Mirror, mirror on the rubber wall

I just came back from taking my son to an indoor play area close by and was rather entertained while I was there.  There was a group of mothers who looked so out of place, actually they almost looked like they were living in a totally different world than the one I was in.  They were totally done up. Totally!  Hair was perfect, full make up, each of them in a dress and sky high wedges or heels.  I wont even get into the jewelry.  Meanwhile, I'm in my flared jeans and sneakers, with my hair tied back and zero make up.  Don't get me wrong, I am definitely all for mothers taking time to care for their looks and make sure they don't lose that side of themselves just because they have a baby.  That's partially what this is blog is about I think.  But come on, this is a play area!  It's 2pm!  At that time of day, I wouldn't even look like that if I was 25 and single!
I probably would have taken 2 or 3 more minutes getting ready to go had I known the wannabe footballers' wives would be there.  The funny thing was that they really looked like they were competing as to who looked the hottest, they barely noticed their own kids.  Maybe I'm being a little harsh.  Maybe not.


Image: Sarah Klassen via weheartit.com

What I fancy this week

1. Pencey Weekend Dress - My husband makes fun of me sometimes for how much I love anything animal print.  I think if done right, it can be very sexy or playful.  And for some reason, the animal print pieces that I do have, have lasted season after season, the look always seems to come back into trend.

2.  I've been going through another home decorating phase, so I've been on the look out for cool accessories online.   I guess I would describe our home as being contemporary with arabic and tribal touches and a very earthy feel. Anyway, I saw this semi-antique Kilim rug and think it would be perfect for our kitchen, where I hope to also have lots of old fashioned bottles and baskets around.

3. How cool is this rocking horse by Casa Midy?  Made from alder, mahogany and leather, this is one toy that I don't mind having in the living room. Look at the cute tail!

4. Liyah off-shoulder asymmetrical dress by Gypsy05 - If you ignore the tambourine, this dress is super cute and perfect for the summer.  

5. Cucina Fresca: Italian Food, Simply Prepared by Viana Laplace & Evan Kleiman - I was hunting around for new cookbooks (I'm obsessed with cookbooks) and came across this one.  From what I've read, this book seems to have tonnes of very simple, straight forward recipes, many of which are salads or other summer friendly dishes.  Yum!

6. Colorblock dress by Mara Hoffman - This is really calling out to me.  Love the colors, love the cut... slick.

Images: Shopbop.com, Kilim.com, casamidy.com, Gypsy05.com, harpercollins.com, marahoffman.com

Two months gone, two months to go.

I got back from Ibiza a few days ago.  Had an amazing time with the girls... we partied, we chilled on the beach, we drank Sangria, we did a little shopping and we ate.  We ate great food. I think most would agree that holidays are not a time to watch what you eat, it's a time to try local food, a time to indulge and a time to sit around a table for endless meals and have great conversation. So that's what we did.  Problem was that Ibiza is soooo not the place to do that, at least not without wanting to shoot yourself afterwards.  I don't think I have ever seen as many stunning women with the most fantastic bodies in one place.  These are women that can pull off wearing only white thongs on the beach and look flawless.  They ALL literally looked like they walked away from a Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot. That's depressing.  


So now I am serious.  I want to lose weight and seriously tone up.  I've given myself a new deadline (to at least feel ok about getting into a bikini again) since the Ibiza one that I had set two months back came and went.  The new deadline is mid August - my best friend's wedding in Lebanon.   That's two months.  I need to do more Pilates, definitely need to up the Cardio and I need a proper diet.  I've never really dieted before so I need to do some research.  Any tips are welcome.  I'll probably need to take some prozac as well.  
Wish me luck.  

Hello Ibiza

I'm off to Ibiza with a few girl friends for a few days.  So excited!  Of course I will really miss my boys (the big one and small one) but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  I did leave a 2 page "hand over" for my husband on what to do with Yousef, fingers crossed all goes well.  I'm also kinda worried that the little one wont remember me, especially if I come back looking all tanned and fabulous.  I'll keep you posted. Ta!