Tuesday 29 October 2013

Dread That Car Journey : Halloween Special

Image Courtesy
Imagine you are on a road trip along with your friends to a spectacular hill side. Travelling along a scenic landscape you get totally absorbed in its scintillating beauty. Your windscreens are down, you are breathing in the burst of fresh air, your hair dancing with the wind. Its getting darker and colder as you enter a road flanked by dense forest. The skies above are a pale blue with tints of the setting sun. The clouds are hovering over your head, dense and dark. You are still lost in the beauty of nature when your car comes to a screeching halt that makes you fall off your seat. You find your grip and look up to see what just happened and you are welcomed by something like this.............




We grew up hearing such stories from our grandparents and parents. And somewhere, I do believe that life after death do exist. Thats what Halloween is all about, isnt it ? Its all about those wandering souls trying to find a body for themselves and more often than not, the victims are the ones travelling by roads as they are the most easy and vulnerable targets. But then, should that stop you from taking memorable road trips with your family and friends?
My grandma always told me that a strong mind and a spiritual smell can always fend off bad spirits. Its obviously not advisable to use incense sticks in a car but you surely can use car fragrances that will also help you keep your friends happy. Nobody likes travelling in a smelly stinky car!
#ChangeTheAir


Try the new festive range of Godrej Aer Home and Car fragrances to headstart your celebration with all things fragrant. Also, do let me know which fragrance you like best.

GET THE LOOK:
Why not go "Desi" this Halloween? Remember the famous Manjulika. Undoubtedly, my look here is inspired from her! To get this look, wear a tshirt as a blouse and drape your saree in the most clumsiest way possible. Also make sure your saree is not ironed. Take any red color powder and smear it on your forehead and rub your eyes like a crying baby after applying a healthy dose of kajal. Give the final touch by messing your hair up after tying it in a loose low bun. Don't forget the "Maang Tika" and "Gajra". For Shristhi's look, wear a dark cape, apply a dose of shell colored foundation and dust your face with some powder. Line your lower rim with red colour eye shadow or you can even use your rouge blush.
Have a Happy Halloween!

Love N Luck
P.S. - This post is a part of Godrej Aer promotion campaign



Monday 28 October 2013

A sweet tradition!


You guys must be wondering whats with me and my constant posts on festivals, especially Diwali. Well, my Durga Puja went utterly sad and for a bong thats a total heartbreak :D . So I am trying to cover up for those lost days during Diwali. My college doesnt give us much of holidays you know so there's not much I can do to celebrate all the festivals lavishly with heavily laden table full of delicacies and sweetmeats. Also, I have a retarded digestive system that does not allow me to gorge on outside food much. The solution? I have to treat myself, always! :D
But then, is cooking easy? Certainly not for someone who has a 10 to 6 college timings :/ . But greedy that I am, I wanted to treat myself and my friends to something different, that too a sweet dish. And today, I am sharing with you the recipe of that. This is so basic, even a 5 year old can make it ;) But it tastes awesome! So share the sweetness with your family, friends and guests this festive season.

INGREDIENTS :
  1. Sponge Cake (infact any cake will do)
  2. Chocolate Syrup
  3. Fresh tropical fruits, finely chopped (of your choice)
  4. Dry fruits (the only "traditional" ingredient in the list :D)
  5. Condensed Milk or Strawberry Syrup
  6. Fresh Cream or Vanilla ice-cream

METHOD :
  1. Take a flat surface bowl and base it with crumbled cake
  2. Top it up with a layer of chocolate syrup
  3. Now, add another layer of crumbled cake and spread the fruits evenly
  4. Now, spread condensed milk or strawberry syrup on the fruit layer and top it up with dry fruits of your choice
  5. Set it in the fridge for like half and hour
  6. Serve it with a scoop of fresh cream or vanilla ice-cream on top. 
"Your dish should look somewhat like this"  Image Source
If you are to be more experimental, add your own layers and don't forget to tell me! :)
And next time you have guests, serve them this. You dont have to be traditional always. A change from the usual is sure to make a lasting impression. 
There is just one drawback to this dish though, it has no lingering smell that most freshly cooked traditionla dishes leave behind. So keep your house smelling fresh with the new range of Godrej Aer.
#ChangeTheAir

Try the new festive range of Godrej Aer Home and Car fragrances to headstart your celebration with all things fragrant. Also, do let me know which fragrance you like best.

Love N Luck
P.S. - This post is a part of Godrej Aer promotion campaign

Saturday 26 October 2013

This Festive Season Bring Mother Nature Home

Diwali is still almost a week away but lets face it, India has already started celebrating. Not necessarily by bursting patakas but by lighting up the house, buying new clothes, dusting up the house, calling friends and family over for the yearly reunion and so on. The streets in my colony are filled with vendors selling diyas of different shapes, sizes and colours. More than the festival itself, its the "getting-ready" phase of a festival that invokes a very exciting feeling in me :D.
But this year, the monsoons have decided to stay till october and this pro-longed guest is the cause for a very damp house that smells stale. Atleast mine does :/ . So I took up my mom's advice and planted some in-house plants. She gave me names of a list of plants of which I am gonna share some with you here.
Lets get ready for a fresh Diwali !! ;)
We all have heard about the benefits of Aloevera. There are many ayurvedic company even selling its juice. But aloe vera plant not only helps with skin burns and issues but also with filtering various gas emission from dangerously toxic materials and it claims to possess tons of medicinal properties as well.
Image Source
No one can ignore the beauty of Marginata, a plant that has glossy thin leaves with red edges. It is a slow-growing flowering houseplant with very few growing requirements. It also not only removes formaldehyde(found in cigarettes, wooden furnishings,  and benzene(found in glue, paints, plastics, etc) from the air, but some other toxins present as well. But the plant can be poisonous to dogs so do place is carefully.
Image Source
The Gerber daisy, a bright flowering plant, is effective at removing trichloroethylene(comes from dry-cleaning) and benzene. Place it in your laundry room or bedroom but make sure it gets a lot of light.
Image Source
The colourful Chrysanthemums have always fascinated me, especially after I read a very touching short story revolving around this flower. Its colourful flowers protect you from benzene and also brightens up your homes. Place it in a place where it will get ample sunlight.
Image Source
Last but not the least - the Lucky Bamboo! The best part about this plant is that it can be placed even in your cars. Its small in size, needs indirect sunlight, can grow only in water and does not need soil, and then, its supposedly lucky! Need anymore reasons? Just change the water (soft or filtered water) every 2 weeks to keep it glowing green always.
Image Source
And for those very lazy ones (like me), freshen up your homes with the new godrej aer series.
#ChangeTheAir
Try the new festive range of Godrej Aer Home and Car fragrances to headstart your celebration with all things fragrant. Also, do let me know which fragrance you like best.

Love N Luck
P.S. - This post is a part of Godrej Aer promotion campaign

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Festive season DIY Gifts


In my previous post, I shared with you guys the most exciting reason I look forward to festivals. But is one reason enough? Tch tch! Not for me :D 

There are many more reasons the country celebrates all these festivals for throughout the year. New clothes, matching jewellery and shoes, vacations, cousin get-togethers, pandal hopping, happy faces all around and lovely gifts!What really excites me are gifts, simply because they are unexpected. You never know what you might just get. Dont you love that excitement filled feeling just before you open a gift pack from your loved one? 

And so, the other day I was wondering what could I gift my friends and family this Diwali to make things more special. And after hopping through numerous shops, I thought why not gift something hand-made? Not only does it make your folks feel loved, it is also lighter on your pockets. And the biggest benefit, its interesting! Don't believe me? 
Try these simple DIYs I found online and I bet you will want to do more such interesting stuff.

Scented candles are undoubtedly the perfect gift for your loved ones. Simple and refreshing, learn how to make Cinnamon Candles here.

Laddoos wrapped in colorful crepe paper and ends tied with ribbons. Gifting these will make you the kid's favourite ;) .
source courtesy
Last but not the least - Hand made soaps! No it isnt as tough as you may think if you follow these simple steps to make this Herbs and Citrus Soap

All said and one, did you notice anything similar between the above 3 DIYs? Yes ofcourse, the fragrance! Some way or the other Indian festivals have been  closely associated with fragrances. 
#ChangeTheAir
Try the new festive range of Godrej Aer Home and Car fragrances to headstart your celebration with all things fragrant. Also, do let me know which fragrance you like best.

Love N Luck
P.S. - This post is a part of Godrej Aer promotion campaign

Friday 18 October 2013

Fragrant Festivals with Godrej Aer

source courtesy
India is always a festive country. Small occasions like "Ghar ka Puja", big occasions like Holi and Diwali, personal occasions like Birthdays and Weddings, self-made occasions like promotion and graduation - we find endless reasons to celebrate! And what is that first thing that comes to your mind whenever you go to a festival or are invited to an occasion almost equal to a festival?
Yes of course! I am talking about FOOD! The festival air is laden with the smell of food whether at the streets or at homes. Sharing with you my favourite festivals based on "food value" :D :D. 

Eid-ul-fitr or Meethi Eid - The whiff of condensed milk and raisins, Heaven!
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Christmas - I am a die-hard non vegetarian. I look forward to Christmas for all different kinds of meat preparation, right from roasted turkey to duck meat to pork ribs. (Damn, my mouth's already watering :/ ) . After that, the array of desserts. Its like every house in the colony smells like the town's best bakery.
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Diwali - This is one time of the year when I can survive on sweetdishes throughout the day. Balushahis for breakfast, Puri with Shrikhand for lunch and Halwa and Barfi for dinner. Ghee is the essence/flavour/smell of the season, no kidding.
source courtesy
Onam - I dislike coconuts to the core, but then there's something in Onam Sadhya dishes that I love inspite of it being soaked in coconut oil. From crispy fried banana chips to tangy rasam, its coconutty-tangy (my word) :p
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Durga Puja - No bengali will ever not list down "Bhoger Khichudi" as their utmost favourite. The aromatic gobindobhog rice mixed with roasted moong dal - your mouth's already watering?
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But tadaaaa!!! Reality check - festivals dont last forever and neither does the aroma in the air. So does that mean "end to good smelling homes"? Hell no! You should always keep your lovely homes smelling equally good so why not invest in a good air freshener?

#ChangeTheAir
Try the new festive range of Godrej Aer Home and Car fragrances to headstart your celebration with all things fragrant. Also, do let me know which fragrance you like best.

Love N Luck

P.S. - This post is a part of Godrej Aer promotion campaign

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Thursday 17 October 2013

Celebrate PINK this October



This month is just not about celebrating the Gods, Goddesses and the souls(Halloween) but also us women! No I ain't kidding! October is the breast cancer awareness month. So you can wear pink any day you want, or everyday too!! :D
We have all heard about the "Wear pink to Work" campaign, right? Well, its basically just to encourage more women to be aware of breast cancer. The concept is simple - wearing pink helps spread more awareness as detecting the disease early is the best way to prevent it. In India, this year its being celebrated on the 18th of october. This post is to give you an offbeat idea on how to root for a cause and stay stylishly pink-y at work!
A cotton printed trouser paired with a solid coloured flowy top can never go wrong on any body shape or size! Prints and bright colours are both a good bet this fall, so get innovative and crazy! 







Clutch - Splash
Rest of the outfit - Thrift, Bandra and Bangalore


Wear pink, keep it stylish! 
Love N Luck

Sunday 13 October 2013

Dancing in the rain


Ok! So Mumbai has been acting pretty weird lately, isn't it? Pouring cats and dogs anytime of the day in the month of October! 
Though I love the rains, what I hate is the humidity and stickiness after it. Mumbai's weather reminds me of those in coastal areas now. Oh! the mention of coastal areas just reminded me of Goa. 
I was there the previous week, took a bike ride along the western coast, had a lot of fun and yes, came back with a lot of tan!!! :D. Goa was in its most beautiful-lest state during this post monsoon season! Not very crowded, occasional light showers, lots of greenery and peacocks! Yes, we managed to spot a few peacocks there.
Now Goa is not just about the sun, sand and pinacoladas but also street side shopping. Though I did not get much time to hop about the streets, I did pick a few things. One of them is this peacock print leggings. 







Asymmetrical shirt - Arrow
Peacock Print leggings - Thrift
Bracelet - Add ons
Clutch - Lavie
Neckpiece - Raastachaap (Buy Here)
Finger ring - Raastachaap (Buy Here)
Footwear - Hill Road, Bandra


Love N Luck