I love this site and these two men are the best Mikeyssmail.com

Court side baby booties from  Crochet today mag/

Made these from Mikeyssmail.com viva youtube.com

Last year I did blog http://nickelos.blogspot.com/2010/04/mike-diva-dan-heres-to-you.html about two amazing men that I know viva the Internet, I have not had chance to meet them in person as of yet but I'm hoping to. They are called Mike & Diva Dan they are from Canada, I'm sure you are wondering how do I know these guys? Well I'm getting to that so here goes, few years ago Crochet Today mag came out with this pattern called "Court side baby booties" shown here well let me tell you I could not figure out this pattern for the life of me, so I let it go for few years then the idea popped into my my head again to crochet some baby booties like that so my quest to learn how to make these cute booties too my to youtube.com I did search for them and long and behold I cam across this guy called "Mikeyssmail" who was teaching you how to crochet baby booties similar to these so I followed along with his video and look what I made how cute are they. I scribed right to the channel I knew that I found something great when I came across him I felt some how that Mike knew right what I was looking for, I know it sounds sappy but true. As the months went on I followed along with him on his youtube journey in crocheting and personal life I meet Diva Dan Mike's partner in life who is amazing person he dose not crochet but he's great at music gardening  cooking color matching decor etc! I have stuck by then and always will even now that Mikeyssmail.com is taking off to great thing!! I reccmond everyone to check him out on youtube.com and on his web page right here: http://mikeyssmail.com/ . I have learned so much from these two men it's not funny Diva Dan opened my eyes to decor esp I love when he has his cooking  section it's great it's wonderful cook I know that I have not ever tasted it but omg it looks so  good! When ever I feel down I just go look at video of them and I start to feel better because you get few good laughs with them, I have learned so much from the both of them I would not even know how to repay them for it. So please check out their page it's worth your time

Wal*Mart Vision Center product review

I just picked up my new glasses today at Wal*Mart Vision Center here in small town USA, so I was inspired to do product review on how there vision center is so where goes hang on to your seats everyone it's going to be fun ride. It was that wonderful time of year again where I need to get my eyes examed well that is what my little reminder card in the mail told me anyhow, which I'm glad it did because I could not remember when I was due for one again, so Wal*Mart Vision Center got thumbs up from me their for sending me little reminder letting me know that it was time for exam! I went right up to the vision center to make my apt they told me we are booked up this week but we can get you in next week on 3/22/11 I said that would be fine with me, they asked if I have vision insurance, told them no I don't my employer dose not have vision insurance so I will be paying out of pocket, they had all my info on the computer but wanted to make sure that everything was still the same. Again they got thumbs up from me again!! I will share everything with you what it cost for my exam glasses and contacts but please due keep in mind I didn't but everything at one time so their will be different totals so here goes:side note this was also contact exam as well

Eye exam: 55.00

Exam for astigmatism(I have astigmatism so it cost little bit more for an exam for me): 45.00


Optic Frame [Apple Bottoms] 68.00

Lenses 30.00

Lenses 30.00 yes it's on here two times because it's per eye

Total cost for exam and glasses this day was $228.00

 I did not have my eye dilated because I didn't have not one to drive me home so I do not get that done, I must say that the time between me filling out my paper work which consisted of two papers, since I was repeat client and the wait to get prescreened or whatever you want to call it was very short time, and the time to wait for the eye doctor was none I didn't have to wait that day as they were not busy. I got very therial eye exam I was even given free pair of trial contacts as well I was asked to read with them in  to make sure that everything fit okay and was good to go, which it was so then I was able to go out and look at frames and order contacts. For cost reasons that day I just ordered my glasses since I had free trial pair I told the tech that I would be up later that week to order my contacts as well.

I went back to the Vision Center that Friday to order my contacts so here is the of everything for that day

Contact lenses 2 boxes for left eye: 43.99 total cost 87.98
Contact lenses 2 boxes for right eye 43.99 total cost 87.98

total cost for that day is 175.96 this is six month supply..

I was told that my glasses would take 5-10 business day to arrive and that my contacts would take 2-3 business day because they use 1800contacts. At the vision center the warranty that I get with my glasses are life time adjustment and cleanings 12 month replacement guarantee 60 day satisfaction so I do not think that is bad for the money at all.




Today round 5 something I get call from the vision center tell me I can come and pick my contacts up, I'm thinking wow that was fast they were ordered Friday, I figured that my glasses would be in round Thursday when I get their the tech taking care of me brings out two trays I'm thinking wow this is something just for contacts this is something, so she says to me do you want to take out your contacts to try your glasses on they came in as well, I was surprised that they came in so fast since the were ordered last week on the 22nd. I love how they fit on my face they are confty it's like I don't have nothing on I know I went with great fame.

I give Wal*Mart Vision Center 5*'s they get A+s in my book it only took 5 business day for my glasses other places I went to the whole 10days and contacts took week to come in I got my today it was 2 business day I want to tell everyone to go their because they have great prices on there frames and 1800contacts are great people to deal with as well. How ever do check to see if they take your eye insurance if you have any. I had great customer service their way to go Wal*mart.

See happy person I know it's bad pic I for got to shut the ceiling fan off

My visit to Anoopam Mission and Hindu Temple

Anoopam mission hindu temple

I did post last year about my first visit to Hindu temple http://nickelos.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-first-visit-to-hindu-temple.html . I first learn about this temple viva my local paper from this article: http://www.tnonline.com/node/100133 . Well over the course of the year understanding Hinduism has been on my mind as something that I want to do in life so this year I have made it goal to understand Hinduism and learn to speak Hindi, I will be speaking on the learning Hindi on another post now back to this topic. Now you have to understand I have been going over this every night in my mind that this is something that I need to learn so I contacted Anoopam mission viva email and someone got in contact with me, we sat up date and time for me to visit the temple which happen to fall on Holi so I got to see the temple in full action! It was something to see granted I didn't understand everything that was being said but I kind of picked up bits and peaces, it was quite site in enjoyed it made want to learn even more about Hinduism and brought up more questions. They invited me to stay for food but I didn't come alone I came with my Nan and friend Nana can't eat spicy food so we didn't stay long, I thanked the person for showing me around. I did follow up email telling him we did have wonderful time and plan to come back again which is true! I told him that I did have more question about Hinduism he told me we will set another date and time up for me to come back again. I must say I loved the fact that we got to take out shoes off I think every religious  place should be like this to me its respectful, I also felt comfortable with the fact that the believe in reincarnation as well as me!

Now my things is I have few questions for me but I wanted to know what all should I ask when going? I have always wanted to learn about Indian culture and Hinduism so I plan to do so and take you with me dear readers on my new path outside the comfort zone! I will be doing another post about the temple it's self if I'm aloud to I will be asking them first because I don't want to upset anyone or anything.

Must say I felt very at home in the temple like I belong somehow I just can't quite explain it but I felt very at peace something that I not felt in quite long while. I'm going keep up with this see where it takes me in my path.

Holi

Holi a photo by ramnath1971 on Flickr.

Holi the festival of colors here is little history of Holi.
Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally known as 'Holika'. The festivals finds a detailed description in early religious works such as Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras. Historians also believe that Holi was celebrated by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern part of India.

It is said that Holi existed several centuries before Christ. However, the meaning of the festival is believed to have changed over the years. Earlier it was a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the full moon (Raka) was worshiped.

This is something that I have wanted to take part in this since as long as I can remember but I don't know of place where to do so around here. I know that it was celebrated this past weekend and it was not warm enough to spray colored water on people too bad we can celebrate it bit later when it gets warm out LOL. I plan to learn all I can about Holi and take part in it next year somewhere. I would like to go to all Hindu festivals that I can this year in my quest to under stand Hinduism I will need to find out where to do find this festivals first I'm sure there are places around me that have them.

I do wish everyone everywhere happy safe Holi

I'm stepping out of myComfort Zone!!!!

India Pillow a photo by ashpei on Flickr.

I have come to realize that I have been living in comfort zone for almost year now it's not good nor is it me! I have chosen to now to step out of this zone, into the unknown to see where it takes me I might not like it but it's something that needs to be done in order to help myself grow become better person. I know that we all have this kind of zone to protect ourselves from things in life but are we really hurting ourselves by doing so? I tend to think that we are just so we can go along with what society wants us to do, I'm choosing not to take part in this no more I'm stepping out I'm done with this! So I have put together list of thing that I plan to do to step out of this zone, and into uncharted waters so to speak I will blog about every single one of them tell you how it was if I plan to do it again or not. Here is the list in not certain order:

Learn Hindi
Learn Hinduism
Go to India
Find my other half
Take trips this year
Hike
Raft
Learn to swim
volunteer
go to Canada
get better at wordpress

There are more to add to this list so I will be adding more to the list. I would love to hear comments from you as well.

Learning Hindi

Learning Hindi a photo by nickgraywfu on Flickr.

No I'm not going out and getting Rosetta Stone! I'm plannning on learning hindi somehow! I want to get Rosetta Stone but it cost too much money, I know it's great tool to learn from but cost too much money, so I will get looking into other mean of learning hindi somehow, I have always wanted to learn how read write speak Hindi so I'm going to learn how to do so. I will be taking all of you on this journey with me. I have chosen to step out of my comfort zone into something different, uncharted waters so to speak this is something that I need to do in life I'm sick of the same old so I'm going to learn something new and take you along with me.

I want to get more Kurti's/Tunic but where to get them?

Pink long sleeves Kurti/Tunic with designer bead work a photo by frankdesonato@yahoo.com on Flickr.

I have one Kurti and I love it I want to get more but where do I go get some? I'm looking on eBay right now but the whole sizing thing get me confused at times! I looked on Amazon.com I found some and they cost quite bit I don't need all fancy ones I want to be able to where then everyday outfit like with my jeans and Capri's I do want some dressy ones for going out places to don't get me wrong! Only bad side about living in small town USA is that we don't have store that makes or sell's them, so I guess I will have to do search online for places near me that sell them. If anyone knows where I can get some at please let me know, because I'm so ready to drive to NJ to little India and find shops their that sell them and have sizes to fit me as well. That is the other issues with sizing their idea of xl-2xl is different from ours so I would have to try them on. I know that when you get kurti that is goes by measurements which is fine by me since I know what mine are. I just want to find kurti that I like dose not cost lot oh and is short sleeves for summers as well, that is my other issues I want to wear them during the summer! I will have to keep everyone posted on how this comes along.

Book review "The Sari show Widow"

I’m doing a book review on book I just got done reading  by Shobhan Bantwal it  is called “The Sari Shop Widow” here is brief summary of what the book is about I did not write this summary so everyone know.
“Since becoming a widow at age twenty-seven, Anjali Kapadia has devoted herself to transforming her parents’ sari shop into a chic boutique, brimming with exquisite jewelry and clothing. Now, ten years later, it stands out like a proud maharani amid Edison’s bustling Little India. But when Anjali learns the shop is on the brink of bankruptcy, she feels her world unraveling
To the rescue comes Anjali’s wealthy, dictatorial Uncle Jeevan and his business partner, Rishi Shah—a mysterious Londoner, complete with British accent, cool gray eyes, and skin so fair it makes it hard to believe he’s Indian. Rishi’s cool, foreign demeanor triggers distrust in Anjali and her mother. But for Anjali, he also stirs something else, a powerful attraction she hasn’t felt in a decade. And the feeling is mutual
Love disappointed Anjali once before and she’s vowed to live without it—though Rishi is slowly melting her resolve and, as the shop regains its footing, gaining her trust. But when a secret from Rishi’s past is revealed, Anjali must turn to her family and her strong cultural upbringing to guide her in finding the truth”
I have found this book to be great read I recamend   it to family and friends it’s great read. very well written I will say I loved how it touched on family, how family works together even when things start to go bad. I had some good laughs thoughout the book as for some reason it reminded me of my own life at times, was good to get point of view of young widow you don’t normal come across books written in 21 centery or modern day that talk about such a thing it was good to read something like how it talked about the struggles that she was going still how many years later. The romance I like how they built it up and didn’t just let it hang in the air, What kind of let me down was I wanted to learn more about the uncle would have like to see the uncle get closer to the family more, from begin to end thought it was great read! I would have also like an epilogue as to what happened later on to the family. I have this book 5 stars