Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 70
February 17, 2020
When Creative Outlets Become Your Happy Place ~ The Founder of A Woodwork Venture Shares Her Story
Richelle E. Goodrich says,
“The effects of loss are acute, and unique to each individual. Not everyone mourns in the same way, but everyone mourns.”
In today’s #MondayMotivation focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we bring to you a woman who turned a personal loss into an inspiration which led to her becoming a successful creative entrepreneur. Meet, Kimali Baldi, who is Woodcraft Expert, an Artist and the founder of Shriya’s Beats by Kimali. What made her quit her corporate and turn a weekend hobby into a full-time business venture? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“ I have been inclined towards crafts since my childhood. I used to do glass painting, emboss painting, crochet etc. and I continued pursuing these as a hobby till my graduation. During my corporate tenure too, over the weekends I used to engage in these rather than in any other form of entertainment.
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Soon enough, I felt that the corporate life was not a cup of my tea. Hence, I quit that and started working as a full-time crafter. During this time, I created my own world of crafting with tons of colours and imagination, and so was born Shriya’s Beats by Kimali which became my small happy world.
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The turning point was a personal loss which I turned into a blessing in disguise. I lost my niece Shriya in Oct 2019, and instead of wallowing in grief, I decided to channel my pain and work harder to carry her name to greater heights, which is why the venture is named after her. Through it ‘Shriya’s Beats’ which have physically left us, I aim to keep them alive and throbbing by my work and this venture. And, now she is my inspiration to work harder and better each moment.
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The main struggle is about making a mark in this field as a woman. Woodwork is a male dominating field and the initial period was difficult to get any sort of work done in this profession. Also, after shifting to Bangalore it was challenging due to location change and language barrier. It took some time but slowly and steadily everything fell into place. Today, we are flooded with lots of work and appreciation.
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I was doing both paper crafting and wood crafting before becoming a mother to a cute little daughter. But after she was born, due to lack of time, I kept my focus only woodwork.
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My motivations are Shriya my niece, who I did and always will, consider as my first daughter. My other motivators are my father and my father-in-law who drive me to keep going without focusing on the end results or expectations of any sort. The journey so far has been slow but an uphill one. It all started from ad hoc work and now we have our own wood workshop. Many known digital platforms have featured us including LBB Bangalore where we’re listed on among the Home Décor stores , and Itsy Bitsy put us in the Crafter Spotlight. We have done Corporate Workshops for big names like Urban Ladder,Project Eve etc and have tied-up with multiple Décor Outlets
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The future plan is to tie-up with more décor stores. Over and above this, my aim is to provide more employment to underprivileged women.
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My learnings have been that you need to
“Do what you love and Love what you do”
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And that,
“The tragedies in our life are out of our control, but how we rise from them is up to us.”
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To drop in a message to Kimali, have a look at her amazing woodwork crafts, to buy one or more of her works, or to be a part of her upcoming workshops, follow the links below:
LBB
February 16, 2020
The Little Flower Shop by the Sea ~ An Easy & Charming Read
Ralph Waldo Emerson said,
“Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities in the world.”
In our #ScrutinySunday blog focusing #BookReviews of our recently read books, we bring to you our thoughts on the book The Little Flower Shop by the Sea written by Ali McNamara.
I bought this book at a recent book fair. The first thing that caught my attention and made me want to buy this book right away was the eye-catching cover. It looked straight out of a lovely painting which I (or any beach/nature lover) would love to hang on their wall on keep on the desk. I turned the book, read the blurb and was sold right away.
An easy breezy and charming read, this book is the perfect summer or travel companion for all book lovers, especially those that love chick lit and romance genre.
What I liked about the book?
Overall feel good factor
The way it tackles mental wellness and the loss of a loved one
The countryside or small town charm
THE GORGEOUS COVER!!
It doesn’t just focus on a love story but has elements of family, friendship and adjusting to a new town.
It made me want to visit St. Felix (the little town where the entire story plays out) right away!!
What I didn’t like about the book?
– Poppy (the female protagonist) is frustrating and annoying at times
The plot is extremely predictable for seasoned readers
Certain parts seemed rushed, completely left out or left lose
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However, despite these flaws, its a good read and I’d recommend to book lovers, especially those who love nature and flowers (if you’re florist/plant mom, who also happens to be a bibliophile, this is the fiction book you’ve always wanted!!)
February 14, 2020
When Nature Inspires Your Creative Side ~ The Founder of A Sustainable Handmade Jewelry Venture Shares Her Story
Alex Trebek says,
“If you can’t be in awe of Mother Nature, there’s something wrong with you.”
In our #FridayFeature blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we’re proud to present a woman who pursued an extra profession alongside a regular job, because of the inspiration she drew from nature. Meet, Paulomi Debnath, who is a Senior Buyer at M&IW (Global hotel & venue procurement|Expert in Luxury Hotels sales) and is also the founder of a sustainable handmade jewellery venture by the name of Handmade by Tinni. What made her plunge into jewellery designing despite having a job she loved, and from where does draw the motivation to continue both these professional pursuits, that too so efficiently? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“I truly believe in the quote that, “ It’s never too late to set another goal or to dream a NEW DREAM!” I love color, I love unique jewelries and I love travelling.
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I have traveled to some amazing places across the world. The more I traveled, the more I was reveled by nature. Coming from a rich culture like India, it was somewhat imbibed in me.
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Nature has always intrigued me. There is so much you can do with nature, and it didn’t take me long to realise that handcrafted jewellery was one such thing which I thought of when I dreamt of capturing nature in my own way.
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I wanted to create jewellery that was locally made, sustainable, respectful of our natural resources and responsible towards the environment – and at the same time, would be colourful, vibrant and unique.
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When my dream merged with my love for nature and passion for jewelleries, things began to change and Handmade by Tinni was born. Nature and colour make you look beautiful like no other!
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I don’t like to use the word ‘struggle’, and I learnt that from my mother. I would rather use the word “Challenge”. That way I know I have to overcome it. I think I have learnt very early on what I didn’t want from life; and that also acted as a catalyst for me in starting Handmade by Tinni.
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It has been a challenge – being a Senior Buyer at an internationally renowned ‘Strategic Meeting Management Company’, a wife and a mother of a 9-year-old boy (who always keeps me on my toes), you need to learn balancing a busy work & social life and multitasking. But with considerable support from my family, I always have been able to overcome that. When it comes to living my dream, I don’t want to resign into a life of missed callings and dreams. So, I ended up following the quote, “Do more of what makes you happy!”
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When you have a dream, your “want to” turns into your “have to”. But if you ask about a turning point, I would say it was a very offhand attempt to make some pieces of jewelry for a craft fair, which kicked this off. I was totally blown away by the response I received. And then there was no looking back.
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The journey so far has been both overwhelming and heart-warming. I have some amazing responses on my Instagram and Etsy pages, appearing multiple time under ‘top searches’ under popular #hashtag categories. I have also been accepted as a handmade jewellery designer on ‘Urban Makers UK’. Urban Makers UK is a very coveted online platform for niche designers and getting through their screening process was both remarkable and encouraging. One of my designs has also been featured by Windy Chien because it was inspired by one of her knots. My collection has also featured in top craft fairs in London like ‘Craft & Flea’, ‘Crafty Nolo’ and ‘Woodford Craft Market. I will be presenting my collection at the above craft fairs as well as at ‘Local Makers Market’ in the coming months in London. My future plan is to spot rich opportunities and reach as many wonderful women as I can. I would also like to imbibe more and more colors to my creation, thus staying true to the ethos of my creation.
Jewelry designing is such a unique art form that you have the opportunity to remain a student all your life. I love experimenting with different materials keeping sustainability at the heart of all my designs. Be it 100% biodegradable cotton rope or colorful yarns or my mum’s old saree or my boy’s old jeans, I am here to transform and make something beautiful and wearable out of it.
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I could not have done this without the quiet but tremendous support from my best friend, my solid rock, my honest critique and my love, my husband, Mr. Avik Biswas. My mother, Ms Sibani Debnath will always remain my idol and my biggest inspiration in life. What I am today is all because of her. My sister, Anamika Debnath, who has always been my knowledge bank especially when it comes down to fashion and design related topics. If she approves my designs, that makes me the happiest.
My greatest learning has been that
There is no age or boundaries when you want to learn a craft
Especially in the internet age that we live in currently, there is no stopping if you put your passion and heart in what you create.
Handmade by Tinni has been a tremendous learning experience. In many ways, it has shaped and defined who I am, and I have been able to push myself beyond my comfort zones in many ways with this venture.
I’ve always been an extremely expressive, colorful, family-oriented and relationship-focused person, and with Handmade by Tinni, it now feels that I am on a path of self-discovery and personal growth.
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To drop in a message to Paulomi, have a look at her gorgeous sustainable jewelry, or to inquire about and buy these jewelry items, follow the links below:
Etsy
February 13, 2020
With Love, from Myself
It was February, that month of the year Akriti dreaded the most. Not dreaded, actually over the years, the dread had moved on to hate now. World over, it is called the ‘Season of Love’, when couples profess undying love for each other, exchange gifts and do everything romantic under the sky. Yes, she agreed and knew that it was all mostly clichéd, because their idea of romance was based on movies and books. But it was enough to irritate her, she, who did not have a significant other in her life.
As if a day of it wasn’t enough to remind the singles what they were missing out on, the final blow began a few years back when there was a whole week of it, with atrocities like Rose Day, Propose Day, Chocolate Day and what not. Ugh! Even the thought of everyone around her getting more than one rose or one chocolate from God knows whom, from where and how many, made her feel like the ugliest person on the planet.
“Why! God, why?” she asked for the umpteenth time. It wasn’t always like this though. Sure, she missed having someone special by her side on Valentine’s Day, but it was only last year’s incident that fuelled the hate and dread.
She had just begun the new job. It had been Rose Day and she was sitting at her colleague Riya’s desk to understand how the internal communication worked. They were both engrossed in the discussion when a man, carrying a large bouquet of flowers walked up to Riya’s desk, handed over the bouquet to Akriti and started singing “I love the way you love me”. In case anyone from the office had not noticed the bouquet handing, they now, thanks to the loud singing, definitely knew Akriti had an admirer who was going over the top to confess his love to her.
Confused, but still blushing and enjoying the sudden shower of love, Akriti asked the man, after the loud applause and cheering from everyone in the office had settled down, as to who had sent the flowers and message. The man handed over a note which was attached to the bouquet, bowed and walked out.
Akriti opened the note and was immediately crushed to bits. She had never been so embarrassed and heartbroken before. There were already questions like “Hey, tell us his name!!” and “Akriti, who is your secret lover, tell us too!!” Smiling awkwardly she handed the note to Riya, who upon reading it started jumping and dancing like a girl who had just received her first doll. Her loud claim of “Oh! It’s for me, from Akshay!!” answered everyone’s curiosity and immediately there was unanimous laughter. Too embarrassed to do anything else, Akriti too joined in.
As the days went on from Rose Day to Valentine’s Day, there was something or the other delivered to Riya’s desk every day. And not just Riya, everyone got something, right from flowers and chocolates to all sort of gifts like clothes, jewellery et al. This anyway made her feel bad on its own but what made it even worse was the fact that it had become a norm, there was at least one person to look at Akriti and ask, “Hey! Are you sure that’s not yours?”
Akriti was probably the only one who was relieved when Valentine’s Day was gone. She didn’t know what was worse, the jokes, the pitiful looks or the questions like, “So what are you getting for Valentine’s Day?” or, ”Hey, don’t you have someone in your life to send you gifts?”
The year had gone by but the questions continued to drop in once in a while asking about her relationship status. And now, the day was back again! Her mind came up with many ideas on how to deal with the problem, right from skipping going to the office for the entire week, to poisoning anyone who asked her anything about her love life; all of which she realised were not only ridiculous but even stupid. It had to be done! She had to face the music.
It was while watching a movie that an idea struck her. It was so relevant that she cursed herself for not thinking about it before. Finishing what she had to, in order to make sure her plan worked, she went to bed quite excited and for the first time in months, with a smile on her face. Her good mood continued as she woke up, got ready for work and walked into the office all smiles and filled with positivity.
Just as she had expected, after some time, Anil, her teammate, recalled the last Rose Day and a fresh bout of jokes and questions all targeted at Akriti started. But today, Akriti did not feel angry or offended. Instead, she laughed along quite heartily.
Later on in the day, a package was delivered to Akriti’s desk. She was not around to receive it and the beautifully wrapped package raised everyone’s curiosity. When Akriti did not turn up at her desk even after 10-15 minutes, Riya could no longer take it and went over to her desk to check out the gift. There was a note attached, as she had expected. As she read it, everyone who was equally curious asked her to read it loud. Riya read the note which said,
Dear Akriti,
Thank You for coming into my life and changing its Akriti.
Hope you will like the gift.
Love,
Your Admirer
When Akriti returned to her desk, she was surprised to see that everyone was staring at her, some with curiosity and some with jealousy. She saw the package and the note attached. Blushing after reading the note, she opened the package, all the while ignoring the continued stares of her colleagues.
As soon as the package was opened, Riya was over her like a hound, “Oh my God! That is the most beautiful gift I have ever seen!” Soon there was a crowd gathered around Akriti’s desk wanting to have a look at what it was and everyone seemed to share the same opinion as Riya. Akriti knew it indeed was the best gift, as she had herself chosen it!
This continued for the entire week, with lavish gifts being delivered to Akriti every day. With each delivery, the curiosity levels of the people in the office rose too. As the questions poured in, Akriti answered all of them with a blush confirming the existence of the someone special in her life. The plan had worked, Akriti finally had someone, or at least she had made everyone believe there was someone in her life too.
With each question, her stories about that someone, grew more and more concrete, right from how they had met, what he did and how he pampered her. It was on Valentine’s Day that the biggest of the surprises arrived; a dinner reservation along with a complete wardrobe. A collective sigh rose from everyone at the office when she opened the gifts.
It was when the day end approached, and she moved on to wear the outfit, that she realised just how much she herself had started to believe the lie, and the existence of her companion. When she wore the dress and it was the time to leave, there was no happiness as she knew every moment there was nobody to give her company for the candlelight dinner she had booked!
Tomorrow again, there would be no one to send her gifts!
But underneath, she also realised that there was no need for him at all. She had been happy the entire week. She did not need any person for loving herself. Despite the non-existence of that person, she had felt pampered and got all the attention!
All the love she so much craved, she had got from her own self.
That night, after enjoying the candlelight dinner alone, she wrote of the cheque saying,
With Love,
From Myself.
*as published on The Naked Truth
February 10, 2020
When Art is Your Healer ~ An Interior Designer Cum Artist Shares Her Story
George E. Miller said,
“Creating artwork allows your mind to be in a safe place while it contemplates the tougher issues you are dealing with. One can use the tools of brush, paint, pastels, crayons etc to expose and even for a short time color those issues in a different light.”
In today’s #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we present to you a woman who uses her creative talents as a stress buster rather than looking at it as a profession. Meet, Disha Moolya, who is an interior designer and an artist. She is the founder of an art and craft venture by the name of Involved Meraki. How did she begin her journey as a designer and crafter, and what motivates her to keep her creative pursuits going? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“From the age of 10 I have loved making posters and especially drawing; actually, everything and anything related to art except painting was always something that made me happy! I get an unexplainable feeling of happiness when I make something or simply write few hand lettered words.
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Two years ago, I, along with a group of likeminded friends thought of making art and sending it out to people. But after a few months everyone started quitting. However, I wasn’t willing to give up on something started so passionately, so easily. So, I kept making the artworks and crafty stuff. Hence today I proudly am the happy and sole mother of Involved Meraki.
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Since I had no such contacts, I couldn’t reach out to people. There were times I did lose hope and badly wanted to shut it down. Then when I had flooding orders, I would also have sleepless nights as I needed to go to work the next day.
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But every time I finish a product, I feel content and forget that I am tired. That’ s a special bond I have with art; the world may push me away, but this, which is my artwork, it always calms me down. In a bid to grow the venture, I started giving products to resellers, but this turned out to be a bad idea as they would never give me the due credits, nor they mention my name anywhere. This made me feel guilty for giving away my artworks, into which I put my heart and soul, just like that. As a crafter and artist who loves what she does, this felt like a betrayal to my own kids.
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One fine day I just decided to stop sending my craftwork to resellers and make it under my own brand name Involved Meraki no matter what. I couldn’t let others receive all the attention. Now that I’m done with my education, I earn enough to get things I want. Hence, money has taken a second seat and I am doing what I always wanted to. So, you can say, that the turning point was when I understood that I just need to keep making things I love, and forget about the money or even the number of followers.
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My biggest motivation is my family because they have been a constant support. And when I address my family, I cannot forget my friend, my chai gang who have stood by me through thick and thin. Secondly my senior Sameera Kerkar who also helped me understand why I need to stop reselling my crafts and also how wrong I was in ignoring the guilt I felt while I let someone else sell the things I had made.
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The journey has been great with its own fall and rise. 2019 has been a year where I could reach out to more people and I am looking forward for a bigger picture. In future, I aim to merge my career and my passion wherein both art and design would go hand in hand. Home decor may be! Also, I want a place where I could help deserving crafters to earn a living solely by crafting. And they can proudly keep forward their designation as a crafter.
I have learnt that
Every day is a new beginning
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You should not give up on your dreams.
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To drop in a message to Disha, have a look at her gorgeous arts and crafts, and to inquire or order one or more of her handmade craftworks, follow the links below:
Involved Meraki Instagram page
Involved Meraki Facebook page
February 7, 2020
When You Draw Motivation From Other’s Happiness ~ The Founder of A Baking Enterprise Shares Her Story
A popular quote goes,
“Make someone smile whenever you can, you never know how much of a difference you could be making in their life at that moment.”
In our today’s #FridayFeature blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we bring to you a woman whose biggest happiness and motivation is to be the reason behind people’s smiles. Meet, Sheetal Dedhia, who is a Textile Designer, Candle Artist & Manufacturer, and Baker. Currently, her 100% professional focus is on her home-based baking venture, Sheetal’s Baked With Love. How did she get into baking from textile and candle designing and what motivated her to turn it into a full-time profession and business? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“My love for creativity is what made me choose textile designing as an educational course and then a career too. The creativity took wings when in order to expand my horizons, I started designing and making candles. In fact, as a Candle Making Artist, I got appreciation and recognition at a global level too. The candles designed by me were exported to quite a few countries. However, I had to wind up this business as my son was small and giving him my 100% focus became a priority.
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Sheetal’s Baked With Love was born out of two things: a passion for baking and a lot of love received by a small, yet slowly growing circle of clients whose positive feedbacks encouraged me to take it beyond just home baking. Today, the venture has led to me opening and successfully running my own baking studio.
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What makes me give in my best with every order, is the ability I hold with a little piece of cake to bring on a smile to people’s faces. Becoming a part of their celebrations, if not physically then virtually through my cakes and desserts, is my biggest motivating factor.
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I don’t believe my struggles are that noteworthy, because I believe everyone has their own battles to overcome.
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So, if I’m where I’m am today, its because I chose to never give up. My family is my biggest critic and even my strongest support.
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Each day, they motivate me to get better and better in whatever I do.
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The future plan is to keep spreading smiles and love.
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My biggest learning has been that
“Learnings never stop”
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and that
“Each day is a new day. “
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To drop in a message to Sheetal, check out her delicious cakes and desserts, inquire about them or to order one (or more) of these yummy desserts, follow the links below:
Sheetal’s Baked With Love Instagram
Sheetal’s Baked With Love Facebook
Sheetal’s Baked With Love Website
In case you’d like to drop in and have a word directly, the address and other details of Sheetal’s baking studio are provided below:
Sheetal’s Baked With Love (Bakery and Cake Shop): Mangaldas Estate D.B.Marg Naaz Cinema Compound, Lamington Rd, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Working hours : 10 am to 6 pm (except Sunday)
Phone number: (+91)-9769559966
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February 6, 2020
So Far So Good- A Look at The Book’s Performance
The Untold Stories came out in October, 2019. It’s been 3 months (and a few days) since the book’s release and I thought it’s time to look back and how the book has been received so far.
From friends and family, to fans and followers, my debut (paperback) book in fiction has received quite a lot of love.
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In fact, the book has gained popularity (thanks to the tiny illustrations with each microtale in the book) among the kids too. See how adorable they look with the book.
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Here’s a look at some of the best reviews of the book so far!
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One of my top favorite reviews of the book is this video review done by Nidhi Kaushik where she explains why writing microtales requires extra skill and care.
Check out this review below:
Did these reviews peak your interest in reading the book too? Then here are the buying details of The Untold Stories:
Amazon India (paperback)
Amazon India (Kindle)
Amazon worldwide (paperback)
Amazon worldwide (Kindle)
Flipkart
February 4, 2020
When Your Books End Up At Your Own Favorite Bookstore
A few weeks back, my books reached the founding pillars of my reading journey, my two Alma Maters and my hometown’s biggest library.
Besides these institutions, another place that has played a huge role in my love for reading and satiated my bibliophile needs through its wonderful collection is the Crossword chain of bookstores in India, especially the one in Surat. Being the only bookstore back then which sold the most popular as well as global books, this was my go-to place for book shopping. And mind you, we didn’t have Amazon, Flipkart or any other e-commerce platforms where one could easily buy books they wanted. Hence, bookstores remained a major source for checking out latest books and buying them right away. So, when I spoke to Dr. Harsha Patel, who is the owner of Crossword franchise store in Surat and told her about my books, she happily agreed to have them displayed and sold at her wonderful (and my favorite bookstore)
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Now, besides the global reach, my books can be bought in India too! For someone who grew up buying books from this bookstore, and still buys them from here, this is like life coming full circle! If you’re a Surati or happen to be visiting Surat, do visit the bookstore (and buy one or all of my books if you’d like to!)
The books have been placed as follows:
One copy each of all three books in the Surti Authors section
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The Untold Stories in Self-Help and Inspiration section
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Zista in Indian Fiction section
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Ten Tales in Fiction (world) section
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Seeing my books placed next to some of my own favorite authors is yet another accomplishment for me as a writer and a published author!
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Here are the contact details of Surat Crossword:
Address: 1st floor, Valentina Business Hub,Nr Shell Petrol Pump, LP Savani Rd, Surat, Gujarat 395009.
Working hours : 10am-11pm (everyday)
Contact number: (+91) – 9924233933
The books have also been displayed at the recent Vidya Book Fair 2020, Surat at the Crossword stall (dome number 4, stall number 43) under the ‘New Arrival’ and ‘Best Seller’ section right in the front and clearly visible.
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Besides this, you can also of course order them online through the below links:
The Untold Stories
Ten Tales
Zista
A Rustic Mind
February 3, 2020
When Establishing Own Identity Becomes A Priority ~ A Teacher, Baker & Philanthropist Shares Her Journey
Pablo Picasso said,
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.’
In our today’s #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we are proud to present a woman who has not one but multiple gifts and serves her purpose too by giving them all away. Meet, Aarti Sehgal, who is a teacher, a baker and a philanthropist. But rather than these titles she prefers being called a good mother and a homemaker. She has been a pre-primary teacher in a reputed school since many years and she is also the founder of a home-based desserts venture called Confetti. Besides these professions, through her other venture Mumbai Stray Stories, she takes care of sick and weak stray dogs in her locality. How does she manage time between these multiple work responsibilities and even then, manage to be a great homemaker too? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“It was my passion for teaching and the power that comes with it to mould young minds, which led me to become a teacher. Besides this, the other motivating factor was that this was one of the only few professions which allowed me to maintain a home- work life balance.
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As a young wife and then a mother, the struggle was to keep everyone happy. It was not an easy task, especially in a joint family. There was the constant stress of children’s education and well care and also of course the societal pressures along with a commitment to career; all these and many other aspects needed to be taken care of simultaneously.
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The turning point came when my children turned adults. Once they had grown up and were sensible enough to handle things on their own, I realized they would be busy with their responsibilities and individual lives. My whole life that revolved around them would be standstill. Hence, I needed to establish my own identity and assert my individuality.
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That’s when Confetti came into being. Baking cookies and other confections, including Indian sweets and desserts, to satiate my children’s hunger became a profession rather a necessity. I started a home venture for desserts through Confetti. Right now, this venture though is just like my third child, still taking baby steps and we have only a few items on the menu currently. But just like my two other children, I would love for this to grow, so I’m looking forward to expanding it and by God’s grace and blessings, along with focus and hard work, I’m hoping to make it reach as many people as possible.
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As for Mumbai Stray Stories, that happened when walking through our locality, I realized everyday that the little ones of other species too needed taking care of. So, along with my son, I started taking care of the stray dogs in our building, especially those that were weak and needed attention. From taking them to regular vet check-ups and feeding them their medicines on time, and from changing their dressing to making sure they have clean areas to roam in, we do as much as we can for these animals. Our page Mumbai Stray Stories keeps everyone updated about the cases we are working on.
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I draw motivation from success stories of many women who were and are in similar situation as me. The future plan is to expand Confetti and grow along with it. Right now, we only have handful of desserts, but would love to provide more under the brand.
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My biggest learning has been that life is not a bed of roses and that
“To be successful in life one has to go through a lot of struggles. However, the fruits of hard work are always sweet.”
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I wish to convey to all women to try to be financially independent.
“A calm and focused attitude is very important, and one should never take life for granted.”
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To drop in a message to Aarti, look at, inquire about or to order one of her delicious desserts available through Confetti, follow the links below:
Confetti Instagram page
In case you’re a dog lover, check out Aarti and her son’s work (on protection and well care of stray dogs) by following the link below:
Mumbai Stray Stories Instagram page
February 2, 2020
Out with the Old, in with the New
Karl Lagerfeld said,
“Logos and branding are so important. In a big part of the world, people cannot read French or English–but are great in remembering signs”
Hence, even as a freelancer, and someone who runs a tiny blog as well as content business, I feel it is important to have a logo identity which depicts me, my profession and my work aptly. So our original showed a person’s face with multiple thoughts, which is a fitting pictorial representation of me as a person, whose mind is always running in a thousand directions and has multiple thoughts.
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However, the logo has been around from almost four years now (we started this blog in June 2016) and because the past year as well as this year so far has brought in so much growth and positivity, I felt it was time to update the logo.
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Hence, here we are with A Rustic Mind’s new logo, look and its identity. This logo depicts a girl who is writing, which is what I do for a living (as well as for a hobby even in most of my free time). Not to mention, this is a much better representation of my work, as an author and a freelance content and creative writer, as well as an editor.
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I’m sure there’ll be new one (s) coming in over the years, because I intend on keep this blog and my writing going. But, till then, here’s what we’ll stick with!
Hope you all will shower as much (and even more) love and support on the blog and my work as you have so far with our old look and logo. Because, this is surely going to a positive change and a way to grow. I’m the same and so is my content, but in a better and more innovative as well as creative way.
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