Turkey Sailing

It took a while to find, but I am one of those lucky ones that found a fun travel group. We are a group of 6 from all over the world that have the following common denominators: good fun, good laughs, good food, good memories, easy going and our favorite: drama free!
It does help that most of us have a respectable income which allows us to discover really nice countries. For this Eid, Turkey was our destination, on a luxury sailboat that is!
Initially we were a group of 10, as the boat fits comfortably that number. It was a large 5 bedroom sailboat individually fitted with bathrooms.

Permanently on board, a captain geared the winds, a skipper to assist him, a butler to assist us and a cook to feed us. I'll rephrase the latter, a chef, Michelin worthy that is.
We boarded from Bodrum and hugged the Turkish coast. Main sight seeing cities were: Bodrum, Marmaris, Kos (Greece)

The waters were clear blue clean and as deep as the eye can see...
Initially i bought my faint heart a box of motion sickness pills, after all, this was a sailboat and i was tied to it for 7 days. For the first 2 days, i popped a pill right before i thought i would feel sick. After day 2, i eased into the boat and made it my home pill-free! So much so, that the soft rocking at night became the only way i can fall hard asleep.
Every morning we would wake up in a different place, every morning we would jaw drop as each of us walked on deck and was taken by the color of the ocean each day more beautiful than the day before.

It was hard to pinpoint one preferred area, but we all agreed on one thing: docking and discovering a city was not an option. We attempted the latter in Marmaris as we walked the busy port street. We found ourselves anti-social and turned off by the scene. It was almost like a feeling out of the Beach movie. Remember the part where they went into town to pick up groceries only to find themselves disturbed by the noise and the crowds?
I have never seen a group of people run back to the boat so quick and sit in silence while staring at the night stars. That night we became even closer  as a group. We popped open the on-board karaoke machine and sang the night away---just us.

The trip was overall extremely relaxing, especially for a group of people that was only seeking a disconnection from the real world. I couldnt emphasize more on how i recommend this trip to anyone seeking a sailing vacation.

I cannot wait for next year as we are targeting the Croatia coast line....and we can only hope chef Issa is on board!

Questions? Comments?

Wedding Wedding on the wall.....

I find it quite interesting that Dubai has its wedding exhibition in April. Many Emarati brides choose to get hitched in November and December, hence planning in April makes sense, but what about the Spring brides? Spring in Dubai is from March to May (also locally known as summer!)
For those brides, planning should definitely begin as soon as September, and unfortunately there are no events that can help a bride during that quarter. She must rely on friends, parents, wedding planners and well, herself!

Planning for the event is quite overwhelming, even more so shopping for the wedding dress. Since the Royal wedding in 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge has laced us with love! Her Royal gown has changed the way future brides dream about their wedding dresses!! The bridal cat walks have never looked so romantic!


                                                                       Reem Acra

                                                                          Elie Saab

         
                                                                           Marchesa

However, something in the bridal fashion world is slowly happening. A shift perhaps. A shift that will forever change the way a bride walks down the aisle. A shift that redefines the meaning of a bride. And this shift is caused by none other than the wedding guru designer-- Vera Wang.
The bride in black....
I cant wrap my head around it...the pure meaning of a bride has completely changed. I'm pretty sure Queen Victoria rolled in her grave the moment Vera Wang unleashed her collection this season. Is it modern? Are we reinventing the white bride? Or is it the way it was always meant to be? In the 18th century, the bride wore whatever color she chose, and most wore black...It was not until Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840 did this "white" bride become a tradition.
Im not quite certain how romantic this bride can be, but one thing for sure....it's a stunning dress....now the question; is it wedding bride worthy?

Share your thoughts!!

Siri Star Ambassadors!

Apple rarely gets any star treatments. Their product is pure gold and this is what they truly believe! Recently there has been a upsurge of iPhone 4S ads with Hollywood stars! These guys are loaveable A-Listers!

Dance in the Rain with Zooey Deschanel

Romantic Date with Samuel L. Jackson

Joke around with John Malkovich

Life advise with John Malkovich

The Met 2012

As i round up my news on the Met Gala dresses, I couldn't help at how annoyed i was at hearing the awful pronunciation of the word "Gala" by Nancy O'Dell, ET's presenter: "Gay-La" she kept saying!! Here's a clip and try not to cringe as much as i did!

"Gay-La" by Nancy O'Dell

Regardless of the pain Nancy made me go through, i still found my sanity in the beauty on the red carpet. In case you didn't notice, the red carpet might as well been sponsored by Prada and Ralph Lauren! Check out these beauties!




Camilla Belle wearing Ralph Lauren



Katharine McPhee in Elie Saab



Solange Knowles wearing Rachel Roy



Lana Del Rey wearing Altuzarra



Jessica Alba wearing Michael Kors



January Jones wearing Versace



Karolina Kurkova wearing Rachel Zoe





Anna Wintour wearing Prada





Carey Mulligan wearing Prada





Diane Kruger wearing Prada



Ed Westwick wearing Prada





Gary Oldman wearing Prada and Alexandra Edenborough wearing Miu Miu



Gwyneth Paltrow wearing Prada



Jessica Biel wearing Prada





Kate Bosworth wearing Prada



Amber Heard wearing Tiffany & Co



Cara Delevingne wearing Burberry



Gabriella Wilde and Roo Panes wearing Burberry



Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Mario Testino wearing Burberry



Emily Blunt and John Krasinski wearing Calvin Klein Collection



Stunning



Rosario Dawson wearing Calvin Klein Collection





Gleeeeee!! Cory Monteith wearing Calvin Klein Collection

The Myth of lucky charms--- From Rabbit’s foot to Leprechauns

Many believe that by carrying charms or amulets you can bring luck upon yourself and ward off evil. Others believe it’s simply superstition. Luck is achieved with hard work and dedication and evil is a myth. The latter are similar tales told around bonfires during summer camps. Stories to horror us such as the “boogey man” or the “wicked witches.” During the Wizard of Oz era, young girls would walk around with bottles of water in case they would encounter the wicked witch of the east. A simple toss would make her melt away into history. How can we forget watching horror flicks with Dracula and Vampires? We would spend sleepless nights imagining those young victims escaping monsters by running in forests or down empty alleys. We were so convinced about these horrific disfigured faces that we slept with garlic and crucifixes under our bed. 

Almost every culture has its own unique lucky charm. Ancient African cultures were known to carry a rabbit’s foot. It enabled them a quick flee from enemies chasing them. In the Middle East, the “blue eye” is known as a charm to avert evil. Rubbing the belly of a laughing Buddha is said to bring prosperity and fortune in both the Chinese and Japanese culture. In today’s modern times, the least superstitious among us will pick up a “lucky penny” from the ground because it is believed to shine a ray of wealth and luck. 

However, none remain as popular as the internationally renowned lucky charms bestowed upon the Irish. There is nothing more prominent than the shamrock. Many rhyme and reasons exist for the origins of the shamrock, however the fable is irrefutable since early 400 AD. Saint-Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain to his Irish followers the Trinity. In his sermons he preached how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit could all dwell as one, yet still remain separate entities. Many Irish wear the shamrock as a symbol of luck. One shamrock believed to be the luckiest of all is the scarce four-leaf clover. This mythical symbol of good fortune is a rare breed. It produces from the three-leaf clover on average 1 in 10,000 due to a rare genetic anomaly.

Chances of getting your hands on a four-leaf clover (in Dubai) is as common as running into a leprechaun. Call me prejudice, but this is my kind of lucky charm. A dream most single woman wishes to experience—a munchkin man, wearing a green tuxedo holding an adept profession as a shoemaker. The tale recounts that if you are lucky enough to find a leprechaun, with enough coercion, he will lead the way to the hidden treasure of gold as so long as he never evades your sight. The Irish blessing states: “Only those who really believe have seen these little elves, and if we are all believers we can surely see for ourselves.” On behalf of all single women, I say this: if I was to encounter a fashionable man with excessive shoe expertise and modest enough not to flaunt his pot of gold—there is no way I would ever let him out of my sight    

Louboutin Art!