On a rather serious note

By now, all of you are surely aware of the disastrous earthquake that took place in Haiti nearly six days ago. Although help arrived almost immediately, the whole country is still in chaos - stores are being looted, people are dying, and fights are breaking out over food and supplies everywhere. If there is ever a time to lend a hand, it would be now. I just read articles in the Washington Post about everything, and its really very tragic and we should help out in any way possible. Some people are saying that we only pay attention to situations like this when disaster strikes, but of course that is true! The world bonds together to lend a hand whenever something like this happens - it happened in 2006 when the tsunami struck Southeast Asia, and it happened last year when the great earthquake struck China.

I've definitely been more aware of the world around me over the last few days, and just sort of how fragile everything around us is. In Haiti, within a moment, hundreds of thousands of people lost everything - their homes, valuables, families. Today, my cousin's best friend is dying of Ewing's Sarcoma, a type of bone cancer that has now spread to her lungs. My family and friends are all trying to help by collecting money for her, but no one really knows whether we will get enough it in time to help her. Her treatment alone is going to cost nearly $20,000, and her family desperately needs help. On another hand, an acquaintance's father is dying of multiple organ failure, and has been given less than 48 hours to live. I hardly know the family, but I can't help but feel for them. Their daughter is my age, and their son just a few years younger. I cannot imagine what it would be like to see my own father so weakened and on his death bed, being hardly 50 years old.

But through all this, I've certainly learned my lesson - health and family are far more important than any riches in the world. Of course, I'm not a saint, and neither is any one else. Of course, we all have our lusts and wants and needs. As a woman, of course I spend long periods of times lusting over shoes, clothes, jewelry, and other luxurious things. We can't help that - wanting more is just human nature. But, more than that, family and health are of utmost importance, because at any given moment, something could go horribly wrong.

My extended family right now is divided almost in half - and neither half is on speaking terms. There have been false accusations and nasty things said, and so very many opportunities to put it all behind us and patch up, but no one seems up to it. Several years ago, when my uncle suddenly passed away from small cell carcinoma, we all learned that life wasn't constant, but now all of that seems to be forgotten. I just wish that at least my family - the people that I grew up with - would grow up a little and stop being so petty.

Sorry for this great big rant, but I needed to get it out of my system.

~ Undercover Diva

I've been gone for a few days - been tied up with a lot of stressful things. But things have gotten better now, so I'm back!!

I've been rather busy getting creative (still) around my house - I figured that I finally put up all those paintings, collages, and prints that I've done. They've been packed in my basement for ages now...but now they're out in the open for all to see haha :)

I promised to share some more artwork but that will be for another post, at another time.

The week is almost over....thank God for that!!

More Artwork :)

I've been using up all my hours being super-creative and painting, sketching, collaging to no ends, and I love it!!
I discovered this amazing blog - http://www.laraberch.com/  - through another cool blog An Indian Summer. Lara Berch has all of these easy to do and amazing projects written out/shown step by step on the site and everything is soooo pretty!
I've been looking at her site for ideas, and definitely getting busy. I'm working on some more big henna designs, and a couple of other projects that I shall show y'all later :)

Do visit the site and have fun getting your hands dirty!!

~ Undercover Diva

Guilty Treasures!

What woman doesn't love jewelry?? But being a student, I can hardly afford all of the lovely gems out there, but nevertheless, it doesn't prevent me at all from window shopping. Here are some pieces that I am totally in love with at the moment. Most of them go along with my current princess-y mood :)

These are from artkarat.com - the Nizam collection.

From bargello.com - everything is pretty expensive but absolutely to die for!!

These are all from Tanishq - one of my favorite places to window shop at! See http://www.tanishq.co.in/ for more! 

These are both from Amrapali Jewels - they have the most gorgeous Maharani-like jewelry! I am totally in love with both of these necklaces - especially the red one!

 

A gorgeous head-piece worn by Amisha Patel in a wedding issue of Verve magazine.

~

Alright, I think that's enough drooling over jewels for today - more to come later! I promise :)

Note - none of these images are my own.

Inspiration Board :)

I love making inspiration boards - they usually end up very chaotically arranged, but I'm ok with that!
Here's one that I made recently using paint. I prefer paint over making a collage online just because I get to choose exactly where everything goes and how big or small I want it. I'm going through a very desi princess phase, so that board is full of rich colors, embroidery, mirrors, havelis, lavish clothes (courtesy of Ritu Kumar and of course, Sabyasachi), exquisite jewelry and gorgeous palaces.

Click on the image to view it in its actual size. Enjoy!!

Doodles

I love to doodle and more often than not my doodles turn into complicated henna designs! Here are some --
including the blog header design!!

Sabysachi!

Sabyasachi Mukherjee is absolutely one of my favorite Indian designers! All of his clothes have this old-world charm to them, and take me back to by-gone times of the Rajahs. He uses a wide variety of fabrics, embroidery, and embellishments to create gorgeous pieces. If I ever get my hands on a Sabyasachi, I think I shall die!!
Here are some pieces that I absolutely love --

 

 

Note - I do not own any of these images. 

Favorites!

So....here is a post about some of my favorite things:

Some of blogs that I love to follow:
The Cut and High Heel Confidential (essentials for every fashionista - even the secret ones!)

Rang Decor and An Indian Summer  (for lovely things and awesome decorating ideas)

Bong Mom's Cookbook (for your inner foodie)

Mundie Moms (for all my YA fiction needs) 

More favorite things shall come later :)

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my first ever blog! I'm a student studying in the USA, and have some time to spare during my winter break, so I decided to start a blog! This will be a place for me to share my musings, inspirations, artwork/photography and other ideas and thoughts with the world!

So....here goes nothing!!

~Desidiva