Sunday 31 May 2015

Stationery Sunday: Filter Haul

Filter is a charming little store tucked away in a quiet lane off Rhythm House in Kala Ghoda.

Filter has really unique and beautifully crafted stationery and is a store we love visiting. We found ourselves in Kala Ghoda recently and so, walked down to Filter and picked up a few bits and bobs.

Here is our Filter loot! 



 New Yorker Cover Postcards. Look at these pretty prints! These, apart from being postcards, can also work as bookmarks or as planner dashboards, if you are into planners.





 The old-fashioned bus ticket! Sigh. Brings back so many memories. Love this A5 bus ticket notebook, which was bought mainly for the pretty ticket cover. A charming bit of nostalgia.




 One of our more adventurous home library projects is to have bookplates on all our books. We have toyed with the idea of getting actual paper bookplates or get a custom stamp made, which says 'From the Library of Pooja' or some such...



 



 .. so far we haven't decided on the approach, but then we saw these pretty bookplates at Filter and thought may as well buy some and get started.. We could possibly still get a custom stamp made.. but these are a good way to get started, me thinks! Aren't these just sublimely lovely?



 Bookmarks. 
One can never have enough bookmarks, in my opinion!


 


 Love the quality of these bookmarks as well as the lettering. So pretty!

   

So, here it is- our Filter haul! :) 
 
If you love stationery that is unique and off-the-beaten track, then Filter is the place to check out. 
 
 

Saturday 30 May 2015

Book Haul/// Books of May 2015, Part-II. Books from Bargain Book Hut.

Hello! 

Hope this Saturday is treating you well. 

I am still a little under the weather. My throat is killing me but there is soothing tea to be had and TV shows to watch. 

I watched Detective Byomkesh Bakshy today and God it was so bad. Slow, way too stylised, dark (like literally, most of the scenes were so dark) and boring to bits. I don't know how you can go so wrong with such brilliant source material. The books (short stories) written by Saradindu Banerjee are brilliant and how anyone can interpret them so terribly is indeed a tragedy. Gah! *rant over* 

Now on to the happy..I thought I'd share my little book haul from Bargain Book Hut a pretty delighful little bookshop that stocks very marked down books. I go to the one in Kala Ghoda and love it. I always find treaures there and for so cheap. 

Let's see what I got...













Aren't some of the books so pretty?!!! 

The Manu Joseph one is especially just stunning. 
I also got a book of puzzles...I love these babies. So fun and they bring back a ton of memories from when I was a kid. 

Books Bought..

I, Romantic- Rajeev Jhaveri 
Serious Men- Manu Joseph 
A Dead Hand- Paul Theroux 
The Colour Purple- Alice Walker 
Beloved- Toni Morrison 
Book of Crossword Puzzles 

I am so excited about these books I got most of these books for over 40% off and nothing beats getting good books for a good bargain! 

Lots of happy reading in my future! :)

Weekend Reads/// Set-8.




Hello! 

We could might as well call this post Weekend Reads- Flu Edition. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you'd know I am currently down with a summer flu. It happens every year and I try to battle it with juices, books and loads of sleeping and maybe watching a movie or two. And maybe if I am feeling particularly indulgent a dash of online shopping. ;)

My reading goals for the weekend are therefore simple-ish. 

The only un-read book on my monthly TBR is Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. As much as I would love to read it right now but I just don't have the mental/physical strength to deal with it. I read about 6 pages, loved it and put it down for when I am all there.

I thought long and hard and figured I needed to read something simple. Something graphic novel-esque perhaps and then maybe some YA that is always an easy and quick read for me. A looksie on my bookshelves and I decided on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, a book I've had on my bookshelves for over 5 years and still not read it. So it's high time I finally got to it. Plus it promises to be a happy, light and fun read. 

The book I am currently reading is All The Rage by Courtney Summers, a YA contemporary novel that deals with rape, it's aftermath and the rampant rape culture. It's a heavy and intense read but one I am enjoying thoroughly.

If I manage to read both these books by some miracle. I might just get to some other books on my Kindle. Reading on my Kindle is so much easier when I am feeling physically weak and restless and unwell. 

Hope you guys have a good weekend! 

Happy Reading! :)

Friday 29 May 2015

Friday Favourites/// Stationery + Sunsets + Owls + Donuts!






Just a few of my favourite things...

1. Owls..big & small. Delightful all the same.

2. Notebook Loves...Field Notes are just darling! The perfect little notebook for my bag to jot down notes on the go and to journal as I sip coffee and people watch. :)

3. Stickers...I love stickers and Cat stickers are even better. 

4. Summer Sunsets...the end of a white hot day with the skies changing colour and having some respite from the heat. 

5. Donuts....yum and a thing of joy. 


:)

Have a fantastic weekend guys!

Thursday 28 May 2015

Project 365 2015: Week 21.

Hello! It's that time of the week again...the time to look back and document every day of the last week. 
This last week was a fun one.
A busy one but a fun one. 

There was meeting old friends.
There was Sushi.
There was going to an Art Gallery.
Book shopping.
Painting.
Having a friend come stay the night.
Cooking.
Melting in the May heat. 
Stressing over packages in the mail.
Cleaning the house.

A good week overall. 

Let's see my week in pictures. 


Day 141: Some usual blog planning and brainstorming and making lists. I love doing these prep tasks and I love doing them more in my pretty stationery with these darling pens from Kikkik. Let's face it, every thing is more fun to write and list if the writing instruments are covered in polka dots! 



Day 142: Take the time to smell the roses...if not sniff at some sweet-smelling potpourri then! 


Day 143: Bombay beautiful. A hot summer afternoon and the sea shimmering in all it's glory. Sometimes Bombay just takes me breath away.  As much as I complain about summer and heat and humidity, there is certainly something undeniably beautiful about clear summer skies, sunshine and brightness. As long as there is an iced drink close by and access to an AC...I could survive an Indian summer.


Day 144: Summer Blues. Some water colour fun. I have never been good with water colours but seeing my sister create just beauty with water colours, I can't help but play around with them too. It's just too much fun and seriously doing something artsy and crafty just is such a great way to unwind and take your mind off other things. 


Day 145: Sushi time! Oh God take me back. I could do with some Sushi right about now! 
 

Day 146: The Delhi Gallery of Art...such a wonderful exhibit with paintings from Indian artists. Loved the time I spent here. I might do a whole post on it later.
 
 
Day 147: I have a deep and abiding love for the peace symbol. It's possibly my inner hippie. It's one of my absolute favourite motifs. And when I spotted this on a watch, I had to have it. The watch is from Dulce Couture.

I hope you had a nice week too. 

I have been missing on the blog since Monday and it's nice to come back and do a post and get back in the swing of things. 

Also I am so happy that I've put out soooo many posts this month. Good job me :) 

See you guys next week!

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Book Review: The Village by the Sea by Anita Desai.


Book: The Village by the Sea

Author: Anita Desai

Pages: 278

Read On: Paperback

How Long it Took Me To Read: 1 day

Plot Summary: Forgotten by the evolution of the centuries and indifferent to the advances of the twentieth century, Thul, a tiny fishing village not far from Bombay, continues to follow those rhythms of the seasons that have always been handed down. Hari and Lila were born and raised in the village, but now their family is falling into despair: the father to alcohol while the mother is seriously ill. As for money, that there is not even enough to meet the most basic needs between.

General Thoughts: I am a huge fan of Anita Desai and when I saw that she had a children's book to her credit I wanted to give it a read and see if her writing is any different when she is writing for a younger audience. It isn't. :) Her writing is still as amazing as ever! And though this is children's book it works just as well for adult readers. I absolutely loved it!

Things I Liked:

1. The writing was lovely- as usual. Given it was meant for a much younger audience than her other books, the writing here was simple and easy to follow yet it retained the beauty of her prose.

2. The setting of this book was amazing. This little village by the sea- Thul, came alive in the pages of this book, as did it's inhabitants and their daily life.

3. The characters of this book are so wonderfully crafted and they came across as real and authentic. Apart from our main characters- Lila and Hari and their siblings, even the side characters, even those who have a fleeting presence in the book are memorable and nicely fleshed out.

4. Lila..she such a wonderful character to get to know and a nice role-model for younger readers.

5. Hari is real. He is human and he is flawed. I thought I'd hate him...given he runs away to Bombay and abandons his sisters, but I surprisingly liked him and sympathised with him and rooted for him.

6. One of the best parts of this book were the kindness of strangers. Whether it is the wealthy De Dilva family- who occasionally visits Thul and are kind to Lila and her sisters and their mother or the people Hari meets in Bombay- people who don't have much to begin with- yet shower him with kindness and generosity. I love reading about kind people and I think the world needs more kind and gentle people. And we definetly need more stories about kindness.

7. Another great message that this book talks of is change. And more importantly the inevitability of change and for need to adapt to change. The book does it subtely and does it very well. Things, situations, life and circumstances change all the time and we have no control over it, so it's in our best interest to adapt to it.

8. I loved the Bombay bits of this story. Sure Bombay is my town and I generally love reading about it but seeing is through the eyes of a young village boy and seeing how scary and overwhelming it can be, was very interesting.

9. This book was originally written and published in 1982 but it is still relevant and didn't seem dated at all.

10. This is a great book for kids. It tells a nice story and teaches them important things. I also think kids could do with reading about those who aren't as blessed or fortunate as them and learn to appreciate and be grateful for all their blessings.

Rating: 4.5/5

Monday 25 May 2015

Book Haul/// Books of May 2015.

Hello! 

I got all these books from Amazon and these are the only books I've bought so far in the month. And these might be the only books I buy all month...maybe..with me you never know! :) And I do desperately want the Penguin Little Black Classics! And I haven't found them yet! 

Hmm..

So let's see what I've added to my bookshelves! 

















Books Bought..

Murder on the Mews by Agatha Christie.
Ordeal by Innocence by  " 
Thick as Thieves by Ruskin Bond.
Falling in Love Again-Tales of Love and Romance by Ruskin Bond. 
The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells 
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell 
Up at  the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham
Daughters by Bharati Ray 
This House is Haunted by John Boyne 
That Frequent Visitor by Hari Kumar 

I have added some seriously beautiful books to my shelves this month! Yay! 

Happy reading you guys! 

Sunday 24 May 2015

Weekend Reads/// Set- 7.




Hello! 

My plans for reading this weekend were simple and slow. I have had a busy weekend with chores, errands and even some socialising with visiting friends. So reading has been on the back burner this weekend. 

Thus my reading goals have been simple too. 

Flip through Miss Vogue...I didn't even know we had a Miss Vogue/Teen Vogue in India! When did this happen?! I picked it up on Friday evening and I have done a cursory flipping through and it's nice...a little to chaotic for my liking...like too many pictures in one page and to many elements in one glance. But it's nice. 

And on to serious reading...I plan on finishing an ARC- Advanced Reader's Copy- book I have on my Kindle and then perhaps read something light and fun.
 I bought some ebooks on my Kindle last night and I may get started with one of them...I haven't decided which one yet. But Two Fates- The Story of my Divorce by Judy Balan seems fun and light and quick. So I might read that.

I hope you guys are having a nice weekend! 

Mine was good fun! 

:)