Yamini

Yamini is a chain of specialist stores, with the main focus on home textiles. Yamini not only has a vibrant collection of home furnishings like beddings, cushions, accessories etc but also has interiors that inspire & enhance the beauty of their products.
Interiors so colourful and beautiful that shopping here becomes an experience, an inspiration...!
Just look at these colours, the patterns, the embellishments....The rich & vibrant bed & bath linen collection
Black & WhitesBright colours & motifs compliment each other...
Table Linen & accessories...
The accessories are an exotic blend of colours, textures & patterns...
So enjoy these images while I float away into a word of colours, patterns & textures....:-))

(images from yamini.com)

Last Forest.

During our last trip to the hills of Nilgiris, we were taking a walk down the sloping roads of Upper Coonoor looking at all the quaint shops...when we came across a wooden board which read 'The Green Shop', intrigued, we entered and were engulfed into a space filled with honey bottles, beeswax candles, aromatics, organic spices and many exotic things.

We learnt that the place is run by Keystone Foundation-whose work has been concentrated in the areas of apiculture, micro-enterprise development, non-timber forest produce, land and water management, revival of traditional agriculture, and other issues concerning indigenous communities. 'Last Forest' is the brand under which they sell all the products produced by the indigenous tribal communities like the Kurumbas, Todas etc
Don't know how time flew and when we came out we had bags full of the Last Forest goodies to savour...

a lot can happen over coffee...

Hot Cappucino & warm brownies at Cafe Coffee Day.

The brownies at Cafe Coffee Day is one of the best I have tasted!

Also check out 8 facts about me in Rang-Decor :-)

Tagged...

katiedid has tagged me.

It's where I tell you all a bit more about myself:-)

1. I had an arranged marriage.
My now husband/then a prospective groom & I decided to get married exactly two & a half hours after meeting each other. We've been married 8 years now & have a 5 year old daughter.

2. I am a self-confessed chai addict. Well, I use that as an excuse to collect loads of interesting ceramic mugs.

3. I am a fruits person. I get very insecure when the fruit-bowl on my dining table gets empty…

4. I have 4 piercings in each ear and one on my nose.

5. I learnt Bharatnatyam for many years and abandoned it to pursue my love for Hindustani classical music to the disappointment of my mother who is fantastic dancer.

6. My handbag is always filled with small biscuit packets, which I give to beggars on traffic signals since I don’t believe in throwing coins at them.

7. I absolutely love traveling by Indian railways, the crowd, the chai-sellers, crying babies, yelling passengers, the loud whistles of the steam engine…that is ‘the real India’!

8. I can eat any number of ‘Gol Guppas/Pani Puris’ an Indian street food.

I now tag...

My Marrakesh, Indigo Blue, Rochambeau, Smosch, Hei Astrid, Anknel and Burblets, the happy living blog, LotusHaus

Bye!

Will be away from cyberspace for few days, till then :-)

* Drink loads of 'Garam Chai'
* Float rose petals in a bowl (read more in Rang- Decor)
* Sing loudly while you are driving alone in the car.
* Gossip with your friends.
* Eat hot jalebis...(if it's available in your part of the world;-)
* Enjoy the colours of your lives....

Bring in the floating beauties...

This post comes in a bit early, I usually post on Fridays. I'll be away for few days, but I just had to share one of my favourite decorating tips with all of you.

Fresh flowers bring in happiness, positivity & cheer into one's home. I buy flowers from my local florist and keep them in special corners in my home. Most of all I love floating flowers in Urlis, terracotta containers, brass plates and even in my Ikea cup ;-)Next time try floating some rose petals or even wild flowers picked up from your garden in a bowl and see the beauty it brings in.

Here are some pics from the corners of my home...
Some design ideas from books & travels...

(some images from Indian Design- Daab)

morning after the showers...

I

* am a morning person, actually I am an early morning person.

* enjoy my morning walks.

* inhale the freshness of the chill morning air.

* see one wet leaf fall silently to the ground.

* feel the raindrops fall on me from the trees, when they sway to the gentle breeze.

* hear buzzing of the bees in the cluster of Frangipani flowers.

* feel the wetness of the grass.

* see the bright colours of the flowers after a night long shower.

* experience the beauty that surrounds us.

Enjoy some pics taken during my morning walk today...Beautiful Frangipani/Plumeria flowers drenched in the rain...

Raindrops on a lily bud.

Feel like a queen...

...or a princess in these exquisite clothes by Ritu Kumar.
Ritu Kumar is one of Indian's well-known fashion designers, she is also one of my favourites.
I had posted about her beautiful clothes last year. I just checked on her site today and was completely bowled over by her 'Bridal' Collection.
Ritu Kumar's name is synonymous with traditional Indian designs and revival of ancient textile crafts.

She has a sub brand called 'Label' aimed at the younger customers.

Loved these ads and the graphics :-)

(images from Ritu Kumar.com)

Art & Crafts of India #2: Indian Hand Embroidery

Indian Hand Embroidery entices us with its vibrant colours, the intricate designs and the effort put in by the skilled craftsmen.

There are various styles of embroidery in India & from different regions and it would be an enormous task to cover all of them in one small post.

Some of the well-known styles are Phulkari, Chikan, Kantha, Banjara, Rabari, Mirrorwork, Zardozi and you can read more about Indian Embroidery Styles here.

So here are some of the interesting styles...
Colourful cushion covers from Shrujan

The vibrant craft can be brought into your homes in the form of home accessories like cushion covers, bedsheets, door hangings, wall hanging and many more.

Bedsheet from Indiascrafts

Fantastic wall hanging from Shrujan
Cushion Covers from Shrujan
Door hanging from Indiascraft
Hand Embroidery bed cover from Anokhi
Amazing cushion covers from Tilonia
This white on cream is a dream:-) from Tilonia
Love this from Shrujan

Silver & Gold from Shrujan
Lovely combination from Anokhi
My mirrorwork cushion cover picked up from a Crafts Fair:-)

( Images from Shrujan, Tilonia, Anokhi & Indiascraft)