by Simerjeet Sahota

I vaguely remember back in June or July, buying a pretty sweet lace overlay shirt.  I heart that shirt so dearly to this day.  And so I ventured forward in this lace business and bought a skirt (albeit the $10 price tag helped) with a lace overlay.  Great.  And then, because I so often get carried away with these minor trends, I bought a panel tank top with, you guessed it, lace.  Now imagine my surprise, when, what I just dubbed a “minor trend”, is so full blown, I’m actually a little sick to my stomach.   It’s everywhere, EVERYWHERE.  And on everything.  Jackets and hoodies….headbands…even socks! (Oh the humanity).  And while sometimes its tastefully done, other times you run the risk of looking like a doily (which, thanks spell check, cause I had no idea how to spell that).  I’m gonna give you some options here (and by no means am I implying that this is the right way to wear lace…I’m actually stating it.  Assertively.  As a fact), hopefully giving some insight to the lace trend.  And if not at least you can just cover up my stupid faces and look at some clothes.

My “Yes I just finished supervising migrant workers in Cuba” outfit:

Lace Tank: Forever 21, Something less then $20.  Refer to this.

Pants/Belt: H&M, $35 (Don’t worry if you can’t see the detail/entire pant.  I will be doing a whole post on them. I. Love. Them. So. Much.)

Hat: Wilson Leather Outlet, $20 (but I think it was on sale for like 20% of.  You do the math, nerd)

My “attempting three trends at once” outfit (I’m trying to colorblock.  And do different fabrics [those shorts are brocade. wow parenthetical within parenthetical.  Can you get any more confusing].  I think it turned out pretty cool).

Also my “Supa dupa trendy outfit that I’ll be so ashamed of in 6 months” outfit.

Tank: Forever, $12.00

Shorts: Banana Republic, $30

Purse: H&M, $10ish

Shoes: Guess, $60

And how cool is my pose? Thanks yoga, thanks.

My “lace is so ladylike” outfit.   And my “mixing patterns” outfit.  Okay and also my “holy hell I love stripes” outfit.

Cardigan: Gift (it’s an Express men’s cardigan)

Sweater: Kohl’s, $15

Belt: From my H&M pants, above

Skirt: Kohl’s, $10

My “hope you got your Target collabo dress cause here’s mine” outfit:

This dress is lace print – its not real lace, the fabric has a lace print on it. Aw yeah.

Dress: Rodarte for Target, $40

Lace tights: Rue 21, $15 (came in a pack of two)

Purse: vintage

So what have we learned exactly about lace? It kinda goes with anything.  And it kinda comes in all different styles from lace print to tights.  I guess my life lesson to you is: go for it.  Lace is da bomb.  Just make sure it’s not super itchy.  That. Is. The. Worst.  So look for quality lace. Or at least one that has lining.

You can read more of Simerjeet’s fashion posts on her blog at ohfash.onsugar.com.

No, I don’t mean shop online or peruse the Home Shopping Network, I mean shop in your own closet! Or your mother’s, sister’s or even brother’s! We all know the current economic situation facing us, the headlines don’t let us forget about the increasing rate of unemployment and business closures. This all makes for very guilty shopping expeditions with many “I don’t really need this…”.  However, I have the perfect solution: shop in your closet and those of your loved ones! Summer is here and for of those who are still in school, this means lots of free time! So pick a day, a closet to “clean” and go shopping! Examine everything you find with lots of thought and how it can be used to accessorize or if it can be fixed up a little into something that you can wear. I have done this over the years and cherish all my finds. Below are some examples of my own shopping-at-home finds.

These three fun clutches are from my mom’s closet and area a good 10-20 years old! They’re genuine leather and are great way to add a bit of color to any drab outfit.

Exhibit A: Bright and Fun Clutches

Exhibit B: Silk Tunic

This was actually a qameez from my mom’s old shalwar qameez from the 80′s (can’t you tell?) But I fell in love the colors, billowy sleeves and interesting neckline. All I did was shorten it a little and I had a fun tunic on my hands! Since the print is so loud and the shirt billowy, this looks best with a solid black belt and a pair of leggings.

Exhibit C: Pretty Jewelry

This ring and bangle are my mom’s from Pakistan. I absolutely love them and feel so elegeant whenever I wear them. My favorite pastime is rummaging around my mom’s jewelry boxes because I always find something great to take! Fun jewelry pieces are a great way to look more “put together”.

Exhibit D: Peep-Toe Suede Heels

I absolutely love these shoes because they give off such a strong vintage feel! Whenever I wear these, I always feel super glamorous and like I’m in 1940′s (although the shoes aren’t this old!). A great pair of heels always makes a girl look fabulous!

Exhibit E: Kohlapuris

Ever since Slumdog Millionaire, all things Desi are hot right now! So what’s a better way to stay cool this summer than a great pair of authentic Kohlapuris from the motherland? Throw these on instead of flip-flops with your t-shirt and jeans combo and add a bit of quirkiness to your outfit!

“Oh my God, what happened to her eye? Did someone punch her? Oh my God, someone punched both of her eyes! Wait, what…oh. It’s her makeup. Was she trying to do a smokey eye?”

The perfect smokey look is a classic and sultry look, perfect for any night out. But many girls are afraid to try it because they don’t want to look like they rubbed ash on their eyes. However, there is no need to worry any longer, if you follow my steps, you will be well on your way to conquering the smokey eye!

1.       Apply primer or concealer to entire eye area.

2.       Apply a pearl colored highlighter in the area above your crease and below your eyebrow.

3.       Generously apply a dark gray eyeshadow to entire lid.

…

4.       Apply black eyeshadow in the crease and in the outer corner of your eye.

…

5.       Blend! Blend with a big fluffy eyeshadow brush.

6.       Line your lower inner lashline with a black eye pencil.

7.       Line your eyelid with black liquid eyeliner.

8.       Line your lower lashline with black eyeshadow.

9.       Curl your eyelashes.

10.   Apply mascara to upper and lower lashes. Apply 2-3 coats to get big lashes!

11.   Apply the same pearl eyeshadow from step 2 underneath your brow.

12.   Ta-da! You have achieved smokey-eye greatness!

Name: Ricky Bhatia (Satvir Singh Bhatia)
Age: 24
Location: Addison, TX

Hobbies: Music production, working out, shopping, sleeping (when I can), watching TV (old school shows like the Cosby Show and Fresh Prince, Seinfeld, etc.), and basketball
Turn Ons: ambition, intelligence
Turn Offs: people that are too afraid to take the necessary steps to achieving their goals.

BG: What inspirations do you have for your music?
Ricky: Too many.  I have touched on a large variety of genres including rock, punk rock, acoustic rock, pop rock, blues, and now my own flavor of R&B.  A large portion of my influences include Brian McKnight, Babyface, Keith Sweat, Will Downing, Dwele, R. Kelly, Ledisi, and Lalah Hathaway.

BG: How would you best describe your music?
Ricky: The music is definitely a fusion of sorts.  It’s a different take on R&B.  I try to touch on all the flavors of R&B, such as soul, gospel, chill, lounge, and club, and still have a unique sound that stands out from the rest.

BG: Have you had any cool performances?
Ricky: I once had a performance where I was an opening act for the now-famous, Ryan Cabrera.  At the time, he was my idol (When I sang acoustic pop rock).

BG: What is your proudest achievement?
Ricky: My absolute proudest achievement would have to be a tie between me losing 85 pounds in the last 3-4 years and getting my Masters degree in Computer Science from GA Tech.  Both took a lot of dedication and a lot of hard work.

BG: What are you future goals and/or career aspirations?
Ricky: I am currently working towards starting a music production company in Dallas, TX known as RB3 Productions where I will write music for singers looking for a producer.  I want to eventually leave engineering and become a full-time producer.

BG: Any gigs coming up? Where can we can check out your music?
Ricky: No gigs as of now since I’m 100% focused on production.  However, you can check out my music on myspace.I have also started a blog that is still under some construction but can be viewed at http://www.rbthreeproductions.com .

Kal Penn on the hit TV series House.

Kal Penn, born Kalpen Suresh Modi, has made us laugh in many movies from his humble beginnings in American Desi all the way to Harold and Kumar. He has even tackled more serious roles such as “Gogol” in the Mira Nair film The Namesake. Currently, he plays a doctor on the hit FOX show House. Things you may not know about the actor: he’s a vegetarian and taught a lecture course at the University of Pennsylvania called “Images of Asian Americans in the Media” and a seminar called “Contemporary American Teen Films.”

Manu Narayan with Jessica Alba and Mike Meyers in The Love Guru.

Manu Narayan performed under the glamorous lights of the Broadway stage for the lead role of “Akaash” in the smash Bollywood Dreams. Just this last summer he played “Rajneesh” in The Love Guru opposite Mike Myers and Jessica Alba. Take note: he can sing! Narayan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a double major in saxophone and voice. He has sung with Cyndi Lauper and even preformed for Queen Elizabeth, George W. Bush, and Tony Blair!

Maulik Pancholy for the Showtime hit Weeds.

Maulik Pancholy, graduated with a Master’s degree in Acting from the Yale University School, and went on to make multiple appearances on popular televisions shows such as The Sopranos and 30 Rock. He even voices the character “Baljeet” on the popular Disney channel cartoon Phineas and Ferb. But, you may recognize him best as James Marsden’s lovable co-worker in 27 Dresses. Keep a look out for him on the silver screen this year and a role on the Showtime hit Weeds.

Information provided by IMDb.

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