GUEST BLOGGER: Sartorial Sidelines

Hi folks, I am going to introduce my friend and a fellow bloggie named Courtney. Her blog is called Sartorial Sidelines (wow, right?) and she is actually from the city I am in right now. She is studying in grad school in US but misses home immensely. I got to know her on a total random chance - just randomly spotted her blog. and rest is history! Among some bloggers I know, she is so nice and so helpful. Her posts are so full of life and her style is chic and modern!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU COURTNEY!!!!!! HOPE IT IS A GREAT ONE!!! Please visit her blog here to wish her and I thought I could feature her here as a BIRTHDAY gift. Enjoy! xo

Lets get to know her:

1.) When and why did you start your blog?

I started my blog in 2009 as a creative outlet from all my work as a history PhD student. I spent a lot of time reading other people's blogs and really loved the forum for discussing fashion with like-minded individuals that blogging offered and so I decided that I wanted to participate in that more actively and started my own!

2.) Where do you get a lot of your fashion inspiration from?

My fashion sensibilities are sort of rock chic I suppose (I totally just made that phrase up but it seems like a good way to describe my style). I'm drawn to harder, sort of punk looks but I also love more classically chic and feminine things (not to mentioned vintage looks from the 40s and 50s) and so I try to combine them. The people whose style I admire the most are mostly musicians (Courtney Love, Brody Dalle, Beth Ditto - to name a few) and so I draw a lot of inspiration from those sort of harder edge, tougher styles. My wardrobe features a lot of black and leopard print!

As a grad student I am constantly having meetings with faculty members, attending colloquiums, and serving as a teacher to undergrads and so that has a whole series of sartorial challenges attached to it in terms of professional style, etc. and my blog is largely about how to meet those challenges while still keeping my own style.

3.) What are your goals for 2011, bloggy or otherwise?

My biggest goal for 2011 is to finish writing my dissertation and get on the job market! Blogging helps keep me sane and focus my energies so I envision that Sartorial Sidelines will keep going strong as well because I love having blogging in my life.

4.) What does a typical Sunday afternoon look like for you?

My usual Sunday routine is cleaning my apartment and doing laundry, getting the past week's photos off my camera and formatted for the coming week of blogging, a few hours of reading your writing (the exciting life of a grad student), and then a Skype chat with my best friend back in Edmonton - who I miss like crazy and try to talk to every week.

5. What are your hobbies?

I took up tennis last year and can't get enough of it so as soon as the weather permits I'm at the courts. I'm also a big pilates fan and so you'll find me squeezing that into my day pretty regularly along with the occasional dose of yoga. I'm also a terrible tv and movie junkie and tend to spend a lot of my down time curled up on my couch with my cats and my helpmeet watching some god awful Real Housewives of something or other episode or a horror film.

I hope you enjoyed her pictures. Let me know your thoughts because this was my first guest blogger post!! Thanks Courtney. It was my pleasure hosting you on my bloggy.

xo

Nav

Tuesday outfit 15 of 15 (REMIX)

I am ending this challenge half way through. I have not been feeling well thats why. booo right? I know but I have to take rest.

Hope you enjoyed it so far. I will blog still. Stay tuned! Hope you had a good day!

xo

Nav

TIPPY TUESDAYS #5

Happy Tuesday!

How do you store your belts? Do you put them in a drawer and never look at them or use them because they are so tangled and bent?

AND

 Where do you store your bracelets? Would you like to learn how to store them or hang them where you can see them and coordinate with your outfits?
If you need answers to all the above questions......you have come to the right place. Let me give you a little background story!


I was pretty frustrated myself at the thought of organizing my belts and bracelets - 2 things i need on day to day basis and i always found them tangled. but no more of that because I found a way to organize that and I hope this will help you 2!


So I am going to share with you an effortless and cheap way to store your belts and your precious bracelets! (with pictures) 


All you need is:

• 1 wired hanger (open the top of it where it kinds closes - you need to rewire the top - refer to pic below:

• 1 solid hanger which can hold some weight - could be wooden or sturdy plastic ones
• All your belts
• All your bracelets
• Shower Curtain Hooks - 3 or 4

Let me show you first the bracelet organization first:

and this is how I store my bracelets in my little jewellery section - they stay in one place, untangled, and I can see all of them at once when getting ready in the morning.

Now onto the belts!

Get yourself this kind of show curtain hooks (with a little opening) - I got mine - a pack of 5-6 for $1 from Dollar Store

 Now take your belts buckles and insert them through that opening showed above - I put in about 4 belts per hook.

Then grab your hanger and insert the hook through the hanger now like in the picture 

Repeat this until all your belts are hooked onto the hanger. Mine hangs like this at the front of my closet. I dont have to bend them anymore (bending them in the past ans shoved into the drawer damaged many of my belts).



So was this easy to learn? I hope the instructions made sense. It was so easy and using stuff lying around the house with minimal purchases, made me feel good about this one =]

I hope I saved you some minutes getting ready in the morning. How do you store your belts and bracelets, earrings, scarves? Please do share! Sharing is caring!

Till next time,

Nav

FOURTEEN flights of stairs (30X30)

What I am wearing: Pants: GAP

Belt: from India

Shirt: Smart Set

Watch: AVON

Ring: Ardene's

Hello! Happy Monday. I left my house so frantically this morning as I was running late and then as soon as I get to work, elevators were taking forever to come so I took 14 flight of stairs and OMG. It hurts bad now, I was sore all day. But its a good sore! We know how it feels when we work hard - very hard at the gym and then you are sore for 10 days?! If I just take stairs again tomorrow, maybe I will feel better...but then again...maybe not.

Today's nuggets:

• I have been thinking about what my tippy tuesdays should be about? what you guys might be interested in? I could do some finances talk, mortgage 101, budgeting, organization tips, eating tips, receipes, wardrobe classics, makeup collection, skincare routine, wardrobe staples etc. (few things that I do know). If you are reading this - PLEASE let me know below which type of tip would give you great benefit - so I can focus on what you actually like? - Thank you in advance!! xo
• Bought a new shoe rack - got all my shoes neatly lined up
• I have a big list of things I could use for my next 30X30 round. The one I am doing right now is just for fun.
• I tried greek yogurt, oatmeal, strawberries, banana, blueberries for breakfast today. YUMMY in my TUMMY. Seriously, and the easiest thing to make. Do you know what I am gonna have for breakfast tomorrow? .............................................Did you say SAME tHING? yES, you win 1 point.
• Went out for dinner with my friend Joyce at Applebees. I hadnt seen her in 9 months - long enough to have a baby. It is great catching up with friends! Good for the heart.

Did you like today;s outfit? How else would you wear plaid? I am out of ideas. Do let me know about your thoughts on the next Tippy Tuesdays episode. But you can catch one tomorrow!

Tka care all, good night! xo

Nav

Eleventh floor, Twelth Hour, Lucky Thirteen (30X30)

Hi Everyone. Long time no talk. I missed you bloggy. Sorry about the overload on the outfit posts.

Which one is your fav of all three?? I think I like the first one. And it was super easy!

Weekend Nuggets:

• Chilled at home on Friday after work with parents. I feel so low on energy these days. Will blame it on the sickness I am coming out of.
• Yesterday went to a family friends house for dinner - gave me a chance to look decent. It was fun, ate too much!
• I want to go SHOPPING!
• Cleaned my room
• Helped dad in cleaning around the house, fixing things because we will be selling our home in a month or two.
• I <3 Activia yogurt with granola! Having it right now
• My babe is busy writing finals in the next 2 weeks. Cant wait for him to finish up grad studies. But wait, there is thesis.
• Watched 'little miss sunshine" on youtube this weekend. Love that movie. Have you seen it?
• Since weather is warming up now, I think its time I store my sweaters and take summer wardrobe out.
• I need to start planning for my wedding -  the indian and canadian bridal dress, what henna designs, hair updo's...I know I will put it off...BECAUSE I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START. Maybe thats why wedding planners exist?

How was your weekend?? I am off to cooking some chicken breast with all the Indian spices, rice and salsa (yum right?), if it turns out good, I will share the receipe.

Watch out for TIPPY TUESDAYS! I will be doing a guest post soon as well!!

Take care all! XO

Nav

ABC's of moi

Hello everyone. I missed yesterdays outfit posts. Oops!! But I did get dressed. For today, I am doing this A.B.C..... tag! Its going around, my dear bloggy friend Natalia did it on her blog here lately. Please check her awesome page out here. Please feel free to do it yourself.

 

 

 

Age:24

Bed Size: Twin (I prefer to sleep on a foamy mattress)

Chore you hate:  Any type of Cleaning (Laundy, dishes, bathroom). On the other hand, I think organizing is different bec I like that. 

Dogs:  none

Essential start of your day:  a good morning call to my babe or a call from him (whoever gets up first)

Favorite Color:  Baby blue/Sky blue AND purple (lately)

Gold or silver:  Gold mostly but some silver too

Height: 5'9'' (It has adv and disadv, trust me)

Instruments I play (or have played): I tried flute, didnt work out so well.

Job Title: Grants Coordinator Support / Employment advisor (Volunteer)

Kids: not there yet, i want 3 though.

Live: On a county called Canada

Mom's Name: Mandeep

Nickname:  Jaan (babe calls me that - means life), navnu, navvie dear, sonu, sonia, laddoo (name of a indian sweet - dad calls me that)

Overnight hospital stays: Once probably when my mom was in labour to deliver my brother, I was 4 then but I have a vivid memory of it.

Pet Peeve: when people cancel plans last minute or people who live life in negativity, ethno-centricism

Quote from a movie:   I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough. - Notebook movie (Any Notebook fans out here??)

Right or left handed: right

 

Siblings: one younger brother - i <3 him too much. He is my best friend.

Time you wake up:  7:09 am

Underwear: Blue today, yesterday it was red.

Vegetables you dislike: I like everything - all veggies I <3

What makes you run late: Snooze button on my alarm and talking on the phone late night with my babe. 

X-rays you've had done: of nothing (P.S. I am not into sports)

Yummy food you make: Indian and western food and everything in between. What I mean by everything in between is stuff like : spicy pizza, curried perogies etc. I struggle with baking though.

Zoo animal:  Big fan of elephants

Well, there you have it!  A little about me!  I am linking up at Scenic Glory, maybe I will see you there! Have an awesome weekend everyone!

 

xo Nav

 

P.S. Look out some organizing your closet tips on TIPPY TUESDAYS episode.

 

P.P.S Will post my next 2 outfits this evening!!

 

Pink on Denim (TEN) - 30X30

       I am a third of the way in the challenge- feels good that what I picked is working for me so far - I am not tired of any of the pieces yet. I am love with this pink cardigan. I used to never wear pink,red, orange, dark greens because I was always told to wear lighter colors bec apparently dark ppl look better in lighter colors. But now I wear watever color I feel comfortable in - like this baby pinkie cardigan. Look here how I wore it differently HERE

Weekend is almost here (Yay!)

Thank you to everyone who read and commented on yesterday's post.

xo Nav =]