Thanks Happy Living Blog!

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgcp72Pi6p6XeNgTqyNCbrnaob5kWcNzUO6HM0YxQdFxGRrUNyUnbLwbjX3bX5UgijKsgK2eQnGv3rYhTAIt2gVIL_iMVfoy4c_mAqyQb26xfN1CGCSIJZ39rGWkAOlYkGv6vhnS25cyt/s1600-h/happyliving.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081307321304274738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgcp72Pi6p6XeNgTqyNCbrnaob5kWcNzUO6HM0YxQdFxGRrUNyUnbLwbjX3bX5UgijKsgK2eQnGv3rYhTAIt2gVIL_iMVfoy4c_mAqyQb26xfN1CGCSIJZ39rGWkAOlYkGv6vhnS25cyt/s400/happyliving.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a><a href="http://happylivingdesign.typepad.com/"><strong>the happy living blog</strong> </a>became an instant favourite, ever since I stumbled upon it while blog- hopping few weeks back.<br /><br />Erinn describes - <em>'This blog is about everything having to do with the place, experience and spirit of home and making our homes a place that we love'</em>.<br /><br />Erinn of <a href="http://happylivingdesign.typepad.com/"><strong>'the happy living blog'</strong> </a>has been very kind in giving a <a href="http://happylivingdesign.typepad.com/happy_blog/2007/06/new-favorite-bl.html"><strong>great introduction </strong></a>to my blogs.<br /><br />Thanks Erinn!

Thanks Happy Living Blog!

the happy living blog became an instant favourite, ever since I stumbled upon it while blog- hopping few weeks back. Erinn describes - ...

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Illuminate your interiors.

To add the sparkle to your interiors, just light few candles, diyas (earthern lamps), kerosene or hurricane lamps.<br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmkFDhZP_is6CSrcFhOGhkwhZJi0gjINwX3VKQ88CJPlMaknhRspTHo7ORuwmpXYOF3R0KoHom2uz3cqMsBoVJc-SGCuvAEqwJaCyQ9tI-oUNCsVuomWXnnNHC9UWiupzJa0P_DyxsBLC/s1600-h/diya2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078809595285769874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmkFDhZP_is6CSrcFhOGhkwhZJi0gjINwX3VKQ88CJPlMaknhRspTHo7ORuwmpXYOF3R0KoHom2uz3cqMsBoVJc-SGCuvAEqwJaCyQ9tI-oUNCsVuomWXnnNHC9UWiupzJa0P_DyxsBLC/s400/diya2.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a>I love lighting diyas or floating candles at the entrance to the house, in balconies, on tables or just about anywhere.<br /><br /><div><div>Here are some interesting ideas.<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078823614059024114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGAvjPYRxEgAWeOm-QL8bAru6WYLZMmgeloVFuRj93_e40kZLEaBH_9X3ZxbWuGHNMRGBOyLlx9KZuldFuGrNxOql3IuaJDMqH6DpAWZJ9V-4IljZeNpEbwi03tHilLydiKKrc1blx5CN/s400/ill6.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078819722818653890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5ESCakohyphenhyphenhvKM73erJSlL_kjEKXJb-riItnXpwkk3nYPdFBOXUovuRD8CEEZcOuCriCYtmCvlQLlse6Yzdf0aoqiZQdtTvHpp6fB0JG4QGZCXcTln5D8tki8vLVxGYANqlfJJHDYecEw/s400/ill3.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><em></em><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078819722818653874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWpPEW85VI9V3OwXbtq1_yS3ypf0-AsZvYqWm2ERech6G40aQ79XTmWU5qab-7B9U1JPl9wjGssj7Bz_EUxczIjJJZ6PGCT4HiaWeNgc0cJEFADuXAuBkeyHtNzTKYFnnrWKvfLTTlPCU/s400/ill2.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div></div></div></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078823876052029186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZbzYpIJFTiVjX1_VVje_aSox9yAmzhVEjcUrl40zGkXUFwMn-sPolxlZAdZIn64HgXnvceNoRospBI_QjQQmxdh9gDP4ZV2g6LpUMm-OEGDqGlzQM9cSPyy1xRJKrSd_gxZ7Sfk3mXkL/s400/ill7.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078819727113621202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpifuM6sWjtLkm-rkAwjIkMU4JQbmN8vei4IpmZExKBLWZ5Hqi8gPS5Ti_r3sniHDMqHkeKV6iFsSk3Srb606rw9PpkLZjqtiZDNmim2VHVfEgOjQRmKW6gYR9Y517g6JQxYgIA5bs2h94/s400/ill4.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078819718523686562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfm-9i6h4EsKhXyY4d9Shxf9o5KYcL86flY-gIUJfCyXYGRP1ajeq4MVOZ38qGBFy7k1lvQtdgF2PGBSol8MZ14Mm5nokfY_HfLQuh__PdQv4oIAk2AUpi-n8W5bxXnAawUQ7YtB8v7Fi/s400/ill1.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><em></em><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078823609764056802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gkAEdfOEFvSuTpZfC4fN8sFjbAnLoIAfDFbMLALKyC81v1GEKp0kqG54T4oJ-KcI4Z_WWiF1jyCbXcoE-FycJ9fTsnYVYNIkCJnNTk-ow6-NVbexbb7FWeQSwgkPkTD7ThR4O_EbO1F9/s400/ill5.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div><br /><em>(Images from Inside Outside, Oct 2006 & Good Earth)</em>

Illuminate your interiors.

To add the sparkle to your interiors, just light few candles, diyas (earthern lamps), kerosene or hurricane lamps. I love lighting diyas or ...

Read more »

Mallika Sarabhai's Country Retreat.

When I saw this on the cover of <em>Inside Outside Magazine</em> few years back I just wanted to be there on the swing...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDx3Ft6Uch2l8Kgmfjo_GmTbqzeinlZnG-3rppo2370rVDpVXtM31m4DtVNp15rXpTYHPVfxzjU67EV6ZAF1QAwgMl18CrTPl6dzZDqn3rGw9RQ99cYaxbp88XyI-sXEzm2y3KW1rVw3GY/s1600-h/ms1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076214533095853026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDx3Ft6Uch2l8Kgmfjo_GmTbqzeinlZnG-3rppo2370rVDpVXtM31m4DtVNp15rXpTYHPVfxzjU67EV6ZAF1QAwgMl18CrTPl6dzZDqn3rGw9RQ99cYaxbp88XyI-sXEzm2y3KW1rVw3GY/s400/ms1.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a></div><div>This country retreat is designed by Nimesh Patel & Parul Zaveri of <a href="http://www.abhikram.com/Home.html"><strong>Abhikram</strong></a>, for their friend <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallika_Sarabhai"><strong>Mallika Sarabhai</strong></a> a famous Indian dancer, activist & environmentalist.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZoPa8j8D4rDVvtMCPQ-1RbL82fc7S9n-NQv933Gvs3OhAk-Cpk1TuwwW7g1DRlDhHZR59kTPOaEXI_FDv4-tnw4LzpLSAWiWPQlvftClKdiErZdpPXUSkYj_U1tbYQClrwn2zJhWKGWs/s1600-h/ms2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076214533095853042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZoPa8j8D4rDVvtMCPQ-1RbL82fc7S9n-NQv933Gvs3OhAk-Cpk1TuwwW7g1DRlDhHZR59kTPOaEXI_FDv4-tnw4LzpLSAWiWPQlvftClKdiErZdpPXUSkYj_U1tbYQClrwn2zJhWKGWs/s400/ms2.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a>This is a traditional Gujrati <em>Hitchkar</em> (swing) which can be moved either way to face inwards or outwards.</div><div></div><div>A place in a natural setting where one can rejuvenate and escape from the stressful city life.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizePN99SUdMexTznT7phXE7tlWiHCKztD-MJPFeiE_kZB6q2zfD00Au9YqwMiAzTNgNA2hp6lc4oP0uRkEu056kCLwmjuCCOndcUGQ79NpwyBxVJzfEmLvo1fwn6CPSk3XO8U75r7LgIgo/s1600-h/ms3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076214537390820354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizePN99SUdMexTznT7phXE7tlWiHCKztD-MJPFeiE_kZB6q2zfD00Au9YqwMiAzTNgNA2hp6lc4oP0uRkEu056kCLwmjuCCOndcUGQ79NpwyBxVJzfEmLvo1fwn6CPSk3XO8U75r7LgIgo/s400/ms3.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> A series of wood sculptures of birds & serpents are scattered around the place.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalKA-JQ0i9q9Vpn54jUTc_Y0QWJUkzWZXNKdW_ROErmG4vHVA1DqM2kAzS76RCHrQuzb64nQ3wTJOyxOLcZg2m1rYreQ1Y1WfqAYx6_55wL_JL4tD__MZJeV8faYahZnjXaSP1GDHrxsS/s1600-h/ms4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076214537390820370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalKA-JQ0i9q9Vpn54jUTc_Y0QWJUkzWZXNKdW_ROErmG4vHVA1DqM2kAzS76RCHrQuzb64nQ3wTJOyxOLcZg2m1rYreQ1Y1WfqAYx6_55wL_JL4tD__MZJeV8faYahZnjXaSP1GDHrxsS/s400/ms4.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> The walls of the house are plastered with mud to provide natural insulation against heat. The wall has mud patterns with small mirrors fixed on them. ( Lovely!)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO7Xg9YCvig67vePhdBLv-3xNPpMaMI8vRju_pzDFkOde-XpPVXs3sH8PiMmiwQlAhM9medHx5pJF2As2g_zBiEbPtDuhNw4azdfYyrP9uAE8LUUbWx_DRe9MT1XL0RtBj3F3ZqQ2DksL/s1600-h/ms6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076214537390820386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO7Xg9YCvig67vePhdBLv-3xNPpMaMI8vRju_pzDFkOde-XpPVXs3sH8PiMmiwQlAhM9medHx5pJF2As2g_zBiEbPtDuhNw4azdfYyrP9uAE8LUUbWx_DRe9MT1XL0RtBj3F3ZqQ2DksL/s400/ms6.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> Her living space reflects her beliefs of conserving natural resources & importance of indigenous traditions. The sofas are made of natural materials like cane, jute & handloom.<br /><br /><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076214885283171378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYh_fRTU6Tex43shnrfWqOjX8Kew4IQ3Y_-RrOQfVKCqbX9ADMiXPdyG3k1Ns1Amp0j78dLl7T7xh9Nlqwu5pa9JyjhqBn3JBUpIic7TT3_oW432Hn2DywWkL_Ip_eXv3CdTvJNyI3miYM/s400/ms7.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div></div><br /><p>Mallika's love for traditional crafts of Kutch can be seen in the hand embroidered covers and quilted bedcovers in her rooms.</p><p><em>( images from Inside Outside Magazine, June 2003 issue)</em></p>

Mallika Sarabhai's Country Retreat.

When I saw this on the cover of Inside Outside Magazine few years back I just wanted to be there on the swing... This country retreat is de...

Read more »