Illustrations by Prashant Godbole

A friend shared a link asking me to check out the photographs knowing i would enjoy them. I did enjoy them. A lot.

But it was Prashant Godbole's pen and ink illustrations that caught my eye and refused to get out of my head. I wish he sold them as art prints or something... I am sure there would be many takers!

{If you have a FB account that is still active, then you can find the illustrations here.}

PS: Thanks Chef Cyn for the share. Find the crooked cook chef on BhajiFried.

PPS: I think Mr. Godbole is the only person I know who can't add more friends... (I didn't know there was a friend limit) But yes, you can follow this awesomely talented man. 

Best Chocolate Brownies I Have Ever Had

I recently reconnected with Shilpa, a school friend after 2 decadesand we have been bonding over afternoon booze sessions.

She recently invited another school friend Maddy and me over to her home for a marathon baking session. We baked brownies, an orange cake, and two types of bread (my participation was zero and only limited to eating and taking pictures!)

Maddy swears by Stephanie's brownie recipe and honest to God... these were the awesomest brownies I have ever had. Rich and moist and very chocolatey. Divine and guaranteed to take you to food heaven.

If you'd like to make them brownies, head to the Joy of Baking. You can thank me by sending a couple of pieces when you bake them :D

PS: The brownies, unfortunately, are not eggless.

Travel: Worst travel advice ever

Head to Lonely Planet to read Leif Petterson's take on the worst travel advice ever. I agree with all, except... uhm the last one, which seems forced... to maybe increase sales of LP books!

And while we are talking of traveling... head over to The Adventures of Potli Baba, if you'd like to hear what some seasoned travelers have to say about their journeys and their experiences.

Yes, you guessed it right... I am beginning to feel the itch to travel and am getting a little bit antsy right now.

{I took this photo on a recent train journey with the awesome iPhone4!}

Awwww... this dog and baby cuddle so cute

Beau and his puppy Theo will make you go awww. Promise.

Go see for your dose of Tuesday cuteness.

XOXO
Ambica

PS: Have you checked out Studio Happysong on Facebook?

Don't date a girl who travels...

... or expect her to blog regularly!!

Sorry I have been missing since so long and haven't shown my face to you all... I have been on exciting and some unexpected journeys and work has kept me tied up once i returned.

But i found this post that i wanted to share so here i am...

Read this: Don't date a girl who travels. It could be all about me (except the part about the watch and some other more exciting stuff that the girl who travels can do!)

(Pic: My travel shoes on the beautiful tiles at the dilapidated Khurshid Jha Palace, in Hyderabad, shot with the iPhone4.)

Pretty green pumps

Love these shoes. For Rs. 399 at Lifestyle / Splash. Available in other colors as well.

Style tip: Pair this with denims and a tee / top of any color other than green or red. Don't go matchy-matchy please. Will look lovely when teamed with calf-length or shorter skirts.

Pic courtesy: Madhu Gopalan

Madhu Gopalan is a blogger famous for her gorgeous blog Aadab Hyderabad. She is an avid photographer who you can find on Instagram. She also has a green thumb, paints beautiful pictures, visits concerts and buys beautiful shoes! 

You can check out her blogs here and here. 

Thanks Madhu for sharing this. 

Mad Style - Tom + Lorenzo

If, like me, you are addicted to Mad Men and cant get enough of it, then you may like Tom and Lorenzo's Mad Style where they also analyze the costumes of the show and how it is itportant / relevant to the story line. The analysis is pretty in-depth and i am loving it totally (and also wondering which Saas-Bahu serial's costume is ever real or has any relevance to the plot!)

{Get the analysis here}

PS: According to Tom and Lorenzo, Mad Men is one show that is over-analyzed, in fact it is probably the most analyzed TV show of all times!! I wonder how the makers of the show even deal with this kind of pressure... 

The Sole Sisters

The Sole Sisters is a site where you can drool over shoes. And keep going back for more eye-candy!

You can even send in your own shoe picture and be featured there. I want to do it but for some crazy reason, even though i have taken so many pictures of my feet and footwear over the years, i can't seem to find a single pic right now :( (Will find a pic or take one to send. Someday. )

Btw, how many women do you know who own less than 6 pairs? 

Cooking with Siri

I have been drooling over Siri's blog the last few days... the recipes look simple and her food pictures are amazingly gorgeous.

She works full-time and blogs when she can - i don't know how she can find the time and energy to cook, write and take such pretty pictures... hats off to her!

Featured here is picture of black-eyed
peas pakoras... black-eyed peas are one of my favorite legumes and i am definitely going to give this a try.

{To drool or find food inspiration, visit Siri}

Make it: Bulb chandelier

What's better than a material girl? Two material girls!!

After all, one material girl can only think  of making a bulb chandelier and suggest the idea to people hoping they like the idea and make it but if there are two, they get around to making it!!

{Love this DIY blog by the 2 material girls that i found a few days ago. Visit their blog for this how-to and some others.}
{image from 2materialgirls} 

20 ways to find your calling

And i thought Forbes only had boring articles on money and business and all such (Don't judge me by that... i am allowed to be d-uh sometimes, aint i?).

So anyways, i came across this interesting article written and drawn by Jessica Hagy that can help put some perspective on career and work, if you are looking for it.

{I liked it. You may too. Read 20 ways to find your calling here.}

PS: My favorite point was the one she first makes... do share what you liked or didn't. }

Pretty simple sandwiches...

... or simple pretty sandwiches. Call them what you want but these look so gorgeous and so easy to do. These are made with cheese, cucumber and chives. But you can make them with any other green / herb that is easily available. Make your sandwich. Simply apply butter or cheese spread to the side of the bread and coat with coriander or leek greens or some such.

So pretty. So simple.

{Sandwich found on Erin Boyle's Reading My Tea Leaves. Love this blog. And it's not about cooking only. She is one of those people who lives in a teeny tiny less that 350 sft apartment. Remember this post?}

The House That Lars Built.: This Girl: X

Sometimes you come across a series that makes you wonder why you dint think of it. This one I found on Brittany Watson Jepsen's blog; the "This Girl" series features a girl, her home or office or some space where she spends time.

{Totally awesome... go see The House That Lars Built.: This Girl: X to find out where this girl works and other This Girl posts.}


PS: THTLB has some pretty awesome DIYs. A lot involving paper, so Deepa, this one is for you. Go see.

2 interesting reads

I haven't been posting as much as i would have liked to...

The new blog has been taking a lot of my time. I fired my maid so i had a lot of housework to do. I also decided that the time to clean the house is now and so i was at it, morning to night - clothes, crockery, kitchen, books - everything had to be sorted and cleaned. Please accept my apologies...

And now, for the interesting reads. One's hilarious, but true. And the other, it's an interesting checklist that went viral and was a huge hit - 30 things a woman should know, before she turns 30.

{The extremely funny one that all women will agree with. Wendi Aarons }
{The checklist, that i am seeing a few years too late.}

{image from foxtongue's flickr stream}

Spring cleaning

I have spent the entire day today trying to better organize my house. My hands, feet, back are hurting. Heck, even my fingers and toes hurt... And there is still more cleaning to do! 

I will be back tomorrow with more... 

{Pic via Things organized neatly}

Zaraa dekha, zaraa socha

My friend Vibhaas writes the most gorgeous poetry. He was on this blog before, but wanted to remain anon then. Now, he has come out of the closet (not in that way!) and we have started a blog together.

He writes the poetry. I click the pictures. You get to read it.

Do visit and let us know what you thought... it's something new and i am very excited about it, but i also really do need your support on this one!

{zaraa dekha, zaraa sochaa}

Blog find: Potli Baba

I had to make up for the shite pic in the previous post. And i HAD to tell you about my friend Nabila's awesome new blog - Potli Baba, Tales of the earth, skies and everything in between. This is her best blog ever and i am feasting on it.

Her words paint pretty pictures and her pictures tell many stories. She's covered Kodagu, Kodaikanal, Aurangabad and Goa. And i can't wait for the next post.

{Go, read.}

La Maison on Bamarang

Check out these fun cushion covers from La Maison that is currently on sale at Bamarang. Very cool stuff this. Am loving this one, featured here and this one too.

And this one, the ace of spades is perfect for my gambling-crazy family. (Every Sunday, the entire family, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, young and old, daughters-in-law, gets together in one of the houses for a long session of teen patti, drinks and food.) I'd go off my no-shopping stance and buy it for my father if it were not sold out already.


{So what if i am not shopping, i can always look at some eye-candy. Find more hepness on Bamarang. Also check out this cheapster wallet, right now it totally befits me!}

A love affair with words

Ignore my banal comments and scroll down to read this delicious letter that Robert Pirosh wrote when he went job-hunting.

Are you still reading what i have to say? Then pray that i can do something half-as-good when i start looking for a job. Oh yes, i have decided to start working full-time again. Soon.

Are you still with me? Then tell me if there are any words in particular you like... me, i like cantankerous, pernicious, chocolate, graffiti, mendacious, serendipity. 

Dear Sir:

I like words. I like fat buttery words, such as ooze, turpitude, glutinous, toady. I like solemn, angular, creaky words, such as straitlaced, cantankerous, pecunious, valedictory. I like spurious, black-is-white words, such as mortician, liquidate, tonsorial, demi-monde. I like suave "V" words, such as Svengali, svelte, bravura, verve. I like crunchy, brittle, crackly words, such as splinter, grapple, jostle, crusty. I like sullen, crabbed, scowling words, such as skulk, glower, scabby, churl. I like Oh-Heavens, my-gracious, land's-sake words, such as tricksy, tucker, genteel, horrid. I like elegant, flowery words, such as estivate, peregrinate, elysium, halcyon. I like wormy, squirmy, mealy words, such as crawl, blubber, squeal, drip. I like sniggly, chuckling words, such as cowlick, gurgle, bubble and burp.

I like the word screenwriter better than copywriter, so I decided to quit my job in a New York advertising agency and try my luck in Hollywood, but before taking the plunge I went to Europe for a year of study, contemplation and horsing around. 

I have just returned and I still like words. 

May I have a few with you?

Robert Pirosh

385 Madison Avenue

Room 610

New York

Eldorado 5-6024

{found, image}

Manou's Wearabout

Presenting the Indian Sartorialist... Wearabout (most people find comparisons odious but i hope Manou, the author of Wearabout, doesn't)

Manou is, in his own words, "a photographer documenting streets and fashion in India" and a mighty fine job he is doing of it.

I have been looking at a lot of fashion blogs lately and his stands out. He notices what most people don't and i am loving his blog right now. Like these polka dots, for instance. He sees it everywhere - in design shows, on the street, in shacks. Love it.

{Go see more polka dots and get inspired}