livin wide

everybody everywear: nautical

Sandhya — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:38:12 +0000

I don’t know how I have gone this far without a navy and white striped cardigan – it’s incredibly chic and versatile. I’m in love. That is all.

Navy Striped Cardigan: Ann Taylor
White Silk Shirt: Old Navy
Tangerine Pants: H&M
Clutch: No idea – I’ve had it since HS!
Shoes: Vintage
Jewelry: Vintage

Giveaway: Printrunner – 250 Custom Business Cards

Sandhya — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:54:02 +0000

Owning my own business and being my own boss comes with a lot of perks – I set my own schedule, I can wear whatever I want and I’m pretty lenient on vacation requests. The tough part about running a business and maintaining a brand is of course marketing yourself and your work. I’m lucky enough to have a Marketing minor from UT which helps because I have to constantly sell my work to succeed. And I know that even in our times of the internet and social media, the number one rule is to always make sure you have business cards on hand.

So when I was offered a set of business cards from Printrunner.com I jumped at the chance. Printrunner.com is a full service, high-quality printing site where you can print business cards, banners and even fun stickers. And here’s your chance to win!

Your prize will be 250 standard size business cards printed on 14 point paper. The cards will have high quality UV coating and you can choose up to 4 colors on each side.

Giveaway ends on May 28th at Noon CST. It’s open to U.S. Residents and to folks 18 and above only. Check out Printrunner on Facebook and Twitter then leave a comment (with your email) below to enter.

In the meantime check out Printrunner.com and all the cool things you can print online!

**Disclaimer: I received a set of business cards in compensation for hosting this giveaway.**

flowers a la 1996

Sandhya — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:10:10 +0000

I had a skirt with a very similar print back in middle school. Crazy what comes back into style, isn’t it? And what doesn’t - my 1996 skirt was made of satin. Gross.

Dress :: H&M
Clutch :: Vintage
Shoes :: Elle

Thanks for reading!

XO, Sandhya

Featured on Culture Map Austin!

Sandhya — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:25:11 +0000

Yay! I was recently interviewed for an article on Top Fashion and Style Bloggers In Austin for Culture Map. They incorrectly tagged my primary blog as The Style Co-op (a blog I do co-write) but very cool nonetheless.

Check it out here: http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/04-26-12-15-45-beautify-yourself-austins-top-fashion-and-style-bloggers/

And check out Amy & I’s Street Style Blog here: http://www.thestyleco-op.com/

Product Review: Garnier BB Cream – Light on Coverage & Heavy in Weight

Sandhya — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:46:52 +0000

I was recently sent the Garnier BB Cream in Medium/Deep to review. I have always wanted to try using a tinted moisturizer and this one claimed to be a great one-step product but I was not impressed.

**Warning: Horrible No Makeup Pictures Ahead!**

I found the Garnier BB Cream in the Medium/Deep to be a poor fit for my skin and my makeup routine. The cream smelled nice but that’s where the pros ended for me. I was very excited at the possibility of combining my moisturizer, concealer and foundation application into one easy step and was disappointed when the coverage from the Garnier BB Cream was subpar. As you can see in the pictures above it only covered portions of my face.

In addition to not being a good color match, it did not give me adequate coverage. It left my skin splotchy as though I had nothing on and didn’t help even out my skin tone. At the same time it also left my face slightly oily. The cream was very heavy on my face and I found that irritating because it felt as thought I had a lot of makeup on…and yet my face felt exposed. I considered putting on another layer but it was already so thick I just wanted to take it all off.

All in all, it will certainly not replace my usual makeup process – all those steps provide results and I’m happy to do them for the coverage.

blo moves north & some adorable birds

Sandhya — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:11:36 +0000

Loving my new blush pants from Trina Turk. I’m sure I’ll be wearing them everywhere this summer but they will work well year round here in Texas.

Top :: Chloe K
Pants :: Trina Turk (different color)
Clutch :: JcPenney
Shoes :: Bakers (similar)
Bracelets :: Vintage

How cute are these birdies??

Hair courtesy of the always classy Blo Dry Bar! I was invited to another very fun media event at Blo on Fifth Street and enjoyed it as always. Best of all, I was told their 2nd location is opening in the Domain! I actually squealed…I am so excited! It was always worth the hike but I love that I’ll have my favorite place in a more convenient location. Love you, Blo!

P.S. They have locations nationwide. What are you waiting for?

Everybody Everywear: Pastels

Sandhya — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:58:56 +0000

Wearing pastels as part of this month’s theme for EveryBody EveryWear. Love the shape of this dress – so unique and forgiving, yet subtly sexy.

Dress :: Ladakh, from Luxe Apothetique
Shoes :: Elle
Clutch :: Vintage

jewel tones

Sandhya — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:56:05 +0000

Nothing much to report. Just a boring old married lady here with a zoo. Luckily for me, we always have plenty of reasons and occasions to get dressed and go out….otherwise I’d be covered in fur all the time.

Top :: Vintage
Skirt :: Wish Boutique
Shoes :: Kenneth Cole
Clutch :: Unknown
Belt:: Vintage

animal house

Sandhya — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:09:36 +0000

We’ve got 8 fur babies in the house right now!

Bond & Shere Khan (our resident cats):

Jerry, Elaine & George (5 week old foster kittens):

Katara (our not-so-little resident puppy):

Cash & Romeo (7 week old foster pups – Husky & German Shepherd mix):

Our place is a ZOO and I love it! I also love that I married a man who enjoys it as much as I do and supports my habit.

Indian Pickers

Sandhya — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:17:40 +0000

I finally got some new items up in my Etsy store! Check out the vintage clothing here: Indian Pickers.

Here’s a couple of the tops:

Hopefully I’ll have some of the shoes and other accessories I have up soon so check back!

too cool for school

Sandhya — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:24:38 +0000

The weather hasn’t stopped being annoying. So I’m doing the long-sleeves with shorts thing. A boy in middle or highschool once told me he thought it was sexy when a girl wore long sleeves and shorts. This one is for you, Boy-I-Can’t-Remember.

Fun Fact: I wasn’t cool enough to actually wear shorts when I was IN school…I had Chicken Legs. And I was called Chicken Legs. Thanks for the calves, Kickboxer Sandhya.

Sweater :: Old Navy
Shorts :: Calvin Klein (so comfy! and versatile pattern)
Shoes :: From India
Necklace :: Vintage
Purse :: Michael Kors
Sunglasses :: Prada

This ‘statement necklace’ was something 10-year-old Sandhya picked up at a garage sale. Yes, even then, that’s what I was doing. Too bad it wasn’t really trendy until 17 or so years later.

Oh, what’s that you spy? A tattoo?

Another thing I was never cool enough for…until now it seems. Honestly, I’ve always wanted one and just been terrified of the pain. I finally found a reason that was worth it.

This one’s for you, Trigger.

rain rain go away

Sandhya — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:00:39 +0000

The weather has been annoying here in Austin…and last week was particularly dreadful. The bright fuschia and leopard shoes were exactly what I needed for Happy Hour(s).

Dress :: Marc Jacobs
Tights :: Hue
Shoes :: Candie’s
Blazer :: Laundry
Belt :: Vintage
Bracelet :: Vintage
Clutch :: From India

Orange you glad to see me?

Sandhya — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:35:06 +0000

Hi y’all! Haven’t had a chance to blog properly in awhile or even catch up on reading my favorite blogs – it’s been a crazy few months…

We adopted Katara:

We got married:

I got purple ombre hair:

Top :: Vintage
Pants :: Bar III
Colorblocked Heels :: Elle
Cat Eye Sunnies :: Nine West

OK, it’s been a little crazier than that but you get the idea.

Here’s hoping I’ll get the chance (& the motivation) to blog more regularly here and on The Style Co-op.

HANA Air Premiere Hair Dryer Review

Sandhya — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:39:44 +0000

With the wedding mere days away (17!), I’m crazy busy and spending time on my my hair is not practical. I’ve also been attempting to thicken up my hair after it started to fall out in India late last summer and straightening it makes it look thin so I’ve been avoiding doing that. So I’ve been leaving it to air dry and wearing it curly…which means I pull my bangs back and throw the rest into a bun every day. Not attractive.

Cue the Hana Air Premiere Hair Dryer. I long ago replaced my Chi Straightener with something much nicer but have been putting off upgrading my hair dryer…and I’m glad I did. The nice folks at Misikko sent me the HANA dryer to test out and I am so grateful because I’m in love!

They sent me wonderful hair products as well but I was determined to make the experiment unbiased. To make a fair comparison, as a control (oh yeah, I paid attention in 7th grade Science) I used the same shampoo, conditioner and cream that I always use and only changed the hair dryer in my routine.

The Hana Air Premiere Hair Dryer was amazing. It dried my hair in minutes…like 7. It normally takes me multiple sessions over the course of hours to get my hair fully dry in a way that won’t make it unless I am in a rush and am forced to scorch my head. Not only was it super quick but even the high level combined with the hottest setting didn’t burn me once. I don’t know how it did it without making me break into a sweat but it did and in no time at all. I asked Bear to feel my hair and he said it was, and I quote, “Luxurious!”. And it was…no frizz and no brittleness. It was soft, had movement and was super shiny.

Then I went a little crazy. I was so excited that I thought “maybe I can even give myself a blowout!”. Now we all know how difficult and time-consuming this can be…hello, that’s what salons are for!…but then add in my usual level of frizz and stubborn curls and it’s near impossible. Also, I had never even tried before so there was that. But I re-wet my hair and gave it a shot. It took awhile and I didn’t even have all the proper brushes/tools but it still came out looking pretty fabulous:

It’s lasted days and I’ve gotten several compliments. My hair has volume, no frizz and looks and feels healthy.

The HANA Hair Dryer is professional grade and really lives up to all the great reviews (here, including mine). The website sells everything from styling products to professional hair straighteners and all the tools you’d ever need. Now I’m on the hunt for a curling iron to add some big curls…and I think I know where to start looking.

Thanks Misikko/Hana!

I don’t like to eat mustard

Sandhya — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:08:13 +0000

But I do love the color and these pants that Bear found me at Sears. And because we bought our appliances from there and had signed up for the rewards program these were ~~$12~~ free! I love when I find great staples or things I’ll wear a bunch (things that would have been worth splurging on) at great prices.

Top: Cotton On
Pants: Sears
Shoes: Nine West, thrifted
Purse: Michael Kors, gift
Bangle and Watch: India

I’ve also recently been obsessed with this super comfy skirt and top:

Top: Maurice’s
Pants: Old Navy, thrifted
Shoes: India
Watch: Citizen
Sunglasses: Kate Spade

And this leopard print jacket with fun structured shoulders:

Dress: H&M
Shoes: YSL, thrifted
Purse: Michael Kors, gift
Bracelets, Belt and Necklace: Thrifted
Jacket: Thrifted