Rules of Happiness: Spend Out

Dear Wonderful Reader,

In her book “The Happiness Project”, Gretchen Rubin advises her readers to “Spend Out”. When I first read the header of the chapter, I thought she will talk about money and how we should spend more money in order to be happy.

Thankfully, her advise was much more accessible, and simpler than that. Ms. Rubin is advising against hoarding (guilty!!) or basically saving our “good” bra for only when we’re going out somewhere fancy. Or in my case marking my fancy perfume as a “special occasions ” perfume. How many of us are guilty of saving our “nice” things to events where we see fit, which may never come. Why not just enjoy them now  and put them to work and get our money and hard work’s worth. At the end of the day, they’re just things and they’re irreplaceable. Emotionally, it makes a lot of sense to suck as much happiness from what we got now rather than assigning them to a future they may never see (lol). Economically, it makes even more sense because you’re using all your resources (which may go bad or out of style if you keep hoarding).

So SPEND OUT and don’t hoard things. Wear red lipstick even if you’re only going grocery shopping. Break out the fine China for a simple event (or none at all). Wear your sexy bra even if you’re only running errands. Adore Me is encouraging women to wear their “good” bras AT ALL TIMES, check out their Instagram page for more inspiration. And I HIGHLY RECOMMEND “The Happiness Project”.

And yes, that’s a dog’s bed in the photo.

Day 9: Ten People that Have Influenced me

1. Jesus Christ: I can’t really say enough or say anything.
2. St. Paul: One of the greatest minds in history.
3. St. Peter: I relate to Peter and I love his transformation pre and post resurrection. I love how this transformation is right in the Bible for all of us to see. It shows that people of great faith were just like us in the beginning.
4. Chris McCandless: This guy abandons society, give his entire savings account to charity, and camps out in Alaska. To learn more, please watch Into the Wild. I can’t begin to describe how inspired I am by this guy. His courage to follow his heart and pursue what he feels is right, despite how people thought he was crazy/stupid , is my biggest motivation.
5. My mother: I have never seen anybody love me like she does.
6. My father: The best father in the world!
7. My sister Mariam: inspires to LIVE more by her ambition and thirst for life.
8. My brother Peter: inspires to have fun and take it easy.
9. My grandmother: One of the kindest people I have ever met, whose death still haunts me and I wish I had spend more time with her.
10. My uncle Emad: One of the kindest people I have ever met, whose death still haunts me and I wish I had spend more time with him.
11. My uncle Hany: One of the kindest people I have ever met, whose death still haunts me and I wish I had spend more time with him.

Sorry for the Wait!

Dear Wonderful Reader,

Sorry for my lack of posting recently. I have been really busy, and I have gone through many changes in my life. Stay Tuned for more posts.

Style Crush: Carey Mulligan’s Minimal, Elegant, and Feminine Style

Dear Wonderful Reader,

The Most Perfect Dress!

I’m obsessed with Carey Mulligan style. This young starlet may let her style go when she’s running errands or getting a cup of coffee, but I think it’s only out of laziness and carelessness. But when she’s is dressing up for events, she dresses like a fashion goddess!! Mulligan’s style is minimal, elegant, and feminine. Did I mention I’m totally in love with her style?!

I divided her style into four different categories, since she likes to switch it up sometimes. I especially love how she just ditches jewelry!

*Even though diamonds are a girl’s best friend and I owe many jewelry pieces and I love them and I’m always tempted to buy more, when it comes to putting on outfits, I feel like the less jewelry the better: minimal to no jewelry make the woman look more effortless, clean (cut), sleek, and sexy because it focuses the attention on her skin and silhouette and it implies that she doesn’t need the aid of a bling to be noticed (was that the longest sentence ever?!). Personally and most importantly, minimal jewelry make me feel more comfortable and liberated. Though, I’m not swearing off buying jewelry or anything!

 My favorite category<3

A. Sleek, Modern, Minimal, & Sexy

The Most Perfect Dress!

 B. Fabulous & Whimsical

C. Elegant, Vintage, & Old-lady Like (I mean that in a positive way)

P.S. I owe lots of old-lady pieces and I love them! They’re just so elegant!

D. Quirky & Fun

E. Uhmm… Uncategorized 

Amazing…right?!

A Carousel Ride Through My Childhood’s Nostalgia

Dear Wonderful Reader,Lets talk carousel, ferris wheels, and teacups. I don’t know about you but I have this growing obsession with carousels, ferris wheels, and anything carnival/circus/fair themed. I just find them so nostalgic, sentimental and meaningful.

There is just something about them that reminds me of childhood, innocence, and lost time. They take me back to a place that I long to go to. Maybe its their fantastical designs and whimsical colors that take me to fairy lands and revive the sense of wonder I enjoyed as a child.

“Nostalgia – it’s delicate, but potent. In Greek, “nostalgia” literally means “the pain from an old wound.” It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It goes backwards, and forwards… it takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It’s not called the wheel, it’s called the carousel. It let’s us travel the way a child travels – around and around, and back home again, to a place where we know are loved.”

―Don Draper, Mad Men“

“I felt so damn happy, . . . I don’t know why. It was just that she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all.”

―J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Maybe it has something to do with how they spin round and round, and up and down. I find their movement patterns so metaphorical and representative of life, and aging. 

“And the seasons they go ’round and ’round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.”
― Joni Mitchell, The Circle Game

Life goes on…

Fun Fact: The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Works that I like that feature carousels and ferris wheels and all that good stuff: (Click on each link for more information!)

Uptown Girls (2003)- movie

The Notebook (2004)- movie

Mad Men- The Wheel, Season 1, Episode 13 (2007)- TV Show

Merry Go ‘Round by Kacey Musgraves- music video

Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy- music video

Hurt by Christina Aguilera- music video

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)- novel (highly recommend it!)

Ferris Wheel by Marie Digby- song

The Following three music albums don’t explicitly mention carousels or ferris wheels but they’re so nostalgic in this way…

a. Lenka by Lenka (2008)

b. Made of Bricks by Kate Nash (2007)

C. Electra Heart by Marina and the Diamonds (2012) (Love this album, but be warned it’s a little dark!)

P.S. Please share with me any works that feature the aforementioned entities.

Enjoy…

Sophisticated Sunday: Ballerinas by Andrew Atroshenko Pt. 2

Dear Wonderful Reader,

Andrew Atroshenko is a Russian artist; he was born in 1965 in Pokrovsk.  His paintings are daring yet elegant, exquisite yet vibrant.

Enjoy…

Fabulous Friday: Spring 2014 – Cool Bomber Jacket

Dear Wonderful Reader,

The baseball-inspired bomber jacket that many of us loved in Fall/Winter 2013 is prevailing again this Spring with more colorful twists and kinky patters. I absolutely love it. This badass piece adds a cool, effortless touch to any outfit. Plus, it will keep us warm in style on those windy Spring nights.

Enjoy it on the Runway

Left: Here the bomber jacket takes on a softer turn to complement the outfit’s feminine style.

I can’t wait to get my hands on something like this: a form-fitting long skirt and its matching cropped bomber jacket (though I would prefer it to be tighter that the one pictured). Note to self: Start exercising!

I really love those two styles. I love the masculine, old school feel of the baby blue piece and sporty, flirty style of the black piece.

Pair it with

A. Short dresses

B. Cropped tops or tops and shorts

c. Cropped tops or tops and skinny jeans

My Recommendations 

1. Zara @ $79.90

2. Gap @ $64.99

3. Forever21 @ $34.80