Guest: Meenoo from Minou Bazaar
December 4, 2012
Hi All – How is your holiday season? I’m a little behind on my list of ‘things to do’, but I thoroughly enjoy the craziness and warmth this time of the year.
Today, I’m so excited to introduce one of BollyInstyle’s favorite designers, Meenoo from Minou Bazaar! She creates handmade Indian-inspired jewelry using vintage and contemporary elements. She writes about growing up in the eastern culture during the holiday season. Her upbringing resonates in her beautifully crafted jewelry. Be sure to check out Meenoo’s etsy choices that show a blend of both cultures.
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Of all the holidays I celebrate, the Christmas season is the one that’s the most emotionally mixed for me. Maybe some of you can relate?
I did not grow up with nostalgic holiday traditions. We did not have a Christmas tree until I was in college. I came home for winter break my freshman year and there was a fake Christmas tree in the living room. A short one, with lights and ornaments. My littlest sister was the American-born daughter, and by that time my parents had also assimilated to American mainstream culture inch by inch. My father was against the tree but he was won over when my mom tied a statue of Radha and Krishna as a tree topper. Tentatively we exchanged small presents on Dec 25.
When my family moved and bought a new house, they inherited a large Christmas tree from the previous owners of their house. The house was a large colonial with beautiful hardwood floors covered with carpet. My family put the tree in the living room so it looked out onto the street. It proclaimed: we are fine with having a tree.
Each year I would go home for winter break to a house transformed with holiday cheer. There was a large glorious tree trimmed with ornaments, tinsel, and Radha/Krishna on the top, as always. Soon a wreath materialized on the door, with red ribbons. An evergreen swag appeared on the banister, and electric candles in the front-facing windows. On Christmas Eve we would turn on the Yule log on TV, or the holiday music radio. Shopping for gifts became an event—always centered in the mall—where we would get dropped off and picked up. On Christmas day we would get up, run downstairs, and open gifts, just like the movies. But we would open each gift at a time so everyone would see and had an opportunity to admire. This was no simultaneous ripping and trashing of paper. The gift-giving ceremony took an hour at least. There were so many gifts! Our lack of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in the US was never felt as keenly as those days.
Our main event of the day was cooking an elaborate Christmas feast. Because we didn’t have a prescribed menu, we felt free to experiment. Each year the theme changed. One year we made South Indian fish with coconut rice. Another year we made food inspired by the Silk Road. Our feasts were never boring!
After I married a non-practicing Jew, we came up with our own holiday traditions. Year after year we lean towards the natural aspects of the season, splashed with hot pink and turquoise vintage ornaments from my all-too desi predilection for bright saturated colors. Imagine pinecones dunked in glitter, red berries, and little red birds to mimic the cardinals that we feed at our bird feeder. Imagine sparkling paisleys, elaborate henna designs, and jewel colors to make your home bright.
Here are some items from Etsy that capture the mix of Indian and American celebrating the holidays. I hope you enjoy it!
source: Minou Bazaar
by ST in Accessories, Gifts, Handmade, India, Inspiration, Jewelry
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Pearl Amour Jewels
November 19, 2012
It’s always nice to come across affordable jewelry that works well for both the everyday and the not so everyday. It streamlines things, especially when you are very much a busy bee! Pieces that you can wear that go with pretty much anything, that can be worn alone or with additional accessories to switch up a look. Something that you can slip on and feel great about how it and you look.
That’s just what I found when I discovered Pearl Amour Jewels on Etsy: ‘elegant everyday jewelry.’ Pearl Amour Jewels was started by an awesome full-time Mom in Toronto that specializes in handmade jewelry.
My favorites in the shop are the ‘Sari’ bracelets. With strips of lovely chiffon woven with light-catching rhinestones, the ‘Sari’ bracelets seem like a perfect way to add a touch of easygoing glamour to your jewelry collection. This Green Tea Sari Bracelet is such a soothing color and would be an unexpected pop to a simple outfit of jeans & a t-shirt, while also working well with dressier outfits. The ‘Sari’ bracelets have a bit of a vintage feel to them which I always like.
I am also eyeing these Crystal Rhinestone Matte Gold Earrings and this Nautical Anchor Bracelet.
You can check out the Pearl Amour Jewels shop on Etsy here—the pieces make great gifts too!
source: Pearl Amour Jewels
by ST in Accessories, Canada, Fashion, Gifts, Handmade, India, Jewelry Facebook this Tweet this Email this- 1 Comment
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Nidhi Chanani: Everyday Love
November 19, 2012
Creating and running BollyInstyle has been (and continues to be) a fantastic experience for me. I mean, I get to share and highlight the many things that I’m interested in and passionate about—it’s pretty great. Whether it’s about fashion, function, family, fun, food, etc., everything has an underlying theme: showcasing those in the South Asian design space. I love supporting South Asian artists and it warms my heart to see small ventures & companies do well. It’s especially fun to watch artists gain popularity and be able to post updates on them.
When illustrator and artist Nidhi Chanani first started I was immediately drawn to her joyful energy and magical artwork. Her illustrations are delightfully whimsical… they’re so appealing for so many reasons. They really resonate with people of all ages. Her website, Everyday Love, just launched and is radiant. I’m so excited to see her doing so splendidly! On Everyday Love you can purchase prints, cards, books, magnets, buttons, and gift cards. You can browse her portfolio, and catch up on her blog. Own a shop and interested in carrying some of Nidhi’s art? There is also a wholesale section.
In addition to being featured on a ton of places like Daily Candy and BBC Radio; Nidhi was also honored earlier this year as a Champion of Change at the White House. Check her out, why don’t you? Tell me what sort of fun finds you come across while browsing her prints—she has so many up & available!
source:EverydayLoveArt
by ST in Art, Blogs, Children, Gifts, San Francisco Facebook this Tweet this Email this- 0 Comments
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MangoReader
November 17, 2012
I’ve got a fun post for you today which includes two free short stories! They’re courtesy of MangoReader.com, a great company based out of Pune that ‘brings books to life.’ MangoReader excels in providing a different approach to reading and learning with many new innovative products.
With a multitude of fantastic children’s books, parents and teachers can find many useful resources on the MangoReader site that encourage interaction and excitement about reading and learning. Read your kids a story, and then have fun together with the many interactive options (like games and videos)! In the classroom? MangoBooks can be accessed practically anywhere, with applications that work with Google Chrome, Apple products, Google Play, and through Amazon.com. There are also many books geared to adults in various categories.
Thanks to Elisha for getting me hip to MangoReader! She is essential in the site’s audio content production and increasing awareness about the many positive learning experiences made available by MangoReader’s free and inexpensive options.
Enjoy these two free short stories and let me know what you think!
source: Mango Reader and Amazon
by ST in Art, Book, Children, Gifts, Global, India Facebook this Tweet this Email this- 0 Comments
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Haati Chai
November 16, 2012
While doing a little reading on Los Angeles based jewelry line Haati Chai, it became apparent that I wasn’t the only one to ‘judge this book by its cover’ by falling for the name right off the bat.
With such a great combination of words, how could the line not be full of statuesque and pleasing pieces? The name definitely holds true for the aesthetics throughout both the men and women’s collections. Haati Chai is ‘elephant and tea’ in Bengali—two of my favorite things!
Although only a couple of years old, Haati Chai has already caught many jewelry lovers’ eyes with the beauty and design of the pieces. Designer Stella Simona has created various modern adornments for the body–much more than just basic rings, earrings, and bracelets. Each piece is thoughtfully handcrafted using traditional and contemporary techniques and influences.
I’m completely drawn to the balanced, earthy aspect of the pieces—they’re just really lovely with the use of materials like wood and stone. I also really admire the subtlety of the Eastern Indian influences in the jewelry, mixed with architectural elements. While the pieces all look incredibly unique they also beg a closer look, to be discussed.
I haven’t been a big jewelry wearer of late, but finding Haati Chai has really given me some great ideas on pieces I could add to my wardrobe for both casual and more formal occasions. Some of my favorites? The Haati Chai Rangamati Necklace, Haati Chai Pya Headpiece, and the Mehj Ring.
Which ones speak the most to you?
source: Haati Chai
by ST in Accessories, Gifts, Jewelry, Los Angeles Facebook this Tweet this Email this- 0 Comments
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December 8, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Its really a good quality of things.
I would prefer to get 1 of those.