Lupita Nyong'o on Beauty and Self-Compassion

"You can't eat beauty. You can't rely on how you look to sustain you. What actually sustains us... what is fundamentally beautiful is compassion - for yourself and for those around you. — Lupita Nyong'o"

I'm really happy for Lupita Nyong'o. Not only for being an Oscar winner, but for her courage and determination to pursue her passion and to possess something I feel is extremely vital as a woman -- self-compassion. 

Modest Street Fashion K.L. x Langston Hues x Mizz Nina x Felixia Yeap x Natasha Hudson

source: Natasha Hudson's Instagram

Every now and then I am fortunate to be a part of unique events like Modest Street Fashion K.L. which was recently held on Sunday, 23rd February and hosted by Art Beat Consultants and Crescent Collective at the enchanting venue called Talent Lounge. I must admit, I was a tad nervous about being an emcee this time. So much so, I can barely remember the dialogue between Langston, Natasha, Felixia, Mizz Nina and myself. Thank God, the whole session was recorded and hopefully I get to watch it soon! I know, it sounds crazy but I was truly stressed out and by the end of the night, my brain was almost mush. All I know is, everyone had a good time and we all learned something new. Thank you to our hosts Art Beat and Crescent Collective and our sponsors Neng Geulis, Fashion Valet, Indahijabbe and Lawa Photography.

You can check out the video or the photos below. Or even better, both.

#OOTD x Modest Street Fashion K.L. x Langston Hues

Hello hello! Just a quick #OOTD post and a shout out for the upcoming event I will be emceeing this Sunday, inshaAllah - Modest Street Fashion K.L.! It will be a casual meet and greet with Langston Hues himself and our special guests, Mizz Nina, Felixia Yap and Natasha Hudson. To spice things up there will also be a fun discussion on a universal understanding of modesty, Islamic modesty, and the rise of modest street fashion around the world.



Hope to see you at the event! Don't forget to have a look at some of Hues' latest work on YouTube.

Style Sunday: It's Never Too Late to Wear Red

 

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Dresses are great,

But pants are so underrated, true?

Okay, I can be really cheesy like that. I couldn't help it ;) I wore this outfit to a meeting about an upcoming event I will be part of, inshaAllah, and what makes a monochrome ensemble a bit interesting? Red lipstick, of course.

Modest street fashion photographer and globetrotter from Detroit, Langston Hues, will be in Kuala Lumpur and we are hosting an event featuring the man himself, Natasha Hudson and Mizz Nina on 23rd February 2014. It will be held at 8 pm, Talent Lounge, Damansara Perdana.

 

Falling in Love with Him

I love that Valentine's Day fell on a Jumaah.

Regardless of what you think about its origins, it's definitely a day when people think about love. Whether you're for Valentine's Day or against it, the thought of love is inescapable on this day. Be it 14th February or not, love should be celebrated; especially His love for us and our love for Him. You won't see a Hollywood movie about it nor a series of novels either. I think that's a terrible shame because it's the kind of love that beautifies and amplifies any other type of love; the kind of love that helps us make sense of who we are and the importance of those in our lives who have entered, stayed or walked away. A love that gives a deeper meaning to the things we do. A love that heals when this world and everything in it, including ourselves, breaks us.

Who better to love than the Most Loving One and the Beloved (pbuh)? The One who continues to shower us with blessings despite our tendency to take His love and mercy for granted. The Beloved one who showed us how to love Him back.

Style Sunday: Midnight Aladdin

Can you guess why I named this post 'Midnight Aladdin'? Why, it's inspired by these pants, of course! And I don't know why but I have a special affinity for vampy shades of berry as of late. From clothes to make up, I see a pattern in the colours I tend to buy these days.  

Because Who is Perfect?: Accepting Imperfections & "Disability"

{source: Beautiful Decay}

What do you think of this advertisement campaign by Pro Infirmis? 

Personally, I think we see far too many images of "perfection" in the media. From billboard advertisements to television shows, the media seems to misrepresent reality and convey the message that anything less than "perfect" is somehow not normal and unacceptable. The only show I can think of that highlights "disabilities" or "disabled" people in a positive light is 'Switched at Birth'. 
The video features Miss Handicap 2010 Jasmin Rechsteiner, radio presenter and film critic Alex Oberholzer, track and field athlete Urs Kolly, blogger Nadja Schmid and actor Erwin Aljukic. I scrolled underneath the video on YouTube and loved this comment: "Because no one is a mannequin." However, I also saw comments by people who are not impressed and are quite critical of the short film. Perhaps they are against the romanticisation of the issue and when raising awareness about a marginalised group of people it's easy to get labelled as "privileged" (e.g. white privilege, heterosexual privilege, male privilege). How do we know when we have crossed the line? Either way, I think the campaign makes for a great a discussion.  For more photos and details please read Pro Infirmis Raises Body Diversity Awareness over at Beautiful Decay. 

Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary & Deerland Park

I have always wanted to go on an elephant ride in Thailand but after reading Why You Shouldn't Ride Elephants in Thailand I don't think I will anymore. While there is an elephant sanctuary tin Northern Thailand, I opted to visit one that's not too far away from Kuala Lumpur. (Support local elephants, guys!)

I first heard about Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary from a friend who was visiting Malaysia for a holiday. Ever since then I promised myself I would go there someday. A place where I can hang out with rescued elephants? Yes sir, sign me up, please! I took advantage of the Chinese New Year holiday and coaxed my family to go with me yesterday. After almost 2 hours we arrived at the elephant sanctuary. It's situated in a remote village in Pahang and the drive was very scenic. If you like being surrounded by greenery you will enjoy the journey to Kuala Gandah.

Faith Friday: Is the World an Evil Place?

{via Sufi Comics}

When you're at the brink of losing faith,

Use the ground as a place of prayer,

The air you breathe to say dhikr,

The earth to plant seeds of hope and charity,

The sky as a reminder of the vastness of His love & mercy.

www.shaelaiza.com

I've been contemplating this for a while but today I finally did it! This blog's address is now www.shaelaiza.com. Changing the domain meant I lost count of the shares my blog posts got previously via ShareThis but I like that it feels like a fresh new start. I will be making more changes gradually as I would love to commit to the revival of this blog, inshaAllah. Stay tuned :)

How to Be Better at Managing Your Finances

I've never really worried about money. Not because I have a lot of it but because it's always taken care of for me. I'm not saying that proudly. I'm admitting that when it comes to money I'm horrible at it. Well, that's the story I like to tell myself anyway. When I started working I realised how hard it is to earn and save money especially when you're quite irresponsible with it. Luckily, I have a family who knows me all too well but I know, if I were to do it all on my own I would crumble soon enough. I don't like that about myself. However, the great thing about growing up is learning to harness your strengths and weaknesses because your survival depends on it.