ExpatsBlog Awards

Well, I'm not going to beat around the bush - I was extremely excited and flattered to find out that my blog has been nominated for Expats Blog Awards (see the badge on the right?)

Like, real psyched!

Wow!

Anyway, if you have it in you, would you please go to this link here and vote for lil' ole me?

Here's the link and I thank y'all much!

Reiss Mid-Season Sale

Awesome people at Reiss were nice enough to inbox me with this great news :Up to 50% off at stores or online now till Nov 1st.

So go to your nearest Reiss and get a load of these (my personal favorites):

Janet Jackson Is To Become a Qatari Wifey

Janet is 46 and kicking ass!

She's about to marry a super rich Qatari businessman, Wissam Al Mana, who owns whole bunch of luxury brands, Saks Fifth Avenue in Dubai is among them.

I've noticed that Janet has been dressing very conservatively lately - long sleeves, no cleavage, covered up to her neck. But no matter what she wears and no matter how old she is, she always looks so spunky, young and adorable.


Wedding is scheduled for 2013 and will cost an estimate of $24 Mill.

I hope they put this iconic image of the bride on their wedding invitations:

Future groom is about 10 years older than his blushing bride.  You rob that cradle, girl!

Looks like Janet is straight-up wearing abaya 

Janet photographed in Abu Dhabi 4 Harper Bazaar Arabia

Remember the 80's and 90's Janet?  She was so stinking cute in Poetic Justice with 2Pac.

My first name ain't baby, it's Janet, Mrs. Al Mana if you're nasty

Queen Noor/Lisa Halaby

Once, a woman who saw Queen Noor and King Hussein in Moscow in the Bol'shoy Ballet Theater, told me that she never laid her eyes on someone so breathtakingly regal and beautiful.   My own husband, who is Jordanian and remembers Queen Noor from his childhood, still believes that she is one of the most stunning women on the planet.  

Barre me, of course.

Lisa Halaby was born into a prominent American family - her dad was a CEO of PanAm and head of FAA.

He hobnobbed with Prez Truman, JFK, LBJ and Saudi King Ibn Saud so Lisa was not a stranger to a world of politics from the very young age.

  

Interestingly enough, her granddad moved to Dallas (Go Mavs!) from Syria in 19 century and knew fabulous Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus (my fave store in the universe!).  Lisa's farther was actually born in Dallas.

Future Queen Noor went to schools in Washington, D.C. and in NYC.  Her university of choice was Ivy League's Princeton, where she majored in architecture.  

Lisa Halaby worked in Jordan, helping to establish Royal Jordanian Airlines, when King Hussein met her and they both fell in love.

She converted to Islam, chose the name of Noor (Ray of Light) and became King Hussein's last wife.  In addition to 3 step kids from King's previous marriage - future wife of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, Princess Haya among them - the couple also had 4 children of their own.

Widowed Queen Noor lives mostly in London now, i think and runs a gamut of various charities.  

She came to Dubai a few years back and looked gorgeous.

Queen Noor dresses beautifully and appropriately for her status and keeps her hair big! Her Texan grandma would be proud!

Lisa Halaby, future Queen Noor is in the middle

Lisa Halaby opening LA Airport with President LBJ

Princeton Cheerleader

Lisa Halaby catches the eye of King Hussein...

...and the courtship begins

Queen Noor wearing understaded, gorgeous white crepe dress by Christian Dior 

Queen Noor at Dubai IFF

Who Wore It Better?

C'est Moi

C'est Moi is a local brand that makes pretty, flow-ey, embroidered, Swarovski-ed kaftans.  Fun to look at and i imagine fun to wear for about $1, 000 a pop.

C'est Moi is a brain child of two "fabulous Dubai socialites" (that what the local store that carries C'est Moi says on it's blog).

So, help a sistah out - is "socialite" a profession now?  Everyone with the PR agent is a "socialite" nowadays...

Well, to give C'est Moi "socialites" their due, i have to mention that at least one of them has a working experience with large UK and US brands and actually studied fashion in New York.

Anyway, here are the purdy-purdy dresses:

Pix via www.cestmoime.com

Mauzan

Her Excellency Rafia Helal Bid Drai is a woman behind design house Mauzan that specializes in abayas.

I'm not quite sure what "Excellency" title represents in this part of the world, but she's neither an ambassador, nor a general or an admiral.

Anyway, she seems to be a strong, independent woman, who was raised in a family of a local aristocracy and "didn't have a mother", whatever that means.

Design house that she owns sells very expensive abayas and dresses with all kinds of bells and whistles for those who are into sort of things.

Back in December 2011 when Robin Thicke's wife Paula Patton was doing promo tour for Mission Impossible: Zzzz, Harper Bazar Arabia styled her for the local audience (heavy make up + abaya).  Abayas they chose was Mauzan's:

Pix via www.mauzan.com