Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Every time I look at the UK weather my entire body constricts. Enough already - and I don't even live there! How are you coping, UK chums? It's even snowed in little old Jersey - first time in 20 years! 

If it helps you at al, you'll be glad to know that it's still FAR too cold in Dubai to even THINK about getting into the pool. Or the sea for that mater. I popped a toe into our pool yesterday and recoiled in horror. 

My 'no sea/pool from December - April' rule remains firmly in place. I know you feel sorry for me.

Chance of me getting in here this month: minimal.

Girl Crush

I do have binoculars. But I never use them for spying on my neighbours.
Not since I moved from an apartment anyway!

There's something great about stumbling across  blog you've never read before. My favourites still include this fabulous lady  who frankly, sometimes seems to read my mind with her subject matter. 

At the weekend I stumbled across a new blog, and I have to confess: I have a girl crush. She's a married American with two children whose honesty and sense of humour really resonate with me. I spent an enjoyable weekend going through her blog - it wasa bit like reading a good book, THAT"S how involved I got.

Hell, I even sent her a message saying what a huge fan I was - how sad am I?!

if she ever reads this (god knows why she would): you are perfectly safe. Even my slight stalker tendencies cannot cross an ocean. Honest! And thanks for the great reading material :)

The Rings

If you live in Dubai, you have absolutely no excuse not to have a diamond dealer on speed dial. I mean, this is the city with a Gold souk AND a Gold and Diamond PARK! The latter is not an open green space with trinkets hanging all glittery from the trees (but wouldn’t it be great if it was!) but more like a small shopping mall made up of jewelers. Oh, the SPARKLE when you enter can fair burn a girl’s retinas out!

As with all things wedding related, I hadn’t spent my whole life leading up to this moment, so hadn’t given a wedding ring much thought, other than anything conventional really isn’t going to work for me. I don't wear much jewellery per se, and the stuff I do tend to wear is big, statement style pieces. Which doesn't really work when it comes to a wedding ring. That hen's egg ruby ring might be oh so Alexander McQueen now, but will you still happily wear it in the years time?

I'll just cut in here and make the (maybe obvious) point, that he didn't present me with a ring when he proposed. Despite my husband (ahem) having exquisite taste and being the most stylish man I know, he knows me very well. And he knew that something as important as this was best chosen by me. He gave me a very generous budget to work with (I checked as we entered the Gold and Diamond Park!) and off we went.

Despite the jokes about needing Xanax (him not me) the whole thing was done and dusted in under an hour. Turns out I shop for diamonds like I shop for clothes: I enter, I make a clean and quick sweep, I decide almost immediately what I like (if anything), I exit.

I chose an antique style ring from Monili and they made me a beautiful wedding ring to fit round the bling. I know you want to see it....so here's a pic. Gorgeous, hey! Amazing how quickly I got used to wearing it. And yes, I do still catch it sparkling and it makes my heart fill with joy.

Joy!

The Dress

I’m not going to lie, this part did give me a few palpitations. As per my earlier posts, a big white wedding dress was completely out of the question. 

Have you seen that episode of Sex and the City where Sarah Jessica Parker tries on a big white dress and comes out in hives? That would be me.

That said, I did like the idea of something white, or off white. Despite our completely non-traditional approach I thought that this would be a nice element to incorporate. 

After a few failed attempts via mail order (thanks Net a Porter but they were just all wrong) I hit the mall after work one night with grim determination. After an hour in Temperley where I oh-so-nearly bought a dress (Grecian, gorgeous, but really just too wedding-like) I stumbled across the perfect frock in Galleries Layfayette. (Mental note to spend more time in Gals Laf, tis fabulous).

You may have seen it by now – if not, it’s a gorgeous, mid length, mid sleeved, clingy-in-all-the-right-places without looking trampy (no one likes a vicar with a hard on) stone cocktail dress. 

It’s a dress that just screamed ‘wear me’, sassy, sexy, elegant, with a whiff of old-school Hollywood glamour - exactly the look I was going for. And I just happened to spy the perfect fur stole through another shop window, so schnaffled that up and was good to go. Nude peep toe pumps and my grandmother’s vintage alligator clutch bag and we were all set.

What’s that you say? What did HE wear? You’re really interested?! Oh, okay then. The groom wore a beautiful bespoke black suit with waistcoat (the brief to the tailor was the Tom Ford/Daniel Craig suit), with black patent sneakers (no really, and they looked fabulous). No handbag.

The treat for me was seeing him in a suit. As a creative entrepreneur, it’s rare to see my husband (oh so strange saying that!) in a suit. In almost 3 years this is only the second time (the first was at a friend’s wedding.) Dear reader, he scrubs up well, let me tell you.

The suit. The waistcoat....it deserved a snog.

Finding a venue/location...

No trawling locations the length and breadth of the Emirates, no getting 20 different quotes from wedding planners, no looking at lawns or beaches or hotels or churches. 

It was all very simple:

• Me: “You know I’m not a big white wedding girl. Do you want a big white wedding?”
• Him: “Absolutely not. I’ve always assumed I’d HAVE to have one as every girl I’ve ever met has been crazy about them.”
• Me: “Well let’s not have a big white wedding then.”
• Him: “Amazing!”
• Me: “Fancy getting married in Vegas then, just the two of us?”
• Him: “Amazing, when are we off?!”

See? Completely and utterly easy.

Flights were booked, hotel was booked (The Wynn, obviously, the ONLY place to stay in Vegas) and a chapel was booked.

As it was just the two of us, there was no need for a complicated reception, seating plans, or speeches. 

This went something along the lines of:

• Me: “What do you fancy doing after we’ve got married?”
• Him: “Dunno. Whatever you like.”
• Me: “Shall we just head to a casino with a decent bar and see how we feel?”
• Him: “Fantastic!”

And so we did. 

Our beautiful little Vegas chapel.

Britney’s Guide to Tying the Knot

Well well well dear readers. 

Yes I’ve been quiet, again, for which I apologise profusely. I think the large majority of you know why and will forgive me. It’s not easy blogging whilst PLANNING A SECRET WEDDING AND RUNNING AWAY TO LAS VEGAS!!!

To be fair the wedding planning was actually pretty easy as it involved me, my gorgeous husband, and…well that was it. So the only truly necessary things were: flights, hotel, chapel, outfits, rings. And obviously my outfit was the most crucial!

I have zero intention of turning into a *shudders* wedding blogger or anything of that ilk, but due to popular demand, I shall post a few bits and pieces about what happened when, where and why. Just so you’re up to date.

Watch this space!

So. Fabulous.

Beach Fun without a Bikini

See: JO

I’ve blogged about incorporating running into my life on a few occasions. I’m very proud to say that I’ve gone from managing a few paltry, sweaty, wheezy minutes, to comfortably (or not) plodding along for 45. In December this fell by the wayside, which is criminal during one of our cooler months. Blame work I say (in fact, blame work for a lot, but that’s another story!).

Anyhow I’m back into a sort-of routine with it and have embraced the beach running track. Yes, much like South Beach in Miami or Bondi in Sydney, the beach is like a magnet for all sorts of activity in Dubai, and running is one of them. 

The track down at Jumeirah 1 is a joy: not just for its amazing bounciness (I swear my legs and shoulders sigh with relief when I step onto it) but also for the sheer number of people you see getting out and enjoying the weather. It’s in no way cramped, but full of all ages, creeds and colours, walking, running, rollerblading, or just playing on the sand and walking along the shore.

As the track meanders along the beach front houses, it’s a nice distraction to stare at the trillion dollar properties and imagine ‘could I live there?’ (Answer: yes. YES.) But mainly it’s a simple pleasure to plod along with some guilty pleasure tunes (Tom Jones anyone?) and soak up the friendly atmosphere. I won’t be breaking any land speed records but it’s so good for the soul. And that’s what counts.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year kids! Hope you all had a lovely time celebrating, whatever you did. What did I do, I hear you cry? WELL it was all go, let me tell you. The barby was lit in the garden, food was roasted, champagne flowed, and then at 11.50 we walked out of the villa and watched the fireworks from the Burj Khalifa amongst all of our Satwa neighbours. It was so joyful, and I’m not ashamed to admit I felt a little emotional about the whole thing. But that could have just been the bubbles.

So what news of resolutions? I’ve never been crazy about these. I’m on a constant quest for self-improvement, goal setting, list making (the best book ever for this is here) so I’ve rarely felt the need to write a list just because it’s January 1^st. I’m usually half way through two or three others!

That said, I will share a few of my thoughts with you here:

• Continue to take huge joy in the simple things in life.
• Get down to the running track on Jumeirah beach as often as physically possible (as per the previous point, it’s free, beautiful and oh-so good for the soul)
• Embrace change (I already have some huge and exciting changes planned for 2013, you’ll have to wait and see what they are!)
• Eat more egg sandwiches in the park.

That’s about it. I lead a life filled with many blessings. Here’s to many more adventures in 2013.

Britney's Guide to Happiness...

Rituals make me...

I’m a big fan of rituals. Not the sacrificial or religious types, more the little habits that you build into your life to give it stability and happiness.

 A very inspirational man taught me all about them earlier this year, and showed me how these little joyful things create foundation, bedrock, a strong tree trunk if you will, from which the rest of your life grows like branches. 

This clever person also revolutionized my life...
 
So what are my rituals I hear you cry? (Honestly, I'm sure someone did?!) Well dear reader, I'm not going to reveal all my secrets, but I'll tell you some.
 
Once a week, I go to a scruffy pub in Satwa, drink white wine (under the stars when it's cool enough to sit outside) and then head to Ravi's for a street curry. Aside from the wine the meal costs about 5 English pounds and it's honestly the best food you'll ever eat. This usually happens on a Saturday and it feels like a huge injection of joy before what is very often, a hideously stressful week at work. It's credits in the happiness bank, the calm before the storm.
 
Another ritual is a day at the park. Obviously this is weather dependent, but when the weather is perfect, my oh my it's a beautiful way to spend a day. I've blogged about this so many times I'm practically listed in the tourist guides as Dubai's major park expert.
 
One more which is very important to me, which, perhaps shows my 'only child/lived on my own for a hundred years' history, is coming home from work and enjoying an evening of peace, quiet and a good book, sitting on my (purple velvet) chaise longue. This location has since changed slightly in recent weeks to the large sofa bed in the garden. The twinkling city lights, warm breeze and stars up above as I plough through my latest book are complete and utter bliss.
 
There's definitely a theme here. None of these things cost thousands of dirhams. They're all simple, easy, uncomplicated pleasures.
 
One of the biggest rituals of all happens when I finally fall through the front door after what is often an 11 or 12 hour day. There's a few key things that I HAVE to do to transition from work Britney to home Britney.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of these women who transforms into Godzilla when I get to work, but there are certain things I have to do to make myself ready for battle each day. And these must be removed when I get home or I just simply couldn't function. Not sure what I mean? Let me explain:

• Jewellery: This is first to come off. Simple, bold, large, statement pieces, that I only ever wear to work.
• Make-Up: This is next off. A full face, foundation, eyes, lips. I wear very little make up at the weekends. (Unless I'm hitting a dance floor - that's another story).
• Clothes: Then these are off (sssh now). They're bright, colorful, expensive, tailored. At the weekends I'm happiest in cut-off jeans and a bikini.

Then I jump straight into the shower. It doesn't JUST wash away the sand, the perfume (I wear a very specific perfume to work: bold, strong, potent, that I would never wear at the weekend) it washes away the whole day. The stress, the tightness in my chest, the unpleasant dealings, the compromising of my personal integrity...it all heads down the plughole as I stand under the water.
 
After all of this, I change into a vest, cut off denim shorts, and relax. Then, and only then, can I pad around the villa, feel at home, be home Britney again.
 
AJ runs his own business ( very successfully I might add). He more or less gets to pick and choose his clients, and quite rightfully so. This means that most people that he deals with are by default, lovely.
 
Last week he'd had a particularly stressful run in with an unpleasant client. When we caught up at the end of the day he looked like a broken man. "I never understood why you head straight through the front door to the bathroom before," he said. "Now I do. today has made me feel dirty. And I can't wait to wash it off."
 
So why am I rambling and telling you all of this?
 
Rituals are important. They anchor you and can transform you in the melee of life and all it throws at you.
 
If you're not sure, try a day in the park this weekend. After 5 hours of sunshine, laughter, kite flying, egg sandwiches, grass between your toes, I'm pretty sure you'll have a new ritual in your life….and you'll be as full of joy and happiness as a banana.

Date Time!

They're everywhere!

September and October mean lots of things: humidity so fierce my hair can be seen from the moon, the start of event season (soooo many exhibitions and client launches), but most importantly: it's date time!

Not the 'pour yourself into a sexy outfit, talk nicely to someone, make a good impression on them and try not to get too drunk' date, silly... I mean the juicy Arab treat that grows on trees!

If you drive around any of the Emirates, and especially Al Ain where you can enter the date palm oases, you'll see palm trees brimming with juicy dates.  And it's around this time that they start to be harvested. 

Now, if like me, you grew up in the UK, your experience of dates might be limited to those white oblong boxes that appeared at Christmas. There was usually a camel illustration on the box. I HATED them. Slimy, disgusting, plastic things they were, and only my mum used to indulge.

Since living in the Middle East, I've realised that fresh dates are a completely different story. I'm still not their number one fan, but I do confess to being rather partial to the variety that come stuffed with orange at Bateel. It's reminiscent of a Terry's Chocolate Orange..without the chocolate.

Like beautiful apricots! They're not...

And the absolute best? Those picked straight from the tree in Al Ain, of course.