15 Marbles

I am forever looking for wrapping a gift in a way that’s simple yet cute.
When wrapping my presents,I use all sorts of things-wrapping paper,cellophane paper,newspaper,stamped butter paper,fabric,strings,leaves,fresh flowers,beads,ribbons.And though I love the classic clean gift wraps,I can’t help but play around.
If I am giving a soft book/or a tubular roll of colored pens..I just roll it and wrap it to look like toffee,using slightly longer length of the wrapping paper and ribbons.
Same thing goes for something flat and round like a cookie box.
I don’t have many pictures of my own gift wrapping,except this one:

This is simple jewellery box,wrapped in crepe paper with colorful string,to resemble a potli or hobo-bundle! I was going to add a twig to it but it was too dark to go outside and look for it 😛
I also found these cute gift wrapping ideas,on google.(all images courtesy google images)

These bags are the best alternative to store bought gift-bags-economic and ‘Green’.

And look at this-So cute-just right to wrap up that scarf or book.I love it!

And this one-The gift is wrapped in a soft blanket-you are giving not one but two gifts!how cool is that!

While you are at it,do check what Martha has to say- I absolutely HEART her plant wrappings!
P.S. this is my first time,doing this type of a post..so please excuse my unpolished take on it!

Gosh..its already Thursday!!Where did the week go??
We had a super-busy weekend-Indian grocery,vegetable market,gift-hunting,a house-warming party,baking/cooking,a dinner and before we knew it,the weekend was over-Poof!!
On Monday morning,we woke up sore-the kind of soreness that comes from excercising a lot!*Starting to digress-In a way thats good-i dont feel so bad about not being able to start week2 of the Couch25K..Mornings are so cold,these days..I tried going out for a walk,early morning by 7.30 am,but came back with a headache,that last 2 whole days.So,I gave up.But,we have been blessed with good sunny afternoons,so I go for walks..I have been walking almost 40-45 minutes,3-4 times in a week.OK digression over.
So,Monday was playgroup day..Aadi was so tired,she woke up just half an hour before the scheduled time..ideally,when we leave home..but I have a rule,about not waking her up,in the morning.Most days she is up really early and every once in a while,she sleeps in and makes up for all those early mornings.So,anyway,she woke up late,and we reached there late. After playgroup,we went over to a friend’s house,the one whose housewarming party we attended,spent the afternoon there and then went to the park and then finally reached home-Walked 45 minutes.
Tuesday,was spent in cleaning..-somehow,I just dont get that happy feeling after cleaning these days.May be because,I am so stressed-first about the mammoth task of gathering Aadya’s toys from every corner of the house..then the size of the house.I can never clean the whole house in one go! and so even if two rooms are clean,other two are still taunting me! So,after cleaning the next thing on my list was baking.A friend’s daughter S was turning 5 and I offered to bake cupcakes for her kinder class.I gathered all my baking supplies and started to line up the muffin pan and realised,that I had the wrong liners.Aadi was sleeping,I woke her up half an hour early and hated myself for it..but time was short..It was almost 4 and I had to get the cupcakes baked and frosted by 7.00 pm.I almost ran to the shops,got the right liners..and was back home by 5.00.Then,started aggressive whisking,folding,pouring,baking! I had to bake 30 plus a few more..so,I made 4 batches of cupcakes.
When the third batch was in the oven,I started to work on the butter-cream.And it turned out PERFECTTTTTTTT,if I say so,myself!it was just light and fluffy.I finally got done by 8.00 and left to drop off the bounty!A doll got dropped on one tray and then the other..and finally we managed to deliver them safely..with only two smudged frostings!My friend fed us dinner and we came back,only at midnight.
Wednesday-Took Aadi to the library for story-time,then hung around in the mall with one of the mums and finally walked back home.cooked lunch,and dozed off with Aadi.Woke up,cooked dinner..by now,the un-vaccummed floor was beginning to prick me in the eye..After dinner,I sent DH and Aadi to the bedroom and started cleaning,furiously.Vaccummed the floor,loaded the washing machine/dishwasher,cleaned the kitchen..washed the baking trays..and then finally sat down to enjoy the silence and clean living room..the mopping ,toy room and guest-room can wait till thursday.
Phew…just writing about the week..tires me out.Thursday will be spent at home,finishing up the cleaning..and Friday is school day.Saturday is S’s birthday party and hopefully I will get to rest on Sunday!
Sorry,I havent blog-hopped or commented..but now u know why..hope everyone is doing well.

I think this was a tag that did the rounds nearly two years back.I was wondering what to write today and remembered this..Here’s the ABC of my life-

A – A is for Aadya..that covers pretty much my life.And A is for Addicted..to blogging and chai,
B is for Books ..I have to read every night and every morning and anytime I catch in between.
C is for Crochet..Love to crochet little knick-knacks.
D is for December is the month we got married.
E is for Elephants..My favorite animal
F is for Fan..I need a fan in my bedroom.The fan has to be ON and running at full-speed,every night for 365 days..no matter how cold it is.
G is Ganesha,my favorite God and Google is my answer to everything!
H is for House-keeping is not my strong point..but home decorating is.
I is for India..Need I say more?
J is junky-I am a junky and I love hoarding my junk..be it old bills,old clothes,anything!
K is for Knits,Kitchen,Kids..My 3 fortes!!LOL!
L is for Lakheri,my home town
M is for mischief..which was one word to define me,ummm about 10 years back.
N is for-Never give up..thats my motto..No matter what I am doing,I don’t get frustrated and give up.I am not bragging..may be its a vice..
O is for O.J…Freshly squeezed orange juice,is my favorite juice.
P is forPaints..Love my paints..I dabble here and there,but I want to take professional painting classes.
Q is for Quick..which I am so Not!
R- Rum and Coke was the first alcoholic drink I ever tried.
S- DH’s name starts with S and so does my nickname.
T- My favorite letter..after all my name starts with it.
U- U.S.A-Where my darling Baby was born.
V- Variety is the spice of my life.I have to read 2 books together-I have to work on two craft projects simultaneously.
W is for weekend sleep-ins..I have to have my weekend sleep-in..If I wake up early,I end up being grumpy..grr..LOL! I am kidding..I am not grumpy..but I feel the weekend isn’t a weekend!
X is for Xmas..My earliest Xmas memories date back to when I was 5.Xmas was the festival that was added to our (DH and me) list of festival,that we celebrate ,when Aadi was born.
Y- Yoga,my new found love.
Z- Zzzzzz..I need my zzzzz and can fall asleep ANY TIME..If only I had the luxury to do that:P