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Christmas at the Magical Lantern Festival
Every year we have a routine of visiting our favorite places in London to see Christmas lights. But there is one place that is very special – the Magical Lantern Festival. Traditionally held in January (read my January 2016 and 2017 reviews), this year we are lucky to have it in December right before the Christmas holidays. It’s been now our third year going to the festival and it doesn’t fail to impress us. Just see the photos for yourself! Held in the Chiswick House and Gardens, the Magical Lantern Festival is an impressive light display that takes you on an enchanting journey, following park’s trails. Depending on a theme,…
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6 Things I Love and Loathe About London Fashion Week
As New York Fashion Week finished and London Fashion Week (LFW) just started this week, I wanted to share some of my insights and honest opinion of positive and not so positive experiences of attending LFW few years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I was incredible fortunate to attend several designer shows and rub shoulders with fellow London fashionistas, which I documented here, here and here. But despite their allure, fashion weeks also reveal a less glamorous side of the fashion world… THINGS I LOVED 1.Creative buzz – twice a year London transforms into a beehive of buzzing fashion editors, photographers, celebrities, bloggers, PR girls and models roaming from venue to venue. Central London, especially around…
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London Gems: ‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’ Exhibition
There are hundreds of new exhibits opening in London every year. But there is always one that creates a lot of buzz and everyone is looking forward to. This year Londoners have been waiting for the opening of ‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’ at the Kensington Palace with much anticipation. The exhibit is part of the series of events commemorating Diana’s life and paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of her tragic death. It takes visitors through her 25 pieces of her much praised wardrobe and explores Princess Diana’s style evolution from a shy young woman to a international fashion icon. On a sunny April day I set off for the Kensington Palace…
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London Gems: 2017 Magical Lantern Festival
January is such a dreary time, especially in grey and cold London. However, if you want a bit of sparkle in your post-holidays life – head to Chiswick House and Garden for the Magical Lantern Festival. It was my second year in a row and I absolutely loved it. Check out photos and video below to see why. Magical Lantern Festival has been running in London for two years now and marks annual celebrations of Chinese New Year. This year’s theme was the Silk Road, the ancient trade route from China to Europe. Having grown up in Central Asia, I was particularly excited and curious to see how the Silk…
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8 Soviet New Year Celebration Traditions I Love
As I have already described here, growing up in the Soviet Union was far from the ordinary. With religion being forbidden and no Christmas celebrations allowed until the 1990s, New Year has become the biggest and most exciting holiday of the year with large-scale celebrations that last for days. Even though the times of the Soviet Union are long gone, many countries that once made USSR still hold on to some of its New Year celebration traditions which I am sharing in this post. 1.New Year Tree The New Year (not Christmas!) tree is the center of New Year’s celebrations at every home. Lovingly decorated with glass baubles, tinsels and…
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Stylist Live 2016: A Festival of Inspiration and Creativity
If you live in the UK, you probably have come across a free women’s lifestyle magazine Stylist. From fashion and beauty to career and travel, Stylist covers all the important questions a girl may have. Every week I get a free copy at my underground station and it makes such a good companion on a busy journey to work. I heard about annual Stylist Live festival before but this year I decided to check it out myself. Plus, a four-day program of 150+ talks and workshops on everything from how to mix tea and apply a perfect make-up to how to create a perfect winter wardrobe or launch your own business looked…
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Top 5 Off-Beat Holiday Picks in India
Today I am excited to introduce my next guest travel blogger, Subhadrika, of the Trekkers of the East. She is sharing her 5 top picks for off-beat less discovered India destinations. When you think of India, few places come to mind, such as Agra’s Taj Mahal, Mumbai and New Delhi. But there are many more wonderful places one can visit on short and long holidays. India being a diverse country has a place for every type of vacationer – spiritual soul searchers, wildlife enthusiasts, desert lovers and those inclined towards knowing more about the culture of the place. Thus, these are my top 5 unconventional picks for vacationing in India. 1. McCluskiegunj McCluskiegunj is a…
