Wednesday, 2-1-12Bismillah. I thought I knew my very best moment of the day earlier today, but got distracted and ended up saving it as a draft. Hours later — something surpassed it, but the image from before shall remain.Today, I found out I’m going to have another niece, inshaAllah :D:D Words can’t describe my joy, BUT — the best part about it? My sister told me that after my older two nieces found out, they looked at each other and said with all seriousness — “but what are we going to name her!?” and after some thought they said, “OK - maybe Amina, or maybe Nadia” … God I love being a Khala.  

Wednesday, 2-1-12

Bismillah. I thought I knew my very best moment of the day earlier today, but got distracted and ended up saving it as a draft. Hours later — something surpassed it, but the image from before shall remain.

Today, I found out I’m going to have another niece, inshaAllah :D:D Words can’t describe my joy, BUT — the best part about it? My sister told me that after my older two nieces found out, they looked at each other and said with all seriousness — “but what are we going to name her!?” and after some thought they said, “OK - maybe Amina, or maybe Nadia” … 

God I love being a Khala.  

Tuesday, 1-31-12Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — a moment of patience with the process.  

Tuesday, 1-31-12

Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — a moment of patience with the process.  

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Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — Seeing the lady at the post office. She is one of the very, very few people who sees me consistently, and although I can’t say there are very many people I can stand to see consistently, I always anticipate the smiles and light conversations with her. God bless her. 

Sunday, 1-29-12Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — painting, of course! I have a show coming up … stay tuned.

Sunday, 1-29-12

Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — painting, of course! I have a show coming up … stay tuned.


Saturday, 1-28-12Bismillah. Today was a strange, interesting, moving day — I didn’t see enough sunlight … that always makes me sad. I sat in front of the sliding glass door trying to soak in every last minute of it … I drank my juice there, ate my eggs, hummed a left over tune from yesterday, talked to my cat, listened to my breath, heard the adhan, “La howla wa la quwatta illa billah …” I repeated, wishing I could pray … I saw things today, felt things, smelled things, remembered things, tried to forget things … making all these connections … warm, milky tea inside my throat and tea plantations in Malaysia … quietly watched a stink bug crawl all over a three-hole punch with Houdini for five minutes -  five minutes is a long time to do anything continuously without interruption … I went out to check the mail and the crescent moon dangled in the sky and I smiled, oh I smiled at my old friend, so lonely and beautiful and a little sad but I always trust the sad, and as I walked back the Eastern sky stopped me in my tracks — the stars …… Houdini turns and looks at me, but his eyes seem to be looking right to my left, almost through me … “I think Houdini can see Angels,” I had said to my mom a few days ago. I stroked his head for a few seconds … and then I heard a stink bug loudly land on the lamp to my left. ”Nope, he just likes watching bugs,” my mom said … (but still, I think he sees Angels too.)… I have been thinking about being on the brink of something, and that moment right before you are not on the brink any more - that’s the truly exciting part - everything afterwards is just hard work … but pre-production? it’s like the sound of the slow, gradual crescendo of rain right before it starts pouring, like children, tip-toeing quietly into your room at 6:30 in the morning, giggling, right before they pounce on your bed and demand you embrace the morning like they have … I love the potential right before, the uncertainty … something I spend so much time exploring, maybe too much …  Well, my very best of the moment today? — the potential for it. (You must’ve seen that coming.)

Saturday, 1-28-12

Bismillah. Today was a strange, interesting, moving day — I didn’t see enough sunlight … that always makes me sad. I sat in front of the sliding glass door trying to soak in every last minute of it … I drank my juice there, ate my eggs, hummed a left over tune from yesterday, talked to my cat, listened to my breath, heard the adhan, “La howla wa la quwatta illa billah …” I repeated, wishing I could pray …

I saw things today, felt things, smelled things, remembered things, tried to forget things … making all these connections … warm, milky tea inside my throat and tea plantations in Malaysia … quietly watched a stink bug crawl all over a three-hole punch with Houdini for five minutes -  five minutes is a long time to do anything continuously without interruption … I went out to check the mail and the crescent moon dangled in the sky and I smiled, oh I smiled at my old friend, so lonely and beautiful and a little sad but I always trust the sad, and as I walked back the Eastern sky stopped me in my tracks — the stars …

… 

Houdini turns and looks at me, but his eyes seem to be looking right to my left, almost through me … “I think Houdini can see Angels,” I had said to my mom a few days ago. I stroked his head for a few seconds … and then I heard a stink bug loudly land on the lamp to my left. ”Nope, he just likes watching bugs,” my mom said … (but still, I think he sees Angels too.)

… 

I have been thinking about being on the brink of something, and that moment right before you are not on the brink any more - that’s the truly exciting part - everything afterwards is just hard work … but pre-production? it’s like the sound of the slow, gradual crescendo of rain right before it starts pouring, like children, tip-toeing quietly into your room at 6:30 in the morning, giggling, right before they pounce on your bed and demand you embrace the morning like they have … I love the potential right before, the uncertainty … something I spend so much time exploring, maybe too much …  

Well, my very best of the moment today? — the potential for it. 

(You must’ve seen that coming.)

Bismillah. Remembrance is sometimes found in random pockets and random crevices and random trails … A nametag hand-written by my father, fallen from my camera bag, found by my niece. Malaysia 2010.
1-28-12 

Bismillah. Remembrance is sometimes found in random pockets and random crevices and random trails …

A nametag hand-written by my father, fallen from my camera bag, found by my niece. Malaysia 2010.

1-28-12 

Friday, 1-27-12Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — apple + carrot + blood-orange juice concoction! 

Friday, 1-27-12

Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — apple + carrot + blood-orange juice concoction! 



Thursday, 1-26-12
Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — A thought, a statement, a fact :: Living creatively takes a lot of courage.Had fun doing this mini-photo session with designer Fatima Fazal’s new product The Heart Part today. Take a look and explore for yourself!PS - NJARTitecture Newsletter #7 link 

Thursday, 1-26-12

Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — A thought, a statement, a fact :: Living creatively takes a lot of courage.

Had fun doing this mini-photo session with designer Fatima Fazal’s new product The Heart Part today. Take a look and explore for yourself!

PS - NJARTitecture Newsletter #7 link 

Wednesday, 1-25-12Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — feeling grateful that during the past four years of my life, I’ve been able to change my lifestyle around such that I’m never forcing myself to finish any project unless my whole heart is in it. I don’t always have that luxury, but for the most part — it’s a choice we all have, whether we realize it or not, but once you realize it — you never go back.I’ve been working on my next Newsletter since January 10th and I finally finished it tonight, woofreakinhoo! Took me forever. The color scheme itself takes about 30% of my time … anyway, it’ll be released tomorrow inshaAllah :)If you want to sign up - send me an email. Access old NJARTitecture newsletters here.Peace, peace, peace … but mostly love! (it’s easier for me)  

Wednesday, 1-25-12

Bismillah. Very best moment of the day — feeling grateful that during the past four years of my life, I’ve been able to change my lifestyle around such that I’m never forcing myself to finish any project unless my whole heart is in it. I don’t always have that luxury, but for the most part — it’s a choice we all have, whether we realize it or not, but once you realize it — you never go back.

I’ve been working on my next Newsletter since January 10th and I finally finished it tonight, woofreakinhoo! Took me forever. The color scheme itself takes about 30% of my time … anyway, it’ll be released tomorrow inshaAllah :)

If you want to sign up - send me an email. Access old NJARTitecture newsletters here.

Peace, peace, peace … but mostly love! (it’s easier for me)  

Bismillah. I spilled coffee two times today — two times! — once on my dresser, once on my desk. Seriously, if that’s not a sign that something is completely off inside me — wait, I also had two nightmares two days in a row, both of which I re-entered hours later after falling back asleep — so, so strange … and telling.One consisted of saving myself, my niece and my sister from a tiger that was about to eat us up. His mouth was like the Cheshire Cat’s mouth - big teeth and scary big smile - well, he was scarier than that; he had fangs and he was SO fast and he opened the car door (yes, I guess he also had hands, not paws) to get my niece, but I was able to reach the other side of the car, distract him, unbuckle my niece’s seat belt, remove her from the car seat and start running with my sister towards the cabin … I’m such a hero(ine) — except I knew we weren’t going to make it to the cabin, so a few hours later I somehow re-entered the dream and happened to have a sandwich with some kind of meat in my bag and ended up throwing it out into the wilderness, thus distracting the crazy Cheshire tiger and living up to my destined heroine role. Bravo Nadia.The other dream? — well, let’s just say I was no heroine, but I take my dreams seriously (surprise) … 

Bismillah. I spilled coffee two times today — two times! — once on my dresser, once on my desk. Seriously, if that’s not a sign that something is completely off inside me — wait, I also had two nightmares two days in a row, both of which I re-entered hours later after falling back asleep — so, so strange … and telling.

One consisted of saving myself, my niece and my sister from a tiger that was about to eat us up. His mouth was like the Cheshire Cat’s mouth - big teeth and scary big smile - well, he was scarier than that; he had fangs and he was SO fast and he opened the car door (yes, I guess he also had hands, not paws) to get my niece, but I was able to reach the other side of the car, distract him, unbuckle my niece’s seat belt, remove her from the car seat and start running with my sister towards the cabin … I’m such a hero(ine) — except I knew we weren’t going to make it to the cabin, so a few hours later I somehow re-entered the dream and happened to have a sandwich with some kind of meat in my bag and ended up throwing it out into the wilderness, thus distracting the crazy Cheshire tiger and living up to my destined heroine role.

Bravo Nadia.

The other dream? — well, let’s just say I was no heroine, but I take my dreams seriously (surprise) …