Love@ First Sight : The MatrikaS Creative Woman’s Journal

A lazy summer afternoon!

The sweltering heat combined with the power-cut was getting on my nerves. To top it I’d just had a break-up and was feeling lost and lonely. As I lay there all alone on the big wooden table, I reminisced those days with my ex. The secrets we’d shared, the sweet nothings I’d scribbled on her bosom all came back to mind. I sighed and decided I’d not fall for another. Gradually sleep overtook me………zzzzzzzzz!

A touch soft and silky as that of a feather caressed my being. At first I thought it was a dream but then when the feeling lingered on, I opened my eyes. Lo! Behold! What do I see? A beauty draped in soft maroon silk with golden polka- dots scattered here and there and a golden feather print adorning the center, lying by my side. I could not take my eyes off her. Unknown to me my heart had surrendered to her charm.

The beautiful one: “Hi! I’m CWJ.”

Me: “CWJ?”

CWJ: (With a short laugh) “Oh! Sorry! That’s my pet name, short for Creative Woman’s Journal.”

Me: “Oh! Glad to meet you. You are native of?”

CWJ: “MatrikaS.”

Me: “Ah! Yes. Those paper people, the ones who come out with some really innovative stuff. I’ve heard a lot about them. Never come into contact with one.”

CWJ: (Struts like a proud peacock) “So, friends?”

Me: (Eagerly) “Yes, friends.”

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As days passed by, the bonds between us grew stronger and stronger till we finally decided to take our relationship to the next level.

CWJ opened up to me willing me to explore her. At first I touched her hesitatingly as would a man his newly- wedded wife. A shiver coursed through my spine. I felt as though I was treading in Heaven. Slowly, casting my initial inhibition aside I kissed her, poetry flowed from me only to be etched deep in her bosom. The poet in me found an artist in her. We complimented each other.

That day we became one.

Together we made many a list, shared many a secret and vowed to stick together till the end.

The feeling of loss and loneliness left me forever. I found my true love in CWJ.

Today I have no qualms in saying that as far as I am concerned, it was love @first sight.

(Wondering who I am? No points for guessing. I am yours truly, a silver bodied, gold bordered jotter pen.)

Me & My Love

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Well, that was the love- story of my pen and the MatrikaS Creative Woman’s Journal a product of MatrikaS – Scribble Your Heart Away. Reading that you may have already got a fair idea of the plus points of MCWJ or the MatrikaS Creative Woman’s Journal. However, I’ll put together just a brief introduction / review of the journal for the benefit of my readers and those looking out for some good writing material. But before I move further, let me tell you that true to it’s name MatrikaS (which is derived from Sanskrit and stands for ‘MOTHER’) has brought out this Creative Woman’s Journal to honour women and their dreams, their aspirations this Womens Day. It is the brand’s gift to Women.

The MatrikaS Creative Woman’s Journal a one of it’s kind, keeps every woman in mind and hence comes in four different designs or should I say, is available in four different themes. They are –

1. Feather – To Write!
2. Butterfly – To Dream!
3. Dragonfly – To Fly!
4. Fish – To Glide!

(For further details visit : MatrikaS Woman’s Journal Page)

Just see the connection between the designs and the themes. While the feather as you know served as a writing quill in earlier times a butterfly is apt for those who dream. The dragonfly is a spectacle to behold when it flies around and a fish is the epitome of grace as it glides in the water.

Being one with a passion to write, I chose the one with feather as it’s theme. So, let’s see if the journal true to it’s name is smooth and soft as a feather and compliments the quill (pen). Let’s see if it appealed to the writer in me. 🙂

The Cover

Stunning! A look at it and you can’t help wish it was yours. I’ve had some who taken in by the sheer beauty of the cover, wanted to take a selfie with it. 🙂

An Introduction

The image says it all.

The Inside

Soft and smooth double- sided ruled sheets of high quality paper, are interspersed with 8 adult colouring sheets inspired by nature. There are also a number of plain sheets bearing the MatrikaS tagline “Scribble Your Heart Away.” These make the journal not only useful for jotting down one’s life- events, important things, etc., etc., but act as healer/ stress- buster/ motivator. They inspire too.

While the adult colouring sheets act as stress- busters and help one relax, the blank sheets are there for you to draw, doodle, scribble, play or indulge in whatever is close to your heart.

The ruled- sheets can be used for some serious writing.

WRITE/ SCRIBBLE TO HEARTS CONTENT

COLOUR AWAY & DE-STRESS

 

The sticker pages towards the fag end of the journal are a revelation, something innovative and exciting. These pages have ideas of lists that one can make. Then there are stickers expressing one’s moods and some that will shake you up when you feel lost and lonely or pacify you when you are in a pensive state or off- colour.

SECRET LISTS TO HELP YOU AROUND

STICKERS THAT INSPIRE/ PACIFY

STICKERS FOR EVERY MOOD & MUCH MORE

The Journal winds up with something that’s bound to excite the bibliophile and the traveller in you. Wondering what? Well there is a page for you to record your TBR list (To be read list) and another for the places to be visited.

The last double- sided sheet is for entering the ‘Who’s who’ in your life i.e.details of the people who matter to you.
 
 
 
 

Is that all?

If you know MatrikaS, you know that the Creative Journal will not be only about pages for you to ‘Scribble Away Your Heart.’ There will be some value additions too. So here in the Creative Woman’s Journal we have –

1) A paper pouch in the inner-side of the back cover to put those small bits and pieces of paper that one is prone to scribble on when an idea presents itself and there’s nothing else suddenly at hand except for some corner of a newspaper or a bill.

2) A black ribbon that acts as a book-mark. To be frank this was the only disappointment. I’d have preferred a proper book- mark with some ethnic design. It would look lovely and inspiring.

3) An elastic protective band to hold both covers together so that nothing falls off from between the pages.

4) A small elastic loop to hold the pen. Wish a pen too came with the journal. Its inclusion would have made the journal complete.

THE POUCH

BACK COVER WITH REMOVABLE PAPER FLAP CONTAINING DETAILS

  
 

VERDICT

A creative journal for the creative woman, one that’s sure to appeal to her aesthetic sense as well as inspire her to dream and doodle and pour out her heart in the form of words, ideas and creative articles, the MatrikaS Woman’s Creative Journal is truly awesome.
 
 
 
 

Interested?

Do check out the video of the product created by MatrikaS

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Visit MatrikaS Website and explore a world of talent and innovation.

The unorganized gets organized

I received
It brought memories of days gone by
Memories of days full of paper works
Memories of days full of life, stress and worries

Soft to touch, cool and handy
Reminded me of days full of responsibilities
Days of urgency, days gone by,
My office days

Well, now am I getting carried away? Why not? After all days gone by always evoke mixed feelings. The good, the bad all come rushing back. A smile plays on the lips, a frown laces the forehead. And often things and people take you back to relive those times, times that are forever etched in the mind. The Cube Works Journal a gift from Matrikas, transports me back to the days I was a career woman, days when I wished I had at least 5 hands, days when 24 hours seemed to whiz past. Divided into 7 parts this extremely useful journal notebook is a must for the office going lad/ lady. But hold on. It can cater to others too- the lady of the house, the creative being, the retired, the……….

INTRODUCING……

THE BRAND

Image Source: here

‘Matrikas’ derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Mother’ denoting the powerful energies is a product of the Srinivas Group. The group, a player in the print and stationery industry for over 47 years had in 2011 under the able leadership of three like- minded, ambitious siblings R. Vivekanandan, R Viswanathan and R Murugesan launched the SFA Print (P) Ltd. With an eyes on the rapidly expanding print and stationery market.

Headquartered in Sivakasi, India the SFA Print (P) Ltd. is into pre- press, printing, print finishing & bindery. To quote SFA Print (P) Ltd.

The brand caters to people of all age- groups, of all types. While the subject note- books ‘wow’ the student, the journals and diaries take off much of the burden from the over- burdened, career- oriented professional. The books, journals and diaries also help one unravel the creative self. To know more about Matrikas and their products click here

THE CUBE WORKS PRIVY JOURNAL

Technical Specifications/ Product Details

Product Code: STD- CW-P- JRNL- STD- (BLUE/ GREEN/BROWN)
Size: A6+103x160MM /A5147x205 MM/ STD 172×240
Page : 256
Cover : Hard bound,Debossed/ Foil stamped
Cover Design : Front cover- Corporate design (colored)/ Back Cover- Plain (colored)
Paper Type : Maplitho
Paper Colour : Single colour. Natural shade (White)
Paper Surface : Normal to smooth
Additional Features : Satin Page Marker/ Pouch on back inner cover/Elastic Band for safe locking

A TOUR….

THE JOURNAL NOTE BOOK- AN ORGANIZER

Open the book. Claim it. The ‘Personal Memorandum’ page waits for you. Highly useful and comprehensive this page is there for you to record every minute detail about yourself right from your name to your credit/ debit card details. There is also a provision for you to record your Doctor, Bank Manager, Insurance Agent and Travel Agent’s contact no./s. In short this page is a personal database of you, the owner of the journal.

The next six pages give an insight into the contents of the journal as recorded by the owner. The ‘Index Pages’ are divided into 3 columns each to record the date, activity and page on which the details are noted. Now isn’t that cool!

Come explore the next set of 216 pages. Double ruled, these pages have provision to help you record the date of the activity. Here you have the liberty to record whatever you want in whichever way you wish. This is in tune with the Matrikas tagline which says, ‘Scribble Your Heart Away.’

Pages 217-231 are set aside for the perfectionist, the professional in you. These 15 checked sheet pages are there for you to plan your day, your work or anything else that interests you. These ‘Action Plan’ pages reminded me of my school days and my mathematics classes the only difference being that in those formative years we used notebooks with bigger box checked pages. So this book did not remind me of my career days alone. It took me back to the sweetest, the most memorable part of my life – the unforgettable, fun packed school days.

The ‘To Do Lists’ section has pages for each shade of one’s personality. One page each is set aside for ‘Books to be read’, ‘Works to be accomplished’ and ‘Places to be visited’. So thoughtful of the designers!

Hard earned money is not something to be frittered away. It is something that needs to be spent with caution. The last ten pages of the journal notebook are set aside just for this. Here you can record your account summary and keep a tab on your income and expenses. Divided into 4 columns titled Date, Item, Payment Mode and Amount this ‘Account Summary’ Section is truly a boon for not only the professional but also for the ordinary housewife who in most cases is the ‘Finance Minister’ of her house.

THE SURPRISE….

Wait! There is something more, something that might interest you. Look inside the back cover. What do you find there? A pouch! Wondering why? Well simple- to keep your tickets, bills, vouchers, etc. things that you need on a later date say to prepare your accounts statement or your travel bill. Now generally we have a tendency to shove these into our pockets, bags and wallets. Finally when the time comes they are either torn, mutilated or crumpled often rendering them useless or are just missing. The pouch takes care of this worry. Isn’t this something truly innovative and useful?

With this we come to the end of this tour of a highly recommended organizer, the Matrikas Cube Works Journal.

SIGNING OFF….

Before signing off I have a small suggestion to make. SFA Prints (P) Ltd. do consider changing the shade of the green used in the green cover journal to a rich and vibrant hue. It’s sure to emanate more positive vibes, vibes the over- worked are in dire need of.

JUST ONE LAST VERSE….

The tip touches surface smooth
A wave of excitement passes through
The tip flies on surface cool
Words, figures form beautiful, bold
The unorganized gets organized

Thanks to
The Matrikas Cube Works Book!

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Buying Link
flipkart
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I thank ‘MATRIKAS’ for being kind enough to send me the CUBE WORKS PRIVY JOURNAL. This post is a part of the “Scribble Your Heart Away” Campaign conducted by them.

You can connect with Matrikas on facebook HERE
To contact them CLICK HERE

A treasure to preserve

Sweet aroma wafting through the air
Tickled senses, set tummy rumbling
Little legs scurried to the kitchen door
Eager eyes fell on the spread laid out

Hands flew out, grabbed a burfi or two
The legs then scurried out
Out from danger red into the backyard green
The mouth opened and in popped a burfi sweet, tempting

Wondering what I’m off to? Well it’s no riddle or anything of the sort. It’s just that when I received this beautiful 5 page note book from Matrikas a few days back, I remembered my daughter and her penchant for beautiful note books.

Call it coincidence just then the heady fragrance of ‘Gajar – Ka- Halwa’ from the neighbor’s house wafted in transporting me to my daughter’s growing years and her love for sweetmeats. Book in hand, sweet smell tickling the senses and my brain recharged, an idea took shape.

For those who don’t know me let me tell you, I have this habit of collecting recipes, time- tested remedies and tips and tricks. But lately I realized that with the number of house-shifting undertaken over a period of time on account of transfers, many a recipe is missing/ misplaced. The rest are lying scattered here and there in bits of paper/ books/ shelves/ cartons. It has been some time since I have been planning to reorganize them and keep them within easy reach. So with the smell of halwa and the thoughts of my little girl (now grown up) pervading my senses I said to myself why not?

The decision was made and I started gathering all those bits of paper on which I had jotted down recipes and home remedies. I decided to make the Matrikas 5 subject note- book a priceless treasure, one that can be handed down from generation to generation- ‘My book of recipes and time- tested remedies.’

The next question was how do I organize all that I want in this book, organize it in such a way that it is easy to follow and retrieve without much ado. As always, hubby dear came to the rescue. “See, you have 5 sections for 5 subjects. Why not categorize your recipes into – Starters & Juices, Vegetarian, Non- Vegetarian, Desserts? The fifth section can be set aside for the time- tested remedies handed down to you by your elders,” he said.

So finally it’s been decided to give a place of pride to the 5 subject note book in my kitchen and my life. There will be two 2 major sections:

-‘Tickle the Palate’ featuring recipes under 4 sub-sections:

– ‘Awakening the taste buds’ (starters & juices)
– ‘Fresh from the garden’ (vegetarian dishes)
– ‘Where sea meets land’ (non- vegetarian dishes)
– ‘A fitting finale’ (desserts)

–Treasure In My Kitchen

Here I will be recording the various time- tested remedies handed down to me by my grandmothers, mother, mother-in-law, aunts, etc. remedies right there in the simple day-to-day things I use for cooking.

So now that I have my plan in place and now that I have shared it with you, how about getting into the technical details, quality, cost, etc. of this beautiful Matrikas 5 Subject Note Book.

A compact and handy hard bound premium quality book of around 400 single ruled pages this A5 note book of 147x 205 MM flaunts a stunning and classy vector design cover. It is UV coated/ foil stamped and is provided with colored dividers. Paper used is of Maplitho quality and the pages are milky white and soft to touch. But the real test begins when the pen touches the paper and leaves a mark on it. Now how does the paper used for manufacture of this premium note book respond when the pen comes into contact with it? Well, all I can say is that the ink does not spread and it is indeed a pleasure moving the pen over it and giving expression to ones thoughts and ideas.

Priced at INR 212/-the Matrikas 5 Subject Note Book is worth the cost. So now what are you waiting for. Do check out this and other Matrikas stationery items here.

Wrapping up

Any idea what the term ‘Matrikas’ stands for?

Well, ‘Matrikas’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Mother’ denoting the powerful energies. And energy translated into creative ideas always shines. So too the Matrikas range of products brought out by the Srinivas Group. They are creative and innovative. And keeping in tune with the spirit behind the naming of this product I plan to hand down a mother’s love and care to a daughter by converting this Matrikas premium note book into a priceless ‘Recipe- cum- Home Remedy Manual’, something that can be handed down to generations to come.

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Buying Link
snapdeal // flipkart
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I thank ‘MATRIKAS’ for being kind enough to send me the 5 Subject Note Book in return for an unbiased review. This post is a part of the “Scribble Your Heart Away” Campaign conducted by them. You can connect with them on FB HERE

The connect- it’s instant

“Great men are those who build highways for others with their heart’s blood.”

Any idea who said this?

Clue: A great son of India.

Wondering whether it is Gandhiji or Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose?

Well then see below, the answer is here:

Yes it is none other than our very own dynamic Swami Vivekananda. Originally named Narendranath Das, Swami Vivekananda is an icon whose very mention inspires us Indians. His words: “Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached” fires up the young mind. He lives on in the Indian psyche even to this day. So when ‘MATRIKAS’ sent me the Vivekananda Journal as part of its “Blogger Outreach Programme” I was elated. The cover a picture of the Swami embossed on it, is truly mesmerizing. I fell for it.

But wait, it’s not over.

Open the first page. It exudes warmth and positive vibes. A small box in the midst of innumerable “Ohm” welcomes the owner of the journal to claim it by entering his/ her name below the words “This book belongs to“.

The second page is a bio- data of sorts. A place where one can record one’s personal data.

I wondered if the inner pages would reveal a pre- dated diary something I am not personally very keen about. The description on the next page revealed that the journal had four sections viz. Important Notes, Your Action Plan, Organize Your Schedule and Optimize Your Lists. My doubt still persisted. But the subsequent pages a short biography of the Swami followed by some really useful and innovative pages / sections bowled me over. Looked like ‘MATRIKAS’ had a person like me in mind when designing the contents of the journal

An avid reader, there are times when several books wait patiently on my shelf for their turn. Often as new ones keep pouring in some of the earlier ones feel neglected and lie there for months unattended. But now I’m sure that with the ‘Books to Be Read’ page ready to organize my reading schedule, the neglected ones will catch my eyes and tickle my senses and emotions.

The mother, daughter and wife in me have several tasks on mind. Though some are of routine nature and hence fall into their place smoothly there are others like the filing of IT Returns, payment of bills, mothers visit to the specialist, etc.…… that need tracking/ constant monitoring. With the ‘Works To Be Accomplished’ page taking on the task I’m sure to be able to free some space in the hard disk of my memory and record other more important things. This no doubt will ease the strain on my mind and make me feel more light and healthy.

The ‘Places To Be Visited’ page that follows is sure to be a boon for people like me who lead an active social life and are often on the move. With it I can now not only plan my trips but can also fall back on it whenever I want to verify something like an important information/ date/ event. I need just scan through the page and I’m done. Yes, the only rule is that I should be prompt in recording details. No question of dilly- dallying.

The next set of pages is a monthly diary of sorts sans month name and date. All you have is the week day names and boxes for you to enter important information, appointments, action plan, etc…. A truly useful section, what I liked about this is that it does not restrict the journal to being just a diary of events for a particular year only. It is one, one can carry over and use in subsequent years too.

Finally we have around 200 single ruled pages, pages meant for ‘scribbling your heart away.’ Each set of pages spread side by side starts with the auspicious ‘Ohm’ inscribed in Sanskrit and ends with a pearl of wisdom straight from the Swamiji. Here are a few such pearls, each a testimony to the philosopher, the patriot called Swami Vivekananda. These are taken straight out of the journal:

“Arise, ye mighty one and be strong! Work on and on, struggle on and on!”

“Man learns as he lives, and experience is the greatest teacher in the world.”

“Each work has to pass through these stages – ridicule, opposition and then acceptance.”

“Obedience, readiness and love for the cause- if you have these three, nothing can hold you back.”

“Be a man and try to make those immediately under your care brave, moral and sympathizing. No religion for you my children, but morality and bravery. No cowardice, no sin, no crime, no weakness- the rest will come of itself.”

And now for the technical details, quality and cost that truly matter when one is on the hunt for some good stationery:

PRODUCT CODE: JRNL-STD-R-VIVEKANANDA
SIZE: 172×240 MM
NO.OF PAGES: 224
COVER: Special velvet feel/ Hard Bound/ Special effect/ foil stamped
PAPER TYPE: Maplitho Paper
PAPER COLOUR: White
ADDITIONAL FEATURE: Satin Page Book Mark

The pen must fly over the paper to make the pages bright and lighten up the beholder’s eyes. The Matrikas Journal is a perfect one for this. The texture of the paper is such that the pen flies over it without a hitch making writing enjoyable and rewarding. It is soft and smooth like baby skin.

Good things come with a cost and the journal is no exception to this. Priced at INR. 215/- it may seem a bit costly to the cost- conscious but I must add here that it is a worth the money. You won’t regret the buy.

And before I wrap up let me tell you that Matrikas has as a tribute to the greatest personalities ( Indian) of all times brought out journal notebooks of similar technical specifications and content honoring Gandhiji, Mother Theresa, Dr. Ambedkar , Sai Baba and Chanakya. In short Matrikas caters to the spiritual, the philosophical, the intellectual and the humanitarian side of the Indian psyche.

For more details about the product click HERE

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Buying Link

flipkart

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I thank ‘MATRIKAS’ for being kind enough to send me a sample Journal in return for an unbiased review. This post is a part of the “Scribble Your Heart Away” Campaign conducted by them. You can connect with them on FB HERE

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Sharing this with Writ Tribers too at Write A Review- Rediscovering Your Blogging Groove Day 3 .