Anyways, being away from blogging has made me very very dissatisfied in one part of my heart, so I’ve decided to bounce back. As a ‘coming back’ gift to all of you from my side, I’ll be sharing details of a recent scrapbook project I am working on in my spare time (read minutes…).

Warning: this is the first time I am undertaking a scrapbooking project, so not sure my process is right. I am just going with what-works-for-me.

Before making full fledged pages and layouts, I’ve decided to put together various embellishments. Here’s first set of princess attire:

All these are made from paper.

	The dress: I have used thick pink color paper like the one used in greeting cards. (Do you call it cardstock?) It’s a simple evening gown cutout embellished with stones and white paper roses. I used the simple and fun tutorial by Dozi Design for making the roses. Grey and pink design is added later on the image using, what else? Photoshop!
For our princess’s make up we have (oh my I can feel the same excitement as I did when me and my friends used to dress up our dolls): a. Mirror: Again I cut the same think pink sheet (actually this is a recycled sheet from some brochure) to the shape of a compact mirror + face powder thingie. On the inside I’ve stuck a round foil paper to act as a mirror and a round off white colored paper to act as the face powder. Tiny glittering start on top are a work of PS. Lipstick and comb: Pink paper and handles wrapped in foil paper. Shoes (my fav.): Pink and dark pink colored paper cutout adorned with stone and a thick thread bow. The grey swirls are again PS.
	Accessories: I drew a tiny tiara and glued the thick thread tracing the line. Embellished in between the loops with pink and white stones. The bracelet is a simple ring adorned with stones. Earrings and pendant are again tiny metal rings from my jewelry chain maille collection on which I’ve hot glued matching pink and white stones.

I then took my hybrid scrapbooking project (is there even such a thing?) to another level. Combining these images with my older princess’s snaps, I made the following layout:

What do you think?

Would you to create something like this with your baby’s pictures? Is there some way I can help? Do let me know

As always, thanks for dropping by @ my e-place.

Cheers,
~Varada

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Today’s a special day for me. It’s my Kanhaji’s birthday. Kanhaji is like my very own friend. Someone who is more than a mythical character, more than a deity, more than most people I’ve ever known.

Here are some of the pictures I collected from Internet. I sincerely wish I could back link to all the sources. So please pardon me, if you see one of your images here with my watermark.

We recently took a trip to Mathura. Wanted Akshara and Diya to experience the magic of that place. Here are some of the pictures of Kanhaji from that trip.

Here are a few Krishna idol I am love with

And here are some pictures of kids at my home dressed as Krishna

My nephew, Shubh

and my older one Diya dressed as Radha and Kanha

My desk at office and my older one when she was little with one of my Kanhaji idols

Oh, I know I can go on and on and on about Kanhaji, so let me stop rambling… Here’s wishing Happy Birthday to Kanhaji and Happy Janmashtami to all of you…. May the peace and joy of Lord Krishna be with all of you…!!!

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The month of celebrations!!

The month of Goodwill!!!

Check out the list of celebrations we have this year in August

• National Friendship Day (Sunday, August 1st)
• Indian Independence Day (Sunday, August 15th)
• Women’s Friendship Day (Sunday,  August 15th)
• Onam (Monday, (August 23rd)
• Raksha-Bandhan (Tuesday, August 24th)

See what I mean? This is just the general list. Apart from all the birthdays / anniversaries of loved ones etc.

What better way to celebrate these days than to give gifts? And how cool will it be if you can come up with ‘personalized’ gifts for each occasion!

That’s the theme of my new ‘service’ which I’ll be ready to offer in just a couple more days.

Almost all of us have digital photographs these days. Some sweet memories linked with our friends, colleagues, spouses, parents, kids and other loved ones. But what do we do with them?

• Stack them away in some forgotten folder on our lappy?
• Write them out to disk and keep them for ‘one day’?
• Or go find a photo store, take prints and pile them into albums.

We watch our memories transform from

to something like

That’s it?

How about something like

or

??

Like it? Read on, there’s more

How about transforming some of your images into photo books (like the ones above) or canvases or mugs or tote bags ?

Exciting?

I am planning to offer to design these things for you. At 0 (yes, that’s a zero) cost of designing! *

All you end up paying is what ZoomIn** will charge you for printing and shipping. No extra dime. In most cases these items will cost you comparable (or even lesser) than your local photo print stores.

You can click here to take a sneak peek into the products and prices and here for some of the special offers.

I am onto the last bit of puzzle finalizing how we are going to do it. You know, the technical details you wouldn’t like to hear about. And then bang! I’ll be at your service! Designing cool stuff from your photographs to be used for yourself or your home or to be given as gifts.

For sure you do not want to miss a thing like this! Keep watching this space or better still, sign up here so you get updates in your inbox. You don’t want to get left out of the “0 cost” thingy, do you?

Sincerely,

Yours in celebrations,

~Varada

* Let me make it clear here that this 0 cost is a limited time offer and may not last long.

** ZoomIn ships to any doorstep in India, US, UK and Canada for now. Rest of the world will have to wait – either till ZoomIn starts shipping there or I find another provider to do something similar. Extremely sorry, rest-of-the-world!

Progress check:

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I modified this exercise just a little bit here and there to make it more like the ‘W’ in SWOT analysis.

So here’s a list of my top 10 vices that irk (some sinless) women…

1. I prefer the company of my lappy, my digicam and books to the TV.

2. When there are plumbers or carpenters or painters in our house, I am the one asking them to do things differently. Often experimenting with their tools.

3. I don’t like to wait for some male member to come over and change the light bulb. Or fix the plug. Or carry my lappy around for me.

4. I do create jewelry (and yes, it is quite beautiful) but don’t like wearing jewelry myself. I also feel uncomfortable carrying any artificial colors on my skin and nails. I like me just the way I am.

5. I like to shop but only for others. I am extremely lazy when I’ve to go get a new dress or shoes or anything for myself. The same is with beauty treatments or haircuts. Buying books is a different ball game, though.

6. I love big bikes and tall cars even SUVs. During my first US visit I was in awe of the 12 wheeler trucks and seriously envied the truckers.

7. My favorite TV channel (once in a few months when I do watch it), is Disney and not Zee TV or Star Plus. Also I can’t sit straight for 3 hours and watch a typical romance unfold in front of me with predictable twists and turns. I would rather create another pair of earrings.

8. Love to watch car racing or horse racing or even wrestling. (Yeah, John Cena!)

9. I can (barely) manage house work. But please, NO ironing. And no keeping a tab about how and when I do the cleaning and cooking.

10. I hate sitting and yapping about what’s happening in whose life. If it ain’t concerned to me, I don’t care how they do it. At the same time, if it is about me, I get involved without waiting to be asked.

11. I speak my thoughts, often thinking out loud, not really getting worried about who will think what.

12. I’ll try to do everything myself until the last moment. Only give up when I know I’ve exhausted my ways of dealing with things. (Yeah, I am working on this one! High time!!)

There. My sins. Laid bare for the whole world to see.

I am trying to change the last one, since it is causing nuisance to my own peace of mind.

Other than that, I think I am perfect! I love being me.

So, friends who have blogs, go list out similar vices for yourself and may be a couple action items. If you want to do it in the original style, head over to IHM’s blog and ask her to tag you.

Or, you could always list them out as a comment to this post! Well, why not?

Have fun!!!

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I owe each one of you a HUGE and heartfelt "thank you". I mean it.

8th July was my birthday. Completion of my 32nd summer on this blue heaven. (Yeah I know, I don’t look like 32.

And yeah again, I do count “summers” not "Sawan" as they do in Hindi. You can take a beach bum out of Goa but you cannot take the summers out of her…)

My day started with a very sweet birthday wish from my loving husband at  midnight on the day before.

Morning came with the announcement from Princess Diya – "Aaj mumma ka birthday hai, isiliye mein school nahi jaunga!".

This followed by the chorus "Happy Birthday, Chachiji" by my nieces and nephew.

The whole day my cell phone kept ringing. (and I smiled each time I picked it.).

My Gmail overflowed with notifications from facebook when people all over the world left messages. (and I smiled each time I checked the unread mails.).

Went to the temple and was greeted by a whole new picture of My Kanhaji on the wall. It was as if he dressed specially for my birthday. I was mesmerized. ("Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder…", heard somewhere?)

Then we went to get treat items for dinner party at home. When we came  back, another surprise awaited us. The kids had arranged a mouth watering pineapple cake, candles that said "32" and even balloons….

We had a blast. 

I know this was one of the most memorable birthdays I ever had. Thanks for each one of you for making it so special for me…

I know I’ve been going through rough times these last few months. It was as if my Kanhaji was flooding my day with happiness, making each of you as an instrument of His wish in communicating to me that happy days are just starting. I was overwhelmed.

I also took a moment to be introspective. Here’s what came out… (Most of this is personal, but I am counting each of you as my best friend and sharing it as-is with you. I do not mean to hurt anyone’s feelings or pass comments etc. These are just my views. At this time and place. Nothing more.)

• It is easier to change yourself than to change others.
• You only have so much time to appreciate this life. You only have so much time to value things like friendships, love. To reach out to people. To give.
• It’s pointless wasting precious time chasing things you don’t think are worthy. I don’t think giving up material pleasures entirely is the way to live. But know what you need absolutely and what you can do without.
• Envy, greed even guilt and fear are emotions not worth keeping with you.
• A super-mom lives only in myths and fairy tales. And yes in television daily soaps. So do super-employees, super-wives, super-dads, super-<anyone>. Real life is all about balance. Each of us plays multiple roles in a day. Each of us are better at something, good at something else and not-so-good at some other stuff. It’s worthless trying to be super-good at everything.
• Each person you meet is intended to bring meaning to your life. Each smile you exchange is special. Don’t waste a single opportunity to smile.
• A successful Marathi actress once mentioned in a TV show – “Apal bhav-vishva sambhalun milavlel yash mhanaje khar yash.” Meaning, “when you achieve something while taking care of your emotional universe, that is real achievement.”
• It is not that important what people think about you. What matters is what you think when you stand in front of yourself. Your inside is far more important than the whole outside world. This is the most important lesson that life has taught me.

Hmm.. The list does not end really here. But I do not want to be too 32-ish, right on day 5 of my 32. So, I’ll save the rest of my ramblings for some subsequent posts.

I do sincerely hope this post and the others on this blog are helping you in some way – some giving you a handy tip on parenting, some on practical business plans, if nothing else, at least my words are making you think some new and worthy thoughts.

If there’s anything you would like to read here, please email me at varada dot sharma at gmail dot com or drop a comment on any post. I always try to respond to comments. 

Here’s to the splendid journey called ‘L.I.F.E.”. Thanks for making it a rich and fulfilling one for me.

Love you all, can’t thank you enough…

Sincerely,
~Varada

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Princess Diya had to create a scenery made from waste materials – old pencils, bangle pieces etc. I was a little worried about this one, to be honest. How do you get a four yr old to create so much as a drawing that looks like what its label says?

Then Diya visited Mahesana – my BIL’s place and was fascinated by the fish tank they have. She kept talking about it, describing it on and on – which gave me an idea. We would (re-)create the magic of a fish tank as an “Underwater scenery” for her school work.

And so we did. Glass bangles were twisted over a candle flame to become colorful fishes. Discarded string of wool helped design a jelly fish. Old pencils, crayons with a green tape became underwater plants. The result was really stunning – check out:

Moral of this story:

Holiday homework – something most parents dread of.

Need not be so if you turn if you turn it into a fun activity.

What do you think?

Update:
Learn how to make these fishes from this post:  Glass fish from a bangle

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* When Diya first learned that we were expecting, she made it a point to talk to my tummy each night and kiss Chotu good night.

* Everyone in our locality, Diya’s school, her school-bus stop friends everyone knew that a little someone would come in our family long before the due date.

* She practiced things like collecting her stuff for bath, taking a bath, brushing etc. so she could teach the same to Siya.

* She is also giving up on some bad habits like not-washing-hands-after-playing, because she wants Siya to learn good habits. This is still work-in-progress.

* The first day Diya met Siya, she had just returned from school and then she came to visit us in the hospital. Boy, was she thrilled!!! Beyond words! An hour later when she went back she kept telling each person on her way that her little sister had come. The little one would call her, ’Diya-didi’ and the little one was so pink like a tomato and the little one was so tiny like a doll. From them on for the four days I remained hospitalized after c-section, she made it a point to come daily and talk to Siya. And yes, BTW, it was Diya who decided to name her “Siya”.

* Even now when Siya cries for anything, Diya is the first one to reach her. She’ll sit besides her and talk to her, sing rhymes etc trying to console her…

Looking at all this I am often wet-eyed (officially I am blaming it on postpartum-stress!) and I silently pray to Lord Krishna to make them love each other unconditionally like this forever. Amen.

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I am mulling over such thoughts and staring at the walls of my bedroom. Staring back at me is Winnie – The Pooh, my favorite Disney character.

I’ve always loved Pooh. He is innocent, silly, funny, crazy-for-hunny, extremely kind and a great friend to have. Things are always happening in 100-Acre-Woods where he lives with his buddies – Piglet, Tiger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Gopher, Heffalump and Christopher. They are always helping each other, discovering new things and simply being friendly. Pooh stickers on my wall are my personal reminders for just what we need to learn today.

Under the mad rat race in every field – relationships, business – everything, there’s a fundamental ingredient. We are all trying to find happiness. And we can find happiness in doing something only if our doing helps, benefits or simply pleases some real person. No technology is great for its own sake. It’s usage to people – whether it helps them grow their business or stay connected or simply have fun, is the crux. No business is successful if while doing it you are sacrificing precious time with your family. No amount of money is worth having if you cannot spend it for the people you love.

I know some of you might call me impractical, an emotional fool, but think about it for a moment and you’ll understand why I am choosing to stay hungry, stay Pooh-ish, stay with my little one as long as it takes for her to be healthy again even if it means stretching hard on my family budget.

p.s. Excuse me Rashmi Bansal, for naming this post similar to your book “Stay Hungry Stay Foolish”.

p.s. In case you are wondering, the above image is a collage of snaps from my bedroom wall. You too can order some wallies like the ones above from here.

Let me explain those two a little. I am an Indian to the core. I can (and do) love Greek food, English fiction, American (monster) trucks, Japanese furniture and crafts, Chinese calligraphy and beads and several many other from all over the globe, but deep down I have India in me. I love my country – its rich and varied heritage, culture, being a part of this colourful, soulful community. Naturally what follows is a love for all our festivals and celebrations. Being able to enjoy Diwali, Eid and Christmas in a small town in Goa is an experience unlike any other. I also love our national festivals and days – Independence day, Republic day and even Children’s day

Secondly, I simply love literature. Fiction mostly. I get really carried away, misty eyed even when I read something beautiful. (Remember Yugandhar by Shivaji Sawant? Or Heidi by Johanna Spyri?)

So when Children’s day came by this year I tried to combine these two seemingly unrelated ideas. Here’s what we did at home:

• - I scripted “Merchant of Venice” by W. Shakespeare into a skit in Hindi
  • • • – Hindi’ized it (Shylock became Thakur Ratan Singh)
      • – Slashed etcetras from the plot (I had only 5 actors, one of whom was a 3 yr old!)
        - Broke down everything into scenes, dialogues
        - Explained the story, each character and scene to my 5-actor (children) crew
      • - Our kids’ tuition teacher and her sister along with Bhaiya became our judges. Tuition teacher’s family was audience.
      • - Bhabhi took up make-up-artist-cum-hostess role.
      • - My husband Chiran put on his cameraman’s cap
      • - Practiced. Practiced. Practiced.
      • - Rehearsed. Rehearsed. Rehearsed.

      The result? It was through and through fun. Kids and elders all worked together as a team. Come to think of it, how often do we really manage that?

      

      I’ll be uploading the video shortly on YouTube. Watch this space for a link..

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      ]]> http://naari-thewoman.com/2009/11/merchant-of-venice-in-hindi/feed/ 2 http://naari-thewoman.com/2009/08/tuesday-top-5/ http://naari-thewoman.com/2009/08/tuesday-top-5/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:43:00 +0000 Varada http://naari-thewoman.com/2009/08/tuesday-top-5/ Ok, so on Tuesdays I am planning to bring to you my “top 5” list for various things. You can share yours also using comments. Who knows we might discover several ‘like-minded people’ around?

      Today, I would like to start with my “Top 5 fiction writers”.

      For a bookworm like me the choice is really difficult one. I have been reading since my mom taught me how to. Even before I went to school I loved reading and would read children’s books like “Chandoba”, stories for kids etc, of course, in Marathi. My teachers taught me English and Hindi languages and also imbibed in me a love for literature.

      I adore books. I can easily skip food and sleep to spend time with a good one. There were summer holiday times at my home when my mom would angrily tell me not to touch a book while she was awake, because once I had a book, I would sit oblivious to my surroundings. Totally lost. Not responding to her calls or anyone else’s. There are still times when I am experiencing some physical pain (like after a couple surgeries etc) and books are my pain-killers.

      I respect all writers. People who create a world with words. But here are the ones I love reading. Have ordered them in chronological order not priorities. Simply because I could not do justice to one by ranking him / her below the others.

      1. Enid Blyton – The first English books I read when I was in school were mostly “Famous Five”, “Secret Seven”, “Nancy Drew”, “Hardy Boys”. The Famous Five are my personal favorite till date. I love the way Enid Blyton describes a scene, specially the details about food items – Juicy apples and Marmalade and Strawberry Jam and Lemonades. Yummmm. Love it.

      2. Agatha Christie – The queen of mystery. Every book is a page turner. Me and my sister used to spend hours reading her books and then discussing the plot amongst ourselves. Loved the way I used to believe an innocent person was suspect until I reached last 5-10 pages. And then the plot would turn around. Yet every angle would seem absolutely logical.

      3. Sidney Sheldon – Another super story-teller. Romance, thrill, logic – you name it, you have it. His heroines reflect the epitome of female emotions.

      4. Robin Cook – Sci-fi at its best. Fever, Coma, Mutation, Abduction. Love each one.

      5. J. K. R. – My latest best. Each of her Harry Potter books was a hard-to-put-downer. The seventh was the masterpiece of the series. Have also read her “Tales of Beedle the Bard” and enjoyed it.

      So that was my list… What about yours? Got any favorites in this section? Feel free to share… Happy reading

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