The Other Orient

Last to last Sunday, I attended a party. A party thrown by one of the hottest & spunkiest females I know in this city - a young entrepreneur who's passionate about her restaurant (yes, she owns one of the cosiest multi-cuisine food joints around!), loves to host super-fun events (and gets herself tensed up to a tizzy before each one of 'em!), is extremely down-to-earth & heart-warmingly friendly and someone whose company is guaranteed to provide you with fun times!!! Yes...that's Johhane Mantosh for you - owner of Scoop, femme fatale (specially when she dresses up in sexy, short, bodycon numbers & sky-high heels), fun friend & the perfect hostess!!! :D

L - With Soumi & Johanne (Yes, that's her in neon pink!), R - enjoying the party!

When Johanne invited me for the do, she said that she wanted to try out the concept of a pop-up restaurant on her own lawns and give us a taste of Nepali cuisine. Now, we all have a soft corner for oriental cuisines.......but Nepali? Yes, that got me interested all right! And hence, I started counting days......coz I was darn excited to get a taste of the closer Orient.

Cloudy skies & a light drizzle welcomed us as we stepped out that evening. A highly strung-up Johanne gave me directions to her place over the phone, in between calls to her tarot card reader to check the weather forecast & subsequently the forecast of how the open-air party will fair! :P
But, thank the cloudy heavens, the rain stopped in a while & the skies cleared and by the time, me & the other blogger girlies, stepped on to her prettily decked-up lawn, the night was cool, breezy & perfect for a party! We could only gape spellbound at how this talented female had transformed her grounds - dainty paper lanterns hung from every other tree (Oriental, indeed), strings of lights lit up the pathways & bushes, framed pictures adorned tree trunks, wind chimes tinkled in the cool night air, gyp & sand filled coke bottles interspersed with candles lined two long tables - and in the midst of all this, the guests stood or sat around chatting, drinking, relaxing, gosipping, catching up & enjoying themselves to the fullest!
Under a cluster of trees adorned with lanterns was the bar where the bartender was stirring up a wide array of cocktails (as asked for by the guests), along with the specialities of the night - the phuchka shots (phuchkas with imli water mixed with alcohol), Jell-o shots (Jell-o containing alcohol) & ganna shots (sugarcane pieces dipped in alcohol for 3 days which, when chewed, would give out alcohol-flavoured juice)!
After a round & more of cocktails & shots; doing our fair bit of socializing & networking (we met eco-products store owners, beauty experts, actresses, designers, restaurant owners, and of course, the gang who had come down from Nepal & made this evening happen!); and loads of posing for snaps all around, dinner was served. Nepali cuisine, I found out, is light, delicate & subtly flavoured, yet oh-so-sumptuous! The rice was accompanied by a full-flavoured dal, lightly sautéed vegetables, an aromatic mutton curry, a mouth-watering range of salads & pickles and malpua with kheer for the perfect sweet ending! :)

Clockwise from L to R: The Nepali spread, recycled décor, tree art

Me & my blogger pals posing with (Clockwise from L to R) actress Raima Sen (in purple), beauty expert Bridgette Jones (in black), photographer Rana Basu Thakur (in the beret)

I think the pictures almost scream out what a fun evening it was!!! Good food, great drinks, Page 3 guests, crazy friends & an amazing hostess - can a party get any better??? :))

And although it was unintentional, as an after-thought, my outfit sort of veered towards the oriental as well - thanks to the satin blouse & the low side bun hairdo (posing with the paper lanterns helped, of course!) - what do you think? 

This scarf print satin blouse was a Sale buy....wore it for the first time! [actually, the dress I had originally planned on wearing got scorched by me while ironing it before starting to get ready!] A hint of leopard on the belt, my trusted pair of nude floral gladiators, a pretty pair of emerald danglers which I also wore for the first time and which nobody took pictures of, my statement mother-of-pearl ring & a dash of color through my newest laser-cut bag in tangerine - that's how I rocked the party!!! ^_^

Scarf print satin blouse: Westside
Black denims: BK Market, Kolkata
Earrings: Platinum Mall, Bangkok
Laser cut clutch-cum-sling bag: c/o Elle Fashionwear
MOP & metal ring: River Island via ASOS
Watch: Giordano, V-day gift by B
Leopard print skinny belt: BK Market, Kolkata
Nude floral gladiators: Enroute

Photos courtesy: Debiparna, Pooja

Ok........it's 3.30 am here right now. My body is almost giving up. And a friend just asked me on Facebook what time zone I work in??? :P

So, I think it's time for me to hit the bed and join my guy in dreamland! ;)
He's going to wake up in another three hours or so.... (God only knows what I'll do post marriage! :P)

The sweltering summer we are experiencing this year is making me too lazy to dress up & even lazier to get snaps clicked for outfit posts! But hope to be back with one soon! 

Happy Tuesday folks!

Love,
Anupriya DG

ELLE-vated!

When Elle Fashionwear asked me to host a 'Coffee Morning With A Style Diva' at their boutique in Forum Mall to introduce their Spring Summer '13 collection, it almost seemed too good to be true! A brand specializing in French fashion was inviting me to talk about their latest collection to my friends & acquaintances and share styling tips  - it sure sounded promising, specially when the event was to be accompanied by coffee & cupcakes!!!

So.......an excited me started inviting equally enthusiastic girls from all over the city who I knew would love to be a part of this fun event! And boy, oh, boy!!! What an amazingly fun event it was!!!!!! :D

I reached the Elle boutique bright & early on that Sunday morning...and soon after, the guests started pouring in. And to say that they were mesmerized by the sight that greeted them, will be an understatement!
The beautiful summer hues that decked the racks, the chic Elle décor, the stacks of Elle magazine, the uber-pretty trial rooms, the perfectly styled mannequins and last, but not the least, neatly arranged cups of chilled coffee, rows of yummy chocolate cupcakes & arrays of snacks - it was a sight to behold!

After rounds of coffee & cupcakes, we started going through the collections and I must say, Elle's SS '13 range is a fashionista's delight for the summers! The sorbet shades, the floral prints, the chic styles & the eye-catching bags & shoes made the girls swoon with sartorial delight!!!
In fact, some of them even tried on a few pieces while I styled them to create complete looks. An overdose of posing & preening followed and those with cameras went trigger-happy. Most ended giving in to their temptations & buying themselves something from Elle's awesome collection and the gift voucher (courtesy Elle Fashionwear) that they had got for attending the event only helped! ;)

All in all, it turned out to be one of the best Sundays of my life! A crazily fun event with my crazily fun gang of girls - what more could I ask for?

The Elle Fashionwear Boutique

The cupcake spread...

The girls in their Elle avatars

Crazy, stupid fun!!!

So, you can see for yourself how awesome the Coffee Morning with Elle Fashionwear was!!! And special thanks to my city bloggers - Debiparna, Sayantani, Soumi, Deepa, Shayani - for being their craziest best and making this so much more fun! :D
Also, thanks a bunch to Swastika, Sneha, Lopa, Shreya, Matai, Suparna aunty, Tina di & mom for coming & being a part of this! I truly appreciate your love & support! *hugs*

And lastly, a BIG THANKS to the Elle team - Nidhi from the Elle head office and the wonderful staff at the store - for putting up such a brilliant event and bearing our craziness with a smile on their faces!!! You guys ROCK!!!

Floral top: Zink London, Shoppers Stop
Pastel pink pleated pants: Zara
Color block clutch: C/O Elle Fashionwear
(Picked it up from the shelf to pose with since it was matching my outfit! :P)

Neon pink, gold & silver necklace: Westside
Blue hot air balloon necklace: BK Market, Kolkata
Jade ring: ALDO
Green suede loafers: Enroute, gifted by B

Outfit photos, courtesy: Debiparna

Other photos, courtesy: Debiparna, Shreya, Swastika, me

It's been quite a season for events, it seems! This was last Sunday, and today evening saw us partying at a pop-up restaurant that served Nepali cuisine!!! (Interesting....no?)

So you know what the next post is gonna be all about! :))

Ok.......MUST go to sleep now!

So that I can embrace Monday with a fresh & unbiased mind! (Come on! Everyone's after the poor day's a** anyway......somebody's got to give it a breather!!) 

Have a grand week, you all!!!

Ta-da!
Anupriya DG

"Experimental"

Yes...that was precisely what was written right after the words 'Dress Code' on the e-invite for the event sent to me by the PR manager. And that was also precisely what got me interested in attending this event in the first place! ;)

I'm talking about the Indus Pride Strangebrew Experience that was held at Tantra, The Park on the 25th to launch a new range of speciality beer brewed with unique Indian spices, accompanied by a performance by the folk rock band 'Lagori' from Bangalore.
All of us, city bloggers, got invited by the event management company to cover the event and although all couldn't make it, some of us did go and have a good time hanging out together with good food, drinks & some awesome music.

Indus Pride is India’s first specialty beer brewed with authentic Indian spices.  Initially available in four variants – Citrusy Coriander, Citrusy Cardamom, Spicy Fennel and Fiery Cinnamon- Indus Pride taps into the sensorial experiences of the consumers and is targeted to be the perfect pairing with Indian gourmet cuisine.
The Citrusy Coriander beer was the available flavor of the evening and bottles of the same could be seen amply doing the rounds - on the tables, on the bar, in people's hands, on their lips and even on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook!!! Yes, they even ran an impromptu contest and asked the crowd to click pictures of the beer bottles, edit them using filters & apps and share them on any of the social networking portals. The first (read fastest) three uploads were promised freebies and guess what? I was the first one to share a snap on Twitter! (everybody else was busy drinking their beer, I guess!) I won myself a set of pretty li'l notebooks!!! :D

All in all, the Strangebrew experience was not at all strange and was quite amazing, considering the awesome food, spicy beer & great music by Lagori! A fun evening well spent with my fellow blogger friends! 

Pretty décor by Indus Pride 

The stage is set

Spicy beer - howzzat?

A jiving crowd

'Lagori' rocking the show!

And here's what I wore to the event. I know I started off the post talking about the promising dress code, but when I had about 30 approx. minutes to get ready for the night, I told myself that it didn't quite matter what the dress code was! :P

Well........if you look at it that way, wearing my maxi dress as a skirt was an 'experimental' attempt for me! ^_^

I have been waiting for a chance to layer a top on my maxi since a long time now.......but somehow, nothing seemed to work. Then, I dragged out this almost-of-cropped-length black blouse from somewhere in the back of my closet and I knew I had found the right match!

I love this picture because of the fluoro lights overhead. Thanks for the spotting the location Animesh! :)

Yet another stab at 'experimental' - my Ed Hardy-ish skull earrings with neon chains!
And the eternal love for bows continues...

Also, behold my brand new pair of green suede loafers, gifted by the guy! Oh!! I'm in love! (more with the shoes than with the guy! :P) *sigh*

Outfit pictures clicked by: Deepa Sharma 

Striped maxi dress: BK Market, Kolkata
Black top: Thrifted, ???

Green bow belt: BK Market, Kolkata
Blue satchel: BK Market, Kolkata
Skull earrings: Shoppers Stop
Orange bow ring: Exhibition find

Green suede loafers: Enroute

The Indus Pride Strangebrew Experience will be touring six cities in India over the next couple of months with six different music artistes So, make sure you be a part of this awesome experience whenever it visits your city! 

Also, today I hosted the most ah-mazing fashion event ever! But more on that in the next post!

Stay tuned!!!


Till next time....lots of love,
Anupriya DG

Li'l Miss Stripe-y!!!

Ok guys............first of all, thank you all SO MUCH for the overwhelming response to the pictures clicked by me that I had shared in my last post!!! I was touched, humbled and wonderfully encouraged to see my passion for photography thus applauded!!! :))

Secondly, tonight, I'm announcing the winner of the Chappals vs Stilletoes and Miss Chase giveaway that was held recently on the blog and on our Facebook page! *drumrolls*
Thank you all for the enthusiastic spirit and amazing participation on our first ever giveaway! We got some super-cool entries and I can assure you that it was a tough choice for the selectors!!! So, amidst much anticipation and breath-holding (I don't know about you, but am holding mine even as I announce this!), let me declare the winner - Soumi Paul! (You are getting mail, Soumi!)


As for the outfit, I wore this around a month back on a tea date with my blogger girlies - Soumi (Yes! The very one who won the giveaway!!) & Sayantani! Oh!! How I love spending time with these lovely ladies - they are my bit of sunshine, I tell you! :D

Two girls after my own heart - Soumi & Sayantani <3

As you can see, my love for stripes has culminated in yet another of my favorite summer buys this year - this pretty pair of leggings! The pastel hues, the mix-n-match stripes, the comfortable fabric & the great fit  - absolute #win! 

Paired it with a simple knitted tunic, some fun flip-flops, a small-but-roomy satchel (to carry my new DSLR, which the girls insisted I bring!!) and my summer staple - a bun!

And falling prey to my stripe-y love, I stacked on some striped bangles to give my leggings company! ;)

Note: My equally strong love for bows - spot them on my flip-flops as well as the necklace! ^_^

Navy tunic: Brand Factory, Kolkata
Striped leggings: Exhibition find
Beads & bow necklace: Westside
Bangles: All over the place
Green ring: BK Market, Kolkata
PVC flip-flops: BK Market, Kolkata
Blue satchel: BK Market, Kolkata


Photo credits: Soumi Paul

We have the Bengali New Year coming up on Monday - looking forward to new clothes, good food and a day of fun & festivity!!! Shubho Noboborsho (Happy New Year in my mother tongue) to all my Bengali friends around the world!


Enjoy your Sunday, peeps!!! And have an amazing week ahead!


Cheerio!
Anupriya DG

Pictionary

Hola! All you pretty peeps out there!!! ^_^

Hope you all had a smashing weekend! I had a mixed bag of one with a bit of work, a bit of fun and a bit of relaxation all thrown in together!!

Anyway, I'm not going to talk fashion today.....in fact, I'm not gonna talk at all! I'll just let some of my favorite random clicks (taken here, there & everywhere) do the talking....

"Light-winged smoke..."

“No one can rate a burden's weight...Until it has been on his back”

Tethered twins

"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down"

So what if I'm unadorned?
I still raise my head high...
And stand tall against the sky!

A path above...A path below...

Cameras used: Nikon D90 (lens - 18-105mm)
                  Nikon L110 (point & shoot)

Do let me know your thoughts on these! Would you like to see more posts like this in the future???

Will be back with an outfit post soon!!! 

Have a great week ahead, you fellas! :))



Ta-da!
Anupriya DG