Happy Holi friends!   One of the most colourful festivals of India.  I however, desist from playing holi cause I find it too messy...This was my special Rangoli for the occassion and enjoyed making it.

The other day, I went to the main vegetable market, where veggies are sold at wholesale rates.  Plus the freshness of the vegetables makes you go crazy.  I literally had a strained shoulder the next day.  You can imagine, how much I bought.  Corn was just too fresh and difficult to resist not buying.  So I bought around 3 kgs. Thought I can store it in the freezer and use it as and when required. I have a dear friend Rupal and I learn so much from her.  When we interact, there is always something new that we find and share the nick nacs. She shared one of the easiest ways to separate the corn cob.  

One needs to just remove all the green covering and the silk by hand, break the cob into two and just flip the corn off the cob using the thumb.  It gets done in a jiffy.  Was a pleasure doing this task.  Then simply toss them in a ziplock and freeze them.

First three days

Year 2017 has dawned. 

New everything. Newness in the air.  Wish you all a very happy 2017.  The new year brings in a renewed energy, something we look forward to, new resolutions. Do we resolve or we don't. Resolutions made are only to be broken cause nothing is constant in life.  

So adding to the newness are these which will give me an opportunity to crochet again.  Been a while since I crocheted.  Am happy 

Created a birthday gift for  a dear friend.  That was fun.  Planted them about a fortnight ago. So that they get set. Added a layer of wheat just below the white pebbles so that she gets a surprise in the next few days when they sprout :)

And a new mug as a gift that came home from the Residential society we live in on New Year's day

Anything new adds joy. Let the joy multiply and continue through the year.  

Everyday freshness... rangolis at my doorstep

The new home has kept me busy.  Almost elevn months since I shifted to this place.  Enjoying doing up my home. It is a continuous process.  New additions spring enthusiasm along the way.  

Making Rangolis has been my love since childhod.  I have blogged about it earlier also.  But then, it used to be a once a year affair during diwali.  New home and New Year as per our hindu calender was Yugadi for us in April.  So, I thought let me make a rangoli that day.  Googled to find a design and chanced upon Ms Poonam Borkar's rangolis. Have a lookat her amazing art here I fell in love with her techniques instantly and tried my hand at it that day. It was so refreshing that I thought I must put a rangoli everyday.  So have been at it for quite some time now.  Just love the start of my day.  Sharing with you what I created.  Thanks once again to this lady who inspired me and who shares her art on youtube.

Hope you liked them :)

Cluttered mind is a devils workshop. 10 Tips to clear the cobwebs

A friend of mine shared a picture of the article written by the famous Clean food coach , Ms Jeannette Bessinger.  That swish swashing of the article in an effort to read it on your cell, puts off the enthu. Atleast for me:) So I opened my desktop to read it.  She has addressed a genuine concern on how to clear our cluttered minds. Our minds get dusty, cluttered, heavy and the ability to process clean thoughts gets affected.Like in the picture, a net gets formed in our mind and its a double edged sword.  Affects our health also. Who wouldnt want to be happier, lighter and healthier?

She writes:

Spring is a natural time for clearing out old dirt and clutter.

We do this for our houses and even for our bodies, but how often do we do it for our minds? In the same way you might cleanse your body of physical toxins and waste, you can also cleanse your mind of mental toxins like bitterness and unforgiveness. If left to fester, these poisons can eventually destroy their containers, like acids of the mind. To replenish our energy and regain our balance, we have to stop feeding off of mental “anti-nutrients” like perfectionism and the need to always be right.

…These ten tips are cleansing for everyone, but they are especially freeing for those of us stuck in chronic, unhealthy eating and self-care patterns. Some of them you can put into practice the second you decide to. Others involve more deeply embedded patterns that will take time and a sustained effort to clear, but you can begin today. Or at least, consider the fresh point of view. Free your mind and free your life.

1. Mind Your Own Business. One of my favorite spiritual teachers, Byron Katie, says that before stressing out about something, you should always ask yourself whose business it is: yours, mine or God’s. If it’s not your business, why are you in it?
2. Let go of the need to be right. Is it truly more important to you to be right about something than to preserve your relationships with others? Have you ever loved anyone more because they were right and you were wrong? Decide if you’d rather be right or be close to people.

1. Stop blaming, shaming, and complaining. Every one of these toxic habits is about giving your core power to something outside of your control. Stop it. It can’t save you. It’s not the difficult person or situation that causes your distress. It’s the story you tell yourself about what it means that causes you pain. Take control of what you tell yourself about difficulties and challenges, and the circumstances of your life will no longer have the power to blow you around like a tumbleweed.

For going through  the  whole article, jump in HERE . Earnestly request you to read the complete article. Some of them can be instantly put to practice.  The rest take mulling and resolutions and a lil bit of effort may be. Jeannette is awesome.

Handy Pouch

Yes... One more.... Few days ago, a friend of mine left the city, as she got transferred out from here. Wanted to gift her something handmade.  And she called to say that she'd drop in at 4.30pm.  It was already 3.30 pm....  This struck my mind at that moment that I could churn out a cute little pouch for her.  So off I went to my scrap stock, took out a beautiful print and a matching one for the liner, a zip and a sponge sheet (which comes as packing with new shirts:).

Just as I was about to complete, the bell rang and she came in... Took her to my stitching place and we started chatting happily while I worked to complete the pouch... And it was done.

These were the three layers

I love making these.  And they are very simple and handy to make

No wonder she was extremely happy.

Mint Fresh

My friend has a farm and has grown mint on a small patch.  He sent me a big batch enough for days!! What to do with so much I thought. Tried this and have been using it regularly  now. Fresh mint aha.... I pop a cube here and there whenever I need it 

All you need is a lil bit of patience.  I added 7-8 leaves in each of the ice cube tray and poured water.  Froze them and stored in zip locks in the freezer.  They are so handy and remain fresh for a long time.

Plant and flower exhibition

I wait for these exhibitions.  I missed it last time.  This time I was lucky.  Got to know though only on the last day.  Had fun.  Went alone and spent nearly two hours there. I love being amidst plants.  So love it :)

We have it once a year in the city.  Had blogged about  plant exhibition in the past also.  Here are a few more lovely colourful pictures.

The main attraction was a map of India created with petunia pots.  That looks so so colourful.

A few more formations

Dahlias.  Each not less than 10 inches in dia

There were flower decorations also.

And bonsais.

The bougainvillea

My favourite. Adaniums

The tall jade plant

Few more

Old tyres used wisely.

Feast to the eyes indeed

There were vegetables on display too

And vendors selling plants and other related products

Main attraction was a tomato plant, granted with a brinjal plant and both bearing fruits.

Needless to say I bought a few plants and thoroughly enjoyed the visit