What makes my day..

..some days

Is spring sunshine

A hearty chat

A random act of kindness

Some songs

This song

And some feel good eye candy

My pick of rooms

From the Land of Oz

Via the fabulous blog

Design Files

Rooms and vignettes from various home tours...

[All images: Design Files]

Hope this made your day too!

Did you listen to the song?

I am in love with his voice :)

Have a good start of the week folks

Do hop in again tomorrow

For I'll bring for you

A motley collection of brilliantly talented peeps

 Right here

On this bloggie blog.

An Angel At My Table

I flipped over when I stumbled into An Angel At My Table last week. Picking myself up, the only thought in my head was that I had to quickly share this little find with you! The 'quickly' bit was ambitious...I conveniently took the week off! But, here I am, back to you and with you, this week! 

An Angel At My Table is a web based catalogue shop based out of UK and has the most interesting collection of quirky, unusual and oh-so-pretty products. They currently also have a large collection up for clearance, at really good prices. Do go and take a look, and tell me if you pick up a bargain!

[All images: Angel At My Table]

I wonder if I can get my imp of a sister to get me some of this goodness, given she is in London? If we all ask her to, I think she just might! :D

Psst: Sibling, I have already requested for a catalogue to be sent to your place. Just pick a few of the pieces I have showcased in this post, ok? 

Some days...

I too like black and white!

Et tu?

Read about this delightful home (all pics but last) here on Lantliv.

[All images: Lantliv]

Goodies from my inbox!

Anya Prints

Anya Prints is the brainchild of Shilpa Bisht, a communication designer from Ahmedabad. Anya Prints aspires to be a design and production centre for hand-printed visuals in the form of greeting cards, storybooks and textiles. Shilpa recently launched her first collection 'Water' - a set of limited edition fine prints, in the form of greeting cards. She sent this collection of cards to me with the most delightful hand written letter, and made me very happy! I can't wait to see what Shilpa and Anya Prints have in store for us this year! In the meantime, get her debut collection right here!

[Anya Prints; Shop] 

Strand of Silk

If you are in the UK, and have been searching for a way to get hold of the some of the best designer wear from India, look no further, for Strand of Silk is here! With designers like Abraham and Thakore, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Eina Ahluwalia and select others, Strand of Silk promises to bring luxury brands from India right to the comfort of your home. And that's not all! Strands of Silk is offering a special discount to An Indian Summer readers! Just send an email to Strand of Silk with 'An Indian Summer' in the subject line, and get an exclusive 10% discount code! Happy Shopping, folks!

[Strand of Silk; On Facebook]

Kish & Evie

Kish & Evie, has been a long time dream for Karishma and Vivek, a duo based in Melbourne, Australia. They have been running a design studio for four years and branched out into crafting beautiful quality pieces from textiles. Kish & Evie ranges are beautiful and exotic, drawing inspiration from the duo's travels. Their current range is based on a trip to Mexico, and is with a bit of Frida and a bit of Dia De Los Muertos :)

Kish and Evie have a great offer for An Indian Summer readers! Just like Kish and Evie's facebook page and get $25 off on your purchase!

[Kish and Evie; On Facebook; Blog] 

Art Meets Fashion

Aarti Verma's Art Meets Fashion needs little introduction. A darling of the blog world and creative peeps in India, Aarti has created a niche for her hand drawn accessories and products. Bright colors and a contemporary take on traditional icons are Art Meets Fashion's leitmotif. Take a look at her fun creations right here!

[Blog; On Facebook; Shop] 

Plush Plaza

The last couple of years have been good for decor and online shopping enthusiasts. There have been a bunch of e-stores that have been launched, providing a wide range of home and personal products by way of online shopping. Another store, that has been recently launched and looks very promising, is Plush Plaza. With an expanding range of home furnishing and decor products, Plush Plaza has an interesting and unique collection, all laid out in a very user friendly style on the site for an easy shopping experience. Check out Plush Plaza right here!

[Plush Plaza; On Facebook]

KadamBaby

Kadambaby is Shuchi Pandey's online store for kid products designed and created by her. Via Kadambaby, Shuchi's aim to create products that are attractive to kids and would enhance their imagination and bring out their creative side. Do take a look at the cute range of products on Kadambaby's site!

[Shop; On Facebook]

Ostana and a giveaway!

And finally, a fabulous giveaway by Otsana! Otsana has been started by Sonaal Rai along with a friend. They work with designers and craftsmen around India to develop products that combine functionality with beauty, combining the age old metal working techniques of India with modern design influences. Their beautiful collection can be viewed here, and also, they have would like to giveaway one of the frames (shown above) to a reader residing in India! All you need to do is to head over to Otsana's facebook page and comment on the link to this very post. Leave a comment there answering the following question: 'What would be your favorite picture to put in this photo frame?' Otsana will announce the name of the winner on it's page in a week's time!

[Otsana on facebook] 

Tia Pakhi

 

Tia Pakhi is what you would call a green parrot in Bengali. With a name evocative of bright colors and the streets of Calcutta, Anaïs Basu's debut collection is as fascinating and full of life. Anaïs, who recently launched Tia Pakhi in Paris and Calcutta, is a french designer, in love with India and it's textile traditions and craft.

Anaïs Basu's journey in India, discovering a world full of creativity, joy, energy, hospitality and such a rich culture, began six years ago.  In her own words:

It all started on my first visit to India in March 2006. After my training in fashion and textile design in Paris, I found the opportunity to come and work as a designer with a textile export-house in Kolkata. I felt immediately at home in the city. Through my work which was to create designs for embroidery for the European market, I discovered a new medium and so many new techniques and was fascinated by all the possibilities to explore. The craft which caught my eye then, and still does, is the traditional Bengali craft of Kantha, for it’s beauty in simplicity, it's texture and feel.

Few weeks after my arrival in India I met with the young Bengali man who was to become my husband some years later, and through whom I could discover the country and it’s culture more closely connected to the reality of today’s India.

I am now living between Kolkata and Paris and being in India has given me the great opportunity to develop my passion for textile design and finally launch my line of textiles for furnishing and accessories. My work is essentially dedicated to Kantha for which I had a soft corner from the time of my first visit. My research is to use the traditional craft from my adopted state of Bengal and reinterpret it with more contemporary designs and colour palette; presenting Kantha with a new fresh look and making handcrafted products reach the homes of a more diverse public. Hence the craftsmen can keep their craft alive and find opportunities to develop their skill and their economic situation.

In India, I am constantly stimulated creatively, especially in a city as vibrant and colourful as Kolkata where the traditional culture is still so present in the urban life. People, markets, architecture, food, everything is there all around calling out to you.

Tia Pakhi's line of products include home furnishings  and personal accessories like small cushions, floor cushions, throws, bed-linen, table-linen, accessories and jackets. In addition,  Anaïs will also have a young kids line comprising of games, kurtas, blankets and cushions and is planning to exhibit her collection in more cities soon.

You can get in touch with Anaïs via her website or via Tia Pakhi's facebook page. See more of Tia Pakhi's collection here.

[All images: Tia Pakhi]

Art for a good cause

I am back from vacation! Yes, the visas came, and we went! And, to kick-start my back-from-vacation-week, it's a pleasure to share with you, the launch of a new collection by a dear e-friend, all done for a good cause!

Aarohi Singh, the gorgeous artist at Art By Aarohi, is passionate about stray dogs. Putting her passion and skills to good use, Aarohi is launching a new collection of home and personal accessories, called the Poonch collection, in Bangalore, India. The great news is that 50% of profit from this collection would go towards the welfare of strays in perpetuity, particularly towards spaying and neutering them, managed by VoSD.

For the folks in Bangalore: The Poonch collection is being showcased at the 100Ft restaurant, Indiranagar from the 10th till the 12 of Feb. Do go and pick up a special something from this hip collection and contribute your bit towards the welfare of strays.

You can take a look at the entire collection here. Event details here, and get in touch with Aarohi here and here!

[All images: Art By Aarohi]