First birthday Planning

I know I have been MIA recently on my facebook page and it's been forever since I posted on this blog but I figured it was time to update you ladies on what I have been up to.  

I recently traveled to Mumbai, India so my daughter could finally meet with her great grandmothers. They enjoyed interacting with her and loved all the time she was able to spend with both of them.  It was a three week LONG trip in all the heat and craziness of meeting with friends and family I hadn't seen in years!

After India, I went back to work part time for Johns Hopkins.  It has been an interesting time, working as well as balancing it all out with spending time with my little girl! I'm not sure I've found my happy balance just as yet! However, I am excited about planning my daughter's birthday!! 

My daughter, Suri, is turning ONE in March! My husband and I finally decided what we were going to do for her party! Never thought party planning would be this stressful!

We decided to have it at our house and invite all our friends and family to celebrate Suri turning One.  First things first, I knew I needed to nail down a theme for her party! We had planned to have a photo shoot for her prior to her birthday so that we could use the pictures for her invitations.  We met with the very talented Abhishek Pandya from Pandya Photography in NJ and he took some amazing pictures of our little girl.  Below are a few sneak peaks that he shared with us.

Next to have done is invitations! It's already January 10th and I have nothing finalized! Before we could finalize the invitations, I looked online for ideas on themes.  My husband finally found a  great link to a blog where the very talented Stacey Elle-Belle planed her daughter Liv's birthday using the One year old in a flash theme. We loved what she did with the pictures, colors, desert table but our favorites were the photo booth and the time capsule ideas.  I have since been trying to incorporate her ideas, tweaking them some, to plan Suri's first birthday! I would ideally love to follow everything she did, lets see how good I can be with it :)

Winners Posted

Don't forget to check if you are a Winner for the Fan Appreciation Giveaway! A huge thanks to all my fans and all the awesome sponsors for the event!

Giveaway is now LIVE!

Ladies,

Don't forget to join in on the free goodies at the Fan Appreciation Giveaway that starts today and runs all through the weekend!! We have some AWESOME sponsors who are donating some really really great items!

Giveaway

Don't forget - Fan Appreciation Giveaway starts on 8/15/11! You can take a look at a sneak peak on participating sponsors under the giveaway tab! Over $250 in prizes being given away! Please do not start posting/commenting till August 15th. All earlier comments will be deleted!

Blog Interview - by Visions of Photographs Danced in Their Heads

I was interviewed by Visions of Photographs Danced in Their Heads - Take a look at my background, thoughts and likes in some details, you may find something interesting :)

Sponsors...

Have some REALLY awesome sponsors giving away some really great stuff!! I can't wait to post all the information for it...tentative dates for giveaway will be August 15th through the 21st!

Giveaway....

Working on details of the giveaway with some LOVELY vendors! Can't wait for all of you to come check it out!

Photo Shoot

Designs by Meghna participated in a photo shoot with Made-by-Meagan! Here's a sneak peak at one of my hair clips....LOVE how adorable it looks!

Rakhi

As some of you may know, I am of Indian origin.  On August 13th, we celebrate a festival called Rakhsha Bandhan. Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of a brother and a sister.

Raksha Bandhan is a festival which celebrates the bond of affection between brothers and sisters. It is a day when siblings pray for each others' well being and wish for each others' happiness and goodwill. The name 'Raksha Bandhan' suggests 'a bond of protection'. On this auspicious day, brothers make a promise to their sisters to protect them from all harms and troubles and the sisters pray to God to protect their brother from all evil. The festival falls on the Shravan Purnima which comes generally in the month of August. Sisters tie the silk thread called Rakhi on their brother's wrist and pray for their well being and brothers promise to take care of their sisters.

In today's scenario, the day has a different perspective. The occasion involves a pledge of life-time practice of moral, cultural and spiritual values. The values and the sentiments attached to the rituals of this festival are worth inculcating by the whole human race, the sentiments of harmony and peaceful coexistence. The festival of Raksha Bandhan assumes all forms of Raksha or protection, of righteousness and destroyer of all sin. The ritual of Rakhi tying has become so important that come what may, brothers and sisters try to visit each other place on this particular day tin order to bring back the oneness of the family, binding the family together in an emotional bond of love.

My swirl "haili" flowers inspired me to make some Rakhi's for my brothers.  The pale blue and green colors with the rhinestone centers look delicate and beautiful.