Sa re Gaga ma!!

Its 28th March and its the birthday of my favorite singer Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga.

source- stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com

This multi-talented singer songwriter has taken the world by storm with her music and her so called "bizzare" sense of style. She is the only person who could look totally fabulous in a red latex dress or a bubble dress or with Panda eyes!!
She looked absolutely wonderful in a sari (designed by Tarun Tahiliani) when she came to India during the inaugural function of the new F1 track. She later stripped the sari into a style dress during the performance. Take  look how she looked-

source- fashiondoesyou.com

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Lady Gaga!!
I am trying to imagine what she would be wearing today..well, you never know,she might turn herself into the birthday cake!! :P

Here is a list of my favorite songs by her-

5) Just Dance - This was her first #1 Hit. Can we forget those preppy lyrics and the addictive beats??

4) Poker Face - I love love love this song.  I couldn't stop humming "p p p pokerrr face" all the time :P

3) You and I - Didn't she look supah good as a guy?? This is one of the most depressingly addictive songs she sang so far.

2) Bad Romance - Music and concept wise,I think this is Gaga at her best. The exploration of the dark human psyche makes it even better.

1) Born This Way - This song is really special  for me. The message she sent through this song was amazing. Here are my fave lines from the song-

"I'm beautiful in my way 'Cause God makes no mistakes

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret

Just love yourself and you're set

I'm on the right track, baby

I was born this way" 

(lyrics from azlyrics.com)

Do you like Lady Gaga and her music?? Do you like these songs?? What are your favorites from her?? Tell me in the comments.

Love

Swarnali

P.S.- The title was taken from a facebook post by MTV India.

Guest Post 4 - Meet Amber !!

Hellow !!
How is everyone?? 
Yeah I know, long time,no see. Was busy studying and didn't have time to spare for my blog. So I approached the fabulous Amber of Amber's Mouthwash to do a guest post for my neglected blog and she agreed!! Yay!! 
Meet Amber. She is one of the sweetest people I have known on blogsphere with a totally amazing fashion sense. She is the first person who made me want to turn my hair into messy curls. She is not just a fashionista but is also magical with her camera,often have I drooled over the photographs she took. Her talents don't end with that!! She also owns her own etsy shop called Amberie Boutique where you can find the cutest stuff from jewelry to shoes to clothes. No more from me,lets go to what Amber has to say-


Hello readers! My name is Amber, author of the personal fashion blog Amber's Mouthwash. Swarnali has kindly asked me to write a guest post for her, and I couldn't be more thrilled. As a fashion blogger I am always looking for creative ways to shop my closet. While I would love to be able to purchase new things all the time, it just isn't practical. I thought I would share with you some of my self taught tips on how to make getting dressed fun!


How to shop your closet 


Organize by color
I have been doing this for years. Not only does it make your closet more appealing to the eye, it also shows you what colors you wear (or purchase) the most. Simply organize by color, length, and then style. For the longest time my closet was notoriously 1/3 pink, and had absolutely no yellow or black. When you know what colors you have the most of, it makes shopping easier ("I know I have enough pink, but I need to start working more green into my wardrobe..."). Another perk to organizing your closet this way is it makes getting dressed easier - what color do you want to pair with that orange sweater? Blue? It's all there and easy to compare.

Source: stylebubble.co.uk via Amber on Pinterest

Put all your favorites in the front 
My closet it is pretty wild - but in a good way. Have a peek in there and you will find vintage sequin pencil skirts, neon dresses, sheer cut-out blouses, leopard print coats, and tulle skirts. I simply wouldn't have it any other way. I also have have a hard time buying "basics". Why would I want to purchase a button down collared blouse when there are fun floral socks to be had? Dressing should be fun, and I don't have time for the boring. At least that's what I tell myself when I shop. It's in the mornings that I sometimes find that that way of thinking gets me in trouble. The simple solution is to hang your favorite "home" wear next to your favorite of favorites. When I'm not organizing my closet by color, I'm taking all my absolute favorite, crazy pieces (cropped faux fur vest, anyone?) and putting them up front, and all my cozy, comfy "i could live in these" tees and sweaters in the other half. Grab one item from side A, and another from size B and you are good to go!

Source: ruffles-n-sequins.tumblr.com via Amber on Pinterest

Don't be afraid to wear it again
We all have outfits that we love. We feel great while we wear them, and it shows. We're actually sad when we have to take them off at the end of the day, and we secretly wish we could wear them again - tomorrow. Well, I've got great news! There is no rule anywhere that says you can't wear it again! Think about your favorite outfit: what is it that you love so much about it? And then think of small variations you can make to it. Can you wear it with flats instead of heels? Can you wear a little sweater over it? What about accessories? Soon you'll have your favorite outfit looking new again.

Get rid of the Lurkers 
A great way to keep your closet feeling fresh and not boring is to go through it every couple of months and make sure you don't have any "lurkers'. Lurkers are items that just hang around your closet, but are never actually worn. Maybe it's an old dress that you bought for a special event, and you haven't actually worn for three years. Maybe it's a t-shirt that fits a little too tight under the arms. Either way, if you haven't worn it in 6 months or more, it's a lurker. You have two options: you can stash it away in a box for another 2 or 3 months and see if you think about at all. If not, it's time for that item to go. You're never going to wear it. your other option is to just get rid of it right away. If it is still in good condition, why not consider donating it?

Source: 28.media.tumblr.com via Amber on Pinterest

Dress with a theme in mind
No, I'm not talking Star Wars. Rather, pick a theme of texture, color, or pattern when getting dressed. When getting dressed, look at your closet and single out one item you know you want to wear that day. What color is it? What sort of texture does it have? Is there a pattern? Choose which characteristic you are going to go by that day (such as pattern), and give it a whirl. Shy about mixing patterns? Don't be! Simply look for repeating colors, and varying size. Giving yourself little challenges like these will help you to see your closet in ways you might not have otherwise. It will keep you excited about getting dressed in the morning too. Remember: you don't have to purchase new things to keep your closest feeling new!

What do you think? Are you going to give any of these suggestions a try?


So how did you like her post?? Tell me in the comments.

Book Review - The Land of the Wilted Rose

THE LAND OF THE WILTED ROSE
AUTHOR: Anand Ranganathan
Genre: Novel / Fiction
ISBN-13: 9788129119216 
NO. OF PAGES: 154
PRICE: Rs. 195 (I got this from Blogadda)

image courtesy: amazon

EXCERPT: (on the death of the previous Maharaja and the description of his death) " ...even smothering becomes pleasant when the tool is a goose-down pillow enclosed in the finest Tutticorin silk " 

SWARNALI SPEAKS: One question that comes to my mind after reading this book is what made the author write this or for that matter the other 3 in the series. I suppose the author was trying to create a parallel situation with role reversals, with the Indian Raj ruling over the world and the British being imprisoned and turned to slaves. The whole point in doing so was maybe to make everyone realize how painful being imprisoned in our own land by foreigners is. Sadly, I could not empathize with the condition of the British anywhere in the book. It is not that I think it serves them right but its that I couldn't feel their pain through the book. The author has missed in evoking a sense of loss that the subjugated feel.

I had a really hard time finishing the book. The 156 pg size of the book can be deceptive as it demands a lot of time to comprehend and re-read certain portions. The narrative in the beginning makes no effort to catch the reader’s attention and begins with a painfully slow pace which continues throughout the book. I personally felt that the author has gone a bit too much trying to describe the situation and the conditions of the people living in Britain. 

The use of Hinglish makes matters even worse as it took me a very long time to comprehend certain terms or sentences which were Hindi written in the Roman script. Take an example- “Hooo-hoo-which-baa-wa-wa-wa-hoooaa-throom-hooaah?” It took me 5 readings to understand that it meant, “To which bathroom?”. Apart from it the repetitive use of Anglicized Hindi curse words like “ban-cho” and “caukrow” to replace the usual English curse words made it very troublesome to read. Also, the author paid a lot of attention that every object of daily use is mentioned in its Indian name, like “jooti” , “sherwani” , “kamarbandh” , “baint” , “jaatiwaad” among others. This I found to be a bit unnecessary as their English names could have been easily used. But if the author had intended to giving everything an Indian name, I wonder why the official ranks were excused from their Indian rankings. Why were then they called “Viceroy”, “Colonel” and “Admiral” instead of “Senapati” or “Zameendaar”? 

The first part of the book was dragged beyond need trying to explain everything in detail, every single building, vehicle and object. It is only toward the end of part 1 and in part 2 that the book gains some pace.

The book cover says it is a black comedy and its very evident that this is a very satiric work. The name suggests a Gandhian figure, Jack Riley trying to free his country from the clutches of the rulers i.e. Indians. The whole idea of a 17 year old Maharaja (who thinks he is aging!!) is a banter on the social system. The book reminds me of Mulk Raj Anand’s Coolie  in its description of the suffering English but it lacks Anand’s empathy and sensitivity as I find it turning bitter at certain points. The book could have been made more interesting and far better had the narrative and choice of words been handled better.

MY RATING: 2 / 5

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Guest 3- meet Swastik

As I told you before,I'll be posting guest posts till my exams are done with.
Here is our 3rd guest on the blog. Meet Swatik Pal , a batch mate and an brilliant photographer.
His name is a very interesting one. It is taken from the sacred Hindu symbol of the "Swastika" which is used in its clockwise form for evoking the goddess "Shakti". It was also infamously used as the Nazi symbol in Germany.
Coming to the person he is,Swastik is the most talkative guy I have known in my life with a freaky intuition which really scares me at times. For example, his eyes will immediately sense something is wrong with me even when most others(including some really good friends) around me won't sense any abnormality :P He calls it his "photographer's sixth sense" and I totally believe it :D I fondly call him the "hedgehog" , I believe all hair strands on his head have life of their own, which run in every direction possible making him look exactly like a hedgehog (and hence the name). The best thing about his photos are that every time I see a pic,I get to know something new. His pictures have taught me more about the city I live in than what I saw it myself.
No more talks,lets get to some photos he has happily agreed to share with us all :)

Say hello to Swastik and his cam :D

This is Kolkata's Shyambazar 5 point crossing, one of the busiest in the city. Notice the trademark Netaji statue in the background. 

This pic is named "The traveler" but I think "Reflections" suits it better. What do you think suits it better?

This is my fave pic of the lot. Why? Coz it was dedicated to me :D

This is a shot of the sunset at Baghbazar. Love the play of colors in the sky. The best thing about this pic is,it isn't photoshopped.

This was snapped at the Koley Market,Sealdah. It is one of Asia's largest wholesale vegetable market.

This is a snap of Tiretta Bazaar,Kolkata. It is the only original Chinese market in India. It is a  morning breakfast market which dissolves before 8 am everyday.

In my last guest post here I had introduced Saptashwa . He has happily sent me a pic he took to put up here. 

This photograph reminds me of so many festivals-Diwali,the festival of light celebrated by Hindus and Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. I have no idea when and where this pic was taken but those colorful lights take my heart away.

Saptashwa has agreed to re-feature here(yay!!)...so keep glued for more stuffs written by him.

Thank you so much Swastik and Saptashwa for sharing your photographs with us.

So, did you like the pictures?? What are your opinions about them?? Tell me in the comments.

Another Blog award and am tagged again!!

Sunshine Award :-)

Kiran of Cherry Lane has been very kind and has passed on the Sunshine Award to me.. thank you so much kiran. She is the sweetest person I know on Blogspehere. Never met her in real life but I would love to. Check out her yummilicious blog here for great recipes and awesome make up tips and inspirations. :D

Rules:


Thank the person who gave you the award. (Kiran,thank you so very much. I love you <3)


Write a post about it. (check)


Answer the questions that come with it.(check)


Pass it along to ten people and let them know they’ve received the award.(check)


Questions:
Favorite Colour: Blue
Favorite Animal: Kittens and Puppies :)
Favorite Number: 7 (I just picked the first number that came in my mind :P)
Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink: As I said before,its tender coconut water. Next to it will be Masala Lemonade.

Facebook or Twitter:  I don't like either. But I choose Facebook coz I met some of my childhood buddies through it,so its special on sentimental value.
My Passion: Reading books and watching movies. All genre for both.
Getting or Giving Presents: Giving presents of course! Is there anything better than the satisfaction derived out of watching that smile on their face when you gift them something?? Ah whom am I lying,I do love receiving them as well,who doesn't. :P

Favorite Flower: Orchids,purple ones. And yellow rose buds.
Favorite Celebrity Role Model: Swami Vivekanada. I know,he isn't a celebrity but I have been awed by him and his preaching since I was a kid (no am not the philosophical kind). I visited his house (which is adjacent to my college) and the rock at Kanyakumari where he meditated and I did find peace. I don't believe in miracles and divine stuff (I do believe in God though) but strangely enough,I felt a weird unexplainable energy run through me when I went to these places. I found myself at rest,complete peace.

The lovely Emm from Circular Insanity and the sweet Sukanya of  Few Unnecessary stuff tagged me- 

The Rules.


Rule#1: Put the rules on your blog.

Rule#2: Every person tagged should tell 11 things about themselves, answer the 11 questions asked by the one that tagged you, tag 11 other people and ask them 11 different questions.

Rule#3: Let the people whom you tagged know you've done so.

Rule#4: Don't tag anyone who's been tagged before.

Rule#5: Really do tag 11 others, don't go all ''if you want to take this tag''.

11 things about me:

1) I am a Bengali by birth. But am an exception coz I don't have a sweet tooth which almost every other Bengali has.

2) I have a sister, 2 years younger to me,who is more like my kid :P (Yeah,you guessed it right, am a very bossy sis)

3) I can speak fluently in 4 languages - English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam and read and write in 3,the first 3 mentioned. And thanks to my cosmopolitan  schooling,I can fairly understand many others. I am planning to learn French,Spanish,Chinese and Persian in the future.

4) I spent 8 years of my childhood in Kochi, Kerala. No wonder,I speak Malayalam like a mallu ;)

5) My favorite subjects are Genetics,Mathematics and Anthropology (yes,that is what Bones did to me :D). Sadly,am not studying either of the three!! Don't ask me why!!

6) I am a self-confessed bookaholic, chocoholic and cinephile. I love classics.

7) I am an impulsive buyer most of the times and I do regret it at times.

8) I want to try scuba diving, para sailing /gliding, river rafting and bungee jumping at least once in my life. I also want to go on a cruise around the world (Cheers to wishful thinking!! :D)

9) I am a very moody person. My mood changes with the weather :P

10) Most people said they like my name but I don't like it. Reason- I dislike long names. No,am not planning to change my name anytime soon. That will cause too much trouble for everybody around me,remembering anew name for the same old person. I always wanted my and my sister's name to be June and May respectively. Why?? Coz  I was born in June and my sis was born in May. :P
11) Am a crazy punch of a hopeless romantic and a very rational empiricist. Most of the times,my brain i.e. my rational self wins the battle.

Ah thats enough from me!!

But we are not done yet!! Here are the questions Sukanya asked me-

1)Salon treatments with not so famous brands/ DIY home spa treatment with luxury brands?

- Definitely the latter.
2)Internet connection you are using?

- Tata
3)Favourite perfume?

- I love Lacoste's Touch of Pink but I usually use Adidas Pure.
4)Your comfort food?

- Am a foodie but sorry I don't know the idea of a comfort food. Whats that?? :O
5)You mostly shop for- makeup/outfits?

- I don't use too much of make up. But mostly i buy Maybelline and Lakme stuff. Clothes,no particular brands as such.
6) Stilettos / flats?

- Am very uncomfortable with stilettos,so I stick to flats. But I hope to walk smoothly in a stiletto someday
7)What do you love about my blog( I presume you read it!)?

- The wonderful reviews
8)Are you a dog lover?

- Yep, absolutely
9)Makeup Products you love (mention shaded) ?

- I don't use too much make up apart from Kajal (Maybelline's Collossal kajal), lip balm/gloss (usually Avon or Maybelline stuff) and nail colors(all kinds,no particular brand). Does Sunscreen fall under make up?? If yes,then I use VLCC's SPF 50 Sunscreen lotion.

10) Products you regret buying?

- A few lip sticks. I never used them,so had to giveaway to my cousins. And then a few earrings which are too big,I had bought them on my famous impulses.
11)How much time you spend on your blog(includes visiting other blogs) on an average day?

- Around 3 hours everyday. Sometimes even more.

And these are Emm's questions-

1)One Addiction:

- Tea.
2)Your favourite actor is?

- Colin Firth, Al Pacino, Hugh Jackman, Kevin Spacey, Hugh Grant,Dustin Hoffman,Tom Hanks,Tom Cruise,Leonardo di Caprio... the list is endless my friends ;)
3)Have you tried touching your nose with your tongue?

- yeah,tried it when I was a kid.
4)Would you be ready to wake up at 6 in the morning everyday?If yes, then what do you expect in return?
- I usually wake up at 6. But if you had asked me to get up an hour early I would expect to go an hour early to bed, the equation is equal :D

5)One thing you wish you had?
- Wish I could read people's thoughts or be invisible :D

6)Last movie that you liked was?

- Saw The Magdalene Sisters some time back and really liked it.
7)One thing very few people know about you?
- That I can be quite shy at times despite being an extrovert.

8)One brand that you wish would go on sale?

- Gucci . thats the first name that popped in my mind just now :P

9)Ideal birthday gift for you would be?(No, I won't be gifting!)

- Ummm...Take me to a book store and pay the bill :D
10)What makes you want to keep blogging?

- I like to keep myself occupied doing something productive,even if its something as small as blogging.
11)What did you eat day before yesterday in dinner? :P

- Ummm...Dal and roti maybe...I don't remember :P

Phew. This is turning out to be a very very long post.


Here are my 11 questions for you-


1) Why and what made you start blogging?
2) Did you meet any of your fellow bloggers?? How was the experience?
3) Is there any regular regimen that you follow religiously? What is it?
4) What is your favorite dish?
5) What do you like about my blog? (assuming you read it :P)
6) Do you think I should add something or remove anything from my blog? What is it?
7) What is your favorite pastime?
8) What is your favorite book,favorite movie and your favorite song? (ow thats 3 questions actually :P)
9) Who is the most inspiring person in your life?

10) Has there been any drastic change in you in the past 5-10 years? If yes,what is it?
11) Who is/are your favorite blogger(s)?

Here are the blogs I have chosen to pass this award on to and also tag them-

1) Opal of Girl with a Pearl Earring.

2) Beingfab of Shocks and Shoes

3) Jennifer of I know,right

4) Amber of Amber's Mouthwash

5) Purvi of Purvi's Creative Hub

6)Soumi of Sold-for-shoes-overweight-intellectual-dancer

7) Rahul of Crash and Burn

8) Cheryl of Oh to Be a Muse 

9) Sukanya of Few Unnecessary stuff (Am not tagging you as well. You know why :P)

10) Aishwarya of Sweet hug

11) Ayantika of Bong's Belleza
12) Nitya of thePURPlEspirit 

Am also tagging Kiran from Cherry Lane 

Goobye

Swarnali

Anyone up for a guest post??

Hello everyone,
I have my exams starting from next month,so I'll be a bit busy with my books. So I have decided to do guests posts till I come back.

A friend of mine has done me a favor by agreeing to be my second guest on the blog :)
Introducing Saptashwa Bhattacharya, a facebook friend. He is a second year physiology student who is not just wonderful when it comes to words but  he is equally excellent with his camera.
Here is a page from his diary where he writes down random thoughts that tumble in his mind.

 Clichedness


We evolved as a selfish hypocritical society from an ancient nomadic tribe, who make just one chapter of our history books. AS they say 'Truth is naked, it's lie we cover', pretty well said by whomsoever. But, we evolved.
If women were referred to as bitches, men meant dogs, but dogs were always faithful. There is a hairline difference between a dog and a male bitch, they are altogether a different species. People should know. But, we evolved.
We live, we die, none cares, why make an ambience of sarcasm saying that I cannot live without you. When you can happily negate the presence of someone, but cry for his presence after his part happily played on Earth, you are a fool. But, we evolved.
They have you brains to think, special senses w.r.t. the biology books, heart to love, and others fall in place. We misuse, who taught us this, well obviously us, but why, because we experiment. It is human psychology to bypass monotony. But, we evolved.
Why do we need leaders, why do we make them, why can we not stand up on our own. Disbelief. But, we evolved.

Anybody interested in joining in for a guest post can mail me at swarnali.1825@gmail.com. Spin a tale, pen a few lines of poetry or share an experience, a review or some snaps you have clicked. Your post can be on anything. Yes ANYTHING. And non-bloggers are also welcome.

My Sunglasses, My Style

Summer is coming with all its rage. The necessity that pop in my mind with the very though of summer is a  pair of Sunglasses. By that I DO NOT mean that it is necessary only for the summer. In fact is a necessity throughout the year. But summer is the time when it is most necessary.
Many people have this weird notion that sunglasses are to be used only when the sun is bright and can be done without on cloudy or shady days.
NO ABSOLUTELY NOT !!! The sunglasses shield you not only through the visible(the VIBGYOR part) and tactile(the infrared part) parts of the light spectrum but also from the invisible and the most harmful part of sunlight i.e. the Ultraviolet (or UV) spectrum which cause harm to your retina and can also cause cancer on prolonged exposure.
Now what is the best thing about sunglasses? Not only do they serve the very important purpose of cooling and protecting your eyes from those harmful rays,they have also evolved as fashion accessories. Use them to enhance your facial features or use them as a hairband, they look cool both ways!! And another plus point is,they effectively cover those dark circles that you are trying so hard to hide from the world!
So when Blogadda came with this fantabulous offer,I checked out some sunglasses at gkboptical.com . They have a huge range of sunglasses from a price bracket of Rs.500 to over Rs.30000 with huge discounts upto 30%. They deliver free in India for all glasses above Rs.500 and worldwide at a very minimal shipping charge. The range of sunglasses is huge with multiple world renowned brands like RayBan, Bvlgari, Oakley, Prada, Versace, DKNY, Adidas, Puma, D&G and many others.Many different variants like Aviators,Wayfarers,Cat eyed, Polaroids, colored glasses are also available. Do checkout their website for more.
Here are the two I selected. I tried to select two very different ones for different looks.

The Gaga -
Lady Gaga was the first person who popped in my mind, the very moment I saw these Cat eye shaped sunglasses. With a pinkish tinge to the glasses and the pink detailing on the frame,this one was an instant favorite.
I would pair it with a summer dress with floral print / nautical stripes and a pair of flat calf length gladiators. Come summer!! Ah they remind me of an escapade to the beaches.

            VERSACE VE 4203 914/13

Price : 11,440

This is how it would look on a person with an oval face cut. you can try it on your face with their try-on feature. Click the price link under the picture to use it.

The Animal-
Animal prints are a rage now. I wouldn't dare wearing an animal print top or an animal print denim but these almost cheetah printed sunglasses from Ray Ban are a great option for experimenting.
I would pair it with a crisp white shirt, dark blue denims, nude pumps and a similar animal print clutch or nail art. The more daring ones can opt for similar printed pumps instead of the nude ones and minus the nailart and animal printed clutch. The trick is not to overdo it and not to mix up the prints.

             RAY-BAN RB 4129 710/13

Price : 5,590

This is how somebody with an oval face would look :)

Did you like the two looks I suggested?? Do you have something different in mind?? What are the ones you liked the best from their collections?? And what is your favorite style of sunglasses?? Mine are Jackie O's. Do tell me in the comments sections.
Till we see again!!
Love
Swarnali

This entry is a part of the contest at BlogAdda.com brought to you by GKB Optical Sunglasses