Sweet nothings

Hello everyone? How's the week treating you? It's mid-week already. Days seem to be whizzing past. Every morning I wake up with the resolution to complete at least a few from my to-do list of chores. I have a long, long list of pending work that need immediate attention but alas! I keep postponing them time and again! My break would soon get over and I would again be back to square one, waiting for the next break to come; promising myself and of course the men at home that I shall complete every single pending task then! At this point of time I am remembering my mother's saying; 'never keep any work pending! Do them immediately. All that you don't like must be done promptly! Tomorrow's work should be done today.' Well, mother practised it, tried teaching her children,too. But this one ( read Madame Choudhury here) didn't learn it at all! So she keeps on piling up work, and all kinds of it, urgent, not so urgent,important, all kinds!

But then, what do I do or not do for that matter,that keeps me so engrossed? I will strongly protest if anyone at home calls me lazy! Well, I am most certainly not lazy!! A bit of a fussy person, though, someone who suffers from OCD according to the men at home. So they are quite used to seeing the lady ruffling up the cushions, even if they are arranged neatly; straightening up the painting on the wall or trying to wipe away some unseen dust ( as they say, but to me, there is some dust settling down always! ). The balcony garden is another obsession. I know, I lament and I complain that I do not have the luxury of a proper garden. But whatever I have, I try to use up the space to its optimum and I tell you, this is no mean job! 

So, then, going back to the title of this post, 'Sweet nothings',is all about my days now, days as I spend them doing things that interest me. To the men at home, these are all meaningless work, if I may call them work, that need not be done at all! At least a few of them are certainly most meaningless to them! But some 'nothings' can be really sweet :-).... 

Every now and then I have been rushing to the balcony to check on my Plumeria! She was quite ill the last few months when she lost all her leaves. She needed a lot of sun and a change of place to bring her back to health. And here you can see her! She is still without leaves but I can see her with all those buds!! Doesn't she look pretty? Wait, till you see her in all her prettiness in a few days :-).....

Baking happens to be another 'like' of mine! And with some time to myself, I have been trying out all kinds of goodies. I love that smile on my people's face, specially the younger one! And of course, that absolutely divine aroma of freshly baked brownies and muffins that fill up the home! Trying to organize all kinds of things in the most practical way at home is a real challenge to the all-time hoarder! Hence, the need to accommodate them is no easy task. All these do take up time, right? :-D..

And I managed to make a quick trip to the Chitrakala Parishad. The Sampoorn Santhe was pretty good. I grabbed a few things,too, mainly plants and a few gifts for friends :-)...retail therapy has its own charm,isn't it? These flea markets are full of handmade artifacts and I always have a soft corner for such things. A visit to The Chalk Boutique,too, was long overdue! Such prettiness you get to see there! It's like leaving me inside the robbers' cave like Ali Baba! And I don't know what to pick up and what to leave behind!

My 'sweet nothings' give me immense happiness; those small things in life that make one so full of contentment. Yes, the more important chores are left incomplete at times for these bits of happiness only to be picked up later and completed with renewed vigour. My 'sweet nothings' are like those cubes of sugar to be had in times of tiredness and then they give you the energy to run around! Do you, too, experience these sugar pangs of sweet nothings? I would love to hear from you:-).....

My Champa or Plumeria preparing herself for a flower shower very soon!

Obsessive Cupcake Disorder

A lot can happen over a cup of chai!

My 'book-worm' side table !

And a bit of 'blog-time',too!

 We have some new visitors :-) ....All huddled together while I try to make space for them!

brownie time!

trying to be a bit organized!

The Chalk Boutique

Some more from The Chalk Boutique

before and after

In harmony.....

'Take life with a pinch of salt....a slice of lemon and a shot of tequila', so says the good living guide! And I am in total agreement with this fun phrase! A plaque with these words dangles from a hook in the corner of the dining area. Each time my eyes set on this, I cannot help reflecting how true these words are. After completing 21 years of togetherness,life has taught us many a lesson. It feels glorious to be together in the journey of life. My partner cum co-passenger has been good to me. He has made several adjustments to make me sit comfortably! And I presume that, I, too, have! A milestone achieved and hopefully by the divine grace, many more to come, all I would wish for is a safe journey, being with each other all along this beautiful course. Let us keep growing together, ageing together and experiencing the emotions of life together. Be it 'together' always :-)......as being together is a means of being happy in my case.

This was a post meant to be posted on my blog on the 27th of February but for some reason I did not do so. Maybe because I wanted to cling on to that special date even after it had passed and keep the spirit of our anniversary alive and running even after the 'D' date! Maybe because I wanted to experience how it felt after that day was over and made place for the next day. And I must say that it feels good to relive that special day even after it had actually gone by. So here comes this very short post, rather a reflection of the self, two days after. Counting my blessings these days, I have been trying to lap up every little happiness that I can find around me. Happiness is certainly infectious! A happy me makes for a happy home and hence happiness all around. 

Folks, I would love to hear about your happiness quotient, your reflections on happiness and what makes for a happy surrounding. So, do share your thoughts with me here. Leaving you to mull over this and make yourself as happy, satisfied and contented you can.

Flowers on the special day is a must and I gifted myself some of my favourite ones!

And chai, too, a special Darjeeling variety for the special day!

Well, for this very pretty 'you and me', I need to thank The Chalk Boutique! They let me click this one :-)...after all, 'you and me' are the the two special characters :-)

And here it is! The punch line of life!

Love is all around......

'Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.' -Khalil Gibran

Well, let me start by wishing each one of you a very happy Valentine's Day! I have been witnessing the frenzy around me :-)..... Youngsters, arm in arm, lost in deep conversation over plates of cakes, more precisely, red velvet cakes, filled up the cafeterias.Last evening I visited a cafe and this was what I saw there.... People walked in and picked up their orders and most of those were heart shaped cakes! These heart shaped cakes have now become a symbol of love :-).... The florists,too, had the same stories. The prices of flowers have touched the skies! Bouquets, cakes,cards.....needless to say, gifts,too....these seem to form the very essence of the day.... I call it the day of love and friendship... I have a totally different take,of course, about the day. To me, each and every day is Valentine's Day.... How can we exist without love and friendship and all of those beautiful virtues? And I do not need a day to celebrate this so-important virtue :-).... At the same time, I do like to see the frenzy around me :-)....there is so much activity around me! And I love the positive feel! 

While I treated myself to a cup of tea and some sandwiches at the café, took in the aromas of the freshly baked cakes,the trays arrived in batches and were placed on the counter only to be packed up neatly into the boxes and ready to be delivered. I watched the 'totally-in-love' couples deep in lovey-dovey conversation :-), I felt good. I say, let there be love every day, in every moment, let us not fall out of love, let us show our love to the larger mankind in our small ways. Love is a beautiful word and I hope that we never ever forget it. My day has started on a happy note; gifts from a special friend has made it extra special...sharing some photographs from my home.

I would love to hear from you, your responses and thoughts on this forever important love. Do share with me here your takes on love. Have a wonderful love-filled day!

I bought myself a gift......

something after my heart.........

the colours in my life..........

another love of my life.......

Gifts from family and friends give such a beautiful feeling! This one, is from a very special friend, whom I still haven't met.

Yet another one from her :-D.......

and it is spring time........ :-)

flowers and cakes and some prettiness.....perfect for a 'love-ly' setting!

and some gorgeousness to love......

green gifts from friends :-)

LOVE is everywhere!

Hearts all over!

What prettiness!

Happy I am :-).... And that, too, on a Monday! The whole week lies ahead of me and today has been a good start to it. Home and hearth are two of my favourite words from a list of favourites. Anything to do about home,of decor ideas and tips, of colours, motivate me; make me feel so happy. A month ago I had visited an exhibition by the Hundred Hands. Amongst many lovely decorative items, I came across this unassuming stall belonging to a man from Saharanpur. I got talking to him as his stall was almost empty at that time. Seeing me examine the intricately carved wooden combs, he started talking about them. He pulled out a piece from among the heap and showed me how the two sides of the comb had two different patterns on the same panel! This was rather interesting! I would have loved to show you what he meant,but, unfortunately, I have framed it and hence, the other side cannot be viewed.Probably I should have bought two of this type! He rattled off stories about the queens of those days; with their long hair flowing down their back! Such stories always intrigue me. Rapunzel and her lovely lock! Stories from our history, the queens, their thick black mass of curly hair and what not! He must have known that! Well, I am joking! :-D..In between, a customer came in to his stall, a foreigner, who seemed to be a regular with his wares. The man was reluctant to let go of me so he asked me to wait for a while as he dealt with this lady. I kept toying around with the stunningly pretty combs. My intention initially was to buy a wooden comb for my son. He has been after me to buy him one or at least give him the one that I have been using for a couple of years now. He has quite a 'hair' story that literally drives us up the wall! And I mean it! So, this was my intention to buy my son a wooden comb. The man,once again, turned his attention towards me.He took a lot of interest in pulling out piece after piece from the chestnut coloured pile. Pretty, each of them was, for sure! First I chose one and then good sense prevailed over me. I decided to pick up two instead...one for the boy and the other for myself.I can tell you that the husband would have been aghast at my decision!Most often,he is! (Thank God! He wasn't there with me.) Selecting the two pieces was quite a task. Each one vied for attention but finally I decided on the two.
The two beauties came home with me that day. They remained lying for some time. I found it too difficult to part with either of them. So the son could not get his. I refused to use these as hair brush. They were, too, too, lovely to be used for the mortals' hair! And then I remembered my blogger friend Padmamanasa's post....  http://fortheloveofsunshinecorners.blogspot.in/2014/08/life-is-what-you-make-it.html....... A borrowed idea, no doubt, but the out come has been superb! Choosing the frame, the background,etc,etc, was fun and exciting. The frame shop has done a very good job with my two pretties! Would you want to see them ? I am sure you'll like them in their new avatar :-)...
The curtain is raised now and here you go! Do share your thoughts on them here on the blog. I would love to hear from you :-).....

The 'comb' story.....

I find it pretty!

A pair of them here... :-)

in all it's glory........

Such intricately done!

love,love,love.......

Gorgeous,aren't they?

Kale Nele.....where creativity and prettiness meet each other

It's been a while now  and I have been busy with new projects at the home front and travelling. This has been keeping me so occupied that even though I thought about this post, I could not make time to put it together. A few months ago,I visited a pretty place. Well, I would like to call it pretty as it was truly a pretty picture that was etched in my mind. A little workshop in the by lanes of our big city; but had creativity in abundance. The owner and the brain behind it, Jahnavi, is a warm person whom I met for the first time.

Colourfully beautiful and artistic is what I would call the place and its wares. And that is Kale Nele, a house of arts dealing with lifestyle products made out of traditional fabrics of namma Karnataka. It was here that I got to know the name of the fabric that is a speciality of the Hubli-Dharwad region. Khunn, as it is called by the locals, is so pretty and vibrant in both colour and texture. I remember during my early days in Mysore, when we had just moved into this peaceful and green city, I would often be invited by neighbours and local friends for pujas at their places. They would call these 'haldi-kumkum' and would present us with savouries, sweets, betel nuts, coconuts and a pretty choli piece. And this would be of the local fabric,Khunn. I loved these! They were embroidered in traditional stitches called 'kasuti'. I wasn't aware of these bits of information those days. But they came in pretty colours. Janhavi obliged readily when I wanted some information on 'khunn' and her brand. Gorgeous panels of 'kasuti' are utilized in creating lovely pieces at her workshop. These intricately embroidered pieces are made into table and bed runners, cushion covers,stoles, totes, table mats and coasters and napkins and many more! The list goes on and as I rummaged through her collections, I was transported into a happy world that had colours and more of colours! And who would not be! Each piece of creation looked better than the other. I found it so difficult to choose from the wide array of these stunningly beautiful things! Well, did I mention the torans and the mobiles with pretty cowbells and the Christmas decorations? Even the little kitchenette was stocked with mason jars full of colourful beads and buttons and laces. It was delightful to see the colourful glass bottles that looked so much like the ones full of candies! The child in me wanted to carry these home,too. A few of the colour laden intricately embroidered cushions on the sofa and behold! The entire look of the room gets an instant uplift ! What I loved best was the tiny 'gubbi' cushion. Gubbi is a Kannada word and means sparrows. Earlier, these gubbis were made out of fabric. They were then hung up in the cribs of babies. The colours and tinkling of the tiny bells attached to the gubbis would keep the babies entertained while the mothers completed their work. Fascinating, isn't it? I loved listening to these anecdotes with a cup of green tea prepared by Janhavi. Well, she is a superb host,too! Each creation came along with some interesting information or a lovable anecdote. Rolls of 'khunn' fabric in the prettiest of colours, racks full of cushion covers, table mat sets complete with runners and napkins, tissue box covers, bed spreads, stoles, bags to list a few, filled the place with so much colour; and Janhavi's stories about this dying form of art along with the wares. Together, they made the place so full of creativity. I am so happy to have found Nele Kale :-).... 

Here are a few images from Kale Nele and my home with a few of the things I have bought from them. This place now has become my one stop destination for gifts to family and friends. With such pretty things around, I could not help writing this post and sharing Kale Nele with all of you..... :-D.....Hope you enjoy looking at the pretty things as much as I did! I would love to hear your thought about these . Kale Nele has a Facebook page. So check it out right here.....https://www.facebook.com/KaleNele
Well, while I end this colourful post, I must not forget to mention The East Coast Desi, another wonderful blog. It was through this blog that I got to know about Kale Nele and after seeing the gorgeous cushion covers there, I made an instant dash to this beautiful place. Here is the link to The East Coast Desi's post....http://theeastcoastdesi.blogspot.in/2014/10/revival-of-fading-handloom-tradition.html

There goes the tissue box cover. A plain paper box ,too, can look so pretty!

And I am totally bowled over by these runners!

gorgeous colours and intricately embroidered cushion covers......

This is my favourite photograph!

I could not take my eyes off this bed runner set!

And these are for chai lovers like us!! Coasters on the roll!

'kasuti'......What intricacy!

I love these! Beads and buttons stored like candies and toffees!

Some more of beads and bells and accessories!

Brocades, Chanderis, Khunn....they all go hand in hand......

What prettiness!

Kale Nele with us now.... :-)

some for our home...........

from our home again.........

There comes my little 'gubbi' cushion! A gift from Janhavi :-)

The way forward

The year 2014 officially ends today. It paves the way to move forward, hands over time to a brand new year,2015. And as I spend the last few hours with 2014,I cannot help introspecting. A wee bit philosophical, sentimental and emotional. It has been a good year, overall. Yes, I did have my share of misfortunes but life has been kind as I could come out of them. It has been a year of togetherness, of being able to pursue all that I liked, a year when we had been blessed with good health. And,so, a year to be grateful about. New year resolutions! Well, I have a list of those, the topmost being, a little more of gratitude and a little less of being judgmental. I shall try to live up to my own expectations. 

One of the most wonderful things to have happened to me in 2014 is this tiny little space that I so lovingly call 'Seasons in the Sun', :-).....some of my good friends have been instrumental in motivating and guiding me towards this little blog of mine. So, here comes a very BIG thank you from both of us to you. I hope and wish to document and share all that I love,with all my friends and readers in the days ahead. And with this thought, I wish all my wonderful readers, a very happy and a truly blessed new year. May all your dreams and aspirations come true. May we build for ourselves and for generations to come, a safe and a happy world. Signing off with this little prayer in my heart.....stay well, stay safe, stay blessed.

and the festivities still continue.....

What better way to welcome the new year! 

Say it with flowers!

And some colours for a colourful new year!

May our lives be happy and colourful!

May there be blessings galore!