Summer Coolers!

...it's been quite a while since I posted about my sartorial choices, apart from the "sareetorial" posts , I mean! 

In the sweltering heat, I wish I could saunter away in shorts. Alas, my thighs do not permit. Hence, I settle for flattering silhouettes in fun prints, like this chevron print skirt here in a divinely soft cotton that hugs you in all the right places and can be really flattering, eh?

I am so into these trendy "statement" pieces and really wish I could make a statement. But for the number of pieces I own, there are not enough places I can wear them to, without being too overdressed! So I often look at them longingly hoping the day will arrive when I can arrive as well...sigh! 

The pastel colours on this piece add to the summery feel and looks very cheerful. ( I own this piece btw)...Paired with a soft georgette white shirt or blouse and black slim-fit trousers - this would look amazing with some soft make up. This would look breathtaking with a plain saree in a dark colour too! Someday. 

With every online shopping sites offering a sale almost every other day, you tend to shop every other day too. So I picked these pencil skirts on a whim and was pleasantly surprised that it was not only of good quality and fit - it was very pocket-friendly too. 

I got these in two colours - a bright red and the classic black. Both of them can be paired in a million ways! I am glad I found this range on www.jabong.com

My classic signature syle is to wear solid colours - mostly plain dark colours and to pair them with statement pieces. I would probably go for soft cotton plain kurtas in dark colours, from westside or would buy georgette tops or feminine flowy blouses and pair them with jeans/ trousers/jeggins. Quirky, unique yet interesting pieces like these I picked from Pipa Bella. 

I chanced upon this site when I was looking for something unique to gift my best friend on her birthday. Since then, I have been hooked. They send the jewellery pieces neatly packed in a pretty box and sometimes, even seal the deal with a cute gift. What more do you want?

My Sareetorial Fixations!

I get my fashion fix via High Heel Confidential and sub-consciously tend to look forward to the "Saree Posts" especially in recent times. From someone who has always loved sarees but hesitant to wear it as I would not get the drape right or would feel like it would come off anytime...I have started loving the fact that I have some lovely sarees and can manage to drape it well now. There is always scope for improvement :) I personally think the confidence stems from the fact that I have lost weight! :P

Being a south-indian, I have a lot of Kanjeevarams from my wedding that continue to sleep cozily in my wardrobe among fancy and fragrant pouches! The only time they managed to have an outing was at my brother's wedding 4 years back ( read the post here, incidentally a very popular one on the blog!). So I often look for something that is not a traditional silk saree, and like the lighter solid coloured ones, I have a soft corner for royal blue, ink blue, navy blue...you get the drift! ( apart from black, of course which is often a strict no-no at most formal functions)

This is a gorgeous saree in pure gorgette, Ombré effect with crochet trims, a gift from my sister-in-law for my valaikaappu ( bangle ceremony wishing you luck for a safe and healthy delivery) which she graciously let me choose online as I lived in Paris and she lived in the U.S.!!! We exchanged a few e-mails and informed her about my choices and voila! she managed to send it across to me before the ceremony! The awesomeness of internet and technology, eh? I love it for the memory and I really think it is one-of-a-kind with the crochet trims at the pallu and borders.

I prefer solid coloured plain sarees to printed sarees or sarees that has too much going on. I am madly in love with kerala sarees that have the classic combination of white and gold. Paired with a contrast printed blouse, it looks very chic and stunning.

I managed to buy a kerala saree in kora cotton but I felt it lacked the grandeur I was looking for...at the same time, I didn't really want to invest in a silk saree when I have so many unused already! When I found this lovely pocket-friendly saree in cotton silk...very light and easy to drape too! 

I didn't like the black lines close to the gold zari...so while we were out scouting fabrics and lace for The Little People (my online business venture with a Partner), I found this lovely pearl and kundan work border in net and I thought it would be a perfect and glamorous quotient on this saree...boy! was I right?

Finally, the "kerala saree"-shaped-hole in my heart is filled and I can imagine rocking this saree with multiple bright coloured, plain and printed blouses! 

Amma ( and Appa) gave me a black saree called "masakkai karuppu"...it is a ritual in south india to gift the pregnant woman a black saree...which is the only occasion it is allowed! It is black, I presume, to ward off any negative energy or evils. I was super excited coz I love black. Amma got me a lovely silk saree and I was thrilled to bits.

I am 9 months pregnant here and delivered in the next 10 or 11 days...since we lived abroad, my parents came there right at the time of delivery and we had a small function at home with all the little rituals we could fulfill.

I have a thing for sarees with a bavanji border.  A classic style of zari, for the uninitiated - it can be described as plain zari and it often appears very understated without being too blingy. I love that and have always wanted one! We were in Bangalore and surprisingly, S pointed out this gorgeous saree with a bavanji border and I picked it up. Such a simple one, yet it looked amazing when I wore it for a small function at my parent's place and had so many people complimenting me about the colour and style.

These are some of my favorite things and I have fond memories of each saree and eternal project of "kerala saree" fulfilled! I shall update this blog post later when I manage to wear the gold-white beauty, hopefully soon! 

Quick update on "The Little People"

Here's a quick and exciting update. I have ventured into an online business, with a dear friend called The Little People. ( click here to view the page on Facebook). Please promote and recommend us to your friends and family, for your nieces, daughters, grand daughters or any little girl you love! Do spread the word! ...Our first set of clothing will be up on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritya!

If you have any feedback or special requests, please feel free to write to us at tlpdeliveries@gmail.com 

...Leaving Paris with a contented heart!

...Oh Boy! Little did I know, back in 2009, when we arrived in Paris, that it would be a life-changing experience on so many levels - apart from the gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower from our living room of course! ;-) We arrived in Paris in Winter and I experienced hail and snow all at once...and while it felt super romantic at first, I am not a fan of winter anymore! :) I am a sunshine girl, I need all the warmth, literally too! The flip side being the fashionable winter coats and boots, for sure! :D

Paris will forever be special for me (not only because it is a romantic, beautiful city) coz Baby Girl was born here! She is our biggest blessing and God chose to give her to us in Paris! :-) The health care system in France is amazing and they took care of me and my precious child at every point and made sure she was healthy, happy and beautiful and gave her safely in our hands...I am ever grateful for that. They also ensure that the mother is well taken care of, and is able to spring back to good health. Serendipity??!!


I must admit, it was a quite a challenge communicating with the doctors and hospitals due to my limited linguistic abilities a.k.a French!

France is often known as the "land of cheese and wine" and it truly is....while I didn't really acquire a taste for cheese or wine, I did acquire the nation's obsession with fitness and exercise! In these 4 years in Paris, both S and I are a lot fitter and healthier - when you see people jogging at noon or even at 10 at night, we had to take it seriously too! I exercised throughout my pregnancy, even til before I was going into labour - and it made the entire process so much faster and easier...I will ensure that it continues even after we go back to India, the elliptical at home, for sure is an investment!

We have traveled to some absolutely gorgeous countries in Europe (I can't believe we have been to 16 countries so far!). S had told me long back that I should take him on a Europe trip on our 10th anniversary! I made it all come true even before that! :P
Jokes apart, we are truly blessed to be able to travel to so many beautiful places and the beauty is etched in our memories forever...we both love travelling and living in Paris gave us the access and comfort level to plan ahead and have a good time! ...and we had a lovely vacation ever so often, whenever we could get away...

I have acquired a few "forever friends" with whom I had fun times - learning new things, sharing our different cultures, thoughts, aspirations and I have felt as loved and understood as I would, with some of my best friends! Our different backgrounds didn't really matter - deep down, we all value the same things and seem to have the same common problems! We may be across different parts of the world - but I am sure we will stay in touch and visit each other often ( hopefully! - Catrin, if you are reading this, this is specifically directed at YOU!)

On a more serious note, I think I have also matured in my thought process - I have learnt to accept people as they are - I tend to judge someone instantly, I don't do that anymore! I have learnt that its unwise to judge someone unless you have experienced it yourself! 
When you live alone, especially abroad in a country where the language and people are alien....I have realized and feel grateful for all the love, family, support I have - both physically and emotionally - never take anything or anyone for granted! 

All said and done, "home is where the heart is..." and I am excited about moving back to India too and can't wait to take Baby Girl to meet all my friends and family, and we will all live happily together wherever we are - she will go to her own home and her own room - ALREADY! She receives a lot of love and affection across the globe, and she is truly a blessed soul in that sense :-)

Clothes Overhaul!

...I strongly believe in getting rid of clutter, but holding on to the good things in life AND clothes! Optimum utilization is KEY....I love to do potter around and do something creative with my time...it makes me feel very productive and creating something, even if in a small way...makes a huge difference to how you feel...anyway, I digress!

So I have this old top that I bought in Singapore a long time back, which shrunk in size over several washes...but I love these chinese accents on it! 

So I got rid of the top I had "outgrown", but cut out these beautiful and vibrant accents....

....attached them to a plain silk top in black....and Voila!

I have an interesting new top and I retained the lovely embroidery patches too! Ingenious, you say? I KNOW!! :P

Accessorizing intelligence!

I love wearing different accessories and I feel it adds zing to your personality. Now that winter is here to stay, I wear dark colours and full sleeved sweaters and tops, and long chains, necklaces and pendants add some colour to a plain garment! Remember that the focus is on the chain or necklace that makes a "statement", which means you have to tone down on everything else! :)

I have noticed these cute "owl pendants" a lot on many fashionable women....but they  all looked the same, and I didn't want to be added to the common crowd! 

But one afternoon, before work, I planned to meet a friend for quick catch-up and some coffee. I arrived early at our meeting point, so I browsed around and found these lovely statement necklaces AND they were on sale ( only the one with the pearls was a bargain)!

The owl pendant in a crystal is something I have never seen, and it was really unique, pretty and MINE! Bien sûr, it has to be!  Right?

I wore it to work and my colleague made a comment that its a symbolic representation of intelligence and knowledge in Greek mythology! :) I was intrigued and googled it to find that its absolutely true...how cool is that?

It reads that in Greek mythology, the owl, and specifically the Little Owl, was often associated with the Greek goddess Athena, a bird goddess who often assumed the form of an owl. Athena was also the goddess of wisdom, the Arts, and skills, and as a result, owls also became symbols of teaching and of institutions of learning, being included in the crest of arms of many universities. In the Western world, owls continue to be traditionally associated with wisdom. They are the unofficial mascot of the high-IQ...

I have a big stand that holds a variety of these statement necklaces now, and they do make any dull garment interesting and make me all charged up as well...who needs diamonds and rubies? :)

Mixing and Matching Fashionably!

You can never have enough of clothes or shoes, right? Right! But sometimes, I have too many things unused and some of my favorite pieces get lost in all the excess! So I decided  to mix it up and wear things differently. 
Anyway, here's what I do, so that I can "maximize the potential and value" of my clothes and persona! ;)

I bought these really inexpensive singlets in the U.K in fiery red and a mellow biege, which I pair with this sort of translucent top with sleeves, and it gives it a nice retro vibe and spices the top!
I also picked up these skirts in cotton and knits to use them in summer and winters respecitvely, that look great when paired with flip flops or boots, depending on the season!

Cargo skirts are apparently in vogue, I didn't even realize I had picked one until I saw one in Vogue later ;) The "cargo" tag comes from the fact that the skirt has large pockets on either side of the skirt. (not clearly seen in the picture!)


With stockings or leggings, they make a style statement in winters! I am very fond of waist coats and tend to pair them with a plain simple top. It not only adds pizzazz to an otherwise boring sweater, but also adds warmth in the cold! By combining different garments to make different outfits, you can also save space during travel.


Cowl neck tops double up as a top and as a scarf during winter! I bought this top with the same idea, however it turned out to be a short one! 

So I wore it with a sweater and again, here's an interesting way to mix n match and "maxi" mize! So you can give the scarf or stole a miss, and in this case, black and white is monochromatic and goes well with almost all dark colors! I paired it with a pencil skirt and dialled down on the "formal" tone.

Little things do matter...

I have always wanted to wear heels, but I am pretty tall already and I am not very comfortable in them, so I don't wear them often! ...BUT I still went ahead and bought these incredibly gorgeous, comfortable and feminine lace heels that are specially designed for big,wide feet like mine, online! ...


When I got the shoes, I jumped up with excitement and joy, like a 10-year old! I was relating to S about something that happened when I was about the same age...and I decided to relate it here as well...


When I was a little girl, and am a girl's girl, I couldn't wait to wear duppattas, have long nails, wear heels, lipstick....I was in awe of my cousin U, a very pretty cousin, maybe at least a decade older than me....and she would have these lovely long nails with pretty nail polishes and would wear these really glamorous big heels. I remember eagerly waiting to get my nails painted, when I visited her and never folding my hands, thinking the color would fade away! :P. I would bug Amma for a dash of lipstick when we would go for weddings and simply refuse to eat, fearing it would wear off....my poor mother!!

Once, she had got rid of her heels - white stilettos, and I brought it along home, just for the heck of it. It was at least 5 times bigger than my feet...but I would walk around in them, dreaming of owning my own pair someday! :) I also had a suitcase full of shells collected over a period of time from all our beach trips...and this was all my "treasure" I would never part with, (so don't mess with me or I'll make you go crazy with my whining and crying kinda treasure!)

We moved houses, actually a major milestone for us coz we were moving from our rented apartment to a lovely apartment in Besant nagar, near the beach...and it was going to be our own home! I remember I was so thrilled looking at the new chandelier(...I thought they were real diamonds and we were super rich now!) at our new home and I also remember asking Amma "Inga daily thanni varumaa? (Will we get water here everyday?)"....coz we used to live in an area where there was a lot of water scarcity and Appa and Amma had to work hard to collect water. Anyway, I digress.

My parents had shifted to our new home and left us kids with our cousins while they unpacked and settled down. Of course, the minute I landed, I looked for my "treasure" box and to my utter horror, my dad threw away all my "trash", including my cousin's stilettos that I had safely stashed away. I was completely heartbroken and I had a mental image running in my head, of pouncing on my Dad for doing this to me! Oh, but I simply did what I did best - cried, cried and cried like there was no tomorrow...I was very very upset with him for throwing away my most treasured possessions.

Today, and I say this with utmost honesty, I feel good, very good - to know my "treasure" is safe and its beautiful and its not borrowed, its my own! ...safe in my home! It may be a little thing, but it goes deeper...:)

P.S - Edited to add a picture after I wore them in real life, finally! :)

...they look super hot, don't they? :D

P.S - This definitely does not mean that my parents were inconsiderate, I have the most wonderful folks, but it is just a recollection of my state of mind THEN! ....:)

Spoils from our Berlin Trip!

S's funky watch and my chunky flower ring - a match made in Heaven! ;)

Weekends are made up of...

...S has been in U.K. through the week....and it has been really difficult for us being a weekend couple of sorts! Thankfully, his work there is over and he is back to being in good ol' Paris! The flipside of this whole travel thingy....has been that he brings me lots of fashion magazines in ENGLISH!! Yayyy!!!! :)....

They have these really nice promotions in the U.K and they give out free cosmetics and bodycare stuff along with these magazines and the last time I was in London, I got a free lipgloss, mascara and nailpolish! Needless to say, with this lot, I got some good stuff - nailpolishes, summer beauty books and bodyshop body butter! How cool is that?

...I had collected some pine cones on our trip to Annecy and the Ardennes...I have gold dust and paint....and I made these with them....plan to hang them in corners...as of now, they lie on a glass bowl with the potpourri...


P.S - In the background, its our new rug in lime green, yup! we really experiment with color and I must say it looks very refreshing and different from the usual stuff! ;)

Printemps Fashion!

....After winter comes spring! Thankfully!....there is so much sunshine, cheer and flowers everywhere....it obviously means the colours need to come out in the open, cheerful flowers....and bright summery colours!

We went on a lovely weekend driving to the French Ardennes....driving through Reims, Givet, Charleville-Mezieres...and out came the very few dresses and flowery skirts that I own! :) I bought this skirt for a good bargain at a street market in Paris! :) Its a breezy material and just right for the summer....

* Tip: I am slimmer below the knees... :). If you would like to look slimmer or longer, it helps to wear an A-line or Pencil skirt just right below the knee...it creates a nice silhouette and for travel, flowy skirts are more convenient and easy to move about!

As I have mentioned here ( click to read that post) before, I am a little hesitant to wear dresses too often...but since I have bought them....I better wear them somewhere and it does suit me, I guess! :) I bought this halter neck dress for the lovely colour ( for a holiday to Spain in 2010) and bright flowers...I used to wear a top underneath....now I have graduated to a shrug! :)

Coming to the shrug, I bought it in the recent sale in February in Paris! (Recently, I have made a resolution to become a practical shopper and not the impulsive buyer that I normally am! ) I love Crochet...but it is often expensive! So when I saw this, I literally pounced on it! ;) I am trying to add a flavour of femininity to my personality and I feel crochet is the way to go! :)

I am also a big fan of turquoise and my eyes are always attracted to the colour! I bought this turquoise pendant....which I have been dying to wear with the right clothes! Here it is! :)

My Winter Fashion!

It's cold and I am always covered in layers and layers of clothes. After the initial excitement of the snow and winter clothes, it tends to get repetitive, wearing jackets ALL the time! For our weekend trip to Annecy, I decided to try and wear something different from a jacket atleast one day! Though, it was pretty cold, I managed to stay warm!

With the sales happening in Paris ( there are major sales here only twice in a year - January and July; discounts are as much as 70% off), of course I decided to check out the stores! ( I mean, OF COURSE ;)... I found this knitted skirt for a real good bargain, and I decided to wear it with a formal blazer under layers and layers of sweater-tops! For once, I decided to skip the winter jacket!

I do like the structured look of this ensemble, the skirt is a military-green with large pockets on both sides! :)

I also carried some colorful scarves to brighten up my regular black-grey jackets...they are the simplest accessory and a total space-saver that makes S most happy! ;)

Incidentally, the jacket is also from the Sales and I bought it at 50% off and it really keeps me warm! :) I am a big "red" fan and I add a lot of red in my clothes and to my home decor! It brightens up your day, IMHO! You can find many "red accents" in my living room too!

I bought this light blazer from H&M about a year back, when I started working here. But I never got a chance to wear them...so I chose this weekend trip to Annecy to wear it! When you wear formal clothes, rather mix a bit of formal with casual, it makes you look chic!

Annecy was gorgeous and I felt like it was a combination of Venice and Amsterdam with all the bridges and canals! I am having a ball regularly posting pictures from Annecy, Check it out too! Many people are unaware of this beautiful little city near the Alps, they also happen to be one of the contenders for the Winter Olympics in 2018, so there was a lot of promotion everywhere around the town!

MIA!

...coz I am holidaying in India, to be specific in Pondicherry! For the first
time, I am embracing the sun and the heat with open arms after the numbing cold winters in Paris (I will go back to all the snow soon)...

Down South, people head to Pondy just as people head to Goa in the West! I found a really cute jumpsuit for a song here, thanks to my brother's superior bargaining skills. Knowing me, I am thoroughly enjoying the shopping, sun, beaches, love, laughter, happiness and all the shopping!!! Did I say that already? ;)

Jumpsuits are really cool, casual and are best paired with a tight-fitting top! This black jumpsuit in cotton takes the cake!!

Chunky is Funky!

I have always thought that lace is very pretty and delicate and is most suitable on very petite and delicate-looking women, if you know what I mean...

An entire ensemble or top in lace would be too overwheming for me. Recently, I found this top with a hint of lace in the back and shoulders...and loved it! Who said you can't have the cake and eat it too? :)

So I realized that if you like something, go ahead and adapt it to suit your personality or style - not just wear it as it is and feel uncomfortable in your skin! My humble opinion!! I think I would look horrible in an top made of lace fully...I am anything but petite or delicate! :P

I am in love with turquoise jewellery and am always attracted to them wherever I see them! I have them in all types - bracelet, ear-rings, necklaces, pendants - you name it and I have it! While roaming around Odeon (an area in Paris)...I saw this unique piece - chunky and really interesting with a character of its own! I jumped on it but never really wore it thinking its really 'over the top'.

Finally, I braved myself to wear it with the same plain black ' a tinge of lace' top and it looked lovely and I got a few admiring glances and compliments at work!! :) Its quite huge and can look good only with plain tops...else it loses its 'character', you know? :P

My blog is a journal; my journal of good memories, milestones, happy thoughts (mostly) and offlate I have developed an interest in writing about fashion. So I am not a fashion blogger per se, but I do write occasionally about it coz I love it! :) Vibhuti is very kind to give me this award which I am thrilled about! She has become really regular with her fashion posts and takes a lot of time and effort to put up interesting pictures of herself in a fashionable avatar! Go check her out!

Not just that, she has given me ANOTHER award which I am really pleased about...I blog pretty frequently about being positive and my journey towards becoming a better person! So I really hope to spread sunshine and happiness in my own little way...

Merci beaucoup, Madame, vous êtes très gentile! ( Thank you very much madame, you are very kind!).

A few firsts in Spain!

After all the serious introspective and sentimental stuff, let's move on to lighter and interesting stuff like clothes, fashion and accessories that I tried on for the first time in Spain! ;-). I have always loved dresses and with so much access to it and looking at a lot of European women wear them, I was tempted to try it on. I always thought that you need to be really skinny to wear dresses, I guess I was wrong. If you are curvy like me and know your body type, you can still carry it off! ;) Noone knows or recogizes me in Spain, so I decided to take the risk! :)















I bought this there....for the lovely blue color and it was so airy - with all the heat, it was a relief!



















A wrap-around dress in black of course, slims you down and creates an illusion of a waist! I know I am not wearing appropriate shoes, but with all the walking that we did in Spain...I could only wear comfortable shoes!

I have always loved big ear-rings that are both ethnic and pretty! I collect a lot of them but never get to wear them thinking its too big or dressy! This time, I made it a point to wear it at least one day...coz my hair is longer...and well, at least its a start! Amma will be really happy coz she loves to see me in big earrings. I normally wear cutesy-non existant looking ones on most days which apparently does not show on my big face!



















I saw these dhoti-pants absolutely on every alternate woman in Spain and it looked sooo comfy that I HAD to buy one too! With all the heat and roaming around, it was so light and comfortable, it felt like wearing nothing! :) I know that they are all 'Made in India' which made me all the more proud! :) Its a big rage there...I also have similar wrap-around long skirts from India in a similar pattern...sorry about the picture, don't have a better one!



















I found this lovely net-detailed vest in Spain and simply loved the style! Paired with a lime-green cardigan, it makes for a lovely color-combination for the summer!


The bag is definitely not a first! ;)....I found this incredibly lovely bag for a super bargain and I love the pop of colour! :) We were walking by and I was just eyeing this bag...and when I saw the price tag, my eyes popped out coz it was a designer bag shop (SALVADOR BACHILLER)..S silently looked at me...smiled at me and said "I know!!! Let's go in!!!!" :) I had bought a lovely big chunky blue bag for the trip and I ditched that one the minute I saw this....I will post a pic of that bag too! I know, I am incorrigible! :) You can never have enough bags or clothes, can you?

P.S - Some of you have to written to me asking me to post full pictures with my face. For privacy reasons, I choose not to reveal myself! I am sure you understand! :) If you do know me personally, you do know how I look anyway! :) I am flattered by the attention! :)