ASUS ZenFone 2 Review

Today life without a smart phone has become unimaginable.

And if you happen to be blogger, it is too tough to survive even for a day without your smart phone.

While the market is flooded with a variety of smart phones, very few actually make the cut.

Though I have had the opportunity to try my hands on some of the best brands of smart phones, the ASUS ZenFone 2 happens to be my favorite.

The is the first phone with a 4 GB RAM that hit the market and the fact that it is reasonably priced just happens to be the icing on the cake.

 

 

 

Sleek look: For me, if a phone is not good looking enough, it can never motivate me to purchase it, no matter how cool its features are or the price tag is.

The big screen and its curved back give it a sleek and premium look, and it feels sturdy when you hold it in our hand. I vote it as one of the most good looking smart phones of our times.

Big Screen: The ASUS ZenFone 2 comes with a 5.50-inch display which has a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels powered by 2.3GHz processor. As a result the picture quality is crisp with high definition colours. Perfect for people like me, who like to browse and blog on the go and hate to use their laptop every now and then.

 

Good Pictures: The ZenFone 2 comes with a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP rear camera that takes great pictures even in poor lighting. Perfect for #selfie freaks and of course bloggers like me.

 

Budget Friendly: In spite of all these features and much more, the ASUS ZenFone 2 comes with an unbelievable price tag and that is why is a favorite with most people these days.

 

Also, ASUS has equipped the ZenFone 2 with a technology that charges the battery very fast, thus saving  lot of time.

 

Coming from the Taiwanese giant ASUS, this phone delivers more than it promises and hence it happens to be my favorite smart phone.

 

Have you tried the ASUS Zen Phone 2?

And which is your favorite smart phone?

Do share in the comments below.

  

So-Saree Readers Speak - Ananya

Hey everyone...Another So-Saree Reader speaks today about her love for Sarees and it is none other than the gorgeous Ananya of Ananya Tales.

Hello..

I am Ananya Kiran from South India currently living in Seattle, USA. I am a freelance writer and I strongly believe  that we can bring a positive change in the world through the stories we tell. I love connecting people, issues, and ideas together to create new opportunities. This is the very same reason why I love reading So-Saree. Its a beautiful Blog where we get to see not only Aditi's fashion panache but also connect with readers across the globe. I feel it becomes all the more important to stay close to our roots when we are far from our motherland.

I am glad to be sharing this post with all you wonderful readers, Thanks for the opportunity Aditi!

I love wearing saris, unfortunately Seattle weather does not support it, either its too cold or too hot. So I anxiously wait for occasions where I can wear one. For a formal party,last weekend I chose to wear this simple jacquard print sari with white border. I like experimenting with looks, so instead of the blouse I draped this sari with a crop top. I added pearls and think the whole look is quite versatile. Its' even work appropriate as well as causally elegant for a brunch or party.

Choosing the right saree according to your body type is really important. You might find this article really helpful: Perfect Saree for your body type.

Also I launched my You tube Channel with the first video on Saree. I am really excited about it. Please let me know your views. If you wish to read more please do visit my blog AnanyaTales.
  





Thank you !

Nail Art Inpired by Gems

Some time ago, I tried a simple nail art using the polka dot theme.
The difference was, I coloured all my nails in different bright colours and drew white polka dots on them.
I loved the end result and it reminded me of my childhood days, when I used to gorge on Cadbury's Gems.

Do you like this nail art and do you like Gems or M&M's?
Let me know, in the comments below.

Vintage Desi : Website Review

Hello All!!!
How are you doing?
I am sure, you all are waiting for the monsoons to arrive, and bid adieu to the torrid summers. So am I..! (sigh)

I know, I have been missing in action lately, but work has been super crazy and the sweaty weather is not helping either.

But today I am back on the blog and I have a very valid reason for it.

So-Saree has always strived to introduce some of the best and genuine brands to its readers and today I am writing about one of the best brands I have discovered till date through my blog.

Vintage Desi... one look at their website and I was convinced that there couldn't have been a better name for this brand. If you love all things Desi with a vintage feel to it, I bet you will fall in love with this brand.
Vintage Desi is an online boutique that houses some of the best and selective designer pieces and makes it available to it's customers at a bargain prize.
You ask how ?
That' because Vintage Desi negotiates with the best of designers to get huge discounts and bargains and offers the selected designer pieces at the best possible market prize.

I was amazed at the kind of collection on their website. From kids wear, women's wear and jewellery. They have it all.
Their women's wear designer brands include Anjalee & Arjun Kapoor, Ranna Gill, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Gauri & Nainika, etc just to name a few.
But I was also pleasantly surprised and mighty impressed by the collection of local designers like Anisha Shetty, Karishma Trehan and Dami.

Their jewellery collection is something I just can't seem to get enough of.
But Shillpa Purii's Designs just stole my heart. And I couldn't stop myself from buying some of her designs.

My haul: Shillpa Purii and Namrata Kedia pieces

Another significant feature of Vintage Desi is being able to resell your gently used designer clothes. This will not only free your closet space but also earn you some hard cash. All you have to do is fill up a simple form and send a couple of pictures of your clothes to Vintage Desi. The Vintage Desi team after thorough inspection and review will accept the goods from you.
This ensures that the pre-owned outfits that you buy from Vintage Desi are of good quality and make.

Now you need not repeat the same outfit at every wedding, because Vintage Desi has an answer to all your style worries at a fraction of the price you would normally spend.

And now, to see how I styled the jewellery pieces from Vintage Desi, scroll down...


Pearl chain with coloured stone pendants: Buy Here

Broach Bracelet Small: Buy Here

I had worn these beautiful jewellery at my bestie's ring ceremony, and was showered with numerous compliments for the jewellery. The event photographer surprised me, by clicking the below candid pics and emailing it to me. Let me know, what you think. :)

 
 

#EveryWomanIsALeader

Growing up, I was highly impressed by world leaders like John F Kennedy, Indira Gandhi , Vladimir Putin and Bill Clinton. 

The more I studied these leaders, the more I was fascinated by their persona. Exceptional communication skills, great thoughts, designer ward robes and fancy educational degrees.

During my Management courses in college I tried my best to understand what goes in the making of a leader. Day in and day out I used to analyse the qualities and traits of a leader and compare them vis-a-vis a Boss.

The more I read about it, the more intrigued I was. 

• Great Communication
• Commitment
• Positive Attitude
• Creativity
• Intuition
• Respectful
• Ability to Inspire

These were just some of the qualities that identify or make a great leader. So when the awesome people at ShetheeopleTV, approached me to do a post on women in leadership I was so tempted to write about Indra Nooyi and Indira Gandhi. But writing about a person who I have only seen in pictures or television would not do justice to this post and that's why I decided to write about a person who I have known personally for decades. In fact I have lived with her for almost 25 years. If you haven't guessed it already, I am speaking about my mom.

That's my Mom!

 Years of analyzing the character of a leader had made me realize long ago that my mom was a born leader, but what makes her a leader is something that I would like to share with my readers and hence this post. Mom's are a different specie altogether. They are born as ordinary individuals, but motherhood equips them with superhuman powers which are hard to explain.
 My mom is no different. She is an excellent communicator, very creative, respectful, hard working, has a killer intuitive sense  and is a motivator.
 But what sets her apart is that she has never forced anything on us even when we were kids. She gave her opinion when asked but always left the ultimate decision with us, after asking us to weigh the pros and cons of every situation and opportunity.

 

 

In spite of having a full time job and household responsibilities, all her efforts went into developing our; her two daughters', personalities. She encouraged us to read, travel alone and take our own decisions, once we were adults. She wanted us to experience the real world ourselves; rather then dwell and rely on her experiences. 

Each day when the family sat down for dinner, we were encouraged to share everything that we did on that particular day. Whether we read a book, watched a movie or simply went out with friends, each one of us would share the entire doings of the day with the family, without feeling  hesitant, because she always instilled in us a feeling that WE as a family are one and no one would ever be judgmental.

Little did I realize that this dinner time conversations and debates, slowly but surely, would polish our conversational and debating skills apart from making our family bonds stronger.

Whether it was my elocution competition, quarterly school and college exams or a killer presentation; the entire family came together to help me on it. And our victories, however small, were celebrated like the whole family's victory and called for a celebration.

I am sure many reading this post will have a deja vu moment as they identify the same qualities in a person they know personally. And I won't be surprised if the person is a woman.
 
 

Because #EveryWomanIsALeader and it is this exact realisation that needs to be celebrated. Because this very thought is empowering.

My mom made me realize that you don't really need big educational degrees, a fancy accent or a designer wardrobe to be a leader. All you need is a goal, conviction and belief in oneself. She taught me that a leader never gives orders, they inspire others to follow them and do better.

My mom told me that I am a born leader and nothing in this world can take that away from me.

 

  

What are your thoughts on Women in leadership?

You can participate in the blogging competition held by www.shethepeople.tv on the topic ‘Women in Leadership’ and the winning entries can win an all-paid expense trip to an exciting destination.
Click on this link to participate: http://shethepeople.tv/leadership-contest/

 P.S. I do not own images used in this post.

Myntra Goes #AppOnly

I belong to a generation that literally grew up on Fairy tales.
A charming prince sweeps a princess off her feet and they live happily ever after.
Though happily ever after has much deeper connotations, my fav part of these fairy tales apart from the princesses gorgeous dresses (what do u expect from a fashion blogger?) was the element of magic involved.
Whether it was Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White or Jasmine. All these beautiful ladies apart from enviable style had magic at their disposal, which made their lives so much more exciting and fun.
I wish I belonged to an era where Magic was possible, and was not just a dream.
But I guess, there are some things that we have, which these fairy tale characters would have really loved to have in their lives.

For instance: Mobile Apps. Browzing information and shopping on the go...Mobile apps have made lives so much more simpler. Fast, user friendly and personalised. Just like Magic.
Mobile apps are definitely the future of online shopping portals and recognising this, the online fashion giant Myntra went #AppOnly from the 15th of May 2015. This is a huge step on the part of Myntra and I view it as a major trend setting move that will change the way you shop online.

Being the day dreamer that I am, I thought how different our fairy tales would be, if they had the Myntra's Mobile App at their disposal.

Scroll down for some fun interactions.

Life with Myntra's Mobile App is so much fun. Don't you agree? 

So-Saree Readers Speak - Sonali

Today the person who features on So-Saree's Readers speak section is my best friend Sonali. You have read about her here. She is the most regular reader and biggest encourager of So-Saree, and so I wanted her to feature on my blog for the longest time. So here, you go. Be ready for an excessive dose of hyperboles and exaggerations, because come on...she's my best friend.

I love Sarees but not as much as reading So-Saree! I am not an avid reader but I love reading So-Saree as it keeps me connected to my long distance friend Aditi. I have known Aditi for 8 years now and have always admired her writing and conversational skills. Her impulsive nature and witty jokes crack me up. I call her the epitome of beauty and brains, and to top it up is a great sense of humor. Okay..sounds like I’ve been bribed to say this but I do mean it.

I knew, if Aditi ever decided to write she would do wonders with her writing. It’s no surprise to see her fan following on the blog. So-Saree clearly reflects her personality; interesting, vivacious and addictive. I like the fact that the blog does not only talk about sarees but many other interesting topics.  My favourites are the recipes and the Indianfestivals/rituals. I must admit that I hardly knew the reasons behind these rituals and traditions, so I make sure I read these carefully. I love reading the travel posts and the bloggers posts. I admire all her blogger friends for the talent and skills they have which is also reflected in their blogs. My all-time favorite So-Saree post is the first one about Aditi’s ‘Aai and the Wedding anniversary post ‘Opposites Attract’. I love the way she uploads so many pictures to keep the posts interesting.
Did you know, the first ever saree that I bought was for Aditi's wedding in December 2010. Earlier I had always worn my mom's sarees.

To sum it all, I am stunned by the dedication Aditi shows towards the blog.
You are unstoppable Aditi! I wish So-Saree good luck and may it keep educating (people like me) and entertaining others for many years to come.