Tight weekend

We went for a poonal( thread) ceremony in the family and got to see a really pretty temple. I recalled how Anush as a 2 -3 yr old kid had insisted she would wear a thread too and had strutted about in one for a few days.

Yesterday Anush wore a kid sari ( much against Navy's wishes) and was in full form! Aditi was cute in a paavadai and then a chudidar set.

Cream Centre has come to Bangalore and we of course patronised it and much paet puja happened.

I pointed out a board on a bus and told Anush this is the Chief minister baby. Anush said "Oh, that must be Mister Yedur- i- appa. But he looks so old Amma."

Anush took the test at the third and final school in our shortlist. I bumped into along lost college friend there. Anush seems to like this school a lot and it is fairly close by.

We will know the results in a while since this school gives preference to siblings first and also there was a huge rush on the test day! Anyway we have firm seats from the other 2 schools. All for the good.

Girls in white dresses

While I love the cotton summery frocks that end above the knee, I think all girls must have one of the frilly lacy variety as well. After all they are unlikely to be able to wear them later in life.

Discovered a little shop called Little Flowers or some such tucked across Just Casuals on Sterling Road, Chennai which specialises in Frocks from Thailand. Really pretty , not over the top dressy stuff.

There is also a customised frock shop in Kormangala opposite Not Just Parathas in Bangalore.

BTW, the above frock is not from either.

Little fingers, little frocks and Bondapalli

Got Bondapalli and Little fingers at Full circle in Chennai. I still find it easier to shop in Chennai despite the whirlwind trips.

Got Anush and Aditi really lovely clothes from Fashion Hut. Where does one get good Mother care/ etc kind of rejects in Blore? I do not believe in shelling out too much for clothes which get outgrown in a couple of months....yet I like the smart cut/ prints that these brands offer.

Met with Uma of Adya fame and also my inspiring ex boss turned mentor and friend. Gifted him the Looking at Art series from Tulika. He was zapped.

I find not many people are aware of Tulika's good work. Girl, are you listening?

Half a year goes by

Aditi turns 6 months today. Here are some pics to mark that

Bubbloorani- you have brought new meaning to all our lives! Thank you.

I splurged at Cotton City at Shrishti and Half Ticket on clothes for the girls. Both at Velachery. Completely worth checking out. Thanks Uma!

And for the record here is her Anna Prasanam ceremony pics done towards end March.

Salwar Suit

Anush distinguishes between salwars and chudidaars.

If you use the wrong term, she will gently correct you as my grandma found out a couple of days ago.

But it is only in Chennai that they omit the kurta/ kameez bit when they refer to teh outfit- for instance- " Nice Salwar!!" or " Where did you find this chudidaar?"

Weakend

We were at Mathura on Saturday, trying to pep up an elderly relative couple's life. I should clarify I mean Mathura Restaurant, at Tarapore Towers on Mount Road. Each time I go there, the lighting to me is reminiscent of a very shady bar ideal for some hanky panky. But the old Thanjavur paintings and the highly decorative pooja space alters that perception. Anush loved the corn(y) soup which was only a few healthy steps away from the Rajdhani excuse of a soup. The food was decent and the service extremely good. The noise levels were deafening though.

Soon after, we visited the quietest and most forlorn looking Rasi Silks ( they have a discount sale on) and found a beautiful pattu paavadai for Anush. She was very vocal in her choice" Amma Anushka doesn't want red paavadai - only silver grey" I could not convince her otherwise.

Poompuhar has an exhibition of paintings and we procured a lovely ethnic mirror with a painted frame and a Ravi Varma print- Milkmaid. I like this style called Kerala Mural but I want a painting not a reprint. Should check with an art school in Kerala maybe....and that is why the post title- completely weakened with desire for these paintings.

Sunday we went for a vallakaapu ceremony in the building and Anush and another kid managed to scratch themselves, in no time, with the glass bangles given to them. I hope better sense prevails and children are given metal or plastic bangles instead. ( which is what I had done)

Visited Noodle House and French loaf also over the weekend ( the new Velachery branch ) Heavy non veg smell in the soup but they were very prompt in replacing it. Another bowl of soup relished by Anushka. Darsaan was excellent.

As a veggie mom , I wonder if we should let her try some non veg. Navy is against it but I wonder, why not? Atleast fish, since it is supposed to be so good for health.

Get set go

Tanishq has opened a branch in Velachery! And to huge crowds yesterday.

Heavy duty scouting around for stuff for the new house has begun. More about that later. . .

Saw another play "Sangathi Arinyo" ( Have you heard) by Basheer put together by Under the Magosteen tree. The props and the sets were wonderfully used. The acting was a little loud in parts but the guy who played Basheer was uncannily similar. This time it was disrupted by Anush's impatience though- so Anush is not an angel after all : - ))

Anush had her first taste of ice cream ( Movenpick) and she fell in love- as soon as she got up this morning she said" Amma let us go - want to buy i cream"

Had a night out alone with Navy and friends since Anush slept off early and my mother stayed back with her. It was a good change.


Maruti Driving School has got a new fan in me - i had the first theory class on Momday- hi tech ppts with video demos and so on- really professional! Hope they keep their word and help turn me into a safe, confident driver as well.

Went to Palghat and Coimbatore on work and met some really enterprising rags to riches kind of people. Also shopped like crazy for Anush at Ctore and found fantastic bargains. Particularly recommend a place called Skin in the basement of Hotel Annapoorna( People's Park branch) Later realised there is a cheaper option called Gandhi puram- for next time..

Ate the most fantabulous rava dosa on earth at Gowri sankar. Discovered a lovely little shop "Rawa" which has all kinds of papads and to be frittered stuff- lotus stem/ chilly/ banana stem and so on.

Thaathu's Fan

Saturday
Went to my father and my uncle's alma mater - MCC- my parents also met for the first time somewhere there....Very romantic campus indeed though the hostels look rather run down now. Anush enjoyed running around the trees! ( the above pic is the only one where she was a little (too) still for me to click)

I was wowed by my Dad's strong sense of direction in a palce he is visiting after about 3 decades.

The college fest - Deerwood - I think it was- gave it more dazzle. When one of the "rock" bands finished their number, Anush began clapping and saying " Sing uncle ! Sing sojaa chanda" her current favoruite lullaby!!

Blew up a lot of money ( my maama's ) at Fab India and got him a silver Ganesha to take back with him.

Realised that Poompuhar is on the same side at VTI on Mount road and I had been mistaking Kairali for Poompuhar all this while, Found that VTI is most economical while Cottage belives is tripling the rates

Got a couple of "fit them in" kind of jigsaws - a rooster and a ship for Anushka

Sunday- Hung out with family and caught up on memories


Bottoms Up- Anush likes to imitate her Thaathu exercising. She tells him" Thaathu- Anushka also wearing jetty ( tamil for undies)- enjoy this. . .

Wardrobbed

You would recollect that one of my prime fetishes is clothes. After Anush it has become a malady of sorts. Now Anush is threatening to enter my space literally.

This pic is just half the clothes she has.

There are nice hand me downs from older cousins which are waiting in a box and then of course there are her silks which are in the steel bureau



I really MUST stop.

The Whole Six Yards

I love wearing a sari to work. I enjoy the attention. Makes me feel very feminine & graceful and all that I am not. But I do not do it often, reasons being:
- it is cumbersome to work/walk in it
- it gets stuffy despite the aircon
- i do not have too many casual saris and I do not repeat them to work
- it is messy since I do not like to pleat my pallu- ( pleating up  shows skin/ navel/ belly and i feel conscious) - though i wear near- no- back blouses!

 I know some maamis who go abroad and after scores of years finally get/decide to wear jeans and tshirts. They will tell you particularly sheepishly that they have worn shorts at a safari. I find them sooooooooooo cute. When you see someone is something unusual ( for them) you tend to notice it and like it as well.

Back to some, no all of my favourite saris (not to mistake for TDNA's hilarious take on styles of draping). Please refine my understanding all-those-who-know-more.The Classics-Silks
Kancheepuram- Often heavy, sometimes ostentatious, always striking. A must for weddings. A more subdued thread work instead of zari makes it less dressy. Major innovations are the reversible and the 50K colours one. See here for Appu's take
Paithani- The Maharasthrian silk that comes in typical 5-6 colour combos( parrot green- magenta/ fushia and orange) with usually a parrot motif
Banarasi- The Kancheepuram silk's cousin in the North, heavy and equally stirring & for some reason recalls more "butta" motifs
Tussar- The Bengal one which is very versatile and beautiful
Chanderi- From Madhya Pradesh it can be a little too transparent
Balucheri- Ramamyan and Mahabahrat kathas/ stories woven into soft buttery silks in vivid colours
Jaamdani- Rough almost cotton like ( or is it cotton) famous if from Bangladesh
Khadi- A rough and patriotic twist to silk- also known as "raw silk"
Mysore crepe- Rich in hues, manageable yet dressy
Printed Silk- Immediately recalls Indian airlines air hostess prints, easy to maintain and wear and good for the day and the evening
Crepe- Makes you feel very sexy and possibly the equivalent to wearing a slinky evening gown Binny - Long gone, there is a wonderful relic in my mom's wardrobe. Gorgeous soft in a turqouise blue.
The Basics- CottonSutra
Bengal/ Venkatagiri/ Mangalagiri/ Kanchi/ Coimbatore/ Madurai Cotton- All with their typical stamp / signature
Kota- The checked weave of this one makes it speacial, very simple and understated
Set Mundu- The typical off white with ususally gold zari from Kerela
Ikkat/ Pochampalli- From Orissa and Andhra, respectively, this type also comes in silk. It refers to more the kind of weave and the resultant design. like arrowheads bunched together
Gharwal- From Andhra among the most expensive cottons you will find, not sure why. Think it is a combo of silk border and cotton body.
The Fusions- Blends
Polycot- a fabric that blends the beauty of cotton with the practicality of polyster
Polysilk- a blend which makes it an affordable deceptively silk like sari
"Garden" synthetics- Best for the monsoon, goregous prints , trendsetting ads, Do not know if it even exists now
The Specials- Ornate and Embellished
Zardosi work- A lovely embroidery manner of Persian origin? Very rich , if slightly poky.
Parsi sari- For want of any better way to put it, this embroidery is typical of Parsis and is just as lovely as the community
Chikan kari- A Lucknowi tradition that is subtle and sophisticated and there are types there too -with the satin and the knot stitch being the most common
Kantha- the running stitch embroidery was a rage and became way too common .
Bandini- a tie and dye technique most synonymous with rajsthand and gujrat, often enhanced by mirros and chumkis. But Chungudi in the South would also be similar I suppose.
Block print- Vegetable dyes and blocks make for this style. Earlier the mango motif was the main thing, whereas now you have a multitude of designs
Kalamkari- As I always say, somehow manages to look old from the start but yet very likeable. Involves hand painting/ blocks. Earlier found in grey and off whites and browns now available in more vibrant hues

Whew! This post itself must be six yards long.
And I must say it is all from my head, no research. Not bad huh?
While on saris, I recollect reading The Sari Shop-by Rupa Bawja , not too good mostly, somewhat interesting in parts, among the few set in Punjab that I have read.