Thinking Colors

Still a few days to go before Holi and I am already thinking about colors. To the extent that I almost bought some over the weekend that went by. It has been stated earlier here at Kreative Korner and I re-state that I L-O-V-E Holi. The festival brings with it fun and colorful memories of childhood, making it special.

When I say I am thinking about colors, it's not restricted to Holi celebration. I am actually thinking of adorning the walls of the house with some of my paintings. Hope to get there soon.

Meanwhile, here's the latest one. For the first time I mixed digital with traditional. I am still not very comfortable with acrylics and there I was trying to add in some digital art. A newbie at both! The result is for you to judge! Click here to buy the prints. 

Red-Orange-Green-Blue-Purple-Yellow-Orange.... Ready to Paint the World!!

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A New Beginning

Did you know 'Swabhimaan' was directed by Mahesh Bhatt and written by Shobha De? Well, I did not, unless I read it on the latter's blog earlier today. This also reminds me of another very popular TV show of yesteryears 'Shanti', were the lead character was played by a very confident and charming - Mandira Bedi.

I know I have had quite a few female-oriented posts in the recent past ( part of growing up, I guess) but this one is not. Except that I wanted to share a very beautifully crafted article by none other than Shobha De. I know, it would not be easy for some of you to connect to the post because of the wide difference in our lifestyle and culture but this just might be your window to the life in India. Happy reading!

Year after tiresome year, women the world over believe the 8^th of March is ‘their day’. That some sort of miracle will take place and hey presto! It will be a beautiful world for women. This past year has been particularly awful for us. From Malala in Pakistan, to Nirbhaya in India, defenceless, innocent women were used for target practice…. used, abused, raped, beaten and murdered in cold blood. And yet, isn’t it amazing that women can still find it within themselves to smile and carry on? Take our Sunila. She is twenty and pregnant. She may or may not be married. But she refers to someone as ‘mera pati’ (translation: 'my husband'). She is part of the Bai Brigade (Domestic helps) of Mumbai. The hard working, incredibly resourceful women who toil in tony homes and go back to their men late in the evening, to continue toiling and slaving some more. Her mother works in the same complex and guess what ? She is also pregnant. Click to read more.

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Just in case you decided to come back from a pro's page to this naive blogger's, I have a few pictures to share from my garden.

Not a big fan of Bougainvillea but who wouldn't like a low maintenance plant that
adds colors to the garden.

 Succulent love!

We give weeds an equal chance and get cute flowers in return :)

Then there are these babies, of which I have no idea. Waiting eagerly for them to grow and hoping that they don't turn out to be just weeds!

There is hardly a garden without a touch of yellow! Right?

Looks like I'll soon have some organic coriander (cilantro) seeds.

No idea what this is but the tiny seeds with only a spec of black look interesting!

And when you fall short of pots and planters... make one!! 

Converted a pet bottle into a planter by cutting off the top and drilling a few hole at the bottom to drain out excess water. Home for mint leaves, now.

Winters is usually a good time for plants in India. Somehow this was not the story of my garden. The plants dried and died, god knows why! But I am sure we'll have a blooming garden during the spring :)

Winter wears have been shed and would soon be packed and done with for the year. I'll miss my scarves but not as much as I am happy to get rid of woolens.

Have a happy, blooming, colorful and cheerful spring y'all!

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Pinspirational Thursday, Open House Party,

Women, Multitasking and their Relationship

Celebrating womanhood - One of my sketches

I have always looked up to my mother for her ability to manage all the worlds so well. In the near 50 years of her life, she has been able to set a benchmark not only for her two daughters but many. She was right there when her kids needed her. Stood by her husband. Attentive to her in-laws' calls and a perfect support for her aging parents. She did and continues to do, full justice to her passion for arts and crafts, while making sure that the house looks perfect. The list of items she prepares in her kitchen is ever growing. And this is not it! She grasped the chance to prove her professional skills by heading an educational institute and inspiring thousands of people around her. What's more, she is even adapting to the ever-changing technology :)

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The multitasking capability in computers was surely inspired by the life of women. Prioritizing, executing, perfection, passion, none is compromised. On the occasion of Women's Day, I salute all the wonderful ladies around the globe, who are working day-in and day-out to make this world a better place.

Yesterday, in my office mailbox, I had an email from company HR with a link to some counselling sessions and articles. 'Counselling' is for the depressed, is the general notion around here. On a busy day, I would have ignored that mail but since yesterday was comparatively light, I clicked on the link. Worth the read! 

Sharing some thoughts:

1) YOU ARE IMPORTANT TOO: 

Don't you often leave the bigger piece of the cake for your kid? Isn't the last egg poached for the husband? Haven't the warm bowl of soup been served to the elderly and when you sat with yours it was already cold and lacked taste? Don't you keep the bread from last night for yourself, while serving fresh to all the others on the table? Haven't you skipped breakfast because preparing lunch boxes for everyone took you more time than regular? Ladies, you are important just as the others in the family are! Serve yourself equally. And it's not only about meals! You need rest and sleep just as everyone else does. You need your happy hours too. Once in a while, catch up on your favorite movie and hang out with your friends, not his.

2) PERFECTION IS ONLY AS YOU SEE IT:

Let yourself loose. It's OK to be at fault at times. The speck of dust that you are worrying about will probably go unnoticed by the guest. Your nail paint need not match your dress every day. The dinner table can do without that extra dish being served. You need not be super-good at all the things at the same time.

3) DECIDE & DIVIDE

Work with your spouse on splitting the household jobs between both of you. Remember, not to overlook the things that he is already taking care of. There are dimensions of which I have never had to think about because my husband takes care of it so gracefully and silently.

4) ORGANIZE:

Notes help, be it on a piece of paper or your hand-held gadget. Make lists. Jot down the grocery list and keep the to-do list handy. Do not over-load your brain with things that technology can help you with.

Suggestion: Try Cozi, an app for smartphones. Works for me us!

5) SET PRIORITIES:

We all want to be perfect wives, super-moms, get promotions at work and be best dressed for parties. The fact is you cannot put it all in one bag, at the same time. Too much too do and only 24 hours! The universal wish of 'more hours in a day' will not be granted, girls. Make the best of what is at hand. Look around. Decide what needs you and what you need the most. Work accordingly.

6) FEEL FREE TO TAKE HELP:

Now this is something that I need to do myself. I do not like to ask others for help. I'd rather do things myself than get it done by others. I feel awkward to even give instructions to my maid. Need to change this. Had it not been for my mother-in-law and husband's insistence, I would have been doing half of what my domestic help does now. Which means, I would have had no time to write this post (and more!).

7) MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER:

There are several ways of doing the same thing. Choose the option that saves your time and energy. Eating out once in a while does not harm. Trusting others with the kids is just fine. A tip for kitchen, cook the chopped vegetables in microwave for a couple of minutes before adding them to the pan on flame. Saves the overall cooking time. Keep your list handy when out for grocery shopping. Teach your kids to take care of their little things. At work, be cautious of people who might be using you to get their work done. Happens all the time, isn't it ;)

When we talk of multitasking women, I'd rather see us all cheerful and smiling while managing our worlds than be grumpy. Choose your life!

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And before I leave to attend to my call of multitasking for the weekend, there is something that I need to share. When I talk about all that mom has achieved, one man that needs special mention is Dad. The support he has extended to mom is remarkable. The duo form a perfect team that has made our lives beautiful. Truly said, a family is how the relation between the members is! Sanket and I are working together, everyday to put together a happy life for us. Wish us luck!

To all the men reading this, extend your support to the women in your life. A woman is what her man makes her believe she is!

February Fotos

It's time to unveil the pictures from last month- February. Unlike a lot of sincere and dedicated bloggers, who do a round-up on all the posts that were made in the month, this one is different. I hardly have posts that would need recaps ;)

What we do here at Kreative Korner, is to pull out the pictures from phone, which yearn for some show-casing. This also allows me to tell you all what I have been upto, which may or may not be discussed in the previous posts.

Easy?

Over to the pictures to do the talking!

The month had a very crafty start. A visit to the International Crafts Fair at Surajkund, Faridabad made me drool at every stall. The event was marked with immense talent and huge crowd, both trying to over-power each other. I wanted to do a separate post on this but the month ended before I actually could. Hope to make up in the coming days because I cannot hold myself from sharing the pictures of all the handicraft at the fair. 

From a pottery stall

February post without hearts and love? Just not possible. Glimpse of the Valentine's Day card. Read more at All About Red

On a recent visit to a cousin's place, I managed to get this picture of their daughter's favorite doll.

I love Barbies. Do you? More to come in future post. 

Mermaid Barbie- I wish I had one too - too old for the wish, is it?

Now comes the best part of February 2013. Our visit to my parents in Kuwait.

Aerial view - makes me want to walk on clouds. Do you fantasize about it too?

Walk on the clouds?

February-Kuwait-Parent and their Wedding anniversary. Read more here.

Card for mom-dad

I would not usually post two pictures from the same occasion but honestly, I wanted to flaunt my thrifty self, in case you missed it here. 

Shopping bag used for gift wrapping.

It was a good time to be in Kuwait and see the nation celebrate their freedom.

Bangles to match the colors on the flag of Kuwait

I love to be on the beach than anywhere else. During my stay at Kuwait, I kept humming "Let's go to the beach beach!" and was heard by the ones who love me. Went to the beach on 3 out of 9 days :D 

Got those stones

Tacobell, the most visited food joint while we were in US. 

While we have Subways, a kin to Pancheros, Papa Johns and Burger Kings at every few steps in Gurgaon, Tacobell is yet to come. Showed our loyalty at the first chance that we got in Kuwait - valcano nachos, cheesy fiesta potatos, a 7-layer burrito and bottomless drinks! 

yummm

That's Liberation Tower, Kuwait for you. 

A decent click for an iPhone. What say?

While out for shopping, I actually tried one of those. Not as uncomfortable as they appear to be but I still could not convince myself to buy one. Anybody heard of anyone falling from 'that' height! 

Pumped up heels

A visit to my favorite store- Ikea! Well, after Michael's may be. May be not. Anyway! 

Sanket and I liked this and might (just might) get this done in our house someday!

Wow... So this is all I had for my monthly round-up. Do you have a similar post? Do leave a link in the comments section below for me and my friends to read.

Merry March :) C'ya...

February Fun

Every February 25, saw my sister and me pulling out all the money we had and planning for Mom-Dad's wedding anniversary. This was the only day in the year when we would not ask our parents for money and 'hide' things from them ;) I shared one of the stories here.Time changed this trend. We now live in three different geographical locations, which makes such celebrations difficult. However, I had a new partner-in-planning this year, Sanket. We were with mom-dad on their 29th year of togetherness. Touchwood! My sister could have been a part as well, only if she had not lost her passport on the very last day **sigh** Next time, hopefully!!As for this year, gifts and card flew in to Kuwait from India and so did we. The cake was searched for and was included in the celebrations on the last minute. Photo session followed by Indian food in Arabic land.Sneak-peak for y'all....

We'll begin from where it started. The card! All it took me to make this card was to beat laziness.

Ideas kept hitting me the moment I stepped out of the bed.

First use of stencils that I got from my mom-in-law.

 

The coffee mugs I brought for my parents came in ugly boxes.

Sanket had got the other gifts wrapped to match the colors on the card and

I had none to wrap the mugs to go with the theme.

I hated the idea of handing them over in the condition they were.

And like they say... necessity is the mother of all inventions...I found these superb wrapping papers.

Decent and good looking. Know what this is? Paper bag from a leading Indian store.

Did not want to do away with the ropes and hence the handles **wink**

 

Cake cutting... part of it after years! Ah, how I missed it.

And this was not it... Kuwait celebrates it's National Day on 25 February, which added to our celebration fun.

Children were seen on the streets with water guns in hands, the teens danced to the tunes of mesmerizing Arabic music and the adults enjoyed from a distance watching the young ones happy.

The city was adorned with Kuwaiti national flags and lights.

A good time to be here and feel the joy.

 

Though we are no nationals, we abode by the theory- when in Rome Kuwait, do as Romans Kuwaitis do and that is why you see two scarfs around Sanket's neck and mismatch bangles on me. In the spirit of freedom **smiles**

Question for y'all... especially those who hop around and shop in India.Which store is the paper bag used to wrap the gifts from!Let us all see who is the most observant shopoholic among us all.

 

 

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