Found it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I first saw the face on some HDTV design show and I was hooked. Its was what I imagined angels would look like. Cherubic, sweet with rounded apple cheeks, melancholy saucer eyes and cupid bow lips, that face was captivating and at the same time strangely familiar. Its the sort of familiar that turns into a niggling annoyance at the back of your mind. ,I kept thinking about it on and off and I could never really figure out. Its like that piece of song you keep humming but cannot remember where you heard it. Like a will-o-wisp, the 'Aha' moment keeps eluding you. I finally saw an old Will and Grace episode, did some digging and uncovered it. I got my 'Aha' momnet! Yay!

I know that this discovery is not going to amuse anyone but me, when I old and gray and reading my posts (I do that, often) but what have you got to lose, right? If you are familiar with art-shart, you will chuckle and think to yourself, I know of better artistes/ I can't believe she didn't know someone so famous or you will get a chance for your 'Discovery of the day'.

So Drumroll please..........Piero Fornasetti (try saying the name, very sexy) is the artiste who was inspired by this face and went on to paint it on every surface imaginable, from dinner plates to lamp shades. His bio will tell you more about him than I can, seeing as I just figured out who puts those faces on stuff.I also found out where you can get this stuff in New York so the next you come over to my place, it might just look like this.

Arrested Development

I have no idea how this show slipped under the radar despite getting critical acclaim. I, a devout follower of all sitcoms, dramedys(drama-comedy) and such, missed this till it was well into its last season. Like all familys in the TV world, this one is deliciously dysfunctional. The Bluths are over the top, materialistic, neurotic, selfish and completely unrepentent. Jason Bateman as Micheal Bluth is as dishy as ever. He is the voice of conscience for the family amd brings a sweet sincerity to the character. I lurrve him. I do, I do....but enough about him. Micheal Cera, the Juno kid is there, so are Jeffrey Tambor, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Henry Winkler, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, Jessica Walter. Aw, you had me at Jeffrey Tambor and Will Arnett. Will Arnett's wife also pops in for a cameo, as his wife. And there's David Cross as a closet gay with a 'nevernude' condition. Have I sold it yet?

Its impossible to pick anyone for a special mention. The cast is marvellous. I can't find a superlative that will describe how good they are. Together, they are as good as vanilla icecream over hot brownies...even better.

Ron Howard, my favoritest actor-director is the executive producer on this show and he the narrator too.

Watch out for all the inside jokes and references to the actors previous projects.

You can find season one full episodes here. I don't think its in syndication, I haven't seen it yet. So dvds are our only bet for the remaining seasons.

Nanya's Bday

Nanya turned 3 last weekend. Ananya is my niece and every first time aunt/uncle knows how precious nieces are. My little girl with her angelic features, curly brown hair and bottomless dark eyes turned 3. It seems like just yesterday Manasee was indulging her cravings for pani-puris and blaming it on her gently swelling belly. I know this sounds odd but I can't remember the time when we didn't have Ananya around. Aunts are immune to objectivity so I feel no shame in proclaiming that our family has been blessed with the cutest, smartest and the most adorable child. Just like everybody else's :)

It was more of a birthday weekend for Nanya than a Birth-Day. What with her understanding the concept and having gone to countless Dora-themed birthday's she had a specific list of demands for her special day. She wanted to eat pani-puri, cut a big Mickey Mouse cake and go to her favorite Thai restaurant. The Thai restaurant fixation has less to do with the food and more to do with the super friendly staff who allows Ananya to paint on the tablecloth. First she celebrated her birthday in school by cutting a cake and distributing goodie bags, then came home to pani-puri(like mother, like daughter) . Then we all went to the Thai place where Ananya lost no time in proclaiming to all and sundry "It's my birthday today", "I'm a birthday girl", "I'm a princess" much to the amusement of the staff who had met her when the English words she knew were "Hi" and "Bye". After dinner she informed her mom with the authority of a just turned 18 yr old that she was coming to stay with me and we had plans for Saturday. Manasee who had already downed a glass of champagne fought long and hard to keep a straight face :). Saturday morning Nanya and I went to Apple Seeds in Manhattan, an indoor play area for kids. We also got her and her doll matching pink dresses. A sugary confection on ruffles, frills and lace the dress was perfect for a little girl. The highlight of the trip was of course the train rides where Ananya sang Hindi songs for a nice Chinese lady who kept smiling politely through the performance.
On Sunday we celebrated her birthday again, now with a dozen kids at Chuck E Cheese, the kid mecca. It was a Sunday night and atleast 4 birthday's celebrated in that place. What ensued was complete pandemonium. Kids on a juice and cake high were running around dragging their hapless parents behind them till the mascot ChuckE came out and led the kids around the room and sang some songs with them. The pizza sauce and cake smeared faces looked super happy and super tired at the end of the evening. And Ananya was a little dazed by the whole affair.
And so with some fanfare, a pink dress, a princess cake, cheese pizza and ChuckE, Nanya turned 3.