Nails & Tea

The best quick relaxation combo any girl should do?....

GET A MANICURE.

So I decided to go and get a manicure since my nails were in dire need of attention, but of course it can't be all that fun without a friend by your side so that you could be chatting away and forgetting the world for an hour.

Tea is a must to help the process of relaxation, but those marshmallows on the side... YUM.  My sister (who came with me) gobbled up both our meringues - apparently they were delicious.

Luckily for me, my manicurist had the softest touch and was very careful when doing my nails, i loved it.

I don't know about you but when i don'y feel comfortable during a session, i think that it is NEVER worth it, especially once you get hurt or it's not up to your standards, well then believe me, everything goes downhill from that point on.

Since it's spring now and everybody is having a hard time dealing with hay fever (esoecially yours truly) I found that this recipe helps keep evryhing in check.

The ingredients:

- A mug of your choice

- Lemon slices 

- Honey

- Twinnings - Revitalizing Lemon & Ginger Tea  

Add water into your mug and plce the tea bag inside, once that has settled for a while take out the tea bag nd place as many lemon slices as you'd like. I put in just one.

For some sweetness, add a couple table spoons of honey - or as much as your sweet tooth would like to have. 

Voila !! The prefect relaxing, soothing, delicious cup of tea.

Nearly forgot to mention my current nail colour obsession !! I have been wearing this colour for the past 3 or 4 months. Its perfect, not quite winter, not quite spring. It fits all the seasons.

The colour i have on is Essie's - Sand Tropez.

How are you handling your spring time?

Healthy Weekend Lunch

What better way to say hello to the weekend than with a great stop at the local Healthy food restaurant called GIA right after classes. We ordered A LOT of food which sadly i didn't take pictures of all of it because well....my salivating hungry self just dived right in. 

This place is absolutely yummers, i love their simple menu and the food is pretty delicious if i do say so myself.  

It is a nice cleanse and change from the everyday food we eat, I'm going to try to be a lot more healthy from now on (key word TRY here - so any of my friends reading ... don't judge if i fall off the wagon every now and then hehe)

On the left, ratatouille pastry.

 Greek salad, fresh green apple juice , 2 kinds of quinoa salads

.

Aubergine with yogurt, pine nuts, pomegranate and i think spinach although i'm not quite sure

Something with chicken (not mine because i'm a vegetarian) so excuse me for not having the name of the dsh and freshly made lemonade.

Roasted vegetables quinoa salad.

Other things i didn't take pictures of : 

- Roasted potatoes with a hint of lemon, rosemary leaves and whole garlic cloves (my favorite thing on the menu). 

Not to mention, a great view to enjoy.

Hope you have a lovely, healthy weekend too !!

What I Did for Arabic Mothers' Day | 21st March '14

Here in the middle east, we celebrate mothers day on march 21st (I'm not really sure why though that it is a separate day from the rest of the world).  Anyway, I thought I'd show you what I did for MY mom, it might inspire you to do the same.

Now, to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed with a few things because they did not turn up quite as planned and I could not get my hands on some things that I really wanted ( like a balloon that said MOM). 

But generally, it was quite a success and my mother absolutely LOVED every single little thing and detail.

I placed all the gifts I bought for my mom in a lovely white basket and just tied some ribbon around it to give it that extra pop of colour.

Here, I took some mason jars, removed their lid and tied some rope ribbon around the lid area. A tiny bow sufficed. It doesn't have to be perfect. (As much of an OCD person as I am, I just thought that i would let it go this one time) 

I poured some water into the jugs and put in a small white candle. (Thank you pinterest)

Since, it was an extremely beautiful night outside, I placed everything in our canopy and added some walkway lights to brighten up the scene. This is what it looked like (Of course it is much more beautiful in real life)

For those of you wondering what is inside this goody basket, here is a list:

-Flowers, a pink mixture of baby roses and some white regular roses

- A set of matching lace teapot, cream/Milk Jug, and mug

- A Hallmark stand that says MOM and other things

- A small goodie bag from victorias secret 

- A Shirt dress nightie from Etam

- Last but not least, a lovely, gorgeous, exquisite card for mothers from hallmark

The cake was magnificent, a Victoria cake with some fruit and it went just perfectly with the colour scheme.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it inspired you to do something special as well. 

What did you do for mothers day? Or are planning to do?

Sara x

Slow Week

March, you have not been good to me thus far.

I have been a total bed potato this past week and I'm not really sure why.  I have been waking up at 10 am...10 am !! I'm not usually like this.

 I stumbled upon a meme which I think completely summarizes why I have become so lazy.

Yup... This.

And while not leaving my bed but not napping what am I doing? Watching a new series that has got me totally hooked called "Scandal". I have watched all of season 1 and season 2 ( a total of 29 episodes at 45 minutes a piece) in literally just 1 week.  Something HAS to be done.

So, I have decided to prioritize and plan, get back into the gym and leave the house more often.

I think that everyone should have one of these weekly/monthly planners. The are so handy, and no matter how uncreative you are, you will automatically find writing in it fun and you want to make it look nice. So, I have just done this weeks important to-do things.

Plus I have printed this week planner to jot down the important university stuff that needs to be done and pinned it to my board so that i can see it in plain sight to be reminded.  The best feeling in the world is when you tick off something off of a list don't you agree?

Sorry for this week's post's pictures, Its a cloudy day and i did not do my board nor my planner's pictures any justice.

Anyway...

Let the studying and the new week begin.

Bring it ON.

"WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER"

February Favorites

Wow! I can't believe that February has ended already. It seems as though it was valentines day just yesterday. 

Well, with another month ending, that means it is time for a monthly favorites post yaaay. 

(tbh one of my most favorite posts and videos on youtube are the monthly favorites; I guess its nice to see & find out about products and what people think of them)

Anyway though, I have my own little collection to share.

As you may know from my previous post, i was obsessing over getting my hands on the Laura Mercier body collection in Ambre Vanille and I finally managed to get my hands on these babies. 

I can do a full review on the whole set if you'd like because it is absolutely amazing.

On the left is the body cream that I use every single time I get out of the shower without fail. My body feels and smells the way any girl would want it to - soft, smooth, extravagant.

On the right is the candle that came with the collection. It is pretty small yes but packed with the aroma of 3 candles.  You don't need to burn it for a long time because the smell is strong yet not overwhelming and just after 15 minutes of burning, the room would smell lovely and it will last for hours. 

Although I've been using it for a whole month for my whole body every other day, I have just used up about 1/5 of this mini cream. A little definitely goes a long way, exactly what a cream should be like.

We have been having a lot of random hot days here, so I found that this Chanel Rouge Coco Shine - 52 Fetiche is the PERFECT colour for me and this transitioning weather that is upon us.  It is the faintest plummy-pink (mauve based rose) colour with a bit of micro-shimmers. During the cold/gloomy days it looks perfect. And during the sunny days the small specs of glitter shine from the reflection of the sun onto your lips, also giving the illusion of bigger lips.  To me it says - I'm ready for you floral spring but I haven't forgotten you cosy winter. A definite favorite.

 This gum.  I can't even begin to express my love for this gum. Ok let me try it this way: 

You have made classes less boring and breaths fresher than ever,

You taste soo damn good and your flavour lasts forever. 

The smell you leave in my bag makes my mouth water, 

I look for you in every store I enter just like a stalker.

Well there you have it, I'm a poet without even knowing it. 

But seriously, every bag and pocket should carry one of these. 1 packet has 12 long pieces, but I usually cut each one into a half because yup, even a half of a stick is just as good and works just as well.

Wrigley's 5 - Turbulance "...A mouthwatering watermelon

I have run out of my signature scent and i absolutely refuse to wear anything else, but my mom got me this Bvlgari Omnia Amethyst perfume a while ago and i thought I'd give it a try.

I really like the smell. It makes me think of a sophisticated lady in a white fedora hat with all the class and elegance in the world - if that makes sense.

I can't quite describe it except for that it is a strong yet light smell that lasts all day and even when I want to repeat the outfit, the smell is still there.

I recommend that u take a whiff next time you're in a perfume store.

Of course it wouldn't be a favorites post without the current reading obsession. 

" Dont Sweat The Small Stuff... and its all small stuff " by Richard Carlson.

This book, oh my goodness, this book has currently taken over my life...for the better.

I would describe this book as a 'self help' book for EVERYBODY. It teaches you how to overcome the little things in life that may push your buttons or that constantly make you unhappy without you even knowing that they do. I love it.

The chapters are so basic and to the point at 1 page and a half (give or take).

It is truly helping me in my everyday life because what the book says just sticks to your mind without you even realizing it. For example -I realized that I never truly "enjoy the moment" because i am constantly in a mind battle of whats to come next like- if I'm having dinner with a friend, I'm constantly thinking about my curfew and when I should leave to be on time and if I have enough cash for the parking. And this is completely true!! Once this book helped me realize this and what I should do to not think about the future, I now completely enjoy whatever it is that I am doing! Even when i do find myself thinking, I just remember the book and what it said and I slip back into the present moment and enjoy myself.

This book is a must to anyone and everyone.

I recommend it with all my heart.

Truly an inspirational read.

I realized that my favourite kind of notebook to write on is the Ogami stone paper notebook. The feeling when writing on it is so smooth that it makes me want to write and draw even though I'm no artist nor extraordinary writer.

I found this mini mint green notebook one day in a random store and though it is just perfect for writing lists and blog ideas ( I got it in white as well ). I now only buy stone paper.

Side note - stone paper is waterproof therefore you need not to worry if falls into a puddle or something gets spilled on it.

Last but not least, the Bed Head Epic Volume Conditioner.  This seriously is the most softening conditioner I have ever used. My hair looks 10x healthier and shinier.  Its thick consistency makes it easier for your hair to soak it up and it leaves the best strawberry smell in my hair that lasts all the way till my next shower!

Yes it is a bit pricier than your regular conditioner but I think that its a nice splurge for your hair , a pamper gift if you will.