Travel Trinkets

Seeing as though I spent nearly all my money just getting to India, I didn't have much left over for shop shop (much to the disappointment and disbelief of nearly every shopkeeper I met)... Thankfully I'm discerning by nature so I was happy to come away with only a few, small yet perfectly formed reminders of my trip.  Here are my finds (which I love!):

Worry dolls purchased from the Anjuna Markets in Goa - a little Tibetan perhaps but their crazy, manic expressions appealed to me as I stood in 38 degree heat bargaining my heart out.

Cow bell - I found this (with ribbon already attached) in a little shop in Baga.  I like to think it was once around the neck of a lovely, docile holy cow rather than a boring old ox.

Somehow (by sheer good luck) I stumbled across the wholesale manufacturer of Hermes scarves in Jodhpur... to say I was a little excited by this discovery is an understatement of grand proportions!  For an hour and a half I died and went to heaven.

Bangles - the tiny little bangle shops (that are really just a hole in the wall) are like an Aladdin's cave of beauty.  They are lined with boxes and boxes of glass bangles in every conceivable colour imaginable.  The hardest part is choosing which to buy.

I unearthed this camel bone inlaid box in the same shop that I found the cow bell - it feels incredibly cool and smooth to touch and is the perfect size for precious jewels.

The Blue Room

I fell in love with this room, which is inside the city palace in Udaipur.  I took literally hundreds of photos of Indian design while I was there, but this room remains one of my favourites.  I'm sure it has a lot to do with the colour scheme but I also adore the intricacy of the designs and the fact that it looks like something straight out of a fairytale.

Happy Girl Friday

Things I'm Thankful For:

1. Wonderful, amazing and beautiful friends 

2. A family who love me even though they don't get me (at all!)

3. A job that allows me to draw for an entire day without stopping

4. My huge tea cup that holds nearly 500ml

5. My MacBook - we are practically joined at the hip

6. Yoga buddies

7. That today is FRIDAY!!!!

Sleep in, sleep well, sleep now

Images to Love

Today I have been feeling a little down and out... a combination of jet lag, back at work blues and the onset of a cold... so in order to cheer myself up, I have collected a few little images to brighten my day (the baby blue sideboard and giant letters are working their magic already!).

Vintage

Love Carriage

These opulent and gaudy silver carriages line the Colaba streets on dusk in the hope of catching the eye (and wallet) of strolling lovebirds.  I just adored the intricacy of the metal-work and the chaotic colour of the flowers - the combination is so Indian!

India - The Land of Desperate Souls & Sublime Beauty

Hello!  I'm back!  I have spent the most amazing, incredible and inspirational 3 weeks in India... so much has happened - some of it profound, some of it hilarious and some of it unbearably heart wrenching - it's hard to encapsulate in a few sentences how breathtakingly, achingly and desperately beautiful India is.... so over the coming weeks I will share little snap-shots of my holiday with you to try and give you a glimpse of the wonder I beheld.

So first cab off the rank is the divine Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai (the subject of the terrorist bombings last year).  In their efforts to restore the hotel to it's former glory, the owners have in fact created something infinitely more beautiful.  Here are some shots of the poolside terrace that is harder to gain access to than Heathrow airport!  I adored the ceiling so much it quite literally brought me to tears...

I'm Going on a HOLIDAY!

See you in 3 weeks...

Indian Safari

Those who know me well are aware of my love of the 'Safari Look'... I could never live with it, but it's one of my favourite styles to recreate.  Here are some images of a truly amazing tent oasis in the Indian countryside that I would love to visit.  Aman-i-khas is situated near the Ranthambore National Park in northern India - I will be visiting the park in 2 weeks, but sadly I can't afford to stay in this incredible place this time around.... maybe when I've made my millions from importing beautiful fabrics I will return :)

Turquoise Heaven

I have found the most beautiful blog that is totally and completely dedicated to all things blue (well, teal, robins egg blue, aqua, sky blue, seafoam green and ocean blue according to Erin).  As you may have gathered by now, I am somewhat obsessed with that particular part of the colour spectrum and I'm so excited to have found a blog filled with gorgeous images in every conceivable shade.  I highly recommend a visit to House of Turquoise for a little dose of heaven.

White Delight

Today I'm loving the calming tones of this gorgeous house in Winchelsea UK... very restful for a public holiday Monday :)

Photographer of the Day

I have long been a fan of the photographic work of Richard Powers without even realising it!  You may recognise a few of the images below that have appeared in Belle magazine... I have many of them in my inspiration folder and had never figured out that they were all photographed by the same person.  The clean sophistication of his style really appeals to me - each image has a hint of masculine drama about it that looks fantastic in print.