EID Mubarak

Hey My lovelies.....Eid Mubarak to all!!!!!!!!

Spent Eid with family at home.....Suprisingly with Pizza and later on chinese food....was a first for my family. We always did the traditional stuff but this time we were content with being with each other rather than spending time cooking..
Later on i did a little makeup experiment for my sister Raahila. Pictures are below....She looks soooooo lovely...

WORKING the work clothes

Dressing the Corporate way NOW has a different meaning to it. Your work clothes dont have to say BORING, they can now show your personality and still be within the "dress code regulations. Let me state this up front, i do not think a dress code could or would increase productivity. However, since it does exist, why not look cute while obeying the CODE.

Your clothes say everything about you and they also help you put your best foot forward. So here are some of the designs i see are India corporate appropriate.

This above look is for the casual fridays in heavily airconditioned offices.....Love the print on print concept.

I love this dress. Regardless of the body type i think the color, style and fabric will look good. And since its hot and humid in Mumbai we can do without the stockings. And for those with an active life you can exchange the close toe pumps with open toed ballerina shoes.

Classic look!!!

This is my favorite. The Kurta top with its tye dye effect is amazing and the little sequence collar. Love the trousers too as it has a lil sheen to it. This would be a gr8 transition outfit form day to night. All you need to do is change the makeup.

This one reminds me of the concept of color blocking. ill put up more to show you how color blocking can be used in office wear.

Similar pattern 2 piece is a very stylised way to dress. You have to be careful that the designs are not too similar where they end up looking like PJs, or 2 different where it looks like youre wearing pieces from diff ensembles.

I love this dress, looks very Mad Men-ish also with the cute pumps and great cut a perfect outfit for the workplace. And if your office has a dress code against sleeveless you can always team this up with a shrug or cotton lycra jacket however based on your body type the lenght of the jacket shud be adjusted. Also if this dress is made in dull colors that might wash you out , you might give a very preacher's wife vibe...

The Nude pumps are probably the best fashion investment u can make. Dont have one? GO out NOW and buy it. I saw a gorgeous pair at TresMode on miking rd bandra near mcdonalds....expensive as hell but felt like a dream wearing any of their shoes.

Im soon going to do Indian Office Wear.....Looking forward to sharing it with u lovelies....

Krishan Vs Kanhaiya!

God created Human beings, Man created humanity!

Yesterday afternoon my mom tricked Gabriel and me in going to see a play at Rangsharda auditorium in Bandra west. The Rotary Club had organised for their members to see the premier show of Krishan Vs Kanhaiya starring Paresh Rawal.

The originally Gujrati play was well received and now had been turned into a hindi play for the masses by Paresh Rawal. We entered Rangsharda 45 minutes early and waited to enter the auditorium. 7:45pm we were given entry and went to our very very very uncomfortable seats. The rows were so close together that my 5'2" length was scrunched up...Gabriel being 5'11" sat in quite discomfort.

The lights flickered the auidiences volume dropped to a eery silence and the spot light went on...I am not going to reveal major details of this play in this blog, cuz i want you to go see it.. Though i will repeat some of the well written jokes..so SPOILER ALERT!

Krishan Vs Kanhaiya is about an atheist and his fight with religious believers. His best friend/employee, his wife and even his profession has everything to do with religion and yet he still remains an atheist.He questions the logic behind Karwa Chauth (sorry if the spelling is wrong) He askes how will his life get longer if his wife fasts and compares it to his wife charging HER mobile and HIS mobile getting fully charged. LOL God takes him through hard times to help him realise the existence of a higher power and also help him start a revolution.

I have to applaude the wonderful writer Bhavesh Mandalia for a well written script. I expected comedy in the form of physical comedy , however, it's a very witty, one person's oppionion (the writer) on the business of religion. Through out the play they argue the existence of god and give you a million reasons why religion and it's dogmas are conter productive to humanity and how god does not exist and towards the end of the play they show the existence of god and how he/she is omnipresent.

They do mention every major religion on Indian soil, however, there is a special focus on Hinduism. I personally don't think it is a personal attack on the Hindu religion, it just seems that the writer wrote what he knew, like most good writers do. He pays a special focus on the corruption involved with temples, pandits adn even religious rituals and how some people can be hypocritical in the name of religion.

A lot of it rings true for most religions and a lot of it is personal interpretation, which in my oppinion is entertaining. My faith is not that weak that a very well written and entertaining play will shake its foundation. I still pray and I will continue to till it makes me happy and peacefull. I was reading up other reviews on this play and a lot of people (Indians in the US) who saw this play in USA in 2010 have written things like it is wrongly influencing the hindu youth and how it is against hinduism and indian culture. I could understand their sentiment and how it comes from fear of having nothing to believe in and that there is no higher power. To all those people i'd like to remind them that they have taught their children well and these young adults have a brain to make up their own minds. And if they do choose the path of atheism, its not because of a play , no matter how well executed, its because they already had the thought in their mind.

Belief in god is a very personal and sacred thing. Like they say, its between them and their god. And today if we choose to force any young /old adult to belive in something they honestly dont , the cracks will eventually show. one of the things that can be done is to educate them in the history and science of the religion. The norms the reasons the logic which every religion has. The benefits and the deep roots religion can create and let them choose , cuz  once they do, no one can shake that decision.

Krishan Vs Kanhaiya is a very entertaining , thought provoking play. I do not believe it is insulting  to ANY religion. If you truly hear the message of the play, its loud an clear..GOD exists in all of us and has given us a brain to assess what is right and wrong and how we can understand rituals and dogmas before we consider doing them. Cuz some of them cud be man made.

My pretend hat is off to the cast , crew of Krishan Vs Kanhaiya for a well executed play which is entertaining. I may not agree with everything they say but i do know my faith stands strong enough to withstand any individuals critical views.

And this is a special shout out to Akshay Kumar....who plans to make this play into a movie...PLEASE DO NOT MESS WITH THIS PLAY TO MUCH TO COMMERCIALISE IT! ITS JUST RIGHT!

Dior Addict

I found it! I found it! I eventually found it! What you ask? The perfect lipstick. The one that goes with all looks, colours and styles. And the one that makes me feel lush...with supple lips....hmmmmmmm
I truly am a Dior Addict.

2 months ago I bought Dior Addict Vintage 525.  It was not an impulse buy obviously since it costs about 1200/- rs, around $28. However, I had gone to Shopper Stop Bandra west to check out their new anticipated range and fell in love with this light mauve/pink color. It's a creamy feel on your lips however it is still light enough for you to feel pouty....Most creme lipsticks tend to be heavy and stain everything. Dior Addict is the light fluffy lipstick that does stain everything (still muccch better). I love wearing this divine color.

It contains no lead and is not long lasting so you do have to apply it a few times in the day.
But since it feels like a dream on your lips i do not mind the frequent application. It also freakin moisturises your lips...isn't that amazing?????

I have added the pic some on the colors out of the 44 color range in Dior addict. Take a looksie my lovelies...its brilliant.

(The above picture is form Karla Sugar's blog) Thought it was perfect and all teh cloros are vivid hence i used it)

Shalom!

Meaning of the word Shalom according to some site ( most said the same thing)......

is understood around the world to mean "peace." However, "peace" is only one small part of the meaning of shalom. "Shalom" is used to both greet people and to bid them farewell, and it means much more than "peace, hello or goodbye"....

According to Strong's Concordance 7965 Shalom also means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

Now why am i giving you this class in Hebrew 101? Well... Shalom has recently become a big part of my life..why you ask (even if you didnt) Shalom! is the name of this fabulously young, creative and incredibly hardworking Event Management Company. The owner of this company has been an important part of Gabriel's and my life for half a decade now..Rahul Grover is in Nitu Singhs very inappropriate words for her son...Raymond the complete man. He is the kinda guy who would accompany you to a red carpet event or accompany you to jail ..(if it ever called for it).

 He started his dream project Shalom! in 2011 and if you ever want to see the definition of the words "backed by heart", you should visit his offices in Mind space, Malad. He has surrounded himself with friends as eager to support him as they are to succeed. He truly has a lot of goodwill going his way.

Now! why am i telling you so much about him?? Well, I want you to understand the intensity of his success and feel as proud as i am about his accomplishments.

Shalom! is currently amidst the great mission of introducing the masses of metropolitan cities in Mumbai to great music and i was lucky to be amongst the enlightened.

SHALOM.inc Showcases

"INDIA's INDEPENDENCE TOUR with BROKEN TOY aka JAMES COPELAND "
...
VENUEs

12th DELHI - THE LAP (Broken Toy dj set)
14th MUMBAI - Vie LOUNGE (sun down event/ James Copeland Live Set)
19th BANGALORE - PEBBLES (Broken Toy dj set )
20th KOLKATA - The SWISSOTEL (Broken Toy Dj Set)
21st PUNE - ONE LOUNGE (James Copeland / Broken Toy )

Last night Vie Lounge shook to the beats of James Copeland aka Broken Toy (i just love that handle). I'm gonna have some pics for you soooon, i forgot to carry my camera in the hurry of trying to look cute ..priorities eh?... my bad!

I entered Vie with crazy EDM playing with melodious Jazz added to it...it sounded divine. and it made the sundown part of the event memorable..I DANCED MOST OF THE NIGHT ...and the music kept getting stronger and stronger.....and kept me moving more and more...I can barely stand now while i write this blog.  There were the young elite of the suburbs dancing in front of Broken Toy like they were his puppets and he their puppet master. (And i have to tell you he is adorable).

The place shut at 1:30am like most places in Mumbai. And as i saw the swarm of people leave Vie, i realised Shalom's first event on their homeground was well received and a great success....

So if you havent already caught this class act...above is the date and venue list....grab a hottie...and go crazy with Broken Toy......SHALOM!

BFF Vs Frenemies

My last day in school (and yes i did go to school), it was the last hour before the summer vacations and after those vacations we would enter the "real world", college .......I was standing atop  the staircase that entered in this vast open hall which was the main exit to my school.

As i stood their watching the sea of beige and white and was assaulted by the cries of 15 year old girls professing their love for their friends and how much they will miss them, i almost missed this olive skinned girl with tears running down her eyes suddenly hug me with a death grip. I remembered she used to be friend, she used to be my best friend. But it had been years since she spoke to me, i wondered why this public display of affection?????

She eventually let me go and looked at me with those honey brown eyes and said the two words that gave me relief and pain at the same time. I didnt know why at the time. And then between her tearful hiccups she said " Aash, im so sorry for ignoring you all these years, it was a decision we had made cuz you didnt fit in our group, and im very sorry"

Those words rattled my 15 yr old world...i stood there frozen and she kept talking but i couldnt hear what she said...The clincher here is that i could have gone my entire life without knowing this, cuz i didnt really notice that she and the rest of my "friends" at the time were ignoring me cuz i didnt fit in. I just thought we all drifted away like most friends do. We grew outta each other and that was my truth of the 5-6 years that she had no longer been my friend. I didnt even remember if it hurt when i must have realised we were no longer friends. Now I may be putting her in a bad light, maybe she said i didnt fit in to be kind to me, maybe there was something seriosuly wrong with me at the time, but whatever the reason ...i may have been too school for cool ....whatever.. the reason didnt matter...it hurt! and now when i think about it, it still hurts.

Our need to be accepted  and sometimes even applauded makes us patsies.... And i realised that almost 15 yrs later i am still that fragile little school girl in pig tails wondering if my friends like me or care or are conspiring against me???? Paranoid much?????

What makes a friend? I sometimes feel maybe what we deem as BFF's are frenemies in diguise.
Does a friend talk about you behind your back? Does a friend think less of you? Should a friend punish you? Or maybe its nothing to do with friendship and just the maturity of the relationship. Should you always need to be applauded by friends, or maybe your confidence and security comes from within....? Now i probably must have done one or more of the things i have listed above and probably thats why i think others are capable of it. Maybe to get a true friend you have to learn to be a true friend. But who teaches you this? Parents ? Teachers? TV?
Well I hope to figure this out eventually....

Ship AHOY!!!!!

NO! is my favorite word. Even before I know the issue, request etc i inherently say NO! So this year I decided (Very much like the movie Yes Man) i'm going to say Yes! to every new experience that i would initially say no to. So when Megha asked us to come to Kochi International Fashion Week, for a good 15 minutes I kept thinking of reasons I should not go. Then i mentally chucked away that cons list and went anyway. It was an opportunity that might not show itself again or maybe next time my cons list will win.

Day 1 , 2 and 3 went speedily amidst the fashion world and its DRAMA!  But for 3 hours  on day 2, I was in true heaven. From our hotel the port was 5 minutes away and we took a catamaran to Fort Kochi.

As soon as we reached we were greeted by eagerly awaiting rickshaw drivers, it was a bit overwhelming and with the fright of being swindled we decided to ask this lovely shopkeeper for advice. (This is what i love about the people in Kochi, they are kind, informative and oh soooooo sweet.) She told us we should hire a rickshaw for 2-3 hours for rs 400/- and see all the sites Fort Kochi had to offer.

A huge part of my moms childhood was in Kochi, and my entire childhood i have heard tales of this heaven on heart. I was very eager to see more. Our Guide/driver Yasser decided the tour route and we happily let him. Out of all the places he mentioned i was very eager to see the Dutch Palace. I dont remember the sequence of events however i do remember going to Kashi art cafe, a Museum which is built on top of the remains of the original Fort of Kochi.... where I also got to see one of the most inspiring and interesting artifacts which was aparently a typical Kerala Lock. The Manichithrathazhu Door Locks in its ornate glory also has an important message for everyone. You can see the image below

This particular lock is a symbol of unity as it has the half moon symbolic of islam, the cross, the trishul, 7 candles for the jewish faith and an image symbolizing the chinese faith. I was so awe struck by this, and hence plan to paint this image in glass and add it to my main door.
We also went to the beach and got to pull the chinese fishing net and i have to admit Namrata and i had a lot of fun.

 

My mom's school

On our way back from fabulous Fort Kochi, in true Aashu, Gabby and Namu style we got LOST! On a freaking boat..... we boarded the wrong boat and ended 20 mins away from Wellindon Island. Not gonna include MG's mom, cuz she very sweetly accompanied us wherever we wanted to go. We eventual reach teh right port. and miracle of all miracles we get a rickshaw that takes us back to casino hotel to end our lovely sightseeing say.

Namrata 2.0 the gold glamour look

NYX shadow of 10 for brown eyes

NYX Glitter eye shadow

NYX Eyeshadow primer

Fish Fry----The one i have had my entire life

Cover and fry on low fire for 10-15mins

Holy Beef batman!!!!

5th of July 2011 I got a call from one of best friends in the world Megha Grover. Excitedly she let me know she is a part of the Kochi International Fashion Week. I was so excited for her, what an opportunity!! Then in typical Megha Grover style she told me with the sweetest, sadest puppy dog tone that for her previous fashion shows were attended by people who she barely spent time with and that her best friends in the world have never seen her showcasing her clothing line......

Soooooo with guilt that only a catholic nun should be able to inflict on me, I booked my husband gabriel's and my ticket to Kochi. I was soooooooooo excited to be a part of Megha's crew, helping her with the prep work and also getting to see Kochi, God's own country. My other best friend Namrata too had the same conversation with Megha and immeedaitely booked herself on the same flight as us.

So then came 5th of Aug, my flight was for 4:30pm, which i thought would give me time to put on my makeup and record a tutorial as well....in the mean time my Gabriel had other plans...he had to help his employee with medical assistance and also get his hair coloured a bright red, which put all the packing, closing up the house and informing all the people who had to be informed abt the trip on me, so i ended looking like i had a serious anemic condition with a husband with flaming red hair...atleast it was stylish. And i did let him know , not so gently i might add about it.

So Namrata, Gabriel and I reach Kochi by 6;30pm. We drink awful airport coffee (which was surprising, since we were in south India which is known for filter coffee) and waited for our pre paid taxi. Our Taxi driver who knew a little bit of English very sweetly gave us a heads up on South Indian celebrity hang outs and houses and all the famous malls and markets... Luckily Namrata knew Tamil which is a little similar to Malyalam and we were able to communicate efficiently...though there were quite a few times Namrata ignored what the cabbie said cuz she had no clue what it ment.....

Kochi greeted us with A LOT of rain...and our taxi driver didnt seem to be fazed by it and drove like a bat outta hell. Gabriel who was sitting in the front seat was quite (which is unlike him) waiting what he thought was eventual dooooommmmm. We reached the lovely Casino hotel and were greeted by a crowd of Kochi's elite , posers and everyone in between waiting for the next designers showing.

Megha met us and we rushed to freshen up in her room and go see Harianand and Archana Kocchhars shows.
The clothes were alright and post which we went to the Kingfisher lounge for a beer and an impromptu photo shoot.

After the Kingfisher lounge we went to have dinner at the hotels cafeteria and i must say the food was delicious, i was surprised the amount of beef dishes expected more sea food which was also available..incredible food though, after wards we went to the after party. And i have not seen these many talllll people gathered in one place ever...All the models were partying their head off  and i must say for an overweight , 5' 2" girl it was initially intimidating, however, it eventually sunk in that im here to have FUN!

Day 2 at Kochi International Fashion Week went pretty chill... Got to do a little of sight seeing which i will write about separately and then got back showered and went to party like rockstar with Gabby, MG, Namrata and MG's mom ..... We attended the after party and i got to wear my JLO earring eventually...Ended up doing Namrata's makeup which is loved (HURRAY!) Megha seemed pretty chill though post the party she eventually started showing some cracks in that calm exterior and you could see the nerves for her first Kochi International Fashion Week showing.

My lovely makeup sported by Namrata the hottie! and thats her stylish friend Ami.

The entire day 3 went in a fog of clothing, steaming, makeup, hair and STRESS! It can't compare to the stress Megha went through , however, at the end of the night i thought i was going to have a heart attack or my tired legs will just fall off.  Altering the clothes went well , the final fitting was fabulous, the makeup at the end looked amazing and the hair was exactly what megha wanted. Megha was a tiny blur of beauty through out the day, running from room to room getting her music, choreography, fitting makeup and hair finalised. Just writing all that has gotten be tired, she was just running on pure adrenalin. Namrata and I in our own novice ways did whatever we could. The final show as you have seen in my earlier blog was fabulous...after packing up and getting the clothes to Megha's room , gabriel and me crashed...literally! crashed on our bed and woke up the next morning at 9 for our flights.