Rosewood Gold Inlay Roll Top Desk

I’ve always wanted a roll top desk. I love vintage things, and the roll top desk is something I’ve always really wanted. Grandma Reynolds had a nice roll top desk in her house, and that is probably where I first got the idea.

They have lots of beautiful furniture here in Saudi. Mostly imported from Pakistan and other Asian countries.

They have roll top desks here, and I’ve known one year for Christmas I would ask for one. This was that year.

Mom, Dad and I went and looked around. Nowhere had exactly what I wanted. The desks are all in rosewood. And most have gold inlay. I’m not a huge fan of most gold inlay. It is usually kind of bulky and just not my style. All the desks I saw had the rosewood and gold inlay, and just didn’t exactly fit what I had in mind.

As we were driving, we saw a little shop in this random alley way that was called “Rosewood Furniture”. So Dad quickly turned off the main road and jumped onto the curb (because no one cares if you do that in Saudi and as Dad says, the FJ can do wherever the heck it wants) and Mom and I ran across a sand field while Dad finagled the world of Khobar one-way streets.

As soon as I walked in, there it was. The most beautiful roll top desk ever!

Here it is in the shop.

It’s everything I’ve been looking for. It has the traditional gold inlay, but there is less of it, and the inlay is very delicate, instead of the typical  bulky design.

It also has a very unique feature, which is the carving. I've never seen this on a desk before. It's always just the inlay. I love how the carvings compliment and soften the inlay.

It has the relief on the top - also very unique.

The legs are curved - I know there is a special name for it, and I could Google it to find out but really, I don't care enough about the terminology. I love the curved legs. I wanted this in the desk - but again, could never find it.

The 3 drawers on the top are curved in a semi-circle shape. Also unique and it looks really nice.

I love the gold keyhole!

The inside slides out, so you can sit and work.

I'm so excited about it. It has everything I wanted and more! It really is a very rare find. The guy selling it to us also told us that all the drawers are solid wood - not inlays, which is very rare. There aren't enough big pieces anymore to make large drawers out of one piece of wood. He said any newer pieces all have fake wood in the drawers.

I can't wait to have a place of my own to put it!

Thanks, Mom and Dad!!!

Love,

Brittney

Bob's Bedazzled Bangs

Birkin Bag

I had a great Christmas this year. I got 2 things I'm especially in love with, I'll post on the other later.


Dad got me a Birkin Bag for Christmas. It is beautiful!! If you don't know what a Birkin bag is, see the link below (mine is the same orange)...



I first became aware of the Birkin Bag through the Gilmore Girls.



Dad got each of us girls a bag on his last business trip to China (ok - secret is out!! It's a fake Birkin bag. But who really who knows me or my family would think we would ((or could!!)) spent $20,000 on a bag?)


Mom, Ramzi, Bobbie and I all opened our bags and were admiring them, and I looked at Ramz and said something like, "I'ts a Birkin bag!! Oh my gosh, he got me a Birkin bag!" quoting the Girlmore Girls. The brand is Hermes, which I'll admit - I didn't know existed until Christmas day.


Dad has a colleague in China who is an expert in fake bags. Her friend makes a living taking bags from China to Hong Kong to sell. So she insisted she go with him to pick out the legitimate replicas - the ones you honesly can't really tell are imitations.


I really liked my bag, and  after Dad told me they sell from $6,000-$80,000 I decided to do some research. It was then I realized it was in fact a Birkin Bag. That made my Christmas! I know it's super lame, but I now own a $20,000 bag and it's really cute. Even comes with a lock. But my favorite part is definitely that I know about Birkin Bags from the Gilmore Girls.


Thanks, Dad!!


Love,


Brittney

The Things Bob Says

Case 1:

Bob got bags cut. She looks ridiculously cute.

We went to Bahrain at 7am to get to the Pakistani Embassy (2nd day in a row) and Bob had to come because she needed a whip and handcuffs and you can only get those items at a specialty store in Bahrain. (Ok - so she didn't need a whip and handcuffs - she needed a whip and chest gaurd. She's starting to jump Nahran, her horse - and apparently every horse jumper needs a whip and chest guard. With 3 older siblings who love her so much and enjoy teasing her, you can imagine how we jumped all over her need for a whip. And at such a tender age, too).

She may have fallen asleep in the back seat, and I woke her up when we got to the embassy around 8:30am. She sat up, and proceeded to move her hair out of her face. At which point she frantically began to yell, "MY SHORT HAIRS!! NINNIE, MY SHORT HAIRS!!" while groping her face trying to locate her "short hairs". Eventually she found her bangs, and Taylor and I laughed so hard we cried. Well, almost.

Case 2:

We (Bob, Taylor, Camree and I) are driving in the car, and this guy goes by in a black Audi with a sunroof. Taylor goes, "you can tell that guy is a total tool." We ask why, and he says, "look at him. In his Audi with the sunroof down. Big sunglasses, speeding along. You can just tell."

Bobbie chimes in from the backseat, "how do you know what his stomach looks like?"

Oh man, we died over that one.

I love that girl.

The World According to Bob

This is the world as Bob knew it before her 6th grade geography class:

My First Real Christmas Tree!

Ok, so not my first real Christmas tree in my whole life- only of my adult - it's my tree life.

In Alaska as kids, we always had a real tree. But in Saudi we have a fake one. And I've never put up my own tree.

This year, I wanted a real, official tree! (One day ((on my bucket list)) I want to go deep into the forest and cut down my own tree!) So I bought my first decorations, and my first tree. It is beautiful! Only problem, is it doesn't exactly stand straight. Nor does the star on top stand straight - in fact it's at more of a 60 degree angle.

I took the pictures before it got too leany.

Tree on Tim!! First real cargo tied to the luggage racks.

Merry Christmas!!!

Love,

Brittney