A backyard soiree in PINK! - Spotlight on Bridal Shower

 We are at the home stretch of the India Circus giveaway! Remember, the contest ends tonight (17th) at 9 pm Eastern US, if you havent already signed up - now is your chance! After, you've picked your option , please leave us a comment on the post - you are eligible only if you have left us a comment after completing the steps! Good luck! The winner will be announced on the 24th.
Please go here to participate.

Today's feature - A backyard soiree in pink!

The trellis is used as a focal point!

Well, this was actually a bridal shower that I hosted in honor of a dear friend recently. However, since I did not know much about bridal showers or hosting one before this, I planned a garden soiree in PINK - figured I couldn't go wrong with that! Pink is a great color to celebrate love and the romantic union of two hearts  and it set the direction for this intimate soiree that involved an adorable bride and a few of her friends. So, read on..

A hand drawn bride and groom for a personalized touch!

The tradition of celebrating bride-to-be with a dedicated event traces back to 16-17th century Netherlands (source). Bridal showers have been a pre-wedding cultural courtesy in the United States since the 1890s. Modern day showers range from simple soirees to  flamboyant fares (the Martha Stewart kind!). 

Building on the PINK theme!

Our shower purported to allow the bride to pause and imbibe all the pre-wedding excitement.  The chaos and frenzy that is so integral to INDIAN wedding preparations often casts a dizzy spell and warrants a relaxing break. We picked a weekend in May and got a group of  friends together. Laughter, fun and raising a toast to love was our main goal.  We threw in some pink and some pom poms, that's all!

An intimate setting with a big impact!

Here's what I learnt (from various www sources) about bridal shower etiquette in the lead-up:

- The maid of honor or one of the bridesmaids hosts the event typically in their home.
- Etiquette calls that the bride's family - mom, mom-in-law not host the event!
- It is essentially a get-together to shower bride-to-be with gifts, love and attention.
- The bride, in turn, thanks the hostess with a gift.
-  It is usually planned as an afternoon event, 4-6 weeks prior to the wedding and usually after the invitations are sent out.

Wishes...

 I like to plan my events ahead of time but this one just crept up on me.  I intended to host the shower since the time her wedding date was finalized (many moons ago). With conflicting on-call schedules, getting the group together turned out to be harder than I imagined and eventually, I gave up on the planning. Miraculously, we found one weekend when most of us were available and it happened to be THAT weekend!  No worries, breathe easy- I told myself! It can be done!

Enjoying the outdoors ...yet again!

With one enthusiastic bride in tow (I know, I know - bad etiquette!), I made a few quick stops - flowers, cake, decorations - all in a few hours span!  We argued, disagreed and negotiated about the look and feel of the soiree. But we agreed on PINK! The girls graciously pitched in with the food and the punch and wore pretty dresses and perfect smiles! We lounged in my backyard enjoying the gorgeous spring weather! All in all - it was a merry affair, one that I am positive our bride-to-be will cherish forever. The shower was a great way to incorporate a tradition from her adopted country into her wedding saga before she heads home for  traditional Indian nuptials. 

The shower ensemble matched the bride's chirpy personality and included brilliant hued pompoms, paper lanterns in a dainty pink, gorgeous asiatic lilies, an adorable pink plant holder, pink striped paper straws (yes!), wishing tree made of willow branches , the PERFECT cake  and many more chic details which even Aphrodite would have appreciated! 

Savoir-faire details!

The girls take home a tiny token of love...almond candy!

Putting it together was an absolute blast and yet another experience that I will fondly remember.   I wish my friend Vaishali and her groom Ashwin,  a lifetime of happiness….

Aalayam shines the spotlight on the American Bridal Shower  - a cultural more that celebrates a bride as she stands on the threshold of a new life!

Sigh! The wishing tree in willow branches.

 How to create this look:
1) Choose 2 primary colors for your setting, if you must, add an accent color - in this case, I opted for pink and basic white . Notice, I chose different shades and hues of pink, to add a 3 dimensional effect.
2) I kept my willow branches for the wishing tree particularly long (see 1st pic)to add visual interest and to keep the eye moving from the table decorations to the trellis decorations
3) Mix in some personalized elements (hand written signs are great!) with the store bought decorations to create your very own custom arrangements
4) Stay away from tacky banners, paper centerpieces, faux floral arrangements! 
5) If you have to stick to a theme - remember, less is more! In this case, the bride sign on the trellis, the hand drawn bride and groom and the card stock paper with wedding words were our only wedding themed accessories.
6) Don't be afraid to use stuff you already own - if it is the right color, it will work! Case in point-my pink elephant and the candle holders!
7) And lastly, fresh flowers, fresh flowers, fresh flowers!

Please join us next week to find out who won the gorgeous India Circus tray and we will be talking COLOR!

Cheers!
Deepa 
p.s: All the images are from my backyard and taken by my husband. Please ask before using!

The Legion of Indian Superheros!

Hello dear Aalayam family!

The Aalayam authors want to extend a warm welcome to all our new members! Welcome to the fold! Remember to spread the word, if you will, about the Grand Aalayam Giveaway! The contest is still open!!

Today's topic is about Indian superheros - Hindu mythology's contribution to legendary characters with superhuman abilities and/or magical powers, wearing distinctively cool costumes, having magnificent personalities, and placed on the earth to primarily fight against evil forces.

I am going to keep the tone of this post deliberately cheeky, non religious and non pedantic. These are my views alone and DO NOT represent the teachings or representations of Hindu religion. So, with that out of the way, here goes! I have used the images from Sanjay Patel's whimsical book on Hindu Deities in this post, purely because I think the pictures are so cute and represent these "larger than life" heroes with  so much sauce!  

Growing up, my grandmother used to fascinate me with stories about these superheroes - Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna and all the cool avatars these dudes used to manifest themselves into. The ladies got a mention too occasionally - Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Sita - well, what can I say, gender discrimination was not so outrageous back then! 

Just like fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, my grandmother's tales used to mesmerize me with the contrast between the good guys (the legion I continue to talk about through this post!) and the bad guys! (they don't get a mention, although if I must, Duryodhana is my favorite - talk about loyalty!)

(note the reproductive symbolism via the Lingam, that depicts power!)

Animals are an integral part of the support system to these superheroes. Whether as means of transportation, avatars to address world emergencies or trusted confidantes. This glorification of animals (and ergo - vegetarianism, for the most part) stems from the belief that God (Universal good for the atheists) resides in all living creatures. Krishna and the docile cow, Vishnu and Shiva's king cobra, Kartikeya's glorious peacock, Rama and the loyal monkey or Durga's valiant tiger, all creatures great or small, have their place in this legion  of superheroes! (all these superheros get a one page dedication in Patel's book, please do read!)

Female empowerment is synonymous in our mythology with benevolence, harmony, fertility (yes, yes..hold on to your skirts!) power and balance! 

Whether it is Mahadevi, who appears as bloodthirsty, evil relinquishing warriors like Durga or Kali...or as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity and happiness.. or as Saraswathi, the epitome of knowledge and the arts, all these accomplished ladies reign supreme in establishing a strong foundation of good and proper, and if necessary, powerful and unrelenting, to people who depend on them! A boilerplate for the modern day woman right?

Now, on to the wives and mommies. What is a great superhero, without a supportive partner he can rely on to keep the home-fires burning huh? Parvati, aka Uma, Gauri and Shakti is symbolic of unflappable commitment to her husband, Shiva, and her unwavering devotion to her children Ganesha (the elephant headed dude) and Kartikeya (of the peacock fame). 

And of course, who can forget Sita, the quintessential honorable wife, who was banished because her chastity was questioned, although empires were destroyed to protect it! In Patel's words, Sita's martyrdom to her duty, as a steadfast and faithful wife has left a profound legacy. 

Now for the modern day parenting conundrum! I am sure all of you face this with your kids as well. How do I expose my kids to the spiritual and austere aspects on these superheros, Gods, deities  however you want to think of them, in a western society, without stepping too deep into the religious manifestations and interpretations? How do I make the core message - "triumph of good over evil", and make that relevant to the everyday challenges my kids face at work, at play and at life's sandbox!?

We sure have some awesome examples. Our legion of superheros and heroines, have set the stage of model behavior (some behaviors are suspect as well, trust me, diabolical politicking, disloyal abandonment,  manipulation for world good etc..) hey, but that's where individual and parental judgement come in! Isn't that right?

I leave you with a cool image of Nataraja, the dancing king, who vanquished evil with  some seriously cool dance moves! Nataraja's cosmic dance symbolizes the balance between creation, preservation and destruction, in a way, urging us, everyday heroes to hold our responsibilities, actions and reactions in stylish equilibrium! 

Love,

Supriya

Disclaimer: All images are reproduced and reimagined from the Little Book of Hindu Deities and copyrighted to the author Sanjay Patel. This is a blog post inspired by the illustrations in the delightful book and is to be considered as the Aalayam author's opinion on Indian mythology . No part of this article represents the views of Sanjay Patel or of the Hindu religion. 

Spotlight on Contemporary Indian Design - the India Circus story and a giveaway!

So, what comes to mind when you think of Indian decor ? Vibrant colors, dark wood tones, ornate motifs, intricate details, handicrafts ? How about quirky, contemporary and chic accents with a hint of ethnic India?  Mixing functional decor elements with a global vibe and incorporating a touch of India is in! Modern design sensibility calls for a marriage of traditional and contemporary and the India Circus team has recognized and accomplished this with their gorgeous array of products.

In their own words, "India Circus seeks to curate the essence of life in India, and transcribe this loud and colorful experience into contemporary and sophisticated style. From luminescent lamps to totes a la mode, we have a lot to offer for various corners of your life! The vibrancy of the colors combined with the nuanced heritage of the designs makes each piece created at India Circus exceptional. All of our creations offer sophistication with a dash of 'Indian-ness,' without draining your wallets "

Home is where the heart is - a place where we grow roots and make memories! We call our homes a sanctuary and a haven. We add little touches to make this space our very own and invest a lot of thought and effort  in this process. At Aalayam, we like to bring you inspirations for your home and life  and today we shine the spotlight on India Circus as a tribute to contemporary Indian design.
 

Here is Supriya's take on the products offered by India Circus -

"Home accents or accessories are a cost effective and easy way to add color, whimsy and glamour to your living or working space. Like this wire stool for instance. What a fabulous way to add that touch of interest to a room! It is paired inventively with the block print magazine bin! Perfect for a serenity nook full of good reads! The stool is multi-functional too, need a spot to place your coffee mug? Just grab it close to you. Got one guest too many in your impromptu dinner party? Pull up the stool my friend!

When we lived in an apartment, I had my own studio which I used to freelance from. This was a nook  that I had decorated to my fancy, with quirky accessories that I had unearthed during my antiquing adventures or had picked up during my travels, much to my husband’s chagrin! Very like the exotic laptop sleeve and the rickshaw motif cushion covers showcased here! These accessories definitely would be sure-fire culture conversation starters with my clients!

Whenever I travel for work or for pleasure, I always incorporate some “India-inspired” accessories into my ensemble. Of course! Be it a vibrant clutch, a capricious tote, or even a funky umbrella. What better way to add my own personality into my outfit? After all, I cannot speak to everyone I meet, yet, I can communicate that I am a girl with some fierce opinions! Speaking of umbrellas, in my home, I have a caddy full of fun and vivacious umbrellas at the entryway. So, rain or shine, me and my guests are prepared to meet the quirks of nature!"

Supriya and I  have our favorites at India Circus. Make a trip to their online store.  We urge you. Who knows what you might find? There's many stops on this decorating journey, let India Circus be your next one!

Aalayam is 45 posts old! We are now a close - knit family of 104 and for this, we consider ourselves blessed! We wanted to pause and thank you for making this such a wonderful experience for Supriya and me. We teamed up with India Circus to host a giveaway - if it were up to us, we would send a little something to all of you but that is not be. However, one of you will take home this wonderful product that Supriya and I lovingly picked.

for more details on this gorgeous tray click here

This gorgeous tray with the crimson paisley motifs and the darling blue birds! Don't you love it?

To be eligible to win this gorgeous tray, pick an option, follow the steps and leave a comment on this post saying which option you selected. Remember, every option has two actions, that you MUST complete to win! 

Option 1 - "Join this site" (click the widget on the right of this site) to become a member of the Aalayam family and follow IndiaCircus on Facebook, leave a comment on IndiaCircus page picking your favorite IndiaCircus product

Option 2 - If you already are a member of Aalayam, refer Aalayam to your friends, so they can become members, and follow IndiaCircus on Facebook, leave a comment on IndiaCircus page picking your favorite IndiaCircus product

Option 3 - If you are a blogger, blog about this giveaway and leave us a link to your post and follow IndiaCircus on Facebook, leave a comment on IndiaCircus page picking your favorite IndiaCircus product

Don't forget to leave a comment on this post telling us which Option (1, 2 or 3) you chose, so we know you did what you had to do to win this gorgeous tray!!

For more details on this gorgeous tray click here

The giveaway is open to readers based in the United States and India till May 17th, 9 pm Eastern Time (US). If you live elsewhere, you can still enter provided you give us a shipping address in the United States or India (consider entering on behalf of a friend or family member) and the winner will be announced on the 24th.

And stay tuned for more India and more inspirations!

Cheers!
Deepa

p.s: All images are copyrighted by India Circus.

The Grand Aalayam Giveaway (an announcement)!.... and Floral Inspirations

Welcome to the weekend dear readers!!

Deepa and I have a fantastic surprise in store for you! We are planning something really awesome for next week for all of you and your friends! 

This poster gives you an inkling of what's to come, so wait with bated breath, there is a gorgeous, true blue Aalayam style giveaway waiting for you!

What do you need to do to be eligible for the grand giveaway, you ask? Well, stay tuned for next week's post to read about the eligibility criteria and to look at the exciting lineup of India Circus products we are showcasing. Think of it as mind pleasing eye candy and a chance to win a gorgeous prize!! I for one, cannot wait for next week...

Now, on to this week's post! For this post, Deepa and I worked together, so you will see corners and floral inspirations from both our homes, and scribbling from both our inkwells...so..here goes!

A gorgeous brass accent complements a jewel tone vase - Deepa's home. 

Have you stopped at the grocery store lately? The first thing you notice is the pretty blooms that are on display both inside and outside the store. The spring season is nature's tribute to life! And there's nothing like fresh flowers to infuse life and zing into your living space! Decorating with fresh flowers is probably one of the oldest and simplest universal home decorating techniques.  

Whether they are yellow flowers in a purple glass vase that compliment the yellow and purple jute braided pillows or tender coral roses that kiss the blue and white Moroccan vase in a zen bed room, flowers add elegance and glamor to your space!

A mood fix for sure - a zen reading nook - Supriya's home!

Fresh flowers are an instantaneous color and textural fix not to mention a mood fix! There is something undeniably blissful about a bunch of pretty flowers. Actually, there is something divine about the whole process of buying /picking flowers, cutting them, pairing them with the right vase, arranging them and finding a corner of your home that is perfect for those flowers - it is the simple things that bring you the most joy, after all!

A book basket, a lamp and a couch - A Serenity corner from Supriya's home!

Flowers are the most versatile decor accessories that blend in seamlessly with any decor style - ethnic Indian or rustic chic or casual country or simple elegance. 

You never go wrong with fresh flowers!

Speaking of rustic chic, look how effortless, the delicate coral roses look hobnobbing in a vintage watering can! 

Finding ways to reuse, recycle and refurbish jars, cans and containers of interesting shapes and sizes, not only is a green thing to do, it adds that element of drama and interest to any living room, study or bedroom! 

Flowers are a staple feature for all of our festive tablescapes . Deepa recommends going in for the abundance of a lush bouquet and at other times, settling for the striking form of a single stem. 

Either way, adding some blooms is a great budget friendly way to create visual interest! 

Deepa and I both like playing around with patterns, motifs and colors to create different vignettes in sprightly hues and bold patterns. 

 Home decorating is all about creating a space that inspires us to live our best life. 

Bohemian colors and patterns are married together harmoniously - Deepa's home

Flowers not only add beauty but also a live energy and vitality to the space. Fresh flowers make everyone happy! Pairing floral arrangements with accents that you already own is a simple and easy way to buff up a living space.  

Look how the dramatic black and white two -toned vignette or the mishmash of random colors and patterns thrown together is adding oomph to the decor! 

Who said Black is boring!  - A two toned vignette from Deepa's home!

Men, who are reading this post with your ladies, please remember, the staid tulips, or the cheerful zerbera daisies, the exotic lilies, the cheeky carnations, or even the dainty roses..all are sure fire ways of winning your ladies' affection, over and over again. And a redeeming way to a no girls allowed TV or golf weekend!!

Gorgeous tulips add drama to a modern family room - Supriya's home!

So, dear readers, we leave you with these floral inspirations for your living space and to brighten your day! And do not forget about the Grand Aalayam Giveaway next week!!! You deserve to win and we are rooting for you!

Love,
Supriya and Deepa!

Kids room decor - featuring a little boy's retreat!

 Hello dear readers! Today, I bring to you images of another room from our home and this room belongs to the youngest member of our family - my 9 yr old son.  An Aalayam reader wrote to us asking for a feature on kids room decor and this post has been brewing for a while now. As I have said before, I am no design expert and during the day, I am a physician helping patients. I dabble in design and decor experiments simply for the joy it brings. I will share my experience decorating my son's room in the hope that it will inspire your own decor projects.

This project entailed working with a real client who had tough expectations and very specific requirements and quite honestly, it freaked me out!  From the word go, we disagreed! Creative difference of opinion with your 9 yr old is no fun!

I envisioned a bright and colorful room which would set the stage for fantasy, merriment and many childhood crusades! So, when he said "Mom, I want the walls to be gray"  - I almost fell off my chair! Really? A somber gray?
However, my little one had a clear vision and he knew what he wanted and I wasn't going to argue with that. After all, this was a joint project and I wanted to design a space that was an expression of his personality.

I already had furniture for his room from our previous house and so we only had to work out a few other details like bedding and accessories. Fairy simple, right?  Well, almost… barring the few kinks along the way but in the end it was well worth the effort!

Let me start with the furniture. I bought all the furniture back in 08 when he was 5 yrs old and had just outgrown his baby/toddler stuff.  I wanted furniture that would last through his growing years yet be kid friendly and age appropriate for his pre-teen years. Basic black seemed to fit the bill. I opted for queen size and reasoned I could accommodate guests in his room in a crunch situation. Our guests did not seem to mind the kid's decor so long as they had a comfortable bed to sleep on and so, it has worked out well in the past! Plus on a cold winter afternoon at least a half dozen kids pile up on the soft and cozy bed for a round or two of board games and the adult sized furniture is a definite bonus then!  Five years later, we still love the black furniture! 

On the flip side, finding queen sized kid's bedding has been hard! Most bedding sets for children come in a twin or a full size and if you are looking for a particular color or theme, it makes it that much harder with queen sized furniture - just a warning!

 

Once the walls were painted, the room looked gorgeous in gray. We talked about our color palette next and he wanted yellow bedding. No particular theme, just yellow bedding. Yellow and gray - that's trendy! Now we are talking, I said to myself!

Unfortunately, our search for the perfect yellow bedding took us nowhere! They were either too fancy or too pricey! So, we decided to go with plan B and that's how we ended up with the striped red bedding. Just basic red and white stripes - in the right fabric and texture. This seemed appropriate and functional for a little boy's room. 

With neutral colors like gray and black anchoring the room,  the red bedding adds the right amount of style quotient that this room needs. The large window on the south end allows for some great views on the outside and slowly the room was shaping up nicely on the inside as well. The end goal was not to create a perfect space but to have a space where he can work, play, shoot some hoops, play some violin, explore, be creative and have fun as the magic of childhood unfolds! 

I have always wanted my child to have an appreciation for beauty and structure.  And  collaborating on this project was a  fun way to see him appreciate design and make insightful comments and intuitive choices.

Every kid's room needs some fun elements - ours came in the form of a wheel clock, wall accents, a basketball hoop and a sign that reflects my son's sense of humor. 

 

These elements make this room a happy place and I hope will one day help my son to fondly remember his childhood. I wanted to keep the decor non-fussy and had to hold myself back from going overboard.

And lastly, the storage or the big dilemma!  You can NEVER have enough storage and the pictures don't tell the full story. The nightstand with drawers, the cubbies and shelves help to store books, toys, games, school and art work but not entirely. 

The remainder is stored in the closet and the clothes are housed in a big armoir. We have a ton of books that are stacked in different areas of the house and that helps!

So, there you go - a little boys room!  Some planning, a checklist, my child's bright-eyed enthusiasm, and our combined creative energy was all it took to create this lively place in our home! Thank you honey for letting me share your room with our readers! We still have a couple of minor projects pending including framing some of his artwork but for now we enjoy lying on the bed and looking at the moonlight streaming in through the large window at night!

While we are on the subject of childhood and happy memories let me ask you a question. What is your favorite childhood memory?Mine involved being transported to an enchanting imaginary world where characters from mythology and folklore came to life...
hint :

Got it ? Well, watch this space, dear readers,  for a spotlight feature on ACK sometime in the coming months!
I will sign off for now and as always we love your feedback, comments & requests.

Cheers!
Deepa

P.S: Please note that all images are from my home, taken by my husband and subject to copyright.

Bringing India Home!

It is often rare to find a friendship that transcends decades of life’s milestones …that shares common aspirations and passions…and forges such a strong bond, that two people seem like parts of the same whole. It is one such friendship that led me to this Home Tour! The story of the friendship of Rashmi and Sushma.

Rashmi wrote to me from Hong Kong one day - “Suppi..the Aalayam feature on Sridevi’s house was awesome! That gave me an idea..I have a friend in Texas, who has just bought and done up her house beautifully…painstakingly collected pieces. I was wondering if her home could be featured on your blog?”. 

And my answer to Rashmi was a resounding Yes!!! Not only was I humbled at her feedback about Aalayam, I considered it a privilege to bring to our readers a poignant story about two friends who have grown up together, and are sharing their everyday lives with such zing, color and passion, even though separated by tens of thousands of miles!

Rashmi even wrote a blurb about Sushma’s home –

"Madhurageethe" in Austin, Texas, is a beautiful home named after Ramesh's and Sushma's loving mothers respectively. It is a haven built in 2012. Sushma likes to keep things simple, elegant, functional and Indian. The living/family room is their favorite place to hang out in their home. A touch of easy-to -maintain greenery sprinkled around the home keeps Sushma’s green thumb satisfied and adds a live energy to every room. Warm and vibrant colors are her type and she loves to keep moving things around in her home, cushion covers change to brighten up the room according to the season. These pictures were taken in Fall of last year, as you can probably see from the light streaming into her rooms!”

Thank you Rashmi, for introducing Aalayam to Madhurageethe. Maybe we can tempt you to share pictures of the corners from your home on Aalayam sometime. That is what Aalayam is all about, sharing glimpses of real people, their spaces and their inspirations. And this story touched our heart.

Let’s hear from the home owners themselves..about how they have brought INDIA home!

We (Ramesh and Sushma) are basically hard core 'Bangaloreans'-Simple and Cosmopolitan. Yet we are very 'Indian' in whatever we do-be it our way of life, the food we eat and the home we live in :)

We moved to Austin in 2007 and lived in an apartment till 2011. We eventually fell in love with the City and wanted to buy our home here, simply because it was so culturally close to the Bangalore we LOVE. Then began our home search…we looked for about 6 months to find the right kind of a house, not too big, not too small and not “over the top”. After a couple of compromises, we eventually settled for this one. We were lucky to have at least a couple of things the 'Karnataka' way-we did a traditional 'Bhoomi Puje' or the ground breaking ceremony, and then when the house was built and ready, we did our own private 'Gruhapravesha' :). Private because, the 'Muhurtha' fell on a working day when all of our dear friends were at work !! The priest doubled as our photographer :) which was actually interesting because he was clicking pictures from our mobile phone as and when he was saying the 'mantras'- amusing nevertheless!!

Since we knew we would move in after Christmas 2011, I began looking at all the Thanksgiving sales and the Christmas clearance stuff. We got some very nice buys from World Market (the lovely daybed, coffee table, dining chairs) and they were kind enough to store it in their warehouse till our house was ready. So, like a true Indian, I am very proud to say that I managed to shop on a budget and yes stick to it :) Like this dining table - The dining table is from a local Indian design store in Austin and so is the 'Sandooku' atop the table. The table is made of mango wood and encases an old door from rural India. I keep 'adike' and 'saunf' in the 'Sandooku'.

This absolutely stunning 'Buddha' was the first housewarming gift I got from my best buddy-Rashmi. She got it custom made from a local artist in Hong Kong and it arrived via UPS just days before my house warming. It beautifully adorns the entrance to the master bed room.. :) I love it !!!!

I did majority of the furniture shopping here, in the USA, however, I was looking at some accessories for the house. Although I did find some at Pier One and of course World Market, I really wanted some stuff from back home. So, we went to India in the summer of 2011 and I spent all of my 3 weeks-SHOPPING :) 

Hopping from one emporium to another, from one exhibition to another with my in-laws and my mom in tow…we had to just soak up all the time together!!!! The trip was extremely tiring but I found such nice pieces-like the beautiful Saraswathi statue, the endearing 'Kalamkari-Krishna', the crisp 'Kora' painting…Colorful, cottony bedspreads from 'Desi', those beautiful trinkets….aww want to go back again right now-Sigh :)

This is the Kalamkari- Kalinga Mardhana. I am still hunting for that perfect color on the wall which would highlight this beautiful piece of art. I picked this up from India at one of the exhibitions...

This Kathakali painting that I got as a housewarming present from my darling Brother in Bangalore...

It has been about a year now in our new house. Its 'Austin-TX' outside my front door but inside the house-It screams INDIA :)

All, I can now say is..Way to go Sushma and Ramesh!! You have truly brought INDIA home! Thank you for letting us into your home and your heart.

Love,

Supriya