I still have it...

...its been long since I worked on a glass painting, I don't work on it here in Paris as I am not sure where I can source the glass from!

I bought a cheap photo frame to create this, so I removed the glass to try something...so I finally worked on it and came up with this! Its a rose shattering against a glass...if you can't make out what the concept is about! :)

....and the crown on Buddha's head is one of the earrings - which I thought looked really pretty....and I lost the other one from the pair! I am the queen of recycling, eh? ;)

Do you like it? :)....I am mighty pleased with it coz I finished it within a half hour!

Clothes Overhaul!

...I strongly believe in getting rid of clutter, but holding on to the good things in life AND clothes! Optimum utilization is KEY....I love to do potter around and do something creative with my time...it makes me feel very productive and creating something, even if in a small way...makes a huge difference to how you feel...anyway, I digress!

So I have this old top that I bought in Singapore a long time back, which shrunk in size over several washes...but I love these chinese accents on it! 

So I got rid of the top I had "outgrown", but cut out these beautiful and vibrant accents....

....attached them to a plain silk top in black....and Voila!

I have an interesting new top and I retained the lovely embroidery patches too! Ingenious, you say? I KNOW!! :P

9 years of...love and happiness(mostly!)

S makes his yearly visit to the blog...I have always maintained...he is a man of few words, but they are always profound and astute! 

I thought long and hard since J asked me to write another piece for our 9^th anniversary but wait…no, that’s not true at all! Neither did I have to think long nor very hard since it all came to me when…

I awoke early this morning to the soft pitter-patter of summer rain outside our bedroom window. Then, I was jolted awake by the rumbling of the washing machine (it hasn’t been installed properly so it makes a hell of a racket). Once that was fixed, I lay awake in bed listening to blissful heartbeats asleep next to me.  Soon (too soon), there was bright sunlight streaming through brushing aside the rain, only for the rain to make a sweeping comeback announced by rolling thunderclaps.

I mused at how these early morning minutes were like our partnership: serene, raucous, frantic, peaceful, dazzling and thunderous.  In our years together, we have had pretty much all of this and more. 

Of course, when you go to sleep, you know you will get up fresh the next morning and when it starts to rain, you know that it will be sunny eventually (even in these grey European climes!). But, in life, there is only love, hope and trust that take us through to “the other side” of whatever cloud we’re under.  I have always felt we are like the Sun to each other – you know that it is there always even if you can’t always see it. As time passes by, it’s like a piece of you that grows a little each day and you don’t even realize it’s there.  

9…2003…2012…numbers like any other but for us, they are all special...the last 9 years have been quite special (see my 2011 post to pursue this line of thought). Is it 9 years already? This is the first year in a very long time that we have not travelled outside of “home” in the first 6 months of the year as its been so busy since the start!   

This is the first time we are in a place that we have been before on our anniversary. We spent the day watching a movie (in a theatre after a long time!), shopping and just wandering around the city, which was a welcome change! This is the first time J lost a bet to me and actually admitted it (she bet on Djokovic). And it’s our first 9^th anniversary! Lots of firsts in 2012 and we’re not yet ½-way through the year!

2003 changed both of our lives in a way we would never have imagined, in a good way. There were so many pleasant surprises along the way: for example, before I met J, I could never have imagined a person calling me to say “can you come and pick me up? I’m out of gas and standing on the side of the road and there’s a tree here” :P . And little did we imagine then that we would spend our evenings gazing out over Parisian rooftops at probably the most famous monument in the world from our living room…

and 2012? it’s all change now again… Just like the number 9 is what you get when you add the digits of any multiple of 9, we will keep coming back to this year in many ways…

so, I look forward to getting up tomorrow and many more days after to the soft pitter-patte of summer rain outside our bedroom window knowing that, there is more to come…                             

P.S. - S writes some beautiful poetry on his blog, if you would like to read...click here! 

Accessorizing my personality!

Offlate, I am really drawn to quirky pieces of jewellery....everyday stuff that is interesting and unusual in a way that brings a smile on your face and reflects your personality...not make you wonder what's wrong with this woman, mind you!

I love how gold complements my skintone, but I prefer the matte gold as opposed to too-shiny-in-the-face kinda gold! I found this really cute collar necklaces on www.asos.com , I am in love with it and wear it to work with bright summery tops/blouses. It really brightens up the entire ensemble!

I love turquoise and have many bold and chunky necklaces or "statement necklaces" in the same color and I picked most of them from my trip to India! :) It goes well with a plain white shirt or top! 

Here's another one that's really cute - its a moustache, of course I prefer my man clean-shaven for sure! It makes for a nice change to brighten a Monday morning, what say?

I loved this "peace and love" pendant with the very girly sort of detailing in it, makes it look very feminine and pretty...

I picked this up in Bangalore from India coz the pendant has an elephant aka my favorite God Ganesha or "the Elephant God" as people here in Paris tend to refer to him...its really cute and brings out the child in me....

I fell in love with this claw bracelet, beware - i might dig into you if you rub me the wrong way! ;)

My Super Mom (Amma!)

I feel there is a lot of beauty in calling her "Amma" in my mother tongue rather than calling her "Mummy" or "mom"...hence the revised title!

On my way back home yesterday, I could'nt help feeling emotional as I kept thinking about my teen years. When I became 'sweet 16', my mom did the sweetest thing for me. She went to Hyderabad with her friend before my birthday for some occasion....and came back and gifted, not one or two, but 16 dresses!!!!! She was like, I wanted your 16 to be very special for you! :-) I was so touched by her thoughtful sweet gift!


My mom/dad have always been really loving and thoughtful, despite being strict most of the times. I remember when i was 13 or 14, my mom got transferred to Bangalore, and she had to go due to circumstances. My brother and I, stayed with my dad and he took very good care of us. I would cry everytime she came visiting over weekends and when she had to go back...So my dad surprised me the next morning. I woke up to my mom fondly waking me up lovingly with endearments and calling me her sweet little baby....I was thinking I must be dreaming...Amma is in Bangalore, so how can i hear her voice? Actually, my dad had recorded her voice and she spoke to me like she was right there with me...and every day he would wake me up with that recording...When we got back from school, he was very thoughtful and engaged us in learning the 'Hanuman Chalisa'...my brother and I sang the whole shlokas in some time to my Mom in a few days time and her face lit up with happiness....it was worth the effort. Appa did everything he could so that we did not miss Amma too much.

I remember staying with my Perima ( my mom's elder sister) one weekend and crying to see my mom...she was like 'Come to me, darling! I will hug you!" I was such a mean thing and said 'But your sari does not smell like my mom's! I want amma...'!!! She (my perima) is no more but I always think of her as a person with genuine love and affection for me.I think about it now and can't stop feeling bad about my behavior. But at that point, i could'nt fully understand why Amma had to be away from us. She must have been miserable already staying away from her husband and kids. To top it all, if i cried everytime she left, I am sure she would go back to Bangalore very miserable too...I wonder how she coped with it all and remained cheerful and happy, it would make me insane to be in a situation like that. Amma is a very strong woman.
That kind of selfless love, only comes from a parent, I guess!! :-) I feel so blessed when I think of my awesome parents! I am what I am because of them...( I turned out pretty ok, me thinks!) ;-)

Edited to add: Amma in her stylish avataar when she visited us in Paris in 2010!

www.shopo.in

P.S - I WON the contest! Yay!! 

Indian jewellery with a twist!

...my newest acquisition...after the neli ring, is this pearl beauty! I love it as it combines the traditional kundan pendant with a cluster of pearl strings - which makes it really modern yet ethnic! :)

I am a pearl junkie and have a variety of jewellery in pearls, including multitude of traditional pearl strings (thanks to Amma!)...to contemporary pearl strings in grey that can be paired even with western outfits - which I do tend to wear to work sometimes!...and I am very lucky in the fact that they are ALL gifts from family or friends! ;)
  

...here's adding another treasure to my kitty, and for once something I did BUY! :)

Organizing Fetish!

...and a fetish I am glad I developed! I have grown fond of organizing all my stuff and especially how it makes life easier and "sorted"!

After organizing my dressing table here, I tackled the bathroom with its numerous appliances we both use, well mostly I use! ;) The hair dryer, straightener, curler, S's electric shaver and other sundry toiletries that we tend to use on a daily basis and stuff that can be all over the place! So finally, I managed to put it all together like this and "brand" it in my own style!

I bought this online from www.littlewoodseurope.com if anybody is interested...

I have a bunch of artificial creepers that I bought long back, I added that to give the room a touch of "greenery and nature". :) We are pretty sorted and "safe" now that there aren't wires hanging everywhere and its all neatly stowed away after use!

Spring is the time of plans and projects...

...as sunlight peeks into our lives slowly...we are waking up to the warmth and sunshine and are definitely more cheerful! I can never say it enough...I never ever thought I would long for sunshine so much....this year has been pretty busy from the start, yet I have managed to complete tiny projects around our home, which always brings me joy! :)

 

I deliberately chose a pastel coloured frame to offset the blue in the painting and it adds the right "springy" effect to the room...

I bought these 2 prints of Van Gogh that I loved, when we went to Amsterdam to bring in my big 3-0! Finally, I got it framed and it brings a pop of colour to our room, and we wake up with a smile in our little fairy land! I love our bedroom - it totally looks like our very own  little paradise! One of the print is this - of almond branches and another one is the very popular "Cafe de nuit" ( which means cafe at night!). Our home in Paris has this painting in a big frame and I loved it, so I bought one to take back to our own home in India! :)

These white orchids are one of my gifts from S this birthday in March! I loved it coz its going to be around for a while! I get really sad when fresh flowers wilt and don't really last long! S was super thoughtful and got me the plant too! So they adorn my kitchen window and cheer us up in the mornings as we have our cup of java or chai! :D

Have I changed?

...of course I have...we all change over a period of time! Some of us change drastically - I would like to think I have changed for the better...I always observe that I react differently to a situation now, than I did in the past...I don't waste my time or go out of my way to ponder over something that is not within my control anymore , and this is something I have to learnt to let go consciously. Especially, with people or "friends"! Its impossible to please EVERYONE - PERIOD. I have realized that its not absolutely essential that every single individual should like me or vice versa, and agree with my point of view or vice versa. Finally, I understand the phrase " agree to disagree"! :)

My mind is never free - I am always thinking about something or the other...and since I moved to Paris, I realize that I enjoy the silence and the quiet times here a lot more now. Initially, I missed the hustle-bustle back home and missed all the familiar noises. Now, it irritates me when someone talks loudly on the Metro or when a group of people make a lot of noise. While, I have been guilty of all that sometime back... I no longer feel, I need to voice my opinion or views all the time, any longer! I feel that I need to talk or be heard - selectively! Of course, I am still close to the people I love and am very vociferous with them...except I don't feel the same way with everyone...in that aspect, I have indeed changed! :)

As I read through this, I have to admit that I feel I am slowly removing all the clutter in my mind - slowly but steadily and its definitely a good change! Its been very busy since the beginning of this year - and I have not written much on the blog this year...here's to making a start with something...

I feel sLOVEnia!

...this is the slogan for you guessed it right, Slovenia! ....and what a beauty she is! :) S and I, didn't really plan our holiday too well and on a whim decided to head eastwards! While all our friends were very surprised about our choice, we can't imagine why the country is not a popular travel destination! People are very friendly, the country is gorgeous and blessed with tons of natural beauty!

As always, I brought along something to remember the lovely times in Slovenia! I have been eyeing this ceramic drawers on various sites and wondering how to get one, for myself! When I saw this...in a store and fell in love instantly! Its a unique piece, just like I am! :P

Each drawer is very colorful and is BEA-U-TI-FUL! S gets his share too, maybe one draw? :)

I love the ornate wood carvings on top and it holds all my little , pretty bottles of heaven - which by the way - are ALL gifts! I have never bought myself a perfume in a long time! :)

 

I love chimes and the soft clink-clank of it as the wind blows! Its very pleasant and calming. Though, here the weather here does not permit us to open the windows right now - back home in Pune, the balcony with the swing was filled with chimes of all kinds - all around and we were referred to as the house with all kinds of bells! :) I remember S taking a conference call from home once, and everyone asked him where the lovely sounds came from? 

...This is my first post this new year, and I am all excited and filled with wonder and hope, that it is filled with loads of love, happiness, good health, peace and everything warm, bright and motivating as these lovely tea-light candles! :)

The year that was...2011!

It's nice to go back in time and reminisce how the year passed by...and the first thing that comes to my mind is that it whizzed by....whoooosshhhh!!

Though the year began with uncertainties about where we would be living, work and all other important things that affect our lives, by God's grace, things settled down favorably and S and I, both happily settled in our respective jobs. God has been kind to us, just that it takes time to understand and acknowledge his blessings. Human, that I am! :)

We did a lot of traveling this year too and visited some gorgeous countries - birthday in London, wedding anniversary in Berlin (Germany), a reasonably long trip back home for a big milestone - brother's wedding, weekend getaways to Bruges, Ghent, the French Ardennes, and a lovely year-end holiday in gorgeous Slovenia ( this country needs a lot of marketing for its gorgeousness, which calls for a new dedicated post altogether). I must say, we are super blessed to visit and experience the beauty of gorgeous places, nature and the lovely people and culture everywhere...we are indeed thankful.

I was so excited about my brother's wedding throughout the year that when it actually did happen, it was all over in the blink of an eye and we were back home too! :) I am so excited and happy that he is a married man now. The highlight of this year, for sure! After several years, we managed to see my SIL and her family and the adorable kids - and it was an awesome reunion of laughter, love and good memories for S and I, short and sweet! :)

We have found a lovely friendship in C and P, and they bring a lot of happiness and love into our lives and we are very grateful to have met them! They are such a lovely couple, bless them...In fact, last year, C was here spending time with many others, and it was good fun! Good times...

Wishing you and I, a very beautiful beginning in the new year - of new memories, new friendships, abundance of love and happiness, excellent health and may all our dreams come true! Looking forward to some wonderful new beginnings in 2012! Godspeed! 

For the blog, I am going to start 2012 afresh - with a new template! :)

Girly girl!

Until a couple of years ago, I had no clue about make up or eyeshadows or any of the paraphernalia that is available in the market, and most definitely would not know what an eyelash curler is....reminds me of the girls making fun of Anne Hathaway in The Devil wears Prada! Of course, I did use the occasional foundation/eyeliner/lipstick on occasions...nothing more than that!

Anyway, after we moved to Paris, I couldn't help but notice all the beautiful colors around me and especially, when you see all the lovely cosmetics laid out beautifully in every store - the girl in me has to stop and look, evince interest and finally BUY! ;). 

So many women wear the right makeup here and it enhances their gorgeous faces and I changed my mind. I am slowly building up my collection from MAC (gasp!) and I must admit, I just love getting ready for work and can't wait to put on all the colors in the palette!!!!! :D

Though many people tend to pooh-pooh make up, I truly believe its an art! Its akin to a painting, except its your face or personality.  You can wear a different persona every other day! I just have fun with it, the key is not to take it too seriously. 

Of course, I am definitely not one of those people who refuses to go out sans make up. I do believe, I am naturally beautiful, both outside and from within...but then life would be boring, if it was all plain and vanilla?...make up adds that colour and makes your features 'pop'!

I tried a smoky eye and after much deliberation decided to put it up here, just for kicks! :) It needs a lot of practice to get a finished look, I know... I will get there....soon!

 Edited to add:

Stylish and Chic! ( In my personal opinion and stuff I have learnt over the years...)

•  Do not pluck your eyebrows into a thin line, it makes you look worn out and older - You do NOT want that, I am sure! 
• Refrain from wearing clothes with rhinestones and stay away from plastic earrings or any other accessory - they are really tacky!
• Puff sleeves and jackets or blazers with paddings are a big no-no, unless you are really tiny and petite! They are not flattering in any sense, even if the fashion magazines make it out to be a major trend!
• Waist coats are a very classy way to brighten up a dull top or sweater - my personal favorite and style (if you have noticed!). They are very fashionable and practical too!
• I fill up an empty spraying bottle with rose water to clean my face - it is a great cleansing medium, keeps you feeling fresh and moisturizes as well!
• The Holy grail -  Moisturize, Moisturize and MOISTURIZE!
  

DIY Memorabilia

On our holiday to Austria back in 2009, we visited Vienna. We bought this lovely (The Kiss) painting by Gustav Klimt, in the form of a ceramic tile as a memorabilia! We have a huge collection of fridge magnets from all our travels and it is our most prized collection! (that requires another post!)

Anyway, It has been lying around for a long time and I wanted to make sure it is not lost over the years, in some insignificant corner or lost in transit when we move homes! Its a small piece and to get it framed was such a pain AND when we did find someone, it cost 10 times more than the tile itself! So I set out doing it myself!

1. I bought a standard picture frame and removed the glass.
2. I also bought a plain textured wrapping paper ( I wanted something that looked grand, enhance the painting, not be a distraction!)
3. I wrapped the cardboard in the matte-gold textured wrapping paper.
4. The ceramic tile had a velvet patch on the back and it was convenient to stick it on to the wrapped cardboard.
5. Finally, I put it all into the frame, and voila!...

 

P.S - I have not been very successful in sourcing glass slabs, so I can use the one that came with the picture frame, to work on a glass painting! :D Two birds with a single stone!!!

Accessorizing intelligence!

I love wearing different accessories and I feel it adds zing to your personality. Now that winter is here to stay, I wear dark colours and full sleeved sweaters and tops, and long chains, necklaces and pendants add some colour to a plain garment! Remember that the focus is on the chain or necklace that makes a "statement", which means you have to tone down on everything else! :)

I have noticed these cute "owl pendants" a lot on many fashionable women....but they  all looked the same, and I didn't want to be added to the common crowd! 

But one afternoon, before work, I planned to meet a friend for quick catch-up and some coffee. I arrived early at our meeting point, so I browsed around and found these lovely statement necklaces AND they were on sale ( only the one with the pearls was a bargain)!

The owl pendant in a crystal is something I have never seen, and it was really unique, pretty and MINE! Bien sûr, it has to be!  Right?

I wore it to work and my colleague made a comment that its a symbolic representation of intelligence and knowledge in Greek mythology! :) I was intrigued and googled it to find that its absolutely true...how cool is that?

It reads that in Greek mythology, the owl, and specifically the Little Owl, was often associated with the Greek goddess Athena, a bird goddess who often assumed the form of an owl. Athena was also the goddess of wisdom, the Arts, and skills, and as a result, owls also became symbols of teaching and of institutions of learning, being included in the crest of arms of many universities. In the Western world, owls continue to be traditionally associated with wisdom. They are the unofficial mascot of the high-IQ...

I have a big stand that holds a variety of these statement necklaces now, and they do make any dull garment interesting and make me all charged up as well...who needs diamonds and rubies? :)

Itching to be creative...

I miss working on glass painting that I used to freely work on - one after the other, back in India! In Paris, I am not sure where I can get slabs of glass from...Anyway, this weekend, S and I were busy rearranging the furniture, cleaning and clearing all the clutter from the busy weeks we had....when I found a pile of pebbles I collected from NICE, in the south of France!

I coloured each pebble in a vibrant colour and put them together in this clay Uruli, Amma gifted me when she came to Pune! :)

Its difficult to grow plants as its winter, but I don't give up! Actually, the coriander-hoarder in me does not give up....so I built a space on the balcony around the colourful pebbles. I have loads of little coloured pebbles and small knick-knacks that I have collected over the years...and never really get rid of!

...Slowly, I added the Rajasthani men too....along with the christmas pinecones!

....and now I have something to cheer me up....as I look along outside, with a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower and sip coffee, read a book or talk to S!

Wrought Iron Accents!

I love anything in Wrought Iron...I feel it adds a unique charm to any space and has a nice contemporary feel to it too. Some time back, when I scoured through every home store in Paris for a dressing table for a "budget", I came back with this...though it was slightly expensive! :) I never disappoint the shop owner....:P

It gives a nice earthly feel to that corner of my home, and I think it can look nice, wherever we move too! :) I am sort of confined, in terms of space here in Paris as compared to our own spacious home, back "home"! Not that it stops me from working on improvisations!

I saw some lovely wall sculptures and wall hooks, and some amazing ideas - just need another room! :D To give you an example, I am loving this...very unique and "inspirational", yet modern!

(Picture courtesy: www.ironaccents.com)
If you live in the U.S, you should definitely look it up, I was browsing online and found them! They have an amazing collection of everything under the sun in iron! :)...no, I am not being paid to plug this in...I genuinely feel its a great site with some interesting products to offer...

P.S - The wall clock is a lovely gift for S from his team in India, when we came to Paris and the twin tower hanging is ....from Prague, duh! :) Our memorabilia from that lovely mystical place that did not disappoint one bit! We are very blessed to see so much beauty in our lives! Truly!

Obsessive Compulsive Organizing - OCO!

Being married to S, has brought a big change in me...and that is, from being someone not too organized, I have become obsessed with organizing and keeping everything in order! Be it my clothes, accessories or maquillage! ;)

For a long time now, I have been looking for a proper dressing table coz all my costume jewellery, skin care stuff, my precious make up and everything else is scattered in the bathroom, bedroom and in every nook and corner possible! I wanted it all in one place, and where I can actually find things when I want to wear something!  

I searched for a dressing table everywhere and it was either too expensive, too big or not something I was looking for! Finally, S came up with this brilliant idea to combine this that I already have, buy a similar storage unit, and simply combine it - it totally worked! Everything fits into it. And the bonus is that, it looks colourful, feminine and really MY style! :) As I blog about it, I realize it has gone through many improvisations! It worked out financially too well...coz it was really inexpensive and hence we are in consumer surplus status! :D

The quirky stool was something I bought on a whim, but it fits really well with the entire setup now. Isn't it cute?

I have looked heaven and earth to find a suitable stand for all my earrings! Finally, I found this on www.buyincoins.com and the cosmetic-jewellery-junkie in me, is finally at peace! :D They take at least 3 weeks to deliver, but I was sold out on the free shipping policy and the fact that the prices are bloody cheap.

The rate at which I am buying Buddha figurines, our home will soon be called "The Buddha Home", coz including this one we have 3 already!

On our weekend trip to Bruges of all places, we found this epitome of calm and tranquility in Belgium! The texture of the stone is unique and the facial expression is of utmost importance to me. S loved it too and I promised that I would lug it around wherever we go, but I WANT it! :)

I am loving the fact that peace and calm reigns in every corner of our home now, literally and figuratively! Can you feel it too? :)

Mixing and Matching Fashionably!

You can never have enough of clothes or shoes, right? Right! But sometimes, I have too many things unused and some of my favorite pieces get lost in all the excess! So I decided  to mix it up and wear things differently. 
Anyway, here's what I do, so that I can "maximize the potential and value" of my clothes and persona! ;)

I bought these really inexpensive singlets in the U.K in fiery red and a mellow biege, which I pair with this sort of translucent top with sleeves, and it gives it a nice retro vibe and spices the top!
I also picked up these skirts in cotton and knits to use them in summer and winters respecitvely, that look great when paired with flip flops or boots, depending on the season!

Cargo skirts are apparently in vogue, I didn't even realize I had picked one until I saw one in Vogue later ;) The "cargo" tag comes from the fact that the skirt has large pockets on either side of the skirt. (not clearly seen in the picture!)


With stockings or leggings, they make a style statement in winters! I am very fond of waist coats and tend to pair them with a plain simple top. It not only adds pizzazz to an otherwise boring sweater, but also adds warmth in the cold! By combining different garments to make different outfits, you can also save space during travel.


Cowl neck tops double up as a top and as a scarf during winter! I bought this top with the same idea, however it turned out to be a short one! 

So I wore it with a sweater and again, here's an interesting way to mix n match and "maxi" mize! So you can give the scarf or stole a miss, and in this case, black and white is monochromatic and goes well with almost all dark colors! I paired it with a pencil skirt and dialled down on the "formal" tone.

Third Consecutive Diwali in Paris!

I celebrate Diwali every year, here and here in Paris...I realized its high time I stopped moping that I miss home ( read India!) and start celebrating Diwali in its true spirit this year too! So this year I prepared in advance and decided to make the most of it, though its a regular working day here in Paris.

I must admit, in all these years of being married, this Diwali was the first one, I actually made sweets at home and it turned really well, and it was done in less than 10 minutes! I hope to share the doodh pedhas with some of my friends here.

Nowadays, we buy clothes ALL the time and don't really wait for a festival to shop nowadays. So its our own little diwali tradition to buy  something new for our home, every year now!

For better posture, we  swapped the low-lying couch for the flexible bed-cum-couch for frequent use.The advantage with this one, is that I can change the "upholstery" as much as I can change the numerous curtains in our home and it is a welcome change, for sure! This time, I bought a beautiful set of satin duvet and pillowcase covers as our "upholstery" for our living room furniture.

The deal breaker was the red pintucks and the lovely purple detailing on the duvet! :)

We went grocery shopping over the weekend to the Indian area in Paris. S had brought along some watches to replace the batteries in them. There is a jewellery shop who also does this for us. So I was just looking at some earrings there - but of course! I loved this cute little ring and have been wanting some thing permanent that I can wear all the time for my second piercing! We got this for me, and well its something new for Diwali too! :)


There is an interesting background to my second piercings. I wanted to do three things after I got married and I told S that its something I have always wanted to do...When he heard it, he smiled and said "of course" , coz I guess he thought they were simple wishes or he just wanted to indulge the child in me?

I wanted to colour my hair, have another piercing in my ear and wear coloured lenses. I never really did the last one, even i felt they were silly! Amma would not allow any piercings coz she thinks it looks like a kurathi ( gypsy?). I find it really feminine and very cute!

I got it done in Bangalore earlier as soon as I got married, but it hit some nerve badly and I had terrible headaches - so I let it close. I got it pierced again in Paris sometime last year and it was much better - it was with a surgical needle and there was hardly any pain. I often think if I want another one? ;-)

I came back from work to quickly light up the diyas and candles at home, and then later, was going to meet my lovely friends for dinner at Saravana Bhavan ( our only source for some comfort food, when we crave authentic south indian food, and i don't want to cook!)...

Wishing all of you a very happy and prosperous Diwali! May the sparkling lights drive away all the darkness from your lives, and light up your mind, body and soul with positivity, happiness and lovely thoughts!