LITTLE BLACK AGENDA

It's that time of the year when my life becomes really messy.

Suddenly, everything seems to make more sense "starting next year". Junk food in the middle of the night, missed deadlines, piles of dishes in the sink, all under the promise of a "New Me"; healthier, smarter, more organized and way more athletic-after the new year! (That's like tomorrow!!)

And so I panic! That's when I usually remember to buy my new agenda. Somehow it feels more real to me, more serious, to write down what I HAVE to start doing after new year's! It's like the commitment is truer.. Yes, I know, that's just crazy. A piece of paper :) Nevermind. 

The point is, this weekend, I went down to hunt down my life savior; a 2013 agenda.

Antoine / Beirut Souks branch, downtown:

It's their nicest and biggest branch.

Good stationery selection. Moleskine lovers will also be happy with their wide selection.

Al Bourj / Behind Annahar building, downtown:

The agendas stand narrowed down. Bits and pieces from everything, but not enough to feel like you're "choosing" something. Found the selection a bit school oriented as well.

Virgin Megastore / Opera building, downtown:

The agendas section is replaced by a bottom shelf with 3 agendas and some plain notebooks. 

Pure disappointment. Don't even bother.

Verdict

Expectations poison life. Expect nothing and you'll live happy.

Turns out Lebanon is not a place to buy an Agenda from.

I stumbled upon some awesome choices in Fnac (Paris) in the middle of summer.

If ever in Dubai, go to Paperchase. A pure heaven.

I wouldn't dare dream of buying an agenda from London or New York..

But if the sanity of your life depends on an agenda, opt for a classic one. Decent. But black. 

No patterns :(

Luana

A DRINK OR TWO

It rains over Bittersweet Beirut. It's lovely. At least I think so. A man on the street offered me roasted chestnuts. I happily obliged.

For the festive season, Luana and I thought it fun and useful, to focus on top 5s. We are all looking for ideas. We are all looking for inspiration. Maybe we can help.

There's a long list of top 5s.
Top 5 places
Top 5 products
Top 5 restaurants
Top 5 designers
Top 5 homes
Top 5 alleyways
Top 5 wall graffiti

But somehow the alcoholic in me gets served first. My top 5s starts there. Plus with rain, work overload and all, my brain and soul need to get warmed up to start producing. And so I find myself indulging more often than I'd like to admit. (Yes, Luana, I lied. I drank yesterday too).

Although I mostly enjoy my glass of wine, I will occasionally indulge in a cocktail if I know it to be worth my while. True, that you'll never know if it IS worth that while till you test it and... I've done my fair share of testing. When it is bad, it is bad. The bartender has to be freaking great to pull it off. Otherwise my words of caution: stick to Almaza or white rum on the rocks with a squirt of lime.

1. DragonFly: Moscow Mule - Thank you Nino Aramouni for no longer asking what I'm having (they mix everything well)

2. Kayan: Bloody Mary - goes well with the chips and salsa we all fill up on

3. Momo's: Passion Fruit Martini for fun, but Dirty Martini takes the cake - Wafic El Tibi: thank you for the intro

4. Dictateur: 005. I like. Luana loves. Hady Salhab, you did a good job. Nero, cheers

5. Centrale: Frozen Margarita

Now, a call out. I am personally looking for top 5 red wines. Good value for money bottles. Help would be appreciated.
Go ahead. Hit me.
I need to stock up. The nights are getting colder.

Petra

FIVE DELIGHTFUL PLACES WORTH A VISIT THIS CHRISTMAS

You know how it feels when you miss a day of work and go shopping or go to the beach instead? When you know your colleagues are sitting there behind their grey desks counting the hours while yours are flying away? You know how it feels as if the sun is a bit shinier that day? 

This is how I felt this saturday when I dragged myself out of the office with Petra and Lina for a couple of hours walking in one block of Mar Mikhael; I was amazed by all the lovely boutiques that have grown there! I will definitely work on a post about this area (what I call the Papercup area) but today's post is a bit wider; five beautiful places I would definitely visit for my Christmas shopping this year.

1. Pink Henna; Vintage jewelry and accessories boutique /  Mar Mikhael (01 57 03 61)

This place is an awesome find--It is small, but jam packed with goodies old and new. You're 100% bound to find something that makes you go "Oooooo." 

2. Al bourj; Library /  Nahar building, Downtown (01 97 37 97)

Maybe the smallest library in town- but one with a beautiful vibe and definitely the nicest selection of bandes dessinées in town.

3. Luanatic; Lebanese funny gifts /  Mar Mikhael (70 71 34 35)

If you haven't been to my workshop yet, then now is the time! The space is an old charming flat with high ceiling and old patterned tiles; I just love it! We have new additions to the tote bags (Mehchi keessa? Please!), baby bodies, and mug collections, as well as new wall signs and decals, vintage wallpaper rolls, stylishly funny pins, and artsy notebooks! 

Gifts by the dozen :)

4. Zara Home; Home accessories / Beirut Souks, Le Mall, ABC Achrafieh

I just love Zara Home! It's the perfect place to shop for family gifts. I usually go there then decide who to get what; whether it's a candle chandelier, or a nice frame that you'd customize with a personal photo, or a big bowl from their new antiquish tableware collection, there's always something that you can get to cross one off your list.  (Oh and remember to buy one or two door knobs while you're there- they're just gorgeous and will surely be handy one day!)

5.  Spare arts; Furniture and home accessories designer boutique /  Mar Mikhael (01 56 90 70)

Wow, talk about a hidden gem! No, really; I walked by this place and my curiosity was instantly peaked. A line of yellow tap lights calls for you in this beautiful raw space with surprisingly affordable pieces. Definitely worth a visit.

Luana

INTRO

I've been asked if I love Beirut. More times than I care to remember. I have never known how to answer that. I love it sometimes. Often I do not. Most people I know can relate. I hate the question though: hard fact.

Luana pushes me to do a lot of things. Mostly they are things that I know are good on the long run. This is one of them. She insisted we start this project. Actually, she gave me no c

hoice. She put it simply. She said this is a reminder for us that we are doing something for ourselves in this city. For what we have. What we live. Here. Now.

And yes, it is bittersweet because that is exactly how we feel about Beirut. And we just live it.

We're taking it one step at a time. It's the spaces we love. The people we love. The ideas we love. The events we love. And the crap we don't.
So here goes...

'Give a damn. Many damns. More damns than anyone'
~ Alexis Ohanian

Petra