Monday, February 21, 2011

The Gift of Time


The announcement of a blogging contest at Indus Ladies has got my creative juices flowing. Its been a long time since I wrote a commissioned post and this seems like the perfect opportunity. The contest is a prelude to the International Women’s Day celebration and therefore, centers on women. The topic is ‘A perspective on roles of Indian Women’ and this post is my entry for the contest. I tag Tanvi, Chandni and Ritu to participate in the contest.
I love Saturdays. Well, who doesn’t! But my reasons for loving Saturdays might differ from yours. I love them for a very simple reason that my husband is at work on Saturdays and I get the ME time I so look forward to the whole week. Don’t get me wrong here – I looove spending time with him and family too (whenever they are around) but there’s a greater person that itches for a fair amount of undivided attention – That’s Me!
 
I won’t call it self-love (though I admit I’m quite vain! :P) but I love spending time with myself for a simple reason that ‘Me-Time’ is liberating, exhilarating and peaceful all at one. Spending quality time with myself has always been therapeutic for me. Making activity almost irrelevant does that trick. I could spend that time doing anything from curling up in bed with a book or flipping through my favorite channels or facebooking endlessly to pampering myself in a spa or indulging in retail therapy without having to care much of the responsibilities that awaits me when the Me-time ends.Over time, it has become my quick fix for an instant rejuvenation.

And its heartening to know that it isn’t just me. I find more and more women appealed by this idea of Me-time. Women today, Indian Women to be particular, do realize (and definitely should!) that there is something beyond the labels that the world has metaphorically pinned upon their torso - homemaker, nurturer, mother, daughter-in-law and wife. Each responsibility, of course, constantly entails being a constant physical presence in the lives of others. Not many of us can look beyond these responsibilities even for a fraction of time without feeling guilty or selfish. 
My two cents to all the women reading this and on the brink of getting convinced of Me-time – your spending time with yourself is not being self-centred, it's self care! Irrespective of what role you play in life, care for yourself first so that you care for others better. There’s something magical, fun and empowering about spending time with oneself. You will always return with a renewed sense of gratitude for what awaits you. Discover yourself. Let your hair down. Turn up the volume. Croon louder. Laugh harder. Nobody will sue you for that!!! :)

Happy Women’s Day and a toast to your new-found freedom!
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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Fresh Lilies


Lilies are on my mind lately. No, I’m not getting hint-y about my gifts of choice this Valentine. Flowers aren’t figuring high on my wish-list this time around. I mean they are always nice-to-have and place the right accents on the right occasions, but don’t we have remaining 364 days to celebrate love through flowers. I’d say, “Bring on a solitaire, honey!” :D

Oh, I totally digressed from the point! Let’s get back to the lilies. Starting this month, I am going to introduce a new section on Pink Diaries where, to begin with, I will feature ladies (fellow bloggers included!) whom I know from close quarters for their out-of-the-ordinary work and notable achievements. Lady, I pronounce thee Limelight Lady – LILY for short.

Kickstarting this LILY series is my dearest friend Shweta alias Mili whom I have mentioned on my blog a couple of times already. She was an obvious choice for me choosing to place her in the spotlight owing to our looong association and a common bond of love for photography. She has been my inspiration for going behind the lens and continues to inspire me every single day.

Shweta is a budding photographer who shun her cushy IT job to pursue her passion. She can create magic with her camera and her forte is lifestyle photography. She runs her own photography business under the name ‘The Creative Lens’. Quite a stunner herself, this yummy mummy can send the temperature soaring when she puts her best foot forward fashionably and how!

Here are some of her drool-worthy shots:

N.B. All the images are copyrighted and I have obtained permission for publishing them.

She is currently based out of Switzerland and will be in India this summer. So in case her work has caught your fancy, check out her website (http://www.tclphotography.com/) and drop in a line. U can mention my name for a blogger friend discount ;)

Wish this LILY a blooming future and freshness forever !

P.S. Let me know what do u think of my new section.
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Saturday, February 5, 2011

KISS : Keep it Short & Simple!


Although I'm truly madly deeply in Valentines mood, I don't intend to freak you out with overtones of PDA. The title is solely meant for my recent Goa trip (about which u read here).Packing for a beach vacation is always eeeasyy. Just throw in ur skimpiest outfits and a pair of flip-flops and you are sorted. And just in case u want to add panache to those formal dinners which are quite likely to come your way, pack in a LBD and a set of killer heels. Disclaimer: This is usually my idea of packing for beach vacays and are subjected to change as and when the situation demands :P

Traveling light is more of a misnomer for this trip. Though I adhered to my packing guidelines, it wasn’t light by any means. Driving down in your own car gives you all the room in the world to carry your household. Well, sorta! I didn’t plan in advance what all I intended to wear but I tucked in outfits with special attention to the hemlines and coverage and ensured that I don’t run out of choices.

After all, Goa is one place where every one dares to bare unapologetically. Even with a spaghetti top and a capri , I felt like the most clothed in female in the whole of Goa. Fine, I’m exaggerating it a wee bit more here but my feelings were somewhere close to that. So I jumped at this opportunity to show off my freshly waxed arms and legs. The excess baggage that I carried along came handy in my modest skin show.

Here are a few of my favorite looks from the trip:

Attitude?? SO !!!
Top- Marks & Spensers ; Shorts- MTV Accesories ; Bag - No Dimensions(bought online) ;
Accesories - Bandra ; Ballet Flats - Bata

Dress- AND ; Accesories - Peora ; Sunglasses-Fastrack

Top - Jealous ; Hot Pants - Globus; Bag - Bangles(store in a B'lore mall); Flip-flops - Hypercity;
Accesories -AVON ; Stole- Bombay Stores
 
Jumpsuit - Bargain buy from Goa flea market; Spaghetti - Thrift ; Accesories - Forgotten !!! :D
I just cudn't resist the temptation of wearing it !

So how did u find these? Which one did u like best ?If at all :D
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Monday, January 31, 2011

Eat.Shop.Love.


These three words quite sum up my current state of mind that is still reeling under Goan trance. A mid week break was the perfect excuse to sneak out from the city for an idyllic getaway and what could be better than Goa at this time of the year. It turned out to be such a crackerjack holiday that even a week-long break left me salivating for more!

Goa has become a second home of sorts for us and we rarely go through a year without holidaying in Goa…at least once and sometimes even twice. This was our fifth time there so sightseeing wasn’t figuring on my wish list at all. I’d rather planned to laze around the beaches and soak up the heady mix of sun, sand and surf. In midst of doing lot of nothing-at-all, I indulged in making the most of Eating, Shopping & Loving! The eating and shopping bit will get a room on this post and I’ll reserve the details of the loving bit :D

The gastronomic journey that I experienced had some stellar pit-stops which deserve a respectable mention. Had the best brick-oven pizza ever, gorged on cheesecakes and banoffee pies and savoured a delectable array of seafood. Here are a few of the images I clicked to keep the awesomeness alive in memory…
Seafood Pizza at Magic Italy (Palolem -South Goa)
Cheesecake at a German Bakery (Baga -North Goa)
Apart from being immensely hip & happening, Goa never fails to surprise me with the effortless style in clothing. A nip here, a tuck there and ta-da u have a beautiful gown made from a traditional sari or few seams conjoined to make a wraparound out of almost anything. Barring a few items that cater to the ‘Butter Chicken & Dal Makhni’ crowd like block-print kurtas, cotton dresses, straw hats and souvenir t-shirts to name a few, the flea market can churn out highly interesting stuff if you have the eye for it.

The flea market is also the pulse of latest trends and this time around I found few things dotting the market

• Scarf Dresses

• Harem pants in all dimensions (short/medium/long) and different fabrics (cotton/ tie-dye/silk)

• Jump Suits

• Hot Pants

• Shimmer Bags

• Ruffle Lamps
Flea Market at Palolem
The colorful ruffle lamps in the flea market
I grabbed a whole lot of stuff from the flea market which gave me a head rush and made me feel good. And at those prices, it’ll make me feel less guilty even if I don’t use them more than once.

I will post some pictures of outfits I wore and those of my flea market buys in subsequent posts…after I figure out how to manage 2.5 GB of pictures spilling out of the folder on my already saturated hard disk and each one vying for my attention. Damn these digital cameras!!!
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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Nourish Bath & Body: Product Review


My Nourish Bath & Body order from 99Labels came just in time for stocking my vanity bag for the harsh winter ahead of my vacation. It was delightful to receive an order just the way it was seen on the internet and saving some bucks on a planned TBS body butter buy added to the delight! I grabbed only the body lotion from the combo box for my trip and made a note to post a review once I’m back for the interest of the fellow makeup & beauty bloggers who’ve stuck around…

Now that I’ve used all the products atleast a couple of times, I would like to share my experience. The Nourish Bath & Body Care Combo included two handcrafted soap bars, a body lotion, a body scrub and a complimentary soap dish in beechwood.
CafĂ© Latte Body Bar – This body bar has a creamy texture and comprises of milk, cocoa and a dash of nutmeg and scents of vanilla , honey & ofcourse coffee , hence the name. A coffee icon on the bar does more that just refresh with the heady blend.

Ingredients: Soap Base, Glycerine, Vitamin E Oil. 
After 8 AM Body Bar – This body bar is made up of a mix of natural oils, has a creamy texture, smells of after dinner mints and has embedded jelly chunks of chocolate flavor. Quite tempting, isn’t it?

Ingredients: Saponified oils of Olive, Coconut ,Castor & Palm, Vitamin E Oil & Fragrance.
Sweet Almond Oil Body Lotion – It’s a nourishing moisturizing lotion with pure Sweet Almond Oil as its base and a host of other oils with good moisturizing properties. It has a distinct Almond Oil fragrance, protects the surface of the skin and keeps it soft & supple.

Ingredients: Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E Oil, Glycerine , Fragrance & Preservatives
Madras Coffee Madness Body Scrub - I absolutely loved this particular product! It contains a sugar scrub with coffee beans, cocoa butter and nourishing oils and it shows great results on skin on application. It melts on the skin leaving it satin smooth and is believed to be effective in busting cellulite. A good substitute for my cuppa morning coffee – just the smell is enough! :)

Ingredients: Coffee Beans , Cocoa Butter, Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Fragrance & Preservatives
Pros: Products are totally organic and handmade; Offbeat products with complex blends and interesting packaging; Good on skin and easy on pocket: p

Cons: The fragrances are bit too strong (as a personal preference I don’t mind smelling of coffee but surely don’t dig smelling of almond oil all day long!)

Price : INR 1300 for the combo (individual prices not available)

The product is manufactured in NCR that explains its limited availabilities in cities other than Delhi and online. Hope it hits the shelves in your neighborhood mall soon. If you do come across Nourish, go ahead & take your pick for a sensual experience…

Which one did you like best?

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Friday, January 14, 2011

Holiday Tales and a Tote


First things first. A very happy new year to all you lovelies. I was MIA on the blogging front for over a fortnight as I was vacationing in Dilli ki Sardi but I’ve been missing blogging terribly. I was hoping that I’ll have exciting holiday tales to dish out but I’m afraid those are bordering on disappointing :(

My wintry excitement went for a toss the moment our flight got cancelled due to heavy fog. Train tickets that I’d booked as a backup plan came handy but I was in for a rude shock when the overnight journey was completed in double the time due to abnormal weather conditions. Landing in 2 degree celsius at 2 in the night on wasn’t really my idea of winters!

Anyhow, with our itinerary gone awfully haywire there was little we could do except eat, drink and be merry! I needed minimum 3 levels of layering to withstand the extreme cold and my winter fashion was lost somewhere between those layers. Now that I’m back to my warm snug zone and the teeth chattering and mind-numbing cold is behind me, I’ve got lot to catch up on and a series of posts to make.

Between the traveling, the dinners, and the in-laws, the holidays turned out be a stresser but the saving grace was quality time with family and a gifted Liz Claiborne Tote (about which you read here).
It’s a nice BIG carry-all tote in which I can practically carry my household, apt for a GOG (girl-on-the-go) like me and since the big, big bag is in fashion, I’m delighted to have it. The tag details read that it is from the Liz Claiborne Paige Signature Collection and comes with a 10 year warranty! The fabric is signature jacquard in a cotton/poly bend with LC initials dotting the exterior and hardware detailing is quite distinct.

It has a separate padded section for laptop which was my preference. Though a 14” laptop compartment was what I was looking for, this one can carry a 17” one which is also fine.

Apart from this, the most vital feature that I noticed in few days of usage is that it manages to fit it anything and everything from a laptop to a bulky camera to a spare set of dress and a pair of shoes and still carry it comfortly. Ok, I haven’t tried the shoe bit yet but I did fit it my fluffy jacket inside so full marks for dat! Overall, I think I like it and its just perfect for my ‘heavily loaded’ workdays.

Let me hear from you what do you think about it…

P.S. Hauling myself to the shopping malls seemed to be a difficult task in the chill but I managed it somehow. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! More posts on that coming up…Stay connected :)
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Sunday, December 26, 2010

Winter Funk


I never tire of saying “I love winters”! Well, moderate winters to be precise – not the ones which leave u bunny faced (pink nose & red eyes :)) There’s no greater joy than sitting in front of a crackling fire with your family, or snuggling up with a good book under a cozy quilt or sipping endless cups of chai and eating piping hot food with sinful amount of ghee & butter. Hailing from a winter heartland but settled in a place with maritime climate (read: Mumbai), a vacation in the north every winters for meeting family & experiencing some chill has become a tradition of sorts (the former activity driven largely by the latter!)

I’m off to Delhi this weekend for this season of Meet the Parents (his & mine –in that order) which usually makes me nervous and excited at the same time (for obvious reasons :P!) However, this year the news of unprecedented cold is making me li’l nervous and sending chill down my body already. But on the brighter side, a hope of getting a chance to don my wintry best is leaving me far more excited...

I enjoyed this long weekend to the hilt. I’d been on a shopping frenzy for last two days primarily scouting for gifts to carry home and also to arm myself for the winter fashionably. The mall hopping was both exhausting and exhilarating as I ended up picking up some stuff for myself at almost every store I shopped at, which I obviously did not need but what the heck! Its festive season and time to cheer :)

Winter clothing wasn’t on my shopping list this time around. I have accumulated a fair amount of winter clothing & accessories which can last forever considering the rate they come out of my closet. But more accessories, definitely YES!

Here are a few of my mention-worthy picks from the shopping haul
Leg Warmers - Thrift
I got a wee bit carried away while shooting :)

Cape -Globus
A cape has made a comeback this season and how!

Scarf-Shoppers Stop
 
Clutch - Cherokke
Purple is HOT this season !!!

  Doesn't this clutch look good without the chain too?

Kewl, isn’t it? And to add a dash of delight to an already fabulous day, I spotted Akshay & Katrina promoting their latest flick in one of the suburban malls and got locked inside the mall with the berserk mob. Katrina looked quite a stunner but my heart went out for Akki, looking dapper in a classic combo of white shirt & blue jeans. I couldn’t help smiling the rest of the day for reasons more than one…

P.S. How did u find my buys? Any suggestions what I can team up that black cape with? 

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Bloglovin' & Christmas Cheer


‘Tis the season to be merry! Christmas is just around the corner and I’m loving it. Don’t we all just love the feeling of Christmas?! With the streets dressed in the reds and whites, the Santa grinning from hoardings, the shops boasting stockings and bells, the colorful lights and cheery aroma pleasing your senses, this Christmassy feeling sure gets me moony-eyed! It brings back my childhood memories where Christmas would spell the start of winter vacations and I seem to have stuck in that frame of mind forever.
Like every year, my contribution to the festivities will be restricted to putting up & decorating a Christmas tree in home and office, eating to my heart’s content, decking up in the colors of the season and taking a break from work this jolly season. There’s abundance of merry-making at work so I’m enjoying this paid vacation of sorts and looking forward to the upcoming long weekend (and to the shopping extravaganza I’ve planned!)

I took this opportunity to catch up on the blogs I’d been wanting to read but never got enough time to spare, comment on fellow bloggers’ posts, discover new blogs and follow them. In the process, I introduced myself to Bloglovin’ and found it incredibly handy to keep updated on the blogging front.

I’ve gotta claim my blog on Bloglovin’ that’s the reason for this out-of-the-blue post but stay hooked for the updates from my shopping haul.


The facebook freaks can follow me on facebook here
Merry Christmas to all of u !!!

Picture Credit : My friend & follower - Mili (http://www.tclphotography.com/)
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Monday, December 20, 2010

Baggit Blues


I had been mulling over the idea to post a review on Baggit but could not find the reason compelling enough to ramble – neither had I bought a Baggit bag in the recent past nor had I been following the trends too closely.

But a column in yesterday’s newspaper about their latest Autumn Winter’10-11 Collection grabbed my attention. The teaser was enough to rouse in some curiosity and I made a quick dash at the nearest Baggit store (in a bid to grab the best one before they run out of stock…Gosh! What a hoarder I’m turning into! ) I didn’t pick up anything, though (did I hear a sigh of relief?) ‘cuz a just-in-time SMS reminder of my credit card dues convinced me I don’t need another bag right now and definitely not a blue one ( alrite, atleast not NOW!) Nevertheless, it definitely merits a mention. Baggit’s new collection of bags is called True Blue range and is funky, functional and VFM as always.
From what I read and saw the Baggit True Blue Range is glamorous and high on style with exquisite detailing and superior craftsmanship in variations of color - blue: navy, marine, turquoise, electric blue and light dusty blues. The designs range from crisp tailored, sophisticated silhouettes to casual slouchy bags to cater to a wide array of fashionistas. Elegant and fun - this true blue collection will surely beat the winter blues away. This value for money collection from Baggit is available from Rs.1,500 onwards.


Images : Baggit Website
Baggit is a premium brand of Bags & accessories for women that is designed and manufactured in India and leads the pack in the non-leather category. The brand came into existence in 1990 in Mumbai and today it is retailed across country in all sales channels. The offerings from the Baggit brand includes Handbags, Wallets, Mobile Pouches, Belts, Caps, Scarves and Footwear. Baggit’s objective is to merge design with social and environmental consciousness, to provide stylish, functional, and durable products that people will love to own.

Baggit unveils exciting new ranges every month as part of its AW ’10–’11 Collection and with each range within the collection, the brand introduces an assortment of trendy new designs and styles in rich color palettes to create perfect bags and accessories that are voguish and exciting each season.

Now these are some blues you’ll love to bring to work instead of Monday morning blues or make your friends at college ‘blue-green’ with envy! : P

Would u buy a blue bag?
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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Nubuck Newbies


I'm SO in love with my new nubuck ballerinas that whenever someone tells me "I like ur shoes", without sparing a moment pat comes my reply immodestly " Me too!". And wherever the ballerinas go, they evoke a fair amount of reaction and discussion -“Is it velvet?”, ask most of the people.“No.Its Nubuck”, I reply. “Oh, its suede?”, remark others. “No. Its Nubuck”, I repeat. “But what is Nubuck?? Is it leather or fabric?” When I saw myself answering that more than twice, I realized that it deserves a post. So here it goes…

Nubuck is a type of leather with a soft, velvety surface. Both nubuck and suede have the same look and feel but there are basic underlying attributes that differentiate one from the other. Both types of leather are sanded to produce the desirable velvet like soft feel. The main difference is that nubuck is sanded or buffed on the outer surface of the leather, essentially the part that would have been the exterior skin of the animal, while suede is sanded on the inner layer of the skin. The sanding process gives a slight nap of short protein fibres, producing a velvet-like surface. The nap is finer in nubuck than in suede and is very soft to touch.

Nubuck probably gets its name from new + buck (skin) [Source:Wiki].Though nubuck is generally more expensive than suede, it is far more durable, lasts much longer and wears well with time. However, on the flip side, it is susceptible to easy staining and does show imperfections in the exterior layer of the skin much more easily Therefore , it must be treated with dyes or colors to disguise any significant flaws from the sanding & stamping process.Nubuck is used in a variety of applications – apparels, furniture, footwear and other goodies.
Ballerinas from Catwalk
Now to justify why these ballerinas are my current favorite - I find the velvety look pleasing and the bows very cute. And,ofocurse,the comfort these flats offer makes them an instant hit! Every time I wear 'em, I often find myself wondering if I should have bought two pairs instead of one to make them last as long as the nubuck does :D

So did you like them too? Lemme know...
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