Plethora of fantastic treasures

Blogging has been my utter good fortune for meeting wonderful people who share related interest and passion as me. Today’s post is about crossing the path with one such personality down the road of blogging via Instagram. We share the same passion of collection, so join me as I take you on a story of joy and pleasure with bounty of brass as we explore a wondrous and full of pride brass collection of Shalu Prasad. Shalu’s home is a mecca of drop dead gorgeous brass pieces. Inspired vision, sentimental echoes and plenty of classic Indian charm drips through every nook and cranny of her home.

Traditionally beautiful antique pieces favor Shalu's  true passion for brass and antique with a talent of pulling it all off. In a span of 18 years Shalu has garnered a staggering amount of collection. Intriguing mix of antique and modern points out intrinsic character of the lady in the house.

Artfully piled and decorative display of brass richness defines Shalu's pervasive visual knack. With her own unique appealing styling in clever ways, each item in her home is bursting with greater decorating value than it might otherwise have.                 

She started feeding her passion for hunting and gathering in her young age to create her own special world of brass. Shalu's exquisite refined taste since her early years of high school made her to put down her name for an ancient cabinet which was being used by her grandma. She proudly claims to possess the same till date.  

Each antique in her home whispers stories of the past, how magnificent to have family hand-downs, and even better if you enjoy them just like Shalu. She has inherited exciting antiques from her grandparents, parents and in-laws. Shalu slated her blossoming interest towards collecting brass has also been nourished by her friends who have generously contributed to her brass collection.

Age has its advantage when it comes to brass. To prove this Shalu has confidently feathered her displays here with a naturally aged patina covered genuine bronze figurine, giving it an old world ambience. Lightly tucked in colorful flowers make the strong statement of tying old with new.

Shalu firmly believes that antiques are thrilling and always full of surprises! The whimsical pooja plate once belonged to Shalu's grand mom now displays some mix of her antique bronze, copper and brass pots. Not to overlook the timeworn background image, probably dates back from a print of 1950’s from Shalu’s friend’s mom’s attic adorning the vignette.

Few of her aggrandized pieces will transport you back to an idealized past era. A "Vajri" an authentic old antique of Shalu's collection sets the perfect example of being many centuries old which she scored from an antique dealer in Kerala (India).

If you are thinking to add some metallic gleam for the upcoming festival, start picking up ideas and inspiration from few of her revived and revamped corners occupying center stage for the upcoming festival.

Multitude of diyas on a plate can create a well-focused point of view during the festival time. With adding a hint of flickering diyas and by employing cheerful flowers you can perfectly warm up the Diwali theme.

With a discerning eye, Shalu has injected the warmth of elegant and dazzling pieces with rich patina to cheer up the festivity in her home. I love how tightly grouped flowers are giving a monochromatic decorative effect with the gleam of diyas.

Though Shalu decodes many of her collection haven't been yet photographed due to paucity of time. Being an adored and respected art lover, her skill with a paintbrush is more often applied to canvas for teaching paintings and sometimes taking orders also.

 
Hope you enjoyed bursting of lovely brass in an array of appealing styles.The serene and classy results of her passion mirror the quite taste of the lady herself. Thank you Shalu for sharing your breathtaking antiques, I being an avid brass lover can surely bring in a cot to live among your great treasures. Do get connected on Shalu's unique styling on her instagram page of templebells where she shares all things nice from her collection of brass and art.

 
At the passion casa, we have started to capture the spirit of Diwali. Until we meet again, stay connected on Facebook page of Pinkz Passion for lined up posts of the festivities, toodles!

(Images Credit: Shalu Prasad)

A pot of memories...

My mom, a fervent antique lover, owns exquisite antiques and treasured handed down brass. Inhabiting in an aged pixie dust brass and special centuries past era treasures is something I have completely inherited from her. Surprising juxtaposition of different styles and era mixing with her chock-full of alluring and interesting used family heirlooms truly resonates her art of mastering the mixology. With abundance flow of flowers from her garden paired with a fresh approach in my grand mother's pot connects her to the past in a tangible way! Some day, hopefully I will share her amazing collection with you all :)

I have definitely got same good genes of her ;) For the very same sense of nostalgia few of those antiques are handed down to me by mom and now they are a cherished part of my own home décor. The diverse mix of decorating with antiques of a bygone era offers an absolute personal touch in your décor. Connecting the dots of "old" story with "new" story and probably creating "another" story with next set of users when I pass it on to my children warms up my heart. 

The excellently crafted pot, engraved with  my great grand father's name,  housing the mounds of bright yellow mums is over 100+ years old. As we grow older memories of our early childhood seems to fade away, though,  I still have vivid memories of my grandma using it. Ditching out the tray, I have also used the set of same very old "German Silver" plate as a tray on the table. I personally believe antique world treasure never go out of style. They were, they are and always will be classic, timeless and stylish.

Hold on tightly to those priceless faded treasures of antiques hiding in your parents attics, bring them into your home with whole new outlook and let them take on a new life full of exuberance and excitement.

On the other note, I have started to seize the home gracefully and have rolled down the sleeves for the upcoming festivities. Stay connected on passion page of Facebook for further updates, until we meet again, toodles!
 

Navli Navratri!

There is something about fall, it's presence overflows with a joy of festivities. One of such is Navratri - The festival of worshipping Goddess Durga, celebrating a triumph over a failure and cheering our rich heritage has finally embarked. The musical festival of classy flamboyant outfits, the traditional garbas (songs), and above all, the devotional celebration. It would be a complete amiss if I don’t share my bit of joy and memories with you all being a pure Gujarati and a fervor garba lover. Out comes our dandiya playing Ganeshji to hit the perfect tune to start the festivities at my end.  

Sharing here are few snippets I have pulled together complimenting festive touches remembering nostalgic old days of Navratri. The long forgotten accessories, psychedelic chania cholis and keen dandiyas are highlighted here as they get ready along with me ;) for the festivities.

At the mark of this festival markets are geared up with colorful accessories and special dresses for the occasion. Especially youngsters start crawling in hunt for the perfect pair of outfits and matching accessories to jazz up their best look for Garba nights.

 

Hidden bare grounds are prepared for sparkling and glitzing nights of Navratri ambience and brought into best of their celebrity look. The most superior place on the ground is reserved as a special abode for Goddess. Every nook and corner is decorated with the riot of colors.

 

At the stroke of dusk, exceptionally dressed girls and boys in their traditional dressing would flood the ground with lots of laughter and giggles. We had best time of our young adulthood celebrating this festival. Many such celebrations are etched in my memories and are still recollected with a beaming pleasure in my eyes. Such golden days are hard to erase from your memories, wouldn't you agree?

 

 

Garba- traditionally sung songs are culturally rich and truly reveal the ethos of Gujarat. Oh, what fun it is to scream the favorite lyrics out loud while playing garba on the ground with friends. The playing or dancing of garba(the folkdance of Gujarat) is typically rhythmic and repetitive which combines foot work and fancy hand movements going in a circle. When the drummer strikes out a beat on a classical Indian drum, oh boy,  the tempo in the crowd rouses loud shrieks and yells on the ground.

 

Far and wide on the planet, Gujaratis have generated the rich heritage of Gujarat in their small zones as well. Being here in Toronto, we still rejoice the festival with the equal fervor. I am happy to the fact that our both kids are as ardent as me and look forward to revel in garba with us :). Of course, the celebration is not as similar as back in Gujarat, but not less either, we cherish the value of the festivities here with the same enthusiasm. Though, the chilly cold weather is cruel and that limits our playing indoors. Unlike these days fusion Bollywood music we restrict our songs to traditional garbas only. Gujju food stalls of KHAMAN, DABELI, KHICHU are savored deeply during or after the garba sessions just like back home.

You stand a good chance to witness an aura of grand festivity and divine spirituality with cheery faces and zealous souls during this festival month in Gujarat. An equal importance is observed for the nine divine days of the festival in other states of India as well worshipping the goddess Durga. Hope you also have a joyful celebration for the festivities at your end, until we meet again, stay connected on Facebook as there is a lot lined up for the month, toodles!

Blissful Fridays!

It's Friday, yay! Are you all geared up for the weekend? I am, but Fridays are simply special when I act of being one free spirit and a lazybones. The chill in the air (sometimes) makes me turn a blind eye on chores and doing nothing becomes pure joy for me. Zipping up the drive way with your favorite Chinese take out in hands, and heading the front door with a thought of not rushing in to kitchen or no pile of dishes makes me in a very high spirit! As I melt away the fatigue of a week in front of flowers scattered on the console table with flickering cinnamon candles, aah, its during those days when unproductive Fridays seem like a pure bliss :)   

Though, these days, come to a weekend, we all feel like getting ready for a huge bash. The excitement of meeting our daughter on her occasional weekend breaks, begin to cheer every Friday evening for us. All the plans are swiftly postponed in the thrill of seeing her. Home gets buzzed with whirlwind of all of her favorite happenings. Obviously she doesn't strike an attitude of meeting us but we know the excitement equally dances in her eyes. Her approving smile being home tells us how happy she is with our presence. And did I mention about a cute smile spreads on the younger one's face to see her. Their playful 'masti' and loud screaming around makes the whole home cooing again.

  

Chitchat on all about her new life and taking a glimpse into the whole new world brings back the memory of our teenager life that appeared to have gone to a pot. Peppering her with the questions of new life may not be so cool for her but we are happy that the gap has forged strong bonds in our relations. For now, she is preferring the freedom that has comes with her new phase of life.

Amidst the all these frenzy, me and my daughter both are happily perked up for “Navratri”. A whimsical yet weighty festival and our absolute favorite. This weekend we are celebrating Thanksgiving Day weekend in my part of the world. An extra day off to be thankful of simple pleasure of our life, cherishing the joy of family and small world we are surrounded with. Until we meet again, stay connected you lovely peeps and don't forget to enjoy your Friday and weekend! Toodles! 

Pearl Palace..boutique hotel tour

The magnetic pink city Jaipur is known for its bounteous allure and hospitality. Laying today in front of you, an exciting journey of one such luxury brand boutique hotel in Jaipur, dripping with true desi details. An extravagantly designed vibrant rooms of Pearl Palace Heritage Hotel in Jaipur will catapult you glancing at the beauty and perfection of the décor. Each room is transformed with an entwined story of Indian heritage by exercising mixing modern and traditional. Without a moment of hesitation, I knew I had to share this with my keen readers.

Nirvana Suite

The very Nirvana Suite was a sure fire sign to take you on a compulsive tour of this boutique hotel. These adorning spiritual and multi-coloured effigies paying a tribute to Buddha here. The appearance of the room is extremely influenced by “Ladakh” and the devotees of Buddhism residing there and in the surrounding region practising the religion since last 15 centuries. 

Kutch Room

The Kutch Room evokes a sense of being in the village of Kutch in Gujarat.  Earthy materials like bamboo, clay and timbre completes the backdrop of this bhunga (a traditional circular house in Kutch, Gujarat) imitated room. Mirror studded wall conveys the perfect traditional character in the room.

Indus Suite

The warli folk painting throughout the Indus Suite serves as an ethnic ambience of Northern Maharashtra and also an envy of any Warli painting lover like me. The traditional art captures the real essence of folktales and traditional stories of life and social occasions. The uniquenss of the paintings lie in the fact that it’s done on a mud wall using single color only.

Nilamber Suite

The delicately intricate pieces of mirror express the sheer serenity of this Nilamber Suite. Crisp blue background by the bed and ceiling is a form of glass medley work. To give the utmost experience of this mosaic work to dwellers, a crew of professional artisans were invited from Udaipur. 

Madhubani Room

Drooling over the Madhubani atmosphere, here, which is meant to exhibit the mystical presence of Indian style paintings and the essence of the authenticity.  Each and every detail painting depicts the occasion and festival. The well-appointed family of artisans completed the work to accentuate the charm.

 

The travel bug inside me is in his high spirits after taking you on the tour now and tempting me to cherish the day by waking up in one of such serene rooms, I wouldn’t mind, would you? Though the actual tour of the rest of the boutique guest house is on my  bucket list next time when I step my feet in Jaipur. For now visit right here to steal a complete look. Until we meet again enjoy your rest of the week, toodles!

Images: Pearl Palace

Falling for the FALL!

It's October already and yet Toronto was drenched in a steady drizzle of fall rain as potbellied gloomy dark clouds were scudding across the sky officially declaring their seasonal off.  As long and hot summer days end, so does the wheeling of seagulls and reflection of sparkly water in our ravine pond.

However, after one of the hottest recorded summer I am looking forward for some cooler temperature. Can’t wait for our family room windows to frame the nature indoor, I tell ya, a good view in your ravine is a real plus in fall season specially. Huge bank of windows will speak to the view and will bring in the stunning backdrop of nature indoors while I sit back and settle in my cozy couch with that warm chai in hand, pure bliss, isn’t it?

 As an inviting extension to the season, I created some quick fall fix on my fireplace mantel.  These “seasonal mantel moments” I look forward every now and then. It was about time for me to bring that happy touch of fall colors indoor as well.

My serving tray here adds a focal point of the décor. You may have seen the tray taking several rounds on my desi twists of coffee table styling. It worked out as a perfect piece to start by adding up other complimenting fall tones such as these candle holders, where I switched the regular glass votive holders to the hue of fall color ones to brighten up the place.

The jug was a great deal at Michael’s clearance for $3.00 which I picked up casually to use, worked its charm with dry wheat stalks. These very old dry stalks were hiding in one corner of our basement since long, I am happy that I didn’t toss them away and now they look at their best. Fresh aromas of cinnamon scented pine cones and few traditional fall embellishments paired with flickering orange candle easily creates a charming display.
 

My cute little chalkboard gets updated at every mantel makeover. Probably you noticed it in Valentine MantelDécor as well. Now its adopting welcoming fall sign here in a grouping of a vase and a candle holder. High and low and that’s how they roll, connect them by colour and height to keep in proportion.

 
Soft background with warm neutral brick wall adds a perfect backdrop for the mantel. Now who wouldn’t love to curl up next to this fireplace?

Key to tying together a large look is to pull together everything in same tone. I created the mantel apt for the fall tones with what I could rummage through my storage.  These items were collected or picked over the past few years. My eco-friendly way of decorating outlines finding beauty in forgotten pieces. Stop and park yourself before you whisk to create a scheme or décor. Run an eye on what you already own and work with it.
 
Finally, I am ready and determine to enjoy fall to the fullest, before the weather turns out really cold. Relish the gorgeous colours of fall and warmth in the air before winter bursts in. Until we meet again, stay connected on facebook, as a long string of happy posts are lined up for October, toodles!