Saree Story - Black beauty

Saree - A printed silk from Kolkata. Decided to pair with a white blouse.

Occasion - Office/party. The best part about printed silks is that one can play around with makeup and accessories and wear the same saree for different occasions. So, if u have to attend a party post work, printed silk is a good choice.

Accessories - Tribal silver necklace

Makeup - Since this was for office, I kept the look minimal to the basic black eyeliner (Lakme Absolut, Wine Lip colour and a black bindi). However, eye makeup and blush would enhance the look for party.

#Sareestory

While we often hear stories of stuff bought from Mehnat ki Kamai, let me share the story of this saree, which I call my "Jhagde ki Kamai" ;)

This black beauty printed silk was gifted by mom to my elder sister some 15-16 years ago. The moment I saw this saree I knew she had to be mine. But, I was still in school then, and didi was already married and working. So mom didn't even consider me in the race... 

:(

However, I didn't give up. Whenever I used to visit didi, I would pester her to hand it over to me. It almost became a joke for everyone in the family. Didi too didn't budge. Each time I asked for this saree, she would say, "U can even take my wedding saree...but this black beauty is mine!"

I conveniently forgot about this discussion once I was married and mom ensured my wardrobe overflowed with Sarees.

Recently when I visited Delhi, I was casually browsing through didi's saree collection, when this black beauty caught my attention. Nostalgia took over and we recollected the tug of war! With age comes wisdom, and didi affectionately said, "I have worn it enough....now it's ur time to wear beautiful sarees!" While for a moment, I couldn't believe my ears, I decided to cash on the opportunity before didi's mind changed...

;)

So finally, after 15 long years, this black beauty is mine!

Pairing with a beautiful tribal necklace, curated by my one and only sweetheart sister! Wish everyone get a sister as generous as her 

Sometimes, it takes Blue to beat away the blues...

Sometimes, it takes Blue to beat away the blues!
Well, that's exactly how I like to describe today's Saree story...

All set to flaunt this Blue silk to work, as I left home,
The water filled pits outside my society gave me a welcome

They were in a mood for a splash
But I didn't want my plans to crash

Managing the bags, umbrella, pallu and holding the pleats a little above the land,
OMG! I felt like Goddess Durga, albeit with two hands!

I feared the Saree would crush
But the love for my saree asked me to hush

By the time I reached office, the rains decided to take a break
I had made it. Positivity and belief is all it takes

Basking in the downpour of compliments, I was elated to see many more in blue,
The blue did beat away the Blues, yes it's true!

#100sareepact #silk #sareelove #navratri #blue #yummymummy #momlife 

Portfolio 2015 – The Future of Design, Fashion & Business

The last two decades have seen a sea change in the way India’s fashion industry operates. Earlier, fashion to us meant replicating the latest fads in the international market. However, over the years, India has not only developed its own industry but has also developed a strong foot front in the global fashion arena.

The credit for this transformation goes to various institutions which provided wings to the Indian dreams, and brought the best in global expertise to its students.

A pioneer in this field is Pearl Academy, India’s largest private institution in design, fashion and creative business.

Founded in 1993, the institute was earlier known as Pearl Academy of Fashion. PearlAcademy provides over 30 under graduate, post graduate and professional programs via four campuses in Delhi, Noida, Jaipur and Mumbai. Keeping in mind the need to be abreast with international trends, the institution has collaborations with global network of renowned institutions such as London College of Fashion, Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Domus Academy (Italy), and NABA (Milan).

The courses are broadly categorized under four schools –

• School of Fashion, Styling & Textiles
• School of Design
• School of Communication, Media & Film
• School of Creative Business

A few interesting facts about Pearl Academy –

•  Offers a unique combination of face to face and online learning
• Who’s Next – a full Scholarship for any BA (H) program that also offers an all-expense paid-trip to US to the 10 best upcoming talents in the creative field
• What’s next – a platform that brings together global masters in the design space to discuss the way ahead for the industry
• Famous designer Manish Malhotra is associated as a mentor for School of Fashion, Styling and Textiles (SFST)
• New courses are offered to keep in sync with the dynamic requirements of the industry. Some of the new courses are Fashion & Lifestyle E-Commerce (FLE), Indian Couture (IC), and Global Luxury Brands Management

Over the years, Pearl Academy has been the Alma Mater of many renowned names in the fashion industry, such as Manav Gangwani, Nikhil Mehra, Mandira Wirk, Abdul Halder, Vineet Bahl, Arpan Vohra, Priyanka Modi, Manish Gupta, Vaishalli Shadangule, Gaurang Shah, Sanya Dhir, Divyam Mehta etc.

Continuing its tradition of bringing together the best from industry and upcoming talent, Pearl Academy organises Portfolio, the annual graduating event. Students of graduating batches get a platform to prove their industry readiness.

Portfolio 2015, this year’s event too, will see graduating students showcasing their work in the form of exhibitions, presentations and fashion shows. 

Few highlights of Portfolio 2015 –

•  Manish Malhotra will be the chief guest for an exclusive fashion show on May 9^th. He will award the winners and interact with the alumni
• Launch of new courses - Jewellery Design and Product Design
• Design Immersion Workshops on Product Design, Jewellery Design, Communication Media & Film, Styling, Fashion Media Make-up, Textiles etc
• Panel discussion by School of Creative Business with industry representatives

Details of the event -

New Delhi:
Date: May 8-10, 2015
Venue:NSIC Exhibition Ground
Gate no. 4
Okhla, New Delhi

Jaipur:
Date: May 16,2015
Venue: Hotel Clarks, 
Jawaharlal Nehru Marg

So, whether you are a design professional, or a student aspiring to make a career in the fashion industry, Portfolio 2015 is the event for you. Come, and witness the future of design, fashion and business!

Do checkout the offical facebook page of the event at Pearl Academy Official. You can also follow them on twitter @PearlAcademyInd  

Mirror Mirror on the wall…

Life of a working woman is like that of a juggler. One has to balance various aspects together and at the same time ensure that the show is perfect! It doesn’t get over there. With each stage of life, new items keep on adding to the jugglery, making the balance more difficult.

In the tug of war between home, office, kitchen and time for loved ones, skin regime often takes a backseat for us women. Every morning, as I get ready for work in front of the mirror, the face sings a song…

Mirror mirror on the wall,

My skin needs a wake up call!

And then Shhhh goes the whistle of the pressure cooker, and the jugglery for the day overshadows my skin’s cribbing session. After all, when you have assignments to complete, who has the time for elaborate beauty regimes?

They say a friend in need is a friend indeed. So, two very dear friends of mine Indiblogger and Garnier decided to take things in their own stride. I returned home one day to find a beautiful gift waiting for me…

Garnier BB Cream…

The pack read Miracle Skin Perfector!

“Wow! “ I smiled with a tinkle of hope in my eyes. But I was not looking for a fairness cream. All I wanted was something that was a one stop solution to giving my skin a smooth, glow and provide the necessary moisture.

Again, the pack read, “Save time, in one application brighten, smoothen and moisturize your skin!”

The BB cream promises instant perfect skin, which is –

·         Fairer

·         Glowing

·         Smooth

·         Even Toned

·         Moisturized

But I still had my doubts. There are no free lunches in the world…what if there were some strong ingredients in the cream that would affect my skin in the long run? The pack erased my doubts and said, “Dermatologically tested. This high performance skin care contains Vitamin C derivatives known to have antioxidant properties. Enriched with almond extract and mineral pigments.”

Being a believer of “try and test”, I tested the cream next morning. With hardly few minutes in front of the mirror in the morning mad rush, I opened the packet. Light and non greasy, the cream easily blended into my skin, giving it an instant firm look and glow. Like they say in the corporate world, it gave final touch to the presentation. What’s more, the look was consistent till the evening despite a hectic day at work and no time for touch up.

I came home, and my smiling face said to the mirror,

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

I got the perfect skin care after all!

This post has been written for Garnier BB Cream contest byGarnier and Indiblogger. BB cream is an all in one cream. It combines multiple beauty routine steps in one. Hence, save time – in just one application brighten, smoothen and moisturize your skin.

The Ugly Truth

Pic Courtesy:Google Search

I looked at her she looked at me

She looked like a reflection of me

A reflection I detested for its existence

It was hard to cope with my heart’s resistance

She gave me a friendly smile
I had been ignoring her all this while

Thoughts of killing the common link came to me
But it was too late now, the result I could see

Last night could not be reversed

Why did I do it? My sorry self, I cursed

What was mine was no longer just mine.

Non stop sulking inside, I could no longer be fine

This was a face off, my heartbeat increased.

What if someone saw us together? The thought made me freeze

I got up to walk away, to bury the ghost of a wrong decision in the past.

Wanted to end the embarrassment fast.

Her look said the hatred was mutual, we finally came close 

She gave me a scan as if hating my existence, I just froze

She smiled and said "Same day! Same dress!"

"Ya, fashionista sale last night!" I said. My face got pink!

We women leave no opportunity to catch a good sale. We want to get the best bargain and at the same time, want to own the stuff no one else owns. What happens when we bump into someone equally intelligent, wearing the same outfit? This poem was written during the coffee break when I bumped into a girl who was equally embarrassed since we wore the same Kurtis and looked like twins!

Do you have a similar experience to share? Comments are welcome!

I got my recharge!

I looked at our old photographs and sighed! “Those golden days when our love had just blossomed! How Mr. Hubby wouldn’t stop fiddling with my hair. His fingers would never stop playing with my curls and I would shy and get my thick hair to cover my face.”

Then came my transition from being a girlfriend to a wife and a daughter in law. Responsibilities and the race to get the work home balance right, almost left me with no time for myself. Mom’s home treatments were put at backburner as the wife in me took over to delight Mr. Hubby with new delicacies. Hair care was limited to occasional oiling and frequent use of shampoos picked randomly from the neighborhood shop.

The results were now showing. My falling hair cried for help as also my love life, which was ignored amidst the burden of responsibilities.

As I sat sulking looking at the pics, I grumbled, “Look at me before and after! I look like a car that has exhausted its battery!”

“Perhaps you need a recharge, my love” Mr. Hubby said as he looked up from his newspaper and showed me the Sunsilk ad in the newspaper.

While I didn’t utter a word to my caring Hubby, the ad stayed on with me when I bought myself the Sunsilk next day. With the new Sunsilk, hair regime no longer remained the same old fussy affair. Few days and I was beginning to see the change. The hair were coming back to life and no longer remained the messy rough mass I hated.

We were on a holiday after a month to celebrate our anniversary. As we sat in the hotel room counting our blessings, Mr. Hubby ran his fingers into my hair and said with a smiled “So you finally got the recharge!”

I smiled and wondered…

Hey Sunsilk, you recharged my hair and also my life,

I’m me again, Mr. Hubby’s perfect gorgeous hair walee wife!

This post is written for Rechargeyour hair contest by Sunsilk and Indiblogger. With the new Sunsilk range, hair care no longer remains a fussy affair. Choose the product to suit your hair type and give your hair a recharge!

My purple miracle!

We all have our days when nothing goes straight. The smallest, simplest things become tangled & messy, just like our hair. Pollution, dust, weather, stress all play havoc on our fragile hair. Sometimes, the mess up happens even before one reaches office. And the good old tight bun comes to rescue.

Pic Courtesy:Google Search

But two days ago, while I carelessly tied my locks in a bun and was lost in the world of Balance Sheets in office, Mr. Hubby called. “Baby, we have to go to a party in the evening. Be home on time…we leave sharp at 8!” As he said this my fingers went in my rough, messy hair that I had conveniently tied up tightly in a bun. Like a recap of my favorite soap, the morning events ran in front of my eyes – rushing to work, the sudden dust storm that took me by surprise, that important assignment, stress (I subconsciously play with my hair when I am stressed), my hair had been through a lot today. “No time to go to salon, what do I do?” A part of me felt like calling back Mr. Hubby and yelling why his friends love these last minute parties? But it was useless now. There was no time left for damage control.

I didn’t want to be the outcast as his friends’ wives would display their flowing hair, straight out of the salon! Work was soon forgotten. The remaining day was spent fretting & exploring options – making the “I am sick, I wont go” excuse, tying a boring bun, donning a headgear, I thought it all. Friends too got sympathetic and suggested some easy to make buns. But I was super upset.

As I entered home, I saw a purple surprise waiting for me. Indiblogger had decided to be my well wisher that evening & had sent me my free sample of Sunsilk Perfect Straight Shampoo & Conditioner. The pack said “keeps the hair fully aligned as it dries”. It rung a bell inside. “It might just save me today”, I thought & rushed to shower.

Few minutes of indulgence with the purple miracle (That’s what I would like to call the shampoo-conditioner ) & my hair were out of the shower totally aligned! Mr. Hubby’s “we are getting late” song gave me no time to even blow dry. I hurriedly got ready & sat in the car with a comb in hand. The 30 minute drive gave my hair enough time to dry while I combed them. One look in the mirror & it felt like a miracle! My crowning glory was looking so perfect, so straight & a shine that lit up my evening! Thanks Indiblogger, Sunsilk & Yuko Yamashita for making my day! Compliments flowed as Mr Hubby’s eyes were stuck on me throughout the party.

During the romantic drive back home, as he said “ u look lovely tonight”, I winked & said

I got my perfect straight locks!

Sunsilk perfect straight shampoo rocks!

 This post is part of Sunsilk Perfect Straight Review by Sunsilk in association with Indiblogger.

Wonderful blunderzzzzzz

Mr. Husband has a penchant for ordering everything online. Be it his SLR camera, gogs (yes, without trying), camping tents, books (lots of them), music system, phone, deos and what not. While on some occasions, the deals ended up total disasters (the awesome looking, awful smelling deodorant that was passed on to a cousin, or the goggles that looked suave but felt like the ones sold by gubbareywaala and are parked somewhere in the closet). The camera and books have so far been the best deals. Of course, u don’t wear them, and guys usually do fit in T-shirts (it doesn’t matter to them if it’s a bit loose here and there). But for women, it’s a different ball game, fitting being the top priority. And so no matter how tempting that lingerie looks or the throwaway price that kurta is for, except books I always refrain from shopping online.

It was Eve who inspired Adam to eat the forbidden fruit but in my case, It’s my Adam who has done so. Since the bug of fitness bit me, I had been craving for a chic pair of lowers. A week ago, Mr. Adam shortlisted this amazing looking pair for me. My mind warned me against shopping online, but the girl inside said “when your hubby gifts you something, never refuse.” Being a girl, I couldn’t ignore her and I said yes.

In the middle of a perfect Friday at work, I received a call from the seller. The person on the other side, a wise old guy inquired if I was happy with the order. I should have received the message. But I was already seeing myself running the half marathon in my new track suit. I told him I would revert without bothering to ask his name.

Dreaming of the slimmer, beautiful me flaunting my new avatar, I couldn't wait to get home. Once home, I quickly ripped through the shining packaging, the lowers looked as amazing as online, same colour, good cloth! Wow! I was so proud of me having for once, listened to my husband. But all my excitement vanished in thin air when the track pant felt tight on the thighs and the T-shirt on the chest! Uff, and I thought I had lost weight! Why on earth do people start exaggerating the moment u lose a bit (and only A bit) weight.

To be honest, more than the above reason, I was bugged at the thought of my husband saying “I told u buy a bigger size”. He said it, though the tears rolling down my cheeks immediately turned the tables as he said “u just need to reduce a bit (uff, a BIT again) to fit into this!” The girl inside me had still won!

Despite the triumph, I have learnt few very important things today –

Lalach buree balaa hai!

Listen to the mind, not the heart

Girls can be super impulsive

And finally…

Never to shop online for clothes!