They have got a nice collection of cotton suites, salwar materials and kurtas which you can pick from. The shop has been in business for a more than a year, and they are catching up at a rapid pace. They have block prints, embroidered clothes, and materials with beautiful prints, tie and dye and more. You name it, they have it. Their readymade kurtas are unique, and you don’t have to spend too much to get hold of them. It’s not just cotton, they have silk, and nylon materials as well. They have got a lovely collection of sarees too.

So make sure you drop in at their nearest store, and you can get some lovely clothes all to yourself. You would fall in love with Cactus!

Kochi has been the host to events like Kochi Fashion Week and umpteen fashion shows. But have they really created a change in the mindset of the Malayali? We aren’t talking about men alone, women also needs to go a large way when it comes to accepting clothes. Tanya Thadikaran, a resident of Kochi feels that there has been a paradigm shift in our crowds’ mindset recently. “Malayali’s are now open to other styles and are accepting more of North Indian and western forms of clothes. The emergence of Kochi Fashion Week has made a huge difference. Many designer stores are have started in Kochi, including the latest Ritu Kumar store”, said Tanya. “This shows that Kochiites have become conscious about how they look, and also want to update on the latest trends”, added Tanya.

Geethesh Pillai, who lives Kochi, says that Women Fashion in Kochi is still lagging far behind in our city. “Women dressing in our city are still conservative, and they aren’t confident on what they wear. I think the coming of big malls like Lulu will make a difference. All we can do is wait and see”, said Geethesh.

So what do you think about the women fashion scene in our city? Tell us what your take is on this.

For Ann Rekha Roy, who owns ‘Little Wonders’, it is all about fun in cooking. She loves  trying new recipes and baking ‘wonders’, Ann Rekha says that she started cooking because she wanted to ‘impress her husband’. “I never thought I would start baking cupcakes on a large scale. I used to bake cakes, and they were applauded by my friends. Thanks to them, I thought of starting the business for cupcakes”, says Ann with a smile. “And honestly, the sole reason was to impress my husband. But yea, now this is more of a passion to me than a time pass or hobby”, added Ann.

Little Wonders got so much of publicity through word-of-mouth and of course Facebook. Ann says that her customers opt mainly for chocolate cupcakes, and hence she makes sure that they are served with choco chips, almonds and hazelnuts once in a while. “I bake what my customers demand. Hence Little Wonders is all about customization in the cupcakes. You tell me, and I bake them for you”, says Ann. So can Kochiites expect a ‘Little Wonders’ outlet soon? “Well, I plan to pursue my higher studies. I might leave for that soon. But I cannot say what future holds. Let’s see…”, adds Ann with a smile.

Valentines Day is around the corner. And now you know what you can gift your loved one. So for all Kochi cupcake fans, make sure you try ‘Little Wonders’ at the earliest because you have no idea what your taste buds are missing out! Ping Ann at 9539012824, and those yummy cupcakes are all yours!!!

Tapas (out of which we will serve 10 per day) each tapas will be charged at Rs.40 per portion & for a plate of 3 tapas will be Rs.100/- . We have managed to get the menu as well so that you can take a glance through it!

Frito De Mejillon (crumb fried mussels)

gazpacho (cold soup)

watermelon gazpacho (cold soup)

white gazpacho (cold soup)

Txipiron en su Tinta (kalamari cooked in it’s own ink)

Txangurro (crab cakes )

Atun con piperrada (tuna fish with red pepper & onion )

Escalibada (roasted onions , peppers & aubergine)

Champiñon en salsa española (mushrooms with Spanish sauce )

codorniz escabechada (quail in vinegar & oil )

Pulpo A la Gallega (octopus in the way of Gallega)

Cocretas de Verdura (vegetable croquette)

Pate de olivas (black olive)

Tortilla De Patata (mini Spanish omlette)

Pollo de Chilindron (chicken in the style of chillindron)

Pan con tomate jamon (ham & tomato on bread )

They We will have two main courses charged at Rs.150/- per potion

1. Paella deMariscos ( Seafood Paella )

2. Estofado DeRabo De Todo (oxtail stew in red wine ).

Dessert will be charged at Rs.75/-

1. Peras alvino tinto (pear poached in red wine )

2. churros conchocolate (churros in chocolate sauce )

Also, a combination of a tapas, main course and dessert for 250 !!!!!

Are you drooling already? Tapas in on! Hop in at David hall!

With more than 350 publishers being part of this huge festival, DC Book Fest is looked upon by writers and publishers every year. They get to interact, share their views and discuss on literature and prose. This year too, maestros from the field will be taking part in this grand event. O.N.V Kurup, Sugathakumari, M. K. Sanu, K. Jayakumar are expected to take part in the fest this time. The competition for kids ‘Unnikale Oru Katha Parayam’ (in English and Malayalam) will be happening on the 11^th of February 2012 at 3 p.m. Kids can take part in this and try out their skills in poetry, writing and prose.

Malayalis are known to be good readers and ardent lovers of prose. This fest will be a paradise for book-lovers. So if you are one, then check this out!

They have started a new stitching centre at their Panampilly Nagar outlet, and they have tailors all the way from Calcutta, stitching some awesome patterns and designs for you. ‘Sangrama’ clothes are brought from different parts of the country and you can dig into ethnic clothes at its best. Chikan work, embroideries, cotton printed materials, tie and die, block prints, you name it and they have it! With rates that are reasonable and apparels of high quality, ‘Sangrama’ stands a class apart from the other boutiques in town.

Being into business for quite some time, ‘Sangrama’ boutique knows what women in Kochi demands. So for all those who want to try out some ‘classic’ clothes, check out ‘Sangrama’ today. For more details, you can ping them at 0484- 2367223 or 3266239.

Cotton Hut has been into business since the past two months, and the response they have been getting from Kochiites is quite remarkable. “We sell our goods at the best reasonable rates. As we manufacture the apparels for our store, we ensure that they are of the best quality”, says Dinesh, Owner of Cotton Hut. You get to shop some trendy skirts that come at prices of 400-800 rupees and tops worth 500 and more.

There are night wears and pyjamas for both men and women. Work out trousers (for both genders), clothes for babies, etc. are the other clothes that you can check out from Cotton Hut. Dinesh adds “We are supplying for 52 clubs on the onset of the Olympics 2012”. Well, so now we know they master in quality as well! The shop is a family business, and they are all excited about the store being opened in Kochi as our city is now one of the India’s most sought after fashion hub.

You can stitch your clothes from here. You buy a salwar material from Cotton Hut, and you get a discount when you stitch it from there!

Drop in at Cotton Hut: ‘HB-29’, Sreyas Palace, 4^th Cross Road, Panampilly Nagar, Cochin- 36. You can ping them at 0484- 2313058/59 or mail them at sreyasexports@gmail.com.

The grand festival is happening at Kaloor International Stadium, and will be on till the 5^th of January 2012. Vanitha Utsav begins at 11 a.m and gets over by 9 p.m everyday. There are more than 200 stalls at the event. You name the product, they have it! Everything is available under one roof. Every year, Vanitha Utsav stalls (of major electronic companies) have made sure that customers get products at absolutely reasonable rates. This year too, they are sticking on to it. So if you wanted to shop electronics, you know where to drop in. Sony, LG, Philips, Onida etc., all the brands are available here.

The entertainment shows that follow the grand event every evening is another thing which you would not want to miss. They bring leading playback singers and eminent artists to perform for the event. Haven’t you tried Vanitha Utsav yet? Drop in today!

Over 18 artisans and groups working with different media like paper, mud, vegetable dyes, ahimsa silk, khadi weaves, crochet , macramé and many more will be  at the event. The Range includes award winning artists showcasing their work. The Mughal miniature painting, Tribal Gond Painting, Sanjhi paper cutting, Hase Chitra mud painting and Wooden Handcarved Combs are some of the unusual and dying art forms showcased by the artisans themselves, some of who are traveling from as far as Rajasthan, UP and Madhya Pradesh for the event. There will also be a Naturals products like beeswax balms, handrolled pens, Khadi weaving, Ahimsa Silk, Handmade Paper, Handblock printings and Mud and neem paintings.

Make sure you do not miss this one!

Aparna’s paintings are mostly with oil. She has made sure that the paintings are a class apart. Aparna’s paintings on Sri Budha have already caught attention amongst the visitors who throng the art gallery to check out the paintings. Even though the majority of paintings are done by Nalini Rajappan, you wouldn’t miss the art-works of the other two ladies. Nalini Rajappan, who did her studies from the Indian School of Art, has done Tanjore and Mural paintings.

Paintings of Lathika Vijayaraghavan do not fail to entertain you! Rajasthani women clad in their colorful apparels make a chunk of Lathika’s paintings. Lathika pursued her studies in paintings from Ernakulam Vimalalayam.

The exhibition will be on till the 23^rd of January 2012. Make sure you do not miss this one!