Meet the budding entrepreneur - Ranjana :)

Being a woman entrepreneur by pursuing one's hobby on a regular basis is commendable specially when a woman has to manage the house, do her day job  and simultaneously keep her passions alive. Not that any woman is forced to work or  meet the needs of a home but multitasking comes naturally to many woman :) Today on my blog I want to introduce a budding entrepreneur. I met her in the " original HP Indiblogger meet ". I found her sitting alone like me and thought to say hi. As we were two lone birds we immediately bonded and exchanged conversations, personal and professional details and by the end of the day even our phone numbers. Being my first blogger's meet Ranjana's company was a life saver as I started getting bored. During the conversation she said her's is the arts and crafts blog but then I thought that it was just her hobby but later realized that she is a small scale entrepreneur. Her day job is on the computer like many others' but by night her imaginations soar high with the wings of passion, enthusiasm and energy. She mostly makes hand crafted jewellery and apparel and recently she even started 3D quilling.

Do visit her blog - http://ranjana-craft-blog.blogspot.in/ . Her Face book page -"Ranjana's creations" .Even if the working hours are strenuous and life gets busy with her kid she takes out time to ignite her passion and learn with each passing day .The ear rings she makes are to die for. They are appealing and the color combinations are pretty.

Some of the ear rings she made are below. 

leaf design with black and white crystals

This is my favorite from her valentines day collection.

Another pretty design. Ain't they cute?

She also does work on embroidered clothes using laces , kundans and motifs. The below one is a maroon khadi silk dress. She attached the lace on the border, patches in the middle and motifs here and there . The second one is a kalamkari sari. Kalamkari is technique of painting on cloth with vegetable dyes. She attached Kalamkari patches on a saree. The outcome is the result of hard work for 6months!

The maroon dress

The Kalamkari saree

        Given below is emboss painting for screen printing on a green khadi silk saree.

You can find more artistic works on dresses and sarees at http://ranjana-craft-blog.blogspot.in/search/label/Dress%20design. On her blog you will find the products of your choice using the labels and tags.

She also makes the art work for specific occasions and festivals. She makes Kumkuma(Vermilion)  bharanis. Mostly they are made of wood in various designs. She used kundans to decorate them. The below one is my most favorite design with sliding doors and two compartments. When every nook and corner of the house exudes art, every thing seems interesting :)

The above saree and blouse are specially made to wear on the occasion of Diwali. I immensely liked the patch work , laces attached , screen motifs used and also the delicate golden chamkis. The design is so intricately and artistically done that I can only applaud looking at it.

Not only does she make dresses and jewellery but also makes many interesting items which you would want to use for a specific occasion. For instance for Rakshabandhan she made the rakhis and cards below. She is a master at quilling and made the cards for various occasions.

 

In the above picture you are seeing the Rakhis with cards ready to be sent. Aren't they lovely? I am sure they will multiply the smiles!

I never like the costly greeting cards which we purchase. Rather than getting some thing from a shop how cool is the idea of making it yourself and writing a personalized poem or a message? The above hand made cards are my personal favorites. It gives a feeling that you took the effort to make the event special :)

Not only this she also has the painting talent. She makes pencil sketches and also makes glass paintings and coffee paintings. Have you heard of coffee paintings ? Yes I too heard it for the first time on her blog. Only coffee and water are used in the painting. Have a glimpse at it below.

The unique coffee painting which she tried for the first time

 Below is a simple glass painting made by her.

She also does the ceramic work on pots and aluminium plates. This is done using the ceramic dough and sand. The one below is a Moghulai style flower vase with the vines made of ceramic dough and the second one is a design made on an aluminium plate.

Ceramic pot

on aluminuim plate

This single blog post is falling short of words which can be used to project her plethora of talents. She is ingenious. From crochets to paintings to bidri work to jewellery, neck designs, mirror work, pencil sketches and many more, you name them and she will conjure them. To know more visit her " blog " and check out her creations. Contact "Ranjana on facebook" to know about her latest works and deals.

Icing on the cake is that she has recently been awarded by a blogging community Indiblogger.in for the best blog under "hobbies" section. Check out here.

I can't think of any other person who deserves this award more than her. She is a true winner.

The woman behind all this- Ranjana. She is wearing the jewellery made by her self :)

Ranjana at the IB meet. This was my creative group :)

The highest art is always the most religious, and the greatest artist is always a devout person. --Abraham Lincoln --

Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking.
-- Anita Roddick  ---



I wish she becomes a full blown entrepreneur pretty soon and inspires all of us. Do encourage her!

Written for the Indiblogeshwaris' "Ladies Independence Special Contest" in association with "womenentrepreneursinindia.com"

PS: Images are taken from her blog!

"An aromatic journey down the memory lane:-)"

Early morning aroma of filter coffee instantly rises the spirits.
Reminds me those mornings of exam preparation to be in merits.
The smell of a new book or the morning paper always makes me elated.
The words travel from my eyes to mind giving rise to images animated!


The sweet smell of roses in the garden reminds me of grand mom's place.
Her love for gardening used to create a colorful atmosphere which exuded peace.
The scent of the incense sticks reminds me the holy Fridays,
when mom always lights them up, gives alms to the poor and prays!

Image source:"here"

The smell of coconut oil reminds me those lazy Sundays,
when I used to have head bath after the long oil massages.
Sundays were meant to watch duck-tales and jungle book.
And then have a sumptuous lunch by mom who is a magnificent cook!


The cool breeze with whiffs of various recipes is amazing.
The aroma makes me hungry and the stomach starts rumbling.
The mixed aroma of boiling dal and spices brings back the school days.
The days when mom used to pack lunch boxes in innovative ways!


Then comes the whir of the washing machine and the strong smell of detergent.
The sounds and smell remind me the office training days spent in queues at laundromat.
The queues lead to new friendships , talks, gossip and at times an interesting conversation.
The place where people used to hangout more than the clothes for some relaxation! ;)


The fragrance of a freshly baked bread or other confectionery is tempting.
The taste-buds tingle and diet chart goes to dumps as mouth starts watering.
Brain says no but heart always says yes and manages to win over the brain.
I treat myself with a pastry or an apple pie as it is tough to refrain!


The smell of the wet mud always pushes me down the valley of memories.
Rain and nostalgia go hand in hand digging out the deep thoughts from centuries!
The aroma of hot Pakodas and tea is so inviting during rains.
A sip and a bite energize me releasing me from all the pains!


From morning to evening smells engulf us and impact our mood.
Depending on the kind of smell mood can be bad or good.
Some smells take us back in time. They make us sit and brood.
A certain smell brings a random memory and acts as an allude!

Image source :"Smiley"

This is my entry for Indibloggers' "Smelly to Smiley" contest in association with   "AmbiPurIndia."

Do visit Ampipur's facebook page when you are here - https://www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia.

Love is Vodka – A Shot Ain’t Enough- Book Review

Title : Love is Vodka – A Shot Ain’t Enough
Author : Amit Shankar
Number of Pages : 203
Price [INR] : 195
Genre: Fiction


Looking at the title I felt it must be a mushy book. There is no dearth to chick lit books and I thought this is just among many in the neatly arranged racks. Still I ordered it as I enjoy chick lit stuff. The story revolves around Moon a LOVE child to an entrepreneur mom who is a known face as she becomes the editor of a leading news channel after working her ass off. Her dad is a French man whom Moon doesn't meet much but shares a strong bond. E-mails and chats are her favorite means of communication.

Unlike her mom Moon is not career oriented but every thing in life is easy for her with the tag of Ms.Payal Malik's daughter. She becomes a mega model in no time and she falls in and out of love so many times that the doubts and dilemma she has about love and eternal happiness keep bugging her from the day she starts falling for guys for various reasons. She  is just 19 when she falls in love with Ash. She likes him but doesn't really get drawn towards him. She falls for many other people simultaneously and loses them for various reasons. In her words life is always a bitch for her. She stays frustrated and discontent.

Life becomes a cobweb when she falls head over heels for "D" the Devil which is the name she fondly gives to her mom's X boy friend. To understand why and what makes her get attracted to men and how she always leaves the relationship with an empty heart you must read the book and know. She is a dissatisfied soul , a troubled teen who always wants pamper, care, love and others approval for her looks, acts and what not. She is brave , confident and independent but she is unhappy as there is a huge lacuna in her life due to lack of a father's care and a mother's gentle love.

At a certain point while reading I remembered the movies like Page 3 and Life in a Metro and many other movies based on love and relationships in metros. The chapter where she attends a gay party and becomes shell shocked reminded me of a scene  from Page3 where Konkana Sen performs neatly. The story starts off in a good pace with the enthusiasm and energy which only a teenager can possess but as it gains pace it falters. It is just like a daily serial where you can watch the fresh episode with out watching the old one and guess the next few episodes even before the current episode ends. Only one thing I can say for this book is that I got "bored."

First thing which I really liked is the portrayal of the troubled teen which is perfect as every teenager takes the roller coaster emotional ride. The second thing which I liked is how the author showed the involvement of facebook in our lives and how much we all are addicted to it. Specially in teenage FB gives a high when you are loved all over it. All these things are shown aptly. The influence of online communication which gives rise to many virtual relationships is shown nicely!

There's too much to grasp from the book. Its like a jack of all trades, master of none. From Facebook to copy writing to media and Anna Hazare kind of fights against corruption all things are just brushed up with out going in to too many details. When the book ended I thought it will end on some suspense note or may reveal the true side of one person or another but sad that there was no element of  surprise at all. You can easily guess the ending and even the dialogues. When Moon says that she loves Gautam who is the driving force of the anti-corruption movement I could only laugh in a silly way as I have my doubts on her consistency.

In my honest opinion this book is for teenagers or for people in early twenties. Others like me may not enjoy it. 

My rating 1.5/5

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Cannot call it "The end of the Epic!"

Originally Published at http://theviewspaper.net/a-tribute-to-harry-potter-series/

Cannot call it "End of the Epic!!"- A tribute to Harry potter

The era of awesome movies ends. These are the words which first popped in my head after I watched Harry potter and the Deathly hallows—Part 2 in theater 2 years back. Finally there was a curtain raiser to the buzz, the goosies, the overwhelm and joy and also sorrow as there won’t be any more movies! The movie was grand throughout with a total 3D filming . It was an “aahaa” and an “Aargh” moment as well to me! The movie starts exactly where it ended in 7-1 and it doesn’t skip many details which is a delight to readers .There is no ambiguity even to those who watch only movies and don’t read books, but they altered few bits and pieces like they always do .Not sure why they do it but this time the changes were in sync with the movie. The movie doesn’t spoil the war spirit or the story line but as always the worshipers who follow book like bible ended up discussing and murmuring in theater that this is not in book or that part was shown in an unexpected way. For a moment I got a weird thought of casting “Muffliato” spell on the surrounding public so that we happily watch the movie. 

Few dialogues were just as expected and we actually sat at the edge of our seats and had goose bumps.  I enjoyed when Mc Gonagall says “Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries. Protect your school”   and then all the armors come alive. My adrenaline rushed when the war started. Even the death of  Voldemort  is so convincingly shown .He loses strength every time a horcrux is destroyed. He slowly loses confidence. Reading is lot better but this bit was more good to watch live .When Hogwarts was being destroyed we audibly shouted “Oh No! Hogwarts is ruined.” I know the mere muggles may call the fans freaks the way Petunia calls Lily but it’s tough to understand the emotional attachment with this magic woven by Rowling from more than two decades. When they show Hogwarts as just rubble I felt they should just show a scene from future in the end where again HOGWARTS rises to life and there would be abundant snow fall during the  December Christmas! I just wanted to see a happy school again with the trio sitting in Hogsmeade enjoying a butter beer.

The trio as always rocked. Snape/Alan Rickman is heart of the book and also the movie. A stern Person who seems to be loathing Harry all the way melts down to a man who loved Lily Evans potter throughout his life and the same reason his patronus is also the same shape as that of Lily’s which is a silver doe is a touching fact for the readers and movie watchers! ! The only deficit I felt is Snape’s story should have been a more detailed one. The movie should have been a bit longer as it  was the last one. When we feel magic around who wants it less? The KingsCross episode is too good! It is short and crisp without much confusion. 

My favorite dialogues from the movie:

Harry: “One last question professor. Is this real or is it just happening in my head?”

Dumbledore: “Of course it’s happening in your head but why should it mean it’s not real?”

This is just before Harry comes back from KingsCross!The only things which were silly were Dark lord's silly victorious laugh which didn’t come out great. Everyone laughed in theatre at that juncture. Bellatrix is shattered to pieces. She should have just died like in the book. Again this will solely be a book reader’s reaction. Voldemort hugging Draco is weird as Voldy loathes Malfoy’s family throughout. Other than these things rest of the movie is as adorable as always and a PERFECT potter movie so far! The scene after 19 years is also beautiful except that Hermione didn’t age much, but she is an ingenious witch so I thought to myself that she must have done something to herself like having a homemade under age potion to stay young!  Ginny was so graceful and Malfoy who goes through lot of emotional turmoil looks natural too. The end was nice with the off springs again boarding the train at 9 ¾ at least giving a relief to the fans that the saga is continuing…

The cult so deeply imbibed in our nerves and running in the blood cannot end but the fact that there won’t be any waiting in July after Deathly Hallows made me feel bad for sure! The magic of this epic is for life time to me! Just when I was getting disappointed I saw this link and it was like the dementors sucking the magic out of me vanished all of a sudden .It felt so good to read this- http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/28-things-that-happened-after-the-harry-potter-books-ended

A glimpse from the link above

The only spell with which Rowling won so many hearts is that “Even if you are ingenious and know the darkest possible magic you cannot win if you cannot love any and have evil deeds in your mind. Love has greater magical powers!” This single mantra won the readers’ and audiences’ hearts all these years!!

I was “Petrificus totalus” when the movie ended and even after the end titles we were transfixed to seats for a while!

Some memorable quotes from the movies and books:

§  It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.  ~J.K. Rowling, "The Mirror of Erised," Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, 1997, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore

§  Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.  ~J.K. Rowling, "Dobby's Reward," Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999, spoken by the character Arthur Weasley(My most fav)

§  Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.  ~Steven Kloves (screenplay), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore

§  It's a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up.  ~J.K. Rowling, "The Hungarian Horntail," Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000

§  If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.  ~J.K. Rowling, "Padfoot Returns," Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000, spoken by the character Sirius Black.

§  Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.  ~J.K. Rowling, "The Parting of the Ways," Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore.

§  You place too much importance... on the so-called purity of blood!  You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!  ~J.K. Rowling, "The Parting of the Ways," Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore

§  It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.  Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.  ~J.K. Rowling, "King's Cross," Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 2007, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore