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

    
    It does not help an Artist being new to a town. It gets worse when there are no signs pointing you toward the destination! GPS can only help you so far. Yes, I almost missed the Walk 4 Hearing Festival.

By the time it was 8:50am I was still nowhere near the event. I had been searching for the past 20 minutes now. Finally, I saw a parking lot buzzing with activity.....and there they were!

Note to self: Always have the cell phone number of your Contact.

My face painting set-up is a breeze! Its so handy under such conditions! Within a few minutes I was ready to paint!

I mostly painted butterflies and Spidermans. Few abstract designs as well. Then, I got to paint two lovely girls pictured above! The one on the right wanted something different than her friend. I am all for 'customizing'!

How I miss doing Festivals and Fairs! They are always so much fun! Walk4Hearing was a tiny 2 hour event. Looking forward to bigger events that are coming up in June!
Stay tuned!

~Manasi
Please 'Like' my Facebook page!
www.Facebook.com/ManasisArt.HennafyMe

Isn't this painting amazing...if I may say so myself..lol! It was painted be me using Bob Ross techniques under the guidance of a very talented Instructor, Nicolas Hankins.

This  is a shout-out for Nic Hankins. He is an amazing artist and an incredibly patient teacher. If you ever come across his classes, GRAB the opportunity! Check out the workshops at his website here

My class was from 9 to 5 including a lunch hour at 12. We were given all the supplies including the paints and canvas.  Nic explained and demonstrated every step and it was such a wonderful experience to watch the painting develop. 

For those interested, I have pictures of the painting below at various stages.

Here is hoping to take another class and work on a Oil painting soon with Nic Hankins!

Manasi
www.HennafyMeChattanooga.com

What a day Saturday was! Did 4 hours of non-stop face painting at the Kidz Expo. I probably painted around 100 kids during that time!

Not bad....eh?

Keeping the options to just 4 designs each for girls & boys was the trick. The designs were super quick...but not quick enough for me to take any pictures...lol.

I painted for the awesome Pediatric Dentist Dr. Chad Eslinger. Here is their Facebook page link  and check out their Website as well! They are a wonderful group of very talented dentists!

The before, on Friday, it was Spring Fling at my daughter's preschool. What fun was that! They had Astro Jump, various puzzles and games. They also had FACE PAINTING! And guess who did it....ME...lol!
I enjoyed painting all the little cutie pies and few grown=ups as well!! Go Primrose!!!

I have been thinking about putting my art on the website done on various materials. May be I'll make a blog about it, or make various blogs explaining the process.

In the meanwhile, enjoy the pictures taken at Primrose Spring Fling Carnival 2013!

Manasi
www.HennafyMeChattanooga.com

I dropped off my daughter at her pre-school class and had opened the door that leads to the passage. A lady at the adjoining door asked me, "Are you Hennafy Me"?

It took me couple of seconds to register what she was saying.

Someone had actually recognized me by my business name!! 

I was thrilled and it felt like I had accomplished a great achievement!

She mentioned the Masquerade face painting I did and how happy all the kids were!! ...that was the cherry on top!!

I love my work and I LOVE the feedback. It is words like these that keep you going when you are low!!

Trying to land more work. Have been making calls and visiting different people to spread the word.

Please 'Share' this post and help a small business take root in this new city!!