Most Kuwaiti women I've seen so far wear an abeyya, or at least jeans or trousers with a tunic and a headscarf, so I was a bit unsure whether it was OK to wear a dress that didn't cover my lower legs (the Lonely Planet said I could), but after seeing a few expats wearing capri jeans or a dress I decided to go for it. Turns out nobody really cares, not with American or European people anyway. The only mildly disapproving looks I got were actually from women wearing abeyyas themselves, while the men didn't even seem to notice, or at least they couldn't care less. Pfew, that's a relief. Otherwise I couldn't have worn half of the outfits I packed :/

After our lunch we took a stroll along the beach, where we came across this sign: no swimming, no fishing, no BBQing and NO water pipe smoking. Just so you know, in case you were planning to dust of that water pipe before going to the beach...

Last stop this day were the Kuwait Towers, a famous landmark and symbol of modern Kuwait. Unfortunately, it turned out the towers are closed for renovation and when we asked a security guard at the gate when they would be opened again, he answered: "Maybe next year". Well, that's a symbol of modern Kuwait for you...

As we arrived there around sundown I was able to take some pictures of the towers during the process, and I must say, they are really pretty, with some sort of blue / green mosaic on the globes. Too bad we couldn't see the view from up there or eat something in the restaurant, but it was a nice way to conclude our day anyway!

A few months ago my friend Joeri and I decided to go on a holiday to Kuwait. Since then the only question I kept hearing from my friends and family was: "Why?!" And the answer to that is: "Because the plane tickets were so cheap." €175 for a return ticket and we thought: "What the heck". 

Since then I've found out that apparently we are the only ones who think that. I think that about 95% of all visits to Kuwait are business related. This makes it quite difficult to find some decent tourist information.  Luckily, both Joeri and me like a challenge, so off we went...

Most nationalities have to get a visa on arrival in Kuwait. When we found this out we thought it would be the same as when visiting Turkey, where you have to go to a counter to pay a few bucks and then get a cachet in your passport. Boy, were we wrong... 

Apparently, in Kuwait they love to make things as difficult as possible. 
You first need to go to a counter to get a copy of your passport and a number. After that you need to get some sort of stamps worth of 3 Kuwaiti Dinar from a large vending machine. This means you first need to go to the nearest ATM machine to get Kuwaiti Dinar. Unfortunately it turns out this ATM machine doesn't take debet cards or any of the most regularly used credit cards. Luckily, you still have some Euros in your wallet that you can change at the adjacent bank counter. After having stood in line for a while you finally reach the vending machine, only to find out it only takes exactly 3 Dinar, which means you need to change the money you got again for smaller notes. After having annoyed the bank employee once again, and after having to stand in line once again, you finally reach the vending machine and get your stamps. Great! You're almost done! Now you only have to wait for an hour until your number called! 

Luckily, that was the worst part. Once my number was called I only had some difficulty pronouncing my name to the Kuwaiti desk employee who had to write down my name phonetically in Arabic. After that I got my visa and it was a pretty swift ride from the airport to our hotel, Ibis Sharq. But by then it was already 5 am. The only thing on my mind was taking a shower and sleep for a loooooong time, so that's what I did. 

After this sugar bomb we went to watch the sundown over the yacht harbour and visit دبنهامز (Debenhams in Arabic) in the Souq Sharq shopping mall. 

Jacket: H&M / Jeans: H&M / Shirt: H&M / Scarf: Aquascutum / Shoes: Mint Velvet 
Bag: Longchamp / Earrings: Ebay

Ever since I saw Pippa leaving the Goring Hotel the day after the Royal Wedding I wanted a cobalt blue blazer. Unfortunately, I couldn't seem to find the right one. Until last month, when I got my hands on the same style Zara blazer she wore, and I felt it was just right for me. I really like the faux double-breasted style and the navy and white crested buttons. 

What I love about a cobalt blazer is that it adds a pop of colour to every outfit, whether it is a summer, or winter outfit. It is also easy to accessorise. 

Since it is autumn now, I went with a pair of black skinny jeans, black velvet loafers and a black leather bag. The OCD-er in me decided to bring back the colour blue in the collar of my blouse, my earrings, and my necklace. I am a firm believer in ' matchy-matchy'  outfits!

Christine from the What Would Kate Do blog! Congratulations on winning the 'St. Patrick's Day' replikate hat made by GirlFabulosity!  Don't forget to send us a picture of your own twist to this gorgeous hat ;-)

Unfortunately I can't send a hat to everyone who participated (however much I'd like to), but I really would like to thank you all for following GirlFabulosity's and Tatiana's Delights' shenanigans on Facebook, Etsy and Bloglovin! Lots of new items and updates are coming up!

Between all the replikate collages and outfit posts, I thought I'd dedicate a small post to someone that always gives me unconditional love: my sweet cat Taiyo (so to the cat-haters: this is your cue to turn away now!). 

I got Taiyo as a kitten in May 2012, two days after I got my other cat Vashti. A few months before that I moved to my first apartment, after having lived four years in a student house where I wasn't allowed to have any pets. I grew up always having cats around, so I felt having no cats around made the house very empty. Getting cats will definitely be one of the best decisions of my life :)

Taiyo is a blue tabby point Ragdoll. I called him Taiyo after the Japanese word for 'Sun', because he was completely white when I got him, but now that he got some colour he looks more like a tiny lion/tiger hybrid to me. He always quietly follows me around the house and then always finds the laziest spot in the room to take a five-hour long nap. Occasionally however, he feels the need to go on this sort of roaring rampage. I have absolutely NO idea why, but apparently he then thinks he is Spidercat, and obviously a Spidercat does whatever a Spidercat needs to do, which is to climb into the door posts and then slowly glide down again. Well, you know Taiyo, you gotta do what you gotta do...

Apart from that he is a real sucker for anything with feathers and fur, and unlike any other normal feline, his favourite food isn't chicken, or salmon, or turkey. No, no, he is sure that what I like most he likes most too, so I always have to make sure all the cake, nougat or cupcake frosting is under lock and key at all times. Based on this, I do believe I qualify as a 'crazy cat' lady ;-) 

Anyway, this post is just my way of saying that we should never take the presence of our 'furry kids' for granted :)  I love you Taiyo! Don't ever stop being weird and wonderful!