Holiday Gift Guide: Beauty

Hello Loves! Hope you're having a wonderful winter and staying warm! It's been forever since my last post- between my crazy work schedule and wrapping up my first semester as an MBA student it's been hectic! With the holidays around the corner, online shopping has become my new best friend (sorry Dhruvi :P)! I love this time of year - spending QT with my fam and friends snuggled up at home, baking yummy goodies and of course GIFTS! There's nothing better than watching your loved ones' eyes light up as they open up a surprise. Sephora is my go-to store during holiday season, every year they put out tons of special edition sets that not only feature some of the hottest products but offer an amazing value! I love that I can pamper my family and friends with indulgent gifts, without breaking my budget.

OOTD: Red & Snow Leopard

I found this sweater the other day and am kind of obsessed with it. It's super cozy and I love the animal print! When I was thinking of what to pair it with, I realized I hadn't worn my favorite colored jeans in a while. Between the print sweater and the bright pants, the outfit already has a lot going on so I decided to keep the accessories simple. This was also my first time shooting with Reggy Stainfil, which was a super fun experience - check him out!

OOTD: Pink Polka Dots in Paris

Ok, so I didn't go to Paris but with my stockings, it's the closest I've ever been! :) A couple years ago, I wore these stockings and shoes to work and one of my then co-workers Instagrammed a pic of it. I hadn't worn these stockings since. I just recently came across that pic again and that picture inspired this look!

Thanksgiving Eve

A shot of Times Square, NYC, from Skyroom

Last night, I went to NYC with a few people, to a Thanksgiving Eve party. Being a grad student, this has become a rare occasion. So, of course, I was super excited and this venue is beyond stunning! I was super confused about what to wear and then I found a peplum dress I had bought a while ago and never worn! I think this was actually my first time wearing peplum!

OOTD: Blue & Neon

Lately, I feel I've been drawn to B&W outfits and then either pairing the outfit with bright colors (here) or keeping it mellow (here). Either way, I think B&W outfits are the perfect blank canvas, no?

What To Wear: Holiday Party Remix

During the most recent StyleCaster #StyleChat on Twitter, someone asked "Little Black Dress or colorful attire for your Holiday Party?". I, of course, said color! As cliché as this sounds, it is the most wonderful time of the year. So, why not wear color and sparkles, and celebrate? And with that, I've picked 3 beautifully chic looks, that don't require an LBD!

OOTD: Black, White & Grey

It's finally boots season again .... yay!! Yesterday was an especially gorgeous fall day so it was the perfect time to bring out my fave boots! Typically, I would've thrown in a dash of brighter color with this outfit but, I really just wanted to wear the grey boots .... hehe! :)

Through the Storm

Empty streets of my town, hours before Sandy hit

As I'm sure most of you know, the Northeast was rocked by the devastating super storm Sandy, last week. If you were in Sandy's path, I hope you're safe! Though I didn't suffer much damage at all (only lost power for 2 nights), I know that the loss is very real.

Down trees in my neighborhood.

I spent 2 days making calls and driving to shelters, offering donations and my time. However, it was impossible for me to do so and I was so frustrated. Then, a friend of mine sent me a link from the City of Hoboken's website saying they were welcoming all volunteers. So, on Saturday, a friend and I drove out to Hoboken to volunteer! We spent a couple hours going door-to-door, checking for people, to see if they needed medical attention, hot food, etc. Then we spent about 3-4 hours sorting all donations so they could be distributed or sent out to shelters.

Tons of donations!

Walking around Hoboken, after we were done volunteering, it was heartwarming to see how the community comes together in the midst of a disaster -

Charge your phone and grab some chocolate!

Volunteers picking up garbage.

"Save your food on our BBQ"

We saw a group on strangers, charging their phones on the side of the street, playing "Apples to Apples". So, we decided to join them! These experiences are so priceless!!

While we were walking around, talking to some locals, we had an interesting conversation with a guy - He said to us "I got up today and didn't even shower. Just left and went to the city. I can see how people just start to give up and lose it." He was referring to the fact that at that point, most of Hoboken was without power and it was virtually empty because residents had left. Eerie, huh?

It's the resilience and the sense of community that's going to help us get through the devastation caused by Sandy. It's really important, however, for us to help out as much as we can - whether it's through donations or volunteering, or both. I, for one, am really looking forward to volunteering over the next weeks/months!

How did Sandy affect you?