House2Home

Colours Of The Monsoon

2011-07-06T10:34:00.006+05:30

One of the best things about the rains is the colour of the evening sky...

And of course, the colour those magical drops bring to the garden...

Along with the heady scents that linger in the cool breeze.

Yes, I love the rains (as long as I don't have to get wet or walk through slush). How about you?

New Garden Pals

2011-06-20T13:00:00.000+05:30

Got a chance to make friends with these gorgeous creatures in our garden this last month.

The gossamer-winged dragonflies sleep on the dianthus every night....

....while this oh-so-pretty butterfly (isn't that shade of blue awesome!) flits around every now and then.

Absolute gorgeousness!!!

Transitioning

2011-06-06T13:31:00.001+05:30

We moved again, back to our old house, to live with our parents in their old age. This is the same house where I spent most of my growing years, and which witnessed all those landmarks in my life. This is where my husband first met my parents and asked for my hand in marriage. This is where I left from as a blushing new bride. This is where we brought home our two bundles of joy from the hospital. So yes, this house has seen it all.

But then living in a city, by a house you mean an apartment. And when it has been built by a government agency and is over three decades old, then you know that the house is hardly equipped to meet the pace of modern day living.

Coming from a modern home with all its attendant comforts, we are finding it especially hard to adjust to the old ways. But change isn't easy to implement; more so when a string of emotions and sentiments are attached to ever corner, to every piece of furniture. To top it, every time I recommend an upgrade, my parents meet my need with bewilderment. They cannot comprehend how the same house that I grew up in cannot satisfy me anymore.

So now the challenge is to strike that fine balance between the old and the new, to carve out a new identity for the same old space, to create areas that can serve the requirements of three different generations. Easier said than done!

In the midst of all this, my plants have remained a constant source of joy. The late bloomers did rather well, and are still giving us the last bursts of flowers despite the heat. And yes, the showy gazenias that I had hoped for finally bloomed, and how! :)

Floral Detour

2011-04-02T15:16:00.009+05:30

I promised you a glimpse into my garden when the remaining blooms add their colour. So here goes...

Round marigolds in hues of yellow and orange

Interspersed with the white and purple of the petunias

And the cheery yellow-white of the dogflowers

They all make my garden such a happy place! :)

Spring Blossoms

2011-03-15T12:05:00.000+05:30

That time of the year is here again.... as winter chills melt into the warmth of spring, and pleasant breezes caress your evenings, it is time to show off this year's blossoms.

I started out really, really late this time, waking up to the need for saplings only in January. The regular flower-wallahs turned me away saying they had run out of all stock. I came home feeling so lousy.... till my local gardener saved the day by procuring some plants.

Nevertheless, we have a good mix of colour on our sit-out. Bright pink (ice plants) offset by creamy yellow (crown daisy)....

The corner lighted up by a dash of red (salvia), and velvety maroon (dianthus) giving company to the whites (petunias).

My all-time favourites, the happy bunches of orange nasturtiums, are already getting attention from other quarters, with bunch of purple sunbirds visiting many times a day!

The yellow gazenias are cheery but I was a trifle disappointed with them as I was hoping for a more showy, multi-coloured variety.

Now the dogflowers (anthirriums) are awaited with much anticipation, to complete our happy garden! Of course I'll show them off when they arrive. :)

Simian Sunday

2011-03-02T16:32:00.009+05:30

Imagine turning back from working in the kitchen to find a monkey face peering back at you!

Happened to me one Sunday noon last month, as I turned back from the kitchen slab after kneading dough, only to find my simian visitor dozing on the sill. :) Cute, no?

Thankfully, the windows were closed (and a trifle dirty from the rains, hence the hazy picture).

The fella responded rather well to the kids making faces at him, and decided to hang around for a couple of days....

Ransacked a few of my plants before disappearing for good.

Nature's Jewels

2011-02-08T15:30:00.000+05:30

My first post of 2011... and all about the vagaries of the weather! Humphh!! ....

Or look at it another way, and you'll see it is actually about the beauty around us. Small things which we often miss out on in our rushed, frantic pace.

A huge downpour last night, and this is what we woke up to - a damp, grey-brown fog enveloping everything. Made it seem as though we were living in the clouds up there somewhere!!

And then I noticed nature's jewels.... tiny beads sitting like garlands around the leaves of my plants.

And on all those spidey wires that hung between the leaves and stems. :)

The dampness brought them on, and made them stay, so I could capture them for posterity.

The kids missed seeing these as they rushed off to school.... but I'm sure they enjoyed their foggy bus ride. And making funny faces on those moist windows.

Small things that matter, only if we have the time to stop and stare.

Though this winter the fog hardly came, but I'm enjoying whatever little I can get. For who knows? - Next winter, I may be elsewhere....

The First Winter Blossoms

2010-12-22T17:27:00.000+05:30

Yes, they are out.... the first winter blossoms of the season, just in time for Christmas. :)

It is amazing how these pretty Nasturtium blooms gladden my heart every time they bloom. Their bright, cheery faces are nothing less than food for the soul.

Here is wishing all my readers a merry, merry x-mas and a fabulous, exciting new year.

The Migration

2010-11-25T10:53:00.005+05:30

Witnessed this bi-annual migration yesterday from my living room. These nomads, probably native to Rajasthan, can be seen moving from one location to another once during the onset of summers, and again when the winters start.

Their belongings aren't many.... both the children and their cots fit in very well on the donkey's back. But you have to see the number of sheep that they take around with themselves! What the picture shows is just nothing. They had a huge herd that seemed to go on and on. Certainly not a sight that you can hope to see in a big city!

Meanwhile we are also contemplating a migration. Sometimes the time comes when you just have to let go, and go with the flow instead. So while there aren't any decisions yet, the thought is definitely in our heads. Let us see what Time makes of it....

Eco-Friendly Diwali

2010-11-09T11:34:00.015+05:30

We celebrated an eco-friendly Diwali this year with no crackers.

Not that it made us inhale any less smoke, given that we had neighbours who went berserk! But our decorations were all kept natural and floral...

Including the pooja decorations.

After all it is the festival of lights....

Not one of sound and pollution!

Hope better sense prevails next year.

Happy Diwali

2010-11-03T14:30:00.000+05:30

Wishing my readers a very happy and prosperous Diwali.

May the festival of lights bring joy, happiness, warmth, love and peace into your lives.

Festive Hangover

2010-10-27T18:32:00.000+05:30

It has been more than a week since Durga Puja got over but we still can't seem to get over the yummy 'bhog' that is served as community lunch at all pandals. So I cooked up some traditional puja food this weekend, and it turned out awesome! :)

At least one day during the pujas you are bound to be served khichuri (rice & lentils boiled together) or the erstwhile khichri, pronounced differently, along with laabra (mixed veg preparation using five different veggies, cooked in musard oil) and tomato chutney. The taste of this hot combo is so typical of the pujas.... guess the autumnal air has something to do with it.

Mmmm, the taste still lingers in my mouth.... but the good thing is that since I've successfully tried it once, I can now cook it up whenever I want. Wanna come over?

New House Guests

2010-09-21T10:18:00.008+05:30

Last Sunday when the skies opened up right since morning, we had a couple of new house guests. Had seen them around the neighbourhood before but never at such close quarters.

Wet and dripping, as they made themselves comfortable in the kids' balcony (much to the kids' delight), we did a frantic Google search to figure out their names. Meet the drongos - fork tailed and square tailed.

They are racuous creatures, constantly chattering away! By the second day they were so taken in by our premises that they fought and drove away the regular visitors, the mynahs. The fork-tailed drongo even allowed me to go pretty close.

And their faith in us was evident when by next evening they had already invited friends over to join them! :)

Meanwhile the other balcony had a house guest of quite another sort.

I'm still confused about his identity - whether he is a locust or a grasshopper remains open to debate. The fellow should thank his stars though that the drongos didn't spot him; he surely would've made a sumptuous dinner.

Awash In Pink

2010-09-13T10:21:00.004+05:30

Our front sit-out is awash in shades of pink, all thanks to the monsoon.

The varieties of pink portulaca look awesome against the dark monsoon skies.

Who says too much of a good thing is bad? At least my garden is happy! :)

One For Bird Lovers

2010-09-07T19:19:00.016+05:30

The urban pigeon holes (read apartments) that most of us live in barely allow room, and open space is almost a luxury. But living in one such I realized that there are things one can consciously do to attract our feathered friends. So here is my list of tips for all bird lovers wanting to catch a glimpse of wings in their balconies and decks.

Firstly, go out and green your open space. Even if you don't have the proverbial green thumb, there are some perennials and evergreens with which you just cannot go wrong. Get hold of a 'maali' (gardener) or befriend a nursery chap who can give you fully grown plants. For starters, try jade, asparagus and lily varieties. Don't just stick to boring pots and planters, get some hanging containers as well.

And invest in some seasonal blooms in spring; then watch the magic unfold!

Birds like all sorts of perches, so any kind of projection is a good idea. When we were getting our trellis done for security reasons, we had no idea it would lead to such wonderful bird watching opportunities! Just see for yourself...

Lastly, add a birdbath. You don't need something fancy, a regular terracotta one works fine and gets them to visit. If you place this at the same spot everyday, over a period of time you'll notice a steady set of visitors who return frequently, and get friends along. I placed mine outside the kitchen window; gives me lots of stuff to look out for while pottering around. :)

Hope this helps you attract the chirps and tweets!

Curio Cupboard

2010-08-23T11:22:00.001+05:30

It has been ages since I posted anything about the 'inside' of our house! :)

As I looked through old pictures, I realized how I have this tendency to turn every available space into a curio cupboard. So I decided to share snippets from one such cupboard; mind you, officially this is supposed to be a book-case but never mind....

So you have the most random things displayed together. Like this pair of coffee mugs I picked up from a dollar store in Denver...

...Displayed alongside this pair of marble elephants collected on a trip to Agra.

...Sharing space with this lil' hand-painted bottle that holds treasures collected by my son on a walk.

Alongwith this basket of potpourri.

But now they all sit (and fit) together snugly! :)

Blossom Time Again

2010-08-19T16:15:00.000+05:30

Finally they are blossoming again. I had thought the portulacas were too upset with my negligence of them during summer, and so were getting back by keeping away the flowers!

But rainwater has made them happy and they are blossoming again. :)

Small flowers but to me they bring big cheer. No wonder they say rain = rejuvenation.

Spotting Water Birds

2010-07-29T10:45:00.000+05:30

I'm learning that it is after all pretty good to remain part submerged in the rains. Know why? Because apart from the croaking cacophony of a froggy colony, you also get to witness some unexpected avian arrivals.

An area of land ahead of our house that has a largish expanse of stagnant rainwater has turned into an unlikely lake-of-sorts. Egrets, herons, ducks and mallards are seen aplenty floating around or pecking at the insects and froggies.

And of course, yours truly is forever angling on the balcony with a dangling digicam, trying to capture the water birds! :)

Hope you enjoy the results.

Garden, Interrupted

2010-07-27T11:40:00.000+05:30

While I was away from home for two months during summer, the intense heat and the sparse watering did most of my plants in. I came back to a browned, burnt, and ruined garden that left me totally depressed.

Of all my pots, only some varieties showed some signs of life, and have since revived. I thought it would be good to share with you all the names of all those toughies who pulled through the summer despite adverse circumstances. For the record, the survivors are: Jade, Portulaca varieties, Lily varieties, and Aloe Vera. One big hurrah for them! :)

While the rains brought on fresh blooms all around, my distressed plants were still languishing... and I was losing all hope of seeing any blooms this season. Till this past weekend, when my day lilies sprout forth! And now the portulaca is budding. :)

Hope floats now, once again!! :D

Monsoon Visitor

2010-07-20T20:32:00.005+05:30

Spotted this rainy day visitor crawling up the pipes behind our master bedroom.

My first reaction: "EEEKS!!!"

My second reaction: "Quick, get the camera." Never seen such a colourful crawly fella before!

Anyone knows what exactly his name is?

Submerged Comeback

2010-07-08T10:27:00.004+05:30

After being away from my home (and this blog) for the summers, I returned last week bringing the rains along. Ever since we got home it has rained every single day.

Not that we are complaining (were fed up of the unbearable heat anyway) but it isn't too convenient to remain submerged.

The pictures are from last year but the situation is pretty much the same this year as well (maybe worse!). Are the authorities listening or is it too much to expect?

Remains Of The Day

2010-04-19T11:15:00.000+05:30

Thought I'd share with you the remains of my first attempts at kulfi making! :)

Decided to try my hand at this dessert to mark the Bengali New Year Day last week. Despite the power-cuts the end result was rather yummy!

The recipe is easy enough so you can try this out yourself:

Boil full-cream milk on slow heat, and bring it down to less than half of the original quantity.

Add sugar to taste and a spoonful of cornflour for thickening. Remember to stir constantly at this stage else the sugar sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.

Add grated cashews and cardamoms to the thickened milk.

Soak pistachios and almonds for half an hour. Meanwhile churn the thickened milk for 2-3 mins in a blender or mixer.

Now set the thickened milk to freeze after garnishing with chopped pistachios and almonds.

Hope this kulfi helps you keep cool through the scorching days! :)

Fairy Queen Express

2010-04-13T11:30:00.000+05:30

My second post on trainspotting is special because it brings you the oldest running steam engine in the world! :) Bringing you the original chug-chug train from yore, the Fairy Queen Express that runs between Delhi Cantonment and Alwar stations.

Read more about this historic train here.

The Fairy Queen locomotive was created way back in 1855, and this was one of the first exhibits of the National Rail Museum.

Our advantage: being located close to the Western Railway track helps sight such vintage beauties as they go by, blowing blue smoke quaintly through its chimney, and hooting away in a shrill shriek that is very distinct from the whistles of modern-day engines.

This special train operates every year between October to March. Pity that this year's last trip was scheduled for 27March, which is when we managed to click the above pictures. So you have to wait till October before catching a glimpse of the Fairy Queen Express chugging away again.

Housescapes

2010-03-30T19:00:00.010+05:30

We just completed a whole year of living in this house so guess can't call it new anymore! :)

As the months went by, the seasons changed, the garden changed, and the house itself went through its own quiet metamorphosis.

Here is a pictorial journey to celebrate the year gone by through some of my favourite shots in the house.

Of cool, dreamy mornings...

Ending in fiery, brilliant evenings...

Our children enjoying in their splash pool in the summers.

My jade plant against the blue monsoon sky with wisps of clouds gently floating.

The Buddha bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun adds to the charm of an autumn evening.

Interesting shadows thrown up by the sharp winter sun.

Finally, precious spring blossoms bringing the year full circle!

Hope you enjoyed our journey through the year as much as we did! And looking forward to many more such years...

Our Special Neighbours - VI : Feathered Friends

2010-03-20T10:00:00.002+05:30

One of the joys of living in suburban areas is the sheer variety of birds you get to spot everyday. Some roam around the neighbourhood while some actually visit us daily.

Today I'll introduce you to the ones I've seen around the neighbourhood. The actual visitors coming home will be covered in a later post.

I don't even know all their names but let us go and meet them one by one. And you can let me know if one of them looks familiar, or I've identified it incorrectly.

Red Vented Bulbuls

Unknown Bird (Finch?)

Green Bee Eater

Brown Rock Chat

Magpie

Hoopoe

Rufous Treepie

Kingfishers

Crane

Unknown

Indian Robin

Shine & Glitter

2010-03-17T10:30:00.000+05:30

Added some shine and glitter to the kids' bedroom last weekend through these suncatchers.

I love how their room evolves ever so often, with new stuff getting added every now and then. I change their art display also, creating a brand new look every few days. Ups the 'interesting' quotient, like it should be in kiddy space!

Evok Shoe Rack

2010-03-16T11:00:00.000+05:30

We bought this shoe rack from Evok last month. Thought I'd share my experiences with the brand, associated as it is with a company as big and old as Hindware.

I found the Evok store quite expansive and well-appointed. And I especially liked their designs with its clean lines, and eye on utilitarian detail.

However, some of their staff were a little disappointing. They seemed not too conversant with product knowledge, and were somewhat overwhelmed attending multiple customers. For a company trying to build a brand, their website is also a dampener. Too many dead links, especially on the Products page. Hardly the place one would like to falter, don't you think!

What I did like was their online catalog that they check every time you request a specific product. This means that even if the product is not on display at the moment, they can source it for you. Their post-sales service is also pretty good, as their service personnel come home and assemble the knock-down furniture for you.

Hope you find the review useful, and it helps make better choices!

More Springtime Snapshots

2010-03-11T16:54:00.000+05:30

Some more snapshots from my garden to feast your eyes on! The spring blossoms are getting better by the day, and we as a family are enjoying the ambience thoroughly. :)

Brilliant cinerarias that are the pride of my sit-out!

Even my succulents are sprouting forth.... simply love the bell-shaped flowers.

Some more cinerarias in the kids' balcony.

Black Face (remember the guy?) has some lovely company these days.

Pretty little verbenas flowering in bright bunches.

Railway creeper back in business after the winter hibernation.

Red salvia completes the scene (though it isn't in its element yet).

Hope you liked the virtual tour through my greens.

Though I dislike winters, the anticipation of my colourful florals keeps me going through the chill. Pity it is warming up already and soon most of these beauties will get replaced by the summer crop.

Time For Ceramic Love

2010-03-02T19:29:00.005+05:30

Hope you all had a colourful Holi and enjoyed the splashes of colour. In our home this festival is synonymous with the yummy preparation of 'kanji vara'; a tradition derived from my husband's family.

So last weekend I went and bought a couple of ceramic 'martabaan' or 'barni'. These traditional ceramic jars can also be used to put pickles out in the sun. Really, don't they seem right out of grandma's kitchen! :)

Coming back to my original preparation, Kanji is a concoction made from rye and water, and Vara refers to the fried balls of lentil added to it. This preparation is kept in the earthen pots (martabaan) to cure in the sun, and in a week you have the tangy 'kanji vara' ready.

For an easy-to-follow recipe, click here and enjoy some of your own!

The Hues Of Spring

2010-02-24T15:56:00.010+05:30

Spring has visited us, and how! Our container garden is awash with blooms of various hues and colours. Sharing with you the visual treat that greets us everyday. :)

A profusion of pansies to start with.... Don't they look like butterfiles fluttering their wings in the breeze?

White and purple petunias brighten up a corner.

Nasturtiums in all possible shades of orange line up a ledge.

Maroon dianthus blooms add to the colours.

The deep purple cinerarias look striking.

Hope these colours of spring spill into your lives as well. Wishing all my readers a wonderful festival of colours this weekend.

Jodhpur Finds

2010-02-20T21:30:00.000+05:30

Time to share with you some of the goodies we brought back from Jodhpur.

When we were heading out for the vacation, Mr. and Ms. Puppet were feeling rather left out since we were going to their homeland. So we got back a relative of theirs to cheer them up! Meet Mr. Musician.... hope his soulful strains bring back nostalgic memories! :)

When I was making my wishlist last month, I didn't realise the first item will get ticked off so soon.

Ok, so the one I finally got is not as big as I wanted. But at least the home now boasts of a 'jharokha' on the wall, adding to the living room decor.

Mehrangarh Fort: Visiting A Royal Home

2010-02-16T13:00:00.000+05:30

All this while the blog focussed on our house, that we all finally turned into a home last year. But in today's post I decided to share with you another home we visited recently. A home with amazing decor, astounding exteriors, and an amazing feel.

No trip to Jodhpur can be complete without a trip to the abode of the maharajas - the grand Mehrangarh Fort that sits atop a hill overlooking the city. As we near the fort through the narrow, winding lanes of the old city, the looming fort looks majestic.

As soon as we enter, the sheer size and the details on the outer walls take our breath away!

Wonder how they carved the sandstone in such detail all those years back.

And more amazingly, how they managed to do it at such an awesome height!

Here is a peep into the mujra ghar or nautch room of the palace.

Even the ceilings have so much decorative work on them.

And this happens to be the maharaja's bedroom. Don't the coloured glass windows look breathtaking?

And of course, one peep out of the fort in any direction, and you get to see the famously blue-painted houses of the old city. Jodhpur is called the Blue City because of these very houses that surround the Mehrangarh fort.

All in all, a magical experience as we get transported to another world, another era. I must mention here that the fort is very well maintained, and there are helpful locals employed here who ensure they guide you through all the rooms correctly.

Hope you enjoyed this special house tour. Future posts will bring you more from our fabulous trip to Jodhpur.

Framed!

2010-02-03T18:00:00.000+05:30

We finally got a couple of my paintings framed and hung around the house last weekend.

I'm happy with the colour they add to our dining area.

It sure feels good to see them like that, adorning our walls! :)

We are also getting ready for a short getaway to Jodhpur, and am bang in the middle of packing up for the trip. So the house resembles a 'dhobi ghat' (traditional Indian laundry) with clothes strewn all over. This will be our first outstation trip after moving into this house. So there, another first in place!

Hope to bring back some interesting things to share with you from our trip.

My Wishlist

2010-01-22T18:28:00.001+05:30

First month of the year and I am already dreaming of a wishlist for the house! Talk of material afflictions (LOL).... Well, the list mainly comprises of things that have caught my fancy over the years.

Things I have seen displayed elsewhere and wanted in my own space. Things that remind me of special memories and connections. Things I have admired for their beauty and craftsmanship. Sometimes even things that do not necessarily fit in but yet there is this deep craving to acquire (I'm sure the women will understand this one better!).

So, here is my wishlist for our home, in no particular order:

A beautifully carved, wooden jharokha for the living room

Image from unnamed source on the internet

Large statues in granite and sandstone for the garden

Image from Lotus Sculpture website

An arbor of plants in my terrace

Image clicked by camera phone from a magazine I was browsing in a bookstore

A porch swing in one of the sit-outs

Image from now-defunct blog Delightful Home

A rocking chair in my bedroom

Image from unnamed source on the internet

Phew! Does it ever end??? I should stop now and return from my flights of fancy. After all, we don't want the home looking overdone! ;)

Raindrops? No, Dewdrops!!

2010-01-20T10:49:00.011+05:30

Today's post doesn't require too many words. Suffice to say that the fog this morning was very dense, and the dew so heavy that it might as well have been a drizzle!

I can easily pass off these winter pictures for monsoon ones. What say? :)

Winter Vignettes

2010-01-14T11:17:00.016+05:30

North India, as we all know, is freezing and fogged out. And if the experts are to be believed, then this changed trend of harsh winters is here to stay for at least the next 20-30 years.... Brrrrr!!! Not good news for folks like me who dislike winter anyway.

Winter makes me feel so dull, and foggy days makes everything look dreary. No impetus to do anything! Yet I forced myself to pick up my camera yesterday, and bring you some winter vignettes from around the house.

The sun has been gobbled up by the clouds and the fog.

Had this been the moon, it would've looked so romantic (remember the golden oldie Khoya Khoya Chand featuring Waheeda Rehman and Dev Anand), but the sun looks better when it is bright and cheery.

All our surroundings are enveloped in a blanket of grey.

This is the view from our balcony by day...

And by night...

Driving is such a nightmare in these conditions!

And this is what can be seen of the tree that was at least visible here.

Dewdrops form little beady necklaces on my plants everyday.

As I sit in my Tibetan woolly socks covering chilblained feet. Their colourful patterns are a welcome visual relief from the grey all around!

Hope you all are keeping yourselves toasty and warm this winter. Come back soon for more wintry updates from my home. After all, despite the big chill, a girl's gotta keep going.... :)

Adding Warmth To The Winters

2010-01-08T13:15:00.000+05:30

The new year has started with temperatures dropping recklessly and the days fogging up. So I decided to start the year with a winter decor idea.

I always make slight changes to the decor with the onset of full-blown winters. Rugs dot the floor, adding warmth to the rooms and bringing some relief from the cold tiles. I also drape old, unused shawls on the sofas.

The shawls serve well as warm covers, especially when you plonk in to catch a late-night movie on a freezing winter evening. Tuck in the shawl into the sofa seat cushions, throw in some matching cushions on top, and your winter seating arrangement is ready!

So this is what my regular TV-viewing sofa looks like in winters, all warmed up! :) Hope the idea helps around your house too.

Another New Year Already?!!

2009-12-30T18:19:00.002+05:30

It has been such a roller-coaster for us in 2009, that I'm almost surprised at another new year catching up with us already! :)

2009 was a big year for us, with a lot of new experiences, a lot of firsts. And the new home was just a starting point.... This year our daughter started 'big school', our son learnt to stay away from his most favourite person- grandma- as we moved into a nuclear family set up, my husband who used to hate the very idea of driving in chaotic city traffic actually learnt driving well enough to drive himself to work (I still pinch myself sometimes!). Well, the list seems endless but I won't bore you with the details.

I'll remember the year most of all for making me connect to something that I waited a long, long time to do. Yes, this was the year I started painting again. It was like a breath of fresh air, a new lease of life to be able to find my way around hitherto unexplored terrain. You can see my artwork on my other blog, Creative Rumblings.

Here's hoping the mad rollercoaster ride continues in 2010 as well, as I bring you more interesting vignettes from our home.

And wishing all my readers a fantastic 2010 where all your dreams come true, and you get the courage and confidence to dream even bigger!

Some Succulent (& Thorny!) Green Advice

2009-12-17T11:30:00.007+05:30

My old pal from college recently lamented how she was getting frustrated because her cacti wouldn't survive. As she asked for tips, she also suggested that I share this piece of advice on my blog for all wannabe green thumbs like her. So here goes...

Cacti and succulents are two of the easiest-to-grow varieties for apartment dwellers. They are no fuss creatures, and don't need much pampering. Morever, they do not require extravagant spaces. You can actually grow them in the smallest of containers and still manage to add that much-needed dash of green to your living area.

But the two cardinal rules for all cacti and succulents (and they apply especially to those that are grown in apartment balconies):

Rule one, never over-water, even if they look withered. Too much water does them more harm than too less. Remember, both cactus and succulent plants are meant for arid, dry climate.

Rule two, and equally important, keep them out of squirrel-infested areas. The squirrels have a fascination for the gel-like substance found in both cacti and succulents. So they suck out the insides of the poor cacti/succulent, leaving just the outer shell standing. And then before you know what happened, the plant suddenly withers away!

The solution that worked for me - keep your cacti and succulents indoors till they grow somewhat sturdy. Once the thorns on the cacti start hardening, the squirrels won't touch it anyways! :)

Hope this advice helps, and more of my readers enjoy greening their spaces.

Our Special Neighbours - V : Bugged!

2009-12-15T16:02:00.007+05:30

Seems like the ladybirds are in circulation already! But I thought they came in spring, and couldn't survive the harsh winters... maybe this one was a lost creature, late in catching up on some winter sleep like its fellow bugs.

My son brought home a tiny ladybird home the other day, and my daughter squealed with joy declaring that the 'ladybug' was going to be their pet! :) The two spent almost an hour playing around with the polka-dotted fellow before it finally took off...

I have seen ladybirds in various shades of red, orange and earthy yellow before. But right after we had moved in to this house last spring in late March, I saw a couple of gorgeous specimens around these parts.

Have you ever seen a ladybird in such a brilliant blue hue?

Or such a bright green one?

Maybe it won't be such a bad idea to have them around the garden after all... as pets or otherwise! :)

Hibernating....

2009-12-01T12:10:00.007+05:30

Now that winters are here, hibernating seems like a good excuse for my long absences from this blog! :)

Did I tell you I absolutely dislike winters? Those foggy grey days give me a serious case of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, for the uninitiated) every year. I am the sunshiny types who'd rather get a sunburn than sit and shiver in a corner all day. So I spend the maximum time outside on the sit-outs munching peanuts and crackers, and the rest of my indoor time is taken up by painting.

I hope to get a little active around X-mas cause that is such a favourite festival with the kids. In the meanwhile, here's praying for sunny, cheerful days ahead instead of depressive, smoggy ones... at least one can catch a picnic then! :)

A Dash Of Zen

2009-11-20T16:51:00.013+05:30

Giving you all a dose of Zen calm from my garden for the weekend!

I have been hung up on adding a statue to my garden for a very long time. So I picked up this soapstone Buddha from one of the curio shops in the Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan.

We added this Buddha bust way back in September but I forgot to post about it in the festive rush. :)

It has since changed locations and come indoors but looking at these pictures still has such a calming effect.

This picture was added at a later date (on 03Dec09) to show the statue indoors.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Our Special Neighbours - IV : The Lapwing Family

2009-11-15T18:40:00.001+05:30

As winter sets in and the days turn chilly, let me share with you the story of the lapwing family to warm the cockles of your hearts! :)

Right after we moved in to the new house in early summer, we learnt to recognise the typical (shrill and long-drawn) calls of the lapwing couple who lived in the fields behind our house.

Since summer was just beginning, the fields had been recently harvested and sported a dry, brown stubbly growth. Just ideal for the lapwings to roost... but we didn't realise this till one fine morning I noticed a distinct change in the bird's call.

Short, sharp calls came from mommy bird while papa bird hovered around protectively in circles. I craned my neck some more from the balcony, peering into the undergrowth. As I squinted into the distance, my eye caught a movement. Aah, then I saw it... baby lapwing running around mommy but so well camouflaged that one could only wonder at Nature. (Look very carefully between the two bigger birds in the next photo to see the baby.)

Excited, I pointed out the lapwing family's new addition to the kids and the hubby, and we all kept tabs on what the baby bird was up to.

Can you see how tiny it is compared to the bits of paper lying on the ground?

As time went by, baby gathered enough confidence to go on longer walks, crossing roads and dodging dogs and cattle.

Slowly the baby lapwing grew from its tiny sparrow-like look to the more long-legged and distinct look of the lapwings.

Till finally one day, it soared off into the blue skies, right behind mommy and papa birds!

Some of the joys of living in a suburban area where one can still interact with flora and fauna!

Garden News

2009-10-28T13:55:00.008+05:30

Am back with a garden update after a long quiet spell.

To start with, sun-face has a new friend. And my plans with the creepers have finally fallen in place. So now sun-face and black-face make quite a duo next to the morning glory creeper.

The morning glory also goes up our iron trellis and is full of magenta flowers every other morning. Looking at its branches reaching out skywards, the kids have named it the 'beanstalk' (from Jack and the Beanstalk).

Another of my favourites, the railway creeper has started climbing up the trellis in the kids' balcony, and gives us cheerful mauve flowers everyday.

As the mornings and evenings turn cool, one can see vibrant growth in the greens. It is just the right time to be planning the winter blooms, and so I have sown some seeds and am peeking in to check new saplings everyday. Nasturtiums and petunias have already shown up!

But my chrysanthemums are growing too slowly. I'm almost scared they won't grow fast enough to bloom this coming season. Any ideas how to make them grow better?

Diwali Snapshots

2009-10-20T21:15:00.012+05:30

I'm back after a whole month.... with a bang and such a festive hangover! :)

This year the festivals have been extra special for us because they were our first in the new house. And Diwali being the most favourite festival in our family, we went all out for it. Here is how the house looked on the big night, all lit up, and resplendent like a bride on her wedding day!

Preparations for Diwali began a week before. Braving traffic jams and parking paranoia, we got candles and diyas from the famous Diwali Mela at Blind School. This mela or fair is more than 30 years old, and has rows and rows of such interesting stalls. But most importantly, I must say the quality of the products made at the Blind School is exceptionally good. Our candles outlasted all the others in the neighbourhood! :)

To add to our decor, we made paper lanterns made at home. Fun thing to do with the kids too.

Rangoli patterns and loads of marigold flowers completed the special Diwali look.

The tiny feet of Goddess Lakshmi leading up to our main door. As per traditional thought, she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and this ensures that she stays with us through the year!

And of course, the special Lakshmi puja that is such an important part of this festival in my husband's family. Love the warmth of the oranges and yellows in this picture.... and the glow of the candles and diyas.

We finished off the celebrations with a final show of crackers on the rooftop which the kids really enjoyed.

Hope your Diwali was wonderful, warm and loving. Wishing all my readers a prosperous year ahead!

On A Festive Break!

2009-09-25T18:56:00.004+05:30

Today I participated in Durga Puja festivities in my new locality albeit with some old friends. I will be away from blogging for the next few days as I'm going to be busy with the festive season.

Here's wishing all my readers a happy Durga Puja and Dusshera. May the goddess shower health, happiness and harmony for all.... Leaving you all with this image of the goddess in our new home.

Bamboo Boat Finally Afloat

2009-09-22T10:45:00.007+05:30

Well, that title is not to be taken too literally! :) For my bamboo boat is a smart new garden container. I had purchased this funky creation from a fair last winter and finally got to plant some greens in it.

The bamboo boat is basically a long, hollow piece of bamboo artfully closed from the two sides so you can use it as a planter. It even has a hole at the bottom for drainage, and comes with a string to hang. But for now I prefer keeping it on the ledge next to my iron trellis.

With the last leg of rainfall happening about ten days back, the humidity levels have increased and new plants are taking root easily. So the bamboo boat got a mix of spider plant, yellow day lily and jade.

Here's hoping by spring these would look bigger and better, turning the boat into a green haven!

Furniture Fracas

2009-09-16T10:43:00.008+05:30

When we decided to move into the new house, we realized we were woefully short on furniture. We had sold off an old bed and centre table, and now required new pieces for both the living room and the kids’ bedroom. So off we went, hunting around furniture shops.

My husband was keen to buy branded designer furniture, and after much deliberation we settled for Usha Lexus. For one it was a tried and tested brand. My husband had used their furniture at my in-laws’ place for many years without any complaints. And secondly, their designs - with its clean, uncluttered lines - caught our fancy. So we zeroed in on our requirements:

For the kids’ bedroom I was very clear that I wanted to use two single beds that could be joined together to form a double bed. To achieve this it was important that the headboard design be such that it looked complete both as a single piece and as a joined double bed. We threw in a bedside table with drawers as well.

Our main drawing room wall needed a visual break to separate out the living and dining areas. We decided to do that through a display cabinet - something that would fit in with both spaces, and yet provide the required demarcation between the two.

Finally, we chose a new sofa set sans the mandatory centre table for the living room.

And thus began our misery. Usha Lexus promised to deliver the order in a month’s time. Not only did they slip on that, the first batch of delivered furniture took us by total shock.

The headboards of the beds were of differing heights, and did not match.

Horror of horrors - the cabinet they delivered was not even made of wood! They just stuck together some ply pieces and tried to pass it off as designer furniture.

With the stamps of the ply board clearly showing! Can you imagine this from a company of the stature of Usha Lexus??

This was shocking, and I began a tirade against them. Innumerable calls to the salesperson and the quality manager followed. My husband sent a bunch of complaint mails. Defective pieces kept going back and forth for two months.

After much stress and heartburn, finally they got us some decent pieces. But even those are not half as lasting as the polish on them has begun to crack already.

Moral of the story: Just because it is a brand doesn’t mean it has to be good. Sometimes they turn out to be worse than the local furniture makers! You can hope to have good pieces from them only if you can fight tooth and nail over an extended period, like we did.

The only saving grace: They are fairly good at customized orders, so you can get exactly what you want, as per your specific need.

Of course, I must mention here that the sales person was so relieved to get us off his back that he sent along a complimentary centre table to match the new sofa set. :) Not that I needed it (we already had a lovely coffee table from Fab India by then). But I am now using that extra centre table as a curio display. More on that in a future post…

Miracle Of Life

2009-09-13T10:00:00.003+05:30

What kind of gardener are you?

I have a neighbour who gets home full-grown potted plants from the neighbourhood nursery, replants them into fancy containers, and then claims to have "grown" the plants herself! Considering that 90% of her garden consists of varieties of coleus (easy to grow, require maintenance only in extreme temperatures), I don't get too impressed by her kind of gardening.

If you belong to her type, this post is really not for you.

But if you are my type - yes, one of those who go out to check on each new leaf in the garden every morning, who care for a plant right from sowing the seeds and tending the saplings up to when they are healthy young greens - then you'll know the joy that such a sight brings....

I planted two seeds a few days back, and then one sprouted. I thought, 'If it pulls through, I can hope to have more creepers crawling up my balcony walls.'

Then the soil moved a little, and the next morning I saw another one rearing its little head, confidently pushing through the earth.

Now they are both growing rapidly, and seems like my plans for more creepers may just work out with their timely contribution!

Isn't it such a blessing to be able to enjoy these small miracles in our everday life! :)

Our Special Neighbours - III : Doggy Four Shoes

2009-09-10T10:00:00.002+05:30

Never seen a canine friend in shoes? Well, we have one such specimen in the neighbourhood! A Labrador Retriever who passes by everyday.

Don't believe me? Just check out his pictures...

Well, I confess I'm not too sure if they are shoes or socks or stockings or what.... But we called him 'Doggy Four Shoes' from the beginning and the name stuck!

Mind you, he is a stylish fellow - changes his footwear every single day. No repeats for this guy!

Okay, there is an exception.... On rainy days he appears sans his trademark socks. But trades them for snazzy rain-gear. So you see, the style quotient remains wayyyyy up there!! :)

Hope you enjoyed meeting our stylish neighbour just as much as we love seeing him everyday. Especially the kids - they call out to him, or my hubby whistles softly, and he stops in his tracks and looks up! Some friendships just can't be defined.... :)

Busy Season Starts

2009-09-07T10:03:00.006+05:30

I know I have been away from this blog for a while. I was kept busy with:

Spending a day with, and entertaining some dear friends

Hoping our kids get to forge bonds of friendship in the process

Recovering from another bad bout of flu

Thanking my stars it wasn't the swine variety

Celebrating my darling daughter's fourth birthday

Sharing her excitement through her special day

Shopping like crazy for the kids and the home in anticipation of the festival season

Planning how to celebrate the bunch of upcoming festivals

Here is a collage of pictures depicting the above (the good bits, of course).

I can foresee that this month and the next my blog posts are likely to be few and far between, but I'll try my best to keep up the pace.

In the meanwhile, hope you all enjoy the festive season! :)

Weekend Additions Around The House

2009-08-26T22:30:00.009+05:30

This weekend I fished out an old terracotta Ganesha wall hanging that had been lying in cold storage for about two years. Didn't realize it back then but Sunday was also Ganesha Chaturthi.

What should I call this? - Happy coincidence, or maybe, divine concurrence. Whichever way you look at it, it was perfect timing! Not that I'm much of a believer in all this religious hogwash anyway. :)

I also put up this metal sun in our front balcony. Looks a bit lonely right now hanging all by itself.

But I have grand plans to dress up this sit-out with greens. So if the bougainvilleas I planted last month spruce up by winters, or if some more of these creepers show up, I'm hoping that sun-face should have some company next spring!

Once the wall is covered in greens, I'll add some more knick-knacks here.

Our Special Neighbours - II : Monkeying Around

2009-08-23T12:13:00.004+05:30

I just learnt the key to being a monkey:

First, get a good night's rest.

After you wake up, peep diligently into kitchen windows, for obvious reasons.

Keep yourself free of bugs and ticks... if you find any, pop 'em right in!

Catch some beauty sleep on the fly!

Yes, we had a simian visitor this week. You think he's funny? Well, so do I, and I really enjoyed clicking the fellow.

But the underlying concern - have we encroached on areas that were once rightfully theirs? After all, jungles and farmlands are being converted to urban living spaces at breakneck speeds everywhere.

Adding More Greens

2009-08-20T18:59:00.009+05:30

Have been away from blogging for a while as I was grappling with the paces of changing maids. And that is a pretty unpleasant place to be in. Anyhow, things are beginning to look normal again...

We spent the long Independence Day weekend at my parents' place. What lovely weather we had; it was drizzly and cool, and the sky was a riot of colours.

Just the right time for me to get some more plants from my mom's terrific garden. It is amazing just how many plants she has on her terrace, all in containers. It is a veritable plant nursery if you ask me! :)

So now I have some money plant or pothos in a Snapple bottle livening up my kitchen ledge.

And the terracotta planter that I mentioned before, traditionally called the tulsi chauras in north India, finally has its share of Indian basil in place.

Some more saplings are showing up but I'll write about them only after they have grown a bit. And yes, the portulaca has been flowering steadily. :)

What more does one need than some greens around the house to soothe the senses!

Our Special Neighbours - I : Common Sparrows

2009-08-13T10:00:00.001+05:30

One of the advantages of living in a suburban area is the increased interaction with both flora and fauna. Living in an area that has many large trees and open fields brings us that much closer other living creatures than a pure city existence would. This blog will now include special posts featuring these species that we share our neighbourhood with.

Our first house guest: the common sparrow. When I spot a family of sparrows conferencing on the grills of my kitchen balcony every morning, it feels good to know that we live in an area where correlation between the varied species isn't skewed yet.

The common sparrow disappeared from metropolitan areas like New Delhi many years back. I remember my mum grumbling about sparrows eating up saplings from her garden many years back when I was a student. Afterwards, their population dwindled every year, and now the city holds no place for them. They have been ousted by bigger birds like the common mynah and the uiquitous grey pigeons. Smaller birds cannot thrive in the city because they are unable to find safe places to roost, and there are no tall, bushy trees to accomodate their nests.

While my mum has been rid of the sparow menace, I welcome them to my balconies every morning. We awake with their chirps, and hear their cheeps all day. :) In fact, they have almost monopolised our birdbath but I feel lucky to have them around rather than the pigeons.

Hope you enjoyed meeting today's guests. Subsequent posts will feature other creatures that we regularly spot in the neighbourhood.

Scenes From Our Rural Backyard

2009-08-11T19:38:00.010+05:30

We have a patch of farmland right behind our house, and so are able to view glimpses of rural life all day long. It feels so surreal that despite being so close, the life led by the farmer and his family is so completely different from ours... they are, literally, worlds apart.

The farmer and his family is up before the crack of dawn, tending to their cows and milking them.

Then the fellow waters his lush fields. My maid, who is a village lass herself, tells me that his crop is nothing fancy; just plain cattle feed. But as long as it keeps our backyard green, I'm not complaining.

As the day progresses, the children leave for school and the farmer and his wife go inside their thatched hut. In the evening, a bunch of women descend to cut the fodder.

First from the field using scythes, and then further chopping is done in the machine.

And of course, how can I forget the cowdung cakes? :) There are loads and piles of them, all over the place.

As my maid grumbled one morning, the farmer's wife sells them to the nearby village folk at a steep price. These cakes are used as fuel for traditional Indian choolahs (a mud stove that uses firewood) in rural areas.

Now you know how easy it is to while away time in our new home... by transporting yourself to another world altogether and virtually getting lost in it!

But at the end of the day, our shameless voyeurism only brings home the reality - that our world runs smoothly only because they do their bit in their own world. Can you imagine a world without crops and milk?

Threads That Bind

2009-08-06T10:46:00.009+05:30

Yesterday we celebrated the festival of Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi in our new home.

Since this was the very first festival we celebrated in this house, and it is one the favourite festivals of the kids, so that made it all extra-special! :)

We decorated the Rakhi thali with flowers from our garden.

And the kids got to wear their choice of cartoon characters as Rakhi.

I have no siblings, and more specifically, no brother. No, not even cousins... imagine. Some tough luck that! So Rakhi is a festival that never really got celebrated in my parents' house.

But now each year when this festival comes round, I send up a small prayer of gratefulness and thanks to someone up there. For giving me a son and a daughter, instead of 2 sons or 2 daughters. For finally letting this festival touch my life through the joy of my kids. For letting me enjoy the unique relationship that only a brother and sister share and understand.

Hope you all enjoyed this special festival too!

Seasonal Surprises

2009-08-03T22:40:00.015+05:30

I really didn't expect the rains to bring in so many surprises in our new home.

Like this family of feathered visitors (sorry I forgot to ask their names!).

Mama, papa and baby bird all seemed to like it around our place, and were contemplating building their own little apartment. :)

----*------*----

Like these tiny white toadstools that sprung up all in the course of a sultry afternoon.

Whoa! Hope the froggies don't turn up to claim their umbrellas now! Or will I see an elf sitting under them tomorrow?!? :)

----*------*----

Like this pretty yellow grass lily that greeted me one morning.

How I loved that cheery yellow flower nodding away in the breeze as I bustled about in the kitchen.

----*------*----

Like this lil' plant that I had long forgotten about, assuming it dead in the summer heat.

Now it stands upright, its tiny stem growing stronger by the day.

----*------*----

Amazing how much wonder a few drops of rain can do....

Back From A Time-Out

2009-08-02T21:00:00.001+05:30

My blog posts have been infrequent of late since I was enjoying some time-out with the hubby. My dearest was on leave from work so I decided to take a break from blogging. Not that blogging equals work for me, it is more of a stress reliever! :) Pity that we couldn't fit in a vacation though as the kids have been going to school.

But hubby and I got to spend some quality time together in the new home. A quiet hour in the morning in the front sit-out, with a steaming cup of tea and the newspaper for company, some walks around the neighbourhood, enjoying the rain together.... we caught up with such small luxuries that we had been missing given our crazily hectic schedules.

Got quite a few pending house chores done with as well, and that is such a relief! I also took some time out to potter in my fledgling terrace garden, and resume my painting.

Hopefully the blog posts shall flow again soon!

Know Your Style Persona?

2009-07-29T12:24:00.004+05:30

Just took this fun quiz here to check out my style personality. Got a blooper the first time round but my second attempt gave better results. So this is who I am...

Pretty close actually! ....Why else would I have a whole blog for my home! :)

Go on, have some fun yourself...

Monsoon Magic

2009-07-22T08:00:00.003+05:30

This year the rains have hardly come to this part of the country.... but nevertheless we enjoyed whatever little bounty the skies bestowed. Sharing with you some snapshots of the monsoon taken from various corners of our new home.

First, we peep out of the balconies and enjoy the overcast skies as dark clouds gather overhead.

Nimbus black clouds rolling in over the horizon

The feeling of joyous anticipation as a gentle breeze caresses our cheeks.

The trees swaying in the breeze

Then the raindrops come.... the familiar pitter-patter sounds sweeter in a new living area.

A glimpse of my hanging planter through a rain-swept glass door

And then the skies clear up, and a beautiful blue emerges.

The dazzling blue of the sky reflected in our living room tiles

Soft, cottony wisps of clouds that remain in the sky ensure a gorgeous sunrise next morning.

Glimpse of the sunrise from our kitchen balcony

Hope the rains touched your hearts with as much joy as ours.....

Trainspotting: Part 1

2009-07-19T23:00:00.000+05:30

Remember I told you we live near the railway tracks, and see all kinds of trains passing by all day long. Well, over the last three months in the new house we observed quite a few different types of trains and learnt to identify them. Now even my kids can tell you which is which! :) And they do that all the time for visitors and first-timers.

So I thought I'd take you through a tour of the trains we spot. Only I couldn't capture all of them on camera, so there will be a Part 2 post sometime later. But for now, here goes...

This is the regular passenger train with its trademark blue coaches.

And notice how this one has loads of people on top. Unfortunately folks here still think it is cool to sit atop since it is a non-electrified, diesel line. What they don't realize is how dangerous this is; one sharp brake and they could all topple over. (And I'm not even mentioning the evils of ticketless travel here...)

This is the regular goods train with its boring rust brown coaches.

And this is the more interesting container goods train. The different colored containers passing by in a queue make for such a pretty picture!

This one is a coal train, loaded to the brim.

This train with blue coaches is used to ferry cars. Notice how the coach size is bigger and has see-through openings.

Hope you enjoyed this first round of trainspotting! Stay tuned for Part 2.

Twinkle Twinkle, Pretty Periwinkle!

2009-07-15T09:44:00.005+05:30

I planted two flowering plants about a week back - a Portulaca and a Periwinkle.

This white periwinkle is the first flower to have bloomed in the garden of our new house. Another milestone crossed! :)

The portulaca has already got a bud; waiting for the blooms to sprout forth soon.

Our New Birdbath

2009-07-13T09:51:00.005+05:30

We just added a traditional terracotta birdbath to the sill of our kitchen balcony garden. The heat has been so scorching this summer, this was the least we could do for our feathered friends.

Glad to say it has been well received and gets its daily share of visitors! :)

Playing Hostess

2009-07-07T13:12:00.007+05:30

We had our first house party this weekend for my cousin and aunt who’d come from Bangalore. So all my ‘specials’ came out as we spruced up the new house!

Ikat cushion covers to complement the new sofas

Pastel colored table spread with traditional Bengal embroidery work

Some dressing up the walls

Removing clutter from shelves to make them look presentable
(That is my coffee set in the kitchen)

Adding some greens indoors

And of course, some yummilicious food…. peppered with lots of good-hearted banter.

Finally the house felt like a home! :)

Garden Gossip

2009-06-29T10:19:00.006+05:30

I have been trying to add to my meagre garden in the new house, though this is hardly the right time to do so. With temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius for more than a week, everything is scorching and dry. Hot winds in the afternoon only make it worse for the poor plants to survive in this furnace.

Anyhow, the clay pots I bought for the griha-pravesh now serve as planters on my stairway window sill. Thankfully these plants are still coping better since they remain in the shade.

This new succulent I planted in a hanging pot is struggling – some days it looks bright and fresh, on other days it seems all withered. I have removed it from its perch and placed it in a shady corner; hope that helps it pull through.

On an afternoon of sudden, unexpected showers I planted 4 seeds of a flowering creeper that my cousin shared with me. To my absolute joy, all four of them sprung up, nodding their little heads despite the heat. But unfortunately they are now shriveling up; each day I seem to lose a sapling and it feels awful. :(

The one thing that still brings a smile – the Butterscotch Birdhouse, one of my creations, has finally found its place adding some color and cheer to my garden, and giving my palm tree company!

Using My Painted Bottle-vases

2009-06-24T10:24:00.005+05:30

Just realized looking through my last post that I hadn’t really shared with you the pictures of my bottle-vases in action. So here goes….

This one sits on the washbasin countertop of the kiddy bathroom, holding paper flowers. Fits in with the butterflies and dragonflies that flit across it!

And the smaller one is used to hold the fresh flowers that my babies get me from their walks around the house.

Will give a garden update in my next post. Till then, enjoy the mid-week madness!

Vacation Vagaries

2009-06-22T11:44:00.004+05:30

I’ve had a busy fortnight; hope that explains my sudden disappearance.

The kids decided they had to do some summer vacation stay-overs. So off my five year old son went to his paternal uncles’ place. And two days later my three year old got dropped off at grandma’s. That left a very paranoid mommy at home!

There I was on tenterhooks, swinging between worry and happiness. Worried at how my munchkins would manage on their own. After all this was the first time they were staying alone, without each other for sibling support. But I was happy that they were learning to strike out on their own, make individual choices and lead independent lives.

But mommy missed her munchkins so much that she painted them a surprise. So their bathroom got a Froggy with a red umbrella, sitting pretty on lotus leaves while giant mushrooms peeked from the sides! :) Yes, all this on a glass jam bottle that I turned into a toothbrush holder. For more details, read here.

This new holder complements the glass bottle-vase so well. And they both enliven the washbasin area, just as it should be in kiddy space.

The Yellow Pansy

2009-06-09T09:22:00.007+05:30

Remember the contest win I had written about way back in September last year; you can refresh your memories here and here.

The winning photo of the yellow pansy

Well, true to her promise, Debbie from Reflections of Debbie sent across a colored pencil drawing of my pansy photograph. And this drawing holds pride of place in my dining area now.

Debbie's drawing of the yellow pansy

I had originally planned to frame both the photograph and the drawing together but unfortunately, I couldn’t work around their size mismatch. So for now, Debbie’s breathtakingly beautiful rendition of my pansy hangs in all its glory right above the dining table.

The 'conversation piece' of my dining space

Puppet Passion

2009-06-08T11:07:00.003+05:30

Meet Mr. and Ms. Puppet. They arrived last month, and have since been family.

They are currently staying in our living room, spreading joy and cheer with their bright faces and colorful attire.

And of course, the kids love them. After all, where can you find friends who brighten up your day, and listen to all your stories without a whimper of protest! :)

I’m so glad we got this pair of traditional Rajasthani puppets for the home. I absolutely love how they give the plain white walls such a festive look.

Wanna invite them over to jazz up your home? :)

Hand-Towel Basket

2009-06-04T10:56:00.004+05:30

Felt too lazy to go out and buy a towel hanger to hold the hand towel in the master bathroom.

Picked out an old, discarded fruit basket.

Threw in a couple of interesting things- like a pine cone I picked up in California, and a scented candle decorated with dried flowers.

Added the hand towel, and hey presto! My towel basket was complete. :)

Good that the arrangement matches my master bath color scheme- beige and brown.

Like the idea? Let me know....

Tying Up Loose Ends

2009-06-01T10:50:00.005+05:30

We just completed two months of living in our new residence. These have been two months of hard work, trying to tie up all the loose ends that keep popping up once you start living in a new house.

Remember the grill painting exercise that I talked about here? Well, much as we tried, hubby and me could not progress beyond one balcony. So we finally hired some painters to finish the paint job for us in all four balconies.

One of the painters busy painting our kitchen balcony grill

We also got additional grills fitted on the windows of the living room and the kids' bedroom. Security is one aspect where there is no compromise, so this was another major loose end tied up. Phew!

A peek of our living room grills

Leaking faucets and WCs, broken latches and sundry other work also took up our time.

Almost all our weekends zip by in getting these loose ends tied up. But we aren't really complaining (at least not yet!). After all nothing beats the pleasure of living in your own brand new home. :)

What's Cooking?

2009-05-24T15:54:00.006+05:30

I don't mean to boast but surely my cooking is looking and tasting (if hubby & kids are to be believed) better these days....

Does a certain new kitchen have anything to do with it?

A kitchen all bright with lots of natural light

A kitchen with a view of grassy green farmland

A kitchen that gets lots of winged visitors through the day

(And creepy crawly ones at night... eeks!)

Aah! but how does one cook better with so many distractions?

Isn't life full of contradictions! :)

Handmade Creations

2009-05-23T23:45:00.003+05:30

I spent some time during the last few months creating artifacts for the new house, including some painted bottles and a glass-painted Ganesha.

You can see my painted bottles here. Pity I still haven't started using them around the house.

And here is a picture of my glass-paint Ganesha, complete with glitter outlines and highlights. This piece now hangs on the kitchen wall right next to my fridge.

I absolutely loved this phase of creativity as I tried out varied mediums to create new pieces.

Small Beginnings

2009-05-20T10:23:00.008+05:30

As I may have shared before on this blog, our new house has four balconies and a large staircase lobby. So I have huge plans for gardening in all these areas.

If you remember I had bought blue pottery planters long back (see here) to start a herb garden on my kitchen window sill. But my plans flopped pretty soon after moving in.... as I realised that the sill gets plenty of light but no air!

So all I get to place here are the flowers my kids bring for me from their weekend morning walks with dad. :)

So for now the planters have moved to the kitchen balcony with small saplings to start with. No herbs yet because the intense summer heat is hardly the time to plant herbs. Even my hardy greens and succulents are having to put up a tough fight to survive.

The sparrows don't spare them either; they think it is a lunch spread for them :) and munch on my poor plants ever so often!

The only part that looks bright and cheerful as of now is the entry where we've put up a palm with pretty leaves that my hubby liked at the plant nursery.

Recap: Mar & Apr 09

2009-05-12T12:34:00.007+05:30

To continue with the recap...

Mar09:

As the school session was to end this month and the kids' would get a week off, we decided this was the best time to make the final move.

But before that there were such long lists of things to buy for the new house.

Result: Shopping Frenzy!

I am not much of a shopaholic but this one month I shopped like crazy. That we had quite a few exhibitions on only propelled my mad consumerist soul to go all out. I visited the Dastkaar Haat which was really, really good. You can read about it here.

Then I stocked up on bedspreads, cushion covers and god-knows-what-else from a handloom exhibition at Pragati Maidan.

End Result: Excellent Retail Therapy! :)

So loaded with all the recently purchased goodies, on the 28th we landed at the new house all bag and baggage. Was it a coincidence that the radio played that old number Final Countdown by Europe as we drove towards our new home!!!

Me and hubby had a good laugh over this; this really was the final countdown, the final move.

Apr09:

This one month passed by in such a rush. Trying to adjust to the new life at a new place. Falling into the paces at a redefined tempo.

But the fact that we had moved into a relatively sububrban setting from the mad city rush somehow soothed our senses. We finally had time to stop and smell the flowers, at least over the weekends.

We had the time to go out for walks. I resumed my reading after years. This was just the wonderful life we had wanted.... touchwood! :)

Recap: Jan & Feb 09

2009-05-12T12:04:00.010+05:30

Here's a recap of the past few months while I was away from this blog.

Jan09:

The beginning of the year saw us take the first concrete step towards turning the new house into a home. We moved our existing furniture on the 19th and ordered for some new furniture on the 25th.

Pictures of the sample furniture in the store display.

Feb09:

The smallest month of the year turned out to be big for us! We decided to spend the Valentine weekend in the new house, amidst all the chaos of unsettled furniture and a half-arranged kitchen. But the effort was well worth it. We got a first-hand taste of how life in the new place would be when we move, and realised that two things were essential to stay in this neighbourhood - a phone and a car.

My daughter catches up on some food in the midst of royal chaos.

So we promptly brought home our new car on the 19th and that sure brought a lot of smiles on the kids' faces. :)

As I went out for a ride in the new car on the 20th, the postman handed me a parcel from the US. Guess what? My pansy drawing that I have written about here had finally arrived! Didn't I tell you Feb was a big month...

We also shopped around for curtains and cushions for the living room and got some fab deals since the sales were on. Some of our new furniture was delivered towards the end of the month but that turned out to be a mixed bag. While the sofas seemed fine, the beds were not quite what I wanted.

And thereby hangs another tale that I'll cover in detail in a future post on this blog.

Back On Track

2009-05-04T23:13:00.001+05:30

I am pleased to announce that this blog is back on track after remaining in hibernation for over five months. These last few months have entailed a lot of hard work, and I am glad that I can now reach out to you all from the comfort of our new home.

As the process of turning the house into a real home has begun, I hope to share with you snippets and nuggets from this fantastic journey.

My next post will touch upon the happenings of the last five months, and we shall move forward from there to the here and now.

See you soon on this onward journey!

Happy New Year...

2008-12-27T20:35:00.003+05:30

Here's wishing all my readers a happy, peaceful, and safe 2009!

Happy New Year should also spell "Happy New Home" for me and my family. So I will be away from my blogs for the next few months as I will be moving houses.

Hope to be back with you all, dear readers and visitors, in the middle of 2009 when I share fresh snippets from my experiences of turning the new house into a real home.

Leaving you with a make-believe image of our living room that I created using the very interesting Arrange A Room tool on Better Homes and Gardens.

Painting Our Grills

2008-10-22T14:19:00.004+05:30

We have had some harrowing times with getting odd jobs done around the new house. For one, due to the high demand for skilled masons, carpenters and painters in this area (due to lots of new construction projects), the workers charge an exorbitant sum. Imagine paying 150 rupees to get a 70 rupees worth door latch fixed!

Secondly, the quality is never guaranteed. In fact, we realized that despite paying a princely sum, we were very often at the mercy of completely unskilled labour. Like our fabricator who used inferior quality primer on our grill work, causing parts of it to catch some rust.

That is when the hubby and I decided to do the paint job for the new grills ourselves.

And so we’ve been hard at work the past two weekends trying to figure out how best to tackle it all. We bought some metal paint, a thinning agent, a couple of brushes and got down to it. Though our pace is rather slow, at least we know that the quality won’t get compromised. We just completed the grills on one balcony – they don’t look too bad, what say?

Will keep you posted on how and when the remaining ones get done.

Any tips from anyone on how best to finish our grill painting?

P.S: I must admit that I found the painting exercise immensely therapeutic. And got to spend some quality time with the hubby in the process. Talk of killing two birds with one stone!

September Update

2008-09-30T12:03:00.004+05:30

I haven’t posted anything here since the griha-pravesh for various reasons:

We (me and the hubby, that is) have been super-busy and unable to devote any time to the new house. So the poor house lies abandoned like an orphan child these days (and it breaks my heart to write this)…. However, there is hope yet. With a status change in my career (you can read about that here) I am hoping I will be able to focus more on the new house.
I haven’t received a single comment on the previous post, and that really depressed me. My feed tells me that a lot of you come strolling by, but no one stops to say ‘Hello’ and that is a little disheartening. After all, I write to be read, and unless you tell me how you find the content, how can I improve on it? So I’m hoping my pleadings will have an impact, and I’ll see more comments appearing on this blog.

Ok, after that bit of shameless self-plug, here comes a bit of good news. Right after the griha-pravesh, I won a Gallery Days Giveaway contest from the wonderfully talented Debbie. As a result the new house is getting a hand-made gift all the way from New York!!

Am I excited? Suffice to say that I can’t wait for the gift to reach me. :)) After all, who doesn’t LOVE gifts, especially such special ones.

Griha Pravesh: Alls Well…

2008-08-19T11:55:00.012+05:30

Okay, now that the ‘pooja’ for the new house is done and over with, I can fill you in on all the (gory?!?) details. So here goes…

The date for the ‘griha pravesh’ was 14Aug08. Not just a random date that suited our fancies (and happened to be convenient). It was a date that was chosen after much deliberation, with due consultations with the priests and the Hindu ‘panjika’ or date chronicle. Brownie points to the family elders for all their contributions. (I hope none of them ever come visiting here, and discover the tongue firmly in cheek!!)

The previous day (13Aug08), when we were running around wrapping up stuff for most part, had already given us an inkling that the rain gods were choosing to participate in this one. As I broke off some leaves from a mango tree for the ‘pooja’ I was soaked completely. ….and bitten on the little finger of my left hand by one of these beauties. Ewww! The pain was awful and lasted right till the D-day.

So the massive traffic jam that started the day shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Result: the hosts reached the venue late!

Imagine our embarrassment…. I had to beg a cousin who stays a couple of blocks away from the new house to chip in and follow up with the caterer. Anyhow, we rushed through the decorations and the ‘alpona’.

An ‘alpona’ is a floor design traditionally created with rice flour soaked overnight in water. It is considered auspicious to decorate the house with these designs during rituals and special occasions. The pictures here show the designs I created at the main entrance…

and the ‘pooja’ location (the east wall of our living room, to be precise).

We put up a string of mango leaves and marigold garlands on the main door, again a propitious sign as per Hindu customs.

Finally when the priest decided to get started, the heavens decided to open up, and how! This one day the rain gods decided not to close any of their doors. So water came pouring down in sheets and buckets, and while we blew conch shells to purify the environs the rainwater created mud pools right outside the gate. Heavenly!

That image shows the priest hard at work, trying to appease the gods on our behalf. :)

By early evening, the ritual and the feasting was through. There was enough chaos with all the guests milling around, the kids creating a general racket, and the rain getting everyone sloshed.

P.S.: To add to our embarrassment, one of the guest cars managed to get rainwater up its engine as it navigated its way back through water-filled roads. The poor folks had to sit around twiddling their thumbs for a good two hours before the engine decided to rev up again….

P.P.S.: Me and the hubby had a safe night in the new abode, feeling cozy and secure from the rain as we sipped tea indoors. And later went to the terrace to check out a pretty sunset. :)

So, the moral of the story – Alls well that ends well.

Phew! long story that.... now lets hear it from you all.

Sneak Peek

2008-08-11T12:06:00.008+05:30

Here’s a sneak preview of the house that is consuming so much of my thoughts, time and energies these days. To start with, this is a picture of the living room, or the drawing-cum-dining area.
To me, this space presents a design challenge for there are quite a few things that seem not-so-right with it:
* For one, there is a huge, long wall that needs to be visually divided between the living and dining areas.
* The main door is a tad too wide and takes up a lot of floor space when left open, even partially.
* Using conventional furniture placement (sofas, chairs and centre table on one side, and the dining table and chairs on the other) might just compromise with the visual flow by creating obstructions.

What a start when you don’t know how to deal with the first room of the house!

Then this is the master bedroom, the one part of the house that I am pretty happy with till now.

All its dimensions seem just right- so I hope to have our bed, a small area with my computer (that doubles up as a home office, if required), and some reading area where I can curl up with some good books.

Here’s a view of the fabrication work we got done in one of the balconies. I can already visualize how it would look after a paint job and some decent planters spruce it up.

I would have loved to show you the kitchen and the kids’ bedroom as well. But the kitchen is a mess as I am stocking up stuff for the ‘pooja’ later this week. And the kids’ room would look infinitely better when it has some furniture in it.

So finally, in preparation of the ‘big day’ that happens later this week, here is a picture of some baked clay pots that I painted for the ritual. What do you think of these?

The Big Day: 3 weeks away

2008-07-21T15:36:00.003+05:30

The date is set, the priest is booked, the guests (mostly extended family) are invited, and it is happening next month!! We have zeroed in upon a date for the “griha pravesh”, as the formal ceremony of entering a new home is called in most parts of India. And that means lots of activities, preparations, and running around. I am excited and nervous at the same time. :)

I promise to give a grand post on the actual event (with lots of pictures thrown in) but may just be sporadic in my postings this month because of you-know-what….

In the meanwhile, my hunt for Ganesha statues led me to a website I actually freaked out over…. Catch more about that here.

And wish me luck for the big day!

How It Goes...

2008-07-11T12:05:00.003+05:30

Just thought of giving a low-down on our progress with the house. We are slowly inching closer to our dream of moving in. Each weekend is spent in getting something done for this newest member of the family.

Like last week we got iron grills put up in our balconies to beef up our security…. And add to the hanging garden I have pictured in my mind’s eye. I made sure our fabricator put up iron hooks on the grills from where I can hang some leafy beauties.

The next biggest item on our to-do list is to get a “pooja” done…. the actual ritual of getting a priest to perform “havan” (a religious rite involving consecration by fire) to mark a formal auspicious start of our lives in this new abode.

Have I told you that our house is very near to a railway track, and we can see trains passing all day? My kids, aged 2 and 4, love it…. After all you got to be a special kind of lucky to watch those long, winding trains gushing by, hooting loudly. :)

Blue Pottery Planters

2008-07-08T16:39:00.010+05:30

Ever since I saw the lovely tiled window sill that the builder provided in our kitchen, I have been scouting around for the right kind of planters. And finally I seem to have found what I was after…. Cute blue pottery planters - just the right size and shape for a lil’ herb garden. Can already imagine curry leaves, coriander and nasturtium blooms in them. :)

What I love about my planters are the designs on them. They don’t seem to have been crafted by a very experienced hand as you can see occasional squiggles going awry. But therein lies the beauty… they are quite different from the usual blue pottery designs that one sees around (like the ones in the picture here).

Agreed that my pieces aren’t half as bright but what the heck!They match the décor and colour scheme of my kitchen perfectly, and that is what matters.... Any ideas about what other herbs would work in a kitchen sill garden?

Terracotta Finds

2008-06-27T15:07:00.003+05:30

Here’s a peek into the first few things I bought for the new house. Mostly decorative items that caught my eye as I visited a "haat" in the city. A "haat" is an open marketplace where rural artisans display their wares. We’ve been lucky to have a new one open in the city recently. More on that in a later post….

Going back to my new buys, the first was this teeny weeny terracotta tile that displays the Hindu symbol of auspiciousness – the Swastika. My husband wants to put this right above our main door. :)

Then came this terracotta planter that had been hand-painted in such vivid, beautiful colours. Can’t wait to plant a tulsi (as the Indians call the basil) in this pretty piece of pottery.

I'd love to post pictures of both these items, but I'd rather that you see them when they are in-action in the new house. Till then... have a great week ahead!

The handover

2008-06-16T12:31:00.004+05:30

This weekend we finally got possession of the house. As the finishing touches were put in place, and the keys handed over by our builder/contractor. What a bunch it was! At least a dozen keys to God-know-how-many doors of the house. :) But it felt good to hold them… all shapes and sizes sitting snugly in our palms, as me and my husband celebrated with an embrace.

Another new start, another beginning… isn’t life so full of possibilities!

The never-ending story begins...

2008-06-12T17:13:00.007+05:30

We are in the process of acquiring a new family home. Not that this is our first stab at realty purchase. But the first purchase was more out of necessity than any flights of fancy (financial constraints notwithstanding). This one comes closer to being a dream house.

Only, it is still a house – all mortar and bricks, with the outward trappings slowly falling into place. The tinkle of laughter, conversational chatter, drippy laundry, clanking cutlery…. and the warmth that a living space exudes, is still missing.

This blog aims to capture the essence of turning the house into a home, little by little, inch by inch. Stay tuned…