I turned one today!

Hey you all..

Its March 27th today. It's my birthday today.. I turned one today. Exactly one year ago this day, my creator gave birth to me, a blog, which she proudly named 'Rising Colors'. May be because she loves colors – and not one, but all of them.

I know what you are thinking - Who am I? I am Rising Colors - the blog itself. It is always she who writes a post, but because it's my birthday today, she let me write this one myself. Well, thank her for that. She is the Boss! Oh, but she is too kind. 

It feels so good. In this one year I have achieved so much, came so far, gained so many admirers, readers, friends, some known and some anonymous. And l love you all, very much.

Every now and then, my owner pens down her ideas, her thoughts on to me and then, I take it forward to the world. I am not only her messenger but her true friend, her medium through which she shares everything that comes to her mind, like a diary - but an open one.
She loves me, a lot, treats me like her baby. I really like the way she communicates with the world through me, I like being so close to her. I never question her or judge her. I just listen. I listen to everything she has to say. Is it not what she created me for?
She has changed so much in this one year. She learned a lot on this journey with me, she is more confident now, takes higher risks and how can I forget, she also met her creative-self! There are way too many ideas and thoughts that keep popping in her mind and sometimes it's too much for me to gasp, not that I am complaining! I love every bit of it.

Usually she comes to me when she has something to say, or express. There are times when she is sad, or angry, then I calm her down. I let her vent, I keep listening. After all she is my creator, and I love her straight-forwardness. But the rest of the times I enjoy being a pal of a happy cheerful girl. Sometimes, she is so funny, she cracks me up! Her happy pictures enlighten me. I know I am always on her mind even when she is cooking or reading or watching a movie, or hanging out with friends. She is always looking for inspiration, just to make me more beautiful and creative! I love the way she designs me - I feel so beautiful, I know she works hard on me, and I will never let her down!

How can I forget I also have a silent contributor - her husband, her photographer, the love of her life. He clicks her the best and he is also her best critic. And I am sure you agree with me here. She loves him very much, or can I say beyond infinity. I know this because she keeps telling me that all the time! I am happy to have such an amazing life!

Well, thank you everyone for your wishes. I know I am still a small baby. And I would love to grow with you all - my friends my readers. This one year was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and I hope to celebrate many more birthdays with you all.
Thank you for everything!
Oh and to all my Indian readers - Wish you a very Happy and Colorful Holi..!!

P.S. Did I mention she is going to bake banana and orange muffins today? I am too excited for that!

Love,
Rising Colors..

Over-sized

Typical summers have started here. Spring came and went in a blink of eye! It's Phoenix people! The summers are so dry and hot here, that the temperature usually rises up to 50 degrees Celsius (above 120 degrees Fahrenheit)!

This also means it's time for skirts to come out and re-appear after their (short) hibernation period. It's such an irony that few states in U.S. are still experiencing snow and I am already wearing mini's here!
Anyhow, before I go all crazy with skirts and shorts, I want to soak up all the pants and jeans I can. Because, when it gets hot here, you can barely think of wearing full-legged bottoms.

These pictures were taken today! And before I pack all my sweatshirts and jackets for next winters, I wanted to wear this lovely yellow sweatshirt which was a thrift find. It's a bit over-sized and that is what makes it more special to me.
I paired it with a good fitting pair of cropped trousers and accessorized it with a pop-colored necklace and a chunky watch. I am really digging the color yellow these days. Check out my previous post for more splash of yellow!
Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and are ready to fight the Monday-blues again!

Cheers
Ritika

Sweatshirt: Thrifted (The Arc of Tempe Thrift Shop)
Pants: Loft
Shoes: Nine West (similar here and here)
Watch: Michael Kors
Necklace: Lux Accessories (similar here and here)
Sunglasses: American Eagle

Note -This post is an entry to this IFB Project.

Summer is welcome

This Sunday was perfect. Perfect by all means. Perfect Weather, perfect shopping, perfect coffee date followed with a perfect long drive with husband! Did not want it to end, but it had to!
The dress I chose to wear is full of colors and screams 'summer'! It is so light and breezy, so comfortable and an attention seeker too. I bought this one from Macy's in 2011. It was on sale then, and I was lucky to find it.

I paired it previously with a Fedora and flats (back in India, last summer). This time I chose to pair it with color-blocked wedge heels and a chunky watch. The print on this dress is very busy, hence, I skipped any kind of jewelry around my neck, or else it would have given the impression that I am trying too hard. Though I cinched my waist with a thin brown studded belt, which was not too much visible anyways.

For a change, I chose to tie up my hair using a small clip, keeping the face clean and to draw attention towards the dark pink glossy lips.
The yellowed framed aviators matched the dress completely, which was a plus!

Let me know how else would you style such a dress!

P.S. What do you think about the new blog layout?

Cheers
Ritika

Dress: Macy's
Shoes: Nine West (similar here and here)
Belt: Target
Necklace: Claire's
Watch: Michael Kors
Sunglasses: American Eagle Outfitters

Mustard Heels

Lately I have been hooked on to reading. The idea is to read, read and read more blogs. I love searching and then discovering a new blog and then I stalk it for hours (or days) until I am done reading all the posts published so far (yes, all of them!). I keep searching for new ones and have already come up with few gem blogs and this hunt shall never end. There are so many wonderful blogs out there and it's so amusing to understand the personality and the style of each blogger through their posts.

That's all I have been doing lately (apart from office, cooking, bathing, sleeping etc.)
Oh and on other note, there are chances of me going to a road-trip this month end (with husband and friends). **Fingers crossed**
Will reveal the location (only if the road-trip plan is a success)!

And yes, wish you all a very happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Don't forget to wear something green today!

P.S. These sandals (in the pictures) are my latest obsession these days. Love them to death! They are so very comfortable and they look so pretty. They can be styled in hundreds of ways. Love the color. PERFECTION!
I wanted them to stand out. Hence, styled rest of the outfit keeping the focus on the shoes.

Cheers
Ritika

Blouse: Forever 21
Jeans: Gap (similar here)
Jacket: Tommy Hilfiger (similar here)
Shoes: Sole Society
Watch: Fossil (similar here)
Bag: Wilsons Leather (similar here and here)
Necklace: Lux Accessories

Choose your Khaki Pants

History - Sir Harry Lumsden is widely credited with giving us what we now consider the khaki pant.  In 1846 he was commanding a British Army troop of Indian recruits, and according to legend, ordered their white trousers dyed to better blend with the local terrain.  Mazari, a native plant was used to achieve the color called  khaki, also the Hindu word for “dust”.
After World War II, their good looks brought them, as surplus, to widespread civilian use and manufacture. Today there are hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of khakis, from pajama-like drawstring jobs to your aforementioned Capitoline pleated, permanent-press “dorkers.”

Length - Length, and whether to roll-up cuffs or not is all personal preference. But here is my take - if your khaki's are too long take them to a tailor.  Just be specific about what you want though, or you may end up with a creepy little jean hem on your khakis.  Go for a deep fold-over hem, or just cut ‘em off and let them fray naturally, if that’s how you like.
And if you’re vertically challenged or just have shorter legs, beware of rolling your khakis too high– it will only draw attention towards your short legs.

Cut - I suggest - avoid pleats. To up your game with khakis you’ll need to focus on fit. Straight-leg varieties are the most conventional and comfortable, while slim-cut versions, with a slightly low rise, are the most modern. Both types should skim your hips, and the fly should sit naturally.”
I like a cleaner fit, but don’t want to look like I’m wearing leggings. Again, personal preference and body type is the key, so go with what looks and feels the best.

Fabric - 100% cotton. No nylon, lycra, or rayon please. In general, try to avoid anything and everything that says– Stretch or Easy Care. Cotton twills are great year-round and lighter weight poplins are perfect for spring and summer.

Cuffs -  The Duke of Windsor popularized the look by turning-up the bottoms of his khakis (called turn-ups, across the pond)– that’s how cuffed bottoms came into popularity.  And surely you’ve noticed that formal trousers and tuxedo bottoms are never cuffed– considered a faux pas, too casual and completely unacceptable.

Where To Wear - Client Meeting, Gallery Opening, Dinner Party, Wine Tasting, Job Interview, First Date and so on..

I’m a lover of Khakis. The Khakis I own are soft, with a luxurious fabric and an easy stretch. Paired them with printed button down and neutral heels here, polished the look with an elegant stand-out bag and red lips.
Are you all set to roll in khakis?

Cheers

Ritika

Printed Shirt: Burlington Coat Factory

Khaki Pants: Gap (similar)
Scarf: Papaya (similar here and here)
Belt: Gap (similar)
Watch: Michael Kors

Shoes: Payless (similar)

Bag: Forever 21(similar)

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters
On my lips: A Million Kisses Lip Tint by Lush

Woman - You Got The Power

Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity...
If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior...
If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women...
~ Mahatma Gandhi

Source

It might be over for some of you.. but it's still March 8th here (in this part of the world, where I live), hence I am not late to post it..
Let me say it first (out loud) - Happy Women's Day Ladies

According to me (and I know many of you would agree), all us daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, grandmothers out there deserve more than one day. They actually deserve the whole year dedicated to them!

The first International Women's Day was held in 1911, but it was international only in the technical sense that women in four European nations marched. These activists were ahead of their time in thinking about women's economic and political equality; they may not have been so far ahead of their time that they envisioned what it has come to mean for many of us today.

Now, International Women's Day represents a movement that is for every woman and girl, no matter where they live.
When I try to imagine the future, I am optimistic because I see women demanding information and opportunities in the face of social norms that say they're not permitted to do so. I'm also optimistic because no matter where I go, people ask me, "What can I do to help?"

To me, this is why marking International Women's Day is important. It's a chance for so many people to move beyond "celebrating" and take action to create meaningful and sustainable change for women and girls.

While to date, there have been many improvements on women’s legal rights, women around the world are still suffering inequalities in their access to resources, education, as well as legal and political rights. While women comprise half of Palestinian society, their participation in household decisions, and economic, public, and political life does not reflect the same proportion.

• Leadership and Participation -  Women are every bit as affected as any man by the challenges facing humanity in the 21st century -- in economic and social development, as well as in peace and security. Often, they are more affected. It is, therefore, right and indeed necessary that women should be engaged in the decision-making processes in all areas, with equal strength and in equal numbers.
• An urgent first step is to make much greater progress on the education of girls. It is not acceptable that over 50 million girls of primary age worldwide are still not at school.

• Domestic Violence against women and girls is widespread in all societies. In situations of armed conflict, women are frequently raped or used as sexual slaves in complete impunity. We also need to recognize that ending violence against women and girls is not only the responsibility of the State. It also requires a change of mindset. It requires us to demonstrate, once and for all, that there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses. If we are going to stop violence against women and girls – we must begin by speaking out. We must ensure that women and girls enjoy their basic human rights without discrimination. Criminal impunity must end. Every crime must be prosecuted.

• Women’s Empowerment – It must be supported through effective access to justice and critical resources. Women cannot resist violence if they lack the political, economic, social and cultural rights to enable them to protect themselves against abuse, sue the perpetrators for compensation or seek other civil remedies. Women that cannot exercise their right to adequate housing, land, property and inheritance, for instance, will often not dare to denounce a violent husband or influential family member, knowing that such an action will most probably make them homeless. There is also a need to examine and act upon some of the structural causes of violence against women such as poverty, marginalization and discrimination.

• Gender Equality – It is not only a goal in its own right; it is critical to our ability to reach all the others. Study after study has shown that there is no effective development strategy in which women do not play a central role. When women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately: families are healthier and better fed; their income, savings and reinvestment go up. And what is true of families is also true of communities and, in the long run, of whole countries.

Across all levels of society, we need to see a deep social revolution that transforms relationships between women and men, so that women will be able to take greater control of their lives -- financially as well as physically.

Women are the pillars not only of the family, but also of society as a whole. Women’s a day is a day to recognize the vital role of women in society and the economy around the world.

White Shirt & Blue Jeans

I want a vacation. I need a vacation, I badly need a vacation. I desperately need a vacation.

Yes – that’s my current state of mind. I want a break from ‘wake-up-cook-rush to office-work-rush to gym-workout-rush to home-cook-eat-sleep’ routine!

Ughh.. There I took out my frustration. Thank God I have a blog to shout and scream (in words), and stay normal in real life. But seriously, I am dying to go on a road-trip with my husband. There are restrictions to taking a vacation as of now, which are –

-       He has prior commitments at work and hence he cannot go out of town at least before April end.

-       The weather of all those places where we want to go, sucks right now. (Phoenix is far much better that way! At least we don’t have snow and we get to see the sun-shine daily..!)

-       I am off sick right now (this is last, but not the least). Obviously, a body with a runny nose, watery eyes, zero-energy should not be dragged out for a vacation. Isn’t it?

Okay! So I am not well. But so what? That can’t restrict me from dreaming of a perfect vacation full of beaches, sun-shine, summer, road-trips, hats, cool-refreshers, long walks, aahhh and the list is endless!

 God are you there?? Are you listening? Let us get over with winters. I am tired now. Thank you!

Till then, let's wear a white shirt, blue jeans and a vest to kill time and get fun pictures clicked!

Cheers
Ritika

Shirt & Jeans: American Eagle
Denim Vest: Papaya (similar)
Shoes: Naturalizer, Bata
Belt: Gap
Watch: Michael Kors
Sunglasses: Aldo