Because i'm happy

I was walking with a friend, late at night; we were both emotionally shattered, finding comfort in each other's company and the night sky. I turned my head to the sky, and there it was, a shooting star, I had never seen a shooting star before, and I turned to him and said did you see that? He was equally excited and told me to make a wish, quick, quick, make a wish now! So I did, I closed my eyes and wished for what I needed the most at the time, I wished to be happy...

A long time ago I got a book because the tile spoke to me. "Why is it so hard to be happy?"

When I started reading it, I expected a magical recipe, a quick fix to happiness, some practical steps, instead I found the author going on about his life and little moments of happiness he experienced, which isn't bad really, I enjoyed reading them, except it wasn't what I was looking for. I didn't finish the book and that's ok because I found out that there is no magical recipe to happiness except maybe, you know, to go with the flow.

A couple of months ago, I wanted to control everything in my life and needed things to go a certain way and got  very frustrated when they didn't. But then I decided to let go, I stopped stressing out, I stopped trying to force things to go my way and started appreciating what I got instead. And eventually, things got better and I’m way happier than I was, the secret to happiness in my opinion is simply not to condition your well being with anything, not a job, not a boy, nothing... and just appreciate what you have, work hard and be content.

This being said, I’m entering this beautiful challenge that helps you appreciate what you have in life. It’s called 100 happy days. Anyone can join; you just have to post a picture of something that makes you happy every day for a 100 days. I'll be doing it in instagram using the hashtag #100happydays, you can follow me at ichraqbs to see what makes me happy, I’m starting tomorrow and you're very welcome to join me!

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Love me do

Today is Valentine's day and i've been seeing teddy bears and chocolate everywhere and everybody getting super excited about their lovey dovey diner plans or super bitter about what in the world is there to celebrate while they're loleny and have no one to call their own. Well i'm not against valentine's day, i've never been because first of all teddy bears, roses and chocolate are awesome and i think love should be celebrate indeed, as much as we can actually, but i think that there is one person we geuially forget about on occasions like this and this person ladies and gentlemen (can i get some drum rolls please) is you!

“i am mine. 

before i am ever anyone else’s.

in, nayyirah waheed 

ok let me explain myself. I was on tumblr once scrolling down some beautiful and other rather creepy pictures when i read this "talk to yourself like you would talk to someone you love" and it made laugh at first because I started calling myself  hbiba (my love) and found it quite amusing but if you think about it for a while you'll realise that you are probably harder on yourself than you are on anybody else. So I say today, and everyday celebrate your love for your lovers family and friends but for youself as well, appreciate that little soul that lives inside of you, after all you have to live with yourself far more than you do with anybody else so pamper yourself, love yourself and remember, you're gorgeous, every one of you.

Happy Valentine's Day.

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Your girl is lovely hubbell

Remember that time when you were browsing your facebook feed, dipping Doritos in that filthy but oh so tasty sauce feeling good about yourself and where your life is heading (kind of). When suddenly bam what do you see, a picture of your ex getting engaged! So you dip your Doritos in the sauce aggressively and wonder how in the world anyone ever wanted to marry that douchebag and how in the world did he ever find someone before you did. And suddenly, there goes your hopes and dreams that he'd be miserable forever out the window! I mean let's face it, you're fabulous and he's just well he's just really not! Plus you deserve to be happy first and he can't get married while you're sad and lonely and Doritos are your only friends. 

so now unless you invite yourself to his wedding, wait for the right moment and shout i object, knock him down l3mariya screaming you said you'll love me forever or try to win him back by seducing him with your bitterness we're gonna have to deal with this situation.

and what I mean by dealing with this situation is not eating as much sweets as possible, listening to adele all day long then killing yourself. You have to remember, you're fabulous and the world is a much sadder place without you!

Truth is, being in your twenties, it's just a matter of time before your exes start settling down and sometimes it makes you feel bad, especially if you're still single or in an unhappy relationship, that you're still, you know, just trying to figure out what to do with your life while everybody else has it all together! 

Well i don't think that there is a right or wrong time, things come your way when you're ready for them and everybody's timing is different. Therefore, let's try our best here to be happy for mister douchebag, there is a reason why he is in your past... and just because he's mister right for that well "other woman" (who doesn’t even compare to your beauty nor brains) doesn’t make him any less of a bad match for you.

Being single doesn’t make you any less sexy or charming, it just means that you're taking your time to figure out what you want in life and who you want to build it with!

I mean look at adele, she did find prince charming after all , she didn't find someone like him, she found way better, so why won't you?, after all, you're kind of a big deal  ;)

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Tiny humans

My 5 years old niece taught me that it's ok to jump a little higher and dream a little bigger. that it's ok  to think that you're the most beautiful woman on earth with your hair going crazy and strawberry jam on your shirt, that you were born a princess and always will be, that it's ok to watch TV all day and eat nothing but candy. She's so pretty and so alive and I love her much much more than my heart can hold.

I love kids! I mean that's no surprise everybody knows that. I love their tiny hands and tiny feet and tiny eyes! but mostly I love how they're always amazed by everything, how they think that the world is the most amazing place ever, how they believe that anything is possible. Their eyes light up in the most beautiful way whenever they see a butterfly, a dog or even a chocolate bar and I like to think that I have kept some of that... that even if i'm getting a little older every day, the child in me is always there wanting to play, discover, wanting to be amazed!

I took  the picture above at my niece's birthday. she is the most beautiful little girl ever (what do you mean i'm biased!) and even though she really didn't have the time to pose for me I managed to get some pretty great shots (I know, i'm amazing!) but this one is definitely my favorite...

anyhow it was a really fun day, the kids had a great time playing

And I had a great time, you know, eating stuff! (don't judge me! the food was irresistible! also, there was cake!)

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Good Enough.

Today I am going to write about something I wanted to write about for a long time but never seemed to get to it. However lately I felt like it was time so here it is. Dedicated to I. 

I think that we all in life at some point experience rejection, failure, disappointment... and those experiences repetitively leave a mark on us until we start asking ourselves; are we enough? Are we good enough for love? For that prestigious firm? Are we pretty enough? Tall enough? Skinny enough? Smart enough? And the list is very long.

If I get a little prettier can I be your baby? ― Lana Del Rey.

It might be because of this gorgeous guy (girl) you've been crazy about and who seems to think you’re not worthy of his love or this client that thinks that what you had to offer was mediocre while you felt like you did the best you could... and the reasons could be countless.

And that's when self doubt hits you and you start comparing yourself to others and wondering why you aren't pretty enough and smart enough and why you're not worthy of it all. 

“Im constantly comparing myself to others, down to every little detail. Their hair is better, they have a nicer smile, their laugh isn’t stupid, they’re smarter, their legs are skinnier, they can talk to people easier, they have more friends, they’re funnier, they’re just always better than me. they’re just always better than me.”

—	TheEmotionInMe

  

What you need to understand and what took me a hell of a lot of time to get is that what people thought of me didn't define in any way who I was. people will be people and let's face it you won't be everybody's cup of tea. Some people and even if they mean the sun and moon to you will think that you are less than ordinary and that's ok. Because them thinking that you're not worth it doesn't mean you aren't. It just means they fail to see your light and that's their loss, really.

You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.― Dita Von Teese  

Don't beat yourself up for something that's out of your control because you are good enough and you are worth it. When you need to prove your worth to someone it is then the moment to walk away.

I think what's most important is to focus on yourself and do whatever you like to do, do what makes click and if you don't know what it is just yet keep looking. Focus on making yourself a better person enjoy every second of your life and the right people will come to you.

Do not compare yourself with anybody else because you're unique, you're different you're not even comparable and that's more than enough. Learn to love yourself just the way you are and your life will be much much fuller of love.

Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be younger. But they will never be you. - Unknown

Life is an adventure and time goes by very fast, too fast to waste it on people who bring you nothing but heartache, too fast to focus on failure. Love yourself and what you stand for, do you best and I promise it’ll be more than enough.

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A one way ticket please: Marrakech part II

Like real tourists, we headed next to Menara for some sight seeing.
//Comme de vrais touristes, nous avons passé quelque temps à la Menara

Then to Jamaa Lefena. A must visit whenever you're in Marrakech.
// pour ensuite partir à Jamaa Lefena. l'incontournable souk de Marrakech.

where we walked around and marveled at some beautiful jewellery
// nous nous sommes promenées un peu partout mais surtout dans les magasins de bijoux, il étaient tellement beaux.

watched snakes dancing...
// Nous avons regardé les serpents danser...

 then casually took a picture with them! I know, i'm fearless!!
// puis on s'est pris en photo avec eux! je sais, on a peur de rien!!

listened to some local music
// nous avons écouté de la musique locale

Dress (New look - similar here) - Glasses (Ray Ban, Aviator)

The next morning, we headed back to Rabat really really tired but very very happy.

//le lendemain matin, nous sommes rentrées à Rabat. on étaient très très fatiguées mais extrêmement heureuses.

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A one way ticket please: Marrakech part I

White top: Zara (similar here), Top: Primark (similar here & here), Cardigan Mango, Skirt: Primark (similar here & here), Shoes (Marwa), Lipstick (Topshop Infrared)

We stayed at the fashion hotel which is a nice 3 stars hotel that's near the railway station. we took a room with no balcony because I read a lot of reviews that said that these rooms  were quite noisy. However our room wasn't very calm neither since we could hear very clearly all the music being played at the pool at 8 am so we sang along to adele's nevermind i'll find someoneeee like youuuuu and headed out quite early. the staff were very nice though and the rooms quite comfy, from a quality/price perspective I'd say that it was a good deal.

// Nous avons séjourné à l'hôtel Fashion, un hôtel 3 étoiles à proximité de la gare de Marrakech. nous avons pris une chambre sans balcon parce que plusieurs personnes sur internet disaient que les chambres étaient assez bruyantes. Cependant notre chambre n'était pas si calme que ça, en effet on écoutaient clairement la musique venant de la piscine à 8 heures du matin... nous avons donc chanté avec adele never mind i'll find someoneee like youuuuu et on est sorti assez tôt pour commencer notre petite escapade à Marrakech. Je tiens néanmoins à dire que le personnel était très gentil et que les chambres étaient assez confortable  D'un point de vue qualité/prix c'était une bonne affaire.

our little weekend get away started with a little escapade to the Majorelle garden.

The garden is a nice little space that has been designed by the french artist Jacques Majorelle. It is utterly beautiful with green plants and bright colored pots everywhere. A very nice place for a little walk at any time of the day. It was full of tourists and my friend and I were among the few Moroccans circling there.

//notre  week-end a commencé avec une petite escapade au jardins Majorelle.
Le jardin est un petit espace agréable qui a été conçu par l'artiste français Jacques Majorelle. le décor est absolument magnifique. On y trouve des plantes vertes partout et des pots de  couleurs vives embellissait le jardin encore plus. C'est un endroit très agréable pour une petite promenade à n'importe quel moment de la journée. Il était plein de touristes et mon amie et moi étions parmi les rares Marocains sur place.

In the middle of the garden you'll find an exposition of some of Yves saint laurent work as well as a little memorial for the french sensation.

//Au milieu du jardin, vous trouverez une exposition des créations d'un certain Yves Saint Laurent ainsi que d'un petit monument commémoratif pour ce grand monsieur.

ok, who takes pictures of the toilet? Yours truly! I think they're super cute! don't judge me!

//ok alors qui prend des photos des toilettes? ben quoi, je pense qu'elles sont super belles! ne me jugez pas!

You can find a nice little café inside as well if you want to sit there and enjoy the view for a while.

//Vous trouverez un petit café sympathique au milieu des jardins si vous voulez vous asseoir et profiter de la vue.

that was how we spent our morning, wondering in the gardens like Disney princesses. I'll post part 2 at the end of the week and warning it'll contain picftures of wild animals! (what!).

//c'est ainsi que nous avons passé notre matinée à se promener dans les jardins comme des princesses de Disney. La 2eme partie du voyage sera en ligne à la fin de la semaine et attention il y'aura des animaux sauvages! (si si je vous jure!)

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A 90's baby

In the ninetie's, I listened to Mariah Carey, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys and dind't  understand a word of what they were saying. I was madly in love with  Namir al Mo9ana3 and my superheroes were the Power Rangers. I wanted to be a doctor because all my friends wanted to be a doctor. I had a collection of Barbie dolls and wished I could be blonde and have blue eyes. I had a computer with Windows 95 and I could play the sims for days. I watched Sabrina the Teenage Witch every day and I always wondered if I could make objects fly around just by concentrating very hard. In the 90s I danced the Macarena and 1 DH seemed like a fortune to me. I woke up at 6 am every saturday morning  so I won't miss my favorite cartoons and when I said "old" I was referring to 20 years old. I loved Disney and I knew all their movies by heart. I played 7aba and & hide and seek and I had a lot of fake tattoos that I found in shewing gum packs... and then I grew up, my physique changed a lot, but my mind, not so much.

// Aux années 90, j'écoutais Mariah Carey, Britney Spears et Backstreet Boys et j'y comprenais rien. J'étais follement amoureuse de Namir al Mo9ana3 et mes super héros étaient les Power Rangers. Je voulais être médecin parce que toutes mes copines voulaient être médecin. J'avais une collection des poupées Barbie et je voulais moi aussi un jour être blonde aux yeux bleu. J'avais un ordinateur avec Windows 95 et je pouvais jouer aux sims pendant des heures. Je regardais Sabrina l'apprentie sorcière tous les jours et je me demandait si je pouvais faire voler des objets en me concentrant très très fort. Aux années 90 j'ai dansé la Macarena et 1 DH était pour moi une fortune. Je me réveillais à 6 H du matin pour ne pas rater mes dessins animées préférées et quand je disais "les vieux" je faisait allusion au gens de 20 ans. J'adorais Disney et je connaissais tous leurs films par cœur. Je jouais à 7aba et à cache cache et j'avais plein de faux tatouages que je trouvais dans des packs de shewing gum... et après j'ai grandi, j'ai changé, corporellement oui beaucoup mais dans ma tête, pas vraiment.

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I dont think about you anymore but I dont think about you any less

I dont think about you anymore but I dont think about you any less

There is nothing more poetic that all these small details that you love about a person and that others often don't even notice. the way she flips her hair, the way he says two sugars when he actually means three, her witty laugh when she calls me by a nickname she knows I hate, how he gets all embarrassed when I tell him to take his glaces off. I love these moments because when I'm all alone, sitting by a bench that's what I remember the most. Your face is all blurry in my head but I'll always remember the poetry in your ways.

Also I decided that sometimes, when I feel like it, I'll include some sound tracks to what i'm listening to at the moment. Sometimes not.
And you, what is it that you love the most about her/him? you best friend, your lover, your cat.

// Il n'ya rien de plus poétique que tous ces petits détails que vous aimez chez une personne et que d'autres souvent ne remarquent même pas. la façon avec laquelle elle se coiffe les cheveux, quand il demande deux sucres pour son café alors qu'en fait, il en voulait trois, son rire malicieux quand elle m'appelle par un surnom qu'elle sait que je déteste, quand je lui dis d'enlever ses lunettes et que ça le gêne. J'aime ces moments parce que quand je suis toute seule, assise sur un banc c'est ce dont je me souviens le plus. ton visage s'efface mais je me souviendrai toujours de la poésie de tes façons.
Aussi j'ai décidé que parfois, quand j'en aurai envie, je vous mettrai quelques chansons, ce que j'écoute en ce moment. Parfois pas.
Et toi, qu'est-ce que tu aimes le plus chez lui / elle? ton meilleur ami, ton amant, ton chat.

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Innocent Souls

I miss the time when I was young and careless and my student time table, I feel like I never have the time to do anything anymore... and I felt sick and sad and tired so I went out and took some pictures. Mainly flowers because they're beautiful and they cheer me up.// Je me sens vieille et ça me manque la belle époque, quand j'avais beaucoup de temps libre, quand j'étais jeune et insouciante... J'étais malade et fatiguée et triste, du coup je suis sortie prendre des photos, des photos de fleurs pour la plupart, parce que les fleurs sont belles et me remontent le moral. 

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