Opposites Attract.

Yes, I do agree on that.. what else could possibly explain me and my husband?
Poles apart, yet inseparable.

>He loves silence, I think it's a crime.
>I love to dress, he doesn't.( secretly happy about that.)
>In our relationship, he wears the pants..literally too..You know I am a saree person. ;)
>He's a Workaholic, me..no points for guessing..a SHOPAHOLIC.
>I love to socialize, he enjoys his own company...!
>He cuts his nails, I file them.
>He likes to save, I love to shop. [Works for me either way ;)]
>Brands for him mean Apple, Sony, Samsung and for me #Sabyasachi, #SatyaPaul and #RituKumar.

But there's one thing we have in common,
We love our spouse's, and that's enough for us to go on.

It was on this day 3 years ago, that our destiny's were entwined with each other.

Here's to Celebrating Many More Years of this Beautiful Day! ;)

Happy Anniversary Husband.

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Review: Elavo Toilet Seat Sanitizer.

Order Here.

How many times, have you been to a public places like malls, auditoriums, theatres and sighed at the site of western style of toilets. As far as using them in public places is concerned, no matter how clean they may look, I can't help but wonder, how many people must have stuck their 'behinds' on it. And do I have to touch mine too?? Eeew..even thinking about it gives me goosebumps, imagine writing about it.
I had always wished, I could do something to escape this nightmare.

A very wise man (read: husband) had once said: When in doubt ask #Google.
And that's what I did!! (I know..I know..I am #Pativrata)This is what I found.
Elavo-Toilet Seat Sanitizer Spray.
This is how it works:
Simply spray from a distance of 25 cms on the entire toilet seat, wait for 5 secs and the seat is ready to use.
You can also spray it on contaminated toilet taps, toilet flush, door knobs for complete safety.
It is available in 3 flavors: Limee, Clinica and Freska. (Though I personally prefer Freska, Limee and Clinica are not bad either.)
Price: a 75 ml spray can costs Rs. 99.
Not bad I say.
Now Isn't that cool?
I am so in love with this product that it has found permanent residence in my handbag.
So what say, when are u going the Elavo way?

P.S. This is not a sponsored post.

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Diwali in Pictures.

I have been exactly a month away from my blog. And that makes me sad and happy at the same time. Sad because I missed blogging, and happy, because it just reaffirms the fact, that I want to and will always blog. Also, being the control freak that I am I consider this absence from the blog world, as a failure on my part. But I read somewhere that "The number of times you fail the more closer you are to success" or so I would like to believe. So I am a little relieved too.

Anyways.
My Diwali inspired posts were supposed to get over in November, but due to the sudden turn of events, the plans were foiled. I was supposed to write about two more rituals, Bhaubeej and Padwa before I wrapped up my Diwali posts, but I guess I will hold on to them until next year. I mean who would like to read about Diwali during Xmas?
So to wrap up the Diwali posts, and also because I am too pressed for time to write any more, I am sharing a few pics from my Diwali celebrations 2013. Whether you like them or not, I know you will comment. ;)
Love you guys and thanks for sticking on.

 

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Laxmi Puja.

The next big ritual followed during Diwali is that of Laxmi Puja.
This is one ritual which is the most integral part of Diwali and the most important too..for obvious reasons.
Laxmi Puja is a ritual which worships Godess Laxmi - The Godess of Wealth.
The preparation for this ritual starts way before Diwali.
It is believed that on the day of Laxmi Puja, Godess Laxmi enters only those premises that are clean and well lit. And that is why, more than Diwali shopping, Indian women are keen about Diwali Safai or Diwali Cleaning.
There is also a tradition of playing cards on this day. Legend has it that Godess Parvati had played a game of dice with Lord Shiva, her husband on this auspicious day. She had stated that anyone who gambles on this day will prosper in the upcoming year.

My Laxmi Puja Set Up.

Apart from the Laxmi Puja set up, I also draw little footprints on the entrance of my house symbolizing Godess Laxmi entering my house. :)

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Narak Chaturdashi.

Hello everyone. I am back..sooner than I had expected.
Just like I had promised in the last post, I am here to write about a ritual that immediately follows the Abhyang Snan.
So where was I...???
You are done with your Pahili Aanghol, and you walk out of the bath.
The first thing that you are supposed to after that, is walk out of your house..but not empty handed. You need to carry a green fruit called kartula/kaareta with you and place it on the ground outside your main door. You then place your right leg on the fruit and crush it with your body weight. The fruit breaks spilling out its seeds. Then you bend down and taste the inside of the fruit with your finger.
Yaeekssss...it tastes horrible!
It's so damn bitter..!


Crushed Kartula/Kaareta

This ritual is done on the day of Narak Chaturdashi which is on the same day of the Pahili Aanghol.
And why do we do it?
Narak Chaturdashi is celebrated to commemorate the killing of an Asura/Demon called Narakasur by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Lord Krishna beheaded him with his Sudarshan Chakra on the day of Narak Chaturdashi.
The bitter fruit is symbolic of Narakasur's head, and crushing it implies the victory of Good Over Evil.
But why do we have to taste the bitter fruit?
Mom says that Diwali is a festival of extravagance. Everything about this festival is large and sweet.The bitter fruit is a reality check..! It reminds you that life is not only about happiness and sweetness. And since we relish a lot of sweets during Diwali, we should start it with a little bitterness to balance it off.

As a kid, I always skipped the step of tasting the fruit. The fruit tasted yuck, and I always lied to Mom that I completed the ritual. How smart was I..!;)
But not anymore..age makes you wiser I guess! Or so I think! :)

Hope you enjoyed reading about this ritual as much I did writing about it.

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Abhyang Snan.

Phew..we are officially done with Diwali this year..but the spirit of Diwali simply refuses to die off.
I had such a happy and hectic Diwali...and I am glad with the way it turned out.
Lots of puja, lots of food, lots of dressing up and hosting of lots of friends and relatives.
I haven't had a single dull moment and this is exactly why I have been off the social media for the past few days. I did try catching up with a number of Diwali posts by my fav bloggers...but that was it.
So now that the festivities have finally settled down I decided to pen this post. No points for guessing that it is about Diwali.
I have decided to write about the little rituals associated with the festival of lights.
You already know, what I did on Dhanteras. So moving forward, lets discuss about Pahili Aanghol/Abhyang Snan or the First Ceremonial Bath of Diwali.
It is this ritual which gives you a feeling that the king of festivals has finally arrived and you have to make the most of it.
Like I always say, the rituals that I write about on So-Saree are in accordance to how my mom does them and I follow suit. There might be many other ways of doing the same ritual thanks to India's muti-cultural nature.

As a kid Pahili Aanghol attached special significance to us and I have special memories attached to it.
On the morning of Diwali, we woke up to the sound of fire crackers..!
Garlands of fresh flowers and artistic rangolis adorned the entrance of our house. Mom looked splendid in her traditional saree complemented with a nath. Immediately after we brushed our teeth, Mom made us sit on a low wooden seating also called as Paat which had a Rangoli drawn around it. We sat on it one by one, all excited waiting for Mom to begin the Pahili Aanghol ritual.
After seating us, Mom used to apply fragrant utana/ubtan which is a powdered herbal extract and includes sandalwood, fenugreek, turmeric.etc mixed with coconut milk.
After the ubtan was applied, she did a small aarti around us and we were sent to take a bath. Everything that we used in the bath that day would be new and special. Right from our clothes, towels, soap and shampoo.
Now that I am all grown up and married (yes..I need to keep reminding myself about it), I try to follow all these rituals as much as I can because I feel, that is the best way we can keep our traditions alive. The only alteration that I do here is that I mix the ubtan mix with coconut oil instead of coconut milk. Yeah..I know I m a bit lazy..but that's fine..!
Hope you enjoyed reading about this ritual as much as I enjoyed writing about it.
The next post will be on a ritual that immediately follows the Pahili Aanghol and I bet you will love it equally. Till then ..keep reading and stay in touch.

Happy Dhanteras.

It is Dhanteras today or should I say Dhanatrayodashi.
Dhanteras is derived from 'Dhan' meaning 'Wealth' and 'Teras' meaning '13' as Dhanteras is the 13th day as per Hindu calender.
Diwali officially kick starts today..though in my head Diwali has been on since the past fortnight..!;)
On this day Dhan or Wealth is worshipped, and it is considered auspicious to buy precious metals like gold or silver on this day.
While I didn't indulge in any such shopping, what I did was, I offered a Naivedhya of Dhaniya/Corriander Seeds and Jaggery to God praying for a Happy and Prosperous Year ahead.

Dhaniya + Jaggery..I guess it has something to do with Dhan and Dhaniya..! God Knows..!

If you haven't guessed it already the inspiration behind following this ritual is my Mom.
And why we do it? I have no idea absolutely..!
But Mom's always right..and we shouldn't argue on that! Right?
Happy Dhanteras Everyone ..and may you have a very Happy and Safe Diwali.

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Red and Black..!

Green is my favorite color, and if you have been following So-Saree, you would know better about it.
But if I had to choose a color that I don't like..it has to be Red.
Don't hate me please..I may be a little crazy but not that bad.

My MIL feels that Red suits me the best, but I completely disagree with her.
She was utterly surprised and disappointed that I had chosen a light beige saree over a red one for my wedding reception. Nevertheless, I managed to look pretty(ahem) in that beige saree too..so I guess she was a little relieved.
I have always felt that red makes me look gawdy and loud...so I try staying away from it as much as possible.

But the best part of being a blogger is that you are exposed to such wonderful bloggers and trends, that you can't stay uninspired.
No wonder lately I seem to be experiencing a change in my tastes. No..I still don't love red..! But I have started incorporating hints of this color in my wardrobe.

The first step towards it was when my husband gifted me a red denim, and I had no choice but to accept it.
Months later, I have been loving it so much, that every time we are planning to go out, my husband has to specifically tell me not to wear my red denims. ;D

The second step was in the form of accessories. This was much easy and again I am totally for it.

The third step was again a very tough choice for me, it took me months of browsing through fashion blogs, magazines and tonnes of persuasion to try the RED LIPS look.
Yes..I shamelessly agree that I have surrendered to this trend, and though I am not too much for it, I am taking baby steps towards it. Let's see what the future holds for us. ;)

Right now, I think this is the most of Red that I can tolerate in my life, and I am coping fine with it.
And if I have already tortured the hell out of you with My Red Saga..
Please stay calm and see the pictures below.

A combination I seem to be flaunting a lot lately. Red and Black..

Red Denim: Gift From Husband

Top: Limeroad.com

Red Necklace, earrings:Colaba Causeway, Bangles: Local Shop, Watch:D'signer: Gift From Didi

Box Clutch:Gift From SIL

Ring:Craftsvilla.com

Mooch Ring:Colaba Causeway

Flats: Local shop

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Go Green.

Today's post is another Nail Art Post.
And the inspiration for this nail art is a Cotton Silk Saree I bought from Kerala.
I love this saree soo much..Why??
Coz,
>It's cotton..I love natural and organic fabrics.
>It's Green...how I love green..!!!
>The price tag: INR 310.00...Can you believe that???
Neither could I..! And hence I had to pounce on this saree.

I had worn this saree to a family get together. People these days are not too surprised to see me in a saree, coz I wear it almost anywhere and everywhere. But they are still very excited to see my nail art, and it just inspires me to do better.
Coming to the pictures,

Me and My Saree..!

The neck-piece that you are seeing here, was sent to me by Shreeja of Pineapple-ish.
Why?? Because I won the Women's Day contest on her blog.  I had been waiting to wear it for a long time, but just didn't feel inspired. And then suddenly when I wore this saree..I thought of this gorgeous piece and decided to wear it. I am loving it too much.

Now coming to the nail art...

My Supplies.

For this nail art I used, a VOV Green polish, Milani Nail Lacquer Gold Glitz 525, Kiss Nail Art Black Sketch Pen and a VOV Top coat.
Lately I am literally in love with this gold polish which my husband got for me from his last business trip to the USA. My first reaction when I saw it was plain disappointment. I hate glitter nail paints as they are too tough to remove and I hate it when they do not spread evenly.
But this one is different. I became a fan with its first application. Not only does it spread well, it's opaque and can be removed with much ease.

Step1: Colour alternate nails Green and Gold.

Using nail art black sketch pen draw horizontal lines on the green nails as shown in pic, and finish with top coat.

Now, moving on to the striped nails..this is again something that my husband got me almost 2 years ago. Nail Art Sketch Pens..they can be used as easily as you use a sketch pen and spreads really well on nail paints. However, once dry make sure you top it up with a top coat to preserve it. These sketch pens have made my life so easy..!

That's it..this is how this nail art came to being.

Now something to end this post on a sweet note...

Homemade Srikhand ..Courtesy MIL.

You Ask Why??

Just because I decided to go overboard with the Green thing..!;)

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P.S. Too many 'Why's' in this post. You think that should have been the title of the post? Do let me know in your comments. :)

My Current State of Mind and Navratri Pics.

Hello everyone.
Navratri is over already..can't believe it!
And Diwali will be here pretty soon...can't wait for it!

But amidst all of this, I am thinking.. Time's flying so fast.
So-Saree is 9 months old now, and in no time it will be a year old. (#proudmama) ;)
It just feels like yesterday, when I published my first post, and today.. it's 9 months already.
Today, I seem to completely understand the feeling new moms go through, wanting to grab every moment of their baby's growing up phase.
And I seem to be experiencing the same feeling today. Though I am happy and proud that my baby So-Saree has been able to sustain the past nine months, it kind of adds up to the pressure since So-Saree will have to perform better and better with each passing year. And when I say perform better, I do not mean sponsors, I do not mean FB likes and Twitter followers. I mean my enthusiasm and passion for So-Saree.
I wish with every passing day my love and interest for So-Saree increases manifold.
I want to experience that same excitement every time my post receives a comment, or feel victorious every time I have a new like on FB.. and that ..even after So-Saree completes 10 years. I know this may sound too childish to some, but it is these moments that made my journey worthwhile. I often hear people around me say that with time one has to grow up, but believe me I just want to be a kid again, an innocent and selfless kid. A kid who knows no numbers, knows no stats, but knows just to laugh and have fun.
And if I can just keep doing that for the rest of  my life, I will consider myself successful.

Coming back to Navratri, here are a few clicks from the Navratri festival which I took over the last week. Hope you like them.

And I always thought Garba is a dance form, but I understand that the Diya/Lantern below is also called Garba. During Navratri, this Garba Deep is decorated and worshipped as a form of Godess Durga.

The Garba

Inside the Garba.

MIL decorating the Garba

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Navratri Celebrations at Work.

Navratri celebrations are still going on in full swing, and I am in no mood to complicate things for you. So today I am just going to share a few pics of the Navratri Celebrations at my previous-workplace. There was a desk decoration competition and the theme was obviously Navratri. It was so much fun. Enjoy

Hallway To Our Department

Flower Rangoli

A closer look at the Table Decoration.

My Team's Desk

Closer look 1

Closer look 2

 Closer look 3

 Desk Decoration by other Teams.

 

And Finally My Happy Feet!

 

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Navratri...Celebrations Ahoy!

Hello Everyone..! Nothing gets So-Saree more excited than festivals.
So get set as So-Saree gears up to celebrate one more festival: The Navratri Festival.
Navratri literally means nine nights, and as the name suggests this festival lasts for nine nights and 10 days.
It is primarily to worship Godess Durga and her various(9) avatars or forms.

This nine day fest celebrates 9 forms of Godess Durga, one for each day. Though I have been celebrating Navratri since I was a kid, I came to know about the nine forms of Godess Durga only until a few years ago. And so for the benefit of those who are a little less aware, I am going to introduce you to the nine forms of Maa Durga...all looking their gracious best in a saree of course. ;)

Mata Shailputri

 Mata Brahmacharini

Mata Chandraghanta

Mata Kushmanda

Ma Skanda Mata

Mata Katyayani 

  Mata Kalratri

Mata Maha Gauri

Mata Siddhidatri

Though all the nine forms of Goddess Durga look similar here, thanks to the sarees that have bee draped, they all have different attributes, and look very different.
Now coming to the fun part.
Every year during Navratri, one color is assigned to each day of the Navratri and everyone around will try to incorporate these colors in their daily wardrobe.
It is such a visual treat to see people on the roads, at your workplace and everywhere in matching color outfits, in an attempt to please Goddess Durga.The nine colors for this year are:
Day One:5th October: Grey
Day Two:6th October: Orange
Day Three:7th October: White
Day Four:8th October: Red
Day Five:9th October: Blue
Day Six:10th October:Yellow
Day Seven:11th October: Green
Day Eight:12th October: Peacock Green
Day Nine:13th October: Purple

And since it's Day One of Navratri, I am sharing here a nail art I had done not too long ago, in Grey.
Happy Navratri Everyone.

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