HIJAB FASHION WEEK: Look 2

NOTE: All photos were taken prior to posting date, done sometime in April 2011 therefore it does not depict my current condition of health. But hey, no harm in participating right? :)

Day 2 - Formal Attire
What would you wear to formal event? This can be traditional/cultural events, black tie event, weddings, etc etc.

Schanaz Scarf in Mossy Green from SHOP SPUTNIKSWEETHEART { NEW UPDATES TODAY!! }

MAYSAA Snood ( neck covered inner hijab)

Schanaz Kimono Cardigan, coming soon ♥

PASTELINA Mint Peplum Chiffon Skirt

Matilda White Bib Necklace from SHOP SPUTNIKSWEETHEART

NOSE grey wedges

Vintage sequin bag

CASIO Calculator Watch from URBAN-RETRO

A little introduction about Hijab Fashion Week;

Hijabi Fashion Week (HFW) is an international event drawing readers from more than 70 countries. The main purpose of HFW is to provide inspiration for fashionably modest yet, hijab friendly attire for all types of occasions. It's a little like Fashion Week, but online, and our version of it. HFW is a semiannual event held in May and November. During the event, Muslim bloggers showcase new looks everyday for a week under a variety of different categories, ranging from work to weekend wear and everything in between. Despite it's name, HFW isn't only for Muslims or Hijabis, it's for anyone with an interest in dressing fashionably modest. As HFW continues to grow, we hope it will bring modest Muslimah into the world of fashion, and InshaAllah (God willing) increase our influence in the fashion realm.

To find out more on Hijab Fashion Week and how you can join in the fun, go over to LOVE HFW and check out all the looks from other participants all over the world!

My first look for HIJAB FASHION WEEK - { CORPORATE CHIC }

HIJAB FASHION WEEK: Look 1

NOTE: All photos were taken prior to posting date, done sometime in April 2011 therefore it does not depict my current condition of health. But hey, no harm in participating right? :)

Day 1 (May 30) - Work Wear

Us girls got to make some money! What would you wear in a professional environment?

Schanaz Scarf Royal Purple from SHOP SPUTNIKSWEETHEART (will be updated with new stocks tomorrow!)

Ruffled Back Blazer from The Shoplifters

Floral Bow Blouse from SHOP SPUTNIKSWEETHEART (available in facebook, only in red!)

Equestrian pants from The Shoplifters

Pink suede pumps from ZARA

Vintage box bag

Let's just pretend that I work in an office for a while coz working as an engineer in Sony doesn't really requires me to put on formal work-wear and working from for Shop SputnikSweetheart is pretty much me and my pajamas. Do you like my look?

A little introduction about Hijab Fashion Week;

Hijabi Fashion Week (HFW) is an international event drawing readers from more than 70 countries. The main purpose of HFW is to provide inspiration for fashionably modest yet, hijab friendly attire for all types of occasions. It's a little like Fashion Week, but online, and our version of it. HFW is a semiannual event held in May and November. During the event, Muslim bloggers showcase new looks everyday for a week under a variety of different categories, ranging from work to weekend wear and everything in between. Despite it's name, HFW isn't only for Muslims or Hijabis, it's for anyone with an interest in dressing fashionably modest. As HFW continues to grow, we hope it will bring modest Muslimah into the world of fashion, and InshaAllah (God willing) increase our influence in the fashion realm.

To find out more on Hijab Fashion Week and how you can join in the fun, go over to LOVE HFW and check out all the looks from other participants all over the world!

WIWT: From Runway to Realway

#SERIOUSTALK: Drafted this entry for almost a week now, been feeling sick and super feverish to the point I was shivering really hard with teeth clattering and head shaking even I had to ask mom to hug me to warm me up. It was hell to go through, certain antibiotics does give those kind of side effects. It's really crazy. And my temperature is haywire, from 40+ celcius to 36 celcius. In this ward, 37.5 celcius and above is considered fever. So I'd either be having fever at night or in the morning or both for the past few days, it was lethargic, it was stressful and it was especially taking a toll on me when patches of hair starts to fall off again. I mean like super large blotch of patches. I was prepared for it the first time I had chemo around this time last year but since this one is a relapsed, 3 weeks after being warded only now you wanna fall down on me? God grant me patience... Anyways, today I feel better. Naz told me to say "Today will be better!" and I tweeted that and it is better. Sometimes you just gotta visualize it and believe in yourself. Allah works in mysterious ways ♥ I'm in my Day 24 at the hospital and good news is my white blood cells has gone up 0.2 after days being stagnant at 0! I know I know, baby steps. Normal people should have 4 - 11 white blood cell counts. Well, didn't say I was normal right? ;p

#FASHIONTALK: So this is what I wore to the hijab photoshoot for Women of Malaysia happened in mid April, I used Miu Miu Spring/Summer RTW 2011 as color reference ;)

WHAT I WORE: Schanaz Scarf Pearl , my own scarf line available at SHOP SPUTNIKSWEETHEART | MIMPI KITA neon yellow top, bought during their sale here | The Shoplifters equestrian pants | Suede Stylish belt in Turquoise from Shop SputnikSweetheart | Vintage Box Bag, glad Naz talked me out of selling this | Schanaz Scarf Turquoise from Shop SputnikSweetheart tied on the bag | Turquoise ring from Stellar | My peep toe wedding pumps ♥

My color references;

via Style.com: Miu Miu Spring/Summer RTW 2011

via SeaofShoes; as you can see I'm head of over heels for this collection!

Me and the stuffs from TiC Store!

Me & Eyqa with Shafiqah, editor of Women of Malaysia :)

And honored with Mizz Nina, Malaysia's talented celebrity donning Schanaz Scarf in Nude Beige for her photoshoot with Women of Malaysia :)

Check her out!

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMizzNina

https://twitter.com/#!/mizznina1780

Do check out another outfit post in reference to the same Miu Miu collection I did { here }

BEAUTIFUL IN HIJAB: With Ami Schaheera & Eyqa Sulaiman

A collaboration I did with Women of Malaysia last month :) I answered the first interview question at home and the rest while I was already in the ward hence I didn't elaborate much.. Wish I did though..

How can we define fashion? Do we have to dress in the latest trends stated in all of the magazines out there? Does one have to show some skin to be called beautiful and sexy?

Dressing in hijab or headscarf does not mean one has to be totally out of fashion. As a Muslim woman, covering the hair and neck as well as the whole body (except her face and palms) is obligatory. Bear in mind that wearing hijab is NOT a symbol of oppression, but a symbol of liberation to the Muslim women.

WoM is lucky enough to have collaborated with the two lovely ladies who injected fashion into the world of hijab: Ami Schaheera & Eyqa Sulaiman!

Ami Schaheera is a famous fashion blogger and founder of “shop sputniksweetheart”. Her passion towards fashion has embarked her sense of style into a completely different level from the rest of the plain jane designers.


WoM: Who inspired you to do fashion?

Ami: I think honestly fashion is in all of us, whether or not we find ways to make it stand out with our very own styling or personality is the question. I mean many girls even at such young age find ways to fit in, some wear sneakers with studs to school and some don bow hairbands or maybe some stick to plain old scarves, while plain old scarves may not stand out they are still ways to define yourself. You choose that because it suits your style and personality, you like things clean and simple. For me, my elder sister loves fashion and I often sneakily read her Malay fashion magazines eg. Perempuan, Wanita, Jelita when I was small. I ventured into more upbeat western fashion mags in my teenage years, Cleo, Teen Vogue. My friends inspired me to be more versatile in styling myself and when I started wearing hijab I look up to my own hijab clad friends for inspiration.


WoM: At what age did you start wearing hijab?

Ami: Permanently at the age of 26.

WoM: How do you define beauty in a woman?

Ami: Beauty in a woman is having a beautiful heart that glows through her smile and face.

WoM: What makes your hijab style different from the others?

Ami: Not sure if my style is much different but I do try to create my own hijab style and wear something that's different than the common styles. If not, I will wear different types of scarf material or print, for example, the satin silk scarves, first worn by Yuna Zarai and from her style I was inspired to wear satin silk scarves. I then share my interest with other women by selling them. I also like to wear native or tribal printed scarves compared to the usual floral or striped prints.

WoM: Lastly, is there any personal message or advice that you would like to share with all the young women out there in Malaysia?

Ami: I think the women should really respect themselves, appreciate their body and have a little confidence in themselves. Find someone to be your icon and take what's good from them and try to match their achievement.

Eyqa Sulaiman is another talented woman who brings out the finest touch of style in hijab. Her alluring sense of style in fashion has made her become one of the few talented designers/stylists that has put a great remark on the revolutionary of hijab fashion industry in Malaysia.

WoM: Who inspired you to do fashion?

Eyqa: So many things inspire me. I'm always infront of the computer. I do surf the internet a lot. When I was a student I didn't have much money to shop. So I started selling clothes in sell trade, clothes that I would love to wear.

Most of the time I’m inspired by the people around me and work with what I have.
My close friend, Shida Suhaimy, always help me with what to wear and what not to wear. She was my ex roomate when I was studying in MMU Melaka. Now, we live far from each other, Internet is the place where we can communicate about fashion, exchange pictures we found over the Internet, and show pictures of what we bought. It is fun to play dress up when me and my scarflet sisters go out, I'm not afraid to experiment with fashion. I can say they build my confidence up and I'm so blessed I have those lovely people around me.

WoM: At what age did you start wearing hijab?

Eyqa: I started to wear hijab since 2003.

WoM: How do you define beauty in a woman?

Eyqa: It's not about having small waist and fair smooth skin or a perfect smile or gorgeous long hair. It is something that makes the person become breathtaking from inside out. Inner beauty will always emanate and never fade or wrinkle. I love looking at beautiful people but I think inner beauty is the most important. It defines who you are.

WoM: What makes your hijab style different from the others?

Eyqa: Just be confident. Confidence is very sexy! Never be afraid to try something new or something you see and you like. When I go out I always experiment myself with new hijab knot. Sometimes my friends would ask me how to wear the hijab that I put on to myself, honestly I don't remember how I wear all the styles, I just go infront of the mirror and just wrap the scarf whichever way I like!

WoM: Lastly, is there any personal message or advice that you would like to share with all the young women out there in Malaysia?

Eyqa: My advise would be to follow your dreams. Apply love, joy and peace in your life and most importantly, love urself first.

Be sure to check out Ami Schaheera's blog at ami.sptnkswthrt.com as well as her blogshop at shop.sptnkswthrt.com and Eyqa Sulaiman's shop at www.sugarscarfbyriqa.com

We also collaborated to style a few models wearing hijab sometime in mid April 2011. Excerpted from WomenofMalaysia.net:

Who says wearing hijab stops you from being fashionable?

Hijab has been one of the premier icon of fashion since the ancient days.

Though it is a compulsory practice for the Muslim women, wearing Hijab is NEVER a sign of oppression.

Wearing hijab enhances the femininity and exclusivity in a woman as it covers

one of the most precious belongings of a woman - the hair.

Let's take a look at some of the modern styles of Hijab fashion by Ami Scaheera's Shop SputnikSweetheart and Sugarscarf by Riqa:

This turban-styled

hijab compliments greatly to those with sharp features, accentuating the strong shape of her face and jaw.

Top it of with a classy look by wearing a proper coat or jacket with a silk satin scarf around the neck.

Schanaz Scarf - one of the very famous collections by Ami Schaheera's Shop SputnikSweetheart.

Feeling the romantic vibe in you?

Then go ahead and put on some soft pastel colors in your wardrobe.

Soft lilac color goes absolutely perfect with turquoise color.

(Model : Farhanah Akbar Ali)

(Model: Fairuz Adlidna Badrul Hissam)

(Model: Siti Aisyah Masri)

You can get all these gorgeous Hijab designs (including the amazing jewellery!) at Ami Schaheera's Shop SputnikSweetheart and Sugarscarf By Riqa.

On the launching of Women of Malaysia, I had to miss it as I was already in the ward - it happened on 7th May 2011 and as expected with much success. Syabas to the beautiful Shafiqah Shafie, the founder and chief editor of this online magazine for such a wonderful idea of creating awareness for women in Malaysia. I hope the magazine will bloom into a prestige publication magazine one day insyaAllah ♥

Article via { WOMEN OF MALAYSIA }. Check them out on:

Facebook: WOM

Twitter: @WomenOfMalaysia

Tumblr: Women Of Malaysia

Thank you so much for inviting me to participate on your first online edition! Hope to collaborate more in the future, when I am better of health. Amin..

My BFF Wynn was also featured, as also neighbor fashion blogger Diana Azmi for her hand-made headbands. I even get to meet Amber Chia { click to read }, Women of Malaysia's Women of the Month during our meeting and then have the honor of Mizz Nina, our local singer wore Schanaz Scarf for her photoshoot for Women of Malaysia. Thank you so much for the opportunity..

p/s: Shall update with details of what I wore that day in the next post insyaAllah.

17th May 2010 ~ 17th May 2011

On this date last year, I am on the same bed, the same green uniform and the same ward. Blood cancer ward. A year ago, the doctor diagnosed me of having Acute Myeloid Leukemia. A news that shattered my whole being as a wife of one month and 2 weeks. I muttered I'm sorry to him and he told me to hush.

I didn't write the story when it happened last year, I announced it to friends using twitter and facebook and it spread from there. Emails, tweets, comments and text messages came swarming in. I knew then I shouldn't give up, I only cried for a few hours and accepted my fate. I cried a lil again when the doctor told we may not be able to have kids due to nature of my high toxicity chemo drugs. But I was ready to do just about anything the doctors say to get better.

I had to undergo four chemo cycles, one cycle consisting of me staying in the ward for about 3-4 weeks each with permission to go home about a week after each cycle ends. The toughest times would be on Day6 - Day20 in which Day1 is the first day I receive chemo treatment. Days of receiving chemo treatment varies according to the chemo protocol given, it's the waiting period is the most torturing part. The chemo drugs will stripped down and kill all my blood cells including the good ones, and I will have to wait for my body makes new blood cells. At this point, I have zero body immune, the high count of white blood cells which fights off infection will drop down to a 0 and I will be super prone to even the slightest bit of infection. And an infection even as small as a flu could be fatal if not treated.

Side-effects; well the first few days of staying in the hospital I could eat the food they served. But on Day2 of the first chemo cycle, I hurled and barfed all the dinner I ate. Nausea consumes me, I was dizzy and smelly. I could barely eat afterwards. I tried having Nestum instant drinks and pears. I barfed that as well, in which I can not eat or smell Nestum and pear for such a long time, I believe I haven't had any up to this date of writing! It was hard, not being able to eat as I usually do. Body needs the supplement to build new blood cells but I have almost none. Doctors do try to help by giving meds that can ease the nausea. It helps a bit.

The worst I've been when I had the strongest chemo protocol of all four, had that in my 3rd chemo cycle. Not sure how it happened but I couldn't get up, I was shivering and so so weak. The doctors quickly transferred me to the center of the ward to make it easier for them to take care of me. I had to have the oxygen mask on to breathe, my blood pressure was really low doctors didn't allow me too get up at all or else I'll faint... Everything had to be done on the bed, I was a big sloppy baby again. And my mother was there to take care of me. I feel guilty. Naz was in India, on a business trip. The only business trip he agreed to take eversince I was diagnosed and this happens.

We fail to find stemcell match with my siblings and the donor database, Malaysia's donor database only consists of 100k+ donors, that is very sad Malaysian. Very very sad, imagine your daughter or wife needing a stem cell donor and there's no match. That is exactly what I'm going through. Not wanting to give up, we sent my blood sample over to Singapore/Taiwan to search for any match. Found a partial cord blood match in Taiwan. Risky.

There was one other way, using my own blood.

Autologous

Autologous HSCT requires the extraction (apheresis) of haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from the patient and storage of the harvested cells in a freezer. The patient is then treated with high-dosechemotherapy with or without radiotherapy with the intention of eradicating the patient's malignant cell population at the cost of partial or complete bone marrow ablation (destruction of patient's bone marrow function to grow new blood cells). The patient's own stored stem cells are then returned to his/her body, where they replace destroyed tissue and resume the patient's normal blood cell production. Autologous transplants have the advantage of lower risk of infection during the immune-compromised portion of the treatment since the recovery of immune function is rapid. Also, the incidence of patients experiencing rejection (graft-versus-host disease) is very rare due to the donor and recipient being the same individual. These advantages have established autologous HSCT as one of the standard second-line treatments for such diseases as lymphoma.^[15] However, for others such as Acute Myeloid Leukemia, the reduced mortality of the autogenous relative to allogeneic HSCT may be outweighed by an increased likelihood of cancer relapse and related mortality, and therefore the allogeneic treatment may be preferred for those conditions.

Sadly, my body didn't produce enough stem cells to be used for the transplant. We tried again, and failed. We did asked the doctor to try harvesting atleast one more time but as it happens, once failed it usually means it can not be done. And other medical center would not even try for a second time but Hospital Ampang did.

I went home for the first time, to stay longer than I have ever in our apartment. I was socially awkward, been cooped up in the hospital for the longest of time it feels battling for my life. Went for monthly check-ups while hoping the cancer wouldn't return. I felt great about myself, I have never ever felt, more alive.

And suddenly, I'm here again. On the very same bed, Bed 22. Doing the strongest chemo there is for my disease. If this one fails, I can't do anymore chemo. That, we will leave for Allah to decide for we are only able to plan.

Allahumma inni as alukal ngafiata fiddun-ya wal alkhirah

"O Allah, I seek from You for the good health here and hereafter."

Alas, I do have visitors coming over that brightens up my day with their smiles and happy stories. They warmed up my heart and leave me smiling, forgetting I am even sick to begin with. Some reached out to me, and I meet them half way with the plain harsh truth. Eitherway, I am thankful to be receiving such supports. And for those who couldn't come, all your lovely emails and messages are read, I shall reply to all of them within time ♥

♥

Handsome Abah in his prime days ♥

p/s: Yesterday was also the anniversary of my father's death due to lung cancer, 17th May 1997. Would really appreciate it if you take a moment to recite Al-Fatihah for my late Abah..