February: the month that was

2014 sure seems to be flying by. Can't believe it's already March. A quick recap then:

Books:
Terribly ashamed to say that I did not complete even a single book. I started two books but didn't read enough. This only means that I have to be tough on myself this March.

Movies:
Gunday (1/5) The 1 is only for the song: tune mari entriyaan, ke dil me baji ghatiyaan tang tang tang tang..I really didn't understand the purpose of this movie. Overacting and no story line.
Hasee to Phasee (2.5/5) This was a strange movie. It has its moments but overall left me bored.
Hotel Rwanda (3.5/5) Horrifying and a true story for that matter, so even more so.
Instructions not included (3/5) a sweet little movie, light hearted and fun.
Don Jon (3/5) The story of a porn-addict, quite hilarious.
Thanks for sharing (3.5/5) Again, stories of recovering sex-addicts, nicely done.
Orphan (2.5/5) Ok, creepy as hell.
Shahid (4/5) Really well made movie and super acting !

Travel:
February did not take us to new places but we revisited some. I had to travel to Hyderabad for a wedding and it was super fun. We also went home for a couple of days. March may have more in store.

Art:
I participated in #doodleadayfeb on Instagram and totally loved it. Doodling everyday without fail was blissful and really made me creative and active. I am illustrated a favorite poem of mine called Think Like a Tree by Karen Shragg. You can follow me on Instagram - @chicabeingme

A few pictures that summed up my birthday month :)

January: The month that was

The first month of the year is already over. 2014 sure is flying by. So, I saw a lot of movies, read more than one book (yay) and did some decent work too :)

Books:
1. Mashi and other stories by Rabindranath Tagore (2/5)
2. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri (3.5/5)
3. The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (3/5)

Movies:
1. The Hunt (3.5/5)
2. Lone Survivor (3.5/5)
3. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (3/5)
4. About Time (4/5)
5. August Osage County (3.5/5)
6. Saving Mr. Banks (4/5)
7. 12 years a Slave (4.5/5)

Places visited:
1. Big Banyan Tree on the outskirts of Bangalore
2. Chikmagalur

Let's hope FEBRUARY turns out to be more fun and with a bunch of new experiences !

January Doodles

So in accordance with the 2014 plan, I have been doodling regularly. I try to do at least one a day ! Here are some of the latest ones :)

2013 in review

Every blog I read is doing this so why should I be left behind. Let me warn you, this is gonna be one of those typical end-of-the-year posts, which talk about the highlights of the year gone by and resolutions/hopes/dreams/wishes for the year to come. So do not expect anything more. Okay, let's start already.

1. I graduated !!!!! Oh yes I did. Sure this was the second time, but this time in a field I actually love and pride myself on doing so. Imagine, a Professional Diploma in Visual Communication Design. Wow. Even I never thought that after 8 long years of being in the legal profession, I would actually jump ship and do what I always really wanted to. I won't say that the two years at design school were absolutely blissful and a smooth sail. There were times when I questioned the entire decision, often wondering if I should have chosen another field, another school etc. But the day I finished my final year project and received kudos from a professor I really admired, I knew it had all been worth it. The self-doubt was gone. For good. 

2. I actually designed and illustrated an entire book. All 120 pages of it. After all the cursing, fretting and sleepless nights, it was done. And it might actually be published by a reputed publishing house like Penguin or Random House. Who had ever thought that I'd have a book out before I was 30. I know it technically does not count as a book-book but who ever cared about technicalities. It is a huge achievement and I will gloat. Thank you very much. Go check it out here - https://www.behance.net/gallery/The-Ayurvedic-Cookbook/12494661

3. Got engaged. OMG. Ya it was just a formality of sorts for the families, but it was quite fun. Dressing up, convincing the better half to pose for photographs, decorating the house myself, incessant banter of family et al. A memorable day to remember. One of the many we have seen the past 8 years.  

4. I learnt to let go. And that's all that will be said about that.

5. I started appreciating little things about people around me a little more. Judging less, accepting and valuing them more.  

6. A very memorable trip to the mountains. A first for me, and I did fall in love. I was always a sun-sand-cocktails person till I arrived in Mcleodganj. Sigh. A week seemed way too short. I just loved the mountain air, the sights, the people, everything. Thoughts seemed clearer up there. Also was the first time I slept in a tent and woke up to snow-caped mountains. It was incredible. Can't wait to plan the next trip. 

I think that about covers it all. The year that was. It seems to have gone by in a wink. 

2014 seems full of promise. Many things to be accomplished, many new places on the travel list, new experiences and what not. 

- I will read more. A small target of 12 books, 1 per month, to start with. I hope to over achieve. 

- I will paint more. Just one painting the past year, shameful.

- I also plan to be way more active, a regular fitness plan must be high priority as i can already feel my bones creaking. 

- I will de-clutter. My home and my mind.

- I will complete a DIY project every month. All those bookmarked, pinned and saved projects that I avoided with "I have a diploma project to complete" will be ticked off the to-do list.

This list is surely going to increase as the year proceeds. And I hope at the end of it all, I can see the above being crossed out with a smile. To 2014 !!

Finally a design graduate !

After months of slogging on designing an Ayurvedic Cookbook, it is finally done. My diploma project is over. I am so thrilled and relieved at the same time. I received great feedback from people who I respect a lot and that meant the world to me.
This is what my desk looked like for the last three months. This desk was my home. I hardly got up from here much to the ire of my back !

Now that I'm on vacation, recuperating from the three and a half month struggle, life feels good :)

A quick break

So I have been buried under work ( i think I've used that line way too many times by now) and shall continue to be so for the next 4 weeks. Or 5. 

But i had to be a part of this very special wedding of a very close friend/brother in Pune. It was all so rushed. I didn't even get time to buy something to wear for the wedding and had to shop the eve before the wedding. It was a crazy mess but it went well. I managed to have one hell of a time even though the ghosts of work were looming over my head all the time. 

On our way back, we stopped for snacks and I managed to capture this lovely shot of the breathtaking sunset. Oh! nature never fails to amaze me. 

I also discovered this really cool website to create graphics - Canva. It is really user friendly and makes designing so simple and easy. I think I am going to be using so much of it in the weeks to come.

Food

Lately, everything in my life seems to revolve around food. Ya sure my diploma project is to design a cook book and that makes it way too difficult to not think about food. I came across this super cute passage:

I think I should stop trying to avoid it. It's of no use anyway.