My Style check ….

Clothes   : Naturalfabrics  and Handloom stuff                                                 

Jewellery : Traditional when its gold and silver, and also lots of junk….

Shoes      : kolhapuri’s, Mojri’s

Make-up  :lipgloss , kohl( Its another story that I could never apply it right or smudge it the way I want)

                           
             Just in case you are wondering why on earth am I writing these purposeless facts about my personal style,its just because I had a very hard time coming to terms with fashion police during all my growing up years.I was perenially perplexed when people around me poked fun at my preferences….but that was way back then….with every passing year I became less stranger to myself and also realised that there are many similar people out there (thought few) who shared my fondness….and now I have this I-dont-care a damn attitude when somebody starts lecturing why I should dress with more bling and color….I give them this “whatever” look and move on….
          I do love bling and color…every woman does…but its just that my idea of bling and color is different….its not polyester and heavy machine embroidery with garish coloring…instead its pure cottons with natural-dyed hues……Being comfortabe is stylish Ain’t it ?  
        But this self-realisation didn’t come easy…I guess it took its own sweet time for it to dawn upon me…..My first stint was when my grandmom visited us and I loved her handloom sarees with wonderful woven borders…I secretly admired them and also shamelessly asked for one as a gift while she was leaving….I didn’t know what was it made of or where is it woven…I just loved it…only later  after a lot many years did I get to know that its the famous Venkatagiri cotton saree of Andhrapradesh…this love affair continued…I always seemed to like handmade and natural fabrics ….so much so that everyone around me thought I stupid ( this way way back in late 80’s and early 90’s when anything flowing and synthetic was the in-thing and cotton was for old and poor people)….many of them made open comments saying that I have a boring and granny type taste…and there were many days when I felt very bad and hurt ….all this while I was around 9 years or so…at that time I didn’t have as much clarity on my choices as I do now…..but I didn’t wither and succumb, instead embraced it with a vengeance (well, I was in my teens by then) and am glad I did.
        My parents never objected to my preferences…they just let me be and also encouraged it…so from the day I started chosing my clothes the fabric was always cotton, linen, jute, crepe etc….and I loved it…the range and variety out there is mind-bloggling….the mangalgiris, handpainted, blockprinted cottons, Chikan, chettinad’s, bandhini’s,kalamkari’s,Ikkat’s and lot lot more…India is a treasure trove and I celebrate it to the full extent….
           Of course my nagging relatives always whined about it and also bestowed unwanted advice upon my mom..how she should not let me be the way I am….since everyone around will think we are not doing well in life…..I never understood the relation till date…..to dress to appear affluent… I dress in a certain way because I identify myself with that….what if it appears simple and boring to others…..its not my problem….
            I feel much prettier and confident in a natural fabric kalamkari outfit with complimenting silver jewellery rather than an expensive badly made heavy zardosi one with modern jewellery……Zardosi is such a beautiful art which is viciously and badly churned out in huge quantities these days….I come from Hyderabad, the land of zardosi and can vouch for that…the authentic ones are bewitching and are a real treat for the eye…
         Also I heart kanchipuram’s/banarasi’s…not the mass produced ones…but the aesthetic stuff…and love antique simple gold jewellery with that….now when I dress this way people say I dress like an old woman ( since the in-thing for a newly married woman is to wear shiny clothes and all the bling she owns) Yuck….Isn’t a kanchipuram or a banarasi shiny enough for them…..   
              Its sad how they get caught with this in-thing business….style is something which is innate and fashion changes by season….I want to be identified with my style..and refuse to be a clone…and I strongly believe in the adages “Less is more” and “Simplicity is natures first step, and the last of art”.
             And India is the birth place for arts and crafts…it sure deserves more respect and appreciation from us fellow Indians….it hurts very very deeply when I read of a weaver/artisan leaving his profession because there are no patrons …..and something inside me dies each time when an artist gives up his/her life since he/she is not able to make both ends meet…..all this for being extremely skilled and talented…when we all know how everybody abroad(my boss, colleagues and friends abroad loved them crazy) is higly appreciative of Indian arts and crafts ….then friends, “where is the link missing ?”
           I do my own teeny-weeny bit by buying at weaver exhibitions and co-operative fairs and would one day want to do something more serious like reviving an art form or similar thing….well, these are dreams…and are very close to my heart….

Yoghurty Mango

      Food blogging….always eluded it to the extent possible….I salivate and drool reading all those lovely food blogs..but am paralysed when it comes to writing a recipe….firstly I cannot create anything on my own…I cook well ( compliment courtesy : S, my husband) but can never dish out recipes one after the other which food bloggers do with great elan…so I take the easier route…I visit them routinely and recreate the effect….and always faired reasonably well…..I love cooking and am quite enthusiastic about it….so it helps
   Ok, now why am I bothering you guys with all this…..how does it matter….well, today I am tweaking a bit from this route and posting my first ever food related post…its so very simple that I can’t bring myself to call it a recipe….though I feel strange and nervous typing this….I couldn’t let it go …after all its about Mango madness and hosted by dear Anu of Escapades whose recipes always exude warmth….visiting her blog always makes me comfortable and soothes me…and I always won brownie points when I recreated them…..
   And anyone who’d known me fairly well will vouch for my mango mania….to say I love them is an understatement….I missed mom and mangoes the most while I lived away from India….for a mango zealot like me who devours them more than three times a day during the season (they are a part of breakfast,lunch, dinner and also form my snacks)…living in Europe appalled me…non-availabilty of this luscious fruit depressed me…
   I would visit a pakistani store to pick my regular supply of canned mango pulp during summers…for one whole year I did this religiously….so much so that the moment I stepped into the store, the owner would bring a couple of cans without even me asking for them…he knew I could never leave without them…
  But it improved during the last year that I lived there…maybe export rules were relaxed…or god heared my mango prayers….we got fresh fruit from pakistan once a week….imagine my cheerfulness when I first saw them at the store…from then on, during summers I had a special budget allowance for mangoes….and the shopkeeper would call me whenever the produce arrived ….special customer you see……and since they were of export quality they tasted very very good…reminded me of my childhood days in my ancestral village….where we had mango orchards….and ate the best fruit….
  While the supply lasted, I had mangoes in copenhagen regularly for breakfast and dinner….I usually had fruit yoghurt for breakfast….so during summers instead of eating strawberry yoghurt or orange yoghurt…I made this mango yogurt and relished it daily….Here is how I dished it and it goes to Anu for WBB#22- May Mango Madness

  
  
Mango Yoghurt

2 cups mango puree ( fresh or canned)

2 cups natural plain low-fat yoghurt
  
Optional:

1   tbsp powdered sugar (adjust according to the mango sweetness)

1/2 tbsp vanilla essence

 
     Mix the mango puree and yoghurt using a blender…..for additional sweetness and flavor add the powdered sugar and vanilla essence….and voila, its ready
    In fact I never followed a set procedure in making this yoghurt…sometimes I used less pulp and more yoghurt…or vice-versa….whichever way it always tasted yum….

                                               

 

Happy ….

As I had already put in papers, the tension at work has eased ….resulting , I have a good chunk of free time which I am dutifully spending reading blogs …Just randomly today I started browsing my pictures..looked at all the pics from my previous workplace where we usually had a ball …it felt so refreshing…I feel so good now…..Happy team mates, friends, dayouts…..nothing can bring such immense pleasure as old (ok,not so old) happy pictures….am loving it

HYC ( Kgs Vs Inches)

I had mentioned earlier in my blog how the scale always loathes me……
Just when I feel good, get complimented that I dropped some weight it plays the ugly game yet again…..

   I weighed 69 kgs when I started exercising in January….and lost a couple of kilo’s after a couple of weeks(67 kgs)….felt great……then I stopped bothering about the numbers for a couple of reasons….one, I didn’t want my motivation and mood to be driven by the scale and also because I couldn’t find a decent one to step on…the one at the fitness centre broke and after that I stopped bothering…and it was  decided earlier on that we will not have one at home…that would be way too stressful….
   Ocassionally I tried stepping on the public ones, at supermarkets, theatres etc….and never fussed about them since each one had different numbers and the results varied drastically…and as time passed…I stuck to exercising and eating healthy…..gave the scale a total miss….
   Since a couple of weeks, my trainer and a couple of people whom I exercise with have been complimenting about a leaner and toned me…My husband S is always the first one to appreciate it…but for him I am always slim…phew, loves makes one blind…proved
   I was more than excited about these positives observations and decided its time to measure up…we also have a new scale at the studio now…and I hoofed excitedly…..
   And what happened is still beyond my understanding….the number read 75 kgs…I just couldn’t believe my eyes…I asked my trainer friend to measure me in inches ( she always advocates this way of measuring rather than the scale)….and I had lost 3 inches each around my waist and hips(my clothes also defend this)…also a few more at other areas..but the waist and hips recordest the highest…
   I am extremely happy about the inches loss….but why on earth does the scale show a raise….if its muscle, does the muscle weigh so high…and the scale functions good…I checked that too…..I had been feeling terrible since then….do you guys have any such experience…what could be the reason buddies?
   When I lost inches, look slimmer and fitter, how could I weigh 8 kgs more? Isn’t it unreasonable? How do I decipher this ?

I’m bestowed again ……. :)

Past few weeks have been so stressful that to christen them nerve-wracking would be an under statement.
I had been sick more than a couple of times and S had was bitten by a crazy bug in his eye and was terribly ill sending shivers down my spine. Soaring temperatures and tightening situations at work didn’t help much either. We are feeling better now and I was in no mood today to come to work….the viral fever zapped all my energy and I feel irritated and burnt…
   I slowly dragged myself to work today after much cajoling from S. Disinterested I switched on my computer and was ecstastic to find Madhu of Eggless cooking honor me with an award….
   Madhu, you really made my day and also the week…I feel much much better now and am delighted that you thought of me for this….this is a total surprise and a very sweet one and will be cherished….I simply adore your blog….

And as the tradition, I pass on this to

Archana of Rang

Hanlie of Fertile healthy

Diana of scalejunkie

    Dear Hanlie has awarded my blog with an ” Good chat Blog award” and am thrilled to bits about it….Thank you Hanlie….the blog was always a vent out for my musings….am fired up to know that you feel its a good chat blog…your thought in itself is an award for me…..am delirious now

And this goes to

laksh of Musings

Madhu of  EgglessCooking 

Anu of Escapades

Sailu of  sailu’skitchen

Susan of Fatfreevegan

  While I started blogging I never imagined that the journey would be so fulfilling and gratifying. Thank you one and all who visit my space and spend your valuable time reading my rants….YOU ALL TRULY MAKE MY DAY/S…