One heart too many?

Right from the childhood,I've not been good at saying 'no'.I don't know why,I just can't bring myself to saying those two dreaded letters!And it gets tougher for me when it's a friend I'm talking about.My astro forecast on the 2nd of Jan,2011 said that I've 'ample romantic opportunities' this year but Kusum Bhandari failed to mention that it'd be an emotional turmoil for me rather than fun.Proposals kept coming in,one after another.It was easier saying a rude 'no' to strangers('Not friends' are basically strangers for me)but then things kept getting more personal.A long-lost friend came by and I almost ruined his relationship with his current girlfriend and then the weirdest thing happened.A friend I've known for years conveyed his feelings for me.It came out of nowhere.I used to pull his leg but I never thought he might have enjoyed it.In fact,I thought he always resented me.He was innocent,hopeful and naive.Looking at his face,burning bright with hope,with beads of excited sweat on it and saying the cruel word wasn't easy.I kept trying to avoid the topic but he won't let go.Sometimes I think it's just me.I've such a hypothetical concept set in my mind that nobody,absolutely nobody would fit it.Well-read,sensitive,understanding,intellectual...the list never ends.But the worst part is that I've had relationships like these.They didn't last long but it left its lingering taste in me.I know what I'm looking for.I know it exists.But the search is just taking too long.I also hate the way I'm losing grip over words.I feel dark circles all around my fingers and mostly,I feel tired.Almost as if I've said too much.Reminds me of one of those good ol' country English short stories with a lady in gloves,plaited skirt and stick,sitting by the window all day long...I feel old.And I feel I've not lived enough.And nothing makes me that happy any more.But there're exceptions.A beige blazer DOES lift my mood up,even if for a few hours.I had a lot of meaningful posts planned.But with exams round the corner,I just don't get much time.Maybe after 8th Jan,I'll do a post that'll be worth all the wait,and the delay.Till then,good for nothing posts with a few pictures it is.

Fugly Betty

The tribute series hasn't come to an end.I'll keep doing them once in a while but I don't have any more in my kitty for at least a month.So,feel free to discontinue visiting this space if you were interested in the tribute posts only,I'll totally understand.Anyway,after getting used to so many drop dead gorgeous ladies on my blog,I had nothing in my drafts(or wardrobe) that would come even remotely close to them.So,I decided to try my hand at something that they'd NEVER be able to beat me in-being ugly(and fat)!
                                                                                                         I don't know about you but I'm a die hard 'Ugly Betty' fan! It has not only empowered me and made me more confident,it has helped me face my fears and get over them.Betty is such an inspirational character!We DO differ(I wear prints as less as possible,I'm a total solid color person.Glasses're not really my thing and I've never worn braces)but somewhere down the line,I'm a Betty too.So,I decided to have a little fun and do something that'd be a fresh change from all the fashion happening in here.So,one fine morning,I got up and slipped into one of my least favorite tops.I decided not to comb my hair.So,I left it the way it was when I had gone to bed the night before(If you really can't do without fashion,you're allowed to see it as one of my interpretations of the oh-so-in 'messy side plaits').I'm not much of a make up person anyway.But I ditched my best friend Kohl too.Please tell me I look ugly.That'd make my day!I don't need you to tell me that I'm fat though.I'm pretty confident about that.;-)

P.S.Pooja Mishra's 'Joker makeup' in the 'Bigg Boss' house has really inspired me too.So,I'm definitely going to try my hand at it sooner or later.Suggestions,people?

Not an end...

As I've mentioned in my facebook post today too,this tribute series has opened a whole new window for me.So much appreciation from so many great people!I'm overwhelmed!I'm also quite certain that every blogger,somewhere down their heart,is a nice and warm person.It takes a lot of guts to start blogging,to be brave enough to open up your life to the rest of the world.In these seven months of blogging,I've contacted quite a few bloggers,sometimes on a public forum,sometimes on a more personal basis.But I've never been misunderstood.I've always got more than I could ask for.Every smile has been met with a warmer smile.Every little compliment has been answered with the politest regards.And nobody,not even a single person has discouraged me or reminded me how lame my blog is.Even when I had started mailing bloggers asking for their permission to use their pictures on my blog,nobody thought that I might do it to gain a little publicity by cashing on their popularity.Nobody thought I might do it because I'm running out of topics to write about.They all were really supportive and thankful and kind.Really,blogging is a whole new world where all the cruelties of the real world don't exist.And given a choice,I'd rather live in this world than the bad,old real one.I can't thank all you bloggers enough for making me trust people again.
                                                                                                               Anyway,I'm going out of track.I'm not at my best when I'm emotional.So,the next blog in the line is 'Vintage Obsession'.Unlike the other tribute posts,this post will be more of a fan mail than a dedication peppered with a few personal anecdotes.Because,sadly,though Smirthi of Vintage Obsession is one of my all time favorite bloggers,I've not really got a chance to interact with her personally.And trust me,it's been one of the biggest regrets of my blogging life.It's a shame because we both come from Engineering background and we both love Bangalore obsessively(if you're a reader of her blog,I needn't explain her reason and I LOVE Bangalore because I've some of my best friends down there and I believe it's one of the truly cosmopolitan cities of India,never mind Mumbaikars and Delhites).
                                                                                                               One thing that has always fascinated me about Smirthi is that she's a fashion blogger with an Indian voice.I still can't forget one of her posts with a belt bag where she had said that she had read that these belt bags were really 'in' these days in some magazine while she had bought them on a trip to Rajasthan long back but of course,some foreign fashion pundit has to come and tell us that something in our country is 'cool' and 'hip' and 'in' and only then,we go ga ga about it.We need others' approval in order to feel better about ourselves.That's when I fell in love with her for the rest of my life.She's a blogger for whom fashion doesn't only mean reading 'Vogue' and checking out high end stores.She has an eye for everything beautiful-a fellow traveler,a quirky poster she came across while going somewhere else,small village children living in a whole new world and what not.She has an eye for every little detail.These days,'Vintage Obsession' has collaborated with Bruno from Mozambique for the photography part but I guess she herself could've been a really successful photographer if she wished.She's also a huge supporter of anything Indian.She has great love for our heritage,fashion wise or otherwise.She is a sucker for anything made by artisans and blends them beautifully with the high street elements of her wardrobe.For every 'Vero Moda' in her outfit posts,there's a skirt made by an unnamed tailor.She has a thing for black.Every time I think I'm sick of black and I'm finally ready to take a 'no black till I die' pledge,I go visit her blog once.Just one look at what she does with black and I'm a black person again.And most of her outfits are like those dark satires that play out a funny scene but you're scared to laugh because something tells you that it's not at all funny,it's actually scary and tragic.You're always looking for new interpretations,fearing that you still haven't really got her.There's more to it than what meets the eye.And ah,the vintage part.I almost missed it.No post of hers(except the ones she does while she's on the run)is complete without a vintage element-a glove,a skirt,an umbrella or something else.And that's something I LOVE about her!Every look of hers represents her as a whole-things she's proud of,things she's comfortable in,things she's passionate about...I can go on and on but it's just a blog.

                                                                                                                            Writing about her is a little hard for me because I don't know what to say-the things that I've always wanted to tell her or the things I adore her for.The things that I follow her for or the things I've always wanted to share with her.The things I want you to know about her or the things I've always wanted her to know about myself.It slowly becomes a post plus a personalized letter plus a fan mail(like I said).It even gets tinged with that 'I know you don't owe me anything but I still can't help being a little mad at you for never reaching out to me.You should know what a desperate reader I've always been and you still let me remain just another reader'.I'm sorry,Smirthi.It sounds stupid.But I promised myself before writing the post that I won't go back and delete a single word.So,I'll just let it be the way it is(even if it's super embarrassing).I've always been a demanding person.Just reading my favorite blogger isn't enough for me,I can't sleep until I tell her how inspired I'm and what I specially liked about it and how it influenced me and how I tried to interpret it and if that was what she had in her mind too...I'm just too selfish.I want to have my cake and eat it too.I guess a lot of pent up discussion with Smirthi(damn her mail ID which my good ol' gmail doesn't understand) is the sole reason that makes this post so hard!
                                                                                                       But honestly,I'm just thankful that an extraordinarily inspiring blogger like her allowed me(and many other readers like me)a glimpse of her life-the books she reads while sipping coffee,the walks she takes while the sun goes down,the movies that inspire her,the jokes that make her laugh...It's almost sharing a scratch book of her mind with us and that's really personal and I can't thank her enough for it!And the icing on the cake?She knows Spanish!How cool is that,huh?

Inspiration-part III

This tribute series has been super fun till now.All the posts have been received with so much positivity that I feel like a changed person already!I was going through a rough phase,thanks to a screwed-up CAT,a missed audition and a semester knocking on my doors but the world has started to look pretty darn good this week.
                                                                          I'm so happy to be able to maintain the sequence finally!Part-III is coming up after part-II,yay!Yeah,it never was a number game but with the sequence being maintained,it's definitely cleaner.Funny thing.'Clean' is the second word that comes to my mind when I think of Kavya,the most meaningful blogger I've read so far.The first word?Pretty,duh!
                                                                                                                       When I was a kid,I was taught that 'nothing,absolutely nothing in the world is perfect'.But Kavya proves all those frowning philosophers wrong with a capital 'W'.Remember the fairytale princess we all wanted to be at some point of our life or the other?Kavya is as close to that idea as it gets in this real world full of pollution,cruelty,body odor and sneezes.She's one hell of a beauty,undoubtedly.But the story doesn't end there.She's a poet,a make up artist,a hair stylist and what not.She has proved another cliche wrong-'there's nothing called beauty with brains,beauties are either dumb or cunning'.She's the epitome of perfection-perfect smile,perfect hair,perfect figure,perfect everything.But still,she stands apart from all those beauty queens.She's so sensitive,so deep!Every post of hers is a journey of self-discovery.They make you look into the mirror and ask yourself A LOT of questions.And often,you've to wait for her next post to get your answers.I love her and Jhumpa Lahiri for the same reason.They both leave the readers with a sense of incompleteness.That makes you read it again and again and wish if it lasted just a little longer.They're beautiful,musical,filled with subtle details but the feature that remains with you forever is that they're 'unfinished'.And that make them timeless classics.Kavya plays with her readers cleverly,sometimes even cruelly-saying enough to get you hooked and leaving it just where you were about to reach a peak.You feel cheated but you still continue following her religiously.Why?That's an answer I'll never get.

                                                                     I keep complaining a lot about people around me.I hate their shallowness,I hate their self-obsessed nature,I hate their selfishness,I hate the fact that they don't give a damn about the rest of the world as long as they get their denims and pizzas but Kavya's one girl I can never have enough of.She's proud to be a woman,she's pretty vocal about our rights and she's anything but docile.But it still fascinates me how she can say all that I've always wanted to and still doesn't sound half as angry as I always am.I've seen many chauvinistic men laugh at me and my extreme ideologies.Some termed me 'didi'(derived from the infamous chief minister of West Bengal),some couldn't stand me,some said I wasn't 'wife material' and will never be able to make someone happy and the rest just chose to ignore me.But I'm pretty sure they couldn't do the same to Kavya's Womens' day post.That's a quality,you know.You needn't scream at the top of your voice and mouth the choicest abuses to make people listen to you and believe in your cause,you just need to make them love you.That solves half the problems.
                                                                                   And of course,apart from all these,she's a fashion blogger too!Her style decoded?Simple,chic,classic and of course,perfect.She has a thing for feminine dresses and touch wood,she looks like a million bucks in them!She prefers to keep it simple with just one or two interesting accessories without too much clutter.She's partial to heels.I've never seen her 'dressed down'.Life IS beautiful when you see it from her eyes.Because that's just her.That's the way she's-seeing always the good in everybody.She's one of those very few persons in this world who're beautiful from outside as well as from inside.She's so busy with her studies and projects that she hardly gets time to blog(Yes,her blog is one of those things that come in small(and not-so-frequent) doses but the result is totally worth the wait)!But you mail her a query and she'll reply you in a jiffy that she'll 'get back to you after her research'.No,she doesn't call it 'research'.Modesty is her middle name.And then,after a few days,you'll get another mail containing an almost hundred word long answer with the polite note where she 'hopes' that she has been able to answer all your queries and if you still have some,you can get back to her.Amazing,right?Even when I had mailed her asking for her permission to use a few pictures from her blog for this post,she wondered if she was 'worthy of being featured on my blog as she hasn't accomplished anything great in life as yet'.You see what I'm talking about?Where did I found this gem?'Fashion Bombay'!She was doing an internship with Sonu and Jasleen and they had done a post on her where the link to her blog was given.Lucky me,right?
                                                                                             Lastly,I'm not good at being with someone 24x7.I love my dance instructors inside the studio but I don't want to go to a dinner with them because they're dumb when they're not dancing.I love to go shopping with a friend of mine but I won't take her to a book launch because she hates books and I hate that.I love getting drunk with a rich friend of mine but I don't want him around when I'm sober because he doesn't know the real me.He has seen a diluted,shallow,intoxicated version of myself and that's far from what I actually am.So,the jokes I had found insane funny back in the bar will seem offensive to me otherwise.But Kavya is one person I'd love to be with,anywhere,anytime.She thinks the same thoughts I do,maybe a little earlier and a little more beautifully.She loves the same things I do.And reading her posts is such a personal experience that I feel almost naked.I want to tear the post from my monitor and hide it under my pillow.Exposing my deepest thoughts,fears,likes and dislikes to the world seems such a violation of my privacy!I feel her posts belong to me and me only.

Inspiration-part II

There’re those who love a splash of color every once in a while and there’re those who swear by color.There’re those who use a little color to jazz up their otherwise boring looks and then there’re those who sometimes use a little whites and greys to balance the riot of colors.No points for guessing which category Karishma of Purple Peeptoes belongs to.If she wasn’t a living being(and very living at that),I’d have bought a bottleful of hers with all the money I’ve got .Ask why?She’d have been less fatty and more effective than my other comfort foods(read hot chocolate,phuchka,cheese burst pizza,khichri etcetra).I’m serious.No smileys down there.But then,had she been a cupcake,I guess she’d have eaten herself up long back.So,I’d have had to make do with poor(and desperate) imitations of hers.Trust me,you can make her do ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN with the promise of a basketful of cupcakes!

                                                               I discovered her  on ‘The Telegraph’ only.And my life has never been the same.I can bet my whole property(not that I’ve a lot of it,that’s why I dare risk it)on the fact that ‘Karishma has had a bad day and she HAS BEEN depressed ever since’ would be the greatest lie in this whole damned world!Yes,everybody has bad days but then,for someone as chirpy,peppy,colorful and insanely fun as Karishma,’sorrow’ is just a six letter word.She used to be ‘goddess of Boho’(if I remember correctly)back when I had just started reading her.Now toh,she’s all grown up-doing media projects in all black and white pencil skirt and shirts!:P

She’s one of those persons I’ve literally felt growing up.I’ve been following other bloggers for more than a year too but I’ve noticed the most significant changes in her.Not only her dressing sense and writing style evolved,she grew up as a person.She was one of those very few bloggers who were near my age(yeah,most of them are either older or younger,twenty one is such a tricky age).So,I identify with her the most.I’ve felt those ballons in my heart that she does every other day,I’ve gone through the turbulnce she went through at times too.Oh,don’t think she has blogged about them in a *tears and sobs* post.That’s just not her.She has one hell of a sense of humour!Sometimes,she’s so funny that it’s almost unfair!

                                                                                                                                             And now comes the most important part.Following her blog hasn’t been only fun.It has been much,much more than that.She’s the one who taught me to say it out loud,’yes,my shoes cost a hundred bucks!But see how cool they’re!I got a good bargain,bitch!Is that why you’re jealous?Is that why you can’t stop talking about your zara blouse?’Don’t get me wrong.She never used the B word.That’s just my adaptation.If you’ve ever played ‘chinese whisper’,you’ll know what I’m talking about.She’s the one who taught me how to wear colors-crazy,insane colors,day ater day,without getting tired or embarrassed.She’s the one who inspired me to let go of the air conditioners and get down and dirty on the streets.You get the best deals that way.With a fabulous tan and a little weight loss(because you’d be sweating it out,silly!).And she also plays the role of a responsible informer.The discounts,the fairs,the new stores opening…she informs it all on her blog!And like a true blogger,she isn’t obsessed with herself.She spends more time behind the camera than in front of it.Her click happy fingers miss nothing-a fellow student roaming around in a more colorful ensemble than her(that’s a serious threat,I guess) or a traveller ‘dressing down’ in the coolest pair of chappals and harem pants,she clicks it all!And she’s blessed with one of the coolest and best dressed groups around!Almost all her friends(or the ones that I’ve seen at least)have an individualistic style and never shy away from showing it off.So,that gives her a bunch of fresh models at her hands any time she wants.And don’t even get me talking about her brother.He’s so hot(specially when his super stylish sister dresses him up in one of those irresistable khakis) that I might get a burn scar if I continue talking about him.*Sigh*

Inspiration-part IV

The classic lookbook with all the wardrobe must haves-black skirt,check.white blouse,check.nude heels,check.black clutch,check.neckpiece with an interesting detail,check.

Queen bee taking over-the ultimate DIVA!

As if the insanely pretty dress and the happy pumps weren't enough torture,she had to add the gorgeous tan bag to balance it all!

Tan love-the shoes or the bag,which one should I lust for?...Hmmm...still haven't come up with an answer,if you've any idea,DO let me know.

And my favorite outfit post till today-I don't know what to look at,the too cute for words red sling,the beautiful skirt,the lace dress(yes,that's not a top,people),the super sexy strappy heels or the little brooch...

Kurti as a dress-how many of us have the guts to carry that off with such great results?

Stylish desi-I can live for the rest of the life just by staring at her jooti

Can a salwaar kameez make someone look more Indian?

Why part-IV after part-I,you might ask.Well,because God hasn't been that kind.The second blog was supposed to be Purple Peeptoes by Karishma and the third Streak Hue fall by Kavya.But Karishma hasn't replied my mail(asking for her permission to use her pictures on my blog) yet and since Kavya shifted her blog from Wordpress to her own website,I've neither been able to post a comment on her posts nor contact her.But it never was a number game,right?The point was to raise a toast to a few of the great bloggers out there who inspired me to discover an extension of my personality.So,who cares whom I discovered first or second?So,the blog I'm going to talk about today  boasts of one of the most elaborate titles I've ever come across-THE FABULOUS LIFE OF NOT-SO-RICH AND INFAMOUS.And trust me,FABULOUS is just the word that describes it perfectly!It's run by one of the coolest married women under the sun,Tanvii!You know what,reading different blogs isn't only a pastime for me.I love to read,I sure do but different blogs have different influences on me.A blog,unlike a book or a newspaper article,is an extension of one's true personality.There're different sides of different people that I discover while reading a post and it stays with me long after that.I discovered Tanvii on Kavya's blog-Streak Hue fall(She did a post on lipcolors of Tanvii).And the first thing I had noticed about her blog,her dressing sense and her personality in general was an unapologetic eccentricity.She is blatantly honest about everything without caring for any one's approval and opinion.'I'm what I'm,love me or leave me' is more of her attitude.The same is reflected in her outfit posts.She breaks all rules and not always with very positive feed backs.She has had her share of 'honest comments without revealing the true identity(if you know what I mean which I'm sure you do)'.The anonymous readers are a little too active on her blog but she never lets it affect her bindaas persona.Her blog has a character of its own.And it starts with the title.Hers had a lot of contribution in the making of my own blog title.Most of the other blogs I had been following until then had a title that made their purpose clear.I wasn't sure of my blog contents back then.I didn't want it to be 'just another fashion blog'.Basically,I didn't want it to fall under any specific category.And Tanvii's blog was just the inspiration I needed.It wasn't about fashion,it wasn't about food,it wasn't about fitness,it wasn't about social awareness,it wasn't a travelogue...It was all that and more.That's when I learnt that it's not the content that matters,it's your passion for what you want to write about.I also learnt to be a lot more positive after reading her.She DOES seem to have a perfect fairytale life,with a dotting husband,a cosy home,a figure to die for,a great family to come back to and most importantly,a closetful of beauties to last me a lifetime without shopping.But sometimes,in between all the laughter and wit,some of her posts give a glimpse of the fact that she hasn't had it that easy.If she still managed to remain so fantastic,why can't I,I found myself asking.And then,if all these weren't enough,she had to be a gem of a person!She's no less than a celeb on her own but she's still down-to-earth enough to reply all her fan mails and queries within two days.Once I had mailed her asking for a few tips on buying a tie.She not only replied me,she even apologized for being a little late!How often do you find that,huh?She reminds me of what my mother used to say long back(before I grew up,that is),'You get back what you do.A good deed always initiates another good one and vice versa'.I can give you an example right away.She gave a tribute to her five favorite bloggers on her blog a while ago and today I'm doing the same to her.And now,coming back to Tanvii the fashionista,what I like most about her outfits is that she's a proud Indian and doesn't think twice before flaunting her Indian ness.In almost every outfit post of hers,she takes a conservatively western look and adds a little interesting Indian twist to it like a jooti,a pair of jhumkas or a dozen(often a lot less than a dozen though) of bangles and makes it her own look.Then it almost gets too difficult to imagine the look without that small detail.And talk about versatility!She wears a skirt as a dress,a dress as a skirt,a maxi as a skirt,a kurti as a dress,a tunic as a kurti and what not.She mixes and matches like anything and when she posts the two different looks she styled from a single piece of clothing,it's almost unbelievable!Anyway,I'll shut up now and let the pictures talk.

Ultimate bliss...

And she walks on...
smashing the fallen leaves under her bare feet.She was too distracted to hear the slightly creaking sound it made.She has never been so indifferent! As far as she remembers,she loved to live.She looked forward to festivals-home-baked cakes in Christmas,red and white saris in Durga Pujo,bland turkey in Thanksgiving,irritating fire crackers in Diwali,the pungent onion-garlic aroma during Eid,the oranges and nolen gur sweets in the picnics they used to go for,every winter...Theirs was a family with traditions.Traditions of every kind.There were traditional traditions and the new ones.The ones the kids made when they were a little grown up-of getting drunk together,of smoking joints together,of putting themselves to sleep while trying to ignore the lovemaking noises from the adjacent room.No,it wasn't their parents,it was one of the siblings with his/her newly found love interest he/she decided to invite when their parents were out.Funny thing,family,she thought.She was the least rebellious of them all.And still,there she was,running away,from something she has always known like the back of her hands,for something she barely has any idea about.'The best time to be a parent is when your kids are young.The moment they start growing up,you keep losing them',she still remembers her mother saying.She also remembers what the Captain said,'this is not a time to consider your priorities.You're doing this for your family,for your neighbors' families,for your friends' families,for thousands of other families you don't know about but you care for.Your parents might not understand today but ten years from now,they'll be proud of you.' 'The Captain' wasn't his real name.They used a code name for every member.He just happened to get the coolest one because he was the oldest member.

She has never felt so liberated! Away from everything-every responsibility,every guilt pang,every disappointment,every misfortune,every happiness...She just felt numb.And old.And heavy.As if all the feelings were gone and all that remained was a chilling sense of fear.But she was oddly comfortable with it.She couldn't drag her feet any further.She sat on the mud.With no suede bag to worry about,no fancy shoes to be ruined...Just she and her soul.And the rains started right then.Washing her soul,washing every sin of hers away...Nirvana,was it?

Inspiration-part I

One of Sonu's colorful and affordable looks

Grey fixation,Sonu wears Grey and makes sure the look is anything but blah.That bag is DIY,can you believe that?

Never saw someone other than Sonu look so fetching in androgynous elements-boyfriend blazer,oxfords and the practical sling!

I've borrowed from this look of Jasleen's time and again,its the ultimate office look for me!

Did you say color?Jasleen seems to have heard your cry.;-)

This look,too is one of my all time favorites!I found out a same pair of shorts after months of searching but in blue though I really wanted one in Grey!:-(The oxfords transform the look to a different standard,no?

Heart printed shirt,cute bow tie and frayed denims in romantic black and white and you thought it's not possible to look any different from Blair Waldorf in that shirt and tie!Sonu sure taught you a lesson,didn't she?

Who said you need to wear dull colors and subtle accessories if you're wearing one colorful ensemble?Sonu personifies risk in this look and still looks perfect!

One white shirt.Period.

Pictures like these made me endure the impossible Kolkata summer early this year.Ever seen a fresher summer look?

This look of Jasleen's is another all time favorite.She said she was 'dressing down'.I don't know if she was referring to the uber cool owl pendant or the vibrant yellow bag or the trousers,screaming casual chic.None of these say 'down' to me.

This post is long due.I had planned to start a series on ALL those bloggers who have inspired me in some way or the other.Blogging has been one of the most beautiful and intense hobbies I've ever pursued.I don't do it for money.As I always say to my close friends that I write because the world seems to be a better place after I write.Some people have asked me over the months if the hit rates and stats of the posts bother me.It never does.I didn't get this blog to be popular.This blog is anything but my attempt at being a high profile socialite.I've never been that girl and I hope I'll never be anything close to that.I've always been an opinionated person.I've always had something to say on everything.But I didn't have anyone to share it with.All my friends wanted to talk about were Bollywood movies,other peoples' relationships and studies.I had almost nothing to contribute over there.So,I had to remain silent all the time.I needed this little cosy place of mine where I can say whatever I like,about whatever I fancy.True,having someone to reply back would have been nice.But having someone(or something) to say(or write) it all to DID help.Today,I try to do at least ten posts a month.But once upon a time,I was like some of my readers-going through others' blogs and commenting but thinking that getting a blog of my own would be too much of a responsibility.But there were these fantastic bloggers who were so dedicated to blogging that it made me sit up and think again.Some were people of my age,some were highly skilled professionals with really busy work schedules.But still,they blogged every week,with extreme dedication,care and love.And the arrogant me said,'if they can do it,so can I.'
               The first in this list was a blog called 'Fashion Bombay'.I found it years back.I had read about it in 'The Telegraph' and noted the link down.I didn't even have an account on bloggers back then.I went to the blog from Google and boy,was I in for a treat!This blog is one of those things I swear by.It's run by two journalist friends Jasleen and Sonu.They say they bonded over a common love for fashion but it's actually more than that.I refuse to imagine a world without them together.Not only do they complement each other perfectly,they look like they were 'meant to be together'.In fact,it was a shock for most of us readers when we came to know that they weren't friends from school or college or same neighbourhood.They both worked for TOI and that's where they met to discuss ideas and to make the world a more fashionable place.They both have a GREAT style sense!In fact,GREAT would be an understatement.For me,they are perfect.And they don't end up looking like a copy of each other on even a single occassion!Their closets are the good ol' Aladin's magic lamps where you find EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN!You name it and they have it.They both have individualistic style.While Sonu has a fetish for 'not so girlie' stuff like Oxfords,mens' shirts and loafers,Jasleen is extremely good at fusion.They wear sweat pants and still look like a million bucks!They're the ones who taught me that there's absolutely nothing called a fashion rulebook.A real fashionista is one who tweaks the rules her own way and still manages to turn heads.They're celebs in their own way and chances are rare that you're visiting my blog and you've not been on theirs.But still,if so,make sure you follow them  here.Once you are on their blog,you'll be hooked.

Laid back...

There hasn't been an outfit post over here for a while.Yes,Kali Pujo(Diwali) DOES seem a year back!*Wipes tears*...Actually,I've not really got out of my place lately.My exam is from 20th or 22nd Nov.But that's hardly the reason of the lack of outfit posts.I've this nerd friend of mine(She used to be pretty cool back in first year but nowadays,she's all study-study-study,project-project-project,lab-lab-lab...).So,I'm holed up in my room all day,reading finance,artificial intelligence,advanced Java,compiler design and advanced operating system to her.We DO get the breakfast and lunch breaks but the luchis,oil laden fries and chicken make me feel more guilty than recharged.She allows me to leave around 7 p.m.but by then,I'm usually so tired that the only thing I want to do is watch a little TV and SLEEP.But anyway,I started hating the lack of action in the blog so much that I decided to do an outfit post before going to a cyber cafe to get the print out of my XAT admit card.Yeah,people do crazy things when they reach the height of desperation.So,instead of judging me or laughing at me,enjoy the pictures.If you don't remember,here it is once again-Five things I can't live without are books,white shirt,well-fit denims,nude pumps and deo.So,you mustn't be surprised that in fifty percent of the posts,I use white shirts as the canvas to weave the rest of the story.

Bhindi posto(Okra with poppy seed)

There're many positives of being a vegetarian.One of them is that the main ingredient of your cooking isn't chicken(Yeah,there are a variety of meats,fishes and seafoods but how many do you actually use for regular cooking?).So,you get to play around with different vegetables and often with 'not-so-bad' results.One of my favorite vegetables is 'bhindi'(Okra).And being a vegetarian(and  a not-so-spice person),many of my regular dishes are poppy seed-based.It lends a nice and creamy texture to the dish without affecting the flavor.I've 'bhindi' more than twice a week and for dinner,breakfast and lunch.For breakfast and dinner,I tend to go for dishes with gravy like 'bhindi posto'(Okra with poppy seed),'bharwa bhindi'(stuffed Okra) or plain 'bhindi curry'(Okra in a light potato gravy).For lunch,I either prefer crisp fried 'bhindis'(chopped or whole) or a 'bhindi chorchori'(dry curry with Okra and mustard) to have with rice and 'dal'.Anyway,among all these,'bhindi posto' gotta be my favorite.Thought would share the recipe with you.

Ingredients

Bhindi-ten or twelve
Poppy seed-three tablespoons
Black cumin seed-a pinch
Curd-a tablespoon
Lime juice-a teaspoon
Green chillies-two(chopped)
Red chilli powder-a teaspoon
Potatoes(optional)-one
Oil-three tablespoons
Turmeric powder-one teaspoon
Salt and sugar-to taste

Procedure

Wash the 'bhindis' properly under running water and chop coarsely.Make a smooth paste with the poppy seed and the curd.Heat oil in a pan and add black cumin seeds.When they splutter,add the 'bhindis' and the green chillies(and potatoes too,if you're using them).Saute for a few minutes and then add the turmeric powder and red chilli powder and saute for a few more minutes until the masalas coat evenly.Now add the poppy seed paste and curd,saute for a minute,add a little water and bring to boil.Cover the pan and let it boil until the gravy thickens.Then add salt and sugar and remove it from the oven.Add lime juice,mix it properly and serve hot with 'roti' or 'parathas'.