Samtana tees

Its a great pleasure to introduce to you all a 'wearable' art' brand - Samtana!

<!--[endif]--> Samtana tees is based in Bengaluru, India and was co-founded by two people obsessed with wearing t-shirts. The most appealing aspect for me about this brand was their unique perspective towards creating their product, go-green initiative and use of organic cotton. Nothing feels right on your skin than clothes made of pure cotton, the best fabric on earth!
I think one of the amazing things about the company is their belief and work towards promoting local work and talent - both art and the t-shirt material. The best part is the originality/individuality of the art expressed on some of the tees; they are sure shot eye-catchers in the crowd. For me this is a super deal, a place where you get customized cotton tees for a reasonable price.

All Samtana shirts are made in India using 100% organic cotton, which is non genetically manipulated cotton that is grown free of harmful chemicals and pesticides.

The t-shirts are currently available to purchase online on the company website www.samtana.com using credit cards or cash-on-receipt and they ship to anywhere in India. 

Samtana is offering special 10% discount code to my readers 'ZINGOFMYLIFEGOESORGANIC'. The discount code is valid on purchase of all t-shirts, including the new arrivals. Please note that the voucher is valid for one month only. So, hurry!

You can connect with Samtana via their Facebook page www.facebook.com/samtanaclothing

A little about Samtana in the founders' own words: “We founded Samtana after years of being frustrated by the lack of individuality and limited aesthetic appeal of most of the clothing available in shops around India,” says Bharath, one of the co-founders of Samtana. So we decided to get together talented artists from around the world and bring ‘wearable art’ to everyone who shares our values. Samtana is, in essence, our Community of Designers. With Samtana, we believe we have succeeded in demonstrating that it’s possible to be unique, fashionable and eco-conscious all at the same time, without breaking the bank,” says co-founder Ben Heinkel, who is based in Barcelona, Spain, and sees among modern youth a rapidly growing desire for self-expression that promotes ethical values rather than rapacious corporatism."

Some of the t-shirt designs that I fancy right now..(these tees are available for both guys & gals)

Aztec Monkey print (you can buy it here)

Creator of Legend (you can buy it here)

White Mask (you can buy it here)

So now you know, where to get that unique Diwali gift for your loved one who is passionate about wearing t-shirts! I am sure you will be loaded with hugs & kisses in return :)

Summer oh summer!

Neon tee and denim shorts make a comfy n peppy combo and this is exactly what I wore on our road trip to Ocean city, Maryland. Incidentally, it was also my first long drive after getting my US driver's licence. So, I was quite pumped and looking forward to the adventure, you see! And thankfully it went really well. I think driving on a highway is a totally different ball-game, the speed, changing lanes, highway traffic..phewww!

Well, we needless to say we safely made it to Ocean city :) Ocean city is a cool relaxing place couple of hours from Washington, DC. There is nothing much to sight-see  which is a huge plus! 'cause that is exactly the kind of place I want to go to unwind and relax. Ocean city has miles of pristine beaches, a board walk with yummy fried food & ice creams and cool bars n crab shacks. It definitely makes a perfect getaway for a 2/3 day weekend.
The crab shacks remind of me of the ones in Goa, no show-sha just the real crabby stuff, chilled beer and beachy sand beneath your feet. (More on crabs and my very first experience with actually eating a crab in another post).

Well, leaving you to enjoy the pics. I love the back drop; the hotel's pool area overlooked blue waters & grass...so pleasing to the eyes. These pics make me miss summer so very much..summer oh summer, come soon will ya?

What I am wearing:  Neon pink tee: Old Navy; Denim shorts: American Eagle; sandals: Katie&Kelly at DSW; Fedora: Francesca's; Sunnies: American Eagle; Crossbody: DSW; Bracelet: American Eagle; Watch: Swatch; Butterfly pendant necklace: H&M. 

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VFW 2012 Recap

The Vancouver Fashion Week concluded recently and was a festival of fashion, glitz and glam! Though I was not present at the event, I thought why not share some of my personal favorite collections with you.
*Note: All the pictures are courtesy VFW*

Designer: Gert-Johan Coetzee
Loved the neon accents - one of my favorite trends this year!

Designer: Elik Afsi
Loved the burst of citrus-ey hues!

Designer: La Salle
Kids fashion - cute! I would have definitely loved to sit through this show.

Designer: Xsenia and Olya
The cuts, fabric and hues are so summery and laid-back. The printed jacket would brighten up any day!

The Korean Cultural Show

Designer: Farida Lalji
Indian Fashion on an international platform! loved the festive colors (Rani pink being my favorite) and the intricate designs.

Designer: Soddi
Interesting dhoti-esque pants on the model and hes pulling them off well, don't you think?

Did you like the designs displayed at the show? Which one is your favorite? Do share.

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A day at the US Open

I was excited like a kid when husband informed me that we have tickets to the 'US Open Women's Finals'. It was a long time dream to watch the US Open live and finally we were going for it! Supremely excited was the state of mind. I have followed the game since I was a kid; those days it would be Steffi Graf Vs Monica Seles matches that thrilled me to no bounds! I had Steffi's pictures cut out from the newspapers and stuck to my wardrobe; such was my fan love for her!

Well, as Murphy's Law would have it, the match got rescheduled to next day afternoon. The one time you buy freaking expensive ($$$) tickets for a Finals match and it definitely rains - that too badly, and is terribly windy and of course a tornado hits the city. That fateful day of the match a tornado hit NYC! Yeah! Can you believe our luck! Well, the saving grace was that the match was moved to the next day itself and to the afternoon slot (an evening slot would have been a deal-breaker). 

Well, as they say, everything happens for good! The day of the match was a beautiful sunny day with clear skies. The venue was buzzing with activity and everything was so well-planned, right from security lanes to food court and crowd management. The event started with a Finals kick-off ceremony and the Guests of honor being none other than Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick (well, not Steffi but got a glimpse of her husband :D)

It was a finals match between Serena Williams seed 4 and Victoria Azarenka (Vika) seed 1; Vika being my favorite. 
Well, to see from my fashion blogger goggles, the 'tennis diva duo' were sporting 'Neon' (one of my favorite trends this year!). 

The Finals match stretched on to three sets for first time since 1995! now that's history and I was watching it live! Exciting, awesome, no word could describe the excitement going on in the stadium! The match went on for about 3 hours and though I was rooting Vika, the well-deserving Serena took away the cup! We did stay for some part of the Cup presentation but left soon 'cause our long journey back home awaited us..From Queens to Manhattan to Jersey City (where we had our car parked) and then back home to DC..Well this time I shared the driving part with my hubby, I drove for couple of hours while he finished his dinner n rested for some time, n then took over for the final haul. We reached home by 2 in the night; long day but well-spent and memorable!

The best part of watching the match live was - the super-charged crowd, cat calls for Vika/Serena, celebrity spotting (LMFAO, Anna Wintour, Tyra Banks, Andre Agassi, Will Ferrell, Kevin Spacey), waffle fries & beer (lots of it), crowd cam (the cam spotted us in one of the breaks, woop woop!). All these things definitely beat watching any match on the TV set.

This is what I wore to the tennis match..As always, I wanted to be chic and comfy. So nothing better came to my mind than - colored denims n polka dots, trendy n comfy, right? The touch of fedora was just to get away from the bad hair day I was having and of course the sunny glare. 
We took few pics on the Hudson bay with the scenic Manhattan skyline in the back drop before heading to the city. I must admit this would be one of fav spots for taking pictures. and of course, all credit for the fabulous pics goes to my dear husband. 

I must admit, the fedora hat has become my go-to accessory for bad hair days and the fact that it looks stylish than regular caps! 
What's your go-to accessory to escape from a bad hair day?

What I am wearing: Sweater - Old Navy; Colored denims - Gap; Scarf - India; Fedora - Francesca's; Wristlet - Burberry; Boat shoes - Aldo; Bracelet - American Eagle; Aviators - Tory Burch; Watch - MK women's chronograph (Gift from Parents); Earrings - NY&Co.

The fab ladies in action!

Hubs & me at the US Open entrance in Flushing Meadows/ the majestic Arthur Ashe stadium

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SouthAsian Style

I am so excited to introduce to you 'South Asian Style' boutique. All your fashion needs for South Asian style in one place.Gorgeous saris and Indian ethnic jewelry, everything well priced. And guess what - they ship for free anywhere in the world until October!

And, and, that's not it. The last but best deal is here *drum roll please* South Asian Style is offering a special discount for my readers. Feel free to use the discount code: ZINGOFMYLIFE20 when you checkout any item from their website. Sweet deal, eh?

To give you a sneak peek into their collection, these are some of my fav pieces from their collection.

So, what are you waiting for ladies (and gents looking to gift their ladies), go ahead, shop the cool ethnic goodies and the next time you wear it, I guarantee that you are gonna make some heads turn! 

Denim for Fall

This is how I would dress up a denim skirt for Fall. Wear boots and every summer staple becomes Fall appropriate! Yeah, its that easy. Apart from being fall weather appropriate you can say it's 'Bang for your buck' too. And when it gets too chilly to handle, wear tights (printed/color) or leggings with comfy boots and you are good to go.

Well, this is the first time I am strutting out in my boots; and here's to many more such days! I definitely missed wearing boots back home in Mumbai. Its not exactly the type of climate where you buy bulky boots - the only weather being summer, that too mixed with humidity. I can go and on and on about the Mumbai weather but you are not here for that, are you?

So getting back to my outfit, I am wearing these 'Crazy Indian Roulette' earrings from Crazy & Co. that I absolutely. Love the fact that they are adding color to my denim-on-denim outfit.

Crazy& Co. is an online boutique started by my blogger friend Tanvi where each and every piece is Crazy good! These earrings were gifted by her during our recent InFB meet in NYC (so gracious of her!). I think they are a great accessory to make a statement and they will go well with any colored outfit - score!

In another news, I have (finally!) opened a Facebook page for the blog. Now you can get all updates for 'The Zing of My Life' in one place - on your profile's home page!
So, have you liked the blog's Facebook page yet? If not, you can do it here.

What I am wearing: Denim skirt - Gap; Striped top - Esprit; Denim vest - Levis Factory Outlet; Boots - Macys; Earrings - Crazy & Co. (you can buy them here); Heart pendant necklace - Sears; Clutch - Aldo; Watch - Casio Men's Chronograph (Husband's); Ring - India; Aviators - Tory Burch

Update: Linking this post for the EBEW Boots Challenge!