What: Chicness Is My Weakness personal trunk service, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , pay per purchase.

Why: Imagine opening the door to a trunk full of clothes and accessories from hard-to-find designers (Frock NYC, James Ferreira, Denim Story), especially tailored to your taste by New York stylist and jewelry designer Anita Vaswani. Browse through these while lounging on your bed, laughing at all those suckers out in the rain. What you like, you leave hanging in your closet; the rest you return. It’s (gar)ment to be!

When: You want a flat rate.

CD Joint?

From today onwards, when Juhu’s beach bar Aurus calls it a night, you’ll still hear the music in the air: faint vocals backed by catchy guitar riffs and mean drum beats, sometimes punctuated by a metallic scream.  Follow the rhythm down the street to Rajput Bakery, and behind will be rock bands practising for their next gig; groupies quoting Dylan and Morrison; and amateurs pretending to know which guitar pick to buy.

This is 3rd Step, a 24 hour music quarters that houses an instrument and rock accessory store (3rd Step Music), a jam room (The Jam Room) and a record company (3rd Step Records). Take note: It makes its musical debut this evening.

Menage a Trois

3rd Step is run by the Veigas brothers (Jordan is the bassist for Channel [V] Launch Pad winning band Reverrse Polarity and Caleb plays for Oktober Soil) and Kaamna Rajput, who knew that they wanted to run three different music businesses ever since they were in college. “So we each took one step – Kaamna towards the music store, Caleb headed for the jam room, and  I, for the record company. Together we made three steps, hence the name of our venture,” explains Jordan.

Selling the Band

While musical instruments from brands like Ibanez, ESP, Parker, Godin and Sabien will dominate the store space, 3rd Step Music will also feature rock band tees, Goth neck pieces, box pack CDs, cables and guitar picks. What’s cool is that the merchandise won’t just feature foreign bands, but also Indian ones like Demonic Resurrection and Reverrse Polarity. Also, If you’ve been pining for a guitar that you can’t find anywhere in the city, chances are these guys can locate and order it for you.

Practise What They Preach

The music store exits into a fully tricked out 350 square feet jam room (creatively titled The Jam Room), complete with 150 watt stack amps, a mean eight-piece double bass Tama drum set and enough space for a nine-member band to get comfortably strummed. The idea behind the large space - Jordan claims it is the biggest jam room in the city – is to allow bands to feel like they are performing on stage, with lighting and acoustics designed accordingly.

With heavyweight bands like Pentagram and SHKABANG already practising at the Veigas brothers’ Bandra jam room, we ‘re pretty sure you’ll get to rub drum sticks and guitar picks with some talented musicians here.

Music Rights

In addition to running a jam room and store, Jordan also works with sound engineers and producers to record tunes and make demo CDs for bands, even if they’re fresh out of college. A few weeks down the line, the Veigas brothers also plan to start Sunday school at their new establishment , with one day music workshops, professional three month courses and even lectures by big names in the music industry.

Viva Las Veigas!

Getting there: 3rd Step, lane opposite Sea Princess Hotel, Kishore Kumar Ganguly Road, behind Rajput Bakery, Juhu, view the Facebook group here, Rs 200 an hour for the jam room, opens this evening.

What: Chromosome portraits by DNA11, visit www.dna11.com or call Qadir at 9820337065, starts at approximately Rs 10,000.

Why: Day 1 – Order prototype: canvas, paper or glass. Day 2 - Forensic kit arrives. Use collection swab to gather saliva sample, preserve and ship back. Day 3 – Lock down colour sequence. Day 30 – The easel has landed. 

Congratulations! You are now the owner of uber-cool art that proudly displays your superior genetic structure from Canada-based DNA11, recently featured on CSI NY! They work with lip impressions and fingerprints as well. 

When: You want to see and be gene.

What: Single in the city? Let Big Help organise your life, call 9619484383 or log on to http://www.bighelp.in, Rs 5,000 a month.

Why: This service is like a magic lamp with a genie who grants more than three wishes. Designed for people who live alone (or not) in Mumbai, Big Help’s bright aides can find you a roommate, do your groceries, round up the best sales, walk your dog, locate a plumber, score passes to a sold out music gig.
(Task) master, your wish is their command.

When: To err(and) is human, to get an assistant, divine.

What: Wishberry gift registry service, visit www.wishberry.in, registration free. 

Why: Because your friends have no gifting imagination and you really don’t need another striped shirt. This brand new online registry lets you pick presents from their expanding catalogue (rafting trips, foosball tables, Blackberry, clothes from Mango and Promod) or start a fund for your dream purchase for which they’ll send you a cheque. Your friends can buy individually, or gang up to chip in for a single product. 

When: You want present perfect.

What: Hand painted murals by Olive artist, Alison Design Studio, call 9867770878 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , start at Rs 40,000 for a wall mural.

Why: This self-taught artist and her interior designer husband specialise in customised, hand painted walls and furniture, and have brushed over some of the city’s prettiest interiors from private homes to the Mediterranean-inspired walls of Olive Bar and Kitchen, Mahalaxmi.

When: Your party deserves a wallflower.

What: Rent-a-djembe-drum player, call Jonqui on 9821196905, price on request.

Why: Trade in the annoying vuvuzella buzz for a new kind of woo-worthy sound. Assamese percussionist Jonqui, frequent player at Wink, Tote and Blue Frog will put in some serious bass time at your party, armed with drums from across the world - tablas, djembe, goblet.

When: It’s time for Africa!

What: Free logos and designs by Jar Head Creatives, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , view his work at www.jaredcreado.deviantart.com or visit the Facebook group here.

Why: Yes, we really did say free. Graphic designer Jared Creado is clearly big arted, designing logos and posters at zero cost through his week old company, Jar Head Creatives. If you insist on paying though, he won’t refuse.

When: You need to survive on love and fresh flair.

What : Personalised Crossword puzzles by Dinshaw and Yazad Dotivala, to order call 9920431595 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , start at Rs 500.

(Came) Across: Professional puzzlers and father-son duo who create word games for almost every newspaper in the city, will tailor-make you a crossword in 48 hours (see: football trivia test and romantic wedding proposal). They also do other word games and Sudoku.

When: You don’t have a clue about gifting. 

What: The Warehouse, 07, Jagdamba Commercial Complex, New Link Road, Malad (w), call 9869039002, open 24/7, rent starts at Rs 200 an hour.

Why: At this slick jam room, go from amateur musician to rock star in one afternoon. Not only do you get access to top-quality instruments and audio recording facilities, you can also have your  jam session captured on video. Look out for their coolest feature which kicks in next month – live streaming your performance to fans through The Warehouse’s website.

When:  You want to do time in a Sing Sing cell.