Take me home, country roads ... Basant Utsav in Bolpur, Shantiniketan

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Every individual wants to return back to their childhood days in some stage of life, but there are certain times, when you feel the urge even more badly. Such is the time of Holi or Dol Yatra, when I feel like going back to my golden days of innocence, which I spent in Bolpur - a small suburban town near Shantiniketan ("Abode of Peace"), where stands the international university of Vishwa Bharati founded by Nobel-laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Holi or Basant Utsav used to be, or rather still is a very vibrant affair in Shantiniketan. Every year, the students of Vishwa Bharati University, attired in colorful dresses like yellow, celebrate the festival in a very special way. They are joined in by people from all across the country as well as by tourists from all over the world. A number of cultural programs, including group choreography, songs and dance performances, are staged, which are then followed by frolic, as everybody smear each other with “abeer”- the colored powders and express festive wishes.


The memories of Holi spent in Bolpur are still fresh in my heart, and the fragrance of palash flowers (Flame of the Forest) and abeer still makes me nostalgic every time the festival is near. ... And did you ask me about jewelry? - Yes, it definitely formed a very important part of our special Holi attire. And to do the good there was abundance of palash, jasmine, marigold, gulmohar florets and chrysanthemums – the Colors of Spring!

Celebrate Holi with colorful lac jewelry and glass bangles

It's once again that time of the year, when you can holler, howl and scream “Holi Hai” without giving anybody a damn. Holi, the high-decimal festival of colors (yes, most weirdly!) is known to bring out not just the best, but the brat-best out of us. Everybody is out to showcase their wilder side on this day, though in a very aesthetic way (don't go into the contravention), and this is evident in every aspect of their body language.


Dressing up for Holi essentially means slipping into a white dress bought specially for the occasion. Okay! I know many of us do fall back upon our old favorites, but then, the buy is worth it, right? But how to accessorize these white dresses? -Silver jewelries? Yes, they are the obvious choice, but let's think of something more colorful, more gorgeous that matches the grandeur of the festival. - How about lac jewelry? Crafted beautifully in different ethnic shapes and styles with stones and mirror pieces embedded in them, lac jewelries look stunning with white ensembles.

And yes, the glass bangles- how can I forget them. Stack a handful of them not bothering at all about the color match and all, because once you step out to celebrate Holi, all of them will be right their on you. So, go wild!!

Jewelry Trends Spring - Summer 2010

Finished viewing? Wasn't that absolutely stunning? So, now that you can already make out from the clipping, the winning trends in jewelry fashion for spring - summer 2010 are:

• Multi-strand necklaces- dramatic, unique, and unusual in every sense
• Huge cuff bracelets with big (yes, BIG!!) stones
• Cocktail rings with huge rocks
• Big hoop earrings
• Swarovski crystals
• South Sea pearls
  

And do I need to mention the good old diamonds?!

For the compulsive gemstone lovers, here are the stones of the season:
Amethyst

Aquamarine

Rose quartz

Blue lace agate

Peridot
Tourmaline

Spinel

Blue topaz

Spring fashion accessories for campus hoppers

Not that I didn't think about this earlier, but it so happened that I didn't find the right opportunity to share with my college-going friends some fabulous springtime fashion ideas – jewelry I mean, as the rest of course you can put together on your own, right? Now, that the season of colors is almost at the doorstep, and there is International Women's Day and several other cause-driven occasions lining up in close succession, let's talk some fun jewelry that you can wear to the campus.


Colors, campus, and charismatic accessories all seem synonymous when you are in college. There's celebration all around (of life!), your confidence knows no bounds and you righteously feel as though the world is at your feet! So, here are some great jewelry pieces for the diva that you are. Flaunt them with panache at your campus this spring and have a blast!


Click in here for a riot of colors!

Antique silver jewelry – my favorite weekend accessory

Hi friends, I'm back. What a refreshing weekend it was! I had ample time to relax, finished the book that I started reading a couple of weeks back (finally!), shopped a bit, and guess what? - I met up with an old friend of mine at a coffee shop after ... hmm ... 11 years! - Yes, it's been that long since we met each other after school. Needless to say, I was super ecstatic and super confused as to what to wear for the occasion (trust me, it wasn't less than an occasion for either of us). And as I was ransacking my wardrobe for the perfect outfit and accessories for our much awaited coffee-shop get-together, I came across another few of my old buddies – the antique silver jewelry pieces, which saved me for the day.

Nothing looks more sensuous than a loose bun with a silver handcrafted hairpin tucked in it.

Crafted neatly in muted silver, these antique pieces make great casual wear accessories. You can wear them with kurtis, jeans paired with an ethnic top, A-line skirts in bandhej or cotton ghera skirts, and they look stunning with all of them. And yes, they make great spring fashion accessories as well. But do wear a pair of mojris and carry a mirror/patch worked jhola bag to complete the look. Antique silver jewelry has an unmistakable timeless appeal, and make real modern-day collectibles.

Here are few antique silver jewelry pieces that you would love to have in your closet:



Click here for more such exquisite antique silver jewelry pieces.

Story of Jewels

Since time immemorial jewelry has been telling us its wonderful story - a story, full of human emotions that are so known to us, and so close to our hearts. Today I am trying to read out some excerpts from that story... See, if you find my thoughts matching with yours.

Jewelry shares commitment

Jewelry says, I am always there for you...

Jewelry makes us ecstatic

Jewelry makes you blush

Jewelry brings out the mischievous girl in you..

Jewelry speaks of seduction

Jewelry creates mystery

Jewelry gives power

Jewelry makes a Star

Jewelry makes someone feel special

Jewelry tells who you are

Jewelry defines innocence

Jewelry makes you look ethereal

There's a lot more that jewelry has to say. As immortalized by George Eliot ~ These gems have life in them: their colors speak, say what words fail of...