Turning 32 and Henna answers

Sorry for ignoring the Henna questions! I read them and made a mental note to answer and then forgot. Oops. It was applied by professionals, not by me or any family though in a pinch I've done it myself before. Usually in Delhi markets, you'll find a bunch of youngish guys (18-25 yr olds) sitting along sidewalks, with Henna cones and some albums of their work to flip through. I should have taken a picture or better, a video, but it is such a natural thing for me, I didn't think of it! It took 2 guys, 20 minutes total for both hands, and $2. The $2 (Rs.100) is expensive by daily standards because I got it on KarwaChowth, a festival where Henna is a must for married women keeping the fast. Usually it is Rs.50 total for both hands. It lasts for 15 days, though it starts fading away after 2-3 days. When you first remove it after applying, do not wash hands in water if you want it to give a better color. After removing the paste, you let it sit overnight. The rougher your hands are, the better color you'll get. My hands are soft so I have to suffer through questions about my MIL not loving me all that much. Old wives tale - if DIL's henna is lighter, MIL does not love her. Not really true in my case :)

I turn 32 today. I had to work because I'm out of all vacation time. Rather, I'm in negative. Hubby promised to take me out to lunch, if my lunch buddies don't. IF they do, we'll do something else for tonight. Movie is out since we just already watched Madagascar 2 on Saturday.

Posting from India

London was fabulous. Pictures coming soon. We reached Delhi on the 16th. Yesterday, I got henna done for Karwa chouth fast. After washing off, the color isn't as dark as I usually get because I had to remove it earlier. Here are the pictures while it was drying.

Rakhi, Independence Day and Teej

First off, today is Indian Independence Day - so Happy Independence Day to any Indians out there. Tomorrow is Rakhi. It is the festival of celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters. I have talked about it before so I won't go into details. I just wanted to show a picture of the Rakhis that have arrived for DH and Mehul!



So, tomorrow morning before breakfast, I'll be proxy-sister to both of them and tie their rakhis :LOL

Next up, Teej is on Tuesday. That is the day when I get to fast until moon-rise, dress up in nice clothes and perform rites for the moon. I will be home this time. It is too stressful trying to work and get back home in time to prepare for the evening. I will be working because there are project deadlines but it's ok as long as I'm home.

Now for some stitching. My first Biscornu. I skipped the bead in the center. I like it this way.



Sorry for the hurried list - Michael Phelps is on in a few minutes. There is a special project I've started with the start of the Olympics and I will post about it tomorrow hopefully.

Holi

Holi - The Festival of Colors is right around the corner. It is a festival for the kids, and those who are kids at heart. As a kid, I used to love to play Holi. Oh, the dry and wet colors, the water balloons, and the pichkaris (Water guns). The fun never ends. We used to get up on the roof in the morning and start generating a *good* supply of water balloons (gubbara). Sometimes we'd put colored water in the gubbaras, but mostly, it was just plain water directly out of the tap on the roof. So after having an ammunition of atleast 50 or so balloons, we'd hide and be on the lookout for unsuspecting passer-bys down in the street. Spot a target, aim and shoot. If you miss, there is no second chance as the victim would know where it came from! The aunties used to be our favorite targets because they'd get so irritated sometimes...Heee And then we'd say the favorite slogan of Holi - 'Bura na mano; Holi hai' or just "Holi hai!" ("Don't mind; It's Holi!") Sometimes we'd just be pouring buckets of colored water down at people. SO much fun!

Ah, the good old days. And to be a kid again. Sometimes, we'd be so busy preparing balloon or finding targets, we'd be hit by someone else on a roof or from behind the door. After being on the roof for quite a while, we'd venture outside when the coast was clear. We HAD to get to friend's houses and get them and their parents, ofcourse! This is where we'd usually be caught because the neighborhood guys were always hiding in the streets. They'd sneak up on us and we'd freak out! It was their chance to get back at us. And this is why we went in groups. Never alone!

The uncles and aunties of the neighborhood always played boring holi - just with Gulal (dry colors) which is easily washed off. The real fun is in the water. I guess I have become the Auntie now as I'm only going to play with Gulal this time LOL! My brother used to come home after playing with his friends and he was unrecognizable. All the guys were indistinguishable by face.

Holi is always at the beginning of spring and it's comfortably warm in Delhi now. It's a nice way to transition from winter to spring. Here it's still a bit cold to play with water.

It is this Saturday. Since coming to the US, this is the one festival which is completely lost for me. I like to put a little bit of gulal on DH's and Mehul's foreheads, but that's the extent these days. HOWEVER, this weekend we're going to the Temple to celebrate it. There are great many people who celebrate at the temple, so this time we're going. We'll wear something we don't mind ruining and will just have a great time. I'm so excited!! This will be Mehul's first 'proper' Holi. I hope to have a little bit of my childhood back :)

Some Holi pictures from Flickr They're not mine but hope you have fun looking at them.

Diwali Pictures rescued from the camera

Thanks for your comment, Fiona :) It helped me put a perspective on the purpose of this blog. That is partly why I started it in the first place, so I have a place to share my side of the world's view with others.

Here are some of the pictures I promised. Sorry I have none in the sari I wore on Diwali. I just have to make it a habit to wear traditional clothes more often that we have been. And to remember to take pictures in them. LOL!

Rangoli

It looks better in the pictures - They were taken at night after lighting the diyas (earthen lamps with oil and cotton wicks).

A closer look

Crackers

Diwali Lights

Coconut Burfi

- Recipe going on my food blog soon.


I am in love with my tile flooring. It was so easy to clean it after having the Rangoli there for 5 days. There even was some oil spilled from the diyas. I could never light oil lamps on hardwood flooring. So happy about this choice.

Saturday was my birthday. I celebrated by having a girls night out on Friday night - Ira, Monica and I went to watch a Hindi movie - Om Shanti Om - in the theater that only runs Hindi movies here. And we almost hit a deer while returning. We were on the Toll Road. It was just standing there, not moving at all. I saw there was *something* on the road from far but couldn't make out what was it. I asked Monica, who was driving, to change lanes. By then, the dear was clearly visible in headlights. Going at 65 mph there wasn't much time. Thank God there was no one in the next lane or it would not have been very nice start of the birthday (it was almost 12:15 AM). All four were saved, including the deer, who still did not move an inch.

Saturday, Ira had our Potluck group over at her house. We celebrated their housewarming, my birthday, and another girls birthday (was on the 15th). Much fun was had and I didn't have anything to do entire day :) DH made bed-tea, took me (and M) out to lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, and I treated myself to some knitting stash. Perfect day.

Happy Deepawali

Diwali Preparations

Yes!! Diwali is Friday - Nov. 9th. It is a Hindu Festival but the entire country celebrates it, and Indians abroad celebrate it as well. You can read more about Diwali and it's origins here.

So my entire family is getting together in Delhi. My little sister is coming home from college in Alwar, my brother already came back from Chennai last weekend. My big sister lives in Delhi about 20 minutes away from my parents, so they are all there. I am (slightly) getting down, as it happens every year. But I refuse to stay like this. I am doing my own preparations. So what am I doing?

I am going to make a Rangoli - a colorful design made on the floor with colors or flower petals. Last night I started making the colors - by dyeing sand with food coloring and Rit Dyes. I designed and cut out a template for the design I'm going to make. It's a peacock! That's all you get for now ;) We'll see how well this plan goes LOL! If it doesn't work, I will fall back to my usual floral something.

I was talking to a friend at work about this and she asked if I'm making any sweets. Because she is going to. Crap. I'm supposed to make sweets? She said no no don't do it just because she said it! Peer pressure is NOT good for me. I'm thinking Coconut Burfi. I have to ask MIL for the recipe. She makes awesome Burfi.

The night of Diwali, we are getting out in the neighborhood for some firecrackers. I am hanging the lights outside tonight, and will put rows of candles and diyas that day. Totally traditional this time. Oh, and I might even wear a sari. Don't know that yet. Although it would be totally cool to wear a sari when I am not starving and feeling like I'm about to die. Mehul will wear a traditional Kurta as well.

There is also a neighborhood dinner plan in works. I'm taking the back seat in that. Already have too much to do. So watch for Rangoli and firecrackers pictures end of the week!

Yes, it is Croup. The pediatrician said we were already doing what she was going to suggest - give him steam, keep the humidifier going to help with the symptoms. We gave a treatment or two of Xopenex via nebulizer to help open up his airways. It's mainly used for lungs but does help with the throat in a pinch. He had immediate relief from the treatment. Thankfully, we already had some Xopenex at home. She wrote another prescription as well. He is doing better today but I kept him home for another day.

Karwachowth yesterday was awesome (except the headache from dehydration and caffeine withdrawal LOL!) The three of us (neighbors) who are really close wore saris and did evening puja together. Then we hung around in Monika's place until moon-rise and meanwhile put our husbands and kids on Spot_The_Moon duty. Moonrise was at 8:55 PM yesterday but we didn't see it until 9:30. We cooked together and had tea (an exception I made due to the headache. I normally don't have anything until after moonrise). I spotted the moon from the Kitchen window through the blinds. We are supposed to see the moon for the first time through a sieve and it was funny how I spotted it through the blinds. After performing the rites, we all had dinner together and left around 10:30.

Few picture DH took at home. There are some in Ira's camera but I don't have them yet.

Croup? and KarwaChowth

Mehul had a low grade fever and trouble breathing last night. His voice became horse and his cough sounded very strange. My instant thought was croup. After some reading this morning, it's almost confirmed. We will take him to the doctor tomorrow as our pediatricians office is closed today. Sadly, there isn't much we can do about it other than try to fix the symptoms. We tried giving him steam but that didn't go very well. He is acting fine and eating well so it can wait till tomorrow.
I wasn't well yesterday either. The house is a mess. I don't need anymore illnesses around here, please!

Tomorrow is my day-long fast of KarwaChowth. I blogged about this last year. This time there are many Indian neighbors who will be keeping the fast as well, so this should be fun! Last year, when DH took me out looking for the moon, an oncoming car killed a Skunk right in front of us! Please, no smelly killings this time around!

Summer is definitely here

This weekend was so relaxing. We did not have anyone over, we didn't go errand-running (except a trip to Walmart - Diaper Emergency!), heck I didn't even clean the way I usually do. Mehul and I went to the library on Saturday but that was a short trip. Mostly, we just stayed inside or played in the backyard.
Saturday - DH helped us setup the Slip-N-Slide in the backyard and then he went to get the car fixed. Mehul and I stayed outside for about 2 hours. I put my chair next to him and continued my reading. He really enjoyed it. After this, trip to the library. I am so impressed by our Library's Collection. So far, there are *very* few books I've wanted to read and haven't found at the Library. There are actually 6 branches and I can request books from other branches too. Their catalog and request system is online as well, it's very convenient.
Sunday - Father's Day. I made DH one of his favorite dishes - Puri Aloo for lunch. I also let him sleep-in in the morning and had breakfast ready when he came down (he usually makes breakfast on weekdays). Later in the day, Mehul and I baked a cake for him! We're actually cutting it today because we all were so stuffed yesterday. We inflated a kiddie pool for Mehul. We actually got a high efficiency pump for it and still it was such a pain to inflate the pool. We're just keeping it inflated indoors (basement is unfinished so no one really goes there). I took pictures! I'll share them soon I promise.

Here's a Summer themed LO. I actually did it a couple of weeks ago but never got around to posting it.


Credits:
Michelle Coleman's Beautiful Journey available at Little Dreamer Designs.

Anniversary Gift

This is what I gave him this morning. He LOVES it. It's going in the MBR. I had made the layout 11x14 size but this frame only had 10x13 opening. I *love* the way it turned out.



This isn't the first poster I've done though. I did this one ages ago. Love that photo :)


We had decided to go to Flat Top Grill for lunch. It is located near my previous office in Arlington. They have this buffet with rice, noodles, etc, and uncooked veggies, meats, and sauces. You load your bowl with everything you want and they'll cook it for you the way you want. They even have a special area to cook vegetarian stuff (a luxary for me!). I had been there multiple times when I was working there and I just LOVE it. Girish hasn't been so I wanted to take him there. Well, we started late from home because we weren't particularly hungry at lunchtime. We had a late leisurely breakfast and then I soaked in the tub for about 1 hour. Ahhh. Anyhow, we got there and found out that they closed down 2 weeks ago!! I was very dissappointed. It's place has been taken by some Ali Baba Restaurant. The new owner tried to convince me to eat there! LOL! I got out without looking too disappointed I think. I'm sure he's having a hard time getting customers.

So we drove around the entire town trying to get to the next priority - P F Changs. The food was really good but I'm still bummed about Flat Top. There is no other location in this area.

And then it was time to get Mehul from the daycare so no movie today. Maybe this weekend if there is any good one. Maybe not. We have the monthly GTG on Saturday.

I'll answer the questions in the previous entry tomorrow! Thanks for participating :)

Merry Christmas (Belated)

So, did you have a good Christmas Weekend? Mine was really nice. As I mentioned in my last post, we had a Parent Teacher Conference on Friday. Got some not so good news along with the good news. I will post it separately, but it involves Mehul's teacher mentioning that he might have to work with a Speech Therapist in a couple of months.

We spent Friday evening finishing up the paint (or so we thought!) Had to do a third coat on 2 of the walls as some streaks were visible. This project has been stretched longer that it should have. We underestimated the amount of supplies needed, having never painted a room this size (technically, it's 2 rooms) ! It took 4 gallons of paint, 3 rolls of tape, and a lot of hours! The result is absolutely beautiful! Pictures coming in the next post.

We decided to go out for the Christmas Party! LOL. I guess everyone needs a break. It worked out for the best. We all hung out around our house from afternoon. Had tea and snacks. Later in the evening, we had Champagne. My very first glass of Champagne! And, I liked it. But it gave me a slight headache by the end of evening. Thank goodness it wasn't too bad. No, I wasn't drunk or anything! LOL. Went to a new to us Thai restaurant.

Sunday and Monday - Took it easy. Mehul opened his gifts Monday Morning. He got to add more trains to the existing collection, and a Play Dough center. Girish and I don't exchange gifts on Christmas. We weren't as busy as I had predicted, mainly because we didn't host, and we also decided not to go to the Sunday party. Figure, we'll call them home rather than sit at a party where we don't know anyone else!

I have managed to do a total of 23, yes, that's Twenty Three(!) Layouts for the Birthday Album. Now, I don't want to post each and every one here on the blog or it might crash some unsuspecting person's browser. I'll think of a way. BTW, there are a total of 50 photos. I was originally thinking of just doing 30 LOs because the scrapbooks generally come with 15 pages (double side). But they might not be enough, so I don't have a set number in mind. I'll see how many more are needed. I have to scan the rest of the photos. I've scrapped all but 1 that was already scanned.

Oh, I almost forgot about the dessert incident on Saturday. I had ordered a Lemon Sorbet for dessert. What I got was an lemon colored very frozen thingy resembling a lemon, with some whipped cream on the side. I tried to slice it with the spoon, didn't work. Girish tried the fork. Nope. We started joking that it is just a frozen lemon. N said that you're only supposed to have the whipped cream and call it a day. OMG. Girish and N just kept cracking jokes as I tried to break it somehow. There was some sorbet on it too, in a ring around the neck. N's wife was a little tipsy and kept laughing throughout. She asked her 5 yr old to bite into it. She did, and then whispered in her mom's ear - Mom, I don't think we're supposed to eat it. LOL! Mystery was solved when we asked the waitress how to eat this, she removed the sorbet from the neck and popped the lemon open. Gosh. Why do they need to hide it like treasure?? LOL.

Many thoughts

This isn't going to be a coherent entry :) (Like it is ever. Huh)

First off, Thanks for the comments on the new look. I can't take credit for the new title "Expression Alley" though. While watching TV and creating the new header, I started thinking along the lines of "Expressing". This blog is all about expressing, afterall. Expressing in written form, or in art in the way of scrapping or stitching.

First thought was "Express Lane". Created the header and asked DH what he thinks. He said "Huh? This doesn't make any sense and makes me think of Grocery Store Express Checkout Lane." LOL! I said that this is where I express my thoughts, so it is *my* Express Lane. He said it still makes him think of the checkout lanes. Dumped it. Next thing he said was "Expression Alley". Bingo. My first thought was it's something out of Harry Potter. Diagon Alley, Expression Alley. Love it. I LOVE Harry Potter. So, that was it. The design was all mine. At first, I had Mehul and my picture in there too, but after rearranging things around, I liked this version best :)

Calendars. Again, I can't take credit for those either. They are quick pages by Ztampf. LOVE them. All I had to do was slide the photos in, and add the text. I had received a coupon from DigiShopTalk on my Birthday for 50% off Ztampf products, plus, they had a sale going on so the calendars were already marked down. I got them for about $2.00 I think. I ordered a bunch of stuff.

I am really happy how quickly I got done with the calendars. I'd been thinking about doing some sort of calendars for some time, and then I saw Erin's. WOW! (Sidenote: I am excited about her calendars. Can't wait to hear about the reaction they receive.) I wanted to do them, but was concerned about the shipping to India (which is where they're going). I wanted them to be ready to use, and didn't want to spend a whole lot ;) They are basically 4x6 photo size, front is the calendar and the back is the photo card, and they are laminated together. They came out to be $2.50 each! I got 15 done. Now, that's cheap!

One word of advice about Laminating at Staples. They charge separately for cutting the laminated sheets. We had used the big size sheets and inserted 5 calendars per sheet. They charge $2.00 for each piece they cut out! This does not include the cost of laminating. They hadn't told us this before, so we got a discount and got charged for 10 cuts instead of 15. We have a paper cutter and may even have cut it ourself if we had known. But, it's still cheap I think.

Holiday Cards. Got them out of the way too for the most part. I'm waiting on some addresses. My sister has just moved one month back, and my SIL too has recently moved. Got the rest sent already. I can't wait for their reactions. ATC cards are mailed out too. Now, I can rest easy.

Concluding thought. There is a party at our place this Saturday. Some of our friends couldn't attend the last one, so this one's for them! About 15 people excluding us. Menu has changed a little bit from the last time, but most main dishes have stayed the same. I'm trying to cut down the # of dishes that require cooking the day of. LOL. That wasn't fun!

Can I write an entry without a LO to show? Nope. Here it is.

Wishes Do Come True

Credits:
Just about everything from Lisa Whitney's ScrapArtist Apprentice kit "A Beautiful Mess". I got it for $2.00 (How come everything in this entry is $2.00?? That's mind boggling.) while the contest was going on.
Also used Steph Krush's Paper Tear.
I used Gina Miller's Fun with Fibers Pack 1 to create the twisty tie. Can you guess how much they're for?? LOL!

Christmas is coming..

You see it everywhere now, in the stores, on TV and radio, in the scrap booking galleries and stores, it is here. Still more than a month to go, but okay.

We may have found our Christmas Tree. This is the first tree that we're buying together! I initially thought of getting a small tree, 3.5 to 4.5 foot in height. After looking at a 4.5 ft. tree, both of us felt it wasn't the one for us. We need a bigger tree. A 6.5 ft tree at JCPenny seemed appropriate, but it wasn't as 'full'. A friend mentioned Lowes. Off we went, and I (obviously) selected the pricier one, the one which looks just like the real tree. And, it's 7 feet, and prelit, so we don't have to do tedious task of attaching lights. It's really pretty. Girish has agreed on that one, and we are hopefully getting it tonight. I was drooling over the cream and gold ornaments at Michael's the other day. Now I can get them!!

Here is the tree. Can you believe it's not a real tree? Look at the closeup of a branch.

This week is a short one, which makes me very happy. Thanksgiving is on Thursday, and we also get the day after Thanksgiving off. So, work 3 days, off 4 days. Why can't all weeks be like that? LOL!

We generally don't celebrate TG, but this time, we are starting this tradition too! There will be no Turkey (I'm vegetarian, G doesn't care for it, M won't eat it anyway just like he won't eat any other food item), only sides. I'm thinking Garlic Mashed Potatoes (I make yummmm), Steamed Garlic Lemon Broccoli, a Paneer dish (haven't decided which one yet), and a pie/cake afterwards. I'll get the the pie/cake from Trader Joe's. I don't want to do a big meal since I want to watch the special 2 hour Grey's Anatomy! I plan on getting a lot of stitching done over the weekend.

Now, why can't I attempt to make a pie? I have never tried to make a pie. I make Cakes and Muffins from the box and that's about it. And, I've baked cookies (from scratch) twice. Trying a new Western style dessert is on my 101 things to do list - - > Maybe next year.

Happy Diwali!

Today is Diwali. I usually make a Rangoli and put up the lights outside, but this year I can't. I'm busy preparing for the party tomorrow. Plus, I don't know where the lights are. We'll put them up on Christmas :)

We're Online

We got the phoneline. Finally! My home is no longer an Internet, Phone Free Retreat! LOL.

Party

Party prep is in progress. I have done some dishes and will do a couple more more today. Rest will be done tomorrow. The items that are prepared, or bought_and_need_no _prep are in silver.

Starters
Small Samosa/Chutney
Sausage
BelPuri
Nachos/Salsa
Jaljira
Dry Fruits Tray
Paneer w/ Chalmasala

Kids Menu
Chowmein

Main Course
Shahi Paneer
Chicken Makhani (Take out)
Bhartha
Chole
Raita w/ Bhalle
Tricolor Rice
Roti
Crunchy Salad
Papad

Dessert
Nemo Cake!
Kheer
Icecream

Drinks
Sprite
Diet Coke
Whiskey
White Wine
Red Wine
Beer
Tea

Yesterday's KarwaChauth

So, I know not everyone is familiar with this. Karwa Chauth is a Hindu festival that all married women participate in. It's more popular in North India, but now, it's gaining popularity in the South too! This festival is very well played in the Hindi movies, and is a big attraction for everyone. This happens once a year, always at the begining of fall, though the date changes each time because it's based on the Hindu calendar that is based on moon positions and so forth.

The main objective of this is for married women to pray for the well being and long life of their husbands. For this, they keep a day long fast. They stay without food or water until they perform rites upon moonrise. The festivities begin the night before. Traditionally, all the women in the family would gather around and decorate their hands (and sometimes, feet) with Henna. They wake up early morning at 4AM, take a bath, and eat 'Sargi', which is basically noodles with milk. They can also eat whatever else they'd like at that time, along with water. Then, the fast begins.

Sometimes, there are variations to this fast. In some families, the women are allowed to have water, tea etc. to drink, but nothing to eat. In another variation, the unmarried girls are allowed to participate, but they break the fast at the first sight of a star, which is always before moonrise! I have also seen some very dedicated husbands keep the fast for their wives! I'm always very impressed with that. The fast is not an easy one to keep!

In the evening, before the sun sets, the women dress up in the prettiest clothes. This is the best part, and why this festival is so popular that even the girls want to participate. Many women dress up in either their wedding dress (if they can fit into it! LOL), or beautiful saris or salwar kameez that they would otherwise wear to weddings. They do full makeup, just like their wedding day, and get ready for the Puja(rites). The puja can be done in the Temple, or in someone's house. They chant the Karwa Chauth song, and listen to the traditional story of Tara Rani. They also worship the Goddess Parwati. The women sit around in a circle and pass their puja plates (that contain rice, fruit, etc.) around to each other. This passing along of plates is done 7 times. It's a lucky number!

After this, the wait for the moon begins. At moonrise, the women first offer food and water to the moon, then their husbands offer them the first sip of water and first bite of food for the day! They can eat anything after this.

If you'd like to read more, you can go to KarwaChauth.com

Living in the US, I can't do everything the way it's done back home! Most of the times, I have to forego the Henna part. Mainly because I'm lazy enough to do it myself. It takes a long time to prepare for it, plus, with a toddler running around, it's not practical at the moment. Last year, though, I was in India at the time. My SIL and I kept the fast together and did everything. It was her first time keeping this fast. A memorable time, for sure.

The year before last, I didn't keep Teej -- similar festival but only certain groups have this one, my in-laws celebrate this -- as I was preggers with Mehul, and KarwaChauth because I was nursing at the time. My MIL gave me an out both times. So, it's not a hard and fast rule that you MUST do this, exceptions are made in case of illness and such.

Well, you're all up to speed with this now, so if someone asks you, you can tell. LOL. Honestly, I like learning about other cultures and I *love* sharing things about my culture.

Rakha Bandhan!

Tomorrow is 'Raksha Bandhan'. It is a Hindu festival honoring the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie 'Rakhi' - an embellished thread on their brother's wrists and bless them for their well being. In return, brothers promise to take care of them, and shower them with gifts! It's a lovely custom. You can read more about it here - http://www.raksha-bandhan.com/
We live 7000 miles away from our family but the bonds have not weakend! My Rakhi has reached home, DH's Rakhi has reached here. Mehul's Rakhi from his cousin Arushi is expected today, it's late! Tomorrow morning, we'll tie them and have some sweets to close the deal haha.

Happy Rakha Bandhan!

Here is a layout I did yesterday, it's funny now that I think about it. The flower with ribbon behind it *looks* like an actual Rakhi! No, it was not intentional, some things are cosmic.

Mom and Mehul