Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Introducing a Young Designer Suhasini

It always give me great pleasure to feature new and upcoming artists on my Dream Canvas! It is even more exciting when the artist is a passionate 18 year old :)

The work below is the brainchild of Suhasini Ganesan. A young  girl pursuing her design dreams at NIFT Bangalore! Her brand is called ChummaWeirdlyAjeeb. The innovative name caught my attention immediately :) 

Here's her story.....

What started as an afternoon hobby of creating dresses and jewelry as a little girl...soon grew into a passion that found its wings in this entrepreneurial venture! Minimalistic isn't her game - she creates quirky, edgy, bold, unapologetic, bright jewelry for the youngsters like herself- so they have the opportunity to 'wear' their attitude :-) 

Chumma, in Tamil, a language from Southern India, means 'just like that' or 'simply' and in Hindi, means 'kiss'. So.......it was what it really signifies- Simply With Love. Now, for the Weirdly and Ajeeb. They mean the same thing and that quite sums up the meaning of this entrepreneurial venture! 

Chumma has traveled to a lot of people across India and has made it's way across the seas to the United States as well! Suhasini is juggling her education and this venture like a pro. She also caught the attention of The Indian Express, Bangalore, India that featured her work in one of their issues! 

What a proud moment for an 18 year old! 

To  get your hands on her creations, you can message  Chumma's inbox on Facebook or on Instagram and can order away!

Good luck Suhasini......






Images Copyright ChummaWeirdlyAjeeb

Monday, October 23, 2017

Diwali Inspiration From Around The World Part 2

While Diwali is over, the magic of the festivities lingers on! Here is our second line up of pretty homes from around the world! Each home has a special Diwali vignette with a story to tell......

We are heading to Bangalore today to the home of Preethi Prabhu. Preethi is immensely creative and her Instagram feed is pure eye candy. She is a keen on DIY's so you should bookmark her page for some lovely ideas and inspiration.
I was blown away by this lovely wall covered with mirrors, such a fun and pretty idea to give a space bling and beauty!

In Preethi's words " Diwali for me is a chance to re-live my childhood. Growing up in a small town you have some mandatory rituals that you follow. Everyone in the house is assigned a duty which they do to prep the house for Diwali. Such fun times."​

Thanks Preethi, I completely agree, for me too childhood memories is what I bring into the traditions and festivities in my home!



Next we head on over to Dallas, Texas! Ramya's Vijaykumar home is filled with rich eclectic and Indian accents.  

In Ramya's words " Diwali holds a very special place for me, when we were kids our household emphasized on going organic. But we were just kids, so had our share of fun, frolic and of course burning crackers. As teens we understood a part of being organic we shed the crackers and now as adults we see the grand meaning of going organic which is slaying the insidious evil and getting richer with the bond of blood and the spirit of togetherness. May this Diwali bring harmonious feelings and spirit of togetherness in every household "

Thanks for sharing these beautiful words Ramya and for this lovely Diwali vignette! You can find her on Instagram where she shares some lovely images of her home!



Pinky's home in Toronto, Canada is a visual treat. She has the most stunning brass collection of Indian brass diyas and brass artifacts. Her Instagram feed is an absolute treat. Hop on over and feast your eyes on all the pretty things in her home!

In Pinky's words " Oh how I love Diwali. I honestly wish I could decorate for Diwali all year long. Traditional and ethnic decor for Diwali is definitely cultivating my own taste. Limit doesn’t exist in my case when my traditional palette is freshen up with new styles and mantra with the herald of the festivities. All brass route is my way to imbibe and highlight the glitter and glamour of this festive season." 
 


Patricia Torres has been one of my first online blogger pals. She is passionate about decor and creates the most interesting and pretty vignettes in her home in Dubai! Her blog Colours Dekor is immensely popular  and makes for a lovely read.

Diwali in her words " Diwali is one of my favorite festivals of the year after Christmas. It also signifies the beginning of the festive season for the year. The lights, the colors & the happiness all around bring positively and joy to everyone’s face. Diwali to me, means the whole family getting together to spend quality time together & enjoy delicious sweets. Even now, all our family & friends will gather at home, or continue to pour in after sunset, to bring in the New year with love, laughter & plenty of food. It truly embodies the sentiment of togetherness. I love preparing for Diwali, cleaning up my home and closets. De-cluttering and giving away bags to the homeless. Ensuring we bring a smile on at least one persons face, by helping them with whatever is required, in some way. My favorite memory of Diwali though is the time I spent with my aunt in Mumbai, when I was a kid. To her it was an auspicious day from early morning baths & dress up, to temple visits, to family lunches, evening prayers & quick family visits. She would also make it a point to visit the nearby orphanage with loads of sweets & gifts, bringing smiles on the faces of the little kids. It would always end with loads of home made sweets & crackers."

Thanks Patty, that is a wonderful Diwali memory, one to cherish and to learn from!



We are heading back to India to visit Sharon DSouza's home in Pune. Sharon is the founder of the very popular blog TheKeybunch. Her blog combines interesting features related to lifestyle and travel. Her website showcases some lovely  India-inspired spaces.

For Sharon" Diwali means light and color. Instead of going with the traditional brights this year I brought in color through Millennial Pink, with a hint of green. Since families and friends come together during Diwali, I decided to warm this palette up with traditional brass and fresh flowers. Beauty, grace, color and light are the epitome of this festival for me"

Thanks Sharon, your home looks beautiful.....




We are heading back to the Pacific Northwest for our last Diwali vignette. Last, but certainly not the least, is my friend and long time advocate and supporter Raji Ram's home:) Raji is a lovely person, she is warm and affectionate and her home reflects her personality!



Thank you ladies for sharing your homes with us this Diwali. It means a lot to me! I do hope you all have enjoyed this tour around the world. 

hugs

Anu



Monday, October 16, 2017

Diwali Inspiration From Around The World Part 1

Diwali Greetings my lovely readers....

Diwali, The Festival of lights is upon us! It gives me great pleasure to bring you Diwali vignettes from my readers and friends around the world! My readers are my greatest strength...... without you the MDC journey would have been rather bleak! Your encouragement day after day is what continues to inspire me to keep on blogging....

Today, I am sharing a stunning Diwali vignette of a home just a few miles from where I live! Nirmala's artistic style and creativity will leave you spellbound! She is a long time MDC reader and friend. Her home has been one of the most popular home tours on MDC. You can visit her lovely home by clicking here.

Here is Nirmala's Diwali in a few simple words that are beautiful and for evoke a touch of nostalgia and happiness....

"Living here in the US now, Diwali to me is a time where I grow very nostalgic recollecting the real spirit of Diwali, left behind. The joys of waking up early, the new clothes, the home made sweets, the Diyas and Rangolis everywhere, the sound and smell of fire crackers, the love of family......no happiness like being back home during this time of the year. To me Diwali is all about celebrating a cherished past, a wonderful present and a bright future no matter where I am." 


The beauty of Diwali through her camera lens.....


Thank you Nirmala, best wishes to you and your lovely family for a bright and beautiful Diwali! Do visit her on Instagram for to see more of her lovely decor!

From The Pacific Northwest we head onto the other side of the world to Kenya, Africa! 

Diwali for Hemal who lives in Kenya is an amalgamation of her Indian roots mixed in with African elements.



In her words " The backdrop for this vignette is a granary door from Mali, Contemporary glass hanging lamp has a Kenyan beaded coaster as its base. The brass ware is Indian and Chinese. Diwali is a time to share happy moments with friends and family and make memories together. It is a time to celebrate and be grateful for all my blessings. Diwali to me is a time to be thankful for all I have achieved in the past year and for all that I look forward to in time to come."

Thank you Hemal and best wishes to you and to your lovely family for Diwali. Do visit Hemal's blog Villa Marigold for some lovely inspiration!

I hope you liked my Diwali World Tour :) This is just the first of many so stay tuned :)

 
Image 1 Copyright Nirmala Iyer 
image 2 Copyright Hemal Paliwal