Vivacious Valentine's Vogue

Hello (well imagine it as a deep hell-low) sexy ladies! Hope ya'll are geared up for the V-Day? Yeah?

So, Valentine's Day is right around the corner, which means it's time to start pulling an outfit together. Of course, your plans will play a big part in what you decide to wear, but if you know where you're going and what you're doing it'll be a breeze! And if you don't yet have an agenda, slipping on a sexy new dress might just spark something, or you're going to have one glam Galentine's Day with your close friends (which is also super fun). Well, whether you're in a new relationship or an old one, figuring out what to wear for Valentine's Day, especially if you have a nice evening out planned, always seems to be more difficult than if it were a regular date.

Anyway, you have my back always and you know you're stopping by for a quick suggestion on new looks for each occasion here, so today I've got for you 3 different looks for Valentines Day that you can try not just maintaining your comfort level, but also in budget; because I know Valentine's Day is hard on the budget for many reasons, but there's no reason dressing for your date should be one of the stressers! 

Look #1 - Regular Doll

dress : StalkBuyLove | heels : Steve Madden | clutch : FabAlley.com

bracelet : Star Dust Fashion (instagram) | neckpiece : Colaba (Mumbai)

What would Valentine’s Day be without red? If you don’t mind wearing the bold and vivacious red on this day then, a sophisticated dress, just high up to your knees should be your pick for a custom cute, girly look this Valentine's! Needless to say, this ombre dress is just a perfect piece that when completed with a few dainty accessories like the necklace and a bracelet and a pair of high pumps (like in the pictures) can spark up your look instantly and add a little flavour of romance to the date night! Don't forget to carry a classy clutch to store your lip color for a fancy, kissy touch!

Look #2 - Cozy Coup

dress, coat : StalkBuyLove.com | heels : Steve Madden

bracelet : Star Dust Fashion (instagram) | earrings, necklace : Colaba

February is never too cold for Valentine's, said no one really! So, your ombre red, lace dress can be layered with a snazzy over coat that will keep you warm through out the day (well, at night too), and its always a better to have something topped with pockets so that leaving your clutch in the car doesn't become a hitch, maybe while you're watching a movie with your mate! Get over the myth that any over coat can steal the sexy look; well it adds more to the fun! So, this Valentine's, go cozy and comfy and defeat that awkward shiver!

Look #3 - Glitzy Glam

dress : StalkBuyLove | shawl : Mommy's closet :P | heels : Steve Madden | belt : The Style Quotient (instagram)

clutch : FabAlley | ring : Myntra | earrings : Auhna Creations | bracelet : Star Dust Fashion (instagram)

My favorite out of all three, couture never seemed so much in budget. How often do we experiment with outfits and looks during Valentine's, well never really! But this time, I tried a super swanky look to hit up for a date night on V-Day by adding a glitzy, black shawl (raided my mommy's closet for it) to my simple lace, ombre dress. Putting the shawl around the neck and leaving the ends lose on both sides, securing the fall with a broad gold belt on the waist (you can actually ditch the belt too, if you want to remove the shawl later on) and finished the look with a pair of bold earrings, a ring, a sexy bracelet, high pumps and my plushy clutch, and I was good to go! Well, I would say, 'Just try this elegant diva look on yourself & I'm sure you're going to receive a lot of compliments!'

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I hope you liked these 3 quick looks for the love day, if you really did, do tell me in the comments below, which one is your favorite? Also, don't forget to drop by at my instagram account for some more OOTDs and other fun stuff. Until next time, stay lovely, and enjoy your dates!

Photographed by : Daniel Joseph

~xoxo~

Glitter Makes Everything Better

I guess when I was a kid, I wasn't the type of person playing a lot of pranks. Rather, I was the type upon whom pranks were pulled. And I don't think my friends have grown up or anything's changed yet! Well, did you ever think you could just get pranked on your birthday with a greeting card? Did you ever think before opening a greeting card, on any day for that matter? Well, you are surely going to do so about a ten times now! And, this post is going to tell you WHY!! 

Sounds about right. How many times have you received some sparkly greeting card in the mail, only to find yourself cleaning specks of glitter off of your clothing and the forgotten corners of your apartment for weeks on end? The worst. Herpes of the craft world is right. Just look at the pictures above, don't you think I look like a Christmas tree, all shiny shiny? Yeah, I just got glitter bombed! Trust me, the shiny stuff ends up all over your hands, your face, and your home, and it's all but impossible to clean up. I'm not even sure one should be amused or angry on the sender, since the card carries this wonderful note, saying, "You just got glitter bombed. Since its your birthday, I thought of making you shine. Hope you enjoyed!" Well, thanks for making me shine on my birthday!

Your Enemies Hate Glitter is the only website you can refer back to, when there is this anonymous sender sending you heaps of glitter (in India). Owned by brother sister duo - Divya and Maheep Singh Sankhla, this website was launched two months back. Their only idea was to give you a chance to annoy someone you dislike or play a sweet prank on your friends by sending them a greeting card filled with as much glitter that could be as terrible a gift, without really getting your own hands dirty. This service helps you send the recipient shiny, sticky and even stubborn glitter in an envelope that isn’t easy to wash off. What’s more? You (sender) can choose to be anonymous.

The website is pretty self-explanatory. It promises to send a glitter-laced letter to anyone, anywhere in India.You deposit Rs.349 on the site, enter the recipient's address, sit back and wait. In a few days time your enemy will find a nondescript but non-threatening envelope in the mail which they won't realize is stuffed to the brim with glitter until it's too late. Once they pull out the letter inside the glitter bomb will be released, and you'll be left feeling a smug sense of satisfaction for anonymously striking back at your foes or have played a prank on friends for fun. They will also include a note telling the person exactly why they're receiving this terrible gift (only if the sender wishes to send the note). The glitter will be mixed in with the note thus increasing maximum spillage. And really, isn't this the real reason the internet was invented? No wonder, this wicked business idea has got a really huge response in just two months. 

As you may see (in the pictures above), I'm kinda happy to have all that glitter on my face (well it actually made my day, an unforgettable day), I'm sure many others too will take it in the positive way! So, now if you too want to prick on your enemies or play a little cool prank on your friends (on their birthday), you should go ahead and checkout this amazing glitter bomb service site, and become a gang star by making others shine and smile!! ;-) 

PS : I only posed with the birthday cap for this post, my birthday actually is in September so don't worry, you're not late in dropping in your wishes! :P

Photographed by : Exposure Imageries (Rhea Ghosh) 

~xoxo~

Lucknow Mango Festival

Know Your Mangoes (by LMF)

As the king of all tropical fruit - 'mango' makes our hot summers delicious and as we all know, there just can't be a summer without mangoes and there can't be a better way to celebrate the mango fever than the Mango Festival. The Mango Festival celebrates the scrumptious fruit and everything about it. So, we present to you, The 3rd Lucknow Mango Festival, Farmer's Market and Gourmet Mango Experience on Sunday 14th June, 2015 in collaboration with CISH (Central Institure of Subtropical Horticulture, a Division of ICAR), Mandi Parishad UP, UP Horticulture, UP Tourism and NABARD for a unique Agribusiness Ecotourism Mango event. The Lucknow Mango Festival is a tribute to the popularity and the passion which almost everyone shares for these delicious fruits. No doubt referred as the 'king of all fruits', the mangoes are a treat to all and the mango festival, one of the most delicious of all Lucknow festivals is the perfect time to celebrate this fruit. Like the last years, this year too, the Mango Festival is going to take place at the at 'Saidanpur Mango Orchards' (on 14th June) & also in Lucknow, where the venue is 'UP Paryatan Bahwan, opposite Fun Mall, Gomti Nagar' (on 21st & 22nd June, 2015), organised by the Habibullahs. Also, 21st June being a Sunday, we have organized a special festive day for you having a food fest and cultural events like 'Aam Ki kahaani (for the first time) and 'Shayari on Aam'.

Mango production was never ‘king-size’ in the Saidanpur village of Barabanki due to water scarcity. But in 1965, a young woman of a royal family set out for the fields on a ‘palki’ and started turning around the fortunes of the Habibullah orchards. The begum sahiba advised farmers how to increase cultivation. Consequently, adequate water supply was arranged and words of motivation from the learned lady instilled confidence among farmers who got down to work with all enthusiasm. The orchard began to flourish and yields multiplied year after year. Profits too rose from mere thousands to lakhs within a couple of years.That was Begum Hamida Habibullah whose intellect and enthusiasm changed the face of the mango orchards in Saidanpur. Several varieties of mango, including Maliahabadi, Dussehri, Chausa, Langda and Safeda, were planted by the Begum herself, in conformation with the guidelines of the agriculture university. The saplings sown then have now grown into big trees that are producing quality mangoes. At the Lucknow Mango Festival to be organised in Saidanpur village on 14th June, 2015, you can have an insight into the contributions of Begum Habibullah and several other women farmers who have been nurturing the mango trees with all love and care.

We invite you to relive old memories or create new ones, savour a fabulous selection of Lucknow's finest mangoes with locally grown Beeji Mangoes like Gola, Khushboo Gola, Surkha, Lalbebaha, Ali Gauhar, Sindhuria, Tarifi, Tamancha and more. Buy boxes of Mangoes direct from the farmers to take home or to gift to family and friends, taste the freshness of the fruit in the orchard it was grown and tantalise your tastebuds with Mango delicacies like Mango Pakori, Biryani with Aam ki chatni, Mango Salsa, Rollarappa rolls with a Mango twist, Mango Ice cream and many more. There is a showcase of almost hundreds of varieties of mangoes at this Mango Festival. There are different varieties of mangoes that are brought by different mango growers to be a part of this delicious festival. The visitors here also get the opportunity to taste mangoes for free and savor the delicious experience for the rest of the year. There are the traditional favorite mangoes as well as the new hybrid discoveries of the fruit. There is a wide array of different flavors of this juicy fruit to taste, in different preparations. The mango extravaganza involves not only a delicious feast of this luscious fruit, but also cultural programmes and events such as mango eating competitions and children's shows. The king of fruits has had the fancy of the Lucknowites since quite sometime. So, we have developed some mouth-watering, authentic and unique Indian recipes for mango lovers. With the temperature soaring high everyday, the foodies will get a chance to cool off with either the traditional Aam-Pudina Raas & Mango Smoothie. Some highlights of the 'Aam' menu are dishes like Daal Aur Aam Ke Kebab, Mango Brusceta, Aam ki Biryani, Ambia Murg Tikka, etc. To satiate the sweet tooth, there is also a Mango Phirni and Shakramba.

The festival will include growers of the non-market "Custodian farmers" who are still conserving rare local mango varieties which adorn the plates of the mango connoisseurs in different regions who relish their health benefits, uniqueness and diversified uses. The aim is to promote Uttar Pradesh's most famous product, Mango and to make the mango season a tourist (domestic & international) attraction as well as promote agribusiness and cottage industries around mango by products, attracting tourists and investors. The publicity generated will make people aware of the investment and business oppurtunities that this can offer. Leading to more mango based industries in the future and also to ensure the sustainablitiy of our local agriculture, resources and the economy. We also aim to develop Lucknow as the premier national and international culinary tourism destination and to increase recognition of the same through research, consumer education and product development. Buyers from all over the globe are welcome to take part in this mango festival where there is vigorous trading of the fruit too. We are also giving corporates the opportunity to be part of the festival with a dedicated corporate area for their teams to enjoy the Mango Festival. In collaboration with Taj Hotels we offer an exotic Mango Menu at a secluded area of the orchard with rain dance and other activities for preferred customers or team members. You can also purchase a mango plant to grow in your own backyard.

These real big mangoes surprised many visitors

A cultural dance performance by a young artist at the 2nd Mango Festival

Qawwalli programme at the 2nd Mango Festival 

The first & second edition (in 2013 & 2014) of the Lucknow Mango Festival organised by the Habibullahs saw Lucknowites beating the heat to enjoy a mango-licious day! The days was nothing but 'aam'. Farmers experienced direct sales to consumers more than doubling their sale price. It was 1005 profit to farmers as we did not charge them for participating. Organised at a mango orchard, there were rare varieties of mangoes on display like Chilta Khas, African Apple and Husn Aara, a mango-special buffet for guests to gorge and a host of entertainment options to keep everyone busy. Qawwals from Deva Sharif enthralled the guests with their soulful music, while kids indluged in pottery-making, magic show and a mango-eating contest. Elders also had their share of fun, many were spotted taking a ride through the orchard on a rustic bullock cart. 

Different varieties of mangoes that vowed the visitors

Different mango products available at the festival

The Lucknow Mango Festival is an attempt to grow more mango based industries in the future and also the growth in local orchards and the economy. So, now if you want to buy naturally ripened mangoes direct from farmers and help support our agricultural economy make your way to this part of town any time, you are in for a mango treat with a great variety of mangoes on offer from across other states as well as rare local varieties. 

Road Map to the Saidanpur orchards.

You can also watch the LIVE video map to the orchard HERE.

Find LMF on Instagram and Facebook

~xoxo~

Picker at Pace Turns 1

My journey as a blogger began on 28th May, 2014 when I first posted a poem that I wrote for my sister on her birthday. My aim to start writing a blog was nothing much more than just creating an e-book for my friends, to read some poetry that I wrote (also for them). 

I didn't take blogging seriously, more because I felt lazy typing so much on a page which was hardly read by anyone. I stopped posting after the second one. Then, one day all of a sudden I landed on one of the blogs by this girl called Aayushi Bangur (of Styldrv) who is a blogger herself, to be true she is one of the most amazing bloggers I've ever come across. The next day, while searching some more blogs I landed on Bombay Bubble by Anushka Hajela who is again one of the best bloggers in the country. While reading their blogs, I just felt I already have that trait inculcated in myself and I should give it a try by writing about fashion & beauty tips. After writing about 2-3 posts, I started getting feedbacks & I was overwhelmed with the response. It encouraged me more. A lot of other bloggers like Trushna Parekh, Gauri Kulkarni, Aakriti Rana, Malvika Gupta and many more to name, in the country, have been my inspiration in this field of blogging & have always helped me clear my doubts & suggested how to improve on my writing & pictures & everything for that matter. I just can't thank them enough!

Started with poetry, added fashion & then built an interest in writing about the recipes I cook at home, reviews about some books I read & sharing my travel experiences, I wanted to write all of it. And that's the reason I have so many categories on the blog. Also because I wanted to keep something for each one of you, in case you visit my blog, you shouldn't turn back without smiling!  My first year as a blogger has been an experience tale and I've learnt a lot from different bloggers & readers. I just feel there's a lot of information for free on the internet and one should always lay hands on it, most of it is on the blogs, just a click away. As a blogger, everything I do, flows from understanding my audience and seeking to help them as much as possible. After all, Blogging is a conversation, not a code. 

Today, as I complete one year of writing on this blog, I want to thank each one of you out there for the constant love & support you've shown towards me. This video message is only a small token to say thank you to all of you. Hope you like it. :)

Note : A very special Thanks to the Think Totka production team for helping me make this video so that I could connect with each one of you personally. And not forgetting my photography team without whom this journey wouldn't have been possible at all.

I hope all the coming years be as enjoyable as the first one. It was a complete joy ride. Stay tuned for more posts that are coming up on the blog very very soon!

~xoxo~