From the mouths of babes

In an effort to stay cool during the current heat wave, yesterday evening we walked over to McDonald's for soft-serve cones.

Indio: Mama, I want the one with chocolate on top.

Me: You want the chocolate sundae?

Indio: No, Mama!  I want it now!  I don't want it on Sunday!

not taken yesterday, but seems like this has already become the summer of ice cream

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World's Greatest Dads

Though it's not always easy and sometimes it seems like we're doing things blindly, I couldn't be the mother I am without having you be the father you are. Happy Father's Day, Love.

circa 2012

And to the man who will always be my "World's Greatest Daddy",

Happy Father's Day!

circa 1979

Love,

Your favourite child.

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Card Catalogue: Behind the Beautiful Forevers

I haven't done a book review post in awhile because, well, I haven't been reading as much as I'd like to.  But in the last two weeks I started and finished a fantastic new read.  It was so good, I'm having a hard time starting something new for fear it won't measure up.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo is a nonfiction book about the "undercity" of Mumbai -- particularly one slum and its inhabitants.

^via

Katherine Boo does for Indian nonfiction what Rohinton Mistry did for Indian fiction [for me] with A Fine Balance.  As a person of Indian descent who has visited India, I've always been aware of the slums in India, but have never read a nonfiction account of life in the "undercity."  I've always felt that India is so acutely divided by haves and have-nots, but this poignant book really takes that to another level.  After reading BTBF, I was both amazed at the lives of the slumdwellers and ashamed that I had not taken notice of those same lives in a more substantial way.  India's big cities truly cannot run without these people who are essentially invisible to both the wealthy and the government.

Boo's writing captivated me by giving such a thorough depiction of life in Annawadi, a Mumbai slum, that I had to remind myself this wasn't a fabricated story.  I really felt like I "knew" the characters in this book, and my heart ached along with theirs as they lived through such poverty and hardship that I can't even imagine.  The hardest part of this book was seeing how corrupt India actually is.  My first instinct was to research charitable organizations to somehow help the people of the slums, but after reading Boo carefully point out that even the "Western" charities didn't follow through with their aid, I'm really at a loss of what I can do from here.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes anthropological studies, but also loves a really well written story.  At no point was I bored or tired of this book. Definitely a top contender for my best book of 2012.

What have you read lately?  Suggestions would be much appreciated as I'm at a loss of what to read now.

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Oldies but goodies

I haven't been using my cameras much since getting an iPhone, but found these photos from a visit to NYC last April. Now that we live here again, I don't always stop to relish in the beauty of the city.

making our way into the city as the sun comes up

blooms in the 'Heights

mini bridge in Cobble Hill

my favorite house in Cobble Hill

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Insta-WHAT?

Like many so many other owners of iPhones, I have become addicted to using the photo app, Instagram.  I love modifying my photos with their filters and frames, though I do find them limited at times. [I use Camera+ when I need a bit more oompf! and then I import into Instagram to post to my feed.] I love that I can share my photos with other Instagram users I connect with. [My profile is private so I can control who sees my photos.]

But along with sharing online, I wanted to have hardcopies of some of my prints.  Luckily, there are a ton of companies out there that will print your Instagram photos!

E and I drink a lot of tea, usually ending our day with a cup.  Because tea is such a ritual in our house, it's really hard not to buy every cool mug I come across. [I'm under strict orders from E that if I bring a mug in, one has to go out.] Lucky for me, even E couldn't resist the super-fun Magic Mug from Snapfish. These mugs are black when cold, but once you pour in a hot liquid, your photos magically appear! I create two different collage mugs [to make use of the most photos] with my uploaded Instagrams.

getting hot

all warmed up!

I also had a coupon for Shutterfly so I decided to create a photo book of my Instagram shots to see how they would print on a larger scale.  I was very impressed with the quality of the book and my photos! I chose the padded hard cover for my 8x8 book, which gave it a shiny, slightly puffy feel like some of the picture books Indio has in his collection.

Some screenshots of pages from my book:

I think the next project I want to create is a case for my iPhone since my current one is on its last legs.  Have any of you used Casetagram? What do you do with your Instagram shots?

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