oh deary me...

Sometimes I forget how much my life has changed in the last 7 months since I left New York. I don't think my New York friends would recognize me now! Back there I hung out in dirty dive bars in the East Village, spending most of it in the toilets solving the worlds problems or dancing to The Doors, Le Tigre, The Kills, The Cure, Stella Star with my long black hair and skinny jeans; now I find myself at parties with names like Plastik and Gorgeous, where people use more then a black eye liner to get ready, a million miles from Santa Fe (aka home), my local drinking den in Williamsburg in New York.... You have to go, its off the L train at Lorimer... highly recommended! Mention my name and they'll kick ya out prob.. nah, they'll treat ya good.

Talking about forgetting things, I completely forgot the whole of last night.. well, some bits are clear... It was me and my girl Linda causing a bit of trouble on the top of a podium at yesterdays beach party, where I have to say I did feel a little old with all these skinny young bitches prancing around in next to nothing... Ok, when I was that age I did too.. but its just cheap! Kidding,.. TOTAL jealous! The hot chocolate that I just downed is defo not helping me get back to skinny-bitch status, but fuck it, I enjoyed it, although if I'd drunk it slower I might not be feelin so sick right now.

ANYWAY, so my sister, who has been boring-weird-French-wanna-be for the last month (she has been punishing herself for having so much fun in France by not drinking or enjoying life for 4 weeks, and its been a long 4 weeks) decided to drink at the Plastik beach party. And dude, was I glad to have her back in full drinking form.. well full drinking form is not strickly actually! She ended up making an early exit, and think she came close to vomming it all back up. The last I saw of her was a hick-uping mess stumbling up the steps to find a taxi.

Okay, let me try and start the story from the beginning, something I am not good at. Beginnings are so important though, I just find it hard to start them...

I get a cab with my lovely ladies, Linda (who we are going to call Blanket from now on... i need not explain, its not really that interesting) and Natlie, and lia and the lovely Aymen cab it together. 200 AED later, and a couple of hours of driving round, and we finally get there! I completely blame everyone but myself. Between calling friends, the hotel (which had another location completely in the other direction, which we went to, which wasnt even on a beach) driving back and forth from Jebel Ali, ... ya know what, this story is pretty boring. I'm even getting sick of it.. so forget the beginnings.. I hate beginnings, middles are the best.... (I'm hungover and confused)

The beach party was pretty awesome though, and hanging with a group that were practically showering themselves in champagne made for good company. Dancing up by the table I did managed to step on a sharwarma (I have absolutely NO idea how you spell that, and I did try to dictionary.com it, but they have absolutely NO idea either it would appear!) which was gross.

(I should be out sunbathing, the weather is perfect sunbathing weather, but I find it so dull.)

Wasted by 6pm means bed by 10pm! I kindda feel like I got ripped off this weekend, a little cheated, ya know.

So for now. from me. signing out.

XOX|
QRPD

livin' it, lovin' it, laughin' at it.

Spot the Difference??!?!

Is it me? Is it Anna?

All grown up like Anna Piaggi

so, its been one hell of a scandalous week... or has it been two? I have no clue... You know how people talk about the New York minute? What about the freakin' Dubai minute? Or the Dubai week? Its like, the fastest week in the whole world. And I have had my fair share of speedy weeks to know this! Not sure if its just me, but I don't even have time to party... ok, its defo just me. Dubai + not-partying, dont got together, except for me!... which is tragic, especial for this blog, and more importantly, my readers.. hear I have a little bit of a fan base back in the UK... woo hooo... but your hands up for the readers in the UK (ok, so its my best friends Bex and Liz...actually, fuck, they prob don't read it anymore!)

after a rather interesting beginning to the week, (I found myself post-private-celeb-party-shenanigans (yup, I'm afraid that is all your getting on that rather interesting, and at points rather naked event) exhausted and recovering for the full week! But this week has been rather awesome for a savvy lil old stylist in Dubs. I managed to get arse into gear and managed working rather well on one hell of a hang over, lets just say I drunk a lot of champs, and some interesting shots, and took my top off.. but thats all your getting....

I finally got to work with Peter Richweisz, of mag Desert Fish, who is by far the best photographer in Dubs, check out his sites:

http://WWW.RICHWEISZ.COM
http://WWW.DESERTFISHMAG.COM

So keep your eyes open for the next issue of Desert Fish, out in Dec! woo hoo! its going to be one hell of a ride kids!

I did challenge him, who could get the best shots; I thought he was up to quiet a challenge, me with my fancy oh-you-can-drop-it,oh-you-can-put-it-in-water-and-it-wont-break camera. But surprise, surprise.. yeah, no competition. He is so badass, freakin awesome, and even thought the model is clearly stunning, he works that camera in such a way that I 'couldn't help buy wonder' (said just like SJP in EVERY episode of SATC, go watch it! if you didnt know that, you weren't watching hard enough) how I might look if I got in front of his lens, or is it behind his lens? I don't know... But if he took a piccy of me, I think even I could look awesome!

Although I said to myself "NO More styling jobs for a few weeks, get QRPD up and running" I can't help but say...yes. I am even thinking of making it a full time job and dressing more like Patricia Fields meets Anna Piaggi.. which is slowly happening on its own anyway... It is actually often, that a silly girl like me, gets called a
grandma when I think I am dressed up for a night out.. someone's just not getting it! Or Dubai is just not getting me. Which I am fine with.. I think its safer to remain the fruit loop with the flower in her hair, bag of tissues and too many note books for now.

So.. next week I will be styling an event at the Burj Al Arab, which I am pretty damn excited about... I havent been in, and from what I've heard its sounds damn right untastefully revoltingly over-the-top bad-and-wrong.... my cup of tea. Actually, coffee... I'm into coffee these days, but just one, in the morning. I'll be juggling this with another job for a hotel (totally top secret right now, not really but I'll go into it later), and I'll be put up in a hotel the night before the shoot as its a 3hr drive away.. which I think sounds rather fun!

I've also been doing a bit of fashion related writing for Infusion mag and trying to bring a little of what I know about fashion, design, and style to Dubai.. not sure if it is working.. the 300 words I have to cram on the 2 very mini pages doesn't give me enough freedom as lets say... this never ending story of a blog. But it's fun to have work "published". I get to use the word "Press" now at events, and tell people I am a "writer" or a "journalist" with an air about me, and people nod at me with that "oh that explains the intellectual image" look. (sure.)

Is it just me.. or does everyone feel like a kid just playing grown up? I do.. I really do! the only way I can get work done, is to pretend that it's my job. Which is weird, cos it is my job, and I dont need to pretend.. I guess its more fun to "play" grown up, instead of actually being one.

On that note.. I think I'll give ya my round ups of the week, and a few suggestions for ya all if your board.. I mean bored, unless you are a board-game:

1.MUSIC: check out Cyanide Valentine. I saw these guys in NY and they defo rocked my tequila-infused-boat, with songs like Freaks, from their old album and The Sweetest Season from their new shit,how can you not love them? and even more, love to dance to them. A mixture of dance, rock and some trippy d and b soundz will have you just as confused as me, but loving the new sounds pumpin' from yo beatbox, so pump that shit up, turn the lights low, invite some friends round for a seance, and get into it!:

www.myspace.com/cyanidevalentine
www.cyanidevalentine.com

2.if you have a TV (sounds like a weird thing to say.. if someone had said that to me I would have thought they were weird, but I am guessing you came to that conclusion long before this. You see, I don't have one, I only get to see tv once every 1-2weeks when I hang at my mummas). So if you like a bit of cheese, as in cheesey terrible tv, think Bold and the Beautiful but even more awesomely worse, this is what you should be watching, and what is penciled in my diary for those odd evenings when I am not working, check this shit out:

Wicked, Wicked Games

3. Where do I get my energy from? I hear you all scream... its all about the tuna and cottage cheese this month. this combo with a bit of arabic styley flav thrown in there, matoubul is like the best food ever! stick some tabouli in it and ya got my interpretation of an Arabic dish.

4. Ya wanna get my look, prob not, but I suggest putting some color into your winter wardrobe this season, well, winter hair-style really, with some fake hair extensions. You can pick up a badass selection of clip in extensions for those commitment-phobes out there, this is the perfect solution for you if ya not hard enough grrrrrrrawwwwwrrg.mmrrrrrr!!

5. this season fuck buying a tree and stick one up on your wall, check out these awesome life sized xmas tree posters. I mean, in this day and age I hardly have time to wash my towels, ask my sister, they stink so bad, its gross. You know that damn smell, when ya leave things in a wet mess, but keep using them over and over, and then leave them in a wet mess, but keep using them over and over, and keep leaving them in a wet mess,... ya get it right.. so they stink. I'm gross I know. But..."I dont have time!!" So I am now borrowing some towels off ma sister.. which is working out pretty well, but they are so freakin old I get a freakin exfoliating everyday.

oh, so here is the link for the tree (you can also find some other random and equally awesome gifts here):

www.firebox.com


Hopefully this is enough to keep you entertained and tune in next time for a teaser of any antics that I do get up to (which is poss, heading down to plastik beach party today, and last night I went to one of those.. well, lets say Dad wasnt too happy when i turned up wasted and completely soaked to my bday dinner with lia (who was throwing up at the table) and terry (who was rather well behaved for once!).

More from me.
Peace Out.
QRPD
xoxxox
----------------
Now playing: The Cyanide Valentine - Nice And Horrorshow
via FoxyTunes

Pap - opac black tights

This is what I'llbe wearing this winter.

Neon and black tights.

If no one else will photgraph me, I will do it. PAP.

Too Old to Party, Too Young to Stop

When are you too old to stop partying like a rock star. I guess never really.. look at the New York Dolls, MiCK Jagger, Blondie.. they’re all still standing… well, barely. But for me, not being a rock star and all, I know that I can no longer afford these 2 day recovery days; can’t make it to the gym, too lazy to shower (is that just me!?) or even get out of bed (or just me again?). I’m just not hardcore enough.

It’s been a long 3-4weeks of “making an appearance” on the Dubai nightlife scene… not that I am special enough to even call it “an appearance”, or that Dubai is even important enough to be making an appearance for! But it’s my way of making myself feel that it is worth making an effort! My making appearance is a short hour of me, and very much sober me, hanging out while everyone gets messy on the dance floor… my tactic is too leave before I make a serious drunken faux pas which haunts me for the rest of the …week, until the next week I guess. So I’ve been a good girl, sober, good.. and.. yes, a little boring!

So this weekend was like a mega long bender, which left me rolling round moaning in my bed, well, the first 10 hours were spent rolling round on a friends couch, then in the taxi at 5am to my house, where I nearly threw up but kept it together (in my mouth). I finally forced some cereal (mixed with, not milk but, a protein shake – also part of my “new” “make-an-appearance” lifestyle!) down me, which was the first bit of food in 24 hours (defo too old to be doing the whole not-eating thing!) .

Now, 24hrs since the painful comedown began, I am starting to feel slightly more human, although looking far from the beginning of the night, which was now 48hours ago. I thought I look good, but apparently the rest of the Dubai “scenesters” did not! From ‘fancy dress’ to ‘what did you come as?’ to ‘you look like a grandma’ (which I kindda did) came from every angle. I don’t recovering period taking this long in my UK raving dayz! Or maybe I didn’t care some much about wasting a whole day in bed, I think I enjoyed those lazy, guilt-free, after party come-downs; now seeming a whole lot less guilt-free… But it was fun to return to my youth, and a little reminder of why I don’t do it so much anymore… If I’m going to dress like a grandma, I guess I should act like one too.

GET SUPER HERO - advice from a super hero: how to beat the flu and bullies at work

I've been pretty bust this week, busting butt on The fancy panty man-made Palm Island thingy we got going here in lil ol' Dubs..., which I'm pretty sure most of ya round the world have heard of by now...

I had a bit of a cold this week, and was not feeling up to super hero standards! But my mum forced me to drink some weird garlic and ginger magic potion which you can find online at:

www.baselinenutritionals.com

this s*%t is awesome! it contains a bunch of make-ya-feel-better-natural-crap which REALLY works! I had one day of being sick, and then..puff.. gone, back to superhero status! check out whats in it:
Ginger

Onion

Garlic

Olive leaf extract

Horseradish

Liquid ionic zinc

Oil of wild mountain oregano

Grapefruit seed extract

Habañero

Sounds gross right, but if you are a bit of a health freako like me, ya'll know how good this all is for fighting off the bad stuff, when you're not able to. But it really works. Look for Super ViraGon® (MegaGarlic) on the website.

I also took some awesome homeopathic remedy - which I highly recommend just having in your cupboard, at first sign of cold or flu take it, you can even take with your regular cough medicine to feed that addiction... I have a slight addiction to cough medicines, ... anyone else? Keep stock of:

Oscillococcinum

(No joke, that’s what it’s called!)

Ok, so I did this shoot which went AAAMMMAZINGLY well and should have taken pics, but in typical fashion, I ..didn't. But I do however have some pix that I saved from another shoot... which was, well..not so good; infact terrible, nearly the end of my career, my life, I was pretty hard on my self, after being blamed by the director and everyone else on set for everything that went wrong, including the desert being hot.. yeah, it was that bad! And I am a sensitive lil lady... This all kicked off a few weeks back, its taken me this long to come to terms with it. Kidding! I'm fine, I just felt like talking about it now... for reals. I am sure the experience was as bad for them as it was for me.. and they pretty much hate me. But it’s fine. I managed to make up for it this week...

The last, and evil shoot from hell (what I prefer to call it) took place in the desert over several dayz, the days kept changing and things got moved around and things got messy as I couldn't work the dayz the shooting had changed to... I won't go into boring details, but I ended up having to do fits with a bunch to street casted randoms in a big dining hall miles from home, where no one spoke English and I was like a goat herder in a freakin zoo for of elephants and lions... totally useless! It was complete ciaos, and comical, if it hadn't been so freakin un-comical!!!!

The night before our 5am start, I burnt the candle at 4 ends, mine and my lovely lil Deeya (thanks buddy!). I stayed up all through the night and only got to put my head down when... oh, no...I didn't. I arrived at location, the super hero that I am.. and didn't let them stand in my way! I screwed up a little, but not much, and as long as I was looking and feeling it... I was WOOONDER WOOOOMAN!!!!!



So when the going gets tough.... you get super hero!

xox
qrpd

this is how we do it (in New York)

check me and my girl holly back in New York, this is one of my disco dresses (from below illustrations) in the flesh:

in these feverish months, stick on your dancing shoes...

more delights for your disco nights:

disco fever!

i thought i'd share some sugar love with ya all...

check out my disco fever.


xox

qrpd

my top ten obsessions:

10. BRIGHT LIGHTS:
neon orange contast cover stitching. check out one of my "love is a like a butterfly" arm bands, neon is the new black peeps. (made-to-order)


9.Tan in a Can!
Although we live in Dubai, some of us are ust to damn busy to be laying around in the sun... well, I am anyway. So, if ya like me, and find it hard to squeeze in a bit of down time, I think its worth spending the extra buck on a good fake tan, I've tried them all and this one is defo worth it: St Tropez mousse! it can be a little bit messy, so I recommend applying it in someone elses shower, or use the gym showers! I tried it at home once, and my once acid neon green towls are now a mucky color. But it's easy to apply, looks natural and will last a good few dayz. I suggest an every-other-day top up for an even, natural looking darker tan.


8. Bones
I'm sure I'm evil, but i bought this ring and....its awesome. The lady who sold it to me from a stall in portobello proudly told me "Its bone". Don't know whose bone it is, but at least its gone to a good home. (And I'm sorry I have your bone)


7. TIE ME UP:
Scalfs. Spring, Summer, Autumn, WInter..... round your head, bag, waist... where ever you want! A timeless and seasonless accessory. I have a large collection of vintage, cheapies and market finds from all over the world. I suggest you start one too!


6. what's puttin' the poppin' in ma boppin':
70's singer Lynsey de paul's Sugar Me.


5. LOAD of OLD CROCK:
tea cups. these fancy lil bits of crockery are more useful then ya think! Use these pretty little things for anything but drinking tea. (I bought this tea cup and saucer for a quid down portobello. Its found its home in my bedroom and is a lovely place to keep rings and earrings):


4. MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL:
vintage mirrors. you feel better when you look into something this pretty. check out the detail on this gorgeous mirror I picked up from a stall in covent garden:



3. FAIRY GODMOTHER:
fairies. I have millions all round my house. I love them! I am thinking of getting a huge one on my back. Here is one of my first faires, that I have had since I was really really little, like a baby propably. (ok, well, its not really mine, I stole it from my mum, so its preobably even older then I think it is!)


2. SEW NICE:
thimble collection: this wont be of interert.. to...many people I imagine! but for those who sew, they might be. I hope to see my thimble holder full by the end of the year! - xmas wish list someone!!!!


1. I LOVE THE 80s.
I try not to... but I cant help it! if you have a soft spot for this not so soft-hearted era, here are a few things you should be doing:
watching: Slaves of New York (this film.. its just bad-ass-awesome-Oh-
-my-god-I-miss-New-York-so-much-I'm-going-to-cry-AMAZING!). ANyone who loves NY LES (lower east side), 80s and fashion, esp hats, this movie is a MUST!
wearing: 80s prom dresses. RIGHt??!?!?!?!?! Who can't love these OTT, Jem and the Hollograms styley dresses. (oh, and add Jem on your dvd list! genius! I am telling you!)


listening: my fav REO Speedwagon.


thanks all for now.
xox
Quiet Riot Paper Doll.

pics from last post

due to a recent argument between me and my new mac, I have been unable to post some pix. here are couple things you should expect to see more of.
broach: from lost and found project:

and "love is like a butterfly"

Harpers (so) Bazaar

here is a lil hype being created about the QRPD line...

Quiet Riot Paper Doll

so much has been happening in South Studio (my little den-come-studio-come-office) this week. It looks like a "wholey-crap-what-the-f%*@-just happened-in-here??!?!?" ...a creative bomb-site, thats if the bombs had been filled with glitter, butterflies and multi-colored pompoms,ribbons and buttons.

I have been busy gluing away, putting together pieces for my first collection, and things are coming on rather nicely.

Here is a sneaky peeky at what is to come...check me out rocking the look I am calling Poppin' Cherries, one of my one-off broaches from the Lost And Found Project, and my butterflied tutu, Love Me.

would love to hear comments on anything...

thanks.
from
QRPD
ps been trying to post this for, like, a billion years, something is clearly very wrong with my server... or something, clearly wrong with.. something.

as promised.

as much as i want to move forward onto other extremely pressing fashion issues, I will post a few of the DIfW pix as promised... before next season! these r what i thought were 3 of the best....
:(designers below are Meher and Riddhima, my fav collection i think)