These tiny, delicate Virginia sweetspire flowers grow along a thin, long stem, creating an elegant arch that I find really pleasing to the eye.
Elegant arch
Reply
Farm day out
My sister organised a day out for us all this weekend to a farm local to her, to coincide with her daughter’s birthday. This farm was quite big and had all the typical farm animals you would expect but also had several unusual ones too.
It was great to get up close to some of these animals; the sheep, goats and llamas were lively and eager for attention and the animal feed they could see in our hands. I’ve never seen a turkey before and I found the amazing plumage fascinating.
We were able to pet some of the more interesting animals in the farm, namely a snake, which was soft and warm, a Bearded Dragon which was spiky and my favourite, a Chinchilla, known as one of the softest animals in the world and I can see why with fur that’s as soft as a cloud.
The other animals I was excited to see were the flamingos, ones that were on my bucket list. As the day warmed up they cooled off in the pond becoming more active. The enclosure they were in also had other birds such as peacocks and Scarlett Ibises, which I thought was an interesting mix as they would normally never meet in the wild.
As well as animals to see there were play areas for the kids to enjoy, including a ball pit and mini golf. We also enjoyed a tractor ride around the farm and ice cream in the sun.The farm really reminded me of my visits to Pakistan as a child and playing with the animals my grandfather kept. It was a really fun day out that everyone enjoyed, and we left exhausted but happy.
Check The Label
Ramadan is fast approaching and in preparation many muslims buy dates that are traditionally used to open fasts at sunrise. A campaign which starts today and that I have been aware of and have supported for some time now, is one run by Friends of Al-Aqsa who remind us that when buying dates we should check the label to see where the dates come from, to ensure that we are not buying dates grown in illegal settlements such as West Bank or Jordan Valley. To do so would further oppress the Palestinian people who’s land has been stolen.
So those that are buying dates in the coming weeks please remember to #Checkthelabel.
Nelson Mandela “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians”.
For more information see here
Bricks and Mortar
We’re currently having some work done to the house, extending the kitchen space to make it bigger and fitting in a new bathroom. I can’t wait for the results but it’ll be a couple of months yet before its all complete. Until then there’ll be lots of noise and dirt to contend with.
We’ve had deliveries of lots of raw materials and as I keep an an eye on how things develop over summer I aim to capture lots of details and memories.
WPC: Earth
Whenever I see bright green leaves it reminds me of the Earth‘s renewal each year and a chance to start afresh. More importantly, it shows me that the world is alive and that we should look after of it.
London Muslim Lifestyle Show 2016
This weekend my sister and I went to the London Muslim Lifestyle show in West London, which was an event bringing together different products and services that are available for Muslims. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I was looking forward to finding out.
There was a wide variety of things on offer; from different kind of foods, to jewellery and books.
My favourite things were the beautiful pieces of Arabic art, the stunning bottles of attar/perfume and tasty food on offer. I learnt lots of new things and was genuinely impressed by all innovative ideas that were presented from new phone apps to products that filled gaps in the market.
It was tempting to buy everything I liked, which was too much, but I managed to hold back and stick mainly to window shopping and tasters, treating myself to a few lovely things.
As you can tell I got a bit carried away with my photos, but there was just so much to see. As well as stalls there were fashion shows, singers and workshops that you could attend. My sister and I also had a lot of fun having our photos taken in photo booths wearing silly props. I thought it was an interesting event and meeting a diverse range of smiley people people, both Muslim and non created a great atmosphere.
Drip
Waiting perpetually for the drop to drip.
Neal’s Yard
Neal’s Yard is a bit of a hidden spot in the center of London, it’s colourful buildings lead you to a quiet square where you can have a nice meal and a refreshing drink. On the day my sister and I visited it was lovely and sunny, making the colours really pop and the Yard inviting and relaxing.
Venus flytrap
I’ve seen the Venus flytrap plant on television and in books and have always thought of them as quite unusual looking, almost alien, so when I saw this plant for myself I was quite excited and dare I say a bit creeped out! The sharp ‘teeth’ look ready to clamp shut on anything that gets close enough and as tempting as it was I managed to keep my fingers away.
Mad Hatter’s tea party
Over the Easter break there are lots of activities and events planned to keep kids and their parents entertained. One such event planned in our local park was an Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter’s tea party. I met up with my sisters, sister-in-law and their little ones for an afternoon of fun and frivolity.
In keeping with the Mad Hatter’s tea party theme there were colourful props and outdoor games to play such as croquet. I personally really liked the giant tarts and cakes.
There were lots of little details from the famous Lewis Carroll tale, from lemonade and top hats to quaint little signs posted everywhere which I think really made the theme come to life. We were even lucky to have the Queen of Hearts join us as well as the White Rabbit, who made sure everyone followed the Queen’s fun demands, something the kids found really amusing.
We all thought it was an enjoyable afternoon and it was nice that a lot of effort had been made by the organisers. You can see more pictures of the tea party here and here.
everyphototunity 