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!

God's own country

It is not for nothing that Kerala is called God's own country. Three visits to this part of Kerala yet we seem to be asking for more. It's abundant scenic beauty is unparallel. I can't have enough of it. The tiny springs, dancing a sprightly dance as they come down the rocky walls of the mountains, the lush greenery all around, the manicured tea plantations, the wild flowers and orchids growing in aplenty all along the mountaneous roads can pass off as a pretty painting; nature's canvas and oil colours in harmony and the painter has done an impressive job! The mighty Western Ghats stand tall and proud against the azure sky. The sky is cloaked in grey in the early mornings; the dewdrops settled on the leaves as tiny pearls as the curtain of mist hangs over everything!
We are never tired of mountains and forests and can spend hours gazing at them. The sunset is always a spectacular sight. The sky is ablaze with golden hues. The coffee shrubs are laden with ripe beans and pretty white star shaped flowers at this time of the year. A perfect sight this is. And in the middle of all these, I did something I so love to do; my coffee date with nature! The fragrance of spices, the ginger and cardemom tea, vermilion watermelon crush laced with cardemom served in tall glasses upon arrival, all so much 'Kerala-like'. The fish curry served in earthen pots at dinner time would remind my family anf me of happy meal times. The wooden cottage, aesthetically done up, though with a rustic feel with its bamboo blinds and red tilrd flooring, would stay on with us until our next visit and would then give way to new experiences and memories. Each morning waking up to the chatter of birds was heavenly. The misty cover over the mountains would lift its veil only by midday and it was then that we would get to see the tall peaks looming in the distance. The green carpet like tea plantations with the mountains in the background looked as perfect as a picture, too pretty to be captured with our lenses! Sundown had its own charm with the crickets striking their chords in unison. With moments of togetherness, of fun and cherished memories, we embark on our return journey; with hopes of being back soon. See you soon Wyanad:-).....let the memories stay on.

A glimpse of our cottage peeping out through the lush vegetation.....

loved the setting.........

Pretty,aren't they?

a slice of nature while we dined........

tea gardens in abundance..........

the foggy mornings........mysterious.......

variety of pretty flowers and some ripe coffee beans......

straight out of some fairy tale..........

another beautiful sight.........

surrounded by nature........

My coffee date with nature........

These days........

The days have been rather busy. They have been whizzing by at top speed. And, suddenly, why has this been happening? All I can think of is work and more and more of it. I am engulfed by a host of engagements that have been keeping me occupied. My French assignments, more and more of practice work and even at the home front,things haven't really been running smooth. There has been no help for almost more than a week now. And cooking has been taking up all of my evenings. I am not complaining but the feeling of breathlessness cannot be ignored. I have been so used to the evenings, the tea sessions, the me and only me times, the luxury of being able to do what I love doing; all these seem to have taken a backseat at the moment. And then comes the Friday evening! What a relief! Finally there is some time for myself. Saturday means no class, no waking up early, the luxury of spending some more time in bed, the luxury of having a late breakfast and endless cups of chai! Well, I have another 'grand' luxury....of having a cuppa brewed by the husband! And he

chai ho jaaye? Anytime!

is good at this! The mid morning tea session, of tea prepared by the husband, of having company while we sip our tea in a leisurely way....ahaaa! How wonderfully blissful life can be!

This is home to me. Every minute spent here is wonderful. Togetherness binds our home. Time spent doing all things we love to do, no matter how trivial they are, is something we look forward to. These days are all about cooking. I had to cook for the family out of compulsion. But I felt completely satisfied with all the culinary experiments, the planning of the meals, executing them my way and the praises at the outcome. In the process, I realised how cooking meals can be a full time occupation. Our mothers used to do this so wonderfully and with élan! Each time they dished out such delightful treats. I was super happy with my easy-peasy capsicum rice, the childhood egg curry, paratha with ajwain, pasta with broccoli,etc,etc. The dal chawal turned out super duper tasty! Simple meals but prepared with so much love and care :-).....no wonder they taste so good!

And a bit of 'Home-love' added to the super busy days, made them worth all the rush. My love for home accessories is quite a known fact amongst my family and friends. So when I came across these pretty little wood and metal knick knacks, I knew that I must have them. A little 'home' in white accompanied by another little 'love' in red came home to me this evening. And these two triggered my blog post today! It's a wonderful feeling. Home-Love. two most beautiful words and meaning the world to me.... I wanted to express myself when I looked at these two pretty things; take some time out of the busy schedule and write anything that came to my mind. After all this is the space where I express myself.....

I love colours.....they give me the motivation to carry on with a smile in spite of the super busy days......

Loved the cartoons....a favourite pastime of the young man at home.....

the joys of simple meals......

some pasta with broccoli.........

a combination of egg curry with paratha.....something  we used to gorge on as kids.......

and now time for some capsicum rice....recipe courtesy a friend.......:-)

And while I put together this post, the feeling of gratitude and thankfulness engulfs me. I have enough reasons to be grateful and thankful in my life. I have this beautiful world of mine, people who mean the world to me, they are my reasons to smile and enjoy life, my reasons to stride over all obstacles and make life worth living.....while the west celebrates this thanksgiving season, I feel thankful for every single day....

Home-Love........beautiful words, aren't they?

At home.....when nostalgia strikes ......

Life brings tears,
smiles and memories.
The tears dry,
the smiles fade,
but the memories
last forever.
Rightfully observed by someone.......
There are times when memories of days gone by appear as a deluge and carry you back to those times. They come from just about nowhere and linger on. These days it is happening to me quite often. I bask in those moments of pleasure that will probably never come back again.; not that I repent it. But, yes, certain things of the past do bring in a smile and I cherish those moments as I keep them safely in my mind's treasure chest. While I jot this down, I remember how my mother and grandmother would sun their prized possessions, mainly the pretty brocade and embroidered saris during the September days! They would spread them out with so much fondness, out in the sun and let them soak in the sun and the breeze. And while they would do this,they would embark on their journey of memories. I always enjoyed these moments when I would get to know about those pieces, that they, so lovingly, would sun. Thinking of days gone by,today, is somewhat like sunning my memories before I store them away once again. I guess, we all do that, don't we?
Our home happened to be one of those prized possessions of mine those days. Living in the midst of compulsions, the time spent together with my loved ones,building up a home out of the brick and mortar condominium, up in the northern part of our country, wasn't something we had really wished for. Compulsion was the key word in our lives those days. And the only pleasure we derived was to build up this home, piece by piece; a home that was our comfort, our solace, our buffer from all those depressing moments we were experiencing. So, we set out making this rented place our home. Like all rented accommodation, we did have our share of difficulties. The walls were too white, the woodwork too less, the flooring too dark, the windows too long (they would require meters and meters of cloth for curtains), to name a few. But we took up the challenge and did succeed to some extent. Here are a few shots, a few pieces of that home, we had carved out for ourselves. These are memories now and what better way to store good memories! I love seeing these photographs and every time I see them I remember our good times spent there; the stories of labour, of achievements, of laughter and even failures. Life is not all about warmer days....there are those cold depressing days,too. And during those times the warmth of our nest shielded us, sent across those positive feelings that the sun is soon going to shine again.
I would love to hear your stories too. And with a cup of chai, here I am, all ready to indulge in some more nostalgia.

the sun-kissed living room....

another corner of the same sun-kissed living area........

a space frequented by family and friends....a space much used through out the day.......

and by evening......