finding strength in everyday things
I usually don’t like it when bloggers put up a picture and nothing else as a post. But tonight, I’m going to be one of those bloggers because I’m tired and need a night off.
What am I going to do tonight instead of blogging!? As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Yep, I’m one of those Entourage loving girls! Sorry, I’m not sorry.
Night, y’all!
I’d like to take y’all back to the weekend I spent in New Jersey for a family reunion. In my recap of that weekend, I talked a lot about family, food, and craziness. I forgot to mention one major thing. Don’t hate me, ok?
I forgot to mention that I found my wedding outfit that weekend! Yes, I found “the one.”
See, Edison, New Jersey is the Indian capital of the US. What that means is that Edison, in particular, is home to thousands of Indians. What that means is that there are tons of Indian restaurants, grocery stores, and clothing boutiques. Lucky me!
The day I arrived at my cousin’s house, my parents, sister, and I ventured out to Oak Tree Road (the mostly Indian street in Edison). I tried on a couple of outfits at the first boutique we went to and found one I liked but didn’t love. We then headed to the next store, but I honestly didn’t have high expectations. In my mind, we were just looking. Well, lo and behold, I was shown an outfit that I absolutely loved. After looking at a few other pieces, I asked the lady we were working with if I could try in “the one.” I immediately felt like a princess. It was just what I was looking for. My parents and sister also loved it! By the end of the weekend, it was confirmed, that was going to be MY wedding outfit! We went back to the store and put a deposit down.
Now, fast forward to this weekend. Yesterday morning, I headed to my aunt’s house in Connecticut to pick her up so we could make our way back to NJ for a fitting. 
The best part about it is that I am more in love with my outfit then ever before! Seeing it again made me so so so excited for the big day!
Now, I know y’all are wondering what the outfit looks like, but I’m afraid you’re not going to see it until after the big day! The reason being because I don’t want Vishnu to see the outfit beforehand. I want him to be surprised! And a part of me wants my guests to be surprised as well. At every wedding I’ve been to, you can almost feel the anticipation right before the bride’s arrival. I don’t want my day to be any different!
Soon enough, my friends, soon enough!
Now, on to the second part of today’s title. I’ve noticed that a lot of bloggers like to share their playlists, which I personally find very helpful. But I have yet to see an Indian song on any of the lists. That needs to change pronto because there are so many awesome songs out there that will literally make you want to stop and dance in the middle of your workout.
So, if you’re looking for a fun way to change up your usual playlist, check out these songs…
1. Desi Girl from the Bollywood movie Dostana
2. Laung da Lashkara from the Bollywood movie Patiala House
3. Nai Rehna by Imran Khan
4. Hadippa the Remix from the Bollywood movie Dil Bole Hadippa
5. Disco Khisko from the Bollywood movie Dil Bole Hadippa
6. Chali Chali from the Bollywood movie Bhaghban
7. Aaja Nachle from the Bollywood movie Aaja Nachle
8. Mauja Mauja from the Bollywood movie Jab We Met
9. Ni Nachle by Imran Khan featuring Lucky
10. Uff Teri Ada from the Bollywood movie Karthik calling Karthik
I especially like the last song. Just YouTube the song title, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
It has something to do with this guy…he’s dreamy. 
Good night! I hope you had a fabulous weekend!
How often do you change up/add to your playlist?
I honestly didn’t think I’d care too much about the new Royal couple. Sure, their wedding was beautiful and fabulous. And yep, they seem very fun and easy going. Oh and one day they will be the King and Queen of England. None of this phased me. What’s all the hoopla about?! They are just people after all.
Boy was I wrong. Ever since the Royal Wedding, I’ve been fascinated by the newlyweds. I know, I know, it sounds dorky, but I can’t help it. The other day, as I perused People.com for my daily celebrity “news,” I came across story after story about Will and Kate’s North American trip. I.Was.Hooked! Soon thereafter, I began thinking about why I was so intrigued. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some celebrity gossip “news,” but this was different. I, along with probably millions of other people, feel a connection to the Duke and Duchess. Before you think I am a total nutso, hear me out…
First off, they are truly two young people in love. As cheesy as it sounds, I love that they aren’t afraid to show the world their true feelings. I mean, who can forget Prince William’s face when he first saw Kate on their wedding day. And even this trip proved, according to all the personal stories and interviews, that the future King and Queen of England are love birds. But the best part about it is that they aren’t over the top with it – they keep it classy!
Another reason to love them – they’re stylish yet basic; they’re elegant yet simple; they’re Royal yet totally down to Earth. I love it!
I haven’t personally met them (no, really I haven’t 
), but Will and Kate seem like a couple you’d go on a double date with or invite over for dinner. We all know that they are Royal and special, but they don’t come off that way. They seem very comfortable in the public eye and honestly, just seem like two normal, humble people.
I mean, I’m 100% sure they argue, fart, burp, snore, etc. like the rest of us…DUH! It’s not that I think they’re above any of us. I just feel that they are perfectly fit for the roles that have been bestowed upon them. But what do I know? I’m just a girl that oohs and aahs over every little thing! 
What are your thoughts on the Royal couple? Love them, hate them, don’t really care?
Thanks for your supportive comments about my hair! I’m glad so many of you understand. I’ll keep you posted about how things go on Saturday. *Fingers crossed*
And that lunch salad was as good (if not better) as it sounded. Our café is pretty amazing. When I started this role, I was shocked to find out that we have our own cook who makes his own line of “Whole Sum” lunch dishes on site. He designs the menu every day and ensures that the entrée is under 300 calories and the side dishes under 150. How cool is that?! When he has good veggie options, I go with that, otherwise I always have my trusted salad bar.
And no, I don’t work for the CIA or any other 3 letter agency, but I do work for a company that deals with proprietary and confidential information. There’s a no picture policy, and that probably includes foodie pics too…I feel a little weird asking about it, so I’m just going to stick with the no pictures at work rule. I wish my reason was more exciting that that, but unfortunately it’s not!
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Now, I had a little bit of a hard time figuring out what I wanted to write about today. I looked through my posts for some inspiration and realized that I have old journal entries I want to share with y’all. Woot!
Tonight you’ll be meeting the 16 year old Parita! I reread the entry a few minutes ago, and let me tell you, not too much has changed. I’m still silly, quirky, and goofy as ever, if not more so. Enjoy!
2-11-00
Today was the craziest night! Me and Ashley decided to go to a movie and go out to eat afterwards. So we wanted to see Scream 3, but it’s rated R. So we go to the ticket counter and the nerdy little lady goes, “I need ID.” So I show her my ID, and she’s like, “Sorry you can’t get in.” So me and Ashley decide to buy tickets for the Tigger movie, but we sneak into Scream 3. We get in and are sitting for a while when an usher walks in and asks for our tickets. When he sees them, he’s like, “I’m supposed to kick you out, but I just want you to get out of the theater.” So after some begging, Ash and I get out and go to the Tigger movie all pissed off.
Then Ashley saw that Snow Day was playing across the way. So at 5:30, we sneak into that theater. When we finally find seats, we are siting there and Ashley says that she sees a guy looking for someone. I was like oh no. So we got all paranoid. But then we figured out that it was someone’s dad or something. The movie was good, but we were too scared to enjoy it.
When the movie was over, we tried to blend in and get out the quickest way possible. Then we got in the car and screamed. Then we called our parents and then we went to Chick-fil-A to eat. We were eating, and Ashley said something funny so I started laughing, and I almost chocked. I had tears going down my face and so did Ashley! It was a night to remember! My gosh! But I had a lot of fun with Ash, and I hope we stay really good and close friends!
NOTE: I tried my hardest not to change a thing about this entry, as you can probably tell from some of the grammatical errors. 
Ashley and I still keep in touch but not as often as I’d like. I think I’m going to give her a call this weekend to say hello!
And I still can’t believe we went from this…
To this…
To this…
…all in one night! LOL! I was a CRAZY 16 year old…let me tell you!!! 
So now it’s your turn, tell me a funny story from your high school days!
Gorgeous, timeless, romantic, magical…yes, I am talking about today’s main event – the Royal Wedding! I was up and at it at 5:30 because I wanted to watch the ceremony, but instead of watching from my couch, I got my butt to the gym. Might as well knock out two birds with one stone!
My favorite part…
Kate’s dress of course!
When I told my mom how much I loved the dress, she agreed it was gorgeous but reminded me that my wedding attire will look slightly different! 🙂 More like this perhaps…
Only time will tell… 😉
Anyways, earlier this week, I decided that in honor of the royal celebration, I would make a royal breakfast for moi! 🙂
I had been eyeing Katie’s Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal for a really long time and decided that today was the day! And let me tell you, it was a royal treat, and I honestly wish I hadn’t waited so long to make it! I was in foodie heaven as I took my first (and last) bite of this delicious breakfast! Chocolate Covered Katie, you are a Chocolate Covered Genius! I have a feeling I will be making baked oatmeal ALL the time.
Pretty much the only difference between my recipe and Katie’s is that since I don’t own a mini-loaf pan, I used a muffin pan. If you follow the recipe exactly, you’ll have yourself 4 little muffins…although you’ll wish you had more! Oh, and I used one tablespoon of maple syrup (she listed it as optional), and I used 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (which was also optional).
Please do yourself a favor and make these ASAP…you won’t regret it! Would I ever steer you in the wrong direction?!
I’m off to relax! I hope y’all have yourselves a royal evening!!
Any fans of The Office out there?!
Did you know today’s show is Steve Carell’s last episode? Yep, the character we hate to love (Michael Scott) is leaving the show. 🙁 I watched last week’s episode and cried! I never would have guessed way back when I started watching this show that it would one day make me cry. In fact, it took me a really long time to appreciate it. But over the years, the characters grew on me, and it soon became a weekly television staple.
Will Ferrell is going to be “replacing” Steve Carell as the new boss. I’m not sure how long that’s supposed to last for, but I hope it’s not too long. Don’t get me wrong, he’s really funny and all, but he’s no Steve.
Anyways, when I saw the preview for this week’s episode the other day, I knew that the tears would be flowing. No worries though – I have my tissue box handy.
Have you ever cried when a show ended or when a favorite character left? I think you know already know my answer to this question. Ha! Let me quickly recap all of the times I can remember when I have cried because of a TV show…
Full House – I remember the series finale being an epic event for my family. Why? Because Parita was obsessed with the show! I watched it religiously. My parents ordered pizza and we had a picnic in our living room while we watched the last episode. Immediately after the episode ended, I ran into the bathroom and cried my eyes out. I didn’t want anyone to know (I was 11 1/2 years old). LOL!
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air – Oh how I love Will Smith!!! I think I would seriously faint if I ever met him. Not.even.joking. This was one of the funniest shows EVER! And it evolved so much over time…loved it! And who can forget the last scene in the last episode where Will and Uncle Phil embrace in the middle of the empty living room! Again, I cried!
Friends – I don’t think this one needs any explanations, and I bet I’m not the only one who shed a few tears watching the finale. My dream was for Ross and Rachel to get together and for Monica and Chandler to be parents, and it happened! Thank you writers!!! I remember watching this at my apartment with all my friends. I think we cheered when Rachel showed up at Ross’s apartment. 🙂 And here’s a fun fact for you – Friends made its debut when I was in the 4th grade! How crazy is that?!
What was your favorite show growing up? Do TV show finales make you cry?
Well, friends, history will be repeating itself tonight as I say goodbye to Michael Scott. 🙁 Mom, if you’re reading this, don’t worry…you know I’m emotional. I get it from you after all! 🙂
Have a great night!
P.S. Please keep the people who have been affected by the deadly storms in the South in your thoughts and prayers. My heart goes out to each and every one of them…
How many times have you started telling your husband, fiance, boyfriend, brother, dad, guy friend, etc. about a problem or issues you are having only to be given advice?! “Why don’t you just ____” or “Did you think about it this way ____” or “You are going about it that the wrong way, here’s what you should do – ____” or “Here’s what I would do – ____.” I tend to get really passionate when I talk through things that are bothering me or going wrong, so when Vishnu, instead of listening, starts giving me advice on how I should handle the situation, I tend to get slightly bothered! This is something we talk and joke about after the fact because in our relationship he’s the more rational thinker and I’m the more emotional one.
Last week, after watching the newest episode of Modern Family, Vishnu called and started telling me about it. I won’t give away the details, but Claire and Phil (a married couple with three kids on the show) very much resembled Parita and Vishnu from the first paragraph. After work today, I finally got on Hulu and watched the episode. Needless to say, it was SUPER funny! Repeat side note: if you have never seen an episode of Modern Family, PLEASE start with season one and get on it! You’ll wonder why you didn’t jump on the bandwagon sooner – I promise! Anyways, in this episode, Claire is super busy and juggling arguments between her two daughters and demands from a lady she volunteers with, and when she tries to talk to Phil about it, he just upsets her by giving her advice. Ugh, men! By the end of the episode Phil learns about how by lending a sympathetic ear, using words of encouragement and appreciation, and just plain listening Claire’s attitude changes for the better. This episode really reminded me of how sometimes men really are from Mars and women from Venus. 🙂
The funny thing is that I didn’t have to say a word to Vishnu about his slightly annoying habit! When we were talking, he said, “Sometimes, I am so much like Phil. I need to learn to listen more.” That made me smile. 🙂 I wanted to say, “Yes, babe, you do, but I’m not perfect either! So, just like your advice gets on my nerves, I’m sure my nagging and emotional outbursts slightly annoy you too…sometimes!” However, I bit my tongue and didn’t say anything. 🙂 I let him ponder a little bit on his own thought!
Phil and Claire Dunphy
Vishnu and Parita 🙂
Goofballs!
Do you see the resemblance?! LOL!
Do you agree that men don’t listen as well as women want them to? Share your funny stories about the male species (and if any males wants to reverse that, please share)!!!
