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Dust that old spice box, bring out that antique jewellery box your mother gave you, better still if it has some compartments in them.

Display it on your center table or that coffee table in your drawing room where you welcome your guests for Diwali.

Fill each compartment with dry-fruits, sugar candies, chocolates, take your pick:-) Drop a tiny tea light candle in one of the slots and see the festive glow it it brings into your home and on the faces of your guests:-)

(Images & ideas by Arch, feel free to get inspired and link to me but if you want to use my photographs for some other purpose please send me a mail.)

Diwali is the time when major cleaning, painting, sprucing up is done and homes are transformed into a special abode for Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth)

There is brightness everywhere. My Diwali routine includes taking out all my brass lamps, the simple brass diyas to huge Kerala Lamps.

With Diwali- 'The Festival of Lights' around the corner, I have been looking everywhere for inspiration to decorate my home. There are amazing, sparkly diyas & lamps available in the market, fancy gift packs of dry fruits & sweets, amazing packaging of chocolates and so on but I want to do something innovative, something simple, something beautiful, something traditional, something different.

The name of an unusual home accessories store which is situated in an unconventional location beneath the benches of the famous Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India.
The store's philosophy of juxtaposing contemporary blockprinted linens in Art Deco cupboards, sleek Jaisalmer bathroom accessories on vintage basins is extremely interesting.Bungalow 8 is a store where you'll find an eclectic, traditional & rare mix of furniture & fashion hand picked from India and from all over the world.
The store was set up by Maithili Ahluwalia in 2003 in an unconventional location of a bylane in a residential area and started the minimilist trend. Today she has won many accolades both in India as well as internationally.
Bungalow 8 - "Modern home accessories, Designs inspired from tradition & Global origin".


(images from bungaloweight.com)

They've turned the song emo.

Gond Tribal Painting is done by Gondi people who live in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh & Orissa.

Gondi people pray to various Gods & spirits. These paintings like various other tribal art is done on the walls of the houses. The depiction of their environment in the form of forests, trees, animals, birds is prominent in the paintings. Lord Krishna dancing on the serpent head, part of the Hindu mythology.

Beautiful depiction of animals.Black & White Gond paintings from www.indiahandicraftstore.com
Serpent's Head Tree by renowned Gond painter Bhajju Shyam.

Bhajju Shyam's work won a State award in 2001 and today he has illustrated 'The London Jungle Book' by Tara Books.

Lovely art form from the tribal forests of Gond. Amazing colours & intricate workmanship makes it a winner.
Already on my list of 'To-Buy':-)

(images from indiahandicraftstore.com, resurgence.org, tarabooks.com, shot at Chitrakala Parishad )

Jes Rickleff is the "winner" of VH1's "Rock of Love". She lives in Kearney, Nebraska and works at a salon called "Bang". Jes Rickleff is not really emo but she got this really nice pink highlights and thats worth mentioning her on this blog. It takes an enormous amount of self confidence to wear pink hair and she's just oozing with it.

My post for 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month"

Let me start with this bright pink studio home of fashion designer Malini Ramani. This space is a mix of bohemian, goan & international styles. Crystal lotus infront of a multi-faith mandir (shrine/temple) in her lounge area.
The lounge area has lot of pink velvet with pictures of friends and her guru in the backdrop. The wrought iron & shells chandelier is her own creation.Old rose walls with a Gautam Vaghela painting in one of Pinakin Patel's Alibag projects.Priti Paul & Jaouad Kadiri's Moroccan retreat.'Vogue' Magazine Photographer Norman Parkinson captures the richness of India through his camera.
The MTV Office in Bangalore by Sandeep Khosla & AssociatesAlpana & Rahul Kirloskar's bungalow in Pune with a large centre table with Sanskrit script on torched granite in the living room. A painting by J Swaminathan on the wall.
A verandah with a large wenge seagrass sofa with vivid pink upholstery.Some pink festive decorating ideas from Elle Decor Magazine.

Glass Candle Stand from Klove Studio, Fabric from House of Ishatvam, Atmosphere, Old Goddess Lakshmi print from Moonriver.Wrought Iron lamps from Good Earth, Chair from India Chic, Fabric from Muslin.
Bright pink upholstery from Atmosphere.

&

finally an artist whose paintings I really admire- Dhruvi Acharya.

She says,"My paintings focus, through allegory, on the roles of being a woman and artist plus a mother and daughter, of living life as a couple with two boys, or life as a couple with two careers … it is all these dualities, the “two-ness” of my existence that makes life both stressful and enjoyable. And these dualities find their way into my paintings, through allegories and metaphors, images and colours... read more here "

Bound, Acrylic on panel, 2001 In the Middle of the Night, Acrylic on panel, 2002
Flower PowerUnplugged, Acrylic on Canvas, 2000

(images from Elle Decor Magazine, Indian Design by Daab, Inside-Outside Magazine, Vogue, Dhruvi.com)

A wise choice of haircut- I think it'll look fabulous!

Okay, firstly let's focus on your face shape.

It you have a longer face, and a squared jaw, then you'd suit the hair being as long as it is in those pictures. However, if you have more of a round face then I suggest going slightly shorter at the back to counter-balance the long fringe. For example, this pic.

Find out what hairdressers you will be using (I use Toni And Guy as they do 'emo/scene' styles really well) and go and talk to one of the hairdressers that'll cut your hair for you. Explain to them what they think is best for you hair, whether the style will suit you etc. Print off the photographs and show them. Doing this will let your hairdresser know exactly what you want it like- but do bear in mind, these hairstyles are high maintenance and it'll cost a fortune on hair products.

Now, for the descriptive part.

You'll need your hair reasonably long before you get your hair cut, so you can have the shape 'cut in'. From the pictures, your hairstylist will be able to get a good idea of what they'll be doing. A sweeping, choppy fringe across one side is important. Remember to tell them to keep one side longer and shorter as you go across, so you get that 'flicked' look. Keep it longer along the sides and at the back, razoring layers into it. Then, at the crown of the head, the hair should be cut really short so it can be 'spiked up' with wax or gel.

Have a go with some colour if you're feeling brave- white blonde highlights, a creamy blue or perhaps even pink or orange if you're really going for it. Get them sliced in under your sweeping fringe and at the nape of your neck. There are a few links at the end of my post which suggest some good colours which would work well with that haircut. Take a look.

If you need any styling tips after you get your hair cut, send a message to Demixxdinosaur from Yahoo Anwser and she'd love to help you guys. His boyfriend has exactly the same haircut and she does his hair often and watch him style it all of the time.

Source:
Personal Experience of Demixxdinosaur from Yahoo Answer.

I am partial to wooden furniture for my home, but these beauties are making me rethink.

Embossed white metal covered side table with Ram head chair from Graham & Green Beautiful four poster bed from Adarsh Gill.Embossed White Metal Coffee table made by the skilled craftsmen in Rajasthan.
Details of the intricate metal design by Adarsh Gill Embossed white metal covered cupboards from Graham & Green.
Adarsh Gill's range of furniture design.
Rajasthani Styled embossed white metal side table.
Now for some shiny accessories to lighten up your homes.
Antique Silver vases from Amrapali
Silver photo frames from Sukra.Silver Banana Leaf plates from Amrapali.

(images from Adarsh Gill, Graham & Green, Amrapali, Sukra)