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.