Glimpses of my Diwali

Diwali came...and went. 

In my world, the festivities went on up until this weekend...when I had the Diwali party at home. 

Here are a few glimpses of the last few days.....

our Diwali moments:)

Now I'll wait for next Diwali;)

Linking to Weekly story, Metamorphosis Monday

I Covet: Shopo.in

Well..., I've had my eyes on a number of items available at Shopo.in and this is the perfect opportunity to share a few that are on top of my list. One of my favorite blogs, Colours dekor is joining hands with Shopo.in and hosting a give away.....Exciting...isn't it!?

Shopo is the online store for a huge variety of handcrafted, handmade products from India....and it features a slew of very talented artists.  

 Have a look.....at my wish list 



Placemats from Anek Designs



Wall art from Artnlight



 

Terracotta Camel lamp base



Pretty Jhumkas

  I hope I win....(fingers crossed):)

Diwali wishes....

....from my home to yours!!!

Wishing you all a happy, prosperous, joyous, bright and safe Diwali!

All set for Diwali...?

The weekend was a very busy one....with prepping for Diwali day.... and the Diwali get together that I have planned for the coming weekend.

With Diwali falling on a Wednesday, I wanted everything to be all set over the weekend. We managed to do a lot....cleaned nooks and corners of the house, put up lights outdoors, prepared for the pooja, planned the menu for the party and then the most exciting part.....decorated the house.  

I tried out lots of different ideas....

Decorating with wine glass lamps...such a simple idea- using block printed paper to make little lamp shades for wine glasses.

Lining up a row of tea lights on a bright colored table runner...don't they look lovely....?

Using a mercury glass tea light holder...I'm seeing mercury glass everywhere these days in stores. It adds to the glamour and zing of the decor and I'm loving the look:)

I'm all set for Diwali... Are you...???

Wishing you and your family a very Happy, Prosperous and Joyous Diwali!!!

Linking to Weekly story, Metamorphosis Monday, Emreen's Itz Festival time, 
Show and tell Friday

Rangoli

Rangoli or Alpana has always been an significant part of diwali decorations for me, ever since my childhood.

My earliest memories of Diwali and its traditions, are of my mother making an alpana/rangoli in our puja area. The alpana pattern was made of a white paste of rice powder and then decorated with a hint of red. The pattern itself could be made of various forms- flowers, lotus, diyas, geometrical designs etc. The floor area covered with the alpana was considered sacred and worthy of placing all things to be worshiped. Traditionally, Diwali festivities last a few days starting with Dhanteras. The alpana once made, stayed intact for all the days till the festivities lasted.  

As I grew older, I remember my sister and I making a rangoli every Diwali, near our entrance back in our home in India. As kids, amongst other things that marked Diwali as a special occasion, such as getting new clothes, gifts, lighting candles and diyas, fireworks; the rangoli was always one of the most exciting part for us. It was a way for us to express our creativity and be appreciated by all the guests that visited our home to bring Diwali wishes:)

Diwali, for me, is a very special occasion to celebrate... and I wish to always continue the rangoli tradition.

Here are a few shots of the Rangoli that I have made in my home past few years.

I hope you are all gearing up for the festive times ahead......My weekend is going to be packed with preparing for Diwali...and then Halloween!

Have a great weekend!

I'm joining Of spooks and sparkles, A bit of India in my home

Postcards from Paris

Hellllloooooo there! How are you?

I'm back from my break... and I feel so refreshed....only mentally though. Physically.... I am exhausted. We visited two cities....Paris and Barcelona...in a span of 10 days, and most of the exploring was on foot...so you can imagine:)

It was an awesome vacation.....so much to see, so much to take in and an unforgettable experience.......:)

The two cities are different and very unique.....rich in culture and architecture, both beautiful in their own way. I would do total injustice if I start describing them in my words only due to my limited literary skills-:).

But I'd like to mention some of the things that I thoroughly enjoyed on my trip......

the countless cappuccinos, endless pain au chocolat (chocolate filled croissants), gobs of goodies (read quiches, macaroons, pastries et al,...) from the slew of bakeries at every street corner; and then.....walking along the river Seine, view of the Eiffel Tower at different times of the day, wandering the fresh markets, ambling the labyrinth of narrow streets in Barri Gotic-Barcelona and of course shopping for unique finds.....



I have more than 2000 pictures from the trip and to sort through them seems quite a task. I managed to pick a few shots that I wanted to share with you...just to give you a glimpse.

PS: I have tonnes to write about my trip, but with Diwali right around the corner, I guess my trip related posts will have to wait till next month. For now, I'm going to take off the 'Traveller in me' hat and put on the 'Diwali obsessed Indian at heart' hat.  So come back here for some gorgeous Diwali inspiration:)

See you soon!

Linking to Show and tell Friday

Paris on my mind....

Via

Have a great weekend!!!

Fall Love

It's that time of the year when I really, REALLY miss being in the norther part of the country. All across blog land, fellow bloggers are talking about the changing weather, the changing colors of the leaves and the beauty that surrounds them.

Living in Florida, I can only talk about it. Or, look at pictures from my past trips to places which are known for their fall splendor, ....and be happy with it. One of them being Vermont.

I visited Vermont a few years back, and it was right when the fall colors were peaking. The road trip will always be one of my most memorable ones. 

We drove across the state for three days, taking halts at byways and sideroads, small streams and quaint waterfalls....almost any spot that beckoned. I collected leaves in all the colors. The yellows, the oranges and the reds were so brilliant...and the view of all these colors with the blue sky as the backrop was breathtaking.

The beauty of nature at this time is truly beyond words.

If I think about it, the fall palette is my favorite color palette....I have those colors all over my home:)
Linking to Weekly story, Show and tell Friday

If you haven't already, check out Shanthi's blog for some gorgeous fall clicks. 

I'm still here....

Hello there....how have you been?

 I know.....I have been completely missing from here...and for no real reason...

other than the lack of time. Last week just flew....it went by in a flurry of activity. I have been absolutely buried in work....., but more than that, what has kept me totally consumed is the planning and prepping for an upcoming trip. The three of us are going away for a vacation (fingers crossed)....not just A vacation, but one that I have always dreamt of......and one that I have planned and cancelled (at different stages) multiple times. Finally...., its happening! Yayyyy! .......more details on that later;)

I have tonnes of things to share with you all.....I have made lots of promises and haven't kept them. Yes, I haven't been good about it. Only if there were a few more hours in a day.

(Patty, I totally hear you:)).

So today, I will not make any promises. I will be here as and when I can....

This month seems jam packed with activity. As if the festivities- Dussehra, Diwali, Halloween- were not enough to keep me on my toes, I added a long awaited trip to the mix....yes, I like to be be super SUPER busy. 

Hope you have a wonderful week...I'll see you around:)

Joining the Weekly Story at Patty's