HALLOWEEN DECOR+DIY HALLOWEEN BATS

Happy Halloween! I wanted to document how we decorated for Halloween this year and a blog post made perfect sense! I usually do not decorate for Halloween, but rather I do Fall-centric decor so that I don't have to change up everything before Thanksgiving! My daughter had been requesting that we do some Halloween decor, so I gave in! Ours is an open concept home, so it's trickier when it comes to planning decor. I decided to decorate our front entry-way and our dining sense in a Halloween theme, and the rest of the floor in a more Fall theme. 

For the Halloween part of the decorations, I wanted to use traditional Fall colors with the rusts and oranges and of course black. For the Fall part of the decoration, stay tuned for an upcoming blog post. I can tell you that the color scheme is slightly different. I did have a few Halloween pieces, some of which were DIYs by my daughter. The star of the show being a ceramic pumpkin she had made last year at school. 

So I thought of adding in a DIY element. I had seen DIY Bat decor at a blogger's friend's post - Midwestern Mama's DIY Halloween Bats. I decided to give it a try! I loved how it became a family project for us.  If you are interested to make these bats yourself, head below and I have outlined the steps. 

Tying in the whole bat theme, another item caught my eye - a Bat Wreath, which had been shared by another local blogger friend - Being Bethie. I found it at a clearance in my local Kirklands, which was a steal! 

The idea was to keep the decor which appealed a kid, and when she said she loved it, that was the best compliment. 

DIY HALLOWEEN BATS: 

Things you need: 

Black Cardstock

White paper/white card stock 

Pencil 

Scissors 

Wall-safe tape

Ruler

How to make the Bats: 

I used this template from https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com . I scaled down the template to 75% and 50% to make bats of various sizes. Once I had printed the bats, I cut them out. 

Then I used those 3 different sizes as templates to trace out on the design. Then starts the cutting spree!

Once you cut out the bats, fold them in two different directions, to create a 3D effect. Then use wall safe tape, which I double looped to create a flight of bats! 

Loved how the project turned out, and how it became a fun family memory! Also, it's a very inexpensive decor idea for Halloween. Next year, maybe I will put these up on my mantel.  

Since I had been harping on how DIY was the theme, of our Halloween decor this year, I thought of sharing some pictures of the pumpkin carving and gourd painting, as well! Happy Halloween! 

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DURGA PUJA 2020: STYLE DIARIES

 We wrapped by Durga Pujo this weekend and am now looking forward to Halloween! Love how my ethnic roots help me celebrate the best of both worlds! Durga Puja is the largest socio-religious festival of the Bengali-speaking Hindus. It marks the victory of good over evil, celebrates the female force - Goddess Durga! Originally a 5-day festival, we celebrate it conveniently over a weekend in North America! 

While the pandemic might have ensured that the prayer service was virtual, that didn't mean that we couldn't dress up. Outfit planning for Pujo has its own excitement and nostalgia! While picking out ethnic outfits for my whole family, I did what I do for any outfit planning! I picked out a color, which would tie our outfits. I have chronicled the outfits from Day 4 to Day 1, with a bonus look at the end! During the pandemic, we had been hanging out in a bubble, so we ensured that we hung out in the same bubble, on the festival days! Without much further ado, let me take you through all the looks that I styled for myself and my family this Durga Pujo! 

                                                
                                                                                              

          

                                                                         

        

                                              

        

                        

                                                                     

                                                               
                                                             

 

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BORU RAMEN IS NOW BORU ASIAN EATERY

Boru Ramen is back in a brand new avatar- Boru Asian Eatery! 

I am a self-confessed foodie. I am also all about supporting your local restaurants. So when I got the news that one of my local restaurants had to shut doors, I wasn't too happy. We have had wonderful memories of that restaurant as a family, and hated to see it go! Just like me, so many other foodies in town missed Boru. So the owners decided to look back and listen to the community's request to bring Boru back. 

When I got the news that it was reopening, I had to be there! Restauranteurs Andy Lock and Domhnall Molloy, alongside Culinary Director Po Wang, have revitalized the space and expanded the menu beyond ramen. In addition to its new menu, the space has undergone a slight interior refresh to complement the rebrand, including lighter wall paint, new tile along the bar top, and a new gold ceiling.

At the restaurant's preview event, I sampled some of the items of the new menu. Boru Asian Eatery’s menu focuses on a mix of Asian influences.  Started off the tasting session with one of their craft cocktails, Bruce Lee which had Four Roses Bourbon, five-spice simple syrup, orange.  I love my whisky and bourbon and I usually love to sip on them! Loved the freshness that this cocktail brought to the party! Their elevated and streamlined bar menu now offers craft cocktails including the Fist of Fury, a crowd favorite, and sake cocktails, rotating flavors of frozen cocktails, sake, wine, and beer.

I have been a huge fan of their Steamed Baos, which was there in their previous menu. So when the afternoon started off with Steamed Baos with pork belly hoisin mayo, scallions, and quick pickle, you know I was happy! Their Bulgogi Baos are favorites of me and my husband and I am o glad that they have retained in their new menu. Speaking of retaining things on the new menu, I heard that they have retained their ramen bowls for kids, which is a huge favorite of my daughter! Thank you Team Boru! 

Next up on the tasting menu was Crispy Spring Rolls with pork, vegetables, fresh herbs, lettuce wrap, Nuoc Cham vinaigrette & sweet chili sauce. Loved the play of textures. 

Appetizers done, it was time for the main course. Stir-Fry Ramen with cabbage, bean sprouts, shiitake, carrots. choice of chicken or shrimp. We tried the offering with shrimp, that really juicy and flavorful. The store fried ramen for me was like comfort food. I mean, I could sit with a bowl of that, and it will bring a smile to my face on a day which hasn't been that great! 

The next entree we tried was Chicken Vermicelli Salad with bean sprouts, red pepper, mangos, fresh herbs, Nuoc Cham vinaigrette, lime. Let me start off by saying that I am usually not a salad person, but this salad was a pleasant surprise. First of all, it is not every day that I see mango paired with chicken. Loved how well the flavors worked together and made for a refreshing bowl of goodness! Did I mention that mangoes are one of my all-time favorite fruits! This salad which packs a tropical punch will have you dreaming of summer when the days get colder!

Last but not the least, it was time for dessert! Boru's in-house pastry chef Nicolette Felling created a Chocolate Coconut Cake and Mango Lemon Bar. Loved how they carried forward the tropical theme with their dessert offerings. Both desserts were awesome, but I must have gone for a second helping, and maybe even a third, on the Mango Lemon Bar!

Overall, I loved the new menu! I believe, if you are an Asian food lover, then you will love the new chef-driven approach. I felt I was on a trip to Asa after I had tasted the new menu. The restaurant is open Monday – Thursdays from 3 p.m. – 10 p.m., on Fridays from 3 p.m. – 11 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Daily happy hour is offered from 3-6 p.m. and brunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

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NICKEL AND SUEDE RADIANCE COLLECTION

                        

Nickel and Suede launched their brand new collection -"Radiance," last week! And I was lucky enough to try out a few of the earrings from the collection. For years, I have been a huge fan of the founder and CEO @kileenickels for inspiring all of us! Kilee started Nickel and Suede from her basement and now the brand’s success speaks for itself! In all that they do, Nickel & Suede strive to empower women to be the best version of themselves. In case you are unaware of the brand, then Nickel and Suede is a local small business in Kansas City, which makes lightweight, leather earrings! They have come a long way since 2014, and have now emerged as a global leader. 

Nickel and Suede are well-known for their lightweight leather accessories, and have taken the jewelry industry by storm and redefined the statement earring. Women are now able to wear "big earrings" because they make them lightweight in a way that has never been done before. Their leather earrings are made from only the highest quality materials, such as genuine leather and nickel-free metals like 14 karat gold and sterling silver hooks. Now that's a win-win for people like us who love statement earrings, but also suffer from some allergies! 

I got to try out the two different earrings from their new Radiance Collection. 

The first earring I tried out was the Select Burgundy Isla Hoop Leather Earrings. It is their contemporary hoop design, Isla, now in a bold rich burgundy hue. This earring features gold hardware with a lightweight leather statement piece.

Pinks for Fall are a personal favorite of mine, especially if it's these dusty rose tones! So I paired the Isla Hoop Earrings, with my dusty rose crop, my window-pane full skirt, and nude pumps!  If the weather got warm, I would pair a black leather crop jacket with this outfit, along with black tight! 

The second earring I tried out was the Blackberry Suede Leather Earrings. This lightweight leather earring is available in three different sizes - Small, Medium, and Large. You can see me wearing the Large size here!  I know it's considered a fashion faux pas by some people, to wear white after Labor Day! But I love my whites throughout the year. Since the weather has been tricky around in KC, so I styled the Blackberry suede leather Earrings, with a white dress and my leopard pumps! The earrings scream Fall, and that gave me the idea to pair my lipstick with it. When the weather cools down a bit, I would pair the same outfit with a denim jacket and some black tights!

Hope you loved the way I styled these earrings! If you wanted to shop for yourself, then head on over to Nickel and Suede's website, or to one of their stores, either in Kansas City or Dallas! 

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