My little butterfly

And while I have been happily preoccupied with the little one, who has been growing faster than I would wish her to...there's been something else that has also kept me busy in the last few months. My little elf ( read : little sis) and I have been happily working towards making a dream come true. And we thought there cannot be a better day than today to share it with you lovelies. Well, purplehomes too has grown and will soon take it's first baby step at www.purplehomes.co.in. (The site is under construction as I write this)

Want to know more? Hmmmm....

Image : Personal collection

January Fetish!!

Thread on Spool or Twine or Wool? Take your pick.

Choose a palette, hang them from above...sweet

My fav! Such earthy colors. Vintage Spools, pastel colors & flowers. 

Twine in a bowl anyone?

Warm colors & warm wool in an old fashioned briefcase .Drool.

If you missed my last fetish post go right here.


Images :  1,2,3 & 4

Potty about Pots

Sharing some of my recent work. It has been photographed by the lovely Ruchira from saundhimitti for her online pottery boutique. The text is also by her. Enjoy!

"Coral-green glazed bowls with brown accents. Unusual hues on a classic clay form, by Prachi." See it here.

"'Bowl'ed over! An antique pale green outside, a deep crystal blue inside. Wavy edges transform this simple bowl into a thing of beauty. Who says functional things can't be pretty? By Prachi, available on Saundhi Mitti." See it here

"We're back with our Tableware range of functional pottery. Here's a Kebab Platter by Prachi. The crystalline blue glaze looks like a pool of paint that you could dip your paintbrush in. Put your dip or salsa in the centre, place you kebabs, nachos, pakodas or sushi around it. A neat, fuss-free and pretty solution to serving snacks." See it here.

"From our Knick Knacks vault, here are 4 ultimately cute little 'matkis', in different shades of blue. Traditional Indian water pitchers interpreted in ceramics by Prachi and Divya. Use as decor, plant a sapling or even to serve a dip or curd. Between Rs.200-350 each."  See it here.

"Good morning! Here's another beautiful bowl with antique finish on the outside and deep crystalline blue glaze on the inside. Perfect for potpourri or even to serve food. By Prachi." See it here.

"Dipdishes: quirky, adorable, useful, beautiful. By Divya and Prachi." See it here.

"Place settings! Try something different, mix up squares and circles, steel, glass and ceramics; get your good glasses out, use your runners and table mats; set a place for dinner once in a while. We can guarantee the food will taste nicer :-)" See it here.

"We LOVE knick-knacks! Tiny little boxes, miniature bowls, a cut-work coaster here, a penstand there......the quirky side of ceramics. Forget utility - you buy these coz they're just too cute to resist :-)" See it here.

"Here's the cutwork coaster that some of you wrote to us about. Originally intended as a wall decoration, we've adapted it for table use. A green fern leaf, matte glaze, great for holding hot dishes or anything at all." See more here

Will share more work very soon.

Images & text in italics : Saundhimitti

Friday Musings

This week I am thankful for : 

•  Sara has taken to school so well that her school has become her world and she wants "more school" all the time
• I have been able to meet all of my work deadlines thanks to sitting outside her playschool for 3 hours five days a week :)
• The weather has been so beautiful that we eat lunch outside everyday
• The convector which has made sitting on the carpet & making pretty somethings’ for Sara’s birthday at night so easy & so warm
• DH who doesn’t know how funny he is at times.

This week I am in love with

•      Kamini’s househelp’s warm & pretty home. Best home tour ever.
•      This amazingly honest weighing scale I came across.

Enjoy your weekend.

Image : here

January Fetish!

I love all kinds of crafts but there is one that I don't/can't see myself going close to. Sewing. 

Having said that I would like to admit that I like to collect ( always safe to use a word like collect, makes me less of a hoarder!) pretty threads in various textures & colors. What I like to do with these babies is anybody's guess. Use them around the home to create simple yet striking vignettes. 

A jar full of spools of threads in pastel colors, pretty flowers to keep them company & books of your choice. There, you just made yourself a stunning arrangement.

Combine crates with doilies and threads on a wall.Vintage at its best!

If you'd like to browse through the other fetish posts go right here.

Images :  here & here

What was the hurry?

Alright, so this morning my lil girl decided that she had been little for too long & it was time that she told her mom that she was a big girl. 

And so she went to playschool. 

Boy! What a morning it was. She decided to be really cranky this morning. Like "I will not get off your lap mommy" cranky. Somehow I managed to get both of us ready and guess what! Someone really sweet had locked us from outside! YES! After frantic calls to non-working neighbors to let us out & running on the road with a not-yet-two year old, her winterwear that weighs more than her & her two ton bag we reached playschool.

Once there Missie decided that she had had enough of her mom and was found playing with her new "mam", saying "hi baby" to all the children who were way older than her & sitting on the "choo-choo" train. Did I mention that she wasn't really interested in walking back home?

That was Day one at school. One day over. Only about 20-25 years left. 

But really what was the hurry I ask? Did you have to grow up so soon? 


Love,
Mom.


Image : Personal Album

Snapshots : Dastkari haat 2011

Not to be confused with the Dastkar fair you went with me here & here :) 

The sun was out and it was just the right kind of weather to be out, finally! 

The timing was just right. The Dastkari haat was on at Dilli Haat. And so I had to be there. 

Here are some shots from there. Enjoy.

Paper puppets. Check out their expressions!

You there wait while I go back & make some space for you in my home.

Warm Sun & this gorgeous umbrella on my head.

Hop on to this one. It comes straight from Pakistan.

Dig out those steel trunks, will you?

Images : Personal Album

Happy Lohri!

A very Happy Lohri to all of you! 

I am off to mom's to enjoy gajak, revri & lots of yummy calorie laden food. 

Now don't you judge me, its Lohri :)

Image : here

Off to bed

Its REALLY cold here...I am talking about 3 degrees Celsius accompanied by REALLY chilly wind. And let me remind you that we don't have central heating here in India, like they do in the west. So its the good old convector which with a to-be-soon 2 year old is not a thing that you can switch on and forget. She will NOT stay in one room and wants to study how the convector works by touching it when its on! 

The good thing about this weather however has been that all schools are going to be shut till the 16th which means I have some more time to prepare myself before she joins playschool (yes, you read it right prepare myself not her). Or may be I can join playschool too and be with her till college? Ya, I think I will do that :) 

Now if you will please excuse me I will go back to my PILLOW for its cold & I need to sob because my little girl needs to go to playschool. 

How do you like your pillows arranged? I came across this here and well it seems how you toss your pillows says a lot about you. Pick yours please...

"1. If Your Pillows Are Asymmetrical

Are your pillows tossed about in any which way? Do you arrange your pillows without a particular order? Your unfussy style says that you are a relaxed, bohemian type who's easygoing and open to new experiences.

2.If Your Pillows Are Balanced, but Have a Single Accent

Do you prop pillows the classical way, but throw the symmetry off with one extra bolster? Do you prefer when something doesn't look too perfect? If so, your style is traditional with a twist. You're never too prim and proper — but you aren't given to the latest trends either

3.If Your Pillows Are Precisely Stacked

Are your pillows tiered, trim, and level? Does clutter on the nightstands (or anywhere) drive you crazy? This systematic, monastic tower of pillows indicates you have a modernist style. If someone saw your bed, they would probably guess that you're artistic, creative, and intellectua

4.If Your Pillows Are Delicate and Decorative

Are your pillows an exuberant array of Euro-square, cases, shams, boudoirs, and neck rolls? Do designs without embellishment feel cold and unwelcoming to you? If you're drawn to a dreamy, whimsical look, then you're a romantic. You prefer frilly and feminine to streamlined and rigid and are a firm believer that more is more.

5.If Your Pillows Are Perfectly Symmetrical

Do you consider yourself organized? Keeping all your ducks in a row — and your pillows too — means you have a tailored, classic style. This look is best for someone who is detail-orientated, organized, and orderly."

Off to bed all of you.

Images & Results : here

Color Crush : Lilac

Its three degrees here and the chilly winds are going crazy.I want to spend my day & night curled up inside the quilt and only taking my fingers out to click on & scroll down my favorite design blogs :) 

And ofcourse to look at some pretty lilac pictures. Yes, Lilac is my first color crush of the year.  You will know why Lilac is the chosen one very soon :) 

Till then enjoy.

Yarn. Lots of Yarn. Lots of yarn in lilac.

A distressed table with a jar full of flowers, anyone?

Gorgeous flowers & cupcakes for me please. Yes, six will do just fine :)

Won't this be so perfect in a little girl's room. 

To stack toys, books & knick knacks or to just to play "house-house"

I am so lurving this bedroom. Such a lovely paisley pattern on the duvet. 

And that chandelier adds just the right amount of glam quotient.

Image : 1,2,3,4 ,5 & 6

Hello Twenty Eleven!

Hello my lovelies. A very Happy New Year to all of you. How was your New Year eve & the weekend? Mine was full of good friends & family. It sure was fun starting the year with loved ones. 

Will 2011 be all that and much more? Are you the person who still believes in making New Year Resolutions and seeing them through? Well, I for sure STILL do it and like to give them my best shot. Resolutions of all kinds help me put things & my life in order. It helps me to see where I am standing and where I am going. I have made my list of personal & professional goals for the year. (You will hear more about the professional bit in days to come. I am really excited about it and can't wait for things to come together).

Wish me luck. 

But two that clearly stand out are the ones that follow.

Its funny how we often forget to look after ourselves. Commitments of all kinds, Big & Small, Home-Children-Work all leave us with no energy or inclination to look after ourselves. Let's be kind to the person called ME. Let's take out time to look & feel pretty this year. Do whatever it takes to FEEL PRETTY. A pretty scarf around your neck or a flower in your hair. Trust me this will not only make you happy but also make the rest of your day more fruitful & satisfying. A pretty ME will for sure translate into a PRETTIER home & a PRETTIER day at work. I realize that just putting on some kajal does the trick for me. What makes you feel pretty?

Let's try and be THERE with our loved ones more. I don't mean physically. I mean mentally as well. Often we are thinking of our mammoth to-do lists even when we are with family & friends. Ir we have the laptop on 24 hours. Lets try to be with them some MORE.

Also let's try and pick up something new that we'd LOVE to learn or do but haven't had the time or the chance last year. Anything small or big. What would you LOVE to learn/do this year? For me it would be striking off each of the things I mentioned in my "Because  this makes me happy" list earlier.

Will you be joining me? I'd love it. 

Image : 1 & 2