#debsaristories #desividesi This one's a shoutout for patideb, pukka! Mid summer Christmas feel!! This was meant to be no-plan-long-weekend. But that's never the case. Patideb had been indicating plans to do a quickie to Lake Tahoe (he's every ready for a drive anytime). Ma me and bettu had planned to oversleep so we skip the trip idea. Nope.. patideb woke me up at almost 11:00 am (yea! Late night Aladdin movie effect) and said we are set to go. Well, it means the plan is on and I got ready in thirty mins. Since its noon I suggested we carry clothes in case we plan to stay overnight there at Tahoe (yea again we go with the flow and over the years have learnt to be agile). Just when we were exiting garage, he reminded me to carry the camera. I said there isnt much we need to take pics for .. so we could manage with our mobile phones. He repeated couple of times and I wasnt in listening mood. Then he said.. "well, apparently its snowing at Tahoe so I thought it may be a good idea to take few saree pics in that back drop". Do I need any more clear ishara? DUH! I was sooo dumb not to get it until now. I ran upstairs and in thirty seconds I was back with this red saree which I thought I would drape over whatsoever I wear, who cares! Rest is for you to see.. When you have less to ask of life, whatever it gives you seems more than enough. When you wish lots from life, anything you get seems less. Kal kya hoga kisko pata, aaj hi zindagi ka le lo mazaa.

#debsaristories #desividesi #iworkedout #inspiration #chikankari #phulkari Long weekend around the corner. And gorgeous weather outside! Cant miss the chance to drape. I wore Jean and Top to work and draped a saree over it when I came home. That my desi videsi combo for the day! Guess how it feels when you are trying to start the car after gap of one year?!! Drrrrrr, grrrrrr, drrrrrr. Yup it doesn't start easily. That was my condition getting back to the gym after a year! Honestly it's all thanks to bettu and his inspiration that he wanted to see "ma back as how she was before". That hit me straight in the heart. I was his first P.E. teacher so to speak. When he was five we would go to the park every evening, I would run or jog while he bikes next to me. This was everyday routine during summer. This continued almost every year.. he would race and I would win.. until perhaps couple of years ago when of course he became the cheetah! (He calls me cheetah..). We learnt together many sports including soccer, basketball and even galli cricket. His definition of beauty is fitness and I had set that baseline in him unknowingly. So after ten days in gym at least there is some reduction in my guilt of not taking care of myself and having let down bettu. Yes, I do have a goal but it's long way to go. Like they say, first step towards your goal is to get your butt up and start acting on it! I am on that step now. Off late, I havent been able to comment as much as I would like to - so taking the opportunity to give a BIG shout out to all amazing ladies, the wonderful posts and outstanding pictures! I usually take mental notes to come back to look for the post and post comments, guess what at 3:00am when sleep breaks.. I completely forget which posts to get back to! It's a phulkari on net saree, teamed with my chikankari fabindia top and Jean! Love you all, love you tonnes

#debsaristories #stereotype Today we performed puja at home, so naturally me and ma are draped in six yards. #kanjivaram #garad Me in almost twenty year old kanji.. ma in a traditional garad.. IT millenials are usually envisioned as geeky dressed in hoodies.. when I first joined my IT job, as a fresher showed up in saree on the third day at work (it was my birthday) at gurgaon. It was absolutely uncommon so many stopped by at lunch to congratulate me for my engagement (?) Wedding (?) Anniversary (?). I said.. none of the above. It dint make sense to them. Many eyes rolled some in confusion. But then I dont know why and how, I had the guts to wear sarees very frequently sometimes weekly too to work. While IT jobs gave many young girls an excuse to wear Jean and Tee on Fridays, most of my Fridays were in sarees. Seventeen years later, I realize that I dint fit the stereotype then and even today. Even after moving to USA I would show up at work in saree for no reason. That dint make a less smart coder or leader. Those are skills, this is my passion. There are many such stereotypes we have built in our minds (unintentional bias) I know by now many of you are nodding head acknowledging what we could possibly change within ourselves to cleanse that part and become little Better

#debsaristories Thank the children that gave us the opportunity to become mothers! This one's for them. I am more thankful for my kid than expecting him to thank me today. That said, ma tujhe salaam. After a late night movie yesterday night my physical self was hesitant getting up from bed, hey! Woke up my soul.. "remember the days when amma would wake up when I would prepare for exams so she could give me glass of cold milk at 3:30 am so I dont get acidity!". I called amma and wished her happy mother's day, I wish them thankfulness several times besides mother's day. But dint want to miss it today either. Later When Ma Sharmistha Deb came into my life, she took mother(inlaw)hood to a different level. She would stand like rock about my career. Anytime I feel like giving up she would very clearly state that's unfair completely for my mom and her dreams and hardwork and she wont let that happen! She has set high standards for mother-in-law-hood and I strive everyday to become that person, starting with being her daughter first When bettu came into life I completely understood what both of them meant by mom's dreams. I live by them now. By amma, ma, mine and bettu's dreams. Mommies don't forget being yourselves in the run for being others! Wear the organza or lace saree tou wished, the halter neck or bustier, the Bermuda or shorts... becoming a mother or motherinlaw shouldn't mean dropping your dreams, you are still yourself and be so rightfully. These words of wisdom are from my own ma - mother(inlaw , although no laws between us) Mother's day saw us both relaxed and chilled. I had purchased the halter neck blouse which I knew ma would kill and look gorgeous so here she is! Chanderi saree with halter blouse. I am in tussar and cotton mix saree with a beautiful hand block blouse and surrounded by all the roses men at home toil year around so they bloom and add color to our lives! 💓💓💓💖💖💖

#debsaristories #desipana #reuse #madrastalkies Day starts with Google YouTube autoplay old telugu movie classic songs, followed by impromptu madras thali lunch (with filter kaapi) with team, followed by more Tamil songs in car autoplay, ... what next? Out comes my old nalli kanchi cotton, my faux malli poo jasmine string, jhumki set, bottu...the only thing which I always know doesnt suit me well.. but I dared today.. my kajal.. kann maiy. I don't feel bad to fail in this group! I look at the doe eyed, kajal lined eyelids of friends and try.. and I end up looking funny. I do have a good laugh at it though, that's about it. Ye, this isn't for me!🤣🤣 I recently committed the crime of holding it tight, squeezing it between the door hinges tight until it was no more. Suffocation! It's the fate of the leftover toothpaste tube I am talking about. What were you thinking of? I was talking to a non desi colleague about our cultural habits and concepts of reuse.. we dont like to waste the waste even! We always find purpose to reuse until a point where nothing is left. Karma, Destiny all intertwined. Deb Saab wanted to top his icecream with raisins and when he spotted the jar (wow!) He opened to find red chillies in it. Ye, he should know better! Bahar so jo jaisa dikhta hai.. zaroori nahi andar se bhi wohi ho! U know what I (deeply) mean? Once few years ago another friend of mine saw a jar on the counter and told me.. "refrigerate it.. it will spoil otherwise ". I was confused and asked "do you refrigerate ghee?" Her reply "the label reads ginger garlic paste... ?!!" And of course ghee and gi ger garlic paste look alike. We laughed. Aqsar jo dikhtha hai woh hotha nahi hai aur jo hotha hai woh dikhta nahi hai. My kitchen has many such adla badli jars. I feel so proud that I can tell the contents even if the container labels something else. Its the "pehchaan kaun" game. Although often times it leads to non stop sneezing because I try to smell dhania powder or garam masala just to make sure! What fun! Similar is our concept for relationships. Once committed, No exchange, No warranty, No refund and of course absolutely no loan! In some other cultures there is this concept of try before you commit, know what you are getting into etc but for us the whole village their ancestors decide the fate and destiny! Both concepts work actually, which leads me to believe.. if you believe whether something will work or won't, you are always right. Welcoming the weekend thus.. my chai is ready.. gotta go!