tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78774072024-03-07T10:05:21.309+04:00of travels and travailsLife is about the journey, not just the destination.Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.comBlogger2378125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-31542697290303822822020-07-27T16:00:00.000+04:002020-07-27T16:00:04.509+04:00The last 6Book, Books, Books. These are the last 6 I bought. I'm on the second one at present. I read A Gentleman in Moscow and really enjoyed it. There are so many books that have been written about that era, but I loved the way the author dealt with history, philosophy and told little bits and pieces of his life at a time. What a life. What a attitude. Definitely worth reading.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAL0TNBmO7lf8G-IxMAMqbInYVYVERzNdL_yXpHs9jW0QcPvJw3ILyVXZ_5bdIdpNHWbiIM28Eg7eQDv3S038v1Bv_R9Hk2EVnAVVz15TYqGmrQWOnSwKmp_mDKEXNV0hBS-BdA/s4128/20200716_164109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="4128" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAL0TNBmO7lf8G-IxMAMqbInYVYVERzNdL_yXpHs9jW0QcPvJw3ILyVXZ_5bdIdpNHWbiIM28Eg7eQDv3S038v1Bv_R9Hk2EVnAVVz15TYqGmrQWOnSwKmp_mDKEXNV0hBS-BdA/w625-h469/20200716_164109.jpg" width="625" /></a></div></div>Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-33499446774128928862020-06-26T16:33:00.000+04:002020-06-26T16:33:55.371+04:00Daily art is close to my heartSomething that has really become an important part of my daily life is art. I have found that I really enjoy creating art. Little things mostly, nothing grand, nothing fancy. Just tidbits that I work on while the kids are doing their online session. I keep getting interrupted of course, so its never very intricate, but to me its joyful. Its my quiet time, where I don't have to think of anything other than making strokes or selecting colors.<div><br /></div><div>Much of my art can be termed as childish, I suppose. I'm ok with it. I like doodling with my kids and if I can inspire them to try something different then that's great. </div><div><br /></div><div>This one inspired the elder one to come up with something totally different to what she normally does, so I was happy.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__Jv3wA9lzU6BwmvNjZqrboqlcBr9MMkekAkZeBLzCe6A5oqVYwhspBNrGa9n9soLUFLIgMP2yEaQKURWl0JGtdd_8lyoZK_tyXB6N224gONHB4kGbvNrajZNCGz47LNasFaRqQ/s3864/IMG_20200625_094722_820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="3091" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__Jv3wA9lzU6BwmvNjZqrboqlcBr9MMkekAkZeBLzCe6A5oqVYwhspBNrGa9n9soLUFLIgMP2yEaQKURWl0JGtdd_8lyoZK_tyXB6N224gONHB4kGbvNrajZNCGz47LNasFaRqQ/w400-h500/IMG_20200625_094722_820.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-11239941437849293512020-06-26T16:24:00.000+04:002020-06-26T16:24:53.032+04:00A stranger to my lifeSometimes it feels like i'm an observer to my life. Not really living it, but waiting in the wings for my part to start. Do you ever feel like that? Its an odd feeling. My whole life is going by and still I feel no, its not really started. It never will, I know it. Life is just as it will be. A life full of everything from longing, to joy, to feeling unfulfilled and simply not being enough. <div><br /></div><div>What really is enough though? One person's enough could be overflowing for another or empty for someone else. How does one start to see it from a different perspective, that it's fine, its enough. I really don't know. Simple things that make me happy on a daily basis count really high on my list, and I get a fill of them everyday. Larger and more long term things, not so much. </div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose that's fine too. It should be. It has to be.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTHUtYJnAtwZHKm_2Q78AQY09KqqtPQ3_xnuyV5ewCLQU18ZxXlbkYzuH4iU38eLUrnM4TWSA7xn7g2gs8Xcx8yJw_cMFp-V_EliTIx0x8JnOtPuYiGiEoIs4BiyLiUwhnipURw/s4128/20200623_124140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTHUtYJnAtwZHKm_2Q78AQY09KqqtPQ3_xnuyV5ewCLQU18ZxXlbkYzuH4iU38eLUrnM4TWSA7xn7g2gs8Xcx8yJw_cMFp-V_EliTIx0x8JnOtPuYiGiEoIs4BiyLiUwhnipURw/w300-h400/20200623_124140.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></div>Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-24460882510414711262020-06-22T15:58:00.001+04:002020-06-22T15:58:27.679+04:00Tea time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-20326758303066799022020-06-22T14:56:00.002+04:002020-06-22T14:57:12.616+04:00Hello.......When you've been gone so long from a place you loved for years, how do you even start? Or do things just fall into place as if you never left?<div><br /></div><div>Its so weird yet so fitting that I'm writing another blog post again. After a gap of what, 4 years! Shocking that I let it go for so long. I really hope I stick with it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I started this blog in 2004 when we lived in Bangalore. Yes, 2004!!! I remember having to explain what a blog was. Over and over again. And here we are in 2020 and its so commonplace now. Even my daughter wants to start a blog!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, here goes my 3rd attempt at keeping steady with this. Fingers Crossed!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkMh-F7dKQVPv9bJkyVghE8_OHpgv5oM5ISEm1ozZQXt9a9qMxDFYyq141ced_H25lb6r_iDPvw9kAcIWwlojo4TFdb2IgKdF6CxB33u9IJTAiwK1pJ1F77sJwjs-VI1U1EOHRQ/s3870/IMG_20200605_185724_854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3870" data-original-width="3096" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkMh-F7dKQVPv9bJkyVghE8_OHpgv5oM5ISEm1ozZQXt9a9qMxDFYyq141ced_H25lb6r_iDPvw9kAcIWwlojo4TFdb2IgKdF6CxB33u9IJTAiwK1pJ1F77sJwjs-VI1U1EOHRQ/w400-h500/IMG_20200605_185724_854.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-13573978998691215022015-12-10T11:37:00.000+04:002015-12-10T11:37:07.884+04:00Time to stop and stareThere was a time when one could do one thing at a time and not feel like one was wasting time not multi-tasking. A time when we were kids when one could sit and talk even when the electricity went, waiting patiently for it to come back. But now the electricity doesn't go, at least not for more than 20 seconds, so that's what the kids are used to. They expect immediacy in everything. As if everything is controlled by a remote. Stop. Play. Start. Pause and Rewind. If they are watching a recorded show, which is what I usually do, they don't have the patence to sit through the advertisement, rushing to me to tell me to forward it for them. In a way, I'm ok with that, I mean, the less advertisements they see, the better, but it's that lack of patience again.<br />
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Most kids lives are scheduled to the second. School time, eating time, ballet class, karate class, drawing class, robotics class and so on. It's mind boggling that kids are not left to just play, random play where they make up games, run around till they fall, laugh at themselves, and simple stuff like that. I find that I'm one of the few mothers in my daughter's class who doesn't send her to any of these classes. We did skating for a while, but she got bored of it in just a few weeks making me realize at 4 is too young for all this. I don't want to push her into such a routine and I can't believe that others don't see the harm that they are doing to their kids by doing it.<br />
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<i> See that guy in the background? He's just lounging. Enjoying the view. Not uploading FB or IG. Just standing there.</i></div>
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<i> When you stop and stare you notice little beauties like these.</i></div>
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<i> Oh, what a baby she looks like here! Just a year ago! She was glued to the railing, watching the yatchs and waiting for her turn!</i></div>
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<i>Lovely place to walk and get a view of the lake in Nainital.</i></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-52937022656539425992015-12-07T11:36:00.005+04:002020-06-26T16:35:10.341+04:00Traveling with kidsTravel has always been a big draw for me. If I am not traveling I am either browsing places to go to or already booking a vacation. Since having kids, it's been more of the former though! I want them to grow up with an ease of the world, to be able to fit in anywhere, to find their way in any city, to be comfortable no matter where they go. Unfortunately, it hasn't all gone to plan and they both love home food to the extent that they would often skip a new type of food than try it. Oh, it's been exasperating to convince them to even try the coconut curry, the blt, the vada, the stuffed parantha, the chicken burger....and on and on. So for now, I've stopped trying. I let them eat as little or as much as they want and not stress about nutrition etc. So we all enjoy the trip!!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>
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<i> Racing to the toy train at the Chail Palace Hotel in Chail, Himachal.</i></div>
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<i>Neemrana Fort. Impressive but hell on your delicate sandals. Tread with care!</i></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-47675136766958042082015-12-02T10:03:00.001+04:002015-12-02T10:03:02.512+04:00Hi!My last post was Nov 18th, 2014! More than a year back! Yet it seems crazy to think that I haven't done this for over a year. To stop writing, expressing, taking photos, sharing, so silly to stop doing what you love. Ya, ya, time is short, life is busy, but that's really it isn't it. Life is so short that one needs to only do the things have give us happiness, that satisfy us and make us smile. It could be something as small as a cup of steaming coffee or a bougainvillea bloom, or tickling a baby, but one must do something soul satisfying every single day.<br />
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I see my daughters growing up so fast. Like in the blink of an eye fast. Racing to become taller, faster and more independent, and all I really want to teach them is to be happy. Even when things are not going right, even when you make mistakes, even when you actually want to cry. Its hard getting my point across but the elder one at 5 and a half is seeing it. She says, mama, this is life right, to make mistakes, to laugh when you drop something on the floor, to hug, to kiss. She amazes me. And my little one echoes her!<br />
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<i>This one was taken in late May 2015. One of those moments where they stop and stare just for a moment, and then they are back to monkeying around!</i></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-77148305076405570192014-11-18T10:26:00.002+04:002014-11-18T10:28:06.531+04:00Nainital!I've been wanting to go there for quite some time, and really quite surprised that having grown up in this general region that I still hadn't been there. The mid-October weather was perfect, a slight chill in the air but the sun was warm.<br />
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We stayed at Shervani Hilltop, which is a really lovely place. It's a series of blocks so you get a sense of privacy and a non-hotel feel, instead of being a large block with a corridor down the center. There are gardens at many levels as you go up or down to your room, flowers everywhere and tastefully done up modern rooms. They have central heating as well, which made the nights very comfortable too, especially with little kids who refuse to stay covered up at night!<br />
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There really isn't much sightseeing to do in Nainital, and we didn't want to do the things that all other tourists do, like go up in the rickety cable car. So apart from a drive up to the Raj Bhavan, which is quite a majestic castle like building, we made our own agenda of cafes and walks and sailing at the Nainital Boat Club. It was the perfect way to spend a relaxed week with kids.<br />
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Wandering in the terraced garden at Shervani Hilltop. The flowers were simply fantastic. What a beautiful sight. Kudos to the gardeners.<br />
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Marigolds will always have a special spot in my heart!<br />
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All 10 sailboats of the Nainital Boat Club lined up ready to go out! We sailed in the turquoise and green ones.<br />
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The buildings of the resort have a nice charm to them, without any of the shabbiness that usually comes with anything old and charming!<br />
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A resplendent dahlia in the terraced garden.Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-51405967585878083142014-11-10T09:30:00.001+04:002014-11-10T09:30:22.797+04:00Kasauli, a trip down memory laneA trip to Kasauli is always fun. It's a place that I've gone to innumerable times since I was a child and I love it still. Luckily, the town hasn't changed much, it's still a cantonment town so it's kept its original character of old British style bungalows, some maintained beautifully, others in rather a shabby state, but there isn't too much happening in the town, which limits the number of visitors who make it up the hill. Vehicles are not allowed on the upper mall in the evenings, so it's a nice place to walk with the kids and stroller.<br />
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View of the TV tower from Mount Walk which we gave up pretty quickly since the path was too rocky for the stroller.<br />
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There's always a great variety of geraniums at the Club. The back verandah is a favorite place to sit and relax for a while.<br />
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Old world simplicity in one of the cottages on the property.Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-9428833265715338912014-11-04T09:54:00.001+04:002014-11-04T10:01:21.642+04:00Oh my, the blog is 10 years old!It seems that my blog has turned into a flower photo blog!! But when I go home, I love to spend time in the garden and the beautiful flowers are hard to resist. The girls love being outdoors too, the little one relishes getting muddy which is very unlike the elder one who was always so particular about not getting dirty!! It's nice to see their similarities and differences!<br />
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In other news, this blog is 10 Years Old!!<br />
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Whoa, how did this happen! I really had no idea I would still, albeit occasionally, be doing this, when I started a blog in August 2004 when we lived in Bangalore. I read about blogging and weblogs in the paper, haha!! I remember always having to explain what a blog was, and why it was so interesting to blog in the first place!<br />
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Who can resist collecting some fallen Sada Bahaar! Not me!<br />
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A gorgeous variety of hibiscus.<br />
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Euphorbia might have thorns, but it's all-year-round blooms are worth it. Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-15327427060174415882014-10-28T09:14:00.000+04:002014-10-28T09:14:55.434+04:00on being gratefulWe lead a gilded life. We take it for granted, instead of appreciating that it's really not how it is for everyone. This morning when I was chatting with one of the maids, she mentioned that she met her kids after 4 years when she went home to her village a week back. It's absolutely unbelievable to me, unthinkable really, to have kids and not be able to see them, to touch them, to hear their little voices every single day. But to so many people in this world, it's another luxury that they cannot afford. So the children grow up in the village brought up by grandmothers, while their mother and father earn money in the city. People lead harsh lives. They take tough decisions to better their children's futures, to build their own house, to maybe have some savings. It makes me thankful for all I have. It makes me want to hug my daughters a little tighter.
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<br />Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-22510813829045298222014-09-16T09:38:00.000+04:002014-09-17T10:31:55.349+04:00that feeling of homeSo much has happened in the past year, that's its been so hard to keep up with it all. We had a new baby, we moved to a new country, our elder one started proper school, we set up home again! I remember before we moved in, when we were still searching and then once we found our current apartment, I would want to fast forward ahead to a few months to the moment when I could sit back with a cup of coffee in my hand, look around and sigh in happiness. I'm there. I do it every day. Every single day.<br />
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It gives me so much pleasure to have found a lovely house and to have set it up for my family. We already have so many memories here, of the little one sitting up, standing up, saying tata, crawling excitedly to the door when it's time for big sis to go to school! It's these memories that we are making every single day that make the house into a home, to a memorable place. The elder one is just 4 but remembers our old apartment in Dubai so clearly, she relishes telling me how her room was, what she did, where she danced and colored. It's simply beautiful to hear her. Now it's time for new memories in our new home.<br />
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My morning coffee break is what I aim for when I wake up at 530am!!<br />
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The kids room! A large format print of an old photo of mine taken at the IHC in New Delhi.The carpet is a beloved relic from my childhood. I love seeing the girls play on it every afternoon. It's made of cotton so it's washable and its really soft to walk on, not rough like a durrie. Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-70017848731803923412014-09-09T17:18:00.000+04:002014-09-09T17:18:41.584+04:00The beauty of BougainvilleaA flashback to some bougainvillea blooms from last year. I adore this color, when it's a mix of pink and red, some orange thrown in as well. Bougainvillea are such common flowers, but there really is something so wonderful about them, they seem to make even the dullest corner come alive as they bloom.
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<br />Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-41460761333080567202014-09-02T10:18:00.000+04:002014-09-02T10:18:10.271+04:00into the lightI've always been a fan of dramatic shots when it comes to light and shadow. It's something that stops me when I'm doing my chores and makes me run for the camera. Earlier it was easy to capture these moments, but with two littles in the house, I have to plot and plan to keep them busy while I take my shots! I'm not always successful, and they run into the shots or sneak in cute dimpled hands, which quite frankly often "make" the shots!
Here are some where I wasn't interrupted.<br />
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<br />Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-10477920160863389262014-08-12T09:46:00.001+04:002014-08-12T09:46:36.234+04:00The rain, ah the joy of the rains!Monsoon rain! How wonderful it is to experience it all over again! After so many years of living in the desert, its simply magical to see dark clouds, smell the rain and be surrounded by greenery everywhere. It's probably something one takes for granted, but not anymore for me.<br />
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A cup of coffee on the balcony!<br />
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Pouring rain!<br />
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A little baking. Simple khara biscuits to go with tea and coffee.Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-22968927572962737572014-08-08T11:00:00.002+04:002014-08-08T11:00:58.169+04:00My girlsSome days are a breeze. Some aren't. On those days all you do is question if everything you are doing is really making a difference or not. No one said being a parent is an easy thing. It's a minefield of doing the right thing, juggling beyond your wildest imagination, keeping your cool, forgetting about yourself and living in a constant state of exhaustion and fear. But then the little ones say or do something like run up and kiss you and all your worries and tiredness vanishes. They return at other times, when you least expect it, but maybe when you better able to cope with it. I just want to hold on to those moments, when I feel absolutely invincible, with both my girls hugging, kissing and nuzzling me.<br />
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That's what it's all about.<br />
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<br />Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-25783442824724216892014-08-07T15:25:00.001+04:002014-08-07T15:25:18.954+04:00Kabini, a few glancesA few photos from our trip to Kabini in June. It was our first trip there and we loved it. The jungle safari was really great, even though we missed out on seeing a tiger. We did see elephants, lots of deer, several eagles, Indian bison, peacocks, owls etc. I loved the light in Kabini and really enjoyed taking lots and lots of photos there.<br />
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<br />A cup of tea one morning.<br />
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<br />A lovely verandah outside our rooms.<br />
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What a treat to walk through this arbor every day. The aroma was just mesmerizing. <br />
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<br />Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-44723051967640538832014-07-13T20:32:00.002+04:002014-07-13T20:32:30.593+04:00umm, hi thereIts been ages, I did miss doing this, but life takes it own course and sometimes its an impossible task just to get the basics done. Our summer holidays were great. They simply flew by. We relished doing the simple things, taking the elder one for her daily splash in the pool, walking to the local store to buy a couple of things and then eating gelato there, since we are right there itself! Coffee everyday was the main agenda. Twice a day, ah even better! <br />
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That glistening gleaming water. So inviting. </div>
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Gorgeous flowers everywhere you look in Bangalore. </div>
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My little one, growing up too fast.
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-21277209393840225702014-04-02T07:44:00.003+04:002014-04-02T07:52:57.731+04:00lately....It's been such beautiful weather here lately, and all we want to do is to spend time outside in the garden and on the balcony. The unexpected spring rains have been such a welcome after the desert of Dubai. It's been the best welcome back home!<br />
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Nothing beats a nice cup of coffee while sitting outside....<br />
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....well, maybe watching the baby gurgle and coo, kick her legs....<br />
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....and spotting some deer!<br />
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OK, if you insist, have a bite of some Nutella brownie muffins too! Yes, I baked in the new house, a super simple 4 ingredient recipe. Yumm.
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-21321206629671883832014-02-17T15:52:00.002+04:002014-07-13T20:38:31.743+04:00SvarnathoovalI've been very excited about the prospect of getting to wear more Indian clothes and colors since we've moved back home. The summer wardrobe has been getting a lot of thought lately, since it's started warming up just a tad bit. So when I saw these gorgeous dupattas from <span style="color: #073763;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/svarnathooval">Svarnathooval</a></span> I had to pounce quickly! I picked a vibrant rani pink and a golden yellow and they sent me a green shaded dupatta as a free gift!<br />
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<br />Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-989146453517405152014-02-17T15:44:00.001+04:002014-02-17T15:44:24.025+04:00Hello, Hi!Oh dear, where did December, January and almost all of February disappear? Has it really been that long? Its been hectic, hectic and more hectic, but I've tried to take time out and have some fun in between as well. That's what life is about isn't it. To make each day count. Some photos from December.<br />
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Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-7080234710565791432013-12-01T17:48:00.000+04:002013-12-02T07:14:41.092+04:00and so it's December!And just like that it's December already!<br />
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Some years drag on endlessly, but when you have kids, they race by. Sometimes leaving you in the dust. And confusion as well! With a newborn and a toddler who is perfecting the art of rebellion, it's certainly getting harder and harder to keep up. There is a saying that someone told me or I read on a blog somewhere in the early days when I had my elder child, which went like this, The days are endless but the years fly by. And boy oh boy, does it ring true for me.<br />
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A good friend (you know who you are!)told me she loves her two kids the most when they are fast asleep, and I too have hopped on that train of thought. I love them in the daytime, but adore them when they are asleep. Literally, gush over them, relish everything they did during the day, even the naughty things.<br />
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But in the meantime, while I digest the thought that in a month another year will go by, let me share some pretty moments caught by my camera in the past few months.<br />
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<i>Wandering in the garden and noticing the new shoots of the guava tree. That's E in a pretty dress running around, btw. </i></div>
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<i>Arranging and rearranging little pots on the terrace! </i></div>
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<i>Nothing like a cup of coffee to perk you up mid-morning. And cake too! Of course, there has to be cake!</i></div>
Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-76656201963502715072013-11-18T17:03:00.002+04:002013-11-25T07:30:28.661+04:00I won a beautiful painting thanks to Igor of Happy Interiors BlogI won a beautiful piece of art! What a great way to start the week isn't it! Igor of Happy Interiors Blog hosted an <a href="http://www.happyinteriorblog.com/2013/11/giveaway-art-for-your-walls.html">art giveaway</a> with Artfully Walls, and I <a href="http://www.artfullywalls.com/works/452/flowers">won a beautiful work of art</a>, just in time to be hung up in our new home! Just waiting for it to arrive!<br />
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Maybe this is a sign that I should get back to blogging more regularly! Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7877407.post-4104458098970532922013-11-17T13:55:00.001+04:002013-11-17T13:55:30.435+04:00hello, do you remember me?Ages, isn't it! Lots of good reasons to be away though. A new baby girl named Amaira being the most important of all! She's 2 months old already but I still haven't got enough of her newborn-ness, and she's outgrowing it all so fast, becoming chubby and smiling up at us so sweetly.<br />
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Also on the cards is moving to Delhi from Dubai, which we are currently doing, so yes, lots on our plate lately. I have missed blogging regularly, but didn't want to post stuff here just to fill space, only when I really wanted to. So here I am. Not making any promises of being regular though. Not yet, at least!<br />
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Teeny tiny baby feet!</div>
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The simplicity of Sada-bahaar blooms.</div>
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Baking again! Yes, glad to be baking again. This was a Honey Yogurt bread with raisins.</div>
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<br />Shalinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08702425925479194019noreply@blogger.com5