Reflections and Resolutions

2011 was one of the most eventful year of my life. it was filled with some sad moments but mostly happy ones.

• The year started out with my Sister's marriage
• I completed my MBA and a 2 year journey filled with studies, exams, friends, fun and hostel life cam to an end
• I moved to a new country to start a new life, a new home which brought with it an all new excitement
• The job hunting did not go as expected. I ended up being sad and dejected, even after so much studies, I was not able to achieve the goal I had set out for
• I moved on and decided to embrace the artist in me. The appreciation that I have got for my Art is overwhelming and now it seems that the decision to start a venture of my own has been one of the best decisions of my life :)
• Also in this year I took up blogging more seriously and have found some really nice blogers to interact with
• And yes, I have started Baking. I have always dreaded it but now I am coming around thanks to some great food bloggers out there :)

Amazing how an entire year, all 365 days could be summed up in mere 7 points :) :)

Now that, I have reflected on the year that went by, I am excited to see what 2012 brings for me. I hope it to be very eventful as thats what makes a year, a life worth living :) :)

And I do not have any resolutions to make, never have, never will :) :)

Now leaving you with the pictures of the Orange Cup Cakes (Recipe) and Garlic Pull Apart Rolls (Recipe) I made on Christmas :)
See you all in 2012 now.

Thank You and Merry Christmas

I have been overwhelmed by the response I have got on my previous post. Thank you all for being so generous in your comments. It sure made me very very happy and I for sure was jumping with joy :) :)

Also I have been asked a lot of questions regarding my Art Work so I promise to do a detailed post about it sometimes in the New Year.

And now lets talk about Christmas; It is going to be mine and my husband's little christmas party. I don't plan to wear red but I definitely intend to bake some goodies both sweet and savory. And as far as gifts are concerned, surprise gifts do not work well for either of us so it means we will go out to a mall and shop what we like :) :) I know its not a traditional way, but then I am not complaining and neither is he so I guess things are all nice and good :) :)

By the way yesterday we made an unplanned trip to Sharjah Aquarium but reached there 2 hours before the opening time. So what did we do for 2 hours... well!!! we simply laid on the grass, soaked up some sun, gazed at all the aircrafts flying around ( you get to see a lot of them in Dubai skies :)) and clicked a lot of pictures :) :) and clicking pictures is very difficult especially when the is sun shining so brightly and you have forgotten to carry your sun glasses :) :)

And a short detail about my outfit: I have a lot of formal skirts from my MBA days and I am simply trying to lend them a casual look. Look at the following pictures and do let me know if it was a success :)

Nope! I am not sleeping...its just the sun in my eyes :)

And remember the sneak peak of the Art Work shown in previous post here.. well here is the whole of it. It has been embossed using Ceramic and colored with coffee and acrylic colors.

Merry Christmas Everybody

And

Have a Great Festive Season

A Perfect Saturday

Husband gets me up at 6:30 in the morning on a Saturday morning and requests ( because I am not a morning person :)) if we can go on an early morning drive. I agree and we leave at 7:15.

Since husband has recently got his driving license and we are new to Dubai, hence not so familiar with Dubai Roads so naturally we get lost a lot :) :) and that is what happened, we got lost, yet again. Anyways I had an Artist's Meet for an upcoming Exhibition at 11 am and the coffee shop where this meeting was scheduled was in a Mall  located on Jumeirah Beach Road which is at least 30 minute ride from our home. And we only returned home from the early morning lost drive at 10 so naturally we were late for the meeting. We got ready super fast and left home at  around 10:45.

Now we use google maps for navigation, so I got directions for Mercato Mall and reached a mall in some 30 minutes but it was not the one where we were supposed to go. So what do we do now????  All this time, husband was saying that he had checked on the internet for the location of the mall and that we had taken a wrong turn, but I did not pay attention because I had navigated nicely almost all the times before so as usual I was over confident :). Anyways, we decided to follow husband's instincts and reached the destination at around 12 ( yup an hour late, but we are not to be blamed, its the google maps and crazy dubai roads to be blamed :))

The meeting had just started so did not miss out on much. I showed them my Art Work and they had never seen anything like it before and then obviously I was all happy and proud :). By the way it was great meeting so man artists with so many different things to offer.

So meeting gets over and well it was a mall so I had to check out some shops. I refrained myself from buying a footwear but then ended up buying a shimmer top ( most likely I will be wearing it for New Years Party :))

We had our lunch at Mc Donalds and then we thought that its only 3:30 and since we have come to Jumeirah Beach Road, we might as well see the Jumeirah Beach. It was calm and beautiful there. All you could hear was the sound of the wind and the waves and to see there was Dubai's Skyline on one end and beautiful blue waters on the other end. It was perfect. I think the following pictures will do the explanation :

We spent some 2-3 hours on this beach, simply walking, talking and clicking pictures :)

We came back home, ordered Chinese, watched a movie and slept :)
So all in all a day spent well in my books :) :) . An early morning drive, getting lost then finding the way back, meeting some talented people, walking on the beach, relaxing at the end of the day with great food and a movie... Simply PERFECT :)

What would your perfect day be like ? How would you like to spend it ????



And Yes!!!! here is a sneak peek into one of my new Art Work :) :) 
By the way, this one has peacocks in it :)

P.S: In UAE, weekends mean holidays on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday is the first working day of the week, just like mondays in the rest of the world 

A Round Up

Life is going on pretty fine and predictable.

No major realizations, no major travel plans, no adventures in the kitchen, though plenty of long drives on weekends have become a regular feature.

4 exhibitions are lined up for the month of January and work for them seems to be on schedule.

But creating Wall Art to stock and make my ETSY shop up an running will take some time.

Have not made any plans for the New Year's Eve. I would love to celebrate it with some dance and drinks but then scared of the traffic and congestion both on roads as well as the dance floor :(

And Yes!!! I have taken a major decision this week to start teaching the Wall Art I make, but haven't still figured out how and when.

and do you remember the Oath taken here, I am keeping it . Have been hitting the gym 5 days a week so far, though the food control part of it is better then before but not that great and I have not had any results so far :(. I know I have to be patient on that front and focus on staying healthy.

And this is what I wore on a random drive on one of the weekends ( yup!!! trying to dabble with fashion blogging as well )

The Creative Adult

                                                                           Source: neutralnotes.tumblr.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Do you also think so????
I do.

I am a creative adult. My obvious creativity is the Art I make but that apart I would like to consider myself creative in various other things like cooking, dressing/styling (I love clothes :)), decorating etc etc etc and  believe me I am not blowing my own trumpet here. I may not be an expert in all these things but I watch, I observe, I learn and then I apply :) and yes I can do it without any formal training.

I have a child in me . I still have the curiosity and imagination of a child. Whenever I see something new that interests me , I try to learn about it, I ask questions ( or shall I say I GOOGLE :)). I acquire the knowledge and then use it or apply it whenever necessary or applicable. Now this can be in some physical form or as a part of a conversation or discussion.

Now what is that the child in me has survived??????
I say I haven't let the general disappointments of life get to me. of course I have been sad about various things but I have come out of them, learnt a lesson wherever necessary, forgotten about a certain things and then moved on. I have made a conscious effort to be a happy person and to never lose the child like  ( not childish ;)) quality in me. Of course I behave all grown up and responsible, but only when the situation demands it, but other then that I enjoy all the small, medium and big things that I come across :) :)

What do you have to say about it ?
I think many of us are creative, we simply vary in the degree of creativeness. But some people let life take over their creative juices. I have seen people making statements like: When I was young I used to do this, I used to do that but not any more, my time has passed.

I am firmly resolved to make all the possible efforts to make sure I never have to make such a statement.
What about you?

...and I am Back

Past week was a little very busy for me. I was completing some new Art Work that I had to exhibit at ARTE Souq. Then there was the commission work to be handed over ( remember, you all had seen the design preview here). The lady who had commissioned me to do it, simply loved it and I was so happy to see her happy. The exhibition also went well, had some success there and made a lot of contacts and connections.

And it was a 3 day long weekend in UAE so I spent these three days really well:

Day 1: Some serious shopping for ME :) :) and of course long drive :)
Day 2: Exhibition of my Art Work ( I was dancing with joy because of all the appreciation I got :))
Day 3: A day well spent on the Beach :) :)

And now this week again I have some Art Work to finish and ready them for the exhibition on this weekend ( I exhibit twice every month).

Leaving you with the pictures of my completed Art Work....

Plan for the Day

                                                          Source: homegrownhospitality.typepad.com via Purvi on Pinterest

Yup, thats what I plan to do for the day ahead. I have got lots of Wall Art to finish. Will post the new designs soon enough :)

Have a Wonderful Weekend everybody :)

P.S: You can check out some of my work on my Facebook Page :)

People are Surprised

1) when they realize that the husband is a vegetarian and wife eats chicken

2) when husband after getting married sends off his wife for 2 years to a different state to do an MBA (her long cherished dream)

3) when husband enjoys absolutely nothing without his wife, she is always in his thoughts and plans

4) when husband lets his wife cook whatever she is willing to eat because her eating is his priority and he can make do with anything

5) when husband takes his wife out to see each and every movie sometimes 2 movies in a day

6) when husband tells that we are in budget mode and soon after buys a bag for his wife

7) when husband is happiest to see how thrilled his wife is when she is shopping

8) when husband readily agrees to do household chores when the wife is no mood to do them

etc.etc.etc....


Yes, I am talking about my Dear Husband. Yesterday while I was clicking away to glory on my laptop, he just stood in the corner watching me and smiling and this simplest of his gestures made me realize, how lucky I am :) :)

After marrying him, all the image in my head about a typical Indian husband especially a Rajasthani one, simply got erased. I was proven wrong and now many a people who come to know about are relationship are simply surprised. Many can not believe that ours was an Arranged Marriage...and I feel so happy, proud and content at all the remarks we get and the way people are surprised with the way we live.

I have seen couples bickering about each other to their friends and I feel out of  place when some of the people I know indulge in husband bashing sessions. I simply listen because I have nothing to say and I am so glad for that :) :)

This post is dedicated to my Dear Husband :) :)


P.S: We have been married for past 4.5 years now, but it does not feel that old :) :)
P.S: I am sure you guys have great spouses/boy friends or will have great partners in future, but I am in awe of mine :) :)

Bye Bye Black Robes

I am studious enough to get 2 degrees but jinxed enough to not have attended any of the Convocations :(

My MBA convocation is taking place in Mumbai and I am not attending because my college gave me such a short notice, they just did not think about few of us living outside India. I mean hello!!!!! college, we need to plan, can't just pack and go at our whims and fancies.

Anyways, I did not attend the convocation when I graduated 5 years back because I was supposed to meet a possible match's (now my husband) mother, sisters and sister-in-law who were supposed to land in from bangalore on the occasion of my "First Ever Convocation". So for nervous parents and persistent middle man I had to give in ( anyways I had met the husband and had liked him so wasn't that sad for missing the convo :))

But then now I truly believe that Convocation is not for me, I will never get to wear those black robes, click pictures, and most importantly the hat throwing ceremony would be simply something that is shown in the movies :(

Anyways I have got to think positive and be happy so I am going to blame it all on Dear Husband, after all I missed my first convocation to meet his family and I will miss my second one because he works here and not in Mumbai. So it is most natural that he needs to make up for it and well what better punishment then a Shopping Extravaganza ( dramatic, right????... I like it like this :))

So what if I can not wear a black robe, I can buy a black dress.
What if I can not wear the hat with tassels on it, I can buy a Fedora :) :)

You've got to be happy no matter what the situation and I think I have shown a great example of: "How to be happy when the entire universe is conspiring against you"  ;) ;)

Now my husband is going to read this and say "Tu kitni Nautanki hai" (meaning, you are such a drama queen) and i am going to giggle away to glory :) :)

P.S: What started as a sad and angry post gave me a brilliant idea to be happy :)

                                                                             Source: google.it via Purvi on Pinterest

  

Freaking SHOW OFF

One of the person ( not all people on the friend's list are "Friends") on my friend list on my personal Facebook Profile wrote on his wall that he is en-route to a foreign locale. Freaking guy was showing off and I know this because I know him for a long time and that is what he takes pride in: SHOWING OFF. He never loses any opportunity to show himself better then others whether monetarily or otherwise.

This guy's status messages are in general always about either his foreign trips or about his location messages e.g XYZ was at PQR Hotel in ABC country or his pictures are always showing off the hotel room he lived in or a famous tourist spot he was at (How obviously ridiculous is that?????).

Anyways this status message made me ponder on the issue of showing off.

Well!!!! its great to be able to visit so many countries and places, I mean I would love to mention my trips to any new place, but showing them off just to impress upon others your wealth is not such a great way to live. By the way this guy works in the marketing department of a company so that would explain all the foreign trips :) :)

I know I am a little judgmental but a lot more opinionated (and I sort of sick to my opinions :)). And I personally see such actions as a sign of insecurity and a sense of lack of achievement.

I have nothing against showing off, I mean I like to show off my new buys, be it a little pair of earrings or a new phone but to my friend's and family only. I  do not do so to impress upon them my superiority. In fact I never talk about such things in front of people who I know are financially not as sound as me.
I know there is a thin line between showing off your happiness and showing off the wealth but from what I understand is that most of the people are intelligent enough to judge the difference.

Anyways I would say that one should show off a real achievement or a great hairstyle or a sexy back ( I love dresses which show off the back :)) or a great recipe or your IQ or EQ or some great talent that one has or whatever but one should not compare cars or foreign trips or your phones, for you don't know that the person you are trying to show your wealth could buy you 100 times over ( all that I am saying may be a little dramatic and  preachy but then I do not care, sometimes I get pissed like this )

Lets face the truth, in reality we will always find people who are not so well off as us, also we will find people who are better off then us. I believe in Karma: What goes around, comes around.
So Mr.XYZ, you will one day come across somebody who will give you the taste of your own stupidity :P

P.S: I do believe that if you have it then flaunt it but DO NOT try hard to make somebody else feel bad..Its not right and its not ethical.
and this post has not been written to preach, its just an outlet of what I felt :) :)


I am sure I am not the only one who thinks like this... Am I????????????

Now thats a Show off I won't mind :)

                                                                                 Source: google.com via Purvi on Pinterest

The Ignored Blog

Something that I often do is to ignore this blog of mine but its simply because of circumstances beyond my control. 

I had an exhibition to participate in, then we had invited some friends over for lunch. 

Later my internet decided to give me a break by deciding to stop working. By the time the internet problem was rectified I got into discussion with various parties/organizations for the display of my Art Work.

Once that was decided I had to make a series of new designs with some Arabian influences and hence began the research. Anyways now certain timelines have been set and I have to work on a new set of designs plus there are some incomplete Art Work waiting to get my attention.

All this said and done, I am sharing some pics of our weekend getaway to Al Mamzar Beach in Dubai.

The place was heavenly, with water so clear that the sand colored fishes were also visible. It was so breezy and calm and sleeping under the date palms was an experience in itself.

I hope you will enjoy the pictures :) :)

P.S: I have been regularly going to the Gym so the Oath is still intact :), though I still have to watch what I eat.