So-Saree Readers Speak - Priyanka S

We are back with another Reader feature.
She is not only beautiful but has a great taste in sarees. I am already crushing over her saree pics. So scroll down and read what Priyanka has to say today.

First of all Hearty Congratulations Aditi on your fourth blog anniversary. I highly appreciate this opportunity to share my love for sarees.
I’ve been following So-Saree for a while now and I must say I am totally in love with it. Kudos to Aditi for motivating us to wear sarees more often. My love for sarees has multiplied zillion times.

Finally my views on Saree ..
Saree… brings fond memories of seeing my grand mom and mom adorning this beautiful attire in my growing up years. As a child I was always amazed, how my mom used to drape a saree, it was so fascinating. My first encounter of draping a saree (mom’s best saree) was in my school for our tenth grade farewell function. When I started working, I had my colleagues who were big fan of sarees and carried it so gracefully. So people around me clad in beautiful sarees made lasting impression on me. My love for sarees kept increasing.

After that there was no stopping, I draped sarees on many occasions or rather I used to wait for such occasions. Each saree in my closet has a special memory. Some are of childhood memories; some are love at first sight (purchases made by me) and then the most important turning points of my life - my engagement, wedding, reception and recently for my baby shower.

I just love these beautiful, rich silk creations from South India. But being a Maharashtrian my all time favourite is our own Paithani. Being a crazy saree lover, that I am, have started designing sarees as a hobby.

You can never go wrong with a saree and rely on it to make you look pretty no matter what drape, style or type of saree you wear. A well draped saree can make you look graceful for any event. It connects you to our beautiful tradition and culture.

Travel Post: Top 3 Reasons to Visit Wayanad

So normally when husband and I visit a particular place, we don’t like to travel to the same place very soon.  Because the world is huge and there's so much more we have to see and explore.
And inspite of traveling to Kerala around 3 years ago, suddenly my husband insisted on visiting it again this year.
Of course the last time, we traveled to Kerala we had only been to Munnar and Thekaddy.  And I am aware that Kerala is much bigger and prettier apart from these two places.  But still, there are so many other places we have to see, and going to Kerala again, just to visit this place called Wayanad did not make sense to me.
Until, I got really pissed and decided to find out what the whole fuss about Wayanad was. And believe me, like most of the decisions that my husband takes, this too had a very valid and gorgeous reason behind it. [This one’s for my husband who believes I never give him credit for anything. ;)]

I started browsing the web for Wayanad and I was amazed by all the natural beauty, ancient architecture, and wild life resources that this place had to offer.  And suddenly I became more excited about visiting this place than my husband.

So here are my top 3 reasons why I am going to visit Wayanad and probably why you should too.
Edakkal Caves:

The Edakkal caves are located around 1,200 m above the sea level on Ambukutty Mala. The word ‘Edakkal’ literally means ‘a stone in between’.  There are many legends associated with the formation of Edakkal caves but the most popular says that, these caves were formed with the arrows fired by Lava and Kusha (sons of Lord Sri Rama.)

But what got me excited about them is that Edakkal is the only known place in India with Stone Age carvings that date back to 6000 B C. These carvings belong to Neolithic and Mesolithic age. The human figures of these caves have raised hair and seen wearing masks. Along with the pictorial carvings, you also see Tamil and Brahmi Script in these caves.

Menmutty Waterfalls:

It is a three-tiered waterfall with a height of 300 metres. Meenmutty is a combination of Malayalam words Meen (fish) and Mutty (blocked). I know, you might think what's so special about these, but the hills, valleys, lakes and the exclusive flora and fauna surrounding it, make this one a picturesque spot you can’t afford to miss.

Chembra Peak: 


Chembra Peakis the highest peak in Wayanad, about 2,100 m above the sea level. Trekking on the Chembra peak requires permission from the forest office in Meppadi. 


On the way to the top of the peak, you come across a heart shaped lake which is believed to have never dried up. And that's why this place ranks on my top must visit places.
Apart from these 3 attractions, Wayanad has a host of other things to offer. They have historical museums, wildlife sanctuaries and of course the yummy south Indian Cuisine, which you can’t afford to miss for anything in this world.
Even the hotels and resorts in Wayanad are set in such picturesque backgrounds that you would like to spend majority of your time at the resorts itself, instead of venturing out.
So wait no more and plan your next trip to Wayanad as soon as possible.

P.S. We do not own images used in this post.

4th Blogoversary Giveaway with Zapp-O-Toes

So-Saree completed 4 years this 16th of January, and I seriously can't believe I have been blogging for so long. Also, what amazes me is that I am still as passionate about blogging as I was 4 years ago, when I published my first post.
Even today, when I see a comment on my blog I feel happy. Even today, when my friend shares my blogpost, I get elated and even today when someone refers to me as So-Saree I blush.

I never thought that my blog would become such an integral part of my life.
So to celebrate this milestone, we have teamed up with our lovely sponsors Zapp-O-Toes to host a giveaway.

The Giveaway is open for Indian residents only and will end on the 1st of March 2017. One lucky winner will be determined by a lucky draw from a pool of valid entries and will be announced on 5th March 2017.
The winner will win a pair of stylish footwear as shown in the picture above worth Rs. 2,250 subject to size availability.
So, what are you waiting for? Start playing!!

And in the meanwhile, scroll down to check out my second look for Zapp-O-Toes.
Hope you like it.

Outfit Details:
Dress: Gift
Footwear: Zapp-O-Toes
Earrings, Bracelet: Confusion FA
Watch: Titan Raga
Photography by: Deepali Suryawanshi Photography

Outfit post: 3 Things That Amuse Me

Three Things That Amuse Me...
* When people praise/appreciate their spouses/partners on Facebook, instead of just turning around and telling it to them on their face.

* When 13-14 year olds have FB, Twitter, Insta And Snapchat accounts where they share real time updates about their doings and whereabouts...putting bloggers like me to shame.

* When random people who are married/people with kids take the liberty to question your intension about marriage and kids. Why?? If you have so much spare time why not just worry about global warming?

Moving on the outfit...not exactly my favourite one.
But the backdrop in these pics makes it worthy of sharing them on the blog.
These pictures were clicked in Talkeetna, Alaska.

Outfit Details:
Top: Kohl's
Denim: Levis
Shoes: Walmart
Dogbag: Dresslink

Outfit Post: Uppada Silk Saree

Last year I finally bought my first Uppada silk saree.
The occasion was a cousin's wedding in London, and while everyone else in the family were busy narrowing down their gown choices, very predictably I chose to wear a traditional saree. I guess it's my trick to stand out. ;)

A little information about Uppada sarees before we move on to the pictures.
The saree gets its name from a small beach town in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh called Uppada. These sarees are also known as Uppada Pattu in Telugu. They are made using the age old method of making Jamdani and making a single saree takes around 7-15 days. The style of weaving Uppada Jamdani is around 300 years old and is believed to have originated from Bangladesh. This technique of weaving came to India when these weavers migrated to Andhra Pradesh.

Uppada silk sarees are famous for their light weight and thus easy wear-ability.
Did you know, even today around 40% of local weavers of Uppada silk are women?
Amazing, isn't it!

Now without much ado, lets move on to the outfit pictures.

 

 

 

#GIRF2017 with Dineout App

Wanting to try out new trendy places around you but worried about the burn in your pocket? Worry not – Dineout app and the Great Indian Restaurant Festival are here AND HOW!!

Celebrate the Valentines month or catch up with your college buddies; take your parents out for a family get together or grab a work lunch at your neighboring buffet restaurant. You can do all this and more on the new Dineout app.
It is available to download free on IOS and Android Smartphones. It’s ease of use is complimented with really user friendly features like helping you look for nearby restaurants as per your choice of location and cuisine, reserve tables, get mouth-watering discounts, cash free payments through the app itself, read user reviews and also get directions! So what are you waiting for – get this app NOW!
To make things more appetizing Dineout is currently featuring #GIRF2017 from 1st-10th February. It is the first and largest Restaurant Festival in the country! From the 1st to the 10th of February, you will get a Flat 50% Discount at the BEST 1,000 Restaurants across the country! All you need to do is click on this link and start blocking your dates.

Seriously folks, this is not an opportunity to be missed. GIRF means business – and its business is to shower unmitigated offers on YOU. In addition to the 50% discount on food, GIRF also offers:
•    50% off on alcohol
•    50% off on set menu
•    50% off on buffet
•    They have an array of restaurant selection for you – from luxury dining to happy hours, from romantic dinners to buffets
•    They have partnered with the best of the best – Cafe Mangii, Social, Novotel, JW Marriott, Hard Rock Cafe – to name a few

Please note that there are limited seats at each restaurant – so I suggest to NOT WASTING ANY MORE TIME – Just like I didn’t ;-)

The moment I heard about this lip-smacking festival on the Dineout app, I made reservations for the first day itself in Social, Khar with my gal pals. Let me begin by saying that, booking a table via the Dineout app was as easy as a few clicks – and we were all ready to PARTY!!

With our past experience, we were aware how difficult it is to get a place in the evenings at this trendy restaurant. But since we had our bookings firmly in place, we were treated royally! We reached around 9 pm and stayed till about midnight.

Girls being girls – we utilized the fantastic discounts on alcohol to its fullest. They have brilliant cocktails served with some cool quirky finesse. 

 

The food was finger-licking good and company was obviously great. With some blast from the past retro music adding the charm of the place, this was undoubtedly one of the memorable FUN evenings I have had in the recent past (and the extremely modest bill was the cherry on the cake!!)

Do you really need more convincing to dive into a never ending binge of best restaurants and cafes across various cities across the country???

-Gauri Patwardhan 
  For So-Saree