By The Water Cooler

Yippie! My dearest dearest friend Parul is totally rocking. Remember I spoke about her first book, Bringing up Vasu right here. Guess what?

She is coming out with her second book called. By the Water Cooler! Isn't that SO SO SO cool? 

I am so proud of her. I remember I had the time of my life showing off to people. I like showing off. There I have said it.

Me at the bookstore : Do you have this book called Bringing Up Vasu?

Store : Yes.

Me: Is it doing well?

Store: Yes, madame. Totally.

Me: He he...its written by MY friend. He he he he (Husband staring at me. Stop it. Control yourself)

Store: Oh! Is it madame? Do you want a copy?

Me: No. Not at all. I have MY copy. I was just asking (Husband trying to hide behind the books and is on the verge of disowning me).

Me on the phone : Hello.

A friend: Hey, Prachi I was at the bookstore. I saw this book by Parul Sharma.

Me: Ya So? ( Come on...ask me ask me..I know exactly what you are going to ask me...quick..I can't act indifferent any more)

Friend :In the acknowledgments she mentions a certain Prachi Grover (Now you are talking my babe:) ) By any chance is that you?

Me: (He he he he he he...Control yourself) Oh that! Yes thats me ( Very matter of fact on the outside and bursting with excitement & pride inside). She is MY friend and SHE has a written THIS book ( Read: She is the best and I am SO happy)

So can you imagine how happy I am sharing this bit of good news with all of you. Wish her All the best. Parul Sweets you rock.

And hey before I sign off, Parul is holding a contest on her blog. Here are the details and she is giving away five autographed copies as prizes, you better rush!

• You need to write a post telling a story or an anecdote based in an office. It could be about you, your spouse, kids, neighbour, whoever - it just needs to be based in an office. It can be funny, serious, somewhere in between, but it needs to be based in an office. It can feature a single protagonist or multiple characters, but it...yes, I know, you got it. 
• You need to link to this post
• You need to put By The Water Cooler in the title of your post
• You need to leave her a link to your post in the comments section 
• If you don't have a blog, leave her your entry in the comments section and it will be counted

LAST DATE - October 31st, 2010

Images : Parul

March Fetish!!!!

The last in the series of my March Fetish series. Whats with this year, its just flying away! 

Another very doable idea is to install glass shelves and display your photographs on them. Not only does it give you the option of altering the arrangement every now and then for a fresh look, It is also great for rented accommodations. To see more display ideas, click here,here and here.

Psst...Don't miss the side table...lovely isn't it?

Image : Unfortunately I just can't remember where i saw this.

The Lovely Blogger List

Rachel at Lovely Clusters has come up with an awesome idea to get bloggers (who create pretty somethings) together!  What a lovely way to know each other better and of course get inspired by each one’s work.

Here’s how you can connect…

1)       You need to be blogger who is also into creating stuff

2)       Write a little note about yourself ( the personal side of you)

3)       Tell everyone what inspires you

4)       And include at least two pictures of your work

5)       Add Links to your store, blog, etc

6)       And link it to other people who are into creating and designing

Here is mine…

Hi! I am Prachi. I studied management and worked for a couple of years until I gave it all away to follow my heart! Now I divide my time between pursuing studio pottery, designing paper products, conducting pottery and paper craft workshops and ofcourse writing this blog! I also work as a consultant for a Dutch company which is headed by two really warm & brilliant women. And together we are working on a mission to create a million jobs for women in developing countries. I have a very loving and supporting husband and an adorable one year old daughter.

I love colors. I adore pretty patterns. My heart skips a beat when I enter a paper store. I so very enjoy putting together parties. I am detail obsessed. The sight and smell of fresh flowers makes me go crazy. Teeny weeny candles make my evenings. I can't stop myself from visiting flea markets. The smell of vanilla makes my day. Gorgeous studio pottery is a big part of my life. I am always, yes! Always in the middle of redoing of my home.

You can also find me here

                                  Blog            Email            Facebook            Shop

Images : Personal Collection ( Copyright purplehomes)

My Home, My Space

A dear friend has been waiting very patiently for this post. Thanks P. She recently moved cities and had given away all of her stuff. And then she moved AGAIN! This move is also a stopgap arrangement before they move to their final destination. So there are going to be no furniture shop rounds or any other Expensive and/or big item home shopping.

But who says a home can only come together with all that. All you need is a lot of creativity and your personal stamp on everything inside your home sweet home. This one is for you P. I hope you and of course all my readers enjoy going through it and get tons of ideas to do up your place. (Warning: Long post ;))

Furniture? Furniture What?

When I write furniture I mean the wood-difficult to move- expensive kinds.

Huge Floor Cushions, Mattresses, Cane Murhas (Stools), chowkis… all are great when you are doing up a house on a budget and even otherwise. I love the idea of a floor seating arrangement and have had it when I was living all alone and even now in one of my rooms. Nothing like sitting on the floor! Stock up on loads of colorful bedcovers and cushions and you are done!

Love the neutrals here...and don't miss out the low table

Photo frames on a window sill...aha!

Stack those cushions

Of course I need several tables!

Now tables are one thing that you DO need around the house. Be it to keep your laptop (right P ;)) or to stack up your makeup or for that lovely vase! I completely love the idea of using whats already there in the house to “make” tables. An old carton, an upside down bucket, a stack of books…whatever you like and whatever you can get!

Boxes like these are easily available

Love-love-love the ladder

A bucket and a tray...and you have a table

Show off those books

An old trunk...waiting to get out

A rug beneath my feet

Throw in a big rug/ chatai and the empty room starts looking full and gives a feeling of being lived in. Better still; get several small ones for a different look. Easy to maintain and easy to change when you are bored.

Ok, only for a second but can we please focus on the ballerinas?

These chatais are available everywhere

Oh those drapes!

Old dupattas, Never worn saris (I am the proud owner of several of those ;)), Jute burlap all make interesting curtains. Use more than one color and you are ready to rock. Also it’s so very easy to change the theme of the room according to the season with these unlike the regular curtains that are there to stay.

A simple polka-pink...me wants it

How about hanging several of your pretty dupattas against a sheer? Yummy!!

Jute burlap with a personal stamp, like it?

How I hate those Blank walls!

Walls that don’t have signs of our travels, our family, crafty little somethings are not my walls!

There is absolutely no need to invest in expensive art if you can’t afford it or don’t understand it. A picture gallery on the wall, collections that you have built over years: of absolutely anything plates, stamps, mirrors even Frisbees. Yes you heard it right…someone actually did a Frisbee wall and it looked so whimsical!

What good are those pictures sitting in albums...huh?

Empty frames, anyone?

Love this eclectic collection of platters, colorful and so much fun!

How about a map on the wall, better still...how about marking the places you've been to!

Can’t do without my lamps

Who needs a chandelier!! Paper lanterns, lots of bulbs put together, empty beakers with tea lights all do the trick. You just have to look around!

Have always had a special corner for these babies ;)

Why can't i ever throw empty jars? Cos they are not only good vases but also good lamps ;)

Adore these bulbs, someone take care of my electricity bills

Had to post this pic...LOVE it

And then there are those other things

You have no idea what a little bit of green does to a home…so get in a plant, put those lovelies in a vase and you don’t even need proper vases. Take out that wine bottle, your favorite mug or even a copper kadhai! Bring out those beads and necklaces that you have and add some Bling to your house. Open those cupboards and accessorize your home with whatever you feel will give it an edge!

Get in those lovely stems with the flowers as well

A green plant inside the home is a must for me, even inside my washrooms ;)

Hey Glitter, come right in or out in this case, right?

Remember that slinky we played with, isn't this a cute idea for a kids' room?

Pretty little boxes all in a row...

I know it’s been a long post, but I really hope you had fun going through it, I sure had fun putting it together for all of you! Do write to me if you want me to cover any specific areas related to home/ décor/ DIY/ Parties et al and of course I would love to hear your views on this one!

Images : Too many of them to write about, namely countryliving, apartment therapy, real simple, tumblr, flickr, etc etc

Dressing up White tableware : Aneela

Do you remember I shared some ideas on using white china ? Don't? Well someone did..and that someone actually mailed the following pics to a friend so that she could mail it across to me ;) Isn't that super sweet?

Aneela recently hosted a dinner and dressed up her white tableware. I love the beige-cream against the white plates. I really like the dry floral stuff that she has used and also the fact the each plate has a different one on it...kind of makes it very cute ;)

Thanks Aneela for sharing it with us.

p.s. Don't miss the coasters and the lovely bowl with the candles ;)

Images : Aneela's

Patricia : Five of my favorite things to do on a vacation

Patricia just dropped me a message about Five of her favorite things to do on a vacation.

She says, "Every day of my life… I plan my next vacation. That statement on its own will tell you how much I love travelling.... I absolutely love browsing through holiday packages, checking airfares, hotels, making plans, reading about the destination…. And sorting out everything to do with our holiday. So much so… that I only have to tell my hubby what time he needs to get to the airport, the rest he can be assured of… is all well taken care of!

On a holiday….. I love people watching. I can spend hours at a café on a busy street and just watch people …. Its something I don’t really get the time to do within my busy schedule… One of my favourite places was Champs Elysees in Paris. I’ve spent mornings… and evenings sipping coffee and eating crepes at Champs Elysees watching people rush to work with coffee in their hands, watching tourists getting excited over the Arc De Triumph, watching artists paint, sculpt or simply sketch…. Oh.. the list is endless.."

O...Patricia...what a lovely heartfelt post...and great pics too...how i want to go back to Europe...NOW...i agree Salzburg is the most scenic of them all...n icecreams n gelatos..yes yes must have everywhere...and the walk in Venice...and the supremely talented street artists..O hell i agree with each of your fav five ;) ( Read mine here)

To read what else she has to say, click here.

Guest Post by Parul : Five of my favorite things to do on a vacation

Here is the 2nd Guest post in the "Five of my favorite things to do a vacation" series. Read mine here.

A big hug to Parul for such a lovely post. She says...

"My darling friend Purplehomes decided that she wanted me to describe the things I love doing on vacations. Here goes.

I love travelling almost as much as I love hot aloo ka paranthas with butter melting on top, which if you know me is saying that I love it a lot. The esteemed M has true wanderlust and is the sort of person who has the right nakshatra arrangement in his birth-chart to ensure travels far and wide. That and his innate love of planning mean that I am able to sit back, point at the globe and say, there, that is where I want to go for my next holiday. He pretty much takes care of the rest, scheduling the trip, booking the tickets, figuring out hotels (I help here because I absolutely love browsing through TripAdvisor) and then carting the family to the airport. Well, his supremely efficient secretary helps, of course but even so, it is rather convenient to be married to a planning/control freak. Most of the times, that is. I saunter in every now and then and proclaim - Ah, but there is a wonderful cafe on that street that we must try out, one of my blog friends said so. He normally ignores me when I have such pretensions of being the dreamy, creative sort."

Hop over to Parul's blog for her Five favorite things to do on a vacation

Five of my favorite things to do on a vacation

Sometime back Coco+Kelly carried out a series of posts called “On vacation with”. This post has been inspired by that. I know vacations don’t have anything to do with home décor directly but if you dig deeper that is the time we get to relax and our creative juices flow best, be it relaxing with a book, painting a pot or traveling and getting inspired or simply day dreaming. All of this has often helped me come up with creative stuff upon getting back to home or back to work.

I’d like to share what I LOVE doing on vacations through five pictures and would also like to invite some of my favorite ladies to do the same. I adore their blogs and follow them ardently. Here is my bit on the same.

I love vacations. Who doesn’t! And I also love everything associated with a vacation. Deciding on the place to visit, reading up my favorite “lonely planet” to know more about the place, working out the perfect itinerary, packing, watching a movie or reading a book in the plane, the emotion I experience just after getting out of the aircraft, checking into a hotel and yes finally visiting the place of my dreams. Absorbing it and enjoying it. But it doesn’t end there for me. Coming back home with little goodies for everyone and carrying back metro tickets stubs, pebbles, fallen flowers, boarding passes, road maps et al and putting them together on my vacation board.

Here are five of my favorite things to do on a vacation.

Getting lost in the “oh so scenic” countryside

Walking down quaint islands

Going down to see the homes of my favorite artists and musicians and imagining them creating masterpieces while sitting there

Spending hours and days at museums, art galleries et al

Losing track of all the calories, eating gorgeously divine handcrafted chocolates

I’d like to invite Archana, Aditi, Bhavna, Kanika, Patricia, Parul, Rajee, Rekha and Sharon. Ladies I would R-E-A-L-L-Y love it if you take this up.If and when you do, please drop me a comment so that I can mention it on my blog as well. Thanks and waiting to hear from you!

(Images : All the pictures are from my personal collection)

Bringing up Vasu : Review

Even before I could manage to get hold of my very own copy of “Bringing up Vasu: That First year” I knew it I was going to adore it. I finally got it yesterday. The fact that I managed to read it in one go despite having a five month old angel who keeps me busy 24*7 and the fact that I have been suffering from an acute case of Readers’ Block ever since she was born just proves the point that the book is good and I loved it .

Being a first time mom myself, I could connect to the main character Mira. Her sleepless nights, her attempts towards being a Supermom, not knowing how and when she would be getting back to the big bad world of the corporate jungle and in between all this jumble discovering the wonderful and warm world of motherhood.

The comical but sensible husband Anand, Plump Ghughni and yummy mummy Rhea were some other characters that made me laugh. Mira’s efforts at losing weight, her D2D parlour not remembering her existence and her determination to find a nanny were really amusing yet so very close to reality.

And. now to the hard part of finding flaws. It becomes even more difficult when the book has been written by a dear friend whose writing style you worship but here you go. Three things: Mira’s mom, the character of PNx and the Pumpkin seed Sandwich episode. I found these characters and the incident a little too “TV Comedy Show” type. They start off as funny people but their being “so over the top” made me lose interest somewhere.

So there, I hope I have done a half decent job of writing an objective review considering I love anything and everything that Parul writes. It’s a fantastic book so go and grab the book. Wish her luck for her second book. And yes, Parul I think now I know what you were talking about ;)

So very happy for you.

My friend P's book is finally out ..yeh yeh !!! Do check it out. Its available at all Landmark stores and other big stores across the country.

You can also order it online here.
http://www.landmarkonthenet.com/Books/Bringing-Up-Vasu-That-First-Year-Parul-Sharma/9789380032429 & http://www.flipkart.com/bringing-up-vasu-sharma-parul/9380032429-it33f993az

Wish her luck ;)