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Can a 5-year-old really believe there’s a tooth fairy? Maybe it’s all the years of training in logic and legal reasoning, but I don’t think even sounded convincing: yeah, so when you go to sleep, a little tooth fairy comes into your room, reaches under your pillow, takes your tooth and replaces it with a surprise... I thought the tooth fairy thing would be a sweet and magical way to remember loosing his first tooth – and in any case better than the alternative of standing in your front yard and throwing the tooth over your shoulder and onto the roof (what we do in my part of South India). At least this way I get to keep the tooth for memories. Curious about other tooth traditions from around the world? Check out Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World
What’s your tooth tradition? above: Oeuf Tooth Fairy Pillow | |||||
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That’s Sushmita Sen’s kids (you can see her in the background) sporting Nishka Lulla’s designs at the first ever India Kids Fashion Week in Mumbai last week. About 200 kids from ages 5-15 got their chance to be famous for a few minutes showcasing 20 kids’ brands and designers. Critics and conservatives were concerned that the event was an exploitation of children. Do kids stand to gain anything from this? Confidence maybe? | |||||
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The recipes have been reviewed by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the book has been all the rage in the UK. It’s Indian Superfood How about Naans with Seaweed and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds? Or Ginger-Infused Yogurt with Honey and Pomegranate for breakfast? Or “the world’s healthiest meal”: Chicken and Blueberry Curry with Pilau Rice and Goji Berries. A single serving of this apparently contains as many health-boosting antioxidants as 49 bowls of spinach, 23 bunches of grapes or 9 helpings of broccoli! Though I do wish there were more vegetarian recipes, this is a book that’ll be getting a lot of time on the cookbook stand. Good thing my kids love to eat (super)spices. Available for purchase on Amazon.com | |||||
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This post is authored by Bhavna – a corporate consultant from Gurgaon, India who is equally passionate about Indian decor. She blogs at An Indian Summer, helping her readers draw inspiration from “design, decor, creative talent, art and craft, that is global in its appeal, and is inspired by the color and vibrancy of India.” As an ardent admirer of traditional art and crafts from India, nothing pleases me more than to see them being appreciated and celebrated all over the world. From design enthusiasts to big décor stores to the global home maker, there is a renewed interest in handmade products and textiles from India. Global appeal of Indian craft traditions has also encouraged more and more indie designers within India to work with grass root artisans and save many a dying craft tradition and skills. And going by 2012 home décor trends and forecasts, it looks like India and inspired by India are going to be hot favourites again this year. Hurray for that! Here’s taking a look at a few of my favourite stores and their pick of India inspired home collection: Banarasi/Jamdani fabric covered journal indigo block print style table linen
Knobs from Rajasthan and dhurrie cushions
Painted wooden horse and spice boxes from Saharanpur
The cutest owl hooks, wooden boxes and the ever popular fabric elephant
Kantha throws and kilim dhurrie
Block printed table linen
© 2012 An Indian Summer
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This post is authored by Shilpa Iyer – owner and curator of Harabu House – an online boutique for chic, eco-friendly and globally inspired living. Her boutique was founded in December 2010 and carries a range of items from home décor to fashion accessories. Born in India, raised in Singapore, and finally settling in the United States, Shilpa scours the globe to find unique pieces which fit perfectly with her modern aesthetic. She has been featured in several design and décor blogs, most recently in Matchbook Magazine’s January 2012 issue. One of my passions is to find ways to connect the old with the new, since I grew up in a very modern society but was raised in a culture steeped in tradition. I feel that a room breathes new life with the juxtaposition of these extremes, whether it’s framing old ancestral family photos in contemporary frames or creating modern artwork using the ancient technique of block printing.
For this reason, I love the use of kantha throws to liven up any room. Kantha refers to the simple running stitch that is used in each throw and is derived from the Sanskrit word “kontha”, which means rags. In Bengal, where kantha throws are popular, women create these heirlooms by using the kantha running stitch to preserve their vintage cotton saris. These women would traditionally lay up to seven old cotton saris upon each other, taking care to choose the prettiest ones for the first and last layers. The running kantha stitch keeps the sari layers together and creates a quilted or rippled effect. Creation of these kantha throws gives the saris new life and recycles the vintage fabric into functional, beautiful blankets to use during the cool winter months. Each kantha throw is unique and each tells us a beautiful story of life-long preservation.
All images are courtesy of Harabu House © 2012 Harabu House
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This post is authored by Anuradha Varma – a Seattle-based blogger, interior stylist and photographer. She owns a lifestyle blog called My Dream Canvas and has recently started a small business venture called The Shop at My Dream Canvas – an online boutique with a global feel featuring her exclusive picks for you and your home. I believe that flowers are one of God’s prettiest creations. They are such an essential decor accessory and universal in their appeal. Flowers compliment any design style – be it modern, eclectic, traditional, or classic elegant. My home is Indian with an eclectic touch. Flowers are very critical to my decor style. I don’t believe in using traditional vases to display my flowers. I believe that pretty much anything that can hold water can be a vase. Look around your home. You will find multiple choices and a variety of vases to choose from. On any given day, a simple flower arrangement can give your space a fresh and bright look! I constantly use traditional brass diyas, urlis and urns as vases. They remind me of India and home!
These days we can pretty much buy anything from a store. However, a lovely souvenir or a cherished heirloom personalizes your home and makes it warm and inviting. Flowers may be a common decor accessory, but displayed in something that is exclusive to your home, makes it unique. As an Interior Stylist and designer, I will let you all in on a secret. Flowers are my weakness. They are also my greatest ally! My home always has a few flowers to brighten up the grey Seattle days.
I firmly believe that you do not need flowers just to celebrate a special occasion. A tastefully decorated room with a few fresh flowers will always look charming. Look around you, you might have that perfect vase right beside you to add panache to your space!
© 2012 My Dream Canvas
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This post is authored by Sundeep at Designwali. Sundeep is based in Toronto – where she works in the corporate world by day…and by night she’s an interior design enthusiast who loves blending modern contemporary decor with South Asian influences. Hello Gnaana Readers,
I’m Sundeep from Designwali and am thrilled to bits to guest post today on Gnaana as I’m a huge fan and I’m a sucker for good design/ home decor talk. I figure today I would talk about incorporating sculpture in your home.
Most of us are comfortable with using paintings, drawings and photography as our standard go to art. Have you thought about bringing something more three-dimensional into you space? The impact can be amazing. Whether its old world stone sculpture or new brass pieces, this form of art can provide wonderful texture and visual interest into any room. So do any of you adorn your home with lovely sculptural pieces?
Below, Look how varied sculpture can be?
Images: (1) Wall Stencils by Royal Design Studio; (2) Full Size Buddha by Amrita Singh; (3) Hoysala Temple Sculpture; (4) Brass Elephant Statue; (5) Shiva Nataraja; (6) Wall Flower Art via Jayson Home
Look how fantastic these stone sculptures look in these spaces. Image via Houzz.com.
© 2012 Designwali
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 This post is authored by Priya at Once Upon a Tea Time…Design Stories - an interior design and lifestyle blog. Priya is based in Northern California and writes about décor, traditional arts and crafts from all over the world and shares her inspiration with her readers. When I think of interior courtyards, I instantly visualize this most romantic of places – lush greenery, terracotta tiles or tiles of any sort, the sound of water and a table set for two. Or maybe a low settee piled high with cushions. The two styles that I am most inspired by are the Moorish-influenced courtyards seen in the Mediterranean region and those seen in traditional houses in both Northern and Southern India. It is a great way to bring the outdoors inside for you and your family to enjoy in complete privacy.  These gorgeous courtyards are perfect for warm weather. They bring much needed coolness to the interior and you have to agree that watching the rain fall from the coziness of the surrounding rooms has to be the most wonderful experience.  I live in Northern California and am a huge fan of the Spanish Colonial style and my dream house would definitely include one of these gorgeous courtyards!   Image credits (top to bottom): Riad Kniza; Mangala Heritage Home; WeHeartIt; Southern Accents; Mick Hales /Southern Accents © 2012 Once Upon a Tea Time…Design Stories | |||||
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 A splash of India in your home…Join us this week as we welcome 5 Guest Bloggers – each with their own ideas for bringing a little bit of India into your living spaces.
Monday: Priya Iyer, Once Upon a Tea Time…Design Stories
Tuesday: Sundeep Sandhu, Designwali Wednesday: Anuradha Varma, My Dream Canvas Thursday: Shilpa Iyer, Harabu House Friday: Bhavna Bhatnagar, An Indian Summer Welcome – and looking forward to the visual inspiration!
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Want to write for us? We’re looking for fresh voices and perspectives on topics related to South Asian kids, families, languages and cultures. Bloggers will be paid after an initial trial period. The only restriction is that you should not currently have your own blog. Interested? Email us at talent@gnaana.com with a brief background of yourself and how you think your voice will add to the Gnaana blog. |
– a very cool read. It’s interesting to know that some cultures makes charms out of the tooth (Chile) or grind it to a powder (some part of Australia, I think).
by chef Gurpareet Bains. The premise is that you take 
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