tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-243331692026-03-03T02:42:15.464-05:00where faith, fashion and photography collideShahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.comBlogger598125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-13069509172721867522021-03-04T13:44:00.020-05:002021-03-16T11:20:42.571-04:00

'The American Dream' by Violette BuleAs I write this, my mind is processing a movie I watched last night called 'I Care A Lot'. Rosamund Pike recently won a Golden Globe award for her role as the ruthless and ambitious 'Marla Grayson' in the film. She described it as 'a satire of the American dream' that reveals various social issues, including the state of elder care in the United States, are

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-65229180544896888722020-11-27T23:47:00.013-05:002020-12-02T09:40:26.443-05:00

Coronavirus wasn't the only thing that was spreading when the pandemic began. Memes about staying home during a lockdown being every introverts' dream come true were going viral on social media. "Introverts, this is the moment we've been preparing for all our lives." I chuckled as I read those memes because they reminded me of my husband, Juan. For introverts, staying home is their

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-44086990426231349712020-11-10T09:58:00.050-05:002020-11-12T11:10:36.951-05:00

Street Riders NYC gathered at Barclays Center, Brooklyn last Saturday to commemorate the ousting of Donald Trump by President-elect Joe Biden and protest for 'Black Lives Matter'. Over the weekend, there were jubilant celebrations of dancing, singing, and honking of car horns across major cities like New York City and Philadelphia, and swing states such as Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-25445599966805986522020-10-27T13:40:00.044-04:002020-11-05T11:21:12.727-05:00

An ancient Mayan prophecy predicted that the year 2020 would be the end of the world. The apocalypse hasn't taken place but it's the end of the world as we know it, so they weren't completely mistaken. When 2020 began, I was bright-eyed and determined to do great things. I started a job at a non-profit organization and was enthusiastic about making a positive impact in the community. As we all

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-51597783423850158752020-01-30T23:05:00.009-05:002020-10-28T12:10:24.311-04:00

Juan and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in August last year. It was an important milestone for us, so we celebrated the special occasion by taking a short trip to Puerto Rico. The trip was also to commemorate a double celebration as it was also Juan's birthday. (We love double celebrations!) It just so happened that the 'Ricky Renuncia' protests took place while we were there and

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-72034018485553466832019-12-31T19:12:00.001-05:002020-01-02T17:53:36.102-05:00

A selfie with my 'new' friends Mariana and Nazhah and 'old' friends Gabriela and Nivia.  Imagine if 2019 was a protective sibling or parent who asked: "What are your intentions with my sister/brother/daughter/son 2020?". That's what came to mind when I first thought of my intentions for 2020. But all silliness aside, when my friend Gabriela shared a post about The Demureist's Women's

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-59685897858502883382019-12-11T14:18:00.000-05:002019-12-11T14:25:09.695-05:00

Persephone was a self-proclaimed 'party girl' before one decision changed her life. pic.twitter.com/ermtMLCAop — BBC Three (@bbcthree) October 18, 2019 I've been more active on my private Instagram account but when I saw this story on Twitter I knew I had to share it on my blog because if it resonated with me I'm sure it would resonate with others too. Persephone's story challenges the

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-51947424930130049692019-10-08T14:24:00.000-04:002019-10-08T16:04:41.653-04:00

Almost every young woman fantasizes about her dream wedding. From the design of her wedding dress to the design of her wedding invitations. Will it be in French lace?  Would it be a traditional or modern design? What is the most elegant font one could choose for the invitation card to the most important day of one's life? I am but one of those women. I didn't have my head up in the

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-15019290751826160332019-08-28T16:26:00.000-04:002019-09-25T11:35:12.415-04:00

Juan and I recently celebrated our one year anniversary (alhamdulillah! yay!) and we haven't shared many of our wedding photos or videos online even on our personal and private Instagram accounts. I wrote a brief Twitter thread about getting married but that was about it. At the end of this post, you'll find out why I chose to be discreet. Now that it's been a year since our wedding

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-60352129028026006862019-03-15T15:39:00.002-04:002019-03-21T09:09:24.698-04:00

By now, news of the devastating attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand have spread around the world. This photo was taken at Al-Noor Mosque as I admired the simple beauty of the mosque during my visit 2 years ago. Al-Noor Mosque is one of the two mosques that was attacked in New Zealand yesterday. To say the mosques attacks hit close to home would be an understatement. According

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-29288175643335236812019-01-02T16:18:00.000-05:002019-01-03T08:19:28.665-05:00

My, oh, my. It's January 2019. It's that time of the year when people make New Year's resolutions, start new habits and/or drop old unhelpful ones. But for some of us (okay, most of us) the beginning of a new year is a big, flashing reminder that we haven't achieved all our goals and resolutions from 2018, 2017, 2016 and so on and so forth. It's a horrible feeling. The kind of feeling that makes

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-39575427588308635452018-11-20T12:14:00.001-05:002019-08-30T08:10:56.429-04:00

If you asked me 5 years ago where and what I would be doing now I would have said I'd be somewhere in New Zealand, perhaps working in media, an NGO that helps women and/or children or pursuing social entrepreneurship. All I wanted was to be where I could feel a sense of belonging and make a positive difference in the world, starting with my own little corner in the world. As I spent my

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-44949195699758510132018-09-22T11:25:00.000-04:002018-09-23T12:32:56.018-04:00

Around this time one year ago, I had just returned from Hajj. I was exhilarated, exhausted and excited. It was truly the journey of a lifetime. Looking back, it's safe to say Hajj sparked a spiritual awakening and a series of events that ultimately led to the beginning of a brand new chapter in my life. Hence, I'm currently working on a brand new chapter for this blog as well. Every single

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-7857838819775199392018-04-16T08:15:00.000-04:002018-06-04T01:49:45.098-04:00

In January 2018, I was invited to spend a week in India by Initiatives of Change International (IofC) for a global meeting among its stakeholders. Not only was I looking forward to meeting IofC staff and volunteers I had worked with or heard about but I was happy to visit India for the first time. The meeting in Panchgani consisted of a highly diverse group of individuals, mostly

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-67191026820189775842018-03-01T21:31:00.000-05:002019-01-02T16:25:15.582-05:00

One of my first few sights of the Ka'abah when I went to the Grand Mosque (Masjidil Haram) as part of my pilgrimage. When I received confirmation that I was going for Hajj I almost couldn't believe it. I re-read Malcolm X's description of his Hajj experience in the chapter 'Mecca' written in The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I felt honoured to embark on the same journey as the

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-70817615995386219742017-11-11T01:35:00.002-05:002017-11-14T02:59:52.514-05:00

In awe of nature. (Top: Poplook, Backpack: Gaston Luga - 25% off everything from 11 - 12 November 2017!) I have always sought and created adventure in my life. Maybe it was all those Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl books I read as a little girl that made me like the feeling of wonder and a sense of triumph after overcoming a challenge (don't all adventures somehow include a challenge

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-35748153101429567382017-08-15T12:23:00.002-04:002017-09-18T10:18:45.315-04:00

Timing is everything. Anyone who tells you otherwise has not met a person who spoke to their heart or come across a book or film that touched the depths of their soul. A little dramatic, I know, but it's the truth. A person who doesn't see grace in the timing of pivotal moments in their life has probably never realised their prayers have been answered in the most subtle and serendipitous of

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-19740025692380866812017-05-12T05:31:00.000-04:002017-07-24T04:29:42.733-04:00

"When we feed and support our own happiness, we are nourishing our ability to love. That’s why to love means to learn the art of nourishing our happiness." - Thich Nhat Hanh What if I told you the only thing standing between you and happiness is self-love? "What about love and money?" you ask. Well... yes, they do help us create a fulfilling life but the key to having them is self-love.

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-4857838526273229952017-04-20T11:37:00.000-04:002017-04-23T09:30:45.495-04:00

Have you ever felt disempowered or discriminated because of your gender (think 'gender pay gap') or the intersectionality of your gender, sexuality, race and faith? Do you know what it feels like to have people dismiss your concerns and be told that looking attractive is the reason people of the opposite gender sexually harass or assault you? Welcome to the world of women and women of colour

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-22076283104431106792017-03-10T10:57:00.001-05:002017-03-14T03:03:22.419-04:00

"Everyone needs to find a spiritual practice that nourishes our inner garden. Silence is one of the best tools we have."  In a world where social media are traps and echo chambers, hyper-partisan opinions dominate media discourse and lies are referred to as 'alternative facts' to serve state propaganda I have come to value silence. The challenge today is to not become cynical and to

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-11334988710581396232017-02-14T08:58:00.000-05:002017-03-12T10:48:20.149-04:00

My friend Chloe lent me a wonderful book called The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi written by Elif Shafak. Jalaludin Rumi has increasingly become one of my go-to sources of inspiration over the last few years and this has been particularly uplifting because I have struggled with some Muslims who can be harsh and sanctimonious. Additionally, as a Muslim woman I'm often exposed to

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-26314681599650599122017-01-01T10:53:00.001-05:002017-04-07T03:01:24.330-04:00

New Year affirmation by Hana @frizzkidart Happy New Year! Congratulations on making it to 2017. The past twelve months have not been easy - I feel you. But hey, we made it this far for a reason and I know we'll go even further if we invest our energy towards love, positivity and productivity. Forget about surviving 2017, let's thrive in 2017. I have a few ideas on how we can do this. 1.

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-4235574277333363922016-11-29T05:21:00.001-05:002017-01-06T05:23:09.388-05:00

On my 29th birthday this year, I was more than ready to not only celebrate but to restore balance in my life and create peace of mind after completing my Master's thesis. One of the insights I had gained during the stressful period of my postgraduate studies is to never neglect yourself and important relationships because you're busy, which is what I had done. Even when I had the time

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-48456456669416368732016-09-30T21:10:00.001-04:002017-07-19T10:40:40.176-04:00

Turn your magic on, Umi she'd say Everything you want's a dream away Under this pressure under this weight We are diamonds taking shape. — 'Adventure of a Lifetime', Coldplay I like intense and philosophical conversations, which is why I find myself drawn to two types of people: those who have the ability to move me with their intelligence, sincerity and honesty (to complement my

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24333169.post-90401321998281726732016-08-27T10:41:00.001-04:002017-02-14T20:31:26.283-05:00

"Connecting with people who share the same passions affirms that you're not alone; that there are others like you and that, while many might not understand your passion, some do... Finding your tribe brings the luxury of talking shop, bouncing ideas around, of sharing and comparing techniques, and indulging your enthusiasms and hostilities for the same things." - Ken Robinson Ever since I

Shahirah Elaizahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08332951368178817982noreply@blogger.com3