LISTEN TO ME: the lumineers - ho hey

love we need it now

let's hope for some

so we're bleeding now

i belong with you, you belong with me

you're my sweetheart

i like this

‎"man is least himself when he talks in his own person. give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” 

- oscar wilde

word of the day

kerfuffle [kəˈfʌf^əl]

n

Informal chiefly Brit commotion; disorder; agitation.

things that make me happy

1762's chocolate chip cookie. the perfect crunch. YUM!

lets touch base

#lovelife

todays happiness

comes from within you...

as i was going through my old bookmarks i came across the blog "the daily love" and the article "what has to happen for you to be happy," caught my eye. the excerpt below really resonated with me. it's actually so easy to find happiness. so easy. i definitely think i make my life harder every time i forget this. something we have to remind ourselves daily is "happiness is my choice." we all know it well, but how many of us have mastered it? even though i consider myself a very positive person, i find that i fail on many accounts. rather than focusing our mind's control on random people or situations and how we want them to be, we should focus our control on maintaining our positive mind regardless of what we encounter. why? because we should want to be happy and diffuse any negativity. n'est ce pas?

"why is it so much easier for us to be unhappy than happy?

well, i think the answer lies in the idea that our brains are trained to keep us alive, not to make us happy. we have evolved so that we make avoiding pain more important than seeking pleasure. and in doing so, we tend to focus on what’s wrong – rather than on what we could be grateful for. and making this shift is what it’s all about."

- mastin kipp

xx

thought of the day

love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.

- c.s. lewis

thought of the day

:) true say

LISTEN TO ME: sky ferreira - everything is embarrassing

i know you're trying, i know you're trying

hurts so bad i don't know what you want from me

you know i'm trying, you know i'm trying

and now we're hanging on by a heartbeat

you know i'm trying

i was always trying

****

i don't usually listen to sky ferreira but i actually like this one! 

xx

egypt redefined

bahahaha. sad.

things that make me happy

yes.

meet unamused kitty

i checked out a pet store last weekend.

this is the room they kept all the dogs in, with the exception of unamused kitty- who i fell in love with.

 i think what was most entertaining was how it was so composed in comparison to the dogs who were crying and barking in pain like the world would crumble any second if they weren't let out. unamused kitty don't care.

basically it hated its life.

LISTEN TO ME: sabu yerkoy - ali farka toure & toumani diabate

quote of the day

“your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. they somehow already know what you truly want to become. everything else is secondary”

- steve jobs

too funny: cat friend vs. dog friend

things that make me happy

after a late night.

brunch @ the ritz.

perfection.

xx penguina

things that make me happy

my new necklace from spera, an adorable boutique in J3 that just had its opening this past week on al was road, dubai. 

 the store is adorable. i have to say that on entering i appreciated the layout but wasn't sure if i'd shop there. once i started trying on different outfits i fell in love with it. the material is great, the fit is perfect and there isn't a specific style. if all the merchandise could be described in one word, it would be chic. i know i'll be making regular visits!

 this is one of my favorite outfits. i bought a black dress that i'm in love with. i'm one of those who falls for the curse of the black; i'm just too attached, but i loved this piece because it was a mix of black and color. love. 

check it out as soon as you can, you won't be leaving empty handed!

xx

quote of the day

“the advice i like to give young artists, or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. if you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. all the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. things occur to you. if you're sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. but if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. you feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and i find that's almost never the case.” 

chuck close

****

some words that just slapped me in the face. i regret every time i put something on hold because i didn't feel "inspired"or because i didn't see the sign yet. happy thursday, make the most out of it.

xx penguina

LISTEN TO ME: one day/ reckoning song - asaf avidan

no more tears, my heart is dry

i don't laugh and i don't cry

i don't think about you all the time

but when i do - i wonder why

****

happy wednesday bunnies

xx

spell of the puppy eyes

how do you say no to something so cute and cuddly?

i really can't wait to get me one.

xx happy monday

some things they should have rated R

how did they expose this to us when we were younger? HOW?! i don't think a night went by without me imagining malificent's green eyes in the dark with that eerie theme. that wh*%e of a woman ruined my life... and my parents'.

die.

"to die, to sleep - 

to sleep, perchance to dream - ay, there's the rub,

for in this sleep of death what dreams may come..."

william shakespeare, hamlet

thought of the day

i came across this on instagram and loved it. people don't realize that friends/partners etc are who they are because of all their experiences and the people they've met. everything has had an impact on our lives and personalities. there's no point in wanting to forget or ignore a part of someone's past, it's part of what you love in them today. oh instagram you know how to open my eyes ♥ 

xx

my littow black dress

it's very rare that i get clothes as a birthday gift, but this year a good friend of mine surprised me with this simple, chic and comfortable black dress. theres' nothing i need more than to feel comfortable in something i'm wearing! it's the perfect canvas for many different looks. so excited to wear it. thanks aiyoosh!

xx

go to junk fix!

my favorite go to junk fix when i need an artificial pick-me-up :)

i reunited with cadbury's fruit & nut after more than 5 years and i just can't believe how divine it is. i think about it a lot. mini m&ms are a must and the haribo cola gummies just remind me so much of my childhood i can't get enough. the lindt intense orange is my attempt at converting to a dark chocolate lover. a rather futile attempt, but i'm on my way. 

xx

time for the tree

how NOT to make your christmas tree look like a hot mess/junk yard. i apologize in advance if you were planning on going for any of these looks... just wondering, what were you thinking?

no seizure prone person should be within a 5 mile radius of this tree.  

 i don't think there's enough gingerbread here. 

 really, no one loved you, poor tree. 

i wouldn't be friends with the person who decorated this one.

a tree should be happy, peaceful, and classy in my opinion. it shouldn't give anyone anxiety. then again... 

happy decorating!

xx

mind over body

tres intéressant.

we always hear about the placebo effect and the power of mind over body, but it's cool to get some stats, more so via aussie accent:

plus-sea-buys 

(placebos)

in any case, if it works, why not... right?

LISTEN TO ME: where have you been jr blender reggae remix

?

****

i enjoy this so much more than the original. 

xx happy sunday!

zag expression

cairo diaries

i just came back from cairo where i was grateful to spend quality time with my father's side of the family. i got to meet up with some relatives i never really got the chance to talk to much when i was younger. my father's cousin sat me down and gave me the low down on my father's father's ancestry. turns out my father is mainly turkish and only partly egyptian through his mom and of course by default of growing up there. it doesn't make much of a difference in my life, but hearing about his great grandmother's journey to egypt from turkey was fascinating and one of the most interesting stories i've heard in a while. definitely script worthy. some day....

every time i go to egypt i get overwhelmed by the same feelings of nostalgia, happiness and disappointment. i'll always remember visiting more regularly when i was younger, spending weeks learning more about cairo as well as spending time with the whole family by the sea. i'm not only happy to be around family, but happy to explore the vast history which leads me to disappointment when i see the living situation that people have to endure as well as the insurmountable problems constantly on the rise. unfortunately, most of the time these problems do not find a solution.

egypt is so organized in its disorganization; the streets are a perfect example of this. i get anxiety attacks every time i'm in a car because i'm almost certain i'm about to die or someone else is. at one point, we had to rush my grandmother to the hospital and the amount of time it took us was disturbing. of course you're more aware of every detail and second wasted when someone's life is on the line - cars just randomly decide to stop halfway through a roundabout, people find that catching up in the middle of the street is normal and the traffic is always jammed. immense frustration is an understatement. we're grateful we got her to the hospital and everything turned out alright, but i have heard a lot of freak stories of people not making it to the hospital on time because of the road situation.

the photo above strangely enough depicts how i would describe egypt right now. figuratively, it's not in good shape, but there is hope, and literally, one of the few visual attributes that saves some areas is the greenery. i don't see myself ever living there, but it is a place i truly wish will improve.

xx

f the flu

i usually pride myself on being one who rarely falls sick. i'm generally healthy so i like to imagine that i walk around with some pretty strong immunity. i'm slowly finding this is not the case. 

i bumped into a friend who wasn't feeling well and sure enough i woke up the next day with a sore throat. you know when you constantly need to swallow, but every time you do it's painful? so unnecessary, i couldn't sleep.

i was however pretty excited to find oscillococcinum handy (it's kind of anal how they couldn't decide on a shorter name, no?). if you've never tried it make sure you always have it around and take it once you start noticing symptoms. apparently vitamin c has no value when you're sick? i still act like it does... cuz i could live on clementines. 

xx

today

is an animal print sort of day. whatever that means. 

xx

the nephew

my nephew zayd supporting the gaints. he doesn't know it yet, but he's a huge fan... 

xx

meet solitaire

my friend's cat is the feline dopellganger of the afghan girl.

we're all very proud.

xx

happy birthday me!

at 26-years, 1 week and 1 day i have to say that *drumroll* .....  i feel the same.

sorry to burst your bubble.

sure my social circle might have changed a little and i do have a couple ugly scars i wish i was able to avoid, but i don't really feel a day over 18. i had a great birthday that involved the sun, cocktails, delicious mexican food, cupcakes and of course great company :) out of the gifts i received, i was very happy with my new play-doh set and these two little stuffed penguins who have yet to be named. 

age is just a number. yes, i've reached the point where i use that line right left and center. on a daily basis. just let me be happy.

xx

a sleeping beauty ballet

i always manage to miss shows at the theatre in dubai. this one should be a treat. i always wanted to be a ballerina but hated the classes so i always get feelings of love and regret when i go to a ballet. needless to say, after black swan i'm pretty happy with my choice. 

xx

a pinkathon!

last friday i was fortunate enough to have good friends wake me up and share a very special occasion with me. the burjuman safe & sound pinkathon was taking place and even though it was just a 2k walk at a lousy 8:30am, it was full of energy and love for the cause. having very dear ones of mine lose their life to the disease has made it a very sentimental experience and is something i want to be a part of forever.

despite the exuberant event, something was brought to my attention - the rise of the general angst towards breast cancer awareness initiatives. the documentary pink ribbons was dedicated to highlighting the faults that society undeniably has regardless of the act of kindness it's attempting to promote. if you think about it, breast cancer awareness has become somewhat of a business - any corporation that happens to associate itself with it manages to have their marketing approach down and attain the desired reach. is it strictly philanthropic and for the good of the cause? do all the profits really go to awareness and research, or is it just a small portion. is it helping?

i like to believe that while yes, corporations might be abusing the ribbon, people are becoming more aware and interested in taking their own initiatives, be it raising money or promoting check-ups. corporations might be "stealing" the proceeds, but as long as they are still donating to the cause, i'd rather that over nothing. i haven't done as much research as i should have to make judgements and my perspective might alter greatly after watching the documentary, but it's something to think about.

xx

love lessons from a couple who know

i was truly touched by this article by a couple who lived through a 73-year marriage. people who think love and relationships are easy haven't truly lived through one. the more you open your eyes to your personal relationships and those around you, you realize that as loving as they are, they do require work and a whole lotta compromise. it's just up to you to decide whether that person is worth the emotional investment as not many people are worth the effort. as long as the pros outweigh the cons i believe it's worth it. 

my favorite points:

- embrace his quirks: you cannot fall in love with blue eyes and perfect teeth. you have to fall in love with the character of the person.

- move on from rows: my most important lesson was that we did not rehash. if something was unpleasant we got through it, handled the fallout, and did not bring it up again in happier times.

- trust your feelings: you shouldn't have to question whether you feel a physical attraction. 

- knowing attraction can last: we discovered that as our bodies grew fatter or skinnier, as we lost hair or grew it in peculiar places, our attraction stayed intact. 

xx happy loving

LISTEN TO ME: ellie goulding - anything could happen

stripped to the waist we fall into the river

cover your eyes so you don't know the secret

i've been trying to hide

****

i've been hearing this quite a bit on the radio. i'm not sure if it's gotten to the point where it's grown on me because the stations here manage to play the same 5 songs on repeat, or if i genuinely like it. but i like it. a lot.

happy monday! 

xx

going backless

3 things i'm automatically attracted to in a dress:

1. lace

2. black

3. backless

this dress embraces the feminine- it highlights a lean body, but defines the curves. 

xx

LISTEN TO ME: losing you - solange

we use to kiss all night but now it’s just no use
i don’t know why i fight it, clearly we are through
tell me the truth boy, am i losing you for good 

****

i've been obsessing over this. she's quite the stunner! i realized i've taken an unnecessarily long break from my tea party. very impolite. i'll be getting back on track!

love,
xx penguina

LISTEN TO ME: sweetest girl acoustic

her voice gives me chills. wow. 

happy sunday!

xx

LISTEN TO ME: angus & julia stone - you're the one that i want

♥

xx happy sunday 

hello from NYC

i'm so excited to be spending 4 days in nyc.

itinerary:

- see old friends

- eat

- document

- walk non-stop

- explore

i'll be sharing more from my trip once i'm back home. peace :)

xx

The right bathroom for you

ever since middle school, i've had a growing interest in interior architecture and design, to the extent that i believed i was going to become the next big thing - coffee table books and all. very cute.

i decided to attend my first summer course in architectural design at new york's pratt institute when i was 16. i'm glad i attended it, because what i did find was that i'd rather wait tables at johnny rockets, and that i would never again walk alone in brooklyn. long story short, it involved me, two of my friends and a stranger who threatened to steal me if we didn't give him a dollar. umm.. is that all i'm worth?

anyway, i realized shortly after, that i was always more interested in working with the space once it was already designed. also, xacto knives and cardboard paper? not my thing. i do however have utmost respect for those who love it.

over the years i've slowly created a mental scrapbook of ideas. yes yes, i know, now there's pinterest. i should probably hop onto that bandwagon, but for now i've added some bathroom ideas below that caught my eye. i'm ALWAYS intrigued by bathrooms, more so than the actual bedroom. it's a very important room. in my perfect world i can afford any bathroom i want. so... yeah. 

space is key. this one might be a bit too large though, i'm a little intimidated.

another angle. i really love the contrast of the purple and white. very clean.

who would say no to this? if i lived by the water this wouldn't be such a bad idea. 

interesting. you'd probably have to shower like a rockstar though... in case anyone's watching.

 so much space i can do a cartwheel!! that should be the requirement, "is there enough space for a cartwheel and perhaps a round-off on a really good day? great."

 i love the fireplace. also the old-fashioned bathtub, stunning. 

more masculine. doesn't really look like a bathroom though does it. i prefer white to black.

 very zen. the candles are a must. i wouldn't necessarily need the stones in the middle. i'm too clumsy and prefer not to turn the lights on if i need to make a visit halfway through my sleep. not down for injuries.

 a bathtub and a standing shower are both a must. i love this style of overhead shower. the color is also pretty amazing.

 is that a pool?! this ones elegant but the bathtub is huge and i don't take THAT many baths. could be the angle but it looks like a whole load of wasted water from here. also i need more space. yes, need.

 love the style. although i don't think i'd want it; it's more of a guest bathroom. something about it says, don't use me, just look at me being cute, smile then leave and close the door behind you thank you.

the layout is not bad, i'd change the colors. 

 oversized sauna? i feel trapped just looking at it.  way too dark.

 playful.

what's going on in here, is it a bathroom or a garden? too much clutter, i feel like there are hidden animals and insects that are camera shy.

great standing shower! not spacious enough. 

at least i've narrowed down my requirements to:

- cartwheel friendly

- clean and playful colors

- old-fashioned tub

- modern standing shower

- fireplace

- candles

- lots of mirrors

- surround sound

- lots of natural light

 xx