Voice of heart

2009-08-08T22:41:00.019+05:30

Junk Ceramic Planter

While walking down the road a couple of days back , a junk ceramic insulator ( the brown one which is widely used on electric poles) lying at a junk shop caught my attention .

I somehow found it so attractive that I got it home unaware of how my creative juices will transform this mundane object into an object d' art .

I thoroughly washed it to remove all the dirt n grime and planted a small creeper in it. Aloha !!!! My recycled planter was ready , with some stones arranged around it it simply adorned my terrace !!!!

Also see my creation on Craftstylish (http://www.craftstylish.com/item/51081/junk-ceramic-planter)

Ceramic insulator pic courtesy -answers.com

2009-08-08T09:00:00.004+05:30

My food blog : Little Food Junction

Finally !!

Finally I have started my Food blog Little FoodJunction

This blog is all about food display, garnish n presentation. It is my little space to rave about my food crafts for finicky little eaters.

Being an artist by profession i've transformed my canvas into salad platters , kids tiffins n food plates for meal times fun........

From faces to animals to flowers & cartoons , Little FoodJunction shows just how addictive it is to play with food.

Feel free to comment n join me on my blog.

2009-07-16T10:40:00.000+05:30

The Morning Skies

‘The earth has disappeared beneath my feet

Illusion fled from all my ecstasy. 

Now like a radiant sky creature

 God keeps opening. 

God keeps opening Inside of Me.’-

Hafiz ( The gift)

Seems soon Delhi NCR will also get its fair share of rain . The pics I clicked today morning between 5.30 & 8.45 a.m. ……….

2009-07-15T23:09:00.001+05:30

Beautiful Skies….

The whole sky today was a demo of happiness & hope. I was thrilled to see the rainbow after so many years. The beautiful sunset with purples, reds and yellows excited the synaptic nerves of my brain , so I jus ran back & grabbed my camera for a few shots hoping that the resulting pics would be atlest half as pretty as the real thing………..

2009-07-11T17:03:00.000+05:30

Coolest Shopping Bags

Hey guys while surfing jus came across some damn cool paperbags . See the amount of thought, research & creativity put in while designing the stuff…… These unconventional concepts show how creativity can turn something so mundane into real attention grabbers , I wish I also had one of these types!!!!!!! Gals surely another reason to go out shopping………

Image courtesy –

youpos.lohcentral.com

barryhand.ie/blog/10-really-cool-shopping-bag-verts

2009-06-29T16:53:00.000+05:30

Fighting Boredom

Like all children my little princess Nandika also gets bored easily. As a mom I always think it is the parents duty to overcome this boredom by channelising their energy in the right direction.

Being an ardent Art & Craft lover I find this is the most suitable time to let my little one to plunge in this pool of immense joy- the world of creativity

These days we’ve been taken over by a new hobby- The Japanese art of paper folding or Origami. Origami is no less than a magic for Nandika- when few folds by her little hands transform a plain paper into a 2D/3D objects d’ art.

Few colorful sheets & some good references are enough to persue this hobby……….

2009-06-29T14:25:00.001+05:30

Look what I did with a leaf

“ Autumn is the second spring where every leaf is a flower”- Albert Camus.

What could be more quintessentially creative than turning leaves into a piece of art. My daughter and I played a litle more these summer mornings

and went around collecting lots of beautiful leaves of varied shapes n textures to make a leaf collage for her summer project.

Since my school days I’ve always been very fond of greens , collecting beautiful leaves n then pressing them in encyclopedias was one of my favourite activity which faded away with time.

'Leaf Man’ by Louis Ehlert revived my hobby n inspired me to make some leafy creations.

Amazing leaf art by Japanese artist Kazuo Akasaki was also a great source of inspiration.

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=2598

The russian site with instructions on making a maple leaf bouquet is worth seeing. http://www.lobzik.pri.ee/modules/news/article.php?storyid=244 Hey I also cudn’t read the text but the pics are very much self explanatory.

My creations- Enjoy!!!!!

2009-05-16T16:21:00.000+05:30

Vacation time

I’m going to be heading off on holidays shortly. I probably won’t be posting anything here for the next one month atleast . Feel free to browse the archives while I’m away.

Will catch u up by the end of june with lots of new posts.- Smita

2009-05-13T18:34:00.000+05:30

Luminous Landscapes

The sudden blackout out after the thunderstorm inspired me to capture this -picturesque view of the road from my apartment . ( Click the pic to enlarge)

I love the Christmas tree like formation that the headlights created.

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels it finds darkness has always got there first , & is waiting for it”

-Terry Pratchett

2009-05-13T17:50:00.000+05:30

My Ode to Watermelon

I always find the rainbow array of summer fruits at the fruit market irrestible. Lovely pinks, shiny yellows, rich chromes, luscious greens, deep velvety reds ….. the color palette seems to be unending.

Of all these beautiful n tasty treats of summer ,watermelon holds the honour of being the most beloved summer delight. The crunchy n juicy call of this divine fruit is irrestible. The delectable thirst quencher is a concentrated source of Vitamins A&C , lycopene and some powerful antioxidants.

The trip down the memory lane conjures images from my childhood…….. juice dripping down my chin & mom’s scoldings on proper table manners ( which I always forgot while relishing this fruit).

While browsing the net for some yummy watermelon salad recipes( for my daughter’s little friends) I came across some lovely pix that inspired me to blog.

Of course I cudn't carve those watermelons so I used a parisienne scoop to scoopout some melon balls & transformed the rind into leaves n hearts, enough to adore my dining table & fancy my little guests .

Then comes the lovely internet stuff:-

The square watermelons that have been developed by the Japanese farmers. These easy to store melons are little uneasy on the pockets ( 100$ each !!!!!).

(pic from -photobucket.com)

I was greatly impressed by the watermelon juice dispenser ( an easy DIY stuff). I would definitely make one for our next party.

http://www.blog.evite.com/evite/2007/09/end-of-summer-b.html

Some cute, innovative pics

My hats off to the veg carvers who have transformed simple rounds into objects de art

( pix from Photobucket.com )

Buddies, last but not the least can u believe that

scienists say that watermelons increase libido ( can’t believe click this link)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630165707.htm

2009-05-07T15:21:00.001+05:30

Pizzaliciousssss!!!!!!

We’d been craving for some nice cheesy stuff since last couple of days. ( I shud mention Nandika n me , Sid is NOT fond of pizza !!) .

During my last Pizza cooking session I had promised Nandika that she could try her hands on one whenever I make it next time.

So today was her turn & she did an amazing job. Of course I had to guide her a little (esp. in the microwave part )coz shes jus 3 ½.

A yummmy stuff for mummy!!!!!!! My present for mother's day in advance.

Enjoy the pix below:-

2009-05-06T12:31:00.001+05:30

Sand

Sand at the beach, Sand at the shore. 

Sand in the ocean On the ocean floor.

Sand in the desert, Sand on the ground.

 Sand in a sandstorm Blowing all around!

Sand from rock that has Crumbled into grains

 Sand in a sand dune Shaped by wind and rains.

Sand on an island, Sand in the sea.

 Sand in the sandbox For you and me.

-Meish Goldish

Our Sand Pit

At last our little sandpit ( read tub) is ready for playing. During every visit to the park my little daughter wished if she could some get some more time in the sand pit to explore the little sculptor in her !

Aloha! Today was the first day of our sandplay (I also joined her!!! ). We created some animals , ' Our Family ' & 'The Traffic Police ' with this lovely & therapautic medium. The experience of the different temperatures and textures of of wet n dry is really inexpressible.

Best of all ,I love to see her creativity budding.

And yes, this link is for the parents who do not allow kids to play with sand or mud.

Toddlersworkshop.co.za/?tag=sandplay

2009-05-06T12:09:00.000+05:30

Coloring pages

Last week I was busy surfing the net for coloring pages. Besides being a good entertaining activity coloring is the best exercise to develop & enhance fine motor skills, color co- ordination and keeps the little one buzy for hours.

My little artist loves coloring . Our praises and the display of her works on our refrigerator (with few colorful magnets) is enough to motivate her.

Hope you’l enjoy these links to some lovely coloring pages websites :

http://www.coloring.ws/coloring.html

http://www.coloringpage.org/

http://www.coloring-kids.com/?gclid=CJ-Om_KLp5oCFU0wpAodUGxZ0w

disney.go.com/magicartist/coloring/

www.coloring-book.info/coloring/

freecoloringpages.homestead.com

http://afunk.com/

2009-05-03T02:54:00.001+05:30

Mug Mania

I’m happy- its weekend ! Its been a crazy week ( and would be for another two months). My daughter’s summer vacation has started so less of surfing and more of my involvement in online gaming , crafting and fun filled activities with her.

Couple of days back while shopping at a local market I picked up lovely multicolor mugs at a throwaway price ( Rs 100 only) .

Before I could be crafty enough and display my creativity on it my daughter decided to make those her as milk mugs ( one color for each day , Sunday -is of course a holiday for everything!!).

Surprisingly the magic of the color seems to have worked , nowadays the first thing what she wants in the morning is milk in her colorful mugs…..

Thank God ! Atleast for somedays I’ m free from her milk tantrums and my efforts for making her drink milk.

Just hoping this color mania gives me relaxation for a longer time.

2009-05-03T02:49:00.000+05:30

The Fancy Dress Competition

At the playschool fancy dress competition we dressed up Nandika as a ‘ Driver & his Car’ and also composed and made her learn a short poem :

This is my car (2)

My pink car (2)

Slowly Slowly I drive (2)

Or fast (2)

It has four wheels(2)

Round Round Round (2)

And a Loud horn (2)

Pom Pom Pom (2)

( Rhythm Ref- ‘I hear thunder’)

Nandika won the first prize.

No doubt Sid , my hubby had put in lots of efforts to craft out the car from old cartons & coloured papers.

2009-05-03T02:43:00.000+05:30

Maggi is 25!!!!

Unbelieveable! Maggi has completed 25 years( courtesy: New maggi commercials)

It is something all of us have grown up eating and is still our fav instant food.

Over all these years it has been the shortest path ( read 2 mins ) to satisfy our hunger pangs. And never the less our foremost introduction to global cuisines and fast foods.

My hubby & I have been relishing Maggi Omlette since last 5 yrs . So buddies here goes the recipe.

Do try n let me know…….

Well, a pack of Maggi , 2 eggs & a bit of cheese ….. is enough for this feast.

Ingredients:

1 packet of Maggi Masala Noodles , 2 eggs, ¼ cup greated cheese ( can be omitted for a lower cal version), salt n pepper to taste.

Method:

Crush the noodles into little bits while still in packet. Open the packet and transfer noodles into a bowl.

Heat 1 ½ cups of water in a pan & add the crushed Maggi n tastemaker , cook for 2 mins till its done. Strain the soup (water ) & keeep aside.

In a separate container beat the eggs , add salt n pepper. Mix in the cooked Maggi and cheese (opt).

Slowly pour half the batter on a non stick or skillet & cook for 2-3 mins till the egg is done.Repeat with the remaining batter.

Garnish with coriander & chilly flakes and

let the Nom Nom Nom’ing begin.

2009-04-28T14:18:00.000+05:30

A Touching Story

"All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired."- Martin Luther

The cover page of this Sunday’s Times Life( supplement of TOI , New Delhi) had a touching real life story of a mom and her struggle to upbring her daughters. The daughter fulfills her mother’s dreams by becoming Femina Miss India World .I’m talking of no other than Pooja Chopra. The achievement of her transformation from an unwanted to a celeb status should really be credited to her mother’s sacrifices.

The article almost brought tears in my eyes , it is such an agony that there are still so many families who in desire of a son neglect their daughters !!

All I can say is that Mrs Chopra is truly a real ‘Women of Substance’ .

2009-04-27T20:09:00.000+05:30

Tangy Tomato Garlic Pasta

One of the easiest pasta that I cook.Kids relish its tangy tomato flavour.Omission of cheese and addition of Curd makes it a healthy low cal recipe.

Ingredients: 3 cups cooked pasta ( pref. Conch / shell) or basic macroni, 4 ripe tomatoes , 1capsicum,7-8 flakes crushed garlic, 2 tsp sour curd, salt , pepper n chilli flakes to taste, ½ tsp oregano, 2 tsp olive oil/any cooking oil.

For Garnishing : Few cilantro / coriander leaves & 2-3 olives (opt.).

Method:

Boil the pasta acoording to the instructions on the packet. Roughly chop the tomatoes & capsicum and keep aside.

Heat a wok and pour in oil. Put crushed garlic and saute for a min. Add the chopped tomatoes n capsicum, saute for another 2 mins. Mix in the boiled pasta along with curd,oregano, salt , pepper n chilly flakes ( opt). Cook for 3-4 mins . Remove from flame & pour in a serving platter.

Garnish with cilantro & sliced olives . Serve hot.

I've contributed this recipe to tarladalal.com also.

http://www.tarladalal.com/ViewContributedRecipe.asp?recipeid=10794

2009-04-26T23:12:00.001+05:30

Crafts for Kids

Kinderart is a great site with lots of kiddie stuff , resources and crafts projects galore. Many of them are easy to make . Lots of recycled projects too.

It displays one of my recycled project

( that i made for Christmas) too-

http://www.kinderart.com/seasons/scrapsanta.shtml

2009-04-25T14:41:00.000+05:30

The Canvas of life

Over all these years I took out time for only one of my hobbies - reading. Prior reading was restricted to my subject – Art, Design & Advertising but motherhood changed the path to parenting n kids & slowly diversed to child psychology, dealing with their issues, and never the less their activities crafts n cooking .

When children are born they are like blank sheets of paper on which we parents help to script the preface of the stories of their lives. Its parents who have to lay the foundation stone of their journeys.

Today penning down the first page of my blog makes me realise that Almighty has clubbed two blessings together. With a kid He blessed me with an unending likeness towards KIDS & of course everything related to them.

2009-04-25T14:33:00.000+05:30

The Phoenix Rises

Its beeen ages ( or more precisely 8-10 years since I sat down to write my thoughts n feelings. There used to be times when I was very fond of penning my thoughts (which were sometimes poetries ) into my diary, but then came my career with the long working hours and the hobbies faded away.

After my little princess ( my daughter) Nandika ‘s birth my life began to revolve around her hardly leaving anytime for myself. The joy of motherhood made me forget my career, my hobbies n likings. My world revolved around my little princess.

Sometimes when she was asleep I used to feel as if I’m lost but my guardian angel always motivated me . Nandika has now started going to a formal school leaving a lot of time for myself.

I’m an ardent believer of the saying “ The hands that rock the cradle can rule the world”. So after many years I sit down to revive myself.