Things that define me

There are many things that I am passionate about, be it books, craft, baking, cooking, friends, family or art. I am always on the lookout for new things to learn. My friend who is a horoscope expert tells me it is all written in the stars. He tells me my birth star represents searching for knowledge and hence I will be a student throughout  my life.

I like multi tasking which I think is an inherent power in every female. We juggle career, family and passion with ease. Nature has conditioned us that way through the centuries.

I love books and have been a bibliophile from the time I learnt reading. I have literally lost count of the number of books I have read. It is often half way through some old classics that I realize that ‘Oh I have read this before.’ And yes, some books I read and re-read again and again. Like Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre or the Harry Potter series. At any given time, I will have a minimum of three or four books that are in various stages of completion on my night table. I leave off reading a book when it digresses or stop pushing me forward to read, pick another one and then later return to it.

I have been good in arts and crafts right from school days. I still create stuff during my free hours. I crochet and create stuff out of waste. See some of my creations in these tutorials.

Make a Flower from plastic bags: http://tulipsandme.blogspot.in/2014/01/best-out-of-waste-flower-making-tutorial.html

Make a tulip out of sock material: http://tulipsandme.blogspot.in/2013/07/tulips-using-nylon-sock-tutorial.html

I do quilling and amigurumi crochet, which is the art of creating three-dimensional stuffed toys using crochet. I love creating dresses for dolls using crochet and machine stitching and my showcase is stuffed with them. I give away them to kids as gifts too.

I am passionate about art and I often present portraits of friends as their birthday gift. Here is a portrait I have created of Deepika Padukone.

I also create acrylic, oil and watercolour paintings. Here are some of my creations.

I am passionate about writing and I have written many stories until now for the various contests and many have won or been appreciated. Check my stories in the fiction area of this blog.

My stories have been published in The Second Life Anthology and in Blank Space, which would be out this month. Another two anthologies are in the various stages of publishing. My full-length novel will also be out soon. I have contributed articles to womensweb magazine.

I love cooking and my kitchen is my lab where I experiment with various cuisines and dishes. I bake cakes and puddings, which is always a must-have during joyful events.

I am a good friend and mentor to my friends and the makes my world a better place just being a part of it. I dot on my husband and son and when my son tells me I am the best mother in the world, I feel I have won an Oscar. To elicit a similar comment from my husband is pretty hard. I am a strict wife according to him. Yes...that I am.

Me with my son and husband

I am a certified Reiki healer and I do Reiki meditation daily to keep myself active and peaceful. I believe in a higher power that guides us, I believe in guardian angels and keep a angel oracle card deck handy to consult during moments of indecision. I am learning Tarot card reading too.

Photography and photoshop are two other passions. Most of the photos used in my blog are taken by me. The header design of my blog is also my creation.

These are the multitude of things that make me the person who I am. They define me and allow me to grow as a person.

 “This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus“.