Hot, Hot, Hot!!!

Tell me, who wouldn't love this pair of pumps?




It's so gorgeous I wanna have it! Perfect for Christmas, don't ya think?


Hmm, Gucci is currently on sale at 30% off on all items. Gotta check out Emirates Towers Boulevard today and see if I can spot the pair.


*photo courtesy of Gucci's website

Smack In The Middle Of Nowhere

Last weekend was one of the best Ryan & I had for a very long time! We finally used my prize and traipsed to Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa to spend some quality time together. After my training last Thursday, dear hubby picked me up a little before 6:00 pm, and headed straight to the hotel resort. After more than 45 kilometers drive away from the city, we reached this beautiful oasis that welcomed us delightfully.

I couldn’t believe what I saw! the place was amazing I was totally bowled over! It was definitely worth the drive! *two thumbs up*

Our room has this quaint charm:

With dandy slippers provided, too.

I loved the bathroom the most because of its Mediterranean feel!

And food was just superb! During our first night, we had dinner at their lovely Italian restaurant, Pizzeria Le Dune. We wanted to try their famous Al Hadheerah Restaurant but when I called the night before to book two slots for us, I was told that the restaurant was closed owing to an event. It was such a shame we weren’t able to book ahead of time because the restaurant was apparently open to public albeit limited seats only. The event was a showdown of the celebrity chefs of Jumeirah chain of hotels. It would’ve been a wonderful banqueting experience being served food by their star chefs.

Anyway, Pizzeria Le Dune did a lovely job at feeding us hungry souls that night. We were so famished we gobbled down our Pizza Capricciosa and a bowl of seafood pasta in no time!

We were booked for two nights at Bab Al Shams, and during our lazy stay, these are the things we did:

- enjoyed buffet breakfast al fresco style at Al Forsan Restaurant

- had some dose of Vitamin D at the sun lounges

- took a dip in the pool (the tabachina me)

- enjoyed an alternative rainshower experience

- had drinks & shisha at the Al Sarab Lounge (their mojitos are the best!)

- read at our own leisure

- watched TV (we were hooked to Animal Planet)

- slept to our heart's content

- surfed the net & downloaded our favorite series (internet was really fast!)

- strolled around the property & took pictures

Ryan tried to convince me to sample their Satori Spa’s treatment menu because he knew how excited I was about their renowned service. I decided against the idea when I saw how steep the prices were. I told him I can wait till we fly to Manila since the price i’m gonna pay in Bab Al Shams is enough for me to get at least 3 packages back home.

Since we checked-in late last Thursday and attended a barbecue on Friday afternoon, we were not able to go see the horses and camels which were scheduled for guests from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. We also missed out on the archery opportunity much to my dismay as I was hoping to polish my skills (naks, parang ang galing, 'no?). I only learnt that there were morning sessions when we got back to the city.

at the barbecue

To compensate, we just decided to take more souvenir photos before checking out.

Our weekend was such fun it actually hurt going back to the city and face reality! *sigh!*  How I wish we could do this again soon.  

Never Walk Away

During lunch yesterday, I had a serious conversation with a few of my girl friends at work. One of them shared with us her current emotional downhill ride, and I sincerely felt sorry for her. Despite that smiling façade that she has, I imagine she must be in a lot of pain right now.

If there’s one thing in life that I cannot completely fathom, it’s the idea of two people deeply in love with each other parting ways in a snap of a finger with both ending up miserable in the long run. That is just heartbreaking! I’ve always believed that no matter how difficult or challenging a situation is, your love for each other should always be an inspiration to find ways to make things work, especially when you’ve shared so much in all those years you’ve been together. Easier said than done, I know, but personally, I can say with full conviction that a good serving of sacrifice, more often than not, goes a long way. how do you think successful relationships get past their hurdles? Sacrifices made usually earn their merits, at times later than you expect. Patience is the key, I suppose. Call me idealistic but I guess I’m just like that. I can speak from experience because I’ve been through the same road once in my life. And I agree - it was never easy.

Looking back, I am happy I’ve made the right choice of sticking it with the one I love. Being apart for almost a year with him wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. I am not made for long distance relationships but I managed to endure all those months. It was agonizing for me but I presume it was worse for Ryan. It’s true what they say about people leaving. While it’s easier for them because they have something new to look forward to, it is always harder for the person who’s left behind because unlike the person who’s moved to migrate, there’s nothing exciting to look forward to – only an abyss that needs to be filled.

I am simply blessed that my greatest love had decided to follow me wherever I go. And if I get asked to do the same for him, I will say yes without skipping a beat. We’ve made a pact that neither of us will walk away…for we both believe that in doing so will end the most beautiful thing we’ve ever had.

The Zuma Experience

I had the pleasure of trying out Zuma, our centre's latest gastronomic offering. Hailing from Knightsbridge in London, this contemporary Japanese restaurant opened its Dubai branch a few weeks ago at the DIFC's Gate Village much to our delight. Our last Key Office Meeting was held at this classy restaurant where we were treated to a showcase of spectacular dishes that are to die for. One of which is their succulent Wagyu No Sumibiyaki. It was the tastiest beef I've ever tried!

I wish to take Ryan to Zuma as Japanese is his favorite cuisine. It may bear a hole on my pocket with the resto’s skyrocketing prices but what the heck! With or without occasion, I am going to bring him there for a treat. I’m sure he’s gonna love it!

Lucky Me

At 4:00 am today, my Facebook status reads: Gracie partied all night long...and won herself a mobile phone! Woohoo!!



My colleague's Brown-themed party totally rocked last night! And thanks to the famous musical chairs parlor game, I managed to take home this nice prize. I also earned AED 110 from the balloon popping contest. Not bad, eh?