A cup of Assam Tea

It was a lovely Fall morning, and complementing that was the quintessential rain.  How gorgeous, imagine.  I was at my window, having a cup of Assam tea alone; it was beautiful, but with company, it would have been sheer bliss.  My husband and son were out for the day for a swim meet. And Today is Diwali , the festival of light. I feel a bit lazy, yes, rain makes me lazy, and it tries to hold me back close to my window. There is no time to laze around when you have festivals. I quickly got up and made some Indian sweets, prepared for the Diwali special dinner, and in between, I had a quick lunch fix. When my husband and son were back, I was almost done with everything.     Let's take you to today's Diwali outfit post. A red Banarasi saree  with antique thread motifs throughout makes the saree heavier than regular Banarasi sarees. That also makes the saree perfect for a fall-winter soiree and keeps you warm. As the saree is the hero of...

I love visiting small towns. There is something about a small town that always intrigues me: the spirit, the charm, or its own heart. Every small town has a character far removed from the urban spin, with offbeat food, alleys, and bylanes. Small Towns always carry a one-of-a-kind character and signature, whether it's smell, flavor, food, or people. Whenever you visit a small town, you always find something new and interesting.            Last week, during my  fall visit to the New Hampshire White Mountain region, I visited Littleton, a hidden gem indeed, with a great river walk, a covered bridge, the First Methodist Church, shopping both local and global, and great restaurants and cafes that make a lovely town to visit and unwind. Whether you spend a day or two or take a walk on the riverwalk alongside the cover bridge, please grab a cup of coffee or tea from the local cafe with a seasonal flavored muffin or ...

      I can't believe  I've already posted three Indian festive looks ( Festive Look 1 ,  Festive Look 2,  and  Festive Look  3) and yet I haven't posted any Indian saree stories . Saree is a quintessential outfit without which we can't imagine any Indian soiree. A six-yard of sheer grace. Yes, here is my saree, look at the onset of the Indian festivals.       As they say, every saree has its own story. The story of this saree takes me a few years back in the initial stage of building a saree wardrobe. Yes, this saree is from the southern part of India, and it is called a Pochampally saree, a type of Indian weaving technique. This is, of course, my first Pochampally saree. Dark purple in color, with a dusty green border featuring a paisley motif, and just above the border, deer facing each other, this makes the saree truly interesting. The achaal has a multicolored diamond-shaped motif that gives the saree a pop of col...

A chill nip in the air and the burst of color, fall  is here sprinkling the nature's confetti in our heart and mind. Living in Connecticut for the last 16 years making it home, I cherish all four seasons however, nothing beats the magical mosaic of the fall. There are many ways you can enjoy and explore the fall season in Connecticut, whether you get lost in the serene beauty of small towns or the captivating coastal region or search for seasonal flavors. State parks are the best spot for leap peeping vivid colors  in Connecticut Things to do in fall Driving around : Nothing beats the driving around autumn leaf-peeping. You can find spots of scenic fall  beauty in every mile. Lake Waramaug, kent fall state park, stop for the overlook view at Gillette castle. Hiking : If you love hiking, Connecticut offers you the most stunning views of new England just a hike away. Go for an easy hike in Talcott mountain and soak in the sweeping view of the city and natu...

      The most I miss about Indian festivities is mostly the vibe that the festivities bring, the lip-smacking sweets and savory treats that instantly melt away your heart. With new trends emerging with the festive seasons, the sudden rush in our town, and those festive breaks, we waited to greet the festivities with warm and open hearts.  Here, fall is emerging and clearing away the sultry summer blues. However, the truth is that wherever you go, you bring your culture and color to your new home.         We stay in a neighborhood with people from all over the Indian subcontinent, and they bring their culture and celebrate with great zeal. Here I am wearing a cotton kurta, peach dupatta, and peach skirt. To the whole neutral palette, I added emerald earrings and oxblood red lips and nails for a pop, and dark kohl-filled eyes. Subtle celebratory look.  I hope you enjoy  Festive Look 2, Festive Look 1, and this festive loo...

      My both sets of grandparents have never eaten chicken rather they enjoyed Fish curry  or fish. The chicken was almost an alien for my families past generations. In Assam, about 30/35 years back older people instead of chicken rather ate duck, mutton or fish . That says chicken curry is not exactly a traditional dish in Assamese cuisine. But eating chicken is a quintessential part of modern Assamese family. As a kid, I remember waiting for Sunday lunches for chicken curry. The aroma of cooking chicken-filled up our home and us picky eaters can't wait to have our lunch. While growing up we only got one day holiday in the week, Sunday. Usually, everyone is at home and my mom painstakingly cooks the best and exquisite dishes to the table. And along with other specialties, the chicken was the fulcrum attraction. And happiness was eating chicken curry on Sundays.       As I told earlier, chicken curry is not exactly a traditional dish in assam...

      Every year festivity always agitates me to dress up. Sometimes buying new clothes is exciting and at other times working on the pieces you already own is exciting as well. Indian festivity calls for a riot of colors. In the trend of neutrals wearing something colorful yet staying in an understated look is tricky. I always believe and enjoy playing up with pieces mix and match, switch and swept. While wearing a colorful outfit, I tone it down with neutral accessories and while wearing neutrals, teaming it up with a pop of color or statement accessories is real fun.      Indian festive celebration is associated with some quintessential colors like red, orange, pink and yellow. This time for Indian festive celebration, I chose an orange silk kurta ( tunic ) and orange salwar ( dhoti pants ). The color orange itself is a bright and bold color. If I choose the traditional route, I should have chosen gold, yellow, pink colors. In the quite ...