Hand made pillow and beads

I think I made this pillow last year. I used acrylic paint and embroidery thread to make this pillow. I painted the fabric light green and drew the branch with leaves and flowers. Then I embroidered over the outline I drew. I painted in the leaves and flowers. As a child I have watched my mom sew a lot. So the idea to make this is from my childhood inspirtion.

While studying in college there was a girl who had the cutest hairties. Mostly they were either little birds, or ducks or flowers or beads in pastel shades held by an elastic. I remembered them recently and searched hobby lobby online for similar beads and found these. These are flowers and butterflies.

These are stars in different colors.

These are the beads I found in Hobby Lobby. I hope you have a lovely day.!

Vanilla Wafers

One day the most adorable shorts video was loaded into my phone. I don't know how. But there were these videos of this person opening packaged snacks the kind you find in Asian grocery stores, pouring the snacks into melamine sanrio character plates. Sometimes they made ice cream by pouring this thick milk like substance into this frozen shallow tray and chopped fruits like strawberry into it. Sometimes they dropped a few teaspoons of jelly into it. They mixed it with plastic spoons and knives. Then they scraped it and put it in a melamine bowl. Then they made a paste and put it in a hello kitty or my melody silicone mould. The most adorable shape of hello kitty would come out of the mould. They would put it in a glass and pour some drink into it. Sometimes they poured whipped cream to the top of the drink. Once and my most favorite shorts video was when they poured water over a plastic cup which was covered with foil. From inside the cup guess what emerged. A very small cute hello kitty squishy figurine. There were two cups and two hello kitty figurines emerged. 

I have no idea what these packaged things are. One day I browsed the grocery stores to find things similar to that in the video. I have seen videos of them serving wafers on a melamine plate. So I bought these since I was inspired by these. I also found Starbucks coffee. I felt like buying it pouring it into a glass and pile whipped cream on it. The other grocery store find inspired by the videos is nila wafers. And frosted animal crackers. These things from regular grocery stores remind me of the snacks in the videos that were uploaded into my phone. 

Raksha Bandhan

Today is the north indian festival of Rakhee. Rakhee is also known as Raksha Bandhan. Raksha means protection and bandhan means bond. It is to celebrate the protective bond between brothers and sisters. I made a Rakhee with flowers from Hobby Lobby.

I attached yarn to two flowers and my two Rakhees were made. I have two brothers so I needed two Rakhees.

I really love this festival a lot. I really love my brothers a lot so this festival gives me an opportunity to celebrate that festival even though I am not from north india. I hope you have a lovely day!

Slow

The teacher has her back to the class.

A major area of the wall is a blackboard.

The teacher is writing on the black board.

I don't remember what class it was.

A room full of tween girls.

All of us are in sky blue pleated skirts.

All of us wear a cream colored shirt tucked into the skirt.

We wear a tie with stripes in a silk material.

Our feet are clad in white canvas shoes and white socks.

The black board is full of answers.

We are to copy them all into our notebook for that particular subject.

Next to me is a girl.......

She is copying the words and sentences from the black board into her notebook.

The rest of the classroom is furiously writing.

The teacher would fill the board with words.

We have to write it all in our books.

She starts at the top of the board.

Reaches the bottom of the board.

She looks around the classroom to see if everyone has copied the words on the black board into their notebooks.

Most of the girls have.

Except the girl sitting next to me.

She is plodding along making sure every letter is formed perfectly on her page.

The teacher rubs the words on the board and starts writing again.

The girl sitting next to me continues to write.

She looks at the books of other girls to catch up on what she has missed.

If you miss class you can borrow someone's notebook and take it home copy down their answers and bring it back the next day to give them.

If I take this girls book every page has all the questions and answers.

Every page is extremely neat.

This is the advantage of going slow in writing.

You can write with good handwriting.

You can write carefully without missing out any portions as in any questions or answers.

And careful writing also helps us avoid spelling mistakes.

If you write with good handwriting when it is time to study it is easy to read your own writing.

In addition others can read your writing.

If your handwriting is not good you yourself cannot read your own writing.

This is the first advantage of writing slowly and carefully in a school setting.

Reading slow is also a good idea.

Our goal should not be to get to the message of a particular composition, or the theme of a particular book but to enjoy every word, sentence, paragraph and page.

Every word means something.

No matter what you are reading pay close attention to the words.

In reality every word has a world of meaning.

Think about every word.

Every sentence.

Think about the theme of the paragraph.

Think about the nuances of meaning.

Don't think about trying to get to the end of the book or the article instead enjoy every page, every sentence and every paragraph.

Instead of trying to understand the message how would it feel to understand each word in the composition.

Each word has a meaning, a root, and etymology a way to say the word.

Some words are old words.

Some words are newly coined.

The roots of words can be traced to ancient languages like Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, French or old English or Germanic languages.

What if we as we read learn to savor the flavor of the words themselves.

Going slow with a thorough understanding of the ideas is best for me.

Speaking slowly is also very important.

If we rush through our speeches the people who listen to us will not be able to understand and process our speech.

If we speak slowly everyone will be able to understand what we say.

Speaking slowly also helps us choose the right words while we speak. Hope you have a lovely day!

Lessons from a fable

Have you heard of the fable of the hare and the tortoise? I am very sure you have heard of this fable. Recently I had to share a thought in the area Toastmasters club. And I prepared to talk about the lessons we can learn from this fable. I think we can learn lessons from the winner of the race who is the tortoise and also from the creature who lost the race-the hare. So what lessons can we learn from the tortoise? The most important lesson we can learn from the tortoise is that slow and steady wins the race. Compared to the hare the tortoise had zero talent. Yet the tortoise participated in the race and persevered through his track slowly but steadily. He overtook the sleeping hare and won the race. This tells us that it is okay to be slow. A combination of slow and steady is a winning combination. Another quality that the tortoise had was that he did not feel intimidated by the hare. In life if we see people more talented than us it is a good idea to remember the tortoise who had every reason to feel intimidated by the hare but did not feel so. Compared to the hare the tortoise had zero talent. Yet he won the race and one of the reasons for his victory was that he did not feel intimidated. A related idea is that the tortoise did not feel inferior to the hare although the hare could run very fast and the tortoise was an extremely slow creature. It is a good idea to not feel inferior to others. What lessons can we learn from the hare? Since the hare lost the race we can learn what not to do from the hare. The hare started with oodles of talent but perhaps an equal amount of pride which is probably not a winning combination. Talent plus levelheaded understanding of one's strength and healthy respect for one's opponent is a winning combination but talent plus pride will set us up for failure. Pride does go before a fall as was the experience of the hare. The fact that the hare challenged the tortoise who was not gifted in the realm of running shows that the hare wanted to show off. So the first lesson we can learn from the hare is not to participate in a contest with an attitude of pride or with opponents way less talented than us with a feeling that victory is a given. The second lesson we can learn from the hare is not to be deluded. The slowness of the tortoise was deceptive. It lulled the hare into thinking that he would never be defeated. But he was defeated. And that was because he was deluded by the slowness of the tortoise. The third lesson we can learn from the hare is that we should not take a nap during the race. The hare was there to run the race but instead he napped due to a feeling of superiority. This fable teaches us to not feel inferior or superior to our opponents. The fourth lesson we can learn from the hare is that we should focus only on our own performance during a race. We should not look at the performance of the opponent and change our performance accordingly. The hare looked at the tortoise and saw that he was way behind him. So he reduced his level of excellence and took a nap and eventually he lost the race. No matter who your opponents are run the race of your life to the best of your ability by focusing on your own performance. Never try to match your performance to that of others. These are some lessons I learnt from the fable of the hare and the tortoise. Hope you have a lovely day!

Metal jar that says Merry Christmas, Rose gold ornaments

Here is a galvanised metal jar spelling out a simple christmas greeting. If all the color and the shimmer overwhelms you or if you are ideologically against celebrating the birth of a God who was actually born in a manger with so much pomp then this would be something you can use to celebrate christmas in a simple way.

Here are some rose gold ornaments. Hobby Lobby has a few shelves which just has rose gold ornaments and trees. They have rose gold hearts, stars, bells and words that spell christmas messages such as Joy or Noel and much more. These two are some random picks I made as I browsed the Christmas decoration aisles in Hobby Lobby. Well, the first one was a random pick. Rose gold I like anyway. I hope you have a lovely day!

Ice cream and cotton candy vehicle ornaments

Here is an ice cream ornament with a dark blue and light blue striped umbrella. It has pink wheels and two cone ice creams on it. One ice cream is yellow and the other ice cream is a shade of pink, I guess. On the ice cream vehicle there is a picture of a soft serve cone ice cream. In appearance, the difference between a soft serve and regular ice cream is that the regular one looks like a scoop and the other one looks like it is poured. I think. I am not sure but this ornament is very nice.

Here is a cotton candy vehicle christmas ornament. This vehicle has light pink and dark pink striped awning, pink wheels and a blue cloud on the top of the vehicle. The vehicle has pink and white polka dots on it and a white cloud at the bottom. There is a picture of a pink and blue cotton candy on the vehicle and next to these a lighter blue cotton candy. On the cloud there is a light pink cotton candy. This ornament is also very nice. I hope you have a lovely day!

Phone and Handbag Christmas ornaments!

Here is a phone and handbag christmas ornament. The phone is a pale pink with lots of apps showing on the front screen. The handbag is a bright pink. It is not usual to see phone and handbag as Christmas ornaments. Hope you have a lovely day!

Candy, Milkshake, Drinks, and Butter Christmas Ornaments

Here is a candy dispenser Christmas ornament. The base of the candy dispenser is red, the top is glass and the candy inside is in blue, yellow, palest green, and a soft but luminous orange. At the top of the glass there is a shimmering blue line.

Look at this christmas ornament. It is like a milkshake loaded with whipped cream and decorated with lots of sprinkles.

Here is different types if drinks which are Christmas ornaments. They are topped with whipped cream.

Here is 4oz of butter as a Christmas ornament. I hope you have a lovely day!

Pastel Christmas decoration from Hobby Lobby

Some pink baby deer ornaments. The deer have large eyes. They wear this blue sparkly ruffled scarf like thing on their necks. They make such cute ornaments.

Cone Ice Cream ornaments in four pastel colors.

Pastel snow flake ornaments.

sparkly ornaments in pastel colors.

I guess you can call me a christmas decoration aficionado! Hope you have a lovely day!

Christmas House Decoration from Hobby Looby

Christmas house with roof covered with snow and decorated with christmas wreath and trees from Hobby Lobby.

Christmas house with galvanised metal from Hobby Lobby.

In the far right is a small christmas house used for christmas decoration in our house. I placed it next to the nativity.

Here is a large Christmas house which is more like a church. Hope you have a lovely day!

Christmas Tree Decorations from Hobby Lobby

Pink Christmas trees with rose gold ornaments.

Green metallic? christmas trees

Dark green trees flecked with snow and ornaments.

Wood Christmas tree with deer.

Spiral Christmas tree with red beads.

Hope you have a lovely day!

Christmas decorations from Hobby Lobby

Recently I visited Hobby Lobby. The second I saw the christmas decorations I felt very happy. Walking through the aisles you are immediately transported to an enchanting world of color. I took lots of photos. Sharing some of them today.

Decorations in variations of purple, indigo, ultramarine or violet, sparkly and shiny.

Here are decorations in red, yellow, blue,silver, and different shades of pink from the softest pink to the brightest pink to the deepest pink to the most gleaming pink.

Here are some in different shades of brown. I have lots more pictures of christmas decirations from hobby lobby. Hope you have a lovely day!

Acorn

Yesterday while waiting for a bus under the shade of a tree I looked up and saw an acorn on the branch of a tree.

I took a picture. One side of the acorn is fuzzy and green and the other side is smooth. I have heard of how the mighty oak begins as a small acorn. That the acorn contains everything within it to become the oak tree.

I dont know what type of oak tree this is. I have stood under this oak tree before. But I never noticed this acorn. Yesterday, for the first time I noticed this acorn.

We used to live in this place where there were lots of oak trees. The ground was full of fallen acorns.

This acorn was on the tree.

Birthday Celebration

Today is my birthday. To me, there is no better way to celebrate my birthday than by thinking of my parents. Here are some of their photos both old and new. I think of my parents all the time.

They gave me an incredibly beautiful childhood filled with joys that are too difficult to describe. They gave me a truly fairy tale kind of life. There was so much sweetness in my life because of them. They taught me the importance of being a loving person. They said if we raise loving children it is the best. Hope you have a lovely day!

Some food I made recently

This dish is the translation of a malayalam proverb. The proverb was said to me by my grandfather. It says chemmeen, uppu, ulli, kandhari iva kootiyittulla chammandhy brahmanarkkum bhojyamam. When I made it I used shrimp, salt, onions and regular serrano peppers. In the proverb you are supposed to use shrimp, salt, onions and a small extremely spicy pepper called kandhari. I cooked the shrimp in water and then blended it with green chillies in the blender to make a chutney. I did not put the onions in the blender. I just chopped it and garnished the chutney with it. This is completly invented by me. Before I made it I have never had it. I just remembered this proverb told to me by my grandfather ages ago and decided to actually make what the proverb says. The proverb reverberated in my brain for a long time. I had it with rice. I would like to encourage you to try this recipe at your own risk.

Here is a picture of Shreekhand I made recently.

I made french toast recently.

And here is a picture of home made pizza from scratch I made recently.

Jewelry Organisation 16

This earring with deep purple beads in silver was given to me by my mom. The silver is oxidised and the dark color of the gemstones on it give it a vintage look. The silver has deep purple gemstones on it and strands of beads in the same color that hang from it. I looked up the meaning of the word vintage. It has to do with wine. I thought vintage just meant old. Vintage has to do with the year and place wine is made.

This earring and locket set with light purple gemstones set in silver was also given to me by my mom. I really like the intricate scroll pattern on this. This week most probably I will be buying a container for this and then shall share how I organised it. I hope you have a lovely day! (Reposting with an additional sentence about a container to place this jewelry)

Birthday Celebration

Today is Jerry Anthony's birthday. So I bought this box of sliced lemon cake to celebrate the birthday.

And I bought this frozen cheesecake from the neighborhood grocery store. The lemon cake has icing on it. It is supposed to be served with ice cream, fruit or whipped cream. I had it with ice cream sandwiches. Today I had toastmasters club meeting. I had to say the Thought of the day. I had to practice my speech and thought I would not have time to cook today. So I bought these from the store.

That is how I celebrated. Today I remembered the Asterix and Obelisk comic books I used to read while in high school.

I read a few pages of this comic book series that I could find in the internet.

I also watched a few TinTin videos. TinTin and Asterix used to be circulated in my school. I had such a good time reading these comics series. I hope you have a lovely day!