Random Thursday {September 27}

Good morning, beautiful people of Riyadh! How are you feeling today? Well, I'm feeling upbeat this Thursday despite of a tooth extraction done to me last night. Haha. Although I can't eat solid food just yet, I'm happy to say I now have the license to eat ice cream and fro-yos... as much as I want! 

We didn't have Random Thursdays last week because of The Pink Tarha Mornings but it's back today. I'm bringing you scenes from the city and random snacks (as if I needed more photos of food to tease me from not being able to eat them). 

Here's a very good morning photo I took of Tahlia Street. It was taken one random Thursday morning when the ladies and I were having brunch in Buffalo's. I'm reminded once again of how Riyadh has changed for the last couple of years. The traffic nowadays is horrible but you can get some respite from all that craziness when you go out on a bright Thursday morning and drive by Tahlia Street (or any street for that matter).

What's a morning without coffee? When we don't have moolah for store-bought coffee (Starbucks and Dr. Cafe anyone?), we drink 3 in 1 coffee in sachets and one of our favorites is Kopiko Java Coffee. It has the right amount of sweetness. Our ultimate favorite is Nescafe Brown but it's not available here in Riyadh so we settle on what's here. Kopiko is available in leading grocery and supermarkets. 

And what's drinking coffee without some sweets to go with it?

Have you tried Dixie Cream's donuts found in Tahlia Street? While we applaud the addition of another donut store in Riyadh, we're not too impressed with Dixie Cream. There's nothing new with their donuts. But hey, we all want to taste something new every day right? Grab a donut here in case you're in the area.

You know how much we loved macaroons, yes? While our heart was definitely taken by Laduree, we also sample those which are available in the pastry shops here in Riyadh. Like this macaroon from our recently-featured Saadeddin Pastries. The colorful rounds weren't exactly uniform in size but they were good on their own. It has a crisp outer layer and chewy center, a consistency I really like in a macaroon. But the almond scent was a little bit overpowering that my brother was bothered in eating something so fragrant like a flower or a perfume. Haha.

Another sweet treat we couldn't get enough of is Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists. No, they're not bread sprinkled with cinnamon but crackers (like prawn crackers) with cinnamon powder all over them. They're crunchy and sweet and salty... we're addicted!

And now we go to heavier snacks...

The first pizza chain I've ever eaten in Riyadh is Pizza Company. I got to revisit it again with a friend last week and we enjoyed their personal sized Hawaiian pizza (basically with pineapple and shrimps). The pizza as thick and chewy with gooey cheese to boot. We love the sweetness of the pineapple chunks and the plump shrimps that went with it. Busog!

Ahhh Coke. Who doesn't drink it? (Okay, please do not start a Coke vs. Pepsi war in here.) I personally am a Coke fan. (I was a Pepsi fan when I was in high school... I didn't know what happened.) So I'm glad to find this "sakto" size in Alrajhi Supermarket. And it was so cold too! Perfect thirst quencher  on a scorching hot afternoon. 

And so I end this entry with a night photo...

Taken from one of our favorite coffee hang-outs in Riyadh... Cafe Lenotre in Centria Mall. We like the ambiance on their terrace where we get to see Olaya Road along with glimpses of the Olaya Twin Towers, Faisaliah Tower, and Kingdom Tower. It's fun to catch up with friends in this cafe... only when it's not too crowded. ;)

Remember that tomorrow is Mc Donald's A Day Offline. Can you handle the challenge of not being able to use your gadgets like phone, computers, and television to spend more quality time with your families and friends? Can we? Let's see. ;)

Have a fun, fun weekend everyone! Don't hesitate to share fab finds and your desert city adventures to us! ~ Sundrenched

Random Thursday {September 13}

What time is it? I know, I know. It's late and I'm still typing this entry away. The Pink Tarha is getting busy for the upcoming workshop. It's our first time to hold it so imagine the rush. That's next week, folks! And we're excited!!! 

Anyway, on to this day's random finds and photos...

Oh breakfast, what would we do without you? Chos. One of the most popular breakfasts in the city can be found in a furniture store. IKEA's SR6 breakfast is composed of two long sausages, beef breakfast, loaf bread, eggs, jam, and butter. Plus coffee and tea, of course. In my case, I pair it with cold iced tea. Greasy, cheap, filling... what more can you ask for? 

Posting photos of malls in Riyadh proves popular in our Facebook page. A few OFW kids who grew up in the city and are now back in th Philippines, or somewhere outside Saudi Arabia, are the ones who share these photos and say they miss it. The Faisaliah Mall's Ramadan decor proved to be popular garnering more than 50 likes and 30 shares. I'm sharing you Riyadh Gallery's fountains this time. It's a little oasis in the usually crowded shopping center.

Homaygahd, Jollibee's chicken joy! JOY, JOY, JOY! What more can I say? :)

This is the popular King Fahd Road. (Ehrmn, this Random Thursday entry is becoming a compilation of "popular" things. Hehe.) I took this one Ramadan morning and I couldn't believe it... the road is empty. EMPTY. This doesn't happen on an ordinary day. If you go out now, you'll be stuck in one of the worst traffic you'll ever be in the desert city. Oh well... let's charge it to a day in the life of a Riyadhizen. :P

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Eyecandy and our friend, KSA-born and raised Jamila, loves the kunafah, a traditional cheese pastry soaked in sweet syrup. The one above is from Kusebasi and it's quite good. The cheese is chewy and the long threads of "noodles" were crunchy. I'm not fond of Arabic sweets because they're soooo sweet! Proof? How about soaked in sweet syrup? As in soaked?! Haha.

That's it for today. Hope to be churning more entries this week! :) ~ Sundrenched

Random Thursday {September 06}

It's another Thursday again! Yes! 

We'd like to thank everyone who signed up and showed interest in our women's workshop, The Pink Tarha Mornings. We received an overwhelming response and we wished we could accommodate all of you but we'd like to keep the workshop small for now so we can focus on the subjects. Who knows there might be a second one? Haha. And for those who emailed us good things about the blog, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! We appreciate them and we promise to make the blog better.

So how are you this fine Thursday morning? I'm sure most of you are still asleep. Let me guess, it's the men who are snoozing overtime. Haha. As for yours truly, I'm having breakfast while typing this. How I can feed myself spoonfuls of sinangag (Filipino fried rice) while tapping away in my keyboard is beyond me. But hey, a Pink Tarha lady's got to do what a Pink Tarha lady's got to do. Haha!

Here's a round up of interesting things this week...

Abu Bakr Ar Razi Street, the street going to Military Hospital from Dabat Street, is my neighborhood and from what I'm seeing, it's becoming a little Batha. From having branches of Enjaz, Telemoney, salons, and popular Filipino restaurants and bakeries, this street is the mini "place to be" for Filipino expats. The opening soon Jollibee branch is also here and Skyfreight for cargo and TFC transactions. Wow, I'm glad I live in this area. Although I might have to rethink that once traffic and the huge crowds get in.

I was cleaning my closet when I chanced upon my stash of Bath and Body Works, which I got from the sale a few months back. These are my favorite scents, along with Sweet Pea. There's a new line in B&BW with the theme, "Paris". Have you seen it in the stores yet? But before hoarding again, check your closets and cabinets for B&BW products that you might have bought before. I'm sure you have them in there. Use them first, or better yet give them away as pasalubongs. I'm sure my sisters are already eyeing the babies above.

Have you tried Lush's Emotional Brilliance cosmetics line already? You should! They have it in this cute containers that remind you of art supplies or a medicine bottle/dropper. Haha! There are words in there that speak about and match your personality. They sure pack a lot of colors. See my mini review below.

Beauty reviews

I've had these amazing products for a few weeks already and have used them a couple of times. The Tito Nail Polish came from one of our favorite nail spas in Riyadh, Four Nail Spa and Salon. They come in 99 vibrant colors. Macau, a gorgeous and elegant blue green color with shimmers, caught my attention immediately. The nail polish itself was easy to apply and goes on smooth. It doesn't hurt that it's perfect for the dry weather in Riyadh. It doesn't chip easily and the color stays vibrant for days.

The liquid lip color Believe came from Lush's Emotional Brilliance line and dare I say it? It is indeed brilliant. A little drop goes a long way. It really packs a wallop of that solid raspberry ice cream color. So pigmented! I had the mistake of putting too many in my cheeks (yes, it can be used as blush) and my driver looked stunned when he saw me. Hahaha. So now, I just use a small drop for my lips and cheeks. The color is good and it lasts longer compared to the usual lipstick. I suggest you put a balm on your lips first before swiping it on. Oh, and use a proper lip brush.

You know what's good to eat on a Thursday brunch? Fresh pizzas and bruchetta! Piatto, our venue for the Pink Tarha Mornings, have these! Don't they look so good to eat right now? Oh yes, we are excited for our first workshop and it's great we have a very good venue for it. I mean, how refreshing will it be to learn something new in a courtyard and having a nice brunch after?

Speaking of eating, I'm reminded of these "sporks" our boss got for us via online shopping. He does know how much we love to eat. Haha. And this is more than a spork because if you look closely, it even has a "knife" in there. Genius! Perfect for guerilla eating! Hehe. I wonder if this comes in pink?

Yesterday, the ladies and I were going gaga over Solestruck's SALE. Hello, shoes!!! And I remembered we haven't shown you what we bought from the last Solestruck sale a few months ago. So here it is! Or them. Our friend got those patented purple, okay shocking purple, boots from Ego and Greed. She loved them! I got the fuchsia gladiator sandals from the To Be Announced line. You won't believe how many times I had to wrap the black lace on my legs before I was done putting them. Hahah. But they're nice and definitely a scene stealer. The Michael Kors box contains a pair of black boots and the girl scout box? It's a Jeffrey Campbell pink Moochie. Oh you just have to wait for the ones we ordered yesterday. You'll be shocked. Hahah.

To end this random Thursday entry, I bring you a photo I snapped on the way home. Yes, that is still in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia even if it reminds me of somewhere else. We just know Riyadh as that hot, stifling, strict city that doesn't have much to offer aside from sand when it comes to "nature". But if you just know where to look, you will also get to see glimpses of the other side of Riyadh - simple, bright, hopeful - from time to time.

Have a nice weekend, everyone! ~ Sundrenched

Random Thursday {August 30}

We're introducing a new section in the blog called "Random Thursday." It will feature anything under Riyadh's sun. Remember when we said we take a lot of photos? Well, I do! And I have a lot of random photos of things (food, places, stuff, etc) on my phone. I want to share them with you every Thursday. Who knows, someone out there needs whatever it is I'm featuring? Haha. It will also serve as a filler entry for the week because I rarely write entries on a Thursday, when every one, including your Pink Tarha ladies, are sleeping until the wee hours of the afternoon morning.

This cute polka dot pattern came from Kitsch Cupcakes' box. If you haven't seen a Kitsch's box for their cupcakes, it's long and filled with this pretty pattern. It's interesting enough to serve as a wallpaper for your phone. Or just something nice to look at.

I was browsing the aisles of Whites Pharmacy in Riyadh Gallery when I saw this ermn, "Virginity Soap" from YC. If you look closely at the list of effects it promises, there's "tightening". I have no idea how it can do that! Haha.

I saw this very pretty wall photo in IKEA last Eid holiday. It's so dainty! Perfect for your white or light pink walls. It's priced at SR39. I was tempted to buy it for my room's re-decoration plan but I have other ideas for my white, empty wall. ;)

Ate in Sushi Yoshi for the nth time last Eid with Eyecandy and our friend Jamila. Can't resist ordering something with octopus, because I haven't had anything with octopus in Sushi Yoshi. Ever. So, this octopus gyunkan was my choice. It wasn't great tasting or anything. Just ordinary. I love the spicy sauce though. If I could take home a jar of it, I'll be the happiest girl ever, and I promise to eat my green salad all the time.

This is the best mug ever... because it speaks of what happened (still happening) to my money here in the city. Hahaha. Oh, and yes, it's literally just 1/2 of a mug (shaped like half moon). Available in Camel Corner for SR10.

Want more colors in your life? This lush chair is a quilt of colors! So loud and vibrant, perfect for your boring living room. I would have bought this if I still have space for it in my room... and if I have SR2000+ in my wallet. Too bad, my wallet, like my wall, is empty. Available in Home Centre, King Abdullah Road.

Yesterday afternoon, it was drizzling. It's the first sign of "rain" in the desert since summer started. I was telling the ladies that it took 5 months' worth of evaporated water for the clouds to deliver because there's little water in Saudi Arabia's surface. The drizzle was short but it produced this very nice vision in the sky. Took this at an intersection in Takhassosi Street going to Mecca Road.

So there's our first Random Thursday. Anything caught your attention? I couldn't move on from that Virginity soap. Someone tell me it works! Hahaha. So funny.