LALITA HAND-STITCHED SCARF from Craft by World Market finally arrived !

Wild mustard is back this season and I couldn't resist bringing in a few sprays of these delicately clustered flower to brighten up my home. With a riot of colors carpeting the landscape outdoors, I'm tempted to recreate that effect indoors too! Colors make me happy and the simplest way to do that is to bring in a bunch of flowers and layer your decor with textiles..... 

Seen in the picture above is the "LALITA HAND-STITCHED SCARF" from the July 2014 Collection of "Craft by World Market". The scarf finally arrived a week back after a long-long wait. But the wait has been so worth it. I love that the scarf is light-weight and yet manages to keep me warm in the chilly spring weather. The icing on the cake is the beautiful hand embroidered detailing and the different shades of aubergine woven into the design palette. With such pretty colors on display, I did not have the heart to put it away inside the cupboard and have it draped on the couch like a throw!

As for behind the scene updates from the TECD casa, I'm upto my neck with work and other commitments. However, I cannot keep myself away from the blog and I've managed to get some work done on some wonderful posts for you'll.One of them being a studio tour of a talented jewelry designer from India! So keep a watch on this space and stay connected!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.

Happy Valentine's Day !

I'm happy that Valentine's Day coincided with a Saturday! No alarms to be set today and I have the liberty of sipping on my second cup of tea at leisure:) I woke up to these gorgeous bunch of flowers and kisses from both my men (my 8 year old and my husband)! My little guy picked these flowers out with his dad keeping in mind the colors in mom's bedroom. Now that is a very thoughtful little 8 year old, don't you think? I'm so proud to see that his aesthetics is something that he inherited from me;) 

No reds for me this Valentine's Day! It's orange all the way....

Wishing you a wonderful day with your loved ones:)

P.S. : Gentle reminder: The Studio Silver Paisley Giveaway ends today. Tomorrow we announce the winner. So if you would like to win these pair of gorgeous earring, enter the giveaway here.

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.

Decorating Creatively

The star of my post today is the modest mortar and pestle or the "Sil Batta" (in Hindi). Wait ! I promise you it is going to be a decor related post. But first, let us revisit how the (now disappearing) sil batta was an indispensable tool in the traditional Indian kitchen. It was predominantly used to prepare fresh spice mixes for cooking. I remember my nani using a sil batta to make masalas for curries. She preferred the sil batta to the electric mixer and grinder as the natural oils and the flavor essences that are contained in the herbs or spices were kept intact. She explained to me that by choosing the convenience of an electric grinder, one was not only compromising on the aroma but also the taste as the herbs and spices tend to get over heated with the grinder blades being operated at high speeds. So no surprises there why nani's food is so sought after and cannot be replicated.

A couple of days ago, a brand new mortar and pestle, replaced my old stainless steel mortar. I did not have the heart to throw the old one away and came up with this idea of using it as a vase! Anyone who has been a reader of TECD long enough knows of my infatuation with flowers and finding unconventional containers as vases to house them. I have two different versions to share with you'll - the first one, an antique brass mortar in a traditional ethnic setting and the second, a stainless steel mortar in a more eclectic-modern  setting.

A bunch of red roses packed tightly into the antique brass mortar look stunning ! To complete this vignette, I've paired a Green Aventurine Natural Stone Ganesha statue with a Ravi Varma's " Yashoda & Krishna" oleograph. A couple of bead malas ( like the rudraksha, lotus seeds and the sandal wood), I picked up from a street vendor in Malleshwaram (Bangalore) add textural charm to the vignette.

For this vignette, I have a cluster of deep maroon colored mums tucked into my stainless steel mortar. Then I went ahead and paired it with my favorite Buddha. When you actually think of it, teal and maroon seems like a dubious combination. But I like the looks of it. What say ? 

No matter which style you choose, the bottom line is, be creative and make the things you've got, work for you !

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright. 

I Feel Good !!!!

It feels good be back after the digital detox and I hope the holidays was just as relaxing for you too. I haven't made any specific resolution except for the fact that I wish to tackle 2015 with the curiosity of a 2 year old, the energy of a 20 year old and the maturity of a 70 year old. Being aware of the fact that this year brings with it 365 + possibilities to make it productive and creative is fascinating to me !!!

And taking the creative aspect seriously, I had to start with the blog. As you can see, there have been a few changes at TECD. We have a new logo and banner on our FB page, a new tag line and banner for the blog and a few updates to my About and Features and Mentions pages. 

And now for a few updates.....January is going to be a busy month at TECD. I have a string of wonderful and inspiring posts I'd like to share with you'll. Highlights being a tête-à-tête with one of my favorite artists and a Home Tour in true TECD style. So giddy up and stay connected......... 

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright. 

Off to a Lazy Start.............

Good morning ???.......Hmmmm, Good afternoon Tuesday !!!

"I love how the colored glass catches the sunlight streaming in through my bedroom window and adds a warm glow to my bedside vignette." 

My summer vacation with my parents has come to an end and I can't seem to get over it.......they have gone back after their two month stay with us and it seems like it was just yesterday that they arrived. I'm trying to get back into our routine as a family of three and am taking things a little easy on the home and study front. Although I'm off to a lazy start today, I'm determined to get things rolling when it comes to blogging. This week on TECD, we are kicking off the series of posts on Zen decor. We have some wonderful Zen Inspiration together with a house and garden tour (you don't want to miss). 

So stay connected and here's wishing you a productive and creative week ahead !!!

Images: Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright. 

Lavender in my very own Garden !!!

As a little girl, I'd flip through the pages of the various garden magazines and inevitably come to a halt when I'd come across the images of the lavender flower. Seeing the images of this aromatic flower in the English gardens, made me fantasize about walking in the lavender fields in a white flowing cotton dress and a basket in hand, as I'd pick the most delicate of the flowers and take them home, only to set them aside on my nightstand and wake up to this goodness every morning.......... 

Lavender from my very own garden :)

Last year when I chanced upon these plants at the Old Lucketts Store spring market, my husband and I decided instantly that we'd like to include the lavender as part of our landscape. We brought home two 6" plants but only one of them managed to survive the winter's wrath. And now my Lavender is the crowning glory of my garden. I'm super excited about timing of the blooms as I have my plantaholic parents here with me and they too seem to be mesmerized by it :)

I snipped a couple of stems and brought them indoors and couldn't wait to give them the Sruthi twist;) Most of the time I've seen these being used in the country shabby chic setting and to see them in an eclectic Indian setting was a welcome change. Here are a couple of shots that I took for my favorite peeps and I do hope you enjoy the visual therapy :)

Take care and have a wonderful day !!!

Images: Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.   

Everyday Beauty

A flower's appeal is in its contradictions — so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect. ~Terri Guillemets

I personally think that the Peonies embody old world sophistication and charm with a dollop of drama and seductiveness unlike any other flower. Their delicate perfume has an intoxicating effect that is indescribable. Seeing them go from a tight ball to a balletic full rounded bloom, they take my breathe away every single time. Yesterday I picked up these beauties from the grocery store. The lovely lady who works in the flower section of the grocery store, happens to know of my love for flowers. When she saw me there yesterday, she told me she had a surprise for me:) And she was right!!!! I've been waiting for these gorgeous flowers a long time...............

As I unloaded the grocery bags, I kept thinking of the vase that would house these beauties and what I would pair them with. I chose to go with the regal combination of pink and gold. One of my favorite Natya Ganesha makes his debut in this post. Hand carved, this beautiful brass statue was a lucky find on a trip to Thanjavur (India). In the evening, I lit a few candles around the home to elevate my mood. The brass picked up the flickering glow of the candles and the peonies in all their ornate glory were pure visual poetry.  

I thought it wouldn't hurt to know a little more about these revered flowers that have their roots in Greek mythology. Legend has it that Peonies were named after Paeon, who was one of Asclepius' (Greek god of healing and medicine) pupils. In an attempt to safeguard Paeon from Asclepius anger, The Greek God Zeus transformed him into an unassuming peony. What ever may be the story behind the first blossom of a peony, but their artistic beauty have inevitably served as a muse to Chinese and European painters and poets alike. Also said to have medicinal properties these beauties are nothing short of being called nature's jewel.

Signing off for today and I hope you find your share of inspiration in the everyday beauty too. Have a wonderful day !!!!

Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.  

Color Confidence

What is it that so blatantly makes us different from children??? In my opinion, it's the free spirit, adventurous nature to experiment and incredibly creative attitude. They have no reservations or inhibitions about being judged on their creative labor. The world is their playground to observe, experiment, learn, grow and be happy through this entire process. Which brings us to our today's post. 

Remember how ambitious we were as kids when it came to the use of color and our artistic endeavors. Each was a master piece with our ability to use each and every color that the crayon box had to offer. Why, even now my son reminds me of me when he complains endlessly that a 96 count crayola box does not include his perfect green !!!

"If your afraid of color, add it in small doses and let it seep under your skin until your comfortable with what you see. Here a grouping of colorful vases adds a lively contemporary touch to my breakfast nook."

But somewhere along the way, most of us loose this free spirit and virgin quality to use colors to our hearts content. The use of colors on our walls and in decorating our homes becomes a daunting task. We succumb to the pressures of trends, perfect magazine images and tend to equate neutral color palette's with instant sophistication.

In my opinion we have to unlearn what we've learnt when it comes to the use of colors. Adopting the child like quality to experiment even if it means you are the only one whose happy with the way your home looks, is something you have to come to terms with. Remember your home is your haven. And  a wonderful way to make it reflect your personality would be to add touches of colors that make you happy and bring a sense of well-being. 

With spring here, I'm  not going to tame my heart. I'm going to be busy using color and using color with confidence and elan !!! 

Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright. 

Guest Post at Aalayam

Hopping in for a quick update lovely readers....

Deepa of Aalayam reached out to me and invited me to contribute to their Aalayam Digest. I'm delighted to let you'll know that my guest post has been published. I've had so much fun putting this together and am so glad that in the process I've got to connect with the talented and wonderful Deepa.

Do hop over to their blog and check out the post and let me know how I did :) Here are a few glimpses of what's in store for you ;) 

Craving for more, head over to Aalayam. 

And I'd like to thank Deepa for letting me be a part of one of my favorite blogs "Aalayam". Wishing the talented duo at Aalayam (Deepa and Supriya) all the very best !!!

Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.
Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.

Grow Your Blog Party 2014

Before we move onto today's post, make sure you make yourself a cuppa and get comfortable .........Today, I'm joining the "Grow Your Blog Party " hosted by Vicki of 2 Bags Full. It's an opportunity to meet hundreds of bloggers from across the globe. So as I introduce my blog and myself, this is your chance to get to know us better.

Take a seat and get to know us - my blog and me 

But before I go on to tell you'll what drove me to start my blog, I'd like to explain how I zeroed in on the name - "The East Coast Desi"(TECD). Since I live in Virginia (USA), the East Coast  part of it is quite self explanatory. As for "Desi" it's a term used to describe a person of Indian descent who lives abroad. But more than that I've used the word to describe my love for all things Indian.

While growing up, my home back in India was infused with traditional ethnic Indian charm. This aspect has had a strong influence on my design style. With my move to the US, I longed to create a balanced decor style that would reflect my Indian roots and the global influences we had come to absorb through our experiences from living abroad.Trying to recreate that for ourselves (that's my husband, 6 year old son and me) was not an easy task. But the end result has been exactly what we wanted.

We started off with the bare bones of a house and I believe that with good design we've been able to breathe life into it. And adding the soul, is my family along with those few personal statement pieces. And by key personal statement pieces I mean : heirloom pieces, decor that talks about stories of where we're from and where we've been, all while screaming our personal style.

Every friend, family or acquaintance that has come through the doors of the TECD casa, has wanted to patiently absorb all the stories that the home has ever wanted to share ..........and as they wanted to know more about where I sourced my pieces from and requested that I help them design their spaces too, I realized people were looking for inspiration to decorate their space in a globally chic style and I could share what I knew.

Then one summer morning, a little vignette I created by gathering a few sprays of wild Chicory flowers, made me attain decorating Nirvana (if you may term it that way). There was something about the image that I had captured on my camera that wanted me to share it.....and so TECD was born. I was able to recognize that blogging was a great way to combine the two things I love doing : decorating + photography. 

This was the image that made me take that big leap into the blogging world.

And now there is no looking back.........I enjoy the sense of control that my blog gives me. I'm the stylist, photographer, writer, editor.....you name it. It propels me to live my creative best. It has been a link in connecting me with so many wonderful and talented people, be it the artists I feature or my blogger buddies. Not to mention the heart-beat of my blog - my READERS . This seems to be the platform to share common interests primarily relating to global decor. Its a place to inspire and be inspired........I've enjoyed the journey so far and if I'm able to motivate even a handful of people or virtually assist them in creating a place called home.......then all the sleepless hours spent in writing the posts or days when I skip my lunch to shoot pictures (cause the lighting was just right), is well worth the effort...................

Hope to see you'll around as I whip up more posts in the days to come and share the plethora of inspiration around us that is waiting to be explored.

                                                                                                     ~ Sruthi   
Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.

Tea and Flowers Make Everything Better

Good Morning Wednesday!!!!

I'm sure, the first thing you noticed in the above picture are the gorgeous Dahlias. Their color and symmetry was something I was drawn to the minute I set  my eyes on them. I was at Vijaya's place to design her daughter's bedroom when these beauties happened to get my attention.

As pretty as the Dahlias looked in the garden, Vijaya was certain that they had been there a while and was kind enough to send me home with a few stalks. She had me believe that by clicking some pics of the Dahlias for her and my blog, these pristine blooms would last a lifetime in the cyber world:)

So when I came home, I brought out the vintage beer mug and placed the flowers randomly into the container. I let them drop as naturally as they did, when they were in the plant. Magenta said to be the color of the non-conformist was already having it's effect on me. I wanted to break away from my afternoon routine and just relax with a cup of tea. The chilly weather called for a light throw. The Kantha sari duvet complemented the free spirited Magenta dahlias perfectly. 

While the tea brewed, I quickly took a few shots  for Vijaya and my lovely readers.

As I tucked my feet into the folds of the duvet and sipped on my chai, the magnificent blooms kept me company.With their quintessential quality to feed the soul, the flowers worked their magic. They bring beauty to the increasing stressful pace of life. I felt completely relaxed and refreshed and ready to take on a 6 year old (with unmatched energy levels) when he gets back home from school:) Thank you Vijaya for the splendid blooms that set the ball rolling for a perfectly indulgent afternoon.

You'll have a wonderful day and don't forget to indulge in all that life has to offer!!!

Linking it to :http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/
                     :http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
                     http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright 

Diwali Tablescape Inspiration - Day 1

Hello Lovely Readers !!!! Today's post is SPECIAL. It's the 50th post for me and with that it marks my 4 months in the blogging world. I've enjoyed every minute of my blogging experience so far. I have managed to meet a lot of wonderful people through blogging and everyone has been nothing but supportive. Thank you lovely readers, my family and friends for being a part of "The East Coast Desi" and making this happen for me. Love you guys:)

We are now going to be kicking off the festive season with oomph and glamour that surrounds my favorite festival of all.......DIWALI. I enjoy every aspect of Diwali.........the jauntiness with which the victory of good over evil is celebrated across the country; homes as they blush in the warm luminescent glow - diffused by the innumerable lamps gracing every corner of the home; the performance put up by the flames as they dance the night away; the traditional sweets and treats that you gorge on knowing fully well that you have to deal with the guilt the following week; decking up in classic Indian attire and sitting down to a lavish and scrumptious meal with my family and friends.

While growing up, my family and I made a conscious decision to make our Diwali green and avoid the use of fire crackers and thus doing our bit to keep the pollution in check. To make up for the crackers, Dad would bring us all kinds of flowers that my sister and I would ask for. We'd use them for flower rangolis and flower arrangements to create a welcoming festive atmosphere. Another wonderful memory I have of Diwali was visiting "Pottery Town" in Bangalore with my mom and picking up terracotta diyas (lamps) to paint them in a kaleidoscope of colors. 

Here in the US, I don't have a Pottery Town to go to, but I'm happy that over the years I have managed to bring back a few traditional brass diyas with me, on every visit that I made back home. Most of them are ancestral pieces and are absolutely precious to me. However, we also have some fabulous stores like World Market, Home Goods and Amazon that have some fantastic Indian lanterns and accessories that you can buy to complement your Diwali decor without making a hole in your pocket.

The starting point for me to decorate any space is to decide on an accent color and take stock of what I already have and may need. This season, it’s the ocher's  and reds that are doing the talking at my place. Cushions, candles and flowers are coordinated keeping the accent colors in mind, giving the space a cohesive feel.

Entertaining is a huge part of Diwali at my place.While deciding on the tablescape this year, I decided to go with the plates that I found on a trip to World Market a while ago. I fell in love with the intricate paisley design on them in deep red and gold with a tinge of Indigo. The design reminded me of a Banarasi Silk sari that belonged to my grand mother (Nani). A quick call to mom back in India (she being my genie), confirmed that the sari border was carefully  preserved  and  my idea of turning the vintage fabric into one-of-a-kind napkin ring would be granted. And in no time, I had a package at my door step with these gorgeous babies in it. 

We just had the border of a once beautiful sari, as the sari itself was used up to make traditional Indian dresses called pattu pavades for my sister and I (while we were kids).The napkin rings add that extra special touch to my Diwali tablescape. Unlike any other store bought finds, these have a special significance to me. 

Fresh flowers are a must to make a place come alive and feel cared for. I like using one of a kind vases to house my flowers. This time, it’s a beer mug that belonged to my grandfather when he served in the military.Together with elegant brass lanterns and colored glass votive holders from World Market, the evening is sure going to be engulfed in a magical glow. 

The ambiance is just right and with the wonderful company of family and friends it can be nothing but Perfect. Do let me know how you liked the innovative use of vintage fabrics to create the napkin rings. I do hope, you have been inspired to create a simple yet elegant table setting for your loved ones. 

Coming up tomorrow is another tablescape inspiration that I plan to put together for a chaat night being hosted at my friends place for Diwali this coming weekend.

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day !!!!!!

Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.