Bless You, Mr. Choo!

Well, it sure is a cause for celebration. Good shoes always are. They were expensive with a capital E. Not the stuff a broke writer goes for. But indulgence is the spice of life. Besides, I fell in love with them the moment I saw them. And what I love more is the fact that an identical pair of shoes, in green, is featured in this month's Vogue. I am just looking for the perfect occasion to wear these. I tried them at the shop and they were superbly comfortable. I think the trip to Goa will be it. These would be perfect with a dress I covet. More on that later. For now, I have to keep these away from Mr. Scrabble, or as hubby puts it, they will be known as "Scrabble Chewed". The very thought gives me shudders.



In retrospective, it's only fair that my biggest indulgence so far has been a pair of shoes. Having been born and brought up in Agra, there were shoes aplenty while I was growing up. Dad would get me these lovely ankle-length boots and leather pumps. There was a brief, forgettable affair with uggs, though Marie Janes remained good friends. The only problem was color. You could have any shoe as long as it was black. You can see how that posed a problem. Suede too was not my scene, as I wasn't particularly careful with my shoes. But that was then, and this is now. What a lovely red!



Oh, and did you know that Jimmy Choo made his first shoe when he was barely 11 years old! Now there is a guy who knows his heels. So many women love him. Bless you, Mr. Choo!

Benbo George

Tagged by Absolutely Fabulous

What are the last three things you purchased?
A pair of red Jimmy Choos, an eye pencil, a pair of English rose colored pants



What are the last three songs you downloaded?
Increase the dosage, by Revolution Void

Where were the last three places you visited?
Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar, Devlali

What are your three favorite movies?
The Legend of 1900, Girl on the Bridge, Khamoshi

What are your three favorite possessions?
My new shoes, my Topshop Maxie dress, my engagement ring

What three things can you not live without?
Scrabble (my dog), laptop, My best friend (also responds to name "husband")


What would be your three wishes?
See more of the world, a house by the beach, a new designer wardrobe

What are three things you have not done yet?
Learn an entirely new cuisine, deep sea diving, fishing

What are your three favorite dishes?
Lasagna (Hail Garfield!), Baked potatoes with skin, Crackling Spinach

What three celebrities would you want to hang out with the most?
George Clooney, Susie Menkes, Priyanka Gandhi

Name three things that freak you out.
BO, lack of etiquette, reptiles

If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Eccentric, imaginative, intuitive

Name three unusual things you are good at.
Closet reorganizing, recipe improvisation, making dog treats

What are three things you are currently coveting?
Losing 10 pounds, a new SUV, a long trip to Europe

What three bloggers would you like to tag?
Hmmm... SATC, Mercedes, Freelancer

Mary Rozzi

sr García

M. Mararian's Inky Dreadfuls

Michael Mararian possesses a poetic propensity for taking traditionally cheerful images and concepts and turning them into frightening, yet humorous, tableaus. Focusing on children as the last bastion of innocence, Mararian draws on a diverse range of influences to deliver the world of the fondest visions of childhood’s naiveté darkly rearranged to uncover lost innocence and the fear of our modern times. Though often shroud in the macabre, Michaels' ink paintings are also suffused with a sense of mischievous, almost self-deprecating humor. What can on one level be construed as melancholy and cruel, can alternately be viewed as amusing, even charming. He enjoys letting his viewers decide.

The after-effects of Aftershock

Oh, and I just had to share this really cute find from Aftershock. They had a 50% Annual Sale and I would have been a fool to not lift this clutch. Apart from the striking color, it is really comfortable to hold and goes with several formals that I use quite often. Aftershock is fast becoming my favorite shopping destination. It has more than a small share of little surprises tucked away that make great fashion buys. In the past, I have often picked up handbags, accessories, and handbags from Aftershock. And now, this little clutch is asking for company!

Aftershock is one of the UK’s leading designers, retailers and manufacturers of ladies wear and accessories. I love their use of exuberant colour schemes and beautiful design work. Their collections invariably feature some intricately beaded ladies wear, casual wear and some stunning accessories. The brand has its own popular daywear range entitled Little Buddha. But the best feature of the collection is affordable glamour. Their press feature claims that their celebrity followers include Madonna, Helen Mirren, Charlotte Church and Katherine Jenkins.

My past purchases from the store include a lovely floral print dress, and a jaw-dropping glamorous kurta in white, with silver sequins. I know that I can always turn to this store for a quick retail therapy session. But don’t expect the quick thrills to come cheap. For though the designs are affordable, they are not really budget buys. Unless on sale, that is. But it makes good fashion sense to try this store at least once. You never know what you might find. And I can vouch for one fact; the after-effects of Aftershock are almost always really pleasant, not to forget addictive.