I usually make fairy cakes on Eid, but as my in-laws (some of them anyway) are going back to Pakistan on Tuesday, I thought I would make some today. It would also give me the chance to try out the recipe for the icing. I decided to try buttercream icing and used the recipe from […]

It’s been nearly six weeks since my gran passed away and I suppose things are settling down. People are still coming to pay their respects at the weekend and I suppose they will for some time as she was widely-known and well-loved. I haven’t cried and I haven’t even most of the time felt particularly […]

I received a request for a baby girl card and came up with the collection below. These felt a little different to the cards I had made before and I felt happier with them.The lady who asked for the card chose this one: This was my favourite: This one came in handy when we went […]

I am currently thinking about trying to retain some of the benefits of Ramadan both spiritually and in my routine. However a peripheral benefit has been the impact of this sacred month on my diet and eating patterns. The days were long during this Ramadan and with so many hours of not eating and certainly […]

23 December 2005 – Alhamdulillah, settling into lovely Madinah. The weather is beautiful and sunny (21-23 C) with a lovely breeze. The people are kind and the ladies in my group/room are lovely. Keep trying to get to the Rawzah Mubarak to do salaam but have been unable to despite much waiting and trying. Will […]

I attended a one-dish party yesterday.  All of the sisters from our Islamic circle were invited.  I got all excited because I don’t usually go to this kind of thing.  I had assumed that all of the sisters do these all the time and invite each other and that I was missing out because I […]

Toilet every ten minutesTouching everythingFightingWhinging “why can’t I have it, but why can’t I?” on and on.Hitting everyone with the free balloon tied to their wristGetting the balloon caught in the racks.Dropping their little bag of shopping every ten minutes (the strawberries/grapes/chips will be mush by the time you get home).Begging to sit on every […]

Have been so busy this week with kids half term holidays about to start, trying to organise getting some stuff to my husband, party planning for the weekend and Arabic classes, but it all came to a grinding halt this week. I have been trying to keep up with the Arabic classes and carve out […]

All three of the kids have a birthday coming up – they’ll be 2, 4 and 6 in the coming days insh’Allah. Of course the time is flying too fast. Of course I miss the time I had with each as a little baby (funny how you forget the pains and sleepless nights and exhaustion […]

I was invited to a party by another work colleague who insisted that I had to come. She suggested I bring along my sisters and children which was very generous of her and as it was women’s only I decided to go along.I got home from work a little late (waiting in the car whilst […]

I caught myself recently repeatedly trying to get rid of the children – to the garden, downstairs, upstairs, to their dad, to their gran, to pester their uncles. I stopped to reflect what I was doing that could be so important that I was avoiding their perfectly good-natured chatter and the things they keep bringing […]

For some reason I had picked up this book a few times and put it down again despite it’s rather dramatic opening. At some point Sister Washi of Crafty Muslimah recommended it and I picked it up again.The book is set in Nazi Germany and opens with the main character, 10-year old Liesel, on a […]

I have made quite good friends with a Sister whose daughter is in Little Lady’s class. One day she invited me to her home and I went along with my children in tow. She was great company and very hospital, bringing out endless trays of food. Whilst there I met another Sister whose daughter was […]

These cards are ones I made over the past few weeks from bits and peices.The small flowers in the two cards below are punched flowers layered up with a gem at the centre. Green is my favourite colours and I love the juicy green shade in the card below. The swirl below is chipboard, a […]