Such a wonderful day...

I have been blogging for a while now, and boy how it has changed! Professional bloggers, celebrity bloggers, newbies... it's a whole new world out there. For me, blogging has been an extension of my desire to write and connect, and in that I have had much success. I started Shotcouture a few years back with a focus on street style, and over the years, it has become a part of who I am. My visual voice has changed. My style of writing has changed. The blog itself has had a makeover.

But nothing has changed more than my life. In just a few years, I became a writer, a blogger, a divorcee, a designer, an aspiring chef, a lover, a wanderer, an orphan, a lonely crusader for sanity and happiness, and now, I am soon going to add one more description to my name. I am going to marry the love of my life.

This is perhaps, one of the most exciting times of my life. Though the wedding, scheduled for February, is an extremely low key affair, I am thrilled about starting the rest of my life with someone who has helped me heal, and has helped me become the woman I always thought I could be.

These past few months have been hectic, and I have not been able to post as often as possible. The content on Shotcouture is undergoing change. I have been working on Bandagi, my own line of accessories. I have a lot going on. But blogging keeps me sane. It helps me stay on track, and not lose sight of my dreams, my aspirations.

The next few posts will be about the very rushed, very tight-scheduled wedding preparations. From the "Girls' Nite Out", to the post-wedding dinner, my not so fat Indian wedding will be the focus of this blog's posts. This weekend, I shop for my post-wedding dinner dress.

For now, I am leaving you with one of my favorite recent looks. The skirt is from Goa, made my these really talented, quirky ex-hippies, who happen to be my favorite designers. More on the wedding soon.

Pinwheel Mornings...

Lots of new followers. And lots to share. I have been blogging on and off now for five years. And the past couple of years have been the most eventful years of my life. I have seen way too many ups and downs, the kinds people get to see over several decades. I lost my Mother to hemorrhage, lost my dad to cancer, had to leave my loved pet behind, got divorced, permanently injured my knees, and started life practically from scratch.

But the going has been good. I have found out who my real friends are. I have discovered my strengths. And I have found some really inspiring people on the blogosphere. I am learning to respect myself, so I can expect the same from others. I am learning to put myself first. Thanks to your inspiring presence in my life, I have started work on my own line of hair accessories too! There are some women on the blogosphere who I have been following for a while now and who use this medium for far more than posting pretty pictures of themselves. They have relentlessly pursued their passion, travelled extensively, achieved what other keep day-dreaming about, and managed to bring just that little ray of sunshine to the lives of others. Even though I have never met them, I have learned to read between the lines and see the true grit that lies at the core of a woman. My this post is to honor a small handful of them. There are many more, and it's not possible to mention them all here, but in some small way, you all have helped me through a very difficult time in my life.

So, I'd like to give my very own "Inspiración Award" to the following beautiful women.





Rachel of CapturingItaly

Anna of IHOD

Anya of Couture Millinery Atelier

HauteWorld

Mimi Bleu of Bonjour Romance

I also want to share a few random things about myself.
I love pinwheels.
I love quiet, happy breakfasts.
I love flowers, candles, and beautiful things.

Leaving you with a few pictures clicked around my house on a lazy Sunday morning.









And yes, there is an Awesome Giveaway coming up soon. Watch this space!

Life. Music. Rockstar.

I woke up today and fell in love with life. I had a light but lovely breakfast, and then meditated for a while. There was no rain, and I had some good music. I know very well not every morning can be like this, but why let that come in the way of celebrating life today? The weekend is here and I am really looking forward to meeting my brother and his family. They will be spending the weekend at my place. There shall be some great food cooked and some awesome music listened to. Some board games are going to get played. Can't wait for the weekend to begin!

Meanwhile, if any of you like Indian music, do treat yourself to the music of the Bollywood Movie "Rockstar". Composed by A. R. Rehman, the music will soothe your soul and feed your dreams for days to come.

Fashion Superstars - Steven Meisel

Steven Meisel is without doubt, one of the most influential fashion photographers of our times. Shooting explosive and emotional works for the very best in the world of fashion, his work features regularly in both US and Italian Vogue, and lately W (also published by Condé Nast).
Even at a young age, Meisel drew women all the time. He used to turn to magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar as sources of inspiration for his drawings. At 12 years old he asked some girlfriends to call model agencies and, by pretending to be secretaries of Richard Avedon, to get pictures of the models. To meet famous model Twiggy, the 12-year-old Meisel stood outside waiting for her at Melvin Sokolsky's studio.
By juxtaposing fashion and politics and/or social standards, Meisel creates controversial and stunning layouts. Fashion’s superstar photographer is the force behind some of the most press-stirring fashion editorials in the past years. Here are some of his works from some well-known shoots.

Back from a break...

Hi. I have sort of taken a break from blogging these past couple of months. There was too much happening in my head, if not my life. Will be back soon with posts and updates. Have had to do some serious soul searching and need to make some life-defining changes. I have lost a lot in these past couple of years and am in the process of rebuilding my life and giving it meaning.

Do get ready for some interesting reviews and updates from my world. I intend to make Shotcouture all about fashion and lifestyle from my part of the world. So get ready for some new designers, models, photogs, as well as restaurant and movie reviews.

The Big Fat Indian Wedding

Just a few months ago... and yet it seems like years ago. Things were so different then. This was at my sister-in-law's wedding. On 13th December. Less than a month ago, I had lost my mother. So the occasion was meant to give me a break from my grief.

Indian weddings are, like any wedding in any part of the world, family affairs. They are meant for bonding with your friends and family, and dressing up. There are so many ceremonies, and so many occasions to dress up for. I kept my make-up minimal. Thankfully, winters are good for my skin. And I found this salon in Lucknow where the lady did magic with my hair. The Sari is done by a very talented designer, Vishal Mehra.

What makes a home?

What makes a home? Is it the customized furniture, expensive gadgets, or the large crystal vases? Is it the Lava Lamps, the one-of-a-kind chandeliers, or rare ferns? To me, the home is made of small things. Like Old Gods in new forms. Like the Lord Ganesha here… in his “most awesome ever” avatar… a Russian Doll! Bought off a street side hawker at Colaba Causeway. I like.