So the past two weeks since I came back, I've been sharing our new branding collection Brand me beautifully is aimed at small businesses, I have used in this collection new techniques and styles I haven't used in previous work. Our new collection comes in different new styles metallic (gold rose, gold foil and silver foil), glitter (in all colours), watercolour texture as well can be  made to a custom colour, along with gradient, and plain colour. With plenty of different illustrations from minimal to more detailed florals, our logos are beautifully custom for you!

The designing process starts with a simple sketch either by using traditional mediums or as a digital sketch, then step by step with some tweaking, sometimes recolouring and adjusting, finally it turns into a logo!

So our branding collection is perfect for any small business (bakery, photography, blog, wedding planner etc).  We also offer six packages to choose from and suits you and your business best, from Logo and watermark to business card design and a full Etsy branding package.  Prices and much more detail are available in our Etsy shop.

For all Etsy sellers, this is a perfect branding package

We also offer many adds on that are inexpensive, for existing pre-made and custom logos of ours and also adds on for you current logo, which doesn't have to be purchased from sunzdid.  Lately, I got some comments about the colours I use, I've been told they either don't stand out or are pale, simple and too much blank and white in my photographs.  Well here's the case, this is simply my personal style, I am not a fan of overcrowded, bright or dark colours, pastels and neutrals have always been the calming colours I admire. I do understand this is not the preferred style that many people go after, and that's absolutely fine! but please do be sure I do design and paint in every colour in the world and have been designing out of my comfort zone with bouquets of flowers haha!

Please do leave any comments and tell us what do you think about our new collection? if you have any business enquiries contact me at sunzdid@gmail.com.  Till next Tuesday inshallah!

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Cherry and plum pancakes

Luckily I've been on track with my clean diet for the longest time I remember, so hopefully, my different approach, this time, will get deep into our daily lifestyle.  I have been reading a lot and expanding my knowledge about clean food, I have so many clean recipes in store and I'm very excited to share with you all. I have also been trying to pay more attention to savoury dishes as well now, as I realised I'm mostly sharing cakes and sweet bake recipes, that's the inner baker in me taking over haha.  I've also managed to set myself a schedule in posting regularly here, so as it is, for now, Tuesday will always be a new blog post day inshallah! so please do keep following, I always appreciate your comments, share your thoughts etc. Now back to the recipe, for these soft delicious and wholesome pancakes.

Ingredients 

Pancake

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 Tbs honey or maple syrup

2 eggs

3 Tbs olive 

1 Tbs vinegar + 1 cup skimmed milk (minus 1 Tbs), as a buttermilk substitute

Cherry and plum sauce 

1/4 cup fresh or frozen cherries

3 plums

3 Tbs water

Directions

Mix the flour and baking powder set aside.
Stir honey and oil together in another bowl.

Add milk, eggs, ginger and cinnamon, beat well.

Mix first bowl content into the liquids, mix well to incorporate air into the mixture.

Heat a pan with a small drizzle of olive oil or coconut oil.

Add about 1/4 cup of batter, cook on low/medium heat. 

Flip only when bubbles appear.

In a pot add all the fruits with the water and simmer on low heat for about 10 mins, serve with pancakes warm or chilled. Finally, serve with low fat plain greek yoghurt or other nuts of your choice.

عندي هلبه وصفات صحية مجربتهم الشهور اللي فاتت وان شاء الله نشارككم بيهم، من فترة بديت نزيد نقرأ على الأكل الصحي أو النظيف أو الكامل وشن فوايده وكيف ممكن نتعودوا عليه وغيره، هلبه مواضيع عالأكل حنشارككم بيها بإذن الله، الفترة هذه بديت نركز أكثر حتى عالأكل المالح أو الحار، في العادة كل الوصفات اللي عرضتها زمان تكون حلو ممكن لأني نحب نطيب حلو أكثر، بس لازم التنويع.  حاجة ثانية نبي نقولها أني بإذن الله كل يوم تلاثاء حنكتب بوست جديد عالبلوق، نوع من التغيير ليا والمداومة ديما أحسن.  فبليز تابعوني  وخلولي تعليقاتكم وأرائكم نفرح بيها وتهمني.  وصفة اليوم بان كيك الكرز والعوينة بدقيق الشعير

المقادير 

1 طاسة شعير

2 كاشيك صغير بيكنج باودر

1/4 كاشيك صغير زنجبيل مرحي

1/4 كاشيك صغير قرفة مرحية

كاشيك كبير عسل

زوز دحيات

3 كواشيك كبيرة زيت زيتون

بديل على البتر ملك حتأخدي طاسة حليب الا كاشيك، وتحطي عليه كاشيك كبير خل وتخليها 10 دقايق ترتاح

صوص الفاكهة

1/4 كوب كرز طازة، ممكن تستخدمي حتى مجمد

3 عوينات

3 كواشيك كبيرة مياه

الطريقة

خلط/ي الدقيق مع البيكنج باودر وخليها على جنب.

خلط/ي العسل والزيت في صونية بروحها.

ضيفي عليها الحليب، الدحيات، الزنجبيل والقرفة وخلطي كويس.

توا خلطي الصونية الأولى مع صونية السوائل، خلطي كويس ودخليلها هواء.

سخني طاوة عالنار بشوية زيت زيتون أو زيت جوز هند.

ضيفي حوالي 1/4 الطاسة من الخلطة وطيبيها على نار هادئة/متوسطة.

إقلبيها عالوجه الثاني بس لما تلقي نبولات طلعوا وتحسيها بدت اطيب.

صوص الكرز والعوينة

خودي الفاكهة مغسولة ومقرضة مع 3 كواشيك كبار مياة وخليهم يغلو على نار هادئة لين تلقيهم زادوا رطابو وغلو

وفي الأخير قدمي البان كيك مع صوص الفاكهة وياغورت خالي الدسم. 

A rock & tide

It's been a very long time since I have been around, I have been very quite lately as some of you may have noticed, for months I have tried to shut myself out from everything and everyone. It's still very hard to actually write about it and say it out loud, I have lost my beloved father baba suddenly and my whole world fell apart, I feel the agony of him not being here every day, words are hard to put in situations like these, where our plans, dreams, and hopes were shattered, the complicated circumstances that forced us not to visit home, had finally got to me & my darkest fear came true.

I was scared facing up to the fact baba's sudden departure from our lives is irrevocable! I wasn't ready to smile or feel happy again, I wasn't ready for life again basically, I wasn't ready for carrying on anything, how could I? I lost my father and with him went so much of me, he had taught me most of what I know in life, but never taught me how to live without him, he was my rock in every sense. 
In the past, whenever he was poorly, I would be sobbing and he would be the calm funny person that he is, telling me to stop worrying telling me always.

 عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم (اعلم أن الأُمة لو اجتمعت على أَن ينفعـوك بشيء ، لم ينفعوك إلا بشيء قد كتبه الله لك ، وإن اجتمعوا على أن يضروك بشيء ، لم يضروك إلا بشيء قد كتبه الله عليك، رفعت الأقلام وجفت الصحف )  And remember that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except that which Allah had foreordained (for you); and if all of them gather to do harm to you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which Allah had predestined against you. The pens had been lifted and the ink had dried up. 

It felt so weird not to hear it from him once again!

The loss had literally shaken my world and opened my eyes to the purpose of being here in the first place, it taught me how short life is, and how the effect of love and care never fades away.  It is that same love that will forever be the most precious thing that would help you breathe daily for the rest of your life and let you hang to it, it is those lifetime memories that will forever live.

Unfortunately, an inevitable process was marching my way, "you have to be strong" I was told, "sadness is consuming you" "for the sake of Joud" "you're not the same" "don't forget yourself" "you look sad", a large piece of yourself and soul was taken away, ripped out and you're expected to be the same? when people just assume your grief is a short period and it's time to "move on" and lift weights from your heavy heart, hearts are not meant to be controlled, but still even if I hated hearing it, it was true, I lost sense of time the most, where did nearly eight months go? it was true, it was a spiralling loss of control, it all feels surreal!

 Then you feel there is no choice but to smile and train yourself to control your tears when someone with similar features as your father's crosses the road, when you walk by the shop you always planned to get him gifts from, when you spot his favourite bird chirping, when you decide to cook his favourite meal just to remember the conversations of his critique on what you cooked! when you could hear his voice calling your name, when you in every single day think about what he would have thought of this and that? when Joud started her first steps, when she had a funny new trick to do, when she learned something new, when you fulfil an academic goal you sowed together but reaped alone, I still imagine and day dream what he would've said, my imagination helped me through a very dark time.

People tend to show their inner feelings when you are at a very difficult time, so hang on to those that were there as a shoulder or just called to hear you cry and help you with their presence and cared for you.  The most heart warming feelings came to me from people I barely knew and even complete strangers, that does assure me the world is still kind. While how to deal with it all I have yet to figure out, my safety loving net helped through it all, those gems I plan to keep for life, you will be surprised and quite shocked from others that once were, they will flow by the tide away ...

From all of this, I find comfort in a thing maybe two, all the memories we've made his presence was something I always thanked god for. A lot of people I know didn't have the same life, some have never met their father's, or carry vague memories of, while others struggled in their lives to have their father as it is! my heart goes out to them, thinking of this does give me much comfort, that me and my siblings had a great loving father.
 My sister Arwa once was trying to comfort me, telling me baba went exactly as he was, my husband as well told me how hard it is seeing a loved one withering in front of your eyes every day, I won't lie their words managed to bring a bit of joy to my heart.  I do understand now that much pain comes with both ways, one having your heart ripped swiftly and the other slowly.

Baba, you were the funniest, smartest, most caring loving father and best friend to me, your place in my heart still grows, I will miss you till my very last breath, I will forever cherish every second I got to have you in my life, you are still alive, you run in my veins and beat in my heart, Joud will miss a loving gdeda's presence I always tell her about you, one day she will be old enough to pray for you. Maybe one day I might learn how to live with not seeing you as a grandad and how you never got to meet your only grandchild, missing you started over two years ago and shall continue until the end.

May Allah grant you the highest place in Jannah
 and may his mercy be upon you 

see you in a better place papa bear x

إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون

Surely we belong to Allah

and to him we shall return

Nakd homemade bars

Who loves Nakd bars? well I'm a big fan, I came across a number of recipes to make your own bars at home and they came out so good, so here's the recipe

Ingredients 
You'll need 1 cup of Medjool dates or (any kind available) pitted of course
3/4 cup a mix of almonds and walnuts 
2 tsp cocoa powder

Method 
- Put all ingredients in a food processor, until distributed equally.
- Now pour the mixture in a piece of cling film, press firmly try shaping all the mixture in a big square like shape, refrigerate for about 30 mins.
- Cut into bars and keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

The original recipe has cashews as a base, but I personally prefer almonds and walnuts, feel free to play around with what kind of nuts you like, you can also use raisins instead of the whole amount of dates and enjoy your guilt free clean bars.  I will be trying more flavours god willing and share with you soon.

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هذه  طريقة لبارز Nakd صحية وسريعة 

المقادير

- كوب تمر

- 3/4 كوب خليط من لوز أبيض و جوز

- كاشيكين بودرة كاكاو خالي من السكر

الطريقة 

- تخلطي كل المقادير في الخلاط لحد ماتلقيهم تخلطوا كويس.

- توا خودي المقدار وحطيه فوق نايلو الأكل وغلفيه بيه ورصي عليه بالقوة وحاولي تشكلي بيه مربع، توا حطيه في الثلاجة لحوالي نص ساعة.

- بعدها طلعيه وقصيه في شكل بارز.

ملاحظة ممكن تغيري بدل التمر تحطي شوية زبيب وبدل اللوز تحطي كاشو بما أنه من المقادير الأصلية للشركة هذه المصنعة للبارز و صحتين 

ماتنسوش اديروا فولو للبلوق و الإنستغرام 

وتشاركوا المواضيع اللي عجبوكم وتشجعوني بشير تحت البوست :) 

ولايك للصفحة عالفيس بش اتابعوا كل جديد sunzdid!

little steps

I set a goal once to write a blog post every week having a specific day in the week for one of the topics I usually have lots to write about, but I couldn't make that happen, it's sometimes quite hard to come up with good content, while inspiration is not around at times, with little steps I still try to at least write about something that someone might find of interest or come across and could have informative words.  

Blogging is something I started years ago, it's writing my thoughts that had always been a calming and expressing feeling for me, I still get so excited whenever I'm writing a new post! I thought today of sharing some of my thoughts on having my own shop, if you didn't know, I have started my own small business and chose to start it with Etsy, as I quite often enjoy shopping there myself, I just love browsing through all the different shops, so much beautiful art is found there, I'm glad I chose it so far, I love the whole atmosphere there and the very friendly and helpful community there.

Owning a shop was a dream of mine for a very long time, it was quite a journey from the time I started thinking about it till the actual opening day, months passed very quickly and I had a period of lack of inspiration, I guess everyone goes through at some point, after some time off and thinking clearly I found it easier to get my thoughts together and get on turning sketches and simple lines into products. 
 I remember my first sale and how excited I was getting it posted! also working on my very first custom painting was such a great experience.  All I wanted to say is work on making your dreams real, don't stop no matter how hard it might be at times and just keep the good words in front of you at all times and never ever doubt yourself take steady little steps and you'll get there! Reading all the words of encouragement not only from my family and friends, but also people I don't personally know that just genuinely admire my work! I found that very uplifting and I am truly thankful for their time to tell me what they think and any opinions on improvement are always appreciated and welcomed. 

Our little shop offers a range of products that could make a cute gift for your loved ones, our illustrations are usually inspired by simple things we own, places we lived in, food especially clean eating, nature, motherhood and Libyan tradition. Our latest very exciting products are our custom watercolour paintings that can be found in custom watercolour art that makes a beautiful customised gift.

Another long time dream on my list was introducing greeting cards into the Libyan market, along my search I have noticed a major gap in products related to Libya, so I worked on showing the world one of many beautiful sides of my beloved country.  Currently living away from Libya made me miss the place I love dearly, so hopefully this will be a start for many ideas I have in store.

Don't forget to check out our offer, available for limited time only!