...and another...

that healthy resolution.....

2012-01-27T18:01:00.001+05:30

so many of us have made healthy new year resolutions haven't we....and so many such resolutions aren't followed through....well here's your chance to change that!

meet Chandana Banerjee, a Health Coach, wellness writer, whole foods culinarian and the founder of Luscious Health a boutique wellness studio.

well i knew Chandana as a freelance writer (Pink Elephant Writing Studio) who so graciously wrote about my humble blog in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and so i was pleasantly surprised when i got to know of her as a health coach...!!!

Chandana will be working with people on how to reach their health goals, including stress reduction, increasing energy, losing weight, and improving their overall health and happiness quotient. she plans to accomplish this by supporting them with their food and lifestyle choices.

Chandana has always had an interest in health, holistic healing and nutrition, and has been writing about these topics quite a bit. she decided to increase this knowledge and learn in a formal training program. trained at the largest nutrition school in the world – the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York, she has learnt a lot more than a 100 dietary theories.

wait, there is more to this post!! Chandana has offered a free health session for all my wonderful readers and that is YOU!!!

it is a great way for your to see how her Health and Nutrition Coaching works and how it can positively impact your lives!!

the offer is valid till: feb 15.write to Chandana at luscioushealthcoaching@gmail.com

still here....??? go grab this offer now!!!

Jai Hind!!

2012-01-25T16:42:00.002+05:30

this post is dedicated to all the indian women who cook!!!

colour by chance while preparing mixed vegetables!

we are here

2012-01-17T14:05:00.001+05:30

mumbaiiiiiiii !!!! find us here on monday, 23rd of january 2012!!

kalamkari cushions!!!!!

2012-01-06T10:25:00.001+05:30

krishna leela

shree ramayana

fresh from the oven....absolutely love them and will be hard parting with these!!! available exclusively on etsy
http://www.etsy.com/listing/89873029/shree-ramayana-cushion-cover

my sunny balcony :)

2012-01-03T10:51:00.002+05:30

new bougainvillea...now lets hope it survives..

how i wish these were alive and roamed around in my balcony free!

granny's love

2012-01-02T18:06:00.001+05:30

.....its really special isn't it?

i grew up in a joint family and was lucky to have known the love and care of my grand parents. i know many who aren't so lucky and miss out on so much!!

my grand mother used to be an extremely independent and active woman....now she's bed ridden and its been over two years. she was an active knitter....as soon as she got to know about a pregnant relative she'd start knitting cute little baby clothes...complete from booties to vests and caps. i grew up wearing woolen vests knitted by my badi mummy. i did not appreciate them so much then....but now i do...more so since i know that my children will not have such a luxury...my mother does not knit..and now badi mummy can't!

why am i talking about grannies and kids and hand knitted woolies all of a sudden you ask? well because i want to introduce to you a very special and utterly cute new venture started by a very dear friend of mine.

her venture is called....granny's love and yes she sells hand knitted goodies by grannies across the country... isn't this a wonderful idea?? lima das, the woman behind this lovely venture is a textile design graduate from NID (we were in the same batch and are super pals). she has tied up with a few grannies all over the country (7 right now and growing in number) who make sweaters, vests, booties, caps and other accessories and she helps them sell these pieces on her website and facebook page for a marginal profit.

major chunk of the profit is shared with the creative grannies and some is reinvested in the venture.

lima hopes to expand her little idea by selling online and through exhibitions. you may even request custom items, gift baskets etc on her website. she plans to launch a line of hand crafted accessories for tiny tots very soon.

haven't you fallen in love with the duck booties already....so then what are you waiting for...go check out her website now!!!

tholu bommalatta

2011-12-20T11:24:00.004+05:30

tholu bommalatta on the wall behind our dining table!!! :) our purchase from the short trip to delhi, husband and i made last week!
read more about these puppets here: http://www.puppetindia.com/shadow.htm

!!boho chic: jewelry heaven!!

2011-12-08T09:38:00.001+05:30

found this beautiful shop on etsy and i just can't stop drooling....

i soooo badly want this bazaar necklace.....santa are you listening?

and this tandoori necklace....oooooh are you drooling tooo????? love love love, want want want, now!!!

2011-12-07T11:10:00.001+05:30

nikheel of http://leehkin.blogspot.com/ is displaying his calligraphy art works as well...and yes they are for sale!

what i love about pune...

2011-12-02T11:40:00.001+05:30

....are the institutional, very old family run establishments selling snacks, cookies, mithai, wafers, shakes and juices!!! here are my favourites:

chitale bandhu mithai wale - i cannot stop eating their bakarwadi...it is out of this world..you have to eat it to believe it! the kaju katli and the besan ka laddoos are very very good too!

budhani brothers waferwale - addicted to their dry fruit potato chivda..i carry it for family every time i make a trip to delhi...the cheese wafers are awesome...walk towards the bombay store on m.g. road and the intoxicating aroma of the potato wafers is sure to lead you to their shop!

kayani bakery- again....every visit to family in delhi means a trip to this heritage bakery :) wait outside in line for the shop to open....push and shove your way through the hordes of people asking for pao kilo mawa cake, adha kilo shrewsbury biscuits....being short helps (well being a woman helps too...give fake long stares to men standing behind you...and they will stop pushing and make way for you hahahahaha)

marzorin- known for its sandwiches, burgers and rolls all made fresh everyday, they bake their own breads too!! i particularly like their selection of macaroons and biscuits!! yeah, i am a middle class dilli di punjabi kudi who did not grow up with such fancy bakes....ooooh reason why sometimes i am secretly jealous of mumbai, pune, kolkata etc...oh and the cultural diversity here in pune: sindhis, iranis, parsis, bohris (yes i know they speak gujarati), gujaratis...all speaking their different languages!!!!

pasteur dairy- for its shakes and sundaes...

oh and i love juice world at east street, camp for their strawberry and cream (i'd like mine minus the ice cream please) and their fantastic fruit pulps and seasonal fruit juices!!!

oh and i am also jealous of the fresh anjeer/figs (and its damn cheap), fresh strawberries, jack fruit, alphonso and ratnagiri mangoes, beautiful oranges that you get in season. in delhi, when i grew up...one to be very rich and or live in central delhi/ south delhi to enjoy such treats!!! of course i did have a very resourceful mami ji who'd get us shehtoot (mulberry) on her way back from work sometimes..she still lives in central delhi!

:D but don't fret dilli wallahs...we ave our very own mrs kaur with her crepes and cookies and look how fancy our website is too.....hahahhahaha

sometimes i wish i grew up in a smaller city like amdavad or pune....other times i just love delhi!!

notes to self/ new resolutions

2011-11-30T12:25:00.001+05:30

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER- THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE NOW!!!!

# DRINK MORE GREEN TEA
#LEARN MORE ABOUT GREEN TEA :)
#LEARN MORE ABOUT BEING STYLISH
#BECOME MORE STYLISH
#DONATE CLOTHES THAT DON'T FIT ANYMORE
#DONATE CLOTHES THAT YOU WILL NOT WEAR...EVER
# BETTER STILL, MAKE SOME POTLIS OUT OF THEM :)
#LOOSE 7 KGS....10 SEEMS AMBITIOUS
#THINK BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING NEW/ REFRAIN FROM IMPULSE BUYING
#GIVE UP UNNECESSARY STRESSING
#GET ORGANIZED
# BUY AN OVEN
# LEARN HOW TO BAKE
# CALL FRIENDS/FAMILY MORE OFTEN
#......ADD MORE TO THIS LIST :)

currently loving

2011-11-29T10:08:00.001+05:30

anthropologie's table top and kitchen ware...

thank you for your time...

2011-11-28T09:11:00.001+05:30

so i have been managing my small little brand for a little more than a year now...and what a great learning year it has been. i never really thought i'd wake up one day and find me working for myself.

the work that goes into this small enterprise is endless....running around, sourcing fabric, negotiating with the tailors, working out the costing (i hate it), shooting the products, cataloging, blogging, facebooking, exhibitions, sending out consignments to various stores, clients and the list goes on...!!!

it hasn't been so easy....but it hasn't been difficult at all if you know what i mean...
i truly feel like god's special child and firmly believe in the famous SRK dialogue (or the philosophy of THE SECRET if you will even though i knew SRK before the book :D) "agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to puri kayanat usey tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai."

i have met so many wonderful people on this journey (some not so wonderful as well i admit) and agree with the "har ek friend zaroori hota hai" ad campaign!

among st the may wonderful people i have met..there are a few who stand out and today i'd like to acknowledge them here on my blog :)

i'll start with my parents for they were the first ones i met on this journey called life.... (so corny i know but so true nevertheless)

my parents have been soooo supportive and appreciative of my work....not for a day they made me feel that quitting my job was a bad decision!!! i love them soooo much!! they like everything i make unconditionally.

my parents always cared for me more...yes it is true...a little unfair for my brother (sorry), who used to crib about the doordarshan campaign "care for the girl child" and say to my parents, "when will you start caring for the boy child?" they were very liberal with me, thought i was a gifted child..(sometimes this freedom was problematic for them) but most of all i think they trusted me which is very important. mom well...you know how mom's are...they always know more than you think they do and certainly more than the fathers and therefore their trust is not as blind as the fathers' :p...i have been quite a handful for my mom and have given her many a sleepless nights! but today she is my best friend!!

however now i am reminded of small incidents from my childhood where my father (who is a man of few words when it comes to expressing emotions) did critique my art works and the dishes i cooked, the school plays i was a part of...if i made a portrait and showed it to him he'd always say..."but one eye is smaller than the other" and i'd come back sulking to my mom! if i cooked baingan ka bharta for the first time and wanted him to taste it...he'd just taste and say nothing....or mumble something...any play i was a part of he'd think that i do all that only to feel self important...when i flunked in math and physics in my class 11 (i eventually had to change schools and take up arts..something i wanted to study all along), he thought i needed to be taught this lesson (i did go on to top in humanities and psychology in class 12 just so you know i'm not stupid :). my father was my biggest critic...he treated me like an equal and so was equal in his praise and his critique.

i didn't understand it so much then....but now i do and today i value his opinion the most and i know both my parents are super duper proud of me. they are happy with the small progress that i have made, it doesn't matter to them that i don't make enough money, they are super proud of my husband too and think i made an excellent choice :) i am their daughter...but i think they think that he is the better half (so do my friends actually )... they encourage me to do a little more everyday and in every way!

too long for you? i feel like ranting on so i will continue to do so....you may want to take a break! :)

vivek, my husband...if it hadn't been for him...anek designs wouldn't have been!

i have questioned his contribution to the brand, called him no more than a driver, threatened him with "oh i will go and get a job..its not worth it dialogues" emotionally blackmailed him so many times saying "its true what they say then...a woman must never quit her job in order to be an equal." he listens, i fight, he still drives me around on weekends when he can (i drive on weekdays only :), he still makes all the excel sheets for anek designs, thinks that i under value the products and takes care of the costing...helps me decide if a bright red is better than a deep red (ha), he helps me think, he helps me do. i trouble him sooo much and he still puts up with all my tantrums....i am truly blessed to have him in my life and to share this wonderful journey with him.

my in laws...well they want me to do bigger things...upscale and be proactive...it is a little overwhelming for me sometimes....but i know they too think that i may be capable of doing more...it is such a wonderful compliment don't you agree when the in laws have such high expectations!! oh i trouble them too....but my mom in law still talks about my creative abilities, finds me new contacts and thinks about my work everyday. she cuts up newspaper articles, thinks i should study a little more, introduces me to her relatives who are in the similar fields and is constantly coming up with new ideas and resources i could tap into. my father in law is so proud when he introduces me as his daughter in law, i see it every time he does that! i may not be able to effectively communicate this to them (i know i don't) but i appreciate the fact that they are interested and wish to help me do more.

when i started blogging...i met so many of you here and you were all there to listen and to talk, to support and encourage...its been wonderful really!

i made a friend here in the residential complex where i live, in pune, who found me through my blog and website...and now we walk together every morning...your company and friendship means a lot to me!

riddhi, my most favourite customer, who also found me through my blog and turned out to be a neighbour. this just shows you what a recluse i am doesn't it? neighbours find me though my blog!!!!

riddhi is a very creative woman herself... find her blog here. she had a successful boutique of her own when she was in calcutta and did very many exhibitions then. she recently started her own small business and makes pouches, envelopes (i dare say inspired by me...:) etc. she is an avid embroiderer and has bought herself a funky new machine that i am still to check out! so when i had written a few days back about the struggle i have about the duration of stay in pune and setting up a workshop, riddhi came forward and has very kindly offered to take on some of my stitching job work. it's such a blessing to have people in your life who come forward to help you!

i did have my questions...."why is she helping me?, what will she get out of this?" give the brain sometime to think and it starts to feed on your own insecurities!!! but i have given up now....given up worrying (couldn't help myself from quoting this ad :) i think most people are good and that trust and friendship is the only way forward. however i still want riddhi to make some money out of this...not for herself..but for my satisfaction!

she'll soon be shifting into a bigger abode where she plans to dedicate a room for her workshop. i hope to help her set up the workshop cum studio and am totally excited about it! i would love to work with riddhi for my projects and perhaps we can look at combining our resources sometime in the future! riddhi....thank you!

the stores that wanted to keep the one cushion i had posted here (the only one i had made by then), telling me that they could help me sell it better...how can i begin to express the feeling when that first consignment was sent out..?? bliss, indian kitsch, gudgudi, afday...and the newer ones that are launching soon...thank you for your faith!

madhu (of loose ends, mumbai) thank you for telling me that necklaces with the potlis would work much better and sell faster than the key rings....it is true and our potli necklaces are the bestsellers!!

the riders at the orange bicycle, especially gunjan who i interact with most, for being so professional ( you make me want to make better excel sheets :) for keeping ahead of the stock and telling us constantly what is selling better. bangalore and the orange bicycle have given anek designs an awesome response! we have never faced delayed payments or sales reports from them. oh and guys TOB has turned one....so go on...shop till you drop to help it turn two!!! cheers!!!

krithika and team shopo, you rock! yours is a wonderful platform and anek designs is proud to be a part of it....extremely prompt, thorough professionals....and what a team!!!

so cheers to all of you, thank you for your faith....and apologies for delayed bills and invoices, late consignments, bad excel sheets, tiny stocks and many more faults.....but i promise you...we are working hard and trying our best to live up to your standards and learn the ropes!!!

new stoles and a photo shoot

2011-11-24T09:29:00.000+05:30

some new stoles....the cotton ones are now longer and more user friendly!!! :)

2011-11-15T09:13:00.001+05:30

will let the video do the talking today! absolutely love this collection!

art etc..

2011-11-11T08:46:00.001+05:30

i am always on the lookout for interesting shops in pune...and i was so glad to find one more...located in Nyati Estate, Mohammedwadi,, Pune, India 411060 is art etc...

yet to visit the store in person...but the tour on their fb page and website looks very promising...should make it a point to visit it soon...and if you do visit it before me...then share the reviews!!

and another!!

2011-11-01T12:59:00.003+05:30

one more pretty bright happy table runner email me to order now!

new table runner

2011-11-01T11:18:00.000+05:30

made a beautiful new table runner

vintage kantha+cotton silk+slub cotton blend+brights = happiness

12"x70"

i haven't got a clue

2011-11-01T10:44:00.000+05:30

its been quite stressful lately...there is lots of work...many more work opportunities but not enough hands to do it! i've been struggling to cope with it all and i haven't got a clue.

i have two part time tailors who work for me currently and two women who do the hand work for me, also part time. i think its time now for me to take the plunge and hire people full time, set up a small workshop and get serious. not that i haven't been serious about my work all this while...but i have not really taken a big risk money wise. what adds to the confusion is the fact that pune feels temporary...it will be close to 2 years in this city and gosh i still say it all the time!

mostly it is because my husband doesn't think he is here for the long haul. with the nature of the corporate jobs today...is anything permanent? does anyone arrive in a new city and say this is going to be my home from now on....does anyone feel the need to settle down anymore? what does settling in a city really mean today.....2-5 years?

i always wanted a nomadic lifestyle....living in a new city every 2-3 years and the moving on. i was naive. i thought it will be fun all the way but it isn't fun now....and we have only just started! it is not so much the moving bit, but the thought looming over your every action that kills it.
so when i start thinking about work, home, furniture, anything....this is what goes on in my head:

"should i set up a workshop? but what if we move...will i do this all my life? set up shop and then move in a couple of years because my husband will/might get a better opportunity? what is a better opportunity?? oh foreign shores...that will be fun...but what about my work? what will i do in a new city/country? hey thats a beautiful side board...it'll be a wonderful addition to our kitchen....oh but what if we move into a smaller house in bombay? will it fit in then?"

so tell me then, what do you think? is it wise for me to set up a workshop now, here knowing that i might have to wrap it up in 6 months to a year? should i buy that side board for the kitchen, the two chairs for our living room and a better bed to sleep on?

help!!

!!events and updates!!

2011-10-18T14:26:00.000+05:30

its been long since i updated you on the progress at anek designs...so here we go:

we are now retailing in bangal!!!!! yeah hurray!!! find anek designs at india kitsch in calcutta!!! we recently were a part of their kitsch vs quiche exhibit...you saw us there didn't you? :)

we were also featured in the bengal post last saturday.....yayayyayayayayyayayya!!!

then there is a phataka exhibition at loose ends, mumbai this weekend and yes...we are a part of it!!!! so go and indulge in some crazy diwali shopping on the 22nd and 23rd of october....ooooh i love the festivities!!!

of course shopo has diwali fever and the temperature is soaring high!!! go look how they celebrate the fever in style!!!

will soon be back with some more exciting news....so stay tuned!!

2011-10-18T10:07:00.002+05:30

have you joined anek designs on facebook yet? go on like our page for latest product updates and news!! click here to join now!!

new colour:pure silk brocade cushions

2011-10-11T12:31:00.002+05:30

just in time for diwali

2011-10-04T12:44:00.003+05:30

some new brocade cushions...more coming soon...stay tuned!!

festive decor....a tiny little photo shoot!

2011-10-03T18:45:00.000+05:30

place mats available online soon!

temples of bayon

2011-08-24T10:43:00.000+05:30

close to angkor wat lies this 12th century khemr mahayana buddhist temple...every niche, every door way, every window opens to a giant serene and smiling buddha face ...some say it is the face of jayavarman vii himself!

we met rain a couple of times during our visits to these temples...it definitely made the whole experience more scenic and romantic!

i'll take you around angkor thom in my next post!