Trip #3 is the most recent one, a short getaway with dear friends who moved cities a few months ago. It was something we talked about for months & as the date drew closer, my excitement (& anxiety) mounted! I can’t remember the last time I visited in the rainy season. While I will be sharing some vlogs from the trip, now that a month has passed I thought it’d be a great time to share some memories through a little photo diary (all captured on my phone)

The Idyllic Vistadome Journey

There’s a lot of ways to get to Goa from Mumbai – road (car / van / bus), train, flight. I have definitely tried them all. While a flight is the quickest, the inaccessibility of the airport is the reason I usually chose the overnight bus. Tejas, who I was travelling with suggested travelling by the fancy vistadome coach on the Jan Shatabdi. It was one of the highlights of the trip, with panoramic views of the Konkan (which is so lush at this time of the year!)

I think I packed light for the first time in my life – a simple, streamlined wardrobe that was both location & weather appropriate. I’m wearing a crop top, Fjallraven kanken sling as well as nylon cargo / trackpant hybrid (that have lots of pockets & repel water, double whammy!) I wore Crocs & didn’t carry any spares because they were just the only thing I needed. Accessories were super simple- gold earrings, a couple of my favorite rings & my treasured HMT watch (I should’ve skipped the watch, considering the weather).

Beach Day

Mom hooked us up with amazing rooms at our favorite resort in Benaulim, a village that sorta feels like home. It was nice to take Rydell & Tejas around, to show them my favorite spots & introduce them to the local vendors for kadak chai & freshly made steak pav. We intentionally abstained from planning too much & just decided to take each day as it comes. One of our first major outings was an afternoon at the beach, which is luckily just walking distance away. We settled in at one of the beach shacks & since I was feeling adventurous, I thought it’d be fun to try urrak, a traditional Goan liquor distilled from cashew fruit.

The urrak (with limca) was so refreshing, we had to get a second round! Afterwards, we took a nice little walk on the seashore as the sun set.

Furry Friends

It was my second time at the same resort in just a few months (I was there with mom in the summer) so I had befriended the local cats & dog, & I was delighted to see them remember me so we could pick up where we left off!

The cats are so wonderful (they’re both female, with completely divergent personalities) & the dog is large, brown & extremely friendly! I made regular detours to feed the cats throughout the day. The dog roams where she wants & she would find us outside our rooms or on our walks.

A day trip to the city

On our last full day in Goa, we hired scooters & took a day trip to Margao, the nearest city. It’s customary for non resident Goans to visit the local spots & bring our favorite foods back home with us.

We started the day by heading to the choris stall (local Goan sausages – they’re to die for), dropped by Zantye’s for some cashew nuts & decided to lunch at the iconic Longuinos.

I had taken slightly ill at this time so I decided it’d be a good idea to have a shot of cashew feni (very potent local liquor) which has long been considered a home remedy for cold & cough. Drinking it feels like you’ve set your oesophagus on fire momentarily. I’m not sure if it helped with the cough but it did succeed in get me day drunk, I’m quite the lightweight.

Five days passed by in the blink of an eye, but I’m reviling the trip through the photos & video! All of these were taken on my Pixel 6a. I hope this inspires you to try something different on your next getaway. x

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Sustainability

This is a word that’s used so often nowadays but actually living it is not always that easy. I’ve always wanted to live more sustainably but it just seems like the movement often preaches absolutes (shopping bans, zero waste, plastic-free) which don’t always seem attainable.

But it’s something I’m working on in my own way – trying to switch to less wasteful alternatives, cooking more, reusing what I have & repurposing as much as possible. I also try to be a conscious consumer, & keep myself educated on brands I purchase from to make sure our values align. I’m much more selective with fashion & beauty purchases (mainly because I use less of both!) but I recently bought some stunning sustainable jewelry that’s so perfect for everyday wear.

Being Open to Change

Sometime in my mid-twenties, without realising it I got set in my ways & consequently resistant to any real change. It started with me putting myself, my likes & dislikes in boxes – there were things I was good at, & other things I wasn’t, and I figured there wasn’t any use pushing myself to do things I didn’t know or wasn’t already good at. However, I’ve spent the better part of the last two years intentionally unlearning that & trying new things.

2020 got me into growing things – it started with houseplants but since then I’ve even tried growing produce & it’s definitely something I want to experiment with more.

In 2021 I took a ceramics class (‘for fun!’) but got into it & launched a small brand too, all the while pushing myself to get better & try more complex forms.

I feel like 2022 will have a thing too, I don’t know what but I have the better part of twelve months to find out.

Embracing Detachment

It’s often said that ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men go awry’ & nothing has hammered that lesson harder than living through a global pandemic. And this is a lesson I’ve hard to internalise a lot with ceramics practice too. There’s just so much we have no control over – it is absolutely impossible to control every variable. The best thing we can do is try & then leave it to the universe.

I’m wearing a Marks & Spencer shirt, Zara jeans, Uniqlo shoes & a Murano Glass snack necklace with a Studio Bahia custom planter.

Photos by Sheila Vaz.

If you have any intentions / resolutions / whatever you’d like to call them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments. x

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All my life, I’ve always felt like I was a city-dweller only, but the last year or so I’ve been feeling very disjointed about living in an apartment like I want to grow vegetables & take walks in the sun. Goa trips bring some respite – I find myself savouring every part of farm life – from cooking, to overseeing the animals; I don’t even mind the long walk to the nearest supermarket.

These photos were taken back in the village a few years ago – I spent most of my childhood summers there & got pretty acquainted with the facades of all the nearby homes, most of which were built in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, and many of them have been unoccupied ever since I can remember (which is the better part of three decades). Some of them are in states of decay even – most suffer from collapsed roofs, which end up being the weakest part of the home (terracotta tiles held up by wooden rafters). The walls are strong – they’re not built with cinderblocks or mud bricks, but laterite stone cut into the shape of bricks.

In the last decade or so, things have been changing somewhat rapidly though – there are a lot of new homes being built, either in previously open spaces or over demolished older Indo Portuguese villas. The new homes are all generic & extremely ugly, but that’s the cost of development I guess. The villas are gorgeous but aren’t too practical to stay in & the cost of restoring or maintaining an old home can be pretty high – they were all built before electricity & running water.

The house from these photos was always a favourite because of the distinctive resting lions on the gate posts – it wasn’t too far from my ancestral home & the sight of it was comforting even if I’d never met the family that once lived there.

But on one trip back home in 2019, we saw signs of an impending demolition & bricks to support a fresh construction. I’d carried one nice dress on the trip, so one afternoon I dressed up a bit & begged mom to take photos by the gate. A few months later, the home (& gate) were torn down & though I haven’t been back since January, I’m sure the new construction is coming along in full swing. I’m very glad I have these, even though they are just slightly vain outfit photos on the surface, they remind me of nice things.

The lesson I take away is that things will always change, & a lot of that change is out of our control. What we can do is savour the experiences we’re having in the moment, & enjoy the memories in the future. x

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ajio top // zara shorts // puma bag + shoes // ray-ban sunglasses // daniel wellington watch

Photos by Sheila Vaz at SaffronStays Beyond

It feels like forever since I just shared a good old OOTD here on the blog. Do people even read blogs anymore? Digital media is bigger than ever, but seems to be dominated by a few social platforms. I’m currently tying to use instagram less, so it feels natural to share this here.

Politically & socially; we’re living through some pretty terrible times right now. And I’m not going to lie, things feel bleak. In times like this, I used to think that talking about beauty & fashion was frivolous, but right now it feels like self care.

These photos were taken back in Jan on a quick little getaway to Alibag, which is just a few hours away from Mumbai. We stayed at the perfect villa, worked, relaxed, ate amazing home cooked food + played with some doggos. It was pretty blissful, & just thinking about it is bringing me some inner peace. Oh & there was sun! I’m really missing the sun right about now. x

If you’d like to see more of the trip, check out this vlog.

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I feel like it’s been forever since I checked in with you all. Sure, there have been posts… but we haven’t just chatted in a while. 2019 has been exciting so far – I’ve been on a few trips! Saw a new country. Created a bunch of videos that I’m quite proud of (one of them went sorta viral recently!)

Oh & I turned 27. That was a big one, or at least it felt big? Every birthday after 25 feels big, I guess. But I spent it in Goa with family & cake, so that was nice. A quick little two paragraph update on the last few months. I’ll be spending the rest of April playing catch up. And now, back to the noodles.

There’s something you may or may not know about me – I love noodles; I’m bordering obsessive about them. I take cheesy photos eating noodles, I follow the #noodleworship hashtag on instagram & no matter where in the world we are, if there are noodles on the menu, I will try them.

A couple of weeks ago, we were invited to Hello Guppy in Mumbai to for the noodle fest. I’d been there once before, but we only tried the sushi & edamame. Needless to say, I was excited.

Can I take a second to talk about the décor? An authentic Japanese restaurant brings to mind a certain kind of aesthetic. But Hello Guppy is less minimal & staid, more playful kawaii speakeasy!

We started off with a cocktail, sake of course. The Nippon Cooler is perfect for summer day drinking.

i’m wearing –oval sunglasses // cherry earrings // velvet top // mom shorts // wrist watch // suede platform sneakers

For lunch – I knew I wanted ramen. It can be a hearty meal, so we skipped starters (a wise decision imo).

I got the miso chashu ramen with pork, mom got dry ramen with chicken (all of the trappings that come in a ramen bowl, minus broth). We also got some udon noodles.

They were good noodles. Now I’m not going to pretend to be some kind of expert, my experience with Japanese cuisine is still limited. But the portion was hearty, the broth was creamy & the pork + eggs were both the perfect texture. I vlogged that day too, if you’d like to see video of that perfect bowl.

The Hello Guppy Noodle Fest is on till the end of April. If you can’t make it this month, most of the dishes are on the permanent menu, but if you’re a true noodle aficionado, you won’t want to miss the special dishes that are available for a limited time only.

Hello Guppy, Jet Airways – Godrej Building, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai (google maps /website)

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Splash Fashion dress // SheIn earrings // SheIn iridescent fanny pack // Casio retro watch // Nike Roche Flyknit sneakers

Photos by Sheila Vaz at Karma Royal Haathi Mahal

I’ve been making a conscious effort to get a more streamlined wardrobe. I congratulate myself everytime I get a nice solid coloured basic because it feels mature & grown up. But the feeling doesn’t last…

Prints will always have my heart – the brighter the better! I’ll almost always pick pop colours over solid basics, & that’s ok. Because with personal style, you really don’t have to choose. You can be one person on Monday & a different person on Tuesday. So this is how I dressed, one super chill vacation day last month. I’m back in Bombay now but there’s a lot from Goa to show you, still. x

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Polago Clothing blouse // Zara mom jeans & basket bag // SheIn cateye sunglasses // Accessorize bamboo gold hoops // vintage gold necklace & pendant // Daniel Wellington classic petite ashfield watch // Vero Moda oxford shoes

Photos by Sheila Vaz

Fashion is cyclical – how many times have you heard that by now? And here I am talking about it again because it’s a good lesson to internalise. Everything that’s cool today, may not be as cool tomorrow but it’ll sure as hell come back sooner or later.

I’ve always been someone who considers my style to be somewhat classic & unmoved by whatever’s in vogue at that given moment. But you know what? This look is all about what’s trendy right now.

I received the sunglasses & top as part of this month’s Mauvelush box, so I sort of built this look on the whole retro theme, with items I already had in my wardrobe. I’ve always adored extreme cateye sunglasses, so seeing them all over my favorite fashion websites & instagram has me very excited. This very 70’s polka dotted wrap top makes me feel sexy as hell (v-necks & wrap designs in dresses & tops tend to have that effect, even if you belong to the #ittybittytittycommittee). Mom jeans have been one of my favorite silhouette for years now, & I was excited to see Zara carrying them this season. The hoops are from Accessorize (I had forgotten about them but they’re carrying some gorgeous jewellery right now) & the necklace is all real gold, both of them are ‘heritage’ pieces that have been in the family for generations (gold jewellery collection video coming soon!)

Some days I feel like I take my personal style way too seriously for my own good. While building a classic wardrobe is nice, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in trends once in a while. In the end, all I’m doing is playing dress up – might as well have fun with it! x

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AJIO tshirt // Zara shorts // Hunter tall gloss wellington boots // Daniel Wellington Dapper Sheffield watch // Good After Nine cat ring // ONLY clutch

Lakmé Matte Melt Liquid Lipstick – Mild Mauve  | Maybelline Superstay Nail Polish – Rose Poudre

Photos by Sheila Vaz

I bought these hunter rain boots back in 2012 & since then, an outfit post styling them every monsoon has become something of an annual tradition (see posts from 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017; still sad about skipping 2014!)

It’s been a fun exercise to see my style evolve through just these monsoon posts – I started out styling these with just jeans, because I pretty much lived in jeans then (& also felt like my legs were too skinny for boots to be honest). As my body changed, I found it easier to experiment with dresses & shorts more often. I do wish that I was more confident in the start. I do also wish, by extension that we didn’t live in a world that demonise both skinny or plus sized people. I try to do my bit but sometimes the effort just feels a bit hopeless? People tend to cling to their biases tightly, so I guess all we can do is work on ourselves.

Now back to those boots – I’m still so pleased with them, although I feel a little sad now because they don’t get as much wear from me as they used to. Hunter boots may be expensive, but they’re made to be worn & they were far more practical during college, or when I took public transport more. Nowadays, I don’t really venture out just for fun in the monsoons, I can also afford the luxury of cabs, which makes these more ornamental. Nevertheless I’ve thrown so much money at ridiculously impractical thing over the years, like fancy branded bags that don’t really outlast the year I buy them (I’m looking at you, Fossil) so this was a good buy. Mumbai’s weather’s getting to it slowly, but I think it has another couple of years in it.

Oh and by the way, how many cats do you count in this look? I’m pretty sure that my extensive cat themed wardrobe has become one of my signatures. I even did a fashion haul video that was so full of cats. I love the tshirt from this look – even though it’s an absurd premise. As anyone who has cats could tell you, cats & large plants do not get along, much less a cactus! Take it from me, I have three. I had to give up on that plant lady dream a while ago.

It’s mid-August now, officially that time of the year when I’m utterly sick & tired of rains, I can’t even muster up any fake enthusiasm. Wherever in the world you are today, I just hope you’re warm & safe. x

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Topshop dress // Ray-Ban oval flat sunglasses // Daniel Wellington classic petite ashfield watch // Viola cherry pendant // Rosato bracelet // Zara basket bag //  Vero Moda oxford shoes

Photos by Sheila Vaz

If there’s one thing that exploring the world of fashion & beauty has taught me, it’s never say never. It’s been almost eight years since I posted my first look here on this blog & so much has changed since then (not just my dress size!) For example, if you asked me back then to name two trends I would never sport, I’d tell you I hated gold tone jewellery & animal prints & now here I am, wearing both those things in the same look & loving them.

I just got my hair done in a red balayage (& vlogged the whole thing, of course) & I really wanted to wear something monochromatic so the red really pops. It’s also my first time wearing the Ray-Ban oval sunglasses, & I really like how they look. They’re very similar to the Ray-ban round shape that I like, but slightly slimmer – so this is my take on the current skinny sunglasses style that’s really in right now, although I see myself wearing these for years to come.

And finally, let’s talk jewellery. I’m actually wearing all real gold in this look. When I want to try out a new trend, I usually have to shop for things that fit the trend, but when I wanted to wear gold, all I had to do is ask mom – she was very happy & proud that her daughter’s finally wearing gold, I think she saw it as some kind of coming of age thing. I’ve had the Rosato bracelet for around ten years now (pretty sure I threw a tantrum for it) & the rings are ‘borrowed’ from her. Yeah let’s go with borrowed (she’s not getting them back, sshhhh….) x

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