Merdeka! (and me)

wanna see something cool?

EXPRESSION JE TUKAR.

COOL KAN?

iolls know.

i'm cool liddat.

=p

anywayssssssszzzzz

apart from my awesome change-able expressions, it's Malaysia's Independence Day!

yes, i love my country and i am happy to be a malaysian, where the food is amazing, people are amazing, life is amazing, everything is just amazing =')

Love you Malaysia
and Love our fore fathers who brought this country to independence 55 years ago.
alhamdulillah =D

let's just remember the good things about our country and whatever's in it.
nobody's perfect, so we can't blame the country for not being perfect.
we just blame ourselves. ahahahahahak!  =p

hope everyone get their much needed rest on this holiday!
at the same time, jom semarakkan cinta kepada MALAYSIA TERCINTAAAAAAAAAAAA!
xoxo

ps: for those of you yang wants to purchase my 'Inspired' bags from Sometime, we'll be giving out RM10 discount!!!

RM10 discount!

all you need to do is give this code when you buy 'em!

voucher code: iluvmaria

and you get your bag at RM10 off!!

yes.... i know you love meeeeeee.. i mean my bags. hahaha! =p

dah la tu la ek?

hehee..

salam. 

perspektif orang yang tak bertudung pastu pakai tudung: Part 2

assalamualaikum wbt!

subhanallah! alhamdulillah! Allahuakbar!!

it's syawal already!!
time flies really quickly these days =O

anyway, i've been wanting to write this for the longest time: my perspective from a person who wasn't covered, to now is. i pray hope that i will continue on till the end of my time. in sha Allah =)

this year is my second year of being a hijaber. (weeeee!)
i'm still very much muslim than when i wasn't a hijaber. however, many things have changed since. i've written about my first time wearing it in this old post and i find it weird how people would leave a comment on a post as old as that too. come on peeps. dah 2 tahun kot. 

=)
bismillahirrahmanirrahim..

my initial intention was to be a better person. 2 years ago, i wanted to wear tudung because i thought it would make me see something i couldn't see.
i ni the kind yang suka observe and will try to understand people's actions. i read fictional books not because i like to transport myself into a fantasy world or anything like that, but mainly because i like to read about the characters. it's like a shortcut for me to see other people's perspective.

so before being a hijaber, i wondered like why laa do people always make a fuss about tudung. it's just a piece of cloth! chill la! takyah la paksa pakai! i pakai bila i nak la! islam bukan agama paksaan! i tau la wajib tapi chill la! my grave is my grave! - i used to answer to people's nagging about tudung.
in 2010, when i took that one selendang and wrapped it around my head, covering my hair and most of my neck area, all i wanted to know was how can this piece of cloth, could make me a better person.

alhamdulillah. with tears on my face now as i'm typing this, i believe it did make me into a better person.
i don't know how much better, but definitely it's different now.

it took me about a year to get used to wearing shawls. i bought so many types of shawls to understand the kinds of material that suits me best, which ones can be styled easiest, etc etc. my concerns were more towards fashion because.. well.. i wanted to feel good wearing it in order to get used to it..

the next step for me was to understand Islam and finding the Truth.
alhamdulillah, the Quran had been my bestest best ever best of the best friend ever on this journey!
it's true, when people tell you that the Quran is the best form of hidayah, believe them. get one with translations and read it.
i went to several book stores to buy a Quran with translations (you can find them in MPH and Kinokuniya), but i found my mom's Quran (with translations of course) at home which she bought in Mekah when she did her hajj!! so takyah beli! yayy! i was so happy then and when i started reading it, masyAllah..
every turning page is either a slap on the face or new knowledge.
the strongest ayat which gave me the biggest slap was Surah Ali-Imran, ayat 185. i posted it in my tentang hijab post and everytime, sampai sekarang ayat tu macam terngiang ngiang dalam kepala otak.

of course there are so many ayats which repetitively remind us about how worldly pleasures are only temporary while the hereafter is eternity, but this ayat was the first one to struck me real hard.

and then came the song "If i die young" by the band perry.

when i heard the song on the radio the first time (and many times after), i cried.
this particular verse haunted me:

Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother
She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh well
Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no
Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby
The sharp knife of a short life, well
I've had just enough time

firstly, i don't want my mom to bury me.
secondly, if she had to, yes i want her to know i'm safe in Paradise.
thirdly, i know i have to die eventually, my death is written but it's a secret no one will ever know. it's like jumping off a cliff and not knowing when you'll hit the ground.
it's scary!!!
lastly, if the life of anyone i love would be taken earlier than mine, i don't want them to be burdened by my sins.. if anything, i want everyone to enter Paradise.. in sha Allah..

so like i mentioned earlier, "i wanted to wear tudung because i thought it would make me see something i couldn't see", and yes. i saw.

i saw how much i lacked. how little my knowledge in islam was and how much i've taken it for granted.

oh Allah.. ampunilah hambaMu ini Ya Allah.. 
i was too proud before.. i thought i knew my religion! but what i knew was only the basic stuff. stuff we learn in school i soon realised, were not enough. there're so much more to know! 
it became more apparent about how little i know even though i've studied Islam and went to usrahs when i went to do my first ever umrah earlier this year..

(doa for all of us)

amiinn~

my change ni kan, was from out to in.
meaning to say, i had to change my outlook and lifestyle first and gradually progress on the inside, the heart and mind. some people go through this too and some start changing from in to out. which means some people change their hearts and minds first before changing their outlook and lifestyle.
whichever way it is, both are good. it is normal for human to always want to be better. it's just a matter of how much effort we're willing to put and how much we're willing to sacrifice.
and before any of you start judging others or questioning other people's intentions, remember.. "today i am better than you, but maybe tomorrow, you will be better than me." - this saying generally. when we see people who hasn't performed their best, make a doa for them.

The Prophet said: "The dua of a Muslim for his brother (in Islam) in his absence is readily accepted. An angel is appointed to his side. Whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother the appointed angel says, 'Aameen. And may you also be blessed with the same.'" [Sahih Muslim]

doakan terbaik untuk orang lain, maka in sha Allah kita pun dapat kebaikan tersebut =) Allah SWT sememangnya Maha Pemurah & Maha Penyayang!

SO! to finish this off, before, i used to think hijab is the act of covering ourselves physically. but now the 'hijab' which means covering, to me, is the act of covering from head to toe with modesty, being modest, portraying a believer of Islam, a form of jihad (though i know it's not a big type of jihad), and all of that with the intention of pleasing Allah SWT. and that is why i call myself a hijaber. macam doa la since nak ber-istiqamah kan =) in sha Allah.

and as an advice, if you know what you're doing is something good, don't hesitate. just do it, pray for the best and tawakal. maybe your first intention macam "off" sikit tapi takpe. try to improve from time to time =)
takde masalah la! hehee =D

all the best uolls!
i love you lillahi taala =)
salam!

Needs for Raya

Assalamualaikum dear sisters!

have you done your raya shopping?

i haven't.

ahak!

this year, my family and i don't have any new raya clothes coz we have to make new ones for my *ehem* wedding. *ehem*.

=B

if you, like me, don't have any baju raya this year, don't worry laaaa! we can always wear whatever we have! lagipun, why waste? my old raya clothes are still good as new! hehee =)

however, i have a suggestion for you girls!

shopping for new clothes that you'll only be able to wear once in a while is not so economical (in my opinion).

what i've been doing since last year (apart from recycling old but good baju raya), i buy clothes that i CONFIRM will wear even when it's not a festive occasion.

1. OUTERWEAR

outerwears or cardigans like these are my favourite must-haves. i mostly get mine from CalaQisya. i've been to so many events and occasions with wearing simply a plain maxi dress or plain top and jeans with them outerwears. tak panas, tak rimas, yang penting, multi-purpose maka save cost di situ. you dig?

=)

so here's CalaQisya's shop details if you wanna pay them a visit! their shop dah la cute gilaaa! iolls suka! 

2. TUDUNG

these 3 are from Luvstylista and masyAllah i love how labuh it is!!

they have so many shawls and turbans to choose from and mine are all chiffon material. yang satin pun cantik gila! love them all la basically!!

with their tudungs yang labuh and designed so sweetly, one can wear just this tudung with a plain jubah/baju kurung/maxi dress. 

it's fancy but not too fancy that you can only wear it once in a while, you can wear it practically with anything!

here's their shop details if you wanna visit them!

the other day i wore the outerwear and the tudung together to kursus kahwin. yes! i finally went!!! hahahaha! been procrastinating about going since earlier this year. now tinggal HIV test je. wooot!

excuse my poyo faceeeeee!!!! ngeeeeeeee =B 

another tudung from luvstylista =)

(tudung syria ditarik ke depan and still labuh!!)

and that's why i don't need to buy more new clothes. because i have my basic necessities that suits all occasion!

i'm here encouraging you girls to be thrifty when it comes to shopping but be generous when it comes to sedekah.

remember that there are people who are less fortunate than us.

 if you want to bersedekah, here's the link to all the rumah anak yatim in malaysia as one of your options!

let's make their Aidilfitri be more festive than ever!

in sha Allah, you too will be rewarded in the Hereafter =')

raya will be in a few days! 

i have so many things to share, but i think i'll share them here after raya =)

salam!

i Bag you: IT'S OUT!

assalamualaikum bag lovers!

guess what?!
my bags - THEY ARE HERE!!!!!!

woooooooooooooooooooottt!!

last weekend i had a short photoshoot with my bags. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... rasa cam surreal gila!!

ok! less talking(writing), feast your eyes on ze pictures!

this one is just of me, le designer profile photo *ngeeeeee*

do i look macho? teehee!

YES, THAT'S MY BAG! haha!

from my expression, yes, i was very very happy with the bags and i love love love them!

this one too!!

this is one of my 'inspired' bags. i have 2 more designs!! so if you sanggup tunggu, tunggu la =B ihik!

i chose colourful modern-retro bags because i want the bags to make a statement.

you can just wear a simple white top, pair of your favourite jeans, plain shawl and then, wear one of these babies, and voila!

i wanted it to be practical as well, so it can be a shoulder hand bag, or a sling bag =)

see! i fikir untuk uolls tauuuuu =B

with some of my other bags too which will come out soon! stay tuned to Sometime's FB to know when!

i hope you guys liked what you see.. i'm quite nervous to be honest! =B and i hope these bags can cater to your practical needs! in sha Allah =D

so now that you've seen my bags, here's what you need to know!

Check out the bags at:

Sometime's website

Sometime's FB Page

on

9th AUGUST 2012

THURSDAY

get ready k and have fun shopping! ihik!

love thy family

assalamualaikum =)

so just now, as in before 12 midnight today..
amende aku nak cakap nih?

yesterday la senang cite. heeee =p

i was working as usual (on saturday?!?! gaassppp?! hahaha! noob korang. yes. anyway) but thankfully it wasn't a full day work. bosses knew my colleague and i were fasting so lepaskan awal. weee! oh, i had a meeting. that's why we were glad. haha!

anyway, after meeting tu, i straight away went to jusco au2 to join my family and friends on our yearly 'sponsor kanak2 kurang mampu for raya' activity. basically we just assign ourselves to a child and carikan baju raya, kasut raya, tudung raya, etc etc worth about a few hundreds.
these kids are from different schools around rawang, and they are chosen on basis of their family welfare. you probably can find them under Rumah Amal Budi Bistari, Rawang.

so i attached myself to this cute standard 6 girl named anisah =)
kesian dia, malu malu kucing ngan i. but biasa lah akak maria. lagi orang tu malu ngan akak, lagi akak suka sakat. akak suka tau uolls! haha!

so she warmed up with me, alhamdulillah, and so sweet when she was so concerned that whatever she chose would be above budget! always asking "mahal ke kak? cukup ke kak?" hehe! adik comel.

after the whole shopping thing, we went to felda villa in kl for iftar. so as we were all waiting for the azan, these kids memang nampak penat sampai ada tertido tido and most of them muka cam zombie. hehe! kesian..

masa tu la my aunty told me.. she said some of them memang ada family. have siblings and parents. but some don't know where their siblings are, and some hardly seen their parents.. they just stay in the asrama..

imagine.

being a 10 year old kid. you know you have a family, but you have no idea where they are, how they are, who they are and what became of them.

and there i was. a 25 year old, i know where my brothers are, i know where my parents are, i know and i can see what they're doing, i can hold them, i can talk to them, they're there.

right in front of my eyes.

dulu i, as a kid, always lost my parents. but i know if i cry loud enough, they would come and get me. i used to get really high fever, and my mom would always care for me.

macam mana ngan diorang ni?

kalau diorang nangis, siapa yang datang? kalau diorang sakit, sape yang jaga? kalau diorang nak dimanja, siapa yang manjakan?

masyAllah..

sebelum azan berkumandang, i doa sambil tahan air mata dari menitis.
“Sesungguhnya bagi orang yang berpuasa ketika saat berbuka ada doa yang tidak ditolak”.(HR Ibnu Majah)
in sha Allah.


lepas dah berbuka semua, kak maria pun buat lah apa kak maria terror buat. kak maria buat la adik2 ni gelak =)

contest muka buruk

contest muka buruk lagi

contest pose terbaik ngan air

contest pose minum

ni la anisah =)

all in all, it was a hopefully a great day for these kids =) they deserve to feel special and treated specially! 

towards the end of the day, with duit raya in their hands, we bade them goodbye.

sambil peluk cium diorang, i bisikkan a few words to them. my heart felt like half boiled egg. partially solid, partially fluid. weird comparison, but oh well. you get the gist =p

may Allah bring me to more people who needs my TLC. =')

may Allah guide these kids to a bright future

may Allah bless those who read this and made doa for them

may Allah bless us all, in sha Allah with barakah and enlightenment =')

may we be better children to our parents and better sibling to our siblings too! =D 

salam everyone!

and selamat berpuasa!

i Bag you: Design time!

assalamualaikum!!

so in my previous post, i said i was going to start designing 'inspired by maria' bags - in sha Allah will make my original pieces someday! *hopeful!*

well, i've met the bag designer already, and woohooo!!

IT IS ON!

soon, sometime will start selling bags which i help design! i chose the patterns and the type of bags, and the product specialist, Nicole, helped me fine-tune it. she showed me so many fabrics and samples sampai i naik juling!
i thought there's only leather and all leather are... leather la.
rupanya ada leather shiny la, matte la, ada crocodile-ly leather, ada snake-ly leather, ada soft, ada hard and the list goes on and on and onnnnnn! and the colours!! HOMAIGAHHHH!! banyak gila mcm whaaattt?!?!

see!! so many colours!! 

we discussed about a lot of other things too, like how to make bags practical and suitable for all occasion, costing, how to mix and match different cloths and so much more. i had so much fun coz it's all new to me! =D i am sooooooooooo glad that Nicole understands me! she just know what i'm talking about and she made a more precise drawing and i macam "yeahh!! like that!!" hehehehe!

discussing and choosing material for le bags =B

so we have finalised some designs and they are on its way to production already. so... I AM EXCITED!!
you can already see some hints about the kind of bags that we came up with *crazy huge grin* at their facebook page, so check it out!!

so those of you yang nak shop for raya bags, boleh tunggu la kot! in sha Allah the 'Inspired By Maria Elena' bags will be out before raya =D

so sabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
and stay tuned for my next update about the bags k! will announce the launching here! =D
can't wait!

selamat berpuasa!! <3