sweet process...

Basic Cake Recipe
1 Cup- White Castor Sugar
1/2 Cup- Butter
2 -Eggs
2tsp- Vanilla Extract
1and 1/2 Cup- Flour
1 and 3/4 tsp- Baking Powder
1/2 Cup - Milk

* Preheat oven to 175 degrees C/300 degrees F
* Grease cake tin
* Cream together sugar and butter, add beaten eggs slowly.
* Add vanilla extract.
* Combine Flour and baking powder seperately and mix well with the wet mixture.
* Add milk.
* Pour in the greased tin and bake for 30-40 mins until a needle inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Do bake and enjoy the smell lingering in the house in the afternoon!( I decorated it with some chocolate chips)

simple pleasures~

* A bunch of wild flowers tied into a little bunch with a string.
* early morning cool breeze.
* sparrows chirping.
* white rangoli on wet pavements.
* children's laughter.
* fluttering pigeons .
* my favourite song on replay.
* amul roasted almond ice-cream in a tub.
* juicy litchis that don't last longer than few minutes.
* pulpy intoxicating mangoes.
* anticipation of the weekend.
* seeing my cosmos seedlings grow.

what are your simple pleasures?

Mallipoo story...

Right now this beautiful painting by Kalyani Ganapathy called Ponnuku Mallipoo Asai translated 'A little girl likes jasmine flowers' adorns the orange wall in my daughter's room.

The story~
Last year when I featured Kalyani's work here, I fell in love with this little girl called Mayuri in the painting, she so needed to be in my daughter's room. We were in the process of moving to our new home and I had already visualised how the painting would look in my daughter's room. Kalyani has used acrylic on canvas and has really made the little girl come to life:-)

Will post more pictures from my daughter's room, which still is work in progress.

Do visit Kalyani's site Surfkye, to see some of her gorgeous work.

My foray into product photography...

Things have been rather quiet here at Rang Decor and I am sorry about that. Thanks to all you lovely readers who come back often to check on the blog.

Many of you know about my love for photography, I post regularly on flickr and occasionally in Rang Decor. When a beautiful opportunity came my way, I just had to explore it:-)

I have recently started shooting for a Luxury handcrafted Bedding & Linens store~ Saffron Marigold.I have been styling and shooting the gorgeous products for Saffron Marigold. The recent one being the Morning Dew print that they have recently launched.

Here are some of the frames from the shoot. Hope you like them.Morning Dew Table Runner
Morning Dew European Pillow Sham
Morning Dew Table ClothMorning Dew Sheer Curtains

The behind the scene experiences, the styling and other photographic features I will be sharing soon on my other blog~ Rang: The Colours of Life

Have a great day!

Eyeing...

...some interesting stuff from people tree.

Today is special...

I receive loads of email everyday.
Spam mails, Lottery mails, query mails, forwarded mails...

I, like many others don't bother too much with forwarded mails, but this one mail from a friend completely appealed to me.

It is long.
If you have the time enjoy it.
If not, come back later to read it.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written." My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1.Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you no one else.
20. When it to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion, today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Enjoy!

scones and software...

I baked.
I baked scones.
I found.
I found a software long ago.
I finally downloaded it.
I tried it.
I loved it. Recipe for the scones~
from Breakfast Tea Lunch~ Rose Carrarini

Golden Raisin Scones
3 &1/3 Cups - All-purpose flour
1 handful - Whole Wheat flour ( Atta)
2 heaped tbsp- Baking Powder
2 heaped tbsp- Castor Sugar
1 tsp- Salt
1/2 Cup- Unsalted Butter
1 Cup- Golden Raisins
1 & 1/4 Cup- Milk
1 Egg- Beaten for glazing

* Preheat the oven to 200 degree C /400 degree F, grease a baking tray.

* Sift the plain flour into a bowl and add the whole wheat flour.

* Mix in the baking powder, sugar and salt, then add the butter abd rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs.

* Add the raisins and mix well.

* Make a well in the middle, pour in the milk and use a fork to work it into the dry ingredients, Finish by hand but without overworking the mixture- just lightly bring everything together to form a softish but firm dough.
If it is too dry add little milk and if it is too wet add some more flour. It must not be sticky.

* On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough into a solid shape about 3 cms thick.

* Using a 2 inch cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place them on the greased baking tray.

* Glaze the tops with the beaten egg and bake for 15-20 min until lightly golden.

Serve warm with butter and jam:-)

Destination of the software~
http://www.poladroid.net

Try it but mind it, it is addictive;-)