Diwali in 2013!

....the festivities have caught on...and how can our home be left behind? Apart from spring cleaning, I have been sprucing up our balconies....the focus being just outside as we spend a lot of time with Baby A there, mostly ensuring nothing is broken or thrown out of the balcony! :P

Notice how everything is placed at a certain height....so she cannot reach! ( as of now, atleast!)

I had a "Eureka" moment, we have a lovely light fixture that we have had for years now but it recently went kaput! They have these lovely glass cylindrical outer cover - I retained them and converted them into flower vases... aha! 

The Buddha reigns supreme in every part of our home, the little garden in the balcony is no exception! 

Our cozy balcony near the bedroom makes for a nice little private space where I can sit and work, play with baby A or have a nice cup of chai peacefully, while watching the kids play...or enjoy some peace and quiet...which has become pretty rare nowadays!

We had a lovely Diwali with Baby A, and it felt like we relived our childhood - our enthusiasm and happiness at her curiosity, excitement and joy was refreshing and made all the effort worthwhile!

Gorgeous box of Jewellery - Manjushaa!

I am always on the lookout for traditional jewellery - with a contemporary twist! I love it, when its simple yet elegant, affordable yet good quality and as I began my search - i stumbled upon www.manjushaa.com
Manjushaa literally means "box of jewels" and what a gorgeous treasure it is! :) I was pleasantly surprised to find something in every single category - right from anklets, maang tikkas to an awesome collection of temple jewellery and navratna collections which are timeless and can be worn numerous times at weddings, and almost with every saree!

Part of the "Navaratna" Collection...these lovely sets can be a versatile addition to your jewellery...without burning a hole in your pockets!


They also have some traditional pieces and some unique pieces of "temple jewellery". I have seen many versions that look very similar on so many women that these sets were a refreshing change from the usual...don't you think?

I am lusting on this set - the chain is so pretty too! I remember my granny or paati wearing a similar earring and begging her to give it to us! ;-)
A bride could make this a part of her wedding ensemble or it could work for those who look for jewellery for their arangetram too! any bharatanatyam enthusiasts, are you listening? The workmanship is stunning - and every piece of jewellery leaves an impression on you - I am impressed, for sure! 

I have a soft corner for Jhumkas - they are timeless and forever in trend! Look at these beauties...

Have a look at their website ( Click here) and take a look at their huge variety of lovely, simple designs...understated and very elegant! Their prices are very reasonable, starting from Rs.500/- and upwards and the kemp collection starts from Rs.2000/- onwards! Enjoy! 

My neighborly artist and the little dancing people!

Many years back, I chanced upon The Mad Momma's blog (thank you mad momma!) where she had decorated her corridor with warli art and thought it was a brilliant idea to enliven a dull space like the corridor which is often ignored or left bare...we lived in a rented apartment then, and I didn't want to do that in someone else's home (technically!)

Incidentally, Warli art form is very popular folk painting among tribals in Maharashtra and is usually depicted only in white! (Since, my walls are already white, we decided to go with black!)

So I waited for sometime until we got our own home...alas, just as we started settling in....we moved to Paris! So finally the time has come and we are back home. But with Baby Girl and settling back in, I hardly found time! ( This post has been lying in my draft for a long time now!)

As luck would have it, my 12- year old neighbor R is fantastic and has an artistic bent of mind and comes up with very creative ideas and projects. I asked her if she would like to paint my wall with the little dancing people a.k.a warli art! 

She readily agreed and managed to complete it in a couple of days....its gorgeous and is a center of attention, especially for Baby Girl...she gets up from her nap and stares at the little people with awe! I am grateful for those 5 minutes of rest... :P

Its a strip on the corridor leading to the rooms....and apart from the art, has a collage of various paintings and memorabilia from our travels across Europe and its a nice walk down memory lane...

and that wall feels so complete now! I admire the people as I walk across looking for Baby Girl, numerous times through the day...:-)

Returning to our Home!

When we decided to return to India, that too, to our own home in Pune....there were constant plans running in my mind about what I want to do...when we get back! With baby girl around, the execution is much slower....but i did get to work! 
I got these gorgeous wall decals in Paris and stored it away to put it up when we get back to our own home....a sense of permanence prevails only in my own home, so I waited with bated breath for the "execution"....and it was definitely worth the wait!

its simply gorgeous and definitely makes my simple walls stand out in our master bedroom! 

They are an easy and effective way to renovate and of course, not too expensive compared to painting it all over again! 

The wall decals are a big plus for us coz Baby Girl loves to stare at all the patterns and colours...so I decided to add one more to the T.V. room....so that we can distract her while she eats...

I have always wanted to add some greens and plants into the decor, but with Baby Girl around, its not a practical option right now coz everything goes into her mouth! So I chose this decal from www.shopo.in and it was pretty easy! 

I had pretty specific things to do, on my mind - when we got back....so I was online shopping for stuff and to be fair, it has all worked out much cheaper and is a great success too! One of them are these storage cabinets with a vintage look and ceramic drawers - they are super cute and very kitschy!

I have stored all my pretty fragrances and put it up in the living room alcove and it has turned the otherwise ignored corner into a lovely turn! :-) I bought three of them at a very reasonable price on www.pepperfry.com ( this is NOT a sponsored post! - just sharing the website for fellow readers if it helps!)

We have lots of things to store away, but alas there is no storage - i bought this lovely chest of drawers that proudly displays all our memories and memoirs! All our mundane stuff is neatly concealed too - win-win? This is from www.pepperfry.com too! 

I bought a table runner in bright colours and added all our pictures from our travels and my favorite Buddha! :-) Its a calm and peaceful alcove with happy memories and loved ones! :-)

Baby Girl, as you all know was born in Paris. S and I, wanted something that is a reminder of the city and something we could show her when she grows up. We do plan to take her there when she is older. So I was eyeing this piece on www.maisonsdumonde.com while in Paris, and got it shipped to India. 

It is like a window with a view of the Eiffel Tower, exactly where our apartment was - in close proximity and with a great view! It makes for an amazing theme in the living room! 

Boy, am I glad we bought this! Baby Girl stares at it and pulls at the window pane - yes it is an actual window pane without a window, of course!

Our guest room is filled with glass paintings and long stitch projects done by yours-truly over the years....

The one with the mama panda and baby panda is so apt and meaningful now that I am blessed with Baby Girl! :-) 

The murals in wood that I mentioned here are a prime focus in the living room!

...my favorite purple pouf and the kitschy mirror! 

I have rearranged our terrace a little bit - here and there! 

...Our new decor is eclectic and kitschy now, Like? :-)

...Leaving Paris with a contented heart!

...Oh Boy! Little did I know, back in 2009, when we arrived in Paris, that it would be a life-changing experience on so many levels - apart from the gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower from our living room of course! ;-) We arrived in Paris in Winter and I experienced hail and snow all at once...and while it felt super romantic at first, I am not a fan of winter anymore! :) I am a sunshine girl, I need all the warmth, literally too! The flip side being the fashionable winter coats and boots, for sure! :D

Paris will forever be special for me (not only because it is a romantic, beautiful city) coz Baby Girl was born here! She is our biggest blessing and God chose to give her to us in Paris! :-) The health care system in France is amazing and they took care of me and my precious child at every point and made sure she was healthy, happy and beautiful and gave her safely in our hands...I am ever grateful for that. They also ensure that the mother is well taken care of, and is able to spring back to good health. Serendipity??!!


I must admit, it was a quite a challenge communicating with the doctors and hospitals due to my limited linguistic abilities a.k.a French!

France is often known as the "land of cheese and wine" and it truly is....while I didn't really acquire a taste for cheese or wine, I did acquire the nation's obsession with fitness and exercise! In these 4 years in Paris, both S and I are a lot fitter and healthier - when you see people jogging at noon or even at 10 at night, we had to take it seriously too! I exercised throughout my pregnancy, even til before I was going into labour - and it made the entire process so much faster and easier...I will ensure that it continues even after we go back to India, the elliptical at home, for sure is an investment!

We have traveled to some absolutely gorgeous countries in Europe (I can't believe we have been to 16 countries so far!). S had told me long back that I should take him on a Europe trip on our 10th anniversary! I made it all come true even before that! :P
Jokes apart, we are truly blessed to be able to travel to so many beautiful places and the beauty is etched in our memories forever...we both love travelling and living in Paris gave us the access and comfort level to plan ahead and have a good time! ...and we had a lovely vacation ever so often, whenever we could get away...

I have acquired a few "forever friends" with whom I had fun times - learning new things, sharing our different cultures, thoughts, aspirations and I have felt as loved and understood as I would, with some of my best friends! Our different backgrounds didn't really matter - deep down, we all value the same things and seem to have the same common problems! We may be across different parts of the world - but I am sure we will stay in touch and visit each other often ( hopefully! - Catrin, if you are reading this, this is specifically directed at YOU!)

On a more serious note, I think I have also matured in my thought process - I have learnt to accept people as they are - I tend to judge someone instantly, I don't do that anymore! I have learnt that its unwise to judge someone unless you have experienced it yourself! 
When you live alone, especially abroad in a country where the language and people are alien....I have realized and feel grateful for all the love, family, support I have - both physically and emotionally - never take anything or anyone for granted! 

All said and done, "home is where the heart is..." and I am excited about moving back to India too and can't wait to take Baby Girl to meet all my friends and family, and we will all live happily together wherever we are - she will go to her own home and her own room - ALREADY! She receives a lot of love and affection across the globe, and she is truly a blessed soul in that sense :-)