On November 1, Guy Fawkes’ Night saw the customary spread of bonfires lit throughout the UK capital and country.  As I already shared in my last post that OneTimeFashionista team had been to the fireworks festival last Saturday. Spectacular bonfires and fireworks display at this London Guy Fawkes’ night gatherings was a night to remember.

As is customary, many of the officially organised community bonfires have  also featured fireworks displays, fairground rides and various other distractions and entertainments. For those who had the opportunity to celebrate the occasion in London, know that there were few other places too where the main bonfire night celebrations took place in the city on or around Guy Fawkes’ Night.  So, Saturday 1st November was the return of the Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival that took place in the beautiful grounds of Alexandra Park. High above North London with views across the City, the display was a magnificent spectacle.

With spectacular views of the city skyline providing a backdrop, Alexandra Palace’s fireworks display was reliably impressive. This was one of the larger events, with a fun fair ran throughout the evening and various food and drink stalls in operation, so it basically turned out to be a Food & Drinks festival AKA street-food party for us -from mulled wine to German beers, from North African traditional dish Tagine to homemade sausages- what a spread! 

As it was one of the most talked-about event, the night didn’t end with a huge fireworks display only, the Palace ground was also the host of the UK’s largest German Beer Festival, street food & craft beer village, family area, two large funfairs and an ice skating ring- all these, naturally, won’t come for free, one had to get tickets to be a part of it. Entry tickets costed from £7 for adults; from £5 for children.

The fireworks started at 7:30pm but we arrived there around 4pm to make the most of the other entertainment the event had to  offer across the Park including street food and craft beer from local brewers. The Family Zone was the perfect area for young families or those who would simply prefer a bit more room to enjoy the display. This area also hosted a funfair, free face painting, and street food vendors there served children’s sized portions so the whole family can eat together. For the adventurous there was an adult fun fair with some real white knuckle rides. Entry to all of these attractions is covered in your fireworks ticket but for those wanting a little bit more additional tickets are available to the Ice Skating Session and German Bier Festival.  What I loved about the rides, were the instructions  put up in front of the entrance of every rides -for me, instructions with humour works best!

Londoners, who have missed this super fun night already, wait! There is more for you waiting! Tonight is the night! Adding a bit of colour to these dark autumn evenings is your Bonfire Night, which is set to go off with a bang (literally) tonight. Prepare to hear ‘ooooh’s and ‘ahhhhh’s echo around the capital as firework displays take place across London, including Brockwell Park, Wimbledon and Southwark. If you miss the firey fun tonight, more firework displays are planned for the weekend in Hackney, Ealing and Harrow, to name just a few. Boom!

My fashionistas, Team One Time Fashionista went and back from the most talked about event in London these days – Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. It provides a spectacular festive destination with something to excite people of all ages. Whether you choose from one of their popular attractions, experience the thrilling rides, or taking a trip to Santa Land, browse the Christmas markets and enjoy the festive fare, it is a guaranteed fun& fiesta time out there.

Face it, nothing says Christmas quite like stuffing your piehole with grilled sausage, riding what must be the world’s tallest swing, then getting plowed at the Arctic Lodge Bar. Welcome to the weird, wonderful world of London’s Christmas markets at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. 

From our day-out at the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, we have gathered that the entire concept of this month-long festivity is originated from a traditional German Christamas market. Somewhere along the line the Germans put their imprint on Christmas. Why they chose this particular holiday and how they got away with owning it all over Europe is a mystery. Perhaps nobody else wanted it or just maybe, nobody could improve on the ideas thrown down by the Germans.  They’re inspired, after all; someone was definitely thinking outside the box. 

I’m happy that some German visionary invented the European Christmas Market.  It’s at least as meaningful as anything else I tend to do during the holiday season and actually much more fun and tastier than most of our  current traditions.

Why Hyde Park for Winter Wonderland?
In London, technically two different parks, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are in practical terms one huge, merging expanse. The ‘split’ dates back to 1728 when Queen Caroline, wife of George II, took almost 300 acres from Hyde Park to form Kensington Gardens. The 350 acres that remained has become one of London’s best-loved parks. What better place than Hyde Park to host the biggest fun-filled event of the year!

As we found out the opening times are 10am until 10pm every day, (from 22nd November 2014 to 4th January 2015 excluding Christmas Day when the event is CLOSED), we chose this weekend to explore and soak up the festive atmosphere. Winter Wonderland is free to enter but if you would like to enjoy Ice Skating, The Magical Ice Kingdom, Zippos Circus, Giant Wheel and Bar Ice, advance booking is highly recommended as attraction tickets sell out, especially at weekends and evenings. Advance tickets guarantee fast-track entry into Hyde Park Winter Wonderland!

The busiest times at Winter Wonderland are weekends, tell us about it! To avoid the rush and to experience Winter Wonderland at a quieter pace you may wish to go along during the week and mornings, both my beautographer and I have a day job on weekdays usually from 9 to 5, so weekend was the only option left for us.

What to look for?

Food & Drink
Winter Wonderland offers a huge selection of food and drink. Whether it’s a sit-down meal, a bite on the move, or festive drinks with family or friends – Winter Wonderland has something for everyone. There are many bars, cafes and restaurants to suit all tastes. Two must have food to try at Winter Wonderland this year is the German Sausage and the Churros. I don’t eat red meat. So, I wouldn’t have anything to say about the German sausage but if I’m allowed to quote my beautographer here, ‘‘best handmade sausage I’ve ever had.’’ As for me, I have tried Churros in Spain, Argentina and many times before in London but this paper-cone of Churros I bought for a fiver today at the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is the most delicious so far and worth every penny. Sprinkled with sugar and freshly made liquid hot chocolate, these Churros were perfectly crunchy, crispy and chocolaty.

What really impressed me about Winter Wonderland this year is, they operate a ‘Challenge 25’ policy for all alcohol sales. So, if you are lucky enough to look under 25 you will be asked to provide valid identification that you are aged 18 or over. They accept the following forms of ID:

Driving Licence
Valid Passport
A Proof of Age Standards Scheme Card (showing the PASS hologram)

You better be responsible!

Chrismas Markets
The Christmas Markets at the Winter Wonderland is my personal favorite. This traditional Christmas Market gives you plenty of choice across more than 200 fairylit Bavarian style with wooden chalets and various Bavarian-style bars and cafes is a hoot, as is the Spiegel Saloon, a large, festive and fully covered restaurant. Don’t go with an empty wallet because while the whole thing is not cheap, it’s such fun you’ll want to get into the spirit and spend. And you’re sure to find all you need for the festive season. I am going to publish another post soon with my favorite pieces that you can get for your near and dear ones as Christmas pressies this year.

Attractions & Rides
Winter Wonderland offers the biggest selection of attractions and rides in the British capital. There’s a huge choice of things to do from the ice rink to the Magical Ice Kingdom. Other popular features are the 53-metre-high Observational Wheel, Zippos Circus – always a hit, especially when temperatures plummet and its heated big top entertains and warms the crowd.

 You will find some of the newest and most exciting thrill rides at Winter Wonderland for those who like to feel the adrenalin. Plus the best funhouses, ghost rides, and delightful children’s rides. Whether you are a thrill-seeker just like my beautographer or if you are chicken-hearted like me who prefer to enjoy the more tranquil experiences- there is something for all.

What are you waiting for then? Plan a day out with your family or friends and book ahead to avoid disappointment. Advance tickets guarantee fast-track entry into Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. After spending 5 long hours there, while coming back at around 7pm, we saw long queue at the entrance with thousands of people trying to get in. So, avoid the rush hour, if you can! Do a favor to London Underground authority by avoiding Hyde Park tube station to get to the Winter Wonderland as it gets very crowded during peak hours. The main entrance to the Winter Wonderland is at the Marble Arch and then there is Green Park station which is just about 10 minutes walkaway. Go, just walk around the Hyde Park and absorb the festive ambiance – but it will take a strong will not to succumb to the smells and fun on offer.

Winter Wonderland alone will make anybody’s holiday season, as it did mine.

Wrap up your festive shopping at London’s best Christmas market and fair- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Hyde Park gets glammed up once again with its annual Christmassy additions. Those of you read the second last post here, know that Hyde park is kitted out with rides and attractions, including a giant observation wheel and two circuses, plus the famous ice rink. But what makes me really feel like Alice in this winter wonderland is that the Christmas Market is back there, boasting a winning combination of homemade gifts and delicious food. The market sells almost everything from decorative items, sweets and festive treats as well as traditional German crafts and lashings of glühwein. If you are looking for inspiration what to buy this Christmas for your near and dear ones, then continue reading this post and go ahead with your Christmas shopping there! Instead of rushing to your nearest high street, start browsing the Christmas Markets at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

The Christmas Market at Hyde Park gives you plenty of choice across more than 200 fairylit Bavarian style wooden chalets. You’re sure to find all you need for the festive season. Get your mits on handmade crafts including pottery, toys, and pashminas, in addition to a variety of cheeses, chocolates, and chutneys. You’ll also find plenty of gift ideas to inspire you with an array of beautiful jewellery, accessories, clothing, handmade crafts, traditional Christmas decorations and more! After browsing through the stalls, I can say that there are some really unique items from across the world. So, I have come up with these Christmas gift ideas and I hope you’ll like them as much as I did.

Home Decorations

Home decoration items are the most useful Christmas gifts you can receive as it can be used by all the members of your family. It is often seen that it’s very hard to shop for teenagers, most of the time you end up buying things they do not want or like. Buying a bed-side table lamp shade made in  Morocco but bought in London for your teenage daughter or cousin’s bedroom or some decorative lights made in Nepal for your Christmas tree is always a good idea as Christmas presents. Hyde Park Christmas market has some amazing collection from handmade scented candles to colorful chandelier lighting, from handmade tableware  made of clay to DIY plastic tealight lantern made from disposable/ reusable cups.

Given an opportunity to choose only one item from Hyde Park’s Christmas market, I would like to choose a thing or two or in fact the entire tableware set by Kari Ceramics– handmade by Kari Ytterdal in her studio in Amsterdam, this high quality ceramics collection is inspired by Norwegian nature, surrendering to rocky mountains, trees and the sea. Captured the organic forms, the entire collection of Kari ceramics tableware is handmade with love and care  to shape the clay into its natural beauty. The best part of shopping Kari Ceramics from Hyde Park Christmas markets is that they give you an experience similar to high-street shopping as they come with beautifully packaged gift cards unlike other stalls.

Foodie-goodies

Food gifts are the best gifts. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like to eat. You don’t have to think about the gender, size, preferences of the person when you are gifting them food items, right! Hyde Park Christmas market serves up its regular selection of sustainably and ethically produced fine foods but with extra added seasonal goodies. Pick up gifts such as chutney, honey, cheese, traditional sweets with marzipan and craft beer to wrap up for your hungriest family members, and tuck into ready-to-eat treats such as mulled wine and mince pies while you shop. My top three picks are: cheese, honey and Chutney by The Cherry Tree made in Dorset, the cheese from Snowdonia Cheese Company and the Királyi  marzipan sweets.

Accessories

Accessories as Christmas pressie is a great idea as you don’t need to know about the size of the person you are buying this gift for.  Ladies and young girls in your family will love getting  a statement piece and some funky accessories as Christmas gift. The Handmade Jewellery stall had some drool-worthy pieces. It’s a must that you check-out their collection especially like me, if you also prefer friendly sales assistants or owners  while shopping.

Take some time out from the excitement of the attractions of Winter Wonderland for a leisurely stroll around the Christmas markets.You’re sure to find some gift ideas for others and you may even be tempted to treat yourself. Avoid the peak hours (Mornings and week days are recommended) to allow you have lil extra time in hand to browse through all the stalls for that unique Christmas gift for your family and friends.

Happy Christmas shopping!!!

On 1st of December Monday the team Onetimefashionista  attended the London Bloggers Meetup at Big Chill House in London Kings Cross area where the topic in focus was ‘Telling a Fashion Story Through Blogging’. It was the first of its kind that this Meetup group arranged something on Fashion Blogging and we must say they were hugely successful. Attended by some 20-30 bloggers and enthusiasts who braved the December chilly evening to descend at the Big Chill House (appropriate name indeed) to share experiences on fashion blogging. The good thing was that bloggers from other disciplines such as technology, lifestyle, food etc. also joined the forum to hear out the fashion bloggers.

The key speakers for the evening were Anoushka Probyn and Jess Debrah from http://www.lookwhatigot.co.uk. The speakers shared their experiences on how they set up their fashion blog, the challenges they faced, how they come up with ideas and their tips on collaboration, traffic, audience engagement. It was very clear that the steps every fashion blogger needs to take are so similar and the challenges are so same. Jess and Anoushka are very popular and talented fashion bloggers and onetimefashionista.com wishes them all the best for future.

More listening

We also want to applaud Lauren who was in charge of the event that evening. London being one of the four fashion capitals of the world and bloggers playing such an important role to establish style leadership among the fashion conscious – it was timely on behalf of the London Bloggers Meetup to recognise to focus on the influence of fashion bloggers. We made many new friends during the meetup, especially Alex from the Happy Blog was such an inspiring young girl. We hope the organisers will arrange similar meetups in future especially before any major London fashion event. Onetimefashionista.com will love to be part of any such gatherings in future.

Two Saturdays ago, team One Time Fashionista had been to the Frock me! Vintage Fashion Fair. It is one of London’s original and most well known vintage fashion fairs (aka my heaven) with a huge cult following, held at Chelsea Old Town Hall throughout the year .

First established at Kensington Town Hall in the 1990’s, the Frock Me! event has been a fixture on the vintage scene for more than a decade on the King’s Road. At the fair, 5o+ exhibitors were selling a complete cross section of vintage clothing and accessories from the 1900s right up to Eighties. Some vintage traders who have been with the organisers since the inception of Frock Me! Many of them are regular stallholders and can be found at each fair- each with their own speciality, knowledge and showcase of vintage fashion, textiles, accessories and haberdashery. With its emphasis on designer fashion, this is one of London’s pricier vintage fairs, however you can still find a real bargain if you are prepared to browse. We have come back with these wonderful pictures from the fair. There are also some photos of the vintage clothes and accessories that I’ve  liked in particular, seen here holding and showing them for you all e.g. Sh! Little Sister, Ooh la la! Vintage, Hope & Harlequin to name a few.

At each fair they also host a popular nostalgic pop up tea room, run by the award winning Blackbird Tea Rooms from Brighton. So, don’t forget to stop for a slice of Victoria’s Sponge with a cuppa served in a vintage cup & saucer at the amazing tea room if you go to the next one!

Next The Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair will be Sunday 1 February 2015
11am-5.30pm | Chelsea Old Town Hall | King’s Road | London SW3 5EE. Tickets for each event are available in advance on the Fairs Dates page.

Don’t forget to holler if you happen to raid there! 

The last weekend of January, London had its very first bridal and occasion wear show by India’s most celebrated designers curated by Aashni Shah. As much as I regret missing out on the opportunity to wear a saree and attend Saraswati Puja aka Basant Panchami celebration by Bengali diaspora in London, but I have hugely compensated by finding myself in a fashion heaven- where India’s leading designers descended on London’s Dorchester Hotel on Sunday (January 25) to present their latest bridal and couture collections at the Aashni + Co Wedding Show in association with Zouch & Lamare. The atmosphere was electric and the air was thick with luxury fashion from India. January- renowned as being a key buying and browsing period for Summer Brides – the Aashni + Co Wedding show successfully showcased the latest offerings by a host of India’s best designers in the UK.

Know the organizers: Aashni + Co is UK’s leading luxury multi-designer store for Indian fashion. Focussing on current trends and mainly designers stocking within the Aashni+Co flagship store with a beautiful concept set in the heart of London’s Notting Hill: the Aashni+Co Wedding show promised and performed as the event to be ‘at’ with its annual offering of current season trends. 

While more than 20 Wedding shows featuring Asian designs take place in the United Kingdom, Aashni+Co aimed for a high-fashion offering with a focus on the luxury market. The difference is in the edit, which is what Aashni+Co prides itself on.

The stars behind this hugely successful show was not one or two but a handful of people especially the team of Zouch & Lamare who designed and produced this show. So, if you are on the look out for a luxury wedding planning service which is tailored to each and every couple, you know where to go now as they take care of everything needed to realise your perfect wedding day!

Highlights of the event: With every designer – whether they create clothing or fine jewellery – being handpicked, it was surely the event for all the British Asian Brides, Mothers of the Bride and Grooms, family members from both sides along with all enthusiasts of fashion from Indian sub-continents came, saw and shopped designs from the top end of the Indian design spectrum.

Not just brides and grooms to be, the event also appeals to fashionistas, tastemakers and the aspirational alike. The wedding show not only focused on mainly Luxury Designer Indian bridal wear but also the offering in other aspects of the day was the florists, cake designers, wedding planners, live bands, a fun free photo-booth and other service providers handpicked from the creme de la creme within the United Kingdom which includes exclusive floral designer Zita Elze who was commissioned to design several display areas and had also exhibited at the show. I am besotted by Zita’s work especially done for the weddings and was delighted and equally thankful for the flowers she and her team allowed us to choose, pick and bring home with us after the show.

From established A-list fashion houses to cutting edge new generation talent, illustrious exhibitors include Manish Malhotra, Anushree Reddy, Varun Bahl, Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali, Pallavi Jaikishan, Shehlaa Khan, Sonali Gupta, Elisha Wadwani, Nikasha, Tarun Tahiliani, Ashima Leena, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rimple and Harpreet Narula and Sabyasachi, who also featured in a stylish and amusing promotional video for the show – seen on B4U channel.

Speaking at the event, Aashni Shah said: “I’m overwhelmed by the atmosphere, the energy and the response here today to a luxe exhibition concept and retail platform of this scale.

“It was important to feature the right mix of designers and fashion houses, from established A-listers and luxury designers to the most sought after and desirable new generation talent. It is time people stopped travelling all the way to India to find their wedding outfit – we wanted to bring the best of India’s bridal to our doorstep and we’ve achieved that. The response has unanimously been amazing.”

When asked about the event, here is what India’s three most illustrious designers had to say:

Sabyasachi Mukherjee described the lavish event, saying: “It’s spectacular here today. I have brought a lot of pieces here today that our Bollywood girls have worn, from Aishwarya to Deepika, and I have also brought my latest collection that was on the runway. Indian brides in the UK are hungrier for culture. They are used to the best things and London is truly the most cosmopolitan city in the world.”

Manish Malhotra, who designs clothing for Bollywood’s biggest stars, said: “My collection here today is basically bringing back the classic red. I like taking vintage and heritage culture and giving it a modernising nature, which is easy to wear and personality driven.

Tarun Tahiliani added: “My first show at the Dorchester was in 1995. It was the first show I ever did and it was one of the most beautiful, magical nights. When I heard the venue for this event was the Dorchester, I had to do it just to do something a little different. It is wonderful being here. I had no idea it would be such an incredible turnout. It has been wonderful speaking to brides and the audience here. “

In addition to designers, other VIP’s in attendance included Kanika Kapoor, Pratham UK brand ambassador and singer; Tamara Al Gabbani, Jaipur Gems Brand ambassador, UAE; and Asian Awards founder Paul Sagoo.

My best moments at the show:

Not many people have a photograph of the best moments of their life’s important events. If you do, what a gift! This is why I believe in capturing every moments and emotions in a shutter click. Aashni +Co London Indian Designer Wedding Show was no exception to this rule. Actually I have two best moments from the show:

First of all, it’s meeting, greeting and getting to know the creative genius- the designer par excellence Sabyasachi Mukherjee. He made me feel he is ”one of us”. Humble and down-to-earth Sabya had teased me for never being happy with the pictures I take, (he is a quick personality trait reader;)) and, was patient with my (”perfectionist”) tantrums when initial iPhone clicks was an epic fail due to dim light decoration inside the hall and I had to run after him with my camera to get a couple decent pictures. If success makes you this relaxed about everything in life, then everyone should try to be nothing but successful!

My second best moment of the day rather an experience was to work closely with designer Nikasha. I was immediately drawn to her warm, friendly nature. As soon as I heard Nikasha’s Mum (who came to help her on the show) speaking in Bengali (which is my mother tongue), I instantly felt the warmth and got along with her entire team like a house on fire. But what made it so special to hit the list of one my best moments was Nikasha’s generosity to invite me to work with her in India, how sweet of her!

I’m very delighted that I had the opportunity to work along with Aashni +Co’s in-house team for the weekend only to put together this spectacular show, Aashni + Co treated everyone working for the event to coffee/tea and treats. I’m also glad that we all from Aashni+ Co’s event management team could share a piece of the demo wedding cake on display along with all the attendees and would like to take this opportunity to provide a small bit of thanks for all of your contributions to the success of this show. I am also looking forward to the drink night with all the members of this organizing team proposed by Aasni +Co to be held sometime in February, it is totally awesome of them. Aashni+ co rules!

The day of love is approaching and for some, it spells dread because we’ve been sold to for years that Valentine’s day is all about romance with your life-partner. Don’t buy into it! Get together with your girlfriends, your kids, your family or spend it alone in the bathtub with a glass of bubbly to drink and eucalyptus & rosemary bubble bath to celebrate the love you feel for yourself. Dump the stereotypes and look at February 14th as a fun day! Whether you are a Valentine’s embracer or hater, if you are anything like me then February 14th is rubbing up on you without warning and leaves you wondering as to what to buy your beloved, be they partners or family or friends.

So I’ve rounded up 14 beautiful pieces for 14th February that you can hold in your hand while saying those three magical words to the man or woman or a loved one in your life-

For Her:

1. Lulu Guinness Red Perspex Lips Clutch

Because the best way to say – I love you is with a KISS

2. Agent Provocateur Lingerie or nightwear 

Because the Zuri Suspender is particularly my favourite- it’s romantic and very Spring-y

3. Zita Elze Bouquets & a Box of Ladurée Macaron

Because they are my favourite types of gift:)

4. Christian Louboutin Simple Pump Patent 

Because the average woman falls in love 7 times a year. Only 6 are with shoes.

5. India Circus Cushions

Because good furnishings are great conversation starters. If your mum is your valentine this year, these silk cushions made in India are perfect for her

6. Karleo Red Crystal Volcano Headpiece

Because this vintage sass you want to wear on your head

7. Sabyasachi Clutch

Because Sabyasachi is synonymous with sophistication 

For Him:
1. Wooden Ties

Because you get 10% discount if you shop now by clicking on the link above. Use the code ‘fashionistalove’ in checkout to get this discount. 

2. Hugo Boss Wallet Gift Set 

Because he deserves this luxury

3. Calvin Klein or Polo Ralph Lauren Underwear Trunk Set

Because you want to spice things up in the bedroom;)

4. Engraved Initial Silver & Gold Plated Tie Pin & Cufflinks Set

Because it’s personally yours!

5. Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife

Because why would only women read all the romantic novels? Give him a tissue box along with the book;)

6. Body Groomer 

Because good hygiene is a major turn on!

7. Gift him an experience– a day at the races or a football match ticket in which his favourite team playing or a surprise quick getaway in the countrysides for the Valentine’s Day weekend.

Top tip: These are the ideas or categories of the gifts you may gift to your loved ones. You should choose the brand you can afford because the gesture of giving a gift matters, not much the item itself.

”Unconventional is risky but rewarding. Ordinary is safe but boring. Since we decided to pursue the unconventional path, the experiences are also unique, uncommon and worthwhile. Such was the afternoon tea on the Valentine’s Day at a venue which was so unconventional right in the heart of London. Such is the personality of this person which is not ordinary, so the treatment I received was special. Thank you is however not an unconventional word anymore to say to you Tanusree Ghosh” – said my beautographer about his experience of our Valentine’s Day afternoon tea date at the Sketch London– an unique restaurant which changes the design of its rooms (each of them different) everytime they feel like making some new collaborations with artists. The last time they revamped their decoration was in early 2012.

After seeing pictures of the room called “The Gallery” on the net, I thought that this is one of those places you imagine can only exist in the pages of Vogue. So I made up my mind- this is exactly where I would like to take him on a date- what better day I could choose than February 14th, being the first day of the Spring according to the Bengali Calendar (Yes! We choose to bring out the Bengali in us whenever it is convenient;)) and also celebrated as the day of Love all over the world- Valentine’s Day.

 So, I made a reservation a couple months before, and whisked him away yesterday to share another unique experience together in life. The gallery which we walked through is decorated in pastel wallpaper, plenty to see, this room was what I would describe as a old style parlour, but we were having our afternoon tea in the pink room refined by a curious mind, a touch of humour… It’s a work of art, a striking backdrop… It’s David Shrigley‘s Gallery.

Turner prize nominated and Fourth Plinth commissioned, David Shrigley has transformed the Gallery at sketch as part of a long-term programme of artist-conceived restaurants. Crisp and clean with a touch of his signature humour, Shrigley has understood the dining table of the Sketch Gallery as an obvious exhibition space, a platform for the presentation of new work by himself and Master Chef, Pierre Gagnaire. 

A soft pleasant pink: almost powdery, and in fact Turkish Delight Pink furnishings designed by India Mahdavi with walls adorned almost edge to edge with black-and-white witty, funny, often satirical and some with a social message drawings and texts by Shrigley (I covet Photography Is Difficult and Don’t Touch It), for you to ponder over while sipping the afternoon cup of tea. Basically you don’t know if you are in a museum or a restaurant. This pink and cosy atmosphere, these glamorous chairs and sofas looks like pastries and marshmallows!

Gallery Afternoon Tea

With an Afternoon Tea to catch your eye…. Sketch has worked its magic, creating a menu which is sure to delight, with caviar and quail egg, the sandwiches that you’ll want to bite and go to food-heaven. There are pastries too, macaroons to see you through, an assortment of cakes that are in-house baked specially for its customers.

On arrival, the waitress explained everything as to how the tea would go! I chose from their selections of herbal infusions- whole rose buds tea to start with and he tried the traditional black tea- Chai. The waitress explained what was in each sandwich, the quail egg one was lovely as was them all, they were exquisitely prepared. The small cakes were also good but I have to say I preferred the savoury eats best. We had a choice of scones, fruit or plain. They were served after the sandwiches as they were kept hot wrapped in a white cloth. We were informed that we could have as much as we wanted as far as the food was concerned and we did have more sandwiches and macarons. It was delicious, pretty enough that you almost don’t want to touch but to keep looking at and we got lots to eat; sweets, finger sandwiches, scones … And the most tempting selection of teas.

 Sketch is also very famous for its futuristic toilets. The individual egg-shaped white toilet cacoons that are attractions all by themselves, all beyond psychedelic dreams. Unapologetically, I headed to the toilet with my camera in hand and spend  about 15 minutes clicking away, so were other ladies!

Even the restaurant staff uniforms were very artful: designed by Richard Nicoll, ladies were wearing grey shirt dress and men in grey onesies looked somehow elegant and utilitarian that reference a diner look but in a very modern and sophisticated way. 

Another interesting observation about this place was the bill comes in a sandpaper envelope; it might as well just say, “Ouch!”  since it’s expensive. 

Match-oh-much!

Majority women would choose to wear red or black or a combination of both on Valentine’s Day, I opted for this soft pink maxi dress with embellished flutter sleeves to match the tea room at the Sketch and its cosy atmosphere. It makes the whole experience even more dreamy and romantic. Keeping the ‘love’ factor noticeable, I styled this chiffon dress with a pearl heart shaped clutch namely Lovespell Minaudiere by trend-led Indian accessories’ designer Tarini Nirula. A champagne colored strappy heels is worn to match the embellished neck, back and sleeves. The fusionista in me brought an element of ethnic style with this tribal fresh blossomed gold flower ring with two tone finish.

I have styled my beautographer in this solid-coloured travel line suit (regular fit) by BOSS. The classic 2-button jacket paired with a crispy white shirt and a pair of cats-eye stone cufflinks were the perfect choice for the occassion and the mood. I have always liked the look of brown shoes against grey or dusty blue pants. So, to avoid this look looking like off-I-go-to-work, I have chosen a pair of mocha brown shoes for him and added a pop of color (of passion) with a crimson red satin pocket square folded in the classic way.

This is how we celebrated Valentine’s Day this year and spent an afternoon uniquely at the Pierre Gagnaire’s wonderfully OTT gastronomic playground- Sketch Gallery, a place with a real wow factor!

What Were We Wearing? 

On Tanusree: ASOS PETITE Lattice Embellished Flutter Sleeve Maxi Dress/ Amrapali jewels Two-tone Flower Ring/ Dune Champagne Lurex Strappy Heeled Sandal from Debenhams / Earring from House of Fraser/ Tarini Nirula Lovespell Pearl Heart Minaudiere Clutch from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop 

On Shehzaad: Hugo Boss Suit/ TM Lewin Shirt/ Pocket Square Was A Gift From A Friend So Don’t Know The Details/ Aldo Shoes/ Jasper Conran Cufflinks

The small things of life are often much bigger than the great things. The trivial pleasure like buying a thing for one’s home, going to bed to sleep on a crispy new bedsheet, buying a present for your loved ones, those solitary walks, funny things seen and overheard. I cherish these single moments more than ever. Bigger things in life always snatch away the time from these small pleasures of life. I started a mission of redoing our current home since the end of last year, we bought a few new furnitures, collected some decoration pieces from accross the world from our various voyages in 2014 and now inching towards moving into a bigger home this year. Next month, we will complete 7 years of ‘saying it in black & white’, this is also the year we have completed 15 years of loving each other which calls for a big celebration and you know our ways to celebrate and mark a special month like this- yes, we are getting ready for our first voyage of 2015 and guess what! this is going to be my ”Dream” destination, the real one of all. Just a month from now, all planning and research is on full-swing: wardrobes to pack, places to see, adventures to do, what to eat… all are on my mind. Apart from the holiday planning, this weekend will be spent on celebrating (in spirit as he lives in India) my nephew Krishi-pooh’s birthday tomorrow- 22nd February and then watching  a world cup cricket match between India and South Africa in the morning and late at night Oscars with home-made Spaghetti Bolognese on Sunday.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

The future ahead is not bright. It is actually red and a very bright red. Because red is the colour of China, the Chinese flag and one of the luckiest colours used in all festivals and important events in the Chinese world. Team Onetimefashionista is fully on board this emergence of the red horizon on the anvil and I had been enriching my Mandarin language arsenal for a while now in a bid to conquer China very soon with words ofcourse. So I got myself enrolled with GoChinEasy Academy in London to attend regular Chinese classes to formalise my immersion into zhong wen. We have a meetup.com group which arranges from time to time, social events and tours around London with a touch of Chinese in almost everything. The latest was a dinner and a walking tour around China town to celebrate the arrival of the Chinese New Year of the Sheep.

Our language group got together first at the Chang’s Noodle restaurant in New Oxford Street in the evening. This joint is very popular with Chinese residents in London and it was obvious from the décor inside that they have put minimal attention to put up bells and whistles since the kitchen is kept busy in any case with the huge inflow of hungry diners who are fond of the fantastic flavours. Our laoshi (teacher) arrived and very naturally started to communicate with the waiters in Mandarin. The food we had was simply awesome and certainly very spicy. I am yet to learn how to eat with chopsticks so had to settle with forks. It is important, as I realised, to learn even the Chinese way of eating – and that is with chopsticks.  Over the dinner table our group of some 10 mandarin speakers also got to learn important cultural tips and trivia about the Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated in Chinese families all around the world. For example, the advice that it is good custom and courtesy to gently knock the table with your knuckles twice to ‘say thank you’ to your host or neighbour who may be putting some more green tea into your cup.  Also, we got the chance to brush up the vocabulary on how to order food, how to order cutleries and more importantly how to compliment the taste i.e. delicious, you liked it or not etc.

Later we took a nice little walk around China Town which was already decorated in lots of red, yellow and green festoons, balloons to welcome the Year of the Sheep. There is a celebration around China Town and Leicester Square on 22^nd February Sunday when a lot of dragon dances and merry making are expected. Make sure you arrive there early on Sunday if you want to get a good glimpse. We walked around Chinese restaurants which were busy with diners from all parts of the world. That is the beauty of London anyways that diversity is the king (or queen?) here. The amount of languages you will hear when you take a walk down Oxford Street, you will get to realise that there is a big world which speaks a language which you don’t and so you have more to learn. Our group took some group photos and some entertained themselves with some hot chocolate. We finished our tour on a high note and wishing each other zai jian and gong xi fa cai!

It certainly had been a roller coaster ride. There was excitement, there was fear, element of surprise, risk, scream, laughter, relief, anxiety and the whole plethora of emotions one can imagine. The main difference being the fact that this roller coaster was not found in any theme park but in the very centre stage of life itself when we decided to embark on the union of marriage to partner with each other through every thick and thin and through every up and down.

We celebrated the 7th anniversary of our marriage this March. Albeit late to bring to you the glimpse and glamour of how we celebrated the occasion, better late than never. Looking back at the seven years of marriage and the 8 years of courtship before that – the 15 years of growing and glowing together had been the best experience of our lives. A significant amount of time early on, we stayed away from each other in two different countries to pursue professional objectives. Ironically in the absence of social media, fondness still grew and remained intact. Contrary to now days when relations become a status only in our Facebook account, and the human touch keeps craving for attention away from the technology.

Odds were against, in terms of being born in families following certain faiths. When we realised that faiths on God and the similarity therein are not sufficient to forge a family but it is the desire to have full faith on human values and feelings that can triumph in the end. Staying away from the society we grew up in, away from family and friends – we set course on a path to pave way for love. Given it was not a movie being shot in a set of Universal Studios, cracks did appear and the climax faded unknowingly way before the movie could mature. There were lows of the roller coaster ride which would have nearly touched the bottoms of the seabed while the highs were so beyond the cloud nine that the world appeared tiny from up and above.

Along with the love bug, the other bug that brought us together was the voyage bug, the deep desire to explore the new, experience the unknown destinations – all hand in hand – side by side. We realised that travelling was the best means to confirm our compatibility with each other, reassuring us that in spite of the bumps and turns, we can travel well together in the journey called life.

To celebrate our union, this year we made the longest voyage from our homebase (London) to the blue oceans of the Pacific – in the Hawaii islands, USA. To make merry by marking the anniversary, we decided to do something new, fun and our way. Conceptualised, organised and styled by Tanusree, we shot a tropical beach anniversary lookbook in three attires keeping three themes in mind– the western church theme, the desi look and in a local Hula outfit – to do the ‘shaka’ with the Aloha spirit of Hawaii. Our friend Molly, assisted by another friend Gurudarshan did the honour to capture our moments in magic behind their lenses along the shores of the Hapuna Beach, while the luscious Pacific waves kept on kissing our feet. Just like our reflection on the Pacific waves, we wanted to reflect on the sailing experience of our relationship from shore to shore, the ebb and flow. We asked ourselves some questions to see through the prism of love to find out if we could see the seven colours of the rainbow of our marriage. As they say “it is not about giving the right answers, but it is about asking the right questions…..”, so these questions are the compass of our navire de l’amour, the morning star in the east after a long dark stormy night to get us from shore to shore. We invite you to embark on the journey  with us.

Partnership of 15 years

1. What makes love last for 15 years?

Shehzaad: Trust, respect, friendship and empathy towards each other. Also there is an element of distance and hardship which make hearts grow fonder towards each other. Not that we wish for that, but when it does happen and when a pair pulls through those phases, the love becomes timeless and rust proof.

Tanusree: When you fall in love with someone, everything about that person tends to become beautiful. Then reality bites! In a long-term relationship, that of an unconventional one like ours, friendship, like-mindedness, sharing similar interests, ability to look beyond ‘what others think’, and  if I’m allowed to choose one unseemly element- that is, the way he looks, and maintains himself to stay fit and fine. Judge me on this, to keep the flame alive for longer, it is important for me to have a life partner who looks presentable.

2. What qualities does your partner possess that are important to you and why?

Shehzaad: She is honest, loyal, righteous, caring with genuine qualities of a human being. Certainly I want some qualities in my partner which are missing in my own personality repertoire. I really want those to be present in abundance in my partner and She surely fills that up. Other than qualities of character, it goes without saying that a beauty certainly lightens up the flame inside and I very much agree. No wonder that the translation of Her name is “body beautiful” and it is a literal translation since she is pretty, always rightly-dressed, has beautiful eyes and long hair. Tanusree actually walked in to my life…the chemicals were released as per request and my soul has been content.

Tanusree: He doesn’t conform to traditionalism. He wants every woman to be financially independent, in short, he is a gender-equalist like me. I work hard, I pay my bills, I maintain myself as I’m independent which He always appreciated and wished for. Also, we share our own beliefs about women changing surnames after marriage. While we don’t judge others choices to name change or not – it is something I never approve of. Also, if we ever become parents in future, our children will not have a lastname borrowed from either my father or his father and grand fathers or both. When the time will come, you’ll love the uniqueness of the idea I’ve in my mind. We are on the same page on these choices and decisions of life.

3. How are household chores divided among you and your partner? Has it changed over the years?

Shehzaad: I am in charge of dish cleaning, house cleaning, waste disposal, food and grocery shopping, occasional survival cooking. While Tanusree is in charge of planning what we need to buy for the household, interior decoration, laundry, cooking for any kind of occasion, shopping for both of our wardrobes, deciding on our next holiday destinations and all things we do for entertainment. The portfolio of responsibilities has certainly witnessed an evolution. Tanusree taught me patiently the basics of cooking and cleanliness. After a lot of toil and turmoil, I have finally started to make good progress in these departments.

Tanusree: For the initial couple of years, I did all the cooking (I LOVE cooking), cleaning and grocery as he had two jobs and I was a full time post-graduate research student with no paid job. Now we both work full time on our respective day jobs and I also work full time for the blog. He started contributing to the blog since last year which has become his third job now, the second being free-lance language translator (part-time, from the comfort of our living room couch). In spite of this, he manages to contribute  80% of the household chores now including basic cooking (weekend special for the blogpost and festival cooking are still my department) and being my masseur;) on demand. He pampers me to the fullest, you see. From this month, we have appointed a part-time domestic aid who helps us to find extra time to blog more often.

4. How do you feel about your partner now compared with when you first got together?

Shehzaad: Now I feel that I have been fortunate enough that I have her in my life. I still feel I have fallen short in so many places to make her feel happier. Now, I feel a deeper sense of love, respect and attraction compared to what I used to feel before. This was made possible because I had to learn at the expense of Her tireless patience that love will have to be unconditional and you have to put your loved one’s happiness before yours.

Tanusree: Shehzaad was the BEST boyfriend a woman can possibly think of having in life! Post 13th March, 2008, he has evolved as a person,  as a partner. Responsibilities, both on the work and family front have made him more strategic. I bring out the humane side in him, I reckon. I wish he had practised his natural talents and had exercised his creative side more the way he used to do earlier  e.g. playing guitar, singing more often, writing editorials for leading English dailies, hosting cultural shows etc. His day job is so demanding that he is losing out on his creative repertoire. Although his thirst for language learning is unimaginable, he is now on number 7, equally proficient in all.

5. What are some qualities you admire about your partner?

Shehzaad: She is a better human being and a perfectionist. She is beautiful and not only look-wise, but in everything she does, what she wears, what she cooks, how she presents something, what she does to help people and overall how she carries and conducts herself. There are certain things which I can explain why I like in her, there are certain qualities which I admire which are hard to explain, since it is deeply engrained in my DNA maybe.

Tanusree: He is multi-talented and his devotion to learning a new language is beyond anyone’s understanding. I admire people who can do a thing or two beyond their day job, who has a passion for ‘living’ and who never use ‘age’ as an excuse to try new things. Shehzaad is that man. During our undergrad days, he used to be a student who would probably be out all day with friends and girlfriend (me) but still sit to study at least for couple of hours when he returned to his hostel room, every single day of 365 days a year. He is disciplined, inspiring and I’m wholly swoon by his ability to organise everything on a spreadsheet.

Life after 13th March 2008 (Our D day)

6. What has been the hardest and the easiest elements of staying married for 7 years?

Shehzaad: Hardest element of staying married for 7 years is ‘communication’, it sounds easy but it takes a while to realise that ‘communication’ is not what you want to say, but how your partner actually hears it. Times have become harder than before, and there are so many external sources of stress we struggle with every day which risked our marriage so often. The easiest element was the fact that we are both extroverts having shared interest towards   travelling, good food, fashion, new culture, language and meeting new people. Some shared principles and values of life is what makes the elements look easier.

Tanusree: Shehzaad had been my best friend, so the easiest element was actually to get married to my best friend. He knew me in and out, dealt with my mood swings and tantrums and loves me often the way I wanted. Naturally it was easy to convert the friendship to the next level. The hardest element is the ‘selflessness’. The fact that you will have to consider your life partner while making decisions about life, career, even during what to cook for dinner. The constant consideration of your partner’s preferences has been certainly the hardest element of staying married.

7. What are two or three of the most critical things you wish you had known when you got married?

Shehzaad: The fact that love is the essential ingredient for a marriage but money is like fire without which you cannot cook anything. So understanding that money, and a significant amount of it for a life in which you can do things in your bucket list, would have been better – is something I wish I had known before. The second thing is ‘maturity’ – not that it means I got married as an immature man but having the next level of maturity to realise and be prepared for the fact that “marriage will not be easy, but its rewarding in the end” would have certainly helped.

Tanusree: I wish I had known the importance of financial solvency this much I know now. That’s something I realise with time, married  or not. So, I could have waited little longer before biting the dust. In my ideal world, no one should get married before they turn 30.  I will reason why I said that. Both of us are on our own, financially. We didn’t have any benevolent source, no Aladin’s lamp to support or pay for anything we consume in life. The other factor which I wish I could have known better is the interference by external onlookers (read – relatives of family members) who may be unknowingly pose questions and poke nose which are not always helpful. Another critical element I wish I should have known was the wisdom that the tug of war between individuality and duality will continue and most importantly – both can co-exist in marriage – One doesn’t need to let go one to get another.

8. What subjects cause the most disagreements and whether you have topics you refuse to discuss because you will never agree?

Shehzaad: There are many such subjects causing a lot disagreements but it seems we never refuse to discuss them any ways. During the early days of marriage, usual topics such as certain family members, relatives or how day to day finances are being spent – did cause disagreements. Over time, I have learnt to comprehend Her point of view, oversee the underlying intentions and look for a solution to prioritise our relationship over everything.

Tanusree: Although our individual personality traits are different, our basic mantra of life is similar. For example, Shehzaad is very diplomatic but I speak my mind out. I haven’t seen Shehzaad shedding his diplomatic shell so I wonder how he would have reacted if we had a major disagreement. However when we are back from work, the 9 to 11pm in the evenings is our ‘happy hour’. No we don’t buy one drink to get one free, rather we use this time everyday to reconnect, recommence or rekindle our conversations  about our blog, our upcoming holidays, booking tickets, current affairs, I fill him up with latests on socio-politics, the book I’m reading currently, world sports, Bollywood gossips – pretty much everything under the sun. Shehzaad is always keen to learn new information and I love to share what I know as I have an opinion about everything. So we agree to disagree, but agree to keep discussing nevertheless.

Regrets, Do Overs and plans for 2016

9. If you had it all to do over again, what would you like to change most?

Shehzaad: May be I could have saved some more money before taking the plunge.

Tanusree:

Both of us share a view of shunning hefty spendings in big fat weddings. The concept of so many rituals, gifts (no gold/diamond jewelleries or cars or plush apartments please) and food just for the few days of the wedding miss the point that the actual journey starts from that day onwards where a couple may need a lot of fuel which otherwise gets wasted in those days of the rituals. While I am happy that we could organise our ceremonies as per our choices, I still think we could have made them even closer to our philosophies of marriage and life (I still regret of having a reception party wasting feeding 300 odd strangers guests!).

10. Any bucket list items for year 8?

Shehzaad: I really want to spend more time together. I want to work on my shortcomings which had created unwanted gaps. I want to look at the big picture ahead and how our love can help us draw that picture. I want to keep travelling together in new destinations as this is the best method to keep your compatibility fresh and renewed under new lights.

Tanusree: My top priority is to spend quality time together through travelling more, farther and longer, take this blog to a level that reflects our true spirit, complements our relationship, reflects our thoughts. I wish us to make more memories, gain new experiences and have more stories to tell rather than showing off materialistic investments and earthly achievements.

What Were We Wearing?

Tanusree:
Shabana Ali  Red Chiffon Saree with Cutwork Border and Pallu
Amrapali Jewels Ring and Mang Tika
Asos White Crochet Dress
Asos Flower Hair Crown
Newlook flat Sandals
Hula Set from Ebay

Shehzaad:

Hugo Boss Black Suit
Zara Black Shirt
Aldo Black Shoes
Asos Tropical Print Shirt
H&M White Linen Trousers & White Shorts
Hawaiian Shirt from Ebay 
Tie Rack Red Tie

Photos by Molly Irene McLaughlin  of  Molly Irene Media (Formerly known as Greenflash Photography Hawaii) and Gurudarshan Khalsa of Gurudarshan Khalsa Photography 

We loved this shoot to the moon. We would share all the pictures, if we could. To see a few more, we have created a gallery for you.

It’s that time of year again, my fashionistas! Fashion Month is truly in full swing and in fact more than half way through so it’s high time I cracked on with my London Fashion Week SS16 diaries. What better way to kick off a week of non stop shows, parties, outfits and general mayhem – not to mention get one last dose of sunshine before things turn very grey in Blighty.

It is a fact universally acknowledged that during fashion week something will go totally apeshit. Most likely more than one thing, at least if you’re like us travelling frequently and trying to balance a career in and out of blogging world. Anyway, we are glad to have been given this opportunity to attend as one of the fashion bloggers to cover the London Collections show at the Devonshire Square, London, curated by Oxford Fashion Studio on day 2 of the London Fashion Week. Two Saturdays ago, the London Collection hosted 4 shows with 30 designers showcasing 195 looks. Over six years Oxford Fashion Studio has produced 58 runway shows featuring 276 designers from 22 countries around the world. This season they have successfully featured 72 designers from 30 countries. Some of the previous productions have been attended by Dolly Jones (Editor, Vogue UK), Caroline Rush (CEO, British Fashion Council), Claire Wilcox (Fashion & Textiles, Victoria & Albert Museum) and supermodel David Gandy. No mean feat!

On Saturday 19th September, team OneTimeFashionista was up bright and ready to trot the City for our very first London Collections show. A glance at our show notes revealed the first show with independent collections by designers from accross the world namely; Tanya Elizabeth, Hailly London, Merce, Zumruduanka, Eskay W, Lucy Treadwell, Urchindeep and Dorin Negrau. This was not, however, necessarily the high shine, super glam show one might expect. In an exclusive interview with OneTimeFashioista, designer-duo of Hailly London confirmed that they took their stock in leather named as “Years Of Boldness.” The collection reflects the strong, bold and confident personality of the women  with buttoned details albeit one that still exuded the precision, polish and of course, expense on which the designer-duo has built their burgeoning empire. The term “independent collections” may instantly conjur images of ready-to-wear collections, but, as demonstrated here, in the right hands it can encompass both daywear and glamour-esque just as easily. Case in point, the camel leather coat with red buttons and details that charmed the show. Merce Moda‘s succession of separates and day dresses which married the designer’s distinctively taughtly tailored silhouettes with dramatically wide pants. Blown out neon colors and loosely billowing silhouttes have hinted at a more relaxed direction, on the other hand, Dorin Negrau‘s tightly fastened, utilitarian belting, ultra precise cuts,  hand embroidered rich embellieshed jackets, milkmaid carrying straw baskets and the glossiest of accessories ensure the looks exuded that unmistakeable air of luxury and rigour. Even the top front less jackets and shrugs that proved a surprising star of this show was distinctly (thank God) classy. Urchindeep‘s Spring-Summer esque fabrics and colors in sculpted shapes gave a sense of the organic mixing with polished  beach-calling precision. 

As always, there were killer dresses and summer holiday dreams, ranging from panelled, layered, sheer and semi sheer collections to billowing neon flash, untreated fabrics and simple styling of slick low ponytails and a dash of red lip only. The show may have not garnered rave reviews across the board but there was plenty there to covet – neatly cropped summer knits and gypsy skirts n’ crop  top combos being personal favourites – and served perhaps as a welcome sign that no matter how well established these designers may be, they ain’t afraid to take a risk now and again.

Next up, another show with independent collections showcasing Lily-Beau London, Susie in the sky, Emanuela Giannelli Design, Louise Ferdinand Lingerie, RCW, Sun Goddess, Custom Hair Accessories and Atulier. This show undoubtedly had a few firm favourites of this season and some brands showcasing what I call ‘real clothes’- clothes that you can actually wear off the runway. It’s usually a safe assumption that I am going to fall head over heels for anything Atulier designs and their SS2016 collection pretty much had me as the glass of complimentary Prosecco I was handed at the bar reception on arrival. Embracing a passion for Spring blooms, Custom Hair Accessories concocted a race-course bonanza encompassing everything from eye soothing petals to all over poppy coral hats and fascinators. Emanuela Gianelli Design’s chic monochrome ensembles were a breath of fresh air amidst a neon flash.

By this point we were starting to feel very tired, very hungry and very stressed about not having checked social media in a few hours (damn you iPhone battery). After a pitstop for food and a glass of bubbly at the Cinammon Kitchen, we were back on the move and of to the third show of the day- Concept show featuring Royal Couture, Orenteayaba, Sans Soucie, Laura Margna, Hanbyel Kang, Sketcharound, Japo Okworobu and Charlotte Ambrose. Royal Couture‘s multi tiered monochromatic gowns with capes, laser cut black lace details and sensual headgears added a gothic touch. From the rainbow candy stripes to the tongue-in-cheek cuts, girly silhouettes and matching accessories; there was nothing on show at Orenteayaba that didn’t leave me internally screaming “I WANT IT!”

While London has a reputation for being the numero uno fashion city (out of the “big four” anyway) for fresh talent and design innovation, I think that there are a fair few designers that almost justify claiming that designers of Spanish, Nigerian, Indian, Brazilian, Canadian ethnicity are making a play for that crown. Ok, on a wider scale London Collections is focused on promoting fresh talents and of course bringing out the commercial appeal, two qualities essential for brands to prove profitable and the fashion industry’s cogs to keep whirring. However, designer’s like Charlotte Ambrose are interesting in that they truly offer something new, original and inspiring without losing sight of the fact that at the end of the day, their creations have to be bought and worn. The gowns too took a sleeker look with slinkily silhouetted bodices and elegantly extravagant fluted skirting. In that respect SS16 was Hanbyel Kang’s strongest outing yet. There was of course still volume, sculptural creations with cut aways and crochet dresses. But this season also brought neat knits, just the right width tailored cotton palazzo pants, bralets layered over longline shirting,  kick flares and reworked maxi dresses.

Sans Soucie‘s clothes remained true to her signature operatic style but you could see them worn by non fashion girls, not just models and other women so freaking cool they make you want to burn your entire wardrobe and hide in a hole for the rest of your life. 

On a sidenote, I’ve worked out why my fashion week coverage takes SO LONG and inevitably gets posted SO LATE. Because I’ve already crossed the 1000 word mark and I’m not even nearly done with the video/vlog that the beautographer was suppposed to work on but he had to leave for Las Vegas to attend a conference on a last minute call. As in virtually every other aspect of life, I enjoyed writing about the show and therefore get totally carried away.  It’s scaring me already that I’ll have to write another one next week on India Fashion Week London for that again we are chosen and invited to be as one of the official fashion bloggers to cover the event. Already feeling starstruck envisaging the moment of meeting and greeting likes of Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Anushree Reddy, Noureen Dhanani and many more star designers promoting Indian fashion accross the world.

We are immensely proud and privileged of having collaborated with Oxford Fashion Studio in the organization of this event and having helped to promote the industry’s most promising new designers from across the world. An elaborate collection of portraits taken during the catwalks on that amazing evening were shared on our Instagram and Facebook earlier. Although we had to miss the last show of the day – the couture show but nevertheless, we managed to capture most of the event and presented here for all of you to enjoy. A vlog of the backstage and catwalks will follow soon! Thanks to Lydie- the PR manager of OFS and  the entire team for giving us the opportunity. 

Makeup and hair on models by Delamar 

Models by Space Model Management

Are you a big fan of Halloween? Trick or treating, funky costumes, pumpkin carving, crisp autumn air- it’s not one of my favourite holidays but I do join and enjoy with you all in the festivity. Especially all of the yummy treats. Who doesn’t love food! So, I have a little treat for you all. In this post, I am going to share three easy-peasy DIY treats that are quite cute to look at but delightful to eat! And if you can ignore the spoonful of peanut butter jam, they are almost healthy as well! Although I do have fun with spooky makeup, I choose to keep Halloween treats cute and fun, rather than scary. Horror is not my cup of tea! The idea of having blood or spooky witches’ fingers on a plate even if it means decorated with food colors or ketchup is something I may consider doing in another life, not this! It’s creepy! Period! I hope you get the chance to make these cuties this year and bring a big smile on the little and not-so-little faces in your family.

1. Apple Animals

2. Boonanas

To make these adorable chocolate chip banana ghosts or as I call them Boonanas, you need a couple bananas and a chunk of dark and white chocolate melted in microwave. You can also use readymade chocolate chip cookies. They are fast and easy to make.

3. Orane Pumpkins 

It’s the easiest and quickest to make of all the three. If you are like me who finds the smell of celery vile, then use cucumber.

Ingredients to make Boonanas and orange pumpkins: A couple oranges, bananas, celery sticks, small chunk of dark and white chocolate each

Top tip: If your bananas topple over, and a little bit of peanut butter still doesn’t hold them in place, just trim them a little shorter until they’re really sturdy.

The best thing about these fruity snacks is that they can be eaten all year long. What kid wouldn’t want a scary apple creature after school? True, the Boonanas and the Orange Pumpkins are the easiest to make and need as little ingredients as possible but the apple animals are my favourite. Which is yours?

In the mood for a Halloween look?

I’ve got a tragic face for Halloween up my sleeve, scroll down!

After some fun treats and a spooky look, I also have gone down the traditional path and carved a pumpkin for the first time. Whether you’re carving, decorating, or using this classic autumn gourd for Halloween inspiration, my pumpkin carving idea will excite you all season and let me assure you it’s the easiest!

The old triangle-eyed pumpkin has its charm. Let’s do it together!

Happy Halloween Weekend!

It was a perfect autumn weekend to remember. While he spent a busy Saturday engulfed in translation assignments and she spent in the editing, sorting and scheduling posts for the blog – it was long pending to take a day off before everything gets lost in the translation. Rather than a fancy restaurant and dancin’ in a night club, we put aside a few hours of sunshine on Sunday to hang out and be kids together.

What did two kids, footloose and fancy free in London want to do?We headed towards the unsurprising green lungs of London – Hyde Park – which never goes into hiding but is always there to welcome you to breathe fresh air while this time of the year the nature unveils the beautiful seasonal display of its own light and colour show through the falling leaves.

If there is still magic to be found in the world, you’ll find it in autumn sunshine, here.

A massive ‘thing to do’ from the bucket check list was ticked off when he got hold of a Boris Bike to be blessed with pedal force in the stroll around the green reserve. As if it was a propel down the boyhood lane, the joy of moving ahead by not walking with the autumn wind through the hair is too strong to beam the face with the joy of memories being recycled while cycling. Tanusree was as usual bitten by the shutter bug so she made sure that the golden auras of the falling autumn sun shine on her dark shades before saying à demain to Londoners.

We spotted lots more sculptures and art installations inside the park this time  than we have seen during our previous hundreds of visits in last 7 years. Which is nice!

While he was playing with his new found toy cycling around, she was making friends with the swans, pigeons, squirrels and birds. So, a happy melange after all!

We thoroughly recommend you give day dating a go. Grab’em and whisk’em away for a fun afternoon.  You won’t be able to wipe that smile off for the rest of the day. 

After a nice little stroll around the Serpentine Lake watching the greedy pampered feathered friends being fed generously, we also decided to look for a place to get fed before we got fed up.

Uncanny it was, we looked for a pub, but iPhone‘s Siri led us to Burger & Lobsters – a place we had been eyeing to mouth some delicacies for a long time. Some cycling, some walking, some pictures, some lobsters, some falling leaves and the way we weave the memories – charged up for another week, hand in hand.

The best discoveries are often done right at your own backyard. The discoveries related to the nature we live in, what we are surrounded with, when we came from and where we are heading to. Not a philosophical joyride rather a simple weekend day out at the enriched Natural History Museum in London turned out to be so different than what we were used to doing.

Defying the sobbing London sky with its grey mood and teary raindrops all day long we managed to become tourists in our own city. Last weekend gifted the Londoners with a glorious sunshine which merited a day out amidst the fallen Autumn leaves at the Hyde Park. This weekend was so miserable that it warranted an indoor exploration to enjoy high and dry exploring the architecture, the light flooding through the dusty windows, the cool touch of stone under fingertips, the icy bronze railings, the stairs smoothed under a million footsteps…it surely is  one of most beloved London spaces; The Natural History Museum.

Having resurfaced at the South Kensington underground station with the teeming tourists, we became one of the awed visitors to the city. While some were heading towards the similarly popular Victoria & Albert Museum nearby, we followed the group heading towards the Natural History Museum which occupies an imposing amount of space to welcome for free thousands of visitors every day.

The entrance itself and the hall inside was so captivating that the first time entrants stood in awe sizing up the high ceilings supported by carved pillars. The interior was perfectly illuminated with sun roofs creating a natural sense upfront.

There were long queues for a wildlife photography exhibition for enthusiasts and professionals. We decided to explore the neatly arranged halls which were divided in various colour coded zones – green zone for all things related to birds and plants, red for earth and its forces, orange and blue for insects and the solar system. Anyone is welcome to be in awe and that is why tourists and locals alike, families and friends, couples, singletons – all seemed enthralled at the creatively displayed history of all things around us, some of which we can see, some we cannot.

One may feel it is a massive science class under one roof but it is more than that. It felt as if it was like a journey every human being should make as this museum tells the story of our creation and the creatures around us in the most credible way, fuelled by power of science and evidence. We didn’t forget to photograph the white marble statue of Charles Darwin, who perhaps had unlocked the biggest mysteries of our evolution and thus giving a whole new meaning to the artefacts in display.

Three and a half hours passed in the blink of an eye without having realised that our roving stroll covered the entire essence the museum had to offer. After having explored the halls, corridors and glass cases, we strolled off hand in hand for an early dinner.

Tad hungry and in need of some reflection, we decided to try out one of the many eateries in the neighbourhood. After a quick shop around, a restaurant looked iniviting to Tanusree, and having never eaten at a Polish restaurant before, we decided to give it a go. Completely by chance and without any plan, we found ourselves lucky to have got a table for two at supposedly one of the most authentic Polish restaurants in London called Daquise, opened in 1947 by war-displaced Poles and a legendary refuge for famous expats including film director Roman Polanski. I guess we were a bit early for dinner hence we got ourselves a cosy little table next to the window. Many diners were queueing up later but sadly were turned way as the reservation hours had kicked off, so we were plainly lucky since we were early.

Well mannered staff in black apron made sure the service was personal. He tried out roasted baby chicken stuffed with apricot and apple and calf liver with fried onions, and she ordered pan fried fillet of cod with horseradish sauce, served with spinach and carrots and their famous Polish style stuffed eggs which were class apart. Goes without saying that the gentleman also tried their popular Polish beer and the lady tried a jellied raspberry and vodka Terrine-Malinowa galaretka, fitting conclusion to a one-of-a-kind polish dinner experience.

What made the whole experience even more special was the fact that the chef came out with his cooking pan from which we were served directly. In other words, it was not that the waiters were bringing a dish or a plate on your table, it was the chef who showed up with his tool straight from the kitchen to serve you on your plate while you waited in anticipation, giving a touch of home-cooked food.

As said earlier, some of the best discoveries are made in your own backyard. We defied the rain to discover the histories of our nature in the NHM. Later we discovered this gem of a Polish dine out joint which also had a strong historical background going back to the Second World War and the plight of the Polish in the UK. All in all it was a perfect day out blended with stories and histories. Remember you never get DONE when you are in London!

When our first-floor flat was all done up in Diwali decorations, I often considered leaving them up for the entire year. The glittering candles and fruity scents are so welcoming, but I suppose it wouldn’t feel quite as appropriate now. When we are getting used to shorter days, colder nights and London’s drizzle but desperately waiting for the rainy week to be over, this midweek had some fun and festivity stored for us.

Our flat was made a transition from low-light affair complemented with all white/beige furnitures to everything bright, colorful and lit up for Diwali. The decorations were all relatively subtle with scented tealights, fresh flowers, handmade diyas, Moroccan silverware and painted, colorful tea glasses used as tealight holders. It was about bringing organic back! I reused the handmade diyas from last year, it was not only economic but also saved my time from going to the market to bring new ones. When paid attention to details, the theme of this Diwali decoration was to “light up” with colors…as many as a rainbow wears. This rule was followed from outfit to table decorations and everything in between.

We’ve been having such a fun time relishing in this time of year keeping up with the festive galore; first it was Durga Puja, then Halloween and now Diwali. I’ve finally inaugurated the new set of hand embroidered table mats we bought from Morocco. Turkish decoration plates to hang from the archways in the staircase, Moroccan silverware to dress up the Diwali special Rangoli with fresh flowers and scented tealights and glass mosaic candle holders from India were also put on display. Here’s a little peek into how we had geared up for Diwali this year and eating all the food (Indian- inspired) I prepared making us most happy on the darkest night of the month.

Enjoy lots of pictures, and only a little waffling!

I wonder if I could even convince at least one of you  to give them a go for Diwali next year. You can also know a few tips on Diwali Decor Ideas and start making plans for next year. Planning in advance always helps!

Who else is guilty of not doing their Christmas shopping yet? I know many! Couple days ago, a friend of mine requested me to share my last minute Christmas gift ideas, she didn’t have to ask twice. It could have been earlier than this! Well it’s been a hectic couple of weeks with wrapping up works before holidays start, packing for our next voyage next week, working on and scheduling blogposts, and keeping up with Christmas spirit in our beloved London. You might be thinking it’s a touch too late to be giving ideas about Christmas presents, well it absolutely isn’t! There will be some of you just like my friend who started panicking just about now because they have lots and lots to get. Even Christmas might be close for some of you but we still have a weekend and a few days next week especially Boxing Day Sale (yayyyy!), so browse away and hopefully there’ll be a little bit of inspiration here for you!

This gift guide pretty much doubles up as my Christmas shopping list (even though I kept anything I bought over £50 out of this list). Although these days I mostly shop online to avoid the crowd but Christmas in London is always a special treat. As evening falls, the capital is magically transformed into a winter wonderland. Shoppers crowd up the streets under a canopy of holiday lights while musicians take to the squares and market corners, filling the air with songs of happy golden days of yore. How could I not join this party, and shop in store! So, as I did pop up at the stores (TK Maxx and John Lewis are my favourites for homeware items) for a few times and returned home with some goodies. I wanted to share my list with you and help make your holiday shopping faster and smoother. I have purposefully kept clothes and shoes out of this list to avoid  making it a never-ending post. And as an added bonus, all these last minute holiday gifts are under £50! Who doesn’t love saving money?

Make A Note: Journal, Notebook and Planner

I’m all about organization, so these are great planners for students or those who prefer to write down their plans and to-do list. The covers are all definitely a conversation starter, because they’re all thoughtful! I’m all for pretty pink, white, golden and grey details.

I personally liked the Gratitude journal- a journal to write things you are ”grateful” for. This is an especially good idea for anyone who’s a bit stressed or struggling to do something they want passionately. Every night before you go to bed, write down something that happened that day that you’re thankful for. Noticing the good will make you forget the bad, you’ll start to feel better and I can promise you, your priorities and preference in life will change. This blog helps me in the same way but since I can’t get to blog everyday, I would prefer having this next to my bedside table to count my blessings. I picked up a pair for the beautographer and myself and going to express our gratitude every morning and night from the very first day of 2016. You can never be too grateful.

As you know we travel a lot, the tiny On The Go notebook will be travelling with me everywhere to take quick notes about a historical place or a sudden creative idea popping into my head.

Terrifying Tableware and Classic Homeware

If you want to get something more useful, something you can use on daily basis then opt for tableware or homeware items.

An antique wooden or steel silver metallic tray is another great gift idea. It’s practical and everyone always needs another tray on the kitchen table.

A few scented candles are another most popular gift items not only at this time of the year but also all year round. But my favourite ones are those come decorated in an embellished pot. They double hat as make-up brush or cotton buds holder after the candle is finished burning.

These candles are also an elegant gift because of its intricate details on the pot.

An elegant set of beaded coasters are the perfect accessory for your christmas lunch/dinner table.

Nail it with O.P.I All Stars Mini Nail Lacquer Set

For your female friend who loves manicure, this is a great gift set! There are four different colors, two of them are matte and the other two are glitter polish which is PERFECT for the holidays. I personally love OPI because their polishes are super opaque and they don’t chip easily. They are sold at several places-both online and in-store;  from their online store to TK Maxx, Beautybay and Debenhams.

Paint it with Estee Lauder Holiday Gift Set 

Sadly Estee Lauder’s Make Up Artist Collection gift set (in picture) is now sold out. This was my smartest (financially) make-up buy this year because only on Black Friday Deal can you get your hands on almost £300 of Estee Lauder beauty for just £50. Amazing…yes! This set has products cost £290 which was out there for you to grab just for £54 (Lets overlook that 4 quids). But it’s still worth checking out Estee Lauder for some amazing make up gift sets for under £50.

This biggest and most beautiful collection by Estee Lauder includes three full-size lipsticks, Repair Serum and so much more, all in a deluxe travel case. Yep, for make up lovers, Christmas presents don’t come dreamier than this!

In the kit you’ll find the following beauty must-haves…

• Deluxe Eye Palette with 12 eyeshadows

• 2 Pure Colour Blushes

• Limited Edition All Over Shimmer Compact

• 3 Full-Size Pure Colour Lipsticks

• 2 Pure Colour Glosses

• Sumptuous Extreme Mascara

• Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

• Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II

• Revitalising Supreme Creme

• Modern Muse Eau De Parfum

• Red Patent Travel Case

• Red Cosmetic Bag

Something for Bookworms 

I’m a believer of buying the types of gifts that is useful for the ones I’m gifting to. Here are two of my Christmas gift ideas for the bookworm in your life. 500 Words You Should Know and Facepaint are two of my favourite reads from recent times. While the former is the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates language and being able to express themselves precisely, accurately and effectively, and the later is what I call the Bible of make up artists and enthusiasts.

500 Words You Should Know features words you thought you knew (nemesis, decimate), some you should know (tautology, diatribe) and some that you might like to know (shibboleth, callipygian) plus many, many more. As you know the beautographer knows 8 languages, who else deserves to get this book than him! On the other hand, Facepaint is written by my favourite and most probably the best make up artist in the world- Lisa Eldridge who has written the first real history of the subject. Having read it myself recently, Face Paint is one book I vouch for whether you wear make up or not as the book explores the reasons behind make-up’s use, the actual materials employed and manufactured through the ages, the icons that people emulate, the impact on women’s lives and the present and future of make-up from high profile practitioners artists to cosmetic breakthroughs.

Posh with Perfumes 

Perfumes are an obvious, safe and most probably the least creative choice for a present on Christmas. A luxury label perfume is something one can buy at the eleventh hour, and probably even take home ready-wrapped and tied in a satin bow  then and there. But when the rule is to pick and choose one under £50, it’s a big deal! Earlier this year, when the beautographer spotted British perfumer Penhaligon’s, we are swoon. It is not deliberately a mainstream choice and bad news is they are not cheap. Second on my list is a tie between Chanel no. 5 and Chanel Chance for  her, and Chanel Bleu and Paco Rabanne 1 Million for him but again they are over £50.

Worry not! Some of the best perfume brands under £50 are Nina Ricci Nina, Elizabeth Arden Untold and Anna Sui‘s La Nuit De Boheme for Her, and Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men, Boss Orange and Dior Homme for Him.

Smartstick

I’m a bit of an IT fiend and spend far more time than I’d like to admit on my iphone and macbook. Now we all know that iPhone battery is the only weak feature one spots immediately. Apple user or not, the  amount of time people spend on their smartphone these days makes a Smartstick an obvious gift choice for Christmas.

No bigger than a packet of polos and with five different adaptor tips, this back-up battery will suit most mobile devices. Very affordable and with just the right amount of gimmick, they’re a perfect stocking filler for a gadget enthusiast.

Strictly For Sharing: Bath & Body

Whether freshly scented or simply luxurious, bath and body essentials make lovely gifts for anyone on Christmas, regardless of gender and age. After all who doesn’t deserve a bit pampering! There are lots to choose from fragrant handmade soap to organic body wash, from  soothing and detoxifying Epsom salt for bathing to a comfortable bath pillow.

Even though I shop around bath & body care products as I like to try different flavours and mixtures from time to time. Some of my go-to brands for bath and body essentials are TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer and Cowshed but since last month when Mandara Spa graciously sent me their entire Amber heaven collection to try, I couldn’t stop admiring their  luxurious line of bath and bodycare products inspired by the natural ingredients used in the unique treatments across Mandara Spas around the world. They are easily available at Sainsbury’s  and at a price range you can only dream of for the quality product on offer.

Homemade Food: Gingerbread Cookies

A cost-effective, multi-purpose, delightfully delicious item during Christmas to tick many boxes at once– bonding of baking together, joy of decorating the tree, tea time munching and sharing the love as a gift. Why not try to bond, have joy, feast and share personalised gift (love) this Christmas? I do! Know how to make these here.

Party Clutch This

Christmas or not, I fancy a Lovetobag partywear arm candy any time of the year, you have seen me donning some of their collection here, here, here and here but since they are expensive (remember it’s a under £50 list), I have picked this silver-grey clutch with sequins embellishment  from TK Maxx. This clutch has got Insta-me written all over it with its little two-tone sequin details and diamante clasp.  Plus when it comes to party clutch-buying for myself, I’d be sensible and get a clutch that can be styled more than one way.

I hope you enjoyed my list of last minute holiday gift guide! Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? If not, hopefully you’ve seen something in there that took your fancy. There’s only 10 ideas but it was so hard to narrow down the millions of things I’ve seen in the shops and online that I liked the look of. Right, now to make a feast in the kitchen so that I can present a christmas lunch for you all next here, on this space.

Happy last minute shopping and have the best Christmas week! 

It is a great feeling when you can pull the strings in a calendar and get to celebrate a sumptuous Christmas lunch a couple days earlier than usual. This is because the Team OneTimeFashionista is all set to set foot on the land where it all began – Egypt. Although we mentioned in our 2014 Voyage highlights post that we wanted to travel to Brazil and Chile to bid adieu to 2015, we made adjustments to postpone these destinations in favour of Egypt not only because it was in our wanderlust-list for quite some time but also because of the fact that since summer is unbearably hot down there, around Christmas seemed to be the perfect time to visit Egypt and that is why Christmas came a day early for us.

For Team OneTimeFashionista, this Christmas came with the call to choreograph and compose the carol of fun, feast and fashion.There have been all our favourite traditions; all-weekend holiday movie marathons, holiday baking sessions (and dancing around in our kitchen to Christmas tunes), seeing all of London’s Christmas decorations and department store windows and a few marvellous office parties.

First, we went out to have fun by getting enlightened in all senses by the magical lights in Central London. We walked around, like wanderers in our own backyard from Oxford Street to Carnaby Street and back to Regent Street, immersing ourselves in fun and frolic in the air under the lights that adorned the streets of the capital of the world.

Then Tanusree thought to put the fashion foot forward by making an appearance (Read the post here) at the Christmas Party at The Royal Exchange London. She was seen sporting party season’s favourites – sequins, metallic and the faux fur while she challenged the grey surroundings to cheer up. We closed this photo shoot with a royal lunch in the iconic courtyard cafe of the Royal Exchange London.

The fun was recreated at home front where our very own Christmas tree was installed and lovingly decorated with bells, balls, bows and gingerbread cookies all dangling happily.

Meticulously wrapped up gifts were stacked on the tree skirt and we absolutely had no idea when the secret Santa climbed down our chimney to flood us with so many surprises. The last statement was a Santastic lie so freely ignore it.

Nevertheless we got into the frenzy at the prospect of unwrapping the gifts so we donned our must-wear Christmas jumpers, Shehzaad in a Santa  hat and Tanusree sporting a matching reindeer (to her jumper) head-band to get into the characters of the Christmas choreography. Mind you that December the 18th was the Christmas Jumper Day this year and there was fun, fondness and some funny faces inside home too.

In this choreography came the moment of the indispensable Christmas feast-ivity. The dining table was ornamented with exquisite cutleries, dishes, candles – all to please the quench of the eyes before addressing the hunger down under. Certainly there are many roles in this ‘feasty’ play for Christmas.

For example for entrée, there were some light bites to get the ball rolling with flat pizza bread, spinach, halloumi cheese and stuffing balls with sage, onion and breadcrumb.

Before our eager fingers could caress the light bites, we had to put them to the customary use of pulling Christmas crackers to hear the ‘pop’ and discover what actually pops out of them! We put on the paper crowns and waited in anticipation for the lead culinary role to make an appearance on the dining stage.

Shortly thereafter amidst much applause landed the protagonist on the dining stage which was the boasted turkey in its roasted avatar. Stuffed with the herbal aroma of sage, thyme and rosemary and trusted lemon and garlic, the voluptuous fleshy item turned upside down waited to be devoured. It was flanked by the actors of the Root family – baby carrots, parsnips and baby potatoes – all came nicely sprinkled with herbs and tried and roasted to perfection.

On a side role, the succulent gravy was transported in an adept white boat to keep the turkey soft and juicy.

Mandatory dramatic appearance in this Christmas carol is always made whether in London or elsewhere, by the flouting sprouts of Brussels. Not that they are imported from Brussels, but what’s in a name? Be it in London or in Brussels – no Christmas feast of a carol can be composed without these. This time the sprouts were enhanced by glazing them with a nice mix of caramelised onions.

To keep the occasion sweet and savoury, final appearance was made by the Royal Iced Christmas Cake packed with fruits- Sultanas, Raisins, Almonds and Brandy, covered with marzipan and royal icing- another compulsory performance by a veteran performer on the Christmas menu.

The choreography of this feast with friends and family was kept flowing with frequent sips of the champagne and the cocktail mesh of gin, ginger and rhubarb. All the liquid actors in their nicely shaped attires were held with care and sipped with joy.

To maintain the right mood and dialogues around the dining stage, aromatic candles were at work to shed the right light on right occasions.

So this is how the carol this Christmas concluded for Team OneTimeFashionista as we soon head from this cameo to another to unravel the mysteries of the Pyramids. Until then, we hope you enjoyed this Christmas choreography we shared with you above and we wish you and your family, all the friends and fashionistas of OneTimeFashionista a very happy Christmas and happy holidays!

​Like a flowing river twists and turns in its course, there are events that take place in our lives which take us to new emotions and experiences. On the 8^th anniversary of our union in marriage, we looked back at the 8 defining events or experiences which led us to where we are now. Shedding light on the right eight is the perfect opportunity to reflect on where we started from, what we have been through and what we are heading towards. Come join us as you read through the octagon of such defining episodes.

Freshers party meet up

Just like the joy a freshly blossomed flower feels upon meeting the perfectly fleeting bee in the quest of gathering more honey, the first meeting for us was a turning point no doubt. One can always question who the ‘bee’ was and who the ‘flower’ was, or whether the bee was in pursuit of ‘honey’ or was just being ‘horny’ – let us leave some room for speculations. That aside, sometime in July in 1999 when all the undergraduate freshers were welcome to a reception arranged by the University of Delhi (India) – was surely a defining moment in our lives. Only greetings were exchanged and the names were known – with a glimpse of more delightful sightings in the subsequent student days!

The trip to Rajasthan

No we didn’t know at that time or before the trip that the best way to gauge compatibility of a couple was when they travel together far from home or their comfort zone. Time and again, it has been proven beyond an iota of doubt that this litmus test stands valid every time you travel with your partner, spouse, friends, family. Three of us were supposed to venture out from Delhi to the royal state of Rajasthan, towards the eastern borders of the India. At the last moment, our third friend had to back out due to personal reasons. We never told him that ‘two is a company, three is a crowd’ – it just happened so that he had to pull the plug at the eleventh hour.

Faced with two options either to cancel the trip or to go ahead with it – we decided with the latter. There was a really genuine friendship as the foundation between us that led us to hop on the bus from Delhi Bus Adda (Central Bus Station) and head towards Jaipur – our first destination. From Jaipur, we travelled to the deserts of Jaisalmer and unknowingly then, wrote our names in the dunes to leave mark of our trail that continued long in future.

The incredible India-aahhh!

As we both claim and vouch for the fact that the time we had spent during our undergraduate days in India were the best times of our lives. The vibe and vivid colours, the dust and the dramas, the harsh summer and the charming winter, the Bollywood movies, the roadside dhabas (eateries), the curry and the butter chicken, learning French together at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, India, the eventful life in the university campus and the experience of staying on our own in the capital city of India was by itself the catalyst to lay foundations for strong relationships. Now we look back and think that if we could really survive on our own in Delhi during those times – we can survive anywhere happily. Because Delhi delivers the best.

The long distance

All good things come to an end and so did the stay in the delightful Delhi which opened the unforeseen chapter of long distance relationship which saw Shehzaad returning to pursue a career in Dhaka (Bangladesh) whereas Tanusree stayed back in Delhi to pursue higher education. In the absence of social media and mobile phones, somehow the feelings remained. Once you set off for a long journey far from home, you put on warm clothes and feed yourself well to keep you warm and full for the long distance. Similarly, we had experienced many a beautiful memories during the Delhi days which kept us warm in anticipation during the period we were apart. Later, Shehzaad moved to UK to pursue his MBA and the distance became longer. Nevertheless, it was that turning point of our relation which tested the resilience of the respect we had shown towards each other and to the relationship.

Tying the knot

Certainly another important event but honestly we were always under the feeling and emotion as if we had been married for a long time. During many intellectual exchanges, we used to even question the necessity of signing on a piece of paper. We surely understood that there are certain social and legal norms which one has to abide by. Other than this, getting married to each other neither ended anything for us nor started anything fundamentally new. Neither it meant that all the fun of being a bachelor was diminished, nor we felt that being married meant we have to be bogged down with responsibilities and the worst of all – have to have children just because we were married! We started off with writing our names in the dry desert sands of Jaisalmer, signing on a piece of paper was just the reinforcement of that pledge to be together.

Building the nest

Different folks have different jokes. For some, marriage unites two families and it united countries and kingdoms in ancient times. For us, we just wanted to be on our own together. So the episode of living under the same roof shaped the relationship in a way which was not always rosy and without hiccups. It rather was eye-opening in many fronts. The very fact of living with the person you courted all along, suddenly to have found him/her sleeping (or snoring?) next to you may be detrimental to your expectations but that is reality. Whatever is left after that are the true feelings.

We started living in our cosy green apartment in Dhaka for only 6 months, enjoying our own house-keeping, grocery shopping and the cooking. In every part of every activity while building this nest shaped us differently from what we were before living together as a married couple.

Moving base

We both being ruled by the planet of the fleet-footed Mercury, astrologically implies that we are not meant to be rooted in one location for too long. So much so that moving to the UK to call it ‘home’ was another defining event of our relationship. Tanusree moved in Her Majesty’s great island to pursue her PhD and Shehzaad shortly followed suit. London being the capital of the world opened up new challenges and new experiences to test our resilience as individuals and as a couple.

Numerous travels

Being based in London meant that we could expand our love for voyage and discovery on both sides of the Atlantic. Every new place we visited, we could see ourselves under a new light and a new setting. That not only rekindled emotions and feelings but reinforced some chemistry which sparked in early days of courtship when we spent days getting to know each other. Having travelled together more than 35 countries and counting, we look forward to the 35^th anniversary of being together and hopefully having seen this wonderful planet with its full diversity and fervour.

Shedding light on these eight events, we really want to thank those who just love us the way we are, loved us from very beginning and still are. We thank those who parted ways since we also realise that life is too short for being ordinary and being coaxed into the norm of ‘the mass’. Finally, we want to thank the readers of Onetimefashionista.com for taking the time to read through our wonderful experiences.

Time seems to fly even faster even before you could finish spelling a-n-n-i-v-e-r-s-a-r-y. The pages of the year book flipped one more year and this time we decided to mark the 8th anniversary of our marriage in our most loved continent – South America.

In 2014, we explored like voracious voyagers around Peru and Argentina. One visit to this amazing continent can never quench our thirst so this time we made an extensive plan to immerse ourselves in Brazil and Chile. Starting with the boisterous beaches of Rio to the secluded shores of the Ilha Grande, we went as far as Paraty to the West to absorb as of much of Brazil as possible.

Later in Chile, we savoured every moment in Santiago and went on to be mesmerised by the Maipo Valley, Valparaiso & Vina del Mar. But the icing on the cake was the magical trip to the Easter Island which remains as the jewel in the crown of our colourful voyage experiences. We believe as a principle that we should travel as far as possible from home-base, while as long as our bodies support us. And a place as far and as hard to reach as the Easter Islands – was the perfect place to allure our travel bones.

Rio de Janeiro was a city like no other where the Cariocas (the residents of Rio) rise every day before the sun does. And the place where they continue to run, have fun, play, dine and dance even long after the sun goes down. We got in to the tune of things in Rio as soon as we could. We went out to jog in the fresh air along the Ipanema Beach every morning, became beach bums in Copacabana, ran and jumped off the cliff to fly like a bird doing hang gliding and climbed up Corcovado to be in the footsteps of the vigilante and benevolent Christ the Redeemer.

In this bustling city teeming and beaming with life, sunshine and energy, no wonder we were looking for the best pair of hands to capture our moments with equal life, love and creativity. We were elated to have met Sergio, the master photographer and his skilful partner in the form of his own son – Filippe. The duo made sure that the moments captured in camera in delightful locations inside and around Rio were a testament not only to what Rio has to offer to guests who come to see but also to the principles and preferences we have in life as a couple. This was an interesting challenge to address and we believe Sergio had wonderfully done justice to both the requirements.

The location of this shoot was in Niteroi, in the outskirts of Rio. For the first look, a pontoon was found over the Guanabara Bay where some local lads were busy diving, fishing and just having fun. Sergio knew well how to make a tasty lemonade when what was available were only lemons. He allured the local kids to be part of the photographs by just being themselves. The prospect seemed too much to resist for the kids who happily agreed to be part of the frame along with the protagonists. After a few clicks, Sergio politely requested them to step aside to clear the frame for the guests to Brazil i.e. us. Without any resistance or sulk, the boys swiftly moved aside.

The Master Sergio not only knew well how to control the dials and parameters of his camera but also he knew very well how to manage subjects around by convincing the lads to be part of the photos initially and convincing them equally to step aside soon after.

We went from port to port, we stood out while the world continued with its day to day banalities. While some were busy with conversations and some were busy with mundane tasks, we stood hand in hand in the midst of the passing time.

We saw the monuments from all angles and all distances possible. When we were together, even the silhouettes created shapes of love. We twirled; we swirled to spin around from one location to another, from one get-up to another. We danced, we took stance and we got into trance as the sun set on us.

We were always ‘two steps behind’ of each other, like a shadow never leaves its body. As long as there will be light, there will be shadows which are inseparable.

The ships took us from shore to shore as we explored. We ran away from each other and towards each other, but not to lose sight of each other.

The moments captured here were a perfect way to draw the concluding curtain to our wonderful discovery of Rio de Janeiro to mark the 8th anniversary of our marriage.

We are eternally grateful to Sergio Ronaldo Fotografias who are also found on Facebook and Instagram. Sergio not only has magic hands behind the lenses, but his creativity and innovation to see beauty even in mundane settings is a rare quality which we really enjoyed. Filippe was the best Client Relations Manager as not only he was holding the flash as per his father’s instructions, but he was also holding our hands to climb up and down the stairs, anything to make  us happy and at ease. Sergio and Filippe also seemed to be happy with us with our poses, expressions and stances so much so that they passed on the compliments that we were “already a couple model, knowing how to face the camera“.

Tanusree’s make up was done by Thai Madeiros. The young Brazilian makeup artist did make up as if she was painting a pricey master piece on canvas, Tanusree found her service to be of top class. This entire lookbook was conceptualised and styled by Tanusree.

Watch this space in the coming months where we will continue with our wanderlust in and around Europe, Far East and Central America and share with you amazing photos and writings to keep inspiring you.

Tanusree’s Wardrobe: 

Studio 75 Goldie Strapless Maxi Dress in Barbados Cherry

H&M Halter Neck High-Low Dress

Blue Beaded Gown from India (Shopped from Janpath, New Delhi altered to my size)

Dune Shoes

TK Maxx Silver Sequins Clutch

Primark Rectangle Box Clutch (In-store)

Asos Arm Leafy Cuff & Head Band

River Island High Arm Band

Shehzaad’s Wardrobe: 

Hugo Boss Suit (Black)

Hugo Boss Suit (Ash-Blue)

Charles Tyrwhitt White Shirt

Ray-ban Sunnies

Aldo Shoes

Zara Tartan Bow Tie

Zara Mocassin

The North Face Tee

H&M Shorts