Shimme(ring)

This is the beautiful ring my beloved got for me on our very first Valentine's day and the pretty, red pouch it came in.. (The nail color is 'Tulip' by Lissome) It's has a round stone in the center with a raised setting and a Baguette stone and three tiny round stones on either side. And I want this exact same design for my engagement ring too.. No, I'm not about to be engaged but a girl can dream, can't she? :)

For the information of any lovely ladies reading this, here's a short guide to the cuts of diamonds from here.

Have you always known what kind of engagement or wedding ring you wanted? I would love to hear about it. Please comment and follow..

Child actress that never was..

I have recently become a follower of http://www.fourthgradenothing.com/ and have been reading all of her past posts. Her style of writing is very appealing.. Simple and down to earth. Though I grew up as a part of a different generation than the one she describes, I love reading her posts.

Anyway, while reading about her unfulfilled ambitions of becoming a child star, I remembered something that I don't really think about a lot. But when I do think, I often think about what might have been.. This incident apparently happened when I was two and a half years old. My mom had taken me out that day, all dolled up and this Assistant Director in the Kannada film industry approached her saying how he thought I could become the next child star. My mom like all moms, being protective of me and thinking about the seamy side of show business, refused. The guy pleaded with her to let him take at least a few test shots of me but to no avail.

My chubby two year old self..

Surprisingly, this experience was not the first of it's kind for my mom. Apparently my sis was also spotted by a talent hound for movies around the same age in Delhi. My mom had refused that time too.

Sometimes I wonder what would have been if my mom had been one of those countless moms who are dazzled by the limelight and the glamor of being the mom of a child actress. My sis would have been a child actress in the Hindi film industry and I, in the Kannada film industry. Maybe we would have continued to act as adults. Heck, I could've been famous; instead I am an unknown wannabe scientist and teacher.. But such is life..

Pimple yahan.. Dimple?

I never had acne problems as a teenager unlike my siblings. I used to be so grateful to that miracle of genetic lottery that gave me the kind of skin that would hardly erupt except for maybe a lone pimple during that time of the month. Little did I know that my euphoria would be short lived.. In the recent months, with a change in my sleeping patterns (staying up till 4 in the morning and waking up at 12 noon) and with all the stress that I am experiencing, my skin has begun to rebel. I have had clusters of pimples break out on my cheeks and forehead.

Though the most popular and for many years, the only acne cream available in India was Clearasil, I used to avoid using it since the one and only time I tried it in my teenage, it lead to the drying and peeling of the skin in the area of my face where I'd applied it. I don't know if Clearasil has since refined their formula and I haven't dared to try and find out.

So, what next? I had a wicked, huge pimple coming up on my cheek and I didn't know who or what to turn to, to make it go away. Enter- Himalaya Acne-n-Pimple Cream.

It really works!!! :)

Himalaya is one of my favorite and most trusted brands. Almost every beauty care product that I use is a Himalaya but more on that later. Coming back to the pimple cream, not only did this cream get rid of the pimple in two days, it also did not harm my skin. More good things about the cream?

• The smell is really great which is an important factor when you have to leave the cream on for a whole day or night. It doesn't have that strong, medicinal smell that other acne creams have.
• A very little goes a long way. Just a smidgen was enough to cover a sizeable portion of my cheek.
• It spreads beautifully and is not too sticky. So, you could apply the cream and dust some powder on during the day and no one has to know ;)
• It is available in a cute and handy 20g pack which easily fits in your handbag.
• The cost is just Rs.45 which considering bullet no.2 is very reasonable.
• And best of all, the very reason I love Himalaya- It's herbal.. Made from natural ingredients.. "Completely safe. No side effects." (To quote Himalaya)

The only drawback that I noticed was that it tended to make my skin more oily. However, the oiliness subsided when the cream was not applied for a couple of days. So, although Himalaya advises me to 'apply over affected area twice daily', I think I'm gonna apply it just once a day and if the acne is not too severe, maybe just every other day. 

This review is only my personal opinion of the product and does not represent an expert opinion. I have not been paid to review this product by any individual or organization.

I wish.. Part 2

It's monsoon time here and the weather outside is nice and cloudy.. Perfect for staying indoors.. curled with up with a good book and a hot steaming cuppa.. or to daydream.. The way I am about owning these beauties and having glamorous parties to take them to.. 

Iconic wreath necklace

Large cluster earrings

Floral bracelet

Lotus diamond ring.. I'm in love with this one.. Sigh..

She was so right ;)

All jewels from here.. Where else? ;)

Saffron

Isn't that a lovely name for a restaurant? I attended the opening of this restaurant and that of a residency, Ayaan comforts today. The decor was truly vibrant and cheerful and the lighting was of the kind I usually prefer in restaurants- not too glaring and harsh on the eyes. There were some truly pretty curtains too. Near the entrance was a feature that I liked very much.. A wall hung with some very pretty and cheerful prints. Unfortunately, we couldn't taste the food since the opening was scheduled for evening and the menu was more suitable to lunch and dinner. I'm hoping we'll be going there to try the food soon. Meanwhile here are a couple of pictures of the restaurant.

The feature near the entrance

I liked the rooms a lot too.. So much in fact that I was busy admiring them and forgot to take any pictures. Unlike conventional hotel rooms, they have been divided into a sitting room and a bed room with the toilet in between. The sitting rooms have a nice, comfy couch and a wall mounted, flat screen TV in them. The bed rooms have a huge, comfortable looking bed and a mirror.

There were a few drawbacks though. One of them was that the bathroom, though possessing all the requisites like a shower, western style WC etc. was really tiny. Secondly, there didn't seem to be a dressing stool or any place like a cupboard or a rack to keep the luggage. It's possible that they are yet to receive some of the furniture that they might have ordered. I'm hoping that this is the case but since this hotel is right here, in my town and I am unlikely to ever stay there, I'm not too bothered with that ;)

This review is only my personal opinion of the place and does not represent an expert opinion. I have not been paid to review this place by any individual or organization.

Back with a ba(n)g

Here is another bag that I made.. 100% cotton, 100% hand stitched.. lol.. This idea had been slowly germinating in my mind for a really long time and finally I got so impatient to see this bag in my hands rather than just in my mind that I didn't even take pictures of it during the making..

This bag was, like my two previous projects, completed in one day..

I wish.. Part 1

Monsoons are on and I wish I could have these.. Pretty yet comfy..

Wedge Welly from here.