Playing Catch Up - Ramadan & New Blog Banner

I feel so guilty for not having checked in any sooner. I've left it a whole month before coming back here and yet I've had a whole load of stuff that I wanted to post and share but somehow time evaded me and the routine of daily life was always there. On top of which it's our holy month of Ramadan and we're busy with fasting and devotional prayers take up most of the day.


We fast from dawn till sunset, where we can't eat or drink anything. Fasting has been prescribed by God for all Muslims in order for us to attain piety and to make us thankful for all that He's given us and believe me when one refrains from eating and drinking all day for so many hours and then it's time to break your fast - a glass of water has never tasted so sweet:-) It makes us empathise with the millions of people in the world who don't even get clean water to drink, who are starving and dying everyday through lack of food and water. It really puts things in perspective for us and we become sober at the thought of it and we devote our time praying and reading the Quran so that we can gain more knowledge and do charitable deeds and give alms to help needy people.

So, this is going to last 30 days (Ramadan started 1st Sept) and at then end we celebrate with Eid, which is our festival (the nearest I can describe it to is Christmas) - where families gather together and eat, drink (not alcohol), wear new clothes, exchange gifts and generally celebrate the end of the fasting month.

I've been kinda quiet on the Art front aswell during Ramadan but have been busy making Eid cards for all my relatives and friends. I gotta do a little Art everyday otherwise I feel something is missing from my life:-)

By the way... have you seen my new blog banner? How can you have failed to notice it when it's right there blinging in your face:-) Isn't it just so beautiful? Well sorry to blow my own trumpet but I think it is and I defy you to say any different;-) I had it personally designed for me by Shabby Cottage Studio's very own Gail Schmidt. We liaised together (yes we did!) for a few days in order to get the elements and look of the banner just right and Gail was so helpful and friendly, giving me advice night and day on how to get my banner just right. My banner showcases some of my Art from mosaics to ATCs. I wanted it to reflect my personality and love of colours and I think Gail has managed to capture exactly that. Oh and by the way, that lovely red chandelier swinging from the centre is my very own which hangs as a pair in my lounge - I just had to include that because it's my most fave colour RED! Along with the newly designed banner I've changed the name one last time to suit ME. Don't worry won't be changing it again:-) So a very BIG Thank you to Gail for all your help with my new blog banner and if anyone out there in Blogland is stuck for ideas go visit Gail she'll help you all the way:-D

Well, as they say, tomorrow is another day and I will hopefully offer up another post - I want to really I do!