Jingle bells,jingle bells,jingle all the way...

Dear Santa,
                 gone are the years when I used to ask for a never ending chocolate fountain,magic lamps,stockings and dancing frocks in all possible colors,boyfriends who'd sing songs to me-with their arms outstretched,Shahrukh Khan style.As you might have noticed over the years,I've even stopped asking per se.I was just happy that you hadn't forgotten me and paid me a yearly visit in spite of being so freakishly busy-sometimes with a book,sometimes with a bag I've been eyeing  for a long time or sometimes with just another box of chocolates I'll never get over.I always wanted to stay up all night so that I could finally see you,even if for once but you always managed to trick me into sleeping,some way or the other.I've always been able to relate to you personally.We both were overweight,full of life,unappreciated,lonely and caring.I was a huge fan of your cap and used to buy one every year,religiously!
                                                                                       But then,this year,I've something to ask for,for a change.I hope you don't mind.I've been going through a personal crisis and have been trying every trick in the book to get over it-hanging out with my girlfriends,shopping,eating until my stomach explodes,cooking,reading,watching movies and even keeping myself busy by talking to other people so that those who're not supposed to pop up in my mind can rest in peace.I'm even planning to get drunk on Christmas too though I'm currently a little low on cash and if you ask me to choose between the fantastic camel bag and a beer,I'll probably go for the bag.Anyway,enough with the small talk.Now,unlike my previous requests,this one's a little 'not so materialistic'. I need you to give me a little brains so that I can decide what's good for me and what's not.I need you to give me a little patience so that I can think twice before jumping into anything.And more than everything else,I need you to make me strong enough to handle all the difficulties life has to offer.In addition to that,if you make me a little more uninhibited so that I can click pictures for the blog on the middle of the road without hesitating,it'd be great.I'm so self-obsessed,no?Always talking about myself,always thinking about ways to make my life better...yeah,it DID occur to me after someone pointed it out to me this week.And I'll be keeping it in my mind while making a list of my new year resolutions.

                                                                                                                                                Anyway,hope you've been doing great.Take care and merry Christmas in advance!
                                                                                                     Coming back to the outfit,it's one of the humblest things I've worn in say,the past two months!This jute bag had been lying under the heap and gathering dust for a long time before I finally noticed it and decided to give it its due recognition.I loved the orange detailing on the border and while it might not be fit for a glamorous night out,I DO see myself carrying it with a few down-to-earth ensembles.The grey pants turned out to be quite different from what I had expected but still,I love them a lot,thanks to the color and the high waist.And about these kolhapuris,'nuff said.The tangerine headband is one of life's simplest pleasures and the chunky green watch is my new BFF.And did I forget to say anything about my white shirt?I bet you don't want me to start again.

It's the journey that counts

The outfit Meher adored

The first picture from my first ever outfit post(on color blocking)

The second picture from the same post

'Blogging is a roller coaster ride',I remember my blogging idol Tanvii saying long back.I did get her point and being the highly opinionated person that I'm,offered my 'honest feedback' too.But I never thought about it on a personal level.I figured such issues were limited to only celeb bloggers like her.
                                                                                                                     Almost a month back,my last post before semester had an interesting comment.Meher of Translucid graffiti said,"Hey. Frankly I've never warmed up to the fashion in your blog, but since it's your personal style, and as long as you like it, who am I to judge, eh? But I absolutely adore what you're wearing there, and I really felt I must comment, since I loved your ensemble. And you're a pretty girl, and this post made me realize you have a way with words too."The comment had huge impact on me,not because I've managed to win a critic over(even if temporarily) but because it made me think how far I've come.Almost a year back,I was a good-for-nothing Engineering student,crashing and burning with my dancing dream,trying to gather enough courage to start a blog of my own.Sharing a piece of your life with the big,bad world on a regular basis can be scary.Also,it's a huge commitment.I wasn't sure if I was up for it.But I had a lot to say and I didn't want to go the  good old diary way.I consoled myself thinking since I'm exactly the opposite of 'popular',my blog will basically be limited to a few close friends.Why prepare myself to write something only my near and dear ones will see?Then came the scarier part.Taking photographs.My life is pretty mundane and boring and while I do hang out with my friends at least once in a week(many bloggers take pictures in the malls,on the road or in the restaurants),I'm too shy to take pictures of myself,in the middle of the road.My place isn't a cameraman's delight and worse,I don't even have a DSLR!None of my friends(the ones I see regularly,that is)has a passion for photography.At first,there were awkward requests.I did try to sound cool and nonchalant as if it's not something I need but just a passing request.At times,they forgot and I was too shy to remind them at the end of the day that they hadn't taken the picture they had promised to take in just a minute.I DID want it to be a personalized blog.So,I didn't want it to be full of only pictures downloaded from the internet.But at the same time,I didn't want to compete with all the pretty and amazingly well-dressed fashion bloggers out there because I knew it was a losing game.They were way ahead of me and to be honest,I didn't even know anything about fashion to begin with,let alone implementing them in my wardrobe!My first outfit post was horrendous,fashion wise!And the worst part?I was giving fashion advice in it!Yeah,even I laugh at myself when I think about it.But then,I was blessed with such good friends!They would take any piece of shit from me and never complain!After a few disasters,I kind of got the hang of it.I thought what I was best at-being myself.I figured out who I stood for-the so called ugly,uncool girls who had no dressing sense.I wanted to show them that there's an alternative to blue sweaters,over sized denims,flip flops and backpacks.Sure,you can't look like a million bucks but you can look decent and feel good about yourself.Meher,mine wasn't a fashion blog,it still isn't and hopefully never will be.So,my fashion sense would never be 'fashionable'.If I've been able to become 'tolerable' from 'hideous',it's a huge achievement for me.Having said that,you've full right to criticize me the way you want.Just because it's personal style,doesn't mean you're no one to judge.If I've been bold enough to share a slice of my life with the rest of the world,I should be gutsy enough to accept others' point of view.Because,when you share anything personal on a public platform,it no longer remains personal.So,please don't hesitate to speak your heart out if you ever visit my blog again,you'll be more than welcome.I don't want to be surrounded by praise,constructive criticism keeps one grounded.
                                                                        So far,it's been an incredible journey.Blogging has proved to be one of my most satisfying hobbies.I've never believed in reaching destinations.I always thought it's the journey that matters.It's the people you meet on the way,it's the experiences you share with them,it's the stories you get to know from them.No relationship lasts forever.We've come to the world alone and we'll go alone.No matter who I'm surrounded by when I die,I'll be as alone as a ghost on my way to the dark alley of death.People'll comfort me to make my journey a little less painful,they won't sacrifice their life to accompany me.So,life isn't about forming lifelong bonds,at least my life isn't.It's all about working on a collage-collecting the fragments and pasting them to perfection.I learn something or the other from every experience.So,I've no regrets.People come and go,I try to remember them by the golden moments we shared,not the ugly fights we were part of.So,I don't think what my blog will look like after ten years,how it'll end,if I'll be able to give it the farewell it deserves,if people will turn up for it or it'll be forgotten like it never existed.I live in the present.I take things the way they're.Life is too short to predict.