Evok Shoe Rack

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.