Movie Review: Bulbbul

We just finished watching Bulbbul on Netflix and thought we'd share our thoughts here on the old blog.

Plot Summary: Set in a Bengal village in the period spanning from late 1800s to early 1900s, Bulbbul is a supernatural drama that revolves around the lives of six people living in a palatial zamindar house. The story starts with the return of the youngest brother- Satya- after finishing his Law studies in the UK. He finds that the whole house has changed- his elder brother (Indraneel) has left home, his widowed younger sister-in-law (Binodini) lives in an ashram for widows and his childhood companion cum elder sister-in-law (Bulbbul) is ruling the roost and is decidedly cold towards him. As more and more men in the village are murdered, there are whispers of a chudail (something between a witch and a she-demon), who is supposed to be responsible for these killings. Satya is determined to find and kill this chudail, a decision, which sets the story (and the backstory) in motion.

What We Liked: 

1. The premise of the movie was very intriguing! A supernatural drama set in rural Bengal in the late 18th- early 19th century is something that had us excited from the get go!

2. The look-and-feel of the movie is simply stunning! Everything from the set design to costumes to the ambience is just so stunning! The movie's look-and-feel works well to make the movie extremely atmospheric, all that red notwithstanding. There is an aura of fear and something unsettling, which creates the perfect backdrop for the story to unfold.

3. The movie's cast is very high calibre! All the performances are more than competent. Rahul Bose, in a double role, as Mahendra and Indraneel is very good. Tripti Dimri as the titular Bulbbul is extraordinary! Paoli Dam (as Binodini) and Parambrata Chattopadhaya as Dr. Sudip are also very good in the limited roles that they have.

4. The story is cleverly done, but fairly predictable. The trailer throws you off, actually. The trailer makes it seem like an out-and-out horror movie, which it is not. So, don't go into it expecting a spine-chilling horror movie; you will be disappointed! Instead, think of it as watching an intelligently written thriller and you'll perhaps come away enjoying it.

What Could've Been Better: 

1. The story gets the structure and dynamics of a bonedi/ zamindar family in the early 19th Century very very wrong. There are hardly any servants around, the family only seems to have five members and a very unwell important family member is left alone. These are just some things that the writer has gotten very, very wrong. A zamindar family such as the one shown in the film, usually, had a ton of extended family as well as dependents all living under the same roof. The makers have shown this family as a nuclear family- a concept that did not exist back in the day! Also, there would have been an army of servants, with each family member having their own retinue of servants! Our family in the 1950s-70s had more than 50 servants! My mother had her own maid right up until the day she got married! I wish the writer/ makers had done a little, basic research into how such families were structured and wouldn't have gotten it so wrong!

2. While the story is clever, it is also very, very predictable! We could see all the major events coming up way, way before they did! I wish they'd not made it so obvious!

TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE, VIOLENCE 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Should You Watch Bulbbul? Why not? It's only 1.5 hours long, very atmospheric, the story moves quite fast and is a movie that will stay with you long after it is over. Eminently watchable and full of great performances.

Book Review: The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine

Book: The Wife Stalker

Author: Liv Constantine

Pages: 400

Read on: Kindle

Read in: ~4 hours

Plot Summary: Joanna and Leo seem to have the perfect relationship. Two adorable children, a beautiful house in a chic area of Connecticut – they have the kind of life people envy.

Then Piper moves to town. Piper is young, attractive, flirtatious. It’s almost no wonder Leo is tempted away. 

Devastated, Joanna starts digging into Piper’s past, and discovers some very disturbing secrets – not least that Piper’s previous two husbands ended up dead. But Piper dismisses Joanna’s fears for her family as paranoia. Who is telling the truth? Joanna? Piper? The only certainty in this web of lies is that no one is who they appear to be…and no one will escape unscathed.

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise of the book seemed interesting. A new woman comes to town, hints of her shady past, her making a play for a married man and his wife doing her best to expose this charlatan. All good things, right? Right? That's what I thought as well and bought this book. 

2. The story unfolds through two perspectives- Joanna's and Piper's. We know straight off the bat, from Piper herself, that she is desperate to leave her past behind in California and start afresh. She doesn't want anyone from San Diego to recognise her or hound her because of which she has even changed her name and profession. Joanna has more typical wifely concerns- getting things ready for Leo, looking after the needs of her kids (Evie- 8 and Stelli- 6) and being a bit on guard when it comes to other woman making a play for her handsome husband. So, the alternating chapters told from these two women's perspective makes for an interesting reading. 

Things I Didn't Like: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

1. Now, I enjoy an unreliable narrator as much as the next person. It is a good trope used in the crime/ thriller genre and it keeps things interesting. However, I don't think it is the proper use of an unreliable narrator as a storytelling tool, if the author/ publisher straight up lie about something in the plot summary itself. Yes, beloved reader, there is something in the plot summary that I've posted right above, which is a bald-faced lie and we are, as readers, supposed to pretend it is a good use of the unreliable narrator trope in crime/ thriller storytelling. Nope, it is not. It is very disingenuous to let the set up of a big plot twist come from the plot summary of the book rather than from the character herself. It really annoyed me! 

2. Open endings are interesting, but leaving an open ending in a crime/ thriller book is most ungratifying. When someone gets invested in the book's characters, they'd want to see the good guys thrive and the bad guys punished. Sure, you could argue that in real life there are no real good or bad guys, just a bunch of grey people with unclear motivations. However, that is nearly not the same thing as one character getting away, with what seems like, three murders! The last line of the book really, really annoyed me! It was so unnecessary and try-hard! Call me old fashioned, but I am not a fan of open endings, but if you are, then maybe you won't dislike this book as much as I did. I think it is important for an author, especially, in this genre to take a stand. Learn from the masters, Ms. Constantine! Learn from Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! *shakes head*

MAJOR SPOILER 

3. Apart from the kids, there are no real characters that one gets to care about! Both Joanna and Piper are sociopaths and Leo  is just an easy to manipulate, pathetic excuse of a man! You honestly don't care if he gets killed or ends up with a bitch! 

Rating: 1.5/5 

Don't waste your money on this book! 

Book Review: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

Book: The Jane Austen Society

Author: Natalie Jenner

Pages: 321

Read on: Kindle

Read in: 3-4 hours

Plot Summary: It's only a few months since the war ended but the little village of Chawton is about to be hit by another devastating blow. The heart of the community and site of Jane Austen's cherished former home, Chawton estate is in danger of being sold to the highest bidder.

Eight villagers are brought together by their love for the famous author's novels, to create The Jane Austen Society. As new friendships form and the pain of the past begins to heal, surely they can find a way to preserve Austen's legacy before it is too late? 

And there may even be a few unexpected surprises along the way.

Things I Liked: 

1. This is a book about Jane Austen and her books. Do I really need to elaborate on this point? I don't think so! *grin* Pride & Prejudice was the first "classic" that I'd ever read, all at the age of 10, and fell madly in love with Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Austen. So, obviously, any book that's about Jane Austen or her books is an absolute must-read for me!

2. This book is set in the village of Chawton, where Jane Austen lived for the last decade of her life and wrote the last three books of her short but successful career. So, just getting to see the village, the Great House (mansion belonging to the wealthiest family, who happened to adopt one of Jane's brothers in the absence of an heir), the little cottage where she lived and wrote and just "seeing" what she saw and things that could've possibly inspired her was a treat!

3. This book is set in the 14 odd years between 1932 and 1946. So, it covers the Second World War and the havoc and heartbreak wrecked by it. So, even in terms of the period, the author has chosen an interesting one, where people sought comfort and hope in optimistic stories with a happy endings, something which the characters in this book were looking for.

4. The book has some really lovely characters, both those live in the little village as well as those from outside of it. I really loved Dr. Grey, the local doctor, who lost his wife a few years back and has not been able to move on. He is quite the Mr. Darcy character, minus a bit of Darcy's standoffishness. Then, I really liked Adeline. She teaches English Literature at the local school and is a no-nonsense, progressive woman, who is assertive yet kind. I really loved the dynamic between Adeline and Dr. Grey. I also liked Miss Frances Knight of the Great House- a woman who'd been bullied by her father all her life and how she starts to turn things around under the absolute worst circumstances! Basically, every character in this book is lovely- Mimi Harrison, Evie- the young 16-year old, whose clever plan saves the Society! Can't gush enough about the sweet characters.

5. This book has themes like the importance of being happy, of having hope even in the midst of deep despair, of community and just strangers lifting each other up in times of tragedy- all of which, I believe, are relevant to our lives even today, especially, in these times of a global pandemic.

Things I Didn't Like: Nothing! This is a great book!

Rating: 4.5/5

Movie Review: Gulabo Sitabo

We (the sister and I) just finished streaming Gulabo Sitabo on Amazon Prime Video and we wanted to come on here and share some of our thoughts about the movie.

Starring Amitabh Bachchan as Mirza, a 78-year-old, cantankerous, greedy man, who also happens to be a petty thief. Mirza is married to Begum, 17 years his senior, and owner of the eponymous Fatima Mahal, a sprawling Edwardian era mansion in Lucknow, which has now fallen into total disrepair. Mirza manages the 3-4 tenant families that live in different parts of Fatima Mahal and he makes a bit of pocket money by stealing bulbs and cycle bells as well as quietly (without Begum's knowledge) selling off antiques and furniture from the house itself. Mirza is in love, not with his wife, but with his haveli and is biding his time till Begum dies, leaving, he believes, the haveli to him. He lives in the hope that he will, finally, be the owner and not just the caretaker of Fatima Mahal, the object of his dreams, affections and obsession. 

Ayushmann Khurrana is Baankey Rastogi, a flour mill (atta chakki) owner, illiterate, with the responsibility of three younger, sassy sisters and a widowed mother. He is one of Mirza's tenants at Fatima Mahal, paying the princely sum of Rs. 30 a month, which also he doesn't pay for months on end. Baankey is, mostly, angry and frustrated with his life. His sisters sass him, his girlfriend undermines him and sasses him constantly and he is desperately trying to keep his out-of-control life afloat. The only sense of control Baankey has is when he denies rent to Mirza and engages in verbal banter with him, giving the movie its name of Gulabo Sitabo, who are supposed to be two women, who constantly bicker and try to one-up(wo)man each other- a popular Lucknowi puppeteer folktale.

It is the jugalbandi and banter between these two similar yet different characters that sets in motion the core conflict in the film. Mirza is waiting for Begum to die and do as he pleases with his haveli and its pesky, upstart tenants. Baankey doesn't want to pay rent to a landlord, who has done no maintenance and, instead, steals their bulbs on a regular basis. It is this classic landlord vs. tenant conflict that is taken advantage of by various nefarious elements, leading to much drama and hilarious moments.

The Good: 

1. Amitabh Bachchan as Mirza is just as spectacular as you'd expect the veteran actor to be! The man fully sheds his superstar persona and shape-shifts into Mirza- a disheveled, bent over with age, with a huge nose, thick glasses held together with tape, always shuffling around old Lucknow, greedy and looking to make a quick buck.
Bachchan gives Mirza an impish quality along with a heartrending innocence, which completely breaks your heart! While Mirza is greedy (for the property and wishes his wife dead) and petty, he is also sort of kind hearted, mischievous and extremely gullible. You don't end up feeling too sorry for him because he is so greedy and petty, but he still does tug at your heartstrings as he ambles around that old mansion asking his Begum for pocket money and looking for things to sell.
This is Bachchan's genius. He takes this easy-to-dislike or dismiss character and infuses it with so much humanity and heart. This is his movie and Mirza shines in every frame! Watch this movie just for Mirza!

2. While Ayushmann is competent and good as always, bringing Baankey's lower-middle class angst to life, his is not the character that stays with you at the end of the movie. He does hold his own against Bachchan, but his character was not given that much to work with in the first place. He portrays Baankey's helplessness and anger quite well as well as his moments of sass and banter with Mirza, but, like I said, there is not much more to this character.

3. This movie has an amazing supporting cast! From Vijay Raaz's Archaeology Officer role to Brijendra Kala's Christopher to Farrukh Jafar as Begum... each and every supporting character is well etched and they do a wonderful job bringing their roles to life!

4. The writing is pretty good too. The movie revolves around the classic UP idiom of do bandaro ki ladai mein billi roti le gayi, which translates to the cat running off with the bread whilst the two monkeys were fighting over it. Don't want to give too much away, but this idiom is central to the movie and its events.

The Not-so-Good:

1. The pace of the movie is inconsistent, which reduces engagement, especially, in the first half of the movie. The first half is sort of indulgent, building the context and spending a little too much time (and repetition) on character building. We get it, Mirza is greedy yet oddly sweet and gullible, Baankey is also greedy but burdened with responsibility and struggling to get by. We did not need multiple instances/ events driving the same point home over and over again! The movie's pace becomes supersonic in the last 10-15 minutes with multiple things happening. It is like, you are driving along very, very slowly on a not-very scenic route and then suddenly, you are whizzing by at 100 kmph just as the scenery started getting interesting! Disappointing!

2. Also, this is not a movie for everyone, which is tragic because almost one hour into the movie, we are not sure what the core conflict of this movie is going to be, which can lead to disinterest and viewers clicking out of it and not watching the rest of the movie.

At the one hour mark you are still wondering what is this movie going to be about! Is it Mirza vs. Baankey? Is it Mirza + someone else vs. Blankey + someone else? Or is it something totally different? Is it Mirza + Baankey coming together to resolve something? We were pretty sure it was the last option and continued with the movie after a 10 hour break.

Since this movie has released on Prime Video, the viewer has multiple reasons to click out and a movie with a slow, ponderous, repetitive first half is not very OTT friendly.

Finally, if you give the movie time and get through the slow first half, you're in for a treat. The movie's subtle humour, the Lucknow-isms, the wonderful characters, great performances and the climax are well worth sticking around!

Personally, we loved all the visuals of Lucknow as we've lived in the city for five years and really enjoyed our time there! Seeing Mirza's acquaintances care about him, look after him and be nice to him in spite of his cantankerous, flawed nature is, pretty much, as Lucknow as it gets. The best hearted people live in that beautiful city!

Watch this movie. Give it time. You'll end up chuckling a lot and, maybe, even loving it!

Rating: 4/5 

Friday Favourites: Post-rain Sunsets!

Hello, hello!
Hope you are all excited about this weekend? I know I am!
Not for very major things, but just for minor things like expecting a mango delivery and trying out some new recipes! It is the small joys, people! The small joys that make these Quarantine Days worth living!

We've had a bit of rain earlier this week and every day since, we've been blessed with the most vivid and stunning sunsets! I don't live by the beach, but even this little tree-filled view out of my window has filled my heart with joy every evening!

Here are some of my favourite sunsets from this week!

We don't ever get purple-pink skies in Bombay, but look! Look at this stunningly gorgeous purple-pink sunset! There were so many others in Bombay, who snapped different versions of yesterday's gorgeous sunset! We all noticed how beautiful and rare this sight was! 

And here are some tiny cotton candy clouds from tonight's sunset! I am living for these colour shows out of my window every evening! Isn't it just so beautiful?! 

This was the sunset on the day of Cyclone Nisarga. We were very, very fortunate that this cyclone spared Bombay and instead, we got some strong gusts of wind and then, suddenly, this rich orange sunset bursting through the heavy cloud cover. 

Hope you guys have a lovely, rainy weekend! 

Take care, fam! 

Book Review: The Murder Game by Rachel Abbott

Book: The Murder Game

Author: Rachel Abbott

Pages: 315

Read on: Kindle

Read in: 3-4 hours

Plot Summary: The first time Jemma and Matt were invited to Polskirrin - Lucas Jarrett's imposing ocean-view home - it was for an intimate wedding that ended in tragedy. Jemma will never forget the sight of the girl's body floating towards the rocky shore. 

Now, exactly one year later, Lucas has invited his guests back for a macabre anniversary.

But what Lucas has in store for them is nothing like a candlelight vigil. Someone who was there that night remembers more than they'll admit to, and Lucas has devised a game to make them tell the truth.

Jemma believes she and Matt know nothing about what happened... but what if she's wrong? Before you play a deadly game, make sure you can pay the price. 

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise and set-up for the murder mystery in this book is very interesting and nicely done. You have a group of 4 best friends and their plus ones who've been invited to an intimate wedding ceremony in a beautiful sea-facing mansion. The four friends spend time reminiscing about their youth while their plus ones slowly start to get to know each other. It is against this backdrop of friends meeting after years and old sins casting long shadows that someone is murdered. Interesting, right? 

2. The writing and character development in the book are both very good. Lucas is an extremely wealthy man and was so even when he was a young boy and so, the other boys kowtowed to pretty much whatever he wanted to do or said. The same dynamic carries forward to even when they reunite as adults, which was interesting to see. We also get to see Jemma's increasing frustration at Matt's attempts to keep past secrets from her and the impact that these secrets have on their marriage. 

3. At the centre of this book is an event, which had taken place over 20 years ago. That event itself was traumatic and tragic and has a significant role to play in the present day events. The whole mystery around this event and how the case was ultimately solved was nicely done. 

4. This is the second book in the author's Stephanie King series and the good thing is that it is not at all connected to the first book. I haven't read the first book in the series and I didn't feel lost or confused about anything whilst reading this one. A total win-win! 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. I saw the big twist coming quite easily because that is kind obvious, but what is a saving grace is that the truth behind the events of the past is nicely done and not very easy to guess. So, that made the book not-disappointing for me. 

Rating: 4/5 

Book Review: The Green of Bengal and Other Stories by Gautam Benegal.

Book: The Green of Bengal and Other Stories.

Author: Gautam Benegal

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 188

Read On: Kindle

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days

Plot Summary: A guest with epic gastric trouble, the besieged political campaigner, the cruel critic, the secret murderer, the homophobic ruffians, the reluctant nude model, the talking dog, the frustrated illustrator, the grandfather who pines for the home he lost. Gautam Benegal's short stories are peopled with characters we almost recognize - a neighbour, an uncle, a niece - bringing alive the Calcutta of the late 1980s and the early '90s. There is nostalgia here, but it is shot through with darkness. A political pulse runs through the whole, informed by Benegal's own preoccupations with gender and class, his keen interest in people and the workings of their minds. Yet, there is a lightness of touch, a desire to engage the reader in a story, even an occasional twist in the tale.

Review: I read 1/7 Bondel Road back in 2015 and LOVED it. I loved the setting, the people and the nostalgia it evoked. I even reviewed it HERE. It's a book I adored and I cannot recommend enough.
Last month while I was treating myself to some ebooks, I spotted that the author had another book out, which came out in 2014 (how did I miss this!) and I knew I had to get it.

I read it pretty much immediately and it did not disappoint, not one bit.
I immediately made my sister buddy read it with me and we both loved this book.
It's so damn good.
My first five star read of the year..I think...no I'm pretty sure its my first 5/5 read for 2020.

There is so much I loved about this book, first up the setting. There is honestly nothing I love more than Calcutta in the 1990s. It's my kryptonite. A book set in this particular time period will always, always pull me in...take all my money and give me a good story about one of my favourite places in the world and a time that makes my heart happy.

Secondly, I really appreciated and enjoyed the sheer range of these stories. There were human interest stories, sort of science fiction-ish stories, stories with child narrators and heartbreaking stories of love and loss. There is, pretty much, a story for every mood and every kind of nostalgia.

These stories also have a bunch of different and nice characters. Some characters stay with you long after you finish the book. We also get some characters from 1/7, Bondel Road and it was really nice to be back with those characters after a few years.

So, seriously, if you are looking for a wonderful collection of diverse short stories, which are all very well written, then The Green of Bengal is the book to pick!

Highly, highly recommend.

Rating: 5/5

Friday Favourites: 5 Recently Compelling Reasons to Get Back on Netflix

Hello! 

You guys, I haven't been reading at all. 

Like not a word since the 3rd of June. 

:( 

Instead, all I've done this week is a non-stop binging machine. 

When lockdown started, I was determined to not become a slob and just consume unending hours of films and TV shows. And for 2 months I did well. 

Chores.

Books.

Colouring. 

Cooking. 

And an occasional film every now and then. Things were good. I felt like I was making a good enough use of this time, I mean apart from staring out the window and quietly screaming inside my head, I was doing OK. 

For one reason or another, June has brought out a different side to me. 

My sleep cycle, which for once in my adult life was somewhat normal. I have been a night owl my whole life. I am more alert, productive and generally happier at night. I call it my vampire living. I know it's not good for me but it's how I function. 

But in the last month, by some miracle I was sleeping on time, sometimes even before my bedtime. I was a legit grandma going to bed at early as 7 PM.

(Seriously, who dis?) 

Waking up gloriously well-rested at 5:30 AM.

But not anymore. 

I now go to bed at 5:00 AM and sleep my day away.

I am trying to not be so hard on myself, because things are hard enough as they are. I don't need to add self-hate to the pile. 

I am allowing myself some grace and kindness. 

So if I sleep all day, meh no biggie. 

OK, enough of my essay on self-love during quarantine. 

We got rid of our Netflix subscription at the beginning of March because there was just nothing interesting on there! We'd moved on to Voot, which has some pretty solid thriller series (Asur, The Raikar Case, Illegal etc.) and, of course, there is always the old faithful- Amazon Prime Video. 

However, recently, there have been some pretty interesting content on Netflix and so, as soon as June started, we got back on it! 

Here are five really great documentaries/ shows that I've watched this week and loved on Netflix...

1. Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich: Oh my! 

Yikes. 

This documentary-series sheds light on the nefarious and abusive behaviour of Jeffrey Epstein. Abuse, rape, predatory behaviour and every other horrendous thing you can possibly image, this shit did. Seriously what a total prick. 

I didn't follow the Epstein case very closely when it broke in the News. I knew vaguely of what he stood accused of but never all the details. 

So this show was a revelation and it was repulsive. 

This man did so many horrible things to so many young and vulnerable women for years and got away with it. He was filthy rich and friends in the highest places, and this ensured he escaped the law and got away with crimes against women for as long as he did. 

I really enjoyed this show, it is hard to watch, given it's subject matter, but it was so well-worth it learning more about flawed justice systems and seeing that wealth protects you no matter where you live, as in it's not unique to India. 

So good! 

2. Never Have I Ever: This show is so freaking cute and seriously it's the perfect thing to escape into right now. 

A desi teen, kick-ass friends, a love triangle and coming to term with grief. 

Ah! 

This show is adorable but also moving and I was happy to see not OTT with desi tropes. 

I mean Kamala's arranged marriage being so extra, what with her not even seeing Prashant before she shows up on her doorstep was a bit weird and really not how things are done anymore (I hope!). 

Everything else was pretty darn perfect.

Oh and John McEnroe being the narrator was so genius and came out of nowhere. 

Just buckets of comfort and laughs and all kinds of representation. 

So watch this now, if you haven't already. 

3. Tiger King: OMG! 

Like what was this show?

Who are these people? 

And do people really live like this? 

I love fining out about fringe and eccentric communities and folks breeding and raising big cats in America is definitely pretty damn fringe!

I kept reading about everyone going mad over this show a couple of months ago, when it came out and I honestly thought this wasn't for me. I mean...I don't think I've ever seen or been interested in something like this. 

Boy, was I wrong. 

This is the kind of train wreck you can't look away from. 

These people are horrible, every last one of them and those poor animals! 

But this show will blow your mind. 

Twists.

Deaths. 

Cult-like vibes. 

Yes, please! 

If, like me, you've been on the fence about this show, give it a shot. I think you'll like it. 

A total narcissist breeding tigers and a woman, who may or may not have killed her husband trying to shut him down. A rivalry like no other. 

4.The Lovebirds: Need a good laugh?

Love films about things going wrong and hilarity ensuing?

This is the film for you. 

An unsuspecting couple, out for a night out stumbles into a murder and are on a run trying to prove their innocence, while also trying to figure out if they should be together anymore. 

Funny and sweet and hugely entertaining. 

A perfect way to take your mind off things. 

5. Queer Eye Season- 5: Queer Eye needs no introduction! If you enjoy meeting sweet humans, who need a little help and polishing from the Fab 5, then this is just the perfectly heartwarming show to watch! Highly, highly recommend binging all seasons! 

Planner Pages: May 2020.

Hello! 

I've been doing IGTV videos for my Planner Pages every month on over on Instagram. I mainly use stickers and ephemera to decorate my planner pages. Every month I intend to use my stamps and things and really go to town on my pages..but I don't..

And for the last 2-3 months I've felt too sad to do up my pages nicely. 

:( 

In may I used a mix of stickers and sticky notes to make my pages a little happy and full of colour. 

Most of my supplies are from Stickii Club, a wonderful sticker subscription I've been subscribed to since last year. I love the stickers and paper clips, patches and even stick notes they send out in their kits. The best 10 dollars we spend in the month. 

OK, enough chatting. 

Let's see what May looked in my planner..of course before the ink. 

Week 1. 

The theme for this week was all things self-care and pampering. 

I needed to treat myself and my skin a little kindly after weeks of being a full time maid. 

:( 

I miss waffles so much! 

I know Frankie said it first, but Bunny says Relax too. 

Spoiler Alert..I didn't really relax at all.

Doggos. 

A gaggle of corgis. 

A bunny doing dishes. 

This sticker just spoke to me. 

It really felt like a long month! 

:) 

Hello June 2020!

Hello June! 

Be good.

Be Kind.

Be Rainy. Very, very rainy. Please!

Be Healthy. 

It has been so unbearably hot in Bombay this past week and my heart is craving rains and everything else that comes along with it- pakoras, cosy days spent at home, being curled up under a blanket with chai and a good book! Ah! 

Our plans for June are to stay home! 

The Lockdown has been eased in various parts of the country, but not in Bombay (for very good reasons), given it is, unfortunately, the Covid-19 capital of India! So, it is best to stay in and not go out anywhere unless we absolutely have to! I reckon it is good to minimise outings and not go anywhere that is too crowded. 

As far as reading goals go, the two types of books/genres that I want to read this month are diametrically different from each other- fully cozy ones or intense psychological thrillers/ murder mysteries. No in-between for me! *grin* 

So, here's hoping June 2020 is good for all of us! 

Take care, fam!

Stay safe!