Street Eats – Halal Gems 2017

Being a lover of all things food related, I was so excited when I discovered Street Eats 2017 organised by Halal Gems #StreetEatsFest whilst browsing social media hard at work. Street food is all the scene in London at the moment, and although it isn't too difficult to find halal street food, there's nothing better than having all these vendors under one roof at Spitalfields Market.

After pestering the little brothers to join me from Luton, we embarked on an afternoon of feasting, munching, slurping and plenty of...... queuing. Sadly, there wasn't a shortage of that!

Before committing to any of the 30min+ queues, we deemed it wise to scour the stalls to see what type of delicious treats were on offer. From Khao Suey and adorable mini-Dutch pancakes to 12-hour smoked brisket and Indian fish and chips, there was something for everyone! 

Akeekah Party Shenanigans

Yesterday, I attended the Akeekah Party of my bestie's first-born! Me and the bestie go way back..to the days of jelly shoes, Capri suns and Barbie dolls. We've known each other as kids and went to the same nursery and primary school. Even after my family moved away from our hometown when I was a teen, we managed to stay in contact and our friendship has gone from strength to strength since alhamdulilah. 

It was amazing and a little emotional celebrating the birth of her daughter in the same room that we had celebrated bestie's fifth birthday around two decades ago! Funny enough, we somehow ended up wearing the same colours that we had worn at our first party together! Talk about fate! 

Haul: Smoky Not Smudgy 2014

So....onto the haul!

I have to say I find it a little puzzling that I only have two main purchases to share from SnS! It's always the case that when I empty my purse on a shopping splurge, I cannot pinpoint for the life of me what I actually bought. Well let me see...if you add everything up: a scarf, bottle of olive oil, jade bracelet, maxi cardigan, a crusty cupcake, biryani, sweeties and a calligraphy class, it does actually equate to a nice enough sum.

Before we decided to part with our cash, my chums and I made an executive decision to scour the entire bazar section of SnS meticulously in order to find the best picks of the day ( hey, no judging! We're students/recent graduates, we don't wanna be fobbed off!). I was constantly drawn to a sweet little stall selling beautiful silk bouquets, Cherry Blossom Bouquets, and had to resist the urge of actually buying my own little bouquet. Forget jilbabs, scarfs and sweets... its a bouquet that I actually want! The owner also sold handmade jewellery, Romeesa London, with semi-precious stones, and although I knew I could not possibly return home with a bridal bouquet in tow, the same couldn't be said about the jewellery pieces!

 

Smoky Not Smudgy 2014

This is an overview of my experience at the 2014 annual Smoky Not Smudgy charity event at Imperial College London. Inshallah I will be uploading more pictures of the fashion show and all the goodies that I somehow accumulated later on. So keep an eye out for more upcoming details!

So, last Sunday I hopped onto a train with some chums and headed to the extremely well-known Smoky Not Smudgy event in Kensington. This was my first time at Smoky Not Smudgy, and leading up to the event I was really excited as it's built quite a reputation for itself, being promoted on various hijab blogs and vlogs, and featuring a great mix of stalls, bloggers, workshops and fashion shows,  showcasing modest yet stylish clothing. I've been following the event for a few years now and have been impressed with the commitment of the volunteers and the variety of stalls and activities that the event itself offers.