Boom! Pop! And flying out came the supergirl at 5:20 PM on 8th September. We all literally had our jaws dropped when she arrived in a super speedy manner. I was in disbelief as my previous active labor had been really long and tiring and in this case she came out in the third push itself. It was like the remake of Doritos commercial with the baby flying out. Regardless, we were all so very happy to see our little super girl – Thea Bhagat.
So how did we decide on the name Thea? Well it was one of the contenders suggested by me when I binge watched all the seasons of Arrow during my pregnancy. For those of you who have not seen the series, Thea is one of the vigilantes. She also has a nickname “Speedy” which turned out to be so apt for her 🙂
Thea was born at 36 weeks and 5 days which makes her a premature baby. But she is growing so fast and is already 3 months old. Of course, it is not fast enough for Akira. She wants her partner in crime to be ready sooner. According to her “Baby just sleeps, drinks and poops”. 😀 It is true though and they do like their routine. In a way everyday feels same but has been so different in its own way.
What have these last 3 months meant for all of us with Thea?
For Richa: sleepless nights and back to office with usual early motherhood issues.
For Vinay: daily Facetime calls from the Cornell University.
For Akira: lots of hugs and kisses to the baby and chores as the proud big sister (mostly fetching diapers and pacifier 😀 ).
For Granny: daily hot oil massage, bath, and the early morning talk time with baby Thea.
For Thea: From 6 lbs to 10 lbs, I have started cooing and smiling. Everybody at home loves to wake up saying hello to me and watch me smile and coo!
This song from the famous and magical ‘The Cat In The Hat’ by Dr. Seuss surely captures what our life story has been for the last couple of months. With ‘Thing One’ in stride, we are soon expecting ‘Thing Two’! We could not find a better way to do the pregnancy announcement and break the hiatus from blogging than these naughty and imaginative children characters. But if you haven’t heard about them I highly recommend getting familiar with Seussville. Also, if you are looking to order these cute “We Match” tees for siblings then order here.
I don’t know how many times I planned to write this post, but something or the other held me up – India trips for my brother’s and brother-in-law’s marriages, Vinay’s MBA journey, work, and gestational diabetes, to name a few. Finally we were able to manage a photo shoot on a hot 90F day (and of course we forgot to get the camera…). We did manage to get some good pictures even with the scorching mid-day sun and Akira’s quest for crocodiles near the lake. 😀
Things I have been upto:
Thing 1 is I am super excited to have a second baby girl (Yes! A baby girl!), but thing 2 is that having a second child seems so daunting right now. I know lot of people have 2 or more kids, but it always seems like a fun challenge 😉
Thing 1 is that I am super joyous for our second baby, but thing 2 is that I am super scared about Vinay being away.
Thing 1 is that I am so happy and proud for Vinay joining the prestigious MBA program, but thing 2 is that I am sad and overwhelmed that he has to go away for an year.
Thing 1 is that I am so excited to be pregnant again, but thing 2 is that I have never been so miserable with the gestational diabetes as this time.
Thing 1 is that I have so many things to talk about to you all, but thing 2 is that family, work and taking care of myself is an exhausting priority right now.
Now that you know what I have been upto, what is coming further? Well, my due date which is 2nd Oct! But this post will probably be just days before I get induced for labor.
What is coming further on the blog? Though I will be going on maternity leave pretty soon, we plan to bring more interesting and fun content to you soon. Thank you all for the constant support & love and messages specially for arrival of fanciersworld’s new member. We are all super excited to meet her soon!
I remember standing outside the Coach Factory Outlet in the queue for an hour in the cold to get my first Coach bag during the sale. So when I had the opportunity to work with Coach on their men’s holiday collection, you can understand how excited I must have felt. For those of you who are not aware of Coach , it is a luxury fashion company based out of New York known primarily for it’s accessories and leather. As part of the campaign I received the Coach Metropolitan leather backpack for review.
***Thank you Coach for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.***
This leather backpack literally and figuratively stays together with us now. With such great quality and craftsmanship, I am sure I will get lot of usage out of the bag. And being so versatile it always stays with us. We just have to fight over who gets to take it for the day. 😀
I have received so many compliments for it since I started posting about it on social media. My friends are always asking about the backpack and how awesome it looks. It surely has become one of my prized possessions. Here are reasons why you should stay with the Metropolitan leather backpack:
Why Coach Metropolitan leather backpack?
Great Quality – The bag has a rugged silhouette crafted in durable sport calf leather. I like the way it sits on my shoulders. Hopefully it stays with us for a long time.
Vintage Charm – Coach’s Metropolitan Rucksack pays homage to the vintage saddlebag, some of the very first backpacks used by soldiers to carry supplies.
Modern functionality – The traditional bag has received a few modern updates like a dedicated interior laptop sleeve. It also accommodates the needs of the tech-savvy with multiple pockets.
Backpacking – I like how much ample space the bag has for all my backpacking needs. Also, drawstring and buckle closures and adjustable shoulder straps provide a custom fit which makes it really comfortable to carry around for a long time.
Travel – This is seriously going to replace my cabin luggage as it has room for my laptop, gadgets and clothes for a short trip.
Style – Needless to say this bag is a style statement in itself with the exquisite craftsmanship. I do get lot of stares (good ones), when I take it out.
Thank you 2016, Welcome 2017! A very happy new year to all of you. An year has passed by and the unexplored 2017 has already started. I already feel so refreshed after taking a small break from work and blogging at the end of the last year for the holidays and new year. During this digital detox period I was reflecting on 2016 and what would inspire me for 2017. So starting with some cherishable moments of 2016.
Thank you 2016!
The year always starts with our little angel’s birthday. She turned 2 in 2016. Yes! The terrible 2s, but it has been far from that. Of course there were moments where she would drive us nuts, but watching her grow up and talk like a grown up is something I would never pass up.
We made our first India trip together as a family. This was such a special trip as it was for Akira’s mundan or tonsuring ceremony. For those of you who are not aware of it, a mundan or first haircut is an important Hindu ceremony and is done in the belief that it purifies the child & improves the growth of the baby’s hair.
I finally skied on a blue slope (well if you call falling or stopping on every turn as skiing…).
This was the year of Hot Springs! We visited Steamboat Springs 3 times and Pagosa Springs once. All the trips were so memorable as they were with our dear friends.
Fancier’s World completed it’s first year! We are really thankful for all your kind support and the great collaborations we did for 2016 on the blog.
Made a road trip to Glacier National Park for the 4th of July weekend with friends and family. I cannot tell you how amazing and beautiful the park is, but next time I am surely flying in as the trip from south to north was a little too much for 5 days. But the greenery and the fireworks at Whitefish surely made up for our long long drive.
We made a trip to San Francisco for Zara’s first birthday. She is the adorable daughter of Nisha from Simplistique. For those of you who know her or follow her, we are friends outside the blogging world too!
Vinay received President’s gold medal for his work with Volunteers of Colorado!
Finally made the trip to Grand Junction and Independence Monument. Loved the farms and wineries. Peach wine is a must have!
Made a fall trip to Kenosha pass and Steamboat Springs.
Enjoyed my final week of 2016 by taking a complete digital break, watching lot of movies and spending time with friends!
Welcome 2017
2017 is already looking promising with our India trip planned at the end of the month! Also, this could not be a better day to welcome 2017 on Fancier’s World as it is Akira’s birthday today 🙂
I am not the one who keeps resolutions, as I change my mind very frequently. So no new year resolutions for me, but here are some of the things I want to achieve for 2017:
1. Read a book every month.
2. Eat healthy and stay fit.
3. Beach vacation.
4. Write more recipes and travel posts.
This is a pretty short list. But you get the gist – travel and food 😀
Also, to end 2016 in a great way my last post “How to wear a faux fur vest for any body type” was featured on the Links à la Mode, December 22nd by Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB). 6 of my posts were selected and featured by IFB for 2016! For those of you who are not aware of this roundup, Independent Fashion Bloggers hosts this every week by selecting the best links submitted to them. It is then the responsibility for the selected bloggers to post about the rest of the selected bloggers. This is a great way to find new content and connect with other bloggers. So do check out the amazing bloggers selected for the week:
Now that the weather feels more like winter, I like to bundle up and dress up in layers. A faux fur vest or jacker to me is a great investment for the cold weather as it makes you feel fuzzy & warm and adds an instant glam to any look. For this look I am wearing a shaggy faux fur vest with a printed drop waist dress for a boho look. I even wore a faux fur jacket last year in this post. But I do understand that not everyone seems to be comforable wearing it as it is trickier to style. So for this post I will be providing some tips on how to wear a faux fur vest for any body type.
How to wear a faux fur vest for any body type
Speaking of the faux fur vest I find it difficult to find it in my size. So I was thrilled to find one which actually closes too. The shaggy vest that I am wearing for this look is a nice grey color instead of the usual brown ones! It is available in lot of other sizes too. I also found this amazing printed dress I could pair it with. The dress itself did not come with a lining and is really thin so I wore it with a slip dress underneath (which I have a lot from my FP purchases 😀 ). To style a similar look with faux fur vest for any body type use the tips mentioned below:
Length – Select the right length for your body shape. Hip length vests are flattering for most body types. For petites, try to avoid longer vests as you don’t want to be swimming in the look. For pear shaped bodies, usually a longer vest which covers the hip area is more flattering.
Thickness – The faux fur vest already adds lot of bluk to the look. So void getting thick vests specially for the curvy body
Belted vs open look – For the petite or hourglass figure, wear a belt over the vest to give a defined waist. For top heavy women like me, keep the vest open and wear it like a cardigan to avoid the focus from the top.
Colors – Keep the rest of the look in a single solid color to highlight the vest, like black jeans and top. But you need not stick to the solids. You can wear print too for a boho look!
Textures – Try wearing faux fur vest with jeans or leather leggings to change your daily look.
Layering – Don’t be shy to experiment with the vest. You can wear it even over maxi skirts, dress, chunky cardigan or leather jacket to add the instant glam. For curvy women I would avoid adding too many layers as it can make us look more bulky.
Lining – I like to get a faux fur vest or jacket with a lining as it does not cling to my body nd gives a more flattering look for a curvy body.
Fancy look – Wear it with over the knee or thigh high boots to give a fancy or glamorous look.
Office look – You can even wear them to office over a shirt and pencil skirt with heels to give a polished office look.
Boho look – Pair it with a printed dress for a bohemian vibe. Add a fedora or a cap to complete the look.
Accessories – Since the faux fur will already overpower most of the outfit pieces, it is a good idea to keep the accessories simple. Maybe just wear it with a fedora to give a boho look or a beret for a chic look.
Hopefully this post helps to try a faux fur vest if you have been still trying.
If you have already worn it before then let me know how you love to style it!
Remember the last post I did with CaseApp on “Cure wanderlust with CaseApp“? I got to design some really cool custom phone case and laptop skin for myself. Now Vinay was feeling a bit left out, so I decided to gift him a custom phone case as a holiday gift. I feel like the personalized items make for such a special gift as they are unique and you can add a little bit of you into it.
The best part about pictures is that even when the people in the photo change, the memory it contains never will.
A picture says a thousand words, doesn’t it! I decided to make a collage to re-create the special memories with Akira. To help you re-create the memories I am also hosting a holiday giveaway with CaseApp. The details for the giveaway and discount code are at the end of the post.
***I received these products for free from Caseapp for review. All opinions are my own.***
Use the code FANCIERSWORLDXMAS20 to get 20% off on all your purchases
How to design a custom phone case with CaseApp
Here is a step by step procedure for how I ordered my custom phone case:
I selected my phone type under the tab “Cases” on their website.
I selected my collage design in their Design Studio.
Then I uploaded pictures for each section of the collage. You can also move and resize each picture in the section.
These products were sponsored for me by CaseApp, so I did not have to make any payment. The shipping fees is free for US residents, but you might have to account for shipping fees if you need it outside US or some other countries. But CaseApp has allowed me to share a 20% off discount code FANCIERSWORLDXMAS20 for you to use for this holiday season!
The package arrived just 1 week after my order including the printing and shipment time.
Easy peasy right! But if you do not have pictures handy you can also order pre-built designs with initials to personalize it. Here are the few I think will be great for the holidays. Yes, they are red, green and sparkly!
Yes you can wear shorts in cold weather too! Specially with the mild weather we have been having lately, you can totally rock this look with just few right outfit pieces and rules. I actually love wearing shorts during the fall as you might have seen in my last year’s post. For this look though I decided to add a little sparkle and quirkiness (as promised…) for the holidays with this sequin sweatshirt. Even the heels of my boots are metallic and shiny. 😉
I chose the color grey as it goes well with the weather. My cozy sweatshirt and distressed shorts with over the knee boots were just perfect for the weekend look. During the shoot the temperature was nice around 60, so I was ok wearing it, but if you want you can pair it with tights or layer it with a coat for cooler weather.
What you need to wear shorts in cold weather
Over the knee or tall boots – It’s too cold to bare the legs but show them off by wearing some sexy tall boots like a fitted sock over the knee boots!
Cozy sweaters and sweathirts – Pair the shorts with a cozy sweater or weatshirt to stay cozy and warm.
Leggings or tights – To give that extra warmth wear the shorts over a pair of leggings or tights.
Select the right shorts – It is certainly not the season to be wearing linen, so opt for thicker fabric like tweed, leather or denim. You can opt for shorts with longer length too, to give the extra coverage.
Layer it – Wear it with a long coat or a jacket to stay toasty
Accessories – Let us not forget the accessories! A cozy scarf around the neck or a quirky bag to add to your fun look. I mean how cool is clutch. It has the Blonde Salad vibe to it 😀
So what do you think about wearing shorts in cold weather? How would you wear it?
Hope you all are having a great weekend and to all my friends & readers in USA hope you had a great thanksgiving! This is just my favorite time of the year. With all the festivities around and all the shopping deals to look out for! Now that my Thanksgiving celebrations and in-store shopping is over, I am looking at all the great online deals going on. Searching for all the deals around can be a bit crazy, specially when your favorite items get sold out so fast. So to make shopping easier for you, I have consolidated all the 2016 Cyber Weekend deals that running currently in this post.
I will be updating it daily with new deals and offers, so be sure to keep checking it!
ASOS
30% off Sitewide and In Store (US only)
PROMO CODE: THANKFUL30
Valid till: 29th Nov
20% off Sitewide and In Store (Worldwide except US)
PROMO CODE: GOGOGO
Valid till: 29th Nov
Amazon
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
Ann Taylor
50% off Sitewide and In Store
PROMO CODE: CELEBRATE
Valid till: 27th Nov
Anthropologie
30% off Sitewide and In Store
PROMO CODE: LETSGO
Valid till: 26th Nov
American Eagle
40% off Sitewide and In Store
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
Abercrombie & Fitch
50% off Online Exclusive
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 26th Nov
Banana Republic
50% off 5 regular-priced items Sitewide
PROMO CODE: BRFIVE
Valid till: 26th Nov
Bloomingdale’s
Take 20% off of every $200 you spend Sitewide + save up to 50% on select items
Take 10% off of every $100-200 you spend Sitewide + save up to 50% on select items
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 27th Nov
Chicwish
25% off Sitewide
PROMO CODE: BLK25
Valid till: 28th Nov
Express
50% off Sitewide + Free Shipping
Upto 50%off In Store
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 26th Nov
Free People
50% Off select styles In Store and Sitewide
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
French Connection
40% Off Everything In Store and Sitewide + Free Shipping
PROMO CODE: F40BLF
Valid till: 29th Nov
Gap
50% Off In Store and Sitewide
PROMO CODE: TGIF50
Valid till: 26th Nov
H&M
20% off Online purchases excluding sale items + Free Shipping
PROMO CODE: 5188
Valid till: 26th Nov
Hollister Co.
40% Off Everything In Store and Sitewide + Free Shipping
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 26th Nov
JustFab
50% off Sitewide for VIP Members
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 26th Nov
ModCloth
20% off any online purchase
PROMO CODE: FRIDAY20
Valid till: 26th Nov
30% off online purchase above $100
PROMO CODE: FRIDAY30
Valid till: 26th Nov
40% off online purchase above $200
PROMO CODE: FRIDAY40
Valid till: 26th Nov
Macy’s
Extra 20% off select items Online and In Store
PROMO CODE: THANKS
Valid till: 26th Nov
MakeMeChic
Upto 90% off select items Online
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 26th Nov
Nordstrom
Extra 20% off select items Online and In Store
PROMO CODE: THANKS
Valid till: 27th Nov
Old Navy
40% off Sitewide
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 27th Nov
Ralph Lauren
30% off Online purchase above $125
PROMO CODE: HAPPY
Valid till: 27th Nov
River Island
20% off on select items Online (US only)
PROMO CODE: BFRIDAY16
Valid till: 28th Nov
Revolve
Upto 65% off
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
Romwe
85% off select items Online (US only)
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
Rosegal
85% off select items Online (US only)
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
SheIn
40% off online purchase above $55 + Free Shipping
PROMO CODE: MON40
Valid till: 28th Nov
45% off online purchase above $105 + Free Shipping
PROMO CODE: MON45
Valid till: 28th Nov
Topshop
Upto 50% off select items Sitewide and In Store
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
Urban Outfitters
Extra 30% off sale styles Sitewide and In-Store
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 26th Nov
Zaful
$5 off any first 50 purchases on site + Free Shipping
PROMO CODE: FIVECUT11
Valid till: 28th Nov
Upto $20 off on the purchase made online + Free Shipping
PROMO CODE: NOVEMBER15
Valid till: 28th Nov
Zara
Upto 50% off select items Sitewide and In Store
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 27th Nov
2016 Cyber Weekend Deals on Accessories
BaubleBar
30% off Sitewide
PROMO CODE: THANKS30
Valid till: 27th Nov
Coach
30% Off select styles
PROMO CODE: THANKS2016
Valid till: 27th Nov
Kate Spade
30% off Sitewide
PROMO CODE: THANKFUL
Valid till: 26th Nov
2016 Cyber Weekend Deals on Shoes
Sam Edelman
30% off Sitewide
PROMO CODE: SAMSGIVING
Valid till: 27th Nov
Nine West
Extra 20% off $125+ you spend Sitewide + save up to 50% on select items
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 27th Nov
2016 Cyber Weekend Deals on Beauty
Sephora
Free Sample Bag with $25 purchase Online
PROMO CODE: VERYMERRY
Valid till: 27th Nov
Mac Cosmetics
Cyber Monday Preview – Free additional sample
PROMO CODE: SAMPLE
Valid till: 27th Nov
Ulta
Free Ulta Beauty Burgundy 12-pc Gift with any $50 online purchase, $88 value
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 26th Nov
Julep
Julep Mirror Compact—FREE with $30 purchase.
PROMO CODE: MIRRORMIRROR
Valid till: 27th Nov
2016 Cyber Weekend Deals on Home & Furniture
Bed Bath & Beyond
Sitewide deals + Free Shipping
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 28th Nov
Cost Plus World Market
25% off furniture + Upto 50% off select items
NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Valid till: 27th Nov
Crate & Barrel
15% off full-price purchases Sitewide and In-Store
PROMO CODE: SAVE15
Valid till: 28th Nov
Pier 1 Imports
Upto 30% off select items + Free Shipping over $49
PROMO CODE: FREESHIP49
Valid till: 26th Nov
This year anything shiny and sparkly is huge! The metallic trend made its comeback in the spring and is here to stay for the holidays. And I am not complaining as I love it. It is the reinvented 80s trend in a classic form with lot of fun and glamor to play around with. While I was browsing for the metallic outerwear I found this great gold parka jacket. This is THE metallic parka coat you will need this season! Seriously! It makes me feel like I am part of some futuristic setup without feeling out of place.
How to wear the metallic parka coat
This metallic parka coat is almost the same as the one by Topshop which is around $250! So I was really glad to get a hand on this coat from MakeMeChic. It is shiny but does not look cheap and has a nice light gold color. It can be easily dressed up or down. You can wear it in daytime with jeans and simple tee to balance out the shine. Or you can have some fun with it like I am wearing it with this leather patent mini skirt and sneakers.
It is that time of the year! You can already see the holiday lights and decorations up in most of the shops. Which means it is time to start shopping, which can be fun as well as challenging (All the jam packed stores and roads!). To make the shopping easier and fun we will be publishing posts on “Holiday Gift Guide” in the coming days. The very first one which I am really excited about is the Swarovski Crystal Collection Sale on Zulily. Zulily is hosting an awesome sale on Swarovski jewelry items, all of which are under $30 and most of them under $15. Will it not make for a perfect stocking stuffer! Also this post is not sponsored at all. Even though it sounds like a sales pitch I seriously think that it is a great deal which you should take advantage of before the items get sold out or the sale ends! I have already shopped for my list. So yes, that is a hint to my friends on what you might be getting 😉
Shopping from Zulily
For those of you who have never shopped with Zulily before, they offer daily deals up to 70% off on thousands of brands. Their sale collection is available for a limited time only and opens every day at 6am Pacific Time. It is somewhat similar to Gilt, Kate Spade surprise sale or Nordstrom Rack Hautelook sale. Following is some useful information about shopping with zulily.com:
You need to have a login account to browse through the sale collection. The account or membership is totally free and you do not have to pay for it.
You will be charged for the shipping only once in a day, which is close to $5.95 for a single item. Once you have placed an order then rest of the orders on that same day are free.
If you place an order on Friday or the weekend, you get free shipping for the whole weekend!
Usually they do not accept returns on an order, but it can be handled on a case to case basis e.g., if you have a faulty item. So make sure you have ordered for the items you really need. But as the prices are so affordable you can even try to order some items you are not sure about. Personally I have never had a bad experience. I shop for lot of kid’s items and shoes from Zulily.
The order is not shipped right away after processing. Once a sale by a vendor is over they place a bulk order with the vendor and when Zulily receives the bulk shipment, it is shipped to the user. This model helps them keep the price low which means that the delivery time is not usually fixed. So you cannot place any express orders unless it is mentioned on the item. For the Swarovski sale they have guaranteed Christmas delivery, so don’t second guess it!
I have come up with the a collection of bracelets, earrings and unique fun pendants which you can shop from the sale. Almost all of these items are under $20, which is an awesome deal as they are running for the full price at swarovski.com or other retailers like Macy’s.
TIP: You can click on each of the item in the picture to go the product page. Also I have proivded text links below for your convenience.
Bracelets from Swarovski Crystal Collection Sale on Zulily
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
