Best. Job. Ever.

The Burj Al Arab in Jumeriah, Dubai

It has been a busy few weeks for me as I have been settling down in Dubai. The challenge for me seems to lie in allocating my time, what with work (I've been busy!), and lots of social engagements to keep me out every night. I'm happy to say that I've squeezed in lots of beach and pool time (yes, it is NICE, but I also am trying to swim several times a week so that I get in shape).

I don't do such a great job at saying, "No." Since I've been here, I've dined at the fancy-schmancy Cavalli Club, danced at 400 (a nightclub), discoed it up at a 70s theme party, attended a fashion show... the list goes on and on. I daresay there really is something to fill every night of the week, should I want it.

Work has been pretty good as well, although the rates have definitely dropped since I was last here in 2007, and generally there seems to be less jobs. But, it's a recession, right? I should just thankful I am working at all!

(As always, Click on the picture to enlarge!)
Outtakes from my job shooting at the Burj Al Arab.

Last week I got to do what could possibly qualify as my favorite job ever. I was shooting in the super exclusive Burj Al Arab, which is the world's only seven star hotel. The shoot was actually for the Burj (hopefully the pictures will appear on their website soon), and it afforded me an inside look at the hotel. We shot in the spa, by the pool, in the Royal Suite (which I think I heard goes for $40,000/night), on the helicopter pad, and a myriad of other spots. I can't reveal any of the official photos, but above is a collage I made of the two days of shooting.

So, why was it such a great job? Primarily, I must say it is because I really enjoyed the team, which ranges from the client that booked me, to the photographer, the makeup artist, the stylist, and the producer... I even got to have a "husband" for the job-- a cutie-pie male model from Switzerland. It's always fun when I get to work with another model (male or female) as they bring energy to the shoot. I was treated like a queen for two days, wish all of my shoots could go so well.

And, since budgets are compromised during this time of recession, part of the job was done for "trade," meaning I trade my services for theirs. The trade I got for my time is a one night stay at the Burj. I think that's pretty special, although I probably won't end up using it on myself. I feel blessed to have gotten to spend the time I did in the Burj, and am eager to share that with someone else... Now if only I could figure out who?

I'm curious, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A ONE NIGHT'S STAY at the Burj Al Arab?

XOXO,

Ruth's Diary

via fadedfilmstrips Flickr stream

Fiona Robyn is going to blog her next novel, Thaw, starting on the 1^st of March next year. The novel follows 32 year old Ruth’s diary over three months as she decides whether or not to carry on living.

To help spread the word she’s organising a Blogsplash, where blogs will publish the first page of Ruth’s diary simultaneously (and a link to the blog).

She’s aiming to get 1000 blogs involved – if you’d be interested in joining in, email her at fiona@fionarobyn.com or find out more information here.

I already signed up to help... Won't you?

XOXO,

Vintage Berlin

Thanks so much for all the comment love I got on my last post-- you guys are so lovely! It's so nice to get positive feedback every now and again:) It's also nice to know that there are people out there who actually read what I write!

I know I posted about Berlin last time, but I'm not quite finished yet. I promise after this post, I'll stop living in the past and will write about what's going on in my current town, Dubai.

I'm a big fan of the "outfit post," although I haven't quite gotten the hang of it quite yet (see Liebemarlene, Strawberry Koi, Some Girls Wander..., Clever Nettle, Sally Jane Vintage, Casey's Elegant Musings, etc. for better examples). These girls have mastered the art of romantic settings (think train tracks, moss-covered trees, cemeteries, historic mansions), the lens flare, soft lighting... Truth be told, even if I could learn these techniques, I'm not usually wearing outfits that are really deserving of their own outfit post. I'm usually living out of a suitcase, which means my outfit/accessory/shoes choices are VERY limited.

Dress - Vintage, found in a Berlin vintage shop

Cardigan - borrowed from Corrie's closet
Tights - Hue
Boots - Madden Girl, bought at DSW last year
Scarf - (not pictured because it blew off in transit and is forever lost) Corrie's, CNC

I absolutely fell in love with the shops in Berlin. We got around on bicycle (something new to this American girl-- don't try that in our cities, unless you have a death wish!), which meant I had ample time to check out little shops-- and pull over and stop when time allowed! They have a plethora of shops just stocked to the brim with vintage dresses and shoes and what-not. I was in hog heaven, and without the prohibitive price tags, lack of suitcase space, and the flagging US dollar, I might have gone overboard!

Alas, I allowed myself only one item... and that was the creamy lace dress seen above (better picture at the top!). I had been looking for just such a dress for a while, and had even seen contenders at Modcloth and Ruche, but I'm glad I waited as this one is one-of-a-kind (it even appears to be homemade!). There was also something about wearing a dress while riding a bike that made me feel super cute:)

A parting picture of me and Corrie in the local neighborhood photobooth (seriously, it's on the corner outside Corrie's apartment-- shouldn't all neighborhoods have photobooths?!?) goofing off.

Okay, next time I'll tell you a little bit about life in Dubai. Promise.

XOXO,

Wir Fahren Nach Berlin!

"Berlin is the newest city I have come across. Even Chicago would appear old and gray in comparison."

~Mark Twain, Chicago Daily Tribune, 1892

"Berlin! Berlin! Wir fahren nach Berlin!" (Berlin! Berlin! We're going to Berlin!)

~A chant during the World Cup in 2006

I think I probably mentioned this already (did I?) but for those of you who don't know, I spent the end of September in Berlin visiting some very dear friends there. It all worked out perfectly-- I was able to join my brother and his band on their European tour, and then after the last show in Leipzig, Germany, I caught a train to Berlin. I realize that I've been a TERRIBLE blogger as of late. I sort of got out of the flow when my hard drive crashed, and then lately I've been feeling as if the bar has really been raised in the blogosphere. I mean, there are some AMAZING bloggers out there, and it's hard for me to put together posts that seem like they might be interesting to others.

I'm really trying to do better, but now I am in Dubai, where some of my favorite sites are blocked (Flickr, that means you), and the internet runs, well, really slowly.

That reminds me of a joke: "What did the snail on top of the turtle say?" Give up? "Wheeeeee!"

Just to make this clear, people, my internet abroad is that little snail saying "Wheeeeee!" I never realized how spoiled I was in the ole US of A until I left it. Internet speeds abroad always seem to be dismal compared to what I've got at home.

I digress. Here's a recap of how I passed the 12 or so days in Berlin:

• I took a bicycle tour of the touristy bits of Germany, given to me by a ridiculously tall German man.
• I got yelled at, in German, by various motorists for not knowing the rules of the road as a cyclist (Sorry!!! I'm new at this!)
• I ate yummy German food-- one of my favorite cuisines! (The red cabbage reminded me of what Grandma used to make!)
• I sniffled and coughed for about a week, wearing a permanent indentation into Matt and Corrie's couch.
• I got to see the church that I've been supporting on and off (more off than on, eeek!) for the past five or so years.
• I discovered Berlin vintage shops. Needless to say-- I NEED to stay out of those for the sake of my already anorexic wallet.
• Drank WAY TOO MUCH. When wine costs less than water, what's to stop you?
• Lost a VERY EXPENSIVE scarf that belonged to my best friend (and witnessed the grace of forgiveness as well. Thanks, Corrie!)
  
• Learned wee bits of German...
• Met some of the lovely people that I've been hearing about for years.
• Met new lovely people that I admire very much.
• Fell in love with cycling.
• Developed a MAJOR crush on a new city
• Discovered that I really LOVE black licorice
• Spent time with two of my favorite-ist people in the whole wide world!

Without further adieu, then,

MY TRIP IN PICTURES

Yes, I think it is fair to say that I fell in love with this lovely city. One day I shall be heading back, even if it is just to visit. Although, with any luck, one day I'll be able to say, alongside Marlene Dietrich, "Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin." ("I still keep a suitcase in Berlin.")

XOXO,

15 (or so) Ways to Charm Her

My ability to sit down and write a coherent blog seems to have gone straight out the window. Last night I sat and fiddled around on my laptop, for, oh, I don't know, THREE HOURS? I was working on a blog entry that entire time. I may have just decided to scrap the said blog entry (I finally had to give up on it last night and just go to bed).

So, this is what I have resorted to. I've become enamored with another blogger (yes, another one), Miss Meg Fee, who writes in such an engaging way. I discovered her though the equally endearing Taza at The Rockstar Diaries. Anyway, I read this over at The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell, and I LOVED it. So, I'm reposting here. Hope that's okay, Meg!

I should probably begin by saying that I am a southern girl. At heart. It's actually up for argument a bit (mostly the people who argue with me about where I am from don't really know my history so well). I was born in Augusta, Georgia, which makes me, I think, officially a "Georgia Peach." My first home was in Aiken, South Carolina, which is where both of my parents hail from, as well as the majority of my grandparents (with the exception of Grandma, who was Brooklyn-born, but after living in Aiken for almost fifty years of her life, I'm going to say she can lay claim to that Southerner title as well). We moved quite a bit when I was growing up-- moving from South Carolina to Texas and back again, and then to Virginia, and finally to Delaware. Here's where it gets a bit sticky. You see, Delaware isn't really considered a southern state. As a South Carolinian (which is what I say I am), we see Virginia as barely southern (although I give them major points for being the capital of the Confederacy) which means that Delaware is definitely NOT southern. But, as a girl trying to argue her case for why she's really a southerner, I would argue that while Delaware fought for the north in the war between the states, the majority of Delawareans were in favor of letting the south secede from the union. Moreover, Lincoln actually (unconstitutionally) forced Delaware to support his cause by ordering the Federal army to occupy the state and not allowing the state legislature to discuss the issue (For further reading on Lincoln and the other side of him that you won't find in typical history books, see The Real Lincoln by Thomas DiLorenzo). So, Delaware WAS southern-ish. All that aside, my parents really are true southerners, and they raised me with their mindset and values.

If you still don't believe me, then I submit the following article, which I shamelessly pilfered from Meg's blog. The article explains what southern girls look for in a man, and, well, all of the following items, with the exception of the one about football, resonate with me.

Fellows, take note:

15 Ways to Charm Her

Want to impress a Southern girl? Just think "What would my grandfather have done?"

By Amy Bickers

Number one: We still expect you to give up your seat for a lady. On a bus, at a bar, on a train . . . we don't care where you are. Unless you are at a restaurant and the only lady in sight is the one taking your order, stand up. Now.

On a recent Friday night at a bustling restaurant bar, two friends and I waited for our table to be called. The barstools were occupied so we stood patiently, sipping wine and chatting about the workweek. When a couple nearby stood up, another woman - who had been there less time than we had - swooped in, reaching across us to put her purse on the stool. This isn't the worst part. It's what happened next: her male companion then slid onto the other barstool.

Hang on while I do a geography check. Are we not in the South? If ladies are waiting for a seat and you have a Y chromosome, do you sit down? No, sir. No, you do not.

We know modern life is confusing. The roles of men and women have evolved over the years. As Pink once sang, "Shorty got a job, Shorty got a car, Shorty can pay her own rent."

But come on, let's keep some things old-school. My late grandfather - he of the East Texas upbringing, U.S. Navy captain status, and Cary Grant good looks - would never have allowed a woman to stand while he sat. And if you want a Southern woman to love you, neither will you. So, men, here's a short list of things Southern girls still expect from you.

We still expect you to . . .

[ONE] Stand up for a lady. Actually, this doesn't just involve chairs.

[TWO] Know that the SEC has the best football teams in the nation. Big 12 fan? Hmm, perhaps you should keep walking.

[THREE] Kill bugs. Delta Burke as Southern belle Suzanne Sugarbaker on Designing Women said, "Ya know . . . when men use Women's Liberation as an excuse not to kill bugs for you? Oh, I just hate that! I don't care what anybody says, I think the man should have to kill the bug!"

[FOUR] Hold doors open.

[FIVE] Fix things or build stuff. I once watched in awe as my stepfather built a front porch on the house he shares with my mother. He knew just what to do, cutting every notch, hammering every nail. The project was complete by sunset.

[SIX] Wear boots occasionally. Not the fancy, I-paid-$1000-for-these kind. We're talking about slightly mud-crusted, I-could-have-just-come-in-from-the-field boots.

[SEVEN] Take your hat off inside.

[EIGHT] Grill stuff.

[NINE] Call us. If you want to ask us out, don't text and don't email. Pick up the phone and use your voice.

[TEN] Stand when we come back to the dinner table. "Just a little half-stand is enough to make me melt," my friend Stephanie says.

[ELEVEN] Pull out our chairs. Wait, that's not all. Scoot them back in before we hit the floor.

[TWELVE] Pay the tab on the first few dates. "If you ask me out, you pay," Stephanie says. "If I ask you out, you should still pay." Listen, guys, it's just simpler this way.

[THIRTEEN] Don't show up in a wrinkled, untucked shirt.Care about your appearance, but not too much. Don't smell better than we do. Don't use mousse or gel. You shouldn't look like you spend more time in front of the mirror than we do.

[FOURTEEN] Never get in bar fights. Patrick Swazye might look cool in Road House, but in reality, bar fights are stupid and embarrassing. You don't look tough. You look like an idiot.

[FIFTEEN] Know how to mix our favorite cocktail just the way we like it. Fix your favorite too. Sit down on the porch (it's okay if you didn't build it), tell us how your day went, and we'll tell you about ours.

We'll leave the long list to the girl who falls in love with you.

Meg adds a number [SIXTEEN] to the list which I agree with, so I'll keep it:

[SIXTEEN] Make sure you ask my father for my hand in marriage before asking me.

And, just for fun, I'll add my own [SEVENTEEN] and [EIGHTEEN]:

[SEVENTEEN] Put the toilet seat down! I know it seems silly and like a trifle, but it really does drive me CRAZY!

[EIGHTEEN] Walk me to my car. Especially late at night. When it's dark and scary.

Oh, just thought of [NINETEEN]. I think I'm having a little too much fun with this!

[NINETEEN] Carry my bags/boxes for me. If I am burdened, and you are not, please help!

So, it's a bit of a long list (well, not so long), but really, it's not that hard it is? I am not exagerrating when I say that when a fella does anything on the aforementioned list (especially when it comes to something like helping carry my things, or opening the car door for me) it really makes me swoon.

I can't explain why. Maybe it's because I am, indeed, a southern gal ;)

XOXO,

Here Lies One Whose Name Was Writ in Water

The two lovers, Fanny Brawne and John Keats, one of his letters to her, and her engagement ring.

I am a female. I wonder if it then follows that I love love stories (or in the words of Ginny Branch Stelling, "I Love Love.") or if it's just because I am a sap. Throw a couple of love letters into the said love story (extra credit if there is poetry) and I am hooked!

In all fairness, I discovered the wonders of John Keats, young English poet, in high school. I still quote his "Beauty is truth, truth beauty, --that is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know." from Ode on a Grecian Urn to myself and friends. I memorized his poem, La Belle Dame Sans Merci in part because I loved the sentiment (and haplessly identified with the titular character) but also because I loved these works of art (by artists who had also been inspired by Keats):

La Belle Dame Sans Merci, by John William Waterhouse and Frank Dicksee

Poor Keats. His poetry was a critical failure in his own time, his lady love seemed to be something of a minx (is she the original La Belle Dame Sans Merci?), and he was dead by the age of 25 from tuberculosis. He also lost both of his parents early in life, and his brother to the same disease.

But this is the stuff of cinema. Director Jane Campion (The Piano) brings the story and the romance to life in this month's Bright Star. It looks good. It probably won't come to Dubai for some time, but if you get to see it, let me know what you think.

And, while you're at it, be sure to check out his love letters. They're intoxicating!

The above postcard is a selected portion from one of the poet's letters to Fanny. The handwriting is my own, a font created by the lovely Frederique at The French Frog. Some of the scrapbooking elements above come from Raspberry Road Designs.

XOXO,

The Edge of Love

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

~Dylan Thomas, opening stanza from Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

I've been laid up all week in my friend's apartment in Berlin, recovering from a gnarly cold that I could have only caught on the tour bus (23 death metal dudes and little ol' me. It was an awesome time and I really should post some pictures on here) last week.

While recovering, I've been watching movies online, which is something I never usually do. I'm always too busy doing something else to sit and watch a movie. Or, if I do, I'm on my laptop and not really paying attention. Being sick and comatose forced me just lie there and enjoy a movie.

I stumbled across the film, The Edge of Love, which piqued my interest namely because it starred Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller (also a bad sign since the stars are so big and yet I've never heard of the film-- usually meaning it was a dud), and because it was a biopic of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The film really isn't that great, and yet the cinematography is absolutely stunning. There seems to be a painterly quality to the film.

And, I LOVED the 1940s costumes. I think quite possibly that might be favorite era for fashion. Or it is at the moment. I love their hair and their red lips, and the dresses are so pretty! Part of this movie is set in Wales on the seaside, and the girls run around wearing pretty floral dresses with fisherman sweaters and cardigans thrown on top. With Wellies! It made me want a pair of Wellington boots (seriously, I spent a good half-hour online looking for a pair, but as I am heading to Dubai in a week for two months, I don't reckon I would be getting much use out of them).

I knew as soon as I saw the movie that I wanted to do an outfit post about this film. Funnily enough, Sweet Aya beat me to it by about a week, but she has great taste in clothes, so I don't mind a bit.



XOXO,

Say a Prayer for Me...

I've decided to embrace the rampant Peter Pan-ism that lies within my soul and join my brother and his metal band, Nightfire, in Europe as they do their first European tour. As you can imagine, I am quite excited!

If all goes as planned (as luck would have it, 500 Jet Airways pilots, which is the airline I'm flying, have been on strike the past few days, so I might not be going anywhere), I shall meet my brother and crew in Berlin, Germany tomorrow night.

After the tour, I'll get to spend some much needed time with my very close friends, Matt and Corrie, in Berlin, and then fly from there to Dubai on October 2nd.

If you have a moment, prayers for blessings, safety, and traveling mercies would be much appreciated!

XOXO,