Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone celebrating Christmas today a very merry holiday! We don't celebrate Christmas in our family (being Muslim) which comes as quite a shock to my peers at my all girls private Catholic university lol. But, I can't say I don't love parts of the holiday. Whoever came up with the idea of green, poinsettia red, and gold was a genius! I also love the emphasis on getting together with family no matter what and sharing meals and presents. Some may say over-commercialization has made the day into something it shouldn't be, but I think the fundamental idea of being with the ones we love in a normally crazy world is a beautiful one indeed. Also, you gotta love those ugly sweater parties! I got invited to a few this year and explained it to my mom. To which she replied, "How are you going to decide which sweater to wear? All of yours are ugly." ;)

If you're not celebrating, enjoy your day(s) off without any pressure to get dressed up. Unless you're me and have a wedding to attend. I never win!

The photograph below is a shot I took of my doctor's Christmas tree! A job well done in my opinion!

Nail Combo Du Jour

Nail Combo of the Moment Featuring:
All Fired Up (Revlon)
Clearly Spotted (Maybelline Color Show)

Send Free Snail Mail With The Desi Knot

Have you always wanted to send your loved ones one-of-kind handwritten snail mail? Do you find it hard to make time to sit down and write something quirky and memorable? Maybe the convenience of e-mail has made you forget which side of the envelope to put the postage stamp;) Whatever the complexity of your situation, The Desi Knot is here to save the day! We are now offering completely free designing, writing, and postage of unique and creative correspondence. 

All you have to do is send in your name, the name and mailing address of the person you want to write to, and the message you would like to send them!

Email your requests to: thedesiknot@gmail.com

Please send your mailing requests by December 18th, 2013. Thank you!

Unfortunately, at this time letters are only being mailed within the U.S. and Canada.

Michael Kors Trend Film: Fall/Winter 2014/15

I recently did a trend forecast for the Michael Kors department store line called MICHAEL Michael Kors. The trend story I predict is called, 'High Tech Sport Appeal'. This trend focuses on sophisticated silhouettes and athletic wear comfort using high tech fabric applications. But, that's only a snippet of the picture! I'm really excited for y'all to see it! Let me know what you think? Do you see this as a trend Michael Kors could possibly do in his next 14/15 collection?

**For best quality, please use headphones. The music volume is significantly lower than the narration because of the platform it was originally made for.**

-xoxo Aneela

Late Night Painting!

I recently ran across this simple canvas painting on Danielle Oakey Interiors and fell in love with the idea of painting vertical streaks in a variety of colors to create a fun effect. So, last night while I was fighting a bad case of the caffeine shakes as a result of too many cups of tea, I started mixing colors. With no real method, I was just going with the flow. When I looked down, I liked what I saw and decided to paint it onto a canvas. I added the arabic word 'Allah' which is another name for God and kaboom! I called it 'Allah: My Truest BFF'. I really love how it turned out! I thought I would share it with y'all because a lot of times I feel as if art doesn't require much planning. Some of the pieces I am most happy with are ones I come up with on the fly while fighting a bout of caffeine overdose. Let me know what you think!

The Inspiration

Mixing Colors

The Finished Painting

Wordless Wednesday

How dare I add words to a Wordless Wednesday post, right? But, I am trying to find the wallpaper in this picture! If anyone knows where this is from, please leave me comment! Or let me know where I could find something similar with that metallic foiling effect. Thanks and Happy Hump Day!

It's All In The Details

I never thought about the amount of time and attention to detail it takes to embellish Pakistani formal wear. I always assumed the task was accomplished by some monster machine and that the metallic threading and rhinestones were just magically "stamped" onto the fabric.

The only magic here is the talent and dedication of the artists that spend hours crouched over fabric stretched and secured in wooden frames. 

I can't help but wonder how underpaid these people probably are. It makes me appreciate the art even more. Seriously, mad respect to these folks.

Enjoy the photographs! I wish I could find the original source and share it, but I just found these floating around on tumblr.

The Desi Knot Is Now On Twitter!

Good news! The Desi Knot blog now has a twitter page!

All future posts will be linked on the twitter page, so you don't miss a single word! Tweets about current bridal trends in fashion, colors, decor, photography, etc. will also be posted daily! Daily tweets?! Yes please!

Make sure to follow @thedesiknot where every day is a party!

While I Was Gone

Hey old friend! It's been ages since I've written on this blog. I was experiencing a combination of changing interests, lack of inspiration, and most importantly...LIFE. I didn't really get a break between junior and senior year as the past few months were filled with courses, interning, and lots of travel scattered in between which left me with no time to manage the blog. Anyways, I am making a commitment to myself and to all of you to get back into the swing of writing regularly.

Here are the highlights of my time spent away from the blogosphere:

I got pick pocketed in New York City.
Well, this wasn't fun, but it further reinforces my firm belief that some of the most valuable lessons I've learned in my life happened to take place during trips to NYC. Note to Self: Don't drop a loose $100 bill into the dark abyss of your handbag. You own a wallet, use it. Silly, I know.

5 Story Henri Bendel's on 5th Avenue is every girl's dream come true.

I decided I'm going to law school! What?!

During the final days of summer I had the dark realization that this  summer may very well be the last summer vacation Of. My. Life. I kind of freaked out a little. That's when my parents and I made the decision that I should definitely go to grad school and so began the intense LSAT study sessions. I'm scared and excited and slightly anxious, but the law school forums say that's normal;)

I often find myself wondering this.

You can't study for a standardized exam sans attractive stationary...duh.

Pinkberry is quite possibly the best froyo. On. The. Planet.

This stuff gives frozen yogurt boutiques a whole new meaning. Wait, what am I saying? This place is the mother of all the froyo joints I've been to for sure.  I had my first experience on the Upper East Side in New York City and I am a different person post-pinkberry. If you have a Pinkberry near you and have never been, stop reading my blog. This relationship is over.

I got a container of toppings galore. Oh and some yogurt;)

I met the Pixiwoo sisters.

Yep, I got to meet with Sam and Nicolette Chapman of The Pixiwoo empire! My little sisters and I got to hang out with them for two hours. We took pictures together and got autographs and a few of the real techniques brushes! And, did I mention they are the most fun people to be around?! Their visit ended way too soon!

Keepsakes y'all!

(Note: All the above photographs are taken by me. If you would like to use them, please contact me at: thedesiknot@gmail.com Thanks).

Things I Am Guilty Of

• Making lists listing lists that I have to make. I would include an example, but y’all will think I made it up for the blog. No one understands.

• Liking Miley’s  new song

• Eating alone almost everyday, but getting emotional when I see others eating alone in public. Don’t know why. I just do.

• Keying my own car (by accident)

• Being afraid of having to act like a grown up in the “real world” after graduation

• Not being able to read Teen Vogue anymore because most of the cover girls are younger than me

• Freaking out and groveling with my professor to no end because I almost lost my status as a 4.0 student. One A- will kill your numbers.

• Lying about why I wasn’t in class. I just couldn’t deal with my 9 pm class last week. Sue me.

• Being afraid of everything with fur and four legs. Except for horses.

• Pretending I know less than I actually do to be more likable

• Acting like less of a gunner than I am to be more likable

• Hating bologna.

• Going to the library to study and talking to a friend I’ve run into the entire time and then leaving more stressed out than when I got there. I swear this happens to me EVERY time I have work to do.

• Judging people when they’re late

• Owning way too much stationary to be considered normal

• Sneaking into the back room of church on campus and napping on the couch. I am waiting for the day I get caught. Until then, I will do whatever it takes to make my EIGHTEEN HOUR DAYS a little more bearable.

• Persuading a cop to forgive a parking citation. According to everyone else, I’ve accomplished an impossible feat. Hey, I’m already up to my neck in undergrad debt…I can’t afford alla dis;)

• Still getting a smidgen of stage fright before doing public speaking

• Owning way more clothes than I actually wear. I’m a creature of habit.

• Pondering the fact that I’ve spent the past seventeen years of my life in school and still have four more to go. That is over TWO DECADES! What is my life? How will I survive when I’m no longer institutionalized?

• KEEPSAKING EVERYTHING. Yes, I know keepsaking is not a real word.

• Liking The Hills. A lot.

• Being scared about the future and wondering if I’ll make it, but realizing that I’m pretty dope. I can handle a few lemons, God willing;)

Hope you enjoyed a peek into my brain! What are you guilty of?

A Favor to Ask!

I recently designed a pair of Tom’s shoes to commemorate their ‘One for One’ campaign! My design is called ‘Share the Love’ and was inspired by the brand’s commitment to be charitable and eco-friendly.

Please vote for my design by hitting like on this link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=561819390529235&set=pb.110408512336994.-2207520000.1367531525.&type=3&theater

Thank you everyone! Voting ends May 12th! I am currently tied for third place!

*If you would like to purchase this pair, you can call the sponsor at (414)-431-4832 and ask for the ‘Share the Love’ design. You can also contact me at: thedesiknot@gmail.com with your information! Thanks again for helping me out by voting!

Spring/Summer 2013 Trend Forecast

Wordless Wednesday

(image via freepeople.com)

Trend Watch: Eclectic Inclinations

I am currently working on curating a womenswear collection that focuses on apparel that is modest yet keeps up with with current trends and creating a store concept around it in one of my merchandise management courses. As a warm up for that final project, I explored a trend that I believe is going to be huge this Spring. Welcome to Eclectic Inclinations! This trend is all about mixing high end and fast fashion, being daring with bold hues, big patterns, and quirky textures. Being eclectic is all about putting an outfit together that no one else would think of and being aesthetically pleasing at the same time. What this trend is not meant to inspire is desperately seeking attention. Desperation is the root of all evil, so don't use Nicki Minaj (no offense to Nicki) as your fashion muse when listening to your eclectic inclinations. Instead, look to people like Erin Fetherston, Susie Bubble, and Leandra Medine for inspiration on color, texture, and accessories. Let me know what y'all think of this new eclectic vibe! Will you be experimenting with this trend in your dressing this Spring?

Store Concept:

Style Inspiration:

DIY Easy & Delectable Apple Chips

I recently ran across the idea of dehydrating sliced apples to make apple chips. I know I am a little late on the bandwagon, but better late than never right? Anyways, I don't own a dehydrator, so I decided to try my hand at making them in the oven. And guess what?! It worked! I have since made several batches and I thought I would share the recipe with all of you. Hope you enjoy this super easy, guilt-free, and absolutely delicious treat!

Supplies:

-apples of your choice

-cinnamon powder (optional)

-oven

-apple corer (optional)

-mandoline slicer (optional) 

1. Core the apples. 

I like to get rid of the core and seeds. But, I read somewhere that some people like to make their apple chips without coring. You may want to try both methods to see which one you like more.

2. Slice the apples. 

Yes, I cheated and used a mandoline slicer. It's really the easiest way, but you can also slice them by hand. Although if I had sliced mine by hand, I wouldn't be posting a picture of them online;)

3. Lay apple slices on a sheet of wax paper on a baking tray.

I also sprinkled my apples with cinnamon powder since I used granny smiths. The sweet cinnamon and sour apple combination turned out to be unbelievably good. You could also experiment with other spices and mix and match different apple types with various toppings. Play around with it a bit!

3. Bake the slices at 225 °F.

Leave them in the oven until the moisture is removed from the slices. You will see them start to crinkle up like potato chips. Also, flip them over once to make sure they dry out evenly on both sides. This process takes me about 30-35 minutes, but it really depends on the thickness of your slices.  

4. Store apple chips in an airtight container.

This will keep your snack fresh and crunchy for a long time. But, I hope your apple chips turn out to be so good that they never make it to an airtight container. 

Have a fabulous day!

xoxo

Aneela

Prabal Gurung for Target

Nepalese American designer Prabal Gurung is the newest featured designer collaboration at Target. I have to admit I don't go absolutely gaga over his work, but I really appreciate designers that have been through the fashion school system. Gurung happens to be a graduate of Parsons! Can anyone say dream school?!

Even though I am not a huge fan of the pieces Gurung designed for Target, I believe they are a strong representation of his style. The collection does an amazing job of putting together entire looks as opposed to featuring individual pieces that do not promote multiple purchases.

The collection features staple dresses that could work in a business casual setting. And, the dresses can quickly be transformed from day to night with a great mix of evening footwear, handbags, and jewelry. I think the most impressive thing about this collection is how cohesive the entire collection is and the generous number of pieces there are to choose from. The collection provides 21 pre-coordinated ensembles in its lookbook! That is a lot to choose from for a collaborative collection. So, if you are partial Prabal Gurung's work (or even if you've never heard of him before now), hop on over to target.com and feast your eyes out!

*I have added the lookbook from the collection below. My personal favorites are the shirt dress from look #7 and look #17! What are your faves? Comment below!

(images via target.com)