Ghagra Dresses for Little Girls   Come Dassera and ghagras reappear with bright colors and heavy embroidery. Those glass beads, mirrors and thread works look so amazing..its the time of the year ! Dandiya and Gaarba have become so famous in South India and also the Western countries that shopping for the right dresses and shipping abroad intime for these occasions have become so important.   Dancing and jumping with the long lehengas may not be so easy for the little girls. The same patterns as Ghagras have emerged into skirts and frocks now. Moms can shop for these cute dresses and find their little ones running here and there naughtily, without tripping. Some come with the zari looks, while most of them show off their mirror work, the typical gujarathi designs. These dresses look so perfect for a festive portfolio too. The girls can flaunt them even for Diwali. To avoid the inconvenience of pulling and tugging around the waist, the designers have converted these dresses into one piece frocks to make them look cuter and neat. Infact, the same patterns can be adopted for grown ups. Let this Dassera dressup be fashionable yet trendy for the little girls in these Ghagra dresses !   --Pratyusha

  Get more while you spend less Batukamma, Dandiya, Garbaa, Dussera.. This season is full of celebrations. A great chance to every one to do a fashion parade.  Here are some tips for you to dress up for these occasions. * never buy any cloths for single use or only suitable for particular occasion. For example, if you are going for Dandiya don't  shop for a typical Rajasthan I attire, instead go for full long skirt in handloom with little embroidery or mirror work and pair it up with heavy saree blouse along with dupatta. * pick up any stuff which is multi purpose like a Bandhej dupatta helps you to make a chunni on   a white top during “Holi”.. * Keep view of forth coming events and accordingly spend; when you are picking up a skirt make sure that it can be worn with a T shirt or kurti which is “in” now and same with junk jewellery. Have a futuristic approach for every penny you spend. It saves your time and space in your closet.   * Your fashion sense  shows in your dressing.  Rather than buying new things every time try to mix and match the stuff you have. Giving a new look to an old saree is possible when you pair it with a trendy blouse. Try some thing similar in jewellery too.. Above all, never imitate. Make your own mark by being comfortable and confident. --Bhavana

Crop tops in Vogue Crop till you drop is new fashion statement. This includes, bare-all crop tops, High-neck halters, high-rise sweats. Crop tops are in vogue and will keep you looking stylish throughout the party season. Crop tops are one of our favorite trends to wear in this season. This tells us, how easy it is to dress up a crop top for a casual outing and also for formal occasion , as long as you manage to wear a solid- toned neutral black or white one with a dressy skirt or pants like and can combine crops tops with casual denims and skirts to give a leisure look. If you're long and lean or fit and trim or pear-shaped and curvy, still there's a way for you to wear crop tops. Crop tees can be paired up with skirts of long and short or jeans, shorts or Capri's and even palazzos. Its all about how you pair them using right color combination and designs. But one thing is sure that, your attire really gets cuter when you wear crop tees. The crop top trend can be a little intimidating. But wearing them with high waisted skirts and denims will help you feel confident  when you are trying a crop top for the first time.   --Bhavana

Stylish Lunch Boxes for Kids    Packing lunch for kids is not an easy task. Parents have to think every night about whats going in the lunch box the next day. Some kids have silly choices and sometimes food restrictions due to health reasons. Forget about the items to put in the box, atleast if the box is interesting, Mommy might long to dress what she cooked in it. Yes, i mean it. Look at the new trending lunch boxes in the market and you will want to buy them, keep aside the need for a new lunch box or not. With Eco-friendly, reusable, dishwasher, microwave safe, totally Leak-proof features, these stylish lunch boxes come in bright colors, oh so attractive to parents too ! Some even come with their matching insulated bags. Those stainless steel lunch boxes of my childhood are back with a boom. Never thought those boring steel boxes would make such a statement. The idea is not new but the colors, the features make them so wanted for. The sections suitable for 'the Bento Mantra' many parents are following to make lunches attractive for kids, and a partition for the water bottle to avoid the need to carry it separately, to keep cold items cold and hot lunches hot in the same box...all these features make the consumers feel they are worth buying. Each box serves a life of 3-4 years of daily use. These come in a wide variety of materials, some of BPA free plastic, some of steel, some of glass with BPA free rubber sleeves for Breakproof usage. Online shopping websites like Amazon have loads of these on their shelves. Start the hunt for these stylish lunch boxes you will want to flaunt among other Mommies !!   -Pratyusha

  Your New Fashion Statement   If you recollect our old Bollywood classics like “Pakeezah”, “Umraojaan”... their costumes and jewellery were very peculiar and traditional in nature. Though they are mostly used by the dancers, at times brides too were fond of such heavy jewellery. But of late fashion boundaries are pushed out, therefore we get to see so many new fashion statements are revealed by the designers. Recently, Our designers showcased new rings which can be worn to 2 fingers or 3 fingers together. These are studded with Royal Pearls, Gems and some times in peacock, butterfly and plant motifs as well. Such rings are apt for evening parties, wedding receptions or formal get togethers and will go with any type of attire. However, you should avoid wearing any other chunky piece of jewellery like bracelet or heavy bangles while you wear such designer piece which is already an exclusive one. Also go for a trail run before you wear such designer pieces as they are interconnected to fingers, so make sure that you're comfortable wearing the same. Flaunt these rings with rich costume just to steal the show... Go for it!!! ...Bhavana

  Trendy Footwear for the Festive Kids Come festive season and the glittery dresses in bright colors make the little ones look cuter ! There need not be a perfect matching when it comes to dressing up the kids. However, a dress that has some gold or silvery look can be complimented with footwear that is either completely in gold shade or with a silver shimmery look. Believe me, these straight shades may look too matchy for the grown-ups but the little feet dont mind looking better in them. Consider purchasing a pair of shoes or sandals in gold and silver shades for your girls and they will be so useful while growing up. For the little guys, shades ofbrown and blacks go well with almost every other traditional dress. International Brands like Toms, Woodlands and Bata in India carry quite a few good options for Boys. For the girls, the local stores showcase numerous options. Spending too much on these growing feet is not smart anyways. For those curious hands of the DIYers, there are some easy and interesting handmade kids shoe ideas. Materials and supplies for making them are the ones easily available in common stores. You can browse on the web for loads of tutorials, keeping aside the thought of longevity. Let your kids be 'trend setters' for even the footwear they flaunt, this festive season !! Prathyusha Talluri

  Change As You Wish There was a generation, most of the people used to buy footwear when the current pair is completely gone... Otherwise, its always like “Cobbler cobbler mend my shoe” kind, they used to get them repaired. With the changing economies, lifestyle changed of many and enhanced rather. Wardrobe management is a big affair for most of us. Shoes are also a part of it. Having so many pairs of shoes is not a luxury but has become necessary for us these days. So comes matching footwear in to picture. Though, money is not a criteria, but space management is a real challenge now. To overcome such problems, shoes with changing straps have come in to market, similar to the watches we have. Instead of buying shoe in so many colors, you can as well have one with many straps. Isn't this sounding a good deal? You have so many online stores selling these footwear. Check and pick up as per your choice. Ensure that the model you buy must include black, silver, skin and gold colours. So that they can go with many of your outfits. If not any color, then skin color will always be your saver. Another tip I would like to give you is, when ever you are buying footwear with these changeable straps, you have to pick up two designs at least so that you have an option to change the pattern. .....Bhavana

Bangles for Little Girls' Traditional Dressup The little, hands may never look bare but when dressed with beautiful and colorful bangles, they look cuter than ever ! Another Friday is here and the ladies getting ready for VaraLakshmi Puja are busy the whole day...what about the little ones...dress them up for a relief ! You have to shop for the trendy bangles or make one statement piece on your own to make those cuddlesome hands...the brighter the colors the more beautiful they look. Contrast colors go well too. Unlike the exact matchings we tend to look for the Ladies' dresses and bangles, we can go sideways in the color scheme when shopping for little ones. If it is a blue and gold lehenga, you can pair them up with hot pink bangles too....who cares whether you bought the exact shade or color...you dress the little girl and people are awestruck !!...Bangles for the little hands come in different textures, mostly in softer versions not to hurt the tender hands. You can even buy few more Stylish Bangles your Little girl's friends as Return gifts on birthdays or even as Tambulam gifts for any occasion. - Prathyusha Talluri

White Henna - The In Thing Now    Traditional henna paste made out of leaves was age old fashion to decorate palms and legs during the wedding. They were taken over by red mehandi cones, then replaced by black Mehandi for occasions other than weddings and now the in thing in fashion world is “white henna”.Going well with white color theme and wedding gowns, not leaving any patches of fade outs are the reasons for the buzz this “white Mehandi” art has been creating in the market. White henna is not actual henna. These designs are made out of stickers, tattoos, body paints and glitters.Since, this is not a natural henna powder or any organic substance , there are few do’s and don’ts while applying these designs on your skin. Dos: There is a white adhesive used to prepare these designs. This adhesive will be piped onto the skin like henna paste and will stick to the skin for up to a week. It can be peeled or scrubbed off and is safe for everyone who doesn't have an allergy to Band-Aids. Adhesive with cosmetic glitter or powder also used as white henna as it gives extra glamour. These powders can be sprinkled onto the adhesive before it's fully dry. This gives splendid look. Gels, which are water based have consistency like aloe vera gel and contain cosmetic glitter. They pipe on and can be easily washed off. this is just perfect for kids. White eye pencil with glittery finish also be used to create henna-like motifs, especially on sensitive areas such as around the eyes. Donts Never use Chlorine bleach, hair bleach, skin bleaching product or any other product that is a chemical bleach as henna designs. Acrylic paint or any other paint from the craft store that is meant for painting canvases or houses, not people. So never paint your skin using them. No Nail polish. The best thing to do is, to check with an expert and then proceed. Be trendy, have fun! Also take care of health as beauty is all about being healthy.  Bhavana        

Rakhi - Symbol Of Responsibility Rakhi/ Rakshabandhan festival what we celebrate today has no specific relation with the mythological stories or epics from where most of our Hindu festivals are derived from. However, it is very special festival for brothers and sisters,dedicating this particular day to each other and celebrating in the form of Rakshabandhan, with a promise, brother makes to protect sister from all the odds. A small band which is tied by sister gives so much of confidence to her, simultaneously instills, sense of responsibility in brother. To this extra special bonding between brothers and sisters, our ancistors attached a ritual so that we can celebrate this with out fail , and with lot of enthusiasm to make this day more fulfilled. One such day reminds a man to extend brotherhood to society and take care of sisters not only in the family but in the whole world which is one family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbam).Indeed, this is the only gift a brother can give to sister, a promising relationships. According to history, Rakshbandhan was initiated by two individuals, who weren't siblings, but was a brotherly love, which was assured to a girl; over a period of time, this was symbolised as a celebration for brothers and sisters to express their love and caring for each other.When, a boy can think beyond the box and understand the very own purpose of this Rakhi, not only as a festival/ ritual but becomes a reliable resource for girls and make sure to stand by them when needed. Girls, when you find a boy who can take accountability of sisters not only in his family but in the whole society, then go all the way to express your love for them. We salute to all such brothers and wishing them a happy “Rakshabandhan”!! And, I'm sure that, we do have many such brothers around. Long life to those brothers and long live Rakhi!! - Bhavana  

  Fashionable Kids ready for Puja and Rakhi The festive season kicks off !! Shopping and hunting for the best ever dresses for yourself and your child is interesting during this time of the year. The auspicious friday makes this weekend a pretty wonderful one. Mommy has plans to get dressed up well but does she have enough hands to manage her little girl's and her own dressup time ? We are here to help...just buy a pretty dress that fits the child well, yet has room to run around freely. Children tend to get irritated with silk and shimmery clothes and that is the reason plan to go shopping ahead of time, take them along with you for trials or request for exchange if necessary. For girls, buy a matching pair of hair accesories and a nice and fine bracelet or necklace. If the little girl needs footwear, you may want to think of purchasing a suitable pair, same Manthra applies here too. The lighter the dress, the better..your child will not Complain...make this festive friday a memorable one !!! - Prathyusha Talluri

  శ్రావణ శుక్రవారం ట్రెడిషనల్ శారీస్ (శ్రావణ శుక్రవారం స్పెషల్)   శ్రావణ శుక్రవారం రోజు మహిళలు లక్ష్మీదేవికి నిష్ఠతో పూజించడం ద్వారా అష్టైశ్వర్యాలు చేకూరుతాయని పండితులు అంటున్నారు. ఈ పండుగ రోజు మహిళలు కొత్త బట్టలు వేసుకొని ఎంతో భక్తితో లక్ష్మీదేవికి పూజలు చేస్తారు. మరి వారి కోసం కొన్ని ట్రెడిషనల్ శారీస్.. చూడండి..  

Time To Go Ethnic Friends, while, two auspicious occasions, “Varalaxmi Vratam” and “Rakshabandhan” are round the corner, let's talk something Ethnic in today's Fashion page. For women: Its time to invite, Kanaka Mahalaxmi, Goddess of wealth, kanchivarams and banaras are right picks. Along with them, Ikkat silks and Uppdas are still in, while Jute is really making big in market. If you want to pick up Sarees for office wear, pick up in Jutes and Tassers; kalamkaaris and batiks have their new releases in silks which would also be right pick for the occassion. These kind of sarees will look more eligant when you pair them with printed, handloom blouses. If you are a office goer, make sure that your sarees are simple and yet elegant. Never be too loud when you wear a saree to workplace unless it is asked or you have any wedding theme running @ office. Teenagers: Half sareers are very apt for this season, if at all girls can carry them well. Otherwise, you can get along with Anarkalis which are surely best and very comfortable. Try for handloom stuff for these girls as they look very good on them. This is the age, teens want to be different from crowd, so picking up ethnic stuff can be very appropriate for the occasions. Kids: Long skirt and blouse, or long skirt and half blouse along with small chiffon chunny will give them wonderful look. Especially girls between 8-10 years, they always want to imitate their moms, so, skirts with dupattas can surely pep them up. You can try for handlooms for kids. Never spend too much as this is the growing age and they cant wear any dress for more than year. So ensure that you get value for money in whatever you buy for them. When you are dressed so well, take care on your accessories as well. Being simple and elegant is the new fashion mantra and ethnic stuff always helps you to reach there. - Bhavana  

Those Fashionable Fruit Holders ! Schools reopen in America and kids are already gearing up for their quarterly exams in India...I dont know about Dads but Moms, are definitely busy packing lunches, picking up kids, homeworks and what not ! Just to make the regular boring chores a little interesting, we have gathered some bright ideas for packing lunches and snacks..over the next few articles every Friday, i am going to share pictures of amazing Lunch Carriers and details of some Brands that are marketing cute Lunch totes, fruit and snack holders, Awesome Lunch Carriers etc. Look at these Carrot and Celery Holders...so attractive.. With a separate compartment for the Dip or another Snack item, i am sure its easy to tune a disinterested child into healthy snacking. And the Banana Cases, sure keep those Yummy Sweet Fillers in shape. Our grapes dont get mushy when Mom sends a few in those Peppy 'Not so boxed' Boxes. Well, we can fill any snacks into any of these holders...a Banana case can even carry string cheese and the Grape Boxes can bring us some Black Raisins too. The BPA-free, Non-Toxic quality makes it safe for kids and all. Not just for kids, even Moms can carry a treat here and there. Websites like Zulily, Amazon etc are selling these clever brands such as BentGo, YumBox, Hutzler. Find your favorites there. I am envious of the kids who will enjoy their power packed lunches in these bright Fruit Holders..where were these 15 years ago.!!? - Prathyusha Talluri

  Match Your Hand Bag   Once upon a time, hand bag was an accessory for women to carry money and few more essentials like few important documents and cosmetics. Once a bag is purchased, people used to carry the same for long, however celebrities or high society women used to change their bags as per their attire.  In current days,most of the women's wardrobe is filled with plenty of hand bags, which are available in the market with different designs and of course, suitable to various occasions. Now matching your handbag with your outfit became very easy and trendy yet cost effective. Now, new hand bags are coming along with  accessories which will  help you to go for a mix and match.     Most of the hand bags are coming with two strings, one is long and other is short. You can change the length of your bag as per your choice. Few bags are coming with golden, silver and also with different colourful handles; you can match them with your dress and it gives you a feel of new purse yet saving your pocket.  So, quickly pick up such  bags with changeable handles and enjoy!!   _Bhavana

Fashionable and Cute Baby Portraits Photographs capture the best memories...who doesnot yearn for childhood photographs or pictures of ones best moments in life ! Child Birth and Birthdays, Milestones are the most captured moments in our lives. Fashion Photography has reached peaks and Baby portraits are in most demand these days. The best and easy ones are during the first couple of months of Child birth, thats when the baby sleeps for hours at a stretch and also during the day, however, the photographer and the parents need to have loads of patience to wait for the baby to sleep, instead of cry, cry and cry for hours on a bad mood day ! But the outcome is so adorable like the ones in the pictures attached here...some very talented portrait makers have captured these amazing photographs of some overly cuddlesome babies. Preparing for the photo session is a big task, the parents need to consult the best photographer in town, take an appointment, discuss the theme and finalise the package...the amount is not at all small. Parents should not fall for the different attractive offers the make and end up giving them a huge bill. Make up your mind and stick to the budget, strictly. I am telling this by expereince !! Shopping for the baby's costumes is sometimes on the parents, sometimes the portrait maker provides just the props etc. Hoping the Big day should be the baby's best mood day too. Prepping up for all the necessary baby items and making it to the photo parlour, and once the session begins, the baby should be asleep, thats when the majic happens. Family portraits are bigger tasks, everyone has to dress up well. Put aside all the hard work, it might be just a photo for others, but what comes out is a dream come true for the parents. It is a master piece in the whole house..and a treasure forever for the parents only...the child might grow up and feel shy looking at his/ her baby days huge photo on the wall and say 'Remove it please'. - Prathyusha Talluri

  Glam Up Your Nails Tired of using same old nail polish? Want to go for Nail art? Then here are few simple tips to have your own nail art at home, using nail polish colors you have in your fashion kit and tools like, bobby pins, tooth pics and cotton etc. Your creativity can bring the best out here. To start with, use base nail color, which should be light in color and make sure that it wont chip. If your nail polish is smooth and silky it extends the life of your nail art, so choosing right base is very important. You can use different sizes of bindis, studs or kundans available in the market; fix them after your first base coat then, close with transparent nail polish. Bobby pins and tooth pics are other tools, help you to draw zigzag line on nails and dots. Use Bobby pis for zigzag line and one side of tooth pick can be used to put thick dots, and other side for thinner dots and lines. You can give a polki dot look using tooth pick. Cotton is another tool, which can help you to give Matty finish to your nail polish. You can as well take two colors side by side on a plate (you get this along with fabric colours for mixing) and apply them on a nail with the help of a cotton swab to give two shades. You can also try graffiti on nails... use patterned scissors to cut foil and paste on nails to make different pattern... Just follow us on this page to know more about nail art designs... -Bhavana

Cute Backpacks for Kids School days and finishing one whole year is just one backpack is an old story....kids know it all ! Which backpack is trendy and which ones old fashioned...is their decision...parents agree that most kids these days have become choosy. Why not think twice when buying what they choose.Backpacks have become a heavy affair with some schools these days... sametime some institutions are making sure to not let the kids carry the load. Orthopedic backpacks have become famous in this scenario. Trolley bags have entered the schools too. Easy to pull and convertible to a light weight bag are the key features. Some stores are even manufacturing Eco- friendly, Recycled Material bags, some stuff the parents can be proud of ! Colors used in their production are also non- toxic, however, they are a little pricey, yet long lasting, let alone, a child is ready to use it for years. Favorite Cartoon characters and Names, Movie Personalities appear first on these bags for an attractive look. Many online luggage stores and lifestyle stores are selling schools bags and backpacks. Shopping has become easier with a regular store also maintaining online shopping feature. Thee school bags work perfectly as Birthday Gifts...so when are you packing one stylish piece ?! - Prathyusha Talluri