Path

Be happy even when you are all alone. Be content with whatever you have and be prepared to work hard for what you want, even when no one else would support you. Have the courage to make the right decision even if it happens to be an unpopular one. 

If you have loving parents, caring partner, supportive siblings but if you do not know the direction you want your life to go in, then none of them can help. People or things can enhance our life and its experiences only if we are on the path we desire to take. 

Jeans: 7 for all mankind, Top: Macy's, Sandals: Etienne Aigner

Illusion of perfection

We are all gauging each other's actions as per what we think is the right way to exist. Woven with intricate relationships we all are simply walking on pins and needles.

I try to survive on my own terms and focus all my energies on myself. I do not want to be someone else's 'version of existence or expectation or perfection'. I will stay true to myself, being myself no matter what. There is no perfection and there is no illusion of perfection either.

Shoes: Converse, Shirt: J Crew Factory, Jeans: 7 for all mankind

Motherhood

How consumed are you in motherhood? Are your kids the best part of your life? Do you feel complete as a woman because you have kids? Are your profile pictures/ status updates/ conversation topics/ small talks/ thoughts/ dreams everything of and about your kids?

I don't understand why anyone would think that way. Life is so BIG. So vast. There are endless possibilities for self-discovery. I hope people explore them all. Kids can remain a beautiful part of life, but not the sole happiness. One needs to feel complete without kids/ or for that matter without a partner.

I hope motherhood doesn't put any brakes on your quest for life but accelerates it.

My 2 cents: There are some who think there is nothing as important for women as wanting to be mothers. Such glorification of motherhood also means if you can’t or don’t wish to have any children there must be something wrong with you. Having children can be one aspect of life but it isn't the whole life. It's okay if you want to have them and it's okay if you don't. Motherhood does not complete you, you are complete even without it.

Sandals: Etienne Aigner, Sweater: Loft, Top: Tommy Hilfiger Factory, Jeans: 7 For All Mankind

Fashion 1 0 1: Part 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Why do we buy so much?

Because we associate happiness with owning more. They call it ‘the retail therapy’. However therapy is something that fixes us for life, therapy is treatment - therapy cannot be something that gives momentary pleasure, so chocolates or retail cannot be termed as therapy. If retail is a therapy then it is so only for the shop owners, not for you and I. If you think following the latest trends is making you look trendy or how many clothes you buy is showcasing you as rich then no - you are getting poorer and the only person getting richer is the owner of brands.

I have said this before on this blog - I am just reiterating myself - contrary to popular belief food, watching TV and shopping cannot be hobbies. Owning more stuff and materialistic attitude is not going to make us happy. The way to solve the problems in our life does not go through consumption.

Initially, I thought it is quite ironical to start a personal style blog because I don't buy much, in fact, I hate to shop, but then I thought maybe there are people like me who hate to shop, hate to have too much stuff and yet want to get ideas on how to reuse the same items in their closet in many ways. I might have a personal style blog but I am averse to mindless consumption and materialistic attitude.

My greatest joys in life haven't been through clothes, shoes or cars... but through experiences... through traveling... through learning new things - from musical instruments to languages... through reading books by the great minds... by being in the company of the ones I love and through creation... from painting or be it even creating and writing on this blog.

*** I highly recommend you read a book called The Happiness Project.

To be continued...

Jeans: 7 for all mankind, Sweater: J crew factory, Top: Calvin Klein, Shoes: DSW

Also worn here - http://lifestyleandallthatjazz.com/body/

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The author at work

Top : J crew factory

Sweater : J crew factory

Jeans : 7 for all mankind

Shoes : Steve Madden 

My new post 'The author at work' is now available HERE

Good Movies on Netflix

Jeans: 7 for all mankind

Top: Tjmaxx (also worn HERE)

Shoes: Steve Madden (non leather)

Scarf: Target

My new post Good movies on Netflix is available HERE

Utilize what you have

I have a big basket where I put the used clothes (that are washed and ironed). I don't bring them back in the closet until I use (almost) everything remaining in the closet. This is a great way to utilize everything that you have. This also makes one realize how much stuff they already have! 

You can try similar thing for jewelry.

Jeans: 7 for all mankind

Chambray Button Down: American Eagle

Stripes Top: J Crew Factory

Shoes: Nine West

Big Magic

My new post 'Big Magic' is available HERE

Jeans: 7 for all mankind

Sweater: J Crew Factory

Scarf: Esprit

Shoes: Nine West

Waste of time

'You read a lot, looks like you have a lot of time to waste' someone said to me the other day. 

Do we have a constant need to categorize things that we do as productive and unproductive? The heart says read fiction and the brain says 'read non-fiction that is productive'.

I crave to experience those childhood days again when life was innocent, had no responsibilities and had nothing to prove. I would spend hours making paper boats and looking at them move in a pond from one end to the other. I did it goal free and guilt free. No one (including my brain) had opinions on how I spent my time. 

It is amazing to see people who have figured out what 'waste of time' is while I still contemplate what 'time' means. We are all going to die one day so does that mean life is a waste of time? 

Top: J crew Factory

Scarf: Esprit

Jeans: 7 for all mankind 

Shoes: Kelly and Katie

Muffin Top

Low rise jeans became popular as it makes a woman's torso look longer and possibly thinner. Low rise hip hugger jeans forces the skin and fat around the waist, back and upper buttocks to spill out over the pants. So it is not for anyone with a fat tummy, it simply looks bad. I have made the mistake of buying low rise simply because it is available and popular.

If you own one and are stuck with it now like the one I am wearing in today's picture then try to wear longer and a loose tops on it (In a way it defies the purpose of wearing low rise). The best option would obviously be to lose the belly fat or buying mid/high rise.

When it comes to styling if I had to make a list of what NOT to do then at number one position it would be 'Never sport a muffin top'.

Shirt: Mark and Spencer

Sweater: Gap

Jeans 7 for all mankind

Shoes: Dr. Scholl's

Scarf: esprit

Taking a pic

How does taking a pic each day help me? 

Everyone knows the disadvantages of being overweight but the pictures I took everyday made me realize the superficial aspect of losing weight. Everything looks great on fit bodies, even torn clothes. The pictures I took each day motivated me to lose weight and they still do.

Top: Loft

Jeans: 7 for all mankind

shoes: Ellen Tracy

sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Belt: Style & Co. from Macys

The Business of Spirituality

My new post on 'The Business of Spirituality' available HERE

Shirt: Abercrombie and Fitch

Jeans: 7 for all mankind

Shoes: Steve Madden from DSW

Got a Haircut

If you live in Seattle then Phase 3 & Gary Manual are the best places for haircuts. They use the best products, give the best service and Phase 3 is not expensive at all ...

Shirt : American Eagle

Jeans : 7 for all mankind

Sandals : Tommy Hilfiger (from DSW)

Number 7

7 seas, 7 colors in a rainbow, 7 continents, 7 deadly sins and 7 years of weight loss struggle to fit in these jeans by ‘7 for all mankind’… 7 is quite a number… 

Jeans: 7 for all mankind
Top: H&M
Watch: Fossil
Shoes: Steve Madden (From DSW)

Necklace: HongKong Lane, Pune