Home> Decorating Tips for your Daughter's Room

Text by: Tanya Munshi
It is never too late to give your daughter a surprise. Almost everyone deserves to have a den of their own. So why not add a personal touch to make it livelier for her room!

Favorite Color
Start with her favorite color. Paint a wall with a bright canary yellow, a sky blue or a parrot green. To balance out this bright shade, mellow down the same color on the other walls. Remember to paint the door as well. Fix bright colored door hooks on the door for the inside of her room. This is where she can hang her school bag, tennis racket etc.

Poster
Frame or laminate one of her favorite cartoon characters and fix it firmly on the entrance of her door. Frame some of her drawings and add them on an empty wall if it does not crowd the room too much. Better still, get a nameplate done by a professional and fix it on her door.

Photographs
Bring out all her childhood photographs, especially the black and white ones. Make a collage of all her best photos in two or three large black frames. The base where these photographs will be stuck should be a white paper, as that will enhance the bright wall color. After framing, prop them up on the brightly colored wall. Keep enough distance between the frames.

Reorganize
Reorganize her furniture to give it a new look. Move her cupboard and study table to one of the lightly colored walls. Push the bed toward the bright colored wall; let the headstand stick to the wall. In all this, make sure there is enough room for your daughter to move around or have her friends over.

Additions
Add wooden or glass shelves on another wall to display her trophies, family photographs etc. you can also use these shelves to keep some of her soft toys. If there is enough space, then make an open wooden shelf to keep her story books. Add a soft board just next to her study table, as that comes handy for school. Change the bed covers to match the bright wall color and throw in some extra cushions that are a complete contrast to the wall color. Don’t forget to place a bright color contrast rug near her bed.

Lighting
A child’s room should always be well lit up. So don’t forget to add a table lamp and lampshade on the ceiling that will add to the brightness of her room. Use contrast color light cotton curtains that will allow enough sunlight from entering her room.

Home> Handy Tips with Wonder Vinegar

Text by: Tanya Munshi
You must be wondering why something that has a sour smell, taste and is colorless is being given so much of importance. The truth is vinegar is a wonder product. Produced during the oxidation of ethanol in beer, wine or cider, vinegar has acetic properties that make it popular choice in every household.

Kitchen Tips
~ Want to rid the microwave of the odor and stains? Add 1-2 capfuls of vinegar and 1 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. Set this for at 4-5 minutes. The steam from the water-vinegar mixture will remove the odor and help you in cleaning the insides of the microwave with ease.
~ During defrosting your refrigerator, clean the insides with a clean cloth dipped in vinegar water solution.
~ To flush the drainage of your kitchen sink, mix 1 bowl of hot water with 1/4th cup of vinegar added to it. Pour this hot mixture as and when required into the kitchen sink. This will clean the drainage and prevent dirt, muck and germs from settling in.

Health Tips
~ Sunburn can be effectively treated by applying vinegar on the skin. There is no need to dilute the vinegar. Just dab a bit of it on a cloth and gently apply on the affected areas.
~ Its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties are highly effective to remedy feet infections like fungal growth and athlete’s foot.
~ Suffering from a tooth ache? Dab a bit of vinegar in a cloth and rub it gently on the painful tooth. This will temporarily subside the pain while you rush to the dentist.

Home Tips
~ To rid tobacco odor from a room, keep open bowls of vinegar to absorb the smell.
~ Cleaning the windows? Make a solution of water and vinegar and watch the windows shine as new.
~ By regularly cleaning your kitchen floor with vinegar you can remove the greasiness and kill germs.
~ To keep ants away, regularly clean your table tops and kitchen slabs with vinegar.
~ Wash your garbage bins with vinegar solution. This is a perfect way to kill germs.
~ After chopping veggies or meat, wash the chopping board with vinegar.

Published in Tips4me.com, on September 24, 2007
Link: http://www.tips4me.com/tips/homehints/preview_main.asp?tip=wonder_wonderingradients

Pep Talk!> Snip That Anger!

Text by: Tanya Munshi
In life, we are bound to meet annoying people or land up in frustrating situations. In such cases, keeping a tab on our emotions helps us to handle life more responsibly. Anger can be manifested in three ways, by expressing it, suppressing it and by calming down. But when none of these manifestations work, maybe it’s a good idea for you to chalk out an anger management regimen.

Acceptance Is Important: Remember, you cannot control every event, place, situation or person in the world. Things are bound to go wrong, but life still moves on. You have to realize that you cannot always express your anger and not always have things go your way.

Tire Out: When you feel the mercury rising, it’s best to indulge in something that is physically exerting. Go for a jog, a swim, gym work out or play a sport. This way, you vent your anger in a positive manner.

Deep Breathing: Deep breathing, especially through yoga, has amazing effects on anger. That’s why it is highly recommended that when angry, count till 10. Breathing slowly while counting 10 helps in clearing negative thoughts that cloud our mind, which in turn helps us think clearly.

Laugh it off: Use humor to handle situations/people who are beyond your control. There is a fine line between humor and sarcasm. There is no need to hurt someone else just because you’re angry. You’ll be surprised to see how much work can get done with a simple smile on your face instead of a bout of nasty anger.

Forgive And Forget: Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can gift yourself, especially during trying times. Easier said than done, forgiveness releases pent up anger and frustration, which in turn can help you in dealing with difficult situations.

Published in Tips4me.com, on October 16, 2007
Link: http://www.tips4me.com/tips/inspiration/others_main.asp?file=/tips/focus/focus.htm

Home> Jazz Up Your Wall

Text by: Tanya Munshi
Does the hole in your pocket curb your urge to redesign your room? Here are some simple ideas and tips to give your room a new look by just re-decorating a wall.For a classy look, paint one wall with your favourite colour. Now use this wall as a palate and add whatever you think will spice up that room. For that, begin with a theme. Here are some examples:

Memories: Collate all your black and white childhood photographs. Select the most memorable ones and make a collage out of them on a large white paper and get it framed with a black border.

Props: To make a wall look lively, add masks, a musical instrument like a guitar, hats or antique items.

Posters: Get hold of old classic movie posters. Frame them in basic wooden frames and hoist them up on the wall.

Rustic: Been to a rural location lately? Make sure you collect absolutely rudimentary tools or craftwork prepared by the village locals. Hoist them up on your wall to give a rustic effect.

Elegant: Got some of your mother’s old bone china plates and you don’t want to use them for fear of chipping them? Get hooks and adorn your wall with these beautiful plates for an elegant touch.

Published in Tips4me.com, on November 19, 2007
Link: http://www.tips4me.com/tips/homehints/preview_main.asp?tip=home_furnishing

Home> Organize your Kitchen

Text by: Tanya Munshi
There's one place in the entire house that is by far a personal favourite for anyone. The kitchen of course! And why not, after all, that's the place from where we get all the home made goodies, a hot cuppa or an evening snack.

Today, everyone seems to be in a hurry and most of the times they tend to miss out on important things just because they fail to organise themselves. That is why, it is always best to be organized even in a kitchen. Surprised? Well, to save time and work efficiently we organize our study table, our work station and even our wardrobe. So why not organize the kitchen? After all, we do spend a considerable amount of time preparing a good meal/ snack for ourselves, right?

• First and foremost, take out everything from the kitchen cabinets and shelves.
• Once you're done, clean it with a cloth dipped and squeezed of the soap water and allow it to dry. In the meantime, sort out the items. Discard the food items that have well overshot their expiry dates.
• Set aside the ones you can use immediately and the ones a little later. Keep them in different shelves, labelled so that you know when you can use what item.
• Keep the shelves that are an arm's distance with the utensils and ingredients you need daily.
• Set aside an entire shelf or two for crockery that you will need only when guests arrive.
• Label all the jars possible. While you're away, your hubby or kids know where what is kept and won't be lost.
• Keep a notepad and pen in the kitchen, whenever you think of an ingredient that you may need, jot it down. This will help you for grocery shopping and not miss out on anything.
• Keep a calendar in your kitchen. This will help you to keep tab on the water purifier servicing, gas cylinder refill, electric oven repair etc.
• Keep a kitchen clock. That will help you to keep a check on your cooking time and not run late for other things in life.

Published in CookingGoddess.com, on April 9, 2007
Link: http://www.cookinggoddess.com/category/All-News/Organize-your-Kitchen/

Hobbies> Painting on Glass? Here's how

Glass paint by: Mahua Khanna
Photograph by: Tanya Munshi
Artwork Copyright: Mahua Khanna
Image copyright: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Ever tried your hand at glass painting? It is a little more intricate than painting on other surfaces like paper, canvas or fabric, but with the right instructions you can churn out a decent glass painting of your very own.
Mahua Khanna, an interior designer specialising in glass painting, offers some basic and handy tips to master this art form.

Things you will need:
~ Glass / mirror / tiles
~ Glass liner
~ Photocopy of drawings/ designs and carbon paper
~ Glass colours
~ Paint brushes
(You can get the paints and brushes from any stationery or art shop, and the glass, mirror and tiles from a hardware store or glass dealer).

Selecting the glass
Choosing a glass piece is very important. But how do we know which is the correct size and width for our painting? Mahua offers the following tips:

~ Ideally, you should use glasses measuring 8 inches by 6 inches, to a maximum of 1 foot by 1 foot, and a thickness of 3 millimetres to 4 millimetres.
~ Avoid very thin or very thick glass. The pressure of your hand may break thin glass, while very thick glass may break due to its own weight.
~ Before using the glass make sure it is free from dust and watermarks, if any. Clean it well with soap and water. Dry with a piece of cloth and place under a fan to remove any water residue.

Using a glass liner
To outline your design on the glass, first take a photocopy of the picture, drawing or design you want to paint. Next, lay a piece of carbon paper over the glass. Place the photocopy over this and tape the sides with cello tape (to prevent the papers from shifting). With a pen or pencil carefully outline the entire image. Once you complete tracing the design, carefully detach the papers from the glass.

The next step is lining the design with glass liner. You could use either a water-based or solvent-based liner in any colour, though black, gold and opaque ones are the most commonly used.
"Beginners can use water-based liners which tend to be cheaper," say Mahua. The drawback of using water-based liners, however, is that they tend to peel off the glass if water is applied.
"Once you get the hang of glass painting, you can move on to solvent-based glass liners, which are more permanent," she adds.

There are two ways to line an image, you could either directly using the nozzle of the liner or use a plastic cone (like a mehendi cone). Using the nozzle method for large glass surfaces is recommended.

Points to note
~ Be very careful while drawing the outline. Maintain the same pressure throughout the outline. ~ While making the outline try not to lift your hand. Stopping midway will show the break in outline very clearly. ~ After completing the outline, allow at least five to six hours for the liner to dry before you begin colouring it.

Selecting the brushes
You can use regular watercolour brushes for glass painting. Small size brushes are ideal for filling in the colours, and sizes 000, 00, 0, 1 and 2 are recommended.
Unlike painting with watercolours, however, the technique for glass painting is different. For small paintings, thin brushes should be used and thicker brushes should be used for larger ones.

Tips on usage
~ Use thinner to get the paint off before you clean your brushes with soapy water. Cleaning is essential as any small residue of paint can ruin a painting.
~ You can also keep dipping the brush in the thinner while painting. Keep a cloth handy to wipe off any excess thinner.

Using glass colours
Now that you have the outline in place, it is time to fill in the colour. Here again there are two types -- water and solvent based. Camlin and Fevicryl are the most popular brands.
A word of caution: Too much exposure to sunlight can cause this type of paint to fade.
Solvent-based glass colours are permanent colours and should be used for larger paintings.
You can highlight the paintings by strategically placing lamps and light bulbs around them.

Ready to paint?
Now, we come to the fun part -- painting!
To fill the image with paint, first start by using the nozzle tip of the colour bottles while making sure there are no air bubbles on the glass. Shaking the bottle too much can also create bubbles which will hamper the process.
To get rid of bubbles, pour the paint out on a separate piece of glass, using it as a palette. Bear in mind that the paint must be used fast once it is opened as it tends to dry up very quickly.
You can also drop a small amount of colour on the spaces that need to be painted and quickly brush over the area.
Avoid sitting under the fan as far as possible to prevent the paint from drying up before you've completed the painting.

Touching up
Dissatified with the results? Here are two ways to correct it:
~ Peel off the paint after 10-20 minutes of application. You can also use a blade to scrape off the unwanted part.
~ Take a ear bud, dip it in glass paint thinner to clean up the more intricate areas of your painting.

Before re-filling the portion, ensure that the area is dry and completely clean. Always use the same brand of colour for a single painting. Mixing diffrent brands of paint for the same painting may not give you the desired result.

Begin with the smaller areas, moving on to larger ones. Wait for 10-15 minutes for the paint to dry before painting another portion. Also, while filling in the colour ensure that you reach the corners or edges.

Painting on mirrors
Avoid painting on large mirrors as far as possible. Besides being too heavy for framing, larger mirrors are more likely to break.
The technique of drawing an outline is the same as for glass painting though you might get distracted by your own reflection! To avoid this, sit at an angle so that your reflection doesn't fall directly on the mirror.
Also, using a solvent-based colour on a mirror painting usually produces a better effect. Allow five to six hours for the painting to completely dry up.
Always avoid wrapping your paintings in cloth or paper as the paint tends to stick.

Painting on tiles
The procedure used for outlining and filling in colours in a glass painting may be used for tile painting as well.
Since tiles are heavier, you can skip framing them. Instead, getting the edges of the tile beaded will have a much more artistic effect.
Besides paint, you can use mediums such as sand, coloured sand (where you mix some colours to it), sequins and glitter for tile painting as well.
Remember, tiles have a heavier base than glass and so will need a larger amount of paint for the colour's denseness to come through.

Points to note
Use a paint thinner for shading on the glass, mirror or tile.
Tape the edges of the glass to avoid nasty cuts.
While buying glass, ask the storekeeper to polish the sides and blunt the edges.
Pick plain tiles for better effect.
Don't eat off the painted glass. It should be used for decorative and gifting purposes only.

Published in Rediff.com, on June 06, 2007
Link: http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2007/jun/06slid1.htm

Pep Talk!> Boost Your Popularity at Work

Image: Fly Away!
Artwork By: Tanya Munshi
Artwork Copyright: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Being unpopular at work is very easy. All you have to do is interrupt your boss or colleagues while a meeting is in progress, continuously talk about your personal experiences in a group or simply prevent your colleagues from voicing their opinions by airing your own.
Employers can detect this trait in a person during an interview. Says senior executive director, Dr M K Munshi, "There are several ways to detect a potential unpopular person -- from the person's body language during an interview, to his/ her response to questions.

Jyotsna Maskay, who works with a women's NGO in Thailand, says, "Micro-managers are unpopular. A micro-manager is someone who tries to manage minor issues of the organisation when other people can solve it. It's like poking your nose in everything."
And then there are some who become unpopular because we play politics. Lacking leadership skills and poor communication skills can make you unpopular.

How to spot them
~ General appearance
The way you dress, the way you walk, your facial expressions and your body language, give out signals. Some people really don't care what they wear to work. Crushed salwar kameez or shirt and trousers, uncombed hair, torn sandals, unpolished shoes -- all constitute a negative image.

~ Attitude
It's hazardous to be have a team member who sports an 'I don't care' attitude. Not caring what the other team members feel, not sticking to deadlines can be detrimental to the long term goals of a team/ company.

~ Superiority complex
This mostly happens in a senior to a junior setup. The dislike towards a senior increases if he/ she constantly picks on a junior. If a senior had a bad day, he/ she may take it out on the junior. A fresher or an employee with a few months of work experience can find it difficult to stand up to such an individual. This kind of courage comes with time and experience.

~ Behaviour
How one behaves with colleagues, especially with the opposite sex speaks a lot. Flirtatious behaviour, sitting on the table to catch up on gossip, talking loudly, clapping and laughing loudly, making sure one is heard are some ways of seeking attention.

~Gossip
He who gossips to you, gossips of you. Beware of a person who comes to offer you a juicy bit of gossip. In turn, the very person will go and talk about you to the other person as to what you had to say about him/ her.

~ Selfish
A self-centred person is only concerned about his/ her own welfare, uncaring of other's feelings and welfare. He/she is prepared to get his/ her colleagues in trouble.

~ Passing the buck
If at a managerial level, this person always takes credit for success but never for failures.

~ Indifference
A person who possesses a chalta hai attitude refuses to take any initiative for tasks, such as planning an office party or taking part in any event.

How to cope
"Given a choice, one tries to isolate the person and keep him/ her out of activities involving teamwork. Secondly one is very guarded in their presence and discussions are often limited to the bare essentials," says Dr Munshi.
Seconding this is Pune-based Sahana Rao, an assistant manager in instructional design who adds, "I would limit my interaction with that person as far as possible. If we are in the same team, I would try to ignore that person's comment." Rao feels that such people tend to take things too personally and that, a change in the person's attitude is required to improve upon that unpopular image.

Tips to being popular
~ Punctuality
Being punctual is of prime importance. A person who shows up late is not only sending out a message that he/ she not only does not takes his/ her tasks seriously, but also does not respect other people's time.

~ Respect the little people
Respect those employees who do not form the hierarchy but are of immense help. Don't alienate the peons, the office boy, the watchman, the man who serves tea or the cleaner. Be polite to them.

~Feedback
Remember the military adage -- Praise in public, rebuke in private. Don't scold a junior for poor performance in public. Even if he/ she hasn't performed well, it doesn't mean that he/ she has to be ridiculed in front of everyone. Don't hurt anyone's ego or self-respect. Call the person aside, in a conference room and then talk to him/ her. Offer to help him/ her to work better, instead of dousing his/ her enthusiasm.

~ Interaction
Don't order people and expect them to follow. Interact with them. Instead of shooting down ideas for an office party, go ahead with someone's plan and offer your ideas and suggestions in the next round.

~ Making fun
Don't poke fun at others. Not everyone enjoys being the subject of a joke, especially in public or at work. Know when to stop and when a person is not enjoying the joke. Apologise immediately for insensitivity.

Published in Rediff.com, on February 12, 2007
Link: http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2007/feb/12work.htm