Author Archives: samarhajjaj

Nov28

Guide to your Thanksgiving

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Guide to your Thanksgiving

Gobble Gobble Kuwait!!! Happy Thanksgiving Y’all. How’s your day going so far??

Many of you may be surprised that I don’t host or have Thanksgiving events…. Shocker isn’t it!?!? Well between Halloween events, my birthday & Jennah’s birthday all within a span of less than 2 weeks I call it a day or should I say “Month”, for November off course! Plus I must have a head start for my Christmas events.

With that said I love attending Thanksgiving events. Gives me a chance to be a guest rather than the hostess and THAT’S something to be VERY Thankful for:)

With That said I do want to give those planning their dinner tonight with something I received from allrecipes to make your day go a little smoother.

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Always remember its all about “Making Life Memorable” and don’t forget to give thanks and tell those you love that you are Thankful for having them in your life.

Nov27

Jennah’s 7th Birthday

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Jennah’s 7th Birthday

We Love having themed birthday parties and there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing it all come together.

This year Jennah chose to have a Queen of Hearts birthday party. A basic red & black with hearts, “How hard could that be??” I thought! Well in my head things always seem to start simple but I’m not one that does simple. I loooooooooooooooooooooove over the top! “Bigger” and “more is more” is my thing.

So I go old fashioned and grab a pen and paper and start writing my to dos.
1. Invitation & Guest list
2. Cake
3. Set-up
4. Menu & cake
5. Favors
6. Games
Off course I wrote that list but knew that things will definitely be added along the way.

First on the list invitations & Guests.

So I pull out the file on my computer with last years list and print it out. We had a few scratched out names and I also had to give Jennah her list of school kids that she made.

Then the fun part of designing the invitation.

invite-craft

 
 

I knew I wanted to have red envelopes and red cardstock for the card. So it was important to make a run to a stationary store before undertaking the design stage. I had to get the envelopes first because only then would I know what size to make the invite.

My second decisions was to design the card for printing on regular white A4. It would just make my life so much easier in getting the color scheme.

A few hours behind the computer and a little cutting here and there.

 
 
 
The final result of a few hours work was something I was very proud of!
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7th Birthday memories are beginning to shape up. After all it’s about “Making Life Memorable!”

Nov25

Taste Of the Holidays

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Taste Of the Holidays

The Holiday season is by far my favorite part of the year. Festivities, events, great company and good food!! What more can one ask for??

I’m kicking off the season with my first event of them all! A Tasting event at my shop. Visit us for treats, hot cocoa and a fabulous gifting experience.

The original Basket Boutique at Kipco Tower is ready to be your host. Share the fun and bring your family and friends.

Tasting event

Nov24

Narnia in Kuwait

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Narnia in Kuwait

I’m a huge supporter of the ARTS and really imagine myself living on Broadway and going to the theatre every weekend. With little to resemble that in Kuwait I’m happy to see a shift with many Theatre organizations appearing and having productions for the public. I love how Kuwait has become more active in the Arts and people became more aware and supportive!

narnia

This coming Thanksgiving Weekend at Bayt Abdulla is the production of “Narnia” If you haven’t booked yet you’ll be able to purchase ticket Today (Sunday, Nov. 24th 2013) Between 4:30 & 6:30 at the BaytLothan Courtyard.

The greater thing about this play other than it being very entertaining is that it’s also involved in a great charity. The play this week is to help raise KD 10,000 for Terminally ill children through KAACH.

So go ahead and plan a day with your family and friends and book your tickets.

Oct28

Fabric Heaven

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Fabric Heaven

My girls have caught on way to quickly on my “if I can’t find it I’m gonna make it” mentality… It’s supposed to be my little secret… Well secrets out apparently!

Since occasions/parties and dressing up is a big thing in my household my girls get a choice of what they want to be for Halloween.

zoe
Jennah wanted to be Zoe from Sesame street and suggested I make it since I couldn’t find a ready made costume (in Kuwait and online). Poor Zoe even sesame online doesn’t have a costume for her. Trust my daughter to choose the underdog! Protector of the weak.

So off to the Fabric Souq in sharq I go….. oodles and oodles of fun. No seriously I wanted to buy it all even though I had absolutely no use for it.

Store after store I was looking for orange fury or feathery fabric. I could find one or the other, either orange but not the texture or Fury but not the color.

All the while thinking, it’s Thursday evening and she needs to wear it on Friday to her cousin’s “Halloween Birthday Party”… Serves me right for asking them! My mind racing and reminding me the faster I get the fabric the quicker I can start designing and sewing.

 
zoe-reemas

Finally I was led to a shop called Reemas Bazar, my wishes came true……What a fabulous selection!!! The have more than just fabric, they have all sorts of accessories, beads, and the works!!

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The main highlight of the whole thing is that I was in Sesame street heaven!!! I actually found all of the colors and textures for Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie monster, Abby and most importantly Zoe!
 

I got what I wanted and rushed to pick up the girls from their playdate and couldn’t wait to get home. Mind you I hadn’t thought the whole costume through…. There was still the question of the bug eyes….
 

I quickly manage to put the girls in bed to get started…ooops I can’t!!! I had to finish the cake and cupcakes I was making for my niece!!! (that’ a whole other POST!!!)
 

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Fast Forward to the next morning……So I set out to make Jennah’s Zoe Costume. I got a visual idea of the main components of the costume and it was time to get all the supplies. I dug through my craft supplies and got two Styrofoam balls, googly eyes, brown glittery foam paper and confiscated a headband from the girls’ dresser.

I’m all set. So I knew that all I needed to use the fabric for was her arms, a little chest area and somehow a wig. I sat there for a while staring at the fabric then it kinda hit me. I made a shrug that she wore backside front. Just a few stiches for the arms and that’s it. I put elastic through the hem the sleeve to hold it onto her wrists.

 
 
 
 
 
Zoe-headband
 
 
 
 
 
Next came the real crafty job… I stuck the two Styrofoam balls together and glues each of the googly eyes. I cut out eyelashes from the brown glittery foam paper and also glued them to the eyeballs. Lastly the pair of eyes were glued to the headband.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Now it was time to try it all on and hope for the best.

Zoe-Jennah
 
 
 
 
Jennah was extremely quick to put her ballet clothes on and just waited for me to turn her into Zoe…. Keeping my fingers crossed that it all fits and makes sense.

She wore the arms and I fixed the extra fabric into a wig and placed the headband to hold it all together. And Viola!!! Another creation I am proud to have made.

So this season its all about “Making Life Memorable” the creative way! Oh wait…..isn’t that always the case in my house?!

P.S. If you’re planning a Sesame street character you know where to find the tools to make it!

Oct22

It’s Costume Season

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It’s Costume Season

After the rush of “Back to School” is all over and I ever so gladly welcome the routine of a so-called organized life (HAH! made myself laugh) the fun begins!

Yes I’m intentionally going to ignore the endless drives back and forth, school drop-offs and pick-ups, homework and extra-curricular activities and I’m going to talk about FUN stuff like Halloweeeeeen!! coloriage-halloween@coloriage_lapinoo_com_

What a fabulous holiday that lets me get dressed up all crazy!! Oh and the kids too….

Every year I keep thinking how am I going to outdo myself this time?? Especially now that I have to think of not just myself (as a couple) but also for the girls!

I take events very seriously and try to be really creative.

It’s a mix of wanting to be unique and the lack of variety when it comes to shopping for costumes in Kuwait.

I mean so seriously that last year I couldn’t find the right wig for my costume so I went and chopped my hair!
 

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I was really happy about last year’s couple costume.

It took me a while to figure out and off course I resorted to ordering it from amazon which made me spend more on shipping than the costume itself. But what’s a girl gonna do?!

We were Neo & Trinity from The Matrix granted I didn’t have Trinity’s long sleek legs but I believe we pulled it off… Not bad Yeh!

I wasn’t that lucky to have enough time to order Jennah’s costume when I got the note from school about the Halloween event stating to “Dress up as a book character” only 4 days prior.

Needless to say I was frazzled and frantic. Halloween comes the same time every year, why would they tell us a few days before?

I know why….. to torture ME!

 
Off course my child of reading age says “I want to be Dorothy” Why oh why did she read the note?? Then I thought I love the idea. Off to the stores I go…..

NO Dorothy costume to be found. 3 days in search and still no luck.

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Finally I thought I’m wasting time! Valuable Samoor time.

It’s time to take actions in my own hands. Off to the Fabric Souq I go.

Oh Wow! What fun, rows and rows & columns and columns of fabric from every color of the rainbow.

I stood there wanting to buy it all while thinking “Why didn’t I do this to begin with?”
 
 
 

dorthy
I found the blue checkered fabric that’s Soooooo Dorothy, an elastic band and two buttons is all I needed.

A quick run to centerpoint for cheap red glitter shoes and I’m halfway set!!

Jennah was smart in digging through her stuffed animals and finding Toto. I guess the obsession of getting it perfect is contagious!

I quickly put the girls in bed and started designing and cutting the dress pattern. I spent the whole night hand stitching Jennah’s Dorothy costume, hoping that the measurements fit.

Now that I think of it I had no back up plan if it didn’t fit in the morning what would I have done? Yikes! Just thinking of that made me quiver.

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Morning came and it was a PERFECT PERFECT fit!

I made Jeenah wear one of her white tutus under the dress to give it that extra fluff it needed.

Two braids, white shirt & socks and lets not forget Toto! The whole outfit made complete sense.

I felt such accomplishment and relief that she got what she wanted and “Made Life Memorable” for the both of us.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On the other hand I’ve set myself up without realizing it. The girls are invited to 2 Halloween parties and have already decided on costumes (that I’m not exactly happy about!) but I have to let them have it…..

I’m having a really hard time adjusting to not having control.

Off course the search begins with no results as expected so I told Jennah I can’t find the costume she chose she barely looked my way then chuckled and said “Just make it mama” as a matter of fact….

I guess I’m heading to the Fabric souq and getting my needle and thread ready! Let’s see if I can pull it off this time too.

Oct20

Annual Holiday Bazaar

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Annual Holiday Bazaar

bazaarFor the past 10+ years I’ve been participating in the biggest Holiday Bazaar in Kuwait.

Organized by K-Events with a multitude of vendors and a huge range of products.

If you are a business owner it’s surely something worth while participating in.The SECOND vendor sign up will be held on MONDAY, October 21st at the Applebee’s in Mishrif. Signup will be from 7pm to 9pm. Tables are available on a first come first serve basis….

If you are a shopper then be sure to mark your calendars and visit the bazaar. December 6th, 2013 at the Salwa Sabah Hall in Salmiya.

I’ll be posting more details closer to the date!

Oct15

Store Opening

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Store Opening

So I thought and thought and thought some more and decided that’s it let’s do the store opening cold turkey regardless of how “prepared” the shop is.

The main objective is to invite my family, friends, blog and social media followers.

Highlighting our Halloween collection and a sneak peek of our new store.

So if you’re in Kuwait be sure to stop by!!

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Hope to meet ya!

Oct13

My Store

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My Store

Have you missed me?? Did you notice I’ve been lagging on posting on the blog?? NO?! “Seriously” he he he!!!

Well in case you were wondering I’ve been overwhelmed with my upcoming store.

Its been more than a few months in the works…. Moved from our old location in Salmiya to a lovely big tower in sharq called “Kipco Tower”.

PaperworkThe first step in any business and change of location is paperwork, paperwork, paperwork…. oh did I mention more paperwork??

It would be nice if all this was done online….or at least part of it but we are where we are and you just have to accept it and go with the flow.

Off course we went through the usual hurdles, obstacles, leaps & jumps….a real test of endurance and I did it AAAAALLL with a big fat smile on my face.

Always keep in mind the end result, your goal should always be on the top of your mind don’t for a moment get discouraged! You’ll surely feel relief and accomplishment when it’s all over.

cleaning

Our space is about 80 square meters with a perfect little corner for my office.

After all the designs, carpentry and the works my operation manager (A.K.A my husband) looked after the final steps of making the store organized and squeaky clean.

We used a company called Bleach (tel: 65194789).

The first thing they did was assess our space and the work required. Followed by a quote. After my approval we set up the day and time and we moved forward.

I loved the fact that they were punctual. Such efficiency and time effectiveness. We were very happy with the job that they did and I would really recommend them to everyone that needs professional cleaning service.

shipment
 
Everything fell into place just in time for our big shipment of the season….

All these boxes are filled with lots & lots of fun gifts and collections that are unique, original and one of a kind.

I feel giddy every time I open every single carton, box after box I can’t wait to just open the doors and let all you in to share the joy!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RibbonME
 
 
 
 
Off course since we are a Gift Basket company I have to always make sure the choices of ribbons are available… I am in love with our ribbon & wrapping station!

It was so much fun organizing and sorting the ribbons!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Given that it’s Eid Holiday our (my) main goal is to open a few hours a day to all my followers and instagrammers (@obb_kuwait) to have a sneak peak of the store and get first bid purchases on our Halloween items.

OWL
 
 
 
 
So far our “owl” shelf is complete.

So stay tuned for dates & times!!! I hope that this fun experience will “Make Life Memorable” for everyone that walks in through our door!

Oct6

Owning a Small Businesses in Kuwait

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Owning a Small Businesses in Kuwait

I vowed to myself that when I blog I will never, never, ever write anything negative or turn it into a rants and raving blog about Kuwait.

We all Love the country with all its good and bad. We are here and we all need to adjust and make the best of it.

In general, in my little la la fantasy world of a life all is well and smooth….. it’s once you venture out that you think HUH!!!! Seriously?! The best way to deal is put on a happy face and move one.

I started my Gift Basket Business called Bassinet back in 2005 when small businesses were very rare. The first official all inclusive gift store. Then I ventured out and bought The original Basket Boutique, a Canadian franchise that brought much added value to my business.

We had our ups our downs, trials and tribulations, but it’s been a journey. From a start-up small shop in Hawalli, a move 8 months to Salmiya and now getting ready to open our new doors in Kipco Tower. Many events, bazaars and exhibitions here and there… An online ordering website and a warehouse later I am still learning about the rules and regulations.

Unfortunately Kuwait is still “young” in dealing with SME’s. As there are so many new business owners it still isn’t that equipped. Over and above that there are no real guidelines that stick. What’s a law today might change in less than a month.

So my positive initiative today is this. Do you own a small business, would you like to share your story?? I would like to assist everyone that’s in my shoes and start an initiative, a forum a club or whatever. With each other success we all succeed.

e-mail me on samarhajjaj@gmail.com and lets join forces. “Making Life memorable” is also changing the system to the better.

Anyone out there with me?