Let's sit and chat....

As you can see, I'm still dreaming of a cozy nook for myself. I've spent the better part of the day emulating a decapitated chicken, running to catch up with errands that seem to have piled up in the wake of my carefree weekend. So it's no wonder that I'm dreaming of sinking into some cushiony warmth and catching my breath over a cup of hot chai! But dinner needs to be prepared and junior needs to work on homework...I'll probably drink that chai swiveling between stove and island, but I'm not complaining....there's a kind of peace to be had at the end of a busy productive day too--I need those just as much as I need my days of vegging out!! 

Enough about me, how was your Tuesday? productive? laid back? or that perfect balance of both? I hope as you hurtle back homewards in the office rush hour (sorry it took me all day to get this post out! :)), the traffic is kind and the driving is easy.............and I hope you have a spot like this to come home to....

 

Via.

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So which one of these nooks would you like to come home to? Let me know.........

xoxo,

Gagan

PS: Don't forget, the CSN giveaway ends tomorrow........make sure to enter for your chance!!!

Crisp winter mornings call for..........

...a cup of chai, and a cozy spot! Sound good? I thought as much! No reason we can't enjoy the weather!

Does the weather still allow you to sit outside in the mornings? If so, consider yourself lucky and make it a place of peace! :) via.

When I grow up, I want a reading nook just like this one--hot pink & fiery red and all the colors in between. via.

 No fireplace? No problem, the radiator is just as warm! All you need is light and a cozy blanket anyway!! (In addition to the chai and good book!) via.

So I realize that this entire week seems to have been devoted to posts mentioning or revolving around the weather (yes, that most cliched of ice-breakers!) :) Sorry to have subjected you to my moodiness--sometimes I just can't help it-- lately I've noticed how sunlight (or lack thereof) seems to affect my mood....Last week however, I had a bit of an epiphany: I was talking to a new friend the other day and I mentioned that it was raining (read: the rain was weighing me down) and her chirpy voice piped up "but I love rain!"....That's when I realized: I guess it's all in the attitude isn't it? Here I was letting the rain rule my mood, when I could just as well gaze out at it (as long as my toes are dry, I'm a happy duck!), make a strong cup of Bru (an Indian brand of coffee+chicory) and whip up some palak pakoras (spinach fritters) for evening tea!! ...and that's just what I did! (Thank you D.!) So today I'm wondering if you'll join me in embracing the cold, being prepared for it--(put on those cuddly woolies), but also reveling in all that it has to offer---after all, endless summers may just be a bit too blah don't you think?

Wishing you happiness, whatever the weather outside may be! Have a great week my loves!

The Colors of Her Life: Preethi's Vibrant Apartment in Bangalore

Hello lovely readers, hope you're enjoying your Sunday--well, it's going to get a LOT better, because we're off to the garden city to catch up with the lovely Preethi at her gorgeous apartment. Preethi describes herself as an interior decorator trapped in the body of an IT professional (sound familiar to anyone out there? :) ) An avid collector, she says:

"My home is like a Kaleidoscope of everything Indian and you can see a piece of my heart in every corner. I have papier mache from Kashmir, woven baskets from Manipur, sandstone sculpture from Orissa, Madhubani from Bihar, Dhokra, sandalwood boxes, chanpatna toys.." 

 

Her love for Indian crafts is all too evident in her fascinating blog,  Indya Kaleidoscope, where, in addition to handicrafts, she  also chronicles her love of Indian history and architecture. Over time (she's been collecting since she was in college!) her collection has only grown. She says:

"Family and friends have only added more to the collection. Some people may call it clutter, but hey!! I love my clutter :) From the discolored Laxmi frame to the crack in my grandfather's teak chest, I love them all :)" 

A kathakali mask looks on............

Preethi has very kindly invited us into her space, where I'm sure you'll catch a glimpse of her personality reflected in each painstakingly put together corner--welcome to Preethi's world of colors.........

These adorable dolls greet you at the entryway! She had the bamboo demi-lune console made to order from a local artisan....

  

I'd love to sink into those chairs! What about you?  :) The cushions and those colors are calling my name....... :)

Some more vignettes from around her home......

A certain blogger with a telephone fetish must be salivating over this picture here! :) You're welcome!

Love the glaze on these teacups!

In addition to handicrafts from all over India, she also collects sculptures of her favorite deity, lord Ganesha-- she  says:

"Its interesting to see the number of ways the elephant God is manipulated by man :)."

 Preethi also admits to being fascinated by paintings with doorways...(she has four already!). Here's a picture of one hung over her charming little "baithak" area...Hot pink, vivid yellow, this lady's not shy about using color, and she does it with such élan!

(Some of you may recall seeing this  glimpse into Preethi's lovely home here) Her vibrant home is not just resplendent with colors and crafts; she is extremely eco-conscious as well-- you have to check out this post by her--I love her new composter! Her Flickr stream has a lovely set titled "Earth Hour 2010"---perfect inspiration for next year!!! I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this idea here, which I'm totally stealing for myself when I manage to make that trip to India. On a personal note,  I have to tell you that this lady with an eye for decorating also possesses a warm personality which totally corroborates the warmth and love you can see scattered around her home.....

I leave you with one small vignette, you really must check out the rest of her work at her flickr site....

I hope you enjoyed the home tour!! Preethi blogs  here and you can view her entire Flickr photostream here for more inspiration (seriously, there were just too many gorgeous pictures to squeeze in one post!). All pictures courtesy of and copyrighted to Preethi Prabhu.

PS: I'm linking back to the sneak peek as well. picture courtesy of Preethi Prabhu.

Sneak peek.........

Working on a fabulous new home tour.......thought I'd tempt you with a little teaser of the flavors to come........

  ..................see you in a bit! Those of you familiar with her work---no telling, okay? :)

xoxo,
G

Here comes the sun!

*Sigh.of.relief*--three days of sulky stormy weather is just about all I can handle!!! So how was thanksgiving at your end? We had a quiet, relaxed dinner with just immediate family (read: mama bear, papa bear and baby beal!!!) which was a nice contrast to last year's thanksgiving where we spent (a cumulative) two and a half days stuck in various airports around the country!(How bad was it?--the entire airplane load of people clapped when the pilot managed to land the plane safely---I had this guy sitting across the aisle from me--white knuckled and  muttering prayers under his breath---the tiny little plane was being tossed around something fierce in the storm! My son slept through the whole thing and though I was calm, I just wanted to get back home and sleep too!!!).

So anyway, I would recommend a nice day IN if you can mange it....yesterday was perfect --I cooked a nice dinner, we did some crafts, I manged to read a bit and at present both papa bear and baby bear are snuggled up in their respective corners reading their books for the day (yes, we're using black friday to chill at home!). The perfection of the day makes me want to sing (you don't want to hear it---trust me!!)....it's nice to have a day with no "agenda" !!! LOL!

So I'll leave you on this perfect day with some shots from around home as the morning light streamed in the windows...

My happy Coleus, drinking in the sun!

As I run out of floor/window space for my plants, I'm thinking of going vertical! Especially since I'm running amok, making little cuttings and starting new plants all over the place! *grin*

Yes I changed my entryway display-again! LOL! --I think I have too much free time *smiles*.

I'd LOVE to know-- how has the week been treating you? :)





PS: I hope to be back later this weekend with another home tour that I'm working on. I also wanted to put in a few announcements: I wonder if you remember the immensely-talented jewelry designer from this post? Amrita has recently started retailing in Bangalore, at a store named "The Orange Bicycle". If you loved her work, you now have a destination to buy it from!

I also wanted to let you know that there's another CSN giveaway happening here in blogland. This time hop on over to Pree's blog to enter for your chance to win a CSN giftcard!

Plus, If you still haven't entered, don't forget the CSN stores giveaway I'm hosting!

Baby, it's cold outside!*

It's been raining hail and sleet all day today. Roads are slippery, the north wind is howling---and all I can think about is getting my toes warm!! So won't you join me? Come on in, kick off those shoes. Let November do its thing, come in and rest a while....

Sink into some cushion-y goodness......

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Lounge around, there's ginger tea brewing in the kitchen...

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There's warmth by the hearth and dinner's simmering on the stove, and while the storm rages on outside, there's a lot to be thankful for. To families and health, to friends and warmth, to suppers cooked with love, to the riches of simplicity......Happy Thanksgiving!

*Post title inspired by this song.

Have you heard?

Rue issue two is out! Packed with inspiration!!

 Go check it out!! All Images Rue Magazine, Issue 2.

Hey there, Monday!

Hello there! How IS monday treating you? Wishing you some warm winter sunshine to melt away your cares(or spring sunshine, if you're in the southern hemisphere, LOL!). I can't stop staring at this gorgeous bedroom today....yes, it's very dark, but that bedspread! Sigh!

Via Canadian House and Home.

Looking at it, I'm reminded of the soft mulmul (muslin) rajasthani quilts back in India. Light & soft as a hug......so today, as we step into another wintry day, I'm wishing you some warmth and coziness, wherever you may need it! Have a great week ahead!

PS: There's a giveaway happening here at P&P central---don't forget to enter!

Yay for another giveaway!

Hello my loves! How is your weekend going? How about we sweeten it with another giveaway? CSN stores has very generously offered a $45 gift certificate (no strings attached!) to a P&P reader. CSN carries a gamut of merchandise...from children's luggage to tealight holders. I'm sure one lucky reader will be able to put the gift card to great use, and I really hope it will be you! I was browsing the site and these lovely things caught my eye.....

Tealight holder, Novica art, Thai Buddha figurine, Elephant teapot.

............All handcrafted, and with the exception of the framed art, all under $45!! What will you pick?

The rules:

Four entries per person (extra entries will be culled). Leave a new comment for each enrty. Giveaway open to U.S./Canadian residents. Residents of other continents---You may still enter for a loved one in the U.S./Canada. The winner will be announced on December 1st, just in time for the holidays!

Entry#1: Leave a comment with a link to your pick from the CSN website.

Entry#2: Follow P&P and leave a comment. If you're already a follower, just leave a comment so it can be counted.

Entry#3: Spread the word---Blog about it and leave the link in an additional comment.

Entry#4: Facebook/tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment.

Best of luck my loves.....





The disclosure and other fun stuff: No strings attached. I have not been paid/compensated in any manner to host the giveaway. I will be using the random number generator to pick the winner. 

The giveaway is now closed! Thanks for playing along.....

Like a breath of fresh air...........

 Have a beautiful friday, my loves......

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home design by miami interior designer Brown Davis Interiors. Via Houzz.

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Destination Bangalore......

So this month seems to be dominated with posts stemming from Bangalore. First there was this fabulous home-tour and now there are a couple more blog-worthy events that I have to update you on! First up is an artist who needs no introduction, at least not on this blog! You may remember our Über-talented friend, Aarohi, from this post. Well she's done it again---she's going to be holding an exhibition of her latest collection in Bangalore. So those of you who missed out on her earlier shows can catch up with her and hopefully take home a bit of her magic before it flies off the shelves! Check out a preview of her exhibition up here. I'm loving her new "nimbu-mirchi" series, and those "thaalis" are simply amazing! I love the way she created a plate wall to display them---what a fabulous idea! Granny chic goes global!

Aarohi's "anything but kitsch" art!

The Exhibition Details:

When- 25-28th Nov 2010

Where- Page Turners Bookstore, 89 Kannan Building, MG Road, Bangalore.

Time- 11am to 8 pm.

Now the second event is a fabulous giveaway over at Indya kaleidoscope. Preethi wants to know your favorite piece of Indian art/handicraft. Share your pictures with her and you might just win a handsome little elephant of your own!! Check out the deets here. Oh, and for my entry, I would pick this little pair of deer that I've had with me since my college days (a loooooooooong, long time ago, LOL!)...I love them because they've been through so much with me and also because they're so graceful.

Blogged here.

While I'm on the subject, you may have also noticed that I have been making noises about hosting another giveaway....well, I am. Check back tomorrow for the giveaway.....

Penny for your thoughts.......

What say you my lovelies?

This limited edition print is now sold out on Etsy. First spotted on coco+kelley.

"Design is intelligence made visible"

-Alina Wheeler

Howz that for the perfect rejoinder to a certain "inane" reference.

Case closed.

Happiness is.....

• A virtual hug (or several). I felt each one....and here are some thank yous coming your way...{HUGG}........

• A knock on the door. A friendly face and tea&chatter. Over the dirty kitchen island. A real hug, the perfect complement to the virtual ones.

• Knowing that the dirty countertop won't announce it's presence. Not in this conversation. Not with that friendly face.(It may niggle in the back of your* brain, but who says you're right anyway?) (*and by "your" here, I mean ME and my brain).

• Music in the kitchen.

• Bread on the rise.

• Your kind words, and how they brighten even the gloomiest of November skies.

• Your lovely posts, you inspire me!

• Diving into a bag of mirchi chips. (Never mind the consequences!!!!)

• Happiness is......having making having the time to read a good book (an excellent review here).

What's making you happy?
(This post inspired by  1, 2, 3 If you haven't discovered these blogs yet, why not?)