Of peacocks and paisleys......

Fifty-Two Objects: Three.

2012-01-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

Starry-eyed.

2012-01-21T15:39:00.001-05:00

Hello, hello. How was your week? It's been a star-struck week for us here at P&P central......my little guy is participating in the school play (a two hour long adaptation of Annie) and I'm in awe of all the behind-the-scenes effort that has been put into its making. I have a renewed respect for sets and set designers--it has to take an awful lot of vision and hard work to put up something so transient, but oh, the results. In. Awe.

Speaking of star struck, did anyone catch the golden globes this week? I usually don't watch but we actually sat through the whole show this time-- this past year, we've watched a lot of movies, (mostly all through redbox), and it was fun to actually see some of our favorites get awards. One movie that we fell in love with was Beginners. If you've seen it you probably know why I loved it--from the sunny home it was set in to the actors--Ewan McGregor (adorable!), Christopher Plummer (probably the performance of a lifetime!), Melanie Griffith (girl crush, anyone?), Cosmo (want to adopt him!), to the score (love love love the theme suite) to the story (finally figured out why it had such a genuine ring to it--it was based on the director's parents, there's nothing like having lived through a story to lend authenticity to the narrative.) Anyhoo, I thought I'd poke around the net to see if there were any screengrabs from the movie--the set was amazing, part of an actual home (a family actually lives there, and the kitchen wasn't touched up for the movie. How do I know this? I found an article on Elle Decor--they had done a piece on the beginners movie and set. Bazinga!) The artwork and sculptures you see scattered around the home actually belonged to the director's parents (told you it was authentic!) Here's a look at the set.........

Credit: Elle Decor.

It actually looks so much better in the movie, hope you get to catch it. While I am on the topic of amazing on-screen sets, have you seen the interiors in the sitcom the big bang theory? When I'm not busy laughing my head off (funniest. show. ever.) I love ogling at the sets--so many furnishings are actually identifiable as being from Anthroplogie, but I just love the feel of their homes--especially the couch-rug-bookcase combo in Leonard/Sheldon's apartment. And how amazing is the giant double helix? I want. (I'm not really going to put any pictures/links in here, because I'm sure everybody and their grandmother already watch the show........)

Do you have any favorite on-screen homes? What about in hindi movies? I think I've shared this one earlier, but just because I'm repetitive sometimes (he heh), here it is once again.......

Do share your favorites too.....

Hope you're having a great weekend, see you here tomorrow with the third object in my series of fifty two. Till then, be good....... :)

Fifty-Two Objects: Two.

2012-01-15T15:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the no-show all week, it's been grey and dull and I've been suffering from incessant headaches, hence no screen time. I hope this will make up for the lack of posts.....the sun finally came out today and I manged to take a few pictures to share with you. Hope you're having a great weekend, I'm just happy to see some natural light! I'm off now to make a huge batch of aloo parathas..... :) Ciao for now!!

New (inspired) series: Fifty-Two Objects: #1.

2012-01-08T16:19:00.002-05:00

Hello there, dear reader! How was the first week of the new year? Mine was quite busy--along with the usual weekday madness, I had to eke out time for appointments with the mechanic--yes, the new year came with car trouble. I'm not complaining though, as long as things can be fixed (and stay fixed) it's all okay. The week was surprisingly productive (mostly mundane, but essential tasks) and with the satisfaction of having tackled that to-do list, I'm quite pleased with myself and ready to go!......Which brings me to the post on hand. Some of you may be familiar with the 52 Objects series on Emma's blog, The Marion House Book. I've always admired the series--I was hooked from the first day I stumbled across her blog, sometime in the summer of '11. It's a beautifully composed narrative strung out over the 52 weeks of a year-- in it, each week, Emma picks one object from her life and shares the story behind it. Over the course of the past year, she's (un)covered the secret lives of her favorite possessions, each rich with personal history, fragrant with memories. Thank you for the inspiration, Emma!

Starting this week, I plan on sharing some of my personal favorites with you--some breathtakingly beautiful, some crumpled beyond recognition, some pristine, some marked with scars.........each, a beloved object from my life. It's an ambitious project, one that will require a degree of dedication that I've struggled to bring to this blog in the past year. Hopefully this will remedy that! Wish me luck, my loves, and then join me on this journey as I do what I love to do--dig through my memories for stories to share.....

So here it is, the first of 52........

One down, fifty-one to go..........

xoxo,
Gagan

Update:

Dear all, thank you so much for your lovely words on this post. This painting is a favorite of mine, for obvious reasons, but I really need to do a post on my mother's art. She's quite old now, and hasn't picked up a paintbrush in many years, but I made sure that she got to read all the comments on this post. She thanks you all and wants everyone to know that this painting isn't an original, it was a copy of something she'd seen in an illustrated weekly. (That's my mom in a nutshell, always the perfectionist.) (Just FYI, there are plenty of originals scattered throughout my parent's home, and in homes of friends and family members around the globe.) I need to write that post, it's an emotional subject for me to write on, especially now that I better understand what she gave up to build her family. I'll get to it, maybe just not yet.
Thank you for all the love!

Gagan

Hello world!

2012-01-02T20:24:00.002-05:00

How is the new year treating you dear reader? It was a quiet day for me today, filled with mood music and comfort food--partying is all very well, but at the end of the day (make that 10 madcap days! Oh, may I vent a little? What is it about karaoke that makes sane, balanced, human beings sound like hyenas? my poor ears. As far as I'm concerned magic sing and its ilk belong on top of the list of things we should eradicate! OK. Exhale. whew.) I think there's nothing more nourishing to the body (and soul) as a simple meal. :) Just like a good warm cup of chai is the perfect antidote to winter!

Speaking of chai, do you have any special recipe for the perfect cup of tea? Do share--I plan on sharing some recipes from my kitchen this year.....no, I'm not going to start a food blog, because Of Peacocks and Paisleys seems to have evolved into its own (totally organic!!!) blend --a bit of lifestyle, a pinch of decor, the occasional foodie post, a little bit about my life. If I'd tried, I couldn't have planned it better-- I'm really pleased with what is up here. I do plan on enhancing some aspects-- I used to love sharing home-tours with you and I didn't do a single one in all of 2011. (what???!!??) (there's an embarrassing story in there, but I'll skip that bit for now. ) Anyway, that needs to be repaired, pronto! I also loved inviting my friends over--the "My kinda Gal" series was total soul-food. And believe me, I hadn't even begun to scratch the surface yet--there are so many awesome, inspiring women I'd love to invite to this space--hopefully I'll be able to get that series started up again. In other news, I'm planning on taking a page (quite literally!) out of my friend Divya's blog and creating some links to the absolutely wonderful cache of talent out there. I find, as life becomes busier, it is a little more difficult for me to work on designer profiles; and much as I'd like to come in with both guns firing, I've found myself battling severe writer's block when it comes to these posts.....unfortunately, when I don't follow through on my promises it's not good for my morale (or reputation!) One of my resolutions is to not fight myself and just accept things the way they are. I'm sticking with what comes naturally and not pushing it anymore. So, like I was saying, I love Divya's solution and I'm unabashedly copying her idea. (Thanks, D!--you're the best!) The links page is under construction and will be up shortly. I'll try to update it each month, so please be sure to check often!

From where I sit, the year stretches out in front of me, full of promise. It's almost impossible to stop plans from swirling about in my head......while 2011 was good to me on the personal front, my poor blog baby got ignored a bit. No more. I'm hoping this new year will bring with it many exciting collaborations on this blog; I want to make it a little more interactive--some new series, a few new features, a little more of everything. Maybe some reader requests? I received a few via email this past year, which I responded to in person, but maybe we could do that on the blog? I have just the post to start that series off! (Did you realize that I was actually thinking out loud just then--I love that I'm so comfortable "talking " to you that I can let slip the ~~voices~~ voice in my head. )

Big plans. The hope for action (LOL!). That's all it takes to put a smile on my face. ;)

What's making you happy today?

xoxo,

Powering down.......

2011-12-30T21:10:00.001-05:00

Dear 2011,

We had a good run, you and I. You started on the right note; I managed a long overdue trip home, basked in the warm Delhi sun. Spent much-needed time with loved ones, came away satiated and content. But you had a few more surprises in store for me -- in a flourish of your time-heals-all wand, you brought me back home (to my home away from home); thank you for that. Much of this year has gone in re-connecting with old friends, rekindling just-begun friendships that had seen a premature end, and in making new friends. It's been a time to revel in the beauty of the nature that surrounds us, so carefully preserved by the hard work and vision of those entrusted with the responsibility. I see around me an Earth that we inherited, as it was intended, unmarred by industrialization and callous minds. In that, I'm grateful to the events (fate? destiny? determination?) that brought us here. I enter 2012 with a renewed resolve to do whatever I can-- to do my bit in preserving the beauty of this planet.

I have some high expectations of you, 2012. Please be better, faster, stronger. You know. But don't lose sight of the simple joys please. I have big plans, both on the personal and professional front. Please be the year that stands by me. Move forward, albeit gently.

And gentle reader, for you, I wish that the year brings happiness, in whatever form you wish it. Here's to the health and continuing well-being of your families (and mine!), to sunny days, grassy fields and clear waters (a healthy planet!), to laughter, and to friendships. To goals met and checklists checked. May 2012 be the year.

And while I'm jabbering on about High Expectations, would world peace be too much of a stretch? Sabko buddhi do bhagwaan? Here, then, is to the rise in collective intellect and the dawn of wisdom. May this be the year.

Go on 2012, be awesome. You know you want to. ;)

Signing off (with a heart full of hope),

-Gagan

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a festive season filled with warmth and love...........

Happy Holidays!

xo,
-Gagan

Work in progress and a thank you for you.........

2011-12-15T17:41:00.001-05:00

Busy busy busy..........handmade labels, the printer's been working full time today! This year, I decided to customize the labels for my thank you gifts. They're not very holiday-themed as there are a ton of printables out there, and I wanted the labels to really stand out. I used regular card stock to print these labels on; the original prints were made using the wooden blocks and scanned to create digital facsimiles. I think they came out rather well don't you?

I plan on using these tags on little brown paper packages (tied up with string, of course) that will carry my top secret (LOL! )spice blends for marinades. Accompanying them will be the recipe cards you see above. For the vegetarians, there will be parcels of home made cookies (with accompanying recipe cards).

And while I'm making goodies for friends I can see and touch, I can't very well forget you can I, dear reader? I thought you might like to use some pretty labels too. Actually, since they're not very holiday theme-y, you can use them for other occasions as well. So here you go, my sweets---make sure you download the original file for the full resolution images. (It's a pdf file, 168 kb in size, so it won't take up much space.)

OPaPLabels

PS: This is my first time sharing a document on blogger, if there are any hiccups, please do let me know, I'll try my best to resolve any issues. There is a watermark in the document, to prevent it from being appropriated, but it falls in the area you would discard when you cut out your labels. I'm really excited to be able to share this with you, do let me know if you liked the labels and whether you think you'll be using them. Here's the link to the file in case the embedded document takes forever to open, though, at 168 kb, why would it take so much time to open is a mystery to me.

A home with history on Heart Home Magazine.

2011-12-12T23:24:00.001-05:00

In case you missed this, I just wanted to pop in with a quick post on this gorgeous home that's been featured in the second issue of Heart Home magazine....(which, by the way, I'm quickly falling in love with--it speaks to my aesthetic sensibilities the way no other online 'zine does, at least not yet.) Anyway, on to the pictures, and the link to the original story.......

I loved the article as well, as it details the lives of the well-traveled couple who have layered their home with memories from their travels. Go read the entire story here. You will not be disappointed, trust me!

Notes from today.....

2011-12-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

Soppy post alert! Dear reader, I'm issuing a disclaimer for this post, so know that you're reading at your own risk. This would be the kind of stuff that pours out after you've had "one too many" of your choice of poison, but the strange thing is that as I sit here writing this, the sun is shining outside and I'm as clear-headed as I'll ever be. (dry eyed? maybe not, but clear headed for sure. ) What's that you say? bah, humbug? you were warned.

That time of the year again, tying up loose ends, trying to make sure that I start the new year with a clean slate, my list of to-dos from the whole year waiting to be crossed, one line at a time. Luckily for me, the list is mostly one of gratitude; thank yous to people who stood by us. Those who brought smiles to our faces, just with the shared memories of beautiful conversations. Small acts of kindness, that warm the heart even now, months and years since. It's a long list, (yes, I know. we're blessed.) It's a month that's jam packed with catching up with friends, re-connecting lives one last time before 2012 rolls along. Little bundles of love, most of my gifts this year are handmade, tailor-made for the recipients. Far more rewarding than getting those lack-luster gift cards at the checkout. This is a group of extraordinary ordinary people and they deserve so much better. I'm glad I had the opportunity (and time!) this year to actually do things I'd never had time for earlier. It lends to closure in one sense , but also leads to new beginnings. And I love it all. I'm ending this year with a heart full of gratitude and warmth, something I hadn't experienced earlier and it's a beautiful feeling. Do you know what I mean?

Of course you do! A huge part of that circle of friends has to be you dear reader. I know I haven't always done right by you and that I've been an errant blogger, but there you are, like a loyal friend, your support all around me. Thank you. (I'll hold off on the promises, though.)

Things look much better with a bunch of friends by your side!

The rest of December promises to be spent in a whirl of get-togethers, holiday parties and snatched cups of chai. For those who are too far away to sit across a table from, there are emails and letters and phone conversations. There are also plans for the future, the euphoria of new beginnings. Twenty eleven didn't start out the best, but it sure did end right. Here's to the rest of 2011 holding up to the tempo and to 2012 aiming to outdo it. ;)

PS: In case you're wondering if this is the last post for 2011 from P&P, it's not. I have a slate to wipe clean remember? That means a flurry of posts as I clear the backlog on those half-written drafts. Yes I'm working on the rewrite......

Picture: The upstairs landing at home, right outside the master bedroom. Don't get much sun here, hence the lighting issues.

Happy middle-of-the-week-day......

2011-11-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Today, gentle reader! Wondering why I'd no-show you all week and then turn up on a random wednesday? I really have no answer, other than I'm sorry for the sporadic posting........life is just a little busy at the moment (and, to paraphrase a dear friend, "Busy's good".) Just wanted to share some pictures of the sunlight-dappled view from my blogging chair....

Images: Happy plants on the computer table in my study/home office.

Nothing can beat sunlight on a winter's day can it? Hope you're enjoying some too, in your corner of the world, wherever you are......

xo,
G

PS: Oh and in case you miss some of my design picks from around the web, there's always my Tumblr for that perfect dose of pretty!

All creatures great and small.....

2011-11-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends...........

Do remember to set some time aside to reflect on all you're thankful for this year. I know I will.

xoxo,
G

Photo: Critter on my deck. We call him "Bushy". ;)

Life (or something like it....)

2011-11-20T14:51:00.002-05:00

Had to share this quote with you. kind of explains where I'm at right now. Or not.

"My own life is full of these comparisons and contradictions. My father smears red paste on the forehead of small deities each morning. He sits cross-legged and sings along to devotional songs. I sit on a Herman Miller chair, use digital tools, and blare New Order songs, the whole while illustrating Hindu deities. He does his pujas twice a day and I try to do a little work before and after my day job every day. My father animates his faith through meditation and ritual. I use my Techincolor tools to reincarnate modern avatars. In my opinion we're both devoted and reverential, just in different ways, and for different reasons. We're also both continuing a tradition of art making and worship that stretches back thousands of years. What could be more common to the human experience?"

-Sanjay Patel; quoted from here, in the news and at his website.

Going off on a tangent, a whole host of cliches come to mind. "Work is worship" anyone? :) or perhaps, you'd like Khalil Gibran's version of the sentiment? Whichever way you put it, you can't help but agree.

And, a lovely video to go with those words (totally not related, but this is what I'm listening to as I'm putting together this post........)

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!

xoxo,
G

{Insert smiley face}

2011-11-06T20:10:00.001-05:00

Hello my sweets! How are you? I've had a very productive weekend--we finally tackled the "junk room" where every wayward box had landed following our epic move this summer. The room is beginning to look like a room again, and though there's still TONS to be done, at least we can now navigate our way around it (yes, it was standing room only! NOT for the faint of heart! :D) Do you have such spaces in your home? --the dumping ground where everything that may-come-in-handy "someday" goes to rest? I feel the tone of this past week has been "get it done" and that's such a relief! My handsome handy man (a.k.a the husband) patiently put up the artwork and pictures, and it's beginning to look a lot like home around here! :)

Moving on, I thought you'd like to see some pretty pictures I took this afternoon. Earlier this week, I'd won this table runner from Saffron Marigold over at Christine's blog, Bijou and Boheme (if you don't read it yet, you absolutely must check it out--it's chock-full of eye candy!). I just wanted to take some pictures as a thank you to both Christine and to the team at Saffron Marigold. The runner turned out to be even better than it appears online--for one, it had that subtle scent that I've always associated with hand-block printed textiles (do you know what I'm talking about?--it's like that old book smell, very indefinable but laden with memories? If you have no idea what I'm prattling on about, let's just say it's nice, kind of the opposite of chemical fumes.) Sorry to go all weird on you! :)

I also loved the weight of the runner: it has a nice sturdy backing to ensure that it stays in place. Very nicely made. This was a freebie, won in a giveaway, but I'm sure I'll go back to Saffron Marigold as a paying customer in the future. (In case you're wondering, I wasn't asked or paid to write these things--I just liked what I saw and I thought it would be nice to give an honest review.)

Full disclosure: These photos are ~~kind of~~ totally "staged" --I took them in my living room because of the better lighting in there. In the picture: Ruby Kilim table runner, goddess Lakshmi wooden block, my mom's necklace and some random shells and pebbles.

Another view:

So. How did your weekend go?

Where did the week go?

2011-11-03T13:07:00.000-04:00

Whoosh! That was the sound of my week zipping past.........the past few ~~days~~ weeks have been a little crazy to say the least. I finally had some time to myself today and I'm planning to savor each moment in the next couple of hours before the madness starts again. :)

And what better way to unwind than catch up with friends? The past two hours have been admirably employed, playing catch up with long-overdue phone calls and emails. Though I'm not quite done ticking the emails and promises-to-be-kept off the list yet, I'm getting there! (can you tell I'm very pleased with myself?--excuse me while I pat myself on the back.) And so here I am, playing hookey, duly fortified with tulsi-chai and pistachios, and I'm wondering how you've been...

As you can see, I'm mastering the art of killing time. :) Playing with tea cups can be quite therapeutic! (Hey! NO smirking!) We've been having a few days of glorious weather (no, the snow storm didn't reach this far north!) and my bloggy avtar just couldn't let a sunlit window go undocumented. :)

OK. Break over. Chores and more beckon......

Hope you're doing good! Do drop in to say hi if you can!!

xo,

PS: Any new music that I should know of? I'm quite enjoying the catchy beat on this song lately.

That's it. Gotta run now....xoxoxoxo.....

Wishing you a very very happy Diwali.....

2011-10-25T08:41:00.002-04:00

How are you my sweets? I'm just popping in to wish you all a very happy Diwali and a prosperous and fulfilling new year......

It's been crazy, this week. Got a load of stuff accomplished and now I need to roll up my sleeves and get down to some serious diwali prep. :) So I'm leaving you with a few pictures from yesterday. Don't you just love the details on those diyas? They're like works of art!

All lit up.......

Happy Diwali, folks!

PS: A few more pictures here.
PPS: Linking in to these fine festive parties: 1, 2 and 3. Thanks Patricia, Sharon, Rekha and Emreen!

Sundays in the fall.....

2011-10-23T13:32:00.001-04:00

...are for a steaming cup of adrak-chai, don't you think? :) Hope you're keeping warm wherever you are!

xoxo,

PS: Working on some stuff, hope to introduce a new feature to the blog soon.

PPS: Woefully behind on my diwali post, hope to slip one in before diwali. The social calendar has (thankfully) been rather full this year. Am trying to make up for lost time........... :) How are you? :)

Crazy-cool.......

2011-10-14T08:50:00.001-04:00

So this post has absolutely nothing to do with design or decor, but sometimes I just need to let my inner nerd out...... :) How freakin' cool is this???

Anyone out there catch this episode? Truth is that the hopeless romantic in me loves this just as much as the inner nerd....

Hope you're having a wonderful Friday!

Have a great weekend....

2011-10-07T14:10:00.001-04:00

How has your week been so far? mine has been the usual mixed bag, nothing out of the ordinary. The good news is that the sun finally made an appearance and we're actually looking at what promises to be a lovely, sunny weekend. This picture was taken a couple of weeks back, I just wanted to capture the sunflowers and the way the light flooded out all else...the picture has been touched up a little (I used picnik). What are your plans for the weekend? I brought a huge bag of bulbs for planting and I hope to get some gardening done while the sun shines.....other than that it's shaping up to be a quiet weekend, a welcome break before the festival parties start up again. Maybe I'll put some of it to good use and whip up some festival goodies. Last year, I'd made some pedas and some til laddoos. I'm still looking for inspiration, methinks I'll trawl the interwebz for some. I also hope to get some reading done and update my music playlists. I haven't been able to stop listening to this song (thanks for introducing it to me, Prachi!). Reading-cooking-gardening-vegging out. Sounds like a plan to me! You???

However you choose to spend it, have a great weekend my loves.....

Where I've been these past few days....

2011-10-05T14:06:00.001-04:00

Hello hello! and how have you been these past few weeks, gentle reader? There have been days I've been super busy and days when I've just bummed around in my PJs *grin*....weirdly I haven't been feeling very chatty lately, which is reflected in the lack of posts on the blog. Sigh. I've kind of given up on trying to "make" myself write--it's not like life hasn't been happening behind the scenes here, just that I haven't felt the overwhelming urge to "talk" about it. Do you know what I mean? I hope it's a phase and it will pass! However, there were a few gloriously sunny days where I was able to take advantage of the light and take a few pictures. ...So if you'll have me, just the way I am at the moment, I have some pictures (and some links) that take you through the days past......

I added a few new pictures to my flickr page. I've also been pretty active on the tumblr front (pretty pictures + no need to talk = awesome!), do check out my blog here.

I was really inspired by the latest issue of Sweet Paul Magazine and made this delicious batch of pretzels from the recipe on page 30. I love freshly baked pretzels and I'd always wanted to try some at home, so when I saw how ridiculously simple the recipe was, and the fact that I had all ingredients readily available at home, I went for it! The only thing I would add to the recipe next time would be a source of fat, maybe some olive oil. Because, though these were delicious fresh-out-of-the-oven, they became kind of tough and chewy by the next day. (That didn't prevent my boys from polishing them off tho'! :))

This past month I've fallen hard for Pico Iyer's writing. I just finished "The Global Soul" and I loved it! I've been meaning to read it again, just to linger over parts that really spoke to me.......

Next up on my reading list is Hot, Flat, and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman. I'd really loved watching his interview on GPS last year and it's been on my list of must-reads ever since. I finally got my hands on a copy and I can't wait to get started on it! Have you read it? How did you like it?

In other news, stuff has been blooming in my garden, we've been having unseasonably warm weather in these parts (by unseasonably warm, I mean no frost warnings out yet, and though it is cold enough for me to pull out my warm socks, it's still warm enough for some plants to survive the nights) and I thought I'd capture some of the pretties from my (container) garden and the green fields in front of our home.......

That mint plant has really been pressed into service this year--I've been making mint chutney each week! The red flowers and purple petunias make for a cheerful welcome to our home.....

And then, of course, you are all aware that the festive season is upon us.......Have a happy Dussehra, folks! Here's a shot of my threads from last weekend. You know, I've had this Gharchola dupatta since my days in college! Since this dupatta was the star of the show, I kept the rest of the bling down to a minimum. I love the combination of deep, dusty red with the grassy-pistachio color. The gold threadwork, which already had an antiqued look about it, has taken on several more layers of patina and I love it! This one is a keeper for sure! (This time, on my trip to India, I'd decided not to go crazy buying new stuff. It was time to revamp some old classics and some hand me downs, and I couldn't be happier with my decision--the smile that this dupatta brought to my face couldn't have been put there by any other "new" piece of clothing. Do you ever do that?--bring back gorgeous memories? :) ) What are you wearing these days? Do share some pictures of your finery!

LOL! That's a surprisingly chatty post for someone who's not in the mood to talk! *grin* That's about it for the "wind up" post....Till I see you next time, be good, and don't do anything I wouldn't do! ;)

A thought for today....

2011-09-12T10:31:00.000-04:00

Smile at a stranger. Offer your seat to someone on the bus. Give way to pedestrians. Hold a door open. Say thank you (like you mean it--make eye contact and smile). Say something nice. Send out a wish for peace. Pour some love into the world, I'm sure it'll make the Earth spin happier. :)

Sending a huge hug your way........

*huggggggggggggg*

xo,

Hello! Is it me you're looking for?*

2011-09-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

(.....or look who crawled out of the woodwork!!!)

Flowers from an evening with friends...

Dearest readers,

Thank you for not giving up on me, and for all your lovely words and emails. I know I've been a bad bad blogger, disappearing on you like that. Thing is, I'm still trying to get my act together. Bear with me, please? I'm making no promises (and thus sidestepping all the guilt in one glib move! :) ) but I really really hope to be back to doing what I love! :) To those of you who wrote in to inquire after our well-being in Irene's wake, we are fine, we escaped with just a few extra raindrops, but my heart goes out to all who were affected by the flooding. I hope their nightmare will end soon.

For now, it's September already, there's a quiet chirping of crickets outside my window. The morning sun is streaming in the window, making the shadows of my fingers dance across this keyboard. :) Behind me, there are still unopened boxes and disorganized closets begging for attention! It was a lovely long summer for us, filled with old friends and new, reconnecting with the familiar. It was a busy summer. And a very emotional one as well, as we moved back to our old town, our home away from home. It was also a time to slow down and reassess the larger picture, to sort through those emotions and reinforce the ones that made us stronger and let go of the rest. There's a long post somewhere within me, waiting to break loose, but now is not the time for it. Right now the autumn sun is calling my name--fall is indisputably my favorite time of the year, as that light chill creeps into the air and the trees don their autumn finery, and my green mountains turn to gold and amber.......hopefully Irene hasn't robbed us of these simple pleasures. The bub is back at school and I'm slowly trying to fill my days with things I would love to do--for the longest time, I have wanted to be part of something larger than myself, and I aim to allocate some of my time to volunteering within the community this year. It looks like it's going to be a busy fall for us, just the way I'd want it to be. :)

So. Enough about me. How have you been? It's been a while...I'd love to catch up with you, find our what's new... talk to me? I'm here and I'm listening.......

Much love,

Gagan

*adapted with a liberal dose of poetic license from here.

It's been a while....

2011-06-23T21:37:00.001-04:00

It's been a while dear friends..........sorry to have disappeared on you like that! I certainly hadn't planned it, in fact quite the opposite, I had really grand plans of a whole P&P makeover for the birthday month (P&P quietly turned one a few weeks back, can you believe it?). One whole year blogging away, sitting at this desk and penning down my thoughts (well some of them at least!) I never knew that it would become such an integral part of my life. Even when I'm not blogging, I'm thinking of blogging (and/or wishing I were!)...Which brings me to my unexplained absence........we're moving! And even though it's just 954 miles north and east of where we are now, it feels like a transcontinental move for all the planning that's gone into it (and did I mention my old friend paperwork here? or customer service reps?---you don't want to go down that lane with me, trust me!!!). Aah, logistics!

Some (very belated!) birthday flowers for P&P......

Once I'm safely ensconced in my new home, I suspect there will much outpouring of just how emotional this move has been for us (soppy post alert!) (and that's a good emotional, thankfully---after the year that was, this is a welcome relief, trust me!). I don't want to dwell on the negative, and I really really hope with all my heart that we're leaving all the heartbreak behind.......and so I'm just going to box up the good and take it with us. This blog for one, was one of the best things that came out of the year that was. And this blog just wouldn't be the same without you dear reader. It would be one sad and lonely string of 0s and 1s that would never be read; without you, there would be no comments, no getting-to-know-you emails, no friendships. No support group.

So thank you for reading. And thank you for commenting. For letting me in your mornings, your lives, for sharing your day with me, for reaching out and for the friendship...I'm grateful beyond words. Here's to many more years together, and to a closer, tighter-knit circle of friends.......*clink*

Thank you for being there! It means the world.....

And even though we're pretty excited at the prospect of moving, I've been pretty introspective lately. I think it's my self-defense against chaos, I turn inward and to familiar comforts-- much-loved music, dog eared (and stained!) copies of favorite books. (are you like that? I know, intuitively, some of you most certainly are!) And while I sit here surrounded with a gazillion brown cardboard boxes (chaos!!!), I'm glad that I had this blog to document my home, that little safe haven we created for ourselves.....now that my cozy little nooks no longer exist, I still have pictures to prove to me that I hadn't dreamt it all up.......and till this computer gets boxed up, I have my little folder of treasures to flip through with my morning cup of tea...

So I leave you now with a few images from the past couple of months, with the promise to be back soon....

(I wondered about the appropriate-ness of including these images of sun drenched windows and warm throws in the blistering heat of the summer which many of you are currently facing. Truth is, summer has yet to arrive in these parts, it's been raining non-stop for the past week, my toes are cold, I have four layers of tees on right now. Seriously, if it weren't so ridiculous I might even have considered pulling out my sweaters from the suitcases. Really. I kid you not. Soooo, my point is that this picture actually looks pretty good to me just about now....bear with me okay? :)

Aaaand, with my customary update on (and gripe about) the weather, I declare this post well-rounded and complete!!! *big smile of satisfaction*

A corner in our bedroom..........

Till we meet again, au revoir.......

PS: I'm also giving one last parting shot at my blog redesign.. If you notice anything different, tell me what you think......;) (I'm not completely satisfied and will tweak the design a bit more once I have a little time to play around. But for now, I think it works!)

PPS: I can't believe I'm actually getting the time to do this...... yay.
(Really, I need to get back to packing. NOW.)

PPPS: Have a wonderful long weekend, hopefully I'll see you in July......Fellow bloggers: I miss reading all your wonderful inspiring posts, I'll be back to blogging and commenting soon I hope!

The sweet scent of summer...........

2011-05-24T18:09:00.003-04:00

My sweet friends, how have you been? I just wanted to drop in and check on how you were...the last week just flew past in a hazy blur of appointments and chores. I have been taking it easy the last couple of days though as I needed to recuperate from a bout of allergies (which I had no idea I had!) It seems like forever since I blogged! When I sat in front of my computer today, I almost felt like I had forgotten blogging! (Not quite tho'--it's like learning to ride a bike, you never forget!) There have been so many changes these past few months, some monumental, some minor, that it's quite hard to know just where to pick up the conversation---"awkward pauses", anyone? Certainly a lot on my mind too...I was reading my posts from the past few weeks. They seem very "me-centric".....not what I've been aiming for, but it seems to be something I can't shake off that easily either, at least not just yet. Please bear with me? In the meantime I was catching up on my reading list...not an easy task! I have my reader configured to be a constant source of inspiration (read: I subscribe to too many blogs!!) and the list was overwhelming to say the least. I did manage to read all the posts in my backlog, but I haven't been able to comment on them...Please excuse me, I know you'll understand...

In other news, the rose vine in my backyard bloomed...a much-awaited event, it flowers for about ten days in the whole year, but it brings summer with it, wafting along with the sweetest-smelling white roses..... I like to clip a few sprays and place them throughout the home. Like I said, they don't last long, but there is a poetry about them, even when those delicate white petals start falling....

It appears like posting will continue to be erratic this week as well...I hope to catch up with you over the weekend, when I'll hopefully have some time on my hands. Till then, I'm going to leave you with this song from Shubha Mudgal, one of my all time favorites........

http://www.dhingana.com/

**Edited to add: To all of you who wrote in this past month and all of you who stopped by P&P to check up on me--thank you for your kindness....your sweet comments have left me overwhelmed to say the least. I'm well, as is our family....I've been traveling and we're also in the middle of a long-distance move and it has all kept me pretty busy. Sorry to have gone AWOL on you! :( I hope to be back soon (in fact I've been trying to write up a post for you for the past three days--hopefully I'll put in the finishing touches and have it up on the blog in a bit.......)Till then, Thank You...

Hello Monday and the weekend that was.....

2011-05-16T00:01:00.018-04:00

Gentle reader, how has your weekend been? I was craving comfort this weekend; as my mind worked at the speed of lightening, I felt the need to balance it all out with outward trappings of calm. There are several goings-on happening behind the scenes at P&P central. There some very exciting new friendships and future projects that keep me busy, and on the home-front, there's a lot of shaking up happening as well (nothing bad, just different!) As life gets busier for us, I find that a change has come over me, as my family needs me more, I find that I can rise up to the challenge and I'm grateful for that....It's good to be useful!!! And while my mind races and flits from project to project, I turn to familiar comforts-- music, food, books, as I create my little mom-cave (mom-aura to be more accurate, because it follows me everywhere, not limited to a physical space...did that make sense?) ....

This weekend I decided to don my new apron (gift from my mom) and throw myself into the ritual of baking; while my hands went through the familiar motions of measuring and kneading, my mind was elsewhere, calculating and planning (Oooooh, that sounds sinister!!!...nothing Machiavellian in the works, I assure you!) Are you like that? Whirling dervish inside and calm collected homebody on the outside...

Do you cook more when you're "stretched"? I've found that I most certainly do!!! There's always music in my kitchen and the afternoon sun through my kitchen window just makes me happy. Funny, several years back I would never have thought that cooking would be a source of comfort for me (I used to eat to live, not the other way around!!!), and yet, here it is....

Anyway, I made my favorite "everything focaccia".....I adore the aroma of bread baking in the oven!!!

Looks good doesn't it? It tastes great too! :) Here's a link to the basic recipe, you can switch it up with any combination of flavorings you want...

Posting may be sparse this week, but I'll keep popping in to check on you. (Don't give up on me yet, tho', there are a few good posts in the works....)

Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!!

xoxo,

Gagan

PS: Music from yesterday (and the sweetest video!).....(I actually like most of the songs on this soundtrack. You?)

Summer breezes, banana pancakes and freedom.....(Redux)

2011-05-14T09:56:00.000-04:00

Editor's Note: This post is a reloaded version of my original post which appeared on May 11, 2011. Due to a technical glitch in Blogger, the original post seems to have gone AWOL. However, I found it extremely hard to let go, in part because I loved the flow of thoughts I'd penned down (and the extremely thoughtful response I had received from you, dear readers) and in part because the pictures and music I'd posted up here were reflective of my state of mind, calm and unhurried (something I don't do as much as I should!) and I'd love to document them if I can.....the technical glitch in blogger also served to show me that yes, my post was worth saving, at least for myself, and I was pleased with that thought because it revealed to me that I had, finally, moved to the place where my posts held a deeper meaning to me, something I have been straining to do for the past couple of months (and have ranted over, ad nauseam--sorry about that, dear reader!). Luckily, my pictures were still intact on Picasa, the music plays on courtesy YouTube and the text was preserved in my reader! Whew.

Put it all together and what do you get? glorious Deja vu. :D

My only complaint??? Your wonderful comments have disappeared. Maybe we can remedy that too....

-xx-

Two loads of laundry to fold, endless chores to wrap up, dinner to plan (what do I make for dinner today????) and all I want to do is sit still and watch the breeze play with the curtains while I sip my nimbu paani and listen to this......(Told ya I was the queen of procrastination!!)

I loved this song the first time I heard it (on the "find your beach" commercial--love the concept too, btw!)

Other music that's been playing as I go down my list of to-dos today.....

and

Totally unrelated, yet-related-in-a-weird-kind-of-way profound thought of the day: Life is good. The best things in life are fee (or brought too you courtesy of youtube, LOL!), but you need to have a degree of freedom* to enjoy it. Here's hoping you find your beach (and the freedom to enjoy it too....)

Freedom to "root", to "grow", to "be", to drink in natures gifts.....

*Freedom in its many avtars has been on my mind a lot lately....I've been meaning to explore this theme and what it means to us, but that is the subject of another post, one that will take time to compose, so till it is written up (which may not happen anytime soon) I'd love to hear your thoughts on it..........

Here are some of the comments this post received:

Mehjabeen Arif:

Nice post !

Kala:

Freedom to be myself, to explore life any way I choose, to voice my opinions, to do the right thing without ramifications...and more to ponder about:):) Thank you for taking me down this path today, Gagan.

Ambika :

Hey that's a nice black n white jug, did you do that? (No, Ambika, it was the thrifted find!)
Freedom to me is free spiritedness, just being a positive myself, letting troubles roll-off like water on a leaf, and walking down life with my near n dear with-the-wind-in-my-hair!
Good day!

Roshni Mitra Chintalapati :

with all the violence in the Middle East, freedom is something I appreciate more and more.
Loving each new addition to your tumblr account...guess I've told you this before, but still!!

Anpu :

Lovely post Gagan...and a lovely view from the window...I second Kala with my views on freedom...and realize how blessed I am...

Geeta :

Loved the breeze in pic #1.

Free in spirit is all what I aim for in a larger perspective, especially with what's happening around the world, we can't take it lightly any more.

richa :

Nice post, n lovely descriptions and pictures.

nisha :

i love love love that curtain of urs..

Thank you girls, for all the love and support and for sharing your thoughts with me! I have to agree with everything that you have written; freedom to me is my right to exist as a daughter of the earth, to be able to express myself, unfettered. To roam and grow, to absorb and reflect without restrictions, and without the need for explanations. To be able to set my own boundaries, not abide by ones imposed. To read, to dress, to think the way I want to....That and so much more....and as I realize all the freedoms I am blessed with, I am all the more grateful for what I have....

Thrifting like a pro: A guest post.

2011-05-10T20:56:00.000-04:00

Hello, lovely people! How has the week been treating you so far? I have a treat in store for you today....the always vivacious Evie from the blog Post-College Working Girl has put together a wonderful post on how to spot a bargain and thrift like a pro. As you may know, I'm a big fan of thrifting...for me it makes sense on several levels, it's economical and it's Eco-friendly (reuse, recyclye, upcycle....just make sure it isn't headed to a landfill!), it's also about the thrill of the hunt and finding something unique. And it gives me a chance to flex my creative muscle without working our way into bankruptcy, LOL! Like the saying goes "you don't have to spend a million........"

So without much further ado, I present to you Evie and her wonderful tips (be sure to pay extra attention to her wonderful home in all the after pictures too; if you haven't discovered Evie's blog yet, you positively have to click on over!! Resourceful comes to mind. As does creative. And of course, fun!) Take it away Evie.....

I was honored when Gagan e-mailed me (which was no small feat considering the e-mail malfunctions we had!) and asked if I would write a post about thrifting! She is so sweet and I love her blog so I didn't hesitate one moment to say yes! So, I must confess to y'all, you know, get it out in the open, since we are getting to know one another: I am a thrift store junkie. There. I said it. I love going thrifting. I mean, lah lah lah love it. Sure, the excitement of finding a bargain is about as addictive as watching the Lifetime specials leading up to the Royal Wedding, but for me, the real thrill comes in finding unique objects that can't be found all across the world at your Ikeas, Crate and Barrels, and Pottery Barns.

The most common thing that I hear from friends and my blog readers when they see the things that I have found at a thrift store, is that they wish they could find "good" stuff like that but that they just don't know what to look for. I am here to offer my humble tips and tricks of the thrifting trade because there is TONS of "good stuff" to be found out there!

1) The best thing to take with you when going thrifting is... an imagination! Sounds corny, I know, but to find the "good" stuff you have to look past the dingy fabric, the color of an item, and the nicks and scratches on wood. Look at the structure of an item, or the "bones," and picture it in your minds eye in a different color, or re-upholstered with a different fabric.

I purchased this couch from a thrift store for $42. The fabric was old and dingy but I loved the curved back and arms along with the wood detailing on the bottom. It was also sturdily constructed, which is important!

A little bit of new upholstery and some wood polish and I was able to make a drab couch a "great find"!

2) Another one of my favorite things to look for in thrift stores are little figures and items to use in the decor around my house. When looking for these things don't get caught up in the exterior, but rather look at it's shape. For instance, I love elephants, but I wasn't in love with the dull, metal finish of the guy below. I picked up this pair of elephants for about $3 though because I thought that the posture of the trunk was interesting and knew that I could change the exterior, which was the only draw back.

A little bit of spray paint and now I adore seeing this pair with their GREEN trumpeting trunks!

3) I cannot stress this next tip enough: WOOD FURNITURE CAN ALWAYS BE PAINTED! Ok I think I scared myself a little bit with those capital letters, but I really think that this is the biggest tool of the thrifting trade. Sometimes things just need a coat of paint to go from dated and tacky to hip and fantastic!

Coffee Table purchased for $50

Painted black with shined up brass legs!

Dated looking side table. Purchased for about $15

Now a super chic two toned table.

The wood here makes me want to cry it's so bad, but I love the scalloped edges and unique shape of the cabinet windows. Purchased for $90.

Now I cry only tears of happiness!

A "nothing special" mirror for $6.

Sophisticated in black!

4) When all the other rules of thumb fail you, and you see something that you just HAVE to have, go for it. At the end of the day, if it makes you happy and you love it then you can't go wrong. I, for one, fell immediately in love when I saw this PINK velvet chair.

$32

And then I fell in love again when I saw THIS pink velvet chair.

$75

Both are currently living in harmony in my house, because let's be honest one can never have too many pink velvet chairs.

I hope that you found this helpful and that it inspired you to go out and find the thrifted things you love!

Evie those were some excellent tips! And I especially enjoyed looking into your gorgeous home--I love how warm and inviting it is without being too fussy..and now I have a strange hankering for a pink velvet chair. Hmmm now where did that come from?? :) Thank you so much for putting together this wonderful post!

I hope you enjoyed the post, dear reader, and whether you're thrifting at the rose bowl or back in Mumbai's chor bazaar, don't forget to tell me about the treasures you bring home..... :)

Calling all mommies....

2011-05-08T00:01:00.002-04:00

.....Hope you have a wonderful day! Hope you get some time to put your feet up....

(And read a good book...I loved reading this one! green toenails optional..... :D)

...enjoy something pretty...

(The orchids have faded now, but I'm so happy I still have these pictures to enjoy their beauty.......)

......and get pampered.........

Tempting? Get the recipe here. I used to make this quite often, but I didn't know what I was missing out on till the magician-cook whispered her secret ingredient in my ear---Ginger!! I've jazzed it up with some scallions and fresh herbs--basil from my windowsill and cilantro from the grocer!

Those lovely batik napkins are my mother's work....aren't they gorgeous!

My new tablecloth, that-isn't-a-tablecloth. It's actually a curtain...I couldn't find any table covers in India that would fit my unwieldy dining table, so I picked the prettiest curtain for the purpose! Bonus: it was on sale! Yay.

Confession: these pictures were taken much earlier, nothing to do with the momentous occasion (!!??!!) of mothers' day. I just thought they'd look pretty presented here in one post.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, my lovelies!

Baagh Singh: Chief Tabby-in-Residence.

2011-05-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

So here he is folks, as promised. Meet Baaghwinder Singh (you can also call him Baagh** Singh if you feel the name in its full glory is a mouthful) and yes, he currently occupies the exalted position of chief tabby-in-residence. He likes to go romping in the jungle, peeping through leaves while he stealthily stalks his prey and POUNCES!!

(**Baagh, for those of you not familiar with the word, is the hindi and punjabi term for "Tiger")

Sneaky Cat!

Frolicking in the sunlight...

His favorite spot at home is either on my table where he runs amok, messing up all the papers (yes, he's the one that made the current mess on my table. Cats I tell you!) and of course he just loves the sunny ledge on my windowsill...he can sit there for hours (and days! LOL!)

I'm taking a couple of days off blogging, there are several tasks that need to be tackled and I have only one business day left to accomplish it all in (Oh, the pressure!), I may pop in over the weekend just to say hello..... Till then, be good, (miss me?) and have a great weekend!

PS: What do you think of my copycat styling? (pun totally unintended). Catch the original here. ;)

Bookmarked!

2011-05-02T17:12:00.000-04:00

I'm not doing any DIY anytime soon, but if I were, here's what I'd love to sink my teeth into:

Picture and DIY tutorial via Apartment Therapy.

That rug is a DIY!!! O.M.G. And it seems she did it overnight....totally droolworthy and totally bookmarked! The simple ideas are always the best, don't you think? Are you planning anything creative anytime soon? Once the rain lets up (and I have enough natural light to photograph in), I have to post pictures of a certain orange tabby cat! I'd love to hear what you've been up to in the past couple of weeks...:)

Hello Monday!

2011-05-02T06:30:00.002-04:00

Hello and a happy Monday morning to all you lovely folks out there......how was your weekend? Did you get some time (off of your worries and cares?) did you get a chance to sit and breathe (in beauty?) did you get a chance to read (for pleasure?) I did, and I'm ready to take on the week now! After my hugely cathartic post on Friday, I felt strangely light (as in lightened of load) and bold enough to try something new (something relatively minor, nah, minuscule! in the cosmic scheme of things I'm sure, but a big departure from the usual for me). And that's what it was all about, opening up a little (a big thank you and many warm virtual hugs to those of you who chose to comment, and those of you who chose not to as well!). And yes my weekend involved gazing at water (just not the kind pictured, alas! More rain, I'm afraid.) *rolls her eyes* However, because it has warmed up some, it was nice to see the neighborhood kids playing in the puddles it left behind......

Good while it lasted.

A pain for the person on laundry duty tho', LOL!

Via.

I hope to back with a couple of quick posts later today, but just in case I don't quite make it, I know you'll understand, right?

Till then, be good (and don't you do anything I wouldn't!)

Date a girl who reads (reblogged from "A lady's findings")

2011-05-01T06:30:00.002-04:00

Came across this yesterday and I just had to share it here.....I've reblogged the entire post that I found over at "A Lady's Findings" (an excellent blog btw!)

Inki's lovely library.

DATE A GIRL WHO READS
by Rosemarie Urquico
(In response to Charles Warnke’s You Should Date an Illiterate Girl)

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.
She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.
You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Hmmmmmm, sound familiar?

Good! ;)

PS: I added loads of new pictures to my tumblr (if you're looking for your daily dose of lovely!)

I'm on my way ( I don't know where I'm going)...*

2011-04-29T14:10:00.006-04:00

Disclaimer: Wordy post ahead........

Lately I seem to be reading a lot of "why do you blog" posts over the interwebz (I think it's only because I see what I want to see? I do see a whole host of other lovely posts, but these stick on in my mind because they resonate with some inner disquiet I guess.). It's no secret to regular readers that I have been facing a degree of ennui over this blog, it's lived out its course as an inspiration journal of pretty images. Yes, I still find them pretty and inspiring and they brighten my day, but I've been possessed with a need to open up more, let the sunlight in, expose my flaws (a perfect home is all so pretty in pictures, but it doesn't have the depth that lived-in clutter has, does it?), get to know you better, cement some friendships that have come my way...Engage, you know? and I have struggled with just how much of myself to put out there. The truth is, despite living this parallel life on the internet, I am, by nature, a kinda-reserved person (I make lasting friendships in real life, but I'm very selective with them. I can count the people closest to me on one hand.) So the dilemma always is: how much to open up? How much is enough and how much is too much? (I realize I've written something similar in a few posts earlier.... If you think I'm beginning to sound like a stuck record, I apologize!) So anyway, I've been working on a blog overhaul and I was designing an updated "about me" page and I kept getting writer's block because I had so much to say, but couldn't fit it into a chirpy, pithy "stick-around-for-a-while" type paragraph. (some of you have to have been there! right?) It's hard to condense even one tiny facet of your personality into a tag line, you know? Tag lines just don't cut it sometimes, there has to be a story behind it, each one of us has them, why we read what we read, why we write what we write.......The most fascinating part of this blogging journey for me has been the people I have come in contact with. I've had the privilege to have known some of you through the stories you have chosen to share with me, and then there are those who remain a mystery... I love to imagine some of the stories by what you choose to say and what you choose to leave out......

So I'm here today to share one such story about myself, my effort to reach out...I'm going to leave out specifics, because they don't really matter. What matters is the essence, the journey, and the lessons it holds (if any). Ever since my trip to India, my mind has been dwelling on stories of my childhood, trying to reconnect with the girl I was before I became a teenager, a woman. This trip, I had the opportunity to sift through tangible evidence of those memories (see photograph). I was an avid journal writer and a bit of a pack rat. I held on to old ticket stubs and coins and stamps. (oh, and my collection of Binaca animals (anyone else remember them? )Well, I discovered a lot of ~~my junk~~ stuff on this trip, and strangely enough, the memories it held were just as vivid as if they happened moments ago.

~~Junk~~ treasures that I hauled back. Picture, courtesy my scanner! *Title inspired by.

This is my story (aka what won't really be going down on my "about me" page ;) -->

The Gagan you have come to know through this blog is not me in entirety, it is a facet of who I am. This Gagan is a product of her upbringing, daughter to and sister of the women who occupied my peripheral vision during childhood. Growing up, My World was focused on watching lizard tails fall off, following lines of ants around the garden, digging pools for kittens to play in in the backyard, discovering how sweet and milky an ear of wheat could taste and walking around with the shell of an old camera (inherited from my grandfather, the lens was long-lost and it was just a rusty box, a skeleton of it's former Agfa glory) pretending to capture the clouds. And while I injected my dollies (and on occasion my mom's cactii) with healing serums(!!), they (my mom and sister) would be involved in the frentic pursuit of the next artistic venture, painting, embroidery, knitting, paper flowers, baking, cooking, stitching, batik, tie and dye, screen printing, collages, dancing, music, ikebana, crochet: there was nothing they left unexplored. And I absorbed it all, if only by osmosis. I learnt an appreciation for crafts from them and it shaped one facet of my personality. However, it all remained in my peripheral vision.

I had other interests and I followed the logical course into my career.... One summer afternoon in eighth grade, in the last class before dismissal, and 20 minutes into Mrs Khurana's lecture, I discovered my calling. *Click*. It all fell into place. Over the next decade and a half (or more--I'm not going to date myself here! LOL!), I followed my dream with relentless dedication. And it took a lot of dedication to stay true because it was the difficult path. But, somewhere along the way, I was changing. Life happened and the dream lost it's luster. A highly politicized environment might have been to blame. It might have been the birth of my child and the accompanying physiological changes. It may have been a culmination of a lot of things, but somewhere along the way I fell out of love with what had once driven my every waking thought. It wasn't easy owning up to this though (especially to myself)--it took me years to reconcile with the fact. Because I had built my identity around it, Who I was was inextricably linked to What I did. (it wasn't easy, the break-up wasn't pretty and my husband was witness to the worst I had to offer. He stuck by me through it all and I love him all the more for it, now). I "took a break" and devoted myself to raising my child. Fast forward a couple of years and as my toddler went off to his first day of preschool, I approached my old demons...did I really want to go back to a career that I had spent years building, but had lost the passion for? The answer was no. I did however still love certain basic aspects of it and I wanted to continue to "study" it without getting my hands dirty again. So I chose to work on the fringes, working on delivering the content rather than generating it. It was oddly satisfying and I was content. Then came another upheaval followed by a few other major and minor tremors. I was back to the drawing board, directionless, curtailed by physical and administrative constraints. And I needed to reinvent myself yet again. That's when I found this blog. What started out as a diversion to keep myself from going stir-crazy as I waited for those restrictions to lift, slowly reconnected me with my childhood self, the girl who would willingly apprentice with her sister or mother as they followed their passions.

I guess I did absorb some of it after all.

--xx--

Moral of the story: (because there has to be one! (or not! LOL!) ). It's never too late to be who you want to be(or to go back to being who you want to be). And you may not want to be who you thought you wanted to be. And it's okay to change your mind (several times over if need be). It's okay to be comfortable with who you are at the moment, even if you're just waiting for the flood to ebb. If you want to stay that way forever, excellent. If you you want to change, excellent. If you want to revert back, excellent. It's all good. (It took me a long time to realize this.) Just do what you're doing today with your heart in it, so that you don't look back on this day as a wasted opportunity, with regret.

Let's face it, we each have only this one life to live. Might as well enjoy it, no? What do you think--did anything up there make sense???? I'd love to hear more of your stories....

Sharing a link....

2011-04-29T13:02:00.000-04:00

I'm just working on some stuff and getting a few things out of the way--I'll catch up with you later this afternoon,.......till then, I just wanted to share a link with you . If there is only one post you read today, let this one be it. Enjoy.

xoxo,
G

Came across this via.

Tray of treasures

2011-04-27T20:33:00.003-04:00

Hello luvs! How are you? Sorry for the no-show yesterday--I had full intentions of blogging, but things just kept turning up. In the end I was mentally exhausted, couldn't really put any intelligible thoughts to paper (blogger? we need to come up with an updated lexicon, some of the phrases we express ourselves with may soon be obsolete, don't you think?). Have you ever had one of those days where your brain is buzzing with ideas and you try to do too many things at one time? *Fzzzt* yeah, that's what happened! :) Not that I'm complaining. I live for days like that, where you're using every ounce of that grey matter. Left brain/right brain who cares how you get there. As long as you do. :)

So back to my pet peeve, the weather. I think I'm growing gills, I seem to be living under (rain) water all the time. Seriously, will this rain ever stop? Bas, aur nahin!(translated: enough, already!) All I wanted to do today was get outside and take a walk, maybe come back with a few "found" treasures, let the sun (in my imagination) and the breeze (30 kmph, really?) soothe my worries away........sigh. Not happening. So I comforted myself by cooking up a storm (ha. ha.) and prettifying my environs (and making a few other changes to my blog layout). I've recently updated my tumblr account and I intend to add all those zillions of pictures-that-tempt to it, loads of eye candy with little to no text (where I post when I have NO desire to talk!). :D I've also recently paid some attention to my almost-defunct flickr account, which had turned into a toxic wasteland of pictures that didn't quite make the cut. I've weeded out a lot of the duplicates,/crappy shots but sometimes I suffer from an acute inability to make a decision. Should it go or should it stay? (Good thing I don't work in any field where snap judgments are required, LOL!). I think it looks good now, but I'd like your opinion too. You can find my flickr photostream here and my tumblr inspiration folder here. Or look into the right sidebar for the links---------->

A little sample of what you might find on flickr:

My tray of treasures on Flickr

And a little sample of what you might find on tumblr:

Original source: Etsy (Isn't it the most gorgeous necklace ever!) Available here.

In other news, I'd like to give a shout out to fellow blogger Priya, of the blog Once Upon a Tea Time--she has come up with the ingenious (and very commendable!) idea of offering free advertising to fair trade organizations that support artisans. What a wonderful way to promote (and preserve) indigenous crafts! If you belong to or represent a company that engages in fair practices, please contact Priya. If you're a craft/handmade aficionado, please do your bit and help spread the word! Read her post on it here for more information.

That's all for now folks, hope you have a good rest of the day/evening. I leave you with the genius of Indian Ocean: music to rock the rain in! (I love the dug-duggi right in the end.) Oh, and just because I can't resist, here's another. Enjoy!

Hello Monday!

2011-04-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

Good morning gentle reader! How are you? How was your weekend? We had rain all weekend long (I thought of adding a label "where I whine about the weather" to this post, but better sense prevailed! :D ). Anyway, as the saying goes "when life gives you lemons......" so that's what we did. We went and saw a movie! If you're into animated movies (or have kids/are young at heart), Rio was lovely! I must tell you the story of my pet bird someday(he was allowed to roam free--the awaragard (vagabond) that he was, he would fly all over and come back at night to be tucked into his cage.) So this movie really resonated with me (who am I kidding. I love animated movies. Pssst...embarrassing confession: I cried during "Up".)

Okay, confession over.

Of Peacocks and Paisleys. Photo taken by me last fall.

I also made a few changes to the blog over the weekend: the little pictures in the sidebar to your right link back to past home tours, artist and designer profiles and also to some of the DIYs I have covered on P&P. I used to feel overwhelmed with all the text on the sidebar and I feel this is more visually appealing. I'm also planning to add a few more graphics that link back to other popular labels. What do you think? Like it or revert back to the way things were? Any other suggestions for navigation features that you would like to see here? I aim to serve. :D I'm getting bored with the way things are and I wanted to do this dramatic Ta-Dah revelation, but somewhere along the way I ~~got impatient~~ lost steam and this is what I'm dishing out. An overhaul, but piecemeal. *shrugs*. There's more coming you way, consider yourself warned! :D

I hope you have a wonderful start to the new week.........

Happy Friday Folks!!

2011-04-22T12:47:00.001-04:00

Picture: Polly Wreford via.

I'm signing off for the weekend now, hope you have a fabulous Easter, replete with bunnies (chocolate and/or otherwise) and egg hunts, baskets full of goodies and loved ones to enjoy it all with. Oh and sunshine, while you're out and about!

I hope to see you here on Monday....have a great weekend!

Resources used in this post: masking tape from. Thanks Katrina!

Longing for........

2011-04-22T06:00:00.003-04:00

.........warm summer nights, balmy breeze and fireflies, the heady scent of night-blooming jasmine (chameli) and fairy lights...This week we had another bout of rain and stormy weather (we were put under a tornado watch, thankfully the storms passed by without much damage)...and while I don't really like the rain too much, there is a bright side to it--"April showers bring May flowers". So while we wait out the yucky weather, I'm looking to the future, and it looks fine!

So let's start dreaming and planning for warmer weather shall we?

Source: ohhellofriendblog.com via Charmaine on Pinterest

The picture above reminds me of the quintessential summer fetes....white tents, good music and loads of crafts to browse through!

Perhaps a DIY appeals to you? Egg carton lights, anyone?

Source: en.espritcabane.com via Taylor on Pinterest

And it doesn't get any prettier (or simpler!) than this:

Source: nooshkids.blogspot.com via Vanessa on Pinterest

And of course, what would summer be without this.....

Source: briewilliams.com via Tessa on Pinterest

Yeah! Bring it on, I'm so ready for it.....

All images courtesy Pinterest.

Where do you stash it all away?

2011-04-21T13:24:00.003-04:00

Hello hello! First up, an update: Weight off my mind (finished all the forms, waiting for one last letter to arrive, and hopefully it'll catch the post tomorrow). Whew. Thank you for all your sweet comments--you make my day, you know! So I'm back and chipper, and I thought I'd catch up with y'all! There's this post I've been meaning to write for donkey's ages and it involves a load of BLING! (coz' a girl can't ever have enough, right?) So where do you hang it all up? I find that if I leave it in drawers or boxes, it gets into a whole tangled mess that I can't be bothered to deal with. Out of sight, out of mind. I was scouting around the web and I found some lovely ideas out there....

Fill an emptied out Yankee candle jar with eye candy? Yes! Read the complete how-to here.

Credit.

An old picture frame, some plywood, and burlap, a ton of creativity and voila: Functional art! For more pictures and the complete how-to, skip on over to the Songbird blog.

Credit.

Or perhaps you remember Justina's method? Cushion for earrings, rolled up 'zine for bangles, pretty teacup for rings.....I love it all!

Credit: Compai. For the home tour, click here.

While I'm on the topic, I thought I'd share how I do it as well! I'd bought these two mug racks (less than two bucks, y'all!) on one of my many thrifting expeditions last year. Since they were disparate colors and the wood wasn't really in such great shape, I had spray painted them black and then used a bit of sandpaper to add a little distressing to the edges. It's really not visible in these pictures, but a bit of the wood tone shows through and (I think!) it looks very pretty.

The nicest part is that I have access to my jewelry--I love bangles! and they add a huge splash of color against the black furniture (don't ask! My home office table was black to begin with and all add-ons over the years just seemed to be black! ) It's (still!) very much a work in progress and hopefully over the years it will evolve into it's own element....This room is pretty much my sanctuary. (Disclaimer: it's not always in the best shape, as it can get very messy with piles of paper (and loads of unfolded laundry, LOL!) )

At the moment the accessories add all the color..... (see these posts on where I blog from: 1, 2 and 3. )

An eyeload of my bling!!

Where do you stash it all away? --I'd love to know!

It's back--the revenge of the red tape, part two.

2011-04-19T17:29:00.000-04:00

In case you're looking for me, I'm mindin' my own business, filling out forms (mentally tearing them into teeny tiny shreds and feeding them to the sharks/vultures/what-have-yous.) G.R.O.A.N.

I'm drowning under piles of paperwork, bound and gagged with red tape. I'll only be surfacing for food and water (and some air, occasionally). I'll see you soon (?).

(Sniff).

Hello Monday!

2011-04-18T06:00:00.003-04:00

How are you my loves? I've had a nice weekend. After what threatened to be a brooding, overcast weekend, we had the pleasure of waking up to a sunlit Sunday......it was lovely to walk in the sunlight and take in the many full-in-bloom trees that appeared to have materialized overnight! It never fails to amaze me, how the trees just seem to disappear, meld into non-entities when they're shorn of their leaves. They're there, just not visible....it's a long winter. Sometimes while driving down a familiar street on my many errands, I find myself suddenly distracted, "was that tree there?" (don't worry, I drive safe, and slow, so no crazy accidents or anything!). So yeah, I had a nice weekend, one that allowed me to breathe in the wonder of changing seasons, appreciate this lovely planet we live on.

I also had time to go through some lovely home tours on Apartment Therapy, something I haven't been able to do in a while. This picture made me really happy...

Check out the rest of this house call (hope they do the whole house tour soon!) here.

I just loved the unapologetic (and stylish!) blend of grown-up and kid spaces in this home tour. I loved how lived-in the whole space was. And that's the whole point isn't it? What is the use of a perfectly styled, high-gloss mansion that looks like a hotel lobby? A home should be a home, where soccer balls and muddy feet and pails-of-water-to-fill-water-guns can run free (okay, I'll admit it does drive me a little batty, but that's what I have folks.....gotta love it, muddy pawprints and all!). Anyway, do check out this home tour, it's a loft and I love what they've done with it.

And since I am being very generous with the links today, let me provide you with yet another home tour, in sunny California no less! When we retire, I want that life....footloose and fancy free!! :D

I do hope you'll check out these awesome homes--they spoke to me on different levels, each one unique, each with a charm of its own. What did you like about them?

Have a great weekend.....

2011-04-15T20:18:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday friends, get loads of R&R this weekend, rejuvenate, and we'll meet here Monday! How does that sound? Sound good? Excellent, it's a date then!

Credit, linked via.

Reader love!

2011-04-14T16:17:00.002-04:00

So I got a lovely e-mail from one of my readers, Sarmistha, a couple of days back. She wrote:

"I follow your blog with great interest .Tin cans are in abundance in my house. I often paint them in bright colors and store anything from spoons to eye and lip color pencils. The list is endless. yesterday I was so inspired by your paper clay project that I rushed to the nearest Michaels to grab a packet and get started. I have attached a couple of pictures. They are not nearly as good as yours , But I felt an urge to share them with you."

Sarmistha, that was the sweetest thing to do! I'm flattered, and so touched that you would actually take out the time to do this. You've given me yet another reason to keep blogging! Thank you SO much for sharing your take on the paper-clay can!

How cute is that peacock? Love his designer tail!

She even took it one step further and made it three dimensional! (I'm so doing that the next time around!) Is that adorable or what?

Oh and I have to add, my pencil holder does make me happy, every day! Are you inspired by Sarmistha's work? Thank you so much for sharing Sarmistha! You made my day.

Midweek!

2011-04-13T19:17:00.001-04:00

So I just stumbled across this awesome picture on pinterest and I had to share it with you. I hope my many chai-enthusiast readers are letting out a collective sigh right now! :)

Source: blog.t2tea.com via Min on Pinterest

So I've had a busy day today, a mixed bag of sorts. I...
..tried a new recipe. It came out great!
....felt very proud (of someone close to me.)
...worried needlessly and ensnared others into my worries. (Yeah, I believe in spreading the good stuff around.)
......put my foot in my mouth. (Why, Gagan, why?)
....procrastinated. Again. (Did you like the picture?) :D
...read some awesome blogs.
....gave a hug.
...lost my temper.
...stubbed my toe. ouch!
....took a walk. (and contemplated plucking a few flowers) (I didn't. pick flowers that is).
...got a hug.....
...waited for the mail. Got tons of junk mail, not what I was waiting for. Sigh.

.........Listened to some awesome music: 1, 2, 3..............How was your day?

Oh, and happy Baisakhi folks.....

Post inspired by.

Betsy's Picture(sque) Wall

2011-04-12T12:40:00.000-04:00

Hello lovelies! How is this fine Tuesday morning treating you? I'm happy because I got sunshine today (the real deal, not this kind)...I'm so influenced by the weather, it's not even funny. Maybe we should move to Florida or something---lifetime supply of sun n' sand! So anyhoo, after a looo-oo-oong hiatus I've decided to revive the old favorites on this blog.....I miss doing posts on entryways and home tours, and I'm hard at work trying to bring them back to life... so I thought we'd start on the right note!

Today we're off to visit Betsy (mom, fellow decor-addict, and DIYer extraordinaire!) at her gorgeous home in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I'm a big fan of Betsy's blog, aptly named Making Pretty, where she always has some fantastic DIY or thrift-store-find makeover brewing. So when I saw how beautifully she'd done up her entry, I just had to blog about it. Like many real people homes, there is no devoted foyer space or hall, yet she's managed to create a gorgeous, welcoming entryway. And I love that, because it's never about the big bucks for me, it's about a vision, some ingenuity and pure.unadulterated.love--that's what makes a home, home. Welcome to Betsy's.

I love that wall color! Her entry is mostly comprised of thrift store finds (the dresser, the foot stool, the rug, most of the art, the little silver foo dog, the bamboo tray), and most of the pieces have had some "work" done on them--the foo dog was spray painted silver, the dresser had new drawer pulls installed. She's got such a fun anecdote about the Georges Rouault print you see in the picture above---when she came across it while thrifting, she kept wondering why it seemed so familiar. The answer came to her several years later, while going through some old family pictures--it had hung in her mom's living room while she was growing up!! (I can SO relate to this story, I've always been drawn to objects similar to those in my mom's home. :D) The mirror is from her parents' home as well! :D

The red coral hook from a clearance sale at Anthropologie holds her mailbox key, there's a small dish to hold change, the dresser offers ample storage (they have three kids and kids need storage!)--form and function--I love it!

And even though this is totally unrelated to entryways, I have to introduce you to a few of her (many, and ongoing) DIYs....

Oh the awesomeness of this pink chair (a goodwill find) upholstered in a Dawat rice sack!!

A design*sponge-inspired jewelry bust (made from scratch, y'all!). This lady's resourceful, above all else! Do check out her lovely blog for more inspiring ideas...

Thanks for sharing, Betsy!

Hello Monday!

2011-04-11T00:01:00.010-04:00

Read a lovely story of fortitude and survival (and of making happiness out of whatever you can eke out) here.

Credit: New York Times

And don't forget to click on the slideshow to see the gorgeous home, painstakingly restored....It's a heartwarming story and the icing on the cake had to be this quote:

"Happiness is not a big house. It's being in each other's way. That's what brings memories."

Definitely the attitude to start this week with! Howz Monday at your end?

Linked via.

Fridays are for...

2011-04-08T10:40:00.001-04:00

....dreaming of pretty things. Just wanted to share some gorgeous pictures from the spring/summer collection at Niki Jones. Kashmiri paper-mâché boxes and Jaipuri inlay work mirrors, totally droolworthy kantha stoles and bedding....she's certainly got the best picks! If you like what you see, you can always head out to the online store for the entire collection........

I'm just dreaming of snuggling into that bed with a good book.....and maybe a nice sunday brunch on the weekend. These past few weeks have been a bit unsettling for me, there's lots going on in the background, lots that has kept me away from blogging regularly. Though I still cannot promise a very regular blogging schedule, I do have lots of exciting posts in various stages of progress...hopefully a few will go live next week! So bear with me, I'm a little distracted, but I'm still around....

All pictures and products from Niki Jones. First spotted here.

Paper boats and clay tigers.....

2011-04-06T13:45:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if I ever really grew up. In a world of mature grownups who want to collect the latest in crystal, I long for the simple joys of my childhood. Woh kagaz ki kashti, mitti ka khilona* (paper boats and toys of clay.). So the latest object to catch my fancy is this fleeting glimpse of a toy tiger, crafted by hand, probably from clay or paper-mâché.

Originally from. First spotted here.

Needless to say I was obsessed, I had to have it. Now the India trip's already done and I probably won't be able to get my hands on it anytime soon, so what recourse did I really have? The only option was to try to recreate it. It helps again that this is a prime example of folk art and perfection isn't of import. So here it is folks, my work in progress, as it dries on a shelf. (LOL, it looks more like an inquisitive kitty-cat at this stage, doesn't it?) I'm going to let it dry thoroughly, smooth over the cracks, add some more dimension to the face (his ears and nose need some reconstructive surgery, LOL!) and paint it a bright orange. And stripes. :D

I promise I'll share the finished ~~tigger~~ tiger with you once he's done. I can't wait to ~~play with him~~ decorate with him.

*Poetic license!

PS: If those words brought it all rushing back, here's a passable version of the song. (I'd like to add here, that tho' I do love to reminisce, I also love to look toward the future. So do indulge in nostalgia, for it's important to be connected with your roots, but don't let it drag you down into a big mopey mess. Because you won't be doing justice to life by living in the past.) {Gyan over}

PPS: If, upon reading this you think I have all the time in the world, you couldn't be farther from the truth. This is me indulging in pure escapism. Hi, I'm Gagan and I'm a life-long procrastinator.

Hot N Cold

2011-04-04T00:10:00.000-04:00

Spring is being such a tease! Hot one day, cold the next..........bah! Me? I can't wait to flaunt my loot---picked up this lovely block-printed scarf this trip. Bonus: it has khadi-work accents--- very subtle hints of dull gold, I know this scarf is going to be a favorite this summer!

Pictures taken by me.

What are you longing to wear this spring/summer?

Title for the post.

A post worth reading...

2011-04-01T13:17:00.000-04:00

I don't usually talk about my role as a mom--this is a design blog, and many visitors here may have little or no desire to read a "mommy blog" (there are several excellent ones out there and I am about to provide you a link to a post that really reached out and grabbed me this morning. ) However, at times it is really difficult to rein in the many thoughts I have when I stumble across an article or a post---there's that eruption of internal dialogue and the desire to discuss it with loved ones (YOU)....I'm taking a bit of a departure from the norm today because I feel that at some level, this post touches all of us, because we were all kids once, and no matter which "stage" of life you're at..happily unmarried, happily married, kids/no kids/thinking of kids/avoiding kids at all costs, empty nesters, grandparents, this is one topic that touches all of us. Mostly though, as I sit here typing this, with the incessant prattle of my six year old coming from the next room, I am overwhelmed by my need to protect that innocence. So if you haven't read this post today, please make sure you make the time to do so.

And spread the word.

A friday in april........

2011-04-01T10:54:00.000-04:00

....is full of the promise of spring. There are pretty buds waiting to burst forth on the first sign of warmer weather. April, don't be such a tease, just thaw a little and let the show begin, please?

How goes your day my loves? I have several errands lined up. I'm also dreaming of making a treat or two today (time permitting). There's sunlight in the windows(thank you!!) and all is well with the world. I wonder how this friday is treating you? Here's a gorgeous picture to put a smile on your face....

Image: ElleDecor

Sigh. I'd love to curl up with a book here! Speaking of reading, the latest issue of Matchbook magazine is out---I'm really loving this magazine, it's full of inspiration and the articles are really well-written (less "frothy" (!!)). I'm curious--what do you think of online magazines? Love em? Hate em? Why?

Where I want to be...

2011-03-31T15:35:00.000-04:00

We had a sprinkling of snow yesterday, in the AM. That's right, snow. Thankfully there was no accumulation, but even that is hard to deal with, when all I want is to be in this space. Warm face, warm hands, warm feet.....

Found via.

.....Ah, wouldn't it be lovely!

Dreaming of spring (and summer!)................

Playing "house"...

2011-03-29T23:56:00.001-04:00

For a kid who showed absolutely no interest in her dollies (apart from performing random acts of surgery on them) and used her little toy teacups as makeshift dirt scoops, it's funny how much pleasure I derive from moving things around the house. It helps that I have a new* stash of treasures that complements my existing decor........

I spent several ~~hours~~ snatched moments fussing around the house this past weekend...the headache was very much there, and this was my little escape from reality...........my usual fix, the computer screen, was off limits due to the migraine.....I apologize for the poor light in the pictures--it's been really dull and wintry out here for the past week. But won't you admire my pretty new (to me)--(yes, that sucker's thrifted!) lotus? Also in the limelight are a pair of (thoroughly mismatched!!!) ponies, part of the loot that made the 30+ hour journey back!

* I didn't go crazy with the whole shopping thing back in India this time around.....my mom was generous enough to part with a whole lot of her collectibles (which was awesome, as I'd grown up with this "stuff" scattered around the house and I feel really grateful for the memories that they carry with them). There are table linens that were brought out for special parties, including a whole lot of stuff that my mom made...Hopefully, there'll be posts in the future where I'll be able to share the general awesomeness of my haul with you. For now, I'm tired, and I'm so ready to hit the bed...{yawn}....tomorrow is another day{yawn}. I'll see you tmrw....

PS: what do you think of the new format for the pictures? Pretty neat huh? Me likey. You?(I don't think it'll show up as good in reader tho'---so you reader readers may want to check it out in situ??) haha reader readers. I'm seriously ready for bed now....g'night all.

(Dare I say it?) I'm back!

2011-03-28T16:49:00.002-04:00

Hello my lovelies! I'm much better now (in case you're interested, I had a cold which morphed into an ear infection which morphed into the mostg0d@wful!! headache ever. Did I tell you how grateful I am to be living in an age where we have antibiotics? People used to die of bacterial infections in the pre-antibiotic era!) (Sorry for the dramatics, I've been MIA too long! :) )

How goes your day? I'm enjoying me some black grapes and pepper jack cheese for now (healthy and yummy--check and check). Not bad for a day that started with (a seemingly interminable) round of calls to customer service representatives, dmv officials and other such pleasing conversations. It's official---I'm drowning in paperwork. With no end in sight. No, I'm really not kidding here............paperwork stretching out ahead of me, of us, for the next couple of months. At least. In the end I shall emerge victorious(!), triumphant(!), {insert appropriate image of a flag-bearing human form, scaling a peak/claiming moonland/the antarctic}.... and move onward(!!!) to attack the next round of paperwork, because, as we all know: paperwork begets more paperwork, right?

G-R-O-A-N.

But that's good news for you dear reader: to distract myself from trying to scale (my puny 8ft (??)) walls as I am put "on hold", I sit in front of the computer and surf as if my life depended on it. The result: awesome, stop-you-in-your-tracks content (or re-hashed, mediocre content that looks fabulous to me compared to instrumental versions of "my heart will go on" playing out of the telephone earpiece! LOL!). So before I totally lose my audience (did the parentheses and exclamation point overload get you yet?) hee hee), let me move on with some appropriate images (nah, scratch the flag-waving human, let's get back to design shall we?). While I was in India, I did a lot of research (translated: read a lot of magazines while lolling around in the sun, LOL!)....I brought back a few tear-sheets** to share with you...Here's the first set, torn out of the February '11 issue of LivingEtc (India Edition).

(click on image to see the original size)

Image copyrights held by LivingEtc..........

Love the rich, saturated blues, the sparklies, and the pinks (only as accents, of course!)! Did you notice the picture wall in the second room? I love the juxtaposition of traditional and modern!! Anything reach out and grab you in particular?

PS: I'm really hoping to be back in the blogosphere, pukka, regular-like. But it may take a while as I ease myself into the rhythms and cadence of day to day living. The backlog on posts on P&P (delicious ones! ones worth writing and reading!!) could rival those mountains of files in your favorite babu's office, and I'm trying my best to get things moving again............I long for the P&P of yore as much as (I hope, fervently!!) you do. I have to catch up on my reading, my source of endless inspiration, a.k.a. you. I shall be by your blogs and I shall read my fill...I'm looking forward to it in joyful anticipation......See you soon, my loves!!

PPS: **Pages torn out of magazines ain't really my style....but I had to do it because I'd rather use my measly baggage allowance to haul back my loot. (There may be posts on the loot I brung back.) Plus, what is it with magazines nowadays? More adverts than content! Since I couldn't haul them all back, I just brought back the parts I liked.....

Calling in sick...

2011-03-23T12:01:00.000-04:00

Dear blogosphere,

It seems all that achyness I mentioned in my past post was a sign of the flu or something..... BAH! those airplanes are like huge traveling contagions!!! So anyway, am staying in and dreaming of making myself a huge bowl of chicken soup. Will return to regularly scheduled programming once the achyness has passed. (Have a good book handy, and I'm getting right back into bed with it, so it's not ALL bad. :) )....Will catch up with y'all once I'm better.

xo,
G

Listening to....

2011-03-18T13:15:00.000-04:00

RFAK....

Won't you join me? It's clean up time, unpacking time, sift-through-memories time...........am terribly nostalgic. Heard this song the first time during the India trip...made me miss hubby terribly back then. :) Now that I'm back home, its pull hasn't lessened any, love the haunting voice and words even more. Straddling two worlds isn't easy is it? Tulsi tea and music to help me savor each moment....

How's your friday going?

Hello, hello...

2011-03-17T11:24:00.001-04:00

Grrrrrrrrreetings, Earthlings!!! I'm back! chipper at the moment, but t-o-t-a-l-l-y jet-lagged and achy... 30+ hours of flights and airport lounges, queues and vistas, baggage carousels and friendly stewardesses. Of chatting up strangers and wishing I'd remembered to pack those magazines in the carry-on luggage (D-OH!!--insert rolly eyes here). Shiny, antiseptic floors (lounges) and unmentionable Boeing washrooms(shudder!)....yes, it was a looooooooong journey (I'll smack anyone who mentions the non-stop flights to India, here. LOL!) but SO worth it! To be back home, in my own bed, my own kitchen (which has the prettiest pink tulips on the counter, courtesy a VERY thoughtful hubby!)---priceless, as the ad goes. Can't wait to catch up with you my lovelies--thank you for all your wonderful e-mails and comments--I promise I'll get back to you as soon as I can. You're my happy place, you know. :)

I'll be back in a few days, to tell you of my adventures (regale you with my tales!), but, for now, there are a million pending tasks to be ticked off the list. And cups of tea to be imbibed......

I'll be back... (in my best Arnie voice).

;)

A picture a day, 22

2011-03-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

Via.

Yeah. I'd like an invite please!

A picture a day, 21

2011-03-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

asian entry design by los angeles architect HartmanBaldwin Design/Build

Via Houzz.

Feeling the need for a little tranquility today! Simplicity Rules!

A picture a day, 20

2011-03-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

Deeelish! Me wants that Thangka!!!

Another picture for today!

2011-03-08T06:30:00.001-05:00

eclectic bedroom design

Via Houzz.

So yellow definitely IS the flavor of the day for me!! Yumm, yummm, yummy sunny yellow bedroom-----you're SO inviting! I'm also loving that artwork!

Is this just me?--- are you feeling it too, or is it an overdose of yellow?

A picture a day: 19

2011-03-08T06:00:00.003-05:00

Well, Hello March!

via.

Gentle reader, I'm sending loads of sunshine-y warmth your way............Are you feeling the bright cheery yellows as much as I am? I'd love me a couple of those yellow pillows today, (though I might omit the not-so-itsy-bitsy yellow polka dots!) I'm missing you all and hope to be back home soon. Till then, loads of love and hugs,

Gagan

My Kinda Gal: Geeta

2011-03-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello all you lovely people!! How is March treating you? warming up? still chilly? or endless rain and mud season? Whatever the weather in your neck of the woods, know that spring is almost here, within reach!!! I'm enjoying one of my favorite flowers of all time, the gorgeous Palash, which bursts forth in bright, flaming blooms late in February, here in Delhi. Holi (and warmer weather (MUCH warmer weather, LOL!)) is right around the corner as well--spring is definitely here--the prettiest time of the year to enjoy Delhi! While I'm soaking in the sun (AH! the luxury of it all, sitting out in the warm morning sun!!) my dear friend Geeta is filling in for me--Dilbert and urulis and scrumptious desserts await!! We've gone knock-knock-knocking on Geeta's door earlier and I have to say I'm really glad to have discovered her in the blogosphere---I love her balanced outlook on life and would happily move in next door (IRL) if I could !! My kinda gal????-You bet!

Hi, I am Geeta from Occasionally Chic. I must admit I am amazed at Gagan’s ability to genuinely connect with so many of us and the incredible research she does behind each one of her posts. These are the reasons that drag me to P&P over and over again. Needless to say I was super excited when she approached me do a guest post. I compiled snap shots of a few aspects close to my heart and I hope you like it.

As this is a design blog, let me start off with my love for collecting artifacts. I have an eye for collectibles (nicer way of saying - I flick things from my family) when I see one. This uruli is from my grand mother’s kitchen and she used to cook with it. Did I mention she never had a jiggly arm all her life? Now it proudly sits on my living room table.

The job I do outside the house can be best described as a combination of juggling balls mid-air, putting off fires (not literally) and mentoring. I am not afraid to admit I love a corner office and Dilbert is my unofficial Management Guru. I personally think no one understands corporate culture like he does and adds that much needed dose of humor. On the lighter side, the Dilbert quote that aptly summarizes my work attitude is “Don’t be irreplaceable – if you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted”.

I like to think of myself as an ardent traveler and my ideal vacation is a week spent in a State/National park cabin, waking up to the birds amidst the hustle of trees supplemented with unlimited hikes, bike rides, quick and easy meals, puzzles and board games.

A couple of pregnancies later, in an attempt to re-kindle my almost non-existent sense of style, I started posting pictures of my outfits on my blog. I absolutely enjoy this indulgence. However between that Louis Vuitton bag and a house keeper, I would choose house keeper any day.

No matter how much I bake, I can never get over the excitement of a plain looking batter coming out of the oven, warm and inviting. As far as cooking is concerned, I stay away from complex ones unless it’s a traditional recipe.

All pictures courtesy Geeta.

Gagan - Hope you are having a fabulous time in India. Enjoy your much deserved vacation and don’t forget a few pictures for us.

Jiggly arms!!--I definitely need a cure for those! Do tell, Geeta!!! :)
Thanks for the lovely post !!!

-Gagan

A picture a day, 18

2011-03-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Via.

Sigh!

A picture a day, 17

2011-03-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

via.

Can you picture yourself in this office? I most certainly can!

A picture a day, 16

2011-03-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

asian bedroom design

Via Houzz.

Love that headboard. This is SO my kind of space!I love adding drama with a strategically placed backlight (you may remember this picture).

A picture a day, 15

2011-03-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

Via.

LOVE the door. And I could do with that umbrella too!

My Kinda Gal: Sudha

2011-02-28T06:30:00.018-05:00

My loves, How are you? I'm having a ball here. Soaking in the experience, living in the NOW.........will be back in a couple of weeks and will have loads to share. For now, my wonderful, knowledgeable friend Sudha is filling in for me.....like the rest of my ever-expanding circle of friends(I truly AM blessed!) she is a woman of many talents--> fellow design junkie, environmental crusader, cook extraordinaire (samosas from the oven, people!!--she bakes the suckers!!! ), --you can catch up with her as she shares her passion for midcentury modern design, cooks up a storm or shares the coolest ways to protect our environment. Here's Sudha with her guest post.........

***************************************************************************************************************************************

A huge thank you to Gagan, for inviting me over to share my thoughts on Of Peacocks and Paisleys. I have made wonderful friends on the blog-o-sphere and cherish the time spent interacting with each one of them. Having said that, let me introduce myself.

Hi people, I am Sudha, a Design Enthusiast, who loves to research the hows, whys and wheres of furniture and design (among lots of other things!). My choices are very minimalist and are rooted on Refuse, Reuse and Repurpose fundamentals. Green living and an eco-responsible lifestyle is a major part of my life. I drew a blank when I sat down to write for a blog as versatile as P&P. The thing is, I invariably end up talking about environment and green living in most of my posts. Keeping in tune with what I do best, I’d like to share a few of my *likes* in terms of using Jute as a décor element.

We are used to seeing jute sacks in grocery stores. And this how they look when up-cycled as upholstery. Coffee, potato and rice bags used wonderfully on furniture. Jute cloth, aka gunny bags or burlap cloth bring in a homey feel to the decor. They look equally good in a rustic as well as contemporary and modern setting.

via

I love the use of jute rope for webbing on wooden chairs.......

(pic collection folder)

Affordable home goods; coasters, placemats, rugs etc

via

Clothing, accessories and more…don’t you love this versatile fiber!!

via

Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is one of the most affordable natural fibers and is second only to cotton in amount produced across the world. Woven jute is also known as gunny, burlap or hussien.

Why choose jute
Did you know that jute has low thermal conductivity, exceptional insulation and antistatic properties. Jute mesh or gunny sacks are also used to reduce soil erosion and water retention. (Unfortunately, synthetic materials are replacing jute or jute bags are lined with plastic / HDPE).

Environmental benefits

Jute plants clean the air and are said to release more oxygen when compared to other crops.
Growing jute has minimal impact on the environment as it requires very less fertilizer, herbicides, & pesticides (compared to cotton).
High production/growth rates and shorter crop cycles (100 days) make jute a very versatile and economical crop. Biodegradability of jute is the most promising reason to choose jute.

Wouldn't it be good to think of ways and means to bring in jute into our lives and homes. Another reason to support the Jute industry is its socio-economic impact on the South East Asian countries which grow and export this Golden Fiber. Hoping that all you lovely readers would make well thought out pro-Earth choices - decor and otherwise. And remember, green choices need not be the most difficult or the most expensive ones. It is all about the thought you put into your choices.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

Sudha, Thank you for your lovely post on jute. I'm a big fan of the raw unfinished texture of burlap and am totally enamored with the jute jewelry you showcased in this post. I want! :)

-Gagan

A picture a day, 14

2011-02-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

via.

Finally! a Pink I can live with! :D

A picture a day, 13

2011-02-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 12

2011-02-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 11

2011-02-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

My Kinda Gal: Kamana

2011-02-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Gentle readers, continuing with the series of guest posts, let me introduce to you a very talented lady, Kamana. Her blog, Journalling Through Photos, is full of amazing photography and a source of endless inspiration. Kamana's posts often feature her signature prose and poetry--words that can make you stop and think--you can't read and not reflect!! Like I've told her, I'm waiting for the book...

Take it away Kamana.....

Weave upon weave

weave, interweave

strand by strand

joy and sorrow

entwined

in an ever changing

intricate web.

elation

filling the heart

to bursting point

then

wringing it all out

constricting the soul

with pain.

smiles laced with tears

layer upon layer

of raw unmasked emotion

weaving the tapestry of life.

Kamana, Thank you for joining in! It was a pleasure to have you over!!

A picture a day, 10

2011-02-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 9

2011-02-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 8

2011-02-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 7

2011-02-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 6

2011-02-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

Happy valentines day, my sweets!!!

2011-02-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

Via.

May there be love in your life...........

My Kinda Gal: Kamini

2011-02-11T22:33:00.000-05:00

First up in my series of guest posts is Kamini, author of the blog Saffron and Silk...........to most of you, she needs no introduction, and you will instinctively know why I decided to start the series with her!! For those of you not yet acquainted with her, let me try and extol her many virtues, or better yet, let her do the talking so you can see firsthand why. Gentle reader, I give to you Kamini-- one of the most inspiring women I have come across in the blogosphere! Take it away, K!

Gagan of OPAP stardom, has kindly - and bravely - asked me to write a guest post on her blog. I happily accepted, not just because I love her blog and to be a guest blogger on it really makes me happy, but she has also given me a "blank check", a "carte blanche" to write about anything! Anything that I want to put out there, that will give readers more of an insight as to who or what I am, help them understand where I am coming from! In her words "go for it, let it out"!

Now I'm a hothead, on any given day, I usually have a gazillion things that I want to either rant or rave about, but these past few days have been more thought provoking than usual. So this is going to be a "no holds barred" post! As much as we would all love to talk design and color in our blogs, there is so much more to life than that! And if I start to ramble and get preachy, please...I didn't mean to :-)

A lot of things have happened in these few days of 2011 that have given made me reason to pause and reflect! Or maybe I'm just getting more introspective as the big 50 approaches?

So here is a quick synopsis of 2011 so far....before I reveal my feelings...

As many of you know, my son and son-in-law visited from DC. For those who may not know this, my son Gautam and his partner Andy got married last September in DC! Many folks are surprised at this. Whether it is because a same sex marriage is something practically unheard of in India, or whether it is at my acceptance of it as an Indian mother... I don't know....but my answer has always been that he is my son, his happiness is important to me, why would I stand in the way??? Very easy, once you understand that concept. And the fact that Andy is a super nice kid is just icing on the cake!

Anyhow, they spent a week here in Hyderabad including one night at my parents' home in s senior citizen gated community. Even though Andy had met most of my mother's side of the family when he visited 2 years ago, on this trip he got to meet my dad's side - namely my jolly vociferous 70 plus year old uncles and aunts and their spouses.

A week later I joined the 2 boys on a short vacation to Chennai and Pondy. My husband who was supposed to have joined us had to bail out cos his 86 year old dad fell ill and had to be admitted to the hospital. My father-in-law had a stroke in May, he has been steadily declining in health. I mention this because it is relevant to what I have to say later on in this post.

[Update: Kamini's Father in law passed away on the 2nd of February, he had lived a full life and was surrounded with loved ones at the time. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family.This post was written at a much earlier date, and I have decided to let it run as is. If you wish to, please do drop by Kamini's blog to offer your condolences.]

-Gagan

But going back to our vacation - in Chennai we got to meet my teeny tiny 88 year old grandma and my husband's uncles and aunts and cousins, who put out a delectable authentic South Indian meal for the American son-in-law!

In Chennai we spent a night at the Taj at Fisherman's Cove. This place, for those who have not seen it, is heaven on earth! Expensive, but heavenly......big airy colonial style verandahs, upholstered porch swings, lush palm trees with their fronds fanning you as you stroll by, softly gurgling fountains, cobbled pathways leading to the pristine beach, liveried guys serving you exotic welcome drinks, garlanding you with shell necklaces and waiting on you hand and foot. And the food....oh the food...amazing! After one night here, we drove onwards to Pondicherry stopping en route at Mahabalipuram to see 2500 year old temples. Then on to Pondicherry where we spent 2 nights at a more affordable heaven on earth - The Dune at Pondicherry! At Pondy we did the usual typical touristy things...walked along the beach, ate street food and visited Auroville. Then back to Chennai for another day, after which they headed home to DC and me back to Hyderabad.

Back home I found my FIL in worse condition in the hospital than when he was admitted. The docs had inserted all kinds of tubes and needles in him.....for various problems they had unearthed in his 6 day stay there. The next few days was an unending stream of CT scans, tests, Xrays, IV drips etc. The poor man was exhausted and so finally we decided enough is enough and brought him home so he can spend his last few weeks, months whatever in the comfort of his home....which is where he is now.

So....the 2 week time span in which all this happened has made me ask myself this:

How do I show my appreciation and gratitude to all my family and extended family that gave my son-in-law such a warm welcome and made him feel so much at home? Why did I worry about it so unnecessarily? And what is it that causes a traditional South Indian family, and a 88 year old grandmother, living for years in parochial Chennai, to reach out and gracefully embrace such a non-traditional marriage?

How can I not cringe and feel uncomfortable every time I think of how much I spent to stay one night at the Taj at Fisherman's Cove....

when this stone cutter we saw outside Mahabalipuram doesn't make even one tenth of that in a day's work?

The designer in me wants to know how this 1500 year old ratha/chariot temple has withstood the ravages of time so beautifully.....

and the non-believer in me asks from where this child gets the faith he clearly has, by which the mere act of touching his soft cheek to the rough temple stone gives him such joy, almost as if he can hear the Gods?

And while I absolutely loved what The Mother had to say in Auroville....

I asked myself why I was a bit spooked at the whole Auroville commune thing and why it reminded me of the Dharma Initiative in LOST....?

What hand of fate determined that this dog live on the roadside searching for scraps...

while this dog gets to sleep with its head resting on colorful fuchsia pillows....?

And when does one decide that for an 86 year old besieged with age related health problems, being in a hospital room surrounded by doctors who will do anything to keep him alive for another day in the ICU was worse than being at home surrounded by people who loved him dearly and were willing to let him go?

Questions, questions that will bother me for some time, till I get caught up in mundane chores and forget about them, or I somehow miraculously get wise at 50 and get a satisfying answer to them....! Also, let me say that I mean no disrespect to religion, or the Aurovillans!

On February, spring, reflections, and plans!

2011-02-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

Via.

Gentle reader, dear friend....thank you for dropping by and reading everyday...........your comments always bring a smile to my face! It's been really hectic here: traffic is horrendous! Much as I love my country and Delhi--- something needs to be done about the traffic and pollution!!(Unfortunately, I have no solutions to offer. :( ) But, moving on, there's nothing that can compare with the feeling of being with family---it's been busy busy busy!! jet lag notwithstanding, my heart is full....there's a lot more travel planned with whirlwind trips being squeezed in to ensure we get to meet with everyone..........It's warm(ish) out here and the birds are chirping and there are flowers in the garden. Spring! :) I seem to forget to cart along the camera everywhere I go, so, as yet, I have no pictures to share with you (I'm working on that, promise! :) ). I haven't had much time to visit your blogs/handle correspondence, and it looks like it may be a while before I'm on top of things. And I'm okay with that, the important stuff, being here, is getting done, and that's all that matters!! :)

Anyhoo, getting back to the blog! I've been meaning to shake things up a bit on the blog front for a while now. Yes, it started out as a design blog, but it has since grown to mean so much more-- almost a journal of my days as they go by. I do find myself holding back at times, not broaching topics uppermost in my thoughts, as they do not match the "scope" of the blog....life is so much more than just design after all! After mulling over the "direction" of the blog, I have decided to widen its horizons..............yes, it will remain a design blog, but there will be a lot more "me" in it. (Brace yourselves!! LOL!). I realize that posts that elicit the most dialogue are the ones in which I pour my heart out. In that, I have done you a disservice by not acknowledging the mature, intelligent audience I have. Well, that's about to change, albeit gradually. For starters, I'm introducing a series of guest posts for you. My showcase of people I'd love to surround myself with...creative, funny, fun, smart, well read, intelligent, sensitive, mature.... you get the picture? I'm starting off with five guest posts, one for each week that I'm away...this is a series I'm hoping to continue, probably on a monthly basis once I get back to regular blogging. Each of the visiting bloggers is a "woman of substance" to borrow a phrase. Much like you and I , they do everything-- kids, home, family, work---and somehow, in the middle of it all, they remain true to themselves. To me, they're interesting (and inspiring!) because their personalities shine through.....I'm so thankful to have come to know them and I'd love for you to "meet" them as well......I hope you'll love getting to know them as much as I do! Introducing, "My Kinda Gal(s)".........

A picture a day, 5

2011-02-11T13:35:00.001-05:00

Via.

Yummmmmmmm! SO my kind of space!!!

A picture a day, 4

2011-02-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Via.

:) Here's a "defining moment"---Do you see clutter here? I see a lovely warm welcoming space!! What's your decorating style?

A picture a day, 3

2011-02-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 2

2011-02-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

Via.

A picture a day, 1

2011-02-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

Via Style at home.

Hello February! Am I too late to welcome you? Naaah! I just completed 38 revolutions around the sun and the world looks really good to me right about now. Hellll-O February!!

Hello! I missed you all......

2011-02-06T06:00:00.029-05:00

My lovelies, how have you been? sorry for my unexplained absence; by the time you see this post, I'll be on my way to India. It's been a long time since I've been home with my family and this trip has been in the making for several years. Every time, something would happen and the trip would be postponed for "the next round". This time, I was determined to push through with the plan, come what may. Well, lots of events in the past few weeks have transpired that made me feel that little choked up cry inside once again. Doctors' visits, snowstorms, canceled flights, icy roads, fevers, flus....you name it, it happened. So tell me, did the storms affect you? I hope this was the last of the series. I'm so ready for spring!!! However, even as I fly "home", I'm also leaving "home" behind....Hubby elected to stay back and I'm going to miss him terribly.

I had planned a series of guest posts, for the rational, organized, part of me likes things to move like clockwork. However, the ensuing drama prevented me from taking further action. I have a lovely series of guest posts planned, but I'm unable to muster up my inner blogger---I'm too jittery to sit still long enough to do the write ups they deserve or to sequence the posts "just so". So bear with me, gentle reader, just a little while longer...... I know you've been patiently visiting, wondering what on Earth I'm up to!! To those of you who wrote in and inquired, thank you:, I'm well, just too jittery at the moment. Something tells me I'll sleep like a baby on that looooong flight home. :D As far as the plans go (because I always have a plan!!) I have a lovely series of guest posts and loads of eye candy lined up in my drafts folder....For now, I'm setting up a series of eye candy posts( just a pretty picture a day, not much chatter from me! :)) for the next few days. As for the rest, they're all awaiting my command; I'll be home soon and I'd love to catch up with you.......Till then, many many warm hugs....

Via: spaces design

The past two weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster for me: I'm going home, but I'm also leaving a part of me behind (!!??!) because this too, is where I'm home. Strange isn't it? ~~my our~~ my definition of home?? Do you feel the same way about your adopted and birth homes? :) I'll be back soon.................I'm leaving you with this magical song.....

Happy Friday Folks!!

2011-01-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

I recently heard of Anokhi, a museum dedicated to reviving and preserving the art of block printing. I'm not sure whether it's already done the desi(gn) blog circuit(apologies if you already heard of/blogged about it earlier!!), but just in case it hasn't, here's a quick video to get you acquainted with the MO......

Here's a link to the museum website. Do hop on over for more info!

That's it for the week folks, have a great weekend!!

Linked via.

Drumroll please.........

2011-01-27T08:08:00.001-05:00

The winner of the CSN giveaway is...

Comment#39, which belongs to Shilpa Kamath. Shilpa, please get in touch with me ASAP and I'll put you in touch with the CSN associate. Congrats!!!

Take a breather, won't you?

2011-01-25T00:01:00.003-05:00

My sweets, how goes your week? Mine has been super busy as I've been running around tying up loose ends...I'm exhausted and would like nothing better than to sink into a nice cozy corner.....

I wouldn't mind lifting that lamp off the floor and settling in with a good book. Add to the picture: warm socks, a cuddly throw, an ottoman to prop those tired feet up, adrak chai and a good book. I'm currently reading this (or trying to, LOL!!--progress is S-L-O-W). What about you?

Image courtesy: The Assembly Hall

Somewhere.....

2011-01-24T00:01:00.006-05:00

Via.

Happy(sappy!!) Monday, my loves!! Does this song bring on the goosebumps for you as well? What about this one????

Have a good one......

xo,
G

Blog swapping with Patricia of Colours Dekor

2011-01-21T00:01:00.008-05:00

Hello my loves, I'm swapping blogs with Patty of Colours Dekor today. Won't you hop on over to Patty's blog to check out my post? But first a little bit about the ever-charming Patricia. Take it away girl.....

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Hello to all my lovely readers ~ of Peacocks & Paisleys. I’m Patricia Torres and I passionately blog at Colours Dekor. I just simply love weekends and hence thought ‘The Friday Mix’ which is a blog swap… is the best way to kick start my weekend.. Yes.. my weekends are Friday & Saturday… !! Would you like to blog swap with Colours Dekor?? Email me on torresp27@hotmail.com. Let me know, Id love to hear from you

Now a little about me ~ I’m a design enthusiast… I love to make my surroundings beautiful.. I wake up every morning with a zest to keep my home clutter free, organised and beautiful. My day job is in the finance industry and hence my evenings are dominated by home chores ~ which mainly consist of cleaning, clearing and sorting apart from the norm.

I started Colours Dekor as a journal to capture the pretty moments in my home… to cherish the DIYs or paint jobs. I love changing the décor and adding a little extra this and that, here and there… which just meant my home never looks the same.. Hence the easiest way to capture my hard work… was blog about it.

Weekends are very special to me.. so that’s when my home looks extra gorgeous… I arrange, rearrange and assemble curios & knick knacks around the house to give it a fresh & innovative look!! Weekends start with candles, even if there are no guests. It’s always nice when people appreciate your work, but there’s a different kind of euphoria to looking around at what you’ve done and feeling a happy feeling on the inside – so I like making my home look special – even if it’s just for me.. *smiles*

Most projects are planned and executed over the weekends as well.. I love to see ‘walls with character’… I’m not a white wall person.. atleast one wall in my home needs to be painted with a burst of colours.. or a few photographs; perhaps some candle arrangements as well – I believe a wall, or for that matter a home- just like a photograph, can speak a 1000 words. I’ve done a few wall projects and they’ve all turned out lovely – you can check them out at my blog as well – they have been labours of love! This is one of my more recent projects - a picture of my girls room. One weekend we revamped their room, by making ballerinas on one wall and butterflies on the other… All in all, a gorgeous looking room!!

Like I said earlier… Weekends are extra special to me.. Do come and join the linky party at Colours Dekor ~ The Weekend Wrap Up.. and tell us all about your weekend!! Hope to see you at Colours Dekor and don’t forget to say ‘hello’ - I love hearing from all you lovely people *smiles* Thank you Gagan for blog swapping with me today… *hugs*

-Patricia
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Thanks for the wonderful blog swap idea Patty! I had a blast. :)

xo,
G

Giveaway time!!!

2011-01-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

The first (hopefully of many more!!) in 2011. CSN stores has very generously offered to give away a $45 gift card, which can be used anywhere on their site, in any of their 200+ stores!!! What can you use the loot toward??--totally up to you; why, with spring approaching, you could even use it to purchase one of their swingsets for junior!

Here are some goodies that I found very tempting......

I wonder what you'll find? Let me know.....

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

Four entries per person (extra entries will be culled). Leave a new comment for each entry. 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 the 27th of January!

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.

Thanks for playing along, best of luck--I wish I could host a giveaway for each of you lovely folks, but this is the best I can do for now. Thank you for visiting-- you make my day! :D Now go on, go ahead and enter--this giveaway is only open a week!!!

Pop quiz.......

2011-01-19T17:05:00.004-05:00

What do you SEE here?? the locale, the clothes, the makeup or the jewelry? Or the whole package?

Not a big fan of the MC Hammer pants, LOL!!!

My eyes went straight to the locale, then to the whole look/feel of the photograph. What did you take in???

Methinks I'd like to visit. Beam me up, Scotty.

All pictures: Swedish Elle, found via. First spotted on Compai.
PS: There's a new giveaway happening tomorrow. See you ~~there~~ here?

Henna...

2011-01-17T21:00:00.000-05:00

...on furniture??? Wow, I've heard of doodling, but this takes it to a whole new level...(actually it's laser etched, not doodled)...came across these gorgeous end tables and I thought I'd share it with you....

via.

"Tattoo" end table by designer Debbie Palao. I love how creative this is. What do you think?

Available here.

Bestowed!!

2011-01-17T06:00:00.006-05:00

And graciously accepted...the Stylish blogger award!! Three stylish ladies appear to think so, so I'm accepting before they change their minds LOL! So in order to (graciously) accept the award I need to disclose seven things about myself and pass it forward to seven stylish bloggers. First up, I need to thank Satrupa@ Food for Thought, Evie@Post-College Working Girl and Sundeep@Designwali for the sweet mention+awards! Thank you, my sweets---I shall try to live up to the honor! :D

I have been tagged/awarded earlier and tho' I was very wary of it initially I'm finally getting round to accepting it as ~~an occupational hazard~~ a part of blogging. Since I wasn't very amenable to the award the first time around, I have decided to mend my ways and become a reformed woman(new year , new beginnings.....yada yada yada). You see before you a woman resolute in her determination to not only not buck the rule (read that three times, fast!) but to sweetly rise to the occasion *cue some sweet harp-type music*....yes, the halo is definitely in place.

But I still need to cough up seven things you might not know about me.................

1. I make a trip to the library every Tuesday/Wednesday. My bag is as heavy going in as it is coming out (I do the library round for the entire family). Libraries are a blessing, tax dollars really well spent and I wish people would use them more. I had an independent membership to the British council library in Delhi from the day I entered college to the day I left Delhi. It used to take me an hour and a half to get there (Delhi traffic was abysmal back in those days!!!--please note: I'm hoping things have improved).

2. While in hostel, the thing I used to crave most was simple home made khichdi. I haven't had it in almost eight years now. I'm hoping I will get to taste some soon. While on the subject of strange food cravings I used to crave meetha bun with amul butter when I first moved to Canada. I try not to think of butter anymore (and, to be honest, don't really miss it all that much).

3. One of Delhi's best kept secrets is the crafts museum on Bhairon marg, on the Pragati Maidan grounds (at least it was the best kept secret till a certain very chic lady decided to shop there!) I wonder how the experience has changed over the years that I've been away. This was the destination for craft lovers before dilli haat usurped the title (I find dilli haat a little too "staged" for my liking, but I'll still shop there(!!!)

4. I sit with a box of kleenex for most books and movies that aren't classified as comedies or thrillers. I cried straight through "The Kite Runner" (and I finished it). I'll probably read it again some time in the future. If I tell you I loved a book, I probably cried while reading it. (Such a sap!) :D While on the subject, I hate horror movies--they don't spook me, I just get irritated.

5. I can eat alone, always could..........most afternoons I just gobble down my lunch, get it out of the way so I can use my time elsewhere.

6. I love sitcoms--hubby and I can watch back to back Seinfeld/Friends/Raymond reruns. Current favorites "The middle", "modern family", "Big bang theory" and "how I met your mother"..... we're also a little addicted to american pickers. TV is a social activity for me. I can't watch it alone.

7. Both hubby and I are also addicted to the comedy central presents series.

There. That wasn't so hard!!!!

Now I need to spread the love......If you haven't discovered these lovely blogs yet, you must check them out!
1. Betsy@ Making Pretty.
2. Geeta@ Occasionally Chic.
3. LBB@ little brown bride.
4. Bruce @Bruce Barone.
5.Anu@Fleeting Glimpse.
6. Neha@All Things Beautiful.
7. Anu @My dream canvas

That's it, signing off,

yours etc.................
-G

Can* I do it?--a DIY story.

2011-01-15T00:05:00.002-05:00

Of all things that touch our lives, it's funny what the heart remembers and wants to hold on to. When I was in college, I had a lovely Madhubani paper-mâché pencil holder---it was bright and vibrant and it made me very happy. My dorm room had a nice heavy desk with drawers and I had covered the working surface with heavy blue paper (yes, I really loved the color back then!). Anyhoo, sometime last month, I started obsessing over my pencil holder--if I could just have it, my table would be perfect (do I have deeper issues here--we'll leave those for the analyst! :D). But it's near impossible (okay, prohibitively expensive!) to find a replica of my beloved pencil holder out here in the boonies. So the only solution was to make one. You saw a sneak peek of the project here. Here's the end result:

Okay, that's not too Madhubani-y, but I just love the colors!! It has all my favorite motifs--Paisleys, peacocks, flowers, totas (Indian parrots).........It's colorful and it makes me happy. So here's the deets on how I did it--materials/supplies and tips. I can't do a tutorial, because my hands were involved in crafting and I couldn't hold the camera and do that at the same time. Maybe it's time to get a mini tripod+update my photography skills. A lot to do, so little time.......... :)

Okay. Materials/supplies....
1. Empty soup can. (I used Campbells chunky. LOL!!!)
2. One pack creative paperclay. From Michaels. I didn't use all for this project....in fact I may have used only about a quarter for this project(where did the rest go?--I'll share that in a bit!). I liked many things about this medium--it was very malleable, which is a big plus! it wasn't overly messy--I've done paper-mâché from scratch (newspaper soaked in a bucket--loads of work!) and this was easy to work with. It also airdries, so that was good. Only thing was that once it dries, it tends to crack along fault lines/areas where you overlap two strips. I repaired the cracks with a thinned out slurry that I applied and later smoothed out with water.

The how-tos of it all:
1. Take a lump of clay. Roll it out to quarter inch thickness--try to get it as oblong as possible, since it needs to cover the tin. Drape the flattened roti (for want of a better word, LOL!) over the tin. It's surprisingly pliable! roll out another oblong and drape it over areas that were left bare in the first attempt. Press it over the tin lightly--it should stick! now trim off the extra bits--make sure you fold some over the open edge. Roll the tin over a smooth surface (like you would a rolling pin) to smooth out the surface. Set to dry.
2. Fill in any cracks that may have appeared.
3. Sketch the design with a pencil.
4. Paint!
5. I totally cheated on the black lines---by the time I was done painting, I didn't have the patience to fill in the outlines with a zero number brush. So I grabbed a sharpie and defined all outlines with it. Who will know? (Just me and the entire interwebs, LOL!).

Some more thoughts: once dry, it's just like paper (handmade paper) and I found that I could use a regular eraser to correct any mistakes---though I tend to press my pencil in quite hard, and I did leave an impression behind....it lends to the handmade charm IMO! Once I used the sharpie, I had a D-OH moment. I could just as easily have filled in the colors with my kid's markers (but I like the effect of brushstrokes, so I'm happy with how it turned out). I think that this project would be an easy one to try at home with paper strips, soaked in a 1:1 mix of water and glue.

If you want to try it, go for it!!! Ain't rocket science!

Now lets all admire my handiwork.......

Said impression. Tota= <3 <3

A proud peacock, basic flowers. Not aiming for perfection..........

Imperfections are there, but not really visible + I don't care......

If you want to buy the real thing, The Color Caravan carries these beauties.......

...........plus loads of other little goodies!

* Let me bring to your notice yet another attempt at a feeble pun. I crack myself up!! LOL!!!! Yes I can DIY (DIM??)

Disclaimer (don't you just love them!?!): Not an advertisement for any product. No paybacks-- cash , kind or unmentionable were involved. I run a clean kitchen. I doubt if Michaels or the paper clay company even know I exist. And I couldn't care less!!!! :D

Where's the party?

2011-01-13T00:01:00.006-05:00

Are you feeling it too--that post-festivities slump???? Last week I couldn't move fast enough to get those lights down and tree stowed away!! But funnily enough, even while that whirlwind blur of festivities is barely over, I want some gaiety again!! I'm blaming the weather (again!)--the days are shorter than you've ever seen, and to add insult to injury that snow/fog (take your pick, depending on your geographic location, LOL!) is making your teeth chatter like a castanet! Don't worry, I have a solution for those blues.....click here to go to my guest post over on Tanvi's fabulous blog!!!

Oh, and refreshments are being served, so grab some chai and popcorn, before it all disappears!!

PS: In case you want to practice your dance moves for the party--here's how we roll!!ROFL!!! step by step instructions on getting your groove on (links to YouTube, so if you're accessing it from work, make sure your boss ain't around! *wink*). Let the paaaaaarty begin!!!

Lofty ideas on a Monday morning!

2011-01-10T06:00:00.013-05:00

Hello my sweets!!! how are you? Have you settled into your weekly routine yet? Or are you still finding it hard to wake up (at the crack of dawn it seems!!), rubbing sleep-weary eyes as you make that cup o' joe or liquid gold (chai). I'm still grumbly when I wake up--given the chance, I'd like to crawl right back into bed for another couple of hours. Oh well. We do what needs to be done.

Came across a few pretty pictures that I thought of sharing with you....

Apartment Therapy. Check out the entire home tour here.

Rue Magazine.

Desire to Inspire.

Hope this snaps you out of the Monday morning blues!! How is your Monday going so far?

PS: The pink picture found me (I didn't go looking for it *wink*!!)

Sigh....

2011-01-07T08:52:00.000-05:00

Some lovely interiors. Good morning, Friday!

All pictures: the work of photographer Paola Miozza. Discovered via Desire to Inspire.