​Hi friends, if you are feeling overwhelmed right now...I can totally relate to your situation. 
At one time you are looking forward to meeting and celebrating with all your friends, family and colleagues, not to mention all the awesome wedding festivities...and within a few days everything has gone topsy-turvy.

No worries, friend. I'm here for you.
Below you'll find answers to your questions and help gain some clarity.

Your most burning question probably is:
Should I cancel or postpone or just have a very private wedding?

Postpone
For everyone involved, the best option is to postpone. It is less inconvenient than canceling the wedding altogether. Letting everyone know via phone calls or emails (with a read receipt) will guarantee that everyone has received the news and the new dates.

Cancel
If you feel that there is no choice but to cancel, then I recommend  that you immediately inform your planner, all the vendors, any hotel bookings, travel arrangements for honeymoon, etc. Depending upon how close you are to the wedding date, you may be able to get few refunds. 
Make sure to call all the invitees to let them know about the cancellation. Have a family member help you with this.

Private ceremony
Finally, there's  the option of having a very private ceremony. I'd suggest to doing things just like you've canceled the wedding...with the addition of modified preparations for the now-much smaller wedding.

We'll lose the deposit paid to wedding vendors if we cancel. Is it okay to ask for a refund?

Here's the bad news.
Yes, there is a high chance that you'll lose those funds.

First, I'd suggest going through your copy of the signed Contract with each vendor. Check their refund policy.
Next, check if the vendor has already done any work. For example; wedding planners start  planning everything several months before the wedding day. Your henna artist probably has already drafted out and finalized the bridal designs with you. You probably had consultations with the vendors which were included in the bridal services. 

Also take into consideration that the Wedding industry is one of the worst hit by Covid-19. Your vendors most probably have many clients asking for a refund, which could financially cripple any small business. 

Lastly, while taking all the above factors into consideration, contact the vendor.
Yes, it's okay to ask for a refund from your vendors. Most vendors will work with you. These are unprecedented times and we all are in this together.

What about my custom bridal lehenga? We can't have a wedding and I have no use for it anymore.

These are unprecedented times, agreed. But weddings get canceled for other reasons too.
Contact your designer/boutique to check if they have started the work on it. 
If there is no way to cancel it, check with the store. See if the boutique can put it up for sale at a discounted price. Out of which they keep a percentage you both agree upon.
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I'd love to know if this helped you in any way. Did you take a different route that worked better for you may be? I hope you'll share your experience with me!

-Manasi
ManasisArt 
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Just like rest of the residents of Peachtree City, my family and I have fallen for this city. We all lovingly call it our "Bubble". And now our Bubble has its very own Face painter and Henna artist! All it takes is a Google search of 'Hennafy Me'!


Moving is never fun and this time it was no different. We have moved so many times over the past 5 years, it has taken its toll. Among them is my beloved business. Although it is a pain, it is also a fresh start to make new friends, and wow new people with my art!

I was thrilled and saddened by the kind words of my repeat clients in Chattanooga, TN. Sharing few of them:

"I hate to hear that you are moving! You will definitely be missed at Color the Curve After Dark - we agree that you are the best in Chattanooga!" 
- Jennifer

"Thank you for all the marvelous face painting you've done for us. xxxx followed up on a couple of your suggestions, so we will be booking with someone soon. Best of luck on your move!"
- Betty P.

My fresh start started with a bang! I arranged a jam with the artists from the surrounding areas....and we had a wonderful time discussing, hennaing and painting each other! We had artists come in from Mcdonough, Newnan, Cummings, Decatur, GA. What an amazing group of artists we have in this area!

Below are pics of henna I did at the jam. Hope you enjoy the pics, as much as, I enjoyed applying henna!
Don't forget...say Hennafy Me!!

I believe all creatures are born free and should remain free. That includes birds. Owls in particular fascinate me because they are different. They are magnificent and extremely skilled hunters. I am always amazed how each and every creature is different in its own way.

Nature is undeniably an artist....THE most creative artist!!

My obsession toward the bird has led me to collect Owls.... made out of different materials and textures. I hope you enjoy browsing through my tiny collection of Owls.

If you ever come across a unique Owl, I would love to hear from you!

Creativity is everywhere you turn! You can turn trash into treasure or something ordinary into something very special. That's the power of creativity! 

Check out few of the many ways you can personalize gifts and decorate special surprises for all occasions!

Feel free to contact me if you need a boost of creativity, want something done or just want to talk about creativity!

I would love to hear and see what you do with your creativity!! 

I grew up watching my mom and dad read books after books.  Readers' digest (mom), mystery books (dad)... and I was introduced to fairy tale books.  The stories of magic and the extraordinaire. In this age of technology,  where the definition of tiny is....as tiny as a pollen (think CSI...lol)....I grew up reading books where 'as small as a fingernail' was a common phrase.

Nail art reminds me how drastically our world and our perspective has changed! 

Using nail paints and acrylic colors,  amazing designs can be painted on the nails! Most cosmetic supply stores carry the brushes and gems! Household items like a tooth pick or the tip of a ballpoint pen are very useful too!

My dear friends bought me the treasure of gems in various colors from eBay. A very talented photography team of husband and wife! Check out their work at their momentsbymitash.com

More of my novice Nail Art below... and more to come!  Don't forget to leave a comment!

The Prom henna of this beautiful girl definitely made heads turn. Being a budding actress Amy is used to all the attention she receives and loves it too! She flaunted her henna that started at her shoulder and down to her fingertips (full photo below), wearing a dark blue (my favorite color!) gown!!  

I feel honored to have applied this Tammi Glanzer design for Amy. If I had not stumbled upon a Henna class in India (year 2010), I would have never had this opportunity. 
 
Life likes to throw a curve ball from time to time. During such a situation, I started doing Face painting on June 16th 2012. As a Henna artist, I had shared my booth space with awesome Face painters - Aline Backes and Daniel Lasris  One would think I wanted to try my hand at this art because I had witnessed some awesome art from these artists over a year! My life is not that predictable...lol!!

If you have ever been a vendor at a festival or fair, I am sure you know how addictive they are! I was hooked and did Henna at many local events. Except...one time they already had a henna artist! I did not want to miss the chance to advertise my business locally. If that meant learn to face paint...so be it!!

Aline graciously helped me by introducing me to the basics of this colorful new art! I started practicing with a Snazaroo basic pallet of 6 colors  and quickly progressed to their bigger pallet eventually buying Wolfe's most essential colors (thanks to Daneil)! 
This was my first butterfly and this one recent !!!

Face painting has been a big craze here for a while, but we are not alone! Check out my Australian friends on the other side of the world! You'll come across some of the awesomest talent and creativity!!
Tennessee Gibson www.facethepaints.com
Kate Mathews  www.facepaintingschool.com.au 

Keep an eye on my blog and website www.HennafyMeChattanooga.com to hear more such stories about me and to see what I have been up to!!!
Hey...'like' my page on facebook!

Manasi
www.facebook.com/ManasisArt.HennafyMe 

One of the most amazing experiences! For the soon-to-be mom, Caroline and for me too!! The baby boy moved inside the belly quite frequently while I applied Henna!

This was my first experience hennaing a pregnant belly and I enjoyed it thoroughly! Caroline had the perfect prego belly to apply henna design we had already  finalized! The tear drop shaped design wonderfully adorned and  accentuated her belly. 

I enjoyed applying the henna while Caroline enjoyed the aroma of Henna infused with calming and soothing lavender oil. Paired with a comfortable chair adjusted to the most comfortable position for her and the relaxing experience, she almost fell asleep during her Belly Blessing....lol!

There are different names and different ways to celebrate this journey toward motherhood. There is 'Godh Bharai' in India where the soon-to-be mom is adorned with Henna on her belly, hands and feet. Another trend is getting belly painting from a reputable artist using FDA approved, hypoallergenic face and body paints. The unique painting/henna can incorporate any theme, preferred design elements and symbols that define your family and the new baby.

Kelly Winder describes this tradition as "  
A Blessingway is an old Navajo (native American) ceremony, which celebrates a woman’s rite of passage into motherhood. A westernised version of this is the ‘Mother Blessing’..... is a beautiful and unique way to honour the mother, spend time with her, share stories, debrief fears and to instill confidence and strength."
Here is the full article definitely worth a read. 

This is why I love what I do.....amazing experiences with amazing people and being a part of their special memories!!! 

Please check out the pictures of the henna below as the design progressed!

Manasi
www.HennafyMeChattanooga.com

So we bought a new house and as you go in there is a big wall painted in maroon color. Dark maroon. I thought it was perfect to start my new project!

I have been thinking about doing this for a while even at our place in Greeneville, Tennessee. We loved that place and found it hard to move and to sell that house....but it had to be done!

So here is a glimpse into my project.

What do you guys think?  Can you see where I am going with this?

This might come across as silly. .... but I love when people talk about my art and ask me questions!  I find it flattering when people say ....'I can't believe YOU did this'. ...lol. What can I say. ..I love to surprise people!

Imagine that you are getting ready to go to work, open your garage
door at 7:30am and find your neighbor at your mail box. Not just standing there, but taking pictures of it. How would you react?

A foggy Friday morning with dew covering the grass. As I was walking back home when the school bus picked up my daughter, this caught my eye.
I was stunned by its beauty! Two simple ingredients - the web and the water droplets! I probably took hundreds of pictures with my phone not caring what my neighbors would think. How I wished I had a professional camera with a powerful lens...

There  was a gorgeous spider web under my neighbor's mail box. Check it out in the video below! Once I noticed this one, I checked under each and every mailbox on my way home...lol. The highlighted picture here is the spider web under our own mail box.

The next time you wake up early in the morning and notice dew on the grass, do check over and under your mail box or the speed limit signs or the street lights!

Yes, I had tried to spray water on a spider web with a mist bottle. It did not work for me. Mother Nature does it best! 

Hope you enjoyed these pictures and video as much I did.
Have a great day!

Manasi Joshi
*Manasi's Art* Hennafy Me
www.HennafyMeChattanooga.com

Hello to job seekers!

I've been searching for a job for the past 5 months. Sometimes seriously...other times not so seriously...lol. I get so engrossed in my henna or face painting, my job hunting takes back seat from time to time (okay...most of the time..lol)

Today, I am sharing what I've learned so far on my quest to find a job!

I was totally overwhelmed when it came to job hunting online.
So many websites and so many passwords and usernames to remember. Not to mention the time consuming part of uploading your resume and then again entering your work experience one employer at a time. The job title is not always the same, although the requirements could be similar.  Sounds familiar?

I love lists. It makes things simpler and easy to follow. Here is my list for job hunting:

* First decide if you like to take notes on paper or save them on the computer. I like to note everything down on paper. Some people like to use Excel spreadsheet.

* Google 'job searching tools and websites'. Note them down, make a list.

* Google the position title, example: Logistics specialist. Note down variations in the title.

* Have your resume ready in MS Word or other software you would prefer.

* Prepare a general cover letter which can be easily and quickly edited as per the job you are applying for.

The above five points are the preparation part. Next are 'action' points! :)

* There are two ways - Google your desired job position or search it on each and every job searching websites. If you search jobs on the websites that you have already noted down, you can use 'advance search' option to select the latest job openings!

* Upload your resume on all the job searching websites. Note down the usernames and passwords.

*  You will come across many staffing agencies while applying for job. Follow their procedure to register. Don't forget to note down the usernames and passwords!

Once you have done all the above, you are all set. Check the websites everyday. Decide a particular time for this. Make this your routine!

I like to keep a separate email account only for job hunting. This is listed on my resume as well as used to register on all the websites related to job search!

Hoping that this information would be useful for someone who is overwhelmed and confused (like me...lol) and help them see the path to their job search. It is not a smooth or a short path for sure! So keep your focus on your goal of finding a job. 

Best wishes!

~Manasi
www.HennafyMeChattanooga.com
http://www.HennafyMeChattanooga.com