Would you believe me if I said that henna is a plant?

You read that correctly!
Henna is a plant, a tall shrub in fact, that grows in harsh desert areas of Africa and Asia.
It has fragrant flowers and often planted as hedges.
The leaves are harvested for their staining properties, sun dried and ground to a powder.
Coarsely ground powder is often used for hair application.
Body art quality (BAQ) henna powder is often very finely ground. As fine as all-purpose flour!

The henna paste that you see applied on skin?
That is a paste made by mixing henna powder + water (or a liquid like lemon juice) + sugar + essential oils.
That is it.
Very simple! Watch my henna paste making video here.

What questions do you have for me?
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I know you are excited about your beautiful henna design. Most probably you are told to keep the paste on for several hours for best results.

But it's already bed time.
The henna paste seems to be cracking and flaking off in places.
What can you do protect your henna design?
What can you do to protect your bedding from getting stained?

Don't worry my friend! I got you.
Below is my true and tried method that'll take care of your worries.

Grab a toilet paper roll and an old sock.
Good alternatives for the sock are nylon stocking. If none of those are handy, grab cling-wrap or a plastic bag.
Follow these steps:
* Take the toilet paper roll and start wrapping the henna design. Wrap it a couple of times.
* Make sure all the henna design is covered in toilet paper.
* Now wear the sock/ stocking over it. If using cling-wrap or plastic bag - wrap it covering the bundled up design.
That's it!
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Was this helpful?
If you've tried it, I'd love to know if it worked for you too!
If you'd like to see pictures or a step-by-step video of the above process, comment below!

​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!