Style file: Aditi Rao Hydari

Aditi Rao Hydari's style can be defined as romantic, elegant and effortless. Time and time again Aditi has shown us exactly how to successfully carry off a red-carpet look whether she is dressed in a gown or in traditional Indian wear. She has this ethereal beauty to her which is accented by her amazing taste in jewellery and subtle makeup. I rarely think she chooses the wrong thing to wear, even when she is wearing something I don't personally like, I can objectively say that she pulls it off. I'm not sure who her stylist is, but they are doing one heck of a job! It is no wonder why she is also a popular choice for show stopper at fashion weeks and also delivers amazing editorial spreads. For this post I wanted to focus on her traditional wear in particular as I feel she does traditional the best!

Aditi does traditional:

Style File is a series on footnotes and finds where we feature a person who we believe has impeccable style.  

Friday Finds

Friday Finds is a series that Footnotes and Finds runs every friday where we share interesting, informative and fun finds/links from around the web.  Follow along!

1. Check out this awesome new magazine for girls who love science and climbing trees!

2. I love black and white photography, that is why when I came across this article highlighting Serena Chopra's black and white photography centred around the people of Bhutan it captured my attention to the point where I found that I wanted to share the incredibly human and breathtaking photos with you all! Not a lot of people travel to Bhutan or know much about it and that is why I find projects like this very important.

3. As a person who is all about the details I loved this article laying out the difference between a "road" and a "street"...well...I found it interesting...

4. Checkout this, this and this cardigan in time for Autumn!

5. This is hands down one of the most beautiful love letters to a city I have ever seen. In this video, a man expresses how is hate of Bombay (Mumbai) turned into love and what Bombay means to him. Visual stunning and beautifully written, do not miss it!

This week on footnotes and finds

1. My three favourite fiction books right now
2. Hiking Joffre Lakes
3.

From the archives

1. What to look for in a travel companion
2. For the love of florals
3. My May playlist


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Hiking Joffre Lake

Joffre Lake is one of the most beautiful hikes in British Columbia and it is quite accessible as well. The hike consists of 3 beautiful turquoise lakes: lower lake, middle lake and upper lake.  There is a camping ground at upper lake which is also a great viewpoint of Matier Glacier.

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park Hike details:

• From Vancouver: 3 hours drive, just past Pemberton
• From Whistler: about 1 hour drive
• Difficulty: Listed as difficult on Vancouver Trails website
• Time needed: 5-6 hours
• Washroom: toilets located at the beginning near parking lot and then on Upper Lake (bring your own toilet paper)

Joffre Lakes Provincial Parks Hike tips:

• We would recommend doing this hike on a weekday if possible. As of lately this hike has become really popular so on the weekends it is packed.
• Get there early - the parking lot is quite small and gets packed real quick! On weekends there are cars lined up all along the highway with people having to walk to the park.
• There are couple of toilets at the bottom where the parking lot is. There are no washrooms at Middle Lake. There are more toilets up at Upper Lake. Bring your own toilet paper!

So let's begin with a confession: I have not done much hiking in my life before BUT it is something I have always wanted to incorporate into my lifestyle.  We are so lucky to live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada - surrounded by beautiful nature. The reason hiking hasn't been a significant part of my life is because of my health.  But before that in my younger highs chool years I did manage to do that Grouse Grind a few times. If you are from British Columbia or Metro Vancouver, or a tourist that visits you have heard of the Grouse Grind - it is known as the stair master from hell - one of the most difficult hikes here.

So back to Joffre lake. Given my snowboarding mishap which led to a horrible back injury and concussion let's just say my mobility has been limited.  But when my sisters were planning on a hike to Joffre Lake I was starting to get serious FOMO (which is something I don't get too often).  The photos don't do it justice.  Just a mere 3 hours drive from Vancouver, so a day trip, it's hard to resist. The lakes are glacier fed lakes and on good days the glacier is also visible.

So guess what? I took the whole YOLO concept and ran with it (so clearly I scratched the FOMO!).  I don't know if it was going to be a good idea. I didn't know if I could even make it up to the middle lake, although I had said to my sisters I am not going to go all the way to Joeffre lake to see just the lower lake I would try to make it to Middle lake.  We left Vancouver early and stopped at Shannon Falls and Brandy Wine falls on the way. We made it to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park early afternoon. Altogether we were there for about 4-5 hours including the hiking, resting and taking many photos. 

Lower Lake Lake:

The lower lake is literally a 10 minute walk from the parking lot. There is barely any elevation on this part of the hike - it is mostly flat.  As you can see from the photo above lower lake is beautiful and also is turquoise in colour.  We stood at Lower Lake for a bit and then decided to head right to Middle Lake.   

Middle Lake:

This is the toughest part of the hike.  Most of the hike up to Middle Lake is steep and can be difficult at some parts. But there are also parts of the hike that are flat. Also be warned that there are a couple portions of the hike up to Middle lake that consists of steep stairs.   I stopped every few minutes during this part of the hike. It was best for my back to take rest here and there.  We sat and looked down and ahead to beautiful views. It was a great feeling to be surrounded by nature.  Finally reaching Middle Lake we were more than grateful for nature and the difficult hike was worth it! The photos above do not do it justice.  The water was so turquoise and beautiful it was almost as if it wasn't real. In the second photo above you can see the Matier Glacier in the background. We spent quite a lot of time here, enjoying different viewpoints of the lake and taking some photos.  We rested up and then headed down. 

 I didn't go up to Upper Lake. But just a 10 minute hike from Middle Lake is a beautiful waterfall and then a hike to Upper Lake. From what I know this hike is not supposed to be as hard or long as the hike up to Middle Lake.

If you are ever in British Columbia and decide to go up to Whistler I would highly advise to make sure you allot some time to do this hike.  It is one of the most rewarding experiences.

PIN THIS IMAGE FOR A QUICK REFERENCE TO JOFFRE LAKES HIKE:

My three favourite fiction books right now

Since graduating from my Master's I have had  a lot of free time which has resulted in an extensive and never ceasing to grow reading list. Why now? Well you see, I don't read when I'm in school because i get wrung out from reading for classes and research so at the end of the day I just want to watch TV and go to sleep. So when I do get free time away from school like the summer or now I actually enjoy reading. I have been trying to read all the major literary classics, so there is a lot to pick from and the recommendations I have been getting from friends and family have also helped. I thought I would share with you the three books I have enjoyed reading the most so far this year:

1. Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

I read this book, like many children in Canada, in elementary school and was curious as to why it remained so dear to my heart as an adult when I hadn't read it since. Usually re-visiting childhood favourite books, movies and TV shows can be quite disappointing but upon re-reading Anne of Green Gables I felt the book just as lovely as it was in my memory. Anne is truly one of the most endearing characters I have read and you want to read the rest of the series to see how she gets on with the rest of her life. I was happy at the announcement of a new Anne of Green Gables Netflix-CBC TV series scheduled for release next year, so I guess my re-reading it couldn't have come at a better time!

2. A Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood

I love the dystopian genre and after reading 1984 I set my sights on A Handmaid's Tale as a sure bet since I have been wanting to read it for quite sometime and it came highly recommended by my sisters. From the first page to the last, Atwood's grasp on the reader does not waiver and she delivers an intense, nerve-wracking, sad and hopeful narrative which had quickly become one of my all-time favourite novels. 

3. The Old man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway

I have been wanting to read this novel since high school. Its a short novel but it packs and unpacks a lot in its mere 120-ish pages. Hemingway has simply and brilliantly captured the experience of a man stranded at sea with nothing but his own thoughts and the fish he encounters in his struggle to get back to shore. Its beautiful and moving and his writing style also makes you, as a reader, feel as though you too have been drifting at sea helplessly fighting your inner and outer demons. 

What are your favourite reads of the year so far?

Duster coat: H&M, simlar here

Top: H&M, similar here

Skirt: Forever 21, similar here

Shoes: Topshop, similar here

Friday finds

Friday Finds is a series that Footnotes and Finds runs every friday where we share interesting, informative and fun finds/links from around the web.  Follow along!

1. I have been a fan of Bomba Estéreo for quite some time and they never fail to deliver musically. Their videos are also usually visually on point but with the release of their latest song "Soy Yo" they promote an anti-bullying sentiment proposing that we love ourselves no matter what. Check out the video yourself!

2. The people of Norway get a lot of things right and they've done it again with their so-called "Slow TV." This is television programming thats shows 7 hour train rides and 9 hour sweater knitting contests. The best part is that these telecasts are really popular...and here I thought Canada's Christmas burning log telecast was the best thing ever!

3. Check out these cute desk organizers here, here and here!

4. Rori, a cartoonist and freelance illustrator, has undertaken a "100 days, 100 women" project to highlight many important women who fail to be recognized in history books and pop-culture in hopes to inspire young women to find a woman they can look up to. On the list are women like Hypatia, Wilma Mankiller, Anita Bell and Benazir Bhutto.

5. If you are a fellow Trekkie then you will love the ability to swap out the generic Facebook reaction emojis for the Star Trek ones in celebration of Star Trek 50. You just need to do one simple thing!

This week on footnotes and finds

1. My travel wishlist
2. My September Playlist

From the Archives

1. My favourite summer things
2. Where are all the curvy women?
3. DIY at home pedicure

My September Playlist

After two months hiatus we are back with our playlists! This months playlist features some easy listening indie-synth-pop favourites from Vallis Alps to KAYTRANADA we've got you covered for back to school or just getting through September or, as I call it, the sad month that officially marks the end of summer. There are a lot of things to look forward to including beautiful fall colours, hot chocolate, crunchy leaves and last few days of sunshine (for some)! So its always important to have a good playlist to go along with the month ahead!

My travel wish-list

Now that summer is winding down and September is here there are a lot of things to look forward to like Halloween and snow. But when the beginning of the end of summer starts I usually get a different pang, a pang of travelling. I am an avid traveller and my life between travels is usually all about planning for the next one, so as you can infer the end of summer which is usually full of many trips (small or big) brings about the anxiety of the end of travelling season. I know what you're thinking: but you can travel throughout the year. This is true but since I've always had school or university from September to April I never got around to much travelling until the summer since winter break was always used to recuperate from the semester. So it's usually in September when I start planning next year's travels, something to look forward to, to get me through the year.

Here is my travel wish-list with my top 3 places in no particular order:

1. Jordan

Forget Lawrence of Arabia and T.E. Lawrence and have your own experience in Jordan. Its no surprise that someone like me, with a love for everything archaeology and history, is itching to go to Jordan that has amazing Roman ruins and UNESCO designations. Outside the sites that Petra and Jarash offer the natural beauty of Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea are an equal draw for me. There's plenty to do and see in Jordan and its been on my "must go" list since I can remember!

2. Spain/Portugal

The Mediterranean is where my heart is truly happiest when it comes to travel and I would love to go from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, and San Sebastian to Sintra, Lisbon, Evora, Belem and not to mention the beaches along Algarve--it would be an absolute dream! To be clear, Spain and Portugal are only being lumped in together due to geographical proximity as the two countries are distinct from one another. But again, they both have great sites from antiquity and a strong art tradition. I have heard many mixed opinions on the food of Spain, so I am keen to have my own experience of it!

3. Bora Bora

Although I am the type of traveller that loves sites and museums, I can also get to a point in the year where all I desire is a beach vacation with nothing and no one around. And lets be honest, I feel most people have, at some point or another, googled those beautiful overwater bungalows on pristine blue waters and white sand in Bora Bora. I know most people regard Bora Bora as a honeymoon destination but thats not going to stop me, who knows what tomorrow will be like! There is plenty to do for outdoors-y/water-sports people, take your pick from diving, snorkelling, parasailing or hiking. I'm also in love with rainforests, so...can this place BE any more perfect?!!!

Whats on your travel wish-list for this year?

Top: H&M, similar here
Trousers: H&M, similar here
Shoes: Primark, similar here
Purse: Vintage

Friday finds

Friday Finds is a series that Footnotes and Finds runs every friday where we share interesting, informative and fun finds/links from around the web.  Follow along!

This week's friday finds

1. I love when I find really REALLY good twitter accounts. And one of those finds this last year has been Aparna Nancherla's. A comedian in her own right, her twitter account is a cross between hilarious truths you would never say out loud and poignant observations. This is not to mention her unconventional take on her mental illness and depression. Believe me, I find myself retweeting her all the time.

2. If you love bollywood films then you've been waiting for this film since the minute you heard about it's conception. Karan Johar's recent direction since the 4 year hiatus after Student of the Year has a start studded cast consisting of Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Ashwariya Rai and Fawad Khan, which was already enough to get excited over. The teaser has accumulated an impressive amount of views already and proposes the film as not to be missed with promising acting, music, direction and script--I personally can't wait for the movie. Turn on the subs by clicking CC and make your own judgement!

3. Anne of Green Gables, one of my all-time favourite novels is getting a Netflix series penned by Breaking bad writer Walley-Beckett and co-produced by the CBC. While I wait for the new tv series, I have decided to re-read this Canadian classic!

4. Now that fall is approaching, I have started thinking about autumn-wear including footwear! Love these, these and these boots!

5. Dying to try out this Quinoa chocolate chip cookie recipe!


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Style File: Fawad Khan

Style File is a series on footnotes and finds where we feature a person who we believe has impeccable style.  

Fawad Khan sprung on to the Bollywood scene with Khoobsurat and confirmed his position with Kapoor & Sons. But what set him apart from the rest of the actors really fast was his dressing sense. Quickly becoming a stylist's dream and GQ beloved, his own personal style is on point. While the quirky and eccentric men can get their style inspiration from out-of-the-box-style icon Ranveer Singh, Fawad presents a more Sartorial, dapper, put together look for the average male to strive towards. His style of dressing has also become a key part of his brand which includes his perfected beard and deep, brooding and sensitive eyes, making him the ultimate romantic actor Bollywood has to offer. But we can't forget that it all started in Pakistan for him and that is also where he has started his own women's clothing line with his wife called "Silk by Fawad Khan." I won't hold back, if i'm completely honest Fawad has had my heart since I saw him first in the phenomenon Humsafar back in 2011 and I'm happy with his incredible reception in India, as he is not only a good looking face he is a seasoned and unique actor deserving all the positive attention he has been receiving recently!

Fawad Does Dapper

Fawad Does Casual

Check out our previous Style File posts!