Project 365 - Essie (March 13, 2012)

I've been meaning to purchase a nail polish with glitter in it, but I just never got around to buying it.  Today, it finally happened; I finally own my first Essie nail polish and that too a glittery one.

Yes, getting an Essie nail polish is that huge of a deal; because I doubt I would splurge on a nail polish I will use less frequently (Unless I get very tempted, then it becomes a total different story).

Project 365 - Goodies (March 12, 2012)

The toughest part about being sick is laying in bed all day.  It's weird but whenever you are sick, you get sick of resting too.  Suddenly you feel the need to take a walk down the street or to go visit a park; or maybe it could just be me, whose this random.  

Anywho, One good thing about today was receiving my MyGlam bag.  It completely made my day.

Project 365 - Grape Tomato (March 11, 2012)

It wasn't until today that I have finally decided to include tomatoes on the list of fruits.  Even though it is classified as a fruit; I came to a conclusion that it was all dependent on the way you use it. For example, until now I've mostly consumed it through salads or everyday cooked meals; therefore, it was considered a vegetable for me.

Today I discovered the grape tomatoes; after being inspired by the Korean shows ofcourse.  Contrary to my initial thoughts, they are very delicious and healthy.

Project 365 - Favorites (March 10, 2012)

It was very difficult to choose the picture of the day for today; merely because there were more of the special things than what usually occur.  I suppose I can always write about them, instead of mentioning it.  But, I won't.  There should always be a curious side to a person; what's the fun in telling everything straight up anyway!

Aside from plants, Korean TV has sort of taken over my life.  I am as addicted to watching Korean dramas and movies, as I would be to eating.  Apart from wanting to learn the language, I want to learn their cuisine as well.  Also, Korea has been added to list of the top countries I would like to visit someday.

It is true that you start falling in love with something you see almost everyday.  It is human nature to be influenced by something that is in front of them most of the time.  Well you might say that one could also like something they don't see everyday; Ofcourse one could also love something based on their imagination as well; but it wouldn't be the love for the actual thing, it would be more like their love for their own imagination.  I am not sure if I make any sense out of it, but just a thought that crossed my mind.

So, all in all, eventhough I witness the culture, cuisine, and the language through TV; I would love to see it all in person someday and only then I can truly know how much I really like it.  I present to you, in the picture, my attempt at imitating Korean Cuisine; it turned out to be pretty well.  I wanted to make the egg rolls, but fell short of the time and energy.  Then again, some things should be left for later.

Project 365 - Predictable Actions (March 9, 2012)

And yet again I find myself standing by the aisles of seed bags.  I have seriously gone insane, even I have started doubting my sanity.

I had to hold myself back from buying all the seed bags; which was a very very tough decision indeed.  I only bought about four packs for this time around and convinced myself that I can always come back to get more, if needed.

Now, you can surely predict that one of the future posts is going to be about planting the seeds I purchased today.  I suppose I am becoming sort of predictable.

Project 365 - Ray of Happiness (March 8, 2012)

Today was an even better day.  Better because of the weather, but most of all because I was able to see the first blooming flowers.  You could only imagine my excitement when suddenly my eyes landed on these flowers.  I had to stop, take a picture and admire their beauty for a few moments.

I certainly do not give much thought to people passing by and giving me weird looks.  They must think I have never seen flowers in my life; but you know what I have learned that, seeing something that makes your heart really happy is a very rare opportunity.  All in all, my happiness certainly made the day enormously brighter.

Project 365 - Mister Softee (March 7, 2012)

Today was such a nice day, after so long.  The sun was out, the wind was blowing and the cold was gone.  Sitting under the sun felt so surreal.  It seemed as if everyone was outside enjoying the weather.  There were happy faces, happy people and weather.  Everything was just awesome.

Most of all, the most amazing thing was eating ice cream.  Soft cones by Mister Softee.  Carrying five cones in my hand for three blocks with my sister, just to enjoy it with everyone at home was priceless.

Project 365 - Post Office (March 6, 2012)

Post office is one of the places I really dread going to.  The customer service is super rude, the people are unhappy with the long lines.  The place is always understaffed, when clearly there are three other empty windows.  Also, it is such a small area that the line sometimes goes outside on the street.

So it was my time to be at the post office.  Everytime I have to go there, I always get a little afraid; thinking what sort of incident is going to happen today.  Today, ofcourse was no exception.  The line was the longest and there were only two staff people there; both happened to be very rude.  I actually had to stand in line twice because of not having the right certified mail receipt.  All the lady had to do was pick up another slip, which was right next to her, and write the zip code on it.  But why must they even make this little effort to make the customers happy?  Instead, she asked me to walk across the room; pick up the slip and stand back in the line.

Just after me was another person who faced the same problem; but unlike me, she was very outspoken about it.  She stood there demanding to be helped and not wanting to get back in line.  Well, what happens?  Just to get her to be quiet from screaming out all the curse words; they just do as she asks.  Yes, I was a little disappointed; but then, I know I would never have the courage to say even a word to them.  So, in the end, I quietly got my work done; with a bit of delay I suppose.

Project 365 - Joshanda (March 5, 2012)

You know when you feel very tired; so tired that suddenly your body just doesn't want to cooperate with you. You have no choice but to just lay down and stare at the ceiling.  Yes, my words are very dramatic and depressing; but sometimes we all feel that way, even if it is only for an instant.

Well, luck has it, I am very Desi.  When I suddenly feel like I am going to be sick soon, I warm up a cup of water and add a pack of Joshanda (herbal tea).  I love the smell of it and I love having it; I sometimes have it just for the sake of smelling it.  Yes, we all have those weird habits.

Well a warm cup of Joshanda and your warm bed is a perfect prescription for tiring days.

Project 365 - Spring Cleaning (March 4, 2012)

Cleaning out is definitely one of the chores I look forward to.  When it comes to organizing my closet, it is just the worst.  I put off organizing it for as long as I can, or until my mom accidentally sees it; then I have no choice but to finally clean everything out.

It literally took me about five hours to organize all the clothes, fold them up, and take out old seasons clothes.  I am also the sort of person who doesn't like to take things out or to throw them out; so I had to take out most of the outfits with a heavy heart.  Nonetheless, my closet is finally organized and hopefully it'll last me a season before any further deductions are needed.

Project 365 - Fried Fish (March 3, 2012)

I am not a fan of sea food.  The only exception I have made to eating fish is Tilapia.

Saturdays are all about eating comfort food and resting; Fried Tilapia is one of my favorites.

Project 365 - Gizmo (March 2, 2012)

Gizmo, the star of our house.  The one person who does as he pleases, is Gizmo.  Yes, meet my cute little bird Gizmo.

Ok technically my brother brought him in; but I end up taking care of him more than he does.  Today, I spent a good amount of time cleaning out his cage.  For a small bird, he sure likes to make a huge mess.  He always gets inside his food bowl and digs through the food; spreading all the food around his cage, and then later he circles around his cage to eat that food.

He sure has his weird habits, but then again he is a cutie.  He is very particular about his things and doesn't like it when we move things around his cage.  By things I mean his toys; if one of them is moved around, he wouldn't even play with it and sit quietly in a corner until we move it back.

He sat on my shoulder as I cleaned his cage, as if overseeing the whole process to make sure I don't mess anything up.  If I took him off my shoulders, he would fly back in 5 seconds and wouldn't stop; so I had to give in.  Later on the day, he followed me everywhere and would bite anyone else who tried picking him up.  According to my sister, he fell in love with me since I cleaned his cage properly.  He is still following me around every time he gets out of the cage; he sure knows how to be lovely.

Project 365 - Turkish Food (March 1, 2012)

I am very seriously considering changing my Project 365's name to "Project about food and plants."  I suppose these are a few of my interests, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see myself indulged in such habits.

Anyhow, today's Turkish food day.  I haven't had much Turkish food over the years, so today was one of those rare moments.  Although the food might be very similar to other Arab dishes, but it sure has its distinctive flavoring.  I would definitely recommend Turkish Cafe on E 16th street in Brooklyn.  The Tavuk Kababs with rice and Shepard salad were amazing.  

Project 365 - Leap Year (February 29, 2012)

Leap year eh!  Which means my project 365 is actually going to be a project 366 this year.

Some people go crazy for such days.  So many people long to get married on February 29th and make it memorable; which seems pretty stupid to me.  I mean why would you get married on a day that is going to come by four years later.  I suppose it is better for husbands in this case, since they wouldn't have to remember their anniversary date for four years.

So what did I do on this "not to significant day" ?  I was at home, relaxing with a face mask on!  Yes, my first try of LUSH face masks!  So, in a way I made the day memorable I suppose; won't you agree? :p

Project 365 - LUSH (February 28, 2012)

My visits to the city used to be all about platters.  Don’t get me wrong, they still pretty much are; but now, another obsession has taken over my life.  I proudly introduce to you my latest obsession, LUSH products! 

Lush carries organic products with no chemical added and they are very skin friendly.  I have to admit that this obsession started off from YouTube videos; but once I tried out their products, I was convinced within the first try.  Ofcourse some credit is due to the convincing Sales people at the store; but mainly it is due to the quality of the products. 

Slowly but surely, all of my favorite cosmetics brands are starting to be replaced by LUSH products.  

Project 365 - Seedlings (February 27, 2012)

Spring is approaching fast and I cannot wait to be indulging in one of my favorite hobbies, planting and gardening.  Although everyone makes fun of me on that, I cannot leave my plants behind.  It’s one of those few interests my mom and I share.  In our house, everyone is pretty much annoyed by our love for planting. 

Since spring is on its way; we have already started preparing for it.  The seedlings have already emerged and in a few weeks they’ll be ready to be planted outside.  

Project 365 - That Feeling! (February 26, 2012)

If I had to name my favorite jewelry item, rings would be amongst the chart toppers.  I remember visiting the mall back in December with a friend of mine.  She had to purchase a gift for a friend and I tagged along to the jewelry cases.  Ofcourse being a girl, there is a natural tendency to be inclined towards jewelry items. 

While we were looking for a suitable jewelry item, my eyes stopped on this cute pink ring.  It was one of those rare moments where I suddenly wished I could buy that ring.  After trying out the ring and finding out that it was my birth stone (Sapphire), there was more of a reason to buy that ring.  Unfortunately, at that moment, it was sort of out of my price range.    

Every time I went to the mall after that time I made sure to check the ring prices, if it was on sale yet or not; and I would tell myself “not yet! Don’t worry if it is meant to be yours, it will be.”  You know telling yourself this line and waiting patiently is probably the hardest thing and you can only imagine how my face had turned out when I went to the mall and saw the ring had been purchased by someone else.  Just like any other person would, I said “see you should have just bought it then,” but another voice emerged “it’s ok, at least now you know it wasn’t meant to be yours; so why be sad over someone else’s fate?” 

Call it a coincidence or mere fate; my friend handed me a bag and said “Happy Valentine’s Day.”  I looked at her in shock, we don’t really buy each other valentine’s days gifts; but coincidently enough this year we both planned to give each other a gift and kept it a secret.   I opened the bag and to my amazement, there it was! The ring! The ring I had wanted for the past three months.  The ring I had happily accepted to be not in my fate.  It was the most amazing feeling ever, Alhumdulillah. 

There are very few moments in life, when you truly smile; your eyes shine, your heart’s content and you cannot help but to be in that magical state of mind.  

Project 365 - AC (February 25, 2012)

Road trips are always a fun way to enjoy some time with valuable people around you.   An opportunity to make memories, have fun and relax at the same time.  No matter what the content of the visit is; neither does it matters how long the trip lasts.  All that matters is that you are with someone, who is worth your time. 

A trip to Atlantic City is definitely one of those treats that one cannot have very often.  

Project 365 - Nail Color (February 24, 2012)

Nail color is the hottest trend these days.  Every now and then, a few colors become the colors of the season.  All the top brand names compete against each other to produce a better quality shade.  A few of the name brands will always rule the market whether they are more versatile in shades and the quality of the product or neither. 

This spring, the more recent trend is either bright neon or coral colors.  Nail polishes are the one thing that isn’t going to be out of fashion anytime soon.  Also, the more classic colors; such as: Red, black and purple are proving to be in style year after year.  

Project 365 - Fruits (February 23, 2012)

How can I write everyday blogs and not mention my favorite fruits.  I am the biggest advocate of eating fruits, when it comes to eating habits in general.  I am not claiming to be a healthy eater, nor am I trying to project a healthy image.  I have my fair share of junk foods (For those of you who know me, have closely observed my bad habits); but fruits have a very special place in my heart.  Be it picking fruits, or eating them; I love it.  Oranges and apples are a definite winter favorites of mine.

P.S.  I honestly cannot wait till the summer comes by, so I can get to pick strawberries and peaches!

Project 365 - Candies (February 22, 2012)

One’s love for candies never really dies out.  When you are kid, a piece of candy seems like a winning prize.  Once you grow up, you never really let go of those old habits.  You remember your favorite gum, candy and even chocolates.  Our childhood memories depict our image in the future years.

Just like we learn to pick up language, habits and personal skills; we pick up our likes and dislikes earlier in the age as well.  I remember Airheads was one of the few candies I enjoyed having, along with Recess; its weird how all these memories make you realize how life is going by so fast and you are adding on years to your life much faster than you had once anticipated.