From India With Love!

Ahhhh!

The colors pop....

textures allure,

patterns invite,

and outfits intoxicate!

East Indian traditional dress is just one of those things I love.

I am inthralled with the culture of India, the people, the clothes, the landscape, the whole.

I admit I don't know that much as far as facts and knowledge go, but I love it none the less.

Which is why I was SO excited to find this site last week!

Actually, how I stumbled upon it was rather funny! I don't quite know where it came from, but I got bit by the wedding bug last week! 

Colors, dresses, flowers, decore and themes!

There isn't even a squinty shadow of a husband on the horrizon,

and here I was planning out my wedding!!

Well, at least I'll have a headstart, right? ;P

Anywho, I have toyed with the idea of actually haveing an

East Indian themed wedding, as in no traditional white wedding dress,

but instead wearing one of the exquisite traditional lehenga choli outfits I found.

If you want to see what I'm talking about go visit

Utsav Fashion!

Lehengas and choli like this are sold at Utsav Fashion,
however you can't use their pictures, this is just
a google image.

They have beautiful lehengas, jewelry, shoes, sarees and much more!

I was almost drooling! And the prices (especially compared

to the traditional wedding dress) weren't bad!

BUT....I haven't made up my mind on that for sure yet, but it sure is a fun idea!

Enjoy!!

~Me~

Henna!

QUICK!

Michael Buble is serenading me in the background....

The 'environmental control units' (box and ceiling fans) are blowing on high...

I pop a few morsels of power food (M&M's) into my mouth,

and my rainbow sarong, (tied in a new creative way thanks to pinterest) is giving me that extra little creative boost.

Do you know what this means?!

It's time to get stuff done! It's time to blog!!

So here goes...

Guess what I did this past weekend?!

I got THREE TATTOOS!!

........

Henna tattoos that is. :)

Now, some of you may be asking 'what is henna?'

I'll save you the effort of googling it and give you a brief description.
Henna is a plant, who's leaves, when crushed and mixed with a mild acidic liquid (ie lemon juice, strong tea etc.) to create a paste like substance that will temporarily stain the skin.

Henna art, or henna tattooing, is a cultural practice in India and other Middle Eastern Countries. They do some extremely intricate, beautiful work! Do yourself a favor and google THAT!

For years I have wanted to try henna myself, and this weekend a friend and I made a Spa Day of it (clay masks, scrubs, nails, the works) as well as some henna art!

Here are some of our creations!

My little sister (pink) and Me showing off our footsies!
We made these designs from some designs we found
online. I made the one on my foot, and my
girlfriend did the one on my sister's!



Little Sis proudly showing off
her arm henna.

A close up of her arm, done by
yours truly!



Sadly, the design is already lightening and
wearing away, but you can still see
the vine and flower art my girlfriend gave me!

Even my mom got in on it! I gave her a bracelet design. This is what
the henna looks like as it is drying, before being scraped off
to reveal the brown stain beneath.

I made this design up from a combination
of other designs we found, I think it turned out gorgeous!

Sadly, my girlfriend and I forgot to take pictures TOGETHER before she went home, so I don't have any to post of the ones she had, which turned out great as well!

I was nervous when we first started, I'll admit, even though the dye isn't permanent. Depending on how well it it taken care of, how long it is left on and treated, it can last anywhere from 1-3 weeks.

But, I gotta tell you, once we got started (and we were doing this at 1 o'clock am!) it was hard to stop!

To see flowers, vines and swirls emerge from a mud like black mixture was so much fun! There was a moment as I was working on my friends tattoo, diligently attempting to recreate the image I was copying from an online template/design, that I thought, 'wow, how much fun is this?! I wonder if this is how a real tattoo artist feels like as he sees his work materialize in front of him?" :)

So there you have it. Henna tattoos, it was ubber fun! I think I am hooked! Gonna be getting me my own henna kit soon.

Give it a try!

~Me~

Course Correction?

Hey y'all!

Wowzers, I haven't been good a keeping you 'posted', have I?

Did you miss me? ;P

Well, here I am!

It has been busy around here in a lot of little ways, which means I have a ton of posts that I need to write about all that has been going on.

That tends to be a problem with me. I write things in my head and it doesn't always make it on the page...er....screen.

BUT, yesterday a little event pushed me back into blogging mode!

Have you seen the reality show 'Hoarders:Buried Alive'? Well, yesterday I did.

Mrs. P and I were staying inside to avoid melting (it was 109F degrees!) and we watched some TV.

I gotta yell ya, that show scared the hay outta me!

I realized, 'You know what, these poor people never intended their lives to end up like they did, there were just a hundred little things that built up over time, a little event that maybe sent them over the edge, or a bunch of things they just never got around to.

And I started thinking....

I don't want life to slip away from me. WE are responsible to make good choices in keeping with the direction we want to go as individuals, staying true to what God has called us to, making course corrections to stay on the right road.

SO.

I want to write. I want to blog. And I stopped to think, "why haven't I been? What has been keeping me from it?"

The answer.

NOTHING!

Simply it was me. I wasn't making the choice I really wanted to make.

Anyway...there is my little rant for the week!!

Instead of trying to always get the words right (*clears throat* per...* cough* ....fectionism!) find the perfect song or picture to go with my post, I'm going to just try and POST!

So....what aren't you doing that you really want to be?

Are you on the road to who you want to be?

Let's get out our road maps, spend some time with our Navigator (cause He is the Way!) and get back on track baby! 

P.S. Consequently, there may be a FLOOD of posts in the next week of so! Forgive me and enjoy. :)

~Me~

Monday Melodies: One Step at a Time

One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks

Hurry up and wait
So close, but so far away
Everything that you've always dreamed of
Close enough for you to taste
But you just can't touch

You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting

[Chorus:]
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen and we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time

You believe and you doubt
You're confused, you got it all figured out
Everything that you always wished for
Could be yours, should be yours, would be yours
If they only knew

You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting

[Chorus]

When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight
when you need to find the strength
It's your faith that makes you stronger
The only way you get there
Is one step at a time

[Chorus x2]

My favorite lines in this song ring true for

all of us at some time or other,

"It's gonna happen when it's supposed to happen

then we find the reasons why,

one step at a time."

Like me, I'm sure there are things that you are

waiting for....

Besides doing our part, there isn't much we can do

to speed things along, God has His own time table.

So while we trust and wait I hope you

enjoy this song.

~Me~

Monday Melodies: Summer Rain

Summer Rain

Days of burning sun
Watch the colours run
Into pools that catch the eye
Disappear as you pass by

You're my summer rain
You're my summer rain
And I know that I'll see you again
And I know that I'll see you again

Hear my prayer
Answer my call
Breathe life into my soul
I am waiting for you to show
Come and hold me so

You're my summer rain
You're my summer rain
And I know that I'll see you again
And I know that I'll see you again

Dreams of a day with you
Fading away

You're my summer rain
You're my summer rain
And I know and I know and I know that I'll see you again
And I know and I know and I know that I'll see you again
Summer rain
You're my summer rain
And I know and I know and I know that I'll see you again
And I know and I know and I know that I'll see you again
Ah huh ah
Summer rain
Ah huh ah
Summer rain

Here is a lovely and very talented singer that I have come to love

over the course of this past year!

She has an angelic voice, and this is one of my

absolute favorite songs of hers...

I listen to it over and over and over....

Here is hoping we get some summer rain soon

here in Texas.

Enjoy!

~Me~



Monday Melodies: One of Those Days

Sorry this was so late today!
If it has been 'one of those days' today, here is a little ditty

to cheer you up and a prayer that tomorrow is better!

Remember, He loves you in the middle of your mess

and no matter what, you are still blessed!

(I didn't like the official music video, so I posted this one instead,

two birds with one stone though cause this vid has the

lyrics! Sorry, I know, they used the wrong 'to',

but what can you do?)

~Me~