Birthday Edition

A dress always makes me feel lady-like and that's the kind of feeling I was going in for my birthday this year. Extra points to the weather, for allowing me to flaunt my bare legs in my absolute fave print - florals! I got this dress on sale during the holiday season last year and had decided to save it for a special occasion. With such a vibrant print, you hardly need any accessories or any other fluff to perk up the look. That's the beauty about wearing dresses, I guess!

Hubs decided to show off some color; love that coral shirt. It's so difficult to get any color (other than blue) in men's wardrobe so this shirt we got whilst shopping in Bombay is just the perfect edition for summer...ooops I mean spring time. 

Anyhoo, birthday was relaxing, husband served breakfast (poha & tea) and lunch (chilli chicken both dry and gravy versions...I am a lucky girl!) while I was busy taking calls, and responding to birthday wishes on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram...birthdays are getting busier thanks to the social media :) My gal-pals had arranged a special surprise during our shopping spree, a day earlier. So all in all, I had a fun birthday week! 

And yes, spring is finally here! All the trees laden with gorgeous flowers, especially, the cherry blossoms in the DC area, is a sight to behold! Well, hello there Spring..where were thou?

Fossil dress | Payless pumps | Tory Burch purse | Capwell & Co. Bracelets | 

Marc Jacobs bracelet watch

No more snow!

It was so gorgeous last week that J and I couldn't resist to step out for a dinner-n-drinks soiree after work. And what better than vibrant florals to welcome this beautiful weather, right? I love the floral print with a black background; makes it easy to pair with variety of colors right from black, white, pink, green, red and so on. Multicolored-hoop earrings and a bright pink silk clutch added the perfect touch of glamour for a weekday date-night. ~~DIY Tip: Press the handles of the purse, inside the purse, to transform a purse to an over-sized clutch.~~

Comfortable wedge sandals completed this weekday dinner-date look. These platform strappy wedges are one of my faves; they are of perfect height, easy on feet, and I can walk in them for hours with no pain (go figure high-heeled pumps!). So, if you are looking to buy heels this summer, than definitely invest in a pair of platform wedges. The platform gives the required height without being uncomfortable or shaky. 

Anyhow, back to the dinner, and as expected, there was a wait in almost every other restaurant! But thankfully, we got a place on a patio table in a restaurant that is right in the heart of the town center. Needless to say, some drinks, apps and lots of people-watching followed thereafter :) 

All in all, a lovely time to revel in the the fact that, there will be NO MORE SNOW! *runs around in circles*

Target Merona floral skirt  (on sale - buy it here) | Ann Taylor lime green tee | 

Silk purse/clutch from Newbury street, Boston | Aldo wedge sandals (similar/similar) | 

Shoppers Stop hoop earrings (similar) | Ring from Lake Anne farmer's market |

Sharing this post on YOLOMondays at Molly's and The Pleated Poppy

P.S. Shocked to hear about the blasts at the Boston Marathon today! I have lived in Boston for five years and it's like my second home after Mumbai! Breaks my heart to hear this :( Thoughts and prayers to everyone affected! 

Santa Monica

To beat the Monday blues (and the winter blues if I may add), I am penning down the finale post from my SoCal travelogue series. As part of this series, I have blogged posts in the past about my travels to San Diego (that you can read here and here ) and posts on Hollywood, the famous Laguna beach and an Indian-foodie haven in LA suburbs. 

We spent last day of our SoCal trip (that we took in the summer of 2012) in the company of close friends, home-made food (believe me, by the end of this trip we were craving for some comforting home-made food) and the gorgeous Pacific waters. 
Incidentally, the last day of our trip fell on 4th of July (US Independence Day)! We were invited over for a '4^th July BBQ' party hosted by close friends at their new abode which they recently purchased in the LA suburbs. The house was magnificent, located within a plush gated community, with the patio-area overlooking the valley. The new home was indeed decorated very beautifully with great attention to detail.They had recently installed a BBQ station in the backyard along with brand new patio furniture. Thanks to our gracious hosts, we were treated to some lip-smacking BBQ chicken, bhutta (BBQ'ed corn) and mushrooms, paneer and veggie skewers while sipping on chilled beers. The guys gladly took up the BBQing part while we ladies took to chit-chatting in the patio area. And well, that was not it! After a round of sumptuous BBQ goodies, we had an even more awesome lunch that included delicious aamras (fresh mango pulp), choley (chick-pea curry) and hot pooris (fried Indian bread). 

After such a hearty meal, we were in no mood to do any tourist-y things and luckily we did not have many things planned for the last day. We drove to the famed 'Malibu coast' for a walk by the beach admiring the swanky beach homes of the richie-rich residents of Malibu. The scenic coast of Malibu is home to many Hollywood celebrities and affluent executives in LA. 
Next on the list was the final destination of this trip and a must-see place if you are in the LA neighborhood – the Santa Monica pier and boardwalk. The place is buzzing with activity; tourists, talented artists displaying their antics and street food and shopping places. The boardwalk itself is quite crowded but it has the some of the best views of the Pacific Ocean. Though it kinda gets crowded in the evening, I would still recommend to visit it for watching the setting sun. The view is simply spectacular and hubs took some classic shots from the boardwalk. 

Moving on to the outfit, my colored-denims (cropped) and floral top had a quite SoCal vibe to it. The denim-vest was a part of my mini-haul at the last shopping mall in the US territory. A fedora and comfy flats completed my tourist-y look. I avoided any accessories like bracelets, cuffs, rings or scarves, keeping in mind the hot and humid weather by the coast. 
(Quick tip: I created a cropped colored-denim look by doing one-big fold at the bottom. This especially comes handy when stepping out on beaches or when you are going to be doing a lot of walking. The cropped look adds a relaxed feel to the outfit while keeping the denim cuffs from being soiled)

Well, that completes the SoCal travel series, hope you enjoyed reading it! Please do not hesitate to shoot me an email if you have any travel-related queries. Enjoy the pictures :)

NewYorkandCompany colored denims | Next UK floral top (similar) | Levis denim vest (similar) 

| Aldo boat shoes | Michael Kor's women's chronograph (similar) | Coach bag 

Hasta la Vista, California!

P.S.: Happy April Fool's Day! So tell me, did you get fooled today? :)

Guest blog post: Florals for Spring

Every single time I read that floral print is so in for spring, “Florals, for spring? Groundbreaking!” are the exact words that pass through my mind a’ la Miranda Priestly (aka the evil boss from ‘The Devil Wear Prada’). Nevertheless it is a fact that, floral is ‘the’ fashion trend for spring. And why shouldn’t it be; after all, no other print expresses the joy of a welcoming weather-change as floral does!

As times have changed, so have the ways to dress-up in this fun print. For this season, I see a lot of floral print on shoes, scarves as well as florals on blazers, pants/denims/shorts. So, let’s get on with the different ways you can style this vibrant print.

Florals on black makes you look uber chic. A simple white bustier and blue jeans pair great with the floral print jacket. Go for color-blocked heels if you are in a mood for a bold look or go easy with the black peep-toe heels. The mantra here is to keep the accessories to the minimum. This is a perfect outfit for the Easter brunch with the family.

Similar floral jacket here & here

Floral denims are one daring style; but heck one rewarding one. Pair it with a neutral-colored top (black/white) and you are ready to rock-and-roll! For an extra zing, add a pop of pink with your bag (or glasses, for the nerdy ones). Go light on the lips, make-up and accessories in general.

Similar floral jeans here & here

Who said fashion is just for the weekends? With a 9-5 job, I have learnt to style the trendy prints to be more work-appropriate. Pair a monochrome dress with floral heels and you are all set to rock the mundane office life. Additionally, an exquisite pearl set and a statement watch speak volumes for boardroom dressing.

Oh and is it ladies-night out today? No worries! You can take this outfit from desk-to-dinner; just swap the plain office bag for a sleek clutch, hook in a pair dangly-earrings, touch-up with that gloss and mascara and voila! You are ready in minutes for a lovely dinner with your girlfriends.

Similar floral pumps here & here

Ultimately, styling floral print is all about picking the right accessories without looking OTT (Over The Top). For the not-so-daring, my advice would be to try floral in small doses, like a floral hairband, shoes or scarf. Add a little femininity to your work wear with a floral cardigan or a scarf. It’s the perfect spring-print that can you can never go wrong with; so wear florals this season and bring on spring with style!

What are the different ways you would wear florals for spring? Do share your thoughts in the comments below. 

P.S.: I have shared this article as a guest blogger on the blog at Shop InOnIt. Shop InOnIt is an online shopping website based in India with a wide range of products from home decor to jewelry to beauty products. To read the complete article, please click here.