Inspiración

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Inspiration is all around me
And so the feeling goes..
Today, I sat back and soaked in. Visuals, colors, shades, textures, spaces, textiles, jewels – I let them all swirl around me and inspire me; inspire me to create these moodboards for you. 
And as I was creating these moodboards for you, I saw that my furball of a boy cat is unwell. I rushed him to the vet and he, the brave boy that he is, took in the shots, snarled just once, looked down at the two huge dogs that were waiting patiently for their turn, and now, is back home with me, curled up by my side. We have had quite a day, and thank god we had this pretty post to come back to.  

 

We both say goodnight to those who are on this side of the hemisphere, and good morning to those on the other side. Hope the ones in the middle are already having a fabulous day.

See you all soon!

[Images from: 1, 2, 3]

Chobhi’s Holiday GiveAway

The lovely ladies behind Chobhi are back on An Indian Summer, this time with a line of beautiful jewelry. You do remember their lovely scarves and the giveaway, don’t you? This line of earrings and necklaces are a perfect complement to the scarves! Take a look at the entire range here.

~ The GiveAway ~
Chobhi would love for one of An Indian Summer readers to win the Lahari necklace. This elegant neck adornment can be yours, wherever you are in the world! Yes, the giveaway is open for all An Indian Summer readers.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151897476968558&set=a.10150620697418558.396632.349888658557&type=3&theater
Here’s what you need to do to enter:
1. Tell us what dress will you wear with this necklace, in a comment here, on An Indian Summer’s facebook page
2. Leave a comment on this post too, to double your chances
3. That’s it! Winner will be announced here next Friday, on Dec 13th.
Thank you Chobhi! And you guys, have fun! See you again next week!
[Images: Chobhi. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

Kismet

ˈkɪzmɛt,-mɪt,-s-/
destiny/fate 

It’s kismet  that Kismet Jewell Nakai and I ‘met’ each other in the virtual world. Like the face that launched a thousand ships, an absolutely ethereal photograph shot by Kismet, that was part of my diwali inspiration mood boards, launched a full fledged post!

 Kismet and her stylist friend/partner April Sher Bhaika, conceptualize, style, create and capture magical moments via The Unreal Bride. Not limiting themselves to just wedding photography, they have experimented with a bunch of other conceptual shoots and also offer to make any moment that celebrates love and life, into a memorable one.
What I love love about The Unreal Bride was just how thoughtfully styled each shoot is. There is a certain elegance, an old world charm, opulent yet subtle accessories and props, without it being too stuffy. You can see and feel from the pictures that the photographer, the stylist and the subject had fun while shooting! With rich heritage saris and textiles, combination of modern and heirloom jewelry, the would-be and the already brides caught candid in various moods, the color and the lush setting that is so Indian in its mood – each shot is a visual delight!

Take a look at Kismet’s photography portfolio here, and take a stroll through the stories and gorgeous imagery from the The Unreal Bride photo shoots right here.

In Kismet’s own words:

“I started as a photographer back in 2008 officially. I chanced upon my love for photography rather late in life and went through a number of jobs before actually realizing that I wouldn’t mind taking photos all my life. Sitting with a friend, we started talking about the wedding industry and how it would be a fun idea to do different photo shoots of brides – something atypical. You see it a lot in fashion but not with real brides, so we thought the combination of my photography and April’s styling – we could do some real fun stuff. The blog – The Unreal Bride, was meant to be a way to advertise what we did, but instead we started blogging a lot more and we enjoyed it! From there we have done loads of fun projects, which have varied from wedding stuff to food photography to all sorts of things!” 

[Kismet and April]
You can connect with The Unreal Bride via email or through their facebook page.

[All Images Copyright: The Unreal Bride. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

When Fishes Fly

They are called Flying Fish!
Excuse the inane joke, but it’s friday today!
And I am not only Friday evening happy
But also glitter and all-things-shiny happy
Gorgeous jewels
From Nitika Bose
And
One lovely pair of earrings to giveaway!

Flying Fish is Nitika Bose’s world of whimsical and exquisite jewels, designed for the contemporary woman, and handcrafted by skilled craftsmen. I love the attention to detail in each of her beautifully designed unique pieces. Crafted in sterling silver and gold plated with 18k or 24k gold, I can see myself wearing these jewels with both traditional Indian dresses and western outfit. It’s just a question of how to pick and choose from among the many many lovely designs!

~ The GiveAway ~
Nitika would love to giveaway this exquisite pair of silver earrings to one lucky An Indian Summer reader, from anywhere in the world! That’s right – all readers of An Indian Summer are invited to participate!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151849869138558&set=a.10150620697418558.396632.349888658557&type=3&theater
All you need to do to enter:
1. Click right here, and leave a comment. In the comment, use the words Flying and Fish. Tell us a story around the words, or a song, or a poem, a haiku, a joke – anything! Make sure you are logged into facebook to leave the comment.
2. To double your chances, you can leave another comment on the post on Flying Fish’s facebook page too!
3. And, if you are feeling specially creative, leave a third comment on this post
4. That’s it. Winner will be announced next friday –  Nov 22nd, on facebook.
What a happy Friday!
Right? 🙂
[All Images: Flying Fish. Creative Storyboarding: An Indian Summer]

Holi Mubarak…

…and
A Very Happy Women’s Day!

To celebrate,
An Indian Summer brings for you

Giveaway and Goodies!

First up is…


fabulloso!
fabulloso!, an online store, founded by the husband and wife team of Gaurav and Anupma Taneja, offers a curated selection of beautiful things for you and your home. The store went online in January 2012 with an array of Indian designer wear, wardrobe classics, shoes, accessories and exquisitely designed and meticulously crafted home décor items. The store also stocks a selection of investment pieces like photographic art, paintings and sketches. Along with selections from some of India’s top and emerging designers, fabulloso! also has it’s own in house line with beautiful designs. 

fabulloso! is offering An Indian Summer readers in India a 10% discount on their first purchase! The offer is valid till April 15th. Just sign in, use the exclusive promo code 84198 and shop away! Visit fabulloso! on facebook right here.
Aniika
I showcased Aniika in November last year. It is still one of my favorites sites to browse through a hand picked collection of original designs from young designers from India. On this Women’s day, Aniika would like to offer An Indian Summer readers in the US a special 15% discount till the 15th of March. Use the code ANINDIANSUMMERANWD2012 as you shop!
Cleosara 

Cleosara is an independent brand of urban, chic, sterling silver jewelry with natural gemstones, based out of Chennai. The designs are made for the contemporary woman who loves clean, simple lines and diverse range of jewelry to match her every day living. You can find Cleosara on Etsy, UsTrendy, ASOS, Zaarga.com and their newly launched online shop.

Cleosara would love to giveaway this gorgeous pair of Hayden earrings (above) to one of You! All you need to do is head over to An Indian Summer’s page on facebook, and leave a comment right here! That’s right – just leave a comment on the pic of this lovely pair of earrings on facebook. Cleosara and I would pick a winner (random selection) on March 15th. The giveaway is open for my fabulous readers from all countries!
Alloy Jewelry

Alloy Jewelry, is a hobby turned passion for the Vermont based Leah Jones. A former editor, Leah makes these hand-stamped, personalized sterling silver and copper necklaces and bracelets, on a table strewn with books, tea cups and play dough, and in the midst of the laughter of two mischievous children.

Leah would love to giveaway this heavenly Sweet Dandelion necklace (above) to one of You! All you need to do is head over to An Indian Summer’s page on facebook, and leave a comment right here! That’s right – just leave a comment on the pic of this lovely necklace on facebook. Leah and I would pick a winner (random selection) on March 15th. The giveaway too is open for my fabulous readers from all countries!
Much thanks to all featured stores for hosting the giveaway and discounts! 🙂
[All images copyright An Indian Summer and respective stores]

Sapna’s Jewels!

Excuse me while I hyperventilate…
…for I love Sapna Mehra’s pretty jewels!
I just can’t pick and choose the ones that I like the best, because I like them all! I know, I know…the yada yada about not being greedy and all…but will you just look at these pretty little things?! How can I resist? Neither can you, once you look through the entire collection here and here! And ’tis being the time to give, Sapna and I have a fabulous giveaway and a generous discount offer just for you, coming up in the post!

As Sapna and I chatted over email, she graciously shared her story and inspiration with me. Reading through her journey, I could see how her passion, persistence and global experience has helped shape her beautiful collection. 

A snippet from Sapna’s journey, in her own words:
I grew up in suburban NJ.  My father was an engineer and also an amateur singer and musician and loved classical and semi-classical music and ghazals.  My mother was a graphic artist and had a studio in our home where she painted landscapes, and gods and goddesses in oils. I spent many summers of discovery and adventure in Jodhpur and Jaipur, my parent’s hometowns. Later, in college, I studied Comparative Literature and loved my courses on post-colonial theory, religions of the East, cinema studies and literature of India and the fantastic. 
I moved on to work for many small businesses in different capacities and had a stint as an assistant for a Madison Avenue gallery specializing in South and South East Asian antiquities. I was able to research countless works of art and came to build an understanding of iconography and symbolism in South Asian art.  I especially fell in love with the beauty and playful elegance of Indian miniatures and with the complexities of Buddhist iconography in Tibetan, Nepali, Cambodian and Indian sculptures.

 

Starting in late 2001, I spent months at a time in Jaipur, working with jewelry making artisans and tradesmen learning about gems, traditional jewelry making techniques and the intricacies of production. In 2007, I quietly launched myself as a designer with a clear vision to produce a collection that exemplified the skills of kundan and meena artist while creating designs that were meaningful and fit contemporary and cosmopolitan lifestyles. My hope is that when people wear my jewelry, they feel inspired, empowered and delight in a bit of rustic luxury. I love the idea of the global soul!

“The Giveaway”
Sapna would like to gift a necklace from her Asmi collection to one happy chirpy reader. What you need to do is:
  • Read up more about the Asmi range
  • Leave a comment on this post with: 
    • Your life path number (calculate here), or, the number of the Asmi necklace you would like to win, and
    • Tell us “What does being a global soul mean to you?

That’s it! Sapna and I will pick one winner based on the answer. Unfortunately, there are shipping restrictions that don’t allow Sapna to ship jewelry from the US to India, and hence, the giveaway is open only to readers outside of India (baaah! I am crying with you, girls!).

The contest is open for a week, and I’ll announce the winner by updating this post on Dec 21st. Make sure to come back and check if you are the lucky one! 
And more..
You can buy Sapna Mehra Jewelry from her etsy store or from her site. And for the rest of this month, get a 15% discount using the code AIS15.
Thank you Sapna! You and I will enjoy the lovely comments that come in over virtually shared glasses of mulled wine 🙂
[Credits & Links: Sapna Mehra Jewelry, Etsy Store, Connect on facebook, Tumblr blog]

~ Winner Update | Dec 21st, 2011 ~


Thank you so much for your beautiful comments! I thoroughly enjoyed reading through your descriptions of a global soul.
Here’s what Sapna had to say about the comments, and, the one lucky winner!
 
I read through all the comments many times over and am overwhelmed with the inspiring, uplifting and thoughtful responses!

I want to say thank you to all the people who posted their comments – everyone one of them describes the global soul so beautifully…I will come back and read the comments any time I need some inspiration!
A comment that really resonated for me is from Laura Bourassa. I think Laura’s comment speaks to the intimate, universal human conditions, the things that connect us to each other, even as we celebrate our differences and diversity. That is ‘the web of life’.  We speak different languages, live on different continents and pursue different dreams, all on this same earth. We are all actively engaged in ‘the endless cycles’ and that’s what connects us. 

As we journey on our own individual paths, and face our own struggles, it’s comforting and encouraging to remember that there are so many others that are struggling, achieving, living and loving, just like you. No one is alone.  What a beautiful thought and I’m quite moved by it! 

Congratulations Laura
Please write to Sapna with your shipping address and, do let us know how you enjoy your Asmi necklace 🙂