Monday 30 December 2013

Goodbye 2013 :)

2013 has been one of the best years of my life. It taught me so much. I made lifelong friendships and ended some that weren't healthy. Realised that nothing lasts forever, may it be Joys or Sorrows. I have felt the most extreme joy but was also slumped into sadness for a few months time or maybe a couple of weeks. But in my lowest lows I always learn my greatest lessons. I have learned to care less about what people think of me. Their judgements are between them and God. I have learned that I cannot control people's gossip or lies but can only be who I am and prove them wrong. I have learned how to hold my tongue when all I want to do is say ugly things. And I have learned that forgiveness is the key to happiness. There's a reason people hate change and that's because it's completely unknown. I have never walked more blindly in my life but I appreciate the faith that comes with it. There are things I will never know or understand but one thing I do...my quality of life depends on my ability to be vulnerable, forgive, and love. And I have never regretted loving someone. Be kind 2014. I'm looking forward to you.


Here is my year in pictures:









































Goodbye 2013,
You shall be missed. :)
I'd like to thank all of you for making my life so beautiful.
Take Care.
And have a Happy New Year !!! 

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Wearing a saree ...


The idea of a saree fascinates me. It’s beautiful, One single cloth that can be draped in 217 different ways. When I rewind and go back to take a walk down the saree wear memory lane, it takes me through some interesting and memorable moments. The first time I wore a saree was for my school farewell, I still remember driving my mother crazy in a hunt for a saree. I remember how exciting it was when i finally found a saree i liked, searched for matching accessories, shoes and then pleaded my neighbour to drape it for me. Our school farewell marked the end of our school days. I still remember that bitter sweet feeling. Those tears we shed, we knew that hardly any of us would meet often. We were not wrong.


Anyway, leaving that nostalgia aside, I feel that a saree is the best outfit a woman can wear. It’s elegant, an excellent attention grabber, adapts to your figure – I know that most of us are very conscious about our attire matching or suiting our figures. Well, I have learnt that the Saree is just the right thing for such a purpose. One can adjust one’s style of draping a Saree to one’s figure. Tall and slim? Wrap it closely with an unpleated, long pallu. It will enhance your height without making you look too thin or bony. For a stout figure on the other hand, wear it a little loosely with a well pleated and pinned pallu so that it doesn’t make you look bulky and gives you a touch of elegance. Then again, you can play around with the prints and patterns and styles of blouses and couple them with the right accessories. There are permutations and combinations to suit everyone. You can’t deny that it’s a sexy outfit and can make anybody look amazing.
But all said and done, It was now my turn to wear a saree for a day called the ‘Tie and Saree Day’ in college. As much as I Love the Saree, I had this strong feeling that i wouldn’t be able to carry it off and more than that, I live nowhere close to college, so travelling in something like that would lead to nothing but disappointment. ( What if it falls off and all :P ) At the same time, I did not want to play spoilt-sport so I hesitantly went on a saree hunt. As i looked out for Sarees, My enthusiasm suddenly built up and I was all excited about wearing it. After a long search, I finally found a saree I really liked, I picked up a simple, but really classy saree. For the blouse, since it was too late to stitch one, I wore my black sleeveless crop top which luckily went amazingly well with the saree.
Here are a few pictures :
( A candid picture clicked by Clayton )

                   
( Me, lost in random acts of foolishness )




(Thats Nikita, she always finds a quirky way out)

 ( And, This is Mr. Photographer )


At the end of this, I learnt that When a Saree is draped in the right manner and is pinned up in the required places, not only is it elegant, it is easy to handle (you DO NOT need to struggle with even one inch of the cloth; just let it comfortably BE on you.) Once you get used to the feel of it, you’ll realize that whoever that intelligent woman was who first draped it the way we do, took the idea of ‘leg space’ very seriously. There is a reason why there are so many pleats to a Saree. Not only does it look pretty but when you walk, the pleats provide enough cloth that flexes- accordion like- to make room for your legs!

So, step out of your comfort zone and do wear a saree at least once. Trust me, You’ll fall in Love with yourself. 

I did.

Your views ans suggestions are most welcomed. :)

Lots of Love,
Alisha.

Sunday 1 December 2013

Are you prepared for Christmas ?

It's that time of year again !! Welcome to most of our favorite month !! 

 December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. Christmas preparations are already doing the rounds. ( I am already done with my Christmas and new year shopping, will post it soon :P ) I am sure all of you are planning on how to decorate the house this time, brainstorming on how different can you make the crib, what gifts are you going to keep under the Christmas tree, the lights in the windows, the cards , parties with family and friends, stockings hanging in the living room, etc.   But is THIS what Christmas is ? Is it all about shouts of  "Merry Christmas" or household preparations ? I want all of you to stop and think..

Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is the day our baby Jesus was born. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. His birth brought great joy to the world.  Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. And it is no ordinary baby. We are blessed to have Jesus born for us. God send His son to this sometimes cruel and hard world so that one day, He would grow up to become a very important part of history. His story (history) is one of truth, love, and hope. It brought salvation to all of us. Without Jesus, we would all die in our sins. Jesus was born so one day the price could be paid for the things we have done that are wrong. But are we worthy to accept him? Are we clean enough to be with someone so holy, so pure?

We all know the answer. Therefore I ask you, In the midst of preparation for feasts, prepare your heart for the coming of Jesus. Our hearts are often quite full of joy, sorrow, pain, guilt and many other things. I pray that you will make room in the center of your heart for Jesus Christ, and let him work His way in to the center of your life. You may think that you've tried this before and failed. We all make mistakes. By the grace of God, we are picked up and put back on our feet, and given another chance. You will be cleansed and forgiven and then worthy to accept Jesus into your lives and homes.

 "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong."  John 1:9


We can truly be happy at Christmas, by knowing the true meaning of Christmas ! No matter what you’re going through, your God will never give up on you. We are sons and daughters of God. Heaven is our home.
Look at Christmas in a new way this year. This is the year to invite Jesus into your heart. You will then have a "Merry Christmas." The joy and peace you will receive will last all year as you look to God for all your needs to be met.
Jesus Is The Reason For The Season! Do not take ‘Christ’ out of ‘Christmas’.
Have a Happy December !!