Colour Crush of the Week: Flying Home

Find this adorable art print here.

Easy to make Flowers: Poppies

I saw these lovely flowers on Ez's blog Creature Comforts a while back and was dying to try them out. When I finally went to Mumbai in March, my sister and I picked up some satin to try our hand at all the enticing flowers we've been pinning onto our DIY boards. I'd seen the tutorial for these ones and tried them out.

Now that am back home, I made a fresh batch of two! The little one was a great accessory for my bright red saree. It made me feel like a retro film star, mostly because of my hairstyle really. The big poppy has been made for a special little girl. I just need to figure out how to get it to her now.

Go check out Ez's super easy tutorial. She's even added videos, just watch them even if you aren't making the flowers right away. You never know when you'll be in the mood for poppies too. These make excellent gift toppers, hair accessories or brooches.

I've made much flatter versions of the original design, with only three whorls, which I think look good as hair accessories. If you add your own little twist, be sure to share it with us.

Little Rainbows in a Jar

Colours really make me happy, they put a smile on my face. Just glancing at this corner of my desk where I've stored some felt pompoms in an old jam jar, every once in a while makes me feel joyful. Colours have always had that effect on me. As you may have noticed, yellow is my favourite colour. It has the magical ability to uplift my spirits. Could be one of the reasons I love Goa so much. I have never seen such wonderfully yellow, mustardy, orchery houses anywhere else in India. And the police stations are painted a bright, inviting yellow, somehow making me fall for the Goa all over again. The beaches and sea food do a darn good job of enticing me there in the first place, but these special touches of yellow make a world of difference to me.

Hot pink and coral make me feel quite stylish, I really can't explain why. Must be some odd wiring in my head. And then there are the divine whites, blues, greens and warm, fuzzy oranges. What's really fun about shades is trying to mix and match to create interesting, surprising palettes that can help sprinkle some fairy dust on ordinary things to transform them into art. Am inspired by the myriad colours I see in nature - the ultimate master blender.

It's pretty easy to be my friend, just buy me a box of colours - crayons, water, fabric, glitter. Anything, really.

You can imagine what happens to me in candy shops. What makes your world go round?
Have a lovely weekend.

Colour Crush of the Week: Inspired by Nature

Picture by Ktsarna via The Stylish Type via jessica colaluca on Pinterest

Infectious Creativity: Illustrated Bites

In a sea of beautifully styled food blogs with glamorous pictures of vittles, here comes a delightful blog with illustrated recipes and cooking tips. Heather Diane is an artist who has combined two loves - image making and food. A wonderful idea, isn't it?

Head on over to her blog Illustrated Bites to dive into a world where your imagination will get a high and your stomach will rumble with desire.

Vintage Treasures: Mahatma Gandhi's Home

A quaint little house stands testimony to the simple, rustic life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Father of our Nation. He was born in Porbandar and lived in this house until his teen years. As you duck when you pass through the short doorways, you wonder how a tiny, frail man could have managed everything that he did. About how he continues to inspire people around the world with his words - written and spoken.

A bus-load of senior citizens clamber up the precarious staircase, holding onto the rope for dear life. They speak a tongue, foreign in these parts but comfortingly familiar to me. I interject their chatter with, "where have you come from?", in Marathi. A happily surprised smile, a short pause and the dhoti-clad gentleman breaks into Marathi that could only be from Pune. Am from Mumbai, and there is usually a mildly cold war between the two cities of Maharashtra. One, the commercial capital of the state and India. The other, the bastion of all that represents the Marathi warrior. 

But in these parts, we bond over the syllables of a common language. I relish the texture of the words being formed in my mouth, and I strain to hear the gurgling sound of my mother tongue from these village folk. Strangely, am comforted by the fact that home is indeed not that far away. 

As we amble through the museum and get ready to leave the sunny courtyard, I look back one last time. The lady in the nine yard saree, who had almost not made it to the top floor, mops her forehead with the corner of her pallu. Even though she has skipped the trek to the third floor, she seems satisfied with her tour to a sliver of history.

Shutter Love: Porbandar

Hello, hope you had a lovely weekend. We spent ours travelling from the state of Gujarat to the state of Kerala. En-route, we had a grand time with family and friends in Mumbai. It's wonderful to be back home though, and am looking forward to a week filled with once-familiar, now blurry in memory sounds, sights and smells.

Before we left Porbandar, I had intended to do a full post which captured the city through my pictures. So here it is, visions of a wonderful time getting to know a new port and people. The pictures capture life around the sea, simply because that is where I hung out most often.

More pictures of Porbandar from a tour of Mahatma Gandhi's home tomorrow.

This Time That Year

Today, we're leaving from Porbandar and heading back home to Kerala. Today also happens to be our two-year anniversary. We didn't have a traditional Indian wedding, we don't really have a traditional Indian marriage either. We exchanged our vows in a registrar's office, and celebrated the occasion with an intimate party followed by a large reception in Mumbai. 

Did I mention we got married in Goa? By Goan law, I now own half of everything that N has! I don't think it works the other way around though.

Why this picture you ask? It's been quite the proverbial ride, these past two years. We've moved four houses, 2 states, travelled to yet another one, camped in a hotel room for four months, and visited two beautiful countries. Not to mention the countless trips from wherever I was to Bombay. We've moaned about the weight gain after marriage, walked kilometers along beaches, talked about the mundane, the interesting, and pretty much everything in between. Experimented with diets, attempted to recreate classic cuisines, made to-do, to-buy and to-gift lists. Run amok in malls (we've lived in tiny hamlets for a while now), exclaimed at the rising prices of milk and eggs, given up on saree shopping for the mothers since we're both clueless there and discovered the joys of online shopping. Who doesn't love stuff arriving in brown packages that can be ripped open?

There have been a few downs too, sneaking up suddenly. Just like you come down on the Ferris Wheel and think you're going to crash to the ground. Why are they called Ferris Wheels? In India we call them Giant Wheels, yes, even the little ones are called that. And Indians love their Giant Wheels. They're a rarity in the cities, just like the dwindling population of sparrows. That is something to talk about in another post though. The downs, well, while they last they also hold the promise of an upcoming high. So we've mostly managed to get by.

We've rationalised how we can't have a dog if we move around so much, and yet melted into a puddle every time one of us finds a picture of a cute pup-we-must-have. I've coaxed N out of his digital dinosaur phase and he's given me tips on driving. I will soon qualify as a woman navigator who's as good as a man navigator (yeah, apparently there is a bar to rise up to there). Meanwhile he's learnt to toss omlettes into the air like a chef at a breakfast counter.

I've discovered that the secret to marital bliss is lots of ice cream in the freezer and he knows that a morning without a cup of tea can bring out the grizzly in me! (That rhymes, I think I'll make it into a poster. What say?) And he's also realised that all those art projects I begin are not always going to get finished. While horror movies are his thing, crime series are my thang. When I say "You're my lobster," he just shakes his head and smiles.

It's been a mad two years. Am grateful for them and for the love of two families instead of one. I think I may have grown up a little bit too, against my own will. Maybe it's not such a bad thing after all. This business of growing up and growing old together. I look forward to it now.

Colour Crush of the Week

Find image here.

Infectious Creativity: The Third & The Seventh

Directed by Alex Roman
CG | Modelling - Texturing - Illumination - Rendering by Alex Roman
Postproduction & Editing by  Alex Roman
Music | Sequenced, Orchestrated & Mixed by Alex Roman (Sonar & EWQLSO Gold Pro XP); Sound Design by Alex Roman


The Third & The Seventh is one of those films that inspire me every single time I watch them. In this one, each shot is pure perfection. Every angle is pure genius. Tread with caution, not all of us are equipped to handle such beauty - the gorgeousness of it all will steal your breath, it will sting, you will feel a dull ache in your heart, and then you 'll just surrender to the power of the artist's craft. The interplay of light with natural and man-made is surreal.

These are my picks of stills from the film.

You can find more inspiration on the website The Third & The Seventh.
All images are by Alex Roman.

Free printable Farewell card

Lately, I have been thinking about all the people we end up leaving behind when we move to a new place. And how it would be nice to leave a personal message for a friend or two. So I designed two simple farewell cards for an imminent move.


And am sharing them here, just in case you want to drop a line to someone too. They're super easy to make - print, cut and fold. Download the PDF for the Yellow Card or the Green one from Issuu.


The finished card is 5.5" x 4.25" and will fit in a standard A-2 sized envelope when printed at 100%. You can open the file in Adobe Reader which you can download free here.

Of What should be on your bucketlist

Hello, welcome to a brand new week ahead!


This weekend, I finally got the time to do some housekeeping on the blog. You may have noticed the refreshed, summery look. But I'd like to bring to your attention the newly added disclaimer and privacy policy. Do take the time to give them a read. You can find them at the bottom of the right-most column.

Quote discovered from goodreads.com via indu h on Pinterest

On a completely unrelated note, there's no other inspiration like a dream to look forward to at the beginning of a work week, eh? (Of course, if you're already living your dream, then you're probably grinning from ear to ear.) I stumbled onto a fun blog with the most random quizzes. Surprisingly this one - What should be on your Bucketlist - told me exactly what I wanted to know! 


Try a spin at What should be on your Bucketlist. Have a lovely Monday and stop by tomorrow for free printable goodies!

Sunday Love: Happy Mother's Day

If you are a mommy, have a wonderful day. If you're a daddy, help make mommy's day incredible. If you're neither a mommy or a daddy, tell your mum how much you love her.

Make this Sunday special for a mother you love.

Font used in the design above is Pedro Arilla's tribute to his grandmother Valentina and named after her. This is a lovely free font available here.

Olympic Non-Events 2012

Image by Jo Klima of August Empress

These are an absolute delight, aren't they? I came across these illustrations poking fun at the Olympic events icons on this beautiful blog at August Empress.  

The Non-Olympic icons can be found and followed on Tumblr here. Rory, the creator of the witty unofficial Olympic non-events programme, is taking suggestions. If you have any ideas, send your entry to rory@hat-trickdesign.co.uk. 

The Olympic torch has been lit, and is now touring Greece for the next few days. Ooh, what fun! July promises to be full of excitement. It will be raining here in India then, but the Games will be a great way to brighten up the days. 

My favourite events, Gymnastics and Swimming, are lasting through the entire season. Whoohoo. I can barely sit still as I type this...the four year wait is about to be over. 

What are your favourite events at the Olympics?

Infectious Creativity: A Grand Avenue by Tim Jarosz

A Grand Avenue by Tim Jarosz

You can find more lovely work by Tim here. 

Shutter Love: Vintage Treasures

This perfect setting was available at a friend's home in Delhi. I remember growing up with a Sony cassette player and Radio just like this. Today am thinking wistfully of a stack of mixed tapes with dedications that were the perfect gift for a close friend who loved music. Can a playlist create the same magic today?

Blogger Challenge: Things I'm Afraid To Tell You

{Image by Ez of Creature Comforts}


Hello, hope you had a good weekend.


Today I want to share something with you...a cause that some of my favourite bloggers have taken up. The world wide web abounds with designer blogs on style, food, photography, DIY, crafting and all things beautiful. Recently, that part of the blogosphere has further upped my awe for what they do. I salute the way all these lovely bloggers have rallied around and chosen to embrace transparency in their lives. They are all for giving more than just a peek at the person behind the blog. In doing so, they have yet again inspired fledgling bloggers like me to express what we think and feel beyond providing just eye candy.


It’s true that all of us have enough craziness in our lives, and trundle along to these beautifully curated blogs to take a break from that. But if at some point all these highly desirable things leave us dissatisfied, well then the purpose is lost. Most blogs are out there to make their readers feel good, inspire them to create and urge us to be nifty, resourceful, positive. These bloggers would be crushed to know that they have been cause for any dissatisfaction.


Do take a look to see what am talking about, and let me know what you think. This is where it all began: Jess of Makeunder My Life wrote this post which inspired Ez of Creature Comforts to write this. 


To bare all and admit that we are human takes a lot of gumption, no one likes feeling vulnerable. Am afraid to tell a lot of things about me. Focusing on pretty can keep the uglies of my life away. But then I realise that am telling only half the story. Hell, let's be really honest, that's just barely 10 percent of the story!


But in keeping with the spirit of sharing, am going to try to actually hit the publish button at the end of this post. <Deep breath> Here is my full-disclosure about some things I haven't shared before:


When I look at these beautiful things on Pinterest and the blogs that I follow, I feel like I fall short on many levels. Firstly, we here in India, do not have access to all these wonderful papers, ribbons, colours, crafting materials, cupcakes, furniture, thrift stores, cookie jars, silhouette cutters, dandy candy, I could go on....basically, all the dainty, cozy, contemporary and neat things that people in more developed places can find easily. I can't even remember the number of times I've craved for a Mason jar! So I feel pretty deprived, even though am blessed in so many ways. Thankfully, this blog helps me focus on the things I do have instead of the ones I wish I did.


Secondly, I feel inadequate in matching up to these wonderful designers, illustrators, photographers and writers. It’s one thing to be inspired and set a high benchmark, but it’s quite a different thing to wonder if you are a bumbling idiot after all (am grateful for the support of gracious readers like you, who give me the courage to carry on, and to even fail). 


Then there is that gnawing feeling of just not being able to blog that often. The big problem is getting good enough content in place to share with all you wonderful people who spare precious time to read Sunny Nomad. I would hate for you to read something and think, well there go 10 minutes of my life that I will never get back.


Am not the most disciplined person around. Even after years of trying, I have not been able to become an early morning person. I’m unable to wake up at a set time unless I have to be somewhere. So I wake up most mornings feeling lousy about having shut off that 6:30 am alarm. Consequently, I have been unable to keep up a regular exercise routine. Couple that with a genuine love for food, and am perpetually struggling to get out of the lethargy zone and into the active one.


I miss Mumbai more than I admit for fear of giving in to the desire of going back. It’s where I have spent most of my life, and even though I resist being typecast as a Mumbaikar, at the end of the day, most of my experiences of dealing with life come from the codes of that city. I dream about going back someday.


There have been two other blogs before this, but most posts on those were so deeply personal that I never published them. I fancied myself a writer, but was too afraid to get personal about my work. That's something am slowing (and painfully) having to accept. Good stories are about real people. 


I don't think I will ever come close to being as awesome as my mom is at balancing work with family, the home and social work. Sometimes I wonder where she gets the energy to do all of it.


Be that as it may, I do think that on the whole, I do a darn good job of being a sunny nomad - am just too optimistic to get bogged down by something for too long. So when I read the tough shares across the blogs, I admire the courage of these women and take up the challenge myself. My problems may be fiddlesticks compared to someone else's, but stepping out of my comfort zone has made me feel more adventurous. It's not just accepting that we are all human, but accepting that it's okay to let others see we're human.


May I recommend that you take up this challenge? Let the veil drop either on your blog or in the comments below.

Everyday Inspiration: Blue Buddy

The life of a nomad means I often stay away from all that is cozy and comfortable for long stretches of time. We have been away from our home in Kerala since early February. This little birdie has added to my sense of feeling at home on several occasions.

No matter where I am, I have always managed to spot my blue buddy - the white throated, blue winged Kingfisher. Am fascinated by this fisherman and have spotted him everywhere - in Mumbai, Delhi, Diu, Goa and Istanbul. A pretty little one visits us often in our backyard in Kerala. 

Back in Mumbai, I saw one almost everyday, on my way to work on a bursting-at-its-seams local train. I looked forward to that part of my journey and spotting one meant this was going to be a good day. Yeah, a little cuckoo maybe, but it was my way of holding on to hope. 

Once, while on a research trip to Delhi, I was lost in a maze of roads and traffic. I looked up, out the window, and there, perched on an electric wire was this harbinger of comfort. I smiled to myself and thought, if this little guy (his size is barely 28 centimeters while am 172 centimeters tall) can survive this city, so can I.

The several shades of the Kingfisher's blue feathers inspire me. The idea that we all have wings (metaphorically speaking) and a chance at freedom if we spread those wings, lifts up my spirits no matter how tough the going gets. Am drawn to nature and all things blue, so this one fits the bill perfectly. 

I've tried to capture the lovely creature through my shutter whenever possible, but like all winged ones, he's pretty flighty. I will continue my quest for a perfect shot, but until then, whenever am missing the blue one, these keep me happy.

Weekend Cooking: Bengali Style Prawns in Mustard Sauce

Hello, am back after a long break. Travel and work has kept me away from sharing more Sunny Nomad stories with you (one can flatter oneself that she's been missed). But I plan to make up for it with almost incessant chatter.

Last month, I made a short trip back home to Mumbai. Meeting friends and family was just what I needed after living in a small hotel room for almost two months! Going to my workplace and absorbing the gentle hum of advertising infused a new energy in me. Working from home can sometimes make you feel like you're bubble wrapped. So I made the most of my trip, soaking in the sights, going back to old haunts, indulging in retail therapy.

And getting the chance to cook made me as happy as a clam.

While I was there, my mother took me along to a fresh seafood market on a Sunday morning. On our way back home, I offered to cook a lovely Bengali recipe a friend had shared with me. It's her mum's take on the traditional one and a complete winner. I was a little apprehensive though, my mother is a skilled cook and not very open to new flavours. She prefers her rustic preparations, but thankfully everyone, including her was thrilled with this treat.

Thanks Mou, for sharing the  recipe, you've brought much joy to fellow foodies. The beautiful mustard sauce, the sweet prawns, the tangy tamarind and the bite of the green chilly make this a mellow, soul nourishing dish.

Here's the real quick and simple recipe, in case you'd like to give it a try.

Serves Four | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients
15-20 (depending on size) Prawns - shelled and de-veined
1/3 cup of Mustard seeds - soaked for about 4-6 hours
3-4 Green Chillies
2 tablespoons Tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons Mustard oil or any cooking oil
1 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Potato peeled and chopped into wedges - This isn't a part of the original recipe, but I love the buttery soft texture of potato wedges with the mustard sauce. You can choose to skip the potato.
Salt to taste
Water

Preparation
Sprinkle some salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of Turmeric on the cleaned prawns and set aside for 20 minutes.

Grind the soaked mustard seeds adding a little water as you go to make a smooth paste.

Tip: If you don't have the time to pre-soak the mustard seeds, don't worry, you can still whip up this meal in 15 minutes. Just grind the dry mustard seeds to a powder in a spice or coffee grinder and add water later to make a paste.

Make tiny slits on the chillies and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok. If you're using mustard oil, be sure to let it smoke so that it loses its pungency and gives a more well-rounded flavour to the dish. Once the oil has smoked, reduce the heat to a medium, carefully add the green chillies and let them splutter in the oil for a few seconds. Follow this with the mustard paste and saute this for a couple of minutes. Now pour in about two cups of water and bring the sauce to a boil.

Slide the potatoes into the gravy and cook until potatoes are almost done before you tip in the prawns. Prawns cook very quickly, so adding them later ensures they don't get overdone. Finally, add the tamarind paste, adjust the quantity of water and sprinkle salt to taste. Bring the sauce up to an even simmer, and take the pan off the heat once the sauce thickens.

Serve with hot rice while the aroma is still wafting through your kitchen. Be sure to share how it turned out. After all, sharing is caring.

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P.S.  If you're vegetarian, you can substitute the prawns with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) or mushrooms. I haven't tried it myself, but if you do, drop me a line and let me know if it worked.