The toys I got from Chennapatna

Basava, the painted cow

Toys that dance

The kissing pigs. You pull one away from the other and see her run back to him...

(PS: That's the last post from my Coorg holiday... I promise. It's just that I hate writing long posts and I have so much to share... )

Have a lovely day :)

Waiting for Mausam

This one's been in the making for sometime now. This video from Mausam makes waiting that much more difficult.

Enjoy the song...

Shopping In Coorg

On my recent trip to Coorg, I got too little. This of course, I realized only after I got back home. Here are some of the things you should buy (and buy lots).

Honey (it's the best honey I have ever tasted without the waxy taste that you get in branded honey available locally.)
Coffee (It's super fab according to the connoisseurs - me, I don't drink coffee but Aru says its great, so it must be)
Spices - Cardamom, Cinnamon, Pepper, Clove (The cardamom is very fragrant, unlike the stuff I get at the grocery stores in Hyderabad and the Cinnamon has a strong sharp taste. The other spices are yet to be tried.)
Papads
Green Tea
Lemongrass and eucalyptus oil
Hair oil and oil for aches and pains

*The last 3 things in the list I have yet to try, but going by the other things I have tried (and loved), I am sure to not get disappointed.

(And if you are wondering why I dint buy too much - the packaging made it look not-so-great and if you like me, get carried away with good packaging, then try to ignore the simple packs and just go for it. You will certainly not regret it, because down south, you will rarely find people out to con you.)

When I painted terracotta pots

Aru's bday was around the corner so I got some terracotta pots, paints, stencils, brushes and sat down to paint. It was awesome to sit and do something constructive after a long while. Of course, lazy person that I am it took me more than a few months to get around to posting a picture. 

The first set of 5 (or was it 6) pots I spray painted in grey and silver using and stencils of words like love, joy, luck.

I painted another set of pots in different shades of grey with white and yellow patterns. It had been a really long time since I held a brush so my hands were shaking but at the end of it, I think it was giant leap for me.

I also painted a dozen pots in ombre, each a different shade of pink. No designs or embellishments there but they looked pretty, i think.

It was super comforting and very calming. If you are looking for a simple project to do, then go get yourself some pots and paint your way to happiness.

The Mentalist - hugely enjoyable

I od'ed on Mentalist the last few days and now that I have finished watching all 3 seasons, I am feeling bereft. Though I am not a lover of blood and gore, I am strangely in love with mysteries of all kinds. (I have read and read again most of the Erle Stanley Gardener's and Agatha Christie's in my collection!)

Do you have any suggestions on other authors / mystery TV series I should watch next?

PS: Simon Baker is smoking hot. I love his character Patrick Jane in the series. In fact, all of them are extremely lovable - Teresa Lisbon, Grace Van Pelt, Kimball Cho and Rigsby. I even like Hightower.

More from the Coorg Trip - St. Philomena's Church, Mysore

The other A and I were on our way to Coorg, sleeping mostly on the way, when suddenly I opened my eyes to see gorgeous architecture in front of me. So we had to stop. It was the St. Philomena's Church in Mysore.  Those who stay in Bangalore, I guess, would have seen it already... and for those who are going some place that takes them via Mysore, it's a must visit. (My pictures don't do it much justice... the Church is jaw-droppingly beautiful.)

Linger at Coorg

The other A and I travelled to Coorg last weekend. It was his birthday and I wanted to give him something he really needed - a peaceful, quiet holiday. We thought of all the places nearby and finally decided on Coorg. (Basically, i did the thinking and he said yes when given that option!)

I had seen and heard about the Linger at Coorg, a do-nothing vacation place that seemed ideal. Some emails and calls later, we were set.

First off, the people at Linger put me at ease with their emails and prompt responses. Then they also arranged a cab or me. Sameer was constantly in touch to ensure we reached safe and sound. After several pit stops (more details in another post, i promise) and a scary last 45 minutes (because of the cloudy mountains) we reached Linger.

Harish, the caretaker was waiting at the bus stop to greet and guide us the last 5 minutes home. Finally we were there. The only sounds were those of the cicadas and crickets and the lights dim. After a quick dinner, we slept early. The next two days we spent doing nothing. We'd wake up, eat, read, play card games, play word games,  drink endless cups of chai, walk around a teeny bit, laze and eat some more...

Linger is a brilliant place to rest and rejuvenate. Harish, the caretaker is perfect. Quiet, unobtrusive and helpful. Girija, the cook is superb. The small garden, the fields that surround, the lush greenery all around made it a beautiful place to be in.

The perfect vacation for the other A to recharge his batteries so he can slave some more. The perfect vacation for me coz i got to spend a lot of quality time with him.

The rainy days and the evening bonfires were just perfect. If you need some place to recharge your batteries then you must go linger...

For more pictures go to my picasa page. I must warn you though, there are tons of pictures of flora and fauna, so go there at your own risk.

If you'd like to Linger, then click here.

River of Smoke, read

I just finished reading the Amitav Ghosh's River of Smoke and enjoyed it. But unfortunately, not as much as the Sea of Poppies, Book 1 of the Ibis trilogy. Readable, definitely. Interesting, yes. But something was lacking, unfortunately. 

Indigo Airlines

I travel quite a bit and have travelled most of the airlines that cater to the Indian domestic passengers. I used to love Kingfisher till a year back till I started travelling IndiGo. In terms of service and schedule, they are simply the best. I have travelled about 6-7 times by Indigo and never has a flight been delayed. In fact, they are always bang on time and most often at least ten minutes before. The staff is efficient and the in-flight magazine called 6E is entertaining. The food is not bad (the best airline fare actually) and even the products on sale on board are quite interesting. 

Yes, they are good. But the reason behind this post is a fantastic experience i had recently. The other A and i had travelled to Bangalore and onwards to Coorg this weekend and on our return back to Bangalore from Coorg, we got stuck in the Bangalore traffic. We reached the airport for a 7:15 at 6:43. I ran to the booking counter while the other A got our luggage out. We had already thought we may have to take the next flight which was at 10:00 since check in counters close 45 minutes prior to departure. (And I have had this experience where I had to reschedule because of an Air Deccan goof up and the 45 minute rule). 

To our surprise and delight, Munmun, the lady at the IndiGo ticket counter just handed me the boarding passes and asked us to go inside and check in our baggage. Just like that. Without any to-do. How often does that happen? 

Every experience I have had with IndiGo has been delightful so far. And it takes a lot for me to say this (considering that i have worked in Customer Service and have this terrible habit of nit picking).

Go IndiGo, i say. They are the best airline for domestic travel (and possibly better than a few of the International ones too - Emirates, Thai, AI, etc.)

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

The other A and i went to watch a movie after a really long time and thankfully, neither of us was disappointed. The first ten minutes did sound pretentious and fake but after that it was good. Even though a lot of people said that the movie looked like a long TVC for the Spanish Tourism Board, I dint think so. There were only a few times when the beauty of the landscape caught my eye, the rest of the times i just enjoyed the film. Go watch it if you haven't already. 3 hot men, well written characters and good acting. It also made me realize why the men like Katrina Kaif so much...

To the Zoo

I never thought a trip to the zoo would be so much fun for me. In fact, I think I enjoyed this trip more than my previous trips that our family made when we were kids. Despite the heavy rains that started half an hour into our visit, it was a good trip. (We saw most of the animals from afar, with the windows rolled up and the rain continually making visibility tougher. After about an hour of driving around we finally gave up, got some food, drove around a bit more and then left.) 

If you are a visitor to Hyderabad and the weather permits, do visit the Nehru Zoological Park. It's clean, the animals and birds are kept well (as well as they could be kept in an enclosed space) and it's a plastic free zone. Do carry some food because the restaurant in there has next to nothing. Oh, it's a lot of fun too. 

 

 

Dreaming

I am hoping for my dreams to scare me once again.

via

Print and match II

A detail of the various prints I combined together. You think they work?

Leave a note and tell.

The Guest Room Makeover

The model apartment I styled had a guest room that looked like this

What I think did not work for the room:

1. The black and red was too stark against the white bed. 

2. The prints on the wall were tacky.

3. The lamps I found tacky too.

4. The curtains were too pale, did not match the color scheme and hid the fabulous light the french windows could bring.

What I changed:

Everything i think! Except the furniture...

1. Had the wall behind the bed painted a pale blue to add color since everything was white. White walls. White bed. White sheet.

2. Got a printed bedspread in blue and white. Added magenta for the pop of color and bit of green because i felt a third color was needed.

3. Changed the curtains. Used magenta sheers with white non-sheers (shee!) so that by just moving the curtains around you can change the amount of light that gets in. Also the non-sheers are good to keep things private. All this with one curtain rod! Yay! 

4. Picked up an interesting print of the Eiffel Tower - luckily they were in the right colors.

5. Added chrome bedside lamps with magenta shades.

6. Got a globe, some jars, candles, plants and books to fill up empty spaces and add style.

7. A simple magenta rug to complete the picture.

The room, now, after the makeover

I think it looks bright, modern, cheery, and welcoming now. What do you think?

It was my first paid home styling project and I was super excited and a bit scared too (though I have done a couple of other styling projects that paid too, but they were not as big as this one). Looking forward to more!

Print and match

Mixing and matching prints with plains is simple. The trouble begins when you want to go beyond the obvious and try something a bit more daring. Like checks and prints. Or dots and prints. Or prints and prints. With lots of color.

Blue, white and pink makes for a fabulous combination. You might say oh, it works well in the Western context but i know for a fact that it would look fabulous in the Indian context too.

Imagine a navy blue printed sheet with magenta printed cushions. And a bit of green and gold. I think it could work.

Try something different today. Layer your home with prints. Your printed bedspread with pillows from another set. Stop buying matching and do share with me if it worked for you. Or not.

(i promise to share soon pictures of the room i styled with blue, white and pink. it was the room that won the most votes).

If you need help with color - in your wardrobe or home, write to me at ambicasrimal@gmail.com. I wont charge for advice but promise to pay as much thought and time as if you were paying for it.

PS: Isn't the way this DIY chair been styled fabulous? So romantic and colorful. I can just about imagine the rest of the room. A simple white distressed wooden table placed in front of a big window overlooking a garden, a small glass vase with one red flower on it, a laptop, some books, 2 picture frames, a pink rug on the floor and lots of fairy lights.

Meet Sage Sizzler Iyer

Meet Sage Iyer, the cutie pie, my friend Arundati of Escapades has now made part of her life.

He looks serious but is as playful as a pup can be. Now the trips to her house may just get more frequent. (Aru, consider yourself warned!)

Yes, I am totally in love with this little fur-ball. Aren't you too?

My favorite colors

hope you had a lovely long weekend and enjoyed the free time. jai hind.

Haiku

flap wings high in sky
magnificent butterfly
milk the rainbow dry.

bila wrote me this haiku to cheer me up.
another friend promised me 800 hugs (virtual and copied)
another one who doesnt visit temples says she will go to a temple and ask God to intervene. how cute cute is that!

thank god for friends who help you fight the blahs.
{photograph clicked by me}

Life goes on...

So life's full of ups and downs and mine's no different either. The last few months have been spent answering calls and hearing news of people going. One after the other. People who have been old and ailing and others who have been hale and hearty.

I am trying to cope with all the bad news that has been pouring in and then on July 19 I lost my grandma. I knew she was slowly fading and had a lot of health problems which she was finding it difficult to cope with. Despite that this is a huge loss for me and my family because I know for a fact that she was the knot that held us all together and I am scared that the bonds with the family will never be as strong. But i am hoping with all hope that it will be.

And even though life goes on, somethings can never go back to being the same...

{i clicked this at my friend's office in begumpet}