Ready to Go: Casual Cardi

Do you know that feeling at the gut of your stomach, when you're lazy, wanna be comfy & somewhat style savvy as well? Yes? Ok, cause that's how I've been feeling ALL week! I'm obsessing over comfort dressing maybe it's the weather, maybe it's my lack of exercise so I'm feeling a lil chunky in all the wrong places. Not too sure but I kinda feel bizarely off this week & hoping by jump starting my work out routine again I'll finally get back into the swing of things. Anywho, this day, I was off to get a couple of errands done (yes, I was planning on cooking a feast for ma sister & da hubby) & wanted to get back home to start cracking on my latest cooking attempt. Hope you like my ensemble for a quick grocery stop & day full of cooking...

What I'm Wearing: 

Hoodie Jumper by All Saints: I bought this a while back & I'm absolutely in love with it! It's super comfy & I used to wear it constantly while travelling because the hoodie becomes a protective blanket that can cover your entire head & face.

Top by Hometown Heroes at Urban Outfitters: I got this last summer while on a quick wedding stop in Hamburg, Germany (you must try the curiwurst-think that's how they spell it). One of Bahrainirants closest & dearest friends was tieing the knot & so we flew out for a weekend to celebrate the nuptials. What everyone failed to inform us was how bloody cold that city is even during the summer. We ended up running out & buying a bunch of warm-ish wintery pieces & as you can tell this wasn't one of them.

Jeans by Diesal: Bought these also a while back with my younger brother. They fit like a glove & have been wearing them for ages now & simple can not get enough of them.

Socks are Bahrainirants

Shoes by Dr. Marten: I bought these while on our honeymoon stop in Singapore. I fell in love & decided that I simply could not live without them. The thing is they're SOOOO new & the leather is SOOOOOO tight they keep seriously damaging my feet which is why I've resorted to wearing serious socks to protect my poor dainty feet from their aggression (until they get a bit more soft & supple)

Seiko watch at Dubai International Airport: If you haven't noticed yet, I'm obsessed with my old school Japenese (well now Chinese) made vintage inspired watches but what won me over with this one is that the date is in Arabic & English.  & the arabic bit is super cool because I don't remember the last time I saw a watch with anything arabic on it!

xoxo for now,

P.S. So, I've mentioned earlier that I'm super into cooking lately. Being a good wife & all so I thought I'd show you a lil snippet of what I made & all the stages. Thought I'd get grossed out but it's surprisingly not too yucky when you're the one doing all the cooking! Galleries Lafayette have THE yummiest selection of food & everything! Super fresh but with a pretty rough price tag.

My first roast EVER! Sorry about the gross image of the slab of meat pre-cooking!

P.P.S. Beauty Gadgets of the Day: If like me, you suffered with bad skin most of your adult life & have tried almost anything & everything under the moon to perfect your on again off again good (let's face it we have to keep counting our blessings) skin. Then, also just like me, you're constantly on the look out for new tips & tricks to keep it looking refreshed & clear so thought I'd share a list of DailyCandy's gadget must haves in spreading the love & sharing good skin juju with y'all!

P.P.P.S. Song of the Day: Exhale by Robin Thicke (See, it didn't really hit me that Mrs. Houston was gone until I heard this cover & remembered exactly where I was when I heard this song for the first time. I remember my parents not letting me go with them to the movies to watch 'Waiting to Exhale' because of the ratings-yes I was that young- & how when I finally watched it a couple of years later I didn't really understand why they didn't. It wasn't as 'graphic' as The Bodyguard & I was allowed to go watch that with them. I miss the 90's & most importantly Whitney Houston may she rest in peace)

Marni at H&M: The LA Launch

I'm sure there are many young ladies (like me) waiting anxiously for the launch of Marni at H&M! This collaboration by far has been the best in my opinion & I'm sure I'm gonna keep saying that because they really do pick even better collaboration for each season.  & I must admit that I am beyond (& I mean it) ecstatic about March 8th. Why is this collection so coveted? Well, simply put, (a) it's Marni with all those gorgeous prints, fun fabrics & accessories, (b) it's a price tag we can ALL afford. 

I've attached a couple of images of the LA launch party that took place a few weeks ago. A whole lotta celebrities showed up, wearing a couple of pieces from the collection! Enjoy!

Felicity Jones and Jessica Chastain wearing Marni at H&M, together with Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Advisor at H&M.

Consuelo Castiglioni, Rashida Jones and Sofia Coppola (Rashida & Sophia are both in Marni at H&M)

Bryan Ferry performing at the launch. I'm sure Avalon was one of the most songs requested. Don't get it? Click here for a refresher.

Lykke Li in Marni

Freida Pinto wearing Marni at H&M

Drew Barrymore wearing Marni at H&M. That necklace is definitely on my wishlist!

Milla Jovovich wearing Marni at H&M

Elisa Sednaoui wearing Marni at H&M

xoxo for now my PFFers,

P.S. I personally can NOT wait & have allocated every Wednesday for a Marni update until the day of the launch. Excited? I am indeedi!!! Can NOT wait! So until then, start compiling your wish lists & hopefully I'll be seeing you all there (keeping my fingers crossed)! Thanks to H&M for the images!

P.P.S. Lust of the Day: I saw this while trying to put myself to sleep last night on net-a-porter & just had to share. Totally & utterly in love with them. Whatchu guys think? The price tag is a bit much but... a girl can dream can't she? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Thierry Lasry Acetate Sunglasses at net-a-porter for £236.25 AED 1,372.65

P.P.P.S. Song of the Day: Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men (Ok, so I've had bloody MGMT's song Kids stuck in my head for days now! I have no clue why I keep waking up to it & I was super close to posting it up as my SOTD but wanted to save you guys the pain & annoyance. So, surfing through YouTube, I came to this song & absolutely LOVE it! A cute, more upbeat song to start your day with! Hope you likey! 

Blooming Under the Billowing Sea

One of my favourite things to do each season is walking by & discovering what Bloomingdales' new window is gonna be about & with each season, I am never disappointed.  For summertime, they've taken us under the sea. The theme couldn't have come any sooner, since the weather is slowly heating up here & I'm personally looking forward to a dip or two in a sea/ocean somewhere soon!

Large submarine windows, with submarine sounds! Is this cool or what?!

If you didn't know whether or not this summer was gonna be bright, happy, & a ton of fun... Well, thanks to Bloomies, now you do!

The attention to detail is bloody fabulous! Can you find the 'b' hidden in the bottom of the Bloomingdales ocean floor?

More 'b's' floating about! Love the fluorescent colors

Look at the faux bubbles floating about! How cool is that?

xoxo for now ma PFFers,

P.S. I'm so sorry I've been MIA for almost a week! But I spent most of Thursday catching up on my NYFW shows (click here to see what designers I loved for F/W 2012) & didn't get a chance to post up anything till today! PLEASE FORGIVE MOI! Oh & forgive my misspelling of Bloomingdales I was rushing to finish stuff up last week! It's been stressful!

P.P.S. Link of the Day: Nothing goes better with summer time, then summer hair styles. Saw this on DailyCandy & I just had to share. Nothing is more fun to work into your sunny wardrobe then a flapper do! What I like the most about it is it's easy to do! Just make it more you & way more relaxed which is weather friendly & be off to your dinners &/or stroll!

P.P.P.S. Song of the Day: We Built This City by Starship (I absolutely love this song! I've also been watching the show 'New Girl' & I absolutely LOVE the twists they made to it. Oh, & if you watched the latest Muppets movie it's on there too! Love the 80's! LOVE!)

My Dream Summer Wardrobe

As the weather starts warming up on our side of the Globe (yes, it's getting warmer by the day) & with Winter 2012 shows taking off across the fashion world, I thought I'd keep your hearts keen & racing for summer wardrobe updates! 

3.1 Phillip Lim at shopbop $750 AED 2,754.21

I've been in love with jumpsuits (& Phillip Lim) for a very very long time now & this drawstring print one reminded me why! It is fun & quirky & I'm absolutely in la-la LOVE with it!

Carven at my wardrobe for $625.63 AED 2,297.49

A fun print is a definite must in anyone's wardrobe for spring time & this map one is super unique & fun! I saw a blogger last night in this & I promise you it looks just as cool upclose!

Elysee Blazer by Alice+Olivia at shopbop $367 AED 1,347.73

Ok, my love for blazer's has officially been reborn thanks to my Miss Selfridges one but now I think it's getting a bit out of hand because I want nice & bright ones for Summer time. This one definitely is at the top of my list

Boy. by Band of Outsiders at shopbop $1,095 AED 4021.15

Absolutely in LOVE with this entire look from head to toe but it's the blazer that I'm focusing on here. Again, I told you, I'm obsessing over them & my love for this brand is what got me hooked. This lovely jacket can take you back into fall & will transition perfectly when the weather starts cooling down again (I know I'll go back to focusing on that warm fuzzy summery feeling again)

Girl. by Band of Outsiders at net-a-porter £236.25 AED 1,369.60

I am sooooooooo utterly in love with this dress! I feel like I wanna run through a field wearing it (or through the vast Emirati desert! Such a cute, feminine, & flirty dress perfect for summer or if you're super in love with it & wanna wear it now just throw a cozy cardigan over it to make it more winter friendly! I'm telling you I'm super in love with this brand!

3.1 Phillip Lim at shopbop $850 AED 3,121.44

I never, ever, ever thought I'd ever want to own a blue trench but after seeing this... I desperately want one! I love it & is perfect for everyone who actually has transitional seasons because it's light enough to throw on & warm enough to wear without making you over heat. I think the color blue compliments a lot of GCC tones. I don't know why but I like this color on almost every single one of my family members & my friends. Something about it makes us look less pastey/yellowy ironically.

Oscar de la Renta at net-a-porter £205.62 AED 1,192.03

I'm going through a bizarre earrings thang! I'm drawn to them & I wear them constantly. The thing with these earrings is that not only are they bright but they also remind me of these old coral earrings my mother has. Call me old fashioned but I'm obsessed with floral carved coral & although these are sea glass I'm still gonna be dreaming of them! Hate that they're clip ons though!

Prisma Tote by Alexander Wang at shopbop $685 AED 2,515.51

Again, I love the color blue & I think a tote is the perfect accessory for summer time running errands or vacationing on the beach. They're light & super dynamic especially one like this because it can be a casual daytime tote & can transition into evening very easily. Why? Because of the hardware around the corner & the color!

xoxo for now my PFFers,

P.S. I'm so excited that summer's right around the corner & that I can finally go tanning! Ever since I got my scars removed, my DR has told me to basically shy away from the sun! But after almost 6 months since ma surgery, I can now plaster on layers of sunblock & go frolic in the sea! I seriously am like those little 5 year olds that just run around when their in the water & now it's gonna be just as exciting if not more.

P.P.S. Video of the Day: This is definitely for all you ladies who have grown up watching the gorgeous David Beckham run around football pitch after football pitch! & yes, the collection is out across the GCC! Maybe a perfect V-Day gift for your man? Just an idea!

P.P.P.S. Song of the Day: How Will I know by Whitney Houston (of course I'm gonna give tribute to one of my favourite artists of all time. It might even be for this entire week! I love this song & the lyrics used to mean OH SO much to me when growing up & I'm sure it did/does to a lot of ladies out there too! Enjoy!)

Ready to Go: Date Night

Sorry I was MIA all of last week. Had to go home for a very sad & heartbreaking emergency for a couple of days & then had to fly back out on Friday for a happy & joyous occasion. So, I've kinda been through a bizarre emotional roller coaster. 

Anywho, Bahrainirants & I have been married for almost a year now & to help keep things fresh, we like to go on DATE NIGHT at least a couple of times each month. It's a great excuse to get all dolled up & excited over a romantic dinner with your partner.  I thought I'd post this up just in time for Valentine's Day to help give you guys inspiration & if this outfit by any remote chance helps you & your beloved keep the romance alive then it's all the celebratin' I'll be needing (especially since we don't celebrate this holiday at the Mattar-Faraj household, Bahrainirants has his reasons & some people in Bahrain do too).  We had our date night dinner at Pai Thai at Al-Qasr Hotel it was super yummy. Oh, & that pic I tried to take on the little boat that took us through the canal to the restaurant!

What I'm Wearing:

Leather Jacket by Maje at net-a-porter: This has got to be the most used & abused fresh purchase in my wardrobe. I've worn it all season long & I'm super in love with it. Waiting for the leather to start aging which in turn will make me fall in love with it all over again. A wardrobe staple, the black leather jacket is a definite must & will never go out of style.

Long Sleeve Leopard Print Tee by Zara: This was one of my bargain buys from DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival) & I absolutely loved it because it can be easily transition into my summer time wardrobe in a second. & yes, I did buy many more of the exact same cut because I seriously COULD NOT resist the flattering cut & prices!

White Pants by Collection Wolfgang Ley at Sufana Outlet: I saw these at their outlet but it was a couple of sizes too big, got them altered & now they fit! A great pair of flattering white pants (there aren't many out there (for my bootilicious behind) is also a wardrobe staple & a MUST! Oh & this brand kinda filed for bankruptcy so it's cool owning a rare piece like this 

Black Wedge Sandals by Kartell: Yes, you did read that right! They're plastic & super fantastic & comfortable.  Perfect for a beachy vacation cause you can simply wash them off (that's the reason why I bought them in the first place)!

Patent Leather Clutch is vintage & a gift from my lovely mama.

xoxo for now ma PFFers,

P.S. I have A LOT of following up to do with NYFW shows so stay tuned!

P.P.S. Video of the Day: I just HAD to share this! It's the latest T by Alexander Wang ad campaign so it had to be included because I love the ever so talented Mr. Wang & I kinda needed feedback concerning whether or not you guys liked it or not cause I just can't make up my mind. 

P.P.P.S. Song of the Day: Your Love is My Love by the lovely Whitney Houston (I woke up this morning to the sad news of her death. If you had ever gone karaoke with me or took a ride in my car, you'll know that Whitney Houston is by far one of my favourite musicians of all time! I've got her greatest hits CDs-cause I'm old school like that- in Bahrain & Dubai. I've got it on my iPod as well & have a lot of her songs from the 80's & early 90's memorised by heart. Sad she's gone but hope she's finally at peace now! Damn you Bobby Brown! Yes I'm gonna blame him for this too!)

Mad about Marni at H&M

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

I just saw this video (about the Marni at H&M collection) & FELL SOOOO DEEPLY IN LOVE with every single bit of the collection, video, location, everything basically.  The magic of great advertising & directing (yes, that is Sophia Coppola & I'm sure Bahrainirants is gonna love it even more now) is making your audience get drawn into this 'world' that you, the director, have created & letting them get lost in the emotions that your character(s) experience. This short film, I swear to you it is one, does just that! I was drawn in, fell in love in Marrakech & looked ever so stylish doing so in of course Marni at H&M.

I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did,

xoxo for now ma PFFers,

P.S. Thanks to my friend Noofie for showing me this AMAZING ad! I absolutely love it!

P.P.S. Video of the Day: Wanna know how this entire campaign video came about? Thought you might which is why I'm sharing! Isn't it such a friggin' great everything?! & yes, now I understand why Bahrainirants is in love with Sophia Coppola! She's magic!

P.P.P.S. Song of the Day: Avalon by Bryan Ferry (Yes, I'm that in love with this ad! I never heard this song before now so thought I'd save you the hassle of searching because I'm sure you've fallen in love with it too (I'm assuming here). Such a GREAT song for such a GREAT ad!)

A Fruit a Day...

I'm doing a double post today because I really had to share these cute little munchkins with y'all! I want them, need them in my life they are SPECTACULAR pieces of bag beauty by the ever so lovely Anya Hindmarch! Going for £895 EACH at Selfridges, they're a bit on the pricey side but worth every penny in my opinion! They kinda remind me of that Sex & the City episode where Big gives Carrie the swan clutch, remember that one? But these are WAAAY cuter & more playful! Maybe the fact that they're glittery rather than crystaly is the reason I like them more?!  

Remember it now??? & she was confused & didn't understand it?

xoxo for now & I hope you all have a GREAT weekend,

P.S. Have you ever had a weird sleepless night & woken up to a bit of anxiety & people coughfamilycough asking you to add one more item to your to do list of the day? Well, I had one of those days today, it was SUPER stressful & got me all grumpy but slowly going back into positive Aysha mode (& I do apologise for referring to myself in the 3rd person but I wasn't me until now).

P.P.S. Video of the Day: I absolutely LOOOOOVE T-Mobile for many reasons. Mainly all the cool flashmobbing they did & for their super creative advertisements! Love this latest one from them! ENJOY!

P.P.P.S. Song of the Day: Betty Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes (it's been a while since I posted up an 80's song so my one of choice is by the lovely Kim Carnes! Absolutely LOVE this song! Reminds me of university days in Element in Beirut when they used to ONLY play old school songs. Such a perfect, perfect song in my opinion. ENJOY! Oh, speaking of 80's music is it true that I2 is closing down? Please say it isn't so! I haven't been yet!!!)