life – Rad All Day

An ode to single women

In a time where women’s day celebrations are about pushing brands through hashtags, videos, or distributing some cliched gifts, it is important to celebrate women in their true essence, and appreciate them each and every day.

While women are scaling greater heights in the current world, in terms of career and personal development, there still are some deep rooted biases within our society that don’t get talked about as much as we’d like them to be.

One of them is without a doubt single-hood. Single mothers more so.
Being single might be a choice, a quirk of fate, or a bit of both, and it is not necessarily the dreary state of existence that many people think it is.

I have met a lot of women in my life who have inspired me in ways I cannot put in words. Some influenced my style, some my writing, some deeply influenced my work ethic, some influenced my taste in music and movies, and so many other countless ways.
But I wanted to put this post together as an ode to the women who inspire me every day (who happen to be single).

Crescentia Kalpana David

I met Kalpana at work. She always wears a charming smile and is extremely witty. Her love or rather curiosity for history and everything vintage makes her so admirable. After knowing her for a year, I slowly learnt that she is a single mother. The way she handles it is absolutely phenomenal. I did not make any assumptions about her marital status, but she herself opened up to me after our acquaintance grew into fond friendship. Her son is the most beautiful child I’ve ever met, and all credit goes to her. This women’s day I want to give her a huge shout out for being the woman that she is and for inspiring me. I asked her to put in words her experiences as a single mother, and this is what she had to say.

When Priyanka asked me write about how I embraced the life of a single mother, I wondered if I have really embraced being one? If it means introducing one as a single mother, I haven’t done that yet.
I just realized that this is probably the first time I am admitting to being a single mother on a public forum. I wish I could say that I was wise enough to realize early in my marriage that it was not working and decided to walk out of it immediately.
No, that was not how it was; it has been a long process. But maybe that was for the good because I have no regrets now. This journey hasn’t been easy so far, but it has been smooth compared to the lives many other women.
I always believe in counting one’s blessings. So here it goes.
To be born in this age is a privilege. If you know me, you will know that I love history. But I won’t choose to go back to any period in the history of any country. Histories of all countries have been terrible to women irrespective of the class or caste they belonged to. I am happy that I am living in this period when almost everything can be done online, and we don’t have to stand in queues to pay bills etc. There are so many career options now; we can own property, travel alone, wear what we like, choose a partner, or choose no partner at all. I am fortunate to have a supportive family and a bunch of very good friends. I especially love that my parents, brother, and sister-in-law have supported me without questioning. I have come across laundry lists of what women should learn or achieve by the time they are in their twenties; before getting involved in a serious relationship, before getting married, before becoming a mother, and so on. Add one more to those lists from me that I realized from the “Aha” moments of my life.

Here are three things that I think any woman, single mother or otherwise, should learn. And yes, you can start learning them at any age.

First—know your worth. Don’t derive your worth from transient stuff like qualification, work, talents etc. You are bigger than all that. Know that you are enough.
Second—know your worth in $$. According to many financial advisers, women and men lack financial acumen. I believe women should learn to invest wisely. Not that I am good at handling finances, but my parents have guided me well. Your financial goals don’t have to necessarily be the ones that the world says is right. They must be inline with your value system.
Third—all women should learn to drive. It helps a woman to be independent.

To paraphrase what J K Rowling said, difficulties strip away the inessential.

So, salvage whatever you can of your life or heart and put them together. Of course, it won’t be the same as it was before it was broken but someday you will see its beauty. You will have to alter your dreams but who among us hasn’t?

Dhanya Menon

Dhanya Menon or creative genious or kalaakar as we’d like to call her is my eternal source of sanity and sunshine on most of my crazy days and normal days too. She has a very special place in my heart. She’s the purest and wisest person I’ve ever met. She lifted me up in my darkest moments after a heartbreak. After over two years of friendship, I came to understand that she’s been single by choice and I was awed by it. Here’s what influenced her to pursue life the way she has.

Lot of times, we, the women, have been advised (by people who mean well, of course) to find someone, settle down, buy a home, have kids, and the list goes on. In Indian context, it feels like marriage and happiness are synonymous. But life has a way to show that nothing is forever.
I have been influenced by some really amazing single people who have led a rocking life. I remember a charming colleague of my father’s. A polyglot, a man of a sophisticated palate, erudite, well-read, well traveled and a bachelor. He used to get along well with everyone, and women of our colony were constantly plotting to set him up with someone they knew. Of all the things that I remember about him, the foremost is how self sufficient and at peace he was with his singleness. I might even say that his life was rich because he devoted his time to so many things. I remember my paternal grandmother’s sister, who was single by choice and I have never seen anyone as positive and alive. Though she was a woman of limited education, she was a force to reckon with. She was active, a voracious reader of magazines and papers, and would keep herself occupied from the crack of dawn to the time her head hit the pillow. Both these people remind me that being single does not mean being miserable and you are as enriched as you allow yourself to be. For me, being single has been empowering. I have learned being comfortable with my own company. I immerse myself in activities that I enjoy and I’m grateful for my wonderful friends. I have not limited myself just because I am single. In fact, it has been the opposite. I have made my choices and I am comfortable with them. I do not seek validation from anyone, rather I just know that whatever I choose to be at that moment, is fine by me. Being single has taught me this:

Love yourself first, because that’s who you’ll spend the rest of your life with. If you are not happy with your own self, you might never be able to give happiness to anyone else.

Ankita Rachel

I met Ankita when I was 15. I remember her as this stylish girl with the perfect hair. She was always so calm and composed while I was from the notorious lot. Although our acquaintance goes down to far more than a decade, our friendship was limited. But I’ve seen her grow into a woman of great strength and courage with the same charm and poise if not more. She’s a mother of two lovely boys, and watching her dote over them is an absolute bliss. Here’s to her journey towards single parenthood.

Being a parent is a rollercoaster!
Raising kids takes a lot of dedication, selflessness and straight-up hard work – if you’re doing it right, that is! ; ) But when you’re a single parent , everything is just amplified. It’s parenting on steroids! 🙂 Double the work, double the disciplining, lots of multi-tasking and barely any “me-time!!”
But, hey! It’s also the double the laughter and double the fun!

Luckily, I’ve had the encouragement of my family and friends right from the start who’ve been a strong support system enabling me go out there and chase my dreams while I raise my two amazing boys. Coming from a fairly traditional family, I never ever dreamt that I would find myself being a single parent. Life took me down a rough road, however.

After several attempts at trying to make a failed marriage work, I found myself living back at my mothers’ place while I was pregnant with my second child. Things were not easy at first; it was a bit of an uphill battle.
For most part of that year, I was depressed and in an extremely unhealthy mental state. But I knew I couldn’t stay that way forever. I had to pick myself up and hustle both for myself and for my children. So I went back to work while my mother helped care for my new-born.

Thus, began my journey towards healing. I am very aware of the fact that much of my story from then on has been divinely orchestrated. God placed very specific people at various points in my life to steer me towards building myself and my life back up again. Help came in the form of long-lost childhood friends, pastors and leaders, and even acquaintances who quickly became part of my new family!

I’m happy to say I’ve come a long way since then. I have fought, against all odds for my kids to have a safe, peaceful and encouraging atmosphere to grow up in and today, I’m proud of myself for having built that for the three of us! We are surrounded by people who love and care for us and I can’t wait to see all that life has in store!

So if you’re a single mom – Here’s a huge shout-out to you. You guys are warriors. Remember your kids are going to be super proud of you, someday. So celebrate and enjoy them everyday!

Sharon Jakkula

Sharon akka, as I’d like to call her is a family friend. I hadn’t even met her until I went to London. Not once in my life. But she was kind enough to offer us a stay when we went on our trip. When I started spending time with her I came to realize all the struggles that she’s been going through. The grace with which she hides her pain behind that charming smile is remarkable. I have thoroughly enjoyed her company, and she continues to inspire me with her ever loving and giving nature. Here’s how she put in words a battle that’s far beyond anything that can be written.

A few of my friends who are aware of my personal situation for over a year now, messaged me when the watched the trailer of the movie #thappad. One of them said it reminded me of you and the strength with which you have been fighting for so long now to get justice for yourself and Ranen.

Domestic abuse breaks you in every way you can imagine, not just your heart, body, and mind. It breaks your soul. With all that brokenness I picked myself up each day and fought. It is the ugliest and the longest process of separation I have ever imagined. I’ve been Ranen’s sole care giver and provider, a single mother with a full-time job and no family around. There’s nothing that we haven’t been through. I don’t know how we survived. My biggest regret has been not standing up for myself and buying this flawed concept of arranged marriage in India. The only regret I don’t have is my blessing Ranen, I get my strength from him. If it wasn’t for him I would not have recognized the things that were going wrong in my marriage and would have probably never come out of it.

I have met people who constantly ask me, “Is this happening because you are Indian? Is it in your culture? I still struggle with the question in my mind, “Am I any less of a human being and is my value as a human being any lesser because I belong to a certain culture?” I wouldn’t have been able to come this far without the help of my family, my mentor at work, and my friends who stood by me through it all.

How can we contribute to making life better for single women/mothers?

Steer clear of biases.
Keep yourself from probing questions about someone’s martial status.
Stop making assumptions over what you see on social media.
If you know of a couple that’s separated, never be convinced with one side of the story. Be mindful of what you say to either of them or friends in common.
Be more empathetic.
Sometimes people just need to be heard, they’re not always seeking advice.
Stop holding yourself up on a moral high ground because life has been different for you.
Be inclusive.

Happy Women’s Day to all the women out there.

Love,
Rad All Day.

Dating at 30

It’s the valentine week. I remember I wrote an article for the Hyderabad Times in 2011. It was called ‘ A Single Day of Love’. I was single then, and I spoke to my seniors about this idea a week before Valentine’s Day. The article was about how people were embracing their single-hood and were going to indulge in doing things they love the most and are passionate about. I think the message I wanted to drive home was that people need to be happy with themselves first, and then find someone who’d make them happy.

Cut to the chase. I recently turned 30, and I am single, which is not a bad thing after all. But people will tell you all kinds of things cos you’re now ‘old’.
All the things that I am going to be writing here are out of experience, either personal or of people in my close circle.

Dating at 30 is visibly very different from dating in your 20s. You may call these tips, but I am no one to advise you. These are certain observations I have made and convolutions that I have tried to resolve while I try to live my life to the fullest.

Let your guard down

At your 30s you’re at the prime of your life. I was recently having this conversation with a friend, who’s going through a divorce in his early 30s, about how when you’re young you are unsure about what life holds for you. You’re just starting out your career, and let’s agree for the most part you’re broke. But when you’re in your 30s, you’re earning well, you have your career in place and are self sufficient. You indulge in good things because you can. You’ve figured out a way of life for yourself. A lifestyle like this is very addictive. You get so used to your own company, cos life is comfortable. Comfort is always appealing. In this process, you distance yourself from emotions. You forget to appreciate the presence of another person. In simple words, you have your guard up high. You’re scared to alter your lifestyle for obvious reasons.

But, hear me out and let your guard down.

Remember how when you’re a child you’re not scared of having a fall. It’s the same with emotions; you are vulnerable at all times, 20s or 30s. Let go off these inhibitions and let people in. Get acquainted with your emotional self again and discover like minded people. Honestly, uptight is such a turn off.

Steer clear of biases

I cannot believe how taboo the term ‘divorce’ is in some of our communities. I personally hadn’t considered this a possibility; as in it never crossed my mind if I would consider dating a divorcee. My cousin and I went over this and realized, it was not likely that we’d come across a divorcee in our early 20s. But in 30s, it’s a possibility that cannot be averted. I have made it a point to steer clear of any bias that I may have had until now.

Move on from your past

Maybe you were a mess because of what happened with your ex. But that doesn’t mean you are always going to be one. I hear people saying ‘Oh, I wish you had met me earlier, when I was not so broken’. Forget people, I myself am guilty of saying this a couple of times. But you will not always be broken. Time heals everything, and it’s important to leave the hurt behind as you heal. You are not expected to recite your heartbreak story on your first date or your second or your third. You’ll know when the time is right; but just don’t be pulled down about it.

An understanding of who you are/Know what you want

When you’re in your 20s, what you wanted may have been very different from what you want now. I knew exactly what I wanted from my first relationship; I wanted to be with this guy and I put love above everything else. But things changed and we started to evolve into two very different people. I realized, what I wanted was actually only what I thought I wanted, not exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be the giver of affection, and I enjoyed it. But after a point, I had nothing to offer; I was exhausted. That altered the way I looked at things.

It’s always important to keep rediscovering yourself and identifying the things you want.

Do not time-box anything

We get a lot of grief for not having our life sorted because we haven’t found the ‘one’. But no good can be reaped out of being stressed about a particular timeline. We need to stop time-boxing these things and let things flow at their own pace. Just be assured that it’s your sanity that matters.

Age is just a number

As cliche as it can get but there is so much truth to this. Age is after all just a number. You may fall in love with someone at any point in your life, and in the most unexpected way. No matter what the age (or the age gap), what matters is the fact that you’re in love with the person and see a future with them.

Never Settle

If you know what you want, then never settle for anyone that you’re not into just because they fit the bill. Of course nobody is perfect, but don’t run into something that you may regret later.

Wear your heart on your sleeve (Be honest)

When I say this, I mean be as raw as you can. Like I’ve written before, I think baring all insecurities becomes a challenge as you grow older. But be honest about your likes or dislikes. About your past. About your status. About your identity. Dishonesty is also a turn off.

No, you don’t have to reveal all about yourself on your first date. But when you have a connection with someone and think things may go forward; find the right opportunity to tell them what they need to know.

Listen to yourself

Listen to yourself. Your hunches are your best guides. You may want to seek opinion of your friends and family but you know best what you want.
Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Some of my girlfriends always advise me not to be the first one to text, but that’s not who I am. If I want to text someone first, I would go ahead and do it.
You may have your own quirks, own them and be yourself.

Have fun

Just cos you’re 30 doesn’t imply you need to do boring things. It’s also very easy to get caught up thinking about the future. Maybe you haven’t met the one, you’re not married, and you don’t have kids yet. You may have certain expectations, but it’s never okay to project it on every person you meet. Give more of your mind and heart to having fun. Find things that interest you and do them together with the person you’re getting to know. Also, at this age, you know exactly what you enjoy. So it becomes clearer to chose what you want to do.

Of course I put together an outfit for this post. If you know me, you’d know my love for pleats. I’ve been on a spree of buying all things pleated and my latest buy is this lovely champagne pleated skirt. I paired it with a black solid blouse that has some drama going around with its sleeves. This definitely could be an ideal outfit for your first date.

A Happy Valentines to everyone out there 🙂

Christmas in London

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there’s a feeling
Of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you’ll hear
Silver bells
Silver bells
It’s Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling
Hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas Day!

This carol that I’ve known since a kid started to make sense when I walked through the beautifully lit streets of London.

If you’ve read my first blog post of 2019, you’d know my year started on a brilliant note. Landing a new job, making new friends, rekindling old friendships et al. But in the midst of all this I missed out on travelling to any new place. I was literally stuck in Hyderabad; part of the reason was just me being lazy. But my plans to visit London kept me excited.

Going to London was always a dream; but visiting this gorgeous city was not the only reason I was looking forward to. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’d know what else I was excited for. It was for ALTER BRIDGE. I have been a huge fan of the band; ever since it came into being – from a quartet called Creed to Alter Bridge. Remember the ‘My Sacrifice’ days? I somehow knew if I had to choose any band that I’d travel to watch live, it would have to be this one.

When Alter Bridge announced the release of Walk the Sky I saw their Instagram post and I happened to share which also had their walk the sky tour dates. So a friend of mine who lives in the US, asked me, Are you coming here? I saw that message and I thought for a bit, well going to the US would not be possible but I could go to London and that’s how the plan came into being. My friend Paul and I jumped on the idea and booked our tickets to the concert in a jiffy. It was all coming together – I was going to visit one of the beautiful cities in the words, watch one of my favorite bands live, and do it all around Christmas time. Although my friend happened to get married later last year and couldn’t accompany me. But my dear friend Dhanya aka creativegenious agreed to join me.

We flew Eitihad airways via Abu Dhabi. It was my first time ever boarding an Airbus A380 and it was massive. We did have an itinerary in place and had tickets to a couple of well-known attractions booked in advance. But heart of hearts we knew that London is one of those cities that demands you allow days at leisure in your itinerary to explore on your own and that’s exactly what we did.

For the first couple of days, we were utterly touristy and went to Madame Tussaud’s, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge among others. The rest of the time we wanted to explore the city.

Christmas time in London is almost overwhelming. It was my first Christmas away from home. The Christmas markets are such a delight – bustling with tourists of course, with yummy food to hog on and a series of shops selling creative stuff. The energy is infectious.

Central London is a place that you can walk for hundreds of hours and still find new things to do. It just makes you want to embrace everything English.

We met a few friends over for lunch at Salisburry, a pub – short for public house (Did you know that?). We had the best pub lunch ever – Classic Fish and Chips and British Chicken & Woodland Mushroom Pie. Well, it took me a while to get the name right – check it out here SAWZ-bər-ee. I read this somewhere – If pubs in London had sexes, then the Salisbury would definitely be a lady. It’s so ornate and grand in Victorian style and has also been used to film a few movies. The place definitely has my heart; cos it happens to be the place I downed my first cider; a big deal for a teetotaler like me 🙂

We walked around Covent garden, touted to be a must visit for anyone who loves shopping. Through the craft stalls at Apple Market, all the countless street performers, plush stores, and eateries. There was also a Huda Beauty pop-up *Heart eyes*. Here’s an interesting site I found – Things to do in Covent Garden.

I seemed to be writing this not to the key, cos I can barely remember what we did on what date. But what I do remember is that the Alter Bridge concert was on the 21st. I was waiting for it since June, duh! The concert was happening at the iconic O2 – and we were staying right across it, on the other side of the River Thames. We took a cable car to get to the venue.
The O2 is H.U.G.E. The enormity of it will take your breath away. We walked a fair amount to reach the arena at which the concert was happening. We reached early and were lucky enough to save our spot up in the front.
The Raven Age, filled in for Seven Dust, who couldn’t make it to the UK tour. The Raven Age are a melodic metal core outfit from London and I quite liked their music. Then came Shine Down. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of this band before this concert but I definitely I am one now. If a band is wondering how to put on a great show, they should look no further than Shinedown. The production, set-list, and overall performance were nearly impeccable. What showmanship by Brent smith. I loved their outfits too.

Of course Alter Bridge was everything I was hoping for and MORE. It was a day to remember; I legit teared up. They played all of my favorite songs – Wouldn’t you rather, Come to Life, Isolation, Blackbird. And of course a brilliant set of acoustic numbers – In loving Memory, Watch over you, and OPEN YOUR EYES. I have watched Myles Kennedy live with Slash and the Conspirators, but being an Alter Bridge fan – I just had to see him play with Alter Bridge. His voice is inimitable.

Needless to say, I also had the best Christmas eve ever. After much anticipation about attending the Midnight eucharist at St. Paul’s, because of the shut down of public transport, my friend Sunny made it happen by driving me to the cathedral. Before we could head to the service, we walked around Leicester Square and made our way to Chinatown. We had some brilliant food there that also involved me tasting duck for the first time; also thanks for my foodie friend.
Services at St. Paul’s cathedral are open for all; I had been researching that for quite a while. However, we decided to reach as early as 10:45 PM for the 11:30 PM service, and yet found ourselves standing a never ending queue. Each time we moved forward, we kept ourselves, “Did we make it?” And we DID! We were among the last few who made it, in fact. The cathedral in all its glory, was far beyond beautiful. I have no words to express its grandeur. Also, photography was restricted indoors, so sadly I couldn’t get any pictures of it. The midnight eucharist was something that I had been looking forward to; since I go to an anglican church here in Hyderabad too, it was great to experience it first hand in England. Christmas Day was equally special, spending time at a local church who were kind enough to have us over for a classic English lunch.

The rest of my stay just happened to fly by in a jiffy. We shopped a whole lot on boxing day. We covered all the major shopping avenues – Westfield Mall at Stratford, Harrods (bought a ton of make up from there – will probably post a video about it soon), Oxford street. We even happened to walk around Elizabeth street, Belgravia to check out all the pretty cake, jewellery, and clothing outlets.

But the best part of my trip, which was totally unplanned, was when my friend took me to the Ain’t Nothing but Blues Bar in Soho. Soho happens to be the buzzing entertainment district in central London. Walking into a blues bar and interacting with people from different places, who were only there to enjoy the good music, was something I had only dreamt of. But thanks to my friend who took me there. I mean thank God for people who have similar taste in music as me.

The market in Greenwhich, where we went to the next day, had this interesting vintage pop-up with the loveliest of blouses. We discovered a new place called Dark Sugars; I say new because my friend hadn’t been there earlier either. The Ghanaian chocolate shop uses cocoa beans straight from the owner’s West African homeland and combines them in a creamy hot chocolate with all sorts of fun, fiery and downright delicious flavors. I got home and looked them up and found this interesting story about how the eatery came into being – Dark Sugars. Camden market was another interesting spot, with quite a peculiar crowd (punks and bohemians). It was filled with sellers of art and off-beat fashion. It’s where I tried my first sushi dish too, thanks again to my foodie friend. Going to Camden was not on my itinerary but it was definitely worth it. Read more about it here – Camden Market.

On my last day there, we took the risk to drive to Cambridge and it was the best decision ever. We left for Cambridge around 9 AM and reached the university town by 10 AM. Started our day with a good Egg Benedict and walked around the quaint city. The best way to cover the town in a limited tune is by punting across The River Cam, and we did exactly that. Our punt chauffer was quite witty and kept us entertained with his humor mixed with some interesting history lessons.

There a lot of misconceptions that the sun never comes out in London, which is not entirely true. When the sun does come it, it’s glorious. And luckily we had our good days, while we were there. It can get a little bit gloomy, but keep your spirits high so they won’t be dampened by the weather.

There are a lot more stories I could write about, but I know for a fact I am still so in love with the city of London and I hope to visit it sometime soon again. For now, I’ll settle for a glimpse of this quaint city; with all its contrasting architecture and ever confusing weather.

Or probably just go there the next time another one of my favourite bands is playing, maybe Foo Fighters 😀

I am so grateful for Sharon akka and her lovely son Ranen who were our lovely hosts; they made the trip even better ❤️

Found this on YouTube 🙂

Lace Fixation

This blog post has been sitting in my drafts for months now, and I decided to finish up today, a gloomy Friday morning. This look has been one of my most liked on my Instagram.

My love for anything lace has been clear and blunt. I still vividly remember paying endless trips to ‘Cheap Jack’ in General Bazar with my mom to pick up the perfect lace fabric for those dreamy outfits.

All of 12, I remember putting together an outfit that I had in mind; a flared lace skirt, a solid shirt and a lace crop jacket to go with it – all in peach.
It was my go to outfit. I would want to wear it to every place we go until I finally outgrew it. Ever since, I’ve not really owned a full lace outfit as I grew weary of anything mildly flimsy. Wearing something sheer or lacy meant factoring in a lot of things; the delicacy of the fabric, the translucency et al – just too much work.

However, when @women_and_dresses sent across this beautiful dress it made me oh so nostalgic. I readily agreed to style it and I think it is safe to say that I cannot seem to part from my love for lace after all.

I think my Instagram speaks a lot about my new found love in beige and neutral tones. I feel like I’ve been leaning towards this aesthetic a lot lately. Keeping it simple and minimal. And of course, the gold brogues; I have had so much love coming from people for these. I picked these up from Ajio over a year ago. I’ve been hunting for them in black but haven’t been successful 😦

Let me know how you like the new look on my blog 🙂

Love,
Rad All Day.

New Year, Rekindle!

‘I was wondering after all these years you’d like to meet?’

I still remember writing my first blog post of 2018 – Whimsical Blossom.

I still remember the grim and dreariness of the beginning of the year as if it was just yesterday, although a year has gone by.

As I mentioned in one of my recent Instagram posts, I was in a place where I was on the verge of giving up on everything I was doing, because I couldn’t believe I gave people the power to hurt me. It altered the way I thought of myself, the way I perceived every emotion and relationship; love, patience, forgiveness, and friendship.

Although my blogpost of 2018 had me saying, rejuvenate, renew, and regrow, I found myself unable to do those myself, because I was met with far more difficult situations as the year went by. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did. And how!

However, writing was something that strengthened me. I was able to draw courage from all the messages from people. I was able to write my heart out whenever I felt the need to. I may have hurt some emotions and feelings in the process, but it was needed. It was needed, that I bring out those words.

I look back at this year as the most difficult year so far, but that is not going to stop me from making the coming year better. The struggle has strengthened me, reinforced my beliefs, and restored my faith.

As a first step towards making this year a better one, I spent the last couple of weeks trying to rekindle some friendships that I thought didn’t hold any significance in my life. However, now my comprehension of them seems to differ and for good.

Rekindling old friendships or relationships is quite a vacillating pursuit. But it’s never impossible.
I came to realise that no matter how wrong someone has done you or how wrong you’ve been to someone, there’s no way it cannot be mended. Holding on to anger and shutting yourself off isn’t the only way out, always.

When you know you can look someone in the eye and not be enraged by their wrong doings, you know you’ve overcome. It is not easy, but it is not impossible either.

It has been a good start to the year after all.

One song that also kept me going was, Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.

Listen to it here: Everybody Hurts

Outfit

Before my favourite kid could leave to pursue his dream at FTII, we met for a couple of shoots together and this was one of them. I never got a chance to post them.

I put this look together to channel my love for White + Denim – The Classic. Paired a pale blue denim with a vintage-y off white shoulder frill top.

I have been musing over Jenna Roi Long‘s Instagram feed for a while now. The hat was inspired from one of her posts.

As always, this kid creates magic with his pictures. I mean, is that even me?

Outfit Details:

Off-white Top – Only
Blue Denim – Levi’s
Gladiator Sandals – Forever 21
Sling Bag – Zara
Hat – HnM

Pictures by AJ Aaron.

Hope you guys have a great year ahead.

Love,

Rad All Day!

Bridal Musing!

So, you are getting married! Did you ever imagine the array of questions that you’d be asked ever since you made that decision to get married – what do you want your wedding to look like, what are you wearing, have you decided on the venue, are you having a destination wedding?

Well, who would have thought planning a wedding would be so stressful?

The first tip to get these sorted is to calm down and make a plan. Do not worry, there are numerous sites and apps that will help you plan and execute your dream wedding just the way you want it. Start your research early and you will realize that it’s not all that difficult to make your dream wedding come to life.

Of course, I don’t have to worry about a thing as I can safely say I’ve already had my tryst with my bridal look long before I even thought of getting married. Thanks to Abrianna’s Bridal Studio. A couple of weeks ago my friend who runs Abrianna’s asked me to be a part of a Beauty Expo that was happening in Hyderabad for the very first time and I readily agreed.

Donning one of Abrianna’s beautiful wedding gowns, I sat in front of an exhilarating crowd, while the super talented Samaira dolled me up with her mad makeup skills using Pac Cosmetics. While I sat there for about an hour and a half, without a clue about what’s happening to my face, I saw Samaira in her true element as she kept the crowds glued to every single thing she had to say. I was blown over by the outcome. I absolutely loved how she matched my eye makeup with my earrings – a pop of green to play up the face and the entire look.

Before taking the stage to get my make up done!

HAV_9320 — Would you look at how gorgeous the lace up back is 🙂

Planning a wedding can be overwhelming but with your plan in place and the right people around, you can, in fact, get through with it quite smoothly:

A few tips that I’ve gathered from various blogs and a few friends whose weddings I have helped plan:

Start shopping early and set a budget.
Use Pinterest and Instagram to discover various options. Create boards and save your favorites (not just for gowns but also for decor)
Pick your fabrics and search based on that. Depending on which season you plan to get married, choose an appropriate fabric. Create a keyword list – for example, net can-can gown or satin flowy wedding gown.
Try a few looks (make-up) beforehand and schedule your dress trials close to one another – so it is easy to compare between looks.
Choose your Bridal Party early and plan their looks well in advance. They need to be in sync with the whole decor as well and you can never be sure of each one’s availability and comforts.
Always take the steering wheel – a stylist may suggest various things – but trust your instincts.
Shop for them undergarments wisely and advice your bridal party too.
Pay attention to all the accessories – flowers, veil, wreath etc.

About Abrianna’s:

Abrianna’s Bridal Studio is a one-stop shop for a bride. It provides luxurious made-to-order wedding gowns that are truly affordable. They make sure that every bride has their undivided attention and focus on helping them create the Gown of their dreams.

They offer couture, designer, individual appointments with consultations booked with a stylist to ensure your appointment is tailored to your style and need. Everything at the studio is chosen carefully with a wide range of options from accessories to gowns.

Gown by: Abrianna’s Bridal Studio

Makeup by: Samaira

Pictures by: Reinhard and Noel

I realized I did not share any music in my last post; not gonna miss out on that. Since this post is all about weddings, what better than this love song by Shania Twain. I absolutely love her attire in this video.

Love,
Rad All Day!

Timeless Drapes

Do you go back in time when you flip through old photo albums of your mom and realize that some trends are called ‘Classic’ for a reason and they stay true to it all times?

The Timeless Drape, the Saree is surely a marvel in Indian clothing. It showcases an exquisite sense of luxury and elegance that is a symbol of subtlety and feminity.

What better way than to work with the lady who wears her sarees like second-skin, Ankita Katuri.

Silk

Burrowing into our moms’ wardrobes, while we were discussing our looks, we made sure we picked some vintage sarees. Silk sarees in Ikat and Kanchi Pattu sarees with heavy Zari borders were what ruled the age of our mothers and we wanted to experiment with these trends and bring them back to life.

The color palette of Ankita’s pick is to the key. The contrast of colors played up with heavy zari is something that you could still pull off at a wedding with the right jewelry and that customized contrast blouse. The Saree that I picked was an Ikat silk one in a lovely lilac/lavender color and the subtlety of the saree is what makes it a timeless piece.

Cotton Silk

The second look was a blend of plain Cotton Silk sarees paired with elaborate jewelry and contrast blouses. Cotton Silk is one of the most comfortable fabrics and the Sarees can be draped hassle-free in less than two minutes. If you are someone who is apprehensive of carrying off a heavy saree, cotton silk sarees are your safest bet.

I am personally in love with Ankita’s style, I have always been. Working with her was a sheer pleasure. The elegance she exudes in every outfit that she dons is RAD!

Tips for styling Sarees:

Always keep some spare blouses in neutral colors – Black, Silver, and Gold. You never know when they’d come handy.
Choose Classics over Fancy. In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a classic saree.
Choose fabric and color over style. Do not overdo the saree look with overembellished picks; it steals it off of its elegance. You can always play it up with jewelry.
Pick your underskirt wisely. It is what will decide the look and fall of the Saree.
Ensure the Saree is pinned and secured.
Understand your body type and drape accordingly. There are various styles to drape a saree; it will probably take another post to sum that up 🙂

Jewelry by: Manjha Shop & Myesha

Pictures by: Subham Swain

Love,
Rad All Day!

Whimsical Blossom

My first post of 2018 is coming a bit late, actually a whole lot lately. 2017 has been a year of new experiences, one being the genesis of this blog. 2018 started off on a high note as well, but we all have our downs, don’t we? I am going through one of those phases right now and it doesn’t look great down here. No, I am not going to steer this blog post away from fashion but going to make it a little different.

Winter has come and gone and Spring is here. A lot of festivals are celebrated in India to mark the coming of spring and it is indeed one of the most beautiful times of the year. And why shouldn’t it be? It resonates with philosophical ideas of Rejuvenation, Renewal, and Regrowth. I have learned it the hard way that, if we are hurting, we should let ourselves; but we should also pick ourselves up until we have seen the full picture of the glory of spring that we have been longing for.

Rejuvenate

Most times we are so caught up in our own world, our phones and our problems that we almost always forget to give ourselves a break. How about just taking a step back and rejuvenating our real spirits?

Renew

The season of renewal is at our doorstep; Let’s not beat a dead horse over mere new year resolutions, but let’s vow to renew ourselves to do better and better in life.

Regrow

Every situation that we find ourselves in is caused by us. This may sound scary, but it is the truth. However, the good news is that the more we are willing to take responsibility for, the more freedom we have. Only we have the power to change the things we are going through and regrow like a lettuce that sprouts a whole new head after being chopped.

Outfit

Flowers, a symbol of freshness and rejuvenation are synonymous with spring. If there is one staple/happening spring trend then it is got to be florals. The upcoming warm seasons will find designers and brands experimenting with vivid floral canvas artwork in every color.

I’ve tried to add a little drama to the narrative of these pictures – transcending the gloom of winter to a vibrant spring. The maxi-dress in a burnt orange shade with the ornate floral print made it a perfect choice for the mood that I was trying to set for this post.