Why Girls Love Winter / Autumn

Winter is magic and why you ask - Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.- Edit Sitwell 

Winter is time to warm the shackles of our heart, for that cozy touch and cold breath to mingle by the hot bonfire.. 

Winter is for so many things and quite a favorite with all the lady folks.

Listen carefully its not a hoax. 

Hot Chocolate 

Date with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Books 

Reading in a warm spot all tucked in. 

Playing footsie with cutesie leg warmers and socks 

Soupy mugs .. 

Winter comfort food

Hot bowls of Maggi and momos for those hunger pangs.

coffee dates and long drives

Hot coffee 

Now who doesnt need a warm hug in a mug.

Sweaters and beanies.. 

Lets remove our winter layers stash - those cute pullovers. 

Chai 

Early morning tea time whilst taking in those warm sunrays 

Bbq nights

Bonfires 

And the stories and music and all the fervour around it all.. 

Cozy candles

Cozy chilled afternoon naps or just tucking your toes in your favorite blanky- nothing can compare to those warm snuggles. 

Winter sales

Winter is the time to shop with crazy sales and offers everywhere.

Lets loot... 

Festive fervour..

All the festivities in the air..  

So enjoy the winters and everything along with it.

xoxo
Bhakti

Coffee, Tea & Me ...

Winter is here with applomb. Pune is known for its awesome climate and its pretty right now in the city with temperatures dropping.

The chill in the morning with warm sunlight is my favorite thing.

I Love sunning in the winter.

Another favorite of mine in winters is Coffee and Tea.

Let me tell you I hadn't tasted tea in my entire life till couple of years back.

I still Am not a tea drinker But I just cant resist a nice cup of cutting chai from the neighbourhood kiosks.

Especially living in Pune which is a paradise for Amrut tulya. These are tea stalls which specialise in making tea some dating back to the 1940's. 

The name Amrut Tulya literally means - Like honeydew or elixir of Life 😯. Their tea is really something to rave about after all it needs to keep up to its name. Amazing slow brew of masalas, tea powder, milk, water, Sugar. Must try when you in Pune. 

The city is also dotted with age old Irani cafes and the Irani chai is well known. 

I Am a little inclined towards the Amrut tulya for my tea But I do have my favorites for Irani chai as well. 

A girl needs to have options now, does'nt she 😜

In short I definitely Love sipping on my thelewala chai. I have never ever have had tea at home. ( my answer If Anyone asks me for tea is - I don't drink tea.. now that's just weird me) I Am sure I have covered this on the blog before.. 

There are so many tea stalls dotting the city take your pick. Do try the ones in the old city By the name of amrut tulya.

Sunning and sipping in the Cold winter mornings ..

Cups of Chai as you watch the workd pass By... this one is an Irani cuppa at Good Luck

Now If you will ask me Am I a tea / coffee person. Pat comes the reply coffee. Yes I Am a complete coffee person. To be precise Cold coffee and there is something about having Cold coffee on nippy winter nights ... its bliss. 

My favorite joint to have Cold coffee is this small place Durga cafe in Kothrud. Don't get me wrong the place is just small in looks it will and has given any coffee shop or cafe run for its money. It has a huge fan following - will be an understatement. 

Just look at the glass with the creamy frothy perfectly strong and sweet coffee topped with sweet generous amount of cocoa. I have gone to heaven ... Bliss is this. Must try.

That doesn't mean I don't Love a good hot cuppa of coffee. I Am a complete Nescafe girl. I Love filter coffees too. Give me a nice strong one and I Am a happy bunny. 

Durga does some really good hot coffee as well. 

Nice hot cuppas - coffee for me and tea for Hubby after a tired day.

Nothing Like a good old cappucino with Doughnuts ( especially M.O.D double trouble 😛👍❤🍩 )

Flilter coffee Dates 😍

So that was Coffee, Tea & Me in a nutshell for you. ☕

So just summing up my favorites for you. 

Amrut tulya in the old city.

Roopali 

Irani chai - Vohuman, Good Luck, Irani cafe, Southin, Yezdan. 

Coffee - Cold - Durga (kothrud), Mar-zo-rin, 

Hot coffee - Durga (kothrud) 

Until we meet again with some more New ramblings and stories. 

xoxo

Bhakti

Do let me know what you want me to write about.

2015 you were really good

It's the last day of 2015 and it feels it just started. For me it's quite hard to believe that the year has actually gone by and how, just in a blink of eye. 

This year will always be special for me more than the others. 

For one it taught me lot of things, it gave and it took and it taught me to stand inspite of it all and be inspired. 

I learnt the magic of achieving dreams and working on them, the magic of creation, the magic of working together. It definitely made my belief stronger in my dreams and aspirations. 

I learnt to say good bye. Forever is nothing, Change it is and it will remain forever. We adapt and we adapt well. 

The fight to survive will only sustain us. 

Love is best in its unconditional form. 

To let go is to grow, let go of my fear, anger, pain, inhibitions. 

By holding on to grudges I torture myself more, so just let go for my own good. 

Patience is understated. 

There is almost nothing and no problem big enough which can't be solved and seen through with patience. 

Waiting through itself gets us out of big hurdles.

Take the leap, you will be amazed how far can you land. 

Overall wellbeing and health is most important - yoga is magic and so is meditation, clean eating is the potion to this magic. 

Last - de clutter - de clutter your life from things you don't need, from people who are not worthy from thoughts which hurt you. Distance yourself from drama. 

Positivity is the solution for a beautiful life. 

Stay simple you don't need things that you think you do. Beauty lies in simplicity. 

This is what I learned in a nutshell. 

2015 made me stronger and definitely grew in the right direction. Thank you so much for all that you have given. 

Bidding you good bye in style - 

Outfit Details 

Dress - Globus 

Jacket - And 

Clutch - Globus 

shoes - catwalk 

Looking forward to 2016. What do you have in store for me ?? 

❤️❤️❤️

xoxo

Bhakti 

Happy New Year 2016

First post of 2016.

To new beginnings, new projects, new aims, new thoughts, aspirations, perfection. 

Perfection to achieve the dreams, perfection in life, relationships, career  perfecting me. 

On my mind today  is Perfection or is it?? Perfection is just a thought - we can strive for it, however no one is 100 %perfect. I myself am imperfect and I take pride in it. I don't want to be dazzled by a word which just plays with your mind and never satisfies the inner demons until you achieve that state of perfection which is a myth according to me. God has created us as imperfect creations, we are meant to be that way no body has every thing in perfection. The journey of life is to understand this and learn from our imperfections, strive to better ourselves. In the race to perfection many a people just let go of what they have in hand. In such of that perfect relationship, perfect companion, perfect job, perfect life,perfect figure we are missing on our today , on what we have in hand.

I love myself the way I am, I celebrate my imperfections. Doesn't mean I will not strive to better myself but never will I run behind perfection - a myth that is. 

So this new year of mine is going to be imperfectly perfect ;) what an irony 🙈😜☺️

With that thought an outfit for the winters, layers it is..... 

Outfit Details 

Jeggings- Zara 

Top - Splash 

Jacket - high street 

Necklace - high street 

Clutch - gift from a friend 

Ring - pink pvssy

Shoes - Footin 

Have a Happy New year peeps and enjoy the imperfections !! 

xoxo 

Bhakti 

Winter weekend

Winter has set in, there is a nice chill in the air. Winter along with it gets this cozy vibe about everything, be it, lounging at home reading your favorite book, watching movies, having some winter comfort food. Lazying around at cafes and shopping or exploring winter getaways. 

My weekend was all this and more. 

In short I had a fabulous winter weekend. 

Tada !! have a look -- 

Started the weekend with lazying in bed much. Winter afternoon naps are bliss 💜

Browsing through bookstores is something I can do for hours .... The smell of new paper and colourful rows of books, the characters screaming for attention. Book nerd indeed. 📚📖

The yumminess of a simple Margherita pizza warms any cold evening - simple flavours are the best. 

Love pasta in a creamy sauce (Alfredo mostly) comfort food at its best. 

Dining at my favorite cozy place - Beetroot Bistro. 

  

On my way for a family outing. No time like family time indeed. True blue family girl at heart. 

The prettiness in rustic beauty. 

Look at these heavenly dollops of pastel pleasure. I am so in love. 💜💛💗🍦🍦

Do not miss the strawberry picking festivals. The time for strawberry harvesting. Most of the strawberry farms are hosting at this time of the year, find one nearest to you. Till then just enjoy biting in these luscious sweetness from the market. 🍓🍓🍓

Some shopping therapy for the soul. ❤️❤️❤️

Corn on the cob on winter nights with a fire to keep you warm and cozy. 

Some rustic simple delicacies - corn cheese pizza and corn pattice 

City lights ... 

And with a full stomach and memories to last long, had a fabulous weekend. 

How was yours ? Write to me and let me know..

xoxo

Bhakti 

Winter face care

Winter has indeed arrived and along with it winter skin woes too, making the skin dry, scaly, dark and lifeless just to name a few. 

Not to forget winter is also the time for celebrations, festivities, marriages and parties which means you have to look your best. 

Winter along with it also gets the goodness of winter harvest which are essential for our skin and body. 

Let's look at all the goodness in the kitchen to help get that perfect glow with fruit facial masks. 

Bananas 

The fruit which is present all year round. 

It helps to nourish and tighten dry skin. 

It also beneficial to open the clogged pores. 

Apply mashed banana paste with milk to your face. You could mix other ingredients according to you - yoghurt , honey. 

Keep the mask for 20 minutes and then wash it off gently. 

Oranges

Oranges are best known to increase immunity in winter to fight against cough and cold. 

Rub the peel of Orange on your skin, you can also apply some juice, let it dry and wash off. Orange peel dried and powdered can be used all year round for face mask mixed with milk and honey. 

 Papaya 

Apply mashed papaya on the face to get rid of blemishes and acne, wash it off after it dries. This mask also helps in brightening the skin and reducing tan. Do try for a natural glow. 

Figs 

Mash a fig and apply it on the face, wash off after 15-20 minutes. Exfoliation, tightening pores and hydration all taken care of. 

Pomegranate 

A treasure trove of antioxidants, grind pomegranate seeds and apply on face for 15-20 minutes for younger looking skin. This mask rejuvenates the skin as it has anti aging benefits. 

Strawberry 

Grind some strawberries and apply the mash for 15-20 minutes for a luscious glow, ideal for dull skin and removing tan. 

Cucumber 

Grate te cucumber and apply the pulp, great cooling effects, extremely good for dry skin. Wash the mask off after 15-20 minutes. 

Tomatoes

Squeeze a tomato and apply the juice and seeds on the face, wash it off after 15-20 minutes great for acne and scars.

So what are we waiting for, let's get our winter glow!!! 

xoxo 

Bhakti 

 

Date at the vineyards

On an impromptu whim hubby dear and I decided to go on a vineyard circuit for our anniversary as we were short for time to travel far.

We were confused between the Baramati circuit and the Nashik one. However we had to chose the Nashik one for the sheer number of amazing vineyards ( almost 50 vineyards ) and that too most of them are A listers. 

We were going there for a day trip. 

We decided not to plan anything and just go with spontaneity (difficult for me). I still did a research on the A gamers in the market as you may call them. (me being me 🤓🤗)

We left early in the morning, at around 8 should have left earlier ( however you won't believe we decided to go at 6:30 am, as I said earlier spur of the moment) 

Let me brief you the road from Pune to Nashik is under maintenance and thus very tiring. However the journey is just worth it as the destination is spell binding. 

Pune to Nashik takes around 5-6hours. 

Do not enter the Nashik city or it will add another 40 odd minutes to your journey, follow the Trimbakeshwar road which will lead you to Sula winery. There are so many wineries scattered there
you would be spoilt for choices. 

Sula winery was our first stop. 

Sula doesn't need an introduction, one of the oldest wineries in India. Sula contributes a whopping 75% share in the wine market in India. 

We reached Sula at around 12:30 pm. 

No sooner than we entered we were greeted with lush green vineyards spread everywhere.

The view was outstanding. 

We decided to take a wine tour ( costs Rs 250 pp with 5 wine tasting) 

The wine tour was good. The guide was really knowledgeable and knew his subject well. Tour lasted for around 25 minutes. 

That's our guide, he was a bit grumpy though... 

The wine tasting,,, I love these limited edition bottles ❤️❤️❤️🍷🍷

There was a little souvenir shop and a wine shop, from where one could get the goodies and wine (lesser than mrp). Needless to say after I shopped we were ready to proceed. 

After that we settled in on the rooftop deck to bask in the sun and take in all the glory of Sula. The deck overlooks the vineyard and it can't get more beautiful than this. It was perfect. Perfect romantic setting. The facility is good, service attentive, the locale gorgeous, and everything is just beautiful. They also have a stay facility which is prime. 

Take a look 

Look at that view 😍 💚

Cannot stop looking ... 

Perfect date - smitten .. Really couldn't get enough.. The weather also was so beautiful. 

After enjoying Sula we left around 4:00 to visit other wineries. 

With my wine shopping 🤓🍷🍷

We had heard so much about York winery overlooking the Gangapur dam and were really excited to visit it, however we found it to be closed due to someone's death. 🙈😔😔

I was a little upset, but there wasn't time to be, we had wine country to explore.

We were driving by the countryside when we stumbled upon this gem - Soma vine village - right out of a book - a quaint place with rustic aura. It was so simple yet so astounding. And what was beautiful is it just started 3 years back. 

I was so in love with this charming place. 

Quaint Little charming place 

I so love those bushes with golden things in the background.. 

We decided to go for wine tasting and tour which costs around 150 pp lasts around 40 minutes. The guide was a gentleman , he was so friendly and explained us every wine in detail. We were really impressed is an understatement. 

The wine tasting room joined by the wine and souvenir shop ... Indeed I shopped here too ☺️☺️ I wish I had taken a snap of the guide such an informative, enthusiastic and friendly person. If you happen to read ,, thanks a lot:)) 

Just relaxing on their open deck watching the sun go down. The sunset was like never before. We just didn't want to leave. 

The view 

With Gangapur dam in background. 

The colours 🌅

Kissing under the Frangipani 😍❤️ with my pink soma shopping bags in the background ;)

My shopping haul or atleast my favourite part of it ❤️. 

We got Brut from Sula for hubby dear. 

Late Harvest Chenin Blanc - dessert wine  for me.. Love both of them. 

What blew our minds however was Soma wines.

The Sauvignon Blanc - dessert wine. So smooth and luscious you can't stop having more. 

Rosè gold which is another favourite. 

We were surprised for words when we got to know these wines are from their first batch. Amazing finesse. 

We had made plans to go back to Sula for dinner at their French restaurant which looked absolutely stunning. However we were so stuffed from all the appetisers and dosage of delightful wines. Also, the road was really bad and we didn't want to leave to late. 

We left for Pune at 7:30pm and took a break to grab some snacks on our way,. 

This was an amazing trip, one which will be cherished, I can't wait to go back to the wine country and explore more. This time may be for a couple of days. 

There are many travel sites and companies which offer their services however we did this trip on our own. 

One can do a day trip from Pune as well as Mumbai or there are plenty of staying options available. Sula as well as Soma both have staying facilities. I wish we could stay but we were pressed for time. However that's something we will definitely go back for. 

Do let me know, if you need any information regarding the trip, I would be glad to help.

Outfit Details
Pant - Zara
Top  -Fashion and you - similar 
Bag - Jabong 
Boots - Bata 

Till then 

xoxo

Bhakti