Assalamualaikom everybody and I hope you're all having a great day/evening/night! This is a new series I decided to start as I am getting used to cooking now - or so I like to believe - and therefore I can share with you some yummy recipes I am cooking at home.

For this blogpost, i'll share with you the simplest and easiest salad you can make, as well as the delicious 'Greek' chicken platter I made yesterday ~


(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ Green Salad :


This salad is the easiest to make - seriously. All you need is your favorite vegetables, chooped and tossed with lemon juice, olive oil and salt! The portion and dressing depends on how much you eat and how you like it.. My husband and I usually have one tomato, one cucumber, and about five leaves of lettuce, with the juice of half a lemon.



(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ Greek Chicken Platter:


I found this dish online and instantly wanted to make it as it looked so delicious! All you need is:
❃ Chicken - I had 7 skinless chicken drumsticks.
❀ Potatoes - I cut two big potatoes into quarters and smaller pieces.
✿ Garlic - for the seasoning, I used about 6 cloves which I cut very small
❁ Olive Oil - for the seasoning, just to mix everything well.
✾ Lemon juice - for the seasoning, I squeezed half a cup of lemon juice which was about two and a half lemons.

Salam peeps! I'm back with another DIY project, one in which I really love and wanted to share with you <3
Melting crayons has been a trend for quite some time on the net, and my friend, Jana, and I once created beautiful canvas using the technique of sticking bare crayons on the top of our canvas and a quote of our choice using foam core board the way we wanted, and melted the crayons vertically using the blow dryer... Mine's on the left, and Jana's on the right:




The end result was quite adorable, not so perfect though, but it doesn't matter! It was so much fun to make that I decided to create another canvas using a different technique, and this is how I did it ~







The things I used were:

(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ A background to work on as this project is a bit - very - messy. I first used a black A2 paper, later to find out that I needed more coverage of the floor as the crayons splashed everywhere!
☜(⌒▽⌒)☞ A canvas, of course.
☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜) Crayons, and I used the colors green of different shades, same with the red, and white.
☜(⌒▽⌒)☞ A plastic knife to hold the crayons in place as I heated them.
(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ I chose to have the word 'DREAM' on my canvas, and so I traced and cut it from a foam core board. I also doodled a little bit on the letters, but you'll see how I changed that later on.
☜(⌒▽⌒)☞ Finally, of course, a blow hair dryer..








☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜) It truly looked beautiful especially as I tried to blend in the colors together, but I then decided to use the previous method as well to add more color and direction to the canvas. So I placed the colors in the direction I wanted and heated them up, later to remove the pieces and place the letters in their positions to hide the traces.
















☜(⌒▽⌒)☞ At first I was happy with how the letters looked, but then I decided to carry on with the flowing concept I had created and drew dripping shapes on the letters.

I then filled the shapes with glue using a hot glue gun to create a 3D effect and painted the letters in white acrylic paint.

Alhamdulillah, it turned out beautiful as I set it near my bed on a wooden holder I got from from a cheap Japanese store called Daiso.





If you liked this DIY make sure to try it yourself and tweet me your creations! Until the next blogpost, keep dreaming x

The start is always the hardest part, they say. Whether it was fear holding us back or uncertainty, taking the first step into the unknown becomes a challenge that holds us back... or maybe it is the past and old memories that haunt us and generates our hesitant steps? Either way, once the first step is taken, there is no going back.



I got married and moved to Dubai, moving by that to another university to study in. I won't be talking about the beginning of marriage life and its responsibilities, nor the beginning of a whole social life which I have to create for myself as I moved to another emirate, but the beginning of a new university life, and let me tell you this - it was terrifying.
Other than the uncertainty on my behalf of whether i'll be capable enough to balance my wifey-responsibilities, studying journey, and social activities, I entered a new atmosphere which I have never experienced before, and for the first time in a very long time: I felt lonely. The whole atmosphere was different, and being new made it all harder to adapt to...

I have already experienced new starts; once when I moved with my family to Syria for five years when I was 10 years old, and another time when I entered my old university at the age of 17, but never previously have I felt this nostalgia and loneliness! I guess the only reason for that is because I grew older, and as I did, I became more attached to my surroundings... Which apparently is bad.
I have also experienced being in friendships that came to an end, ones which included me getting very attached to others, as well as getting attached to places as I felt I simply found myself in, and then traveling to some other place or country. Therefore, I should - by now - be able to control my emotions and attachment to my surroundings! But I guess things are easier said than done.

I know I'm harming myself by being an introvert in this new environment, but I just can't help it! I can't help missing my friends whenever I'm in the bus alone, or the library, or even the classrooms. I keep telling everyone of how important it is for yourself to let go in order to move on, but why aren't I doing that?!

....

Writing this has taken me a week. I've given myself 7 days to put my feelings to the test and see whether they have changed - and they have, very slightly, become more positive.
Yes, I still do feel alone, and I miss my friends TERRIBLY! But I have somehow came out of my shell and made some new friends... I've also decided on how I want to spend the rest of this year here; I will try my best to adapt and move on, but stay focused on what's already in my hands: my house and amazing husband, my duties as a young Muslimah growing up and is ready to learn and give back to her religion and community, and most importantly, focus on my studies. I'm actually looking forward to this semester and year, hoping massively that I'd one day look back at this post and find it weird and amusing how I could actually think of such thoughts and be negative.

I mean, t's just the first week that's hard and terrible.. right?

A new chapter of your life begins as you enter the university campus in awe.. You start thinking to yourself and wondering how you'll manage to prove yourself in classes full of strangers and whether you'll be able to familiarize yourself with your surroundings and make friends - you start scaring yourself before you even start! However, once you actually start attending classes and getting to know the people, you realize how your fears and concerns shouldn't have been there in the first place; slowly you'll grow to like the major you have chosen and become more confident, and whether you liked it or not, you'll make a group of friends that you'll hang out with whenever you're free.

In the previous blogposts, I have spoken about choosing your major and university, however, in this blogpost, I shall hopefully help you, beautiful people, to meet the right type of people and make the right type of friendships as who you will meet in university will be of every type and background, of good and bad qualities and intentions..

First, be welcoming and pleasant.. Introduce yourself to the student sitting next to you or the one that attends many of your classes so you'd have something in common to talk about and start a conversation; slowly, you will make friends with everyone in your classroom and be able to tell apart hard-working students from lazy ones and who you should stay friends with and who you shouldn't.

However, keep in mind that not everyone around you may be as welcoming as you, and they either need time to familiarize themselves with their surroundings or are very introverted. Personally, on my first day of university I met a girl and started talking to her. but she was so quiet that I thought she didn't like me or didn't want to make friends at all! Sure enough, she started opening up and we became very good friends.

Second, make friends with those that will benefit you as you will benefit them. Such friends will be willing to help you whenever you're unsure about something or you needed help, and you in return will help them whenever they may need your help.. Such friends were very important to me in my studio and drawing courses; my friends and I would lend each other an pen, an eraser... but most importantly, an opinion. Hearing different points of view really helps in polishing your ideas, and hearing them from those that share your same set of rules but different imagination is absolutely wonderful!

Third, assume the best about people, but beware of the worst. The people you will encounter on a daily basis are from different natures and personalities; some are nice, while others are mean.. Some are selfless, while others are needy and greedy... etc.
Therefore, try to be as nice as you can to everyone and offer your help as long as it doesn't become a standard or unappreciated by the other, and hold yourself from becoming too attached fast as it may hurt you.

Fourth, have your limits and learn to say no.. Don't get carried away helping people who are unappreciative, but also don't be too greedy to offer any help. Don't count too much on people and depend mostly on yourself because if you're too dependent, people will get sick eventually and probably start avoiding you or making excuses to helping you! Which is a feeling I personally have personally developed towards a friend of mine, and it hurts to think that I wouldn't offer her help or even sit around and talk to her, but I just can't! ><'

Last but not least.. Most importantly.. BE YOURSELF. I don't really have any explanation to this as it is self-explanatory, but always keep that in mind as start applying that from day one ;)

Also, a very important word to put out there is that friends make your days at uni much happier and easier, and I'm saying that because not everyone is actually willing to put themselves out there and make new friends.. Sure, your old friends mean everything to you but it doesn't always happen that you're all together at the same place and time. They might be in a different university in your country or even abroad! So don't limit yourself to having only them, but meet new people, and enjoy everyday as if it's your last day, as well as staying in touch with your old peeps. Be ready to take chances and explore, make new memories with new people and be kind to everyone around you <3

Ramadan has swiftly passed, and all the beautiful meanings and blessings it left in us will sure be missed; unless we ourselves try to maintain them as much as possible ;)
Anyways, EID MUBARAK beautiful people!! Hope you had a great first day of Eid with your family and friends - I sure did, alhamdulillah.. I spent my day with my cousins and aunty and uncle, as well as my in-laws, and this is what I wore throughout the day:

Salam! I'm back with another University Series part; WHERE to study for university?
In case you've missed the first part about WHAT to study, check it out here, but for now, i'll leave you with this hopefully not as long blogpost - hope you benefit from what you read!

Whenever you ask someone about university, they tell you that it's a whole new life that you get to experience and live for at least three years, and where you study  totally plays an important role in this experience. In fact, what actually matters about a university is its academic performance, status, atmosphere, location and fees - and unless you choose wisely and subjectively, you might regret your choices later on and enter the storm of changing university, which can either be easy or become a mess!

After choosing what major you want to study, look for the universities that teach it and are convenient for you and list them all down - gradually you will start to cross down the least convenient ones and hopefully you'll reach you conclusion easily. A university being convenient for you means that it offers your choice of major with high standards, yet is still reasonable money-wise and location-wise, as choosing the best university that offers your program would be a great addition to your CV later on, but may cause you many hardships in registering, paying, and even living.
Look for universities that also offer good discounts or scholarships that apply to you, and consider the opportunity of living in dorms or transportation wisely.

After looking and listing, start collecting data and reviews from students who attended this or that university or were considering your options. Call campuses,ask and even visit! Ask about facilities, recognition, fees, transportation.... and every single question that pops into yours - and your parents' - mind! What students may tell you will also play a big role in making the decision, as they probably considered your same options and decided, or experienced some of your options and so they have positive or negative feedback. However, don't take everything bad you hear from them negatively nor every good thing positively - what you find unbearable might be okay with them, and what they find very bad may not even matter to you, so be wise and reasonable.

A very important factor to your decision would be your confidence in your abilities and what you can do:
- Think about whether you'll be able to live in a dorm room, alone or with friends or even strangers
- Consider whether you'll be able to handle the pressure of transportation, for example, or tight schedules as not all universities offer the same system: some universities would allow students to create their own schedules, whereas other universities would give their students an already planned schedule.
- Balance between the pros and con of every option personally, and with the help of others..
- Be realistic, especially when you're considering travelling or studying in your country.

An important thing to keep in mind is that having your friends with you in university might be a good thing - you should, however, keep in mind that even though  you're in the same campus, you might net even meet or see each other very often according to each's major and schedule, so do not limit yourself to where your friends are.. you will get busy, have different time schedules, meet new people...etc.

My final tip to you would be to seek the answer from Allah.. I have mentioned the same thing in the last Uni blogpost but I'm re-mentioning it here because after all, without His guidance, where would we be? ;)

Hope you find the information here helpful and if you have anything more to add, feel free to type it all doooown! ☟☟☟☟☟

Salam lovies! I'm back with an outfit blogpost for ya'll and I hope ya like it! I just love this outfit and how elegant it is..

Top: Promod Wide Pants: Stradivarius Belt: necklace from Aldo Shoulder Bag: Shoe Mart Necklace: online from Amazon Eyeliner, mascara, blush and lipstick: Maybelline... hehe Concealer: H&M Watch: Aldo Perfume: Dior Shoes: Aldo

Assalamulaikom lovelies and welcome to the first part of my University Series! I decided to start this 4-part series to talk to you guys about university; what, where, and how to study and how to survive university life by reflecting upon my personal experience and thoughts ^.^

For this part, we'll be discussing the topic of choosing the major... Hopefully, you'll find this blogpost very helpful in making up your mind and deciding what you really want to do and study through the few steps i'll be listing below, but first, I might as well start by talking about my background of this topic in case you guys would relate...
I also would like to say that i'm not a psychologist or anything - I'm just an 18 year-old who has been through what some of you might be going through right now and so I have so much to talk about regarding this topic.


So once upon a time, I have decided to become a dentist. I don't know if I was influenced  I have already decided where I want to study that major and with whom i'll be staying in the dorm room - My dad and I even visited that university and paid the early tuition fees, and I was so thrilled - until I started recalculating in my mind, and so I started to ask and add everything up in my mind until I slowly started to believe that I am not capable of studying for 6+ years, nor was I willing to do so. I also considered the job market and how easy or difficult it would be for me to find a job in the future and I decided that I wasn't up for it.
I didn't 'chicken' out nor was I willing to throw my dream away, I was just being realistic, and that would be my first tip to you: dream big, but also be realistic about what you want and don't let the glitter of that dream blind you from recognizing the possible from the impossible.
Anyway, back to my story; so you might as well ask about what I am currently studying? Did I end up following my dream or did I throw it behind?
Well, I simply made a new one to look up to. I decided to study interior design and am determined to be successful at that, inshallah. But I didn't decide to study this major all of a sudden, in fact, I felt so lost after deciding to not follow my dentistry dream and there came sleepless nights and endless proper talks with my parents and family! Eventually, I made a plan which I followed carefully to make up my mind and be convinced about the result because after all, what's the use of studying something I'm not even convinced with.
The plan I made consisted of a few steps: LIST, LOOK UP, BALANCE, PRIORITIZE, and ASK, and I will be taking you through each step briefly.




☞ LIST: To list means to write down and count, and in this step, you'll be listing two things: who you are (qualifications, how others see you, how you see yourself, characteristics...) & your preferences (what subjects you like and hate in school, your hobbies...). Be honest when describing yourself as this is a very good way to know your strength points and weaknesses.
 I wrote down both lists for you guys to see in this gif:


☞ BALANCE: After searching for all the options that match what you've listed, you need to balance each option by writing down its pros and cons. By doing that, you're actually giving yourself reasonable reasons as to why this major/job is good/bad for you instead of refusing or accepting the idea blindly... You then have to eliminate the options that have more cons than pros :)
While listing the pros and cons, you can write down that you really want this option but you have to be realistic and honest in writing why you want it so badly.

☞ PRIORITIZE: You should now be left with fewer options, much fewer even! So it's time to put them in order based on how much that option appeals to you, how many pros it has...etc. and try to come up with maximum five ranks so you'd have less options to keep thinking about.
☞ ASK: All what you have to do now is ask about your results. Ask God for guidance, your parents for their thoughts and concerns, people who are studying the majors you came up with or relate very closely to ones who do, and most importantly ask yourself...
Finally, I would just like to give you a few more tips that inshallah you'll find very helpful:
❀ Be confident about your choices and even stubborn sometimes! But don't let that stop you from listening to others and their thoughts and concerns.
❀ Always have a plan B, C, D even Z for you never know what might happen.
❀ Getting the highest percentage in school shouldn't be for showing off, nor should you be upset about not getting the percentage you wanted so badly. Focus on getting the percentage that will allow you to enter the major you want as well as the other ones in your backup plans, for when you enter university everyone - including yourself - would forget about percentages and focus on GPAs!
❀ Unless you are truly convinced of your decision, don't take a further step towards it. Yes, you can switch your major in university after you've started, but why should you waste money and at least a year of your life? ;)

Salam peeps! I'm back with another blogpost and today imma tell you guys about something I have been doing lately: decorating cakes and cookies!! I have actually taken a 'course' with my friend Dana where we decorated these yummy foods and it was so exciting! :3 As I 'learnt' the basics of decorating cakes, cupcakes, and cookies, I decided to share with you guys a few cake and cookie recipes along with their icing sugar, royal icing, and even sugar paste tips...

SO for this blogpost, imma share with you a cookie recipe and icing I have used, and share with you some pictures of what I have baked! :D

For the cookies, I used this video, which I found very simple and helpful:



One note though, is that I didn't have baking soda at home so I didn't add it to the dough, but still, it turned out to be fine and delicious :3

For the icing, I have two recipes, one for only drawing and marking the edges, and the other is for both drawing and filling in the drawn lines.

For the drawing icing, you need to add and mix by hand: one egg yolk, and two cups of sifted icing sugar added gradually (you can add more if you found the mixture to be soft and liquid-y :P), you can also add the color you like! It is important to note that this mixture dries rather quickly.

As for the filling icing, you will need: 4 tablespoons of icing sugar, 3 tablespoons of meringue powder, and 6 tablespoons of warm water (not hot, neither cold.. in between).
Sift the icing sugar and add the meringue powder then add the water.. Start by adding the water gradually for once it becomes loose, it's hard to thicken it back. Until here, you can use the mixture for drawing, so if you want a looser mixture to fill in the surface, add a little more water to the mixture!.. You can add the colors to any stage ^.^

Now that you've been given the recipes, it's time for you to show me what you've done! Tweet me pictures of your cookies and decorations to my account @AyaKholoki :D

As for me, this is what I have done with Dana, and alone:

These decorations were pretty basic as we were playing around, experimenting different design techniques and colors :3

Hope you like the recipes and my designs! Can't wait to see yours ;) Take care xx
Salam! x

Yup! A pineapple canvas DIY, that can be done as a decoration for your room or a gift to friend who loves pineapples.. Very simple, cute, and imaginative, and here are the steps you'll have to follow:

Find a picture of any pineapple and place as many copies as you want on the paper to help you place each pineapple correctly and accurately on the canvas. edit it, then print your paper once you are satisfied in grey scale, for you will be turning it into a template later on, and so no colors are needed.

Empty out the parts you want to fill with colors using scissors or an exacto knife then place your template on the canvas and secure it using tape like below

Choose the colors you want and get a sponge, and a toilet paper or a plate to squeeze some of the color out.. For this canvas, I used the colors above: red, orange, yellow, and blue for the pineapples, and green for the leaves.

Dip your sponge in your desired color and fill in the places you cut before.. You can play with the colors and textures as you can brush the color against the canvas to give it a smooth look, or you can gently tap your sponge against the canvas to create a rough look.

This is such a cute, fun, and easy DIY! If you liked it, please let me know, and if you created your own pineapple (or any other fruit) canvas, feel free to tweet me the pictures on @AyaKholoki :D I would love to hear your thoughts and comments and see your creations! ^.^

Good luck, and until next time, SALAM! <3

FINALLY! My fall semester has ended and I'm finally able to write and blog again, and it feels so good to be able to do so :') Inshallah i'll be able to upload a chapter of Backwards and a few other blogposts during this week off - yes, I only have a week off for I'm gonna start my winter semester next Sunday :( boohoohoo..

Anyway, here are a LOT of pictures of mine and my family's visit to Miracle Garden in Dubai. That place was amazing, but it was a bit upsetting that although it was filled with flowers, no beautiful scent could be smelt :( *sigh*
Nevertheless, here they are! Enjoy xx

hooray for the family shadow picture :P hehe

Hope ya like these pictures and i would REALLY recommend you to go there and see the beauty for yourself :')
Until the next blogpost, take care <3 Salam! xx