Discover Top Posts Tagged with #simasays

Goodbye Old Hello New

#2015 #flipagram #simasays #london #love #friends #lovers #exes #ohs #ellie king #yearinreview

NCR: Je Suis Charlie

Thoughts and prayers to the families of those who lost their lives while exercising freedom of speech.

#jesuischarlie #freedom of speech #NCR #simasays #paris

NCR: Sima Says > Statement Coat > Style

For those of you in the southern hemisphere enjoying balmy breezes and long days and Instagram worthy sunsets... this post is NOT for you.

I saw a photo a family friend posted on Facebook, his truck and property covered in 15+cm of fresh snowfall in the interior of British Columbia. He was a little shocked as he was in Hawaii only a fortnight ago. That photo inspired me to answer a question many friends and acquaintances having been asking me. "How do I look stylish in winter when I'm required to bundle up?" Sima Says ... get yourself a statement coat. This one item will mean it pretty much doesn't matter what you're wearing underneath. My tip however is to go for luxury basics. Cashmere is always my first choice as it's fine gauge so doesn't add bulk but will add warmth and style. Also, cashmere isn't as out of reach as it used to be. There is something available at every price point. I'm all about an urban uniform that can travel from the penthouse to the pavement. Currently living in London means I'm always on public transit. I brought very few items of clothing with me but quite a few coats. Here I've picked a selection of statement coats I like. Just some random images from the internet. A statement coat should say something about your personality. I'm a big fan of vintage inspired prints. Currently I see many Londoner's (both male and female) sporting a lot of shearling or "sheepskin" as it's called locally. The great thing about a signature coat is it leaves you with room to layer and has a lot of WOW factor. Keeping colours dark or monochromatic underneath is key to cultivating this as a style statement. It sets off the coat and you get to maintain ease and comfort without compromising being chic.

If you have a signature coat and want to share it with us tweet us @NewCulRev or me @simakumar. In the meantime... stay warm and stylish! ~ Sima

#NCR #simasays #signature coat #statement coat #winter #2015 #style #London

NCR: Happy New Year > 2015

Happy Monday. Go for the crown. ~ Sima

#simasays #Lorde #Royal #NCR #Happy New Year

NCR: New Year's Eve

If the last day of the year was a punctation mark which one would you be?

#simasays #NCR #newyearseve #endofyear #2014 #punctuationmark

NCR: Sima Says > Christmas Survival Guide

Christmas time is rife with stress for so many people. I remember when I was 18 years old I had this boyfriend I was madly in love with. For some reason (and please feel free to laugh out loud) I was convinced he was going to get me a ring for Christmas. NOT an engagement ring - I was a hopeless romantic not delusional!). Instead I was presented with a "ghetto blaster" or a "boom box". You can imagine my confusion and when I put in a cassette tape in the double cassette player. I'm pretty sure it was R.E.M's Losing My Religion. I was, to state it mildly, deflated.

Surprisingly enough the relationship survived that Christmas gift giving disaster. In fact I packed up the following year and went travelling with the same boyfriend and we spent the following year's holiday in Sydney, Australia. I surfed on Bondi Beach during the day and ate butter chicken on Campbell Parade for Christmas dinner in the evening.

Which brings me to this post... having spent quite a few Christmases away from home I've learned to put the holidays in perspective. Even the holidays that are at home can often leave us feeling a strange void and underwhelmed. What family doesn't have awkward tensions and less than perfect dynamics? If you say "mine" you're either one in a million or you may be standing under a mistletoe with your fingers crossed telling a little season white lie.

This year, I'm in London. The Italian originally spoke of possibly travelling to Paris for the holidays which we have since decided against. Then there was the possibility of a big family feast and annual tradition at his sister in law's home in Bedfordshire which also doesn't look like it will happen for me. So how do you stay motivated and in the light when Christmas (which is one of my favourite times of year) just doesn't play out the way we imagine in our hearts and minds? For me ... it's about gratitude.

I live in a beautiful home in a beautiful neighbourhood in my favourite area of London. I have both Primrose Hill and Hampstead Heath walking distance in either direction of my front door. It's like being in a village while living in the city. I'm getting to know local merchants and some familiar faces. I'm embraced by an amazing family look forward to starting work in a regular way in the New Year. There is a lot for me to look forward to.

Above and beyond EVERYTHING... I'm in London! The city is one of my favourites, overflowing with history and beautiful churches. My way of dealing with Christmas plans that are constantly shifting due to unexpected life changes is to be of service to others. So this Christmas I'm looking forward to attending Midnight Mass at a beautiful church being reminded of the magic of the season - a message of miracles. And to volunteer my time on Christmas Day serving the homeless a hot meal. It's something I did on a regular basis for years in Vancouver and I'm looking forward to extending this Christmas Day tradition into my life in London. I've always dreamt of a dreamy romantic walk along the River Thames with the sweeping views of so many magical landmarks dreaming of ways to manifest the best for myself and my loved ones for the New Year. And what would Christmas Day be without a cheesy movie like Love Actually or The Holiday. I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy.

So find a way to see past your ups and downs, your expectations and disappointments and your own trials and tribulations. Many of us are so much better off and living with abundance. Being of service is my way of paying it forward. I hope you find your way regardless of where this Christmas finds you. I'm far from my family and my favourite heart beats but my heart is still full to overflowing with love and gratitude. Merry Christmas. Be shiny and bright. It's in all of us, even if you feel laden with a layer of rust. ~ Sima

#ncr #christmas2014 #simasays #holidaysurvivalguide #london #lifelessons #service #Christmas #volunteer

NCR: I'm Not Responsible For You, You're Not Responsible For Me.

Wife Life: I think people mistake commitment for responsibility.

Since I moved my life to the UK, my dear friend Angela Victory and I have had to find a new way of spending time together. We can no longer get booked on the same jobs (she's a makeup artist) or make a date for chai and a proper chin wag, or FaceTime because we'd at least be in the same time zone, or our favourite... steal away to the Railtown Cafe for the "Will You Marry Me?" cookie. Yes - it's true, my favourite cookie is called WYMM and it would be yours too if you tasted it!

This morning as I awoke I found the above images in my Whatsapp Messenger. Each one read "for" before the words beauty, lust, lonely love, fun, intensity and For God, Let it all go. I asked Angela if I could turn it into a post for the blog and she said yes. It's one of the ways we share - creative collaboration. Each photo tells a truth about how no matter who we share our lives with, the journey is always ultimately a solo one. It's so deeply personal and how we are in relationship is always a choice. Me, I'm getting used to sharing a space full-time with someone else who is VERY different from me. No easy task when the two people are O + o (old & Older). Whereas it can be comforting to feel as though you have a chum and someone to do those banal things that every life needs doing (cleaning house, grocery shopping, picking up vitamins, going to the bank) it can also be an intense, lonely, surprising, and possibly very beautiful experience if you're a spiritual seeker. Because you have in front of you each day a reminder of the fact that everything you feel is yours alone. The other person cannot feel it. They can only witness you. And you in turn cannot feel what they feel. You can only witness them.

Angela's grouping of well chosen photos was too good not to share. So in whatever kind of relationship we have, I hope this post serves as a reminder or inspiration that we must own our own emotions. Another cannot be the source of your joy or sorrow, your anger or fear. It's all you. ~ Sima

photos & words: via Angela Victory

collage by: Sima