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navigating the world, one moment of gratitude at a time

Category Archive Browsing Category: Saris

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May 20, 2017#100daysofgratitude, Saris

Day 42

Oh you fancy huh desi formalwear make the office your runway edition. Grateful for @crystaldiazv who indulges my fancy here @couchbase, amongst all the databases. sari

May 7, 2017#100daysofgratitude, Poetry, Saris

Ode to the sari Nine yards of elegant Flowing delicately pleated Carefully draped Properly pinned Grace Mama effortless in each step Tucking into the petticoat Accordion folds slipping across fingers The whoosh of her pallu Virtually silent click Of the ever ubiquitous safety pins Holding the magic in place I could hear the dull thuds…

May 3, 2017#100daysofgratitude, Saris

Day 26

Most of us have our indulgences; some women are into makeup, handbags and shoes, others are into their own passions. I’ve always had a soft spot for saris. In high school, I started following the work of a designer eponymously called Sabyasachi. His saris were authentic Indian weaves with stunning hand embroidered fancy, each piece a…

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Okurrt, mom talked me into writing an actual caption. I didn't grow up liking art, per se. My parents in homeschooling us, kept us far away from a lot of the mainstream and instead immersed us in South Asian art where all bodies, colors, shapes, orientations, emotions and identities were quite represented. Krishna, the main deity in Vaishnavism is a chubby little blue boy with a flute! Although some topics were not up for discussion, like cross dressing or the overt sexuality in some of the pieces, my parents regularly encouraged us to read a Krishna Art book and pick our favorites and talk about what was going on. Our educational facilitator, Mrs. Obichere, was an incredible Black activist and art collector who introduced us to African and Native American art - centering our school years around multiple month long celebrations of Black History Month and revelations that God was African. When I finally made it to high school and had a structured way to study Art Appreciation, learning about the European masters was all so new and amazing and honestly foreign to me. Knowing that there were words to talk about all these observations I had had 🤯 Couple that with residual American colonialism and the novelty of art that was not ethnic or religious and I was hooked. Over time, my mind was blown learning about different artistic eras, other cultural art forms and honestly comparing everything to my South Asian cannon I knew growing up (which I still sometimes feel is far more intricate than European art). My relationship with art is nuanced then by the ethnocentricity of the strong women who insisted on exposing me to their art and normalizing it and demanding from me an experience, descriptive words and nascent criticisms so early on - it was and still is all valid. Art is a reflection of the artist's world in all senses; it is meant to be experienced, however you like - selfies, emotions, thoughts. You see what you know; as you experience the piece, your thoughts, your opinions, your previous experiences all come to play; your reactions are just as valuable as anyone else's. See as much art as you can and you like and talk about it. Or not!

#Sixyardsof a color I vowed to hate as a six year old because I wanted to be cool and pink was ugly. This #sarisunday, I'm posting because this is the one garment no matter what the function, no matter where in the world, no matter the time of day, feels the most authentically me. It may have something to do with the nostalgia of watching my American raised mother wrap a sari everyday of her life in America, countering aunties who wondered about the utility of this garment with her practical approach of doing everything from scratch, in her sari, hitching it up to make a home and raise us. It may have to do with the pride with which she sashayed down grocery isles and libraries and people's homes, smiling at strangers and educating them about her beautiful "dress". It may have something to do with the fact that saris can accentuate your best and hide your worst. It may have something to do with the connection to weavers, the handloom and the artistic legacy of my country. It may have something to do with the tangible connection of the organic materials to the grounding energy of the Earth. It may have something to do with the legacy of inheriting literal pieces of history - stories, memories, lives lived in six yards of gorgeous fabric. A sari represents so much more than an alternative outfit or a quick tie to my Indian origins; it is very much a part of my identity: it is where I feel the most me.

When the patriarchy asks why there isn't an "international men's day" 👋🏽 #byefelicia

issa classy ♓ goddess

In every cup of hot chai, there is an invisible helping of love. In every hug, there is a balm of piscean understanding. In every text, the undertones of motherly intuition and care. Thank you for everything, said and unsaid, for infusing me with so much of your unmatchable essence, for investing in me, for believing in me, for the daily calls, for empathizing with me and for accepting me as I am. These are gifts that I will never be able to repay you for. You are my greatest strength and the wind beneath my wings. Happiest of birthdays! Love you always and forever mama P, mooselet extraordinaire, goli till the end❣️