Happy Birthday Princess!

Needless to say, the theme was 'Pink & White' and Barbie. It was loads of fun and everyone had a great time.

Off to Chennai for Mallika's Dusshera Vacations. Be back on 3rd October.

Goodie Bags.

We are celebrating Mallika's 4th Birthday on Saturday. My little princess is going to be 4!!! I am extremely happy the way the goodie bags turned out. Thanks Mom for making them.
You can see the invitations here and here and the starting of the idea here.

Recycle, Re-use, Restore...

Reading about Danny Seo and his eco-friendly lifestyle in decor8, got me thinking about the subject of recycling & re-using.

In India this concept is not new and has been in practice for a long time. I remember my grandfather carrying empty milk bottles to the booth where they would be exchanged for fresh ones. There were no plastic milk packets then. Clothbags/ jutebags being used for vegetable shopping etc.

I just love the concept and hope to continue recycling in everyday life.
Some nice pics of eco-friendly stuff

1.Coconut shell transformed into a soap-dish
2. Earthenware for Kulfi (Ice-cream)
3. Gift bags made of newspaper.

Arty Sunday!

A very colourful & interesting Sunday. We headed out with friends for a hearty South Indian breakfast at our new find Udipi Sri Krishna Bhavan at Balepet.

Chitrakala Parishad -the art college was our next stop. There was an amazing art exhibition by Keshav inspired by Krishna's Leelas & colourful crafts from Rajasthan by Tilonia was also on display.

The Bangalore International Marathon 2006 was also held yesterday as part of the Refresh Bangalore Project. What a great weekend!

Colourful Weekend.

We decided to go out for breakfast to Vidyarthi Bhavan, an old hotel which specialises in to-die-for dosas. It is situated at the heart of Gandhi Bazaar-a place filled with fresh fruits, vegetables & flowers. I just love local wholesale markets. Check out more on flickr

Morning Sunlight.

The favourite part of my day is the early morning. The sunlight comes streaming into our home and brightens up everything, including my spirits.

Menu Blackboard.

The latest addition to my kitchen counter top is Mallika's old black slate board. We have decided to write down the daily menu on it. These small things make life more interesting I guess?! What do you say?

Viya Home.

Love the Himalayan Brass Candle Stand from Viya Home. Viya Home has a classic & timeless collection of furniture, sculptures & accessories.
(Images from Viya Home.com)

Sonja Weder.

Came across these great mixed media work by Sonja Weder in the May, 2005 issue of Inside Outside Magazine. A Swiss based in India, she uses materials like dry leaves, pods, handmade paper to get the effect of nature. Love it.
(Images from Gallery Sanskriti.com)

Phew!

I finally finished making Mallika's Birthday Invitations. I got Mallika to write her own message, scanned it and added it to all the invites.

Shalika.

Shalika is my favourite boutique in Chennai. I just love the embroidery & mirror-work techniques used, the colour combinations and the use of traditional hand-woven fabrics like kanchipuram cottons, chettinads, mangalgiris, kalamkaris and my all-time favourite hand block prints.

They also stock very interesting pouches -great gift wrapping ideas.
(Images from Shalika.com)

One of the colours of my life - Cooking.

Though I am passionate about cooking, haven't really posted much on this topic. So here are some pics taken during the preparations for Sunday's Dinner - Vegetables & Pasta. ( with Mallika helping me in the kitchen)

Maya Bazaar website launch.

Maya Bazaar has finally launched it's website. Maya Bazaar uses a craft technique called 'Charakkan' for making these amazing jewelry. I love the Bastar Collection and the new combination of Mother of Pearl & threadwork.
(Images from Maya Bazaar.com)

Anokhi #3

It's been a while since I last posted about Anokhi. Found some great hand block printed designs.
With Mallika's Birthday round the corner, the colour pink has been on my mind lately.
I just love this pink blockprinted Girl's Sun Dress.
( Images from Anokhi.com)

White.

Today is just one of those days when I found these lovely white roses with a touch of pink & I have this collection of cute empty glass bottles. So here are the pics. I love such days!

Creative Daughter!

Mallika my 4-year old likes to make her version of everything I do. Here you'll see the flower decoration I made on Onam and her version.

For her birthday she wanted a 'Barbie' theme, so I have been making 'Barbie' invitations. My design and her design. I am a proud mother of a creative daughter!

Madison Craft Studio.

For the past two days I have been addicted to Etsy. Have been discovering interesting handmade products by very creative people. Here are coasters made of marble & fabric from Madison Craft Studio. Just love the floral pattern & colour combination of pink & chocolate. Priced at $15 for a set of four.
( images from Madison Craft Studio at Etsy.com)