Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 72

A Roadside Charming Cafe

M.F.K. Fisher, says,

“First we eat, then we do everything else.”

This defines me and my people in the best possible way. Wherever we go, our first priority is always food, or rather good food. Hence, when it comes to our own city, we’re even more picky than usual when stepping out of home for a meal or for any type of food.While driving home one night, we saw a brightly lit spot with a huge screen and were intrigued right away. I went to try out this charming looking cafe the very next day and I wasn’t disappointed in the very least (I ordered a simple bun maska and chai then)

 

Loving the overall experience, I decided to take my parents there for a meal someday. Makar Sankranti seemed like a good time (because there’s two days holidays in Gujarat during this festival) and thinking of giving ourselves and the home kitchen a holiday too, we went for our afternoon lunch a Desi Videsi cafe.

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The cafe is owned by a Gujarati couple, Anisha and Ashik Parmar. They have put their heart and soul into it, which is quite visible in the overall look as well as ambiance of the cafe.

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Right from light snacks and beverage, to full course meals ranging from rice to pasta and even soups, they have something for everyone.

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Here’s what our meal consisted of:

Manchow Soup

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Our ratings: 5/5

Garlic Bread

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Our ratings : 4/5

DV Special Pizza

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Our ratings : 4/5

Sev Puri

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Our ratings : 5/5

Cappuccino (coffee)

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Our ratings : 3/5

Coco Cola can

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Our ratings: 3/5

Nutella Nuts (shake)

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Our ratings: 5/5

Their USP is their outside seating area, which is an Indian type of divan seating arrangement, which gives a rustic and true roadside cafe look and feel.

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Their most popular attraction, especially after sunset is the mammoth size TV projection screen which sports lovers would most enjoy and appreciate!

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In fact, it could be the perfect date night too (talk to them about booking it for a date night!!)

There is also a small stage which can be perfect for hosting open mics and other social events.

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All in all, the Adajan/Pal area in Surat, finally got the long awaited hangout space and cafe !

Things we liked/loved

The ambiance
The taste of the food (which I must add was excellent and all three of us loved it equally)
Charming seating (inside and outside)
The festive decor (there was kite decor done in the entire cafe to match the Uttrayan festivities) which added to the overall appeal and charm

Things we didn’t like:

Time taken to serve the food
Water was not served with the food (we had to ask for it)
Cappuccino (coffee) was slightly cold when served and we had to ask to reheat it
The Coca Cola can was priced at 45 INR whereas its MRP was only 35

These minor glitches aside, we ended up having a good family time which we honestly hadn’t got a chance to have in a very long time!

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So, Surtis living on this side of the Sardar bridge and Cable-stayed bridge, there’s no need to go all the way to vesu now. We have a cool (family) hangout spot right here now! And if you’re visitor staying in the city for just a few days, we’d recommend giving this roadside cafe a try.

 

Of Childhood Memories & Christmas Feelings

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Let Your Hearts & Kites Fly High!

Today, 14th January, is celebrated across India as the Kite Flying festival.

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Known as Makar Sankranti or Uttrayan, this festival is a celebration which sees scores of people get together for kite flying competitions along with friends, family and neighbors.

It is the one (or rather 2-3) day where all people come out on their terraces to fly kites of various colors. The sky is a sight to behold!

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I hope you enjoy reading it!

 

 

 

A Desk Job Isn’t The Only Career Option ~ A Baker & Baking Coach Shares Her Story

Mary Berry says,

“Cooking and baking is both physical and mental therapy.”

In our today’s #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we’re proud to present a woman who thinks along the same lines about baking. Meet, baker, baking coach and entrepreneur (founder of The Baking Girl), Merina Issac. How does get into this field and how does manage both baking and teaching? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“I had a sweet tooth since childhood. Anytime I was upset, people knew my mood would lighten up immediately after having any type of bakes, be it a pastry, a cupcake, a brownie, a piece of chocolate or a slice of cake. It was this love for desserts that made me passionate about baking & decorating cakes since childhood. But this remained just a hobby for a very long time simply because I come from a background of engineers, doctors and MBAs; in short professions which are considered respectful in comparison to a baker or a baking career. Hence, there was less support from family when I decided to pursue baking as a profession. [image error]

 

The turning point actually came through another career I was pursuing due to family and societal pressure. I used to work as an HR in a company. But this did not work out for me and it was long before I quit this boring desk job.

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It was during this career break and figuring-out-what-to-do-with-life phase that I saw some fellow bakers taking classes for the same. That’s when I thought I could also do the same as I always had a passion for baking.

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I draw motivation from myself and also from my family. Actually, my main motivation is my need to prove to them (my family) that only private sector jobs cannot make you an independent person and that there are other career options as well.

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The journey so far been a roller coaster ride without any safety gears, because without any family support or financial backup, that’s what it felt like to start out on my own.

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Nevertheless, I had to put my foot down and hence decided to start my own dessert making classes. Future plans are to open my own institute for baking & decorating cakes. 

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My biggest learning has been,

“Not to be dependent on anyone or anything.”

And that

“Every good thing in life, takes time to happen, so don’t give up & keep working for it.”

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It has been a year & half since I started out on this journey. Though it was a slow and doubtful start, at this point it has grown so much that now I conduct 50+ courses from basic cake decorating to chocolate making and much more!”

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To drop in a message to Merina, to check out her gorgeous bakes, or to inquire/order confectionary items, and/or to register/inquire about her upcoming workshops and cooking/baking classes, follow the links below:

Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

 

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A Movie & A Story With An Important Social Message

As per a recent article in TOI, “India Today Data Intelligence Unit (DIU) has found that between 2014 and 2018, there have been 1,483 victims of acid attacks in the country. This is according to data released by National Crime Records Bureau.”

Just two days back, Deepika Padukone starrer Chhapaak was released worldwide. Based on the inspirational Laxmi Agarwal and her acid attack survival story, the movie delivers a much necessary social awareness message.

My story ‘I’m Glad I’m Not Beautiful’ which is a part of Ten Tales, too spins a story around this much needed to be curbed issue and social stigma.

Here’s a look at the teaser of the book.

And to give you an idea of what my story in this book looks like, and how it chronicles around an acid attack, here’s a glimpse at few pages of the story.

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I concocted a small poetry around the story and the acid attacks too. Here’s a look at it (from within the book)

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The story circles around two school going teenage girls, Abha and Vidhya, who are best friends, but are opposite in nature and appearance and how a few incidents on a particular day turns their lives upside down.

My inspiration behind this story was my own teenage years where I developed an inferiority complex because of the way I looked (I was short and plump during my school days). The objective was to deliver two messages : a) how we place undue importance on outwardly appearances and most importantly on the issue of b) acid attacks!!

Go read this story if that sounds like an interesting plot!

Buy the book through below links:

Amazon India (paperback)
Amazon India (kindle)
Flipkart India (paperback)
Amazon worldwide (paperback)
Amazon worldwide (kindle)

 

P.S: To jog your memory, here’s a look at the book cover of Ten Tales and me with the book!

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When You’re Passionate About Something, It’s Worth The Efforts ~ An Architect & Set Designer Shares Her Story

Hillman Curtis, says,

“The goal of a designer is to listen, observe, understand, sympathize, empathize, synthesize, and glean insights that enable him or her to ‘make the invisible visible’.”

In today’s #FridayFeature focusing on the #WonderWomen segment we present who does just this and much more. Meet, Architect, Interior designer, Set Decorator and Space & Flatlay Stylist, Shivani Shilotri. How does she manage such a diverse work profile and what made her get into designing? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“As a child, I was always drawn to creative things, right from the way someone set up their home, to those over-the-top houses I saw in Bollywood movies. I used to wonder who lived is such palatial houses and how living there must be like. It was much later that I came to know about a whole profession that existed around designing and creating those spaces! That’s when I knew set designing was my calling.

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Being an architect, I always knew I had to do something creative. Being in set designing and creating beautiful and new sets everyday challenges my creativity which makes me want to do it even more. There have been a lot of sleepless nights and have been on foot for several hours at once for Sourcing props and making those sets happen; it’s definitely not at all glamorous behind the camera. But if you are passionate about it then at the end its worth it. 

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To create something new every day on set challenges the creativity in me which makes me keep going at it. The journey so far has been filled with a lot of sleepless nights, there has been a lot of hard work but that’s what makes it more satisfying. To think that someone just like my childhood self will watch the outcome on the screen and be awed by the beauty of the space designed by me, makes me keep going, growing and improving in the work I put into designing each set. I have worked as a set dresser for Bollywood movies, commercials, and also taken up interior design projects in Mumbai and abroad. All have been very different from each other but amazing in their own way.

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Every set has taught me a lot and I expect to keep working and keep learning and give back something to the world. I would say my Future plan is to make more sets for movies and create good content for my new venture on Instagram with my handle @highonhues. My learnings are that

“One needs to keep working hard, keep learning, keep growing, and give back as much as one can in whichever way possible”

and most importantly

“Take care of your health and travel as much as you can, because each place makes you learn something new, not only about the world but also about yourself.”

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To drop in a word to Shivani, or to check out (and follow) her works as an Architect, Interior designer, Set Decorator and most importantly as a Space & Flatlay Stylist, follow the links below:

Instagram  (Personal handle)
Instagram (High on Hues)

 

 

50 Women, 50 Learnings

Dolly Parton, says,

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”

In December 2018, we started the #WonderWomen features to give women from various walks of life, their deserved recognition and shining moments.  In our attempt to prove that we are our own heroes and need to take inspiration from one another, we covered inspiring life stories of 50 women. Each feature taught me something, both good and bad (mostly good though)

As a gratitude to each of these #WonderWomen who trusted us with their stories, here’s a look at the best lessons we learnt from them!

[image error]Read Parini’s story here 
[image error]Read Niralee’s story here

 

[image error]Read Noora’s story here

 

 

[image error]Read Shraddha’s story here 

 

[image error]Read Mruganka’s story here 

 

[image error]Read Sonal’s story here
[image error]Read Shilpa’s story here

 

[image error]Read Mira’s story here 
[image error]Read Anagha’s story here

 

[image error]Read Ridhi’s story here 
[image error]Read Snigdha’s story here 
[image error]Read Tanvi’s storyhere 
[image error]Read Dhara’s story here 
[image error]Read Bhairavi’s story here
[image error]Read Manali’s story here
[image error]Read Pooja’s story here 
[image error]Read Divya’s story here
[image error]Read Mitali’s story here
[image error]Read Jalpa’s story here
[image error]Read Poonam’s story here
[image error]Read Vidhya’s story here
[image error]Read Shikha’s story here
[image error]Read Priyanka’s story here
[image error]Read Vidhi’s story here
[image error]Read Arushi’s storyhere
[image error]Read Heena’s story here
[image error]Read Neelima’s story here
[image error]Read Ria’s story here
[image error]Read Priyam’s story here
[image error]Read Umaima’s story here
[image error]Read Radhika’s story here

 

[image error]Read Shruthi’s story here

 

[image error]Read Apoorva’s story here
[image error]Read Pooja’s story here
[image error]Read Devyani’s story here
[image error]Read Farida’s story here
[image error]Read Vaiju’s storyhere
[image error]Read Divya’s story here
[image error]Read Neha’s storyhere
[image error]Read Kavya’s storyhere
[image error]Read Anusha’s story here
[image error]Read Manisha’s story here
[image error]Read Shivaani’s story here
[image error]Read Deepika’s story here 
[image error]Read Loveena and Devanshee’s story here
[image error]Read Lavanya’s story here
[image error]Read Arti’s story here
[image error]Read Bhumika’s story here

 

[image error]Read Purnima’s story here
[image error]Read Anu’s story here

 

Thanks to these women we have completed a successful half-century run with our inspiring and motivating #WonderWomen features.

We hope to continue inspiring with many more such stories in the coming days!

 

 

A Humble Request

Dear family, friends, followers and fans,

As you might be aware, a few months ago I announced the release of two of my books, The Untold Stories & Ten Tales.

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While these books are available for purchase on  various online platforms, a few days ago, I received some great news!

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My publisher informed me that both these titles are now available offline as well, meaning they can be bought from bookstores across the world. While I’m ecstatic (as a child who just received a lifetime free supply of candies!!) on hearing this news, I’m a little sad as well because these titles aren’t yet available in Indian bookstores.

Hence, to all people reading this worldwide (especially those in UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Poland, Italy and Spain) I have a humble request. I’d love it if you can go check out these two books in bookstores nearby or around you, and click a photo of the books for me.  If you can click a photo of yourself with the books, that would be a plus, and if you end up buying them, that would be cherry on top!

The list of bookstores in each country/region is provided below.

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Thanks in advance.

Much love & appreciation,

Manali

P.S: In case you need a reminder, here’s me with these two books (and my other two published books)

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An Early Morning Boat Ride On A Picturesque Lake

In focus for today’s #TravelerTuesday is the Periyar River/Lake in Thekkady, Kerala, India.

[image error]We were on a 10 day family trip around God’s own country and one of the places on our itinerary was this lake. Being a Bollywood (and general movie) loving family, this place came to our attention because of a 90s popular song being shot here. Ever since then, we were mesmerized by this eerie yet beautiful water-body, with floating wood logs and broken tree trunks on its top,  and had been wanting and waiting to visit it.

So, when the opportunity to visit Kerala showed up, this one of our priority ‘places to be seen’. Being warned (wrongly probably) about the long queue and how we would have to run (literally!!) to catch the first early morning boat ride or we would miss out the chance, we drove before sun break from our local resort to the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. The booking center for the boat ride is far from the parking spot and being paranoid about missing out on it, I ran from the parking spot to the booking center (in high heels!!!) and was one of the first ones to get our tickets. Yes, as warned, the queue was long, but since I had managed to be one of the first ones, our waiting period wasn’t long and we hopped on to the boat!

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The early wake-up, driving out in eerie wee hours and then running in heels, was all worth it when the boat took off and we got to see the river in all its glory!

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A peripheral boat ride around the river takes around half an hour to forty five minute and all the while you’ll be soaked in the beauty of water and greenery all around.

You can even see the animals strolling around (especially elephants) in their natural habitat, some even at the edge of the lake drinking the sweet waters of the lake.

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After (or even before in case you need to wait) you can take a stroll around the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary too as even that is well maintained and quite a sight to behold.

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Pro-tip: The warnings about the long waiting and having to run to get the tickets seemed like a hoax, so don’t fret and fall prey to it as per the locals there. The rides were aplenty even after ours was done.

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And in case you do feel the need to take the first ride, DON’T WEAR HEELS!

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It’s Never Too Late To Tap Hidden Talents In Oneself ~ An Interior Designer Shares Her Story

George Eliot said,

“ It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

In our today’s #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we’re proud to present someone who, with her artistic touch, is spreading her wings; but unlike most, she found her creative calling, after her personal and family life was all in a good place. Meet, Interior Designer, Anu Kewalram, who believes in the power of beautiful interiors to transform daily life. How did she find this calling of hers and what made her decide to go into it as a professional rather than just taking it as a hobby? Let’s find out in her own words.

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“My name is Anu Kewalram and I am an Interior Designer. I believe in the power of beautiful interiors to transform daily life which is why I strive to design unique interiors that are crisp, with a timeless style and designs that remain fresh year after year. I believe that every home should have a beautiful story to tell. I have cultivated a design philosophy focused on attention to detail while blending the client’s personal style with my design visions which are; elegance, ease, sophistication and warmth.

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My aesthetic is classic with a twist, and timeless with a hint of edge. I was born and raised in Singapore and am the wife of a wonderful man and the mother of three beautiful children. As a young bride and mother; and a woman who was married into a large family in the Middle East, my life revolved around the day to day affairs of the household and the upbringing of my children. In 1997 I moved to Dubai with my husband and children. They were still very young, and I hardly had time for myself.

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The house that we moved into was a four-bedroom apartment and I spent months working on its design and interiors. It was then that I realized how passionate I was about interior designing.

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I did not have any formal education in this field, but I would read about designers and their work. A few years later we moved into a villa and once again I started to design each room with a handful of rough sketches and notes. At this point of time I also got an opportunity to design homes for some of my friends and relatives. It could be a room, or a kitchen or an entire house; whatever it was, I worked on it with great passion and love. However, I never asked for any fees as I didn’t think it was right thing to do since I wasn’t a certified interior designer.

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I was celebrating my 50th birthday and my husband and children surprised me with a party on a yacht. I was proud of my children and their achievements and every morning when they all left for work, I would go back to the housework. There was a dull and kind of comfortable routine to my life. But this made me realize I had done nothing for my own self. I began to realize that I had to follow my dreams and somehow turn my life around. That’s when I signed up for an interior decorators’ course at an institute nearby and after 35 years of my life I was back in a classroom. One year later I received an award for the Best Design for a home and then there was no looking back.

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I enrolled myself into a university for a diploma course in interior design which was internationally recognized and an equivalent to an American degree. This was when the real struggle started; juggling between home, family, social commitments, my 85-year-old mother who was staying with me and my studies. That’s when my life became a constant struggle. The lessons got harder and harder, and it was me against a class full of much younger women. They were quick on their laptops and confident with the use of different software. I had to work harder to catch up with them. As we approached the completion of our first module, we were told we had to do a presentation of our project after the written examination was a nervous wreck that day. I still remember that day and how I spoke. I told myself Anu you have to do this; you have to prove your worth. That day I walked away with the Best Residential Project Award…The software programs were my greatest struggles because my basic computing skills were poor to start with so it felt like I was trying to understand the basics as well as the complicated programs all at once. I worked late through the nights. Creating 3D visuals and AutoCAD was like learning another language. There was so much to learn.  As we were approaching our final examinations something happened that changed a lot of things for me. I was approached by a friend to do her apartment. A few days later a relative approached me for help. I thought about declining the offer but then I also saw this a turning point, a true test on how to work under pressure and deadlines. An internship that could build my confidence up to face real clients and bigger projects in the future. Again, I did not charge any design fees and proceeded to work on their homes. I was physically and mentally exhausted at that point in time but as Barack Obama once said, “Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.”

So almost 3 years and 6 modules later graduated with a distinction. I was not just a housewife anymore. I became an Interior Designer and also completed the two apartments I had started work on and built my contacts with contractors, painters, soft furnishing specialists and so on. Less than a month later I received an email from the International furniture Store Ikea to work with the design team for the store. I went through the interviews and rejected the offer at the end because I couldn’t see myself in a 9 to 5 job at this age.

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Soon after that I got an opportunity to do the interior design of a large 5-bedroom house. I made my first contract and prepared my first quotation. I realized that it was each house that motivated me. The way the light streamed in through the windows, the feel of the walls, the patterns on the tiles and the heights of the ceilings. Every space would inspire me to create my own little magic around it because every home had its own story to tell. I registered with the Dubai Economy Department as an Interior Designer and named my company AnuKewalram Interiors. I recently hired a professional photographer to do a shoot of the completed project. I have hired an intern to work with me as the number of projects keeps increasing. Lately I have had an opportunity to do a kids’ room and it’s been quite an experience. Because the little ones are the hardest clients to please! I have come a long way and its difficult to talk about what I’ve learnt because it has been a continuous journey of knowledge, of experiences, of overcoming fear, of being grateful, of hard work, of tapping the hidden talents that lie deep within, of challenges and majorly of discoveries.

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Every step along the way has been a new lesson to me. Whether it is by being an inspiration to women who think that it’s too late to start a career path; or by being someone who created beautiful homes that changed the way people lived, I hope to be remembered as someone that made a difference in this world. I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You have got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You have got to go out and fight for it. Nobody knows what you want except you and nobody will be as sorry as you if you don’t get it, so don’t give up on your dreams. The things you are passionate about are not random. They are your calling.

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Future plans? Well, so far every step along the way, I had created goals for myself:

Study
Graduate with distinction and awards
Clients and contracts ( at least 2 by the end of the year )
Form a licensed company
Growth on Instagram & Facebook

So, the future is also a step-by-step plan which includes:

Continue to grow on social media (hope to get at least 10k followers)
Design a website
Hire 2 persons to work with me as a team
Complete 10 projects this year
Start planning on my own brand of accessories for the home

As for beyond that, we’ll see how these go and decide on the basis of that!”

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To drop in a message to Anu, look at her completed (and amazing) interior design assignments or to inquire and take her on for doing your own home or office spaces, follow the links below:

Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn