The Key Bunch

Festive Post: Various Avatars of Ganeshji in Home Accents

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:43:00 +0000

Various Avatars of Ganeshji

Come Ganesh Chaturthi and my memories linger back to childhood days where we would run around asking neighbors to pitch in some cash so that we could buy a Ganesh Idol and celebrate the festival in a makeshift garage. As much as the adults resented this, they would finally end up joining in the celebrations taking turns to make sweet goodies for prasadam. The festive look somehow doesn’t figure in the place I live in……everyone knows there is some festival when the prices of fruits and flowers shoot up!

Hiding behind the mask!

Anyways, the other side of Bangalore streets sure looks vibrant with rows of idols waiting to be sold while sellers and buyers haggle over the price. It's a visual treat to see Him don various avatars during this festival. The colorful buntings and other accessories to deck up Ganeshji adds to the shopping fun.

Cozy up with Ganeshji....

Festivities apart, I am sure your home will have Ganeshji in some or the other form of home accents. I leave you with some images of Ganeshji’s various avatars in home accents while you enjoy the festivities with modaks, chaklis and other goodies.

From coffee mugs to plant holders, HE seems to be everywhere!

Wishing all our readers a “Happy Ganesha Festival”. May HE bless you all with health, wealth and prosperity.Meanwhile, "Say it with flowers na"......is still open for you to participate.

PN: Images have been taken from various sources on the internet, if it's your picture and have any objection, please let me know.I'll take them off.

Design Talks: Get to know us better!

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:56:00 +0000

We are so excited to be featured! I love this concept of interacting with fellow bloggers, makes us feel like mini celebs ;). Prachi who blogs at purplehomes has featured me and Sharon in her on going series of Design Talks wherein she features design bloggers in each post. We had great fun answering the Q/A and hope you have a good time reading as well. Thanks for the feature Prachi...Head over to Prachi's blog and get to know us better...

Meanwhile, do join in the September Blog Carnival " Say it with flowers naa.." if you still haven't here...

Weekend Shopping: Exclusive deals for The keybunch Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:36:00 +0000

For those of you in the U.S who drool over the luxe Indian home accents and wonder how to source them, here’s some good news. Exclusively.In, a private sale site brings you the best in contemporary Indian style, design, travel and artwork.

Take a look at some of the home accents they featured recently. Lovely, aren’t they?

“Exclusively.In is a lifestyle brand that not only gives North Americans access to one-of-a-kind items and India's most exciting young designers, but also experiences from the worlds of literature, travel, fashion, beauty and home décor, carefully curated by expert buyers in Delhi and New York."

The Keybunch readers get an exclusive offer of $20 credit within 24 hrs of signing up. To access the site directly without having to go through the invite request process please use this link.

Drool-worthy products are on sale everyday, check them out so that you don't miss them.

Oh btw, Don't forget to join in our second anniversary celebrations
at the blog carnival Say it with flowers naa...

Have a lovely weekend!

Alert: The Fair is back in Singapore.

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:56:00 +0000

You have heard about The Fair in Singapore on this blog before, right? Well, it's back! This year it will be held at its usual location, The Goodwood Park Hotel on Scots Road, on Tue 7th & Wed 8th Sept, 2010. So all you Singapore readers of The Keybunch, gear up, visit, and if you are a blogger write a post on it, cos I would love to know how it went!

The fair was started by Chumkie Banerjee, and "presents an array of exclusive gifts, fashion ensembles, home décor, beauty and health products, art, furniture, soft furnishings, carpets, jewellery, and a range of handcrafted, upmarket merchandise. These items come from renowned markets in countries across the globe, and are attractively displayed in over a hundred stalls".

Visit The Fair website here. Save the date, and if you attend, share some pics!

Don't forget to participate in Rekha's lovely flower-themed bloggy link party here!

It's in honor of our second blog anniversary, so we would love it if you would all participate and make it extra special for The Keybunch!

Turkish Bowls on sale at Loaded Trunk

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:17:00 +0000

Roni from The Loaded Trunk posted on FB about a discount on the lovely hand-painted Turkish bowls in her store.

Aren't they gorgeous? More details are available here.
From her post it looked like it was a one-day sale, so you better rush!

If you missed the previous post on The Keybunch, Rekha has initiated a lovely flower-themed bloggy link party here, so make sure you participate!

September Blog Carnival: Say it with flowers na!

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:10:00 +0000

Orchids and the terracotta tiles I mentioned in my last post

A lot of exciting things are happening in the desi blogosphere and it’s really nice to see the bloggers getting more interactive these days. Like I said earlier, the link party was always on the back of my mind but was hesitant to kick-start one. TO be frank, I didn’t know how to go about it. Patty’s August Table Post gave me the hopes of turning my long cherished dream come true….

Flowers - courtesy neighbour farm..

This September marks the second anniversary of The Keybunch. Isn’t this a great reason to celebrate? Why not join the party and celebrate with flowers then?

Orchids again....

Hand painted vase by my son..(not exactly, it was his art teacher:))

This is how you join the party -

1. Do a “Say it with Flowers’ post on your blog. It has to be 'your' photograph of flowers from your home. The flowers need not be an arrangement only, it can be from a potted plant, your garden, stringed flowers.....you get the idea!

2. Please do not use images from other sources.

3. Link back to our blog ‘thekeybunch.com’

4. Copy the 'permalink' from your “September Blog Carnival: Say it with flowers na!”

5. Add your 'permalink' to the 'inlinkz' at the bottom of this post.

6. Click the link before you. As always you can leave a comment and spread the word around. The more the merrier, what say?

7. If you don’t have a blog, you can always email your pictures to thekeybunch@gmail.com.

You have the whole of September to hop in and join and the party......

I am also linking this back to Romantic Home's 'Show and tell Friday"

Alert: Giveaways on 3 of our fav decor blogs

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:53:00 +0000

It's giveaway season on decor blogs, and if you are lucky you may win one of these fab gifts!

Sanghamitra is hosting a CSN giveaway on her lovely blog, Rainbow - The colours of India

Kanika from ...and another is giving away this lovely Silk Potli Keyring from her debut collection.

That's not all! Anu from My Dream Canvas is giving away a $50 gift card from CSN stores.

So what are you waiting for? Hop over to these lovely blogs and give yourselves a chance to win these fab goodies!

Guest Post: Dress up your wooden spoons - A tutorial by Purnima

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:37:00 +0000

I chanced upon Purnima's lovely dressed-up spoons and invited her for a tutorial over here at The Keybunch. She graciously accepted and has put together the most amazing tutorial for us. Over to you, Purnima!

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Greetings to The Key Bunch readers. My name is Purnima from aCreativeProject and I am here today to do a super easy tutorial on decorating wooden spoons. I am very excited to be here and would like to thank Sharon and Rekha for giving me an opportunity to showcase my creativity on their awesome blog!

Although I love simplicity, I get bored with plain settings. Hence I thought why not make them interesting. The inspiration behind this is to make everything personalized in the home. One’s home is a reflection of one’s emotions and persona. It should showcase your personality. It should make statement of your personal style even in small and mundane things around the house. I told myself that I should portray these aspects in my own home.

For this tutorial you need basic painting skills, acrylic colors, brushes, varnish and wooden spoons (I used the 3 set spoon set from IKEA).

This is how the spoons looked like before.

Now lets start painting. Paint the spoon with 2 base coats of your favorite color.

Let the base coat dry out before starting with the design of your choice on it. Do you like polka dots? I will show you an easy way is to make perfectly round dots by making a stencil with a paper puncher.

Punch holes in a paper.

Place this paper on the spoons and paint over it.

Improvise a bit as you desire.

You can also use Mehndi (Henna) stencils.

Let it dry at least for a day and then spray varnish only on the handles. Let the varnish dry for a couple of days.

Voila your spoons are ready to showoff :) They are perfectly dishwasher safe.

Hope you liked this tutorial and if you have any more queries please feel free to contact me on my blog.

- Purnima

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Wasn't that beautiful? Thank you Purnima! We loved it! We are hoping you will be back soon with another great tutorial. Do make your way over to Purnima's blog. It's full of lovely inspiration!

Happy happy weekend

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:03:00 +0000

Hope you had a lovely weekend. Mine was super great with an old pal staying over, trips to decor stores and lots of catching up. This is a snapshot of our breakfast table this morning. She brought us some jars of Moshe's jam (lovely flavors like Cinammon+apple and Watermelon+rose), and they were packed so well, I had to click a pic. Also seen is a plate of Moshe's multigrain bread and some sausage rolls I baked.

Hope you had a fun weekend! Watch out for a lovely, ooh-worthy tutorial here next!

Weekend Gazing: Terracotta Murals

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:24:00 +0000

via

Here's a secret I want to share with you. I am obsessed with all things clay, and this started when I visited an exhibition and picked up a couple of terracotta tiles years ago. Now, whenever I visit an exhibition or any store, I am drawn towards earthenware. I will have to show you my collection sometime soon. Oh yes, this obsession led me to explore places that teach pottery. So, there I was doing a basic pottery class as well. Another post about it too….Hmm, looks like you will bugged with a series of clay related posts from now.

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I love murals, they always have a story to tell. Anyways, I leave you with some images of terracotta murals for the weekend gazing while I practice what I learned in my pottery class.

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Stay healthy, fit and happy this weekend......Btw, What are your plans this weekend?

What's new on the desi design blogosphere: 2 new blog finds, a birthday and a new store

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:17:00 +0000

It was a serendipitous moment when I chanced upon not one, but two new (to me, at least) Indian decor blogs.

via Living in Decor

Aakshatha Naik's Living in Decor is a very well designed blog. Her pot idea (pic above) wowed me, and I love the simplicity and beauty of her posts. Her posts on Suzani art, Jaipur block prints, etc are must reads! I am surprised I haven't seen Aakshatha's blog before, because she has quite a few posts up already!

via Sound Horn Please

New York-based Divya Rajan's Sound Horn Please (You have to check out her blog header!) will chronicle everything to do with inspiring design. Her blog will focus on design from the Indian subcontinent! Though only 5 posts old, the blog comes across as very professional!

I loved her post on the Indian Folk Art Market that she attended recently.

A bloggy b'day

via Kaleidoscope

First b'days are so special, aren't they? Happy b'day to fellow-Mangalorean Preethi's blog Kaleidoscope! Preethi has moved to a new location so make sure you bookmark her new URL

Here's wishing you many more successful years of blogging, Preethi. We look forward to some fab posts from you this year!

Neha's new store

If a b'day is special then an online store isn't any less special...new ventures call for a celebration and warm wishes for success. The talented Neha Ramabhadran from Paper Magic Twigs has announced a Twigs-Shop.Loved the stuff she has on display like the Love sign in the pic above. All the best, Neha!

So go on visit these people, support them, wish them luck, all for the greater glory of Indian design blogging! ;)

Khoj - Unravelling the Hidden Gem...

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:48:00 +0000

I am always looking out for functional home accents that stand out of the crowd and make interesting conversational pieces. If you are like me and love unusual and eclectic stuff, this post is sure to delight your senses.
Khoj is an annual exhibition that features original pieces of living tradition and is much awaited by its loyal patrons. What makes this exhibition exclusive and unique is the fact that the exhibition is held only for two days during the Navratri period and no two pieces are replicated.
Khoj is the brainchild of Akhil Kumar, an architect who puts his passion for reinventing and re-crafting old wooden furniture for modern day living into its best use. The range includes furniture, mirrors, bars, bookshelves, lamps and many household accessories.
Here is what Mansi Kumar of Khoj had to say....
"Khoj originally started with taking old pieces of wood sourced from Gujarat and re-designing them for modern contemporary usage. Over time the mediums for redesign have grown to include cast iron, cane, silver, ancient fabrics, painted glass, original art, metal, stone amongst others. The underlying philosophy remains the same – taking any piece and redesigning it to create something completely original. The products combine an Indian sensibility with a modern approach to make comfortable, stylish and usable home products. "

I could get lost drooling over these exclusive pieces...

Don't know why, I simply love this piece....

Oh, I could wait for an year to get hold of one such exclusively handcrafted pieces, would you? If you are lucky enough, you could catch the 2010 Khoj exhibition in Gurgaon on October 15th/16th. If you can't make up, check out theitr work on Facebook here.

Weekend clicks: Paper factory, kiddie fun and home pics

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:33:00 +0000

Weekends are a gift! We use them to meet up with friends, bond with family and loved ones, play silly games with the kiddies, and potter about the home arranging, rearranging and tidying up! Here are some snippets from past weekends.

Catching up with Kanika

Last weekend I met up blogger Kanika Bahl .....and we went to a local handmade paper factory. Here are some pics

Expanses of beautiful handmade paper in various textures and hues

The men who work hard to bring this lovely stuff to the sales counter

A lantern made of handmade paper


This is one of the paper types I picked up...started some Warli on it.

I enjoyed that visit, and I am totally delighted with the stuff I picked up. I have little projects planned for each type of handmade paper I bought...will keep you posted!

Pottering about the house

I love this painting that I have in my home. It is by a versatile woman Kamini Raghavan. I am sure you have heard of her ;) Check out her blog here.

Painting by Kamini Raghavan


Painted pots and mint madki

This is a lantern I picked up on one of my weekend outings. Read about it here.
Check out Pat's lantern post...or should I say posts?:)...yep! she loves them!

This weekend I am going to ......

Play

Bake

Let my kiddo do her own flower arrangement :-)

More brass picked up in Tuslibaug at the afore-mentioned weekend.

...and just smell the flowers!

So, what are YOU going to be doing this weekend? Leave a comment or blog about the things you love about your weekends.

Product(ive) Window Shopping

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:05:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks I have been receiving tons of updates on new products, and I will be sharing them with you in parts.This week come, window shop with me and Kanika Bahl, Sushil Bhasin, Sari Saheli (you got to see this one) and Rajboori.

Let's begin with a co-blogger's new venture. Kanika Bahl of ...and another is enjoying success with her maiden design venture called Anek Designs.She recently exhibited at the Anvesha do in Mumbai and her products were quite a hit!Featured here is one of my fav's from her collection The Potli Keyring!

Visit her Etsy here. It's always wonderful when a co-blogger comes out with something like this, and I am sure all you other bloggers are with me when I wish her well in her new venture.

Marching onward, photo mugs are sooo out! But have you seen Sushil Bhasin's new cartoon mugs? They are such a refreshing change and great gifts for people with a sense of humor. And there's more

Moochwala mugs

Music mugs

Guess what? He is offering a cool 15% off them and his cartoon pebbles for The Keybunch readers.

Email us for more information.

Sari Saheli is something you must buy if you are like me and like wearing saris, but just can't manage the pleats all by yourself.

This wonderful product lets you drape a sari effortlessly.They offer free shipping worldwide currently on the occasion of Rakhi. Check out their website here.

This one's for all our UK-based readers. Rajboori s really going places.Remember the feature on Mitun's lovely range of bedding? Well, this is a picture of a recent photoshoot done by Room 39 of London. Rajboori bedding will now be available at Room 39, London.

Have you a new product or collection that you would like us to showcase? Email us!

Doing the Tag

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 12:16:00 +0000

Patricia from the lovely blog Colors Dekor ordered us to stop being lazy and do the tag, so here goes.

What's a perfect styling for you?
Styling is personal! It varies from person to person, home to home, and within the same home (for me at least) from room to room. For me a home needs to be built up slowly, grow with time and reflect the personality of its inhabitants .. so the styling would have to be an eclectic mix of the old and the new, the practical and the frivolous, pictures, memories, beautiful fabrics (oh yea!) and LOVE! I pick up a piece, or do up a look only if I LOVE it, if my family is comfortable with it..that's what matters, that's the perfect styling!

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And as an afterthought - orange pretty much finds its place in all the interior styling I have done!

On what do you spend most of your money?

I buy a lot of stuff off ebay, and I love to buy gifts - that pretty much finds me broke at the end of every month!

via

What's your favorite song at this moment?
It's a song my daughter is wanting to hear over and over again! Aerosmith's I don't wanna miss a thing! You will find everyone in my home singing along whenever this one's played! We loove it! Watch the video here!

via

Which excellences do you think you have?

Hmmm :) I think I am a Jane of trades - I write (boring ol' stuff like marketing collateral and the feedback I get is that my clients like it), I love interiors (my family will vouch for that), I can bake yummy puffs, I can play Bach and Beethoven on the piano :)

via

..and what are your failings?
There are so many - where do I start? I love orange (or is that a weakness?). On a more serious note - I get too lost in work, I can't multi task, I don't eat healthy as often as I should and I don't workout as often as I should, I don't keep in touch with people as much I should, and the list goes on and one....oh come on, I am human!

..and I can so relate to this pic! ;)

via

....hmm that called for a lot of introspection! I enjoyed doing this little exercise, and I am sure you will too.

I am tagging Kanika from ..and another.. (I had an enjoyable morning with her btw...we went to a local handmade paper factory)
Prachi from Purplehomes
Deepa of Lifestyle Coutures
Rekha of The Interior Perspective

Actually I tag all of you who are reading this and have their own blogs.Over to you ladies!

Shopping with The Keybunch @ Varya

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:35:00 +0000

Unusual Candles

We are pretty excited that we have been getting quite a few appreciation mails, product enquiries and feature requests for the blog these days. Feel so good about it.:) When I spotted Varya’s contemporary design products and home accents on an online shopping site, I just fell in love with them. I got in touch for a blog feature and Devina Vadera, PR Manager at Varya immediately responded with the store and product details.

The Store

The 6,500 sq ft store, designed by Australian Architect Matthew Shang is nestled in the heart of Lutyen’s Delhi. Partners Bindu Vadera, Charles Orchard and James Newbould unearth the treasures from all over the world to bring home luxurious statement of style for fine living.

Lotus Pod Cushion Covers

Varya – literally means ‘treasure’ in Sanskrit. Here is what Devina had to say about Varya:“VARYA effortlessly mixes timeless and iconic pieces with trend-setting modern collectibles – each with a distinct stamp of individuality and signature style. The collection of luxury brands merge quality traditions of the past with the latest contemporary innovations and forecasts of future trends."

Silver Kettle and Bowl with Jade and Pink Quartz

She continues, "VARYA portrays the best of specialty Asian and European manufacturers and designers in furniture and luxury homewares such as tableware, crystal, glassware, silverware, lighting and lamps, soft furnishings and an enticing array of candles and aromas. A selection of art and design coffee table books is available for the modern aesthete.”


Contemporary design in Suede and Chrome "Directors Chair" and side table

White Metal Victorian Dresser with circular white metal mirror

I loved the unusual candles and luxe home accents they retail at the store. So, tell me if Varya gave away one product for free, what would you pick up?

Varya also offers in-house interior design consultation from concept to turn key design package. I have now added Varya on my must-see list, just to make sure that I don’t miss out on this store the next time I visit Delhi. There is a monsoon sale till the end of the month. Check out more products and grab some at their website here.

TableTop - Joining the link party...

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:06:00 +0000

Books, Arab and a bucket of flowers in Sharon's living

When Pat of Colors Dekor mailed us to join her Tabletop August link party, both Sharon and I were super excited. Strange, but true..I was just discussing something similar with Sharon the other day (Great ideas are universal, aren't they?) Such events not only bring us bloggers closer but also give readers a lot of ideas on a single subject. Unfortunately, I did not have time to click too many pictures, just one! Sharon, of course has managed to click in some nice pictures (That's the advantage of sharing a blog, what say? :)). So, here we go.....

Sharon's Dining: Blockprinted tablecover and bowl of fruits

Sharon's workstation: Yellow vase and knick-knacks

My daughter's clay ideas. pine cone and mini elephant in my living

Linking the post to Pats Tabletop August, thestylesisters' Centerpiece Wednesday and A stroll through life's Tabletop Tuesday, do join in and add more pics.

Globetrotting with The Keybunch: Bella's room in Canada

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:32:00 +0000

An Asian suzani piece

Yes, you read right. This is a post about ONE room, but it's such a beautiful room. It belongs to Bella, a young talented woman who lives in Canada. That one Suzani piece in the pic above (she thinks it's originally from Pakistan or Afghanistan) got her started on a smorgasbord of colors that she has used in her room, albeit very tastefully.

A pretty pile of cushions

A surma dani used for kohl

Isn't this a great idea for a DIY?

A beautiful line-up

A decorative box; Ikea finds in the background.

Now I am thinking of having this done for my daughter's room!

A beautiful azure mirror that lends part of it blueness to the curtains in Bella's room

Love the daybed!


Cuteness!

This is my fav among Bella's pics. It's her bedside table.

...and finally, this is how it all comes together!

For all those who are looking for Asian-inspired decor ideas, Bella's room is excellent inspiration. She has managed to achieve balance in decor. She didn't go overboard, yet her room looks exciting, fresh and it definitely has the Asian/ Arab influence.

Bella has a lovely blog titled "What you give away you keep". Isn't that profound? The title is actually an old Kurdish proverb. Hop over to her blog now, do... and tell her you saw her lovely room on The Keybunch!

Pic credit

Think your room is Keybunch material? Then what are you waiting for? Send us those pics! Oh... and do read this decor article that I was commissioned to do for IndusLadies.

Perk up your Decor with Floating Beauties

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:48:00 +0000

Imagesource
I feel so good when I see a bowl of floating flowers at the entrance, especially the large urlis that are placed in resorts and hotels. Floating flowers in a bowl are probably the easiest way to perk up décor. I love the way people use permutations and combinations of flowers and come up with striking designs. What’s more interesting is the fact that you don’t really need expensive flowers for this arrangement. You can pick up some fallen flowers off the streets, from your yard or use a couple of petals from flowers and garnish a bowl filled with water. If you have the time, patience and creativity, you can come up with a conversation starter. Take a look at some of inspiring designs I found.

Imagesource
Imagesource

Imagesource

You don't really need huge bowls like these to create such floating beauties, any bowl from the kitchen will do. Place it near the entrance or use it as a center piece for the welcoming effect. I often use this quick fix decor idea during festivals but I think I should be doing this up regularly. If you have pictures of floating flower arrangements, do share them with us.

Update: Check out Lakshmi's blog "Celebrations decor" for more interesting ideas.

Hand block print love - Kilol Fabric, Jaipur

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:01:00 +0000

Nimboo Pani Range

I have always known the brand Kilol, but I wasn't aware of the lovely, inspiring story behind it...and when I learnt about it, I had to share it with you. Did you know Mamta Mangsinka the well-known founder of Kilol began operations from a garage in Indore with a single printing table? She was passionate about design, and started printing on Maheshwari saris in a way no-one had tried before..and gradually went on to create Kilol's unique signature style of combining hand-woven borders with hand block printed designs. That was way back in 1986. Kilol now has a retail presence in several Indian cities. Mamta operates from her set-up in Jaipur.

Mamta was kind enough to take time off her busy schedule and email me some pics of her recent work, and here they are.

Block printing in progress

Hati Chapa range

Haldi Kum Kum Range


Kajal range

Mamta Mansingka

I am so inspired by stories like this. People like Mamta begin simply, with hardly any resources, but with a strong passion, belief in one's abilities, maybe a hope and a prayer. Here's to all you beautiful women who have hopes of realizing your dreams. Just believe in yourself...and take that first step!

Hop over to Kilol's website - I love the way it has been designed!

House Tour: Kamini Raghavan's home in Hyderabad

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 06:25:00 +0000

Welcome to the beautiful corners of Kamini Raghavan's Hyderabad home. She is a new blogger on the design blogsphere, and has achieved something few decor bloggers can boast of - a 100 posts in 3 short months on her decor blog Saffron and Silk. Kamini's posts are lovely, and the frequency with which she blogs never ceases to amaze me.

I am just getting to know Kamini on the blogosphere, and each time I connect with her I am in awe of her lovely personality, and her amazing achievements. Her down to earth,"I-don't- care-what-the-world-thinks, as-long-as-I-feel-right-about-it-attitude" has inspired me greatly. Her home is as beautiful as her personality, so join me as she shows us the lovely corners of her home.

"Brassware on kitchen shelf - all belonged to my maternal grandmother- include a tiffin carrier and a coffee filter; the 4 glasses are bronze."

"The copper tea kettle was bought from a Tibetan shop in Bodh Gaya."

"These painted kitchen tiles were given to me by a friend when I was leaving Seattle, she bought them at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, a very popular farmers market selling handmade product"

"The stand in the kitchen on which the mangoes are is actually an old antique wood painted Ceylonese coconut scraper....it has a sawtoothed scraper at one end, you can see part of it."

Kamini is also an artist, and paints colorful, cheery pictures. I love her style! Priya of Once Upon a Teatime has also featured this lovely space, and I have omitted the pictures she has posted just so you can hop over to her blog and see the rest of Kamini's lovely corners!

Globetrotting with The Keybunch: Meenakshi Vij’s home in Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:06:00 +0000

Meenakshi's mother-in-law made the beautiful Ganesha painting, the colorful pier1 bottles are garage sale find. The Buddha statue was picked up at Walmart

I know I have been MIA for quite sometime. I am back now and time to concentrate on the blog seriously. I was supposed to feature Meenakshi Vij’s home in Florida way back, but somehow things didn’t seem to happen then. I guess, it’s better late than never.

Meenakshi Vij is an IT professional and is passionate about interiors. She loves doing up her home with all the treasures she has carried from her travels.

“We bought this house 1.5 years back when we got married. It was an empty house and we started with few things that my brother gave us. Garage sales, gifts from family, trips to India made this house a home.... My husband is awesome in suggesting and helping me decorate this house. He will look for things and suggest where they should go. Our home is an effort from both of us which is the best part, “says Meenakshi.

Come; let’s walk through her favorite nooks and corners.

Meenakshi loves brass and this Brass Ganesha Bell is a gift from her mom.

Ganesha, Buddha and turquoise plate to welcome her guests

B/W pictures were gift from her sister in law .. adds charm to the plain wall in the study

Candles makes the entrance war and inviting. The wood deco in the back are two candle stands which she has placed one on top of the other

The textured dinning room wall was an effort of previous home owners

The brass, greenery and the earthen pot form a perfect combo in the living room

Ganesha with tamp and books on the side are the first glimpse of decor when you enter Meenakshi's house .. mirror with brass frame is her fav find

What feature did you like the most? Btw, Meenakshi blogs at Niwas-whereourheartlives. Do check out her blog.

Do you want your home or project featured here? Write to us and we'll be glad to post it.

Pune old city: SMILE and brass shops in Tulsibaug

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 06:38:00 +0000

If you have lived in Pune, you know Tulsibaug and Laxmi Road - where everyone heads for their shopping sprees, where the pulse of Pune is felt best, and where while walking through the streets you are likely to suddenly come face to face with an old Peshawa building that will blow your mind away!

When my art teacher Neha Ghamande (a feature on her exquisite art work will be posted here soon) told me about the SMILE shop in Tulsibaug, I was intrigued. I decided I had to visit the shop, and my new neighbor Neelam (I love her enthusiasm!) agreed to accompany me. Getting there was quite easy. It's right next to the famous Chitale Bandhu Mithai shop.

SMILE (Savitri Marketing Institution for Ladies' Empowerment) is located in one such old Peshawa quarter, and the entrance to the store was quite an experience - an 18th century building with the most amazing architecture, with its pillars and carvings still intact! It was built in 1811 by Peshwa Baji Rao the second, for his relaxation and entertainment. I stood there for a while, just taking in the beauty of it all, while the cacophony of the market provided a strange yet fitting backdrop to the view.

....and I finally got to the entrance of SMILE

The interiors are sparsely and thoughtfully done up, with great care to keep the heritage value of the building intact. I loved the wooden beams on the ceiling, the period display furniture and the simplicity with which products were arranged. est of all, I loved their stuff!

SMILE is a joint venture of the Sfurti Mahila Mandal and the Pune Municipal Corporation. It has become an umbrella for women to come together and sell homemade ware - food, art, handicrafts, etc.

Address:
Vishrambaug Wada, Bajirao Road, Sadashiv Peth, Pune 411030.
Other outlets are at Lokmanyanagar and Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park.
Ph: 020 24492652
Contact Vandana Chauhan:vandanahchavanAThotmailDOTcom

Brass stalls in Tulsibaug

Tulsibaug is great for shopping, and on our way to Vishrambaug Wada, Neelam and I saw some lovely brassware on display. We decided to go there as well after our trip to SMILE. Let me tell you, we did not regret this trip. We entered a quaint little lane filled with shop after shop selling the loveliest brass ware. The rates are not bad either. Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and had a lot of extra baggage returning home ;)

The very first shop

The narrow alley dotted with brass shops

The shopkeepers were a friendly lot, and when I told them I would be putting up these pics on the Internet one of them jumped up and asked me if I could include his email id. Well, here it is in case you want to get in touch with him ;)

Prabhad Khule prasadunderscorekATyahooDOTcoDOTin

Prabad's shop

Some of the moolah I brought back...the rest is with Neelam..
we were so late getting back home, that I decided I would
take my stuff from her later :)

And....for all those who haven't read it yet, Kamini Raghavan from Saffron and Silk has written a lovely little Ode to her fellow bloggers . Hope your weekend is unfolding to be as enjoyable as mine!

Decor idea:Make a lovely wall border with tiles

sharoncolaco@gmail.com (Sharon Colaco D'Souza) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:58:00 +0000

My new home is slowly taking shape, but with both budgetary and time constraints, things are moving at a snail's space. And oh! there are expanses of white spaces because it's a new construction and we would rather wait a couple of years before painting the walls in more interesting hues :)

So I had been mulling over painting a wall border design to remove the monotony, until I saw this lovely wall with a ceiling tile design at a new found friend's store Ra Lifestyles. It's such a simple thing to do, yet it looks so pretty, and really adds warmth to your rooms. Perfect for a weekend project!

Have a look.

Here's another view.

When I visited his store, the tiles immediately caught my fancy. I have seen loads of tiling in interiors, and this is the first time I have seen them on the higher part of the wall. They are usually lower down where the furniture is arranged.

This inspired me, and I am thinking it would look good along the top of this wall in my new home.

I am linking up with The Inspired Room and Simply Stacie for a Friday inspiration blog party!

Drool: Unusual Wine Bottle Holders

noreply@blogger.com (Rekha) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:23:00 +0000

There are days when I am absolutely out of work and to kill time, I either blog hop or use stumbleupon to check out interesting sites. When I stumbled upon some of these unusual wine bottle holders on Metal Imagination, I fell in the love with them. The site has some awesome metal sculptures and drool worthy functional products such as wine bottle holders and business card holders. These cool beauties are sure fire conversations starters, what say?

The first one is my favorite coz it's so colorful, what's yours?