Just Checking In...

Just a small post today. The weather is lovely, and I just felt like saying a quick hello. Things have been quite crazy lately and as usual the blog suffers :(  

A lot of design work has suddenly come up. Finally some work coming in! It's been tough setting up my design firm in Gurgaon and honestly I was feeling like calling it quits because work was trickling in so slowly. But I think Adhi is my lucky charm, and all of a sudden that sad little almost non-existent trickle seems to be becoming a steady flow. Some big stuff, some small stuff, but hey you gotta start somewhere right? 

Working like a crazy person has been quite exhausting, but fun too. I've missed the exhilarating high of working on crazy deadlines and drafting cadd drawings till the palm of my hand resembles a claw :)

So just a warning, I have a ton of posts pending and you will be seeing back to back posts over the next few days. Bear with me. 

Till then it's bye from me. Have a great weekend!

And in case anyone is interested you can check out my firm's website here and its Facebook page here. Please follow and like and spread the love!

A New Week - slowly getting my groove back...

Summer is well and truly upon us and the short respite we had from the rains last week seem like a distant memory. The sun is hot and its rays, unforgiving. Luckily no crazy site visits so I can take shelter in the refuge of home, with the blinds drawn and windows closed to the hot, dry breeze that's blowing outside.

I seem to be slowly emerging out of the funk I've been in the last couple of weeks and I must say that the responses I got to my last post were amazing! I was worried while writing the post that you guys would think I was quite mad with some of the stuff I wrote down. Especially the dancing in front of a mirror and dressing up and taking selfies... but I was surprised, and relieved to find that so many of you did the same thing... phew! :) I guess we are all quite similar when it comes to how we cope with our moments of stress, moodiness and writer's block. I found myself laughing out loud  at how alike all of us gals are. 

Although I'm still not very inspired when it comes to the blog, I've started taking a few pictures again, which is a start, I guess. In the meantime I've been doing a lot of reading and magazine scanning. I'm sure inspiration is just around the corner...

[All images by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use these images without prior written permission]

I'm in a bit of a Funk!

I've been away from the blog for a while now. Been in a bit of a funk. We creative types are renowned for our 'stuck in a rut' phases, mood swings and tantrums... There are some days when everything annoys us and we convince ourselves that the entire world is working against us (we have a bit of a flair for the dramatic). On those days finding the right shade of pink is simply impossible, and everything on site seems to be fixed just askew enough for only you to notice. On those days you wear a scowl on your face that warns people a mile away to stay away. When I'm on site, sadly the guys on site get it. When I'm at home... well you know who get its :) A few weeks ago I had a day like that. I was prickly as a cacti and snapping at everything the hubby said. So I decided to take some me time. I went to one of my favorite cafes and treated my self to some coffee and cheesecake. Nothing like cheesecake to make you feel better :)

There are other days when your mind is a blank. Ideas are in scarce supply, and no amount of Pinteresting and page flipping though magazines can help.  And lets be honest,when your business rests on being creative, being in this kind of a funk is quite frustrating!  Right now I'm sort of at a loss for ideas for the blog. Hence the prolonged silence. It's been like this ever since I got back from my trip home. I'm trying to get myself out of this rut and it occurred to me that this was actually a pretty good idea for a post:) I mean if you read this blog then you are probably a creative type too. And I'm sure you've experienced the same thing!

So I decided to make a list (I do love my lists!) A list of things I've found help me to get out of a funk or a rut or a dry spell when ideas are hard to come by, or maybe just a plain bad mood :) Here's my list...

1. Treat yourself to something you like... a day at the spa, or just a mani or pedi. Nothing like being pampered to improve your mood. 

2. Take a break and visit your favorite cafe and indulge your sweet/spicy/savory cravings. I have a sweet tooth so for me, there is nothing quite like a slice of cake or pie to lift the spirits.

3. Turn on the stereo and dial up the volume and dance like crazy...in front of the mirror...even if you can't dance! My favorite is anything from the 80's. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing quite as good as the music from that period :)

4. Get moving. Go for a run or a walk. There have been so many times when ideas have popped into my head while running. If nothing else, all those Endorphins will definitely make you feel happy and exhilarated!

5. Give your face a wipe with a wet towel scented with some lavender oil and if you are at home and have some time, have a nice hot bath with Lavender or Bergamot oil

6. Get out of your home/office and go buy some flowers. Nothing like colorful flowers to put a smile on a face.

7. Do something a bit crazy and weird. I sometimes dress up, put on some make up and take selfies. I know that sounds crazy and definitely very self obsessed, but it's so funny and it really makes me laugh at myself. There is nothing like a good laugh!

8. Baking is another thing I do to get out of a funk. Sometimes experimenting in the kitchen seems to get my creative juices flowing and ideas start popping into my head.

9. Plan a holiday or a trip. I know this sounds a bit odd, but I have a list of places I hope to visit that are on my bucket list. So I plan trip to one of these beautiful and exotic places. Sometimes while researching a place and admiring its architecture and design, I end up being inspired in my own work.

10. Take a break. If none of the above quick fixes work, then I just take a break. I've found that sometimes you need a little distance, and a little sloth :) When it comes to thinking up new ideas, nothing works better than a break from trying to think of new ideas. I mean even if you love what you do, you sometimes need a break :) 

How about you guys? Is it just me, or do you guys also get stuck in a funk? I'd love to hear about what you guys to to get out of it!

This is me going the 'dressing up and taking selfies' route :)

A Great Long Weekend

I know doing two posts in a day is a bit much even for little ol' obsessive compulsive me, but I have a feeling work is suddenly going to pile up towards the end of this week, so I think it's best I post this today. Beside a big announcement is planned for tomorrow and I don't want anything distracting from that. So here is a round up of the amazing weekend I had.

How was your long weekend? Did you guys celebrate Holi in a big way? Unfortunately both the hubby & I have been a bit under the weather so Holi was a relatively quiet affair at home this year. But that doesn't mean the weekend was dull. Far from it... in fact it started off with me attending my 1st ever menu launch on Firday night... you can read about my entire experience here.

[Image courtesy Punjab Grill]

Saturday we got up late and I was in the mood of making a special breakfast... so made some French toast with macerated strawberries and maple syrup on the side. We guffed this down with strawberry, banana yogurt smoothies... great start to the day. There is something about making a special breakfast and sitting down and enjoying it together... 

Look at the prettiness... I made this :)

Monday was Holi and although we didn't celebrate I we did get into the spirit a bit by having a nice lunch. Made sambar from scratch and we enjoyed a nice, simple South Indian thali lunch. Someone was mighty pleased :) 

This year St. Patrick's day coincided with Holi. Now I know we not Irish, but for some reason we always celebrate St. Patrick's. It's fun... what other time can you have green beer! I even made some parippu vadas (a kind of dal vada) that are my husband's favorite... and while it didn't come out as well as my mother-in-law's (who makes the best vadas in the world) he was quite impressed at the first attempt :) They went down well with the green beer (normal beer with some green food coloring added). We sipped out beer and watch the Indian-Sri lanka warm up match, which India sadly lost :( Guess the luck of the Irish wasn't with them :)

You'll have to forgive the silly pictures... I think we were both a little 'happy' after the green beer... but I kinda like silly pictures :) 

Well that's my round up of my weekend... I really hope you all had a great day celebrating with family and friends. Oh and make sure you guys tune in tomorrow, I'm announcing the 1st ever competition & give away on All Things Nice and tomorrow's post will have all the details.

[Unless mentioned all images are by Shalini Pereira. Please do not use these images with out prior written permission.]

Of Early Mornings, Steaming Coffee and Solitude

I'm not really a morning person. It's not the waking up that gets to me, I'm an early riser. I guess I don't like talking first thing in the morning, it's the one thing that annoys me above all else. I hate making conversation in the morning. At our home there are strict instructions in place that conversation should be avoided until I've had my coffee and it's had a chance to work its magic :) It's probably a good thing that the hubby is a late riser... and when he does wake up early, its usually to go for his run. The good thing about this is I get my 40 minutes of 'me time' where I can enjoy my 2 toasts and my mug of coffee by myself, and more importantly, in silence:)

There is something about the morning. It has a quality I can't quite put my finger on, it simultaneously captivates and comforts me. There is a certain stillness, a quietness to it that says the world is still not fully awake. And you can hear the chirping of the birds outside, sparrows (we are lucky to have a few around) fluttering around, singing a happy song that complements the soothing cooing of the pigeons. 

I love these moments I have that are just mine. I sit on the couch, with coffee mug in hand, and enjoy this solitude while the sun's warm rays stream in from the windows casting a warm glow over the room and forming dancing patterns of light and shadow. The other day I had my camera lying around and I captured a few images that I thought I'd share with you.

Have a great day folks!!!

[Images- Shalini Pereira]

P.S- Some really good things happening on All Things Nice... We are going to be having our very first giveaway! Can't believe its taken me so long! Am going to be posting very soon on this to stay posted! 

*Images above are the property of Shalini Pereira. Please do not use without prior written permission.

It's the Weekend!

It's sunny, warm and the birds are chirping outside. Two whole days of no work, no meetings & no deadlines.

Happy days! 

Also, a big shout out to all you ladies out there, wishing you a very happy Women's Day! I hope that all of you are being pampered and spoiled and most of all, appreciated for everything you do! Us women are not appreciated enough... I know this because it's only now that I realize how much my mum did for me for so many years and with no thanks and mostly a lot of resentment at all the 'stupid' rules she made me follow. You're the best mama and the person I admire most in the world!

For those of you in Delhi or Gurgaon, if lazing around at home isn't your things, and you're looking for something to do, head out to the Windmills Design Festival in Delhi. It starts today and is on till Sunday evening. Lots of things to see and fun things to do. For more details here is the link to their FB page. 

Whatever you decide to do this weekend, have a great one guys & I'll see you on Monday!

Where Would We Be Without Flowers?

Hi there folks! Just checking in to say a quick hello. How has the week been so far? The last few days have been really exciting. I was invited for my first food bloggers meet on Sunday and I'm going to be sharing that experience with you very soon! There are also a few interesting things in the pipeline. 

I had a great day yesterday... the hubby surprised me with flowers (beautiful pink carnations) and cake... really made my day... well probably my week! What a difference a few days make. On Friday we were all joking that it looked like the world was coming to an end, the way the weather gods were misbehaving. Thunder, lightening, rain... in March? The weather matched my mood. It was a difficult day for me... had to make a few difficult decisions and come to terms with a few hard realities. But that's life I guess... Things never go they way you plan :)

I bought a whole bunch of flowers and chocolate (of course) to cheer myself up... its strange how something as simple as flowers can soothe the spirit and brighten your day. I put them in some vases and old jam jars and kept them all over the place. Nothing like some color to cheer you up. 

Finally the sun came out on Saturday, as did my camera and I started clicking away. I'm sharing the ones that came out decently well- well the ones I liked anyway :)

Have a great day guys! 

[All Images- Shalini Pereira]

The Joys of Afternoon Tea and Remembering Old Times

This may seem like a rather random post, on a very random topic, but I thought I'd share one of my treasured daily rituals. Afternoon tea. If you are a tea drinker, then I'm sure you'll identify... if not, this will all sound a bit silly and frivolous :) 

Afternoon tea is one of my favorite things. It comes at a time in the day when my battery is running low, my mind is wandering and work is the last thing I feel like doing. It doesn't help that I'm a huge caffeine addict and people who know me well know that I'm not a nice person to be around when I'm caffeine deprived. So for me afternoon chai represents not just a caffeine fix, but a 15 minute break where I forget about work, sit down with a nice magazine/book, sip my tea and switch off... no phone, no deadlines, just me, my cuppa and my two Marie biscuits, enjoying the moment. It's surprising how inspiring those 15 minutes can be sometimes :)

That's one of the reasons I try and follow this routine no matter how busy I am. I think it sort of helps to switch off for a bit... the break does me good and I come back focused and relaxed... a much better frame of mind to be in than stressed about deadlines. 

I remember when I was working in a design firm, come tea time we would all turn away from our screens, our cutting chai in one hand, a Glucose biscuit in another, and we'd bitch about work, our boss, our clients and life in general. We also shared a lot of ideas in those moments and critiqued each other's work, often ruthlessly. It was so invigorating, and I can't tell you how many ideas took shape from those animated discussions. We have all moved on from those days and have started our own firms, but those 15 minutes represent great times and wonderful memories that I will always cherish. Tea time is one of the few things I miss about working in an office:) 

It's been a busy week so far - deadlines and clients who can't seem to make up their minds about anything, which means my timelines are taking a real beating. I sometimes wish I had thought about this aspect of the job a little more before choosing this field :) Well, c'est la vie :) At least it's Friday and I have two days where I don't have to think about work! 

I know we all live really busy lives, and it seems like we are always on the go, but I think it's important to sometimes stop and enjoy the little moments, a conversation, a cup of tea/coffee and slow down even, if it's just for a fleeting moment... 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

[Images- Shalini Pereira]

Ugh! Its Monday Again!

From the title of this post, I'm sure you can guess that I'm not a fan of Monday Mornings... I'm pretty sure that 99% of the world's population feels the same! I mean even if you love what you do, I'm sure that you still have an 'ugh!' moment when you wake up and realize that its Monday. 

It also doesn't help things when the weather gods can't seem to make up their minds about whether or not winter is over. Once again we in Gurgaon are waking up to cold, foggy mornings, with the sun only managing to burst through long after 10am! I've also been told/warned/begged by my friends to stop posting pictures of flowers and spring blossoms on FB with the caption 'Spring is here!' because as soon as I do this the weather decides to mess with everyone's plans! Now I know I'm not not capable of jinxing things... although sometimes I wish I was :) but just to be on the safe side I'm putting a stop to any kind of reference to Spring arriving. 

So there I was this morning, nursing my steaming mug of coffee (or as my hubby likes to call it... mud water that's bitter and disgusting), scowling out at the fog and pinning away on Pinterest, when I came across this image that instantly put a smile on my face. Since it brightened up my day, I thought I'd share it with you guys as well. Maybe it will help beat those Monday blues... if it doesn't... there is always chocolate :)

Anyway this image is like a burst of sunshine. I love the contrast of the bright burst of pink, orange and yellow with the blue Indian jali work that forms the backdrop. It vaguely reminds be of Van Gogh's painting of sunflowers... sort of like an Indian version of it. Anyway I just thought it was very pretty and had to share. Hope you guys like it... 

Lots of nice things happening this week on All Things Nice. The highlight being another installment of Design Bloggers Fab 5. This week Sruthi Singh from East Coast Desi will be sharing her thoughts with us. So stay tuned and have a great week everyone!

[Images from Daily Dream Decor]

Bored, Bedridden and Grumpy!

So I was supposed to be enjoying a nice, relaxing and romantic holiday with the hubby in Kesroli. We had planned to use the beautiful Kesroli Fort Hotel as a base to explore a few places close by. I was especially looking forward to visiting an ancient step well in Abhaneri. But as luck would have it I messed up my back getting a little too caught up in re-potting a few plants, and have been stuck in bed since Thursday!

Did I mention how much I was looking forward to this holiday?! We have't been on a holiday in such a long time and I really needed one. The last few months have been quite stressful and this was a nice break before more stressful months that I see coming up. To make things worse I absolutely HATE lying around in bed... I'm not someone who can laze, much to the amusement, and sometimes annoyance of the DH :) If there's nothing to do, I'll find something to do :) So the whole 'being stuck in bed' is so much worse!

And what is up with the weather? I mean its almost the end of February, and Spring seemed to be slowing coming in, and then all of a sudden the fog, and rain and cold come back! I mean come on... seriously! SERIOUSLY!

Anyway I'm better today... able to sit up for short spells so at least I can get some stuff done! So I thought I'd vent a little... And now that I've had my fill of cribbing, I wanted to share a few images I took a few days ago... before this entire sad fiasco! 

It was was a lovely sunny morning and the warm rays of the sun were streaming in through the balcony. It got me inspired to get out my camera and click a few images of our home in Gurgaon... A friend once described our home decor style as New Age Indian, and I love that tag. So here are the images... I'm no photographer mind you, and one or two of them are a bit blurred, but thought I'd share anyway. Enjoy! 

I love these traditional brass urlis that I picked up on our last visit to Kerala

[All Images- Shalini Pereira]

Longing for Goa

Its May, school's out and its time for summer vacations. But I'm stuck here because of work commitments, and I feel like I'm wilting in the sweltering heat of Gurgaon. I have to admit that I am exhausted and I really need a break. In fact I would have been on a nice break right now, except for the fact that the painter on my site in Noida has made it his life's mission to frustrate the heck out of me and deny me any sort of a break! So, with an almost sadistic determination, he goes about his work without a care in the world and gives both me and the client sleepless nights and indigestion.

Did I mention I need a holiday?!

The hubby and I were planning a trip to Turkey and Egypt around the end of the month, but that's now been put off till October for reasons already mentioned. So instead we were planning to just get away for a long weekend. But if I were to be honest, there is a place I want to be right now, more than any other place in the world, and that's Goa. My Goan DNA is pulling me back to my roots and all I want to do is hop on a plane and head off to the sandy beaches and the lazy, relaxed life of South Goa. The urge is so strong- I can almost smell the sea and taste the salty air.

What could be better than days spent lazing on the beach, under the shade of an umbrella, looking out over the ocean, sipping on cold Kingfisher beer and listening to Bob Marley accompanied perfectly by the sound of waves lapping the shore. Then a nice lunch of fried fish and prawn curry and since we are in Goa, an afternoon siesta. Evenings would be spent out on a cool veranda with the sea breeze bringing with it the smell of the ocean. Ah, what bliss... if only...a Goa holiday would be the perfect balm for the both of us.

Ages ago, while on a family vacation in Goa I had taken these pictures, and I've been longingly looking at them for the last few days. Not as good as the real thing, but they make me feel a little closer to Goa.

[Images by Shalini Pereira]

Flying Solo

Just completed the photography of my first solo project under my firm’s banner SPDA (Shalini Pereira Design Associates) on Saturday, and as we wound up with the shoot and headed off for some well deserved cold beer, I realize that I had finally reached the end of an extremely long and hard journey that lasted two years. Yes that’s right- two years!

This was a small site, but it seemed to go on forever. Later that night, as I looked at the images we got, I felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, and in its place was a sense of deep satisfaction. I had stuck it out, through all of it, the good, and the bad, and saw it through to the end.

This was both an incredible and challenging experience for me. Here’s what I learned…

I’m tougher that I thought I was 

I never knew I could scream so loudly at someone other than my husband

Sometimes things seem scarier than they actually are and if you happen to be terrified fake your way through it

Being your own boss is great, but the stress that comes with it isn’t!

I can’t always have things my way- I’m not that good or that famous… yet!

I really love what I do- I may moan and bitch about all the stress, the sleepless nights and all the other craziness that comes with the job, but I can’t imagine doing anything else!

Before I sign off, I want to say a big thanks to the hubby- it’s tough living with a highly strung creative type with borderline OCD, but you do it so well! Also wanted to thank my amazingly talented sister-in-law Ujwala for the amazing images she clicked.

A Designer’s Life- Why We Do It

I knew that being an interior designer would be tough work, but five years of college failed to prepare me for the reality of it, which can be summed up in one word- FRUSTRATION!

No one warns you about the extra hours, the weekends lost, the frustration of slaving endlessly for a paranoid sadist with a giant ego who uses your ideas to further their own reputation. You aren’t really prepared for the jealousy and self-doubt you experience when you see your friends becoming successful while you are still a ‘struggling artist’.

And when you finally do branch out on your own, no one warns you about the crazy clients- you know the ones I’m talking about-the ones who expect you to perform miracles on a shoe-string budget, the ones who have you confused with a draftsman, the ones call you every 2 minutes because of an ‘emergency’ on site and the ones who disappear when it’s time to pay. Nothing can really prepare you for the times when chaos rules at your site or for that sense of trepidation you experience every time your phone rings because it’s probably news of another possible disaster on site.

And sometimes when it gets too much, when you’ve been yelling all day because you have been yelled at all day and you’re up at two in the morning trying meet a deadline, you ask yourself, ‘is it worth it?’ and ‘why?’ And you have no answers.

Then a few days later, you visit the site and you notice order emerging from the chaos; you see your vision taking shape, and you have your answer.

Why do we do what we do? Because we are the lucky ones that get to go to work every day and do something that we love. Because we get to translate an idea- something that may have started as a tiny doodle on a paper napkin- into a reality. Because what we design and see built is a monument to our creativity and vision- it’s there for everyone to see and has a lasting impact on the lives of its users. Because every once in a while you come across a rare, special client who shares your vision and you develop a relationship that makes the project a joy to work on. Because we are the lucky ones who can drive down a street and point out to a house or a building and say with a sense of pride that I did that. Because at the end of it, when you are through with a project and you have a chance to stand back, exhale and actually take stock, you are filled with an emotion that is a combination of joy, accomplishment, wonder and pride; it’s an amazing feeling that far outweighs all the other craziness we have to deal with.

Confessions of a designer

The other day I came across this quote on Décor 8. It’s such a simple quote, but for me, I think quite profound. It got me doing some self introspection and I thought I would pen down some of my thoughts.

Let me start by confessing that one of my biggest weaknesses is my aversion to change. I know there are some people who embrace change and all things new- I am not one of those people. New technology frightens me-my mobile phone is 6 years old and I will replace it when it stops working. New, unfamiliar situations like taking on a somewhat challenging project that’s outside my comfort zone makes me feel like I’m no longer in control.

I know it’s a bit contradictory for me, a designer, to have such a dislike for change when change and innovation is what we as designers do. But it’s something I have to constantly work through. And it’s not easy.

Do you ever get this awful shrinking, queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach when you have to start out on a new endeavor? I do. It’s usually before I take on a new project. Don’t get me wrong, there’s excitement too, but that sense of apprehension, dread and self doubt is always there clawing away. Apprehension over how I will manage and orchestrate the entire project, dread over all the issues that I know will pop up and self doubt over whether I’m good enough. The task ahead seems like a huge, insurmountable mountain that’s taking immense pleasure from my squirming discomfort. I think that’s why I took a liking to this quote, because the funny thing is, once I actually get started on the task, the mountain seems to gradually shrink and I realize that in spite of all the challenges, I got things done and I laugh about why I felt so intimidated by it in the first place.

And so I strut around with a an air of cockiness until the phone rings and there is a new project in the works that’s more complicated and challenging than the last and the entire cycle begins once again. Only this time I’m slightly less frightened and a little more confident of the whole ‘anything that can go wrong will go wrong’ that’s part of every project.

I have now saved this quote as my wallpaper, so the next time I ‘do battle’ with the mountain I’ll remember to have a quick glance at the quote, breathe and embrace the task at hand.

Color Inspirations

Continuing with the theme of color, I thought I would share what inspires me when it comes to color choices. Color manuals and guides are terrific, but as a designer I look for inspiration in the things I see around me. While there are some basic rules one needs to be mindful of, for me, color selection is an instinctual process that is guided by what we see in the world around us.

What inspires me?

Nature…  a beautiful sunset, flowers in a garden that seem to burst with life and color, the infinite shades of greens, oranges, purples we see in plants around us, the colors on the wings of a butterfly as it flits from flower to flower or the pattern and colors of a bird’s plumage.

Travel and Culture… strolling through the streets of a quaint village, we may pass upon quaint little houses painted in interesting combinations of color that can inspire an entire design concept. Traditional handicrafts, the bright colors, patterns and textures of textiles, brightly colored silk saris and the way they have been combined with sometimes even brighter choli blouses. The dazzling colors of festivals like Holi, Makar Sankranti (Uttarayan) and Diwali, or the way temples and idols have been embellished with color.

Art… Kandinsky, Matisse and Indian artists like M.F Hussain, F.N  Souza - their exuberant sense of color and patterns, as well as their sense of balance and their ability to understand and effortlessly capture light and emotion… traditional art like the Gond paintings of Madhya Pradesh or the Madhubani paintings of Northern India that depict folk stories and legends in vivid color.

Everyday Life… a mundane trip to the vegetable market leads to the discovery of a riot of color with fruits and vegetables piled high. A passing truck decked out in regal splendor and embellished with paintings of Gods and Goddesses, movie stars and traditional motifs. The kaleidoscope of colors we see when light reflects off a pool of water or the still, brooding depths of a lake at sunrise. The colors on a plate of food at a fine dining restaurant or the vivid colors of ice-creams we see at an ice-cream parlor.

Inspiration is everywhere and is infinite in its abundance- whatever we see and experience leaves a lasting impression on us. By using these visual impressions the process of color selection becomes so much more satisfying.

(The images shown in this post have been compiled by me over time from various web searches. I don’t remember all the sources- those that I do, I have credited below.)

http://trivialmatters.blogspot.com
http://www.townandcountrytravelmag.com