Heel your soul!!

Hey guys.... Today's topic is really really close to my heart...... HEELS!! I have been in love with with heels like forever... And I just cannot have enough of them... But then which girl can? It gives a nice posture... Lady like elegance and can certainly make heads turn where ever you go! Stilettos , wedges, kittens, cone, block, platforms.... There are soooo many of them! I might not have a huge collection, but looking at the pairs I own surely makes my day. On the other hand what turns me off is seeing worn out... Cracked... And dirty heels. So, today I am going to write about my routine once I am back home after a party or any function.

Well, this is my teeny tiny collection

And I love all of them to bits!!
So once I am back  I thoroughly inspect my heels.. To check for any stains or flecks of dirt.
Once that is done, the further procedure depends upon the material of the footwear.

1) PU (polyurethane)
         Now, since this isnt a very durable material, this baby needs real special care. All I do for it is clean it off with a dry cloth. If i see any flecks of dirt or any stain, i just clean it it with a mild cleanser (i use Johnson and Johnson bodywash... Pretty mild) and a clean cloth. After the cleaning, i make doubly sure that it is entirely dry before i put it back in, you do not want wierd stuff growing on it!!

2) Suede
           This is a very very soft material and very comfortable. This baby to be cleaned with cleanser and for spot cleaning, an old toothbrush can be used. Just use the brush with a light hand, and you should be good to go. Again, make sure it is dry.

3)
      Well, this is the toughest and i clean it vigorously with a brush, cleaner and a cloth. Since its white, the dirt shows off pretty easily and the OCD in me takes a ferocious avatar!! Warm water, cleanser and my trusted toothbrush.... Thats all that needs to be done! Wipe it dry and you are done!!

4)
       Now, this one hasnt been used much (and sorry I do not know the name of the material) and doesnt get dirty very easily. I just wipe it and thats it.

          Once this is done, I wrap my  babies and put them back into their boxes and store in a dry place until its next use.

This may seem like a  long process but its worth it guys, your heels will be happy with the way you treat them and will last for a long long time.  Thats all from your crazy organiser, adios until next time.

Pic credits: Ashwini Patekar

Bolo Ambe Mata ki jai!!

        Hey guys...I know..I know..its been too long...but final year...all the books that weigh more than me..jugglng all that has been difficult!! However, today I will be talking about my brush with religion and devotion in my years in the hostel.
 
        Well, I myself have never been a religion fanatic, all my parents' efforts to teach shlokas and bhajans have gone down the drain!! I wont call myself an atheist...I  do believe in some greater power out there...but the upvases and the elaborate poojas and the milk abhishek have always been something that I have failed to comprehend. However..my second year in hostel and all my perceptions changed!! at least 25% of them did!!

        It all stared in the navratri of 2012, my friend just made a casual announcement of having the navratri arti in her room , and all of us had chided her...saying it was a lot of work, keeping the diya burning all night, arrange for prasad everyday, have the 15 minute arti especially since it would always co incide with our exams, still she was confident enough and thats how the hostel got its official arti room. It started on the previous night of the first day, decoration materials were brought, devi's photo was cleaned, a pedestal was beautifully made by the girls. I, being painfully lazy, just looked at them, returned to my room and had my beauty sleep!! However, the next morning, things had changed!! The room had a complete makeover, fresh flowers, devi's picture on the pedestal, beautiful decoration, the heady fragrance of agarbattis (incense stick). Then there was the arti, and for the first time..i enjoyed it! There was no show off, no sense of being superior. Just a group of girls, some of them knowing and singing the artis beautifully, while others googling the lyrics and trying to sing along. It was definitely a new learning experience and showed me that side of devotion that I had never ever seen before! The evening artis would be even more beautiful, Devi's image in the diwali lights and the flickering diya was one of the prettiest sights I had seen in my life!! And then there would be the prasad!! Now being humans and primarily Indians...the girls' fondnesss for sweets was very publicly evident and none of us minded it!!

Work in progress

         This has been a routine for us for the past 4 years now..the bell used for the arti has now become an reminder call for the arti, the number of girls has increased, the artis are sung in two different languages now, and well..i have learnt at least one bhajan now (still not sure if i know it well!!), the favours that we ask from Devi maa, right from passing us in exams to serving good food in the mess...and more than anythng else, the beauty of devotion in absence of elaboration! This is all from your crazy organiser! Do share any such experiences from your hostel..will be looking forward to it!!
                                                                       

The girls!!