DIY ǁ Origami Cube String Lights

Hey guys!

So I talked in a post a few days ago about learning new things, and traditional crafts in particular. (Haven't seen it yet? Click right here ! ) I also mentioned that I am keen on learning origami again. I used to know a teeny bit when I was younger, thanks to a friend who used to live in Japan back then and gifted me some cool origami books, but since then I have forgotten most of what I used to know.

So I started with one of the easiest projects out there - the inflatable paper cube! I found this amazing tutorial over on Wit and Whistle and had to give it a try.

All you need is a small square sheet of paper ( mine was 15cm x 15cm ), but you can customise that to suit your need. Here's a YouTube tutorial to help anyone who would like to attempt it!

I used old topography maps I had lying around the house because I wanted to use patterned paper. The colours in the maps co-ordinate well with my room, so that was an easy decision! 

Once your cubes are ready just push the bulbs of the strings lights into the small hole in the cube and you're good to go! I am really enjoying how they turned out, so inexpensive yet still so effective. The best part is that when you're bored of them, you can just deinflate them and store them for later use.

I honestly adore them! How great are they for garden parties and the like! 

What do you guys think? And if you did give this project a go, do let me know how it turned out :)

To more origami-ing,

Food ǁ Summer Snacking

Summer is officially here  -.- While ice-cream is usually the answer to everything, including all the questions you may have had while watching Interstellar, I am going to try not to give in to its beckoning call. 

The next best option may just be the simple salad. I find that trying to make your food look Instagrammable usually increases its appeal. So here's what you need for this humble summer snack. 

- Sliced tomatoes

- Unflavoured yogurt

- Chutney made using fresh mint leaves and some salt

Go ahead and mix a small amount of the chutney with the yogurt to obtain a refreshing dip. Season the salad with salt or pepper, or squeeze some lemon on top. 

Arrange your salad to look like it belongs in a fancy bistro.

And there you have it!

You're probably cringing at how lazy I am as far as food prep is concerned, but hey I'm working on it!

What is your five-minute answer to conquer ice-cream lust?

Explore India ǁ Mountains of Mukteshwar 2013

Greetings, people of the internet!

Oh to be at Mukteshwar again! Mukteshwar is a quaint little mountain station in Uttarakhand, India. I can't thank the heavens enough that as of today it is still practically untouched and undisturbed by the beast that is the Indian tourist. 

In my story, however, Mukteshwar is not just another pretty place. My parents spent a lot of their time here when they were younger, and both my grandads were veterinary research scientists at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute here established by the British.

As somebody who has grown up in urban India, and extremely far away from any sort of snowy peaks, I can safely say that this was one of the most enjoyable trips I have ever been on. The whispering of the trees, the pin-drop silence at night, broken only by crickets, the stars dotting the sky and of course, the constant view of the breathtaking Himalayan peaks, is a lifestyle I imagine I could get used to. When you stand at the edge of the mountain and stare down into the neverending abyss of coniferous trees and jagged rocks, the pang of fear and feeling of absolute wonder is humbling. 

The tranquil surroundings eliminate the need to chatter endlessly. It's like the whole world around you is meditating, the swooshing wind in the trees like the sound of the earth breathing slowly and deeply. Your movements slow down, almost graceful, as you tread along the cobbled path, wondering what lurks beyond the next steep turn. The air smells of pine. I would like to believe there is also an element of magic pixie dust involved. 

It was a place Jim Corbett called home and I wish I could call it mine. We were there only for two short days and much is left to be explored in this sleepy little town. I think I could do with another helping of tiger-spotting anecdotes. Maybe not the drive so much. Although the view is enthralling, I think the fingernail marks in my sister's arm are proof enough that I don't do too well on steep,spiralling, mountain roads. 

I will leave you now with a photoblog of our visit there, and to Naintal, a lakeside hill station which lies enroute.

Jim Corbett guest house

Apparently the kettle Jim Corbett once used

Hey there, gentle creature

Nainital Lake

Naintal Lake

Hand-knitted woollen mice from the local gift shop

My heart is set on visiting again. The peach, plum and apple orchards beckon.

Wistfully yours,

Crafts ǁ Learning new skills

Amateur bamboo mat-weaving attempts

Hello internet! 

I hope everybody is having a lovely Saturday!

A few weekends ago I attended a bamboo crafts workshop organised by INTACH India, where we were introduced to bamboo as a material, both when used in architecture as well as in crafts.

On a sunny winter morning, the small group gathered around the craftsmen demonstrating the process of halving, quartering and then stripping the bamboo stalk, the sections getting smaller and smaller, and the strips getting finer and finer. Everybody watched quietly and keenly, the craftsman's hands moving quickly and expertly. They went on to show us some of the basic weaves used for making bamboo mats and baskets, which we then tried our hands at. Man, was it tough!

It saddens me that bamboo crafts, along with so many other vernacular arts all around the world are slowly dying out, thanks to mass production. It's not just a matter of art, culture and tradition, but also of the intangible qualities that these crafts represent - meticulousness, effort, hard work, patience, attention to detail, teaching by and learning from the use of our hands. 

With our current want of quick fixes, easy solutions and instant gratification, I think we could all benefit from atleast trying to learning something new which does not show immediate results. It may not just benefit you, you may be contributing to society, helping in sustaining and spreading a local craft, or you might just acquire a new skill which you can teach your grandkids!

I personally would absolutely love to start doing origami again and possibly learn the art of Madhubani illustration.

Not inclined towards the arts? Try sticking to your exercise regime! Learn a new language! An instrument! Make an effort to cook at home more often! You never know when you might be able to put your new skill to use.

Until next time, 

Happiness ǁ Try-to-be-positive Thursday

Happy Thursday guys!

Here are some wise words to start your day with. Keep at it, soldier!

Have a wonderful day :)

Happiness ǁ 100 things to be grateful for:

Hey there again!

So I have spent the last two days wallowing in bed and procrastinating, with a few, very short bouts of actually being productive. "Stop being such a useless slug!"shouts the inside of my head. What happened to my plans of staying positive? Staying motivated? Setting goals and then rewarding myself? They're in there somewhere. And so here I am, in front of my laptop screen, in front of my blog. A form of procrastination in itself, honestly speaking, but what I regard as useful procrastination. 

Since I did not put up an 'I was glad this week' post last Friday, I am going to sit here and write down a never-ending list of things I am grateful for.

1. The tea I'm sipping at the moment.
2. The fried egg my dad made me for breakfast.
3. The stunning yellow bird I spotted on a tree outside my window while eating the fried egg.
4. The Harry Potter poster in my room.
5. The Rajasthani puppet hanging on my mirror that my friend Sonam gifted me.
6. The mirror frame my mom let my siblings and me paint/destroy/do whatever we want to.
7. My mom for being awesomely supportive. And a little bit insane.
8. My dad for being awesomely supportive. And a little less insane.
9. My dad for teaching me how to drive.
10. My dad teaching my how to drive a second time, when I forgot the first time.
11. And the the third. -.- ( I don't like driving)
12. Windows Media Player for choosing my favourite Green Day song on shuffle.
13. Green Day, for being the first ever band I was properly obsessed with.
14. My obsessive personality, which makes me spend large amounts of time reading about whatever I'm obsessed with at the moment.
15. My headphones.
16. My ears, which work quite all right I think.
17. My fingers, which allow me to type this blog post.
18. My body, for being the most fascinating computer in the world.
19. Israeli architect, Guy Austern for bringing to my notice in a lecture he gave that the DNA in our body is the most complicated form of computer coding. 
20. DNA! I can't get over how amazing it is.
21. The water bottle next to me. keeping me hydrated.
22. The Vaseline lip balm next to me, also keeping me hydrated.
23. My siblings.
24. For being twins.
25. And for being awesome in general.
26. The bag hanging in front of me that I bought in Auroville.
27. It reminds me of my trip to Auroville. It was the best trip in the world.
28. The irony, or maybe blessing, that I call almost every trip the best trip in the world.
29. Auroville, for being seriously bloody amazing.
30. The friends I made at Auroville.
31. The friends I got closer to at Auroville.
32. My friends.
33. The ABBA song that just started playing on shuffle.
34. My mom and her brothers for introducing my siblings and I to ABBA.
35. ABBA. Oh wait, this was probably the first band I was obsessed with.
36. My phone which just buzzed.
37. The fact that I have managed to keep my room more or less tidy.
38. My architecture drawings and portfolios lying in the corner of my room.
39. The fact that I was allowed to go to architecture school.
40. And that I have made it to the fourth year.
41. Almost the fifth year. Couple of months to go.
42. Next semester, for being the semester I look forward to the most.
43. Photoshop, for being a really fun software.
44. My siblings for teaching me Photoshop.
45. Youtube, for teaching me Photoshop.
46. Youtube for being Youtube.
47. My best friend Ruchi for introducing me to YouTubers and YouTube as a profession.
48. Dan and Phil
49. Jack and Dean
50. Benjamin Cook
51. The Becoming YouTube series by Benjamin Cook.
52. The song Pipes by Tom Milsom, that I am currently obsessed with.
53. YouTube for everything really. For introducing me to the work of some amazing film makers, vloggers, animators and musicians.
54. My internet connection at home which allows me to watch YouTube.
55. The internet as an invention.
56. For allowing me to blog.
57. This blog.
58. The song Promises by Boy Kill Boy that just came on on shuffle. It reminds me of working out on the exercise cycle.
59. The 7 minute workout app by Johnson and Johnson.
60. My friend Aseem for encouraging me to download the app.
61. The purple yoga mat I use while exercising.
62. The yoga post I came across on Ella Grace Denton's blog, We Need To Live More.
63. Instagram for letting me discover her blog.
64. Music for making me think.
65. Music for making me feel.
66. Movies for making me think.
67. Movies for making me feel.
68. Intelligent movies for making me feel like I haven't wasted two hours of my life.
69. Background scores for making me realise the impact sound and video can have when used together.
70. The background score of Interstellar.
71. The Backstreet Boys song that just came on. It reminds me of old friends.
72. It reminds me of my friend Alisha, when we used to sing 'Larger than Life' together.
73. Alisha, who I hope to stay in touch with forever because her smile makes me happy.
74. Rituja, for bearing with me when I used to write down lyrics of Green Day songs in my notebook and force her to read them.
75. Dyuti for sharing with me the journey of discovering the beauty that is Muse music.
76. All the musicians who ever created something I loved.
77. All the musicians who ever created stuff I didn't love, because I sang along anyway.
78. The mysterious person playing acoustic guitar somewhere outside.
79. The crow who is trying to harmonise with the guitar playing.
80. The pain in my neck from sleeping wrong, which reminds me that the pain is just a way of asking for help. Everybody needs help.
81. Anybody who ever helped me.
82. The fan for keeping mosquitoes at bay.
83. The fan for being the sound I can't fall asleep without.
84. My hair, for still being there.
85. My hair, which will still grow back even if I cut it.
86. The framed picture of my family and me from 15 years ago.
87. The woollen knitted mouse on my dresser which reminds me of our family trip to Mukteshwar.
88. Mukteshwar for being such a breathtaking place.
89. Nature.
90. God for creating nature.
91. Humans, for being humans.
92. Humans for being different.
93. Humans for being inexplicably kind.
94. Humans for being amazingly strong.
95. Humans for helping each other.
96. The fact that I listed down 95 things to be grateful for without much effort.
97. The fact that I can probably type endless things to be grateful for.
98. The hope and optimism that exists in me that I will be healthy enough in body and soul to continue this list in the future.
99. My brain, for urging me to start working on my uni homework now. I should probably listen to it.
100. And finally, to end today's list, I am thankful to the book 'Children and their Environments' by Spencer and Blades, for assisting me in the research paper I am working on currently and shall proceed to work on now after this post.

Cheers,