CAUSE THERE'S MORE TO DO THAN JUST MOVE IT MOVE IT.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

The birds and the bees

When people travel, their eyes open up to a whole new world.
A friend of mine went diving recently and she told me about how her experience changed the way she saw everything.

We're so caught up in our everyday lives that we forget to see what's around us.
And when we go deep sea diving and find ourselves in a space that one can only describe as infinite and blue, it makes us feel small. And our problems seem silly. 

But, since we're all not fortunate enough to experience this, we tend to get lost in our own lives and think that the world revolves around us.

So take a moment.
And think.
I did.

I couldn't sleep one night last week.
And it was at that strange time when you couldn't be sure if it's night or morning.
And all of a sudden it was like all the birds of the world had woken up.
And let me add that this wasn't the chirpy little tune you hear in Cinderella-like movies where the birds sound like they are singing nursery rhymes and lullabies while helping Cindy get dressed.

In my case it was crows.
Only crows. Cawing.
And thankfully not attempting to help me get dressed.

Which made me wonder.
Did they all just wake up from their slumber?
Do birds actually sleep?
How do they sleep?
Standing?
Isn't that weird?

It was such a simple question and even though I thought it would be obvious that they would sleep, I didn't know anything about how that happened.

And so I googled it.

Here's what happens: 
Some birds have special flexor tendons that help them hold onto branches that help them sleep standing up. 
Some float on water.
Some of them sleep with their head in their feathers. 
And some birds like owls are just party animals. They stay up all night.
That's it.

After this I went on to how do fish sleep and other interesting facts that most people don't care enough to know.

But you should care.
About the birds.
And the bees.
And the birds and the bees.

Here's what wikipedia says about the coining of the phrase:

According to tradition, the birds and the bees is a metaphorical story sometimes told to children in an attempt to explain the mechanics and good consequences of sexual intercourse through reference to easily observed natural events. For instance, bees carry and deposit pollen into flowers, a visible and easy-to-explain example of male fertilization. Another example, birds lay eggs, a similarly visible and easy-to-explain example of female ovulation.

But I meant it literally.
Which led me to a whole range of videos by Isabella Rossellini.


It's called Green Porno.
Starring Isabella Rossellini.
Where she explains how animals have sex and reproduce.
Pretty interesting and funny.
And quite educational too.


And if someone walks into the room while you're watching this, they'll just think you're strange and that's not too bad.
It's better than watching a movie like Her and having to explain to your mother that Joaquin Phoenix is having sex with his OS.


Watch more Green Porno here.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Coup Card

Ever since I started working with chalk, people have been approaching me to create illustrations and do lettering in that medium.
And I couldn't complain because it really is fun.

Brown Paper Bag was relaunching the Coup Card which is their culinary loyalty program. On purchasing this card one can avail discounts at Mumbai's best bars and restaurants. It's pretty cool. Totally worth it. Not sure why I don't have one yet actually.

Now the Coup Card website has a whole chalk art look going on.
And so Bpb asked me if I'd do some chalk art video for them.
But not with chalk.
So I created digital illustrations for them that just looked like chalk.
And with it 3 fun videos were created.

Here's how it turned out.



Illustrations by me.
Produced by Supari Studios.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel

I finally finally finally watched The Grand Budapest Hotel today.
Somehow everyone I know had watched it on a flight.
And I was contemplating whether or not to travel soon just to watch this movie.
Since I was too lazy to be a pirate.

Like all other Wes Anderson movies, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

From the colours.


To the strange but loveable characters.



To the cute little love story.



And Wes Anderson's love for centering all his shots.


gifs via giphy.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Ticket Gods, this post is for you

I have read a handful of books in my life.
Mostly because I get bored after 50 pages and start watching tv.
But 10 years ago I read this book called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
And I think it will always be my favourite.

Now I don't even remember the story so well.
So I had planned on reading it again.
But then I heard there's a show today at the NCPA.
It's actually a screening of the play.
And I have no tickets.

If my good karma still means something, a flying unicorn will come and deliver my tickets by this evening.



Come on karma. Work your magic.


Monday, July 21, 2014

The End

I received a book in the mail today.
At first I thought flipkart made a mistake that I was planning on ignoring.
But then I realised that I have kind friends who like to send me stuff in the mail.
Just because.

I haven't started reading it yet.
As always I flipped over to the last page first.
And it made me smile.

Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.

Photo by me.
Quote by John Lennon.


Monday, July 14, 2014

Terttulia

Remember when I woke up one day and decided to draw on the wall in my room?
Well, it wasn't that long ago.
If you don't remember, I have a video to prove it.

Well, that was just practice.
Now people hire me to draw on their walls.
How cool is that?

And sometimes people refer to me as a chalk artist.
Or that girl who does chalk art.
I find it funny because chalk is just a medium.
I could scribble on your wall with just about anything.
Not a problem.

Terttulia, a popular restaurant in Pune, opens in Bombay today.
But the food isn't the only thing that I'm excited about.
It's also the art on the walls of the restaurant.
Because I was responsible for it.

I've done a mix of illustration and hand lettering and it was a lot of fun.
It was a lot of work for one person so I worked on it with the wonderful Rabanne (he makes furniture too) who was just the best guy to hang out with - while working, traveling, lunching and dinnering (my English isn't bad. I just have a talent for making up words).

Here are a few photos of the restaurant:








You can see more photos on my website. And then some more.

I've eaten a bunch of things there but highly recommend the mud cake.
It makes you forget all the troubles of this world and temporarily makes you feel as happy as a new born baby.


If you plan on going there, here's the address:
Terttulia
Ground Floor, Hotel Parkway,
Near Natural Ice Cream,
Shivaji Park, Mumbai

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Daily musings

via

If you frame your window like a painting,

would you look at the world as art?


Monday, June 16, 2014

Ringtone Jam

I am a big fan of music. All kinds of music.
My day doesn't feel complete without it.
It helps me work better and always puts me in the right mood.

When people ask me about what kind of music I like listening to, I never really have an answer.
Because I like almost everything.
And can listen to just about anything depending on my mood.

But have you ever felt like the music at a certain point in time was so good that nothing could top it?
And then something does.
It's pretty amazing when you think about how there are an infinite number of sounds that can be created and that we will always have new music.
And how great is that?

I always wished I could contribute to that.
But I can't play any instrument besides the keyboard (and that too just happy birthday) and a harmonium (a keyboard with a fan) and I always wish I could learn to play a new instrument.

I've always wanted to learn the saxophone though while breathing during yoga I figured out that I probably don't have the lung capacity for it.

Or maybe I could play something random like a theremin.
No keys. Just pure luck is all I need.

Or how cool would it be if I got myself one of those finger drum pads (that is what they're called right?).
My neighbours would hate me but I would also be the coolest person I know.

Check out this guy, he just made the iPhone ringtone cool.
It will make you want to Move like Jagger.


Or maybe that's just me.


Video by Metrognome.
More music available on iTunes.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hello again

Guess who's back, back again.
The Rain is back, tell a friend.

Ok, so rain isn't a person but I just wanted to sing my made up song.
And anyway when I sing any lyrics, they never make sense.
So why start now?

Photo by me.
If you were in Bombay this morning, you experienced your first rain of 2014.
Now I'm not the biggest fan of rain but I love how it's back every June.
Like it's keeping a promise.
Like Terminator.

This year I'm actually pretty happy with the early arrival of rain since I pretty much was ready to slap summer in the face.
And everything looks cleaner and greener.
Awesomesauce!

So how do I truly feel about rain? Deep within my heart?
Well, rain and I can be friends as long as I'm indoors.
And if I'm going out, a little heads up would be great.
But, as we all know weather forecasts are almost never correct.
Which sort of defeats the purpose of a forecast.
And that's risky business, people.

via

But then, I came across the Authentic Weather App.
Now they may call themselves Authentic and sound fancy and true but they're just like any other weather app. 
Sometimes it's right. Sometimes it's wrong.
Which sounds a little like me.
Which isn't such a bad thing.

Here's to a good monsoon, no water problems, and to feeling like global warming hasn't affected us yet.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Fit

It isn't raining yet in Bombay.
Which is not great.

But it is pouring classes at Tangerine Arts Studio.
And that's just super!

So, if you're into fitness and want to take an exercise or dance class, you should check out the June schedule.
They've got a wide range of classes to choose from - Zumba, Yoga, Belly dance, Salsa, Bollywood Contemporary dance, Indian classical music & Pilates.
And fun weekend workshops too.

So, this season don't sit at home because it's raining and you can't go jogging anymore.
And don't believe that watching fitness shows is going to help you get in shape.
Unless the shape you're aiming for is that of a potato.


Get fit this monsoon.


Tangerine Arts Studio
2nd Floor, Rukhsana, Near Puja Casa, Nargis Dutt Road, Pali Hill, Bandra, Mumbai
Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Instagram


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Waiting on the World to Change

Atleast weather wise.

Photo by me.
Isn't this weather making you crazy?
Like the rain is hiding in the clouds. Just for fun. Like a tease.

Well, I know it's on it's way.
Because when you know you know (atleast with rain if not with men).

It's fuubutsushi.

via

Monday, May 26, 2014

Happy Monday

Good Morning Deer.

And the Rest of you Animals.



I'm one year older. 

The cake is over.

We have a new Prime Minister. 

And it's Monday.

I don't own a flux capacitor.

But since Saturday, I do own a hula hoop.

Time to shake it off and have a great week.


Video by me.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Birthday weekend

It was my birthday yesterday but I'm pretending that it's not over yet.
Because it ain't over till it's over.
But it is over so that didn't make any sense.
I just wanted to throw in a Lenny Kravitz song title.

The birthday was amazing.
I had everyone singing to my tune (see video)


To summarise it was full of

Love

Cake

Presents

What more could a girl ask for?

I don't just love presents for obvious reasons but because it's like a test of friendship.
It tells me how well someone knows me.
So if a friend got me nothing, well, thats -100 points to Slytherin.

And now I'm just writing nonsense so I can go back to pretending it ain't over.

Have a good weekend!

Friday, May 23, 2014

Crazy nails

So here's the truth - I hate painting my nails.
I have done a manicure twice in my life.
Once for my sister's wedding (because I believed that all the guests had come just to see the bride's sister's nails) and once when a friend forced me to get one (I didn't have a choice).

So why have I dolled up my nails just twice in close to 3 decades?
Well, it's too much effort.
Nailpolish takes a lifetime to dry.
It only looks perfect for maybe 2-3 days.
And since I am not ambidextrous, the nails on my left hand look like they were painted while I was blindfolded and was trying to hit a pinata (my nails) with a stick (the nailpolish) and missed.

But then my friend (the manicure forcer) gifted me a pack of Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish strips.
Not only are they awesome with their wide range of patterns but they're also super easy to apply. And they don't take any time to dry. Yay!

Photo by me.
So for the next 10 days my fingernails are going to be quite houndstoothy.
I know that's not a word but there's no better way to describe it.
And since I was bored I did my toes as well.

So whether you're into nail art or even if you're not but are just bored one afternoon, give it a try.
I'd advise putting a transparent top coat just to keep it together for a little longer.
And you can take it off with regular nailpolish remover.
Watch the video if you're not convinced or are confused by my explanation.

20 Trendy Nail wraps
Available on Amazon. 

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Comfort Food

What do you consider to be good comfort food?
For me it's always been Pasta.
Spaghetti to be specific.

All I need is spaghetti, a homemade tomato sauce, grated cheese and a TV and I'm all set.
Don't worry, I don't eat the TV. I just watch it.
TV's don't really mix well with tomato sauce.

Pasta; It's what I eat when I'm sad, have just recovered from an illness or have come back from a long holiday and missed home.
Ok, so to be honest I just eat it all the time.
It makes me happy.

Everyone who knows me well enough knows about this love of mine.
And I have a beautiful pasta poster from Italy that hangs in my kitchen thanks to such friends.


Yesterday, while wasting my afternoon on Instagram, I came across a book called The Geometry of Pasta.
It's about Pasta.
And it doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
But it's not only about making pasta but about making the perfect pasta.
Pairing the right pasta shape with the right sauce.
And how to get it right and turn from an average cook to a great cook.
Atleast that's what it says on the website.

To me, the book looks great.
What it is, is an amazing compilation of recipes by critically acclaimed chef Jacob Kenedy and uber-cool black and white illustrations by Caz Hildebrand.
And it seems to have great reviews too.


For those of you who spill sauce over all your beautiful cookbooks, here's some good news for you  - an App is also being developed.
So you can save the book and just mess up your gadgets instead.

But till the App is available in the App store, you can cover your book with one of these beauties - the Book on Book glass cover by Tent.

Buon Appetito!

Buy the book here. And other stuff here.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Midweek Blues

For all of you going through what we call the midweek blues, I've got just what you need.
It's a website called Make everything OK.

Here's how the website works.

Click on Make Everything OK.


Wait.


And you're done.


Everything is OK now.


My current problem: Trying to get off my ass and wash my hair.

Print via Etsy.
If only this website could take care of it for me.
In summer, I pretty much want to wash my hair every 5 mins.
And since I am aspiring to be Pocahontas, life is hard.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Break it down

Since I was a little girl, I've always loved dancing.
I've always been a little shy so I'd never be the first person on the dance floor but I'd get there at some point.

Growing up, I did enjoy my dance class - I think what I learnt could be categorized as Contemporary Jazz.
Later on I even went for a couple of Salsa classes which was fun.
And more recently I tried Zumba
Now I don't know whether to call it a dance class or an exercise class though it doesn't matter since what I was doing there was neither one.

But let me tell you, one of the dances I was fascinated by but never really got down to perfecting was Breakdance.
Well, to be honest that's not how the story goes.
My sister just wanted a pair of those fingerless gloves so she could pretend to be Michael Jackson and breakdance.
And me?
I just wanted to do everything she did.

And then this morning while I was browsing I came across a video of monks breakdancing in an annual tribute to Adam 'MCA' Yauch of the Beastie Boys (who was a devout Buddhist and fought for Tibetan independence).


MCA-DAY "Buddhist Monks" from KNARF® New York on Vimeo.

And then I realized what my sister and I were wanting to do wasn't breakdancing.
It was simply called - wanting to wear gloves.


Monday, May 12, 2014

Good Juicery is here to save you this summer

I have always been the biggest fan of fruit juice.
If you see my Instagram bio it says -  Graphic designer and orange juice addict.

I can go for days without drinking any water but the first thing I have to drink every morning is a glass of juice. Any fruit juice.
My favourites are orange, watermelon, sweet lime, apple and grape.
So I pretty much drink any juice as long as it's sweet and freshly squeezed.
Yes, I am a princess who doesn't like juice from cartons.

But then I came across the locally made canned juices by Good Juicery.
Ok, so they're not like the freshly squeezed juices that I'm used to enjoying.
But they're amazing and very refreshing.
They have sparkling juices available in 3 flavours - Apple, Passion Fruit and Pink Guava.
And they have no artificial colours or added preservatives.

I had had their juices at restaurants around the city and loved them.
So, when they asked me to make a video for them, I was more than thrilled.
I love juice & I love making art.
So making art for a juice company seemed pretty exciting.


From 13-15 May 2014, Good Juicery will be travelling around Mumbai in their orange Ambassador selling icy cold cans of sparkling juices to Mumbaikars in need.
Locations will be announced via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


Disclaimer: Good Juicery is a client. But that's not why I am promoting their juices. They are actually good.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day

There's no place like home.

Because Home is where your Mom is.



I know Mother's Day, like many other days has been created so everyone can make some money while you shop for your mother.
But who cares?
In my opinion, everyday should be Mother's Day.

So do something special for your mother today.

I was thinking of making some art for her or cooking her something.
And then I saw this.
 Chocolates by Chef Jorge Llanderal
What a brilliant way of killing two birds with one stone.

Happy Mother's Day!

Typographic video by me.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Who run the world

Q: Who run the world?
A: Girls

Q: Who run the world?
A: Girls

Q: Who run the world?
A: Girls

No - oh - oh - oh - oh - oh- oh - oh- oh - oh.

via
The correct answer is Beyonce.

Atleast that's what was taught to us on last week's SNL sketch starring Andrew Garfield with a cameo by Kiefer Sutherland who plays Jack Bauer.
It's one of the funniest videos I have ever seen.


Lesson: Don't mess with Beyonce or the Beygency will come and get you.

Friday, May 9, 2014

It's time for a Tattoo

Don't get fooled by the title of this post.
I'm not getting a tattoo.
Well, atleast not a real one.
Why?
To put it simply, I'm a wuss who has commitment issues with permanent art.

Now I'm not much of a cook.
To put it simply, I am lazy and have no patience.
But whenever my mum is making a lasagne or cannelloni, I love assiting her in assembling everything.
So I'm guessing that means I have some interest.

And then today I read about I Tradizionali on Fast Co. Design.

via
I Tradizionali shows us a fun way to cook without a recipe book.
They make cool temporary tattoos of recipes.
All you have to do is slap on the tattoo on your wrist.
And you're set.
No need to waste time browsing through books or your iPad searching for Youtube videos.

In this way you can also have a badass look from a distance (it is a recipe after all, and not a skull).
And wash it off once you're done.

If you're a fan of well designed temporary tattoos, also check out Tattly - because they're the coolest.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Les Ballons Rouges

Have you watched the movie Le Ballon Rouge by Albert Lamorisse?
I watched it on Youtube last year and fell in love with it.
It's just the sweetest little movie.
And it won Lamorisse an Oscar.

I would tell you what it's about but I think it's better if you watch it yourself.
And it's only 34 minutes.


I thought of the movie this morning because while I was doing my daily browsing, I came across this magical chair on Design Milk.
Possibly because there are a bunch of ballons rouges that appear to be tied to the chair.

And when I read the article, I realised that that's exactly what this Japanese designer, was inspired by while creating this beauty of a chair.
Because sometimes you just want to float away.

Well, the designer is no magician. He just fixed the (always inflated) balloons and chair to the wall.
But isn't it great how the simplest things can amaze you?

Check out the designer's other works. Just incase you want a bench or a lamp to go with that chair.

via Design Milk

Disclaimer: The little girl does not come with the chair. She's just there to add to the coolness.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

I am a Mango

Wake up and smell the mango, people!

It's that time of the year again.

I feel so happy I could do a little jig every morning.

To be honest I started eating mango a couple of weeks ago, when they weren't that great but the familiar taste was enough to make me happy.
I'm not hard to please. Especially if you're a mango.

I call it God's own fruit - sweet to the core.


They say You are what you eat.
So then I suppose for the next couple of months I am a suitcase of mangoes.


Photo and video by me.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Free Hugs

As you may have read in this post, I'm not very good at giving hugs.

So much so that my friends have gifted me such books.


Well, I'll be honest,
I haven't been practicing being less awkward.
I don't know if I'm crazy or normal but I still give people a half hug - where I just slide in from the side and hold their waist, avoiding possible chest to chest contact.
If you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't even know what happened.

You'd think...

Was that a hug?
Was I just encircled by a gust of wind?
Or was it Superman?

Worry not.
Look at what I found today
This amazing website.

So now you can be hugged all day.

Go nuts!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Lip Sync Battle






I can keep watching these videos.

A Lip Sync Battle a day keeps the boring thoughts away.

Monday, April 28, 2014

I'm with child too

Painting for my friend's baby by me.
A lot of my friends have been having babies lately.
And I really didn't want to know how anything happens.

I have always believed that ignorance is bliss.

Unfortunately, my friends give me details that I really wish I didn't know.
I know you're done with it but do you really have to torture the rest of us with that information?

I can say that I really don't know what you're going through as a pregnant person.
But for some strange reason, whenever I'm having a conversation with someone who's let's say 'with child', I just start talking like I understand what they're going through.

I know you (with your hormones) want to slap me with a big pomfret but I'm just trying to understand what you're going through. I usually compare childbirth to the most painful experiences in my life (don't worry, I won't name them) and ask if it's anything close to that.

I once went shopping for dresses with a then pregnant friend.
I tried on an XS instead of my usual size which is S and boy oh boy, did I get a backache while trying to squeeze myself out of that dress.
And when I told my pregnant friend this, I got this look from her.

Cue: Pomfret slap.

And here's a recent conversation I had with a currently pregnant friend:
Friend: Nowadays I like wearing dresses. It's just more comfortable.
Me: Yea, I know what you mean. I too always wear dresses when I go out for dinner [holding my stomach and thinking of my food baby].
I can't have something holding my stomach when I'm eating. It's just so uncomfortable.

Cue: Pomfret slap.

While this was happening, another friend of mine started laughing and signaled me to shut up and stop making an ass of myself.

Well, to be fair, babies are babies, whether made up of human stuff or food.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Happy Birthday Aku



My sister Aku is not a big fan of cooking.
According to me, like everything else, this too isn't for everyone.

Cookbooks by Short Stack
But when I saw these mini cookbooks online which were so well designed with their little illustrations, I just had to buy them.
And Aku's birthday seemed like the perfect excuse to order them.
They're great because each one focuses on one ingredient.

Aku,
I know you love eggs and strawberries.
And I know like me you're not the biggest fan of tomato, but after watching this video I thought you may want to cut tomatoes just for kicks.
Like a ninja.

So enjoy the books.
I'm hoping you'll love it.
And use it.
And not spill sauce on it.
And maybe some day make a cookbook of your own.

Here's a video for you. Because I know how much you loved Tina Turner.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Vote

This year, the elections have been quite a hot button topic of conversation.
And let me tell you - discussing it is just not a good idea.

My sister always told me - religion, politics and sex are topics you just shouldn't discuss.


Well, in an ideal world, we could all just agree to disagree.
But since that's not the way the world is, everyone pretty much just disagrees.

I know this year my friends and I are not voting for the same political party.
I think they're crazy and they probably think I am.

My decision is based on facts.
And more facts.

But to each his own.


Today is the day.
So don't sleep in because it's a holiday.
Get out and vote.

To conclude : Whoever wins this election, may the outcome be good.
To seriously conclude : Whoever I'm voting for - May the odds be ever in your favour.

Typographic video by me.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Caution: Cuteness Overload

I am not one of those women who can't stop gushing about the cuteness of a baby.
But seeing this turned me into one of them.

If you're ever having a really crappy day and desperately need to turn that frown into a smile, this is what you need to look at.

Photographer Grace Chon photographed her cute as a cotton ball baby, Jasper and her dog Zoey in many coordinated costumes giving us an amazing photo series that will make you want to reach into your computer and give them all a nice big hug.







And if you think there's nothing cuter than Asian babies, check out former Masterchef winner Adam Liaw's instagram feed. He had dressed his baby up as Pharell, Matt Preston, Salvador Dali and even compared him to a pineapple.
Which is why it's almost upsetting when this chef posts photos of food.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Same same. But different.

by Marion Fayolle

A friend of mine sent me this article with amazingly funny drawings by Marion Fayolle.
What's great about it is how provocative and absurd it is at the same time.
The surreal but easily understandable illustrations just bring a smile to your face.

by Horyon Lee

And then while browsing I came across this article with oil paintings by Horyon Lee.
The motion shown in these paintings flirt a little with your mind.
Who knew paintings could be so seductive and beautiful?

Both of these pieces of art are so suggestive.
Same same. But different.
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