The Template files

Okay, so imagine scrolling through various templates, trying to change the flavor of your blog. Then, all of the sudden, you come across a beloved template that has EVERYTHING you need! It shines, it sparkles, it dazzles!!! You click the download button, and then......then..... then what? Well, I'm here to show you how to do it :)

I had to do a lot of research to figure this out, because I got frustrated not knowing how to change my template, but my dream template was staring in my face, mocking me because, yes it was saved on the computer, but no, I can't get upload it to my blog!

Okay, so here's what you do first:

1) Find the template you like. I found this template on btemplates.com

2) Download the template

3) Next, you have to make sure you remember where your file was saved. Usually it is saved under downloads, but I like to take the file, copy it from the downloads folder, and put it in my documents.

4) After that, click the "Downloads" folder. Once in the folder, find your template, then open it.

Now, depending on what kind of folder it is, you might need to find and download one of two extractors. An extractor takes a folder that was condensed and pulls out the files so you can see them. The reason these folders are condensed, is so they don't take up so much room. 

These folders will either end with ".zip" or "win.rar," so all you have to do is a simple google search for zip or win.rar extractors  Mine is a zip, but it doesn't matter, because the file you are looking for is the same. Once you have your program downloaded, just right click the folder of your template, click "Extract all files" and a window should pop up. The file you want to pay special attention to ends in "xml" because this file holds the goodies to your new template! Take that file and save it to your documents. 

Now onward to the blog!

Go to your blog, and go to your template menu. It should look like this. Once you get to this page, click on the "Backup/Restore" button on the right hand, upper part of the screen.

A small window will pop up. Make sure to click "Download full template." This saves your current template as an "xml" file under downloads, along with all of it's settings, so that you can pull it up and use it again in the future. 

Almost there! Next, click "Choose File." This will take you into the computer, so you can pull up your desired template's xml file. If you saved it under documents, go there. If you saved it somewhere else, go there. Open the folder, double click the "xml" file, and voila!

Click "Upload"

And that's it!  Your dream template is a reality! Now go check it out! Make the changes you like! Have fun, happy blogging!

Juicing Chronicles (Day 1)

Assalamu Alaikum (Peace and blessing be on to all of you)!

Juicing!!!! Yay! I am so excited to be sharing my latest journey with you! I have decided to do a 10 day juicing fast! That's right! Crisp veggies, sweet fruits combined in a swirl of dazzling juicy delight!

Here is what happened on day 1!

So my first step was to figure out exactly how and when I would do this. I actually didn't have my first juice until the early afternoon. And it wasn't even a juice, it was a smoothie. I thought that it would be great to make smoothies for most of the day, and then juice once or twice. Well, this was the smoothie that I had.
This one contained cucumber, green apple, carrot, pear and strawberry. What I started with, was juicing the carrots and a little bit of the apple.

I then took the juice, and added it to the blender, along with the remaining carrot, apple, pear and cucumber.

At the last minute I decided to add a couple of strawberries. After that, it looked like this :)

The flavor of the smoothie was AMAZING! But it was soooo pulpy! I didn't really like the texture too much. Also, some of the strawberry seeds got stuck in my throat (not fun). 

So, later on this evening (yes, I went that long without juicing.... BAD BAD BAD!) I decided that 10 days of straight juicing and nothing else is bad for me the first time trying this. I juiced last year, and I just added it to healthy eating. So I think this would be the best bet for me.

That is why I decided that I am going to juice all day, and then eat a meal for dinner.

Here's tonight dinner :) I found this soup at the grocery store, and I thought it sounded so very delightful.

It's by Campbell's, and it's called Golden Lentil with Madras Curry. All you do is put it in a bowl and microwave it for 2 1/2 minutes. 

I also added a couple pieces of leftover curried goat my mother made. I ate this along with my second juice of the day. I decided that I wanted a "light and airy" feel to my juice, so what better juice to make than a green one? So for this juice, I used cucumber, green apple, celery and bell pepper. It was delicious! 

So I believe that I've come up with a game plan. And I think I will keep going with the soup theme for dinner, just to stay in the same lane as juicing. Thank you for joining me for day 1! See you on day 2!

Nail Polish... er....Enamel!

Okay, so I am not ashamed to admit that I LOVE NAIL POLISH! To me, my nails are a canvas through which I can express my style, without going overboard. Lately, I've been experimenting with different designs and brands, my latest being a matte topcoat.

Now, you might think to yourself  "Alright! Cool! Get on witcha nail art!"

But unfortunately, it's not that easy. See, I'm Muslim. As a Muslim, I pray 5 times a day. In order to pray, my body has to be purified by doing a simple cleansing with water, called wudu (pr. woodhoo). In order for the wudu to be valid, all of the surfaces that are washed (hands, face, arms and feet) must be touched by the water.

Now, what does this have to do with nail art, specifically nail polish, you ask? Nail polish is water-proof. And because it's waterproof, I can't have it on my nails when I wash them for prayer, because it prevents water from soaking into my nails.

So, to enjoy my love of nail polish, I have to do one of two things.

1) Only wear it during Aunt Flo's visit. Now this might seem strange that I would only wear it during that time right? I mean, what's the difference? Well, the difference between any other time and Aunt Flo's visit, is that a Muslim (male or female) cannot pray if blood is flowing from their body (ie: a serious injury that gushes blood, or a woman's cycle). So since during that time of the month, I can't pray, then I can wear nail polish and not have to worry about it. 

2) I could wear my nail polish, and then remove it whenever I have to make wudu, and then put it back on after completing it. Yes, that would involve pulling out the nail polish remover whenever I needed to make wudu, which could be up to 5 times a day. Also, that uses a lot of nail polish if done over an extended period of time.

Now, option 2 to me is excessive, though I do know of some Muslim women who do this. So I usually go with option 1. 

BUT NOT ANYMORE!!!!

For those of you who by this point have no idea where I'm going with this, or why I'm so excited, let me introduce you to a nail polish that has been designed to be BREATHABLE!

Brought to you by the brand INGLOT, this nail polish, called O2M, is designed to allow oxygen and water vapors to pass through the layers of the nail polish.Originally intended to provide oxygen and water to nails to keep them healthy, this nail polish has made it's stamp on the women of Muslim communities worldwide!

This nail enamel was invented by a Polish chemist and entrepreneur named Wojciech Inglot, who wanted to make a healthier alternative to regular nail polish. Unfortunately, Inglot died February 23, 2013 (this year) at the age of 57. 

With this nail enamel, no more worrying about having to remove it before performing wudu! The water passes through the enamel and to the nail via water vapors.

Don't trust it? Here is the opinion by world known and popular Muslim speaker Suhaib Webb:
***Suhaib Webb on Inglot BREATHABLE nail enamel*** 

The above link also provides an experiment that is simple to perform for anyone who would like to replicate it.

Here is a video from my good friend MsItoshi on Youtube, doing the same experiment:
***MsItoShi's Inglot nail enamel review***

My overall thoughts?

I think this nail polish is the real deal for a number of reasons. Though there is still doubt among a large scale of people, I personally am convinced that this nail polish is permissible to wear while performing wudu.

First, the nail polish is very VERY thin. One of my friends let me try hers, and I applied one coat in the evening, and the next day, it was already chipping away. Good thing they sell a topcoat made using the same O2M technology. 

Second, it reacts to water without damaging it. Last night, I applied a second coat, and I made the amateur mistake of shaking the bottle (BIG NO NO!). This, in turn caused air bubbles to come through the nail polish as it was drying. Today, I applied water to it, and was actually able to rub most of the air bubbles out without removing any of the actual polish! Also, when I was rubbing the air bubbles out, there was a small residue left on my finger, almost like it was powder?

One last thought. This inglot is a whopping $14 per bottle! I'm not quite sure if I can stomach spending that much  yet, but we will see.

Anyhoo, that is my love of nail polish/nail enamel review. Let me know what you think! Also, let me know if you have bought the inglot O2M nail enamel. Do you like it? Hate it? Do you trust it?

Take care!

Long time no see!

Wow! It's been awhile huh? Well, I've decided to hang up my old blog and start a new one! So much has happened to me in the last year. I see this as almost.... poetic. Turning over a new leaf. Shedding the old to make way for the new. Making new relationships, strengthening old bonds. 

Where should I start??? I guess introducing myself to those of you who don't know me would be best :)
I am a 23 year old university junior, studying to get my Bachelors in Sociology. I hope to be able to go on into the medical field, or wherever life takes me, and use my sociological skills to get to know the world around me better. 

I love travelling, animals, shopping, and just being out in nature! Though I love hanging out with friends, I appreciate my alone time, curled up with a blanket, a warm mug of tea or cappuccino, and engulfed in my latest reading project.

My passion is in the arts. I've dabbled in so many different crafts, it's sometimes hard to keep track. Drawing, writing, crocheting, knitting, sewing, henna designing, painting, and my latest love: photography. I've even made money at one point or another with some of them. I had a henna business, a massage business, and even a crocheting business! I was even hired to create murals for childcare facilities. When I think about those times, I sometimes feel really down, because what takes up my time now is homework and sleep. I think last summer was the last time I did any henna, and it's been more than a year since my last crochet project.

But nothing can take my photography from me. I've luckily been able to hold onto that, mainly because I take my camera everywhere I go! Though it's not near the caliber of a professional type, I still have a blast seeing how far I can push it! I've had it for a couple of years, and I'm STILL learning new things about my baby.

Here are a couple of pictures from past projects I've done:

I hope to be able to share more of my future projects, within various mediums, very soon!

Take care all!