Borrowed two huge bright spotlights from my mom…

And hung my 3abayat on the curtain, using the photography backgrounds my mom had stored as the floor.. The whole set up ended up looking like this (the little girl is my cousin Fa6oom):

I called up my cousin Fa6oom (see above) and turned her into a model.. of course, she loved every bit of the photography and make-up lol

Enjoy!
Scene One - When I Grow Up… by *DevilishlyAbstract on deviantART

Scene Two - When I Grow Up… by *DevilishlyAbstract on deviantART

Scene Three - When I Grow Up.. by *DevilishlyAbstract on deviantART

Scene Four - When I Grow Up.. by *DevilishlyAbstract on deviantART

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Go to her blog to give condolences.. I’m sure she needs all the support she can get.. Love you, Mimi :*

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* I miss She-Ra… Remember her? lol

* I can’t get the PowerPuff Girls theme song out of my head! Damn Chemical X!!

* Hanging out with kids when you’re not in the mood for them is sometimes amusing.. other times just annoying.. And hanging out with my 10 year old brother & 8 year old cousin the other day.. it turned out to be not so amusing back then, but remembering the conversation that took place, it was actually cute lol

10 y/o: Swair! Why did the skeleton cross the road!?
8 y/o: Laaaa! He ma retha he cross the road!
10 y/o: Oooh okay.. enzain, Swair, why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?
Swair: Why not?
10 y/o: lazem 3al aqal etkhamneen! Ma ngoolich el jawab bs chethi!
Swair: *rolls her eyes* Uhm.. Because the chicken was already there?
10 y/o: La… He doesn’t have the guts! HAHAHAHAHAHAA!!
8 y/o: hahahahahahahahaa! Fahamteeha? ya3ni he has no guts, ya3ni mo shuja3 ya3ni ahwa skeleton oo mafi jesma shay! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Swair: *stares and smiles*

* I just started reading John Connolly’s “The Book of Lost Things” (I got it as a birthday present from my cousin iZu.. thanks babe :*).. It’s quite catchy and it sorta has a “Big Fish” vibe to it.. But a bit more dramatic..

I know I said I’d review “Middlesex”, but I don’t have enough creative juices flowing to get a proper full-length review going, all I can say is that it’s a must-read, it was beyond amazing… The journey is heart-breaking, the writing won’t help you if you’re trying to stop reading and the characters feel like real people that you know personally because of how much you end up knowing about them, their whole history, their feelings and beliefs… I simply loved it

* After two full days of being stuck to my fingers, the fake fingernails FINALLY started to fall off.. They hurt like hell when I started rubbing them and trying to pull them off and then the hot water trick didn’t work.. So I removed the polish and waited.. and finally, I can type, write sms’s and hold stuff properly!

* I’m liking the new Coldplay album, “Viva La Vida”… My current favorite song on the album is “Lost”.. Here’s the acoustic version.. If you don’t like this one cos it’s too soft, you might like the album version since the stomping & clapping make it a bit tougher..

Favorite part:
“Just because I’m hurting
Doesn’t mean I’m hurt
Doesn’t mean I didn’t get what I deserve
No better and no worse”

* I’ve been cleaning up my photography folder by uploading all the old pics to my DeviantART gallery.. check them out if you like, and if you have a devART account, leave a comment so we can watch each others’ work

* On to some girly stuff…

I bought simple new flats for work from Aldo.. I love how Aldo loves my feet, they’re not narrow and annoying like Nine West shoes, they’re always wide enough and comfy!

Here’s taking a page out of Um-Mit3ib’s make-up lovin’ posts lol.. my fave make-up these days:

Best concealer EVER: Touche Eclat Radiant Touch by Yves Saint Laurent…
It’s light, matches the skin-tone perfectly and gives the eyes a little brightness..

Best Mascara EVER: The Body Shop’s Super Volume Mascara…
Perfect thick eyelashes & they add some length.. and it keeps doing that to your eyelashes till it’s done, it doesn’t feel like it’s slacking off like other mascara’s.. Yes, mascara’s slack off with me, I’m very picky since my eyelashes are short lol

I may not use Sephora (YET!) but I liked the idea of the post and thought I’d share my two cents lol

* One of the silly but meaningful gifts I got for my birthday was a brand new pack of Uno playing cards from my brother lol

He knows I LOVE group games like Jenga, Scrabble & Twister… The other day I was having a girly gathering and I didn’t have any Uno or Twister, and he somehow remembered lol

* That’s enough for now… Let’s leave some stuff to say for next post…

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Rules:
Grab your iPod and put shuffle on, for each question you must put the song that is playing e.g. press play and answer 1 comes up, skip to next song and that’s answer 2 etc etc etc

Q&A’s:
1. If someone says “Is this okay” you say? All Good things feat. Chris Martin - Nelly Furtado

(El7amdilla)

2. What would best describe your personality? Remember The Name feat. Styles of Beyond - Fort Minor

(Huh?)

3. What do you like in a boy/girl? Light My Fire -Ananda Shankar

(Good answer lol)

4. How do you feel today? Shake Break Bounce - The Chemical Brothers

(Not completely false lol)

5. What is your life’s purpose? V.I.P - Youngblood Brass Band

(Minziman I’m a V.I.P, shfeeeeekum lol)

6. What do your friends think of you? Yummy feat. Pharrell - Gwen Stefani

(Hahahaha ya rait, you never know :p)

7. What do you think of your parents? 9a7i Luhom - Rashed Al-Majed

(LOL! I like the song but I don’t think it fits!)

8. What do you think about very often? Tango de Los Exilados - Vanessa Mae

(I wish I could tango.. dunno about me “thinking about it very often” though)

9. What do you think of your best friends? At Last - Etta James

(How appropriate!)

10. What do you think of the person you like? Home - Chris Daughtry

(How nice)

11. What is your life story? Somewhere I Belong - Linkin Park

(Sure, why not lol)

12. What do you think when you see the person you like? Miracle - Paramore

(Awwww? lol)

13. What do your parents think of you? Ya Shams - Nabeel Sh3ail

(LOL aawww… and yes, I really do have really old Arabic music)

14. What will you dance to at your wedding? Ten7a6 3al Jar7 - Rashed Al-Majed

(Hope he thinks that too lol)

15. What will they play at your funeral? Heal Over - KT Tunstall

(9a3ba lol)

16. What is your hobby/interest? Violent Pornography - System of A Down

(HAHAHAHA!!!! NOOOOOO! NSFW lyrics, btw lol)

17. What’s your biggest secret? Perfect - Flyleaf

(Yes, I am.. Thank you, Flyleaf lol)

18. What do you think of your friends? Diary feat. Tony! Toni! Toné! - Alicia Keys

(They sorta are my diaries hehe)

19. What should you post this as? Don’t Know Why - Norah Jones

(Perfect)

20. What do you think of yourself? Hometown Glory - Adele

(Sweet lol)

So apparently, my shuffle doesn’t really like this tag… I thought I’d get more interesting answers than this lol the most surprising one is number 16! LOL!

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Anyways, so here’s the low-down on what happened on the 12th…

First, the costume: I was a black & white business-cat lol (supposedly)..Here’s the whole costume in pieces:

I went to the salon, got a manicure/pedicure, had the fake nails put on and painted red…

Did my hair and went home… Took a short shower, put on the cat make-up.. including honey-colored lenses, exaggerated eye-lashes, whiskers & nose… yes this me:

and got dressed up: top, skirt, ears, tail, black ribbon collar, lots of pearls and heels..

In short, the party can be summed up in five words: “Dancing, dancing, dancing, eating & gossiping.” It was tons of fun and I loved all my girlies in costumes!

I loved the 1920’s flapper, the 70’s hippy, the goth, the cowgirl, the chinese girl, the angel, the pajama girl, the gypsy, the pirate, the fairy, the karate girl, Lara Croft, the street fighter, Morticia from The Addam’s Family, Clark Kent (plus semi-hidden Superman t-shirt), the high school girl, the indian girl, the soldier and the traditional kuwaiti guy in dishdasha & shmaq…

At the end of the party: all of what was left of the cake was this… a7la shay ina I used my Facebook picture on the cake lol

I had fun! Thank you all my girlies for coming and making it a fun bash! Here’s to more birthdays for all of us and more parties and “Happy Happy Joy Joy”ness!

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Happy Birthday Me!

According to the candles in the picture, I’m 12, but believe me, I am double that age…

Anyway, I have a good feeling that tonight’s party will be lots of fun. My costume’s almost purrrrr-fect and I can’t wait to see my luverly friends all dressed up

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What started my semi-obsession would have to be my friend Nutta and her Monty Python & The Holy Grail DVD.. so yes, I blame you, Nutti! :p

Here’re my favorite scene (in the beginning of the video) and its part of the script:

ARTHUR: Hello.
MAN: ‘Allo. Whoo is eet?
ARTHUR: I am King Arthur and these are the Knights of the Round Table. Whose castle is this?
MAN: This is the castle of of my master, Guy de Loimbard.
ARTHUR: Please go and tell your master that we have been charged by God with a sacred quest, and if he will give us food and shelter for this night he can join us in our quest for the Holy Grail.
MAN: Well, I’ll ask him, but I don’t think he’ll be very keen. He’s already got one, you see?
ARTHUR: What? *stunned*
GALAHAD: He says they’ve already got one!
ARTHUR: Are you sure he’s got one?
MAN: Oh yes. It’s very nice. *turns to some others Frenchmen* I told him we already got one! *they all giggle.*
ARTHUR: Well … can we come up and have a look?
MAN: Of course not! You are English pigs.
ARTHUR: Well, what are you then?
MAN: I’m French. Why do think I have this outrageous accent, you silly king.
GALAHAD: What are you doing in England?
MAN: Mind your own business!
ARTHUR: If you will not show us the Grail we shall storm your castle.
MAN: You don’t frighten us, English pig-dog! Go and boil your bottoms, son of a silly person. I blow my nose on you, so-called Arthur-king, you and your silly English K…keniggets. *puts hands to his ears and blows a raspberry.*
GALAHAD: What a strange person.
ARTHUR: Now look here, my good man!
MAN: I don’t want to talk to you, no more, you empty-headed animal, food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. You mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.
GALAHAD: Is there someone else up there we could talk to?
MAN: No. Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
ARTHUR: Now this is your last chance. I’ve been more than reasonable…
MAN: *to the other guards* Fetchez la vache!
GUARD: Quoi?
MAN: Fetchez la vache!
ARTHUR: Now that is my final offer. If you are not prepared to agree to my demands I shall be forced to take … Oh Christ!
*A cow comes flying over the battlements, lowing aggressively. The cow lands on GALAHAD’S PAGE, squashing him completely.*
ARTHUR: Right! Knights! Forward!
*ARTHUR leads a charge toward the castle. Various shots of them battling on, despite being hit by a variety of farm animals.*

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Yes yes, ana ga3da akhareb’ha, introducing her to bloggerettes and blogs and all those shenanigans! How use am I as a cousin if I don’t spoil a cousin!

Anyways, make her feel at home, click on the image to read her very first post and encourage her to keep bloggin’, I know she has many many thoughts, ideas, rants and raves to share..

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Here’s the recipe and some pics to help you out (u can click on them to get a bigger & better look)… I had to make a big batch, one for the house and another for an aunt’s house… What I needed was:

* Fresh Lebanese bread (I needed around two bags- maybe more)
* Two packets of ground meat (leave it over-night so the ice melts)
* 2 big onions
* 4 big tomatoes
* 2 green peppers
* 1 big spoon of mixed spices (I used the Bahraini kind reserved for meat)
* 1 big spoon of salt
* 1 big spoon Sumaq
* 1 small spoon black pepper
* 4 big spoons dibs el ruman (Pomegranate Syrup- I think?)
* 4 big spoons Olive oil

Then start getting the party started… Get a meat grinder (farama?), and start with just the meat..

While the meat is getting all soft and mushy, cut up all the veggies so they’re easier to cut up in the farama (make sure u squeeze a little of the water out of the tomatoes so the meat doesn’t get watery)..

When the meat gets soft, start by adding all the powder-y stuff first: spices, salt, pepper and sumaq…

Then add the veggies piece by piece and enjoy watching them get chopped up and mix with the meat (only if you’re as sadistic as I am :p)…

When it’s done, just pour it into a big bowl (remember, I was making a pretty big batch) then start mixing the dibs el ruman and olive oil with the meat in the bowl (I don’t know why, I just prefer NOT putting them in the farama)…

Then prepare the bread by cutting it all in halves and have a bowl of olive oil on the side with a brush…

Fill up the bread as much as u like and coat it in olive oil, back and front…

I prefer to put them all in a tray while the grill gets hot… then start placing them in the grill three by three (depending on how big ur grill is lol) and hear that meat sizzle…

I also prefer to put all the done 3arayes in a separate tray with kitchen tissues under them so it suck in all the oil…

When they get warm enough that you’re able to cut them, start cutting the halves in half, making yummy triangles…

Align them in the tray you’re using to serve the food and decorate with lemons, peppermint or parsley (since the maid didn’t tell me that we’d run out of yellow lemons and parsley, I used small greem looomieees and peppermint… still yum ;p)…

…and Taaa Daaaa…

Hani oo 3afya ;p

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I’m turning 24 on August 12th, and I’ve been planning a birthday party ever since the 12th of July lol

It’s going to be a costume party so all the people I’ve invited have enough time to decide, design and get creative with the costume of their choice… The only rule I have is that nobody should dress anything cat-like…

Nobody knows what I’m going to be since I didn’t specify what cat-like thing I’m going to be, it could be anything.. Catwoman, a black cat, a white cat, a black & white cat, sheraaziya, a tabby, a lion or even a cheetah with spots lol

The only thing that’s bugging me out is that everybody’s away in August.. I love having my birthday on the exact specific date since it’s pointless if it’s a few days before, and I don’t want to stretch it out for a week or two if the party’s waaayyy after the date…

And everybody’s either away already or about to travel around that time.. the only people I understand are the ones away on serious business like Juju (hope your dad feels much better soon :D) but the others are malaaqaaaa *rolls her eyes*

I’ve been getting sms messages from friends asking what to get me and to put together a wishlist so nobody gets me millions of perfumes or something…

I thought that was a great idea since I always wish everybody had a wish list for their birthdays.. I’m not a personal fan of perfumes, I know 100% that that person would want something better… So if you’re coming to my birthday and you want to get me something, I’m a size 14 (UK) and my shoe size is 38 lol and if my old Amazon wish list helps out, then why not, just click on this button…

* I’ve been quite busy with Toastmasters these past few months.. Laialy & I have been running around tweaking some things here and there and I’d just like to use this personal space to thank her.. You’re my TM partner-in-crime and we work great together, so thank you

* Why’s my Mac’s software update freezing up?! It used to freeze up when it reached 80% or 85%… I fixed it after reading Carolyn Samit’s suggestion here and it loaded just fine, no problems.. now it’s updating iTunes and it’s just stuck here…

And it won’t budge!

* I’ve been playing around with StumbleUpon and it’s so much fun!

It’s amazing how the internet is full of these really interesting websites that match my love for photography, crafts, humor, books and movies… I’ve been stumbling for a few days now and that’s all I’d be doing all day, with small breaks here and there to check my e-mail or feeds reader… here’s one of those gems I found:

* I’m preparing for the upcoming semester (yes, I’m that much of a geek).. and I have enough exercises to shut up any complaints from the senior teacher or tawjeeh.. and for the new school year, I have a resolution, ba9eer na7eesa and I won’t share whatever exercises I design since I’ve noticed that some teachers scribble over the names and use the papers as their own.. wela chena ta3bana 3alaihum during the summer.. so no more of that generosity when it comes to people who don’t deserve it…

And that’s about it… what’s new with you guys?

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