Visual DNA

This is my Visual DNA-

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I love life and I love love. I definitely don't settle for the day to day, but I don't like change- even though I constantly am thinking I need to improve myself. I enjoy life in other countries and love travel. I prefer to be away from my roots, but at the same time love Chicago. I'm not sure if I'm easygoing or really what I am. Because there are certain things I know I want, and then there are things that I have no clue about. Hopefully I'll learn, I guess that's what this time of my life is about anyway..

Thanks, Maryam, for sharing your Visual DNA.

Coming out of my shell...

So to speak anyway..

For the past two weeks, I've been enveloped in the wonderful world of home school, studying, trying to stay away from the computer as much as possible (during the daylight hours)-basically reading all morning and then using the time when all the munchkins are in school to work on the much dreaded(not totally dreaded now) Algebra with my dad. Focusing.

It feels weird to be talking about all this, especially here, but I am reminding myself that I'm expected to act somewhat like a, for lack of a better word, "teenager", I am only 18..... sometimes I forget.

So, I've read over 300 pages in Literature, finished 3 exams and have somehow have come to kinda understand advanced algebra. I'm not exactly trying to toot my own horn, but I am somewhat proud of myself for finally listening to the advice of so many friends and taking the initiative to finish what I started. I've even started doing pilates again, what a breakthrough I've had...lol..
I really am working hard, but I have to admit my motivation is not just because I have finally decided to take some friends' advice, it's also because I have a dream and I've realized there were things standing that dream's way, and that those things weren't worth the hullabaloo I was making out of them. So I decided to kick their feet out from under them and, so far, these "things" haven't really stood a chance, but don't worry, I won't let my guard down, just in case.

So friends, thank you for being patient during my little sabbatical.

Ah, and I will share a photo taken the day before I started all this. Enjoy :)
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

Fighting For What I Believe Requires Sacrifice

The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. - Charles DuBois

Hello friends, I'm just writing to let you all know that I'm taking a break..

This computer has caused me enough problems and has tried to crush my dreams, so I'm turning it off for now. I won't be taking pictures and I won't be blogging for a while, a long while.

I have something amazing waiting for me, promises to keep and I will keep them.

I will be checking emails here and there, but I'm sorry if you don't see me on your sites, commenting and such. I really am just stepping away from it all.

Anyway, It's been fun.

See you all.....

Love ~ H

Ps. notes of encouragement are appreciated ;)

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

My Own: Moroccan Weekend

Our Saturday night was filled to overflowing with Moroccan love; from food, to belly dancers, to houkah, to music. It was a lot of fun! Usually our Saturdays are Moroccan, somewhat anyway, because we go out with our friend, Youssef, but tonight was special. I was actually pulled from my table to dance with the belly dancer at a friend's restaurant, Tagine. I have to say, I probably suck, but I love trying anyway.. Now, I know this isn't like photographic genius, but I still really like how the movement was captured in this shot.


The photos below show friends dancing at Barba Yianni. A greek place not far from Tagine. Every Saturday they have live music and you can dance all night long, and we did- until 4 am.


This night was one of few that I have spent with Moroccan women, who are so much fun btw, and of course I loved every minute! Above are Oumnia and Hasna, and then, Oumnia and the Birthday Girl(never heard her name). Friends Sabeen and of course Youssef, were also there with my sister, Hope, and I and I'm tell you, the music was awesome.

Speaking of music, Nancy Ajram is coming to Chicago! Yipee!


More pictures from our Moroccan Weekend here.


*Note* I was asked to remove, for religious reasons, the pics that were formerly attached to this post.

An Honorable Mention

Hadassah got an honorable mention in the February Photo Competition on The Year of Living Gorgeously blog for the photo the Lone Squirrel Trail, aka: Squirrel Tracks. (below)


What the judge said about "Squirrel Tracks": "I liked the graphic and contemporary nature of this image, with the purposeful squirrel tracks in the snow, cross hatched by the precise shadows. A marriage of straight lines of very different kinds, I think it took an artistic eye to see the image's potential, before capturing it on film."


Check out the rest of the competition's photos from The Year of Living Gorgeously's February Photo Competition at the flickr pool.

Congrats to Jii, the winner of this month's competition!!