Some thank yous and a shout out to Aarohi's Poonchh Collection....

The past couple of weeks have been brimming over with good tidings. In the space of these two weeks, we celebrated our ninth anniversary and my birthday(!) and there were many happy little surprises in store for me....I received the news that my little blog had been featured in an article in the latest edition of Khabar magazine. I was in very distinguished company, and I'm extremely thankful to Girija for inviting me to be part of it. You can read the (very well written) article  here (Girija, you rock!). 

Earlier, I'd received a boxful of goodies (I'd won a giveaway) all the way from Atlanta, courtesy Ally of From the Right Bank. Thank you Ally, I'm really enjoying the latte bowls and journals. (Do you follow From the Right Bank? If not, you really should, it's one of my favorite blogs and I'm totally in love with the new series on Living La Belle Vie; it's thoughtful, inspiring, and brimming with eye candy!)

My birthday came complete with sweet flowers, birthday cards and gifts......and... sunshine! really, now what more can a girl ask for? Here are some of the goodies.............and thanks are due to the two adorable men in my life, who make each day a celebration....

and....

 Lego R2D2 (the most -adored of the pack!) and a sincere attempt at spelling! Seriously, what mama's heart wouldn't melt.

That was the pretty extensive thank you section of the mail. 

Now on to the shout-out.....in case you follow Aarohi's blog, you must be aware of the exciting new project she has been working on. She has teamed up with the not-for-profit organization, The Voice of Stray Dogs (VoSD), to launch a new line of home- and personal- accessories that will benefit the management and care of stray dogs in India. Many of you may be well aware of the plight of stray dogs in India; they are often victims of neglect and abuse. VoSD has come up with an actionable plan that offers animal birth control and road-hit/accident attention and recuperation services. Aarohi will be donating half the proceeds from the sale of her new line to the VoSD animal birth control and recovery efforts. You can read more on Aarohi's blog here. 

On a personal note, I have to say I am totally in awe of Aarohi's zeal and determination in carrying out this project. Working within the limitations of several personal challenges that she has been facing, she has devoted weeks of her time to this (almost) lost cause. If you are an animal lover, a dog lover or even simply a civic-minded person, I'm sure you must be excited to see what the Poonchh collection has to offer. (Translation: poonchh is tail in Hindi. Think happy, waggy tails-- saying thank you for all your help!!)

The following excerpt has been taken from her press notes; I hope it will lend some insight into the Poonchh Collection.

"Talking about the collection, Aarohi reveals that every piece in the Poonchh Collection has been hand-crafted using the best quality products, not mass-produced on a factory floor. As a matter of principle, she did not haggle with any of the craftsmen along the value chain. “Since this is for a good cause, I wanted the ‘vibe’ associated with each piece to be positive,” she smiles. 

Through the edgy, hip and very stylish Poonchh Collection, Aarohi hopes to make stray dogs hip and stylish too, a fashion statement in themselves. “I want people to carry the products around, and for the products to become a talking point,” says Aarohi. “Hopefully, that will set off a ripple effect, leading to increased awareness about strays, and translate eventually into better and more humanitarian care for the dogs.” It is for this reason that the Poonchh Collection is priced as reasonably as it is – almost every piece is available for under Rs 2500. The paintings are priced at Rs.5000."

I couldn't have said it better. You go girl! She's holding an exhibition from the 10th-12th of February. Further details here..... I do hope you can attend!

I LOVE the functional aspect of her collection; she's put the Poonchh stamp on phone sleeves and pouches, laptop/iPad sleeves, stylish clutches, and pillows and totes--there's something for everyone! So what are you waiting for, go get your wag of approval!