the lid and let it do its thang. Keep checking on it though, you dont want the sauce to dry up and your wings to burn, that would be tragic. In about 2-3 minutes, the sauce will have thickened and turned into a lovely red-brown sticky glaze. Thats when you take them out and eat every single one while watching The Mentalist on tv. You done good kid, you deserve it.

Also my dear readers, I would urge you all to check out this lovely page! Craftoos is an arts and crafts store run by a very dear friend of mine! I think she's doing lovely work, and that too at such a young age. Craftoos provides you with illustrations, posters and soon enough, stickers!! All customisable too! So definitely check this out, its verryyy cool.

Stay happy and stay safe!

xxx

Khadija.

Very Sad News (about my favorite celebrity couple)

2015-04-29T08:05:00.002-07:00

Just as I was coming to term with Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr's divorce (which took place 3 years ago....) I had to face something even more devastating....EMMA STONE AND ANDREW GARFIELD ARE DUNZO T_T

I know, its horrible, right? Weren't they the funniest, weirdest most adorable couple ever? Weren't they just perfect? Oh how am I supposed to believe in anything ever again when all the good couples keep breaking up :'(

Look at how cute they are. No excuses. You must look. No really. I'm serious.

(Image courtesy: Daily Mail)

(Image Courtesy: E-online)

Oh future bae of mine, just look at how they look at each other and take notes :/ And then look at me with a look that says 'u mad bro?' ok thnx.

(Image Courtesy: Fanpop)

Oh be still my beating heart <|3 THEY LOOK SO HAPPY WHY DID THEY BREAK UP AND MAKE ME UNHAPPY?? WHY? WHY DONT THEY LOVE ME ANYMORE? Uhh I mean each other. Totally meant each other...

Anyway, apparently the reason for the parting of ways was that Andrew was in 'a dark place' (geez andrew, just turn the damn light on) and they had 'work commitment something'. pfft.

There was also a rumor that Andrew might have cheated on Ems, but I highly doubt it cause that rumor came from HollywoodLife.com which is a HIGHLY unreliable website.

So thats that. If anyone else is planning to break up, please do it now, I dont think i can handle any more power couples going kaput anymore :/

If you need me, I'll be crying/eating unhealthy amounts of chocolate icecream.

Stay happy and stay safe AND ALWAYS BE POSITIVE. (Ironic, considering all of what i just wrote above :p)

xxx

Khadija.

Mountain Dew Giveaway!

2015-04-24T03:14:00.001-07:00

Hi wonderful readers! I have some exciting news guys. This is Khadija Says Hi's first ever giveaway! I feel so giddy :} Okay so today, Mountain Dew is offering SIX lucky readers a chance to win passes to Pakistan's biggest action event, The Dew Action Show, in Lahore. Six lucky duckies get to take their friends and family to this one of a kind, action filled show. How cool is that??

As you can tell from the top photo, someone extremelyyy good looking is going to be there...on a BIKE....in a LEATHER BIKER JACKET!! I'm talking about Hamza Ali Abbasi in case you didn't know. And if that isn't enough to convince you (shame on you, really -.-) then there's an awesome concert as well by one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE bands....it starts with an N and ends with OORI. And no, its not NHalwaPoori :)

The contest details are very very simple, so you have no excuses okay! All you have to do, is comment on this post and tell me, if you could take one person, (dead, alive, fictional, non-fictional, doesnt matter) WHO WOULD IT BE?. Thats it. What could be easier? Nothing, thats what. Comment on the post, and winners will be chosen at random. This contest is only open for readers in Pakistan :)

So start commenting FAST because you only have 24 hours till the winners are chosen lol.

Best of luck, mon amies.

xxx

Khadija M.

PS: Share this post on your facebook, twitter or instagram so that others can participate too :) Thank you!

Update: The number of winners was changed because the author of this blog is terrible at math. Tru fact xx

Update No. 2: The winners have been e-mailed. Thank you all for participating :)

Is this how we think now?

2015-04-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

So I read an article on Thought Catalog a while back, and it struck me as very accurate. The article, which you can find here, is basically about how people date nowadays, but one part in particular caught my attention...

Says Jamie Varon, the author:

"There are always other tantalizing options. Open up Instagram and see the lives of others, the life we could have. See the places we’re not traveling to. See the lives we’re not living. See the people we’re not dating. We bombard ourselves with stimuli, input, input, input, and we wonder why we’re miserable. We wonder why we’re dissatisfied. We wonder why nothing lasts and everything feels a little hopeless. Because, we have no idea how to see our lives for what they are, instead of what they aren’t."

Isn't that so true? I feel like we spend so much time obsessing over other peoples' lives (and this is coming from a person who checks the internet for updates on Miranda Kerr and Acacia Brinley every. Single. Day) that we end up feeling dissatisfied with our own! We constantly think about how to make our lives seem/be as interesting, vibrant and happening as the ones on instagram. We forget that what we see is only just one part of it, its only the highlights. Nobody has a perfect life, no matter what it seems like online.

Case in point: I noticed that after watching a makeup tutorial on youtube, I often end up wanting the stuff they use. The next day they use something else, and now suddenly THIS is the thing I want. Whats happening is basically we're being tricked by all this stimuli, into thinking that our lives are missing the (possibly more material) things that we see online. That without them, we wont be as interesting or something. We have this constant need to impress strangers, to show them that our lives are interesting too, and we have pretty shiny stuff too.

This was an eye-opener for me. The more input you give yourself, the more incomplete and unhappy you'll feel. Think about your life. Think about the less fortunate. You'll realize how lucky you are, even without all that Chanel in your life. Even if you (I) don't have the Anastasia Contour Kit T_T Haha but no seriously, I was pining over that for a long time, till I got my act together and made another product work (DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A CHEAP ALTERNATIVE FOR A LOVELY CREAM CONTOUR???) and now I'm totally fine :p So think about this next time you catch yourself sighing over somebody's Instagram feed. Your life is as beautiful, if not more, as anybody else's, just as it is. It's important to remember that.
What do you think? Is Social Media going to be the ruin of us? Let me know the answer to this somewhat ominous and very alarming question and also tell me about the contour hack ok thanks :)
xxx
K.

(Image Source: We Heart It)

Three Ingredient Pasta

2015-04-14T01:55:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Soooo as per request, I changed my font today. Big day T_T

Anyway, summer is right around the corner and I AM SO FRICKIN' HAPPY :') I'm not a winter person, as you can probably tell, buttt i can handle heat pretty well. Apart from the change in weather, I'm looking forward to summer cause of summer food and summer drinks and summer fruit and strawberries and cherries and an angels kiss in spring. (PLS GET THAT REFERENCE) So, think lemonade and sangria and lazyyy daysss and teaching my dog how to swimmm.

Which is why today I'm writing about this pasta. I think this pasta should be the very symbol of summer on account of how light and refreshing it is. Oh and did I mention it has just three ingredients?? It just goes to show you how sometimes simple is all you need. And really, tomatoes themselves are so wonderfully fragrant and flavorsome that you dont really need anything else. In fact, this sauce can be used to top pita bread for impromptu pizzas, or grilled bread slices to make pizza toasties, or it can be used as dip or like a member of the salsa family. And it is really SO simple! You can get this baby done in fifteen minutes! Here's how its made!

You will need:

3 large tomatoes, cut in chunks

Ketchup

Herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)

Pasta of your choice

Get a large pot of water boiling. Once it starts to boil, add 4 teaspoons full of salt. This helps season the pasta and you dont get boring bland pasta. Also add a teaspoon of oil to prevent pasta clumping together. Add the uncooked pasta to the water and cook until soft (or if you like, al dente)

In a pan, add the 3 chopped tomatoes and add 1/4th to 1/2 a cup of water. Basically just enough to cover the base of the pan. Let the tomatoes soften up in that water. After a few minutes, you'll know they're soft because you'll be able to smush them with a spoon. And smush them you will. Press the chunks with the back of a spoon till it no longer holds a particular shape. Mash them basically, but no need to be toooo thorough. Once all the tomatoes are smushed up, add two tablespoons of ketchup for added sweetness. You can use the regular kind or chilli garlic, whichever you want, or you could do both. I usually like to add a cap-full of Apple Cider Vinegar too, but thats optional. Then add your herbs, just random pinches of it. Stir to combine, and cook until the water has been absorbed and there you go!

Drain the pasta and place it in a bowl. Spoon the sauce over the pasta. Grate some cheese over it, if you wanna get fancy, although seriously, this pasta doesn't even need cheese. And there you have it! Beautiful light pasta. Minimum fuss, maximum flavour, as Nigella says.

Let me know what you think!

xxx

Khadija.

Playlisting

2015-04-04T13:26:00.001-07:00

Yo guys wassup. Too informal? Meh. Okay so a long time ago, I did my first Playlisting post and I also kinda said I would make it a regular feature.....butttt I didn't. So I apologize, kind of :P

Anyway, I wanted to that again, because I've had a major genre shift, and although none of the songs I'm listening to are, well, "new", they are nontheless, new for me and I wanted to share them with you. So last year, I was VERY into Indie music, and I still like it very much, but NOW, I've started falling in love with music that falls more in the punk rock/post-hardcore/metalcore genre.

Now bear with me here, I know that this MAYBE doesn't sound that amazing, but dude NO. Just listen to these songs and if you dont turn, well. Thats just too bad. Your loss :p But no seriously, they don't have a lot of screaming in them, which is good, because I just cant take the screamy parts very seriously...y'know, the Asking Alexandria kind of screams. It just seems, idk, unreal :P

Anyway, lets get started on the list.

So lets start with Panic! At The Disco, alright? Dude okay, lets get this straight, Brendon Urie is a wonderful angel sent from above. His voice is MAGIC and his voice on the album is THE SAME as in real life ALSO he can play what, some 20 instruments, so umm Brendon Urie > you.Songs I love that aren't on their soundcloud in the above link are 'Lets Kill Tonight' and 'Nicotine'. But listen to the ones on their soundcloud because JUST DO IT <3
Next up I am listening to a lot of Paramore these days, with this song (Misery Business) being my fave, followed by Playing God. If you don't love Hayley William's voice then I'm sorry but what is wrong with you?
Okay okay okay. Now the bands I just got into. So Pierce The Veil. Ohhh my god. They are SO GOOD! WHY DIDNT I FIND OUT ABOUT THEM SOONER? These three songs (King For a Day, Bulls In The Bronx, Besitos) are my ABSOLUTE faves. Caraphernelia is also another really good song. I'm still exploring into these next few bands, but I really like these songs so I guess the others will be nice too. Also this band has a veryyy subtle Latin hint to a lot of their songs which is super nice. BUT LISTEN TO THESE SONGS BY THIS BAND!!!! I cannot stress that enough, PTV will change your life..kind of. (And no not the govt. channel -.-)
NEXT. Sleeping with Sirens. (Songs linked: If You Can't Hang, Roger Rabbit, A Trophy Father's Son) Kellin Quinn is so purty :/ He's also super close with Vic Fuentes who is the lead singer for Pierce The Veil. I like this band a little less than PTV, but I still think it's pretty cool. They released a new album this year called Madness and you should listen to 'Go Go Go' and 'Fly' which are pretty dope.
Attttrrreeeeyyyuuu! Seriously, this band is pretty darn good! The linked song is 'Blow' and it will blow your mind away for realzkies. Its SO DAMN CATCHY, and maybe also PG-13 because of frequent F-bombing but I guess since we're not 13, izz cool. Also how fun is to say Atreyu? It sounds so cool!
Nothing But Thieves with Graveyard Whistling which is a lovely moody song that is gonna stick to your mind like butterscotch sticks to your teeth...okay sorry. I love the drums that start at 1:40-ish and also their drummer is super cute. Ya ok bye.
Bring Me The Horizon please and thank you. It's over there on the dresser. Acha okay lame jokes aside. Again, why hadn't I heard any of their songs before? Shadow Moses. Go listen to this. Ohhhh the epicness of these bands make me wish I was part of them or I was married to someone from them JUST LISTEN TO THEM OKAY?
Good ol' Fall Out Boy. Have you heard their new album American Beauty/American Psycho? My fave song off their album is Irresistible because it really is. And I'm sure you've all heard 'Centuries'. Okay you know what, I love almost ALL songs from this album :( Okay thanks.

Well this turned out longer than I intended, mainly cause I ended up writing an essay about each band :p
I have a question for you guys, I'm thinking about changing my blogs font. Should I? :P
Option A) No nonsene Arial. Which I don't really like, but maybe it's easier to read?
Option B) Verdana. Which is basically just a wider Arial.
Option C) Helvetica. Only because it sounds cool.
Option D) Courier. Which is what I have now, because it looks very typewriter-y.

Do let me know, because now that I think about it, maybe Courier wasn't the best choice after all :/ Anyway, I really hope you listen to the music. Bonus Tracks: Take Me Dancing by The Maine. Andddd A Love Like War by All Time Low. Again, you might have heard these songs, but I haven't so hush. Are there any songs you would recommend from this genre? I'd LOVE to know!

Stay safe, stay happy and stay kind, always. Love you guys!

xxx

Khadija the Squid.

Lawn Frenzy: Sapphire Lawn Collection 2015

2015-03-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

People, Lawn Season has officially begun! Although I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that, let the scorching heat do its own talking :p Not to mention The Crazy Aunty Parade, according to whom all lifeforms will end if they don't get THAT PARTICULAR suit. (Seriously, I have heard CRAZY stories o_o)

Before I begin, I feel I should probably put this out there that the lawn in question is the cloth material thingy, not in fact, a field of grass (as in the misleading yet slightly clever picture above). Ya get? Okay good.

So, Sapphire Lawn is another brain child of the talented Khadija Shah. Let me just say Khadija S. did a wonderful job this time with Elan....who am I kidding, she does wonders EVERY single time. This year was no exception. She put up wonderful designs for Elan. Let me show you a few.

(Image source: Karachista)

(Image Source: Karachista)

So as you can see, the collection is really beautiful with bold, vibrant colors and a touch of class and sophistication as well :) However, since it is such a coveted brand, and so highly sought after, it sells out LIKE FIRE. There are very limited pieces in supply, and you can buy them online HERE.

In case you missed out on this gorgeousness, don't worry because Khadija Shah has something else for you. Yesterday in Karachi, launched the relatively newer Sapphire Lawn, which is another brainchild of KS, so you can expect it to be awesome! It's Lahore Launch is expected to be a month later, but all good things come to those who wait, right? :p Here are a few of the pieces featured in this collection:

Wisteria Blossom

Vintage Rococco

Rose Garden

Indian Summer

Aren't they just fabulous? And the best part is; they are VERY reasonably priced! Prices start from Rs 2600, so be sure to get yourself some! You can view the complete catalog HERE! Sapphire Lawn is available at Dolmen Mall, Clifton for people in Karachi.

Do let me know how you liked these collections, and out of all the lawn brands launched this year, which one was your favorite? :)

xxx

Khadija.

(Sapphire Lawn Images Courtesy: Siddy Says)

DIY Golden Leaf Hairband

2015-03-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

Bonjour ma petit croissants! I apologize for being missing, but I was away and was a little busy with other stuff BUT I AM BACK. Okay, so a while back, I read an article about a beautiful AF accessory; a golden leaf hairband! It was love at first sight :') A very very short lived love, since I soon discovered that my country was going through The Great Golden Leaf Hairband Depression...like the 1930 one, but only golden and fabulous.

That was very disappointing, since they look SO DARN PRETTY :(
BUT. A trip to my local bookstore led to a brain wave/storm/other forces of nature. I spotted this lovely golden sheet thing, and I thought, WHY NOT MAKE MY OWN HAIRBAND??

Now honestly, this might be slightly labour intensive, but its nothing major. I mean, if you can't cut and paste things (IRL), then what kind of a child were you?? Anyway, here I'm showing you how you can make one for yourself! Follow along :)

Basically, this is all you need. OH AND I FORGOT TO MENTION YOU NEED GOLDEN PAPER TOO. LIKE DUH. Thats the main thing, Khadija, what are you even doing??

Okay so just keep cutting till you have at least 30-40 leaves. *Draw rows of leaves and then just cut them in a scalloped manner. Ya get?

The pencil doesn't show, but it does leave lines, which is what we want, since this makes the leaves LOOK like leaves, not some random oblonged shape thingies.

I circled the glue dot so you could see where I put it. I would advise putting the glue on the lower side of the leaf, because thats the base, and it needs to be very secure.

Stick leaf 1 in place, and then put a dot of glue on it. Place leaf 2 on the dot of glue. Place leaf 3 in such a way that the lower ends of the leaf shouldn't be seen.

Do this for the entire length of the leaf till there's no space left. If you need more leaves, just cut them out.

I would recomend leaving the hairband overnight so that the glue dries completely and the leaves don't fall off. Also, since it's basically chart paper (which is stiff), sometimes, poorly glued leaves might fall off. I've only had that issue 2 times, but it can be easily solved by glueing the leaves back. All it takes is some liquid glue.

I hope that you try this out for yourself, and let me know what you guys think :) I would love to know if you'd wear something like this or not? Stay safe, stay rad, stay happy!
xoxo
Khadija.

Lessons Learnt From Losing (and loving) a Pet

2015-01-26T05:14:00.003-08:00

I was going to say 'best friend' instead of pet in the title of this post, but I think that goes without saying. Anybody who has ever owned a pet knows what I'm talking about. They're so much more than just a best friend. They become a part of your family, a proper member, mind you. Before you know it, they've got a permanent place in your heart, and, this may sound creepy, but I swear there's a soul-to-soul connection going on somewhere. They've got you bewitched mind, body and soul, havent they? So I'm not sure 'best friend' is the most appropriate choice of words, or that it does our pets justice. Maybe we should start calling them soul mates instead...

On the 13th of January, I lost my soul mate...one of them at least. Caramel, born on the (≈) 17th of February was my six year old Springer Spaniel. She was one of the craftiest, most clever dogs I have ever seen. She learnt how to open doors, how to find food ANYWHERE, and how to maul pigeons. And before we knew it, she was battling a uterine infection, pneumonia and bronchitis all at once. After about a week worth of drips and injections and near starvation, we decided to put her to sleep to end her suffering.

As a tribute to her, I wanted to talk about things she taught me, and she taught me a lot.

It doesn't matter if you're smaller than the rest of the people, bite them if you must, but ALWAYS end up getting your way.
Eat everything. If there's anything left, eat that too. Seriously, eat all the food.
Sometimes, your human will try to give you boring dog food, while they eat fancy human food. It's probably delicious, so make sure you eat the human food too.
Learn how to open doors. Sometimes, people shut you out. This is a handy trick to know for such times.
Cats are evil. Even if they scratch you and your nose is bleeding, do NOT stop barking at the cat. EVER.
On a similar note, hens. Not necessarily evil, but they dont help your cause either. Bark at them too.
Bark whenever you think you're about to go for a walk. Bark loud and bark crazy. If your human tells you to stop barking, ignore them.
Prick up your ears when you hear the rustle of a packet. Who cares what kind of packet?? There's bound to be food!
If there's a chair available, or any kind of raised platfrom really, why sit on the floor? You're above that sorta thing, dawg. (Pun somewhat intended.)
If your human is trying to make you look at them and their face is near yours, lick them till they turn away.
Again, if you think your human is sad, lick them till they laugh, or push you away.
If you find yourself inside the house, make sure to sit on every couch, every chair and every bed in the house. The more hair on the sofa, the better.
If a pigeon is being sassy, maul them. Fo realzies.

I think most dog owners will agree that dogs are INCREDIBLY and INSANELY loving animals, and the way their eyes light up when they see you or hear your voice, and how their tails wag when you come closer to them, just FILLS your heart with love. I love both of my dogs SO SO much, I always feel like i wanna hug them and never let them go, like literally, they are like my children. My mother cringes when I say that, but its true. I've been with them through EVERYTHING. And these last few days when I was nursing Caramel, trying to bring her back to health, they made me realize that sometimes we take our pets for granted. We think they'll be around forever. But the truth is, they have much shorter life spans than us, and we're probably going to have to say goodbye to them someday. And that just crushes you. A part of you dies from inside, and not a day goes by that your eyes don't fill up with tears as you realize that you'll never hear them bark again, or see their short stubby tail wag furiously. And you just cant believe that you're no longer the owner of two dogs, there's no longer a 'Chip & Caramel' duo.

So I guess. Idk. Go, spend time with your animal. Don't be a lazy idiot, and go play with them. Dogs love to play, so go on and throw that ball. Run after them. Take them for walks. Enjoy them while you can.

Lots of Love,
Khadija.

The Happy Challenge

2015-01-01T11:03:00.003-08:00

HELLO 2015! I literally have just two minutes on the clock to write this, otherwise it becomes Day 2 :P

So lemme just say this. I am challenging myself to a...challenge.

THE CHALLENGE: Be nice to everyone. Be rude to no one. Think bad of no one. Positive thoughts ONLY. Pray as much as I can.

THE DURATION: A week, for now. But then I'll just keep on extending it, till December if I can :P

THE RULES: Pretty self-explanatory. No negative thoughts. OF ANY KIND. AT ANY TIME. Be positive. And positively radiant. lelz.

Okay so I'mma run (cause its 12:02 now, so Day 2 but whatevaa).

I will keep you posted. Promise.

Hope this year is a lovely one for all you people. Stay safe, stay rad, stay happy!

xxx

Khadija.

(Image Source: WeHeartIt.com)

Instant rosy winter glow

2014-11-29T03:49:00.004-08:00

I once read a genius tip online for an instant blush in emergency situations, and this has been a total game changer for me. This not only works for when you need to liven up your face but don't have any makeup on you, but also for regular days when you dont wanna put in too much effort/are in a hurry. The trick is to...

...use a tinted lipbalm on your cheeks!!

Amazing, isn't it? At first I thought it was sheer madness, because I mean lipbalm, on your cheeks? Thats gotta be weird, right? But then one day I tried it, and I have to admit, it was fool proof!

All you do is swirl on some tinted lipbalm on the apples of your cheeks, and then with your fingers just blend it out backwards. I find it gives a very natural, almost dewy finish which I absolutely love for these gosh darn drying winters.
Of course there's always the timeless trick of pinching your cheeks gently, a la Scarlett O'Hara :)

What do you think? Will you be trying this? Do let me know :)
xxx
Khadija M.

(Image Source: here)

The best way to watch Star Wars.

2014-11-25T01:32:00.000-08:00

As someone who only just recently saw the entire Star Wars Saga, let me just say this:

DO NOT JUDGE THIS MASTERPIECE BY YOUR APPARENT DISLIKE OF SPACE OPERA'S OR SCIENCE-TYPE MOVIES!!!

No seriously, thats what I did at first. "Oh no Star Wars, it's set in space so it must be science-fiction and absolutely boring!" WRONG.

Sure, its set in space, but it is NOT a science fiction thing at all. It's about adventure, and it will shock you, make you laugh, make you cry and just about make you wish you were part of this goddamn beauty. YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS. NOW! (Of course I'm not forcing you, I'm not your mother.) (But am I your father? :')

Before i saw the movies, I did a little bit of research about the order in which the movies were released, the order they took place in, and the order I, a newcomer, should watch them. It was confusing. I was confused between two orders that sounded equally appealing. SO below, I have a short and hopefully helpful guide on the best viewing order for newbies.

So lets start with a list of the movies in the order they were released.

Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of The Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

So basically, the order is 4,5,6,1,2,3. (In terms of episodes)

Episodes 4, 5 and 6 are referred to as the Original Trilogy. Episodes 1, 2 and 3 are the Prequel Trilogy.
(PS: The Sequel Trilogy- eps 7,8,9 are in talk and in fact episode VII(7) releases on December 18th, 2015!!!!)

Order 1: Release Order

This order is basically just viewing the films in the order they were released. 4,5,6,1,2,3. Now I'm a fan of this order, because:

None of the plot twists and story-shockers are ruined.
You end up going "OH MY GODDD WHAAAATTTTTT :O"
They were released in this order for a reason, so lets just try to honor that, alright?

Some people argued however that the downside of this order is that it ends on a VERY depressing note (episode 3). However, I think that shouldn't be too worrisome, because you have the comfort of knowing that episodes 4, 5 and 6 follow soon after, so izz okay.

Order 2: Chronologically

So this would be 1,2,3,4,5,6. In order of events. Not a good order according to me, because then the shock factor decreases by tenfold, because you see everything happening. When Luke is busy denying the sad truth about his pappy, we're all like, yeah dude we saw it happen, accept it you must. So, I don't really like this order.

Order 3: Flashback Order

This is an interesting order, but possibly not for first-time watchers. The order is 4,5,1,2,3,6. So you watch episodes 4 and 5, then you watch 1, 2 and 3 as a flashback and then seal it off with episode 6 and end it with a bang. I was actually double minded between this order and order number 1. But see, the thing is, while you don't miss out on a lot of the shockers, you do miss out on a few. And I feel like it doesn't do justice to the grandeur and the feeling of WHAT THE HELL, HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT as well as the first order.

VERDICT: No doubt, Order 1 is my favorite and the one you should follow. Because thats what the director wanted! Thats the order we were meant to see. And thats the order you will enjoy the most!

I REALLY hope you go out and download/buy the six Star Wars movies AND WATCH THEM ASAP. You will not regret it, I promise you!

For those who HAVE seen them, what order is your favorite, and have you read the Star Wars Novels/Comics?

xxx
Khadija.

Why butter really is the center of the universe.

2014-11-21T03:55:00.001-08:00

So i was watching Julie and Julia (for the thousandth time, I guess. Really need to stop rewatching old moveis :/) last night, and it kind of made me realize that I'd been AWOL from my dear blog for quite some time now. Although of course, it was understandable, since I'd been caught up in all sorts of cats and other feline-related jokes. Yeah I dont even know what I'm trying to say right now. Basically, I'm baaaackkk.

You know how whenever roosters do that thing where they go cock-a-doodle-doo? Well,
A: I've forgotten the actual word for it. Roostering??? Wat??
B: I always thought no one could actually wake up from that sound, but BOY was I wrong. The damn hens (??) kept...roostering all night yesterday, and I kept burrowing myself under the covers in hopes of drowning out the noise. Nonetheless, I couldn't help laughing at the irony of the situation, and I guess I fell asleep laughing. Not a bad way to sleep, might I add.

I really should get to the part about the butter now, enough ranting about roosters. It was my parents anniversary on the 19th, and I was obviously gonna make a cake. I was actually planning to do a roast chicken as well, butttt...no chicken <|3 And whats a roast chicken without chicken?? So anyway. Me. The cake. All three layers of it. (And a fourth 'spare' layer). And The Best Frosting Ever. Now, I do not say this lightly. It was better than any buttercream I had ever tasted, and was incredibly easy!

ALAS! I missed out one small, but VERY crucial ingredient- A tablespoon of butter. A TABLESPOON OF BUTTER!!! And that one tablespoon was all it took to turn my frosting into a cocoa colored, runny frosting, rather than a dark, chocolate colored stiff frosting. SUCH a loss :/ And I only discovered what went wrong until the day after. So I hope you learnt like I did, why omitting butter in ANYTHING, is nothing short of a terrible sin. The cake still tasted smash-bang (??) though.

And today I am making my first ever bread. A traditional white bread, nothing fancy. BUT, I do intend to make some sourdough next, I just need to get the starter activating by today, and it'll be good to use in two days time. Hashtag Excited.

Anyyywayyy, here are a few fun links from the world wide web. Enjoy!

* Cinderella was my ALL TIME FAVE, and you NEED to watch this trailer for the LIVE ACTION MOVIE OF IT OMGGGG!!

*On a slightly relevant note, Disney Princess Posters I wish were real :/

*Types of Babies. Made me laugh.

*Another hilarious tumblr, yoo haffta luk at dis xD

* I reallyyy want a wide brim floppy hat for the winters. So pretty *_*
*It is LITERALLY this easy to make creme fraiche. Seriously. And how pretty is the blog itself?

Enjoy your weekend my lovelies!

xxx

KD the Wookie.

That 70's Post

2014-09-16T03:19:00.002-07:00

I've been binge watching That 70's Show, and oh my god, I am in love with it. I love their group, I love their Vista Cruiser, I love Red and Kitty and I just. WHY DIDN'T I WATCH IT SOONER?

Donna is just so pretty, keeps making me wish I was a red head, goddammit :< I think Hyde is the absolute coolest of them, not to mention he is kinda cute, even with his awful sideburns :P And I totally ship him with Jackie. 'Nuff said. For me, the funniest characters are definitely Fez, with his hilarious accent and perverted mind, and Kitty, with her hinging-on-psychotic laugh. I'm so glad I still have a few seasons to go, cause I can't get enough of this show. But I AM wondering what I should watch next. I need a comedy people. Has anyone seen True Detective? I've heard a lot of good reviews about that, so maybe I'll try that. I watched a few episodes of Laura Prepon's new show, Orange Is The New Black, and while it IS funny, it's a little too...risque for me. Maybe I could watch Monk again? Or Seinfeld? Ehh I don't know :/

So if you guys have any ideas about good comedies, from ANY time period, I'd be happy. Very happy. Cause I need me some shows. What shows are you guys watching these days, and what should I watch next? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

xxx

Khadija.