A year gone by.......

2016 is towards its fag end and as it limps towards its end, my cluttered mind wanted to unleash some of its burdens here. Declutter is the new mantra of life; clear your mind of all those stress and take in a long breath. And what better than expressing myself here, in this space of mine. Like I had said earlier, too, this blog of mine has been rather neglected. We crossed the second autumn, yet there was no celebration. Life has been hectic, unplanned, stressful but these are no excuses not to celebrate and bring in a new year. Well, better late than never! Seasons in the sun definitely deserves a treat for turning two and we shall do it in style :-)...

The year has seen a lot of actions and happenings. It wasn't one of those complacent ones with just a single track leading us to the end or maybe to our destination. It saw some ups and some downs, too. It reminded us that life is not just about things of our choice but also of challenges thrown our way. How we deal with these boulders on our way would be our learning, our take home. While it gave me some genuine relationships, it, too, gave me the greatest of lessons : have no expectations. Though this is one of the most Herculean tasks to do, once mastered gives such a liberated feel! 

I have never really set too many resolutions to attain; never sat down to introspect too much as self introspection has always tagged along with me like my shadow. Conversations with a dear friend and also something I watched recently gave me the insight of mental well being. And probably this has helped me to understand gen next better; at least, this is what I feel at the moment. I hope to make a conscious effort in practising my new found philosophy :-)....

The hoarder that I had always been, I have learnt to understand that we can live with less. Too many clothes, too many footwear, too many artefacts, too many/ much of everything is just not needed in my life. Quality seems to have won over quantity and this not just in terms of my belongings but also holds true of my relationships, of time spent with my loved ones. This, to me, is a huge learning. 

Life is dear so celebrating it each day is a must. Love and gratitude are two of the biggest virtues in life that I would like to be guided by along my way.

And now for the celebrations of Seasons turning two, I wish to do it in style by travelling to one of my favourite destinations. Nurturing this little wish of mine, signing off but not before wishing one and all a happy, healthy, peaceful 2017, a new year where dreams would take shape and love will hold good. Sharing a few photographs of our space. Hope you like them.

A home with a heart ......

Hello folks! It's been a really long time since I last posted something here. This favourite place of mine is so neglected at times but today I am going to make it up. So gear up to visit one of the coziest and warmest homes I have come across. We shall knock on the doors of Momi Mazumdar Mukherjee and her family in Mumbai. Before walking into her space here is a little into how we met up. The social media has been a place where I have made friends with some wonderful people. Momi is one such person; talented and warm-hearted. I would always get drawn to her colourful home whenever she posted snapshots of her home in the social media. My wish to see her home grew so strong that one fine day, I requested Momi to show me her home! And the lady obliged! So here it is; a beautiful home of a happy family. Here's some of her thoughts and her HOME :-D......

Style is a personal sensibility which happens; effortlessly, without a thought put in; in everything that one does... Eat, sleep, play, love, dress, travel, cook, live and all other verbs in between.
It is an extension of our beings and personalities.
The more staged it is or borrowed, the more short lived it is and less easy and comfortable it gets.
My innate style of living would fall into a lot of categories : classic, arty, bohemian, preppy, shabby chic, country, contemporary or a mix of two or more depending upon my mood.
Our each house has looked different and has reflected our experiences, our emotions, our travels, our latest hobbies and gifts from friends who travel or create or just remembered us when they went shopping.
This time round I have felt minimalistic in nature, to do away with clutter (organised  please), to do away with excesses, unwanted, and the bright hues which I generally love... Because that's how I feel.... Blame it on the aging process 😀 or maybe just attaining nirvana 😇
Space in the new home has also helped ... After 13 years of living in Hotels or 2BHKs in Bombay, we definitely take space seriously and worship the fact, that we have it now.

So nothing is new really, a mix as always from Chor Bazaar, Good Earth, Local stores of places I visited or stayed in, Fabindia, Ikea, CAC, Freedom Tree, art exhibitions, Artists' studios and  the roadside.... Just with a change of colour palette.
The durries will come in the second phase or when I feel the need for the home to change a bit, or when I like something... The whole process has to be organic.

So that's us; Mahika, me and Basav in terms of space.

P.S. : The smart people judge others by their shoes; the smartest, judge them by their home.

Well, Momi, thank you for that compliment! I am smart :-) :-).... People, wasn't that a gorgeous home? I loved everything about this home; like I said before, warm, cozy with a lived-in feel. Thank you Momi for taking us into your home :-) and showing us around.....

Gorgeous blue! Come on in to take a tour of this ' jolli appartement'......                  

part of the living area, the solid wood creating a warm feel....the interesting knick-knacks adding an element of  quirk.....

a close up of the living area.......

The entry with its 'wall of frame' :-)

Art work, photographs, pretty artifacts grouped together to create a 'look'...... 

Love those colourful tassles :-)

A closer look at the 'wall of frame'.......such an interesting display idea!

vignettes on the coffee table..... I can spot some pretty shells,too!

A well created nook......

 I heart this vignette! Is that a beetel nut cracker? Such artistic pieces !

The perfect corner to curl up with cups of chai and a good book.......

Can't take my eyes off from this gorgeous place! And what a splendid view!

Momi has created such simple yet eye catching vignettes out of common  things! 

Books and knick knacks on display in a green corner!

And do I spot some pretty charcoal paintings?

And one of my favourite spots in the Mukherjee home :-)

Garden accessories make this place a pretty spot!

Pretty colours all around making this place one of the prettiest spots in the house!

Gorgeous, pretty, beautiful, cool, green, and the list goes on and on..........

And we are into the jolly and happy kitchen where many a delightful meal is churned out by the members who  have a love for good food!

Love everything about your cheerful kitchen, Momi :-)

Look at all those colourful glass!

And we come back to the passage......warm and inviting ......the Kathakali mask steals the show!

Postcards from the Nilgiris

"Come to the book as you would come to an unexplored land. Come without a map. Explore it and draw your own map."

Stephen King

A short trip to the mountains and forests, to be one with nature, to dream, to fill in the lungs with fresh air, to listen to the sounds of nature,to wake up to the misty mornings and watch the starry nights; well, well, well, the list is endless and so are my desires every time I visit such places. I have never been a painter except for the times when I visit a beautiful place and watch nature and its wonders. The daybreak with its myriad colours seem to create a beautiful painting the canvas of nature. Any nature lover would become a painter. 

This was a post I had started composing just after our trip to The Redhills. It was our second visit to the place I baptised 'the Switzerland of India'. It is late I know but still I wanted to share the 'belle photos' with all nature lovers.  Hence, without speaking any more I shall leave the photographs to do the speaking. Enjoy the visual tour!