Contemplations and Ruminations

So after checking out Sarangi and Amethyst we stopped by Anokhi at Chamiers Road. Heard about this place from Anju, and it's a pretty shop filled with interesting ethnic stuff. I especially liked the bed sheets, quilts and curtains that had these really pretty Indian motifs all over. Everything looked quite nice and colourful... with a sunny feel to it. The pricing is decent too, not like some of those show off boutiques. The entrance... Some furniture... I think the nearby store is a furniture shop.  Another view of the entrance... The Anokhi symbol, rather cute... they even have these as dress hanger knobs in the trial room. A huge mirror... Kids clothes and cushions... see that Anokhi symbol knob I was talking about, a little girls dress is hanging from it. The drapery, bed covers, and table cloth... Pretty quilts all rolled up... The photographer... a self portrait. ...

After Sarangi , we stopped by Amethyst another boutique store at Whites Road (quite close to Express Avenue Mall), Royapettah. This is a cool posh place hidden from the bustling din of the main road, and the entry way itself seems to transport you to another time and place far away from the cacophony of a busy city life. Once you step into this land overflowing with (wild) shrubbery, you'll find a flower shop, a jewellery cum clothing store and a colonial styled coffee hangout place. The entrance... with shrubs on either side. A giant urn among the shrubbery.  A little fountain in the garden... The jewellery and clothing boutique is located upstairs and even though the whole arrangement looks nice and inviting, I couldn't really find anything worth buying here.   An art piece at the store... The clothes seemed drab and messily complicated, like some new age fashion for the artsy / socialite types. It's not something your normal next door perso...

So when my sister was in town we visited Sarangi, the Kanjivaram sari store located at Sterling Avenue, Nungambakkam. Kept seeing their pretty ads in the paper, each day their ad would display a beautiful sari with a flourish.  See what I mean... about the ads, nicely done. So w e decided to check them out... and we were pleasantly surprised. This isn't your ordinary shop, it's a tastefully decorated house that has sari's in various hues draped all over the place. And the collection they have is pretty good, of course it's mostly for grand occasions... and the prices go up as you move from room to room.   Sari's displayed in a room... hanging over the door and the curtain rod. One of the pretty rooms...  A pretty mirror... and my sister reflected in it. A row of mirrors... to check out yourself after trying out a sari. The place has loads of natural lighting... I love that about any place.  Indian art... poor clarit...

Weddings are fun, at least on Pinterest they are... but the weddings in my place are mostly baffling and they seem more like a chore than a day of excitement. Most of the time, the bride and the bridegroom hardly know each other and they spend the majority of the day smiling, receiving gifts and posing for the camera, while quietly wondering how they were going to live the rest of their lives with a stranger (at least that's how I thought at my wedding). Above that you have to deal with the crazy photographer who wants you to pose with your arms round each other, or lean into the other person's shoulder or look into each other's eyes... it all seems so fake, not to mention uncomfortable. The photographer at my wedding tried to get us to do all these stunts, we politely declined and he complained to the parents that we weren't cooperating. On another note, these incidents gave an inkling to the person I just tied the knot with... I came to know that he too wasn't...

My sister was here recently and we scoured the city for clothes and ornaments for her upcoming wedding. Here are a few pictures from her brief visit...   This was our breakfast everyday, plain juicy mangoes... summer's saving grace. Met the cousins at St. Thomas Cathedral... Where a memorial mass was held... to honour... our beloved grand parents, Ubald and Pauline Kostka who exemplified a beautiful life in God.  Celebrated Michelle's birthday... Shopped for sarees... The white wedding saree on display... shopped for more sarees... Tried on all sorts of gold ornaments... Visited cotton street and got yelled at by this man... apparently my superior bargaining skills raised his hackles.  Nice place to buy running material... Took respite in a slice of cheesecake... and a smoked bacon sandwich. All in all it was a great couple of days...