R Nadia Sabrina

Time. It can really sneak up on you.

There are those crazy stressful moments when you feel like giving it all up. And then you remind yourself "No, you are not a quitter." There are those rare moments when you feel like putting a stop to it all. Then, you look back at all the blessings in this life that you may at that moment take for granted and say, "No, I won't stop doing what I'm doing". There are moments when other people might question the reason you are pushing yourself to do more and sometimes beyond your own capacity. BUT you have faith and believe in yourself more than anyone else.

As much as I'm blessed with a lot of support as I've mentioned before, I cannot deny and also remember when I started aere there were doubters questioning my switch of career as I'm a blogger and was a lawyer at that time. So there are some who doubt that I will even make it the first year. Also maybe because of the brand that I've done even before aere some thought I was just playing around with the idea of having my own brand. I never played around. I was always serious about it. But because of that and more, I became one of those who doubted myself self too. My own self-doubts might have crept up, but its something that I needed to just brush off and ignore. The continuous fight against our own self-doubts and fears, even more so what other people think.

Career wise, the focus was and still is on building the brand till what it is now today, and beyond.

It’s almost the end of 2017 now, and I recently celebrated aere’s 3^rd birthday (and my own 33^rd birthday). I mean, wow, has it really been that long? I didn’t even really realize it.

Its been over 3 years of me officially being in the fashion industry with aere.

On top of that, before aere I’ve been working as a lawyer for almost 7 years – and I studied for 5 years to get my law degree.

So that’s 15 YEARS since I finished high school!!!

Time really flies.

You realise this when you start to just hit the pause button and reflect for awhile. In my case right now, as I blog this post.

Now, I'm a mom too and I've been one since 5 years ago. All praises to the Almighty for this blessing.

I’ve always been someone who has always been very determined to achieve my goals, either for work or personally. I believe that when you want something, you really have to work hard for it.

You can’t expect it to come to you. Just like that. Without any effort.

And for me, that means full dedication and commitment, working above and beyond what is expected of you, long, long hours, sleepless nights and also working weekends if necessary. We need to give our all.

After that, the rest of it, whether it becomes a success, a failure, an achievement or a mistake, all that is by the will of a Higher Power, not within our control.

And now being in the fashion industry, where everything is lightning paced, I really have to be on my toes – and I also have to juggle between work, family and being a mother to my children. So sleepless nights are very common – although it’s not good for you. (I have to try my best to control it so that it doesn't happen to often though. My father always remind me in his ways to take care of my health even though work is very much important too) Just last night, I continued to think about aere's future plans as well as planning my postings, arranging my content creation, started to write this post and slept at about 5am and woke up at 8am this morning to continue working, though at this moment I'm not physically at the office.

My work revolves a lot around my gadgets, laptop and perhaps most importantly my phone for social media and to communicate with multiple people for work. So my work follows me everywhere I go as long as I have my phone with me. Sometimes nowadays I even do my photo and text editing, draft posts and blog from my phone. What people don't see is that work is never ending for me and there are a lot of sleepless nights (way before I became a mom). So I basically work everywhere and anywhere. Non-stop. Apart from being busy with work, now I'm also being a mom to my children. Juggling it all is very satisfying and fulfilling at the end of the day despite its challenges.

These are the issues that are very common with today’s women though not many open up about it. Women like me who juggle their careers and family and live in this fast-paced and non-stop lifestyle – and this definitely will affect us and our health in some way or the other.

For me, work and life in general is fast-paced and exhilarating. Juggling work and personal life is constant, non-stop.

It's a continuous struggle to find time.

The constant balancing act. Balancing work and our own personal life. Sometimes, when you love what you do so much or when you're so passionate about your job, you can't switch off and you forget that it is actually work. It might be a bad thing sometimes as you ignore other important things in life, but it also can be an amazing thing because it means that you actually love what you do. But we all need to strike that balance. At least, I know I do.

Back then (actually not that long ago) I sacrificed everything else for work. Not just the closest ones to me like friends or family but also myself and my own health. I've experienced a burn out before. Right now the constant struggle is to balance work with other important things in life like, family, friends, and my own health be it physical, spiritual, emotional or mental health. How do I try to lead a healthier lifestyle? It's not just about eating healthier food or spend more time exercising which I try to do weekly. It's also about making time for our loved ones, family and friends, find ways to de-stress, find other things other than work that we enjoy doing and make time for those things.

I'm blogging this for my future self because I love to pen my thoughts so that it acts as a reminder when I forget and as I am human, I always forget.

When you're going through it all it might get really lonely and it feels like you're facing everything alone and as though no one understands what you're going through as you don't even have the time to talk to anyone about the challenges you're going through because you're continuously just juggling everything you have in your life.

To everyone else reading this who are juggling and going through the balancing act, facing the same thing, remember that we are not alone, never alone. There are millions others just like us juggling everything and all we need to do is reach out. Life is never meant to be easy for anyone. It might seem easy on the outside but people don't share everything, no one does and it is never easy.

In the midst of all that, enjoy the journey, embrace the blessings and gifts. Being busy is a blessing and a gift in itself as well as it means that we are blessed with health for us to be able to do everything that we are supposed to do. Life in itself is a blessing though we often forget especially when we go through hardships and the stresses of life.

Expectations are all around us. From our career from our personal lives. Sometimes we feel that we are not doing enough for one or the other. Sometimes, those expectations doesn't come from others but as I personally have experienced a lot of times, it comes from within, from my own self. Pressuring myself to do better and become better. But, as much as we do that to ourselves, never forget to pause, breathe, reflect and try to balance it all out.

Take it one step at a time. Everyday is another opportunity and chance to change for the better.

Participating in a recent Instagram campaign for Ponds the past month makes me realise its important for me to take care of myself and it made me reflect and explore on how I work, how I juggle everything and how it is a constant battle. So, thank you Ponds for having me on board with your #iamnonstop IG campaign and for making me feel like sharing and blogging about this issue. It also reminds me of aere's LOVE collection campaign that aere showcased in Jakarta Fashion Week last year and released earlier this year. No matter what we do, don't forget to love ourselves enough to take care of our entire being too.

In this post I'm wearing aere's CEARA Top from LIFE collection paired with Sugarscarf and also featuring an organza top from the CHANGE collection on my mannequin and not to mention my children's soft toys, milk bottle and a book by FashionValet titled the Rise of Malaysian Designers in which I was featured together with other respected designers.

PEACE & LOVE!

Way back in August, on the night of the KLFW Black Carpet Walk of Fame i.e. the finale night of KLFW 2018, I decided to wear all white. I don't know why but it being a black carpet event, I thought it would be interesting to wear a look with a contrasting colour.

That said, I didnt want to wear something that looked too plain or not suitable for such a glamorous event. So I wore one of the most dramatic pieces from the CHANGE collection which was showcased on the runway just a few days before the finale. Yes, straight from the runway! It was one of the 24 looks we presented.

The name of the top is ARABELLA Detachable Lace Cape Top. Yes, the feathered cape is detachable guys, so you can wear it with any other tops that you already have in your wardrobe. The possibilities are endless with this one, and the detachable accessory adds instant glamour and elevates the sophistication of practically any outfit. I haven't tried it with a contrasting colour top, but I'm pretty sure it'll look awesome as well.

I paired it with the CAELI Pants, my white pair of pointy shoes and a golden scarf from Tudung People and a Charles & Keith handbag. I know there are a lot of people who are fans of the all-white look and I received comments from a lot of people that night who loved the clean aesthetic of the ARABELLA top and the feathers. The top received so many compliments from so many people in the fashion industry that night. From my own point of view, you can walk around in this top and feel like a Victoria Secret Angel (halal version) with the lovely feathers. It's not over the top at all, trust me!

We all have imaginary wings, we can all fly, if we believe. For the superhero and wonder woman in all of us. Have a piece of CHANGE.

Oh, before I forget, the proto-type ARABELLA that I wore had an organza finish at the bottom hem, but we decided to do away with it for the final version for a more streamlined top and easier to be tucked in if necessary. The ARABELLA is available in 2 must-have colours and will be released TOMORROW together with other designs. You guys do check out aere's IG for more updates.

Anyways, yes it's a little overdue but maybe I'll share what happened at the show in my next post!

All photos captured by Hazimah.

PEACE & LOVE!

Things don't go as planned sometimes. Sometimes it goes better than planned. But, sometimes it just doesn't. In my previous post last Thursday, I mentioned that I was going to blog about something else. I thought of blogging about it on Friday, the next day but Elhan was unwell. Change of plans. I had to go out for a work meeting and when I got back it became worse that night. Apart from fever, coughing and flu he had also started vomitting a lot, every time we fed him, all of it goes back out. So we decided to bring Elhan to the clinic that night and most of the ones nearby were closed.

We then went to the emergency department of the nearest hospital and thank God we did. His temperature was 40 degrees! The last time Elhan had fever earlier this year was when he was 2 months old and it was 39 degrees and it turned out he had to be hospitalised for 8 long days. It got a little more complicated than just a fever, and on the advice of the doctor, other than all the treatments he had to undergo we also had him circumsized. Imagine the fear that I had when I found out his fever was 40 degrees this time around.

They immediately asked us to take off all his clothes except his pampers and sponged him at the hospital, and then put some meds inside him through his back. He was so scared of doctors, nurses and hospitals because he had a traumatising experience doing an ultrasound just over a month ago. It was really nothing and not painful at all but he was just scared of the whole ambience and experience. So now he would cry whenever we have to hold him down and still. My heart breaks to see him like that but at the same time I just had to cheer him up and comfort him. But that experience made him so scared now whenever the nurses and doctors wanted to do something to help him get better.

They also had to do blood tests that night and first they tried drawing the blood from his right hand, but the blood stopped going out so they had to draw blood from the other hand. He literally screamed his lungs out. Usually when he goes through his scheduled injections he doesn't cry as much but the fact that everyone had to hold him down to take the blood out makes him scared even more.

But I guess that is normal for babies. Sometimes, even some adults are scared of needles.

When he was 2 months old he couldn't move about and was so tiny so I guess it was easier for the nurses and doctors but now since he's moving about so he can actually try to crawl away and at one point he even kicked Khubayb coz he was in so much pain.

Anyways, we waited for a few hours and it was almost 3am that night and all praises to the Almighty that once the blood tests came out, the Doctor told us that he didn't have to be warded. But we still needed to monitor him for 48 hours. So whatever plans (or plans to do nothing) that we had this weekend had to be cancelled. We had to really focus on him and nothing else. We were lucky because my mother came just to help us out with the kids as we needed to give more focus on Elhan. He's not being his usual bubbly and active self.

So we've been taking his temperature every other hour. Been trying to give him his meds which now has become more challenging than last time because he really doesn't want to eat his meds and there are no other tricks that we can do anymore since he is already such a smart boy. We tried to reason with his saying its to make him better etc but sometimes we had to go to the very last resort huhu. Which is to use force. I hate that the most. But I guess we have to, its out of love and the desire to make him better.

Sometimes we might hate things that are actually good for us.

He's still unwell now. The fever goes up and down. It's almost 48 hours up and I hope that he gets better tomorrow so that we don't have to the hospital again. May God cure our lil Elhan.

Something else happened in between all of this. An external annoyance, touching on my family matters. I really do not have the time to entertain such things. So I won't go into detail about it. I decided to shut it out and just focus on my son. I figured there are some who follows our every step and are just waiting for something bad to happen to us. Hate to see us happy and happy or glad to see us fall. For what reason, I'm not really sure. But, I'm not going to give them the privilege.

Anyways, to the kind souls who are reading this, please pray for our Elhan's good health, speedy recovery and may he be protected from any evil, sickness as well as ill-intentions from other people. May God bless your souls abundantly for your kindness in doing so.

If any of you are a parent, do leave some tips on how you guys deal with a child who is unwell. I've heard so many different things like: have to bathe him, regularly, but some tell me not to bathe a baby having fever, have to keep him warm, keep him cold, so many contradictory advice. Share with me!

This one was captured this afternoon. One of the rare moments when he was being his cheerful self this past 48 hours. Eventhough it was just about 5 minutes, it's everything. So much LOVE! His smile makes every single thing more than worth it. Alhamdulillah.

PEACE & LOVE!

Indeed, sometimes love can be very complicated. Sometimes it can be so simple. Love can sometimes also be a mystery. Or is it mysterious all the time?

Have you ever had this burst of emotions that you just want to express and scream out but for some reasons you can't share it? Its either you can't share it due to internal or external reasons. You want to but can't? I've been having those moments a lot since I became a mom. Like, I want to share every single thing but I can't. Either because I am just not able to or sometimes, choose not to for the benefit of my children or sometimes even myself. It can be quite hard not to since I've always been a sharer and a documenter about pretty much a lot of things in my life, not all of course.

Wow, it is already the last day of November today. Time really flies by so fast. I feel like I have been repeating that. But it really feels like that, even though there were times that moved so slowly.

I'm still at the hospital with my son, Elhan. It's his 8th day being unwell and we are still here and we have no idea when he will recover and we are still praying that he will get well soon and we all will get out of here soon.

It is heartbreaking to see him suffer. But if staying here and continuing the treatments are what's best for him, then we definitely wouldn't want to do anything else because he is our top priority at this moment in time, ever since we had him and we will only do what is best for him, nothing less.

I'm so thankful for the help from family and friends and all the wishes, tips, prayers, messages via comments on IG, this blog and an overwhelming lot of personal direct messages on IG. So grateful to everyone who have shown love and support towards Elhan through this time. May you all be blessed and rewarded abundantly for your kindness.

I blogged about LOVE in my post LOVE BOUND earlier this year in January 2017:

"L O V E

A big word.

4 letters, 1 syllable.

It has different definitions for different people.

Different meanings in different situations.

It means different things at different times.

Sometimes we show it, sometimes we don't.

And we show it in different ways too.

It can make perfect sense when it shouldn't make any sense.

It can exist out of nothing yet it can be our everything.

So simple yet so complex.

So subjective yet so beautiful.

So generic, yet can also be so specific.

So confusing yet so straightforward.

So deep and so meaningful.

It brings comfort and joy but at times it brings tears and pain.

One of nature's best gift to us and the universe's greatest energy.
One of life's greatest blessing, other than life itself."

I wrote that in January and now after just 11 months, those things that I mentioned remained the same and I still relate to to it very much but at the same time things totally changed. My life totally changed this past two months. Totally. Again.

I also mentioned about it in my recent post, CHANGE : My Universe.

But some things remain a mystery. I wish I can share, but not yet. Just not yet.

It is amazing how the exact same thing or situation can change and give different meanings at different phases or stages of life.

The inspiration of the title of this post is actually a song which I have mentioned in about 4 different blogposts, at very different stages of my life. The year I got married, way before I was thinking about ever having children, then the first year after I became a mother to my first child, and then the second year after being Jibrael's mother and then, now almost a year after I became a mother to my first living child, Elhan.

The song is Brighter than Sunshine by Aqualung. I've been listening and singing this song a number of times throughout the day today.

Each line of the lyrics give different meanings to me at different times and I remember how it gave me such an uplifting mood singing it to Jibrael the day before I gave birth to her and it was just so beautiful.

And now, here I am, blogging this in the hospital, listening to this song on repeat while I'm typing this, with a totally different meaning when I listened to it almost 5 years ago, stealing some moments while he is peacefully sleeping (those who have been through having their child in a hospital would know that that rarely happens when they are sick) writing this down, documenting this feeling that I have for my first living child, Elhan, sitting down at the sofa next to his hospital bed where I have slept in this past few days together with him, next to him, worried sick, but trying my utmost best not to show it to him, to cheer him up, be positive despite what may look like a negative situation. (By the time I'm finalising this post he is already up and and going through his nebuliser treatment and just had his doses of meds)

I can't explain what the song means to me. But, it hits me. Even more so now, than before. Certain things in life, really remains a mystery. And that is what I have, what I feel for my children, the ones here and the ones in heaven. Others may not understand but its a bond that I only felt, once I fell for them, instantly. The ones I would do anything for, the ones who I would really, bleed myself dry for. My children. Each and every single parent sacrifices their life for their children, although it might be in different ways or different style as each of us are unique and different in our own ways. But its something that only we know, sometimes we might not even realise it, but God knows.

Anyways, I also shared the music video at the bottom of this post for the benefit of anyone who has never heard this song before. Here are the lyrics to the song:

I never understood before. I never knew what love was for. My heart was broke, my head was sore - What a feeling. Tied up in ancient history, I didn't believe in destiny. I look up, you're standing next to me - What a feeling. What a feeling in my soul - Love burns brighter than sunshine, Brighter than sunshine. Let the rain fall, I don't care. I'm yours, and suddenly you're mine. Suddenly, you're mine; And it's brighter than sunshine. I never saw it happening. I'd given up and given in. I just couldn't take the hurt again - What a feeling.

Love will remain a mystery,
But give me your hand, and you will see.
Your heart is keeping time with me.

When I talked about the song in my previous posts, mainly it was about my family or more so, children. (Read : Feeling in My Soul, Second in Heaven : 15.1.15, Counting Down the Days : 14.1.14 : Expect the Unexpected X and lastly one from way before i had my children many many years ago when I still had a twitter account and there was no IG yet at the time : My Weekend with Music in Bed).

I captured the images of the paintings in this post which was displayed just outside Elhan's ward. There were no mention of the artist at the side so I couldn't credit him or here but I love how they displayed this lovely colourful paintings which really uplifts the mood, transforming a negative situation into a more positive experience. It can be hectic and exhausting but small little things like this makes a big CHANGE in someone's mindset, mood and feelings.

PEACE & LOVE!

Today, I am reminded of the land that I visited twice, once in 2012 and then again in 2015, when I did my umrah.

The holy land of Madinah. The place where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived in. The most perfect man who is a blessing and mercy to all the lands and all mankind.

It is one of those few places that I've ever travelled to that actually gives a raw feeling of peace and contentment from the moment I stepped foot on it. It's too beautiful, beyond words. And I really miss it, even more so today on the date of the Prophet's Birthday. This photo of me (that small dot in blue in the middle of the photo) was captured by the husband when we were in Madinah in 2015.

May God grant me the rezeki to go back there one day together with my loved ones and hopefully to those who have never stepped foot in Madinah, I pray that you will be invited there one day and will witness its beauty as it is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime, I feel. When you are there, all your troubles and sorrows disappear, and you feel that you have a direct and uninterrupted conversation with God and feel near to the Prophet Muhammad. (But, of course we do have the opportunity to have a direct conversation with God from any parts of the world at any time)

Anyways, in Malaysia, the Prophet's birthday is a public holiday.

Khubayb, Elhan and I are spending the day in the hospital today, going through his treatments to make him better, he hates some of it really bad, because its painful or uncomfortable or just he simply doesn't like it but it is what is best for him though he might not know it now. Similar to us and our trials. This is when I'm also reminded that sometimes we hate something that is good for us, and sometimes we love something that is bad for us. We are rarely able to look at the bigger picture ejen we are tested but we must have faith.

Sometimes when you go through a hardship, there are those moments when you cannot fight it and the weight of your troubles comes down on you.

Elhan reminded me of this throughout the stay here. Means, something that seemed so negative might be actually a positive thing if we look at the bigger picture.

We also had a few family members who came to visit Elhan here at the hospital today.

Sometimes when you go through a hardship, you just go through it and push aside all the negative thoughts and feelings that is definitely there when you are in a hardship but there are those rare moments when you cannot fight it and the weight of your troubles comes down on you.

I'm reminded of the Prophet Muhammad's sayings or hadiths and they are timely :

1. "The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial.

When Allah loves someone, He tests them"

So whenever we're going through something really hard, that stresses us out to the max, that makes us feel like we're going crazy, just remember to remind ourselves the above: one of the sayings of the Prophet. And this comes from the most perfect man who have ever lived in this world. And he was tested greatly. Much much more than any one of us if we even read his real life story briefly.

Just remind ourselves, God tests whom He loves.

2. “No fatigue, nor disease, nor anxiety, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Found this from the article "Tired of Difficulties?"

I'm definitely imperfect and not without sin. So to go through fatigue, anxiety, hurt or sadness and knowing that God expiates our sins for that, it feels justified. Might as well here in this world, and not there.

I so needed the 2 hadiths right now. Peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad for comforting us with his sayings while we go through whatever that we go through in life.

I remember when I was in the hospital carrying Jibrael, I was there for the longest time, 78 days and one of my aunties reminded me about this. And also she mentioned, she becomes worried when she is not tested and not going through any challenges, as she is scared that she is not loved enough. Sometimes the test of ease is worse than the test of hardship as it makes us forget about what truly matters. It makes us forget that this world is temporary and nothing physical, no situation, no emotions or feelings are ever permanent. That is why life is such a roller coaster ride. It is never stagnant. It is full of ups and downs.

Just before I started writing this tonight, I was about to start to burst out from the pressure and complain. I've kept a so called "strong" image the past few weeks for my son. But, I was just about to give in, crumble and accept that I am weak. As in, about what's currently happening and what I'm personally going through right now.

But, at this moment, remembering his birthday and blogging about this is reminding me to be thankful. Thankful for the hardship that I'm going through right now. Thankful for life and all its challenges. Thankful for the tests.

May we be granted with continuous patience, perseverance and strength to go through what we go through on a daily basis. And when we are at our lowest level, may we be given reminders to rejuvenate and strengthen our faith in Him and His plans for us.

May God increase our knowledge about this most perfect man and example, Prophet Muhammad saw, may we always try to emulate his inspiring characteristics and may our love for him increases. Amin.

Happy hols to all Malaysians!

PEACE & LOVE!

Started to blog this at 2 am after looking at Khubayb and Elhan fast asleep on the hospital bed while I’m sleeping on the sofa tonight. I’ve been sleeping with Elhan, by his side, on the bed since that night we brought him to the emergency department 11 days ago. I didn’t leave his side at the hospital except when I had to bathe, or on some days that I didn’t eat the hospital food and went down to get some

food, and the few hours that I had to go to the office that one day because I had to, to resolve some issues and finalise certain things with aere’s team as they are heavily preparing for our next international show and exhibition happening this week. Someone’s also unwell at home so I went back for awhile last night just to be there at home while Khubayb stayed slept with Elhan.

He was 40 degrees when we first brought him here 11 days ago. And after he was admitted last Monday, 7 days ago, his temperature went to 39 and 40 a few times. He had to go through nebulisers, countless injections, his line had to be done at different places because his veins were infected and swollen, one of the days he turned really red like a lobster, he luka or bled coz he moved during nose suction where they insert tubes like small vacuums to suck out the phlegm etc, and there was a time he scratched his legs till they bled because of itchiness. He had his line done on both hands as well his feet for the drip because he couldn’t eat and drink without vomiting and he had no appetite for a few days. They have taken out the drip a few days ago but the other new antibiotics had to be administered through the line for at least 1 hour to make it less painful for him. He has been crying nonstop when the new antibiotics was administered so when they checked, the injected place where they connected the line was infected and swollen again.

So yesterday he had to redo the new line, again. Every time a new line is established he’s so scared of it and he cries (not as bad as when the nose and mouth suction is done twice a day though) but of course that’s normal. The nebuliser was done every 4 hours initially including in the middle of the night. But when he seemed a lil better it became every 6 hours and now every 8 hours. The first 2 times he went through the nebuliser treatment he resisted, cried a bit and was so scared of it but after a while he seems like he accepted the fact that it has to be done and it will make him better. Redha face. So he doesn’t resist as much and there were a few times that he actually slept when he is on nebulisers. Only last night he was a bit apprehensive when he had to do the nebuliser treatment yet again. Probably just exhausted after all the days in the hospital, being unwell and undergoing so many treatments and eating all the meds. Such a strong boy our lil fighter Elhan.

So yes Elhan is still in the hospital at this moment.

It’s unexpected to have to stay this long with what started out as just a fever which the doctor discovered is very much more complicated. But we continue to do what’s best for him. This is not the first time he was hospitalised, earlier this year in February he was admitted and we had to stay in the hospital for 8 days, me and him and we were only discharged the afternoon before my trip to London for work. I have been in the hospital much longer to care for my children before, Elhan’s elder siblings but though I have done so it’s still heartbreaking to see your child unwell or at the hospital. Thank God the ambience of this hospital is quite colourful and one of the most cheerful and friendly I’ve ever been to as are the nurses and doctors which is so nice to have for the kids. It does help lift up the mood a bit.

Thanks to all the prayers, love, support from everyone and all the treatments that Elhan has gone through the past 11 days, he can now be his cheerful active self. Not as active as usual before he became unwell but now he can stand and crawl again and his appetite and cheekiness is back. Yayyy! All praises to the Almighty now E is getting better.

He is not going to be discharged today but I will have to leave not just the hospital but Malaysia very early tomorrow morning. Sometimes I’m worried at the thought of leaving him here. But I know I shouldn’t worry too much. It sucks to go while he is still in the hospital but as a working mum, I got to do what I gotta do. As some say, one day he will understand. Still I will be leaving with a heavy heart. Plus, his condition is getting better today so I’m a little less worried now than yesterday.

A question to moms : Is it normal to feel not so good when you have to go for a scheduled work trip or continue your other obligations but your child is still in the hospital or unwell so you can’t be around them when they need you the most?

I asked the same question on IG last night and received so many replies via WhatsApp, personal text and direct messages saying that it’s totally normal. I guess like what I’ve mentioned in my previous post before, this is what juggling being a mother and having a career is all about. It’s a constant balancing act.

Alhamdulillah now he looks much better but the fact that he is still not well and won’t be discharged before my work trip kind of sucks. But of course I can’t be selfish, if the doctor says he must stay and continue his treatments then I have to let them do what’s best for him because nothing else even matters and making him better is the first priority. But it kinda sucks that I won’t be here with him throughout especially since I have been by his side throughout the hospital stay, treatments, sleeping with him, comforting him the past 10 days. I was told not to worry too much, but I guess it’s normal for a mother to worry about their child when something like this happens. But I have to remind myself to worry less, and leave it all to the Almighty since we have done our best to give him the best care and medical attention possible. It doesn’t feel good to leave but may he be protected always and may God heal Elhan. I have faith and I believe that all will be well for both my family and my work if God wills it. May He determine what’s best for both.

Just a quick curahan hati here before I leave the hospital. I started this post at 2am last night but had to stop a few times, being in the hospital, typing from my phone when I can steal some time. Right now I’m waiting for my turn to do a nasal swab at the outpatient section downstairs because the doctor wants to see where my husband or I am a carrier of a bacteria which they found in Elhan’s body yesterday. After this is done I will take my stuffs in our room at the ward, rush to the office to meet the aere team, finalise the looks and continue to discuss other things that we were only able to discuss through Whatsapp and email, just settle everything before our morning flight tomorrow, pack for the loooonnnnng trip, settle things at home and just go with the flow.

May God fully cure my son Elhan, make it easy for my family, and for my team and the whole work trip.

We have given our best, our 100%, and have received so many good wishes and prayers from everyone. Now, I leave everything to the Ultimate Planner and I’m writing this post to remind my worrier self, NOT TO WORRY.

When he was getting better and started being his active self, Elhan didn’t want to stay on the bed. Unlike the first few days where he was too exhausted to move above and either was lying down or being extra clingy and wanted us to carry him all the time. But now that he is getting better, I wanted to lure him to go back on to the bed so I put all his toys on the bed and this was his reaction to it. Hehe. Yay, my happy baby is back !

Khubayb wanted to comfort him while he was crying during one of the nebuliser sessions so he put the other one to his nose to show him that he’s not alone and then took out his phone for a selfie, and it worked!

Khubayb sent this to me last night as it was my first night since Elhan was hospitalised that I am not there to be there by his side and sleep with him.

Bye everybody, don’t worry about me. I’ll be FINE God-willing. May God protect us all and bless all the kind souls who have sent well wishes and prayed for us. Much love!

PEACE & LOVE!

Hello from Dubai! So yes, here’s me announcing that I am now in Dubai! I blogged my last post in the hospital and now I’m blogging this post in my room here in sunny yet cold Dubai.

After I blogged my last post and got the test done, I went to the office, finalised the looks for our shows, took a lot of aere pieces back for me to mix and match, plan my outfits to wear in Dubai, and of course to take OOTDs, I mean it’s my first time in Dubai! Of course I would take the opportunity to capture OOTDs as much as possible!

After all was done at the office, meeting with my team who has everything under control and of course I have to mention I am super proud of them and how they have independently handled almost everything for this third international fashion show for aere. Our first international show was in Jakarta Fashion Week in October 2016 and our second International show happened at Singapore Fashion Week, just recently. Anyways, after everything is settled at the office that night I went back home, to plan my outfits, rushed to get some stuffs for the house and run errands since I’ve left the house for quite some time since I’ve been staying at the hospital, changed money from RM to AED, pick up specs for my helper, bought stuffs for the house etc, and then I continued to plan outfits and pack. Rushing all the way as I planned to stay at the hospital that night with Elhan and the husband so that I can Uber from the hospital to the airport.

Turned out it took very long, as expected eventhough I have tried my level best to really rush it. Because usually when I plan for a travelling trip I start to pack few days in advance especially when it comes to far away trip and work trip. But, I just managed to take the aere pieces that night and only get the chance to mix and match etc that same night so turns out I was doing it the whole night without any sleep so I did not get to go to the hospital and left straight from home. All praises to the Almighty, at this moment Elhan is already at home. Alhamdulillah. Its such a relief to know that he is recovering and my family is helping to monitor him at home.

Anyways, what you see in this post are actually photos of me not-sleeping at all (PLUS the nights before at the hospital, I couldnt get much sleep also). That’s why the cover of this post is the one with me in sunnies!!

I left home at 6am, reached at about 7am before the counter was open and managed to check in smoothly. Waited for the rest of the team, shot this OOTD in denim and some videos and then went in. Things didn’t go smoothly inside though as there were some issues at customs but managed to settle it before the gate closes. And Alhamdulillah I made it here with the aere team. Pat, Haz and Yana.

So here in this post I am proud to annouce that aere is in Dubai!!!

Now, we are here for aere’s first debut at Dubai Modest Fashion Week. We are showcasing a totally new collection that we have been working on for the past few months. The fashion show is happening TONIGHT at 8pm Dubai time. Also, we have a booth and will be exhibiting our pieces for buyers and also customers. The venue is amazing as it is right at Burj Park, next to the Burj Khalifa so we have the close up view of the Burj Khalifa at the booth as well as the show.

Oh yes, so since the flight from KL to Dubai is 7 hours I know I needed to be in a very comfortable outfit. So here I am wearing aere’s LAVEDA Denim Pants, and aere’s ARABELLA Top without the feather accesory which I wore in my recent post, as well as the MARNIE Zip Up Denim Jacket. Needed the jacket because I always freeze in flight. I’m also wearing a new Sugarscarf that I just received from them 2 days before I left to Dubai and also wearing Dida matte lip cream in Flirt.

I wanted to blog much earlier actually but I’ve been busy with the aere team here from day to night since we arrived on 5th December 2017. I could have just shared a quick post of just the photos and posted it earlier but I’ve made it a point to really share what’s happening when I blog so I really needed the time to compose my posts before I publish them. For instance this post took me about 3 hours wihout any disruptions for me to finalise. I’ve captured a lot of videos and photos to share the journey of my first trip ever to Dubai for aere and I really can’t wait to share it here soon if God wills it.

May all goes well at the booth and the fashion show today. May all be well.

Its 11am now as I am about to post this and I’m getting ready right after I post this up and will head to Burj Park. If you are in Dubai, come and say hi at aere’s booth!

Photos by Hazimah Hanafi

PEACE & LOVE!

aere has really been travelling and going places which I honestly never expected when I first started, or at least, so soon after I started. What a roller-coaster ride it's been. Starting from July of last year, we first went to the UK for the first Pure London trade show in 2016, and then in October 2016 to Indonesia for our first international fashion show at Jakarta Fashion Week.

Then earlier this year, aere packed our bags to go back to the UK in February for Pure London where I also attended London Modest Fashion Week, and then travelled closer to home to Brunei for a major sale right after that to reward some of our most loyal customers. Right after that we went to Singapore for a styling session and meet & greet, then we went back to Brunei for a meet & greet as well as Eid sale where our items were sold out and had to be restocked and we returned to the Lion City for our first entry to the Singapore Fashion Week show. To end the year, we were invited to the UAE at the Dubai Modest Fashion Week as the only Malaysian brand here in Dubai showcasing a totally new collection as well as exhibiting our pieces at the booth! The location of the event is at Burj Park which is so near the Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world at this moment so the backdrop of the show and our booth is the skyline and also the Burj Khalifa itself!

Travelling may sound glamorous but honestly when you travel for work it's anything but as the preparations, the travelling, the logistics, the anything-that-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong-in-a-foreign-country dramas, and much more, really take out a lot out of you. (Will share about those dramas here soon, maybe) I only managed to get 3-4 hours sleep daily here in Dubai. Being in the hospital right before Dubai was good practice. It can be really hectic, challenging and exhausting. At the same time, of course, travelling just opens up so many doors and meeting new people and opportunities and going to countries I've never been!

And this year, aere has been able to travel only because I have such an amazing, dedicated and hard working team to help me out. Their team work is craze great! Without them, I'd really wouldn't have been able to manage all this alone. It really wouldnt have happened without them. Someone asked me how I juggled being a mom and being so Busy with aere and I said “I have and amazing team” because it’s true and I’m super proud of them. I blogged about my time in the hospital before we went off to Dubai, so pretty much everything was handled by them - and also most of our various travels this past year or so was also down to them (special mention : Pat, Haz and Yana!) I'm just so thankful to have them and having them in aere’s team has indeed been a blessing.

Anyways, this post is just the beginning of my Dubai series because really I documented so many things here in the form of videos and photos. Till then, here are some photos of aere in Dubai.

The view from my room

Our walkway at Burj Park, I captured this the day before the event.

With Pat, Haz, Yana just outside the #DMFW venue the day before the event during the setup. Love them !

The bridge on our way to the venue on the day of the DMFW event

Captured the Burj Khalifa from the bridge that we need to cross to get to the event on the day of the setup. And Yana’s yellow aere’s LACINIA Top matches that snail hehe.

My smart and beautiful girls who made all of this happen!

Spot aere!!!

(Hint : 43)

aere’s goodie bags for guests to our show

The backdrop of our booth, the Burj Khalifa.

Our clean and minimally decorated booth, focusingnon what we are most proud of, our aere designs!

If only you know the drama behind the scenes! But, hey, we still managed to smile in all the photos and videos!

View from my room at night in Dubai.

Reminds me how tiny and small I am in this big world. Certain things are just beyond our control as there is a higher power controlling everything that happens. All we need to do is give everything our best shot and our 100 percent. The rest is determined by Him.

#rnadiaTRAVELS #DMFW #aereDUBAI

PEACE & LOVE!

As soon as we reached Dubai, we headed to our apartment to check in. I was so impressed with the deco of our apartment because the colours were different shades of blue, white and silver! And of course blue is my favourite colour and it felt like the room is just so aere. So meant to be!

So from my airport look which I shared in my post, HI FROM DUBAI, I changed the denim pants and wore aere's ELORA Denim Skirt from aere's CHANGE Collection as showcased at KL Fashion Week and just had to take some OOTD shots with this stunning blue sofa in my room.

Love how I could just change a piece of clothing to create a different look and different feel to an outfit. And the room being different shades of blue, silver and white just lifted my mood though I was very much jet lagged at the time after the 7 hours flight, not to mention the other time spent at the airport etc. Ignore my eye bags, I only managed to sleep for a few hours on flight and as I mentioned in my previous post I did not get to sleep the whole night before that and the days before that was just sleepless.

So here's me in aere's first Denim Skirt ELORA, ARABELLA Top without the feathered lace accessory which I wore in FEATHERED LACE, MARNIE Jacket I wore in HI FROM DUBAI and also Sugarscarf!

Till my next post!

Photos on sofa by Raja Iliana Raja Norsan and the rest by Hazimah Hanafi

PEACE & LOVE!

The end-of-year festive season is here and I love the culture of giving gifts to loved ones as it encourages and cultivates love and appreciation. When we get gifts for others it also makes us try to learn about the other person and at the same time its quite fun to guess what the other person would like when we are buying them gifts.

Had a Christmas gathering with FV yesterday and we exchanged gifts as Secret Santas and wore red and green. I literally had about 1 hour to look for a gift after coming back from Dubai and then rushed here and there to find a nice and matching packaging. In the end, I packed it myself, cut myself with the celotape tool, but all in all I kind of really liked the end result. Its something that I myself would have loved to get!

I kind of liked the gift that I bought but I don’t think the recipient knows I am her Secret Santa. So its a she hehe. And hint: she’s sitting so near to me in this photo of the large group of people. I hope you like the gift and find it useful.

I dont know who my Secret Santa is.

Whoever you are, thank you for the gift. Its a really beneficial gift, good for my health and its a good reminder for you to drink more, me being someone who doesnt drink a lot. Your pretty gift makes it easier for me to push myself to drink more!

One for the album!

Someone mentioned that Haz looks like my daughter or younger sister in Dubai recently. Sister I have heard before, but daughter!

Used to see them every single day. Miss! Jaja, Dada, Marissa, Iman.

Jaja love! Quick catch up yesterday. Working mommies with full on eyebags.

The other 2 I used to see every single day also. Hui Chin and Balqis. And Balqis is the first ever person who approached me from FV when I became their influencer at the time, must be like 4 years ago. Then we met at the Downy event. Miss them!

Just a photo that I did for Ponds recently with a Christmas tree and pressies as the backdrop. The outdoor lighting was on point!

PEACE & LOVE!

My mood lifted when I see the colours of this room. It's so calming and bring so much peace in the midst of all the chaos and hectic schedule.

In my post Denim Skirt Blue Sofa in Dubai I shared about how impressed I was when I saw the room because of the different shades of blue. Not just that. Since it's like a hotel slash apartment, it was the perfect choice for us to stay in with all the 9 or 10 luggages that we have with us consisting of all the aere pieces that we brought for the fashion show, our booth as well as my own OOTDs. So at times it because like our operation room as well other than a just a place for us to stay in.

There are 2 spacious rooms plus a living room, dining room and kitchen. There's a microwave, washing machine and dryer too! It's really complete, plus there's a grocery shop just nearby where we bought our meals and frozen food for our lunch and dinner. We rarely eat out and usually have quick lunch or dinner in between our schedule at the apartment. It's really so convenient.

Sorry I didn't manage to capture the photos of the rest of the apartment but it was actually captured in video which I will find the time to edit (one day, I'm trying my best!). But if you want to check it out, google 48 Burj Gate and you will find lots of photos online.

I'm really happy with the choice made by the team and plus, I get to take some of my OOTDs inside the room as well, just like this one. The backdrop of these photos is at the dining area and it's so pleasant to look at for me personally and I love how those deco flowers are so abstract. Not to mention, while I was posing for this shot I was actually facing the Dubai skyline view since we stayed at level 35. I feel like when you have an ambience or a backdrop like this, even though we tend to be stressed out at certain points but it somehow makes it all better. At least, that's how I truly feel at that time.

Hats off to the team for choosing a great place to stay in! I love it! It's so aere and I'm just so happy with it. If we ever ever go back to Dubai again, I really wouldn't mind staying at the same place. It's also just next to the Metro and we could actually walk to the Dubai Mall (10 minutes walk using the esclator bridge). Comparatively, with other hotels, the price is very reasonable too! So for me, if you're going for a business trip with about 3/4 people, this place comes highly recommended. And this is my honest review, no one paid me to say all this. Hehe. I think that it will also be suitable for family trips.

By the way, I'm wearing aere's AURORA Top which was just released in new colours including this blue after a lot of demand from so many people. It was sold our in a day the last time it was restocked and so we came up with even more colours this time and it might be the last time we are restocking so check them out before your size runs out!

Photos by Hazimah

PEACE & LOVE!

So aere has really been going places and this year we have travelled so much together as I mentioned in my previous posts. I know for a fact that aere wouldn't have made it this far without the support of my blog readers who started to support aere when aere had zero followers on Instagram 3 years ago. Now, we have 113,000 followers on IG and aere really wouldn't have made it this far without everyone's constant love and support. It is a collective movement and not just about just a brand or an individual.

On 28th October 2017, for the first time ever, aere had our fashion show at Singapore Fashion Week 2017 at the gorgeous venue National Gallery Singapore, which just so happens to be on aere's 3rd Birthday or 3rd Anniversary. This post marks another special milestone for aere and for all the love and support that aere and I have received, I really feel like giving on this Friday. So to thank everyone who has supported aere, and shared your #wearaere photos on IG this is also going to be a giveaway post so scroll down to know more.

I'm feeling really grateful and because of that we are doing a giveaway here before the year ends! Will share how two lucky readers can win a piece from aere's CHANGE collection at the bottom of this post. Before that, let me share the official photos of all 8 looks showcased and presented on that historical day for aere. By the way, aere just had a big release today of the CHANGE collection so most of the designs that you see in this post are already available online now.

So before sharing about the giveaway, here are the 8 looks showcased in its exact order.

Look 1

Look 2

Look 3

Look 4

Look 5

Look 6

Look 7

Look 8

As mentioned above, really, aere wouldn't have gone this far without the love and support from everyone. It all started from this blog and the support of all my readers here so here's me trying to give a little back. I would like to do a giveaway here where 2 of you can actually win any aere piece from the CHANGE collection of your choice!

Just share with me in the comment box below

1) which is your favourite CHANGE on the Singapore Fashion Week runway look from the photos above ?

2) what does CHANGE means to you?

Easy peasy! I'd love to hear from you!

PEACE & LOVE!

When I saw this silver stripes wall in my room in Dubai, I knew I had to shoot this silver look OOTD of my matching outfit here!

I’m wearing aere’s BAILEY Flared Sleeves Top made with lined organza fabric. Am loving the drama of the exaggerated sleeves. The top was just released online yesterday together with other various designs from the CHANGE collection. Paired it with aere’s TAINA Pants and a matching Sugarscarf.

Anyways, I’ve been focusing so much on work lately that I feel like I haven’t gotten time to spend with the family. So after posting this post I’m gonna take some time off for awhile this weekend and just spend time with family, husband and the kids. Need to continue to work on managing my time better for work life balance.

Happy weekend everybody!

PEACE & LOVE!

So Elhan turned 1 year old recently. 12 months old. 365 days. 8,760 hours. 525,600 minutes. 31,536,000 seconds.

Every second counts. When we are spending time together. When we are apart because of work or anything else. All the moments that he is alive and healthy is a gift and a blessing. Whatever that I went through before has taught me that life is short and I must always be thankful for this borrowed life. All praises to the Almighty that one year has passed for Elhan. He has passed 31,536,000 seconds. All thanks to Him.

Nothing in this world is easy. It is not meant to be. But life is made easier when there is love. Especially the unconditional kind.

I was in Dubai on the date of Elhan’s first birthday and I knew a few months before that I would not be able to be there with him on his first birthday because of other obligations in relation to work. So, when we had a small event with some of our closest family and friends earlier this year especially for him, I decided to celebrate an advanced birthday for him then, so we did the whole cake cutting ceremony for him. We even changed his outfit for that too. Also when my immediate family gathered for celebrations recently in my post Celebrating Family, we sang the birthday song for Elhan in advance too! Other than for his Uncle Hariz, Aunty Sya and his Mama.

Spent this weekend at the theme park and playground with the kids since its my first free weekend here after spending time in Dubai for work and before that, the hospital with Elhan.

To me, everyday with Elhan is a celebration of life and love. As much as he fills our lives with joy, love and laughter, I want nothing but all that and more for my dearest first son, my lil Prince, Elhan. May you grow to be a good son, blessed with lots of love and contentment, be protected always, and be happy and succesful in this world and the Hereafter.

I love you always and forever, sayang Mama, Putra Elhan Isa.

PEACE & LOVE!

Our joy and blessing. So, I shared about Elhan's First Birthday recently and now I'm going to share about Elhan's first ever cake and the cake-cutting ceremony. When we did this Elhan was 9 months old and coincidentally the arrow at the pocket watch on the cake is pointing at the number 9 hehe. We try to make it a point to celebrate his day of birth every month but in different ways as each month he grows older we, Khubayb and I thank God that we are so very blessed with this great gift being our Putra Elhan Isa.

When I ordered the cake, I wanted it to be all shades of blue and white to suit the theme of the whole event. I also wanted the design to be abstract with little baby details like bottles, pacifiers, lollipop (even though Elhan can't have lollipop yet hehe). And I wanted the 2 words that best describes who Elhan is to us at this moment to be transcribed there : Joy and Blessing.

Of course at this moment Elhan couldnt talk and express what he wants yet so when I did the cake I asked for something that expressed how he has been a joy and blessing to us. I ordered the cake with Kek & Co by Satira Diana and I've known Satira since I was still in high school many many years ago (I remember 17 years ago practising and rehearsing Missy Eliot's song for a performance that didn't happen with Ruzana at Satira's house haha but that is besides the point). When I got the reference and inspiration photos of the cake from Satira based on the concept that I wanted, I showed it to Elhan and Elhan was so excited! He giggled and laughed and I knew I just had to order this cake. And when I saw it I fell in love (wait is this Elhan's birthday or mine haha). But really, I was so happy to see Elhan's first ever customised cake.

Since I knew that I wouldn't be there on his 1 year old birthday, we decided to cut the cake and celebrate it way in advance on the day we did his aqiqah ceremony earlier this year. We cut the cake together surrounded by our closest family and friends and then I gave him a teeny weeny little bits of crumbs of the cake. And then after that all of us forgot to eat it till the event ended. We were just talking to everyone who came, taking photos and it completely made us forgot about actually cutting the cake and serving it. We really wanted everyone to have a taste of the delicious cake but that didn't happen. It was too pretty that everyone forgot to cut it and eat it! We only ate it at home and since the day after the aqiqah event was Eid al-Adha, we cut the cake and gave it to my side of the family and then the husband's side of the family when we went for our Eid visits.

So so much life, love, joy and contentment. All praises to the Almighty for bringing this joy and blessing into our lives.

Photos by Sharil Omar

PEACE & LOVE!

So these photos were shot outside the entrance of the College of Fashion & Design, Dubai (CFD) where aere had our fitting session for our Dubai Modest Fashion Week 2017 show and first meet up with the organisers the day after we arrived. The fitting went very well without any major changes.

Love how the organisers tried their very best to cater to us and were all very helpful throughout our experience there.

The fitting session was very organised, there were a lot of assistants, helpers, all of them were very professional and one thing that I’ve never experienced before with any of the other shows that aere has participated in is that, right after the fitting they ask all brands and designers to keep the looks with them. So basically, after the fitting is done, they organise, manage and kept the looks safe with them till the date and time of our show. That is really something. Even more so for brands who came from far and outside Dubai. Logistically, they sorted it out for us for the show so we didn’t have to worry about our looks anymore (I did have some internal issues to let go though because it was our first time doing it but once we did it I actually felt quite relieved). After that, we only had to worry about the looks that we were going to exhibit at the booth but that too went well.

After the fitting, we walked a little bit to find our ride back to the apartment. The team split up after that. Haz and I did some shoots and Yana and Pat went out to get some necessary stuffs for our show. We didn’t have to bring the big luggage of all our looks for the show. It was sunny yet windy so it was nice for photos. I initially stood under the sun without shade and the natural lighting was just too harsh so I found a shade, stood under it and Haz shot this with the UAE green, white, black, red flag at the background. The flags were everywhere around the city when we were there.

So here I am wearing the CAMILLA Tiered Sleeves Top from aere's CHANGE collection which was just recently released in 3 colours. My favourite part of the CAMILLA is the tiered full bell circle sleeves, I just feel like twirling my arms all the time. The other favourite part is of course the overall loose cut excluding the upper arms which is flattering to the body. Somehow I feel like dramatic sleeves do give an illusion of a slimmer body. You might not agree but for me, it works hehe.

I paired it with aere's CAELI Pants which I can pair with so many other tops too, a matching scarf which I got from my dearest Hasanah many years ago, and light pink accessories, bag, shoes and sunnies.

Photos by Hazimah Hanafi.

PEACE & LOVE!

One of the best experience and benefits that I've gained from the Dubai Modest Fashion Week 2017 trip for aere earlier this month is meeting so many amazing, gorgeous, smart and inspiring women! They are really amazing individuals and are just so so inspiring in different ways and they came and flew in from all over the world to gather for the event. Fashion unites and brings people together.

It was truly humbling for me just to be in their presence and mingling with them, talking and getting to know them. And throughout the event, these inspiring women were empowering and learning from one another. Opening our minds by sharing different opinions on various topics and agreeing to disagree in certain matters.

Although I was meeting most of them for the very first time, I managed to capture some short videos of them as well as take photos together.and I am so glad I did. I tried to fit everyone I met over there in just one blog post but I couldn't manage it because I met soooo many amazing inspiring individuals! So, I'll be sharing about them in different posts and maybe some of their articles that I like so that you will get to know them too. Some of you might already know them but hey, I'm just going to share anyways!

So here in this post are the first four inspiring women that I have met and a video compilation of our meet up.

To begin the series of the Inspiring Women video compilation at the Dubai Modest Fashion Week...

First up : Leena Asad, Melanie Elturk, Sebina Hussain & Sara Mouslli!

@withloveleena

Leena Asad

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle blogger

from Texas United States of America

I was walking out of the fashion talk tent after listening to a talk and saw this beautiful lady in white who looked really familiar. I approached her and introduced myself and found out that she is the withloveleena whom I have been following for quite awhile. She is so sweet and it just so happened that we were wearing matching colours! She just got married earlier this year and her wedding photos are just so gorgeous. Anyone getting married soon should definitely check out her wedding photos for inspiration. As for me, even though I've been married for about 7 years, I'm in the midst of redecorating my house especially because of my recent expansion to the family. So, Leena's latest post sharing how she decorates her living room is just so beneficial and useful. Love it! Click the link below to read the article in her blog.

My Living Room Tour + 6 Tips to Make Your Room Look Expensive

@sebinaah

Sebina Hussain

Lifestyle blogger

from London

I first met Sebina at the London Modest Fashion Week and we had a nice conversation and also took a photo together which I posted on IG but not here on the blog (boo I was MIA on the blog for a bit at that time). She came to the booth when it was supposed to be our show and she's actually one of our guests. It's really good to meet her again and she is just so funny too, I mean just look at her at the video making me laugh again and again! She is now about 7 months pregnant if I remember correctly. To be pregnant, and flying from London to Dubai for DMFW and working on her third trimester, now that is one super strong woman!

Anyways, I like how she is very honest, frank and blunt and here's an article from her blog that I really enjoyed reading so read away.

Things no one tells you about you're early 20's

Btw, I'm wearing aere's ARABELLA Top and CLARA Skirt.

@hautehijab

Melanie Elturk

CEO of Haute Hijab

from New York United States of America

Another lady who looked awesome in white and just because I was also wearing white on that day it was easier for me to spot ladies who were wearing the same colour. I approached her and introduced myself and just like Leena, I found out that she is hautehijab! Hehe. That's one thing about Instagram though. Before you meet somebody real life you tend to remember the IG handle first. But now I know she is Melanie. The CEO of Haute Hijab. She is building the leading US hijab brand into a global phenomenon and doing so based in a county where Muslims are the minority is just something very brave, challenging and super inspiring. Here's an interview that she did that I like because of her honesty and fearless attitude.

Interview with Haute Hijab CEO Melanie Elturk

@saramouslli

Sara Mouslli

Interior Designer & Founder of Escarvio

From Syria living in Dubai

It's the first time that I met Sara and she is so sweet to come to the booth. She said that she's going to come again because of some drama that you can read below the video. (Scroll down a little). She's just so sweet, soft-spoken and pretty! I saw a YouTube video of her interview but it's in Arabic and I just wished I continued taking Arabic classes after my uni days. Teach me please, Sara!

So, here's the video!

Anyways, you will find out in the video that.... something happened. Drama. It rained for the first time this year in Dubai (so I was told). It doesn't normally rain but it rained on the day of aere's show. Out of all the days in a year. And people in Dubai have been praying for rain all year long, they say. And then their prayers were answered and finally it rained. On the day of our supposed show, 8th December 2017!!!

Oh, and did I mention that it was an outdoor event? The fashion show had a pretty cool concept, being an outdoor event is was actually pretty amazing because it was winter over there, so its sunny in the day time but it was also windy and cool ... and most importantly, the backdrop of the event itself is the iconic Burj Khalifa which is the tallest building in the world.

When it started to rain shows were still going on and the models actually walked on the slippery runway in the rain. Saw some guests of the show were insta-storying that they watched the show while it was raining. The raining didn't stop And so our show (together with some other brands and designers) which was supposed to be held at 8.00 p.m was cancelled! Not postponed. Cancelled. Yep. Came all the way to Dubai just to have our show cancelled because of rain that chose our day as the one day of the year. The event's schedule was already full and packed with other shows the next day so the organisers could not promise that they could reschedule all of the cancelled shows. (Of course the orgasniers tried their utmost best and they're just really amazing in handling everything) It was something that I've never ever imagined happening. Our show being cancelled. Can it get more dramatic than that? Haha! But it really is something beyond anyone's control so we just embraced it and I went to some of the other talks being organised nearby which was really beneficial (and I'll be sharing that in my future postings here hopefully) and then went around meeting people over there and attended to people who came to our booth.

You can see my reaction to the announcement when we found about the show being cancelled when i was recording the video with Sebina. There was a blackout at one point so we had to go somewhere else for shelter but when it was just drizzling and when some lights at the opposite booth was back up, I went back to the booth and if you closely during the video with Sebina, you can see the lights at aere's booth at the back is still out. But there were still people coming to the booth even though it rained and their clothes were all drenched! We even had a buyer who came when it was raining and we were looking for shelter. She came back and checked out aere's wet and drenched clothes on display and it went pretty well. Phew.

Will continue to share more, soon!

PEACE & LOVE!

Is it really already the second last Friday of the month? The long weekend is near and I'm going to try and spend as much time with my loved ones this weekend before work starts next Tuesday! This year has been an amazing year for me personally and work wise, through the ups and downs of the roller coaster ride called life.

aere had our last team meeting for the year before some of my team members go off for their much deserved long holidays (Will still be having production and design meetings next week for our next 2 collections though, so sorry production and design team no long hols for you hehe). This year has been amazing and its all because of the amazing team work in my growing and expanding team. We have been travelling like crazy and it wouldn't have happened without the team's hard work. We had a discussion for the upcoming year 2018 and there are some pretty amazing and exciting projects in the works! Can't wait to work on it and share with you guys soon!

Anyways, I wore this all pink outfit on the day of the meeting last Wednesday, and when I asked Hazimah to help me OOTD this, she told me that it's already sold out! We have just released it and its the 3rd time aere has restocked this top! The top I'm wearing is also a new shade of pink and it's sold out again! I'm really thankful but I can also understand why you guys love it, because I love this top too, I can dress it up or down and it's just super comfy and flattering! Hidden features for nursing mums too *wink*

Seeing someone wearing aere gives me butterflies even till now, seeing the pieces on the racks when I went to FV Pavilion the same day I had this team meeting, and also after spending some time with my mom and sister for mom's birthday also still gives me an unexplainable high - just to see the finished piece that has undergone so many processes from the imagination in my brain combined with my talented design and production team, sampling, fitting, trying 'em on again and again till we get the final piece before I approve it for production to the finished product in the stores, and finding out when any of aere's designs are sold out is just something that makes me feel so grateful.

Thank you to those who made this happen, who purchased, who supported and who has been loving aere by supporting us in your own different ways. All praises to the Almighty for this blessing.

Anyways, I paired the new pink AURORA with aere's TAINA Pants and Sugarscarf as well as my current fav pink accessories.

Happy holidays and have fun travelling for those who are travelling!

PEACE & LOVE!

Before the year ends, I would just like to share another happy news, a gift that my family has been blessed with. A very special gift and blessing indeed.

My second prince and second son. My husband, Khubayb and I have been blessed with our second living child. Elhan's status has now been upgraded to big brother as he has been blessed with a younger brother. We have named our second prince Putra Evren Ilyasa'.

Evren means "cosmos or the universe" in Turkish. And Ilyasa' is a name of a righteous Prophet.

2017 is even more special and meaningful to me because Evren entered our lives. I couldn't put work on hold as that is what working mums go through every single day but at the same time my world revolves around my kids. I am blessed with a good support system: my husband, my parents, my siblings and my in-laws family to help me out. I don't think I could be a working mum without their love and support.

Back to our beautiful gift. Evren may have a serious face but don't let that fool you.. He loves to do cooing sounds and babble and converse with even strangers. He loves to smile and he stares at people intently. He's adorably chubby and he looks just like Elhan when Elhan was a newborn.

I only just started to share about Elhan recently in my post My Lil Prince E, and everything that has happened this past year or so feels surreal. I couldn't be more thankful and grateful but at the same time I pray that God makes our journey easy and may Evren always be under His protection and blessings.

PEACE & LOVE!

Sarah invited me for brunch at St. Regis quite some time ago, about a month or two in advance and since I've never tried it I thought: why not. Its not easy to meet Sarah since she has been working outside KL since awhile ago. We have been friends since 1997, she was my desk mate in school from Form 1 to Form 5 and also my best friend. Here's to celebrating our 20 years of friendship! So, when Sarah is here in town and wants to organise something like this, I would do my very best to try and make it.

I remember 20 years ago in school, one of my ambitions was to be a doctor and Sarah wanted to be a magazine editor. After high school, for a brief moment in time we were in matriculation at the same place, before she received an offer to study overseas. Sarah started blogging when she was studying medicine in Russia and that was how I knew about her updates at the time. Remember I cried so bad when she went away to Russia because she's one of the few sisters that I never had. Apart from that, I remember how Sarah flew back all the way from Russia just for my engagement and wedding day. That was crazy.

I love her to bits and although we have totally different lives, with her making a difference in the world by being a doctor and now studying to be a specialist and all, and me making and selling clothes, and although we are far apart in distance most of the time, whenever we meet, she's that type of close friend that makes you feel like you've never been away for very long. You know that feeling? I know that we're going to be best friends and sisters for life.

So, that is the story of why when Sarah organises something, I try my best to put everything aside and not say no. Plus, Sarah has been away for so long that she has missed out on a lot of girlie gatherings for her sacrifice to become a doctor.

Anyways, Sarah also invited the Phuket gang. Sarah, me, Tasya, Ezaty and Ieja.

We went to Phuket together 2 years ago.

But Ieja couldn't make it because of work. They're all sarah's close doctor friends and I only got to know them through our Phuket trip. I easily clicked with them too though we work in totally different industries. You know what they say, when you travel together you get to know a person better and learn about them (and yourself) and I must say that I love travelling with them! It was an amazing and fun trip though I remember I was always so busy OOTDing different outfits (haha sorry guys). But one of the things that I enjoyed about the Phuket trip other than the snorkelling, the boat rides and the island hopping was the food. Seafood especially. They are all foodies too like me so it's just perfect! Haha.

Their jobs as doctors require high mental strength, can be very demanding and stressful and is definitely challenging. Now that I look back at one of my ambitions, I don't think I can do what they do. I have high respect for them for being able to be selfless and work like crazy (like seriously crazy) for the sake of helping others. I mean, I work like crazy too sometimes (more like most of the time) but I think the subject matter of my current work is not as stressful (still stressful but compared to them, not really) or that's what I think. I don't know, maybe doctors don't feel stressed out but when I see them and listen to their stories, I feel like whoa I would be so stressed out if I'm in their position. And sometimes, people forget that doctors are human too. They get sick too sometimes, they get tired and exhausted too. I've been sick a lot of times, been in the hospital a number of times and I just have high respect towards what they do for a living as they need to sacrifice so many other things in their personal life.

But at the same time, because of their sacrifices, like Sarah, I see that she knows how to manage her stress and that inspires me. They know how to switch off from work and have a good time in that tiny lil period when they are not working. That is something that I still am struggling to learn to do.

Anyways, we went to have brunch at St Regis yesterday. It was also a day before Christmas so the ambience was filled with Christmas-y decor and music too. We also celebrated Ezaty's birthday in advance and she got a complimentary cake, all the guests joining in singing her a happy birthday song and even got a special performance from the performers.

St Regis offered a buffet and seriously, I think any place that offers a buffet will be at a loss because I eat a lot when it comes to buffet. Eventhough I am a slow eater, I eat like crazy. So I will be sharing what I ate below. And whatever that we paid for, I definitely make sure to eat more food that its worth. Haha.(Buruk perangai). Alaskan crab, fresh imported French oysters, seafood station (my fav), rib eye steak, all serta of desserts and many many more! I ate till I couldn’t eat no more. All of us did haha.

But hey, I don't do this often okay and another justification that I tell myself is that sometimes when I work I don't even remember to eat breakfast and lunch on most days. So this treat is to cover all the missed breakfast and lunch for 2017 hehe.

All in all, it was a great brunch that was spent with good food and definitely good company.