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;-)

Aarohi Singh

A self taught artist, who doesn't restrict herself to one single medium and paints on just about anything. She has transformed mundane things like tea kettles, buckets, plates and even a foldable chair into pieces of art.
Aarohi paints with acrylic, oil, pastels & watercolours. Her acrylic paintings of Hindu Gods with her funky twists is quite interesting.
I am completely in love with these Ganesha paintings!
A little bling, a little kitsch, with unrestraint use of colours makes her work really beautiful!
If you want to get your hands on these colourful pieces of art, you are lucky!

Aarohi is having an exhibition of her art at
The Oxford Bookstore,
Leela Galleria,
Old Airport Road, Bangalore
from the 21st November to 23rd November 2008.

She describes her work on exhibit as 'My take on India, folklore, and dance amongst others. Varied expressions on objects of everyday use. Kettles transform to lovers meeting amidst zebra stripes. The ubiquitous Autorickshaw drove through my art on its way to London too! Things I see around me represented onto objects to form art.'

So if you are in Bangalore, do visit 'Art by Aarohi' exhibition.

( Images from Art by Aarohi.com)

the days gone by...

I have been missing-in-action for a while ~ Sorry.
Lots of things have been happening here~
* We moved into our new home last month.
* Our previous home was featured in BBC Good Homes, India Edition. Thanks!
* Kindness in many forms touched my heart.
* An Autumn Mouse traveled all the way from Poland to have hot 'chai' with me.
* Another birthday passed by.
* Lots of dreams and aspirations.
* Loads of hard work.
* 'Love in the time of Cholera' was finally finished and moved to the bookshelf.
* I promise to be more active in this space. So do drop by:-)
Have a great day!

Shakti

inner journeys...outdoors
That line has been playing on my mind ever since I finished with the hectic but enjoyable festivities of Diwali.
Today I take you far away from the hustle-bustle of daily life, to the snow-clad mountains of Himalayas to experience Shakti.

Shakti a concept, where one can escape the noise and stress of city life to a space where the splendour of nature can be experienced in the serene landscapes and by interacting with the local people and their culture.Shakti Village Experiences~ An experience where one can walk through the remote villages of Himalayas accompanied by guides and porters, interact with the locals, stay in traditional homes that have been made more comfortable for the guests without losing it’s original charm.How can anyone not fall in love with this turqouise room?The rooms are rustic, minimalist but with bright splashes of colours.
Oh! How I'd love to have breakfast here with those shiny vessels in the background:-)

Shakti has three village walks to choose from~Kumaon Village Walk, Sikkim Village Walk and Ladakh Village walk.

So pack your bags and your mind to a land of divine beauty.

As I leave you with these breathtaking images I can only quote these lines from the movie 'Sound of Music'

"Climb every mountain, search high and low

Follow every byway, every path you know.

Climb every mountain, ford every stream,

Follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream."

( Images from shaktihimalaya.com)

Our home in BBC Good Homes Magazine!

It's super exciting to see our humble abode featured in BBC Good Homes Magazine, India Edition!

Thanks to the Editor~Tara*Kaushal, Deputy Editor~Seema Sreedharan and their team for featuring our home and a special thanks to Shivani Sen who wrote the feature:-)

Do pick up your copy of BBC Good Homes, November Issue;-)

( Image shot this morning, while enjoying my cup of hot chai)