A few corners from our new home...

Been completely submerged in home work and playing the role of a domestic goddess;-)
Here are a few casual captures from our new home, where I am still in the process of decorating & re-decorating. Athangudi tiles travelled all the way from Tamilnadu to our new apartment. Love the feel of these handmade tiles under my feet. (The more you walk barefoot on these tiles, the more they shine:-)I have open shelves in many rooms, it breaks the monotony and creates space for adding interesting elements.I love open shelves in the kitchen. Yes, the little black board has found it's place in the new kitchen too:-)A quiet corner with morning light filtering through the coloured patterned glass windows.
Will be back to some serious blogging the coming year:-) See you all then.

Wishing all of you happy holidays!

Last few days of the year...

* Stars descend on earth
* A sense of calm envelopes me.
* Many tasks accomplished.
* House becomes home.
* Biting into the moist plum cake from 'All Saints' Bakery.
* Decorating the mini christmas tree.
* Having chai in my new balcony and watching the bright winter sun warm the city.
* Eyeing those lovely unread books piling up on the windowsill.

Hope all of you are enjoying these last days of the year in your own sweet ways....

Wishing everyone peace and happiness this Christmas and New Year!

Pushp Ki Abhilasha...

....A Flower's Wish.

* Mallika skipped around the balcony collecting fallen Bougainvillea flowers.
* She showed me a handful of papery magenta treasures.
* My mind raced back to my school days when we learnt a hindi poem by Pt. Makhanlal Chaturvedi called Pushp Ki Abhilasha.
* In those days we just mugged it up because it was part of our course, but somehow these lines have got etched in my mind.
* Why should it suddenly come back to me so clearly word by word.
* So overwhelming at a time like this, when so many of our heroes have given their lives for our country.

Read the poem~
Chah Nahin Mai SurBala Ke Gehnon Mein Guntha Jaaon.
Chah Nahin Premi Mala Mein Bindh, Pyari Ko Lalchaon.
Chah Nahin Samraton Ke Shav Par, He Hari Dala Jaaon.
Chah Nahin Devon Ke Sar Par Chadhon, Bhagya Par Itraoon.

Mujhey Tod Lena Banmali, Us Path Par Tum Dena Phaink,
Matra Bhoomi Per Sheesh Chadhaney, Jis Path Jaayen Veer Anek.

Translation by Prashant
I don't want to be a part of the necklace of the beautiful girl,
I don't want to woo the lady love,
I don't want to be spread over dead bodies,
I don't want to act snob, after someone offers me to the Gods

Just pluck me Gardner and throw me on the road,
which is taken by the brave soldiers to give away their lives for the Motherland !

I pray for the flower's wish to be granted.

*Peace*

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Instant Cheer...

No expensive curios needed. No designer artifacts.
It's the simple things in life that add that sparkle to your home and a smile to your face.

Yes, I am talking about fresh juicy fruits & colourful fragrant flowers and the magic that they bring into our homes.Today I share with you all loads of beautiful moments created by flowers & fruits in my home...

Take out that old brass 'matka' or 'kalsi' and fill it up with seasonal flowers, just a couple of them will do the trick.Let your creativity flow, write down happy notes;-)Don't have a brass vase, no worry go ahead and use empty glass jars......or empty wine/beer bottles. The brand lettering adds to the beauty. Add some whimsical touches, ceramic ducks picked up from a local fair...Don't have a florist nearby, no worries pick up some wildflowers from the roadside or some seasonal flowers from the trees:-)

These flowers and fruits certainly lifted my spirits on a rainy day like today!

Wish you all loads of happiness with vitamins and fragrance:-)

carpenters and the rain...

* I am not talking about me with a cup of chai on a rainy day with 'The Carpenters' singing rainy days and mondays always get me down... well, actually they do:-(
* I am talking about the kinds armed with saws, polish, hammer, nails...
* the ones for whom we wait with bated breath.
* the ones who tranform our homes into a dream.
* scrap, scrub, hammer, hammer, bang, bang....music to my ears.
* but, hey wait...did I hear pitter-patter too?
* "Amma, polish can't be done, no sun, won't dry"
* my dreams get postponed to another weekend.
* I grab my camera and shoot the weapons abandoned due to the rains.
* BTW, blocks of wood make interesting coasters;-)