Hectic Week and Some Craft Relief

Alhamdulillah have had a hectic week so haven't been able to blog. I had a job application to submit by this Friday and a presentation to prepare for a room full of people (mostly managers), something I used to enjoy but hadn't done in a long time. I managed to get both done in the end, the first with some guidance from freinds and the second by reminding myself of the prayer for anxiety:

It was reported from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No person suffers any anxiety or grief, and says the supplication below but Allaah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in their stead joy:

‘Allaahumma innee ‘abduka wa ibn ‘abdika wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi yadika, maadin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka, as’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi ‘andak an taj’ala al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’a huzni wa dhahaaba hammi

(O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety)’ - but Allaah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in their stead joy.”(Ahmad 1/391 and Al-Albaanee declared it sahih.)

the other one I use is one that a friend gave me before a job interview and has helped me since:

Allahumma inni a'oodhoo bika minal-hammi-walhazan. Wa'a oodhoo bika minal-ghammi-wal-kasal. Wa'a oodhoo bika minal jubni wal bukhl. Wa'a oodhoo bikalmin ghalabatid-dayni-waqarir rijal.

Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from helplessness and laziness, from cowardice and stinginess, and from overpowering of debt and from oppression of men.

The presentation was on regeneration of impoverished areas, and went well and I got good feedback about my voice carrying well and being engaging, I think because I am softly-spoken and wear hijab everyone assumed I would be quiet (and thick - they certainly didn't expect me to know what I presented on). I think shouting at the kids has opened up my lungs.

In between the busyness, I have been able to make some time to enjoy some crafting. I was invited to Sister Ammena's henna party and wanted to get into the spirit of things. I had some blue and yellow paisley cardstock and thought it would be just right for the henna theme. In the end I made a banner:

I really like the glittery effect of the paper and will be hunting myself down some more from Etsy I think.

I had some left over paper, so made some cards to co-ordinate. I made the backgrounds and went off to make dinner. In the meantime, Little Lady decided to show me how the cards should be decorated.



Much as I liked them, I didn't take her ideas up this time:

I'm off now to get three more job applications ready for next Friday and get my Eid shopping done in good time, and at some point try and do something about the state of my home which looks like it has been trashed ( I suppose I could do what one of my aunts did and tell everyone burglars had trashed her house, when actually it was just the same before she was burgled ;)