Tag Archives: lifestyle

5 Ways To Break Out Of A Creative Rut

The Only Way Is Up!

We’ve all been there. We’re staring at our screens, our blank pages, and the ideas are just not flowing. I’ve been there myself and quite recently too. Staring at my screen, staring at my notebook, staring at my Instagram. You get the idea, it was a lot of staring and not a lot of doing. It took me a little while to admit to myself that I was actually in a creative rut. I just couldn’t get my creative juices flowing and that is so discouraging. I think the first thing to realise when you’re in a creative rut, is that you’re not alone. We all get there at some point or another! I found myself moaning and whining about it so much until I realised, that there is really nowhere to go but up and out! From all my experiences, I’ve noticed that there are five key things that really help me come out of any creative low point. Scroll down to find out!

I realised that the more I pushed myself to come up with an idea, the less I actually came up with! The best thing to do sometimes is to just stop and take a step back from the situation. Think about something else and allow your mind to relax. Without the pressure of having to be creative, you might just find yourself on the path to some of your best ideas! I’ve noticed how pressure can stifle our creative process and in such an overly saturated space, it can be hard to feel as though your ideas are creative enough. If anything, taking a step back and clearing your mind will help you put things into perspective. Remember, you are good enough!

This photo took forever to take! There were about 100 trial and errors before I got it right. I felt so useless but what finally did it in the end was when I just took a break, did something else and came back to it!

I always believe that inspiration is everywhere, we just have to find it. Sometimes when you’re in a creative rut, you just need to look for a bit of change. I always try to find new sources of inspiration that might spark a new idea. Whether it be flipping through a new issue of a magazine, one of my coffee table books or discovering a new Pinterest board, I find that a change of what I’m looking at tends to do the trick. I think something to remember is that you could be looking at travel photography, and it may spark an idea for something completely unrelated; don’t close yourself off to anything! I also find that music can really help my creativity flow!

All my life my father has told me that getting bored is a good thing. I never understood what he truly meant until now. Boredom is something we all need in our lives. If you’re reading this thinking I’ve gone crazy, let me explain. Sometimes what we need to do is allow ourselves to get bored. It’s within that space of boredom that an idea will strike. Our mind is finally and completely at ease and you’ll start to see all the ideas flowing through. I’ve tried this and it works like a charm! It can take a day, or an hour, but I always find that spark in boredom.

My dad and I took this photo on a rainy day. We were both a bit bored and the photo just was a result of us having some fun! The final product on my Instagram was actually a video with sparkles on the bag!

I originally had a different idea for this photo but It wasn’t what I wanted it to be. We walked around in so many different spots and finally came up with this! It wasn’t my favourite but it still did super well

Fresh air and nature can do wonders for our minds. Don’t coop yourself up behind your desk all day. Get outside and take in a different scenery. Appreciate the beauty that is around you and just takes a moment to be present in the moment, away from all the thoughts that were previously clouding your mind. Regardless of whether it’s a walk down your street, in the park or in a forest, a little bit of sunshine and a change of surroundings is sure to spark something when you get back to the grind!

Sometimes what drives us further into our rut is ourselves. It is so easy to be your biggest critic. Take it from me, I think I find something I dislike about my work every other day! Don’t be so hard on yourself and try to cut yourself some slack. It’s totally fine to hold yourself to a standard and to push yourself to exceed expectations. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge your successes, your progress and what you can and have achieved. Focus in on the positives of the work you have created rather than the negatives. Then channel that positive energy into getting better! It’s so much more constructive than bringing yourself down!

I criticised myself so much about this photo. I thought it was horrible! Instead it got so many likes, comments and even got reposted!

What Helps You Come Out Of A Creative Rut?

Never Miss A Post! Click here to Follow me on Bloglovin

Friday Favourites #2

Thank God It’s

I’m back with another set of Friday favourites! I was so happy with the amazing feedback you guys had about the last one! This week, I have to share my favourite jeans ever with you guys, the most amazing cookie recipe and so much more! Let’s get started shall we?

Okay I’ve raved about these jeans all over my Instagram stories. I’ve never been one for “mom jeans” but after I tried on this pair from Topshop, I’ve been converted.

I love them so much that I’ve actually just been wearing them almost everyday this week! Highly recommended, especially if you’re petite like me! I’ve linked to the regular sizes below, but just search for the same name with Petite in front on the Topshop website if you need smaller sizes!

Get it here

I love stationary, everyone knows that. What I love even more, is when my stationary is beautiful but also amazingly organised.

The Career Girl Daily Planner literally plans out everything, from how much exercise you need that day, to what you are eating, to what you need to do! Literally making me get my 2018 in order!

It’s a great way of keeping track of your goals and resolutions too 😉

Get it here

Can’t stop humming this when I walk to the gym! Gets me pumped up to get working!

What song are you loving right now? What do you think of this one?

So, as you’ve seen on my Instagram stories, I’m all about getting back into shape again! I recently got this sports bra with the matching bottoms from Sweaty Betty.

Literally cannot wait to go spinning in this! Isn’t it adorable? I always find that cute workout gear makes me so much more excited to work out! What about you?

Get it here

With all the travelling I’ve been doing, and with LFW coming up soon, I think it’s so important to take some time out and relax.

I love this bath oil because it gives me that little extra dose of luxury when I’m in the shower. It makes me feel so relaxed and ready to wind down! Highly recommend it!

Get it here

What do you think of this first round of Friday Favourites? Which is your favourite?

Never Miss A Post! Click here to Follow me on Bloglovin

3 Ways I’ve Learned To Deal With Failure

Failure Doesn’t Have To Be Scary…

When most of us hear the word failure, we experience fear, anger and negativity. Even so, failure is a part of life and the number one lesson I’ve learned through my experiences with failure is that it doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Trust me, I am my biggest critic. As most of my friends will tell you, I am a perfectionist and the idea that I wasn’t able to do something drives me crazy. I’ve messed up speeches in school, had nightmare shoots, sent emails full of mistakes, made mistakes on assignments, you name it. But I also know, I’m not alone in this. I have found that when adopting three simple principles when approaching a situation where I have “failed”, I am able to channel my negative energy into positivity, which usually leads to something wonderful. I wanted to share these three simple thoughts with you and hopefully show you how failure isn’t something to fear.

Take Something Away

In every “failure,” there is a lesson. Although it is so easy to be sucked into the abyss and find yourself surrounded by negativity from the situation, it takes great mental strength to instead see the light. Rather than focusing on everything horrible, instead, focus on what you can take away that will enrich your future life. A perfect recent example for me is my battle with Instagram and the algorithm. At first, I sulked. Why were my numbers so low? Why weren’t my posts reaching my audience? I found a reason to blame everything else. It wasn’t until I stopped and looked for the lesson in the situation, that I was able to stand back up and succeed. Once I started to create better quality content that my followers wanted to see, the rest followed. So, rather than seeing “failure” as the end game, use it as a stepping stone. Find the lesson, learn from it and apply it in your next try. You are 100% sure to do better.

I was so unhappy with this photo and I was struggling with the light but I just kept trying until I got the shot!

Turn a Negative Into A Positive

Again, this is easier said than done and trust me, I have many days where I struggle to see the positive, but on the days where I do, I find success to be closer than I thought. With any “failure” it is easier to see all the things you did wrong than to see all that you did right. I always find that when I reflect on the situation as a whole, understand what went wrong, but also what went right, I find myself more inclined to try again. Even if you are only able to find one positive from the whole situation, allow the positive energy to encourage you to try again. Remember, a small step leads to a bigger leap. Trust yourself, and remind yourself that you can still do this! It’s only human to make a mistake, but I guarantee that you’ve done more right than wrong!

Remember, You Define Your Parameters

If you’ve noticed, I’ve put the word failure in quotations through my post. I do this to remind myself and to remind you that “failure” doesn’t exist until you let it. This is a concept I’ve mentioned before when I shared the five lessons I learned when I moved away from home. We are responsible for defining our parameters and criteria. If you do not succeed the first time, it is not a “failure” unless you do not try again. If you keep trying and eventually make it, you never failed, it was all just a part of your journey. I always remind myself that each time I feel like I have not succeeded, I just have to pick myself up and try again and I will get there and you can too.

I hope that you feel encouraged and inspired to turn every situation into a positive one. Remember that there is always a chance to try again, you just have to take it! How do you deal with failure? Do you have any tips to share with me?

Never Miss A Post! Click here to Follow me on Bloglovin

I Gave Up Sugar for 30 Days & This Is What Happened

Did you say NO SUGAR?

If you watch my Instagram stories or my new vlog, you’ll know that I love Psycle. When the (super gorgeous of course) CEO wrote an article about giving up almost every form of sugar for 30 days, a group of close friends and I decided we were up for the challenge. It’s not unknown that sugar is pretty terrible for your body, and more than that, you’d be surprised how many of the things you love to eat are full of sugar. When I started to understand how terribly processed refined sugar is, I know had to do this. Don’t get me wrong, this was no walk in the park. It was very hard. I wanted to give up on more than one occasion. There was no refined or unrefined sugar in my life and I could feel myself getting clammy, irritable and shakey. This is coming from the girl who used to (key words: used to) put four sugars in her coffee. About a week into it, something started to change. It got easier, I felt better and I was reaping the benefits of it already. There were three main things I noticed that happened to me when I gave up sugar and they really surprised me. After reading them, I think you might want to try this too.

My Skin Improved Drastically

I have struggled with acne for a majority of my teen years and early 20’s. Nothing seemed to keep it away and any girl knows how insecure a single pimple can make you feel. Well, imagine 30 of them all over your face. Top that with a job that has you on Instagram and your outfit photos all day, the insecurity can really build up. About two weeks into this challenge, I wasn’t wearing any makeup anymore. My skin suddenly cleared up and began to glow. I felt so much more confident and not only did I notice it, but those around me did too. I suddenly heard so many people with a similar story on how sugar is their acne trigger! No cake isn’t worth me feeling horrible about my skin. Now that I know sugar is what is causing my breakouts, I’m controlling my intake of even unrefined sugar post the 30 days. Guess what? I don’t even miss it that much. (Again, coming from the girl who used to eat cupcakes for breakfast. If I can do this you can too!)

Everything You Think Is Healthy, May Not Be

I had tons and tons of “healthy” snacks in my kitchen when I started this challenge. I thought to myself, Shloka, you’re going to be just fine for 30 days with all these goodies! Just in case though, something prompted me to check the ingredients – every single thing had sugar in it. Palm sugar, agave, honey, all of them. Mind you, they were all savory as well! Through the 30 days, I realized that the food I thought was good for me, really wasn’t that great. A friend of mine then pointed out something that really clicked. Just because it’s healthy junk food, doesn’t make it any less junk food! Yes, I’m talking about the lentil chips and all! Essentially, It became a lot about cooking and making my own snacks. I love to cook so this was actually quite fun, and more than that it really forced me to be so much more aware of what I was putting inside my body!

I’m Stronger Than I Thought & I Bet You Are Too

There are two points to this. Firstly, I found that my body had more energy than I thought it would have. I was more active and less lethargic. My body felt so much stronger. Secondly, I was really surprised that my mind was much stronger than I thought. Sugar has always been one of my vices. From a young age, I have had an incredible sweet tooth. Leave me with a cake and it will be gone. To go from dessert after every single mean and chocolate as a snack to nothing at all was no easy feat but I found that my willpower was much stronger than I gave it credit for. I’m not going to lie to you, I wanted to give up a few times. Going for a meal to a restaurant was no easy feat. Every single time we decided to eat out, we would have to intensely scan the massive binder of recipes used to see what we could eat. However, doing this with a group of other people really made the whole thing more manageable and encouraged me to keep going because I wasn’t only letting myself down if I gave up, but them too! You would be surprised at how powerful your mind is!

So my 30 days are over and I thought I would be running back to the sugar. What’s happened instead is that I loved the feeling of how clean and strong my body felt that I am actually much more aware and careful about what I eat. A huge shoutout to my favorites who did this challenge with me Here’s the link to it! Go on, I dare you.

Never Miss A Post! Click here to Follow me on Bloglovin

Monday Update #28

Happy Monday!

A super happy Monday to you all! For all my Indian readers – it’s almost Diwali and I’m sure the spirits are running high! The mid season sales are in full swing as well here in London, and I have some of my favourite picks for you if you scroll down! I mean how cute is that Hush sweater and how can you resist those Mango slingbacks? (Did someone say they looked like Dior? :O) I’m working super hard to try and get my first vlog out there to you guys next week so if you have any suggestions for topics, please send them in!

This Past Week

In case you missed it I shared some really fun stories last week!

Investing in a designer handbag isn’t an easy choice, especially when there are so many out there that we are being told to lust after! Here are 3 tips for making that investment.

Do you ever stare at your closet and wonder, what do I wear? Well I’ve also got a post on the no fail outfit formula that I always fall back on! Read about what to wear when you have nothing to wear here.

If you want to be up to date in all things Silk Sneaker, just leave your email in the comments below and mention that you would like to be a part of my super newsletter family!

Here’s lookin at you Saturday 💕 #fashion #gentlemonster #ootd #outfit #outfitinspo #londonstreetstyle #stylehunter #fashionista

A post shared by The Silk Sneaker (@thesilksneaker) on Oct 14, 2017 at 9:09am PDT

The most magical morning with @astridandmiyu to celebrate their brand new collection 💫 See more on my stories 📸💕 #amearparty #myam #fashion #jewelry #gold

A post shared by The Silk Sneaker (@thesilksneaker) on Oct 13, 2017 at 3:59am PDT

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram! Click here!

Inspiration for the Week

Feeling inspired by… [Image via Pinterest]

Favourite New In Pieces

Mango Slingbacks (40% off!)

Hush Jumper

Amazon Find Jeans

Fashion News You May Have Missed…

A Sneak Peak into the Gigi Hadid x Maybeline Collection via Elle UK

Diane Keaton’s New Pinterest Worthy Home via The Cut

7 Bad Work Habits That Are Making You Look Unprofessional via My Domaine

What do you have planned this week?

Never Miss A Post! Click here to Follow me on Bloglovin

3 Tips For Investing in a Designer Handbag

So, how did you pick out that Dior?

In one of my most recent posts, one of my readers asked me why I chose to buy a certain Gucci handbag. Since then, I’ve noticed that a lot of you have been wanting to know why I choose certain bags and what are the key tips to know when investing in a designer handbag. Well, you’ve asked and I’ve listened! I have a major weakness for bags and shoes. Of course, it helps that I am able to rummage through my mother’s amazing collection, but over the years I’ve been able to make some incredibly thoughtful purchases myself. With Instagram constantly feeding you new pieces to want and magazines telling you what’s “in” and what’s “out” it can be so hard to sort through the noise and make a good choice. I’ve come up with the three most important things to keep in mind when investing in a designer handbag. Follow these three tips, and it will never lead you wrong – a guaranteed happy investment!

Although a lot of my bags are classics (I have a mix of classics with seasonal adds!) I have a few bags that are totally out there. The Dior one I’m sporting above was a special birthday present – I love it because it’s so unique!

The key words in this first question are for you. Every designer creates a bag that is both classic and seasonal. It might even be a classic shape with seasonal adjustments (Think Chanel – their classic quilted bag goes through a makeover with almost every season!). I highly recommend investing in a bag that is a classic, or in a classic shape. At the same time, if you feel like the seasonal piece is incredibly you, fits in perfectly with your personal style and you would really wear it every day, then go for it. But just ask yourself, will you still love it a year from now? Could you pass this bag down?

This is a really important point. Although you might adore that Dior tote that went down the S/S 2018 runway (trust me, I loved it!) could you really match it with everything in your wardrobe? I prefer to invest in bags that match with everything. I think that’s actually why I chose my Gucci Dionysus! Although the wasp motif on it is quite bold, it’s a classic shape with classic and subtle colors. I can match it with virtually anything! If it is your first designer handbag, I suggest going for something neutral like a tan, brown, or black! These are colors you really can’t go wrong in. Depending on your wardrobe, you could also try a blush pink!

My blue Kelly came with me to fashion week – it matched with all of my day time outfits! I wear a lot of neutrals so I can make bright pops work!

It’s my mum who has a love for Chanel which has clearly oozed into my closet a bit! The orange Lanvin is another great classic!

With Instagram taking up most of our free time, we are constantly exposed to a hundred different people telling us exactly what we should want and not want. So ask yourself, and answer honestly, do you really love that Louis Vuitton handbag, or do you only love it because you were told to do so by social media? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. I’ve bought so many clothes because I thought they looked so cute on Instagram but when it comes down to it, I realized I loved it because I was told to love it, not because I really did. Once I figured that out, I’ve been true to my personal style and it has never led me wrong. The same stands for investing in a designer handbag, you have to love it even when it’s a season old and everyone else has a new one!

These are some of my favorite handbags that I think are worth the investment at some point in your life! What are your favorites?

I hope these tips were helpful for you! Are you thinking of investing in a designer handbag? Feel free to ask me about it and I’m happy to answer any more questions for you guys in the comments below!

Never Miss A Post! Click here to Follow me on Bloglovin

What I’m Listening to in October: Your New Favourite Playlist

Time for some new music… the October playlist is here!

I love discovering new music. As someone who is constantly dancing around (trust me.. my nearest and dearest imitating me, is just.. a lot of wiggling…you’ll see it soon on the VLOG!!) and hosting, new music is a must! I haven’t done one of these playlists in a while and so the October playlist is a bit longer for you! Do you guys prefer if I did these on spotify?

M O O D

All images via Pinterest

Never Miss A Post! Click here to Follow me on Bloglovin

My Top Tips To A Productive Work Day

Working for myself, and working by myself has taught me a lot. Although the life of a blogger seems super glamorous with all the events and beautiful photos, it’s actually incredibly challenging to stay on top of all the work and commitments, and also to stay productive and focused when you’re in a work environment that you’ve created yourself, with no set timings. With my experience having done this for a little while, I’ve picked up a few tips that are essential to being as productive as possible. I’ve been asked so many times about how I stay organised and top of everything so I thought I would share my top tips for a super productive day with you guys!

1 Create A To-Do List

This is one of the most important things to do. Creating a to-do list helps you keep track of all the things you need to do. Your list can change once, twice, or a hundred times during the day or during the week, but this will help you keep track of all the things you need to get done, making sure you don’t forget everything. I also find that having it all down on paper helps me get through the week and manage my work and time much better. Keep updating your list as you go and you’ll see that it makes a huge difference!

2 Be Realistic with your goals for the day

We might have as many hours in the day as Beyonce, but we still need to be realistic about how much we can achieve. Good work takes time, and whether you’re churning out articles, taking photos, writing up papers or calculating numbers, be realistic with how much you can get done in a day. Remember to breathe though – It’s so easy to get stressed and take your stress with you wherever you go then after work. Just take a few deep breaths and remember that whatever is happening, it can be done and achieved. A mind that is clear and calm is a mind that achieves more.

3 That being said, set goals!

On that note – set goals! If you want to feel a certain way after a day, if you want to achieve something, regardless of whether it’s something small or something big, set a goal for yourself for the week and see how close you get to achieving it. This will help you take the right steps to getting where you need to be. Putting it down on paper also really helps you work towards that and you’ll find yourself much more productive!

What You Need…

Stapler: Kate Spade, Post it Set: Kate Spade, Stamp: Kate Spade, To Do List: Nunuco Designs, Cheeky Pencils: Slonae Stationary, Day Planner: Kikki-K, Pencil Case: Anya Hindmarch, Notebook Set of Three: Studio Sarah Wall Calendar: An Organised Life, Document Tray: Kikki-K Desk Timer:Kikki-K, Make it Happen Notebook: Smythson

4 Prioritise your tasks

I find that by taking my to-do list and prioritising the tasks I need to get done, I am much more on top of my work. If you know you have something that needs to be dealt with earlier on, start with that. Prioritise your tasks by most important and tasks that can be dealt with later on in the day – this will help you stay ahead of the game and on top of all your deadlines! (I tend to do it by timing – so things to achieve before 12pm, things after..etc..)

5 Clean Your Workspace

A clean desk is so important to getting things done. When your workspace is clean and inspiring you will also feel more productive and inspired! Check out my Pinterest boards for some inspiring workspaces and desk spaces – makes me feel so much more inspired all the time!

Image via Pinterest

What are your tips for staying productive?

Monday Brief #2

And another Monday….

Hello from very sunny, humid and tropical Mumbai! It’s been such a nice week to be back where I grew up, spending time with family, old friends and of course checking out all the awesome spots! (I’m going to have a post about all my favourite spots in Bombay super soon! Stay tuned!)

This Past Week…

I flew to India and landed in to Mumbai (I still call it Bombay though..) on Tuesday! The weather is such a pleasant change from the intense cold of London and I am just loving being able to wear shorts again. I’ve been getting so much love from you guys about my outfits this past week in India and I’m going to do a round up of what I have been wearing tomorrow! (Stay tuned!)

Highlight of the week: I had the opportunity to also meet one of my favourite designers, Naresh from the duo: Shivan & Naresh, and go through their new collection with him!

Other than eating home food (Oh my God… so much butter chicken you guys…) I’ve been doing a little bit of shopping (of course!) and have found the cutest stores for everyone to check out if they are every here – in fact a lot of these stores ship internationally so going to be covering this in a post too! My dear friend also opened his new cafe, Port, which has some of the best coffee in Bombay and the most amazing Nutella cookies!

Speaking about travelling, I recently did a post all about how to pack your carry on in the most efficent and stylish way! Don’t forget to read about it here. If you’re still trying to find somewhere to get some Christmas presents, don’t worry I’ve got some great gift guides here, here, here and here!

This Upcoming Week…

Guys do I really need to say it? It’s CHRISTMAS TIME! I hope everyone is getting into the holiday spirit and I have lots of super fun christmas and holiday parties to attend! Keep up with me on my Instagram!

New in this Week…

This week I am obsessed with this beautiful skirt from Deme by Gabriella (which is currently being altered for me! Woohoo!) The colour is so flattering and easy to wear whenever! I am also obsessed with this swimsuit from Shivan and Naresh – It is never too early to start buying swimsuits so get one that you know everyone else won’t have! I actually got this one in a beautiful blue! Last but not least, cannot resist a gorgeous printed dress, like this one from Monisha Jaising.

On the Wishlist..

In celebration of Pantone’s colour of the year (What do you guys think of the choice?) I’m waiting to get my hands on these amazing sunglasses from Sunday Somewhere! I am also loving this beautiful dress – so perfect for when the weather get’s warmer! Lastly, I am loving these earrings! Such flair!

Abella Sunday Somewhere Sunglasses

Caroline Constas Dress

Vanessa Moon Earrings