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Monday, May 31, 2010

The Lazy Days of Summer...

Happy June, dolls!


We're betting right about now you're all saying, "Hey!  It's Tuesday -- I'm so excited to read the new PDR post!" And we seriously hate to disappoint you... but unfortunately, we regret to inform you that there will be no official post on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the months of June, July, and August. In September, as long as our readers still want us, we promise to return to our regularly scheduled programming.


We all deserve a little break now and then, and summertime in NJ means two things: 1) Jen has some major plans including renovation, relaxation, and vacation and 2) Saira will be jealous of us all as she spends her every waking minute studying for the Bar Exam. So, with heavy hearts, we've made the decision to reduce our posts by 2 for the next 3 months. This summer, while you are tanning yourselves and sipping some lemonade, be sure to check back with us on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for some new and exciting posts by your favorite duo (that's us!), but also some extra treats from some fantastic Guest Bloggers that we have lined up!


Stay tuned for tomorrow's Color Day post and then be sure to check back Friday for your next Paper Doll Romance fix.
Until next time!


XOXO,
Jen & Saira

Sex and The City 2


The Trailer:

Screenshots from the movie:


The London Premiere:


The New York Premiere:

While I sit at my desk attempting to study for my upcoming exams, I'm eagerly waiting to watch City and The City 2 with the girls later this week. If the trailer is anything to go by, it should be an incredibly enjoyable film. I absolutely loved the series, watching some episodes over and over again, and the first movie was fantastic. Unfortunately, I think the girls outfits at the London and NY premieres were a little disappointing when you compare them to the to-die-for outfits on screen. I preferred the London outfits, over the NY outfits, as I'm not a fan of yellow or fluro outfits. SJP's outfit at the London Premiere was so similar to an outfit she wore to the previous movie's premiere, just that this one was black, rather than green. It's a shame they couldn't have been a little more inspiring, particularly SJP, who usually appears at red carpet events in something incredibly original and out-there.

For me, the release of the second movie, is even perhaps even more exciting than the first, because it is set in Abu Dhabi (even though technically it was shot in Morocco for cultural/religious reasons). I visited Abu Dhabi on my way to Europe on a on family holiday, a little over 2 years ago, when the place still wasn't so well known. We also stopped there on our way back too. It was my first time visiting a country in the Middle East and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My mum had booked what she thought was a leisurely camel ride through the desert to a Beduin  camp, which turned out to be a wild 4WD extravaganza up and down the mounds of sand in the desert, with the leisurely camel ride at the end. We had a fabulous dinner at the camp site in the middle of the desert, complete with meats roasted over a BBQ, arabic coffee and argile. Another night, we had dinner at a seafood restaurant in a hotel called "The Palace" which was the most luxurious and elaborate hotel I had ever seen, resembling the palace in Disney's Aladdin. While there, I learnt a lot about the Islamic cultural of the people of the Emirates, which was very interesting. The shopping was also quite amazing, my favourite purchase being an Arabaic kaftan style dress in magenta silk, embellished with beading, sequins and embroidery. Watching the local people, or "Originals" as they are called, in their traditional arabic clothes, was quite fascinating, as they were dressed so elaborately in their cultural dress. It was so unusual, yet interesting, to see women dressed in burkas, wearing Louboutins, carrying Chanel handbags and diamond encrusted jewellery pieces. 

Photos from my visit to Abu Dhabi:



The ceiling in the foyer of the Beach Rotana Hotel


One of the older palaces



Entrance to the Palace Hotel



The ceiling in the Palace Hotel

The dress from Abu Dhabi:

I need to have the dress altered because it's too big. I'm undecided whether to simply take it in, or crop it into a mini as well. We've been talking about having a Moroccan party for quite some time, so I'm thinking I will take in for that and keep it long, and then afterwards I will crop it so I can wear it out clubbing. I love the fact that it has such sentimental value to me. I have a pair of magenta Peeptoes that would look great with it (you can see them in the far right corner of the first pic of the dress), or alternatively it could look fantastic with a pair of glitzy jewelled sandals. Either way, I'm dying to wear it, it's just a matter of deciding how to alter the dress.

Thanks to those of you who have recently become a follower of my blog. If you haven't yet, it is a very simple process that only takes a few moments. If you have a Google account, you can become a follower by simply clicking on the "Follow with Google friend connect". Otherwise, follow using Bloglovin' by clicking on the Eiffel Tower. This process only takes a moment. The more followers I have, the higher my blog is ranked and the more likely I am to attract new followers :)

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Summer Style: The White Collection

Attention ladies: It's Memorial Day so you can officially wear white without fear of being chastised! Come celebrate by browsing through our pick for the summer of 2010, the White Collection:





Nothing is more depressing than being stuck at work on a beautiful summer day, but you can brighten your day by wearing this white pencil skirt from J. Crew. The clean cut and crisp white color will make you look fun and fresh, and even though it's no day at the beach, at least you'll look good at the office.




If you want to be able to easily transition from work to play, then this crochet neck dress from Arden B. is perfect for you. Wear it with a blazer and pumps to work, and then add some accessories and peep toes for cocktail hour!  




Keep up the crochet look with this off-white peasant skirt available at Anthropologie. The cloud fish pattern is subtle and adds great texture to the skirt, plus it has a draw string waist so you can indulge in some extra corn dogs. 




Stay fresh at the beach with this super  cute cover up by Victoria's Secret. While it comes in a variety of colors, we love this ivory shade, as it will really set off your summer tan, and will look great with a bright bathing suit peeking out from underneath!




A hot summer night deserves a hot summer dress! Show off you tan and legs in this white, strapless sheath dress by White House | Black Market.  With a cinched waist and a built-in bustier, you're guaranteed to look your best -- just don't spill anything!




But if you're looking for something a bit more bohemian, then we recommend this soft, flowy dress from Free People. We love the embellished neckline, and something about the layered pleats reminds us of the scene in The Little Mermaid when Ariel fashions a dress out of an old sail -- very simple and sexy.


Stay cool, dolls!


XOXO,


Jen & Saira

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Thanying Thai Restaurant: Mum's Birthday Dinner

We had dinner at Thanying Restaurant at Amara Hotel 2 nights ago to celebrate mum's birthday. It was a rare gathering for the whole family coz my eldest sis and bro-in-law came back for a few days. I suspect she has timed it in time for the start of the Great Singapore Sale


I snapped some pics as I was the first to arrived... And I was way too early.

Bf had a good chuckle every time I mistook the lemongrass as my straw. And the lemongrass drink wasn't nice. 


But this Miang Kham dish was really good! It had little bits of fish, peanuts, spices etc. all wrapped in a betel leaf as an appetizer. A must-order for starter!


Some nice dishes I'll recommend is the Tom Yam Goong if you like the clear kind of soup. I personally prefer the milky one from E-Sarn Thai Cuisine. The Grapoh Pla Namdang (Fish Maw Soup with Quail's Egg) is nice enough for a non-fish-maw person like me to drink it.


The Stuffed Chicken Wing was delicious too. The Red Curry Duck is another dish worth trying, it was better than the Green Curry Chicken in my opinion. And the curries went really well with the Fried Rice with Black Olives.

And I really enjoyed the Pla Krapong (Steamed Seabass with Special Lime and Chilli Sauce)  It was so good I finished up all of it. You can refer to this link for more of the signature dishes.

These are all the food pics I took that night coz I was hungry when everyone arrived and the food was served immediately and I just chomp my way through.

Some happy and satisfied faces except for Val's little sour face.


More pictures with babies.


We had a yummy night at Thanying Restaurant!

Friday, May 28, 2010

DJ Scream & Lil Hot - Back To The Streets (Mixtape)

DOWNLOAD
LiveMixtapes Link

Rick Ross - The Albert Anastasia Ep.

DJ Drama & DJ MLK Presents T.I. - Fuck A Mix-tape (Mixtape)

DJ Booth & Traps N Trunks Presents Paper Route Gangstaz - Hood Headlinaz Vol.2 (Mixtape)

Props To TNT & DJ Booth.


K-Kutta Feat. Harraseason & Louisiana Cash - Head Turning

Seen This Banger On A Couple Tapes Lately
If You Aint Heard It Check It Out.

Cooley - Player Prod. By JCoop

JCoop Beat Already Know Its A Hit!

Young Cash Feat. Yo Gotti, Gudda Gudda, Bun B, IceBerg, Tity Boi, T-Pain & Field Mob - All I Do Is Win (NODJ)

Props To MixtapeDaily For Hookin' This Up.

Gloss - Stunt So Hard Prod. By Zaytoven

Shouts Out To Gloss For Sending This Threw.

Random Obsessions of the Moment...

Aje Fatale Dress
I'm absolutely obsessed with this dress! It's the 21st century equivalent to Audrey Hepburn's outfit in the opening scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Tony Bianco Suede Ankle Wedge Booties
I've been eying these beauties for a weeks now. I hope to make them my Winter party shoe of choice.

Peeptoe Clutch
Unfortunately my favourite evening bag broke a few weeks ago - It was the most adorable black silk clutch complete with enormous crystal handles and red lining. May it RIP. I'm thinking this time I will go for something a little bigger and hardwearing. Right now I'm thinking this black leather clutch with pewter studs.
Peeptoe Shoes


Bambi
Bambi is my fav model of the moment. She seems to be popping up everywhere, including the Aje Lookbook. She has such an unusual and interesting look about her. Love those grey/green wide eyes and thicker brows. She pulls off that effortless glam, yet grungy look so well.

My favourite quote of the moment - I think it's so true!
A world full of abnormal people... what is normal and does it even exist?

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Tips for the Bride: Wedding Planners

Do you ever wonder what you'll be like as a bride-to-be or are you currently engaged and starting to worry if the crazy will set in as your day approaches? You may be telling yourself that, when the time comes, you will be the bride to throw care to the wind and just go with the flow. If that is the case, I am telling you now, that is just simply not true.


You may consider yourself to be a rather sane and level headed person, but when it comes down to it, will you care if your flowers are not the right shade of orange, your napkins are folded incorrectly, or, god forbid they put your floating candles in the water upside down??? YES, YES, and YES!! Read below to get the answer to a question a lot of ultra busy brides are asking themselves,
"Should I hire a wedding planner?"








PROS - What a wedding planner can bring to the table:



1. Experience: There is nothing better than someone who has been through a situation, who knows how things should work, and who can anticipate disaster at any corner! Experience is key to planning any party and especially a wedding. Unless you've planned multiple weddings or know what you're doing, things can get real tricky, real fast.



2. A Voice: This person can be your voice and speak up for you when you cannot be there. It is crucial to have someone who knows and understands exactly what it is you are dreaming of and can execute plans accordingly. You won't be present at every second and will be occupied with other tasks, so you'll want someone there that you can trust to take the reins in your absence.



3. Stress Relief: Do you really want to be worrying about what your groom will wear, how to hang the 50+ paper lanterns, and where your cake toppers ran off to? Certainly not! Now, there are some things that are uncontrollable and nothing ever goes according to plan, but, you will be more at ease knowing that you have someone who is experienced and completely dedicated to making sure things run as smoothly as possible.



4. Flow and Organization: This is incredibly important to the event. An organized event planner can help make sure that your event has consistent flow and keep track of the timeline. They will help you stay focused and make sure you are exactly where you need to be when you need to be there, which can be a blessing as we're guessing a watch and/or cell phone won't really go well with your outfit...



5. Damage Control: The flowers don't arrive on time, the cake falls apart, your pumpkin martinis are maybe not going over so well with your guests, and, to top it off, your dress rips and someone stole the sewing kit from the bathroom! Now, you have enough going on to have to worry about how to remedy these situations...so let someone else worry about these things for you. A good wedding planner will anticipate problems, diffuse the situation to the best of their ability, and think of creative and helpful solutions to help you enjoy your day despite any little accidents that might happen along the way.



6. Discounts: Yes, we said it correctly - discounts! Wedding planners can help you save money by organizing your expenditures and keeping you on budget. They often have access to special discounts for services, materials, etc. that you would not normally have if planning things for yourself.





Cons - Disadvantages of a wedding planner:



1. COST! This is legitimately the only thing that we can think of that would be a reason to not hire a wedding planner. That and, of course, if your venue already provides a consultant of sorts. But, mainly, it is the cost that deters people from hiring a wedding planner and this can be determined in a few different ways, hourly, a set-fee, or a percentage (sometimes 10-15%!) of the total wedding budget. This can add up quickly and you should carefully weigh your options to determine if you can afford this or not.



So, do we think it's worth it??



Speaking as the former bride (and maid of honor!) of a recent, kind of DIY wedding, ABSOLUTELY!! Though we decided against a wedding planner to save on costs, we realize we really would have paid anything to have been able to relax, have our friends and family kick back, and not have to worry about a thing. In retrospect we loved our wedding, but realized a wedding planner would have made our lives easier, kept us calm, and would have made our wedding day a more pleasant and enjoyable event for all involved.





Happy Planning (or Hiring!)





XOXO

Jen & Saira