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

Add caption

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

The Marks & Spencer Food Hall

Months ago, Marks & Spencer officially opened their Food Hall in Panorama Mall. Their Food Hall in Riyadh Gallery opened a few days earlier. In the Philippines, the Digestives of Marks & Spencer was a favorite of colleagues to give during special occasions. They're affordable and they come with nice, expensive-looking paper bags. So I was one happy foodie when finally, the digestives are here! But apart from the sweet, gritty biscuits, Marks & Spencer's Food Hall have a lot more in store for consumers. Here are photos I took inside their Riyadh Gallery branch:

I like their simple, classic packaging

Biscuits and chips

Top 5 Floral Looks We'd Like To Wear

Two years ago, floral designs on clothing was already a rage in the fashion world. Even before that. And until now. The floral design didn't really vanish in mainstream fashion. As a matter of fact, fashion labels like Coast, Oasis, and Warehouse are still at it. 

We couldn't resist styling their latest floral dresses coming in stores nearest you! Here are five floral ensembles we created via Polyvore that can go from day to night, from laid back Thursday brunches to powerhouse formal parties and events...

1. Laid back Thursday

Unknown to most people in Saudi Arabia, we start our weekend with Thursdays instead of Saturdays so don't be surprised when we have the luxury of eating brunch on a Thursday morning. Warehouse's blue dress is flowy lending that much-needed freshness on a look that subtly says 'summer.' You can wear this ensemble until the winter season comes around. After all, Saudi Arabia doesn't scrimp on sunshine everyday. It's the cool wind that's missing (and the presence of the abaya, haha!) but whatever! A mix of blue and yellow is cool to the eyes.

2. 'Meet the Parents'

Nothing says spring than butterflies and flowers. C'mon, they look good together! And this ensemble will look good on you too especially when you're at a family event. Say for example, meeting the parents of your beau for the first time. It's not supposed to be a very formal event but it's not supposed to be that laid back also. This Oasis dress, with its white/black color splashed with little bits of bright colors here and there, suits most occasions so this is one versatile piece to have in your closet. And turquoise has always been a stunning color. Add it!

Sweet/Savory Delights

There are times that you feel a need to be alone. Especially us, ladies. Right? I have a lot of those moments. In Manila, it's easy to find a coffee shop or a bakeshop that I can go to and be alone. No one would wonder why I'm in this kind of solitary confinement moment and I can go on sipping my coffee, biting my pastry, and typing away in my laptop or reading a book. It's kind of hard to find such a nook here, unless you're a bachelor. Most coffee shops in Tahlia cater to them. The family section of a restaurant is most of the time crowded and filled with kids. I have nothing against kids, seriously, but it's hard to focus when there are a bunch of them running around and shrieking and playing, don't you think? 

I found a solution to that problem. The Crepe Cafe in Thalateen Street. 

I don't want to give away this secret because you might flock this place with your friends (and your kids) and I would be forced to look for another "me" nook but you know The Pink Tarha cannot resist sharing good finds! And I'd like to share this space because we, ladies, can use more lady-friendly establishments around here. Do you agree? :P

You might know of The Crepe Cafe in Riyadh Gallery. Their concept is so popular that they had to extend their dining area to the other side of the garden. And they still had a line waiting every time. The ladies and I liked Crepe Cafe there but I think we like the new branch better because it's tucked in a corner, it has wifi, and my friends and I can hear ourselves better. I bet I can even hear myself better when I'm alone and there are fewer people in this coffeeshop.

Bright interiors

French-lovin' cafe

The "me" booth I like, hehe

The bright interiors of the family area is an apt place to dine in. The food is good too. My favorite would have to be the banana caramel crepe just because it's no-fuss and simple. It's sweet, of course, but paired with bananas, this crepe is the right one for me. E tried the philly steak crepe and she liked it too. Their savory crepes are nice and fills the tummy just right. We also tried the salmon omelet and while a little bit bland, it's adequate. Our waffle-loving friend tried the ones with berries and ice cream. She was neutral on the buttery batter used. She likes her waffles fluffy and light but The Crepe Cafe's aren't. Still quite yummy though.

Picture time!

Comfort food

Yummy!

Savory love.

Lots of smoke salmon bits

All the good things in a plate

So here's why The Crepe Cafe is perfect for your "alone" time... it's quiet during non-rush hours. It has free wifi (just ask the waiter for the password). They have a nice selection of coffee. Their very affordable 'breakfast' food comforts. There are a few establishments around it that you can go to and browse products while waiting for your driver (ex. Golden Brown, Candy Bouquet, Chocolate Dream, etc.) So, you know where to go now when you're hit by a "me time" craving. Or if you and your girl friends just wanted to have a mini getaway (from the crazy urban landscape) to yourselves. ;) Of course the mall makes perfect sense too. ;)

The Crepe Cafe

a. Thalateen St., Suleimania, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

b. Riyadh Gallery, along King Fahd Road

www.thecrepecafe.com 

Sundrenched

Funky Finds at Iconic

... And some are meant for our fathers this coming Father's Day!

Okay, so you've prolly heard about Iconic, the newest "department store" in Riyadh located inside Riyadh Gallery (beside Centerpoint). We saw their signs in most street ads during their first month after opening. Anyway, now that we've pretty much visited the place a few times, we know that we love Iconic because it carries Paul's Boutique bags and wallets. And that is all that matters. Lol. Most of the brands inside can be seen in other department stores. Of course, for New Look... one can never get enough of New Look... so that's always welcome too.

In the middle of the clothes, shoes, and accessories comes Iconic's small stationery place. It carries some rather unusual, fun, and quirky office and personal stuff that will make you smile. Some of them will be perfect gift for your papa on their day this coming Sunday.

Here's a few, which I discreetly took photos of during one of my recent trips there with friends. Let's begin with paper, my all-time favorite thing in the world! :P

Notepads for specific concerns.

I would rather use the Thank You pad more often than the Complaint or Help! pads. :P This is one quirky way to send your message across. You can bombard your boss' desk with the Complaint pads. Lol. You can also bombard your dad with the Thank You sheet and tick "My Hero" or "Forever Indebted." Powerful words said in a cute way!

What can we say? We never run out of cards.

The blue card with the Best Dad will seal the deal but the green card with Superstar will earn me a free trip to the mall of my choice. Hahaha. Maybe.

Flattery and excuses so go together in a greeting!

Guess I don't have to explain these. Use them for your family or friends' birthdays and you'll have a good laugh over it. :D

Yummy prints!

You can wrap your father's day gift for your dad with these! The wrappers with juicy strawberries and colorful chocolate nips are irresistible. And the ones with the roses are just dainty and beautiful.

Instant room makeover!

Ever felt your room here is so plain? It probably is because you're only allowed to have white walls. Ask if you can put stickers on and this wallgrafx can help put personality on your room. The chandelier icons, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and wings caught my eye. I would love to put them in my room... which I need to clean and organize first. :P They're on sale for SR30-SR70, depending on the designs. They're originally priced at SR100 up.

A not-so-piggy bank!

I'm always planning to save for a trip somewhere. But of course, it doesn't materialize. (That's why I'm always just planning!) But these tin cans with specific purposes can prolly help. The Exotic Holiday Fund can is what I need and I will make sure to put it in a corner of the house where my parents can see it too. Because look, it also accepts "donations." LOL. I'll give my father the "Diet Cheating" can. I'm not sure though if he'll consider it a gift if he starts paying a fine every time he eats something sweet.

Tag that bag!

Every one has a camera these days. But not every one has this camera luggage tag! Okay, that was a pathetic attempt of introducing this thing. Lol. Look at this tag and tell me you're not tempted to get it for your boring luggage.

Old-school mouse with a twist

If your dad is as old-fashioned as mine who keeps on insisting on using a mouse while using the laptop, give him one of  these quirky, cute USB wired mouse (mice?!)! The shiny gold bullion mouse looks sleek while the brick mouse looks like, errrr, a lego! The car looks like er, a toy! But it has "real headlights!" Ow, c'mon! So retro!

Designs from your grandma's dress

Speaking of retro, here's some laptop covers which spells vintage. Shoegarfreeruby will be pleased. :)

Remote controls in one place!

It's a constant battle at home who gets to handle the remote control. If you have all the remote, you're the lord of the house. Give your father the feeling that he's in control (if he's not yet controlling enough) by giving him this J-me cozy remote tidy... with all the remote controls organized there, of course. The next time, he sits in front of the television, he'll have the say on what to watch. But don't let that stop you from nagging him to switch to your desired channel, teehee!

And this is the ultimate quirky find, (which you can put in the remote tidy):

Control freak, much? No batteries needed!

This got me at "make them do what you want!" Of course, this can work both ways. You can give this to your dad so he can control his boss or his co-workers or even your mom (hehehe) and then give one to yourself so you can control your dad. If he's crammed in traffic and he's running late for work, he can just push the "Ignore Lateness" button. Likewise, if your father's angry at you, push the "Listen" and "Calm Down." If you did something wrong, no problem... the "Ignore Mistake" is there. And wouldn't it be great to "fire" your bossy boss?! LOL. It would be greater if this remote works in reality though. But as the instructions say, we can only "hope for the best!"

Most of the items are still on sale so go now if something caught your fancy. You'll find more stuff that I haven't mentioned here so make a beeline to iconic if you're in Riyadh Gallery and be amazed. :)

This coming June 19, don't forget to greet your fathers a HAPPY FATHER's DAY!!!

Q&A Portion 10

Whew, it's been a long time since the last Question and Answer Portion. We have a handful of questions from our very lovely readers today which we'll try our best to answer. If you're going to ask us what's going on in Saudi Arabia right now, we can just say that it's pretty much normal. And we hope it stays this way. Anyway, let's all keep calm and move on...

1. Where is the biggest New Look in Riyadh?

The biggest branches are in Hayat Mall and Olaya Street. They have two floors and lots of selections! You can also visit other smaller branches in Granada Center and Riyadh Gallery. The Rollasoles we featured in our Facebook page came from New Look and they're located in the Accessories section, together with the wallets and tights, so go before designs and sizes are gone.

2. Which mall in Riyadh has both Centrepoint and City Max?

Riyadh Gallery! It even has Debenhams so that's three department stores in one mall. Have fun shopping! There are Citymax and Centrepoint branches near Sahara Mall too but you need to cross busy streets and intersections to get there.

3. I so LOVE the blog. You guys keep it up! Kudos to all of you! I was wondering if you guys know where to buy/find marzipan icing for fondant cakes? I'd like to practice making fondant cakes but don't have an idea where to get the marzipan icing. Thanks!

Thank you very much for the kind words. We hope you continue reading our blog. As for your icing needs, there's Baker's Rendezvous in Dabab St., just beside Mama Noura. For more baking tips in Riyadh, the beautiful and creative Ms. Nadia of Bake Fresh is probably the best resource person. She'll be offering classes soon so check her Facebook site as well. If you want to ask other bakers in Riyadh and learn more information, here's a link of home bakers in the city from Riyadh Yummy Yummy Guide.

4. Hi, do you know the name of the mobile store somewhere in Sulaiman street?

Unfortunately, we don't even know where Sulaiman St. is. What we do know is mobile stores are scattered all over Riyadh. You can start your search for gadgets in Batha (Electron Center) and Mursalat. For a more convenient shopping experience, Jarir Bookstore and HyperPanda have their own gadget corners and displays.

5. Do you know any Bed&Bath branches in Riyadh? The one in Sahara Mall has already closed.

We haven't seen another branch except the one in Sahara which you mentioned. There are other bed and bath essentials stores. Try Home Centre and IKEA.

6. Hi! I would just like to know if you have any infos regarding King Khalid University Hospital? Also about Taif Military Hospital? I would like to know which one is the best. Thank you.

Hi there! We don't usually give advice in which hospital is the best for you to work in because we don't have a lot of information about hospitals here and it's a huge decision for your career life so we don't want to meddle with that. However, we can just give you an overall view of the places where both hospitals are. The King Khaled University Hospital is the King Saud University's hospital, one of the biggest here in Riyadh. Taif Military Hospital... well, are you talking about the Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital? If yes, then the only difference we can tell you is that the hospital is in the agricultural province of Taif, about 7 hours away from Riyadh. Since both are hospitals under the Ministry of Health (MOH), they're probably one of the best hospitals (as compared to private ones). It's just a matter of the location where you will thrive best: the urban area where it's bustling and hot (Riyadh), or the rural area where it's laid back and somewhat cold (Taif)? No matter what hospital you choose, we're sure there are a lot of Filipinos there to help and guide you. (Of course we're partial to Riyadh because we're here. LOL!)

7. Hi! I love reading your blog. I would just like to know if you have any information about Al Hammadi Hospital in Riyadh? I have a job offer as a nurse there. Do you know any one who works there?

Again, we don't really want to play a big role in a life-changing decision such as your question. We can only give you what we know from our friends who have information about these hospitals. The Al Hammadi Hospital is one of the biggest and best private hospitals in Riyadh. We're not sure how they treat their employees though but there are many Filipinos working in Al Hammadi. Of course, the entry-level salary is not as competitive as the military hospitals.

8. Hi Pink Tarha! Very excellent blog, ladies. I literally spent my whole day yesterday reading through all of your entries. Really informative in a very COOL way! Btw, I just need to ask if you have any idea how much does it cost to have a kitten vaccinated? How much does it cost to get the kitty documented (travel docs, etc.). We are buying an 8 week-old cat with no vaccinations and papers yet. Thanks a bunch!

Wee, another cat lover like Eyecandy! A cat vaccine usually costs 80-100 riyals ($25) in pet shops. As for the documents, when your cat is vaccinated for the first time, the pet shop vet usually just gives you a card that serves as your cat's document. That's what we know so far. Eyecandy goes to the Pet Village in the old airport road but we heard that it closed recently. You can try Life and Nature Pet Center in King Abdul Aziz Road (0505444905) and Riyadh Veterinary Clinic near exit 7 (+966-1-456 - 8736). We don't have personal experiences on these shops though. Thank you very much for reading our blog and loving the entries. :)

So there you go. We apologize if it took us a few weeks to answer your questions. We'll be faster next time. Ask and you shall be answered! :)

The Top 5 Malls in Riyadh

We're introducing a new section in the blog where we list five favorite any thing. Just the Pink Tarha ladies' choices orayt? Feel free to add yours in the comment boxes. :)

For the first entry in this section, we write about something dear to our hearts (lol). Since we're still high from shopping, why not write an entry that involves our favorite past time?

One of Riyadh's allure to women is its being a major shopping destination, especially during the sale season. The mall is the main destination of women who are seeking respite and therapy from all the day's work (or non-work). The mall is the oasis, the first refreshing frontier in the ongoing life of Filipinas in Saudi Arabia. It's wide, air-conditioned, and the displays are endless and dazzling! Filipino men can settle for Batha but we women can hold our fort in Riyadh's huge malls. The Pink Tarha lists down our five go-to malls in the city with their matching pros and cons.

1. Riyadh Gallery
This mall located at the end of the King Fahad Road tops our list. It might be far to a few but we say it's location is just right. Not too near and not too far. The distance is compensated by the King Fahd Road, which is a relatively wide highway with little traffic. But the most important reason is that it's a one-stop complete mall. It houses three of our favorite department stores - three! - Debenhams, Centrepoint, and Citymax. It also has a famous one-stop beauty shop, Sephora. Eyecandy says it also resembles a Manila mall the most (say Trinoma) because of its wide space and nature (albeit faux) landscape in the center. The coffee shops are rightfully (and tastefully) placed in the nooks of this mall garden. The lack of in-house branches of popular restaurants is compensated with a brightly-lit, colorful food court with interesting eating stalls that we like. E likes Indian Garden in the food court which serves a mean Chicken 65 while Mary likes the no-fuss pasta at Pastalita. Overall, Riyadh Gallery is the Pink Tarha's main retreat.

Shop with nature in Riyadh Gallery (photo from here)

Pros
Relaxing ambiance (nature landscape in the middle)
Department stores (Centrepoint, Citymax, Debenhams, Sephora)
Popular brands (New Look, Zara, H&M, New Yorker)
Specialty stores (Konad for nail art and Stokes for funky kitchen tools)
Hyper Panda
Huge parking lot
London cab
Huge amusement center

Cons
Far location (at the end of King Fahd Road)
Death-defying high escalators
No in-house restaurants

2. Granada Center
Surprisingly, even if Granada Center is far from the city center, we are placing it in second because of a somewhat unique reason. Granada Center is probably the most men-friendly mall because most of the brands here carry their line for men. Like Topshop and H&M. So it's a pro for our fathers, husbands, and brothers. Pro for us too because they become more willing to drive us around. We also consider its distance a breather from the grinding, busy city life. It also proves to be an advantage because we still find our sizes here, especially during the sale season. Granada Center is like a walk in the park. It's spacious but not too huge to enjoy a stroll. It also has the must-go-to stores in our list like H&M, River Island, and Debenhams. Also, we don't encounter the muttawas here as much compared to other malls (not that we're hiding from them).

Far but worth it (photo from here)

Pros
Department store (Debenhams)
Popular brands (Topshop, H&M, New Look,)
Brands for men (Topshop, H&M)
In-house restaurants (Steakhouse and a Turkish grill)
Carrefour
Entertainment center
Huge parking lot
London cab
For women only food court area

Cons
Location
Limited variety of stores
Limited eating stalls in the food court

3. Sahara Mall and Hayat Mall
We decided to combine these two together because once you're in one, you can't help but go "ober da bakod" to visit the other. And you can also go to Sahara Plaza, the home of Zara and La Senza's liquidation stores. If not for the ongoing construction on the roads surrounding these malls, we could have placed it in the number 1 spot. But times and places have changed. The traffic in this area is a killer and you'll waste precious minutes in the surrounding intersections, U-turns, and detours. Also, it was a breeze before to cross the road to go from one mall to the other but now that a fence has been installed in between, the walk outside is a strain (unless you enjoy walking like we do... sometimes). Overall though, Sahara and Hayat offer a huge variety of brands and stores combined. What you can't find in one mall, you can find in the other. You can buy everything here from your clothes, groceries, books, cellphones, and appliances. It's a one-stop gigantic shop... which you can reach after having a headache from the road hassles.

Shoppers' [twin] delight (photos from here and here)

Pros
Location (near the city center)
Popular brands (Hayat: New Look, Zara, Lacoste, Al-Sawani, Paris Gallery | Sahara: MNG, H&M, Miss Selfridge)
Lots of food court choices
In-house restaurants (Hayat: Tony Roma's and Applebee's | Sahara: Fuddruckers, Cafe Ceramique)
Supermarkets (Hayat: Dabube Hypermarket | Sahara: Tamimi Market)
Sahara Plaza
Jarir Bookstore and Best Electronic Store
Entertainment centers

Cons
Major traffic in the area
Long detour in between malls
Always full parking lots
No London Cab

4. Kingdom Mall
Though we love this mall for the unique brands it carry, we find the stores very limited. What we love though is the ladies floor where we can step out of our abayas (which curiously, we keep) and relax with other women who love shopping and having coffee. We are also catered by women who know our wants and needs and whom we share the same interests. What goes on in the ladies' floor is our own dirty little secret. Lol. However, the prices are somewhat too high. Salon services cost twice or triple than salons outside. Kingdom Mall has an upper-class clientele and this mall gives off that ambiance. The food court, though, feels otherwise. The available eating joints are scarce and not as varied as other malls. One major point when being in Kingdom Mall is the opportunity to go upstairs and visit the Skybridge where a glass wall is the only thing that separates you from a panoramic view of Riyadh.

Go luxe! (photo from here)

Pros
Location (city center)
Luxury brands (Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Tiffany and Co., Saks Fifth Avenue)
Luxury hotel (Four Seasons) and restaurants (Spazio, Quattro, The Grill)
Ladies' floor
Spacious, wide, brightly-lit areas
London Cab
Skybridge

Cons
Limited variety of brands and stores
Only 1 in-house resto (Planet Hollywood)
Attacks on women outside the mall were 'reported.'

5. Faisaliah Mall
We love Faisaliah Mall but it doesn't offer as much as the other malls. It is the nearest mall to our work and home but we only find ourselves drawn by the food court which has our favorite food (Subway, London Chips, and Samurai). We also love their selection of desserts (Cheesecake Factory, Baskin n' Robbins, a cookie stall, etc.) Their food court and Water Lemon have a nice view of the Olaya Road. It has a nice array of familiar brands like MNG, Zara, and Promod and has the only branch of Juicy Couture in Riyadh. It is also the home of upscale department store, Harvey Nichols. When done shopping, going to the view deck in Faisaliah's globe is a must. For SR25, you get a nice 360 degree view of the city and limitless number of photos using your camera (Kingdom's Skybridge prohibits the use of mainstream cameras; only mobile phone's).

Shop and dine with a view at Faisaliah Mall (photo from here)

Pros
Popular brands (MNG, Zara, Promod, MAC)
High-class brands (Juicy Couture, Coach, Roberto Cavalli)
Department store (Harvey Nichols, Al-Sawani)
Good variety of food court choices
View deck
Ample parking space in the basement

Cons
Busy intersection of Olaya and Thalateen Sts.
Filled parking lots outside
No London Cab

There are still a lot of malls in Riyadh and we cannot count the possibilities of fab finds and experience. These five, however, are our go-to malls but we also visit Panorama Mall (for their amusement center... lol!), Al-Akaria Mall, Al-Nemer Center, Othaim Mall, Khurais Plaza, etc. but not as frequent. If you have raves and rants on the malls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, do let us know in the comment box.

Happy shopping in Riyadh!

A Shoe Addict?

It's funny to see that our blog lacks shopping entries when we've been pretty busy during the sale season. So in honor of the category that propelled this blog, here's one for you.

Seriously, what is it with women and shoes? I'm not one to explain because I'm one of you girls who think that we can never have enough shoes. Ever! :P

And because I'm one shoe fiend (Shoegarfreeruby being the queen of shoes among the Pink Tarha ladies), I need to think of a way to keep them all in my room. I'm sure a lot of you girls are thinking about your shoe spaces too. Rooms for working ladies here in Saudi Arabia are small or shared with someone else.

At first, all my pairs were kept in my closet and then as the sale seasons come and go, I bought more shoes than my closet space can accommodate. They overflowed into a corner of my room and I've heard the ladies tell me to get racks for them. I didn't do that, of course, because I'm convinced that I can still squeeze all inside my closet. I pondered on getting clear shoes boxes but they are not available here. So what to do?

During my visit in Riyadh Gallery, I found one solution (tipped off by a friend):

SHOES UNDER

It says "as seen on TV" but I doubt it. It seems like a lousy version (imitation?) but I'm okay with it. I need it. So I bought a pack which can hold 12 pairs for SR20.

Space Saving Shoe Organizer

It's flimsy and the compartments are a little bit too small for my heels but I still packed 'em in. My 4-inch gladiator sandals occupied two slots. Flats will fit this container better. It only holds 8 pairs of my heeled shoes but the good news is, it slides under my bed with ease!

So if you're such a shoe addict like the Pink Tarha ladies and you dont have anywhere else to stash your newly-acquired shoes, here's one way to organize them (and to hide 'em from your husbands, lol).

§undrenched

*****

The Pink Tarha wishes everyone an

EID MUBARAK!

The H&M-Riyadh Experience

Isa ito sa mga kina-reer ng PT girls…

Opening sign outside Sahara Mall luring all H&M lovers

The Pink Tarha Girls (minus Mary who’s now in Pinas) met after work for our most awaited day, the H&M opening. We decided to check out the Sahara Branch and arrived around 5:30PM. A little bit late for excited shoppers I know, but we had to wait after office hours (mga working girls naman). We still did our best to be there the earliest we can. The ride to the mall was the most dreaded part, since the roads to Sahara Mall are under renovation. Perfect timing.

Our elevated pulse rates was the result of running towards the store after getting out of the car, plus the excitement of finally making it on the opening of course. We were welcomed by Mickey Mouse (Can you believe? See post below) at the red carpet entrance. A handful of shoppers were already there. Wala pa masyado kaagaw. We got our baskets quick and we were just so ready to explore the store and find the items in our list. This however, was cut short due to prayer time and we had to wait for half an hour before proceeding to our shopping again. After prayer, floods of people came. The store was as we expected it to be. Loads of springy-summery basic tops, shoes and accessories adorned the shelves and racks. We literally wanted to pass out, confused by all the pretty stuff surrounding us. What should we check out first?! If there’s one thing that would stress us really, this was it. Who would have imagined shopping would be this difficult? Haaay.

I also visited the Riyadh Gallery Branch about 3 days after the opening. There you’ll be welcomed by Superman (Filipino version) with mattress foam-like abs. I thought I’ve seen everything, but then there’s always something to lure you at H&M. Reason why we love the shop. Di nauubos ang maganda, LOL.

As promised, here are my H&M loot from both branches:

Cardigans and cool basics

Gingham print shirt

Tunic tops in light grey stripes and dark grey

Red-orange smock

Skirt in blue-black-cream palette

Accessories in black and white

My faves, black gladiator sandals

Bagged all the goodies here

One thing's for sure, we can't get enough of H&M.