BEETROOT PACHADI (YOGURT DRESSING) RECIPE

October is the breast cancer awareness month, and AGT is turning pink to support the campaign. Awareness about breast cancer is a must in both women & men. Do visit websites like cancer.org, to educate yourself about breast cancer, and learn the simple steps you can perform regularly to examine yourself. Lets fight the fight, not just in October but everyday.

Now coming to the recipe. This is a super yummy pachadi that my mom makes with yogurt and beetroot. This goes best with rice, also tastes good with roti. You can also use it as a dip, or in place of mayo or creamy dressings in your salads or burgers. T & I have been living the privileged life the past couple months eating mom's food, just look at the pictures of my typical lunch below. She repeats this particular recipe on alternate weeks, heeding to our pressing requests. So, its a no brainer that it ends up here on the blog.

Bowl - Crate & Barrel (similar)

FALL STYLE STAPLES - MILITARY JACKET & WATERPROOF BOOTS - ON SALE

Military Jacket - Nordstrom (Now 40% off), Hat - Forever21

Hello people. Hope you are enjoying the new season. We went to the Washington park arboretum this weekend to see the leaves changing colors. As you might know my mom is here, visiting us. Its her first time witnessing the fall season, so it was fun to show her around. Seattle is quite chilly nowadays. So i opted to wear my go-to jacket and boots for this season. Military jacket (also seen here, and here) and waterproof boots (also seen here) to keep myself dry and warm.

FRIDAY FEATURE

Hello everyone. I know i have been gone for long. But there was a lot going on this month, and i just didn't feel like writing posts. I see blogging as my relaxing hobby. A space where i can just unwind and talk about something i love or find interesting at that point of time. My interests this month was completing my business course(done, happy dance). Then setting up our place for my mom who is visiting us from India (double yay!). And right now preparing for my impending job interviews. In short, there's been lot on my mind. I am saving you all from some repeated ramblings that only Tee (unfortunately) has to listen to. I was taking it all one by one, and took some time off to enjoy every phase. So forgive me if i am not updating posts here often, i still have a job to hunt for. Well, enough with my updates.

image via shopbando.com

OREGON COAST & LIFE LATELY

Hello everyone. Sorry for being MIA past couple weeks. Life changed a bit this summer, and blogging had to take a back seat, while i settled into a routine. I am taking a summer certificate course on Business at Univ. of Washington's business school. Since its a short summer course, classes have been a bit intense with back to back deadlines on assignments and projects. But i am thoroughly enjoying the course, classes, and learning a lot. Going to school here itself is an exciting new experience for me. Good teachers and friendly classmates are just an added bonus.

Zoomed-out view of Coos Bay

Okay, thats the update. Now lets get into details about today's post. For the july 4th weekend, when its was around 90 degrees here, Tee & I decided to go to the Oregon coast for the weekend, as it was much cooler there. We stayed at an airBnB(big fans of airBnB here) near a little town called Elkton. On the first day, we did dune buggy rides. This was our first time driving the buggy ourselves. Its such an adrenalin rush. So much fun and adventurous. Also tried sand-boarding for the first time.

MODERN WAYS TO WEAR SAREES

Wedding season is upon us everywhere. How many weddings are you going to this month? I would be going to some myself if i were in India right now. I just missed one of my friends' wedding last month, and gonna miss another friend's in August. Its not a good feeling i tell you. But if you are gonna be attending weddings, then you need to check out today's post to find some new ways to spice up your saris this season. These ideas are great alternatives if you are under budget to buy a new saree, and tired of wearing the same ones over and over. Just add a little accessory like a belt or change up the blouse for a peplum top or jacket, and you have a new trendy outfit to rock that friend's wedding or be the talk of the party at your cousin's. 

CHIDAMBARA RAGASIYAM - A TAMIL PLAY (NADAGAM)

Hope you all had a great start to the summer. We are loving the clear sky days and always up to do something outdoors even if its just a game of tennis or doing a walk around the pond near our place during the weekends. In the evenings post sunset we almost always end up watching movies (occasionally indulging in a bag of chips and salsa). Tee and i watch movies on a daily basis. But when we heard about a play (in Tamil - our native language) that was gonna be performed this past weekend, we were curious. We have never watched a play live at a theatre, and were intrigued to give it a try. The entire show produced by the Indus Creations is performed by Tamilians who live in USA, they are all passionate about theatre and are volunteering for this show. Hundreds of volunteers dedicating months of time for their passion was something we wanted to witness and be a part of too.

TRENDING : HEADBANDS & SCARVES

Images via pinterest & polyvore

Although i don't use accessories on my hair on a daily basis(except for my everyday hair tie), i am big fan of hair accessories. One type of hair accessories that are trending this season are headbands and twist scarves. They are fun way to spruce up your look. This summer its your best friend to keep your hair pulled up and out of your face, but still making you look super chic. There are just endless ways to wear them. You can make a bow if you are feeling fancy, do knots in the center, do one twist in the center and tie it at the back, just wrap your entire head with them, there are so many ways, let your creative mind flow with this one.

TRAVEL DIARIES: ALASKA, DAY 4 - SEWARD, KENAI FJORDS, WILDLIFE

And we have come to the last day of our very short Alaskan adventure. On day 4, we took the most scenic drive from Anchorage to Seward to do a 5 hour cruise at Kenai Fjords to see some glaciers and lots of wildlife. These cruises are a must if you visit Alaska, you get to experience the alaskan wildlife in their natural habitat. 5 hours might sound like too much time on a cruise, but i assure you, time will pass by quickly when you are busy trying to catch a glimpse of that whale's tail.

TRAVEL DIARIES: ALASKA, DAY 3 - TALKEETNA, & THINGS NOT WORKING OUT AS PLANNED

Highlight of the day

Today i am sharing details about a not so great day of our trip, but i guess its only fair to share the bits that didn't work out on a vacation as well as the things that did. On the third day(check day 1 & day 2 here), we had some things to take care of that took all morning and had a late start to Talkeetna post lunch, it was around 2 hours drive. Weather was perfect and clear the first two days of our trip, but on third day it was all rainy and cloudy. So we had a hunch that we weren't going to see much on our flight-seeing tour that we had planned to take to go see the Mt. Mckinley(highest mountain peak in North america) in Denali National Park. Once we reached, the operator confirmed that we wont be able see the peak of Mt. Mckinley, but promised to show lot of other mountains near by that weren't covered by clouds. But we didn't wanna spend $200+ per person and not see what we wanted to see, so we didn't take the tour.

TRAVEL DIARIES: ALASKA, DAY 2 - MATANUSKA GLACIER, GLENN HIGHWAY

Its been a week since we got back from Alaska and writing these travel diaries is a great way for me to relieve those memories. Hope you are enjoying the pictures as much as we loved taking them. On day 2, we decided to go to the Matanuska glacier on the glenn highway. Matanuska was about a 2 hours drive from where we were staying, and the drive there on the glenn highway was breathtakingly beautiful. The landscapes on every turn of the road made us stop every few miles to soak in the beauty. You see the creeks, rivers, lakes and finally the beautiful glacier.

TRAVEL DIARIES: ALASKA, DAY 1

Hope all of you had a fun and relaxing long weekend and ready for the next one, TGIF! Like most of you know, we were on a short trip to Alaska this long weekend to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary, you can read about my packing list for Alaska here. The trip was a short, but a memorable one. Four days was just not enough to soak in the beauty of the last frontier, but it was enough to fall in love with the purest form of nature preserved in this place. The glaciers, abundance of wildlife, the breathtaking landscape everywhere, we felt privileged to have had this experience. So here's a travel diary from Alaska. Lets get started from day 1.

PACKING FOR ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (IN MAY)

New Balance Backpack, Nike Shoes

This weekend is our two year wedding anniversary. To celebrate we are going to "The Last Frontier" Anchorage, Alaska! I know its gonna be breathtaking and we are gonna be stopping every few minutes to soak in the beauty of the landscape, can't wait. Its a short trip(we are not taking a cruise), four days but i am so looking forward to a change in the scenery, its been almost a year since we went somewhere, just the two of us. We usually don't plan our trips to the t, we find out things to do and do it in our own pace. And thats how we are gonna take this Alaska adventure too.

SUMMER SHOES WISHLIST UNDER $100

Steve Madden 'Stecy' Sandals ($79.95)

BP. 'Moveover' Pointy Toe Flat ($49.95)

Charles by Charles David "Pact" Pump ($98.95)

Soludos Dali Espadrilles ($36.00)

Mossimo Tameka Elastic Quarter Strap Sandals ($22.99)

Steve Madden 'Nobel' Open Toe Bootie ($99.95)

BLOGIVERSARY CELEBRATION + REVIEWS & SALE INFO OF MY OUTFIT

Its the blogiversary week on AGT, and i hope that justifies these pink balloons i am strutting around with in today's post. I wanted to do this post around my b'day week(last week) but things got busy and finally did this shoot yesterday. I wanted to dress up casually for this post, so i chose a cute "face" printed white t-shirt and a bright blue skirt. I love how the pictures turned out, and my favorite photo from this shoot is not on this blog post, its on my instagram :)

ONE YEAR OF BLOGGING

Today is the first blogiversary of AGT! Time has just flown by. This little blog of mine still feels new and gives me jitters every time i hit publish on a post. Writing this blog is probably the most unexpected ride i have been on in my life, but i am glad that i did it. I first wanted to start a blog more than a year ago, and i have been writing one for a year now. Guess that's one regret off the table for the future me.

QUINOA + BROCCOLI STIR FRY

Tee & I are trying to include more greens in our diets nowadays. While buying a juicer helped a lot, i still want to include more veggies in my lunch meals. Sticking to eating greens, i made this broccoli stir fry with quinoa today for lunch, its a quick & easy meal idea and a healthy one too. 

Many might not like the flavor of quinoa. Who am i kidding, it has no flavor, its quite bland especially for an Indians taste palate like mine. The same goes for Broccoli, Tee dislikes it. But i like broccoli when they are roasted or stir-fried, and thats how i came to try this recipe. I used onions with a bit of garlic and chilli powder to bring in the flavor.

FLORAL SKIRT + MASTERING MULTI-COLORED OUTFIT WITHOUT GOING OTT

Its spring, and a post featuring a floral print is long overdue. Although my recent obsession is cherry blossoms(my Instagram is loaded with pics of cherry blossoms), I don't own any cherry blossom prints in my wardrobe, but i do have this floral skirt which is my favorite(previously seen here and here). I decided to go all colorful for this look, so opted for a cute pink top with ruched sleeve detail and bright yellow clutch. Kept the shoes neutral with tan sandals. 

COTTON KURTA AS SUN DRESS

 

Two style posts in a row featuring black and white dresses. Are you beginning to notice a pattern in my spring style? This sun dress in a breathable fabric, cotton(my favorite), is actually an Indian Kurta i bought from my India trip last year. I love the pattern/print on this kurta featuring a cobbled stone street which reminds me of the streets of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico, where we went for our honeymoon. And its unusual to find such an unique pattern in an Indian kurta, and thats exactly why its hanging in my closet right now.

Kurta/Dress - from India (similar, similar), Slip-on Shoes - TopShop, White Bangle - F21 (similar), Arrow Cuff - BaubleBar (similar), Clutch - from India (similar, similar)

B&W STRIPED DRESS

Old Navy B&W Striped Dress, Baggit Cross-body Bag (similar), Keds Sneakers (similar)

First on my list of wardrobe essentials for this season was an "universally flattering" B&W striped dress. After couple tries, i found the one i liked at Old Navy. I sized up on this dress for a more relaxed fit. I styled it with my comfy white sneakers(more details below), and added some spring colors to the look with a colorful bag & bright lips.

MY CLEANSER, TONER, MOISTURIZER (CTM) ROUTINE

Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser, Thayers Original Aloe Vera Witch Hazel, Trader Joe's Nourish Facial Moisturizer, Cotton Balls

To be honest, until recently, there was no T in my CTM, and on those lazy days i would even skip the M. What can i say i lead a simple life. I have been dealing with acne issues this past year, its frustrating and at times very depressing. So naturally, i have made it a priority to take care of my skin this year, or at least follow a regular skincare routine. Now that my skin is behaving(touchwood), i am all the more invested in my daily CTM routine.

MY FIRST SPRING IN SEATTLE

Happy first day of spring, people! Sidewalks of Seattle are covered with fresh, colorful flowers already. Last year's spring season was my first in Seattle and it was quite packed for us with beautiful places and fun times. I am gonna share few snippets here today.

Rolling back to mid March, 2014. I got back from my India trip just a day before the first day of spring. Seattle had already transformed from sullen winter chills to crisp spring chills, and i couldn't be happier. Also that's when i cut my mid-back length hair super short.

FAVORITE SNACKS FROM TRADER JOE'S

Trader Joe's is one of the value-for-your-money stores i have been to after moving to Seattle. Its got organic, healthy stuff for a reasonable price tag(refer pic below). We have been frequenting TJ's for over a year now, and we love it(you can see the TJ's products in action in my recipes here, and here). So, if you are new to the country, or never been to TJ's before(highly unlikely right?), you should pay a visit, like right now. Today i am sharing the snack items i bought from my recent TJ's run, right in time for friday the 13th scary movie marathon, chuck that popcorn and munch on these instead. OK, lets begin this calorie heavy post.

NOODLES WITH SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS

Its been ages (okay, months) since i posted a recipe in AGT, and i figured its time for another delectable recipe that you can whip up in 30 minutes or so. Last week i was looking for a mushroom pasta recipe online because Tee loves mushrooms but not pasta, and me the opposite. So i wanted to find a recipe that we both can enjoy without compromising our taste buds. But almost all the recipe i read involved either cheese or cooking wine or both, i had neither in my pantry at that moment. So i shifted my options from pasta to noodles, and kinda simplified the recipe. And voila! I discovered my favorite recipe involving mushrooms yet, and its so simple that i have already made it twice.

INDIA PHOTO DIARY

I know i know...i have been MIA for more than three weeks now. In this gap, i bid goodbye to my family in India, travelled back to Seattle, was homesick for India, and fell actually sick catching severe cold. Getting back the groove took some time. But i am back now!

Today, i am sharing some pictures i took during my stay in India. I traveled alone(Tee stayed back in Seattle), and i stayed at home most of the days of my vacation with my parents and grandparents, and had the best time with my family doing nothing. I felt like i was the same little girl again who cried every time her grandmother had to go back, so my grandma always snuck out when i was napping, and all hell broke loose when i woke up and not find her at home. So here's few snapshots from my travel, mostly taken at home. If you are following me via IG, you might have already seen few of these photos as i was constantly gramming when i was in India. But there are few pics exclusive to this post, so take a peek.

The smaller entrance to our home which is rarely used, but its probably the coolest(breezy kind) place in our home with all the shade from the trees, trick to how we battle summer heat in India.

FOR YOUR VALENTINE (HIM)

I was not a fan of valentine's day until few years ago. I don't mean that i was against anyone celebrating, its simply that i was never into it and i never had a valentine as well until i got engaged. Then something changed when Tee sent me few gifts two years ago on this day. Now i(or we) celebrate it mainly because we have always been not with(near) each other on this day. This is our 3rd valentine's day together and we are thousands of miles apart this year as well(me in India, and him back in Seattle). So it justifies(in my world) to gift something to that special someone with a little note saying that we miss being with each other. And thats how, out of the blue, i started to like and even celebrate valentine's day. Now enough with my story, lets get into the gift ideas.

WHAT'S IN MY TRAVEL HANDBAG

I am quite used to packing my bag in a jiffy nowadays. It used to take a long time, and lotsa of thinking about what to pack, what not to miss, etc. But now i am ready to go with few of my essentials. As you might know i am now in India for about a month, it was a sudden plan, tickets booked few days before my travel. Two years ago this would have caused me major stress, but now i couldn't be more composed.

HOW TO DEEP CONDITION YOUR HAIR AT HOME

I had a haircut this weekend. Nothing fancy, just trimmed my hair, and added few layers. But before i went in, i was worried to show my hair to my hairdresser, went to a new hairdresser because i had a holiday coupon :). I didn't wanna hear any upsetting remarks such as dry or damaged hair, etc. But then i just mustered the courage(ignore the exaggerations) and went in, and was quite surprised by her remarks. While washing my hair, i asked her about the state of my hair and scalp. She said that it was pretty healthy, and the scalp was clean as well(say what?!), and i can assure you she would have heard my sigh of relief (PHEW!!). On top of that, she told me that my hair is very soft, i should just take care of the flyaway-s, and i am good to go. Gleeful smile was all over my face!

PONGAL SPECIAL: SIMPLE INDIAN OUTFIT

Happy pongal to all the friends and family who are celebrating today. If you are wondering what i am talking about, this week is a very special week full of celebration in my native place in India. We celebrate Thai Pongal, the harvesting festival. On these days we clean up our houses, get rid of all the old stuff which we don't need anymore, pay respects to sun, livestock, etc. Its a special festival for all of us in our family because we all hail from farming community, its basically what defined us two generations ago. Tee's parents do farming, and have cows in their backyard. I was in India last year for this festival and miss being there this year. But that doesn't stop me from celebrating this auspicious day(s) in our own way. 

SHAMPOOS I USED IN 2014 : A REVIEW

Its perfectly normal to do a round up of shampoos used in the past year, and that's exactly what i am gonna do today. Short reviews of the shampoos i used in 2014. If you live in India, i have provided links(for all but one) from where you can buy these products in India as well. And for the review reference, i wash my hair only twice or thrice every week, not daily and yes, its legal ;) Also, i have virgin hair, that is, i have not done any chemical treatment on my hair like straightening or coloring, like ever. So you wont find products that are specific to color protection, etc in my list of products but, if you are looking for one, i have heard some really good reviews about this Biolage one(get it in India here). Okay, lets get started.

Á LA MODE

Happy new year everyone! Hope you all had a fun NYE(check out few snapshots from my NYE on Instagram). I know many of you would have started working on your new year resolutions, good luck guys. I have resolved to do few things as well. And one of them is to write more and keep posting here. I am so excited to see what 2015 has in store for me and AGT.

I spent my first week(and weekend) cleaning up our house, eating biryani & donuts, and watching Hot in Cleveland(is it weird that i love that show? i don't care). And i must say 2015 is already looking gluttony yet good. I also did some organizing & decorating in our space which involved some cute yet super simple DIYs, planning to share them here soon.