What I fancy this week

I'm heading to London in 2 weeks so my head is already in a shopping frame of mind.  When is it not really?  Anyway, here are a few things that get my heart racing just a little faster.

1. Carven Crossover Cutout Dress in Indigo.  I LOVE this dress! The cutout is just enough to be sexy and fun without making someone like me feel self concious.

2. Céline Phantom bag in Flesh.  If you happen to follow me on Pinterest you will see that I am quite obsessed with Céline bags.  This is my latest crush, perfect for summer.

3. As a mom, I'm always looking out for pretty flats. MCQ Alexander McQueen studded leather flats, Aquazzura Roy Slippers, Eddie in Black flats by Kate Spade and Lattice D'Orsay Flats by Jenni Kayne.

4. Dragonfly Jacquard dress by Alexander McQueen. This is a must. It's perfect.

Images: Shopbop.com, Céline, Matches, thehipchick, Les Nouvelles, Liberty London

Sugar and spice for Posh

So Victoria Beckham is finally expecting a girl.  A dream come true for any fashion loving woman out there.  Don't get me wrong, I totally love my little guy, I can't imagine life without him.  But I do also wish I get a little girl someday... and if I ever do, I apologize in advance to my husband for the damage to our bank accounts!!  So, if I ever had a girl.... (oh p.s. I'm not pregnant!!)

Capri dress by TALC

Dress by Isabel Marant

Combishort Carlotta by Loppa

Aude TeaGirl & Hana by Soft Gallery

Top and Skirt by Trelise Cooper

Garden Romper by Baby Bean

Romper and Dress both by Nellystella

I could go on and on...

Images: TALC Boutique, Smallable, Petit Hood, Soft Gallery, Trelise Cooper, Baby Bean, Nellystella

What I fancy this week

This week I'm pretty much in love with the entire Tibi Spring 2011 collection.  Check it out.

Cami Dress - All one needs for this is a perfect tan.

Lillian Camisole and Skirt - The top is so sexy and the skirt tones it down just enough. How cute are those ruffles on the pockets?

Here's the same Camisole with the Lillian Midi Skirt. I would love to wear this... in St. Tropez.... sigh.

Button Back Jumpsuit - With the pleats and the midi length this combines everything that's in this season in a very classy way.  

Calla Lily V Neck Dress - Spring is here!!


Images: Shopbop.com 

What I fancy this week

1. Kirsten multi-strap suede tote by Alexander Wang. Doesn't it just look so soft? Can't you just imagine this with 700 different outfits? I want this. Now. 

2. Sleeveless knit dress by MM6 Maison Martin Margeila.  This is the color of the moment, and I love the simplicity of this dress.

3. Margo lace-up platform pumps by Elizabeth and James.  This is quickly becoming one of my favorite brands.  Very cool clothes and accessories and reasonably priced.  And they have cute stuff like this.

4. Maxi summer dress by H&M - Soooo pretty!

5. Letour floral perfect shirt by J.Crew - I really like this shirt.  It's simple and kind of preppy, which then works quite nicely with a pair of sneakers or if you want to dress it up a tad more, a pair of oxfords.  Rolled up sleeves is a must, otherwise it looks a little too childish.

6. Lissy boxy swing dress in paisley shirting by Chloe Sevigny and Opening Ceremony.  This is so cute.  The shape is stylish and easy and it can be worn with black tights or as shown.  It's also available in Leopard, so I'll have one of those too.     

7. Sleeveless denim shirt by Helmut Lang - This is a great addition to any wardrobe.  Add a few chunky accessories and you're gold. 

Images: Net-a-porter.com, shopbop.com, H&M.com via Everything Fabulous, jcrew.com, She Boutqiue , SSense.

Pretty Fancy Things in action

Just wanted to share some photos of the two Pretty Fancy Things sales I've had.  The first sale was on January 8th - an open house in Dubai.  The second sale was this last weekend at the Winter Family Fair in Dubai.  

Open house sale:

W.F.F. Sale:

Pretty Fancy Things

I recently started working on a little venture where I will be selling beautiful, unique handmade items for babies and kids.  


The idea popped up a few months ago when I started looking around Dubai for cool decor items for my son's room, and wasn't too impressed with what I found.  So I turned to the Internet and found all kinds of treasures.  I've also been well aware of the handmade "movement" happening in other parts of the world, where people are re-gaining appreciation for pieces made by hand and heart, usually with a story behind them, rather than a cookie cutter type machine.  Even bigger stores are starting to stock such items made by crafters from places in Central America or Asia, please note I said crafters, not sweat shops.  That's the other attractive aspect of buying handmade, you are helping sustain small communities or encouraging people to develop their crafts, you are helping stay at home moms make an income with their crafts, and in many cases you are also helping the environment.  


So I've decided to be a part of this movement, in a city where the more famous the brand or the more expensive the item the better. But I believe in every piece that I have sourced.  Every piece is unique, thoughtful and fun. I've chosen things that make me wish I was a kid again, things that have put a smile on my face.  Things that confirm to me I'm a wicked mom.  And I hope other parents will feel that way too. 


Here's the flyer for my first sale which will be an open house on January 8th.  I will be selling decor items, clothing, toys and accessories.  If you happen to be in the U.A.E. come check it out. I will post some pictures of the day soon.  I'm really excited about this, fingers crossed!

What I fancy this week

It's the festive season, so here's what I'm in the mood for at the moment.

1. Pixie Market Black Lace blouse - very sexy and versatile.  I would probably pair it with a nice pair of jeans and kick ass heals.  A simple pencil skirt can look super cute too.

2. Nina Ricci Fold-over flap bag - a timeless piece with a nice funky twist.

3. Foley + Corinna metallic lace strapless dress - This is very pretty and with the ruched detail and large waistband, it can be flattering on anyone.

4. Gryphon sequin band jacket - I love this piece.  Yes there are tonnes of sequined jackets out there, but the cut of this one is perfect, the collar, the 3/4 sleeves and the length.  You can slip this on over PJs and still look glamorous.

5. Lanvin black glossy calfskin asymmetrical shoe - sigh.

6. Herve Leger Low V Dress in Shadow - Dear Santa, I've been very good this year.  Promise! Can you please send me this dress and a quick and easy diet to lose the weight to look good in it? 

P.S. I promise I'll be a little more colorful next time!

Images: Pixie Market, Matches, Shopbop.com, Lanvin.com, Forwardforward.com

A clever way to shop

I'm really excited to share this with you.  Yet ANOTHER way to shop!  And, check this... brought to you by the masters of the universe as we know it today - Google.  Boutiques.com was launched last month, and I can't wait to see how big this thing will be. This is how they describe the site:

The way it works is that you create an account or a boutique.  You get asked a few questions about your personal style, which is not only fun, it also gets you thinking about what kind of look you really aspire for.  After you answer these questions, the google geeks (who we love of course) generate a selection of pieces that fit your style.  Ta da!!   You can then browse through them to shop (direct links to retailers) or save them as a sort of wish list for yourself and to showcase your style to others.  You can also browse the boutiques of others, including celebrities like the Olsen twins, Olivia Palmero and Nicole Richie as well as designers, retailers, fashion bloggers and other trend setters from all over the place.  You can also follow people, or have your own followers a la Twitter.  So if you like Polyvore (which you must if you love fashion), you will love this.  


I'm sure this site will keep improving and offering more unique services with time, but for now, go and play :)

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

London calling

I've been away for the past 10 days, went to what in my humble opinion is the best city on earth - London. It's always been my favorite place, and living there for 2 years only made my attachment stronger.  But it was my first time to venture the fast paced side walks, public transport (remember I live in Dubai) and 7 hour flights with Yousef alone, so I was a little apprehensive to say the least. 


The flights were interesting.  Going there I took a day flight, and that was a disaster because all he wanted to do was crawl around the entire air craft and eat people's shoes.  And so by the last two hours all hell broke loose, and let's just say that when we finally landed, the flight attendant offered "to rush me out first".  Kill me now.  The flight coming back was a red eye, which was OK in the sense that he was sleeping or rather mellow most of the time, but then totally over exhausted and ready to kill me once we were back home.  You can't win.  And what made the flights even worse was that both ways, I happen to sit next to someone who has the calmest, most silent, well behaved baby - while mine was screaming, stealing the other's toys, playing drums on the table, being returned to me by random people who he went to visit etc. etc.


But I have to give the little dude some credit, when it came to my shopping sprees in London (which are quite intense and last all day), he was great.  He was either charming the sales people or clapping his hands and trying to sing or napping.  And I'll take well behaved while shopping rather than well behaved on a flight any day.




Image: weheartit

What I fancy this week

It's quickly getting hot here in Dubai so I need to get prepared! Summer for me is about effortless style and having versatile pieces that can work from day to night.  This is my wish list... for the next few days anyway.

1. Raffia metallic braids flat sandals by Stella McCartney.  Very cool and go with pretty much anything.

2. Maxi slip dress by Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent.  I'm not super into florals or patterns for that matter, but this is cute and subtle.  I love maxi dresses, they make life simple.  Pair of sandals, a long colorful necklace and you're done.  

3. Striped ruffle top by SONIA by Sonia Rykiel.  It's got the nautical feel and it's laid back, perfect!

4. Aztec bag by Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent.  Love this.  It's summery, it's got the tribal thing going and it's big. 

5. Luxor Bikini by Melissa Odabash. I love black swimsuits and I'm loving this one. Simple, modern and sexy - perfect!

6. Linen-blend jersey jumpsuit by Stella McCartney.  This can be dressed up or down very easily and is effortlessly stylish. 

7. Panama Jersey Dress by Ella Moss.  I really like this.  It's sexy and has a bit of the boho chic thing happening.  I also think one of the nicest ways to show off a tan is with an open back.

Images: Piperlime, Tobi, Melissa Odabash, Net-a-Porter, Shopbop