Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Royal Trend Watch: Elephant Parade Edition

In this month's "Not Your Typical Royal Event" news...

The Elephant Parade must be one of the most curious charitable events I've ever heard of.  Artists put their own mark on elephant sculptures, which are then put on display and are later auctioned off to benefit endangered elephants.  I have so many questions about this. 


Who buys these elephants?  Is there a whole rash of London gardens filled with oversize pachyderm sculptures?  And how did so many royals get involved?

Actually, I know the answer to that last question.  Camilla's brother, sister and daughter are all involved with the Elephant Family charity, as is the Duchess of York and Lady Annabel Goldsmith (dear friend of Princess Michael of Kent).  So, naturally, a whole mess of royals showed up to parade themselves for the good of the elephants; and bless them, they made sure to match the curiousness of their outfits to the curiousness of the elephants on parade.  An elephant trend has run amok through the Windsor family.  So very many questions:

Charles, did you pose by the shiny black elephant just so your tux wouldn't look so out of place?  Better showing than the rest of the family, I suppose....

Are we channeling the elephant's natural habitat here, with the Asian-inspired getup?  Usually I like these outfits on Camilla, but I think she might have forgotten to take the wind into consideration here.  This makes me nervous, as does....

This.  Talk about a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen.  Eugenie, are you afraid to stand up straight, lest you reveal uncoordinated underpants?  Have you decided to rely on the photographer's sense of decency to preserve your dignity?  Because that is not going to work out for you.  Neither are those shoes.  And Beatrice, those yellow strings (ribbons?) on the front of your dress - why?  This confuses me.

Of course, Eugenie is equally capable of confusing me, as at the launch party for the event back in March she saw fit to throw a random flower into her hair to cap off an otherwise biker babe ensemble. Why?  Though I suppose if there was any event for which a leather princess outfit would have been appropriate it would have been the one at which this occurred.....
Presented without comment.

Princess Michael, of course, had to prove herself the most puzzling of them all:
Are those elastic pants, or just pants designed to look like they might have an elastic waist?  And which case is worse?  Also, we're just coming off this gem of an outfit:
Seen in Zurich, and apparently attributed to the weather there.  So now the weather in London is also at fault?  I can't imagine what sort of meteorological condition prompts one to dress up like the second coming of Madame Cleo, so I have to ask - are we entering a fortune teller phase of dress?  (I really, really hope we are, friends.  Oh, what fun we'll have.)

Photos:  Pool/Indigo/Getty Images/WPA Pool/Fiona Hanson/Daniel Demme/Wenn.com/Belga/Stuart Wilson/Dave M. Benett

For The LAST Time.. The Prophet Muhammed (S) Did NOT Marry A Child

If I have to explain this to one more person..!!! I had some ignorant Anonymous write the most disgusting and offensive comment on here the other day which basically accused our beloved, perfect Prophet (S) of being a (p...).
So, I'm going to give you the evidence, clear as day, to prove that he did NOT marry Aisha when she was 6 and consummate when she was 9. It goes against logic, it's a filthy lie invented to make him (S) and Islam look bad. I mean for crying out loud, he married a women 15 years older than him and stayed faithful to her when he was 25 - at his prime. And all his other wives were far older than 25 so why would he suddenly marry this 6 year old? It's sick and if there was evidence that it were true, I would never believe such a man was a Prophet of Allah (SWT).

(The article below was taken from this website)

The Ancient Myth Exposed
by T.O. Shanavas

A Christian friend asked me once, “Will you marry your seven year old daughter to a fifty year old man?” I kept my silence. He continued, “If you would not, how can you approve the marriage of an innocent seven year old, Ayesha, with your Prophet?” I told him, “I don’t have an answer to your question at this time.” My friend smiled and left me with a thorn in the heart of my faith. Most Muslims answer that such marriages were accepted in those days. Otherwise, people would have objected to Prophet’s marriage with Ayesha.

However, such an explanation would be gullible only for those who are naive enough to believe it. But unfortunately, I was not satisfied with the answer.

The Prophet was an exemplary man. All his actions were most virtuous so that we, Muslims, can emulate them. However, most people in our Islamic Center of Toledo, including me, would not think of betrothing our seven years daughter to a fifty-two year-old man. If a parent agrees to such a wedding, most people, if not all, would look down upon the father and the old husband.

In 1923, registrars of marriage in Egypt were instructed not to register and issue official certificates of marriage for brides less than sixteen and grooms less than eighteen years of age. Eight years later, the Law of the Organization and Procedure of Sheriah courts of 1931 consolidated the above provision by not hearing the marriage disputes involving brides less than sixteen and grooms less than eighteen years old. (Women in Muslim Family Law, John Esposito, 1982). It shows that even in the Muslim majority country of Egypt the child marriages are unacceptable.

So, I believed, without solid evidence other than my reverence to my Prophet, that the stories of the marriage of seven-year-old Ayesha to 50-year-old Prophet are only myths. However, my long pursuit in search of the truth on this matter proved my intuition correct. My Prophet was a gentleman. And he did not marry an innocent seven or nine year old girl. The age of Ayesha has been erroneously reported in the hadith literature. Furthermore, I think that the narratives reporting this event are highly unreliable. Some of the hadith (traditions of the Prophet) regarding Ayesha’s age at the time of her wedding with prophet are problematic. I present the following evidences against the acceptance of the fictitious story by Hisham ibn ‘Urwah and to clear the name of my Prophet as an irresponsible old man preying on an innocent little girl.

EVIDENCE #1: Reliability of Source

Most of the narratives printed in the books of hadith are reported only by Hisham ibn `Urwah, who was reporting on the authority of his father. First of all, more people than just one, two or three should logically have reported. It is strange that no one from Medina, where Hisham ibn `Urwah lived the first 71 years of his life narrated the event, despite the fact that his Medinan pupils included the well-respected Malik ibn Anas. The origins of the report of the narratives of this event are people from Iraq, where Hisham is reported to have shifted after living in Medina for most of his life.

Tehzibu’l-Tehzib, one of the most well known books on the life and reliability of the narrators of the traditions of the Prophet, reports that according to Yaqub ibn Shaibah: “He [Hisham] is highly reliable, his narratives are acceptable, except what he narrated after moving over to Iraq” (Tehzi’bu’l-tehzi’b, Ibn Hajar Al-`asqala’ni, Dar Ihya al-turath al-Islami, 15th century. Vol 11, p. 50).

It further states that Malik ibn Anas objected on those narratives of Hisham which were reported through people in Iraq: “I have been told that Malik objected on those narratives of Hisham which were reported through people of Iraq” (Tehzi’b u’l-tehzi’b, Ibn Hajar Al-`asqala’ni, Dar Ihya al-turath al-Islami, Vol.11, p. 50).

Mizanu’l-ai`tidal, another book on the life sketches of the narrators of the traditions of the Prophet reports: “When he was old, Hisham’s memory suffered quite badly” (Mizanu’l-ai`tidal, Al-Zahbi, Al-Maktabatu’l-athriyyah, Sheikhupura, Pakistan, Vol. 4, p. 301).

CONCLUSION: Based on these references, Hisham’s memory was failing and his narratives while in Iraq were unreliable. So, his narrative of Ayesha’s marriage and age are unreliable.

CHRONOLOGY: It is vital also to keep in mind some of the pertinent dates in the history of Islam:

pre-610 CE: Jahiliya (pre-Islamic age) before revelation
610 CE: First revelation
610 CE: AbuBakr accepts Islam
613 CE: Prophet Muhammad begins preaching publicly.
615 CE: Emigration to Abyssinia
616 CE: Umar bin al Khattab accepts Islam
620 CE: Generally accepted betrothal of Ayesha to the Prophet
622 CE: Hijrah (emigation to Yathrib, later renamed Medina)
623/624 CE: Generally accepted year of Ayesha living with the Prophet

EVIDENCE #2: The Betrothal

According to Tabari (also according to Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, Ibn Hunbal and Ibn Sad), Ayesha was betrothed at seven years of age and began to cohabit with the Prophet at the age of nine years.

However, in another work, Al-Tabari says: “All four of his [Abu Bakr’s] children were born of his two wives during the pre-Islamic period” (Tarikhu’l-umam wa’l-mamlu’k, Al-Tabari (died 922), Vol. 4, p. 50, Arabic, Dara’l-fikr, Beirut, 1979).

If Ayesha was betrothed in 620 CE (at the age of seven) and started to live with the Prophet in 624 CE (at the age of nine), that would indicate that she was born in 613 CE and was nine when she began living with the Prophet. Therefore, based on one account of Al-Tabari, the numbers show that Ayesha must have born in 613 CE, three years after the beginning of revelation (610 CE). Tabari also states that Ayesha was born in the pre-Islamic era (in Jahiliya). If she was born before 610 CE, she would have been at least 14 years old when she began living with the Prophet. Essentially, Tabari contradicts himself.

CONCLUSION: Al-Tabari is unreliable in the matter of determining Ayesha’s age.

EVIDENCE # 3: The Age of Ayesha in Relation to the Age of Fatima

According to Ibn Hajar, “Fatima was born at the time the Ka`bah was rebuilt, when the Prophet was 35 years old... she was five years older that Ayesha” (Al-isabah fi tamyizi’l-sahabah, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Vol. 4, p. 377, Maktabatu’l-Riyadh al-haditha, al-Riyadh, 1978).

If Ibn Hajar’s statement is factual, Ayesha was born when the Prophet was 40 years old. If Ayesha was married to the Prophet when he was 52 years old, Ayesha’s age at marriage would be 12 years.

CONCLUSION: Ibn Hajar, Tabari an Ibn Hisham and Ibn Humbal contradict each other. So, the marriage of Ayesha at seven years of age is a myth.

EVIDENCE #4: Ayesha’s Age in relation to Asma’s Age

According to Abda’l-Rahman ibn abi zanna’d: “Asma was 10 years older than Ayesha (Siyar A`la’ma’l-nubala’, Al-Zahabi, Vol. 2, p. 289, Arabic, Mu’assasatu’l-risalah, Beirut, 1992).

According to Ibn Kathir: “She [Asma] was elder to her sister [Ayesha] by 10 years” (Al-Bidayah wa’l-nihayah, Ibn Kathir, Vol. 8, p. 371, Dar al-fikr al-`arabi, Al-jizah, 1933).

According to Ibn Kathir: “She [Asma] saw the killing of her son during that year [73 AH], as we have already mentioned, and five days later she herself died. According to other narratives, she died not after five days but 10 or 20, or a few days over 20, or 100 days later. The most well known narrative is that of 100 days later. At the time of her death, she was 100 years old.” (Al-Bidayah wa’l-nihayah, Ibn Kathir, Vol. 8, p. 372, Dar al-fikr al-`arabi, Al-jizah, 1933)

According to Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani: “She [Asma] lived a hundred years and died in 73 or 74 AH.” (Taqribu’l-tehzib, Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani, p. 654, Arabic, Bab fi’l-nisa’, al-harfu’l-alif, Lucknow).

According to almost all the historians, Asma, the elder sister of Ayesha was 10 years older than Ayesha. If Asma was 100 years old in 73 AH, she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of the hijrah.

If Asma was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Ayesha should have been 17 or 18 years old. Thus, Ayesha, being 17 or 18 years of at the time of Hijra, she started to cohabit with the Prophet between at either 19 to 20 years of age.

Based on Hajar, Ibn Katir, and Abda’l-Rahman ibn abi zanna’d, Ayesha’s age at the time she began living with the Prophet would be 19 or 20. In Evidence # 3, Ibn Hajar suggests that Ayesha was 12 years old and in Evidence #4 he contradicts himself with a 17 or 18-year-old Ayesha. What is the correct age, twelve or eighteen?

CONCLUSION: Ibn Hajar is an unreliable source for Ayesha’s age.

EVIDENCE #5: The Battles of Badr and Uhud

A narrative regarding Ayesha’s participation in Badr is given in the hadith of Muslim, (Kitabu’l-jihad wa’l-siyar, Bab karahiyati’l-isti`anah fi’l-ghazwi bikafir). Ayesha, while narrating the journey to Badr and one of the important events that took place in that journey, says: “when we reached Shajarah”. Obviously, Ayesha was with the group travelling towards Badr. A narrative regarding Ayesha’s participation in the Battle of Uhud is given in Bukhari (Kitabu’l-jihad wa’l-siyar, Bab Ghazwi’l-nisa’ wa qitalihinna ma`a’lrijal): “Anas reports that on the day of Uhud, people could not stand their ground around the Prophet. [On that day,] I saw Ayesha and Umm-i-Sulaim, they had pulled their dress up from their feet [to avoid any hindrance in their movement].” Again, this indicates that Ayesha was present in the Battles of Uhud and Badr.

It is narrated in Bukhari (Kitabu’l-maghazi, Bab Ghazwati’l-khandaq wa hiya’l-ahza’b): “Ibn `Umar states that the Prophet did not permit me to participate in Uhud, as at that time, I was 14 years old. But on the day of Khandaq, when I was 15 years old, the Prophet permitted my participation.”

Based on the above narratives, (a) the children below 15 years were sent back and were not allowed to participate in the Battle of Uhud, and (b) Ayesha participated in the Battles of Badr and Uhud

CONCLUSION: Ayesha’s participation in the Battles of Badr and Uhud clearly indicates that she was not nine years old but at least 15 years old. After all, women used to accompany men to the battlefields to help them, not to be a burden on them. This account is another contradiction regarding Ayesha’s age.

EVIDENCE #6: Surat al-Qamar (The Moon)

According to the generally accepted tradition, Ayesha was born about eight years before hijrah. But according to another narrative in Bukhari, Ayesha is reported to have said: “I was a young girl (jariyah in Arabic)” when Surah Al-Qamar was revealed (Sahih Bukhari, kitabu’l-tafsir, Bab Qaulihi Bal al-sa`atu Maw`iduhum wa’l-sa`atu adha’ wa amarr).

Chapter 54 of the Quran was revealed eight years before hijrah (The Bounteous Koran, M.M. Khatib, 1985), indicating that it was revealed in 614 CE. If Ayesha started living with the Prophet at the age of nine in 623 CE or 624 CE, she was a newborn infant (sibyah in Arabic) at the time that Surah Al-Qamar (The Moon) was revealed. According to the above tradition, Ayesha was actually a young girl, not an infant in the year of revelation of Al-Qamar. Jariyah means young playful girl (Lane’s Arabic English Lexicon). So, Ayesha, being a jariyah not a sibyah (infant), must be somewhere between 6-13 years old at the time of revelation of Al-Qamar, and therefore must have been 14-21 years at the time she married the Prophet.

CONCLUSION: This tradition also contradicts the marriage of Ayesha at the age of nine.

EVIDENCE #7: Arabic Terminology

According to a narrative reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, after the death of the Prophet’s first wife Khadijah, when Khaulah came to the Prophet advising him to marry again, the Prophet asked her regarding the choices she had in mind. Khaulah said: “You can marry a virgin (bikr) or a woman who has already been married (thayyib)”. When the Prophet asked the identity of the bikr (virgin), Khaulah mentioned Ayesha’s name.

All those who know the Arabic language are aware that the word bikr in the Arabic language is not used for an immature nine-year-old girl. The correct word for a young playful girl, as stated earlier, is jariyah. Bikr on the other hand, is used for an unmarried lady without conjugal experience prior to marriage, as we understand the word “virgin” in English. Therefore, obviously a nine-year-old girl is not a “lady” (bikr) (Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 6, p. .210, Arabic, Dar Ihya al-turath al-`arabi, Beirut).

CONCLUSION: The literal meaning of the word, bikr (virgin), in the above hadith is “adult woman with no sexual experience prior to marriage.” Therefore, Ayesha was an adult woman at the time of her marriage.

EVIDENCE #8. The Qur’anic Text

All Muslims agree that the Quran is the book of guidance. So, we need to seek the guidance from the Quran to clear the smoke and confusion created by the eminent men of the classical period of Islam in the matter of Ayesha’s age at her marriage. Does the Quran allow or disallow marriage of an immature child of seven years of age?

There are no verses that explicitly allow such marriage. There is a verse, however, that guides Muslims in their duty to raise an orphaned child. The Quran’s guidance on the topic of raising orphans is also valid in the case of our own children. The verse states: “And make not over your property (property of the orphan), which Allah had made a (means of) support for you, to the weak of understanding, and maintain them out of it, clothe them and give them good education. And test them until they reach the age of marriage. Then if you find them maturity of intellect, make over them their property...” (Quran, 4:5-6).

In the matter of children who have lost a parent, a Muslim is ordered to (a) feed them, (b) clothe them, (c) educate them, and (d) test them for maturity “until the age of marriage” before entrusting them with management of finances.

Here the Quranic verse demands meticulous proof of their intellectual and physical maturity by objective test results before the age of marriage in order to entrust their property to them.

In light of the above verses, no responsible Muslim would hand over financial management to a seven- or nine-year-old immature girl. If we cannot trust a seven-year-old to manage financial matters, she cannot be intellectually or physically fit for marriage. Ibn Hambal (Musnad Ahmad ibn Hambal, vol.6, p. 33 and 99) claims that nine-year-old Ayesha was rather more interested in playing with toy-horses than taking up the responsible task of a wife. It is difficult to believe, therefore, that AbuBakr, a great believer among Muslims, would betroth his immature seven-year-old daughter to the 50-year-old Prophet. Equally difficult to imagine is that the Prophet would marry an immature seven-year-old girl.

Another important duty demanded from the guardian of a child is to educate them. Let us ask the question, “How many of us believe that we can educate our children satisfactorily before they reach the age of seven or nine years?” The answer is none. Logically, it is an impossible task to educate a child satisfactorily before the child attains the age of seven. Then, how can we believe that Ayesha was educated satisfactorily at the claimed age of seven at the time of her marriage?

AbuBakr was a more judicious man than all of us. So, he definitely would have judged that Ayesha was a child at heart and was not satisfactorily educated as demanded by the Quran. He would not have married her to anyone. If a proposal of marrying the immature and yet to be educated seven-year-old Ayesha came to the Prophet, he would have rejected it outright because neither the Prophet nor AbuBakr would violate any clause in the Quran.

CONCLUSION: The marriage of Ayesha at the age of seven years would violate the maturity clause or requirement of the Quran. Therefore, the story of the marriage of the seven-year-old immature Ayesha is a myth.

EVIDENCE #9: Consent in Marriage

A women must be consulted and must agree in order to make a marriage valid (Mishakat al Masabiah, translation by James Robson, Vol. I, p. 665). Islamically, credible permission from women is a prerequisite for a marriage to be valid.

By any stretch of the imagination, the permission given by an immature seven-year-old girl cannot be valid authorization for marriage.

It is inconceivable that AbuBakr, an intelligent man, would take seriously the permission of a seven-year-old girl to marry a 50-year-old man.

Similarly, the Prophet would not have accepted the permission given by a girl who, according to the hadith of Muslim, took her toys with her when she went live with Prophet.

CONCLUSION: The Prophet did not marry a seven-year-old Ayesha because it would have violated the requirement of the valid permission clause of the Islamic Marriage Decree. Therefore, the Prophet married an intellectually and physically mature lady Ayesha.

SUMMARY:

It was neither an Arab tradition to give away girls in marriage at an age as young as seven or nine years, nor did the Prophet marry Ayesha at such a young age. The people of Arabia did not object to this marriage because it never happened in the manner it has been narrated.

Obviously, the narrative of the marriage of nine-year-old Ayesha by Hisham ibn `Urwah cannot be held true when it is contradicted by many other reported narratives. Moreover, there is absolutely no reason to accept the narrative of Hisham ibn `Urwah as true when other scholars, including Malik ibn Anas, view his narrative while in Iraq, as unreliable. The quotations from Tabari, Bukhari and Muslim show they contradict each other regarding Ayesha’s age. Furthermore, many of these scholars contradict themselves in their own records. Thus, the narrative of Ayesha’s age at the time of the marriage is not reliable due to the clear contradictions seen in the works of classical scholars of Islam.

Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to believe that the information on Ayesha’s age is accepted as true when there are adequate grounds to reject it as myth. Moreover, the Quran rejects the marriage of immature girls and boys as well as entrusting them with responsibilities.

T.O. Shanavas is a physician based in Michigan. This article first appeared in The Minaret in March 1999.

If this does not provide enough evidence for you, there's more here, here and here and I am sure there are many more sources out there if you pull your finger out and search for the evidence instead of just believing what people tell you with no real substance to back up their claims whatsoever.

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 20-26 June

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 20-26 June:
  1. Leaving Stockholm, 20 June.  Like there weren't enough people questioning whether she has a case of the pregnants last week, now this?  I won't go too far along that line (because if anyone were to analyze my belly, I'd shoot 'em) but suffice to say she's not doing herself any favors.
And that's it!  Boo.  This week was no fun.

Crown Princess Victoria Wedding

Dresses, Wedding Dresses

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Krabi honeymoon - Aonang Princeville Package

Salam lovelies...

To date, the most frequent question I get is regarding my honeymoon trip to Krabi....I think it's time for me to share it with everyone, for easy reference...



“ Honeymoon Package”
 
 Aonang Princeville Resort & Spa  6 Days 5 Night from 22 till 27 Feb 2010 

Price for the 5 nights Honeymoon Package at Aonang Princeville Resort  30,000  baht per package for 2 person
 (please take note that this is during of peak season in 2010 *price varies according to year and season)

Day 1
-Transfer from Krabi Airport  for  Sight Seeing at Krabi Area 
-15.00 am.   Check In at  Aonang Princeville Resort  stay at  Deluxe Room and set flower in room.
-Relaxing as per your leisure time
Day 2
- 07.30-08.00 am .Morning Breakfast at The Whtie Orchid  
-Island tour for 4 islands for snorkeling, sightseeing to Phranang Cave, Tub Island, Chicken Island and Poda Island by speed boat.
-19.00 pm. A romantic  seafood   set dinner  at White Orchid   Restaurant
Day 3
-Morning Breakfast at White Orchid Restaurant
-08.45-08.30 am Trip to Phi Phi  Islands visit for Bamboo Island  ,Hin Klang Island ,Monkey Beach, Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh  and Maya Bay for snorkeling
-19.00 pm . Thai set dinner at White Orchid restaurant .
Day 4
- 07.30-08.00 am  Morning Breakfast at White Orchid Restaurant
- 08.00-08.30 am Trip to Hong Island by speed boat visit Hong Island’s Lagoon ,Pakbia Island  Lading Island and Hong  Island bay.
-Relaxing as per your leisure time
Day 5
-- 07.30-08.00 am  Morning Breakfast at White Orchid Restaurant
-- Relaxing as per your leisure time
-- Spa Package for 2 person with  body Scrub with coffee ,Yoghurt nd Honey (Sauna & Aroma Massage) for 1.30 hrs. at  Princeville Spa

Day 6
-- 07.30-08.00 am  Morning Breakfast at White Orchid Restaurant
-- Relaxing as per your leisure time
-- 12.00 m. Pick up at hotel to Krabi Airport

Package includes :
·         Welcome refreshment upon arrival
·         Transfer from  Krabi Airport  to Aonang Princeville Resort (private transfer)
·         Daily breakfast at White Orchid Restaurant
·         5   nights  accommodation in a  Deluxe   Room ( Aonang Princeville Resort)
·         One Day 4 Island by speed boat ( Join tour)
·         One Day Phi Phi Island by speed boat  ( Join tour)
·         One Day Hong Island by speed boat ( Join Tour)
·         A romantic  dinner  with Glass  of Wine at  White Orchid Restaurant (Sea  food + Vegetarian  food )
·         One Thai set dinner at Whit Orchid restaurant .
·         One spa package at Princeville  Spa at Aonang Princeville Resort
·         Transfer from Aonang Princeville Resort to Krabi Airport (private transfer)
·         Tour include :Snorkel, Mask , Drinking water, lunch ,fruit ,Admissinon fee ,Accident insurance. Life Jacket,   Hotel transportation  and English Speaking quide.

Alright so total we paid for  6 days is RM 3k =THB 30k. It can be concluded that roughly is RM 500 for each day, and the best price includes everything in this package.

I had 2 options, between airasia package and this one, I picked this because, they had included extra spa and 2 candle light dinner at the same price air asia 5 nights package.

Also i secretly hoped, if I informed the Hotel that we were on our honeymoon, that they would upgrade us...Alhamdulillah which they did. Hotels will only upgrade you (if they want to) if you book with them directly, bookings done via travel agent, matta fair and website, usually they don't give that personal touch...

anyway all the best, for those interested with Krabi honeymoon...because being an Island lover, i have to say, I fully recommend this holiday.

 p/s: The best part of our Krabi honeymoon is Phi Phi island trip...Kalau pergi Krabi, tak pergi Phi Phi is such a waste. Snorkeling here is one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen, even if I want to compare if it with my previous experience snorkeling at Redang, Tioman, Perhentian and Sabah.

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 20-26 June

Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 20-26 June:
  1. Shopping in Stockholm with Princess Claire, 20 June.  Yellow jacket's too short, but I like her in bright colors. 
    And that's it for Mathilde this week - she too took some time off, giving us nothing to play with and no bests and worsts to name this week.  So let's talk about this instead:  I read that Mathilde brought 17 suitcases with her to the wedding.  SEVENTEEN!  Now that we've seen everything she wore in Stockholm, can you even guess what could have been in all of them?  My entire wardrobe could fit in 17 suitcases, shoes and all, with at least 10 suitcases to spare.....

    Photos: Wire Image /Adam Osterman

    Sweden Beach Wedding Suit

    Wedding Dress, Wedding Dresses

    New Glamorous Wedding Dress

    VIA

    New Glamorous Wedding Dress

    VIA

    New Glamorous Wedding Dress

    VIA

    Monday, June 28, 2010

    Cocktail Dress Sale



    Cocktail Dress Sale

    Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 20-26 June

    Here's what Crown Princess Mary wore the week of 20-26 June:
    1. Out and about in Stockholm, 20 June.  Looks a whole lot like the Heartmade top she wore 2 days earlier, but it's not.  Now, that's just excessive packing.
    2. Opening of Project Copenhagen Fortifications at Trekroner, 25 June.  The dress is lovely, but I think the intricate detailing on the bodice makes it difficult to match with the cardigan. 
    Best and Worst of the Week
    Man, these royals must have really partied hard in Stockholm last weekend. They all seem to have taken some extra time off this week.  There's not much to work with here, but I like the casual thing going on in #1 best.  The cardigan is really not working over that blue dress for me.

    Photos: Polfoto

        Maysaa Scarf Review

        If you have come across the online hijab fashion store Maysaa, you will have most probably seen their signature chiffon scarf snood (available here). I made a pre-order of this a while back and it arrived today. Here's a quick review of the shop and the scarf for those of you who may wish to purchase from Maysaa in the future:

        Shop review:
        Quality of website:

        Excellent. Very professional and easy to navigate, however, there is no clear indication that the site is tailored for the needs of Muslim women or even modest dress.

        Overall rating: 4/5

        Customer service:

        For a new store, it defiantly exceeded my expectations. It's method of delivery is very similar to that of ASOS, which is fantastic. It informs you when the item is dispatched and delivers quickly. The item arrived in good quality packaging and was even wrapped in tissue paper with a Maysaa sticker, ahhh..

        Overall rating: 5/5 (returns and queries not included in my rating)

        Value for money:

        The value for money varies with different items does not seem 'flow'; for example, you can get a jersey maxi dress for £35 (high street standard) but they charge £12 for a basic long sleeved top (about £5 on the high street). Having said that, the quality of the clothing appears to be of a high standard and most of the items are reasonably priced.
        Overall rating: 3.5/5

        Scarf Review:

        Described on the site as "long awaited" and "one of a kind", it's the signature Maysaa scarf.

        Pros:

        - Lightweight

        - Requires no pins

        - Looks 10 times better than the infamous Al Amira..

        - Versatile

        - Suits most face shapes

        - Provides neck coverage with a loose look

        Cons:

        - Confusing to put on

        - Zip at the back easily gets caught in hair and also in the material itself

        - Feels quite tight and hot around the neck when worn for too long in hot weather

        - £19.. I could have bought 5 scarves for this price

        Overall:

        So it's almost £20 and it's a bit confusing to put on at first but I think it will prove to be a pretty useful (and chic) buy.

        Overall rating: 3.5/5

        Would certainly recommend this site!

        Swedish Wedding

        Wedding Dresses, Wedding Dress

        New Gorgeous, Romantic, Classic Wedding Dresses by Amy Kusche

        Amy Kuschel designs gorgeous wedding dresses that are chic, understated, and simply beautiful.

        Wedding dress style Betty is a white, strapless neckline, and floor-length gown with pocket

        White origami mermaid strapless wedding dresses

        Wedding dresses style dandie is a white mermaid with ruffles detail and crystal band

        Sexy strapless lace wedding dresses with mermaid silhouette

        April wedding dresses lace mermaid silhouette with gorgeous v-neck

        Inspired Classic American Flair Wedding Dresses by Alyne

        Channelling the poised, polished essence of iconic style eras, and inspired by classic American flair, Alyne is feminine and modern. Sophisticated ease, effortless glamour and simple silhouettes in rich fabrics are energized by refreshing design details. I recently fell head over heels in love with these gorgeous dresses from Alyne.

        Audrey sweetheart neckline and white or ivory wedding dresses

        Blaire simple and elegant with v-neckline wedding dresses

        Alyne's wedding dress style Brooke is an ivory, square neckline, mermaid, floor-length gown

        Wedding dress style Lauren is an ivory, sweetheart neckline, sheath, floor-length gown

        jaclyn wedding dresses with simple ruffles and sash

        Runway Monday: Oscar de la Renta Spring Ready-to-Wear and Pre-Fall 2010

        Oscar de la Renta has always been a favorite of the royal ladies and for good reason: his clothes have that natural lady-like feel a regal royal needs.  Queen Sofia, Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Madeleine, Crown Princess Mary, Princess Máxima and more have all been spotted in his designs.  The Spring and Pre-Fall collections are ripe for the royal picking; most recently, Rosario Nadal modeled a black and white creation from the Spring Ready-to-Wear collection at Crown Princess Victoria's pre-wedding dinner and concert.  Many have also guessed that Tatiana Blatnik's gown for the wedding was de la Renta, though I'm not convinced.  My wish list for the royals to sport from the rest of these two collections:

        These could work on some of the older generation of royal ladies....
         
        ...and I'd love to see some of these on our younger batch of Crown Princesses.

        These metallic numbers would be great for Mary, wouldn't they?

        Here you see the resemblance to Tatiana's dress.  Personally, I don't see enough of the same detailing to convince me that her dress is from Oscar; on her dress, the ornamentation is a much more organic pattern, whereas the de la Renta numbers feature random and clustered designs.  Also, the top and tone of the tulle is different.  Of course, Tatiana's could have been a totally bespoke creation, but it's still a question mark for me.  Anyways, the 2 on the left would be great on Mary, the pink would be a different take on the fairy princess angle Mette-Marit has been working lately in her eveningwear, and Máxima could work the orange number spectacularly.

        What do you think?
        See the Spring collection here and the Pre-Fall collection here.

        Photos: Maria Valentino/Marcio Madeira


        Bridal Sandal ; A Perfect Pair Wedding Shoes

        Bridal Sandal ; A Perfect Pair Wedding Shoes

        Bridal Sandal ; A Perfect Pair Wedding Shoes

        White Wedding Gown Dress

        White Wedding Gown Dress

        amazing white wedding gown beaded bodice

        Pink Bridal Wedding Gown

        Pink Bridal Wedding Gown

        pink bridal gown pick up skirt beaded bodice

        Beautiful Wedding Bridal Gown Design

        Beautiful Wedding Bridal Gown Design


        Beautiful Wedding Bridal Gown Design


        Beautiful Wedding Bridal Gown Design

        Beautiful Wedding Bridal Gown Design

        Bridal Shoes - Silver

        Bridal Shoes - Silver

        Bridal Shoes - Silver

        Sunday, June 27, 2010

        Cris Yolan 2010 Fusion of Styles Wedding Dresses

        Divided into four lines, the new bridal collection of signature Yolan Cris view shows the Pasarela Gaudi Novias a girlfriend avant-garde and eclectic, with a rich mix of styles and fabrics. Among these we have seen lace, macramé, embroidery with beads, taffeta, chiffon and sophisticated applications of Swarovski crystals that transport us to the glamor of the 30s. As for colors, stands above all off-white color and light strokes on the slopes. Also, the designers have completed Cris Yolan wedding dresses with a variety of accessories, from caps, sun hats and feather headdresses to capelines, fur stoles, boleros, fans and even umbrellas.

        Cris Yolan 2010 Fusion of Styles Wedding Dresses

        Cris Yolan 2010 Fusion of Styles Wedding Dresses

        Cris Yolan 2010 Fusion of Styles Wedding Dresses

        Cris Yolan 2010 Fusion of Styles Wedding Dresses

        Cris Yolan 2010 Fusion of Styles Wedding Dresses

        Week in Review: Letizia, Princess of Asturias, 20-26 June

        Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 20-26 June:
        1. Attending the Principe of Asturias Foundation's Patronage yearly meeting, 23 June.  LOVE this purple, except for the hoodie-type strings dangling from the top.  Felipe Varela needs to see what he can do about getting Letizia permanently into color-mode.  They're his best creations.  
        2. Closing of the Wharton Global Alumni Forum, 25 June.  Snooze.  There's no fun going on here.
        Best and Worst of the Week
        Well, she might not have taken a vacation after the wedding, but it was still a pretty light week in Spain. With a whopping two choices to pick from, I'm going purple for the win.  It's not that there's anything wrong, per se, with the white suit; it's just that there's nothing exactly right either.

        Photos: EFE/Manuel H de Leon/Belga/PPE/Thornton