with this Etsy idea. It started as just wanting to sell Ramadan advent calendars and since then I've taken off on numerous new ideas of things to "sell." In reality, I'm spending a bunch of money on supplies, starting a project, researching a new one, setting the old project aside, starting the new one, setting it aside...in a big repeating chain of events. Currently I have started: 1 crochet baby blanket (almost complete), a recycled crayon project (huge mess...), 1 Ramadan advent calendar (for my son) probably won't even be complete by this Ramadan the rate I'm going, 6 completed crocheted kitchen towels (but all have been given away as gifts), 1 embroidered dishtowel (for myself, has mine and my husband's names in Arabic inside of a heart), 1 Arabic/Islamic stationery set, AND an Islamic cross stitch that so far I've resigned myself from beginning until something else is completed. In addition to all of the above, I have plans for numerous other things that I'd like to try my hand at making, and am continuing my weekly sewing classes.
So now you see why the blog has been a bit neglected. I have seriously taken off with this and RUN, but now I think perhaps I should slow down and focus on just a few things. If I don't, I'll never have enough of any one item in stock to have an actual, reliable store going. :/ I just love learning new things, but then once I've got a VERY basic mastery, I get restless and move on to something else. Oy.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Flying
So I'm supposed to fly on a plane, for the first time EVER, next Friday to go see my husband. It's a 2 hour nonstop flight so I figure it's a good one to start with. We can't really afford it but we haven't seen each other in a month so... we'll make it work? I'm a bit down because I just checked airline prices. We can't buy the tickets until Friday (payday), but the tickets are already about $100 more than when I checked on Wednesday. For the EXACT same flights, of course. Grr.
I can't wait to see him, though. <3 My second flight EVER will follow soon after on Sunday. My dad's a bit down about me missing Father's Day, but he understands I've got something (weddings and showers coming out of my ears) every other weekend.
Insha'Allah all goes smoothly with the planning, flying, and babysitting (my parents have our son for the 3 days). Ameen.
I can't wait to see him, though. <3 My second flight EVER will follow soon after on Sunday. My dad's a bit down about me missing Father's Day, but he understands I've got something (weddings and showers coming out of my ears) every other weekend.
Insha'Allah all goes smoothly with the planning, flying, and babysitting (my parents have our son for the 3 days). Ameen.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Summer Lovin'
Well, not really. There's not much summer lovin' going on when one's husband is living over 8 hours away for the summer. Life's pretty good, though, aside from missing him. My son and I are staying with my parents, I'm currently not taking any classes, and I'm using this summer to "get my craft on." Wow, that was lame, huh?
But yeah. After my last post I have my heart set on opening up an etsy shop. I'd love to eventually be able to offer a lot of Islamic items but right now I'm still working on my son's Ramadan advent calendar and I'm finding that it's more time consuming than I anticipated. I think it'd probably be more practical to wait for next Ramadan so I can have a few "in stock" and then take custom orders if people are interested. In addition to that, I'm almost done crocheting a baby blanket and I've been crocheting hanging tea towels (you buy the towels and crochet the top, you know?) for me and my mom and will eventually do some to sell. I'm ordering a kit to teach myself embroidery (I taught myself crochet so I can handle it, right?) and I'm going to start taking sewing lessons from my friend Janet.
It's amazing how this random little idea has made me just want to know how to do everything. I highly doubt I'll be good enough at sewing or embroidery to sell my stuff (at least for a long time) but I still want to know how. I hate looking up craft ideas and then getting to the sewing part and scrapping the idea, which is what prompted me to learn. Who knows, maybe I'll be a natural??? (or not....) I'd also like to learn how to cake decorate from my aunt. She made my wedding cake and it was spectacular. Post-college I'm finding that high school did not prepare me for "life" or "motherhood," it prepared me for college. College then prepared me for a specialized field (education). But no one ever prepared me for life, you know? My husband taught me how to cook, my mom taught me laundry, and well, the rest I'm just figuring out as I go. I really think high schools should quit pushing "college bound" courses that I'll never use (calculus) and start giving credit where it's due to the common sense classes like home ec. I didn't take it because it didn't help pad my academic honors diploma or resume, you know? But it sure would've helped me to be a better wife and mother...
Anyway, I'm not wearing hijab here at home which makes me feel like I took a big step back. I did finally have the "Muslim talk" with my brother and while he doesn't agree with me, he's cool with it (although he did laugh at my hijabifed license. I have managed to pray consistently since being here which is great. I was worried about that. My mom "walked in" on me praying one day and got really embarrassed, but I mean, she didn't cry like my dad would. I've also managed to consistently not go to church with them. That's still an ongoing concern because my dad lays on the guilt trip every Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon (after church). Insha'Allah he doesn't wear down my resolve! I'm really trying to get up the courage to sit down and have a hijab talk with my parents. Tell 'em, "hey, I'd like to wear the scarf. What do you think?" I KNOW what they think won't be especially positive, but I'm hoping that my at least asking their opinion they won't feel AS offended. Maybe?
My cousin/best friend's wedding is in August and I've got a floor length dress and cardigan. I've told her of my wish to wear hijab and she supports me 100% and said she'd even explain hijab for me at the reception if people had the nerve to comment about it. Have I mentioned my love for her lately? She is seriously the best.
Being home makes my grandmothers' illness (both are suffering from dementia/Alzheimers) that much more apparent. I had only been gone for less than 5 months (with frequent trips home!) but being here for weeks straight has really brought home how much this is affecting my parent's daily life. I don't have enough money to donate to every cause, and already sponsor a child...I would hate to pull out on the child, but I really feel Alzheimer's research NEEDS my money. If not for my grandmothers, then for my own mother. She's convinced a cure won't come in time for her, but she's donating in hopes of saving me and my sister. It's terribly frightening and unbearably sad to see how much someone can change from this vicious disease. I've got to find some money somewhere to fight it...I've cried enough over my grandmothers, I can't imagine watching my mother go through something similar. :(
And that is what is going on in my life. Our home down south is waiting for us to return in August. I'm here in the midwest, and my husband's working for a big corporation up north. He LOVES his internship and a permanent position looks very promising. We may be packing up and moving from Kentucky to Minnesota as early as next summer, insha'Allah, after my husband finishes his master's. My parents hate the idea...but all of the easy access to masjids and halal food has me sold.... not to mention my husband's dream job. :)
But yeah. After my last post I have my heart set on opening up an etsy shop. I'd love to eventually be able to offer a lot of Islamic items but right now I'm still working on my son's Ramadan advent calendar and I'm finding that it's more time consuming than I anticipated. I think it'd probably be more practical to wait for next Ramadan so I can have a few "in stock" and then take custom orders if people are interested. In addition to that, I'm almost done crocheting a baby blanket and I've been crocheting hanging tea towels (you buy the towels and crochet the top, you know?) for me and my mom and will eventually do some to sell. I'm ordering a kit to teach myself embroidery (I taught myself crochet so I can handle it, right?) and I'm going to start taking sewing lessons from my friend Janet.
It's amazing how this random little idea has made me just want to know how to do everything. I highly doubt I'll be good enough at sewing or embroidery to sell my stuff (at least for a long time) but I still want to know how. I hate looking up craft ideas and then getting to the sewing part and scrapping the idea, which is what prompted me to learn. Who knows, maybe I'll be a natural??? (or not....) I'd also like to learn how to cake decorate from my aunt. She made my wedding cake and it was spectacular. Post-college I'm finding that high school did not prepare me for "life" or "motherhood," it prepared me for college. College then prepared me for a specialized field (education). But no one ever prepared me for life, you know? My husband taught me how to cook, my mom taught me laundry, and well, the rest I'm just figuring out as I go. I really think high schools should quit pushing "college bound" courses that I'll never use (calculus) and start giving credit where it's due to the common sense classes like home ec. I didn't take it because it didn't help pad my academic honors diploma or resume, you know? But it sure would've helped me to be a better wife and mother...
Anyway, I'm not wearing hijab here at home which makes me feel like I took a big step back. I did finally have the "Muslim talk" with my brother and while he doesn't agree with me, he's cool with it (although he did laugh at my hijabifed license. I have managed to pray consistently since being here which is great. I was worried about that. My mom "walked in" on me praying one day and got really embarrassed, but I mean, she didn't cry like my dad would. I've also managed to consistently not go to church with them. That's still an ongoing concern because my dad lays on the guilt trip every Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon (after church). Insha'Allah he doesn't wear down my resolve! I'm really trying to get up the courage to sit down and have a hijab talk with my parents. Tell 'em, "hey, I'd like to wear the scarf. What do you think?" I KNOW what they think won't be especially positive, but I'm hoping that my at least asking their opinion they won't feel AS offended. Maybe?
My cousin/best friend's wedding is in August and I've got a floor length dress and cardigan. I've told her of my wish to wear hijab and she supports me 100% and said she'd even explain hijab for me at the reception if people had the nerve to comment about it. Have I mentioned my love for her lately? She is seriously the best.
Being home makes my grandmothers' illness (both are suffering from dementia/Alzheimers) that much more apparent. I had only been gone for less than 5 months (with frequent trips home!) but being here for weeks straight has really brought home how much this is affecting my parent's daily life. I don't have enough money to donate to every cause, and already sponsor a child...I would hate to pull out on the child, but I really feel Alzheimer's research NEEDS my money. If not for my grandmothers, then for my own mother. She's convinced a cure won't come in time for her, but she's donating in hopes of saving me and my sister. It's terribly frightening and unbearably sad to see how much someone can change from this vicious disease. I've got to find some money somewhere to fight it...I've cried enough over my grandmothers, I can't imagine watching my mother go through something similar. :(
And that is what is going on in my life. Our home down south is waiting for us to return in August. I'm here in the midwest, and my husband's working for a big corporation up north. He LOVES his internship and a permanent position looks very promising. We may be packing up and moving from Kentucky to Minnesota as early as next summer, insha'Allah, after my husband finishes his master's. My parents hate the idea...but all of the easy access to masjids and halal food has me sold.... not to mention my husband's dream job. :)
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Big Ideas
I've been online getting all kinds of ideas for making Ramadan special. I want to start early so that everything's ready. I plan on making a Ramadan advent calendar and a number of tin can luminaries (probably use led tea lights since my son's so young) with moon and stars designs or Arabic calligraphy. Looking online there is really so little out there. I found one Ramadan advent calemdar that was over $30...really!?
If all goes well and my items turn out looking good and don't cost too much, I may open an etsy shop to sell Ramadan/Eid decorations so that others like me who have less time can purchase inexpensive but nice looking decorations. Do you think there's a market?
If all goes well and my items turn out looking good and don't cost too much, I may open an etsy shop to sell Ramadan/Eid decorations so that others like me who have less time can purchase inexpensive but nice looking decorations. Do you think there's a market?
Reading
I'm currently reading "How Does It Feel to be a Problem: Being Young and Arab in America" by Moustafa Bayoumi. I heard a WPR broadcast on it back awhile ago and then saw it at my local library. I am not Arab, but I'm young and Muslim in America so I can somewhat relate to their plight. With the recent OBL events, I fear that anti-Islam/Muslim/Arab sentiment may increase again making the book even more relevant because it focuses largely on the targeting of Arabs following 9/11.
It's a timely read. I've only read a portrait and a half (the author calls them portraits instead of profiles due to the term 'racial profiling,' but what I've read so far has been moving and distressing.
I just finished
by Ranya Idilby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner. While I think most of my readers would agree that Ranya's perceptions of Islam are far from mainstream, I do think our faith allows for interpretation and found this book a fast, entertaining, and uplifting read. The women's friendship and faith are something I would love to have. All three manage to build their own faiths by learning from the other two women from different faith traditions. The world would be a better place if this would happen more and more often! All three, while practicing Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in their own lives, are a bit universalist and I'm starting to find I relate more and more with that ideology. I do believe Islam is the straightest path to God...meaning free from the distractions and misconceptions of other faith traditions...but I also think people sincerely doing their bests to live good lives pleasing to God have got a great shot at Heaven regardless of label.
It's a timely read. I've only read a portrait and a half (the author calls them portraits instead of profiles due to the term 'racial profiling,' but what I've read so far has been moving and distressing.
I just finished
by Ranya Idilby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner. While I think most of my readers would agree that Ranya's perceptions of Islam are far from mainstream, I do think our faith allows for interpretation and found this book a fast, entertaining, and uplifting read. The women's friendship and faith are something I would love to have. All three manage to build their own faiths by learning from the other two women from different faith traditions. The world would be a better place if this would happen more and more often! All three, while practicing Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in their own lives, are a bit universalist and I'm starting to find I relate more and more with that ideology. I do believe Islam is the straightest path to God...meaning free from the distractions and misconceptions of other faith traditions...but I also think people sincerely doing their bests to live good lives pleasing to God have got a great shot at Heaven regardless of label.
Monday, May 2, 2011
American Solidarity
On this day I can honestly say I am not proud to be an American. Treating the murder of someone, the lack of trial, the complete disregard for American law in the death of Osama bin Laden as a cause for celebration makes me ill. "Hooray! We can be just as barbaric as he was! Let's put on a parade with his body on a huge f-ing float!"
Gag. me.
Gag. me.
Decorating for Eid
Well, my son is now old enough to catch on to the holiday excitement. He had a gift filled Christmas, an egg and candy filled Easter, etc. I don't mind that he has fun on the other holidays, but I want to make Eid even more special, or at least equal in excitement.
So, that means I've started thinking about it already. I know Ranoon.com has some BEAUTIFUL decorations that I'm going to buy as Ramadan gets closer. I also plan on making Eid sugar cookies with my son like we used to make Christmas cookies at home. There were some Eid cutters online, just a crescent, an E, I, D, and a sheep. I could buy just regular letters or something I'm sure for probably a bit less.
I don't decorate for the other "Christian" (I consider them American) holidays other than some Annalee mice...holding hearts for valentine's day, flowers/eggs for Easter, wearing red and green at christmas, etc. My mom had Annalee dolls that she decorated with for Christmas, and she got me my first one's (easter mice) and it helps me to feel connected to continue decorating with them. They're not obnoxiously huge or religious in any sense..and they look good on my piano! Oh why am I making excuses...I like them and they're staying.
What I was trying to say, was that I don't really decorate 1) because it's impractical with a two year old who moves the decorations anyway and 2) because I don't want to play up the non-Islamic holidays anymore than they already are on the streets and with my family, etc. For Eid I was wanting lights, and luminaries, and just classy decorations like some people have for Christmas. I do not want tacky decorations that look like they're for a birthday party (they do sell them online), I want -real- decorations like my mother always had for holidays. I want something that I could possibly pass on to my child(ren) when they get homes/families of their own.
So, I'm going to spend less on his Eid gift (for he really doesn't need much, we're getting him a tricycle for Eid and that will be more than enough) and use the rest to create a festive atmosphere in our home.
I did not come from a family that had a -real- Christmas tree that gets put up on Christmas Eve. That always seemed like such a waste to me...of trees, and time. You are seriously going to decorate a tree for one day? That's kind of my feeling on Eid, too (although Eid is three days). I know some moms stay up late on the last night of Ramadan and transform the house for Eid the following day. I would rather get some sleep and have the house decorated for the whole of Ramadan AND Eid. Do you think that's acceptable? Do people decorate for Ramadan?
Anyway, I know it's early, but I've been fasting lately to make up for almost a whole Ramadan of breastfeeding so it's been on my mind.
What do you do to make it special?
So, that means I've started thinking about it already. I know Ranoon.com has some BEAUTIFUL decorations that I'm going to buy as Ramadan gets closer. I also plan on making Eid sugar cookies with my son like we used to make Christmas cookies at home. There were some Eid cutters online, just a crescent, an E, I, D, and a sheep. I could buy just regular letters or something I'm sure for probably a bit less.
I don't decorate for the other "Christian" (I consider them American) holidays other than some Annalee mice...holding hearts for valentine's day, flowers/eggs for Easter, wearing red and green at christmas, etc. My mom had Annalee dolls that she decorated with for Christmas, and she got me my first one's (easter mice) and it helps me to feel connected to continue decorating with them. They're not obnoxiously huge or religious in any sense..and they look good on my piano! Oh why am I making excuses...I like them and they're staying.
What I was trying to say, was that I don't really decorate 1) because it's impractical with a two year old who moves the decorations anyway and 2) because I don't want to play up the non-Islamic holidays anymore than they already are on the streets and with my family, etc. For Eid I was wanting lights, and luminaries, and just classy decorations like some people have for Christmas. I do not want tacky decorations that look like they're for a birthday party (they do sell them online), I want -real- decorations like my mother always had for holidays. I want something that I could possibly pass on to my child(ren) when they get homes/families of their own.
So, I'm going to spend less on his Eid gift (for he really doesn't need much, we're getting him a tricycle for Eid and that will be more than enough) and use the rest to create a festive atmosphere in our home.
I did not come from a family that had a -real- Christmas tree that gets put up on Christmas Eve. That always seemed like such a waste to me...of trees, and time. You are seriously going to decorate a tree for one day? That's kind of my feeling on Eid, too (although Eid is three days). I know some moms stay up late on the last night of Ramadan and transform the house for Eid the following day. I would rather get some sleep and have the house decorated for the whole of Ramadan AND Eid. Do you think that's acceptable? Do people decorate for Ramadan?
Anyway, I know it's early, but I've been fasting lately to make up for almost a whole Ramadan of breastfeeding so it's been on my mind.
What do you do to make it special?
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