SEVEN Smells To Smile................................

Sid: Hey Wifey,Guess what? Got  call from the office, my leave is over & have to join back in two days time.

Ria: (Blank) bluffing huh?

Sid: No am serious. You too as well joining with me. What?? Are you not happy?

Ria. Off course am happy. Its just we haven’t spent enough time at home and parents are expecting us to visit them.

Sid: I know baby but you know the drill. I am leaving for office to collect our papers. Will you manage with the packing?

Ria: (sigh) You forgot. As if I got a chance to unpack them.

Sid: Grrrrrr…See you later.

Ria:………………………………………………………………………………

“Do not wish for things you regret later”. God has really fulfilled my desire to the fullest. Living a nomadic life has its own pros & cons. Adventure, sailing, exploring numerous places, exotic food, who shall not wish for a spectacular life. I know few people yearn to fill-in my shoes. However they are not aware of the darker side. Leaving a life behind, people you love, tit bit joys, home-cooked food and friends can undeniably turn a person to alter his wanderlust longings.

Living far away from your cocoon, you only left with the undiminished memories to treasure & to embrace them with people & places. I recollect my bygones through pictures, videos, letters, cards, food & smells. Ah!! Smells, how they forge a link and take us back to the finer moments of the past. I am a victim of nostalgia & few distinct smells are what sustain me to overcome my homesickness.

Sacrosanct smell of Wet Mud- 

The small pleasures of inhaling the first rains, smells of the wet grounds ring bells of the imminent springs. Those wonderful earthy fragrances buried under evoke my childhood memories. Dancing in the first rains, long geri routes, ginger tea with hot pakoras , pool parties reawakens bond with your old self.

Sinful smell of mom’s cooking-  

Is anything more scrumptious then mom’s home cooked food. It’s indeed my treasure trove. All the aromas coming from the kitchen, the smell of baked apple pie, the fenugreeks tadka , whiff of all the sweets & delicacies transports me across thousands of miles straight to my mum’s kitchen.

Sensual Smell of Dad’s Aftershave- 

Being an Army man, my dad was often away on deployment. I remember he always used to keep a shaving kit full of scents & aftershaves. Old spice, that’s the aftershave my dad wore but it has indeed changed now.

Scrumptious smell of Mangoes- 

Entering the house & sniffing the fragrance of fresh mangoes means the arrival of summers. Bless our parents for maintaining our old village orchids so that we can pass on the legacy to our own children.

Smell of Shoe Polish- 

Call me crazy but am addicted to the smell of bootpoish.And it certainly took me back to school days. For many years it was an evening ritual to polish shoes along with my siblings & a challenge who will shine them  most.

Sweet Baby smell –

The best smell in the world has to be the smell of a new born baby. I feel babies have special & distinct fragrances .Am very close to my 1.5 year old niece & have kept her romper with me as souvenir. I still get the whiff of Johnson's baby products & my heart yearn me to embark on motherhood ride soon.

Sacred Smell of Incense sticks –  

Whenever I went to my parents place, my morning kick starts with the sacred smells of agarbatti and I never forget to carry them along. Though it’s not allowed to light on ship for safety reason but still they spread its aroma all around.

 “Heart thoughts are profound, hindsight aches and hope is obscure. I'm craving a great adventure -- one that leads me back home.”

SEVEN SIZZLERS...

Scratching my head for almost my entire evening walk and juggling between the dilemmas upon choosing on my next blog post, I suddenly came to a halt. While mumbling the word “seven” like a mantra for umpteenth time, something special struck by lightening. Yes Seven Sizzlers. How can I not remember the most beautiful part of my life? 

Friendship…………………………………………………………………………….......................

Seven Sizzlers was the name of our gang back in my fashion college & was inspired from the Famous five. While writing this post, I have a big giggling smile on my face and the sadness of the moment at same time. In one minute you reminisce good old days, all the fun, gossip, bitching, pranks, exams, canteen, maggi, make-up everything transports you to the crazy time with mad people. And the other fills you with melancholy. Time and distance has abated the bond of companionship.

With heavy heart & joy tears in my eyes, am dedicating this post to my besties. Let me introduce you to my seven lifelong treasures.

1) Trisha (The rich brat) –Born & bought-up with silver spoon in mouth, she was the living credit card of our group. As like most of college bums, we all were forever short of money. From buying cola to bribing the local policeman for chalan , our friend in deed always bails us out. Being the product of divorce parents, she was a kind of loner until she enters the devils den. All hell broke loose & the only rich crooked into a brat. RICH BRAT.

2) Swati (The Nerd) –It was always a mystery to us that why a math’s genius would leave her PG and can pursue a total polls apart field. For her it was breaking the rules and running from the constant pressure. We were always in awe of her. Assignments, presentations, CAD, everything was piece of cake for her. I guess she’s the reason, we all are proudly holding the degree today.

3)Neha (The 4:00 AM )-She was the most composed person I ever know in my life & thus the 4:00 AM tag. Whenever any of us required advice or wanted to pour our heart out, she was always a call away. She hated argument & confrontations & always eating our heads to be prudent. Today our group is still floating without hiccups and the soul credit is SHE.

4) Ishpreet (The Amazon)-5.7, 70 Kgs , ex judo player and the  Gunda of our gang.She was like a bodyguard for all us and a threat to eve teasers. Though we still complain how she ate the biggest portion from our maggi bowls.

5) Manisha (My Alt-ego)- My childhood & best friend. Though we were estranged for a time being but destiny has other plans .We reunited again and since then the thread between us became stronger. Through her only, I met the rest amazing people I can count on.

6) Aastha (The beauty wid brain)-Hottest girl with the best brains around. She was the most popular girl of the campus. She is the best example to counteract bimboo beauties.

7) Anu (The sunshine)-That’s Me. I remember the word sunshine from our college scrapbook which my friends chose for me. A bit of salt ,  a bit of sugar and a potpourri of everything.

I hope after reading the post, my friend will not drill me and pierce me with daggers.

PS: All names changed and one chum is missing from the pic.

SEVEN – faces of Me

Encouraged by one of my blogger friend, I am here to embark on my first ever writing challenge. The write tribe is yet again came-up with “Festival of words” blog marathon. Though it’s only for “Seven” days (from 1^st Sep-7^th Sep) but I look forward to write, read & meet some like-minded people during the small voyage. Write- Tribe

Let’s start with my own self. It surely will give an insight aspect of ME.

I am a …………………………………………………………………………..

Ø      NOMAD – Traveling has become a vital part of my life. Being a sailor’s wife, I spend more then half a year wandering around the world. Explored many beautiful countries & places and discovered the beauty of diverse cultures, ethnicity, weather, people, food, which you only had read in your geography books.

Ø      DESIGNER-Before my nomadic life, I was a profession designer (Ex-Nift) .Still whenever I get an opportunity, love taking-up freelance work. From decking up my house to food to clothes, you will discover sprinkles of my creative life.

Ø      FITNESS FREAK – Though am foodie to the hilt, my addiction to work-outs is boundless. Gym is almost my second home. I loved being in shape fit & healthy but size-zero trend surly boggles me.

Ø      SHOOTER – Yes that tells my fitness syndrome. I took up shooting by chance in my 12^th standard & still participate in numerous championships. Though its hobby now due to lack of time, still the worship of passion jogs in my blood.

Ø      SHOPAHOLIC – One big spendthrift, suffering from compulsive buying disorder. From clothes to shoes to bags, I just love shopping .Well who does not?? If you do not find me home, please check the clothing joints. God helps my husband who suffers the aftermaths of my binge buyings.

Ø      READER – Reading is my passion & collecting them is part of my OCD trouble. I hate lending books to my friends and gets irritated if someone disorders my bookshelf. Fiction, Non-fiction, contemporary, romance, biographies, I can gorge on anything.

Ø      WRITER – I have recently entered the world of penmanship. I know am novice but unless you take that first step, how will you finish the line. My reading habit has leaded me to discover the beauty of writing. The sole reason behind this challenge is to polish my writing skills and to spread my horizon.

 Hope I keep my words for long & continue this challenge without hiccups..See you Tomorrow

                                                                                                                        

TWINKLING TRINKETS......

After the bride & maid’s trousseau, the most imperative part of the adornment is “Wedding blings”. Every girl craves to look scintillating on her D-day. From finalizing bridal costume to jewelry, lots of planning & exploring needs to be done before accentuating the perfect look. Nowadays no girl wishes to adorn the age old Reds & maroons yesteryear colors but rather opting for pastel shades from oranges to even blue. The traditional feel is of course present, but a lot of cross-culture fashion has seeped in. Same goes with Indian wedding jewelry. Modern bride ensures that her jewelry must complement her outfit rather than just loading herself with heavy gold ornaments that often end up looking hideous when teamed with a designer bridal wear.

Indian fat weddings are not generally limited to a day but it’s an elaborate 2-3 days event with complete traditional rituals. Consequently outfits & trinkets should be chosen in accordance with rituals.

Haldi/sangeet/mehndi – These are the most auspicious & treasured ceremony in a girls wedding. It symbolizes pure, untainted & bright future for the girl’s new beginnings. To match the internal thoughts, nothing is better then embellishing “Fresh Flower jewellery”. Floral jewellery is an upcoming hottest trend which is in fact inspired from our ancient tradition. One can also use artificial flower as they are much cheaper then the fresh flowers. They are extremely beautiful to look at & can be designed to complement the brides outfit.

 

Wedding –  And the D-day. Searching and deciding the right wedding jewelry complementing your trousseau is a big tiresome job. Certainly there are lot wedding planners in market which can be at your service with a click of your finger, but they ridiculously expensive. To overcome your dilemma, there are few useful tips which should be consider before buying.

- LESS IS MORE. Do not go for the whole bridal set (necklace wid rani har).They are extremely tacky n out of trend.

-If your bridal wear is bold with heavy embroidery, choose lighter & impressive necklace jewellery.

-If you are fascinated with head to toe blings, go for lighter lehanga with pasty colors.

-From gold to diamond to polki to kundan, bridal jewellery is coming in various metals with cost differentiation.

-KUNDANS jewellery is most popular among the modern brides. Although every form of Indian jewellery is in great demand but kundan jewellery has become a prominent style statement these days. They just not look spectacular but have become the paragon of royalty.

-Apart from neck & ear trinkets, hair n hand accessories are important too. From trendy maang tikka to jumars , bride will no doubt look like a  goddess.

-To enhance your hands adornment bit more, designer “kaliras”& handlets are very much in demand.

-“Ghughat” our classic antique custom is back with a bang. Sporting a see through dupatta not only is in sync with the latest trends but also inculcate the Indian spirit. You can even show-off your hair embellishments with this style.

Customs often changes as the time evolves, but the association of jewelry and the wedding has an inseparable bond that is very delicately crafted in the Indian culture from the past thousands of years and will certainly prosper in the coming years ahead!!

SASSY & SAUCY-SARI’S

As one of my closet cousin & SIL is getting married in few months time, I was simultaneously doing up lot of leg-work on their wedding ideas. From bridal trousseau to jewellery to decor, the list is enormous. Apart from brides, I need to plan for bridesmaid & all the uncle & aunties. Poof!!

After arguing and fighting over what to wear, we finally round upon quintessential SARI. Yeah –the Indian national dress & the epitome of feminity. Except It should not be conventional 6 yard but sum thing “hatke”.  Belonging to far northIndia(Punjab),donning a sari in the past had always been a little more of  challenge. Even after marriage, despite its sensuality & my utter fondness, it has always taken a backseat.

However, time seems to be changing. Over the past couple of years, sari has gone with a total makeover. Thanks to our budding designers. They have redefined our conventional sari to a western outfit. With lot of design alteration on the Indian six yard silhouette, it has now transformed into varied concept styles.

Lehenga saree (left)- It’s a form of ready-made saree that arose from the need of an artistic yet easy to wear wedding attire. Best part is you do not have to spend painful minutes on the pleats. But simply tuck & Drape & gives an illusion of lehenga. 

Pre-Pleated Saree (right)-Pre-pleated sarees have become the latest trend these days. More and more women prefer to wear these as compared to the conventional sarees due to the ease and the simplicity involved. Even you can get your old saree stitched on nominal cost from your local tailor.

 

  Gown Saree (left) – It’s becoming a latest rage among fashion forward girls. Suitable for bridemaid, it surly will make you a head turner. As it looks its more of a western outfit but still manage to give glimpses of traditional saree.

Saree with Bolero jacket (right)– Our own queen of fashion had created a buzz when she walked the red carpet donning a Saree with a jacket. Since then it has become an instant hit on fashion circuit.

Half Saree- This recent style has been picked up after the release of “Chennai express”.

Style Diva Deepika padukone has worn half sari in her latest film which has now become a preferred attire for wedding receptions. Girls who are doubtful about carrying off a sari are opting for a half sari as it adds a young and a fusion feel to their look.

Above pictures with concept sari’s are no doubt looks elegant but expensive too. But if you can invest time & apply your creative instinct, you too can design your own masterpiece with much less worth. Also there are many sites which offer replicas of designer outfits in far low prices. They are just a click a away.

N E O N ........Live Life Brightly

We talked about hits of 2013 in regards to tops, lowers, patterns & prints. But these all are ineffective if we miss on Colors palette which is the most crucial ingredient of summer fashion.

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most”

With lots of sunshine, Colors tends to reflect not only with your clothing but can sparkle your personality. Summers are the best season for dressing. You can experiment with different colors which can add spice to your styling. The much hyped of-the-moment, white hot trend is NEONS. Alongside muted, pretty pastels comes a powerful punch of neon, with vibrant orange, acid yellow and hot pink lighting up your entire wardrobe.

Yes but it’s not everybody’s cup of tea to carry bold & electric hues with confidence. For some it’s a total confusion how to pull off neon without looking like the traffic police. EASY!! If you are reluctant in donning neon ensemble, be a game for neon accessories. Even in the smallest doses it has the ability to add energy, catch attention, and make a fashion-forward statement. 

Few fashion faux:

*Remember Less is more. Do not overdo or look scary.

*Avoid Neon With neon.

*Either do the ensemble in flour cent or your accessories.

*Team neon’s with either Black or white. Solid background gives a hard push.

*Your killer neon heels can bling any rag you are wearing.

*A belt, mobile or ipad cover or a watch in any neon colors can make anybody drool.

*Simple neon nailpaint can add you in chiclist.

* Alter your dull spectacles with neon frames & transform ditz to genius.  

Not only western fashion is hit by neon storm, but our Indian ethnic designer fraternity is as obsessed with flourcent rage. From Sarees to Anarkalis, infuse a cool vibe,and give instant glam boost to various ensembles.

Neon means fluorescent, bright and happy. If you are going to wear neon, feel its characteristics & bring a pinch of energy, vividness and cheerful upfront in your personality.

The Bag Fever…...

BAGS ARE LOVE, A WAY OF LIFE. AND WE JUST LOVE THEM!!

Have you ever thought Bag as a trendy fashion accessory? Am sure most of us take handbags as one of the utility item. For keeping money/credit cards to baby diapers to even lunch boxes, nobody is much interested in using as a shoulder ornament. But I believe donning a write type of hand bag can gives u the chicest, elegant look. No matter even if you are decked-up in a sack, you can still pull it off with a catchy eye popping arm candy.

My husband feels its one of my opulent indulgence. Don’t you hate it when your husband makes the silly question: why do you need all these bags?'' It really irritates me to the core. A woman's right to bags shouldn't be criticized. I can't help but wonder, when did having lots of bags become a crime? He himself is a gizmo freak & buy’s all sorts of freaking gadgets. And that does not burn a hole in his pocket. huh!! Relatively am still cheap. (wink).

Am not a working girl so office/business bags are big NO for me. Rather I prefer carrying casual tote. Moreover being on toes half the year bigger bags just suits me fine & they are always right side of police fashion fence. But few days back I read an article about “Women at risk of poshitis from toting large bags”. This term “poshitis”is named after the famous celebrity Victoria becham(Posh) & her passion for big bags. Oh No, they did not!! N moreover it’s not that we cart them around whole day. I would not trade my bags for anything. Apart from it, there are countless types of handbags to suit different occasions & attire.

Let’s have a peek-a-boo at my Arm candies.
                     

LEFT: White Zara tote bag.cost me leg & a arm.
RIGHT: Elizabeth Arden big handbag mostly for traveling purpose.

LEFT: Its a transparent hidesign bag purchased on whim.
RIGHT: Its gold clutch picked from the local market.

Got black & silver also for any ethnic occasion.

LEFT: Its a white Hidesign bag with little crocodile print bought in Pataya.

RIGHT: Its a sling casual bag usually for shopping expeditions.

LEFT: Its a black big bow modern clutch from Di-milano
RIGHT: Ocer colored Puma bag.My latest flame.

 
  These are just part of my collection.As am onboard, do not have the pictures of the rest one's.

                        SO,Snag it, bag it & watch as your friends turn green with envy