*Tagged* Again...

Tagged by Masala Chai :-) If you are interested in reading what I wrote last year in Rang Decor, do click here:-) Now for seven random facts about Arch*

* The Copywriter...
I wrote my own matrimonial advertisement in the newspaper since my parents were tired of explaining to people that their daughter did not paint billboards though she worked in an advertising agency!( My now Mother-in-law was the first to call regarding the ad and I owe her a big one for that:-) She still has that newspaper cutting I think)

* Chai-Lover...What can I say, I absolutely love tea. It's an experience where I hold the hot cup in my hands, watch the steam disappear into the atmosphere,the aroma of tea with hints of ginger, cardamom or cinnamon soothe my senses and my mind. I take a sip of the heavenly concoction and float away into a world where words combust to form images and coffee just jolts me back to reality:-) ( No offence to Coffee drinkers;-) I have a blog dedicated to tea...is there anything more sincere than that;-)

* Advertisers' delight!

I see a Pond's Age Miracle Television Commercial, I immediately start seeing fine lines appear near my eyes and have to take that 7-days challenge to see if it really works:-)
Oh! This one really got me - The new Women's Horlicks* Commercial. The one with Konkona Sen in it . She writes 'to-do' lists ( I am a mistress of to-do lists!!!) The dropping & picking ups, the party plannings, the in-between task, beauty routine,...well these guys got their target audience bang on!! Off to pick the jar of Horlicks with extra calcium and iron for multi-tasking mothers like me:-))

* The Master organiser...
For people who are tuned into my Flickr photostream know they would find a new set everyday:-)
1.on the chopping board...

2. my mornings...
3. on that wooden table

4. Garam Chai...

5. Not Chai...

Well, don't laugh if I tell you the days I have time for myself i stack my clothes according to colours...so if you open my cupboard you'll find a shade card of clothes staring back at you:-)

* "A thing for...

...many things:-) Doors. Feet. Empty Chairs. Romantic movies. Handmade, handcrafted Jewellery. Floating flowers. Morning sunlight. Fresh juicy fruits bursting with colour & flavour. Home cooked food. Kohl-lined eyes. Bakeries. Smiles. Smell & texture of printed pages of books and many many more...( will talk about them in my next tag;-)

* A perplexed third person...
I wonder at myself transforming from a bike-riding, tomboy who had never visited the kitchen of the house, who spent late hours at work tapping her right-brain and meeting deadlines to a "Domestic Goddess" who willing decides to stay at home, cooks, cleans, decorates, bakes, entertains, blogs and photographs all this for posterity (I see my Mother smiling :-)

* An obsessive food photographer...

I am big time into photography but this is a very new phenomenon. I dream of rolling in sugar dust, sliding down that slab of butter, swimming in the pools of Jam tart.
Yes, it's that bad!?! Any solutions?

P.S. I wondered why I needed to share these things with the world and then I felt if I didn't, someone out there might not know that arranging your clothes according to colours is not a bad idea after all;-))

I now tag- Deepika of Mudram, Kavitha of Things that caught my attention, Priya of The Plum Tree & Big Fat Brekkie, Prashant of Chai Ki Dhukan, Fay of Red River Interiors, Shuma of Shuma.Rani, Adi of Delhi Dreams and

Smita of Random Wanderings!

Red, Blue & White...

Let me get over my 'Nilgiri Hills' hangover once and for all (for a while) with this post on 'Fernhill Palace'.* The name that brings to mind the colours Red, Blue & White.

* Chilly mountain breeze.

* Sunlight making my eyes squint.

* Mallika's excitement, my excitement.

* Forms, patterns, shadows.
* Shadows, patterns & forms.
* Ornate 'bulbless' lamp posts.
* Never seen blue like this before.
* A former hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore but now a Welcome Group Hotel.

The mountains whisper....

...and we listen.
* The fresh mountain air infused with the fragrance of wintergreens & euchalyptus.
* Bright winter sun that massages your body.
* Colonial mansions that remind you of a grand bygone era.
* The hustle-bustle of the town square with honeymooning couples, Uncleji-Aunty-ji with Papu, Rinku & Toni with their humongous picnic baskets.
* But, there is also that exquisite red & white Fernhill Palace tucked away high in the mountains.
* The shrill whistle of the toy train chugging along the many valleys.
* Local farmers selling bright juicy carrots at hair pin bends on the climb up.
* The rum & raisin homemade chocolates & fudge shops line the marketplace.
* Slow pace of life, the quaint shops, the shy, smiling, waving school children, the cows grazing in the lush green meadows.
* Wise old men of the mountains with a typical black coat, a woollen cap & an umbrella can be seen walking up steep hilly paths.
* A Bed, Breakfast & Fireplace experience ( read more about it in Rang Decor) and a farmstay*
* Destiny- Yes, that's the name. A farmstay tucked away deep inside the hills where reaching is an experience.
* A road less travelled? I say it again and again.
* A journey where the anticipation of the destination overpowers the state where the organs of your body are shaken by a truck making it's way through a slushy mountain road. ( Did I just say road?)
* Our destination, our destiny, the farmstay where the beauty of the mountains, the shimmering water of the lake, the vegetable patch, the green slopes, the cows, the horses, the ducks, the rabbits more than make up for the ride.
* A place to relax, read, ride, rejuvenate, trek, walk, drink cups of hot chai and do absolutely nothing.
* Truly a great experience in the lap of nature.Cups of chai and more chai...Fresh Ooty carrots...Early morning scenes...

Glistening...
Take your pick....Chugging up the hills...
Fresh green lettuce & cabbages at the farmstay...

See more pics from the trip here & here

Have fabulous weekend friends:-)