Posted by Mansi

It was the super reasonable airfare - Rs 5,000 round trip - that prompted our last minute weekend plan to Goa, but what we didn't anticipate was that getting a place to stay would be such a hassle. All three Taj properties, Lemon Tree, Ashiana Lakhanpal, The O Hotel, The Hyatt: we tried them all, and to our utter astonishment they were booked out completely, despite the fact that it's off season and not on a long weekend. After many phonecalls and much cajoling, we finally secured a cottage at the Taj Village. It was overpriced and garden view, but hey, at least we had somewhere to sleep.

Other than our early accomodation issues, though, Goa was extremely... accomodating. The weather held up, and we got enough sunshine to go hang at the beach and chill by the pool, and enough rain to keep it nice and cool. Plus, a lot more restaurants than we expected were still open, which was nice. If you do go now, be check out:

Ernesto's: Right in the middle of  old Goa, this is a super pretty restaurant that serves up what might be the best, cheapest steak in the country (Rs 300). Vegetarians, resign yourself to a meal of chilli cheese toast and pasta in red sauce. If you plan on ordering a bottle of champagne, call ahead and ask them to chill it. Mala, 49, Near Fontainhas Post Office, Panjim, North Goa, call 09823015921, Rs 1,000 for a meal for two.

Curlies: Yes, it's open! And the shack's elevation works particularly well in the monsoon, when the surf is all the way at Anjuna beach. Service is terrible as always, but the pancakes and prawns are still good. Also try - chicken snitzel sandwich. Anjuna Beach, Rs 100 for a beer.

Cavala: Possibly the happiest roomful of dancing moms and dads, 16 year old kids, couples and a few cheerful gay guys in the world. Plus a  super skilled, madly energetic band that belted out one crowd pleaser after another. We'll have whatever they're having. Baga-Sauntavaddo, Calangute, North Goa, call (0832) 2277587, Rs 150 for a beer.

 What we were sad was shut: Mezcal, A Reverie, Fiesta, Thalassa.

I once told Bombay Electric owner and fashionista Priya Kishore that more of my paycheck goes to her than my landlord. It wasn't much of an exaggeration. Many of my wardrobe's most fun pieces have come from this awesome (and wincingly expensive) Colaba store, whose main stregnth lies in clothes that seem radically different at first, but end up being wardrobe staples (big-hipped lotus pants; electric blue satin coats; Little Shilpa hairbands...).

So of course I made time in my work-rain-vodka pelted weekend to go down there and check out the semi-annual sale, and found lots of good stuff. If you decide to go, here are some things to check out:

1) The Pero rack is on sale, and I bought a super red-and-white checked silk shirt i've been eyeing for a while. It's a cross between gingham and gamccha, made luxe with paper-thin, glossy silk fabric and minute thread detailing (Rs 3,800 now, 30% off). Also a burnt orange kurta for my mum (Rs 10,000 now, after 40% off). They don't, however, have the latest line on the discounted rack.

2) Jasonanshu double-lined silk halter dress (Rs 5,400 now, 50% off) - it has butterflies and buildings and no back.

3) United Nude perforated white leather shoes with square inset heel (Rs 4,200 now, 50%). My cousin stole them before I could take a picture, but think of an infinitely cooler version of Jitender's signature white shoes. These will make you dance too.

4) Rasa at Bombay Electric is a bit of a rip-off I feel, because i've been to the original store in Jaipur and found the same merchandise at less than half the price. But the canvass blazer in blue and white (Rs 9,000 now, 30-40% off) is on sale, so unless you're going to Jaipur soon, this is a good time to snap it up.

Happy shopping!

Bombay Electric, 1 Reay House, Colaba, sale on for another three weeks.

Posted by Mansi

What are the five or more things you would take with you if your house was on fire? This was the question we asked in bpb's Fire Escape, and as the contest closes - today's the last day to enter; send us a photo and list, and you could win a free night's stay at the InterContinental Marine Drive or Westin Mumbai - I thought it would be interesting to make a list of the things people said they would take:

Wallet/ credit cards: 14 people
Books (Palace Of Illusions, Lonely Planet, cookbooks, Calvin & Hobbes, Kite Runner...): 13 people
Equipment (KitchenAid, headlights, typewriter, iron, kickboxing gloves, guitar): 13 people
Computer: 11 people
Passport: 10 people
Cellphone: 9 people
Jewelry/watches: 9 people
Diary: 8 people
Photos: 8 people
Clothes (sequined skirt, YSL dress, boxers): 7 people
Toys/ games (Taboo, PS3): 7 people
Memorabilia, stuff from childhood (concert tickets, credit card receipts, pamphlets): 5 people
Grooming products: (Hair dryer, shaver): 4 people
Sunglasses: 4 people
Shoes: 4 people
Alcohol: 4 people
Music: 4 people
Art: 4 people
Food: 3 people
Keys: 3 people
Family: 2 people
Piggy bank: 2 people
Religious/spiritual symbol: 1 person

We found all the usual suspects: wallets, computers, cellphones, credit cards, but also some interesting stuff. It warms my heart that so many people would take books, and also jewelry. I would have predicted a higher alcohol count, though, and it's surprising to me that only one person mentioned a religious or spiritual symbol (a Buddha).

Posted by Kanika

 I turn the music up, I got my records on / From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song / Don't want to see another generation drop /
I'd rather be a comma than a full stop ~

So the new Coldplay single’s out! Considering the Mumbai weather and my current crisis situation, the title couldn’t be more apt: Every Teardrop is a Waterfall (insert pity here). As Mumbai’s winds threaten picnics and the clouds cry over our sins, Coldplay’s front man Chris Martin still manages to keep it upbeat with cathedrals in his heart, a heart that beats to his “favourite song”, a song that rises above yesterday’s plagiarism charges on the band; Martin says they had prior permission to use 1976 song, I Go to Rio for Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. Listen to it here.

Aaand we're back to wallowing in self pity. I find that the only thing that can negate stress is silly. So here goes: I decided to match the Colplay song title with my own verse.

Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

Does the Niagara gush out of your eyes?
Does the Viagra make you despise?
The slowness.
You think you want to ride the comet
But you should know, you might just vomit
It’s faster than you think.

Somewhere, Chris Martin is squirming. I’m sorry reader, you had to see that. Maybe a digression of some sort would help...so have you heard Coldplay’s new single?

I really like it.

Posted by Deepika

The bpb Blog section has always received step treatment from me. But on my last day at Brown Paper Bag, it seems like the perfect place to say goodbye to you and the secret scouters of cool, Kanika and Mansi.

As I plan to take a new country by storm and sharpen my business skills during my one year course, here are some super skills I learnt from Brown Paper Bag and that will stay with me for life.

Multi-tasking: Eating pizzas from Trattoria’s, followed by cupcakes from Natalie’s and ordering for some more dessert from Theobroma.
Performing Demonstrations: Pirouettes after a meeting gone well, the sheila dance after finishing a big list and the Munni performance after putting together a kick-ass weekend guide.
Setting Higher Goals: One glass of wine is ok. But the aim is to drink at least four glasses and continue working.
Teamwork: Throwing a surprise birthday picnic for Mansi Poddar was not easy. With Kanika Parab executing the plan that required sneaking in bottles of wine on a boat, almost landing up in jail ( or yellow house) and feeding ducks.


Since, I have learnt these invaluable skills, I too would like to leave behind a will and bequeath the following to my beloved team:

To Kanika: A tutu, a poster of Paris Hilton, an escalator on Churchgate station (we hate that long walk), and a fun train companion after I am gone.

To Mansi: A yacht, a lifetime supply of bows and beaus, and your personal diamond factory. Plus, an obedient employee like me.

To Brown Paper Bag: World domination :)

Lots of Love,

Deepika Hariani

Posted by Mansi

It's finally done. After much heartburn and haggling and harrowment, my living space is now actually livable in. I'm hoping that the photos and sourcing list below (along with an avalanche of Aspirin) will help fellow remodelers. God speed!

White curtains and cushion covers from FabIndia, wall from Royale Play - the design isn't part of their regular template and I had to paint over the wall four times before I found something I liked (call my painter at 9930525557, he's used to finicky customers.)!

Standing mirror from Sanskriti, Pune; tiny silver mirror from Bungalow 8, Colaba; wind-up robot from Bangkok (thank you, Sid!), pink flask from Pylones, Phoenix Mills, white curtains made from Hakoba fabric, Colaba.

Antique bed and cupboard, Raj Antiques, Mahalaxmi.

"Afterschool" print, gift from New York (thank you, Harsh!), tissue lights by Varsha Arya (find details here), brass cage from Dhoop, Bandra (thank you, Kanika!).

Pink fedora from Miriam Strehlau, block frames from Bo Concepts, Palladium Mall (thanks Aanchal for the tip!).

Read Doing My Nest, Part One, here.

Posted by Mansi

A longer version of this story appeared in the March 2010 issue of Elle India.

If I had known how similar a business would be to a relationship, we may never have sent out that first email. It was December 2008, and sometime between working as temporary Creative Director at a web start up and waiting for my US visa paperwork to come through, Kanika Parab and I thought up Brown Paper Bag.

At the time, it seemed like a fun caper that we would start together and continue successfully while maintaining day jobs on two different continents. Doing the distance, without the commitment.

That suited me just fine. I’m a classic commitment-phobe, also the chief reason for my perennial singlehood. Running a business, I thought, with its crazy schedules and constant demands, would only reinforce my solo status. Surprisingly, it’s done just the opposite.

Brown Paper Bag is a bit like a demanding and moody (but outrageously attractive) boyfriend: it requires constant attention, we’re never sure where it’s heading, and we get very little sleep. I’m bound to it emotionally (every time I think about a well-paying, cushy job, I feel dirty on the inside), financially (we’re a start-up, and so always strapped for cash) and geographically (I pine for my former love, New York, at least twice a day).

And to this relationship – even as I type this, dear reader, my fingers tremor – I am well and truly committed.

I’m also less self-obsessed: in my mind’s eye, I still stand at the centre of my universe, but now, I’m holding a large and rather weighty brown paper bag. I walk into a store and rather than thinking, “What can I buy”, instinctively scout out stuff we can write about. A typical Indian woman, putting her better half first.

Other signs that I’m hooked: I regard every other publication suspiciously, get misty-eyed over positive feedback, find myself coaxed into new intimacies every day – a year ago, for instance, I never thought that I would confess my emotional shortcomings in one of the country’s most widely read magazines.

And the most shocking part is this: I like it.

Somewhere, sometime, sneakily, Brown Paper Bag and my absolutely awesome business partner have taught me that commitment phobia is not an eternal condition, and gooey isn’t always gross.

In other words, the stumbling blocks that were keeping me from going down the relationship road have been removed, pushed aside by the unlikely heavyweights of experiences and friendships I’ve developed through bpb. I still think that being single rocks – the independence, the flexibility, the possibilities. But a relationship doesn't seem as scary anymore.

It may not be something that can be put on a business plan or formulated into a revenue model, but this emotional growth, this learning is for me, money in the bank.

Posted by Kanika

When I get off the Sea Link and drive into Bandra, I half expect someone to pop out of the bushes with country lemonade and cucumber sandwiches.  A little too Enid Blyton? Perhaps, but so are the candy-coloured houses that line a lot of the streets here. Even the police station at Carter Road is a sea-facing manor! And don’t even get us started on each time we have to begin a food/store review with “housed in a pretty Bandra bungalow...”

Having started my career as a reporter for a community Bandra newspaper, I’ve seen the insides of a lot of these homes – cute ones, big ones, small ones, sad ones, secret ones and even the above mentioned Carter Road house. Driving around Bandra, I can literally look into a balcony and know who lives there, what ALM (Area Locality Management) he or she belongs to and a quirk they have, probably lent by their homes. There was the old Mrs M, who once drove me across the highway in her white Padmini to show off road signs her ALM had gotten installed (never once thinking of the perils of slowing down in the fast lane); Mr Q who’d purchased land on the moon and insisted I do a story on it; and Senior Inspector S who’d never let me leave the Station without a cup of chai even though I don’t drink tea (what kind of person doesn’t, he’d say), a joke and a robbery / theft case I could write about.

But in that year, there were few doors I didn’t get past. There’s the red and peach Saudades house next to Lilavati Hospital, where a saluting sailor figurine above the porch seems to say, “walk in to meet the rest of the Toy Story cast”; the sky blue Peace Haven (see image above) that could well be a castle someone built in the sky; and Bhagats, a huge leafy bungalow at Pali Hill that has enough trees to accommodate all the residents of The Magic Faraway Tree. 

Take me home! I'll bring the lemonade and sandwiches :)

Posted by Parul

Parul Shukla, image consultant, personal shopper and closet gymnast lets you in on her shopping secrets. Check out her website at www.image4uconsulting.com.

Ahilaya: The lucknowi chikan work kurtas, kaftans and dresses are elegant enough to wear to a dressy day time affair or evening out. The soft pastel and classic white ensembles will be a great addition to your summer wardrobe. Off Colaba Causeway, next to Cotton World, call 22023788.

Cambay Agates: Add some colour and style to your summer basics with jewellery from this treasure find. Here you can score readymade pieces or ensemble your own design. 2nd floor 29 Harbour View Colaba Causeway, Opposite Bank of Baroda, call 22850141.

Serena's Beauty Salon: Summer sandals should be flaunted with nicely pedicured feet. Pick up the fabulous range of nail polish from American brand Essie at Serena's.  Colours like Paprika Pink and California Coral are totally beach worthy! Turner Road, next to Crosswords, Bandra (W), call 26424210022/26424210.

Forever New: Florals will be big this season. Whether it is small paisleys, pretty pastels or larger prints, this Australian brand does it all in their new range of playsuits, shorts, twirly skirts, dresses or maxis. Oberoi Mall, Goregaon or Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel, call 40046671/ 40040289.

Masaba: Her latest collection of tunics, dresses and is a great choice if you have a summer or destination wedding to attend. Juhu Tara Road, opposite Satya Paul, call 65298694.

Thakur Fabrics: Pick up fabric in cotton, linen or my favourite - cotton-linen blend in prints or solid colours and get your tailor to stitch you a shift dress, shorts or some loose fitting trousers...a simple and affordable way to update your summer basics and keep cool. Hill Road, next to Natasha Shopping Centre, Bandra (W), call 26429745.

Posted by Mansi

We spent the weekend scouting out Pune, and discovered that Bombay's little sister city is all grown up now. See below the photo chronicles of our adventures:

Thin crust pizza, white wine sangria and chilled raw mango soup (recipe coming soon!) at Terttulia, super fun restaurant and deli, perfect for lunch. Terttulia, 393, Sanas Corner, Bel Air, Koregaon Park, off North Main Road, Pune, call 30523333.

Sanskriti is a home store sprawled over an acre of prime Pune property. I scored an antique standing mirror for my room and Kanika bought a pretty cage. Also spotted were marble lotus platters which at Rs 1,300 are less than half the price of similar ones currently stocked at Good Earth. Sanskriti Lifestyle, 390, Lane No.7, Koregaon Park, Pune, call 32929022.

Pasha at the Marriott is the city's hottest, most rocking nightspot. Think Aer-meets-China-House with a chilled, Dome-like vibe. The Marriot will also launch Miami soon, a new nightclub that they've apparently spent an obscene amount of money on. Stay posted for more information. Pasha, Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune, call 66833333.

More drinking, this time during brunch at Dario's, run by a vegetarian Italian guy who previously set up the Little Italy chain. Housed in a cowshed, this popular restaurant serves mediocre bagels, yum crepes, and boasts an al fresco section so pretty that we braved the brutal afternoon heat to hang there. Dario's, Sunderban Hotel, Lane 1, Koregaon Park, Lane 1, Pune, call 9823756947

Our Pune apartment building after an untimely thunderstorm, in which we were caught carrying an open Tuborg and standing mirror, with not a rickshaw in sight. Good times!

Kanika makes up for her soaking at Either/Or, Pune's cutest, most dependable home/ bric-a-brac store where we found hairbands embellished with snails, pretty parasols, Tequila test tubes and a stuffed elephant. Either Or, 24, Sohrab Hall, 21, Sassoon Road, opposite Jehangir Hospital, Pune, call 26050225.

Everything that could have gone wrong on our way back, did. A Nagpur train changed platforms, causing a mini-stampede; we had the wrong platform number, and so were chilling while we watched our train begin to pull out of the station; and after a running sequence straight out of DDLJ, we finally got on, only to find that we were eight jam-packed compartments away from our seats. We finally made it though, with the help of some astonishingly nice fellow travelers. Thanks, guys!