Race with time

Time is loping rapidly. I have given up my attempts to make it take a breather. I am trying hard to match my speed with time.

Sometimes I take a quick break and watch time dashing by. Why doesn’t it go slow? How come it is never exhausted? Why doesn’t it just linger for a while? They say to make it big you need to be on your toes continuously. But if we don’t put our feet up how will we observe our contest with time.

I have stopped dreaming to win in my race with time. I start rushing from the time I wake up. I plan the ‘to do’ things for the day during my jog with milliseconds.

In this scuttle, I just touch a few places and run and at places, I lurk a bit while on run. As if the entire day’s scurry is not enough; my mind starts running at night. It visits different places and people while I am asleep. When my mind gets tired with the body, my brain starts its gallop. Sometimes I write articles, poems and plans for the coming days in my dreams.

Time keeps up with its flow but though not tired I stop at times; to absorb the ‘emotions’ related to the happenings during the day… and just to observe their presence in life…

9 books that stayed with me. 7

7. The Inimitable Jeeves

My father had the entire set of P.G. Wodehouse books at home, I was too curious to read P.G. but had doubts if I will understand it, considering it is the British comedy. Sometimes without even trying something we unnecessarily feel that we won’t be able to do it. So anyway, before reading P.G. I watched the TV show ‘Jeeves and Wooster’ - it gave me an idea of the mannerism, style, lifestyle that the British at that point of time had. After watching the show I started reading P.G. and now I am a complete fan. He has written 100+ books and I want to read them ALL.

P.G. has filled my life with humor, I read at least ten pages of P.G. before going to bed, it relaxes my mind before sleeping. Life is so playful, silly, light and fun if we look at that side of it. If I ever write a book then my style would be largely influenced by P.G.

Some great books by P. G. are The code of Woosters, Right Ho Jeeves, Carry on Jeeves, Stiff upper Lip Jeeves, Joy in the morning, Aunts aren't gentlemen, How right you are Jeeves, Thank you Jeeves, Very Good Jeeves, Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit, The mating season, Ring for Jeeves, Laughing gas, The girl in blue, Big Money, and many more.

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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Happy Memories

Every time I go back home (in India, yes, that is still home for me), unconsciously or consciously I am looking for my childhood and to relive those old carefree days! A doted upon, spoilt brat with not a care in the world!  But now I have made peace with the fact that life is forever in continuous motion. I cannot bring back the days that have passed. But I can smile and relive them in my heart and be thankful that my life is filled with happy memories. 

Good Writing

Good writing is just evidence of an intensely lived life. If your life is burning well, writing is just the ash. ~Leonard Cohen

Dress: Calvin Klein, Tights: Target, Scarf: Target, Shoes: BareTraps

Past Present Future

Once in a while I mull over my actions and or beliefs from a few years back and I reach the same conclusion every time - "I can not believe, how naïve (aka dumb) I was!" 

Looking back I never think I was all that intelligent. I could have done things differently. Done them better. I could have been more confident, studied more, played more, created more, snapped out of inferiority complex or had the ability to judge people better. I am not telling you my regrets. It is a mere analysis and aftermath of what goes on in my head.

The 'present me' gives the 'past me' that aggrieved feeling, the kind one gets when they cannot believe that someone can be that disillusioned (aka stupid).

Do you ever feel unhappy with the 'past you'? 

Well, never mind, here's to the better 'present us' which we will be looking back as past in the future!

 Photo 1: Dress - Nordstrom Rack, Sweater: J crew factory, Shoes: Don't remember, Tights: Target

Photo2: Dress - Calvin Klein, Sweater - Calvin Klein, Shoes: UGG, Tights: Target

Just...

This is a personal style blog so one may expect that I should be writing about nails, colors, trends, what's in and fashion.

But in all honesty, it is nauseating to read or write about fashion, trends, nails, colors, shoes, designers, blah!  Ironical for someone with a personal style blog to say that? Yeah! it is good to dress well, have some swagger and whatnot, but let's face it, at the end of the day they are just clothes, just shoes. And it is just another day! 

Dress: Calvin Klein (10 years old)

Shoes: Don't Remember (12 years old)

Tights: Target (5 years old)

Scarf: J Crew Factory (4 years old)

Wind and wander

Willingness to wind and wander, to take missteps that lead us to places we couldn’t have known to go, I guess any creative process is rarely a straight path.

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: Nine West

Top: Ann taylor

cardigan: Calvin Klein

Rebel

Each of us draws a circle around ourselves and we think whatever is outside that circle is wrong/ not good/ not acceptable and then we try to domesticate others based on our perception of the world. Should we get domesticated or rebel? 

Rebel for freedom... to be true to ourselves... to be true to who we are ..... 

Sweater Dress: Calvin Klein

Scarf: Target

Tights: Target

Shoes: Circa Joan and David

Energy

Do we always have great fear of getting tired? Any energy spent is not lost forever. We plan our fatigue the same way we plan everything else. We 'save energy' to work out at the gym, there too we time ourselves, count repetitions, track the heart rate.

These days people wear those wrist bands which shows how much they slept! If you wake up and feel fresh then you slept well... Similarly if you feel like working out in the morning and then again in the evening then go for it! Some days you might have a lot more energy than your already set goal of X steps (which can be set on the wristband) and on some days you might have to drag yourself to take even one step ;-), Why let a machine decide for us how much we should do? Why not just go with the instinct?

We definitely need to stop robotic routines and move around, run, walk, do Pilates; Yoga, go biking, climb hills, jump, dance... There is no rule how many times or how much to do. Just do it as much as you can... because really you can!

Top: J crew Factory

Jegging: American Eagle

Sweater: Calvin Klein

Sandals: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Why do I like style blogs

It may sound ironical but clothes are the last thing I want to spend time on, be it in the morning or when I go shopping. Though I don't want to be all 'dressed up' I want to be 'well dressed'.

No really, choosing clothes and shoes can be daunting even if it is as simple as black and white (as in today's picture).

It has happened innumerable times that I bought clothes which didn't match with anything in my closet, I bought wrong brands, wrong colors and all the money I spent on it was a complete waste as I never wore it. I thought it will be so nice if someone gave me ideas on what I could wear, buy, where to buy, what looks good and what doesn't. 

That's why I started following style blogs. I like style blogs more than fashion magazines as style blogs are more real and relatable.

Top: Macy's

Pant: american eagle

sweater: Calvin Klein

shoes: dsw

bracelet: Baublebar

Body

Body is the only thing that we have from the time we are born till the time we die. We must take proper care of it and certainly not add any poisons to it.

Skirt: Ann Taylor
Top: Calvin Klein
Shoes: AK Anne Klein (from DSW)

Belt: Style & Co.
Bracelet: Baublebar

Simplicity!

‘There is beauty in simplicity’ my father told me once. And I thought he was talking about appearances!

Top: Ann Taylor
Sweater: Calvin Klein
Jeans: American Eagle
Sandal: Kelly and Katie