"I Die"

My Favorite Person of the moment says it with pursed lips that are too plumped up to even close, I don't think I've ever seen her pout with her lips touching each other.. 

She's so much fun.. 

I've never seen anyone as dedicated and passionate about such petty things before, "Clothes".. 

(**Don't get me wrong, I love clothes, I've been inspired by one of my closest friends lately into thinking that they are "Art", truth be told i never categorized fashion under that heading, but thats not our issue now.. But there are other more important things, much more high in priority than clothes..)

She lives, breathes, eats, drinks and sleeps fashion, as well as parading around LA in Fur gilets/vests and jackets whilst hiding behind her big shades and wavy hair.. 

She's famed for styling everyone who's anyone in Hollywood, from Nicole Richie, to Jennifer Aniston with Lindsay in between.. 

Almost every Red-Carpet Wonder, or "Best Dressed" list outfit, was thought up and picked by her; ironically she outfits the celebrity with everything from body shapers to heel replacement pads with the actual dresses included et all.. 

She meets with designers to get the never before seen future red-carpet stunners, shops vintage, as well as attends all kinds of functions clad in the most stunning/ where did she even get that from clothes, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but nonetheless stylish! 

Still clueless? 

Well, she's Rachel Zoe! 

Her first reality show series is so addictive, and fun.. 

A must see for anyone mildly interested in fashion, celebrities, or reality shows really.. 

Things on Season One of the "Rachel Zoe Project" that made me go hmmmm: 

-Alleged Kuwaiti Princess who was trying to call up the Vintage Store guy in Decades LA to get the Birkin Bag which Rachel Zoe wanted and ended buying when she heard that "Princess" wanted; dying to know who. 

-Spotting Dina AbdulAziz in one of the fashion shows Rachel Zoe attends.. 

Can't wait till next season is out! 

You can watch "The Rachel Zoe Project" on Itunes. 

Photo Credits: Bravo Tv, and People. 

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, and my "Fur" you're so delightful"

Peta Protest in London- Sloane Street in front of Joesph Boutique- on August 2008 (**snapped by moi, notice the guy in the beige-ish "Dishdasha"/Arabic Cloth Attire"

Dear Peta, 

I was a big fan, honestly I was. When I was a teenager I refused to buy anything with fur in it and stuck to subtle and generic coats as my sisters' splurged on beautiful coats with fur trimmings, and collars. 

Yes, I stood with my beliefs,  and I'm proud of that but eventually I got jealous of their cute coats and couldn't resist. 

People change Peta, and so did I.

Thank you for understanding, 

-Baroque

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Bring on the FUR-tastic coats!  

Roksanda Illincic (Fall 2008)

Marni (Fall 2008)

Alexander McQueen (Fall 2008)

Fendi (Fall 2008)

Bill Blass (Fall 2008)

Bill Blass (Fall 2008)

J.Mendel (Fall 2008)

I wish it was colder here and we could wear fur everyday.. 

In the mean time, I'll stick to wearing fur over evening gowns as we head out to weddings in the winter, or in other foreign destinations. 

Or maybe we might get a "freezing cold" winter? *crossing fingers*

Photo Credits: The fabulous Style.com

PS. Thanks for following the instructions. 

" Why do you build me up Buttercup baby just to let me down?"

Walking around our living room, dodging examples of the above constructed soldier regiments which my little brother builds around the house, mind you he doesn't call them soldiers, they are "Star Wars Intergalactic Reinforcers" (**imagine that phrase being said by a ten year old, yup lots of saliva involved), inspired me to write this post.. 

It's like we live with tiny Gilligan-island people in the form of lego- or in other words my little brother's "Play-land:(**he utters commands and inspects the regiments, et all); which got me thinking about  the concept of "play",,

Why do we play?

How come play is such a "childhood attribute?"

and what is the importance of play? 

And as always, i turned to "Google" for help, yes I'm a nerd deep down inside and look up everything that interests or inspires me online..

In a context, "Play is an essential human function. From the first playful face-to-face interactions with a newborn infant to the last breath of an elderly person, play and playfulness illustrate humanness."

"Play is by no means a trivial and simple set of behaviors; Gottfried (1985) informs us, "It is a complex, multidimensional sequence of behaviors that changes considerably in process and morphology, particularly during infancy and the early childhood years" (p. 1)."

"[play] opens up thought. It generates a kind of flexibility or openness to new ideas, to new ways of doing things and new ways of looking at things (p. 35)."

"Play and playfulness have also been considered an attribute of creativity, problem solving, and divergent thinking. Lieberman (1965) verified that a considerable body of research demonstrates a link between play and creativity, asserting that the most playful children were also the most creative."

"Piaget (1962) divided play into three types: sensorimotor play, symbolic or representational play, and play (or games) with rules. Sensorimotor play is engaged in from infancy through the second year of life. It consists of the child acquiring control over his or her movements with play, using repetition and exploring the world of touch and sight and sound. Symbolic or representational play appears from about age two to six years, during which time the child acquires the ability to encode his or her experiences in symbols, especially language. Play with rules, encompassing the school years and beyond, is basically the formation of socialization in our culture and society."

"Three areas of play benefit from parent-child interaction: imaginative play, pretend play, and fantasy play. Imaginative play involves transformations, object substitutions, or decontextualization containing an element of fantasy, pretense, or make believe, including role-play in cooperative scenarios with imitative verbal exchanges (Fisher, 1992). Fisher found that pretend play had the greatest effect on children's cognitive, linguistic, and affective/social development."

"The best learning - that which is most expansive and personal - is 'playful' learning. Children learn best that which they have the freedom to 'play with' - to investigate from all aspects with pleasure, leisure and security from 'error' (Saltz et al., 1977, p. 630)."

Excerpts from the "How Play Influences Children's Development at Home and School"
Journal article by Diane Smith; JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, Vol. 66, 1995

Wow, huh?

Despite the fact that I am enthralled that there are people who dedicate research and scholarly paper on such a "simple" concept, it fascinates me that play is not just an activity that children engage in to waste time and have fun.. 

I never thought that "Play" was this interesting, nor did I ever think I'd write an entire post about it, or even research it online.. 

But yes, i guess the most random things inspire one, and without this inspiration we wouldn't have a big body of knowledge or new ideas and inventions available to us as we do, have you ever really appreciated google? 

Just type in a word in the search box, and Presto! you have scholarly articles, newspapers, and sites dedicated to it.. 

In context, as my blog-header and motto go, "And by the way, everything in life is writable about, if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt."- Sylvia Plath

Ps. Found a new interest.

NB. Song in title is part of "Build me up" by the Foundations (**ironically one of my little brother's favorite songs ever since he saw a lego video on youtube that played that song)

xx 

Baroque.

"This ain't a scene, its a god damn arms race"

"When you get dressed to go to a party you're really getting outfitted for a battle."

I dare you to disagree. 

Think about it. 

Snapped during my summer holiday whilst on a shopping trip in Milan, I think it was the "Iceberg" shop window. 

NB. Song in title is part of Fall Out Boy's, "This ain't a scene" song. 

"If I were a boy even just for a day I'd roll outta bed in the morning and throw on what i wanted then go"

Yes Beyonce,- (**response to song in title, which i did not like at all)- it seems a lot of people want to be boys those days.. 

Scratch that, insert Gentlemen?

Androgynous has never been so in, the more testosterone weaved into the fabric, the better it seems.. 

This Fall/Winter, Designers are going for sharp cuts, suit-like apparel, and tuxedo-ish colors..

Something along the lines of masking curves and giving the figure a man-ish facade, something to "suit" our 21st century perhaps, where all people are "allegedly" equal, regardless of gender and race, maybe? 

Or perhaps taking inspiration from the professional setting, and masculine-izing ladies so that they are measured against their brains and not their curves? 

Maybe its a conspiracy?  (** Feminists and Islamists rejoice!)

Whether you find it "تشبه بالرجال"/"de-feminizing" or not- I don't care- I for one find it kind of cute.. 

Bored of tres feminine dresses and looking lady-like already?

Why not look edge-y for a change? 

Balenciaga (Fall 2008)

3.1 Phillip Lim 

Alex Wang (Fall 2008)

Bill Blass (Fall 2008)

Bill Blass (Fall 2008)

Bill Blass (Fall 2008)

Bill Blass (Fall 2008)

Marc Jacobs (Fall 2008)

Marc Jacobs (Fall 2008)

NB. Song in title is part of Beyonce's new track "If i were a boy."

Photo Credits: All from Style.com

My Favorite Twins on Hard Cover.

Admit it? 

You secretly wait for pictures of what Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen are wearing this time? and sometimes wonder what goes on in Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen's heads when they dress up?

Some of you also think that they are the new face of fashion/style, or are adding a new fresh twist to mainstream fashion.. 

A small minority might even aspire to dress the same. (**key word, "small minority") 

But one things for sure, this book is sure to be a quick seller! 

It revolves around the idea of "influence", hence the name, and is a series of interviews the twins' conduct with famous designers, aspiring ones, quirky ones, etc. which all aim to give you a new spin/perspective to fashion and lifestyle. Plus it's filled with pictures and never before seen snapshots, who can resist? 

I know I can't wait to get a copy. 

The Book is available on Amazon. 

Photo Credits: NYmag and Papermag.

PS. You got me addicted. 

"Daddy, I want a poney?"

Gives a totally new spin to that phrase, eh?

Spotted at Baroue in Avenues Mall, Kuwait- a children's haven..- don't take my word for it, go see for yourself and remember moi when you witness the kids gone wild show (**pun intended)..

Never have I gotten so maternal yet had an anti kids feeling at the same time before; Baroue makes you feel that way..

The toy is cute nonetheless, wish it was available way back when..

Lol yes, I was a "Daddy I want a poney" girl, but mine didn't stop there I wanted a Palomino one, aha, I did my research back then..
تم الإرسال من جهاز BlackBerry® اللاسلكي المقدم من زين كويت.Been sent from BlackBerry smartphone provided by Zain Kuwait

" قوم قوم قوم علم الصبح وش البارحه قلنا خله يقول للعواذل انا تصافينا حتى يعرفون يوم إنا تزاعلنا نبغي نزود قهرهم لا تراضينا"

Taken by me- Kensington Gardens in London, my favorite path. 

Sometimes i wish life would just pause for a bit, and look just like the time i took the above picture.

In this hectic life we live in, there is no means of escape it seems you're always reach-able, and having a blackberry means you are five times easier to contact- sms, calls, Blackberry messenger, email and Facebook for blackberry.

The only way it seems to be unreachable is to either board an airplane- but now Zain is working on a call/text as you fly scheme, so it won't be viable anymore- or just go somewhere where there is no signal- thats partially impossible too since almost everywhere you go to you can get coverage, and the places that don't have coverage are well, not tourist friendly it seems..

Don't get me wrong, I like most people thrive on noise, action and social interactions, but sometimes you just "burn out", and need to take a breather away from all those distractions.

I'd jump into the picture any day.

But now, I have to settle for switching off my "Crackberry" for a couple of hours in the afternoon and snuggle up with a blanket and nap, and then face the world in the evening all over again. 

Best time to relax and re-energize, also is my time to "stop and smell the roses"- perhaps as i dream.

To afternoon naps sans "استعسار"

أكس أوو أكس أوو

-Baroque

بس.  سونغ ان تايتل إز بارت أوف راشد الماجد-ز سونغ ؛قووم قووم؛

Have been playing that song over and over, I'm loving it. 

" يا الليل دانه يا الليل دانه لدانا الحب مر وخذانه مع الأغاني السعيده ودانا لبلاد ورانا دنيا جديده ورانا عطف وحنانه"

Because at the end, "اللي ماله أول ماله تالي"

My favorite Samriya ever.

Nothing like stumbling upon your favorite Samrii on youtube to make your day..


PS. There's nothing like a trip down memory lane, or so I hear...

"Time goes by so slowly for those who wait, no time to hesitate"

Waiting in my opinion is one of the worst state's of mind/situations, you go through..

The state of "sitting pretty" and just waiting for something to happen makes one feel so helpless at times..

Why do we even have to wait?

In a utopia-istic world, Doctor appointments would be prompt, you'd get your hair done on time, flights would never be delayed, and people would just stop keeping you hanging on a word, a look or a date.

But, that means time would have to cease to exist, and you'd get everything "on demand"; essentially crossing out important milestones, dates and events you look forward to..

Hmmmmmmmm...

Written whilst waiting for an appointment to start, been here for 25 freaking minutes already, so you could say I'm induced by lack of "time"..

In the end, isn't life a set amount of time? As in "life-time"?

Ps. You had your time.

Nb. Song in title is part of Madonna's song "Hung up."
تم الإرسال من جهاز BlackBerry® اللاسلكي المقدم من زين كويت.Been sent from BlackBerry smartphone provided by Zain Kuwait

Baroque-ish

For all those who read my blog and still call me "Barook" as in the male nickname for the name "Mubarak", I'd love to for once clarify what my alleged pen name Baroque means..

"According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word baroque is derived from the Portuguese word "barroco", Spanish "barroco", or French "baroque", all of which refer to a "rough or imperfect pearl", though whether it entered those languages via Latin, Arabic, or some other source is uncertain.In informal usage, the word baroque can simply mean that something is "elaborate", with many details, without reference to the Baroque styles of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries." - Wikipedia

Its also the name, Art Historians use to describe the period post Renaissance, in other words its a very influential period/era of Art History..

"In modern usage, the term "Baroque" may still be used, usually pejoratively, describing works of art, craft, or design that are thought to have excessive ornamentation or complexity of line; or to describe literature, computer software, contracts, or laws that are thought to be excessively complex, indirect, or obscure in language, to the extent of concealing or confusing their meaning."- Wikipedia

I hope that gave you a bit of insight about this "ecclectic" blog and eventually stops people from asking me what the word "Baroque" means (**by the way it's pronounced 'Baah-Rock"',a nd not Bar-oook)

No I did not choose it out of randomness, nothing is random as it seems, they say "everything happens for a reason."

Or atleast that's an excuse a couple of friends and I seem to use when "worst comes to worst" or when we can't explain why a certain thing/phenomena happens or has happened; and that's most of the time it seems..

So much easier on the "قلب", and so much "أريح", no?

But those seem to be two tres distinct and different ideas, "بس" hey, in the end who's even taking the tally?

-Baroque

Ps. I write, therefore I am.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kuwait

I spy with my little eye something used to build high rise sky-scrapers?

On my drive back home today and distinctly through Dasman Palace's round-a-bout, couldn't help but notice how many cranes were visible in the horizon over our so called, "Kuwait City."

Is it just me or are they just hanging around and chilling all over Kuwait?

I see cranes and construction but no actual progress or building taking place, maybe the credit crunch has something to do with it?

But that would be blaming the so called "credit crunch" for everything, I feel like its more over lack of coordination and proper planning.

A good example would be Symphony Mall in Salmiya which I recall was due to be finished ever since 2005/2006 by the latest, we're almost at 2009, the mall is still not done even though I see workers there everyday.

Ironic.

Either way, more infrastructure however slow its progressing is always good!

-Baroque

Ps. And that's when my alarm rang, and I woke up once and for all.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kuwait

Amidst the world wide credit crunch and the devastating collapse of the Kuwaiti stock market,

I realized why, "التجاري اختياري"

Tres clever.

I'm not a "Marketing" major nor do I know much PR, but this "compassionate" press statement on the first page of the paper is prone to make headlines and have positive repercussions to CBK..

"الناس للناس والكل بالله"a la


Will this be another "Al-Manakh" Crisis minus the bouncing and post dated cheques?

الله يستر!

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Zain Kuwait

"Roses are red.. Violets are blue.. I fell in love.. But not with you.."

This Fendi Dress from the Spring/Summer 2009 collection totally channels the whole "Roses are red.." (**poem/saying), and defiantly puts the "Rock" in "Rose".. 

Whoever said  " a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (** Shakespeare) did not glance at Karl Lagerfeld's Designs for Fendi.. 

I'm in love.

Here's some more flower-ing designs from the collection: 

Flower power? xx 

-Baroque

PS. You can't stop a person in the midst of reaching their ambitions. 

"وفي ربا الجهراء لو تنطق الأشياء لأنشدت قصيدة طويله عن الدماء تهدى إلى تراب يفدى عن انتشاق المجد والرجوله"

-Waking up to your favorite song is the best way to start the day; as opposed to the irritating alarm beeps, at least you get to sing along as you attempt to wake up but fail ever so badly and drift into sleep beaming.. 

-Advice is when you give someone your opinion on a subject attempting to steer them in the right direction; order is when you make someone follow that advice/command, sometimes when they did not even ask for your advice.. 

-Fate plays in mysterious ways; its ironic how so many enemies turn good friends all of a sudden and vice versa.. 

-A latte is the perfect pick me up- the perfect combination of frothy milk and a shot of coffee to give your taste buds a jolt; i cannot stress on this fact enough.. 

-It's affirmed that, "من عاشر قوم ٤٠ يوم صار منهم"- how about watched seasons of shows continuously; i feel like i've started to think and talk like many of the characters i watched, perhaps too much TV or Itunes in my case is bad for you..

-You don't know how much you've missed someone till you actually see them again.. 

PS. "A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." -Irish Proverb

NB. Song in title is part of Fayrouz's song about Kuwait, "الكويت" 

Ex.Oh.Ex.Oh

So i've been caught by the TV Show bug too a la Fastidious Babe, but lets just say I feel like i've known the "Kardashians" all my life, and I've studied , lived and gossiped all over NYC.. 

I'm so hooked.. 

And feel like "headbands" a la Gossip Girl Cast Members are the next big thing..

Atleast, I'm loving this flirty, and fun trend..

I know you love me, 

ex, oh, ex, oh... 

-Baroque (lol couldn't resist..)