Tales of the Unruly Tresses

During a late spring cleaning spree of my room a couple of days back, I happened to find this little suitcase containing our family photo albums from the time I was some 6 months old. My dad had this love of clicking pictures of me and my sis. That little box turned into this magical time machine that took me back to my childhood in seconds.

The thing that I noticed how my hair changed throughout the years. I was born with Maggi noodles like curls which magically transformed after my hair was shaved off entirely the first time for some puja. I guess all those chantings and prayers helped coz my hair miraculously tamed into nice straight locks!! 

My favourite childhood memories are someway or the other related to my hair. Here are a few snippets-

I remember how fascinated I was with my dad's razor (I was somewhere around 5 or 6 then) and was always on the lookout to get my hands on it. One fine day I did and decided to try it on my hair. For the next two weeks, I was this child-

*facepalm* :P

On a completely unrelated note, I once sprayed dad's shaving foam all over my face and came out of the bathroom singing "Jingle Bells" , almost giving my mom a mini heart attack :D (You see, I was quite the perfect kid :P )

I was a huge Shammi Kapoor fan as a kid and I can distinctly remember the 6-7 year old me sashaying my pseudo dupatta-hair (you see, I always had cropped hair, so I had to make do with my mom's black dupatta) and dancing to the tunes of  ओ हसीना ज़ुल्फ़ों वाली जानेजहाँ....

Have you seen that super cute movie, Ramona and Beezus? In case you haven't I highly recommend you do. If you have already, do you remember the tiara Ramona made with those prickly burrs?

Source

I had once collected a couple of them to throw at my classmates and well Karma decided to teach me a lesson and to cut the long story short, I had to get a crazy hair cut which made me look like this-

Source

While I really miss doing crazy things and playing pranks on people, what I miss most about my childhood is how healthy and lustrous my hair was back then.
Growing up and shifting to a new city and change in climate affected my hair badly and I could see the visible signs of damage in them. Reel over to the present day, my hair is way thinner and a lot less bouncier than it was before. Add to all that damage and pollution the lack of time to take care of my hair. earlier, mom used to regularly oil my hair which is clearly not possible considering my hectic schedule. But the hair needs to be washed and pampered to keep them healthy.

Thanks to Sunsilk's new hair care range,Natural recharge my hair can remain healthy and shiny even when the child in me can do the whacky experiments. I got a sample to try from Indiblogger and I've already used it a couple of times and I'm already addicted to the fresh herby smell and the minty color of the shampoo and conditioner. what I really loved about this shampoo and conditioner duo is that it does not dry out my hair even after everyday use and leaves my hair smelling fresh and squeaky clean!! ^_^

This post was written for Indiblogger and Sunsilk.


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Happy Hair, Happy Me. Thank You, Tresemme!!

'' I just wanna be myself

And I want you to love me for who I am

I just wanna be myself

And I want you to know, I am my hair

 I've had enough, this is my prayer

That I'll die livin' just as free as my hair ''

When Lady Gaga sang these lines, I think she was talking for every girl out there. Our tresses are our identity. Flirty, independent, carefree and gorgeous, those cascading manes define who were are.

Source : Google Images

We all love (and drool) at those gorgeous hair styles that those celebrities flaunt at the red carpet events and keep sighing and wishing we could try and carry them with as much ease and elan. And those Disney princess tales where our darling princesses like Rapunzel, Jasmine and Ariel had the most outrageously beautiful tresses adds to the wish for the perfect ramp ready hair.While our dear celebs might have their own stylists and hair dressers at their disposal 24x7, we mere mortals have none but ourselves and our girl friends to help us achieve those gorgeous looks. 

Source : Google Images

For me, a bad hair day ruins everything. I love trying new up dos every now and then to take a break from the boring pony tail look and when I can't leave my hair open due to the crazy weather here. But managing these unruly strands of hair (which seem to have a life of their own) is a Herculean task. Moreover, my hair is that boring straight with barely there curls towards the ends and are extremely fine stranded which makes styling them even more difficult. And add to that the fact that I absolutely hate (read I'm scared of) using hair styling products and heating,straightening and curling instruments. 

Source : Google Images. Collage done by yours truly

The last winter was a disaster for my hair. I hate winter because it turns my hair extremely dry, knotty and gives me itchy scalp and dandruff. Added to that a change of shampoo made my otherwise almost tame hair into a unruly mess. My hair turned brittle and rough to touch which gave me nightmares!!

Enter Tresemme hair products into the scene. Now, you don't need to worry about your crazy hair which turns into a bird's nest the very minute you step out of your house. And you don't need those hair styling instruments apart from your pretty hair accessories to add that glam touch to your hair. I have been a fan of Tresemme products from the time they were launched around last year and was eagerly waiting to try out their Split Ends Remedy shampoo and conditioner and when Indiblogger gave us members to try and see for ourselves, I immediately applied for a sample. And boy, I am in love...this thing is just amazing. This is going to stay in my hair care regimen permanently.

Even though I don't exactly have split ends, but my hair did seem pretty damaged and rough which was the first step to splitting. I knew I needed to do something before the ends started breaking apart. After having applied the shampoo and conditioner religiously for quite sometime now, I can actually see the difference it has done to my hair. My hair looks visibly healthier and is much softer and pretty much manageable.

The shampoo has tiny pretty glitters in it. The conditioner is a plain white colored one with a creamy texture. The best thing about the conditioner is that it doesn't weight down my hair unlike other conditioners and leaves them airy and with a faint and lingering fragrance.  Now, my hair is back to being smooth and shiny and is way more manageable so that I can easily try those celeb hair dos without frying or losing my hair. No cutting short of the pretty long ends. Yay!! 

Now, thanks to Tresemme, No Knots, No Split ends, Just long happy hair!!
This post is written for Indiblogger and Tresemme who believe that long hair should have beautiful ends and that ending should never be cut short.

Did you try Tresmme yet? If you haven't I really recommend you do. Do let me know if you liked it  :)

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My Beautiful Home

The idea of having my own home sweet home is very exciting to me. I have always wanted to have a place of my own which I can set up and plan the way I want. Everybody has at least once dreamt of having a place which they can call their own sweet little haven. I have elaborate plans all etched inside my mind how I want my home to be.

Owning a 3BHK place would be ideal for all the requirements but that is something I can't exactly have (read afford) right now. The next option is owning my own studio apartment (not that I afford this one either but then it is far more practically possible option than a 3BHK), not too big but cozy and warm, exactly how I love my home. I guess a  700 X 800 area would be fine for my requirements.


The House Plan-


I want my house pretty simple. One big living-dining-sleeping area with my TV, Sofa-bed on one side, a small work space at a corner, a huge full wall book shelf and reading nook on one side and a dining space close to the kitchen. An open kitchen and a bathroom with a closet-store room behind it and a small patio/balcony in front of the living space. A rough plan of the same would look like this-

Living Room + Dining + Sleeping -

Since the most important factor in setting up a Studio apartment is space management and proper utilization of the available space, I would be turning my living room into a multipurpose living cum dining cum sleeping space. 

a) Wall Cabinet-

 Like Joey said,

we need a wall mounting which will be the multipurpose cabinet and well as a good setting to place my TV so that i can point the rest of my furniture facing it.

Something like this which covers the entire wall would be perfect-

So, now that I have my TV and knick knacks arranged in place I need to get my seating arrangements set up.

b) The sofa cum Bed

The world owes a big one to the guy who invented this genius. Use it as a sofa at daytime and at night just slide out the lower half for a super comfy bed. 

This one in particular is an absolute genius. Who doesn't love a cute and cozy bunker bed :D Having a friend staying over for the night? No Problemo!! 

Have more than one friend staying over? I have a solution to that as well. The 5-in-1 inflatable air lounge is the dream product. Keep it inside your cabinet when not in use to save space and inflate it into a full sized double bed when required.

c) The trunk table-

Trunk tables are a great option to store things as well as use your storing spaces as tables. I loved this one in particular. The fact that it has wheels makes it all the more useful in a studio apartment, it can be easily moved around to create space when required. Use it as the coffee table placed in front of your sofa cum bed.

d)  The wall book shelf and reading corner-

Now that we have our seating and entertainment in place, I need a cozy niche for myself where I can curl up and do my thing when alone. Rainy days, hot cuppa coffee or cocoa and my favorite book in hand, I  can happily curl myself under a blanket and sail away to dreamland. 

I have always dreamt of having my own library when I have a house of my own where I can store all the zillion books I own and will buy later. Since we have a shortage of space here we need to make sure we utilize every teeny bit of space available and these wall mounted bookshelves cum reading corners are a dream for all book lovers.

e) Work Corner-

I need a little corner to place my study table and arm chair and my computer when I need to work and study. This looks pretty amazing-

f) Dining Space-

With all my living and bed room arrangements in place, lets move over to the dining area. I love convertible furniture which can be folded and tucked in or utilized in various ways. This fold able dining table and chair set is a perfect option which gets full marks on my chart. Keep it folded and set aside in a corner when not in use and open up and spread a table cloth and lo and behold you have your dining set ready to serve your guests food on! Brownie points for the wheels which add mobility.

g) Patio/Balcony-

I would love to have a small patio or balcony attached to the living area where I can keep my potted plants and have a little hammock all to myself when I want to laze around or just sunbathe during winter.

How amazing do these colorful railing pot planters look!!

This hammock makes me want to dive right away on to it :D

I'll also be hanging some pretty hangings and wind chimes which will go all ting-a-ling slowly swaying when the wind blows.

Kitchen-

Modular kitchens - get all your utensils, chimney, sink, dishwasher, cook top, refrigerator, cabinets, oven and everything systematically arranged in place. Custom made arrangements are available which will fit all the space and necessity requirements for every home. I am in particular looking for something like these- small and yet doesn't feel all cramped up-

Bathroom-

I like my bathroom simple and de-cluttered. This would be a great idea to make for a nice bath place in a tiny space-

Store room / Closet-

This will be a tiny room next to the bathroom to stash up all my needs, supplies, cleaning equipment, junk and laundry stuff which I don't want lying around and visible for all eyes. A combination of the following two pictures would be perfect-

Color Scheme-

House plan - check
Furniture- check

Asian Paints home solutions is the answer to all your home coloring and decor doubts and queries. To get the perfect aesthetic appeal of a home, the walls and furniture need to be colored and co-ordinated properly. I am in particular looking for a warm and welcoming feel to the entire apartment. The Asian Paints website has videos and inspirational walls to help you have an idea of how the colors can be matched and how they look in real spaces and rooms. Also they have a "Ask Aparna" live chat option which attends directly to all your home related queries, be it indoor painting or outdoor. The eazycolour consultancy @ home has all your home coloring requirements delivered directly at your doorstep. The Home solution option is great for people who haven't got a clue about the requirements of their room, leave it to the experts and they make sure you are left stunned and absolutely in love with the final results.

After a long session of browsing I finally set on the colors I want on my walls. These people have such amazing color and effects selection option that you are assured to find something you fall in love with. The articles on the effect of colors and their combinations tell me that having orange-gold-beige-brown themed walls give the illusion of bigger space and also adding a warm sunny glow to the room- exactly what I need.
Furniture will be all wooden and brown-beige colored.

a) Living space-

One wall behind the sofa-bed will be colored in gold. The color and effects I chose are Kora Grass Base Coat-Subtle tint 7899, Top Coat-1-Ski valley 7911, Top Coat-2-Peanut butter 8559. The effect used is Royal Play Texture which gives a textile like weaving effect. The finished result would look like this-

The other four walls I want to remain neutral white or creamish so that it doesn't get overwhelming-

Color details- Sonnet L146

Color details- Talc 0N22

b) Kitchen-

The kitchen I would like to blend in with the entire warm color palette. I chose to go for a Royal Play combing effect on one wall. the details are Combing: Base Coat-Mango shake 7960, Top Coat-Greenery 7806. Once finished, it will look somewhat like this-

Other three walls will be the same as that of the majority of the living space. The store room and balcony will be beige as well. The bathroom I would want to do in white with Teflon coating for waterproofing and longevity.

Lighting and et cetera-

After the house is colored and all furniture set into place, a house won't feel like a home unless it has the proper lighting and smells homely.

Scented candles, reed diffusers, Oil burners and potpourri to make my entire house feel like a home-

The Asain paints website comes in extremely helpful at this stage for all bubbly decor enthusiasts like me who would want to choose everything for themselves. The website says that yellow lighting  gives a warm glow to the space and white lights give a fresh and airy feel. I will get both kinds of lights set up so that I can use them together to give a open airy and yet cozy feeling feeling or use them alternately as required.

Phew!! That took quite a lot of brainstorming. how do you want your ideal home to be like? Tell me in the comments.

Till Next,

P.S.- All the images have been taken from google, none are mine.
This entry is a part of a blogging contest organised by women's web in association with Ripple Links and Asian Paints.

Easy Doodle Recipe- Mixed Masala Macaroni

MIXED MASALA MACARONI

This is one of my favourite go to evening cravings dish. Tired of eating the same old Maggi noodles and cornflakes, I decided to cook up something new.

Here is a more detailed description of the recipe (you don't really need a recipe, you can NEVER get anything wrong in this one.)

1) In a pot, heat water and add salt to it and bring it to boil. Add macaroni when you see the water boiling. This will prevent the pasta from sticking to each other. Some others prefer adding a spoonful of oil to the water to stop the mac from sticking but it also prevents the sauce from sticking to it properly. Cook the macaroni for 5-6 minutes till it is al-dente (i.e. tender yet not squished). 

2) In a pan, add two tablespoons of Bertolli's Classico Olive oil (I use this one because it is suitable for hot cooking like deep frying).

3) Chop 2 tomatoes and one big onion into small cubes. Also chop 1-2 garlic pods. Add to the hot oil and saute till soft.    

4) Add a tablespoon of tomato ketchup, one tablespoon of soy sauce and chilli sauce each into the pan and stir till they are evenly mixed. 

5) In a different pan, fry prawns and scramble two eggs.  

6) Add scrambled eggs, fried prawns and the cooked macaroni into the first pan and mix well. Taste and sprinkle some more soy sauce if needed.

7) Sprinkle a teaspoon of garam masala over and serve. 

P.S.- Vegans can replace eggs and prawns with cottage cheese cubes, capsicums (bell peppers) and mushrooms.

 My Doodle recipe is a part of Easy Doodle Recipe contest at BlogAdda.com in association with TastyKhana.com .

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