pink rickshaw

oh my blog: state of the blog

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams." -Jeremy Irons

A very (belated!) happy 2016 and February to you. February is my favorite month and I am really excited about this year as well. I hope you are too. I started Pink Rickshaw back in 2008 which seems like a lifetime ago. Blogging was just taking off and like most people who start a blog, I was just looking for a creative outlet from my day job. Eight years later, blogging is a huge industry with millionaire bloggers, the expected backlash against the "perfect" world of lifestyle blogging* and such an over saturation of sites, that frankly I can't even keep up with my own blogroll. Also, like most of you, I get so much of my content from social media than from websites, that the future of blogging is a mystery. But before you think this is the all-too-common farewell letter, it's not. Call me old school, but I still love making Pink Rickshaw. And even with the overwhelming amount of content out on the web today, I still hope that Pink Rickshaw can bring an unique perspective on mainstream and South Asian topics. So, I'm really excited to give the site some much needed TLC and see how it continues to evolve this year. The quantity of posts last year was fewer than years past but I have to admit that some of them are amongst my all time favorites. In fact, the Indian inspired cheese plate post was the most read and shared post ever. (Cheese lovers unite.)
So, as we start this year, I thank you for coming on this journey with me so far and am super excited to continue to share more fun stuff with you. And, speaking of posts, in case you missed them, here are some of my favorites from last year:

Food: Recipes for some delicious frozen treats like peach ice cream, vietnamese coffee ice cream and kulfi popsicles and how to make small bites like healthy quinoa apps, assemble an unique Indian inspired cheese plate and make homemade ricotta cheese

Art: The Dallas Art Fair, Decorating with globes, the Dallas South Asian Film Festival and the amazing Taxi Fabric project

Fashion: India Fashion Week Part 1 and Part 2 and gladiator sandals that I'm so excited to wear when it gets warm again

P.S. If you followed me on Instagram (@pinkrickshaw) last year, you may have noticed I fulfilled my not so secret desire to start a "style blog" by starting a new Instagram feed for my outfit posts @pinkrickshawfashion. Hope you will follow it (even if it is to see if I ever master the art of taking a flat outfit picture. I'm okay with that.)

(*GOMI is not for the lighthearted. It definitely gave me a new perspective on the world of blogging and how disingenuous it has gotten over the years. While some of the forum activity is very raw and honest feedback, a lot of it is quite mean. So, if you don't want to read harsh criticism and even borderline trolling, I suggest to pass on checking out the site. Here is a great article from a few years ago about the fascinating world of blogger hate.)

-SD

oh my blog: podcast round-up (part I)

"I'm trying to make perfect moments. And those generate meaning. If you go deep enough in how to make a moment, very quickly you come to how narrative works - to what we are as a species, how we've come up with telling stories in scenes and images."-Ira Glass 

On Monday, Sarah Koenig was in town as part of the #thinkspeak series and hearing her familiar voice (and that chilling Serial theme music) definitely brought back all those old feels of listening to her fascinating podcast. It also got me really interested in what the the second (and third!) seasons of Serial have in store for us listeners. (Some tidbits from her talk: Yes, she still does talk to Adnan occasionally, she has not listened to Rabia Chaudry's podcast Undisclosed or watched the The Jinx, Serial was actually recorded in her basement, she thought this interview with Jay was super fascinating and she does admit hindsight that there was some flirting between her and Adnan). Since Serial ended, I have been getting my daily podcast fix from the usual weekly NPR staples like This American Life, Radio Lab and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! but I also tried branching out and found a few others that I thought would be fun to share. I also asked friends and family for some of their go-to podcasts to round out my list.  Some are extremely popular and others are a little bit more niche, but they each can make the daily routine a little bit more interesting. 

Podcast: Start-Up
Soundbyte: The refreshingly sincere deets of building a start-up (Trough of Sorrow and all)
If you listen to podcasts, you have probably seen Alex Bloomberg's Start-Up in the top charts (It was also teased on This American Life, which got many listeners hooked). The podcast which finished up season 2 earlier this summer is one of my personal favorites. Season 1 is the story of Bloomberg's own start-up Gimlet Media and season 2 focuses on the journey of Dating Ring, a dating website started by two women. Both seasons give unique insight into the trials and tribulations of starting your own company told in a chronological, endearing narrative. In today's start-up centric world, you usually hear about someone having a brilliant idea followed by uber (sorry, couldn't help it) success. But what happens in between? This is all that in-between, non-glamorous stuff that no one really talks candidly about. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur or not, it is fascinating to follow (and root for) these people on their mission.

Podcast: StarTalk
Soundbyte: Humorous science, space and pop culture talk from the lovable Neil deGrasse Tyson
This is one of my husband's favorites and his recommendation. And after listening to one episode you will probably agree how funny host Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (of the Hayden Planetarium and Cosmos fame) is. So even if you're not that into science, you will likely thoroughly enjoy Tyson's banter with co-hosts like John Oliver and Kristen Schall (love her!!) and learn a few things along the way.

Podcast: The Moth
Soundbyte: Beautiful personal stories from regular people (and the occasional actor or writer) like this one
If there's anything we have learned from the enormous success of Serial, is that as humans we long to hear a gripping story. The Moth podcast is quite popular and I was late to the game, but once I found it I was hooked. The podcast features recordings of real people sharing their memorable stories on-stage at Moth storytelling events. Even the podcast description is beautiful: "Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating." If that just gave you chills, listen to an episode and you will be hooked too.

oh my blog: serial

"When I first proposed the idea of a serial show that you couldn’t binge on and had to wait for every week, some people thought I was insane. I might still be insane, but at least all my listeners are now crazy with me."-Sarah Koenig

Are you listening to the Serial podcast? The extremely popular and critically acclaimed spin-off podcast from NPR's This American Life is not only the number one podcast in the United States but is also listened to by millions globally. Thursday, episode 10 came out after a Thanksgiving hiatus and it seemed like right before it was available, the internet was about to explode in anticipation.  Like most listeners, I was hooked after episode one and like most I have numerous burning questions that I relish discussing with anyone that listens (I usually spend a few hours each week discussing Serial with my husband. The discussion starts after he spends approximately three minutes saying "Mail Kimmph?" You have to let him get it out of his system.)

The rest of this post assumes you have already started listening to the podcast or someone has already spent a few minutes telling you either how riveting the investigation is or how exceptionally well done the narrative is. But in the off chance you are not listening, here is the basic summary. The podcast presents journalist Sarah Koenig's investigation of the murder of a high school girl named Hae Min Lee in Woodlawn, Baltimore in 1999. Her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was convicted of the crime and has been in prison for it the last 15 years. Sarah Koenig spends each episode slowly peeling back another layer of this giant onion of a case.

oh my blog: the everygirl wedding week

"Let all thy joys be as the month of May, And all thy days be as a marriage day."-Francis Quarles 

As many of you know, a little over a year and a half ago, I tied the knot with the love of my life, my mister. Much like Pink Rickshaw, our wedding celebration was a little bit east and a little bit west. We had a traditional Indian wedding  but infused it with plenty of personal and fun touches that made it such an amazing couple of days. 

I am so honored that one of my absolute favorite new sites, The Everygirl is featuring our wedding as part of their fabulous Wedding Week. Here are some of my favorite pictures from their feature and a few extras. You can read the whole feature here. Also, be sure to check out all the other brides and their lovely weddings from earlier in the week along with some great tips and inspiration if you are planning a wedding. The Everygirl is also a wonderful site for all kinds of fun lifestyle information, so be sure to bookmark it .

oh my blog: hair tutorials

I whip my hair back and forth
I whip my hair back and forth
-Willow Smith's Whip My Hair

Somewhere between Marcia Brady brushing her hair one hundred times and Willow Smith whipping her hair back and forth, the rest of us have just been trying to achieve chic, everyday hair. When you are lacking all hair inspiration (slowly back away from the butterfly clip), it is best to turn to the experts. I often look to my favorite blogs for not just ideas but also easy-to-follow tutorials. Let's face it, hairstyles look great on celebs and in glossies, but executing them successfully is usually another story.
Here is a round-up of the best how-to's for some of the easiest spring hair-dos.

 

Buns
Style 1: Three twisted buns
Joanna Goddard's blog, A Cup of Jo, has great hair tutorials including the one for this gorgeous but surprisingly, easy look. What most busy gals will appreciate about this romantic style is the result looks like you put some serious work into it when literally it takes less about five minutes. It''s very "Nicole Richie" meets Little House on the Prairie.

Style 2: Messy bun

 
French women always seem to have the most effortlessly, messy buns. The YSL blog did a tutorial on the bun above (which is unfortunately not available on online anymore) but Anne Wolf's pics above make it easy enough to follow.
 
 

Chignons
Style 3: Side chignon
The chignon is as sophisticated and chic as it sounds. Yes, it is also a bun (typically knotted), but is worn at the nape of the neck. (Chignon is actually derived from the French term chignon du cou which means nape of the neck.) Style 3 is from Martha Stewart Weddings via This is Glamorous and is perfect for an event or a night out. Or wear it for your wedding hairstyle as Martha suggests. The site aptly describes the look as flirty and "young and coquettish".

oh my blog: bkfst

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast."-John Gunther

The motto in our household is if a weekday breakfast is purely about sustenance (read: frappuccino and half a granola bar), weekend breakfasts are all about leisurely indulgence. Since breakfast is often my favorite part of the weekend, what better way to celebrate the beloved meal than with a recipe and some web inspiration. 

 
Recipe: This weekend, suffering royal wedding withdrawal, I thought some scones and tea would keep the British feel going. I used this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa and substituted the cranberries for dried strawberries. I also could not get the drizzle quite right to look like Ina Garten's, but my version of the drizzle still gave it a syrupy glaze and a sprinkling of powdered sugar gave it just the right amount of sweetness.

Inspiration: While the excitement of the royal wedding may have inspired my scones, on a typical lazy weekend morning, getting motivated to make or even go out for a delightful breakfast can be tough (wouldn't in be so much easier to eat a pop tart and watch HGTV?) So, if I'm in a culinary slump, I turn to the beautiful photographs of Bkfst for instant motivation. The site features images of morning meals and is also a great collection to links to breakfast recipes all over the blogosphere. Even if you have no intention of cracking an egg, the site is worth a peek for the brilliant collection of gorgeous images of breakfasts that are small and large, complicated and simple and is just as appealing to your eyes as your stomach.

image source: scones: SD, bkfst.tumlr.com (thespinningplate.com, healthygreenkitchen.com, iartublogspot.com, foodobsessed.ca)

-SD

oh my blog: shelter mags and blogs

"Decorate your home. It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is." -Charles M. Schulz

 

A happy very belated New Year. After a short hiatus , PR is back (with a little bit of a make-over) and ready for some 2011. For many, the new year is often a time to organize and re-decorate. If Thomas Edison were an interior designer, I think he would rethink that "genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration".  If you're like me and redecorating or moving into a new space, decorating genius is more like 101 percent inspiration. This was the dreaded part for me since like many people out there, I'm still mourning the loss of the shelter magazine of all magazines, Domino magazine (limited archives can be found here) and others like the lovely Blueprint, which both folded in the last few years. Luckily as part of the new home decor mag renaissance, the gigantic decor inspiration hole that was left by Domino is slowly getting filled by amazing online mags (most of which are yes, FREE!), print publications and most notably hundreds of amazing sites in the blogosphere. In fact, there are so many inspiring home decor blogs that one post would certainly not do all of these blogs justice so, PR will periodically feature my favorite home blogs in Oh My Blog. Here's a few sites and mags for today that are leading the pack that are just oozing with inspiration.

Lonny Magazine (digital magazine)

One of the founders of this online mag is a Domino alum, so it definitely had the most buzz upon introduction to the design world. The magazine has been around the longest with over six issues under its belt. Like many digital mags these days, "it looks and acts like a print magazine" but is zoomable and clickable so if you see the perfect lamp for your bedroom, you can just click on the picture and it takes you to the site where you can purchase it. This month's mag is filled with gorgeous rooms and details. One of the standouts is a tour of a Lucky Magazine editor's home decorated by  designer Hillary Thomas.

 

Nuevo Estilo (website for print publication)

The Spanish website is full of amazing rooms like the kitchen featured to the right. I found the magazine's site via one of my own personal favorite blogs, Made By Girl, whose site as well has an immense amount of inspiration from a variety of sites. Nuevo Estilo is in Spanish, but don't let that intimidate you. The images will be enough to keep you there for hours on end.

 

Coco + Kelley (design blog)

Cassandra LaValle's blog is a feast on the eyes. Along with ideas for rooms (like the one featured at the top of the post), accessories and tabletops, a great feature on the blog is Vignette series which is a monthly interview with top designers.

Rue Magazine (digital magazine)

At Rue Magazine, the editors believe "that every color can be your favorite color" and "that everyone has the talent and drive to design their most beautiful life-we all just a nudge in the right direction." That nudge can certainly be found in this online magazine.

 

 

 

Anthology Magazine (print magazine)

If you're wanting to put down your IPAD and Kindle, and long for something where you can actually physically (gasp!) turn pages, Anthology fills the void in the print arena (you can view previews digitally). It is published quarterly and a subscription will cost you $38 in the US. According to the creative founders, what makes the magazine unique is that it "takes a narrative approach to its coverage of home decor, travel, design, entertaining and culture."  The editors just have the coolest eye and introduce you to things like these interesting, faux books.

 

A Life's Design (Design blog)

Don't worry, there's nothing to read here. Just TONS of inspiring pictures.

There's so many more great sites, but that will have to wait until next time.  In the meantime, share what your favorite home decor blog or magazine is in the comments. And for more great sites, check out the nominees for the 2011 Homies (that's the home blog awards, think of it as the Oscars for home decorating website goodness). Past winners have included top dog design blogs like Remodelista and Design Sponge.

image source: top interior from cocoandkelley.com, magazine covers from lonnymag.com, ruemag.com, anthologymag.com, bottom interior from alifesdesign.blogspot.com via Elle Decor.

-SD

oh my blog: postcards from yo momma

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my mother."-Abraham Lincoln

Like many moms today, my own mother has really embraced text messaging. It's convenient, efficient and gives me a good chuckle, especially when her signature sign-off is "coo...later!" Huh?

The texts I receive (luckily) from my text savvy mom are no where near the level of insanity or dripping with doses of judgmental commentary as on the popular website Postcards From Yo Momma. Readers submit emails, text messages or other modern correspondences from their mothers and the creators share them for the world to enjoy. We all knew our moms were hilarious, but it's downright crazy when you see it written out. Moms tend to be worriers, so there's of course travel advice from mom:
 

Then there's the use of "hip" lingo from mom:
 

Those are just the tip of the iceberg from the Best of from the site. The website has been filled with such comic gold, the creators have put together a book: Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home. The book is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Just a reminder, that moms are funny and they are also the best. So, PR wishes all the tech-savvy moms out there (including my very own) a very Happy Mother's Day. Don't forget to send your momma some love this Sunday and no a text will not do.

A special thanks to RB for directing us to this unique site.

image source: bellastitchery at etsy.com, postcardsfromyomomma.com

-SD
 

oh my blog: colors

"Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment." -Claude Monet

 

Back in the day (i.e. elementary school), there was probably no greater joy than a new box of Crayola crayons. You would eat some paste, tell Billy G. he had cooties and bask in the glory of the 64 brand new colors waiting in front of you: Gorgeous Brick Red, Burnt Sienna, Orchid, Piggy Pink and Periwinkle..sigh.
Flash forward to 2010 and most days seem like a scene out of Pleasantville (you know the parts where Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire are in black and white). But do not fret, on my search for a cool website for "Oh My Blog", I stumbled upon colourlovers.com. Think of it as a box of crayons--on crack.

The cool website/blog features trends, thousands of colors, color palettes and patterns and is also a forum to discuss, navigate and discover new color. It's a favorite of graphic designers and architects but is available for anyone needing a resource for color inspiration. Whether you are looking for paint colors for a room (used it recently to redecorate--extremely helpful!), wedding colors or ideas for design work, there are numerous user submitted color palettes to get the creative juices flowing. Browsing through the thousands of palettes, I found "99 Luftballons Liebe" (featured above left) as the perfect inspiration for decor for a party.

The colors came together nicely, thanks to the palette's inspiration. Warning: You can end up spending a lot of time on the site, so be sure to stay focused. And if you graduate to be an advanced colourlover lover, you can even design and upload your own palettes. Your crayola loving inner-child will be super proud.

image source: colourlovers.com, party decor images: sujohn das

-SD

oh my blog: twitter

Flower: [about two birds fluttering around] Well! What's the matter with them?
Thumper: Why are they acting that way?
Friend Owl: Why? Don't you know? They're twitterpated.
Flower, Bambi, Thumper: Twitterpated?
Friend Owl: Yes. Nearly everyone gets twitterpated in the springtime... -Bambi 

 

pinkrickshaw still cannot escape twitter-mania
about 2 minutes ago from web
pinkrickshaw cannot escape twitter-mania
about 1 hour ago from web

There seems to be two types of people these days. Those who Twitter and those who don't get what all the hype is about the micro-blogging and social networking site. Hype is probably an understatement for the intense coverage the site has received along with its massive popularity. The Guardian in London ran a story this April Fool's Day saying that after 188 years as a print publication, it will become the first news publication to deliver news via Twitter. Charles Lindhbergh's 1927 flight to Paris from New York would have been condensed to "OMG first successful transatlantic air flight wow, pretty cool! Boring day otherwise...sigh!" At Fashion Week, fashionistas all over the world got their updates via 140 character or less tweets on their phones. Members of Congress love tweeting when Obama speaks. And on a serious note Demi Moore (aka Mrs. Kutcher for those that follow her) even saved a woman from suicide and the terror attacks in Mumbai were captured in real time via Twitter. 
Greatest thing since..well...Facebook. Six reasons we have fed into the Twitter hype:

1) Old people don't get it. 
Twitter has become like the Pepsi of social networking. As Time magazine recently said, Facebook Is for Old People. If you've gotten to the end of Facebook and your parents added you as your friends, it may be time to tweet.

2)  MC Hammer lectures about it at Harvard Business School.
Enough said.

3) It has its own vocabulary
mistweet (noun) a mistake tweet, posted the way it was not intended to be
dweet (noun) a drunken tweet 
twitterati (noun) the tweet elite (typically celebrities) whose feeds attract thousands of followers
(I must add that in addition to its own lingo, Twitter has inspired countless witty t-shirts. Case and point: the lovely young man I spotted at Starbucks wearing his "That's what she twittered" shirt.)

4) There is no way to escape it
Every major media outlet in one way shape or form is covering a story about Twitter. The constant coverage from the Wall Street Journal to the Today Show all scream, yes, Twitter is very popular.

5) Ashton, John and Britney are doing it
Actually Britney beats out Ashton, John Mayer and President Obama as having the most followers. Shocking, but she's got some great tweets, ya'll. As a warning though, following some celebrities on Twitter can be interesting; others not so much. Ashton and Mrs. Kutcher will fill up your entire page with their tweets which are pretty blah. But I do have to admit, seeing who other celebrities follow and their tweets to each other, does give insight into the glitzy bunch. But also beware. While most of the celeb twitter sites are real, there are a few fake ones such as Tina Fey's twitter page which has been speculated to be a fraud.
Intrigued? The New York Times even put together an elaborate map of the celebrity twitter ecosystem.

6) It is the ultimate in self-promotion
Wanna share a link? Promote your business? Shamelessly plug your website? Twitter can reach thousands of people in what has become a new form of marketing. It's not just about what Sally ate for breakfast anymore. So, follow Pink Rickshaw on Twitter. Shameless plug, why not? I promise not to dweet.

image source: psychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com, twitter.com

-SD