Spring Time Ready

A quick list of things to get you in the spring spirit!

A bright emerald green ring via Forever 21, a shoulder bag in a fun

beige and white, Amy Atlas' Sweet Design Designing Dessert Tables book,

A denim shirt that can be dressed up in endless ways, or maybe even a fun pastel

colored pillow from Anthropologie, or even a fun floral wallpaper to rev

up your home's decor. Or get ready for BBQ season with these bright serving

trays/plattersfrom Crate & Barrell! And one of my favorites on this list: the

River Island Gray watch!

 

{LVP Covers} West LA Boutique Launch

So finally, we now have a store exclusively dedicated to LA brands,

& LA style clothing. From the interiors, to the wooden floors, to the layout,

and the clothing and accessories of course, everything is "like...totally LA"

Some of my favorite LA brands can be found in West LA, from Naven

to House of Harlow, from Style Stalker to Belle Noel Jewelry by Kim K,

& Shakuhachi to name a few

Oh and what's a proper LA store without LC's Paper Crown.

Yes it is now in Dubai! Thanks to West LA!

& of course, what event is complete without a fishfayce photo booth!?

So here I am with my cousin with our very regular sized glasses!

All photos by Ferwa Chevel for LVP (Logo via westlaboutique.com)

West LA is located at Sunset Mall, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai

Facebook.com/westlaboutique, twitter: @westlaboutique, & westlaboutique.com

Quote of the Week

Don't forget to look back, and enjoy the view, enjoy life..Don't get caught up in all the

stress and worries. Take a step back and appreciate and be thankful for what you have!

Sunday Spotlight

This week's Sunday Spotlight features Asiya Khaki of Photography by Asiya.

Only one of the best photographers in New York.

Her talent in capturing the best and perfect moments is beyond what I can explain in words.

There's something about her photos. Asiya really does capture the right moments with the right lighting, and everything. Her editing skills, does not make a picture fake, but only enhances the natural beauty and glow of the people in the pictures! She specializes in baby/newborn photography as well as engagement, weddings, family & kids photography. Head over to her website for more! She's based in NJ and serves the NJ & New York Tri-State Metropolitan Area.

See for yourself:

You see what I mean?! Absolutely Stunning!

Here a couple more and then scroll down for my absolute favorite two pictures!

And these are a couple of my favorite shots from my cousin's & one of my closest friends'

engagement shoot - shot at the Met Museum & Central Park, NYC: 

Here are some of the pictures from their engagement that I promised on the day I couldn't

blog since I was attending their engagement dinner:

The couple right after the proposal, & right after she 'said yes!'

He proposed at Dubai's One & Only Royal Mirage with the cutest

Vintage inspired diamond ring!

The flowers for the bride-to-be. I ordered them from Vintage Bloom. The bride loved them and said they were perfect!

They were a mix of pink and purple : roses/hydrangeas, lilies, & a couple other flowers!

We also got a platter of Patchi chocolates with customized wrappers to match the theme.
Patchi has some of the best wrappers that can match any event, and their chocolate taste great
too!

The best part was digging into this delicious bouquet

from Edible Arrangements that one of the guests

brought over!

All photos via PhotographybyAsiya.com, or by LVP

BRB...

I posted this on my Facebook page too,

but this week, I have a super-major deadline, and a schedule that

is making it hard for me to sleep. Ever have those weeks?

I wish my 'completing tasks' look was as collected as this beautiful

illustration by Inslee

So, I will be constantly updating my Facebook page as normal,

('like' it if you haven't already -->)

but my blog posting will be extremely light. Next week will be loaded

with amazing posts however. I will have the taste of Dubai recap and  a

review of all the food I tasted there, including a picture of Aarti Sequira's 

autograph to all you lovely readers.

However I'm more like this picture here, trying to hold everything in place

making sure I meet every mini deadline! {via pinterest}

Not to mention an exclusive after event post on a new boutique that's opening in

Dubai over the weekend (It's called 'West LA') which makes me very excited already!

Happy Weekend!

Have a great weekend, and don't forget to check back

for posts that you missed this past week!

The left side of this website has all our recent posts!

The best part of this week's posts, they were all quick 

and great tips on all kinds of things! 

-X

Ferwa 

Photo: the coveteur

Weekend Panini

Here's a healthy and fun weekend snack/late lunch panini idea!

Found on Jen Ramos' blog, via the Heather from the Lovely Cupboard Blog

This vegetarian, healthy, and taste buds satisfying recipe

can be found here with pictures to go along too.

Avocado, Tomato, Sprouts, and Fried Egg Panini

Enjoy!

Oh Sugar!

Health Tip:

Sugar...It's one of those things that we all have a love/hate relationship.

Actually, wait, no, its not a hate relationship at all! We absolutely love

it, we simply just try to stay away from it at times!

LVP is all about a balanced life, and that definitely includes having

a balanced diet. So the way we see it. There's no cutting out sugar in

one's life (especially not in mine!)

{via}

However, if you are trying to drop a couple or so pounds, or looking

to turn to a healthier lifestyle... first of all - Yay! I'm so proud of and

happy for you, and second and most importantly, I should warn you

about HIDDEN SUGAR!

The average American woman puts on 70% of her current weight's

worth, by sugar alone. Although this statistic is not culturally diverse, it

definitely is enough to open our eyes and make us realize that these days,

sugar (being readily available and cheap) is pumped into everything and

makes other food items more appealing.

Main point: Beware of what you buy. Again the obvious things: 

- Stay away from processed foods (I can't ever stress this enough!!) - of

course the occasional indulgence is okay

- Check the ingredients' label before purchasing

- Foods such as Honey & Juices often have hidden high contents of sugar

- Stay away from soda/fizzy drinks!! I'm serious!

[especially Mountain Dew - has the highest content of sugar]

- Look out for alternate names of sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup

Especially us women, by consuming just 20% more sugar, our BMI can go

up by 2 - 3 points, which can easily take you from normal to overweight,

overweight to obese. (statistic via SELF.com)

Remember: 

Just be smart about what you buy/consume, and It's all about balance!

Stress, To Do Lists, & Deadlines

This week (not to mention this month) I have several major deadlines & endless to do lists

This picture is calming and expresses that I can't wait to be done with my checklists
so I can relax! I wish I was on that bed with the white drapes, grass, sun, and candle
around me. Don't we all when we have busy days/weeks?

TIP: One thing that always calms the nerves is to-do lists. I feel like I'm transferring the
jungle of thoughts in my head, systematically onto paper. Once I have every task
down on a piece of paper, and I prioritize them, and have everything in order/in files,
stress leaves me, and it's all on that to-do list. It's like the list is my P.A.!

I think that amidst being stressed and trying to get tasks done, it's always important

to never forget to drink enough water, eat right - don't rush and grab junk food - and 

take breaks - don't burn out!

What are your ways of relaxing?
How do you deal with several deadlines and tasks?
Leave your comments below!

Jazz Up Your Lemonade

8 ways to Jazz-up your lemonade. 

In Dubai, and places like Australia, the good, outdoor-gatherings, good-weather-to-sit-outside, is still here for a bit before the extreme heat or winter (depending on your country) arrives. In the northern hemisphere this great outdoorsy, perfect-weather-for-a-BBQ is right around the corner.

So here are some tips on making the traditional lemonade you serve at these outdoor gatherings just a little extra special!

Enliven it with these ingredients:

via

Minted Interiors

There's just something about the color mint!

And these interior spaces have used the refreshing hue

to its best! Enjoy the eye-candy!

Images: 1, 11, rest of the images via Pinterest