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Explore Edmonton / Visit To The Zoo

January 27, 2016

Last weekend the weather here in Edmonton was just fantastic. It was about 25°F, but trust me, after spending weeks in temperatures like -2°F to -4°F, 25 with bright sunshine and crisp air sure felt like a treat. I’m amazed at how soon I’ve adjusted to temperatures here specially coming from Houston. I seriously never thought I would. But it hasn’t been that bad except for very bad chilly days. So, we thought of getting out and exploring the city and decided to pay a visit to the zoo.
I have been documenting and blogging about our travel to Canada and the brief time that we are spending here in Edmonton (See the previous posts here and here).

Even as a kid, I remember how excited I used to be to go to the zoo. My fav memory being visiting the lions cage, feeding the elephants and eating cotton candy the whole time. Although a few sections of the valley zoo were closed for winter, most of it was open. We saw animals and birds which are mainly found in cold temperatures like the Siberian tiger and the Arctic Wolf (one of my fav. I loved the thick white fur and how it camouflaged with the snow).

Apart from these we also saw zebras, reindeers, bisons, foxes and more. There was a temperature controlled section where you could see rare breeds from all around the world.

As the name suggests, the zoo is located in a river valley and so you can beautiful landscapes all around. Our trip was followed by a nice lunch at an Indian restaurant. All in all, a day well spent.

Keep following for more travel posts. Canada is truly beautiful and I can’t wait for spring to get here so we can explore this scenic country even more.

Dresses On Trend

January 26, 2016

Wearing dresses during winters can be tricky. Most of the times, I decide to wear one and pair it with stockings or leggings and then just end up wearing pants instead. But here are a few dresses on trend right now. Just found them while surfing and thought I would share with you guys. I would love to pair them up with some high boots and a trendy coat for cooler temperatures.
We still have some time for spring to kick in and to bring out those floral prints. For now I’m just digging the simple structures and solid colors of these dresses. Valentine’s day is just coming up and you could pair one these with your favorite accessories. I feel like the 70’s and 80’s trends are coming back. Shift dresses, neon, velvets, fringes, flares are popping everywhere. And what I’m loving the most is that even though the colors, graphics and styles are retro, they are blended with the simple and contemporary silhouettes on trend today.

The above dresses are from Forever21, Asos, Reformation

Style Shoot – Lucid Lifestyle Store

January 20, 2016

Whenever I travel to a new city, which I have never been to before, I love exploring the streets and randomly checking out shops and places to eat without ‘googling’. A lot of times local joints can get skipped out unless you have someone local who is travelling with you. This time however, I have moved to Edmonton for a couple of months and got some time to explore the city on my own. Apparently, Edmonton had the world’s largest mall until 2005. However, this city also has a LOT of small business, artist and designers showcasing their talent in small outlets and boutiques.
Lucid Lifestyle is one such charming little clothing store on Whyte Avenue in the old strathcona district of the city. I got talking with the owner and we decided to do a fun style shoot to showcase the variety and styles they carry. Katryna Rae, a fellow blogger and friend, whom I met after coming here, agreed to model for us.

Somehow I end up wearing or keeping the pieces that I buy in boutiques more than the ones I buy from branded outlet chains. Maybe because they are one of a kind and feel like they have a personal touch.

The collection is eclectic, light hearted, stylish and contemporary. You could find pieces for almost every occasion here. Whether it is smart work wear or outfit for a fun night out with friends, casual looks for a weekend brunch or a picnic with friends. There are tons of options to choose from, which you mix and match. They carry some fun accessories too. How cute is the orange bag in the pic above?

Had fun making this huge bright colored floral backdrop!

I am in love with their sweater collection and bright colored clothes. They also carry an extremely smart athletic wear.

Shop online or definitely visit the store if you are in the city. Whyte Avenue also has a lot of restaurants and pubs and other shopping avenues worth checking out.

Styling & Photography : Varsha (designforsoul)
Model: Katryna Rae (boots and cats)
Clothing: Lucid Lifetsyle

To New Beginnings !

January 19, 2016

Hey there! It’s been a while since I connected with you guys. If you were following along the previous posts, y’all know that I am right now in Edmonton, Canada and have been exploring the city for about three months now. I had to break away from my set routine and that has affected my blogging too. This new environment has definitely been a challenge to continue with my DIY & ART blog posts. I don’t have access to all the stores I had, you know like when you have a set rapport with certain people and certain places, you kind of are lost when you have to move away from your comfort zone.

However, I am taking this in a positive way. It’s also given me time to think on a new perspective for the blog. I completely took time off for about two months. I am adapting to the new city, the weather (hate the cold though), the people and the surroundings. I will admit that these past few months have made me think a lot about life in general. What I really want from it, where I see myself a couple of years from now, is it okay to venture into a lot of things creatively, weather I should think about starting my own business, will I be able to pull it off, where I want to live in future, what are the things that really matter to me as a creative person, these are just a few questions I’m trying to find answers for.
Meanwhile, I did get a chance to write blogs for an organization called the Old Strathcona Business Association which is basically an organization that looks after, promotes and maintains all the businesses of the old starthcona district (one of the oldest) parts of Edmonton. This definitely gave me an opportunity to explore around the city and write about whatever I found interesting.

I hope to be back with a fresh new perspective and have decided that I ‘am going to write about everything that I like and everything that excites me. I used to think a lot about blog posts before. A lot of people say “you won’t be successful if you do not have a specific direction or focus for the blog” (no offense to those who do have focused blogs and who know exactly what they are doing. Kudos to them! This is just for people like me who find it difficult to wrap their heads around one particular interest). Keeping that in mind I think I started restricting my thought process. Like for example, does it fit in the category of diy or fashion or interior or food? I wanted the blog to be a lifestyle blog, which centered on these main categories. Sometimes some blogs, which you love and read regularly, or some websites and tumblr sites, which you follow, can create a certain bias in your mind along with the inspiration they are giving you. You can get caught up in the ‘internet trend’ so to say.
And so I think it is important for any creatives to time and again distance themselves from the routine, take a step back and evaluate their work. I will be writing about the above mentioned categories however I will ALSO be writing about random inspirations, thoughts, doodles, photography, images basically anything that strikes an emotion with me. After all, I have to be true to the title of the blog ‘designforsoul’ and never forget the reason why I started it in the first place.

Thank you so much for reading and following along!

love,
varsha

Easy Holiday Gift-Wrapping

November 18, 2015

As much as I love giving and receiving gifts, I love to wrap them up too. I’m always looking for different ideas to wrap gifts. Even as a kid, whenever I would attend a friend’s birthday, I would wrap the gift with a nice paper, tie a ribbon write a small message on a card, even if it was a chocolate. I feel that a nice wrapping always brings a smile on the person who is opening the gift and adds to the excitement of finding what’s inside.

And now that holiday season is here, I wanted to share some gift packing ideas with y’all. A beautifully wrapped gift doesn’t always need an expensive wrapping paper, ribbons, cards etc. You can be creative and make your own wrapping paper too. Just with a few colors, simple white paper, and some accessories you already have at home, you can create an elegant gift-wrap. Today’s post is just about that – an easy holiday gift-wrapping idea with a few things from your backyard or even on the street.
Materials: watercolors (metallic), leaves, pine-cones, white paper, tape, gold ribbon, scissors and gold sharpie.

Fall Staples / Tights – Part 3

November 5, 2015

Hey there! Today it’s fall staples / tights – Part 3 of the style series. (See Part 1 & Part 2). There has been a lot of speculation over wearing tights in winter, are they out of fashion? Some say that they look old, out dated and matronly. Well, I have would have to disagree. I think I’m on the side of pro-tights team even today. In my opinion, I don’t think any fashion garment or accessory ever really goes out of style. I think it’s just the way you rethink pairing it with other items and styling it differently is what makes a difference.

The same applies for tights. As soon as you put them on, your legs get a definition almost instantly and thighs feel celluloid free. The stretch, the fit, the sense of form and structure is just perfect. And somehow that shows in your attitude too. And I don’t think that feeling can be replaced with anything else. Tights are the perfect inner wear for winters and can be layered as per your choice. For me they will never go out of fashion. In fact, I feel wearing colored tights is even more fun. That was my main motivation behind creating this series of posts.

I hope you feel inspired to try them on to. Now’s the time to get those hosiery drawers filled and experiment with your looks. Have fun this fall and winter season.

13 Reasons To Love White Wall Rooms

November 4, 2015

Styling homes with all white rooms is becoming a trend these days, however there is still some apprehension around it. A lot of people do not consider white as a color. There is a belief that if there is no color hue means the walls are bare and a worry that the house may look unfinished. So today I wanted to share with you ‘13 Reasons To Love White Wall Rooms’.
Also at the end there is a before-after makeover of a room, which shows what paint can do to transform a room.
1) Light & Airy: White is the best color to reflect light and hence makes the room look brighter and more open. It’s a trick to make small spaces look bigger than they actually are. I love it when rooms with big large windows have white walls, which reflect all the beautiful beaming sunlight that comes in. ( Pic: 1/2)

2) Makes artwork stand out: You can literally put any kind of artwork on these walls. Weather it’s a big painting or a gallery wall, everything looks good on what is essentially a blank canvas. This can also be useful when you want to change your artwork and put something else. You don’t have to think if it’s going to match your color.(Pic:1,2)Continue Reading