A few days ago, I shared some images from my friends’ Tanya and Brian’s wedding weekend — specifically the mehndi, which serves as a traditional pre-party in South Asia. (You can revisit that post here.) Now, we move into the main part of the show — the ceremony and reception, which were both awash in […]
Party
Pakistan Meets Buffalo… in Texas
I recently traveled to Houston for the wedding of Tanya, a dear friend I met in one of those unique, circuitous ways. In this case, Tanya grew up in Houston, where she was friends with Deepa — who happens to be my husband’s cousin. Thanks to NYC’s gravitational pull, we all wound up on this bizarre […]
A New Year in Bangalore
New Year’s Eve can be such a crapshoot holiday, especially when you’re in a strange town. I’m no stranger to traveling over New Year’s — usually in Miami — but this was my first time celebrating in an entirely different continent. In Bangalore, I anticipated a quiet countdown thanks to two factors: I don’t know the […]
Three Halloween Ideas
Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. (My history of costumes is here.) I love dressing up in costumes — and for the last several years, I’ve resisted buying a costume from the store in favor of cobbling together a look from my closet or the thrift store. Normally, I’d prefer to do a Halloween post […]
My Sister’s Wedding: Part 1
Since I started this blog last summer, I haven’t gone a whole week without posting — until now. Fortunately, I had a very good reason for an absence: my sister, Chelsea, got married! You’ve seen the run-up to the wedding for several months: First, the hunt for the wedding dress in March; then the New Orleans […]
An Eclectic, Vintage-Inspired Bridal Shower
Over the weekend, I flew to Atlanta to surprise my sister for her bridal shower. As my sister is the opposite of a bridezilla, she made it clear that I was not required to go after planning her bachelorette party in New Orleans. And because she had already generously let me off the hook, it was […]
“Theme” Parties: How Far Is Too Far?
Sometimes, it can be exhausting to be a New Yorker. The crushing crowds ruin everything that is otherwise nice, from Christmas lights to brunch. So whenever I agree to attend a popular, public event (like the Jazz Age Lawn Party at Governors Island), I have to mentally prepare myself for pushing, shoving and general malaise. (I’m […]
The Fashion of the Jazz Age Lawn Party
Over the weekend, I attended the Jazz Age Lawn Party at Governors Island. It was a mega trip back in time, with the island transformed into a multi-stage extravaganza with 1920s-era music that reminded me of the last two minutes of The Shining. I knew it was a themed event, but because this was my first time, I did […]
Borrowing My Mother’s Dress
My mom loves clothes almost as much as I do. But to my chagrin, she hasn’t kept most of the clothes she bought in the 60s, 70s and 80s. However, the vintage collection that’s survived her cross-country moves is extremely well-curated. (I’ve already discussed one such item, her fringe vintage suede jacket, here.) On my last visit, […]
Would You Grill in a Dress?
Whenever I visit my parents, I find myself “parenting” my parents a lot. Mostly, I critique their dietary choices — particularly my mother’s disdain for lettuce and my father’s fondness for mid-morning brownies. So when I visited over July 4th, I made it my mission to cook a somewhat balanced BBQ dinner. (No frozen e-coli patties allowed.) […]