New Year Surprise

Hey guysssss!! Waddup? Aren't you excited for new year? Not even 24 hours left for 2016. Well, I'm super excited for another fresh year to kick start with some fun and take it further in a much better way than this passing one!

Like I promised, I will share with you a quick recap of some great moments of 2015 for myself into this industry of blogging, which started with Picker at Pace turning a year old and I making my first ever video appearance on YouTube for the same. Coming over to some fantastic posts in the fashion category! I was never inclined towards fashion to be true but all thanks to my inner abilities that forced me to try something new, and I collaborated with some major brands and everyone appreciated the hidden talent. Then met a lot of rising bloggers in my town and collaborated with most of them for some fabulous posts, and also got an opportunity to expand my team! Also came in a lot of food posts which included a cake baking video in collaboration with one of Lucknow's finest bakeries - Buttercup Bungalow too, being the best gift on my birthday from me to my viewers. Becoming the Style Ambassador for Lucknow's first Flea Market was also a superb experience to end this year with and I'm so thankful to each one of you for all the love and support you've shown towards me by continously reading this blog, watching my videos, appreciating and sharing my work with your dear ones and helping me reach 10k+ followers on facebook and instagram each! I can't thank you all enough!

Well, coming back to this post, I thought of sharing my new year gift idea with you all, with which I surprise my friends and some family members every year; that being a curated set of goodies! This year I thought of adding some quirky stuff from some of my favorite brands into the New Year Baskets, which include the things listed below : 

1. A Yearly Planner from Papercircus.in

2. A Writing Pen from Parker

3. A pack of Healthy Munchies from Snackible

4. A box of Dry Fruits from Nutty Gritties

5. Two bottles of Natural Flavor Drinks from Paper Boat

6. A bottle of Perfume from Sugandhco

7. A quirky Fridge Magnet from Throughtroad.com

Since 2015 has been one of the best years for me till now, I thought of sharing some of my favorite things with my dear ones too. So I curated this basket for all of them and I really hope they like it! And if you like this post, do share it with your friends and subscribe to this blog by entering your email in the subscribe box on the right side (I promise you wont be spammed with stupid mails)!

To end, as I look forward to more opportunities and achieve my goals for 2016, I wish all of you a very healthy and a very very Happy New Year. May this coming year be filled with lots of good surprises for you and your family! Stay safe, stay blessed! Keep reading, Keep spreading love! :*

Until next year, xoxo!

Mu(n)ch better with Snackible!

Hi guys! I hope you had a cheerful Christmas, and now are you up for new year? Well, I'm totally up..............to sit in my blanket, have coffee and welcome 2016 , watching award shows on TV! Haha!

Anyway, its been really long since I published a food post. I know I keep saying this every time I post about food, since I'm so lazy. In fact, so much so that I didn't even bother to cook a recipe for you this time, but just get some ready-to-eat snacks from a super online store 'Snackible'. Let me tell you, these are some of the best healthy snacks I've had till date!

Recently, I was sent a weekly box of some yummy munchies from Snackible, so I thought of sharing it with you too, since I feel you really need to try these fine nibbles! Below are some flavors that I got in my box, check it out :

This is the packing of the weekly box that I got. Looks so eco-friendly too!

I got 5 different medium sized packs that contained 5 different flavors. 

1. Seedy Trail Mix - A delectable mix of seeds along with almonds, dates and raisins lightly coated with maple syrup. It was thus a healthy snack that contained so many different seeds including watermelon seeds, sunflower, flax, pumpkin, soya nuts, etc!

2. Roasted Mexican Chickpeas - I really liked these crunchy chickpeas that had a tangy mexican flavor, containing chickpeas (of course), tomato spice, some herbal spices, natural flavors and refind oil. I mostly eat it at night during my work sessions with some juice and it refreshes my mind. Really!

3. Maple & Honey Granola Crunchers - My favorite from the box. Sweet in taste, very healthy and yummy. It contains oats, almonds, sun flower seeds, chia seeds, vegetable oil and organic brown sugar. I mostly have it with milk and it tastes even better. Must try!

4. Dark Chocolate Ragi Cookies - Appetizing dunkins these are; the most wholesome cookies I've tried in my entire life, I swear. Made of ragi and one side coated with dark chocolate, also containing butter, castor sugar and vanilla extract. Have it with milk or without, its gonna taste the best! My best friends these days while travelling alone. I keep having a sweet bite every now and then!

5. Cinnamon Waffles with Honey Twigs - Read-to-eat wholesome waffle with a honey topper, a full treat it is. Trust me! One small waffle made of wheat flour, margarine, sugar, salt, cinnamon and a few emulsifiers. Almost looks like a beauty and when topped with honey, it tastes heaven! I mostly have it in breakfast with some warm milk on the side and some times top this with some cream and fruits too.

So, these were 5 nutritious snacks I got in my Snackible weekly box this time. Its almost like a tonic I get every week and I'm planning to convert it into my monthly supply. Its a very easy method that one can very comfortably apply on the Snackible site, by choosing from their various subscription plans. Different quantities are also available for you to pick from while opting your favorites products from the snacks menu! I would suggest all of you to go ahead and order some healthful munchies and relish it yourselves at extremely affordable prices!

Don't forget to comment below if you liked this post and also subscribe to this blog by entering your emails on the right side column (I promise you'll not be spammed)! Until next time, lots of love and warm hugs.

~xoxo~

Flea Market Lucknow - Fashion & Lifestyle Exhibition

Hey fellas! Hope you're gearing up for Christmas, aren't you?

Ya ya, I know you'd been waiting to know all the stories from Lucknow's first Flea Market that I attended as one of the Style Ambassadors. Well, let me tell you I'm here to disclose all that and jazz, because I couldn't wait even a day more to share my personal experience with you all. 

So, since a lot of you couldn't make it to Flea Market, the two-day fashion & lifestyle exhibition at Lucknow Haat, I thought of putting up some pictures from the venue so that you can take a peek into what all happened there, including my errands with other bloggers from the town and how much fun it was meeting so many new people. Also, my outfits from each of the two days that I attended which many of you requested me to put up, so scroll down and enjoy!

OOTD - Day 1

skirt, stockings, boots : Forever21 | croptop, earrings : Shopnineteen | jacket, bag : StalkBuyLove 

Getting an opportunity to be the Style Ambassador for such a grand event was mesmerizing and I knew I had to nail my looks since I was representing not only myself as a style blogger, but a part of the team of the Flea Market organisers too. Keeping it stylish and comfy, for the first day of the event, I chose to go for a rock star look but with a hint of cuteness and something that didn't look OTT. So, I pulled out my black, faux leather skater skirt, a blue crop top to add some color and matching blue ear studs, because I didn't want to wear all black and fade away! The leather jacket from SBL added the much needed party look and saved me from the chilly weather too. To complete the look, I wore my polka dot stockings over suede boots that I feel were the most classy parts of my outfit, and carried my pretty bow bag to store stuff and I was all good to go! PS : I always eat my lipstick so please bear with my nude face. :P

OOTD - Day 2

top : Cult Fiction | over coat : Missa More | pants : Pantaloons | heels : Steve Madden

necklace : Lucknow Mohatsav | bag : Lavie

For the second day, I wanted to wear something colorful and covered from all ends. So, ditching black for winters this time, I wore a nice orange t-shirt over a pair of white pants and layered it up with my olive green trench coat from Missa More and paired it up with a pair of nude heels with gold plates on the front and added a steel colored junk necklace to complete my look! And, not forgetting my new, green sling bag from Lavie that I carried to store all my essentials. PS : Broke the monotony with my straight hair just right there, baby! 

Tell me in the comments below, which of the two outfits you liked the most!

Coming to the pictures from the venue, an extravaganza that included stalls put up by a lot of creative people in town and some fashion houses, and some delicious food that you missed out on. Plus, some super karaoke sessions that you'd gotta chance to perform! Also, I met some very cool and talented bloggers from the town and shared a word of thought about all our errands and realized that Lucknow is nowhere behind in terms of latest fashion trends! Scroll down to check it all out..

(with blogger Poorvi Naithani. L-R : Day 1, Day 2)

(with blogger Arushi Tripathi)

(with blogger Shishta Maurya)

(with the organiser Gargi Singh)

Some Stalls At The Venue

The Gold Toy Shop - cute stuff toys, cushions & more.

Chimpride Meraki - quirky bags and t-shirts.

Warm salwar kameez (semi-stitched).

Winter wear for women including warm salwar suits & shawls.

Colors Boutique - Indo-western clothing.

Stall by a Delhi Boutique - Indian wear for women.

  

Maverick Commercial - some sexy carpets.

Shri Fashionable Creations - Western & Indian wear for women.

Winter wear for women & earmuffs for all.

Kolhapuri Center - pretty mojris & kolhapuri chappals.

One of the many food stalls.

Centre Stage for Karaoke Sessions.

Harley love.

So, these were some of my favorite stalls from Lucknow's first Flea Market. I shopped a lot along with my friends and family members and I hope all who visited enjoyed themselves at the shopping spree too! I also enjoyed interacting with a lot of visitors with my co-bloggers and loved how sweetly they answered all questions we asked them related to fashion and lifestyle. Plus, we danced a lot and heard beautiful songs from people we didn't know possessed that talent. Well, in case you missed out on this year's event, don't worry because Flea Market's gonna return next year with more stuff for you, so be prepared because we'll make you dance along! 

You can follow Flea Market for all the updates on facebook HERE and on instagram HERE!

Photographed by : Saumya Kumar

~xoxo~

Wedding Vibes : Part 3 - Marriage

Hello, my most gorgeous ladies! Hope y'all are having a great time!

Let me just start this post by thanking all of you for the amazing response you guys have given to my last two posts featuring outfits for the Engagement & Tilak/Sangeet ceremonies with my co-bloggers Shishta and Sumbul. I didn't know you all liked seeing us in Indian wear so much! Thanks a ton for showering so much of love. I truly feel blessed to have all of you in my life as my readers, viewers and friends! And for all those who don't know what I'm talking about, check out post 1 HERE & post 2 HERE!

Now, since you all must have got the hint of today's post by the title, its about two outfits that me and my co-blogger are going to share with you for the grand wedding party! And for the grand post, I had to collaborate with someone as grand as none other than Sonakshi Agarwal from SonaCloset. Let me tell you, Sonakshi is not just a blogger but a fabulous designer too. Well, the interesting part is that she herself has designed both the outfits for this post and I feel so honoured to have worked with such a creative person that she is! She has worked as an assistant designer at Lakme Fashion Week and many more such events to be named while she was pursuing her design course in Mumbai. So, since you're all pumped up to checkout the creations and our looks, why don't you scroll down to read all of it? Let's scroll....

She's wearing - dress : Sonakshi Agarwal | footwear : Catwalk | bangles : Romoch Fashions

maang tika, ring : Amrapali Jewels 

I'm wearing - dress : Sonakshi Agarwal | footwear : Steve Madden | bangles : Shopnineteen

maang tika, rings : Amrapali Jewels | earcuffs : Romoch Fashions

Makeup by : Kratika Raj

As rightly said, girls always have a dilemma while planning on their outfits for any occasion for that matter, and if we talk about the wedding function, we mostly think of traditional Indian wears comprising of lehengas, sarees or salwar kameez. But girls, today I've got you some really pretty indo-western outfits to rock this year's wedding parties in high-style! While searching for a perfect outfit for my cousin's wedding, I Googled ideas and came across a one-piece style that most models flaunted at the Bridal Fashion Week this year. I went ahead and told my designer friend Sonakshi what I wanted exactly like and she being as super creative as she is, made this pink gown for me (that you can see in the pictures above). Its an exemplary design of hers and absolutely exclusive, with 4 layers from the top to core made of net, zari-chiffon, satin and cotton fabrics. Leaving the inner linings aside, the most unique design of the gown can be seen in the 2nd and the top most layers that are sheer! The 2nd one is designed to give the fish-cut look to the gown that fits appropriate on my body, and the top most layer made of net is the one to give the much need flare and shape to the outfit! The embroidery work on the chest is so sexy that I couldn't resist looking at it for days! Though I had an option of attaching net sleeves to the gown, I preferred keeping it sleeveless and adding the pink net dupatta instead to give it a more Indian feel, just like Sonakshi being my co-blogger for this post has carried with her outfit! After designing my dress, she designed one for herself too following the same style but giving it a different zing! She made a bright red gown for herself with more flare and bounce using fabrics like satin, silk, net, chiffon and cotton. She kept the embroidery restricted to only mirrors on the front neck, waist band, the deep back corners, and the sleeve cuffs, to make the outfit appear artistry! The front part of her dress is divided into two portions where the upper part (the chest) is made of net and the grey bottom part of a satin-silk material on which she gave a pretty floral print and the sleeves a quarter length. I must say I really like how graceful both the outfits turned out to be!

Now, wedding day is the right time when girls do some elaborate make-up, put on hi-fi accessories, just like both me and Sonakshi did. I put on a huge, traditional maang tika, a pair of peppy ear cuffs, 2 stone rings and a few bangles in my hand and gold heels to match my dress! Where as Sonakshi just added the maang tika from Amrapali Jewels inspired by Deepika's look in Raam Leela on her forehead, a few rings in her fingers, some colorful bangles in her hand and her heels to complete her look. Also, our make-up artist for this post who actually does my make-up for most functions is Kratika Raj. She is a freelancer and is an expert in whatever she does! So, as you may see, we look like princesses in in our outfits already and thanks to Kratika for making us appear so beautiful, by putting on the primer, the base, foundation and for doing our eye make-up, lips and even hair. I really like to dress up lavishly for wedding functions and I hope all you girls reading this too like doing so!

So guys, this was the last post of the Wedding Collaboration series this year. Do tell me in the comments below, which out of the three posts you like the most - the Engagement outfits, the Tilak/Sangeet outfits or today's Wedding outfits! Also, I really want to thank my co-bloggers and photographers for taking out time from their busy schedules and teaming up with me for this special line of posts. I had an absolute great time working with all my team members! BTW, I might or might not come up with the series next year, but you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and ask questions or clear doubts if you have any! And yes, some food posts are coming up super soon, so stay tuned for that. Until then, much love and warm hugs!

Photographed by : Saumya Kumar

~xoxo~