K is for Knives as Interior Decor

We had lunch last Friday at a gorgeous South African restaurant called The Meat & Wine Co. in Souk Al Bahar. There were so many unique details inside and this wall decor at the waiting area especially caught our attention.

Steak knives make an interesting  wall decor.

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Pottery Barn Opens in Dubai

The premier home furnishing retailer in the USA called Pottery Barn opened its first store in the Middle East. Located at newly opened Mirdif City Center, the almost 3,000 sq metre store can be found at the ground floor.

I took these photos at the Pottery Barn Kids store. With such unique and trend-setting designs, locals and expats will surely be delighted.

Other in-store features and benefits include:

 Pottery Barn Wedding & Gift Registry – Customers can schedule a complimentary appointment with a specially trained associate who can assist them with building their registry. Convenient scanners and complimentary gift wrap are also available.

Complimentary Design Classes – The ideal way to find design inspiration. Class size is limited, so be sure to call the store (+971-4-6062610) to confirm class times and reserve your space.

Website – Visit www.potterybarn.me/ for the most current seasonal catalog, information about store locations, hours of operation and in store products and service.

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H&M Loot

I am a devoted fan of H&M. I buy staple clothes for the family in their stores at Dubai Mall, Deira City Center, or Mall of the Emirates. I even buy accessories including gifts and presents for family friends. They have really nice gift boxes (which changes from season to season) that saves a lot of time when you are in a hurry to attend a certain celebration.

Imagine my delight when I flipped over a fashion spread last Friday and the model was wearing the same H&M shades I bought almost a month ago. I had to look closer to believe my eyes and indeed, the credits mentioned that it was from H&M =)

I know some people dread to be seen wearing clothes and accessories from high street stores. Well who says you have to buy those shirts with MANGO emblazoned on your chest? The trick is not to buy the obvious. Instead, choose basic items that doesn't shout  I-bought-this-from-Forever-21. Opt for basic pieces with the least pattern or prints. Then you can play it up with your Gucci bag or (my choice) a vintage/authentic jewelry.

Before any fashionista protests, let me just say that I am absolutely a fan of Forever 21. In fact, the yellow frock I wore to a most important celebration at Burj Al Arab came from that store. And the only business suit I have is from Mango.

Sorbetto

I ordered this summer dessert at an Italian Ristorante called Biella.

Sorbets are all about fruit. With no milk, cream or eggs, they depend only on sugar, lemon juice and fresh fruit for flavor. Elegantly simple and refreshingly tart, sorbets were the rage during Victorian years, when they were served as palate cleansers between rich, heavy courses.

Mango Sorbetto served with dark chocolate stick and garnished with fresh mint.

A sorbetto, the more intense Italian version, generally has more fruit and less water, resulting in a softer, less icy texture. The key is FRESH fruit, for sorbets made with cooked fruit will taste like cold jam rather than the best of summer frozen in a scoop.

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J is For Jet Fighet Planes

Photos from 2010 Al Ain Aerobatics Show held at Al Ain International Airport, United Arab Emirates..

Breitling Jet Team from France

 Royal Saudi Hawk Team from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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Portrait of a Princess

This portrait on display at Burjuman Shopping Mall belongs to the wife of the Ruler of Dubai. Her Royal Highness Princess Haya of Jordan, born May 1974 is one of King Hussein I of Jordan's daughters. Princess Haya is the junior wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's two wives.

Sheikha of Dubai portrait. On display at the 2nd Floor of Burjuman Mall.

Princess Haya is an avid sportswoman. She participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney Australia representing Jordan in show jumping, where she was also the flag bearer for the Jordanian delegation, and regularly takes part in equestrian events. She has been elected president of the International Equestrian Federation for a standard four-year term ending in 2010. Princess Haya was also selected as a member of the international athletes commission at the International Olympic Committee.

Her Royal Highness Princess Haya has engaged in a range of humanitarian activities and founded Tikyet Um Ali, the first Arab NGO dedicated to overcoming hunger, in her native Jordan, and now chairs Dubai's International Humanitarian City. She was appointed a UN Messenger of Peace in July 2007 by Secretary-General Ban-Ky Moon and earlier was the first woman and first Arab to serve as an ambassador for the World Food Programme (2005-07). She is a founding member of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Global Humanitarian Forum based in Geneva and serves on the boards of many other non-profit organizations.

On 2 December 2007, HRH Princess Haya, Sheikha of Dubai gave birth to her first daughter, HH Sheikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The baby's birth coincides with the United Arab Emirates' 36th celebration of National Day.

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Toby's Soft Play Area

Our two-year old Andreas enjoying the soft balls inside Burjuman Mall. Toby's is an exciting huge play area where kids below 12 years old can enjoy climbing, running, and swing like Tarzan. It is located on the third floor beside the food court. They also have a separate play area with slides and more soft balls exclusive for under two's. Entry per child is 40 AED ($16).

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Seafood Fiesta!

Foodie from previous family Friday brunch!

Lobster, oyster, mussels, and crab meat from Al Muntaha Restaurant

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Having Two Children Is Better

If you thought of stopping at one kid, read on.

The journal of Social Science and Medicine reports that having children is good for you - so long as you stop at two.

Too few or none at all, parents are at increased risk of dying from cancer and heart disease to becoming an alcoholic or dying in a car crash perhaps because they lack motivation to look after their health.

But too many, and they struggle to cope with the financial and emotional stress of bringing up a large family.

Read more about the study here.

I is for Man-Made Islands

Time for some Wednesday fun! Today, i will share my photos for the iconic and largest man-made island, The Palm Jumeirah.

 Tryin' to get an aerial view. The photo is taken at the 27th floor of Burj Al Arab

The Palm Jumeirah is created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government.

It is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometre long breakwater. The island is 5 kilometres by 5 kilometres and its total area is larger than 800 football pitches^. 

The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel. At the tip of the tunnel is the luxury Atlantis The Palm Hotel. There are currently 30 beachfront hotels inside The Palm.

The tip of The Palm. The big structure is the luxury destination, Atlantis The Palm.

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Scene From The Fringe

A funny clown and balloon modeler gives his crafts to the audience during the Dubai Fringe Festival.

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Cocktail Rings

Costume jewelries...

To go with this lovely Carolina Herrera dress.

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Lust For Life!!

A study by Italian researches revealed that husbands who feel that their wives still find them attractive are less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

But those who feel otherwise are more likely to suffer coronary illness or stroke even if they are not obese and do not smoke.

Now that is one more reason to stay married and be loyal to your partner =)

Read more of the study here.

Creamy Potato Gratin

I will share today an easy classic French recipe that I recently learned to make. I complained before how i was getting bored with my cooking and this lovely dish is my recent discovery. It's a perfect accompaniment for roast pork and steaks. It is versatile as well for you can add brocolli or bacon or mushrooms to the basic recipe.

Creamy Classic Potato Gratin

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes unpeeled sliced into small chunks
2 cups milk
200 g heavy cram
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tsp salt
100 g butter
300 g sharp cheddar cheese
ground white pepper (optional)

Here's How

1. Heat oven to 190 degrees C. Put potatoes in a saucepan and add milk, cream, garlic and salt. Cover and bring to gentle simmer.

2. When the liquid starts to bubble around the edges, remove the lid and cook until potatoes are firm but tender (about 10 minutes).

3. Grease a large gratin dish. Using slotted spoon, arrange and spread the potatoes  in an even layer. Pour the remaining cooking liquid. Scatter cheese over the top and bake until the top is bubly and evenly browned (about 45 minutes).

4. Let cool and serve.

Happy cooking!

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Late Night Shopping

After much reading about what to pack, I made a list of things to buy for Andreas' first holiday. Last night, we crossed three items off  the list.

First, a box of microwave steam bag from Medela. Frankly I had no idea such product exist. I was resigned to bringing our Mothercare travel pack (which I still find bulky to include in our lagguage) for bottle sterilizing when I saw these stacked little yellow boxes. A closer look and it was the solution to my worry. The five-piece folded plastic bags were much more easier to pack and carry around. Maybe I could even request to sterilize up in the air hihi.

Each bag can be used up to 20 times making one box reused to 100 times. Cost AED60 (P750)

Second, water-resistant disposable bibs. I am planning to bring as few clothes  as possible for Andreas so I hope this will take care of  biscuit crumbs, and spilled fruit juices.

20 pieces disposable bibs. Cost 28 AED (P350)

Third, travelmate umbrella stroller. I love our trusty Graco but we need something smaller to move around the airport especially that we have a stop-over in Austria.

Juniors Umbrella Travelmate. We chose blue and red color for our toddler. Cost 179 AED (P2,237.50)

All products were bought at Babyshop, Centrepoint Store, beside Burjuman Mall.

I still have a long list to buy yay! I knew that holidays are expensive but i just don't expect them to cost up like this hihi.

The Hummer

My H collections are for petrol fanatics =)

We saw this Hummer H1 parked near our place. This is my first time to see an H1. The Hummers H2 and H3 are a common sight here in Dubai.

Originally designed strictly for military use, this absolutely massive four-wheel-drive utility vehicle earned its 15 minutes of fame as a civilian conveyance when it became the ride of choice among Hollywood celebrities (such as Arnold Schwarzenegger) and professional athletes who thought it oh-so-chic to pilot the ultimate ruff-and-tuff image machine.

My two-year old son was allowed to try this matte Hummer H2 pick-up during the recent 10th Dubai International Motorshow.

We saw this Hummer Limousine delivering guests at the 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab.

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