Personal

Today I am having a rough day. It seems nothing is going according to what I want, and this type of feeling really makes me emotional and teary eyed. I have so much work to do: feed my son, feed myself, clean the house and cook dinner. But, I don't have enough a)energy b)time c) enthusiasm to accomplish these tasks. If I just let go, there will only be chaos and I am afraid of that.

Yet, here I am blogging about it. Why? Because I want to be able to throw out my stacked and hidden  emotions and not hold them inside so that they can squeeze my heart a bit more. Because I want to look back one day at this frustration and know that I came out alright.... that it wasn't easy, but there was a way!

Love,
Shhivika

The Project: Absurd

Remember The Project?

Well, there are days when I don't want to follow rules, societal pressures and the boring norms. I want to be free, free to follow my noisy mind, free to be silly, free to make mistakes (God only knows if they are indeed mistakes, we just label them as such), and free to be just Absurd.

Love,

Shhivika

Shoe Maniac: Help!

Recently, I have been ogling at shoes. No, really, I have. Is that normal? I mean I pass by a shoe store, and I just stand in front of it, while my son becomes really uncomfortable sitting in a non-moving stroller, but I just keep staring at the different types of shoes: mary janes, sandals, pumps, pointy toes, strappy heels, wedges....la la la...I am in a different world darlings! Is that normal? Or are my pregnancy hormones doing another trick on me (already they are causing so much raucus in my body :)). I spoke to my husband about it, and he thinks I am over reacting to my fascination. What do you think?

Giving into this addiction, I scoured the net for pairs that have been tugging at my heart strings everytime I look at them. Can/Should/Would I buy any of them right now? Well, maybe in a few months ( I promise I will share my haul with you), but since I can't enjoy them right now, what with swollen feet that look like baby elephants, I will continue to just ogle. Hope, that's normal! :)

FLATS: I think flats have seen a beautiful evolution in the past 5-6 years. No more boring ballet entrapments for your feet. The variety is huge and they come in gorgeous colors, textures and shapes. Days when the balls of your feet can't drag themselves in 5 inches heels, give them some TLC and enjoy in fun flats. Yes, they make em' formal too so you can dress em' up!

1.       2.                                                 3.         4.  

1. Kenneth Cole     2. Stuart Weitzman    3. Poetic License     4. Joseph Griffin


PUMPS: I, honestly, lived in pumps prior to being pregnant with my older son. I just loved having them on my feet. I think pumps are so sexy and provide the perfect dose of confidence. They always end up being the stylish component of any outfit. Oh my God, there are tons and tons of choices and it was really hard to just choose four. 

1.                     2. 



3.                      4.

1. Badgley Mischka    2. Joan $ David    3. Nine West     4. Ruthis Davis **swooon**


WEDGES: Wedges come in different forms as well {t-straps, sling backs, espadrilles}, and because they are wider heels, if you will, they are super comfortable. So, you are essentially killing two birds with one stone: comfort and style! I enjoy wedges, although I have to admit, I don't own too many pairs of em'. But, they are fun, I tell ya!

1.                      2. 

3.                      4.


1. Boutique9    2. Charles David    3. Circa by Joan and David    4. Fahrenheit


Do you have any favorite? Oh, please share your picks...and enlighten us!

Have a wonderful weekend darlings!

Love,
Shhivika



{pics courtesy endless.com}

Spot the sartorial "wrong"

Something is not right with this picture. See for yourself.

In case you are wondering, that's me, and if I look err big or preggy, well that's because I am! Yes darlings, am pregnant with my second baby!! Yeayy!! That's the news I wanted to share with all of you, and I kinda' alluded to it in one of my previous posts. Oh, wow, it feels good to share this with you.
I have been sooo busy this pregnancy --obviously coz' I have a toddler running around, and I hardly get anytime to myself. Therefore, I have to blog around midnight or wee hours of night and then what I do is I write 2-3 posts and schedule them. Otherwise, I would never come around to doing what I love!
I enjoy being a mom, and its so rewarding. And, like any full time job, this role is also draining, tiring and frustrating. Such as when my son doesn't want to finish his meal, and I am sitting there trying to make him eat while I still haven't had any lunch myself. Grrr, I get so annoyed and being hungry (and pregnant) doesn't help.

Oh, look at me, ranting away to glory, when all I wanted to do was talk about what's not right with the picture above. Shall we get back to that? I promise to share more of my personal stories later :)

When I said whats not right with the picture, I was actually pointing towards my sartorial choices. So here are a few things I noticed:

• The ill fitting upper half of the dress (I had to pin and have my friends pin the neckline of the dress like a gazillions times, and I almost broke the pin in half...aaaand, my friend ended up poking her finger with the twisted pin..ouch!)
• The droopy shoulders make my arms look fatter then they really are, and in pregnancy, who needs that!
• The pleated pockets give such a paunchy look, and you totally want to avoid that if you already have a growing paunch...errr, belly :)

I am sure you agree with me. 

So, agitated with such fashion faux pas (how could I??), I got inspired to create a couple of potential outfits that I should have worn instead. Below they are. 

Tell me what do you think?

Love ya!

Shhivika

Happy Birthday Ma!

Today is my mom's birthday and I would like to use this lil' blogpost to say that I am so blessed to have an understanding, hard working, funny and the most loving mom in the world. She instilled the right values, principles and character in me and my sister by being a strict parent (our dad was the lenient one) and sticking to her rules. She made sure we completed our school home work, even after coming home from a full day of office work. She took us to museums and parks and instilled in us a love for music and art. She made us strong and accomplished, by being so herself - showing us by being an example rather than telling us to do so because its the "right thing" to do.

Oh, what would I be without all your care and love ma! I love you, and a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!

Here she is...with my son...the best granny in the world! :)

Love,

Shhivika

Fashion Punchlines: Doosra Bhag (part 2)

Remember the last session of fashion pow-wow?? Exciting and fun, wasn't it? I have been noticing some new punches in the street fashion, and I cannot wait to share with you. It is so much fun to observe the personal style of others because it allows me to understand fashion at a very raw and unique level; one that is not defined by Spring or RTW or Fall trends of big designer houses. It allows me to see how much fun people have dressing up and that its ok to take risks! Fashion Punchlines are like that extra oomph in the outfit that makes the wearer stand out.

How I wish I was Tommy Ton or Scott Schuman, happily clicking away the live street fashion myself, but I am not, and I cannot do it right now (will tell you why soon). So in the meantime, I will use the omnipresent internet to help me with it.


Technically, she is wearing all black, but what brings out this outfit is that printed puffy jacket-top hybrid. Its the perfect pop (literally) for the outfit...love it!


He is making a statement with his pajama pants - yes. But, he is giving a punch with the addition of a belt, rolled up cuffs and black formal shoes. Oh, btw, did you notice the print on the pants?? 


Where do I even begin with this awesomness? Let me start with the acorn style socks paired with suede (are they?) platforms, and then move to her cool XXXL size sweatshirt dress that looks like a designer piece. And, of course that whole "I know I am looking so put together" confident look!


I was attracted to this gentleman mixing an ikat/striped hybrid print shirt with camouflage cargo pants...but its the orange fan that throws a kapowww! What a fashion punch!


You know how she owns her look? With her serious red lips, and that my friend is the perfect punchline to the whole outfit!


This outfit is so preppy yet grungy at the same time. Neon orange is the perfect pop color. And, of course, she owns this street style with her effin' cool looks!


I look at her outfit - just the outfit alone - and am not wowed. But, what she adds to this ensemble are the perfect accessories - the loafers, the wicker clutch, and the perfect pink watch, and I am forced to do a double take! 


And, last, but oh-so-definitely-not the least...


Mother of all punchlines!

Hope you enjoyed this edition of punchlines! If you come across a style (even your own) that you think elevates the look to the next level...please share!

Love,
Shhivika

DESIGNER CRUSH: DEVI KROELL

I actually had no idea there was a brand called Devi Kroell. Seriously. The way I was introduced to this gorgeous luxurious company was while perusing one of the fashion magazines, and coming across their advertisement. I fell in love with the bag and shoes in the ad and I had to do my research to find out more about the company. Plus, I was intrigued by the name Devi, since its a Hindi/Sanskrit word which means "Goddess."



Devi Kroell is an Austria born, NY based fashion designer, who started her namesake company in 2004. The punchline of her products then was just handbags, in luxe skin/leather as well as wood. Yes, luxurious unique wooden handbags! She won accolades and industry awards, like the CFDA Swarovski Perry Ellis  Award for Accessory Design, for her "exotic" handbags, and soon thereafter, ie, 2009, launched shoes and ready-to-wear as well. However, majority of the brand and the company Devi Kroell, was bought by investor Ralph Bartel, who also has stake in Lanvin. And, as of May 2010, Devi Kroell stepped down as the CEO of the company. Ah! What a shame to lose the founder of the company. But, looking at Spring Summer 2012, it seems Devi Kroell is doing a decent job of living upto its name.

Here's a peek at the collection, which I am in absolute love with. Each piece is so well structured - embellished with rich and unique skin and clean hardware.











Model: Eniko Mihalik (gorgeous)
Styling by: Elisa Santisi
Photographer: Danko Steiner

Love the whole Japanese minimalism echoing from the ad. This allows for the products to make for a greater impact.

Which designer would you like to see next? Do let me know!

Love,
Shhivika