Rang Barse...Holi Themed Party

First of all, a big bear hug on passing the mark on 20K followers on Instagram and almost 7K on Facebook. So far it has been surreal and exciting journey filled with glory and gooseflesh in equal measure. However, learning and exploring has never ended. While staying true to our roots, I want to push the creative envelope and provide with the best and distinctly unique posts (implying I have a wonderful home tour line up). I am so grateful for the phenomenal support over the years. For all the people who have looked through my passion to help them choose their home décor stories, I am humbled, touched and incredibly thankful.   

As you all already know that I’m a sucker for a themed party.  Maybe it’s because of the fact that I love decorating and designing spaces but I also think I’m drawn to this kind of parties because it brings out inner happiness, positivity and vibrancy in me. Think about it, have you ever seen a themed celebration and thought it looked boring?  I don’t think so.  You just can’t help but be in a good mood when you are surrounded by vibrant colors, good food and of course great company. So, given a chance again, I pounced on an opportunity to organize one at home for the upcoming ‘Holi’ festival. 

When it comes to this festival of vivacity which is so vibrant, cheerful, and festive, you can never be verve enough. I decided to choose the quirkiest and the most colorful ambiance I can go for!  I brought out all the brass pots & colors I had and played around with the setting and voila...the center piece was created in less than few minutes. 

When everything about Holi is as vivacious it could be, having a dull ambiance can make your Holi party a major disappointment amongst your guests. Keeping the same thoughts in my mind, I incorporated a whimsical set-up with the help of my traditional danglers and marigold garlands to create an aura that would be perfect for Holi celebrations. 

I opted for a multicolored theme and added in beautiful and colorful paper flowers that complement the theme well. These paper flowers have been collected over the time from Michael’s and have been used abundantly in my many other décor parties but they are just perfect for adding more colors. I think that’s the main key for a great party design. Don’t worry about every little detail instead work toward creating spaces that have a big impact. 

Adding a festive interior spice always makes the on-going festivity of chiming cocktails, devouring Holi delicacies and delicious tête-à-têtes into a memorable one.   

Tiny details add up to make parties truly unforgettable. These simple, on theme, quick, easy and cheap plates made a big statement on the overall setting. By adding a clear tape, I painted the foil paper plate to splash some more colors and it worked out brilliantly. It was a serious shortcut that I think anyone could use for adding more color. 

Be it Holi or Diwali, with the weather as appalling as ours, my whole attention turns indoors, where I take great pleasure in entertaining because there is no better place to be than home for any celebration.

My ultimate canvas of this bay window has taken on so many entertaining identities over the years, yet again won to bowl everyone over. When you work with creativity consistently, you are able to reuse stuff from project to project because items picked with versatility in mind. Just changing the accents they go with creates a totally different and new look.   

The ultimate party favor was my 'Thandai' flavored kulfi but oh, hang on, there was something else ;). You know that we go far and beyond the usual when it comes to theme parties hence the post can not be officially completed without inserting  our colorful selves here. I like to set the tone right out of the gate, which for me means, a beautifully dressed us in welcoming the guest on the song of “Rang Barse”. After all, it’s the first glimpse of what lies in the future and I like to give guests a taste of what’s to come.  

These festivals graciously allow us to remember old days especially to those who are far away from India, where any celebration of any festival is always at the peak. These little pleasures just make you forget your worries and jive to the inner rhythm of life, isn’t it? So, make a splash with these ideas for your next high voltage themed event and bag away all the applaud. Until we meet again, stay connected and enjoy all the festivities at your end, toodles!  

To see how I change the same space on different festivals, themed parties or occasions...see here for my South Indian Themed Diwali Party or here and here for Valentine Fun parties.  

Holi - The colorful celebration

Puttering “Holi” pictures on the virtual world has sent me in the same vein as you, if you are also nurturing "Holi" blues with a twinge of envy just like me, for being detached from all the festivities back home. These festivals graciously allow us to remember old days especially to those who are far away from India, where any celebration of any festival is always at the peak.

Few thoughtful, few silly and few heartwarming honest moments evoke fond memories of my childhood. As I recall the days vividly, where the hurly-burly on the road and vivacious friends on the street play with colorful tradition ardently. 

        

Briefly toyed with the “Holi” idea, I have attuned a corner to celebrate Holi this year unlike last year's fanciful décor. Charming amalgams of my antique brass diyas and yummy colors have brightened a corner, which compliments the festival in our home. 

And for your dramatic finale of "Holi" I have got you covered with this light, fluffy and of course creamy "Thandai Mousse" to please any size of your party crowd. Certainly an impressive dinner party dessert here is delicately flavored with thandai that really brings out the spice when mixed with wickedly rich cream.

 

Ingredients:

• Whipping Cream - 1 cup
• Regular milk - 1 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Thandai masala & syrup (readily available, and if not, there are gazillions of recipes to make at home)
• Shredded almonds ( Few drops of food coloring for a dramatic display)
• Agar-agar powder (China grass powder or Gelatin) 1 spoon
• Sugar ( as per your sweet tooth)

Instructions:

·         Whisk the whipping cream till soft fluffs are formed;   keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

·         Dilute agar agar powder in ½ cup water and cook on low flame

·         Add 1 cup of milk to this water and keep stirring

·         Add 1 spoon of Thandai masala and 1 spoon of Thandai syrup

·         Add desired amount of sugar (thandai syrup is sweet so taste and add sugar accordingly)

·         Bring the mixture to boil until everything dissolves and milk is wee bit thickened.  

                     

Let this liquid cool down on room temperature. Once ready, place this liquid on top of an ice cube loaded bowl and mix vigorously, it will start thickening soon and to avoid any lumps, the mixing constantly is necessary. Add in the whipped cream and fold in until both are evenly combined.  Transfer the mousse in serving bowls or cups and garnish on top with colored almonds or any other dry fruit you desire. Refrigerate for about 4/5 hours and serve. The colorful array of almonds make it an enticing dessert. You may play with any flavor combo you may like to make this mousse.

(If you have opted china grass as a replacement for of Agar-agar powder, you will have to cut china grass into small chunks and blend it down into a coarse powder before using, you may also have to strain the liquid for left over pieces of china grass before mixing the whipping cream)

 

Okay party people hold on, as on the spirit of HOLI, Sonal Gupta, the culinary expert at Simplyvegetarian has rounded up with all sorts of deserts and snacks for you to toast your festival with. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be a part of her festive collective.  To earn yourself more desserts and snacks head straight to her blog where she has oceans of other recipes to feed inspiration for your upcoming festive parties from rest of the fellow bloggers.

We, Torontonians, are spoilt here with many friends and this festival fever of Holi has gripped us firmly, hence, we are going to mark the day noisy way in our own neighborhood. If you celebrate sober way or smudge the beautiful colors on your loved one's faces, enjoy every bit of it as these simple pleasures of life light up our world, signing out wishing everyone very happy festivities at your end, until we meet again, stay connected on facebook or instagram, toodles!

Celebration of Colours - Holi

I always feel a sudden pang of sadness pricking through my thoughts at the bang of every festival. I am trying to unspool my mind to recollect my childhood memories of the upcoming festival “HOLI”. Being here in Canada for long enough, I feel it's been countless years since I became a part of this celebration now. I try hard to break down the thoughts of my brain remembering my HOLI, but everything inside me just swirls. 

For someone who grew up in India, and has "been there, done that" can never forget the fun, the energy, the noise and a joyful battle of crazy friends wanting to colour each other on this fun filled festival. Correct me if you think I am loosing part of my memory, but bustling people on the street, a bizarre scenario and colourful images of my friends’ faces are what I can gather up across my mind.

With few random images floating in the back of my head, I recall gathering up with the neighborhood for lighting up the bonfire on the holi evening:  celebrating victory of good over evil. Traditions related to the festivals vary all over India. If history interests you, find out more about the story of  “HOLIKADAHAN”.  

How can we not include the naughty and mischievous Lord Krishna applying colour on her beloved Radha. As an acceptance and popularity of their lovable prank the next day of holi is celebrated as "DHULETI".  A fair game of coloring friends or friend’s friend or even dozens of  strangers. If not dry powdered colours we use ‘PICHKARIS”(water jets) or even managed “WATER BALLOONS” fights. It was essential for you to look messy. If you wish to stay clean, stay home or else get used to looking weird for the day.

 Though for me, the best part was at the end, while you’re all scrubbed up after all day’s colourful “masti” and ready for enjoying delicious snacks and sweets made by mom.
 
To over come the battle of emotions, splashy celebration of joy has found its way to our home, come on in and enjoy the colourful tour of few corners.

Wooden Indian Music Figurnes

Front end is ornamented with spirited red & yellow. The Ganesha paintings complement the grouping of hand painted Indian music figurines. Each figure is playing different music instruments.

Colourful Daisies...nah, Holi Daisies

When I was considering to create the “Holi” effect at home, I had few vibrant colours of floweres in my thoughts but when I reached the grocery store in the quest of flowers, these colourful daisies were shouting out for me. I was completely overjoyed to have found them. I loved how I could incorporate them with my décor, rather they formed the exact lively and radiant touch I wanted for my home.   

Accessorize the new look with bright coloured pillow covers.



Couches are accessorized with colourful pillows to make the festival mood more stronger. Also, few bright coloured Ganeshas are reserved in the room to give the colourful effect and complement the festival. 

Red and blue my teeny-weeny "Ganeshji", a blessed gift from our very dear friend, sits perfectly on my coffee table to regard and remind the colors.

Green and yellow grouping worked gracefully on my side table.

This "Ganeshji" is another great find of "him" on one of his business trips. Since he is made out of ceramic, one of the arm is broken in the journey but his divine look , his crown, his "mudra" doesn't even remind us that he has been fixed again.

Multi coloured Fireplace mantel



Few bright covered library books and my multi-coloured glasses completed a picture-perfect arrangement of colours on my fireplace mantel.  I was been tempting to use these bright glasses in my décor, but never found any perfect theme to use them but today, I have blended them in my décor with these pretty daisies.

Now being away from all the festivities, we create our own ways to celebrate it. We find joy watching the giggle on our son's face when we share a story of funniest things we did with friends in our history. I have tried to fill that empty hole in my heart with few changes to overcome the grief for not being able to enjoy the festivities. Hope these revamping of colourful corners of our home cheered you and tickled your heart with your childhood memories. Leaving you with the  mist of colourful images until we meet again, toodles.

Budhha Warmth

Catching up in the middle of a busy week. Hope you all are pulling through to make it till Friday. At my end things have started to get multi-colour and I am merrily stimulating a colourful post to share with you all. All the clicking, drafting, and editing  has brought me more closer to be an avid blogger :) (at least that is what I think)

 

At the bang of a festival, everything inside me churns. My racing mind gets filled with storm of  thoughts of the festivities we have enjoyed being with friends and family. Be with me as I dig the darkness of my memories and splash you with the colours of HOLI from my home to yours.

  

An oasis of serenity and calmness 

Sure sign of spring is no where in my neck of the woods and winter is not budging or leaving upon our several begging and pleading. Though, I am leaving no stone unturned to bring back the spring. Bunch of tulips and warmth of Buddha are keeping us cozy enough to survive for the rest of the February. Visit me back soon for the treat of your eyes for bold and striking HOLI post. Until we meet again, toodles!


(Image from my home - Front Foyer)