American Beauty.

{Summer exclusives that just can't be replicated in Dubai}

Missing wine dates & boat rides with my Mom (+ Dad + Sister + Bro-in-law + niece + puppy).

Stating the obvious: The 4th just isn't the 4th without 

>>Fireworks<<

New York summer withdrawals are hitting hard today. Wishing I was home for the 4th; Luckily the rain is persistent at home making me a little less jealous. Tonight I'll be engaging in some good ol' American football watching as J gets his time in on the field on the UAE football team! I guess you can't get more American than that away from home? 

We shall see...

{Hanging my flag high...digitally}

CHEERS/SLAINTE!

Happy Fourth of July from Dubai! 

xx

IMAGES: MY TUMBLR

{THE BUSY BEE}

I've been so busy with work and updating client profiles that I haven't actually made time for myself and taken the time to jot down inspirations and ideas that are driving my creative energies. I've been concentrated more so on Pinterst and Tumblr than anything, which are essentially the same creative types. And then of course, there is the continued effort to refurbish my apartment... I will admit, I am definitely indecisive. I'll blame it on being a Gemini, with "two personalities". I'd rather buy everything I love, bring it all home and play dress up with my apartment like I do when I'm feeling creative and think of a few good outfits I've never worn before. Typically, I end up grabbing all of the key pieces I'm thinking of, throw them on the bed, turn on some music and style different looks until I end up with a few good ones... at times they are a bit OTT to be worn anywhere but somewhere along the way the process gives me a major mood boost! Like they say, playing dress up starts at age 5, and never ends.

So, to give myself a kick in the butt to get back to focusing on blogging,
I figured I would start with a few pictures for a not so wordless Wednesday.

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

More so than anything, all I can seem to think about, other than fashion, is travel. 

Booked for August/September, my other half and I will be cruising back stateside to Mexico, California, New York and possibly one more lay-over that I can't yet reveal! 

Our friends are getting married in Mexico and I absolutely cannot wait. In the meantime, I'll be here in Dubai lusting after other destinations on my "must-go" travel list and spending time at the beach and pool reminding myself that my life here is like a vacation every day.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

xx,

IMAGES: MY TUMBLR

INSPIRE | ENCOURAGE | EMPOWER

{WORDS + DESIGN: MALLORY MCLANE}

_______________________________________

When you're under a full-on time crunch and your graphic designer is in a jam with a priority list the length of his arm - what do you do? Personally, I resort to the next best thing - putting myself in the designer's shoes and get cracking on a design concept that can be recreated easily and in a timely manner. Without the help of Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator or any other specialized Adobe program, I whipped up the above "notebook". It just goes to show that you should never limit yourself... 

I've always made it a personal goal to forever be open to learning new skills from the people around me, something I've mentioned over and over quite recently with my lists of staying creative and stress free...

When the alert came through last night that NYC jewelry designer Joomi Lim, herself, had re-gramed the cover page of the "album" I was stoked and even left a comment.. not soon after she was thanking me for the compliment and next even commenting on my own Instagram pic of her dedicated page! Though it's only Instagram, I refuse to let this go down as just some simple thing that "isnt a big deal" - I am so proud of myself and especially today on International Women's Day, as I work my way towards fulfilling my dreams to become a key player in the fashion industry. 

#proudmoment #designerlove #thankful

online fashion editor and self proclaimed graphic designer....

#NYFW - OSCAR DE LA RENTA

IMAGES VIA

The weeks just keep moving faster and faster, and while February is already a short month, I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that it is already Feb 18! It seems like it was only a few days ago that we even started the month - time flies when you're focused on fashion shows, trends and street style snaps which is why it has taken me so long to publish my thoughts on #NYFW. This week's Monday Motivation is made up of mood boosters from Oscar de la Renta's AW13 colour palette, and specifically his nail varnishes. Each equally as stunning as the last, I can't seem to pick my favourite out of the three....

Oscar de la Renta has always fascinated me with his luxurious designs, but his AW13 collection stunned me. Draped necklines, and supple leather caught my eye along with his bold use of colour (ie the pink and purple ball gowns worn by models Karlie Kloss and Magdelena Frackowiak) that closed the show. 

Blue & Oxblood burgundy... why I never, but now I will... 

ODLR at it's finest. #NYFW, I'll take it all, thanks. 

#NYFW - COLOUR ME HAPPY

ALL IMAGES VIA

A punch of colour never hurt anybody...

#pickmeup #streetstyle #NYFW

{Thanks Phil Oh.}

DOUBLE OR NOTHING//

______________________________________________

Trending among contemporary designer brands are advertisements that are double the impact. Above are a few of my favourites who pushed the boundaries. Pictured last, 3.1 Phillip Lim's first ever ad-campaign took to the streets for a look that resembles the chaos of New York in high season as editors, bloggers, and models alike scurry between shows to get to where they need to be, meanwhile taking a moment or two to be snapped by the ever so popular street style photogs. Best of all is the placement of his latest tee which I'm sure will be received well by consumers, is the I heart Nueva York, you can count me in as one of the many to flock to buying the tee! 

IMAGES VIA: Who What Wear | Vogue

Any thoughts on the implementation of the new 3.1 Phillip Lim signature? 

I haven't made up my mind yet... 

MAKING MY MOVE//

via

After packing up my bags and moving to another country (the United Arab Emirates) in December of 2011, I decided it was finally time to throw caution to the wind and go after my dreams full throttle.