Chic Nook

Oscars, for many of us, is one of those beautiful moments to sit back and watch the clothes tell their stories.  It takes months of preparation to get together those looks, looks that are remembered forever! It is about couture, luxury, beauty and statement.

Honestly, with so many good looks it is hard to narrow down few that stood out but here is my attempt to pick the ones that I personally liked for their own individuality.

Nicole Kidman in her blue Armani Privé looked drop dead gorgeous. If you are like me and have followed the Spring 2018 Armani Privé collection, you already may know that this collection was inspired by “the sky with all its nuances.” most of the pieces on the runway had a hue of sky with a twist. This one specially was a stellar and she rocked it like a true diva!

If there were an award for the best-styled minimalist look, I would give it to Emma Stone. I simply loved her over all look, it was simple, bold and oh so stylish.  Emma Stone rocked in this silky Louis Vuitton red blazer styled with a hot pink bow tie and navy trousers.

Kelly Ripa’s gown by Christian Siriano was like a dream. I loved how beautifully both simplicity and playfulness were combined together to what she wore on the red carpet. It was surprisingly classy, dressy and brave in all possible ways!

Paz Vega wore this unusual strapless Christopher Bu gown with large red cherry blossoms print to the red carpet. It caught my eyes for its boldness. In red carpet, where most of the actors want to play safe, I think this dress was bold! To me this became one of my favorites because it truly represented Paz Vega style and her personality, it was like this dress was meant for her!

Sandra Bullock is an epitome of beauty with brains. Her black and gold sequinned, halter neck, Louis Vuitton gown was like magic at the red carpet.  A dress that literally defines fierce and glamour and hands down the most gorgeous look of the night!

I am a health freak but I can’t starve myself to stay fit and neither can I let my taste bud compromise.  I am not a great cook but I attempt to satify my needs by being experimental. Thankfully, years of eating good mom-made food has turned me into a pretty successful experimenter.  This combination of avocado and berry  is so yummy and healthy and take my word for it, both your body and palette is going to thank you!

This one is one of my favourite smoothie bowls. It has just the right amount of sweetness and the creaminess (not sure if theres a word like that) with a hint of mint. 

Ingredients:

1 Avocado

Few Mint leaves

½ cup blueberries

A slice of papaya and cantaloupe - diced into bite size square pieces

1 tea spoon chia seeds

Recipe:

Blend avocado and mint together, once done add some blueberries in it and keep it aside. Cut some fresh mellon and cantaloupe  and  add chia seeds in a bowl, mix it well. Throw in few blueberries. Add your minty avocado blend mix on the top. Top it with some walnut and dry cranberries.

I am a big time foodie, I crave good food and at one point I used to spend hours recreating dishes from food network channel. That’s History…. Now I have 2 boys and with my metabolism taking me on a ride I am left with very few options. Options like;

Starve- did you read that I love food?

Eat salads- I love salad but uh I am not a cow!

Learn to cook fast because you don’t have more than 30 minutes between laundry, cleaning, job, dropping off kids to school & classes, tantrums, sibling rivalry.... let me stop here or else this blog will take a completely different turn!

Given the fact that I know I cant live without good meal I had to improvise my cooking skills. I am not a great cook but I can make things that tastes good in less than 30 minutes!!  so, today I am sharing a dish which is super spicy and something that I just make for myself so that I don’t have to share it with my kids (I know I have a devil’s streak in me), its called spicy mushroom! Super simple. Super Yummy! So my dear mommies, drop that frozen meal in that aisle and get your wok ready!

Ingredients:

1 table spoon Sesame oil

2 pods of garlic

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 teaspoon mix of  ginger and lime juice

1-2 dry red crushed chillies

5-6 green chillies (you know your spice level so use your judgement)

Handful cashews

Salt to taste

Black pepper

Soy Sauce

Mushrooms - I love variety so I actually mix different kinds. For this one i have used enokitake, common and penny bun mushrooms.

Recipe

Let’s admit it, we all have our drawers overflowing with bras that we don’t wear anymore. Some don’t fit us; some are not comfortable; some we bought on sale and some are out of fashion. We also think that we can’t donate our bra, as it is one of those things that we feel are not suitable to be passed on. We even throw bras during our annual clean up contributing to landfill and causing pollution.

What we don’t know is that a bra is one of the most needed items in a women’s shelter but it’s not a commonly donated item. Women shelters often receive shirts, pants, dress and even socks but very rarely undergarments. Victims of human trafficking and survivors of domestic violence often hastily move into women shelters to find safe heaven but rarely think of packing this simple but essential piece of garment.

Lets join Soma, a lingerie company partnered with National Network to End Violence and I Support Girls in collecting lightly used bras for these women in need.

How can we help?

All that you need to do is collect those lightly used bras from your closet’s nook, take it to your local Soma boutiques and place them in donation bin. Visit one of the Soma boutiques near your location before Feb, 27th and donate them to help the women in need.

Who can ever say “NO” to these delicious healthy bites?

Ingredients:

Vegan eggs  (Just Eggs)

Tri-color bell pepper

Onion 

Cilantro

Salt Black & pepper

Recipe:

2 sliced courgettes Vegan meat Diced onions Diced tomatoes Basil Diced garlic Vegan cheese

Cook courgettes until tender, drain and set aside.

In a skillet, take some oil, add garlic & onion cook them until they turn golden then add tomatoes and basil. In the end add your vegan meat and cook it for another 5-10 minutes.

In (1 ½-qt.) baking-roasting pan arrange half of the vegan meat mixture. Top with half of the courgettes and all the miyoko vegan cheese mixture. Top with remaining meat and zucchini. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining miyoko vegan cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer.

Metallic Jacket – Christmas is too shiny, no one said ever! This trending jacket is a perfect gift for the holiday season. I picked mine from Macys and I have to admit, even a distressed jean with plain white tee paired with this jacket brings out the perfect holiday look!

Metallic gold Shawl – This metallic shawl from Ruti is one of my favorite picks this season! An absolutely gorgeous wrap is an eye catcher and  can be worn in so many different ways.  

Over the knee boots from Aldo - I have too many shoes said no woman ever. You can NEVER go wrong by buying a pair of these lovelies for your lovely. 

Clip on accessory for shoes – This shoe clip-on from Aldo is the perfect gift for this holiday season. They can dazzle up simplest work pumps into those perfect party shoes. And we all know one thing for sure, women love their shoes and they love it when they look pretty! 

Tom Ford Natalia Long Cosmo Python – This is my favorite of all. Sexy, timeless and elegant this bag is THE perfect gift to show what every woman in the world truly deserves!! 

I was at the Urban Air Market at Hayes Valley in San Francisco few weeks back. It is a beautiful event for sustainable businesses. This is a fair that everyone must go to if they have been thinking about leading a green lifestyle but need that  extra nudge! It opened  up my  eyes to many options that we fashion conscious folks are unaware of.  Let me tell you more. The street is filled with eco friendly vendors with handcrafted, organic, artisans made or up-cycled products. Not only that, there is music, live performances and delicious food trucks – the atmosphere and energy will rejuvenate you and you will start thinking about sustainable products differently! Take out that burning man!

Here are few very cool sustainable brands that I met at the fair.

Indosole 

Indosole is a footwear company from California that manufactures in Bali, Indonesia.  Shoes and sandals are all made using repurposed motorbike tires. Kyle Parsons, founder of Indosole, started his journey to create this successful business while on a family trip to Bali where he bought a pair of new flip flops made from repurposed tires. At that time, he had no idea that this new pair of sandals would change his life! Tire industry is one of the biggest pollutants. Reusing tires to make sandals not only helps in decreasing pollution but these are also one of the most long lasting sandals you will ever own.  Buy your own lifelong pair.

Smith & Starr

Based in San Francisco, SMITH & STARR was founded by two beautiful ladies - Chelsea Starr Alexander & Fallyn Smith. Staying hydrated shouldn’t be expensive and neither should it make you feel guilty. SMITH & STARR is a lifestyle brand that makes carrying water not only easy but also stylish and cool. Check out their stylish bags that carry water in the coolest way.

Love Fest Fiber

Based in San Francisco, Love Fest Fiber pins the most beautiful fiber that one can find. One of their yarns is made of recycled materials. Yes, you heard it right! They create a series of yarns and home goods that utilise recycled plastic bottle fiber and fashion industry scrap.  They also travel around the world to learn from different textile traditions. They partner with artisans and pastoralists to support the community’s tradition and help them preserve their beautiful artwork. Support and make an impact  by helping them preserve this beautiful vibrant artwork. 

The Consistency Project 

Natasha Lo, founder of The Consistency Project started this project as a part-time lifestyle project in 2014 with a focus on travel, apparel and how one can do more with less. Now they give second life to vintage denim and recycled apparel from all over the world by mending and repairing them. The idea is to promote a lifestyle where people understand less is more! I loved how beautifully curated her products are and how each and every piece that they sell helps  consumers to lead a socially responsible life stye. Educate yourself more on “less is more”.

Modern Shibori 

Founded by Jenny Wong, Modern Shibori is located in Berkley, CA. Shibori is a Japanese dyeing technique that typically involves folding, twisting or bunching cloth and binding it, then dyeing it in indigo. Modern Shibori has products ranging from scarves to apparels to home décor to home goods. Most of their products have hues of blue using natural dyes and shibori. All her products are made in USA.  Add some unique indigo beauty into your closet or home.

Eden & Zoe

Eden & Zoe was founded by a mom and named after her two daughters. She struggled to find stylish and comfortable knitwear for her daughters and that is what motivated her to create knitwear that were made out of natural materials like cashmere, merino wool and pure cotton. Eden & Zoe makes in small quantities to ensure quality and exclusivity. All pieces are created using a hand-operated knitting loom and finished by hand. Many pieces are entirely hand knitted and sewn. 

Please visit Eden & Zoe to find comfort wear for your kids this winter.

Kotas Kreations

Kotas Kreations, a baby wear collection founded by Ko Ota, a mother of two is based out of San Francisco, CA. Each and every piece in Kotas Kreations is designed and made by Ko Ota. Being a mom she understands the importance of style and comfort. One of her signature bodysuits collection was all sold out before I could even lay my eyes on it. Get some beautiful creation by Kotas Kreations.

Adelyn SF

Adelyn, founder of Adelyn SF designs are inspired by the elegance, comfort and stylish design that can transform from a casual daytime look to stylish date night look. Her collection is designed while keeping the comfort of active social women in mind but without compromising on style. I particularly loved their shoulder wrap poncho that can we worn on top of any regular tank top and jeans for a casual look. To add drama, pair it with a simple sheath dress. Check out her collection by clicking HERE.

Rebecca RAE

Rebecca, founder of Rebecca RAE is a very inspiring lady! Rebecca RAE is a true example on “One Wo-man Shop”, she is the designer, she is the maker, she does the social media, she does her own PR and she individually runs her company’s marketing team. Her beautiful collection has so much variety - beautiful prints, cut out crop tops, casual jerseys, & beautiful woman dresses. For one woman to do all this so immaculately – I was very impressed! Feel inspired by visiting their WEBSITE.

AGAATI. California

For most Americans, early morning begins with a steaming hot cup of coffee, we all love our coffee, it kickstarts our day in a way that I think nothing in the world ever can.

Coffee has become our lifestyle and the increase in the number of private coffee shops is a good indicator of how we, as consumers, are the driving force behind this boost. This also means that we are contributing to a very large portion of single-use waste. Yes you read it right - America alone consumes over 400 million disposable cups per day! Most of the disposable cups, claimed biodegradable, cant be recycled because they are lined with petroleum - based Polyethylene (PE) coating and then to add we have cups made of Polystyrene and Plastic and not to forget the lids and the straws. So even if as a conscious consumer you are disposing these used cups in a recycling bin, you are not being responsible enough! All these cups once used are thrown in the landfill -polluting our environment, sea, and earth!

As much as we love our lifestyle choices, we can’t discount the importance of conscious consumption and that is where we as consumers have to change. Off course, we can’t leave our coffee, that will be a torture but we can get our environmentally friendly coffee fix! Few things that I can recommend are:

1.     Drink your coffee at home, at your leisure, save some bucks and also save the earth!

2.     Carry your own cup to the coffee shops.

3.     Ask for a regular cup if you are not carrying your own cup.

4.     Most of the stores carry regular flask & cups; penalize yourself by buying one of those over priced cups once for not carrying your own cup and you will not forget it the next time!

5.     Find your own creative way to not use disposable cups!

The power of Fashion is not only about the clothes. Its about being able to be confident with your body. Nuarra is an inclusive brand that caters to all women from size 02 - 28, it caters to the real woman. I recently met Anita Rehman, who is the founder and the brain behind this brand. She is an Electrical Engineer from Stanford and a Wharton Graduate. She has worked with multiple VCPE firms before she chose to start her own venture. 

Question: I would love to hear what is it that made you switch gears from the world of finance and numbers to the world of fashion Industry? What was it that inspired you?

Anita: I recognised the need in the market for a womens wear company while at VantagePoint Capital Partners where I was an investment professional in the Internet group.   In my research, I was surprised by the lack of attention garnered by the plus-size segment despite its large size and likely growth. Further study revealed that the typical consumer in this market showed a propensity to shop online rather than through  the ‘brick and mortar’ channel.  I was convinced of the significant opportunity in this sector  but it still was a hard decision to leave a steady paying job.  Then one day, I came across the story of Jessica Herrin and Stella and Dot and was so impressed by what she had accomplished with the company.  This served as inspiration for me to face my fears and give entrepreneurship a try.  

Question: In the world of fashion things are very superficial. I mean, we have heard it many times, fashion is frivolous - how did you choose to go against the norm and come up with a brand which is not only beautifully curated to fit american women bodies but has a beautiful mission too?

Anita: Well, I think this came naturally to me.  I spent the first twenty years of my life in India, a society that had in place many structural biases and inequities against women.  As an Indian woman I was not entitled to wish for anything beyond a life of “arranged” marriage and domesticity.  I was successful in breaking through some of these barriers, set my sights on getting into the graduate program at Stanford, and used that as an stepping stone away from my ‘defined’ path.  It was a turning point in my life and taught me the value of questioning the status quo and I became passionate about empowering women.   

~70% of women in the United States are considered plus-size (i.e. they wear clothes above a size 14).  This segment is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years. The plus-size segment was significantly underserved by retailers because they are considered a ‘brand stigma’ and also because of various business and financial limitations.  I saw this as an opportunity to combine my passion for empowering women with my passion to build a business and hence Nuarra was born, where we are proud to offer clothing to Fiercely Real women.

Question: Your Journey. Fashion Industry is a completely different industry. I work for a fashion brand and I understand how much learning  and effort goes into the process. From designing to sourcing to branding to marketing to collaborating to launching. It is a lot of work. What was your journey like?

Anita: Ah, yes!  I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with incredibly talented women who had rich experience in the fashion and retail world.  Katherine Gilpin and Teresa Field (my co-founder) served as my crutches in the initial stages of the company.  Beyond that, we just hit the pavement (literally) and leveraged our network and found what we needed. We drove to Los Angeles to pick up fabric in my SUV, walked the streets of New York to find Italian agents/factories and were finally connected via a New York agent to an Indian factory that manufactured our product. So it took a small village and a lot of helpful people to educate us and to make the company come together.

Question: How do you reach out to your audience? We all know, visual branding is very important in this industry. Research has proved it and as much as I hate to state it, it seems people tend to buy clothes that looks wonderful on unrealistic photoshopped figure. To me, Nuarra is a brand that aspires to create clothes that truly fits bodies and lifestyles of American women, which is very different  than most of the other fashion brands here. I would like to know how did you open that dialogue with your target segment? Do you follow the common norm like most other brands? What is your mantra to put that idea across to your real audience?

Anita: I'm not sure we've nailed this yet. We've tried to use models in the past that were more in the mid size range i.e. sizes 8/10/12 - but since we bootstrapped the company at the beginning we had to sometimes be willing to work with people who were smaller in size.   This is definitely one area of the branding and messaging that we have to work on and will incorporate more real women and real bodies into the mix.  

Question: As we are talking about fashion industry, I  would love to hear what is one of the most beautiful things that happened during your Nuarra journey (other than your beautiful collection)?

Anita: Starting a company is like having a baby - you don't realize how immersive a process it is until you actually do it. For me the most beautiful thing was to learn the resilience of the human spirit.  There were many days when I thought I could not take another step forward but then there were others I had to look out for and the purpose of this company kept me going.

Question: Last words to your audience and people who would love to follow their passion and start something of their own. 

Anita: I realize that everyone is at different stages in their life and with myriad responsibilities. My biggest advice to anyone would be to not ignore your passion. Honor it in any way you can - life is too short to live it 9-5 - and on other people's terms.  Put yourself out there, just move in the general direction of your passion and be bold, light your spark.   You'll be amazed at how uplifted you will feel.

I am not a big fondant fan. To be honest, I don’t even know anyone who actually eats fondant, except kids off course. My interest in making fondant cakes was led by Bay Area’s expensive bakery stores. Well, when I can buy my favorite pair of shoes for the price of two cakes each year, why not (no pun intended)?

In the process of learning how to make fondant cakes, I realized how unhealthy birthday cakes really are. I mean, we serve all Organic and Non GMO to our kids through out the year and then on their most special day, we offer them this chemically loaded cake. The mother in me was hit hard by this  self-realization. So I did some research and found other options which are just as sweet as regular cakes but more healthier for my kids.

Here are the things that I have used to make my 7 years old boy’s cake:

Simply Fondant Elegant White from Simply Fondant

European Gourmet Bakery, Organics, Chocolate and Vanilla from Safeway

Color kitchen Real Food Color Red and Blue from Whole Foods

It was a last minute valentines day dinner booking. I had to cancel my date night plans when my son questioned me why are we leaving them behind if valentines is meant for the people we love. I had no answer. So to fit in 2 adults and 2 kids in our valentines dinner, I desperately started calling all the restaurants near me. “Sorry we are all booked”, is all that I could hear. I called Galata Bistro, a lady answered my call. I don’t know why but I felt compelled to tell her my story. I thought it was silly but to my surprise she took a pause and said let me see what can we do, she took down my number and told me that she will call me back.

Four hours later, we were in this lovely restaurant enjoying an amazing family valentines dinner! I had to thank my son for making me change my plans and Darya, ‘the phone lady’ for accommodating us last minute.

My lovely experience that day pushed me to go back and speak to the owner, Chumur Ulas. Little late but here is his story to know what is it that makes this restaurant so wonderful…

Journey…

I grew up in a family that loves cooking.  Both of my parents are chefs by profession. While growing up, I had a lot of admiration for them and unknowingly started to enjoy cooking myself.  We became a family of chefs that loved entertaining people. I came to the US 17 years ago and started my journey by working in different restaurants. I have a deep passion for cooking and aspired to start my own restaurant. In Jan 2013, my dream came true when we opened Galata Bistro in downtown Menlo Park!

As a Chef…

Personally, I feel food is the only form of art that impacts all of our senses- taste, touch, smell and visual. I feel as a chef I can really connect with people. I enjoy cooking for them, feeding them and entertaining them.

Turkish Restaurant because… Bay Area attracts people from all over the world. People here are very open to trying different things.  I noticed that there were many Mediterranean restaurants but no Turkish restaurant. Turkish cuisine is largely a combination of  different elements borrowed from Central Asia, Middle East, Jewish, Greek and Balkan cuisine. We are family owned restaurant so we decided to offer what we are best at.

Signature dish…

As the name suggests, Galata House Kebabs is our signature dish. It is an authentic Turkish dish. Our Lamb Shank is very different too, it is a fusion of Italian recipe and Turkish spices and it is one of the most popular dishes from our menu.

Healthiest dish… Chicken Kebab Platter, it is grilled chicken skewers marinated in Turkish herbs and is served with salad and humus.

About Bay Area… It is a melting pot of different cultures. As I said before, there are people from all over the world that have come together to make the Bay Area very unique.  This spirit of melting pot is captured in our menu too. One of our popular dishes, the Lamb Shank, is a fusion of Turkish and Italian cuisines. We use Turkish spices to cook Italian dishes.  

Primary Customers… Menlo Park is a family town. Most of our customers are families residing in and around Menlo Park. To cater to our customer needs, we have a kid’s menu too. During lunchtime, we do get some traction from the people working in the neighborhood area but most of our regular customers are families. We like the relationship that we have built is past 4 years.

Growth plan… Off course everybody wants to grow. However, we are a family owned business and I would like to keep it that way. Half of the people who work with me are my relatives. As a family, we pride in cooking and entertaining people. I don’t want to damage that. I definitely want to attract more and more customers but without affecting the foundation, our family integrity and value. We are proud of it and I feel it starts fading away when you try to open restaurant after restaurant.

In one line Galata Bistro is… A Turkish restaurant where we give a lot of importance to family integrity, a business run by family who truly believes in serving good food and entertaining people.

As I was  shuffling through my wardrobe to clean up for spring, I stumbled upon something alarming. Clothes that I have barely worn filled up half of my favorite nook in the house! I have been reading lately about fashion industry being the second most polluting industry in the world and something struck. It was a point of self-realization. As much as I love fashion, my own excessive behavior as a consumer has been contributing to this mess!

Like every other girl, I love being fashionable and with new styles coming out every season it is not only difficult but also impossible for one to not go and shop. I thought deeply about this problem last couple of days and came up with an action plan to declutter while helping the environment. This is going to be cathartic!

Bring them out: There is a spring bash at your friend’s place. Off course like always, the diva in you wants to dress up and take that perfect picture to share with your friends on social media. Only problem - you need a dress that no one has seen before. Don’t panic, check your wardrobe, remember there is a high probability that half of the honorable residents of your closet have not seen the light of the day with your gang!

Sharing is Caring: You want to declutter your favourite corner. You know there are some pieces that you don’t want to wear, ever! Don’t just throw them away; ask your friends, sister, aunt; they might want to grab it! Remember, girls always like what they don’t have. 

Your money belongs to your wallet: Resell your clothes. Sometimes its good to see your money where it belongs, IN YOUR WALLET! Companies like ThredUP, a resale fashion store allows you to sell your clothes. You can also sell your clothes on eBay or your neighbourhood consignment stores.

Swap Swap Swap: Swapping clothes with friends is a great idea. You can revive your favourite corner with clothes in exchange within your close circle. Good thing about swapping clothes is you can always get it back if you ever change your mind!

Rent your outfit: Next time when you have an invitation to that exclusive charity dinner where you want to wear that exclusive gown or a cocktail dress. Please don’t force yourself to damage the value of the charity by buying something that will contribute to the landfill after your charity dinner is over. Rent your outfit! Join brands like Rent the Runway and Style Lend, rent or lend!