Pretty green pumps

Love these shoes. For Rs. 399 at Lifestyle / Splash. Available in other colors as well.

Style tip: Pair this with denims and a tee / top of any color other than green or red. Don't go matchy-matchy please. Will look lovely when teamed with calf-length or shorter skirts.

Pic courtesy: Madhu Gopalan

Madhu Gopalan is a blogger famous for her gorgeous blog Aadab Hyderabad. She is an avid photographer who you can find on Instagram. She also has a green thumb, paints beautiful pictures, visits concerts and buys beautiful shoes! 

You can check out her blogs here and here. 

Thanks Madhu for sharing this. 

Review: Ship of Theseus

This one's a long post with a lot of unnecessary details, so if you want the 2-min version, scroll down to the other post to read Pallavi's succint version! 

I managed to watch SOT. Just last night, in fact. Since i thought that there were going to be no more shows post the first week of release, i hurriedly booked tickets to make sure i didn't miss the film. Especially after Schmuckeshwar aka Somak told me that the DOP of the film is someone who can make anything look beautiful after having worked with him on a corporate film. And i value S' judgement a lot. 

We started early and reached the theatre on time so we didn't end up missing the first fifteen minutes, like we usually do. I even had time to get popcorn. Someone wanted a seat exchange and we didn't oblige because they weren't better seats. It was a late-night show on a weekday and i also had my yoga workout (that i didn't want to miss) but i still booked that show.

It was well-worth every single thing that i did to make it for this show. And probably more. 

There are plenty of visuals from SOT that are etched in my mind. Long after. Last night in my dreams. And this morning too. I can vividly recall details that i would love to see again. Schmuckeshwar was right... Pankaj, the DOP is brilliant. Of course, Anand Gandhi, the director, has done a superb job. And the casting - it's perfect. 

The pace is definitely slow but your attention doesn't wander because each shot is so beautiful,  so lovingly captured, you can't take your eyes off of it. 

SOT is 3 stories in one that have a common thread, and my favorite was the second one that features the story of a jain monk ailing with liver cirrhosis. The easy banter he shares with his young lawyer are easily the best moments in the film for me. (I also wish more religious leaders were like this monk.)

Of course, SOT has many layers and philosophical stuff and a lot of takeaways but that is something personal to each viewer so we wont start that here. Watch the film and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did. (SOT has got a lease of life and another week's run, so you can catch it on the big screen).

Remember Pallavi of The Next Monday Syndrome? I read her review of SOT on FB and asked her to write a guest post review of the film for my blog and in typical Pallo-style she said she had a lot on her plate and if i could wait a week? So i declined the offer and suggested instead that i post her FB comment on here!! 

So here's what she had to say: 

(Yes, her FB updates are pretty long. Usually longer than some of my blog posts!)

Intriguing, profound and endearing. Three stories that make up Ship of Theseus. The movie is packed with passive aggression. Five minutes down the film, holding a popcorn tub seemed a bit misplaced. This was not just entertainment, from the word go the movie demands you to give your absolute involvement to it. Very well made film and I am glad its been marketed well. Also it's brilliantly packaged for Oscars (why not?). More steam should be put behind such artistic endeavors. The theatre was filled with patrons from different demographics and everyone seemed to enjoy the film considering there was a round of applause at the end of the film from every corner. Its good to see that Indians as movie goers are not saying this or that anymore. Finally it looks like its all about loving your films. :)

PS: Do you know Anand Gandhi started his career as a dialog-writer of a very-popular soap opera? You'd be surprised! He also wrote the screenplay of another hugely popular hindi soap. 

Poetry - Chutti ki subah by V

I recently reconnected with another old friend and he has been sharing with me some of his writings. V is a prolific writer and pens at least a poem a day. He writes about the most mundane stuff but in such a beautiful way that it always makes my day. It's like receiving a precious and rare gift every time i receive an email.

Right now, i wish i could have written this intro about him and his poetry better (much like how Arundati would have written it)... but here it is anyway, one of the poems that V sent me - Chutti ki subah (A holiday morning)

सफ़ेद धुप की उन्स सी पट्टी 

पर्दों के बीच से

दरीचे को मात देके

मेरी आँखों पे बंध रही है

एक सिरा अब भी खुला

तकिये से होकर 

बिस्तर की छोर तक खिंचा है

बिलकुल सीधा, एकदम उजला.

सतरंगी रस्सियों का एक ताना 

मेरी बोझल पलकों को खींचता है

शायद रौशनी से बना है 

और दरीचे की कांच से बंधा है

रसोई में पडोसी के cooker की सीटी

कहीं दूर प्रार्थना में बजती घंटियाँ

'gully cricket' में चीखते बचपन का शोर

क्यूँ सब करते हैं इतनी साज़िश हर छुट्टी की सुबह.

His poetry reminds me a lot of Gulzar's writing - simple words and contemporary language that convey a depth of meaning.

If you don't know Hindi, you can find my attempt at translating it, after the jump 

10 questions with a lawyer (and it's not about law)

Cristian is a lawyer who has been practicing law since the last 30 years but he is also a brilliant photographer and an avid traveller. Cristian M was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1953. He lives in Argentina and has been "married for more than 30 years to a wonderful woman". He has two children - a daughter and a son and two grandsons.

I met and spoke with him for less than 5 minutes when i had visited Agra in October and he took my picture and emailed it. We have been in touch ever since. When i asked him if i could interview him for my blog, he readily agreed. 


So here's presenting my first interview on this blog with an amazing photographer and a very generous man… hope you enjoy it!

1. When did you start taking pictures and what got you interested in photography in the first place?

C: Many years ago, when I was probably 17 or 18. I just felt attracted to the power of images to convey all kind of feelings. 

2. What camera do you use, the lenses you have and the software you use?

C: I use a Nikon D3x. But I always carry with me a small camera: Canon S95. Lenses for the Nikon: a fisheye, a 105mm (for portrait) and two zooms 17-55mm and 18-200mm. The latter ideal for travel. Software: Photoshop (for just the basic), Camera Raw & Bridge (both part of the Photoshop package), Kolor Autopano Giga for panorama stitching and Tiffen Dfx (I strongly suggest you try the latter).

3. What are your other passions besides photography?

C: Music. Can’t live without it.

4. Which is your favorite travel destination that you would like to go back again to? 

C: Paris first, Venice second.

5. If you had an option and no restrictions where would you like to go?

C: Afghanistan.

6. Tell me about your favorite picture

C: Despite the fact that my photo collection is now over 40,000 it didn’t take me so long to make up my mind on this question. It’s a photo that I took to my daughter when she was a baby (some 32 years ago). I developed and printed the picture myself. Now I need to find the scan to send it to you. I have been unsuccessful so far. (A: He still can't find it)

7. There is a sense of solitude in almost all your pics, as it there was no one but the subject and you when you clicked. It's obviously not true and i am sure there were a million people around, but i love this quality in your pictures.

C: Sense of solitude in the photos. Yes you are right. Why: because I like portrait photography. Just the subject; anything else is a distraction unless I want to distract the viewer to that something else. Now the Venice carnival is completely different (on the streets) to, for example, the wild Rio de Janeiro carnival (never been to it but famous worldwide).  The people that disguise in Venice have that formal but intriguing look.

8. If you could be something else - not a lawyer - what would you want to be?

C: An image and music producer or integrator. Anything that combines images with music. Otherwise: orchestra director.

9. A quote / saying you live by?

C: Absolutely always be fair.

10. What inspires you?

C: Being useful to people.

Click here to see his gorgeous and inspiring photographs. And don't miss the pictures he took of the Carnival at Venice and the Angels.

Tagline wisdom and my first giveaway!

Anil Singhal, is one of the first few people i met through my blog. I generally don't interact much with the blogging community (it just didn't happen, but i would love to meet / interact with all the fabulous bloggers out there who inspire me and make my day with their posts). So when i asked Anil if he would like to contribute he was gung-ho and promptly sent me a post. Unfortunately i took quite sometime to post it. (Please don't ask how long, i am not going to answer that!) 

Anil Singhal is a free-lancer, self-taught photographer raised in Siliguri, West Bengal. He has a Masters in Science (Physics)  from IIT, Kanpur & a Masters in Microelectronics from IIT Bombay. He is an entrepreneur but is extremely passionate about photography. You can read his blog and see his photographs here. He also conducts photography workshops in his spare time. 

Presenting Anil's wisdom compiled from taglines. Enjoy!

Where do you want to go today? Wake up and drive to the happiest place on the earth? Celebrate the moments of life. Share moments and Share life. You will have The Perfect Experience. 

We live in a material world of branded stuff. And everyone's story is consummation of some brands in some order. Isn't it? 

We love to exercise our senses, don't we! In a days itinerary we would have used our five senses: Smell, Touch, Sight, Hear, Taste !  However, the prime sense that gets called in all of it is the "feel" factor. Some say its intuition or the sixth sense, but often it is the one that is most ignored. And yet, I believe is the only one that you should learn to care about. And you will be surprised how your choices through the other five are more rewarding, fulfilling and entertaining.

Just do it when it feels right. And then the road will never be the same. 

PS: How many brands did you find in there? Leave a comment with your findings and someone may just win something sweet (not like food, but something handcrafted and pretty) :D

PPS: Would you like to be a guest blogger here? Write to me then!

{Photo of the Raintree Park aka Malaysian Township that is featured above has been shot by Anil.}

Once in a blue moon

Divy's back! Remember the girl with the cascading hair and traditional looks who wrote a guest post about heirlooms? Here she is again, going all romantic and moony...

I am not a very morning person but after being married, I dint have a choice. But yes I must admit that each morning, I am greeted with a treat to my eyes :D 

One such thing happened on 10th Dec 2011, on the morning of the lunar eclipse. I woke up at 5:30 AM and I saw this from my bedroom window and had to capture it ... 

The moon looked beautiful through the coconut leaves. I have always loved the Poornima Moon. 

The beauty of the Moon is so pure and blissful. No wonder the romantics and the poets never miss describing this white surface, like the Savage Gardens song... I am flying to the Moon and Back...

PS: Every Wednesday is guest post day. If you'd like to be a part of my blog, then send me an email to ambicasrimal@gmail.com

PPS: She sent in the post last Wednesday in the late hours of the evening, just when i was looking at the sun go down in good ol' Jaisalmer and couldn't post... what with all the travelling and all. Sorry Divy.

PPPS: Rajesh B, when are you going to make me feel special?

Guest Post - Gnocchi with a twist

If you read my blog regularly, then you know Bila aka Nabila. While i do know that she is a fabulous writer and a good photographer, i am not too sure of her culinary skills since i haven't tasted anything she's made except this one time when she made mushrooms for me. So when she sent in a Gnocchi recipe that uses coconut milk, i was a little taken aback. I haven't tried it, so i am still not sure... so if you do try this recipe, it's at your own risk. You never know with these creative types...


If I had an option of choosing a middle name most befitting me, I would pick experimental. No, not the scientific kinds—far from it. I’m talking about the culinary kinds.
I love experimenting with anything food: my Maggi has never been consumed in its purest form for over 11 years now, chicken sausages are never just plain grilled or fried, and the omelettes I eat are far from the run-of-the-mill recipes. (There was a time when I went to restaurants and ordered dishes which seemed the most experimental and which unfortunately for me, nine times out of ten, turned out to be the worst dishes on the menu. But don’t let this one-off incident discourage you from trying out the thing that I’m suggesting you try out; my palate has gotten the better of me since then.)
So last night, the Mallu in me (there isn’t one, honest; this is just for effect)—or, if you want to go exotic, the Thai in me—decided to experiment with Gnocchi. What I used for a packet of Gnocchi:
Olive oil
A couple of cloves of garlic
One onion, finely chopped
Three tomatoes, pureed
Mixed herbs, fresh or out of the bottle – your call
Tabasco sauce to taste
A teaspoon of Demerara sugar (If you’re using tomato puree out of a pack, regulate the quantity of sugar accordingly)
Salt to taste
The surprise ingredient: 200 ml of coconut milk

Pour olive oil in a large pan (that’s what I used to put this dish together), throw in the garlic and onions and let them sweat it. Just as they’re changing colour, add the mixed herbs and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato puree and salt and let the puree cook through. Once that’s done, add the Tabasco sauce and Demerara sugar and cook the sauce till it reduces. Once the sauce has reduced to half of what it originally was, pour in half the coconut milk, stir and let it gently simmer for a bit. Add a little water to thin the sauce and check for taste. If you feel that the sauce needs more coconut milk, dunk the rest in. Meanwhile, throw in the Gnocchi in boiling water and wait for it to cook. (You’ll know it’s cooked when it rises to the surface of the water, which will be in precisely two minutes.) Strain the water out and put the Gnocchi into the sauce. Cover and let it simmer for a minute, and then serve.
Apologies for the image, my DigiSLR ran out of charge and I had to make do with my trusty Sony Ericsson J10i2 phone camera.

PS: Wednesdays is going to be dedicated to Guest Posts. If you'd like to contribute send me an email to ambicasrimal@gmail.com

Guest Post: Fur you, but not for me

Here's another guest post from Yamini, my tall brunette friend who many say looks like my sister. If you have to find her in my phone book, you'd have to look for Beatrix Kiddo (she made me save her name like that). 

I love winter. Longer nights, shorter days, all the festivals and most of all winter fashion (hides the extra weight). 

I am a big fan of fur and leather - material you can only see in winter fashion. (I remember having a leather jacket and a couple of faux fur caps as a kid when we lived in cities with cooler climes. Unfortunately, Hyderabad is much too hot for all this and i miss those chilly winters.)

I know Ambica doesn't care much about fur/ leather but what about you? Have you worn a leather jacket or leather clothes or something soft and furry? 

Hope this trip in cold cold Bikaner changes Ambica's mind about leather or fur :) (Not at all babe. I still don't care for fur or leather or animal print either.)

PS: Beatrix is right now totally loving this polar bear rug/coat by Benjamin Cho donned by Lady Gaga. Beatrix loves wacky clothes - my only friend whose taste veers towards the weird. 

Guest Post # 11 ~ Cheap and Cheerful Decor

Am back again! yup...Arundati... the easiest route for me is to post a recipe (I am a food blogger worth my salt). But having something better to share and the fact that the Material Girl is out of her silent zone, but not fully yet able to administer this blog (although she does have access to it and is watching over us all) made me want to share something i tried a few weeks ago. In a way it was inspired by this post of the Material Girl. I'd been seeing this assorted bottles with leaves and flowers decor idea across decor blogs for sometime now...also pinterest is full of them look at this, this, this and omg this! 

A walk in the community garden gave me a handful of marigolds, leaves and a few bunches of pink flowers. Stick them individually or together in bottles of your choice, half filled with water, arrange them on a table or a shelf in rows of 2-3 bunched together by pattern, texture or the kind of flowers in it...and that's it! you have yourself an attractive focal point at zero cost. no need to buy expensive cut flowers. If you do not have access to fresh flowers, try stems of leaves or dry flowers or twigs. Look around... there is much more stuff you can use than you think there is. 

I've been reluctant to throw out any glass bottles i can find, used perfume bottles have gorgeous shape, texture and design, medicine bottles (all those beautiful caramel coloured tints!), jars that had broken lids, shot glasses, glass bowls and plain old jam bottles. and i just hate the way in which bouquets are made here. flowers, greens bunched together, stems cut mercilessly and stuck into florists foam. i take them apart and use the flowers and fillers in bottles and vases or bowls. they look so much better, last longer and you have way too many flowers around the house. Try it soon!

Guest Post #10 ~ Antique heirloom gifts

Guest Blogger of the day is Divya Rupender nee Dinker. Divya is the most unassuming of people. With traditional looks and cascading thick jet black hair falling all the way down to her waist, you would hardly believe that this chica was a singer in a rock band in the not so distant past. Happy, friendly and what you see is what you get, Divya is the girl who when she laughs, you know it really is mirth that comes from her soul. Customer Service Executive and Preschool teacher are just two of the many hats she has worn. She now freelances as an Interior Designer and Decorator. which explains her choice of blogpost as well.

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Ambi, thank you so much for asking me to write. I was really rattling my brain on what to write and all thanks to my Daddi :)

Well the other day my granny (Dad's Mum) called me over and handed a Jade Jar and said "this is for you to keep". I was thrilled, as a little girl I would wait for my granny to open her trunk and watch her clean every item in it and place it back and would have just one question to ask each time "when would I get this?"....I got married 4 years ago and since then each year my granny has been gifting me an item from the trunk that have been her priced possession. The Jade Jar is my Great Grand mum's and its more than a 100years old :), she used to keep her daily wear earnings in it.  I can't seem to be doing the same thing though ;)

The Om Tea Pot is twice my age and was given to me last year, its a set of 4 but granny gave me just one mug saying she din't want to be unfair to my brother and the rest of the 3 mugs are with him ...

I have always had a fascination for rustic items and this lantern I picked up at Dokra bazar last Jan and since then it has been in my favourite corner in the dining area. My evening winter tea is always next to this lantern.

So, who is going to join me for tea :)

Guest Post # 9 ~ Happy Thanksgiving and Pecan Pie

The Guest blogger of the day is that almost geeky girl from your class who you always knew would ace the test. What you dont know, is that rarely can a book be accurately judged by its cover. Fearless, honest and totally nutty (explains her choice of recipe), Naveena is someone who bravely crossed the Pacific with no clue what life had in store for her. She is a double master's in Marketing Research, lives in Los Angeles and yeah all those big budget money spinning hollywood blockbusters we spend our money on, are made with inputs through her research. 

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Hi, This is Naveena, from somewhat sunny California. I don't claim to be a serious blogger like my most talented friends but I like writing and I like Ambica - so here I am. 

I am writing to you on the eve of the most anticipated American holiday - Thanksgiving. The origins of this holiday are noble - they celebrate how the Native Americans (ahem the OTHER Indians) helped the first setttlers learn how to survive in this country. What happened after is a matter of much debate but the Americans have turned Thanksgiving into a celebration of family, food, football (the OTHER football) and slumber. 

I remember my first Thanksgiving. One of my American friends invited me over to her house and I heard all about the traditional food and how much everyone looks forward to it. In subsequent years, I have learned that each family has their own traditions and everyone claims that theirs is better. One year, my friend was appalled that her in-laws only served sweet potatoes and not mashed potatoes. Another Thanksgiving, I was subjected to a green, slimy, jelllo "salad" that the family I spent the day with swore by. Another time, my friends almost came to fist fights over whether crescent rolls or dinner rolls were better.

And then there is the matter of pies. When it comes to Thanksgiving, it's like a war of the pies. Be it apple, pumpkin, cherry, or pecan pie, someone always believes that the day isn't complete if not for that particular dessert. 

In my mind, the war has been won and the clear victor has emerged. If my taste buds could have their druthers, we'd dive right into the pecan pie and never look back. I love nuts (explains some of my friendships) and the combination of the pecans with the gooey, sugary goodness that binds it all together is something that I absolutely love.

When I first made pecan pie, I realized why the adage "as easy as pie" came into being. Once you make your crust (I use "Paula's perfect Pie Crust" recipe from Paula Deen), there couldn't be anything easier. I am sharing with you my recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Unbaked 9-inch Pie Crust 
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
• 1/2 cup Dark Corn Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Melted Butter
• 3 whole Eggs Beaten
• 1 1/2 cup (heaping) Pecan Halves

Instructions

First, whip up your pie crust using Paula's recipe.

Next, mix sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top. Bake pie at 375º F for 30 minutes. Then continue baking at 350º F for 20 minutes. Shake the pie before you pull it out, it shouldn't be jiggly. 

A few Notes

1) One time, I ran out of white corn syrup and just decided to substitute with the dark that I had lying around. It turned out so much better that I changed the recipe. You can just use light corn syrup if you can't find dark

2) It's important to NOT whisk the eggs too much. They create air bubbles in the pie. 

3) If you can't find pecans, use walnuts

Guest Post # 8 ~ DIY art

Blogger of the day is Bhargavi, she's the shopaholic Diva with impeccable taste in all things lovely ~ clothes (of which she has lost count), interiors and people..... She loves challenges and the best way to get her to do something is to say she cant! Bhargavi gives 100% to everything she does and is especially tenacious when it comes to her job. She's currently the butt kicking target driving Zonal Manager with Bharti enterprises...

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Hello All,

Hope your week end has been great and you are all set to take on the week ahead!....

To begin with  i must thank Ambica for the invite to write a guest blog....Although i took it up instantly only to figure later that it isn't an easy task....I have been all over the place to figure what will fit into the Material Girl's Blog series considering the quality and content that she would have expected...As such i am not too much in to blogging and what ever little that i write is very mood based and situation based considering the corporate maze i am in to.....So it was a massive task for last few days to decide what should i write on....

In one such quest of figuring what blog to write on is when Pinterest came to my rescue to bring to you all something too adorable and easily implementable for expressing our emotions to near and dear.....

This DIY idea...I fell in love with the moment i saw it and decided to use it for many Occasions not just one...I am sure you will like it too.....

Put a piece of line paper in a frame and with dry erase markers leave bed side love notes--- Doing this!

Guest Post # 7 ~ The Next Monday Syndrome

Guest Blogger of the day is Pallavi Nayak. I've heard the Material Girl always mention good times and Pallavi in the same sentence. So we know for sure that she is a fun person with a large heart for friends and family. Pallavi is an advertising and branding professional and lives and works in Bombay.

In her own words, this is Pallavispeak for you...

I am Pallavi, I weigh more than 80 kilos and yes I have made peace with myself that my weight has become a part of my identity. Besides that I am an avid fan of the arts faculty maybe it be writing, music or craft. I see myself as an observor of life and I strongly belive that what makes me happy is that I have very few hang ups in life. 

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Being a material girl makes me indulgent and spoilt for choice. Thats leaves me missing out or pushing some critical plans to some never gonna happen future date. I call this regreatble yet speedinly common habit to procrastination, the Next Monday Syndrome.

The same syndrome that has delayed this post by 3 days. A famous line from Golmaal sums up this feeling even more succinctly…aaj ka kaam ka karo, kal ka kaam parson…itni jaldi kya ha bhaiyya jab jeena hai barson and why not, being proactive promises a good future while procrastination assures a great today, I say. Ah! The Next Monday Syndrome, I have lost multiple trips, movies and mostly my head over it. The one thing I have not lost because of this syndrome is my weight. 10 years of saying Next Monday I will start to exercise, that is 560 Mondays come and gone.  Worse, 560 Sundays stuffing myself with food with a hope that I will start the weight loss program the next day.

So while there are more scientific reasons that psychologists will dish out for the ‘Next Monday Syndrome’ here are some of conclusions that I have arrived at, defending the procrastinator…

1. You are an optimist: You are a strong believer of a brighter future ahead, you know that the sun will rise back tomorrow and you will be here to execute your plan tomorrow. You defiantly believe that the world will not end in 2012.
2. You have mastered the art of thinking: You have thought about it so much times that you have a very vivid almost realistic picture of the end goal in your head. So realistic that just the thought that you will do it makes you think that you have almost done it. Here people are talking about teleporting and virtual reality, so been there done that, Meh!
3. You play lawyer lawyer with yourself: My Lord, mere kaabil dost states that achieving the goal will lead to happiness, making happiness the ultimate goal and not achieving the goal. So if procrastination gives happiness then the ultimate goal is achieved. Defense rests its case, My Lord! 
4. You are cool and spontaneous: You are not one of those uncool people who plan everything. Who wants to be like these first benchers of life, they not have a plan but they actually painstakingly stick to it. You don’t let a plan take over your life. You are as free to do whatever you feel like today just like you did last Monday.
5. You are more busy than Justin Beiber : Last by not least, it comes down to a fact that no one can refute. There are only 24 hours in a day and you are only carrying the work load of the world on your strong shoulders. You have a demanding set of friends and a family. If only there were 25 hours in a day then you would have surely squeezed in time to achieve your goal. But even a rockstar like you cannot make that possible. Such is life what to do.

There are many more reasons but I will reserve them for some other time, maybe next Monday J

Guest Post # 6 ~ How to create your own blog blur wallpaper

Most of my creativity is rooted in impatience. Well, most of my life actually. I am an extremely restless person and can’t come to grips with the whole philosophy of “let things happen as and when they must”. The good thing about it is that I discovered a new way to create interesting wallpapers for my desktop.
Just follow these simple steps and you’ll have plenty of them too:

1. Will yourself to get really, really, impatient.
2. Open a blog, or a blog post that’s really colourful.
3. When the blog/post is half-loaded (timing is everything here), scroll down immediately. Please note, impatience is key at this stage. Do. Not. Wait.
4. You’ll notice that the words and pictures turn into meaningless, colourful,  linear blurs on your desktop when you scroll. (If they don’t, then you’ve either lost your moment or will be getting one in seconds)
5. Immediately hit the ‘Print Screen’ button on your laptop. Do nothing else after that. I hit the Print Screen button at least thrice to make sure I don’t lose the blur, because I’m neurotic that way.
6. Open MS Paint, and hit Ctrl+V. Voila! Your blur is captured. After that , trim the edges out (you know, the stuff with the tabs, the task bar and all that jazz) so that you’re only left with a beautimous blur.
7. Save it as a picture.
8. Use!

Blog blur wallpapers are great useful time-wasters. And they’re totally original. So go try, and have fun.

 

About me: So you know I’m restless. What you don’t know is that I get very, very, very high on coffee and then, I’m as restless as a rubber ping-pong ball launched in a 4X4 room. I hate spiders and love books. I’ve been referred to as Bila on some occasions and N on some others on this blog, with a remote possibility of being called mad/crazy a couple of times too. I write here, here, here and here.

Guest Post # 5 - MJ's Red Jacket

Guest Post by Yamini

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I am a BIG MJ fan.  Actually, I was crazy about him.

Many would find his sense of fashion a little exaggerated but I think not. I like most of the stuff he has worn and would like to own some of them. One of them is the Beat It Jacket. Its red, has the bling and a lot of zippers.

I have seen few replicas but they are badly made.  I have found the jacket on Amazon. Com :http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Jackson-Beat-Jacket-Collectible/dp/B0050KTTNY/ref=sr_1_2?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1320913859&sr=1-2

 But I don’t think that I would be able to afford it in this life time.

Is there any iconic clothing you wish you had?

Guesy Post # 4 - Gaming Soundtracks Anyone?

Guest Post by Yamini

So Modern Warfare 3 is out and had the largest day one shipment in the gaming history. I am not much of a gaming fan and it’s not the game I am going to discuss.

Lately I have started checking out video games soundtracks.  I think Brian Tyler has done a very good job with the background score here.

My favorite tracks are

Battle for New York

End Credits

Check out the tracks and let me know what do you think??

Guest Post # 3 - Tiny Reads

Yamini TK is the blogger for the day. She and the Material Girl go back a long long time.... They went to goa together remember? and they hang out in stores quite a bit....

Yamini is a back eyed, black haired 5'7 footer with a crazy bling fling. one of the few people in real life who carry of really short hair with elan. Movies and music are her other interests. She works with Amazon.

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I find it very difficult (impossible) to finish a fat book. Anything with over 150 pages is a no-no.

 

I think this book is perfect for me. It looks interesting, and for the win its from Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s (<3) production house. 

Here is a tiny example of the stories it has.The book is releasing on December 6, 2011 and is on pre- sale on Amazon.com right now. Can’t wait for it to come on Flipkart.com.

Guest Post #2 - What it meant to shop a long time ago:

Deepa is our guest blogger of the day. when i asked her to send me 2-3 lines about herself, this is what she wrote "Think of that quiet introvert you had sitting in the corner of your class in school. I am that girl. But a lot has changed since, I got a fancy degree in math, found my other half, realized I love paper and visual+mathematical-ish patterns. Lest you think I'm a geek, I should tell you I am that too among many other things"

Then she sidetracked and told me not to use this... but I am mean that way! Deepa masquerades as a Functional Analyst with JDA but is a closet photographer, deep thinker and rabid reader. She is also the godmother of my dog. If you want excellent profile pictures or gorgeous wedding pictures you know who to call. Check out her flickr stream here 

Read on......

I have taken a mad fancy to shopping for clothes online. Shopping in malls is not for me. I get claustrophobic and it's depressing to think that everything is mass manufactured and that something I own will also be owned by someone else. I was thinking about all this I noticed this guy, carrying a basket on his head which had both clothes and some steel utensils.

 It struck me that this was a sight I had not seen in a very long time. I never thought I’d see people like him again after all these years.

I remember my grandmother would indulge in this barter trade long after we reached a point in life where she did not need to. The haggling used to sound very strange to my ears.

Grandma: Two saris for that utensil.

Barter dude: Nahin amma, who nahin chalta…ye bartan dekho…Ye sari toh phata hua hau aur bahaut purana hai, nahin chalta.

His survival still depends on the barter system! He actually trades old clothes for utensils.

To think that shopping has evolved from that to my buys online today, is really something.

Guest Post - Asian Inspired ColeSlaw

Hi! I am Arundati, from Escapades who gets linked here quite a bit. As readers of this blog know, the Material Girl is away meditating in silence and then on a break and the daunting task of monitoring this baby  blog has been entrusted to me. the best way to get me out of my blogging slumber if you ask me.

there will be quite a slew of posts by friends in the coming weeks and that is most exciting....a bunch of surprises here for when the owner/writer of this blog is back. 

As someone who praises enjoys my cooking a lot, and someone who claims to suck at salads, I thought it would be fitting to post here a beautiful crisp colourful Asian inspired salad. You see the Material Girl loves colour and texture and taste. What better way than to put all of it in a bowl?

Like you can see, I ramble on quite a bit, and brevity isn't my strength. So the posts here for a while will be longer than usual. Please bear with us till regular programming resumes!

In the meanwhile, lets all wish the Material Girl a beautiful introspective time in meditation and may we all send her good vibes. 

Asian Inspired Coleslaw (makes 2 helpings)

Inspired from here 

1 cup finely shredded red/ purple cabbage

1/2 an apple, sliced fine

1/4 each of red and yellow capsicum, sliced into matchsticks

1/4 cup of fresh green beans, sliced into matchsticks and blanched for 2-3 minutes in hot boiling water

1 spring onion, sliced (green and white parts)

(can also use baby corn, blanched carrots, green cabbage, bean sprouts etc)

Toss all of the above in a largish bowl and set aside.

for the dressing

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 teaspoon tomato garlic /sweet chilli sauce (such as maggi/kissan)

2 teaspoon honey

1 green chilli, sliced fine (remove seeds if you dont want it too hot)

1 tablespoon warm water

whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl with a fork, taste and adjust.

pour the dressing over the chopped vegetables and toss well with light hands or a fork to ensure the dressing spreads evenly over the salad.

garnish with 2 tablespoons of lightly toasted sesame seeds and fresh coriander leaves

this is a refreshing filling salad. perfect for those days when you want some colour and texture on your plate. the crunch of the vegetables is balanced with the sweet spiciness of the dressing. this is a versatile salad and the choice of vegetables can easily be altered based on whats lurking in your freezer.