Missy Havoc

Perfume

2009-11-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

Bellissima by Blumarine

A pretty girl fragrance! This one is bright, bubbly and perfect for fun night outs but it also wears well during the day. It's fresh and exotic and not at all overpowering. I really love this one. Cool bottle too.

Chance (Eau Fraiche) by Chanel

Here's the thing. I don't really like girly perfumes. I'd rather wear just a tiny bit of a men's cologne than anything from Victoria's Secret. That's why I love the original Chanel Chance which is almost boyish. I've been wearing that since high school and was looking forward to trying the Chance Eau Fraiche. It's ok for a spin-off but smells much more masculine than I like. And when it dries it has a funny undernote that weirds me out.

Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel

Love this one. Sassy, young, and just a little bit ironic, it's the best working girl fragrance and less obnoxious than its saccharine Dior counterpart, Miss Dior Cherie.

Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture

I don't like anything Juicy. I pretty much blame Juicy for every woman under 45's dark roots and terry cloth/velour-covered bottom. With that said, this perfume isn't as bad as I imagined. This one reminds me of a natural, pretty girl fragrance. Musky without being too heavy & fresh enough for daytime, this is the one I'd pack on trips to wear anywhere anytime.

Couture Couture by Juicy Couture

In a word, NO. Smells like Flintstone vitamins and is every bit as tacky as their store's interiors. (Do you really need charm bracelets and chandeliers everywhere?)

L'eau Ambree by Prada:

I love this perfume. Soft & romantic, this is poetry on your pulse points. You really have to give it a chance though. Upon first smell its not a major wow, but it really develops on your skin and turns into something complex and mysterious. It also blends really well, so if you are like me and wear fruity shampoos & vanilla body creams, this Prada kinda floats and coats everything else with a cool, sophisticated smell.

Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf

LOVE the bottle-it's a modern take on an old Hollywood spritzer and I love the creative name-but it smells like cucumbers! It's a fresher, lighter fragrance than their debut Flowerbomb which was almost too stuffy with the rich, deep notes of all the flowers. I'm not a fan of the scent, just smells like anything you can pick up from Bath & Body Works. The bottle is beautiful as a decoration for your dresser though.

Parisienne by Yves St. Laurent

An instant classic! I love the way YSL's Paris smells but its too old for me. This spin-off is chic and young and yummy. I had strangers complimenting me. Highly recommend.

Scalp Savers

2009-11-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

I've noticed a hair issue that is unique to me wearing hijab. As the weather has cooled off and gotten downright frigid, my scalp gets SO itchy. I've never had this problem before. Everything feels fine until I put on a scarf and go outdoors for a bit. I've tried everything: hair masks, different shampoos and conditioner and oils and NOTHING has helped. I'm usually very good about protecting my hair- it's long, healthy, and shiny alhamdulilah so this is a definite scalp issue. Nothing flakes off, it just itches and I don't know what to do! Any advice, girls?

I've just started trying two products and I'll let you know what I think. First is the VO5 hairdressing cream. It's really rich so I just goop it up & rub right into the itchy spots on my scalp (usually the spots where the scarf rubs up against my head the most- behind my ears & right above my forehead). The VO5 cream kinda works, but I have to put it on in the am & pm to really not scratch. I'm actually not a fan of the way it smells though and it really makes my roots oily.

I also just got this spray-on leave-in conditioner in a goodie bag at a recent event I went to. It's called Maven Nourish Mist Leave-In Conditioner and its infused with pomegranate, flax seed, and Abyssinian oils. It smells great, it's not too greasy, and I love that I can just spritz it on the itchiest spots. You can find more about Maven products here.

Have any of you ladies dealt with this itchy scalp problem before? What works & what doesn't?

Getting Rid Of #1: Red Nail Polish

2009-10-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

For the past few years I've had a longing to pare down my life, even as I was out shopping for more items to shove into the crevices of my closet. Today though, I've decided that I will get rid of (either discard or donate) one item per day. Doing so means I will be 75 items lighter come New Year's :)

The product du jour is red Rimmel nail polish (what, I'm starting small!) in "Passion." I love a bright red manicure or pedicure; it's cheerful, classic, and appropriate-whether in the dead of winter or in the middle of summer- I even had red nails on my wedding day! This particular bottle of polish has seen me through a great many 49er games last season, and as a result of its age and the quick-drying formula, it started getting clumpy and I finally tossed it after one last coat today. Goodbye Passion, may you paint the town red in the landfill!

Take Notes

2009-10-18T00:54:00.000-07:00

I always study & examine my fashion magazines, taking notes, gathering inspiration, & archiving memorable articles & pictures in a scrapbook.

Thought I'd share my Oct. 09 Elle notes:

Find a classic suit w/ a gleam/sheen to it e.g. Gucci's

Thin red leather belt

Need new khakis

Try navy hijab?

New winter coat: Navy military peacoat with big brassy buttons

Teal heels

Smell Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf next time you are shopping (totally took name pun idea from Issey Miyake- l'eau d'Issey, odyssey)

Completely coat a hijab with sparkle & rhinestone embellishments

Find (or make) the perfect bib necklace

Vanessa Bruno bag- the PERFECT BAG. Save up!

Leopard body suit- why not?

Embellish an old black t-shirt with flat, silver discs from Michael's (a la Dolce & Gabbana)

"Clothes are a constant act of self-definition."

Lazy

2009-10-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know what's gotten into me lately! I used to always be an active girl, always out doing something, busybusybusy, but lately I've been an absolute sloth! Soon as I get home, I lie around the house, all mopey. I wait for my husband to take me out and then when he leaves for work, I either flop on the bed or the couch. For hours. I think I've started to gain weight too! I don't know what's happening to me. This started to happen right after Ramadan ended. I hate the way this feels! In my opinion, we are given 8 hours to work, 8 to sleep, and 8 to advance ourselves in life. If I keep spending those 8 hours lying around I'm going to turn into a couch cushion! Any help girls? I think maybe I need to make a strict schedule and stick to it. DO you guys know any duaas or Islamic practices to help motivate me & give me energy?

Thanks!

Back

2009-10-16T06:19:00.000-07:00

It's not that I don't have anything to say (though I do, it's just not worth writing/reading lol) it's just that I feel shy putting my words out on a page to be read anonymously. I guess I just got to get over that huh, that's something we all battle I'm sure.

Ever since I graduated from college, I've been just so uncertain about where I am going in life. Well, even when I was in college, I wasn't sure I had a plan until I got my internship. And then my internship turned into a job (that I love) but it's not the job I want to have forever. I want to stay in the same field, but I'm having trouble heading into the next step because I just don't know where to go! My career field has been hit so hard by the economy and the effects are compounded by the influence of the internet & social networks. Who watches the news anymore anyway? Judging by the calls we get, crazy, drunk people and old people. It frustrates me and scares me. I don't know if I CAN do another career. This is the only thing I am good at and since the field isn't expanding and the older people aren't moving on and retiring, there's no room for up & coming youngsters anymore. It used to be, to become a reporter you go to a small market & move your way up. Well, a lot of these small town big time anchors are just staying & staying & staying. They love their job, who can blame them? But the problem is, that there isn't as much money in this industry as there used to be. Everyone's cutting, everyone's furloughing, and this isn't just about the recession, this is about the uncertainty of the future of the news media. So what's my backup plan?

Still Searching

2009-09-23T20:17:00.001-07:00

So, me being the grubby city girl I am, found a decent apt in "North Berkeley" (READ: Alcatraz in Oakland bordering on Richmond). It only had a few major bloodstains on the carpet and the 2ft hole in the bathroom wall could be easily patched up right? Sure, the apartment is located in an old house's older GARAGE and has an exposed pipe running along one side of the studio, but hey $725 a month is a bargain right?I even had my cop friend do a street check and he said they've had no REPORTED murders in the last 90 days and only a few (dozen) aggravated assaults & burglaries. PERFECT, right? However, Mr. Blackhawk here DROVE by the apt. and couldn't even get out of the car! He saw a bunch of hoodlums getting hyphy on their cell phones (was that a gun in their pocket or were they just happy to see me?), and thought that the house next door looked like it was about to cave in on our lil studio apt. and drove off (past the bullet-riddled Chinese Mart on the corner).

HUH?!

2009-09-20T21:53:00.001-07:00

Ok so I know it's Eid & I should be merry & all but seriously y'all this has happened to me TWICE in the past 2 days & it really bugs me!!

Brother: Says something unidentifiable to me while I'm upstairs on the phone.

Me: I'm on the phone, what?

Brother: Mom.

Me: Huh?

Brother: Mom!

Me: What about her, she isn't here and I'm on the phone right now.

Brother: MOM!

Me: What?

Brother: MOOOOMMMM!!!

Me: WTF R U TALKING ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT MOM, THERE'S NO ONE HERE EXCEPT U & ME WHAT ARE YOU ASKING???!!!

Brother: When's she coming back?

Me: *dies*

and today, I'm in the bathroom when this coversation takes place.

Mom: says something unidentifiable.

Me: Na3am? I'm in the bathroom!

Mom: says something again that I can't hear because the air vent thing is going in the bathroom.

Me: What?

Mom: Sharks.

Me: Sharks?

Mom: Sharks!

Me: What? Where?

Mom: On the TV?

Me: (thinking...shark attack? Jaws? Animal Planet?) What? Mom, I'm in the bathroom I'll be out in a second.

Mom: SHARKSSSSSS!!

Me: OK! One second!

I get out of that bathroom and ask her what she's talking about. Her question? "Is the shark story you produced gonna be on TV sometimes this week?"

wow.

People, let's all try & use complete sentences more often.

Pride

2009-09-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely ladies,

So today let's discuss putting our best face forward. And since you already know how shallow and meticulous I am about anything external and epidermal, you probably already surmised that this isn't a moral post but rather a corpal one. So let's just skip the whys and jump right into the hows. In order to keep your face and décolleté soft and radiant, you need to start taking care of your skin RIGHT NOW. There are three main components of skin care: diet, exercise, and your beauty routine.

DIET

If you want your skin to be fresh and have a healthy glow, then you need to eat fresh and healthy foods. Simple right? Drink lots of water, eat your fruits & veggies, snack on nuts & dairy, and you will get the nutrients you need to be beautiful. It's true- strong nails, shiny hair, and perfect skin all begin with what you feed your body.

EXERCISE

Wash your face, put on sunblock, and get moving. Go outside and take a walk or go for a run. Climb stairs, ride your bike. Put on music and dance. Take a yoga class or get on the elliptical machine at the gym. I don't care what you do, just do it and do it everyday for an hour. No blush or rouge can come close to emulating the rosy flush of a really great workout and exercise keeps you young. Just like it helps all your inner organs like your heart, lungs, and kidney work better & more efficiently to take care of you, exercise benefits your skin too by improving your circulation and can even control acne breakouts!

ROUTINE

So we've got the inside mechanisms oiled and moving, what can we do to improve the outside? Personally, I like to go as natural as possible. I can't stand the thought of putting expensive, engineered, chemical crap on my face and don't really see how anything derived in a lab from animal urine (e.g. urea which is found in most lotions) or deforming plasticizers (e.g. phthlates found in perfumes & eyeshadow, etc.) can actually benefit my face. So that's why I keep it as simple and pure as possible. Rule of thumb: the shorter the ingredient list on the back of product, the more likely I am to buy it.

Face Masks: Egg Whites, Honey

Treat Update

2009-09-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

I think Gozi (my husband in Egyptian Arabic) is on to something. I lost SIX pounds since Thursday. I ate totally normal too, just substituted the junk food for bread & hummus & canned pineapple slices & dried fruit. It can't be water weight loss either because I drank my normal 3 bottles after iftar. AMAZING! I married a genius.

Islam in the Media

2009-09-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Good morning,

I was just watching the morning news (LOVE "Anchor Woman") earlier. In "Reporter Girl's" package on the aftermath of 9/11 in the Muslim community, she mentioned in her stand up that the first day of Ramadan fell on September 11th. Today is actually the 22nd day of Ramadan. After spending the day interviewing Muslims, I can't believe she got that so wrong & that the producers didn't even catch that! It's a pretty easy thing to Google. FYI, if you are interested in a follow up story, Eid El-Fitr, the feast celebrating the end of the month of Ramadan, will probably be around Sept. 20th. Bay Area Islamic communities always celebrate it in a big way.

Thanks.

Hello,

Thank you for the email and for pointing out this very important fact. I apologize for not having the correct information.

The press release sent to us read as follows:

This year, September 11th, falls during the holy season of Ramadan, and it is also on a Friday, the holy

day of the Muslim tradition. Muslims who attend will be fasting all day, after sunrise. Ramadan is a

season of personal spiritual reflection and discerning life priorities.

I took this to mean that it was the first day.

Again, sorry for my confusion.

Take care,

"Reporter Girl"

Treats

2009-09-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

I texted my husband (I know, right!) everything I ate for suhoor & iftar yesterday and he was shocked at the amount of JUNK I eat. I get bored of normal food pretty quick, so after about 4 bites I'm done and ready for dessert and drinks (tea, coffee, water, soda, juice). Honestly, I can drink like a bottle of water and two cokes, have a few bites of dinner, feel full until I go pee then fill up on candy, cakes, brownies, whatever! It's terrible. So we decided to make a little contest. If I can go until the end of Ramadan (haha I know all 9 days left) without eating ANY junk food, I win a prize. If I lose, he gets a prize. I hope I win & develop some self-control too! I'll let you know how it goes- do you girls have any sweet substitutions for me?

Radiation

2009-09-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

That study about cell phone radiation got me thinking. I lie on my back a lot with my laptop on my tummy. Do you think that will affect my ovaries and my chances for creating babies??????????? Serious question so don't laugh at me :)

FAIL

2009-09-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Just wrote the following complaint to the makers of this disgrace of a brand:

I bought your Sunstar GUM Eez-Thru Flossers about half an hour ago and was excited to try them straightaway. Imagine my disappointment when I broke through four (4) of those flossers very 'Eez'-ily. The strings shred, collapsed, and were too thick to fit between my teeth. Is it possible to get the $3.49 (+9.25% California state tax) reimbursed? I chose your product because it was pricier than the other competing brands which I equated with a higher quality product. Also, the "consumer preferred" label encouraged me to try out these flossers which turned out to be a huge waste of time seeing as I wrestled with them to the breaking point four times in one go. Please let me know how you can help. Also I would suggest testing the Eez-Thru flosser product yourself. There was nothing easy about it.

Hair

2009-09-08T22:18:00.001-07:00

Where do you hijabis out there get your hair done? My last professional haircut was in January 2008!! I chopped it all off a few months ago when it grew out to my derriere & I was having trouble keeping it up under the hijab. I just cut it straight across myself and even gave myself bangs! I just straightened my hair today though and I've really noticed that my hair's quality has improved so much since I started wearing hijab subhanAllah! I live in sunny California and would go swimming in pools and in the ocean all the time so my curly hair was always a little wild and crispy lol. Now it's gotten shades darker but it's nice & strong & healthy and I want to freshen it up a little. I miss the hairstylists in Egypt where they gave you a bain de creme rinse, cut, & style.

It's so relaxing and refreshing- sometimes you just need a makeover! Any suggestions as to where to go when you wear hijab? It seems like all the nice salons have guys working there or are in open spots where men can see me uncovered.

Elbows

2009-09-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

My elbows are AWFUL! They are dry, gray, ashy, scaly- basically reptilian! I've tried rubbing them with lemon, glycerin, Vaseline, and Castor oil. I've tried exfoliating with baking soda, sugar, and honey scrubs. NOTHING will work. Any suggestions?

The Brown Dress

2009-09-07T20:46:00.001-07:00

I officially started wearing hijab on the first day of last Ramadan (09.01.08) and it's literally taken me almost all year to figure out my true style nature as a hijabi. The month before I began wearing hijab, I bought 5 pairs of slacks and a bunch of long t-shirts & a couple of versatile long-sleeved shirts. I figured I would just wear the pants and the shirts under everything inappropriate in my closet and that way I wouldn't sacrifice trendiness. I bought scarves in every color of the rainbow and dove right into hijab.

However, I soon learned that plan wasn't the most tasteful. My old self-enforced uniforms consisted of tight pencil skirts or full-skirted dresses, many with slits and all above the knee. I'd pair them with snug short-sleeved cardigans or blazers in the winter and of course, sky high heels. Trying to make them hijabized didn't work, didn't look good, and wasn't comfortable. A few times I actually tried tucking in the spaghetti straps of the fuller-cut dresses in and sliding them down to my waist to try and make a cute skirt. However, I almost lost one such poorly-fashioned skirt in the middle of a busy intersection in a popular part of town and gave that up FAST (the zipper which held comfortably around the circumference of my back failed to do its job around my smaller waist. Eh, proportions.)

So then I dulled down my style approach and got in a comfort rut. I wore the same pairs of work slacks over and over- even on weekends! Their looser fit didn't put my bum on display as much as my favorite jeans and I wore the same combination of long-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved collared shirt, or long, loose t-shirt over long-sleeved shirt. Everyday. At first I added tons of accessories. Pretty jewelry, cute shoes, and fresh manicures perked up my outfits. But I felt like crap. I felt boring, predictable. Not me at all. And I started to change. I wore the same watch every day and quit changing out of my commuter heels when I got to work. I started to gain weight and I stopped wearing any hijabs unless they were beige, black, brown, or gray.

Then in the middle of spring, N. bought me my first maxi dress. Oh, how I missed dresses. The smooth fabric swirling and rustling against my bare legs- heaven! Plain and brown, fitting my body perfectly, I probably wore that dress like once a week. I paired it with colorful cardigans and wore it like a skirt with collared knit tops and fitted tunics over it. I busted out my prettiest scarves and started raking in the compliments again. Strangers on the train, friends, co-workers all noticed that I "looked cute today," I was "glowing," I had on "pretty colors." I started to lose weight. I credit that dress with putting me on the hijab style track and even though I love it to death, I don't wear it as much anymore. I've invested in the loveliest maxi skirts and a few more floor-length dresses. I shopped the Indian stores on University Avenue in Berkeley and bought more eye-catching tunics, some in gorgeous colors, all with breath-taking embroidery. And I even found many, many more beautiful outfit separates in department stores, my favorite brand being Michael Kors. I feel like a woman again, wearing my cute shoes again. It took me a while, but I found my style niche.

Smile

2009-09-01T05:35:00.001-07:00

Alhamdulilah I'm a happy girl and I smile all the time. I'm one of those crazy people who remember funny things while on the train or walking to work and you will find me giggling to myself like a crazy person. I also do really ridiculously inappropriate things that set me off and I'll be cracking up about really sad, unfunny, and often touchy topics. Case in point: I was making calls setting up a story about the Holocaust anniversary for work, and since I'm female, I was multi-tasking and checking out the entertainment section of sfgate.com. Then when I tried to leave a message I totally accidentally said, "Hi, I'm working on a story about the anniversary of the Horoscope- I mean Holoscope- I mean Holocaust" and started to LAUGH. Uncontrollably. Isn't that HORRIBLE? It wasn't even that funny. I felt so bad, especially worse when the poor woman actually called back and was really nice about everything. SO embarrassing. Anyway, I like to laugh, and talk, and so my teeth are often very much on display. And being the shallow, vain chickabiddee I am, I like to make sure my teeth are shiny, white, AND healthy. (That's why I'm marrying a future dentist next week insha'Allah).

And so, without further ado, here are my very secret ingredients for a movie star smile ;)

Step 1: For special occasions only or to get started on obtaining a blindingly white smile, you will need some baking soda. Easily available at grocery stores for under $3, I put a little baking soda in the palm of my hand, dip my wet, soft-bristled (it's gentler on your teeth) brush in it so it kind of makes a gritty paste and scrub, scrub, scrub my teeth. The baking soda will whiten and polish the stains right off your teeth. Seriously, just keep adding more baking soda to your brush and brushing until your mouth feels really clean.

Step 2: Hydrogen peroxide. You know, that big brown bottle in your first aid kit that costs like $2 at the drugstore? Bust it out. Get rid of your mouthwash and use this before brushing your teeth. If your teeth are really dull, use it everyday to begin with then once or twice a week should be enough to maintain your pearly whites. Hydrogen peroxide is the main active ingredient in all teeth whitening strips and pastes, so I'm saving you about $30 bucks and a bunch of time. Take a big gulp of it- but don't swallow!- and swish it around til your mouth gets tired. It's safe (according to my real dentist) and actually healthy for you. It kills all the bacteria on your tongue and the back of your throat and it actually doesn't taste like anything.

Step 3: Next, I brush with my favorite toothpaste. When I was a kid getting my braces taken off, there was a young, blonde, glamorous office assistant. She looked like Marilyn Monroe but smelled better. Her teeth were big and bright, so of course, I hopped into that dentist chair, laid back , and opened wide to ask how the heck she got her teeth so beautiful. She laughed at me and said "Ultrabrite toothpaste. I use it 'cause it's cheap." It's been about a decade later and I am still very much a faithful user of Ultrabrite. I've even converted die-hard Crest and Colgate fans. AND it's a paste so you can still stick it on your zits to dry them up in a flash. I know, multi-purpose right? I think I just bought it last weekend for like $1.89 (my favorite is the Advanced Whitening version, but all of them work).

So there you have it, folks. Check out your smile, it should be a shade lighter by now. If not, rinse and repeat. Keep using the system for a while and you should have a sparkling smile in no time, guaranteed. Go easy on the baking soda though, once you get your teeth to the desired shade, I wouldn't recommend using it more than once or twice a month because it can wear your teeth down with its rough texture. Also, don't forget to floss daily and see your dentist once or twice a year!

So Fetch

2009-08-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend over at My Getaway tagged me last week.

The rules of this award are;
•List five current obsessions.
•Pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs.
•On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.
•When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well. Don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by leaving a comment on their blog.

I. N. I am absolufreakingly obsessed with this man. I want to take him everywhere with me, to work, to the bathroom, to the gym, home, everywhere. Like a cell phone except human.

II. Islam. I love learning about my religion and about the Prophet (pbuh) and I''m reading a really good biography called The Sealed Nectar. Learning so much and loving him so much more alhamdulilah.

III. Body image, working out, getting slim, staying hot. I preemptively worry about wrinkles, veins, hair, nails, teeth, dry elbows, muffin top, unwanted body hair, extra poundage, sagging body parts, etc. I whiten, condition, moisturize, stretch, suck in, exercise, and wax every inch of my body. But I've been practicing since I was a kid so I can do all that really fast everyday :) I actually pray to look good and age well. I hope that's not a bad thing?

IV. Chocolate. Gotta have some every day.

V. My career. I hate when people tell me I can't, when they know I will. I hope to prove everyone wrong someday insha'Allah.

Thanks My Getaway! I tag anyone who wants to do it, it's been a while and don't know who's done it yet.

Reality Check

2009-08-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

When did Vogue magazine get so out of touch?

I used to love Vogue for having a finger on the pulse of fashion's latest directions, but this fall I feel severely let down. The September issue of Vogue is the most important magazine issue in the market. What they produce, other magazines will spend six months breaking down and replicating, which is why people enjoy buying Vogue's September issue- getting the latest trends at the source. While other magazines have quickly adapted to the new recessionista lifestyle, Vogue for some reason is stuck in a rut. This recession has affected all of us, no matter how minimally, your perception on financial security has still been impacted, you know?

Anyway, when a magazine promises 584 pages of steals & splurges on its cover, I expect 584 pages of editorial content. What I got instead was the table of contents starting on page 136 after 135 pages of advertisements. I swear, there are whole catalogues included in this issue. Nordstrom has a 16 page advertising spread, White House Black Market has eight pages right after the other, and Gap has a 6 page ad complete with a pull-out poster of different denim styles.

There is also this article called "New Economy" trumpeting 100 exclusive finds under $500 featuring a $495 Judith Lieber LIPSTICK CASE and a $495 coin purse. Also on their list was an $80 book and a $295 pencil cup. Really now, really? Wake up Vogue, we've got better things to spend our money on (e.g. charity) than a $450 beach towel.

Another example is a two paragraph story spread out on two pages featuring model Jordan Dunn wearing Topshop sweatpants as evening wear. The article, if you can call it that (though I think "blurb" would be more fitting), comes to a close saying that "even if you choose to dress up your sweatpants, you can still afford to relax in them, too." That's funny because with federal minimum wages clocking in at $7.25 an hour, it would take almost 2a month of work to pay for this $1300+ head-to-toe "High Street" outfit.

My point is that while Vogue has always been a shopping catalogue for New York's elite, it had taste and class. What I find amusing, in a sad way really, is that Vogue is hurting in this economy too and that's why they basically need about 500 pages of advertising to pay to put out their product. And yet the magazine refuses to be humble and down-to-earth about the new times and instead masquerades tacky and tasteless products as bargains and good deals. I'm not saying Vogue should start featuring Target or Ikea on their pages, but a little financial creativity could go a long way on keeping and attracting subscribers.

What do you think? Have you checked out the latest issue of Vogue?

Ramadan Karim!

2009-08-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

How are you practicing Ramadan this year? What are you going to wish for? What are your goals going to be? Let's finish this month as highly improved individuals!

Actual Convo

2009-08-21T18:38:00.001-07:00

J. calls Sharky to ask him how to say "tuberculosis" in Arabic. Sharky picks up and says:

S: Ok ok bye

J: What?? Hello?? No, not bye, hello??

S: Ya, ya same thing.

Seriously? Only Sharky can answer the phone with goodbye. Check out his movement here .

******

2009-08-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

I had posted another blog and left it out for like 14 hours but then felt foolish and deleted it because it really was too personal and no one commented me. I was feeling really desperate and sad because I have all these questions about right and wrong and what I am doing with my life. I posted the question (anonymously) to sunnipath and hopefully they will respond.

In other news, yesterday was N. & I's 6 monthaversary. We had kind of already celebrated over the weekend (he gave me a diamond & onyx ring and a silver, gold & diamond Allah necklace- nothing better than a man with good taste!) but of course I wanted to see him on the actual day of, especially since last month we couldn't celebrate together as he was still overseas. Unfortunately, right when I was supposed to get off we got 2 breakers at work and I had to stick around until things were under control. Only problem is, I work days and my boy works nights so that left us with exactly 45 minutes to hang out. He picked me up from the train station and presented me with beautiful red roses. My first bouquet! I've gotten other kinds of flowers & other colors of roses for graduation & birthdays & such, but never, ever red roses! I always kind of thought it was so cliche, but honestly it's super romantic. Anyway, we were both starving so we went to get some fast food (we had no time!!!) and after we order, N. was paying and mentioned something totally inappropriate that was so funny and we had a whole entire conversation about this awful subject in Arabic and after we get our change, the cashier smiled and said "shukran." I was *MORTIFIED* I ran away and couldn't stop cracking up. We weren't saying anything bad about the cashier, we were just talking about personal stuff and it was so hilarious/embarrassing that he understood us. But yeah after that, I went home & he went to work.

PS. That's Humphrey on my mirror. He was my first husband ;)

Busy

2009-08-17T18:14:00.001-07:00

With N. back I find that I spend all my time with him or thinking about him ;) I've actually been working a lot as well; we have had some big breaking news where I live and this weekend was a short one since I had to work yesterday. But last week was nice, really nice. I spent a lot of time with my family which I always cherish. One day my parents and I went to Berkeley in search of the perfect falafels (the ones my N. makes are SO much tastier) and shopped the Indian stores for salwar kameezes. I bought a gorgeous one in fuchsia with turquoise beading. It's truly a work of art. We also stopped by one of my favorite bookstores, Sultana, where I bought a couple of religious books to help prepare my soul for Ramadan. Sultana is great because they have a big room in the back full of Islamic clothing & a great selection of hijabs. I usually buy my scarves from H&M, Forever 21, and Target, but oftentimes they are so long, or too heavy, or too flimsy, etc. My aunt mails me scarves from Egypt which are truly beautiful but what I have found I'm missing are the basics. I don't have an almirah or a bonnet and my collection of straight pins was inherited from a friend who relocated to the Middle East. So I dug around into Sultana's and got some pretty hijab basics and accessories. My favorite piece is a gold satin bonnet that would look really pretty with a beige, black, or red solid scarf over it. Anyway, that was one day. Another day I tagged along with my family when they took a friend out for dinner and another night I visited with my parents' friends hen they came over for dessert. So yeah, a lot of family stuff. Saturday, N. & I went out on a double date with J. and my friend G. G. and I went to college together and have stuck around in the same area upon graduation, but on total opposite sides of the area (she's on the beach, I live in the valley). She and I try to get together at least once a month and so on Saturday we all had lunch at Crepevine and then went way up high in the hills to this museum where G. and I used to work at. it's a children's science museum and she and I met when we worked at the gift shop there. There's a gorgeous panoramic view of the campus spread out below us, then the rest of the city, then the bay, then San Francisco, and then the ocean, dotted with Angel Island, Alcatraz, Treasure Island, the Golden Gate Bridge. I love it up there, it's so beautiful. After that N. had to work and I went home but we got together later on that night. It was so fun. I like who I am when I am with N.

Warning: Kind of Offensive!

2009-08-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

So last Thursday N. came back from his month-long trip from overseas. His flight wasn't due in till 1:45pm. His actual arrival time wasn't until 3:15pm (what can I say, Arabs are always late & Emirates Airline is no exception lol). I showed up at the airport (buffed, polished, and made up to within an inch of my life) at 11am. Yep, I basically spent four hours in the airport all by myself. I had taken the day off of work knowing I was going to be too anxious to get anything done and I'd gotten ready early so I went downtown to return a few things before going to the airport. Apparently there are absolutely no lines at the customer service counter in Target at 9am on a weekday so I whizzed out of there extra fast. Then I traipsed through the city for almost 30 minutes in my red suede high heels looking for a flower stand that was open, but apparently all the florists decided to sleep in on Thursday. So what could I do, I went to SFO and sat around. For four hours. I did buy a chocolate brioche & a coffee & a new mascara (YSL Faux Cils- I LOVE LOVE LOVE it btw) while I was waiting. And I almost finished an entire book (Traveling With Pomegranates, very interesting). N.'s cousin, J., came with his girlfriend at about 2:45pm and we all waited together next to a middle-aged couple spread out underneath a hot pink blanket with blue and yellow moon and stars all over it (um, why?)

Anyway, I was so jittery and staring intently at the giant, and quite possibly HD, video screens that show you who is walking down the corridor so you have time to walk the 15 steps across to the arrivals rope. I really wanted to get a picture of his face on the screen but I squealed and leaped up when I saw him, counting on J. to get the winning shot, but of course, his stupid iPhone is completely unreliable and he failed :)

So I was super happy to see N. and only then was I able to focus on my surroundings, and oh my what a shock I was in for! A little background here, J. is dating an ermm, how should I say this? An exotic dancer? A gentleman's club performer? An ecdysiast? Oh all right, she is a stripper! And boy, was she putting on a show in the arrivals lobby- she was wearing a little black slip trimmed in lace, you know the sort, the kind of half slip you wear under a see-through dress, with a coral lace-up corset. N. whispered to me that she must have forgotten to put on her actual clothes this morning, and I responded by suggesting she might be going straight to work after the airport. But no, we all went to In-N-Out because N. was craving a burger. You should have seen the stares we got at the burger joint, a hijabi and a hussy. I'm sure people thought I was overcompensating with my outfit for hers.

Anyway, after our lunch, we took the stripper (let's call her R.) home and then J., N. & I all went to a cafe to chill and catch up.

OH i almost forgot the BEST part. It's also quite offensive, but I found it very entertaining. SO when we first got out of the airport, N.'s uncle (J.'s dad) started screaming at him because he was waiting for 3 hours in the car. He refused to believe that N.'s flight was delayed, although I wonder why we would still be at the airport if his flight had landed three hours ago, hmm??

Anyway, J recorded the whole fight and posted it on Facebook. SO funny, watch it here and

here.

By the way, J. calls me Om Kalthoum because I wear sunglasses with hijab & his father speaks English to me & Arabic to R. who is Eastern European. HAHA!

Update Coming Soon

2009-08-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Have so much to update! But first, I have to pray, eat, and bake a cake!

My Islamic Style Of Dress

2009-08-09T01:35:00.000-07:00

So today I learned that the lovely Lela of My Getaway has impeccable dress sense. She tagged me to show you my Islamic sense of style. What do you think?

At home, I like to wear simple short, cotton or knit dresses like this one from Urban Outfitters:

A lot of these housedresses are super cute ones from my old life that I couldn't bear to get rid of after I started wearing hijab.

For prayer, I love these two-piece outfits because sometimes I will have tighter pants on or a too short top or something and just can slip one or both pieces on to pray.

Mine are from Syria and Egypt and I have one pink floral, one yellow floral, and a white one with pink ribbons and embroidery. Cute!

I'm lucky that I am given a lot of freedom in what I can wear to work, and oftentimes I will wear the same things out on the town. Sometimes I dress like a free-spirit in these long maxi dresses which I pair with a cute long-sleeved cardigan and a coordinating scarf with flats or sandals.

Other times I try and look more pulled together in an outfit like this:

No matter what though, I always keep my look young!

Parties with an all-female crowd are my most favorite occasions and I go all-out in little cocktail dresses in bright, stunning colors. I especially love deep, shiny pinks or gorgeous peacock feather colors for evening dresses, but the cut and fit of the dress are the most important aspects.

Since I only have one other follower on here, I tag you Miss Malekat -please play along! :)

Bliss

2009-08-06T22:08:00.001-07:00

Alhamdulilah, I am so happy! N. is back & I hope life can always stay this perfect! :) I'll write more later, but if you want to get in touch, I'm on Twitter @abeliefsewn !

39 More Hours

2009-08-04T23:18:00.000-07:00

Sooo I'm one of those girls who can't function when my fiance is gone. I am soo jittery and on edge and can't hold still long enough to think at all so I don't think I will have anything intelligent to blog about until he gets back on Thursday insha'Allah. Then I'll have a camera to post pictures and adventures to tell you about. Insha'Allah. I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

Autodidactic

2009-08-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

It's a good word, but how do you become one?

That and, how do you become high maintenance?

Review: L'Élégance Du Hérisson

2009-08-02T00:49:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Murial Barbery. An incredible book that is so well-crafted and enlightening, this novel truly changes your perception on life- if only for the duration of the storytelling. A book about life and death and rebirth with an unexpected ending, I highly recommend you read it. The book's prose was wonderfully new to me, each word like a fragment of poetry- carefully chosen. This isn't the type of the book you can rush through and devour, but rather one you sit down and take your time with. Curl up with a cup of tea in a sunny, comfy spot, or maybe by the window as rain streams down the pane and pay attention to each chapter. Keep a pad and pencil close by as you will probably want to jot down notes and ideas as you read.

Honestly, I wish I could speak French better so I could read the book in the original language. I've decided that I like French novels the best; Albert Campus is one of my most favorite authors and he is among good company with the likes of Ms. Barbery. In fact, I plan on reading her other novel (Une Gourmandise) as soon as I can find it. and I do believe I will be visting Cannelli's bookshop again for its unique book selection.

Final word:

Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog and get inspired. *****

Summer Reading List

2009-07-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books on their list here. How do your reading habits stack up?

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen -
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien -
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte -
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling -
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - X
6 The Bible -
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte -
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell -
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman -
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens -
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott - X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy –
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller –
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare -
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier -
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien -
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk -
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger - X
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger-
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot -
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell-
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald -X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens -
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - X
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky -
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck -X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll-
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame-
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy -
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens -
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis -X
34 Emma-Jane Austen -
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen -
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - X
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres -
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden -
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne -X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell - X
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown -X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving-
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins -
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery-X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy -
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood -
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding -
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan-
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel-
52 Dune - Frank Herbert -
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons-
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen -
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth -
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon -
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens -
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley -
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddonx -
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck -X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov-
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt -
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold -X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas -
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac -
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy -
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding-X
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie –
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville -
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens-
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker -
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett -X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson -
75 Ulysses - James Joyce -X
76 The Inferno – Dante -X
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome -
78 Germinal - Emile Zola -
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray-
80 Possession - AS Byatt –
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens -
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell -
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker-X
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro -
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry -
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom -
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton-
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad -
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery -X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks -
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams-X
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole -
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute -
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas -
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare-
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl -X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo-

101 The Quran (I added that one!) -

I think I'm going to try reading everything on this list by the end of this year. I know several of those books are already in my bookshelves. I'm an avid reader but I prefer more modern works. Jane Austen and Dostoyevsky are more interesting to me in theory than in principle. In fact, many of the books that I have read and marked up there I didn't really enjoy (with the exception of the Cather in the Rye and The Great Gatsby). Maybe now that I'm more grown up I'll have a greater appreciation for these classics...

La Bella Vita

2009-07-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today is a BEAUTIFUL day. It was foggy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon. Work went by nice & quick and since I took tomorrow off, today was my Friday. I got home really exhausted and hungry though so I had some dinner and chilled with my book. My dad's coming tomorrow insha'Allah and N. the following week insha'Allah so I decided today was a good day to experiment with some natural beauty recipes. My hair is shiny and my skin is soft and glowing- and I didn't even use any synthesized chemicals! Read on for the recipes!

Hair Mask

I mixed honey, one whole egg, olive oil, some lemon juice, coconut oil, and a banana in a bowl. I beat everything together and worked it through my hair- I highly recommend doing this while you are sitting in the bathtub. Leave the mixture on for an hour before washing thoroughly out!

Face Scrub:

I mixed some white sugar and some baking soda in my palm and then scrubbed all over my face in slow, small circles. I left the scrub on for a couple minutes before rinsing off with warm water and immediately slathering on my homemade face mask.

Face Mask:

I mixed a little turmeric powder with a banana, some honey, and evaporated milk. Blend well then rub all over your face and neck. Leave on for 10-20 minutes, depending on how fair you are or else the turmeric will turn you orange!!

I soaked in a warm bath with some evaporated milk while the hair and face masks penetrated. Wash your hair and scrub yourself with a loofah and your favorite soap and tah dah! You will emerge gorgeous! :)

Motivation

2009-07-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard to stay focused on my goals. I'm a lucky girl: I live at home with my mom who cooks and babies me. Seriously right now, I'm still full from a yummy iftar she cooked for me; I'm in bed with all my stuffed animals from N. surrounding me, laptop on one leg, cat on the other. I work part-time which means I am at my job for less hours than a school day and all my money goes to buying magazines and going out with my friends because my family pays for my health insurance, commute, food, and clothing. This is not the real world I'm living in, I know that. But it's a nice life, huh? Unfortunately, I can't stay like this forever and I really need to find my own way in life and work on getting a career.

I never had any formal training in my field of work. I got lucky and landed the job I have after an internship which definitely helps me in the long run, but in some ways I feel unprepared to do what I really want to do. The main obstacles I'm dealing with are my weight, the hijab, and whether or not I can write. Well, I'd better start somewhere. I'll start now. As my friend kindly reminded me, Michael Jordan said "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Try

2009-07-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today is a day I will have to work hard at getting through. First of all, it's like 1pm already and I have been in the kitchen for the entire morning- and I'm not even done!!! I still have to decorate the cake, shower, make salaat, go to the gym for at least a couple of hours, shower again, make salaat, find something really cute to wear tonight to the city, and make salaat again. It's going to be difficult to keep up my energy when I have self-esteem issues because of the hijab. I used to just throw on a dress and some heels and be good to go: any face or body issues I had I could cover up with my long hair (Streaky eyeliner? Bra straps showing? No problem!). Now my outfits are no longer "chic" or "sexy" but rather, I hear them described as "grandma-ish" and "nun-like." That sucks!! I miss being the prettiest girl in the room, but I have to remember to stay strong and that my reward will be with Allah swt. Usually I avoid this quandary by just not going to these late-night lounges, but sometimes you have to go. I'm still young and I need to attend certain parties and gatherings if I'm going to keep the friends I've got, and well, you know, I kind of miss this glitzy side to life- as gilded and gaudy as it really is. So anyway, I better hop into the shower and get started- everything has to be done in the next 7.5 hours! I'll keep you posted.

***

So I took a shower, prayed, and made it to the gym for an hour and a half before coming home to eat, watch TV, and decorate the cake. Hey, it's Saturday, I can be lazy if I want to be! I have no idea what to wear tonight. Oufff. I've been watching the show 16 & Pregnant on MTV and it makes me CRY! I love it when the boys are sweet to their new babies. My N. will make a great father insha'Allah :)

***

So it's 9:24pm and I'm waiting for my friends to come pick me up. Despite my chronic laziness, I managed to get everything done. Nails painted, makeup applied, high heels on. Cake covered, utensils packed (I even remembered the napkins & knife for cutting!), and birthday gift wrapped. Now I'm just waiting. I kind of have a headache, and I'm sleepy. I'm sure I'll have fun anyways. I read in Elle magazine today that one lady goes everywhere expecting people to be richer, thinner, prettier, and more successful. I don't normally feel that way, but I have to admit, sophisticated places in the city do make me nervous. I've never had a BAD experience there per se, but I definitely don't go out there as much as I do out where I live so I guess the city's cosmopolitan reputation intimidates me. Anyway, when I do feel this way, I try and tell myself that maybe it's too late to become a supermodel or a rocket scientist, but I can at least try to be the most charming, sweetest person in the room. And then I usually end up having a great time. Cheers to positive energy!

MIA

2009-07-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

I came home from work today and my little cat was gone- I think someone from my family accidently let him out. I'm really upset-please make du'a that he comes back soon. It breaks my heart to think of him out in the cold, all alone in this big world :( Poor little guy.

***UPDATE***

We found my baby! He was hiding under someone's apartment building. Took a can of salmon and an hour to coax him out. Then he came home & promptly puked in the living room. Great!

Nurture

2009-07-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

Someone today mistook me for N.'s cousin's MOTHER. I'm younger than N.'s cousin!!! I was mortified. J. (the cousin) chalked it up as a funny misunderstanding, claiming that my hijab and huge sunglasses made it impossible for the high schooler to determine my age.

Is that true? Does hijab make women look older, because it is seen as traditional, and only women from "Back Home" cling to tradition? I don't cover my hair for cultural purposes-it's for religious practice. Unfortunately, it is easier for people in my liberal community to swallow people's differences and eccentricities if they classify it as a cultural or spiritual practice, rather than a command from a Supreme Being. You're Jewish and don't eat pork? It's your culture! You're Sikh and wear a turban? It's tradition! Why is it so hard for these otherwise open-minded people to understand that some people choose to adhere to religion out of faith? I wear hijab because I believe in Allah swt and want to please Him. It's not a principle that's too hard to grasp- how many employees bring in cupcakes and work after hours to get in their boss's good graces? The only difference is I'm not working for a paycheck; I'm working to secure a spot in the Afterlife. To each his own right?

But back to being mistaken for someone's MOTHER. I can't help but replay the afternoon in my head: J. and I in our twenties hanging out among kids only five or so years younger- but a whole generation behind. What contributed to me looking old? Was it my work outfit of gray slacks paired with a short black and blue print dress? Was it the blue raw silk scarf from India and black patent ballet flats? Could it have been my new, oversized sunglasses and Blackberry? Or maybe I matched too much or looked overweight in my loose-fitting outfit? I really can't say- I feel young at work among television veterans, but the real world is different. It makes me want to pull off my scarf and shake out my shiny tresses and maybe even take off the pants and wear the minidress how it was meant to be worn. Ultimately, however, I know that isn't what I really want. I want to be respected now AND when I'm 50 insha'Allah, and not because my eye cream works and has kept the wrinkles at bay, but because I have good thoughts in my head and creative ideas to express. And even though tomorrow I plan on rocking my lucky red suede stilettos with jeans, I'm still going to work on offering the world my master plan for a better place. Behind my pretty smile is my IQ- that's gotta be worth something, right?

GLOW

2009-07-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Mondays are a double-edged sword. Sometimes I'm grateful to have a fresh shot at the week & I look forward to what the week will bring. Other days, I dread Monday; I hate being torn away from my two and a half days of adventure or loafing. Weekends, like weekdays, have been especially hard without N. with me. I don't do much, just stay home and read. I love to go out, but exploring a new city or shopping isn't the same without him holding my hand. So I cleaned out my closet all day Sunday (it looks great!) and watched Arabic music videos.

Though born abroad, I grew up here and feel like much of my culture is lacking in my environment. I can't read or write Arabic, but I can speak the language and I've found that I've learned even more about my native background just from watching these half-dressed hussies shake their hips and sing love songs. Take Amar's "Aal Yani" video for an example: Amar, the singer, plays the role of the dutiful young daughter who stays home and grooms herself so she can catch the educated hottie at the end. She sings of being patient as she does the housework in ill-fitting satin party dresses, combing her hair and painting her nails in between hanging laundry and preparing dinner.

What lessons could I have possibly learned from this? Well, I'm the kind of girl who changes into pajamas (Cinderella ones today) as soon as I get home from work. I flop on the couch in a prone position with my dinner balanced precariously on my belly. When it's just me all alone, I'm lazy with my appearance. My hair is bunched at the top of my head, bangs brushed off my face, and my glasses have smeary fingerprints from being pushed back up my nose too many times. I try to look semi-pulled together for work, but the only time I really try to look great is when I have a date with N. That's when I take a hot bubble bath and give myself a facial, a manicure and a pedicure, and I take my time rubbing extravagant creams into my skin. The ritual is rewarding and I feel amazing. So why don't I do that everyday? Why don't I make spoiling myself and taking care of myself a routine habit instead of a sacred ritual? Instead of wearing my PJ's five hours before my bedtime, why don't I change out of my work clothes into a cute and comfortable outfit, so that I feel presentable?

I'm not talking about velour sweatsuits here people, I think it's time women take more time out for themselves. Drink your coffee out of a real cup and saucer, pour your bottled water out into a chilled glass garnished with a lemon slice, add a little relish and sauciness to pull yourself up out of ordinariness. Why not? Mondays hint at auspicious beginnings and though this one is coming to a close, I still have time to make a bit of luxury happen.

How do you inject moments of bliss throughout your day to get yourself out of the same old rut?