The Stunning Upset Victory of the Indian Rupee Denomination!

This is not about #DonaldTrump! But this is surely about us!

We, are the people of India, struggling to find a way through the queue, knocking off anyone who tries to break the line. We, are dying in the sun and the nip in the air, which looks like methane and ash, with our life-savings spread on the floor useless and dead. We, are overloaded with requests from the rich to hide their denominations so that the government never finds out who did what with
whom!

We, are tired, jolted & still waiting...!

Suddenly, a whole lot of savings in many of the wardrobe lockers of India, became illegal and people ran away from money like there was a wildfire. Fear more than that of smuggling in the states, looting in a bank and shoplifting and getting caught on a CCTV!

Just when the hoarders, the terrorists and the Indian wives thought of saving enough to become Squadron Supreme, the government planned to clamp down illicit high-value funds to curb corruption. It's good right!

So, why not celebrate?

Let's celebrate the victory of Indian Rupee..of the new denominations, the new fear...of saving away from the eyes of anyone monitoring our little pockets...

For now, we are lucky enough to hold a bank account so..

So, let's order food on Swiggy, shop from Kraftly and take an Ola to travel...!

oops...cash crunch! gotta head to the bank...

See you soon,
Diary Diary

Top 10 Ways to Un-typecast Your Living Space

This time of the year is a fun, frolic and festive time for people in India. We love to set aside our earnings for months together to renovate, re-paint and re-organize our living space and spend with both hands on the decor each year. The markets are bustling, the hawkers are busy and the on-lookers are looking for perfect decor items for their little homes.

This year too, we've got some really cool items on the shelves with which you can re-create the lost charm of your home. Well, you might find many ideas dispersed online as well, but this article is specially curated for people who are looking to completely transform the look of their walls, rooms and the house!

1. Invest in a Beautiful Book Shelf

Now you may or you may not like to read, but a book shelf is still on the priority list. Why? Because this will take care of all your old books, magazines, posters, pamphlets and  even newspapers which otherwise lay cluttered in the room all the time. It is a must for people with kids and even for bachelors and students. I have myself spent years without a book shelf and those were bad days I must tell you ;p. So, Please invest in a book shelf. And a smart one like this!

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2. Please buy an Almira, if you don't have one!

Clothes on the shelf, bed, chair, speakers, cycle, armrest, cooler, tables and suitcases DO NOT LOOK COOL! Throw them in the almira and if that doesn't take much time, iron them well every week. An almira is also a great place to keep your secret belongings, extra cash, wedding outfits, earned valuables and much more. Apart from that, an almira also has a lock .. so that would make sure your friends, siblings and roomies don't steal your clothes each time you step outside.

Go for a small one but a durable one in case you are prone to shifting your place every 11 months.

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3. Stylish Lighting Options

Light Up! This is for people who don't get much daylight into their rooms. Paint your walls white or get some beautifully styled lights! Go for a small study lamp if you're in college and do not really want to invest in good lighting options. You can even buy some quirky styled floor lamps for every night just like the one right below:

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4. Save Some Money Aside for Wallpapers

If your walls are quite old, muddy and child-crafted...then you might want to cover them up! Go for simple yet elegant wallpapers to give them an all new look for the coming year. Try and choose multi-coloured patterns for kid's room, subtle smooth colours for the bedroom and the living area and minimalist patterns or the hall. This way you won't have to spend money on the paint and save the bulk for the next time.

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5. Buy Big-Sized Mirrors

You've heard that one before haven't you? Apparently, because these mirrors add more volume, depth and space to your home and magnify the white light. This is also a Feng-Shui addition as it expands the energy in the room and makes it more active.

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6. Go for Two Contrasting Curtains

By contrast, I mean you need to have one light and one darker shade with you. I would not promote black or a brown here coz then room would be a den! Try neutral shades of white with deep maroon or deep blue..you can also try experimenting with light net of yellow or sea green for a change.

Like I said, these two curtains not only give you the option of changing the room's atmosphere completely but it also allows to add more light during the day and cut any privacy shadow for the outsiders during the night. If you know what I mean :D

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7. Paintings, with Love

Empty walls are like empty canvases and you have to paint them. Not literally, if your art is as crumble-some as mine. But, may be with a few of the many paintings which you can buy from the market!

Use your quirky imagination or stick to abstract for a better living area appeal.

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8. Add More Plants to Your Surroundings

As we all know plants are great for fresh air and they also add the much needed colour to your living space. You can find out about some indoor plants which won't take much of your time and care. If that doesn't suit your area, you can go for flowers, may be artificial ones. These add abundance of beauty to your home's decor!

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9. Organize, Organize & Organize

It's not only important to pick things right, but keeping them organized is another ball-game together. So, what you really need to do is pick things which don't need everyday attention, once you've added them to your decor. Secondly, make sure you keep yourself ready to wipe clean and dust away the dirt every week. Re-shuffle the settings and see what suits the room best. Organize well, in order to keep things running for long.

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10. Keep Exploring!

Guys, this is not the end of story! Get quirky! You have to keep exploring new designs, new handicrafts, new trends and everything new that will make your living space worth a thousand eyes!

So don't stop here...begin you journey and Un-typecast Your Living Space!

Do share your home decor with me! I'd love to publish that with the post! 

Keep waiting for the next blog! ;)


See you at Home!
Diary Dear!

"Complete-Your-Look" Guide For A Nervous Bride!

A Bridal Guide to Glory on the D-Day

Undoubtedly, dressing up for your D-Day is the most crucial, most anxious part of your wedding! Followed by the walk in the aisle and meeting the eyes of the man of your dreams! So, are you really ready to flaunt your charisma in the air? or are you still struggling to pick that one item left in your wedding look-book-imagination? And if you wish to dress up like stunning graceful South Indian bride, things can be really pretty and pricey! The bewitching Kanjeevaram Saree, striking jewellery and the right footwear can be hard to find! Well, are you getting nervous, impatient and cranky already?

Not to worry and no more stress! Here's a complete look guide to ease away your worries and bring back your beautiful smile... :) 

(Tip: Don't worry about the price ;) You don't need real gold to make you look beautiful!)

#1. Go Overboard with Necklaces!

Ruby Kundan Matka Designer Set

 

A great masterpiece for a heavy, traditional look! The intricate kundan work on the necklace would add more timeless appeal to your entire look.. and the best part is, you won't have to look for earrings separately! *wink wink*

You can even team this up with your gold border sarees at your post marriage events and reception parties.

Price: Less Than 3500 

Category: Affordable

#2. Didn't I Say... Go Overboard?

Lakshmi Pearl Cluster Necklace with Jhumka

Carry your goddess on your heart with this beautifully crafted Lakshmi necklace which would not only bring more goodness to your coming life but will also help to keep your looks uplifted. The pearl-clutter complements and matches the earrings which come with this set.

Now that your necklace woes are sorted, let's move on to the next level!

Price: Less Than 3500 

Category: Affordable

#3. Bole Chudiyan, Bole Kangana!

Your bangles must tell a story of who you are and they must impress your man :p ! Didn't you see the grand K3G song? So, before the song plays at your wedding and your girlfriends pull you in the crowd to dance, make sure you choose the right pair for yourself.. 

Here are two beautiful sets for you! The first one is highly attractive and modish...

Bangles Set

Price: Less Than 2000 

Category: Affordable

Andddd the second one is alluring and crafty.......

Gold Plated Bangles

These royal pair of bangles add more distinction to your wedding look! These match perfectly with almost all wedding sarees and traditional attires and can even be adjusted for a better fit. 

(Tip: You can buy this one Kraftly easily without walking out of your home! ;))

Price: Less Than 1700

Category: Affordable

#4. Let Everyone Know You've Arrived

South Indian weddings are known for their heavy bejeweled look and fine details. The brides are donned and adorned with the most expensive attires and jewellery from head to toe. One such important piece of embellishment is a Paayal or anklets. These are worn in the feet decorated with henna a day before the wedding. This is considered to be an important part of a wedding celebration.

I'd always wanted these..a classic beauty!

Anklets for Wedding

Price: Less Than 2500 

Category: Affordable

#5. Maang Teeka 

Want to look like a regal, resplendent empress? Look no further! Uhm..that was rhetoric ;p Look down and go for the enchanting 3 line maang teeka. You can also experiment with 5 line maang teeka which would highlight your crown area and add a superior feel of being a bride!

Like the anklets, the maang teeka is also an important bridal jewellery. These are worn over the head, sometimes covered with a veil.

3 Line Maang Tikka

Price: Less Than 1200 

Category: Affordable

#6. Nathni or Nose Ring

Nose rings are a part of a bridal's attire in almost every part of India and in every religion. These are a customary majestic addition to transforms you into a queen in an instant.

Even if you are not a fan of nose rings, you'd fall in love with this one!

Multi-Coloured Nathni

Price: Less Than 1000 

Category: Dirt Cheap

(Tip: Go for a multi-coloured nose ring if you are confused on the colour. This would ensure that there are no goof ups on your grand evening!)

#7. Walk The Aisle in Style!

No compromise here girls...you need to have a great pair of shoes for yourself! 

Something that can walk the talk! ;)

Walk with Style!

(Tip: Once you own the right pair of footwear, all your nervousness will vanish away! :P)

I'm still on the lookout for the best shoes online!! :D

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Can you guys help me out please??? ;)

Do comment in the comment box below and let me know where ca I find the best shoes in town ;)

& share your wedding looks with me!!! I'll be really delighted to see & publish them!

See you at the Wedding!!!

Diary Dear! 

What's Cooking by Neha Dhiman

It's been a long year, isn't it? Well, I am back! So let's roll the dice again. Shall we?

You might wanna know what I've been cooking all these days. Really I've been Cooking! 😂 From mouthwatering desserts to traditional finger-licking Indian recipes. Also, it took me a while to realise what all goes into making dishes when you really don't have enough ingredients. 😂 Some of the marvels from kitchen came out really well...while some disappointed me to the core. But I tried again...and again...and again...and finally bought a pizza and enjoyed the evening😉.

After all, I deserved some cheese for my efforts. Thanks to which, I have finally gained some fat on my bones.

With a lot of time gamble and job shifts cooking became a necessity and then a pleasure. My latest favourites are Sambhar and Gulab Jamun! I never knew they were so easy to cook. With that, I would love to add this will not become a food blog soon. 😂 It will still be my heart's window. Just that I'll be eating something while watching outside it. So brace yourself, coz the heat is on and the sugar syrup is burning 😉.

A secret? I met an adorable women and she's teaching me how to make Vada ;)

With wet flour on my hands,
Lots of love
From Diary Dear

How It Feels When An Adult Learns To Ride A Bicycle

Someday when somebody, just as needy as me, will land up on this page to know how it feels when an adult learns to ride a bicycle; my mission will be accomplished. Somehow 'learn to ride a bike in 5 minutes' doesn't work and so does 'how to ride a bike when you are old'. Neither will the words of the person, who is teaching you to 'hold the handle straight' or 'push the brakes slowly' or 'look on the road' shall help! Sadly and ironically, they will be right in anything they say! And it'll take you a couple of falls to understand that. That kid round the block who bullies you and laughs at you when you are on your bike, deserves his share of fun. Doesn't he? Of course not! Learn to bicycle and effing make him lose! Kiddo biatch!!

Thanks to Windows 10 and that new wallpaper on the screen of my bae's laptop, which gave a kick to my confidence to learn to tame those two wheels and ride with him every Sunday morning. I was pumped with enthusiasm like you usually are in a James Bond movie. He tied my helmet, I pulled my jeans up, I jumped past half of the bicycle and it felt like I am now ready for a life-threatening stunt. Remember the scene when 007 was hanging by the running aircraft in MI? Think of it again and again until you feel you are the one holding that door. Won't take long. I was there! Right there with my wobbly hands and sweating head.



On my first session, I couldn't even move those tyres way past an inch. I was tired and hopeless at the end of that hour. I managed to fall twice, had a bruise on my leg, even got ulcers in my hands, but after all my pain came a time when I was ready to do it again. And that feeling my friend was "pacifying". You'll be surprized but I wanted to have more of it. Strangely, I started counting all the good moments and there were plenty of them! I recalled how my beloved ran along the bike, how happy he was when he clicked my pictures, how passionate he was about the ride and how much he loved it. It was like magic. It is true when they say, if you are looking for happiness, look at a person who is happy. And he was so happy for me and my efforts that I was motivated more than ever.

The second time I tried I could drive the bicycle to a couple of meters on my own and I felt so proud of myself that I tried and tried again. I tried managing the peddles at sometimes, and sometimes I focused on the handle. All things were good.

What I learnt after my two hourly sessions:

a) The man with you is your coach. Don't hit him with your bicycle :P

b) Never scratch or hit someone else's car, things can go wrong if their domestic helper catches you.

c) Try not to slap the kids who made fun of you right then. Wait for the appropriate time!

Let's see how my third session goes this time ;p

(Love You loads Aashu;)
See you soon Diary Dear!

Why I Want To Travel The World And You Should Too!

When I first saw the huge mountains on the way to Manali, a sudden realization hit my mind, heart and soul. This is it! This is where I belong! These mountains, this river, these waves of cold is all what I want around me. It was a moment of magic. A moment that changed my life forever! Being born and brought up in Delhi makes you so prone to the traffic and the crowd that you sometimes..actually..all the times...forget there's a quaint world away from this metropolis waiting to be touched.



Even though it's been more than 9 months that I last visited the hills, yet each time I think of my journey, those memories are reborn in my mind like they happened a minute ago. When the sound of the gushing Beas entered our rooms the moment the balcony door was opened, all our worries vanished. We sat and talked every evening like never before falling for each other bit by bit, second by second; accompanied by the winds caressing our faces. The Himalayas shined like a pearl in the ocean far away from us every morning, yet seemed so close. None of us realized when the walks turned into a hand in hand stroll. I can't seem to forget the spell tht was chanted on us on our journey. Indeed you will fall in love again whenever you will come to this part of the world. And it will be much more stronger from thereafter, just like these mountains standing tall, bearing all the chills of the fiery winds from up north.



And so I thought, if one destination on this Earth can be so enchanting, why not travel the world with the man I love? Isn't it a great opportunity to add more life to your breaths? I guess, it is. I want to explore all the nooks and corners of this country for starters, touch the farthest points and come back to these hills at the end with plenty of experiences and bundles of stories to echo to these hills.



Think of your mundane lives, think of how you struggle to survive everyday. Think of how difficult some days are. Don't you want to put everything on the back-seat and rush far ahead for a while? Don't you want to shrug off the burden and break the monotony of this workaholic life? Don't you want to run away sometimes? Don't you want to truly talk and get heard? If yes, here are three most important reasons why you should travel the world starting today!

To Fall In Love!
Love is like a river, when it's flowing, when it's moving (inside you); it is alive! Stagnant things in life always lead us to sins and diseases. So, it is important to keep falling in love again and again, with the same person as much as possible in one lifetime. Always in a different manner of course. And that's what travelling does. It keeps you moving! It keeps the love alive and kicking :)

To Find Solutions
Travelling opens the doors of our conscience. It widens our horizons and makes us look at things from so many different angles. We learn so much when we are on the go that even before realizing, we have solutions to our problems. I remember at the begining of my journey I was greatly unhappy with some family issues, but when I came back I had solutions to my problems. I knew what I had to do. It just happened, just like that. And no matter you get the answers or not, but you will have the courage to face things at least.

To Be Happy
The most important reason so as to why you should travel is to be Happy! Leave the 'how?' to the journey and explore it for yourself. Because I am sure, you won't come back without a smile and a long list of memories!
So, Just Go!!! :) :)


Also Read: In Love with Manali
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P.S. All Images Are Copyrighted +Neha Dhiman

See you again,
Diary Dear!

I Am A Woman And This Is Serious!

I am a woman and...

I don't want to fight back if face-book or Instagram pulls down my photographs of stained bed sheets or shaved vaginas. I might, in the first place, never put it there. This doesn't make me submissive, but lets me have my part of privacy.

I am a woman and I will not walk naked on the streets only because men can do it too. Since the day I was born, I was fed and educated by people who were dressed, so I am like them now.

 
I am a woman and I was told not to remove my clothes and reveal my assets anywhere except the locked bathroom. I followed the directions all my life, what's so wrong in that? My brother was told the same.

I am a woman and I will never enter polygamy. Not because I feel I don't have the rights, but because I know I don't want them. Will it create history if a woman decides to stay with one man for all her life? 



 
I am a woman and I will not come out on the streets to say I'm on my periods. Not because I am 'down in enthusiasm or confidence', but because it is not as same as telling men about Brock Lesnar, Fast and Furious or Mathew McConaughey that'll appeal to them. Of course every man on Earth knows or will know about it. Why feel shame in not pinning a board on your terrace to tell people you are bleeding.

 
I am a woman and I have seen elders impose cultural and traditional 'not to do's' on me as well. But I choose not to slam them back with my conditional replies. Not because I don't want to be heard, but because it will never satisfy my ego on the whole or make me a day older than them.

 
I am a woman and I can work at home while my man is out working for us and our family. Not because I don't crave to work, but because his home needs me to be there. It has nothing to do with 'passion-killings'.

 
I am a woman and I do hate sometimes when there is no equal pay or opportunities like our male counterparts, but I am also sure there are things in which we are way up and I would never like to part ways with that, or come down to the level of men. And I am not sorry. I am a woman and I don't hate men.