Hi! My name is Fatima.
I was born in D.C. and currently live in Southern Maryland with my husband of seven years and our three kids. I’m a cradle Catholic. I would describe myself as a lifelong student of theology, art, interior design, and sustainability. I am all about T/tradition(s), and I enjoy learning about history (I’m married to a history major so that helps). A random, simple joy of mine is to play Gregorian chant music in the background while tending to kitchen chores. It’s an audible reminder of bringing the sacred into the mundane, yet important tasks.
During the work week I put on my sustainability consulting “hat” for the biggest real estate company in the world. I got my BA in Interior Design in 2011, but instead pursued my call to do youth and campus ministry full time for a handful of years. I then hopped back into the design & building industry, and have occasionally on the side written articles on cultivating beauty in homes via Verily Magazine’s Verily Home. My work in design and sustainability inspire my every day thinking and propels me to always think outside the box.
Most recently I became an independent brand consultant with Beautycounter. My job as a project manager in the sustainability industry has me working in part to push for the transparency of building materials used in the spaces we work on for our clients; this naturally segued into desiring the same for my friends, family, and everyone, but with skincare and beauty products. I’m a clean beauty advocate and would love to share more about why clean beauty is #betterbeauty.
My daily mission is living more intentionally. Deep in my heart I believe that the family is the first essential cell of society and building up a holy family of my own is the most important work I have here on earth. So much of our busy world moves at such a fast pace. At home, I’m striving to do the opposite, even with all that we are juggling. Similarly, I’m striving to build a slow, more natural and less waste home, and making a reality out of home DIY project dreams (often, at a snail’s pace – ha).
I believe stories are important, and this blog is filled with mine. Thanks again for being here and I hope you’ll come visit again.
Remember in old teen magazines, celebrities would get interviewed with random questions about themselves? These types of lists were also super common to do back in the prime days of Xanga and the early days of Facebook (i.e. this post). Well, old habits die hard. Here’s my list of some fun facts. Perhaps you will learn something new about me!
- Morning ritual: Sitting in our morning room/home oratory with a hot cup of something, staring outside. Likely with my baby in my arms.
- Years blogging: 19 years – if you count my Xanga days, which admittedly are archived here
- Favorite past time: Perusing old bookstores and frequenting coffeeshops
- Favorite weekend activity: Our visits to the local farm or farmers’ market (for produce, meat/poultry, flowers)
- Favorite movie: The Sound of Music
- Favorite hymn: “O God Beyond All Praising”
- Favorite Prayer chanted: Salve Regina
- Favorite artist: I have a few, but I’ll go with my guy, Fra Angelico, otherwise known as Blessed John of Fiesole, O.P.
- Favorite art period: Renaissance & Italian Baroque, thanks to studying in Florence…
- Go-to alcoholic drink: Chianti is my all-time favorite, but my regular go-to would be Cabernet Sauvignon
- Go-to non-alcoholic drink: Milk tea with brown sugar boba
- Dream project to design: A mixed-use building consisting of a jazz supper club, a bookstore, and a coffee shop. In fact, this was my senior capstone project. Still my dream.
This House You're Building 