Fresh off the press

I'll let you in on a little secret. I adore receiving packages via courier/shipping! The excitement of seeing a box delivered to my home, and then opening it up and ooh aahing - even though most times I know what is inside since I ordered it! And, if that box contains books, then I am the happiest girl on the block! And very happy I was, when I received two lovely coffee table books from the fabulous Meghan of The Vendome Press for review. Today, I sat down with a warm cup of jasmine tea, and spent a leisurely hour going through both books. As expected, lot of ooh aahing ensued, and once done, I couldn't wait to show you some of my favorite images from the books.

The Vendome Press sent across their two of their August new releases: Mighty Maharajas [Forts and Palaces of India], and At Home In Italy [Under the Summer Sun].

The Mighty Maharaja, by Amita Baig, with opulent photographs by Joginder Singh, covers select forts and palaces across the length and breadth of the country, along with their fascinating history. The sumptuous book also offers an interesting glimpse into the lifestyle of the royalty.

The second book, At Home in Italy, by editor of AD Italia, Nicoletta del Buono, has brilliant photographs of some of Italy's most beautiful homes, taken by Massimo Listri. Covering about thirty homes across various regions in rural Italy, the book is almost like a personal walk through the sun drenched patios, the inviting cool living rooms, and a visual feast of Italian rural design and decor tradition. 

Ah! The pleasure of fabulous new coffee table books! :)

You can grab your copy of the books here and here.

[All images for the post clicked by me, owned by The Vendome Press]

God's Own Country, It Is

And I agree! 

I am back, my dear peeps! We had a beautiful, very laid back relaxed holiday in Kumarakom, Kerala. This was my first time in Kerala, and I was blown away by the lush green land and water scapes, the warmth of people, the vibrant homes, the oh-so-Dutch-and-Portugese feel of the old part of Cochin, the leisurely bicycle rides through villages, the fabulous cuisine and the blissful luxury of ayurvedic spa.   

  

Needless to say, there is yet another place, added to my ever growing wanderlust list. I know I have to go back, to explore God's own country by road, very soon. You will join me, right? :)

[All images clicked by moi. Kindly link back to the post if you use]

Excusez Moi

While I pack my bags

Select my books

 Dream happy dreams

 

 Of houseboats, and cycling down winding roads. Sigh

Umm..get back to packing

Kiss my reluctant boy cat goodbye

Charge my camera 

 

And re-charge my mojo, in Kerala

We are off for a quick relaxing vacation, instead of our originally planned long exploratory vacation. I'll be back next week; but if I miss you too much, I just might pop in for a quick hello, with a pretteh pic or two. Be good, my peeps :)

[My pick of rooms from here, here and there]

Three stores

 Each fabulous and unique in it's own little way!

Sanctum

Sanctum, the quaint shabby cum industrial chic store in Bombay, is a much loved retail project for it's owner - Sandhya Gorthi. Sandhya has created a happy home for all things vintage, relaxed, less than perfect, and ugly-beautiful. Sandhya's vision for Sanctum is to fill the gap between high end lifestyle store and the profusion of stores offering rich, ornate, ethnic or kitschy offerings. At Sanctum's outlet in Bandra, Bombay, you will find washed, distressed and industrial furniture, cheerful and unusual home accessories, candles, mirrors, lamps, crockery and furnishing, apparel, jewelry, and work by new and established designers. 

So if you are in Bombay, or visiting Bombay, do walk into this fabulous store today! And, for the next two weeks, just mention your favorite blog [An Indian Summer!] to get a 10% discount on your purchases! 

[Sanctum's location and address, and Sanctum on facebook]

Studio Azzurra

Aninda Singh, design graduate from NIFT, thought of starting Studio Azzurra when her friends and family started buying jewelry pieces designed by her, literally off her neck! Aninda has always been artistic, dabbling in different mediums and materials, creating some very unusual pieces of jewelry. Her jewelry is influenced by her travels, and the little things she loves. Studio Azzurra’s work is characterized by finely worked elements in sterling silver and semi-precious stones sourced from across the globe. Using artisan craft techniques to create designs that are timeless and insusceptible to fleeting fashion trends, jewelry at Studio Azzurra , is individually and affectionately made by hand, emphasizing colour, texture and tone. 

You can also buy these drop dead gorgeous pieces from Studio Azzurra's online store. And you being who you are, my favorite peeps, you get a 15% discount for the next two weeks when you shop here. Just use the code AIS015 when making the purchase!

[Studio Azzurra online shop and Studio Azzurra on facebook]

CraftCanvas

CraftCanvas is Nisha Vikarm’s attempt at making crafts accessible, usable and affordable to the urban audience. Nisha quit her corporate job in 2009 to focus on her passion of developing home decor products and services, working with handicraft artisans. And also get an opportunity to satiate her need to travel while doing so! 

CraftCanvas, in partnership with artisan communities across the country, explores 'handicraft-inspired' interior design. Acting as a link between the artisans and the urban customer, CraftCanvas translates age old craft into something modern and relevant to the urban audience. Nisha believes that there is a place for India's traditional crafts even in the most modern of spaces, whether it's in the form of a monochrome pichwai embellishing and minimalist living room wall or beautiful athangudi tiles in a Mediterranean style porch.

CraftCanvas retails via online stores like Shopo, Craftsvilla and Artsy. And specially for An Indian Summer readers, Nisha would like to offer 20% off on your purchase till Sept 24th when you shop right here! Just use the code INDSUMMER at the checkout.

[CraftCanvas, CraftCanvas on facebook]

Thanks to all Sandhya, Aninda and Nisha for being such inspiring creative entrepreneurs.  And for so graciously offering such lovely discounts to An Indian Summer readers!

On another note, do check out the winners of the giveaway by Sir Alistair Rai and Island company later in the evening today! There's still some time and if you haven't entered yet, make sure to enter the giveaways here and also here!

Come back tomorrow for some delightful rooms, right here on this bloggie blog!

Jaypore!

Hurrah! 

Happy days are here!

For there is a beautiful online app that has been launched

To bring hand picked treasures 

Right on to your iPad!

Jaypore, is made of a handful of dweebs who are passionate about craft, artisans, design and above all, connecting savvy shoppers with unique, one-of-a-kind products found in the remotest corners of the world. The team at Jaypore, start their journey in India, and have connected with designers and craftsmen in awe-inspiring places like Jaipur, Goa, Pondicherry, Tibet, and more. Spread across India and the Bay Area, the Jaypore team firmly believes that shoppers around the world deserve more than the mass-produced so-called ethnic designs and fashion big box retailers peddle. And that the independent artisans around the world deserve access to a world of consumers seeking out unique global treasures.

This is what the team at Jaypore have to say about their creative venture:

Jaypore is about bringing the world a little closer together. We discover the best designs from artisans and craftsmen from countries around the world, and deliver them at exceptional value to our members. Every day, visit us on your iPad to discover a new story. We don't like to call them sales, or events. We are storytellers; about amazing product, and the people behind them. Jaypore focuses on products with unique, high quality craftsmanship; unmistakably local designs that feel at home anywhere in the world. Our products include home decor, accessories, jewelry, apparel, gifts, vintage items and more..

Jaypore is currently available to all ipad users in the US. Access to Jaypore is granted only via an exclusive invitation code, and for you, my favorite peeps, the access code is INDIANSUMMER. For my adorable peeps who are not in the US, fret not! Jaypore would very soon be available on iphone and via an online store, with plans to retail in other countries too. And you would still be able to use INDIANSUMMER to gain access to this fabulous store!

Excited? :)

Here's a quick recap of what you need to do to shop these gorgeous products:

1. Download Jaypore app for ipad from the itunes stores (currently available for US only)
2. Use the invite code INDIANSUMMER to gain access
3. Create your unique login ID and password
4. Shop away!


[All images: Jaypore and An Indian Summer. Jaypore on facebook]

The fabric of life

I have been looking through textile collections in various museums for a personal project, and when I came across these exquisitely embroidered pieces at V&A, I just had to share them with you. I can not resist old, vintage fabric and get completely mesmerized by the skill that must have gone in to create that piece of art. I imagine the stories and the history associated with each piece of textile - the loom, the weaver, the embroider, the person who wore it, how it was used - it's just fascinating to think of the memories that any piece of fabric holds. 

Tell me how you like some of my favorite picks and do browse through the entire online collection available at Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

[All images: From the textile collections at V&A]

Hello September!

What a lovely start to this ninth month of the year!

Two generous giveaways

By two really fabulous stores

Right here

Right now

Read on to know more and win some gorgeous goodies!

~ Sir Alistair Rai.com ~

Sir Alistair Rai, the store with gorgeous scarves, clothes and accessories, has teamed up with An Indian Summer for a lovely giveaway. Sir Alistair Rai is the brainchild of designer Kiran Rai, who originally started the brand to teach her son about their Indian roots. Kiran takes her inspiration from lush locales around the world, and transforms it into brilliantly colored scarves, that have been adored by the who's who in Hollywood and the fashion industry.

Sir Alistair Rai would love to giveaway this beautiful mixed media reversible scarf and tibetan mala beads to one of You, my fabulous readers! The giveaway is open to all, and you need to do is this:

1. Leave a comment on facebook right here, telling us what would you pair this scarf with?

2. Double your chances peeps! Leave a comment on this post too!

3. Umm...that's it! Wait for result to be announced after a week on September 10th.

[Shop Sir Alistair Rai here, and connect with them on facebook] 

~ Island Company ~

Island Company, a lifestyle resort apparel company that was launched in 2002 by Spencer Antle, celebrates an authentic island experience with it's motto "Escape,Travel, Live". Carried by high end boutiques and five star resorts around the world, Island Company has recently also launched Island Vintage, a handmade men's and women's collection that focuses on intricate custom hand-work and detailing, all done by artisans in India.

 

Island Company, along with An Indian Summer, is very excited to give away a timeless staple from their line - a classic linen shirt, of your choice, color and size! Island Company would ship the shirt to any address in USA, so the giveaway is open to all An Indian Summer readers who live in the US or have an shipping address in the US. To enter the giveaway, just:

1. Leave a comment on facebook right here, telling us your favorite color for the linen shirt?

2. Double your chances peeps! Leave a comment on this post too!

3. And, that's it! Wait for result to be announced after a week, on September 10th.

[Shop Island Company right here, and connect with them on facebook]

Enter both giveaways, right away! 

Fingers crossed for you, folks!

Eclectic Rooms

Penny moons

Star gaze

Mirror haze

 Wood burn

A little turn

Calm lake

 Color awake

Eclectic Rooms

I asked you to stop me

You didn't

I ran off with a rhyme here

So there.

:)

[Images from this, that and there]