Monday, July 30, 2012

My kinda black and white...





Life is colorful, and so should be your outfits!
So here is my kinda black and white!

This is what I wore to dinner on the hubby's birthday last week. Even though I found the print on this dress a little too busy for my liking, I though it'll make a great summer dress- material is cotton, a little loose fitted through the body, very comfortable and the black and white combo makes it ideal for summer evenings too!
While red is a very obvious choice to wear with a black and white outfit, this time I decided to add some other pops of colors. 
What do you think, hit or miss?

Tell me, how do you prefer to wear black and white? Do you keep everything, including the outfit and accessories, black and white or you like to add some colors to it?

Today I'm linking up with  Still Being Molly  for her YOLOMondays link up.


                                                                       What I Am Wearing:
                                                  dress- GAP    bag- Younker's    heels- Liz Claiborne    watch- Guess
                                                                  sunnies- Kenneth Cole    bracelets-Charlotte Russe    necklace- ebay
  
                                              Thanking you                                                                                 Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                                           Juneli 

Friday, July 27, 2012

Awards!! Awesome!!!

Two awards in one week!! I am super duper excited!! Let's just say that I'm on the seventh heaven right now.

The first one is the Liebster Blog Award and I was nominated by the very sweet and beautiful Marisabel of  Glamorous Petite. Please do not forget to check out her beautiful blog and her amazing sense of style!

 

 The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcoming.



The rules for receiving this award:
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
5. Go to their page and tell them.
6. Remember, no tag backs!


The next award is the Sunshine Blogger Award  awarded by another very sweet and beautiful lady, Ashy of  The Zing of My Life.  Please do not forget to check out this lovely lady's amazing blog. Thank you  Ashy for the love( and sunshine) that you showered on me!







The Sunshine Blogger Award Rules:
1. Include award logo in a post or on your blog page.
2. Answer 10 questions about yourself.
3. Nominate 10 other fabulous bloggers.
4. Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blog, letting them know about the award.
5. Share the love and link the person who nominated you.
 

11 things about myself ( for Liebster Blog Award):
  1. I am a true blue Gemini- very restless, whimsical, moody and fickle minded.
  2. I do not consider myself to be a shopaholic, but just an impulsive shopper. This is why I never make budgets and 'things to buy' lists when I go shopping. If one day I end up buying too many stuff, it is compensated the other day, when I return empty-handed, as nothing in store catches my fancy![such days are rare though(wink)!!:))]
  3. My impulses do not always prove to be correct though, as sometimes I end up returning what I bought. Being a Gemini, given it a second thought and a second trial at home, I inevitably change my mind as it does not appeal to me as much as the first time!
  4. Fortunately, I do not have a sweet tooth and I do not like chocolates. But, surprisingly, when it comes to ice creams and cakes, I will always go for the chocolate flavored ones!
  5. I love to dance and enjoy all forms of dancing.
  6. Since childhood, I've been mesmerized by mountains and winter season more than the sea-side and summer(quite natural to people residing in a warmer place). But after experiencing many freezing winters here in this country, I'm now drawn more to bright, sunny summers and the sea-side!
  7. I like to try all kinds of cuisines, but my favorite, as of now, is Thai food, and this liking has developed since I was married to my long time boyfriend, as he is a big fan of all types of Oriental cuisines, especially Thai.
  8. I am a hopeless dog-lover (cruelty towards animals literally brings tears to my eyes) but was always apprehensive about fish keeping.A few days back, my husband got a fish tank and I vehemently rejected his offer to me to take care of the fish, as handling fish scares the hell out of me. I always think that I'll crush the little fellows to death if I even touch them! But now, two months down the lane, I am a more confident fish keeper than my husband.
  9. I enjoy living in this beautiful country but at the same time I miss my hometown, my family and friends and my darling pet dog, Misha, back in India.
  10. Being indecisive and changing my mind every now and then is like my second nature.I strongly believe that change is the only thing constant in life. The only time I did not change my mind was being in a relationship with my then boyfriend, now husband!
  11. Now, don't all of the above prove that I'm a true blue Gemini?

 Marisabel's questions for me( for Liebster Blog award):
1. What is your favorite movie/tv show right now?
Ans. It is really hard to pick just one, but since you said right now, it would be Happy Endings (though it is off air currently) and my all time favorite movie has to be A Beautiful Mind.
2. If you win the lottery, what would be the first item you splurge on?
Ans. I would buy a spacious house and decorate it in a way so as to transform it in to my dream home!
3. What is your favorite Olympic sport?
Ans. That would be the gymnastics and figure skating. Since my childhood I've been obsessed with the exceptional skills of the gymnasts and I love figure skating probably because it involves so much dancing also. '
4. What is your dream vacation?
Ans. A quiet, relaxing vacation on the beautiful beaches of Tahiti or a fun, party vacation at the intoxicating Rio di Janeiro, Brazil.
5. When you are not blogging or reading blogs, what do you do for fun?
Ans. Loads of things- read books, dance, hang out with friends or the hubby, go shopping,watch TV or surf the net.
6. What is your go-to fashion brand? (the brand that fits you the best physically and style-wise)
Ans. Again, hard to pick! Let's say LOFT and Banana Republic.
7. If you could be a designer, what would you design? purses, swimwear, clothes, etc....
Ans. I have this crazy purse/bag fetish, so I guess it would be purses.
8. What is your favorite vacation spot?
Ans. It has always been the beautiful hill stations(to name a few-Sikkim, Darjeeling) located at the foothills of the majestic Himalayas. But these days I'm more into beaches and sea side!
9. What is your dream job?
Ans. Hmmm, lets say a celebrity of some sort with lots of money and fame, or an investment banker at the Wall Street, or maybe a billionaire entrepreneur!!
10. What is your realistic dream job?
Ans. Huh, there you are-a decent office environment, where I can dress up everyday without anyone blinking an eyelid, would do!
11. What are your top 3 favorite blogs?
Ans. 3? Are you kidding me? Honestly, it is impossible to pick only 3!


Ashy's questions for me (for the Sunshine Blogger Award):
1.If you could vacation anywhere, where would you go?
Ans. As I said before, it would be the beautiful islands of Tahiti, or may be I'll take up an Euro tour- to the romantic city of Paris or explore the beautiful architecture of Italy.
2.Whats your memorable moment/fav memory since you became a blogger?
Ans. I still remember how excited I was to receive my very first blog award in the very first month of blogging and today, 6 months down the lane, I'm reliving that feeling! Thanks to you, Ashy and Marisabel.
3.What do you do to relax after a hectic day?
Ans. A hot shower first and then some good music (preferably Pink Floyd), a good drink (game for a margarita) and good company(the hubby, of course, as all my close friends are miles away from me).
4.When are you most alert morning or night?
Ans. Morning, of course, but if you mean while sleeping when I'm most alert, I'd say neither morning nor night as I sleep like a log!
5.Would you rather be by yourself or with lots of people?
Ans.With lots of people!
6.Your favorite fashion magazine and blog?
Ans. Magazine- Glamour, Harper's Bazaar and InStyle. Blog- impossible to pick just a few, let alone one!
7.Are you active or quiet/silent person?
Ans. Active and an extrovert!
8.How many hours do you spend on blogging in a week?
Ans. Never counted it but MANY.
9.Pink or black?
Ans. Depends on my mood, but black mostly.
10.What's your favorite place to shop in this world and why?
Ans. Have not shopped in a lot of different parts of the globe, but, till date, it has to be New York City.

And here comes the most difficult part, choosing just 10/11 blogs from all those wonderful blogs out there!
I made a conscious effort  not to nominate them whom I already did the last time.
 My Nominees for the Liebster Blog Award are: (some of them just crossed their 200th mark)
  1. Ayantika of  Bong's Belleza.
  2. Dayi of  Dayis Sense of Style.
  3. Callie of  Coffee and Cardigans.   
  4.  Morgan of  Short Sleeved Pants.
  5.  Tam of  Hello, Framboise!
  6.  Mehak of  The Double "M" Life.
  7.  Mrs. C of  Mrs Jack of All Trades Daily.
  8.  Nikita of  Pen Twister.
  9.  Second Hand Rose.
  10.  Maria of  Third Floor With Water View. 
  11.  With Each Passing Day.

My Nominees for the Sunshine Blogger Award are:
.
1. Yi-chia of  Always Maylee.
2. Kim of  A very Sweet Blog.
3. Tiffany of  Breakfast with Tiffany.
4. Minja of  Confessions of a Psycho Cat.
5. Annie of  The Other Side of Gray.
6. Joyce of  Joyful Outfits.
7. Sharon of  The Tiny Heart.
8. Heather of  Pearls and Paws.
9.  Mini Me Style.
10. My Mini Bag. ( I received my first ever blog award from them. )


My questions for my nominees for both the Liebster Blog Award and the Sunshine Blogger Award:
Remember, Sunshine Blogger Award nominees only need to answer the first 10 questions, unless of course you also voluntarily want to answer the 11th one too(wink)!!

1.In which place would you like to buy/own your dream home? 
2.What kind of music do you enjoy?
3.What is your favorite pastime?
4.What is your idea of a perfect vacation?
5.Which aspect of blogging do you find most interesting?
6. If you are a book worm or a couch potato, what is your all time favorite movie/TV show/book?
7.What would you wear on a first date?
8.Name a few of your favorite fashion brands.
9. Love, work, family, friends- how do you prioritize them?
10.How would you describe your style of dressing? For eg, girly, edgy, lady like, Bohemian, casual, sporty, elegant etc.
11. Sunshine or snow-flakes?

Thanks once again to Marisabel of  Glamorous Petite  for being so sweet and kind as to nominate me and to Ashy of  The Zing of My Life  for generously showering all that love (and sunshine!) on me.
Last, but not the least, thanks a bunch to all my readers, followers, fellow bloggers and friends for showing me all your love and support all through and for making this blog happen!!

Happy Friday all, and a have a wonderful weekend!

Thanking you                                                                                                               Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                     Juneli                                                                                                                                                     

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

In my deep purple dreams...

Last night,  'in my deep purple dreams',  I saw myself wearing purple, yellow and so many more.
So this morning I'm wearing purple, yellow, green and pink and not to forget the neutrals!!




Before I had an yellow addiction, purple was ( and still is) my favorite color and co-incidentally yellow is an excellent contrast, and hence a great companion of purple. I have lost count how many times I've paired these two colors.

Let me show you the color wheel to give you a better idea of how these colors work.



 1. Complementary Colors:
As per the color wheel, purple and yellow are directly opposite and hence considered complementary colors. Other examples are- red and green, blue and orange.

2. Analogous colors:
Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12 point color wheel, for example green, yellow-green and yellow.

3. Primary colors:
Red, Yellow and Blue are considered as the primary colors.

4. Secondary Colors:
Green, orange and purple are the secondary colors.

5. Tertiary Colors:
All others other than the primary and secondary colors.

The color wheel is a good way to learn how to color-block for those who are not confident with colors.
Pairing the complementary colors is a bright, bold way of color blocking. If you want to play it safe you can stick to the analogous colors, i.e. colors of the same family.
Other than that, you can play with the primary colors and the secondary colors, and if you are as adventurous as myself, just do not bother what the color wheel says, pick up any two or three colors of your choice ( as long as they look good together) and  rock them!!
In addition to that, the best way of color blocking is to wear solids but you can always twist it a little by wearing prints with solids.
For me, I believe in chucking the rules and wearing whatever makes me happy and hence today I'm making my deep purple dreams come true!

Today I'm linking up with the  The Pleated Poppy  for her What I Wore Wednesday and  Rolled Up Pretty  for her Whatever Whenever Wednesday. Do not forget to check out what other bloggers are wearing!



                                                                          What I Am Wearing:
                                                                    skirt- GAP    blouse- Maurices    shrug and clutch- T J Maxx    
                                                                    belt and heels- Forever21    sunnies and watch- Kenneth Cole 


                                             Thanking you                                                                                 Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                                           Junel 
P.S.    Here is an exclusive 10% off code from Kohls.com for all you enthusiastic Kohls shoppers. You can use the code BLOGIT10 through August 23 and stack your savings with one other department specific code as well.     Happy shopping!        

Monday, July 23, 2012

Sunshine on my shoulders....

Nope, this Monday I'm not feeling the blues yet, as it is the hub's birthday tomorrow and I'm all excited!





As I have already mentioned before, I'm addicted to yellow these days and please excuse me if you spot more yellow in my outfits in the coming days. Not that wearing yellow is like committing a crime or something, just that I do not  want to bore you all with the same color everyday!
It was only in the month of April this year that I realized, even though I love yellow, there is a dearth of it in my closet.  Then I went on a mission to bring in some sunshine in to my closet, and today there is an abundance of bright, happy sunshine.
Oh! How I wanna sing out loud- 'Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy..........Sunshine almost always makes me high!'

Today I'm linking up with  Still Being Molly  for her #YOLOmondays Link-up and  Watch out for the Woestmans  for her Watch What I'm Wearing! Don't forget to check out what other bloggers are wearing!



                                                                           What I Am Wearing:
                                                                       shirt- Aeropostale    skirt- Old Navy(buy similar here)     clutch- Nine West   
                                                                       sunnies- Kenneth Cole    shoes- Famous Footwear    bracelets- H&M(gift)


                                                Thanking you                                                                              Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                                            Juneli

Friday, July 20, 2012

A rollercoaster named....

Hi everyone,
It is Friday and FUN day, again!




My husband said that the pointy heels made me look like a witch and the fedora like Michael Jackson about to perform!
I was like" Excuse me, you look like a -------!!"
I knew he was pulling my leg but duuuuuhh, can't I be myself for god's sake?

I am a true Gemini, and I wanna be a flirty-feminine girl one day, a quirky-whimsical one the other day, sophisticated and chic the third day and casual-bohemian some other day!
I'm moody, restless and whimsical and I'm truly sorry that the lion in my life has to put up with so many different faces in one single body! ( Not that he complaints, on the contrary, he finds it rather amusing! Good for us!!)
Well, I must also point out, that the lion is not completely devoid of any characteristic flaws, but I strongly feel that the essence of a good marriage is to  'ignore the broken down window sill in a relationship and appreciate the beautiful flowers on it, instead!'
I know that it is  humanly impossible and impractical too to overlook the broken down window sill. So we try, try hard to fix the window sill, but failing to do so, we shift our glances to those beautiful flowers, and once there, we are mesmerized by their beauty, aroma and sheer splendor!

We fight like kids and then make up like adults!
We fight like enemies and then make up like lovers!
I'm so happy to be riding a rollercoaster named..... MARRIAGE, and though the DOWNS are terribly scary, the UPS are frightfully fun too! 

Tell me, do you think fights and disagreements are healthy in a relationship?

Also, today I'm linking up with  Two Thirty-Five Designs  for her Casual Friday link-up.

P.S: When I started to compose this post, I had nothing to write, but it seems that my pen (or rather the keyboard) delivers most words on the days that I originally have nothing concrete in my mind to put down on paper( or rather the computer screen)!



                                                                       What I Am Wearing:
                                                               shirt- GAP    denim- Hollister    bag- Tommy Hilfiger    shoes- Nine West
                                                               necklace- LOFT    watch- Guess    bracelets- gift from my dear friend  (H&M)
                                                               sunnies- Steve Madden    fedora- Maurices    belt- Calvin Klein

                             Thanking you                                                                                  Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                                      Juneli

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Christmas in July...






Christmas in July!
I know the title sounds very cliche' but that is exactly how I felt when I put on the dress and the shoes. I immediately knew that I have to pull in a third color to stop myself from being a walking Christmas tree! and in came the yellow clutch!

I've observed that out of all my colored bags and clutches, I use the yellow ones most. They seem to go with most colors. Be it green, blue, pink or red, yellow always provides a nice pop in any outfit!
I'm afraid that I'm not far from the day when people will start calling me ' the lady with the yellow purse'!!

Tell me, have you been wearing one particular color more lately?

Also, today I'm linking up with  The Pleated Poppy  for What I wore Wednesday.



                                                                             What I Am Wearing:
                                                                            dress- GAP    clutch- The Limited     watch and xunnies- Guess
                                                                            flats- Charlotte Russe      cuff-  Kohl's  (buy similar
                                                                            bracelets- Buckle, Charlotte Russe                                                   

                                                Thanking you                                                                           Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                                       Juneli 
P.S.    Here is an exclusive 10% off code from Kohls.com for all you enthusiastic Kohls shoppers. You can use the code BLOGIT10 through August 23 and stack your savings with one other department specific code as well.    
Happy shopping!                                                                                                               

Monday, July 16, 2012

Blame it on the beach!

I know I'm crazy to mix colors like this, but all I can say is :
"Blame it on the beach!"
The beach, the sun,
the water and the fun.... made me go haywire with colors!





Living in the mid west and knowing that there is no beach near by, makes me crave for beaches even more.
Thanks to artificial beaches on the banks of the Lake Michigan in Chicago! At least I do not have to catch a plane, just a drive of 3 hours and voila, I'm there amidst the deep blue waters, the sand and the sun!

This is what I wore to the beach while in Chicago, last week. Of course I had my swimsuit underneath and remember no fancy accessories or watch when you plan to play in the water. This bag is just the perfect one for a day on the beach- big enough to carry my beach towel, an extra set of clothes, sunscreen and everything else needed for the beach. Moreover,  it is a material which only looks like straw and is waterproof too. Purpose well- served!
And, oh, yes, let me tell you, this pair of shorts were on sale in LOFT for approx $15.00, but when the lady at the check out saw it, she took a look at a sheet of paper and said " Your total is $4.88 plus tax." !!!!!
Purpose very well-served!

Today I'm linking up with  Small Town, Big Wardrobe  and  Coming Unstitched  for the Monday Link-up.


                                                                           What I Am Wearing: 
                                                                      cotton shorts- LOFT    cotton blouse- Calvin Klein    beach bag- BASS
                                                                      sandals- from India    sunnies- Kenneth Cole    straw fedora- Maurices

                                        Thanking you                                                                          Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                                          Juneli

Friday, July 13, 2012

Why buy a cow, when milk is so cheap?




Our vacation started with a trip to a water park in Wisconsin Dells and ended with a visit to Chicago. I've lost count how many times I've been to Chicago, till date, but still every time it is as exciting as the very first time.
I still remember the day when I first stepped on to this country, and of course, it was Chicago where my flight landed. It was the first day of Spring but still the city was covered in snow.  I remember how elated I was to see the snow! Our hotel room was on the ground floor, and in the middle of the night I just opened the porch door and ran out in my sleepwear, without a coat, just to get the feel of the falling snow! Man, how did I even do that??
Anyway, coming back to the present,do I look tired? Hell yeah, I was dead tired! We walked a marathon that day and by the time we reached the hotel it was 2 am and yes, we slept like logs!

This dress is a no hassle dress- jersey material, easy to wash, no ironing required, no zipper, no buttons, just an easy onesie! The flats that I was originally wearing was my favorite pair of black glitter flats from Forever 21 which served me incessantly for the last two years and withstood many a tough days, but it finally gave in that day to the rigorous walking and I had to run to H&M and grab this pair of comfy flats.

I've always had the notion that good shoes are the branded, expensive ones. Well, this pair of flats proved me wrong.They were bought for $10 and served me two years, not a bad statistics, huh?
Someone so aptly said :  Why buy a cow, when milk is so cheap?

Today I'm linking up with  Two Thirt y-Five Designs  for Casual Friday.


                                                                          What I Am Wearing:
                                                                         dress- Dressbarn    bag- Steve Madden    flats- H&M    watch- Guess
                                                                         bracelets- Charlotte Russe, Forever21
                   
                                                  Thanking you                                                                          Yours Fashionably
                                                                                                                                        Juneli                                                                                                                                       

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Car full of fun...

Our vacation mostly comprised of road trips and honestly, it was a car full of fun, every time the engine roared and the wheels rolled!!





We drove down to St. Louis, Missouri, on the 3rd of July and by the time we reached there and started exploring the city, it was almost dark. Good that we managed to click a few pics before we started off.
St. Louis, at night, was even more beautiful. The only disappointment was that I was seriously hoping to see the arch all lit up in the night as seen in the pictures.But alas, it was not as picturesque in reality, but upfront it is gigantic and the tallest man-made monument in the United States of America.
The small downtown has everything one can ask for- scenic parks, a stadium, a huge man made monument and a tourist attraction, historic and architecturally rich buildings, great eateries and happening pubs and cafes and so much more! And guess what, my friend told that it is actually legal to drink on the streets of St. Louis, and we were literally exploring the city with a glass of wine in our hands!
It was a fun evening spent with friends and I'm so looking forward to visit this incredible city again.

Today I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy  for What I Wore Wednesday and  Rolled Up Pretty  for Whatever Whenever Wednesday and  The Tiny Heart   for her What To Wear?- Backyard Barbecue.
Don't forget to check out what other bloggers are wearing!



                                                                        What I Am Wearing:
                                                                         shorts- Old Navy( buy it here)    shirt- The Limited    bag- Steve Madden  
                                                                         watch and sunnies- Guess    necklace- ebay    bracelets- Buckle    
                                                                         flats- Kenneth Cole      belt- Forever21

                                             Thanking you                                                                            Yours fashionably
                                                                                                                                      Juneli 

Monday, July 9, 2012

Lewis from St. Louis...

Hello everyone,
So I'm back now, back from a wonderful week-long vacation!
Sorry for disappearing like that but now I'm so glad to be back to blogging!
Hope you all had a great week. Can't wait to hear all that I missed and share my travel experiences too.


                                                Can you spot the famous arch in the background?


It was a vacation filled with beach, water, water parks and road trips.
On the 4th of July we were at St Louis, Missouri, a beautiful city with architecturally rich buildings , nestled on the banks of the Mississippi river.
The very mention of St. Louis reminds me of Lewis from St. Louis from the movie Sex and the City. I do not know how many times I've watched every episode of Sex and the City over the years. I've always been a die hard fan of the show- the fashion, the city and the events in the life of the four friends never failed to impress me and the first movie was like an icing on the cake. Right now, I wish I had an assistant  like Lewis from St. Louis (Jennifer Hudson), who would help me finish all my pending household chores and catch up on the blogging part and also hook me up with a place which rents expensive bags like her patchwork Louis Vuitton!

Though, I originally planned to wear something in red, white and blue, on the 4th of July, I ended up wearing this comfy, cotton, chevron-striped dress as the temperature was a freaking 102 degrees and the heat and humidity was simply intolerable. In case you are thinking 'What? no red, blue and white on the 4th of July?', my sweet friend was smart enough to collect these red, white and blue bead strands from the parade downtown, and suggested I wear them to bring in the color scheme of the day!!

Tell me, did you wear red, white and blue on America's Independence Day?
How did you celebrate the 4th of July?




                                                                          What I Am Wearing:
                                                                   dress- Maurices    bag- Steve Madden    flats- Kenneth Cole    
                                                                   watch and sunnies- Guess    bracelets- Buckle, Forever21

                                               Thanking you                                                                          Yours faithfully
                                                                                                                                      Juneli 
P.S. My absence for a week has put me behind with all the blogging work and I'm trying to catch up with all your comments and posts. It will take some time but I promise I will visit you all soon. Thanks for all your lovely words in my previous posts!