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Yesterday, we had one of those perfect autumn evenings. Crisp cool air, pink and sienna sky, birds creating a real bedlam. And I stepped out into the veranda, only to find that geckos had stealthily taken over it already.
You know that irritation when someone invades your personal space without your consent? Now imagine that, with the culprit mockingly swishing its tail at you.
Yes dear chipkilee, I loved Stevie in Madagascar too, but you grooving to 'I Like to Move It' doesn't really compare. Sorry.
To those who are wondering exactly what geckos are, read on.
Geckos are found in every home in India. Never be so naive so as to think you're the first to move into your new house- the geckos will have already graced it with their presence. What? Drive them out, you suggest? Well, one could try, but with a single beady-eyed look, the geckos will establish that they are here to stay. Specialising in living rent-free on your premises, geckos disguise themselves as the ultimate friendly guests by swallowing up moths and insects ocassionally. Such a social service!
They also have a weird penchant for falling on the heads of unassuming victims. I'm not sure how that fits into social service. Maybe it's in the name of giving your cardiac muscles some exercise. Jumping out of your skin, and scrambling 30ft away from the lizard, screaming your lungs off will definitely get your heart pumping. Trust me :)
Did you know their tails can drop off? I kid you not reader! When you're chasing a gecko out, brandishing brooms and uttering all sorts of primal war cries that haven't been used since we stopped living in caves, its tail is the only part of it you will succeed in finding. And even though it's all twitchy, and floppy, and completely eww, you will find yourself staring at it with morbid fascination. Got a bawling toddler in your house? Show him the tail- it amuses kids to no end. See? It's all part of their social service. Geckos take their role of being your guest, albeit self-invited, very seriously. Aren't they lovely creatures?!
And since 7 years of environmental education has ingrained in me the importance of food webs and every species' right to live, I put up with them. No matter how exasperating they are, no matter how many evenings I have to spend inside (I'm mortally afraid of them, you see). Love thy neighbour? Trying to...! :)

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cats, kitten

Today, as I was browsing through some recent photographs, I found these adorable pics of a ginger tabby nursing her young. We often saw this playful kitten frisking about in the lawn, and it was adept at keeping everybody on their toes in an attempt to keep it out. Including my very old Gran' Ma!
Now before you judge me ("How could you not succumb to the obvious charms of this tiny ball of fur?"), in my defense, we have a tank full of tropical fish, and a parakeet who would simply not approve the company of this feline, however cute it may be. Boo the parakeet!

cats, kitten

When I left the camera alone and went out to soak up a bit of sunshine, this little guy (girl?) was already there.

cats, kitten

Talk about competition! Naturally, I squealed in delight, interrupted its snooze, jogged back to the house to grab my camera, and snapped this bleary-eyed photo of the kitten. Now mister here obviously did not find the sight of me prancing around to get a decent shot of His Highness very amusing (unlike my family- they were chuckling in the veranda), and decided to roll over and promptly return to dozing. I think I was just rejected by a tiny cat! Ouch!

cats, kitten

A few minutes later, its Mom came along. Check out her eyes! And her pose! I almost believed she was curling up on a satin cushion, hehe.

cats
Queen of herself

The two were gone within the hour, but I'm hoping for a comeback. Meanwhile, I'll just tell myself they had better fish to fry.

cats, kitten
"Playtime's over"

cats, kitten
"Who're you looking at?"

Bye kitty!

The photos of the ginger cats was snapped on 16 June, 2012
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Hello everyone!
You'd think that Sunday is one day in the entire week for relaxing & unwinding & some self pampering... Well, Miss Fate didn't have that planned out for me though - with getting up at 5 a.m, doing some last minute cramming (sluggishly, with cups of coffee) for a test scheduled at 10, getting ready for once on time... Only to find out later that my friends were all set for a lazy sleepy snugly wrapped up in a blanket day instead.. so not fair!! Fate are you listening?
Anyway, since I woke up early and the day seems so long , I thought I might as well share something here.
DREAMCATCHERS :)
Legend has it, that long ago and old spiritual leader had a vision, where Iktomi (a searcher of wisdom) appeared in the form of a spider. As the spider spoke, he picked up a hoop from a willow tree and began to spin a web. He spoke about life, the good and bad forces and where each can lead. If one believes : the web's perfect hole in the centre will filter and let only the good thoughts in while the bad ones will get trapped getting perished in the light of the morning.
I never thought they worked in the real world though, until some time ago when a fabulous friend of mine (a one-of-a-kind, awesome"est" person) gifted me one. Apprehensively I put it up on the window next to my bed (yes, I always grab the bed next to the window in the hostel room. Poor roomies of mine. How they put up with me is still a mystery). Now, I never expected the cute li'l thing to work, but let me tell you, it sure does! Not that I don't have the not-so-good dreams anymore..that's impractical. But teeth falling or getting late hardly counts for much right? I have my share of weird dreams, but nothing bad or scary so far. And the good dreams? Plenty of them! Yaay!
It also worked for the few friends I bought the catcher for.
Willing to give it a try?
You can find beautiful handmade ones at :
Raaste, 90 D'costa square, Wheeler road extension, Bangalore. (Thats where I got mine from)
There are some pretty ones you could buy online too.
Until later,
Happy dreaming!

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Greetings, everybody!

It's bye-bye to dancing in the rain, as Lady Autumn spreads her cloak over my hometown. And with the leaves proudly maturing to shades of gold and rust, warmth is in the air.

Literally.

You'd think the temperatures would have dropped, but at 34ºC and 84% humidity, even your hopes will melt away.

Moving away from all the whining....IT'S SUNDAY!! Yes, I know you have a pretty functional calender, but I'm just that excited! And now for the lazy-day feature -


  • Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson - Mellow, fun, romantic, catchy, and enjoyable. What's not to like? It's perfect for chilling out on the patio with friends, or your loving dog.


  • Give a Little Love by The Mostar Diving Club - I came across this song on an episode of Castle, and my, how cute is this song! It will get stuck in your head, but in a good way. Oh oh, oh-oh-oh...

  • Island in the Sun by Weezer - Paste a sappy smile on your face and let the tune whisk you away to sun, sand, surf, and fun. Piña Coladas, anyone?


  • Bubbly by Colbie Caillat - This one will get your heart singing. With sweet guitar rhythms, and Caillat's warm, folksy voice, Bubbly will give you a taste of effervescent joy.

  • Hey Soul Sister by Train - The uplifting beats coupled with great vocals will grow on you. If it hasn't already, that is.

  • The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars - Does this even need a reason? It is Sunday, afterall! (Just in case you missed me the first time.)

  • 1, 2, 3, 4 by Plain White T's - A quirky song to make you go "Awww." Yes, it's that good. But if you'd rather listen to banshees screeching out of your speakers, feel free to skip this one.

  • Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison - A classic 60's hit, this song will tempt you to sway and dance along to it, and will succeed too! And yes, the uncensored version is way better because that's how the artist intended the song to be.

  • Fools Like Me by Lisa Loeb - Dance to this with your coffee mug. Put it on repeat and bob your head along because it truly is addictive. Bittersweet, yet innocent, the song will resonate with the tune in your heart.

  • Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield - The inspirational lyrics and gospel infused pop music will stir your soul to celebrating an uninhibited approach to life's moments yet to come.


~ ~ ~

That's all for now. Have a great day!
xo
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Swati & Smriti

An Indian Beauty, Makeup and Lifestyle Blog. Find reviews on makeup, skincare, haircare and bodycare products along with makeup tutorials, recipes and some fun DIYs. We are obsessed with good skincare but like our traditional home remedies equally. Our makeup tends to be natural looking and more on the minimalistic side which is simple and easy to do.

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