Need I say more?

I recently found this amazingly easy recipe for the world’s greatest brownies and I have to admit this is an OH – SO guilty pleasure for me. If I had things done my way – chocolate would be the secret ingredient for every pleasure in life!!!

PS. Guys can totally try this out too! Those anti-step-inside-the-kitchen kind! hehe

NO FAIL – I PROMISE!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (room tempt.)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teasp. vanilla essence

1/3rd cup + 1 tablesp dutch processed cocoa powder (better quality = yummy brownies!)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teasp. salt

1/4 teasp. baking powder

Pecans/Chocochips/Walnuts – your choice

Method:

Start by mixing the eggs, sugar and butter. Add vanilla essence.

Start adding the dry ingredients. Add the baking powder and salt first. Start mixing the cocoa power.

Fold in the flour – my fav. part! I bet you would be thinking how divine it looks!

Spread it out on a buttered pan and bake on med-low till the toothpick comes out clean!

 WALAH – dust with confectioners sugar and serve with white chocolate sauce or vanilla ice-cream!

When I got into putting my bridal dress together – I just had to take it to an entirely different level!

Here are a couple of sketches showing all the mess filled up in my mind – Hope you like my detailing *hint – sarcasm*

The product I finalized is not any of these below … its eeespecial !!! Did I just call my dress a product? Yep, it means biz to me!!!  :O

]]> http://obsession99.com/2012/02/20/bridal-dress-brainstorming-the-sketches/feed/ 2 obsession99 bridal dress 1 bridal dress 2 bridal dress 3 bridal dress 4 bridal 5 bridal 6 bridal 7 bridal 8 bridal 8 http://obsession99.com/2012/02/14/2012-a-year-of-brides/ http://obsession99.com/2012/02/14/2012-a-year-of-brides/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:37:28 +0000 obsession99 http://obsession99.com/?p=583 ]]>

I don’t have much to say but – Happy Valentines to the love of my life and all the couples out there totally ignoring the world today cuz they be in love! 

2012 officially looks like the year of weddings and most importantly a year of Gorgeous Brides – A big hug to all of you!

Hahah ^ *hint: that was just to catch your attention*

Hi there!!!

You know it was time for another weight watching challenge post! I hope my previous ones are doing a lil’ something something for all you gorgeous ladies! Fat or thin … you’re beautiful !!!

Before I move on to the original post – I would like to clarify something … its really not that much about losing all your fat … its about toning up and lets not forget that – your husband loves you and will appreciate if you are toned up and flexible with your stretching techniques! Keep that in mind next time you are puffing your guts out while exercising. Learn to love yourself and tell the fat that it can go screw itself. Works for me!

Guess what! I bought meself a weighing machine finally!!! – the results were horrifying but I am glad i did

This post is all about how a healthy lifestyle helps you improve your weight, skin and a lot more physically! Lets face it – we are all foodaholics and we can’t stop eating junk-stuff which is our way of being 2 minutes in heaven so might as well work around it!

My fiancé actively researches online from time to time to find articles on how to live a healthy life – not only applicable for men but women as well (for me ) and I really appreciate that. Try doing that sometime – grab a mug of hot chocolate or milk and have a cozy evening with your partner … talk and enjoy a healthy evening by discussing how you both can work towards a healthier lifestyle haww.

Coming to just that try to incorporate the following in your daily diet and watch yourself transform instantly – literally! oh and don’t forget to Smile!

- Move … how simple is that …

I noticed that I was growing to be lazier and lazier by crashing on my bed after a long day of work, I felt miserable. Even though we ladies might be working hard and additional exercises just do not justify to exist in our lives but honestly, how much to we move at work? do you have a job where you are running around or are you more like me and are glued to a chair for 9 hours? Are you a house wife and have a long day of care-taking or are you a slacker and avoid the chores around the house?

Go for an evening stroll with your partner or play around the house with kids or just walk around your place – cook something and make your family happy. Being active is what might just hit home for you because firstly you stop yourself from being a couch potato and secondly, your body gets used to being active and starts craving fresh and healthy foods too! Wow!

So, who here likes to dance?

- Craving to munch? – munch on a Fruit or a Vege! (Sometimes nuts or Granola Bars work too) I am sure you have heard this all your life but making it a part of your daily lives will show you some serious unbelievable results – your skin will glow like a bulb! I’m tellin ya I freaked out after having fruits for a month regularly – I wanted to join a modelling agency – Bright colored fruits are even better yo … they got all the healthy Vits in them!

- Try to AVOID unhealthy food … you know how they say it all depends on your intentions … well you may never kick fast food or those yummy goodies out of your life but you can certainly cut down on them by avoiding them. Like for example, I go for a veg. pasta instead of something fried – fattening I know but not unhealthy! OR I order something baked or grilled instead of something fried … whatever does not go in your tummy – works! Stay away from processed foods as much as you can … not that you guys will listen to me

Yogurt and Cranberry Juice – this here are women’s secret ingredients to success .. Warning: this conversation might get awkward – Okay I’ll tell you! These assist ladies’ pvt parts to become healthy and cleaner in a big way.

- Green Tea … ladies … if it takes you a couple of bucks to lose pounds in the form of a cup of tea … what’s the harm right? This magical potion will set you free from heaviness and will automatically get you started in shedding fat! Buy a pack and try having it in the evening! Someone mentioned that adding two drops of lemon helps even more! Remember – small things matter

-  Breathe! … go to an open air peaceful place and take a deeeeep breath! Just do this every once in a while … and sing “I feel good afterwards”

- Don’t have 3-4 meals a day because you HAVE to, eat when you are hungry and don’t go by the book of stuffing food down your throat just because everyone has done that all their lives! Makes sense right?

Eg – I used to order a Veg. Sandwich sharp 2pm for lunch at work … When it used to arrive I had to have it. Now I only order it when I am hungry … Sometimes I have had a proper breakfast that stops me from having lunch sooner … That way when I get home for dinner … I eat less, thanks to the breakfast and lunch.

- I love my water bottle … Do you?

- Beauty sleep!

These are all no-brainers and you will not hate your life by  incorporating all of these minor techniques – look at the people around you … your kids or family … they might just benefit from all this too!

Here is where I drew my inspiration from Read Me … such a pretty blog!

xoxo

For a girl who never cared how she looks like in public – well at least majority of the times – what kind of jewelry to wear on the big day was just another BLEH. Who cares?

Mom went like sorry ? Who CARES??? Everyone will – all eyes on you remember? That was the time when the  dilemmaphobia about what jewelry to wear broke out.

Now this varies from family to family as well. Some brides feel safe and prefer matching artificial sets – which nowadays are coming in absolutely gorgeous designs… while others look down upon those brides and can’t settle on anything less than pure gold and diamonds -_-

I personally don’t fall in either category – I still can’t care less about the subject – pfft jo marzi deydo! – but the worrisome around me from mothers to chachis and maamees and random aunties about wearing pure gold has gone to the extremes and supposedly now it is a must to wear something real!

But Why ?
What if I want to wear a glittering trendy new polki/kundan set which is artificial and which i can totally break into pieces as and when I want! It will have matching stones and elegant cuts! The pressure is already a lot on the big day plus this whole ideology of carrying real gold around back in PK just adds to all the list of worries!

I am buying gold on my wedding – don’t get me wrong… I will buy the same amount of gold that any sane bride would buy and what my pocket can afford but the rationale of wearing gold on the  wedding day against your wishes or more importantly – regardless if  it matches the style of your dress or not, needs to stop. If you don’t wana wear it – aunties shouldn’t sit there and think “haye haye – kis ghar sey agayi haii – soona tho asal pehun letii – :O niii – meine tho suna hai its only gold coated – how cheapppp”

Tobah Aunty! Mind your own beez wax?

I look good and that’s all that matters. There is so much variety out there in terms of artificial jewelry and I am totally hooked to some jaw-dropping sets but they are all artificial and if I replicate those into gold – they either would not look the same or would cost a fortune with real diamonds or stones! Have mercy!

Are you facing the same dilemma? Would certainly love to know what you’d prefer!

We have to admit – this is one thing we look forward to in a MAJOR way. Would you believe me if I told you that my wedding was moved from Dubai to Lahore PK only because everyone in the family wanted to have dholkis and a mayoon and especially a Mehndi!.

Mehndi is totally about the desiness in you. Its full of colors and its full of rich vibes. Its the time when we all go crazy including all the ‘shareef’ aunties and uncles … the grandparents and the kids and the bride and the groom!

Unfortunately there is nothing desi in Dubai -_- but that doesn’t stop me from planning! Many people have many interpretations about a mehndi but this is mine – this is how Ima do it

Mehndi Planning:

- First of all I have gots to get me those sexy thaals !!! You can either make some your own or get those glass + decorated ones or some of both for the girls to carry. On your girl’s night you get the ladies together and start planning pretty. You might also wana do the thaal decorating on your mayon – its a distraction and keeps the aunties away from applying the milk and ubtan stuff on you. =|

Get gorgeous decor sets, trays, bowls, anything you find in the market shaped amazing or weird and fill them up with rose petals – flowers of different kinds – mehndi cones – meethai and chocolates – candles – chooriyan/bangles – jewelry boxes haye! The ready made ones are even more creative – just visit a Bazaar! Will cost you pennies!

- Dholkis , Dandiyan and Dances … The mehndi night is all about “shaking it” – maybe some families don’t find that nice so they pull out the dholkis … either way its all about the singing and dancing. If your family does not like the singing and dancing – go for something that is call the dandiyan – its like a merry-go-round with sticks that got flowers stuck to them

Here are a couple of Dance videos for your dance practices from youtube and here is where you can get a book of desi song lyrics for free just mention your email address

- Colors, this is the night you lose all that decency (okay that came out wrong) and go wild with bright colors and shining swagger. Yes I am talking about those payals and parandas you never thought about wearing. Flowers on your head and hands – massive kajal and big jewelry … its the Mehndi!!! The guys in bright dupattas and kusas … you just can’t have enough tonight!

- Who’s your enemy and who is your ally. You might totally hug and kiss and greet the in-laws all the time cuz they are your in-laws  … but tonight they’re your enemies Okay thats a bit extreme – hey you can’t have fun without some attitude and without showing them who’s boss ! Tonight is all about competition – whether its a competition on the dholakhs or a competition on the dance moves – you have gots to compete!

- Shout till your throat goes soar … I have been to mehndis and I make sure I don’t come home till I know for a fact that the next day my throat will dis-own me. Mehndis are all about screaming and making some noise – its not a mehndi if the neighbours don’t wake up

- Have a good time, tonight there is no planning … there is no system and there is no reason to work your brain. Brides chill – tonight you enjoy because tomorrow you get married and tonight you celebrate. No reason for you to sit there for hours and pretend to be innocent – if you have gots to – you pull that ghoonghat out and have fun – but you just got to have fun!

- Make sure everyone is there – invite all the crazies to the desis and the funs … every school college university person matters tonight … the bigger the crowd the better the mehndi … Heck have it in an empty plot if you are stuck with a budget but invite a lot of guests … (I will be having a combine mehndi)

- No meethai please! I show the hand to meethai eating – these aunties just cant get enough of stuffing some in your mouth so how about you replace the meethai bowl with something else thats sweet and your favorite eg, ferrero rochers or a piece of cake!  - aunties please! I don’t want to put on 100 lbs on the day i am getting married!

- Skits … comedy dances and skits are hilarious and I love watching dances with comedic moves or a skit on a mehndi telling you a story like how the bride and groom met or how they fell in love! Smiles!!!

- Follow a theme … there is nothing better than a mehndi with crazy people pulling off  coordination. The duppatta colors for the guys to the bindiyas for the ladies – all means coordination … plan it out and watch the magic! Based on my dress … I am planning a roman empire theme with some desi colors and bhangras! Ha … imagine that!

- Please leave the guns at home but bring the fireworks or the little noise making horns. Enough said!

- Brides … lose it – laugh … squeak … yell …. make faces and pull off those cheeky moves. LOL – i don’t know why i said that. I just don’t like the concept of the bride being the bride tonight as well …

- With what I said above … Break the Rules ! Warning: Stay away from mom and dad

- Love everything about tonight … this night is an eye-opener … its the night you celebrate your wedding with the person you wish to spend your entire life with … ENTIRE LIFE. Make it a memorable one and make it your own. Let nothing come your way – EVEN if the beautician screws up your hair!

- Be causal! The setup (although stunning) should be casual eg, dance floor … the Gao pillows and on the floor arrangements … you know!

- Food … ohhh you have got to have a nice dish/dishes … My fav? the karachi style beyhari kabab and parathey … Uff all that oilie yummines! Sounds like royalty!

- Go home tired and hit the sack – trust me brides this is the only way you will sleep before the night you get married!!! Otherwise … its a sleepness night for you my friend! My mother – in – law actually suggested a gap between the mehndi and baraat … imagine the partying everyone is planning

- Celebrate mehndi! Get that mehndi on those pretty hands (or a night before to show it off tonight) … I love our culture

Lalalaa <3

Beautiful capture ainitt – Nice T AK!

Hello!

Well I wanted to wait till I completed my research before I posted about all the vendors I got in touch with for my wedding in lahore. Even though I am not through with the list of vendors – I think I have a fair idea about the rip off i will face by my beloved vendors!

So my lahorans here is an idea about what you might find when you look out for that one perfect vendor who can either make it or break it for you on your big day!

I am also putting it together so that you have an idea about how you can approach the vendors – some are ready to break according to your budget!

PC – 1400-1500 per head Hall Rates – 40k above … Decor not inclusive … That can be an added  k all the way to 3 lacs – your choice – Cant find a place? Go here.

Crystal ( more than 350 peeps) , Shalimar (less than 300) and Emerald (less than 300) are the halls.

Shahi Khema – you need min. 700 people and charges are 1 lacs for just its booking (last i heard) – the rest the same!

Royal Palm – 1300-1400 per head, no hall charges according to them – They have what is called the Dome – Babul Shams marquee is also available and its charges exist (but need 500-700 guests min.)

Liberty Castle – 1400ish per head for min. 350 people – if less you pay 1 lacs for rental hall. Decor not included – can be anything from 40 grand to … fill it up!

QYT – spoke with him … in short he does all events costing 7 lacs above … i did not go into the details but I think that 7 lacs was just for the setup not inclusive of food and place – L O L.

Harmann Events – A similar we-elite kind of event management company … Got a list of expenses from a fellow bride-to-be … The basics summed upto 15 lacs inclusive of all – I am sure they offer discounts though Ha! -_-

Eastern Events – Amazing event management company – yes hell expensive but they don’t pick up their phones so no quote :@

Hanif Rajput – The we do all kinds of events … catering to people with budgets from 3 lacs to 10 lacs … for a wedding of 200-250 people and a decent setup it will cost 6 lacs for everything … they have got this new place in defence called avenues with marquees … yup 6 – 7 lacs budget people see them since i think avenues is going to be a big hit! They can do a smaller event too. According to a budget of 4 lacs for 200 people they suggested to take it to Garrison Golf Club – Sheesh Yeah right!

Zafar Marquee – Woot wooot … well a really nice place … everything setup but you need a budget of 6-7 lacs for no matter what amount of people to get their marquee. Everything combined its 2500 – 3500 per head or 2 lacs for the marquee 1100 per head for food and decor starts at 2 lacs above -_- …

Nadeem Caterers – Same as Hanif Rajput, a lil’ more costly but manageable. Place is always a problem! I think I can break these guys… Jeez … the things I have to go through on my own wedding!!!

HnS – Very cooperative and reasonable like Hanif but better too! 1200-1400 per head and Decor goes in your court. I just hope they do my event if I can get my head around the location. Budget-friendly.

Kabana Event Management – They might quote you a higher price but can def. work within your budget as well. Another flex company. An all inclusive quote was 1800/head last year – I am re-contacting them this year. Not a bad portfolio and pretty convincing!

All in One Caterers – If you are a bride on a budget they will really help. I just feel they need to develop their portfolio a bit more … that personal wow touch lacks a bit but I have really liked a couple of their setups. The reasonable kind.

Creative Bites – Flex company gave me a reasonable (1800/head) all inclusive rate but the portfolio needs some working!

I have a couple of more people I will be contacting so will let you guys know of any updates! Just keep an eye on this one if you’re interested!

Adiosa!

Reblogged from gentleman of honour:

Imagine having this on your big day my friend! I think it could feed a family of 10 for a few weeks if it didn’t go off.

Hi Ladies,
Its late and I’m yawning but could not resist the excitement!
Firstly, I have loads of pending posts so all in good time me loves … secondly for the past few days I have been caught up in getting my head around reality.
The Dates Have Been Decided
Mashallah … that too on my birthday 26th Jan 2012 so my mother in law gave me the sweetest gift !!! Well actually it also kinda caused me to lose sleep on the side too Eh, anyways …
- I will be let lose in the first week of November!!! RAWR!
Inshallah …
For now enjoy this reblog from an amazing blog I follow … – Now isnt that a stunning slash yummy sight!

Is the Weddingness getting to you? All those months of planning but now you’re tired of it all? Do you feel that your wedding should be all about YOU but its more than outta control with all the aunties and uncles having their opinions and everyone doing what THEY want instead of what you want? Are you tied to a chair for hours to get your mehndi done, going to your beauty salon more than the amount of times you ever have in your life, being told that it should not be this way but that way!? UGH – hold on! – who’s the bride here again and where is the PAMPERING?

^ Went a little overboard there – Ladies, I have seen weddings happen .. they have been perfect to very close to being chaos … in either scenario … our beloved bride is exhausted like anything!

Your groom is probably partying hard, chilling cuz his mom is taking care of everything or at least having a decent bachelor party at his own place … so let this be the time when you put down another section in all those lists you have made for your wedding … called – My Partayy on My Wedding!

Many ladies totally forget this area – especially the seclusion requirements our tradition and culture bring from the past – like after the Mayon, etc etc. Gosh – I even heard that brides sometimes don’t shower after their mayon even if they sit for 2 weeks! O_o Don’t think that happens now!

Anyways, yes you should party on your wedding, small party or big party – private party or enormous party – don’t care – You have gots to Party!

Here I put together a list of hen night ideas for ladies suitable for both kinds of women, the party-hard-&-wild kinds ……… to the anti-social-party-keep-it-on-the-dayem-low kind!

Remember you can have a one-nighter or an all-nighters … Totally depends on you! Also, have this party-thing going on AFTER everything is planned and in the process of being executed and BEFORE the Mayon/Mehndi!

Party Hard and Loud – Believers!

- Book a hall at your favorite location, invite a DG, turn the place upside down and make sure you even invite people even you don’t know, ie, friends of friends and crowd the place up.

- Lookout for those nice 24 hours place now happening in PK, arrive late with all your friends and stay there all night with munching away on your favorite food and your favorite drink!

- Arrange a party at a friend’s place – Decorate it with your own two hands and blast the speakers on with your favorite tracks and make sure a lot of junk food is available at all times, again even invite those who you don’t know.

- Have a bonfire, location is hard but any empty plot will do too , or even your lousy little backyard. Drinks and Food need to be unlimited. Friends gather around the fire. Don’t forget to invite that one friend who has a guitar and loves playing music for free! – Play with contacts a little and invite someone famous for a little gig.

- Gig!! … Book a cafe and arrange a gig for your friends with your favorite singer! Join the singer and let this be the last night of shame for telling the world you CANNOT sing!

- BBQ Party! Oooo my fav. spread out those grills on your rooftop or backyard and grill and eat all day/night long with all your budz! Add a little chocolate fountain (Warning – this kills!) Music and some stupid games like Truth and Dare maybe just this once will help!

- An actual proper Hen Night, with dancing, music, food, girls, guys, woot woots and cake cutting!

Party for the Private People

- Your closest friends will already be there on your wedding, just a get together can suffice however you wana make it fun don’t you?, bring around all your childhood memories and go over the past with a blast and make it a memorable night! Food is the key ingredient here! (This is def. on my to do list!)

- Have a slumber girls party, very high-schoolish I know but a sleep over with all the girls is one long night with a lot of mess! Movies and those never ending stories and a perfect pizza with hot chocolate! No Relatives/Aunties allowed!

- Arrange for an evening party at your place or your friend’s place with your closest friends – telling your mother its just this last time! Music and loads of junk food followed with a long night of dancing in-house can make your night! Catch up on your sleep the next day!

- Those 24 hour places in PK are just great for this too! Gather your closest group of friends and have a late nighter there! Make sure you take your guy friends along or your brother! Dinner and a long night of chatting away can party you right! Come home late and looking like a mess!

- To add a little desi-ness, get all your girl and guy friends over – have a mehndi applying woman come over and get all your girls to spply mehndi on their hands while get the guys practice over some hardcore dance moves for your mehndi … another all nighter for you!

- Bash up a bachelorette party with your close friends by doing absolutely nothing! – Out of my 5 days of partying … this WILL be one day

- Warning # 2 Dance practices can turn into a party any night!

- Go Bowling … dinner … dancing … minus the guys … sleepover for girls!

- Private BBQ on the roof with music anyone?

- Plan an entire day of goodies with your friends – first with a private breakfast at your favorite hotel, followed by some luxury treatments at the salon … a lunch followed by some luxury shopping and gift buying … dinner at a nice cuisine ending the evening with a perfect bang at a concert/gig!

Well all these just flooded my mind and told me that if there is one thing I want to do on my wedding is to be spoiled and get spoiled! After the partying is done – head on to the Mayon Rasm to bring back tradition without any last minute regrets of not being able to catch up with your friends and not being able to party on your own wedding!

Love for all and hate for none!

]]> http://obsession99.com/2012/01/25/let-there-be-a-partay-hen-night-ideas/feed/ 0 obsession99 Hen night ideas - wedding - brides - wedding parties Girls-Night-Out-Balloon hen night wedding party girls night out party ideas hen night cake girls night out wedding party hens night http://obsession99.com/2012/01/22/celebrating-life-on-1000-hits/ http://obsession99.com/2012/01/22/celebrating-life-on-1000-hits/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:28:16 +0000 obsession99 http://obsession99.com/?p=454 ]]> No words … just pictures!

The best lookin’ blueberry cheesecake @ Gelato Affair – Karachi!

The donuts that are found only in PAKISTAN @ Dunkin Donuts – Karachi!

Togetherness with Alamgir’s famous chai in Karachi!

Finally, what I thought was a great shot!

All of these captures bring a smile to my face.

- I believe in happiness so I make an effort to make sure it exists in my life – Do you?  :)