euphoria 31

swirling life

somewhere in the midst of living and dreaming, somewhere in the midst of growing and learning, one more year added itself to my big 30. this year promises to weave some more dreams and to live the dreams already dreamt. a year that started through a midnight kiss and a warm embrace from a best friend who also happens to be my life partner. a year of continued wonder and bewilderment at the speed of time, the speed of growth and the need to catch every passing moment of Nyleness.

November falls right at the turn of a season. it reminds me of the smell of winter back home, childhood friends and family and makes me nostalgic. and since it also happens to be my birthday on the first of each November, this is also the time of the year that makes me contemplate on the whole idea of birthdays and celebrations, gifts and expectations. people always want to know how your birthday went, what did your loved ones do to make it special for you, what gifts did you receive, basically how eventful or uneventful was your life on this day when you came into the world. i like birthdays because i love celebrations, food, music, laughter and friends.

but this year seems a little different. this year these queries made me think that my loved ones dont really need to do anything special to make me feel special(not a new revelation, just a stronger one)they do it just by being there. loved ones will not just leave a message on facebook but try to reach me in person. they will take out time to call. they will make efforts to get every one together so we can celebrate. happiness really is such a simple concept. it can be found in simple gestures. it can be husband preparing breakfast or coming home to a clean house with the incense burning, again courtesy of husband who knows i find pleasure in small details.

it can be friends calling from around the world, it can be family singing happy birthday over the phone in the most un-synchronized tune. it can be a steak dinner with great friends, nyle refusing to sit in the high chair and husband not eating so he can entertain nyle while i eat, and a cake appearing at the end. happiness is chatting non stop with your best friend about anything and everything. it comes in emails from brother who is usually not very expressive "sara is 31 now! wow my sisters 31 and the mother of a child and still very cool!". happiness is dropping all guards in front of sister and complaining to hearts content without being judged. of course happiness is also in husband dropping me here saying shop till you drop. a girl can never have enough shoes can she?

conclusion: happiness, birthdays, celebrations and above all love manifests themselves in subtle ways. it creeps up with subtlety, it grows silently. it doesnt have to be loud, it doesnt have to be publicly displayed. if its there, it will show itself in your gleaming eyes, it will show itself in giving eachother space, it is in actions, it is in content smiles, its in trust and its in your heart.

at 31 i want to live more, love more, dream more, play more and grow everyday with the ones i love and settle for nothing less of euphoria!

when the girls get together....

there will be journeys of the hearts: image kelly rae

there will be Coco Avante Chanel,
there will be drinks and gelatos with warm chocolate syrups.
there will be talk of world and religion,
there will be talk of love and marriage.
there will be talk of inner conflicts and sorting thoughts
there will be talk of birthing miracles and raising kids,
there will be talk of fashion and shoes
there will be dreams shared and uncontrollable laughters with tears
there will be a full night of binging without a care,
there will be pumpkin pies
and sleepy eyes
and above all there will be good times well shared!

this was a weekend dedicated to the girls
and as girls will be girls there was all of the above and so much more.
Thank God for good friends!

weekend wanderings: spontaneity

husband and i are spontaneous beings. we feel caged by routine and run as far away from it as possible. living for the moment and making the most of it while it lasts: has been our mantra for life. no planned excursions, no planned dates, no valentines day forced confessions of love, no gifts when they are expected the most. nope, nothing of the sort.

so this sunday inspite of lack of sleep, extreme tiredness and exhaustion, somehow the happenings of our day unfolded itself quite beautifully. we had a plan. we dropped little N at his grandparents in the morning, i had a round of meetings which i managed by gulping down a sugarless, dark, grande and then we had planned to go home and sleep through the rest of the evening.

but as we got closer to home, the chaotic view of the city with its jagged skyline and meandering streets looked so very inviting that a detour seemed totally reasonable. the rest of the evening we walked around, laughed, cracked jokes, laughed some more, window shopped, discovered some interesting neighborhoods and simply spent some unplanned, spontaneous time together.

who needs sleep when their is a life to be lived!

an all night phanstasmagoria

On this sleepless night, the whole city of Toronto is buzzing with art, design and creativity. The excitement is contagious, the energy is spreading like an epidemic and Torontonians seem to be on a natural (some unnatural) high.

Some of these one night projects, installations and performances are happening right in my backyard (as i like to call it). It would have been a shame to miss that now wouldn't it be. So together with a couple of fellow art lovers , i threw myself into this all night party, complete with hot chocolates and bonfires and brought back a bunch of badly photographed phantasmagoria. Here's a quick sneak preview with more to come on flickr!

click on the image above for better view

What you see above is just a glimpse of this grand party that Scotiabank throws for the city every year. You can check the rest here and if you missed it dont fret, there will be more in 2010.

I have always loved living in the city heres another reason why!

wishing every one an artful weekend...cheers!!

this friday....

The first Friday of October has been quiet and mostly spent in the comfort of our home.

rainful and blurry

It has been about a rainy morning and a misty evening

Toronto on a misty night

The in betweens have been mostly pending house chores.

chores big and small
This Friday has been about gaining inspiration from stories around the world, getting a fall wardrobe ready, catching up with friends old and new and looking forward to a weekend of Nuit Blanche.

i think therefore i am

Wishing every one a great weekend and leaving with a thought,
"Simple is hard to do. But, when you get there its so liberating. It means taking away things to arrive at just the right elements"
-Eileen Fisher

celebrations

I have always been big on celebrating customs and traditions. But somehow this year we celebrated with more fervor, more eagerness and a lot more love. Maybe it has something to do with little N’s arrival.

Maybe it has something to do with us being home but so far from home, so far from the people we love, so far from the family and friends we have grown up with.

And maybe that’s why it is a blessing to have F’s family here. And maybe that’s why it is a blessing to have friends who are like family, to have family who are like friends, to share bonds with, to make memories with and to celebrate with.


Happy weekending to every one and very happy Eid celebrations to all our friends and family around the world.

weekend wanderings:cheap thrills

a garage sale in the neighborhood
a red tool box
hard cover books
pen & ink sketch: mother & child

all of the above $5 (cdn)

there is a sweet pleasure in acquiring treasures that are beautiful and cheap
hope you had a colorful and inexpensive weekend.

weekend wanderings

After a tiring week we decided to end the Labor Day weekend by indulging in simple pleasures like

Watching artists at work at the Artisans crafts show in our neighborhood




See what we see everyday a little differently
play with my Nikon D40 till the battery died on us
Bask in the sun
Sip coffee
Watch the sunset
Stay still and enjoy the peace and quiet of a long week ending...