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A Carinval of Coral Dreams    I was having a conversation with my favorite Gemini a few days ago, & took a walk in memory lane of my visit to the Maldives several years ago. The place was peaceful and with bits of beauty scattered everywhere. An artist's inspiration and a destination for a lover's pilgrimage, it was like a toast to recklessness and happiness. My mind toyed with thoughts of clear waters, vivid reefs, and barefoot walks along endless beaches.. I miss all of thatWhat I don't miss is the state of being burned crisp, and patches of clothing lines on my colored skin =/ Nonetheless, I'd love to go back, & I'm exploiting just about every puppy-eye-ing option to sell the idea to Ahmed, Abdulla, & Khalid {the latter still doesn't has no clue, but if you're reading this now, well then.. pweeZz?} I cannot even begin to imagine the fun of having all 3 of them there <3 Will it work out? I dunno. But if it doesn't work out for me, there's no reason why it shouldn't work out for you, plus there's no harm in planning your wardrobe for the trip, non? -- here are some yummilicious vibrant vacation-finds for you to indulge in this summer ;p 1) Kaftans  Gharani Strok (@Tribe AD, Harvey Nichols or TigerLily Dubai)  Jet printed kaftan from Antik Batik at net-a-porter  Diane vonFurstenberg at NM  Montserrat kaftan from Missioni at net-a-porter  Embroidered kaftan from Michael Kors at net-a-porter 2) Jewelry   Kenneth Jay Kane  Alexis Bittar  Lousi Vuitton  Susan Sadler  Pianegonda   Hermes    Judith Ripka 3) Bags & footwear  Gustto  Juicy Couture  Carlos Falchi  Giuseppe Zanotti  Giuseppe Zanotti  Miss Trish of Capri  Lilly Pulitzer  Kate Spade  Pucci  Betsey Johnson  Giuseppe Zanotti  Kate Spade 4) Sunglasses  Armani  Tom Ford  LV 5) Other must haves:    Travel bags for shoes & lingerie at PrettyPersonalGifts Hollywood life saver kit Shemergency survival kit  Reflexology socks @ Pedlar's  All-Weather Friend Daily UVA/UVB Sun Protection SPF 40  kate somerville protect spf 30  Frédéric Fekkai’s Summer Hair Sun Bandana I think I'm a bit tired of collaging and linking, so I'll stop here now.. & if you have other gorgeous recommendations, then let's put them together in a pool of Coral Dreams, post your recommendations in the moola box -- & as for swimwear suggestions? That is the one part of this entry that I choose keep to myself =) Labels: Fashion, La Dolce Vita, Travel $6 in my moola box | link | email this post Weekend Finale My heart sinks at the thought of this day coming to an end, announcing a start of a new week -- not that I'm not looking forward to being at work, rather, waking up in the morning is what I'm dreading. The past week was sooooo physically consuming that I promised myself that -this weekend- I would spend so much time in bed, & well.. just indulge -- & that, my friends, was exactly what I did ;p Stretching, tossing, & turning for hours in the morning.. flipping through Gisèle Scanlon's The Goddess Guide, long girlie phone chats, smothering my body with lotions to the point of saturation & finally, watching episodes of Gossip Girl and foreign movies. Amongst the movies I've watched were Modigliani, & Cidade de Deus (City of God). I loved both movies, & they both left an after-watch effect, to tell you a little about that, read forth.. 1) Modigliani We've established the fact that independent or foreign movies are so much richer than Hollywood productions -- the ideas are more original, and cast often comprises of new faces, & you could tell they're eager to prove themselves, so the quality of work overall is -more often than not- great! After watching a movie about art & love, I went to sleep thinking: I want that too. Less dramatic, of course, but I want that too. Another after-effect is that I've changed my hairstyle to a look I've never tried before, influenced by Elsa Zylberstein's look which suggests beauty and grace in a trés queen-like manner {confession: it also reminded me of Princess Lia from star wars, Haha.. but I'll discard the thought!} I'mmmm lovin' it! 2) Cidade de Deus, or City of God - There was a scene of a little boy.. about 4-5 years old- who got shot in the foot, he was crying his lungs out, It was so difficult for me to believe that the little child was acting that cry for the sake of the movie, the feeling left a residue of grim but that's not the catch. After watching the movie I wondered what things are like now there. One of the places I've been wanting to visit for yeeeears is South America, ..Rio de Janeiro and Cuba to be precise, but I wouldn't want to loose my head {or any of my organs for that matter} in the process. A friend of mine took a trip to SA last summer, & her experience was less than stellar: she got mugged, & I still remember how scared she sounded on the phone when she called me, for her it was a first.. and I now have mixed feelings about having the stamina for that, so.. for now, my Havaianas are the closest I'll get to South America.       alongside my bed time stories this weekend, I bought a whole bunch of art/style books from amazon, in my cart I had Tokyo Look Book: Stylish To Spectacular, Goth To Gyaru, Sidewalk To Catwalk, 60's and 50's fashion ad books, & Ossie Clark's first fashion book. Also finally got my hands on a copy of Jeff Koons' Supercontemporanea off a bargain seller on Amazon. Much like Apple and Google, Amazon makes things so much easier and much more convenient. I love it! I also love Carrie's Hermes shawl Petrovsky gave her her as a gift! Seriously though, why was this scene deleted? Not only did it have this gorgeous shawl, but also a stunning set of bespoke pink & white LV trunks she took to Paris. How could they have deleted all these scenes? The movie will be released in theaters on the 20th of this month in the US, I wonder how long it'll take for it to get here. The movie is not the only thing I'm struggling to have patience for, with 7 days left for the release of the camcorder I've been eye-ing, I find myself lacking the patience to wait. Would it be absolutely bratty and unappreciative to make-do with a purchase of a camcorder now that will be replaced in a couple of weeks? Is there an interim alternative that I could settle for without compromising my training? hewp. Labels: Fashion, La Dolce Vita $7 in my moola box | link | email this post Rockford & I.B.  The media is fired up, Eight Belles' death sparks controversy, and I'm thinking: why wouldn't it? It's just another form of animal abuse. My heart goes out to Eight Belles, I wish I owned her, ..actually, I wish I owned every single pony out there that isn't being treated kindly and spoil them with lotsssss of love, grooming, & carrots <3 ..if only *sigh*       It's becoming more and more evident now that the stables are becoming my residential address, ..the one thing that gets me out of bed these days is knowing that by the end of my day at work, I'd run home, jump into my breeches and boots, chug in a can of sugar-free redbull, grow wings & fly out to the stables, and THAT is when everything else in my life switches off, including my phone and blackberry. And yesterday I've received the saddle racks I've ordered, silver, and foldable to mount them on the wall in the tack-room. Not that I have a dozen saddles {YET! lol}, but I'm expecting my jumping saddle soon, and intend to make an order for one more that I can use interchangeably on both IB and Sultan for those days with just free riding. I don't know how long that will take of course, but I really can't wait. I think I've done a mistake with going for brown on the Antares saddle, for, despite the fact that the brown leather is so deep in color, black compliments IB more -- especially when it comes to the mexican grackle bridles, he looks stunning in a black one, sooooo unbelieeeeeevably gorgeous -mashaAllah- & that kind of beauty deserves a black saddle, no? -- Alright fine, I think it's quite evident that yours truly here gets a kick out of splurging on her ponies, b..buh..but seeeeeriouslyyyy, they're every bit worth it! The trainer seems to think so do, the more time he spends with my ponies, the more he falls in love with them -- this is coming from someone who advised me against using IB for jumps, and thought I ought to invest in a french warm-blood for that, I on the other hand was the least bit concerned, because just like everything else in life: there are always exceptions, and my IB is one. I love him! Nonetheless, I wouldn't mind having Rodrigo Pessoa's Rockford as my own pony {or borrow? lol}, I love this pony to bits! -- I dunno, but something about him reminds me of I.B, I think it's the facial expression/eyes? not sure really. But I know that he looks adooooooorable in that photo going down a hill, with his ears shot up like in focus.. soooo cuuuute <3  Rockford going down a hill  ..and taking a jump+++ +++ +++ Since the days of high school, I've always been a magnet for polo tops -- my favorite polo shirt was a beige one that I used and abused to death {I still have it tucked in somewhere in a box with my uniform from my last year of school}, I loved it! and I wore it to my final exams because it was uber comfortable and cute <3 There are things we never grow out of, and to me, polo tops is one. I still cannot resist them, and I'm often a pilgrim of Lacoste at marina mall, Escada Sport, & Ralph Lauren, ..this season's variations have surpassed any other though, RL introduced these polos adorned with stirrups, bits, and leather straps -- they've run out of the off-white {my favorite}, so I'm a little torn between the red, and the navy blue.. any suggestions? I keep hearing both! both! both! in the back of my head lol    Labels: Fashion, Pony Tales $8 in my moola box | link | email this post Feeling Grey Karl Lagerfeld is not the only one who's feeling grey this season. Kate Hume has outfitted some gorgeous places around moscow and paris with shades of grey,      Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel       Kate Hume designs Day by day, I loose more & more confidence to approach fences. I thought I could do this on my own, but it's a lot harder than I thought. Last night, I laid out a full course according to a diagram I got from a book, and waited in vain to sum up my courage to take on the fences.. but .. I couldn't -- It was like approaching a death trap, and confidence was nowhere to be found.   I don't know how long this will last, but it's frustrating me like craaaaaazyyyyy & I don't like the fact that this frustration is leaking out to other sides of my everyday life, so I've made a decision that's very very difficult: There will be no more riding for me. Full-stop. Period.I'd rather do it right, or not do it at all.. & now, all I'm doing is wasting time and effort. It saddens me to halt this passion to a stop, but I can't bear watch my time go to a waste, much too less governed by the fluctuating wishes of a child {Yes, there's more to the story than what I've disclosed, but it's not for me to dish out with the scoop} This, however, will not stop me from searching for alternative options, ..so, if you happen to know of a really good place that has a really good trainer {even if it were outside of Abu Dhabi} please let me know their names and contact details. Or, if you think of any other ideas, please bounce them over. Concurrently, I've received a call for a job interview which would require a big sacrifice of personal time, but promises a long-term steep curve of personal growth. A recipe for success, no? -Wish me luck x Labels: Deco, Fashion, Pony Tales $10 in my moola box | link | email this post How to Respond to That: Part Deux My respond was YesRemember your first diving lesson when you were a kid? When you were told that humans -unlike fish- cannot breathe under water, and you were told to inhale and fill your chest with air before your dive? -- My answer felt quite the same, systematically speaking, it was easy. I gasped for breath, closed my eyes hoping for the best, and said "Yes, I'll do it" I'd hate to burst your bubble, but unlike what many of you thought, it is really out of character for me to seek the opinion of my surroundings for matters concerning a lifetime commitment to another person, you should've known me better =) I think a matter with that kind of scale and dimension deserves to be addressed -for the most part- in places beyond a cyber blog. Nonetheless, I'd be lying to you if I said that that the outcome of this conversation and how I felt about it didn't make me reflect on the more private and personal corners of my thoughts, and my theory did hold merit: we tend to pursue what we cannot have, which is ridiculous really because in our pursuit we often overlook perfect alternatives who have always been there waiting for a speck of attention, but opportunity never struck in their course. I started thinking of those people and extrapolated many streams of thoughts built on what if, and what would.. and I'm still thinking. My thoughts -however- are now scrambled by the misfortunate events relating to my equestrian interests. They often say "when it rains, it pours", I'd hate to think that this is true for all miserable things, ..and even if it were, I'd hate to submit to it in weakness. My sister tells me that all will be alright, and that I'll find a way to reach my jumping aspirations with or without a trainer. After a prolonged Dr.Phil style phone conversation, I summed up my courage to go saddle up my pony and walk him to a closed arena to lift the jumping bar up a notch to a new high in front an audience of 1: my maid, who was filming on video -I thought to myself if anything, now more than ever the camcorder is most important- After every 2 or 3 jumps I'd stop to watch those videos to see what I did wrong, or how I could fix my style or this or that. By the end of the evening, every-single-muscle in my body throbbed and screamed STOP, & I did. She was right, ..my sister was right. I could do it on my own, even though the trained will no longer be there. But I more than anyone else know what it's like to learn something completely on your own -No one said anything was impossible, it just takes longer, much longer when you're on your own. I often wish I had my own place, with it's own indoor arena and get a trainer of choice to train me beyond my own limits. My attempts to brain-wash my parents into building 4-stables in our place are at 70% {I really hope they're not joking nor agreeing to it for the fun of seeing me flutter around with heart-eyes}, but I have a feeling they'll neverrrrr buy into creating an indoor-arena *sob sob sob*            *sigh* Nevermind, whatever's meant to happen will happen, and for now I'll try to make the most out of what I have the in palm of my hands; a great livery facility for my ponies with people who really love them and take care of them, and well.. training solo. In an attempt to engage my mind in alternative zen-like activities, I spent the past couple of days gardening, & abusing my credit card. Shoes and dresses mostly, but my favorite is the new addition to my LV trunk collection: the Alzer cosmetics box, gooorrrrrgeous & SOOO does not match my room's theme and dressing table style, but who cares? I just lost a jumping trainer, I think I'm entitled to make this crime. And I'm eye-ing Kenneth Jay Lane's Jakci'e O cross breakfast at tiffany's style pearl necklace. I love his designs, and a bijou x frame necklace for my pony's photo I love my pony xx     Labels: Daily, Fashion, La Dolce Vita, Pony Tales $9 in my moola box | link | email this post From Chanel et Tantra    Tantra models her organza skirt  C'est tres chic, non?  My strawberryah <3  Strawberryah less the glam lol   Ducky duck!  my maid freezing Tantra's pose  Crime of fashion lol  ..& you THOIUGHT Tantra was the cute & cuddly one? Dear You should go to NY more often. The dresses, skirts, & tee's you got us are SO tail-waggin' haute, we <3 them, & we love you for thinking of us while you were there -- adopt us, please? *cuuuutest puppy eyes look ever* Lots of love, kisses, & woofs, Labels: Fashion, La Dolce Vita $10 in my moola box | link | email this post Oiling, Sun-bathing, & Love Marks  Before: love-marks on my saddle  Then: soap & condition  After that: deep tan after many rounds of oiling & sun-bathing Like Dehin Oud & LV Trunks, saddles often become more beautiful with age & use, ..except Hermes. I've never seen saddles that match those of Hermes in terms of quality of leather and craftsmanship. Their natural tan color is beyond gorgeous, the hand stitching and attention given to details are immaculate, impersonating beauty with every syllable of this word. Hermes saddles, however -much like Baby Spice- do not age well. The leather does become better by the day, but its rich orange hue is taken over by a deeper shade, which is also pretty but not as unique as that of the pristine version. Also into the bargain, my chaps like to leave their love-marks on the saddle's flaps, which makes it difficult to homogenize color all around -- an excuse for me to do something that I LOVE: soaping & conditioning my saddle <3 From the I purchased my saddle until a couple of days ago, all I've been doing is smother it with leather oil, & lay it out in the sun every-single-day! I would soak it up in a bucket of leather-conditioning oil for days, & take it out to dry in the sun every morning, and the result? Soft, deeply conditioned seat, flaps, & stirrup leathers. After many days of doing that, I decided to take the saddle for a test on Sultan Marciano last night, the verdict? L.O.V.E.L.Y! I couldn't even tell it was a jumping saddle, ..a comfortable seat & good knee-grip. You know what else I think is lovely? the Royal Rider flexi jump stirrups, they're sooo comfortable & hassle-free, & they're flexible.. so they're great for maneuvering on and after the fence <3  Glitter stenciling I.B.   <3 <3 <3 By now you know that my favorite de-stressing outlet is smothering my ponies with love, ..but what you probably don't know is that I often risk getting lectured at by mum for staying late at the stables. The truth is, ..it's worth it! She's also starting to see that I don't mind the lectures {I think?} because they're are becoming shorter, & include questions like "how high do you jump?", and "how does your new saddle feel?" -- I'm just SO glad she doesn't ask about falls nor crazy pony-moments => Speaking of falls, ..my order of the Sony video camera I mentioned on my previous post was canceled from the vendor, is that a sign I shouldn't buy it? Should I spend more time researching a better alternative? -- The other day I saw a tourist videoing with a tiiiiiiiiiny little camcorder that looked a lot like these: 1, 2, & 3 which is pretty much the size I'm hoping to get.. I'm just not too keen on the resolution, I'm not sure if the size-VS-resolution trade-off is worth it. Any suggestions?  I'm also in the lookout for pucci silk and cotton fabrics of cheerfully bright and summery colors to have Fateeha magically transform them into moroccan kaftans ^.^ I've been searching for nearly 2 months, & so far I was able to find 1 piece of fabric that I fell in love with ..have they become extinct?    Labels: Fashion, Pony Tales $9 in my moola box | link | email this post Embracing Temptations       I made a mention of mantra scarves in one of my previous posts earlier one, & I still think they're the hautest thing out there for both men & women {second place to my newly acquire hermes kelly, that is ;p} -- I'm lovin' it.. even in our suffocating heat that's just beginning to kick-in. It's becoming unbelievably hot, & although I've pushed my horse riding times a bit later during the day, I'm unable to last for long before my mascara smudges & I drown in a pool of sweat. My cooling vest is not much help either, it feels as though the heat of my body burns every fiber it's been made with. I don't like the fact that we have riding seasons here, & wishhhhh it were January weather all year round >_<; Tokyo's Ginza Chanel boutique launched the mini-ankle purses I went bonkers for, my friend tells me girls of tokyo are lining up for them.. but uuuuurrrrrgh, it hasn't come out here YET! >=[ I hate to admit that i'm easily tempted by it, but it's a fact, I want! I want! I waaaaaaaant it! Now!     also loving: 1. Horseshoe charm necklace  2. Classic meets modern home wall mounts       3. The blanket says..  I'm also into gardening now.. lol, will share some photos later on <3 Labels: Fashion, La Dolce Vita $9 in my moola box | link | email this post The Lost Stirrup, & The Kelly That Hasn't Been Found -Yet! While the natural thing would be for a person to progress with training, I seem to be going in reserve. My jumps are becoming worse & worse, until yesterday the right stirrup leather snapped-off on the jump sending me flying to stamp my face on my pony's neck -- miraculously, somehow hugging his neck was what refrained me from falling off.. i thought it was funny, especially that my maid captured the moment on video *lol* In any case, I decided that there would be no more jumping with a miserable tattered dressage saddle that does not hold my knees, & since I have no hopes of getting my Hermés Oxer before 5 months from now, I opted for another alternative: the Antarés jumping saddle in half the time. Of course, that took a lot of puppy eye-ing the person who'll be tailoring my saddle to say "Okay, i'll work on a time-surprise for you!"-- i loved him for that lol I also love YOU gorgeous people too, because I just found out that the emerald green is NOT a close shade of my green, but it's the exact color. For some reason though, they really really want to sell me either the blue or purple croc.. I decided to look at the leather samples nonetheless, but I rrrrrrrrreally don't think i'll change my mind. With regard to my previous post; seriously, whoever you may be {& i'm sure you know yourself well}, did you actually call the boutique to complain why I got my birkin before yours? I mean, seeeeeeerrrriously? lol Didn't it occur to you that I may have been on the list for a century & a half? -- I too had my share of "waiting in vain" & the truth is, it makes your birkin a true treat when you finally get it, especially if it's your first. So girl, be patient, & your patience will pay off no doubt => Meanwhile, I have the coolest über stylish troops of fashionistas in the look out for a 32cm Togo orange kelly in all fashion capitals. @Nyxxie, the birkin's for youuuuuu, & the kelly is for meeeeee <3    Labels: Fashion, Pony Tales $10 in my moola box | link | email this post C’est Très Chic      News Flash: the Hermes boutique finally called to let me know that they have birkin for me *Yey!* -- the down part is that it's in Blue Jean, a color I already have.. the good part is that, well, we bought it for Muse.. the bestest fwendah EvEr => I'd LOVE to see the look on her face when she sees that giant signature birkin orange box Haha! -- I must say though that the boutique manager & one of her colleagues were überrrrrr friendly, & went totally out of their way showcasing just about every bag they had hidden "behind the scenes" in the boutique, amongst which there was a chocolate crocodile birkin *faints* I think if not for it's unbelievably tiny size, I would have fainted for real lol, so I'm glad is was so small & hardly visible ;p I took advantage of that opportunity to do 3 things: 01. Order an to-dieeeeee-for orange kelly that I haven't been able to get out of my sight ever since I saw the photo /\/ took of it ;p 02. Order the Oxer saddle in calfskin and buffalo leather for knee rolls with a special stamp with my pony's name embossed in arabic calligraphy <3 03. ^ finally, place an order for a green 35cm crocodile birkin =D =D =D *running around in endlessssssssss circles* Some conditions were stipulated concerning the latter though, ..a few weeks ago I've come to learn that Hermés have discontinued the dark green croco leather and have replaced it with the lime green one {ewh!, seriously? SERIOUSLY!} my second choice was gonna be the dark/navy blue.. but that has been discontinued too {is the universe trying to tell me something? I'm really trying not to listen, not now lol} -- The boutique manager then mentioned two new colors, the rich turquoise blue & the emerald green of which she currently does not have leather swatches -bummer ;( Nonetheless, she's putting together a request for that.. I can't wait till it arrives, I caaaaaaaaaan't =D =D =D make me part of your prayers you gorgeous people, pray that this emerald green is in fact -or within close proximity- to my green <3 if you do pray pour moi, you'll be making me very veryyyyyy happy <3 Everyday I feel I'm getting one step closer to my ... These days I'm experiencing a series of fundamental shifts in my mood, some of which rubbed off on my dress style: tailorings, pale colors, crisp clean cuts with a hint of wit -- Other parts of these shifts influenced my behavior and were evident in my conduct; I've become hyper sensitive to my surroundings in ways you would NOT want to imagine, mushy as a Hallmark valentine, a cry-baby {even worse than the cry-baby I was} & it's SO ANNOYING! Little marginal things have would drive me to tears, ..& really, I mean smaaaaaalllll things. An example would be the day I saw my pony tired devoid of energy, not his usual self.. Or, today for instance, snapping at my maid & then feeling sorry for it, I snapped at her & instead of her doing the crying, I did. Wrong. Watching the movie Becoming Jane -which tells the story of the worldly known English author Jane Austin- was no exception, even though I often reminded myself that it's "just a movie" & the actors were sipping this cups of coffee & tea in between scenes and outtakes. The movie put me in a miserable mood for a few hours, until I went to see my pony & give him a neck massage -- he loves it => The movie was lovely nonetheless, here's the movie's trailer:    This hyper-sensitivity drama must be contained. QUICK. Labels: Fashion, La Dolce Vita $8 in my moola box | link | email this post Love in Times Like These   Flipping through Harper's Bazaar on my way to a meeting this mOrning in Dubai I came across this über cute Chanel mini 2.55 ankle purses from the new Paris show. UNBELIEVABLY cute and hilarious at the same time, the purse looks like a SCRAM bracelet Haha! Don't ask, because I can't explain why but I absolutely want one <3 so cute, I can totally see myself walking the streets of ginza past my favorite shops, ..cross my legs on the train from Shimbashi to Omote-Sando and getting off at Harajuku with just a camera swinging around my wrist, & a credit card clasped to my ankle! I want one, ..like.. NOW! ..I called up the boutiques here & they're expecting them in red, gold, & black sometime in march =>           Happy Valentine's day to awl you lovely people out there <3 Whoever said that v-day is just for love-birds? While she chose to celebrate with her Saudi valentine, I on the other hand exploited this opportunity to show my love by putting my card to use: I gifted myself the iMac i've been drooling over since forEvErrr, Chanel & Tantra got a cupcake outfits, & a 2-piece skull bikini {how cute?? I KNOW! Haha} whilst my pony got his favorite thing in the whole wide world: carrots. Of course, in other surroundings; gifting is a two-way thing.. which is exactly what the fabulous people at LOWE [photos shown] => ..Regardless whether you acknowledge the 14th of February as a celebration of love or don't, I wish you the best love life has to offer, the rare kind, the real kind. Labels: Fashion, La Dolce Vita $8 in my moola box | link | email this post I'm Lovin' It®    Yesterday, the first episode of the new TV Show Lipstick Jungle aired. It would be worth saying that this show comes from the same script writer of SATC, my favorite show of all time <3 & I must that that I'm quite thrilled that SJP won't be playing a role in this one; and instead, Brooke Shields would be the main character. Not that I dislike SJP, but for some reason I felt that she's the one to blame for bringing SATC to an end. She probably did not want to be type-casted as Carrie Bradshaw for the rest of her filming career, & towards the fifth & sixth seasons she seemed to have become mOre & more "let's do this & get it over and done with" kind of a person. Plus, I think that although Brooke Shields career prior to this one was in less than stellar conditions, she would be great for this role. I've searched for the show on iTunes but it doesn't look like they have it yet >_<; Surfing away from TV Shows to fashion: my new HOT & MUST HAVE AT ANY COST item is a Mantra Scarf! I've come across Mantra Scarves a while back, they're induced with vibrant colors & Sanskrit/Tibetan scripture which serves well my fascination with the 5000 year old traditions of yoga, shaven heads notwithstanding, of course. What can I say? I'm addicted like that, except that I don't think anyone stocks them here in the Emirates, & the high barriers of remote search in India would not have my quest ticket stamped "fast track", so I'm thinking it might be a lot easier to find myself a nice scarf that I like & have a mantra of choice hand embroidered on it, non? ..Naturally, the next question would be: what should that mantra be? => The lack of posting over the past couple of days was courtesy of a fever. Spending plenty of time in bed isn't particularly my thing, but I drowsed off into deep, deeeeep sleep on several occasions, I would wake up thinking that I had slept for a few minutes only to discover that they were hours. Not a nice feeling if you ask, but the good thing is that it didn't last long & it has subsided by last evening so I picked up & decided to go bareback riding & screaming McDonnald's catchie phrase I'mmmmm Lovinnnnn' it! I decided that it is going to become my new phrase ;p  Labels: Fashion, Pony Tales $7 in my moola box | link | email this post Crime of Fashion  Spotted in Khalidiya Starbucks, this disturbingly flashy version of a spy bag. [Photo by anonymous fashion police reporter] How do you feel about replica bags? Labels: Fashion $14 in my moola box | link | email this post Out of Battery      finished product ;p  *tears of joy streaming down her face* -- I'm FINALLY able to get the moroccan tea recipe right!! My very own recipe!!! & I've been making everyone have it just about every afternoon *lol* Yey! So excited!! Haha You know what's really weird? Sitting in a room with other people sitting & reading your blog & that's exactly what's happening now >_<; My cousins are sleeping over tonight, & it's fun => Anyways, apparently my MacBookah will need to have its charger replaced, so this entry won't be long.. Initially, I intended to jot down my thoughts on the Mind Feng Shui quote I posted earlier, but that won't happen as I only have a couple of minutes before my MacBookah dies ;( My day started with yoga-ing outdoors, AMAZING! Its been ages since I yoga-ed outdoors, & although the weather is not at its best, I loved the coolness of it, but now I'm just starting to get fed up with it. This afternoon, I went to take my pony for a walk in the garden, I've been doing this quite often as I've noticed that he has a tendency to freak out & jump at just about everything, which is NOT good.. So I'm starting to get him used to going out of his comfort zones: his box & his paddock. Why, you ask? Well, I've booked a professional portrait photo shoot for the two of us, & I want it to take place in the garden.. and I DON'T want him to send the photographer & the screw running *lol*  I love his mane <3   *heart heart heart* As random as this may sound, but, my cousin & her sister are insisting that I watch Fifi Abdu on TV now, & I'm thinking: I have less than 2 minutes left on my laptop before it dies! Fifi Abdu is the LAST thing on my mind now >_<; Having said that, it'll prolly take me a minute to publish this, so I better sign off now ;p Lotsssss of love coming your way & have a pleasant evening everyone xx  p.s. I know these are no high-heels, not peep-toes nor pointy, but they're über cuuuuuuute & irresistible, what do you think? I would so pair these with a cotton dress a la summer beauties <3 Labels: Cookery, Daily, Fashion, Pony Tales $12 in my moola box | link | email this post Mind Feng Shui  I'm in the lookout for gorgeous x infinity pink shoes, peep-toe or closed & pointy, high heeled but not wedged, ..any recommendations from awl you fashionistas out there? I'm gonna love you forEvErrrrr.. seriously <3 ..& if I don't find anything, I'll go for the pink louboutin featured here => So, great news: I finally have internet at home {Yay!} -- apparently, my internet has been functioning forever, but I never got the chance to mess around the settings of the DSL router myself, & last night after I've returned from my meetings in Dubai I decided to make a choice with the very limited time I had on hand: Go to the gym? Or fix the internet? verdict: internet. My heart sank at the thought of me slacking off & favoring internet over some workout, but deep inside of me I knew it wasn't a matter of favoring, but rather knowing that if I fail to make it a priority, it never will become one. So, whilst resisting the huggable charms of my chis Mme Coco Chanel & Tantra I lied down on the floor with my MacBookah, DSL, & lots of cables and made up my mind that there will be no getting off before the internet issue is resolved. It happened. You do know what this means, don't you? Exactement! More posts on weekends, and proper outlining& watermarking of my photos =D ..Not only that, but now I can synchronize my Apple TVs to my MacBookah & have access to my iTunes library from everrrrryyyywhere around the house, including the bath-tub <3 Yumm! See, once you get used to being connected you really can't get used to the lack of it, & perhaps i'm hardly fair when I say that it's an addiction that multiplies like an amoeba, because, I can't have enough of Apple, and I can't do without RSS on my Blackberry, & music pouring in my ears, & cannot be in a car hitting the highway without watching my favorite videos and shows. Speaking of those, I'm soooo loving Gossip Girl -the TV show- & although I don't have the chance to watch it as often as I would like to, I carry it with me everywhere.. & now I'm thinking: with my ever growing obsession with Dr.Rey I should download those episodes on my iPod too <3       *lol*   ta-daaaaaaa Amongst other obsessions that I'm hoping never to grow out of ;p are Ladurée's macaroons, this week another box of macaroons found its way to me, lotssss of fleurs d'oranger this time <3 {my faaaaavorite} & i'm posting these photos especially for B6y *evil grin* {I know you compllllletely wiped out your share in one sitting, you omnivore you! Haha} Anyways, won't make this post any longer.. I fell asleep on the couch waiting for Dr.90210 to air, & woke up to watch it {& write a post?}, now it's time for me to go back to sleep. Enjoy your weekend you gorgeous people, & for now, I hope you enjoy the mental feng shui quote below [via Kosh, thank you] <3 night night xx ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. $11 in my moola box | link | email this post Trésors d’Hermès       Oprah's showdown with Hermès a couple of years back created a big hype, those who didn't know what Birkins and Kellies are had to get their education the good ol' fashioned way: On TV. The outcome of that showdown was a mere "misunderstanding" as she so eloquently put it, but if she thinks that she's the only one who gets the rude-face at Hermès, she should think twice. My encounters with the sales people at the Dubai boutique make me want to trap them in a room for a good Dr.Phil style therapy on how to combat instinctive lies. When you work for names as prestigious as Hermès in the fashion industry & have customers who walks in to make a multi-thousand dollars worth of purchases, you just don't pull that joker face & make promises that you cannot keep. As a result of that, I shuffled my loyalties & decided to become a pilgrim of of the fashionable rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré & worship at the temple of sublime French style, Hermès. On my trip to Paris last October I came across this small vintage fashion boutique tucked away somewhere in the arts district of Saint-Germain, it was a Sunday morning so the shop was closed & all I could do was to stamp my nose against the windows & allow myself to be lured by the vintage beauties behind the glass: a tan ostrich 25cm birkin with a very clear price tag of 13,000 Euros, & a rouge 35cm crocodile birkin whose price made the former look like a shopping tote from Al-Satwa. I felt a pang of disappointment at the idea of not being able to glue that treasure box for a boutique to the rear wing of the plane & tow it back home with us, but giving up hope is not my thing, so instead I decided to make peace with the fact that probably some old & saggy lady with florescent makeup dressed in mink-fur head-to-toe would probably flash her check-book & buy those in bulk, & I on the other hand would have to wait several months before I've had the chance to tote mine around. So, I don't want to waste another minute of time in getting on that coveted waiting list. I'm gearing up for spring in Paris, if the circumstances permit {given the availability of a chaperon}, & this time I'll make sure our flight lands in daytime, on a weekday; because I'm not wasting any of my time skipping along the Champs-Élysées sipping hot chocolate a la Audrey Hepburn in breakfast at Tiffany -- this time, I'm gonna make Oprah proud -very proud- & come back home with my name on The list for a crocodile beauty for me, & a gorgeous Allure saddle for my pony. Labels: Fashion, Pony Tales $8 in my moola box | link | email this post The Look, The Style, & The Rey         There was this episode on Grey's Anatomy when some patient's husband made a remark to Dr. Addison {still Mrs. Shepherd then} that she looked like Catherine Deneuve -- Amazing, but although I watched that episode a couple of months ago, I didn't make the visual connection till this mOrning, when I first woke up -seriously. That emphasizes the contents of my colleague's note in my post earlier, I think my mind has gotten accustomed to the habit of selective-focus & selective-processing. Sometimes it just blocks out things, I don't even bother make the least mental effort; this has become more evident in matters concerning individuals & people rather than circumstances. Anyyyyyyways, so back to our main subject - so I woke up this morning blinking my eyes at the curtain-less brightness of the room {my room has no curtains still, because I am waiting for some divine intervention to bring me the perfect voile & overlay fabrics for that lol}, the faint sound of rain sprays and the image of Addison Shepherd & Catherine Deneuve out of nowhere, totally! How random? I mean, I assure you there are so many important things going on in my life now -more than ever- & if I were to mentally engage in anything, it ought to be those things instead of the resemblance of two people I haven't met >_<; Nonetheless, to satisfy my curiosity, I googled both & Ohhh my God? it's trueee they do look alike +_+ but their styles are so different. Kate Welsh {Addison} does not strike me as a style icon for some reason, while Catherine is all about that. When I see a photo of Deneuve I could almost smell the scent of her Channel No.5 perfume, more so than Monroe, although several sources cite that it's always been Marylin Monroe's favorite. Style is an individual's fashion view on self-expression, there are those who seem to have in them, it is often what constitutes them Style -much like grace- is not acquired unfortunately, but the good new is that one can refine his/her style by knowing themselves as well as their physique well and work around complimenting those two. The most seductively beautiful women history has ever known didn't wake up looking like that; au contraire, they were quite bland & the 'girl next door' type. Arguably though, looking 'average' proved to be their greatest asset, it made them realize that to catch up with the beautiful ones 'up there' they would have to work for it & perhaps seed beauty and grow it into a form they desired. Cleopatra for instance didn't have the most beautiful smile, in fact, several sources cited that she had rotten teeth >_<; nonetheless, she created that air of beauty for herself and indulged in it. Milk baths, silk gowns & dark kohl weaved by an army of servants put the crowning touch of luxury in her life. Aggrandizement of grandeur would have made an appropriate title of her story, that besides being well-read and aware of her surroundings made her the famed dark-haired queen of many queens who is often perceived as the beauty icon of history. Amongst other women who felt they had to try hard to reconstruct and recompose themselves was the late blond seductress Marilyn Monroe. Although not naturally blond, Marilyn had her hair bleached {to death? shall we add?} all the time, it is very rare that you'd see a photo of her as a brunette -her natural hair color- and even more rare to find photos of her with dark roots +_+ she must have had either a pretty damn high-on-caffeine alert stylist, or her hair never grew +_+ But the hair wasn't the limit for Marilyn; amongst other things, Marilyn shaved half a centimeter off of 1 heel of each pair of shoes to have that bootylicious tilted walk -a walk that was in style & common amongst women of this region back in early 90's- I'm glad it's no longer the case >_<; Did you know that history's most famous blonds aren't actually blond? Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, & Paris Hilton are to name but a few. Those women created an image on themselves and maintained it through out the years, they picked a style that expressed their personalities and made it part of everything in their lives, and although there are no grounds of fair comparison between those three women's backgrounds, time, and age, the one thing they share in common is: Each made a fundamental change in her natural style.   Having said that, I must say that as a fashion and personal style observer I respect their styles, but they don't necessarily sit on the pedestal of my liking. My cousin Aysha has been and will always remain my first style eye-opener; the scene of her flaunting her taffeta Dior skirt and off-white organza top ador | |||||
