Hello world!

How is the new year treating you dear reader? It was a quiet day for me today, filled with mood music and comfort food--partying is all very well, but at the end of the day (make that 10 madcap days! Oh, may I vent a little? What is it about karaoke that makes sane, balanced, human beings sound like hyenas? my poor ears. As far as I'm concerned magic sing and its ilk belong on top of the list of things we should eradicate! OK. Exhale. whew.) I think there's nothing more nourishing to the body (and soul) as a simple meal. :) Just like a good warm cup of chai is the perfect antidote to winter! 

Speaking of chai, do you have any special recipe for the perfect cup of tea? Do share--I plan on sharing some recipes from my kitchen this year.....no, I'm not going to start a food blog, because Of Peacocks and Paisleys seems to have evolved into its own (totally organic!!!) blend --a bit of lifestyle, a pinch of decor, the occasional foodie post, a little bit about my life. If I'd tried, I couldn't have planned it better-- I'm really pleased with what is up here. I do plan on enhancing some aspects-- I used to love sharing home-tours with you and I didn't do a single one in all of 2011. (what???!!??) (there's an embarrassing story in there, but I'll skip that bit for now. ) Anyway, that needs to be repaired, pronto! I also loved inviting my friends over--the "My kinda Gal" series was total soul-food. And believe me, I hadn't even begun to scratch the surface yet--there are so many awesome, inspiring women I'd love to invite to this space--hopefully I'll be able to get that series started up again. In other news, I'm planning on taking a page (quite literally!) out of my friend Divya's blog and creating some links to the absolutely wonderful cache of talent out there. I find, as life becomes busier, it is a little more difficult for me to work on designer profiles; and much as I'd like to come in with both guns firing, I've found myself battling severe writer's block when it comes to these posts.....unfortunately, when I don't follow through on my promises it's not good for my morale (or reputation!) One of my resolutions is to not fight myself and just accept things the way they are. I'm sticking with what comes naturally and not pushing it anymore. So, like I was saying, I love Divya's solution and I'm unabashedly copying her idea. (Thanks, D!--you're the best!) The links page is under construction and will be up shortly. I'll try to update it each month, so please be sure to check often!

From where I sit, the year stretches out in front of me, full of promise. It's almost impossible to stop plans from swirling about in my head......while 2011 was good to me on the personal front, my poor blog baby got ignored a bit. No more. I'm hoping this new year will bring with it many exciting collaborations on this blog; I want to make it a little more interactive--some new series, a few new features, a little more of everything. Maybe some reader requests? I received  a few via email this past year, which I responded to in person, but maybe we could do that on the blog? I have just the post to start that series off! (Did you realize that I was actually thinking out loud just then--I love that I'm so comfortable "talking " to you that I can let slip the voices voice in my head. )

Big plans. The hope for action (LOL!). That's all it takes to put a smile on my face. ;)

What's making you happy today?

xoxo,

G

Powering down.......

Dear 2011,

        We had a good run, you and I. You started on the right note; I managed a long overdue trip home, basked in the warm Delhi sun. Spent much-needed time with loved ones, came away satiated and content. But you had a few more surprises in store for me -- in a flourish of your time-heals-all wand,  you brought me back home (to my home away from home); thank you for that. Much of this year has gone in re-connecting with old friends, rekindling just-begun friendships that had seen a premature end, and in making new friends. It's been a time to revel in the beauty of the nature that surrounds us, so carefully preserved by the hard work and vision of those entrusted with the responsibility. I see around me an Earth that we inherited, as it was intended, unmarred by industrialization and callous minds. In that, I'm grateful to the events (fate? destiny? determination?) that brought us here. I enter 2012 with a renewed resolve to do whatever I can-- to do my bit in preserving the beauty of this planet. 

I have some high expectations of you, 2012. Please be better, faster, stronger. You know. But don't lose sight of the simple joys please. I have big plans, both on the personal and professional front. Please be the year that stands by me. Move forward, albeit gently. 

And gentle reader, for you, I wish that the year brings happiness, in whatever form you wish it. Here's to the health and continuing well-being of your families (and mine!), to sunny days, grassy fields and clear waters (a healthy planet!), to laughter, and to friendships. To goals met and checklists checked. May 2012 be the year. 

And while I'm jabbering on about High Expectations, would world peace be too much of a stretch? Sabko buddhi do bhagwaan? Here, then, is to the rise in collective intellect and the dawn of wisdom. May this be the year.

Go on 2012, be awesome. You know you want to. ;)

Signing off (with a heart full of hope),

-Gagan

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a festive season filled with warmth and love...........

Happy Holidays!

xo,
-Gagan

Work in progress and a thank you for you.........

Busy busy busy..........handmade labels, the printer's been working full time today! This year, I decided to customize the labels for my thank you gifts. They're not very holiday-themed as there are a ton of printables out there, and I wanted the labels to really stand out. I used regular card stock to print these labels on; the original prints were made using the wooden blocks and scanned to create digital facsimiles. I think they came out rather well don't you?

I plan on using these tags on little brown paper packages (tied up with string, of course) that will carry my top secret (LOL! )spice blends for marinades. Accompanying them will be the recipe cards you see above. For the vegetarians, there will be parcels of home made cookies (with accompanying recipe cards).

And while I'm making goodies for friends I can see and touch, I can't very well forget you can I, dear reader? I thought you might like to use some pretty labels too. Actually, since they're not very holiday theme-y, you can use them for other occasions as well. So here you go, my sweets---make sure you download the original file for the full resolution images. (It's a pdf file, 168 kb in size, so it won't take up much space.)

OPaPLabels

PS: This is my first time sharing a document on blogger, if there are any hiccups, please do let me know, I'll try my best to resolve any issues. There is a watermark in the document, to prevent it from being appropriated, but it falls in the area you would discard when you cut out your labels. I'm really excited to be able to share this with you, do let me know if you liked the labels and whether you think you'll be using them. Here's the link to the file in case the embedded document takes forever to open, though, at 168 kb, why would it take so much time to open is a mystery to me.

A home with history on Heart Home Magazine.

In case you missed this, I just wanted to pop in with a quick post on this gorgeous home that's been featured in the second issue of Heart Home magazine....(which, by the way, I'm quickly falling in love with--it speaks to my aesthetic sensibilities the way no other online 'zine does,  at least not yet.) Anyway, on to the pictures, and the link to the original story.......

 

I loved the article as well, as it details the lives of the well-traveled couple who have layered their home with memories from their travels. Go read the entire story here. You will not be disappointed, trust me!

Notes from today.....

Soppy post alert! Dear reader, I'm issuing a disclaimer for this post, so know that you're reading at your own risk. This would be the kind of stuff that pours out after you've had  "one too many" of your choice of poison, but the strange thing is that as I sit here writing this, the sun is shining outside and I'm as clear-headed as I'll ever be. (dry eyed? maybe not, but clear headed for sure. ) What's that you say? bah, humbug? you were warned.

That time of the year again, tying up loose ends, trying to make sure that I start the new year with a clean slate, my list of to-dos from the whole year waiting to be crossed, one line at a time. Luckily for me, the list is mostly one of gratitude; thank yous to people who stood by us. Those who brought smiles to our faces, just with the shared memories of beautiful conversations. Small acts of kindness, that warm the heart even now, months and years since. It's a long list, (yes, I know. we're blessed.) It's a month that's jam packed with catching up with friends, re-connecting lives one last time before 2012 rolls along. Little bundles of love, most of my gifts this year are handmade, tailor-made for the recipients. Far more rewarding than getting those lack-luster gift cards at the checkout. This is a group of extraordinary ordinary people and they deserve so much better. I'm glad I had the opportunity (and time!) this year to actually do things I'd never had time for earlier. It lends to closure in one sense , but also leads to new beginnings. And I love it all. I'm ending this year with a heart full of gratitude and warmth, something I hadn't experienced earlier and it's a beautiful feeling. Do you know what I mean?

Of course you do! A huge part of that circle of friends has to be you dear reader. I know I haven't always done right by you and that I've been an errant blogger, but there you are, like a loyal friend, your support all around me. Thank you. (I'll hold off on the promises, though.)

Things look much better with a bunch of friends by your side! 

The rest of December promises to be spent in a whirl of get-togethers, holiday parties and snatched cups of chai. For those who are too far away to sit across a table from, there are emails and letters and phone conversations. There are also plans for the future, the euphoria of new beginnings. Twenty eleven didn't start out the best,  but it sure did end right. Here's to the rest of 2011 holding up to the tempo and to 2012 aiming to outdo it. ;)

PS: In case you're wondering if this is the last post for 2011 from P&P, it's not. I have a slate to wipe clean remember? That means a flurry of posts as I clear the backlog on those half-written drafts. Yes I'm working on the rewrite......

Picture: The upstairs landing at home, right outside the master bedroom. Don't get much sun here, hence the lighting issues.

Happy middle-of-the-week-day......

Happy Today, gentle reader! Wondering why I'd no-show you all week and then turn up on a random wednesday? I really have no answer, other than I'm sorry for the sporadic posting........life is just a little busy at the moment (and, to paraphrase a dear friend, "Busy's good".) Just wanted to share some pictures of the sunlight-dappled view from my blogging chair....

Images: Happy plants on the computer table in my study/home office.

Nothing can beat sunlight on a winter's day can it? Hope you're enjoying some too, in your corner of the world, wherever you are......

xo,
G

PS: Oh and in case you miss some of my design picks from around the web, there's always my Tumblr for that perfect dose of pretty!

All creatures great and small.....

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends...........

Do remember to set some time aside to reflect on all you're thankful for this year. I know I will.

xoxo,
G


Photo: Critter on my deck. We call him "Bushy".  ;)

Life (or something like it....)

Had to share this quote with you. kind of explains where I'm at right now. Or not.

"My own life is full of these comparisons and contradictions. My father smears red paste on the forehead of small deities each morning. He sits cross-legged and sings along to devotional songs. I sit on a Herman Miller chair, use digital tools, and blare New Order songs, the whole while illustrating Hindu deities. He does his pujas twice a day and I try to do a little work before and after my day job every day. My father animates his faith through meditation and ritual. I use my Techincolor tools to reincarnate modern avatars. In my opinion we're both devoted and reverential, just in different ways, and for different reasons. We're also both continuing a tradition of art making and worship that stretches back thousands of years. What could be more common to the human experience?"

-Sanjay Patel; quoted from here, in the news and at his website.

Going off on a tangent, a whole host of cliches come to mind. "Work is worship" anyone? :) or perhaps, you'd like Khalil Gibran's version of the sentiment? Whichever way you put it, you can't help but agree.

And, a lovely video to go with those words (totally not related, but this is what I'm listening to as I'm putting together this post........)

Hope you're having a lovely Sunday!


xoxo,
G

{Insert smiley face}

Hello my sweets! How are you? I've had a very productive weekend--we finally tackled the "junk room" where every wayward box had landed following our epic move this summer. The room is beginning to look like a room again, and though there's still TONS to be done, at least we can now navigate our way around it (yes, it was standing room only! NOT for the faint of heart! :D) Do you have such spaces in your home? --the dumping ground where everything that may-come-in-handy "someday" goes to rest? I feel the tone of this past week has been "get it done" and that's such a relief! My handsome handy man (a.k.a the husband) patiently put up the artwork and pictures, and it's beginning to look a lot like home around here! :)

Moving on, I thought you'd like to see some pretty pictures I took this afternoon. Earlier this week, I'd won this table runner from Saffron Marigold over at Christine's blog, Bijou and Boheme (if you don't read it yet, you absolutely must check it out--it's chock-full of eye candy!). I just wanted to take some pictures as a thank you to both Christine and to the team at Saffron Marigold. The runner turned out to be even better than it appears online--for one, it had that subtle scent that I've always associated with hand-block printed textiles (do you know what I'm talking about?--it's like that old book smell, very indefinable but laden with memories? If you have no idea what I'm prattling on about, let's just say it's nice, kind of the opposite of chemical fumes.) Sorry to go all weird on you! :)

I also loved the weight of the runner: it has a nice sturdy backing to ensure that it stays in place. Very nicely made. This was a freebie, won in a giveaway, but I'm sure I'll go back to Saffron Marigold as a paying customer in the future. (In case you're wondering, I wasn't asked or paid to write these things--I just liked what I saw and I thought it would be nice to give an honest review.)

Full disclosure: These photos are kind of totally "staged" --I took them in my living room because of the better lighting in there. In the picture: Ruby Kilim table runner, goddess Lakshmi wooden block, my mom's necklace and some random shells and pebbles.

Another view:

So. How did your weekend go?