Welcome to my newly decorated home office – a space that will also double up as Aalayam headquarters at my end!

Warning! This post is definitely not for the faint of the heart - it is COLOR HEAVY!

This is also the next stop on my home tour. I have already featured our family room, guest room, my son's room and our basement den on Aalayam previously and if you are a home décor enthusiast, take a few minutes to browse through those spaces as well- I would love to hear your thoughts on our painted home!

Now, sit back and enjoy as I narrate the story of how my very own functional and feminine space came about.

But first, apologies for the long hiatus! 2015 is turning out to be something else! Unexpected things seem to be cropping up from every corner faster than I can make them go away and frequently distract me from the blog and I am painfully aware of this but rather helpless. So, thank you for your patience as we struggle to get back to regular paced programming.

I hope you enjoy this colorfully decadent post in the meanwhile.

So, we decided to re-purpose an odd shaped extra bedroom into a female office space. I began with a few basic requirements for this space – it had to be a place of my own to stay organized and be inspired. That, coupled with my husband’s encouragement and enthusiasm, enabled me to turn this room into a chic and glamorous space- if I may say so myself.

“If you love something, it will work. That’s the only real rule”- Bunny Williams

I think this room is an absolute testament to that!

I started by creating a mood board of all things that inspire me – a little bit of France, a little bit of Morocco and lots of color and I think the visual magic happened on its own! I went bold – with the colors on the wall, the upholstery and the fabrics.

And the end result as you can see is dark and dramatic! I love it! This canvas will provide the necessary sensory overload to inspire my work for Aalayam.

For someone like me, who is constantly on the go – this space is ideal to relax, unwind, plan, organize, do something creative and catch up on professional reading.

The large windows make this small space bright and airy by day and the cool light fixtures allow for ample lighting by night. I also chose my furniture pieces with great care – they had to be budget friendly, style savvy and functional for this small space and to meet this wish list was no easy task and took a great deal of patience!

A gallery wall filled with some of my husband’s best work, a global vibe added via French inspired décor, a Suzani bedspread and Moroccan lanterns and a touch of whimsy incorporated through a hanging birdcage and metallic accent pieces define this space.

The bejeweled flush mount fixture draws your eye up to the ceiling while the cowhide rug grounds the space and pulls everything together.

I am sure this will space will evolve as time passes but for now I am happy that it is a merry mix of style and function and I can see myself enjoying many quiet afternoons reading or hand -writing letters or simply drawing inspiration from books or the nature outside my windows.

So, did you enjoy my little office filled with Parisian panache and Moroccan magic? Tell me what you think an ideal feminine office space should look like - do you think I have hit all the right notes?

So, here's my take on creating a fun space that oozes style -
1) Take your time finding pieces that will work - after all Rome was not built in a day!
2) Don't be afraid to marry styles - French aesthetics and Moroccan must-haves share space happily in this boudoir!
3) Small spaces can make a big impact too -don't shy away from using bright colors and bold patterns just because it is a small space.
4) Add a little romance - a few hanging lanterns, a birdcage and splashes of pink spell
R-O-M-A-N-C-E, no?
5) Every room needs a few splurge elements ($$$!) The campaign style desk, the rustic-finish twin bed, the brass book shelf and end table were my splurge items. But, but, but - I had to have those!
6) Who would've thought! - black and white are great accent colors!
7) Step outside your comfort zone. My husband forced me to try the cowhide rug and I am so glad I listened!

A big welcome to our new readers! The Aalayam family is now 400 members strong and we are so humbled! Supriya and I love to bring you posts that are visually and intellectually stimulating and although we have slowed down our pace a bit, we believe the quality of our content has never been better.
So, stay tuned dear readers....

Cheers!
~Deepa

p.s: All images in this post are from my home and may not be used or reproduced wihout permission

Hospitality is second nature to any Indian, as I am sure the Aalayam culture aficionados will agree. Hospitality reigns supreme in this sublime South Indian abode, nestled in suburban Virginia, USA.

With cheer and vitality sparkling in every corner, this home resonates with the warm welcome (Swagatham) of namma Bengalooru. Hence, the title of this post - "Swagatham, Suswagatham" : a glorious welcome to the Aalayam readers into this gorgeous Kannada mane, resplendent in ethnic glory.

Welcome to the home of Gowri and Vikram, whose sweet story has fascinatingly lent itself to making their living space, one to remember!

I met Gowri and Vikram at the local Indian store. Many Indians living abroad will agree that the Indian store, and the local temple is the best place to run into fellow desis living in the vides. :)

The conversation picked up simultaneously with the connection, with our language, our home town, our customs and the fact that we had Twins!! drawing us closer with each passing meeting. It only took one visit to Gowri and Vikrams' home for me to realize that I HAD TO FEATURE IT IN THE AALAYAM HOME TOUR SECTION!!

Gowri and Vikram graciously agreed to get featured and let me stomp around with my SLR taking pictures of their home's beautiful nooks and crannies. And as usual, I had to pester them for their life story. Here's a synopsis of the tete-a-tete !

Tell us a little bit of your story - how did you meet? how did you imagine your home is going to be when you "grew up"?

My husband and I, we are childhood sweethearts and we know each other since we were 10 years old. He was my next door neighbor and we grew up together as best friends. Our friendship grew into something special and before we knew we were in love.

As teenagers and in our early adulthood we both loved going for long drives and exploring nature. One more interesting and relaxing past time for both of us was looking for beautiful houses, architecture and landscaping. So we explored various neighborhoods for hours driving around and appreciating all the beautiful ideas and creations.

We always talked about having a dream house of our own one day and thanks to my dear hubby he brought me to a foreign country which is an amazing land of opportunity, where we could lead a dream life and also bring harmony by balancing Indian culture and American ways.

What makes your home "your home"?

When we move into a house it’s just a house. For us a house becomes a home when we start a new beginning, bring in new life, capture beautiful memories, joy and laughter, treasure moments, decorate each wall, each corner and each room with our presence in our home. Our best ideas and creations has flown into our house making it our home.

Does the decor in your home fit the bill for any one particular style - if so, what drove you to that style?

I grew up back home with lovable and caring parents who showed me the righteous path of leading a beautiful life. I have brought those family values into a foreign land and put it into use. I am my parent’s reflection, emitting love, following tradition and bringing value systems into my family and into our beautiful home.

Every artifact and décor in our home is fulfilling my childhood dreams and my beautiful Indian culture. As I started to bring closer those pieces, my vision of completing the puzzle in each room came together as a fusion of Indian culture and American blend.

How does your personal decor style influence your personality or the other way around?

Our personality has influenced all the décor pieces and styles in our home. We love to collect very unique artifacts for different places. I must say when it comes to choosing a décor for our home my husband and I have a unique quality of visualizing our home with that décor in it.

All those beautiful pieces which we hand picked together over a period of time and each one of those unique collection reminds us the beautiful memories of our love together in this journey of life thus imprinting memories of different time zones.

What are your favorite places to shop for your home? Are you budget savvy or would you rather own pieces that truly strike a chord with you even if they are expensive?

There is no one particular places that we shop at, we have collected artifacts from different parts of the world. Budget was never a big issue and I must thank my husband for that. Sometimes we might go overboard but at the end of the day we enjoy and relive the beautiful moment we captured into our lives which makes it totally worth the experiences.

Where do you draw your online inspirations from - any favorite resources that you can share?

Speaking frankly and openly I am not a much of an online shopper or a browser. I am old school; I love to window shop and like to visualize that article in our home.

I want to share one of my wonderful memories here, as I was growing up along with the love of my life. We loved shopping together; he wanted to buy me jewelry for a special occasion. We went out shopping and I liked a piece in the first jewelry shop we walked into but guess what? we didn’t decide on it and buy it until we both visited another 13 more jewelry places and then coming back to the first one and then brought it.

Why I wanted to share this with the reader is to express our meticulous search of something which we both agree upon and confirm in our hearts that THIS IS THE ONE…

Are there influences from your home state (Karnataka/ Bangalore) in your décor? How do you balance the modern, clean convenience of the western decor to the intricacy of Indian decor?

Yes, to some extent our décor reflects our home town, Bangalore. We both call it the melting pot of modern lifestyle and also traditional living. Lots of our décor as been collected from various exhibitions, some exclusive handicraft shops in and around Bangalore.

The famous Channapatna Gombe (wooden toys) was introduced to our twins to give them a flavor of Karnataka heritage. We have also displayed many heirloom objects in our home to depict our family legacy.

We have collected relics not just from our home town but also from different states of India. We have furnished our formal living room with traditional Indian furniture giving our ethnicity and warmth for the people how walk into our home.

We also wanted to bring in western décor and nice even blend with our India décor.

We have furniture depicting a long deep Amish culture in American history, these Amish craftsmen bring in lineage of tradition into present times.

Live wood end tables, warm leather couch and excellent choices of wood with detailed craftsmanship used in our dinner room set, and again our fusion of merging American furniture with traditional Amish furniture gave us a taste of rich sophisticated American culture.

We live in Virginia Beach and enjoy beautiful weather and sunny beaches. Our sun room gives us the feeling of coastal living stirring our heart and cleansing our thoughts with its serenity & peace.

Finally, what is your favorite place in your home to relax, recharge and rejuvenate?

There is no one specific favorite place in our home. If I had a pick one I would pick them all because every room is filled with beautiful memories as to how all the things came together. When I walk through each room they talk to me and remind me what a cherishing and a blissful journey it has been for me and my family.

Reminds us about all our hardship in life and also how we, has a team over came that and remolded to make it magnificent memory. Life is beautiful and we as a family live it to the fullest.

Hard not to adore them and their home right?

Thank you Gowri and Vikram for letting us into your homes, your hearts and your cozy living corners. Aalayam readers and I will forever be grateful!

Lots of love,

Supriya

Hello, hello! How is your summer shaping up?

the rain-soaked trees in our backyard

It has been an unusual summer in the Midwest with several back-to-back rainy days but the sun is finally shining and we are not complaining.

Nothing says summer like chilled lemonade!

I am currently on a break and in between jobs and that means I get to spend a little more time with my boy and that is always precious and super fun! My husband and I also decided to indulge in some home improvement projects and 3 months into it (I know!), we’ve finally managed to turn the last remaining unfinished portion of our basement into a gym+ closet (I know- strange combination that!) but it is exactly what we needed. We have also (finally!) customized our master closet to suit our needs. We’ve had contractors in the house for 3 months now and it was starting to get a bit tiring but the projects were long overdue and so we stuck it out! So, yeah after running at 100 miles an hr. for the first 6 months of the year, I am finally slowing down although temporarily.

Time to soak up some sun and enjoy the outdoors!

But enough about me! What have you all been up to this summer? I realized that we’ve never really done a summer post and this is after all such a gorgeous season – one that deserves to be celebrated!
I have always sired a passion for hosting and entertaining and the mid-western summers are ideal for a convivial summer gathering. It's always fun to take the party outdoors!

Purple velvet cake - recipe and inspiration from the sweetapolita, baked and styled by moi!

Hope you all are soaking up the sun and celebrating this cheerful season with inspired festive fetes of your own – outdoor barbecues, summer soirees, backyard bonfires and such?

Uj works the grill!

Well, if you haven’t – no sweat! We still have over a month of warm weather and I hope these images will inspire you to plan your own li’l summer shindig and encourage you to entertain with confidence! Thinking about the food and the ambiance and making it all come together to create something memorable is something I enjoy.

We celebrated my sweet li'l tween's b'day this weekend and I wanted to capture his sugary sweet innocence as well as the impending transition to adolescence in a cool way and an image I had seen on Style me pretty living (a while back) was the inspiration. So, a decadent chocolate and ice cream filled party served on my husband's convertible was my way of capturing this pre-teen to teen transition phase! I will perhaps do a full post on this sugary sweet b'day later but for now, I leave you with this image.

We hope you will allow us here at Aalayam to inspire your own celebrations. Sit back and enjoy these images as we fill our glasses, crank up the speakers and get the party going!

A dressed up strawberry-banana smoothie for an afternoon date with my son!

I am often complimented for my ability to stylize things but never made much of that. However, with Aalayam and my creative pursuits and the regular feedback I am now able to recognize it as strength and have begun to enjoy sharing ideas and inspirations with friends who ask.

A simple parfait - another mid-week summer indulgence!

Even simple home made food and treats served in style can make you look like the hostess with the mostess – so don’t be afraid to glam things up! Paper doilies, pinwheels, pennant banners, chalkboard sign tags and of course fresh flowers are simple and easy ways to up the style-ante! Impromptu summer hosting implies you can go shopping around the house and reuse what you have to create stylish food vignettes! And don’t forget to cool things down on a sizzling summer day with some chilled favorites – desi style spicy buttermilk, a fresh fruit smoothie or even a no-fuss parfait!

Spiced up and cooled down - desi buttermilk, a summer staple!

Or if you’d rather take the celebration entirely outdoors- how about an old fashioned picnic?

Our merry backyard blooms also seem to like the sun!

Remember this post I did a while back on a spring picnic? It’s time to revisit that if you are planning on an alfresco affair!

Hope the season and this post inspire you to eat, live, laugh, surround yourself with prettiness and be merry!

Don't let the sumer rains dampen your spirit - enjoy a plated street style snack!

At our end Supriya, me and a few other friends have been excitedly and rather (secretively) planning a (nother) summer gala (this time for a special reason) and boy are we determined! Supriya is visiting me next month and that can only mean good things for Aalayam! But shshshsh, we can’t talk about our party just yet. I promise, we will share it with the Aalayam family soon enough but for now we are keeping it under wraps!

Cheers!

~Deepa

p.s: all pics in this post are from my home and taken by my husband and may not be used without permission

A last minute Diwali inspiration - group brass objects and place them at varying heights on a corner table or as a photo booth prop! Images from Deepa's home.

Dear Readers - A gentle reminder that ourTJ MAXX Home Goods fifty dollar gift cardgive away is on till October 24th 10 pm Eastern time. You can still enter to win!!!!

Those of you who joined the Aalayam family recently (after October 14th), please, please leave us a comment with your name as you are eligible to enter the giveaway. We don't want to miss anyone who is eligible.

For others who want to participate in the giveaway now (you still have time), here is the eligibility criteria.

1. Join Aalayam as a member and leave us a comment stating you are a new member.

2. If you are an existing member, you must introduce at least one new member to the Aalayam family and leave a comment introducing the new member. You and the new member will both be eligible!

3. And finally! Increase your chances of winning by introducing additional new members. So, if you introduce 3 new members, you have 3 chances to win the gift card!

This giveaway is open to readers in the US. Readers in other parts of the world are welcome to enter on behalf of friends and family here in the US.

The giveaway will close on October 24th at 10 pm eastern and the winner will be announced in a future post. Good luck!

Once again, we wish you a Joyous Deepavali! We will see you on the other side of Diwali with some bone chilling stories!

Join us for our Halloween spooktacular then!

Cheers!

~Deepa

As an ode to Halloween, Aalayam brings you a favorite emotion, well plated and curated in cultural relevance - Fear!!

Spooktacular imagery! From Deepa's lens

Let's admit it, we like being scared, we like putting ourselves in those situations that cause panic, increase our heartbeat, make us shudder, and stretch our realm of imagination. We love gathering around a bonfire and listening to ghost stories. We love nuzzling close to our date as we watch a horror flick! Do we? Or not?

Of course we do! We love the adrenaline rush, the goose flesh, the thrill of being scared! Of vicariously experiencing what’s forbidden, bizarre or dark! Some people avoid that emotion altogether, but I know I love watching a good supernatural flick or engaging in some "this happened to me" storytelling that makes me wonder, if there are spirits out there, wandering around for deliverance!

So, in the honor of Halloween (Oct 31st) here in the USA, lets get well and truly spooked, shall we?

First of all, the Halloween legend!

Halloween trivia! From Deepa's lens

According to my sources, Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31st, which is the evening before the Christian feast of All Saint’s Day. Halloween’s history goes back to the ancient religion of the Celtic tribes (circa 500 B.C.) from whom came the Britons, Scots and the Irish. Present day Britains, Scots, Welsh and Irish are all descendants from these ancient Celtic tribes.

The Celts worshipped nature and believed in the spirit world. They worshipped over 300 gods. Their chief god was the sun and they celebrated two festivals revolving around the sun: Beltane, to mark the beginning of summer and Samhain or Saman to mark the start of winter.

The Celts believed that at the end of summer, Samhain, the lord of death becomes powerful and overpowers the sun god. On October 31, Samhain assembles all the evil spirits who had died the previous year and allows them to return home to visit the living.

On October 31, after the harvest, the druids would meet under an oak grove or near large stone circles where they performed sacrifices. Some believe that the Stonehenge in England is one such druid circle. The priests would light great fires and offer sacrifices to Samhain to ensure that the sun returned after the winter.

What's the significance behind trick and treat? From Deepa's lens

During the night all fires except the sacrificial one to Samhain were extinguished. The Vigil of Samhain, as it was called, would keep the sacrificial fire on through the night and the next day embers from this fire would be used to light the fire in each household.

Villagers would try to appease goblins and demons with offerings of food and nuts. They would leave little treats that the household had to offer, to satisfy the hunger of these demons. If the demon was satisfied with the treat, it was believed it would not trick the person or cast an evil spell. Therein lies the origin of the present day trick or treat.

Guess who this is! Who is this man in Halloween costume?

History & folklore is rife with stories about vengeful ghosts, good ghosts, and kindred spirits roaming around. Sharing this world with us.

My favorite lore is that of "Mohini" or the Churel, a banshee ghost in the folklore of India—which is renowned for its scream. Usually taking the form of a woman, a Churel is said to be a vengeful ghost that returns to the land of the living as a vampire-like creature, bent on revenge!

Often found in the wilderness, a Churel has feet which are flipped 180 degrees, (ah, that was a detail, my grandmother never failed to mention in her ghost stories) allowing her to walk backwards while she mesmerizes the victim! If her gaze is not shunned, usually through a cloth or blanket over one’s own eyes, she will lead the victim to a secluded location and drain them of their blood!

I always wondered, why ghost stories were so sexist, growing up! But I guess that's a conversation for another day!!

Don't look behind you!!! From Deepa's lens

Well, I hope we got spooked enough in this post! Just enough for it to be thrilling! What are your favorite ghost stories? Do you believe in the supernatural?

Lets talk!

Stay safe this Halloween!!

Love,

Supriya

p.s. I hope I have not offended any spirits out there. Sorry guys, just talking about you...no offense intended! ;)

Have you been feeling like you need some downtime? I know I have! The frenzied pace of events of the past few months is finally catching up or so it seems. Festivities, changing seasons, social engagements, work, home and family priorities have all snowballed into a giant circle and I am constantly on the move! I know Supriya is swamped too and I offered to write all the posts for Aalayam this month. But for the past couple of days I have struggled to bring myself to work on a post and today I read this article in the WSJ blog titled“Five Ways to Take Control of Our Runaway Lives” where the author was making a case for breaking away from the frenzied pace of life.

One of the tips offered in the article was to do nothing and reflect and it got me thinking. How often do we schedule a “do-nothing time” in our daily/weekly or monthly calendars? Do we ever make time to “escape “ and I don’t mean a getaway or a vacation (believe me going on a vacation can be a lot of work too!). I mean escape as in do nothing, look within, reflect, sleep–in, enjoy a long drive or savor a steamy cup of chai. Simple things that let you take control and refocus..

The year is coming to an end rather quickly and I know many of us start making plans to nurture ourselves with healthy new year resolutions. Why not start early this year? It is o.k to hit the pause button when you really feel the pace heating up. A little down-time can go a long way in recharging our batteries and helping us to become more productive in the next leg . And yet, I need to constantly remind myself that it is o.k to slow down . I guess, we all put self-preservation on the back burner. We get caught up in trying to keep everything at home and at work running smoothly. Supriya will be talking about work-life balance in a later post and therefore I will defer the discussion on “balance” to her.

Here at Aalayam, we strive to bring you beautiful inspirations to lead a wholesome life and in line with that thought, I bring you images of Home (or I should say our former home) as a reminder that we all need to unwind and relax and make time to nurture ourselves. And what better place to start than home? Cherish time with your loved ones, sit by the window and pay attention to the pitter-patter of the falling rain drops, enjoy a good book by the fire - things that will rejuvenate you and help you move forward . The holidays will be busy for all of us too and that is when we will inadvertently be overextending ourselves and it may be well worth it to focus a little on ourselves.

I am sharing some images of our former home. It was our first home and a rather modest home. But it was still a place where we cherished time with each other as a family, dreamt happy dreams and created warm memories. Of course, I was not writing for Aalayam back then and therefore I do not have a lot of pictures. But this home was featured on Priya’s blog and this is what I had written about our home then-

“Home and entertaining are central to our existence and after a hard day’s work or at the end of a busy work week, we love coming to a home where we can relax and unwind. My husband and I have always taken pride in our home. Overall, our home is a reflection of our ethnic roots. From art work in the Warli and Tanjore style to the foot stool in the Rajasthani patch work style, our home is filled with treasures that speak to our Indian origin. Even our choice of furniture was largely guided by our Indian aesthetic sensibilities. We reached for pieces with a lot of sculpting in it – columns and arches. We went for darker tones and solid wood but the challenge was to balance style and function. Also, you will see a lot of black pieces in our home and that was our way of adding a modern twist to the antique styling”

If you are a regular Aalayam eader, you probably realize I have carried forward the same accents, furniture and design sensibilities into my current home but the big difference is color. Yes, we did a dramatic 360 with color in our current home (intentionally)!

Home means different things to different people. To me- it means an oasis! A place where I can enjoy the simple pleasures of life like the warmth of a fire on a crisp autumn evening or a quiet conversation or soulful music with my family.

I hope as the year end approaches you all will make the time to embrace what is important to you and find a happy middle ground as you strive to balance the various demands of every day life.

Pardon me as I turn down the frequency of our posts a little bit temporarily but please note that we are working on some exciting posts for the holiday season!

I will also announce the winner of our TJ MAXX home goods gift card give away winner in my next post. Keep commenting, we are adding a surprise twist to the giveaway!

Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All images in this post are from my former home and taken by my husband. Please do not use without permission.

And tonight we bring you the first of our holiday season posts. We are getting a head start so we can share our holiday inspirations early and in time for you dear readers! In fact, we will toggle between our holiday season and regular programming since we have so much to share!

Have temperatures dropped in your neck of the woods yet? We had our first real snowfall last night and this morning it was beautiful outside! Nature had painted an idyllic canvas in winter white! No, I don’t have a soft spot for winter. Not after last winter! And yet, there is so much to look forward to this time of the year – twinkly lights, sleigh bells, snowflakes and hot chocolate, it is hard not to get excited!

For those of you planning to host a holiday party – this post is essentially a Holiday how–to! Here’s a fun idea for a winter party – a hot chocolate bar! Whether you want to include one in your holiday party this year or just set one up for a few friends on a cold wintry night – it is super fun and easy and as the host you can set it up without breaking a sweat. Of course, you can make it as elegant or as elaborate as you want or keep it low key, like I did. With temperatures dropping, your guests will love a crackling fire and a mug of warmth and this is a great way to indulge in the spirit of the season!

Here’s what you need for your cocoa station!

1) I wanted to use what I had and so I used my regular coffee cups (I know!) but I gave mine a holiday twist by embellishing it with holiday themed stickers (from the local craft store) and they worked perfectly. Alternately, you could just buy holiday themed mugs.

2) Hot chocolate+ toppings + stirrers. Again, I kept it simple and stuck to the basics – milk chocolate, marshmallows, whipped cream, peppermint candy cane and dark chocolate pirouline. If you are setting up a fancier bar, you could offer your guests more choices with the mix–ins and the add –ons (sprinkles, coconut flakes, dried berries, flavored marshmallow, chocolate chips are all game!)

3) You could even spice things up a little – no really! How about some cinnamon?

4) Add a twist for some extra fun! A friend of mine baked some cookies and together we decided we would let all our guests wear their creative hats and decorate the cookies in holiday colors and what fun it was too!

5) Get in to the holiday spirit– Write something fun on a chalkboard! I love festive signboards! I also used red gingham ribbon on my mason jars and a matching runner to anchor the decorations. I also used a floral arrangement that included some red berries and pinecones for a seasonal feel. A shiny bauble in a gorgeous red and sparkly gold completed my décor!

6) End on a sweet note! I included a heavenly chocolate butter cream marshmallow cake, which was a nice compliment to the hot cocoa.

And there you have it - a simple and easy holiday party idea! Well I hope this post makes transitioning into the colder months a little easy and inspires you to start planning your own fun holiday activities. As always, we love to hear from you and in fact if you know of any fun holiday party themes do let us know and we can share it with the Aalayam community.

And now, an announcement-We picked a winner for our TJ MAXX home goods gift card giveaway (which we had announced in our Diwali post). Initially, we were going to limit it to new members or existing members who introduced new members to the Aalayam community but since the response was limited, Supriya and I decided to include readers who commented in the last 4 posts as eligible entrants.

Congratulations, Radhika Thampuran!! You are the winner of our giveaway. Please email your contact details to aalayaminspiration@gmail.com so we can mail you the gift card.

Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All images in this post are from my home and taken by my husband. Please do not use without permission.

Life's little mercies.

how about you ?

1. Sign sourced from Pinterest 2. A beautiful midwest fall day (pic courtesy Uj) 3. Quinoa and corn lime salad from Deepa's home (pic courtesy Uj)

We wish our readers on this side of the pond a joyous day of feasting and fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For more thanksgiving inspiration, check out Supriya's previous post on thanksgiving decor

~ Deepa and Supriya

Hello everyone!

I am back, after a brief, crazy action and drama filled, sabbatical from Aalayam! Thank you Deepa for holding down the fort in style, while I was away! I see that, we are 348 members strong now. I am looking forward to seeing the number of niche followers of the Aalayam family grow. Its humbling....and exhilarating at the same time to see Aalayam obtain critical mass in the blogosphere.

Now that everyone is working off their Thanksgiving meals, perusing once more through their Black Friday shopping bags, sipping on mulled wine (or hot apple cider, with a sprinkle of cinnamon - try it, its the best!), listening to holiday music as they decorate their Christmas tree and finalize their holiday gift lists, we thought we had to bring you a list of our favorite gift ideas that we are loving this season! I myself have a houseful of people I am planning gifts for these holidays, not to mention co-workers, and best buddies from all over the world who deserve a lot of my love, fashioned as lovely gifts, hand-picked with love or handcrafted with endurance, packaged in style, and gift wrapped in timeless elegance! Now that's quite something isn't it! And we had to, had to, curate some inspiration right here in Aalayam!!

We've chosen an array of gear - home decor, fun accessories, jewelry and handcrafted chotchkies! Take your pick. Get inspired! I am sure there is something in here, that will excite you enough to either head to the store, or to your crafting table to create a unique giftable for someone you love!

We've divvied up the curating into two lists: One from me - Supriya, and the other from Deepa. So here goes!

Supriya's gorgeous giftables!

Smart storage for the savvy shopper, and the modern day collector!

Here's a practical, modest, yet gorgeous gift to start your list off with. Stackable Sprout-City-Print-Cardboard-Cubby-Bins for your favorite family that well....collects the mementos of everyday life! (trust me, we do!). Use them to store kids toys, clothes, supplies or even your favorite books. You just cannot go wrong when there is pretty storage involved in your gift repertoire! Or go timeless with stackable Hadley boxes. You could use these boxes as fashionable storage, and double them up as wow worthy side tables! Amazing did we hear you say? Shop online at Wayfair.com to get cheap,yet beautiful storage options like these!

Funky vintage locomotive ornaments for the fun-loving friend!

Bored a little of the shining tinsel, and glittering ornaments that are practically everywhere you see?! Turn then, towards some vintage story telling with these funky, tin car, firetruck, motorcycle and train ornaments to adorn your tree with. Perfect for all year around decorating too! Grab them quick, before they go away at Wayfair.com.

Ethnic decor (for me!) and for the design diva in your circle!

I will give anyone who'd give me a gift from World Market, the return gift of my lifelong friendship, and unwavering love! :) I absolutely adore these handcrafted ethnic decor items from World Market. I am currently coveting the elephant side table, and the gorgeous earthen urn, that can gloriously beautify any corner in any home!

Consider a World Market giftable to someone who loves beautiful home goods, respects the concept of sustainable, handcrafted design, and appreciates world culture! Also check out the gorgeousness of the pillow covers, tableware, stemware and crockery! World Market has everything you need and more, for all budgets. A definite stop in my holiday shopping destinations!

Eyecandy for the hostess with the mostess!

More fabulous finds from World Market! (or any artisanal store for that matter, Sunday Soul Sante anyone from namma Bengalooru?) These eye catching owl card holders will impress the hostess who is elegance personified, by adding a quirky touch of whimsy to her stash of dining and entertaining chotchkies! Pair these card holders with handmade cards, and you have yourself a memorable gift option for under $20!

Don't forget the Nutcracker chalkboard ornaments that you can personalize for the dinner table, or a cool Chevre Cheesmaking Kit to amp up the adventure quotient of the yuletide season!

I also loved the Travel Spice Kit, and the Owl Brass Trivet shown below! The trivet specially oozes personality, sparks conversation around the dinner table, and you get bonus points for being the coolest gifter around!

Vintage inspired games for the kids!

Pick some new "old" games for the kids you know. Like these "52 Fun Things to do in the Car", or the "Knitting Doll". These vintage board games will definitely be loved by the moms (I know, that works!), and therefore by the kids. The kids do need a break from the commercial merchandized junk that sells like hot cakes everywhere. Sorry, Disney, love your movies, but that's where it ends! Visit your local World Market store, or go online to WorldMarket.com, for more quirky, vintage games to keep the young uns satisfied these holidays

Jewelry and Personal Accessories for the cool fashionista!

Aaah....now we are warming up! Charlotte Russe, Target, Forever 21, Zara, H&M, Nine West and a other retinue of fashion retailers get a guaranteed visit from me every year as I get ready to welcome my sister, cousins, my husband's cousins, my friends to our home over the holidays.

You see, I love baubles and accessories. I worship the way a statement accessory like a necklace or a scarf transforms an architectural piece in your ensemble (like a plain white shirt, or a black sweater) into a stunning outfit option! Giving you oodles of confidence and charisma as you sashay around the holiday party lineup!

Therefore, accessories are a MUST in my repertoire of giftables!

Feast your eyes on the necklaces, bracelets and bedazzled hats!! Every single item in the selection is less than $20, maybe even less that $10 in some cases. A sure fire way to score a fun infused, high-impact gift option, without breaking the bank!! Here's to girlfriends and sisters!!

Handcrafted with Love! For the connoisseur in your circle.

I realize some people LOVE to make gifts instead of buying them. I love that tradition too. But patience is a virtue, that is in short supply in my sizable list of virtues (ahem!), so I take the easy way out and shop!!!

But for those of you that love to make things, here are some cool ideas. Starting from gorgeous gingerbread cookies and peppermint hot chocolate, to a heart shaped wreath made of personalized wine corks, and hand-quilted home decor! Heart warming and soul nurturing...With all the options for instant gifting in the holiday season, some part of me would be charmed if someone took the time to make something for me! Wouldn't you?

Here's something more achievable. Semi-hand made if you will. This requires only assembly, no construction! Perfect for someone with limited patience like me! Consider putting together a bundle of love, a package of perfection for someone special in your life - mom, aunt, neighbor, husband! Like the adorable tea wreath, held together with love with wooden clips! Or the baking accessories packaged together in an oven mitt!

Don't forget Indian Spices, packaged together in a ethnic Masala box!(Labeled darlingly!) or a heavenly assemblage of hand-made, organic soaps! Consider this seriously for self-gifting!! Go on! You deserve it!!!

God is in the details! Here's to divine gift wrapping!!

Finally, do not! do not! forget to wrap your giftables up in style!! Gift wrapping does not have to be in traditional gift wrap you'd get from the store. Consider options like maps, crossword puzzles, posters, comics, and scarves as alternatives to traditional gift wraps! They are sustainable (read green!) ways to reuse, recycle and re-purpose beautiful stuff that is often lying around in your own home!

Deepa's delightful giftables!

Indian "Wow"spiration!

In true blue Aalayam style, Deepa curates some fantabulous finds for the world traveler, heavily ridden with Indian influences. I am deeply coveting the folk art inspired puzzles Krishna Leela in Madhubani from Jaypore, and the Chess set from World Market.

These games are perfect for those cozy family evenings, where we get together around the fire, with steaming mugs of hot chocolate (or any other beverage of your choice!!!) for memorable game nights! And the icing on the cake, or the cream on the hot chocolate, shall we say, is the quirky, ethnic glory of these games themselves. How about, we complete the montage with hand painted stacking tables from Signals.com, and a jaali patterened (bidri) tea cups in holiday colors from Good Earth India!!

Resourceful, and colorful!! What more do you need from a blog post!? :) Let us know please if you need specific links to any of the items listed in this post, or help shopping for any specific special person in your life! We'd be happy to help!!

Tableware and Edibles for the Eclectic!

What a sensational ode to the party host, best friend or eclectic foodie, if they received something like holiday chocolate squares from Crate and Barrel, or gold toned baroque flatware from Hrochow!! Sublime aren't they? Also consider this option for tableware. Handmade Central American placemats from Novica. Arty, Timeless and Vibrant! The fact that they are handmade, is a HUGE plus!

Finally, to top off this round up for the eclectic, Deepa has handpicked Color me cookies from deandeluca.com. This decorating kit is a great option for a holiday party activity! Think, kids + fun + no clean up of messy icing later! Win Win Win!

Don't forget the men in the group!!

And, Thank you Deepa for sparing a thought for the gentry in our midst! With gift options for the savvy sartorialist, and cool paisley stationery, we are letting our men embrace and exhibit their style quotient to the hilt!

Here's a selection: A boyish lavender bow tie from One Kings Lane, Pocket squares for dapper dudes from Nordstrom, and some fantastic looking kalamkari stationery from Etsy.com!

Finally, Delight the Diva (or practically anyone else) with chic couture for the home!!

Don't forget coffee table books (or regular books, maybe even kindle versions) to inspire the divas (sure you can give books to bloggers!) all year around!

Here's a coffee table book from Pottery Barn, for the design diva who has it all! And to top it all, for the love of writing, we proffer as a pleasant offering of Kate Spade pens. Funky, functional, and great for home and office. With color block and bling, these writing instruments are sure to be eye candy for the design queen in your life!

That was quite something huh! As I wrap up this post, and head to the stores (yes!!!!), I hope we have inspired you to spread some holiday cheer with these gorgeous giftables.

Remember, tis the season to spread goodwill, and love and friendship. So do consider spending time, and giving in kind to the needy and the lesser fortunate.

But....... we also love splurging (albeit wisely) on unique, beautiful and global finds that make our homes and our lives textured, so...in true holiday spirit, we just wanted to share that excitement with you!!

Hope this curated inspiration helps you gift away this holiday season!!! Let us know if you need any specific links, have any questions or need any suggestions to help find the perfect gift for your special people!!! Happy Holidays!

Lots of love,

Supriya!

Welcome to my (Deepa's) Holiday-ready home!

All images are from my home. Sign from here

Thank you all for joining me here as I take you on a tour of the little holiday touches I've added to the main living area of our house.What better way to usher in the magical spirit of the season than decorate for the Holidays? Have you started making your home festive for the season yet?

Our tree in all it's golden glory!

There is an abundance of pin-spiration and holiday eye candy on the Internet. So, all you have to do is yield to your inner creative restlessness and go for it! It is not too late!

I used a medley of bows, ribbons and ties in a complementary color palette for the gift wrap this year but the sign tag captures the spirit and steals the show!

I started way early this year. I had my family over for thanksgiving and I wanted holiday décor that would help create beautiful memories that we could cherish forever.

Twinkly lights and a warm fire - bring it on, winter!

So, I sort of fast tracked to Christmas. With my entire family pitching in (love them for their enthusiasm!), outfitting our home for Christmas was in itself a very endearing homespun experience.

The sign is a tribute to my brother who spoils my son rotten (he is fondly referred to as dhooji by his nephew)

Everybody had a say in the décor, the color scheme, the choice of ornaments and the overall look and feel and I must say I am glad I took them all into consideration despite my initial skepticism (All gold really?? - Was my immediate reaction when my husband suggested it but I am so glad I played along!)

I think this is my absolute favorite shot from this series. The ornaments this year righfully captures who we are and what we like and allows us to look back on the year that was!

I think our décor this year has a classy elegance and the shimmery gold echoes the cheerful spirit of the season. It seemed like a difficult palette to work with given that I have a formidable blue on the walls but I think with our little personal touches it works and I am curious to know what you all think. I was gunning for magic and excitement – did I nail it or not?

Making sure our existing mantel decor could be tied into the holiday add-ons took some creativity!

What sophisticates the gold palette is the intentional splashes of cream in the accent pieces and the gift-wrap and the whole idea was to enhance the existing features of the family room – the hand-woven carpet, the beautiful wood trim on the fireplace and the windows and the color scheme.

Aren't they dapper? The latest additions to my growing nutcracker collection!

This year, our mantel got a little holiday TLC as well. Perhaps, nothing resonates more with winter’s bewitchery than an intense fire. We spend many cozy evenings by the fire sipping mulled wine, warm cider, ginger chai, hot cocoa and many more seasonal beverages and so I spruced the mantel to set the scene for some cozy winter nights!

Mixing in the new with the old and adding some DIY elements was all it took to jazz it up!

I had so much fun educating myself on the stocking tradition and history. The monogram on the stocking was a DIY Christmas craft that my li’l elf and I worked on. A spray-painted wooden letter A adorned with some pearls was an easy way to personalize the stocking!

A lick of spray paint and a few stick on pearls and voila! - we have a custom made monogram!

I have adopted and embraced the Christmas/holiday tradition and I am now making a sincere attempt at learning the essence so I can create a true and traditional experience for my child and that for me involves reading, learning and educating myself.

Add caption

Over the years, we have picked up a few other holiday traditions that are now ours to keep and I talked about them in my holiday post last year. The season is just beginning and I hope to indulge in our favorite seasonal traditions again this year. How about you?

Group similar objects (metallic in this case) for a quick vignette. A few spray painted pine cones and twigs from the backyard adds texture and interest.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at the festive images from our home and I wish you all a very chic and cheerful Christmas! Hope you get and give all you aspire for this Christmas!

And this is how it looks a night!

Well, that’s it folks! I am signing off the year. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for another incredible Aalayam year. I had so much fun putting together the posts this past year! A special shout out to my dear hubby who seems to have mastered stringing the lights (no really, isn't our tree below gorgeous?!) And of course for these beautiful photographs! But wait, we are not done yet! We have one more true blue Aalayam post for 2014. Supriya via her powerhouse writing will bring you some year end thoughts to ponder. Stay tuned!

Also, make sure to read our Holiday posts from the past here,here and here.

Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All images are from my home. Please do not use without permission.

Merry Christmas Aalayam!

It is that time of the year again, a time to reflect on the year that went by, to consolidate the highlights, mull on the low lights, and figure out what you'd do differently as the new year dawns around. And what you'd rinse and repeat - with unequivocal penchant!

Deepa and I bring to you, our thoughts on 10 questions the trendsetters say we ought to contemplate on every year-end, to check if our path to self development and self actualization is riddled with enough impact, for our own selves, and for the others, whose lives we touch.

As you read through our journeys, do mull over our own 2014, the year that was, and share with us your responses to the reflective 10 questions below!

1. What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, awareness, etc.)

2. What did I accomplish? A list of my wins and achievements.

3. What would I have done differently? Why?

4. What did I complete or release? What still feels incomplete to me?

5. What were the most significant events of the year past? List the top three.

6. What did I do right? What do I feel especially good about? What was my greatest contribution?

7. What were the fun things I did? What were the not-so-fun?

8. What were my biggest challenges/roadblocks/difficulties?

9. How am I different this year than last?

10. For what am I particularly grateful?

Deepa's tongue-in-cheek take on Learning!

What did I learn?

Deepa: On a more serious note – I continue to learn and grow each day personally and professionally. In the field of medicine the learning never stops and thankfully, I am very
self-disciplined and self-initiated when it comes to professional learning and that has served me well. Personally, I have continued to advocate for others through volunteering, inspire and motivate via Aalayam and to take responsibility when things don’t quite go as planned. I have learnt to roll with the punches and to wait for the ah ha insights! I have learnt to keep my perspective when it comes to parenting. I have learnt that taking care of myself is a commitment that I must keep! I learnt to bake and savored the joy of “freshly baked” in 2014!

Handmade with love - Deepa's baked goodness!

What would I have done differently? Why?

Deepa: This year was also an expedition of awakening and reflection. 2014 provided compelling and I mean complelling opportunities to refocus on what I value the most. Let me just leave it at that.

Deepa's real and metaphorical journey in 2014

What still feels incomplete to me?

Deepa: Oh lots of things! Pursuit of self –development is a great thing, don’t you think? I want to read more, travel more, learn to be more assertive, manage stress better, draw from the infinitude of talented, inspiring and capable people, manage my emotions better and exercise. I wish I would “Eat the frog” rather than procrastinate. I wish I would listen to my inner voice more. I could go on….

Deepa's travelogue begins

What were the fun things I did? What were the not-so-fun?

Deepa: Chateaus and champagne, baguette and bistros, the cabaret and cancan!!Pastoral escapes, Parisian cafés, the cote de azur...I got to experience the intoxicating spell of France! And that was fun!

Paris, viewed via UJ's lens!

Now, on the other hand, my husband – a cross-fit enthusiast got me doing burpees. Throwing your full body weight on the ground and then bring it back up with a plyometric move – not so fun! Needless to say, that did not last very long.. How am I different this year than last?

Deepa: I think I know what I want and I am starting to believe in me! I cannot necessarily say this is an acute change from last year but I feel that with each passing year I come into my own a little bit more. My sense of who I am, what I want, what I stand for and what my values are becomes more defined each year and I am grateful for that clarity. I have a lot more freedom to accept, to refuse, to move on, to let go and it is liberating!

What am I particularly grateful for?

Deepa: The richness of our world – food, people, culture, art and places and the ability to explore one little bit at a time with my soulmate! A job that I love, that allows me to make a difference – everyday! The precious smile on my child’s face and the ability to look at the world through his lens. The fact that I get to experience the four seasons and nature in all her glory. For the unconditional love of my family. I am grateful for ginger chai and fresh flowers – the simple things that allow me to live in the present. I am grateful for the comfort of home!

Deepa's elegant holiday home

I could go on….

Thank you Deepa, for that candid share. It's my turn now, is it not?

I wanted to answer all the questions in the list here for you. I have mentally answered them, taken stock, and have arranged my plans for next year. But I would like to unravel the spool of my thought around the question:

What did I do right? What do I feel especially good about? What was my greatest contribution?

Supriya: I have been a good parent in 2014, despite a few epic mommy meltdowns (p.s. kids are talented in the art of pushing you over the edge. They gang up, they are relentless and they are manipulative!).

I demonstrated tolerance, empathy, patience and ....some more tolerance, in the face of insurmountable expectations (mostly self-imposed). I coached & mentored, and made an impact. I wrote, made prolific connections that are slowly evolving into friendships. I focused on professional development, adding value to my clients, and had a almost manic desire for continuous improvement.

I am still contemplating about what I am especially feeling good about. I watched this holiday classic movie today - "It's a Wonderful Life", a Christmas fantasy-drama, more than 50 years old, but still a sure shot tear jerker, inspiring & uplifting.

For those of you that have not seen the movie, I highly recommend it. The movie is about a man, George Bailey who gives up his dreams in order to help others, all his life, and eventually gets so defeated by life itself that he loses all hope. But divine intervention shows George all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community of Bedford Falls would be had he never been born.

The movie got me wondering. What impact have I made in the community I am living in? What would have happened if I did not exist in the lives of my family and friends at all?

It's a humbling thought, is it not? To think of the constant opportunity I have to make an impact on the lives of others around me. It's a tremendous responsibility. Onerous in fact. But, a wonderful one.

I am a daughter, friend, wife, mother and mentor. I am a blogger and an environmental consultant. I am making (I hope) a difference in the lives of the people I touch, and the community I live in everyday. Tell me if I am not. I want to know. This is the yardstick I want to measure myself by, everyday, every year.

Amen.

Deepa and I want to wish our readers a phenomenal 2015. I hope you make tremendous impact!!

Love,

Supriya

Welcome to another year of inspiring posts! It is a new year and we are hitting the ground running! That’s right!

An intricate brass Ganesha lamp from Arthi's treasured brass collection.

We kick off 2015 with an artist feature and a home tour. Let me introduce you to an artist whose influence has touched the lives of many. She is known for her vivacious smile, her mesmerizing energy and her penchant for story telling!

Story telling is an art, one that relies on the power of communication to translate words into artistic visual images that can then send the listener on a journey to an imaginary world. And our artist today is an amazing storyteller. Story telling is only a part of her identity. She is also a mother, a full time corporate employee, a volunteer, an author of two children’s books and a blogger! I have never met her but I am thoroughly inspired by her tenacity! It is an honor and a privilege to host the amazing Arthi Anand Navaneeth on Aalayam today. Her story is beyond impressive and she was gracious enough to invite us into her beautiful home.

Hints of orange play peekaboo with the warmer earth tones.

We love telling the story of people who make a difference and inspire us with their commitment to a cause as much as we love showcasing beautiful homes. So, to be able to do both in one post is always a bonus! Arthi is an eloquent conversationalist and I was blown away by her answers to my questions. The clarity and simplicity with which she spoke evoked an unmoored joy in me. I hope you too find our exchange engaging.

The striking architectural details, warm wood tones and an open floor plan accented by ambient lighting

We have showcased several homes on Aalayam already and you know that we love telling the story of passionate homeowners who decorate with confidence. The homes featured on Aalayam define the home owners' personality and what they treasure. Arthi’s home is another classic example of that philosophy. Pay attention dear readers, every corner of this home has been lovinlgy nurtured and filled with things that Arthi and her family treasure. The end result- an innately nourishing space with remarkable visual appeal!

Arthi’s Chennai home was featured in detail in Times Of India Property Times. Deccan Chronicle Bangalore focused on Arthi and Navaneeth’s mask and kettle collection and other bloggers have featured Arthi’s beautiful home in the past.

I am proud to tell Arthi and Navaneeth’s home story - the Aalayam way!

Below is our conversation on home and décor and her story-telling platform (Art’s Tales) with Arthi’s insights on soulful decorating and pursuing one's dreams. It is a new year and we are all full of aspirations for personal and professional development. I hope that Arthi’s work will inspire you to reinvent yourself and follow your heart's desires!

Who is Arthi Anand?

A typical working woman of today- a daughter and mother of two, wife to one, friend to some, foe to none (hopefully), Interested in music, dance, food, travel, craft and home décor.

During the week, I am a marketing professional with a fragrance MNC and on weekends I turn into a storyteller for kids.

Art’s Tales with Arthi Anand was born out of my interest in picture books and organizing get-togethers for my own kids.

The artist at work..

I am known as Art among closer friends (especially the blog ones) and hence the name Art’s Tales.

When my first picture book (Tulika’s “Have you seen this?”) was launched, the promotional events acted as a catalyst to my growing desire to narrate stories to a larger audience.

I had attended a workshop by Jeeva in my Chennai days, I drew on that learning. The wonderful Saffron Tree where I review books along with a lot of other contributors is a ready resource for multi cultural stories.

Not sure when but what began as volunteer work with slum kids, turned into an avocation. I still ensure I do at least a couple of volunteer sessions (largely with cancer patients at Kidwai Hospital and the slum children in Ejjipura)

So many stories waiting to be told....

To have people value what you do and pay for attending your session is gratifying. I have been a part of Bookalore, Bangalore Lit Fest, Conservation Express, Neralu, Soul Santhe, Kitsch Mandi, Hamleys and Krispy Kreme. This is apart from the sessions that happen in schools, libraries and across activity centers – all usually on Saturdays.

Family and a couple of friends were very encouraging and after two years, I also launched Art’s Tales on Facebook. The page is a year old now! I try and share interesting book links and crafts when I can.

Arts Tales sessions are interactive and informative without being moralistic. They are a mix of song, dance and story peppered with trivia and questions ideal for the 4- 10 yr. old group. Though parents are known to have been as engaged as kids, I close most sessions with a theme related craft ranging from up cycling to origami to even food art.

Art's Tales FB page is where you can keep yourself updated on the upcoming events and also book information

There is no dearth of stories or storytellers. I am thankful for where I am today. But when I ready to give up corporate life, I hope Art’s Tales can travel places literally- so that I can share and listen to stories there!

Merry little teapots- another of Arthi's favorite collections!

What makes your home "your home"? Does the decor in your home fit the bill for any one particular style - if so, what drove you to that style? Who calls the design shots in your home?

Just yesterday I asked a visitor whether our house was traditional or modern. He felt it was a traditional look provided by a modern mind. I am still interpreting it!

Our family and their warmth, our memories and our hopes for the future translate in to our home. It reflects our love for handicrafts and handloom, our travels including where we stayed. We are fairly organized, fairly neat, fairly arty and fairly well travelled. Our home has always represented us and we believe no decorators or professionals can capture that.

More hints of rust and orange

So yes, it may seem a bit too lived in and look like a mish mash of styles but it tries to be “Indian with a dash of kitschy drama" and stories from our (and our friends’) travels.

Vintage collectibles showcased lovingly

I am the collector and the curator (a skill that needs further honing!) while the rest of the family does their bit to keep things in order. My father is extremely handy around the house and helps execute ideas on lighting and placement and more. My hubby and mom are the cleanliness buffs. I inherit my love for Indian crafts and fabric from my mother. My girls, though young, help clean up their room once playtime is done. They contribute a lot to the festive décor with art and craft!

What are your favorite places to shop for your home? Are you budget savvy or would you rather own pieces that truly strike a chord with you even if they are expensive?

Arthi fondly included a picture of these rattan stools (20 yrs old and from Bangladesh! she said)

I like going to the local markets and santhes when we travel. The closer one gets to the artist the more authentic it is.

Art/ craft is difficult to put a price to. Sometimes if you value it enough, you pay up. And sometimes low priced items fit in beautifully.

If I had to name shopping haunts, Dastkar, Santhes, 100 hands, Ambara, Asmara and Tribes in Bangalore, Khadi in Chennai, are good bets for curios. Of course there are online options too now- Jaypore, itokri and so on.

Blind Love worked well for blinds and Dakshini, Zen and Be Vintage are good for furniture.

It is good to always be on the lookout and pick up whenever something catches your fancy, your budget and a corner at home.

Where do you draw your inspirations from - stores, blogs, magazines?

If the curio fits one of the various collections at home or is quirky in some way and affordable, I get it.

I do recall browsing for a unique book shelf though when we moved to this home and that is how the Yin Yan shelf came about. We were fortunate to find a good carpenter to do it for us.

More treasures from their collection displayed with panache

Home decorating is an arduous process – one that takes patience and a keen eye. What advice would you like to impart to our readers that want to create a cohesive, magazine like look without professional help?

Don’t go for a magazine look or any other person’s home.

Home has to reflect you and your family. Let your home be a mix of aesthetic and comfort.

Keep it clean and put things back in place.

Keep wardrobes closed and odd and ends inside.

Keep one wardrobe rack/ draw free in every room for super duper spring clean to use when you have unexpected visitors and then do remember to clean it out once they are gone!!

Bathrooms need to be dry, real flowers are always welcome

Decide and stick to your color scheme within a room, experiment with accents, be bold and change placement for a change………..

De-clutter is something I could advice if I learned it myself!

What’s next for your beautiful home?

Some seating in wood embellished with old ceramic tiles, but first I need space!!

How does your home decor style incorporate the needs of your two beautiful girls?
Every room has some floor space, where they are encouraged to work / play. The hall is large and obstruction free. They have a small study area in the balcony, which is enclosed and their room has lots of storage for their ever growing collection of books and toys. The girls donate and clean out toys and clothes every now and then. This really helps. Art work is displayed on the fridge or on their room doors and changed as needed. The girls are involved in décor and crafts during all festivals so that they feel ownership towards the same.

You are big on collecting items - what kind of things do you collect? And what drives you to them? When do you say enough? How do you manage to keep your house so impeccably clutter free despite owning a cornucopia of beautiful objects- any tips on storage and display?

Ganeshas, masks, kettles, quirky small brass/ metal antiques, Indian folk art, bedspreads… oh too many for the limited space we have. If you think our home is clutter free, then open the wardrobes and lofts and you will know!!

And there you have it, my rendezvous with the bubbly Arthi Anand. She calls it “Traditional Indian with a dash of kitsch” and I say, “Punctuated with personality”. It is a labor of love and the home is as exuberant as the home owner! Thank you Arthi and Navaneeth for sharing your beautiful home with all of us. Thank you for joining us on this home tour. Please leave your comments and questions for Arthi. Tell us if you are inspired by this space. Our home owners, who graciously share their homes with all of us, would love to hear from you.

To find out more about Art's Tales - stop by her Facebook page

Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All photos belong to the homeowner and Art's Tales. Please do not use without permission.

Aalayam signifies “a place of residence”, a confluence of ideas and inspiration. And you know that, at Aalayam, we house our musings in the vibrant world of multicultural design, culture, gastronomy and art. We have had abundant opportunities over the years to celebrate the visual and cerebral appeal of Indian culture. We have brought to you inspiring artists who revel in retelling mythos, folklore, history and culinary art in their own individualized ways…leaving their indelible impressions in this impersonal, mercantile, fickle universe. And how enriched have we been with those people. And how thankful are we that they have shared their stories with us!

I am proud to bring to you one more such artist. Smruthi Gargi Eswar.

Smurthi Gargi Eswar is the featured artist on Aalayam. Picture courtesy Ninfa Bito - Manila

Smruthi is a graphic artist, designer and modern art aficionado who is interpreting Indian mythology through her bold retelling via her series "Sister Misfortune". (Follow Smruthi and her work on https://www.facebook.com/SmruthiGargiEswar). Or check out her website smruthigargieswar.com.

I was introduced to Smruthi’s work when I chanced upon one of her graphic art pieces in a very good friend’s home. (Check this link out, I also introduced you guys to it!) I was floored by Smruthi’s bold strokes, use of color, and the visceral story telling embedded deep in the art – the limited edition artwork seemed to captivate, and draw all eyes from its pride of place in the home owner’s abode. I was fortunate enough to get introduced to Smruthi following that intimate experience with her work, fascinated as I was with her masterful art retelling of modern mythos. And boy was I impressed.

Smruthi's art "APARNA" in Velu Shankar home in Conoor, India

Smruthi’s art adorns home, office spaces, book covers, posters and walls of school buildings! This verdant feature speaks to the versatility and seamless translation that Smruthi infuses into her work. And it’s not surprising, how organically the art lends itself, as an expression of individuality, as a remarkable statement, in whatever she touches.Smruthi’s design and collaborative space StudioSMU is the wellspring of her ideas and her forever messaging!

Smurthi's studio and creative space

Smruthi is, I found, down to earth, vivacious and super chill (but with sublime attention to perfection, like all artists!!), even as she is expression shades of fierce feminism. All major pluses for me, an observer of artist personalities and human nature. So I will stop gushing and admiring, and let you meet Smruthi youself! And get inside her gorgeous head.

Here goes!

Shilo Shiv Suleman collaboration Power to Women

Supriya (Su): Smruthi, I personally love mythology. Its visceral, and deep. And you seem to have captured the quintessence of Mythology perfectly in your brand! We want to pick your brain to know more about it! First of all, what got you started?? And why Mythology?

Smruthi (Sm): My interest in Mythology is a rather personal. I feel like the Hindu identity has become a very narrow one. We seem to have forgotten about the diversity even within Hinduism. This series was a way for me to reclaim mythology and study older versions (matriarchal versions) of these stories. Especially in a country where people seem to fall back on what is traditional or cultural to explain their own actions, I think it’s a good idea to understand, that what we think of as timeless stories, are in fact changed versions of earlier tellings. And these earlier tellings, most often than not, stand for very different ideologies. I am interested in these early tellings that tend to be less patriarchal and far more diverse.

APARNA from the Sister Misfortune Series

Su: Where do you derive your daily inspiration from? What gets you started designing and handcrafting a piece of art?

Sm: It’s hard to put my inspiration to one or two things. It could be sketching a bit, listening to music or reading. Once it comes to my graphic design work at StudioSMU there is more of process. Breaking the brief down, and then letting your mind wander but still very consciously to keep putting these ideas down in visual form. Sketching these ideas and fine tuning them is usually the perfect environment for the better ideas and the final design to surface.

But with Graphic Art projects I do nothing at all. The idea or the need to discuss something appears quite naturally and the execution as well is more fluid and does not really have process that I apply. But I can see rather clearly the my design practice is a strong influence in how I go about creating my more "artistic" work.

Wall graphics for a TV Show on NDTV, designed by Smruthi

Su: How do you give a modern slant to traditional representations of Hindu Gods? We see your art adorning classical abodes, and rocking in a modern space as well! So tell us more!

Sm: What interests me is a culture that is living and breathing. A space where we can interact with ideas from the past and be able readdress them from our own points of reference and interest. With Sister Misfortune I am looking at the matriarchal gods from a matriarchal time, in which the woman also known as Prakrithi (nature in Sanskrit) were revered. The adaptation of the Art Nouveau style is a direct outcome of this.

The focus on natural forms and the placing of nature over all other things. The goddesses themselves seem more like us. I wanted this role reversal as a contrast to the constant obsession for women to be more "goddess like". Woman are layered, complex and flawed. And that is how I see the goddesses too. Also in Indian mythology as with Greek mythology we can see these layers to these gods. All I am doing is letting these complexities surface in new visual context.

Old city cave graphic series - quirky, eclectic and emphatic

Su: Can you talk to us a little bit about your design work? Do you hold the creative reins of the design, or do you let your customers decide what they would like?

Sm: With Graphic Design work there is a lot of interaction with the Client. At this point most of them come to me because they have seen my work and would like to work with me. I get many different types of clients. Some who have a clear idea about what they want, some who might need a little help getting there while some don't want the hassle of it at all and are quite willing that I take it all on. Most clients I have worked with continue to work with me over numerous projects over time and I personally find a lot of happiness in that.

Sandbox Collective and The Humming Tree poster

Su: What are your general interests and do you mind sharing how you spend your down time?

Sm: The usual - listening to music, dancing (nothing academic), watching films, or obsessing over a series, enjoying food while avoiding cooking (which i mean to change), day dreaming and analyzing the nighttime ones... things like that.

DioramaDesign Studio project with Thara Thomas and Nidhi Miriam Jacob Cariappa

Su: Talk to us about Sister Misfortune. What do you aspire to achieve with the series? How, in your opinion, does your art contribute to the preserving of culture?

Sm: Personally, Sister Misfortune created a space in which I can address stuff I want to. I am hoping that it also creates a platform where we can talk about gender, religion, culture and the existence of multiplicity in all of them. It’s not so much about preserving culture but about interacting with it. The culture by default is preserved, and kept alive through different ways people find to interact with it.

SITA at Pimento and Studio Five Architects

Su: Has your creative entrepreneurship changed your everyday perspective - at home, at work and at play?

Sm: I don’t see my artistic work or my work as designer as separate from the rest of me. It’s not really like they influence each other because they co-exist. It’s more like they are a single unit that find different ways of expression. Having said that, yes they have influenced how I look at the world and my life. Definitely helps bring a sense of meaning into things and helps avoid an existential crisis :)

Getting artsy at Vartur

Su: Smruthi. please talk to us about your collaborations. With Designers, Fashion Houses, Schools and other brands.

Sm: As an artist I have had a chance to collaborate with artists from many different specters. Shilo Shiv Suleman the visual artist, Avril Stormy Unger a movement and performance artist, the well known Ritu Kumar Label the fashion house.

Avril Stormy Unger Fearless - with APARNA in the background

StudioSMU my design space, on the other hand has worked together with Nidhi Mariam Jacob Cariappa (Diorama Design), Oroon Das, Fish Eye (In Delhi) amongst others.

Amrish Kumar, Smruthi Gargi Eswar and Ritu Kumar (L-R), Label Ritu Kumar

These collaborations work at different levels. With Ritu Kumar Label - I was commissioned to create 4 pieces for them, which were then used on their clothing. The miniseries is called Seasoned and is an of shoot of Sister Misfortune. Ritu Kumar Label went on to launching the series in Delhi.

StudioSMU's collaborations with Diorama Design are more diverse. We came together on a wall painting project that was done for a government school in Vartur Bangalore and now are working together through a new set of products from SmuSHOP. SmuSHOP will shorty be releasing these products online.

Diorama Design Studio Collaboration - its time to get real!! And make an impact.

Smruthi, that was refreshing. Like drinking a cup of hot filter coffee. And EVERYONE knows how much I love that!

Smruthi Gargi Eswar smiles for the camera as she contemplates what lies ahead in 2015. Picture courtesy Kashyap

Thank you, you have reawakened my mojo for 2015. Keep doing what you are doing - go higher, do bigger, and inspire better!! We loved having you over at Aalayam and hope you enjoyed working with us too!!!

Aalayam is privileged to have collaborated with you.

Good luck on all your future endeavors. We stay excited to see what you come up with next.

Love,

Supriya

Here is the final post of our trifecta for the month -the story of a jewelry designer and a self –made entrepreneur. We also get a peek into her beautiful home and we could not be happier to bring you this feature! Meet Vyshanvi -Founder-Designer of Dvibhumi (dvi-bhoo-mee), a Singapore-based jewelry label with a contemporary design philosophy rooted in Asian heritage. Today’s post is yet again, the story of hard work and dedication to a passion aka creative entrepreneurship. It is a tribute to an artist who chose a novel medium (jewelry) to explore her love for music, culture and architecture and without hesitation took a creative plunge to follow her dreams

Aalayam fashionistas take note – you are in for a treat! I am honored to introduce you to a jewelry label that is urban and sophisticated with hints of tradition and history. So, if you are looking for a brand that allows you to express yourself fiercely no matter what your personality is then your search ends here! And yes, I get to bring you a tour of her vibrant artistic Singapore abode as well and you are going to love it. So, read on….

Here is the fascinating story of Dvibhumi, the label in Vyshnavi’s own words …

Tirta - tusk earrings. Make a statement with a Dvibhumi piece!

“I launched Dvibhumi in 2014, translating my preoccupation with creative concepts, Asian cultures and the arts into contemporary wearable design that tells a story. Dvibhumi represents a stream of ideas flowing from two worlds: India, where I grew up, and South East Asia, where I live, work and travel. My work is off-trend and less concerned with the material nature of jewellery. Dvibhumi is made of intangible stories, memories and experiences that are intensely personal to me and to the wearers who connect with the same stories in some way.

I am also deeply motivated by a need to transcend exotic labels such as “ethnic”, “boho”, “traditional”, “antique” and “tribal” that constrain Asian jewelry design. With Dvibhumi, my effort has been to bring into sharp focus the inherent and often ignored modernity of Asian aesthetic, fully embracing its forms, details, textures and craftsmanship. Today all the excitement is around gold and there are very few designers doing something exciting with silver. The Silver Enthusiast isn’t catered to well enough and often settles for tired, recycled and mass-produced designs. Dvibhumi wants to reach out to a discerning, independent thinking Silver Enthusiast looking for good design stories in a metal that she adores.

Hindolam - a dvibhumi offering!

I started Dvibhumi with three collections, or stories, as I would like to call them: Kutcheri, Vibhuti and Ayu. Kutcheri is a term applied across South India to Carnatic Music Concerts. Kutcheri is a modern day ode to the iconic ornamentation style of great Carnatic divas such as MS Subbulakshmi. The series is a lighter take on the classic seven stone diamond stud that was MS’s signature style. Vibhuti is the Sanskrit word for holy ash, which describes the austere appearance of this collection. I’ve used an Indian jewellery staple – the jhumka – to tell a story inspired by the domes and fretwork of Islamic and Renaissance architecture. The result is a clean jhumka that brings into sharp focus the form and detail with no unnecessary embellishment – very different from regular jhumkas where the individual design elements are less distinct.

Atri - jhumkas with a difference!

Ayu means beautiful in Bahasa Indonesia. This collection uses traditional Indonesian silver-smithing techniques to capture the form and detail of Balinese shadow puppet theatre and worship. The series re-conceptualizes typical silhouettes such as the headdress, the tree of life, and the wings of the mythical Garuda, and the overwhelming textures of Bali’s sculptures and woodwork.

How to purchase

Dvibhumi’s E-Shop is always open, and ships worldwide. Just hop over to www.dvibhumi.com, and pay securely through your credit card or PayPal. If you’re not comfortable with that, Dvibhumi also accepts payments via online bank transfers. Just write to hello@dvibhumi.com with the link to the design you are keen on, and Vyshnavi will write back to you with the bank details.

And now on to what seems to be a favorite with Aalayam readers – a home tour! We were invited to Vyshnavi and Karthik’s vibrant, playful and inviting home and I was blown away by how stylish this space was. I am going to let Vyshnavi explain how this beautiful home came to be but do me a favor and pay attention to all the details will you? Art that makes a statement, colors that pop, fabrics that add interest – I clapped my hands in glee when I saw this cozy little gem of a home (I know I am a hard core home décor enthusiast!). This home is also her art studio and this beautiful and clutter free backdrop is truly an artist’s inspiration. In her own words, “the home has evolved slowly and organically, which makes everything a bit less predictable” and I love that! This home is not dictated by trends but rather by passion and that is the kind of home that Aalayam loves to feature.

Here is the excerpt from our tete-a tete...

1) What makes your home "your home"?

It is young, carefully considered, practical and constantly evolving. It’s just a very personal space filled with colors; textures and sounds that make us feel good.

2) Does the decor in your home fit the bill for any one particular style - if so, what drove you to that style?

We haven’t aspired to any prescribed home décor style and it isn’t something that came alive overnight. In fact, decorating a home hasn’t been the starting point at all. We started with what we’re interested in, and finding a place for it at home. The home has evolved slowly and organically, which makes everything a bit less predictable. I love indigenous arts and crafts, and the house has something of a folksy vibe going on. I was once looking up Tlingit art online, and somehow meandered my way to Mexican alebrije.

I loved the blinding color, patterns, and subjects, and that’s how a Oaxacan coyote alebrije landed up in our living room. I found painted wooden door stoppers at a discount sale one day and bought several of them to create a wall mural using Blu-Tack. The Japanese woodblock print is by the legendary Ukiyo-e master Kuniyoshi. It’s something I researched extensively before we purchased it on our visit to Kyoto. We picked up a Turkish calligraphy piece from a friend who is also an art dealer when we were travelling in Istanbul, and it just fell into place right next to the Tanjore paintings of Ganesha and Subramanya which we had received as wedding gifts.

3) Who calls the design shots in your home?

My husband and I are both involved in putting the house together – it is a shared space after all!

4) How does your personal decor style influence your work professionally or the other way around?

The home is also where I work, so quite naturally, both evolve from a very personal and inward looking approach to design and aesthetics. Both are grounded in stories, images and sounds that we grew up with in India and have a fondness for things that we come in contact with all over Asia, through our travels and our surroundings. There is a fascination for Asia, the respect for craftsmanship, a penchant for detailing and textures.

5) What are your favorite places to shop for your home? Are you budget savvy or would you rather own pieces that truly strike a chord with you even if they are expensive?

We gravitate more towards a laidback casual style, so there’s nothing lavish in our house. Our favourite places to shop are Ubud in Bali and Kyoto. But I love the internet even more! Ebayand Etsy are great for collectibles, and a Google search will show you a whole host of tiny standalone shops selling eccentricities. That’s how I found the Oaxacan Coyote. I’ve found some exciting art from emerging artists on Saatchi Onlineand I’ve picked up some excellent quality prints from 1000 Museums. Fuji Artsauctions Ukiyo-e prints, and I got a Chikanbou triptych reproduction from there. I also find myself frequently on online marketplaces like Novica. Good Earth is an eternal favourite for household linen. I also find Playclan’s work very interesting – I have an embroidered cushion from there. And although I haven’t bought anything from them, I love browsing One King’s Lane and Phantom Hands.

6) Where do you draw your online inspirations from - any favorite resources that you can share?

I don’t read too many home décor blogs. But I like Apartment Therapy for ideas on how to use space and shopping resources, and An Indian Summer and Once Upon a Tea Time for places to shop as well. They talk to people who like to mash things up a bit and styling a home with collectibles, and not indulge inwater tight themes. Oh, and Airbnb has some very creative spaces!

7) Home decorating is an arduous process – one that takes patience and a keen eye. What advice would you like to impart to our readers that want to create a cohesive, magazine like look without professional help?

Our house is less about creative decoration and utilization of spaces and more about finding space for things we love. With that disclaimer out of the way, I have a few things to share. One, starting with ourselves instead of a magazine has helped us create a home that weathers changing trends and repeated expenses. Two, knowing our purchase interests at an intimate level has helped us evaluate our buys better. We buy fewer things; these are things we know we will value in the years to come. Three, things have taken time. We’ve learned to resist the urge to buy cute junk on impulse to fill spaces in a hurry. And finally, I believe creating an ambience with a part of oneself is always more fulfilling than mindless buying. If you have such leanings, go ahead and create repurpose, recycle, act out your artistic inclinations in the form of a mural. Commemorate a large collection of books, a movie fetish, or a wedding saree. Once you find what you are interested in, use available resources – magazines, home décor blogs and Pinterest – to bring it alive in the best possible manner.

8) What’s next for your beautiful home (studio)?

There isn’t much space left for things, so perhaps some new music and scents will be nice. Oh and we definitely need to make more space for Dvibhumi which is now taking up a lot of space at home with its inventory, paperwork and drawings. I also want to do something with a large Japanese parasol but I’m not sure what or when!

9) What's next for Dvibhumi?

I’ve just started, and although the response so far has been extremely encouraging, not many people really know of Dvibhumi. I really want to reach out to more people who will appreciate the ethos of Dvibhumi, not just in India, but also everywhere in the world. I also want to evolve the three streams (Kutcheri, Vibhuti and Ayu) to include other accessories such as necklaces!

There you go- the tres chic home of Vyshnavi and Karthik! A simple yet eye-catching space that seems to hit all the right notes to create a warm and inviting palette. I love taking note of what inspires people and drives their aesthetic sensibilities. There is always a lesson to be learnt if we care to pay attention and keep an open mind. Now for Dvibhumi, I am impressed – with the brand, the style, the artist’s vision, her inspiration, her philosophy and her goals for the brandand I see a very bright and successful future for Dvibhumi and it was indeed a privilege to introduce this brand to Aalayam readers. Thank you Vyshnavi and karthik for allowing us to stroll through your gorgeous home!

A special mention also to my dear friend Pooja for introducing me to Vyshnavi and making yet another home tour possible!

Cheers!

~Deepa

P.S: All images belong to the homeowner (and Dvibhumi). Please do not use without permission

Imaged sourced from here

And on this day, when the whole world celebrates love – I want to take you on a photo tour of the most romantic city of the world.

The city of lights - a view from the Arc de Triomphe!

If you have not been here, then my goal is to inspire you to make that trip - soon! And if you have already visited this city- then I hope you can relive your time there through my travelogue. I am sure your stay was as magical and memorable as ours!

Place de la concorde - the dark clouds reminding us of the sombre day when Mary Antoinette was guillotined!

Taking in the sights of the city while holding hands atop the Eiffel tower, stealing a kiss on a windy night while cruising the Seine, smiling at each other over a decadent macaroon at Laduree – we could not have chosen a more romantic city to celebrate 15 years of togetherness!

Decadence and opulence -thy name is Laduree!

A clichéd lover's stop? – Perhaps! But so totally worth it! The allurement of Paris stays with me even 5 months after our vacation.

French chic!

I had promised to bring you more from our trip to France and here is part 2 – the romance of Paris! Remember my travelogue on Provence? In case you missed it – you can find it here!

A sweeping view from atop the Eiffel tower capturing the many layers of the city - a happy marriage of the old and the new

What can I say about Paris and the French that has not already been said before? They have mastered the art of persuasion and romance!

Musee Rodin - and this is where our museum voyage began! Wrought iron love!

The larger-than –life monuments, intricate architecture, world class dining, chic boutiques, haute couture fashion, street side artists, vintage book stores, cobbled stone alleys - everything in France is about embracing and romancing life and you feel it the minute you step out of the airport!

The magnificent notre dame! I coudl not peel my eyes off the architectural details!

Now, there are plenty of travel planning resources on the Internet that you can use to get your bearings in place before you make the trip.

Sigh!

Plan, plan, plan – that is the only way you can get the most out of your trip especially if you a re a first time visitor. Understand the geography and the lay of the land, get to the know the train routes (metro and RER), tailor your list of must-see attractions (or else it can be daunting!!), try to get a feel for a variety of things that Paris has to offer (do not miss the cabaret!), explore some lesser known neighborhoods (create your own custom experience and amble through the quieter and non -touristy streets – the locals call it La flaneur), go for late night strolls (this is a great way to get night time shots of the city minus the tourists) and the true way to discover “La romance de Paris”

The mighty Louvre, Paris' top draw captured on a quiet night. Somewhere in there, the most parodied work of art in the world hangs quietly.

and do not forget to experience Paris gastronomie (creperies, brasseries, cafes, bistros, boulangeries – explore’em all) - indulge to your heart’s content ! The French pastries are to die for and you can always walk it off along the Seine!

Whatever your reasons to visit Paris maybe – be assured that you will be blown away by the seminal architecture, the hip café culture, the gourmet food and the travel through history. Every corner offers something for its tourists and you will not be disappointed! Just make sure to stop and appreciate the intimacy of the city as you walk down its winding streets and open markets! Allow yourself to feel the love!

And if you have not been to Paris yet – I am so excited for you! Go make your own picture perfect romantic memories on the Pont Neuf or at the Tulleries or inside the Louvre or on top of the Notre Dame or along the Seine or in front of the Eiffel Tower or down the Champs Elysses or in a quaint little bistro or an antique bookshop!

Sigh!

Until I see you again....

Hope you've enjoyed our virtual tour of Paris brought to you lovingly this Valentine's Day!

Cheers!

~Deepa

p.s: All images in this post are from our personal albums and taken by my husband. Please do not use without permission.

Good morning from snowy VA Aalayam!!

I have been in a brief hibernation - juggling demanding deadlines at work, going through some transformational angst...I just have not been able to get my blogging mojo to flow.

Thank you Deepa for holding down the fort, in style, when I was distracted. But now, I am happy to be back.

And here I am presenting to you, a poignant story about a topic that has come to mean quite a lot to me!

Smiling faces of our future, from Odisha, India. Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

My kids have more books than they can read, more clothes than they need and so many toys that I have to give some away every year just so we have room for more stuff. We (fortunately or unfortunately), live in a society of excesses, where the value of a book, of school supplies, of a new comic or of a new dress is not appreciated as much as it should. Let's hold that thought for a minute.

I have always wanted to do something meaningful with my time, with children especially, so I can make a difference in someone's life. Not just go through the motions of making money, educating my own children, meeting the expectations of my family etc...Let's hold that thought too.

With this as the premise, imagine my fascination when my cousin from Bangalore, - Sunayana Chatrapathy, moved away from her family and her cushy life to start a fellowship in Odisha (formerly known as Orissa, in Eastern India), to predominantly work with tribal children and teach them English and Math!!

I read hungrily, all about Sunayana's adventures in her blog, trials and tribulations in learning a new language, getting a new perspective, integrating in a rural village set up, unlearning and relearning concepts we've mostly grown arrogant about - and just getting joy out of doing something basic - like making a difference at the grassroots level.

How I wish I could do something like that.

Sunayana's blog about her Gram Vikas experiences (https://sunayanachatrapathy.wordpress.com)

All I can do at this time is contribute - that's the least I can do.

I can help Sunayana out as she is raising money to get these children books, or school supplies.

I can help her spread the word about this fellowship, about Gram Vikas, the Non Governmental Organization Sunayana is working with in Odisha.

I can help myself by doing something meaningful, spreading the world about the multilateral textures of India - that is so much more than just high saturation color and culture.

Here's a video introduction to Gram Vikas. Check it out!

I think guiltily of all the times we have so many crayons that we cut them up to do craft with them. Imagine if a kid did not even have crayons to express himself with.

I think of all the times we have so many books, and a lush library full of titles we adore, and we still complain we don't have that favorite book we are coveting. We then go and buy innumerable titles with crisp hard covers, and printed on high gloss paper. Imagine a kid cannot practice his reading because there are not enough books in his school, or in his village or even in the neighboring village!

So the least I can do to scratch that itch is to contribute with the awareness, and with the fund raising.

Mohuda kids revel outside their local school - Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

Without getting too pedantic, let me jump right over to Sunayana's first person narrative. Over gushing WhatsApp messages and Facebook pings, I was able to get Sunayana to give me a blurb about her experiences in Odisha.

So here goes!

Having worked as an HR professional for close to five years, there was one thing missing in my work life – the ever elusive sense of gratification. I somehow wasn’t sure of why I was doing what I was doing. So, I decided to take a step back and re-think about what I really wanted to do. I decided that it didn’t matter that I had MBA and Engineering degrees under my belt; my options should not be limited by them. They have been immense learning experiences and I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.

I decided that I just wanted to do something that I liked doing every single day. There were many options playing in my mind. I was drawn to the education sector in India – particularly elementary education. It was when I was in this frame of mind that I came across the SBI Youth for India rural development fellowship programme. This fellowship offers one the opportunity to work for a year in a village in India, in the focus area of your choice, under the guidance of experienced NGOs. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to explore something new.

As Sunayana travels to Mohuda, she sees breathtaking landscape. Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

Although I had no clue about living conditions in villages, save from the occasional visits to a cousin’s farm, I was confident about my decision to take this up. Luckily for me , my husband and family were supportive too. With a thumbs-up from everyone, I applied and got selected for the fellowship with 70 others from across India, each of them from a different background. While there were 21-year-olds who were just out of college, there were PhDs too!

The November cohort for the SBI Youth for India Fellowship

Now, as part of the fellowship, I am working with the non-governmental organization-Gram Vikas (which translates to ‘Development of a village’). I live in Mohuda, a small village in Odisha - one of the least developed states in India. Since I chose the education sector, I am working with a residential school run by Gram Vikas. It caters to tribal children from far-flung villages of Odisha.

Program funding contrasts in Odisha - pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

When I first visited the school, I expected shy kids, who would likely run away from me. On the contrary, they ran towards me, with ear-to-ear grins. I couldn’t have expected a warmer welcome. From that point until now, every minute I have spent here has been worth it. I have never loved my job more. Finally, that ever elusive sense of gratification has been achieved.

Children are ready to style and smile!! Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

These children amaze me every day. It seems like there is nothing they cannot do! They sing, dance, play, draw, paint, win medals in sports, set up grand puja pandals, give trendy haircuts to each other, repair, do carpentry work, make clay idols, organize and manage events, grow vegetables, share, take care of each other, teach each other, ask questions , show unconditional love and of course, love to learn. And this is not exaggeration.

Team work that actually means something - Children work together to create a stage for puja. Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

I started teaching spoken English after I saw that the kids could read and write English (thanks to rote learning, where children learn by repetition and memorization), but could not understand or speak anything they were writing. So every day, I look for new, interactive ways to teach them to speak English. I make use of fun activities, games, Genki English songs and also in the process introducing bi-lingual story books in Odia and English.

Sunayana practices her Odia script. Walking the talk, or writing it, now has gotten real!

Currently, I am also working on introducing attractive ways to teach Math using Math manipulatives - A Math manipulative is an object which is designed so that a learner can perceive a mathematical concept by using it.

As I work with these children on a daily basis, I have had one strong realization – that every child has equal potential, but they just need something to hone that potential. It is the platform and opportunities that make a difference. If these children can be given the right opportunity, they are pretty much invincible.

Children gear up for Sports Day. Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

Another area that I noticed requires improvement is hygiene in government-run schools. I am working on creating a module that can be used by government-run school teachers. It includes activities, games and education material that can be used not just to create awareness but instill practices of hygiene in their daily lives. Right now, the condition is so bad that they do not even have a functional toilet in school.

The classroom has a surprise visitor! Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

Most people seem to think I have given up the comfort of urban living and that I’m leading a tough life here, in Odisha. But come to think of it, never before have I felt so at peace. I have found joy here that I had never experienced. The simple reason - the people. I cannot believe such simple people even exist -people who work selflessly, people who love unconditionally, people who have few wants and people who haven’t forgotten how to enjoy simple pleasures of life.

The beauty and tranquility of home, away from home. Pic courtesy, Sunayana Chatrapathy

These are people at the NGO, people in the villages, teachers at school and most of all – the kids. What pleasure it is to just listen to the kids, watch them, teach them, and learn from them. I don’t know if I am making any difference to them, but surely, they are making the biggest difference to my life.

Sunayana ponders the road that lies ahead....

Thank you Sunayana, for your candor, honesty, and humility. Aalayam readers and I join you in wishing you, and your kids at Odisha, the best.

Love,
Supriya

In case you want to contribute funds to allow Sunayana to buy books, school and lab supplies for the kids, Sunayana can be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/sunayana.chatrapathy.

Sunayana is also looking for creative ideas to teach Math and English to these kids. So if you are a teacher, or have worked with kids in any capacity, contribute your IDEAS!!!

Follow Sunayana's Odisha adventures at https://sunayanachatrapathy.wordpress.com

I love food, plain and simple! Now, that qualifies me to pen down a post on food – don’t you think?

This post is mostly about the wonderful memories woven around food and the many conversations that are spring boarded off the food on our rasoi table. It is also about family, culture and traditions all preserved via food! Someday, I hope to look back at these pictures and tell stories of festivities and celebrations, of holidays and Sunday mornings, of family gatherings and date nights and of new accomplishments added to my repertoire! In the meanwhile, I hope to indulge the inner foodie in you!

In this post, I present a series of images that are essentially snapshots from my life over the past couple of years captured via simple home made food!

My grandmother is an excellent cook! She has that magic touch and eating her food is an out-of-this world experience that will leave you licking your fingers long after the food is gone! I don’t know what it is that makes her cooking so exceptional – perhaps her astute sense for proportions! For me, she is the exemplar cook.

My own tryst with cooking began as (failed) experiments on my newly married husband! Dismayed by my lack of intuition and perplexed by the intricacies of cooking, I felt defeated. Even simple recipes challenged me, cookbooks and internet recipes were of no help (‘coz I simply did not have what it took to put everything together) and cooking soon became a chore I dreaded.

I think the turning point for me (and thank God for that!) came after the birth of my son when my mom stayed with us for a few months to help out.

What I lacked in intellect and instinct I made up for via interest. I started paying attention and asking a lot of questions. I also learnt that cooking requires patience (tons of it) to create that harmonious and balanced blend of flavors. Slowly but surely, I blossomed, not into a gourmet cook but into an everyday cook. One that can now confidently whip up a decent meal for her family and enjoy the process too! I think I have redeemed myself and am at ease in the kitchen now!

These days I cook. Gleefully! Sometimes, a comfort food that I am craving for or a lunch box treat that my mom used to pack lovingly for my brother and me or a dish uniquely assigned to a festival (a family tradition), a new recipe or a simple weekend request from the boys. I am cautiously venturing into new areas too! I learnt to bake and savored the joy of freshly baked last year!

This year, I want to cook my way through a North Karnataka (my husband’s cuisine) thali as a surprise for him (shshshsh- don’t tell him).

Inspite of the many imported preferences for other cuisines, as a family, we still find ourselves craving for the comfort of what is familiar food wise. Some days, all you want is rice and rasam - nothing urbane, nothing fiddly! We maintain our cultural identity via food and I am sure that I thread strands of culture in to our life via our food customs.

O.K. I admit I cheated with this one - the sweet treats and the savory snacks were made by my mom :) but I will take credit for the decor!

I secretly hope that these traditions will become a fond part of my son’s childhood memories!

Over time I have come to appreciate and enjoy the art and science of cooking. It has taught me to live in the present and appreciate the quotidian.

As I savor the aroma and the flavors emanating from the simmering spices, I learn a little bit more about who I am and what I want to pass along.

As I continue to explore the wonders of food and experiment with global cuisines too, I hope to bring my culinary snapshots to you all periodically. But first, tell me – how do you connect with food? Do you eat for sustenance or do you share a deeper and a more intimate connection with food? I would love to hear from you! We can perhaps have a tete-a-tete over a cup of adrak chai?

If you liked this post, then I recommend you go back and read Supriya's post on plated street food - the great Indian Chaat. You will love it (I love browsing through our archives and finding something fun to revisit) and make sure you scroll down all the way to the comments section of that post to read about her special connection to Gobi Manchurian!
Supriya is up next. I hope you like the fact that we are constantly mixing things up. Decor, artist features, cuisine, culture, art, posts with a social message, home tours, travel - we are having a lot of fun with this, I hope you are too. Thank you for reading Aalayam.

Cheers!
Deepa

p.s: All the images in this post are from my home and taken by my husband. Please do not use without permission.

Hello Dear Readers!

Today, we bring to you a special summer treat. The much awaited rendezvous of the dynamic Aalayam duo, replete with brainstorming, creative sketching and glamorous posing (of course).

Deepa and I are delighted to bring this special edition to our dear readers. Hope you enjoy perusing through this post, because let me tell you, we sure enjoyed putting it together!

It was serendipity at best, after 3 years of working together bringing our brainchild – Aalayam to life, it was quite a joy to plan a trip to meet Deepa. Two style and design stalwarts meeting face to face could only mean one thing – more Aalayam awesomeness. And awesome it was, starting with planning for what accessories and goodies to take on the trip, to helping plan the minute design details of the party Deepa was hosting, up in her home town for her gal pals. It was turning out to be a girlie vacation for me as I was traveling alone, without the husband and the kids. And I planned to maximize it.

You see, when I go on family vacations, I barely get a couple of minutes to slap the makeup on my face and pull the first outfit that's accessible in my closet (it’s the same story when I go to work every day), but girlie vacations…ah..they are a treat. Cos, that’s when I get to apply the mascara and style my hair…and not pretend that my messy bun is a style trick! And the biggest decision I have to make that day is what to wear! And I wanted to take full advantage of this girlie trip for that very reason. And just thinking of all the photo opportunities we’d get..thanks to the magic lens and creative photography of UJ, had gotten me sartorially prepped!

The trip was sublime. I rarely say this about my air travel. I am one of the unlucky few who always get stranded at airports, lose their luggage or get rerouted for unfathomable reasons. But this trip to Ohio was relaxed, with no nasty surprises, and chockablock with pretzels and tomato juice. The flight even landed early at my final destination!

See, I had a feeling this trip was going to be awesome.

When Deepa and I finally met, it was like no time had passed since our last conversation.

It became easy to understand why we worked so well together, respecting our creative differences, giving each other artistic latitude, yet believing in the common ethos of perfection and detail oriented dedication. It’s hard to run into someone who understands your neuroses like that! And when you do, you hold on to them! J

The first few hours were a flurry of "oohs" and "aahs" over accessories, carefully thought out gifts for each other, plans for the weekend, party planning details, catching up on the local news (who’s doing what these days!) and of course lots of pictures!

Walking through Deepa’s home was like traversing through a well loved, and familiar terrain of design delight. Most of her rooms have been featured on Aalayam and other design mags, so seeing these rooms in live splendor was delightful.

We got to work right away, planning our upcoming line up, tweaking our authoring strategy, working through our repertoire of topics and brainstorming on how we could make the content more meaningful, the format more engaging and the outcome more creative.

We talked through the work life balance conundrum that we both were facing – with both of us being superlatively busy career women with full families to take care of, but both with compelling visions for what our stamp on life had to look like.

Through Aalayam, we realized, we’d reached that common ground of evocation, or leaving a lasting footprint in this fleeting world (even though we had 48 other things to do most days before finishing the blog post we were working on!)

But we could not work for long, as scenic vistas had to be explored, and party fun had to be had! So off we went to don our ensembles, and meet the other gorgeous divas from all over the world, dressed to the nines in pastels (you know who you are!) for garden party extravaganza!

It was sensational partying during the day, and even more fun hitting the Ohio party scene as dusk approached!

And just when we thought we were done with playing dress up, we decided to treat ourselves (and our readers) by dressing up (again) in our favorite wardrobe choice and all its glorious accouterments – the Saree!

The rustle of the silks, accompanied by the clink of the bangles, the heady perfumes in combination with the brilliant Ohio weather, transported us back home to an Indian wedding, where damsels flamboyantly don the Saree and give the celebrity red carpeters a run for their money!

In all seriousness, this trip was long overdue. And it was total paisa vasool! Stay tuned for the exciting line up of posts coming up – ranging the spectrum of cultural inconveniences, fashion choices done right, culinary shortcuts and parenting woes..we are going to continue to write about topics that speak to us, and resonate with you...and give us something to leave behind for our kids.

After that whirlwind weekend, we bring to you this post - fun, festive and forward looking post! And with this post, Deepa and I both want to take a moment to thank you, dear readers for all the love, support and patronage you have given us for the last 3 years, and anticipate that you will continue to stand by us, as we continue this creative journey.

Lots of love,

Supriya and Deepa

Its Habba (Festival) Season in India. And for all the Indians living abroad, it’s a throwback to tradition, good food and celebrating with friends and family!

There are said to be more festivals in India than the days of the year, celebration for every religious occasion, change of season and every harvest. For occasional traditionalists like me, this serves to be an issue.

Yes, I blog about culture and leaving a footprint of our tradition for our kids and all, yet, I drag my feet to be obsequious to every cultural shindig that we, as Indians are required to partake in. Maybe it is the rebellion of being the married woman who has to adhere to the traditional boundaries and expectations put forth by her married home – husband, in laws, yada yada yada. Maybe is plain curiosity of why we do what we do.

I am arguing with myself, if I have God and good in my heart, why all the show? As I said, I feel like I am trespassing in the realms of the pure traditionalists. Yet, as my good friend, and Aalayam co-host Deepa put it, we embrace festivals with fervor and enthusiasm because it is a part of our identity. And of course purist celebrations and altruistic thinking need not be mutually exclusive.

Deepa, in true-blue modern day traditionalist style has embraced tailored hybrid versions of Habba – and has managed to retain the spirit and intent of the festival! Here are some pictures of her Varalakshmi Vratha and Krishna Janmasthami this year, and also a sneak peek at her preparation for Ganesha Habba!!

What are your thoughts? Have you faced a similar cultural conundrum? Let’s discuss. I’d love to hear from you.

Love,

Supriya

p.s. Here’s wishing all the Aalayam readers a Happy, Peaceful and Doubtless Habba season!

Also, do not use any of these images without permission.

Here is what kept me busy this summer- prepping for a new addition to our family! For the last 9 months I have held a secret from you and it is now time to share that little secret! We welcomed our li’l princess into our home a few days ago and we feel truly blessed!

It has been a journey of sorts doing this all over again after 12 years – that’s right! Our older one is 12! Taking a second stint at parenting after a super long gap, defying societal stereotypes in the process has been a unique experience to say the least. Sleep deprivation and diaper fiascos were a thing of the past. We were in cruise control parenting mode and now, it starts all over again! My personal journey of pursuing a higher education, a meaningful career, discovering myself and mothering a second child close to 40 has been nothing short of an adventure - one that I have embraced whole heartedly in spite of the struggles! I am loving every minute of it – despite the exhaustion! Baby A has all of us wrapped around her li’l fingers!

A medley of pastels to start us off!

We celebrated this joyous event in our life with an intimate celebration this summer and I bring you images from the baby shower in this post.

At Aalayam, we take pride in our parties and this one was no different!

Custom made goody bags - shabby chic paper doll all the way!

Every detail was well thought out and I hope you enjoy this recap.

I am doing a two part –to showcase both the American and Indian versions of the shower. So, join me this week and next as I look back fondly at both the celebrations.

Keeping mommy-to-be stylish!

A big shout out to all my girl friends that helped to put the events together and indulged mama-to-be!

These girls know how to run a show!

Supriya and a few other friends flew in to celebrate my little girl and it meant the world to me. My girlfriends and my two boys left no stone unturned in making this event one of the best days of my pregnancy!

Inspirations: Style me pretty living, Kara’s party ideas, babyshowerideas4u and the hostess with the mostess

Desserts: Fate Cakes

Photography: Uj

The hosts- my dear friends Supriya, Ruchika and Shilpa graciously indulged me and allowed me to have my say and customize the theme and the décor.

Cookies and cupcakes- all dolled up!

You know my penchant for all things décor! I have always enjoyed styling personal events at home. What fun it was too- trading ideas and brainstorming with this enthusiastic team of girls to style the shower! I am truly grateful for their time, effort and energy and for making it such a special occasion for my entire family. I had an amazing time!

Game stations - let the party begin!

I fell in love with the location, the minute I saw it. The local conservatory had a great indoor-outdoor space that was ideal to host an intimate group of friends for a summer shower.

The event coordinators at the location worked with me patiently as we arranged the space to fit our theme – shabby chic paper doll.

and 'coz li'l girls fancy a touch of pink!

The venue enhanced the décor with its great outdoor areas and gardens.

Leading up to the event, we had a few themes in the running – Alice in wonderland, vintage alphabet and shabby chic paper doll. In the end, fun and feminine won and “shabby chic paper doll” was a perfect way to welcome my sweet bebe into this world!

Etsy was a great place to find printable templates for the party and the rest came from local craft stores.

But mind you, not everything came from the stores. My friend Shlipa put in tons of DIY time customizing the goody bags, the cupcake toppers and other details.

We layered and mixed in the vintage paper doll elements with shabby chic décor items such as burlap, paper doilies and birdcages for a touch of whimsy. And we topped it off by integrating delightful fresh flowers in our color scheme. Everything had a delicate and feminine flair- just the way I had envisioned

Shabby chic centerpieces

We intentionally mixed in some vintage blue with shades of pink and white for a non-traditional color scheme for a baby girl. As Supriya pointed out we were getting away from gender stereotyping. After all, nothing about this pregnancy thus far fit into any stereotype and we wanted the shower to reflect that.

A li'l pink and a li'l blue - no gender stereotyping here!

The dessert table was a fabulous display of white, pink, and blue and housed our gorgeous cake (with the damask and ruffle detail) elegantly. Marie from Fate Cakes went all out to create my custom doll dress cookies, cupcakes and the two-tiered cake enabling us to put together this perfect dessert table.

As an extension of the color theme, the girls were told to dress up in pastels too! Don’t you love our gorgeous palette?

And here's one with momma-to-be!

The lunch tables were a picture of style and elegance – dressed in baby pink linen and shabby chic décor pieces. The colors and theme flowed subtly through the space and everything came together beautifully.

The caterers at the conservatory did a marvelous job of cooking the menu to perfection with fresh homegrown ingredients.

We played up the festivities with lively music and lots of fun games. Thanks again to my gorgeous hosts for thinking through every detail.

The rustic outdoor tables and the string of globe lights was the perfect blank canvas to host the games- cake boss (where teams were asked to make diaper cakes), pin the pacifier on the paper doll, guess the number of baby items and drink from a baby bottle were some of the games that amped up the fun factor that afternoon.

As I look through the guest book now, I am nostalgically reminded of how much I loved that afternoon.

I cannot wait to share these pictures with my little girl one day! In the meanwhile, I am sharing it with you – my dear Aalayam family.

Next up, the Indian equivalent of a baby shower or bale shastra (bangle ceremony). Join me again in a few days as we take a look at the symbolism and visual splendor of the Indian ceremony and as always, I will sign off for now with one more image of this dreamy dessert table !

Cheers!

~Deepa

p.s: All images in this post were shot by my husband and may not be reproduced without permission!

Designing a feminine office space - Deepa's home office!

Swagatham, Suswagatham - A Bengalooru style home in Virginia!

Mid-summer reflections

Deepavali Greetings

Lets get spooked!!

There is no place like home!

'TIS the season - host a holiday hot chocolate party!

We are thankful for....

Holiday Gift Giving Guide!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! A post on adding a seasonal touch to your home.

Let's pause and reflect, shall we?

Artist feature and a home tour - "Traditional Indian with a dash of Kitsch"

Art Nouveau (and Filter Coffee!) with Smruthi Gargi Eswar!

Dvibhumi - A Jewelry label and a home tour (an artist's abode)

The romance of Paris - Aalayam goes to France (Part - 2)

Incredible India - At the Grassroots!

From the rasoi - Memories woven around food!

The Great Aalayam Rendezvous!

It's Habba Time!! So why all the fuss?

Shabby Chic Paper Doll Baby Shower