It's ALL about HENNA!
Saturday, March 26, 2005
well it's that time of the year again (it happens at least twice for me). yep, i'll be on a short hiatus but no worries, i'll be back after april 4, insya Allah. and nope, as much as i'd like say that i'm going for a sweet (turkish?) vacation, it's not that at all.
*sigh* ... one can only hope.
henna business goes on as normal although i won't be available from June 7 - June 25. do check out my hennaphile partner, theredherring cos she does kickass henna too. GMAIL for rates and other *henna* enquiries (don't ask me where your pet tortoise is, cos i wouldn't know and that would put me back on the medication that i've successfully did without for the past 3 days). i assure you that as long as i'm not zonked out or in comatose, i'd reply to your emails promptly, scouts honour!
in the meantime, here are some photos of my latest henna self-indulgence and bridal henna. tomorrow i have a date with amir the adorable. now, that SHOULD be fun! take care peeps.
be good, stay healthy, smile always and CONSTANT VIGILANCE!
.... jewel, out ...
taken by my trusty N6230, bad photo but lovely colour!
her palms, lovely and dark!
Jewel mused @ 4:15 PM | | Permalink
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
how many times have we committed a "minor" sin and thought nothing of it? did we feel remorseful? did we even think of repenting? or did we just brush it off like an irritating fly? a dear friend sent me the article below and after reading it, i feel fear and shame. for i am (hopefully, "was" soon) one of the people who thought nothing of committing a minor sin. do read the article, it's a little long but please persevere to read it till the end. may Allah bestow His Mercy upon us, strengthen our faith and protect us from evil and harm, amiin.
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Do Not Belittle Sins *
By Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid
March 08, 2005
If we say that sins are dangerous, then belittling sins and taking them lightly is more dangerous than sinning itself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us against taking sins lightly because, doing so, sins will become an inherent habit in us and we will have no problem insisting on them. This will lead the person to be categorized as a pervert (fasiq) and will lead him in the end to be subject to Allah's severe punishment, which will overtake him at anytime.
Allah has made repentance obligatory saying, [O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance] (At-Tahrim 9:8), and He has granted us time to repent until the Scribes register the sin in our names. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The Scribe on the left hand delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within these six hours), and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, they drop if off. If he doesn't, they write is down as a single sin." That is the first respite. The second respite, even if the sin is registered, is until the appearance of death before our eyes. (If we repent sincerely before that hour, it is taken off the records then).
But the problem with most people is that they do not estimate the majesty of the Lord as they should. They disobey Him in many ways, day and night. Adding insult to injury, they take many sins lightly and claim that such sins are minor and thus of no great harm. In consequence, they stare freely at pictures of women in magazines or on television. Some of them, when told about the sin of it, go a step further and inquire amusedly, "OK, what's the magnitude of the sin involved? Is it a major or minor one?"
Compare this attitude with that of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Anas said to one of his followers, "You imagine certain sins to be more insignificant than a straw. But at the time of the Prophet we used to count them among those that can destroy a man." Ibn Mas'ud said, "A believer treats a sin as if it is a mountain over his head that may fall on him any moment; whereas a dissolute (fajir) looks at them as a fly that perked on his nose and he waived it away with his hand."
Will these people then learn something from the above, and from the hadith of the Prophet that says, "Beware of the minor sins. For the example of the minor sins is like that of a group of travellers who broke their journey in a valley. Then one of them brought in a straw. Another came up with another (and a third with one more) until with their collection they were able to gather enough to cook their food. Remember! If a man is held for questioning (on the Day of Judgment) for his minor sins, surely they will destroy him." In another version he is reported to have said: "Beware of minor sins. For they add on until they destroy the man."
Scholars say that when minor sins are committed without any remorse, without the fear of Allah, and accompanied by contempt, there is fear they will be counted as major sins. To those who belittle their sins, we say, "Do not look at the sins if they are small or big. Look at Him in Whose defiance you are committing them."
Still for all sinners, the doors are opened, for Allah says, [Tell My slaves: that I am very Forgiving, very Kind] (Al-Hijr 15:49).
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* Based on an article in "I Want to Repent, But ..." by Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid. Online version: I Want to Repent, But ...
Jewel mused @ 5:55 PM | | Permalink
Monday, March 21, 2005
the first time i saw her photo, she was just 3 months old. her mama had asked me to draw a portrait of her. i couldn't refuse, i was already mesmerised by her pretty face and groovy hair. that was back in 2001.
today she turns 4. beautiful, precocious, friendly, delightful, irresistible, funny, super-duper cute! a real gem of a charmer. so very like her lovely mama.
happy birthday, darling iman *kisses*
today she turns 4. beautiful, precocious, friendly, delightful, irresistible, funny, super-duper cute! a real gem of a charmer. so very like her lovely mama.
happy birthday, darling iman *kisses*
Jewel mused @ 7:44 PM | | Permalink
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
i love the colour. it's so deliciously dark! then again, she's so lovely and fair. and like most malay girls, her skin is nice and warm. henna loves heat. hotter=darker stains. bring on the heat!
she loves it, she's happy. i'm happy that she's happy. and i love it cos she does and it makes her happy. heh.
enjoy the piccys. fabulous photos taken by husbandnwife tagteam, izadnhana. thank you!!
she loves it, she's happy. i'm happy that she's happy. and i love it cos she does and it makes her happy. heh.
enjoy the piccys. fabulous photos taken by husbandnwife tagteam, izadnhana. thank you!!
henna from mecca for cappings, indian henna for patterns.
Jewel mused @ 12:10 AM | | Permalink
Friday, March 11, 2005
she wanted something simple. she uses her hands alot for work, you see. i can imagine how a pair of heavily hennaed hands would hypnotise a class of youngsters and totally distract them. she even showed me a sample pattern that she fancied. simple, viney stuff. oh, and she didn't want any on her feet, except the traditional cappings on the digits. i wondered if i could hypnotise her into doing something more "bridal". forget the simple, viney stuff! let's go all the way, baybeh! but i didn't have to do any hypnotising. she took one look at my portfolio and fell in love with the moroccan patterns ... and changed her mind. YAHOO! so i drew a quick moroccan pattern specially for her and well, the rest is history.
i'd like to say more, but i'm kinda busy now, so let's just let the pictures do the talking. enjoy!
oh, these lovely photos were taken by the good people of izadnhana. kudos!
i'd like to say more, but i'm kinda busy now, so let's just let the pictures do the talking. enjoy!
oh, these lovely photos were taken by the good people of izadnhana. kudos!
she loves the pattern, YAY!!
hey, i even convinced her to do some stuff on her feet. heh!
hey, i even convinced her to do some stuff on her feet. heh!
Jewel mused @ 11:46 AM | | Permalink
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
hmmm .... i wanted to share some useless musings yesterday but i'm not feeling too good, see? why? cos i've got a super-leaky nose (no, not because of a fight, heh), incessant sneezing (i can feel my brains rattling in my head), the cough (my poor cat had taken to hiding under the bed) and plenty of phlegm (all the hacking and coughing it out comes complete with its own theatre sound surround system). today, i get a sharp, nippy pain in my chest everytime i breathe deeply, sneeze, cough or empty my nostrils. oh yeah, it's miserable to the pits. oh woe is meeeeeee ....
hokaaay, i'll stop all that attention-seeking self-pity talk now and get on with my midweek's list of random, painfully insipid musings. dum dee doooo ....
1) bo bice has really, and i mean really, REALLY nice eyes. yep, he does. oh and i wrote a poem about him. it's really, and i mean really, REALLY stoopid (the poem, not bo bice). i got inspired when i was at her blog. i can't help myself, see? i just had to rhyme. it's just the flaky neurotic nutcase that i am. huh? the poem? hmmm, i dunno .... i don't think the world is ready for my poetic flair. oh alright, here goes ...
bo bice has gorgeous ice (eyes) - (ok so i'm corny, so what? ... heh)
and he sure sing real nice
you think his long hair got lice?
i'd say NOO! once, twice, thrice!
i'll put down chinese hell money and a packet of lemak rice (nasi lemak ... duh!)
ok, now i'll roll the dice
that's it. don't say i didn't warn you.
2) how to get rid of buh-bye arms? y'know, the flabby, fleshy stuff hanging disgustingly down your triceps that will keep quivering long after you're done waving? yep, tricep push-ups oughta blast all that nasty flabby stuff off. i'm aching now. i'm aching 'cos i did just that yesterday and i don't even have buh-bye arms to start with. ouch ...
3) i love ben&jerry's brownie batter. it's sooooo good, i can't even believe it. it's like "out of this world" good. it's this "it's so good, it blew my mind" kinda good. it's just this "my life has changed forever" good. it's so "i can see the light at the end of the tunnel" kinda good. you know what i mean??
4) ok, back to american idol ... anwar has cool hair. and a cool voice. and a unique style. he looks like a totally nice and genuine guy. one who would not change an iota even if he wins the competition. in fact, he's so nice, cowell envisaged puppies on stage with him. but somehow i wonder, underneath all that, do you think he has nipple rings? ... hmmmm .... what a wonderful world .....
5) the henna season has started! now that's a reason to rejoice. bring it on! i'm high on eucalyptus!! wooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
6) useful or useless? ... you see someone fall down 2 flights of stairs, and you tell him, "be careful!". a car just ran over an animal and you yell at the driver, "watch out for that animal!". you see someone running frantically away from a rabid dog, and you shout, "RUN!". someone sits on a newly painted park bench and you inform him, "wet paint". yep, exactly like all my random musings. totally useless.
7) bo bice rocks cos bo bice has long beautiful shiny hair. and a nice manly voice. and really, i mean really, REALLY nice eyes. huh? i've talked about bo bice already? you sure? heh, well waddya know, i sure did! geez, i must be getting old. that or all that sneezing has dislocated my brains. i wonder why we need to use both his first and last name all the time when referring to bo bice. well, whatever the reason is, bo bice is a really cool name. bo is so ... out of place without bice. and vice versa.
alright, i'm drained and you guys are not sympathetic. i'm sick, remember???
jewel, out ....
Jewel mused @ 3:56 PM | | Permalink
Monday, March 07, 2005
1) monday mornings should be spared of all kinds of fighting/arguing/quarrelling with (insert sparring partner here) unless you want to look like a boxer on a losing streak (read: puffed-up eyes) and own the reddest (not to mention leakiest) nose in town. *sniffs* ...
2) a big mug of hot milo in the morning makes me poo-poo in a flash. not that i'm complaining, it's good to be regular and all. hmmm why am i telling people this? too much information? ok i'll go on ...
3) a quick dash to get under a building saves one from falling objects. i'd recommend using covered walkways at all times. call me anal-retentive or whatever, i just don't appreciate a pot of flowers or old windows or worse, soiled panties, to land on my head. eeuuww eeuuww eeuuww!
4) if you're late for work and you can't find your favourite pair of shoes, the ones that match so perfectly with every single piece of clothing in your wardrobe, don't kick the cat or scream at the neighbour's kids, just wear your effing sneakers, damnit! or get a pair of effing sneakers that matches every single piece of clothing in your wardrobe.
5) i love sunny, windy days. sunny goes great with windy. sunny should always hold hands with windy. sunny and windy makes a great couple. sunny without windy makes me semi-grouchy. 'cos sunny without windy makes my armpits damp and sticky all day, and that's always the pits ... heh heh heh ... ummm .... hokaaaay, moving along ....
6) why would any sane person put mothballs in his/her wardrobe? do mothballs REALLY make your clothes smell nice and fresh (and keep moths out)? i don't get it. i'm hysterical 'cos this morning i shared the elevator with someone who obviously is a big fan of mothballs. by the time we got to the ground floor, my brains were fried ..... from all the fumes! i feel like hitting someone ....
7) it's always good to see your favourite colleague back at work after a month-long hiatus. so what do you do? give her a hug of course! awwww .....
-1805hrs-
... ready for more insanely useless musings? .... right this way, people ...
8) you're at the bus stop, waiting innocently for the bus and some dude on a motorbike takes his eyes off the traffic and stares at you (yes, with the vehicle still moving), a silly, toothy grin plastered on his face. what do you hope would happen at that point? be honest, i know there are alot of sick people out there ... hyuk hyuk hyuk ....
9) sometimes the air conditioning system at work makes weird noises. today it was tap-tappity-tap, tap-tappity-tap. i can't decide. it's a toss up between a horny rattlesnake and a sprightly tap dancing spider. show yourself, damn youuuu!!! i can't work with all that racket!
10) pimples suck. i'm astonished and stupefied that for someone who is over 30, i still get 'em lil buggers. why can't they just ravage some random teenager's visage or something? i mean, come on, aren't they tired of my face already? *sigh*. someone gave this smartass advice: get married, they'll all clear up. oh really? darnit, now i have to find a husband. like my life wasn't complicated enough. bitch. grumble. complain. snivel. whine. lament. moan. grouse. is that a new pimple? shite.
had enough? i did ....
Jewel mused @ 1:28 PM | | Permalink
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
where did time go? blink and you'll miss it.
it's already march and what have i accomplished? hmmm ... (i'll get back to you on that, heh)
ok, at least i've decided on something. insya Allah. please make doa that it will happen for me.
oh and thanks for polling. turkey is cool huh? seems like a popular choice. thanks too, to those who provided tales of travel adventures. i totally enjoy reading them so keep 'em coming, k?
i actually wanted to post these photos of amir about 3 weeks ago. but my old, creaky (cranky), mouldy ixus simply refused to regurgitate the photos onto my new xp puter ... yada yada yada ... we've been through this whole explanation before. ok ok, i need to get that damn driver already. heh.
anyways, methinks that boy is one lucky wombat. being half malay-half chinese has its privileges. moreso if one is ultra-cute with heart-melting smiles and awww-sho-cute dimples. he survived his first ever cny with barely a scratch and a bigger piggybank (bigger than mine, mereckons). *sigh*. the advantages of being small and cute. he knows how to work the masses, he does. all he needed to do was cock his head to one side and give a shy smile and boom! a flurry of big, fat hongbaos would land on his lap in an instant, amidst squeals of delight and adoring coos. damn, older humans CAN be so gullible (and that includes me). heh.
hmmm, i wonder if i could eat this thing ...
i got him these irresistibly cute boots sometime ago and they made their first appearance last cny. don't you think he's all ready to conquer the world now? that's a pair of really nifty boots, if i could say so.
look out world, here comes amir the adorable!
ah yes, he is one uber cheeky wombat boy
Jewel mused @ 5:38 PM | | Permalink
.:: how to book ::.
* NOTE *
i'm not taking anymore bookings until further notice. apologies!
* NOTE *
i'm not taking anymore bookings until further notice. apologies!
.:: spinning ::.