Summer Coolers Trends : Dresses and colors to wear and shine bright

During one of my recent interactions with a series of talented and in my thinking leading fashion bloggers of Delhi /  NCR we chanced upon a discussion on the entire idea and though behind - Summers . 

The discussion was highly intellectual and yet candid where each of us presented some views and trends and the entire concept generation of the theme or in general words what to wear or which colors to pick and mix and match to make you stand out and stand cool. 

Summer to some is also the period of finest developments, happiness, or beauty . There is also something special about summers  . It lets you breathe : in the clothes you wear and food you eat .

Suddenly , everything seems full of color and radiance . People support bright and cheerful colors , as I would like to call and pair them with equally contrasting fabrics and create a trend of their own. 

• Colors : Purple , bright orange and shades of green are what we zeroed in as theme colors during our conversation besides the shiny shades of blue and white and not to forget the pink . I personally like peach but not many  think its a great summer color. 

• Body type : But what is important is that you should wear an attire which looks good on you and suits your structure  . Combining a range of colors may look like you own the rainbow and hence chose the ones which suit your color type and the skin pattern. Girls : You must have : the midlength skirt. It’s great for those days when you’re rushing out and don’t have time to shave. Since this skirt length can be tricky on some body types, tuck in your top to highlight your waist for the most flattering effect. 

• Patterns : Floral patterns are something which are always in and believe me if you have been working out ( girls , I am sure you are doing the crunches and the jumps ) they look fabulous . The patterns give and combine a range of colors keeping them subtle yet ensuring they look beautiful . This is a must have for your wardrobe. 

• Flats :  I have seen both girls and boys having and piling up some really good footwear this summer.  Not only this , work-wear has also made a smooth transition into smart flat shoe styles away from the dreaded killer office heels. 

• Glares : Whenever you step out , ensure you have a pair of sunglasses and the look we recommend is a retro, rounded pair in a cool color . 

• Evening dresses : I am a big fan of Roksanda Ilincic :  a Serbian fashion designer based in London.If you're looking for a showstopping dress that's suitable for work-wear and occasion dressing, Roksanda has one for you . A dear friend had picked this up recently during her travel overseas and I am awe-struck . 

• Men :  Ensure you have striped and something in silk. I recently was gifted a half cut silk kurta with hand woven embroidery  . This pairs well with a jeans and a trouser . And remember ,the blue shirt . You can't go wrong with this one.

• Bags:  To carry the summer essentials , do have the tote bag handy and something which doesn't look to big for your arm .

Also, keep yourself hydrated and drink plenty of healthy liquids . Enjoy the summers .

BTW - I have my own personal FaceBook page now and may I request you to  ' like' / 'comment' / 'share' , in case you like my writing or me :) .

Lemon Girl by Jyoti Arora - Exclusive first hand review

It’s not always that you stumble upon lemons . And these small looking tiny little objects squeeze the hell out of you . More than these I liked the name – Nirvi and interesting weaves of events that unfold and at times are left untold.

The entire book or as I call the story happens at a pace where suddenly you are ahead of time and at times , way being the actual time . The author as tried to describe the character of Nirvi by building it up or linking it around the other characters  which I found rare yet good. The story is not only about love and the complexities surrounding the concept of ‘love’ but also more about how sudden flashes of moments or of certain people can and may put your life out a beaten path .  

Nirvi , may not be the real strong girl who may have done or taken some hard calls in life but its more about how life around her changed her in ways unimaginable . Each chapter or sequences are very well build up and questions us , as readers hard and society we live in at large on the certain set of known and unknown things that exist.

You may not be able to take a call if you stand by Nirvi or not but what you would be able to do is to have an alternate thinking stream and pattern . Remember , life doesn’t treat us the way we want . It’s always the opposite.

I would want to give the entire story out but what i would leave you with a thought as shard by Arsh - When it's time for you to fall in love, even a lemon can become the cause of it .

Take time out and read this interesting piece which encompasses a whole lot of emotions , self restraint and struggled and tangled life and above love – Lemons. 

THIS REVIEW IS A PART OF A BLOG TOUR BY THE BOOK CLUB.CHECK OUT THE BLOG TOUR DETAILS HERE. 

BTW - I have my own personal FaceBook page now and may I request you to  ' like' / 'comment' / 'share' , in case you like my writing or me :) .

Summer break - Binsar & Kausani

Hills :  always have something captivating which keeps coming back for more.  And I over the time having realized the importance of breaks and pauses prefer not wasting a single opportunity and driving straight in those snake roads ( as I call them ) up the hills.

Many of many fellow writers and nature lovers tell me time and again that I should visit Binsar and the re-visit would happen automatically.  This is indeed true !

For me Binsar has always been a sleepy scenic beautiful paradise far way from the city crowds. Situated in the Kumaon region of Uttrakhand its an ideal place to wake up to a charging sun-rise and an ever romantic sun-set. It all happens here.  And if you are a little high on luck you may get to see for yourself the entire Himalayan kitty of mountain peaks - Nanda Devi , Nanda Kot and Chaukhamaba among others. 

Everytime I have visited this place , the clouds have welcomed me  , literally.  They are so close to you that you actually feel rubbing them off or may be flying away with them .  Truly spectacular .

The town or the village per se is very small and everyone is happy with whatever they have . They know you are an outsider and hence they are all the more nice to you  . The ladies do all the household work and are on the job all through the day . Men , if I may say so , have the responsibility of sipping a garam chai and not to forget the hukka and discussing politics and random chats.  They truly live a chilled life .  The only good thing they may have done is - to get married. 

The children are fair and really cute with red cheeks and the little girls are simply the sweetest with wavering hands at every passing vehicle and smiling with all energy to everyone who sees them .  This time of the year is the best time to visit as you get to see some rare birds , nature at its full bloom and yes the famous zero point in Binsar one can see the Himalayan peaks like Kedarnath Peak, Shivling, Trisul and Nanda Devi.

I , with all my might got a chance to visit Patal Bhuvaneshwar - a 6000-year old underground cave complex. Better known as the commune of the gods because of the 65 temples dedicated to different gods and goddesses situated inside the cave, this tour is a must take. This is no easy task and there is a saying that not everyone can enter the caves. 

In case you have time on your hand , do drop in to Kausani - the place which makes do nothing but just sit and see the surroundings all around. This is a picturesque hill station famous for its scenic splendour and its spectacular 300 km-wide panoramic view of Himalayan peaks like Trishul, Nanda Devi and Panchchuli peaks. 

I am still thinking how do people write in these place when all I could think of was - to fall in love all over again , with the place though . 


BTW - I have my own personal FaceBook page now and may I request you to  ' like' / 'comment' / 'share' , in case you like my writing or me :) .

Featuring in IIMJOBS.com - March 31st 2015 - One of the youngest Citibank executives to be interviewed

Got a chance to share my views on marketing and consumer behavior at large and some key lessons to be plugged in via India's leading corporate job portal #IIMJOBS.com .

Full interview link -https://lnkd.in/b94nYw2

Thanks you for your best wishes and blessings. 

BTW - I have my own personal FaceBook page now and may I request you to  ' like' / 'comment' / 'share' , in case you like my writing or me :) .

Decorating - The art of installing

Decorations – The name itself has that ‘good vibe’ you feel yourself immersed into the arena.  I had the privilege of being part of a friends function in a faraway place called – Ranikhet. If you thought the surrounding was the ice pick, for me personally it was the decorations that was done in a painstakingly manner .  And when I say decoration it’s not flowers being arranged or put up on tables like we typically would have thought. It’s much more than that.

The entrance was done in a plain yet mesmerizing way by creating temporary waterfalls with an orange background with small lamps all around.  As soon as you entered you were handed over a flower ( random pick from a host of flower stems ) .The décor was done in white with a hint of purple and an off and on tinge of pink . Different to see since it may sound a little unusual. The place was overlooking the mountain range and the by the start of the evening the stars had also started coming creating the twinkle in the otherwise black sky .

Everyone was dressed traditionally and it felt a splash of colors all around . The food and the drinks revolved around the central theme of being ‘ saatvik ‘ and hence full of colors and nutrients .

Flower decorations were done in such a manner that you couldn’t help but notice the beauty that radiated from them. It looked so pristine that at one point of time I thought I would do better standing than sitting. 

Functions like these are not only about the décor and the things which enhance it, but also about the people who grace the occasion.  This means that wearing good attire does not necessary mean that one is happy . The good vibe should come from within and should spread out .  

In between all these conversations I stumbled upon an old long lost friend whom I thought I had deleted from my memory base and yet , there the person was standing , looking at me with a thousand questions and yet not wanting any answers .  This is for another day though since memories and flashbacks bring with them a lot of not so wanted items .

Next time you step out for a function or host one take time to breathe in the effort that you are putting or someone else has put in and see what is it that you can do other than just gracing the occasion. 

I got  a chance to attend the recently concluded NDMC palate mini fest and saw two awesome installations by equally talented ladies.  

Puja Bahri’s :
INSTALLATION CHIDIYA URRRRR

Seema Kohli’s:  INSTALLATION CUTTING CHAI

BTW - I have my own personal FaceBook page now and may I request you to  ' like' / 'comment' / 'share' , in case you like my writing or me :) .

Attractive Cosmic Colors

As I was sipping my black coffee by the pool side and the sun setting in , suddenly I saw this server wearing a bright red color attire approaching me . There was a matching scarf to it and the entire walk towards me seemed nothing short of a Bollywood flick.   

She kept the starters on the table and went by.

I was still thinking about – red . Have you ever wondered why we get attracted to colors.  Not only this we have preferences also and we are at times skeptical which one to team up with and which one to avoid on certain occasions.  My pals from the school of occult sciences and color therapy would love to chip in with all sorts of reasons on the why part  -  cosmic vibrations , aura , therapies , karmas and the likes  . 

While I do appreciate the science behind all this but at time I fail to understand why I always pick up an apple when I have the choice of having a banana of a kiwi fruit.  Is it because the red scores over the yellow and green or is it purely due to the medicinal properties that each of these have or is it simple that I prefer red.  I am intrigued by eating an apple than all of these cosmic world logic's.

Not only this . We wear stones of all sorts and sizes and we also believe in charging them since they run out of charge . I am not going to comment on this  . We also buy cars , gadgets and even our clothes on choices than preferences . Yet , when someone comes to us and says that the white looks better than the blue you go back into a thinking mode and the entire reasoning goes for a toss .

I have always believed that there are certain things that suit you and there are many that don’t .  You cannot and should not make the mistake by picking up something just because you like and not necessarily it works for you. It’s not always about the choices or preferences that we make or do but more so about what suits us.

At the end you should like what is given to you and enjoy whatever you have . Believe me, not everyone can carry red well  . As for the server, we are waiting for the desserts and not just red velvet.

BTW - I have my own personal FaceBook page now and may I request you to  ' like' / 'comment' / 'share' , in case you like my writing or me :) .

Sunday Specials

It was a rainy Sunday and besides having a liking for rains I also appreciate having an off on Sunday . And when I say off means complete freedom to do what I want to do.

A call from a friend sitting seven seas apart made me put on my thinking hat and do some thought matches .  This friend of mine was just back after doing a community service for a full day .Community service as in helping or doing things for the needy that matter. They do this regularly. If you ask the exact reason why they may not give you an appropriate correct answer .

This made me think two things – Spoiling a Sunday for this service and what is it in for a person.

I was thinking like a corporate and hence the line of thought. First thought is invalid since majority of us on Sunday’s do anything but relaxing .  Second one is the key here.

If you have ever been to a blind school you would realize the gravity of a situation and the magnitude of difference that YOU can create.  These people may be different or as I call , special . They may have a problem or as I see an opportunity.

You may not feel all this at once but over a period of time you will come to think that next time when you see your kid cribbing over a chocolate ice-cream or your wife insisting to buy the new designer clutch or you thinking why in the world you only work so hard or why is God partial to you and gives you so much of pain think and sit back and reflect these people and the way they battle or as I say live it out.

All of these are extremely talented people in some way or the other. They have accepted the way life is and are not in any battle of sorts. They have also thought through what exactly life would be like and are at complete peace with its way of working.  Its not what we want from life but what we are willing to give it back.

Everyone comes here and moves on. It’s the time you spend creating a difference in someone’s life that changes the game.

Whenever I visit a place like this or come across anyone like them , I just thank God for being kind to me and I imbibe the positive these people have . At least some rub off effect will occur.

Try to plug into your fast moving digital life this connect. It has the power to change you as a person , professional and as a human being.  

Happy Holi

PS - Have a great weekend and a happy holi . Stay safe & special. 

BTW - I have my own personal FaceBook page now and may I request you to  ' like' / 'comment' / 'share' , in case you like my writing or me :) .