The Story Of Us

hey guys.. here we are in November.. as the year winds down I have been obsessed with winter cleaning.. I have taken it upon myself to wash the walls.. my mother's friend had this brilliant idea to use a Swiffer to wash the walls and I am loving it.. every weekend I pick a room and Swiffer away.. and when I see those little smudging toddler finger prints vanish it fills me with joy..  This is something I do all year around but with holiday shopping around the corner I have been doing it more often.. going through the house and finding things we have no need for and selling them on ebay . Also gives me great joy..  We have a little getaway planned around Christmas time.. and an even more exciting trip is being planned for spring break.. yay!  source Speaking of jobs.. I am venturing into family portraits.. I had my first shoot yesterday, it is a change working with people after years of taking photographs of inanimate objects.. but I am looking forward to trying ou

Just want to preface the post with *this is not a sponsored post* I genuinely love this item.. love it so much I bought my second set a few months ago. I am raving about the Pinhole Press Memory Game . When D was turning 4 I saw it on Cup of Jo  and she was offering a promo code so I bought one for him as a present. We don't have family close by so I wanted the photographs to be of D with various members of our family. When D got a little older we realized the set of 24 cards just aren't enough.. and with H turning four in a few months I just ordered a set for him too.. a game of 48 makes it much more fun and challenging. Plus the boys and I love reminiscing over the old adorable photos.  This makes such a great and memorable present for the kids, for yourself.. a wonderful keepsake, something to treasure forever.                        Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Redbubble             Zazzle             Socie

Seeing Red - An abstract photograph of a cherry red Chinese lantern at the Montreal Botanical Gardens during the Chinese Lantern Festival. The most common Chinese paper lantern is colored red. However, it does not only symbolize love. In Chinese culture, red has a deeper significance. Red lanterns bring happiness and warmth that reunite families especially on New Year’s Day. It also means energy, birth and marriage. You can buy this print here . Get Free Shipping with code BLOGGER Prints also available in larger sizes. Contact for more information and special requests. I am open to wholesale and licensing opportunities. Get in touch for more information.                           Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

I have probably put in the least amount of work and effort into this years Halloween. I'm just not feeling it. But it did get me reminiscing some of our past Halloweens. Wishing you all a Happy Halloween full of candy and treats :)                              Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

See You on the Other Side  - Inside the intriguing Howe Caverns, in Upstate New York. A sepia toned photograph of the narrow winding caves. To read more about our trip click here You can buy this print  here . Get Free Shipping with code BLOGGER Prints also available in larger sizes.  Contact  for more information and special requests. I am open to wholesale and licensing opportunities. Get in touch for more information.                    Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

The New York Botanical Gardens was hosting a Chihuly exhibition this summer and I had so hoped to be able to go check it out.. but before I knew it summer had slipped through our fingers. So when I got an email telling me that the exhibition was going to to be there till the end of October I made sure we got to go check it out before then. When we went for hajj we made some new friends with another couple from New Jersey and thought we'd invite them along.. get our kids to bond, their daughter brought along some of her friends and you know what they say.. the more the merrier. And since we were going in October there were pumpkins everywhere!!                    Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

Recently I stumbled across a lovely Pittsburgh boutique The Picket Fence  and thought I'd share it with you.. you can get in some early holiday shopping or treat yourself.  How cute is this Birthday Boy T-shirt and cape set! With the weather we've been having we all need to pull out of rain gear.. and I am loving this yellow and red firetruck rain coat. There is just something about tulle that brings out the girly girl in me.. OMG.. so cute! This pretty dress makes me want to go back to summer .. But then I see this and I say farwell to summer.. bring it on fall. This cake plate and fork set is so pretty.. how about start a new tradition.. a plate for the birthday boy or girl.. to make that moment and that piece of cake all the more special. Which is your favorite? I am giving away a $50 OFF code to go on your very on shopping spree at The Picket Fence. All you have to do is enter below! Entry -Form                  

Scribbled Art  - It was the juxtaposition that caught my eye, the graffiti wall and the old fashioned lamp post. The bright blues and oranges contrasting the stark blackness of the light. This photograph was taken in Amsterdam. You can buy this print  here . Get Free Shipping with code BLOGGER Prints also available in larger sizes.  Contact  for more information and special requests. I am open to wholesale and licensing opportunities. Get in touch for more information.                             Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

Knowing that we weren't going to get to spend the summer with the boys this year.. we tried to do as much as we could with them before we left.         One of M's colleagues took us out on his boat :)   Enjoyed some 59c pancakes :) Tried to use our imagination. Played a lot of Battleship.. a lot!  Tried to rollerskate Visited the High Line Park .. one of my favorite places in the city Went biking.. D managed to go 4 miles.. we were very impressed. A baby visited. My brother's son.. it was great to see the boys bond. and then the grandparents arrived. They did a wonderful job taking  care of the kids while we were gone. For which we are very thankful. In fact I think the boys were a little disappointed to see us return and them go.                    Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

Hello everyone! We are back from our trip .. we got back a few weeks ago and have been recovering from the journey and playing catch up with all the things we had left behind. It was an exhausting journey but spiritually enlightening.. I wish I could share more but in all honesty I wouldn't even know where to begin. The last few days I had been thinking about what I should write about in my first post back.. and while my initial intent was of course to keep it lighthearted unfortunately we don't live in a lighthearted world anymore. I'm not going to start talking politics but I do want to share two little stories. While we were away my parents took the boys to Target. The lady at checkout was of Indian descent and when she noticed my family being of a similar background she spoke to my mother in her mother tongue asking my mother where she was from. What could have been a friendly exchange quickly turned into something ugly when the white lady behind my mom started to r

I will be going away for a while..  We will be going away for a while.. We are going on a pilgrimage.. the boys will be home with family. I don't know what to tell you because I don't really know how to describe it..  You can read a bit more about it here   I hope to be back to blogging by the end of September..  Enjoy the rest of your summers.. and pray for our safe journey and return.                            Etsy             Instagram             Twitter             Bloglovin   

1. What is your favorite color? Gold 2. What is your favorite toy/game?  Trouble 3. What is your favorite fruit?  Raspberries  4. What is your favorite food?  Pizza 5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?  Blue Ribbon Strawberry 7a. What is your favorite tv show?  Odd Squad 7b. Favorite Movie  Captain Underpants 8. What is your favorite animal?  Rabbit 9.What is your favorite city/country?  Myrtle Beach 10. What is your favorite song?  All About the Bass - Megan Trainer (lol) 11. What is your favorite book?  Curious George - Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld 12. Who is your best friend?  Hussein C and AQ 13. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Playing Tennis 14. What do you want to be when you grow up?  Astronaut 15. What is your favorite thing to do with mummy?  Playing board games 16. What is your favorite thing to do with baba?  Playing board games 17. What is your favorite thing to do with H?  playing 18. What makes you feel sad?  When a toy gets lost 19. Wh

D's Birthday wasn't the only thing we were celebrating this summer. Just days after school ended we were informed that D had been selected for a gifted program in school! Letting the proud mama moment soak in for a bit :) Earlier in the year D had completed his first big chapter book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' all by himself and when we discovered that Willy Wonka was coming to Broadway we knew we had to go see it. It was his reward for working so hard throughout the school year and doing so well. But before we went to see the show we took a trip down to Hershey's Chocolate Factory in Pennsylvania to make some chocolate. M's sister had come to visit with her husband and kids and it was a fun way to spend the day. Though I do think they went a little crazy with the hairnet requirements. and then earlier this month we took D to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway.  It was a fantastic show.. a great firs