the quintessential sweater

for your mug.

i am a pomsky

- i play.

- i'm intelligent.

- i'm competitive.

- i like friends. 

- i'm a hybrid - mix between a pomeranian and a siberian husky. 

- i have small features, some say that's pretty.

- i'm easy to maintain, friendly and calm.

- i like to be pampered.
- i just want love.

where have these been all my life? WHERE?!

xx

things that make me happy

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

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

things that make me happy

yes.

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

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

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

PHOTOthèque: morning cuddlez i ♥

there's nothing like some morning cuddles with this little one. ok yeah we're completely posing and he's much better at it than me, but whevs, at least i get to be next to the cutest boy i know. and yes, it's true.... i have baby fever. i'm that annoying new aunt who will send 20+ photos to you if you just ask "so how's the baby" (shit. i always hated her). but in my defense, i'll be leaving san francisco and this little nugget in a couple weeks, so i'm milking nephew & auntie cute photo-taking time.

xx

TGITW: be artistic

i remember in uni my roommate had what i'd call a severe, slightly scary, mind controlling addiction to pens. z, don't even deny it. i would worry whenever she'd go to staples alone and in the case that she did, someone had to monitor closely. if you needed a pen in any shape color or form, chez zaina et may was the place to go to. 

i DON'T have that same problem, but during my trip to costco i was mesmerized as always walking through the aisles of bulk that i would only think to buy if i had to stock my dream underground safe-house to shelter me from the ash of an erupting volcano. (whew!) what i was most attracted to were these sharpies! you can never have enough sharpies -it's a general rule of thumb you should live by. they write on ANY surface, and that's besides the fact that this pack comes in nearly ever color of the rainbow. i still enjoy making cds for friends, so these pens are definitely my tool for design. i'm currently looking for any reason to use every single color. they should probably keep the baby away from me....

have a great weekend! 

xx

when i was younger

visiting the states meant overdosing on lucky charms & cinnamon toast crunch. it's all about the milk after it's been flavored by all that cinnamon and sugar mmmm. 

xx

my favorite way to start the day

some ginger tea and a whole loada blueberries!

xx

obsessed with indoor libraries

who wouldn't be? ever since i was younger i wanted my own library; something between contemporary and classical. a place where i look forward to spending time in and where i can focus 100% minus the adderall. the following are so different but each have something quirky about them. 

classically quaint.

too modern, but comfy.

a ladder is a must. a bit too country though. 

i love this, i'd add a fireplace and a bit more of a classical touch.

a bit too zen-ish for me, but there's something really mesmerizing about it, it just sucks you right in and puts you in the zone. 

xx penguina

my kind of brunch

i truly love brunch on a lazy day with good company. for some reason i never get around to it in dxb. it always ends up having to be in some extravagant buffet at a hotel with people who act like they've never experienced booze during the day and are so daring for trying it aaaah. i'll start my search after ramadan. 

photos are from harvest in harvard square. 

1st course: fresh oysters and a bellini (my favorite).

2nd course: vegetable frittata with english breakfast tea.

3rd course: spoil yourself with something sweet. this mint-pineaple sorbet hit the spot.

xx

*daily treat*

despite the fact that the doc told me to avoid all dairy, i cracked; i just couldn't walk by pinkberry and not have some. it didn't even matter that my stomach pains made me feel like dying would have been a better option last week. i blame my devil-may-care attitude towards life (i'm so bad aren't i). my camera didn't even consent, she purposely didn't focus on my subject. very rude. 

i just noticed my life somewhat lackluster and broke it down to the fact that i haven't had my favorite froyo in far too long. i've found that it's my hardest dairy weakness; i can live without the rest. yes, even cheese. SO, i got my favorite choco-pomegranate duo, and was having serious trouble concentrating on the discussion i was having with my friend about the many reasons her life has changed for the better... i think. 

regardless of the fact that i got stuck in sheikh zayed road's 6pm traffic, or that the humidity decided to style my hair for the ideal "before" shot of an anti-frizz informercial promoting how to handle the absolute WORST frizz, or that a friend described his newborn's shitskapades during lunch, or that female circumcision came up in convo with a friend and my pops at dinner (why?!?), it didn't matter, cuz i had my pinkberry, and my day was made :)

moral: yolo. give in to the daily treat.

xx penguina

a touch of sea salt

i was heavily into this a while back, and reluctantly removed it from my life before the addiction grew too strong. our love however has been rekindled after my friend asked me to buy her some from beirut. it's rare for me to find something that always keeps me on my toes. each time i try some i get thrown off by the the sea salt (in a good way!). it just knows exactly how to bring out the right amount of sweetness in the chocolate. pretty close to perfect for me right now.

xx

wake up to

fresh morning strawberries. mmmm.

xx

john plays

magic.