Friday, December 10, 2010

So, here goes..

The weight of my belly is really kicking in. Not that I did not feel it before, but now, more than before, I feel like I am carrying "stuff" with me - all the time. Oh, no complaints here darlings, I am enjoying all this, but had to mention this just so I can remember the different experiences I am having. Don't want to forget the little things that makes up this pregnancy even more special. :)

Hugs!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Burberry Does it Again

How does Burberry do it? No...seriously, how do they do it? Hit the proverbial trend nail right on the fashion head and make their clothes appear as perfection. So, here we have Pre-Fall 2011 collection.

Let's take a look...shall we?












I want em' all. Doesn't matter if I cannot fit into any of them right now...but, hey they will inspire me to get back to my normal weight. Right?

Hugs!

{images courtesy Vogue.com}

Friday, December 3, 2010

I found it!

I found it! I found it!! My obsession with the "it bag" has come to a partial end with this bag - what a scrumptious color and elegant classic shape. I am definitely going to persuade (read seduce..ahem ahem) Kartik into getting me this for Christmas or New Years or just like that!!



don't you just love it??

Hugs!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

An ode to the cravings

I woke up to this image in my mailbox...sent by one of my dear friends who knows how I have been craving the sweet stuff. Heaven!




yummmmmm!!!


Hugs!
{image via}

Monday, November 29, 2010

THE SECOND SEASON

Banno Raani's Second season collection was a SOLD OUT! And, we would like to thank all our valued customers for their appreciation and love. We had a blast at the event, and that gave us quite a boost for the future.
Update: The showings for the year are closed, however, our Website is there to tantalize you - if you will. So, if you or your friend wants something, please do not hesitate to visit the site and contact us. Promise - you won't be sorry.

Thank you for being such a fabulous you!! Banno Raani is nothing without your support!

Hugs,
Shikha and Shivika
(the in-house Banno Raanis)  :)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Dreams...and Baby Shower

The other night I woke up with the weirdest dream...then read somewhere that pregnancy hormones can do that to you. Hmm...felt normal and had a decent dream last night :)

Things are getting better, as in, shopping and organizing stuff around the house. Had my shower a couple of weeks ago and it was soo much fun! Just a few pics to share with you:












Hugs!

Monday, November 22, 2010

So, the deal is...

So, why have I been MIA - you may wonder. Well, darlings, the *ahem* thing is that Kartik and I are expecting!! Yes, there - said it and announced it to the world. We are due in Jan and have so much to do that the bloggity blog pleasure of mine has kinda taken a backseat.
Will revisit my plans for the next year - here-with you - soon!

Thank you thank you for all your wishes -- I can feel them pouring in already :)

Chao and huge hugs!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

What has the world come to

Can you believe this: I went to Walmart and asked three different staff members there if they knew which aisle had confetti....and not one of them knew!! Yes, at Walmart - there is apparently no confetti!!
What has the world come to?




Hugs!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Shall we?

Oh no! I never thought I would be thaat blogger who would neglect her blog for 20 days!!! I am soo sorry darlings, things have been quite busy at my end, and I will soon be sharing pics to prove it! Let this be a one time thing and let's forget about my unintentional error...shall we?

Hugs!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Two Words

Two words that made my day today: Send passport! Thank you thank you Ganeshji!!! I know I know lovelies you won't get it, but I want you to know how important these words mean to me. Till next time...

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Power

I am reading the new book by Rhonda Byrne called The Power, and I must say that this book has been written just for me..as if its speaking to me and only me. Oh, its that good.
I know some of you may roll your eyes and think, "Ya sure, do you really think all that positive thinking and all works?" And my resounding reply to such skeptics is, "Ofcourse it does....just try the teachings/suggestions in the book for once." Its that good and I am so blessed to have come across this book at a time when I needed it the most. So go ahead, and give it a try - just browse it and decide if you would like to buy it or not....you oughta' have that much power :)

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Ho Hum...

I want to be alone, and then not. I don't know how I feel right now. Let me figure it out a bit... do you ever feel this way?

Friday, October 1, 2010

Oktoberfest!

Let's all welcome October together. Its a beautiful month because it brings color to the trees, a bit chilliness to the air and loads of sweet dishes to our pallet. 


{via}


Hugs!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Great Day

Time's right for another great post from Ralph Marston. Read on lovelies...


Let love

Let love touch you and heal you. Let love lift you and inspire you.Let love ease your worries and calm your fears. Let love give you a reason to persist.
Let love fill you with courage and confidence and positive purpose. Let love fill you with peace.
When your mind is tied in knots with anger, frustration or anxiety, let love wash those negative thoughts away. Feel love, and feel much better.
Feel love, and feel an empowering connection to all that is. Give love, and give the best of who you are.
Let love be, in all its splendor. Let love live and grow in you always.


Read more: http://greatday.com/

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Admission

Ok, I totally admit. I text someone only when I don't feel like talking to them. Yeah, go ahead, call me whatevah, but I am being really honest.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Diwali Mela: South Street Seaport, NYC

Ok, hopefully I am giving you enough notice. Banno Raani is participating in the Diwali Mela at SouthStreet Seaport, NYC on Sunday, October 3rd. Please be there! Would love to see you!

Deepavali

Hugs!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Embracing the newness - The Dulhan Expo update

We got up early to embrace the exhibition day in front of us. Yes, there was nervousness mixed with some leftover sleep because it was the first time Banno Raani was participating in Dulhan Expo (aka Bridal Expo).
Kartik and I were supposed to pick up Shikha and Dhruv and proceed to the venue from there. On the way to Shikha's place, my sleep vanished as I recalled that they had a fabulous bagel place close to their house, and within minutes, no seconds, I was ordering (yes, when it comes to food, my requests become more like orders) Kartik to get me my favorite hand rolled cinnamon bagel with ofcourse vegetable cream cheese. And, he being a sweetheart who knows me really well, obliged with a simple nod . And, then I added with a smile and batting eyelashes, Hey, you can't go to a super event empty stomach, right right? So, Kartik dropped me off to Shikha's place and went to get me my delish stuff.
In the meantime, Shikha and I debated about the inventory to carry, stormed back and forth on how we would work our booth, joked about totally random things and then calmly sat down to relax. Kartik was back by then with the desired deliciousness and we were ready to roll.
We arrived at the venue with anticipation in our hearts, twinkle in our eyes and bags in our hands. We can do this, I whispered to Shikha and off we went unpacking and decorating our booth. It took us some time, but we were ready and then we just sat there. The event crowd was very thin at the beginning and we began to question. But, then like an unexpected wave crashing at the shore, the crowd came and swept us with it. There was buying and bargaining and I think Shikha and I did a decent job of handling the burgeoning crowd.

So, to all the lovelies who visited us, a big HUGE THANK YOU for supporting us and becoming our clients. We couldn't have done it without you and always appreciate your business! You make us love what we do even more :)

UPDATE: Pics added. In one, you will notice food plate, well, let's just say, we needed that!

Hugs!


Saturday, September 25, 2010

Dulhan Expo - Long Island

Banno Raani is participating in the Dulhan Expo-Long Island, exhibition tomorrow. Short notice, but hope to see  some of you there...cheering and supporting us!!



Hugs!

Blessed are we when blessed are our minds

Like any human being,  I have days when I complain, fret, get angry and then cry. On those days life seems so hard and edgy that I want to fly away from everything and just be with myself. I kid you not, I feel like going away on a mountain and dwelling in a cave for a few days just so I can clear my mind out - sans distractions of any kind - make peace with my mind and become good friends with it so we can party together :)
And, then there are days when all seems bright and cheery, life feels full of good things, happy feelings and  sweet candies. Its days like these that make me realize how blessed I am. And for that, I am truly truly thankful. Days like these make me forget about the the dark gloomy days of stress - as if they only exist in my imagination. And everyday, I ask God to give me strength to recognize more sweetness in each day than edginess, to be more grateful for such a wonderful life than complain about my hair being poofy, to be a better person than get angry and cry.

Oh, and, here's a pic of something that I am sooo grateful for..no, seriously! :)





HUGS!!

{image via}

Friday, September 24, 2010

Gucci

I am in love. Yes, in love with Gucci! More specifically, their 2011 Summer Accessories collection. The shine, the hue, the details...are soo divine and ultra chic that I want the summer to be here already! Hmm...these are sure to be spotted on a few celebrities and ahem*ahem ofcourse on those who have the moolah to spare on these luxurious babies! Simply divine...


Soft gold python clutch with tassels


Purple suede killer heels...yummy color


Gold python belt and ofcourse a gorgeous fiery orange dress with pleating details


Boots in summer? Craziness?? No, uber-coolness especially with this woven technique


Woven cuff and a solid leather handbag with tons of details

Hugs!

{images courtesy Gucci}

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Nose Job

Smell. Aroma. It can do wonders. It can take you back in time to a memory that stands very close to your heart. It can even instill a sense of fear, if it has too. And, then what about it playing acrobatics with your appetite?

Well, there are certain smells that truly make me feel like a kid again and I am always left with that longing to latch on to my childhood. Its like I want to relive the moment again, want to be that goofy kid again. Something similar happened with me this morning. As I was going out to get banana from the food store, I passed by my entrance lobby - the usual thing to do. But, the smell in that lobby stopped me in my tracks - in a good way. It was a perfect blend of coffee, cinnamon and cologne. Oh, it was so clean and crisp I could actually taste it! Anywho, so this smell has special association for me and immediately I was carried over to a 13 year old Shivika standing in an airport in Singapore who is trying to figure how everything is kept so clean and smelling good {I grew up in Delhi, India so the smells weren't all that pleasant... all the time :) }. And, then wondering if that coffee that smells soooo darn divine actually tastes that divine. Yes, I was taken back to my 13 year old self who was relishing the sweet, crisp smell of wonderment, of cleanliness and ofcourse of deliciousness. A moment when every little thing mesmerized me and intoxicated me with its aromatic fumes. I remember being so entranced with this world of beautiful smells that I decided I didn't want to live in Delhi anymore. Can you imagine?

That was then.

Oh, and just so I could whiff the same smell again in the lobby, I pretended I couldn't get signal on my phone, and stood still in the lobby so I could inhale some more of that memory and relive my 13 year old  self!

Hugs!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Lakme Fashion Week

As some of you may already know, Lakme Fashion Week - Autumn/Winter is going on in Mumbai, India. Its an extravagant affair for fashion buffs to whet their appetite and a mela for all the Bollywood celebrities to flaunt themselves and the designers they support. Pretty interesting at times, must say! While I don't religiously follow the designers, I do however keep a quick tab on who is producing what style each season. So, keeping that essence alive, here are some of my favorites from this season:

UPDATE: For some odd reason, beyond my comprehension, the images aren't loading. I will work on fixing this issue soon! Thank you for putting up with this nothingness..:)

REHANE













SHYAMAL BHUMIKA











KRISHNA MEHTA

Krishna Mehta Show At Lakme Winter Fashion Week Day 1



Krishna Mehta Show At Lakme Winter Fashion Week Day 1

Krishna Mehta Show At Lakme Winter Fashion Week Day 1



ANUPAMAA
Anupamaa Show At Lakme Winter Fashion Week 2010 Day 3


Anupamaa Show At Lakme Winter Fashion Week 2010 Day 3




Anupamaa Show At Lakme Winter Fashion Week 2010 Day 3


Anupamaa Show At Lakme Winter Fashion Week 2010 Day 3


More to come soon!

Hugs!

{Images courtesy: FilmiCafe}




Monday, September 20, 2010

Flock of Birds

I have been thinking about "Twittering" for a while now, but for some reason can't bring myself to do it. Is that ok?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Sea of Happiness: A Poem

I hum from my heart
And, close my eyes
To let the images flicker my lashes
Deep down there is a sea of happiness
That splashes and overflows with tears


 --- Shivika Arora



I was in mood for poetry, and out came the words, so I am sharing this short poem with you guys. Hope you like it!

Hugs!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Rendezvous with a soy burger

The light of my life, these days, has been food. So, yesterday I was craving a burger. A soy veggie burger. Ok, call me crazy, but yes,  I was craving that!! To appease my growing hunger (aka monster!), Kartik took me to this awesome place in the city called Quantum Leap. Oh, lovelies I can't even describe the feeling of walking through the doors of this restaurant and knowing that what's cooking behind the kitchen door will soon take me on an heavenly palatable journey. I ordered a Grilled burger with extra dose of fries, and Kartik ordered portobello mushroom and eggplant sandwich on whole wheat with corn chips. And, then we waited. I did more than waiting. I let my right leg jiggy up and down in anticipation, and as a norm, looked around at other fellow diners and yes, what they were eating.
Once the waitress got us our course, I attacked the poor burger with a fervor of a warrior, much to the surprise (or was it?) of Kartik, who calmly put one corn chip in his mouth. Ha! So much for etiquettes! And, then ofcourse I went after the extra crispy fries - took one and dipped it nicely in the oversize dollop of ketchup that I had squirted on my plate. Yummm! The craving satisfaction was just too good, and I can actually feel the bite in my mouth as I am typing this.
Ok, so that was my rendezvous with a soy burger...if you know what I mean! Chow...errr, umm Chao!

Hugs!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I kid not

I kid you not, there is actually an announcement for a show on TV that goes "Today on Eyewitness News Tomorrow"
Hrmmph??

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Tennis madness

I had really wanted for Federer to get to the finals against Nadal. But, alas! Anyhow, the US Open Final match yesterday was thoroughly enjoyable and am kinda ok with Nadal winning it. He deserves it.
Oh, and sooo deep in the Tennis mode I was that I started playing Wii Tennis after seeing the match. I tried to hit like a pro, with a Federer' backhand here, Williams powerful serve there and Clisjters's footwork in between. It must been a spectacle to watch me work it out, but hey, I scored a pro ranking in the game! Yeay! I tell you Nadal has nothing on my Wii skills! :)

Hugs!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Cool Stuff,

Hey, did you know you can create your own animated videos? Yes, complete with dialoges and panning in and out of a shot. Well, hello hello XTRANORMAL. This website is uber fab and gives you tons of characters to choose from. On one of those days when you have lot of free time, or are bored out of your mind or just want to "act" busy...make sure to go on to this site and give it a try! I did and I created a comedy and its tooo silly to post. Or, maybe I will. Haha.. :)



Hugs!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Great Day

For quick "pick me up" and take me to a better place/mood, here is some Ralph Marston's golden words..
Where confidence comes from
Where your confidence comes from is not really that important. What matters is where your confidence can take you.Perhaps your confidence is based on your past experiences, or perhaps it is not. Perhaps you are confident in yourself just because you have chosen to be.
Confidence is not about what has already happened. Confidence is about moving forward and creating the best of what can be.
Even though you have no logical reason to be, you can still be genuinely confident about what you intend to do. Confidence is an attitude you choose, not an evaluation of what you've already been through.
Ultimately, confidence does not come from who you know or where you've been or what you've done. It comes from your choice to do what you know you must.
Confidence can be yours no matter what. Choose it and use it to follow your dreams.
-- Ralph Marston


Read more: 
www.greatday.com

Friday, September 10, 2010

Ready to take on the world...

I got up today, ready to take on the world. Hmm...there's still some time left for the day to be over, let's see if I can dot it!!  :)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Tis' the season - well almost

I think I would like to change my stance on which season is my favorite season. Well, I used to think that the hot, sizzling days of summer, with ice cream dripping in hand and sun barbecuing my skin was my favorite season. Then, something happened. The cool autumn breeze blowing through my hair and making my eyelids flutter with crunchy leaves falling all around me - stirred a warm fuzzy feeling in me. In that moment I decided, yes, Fall is my favorite season now.

Happy Falling Leaves - Happy crisp air- Happy landscape that looks like a painting!

Hugs!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Slow Mo

Sometimes the time passes so slowly that I can hear each tick of the clock...
Sometimes the time passes so slowly that I can feel each second on my skin...
Sometimes the time passes so slowly that I can see each moment pass by...

Monday, September 6, 2010

Making a Statement

In recent times, there has been a radical shift towards jewelry in general. Big, bold pieces which were almost a taboo to wear in broad daylight sometime back, are now being flaunted at work, at PTA meetings, and hey even to yoga classes. What's interesting is that this style will hang around for sometime (a la 70's) because it makes even a simple T look uber-fabulous. Plus, these statement pieces come in variety of price points, color and shapes - good for just about anyone. Going forward, I predict, the designs though will be bold but very industrial or uniquely angled/cut.
To me, however, this fashion trend of big statement pieces is really not something new or unique. Well, no no darlings, I am not being missy style diva here, its just coming from Indian culture, I am used to big blings - in gold, diamond, rubies, emeralds, and what have you. In fact, if a woman does not adorn herself with big jewelry sets at weddings or even small parties at someone's house or hey, even at airport (yes, yes), then she is actually sneered at. So, yeah, lovelies, bling has been an Indian woman's mantra for centuries.
Still, I am super excited about this trend...I mean isn't it always good to have an excuse to flaunt. What say? Sharing some ka-chow pieces with you:

Joan Collins

AAHANA CHOKER

link necklace








Hugs!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Like a moth to the flame

I love candles. I just looove candles. At one point, I was ordering variety pack boxes of designer candles almost every other week. Yes, yes, I guess now you can tell that I love candles. But, here's the funny part. Once I buy them, oh and they come in cute packages and votives, I hardly like to use them. Strange, na? I mean I will use maybe one or two and let the rest stay beautifully packaged in their boxes. Silly me, but what to do, I am a sucker for candles and beautiful packaging.
Anyhow, I wanted to spread some candle love, and share my favorites from tons of selection out there. Here we go.

DayNa DECKER: Very stylish with a wood wicker! Yes, it sometimes crackles when burning and the designs are very modern, minimal yet truly drool worthy. Oh, and the scents range from names like sandalrose, khaya, jacaranda blossoms, amoura, soleil. They also have a very chic line of diffusers







VOLUSPA: The intricate designs on the box is so divine that after I take out the candle, I never throw away the box or the tin box. They have a huge selection of divine scents so you can never get bored of trying each one out. Also, great gift items









JONATHAN ADLER CANDLES: First his designs make us spend big, and then he enters the candle industry! Scrumptious in their smell and presentation, these are truly luxe at its best.

Jonathan Adler -  Hashish Candle

Jonathan Adler -  Muse Noir Candle


Jonathan Adler - Capri Honeymoon Candle


Hugs!

{images courtesy: web}

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