The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

 Hello Loves!  2023 has been the year of Tote Bags for me. I fell in love with tote bags and went a little crazy buying totes all year round and I have no regrets. I mostly bought from small businesses and got the cutest works of art.  Here are some Top Totebags of 2023. In no particular order.. Here we go..  1. Studio Joyeeta: Starting off with a forever fave Joyeeta, who started a merch line and we for two totes (obviously) and this lady is my favourite. Nicely made and featuring Joyeeta's incredible art.  I love it.  Check out her beautiful stuff on her website .  2. Strawbabie: I found this shop on IG and got myself some totes and stickers an other cuties from them. I currently have another order from them on the way to me.  I adore these totes. I used them as a Planner Tote and my Reading tote.  So cute, go check out their shop for some delightful things.  Find them here.  Love their aesthetic and vibe 🎀 3. La Dolce Vita: S...

 Hello Loves!  If you know me, you know I love love love things made by hand and I have a special soft spot for embroidered things. Both my Grandmothers were skilled embroiderers, so every time I buy a piece of embroidered something, I feel like it's something my Thamma and Dida would like.  :)  We've bought from Rainbow Tales and Rhichita before, a couple of time and we love her work and her artistry.  We recently bought a few pendants and two brooches and they are so lovely.  Here's a little look.  Here are the necklaces.  This is an edit of small pieces and I love them. So much more wearable and easy to just throw on.  I love the tiny florals so much. The lavender ones might be my favourite but I do love the little bee so damn much. So cute and see how neat everything is.  These are the brooches and they are so lovely.  Florals again because clearly I can't have enough.  :)  Do go check out her shop and treat yourself ...

 Hello Loves!  Time to share a little haul from recent times.  I love all things handmade and painted and things that are unique.  I came across Ayenaa on IG a while back I had to get myself some of her beautiful creations.  We, sister and I, picked two totes. One pouch and one sling bag.  Here is what we got.  This is the pouch. Look at the beautiful art and look at those colours.  This is the tote.  Look how gorgeous.  I love the woman and the bird. This one my sister picked out, she loves birds and we love the old fashioned Bengali vibe of this one.  I also got myself this circle sling bag. The oodles of yellow and the this portrait really called out to me.  The bag itself is quite roomy and wonderful and even though it's small, it will fit all of my essentials. I also like that the strap is cotton and not leather or PVC, it goes well with the vibe of the bag.  And finally I got this beautiful owl bag for myself. I LOV...

  Hello June! Happy 9th Birthday to this little blog! :)  Started out June by visiting with an aunt and uncle who I had not met in 4 years! Had a lovely adda and PNPC (beloved Bengali acronym for gossip!) session along with yum Bengali snacks!  Sharing some pics of my evening!  Hoping this month is kind to all of us!  My Mom's childhood home's Kaali temple. So many stories and so many fun memories for all of us are held here.  My uncle was a tea planter and is a certified tea taster. He was known for his amazing tea blends whilst he was in the business. Even today, he gave us some really great Assam tea! But this, oh betrayal!, is coffee! :)  Even a short visit ten-minutes away meant getting out of my pyjamas and into some "outside world" clothes! Wore a soft cotton kurti from Inji and this lovely handmade pendant by Banerii. Both bought off their Instagram stores!  Have a great month ahead, guys! 

 Hello Loves!  Today's post is very Spring appropriate and it makes me so happy. I am a big fan of tote bags, cotton totes especially have my whole heart. I can't quite control myself when I see a pretty tote bag and this was my exact situation when I stumbled across the beautiful tote bags made by Stem Daisy Embroidery.   It was love at first sight.   We got two totes and I love them so much.  Look at them!  Cats & Flowers!  Cats!  Look at how freaking adorable these cats are?!  Cute as can be!  Hello cuties.  The cats and flowers are giving me life.  I can't wait to fill up this tote with my books and journal and camera and hit the world.  Go cafe hopping and live my best life.  The next tote might be absolute favourite.  Bloom!  I cannot even with how gorgeous this tote is.  Spring Summer vibes are strong in this one.  The embroidery is truly special.  Look how gorgeous.  REVI...

 Hello Loves!  Today's Friday Faves are new things from an old favourite of mine- Deesa .  I have bought a couple of brooches from her in the last few years and it's my go to place to find something cute and quirky and beautiful. Seriously go check out her shop and get something lovely to spruce up your daily looks and style.  This time around we got ourselves some hair-clips..only we don't exactly intend to use them as such. We plan on using these to hold down our journal pages while we journal. I am sure at some point I will put them in my hair and feel cute but mostly we use them as a stationery item.  Here are the beauties we got.  Oh first up a biggggg thank-you to Deepika for sending me a little belated birthday gift- this beautiful shiuli clip that I love so much. Shiulis are one of my favourite flowers and I am so happy to have one in this form in my life.  A marigold aka a humble but lovely genda phool .  I love how big and wholesome t...

 Hello, hello, Happy Makar Sankranti/ Pongal! :)  Today, I wanted to share a beautiful haul of hand embroidered brooches from one of favourite embroidery artists on Instagram- Bidisha Sarkar Biswas' Vastriyan .  Bidisha is one of our absolutely favourite people and artists on Instagram and we simply love her beautiful, flawless embroidery and creativity! We are so, so grateful to own several of her beautiful pieces including two of the brooches we ordered most recently- cosmos and marigold. The other two were kindly sent to us by Bidisha because that is just the kind of wonderful person she is!  Let's look at all the loveliness now, shall we?  Cosmos are pretty purple/ hot pink flowers that bloom all over the hills. Look at how pretty this brooch is! Look at all the little details that Bidisha has captured!  Marigold is one of my favourite flowers. Simple and unassuming, this sturdy plant grows easily and flowers abundantly in the winter! I love love l...

  Hello everyone! Wishing you and yours a very Happy Durga Pujo! Shubho Sharadiya!  Have a wonderful pujo filled with fun, friends, family and FOOD!  May the Goddess bless us with all of the bright, good things! Lots of love, The Whimsy Bookworm (Pooja) and Sister Bookworm (Debs) P.S: Sharing a few pictures from a very quick, very safe (we were the ONLY people in totally empty pandals yesterday!) pandal hopping that we did yesterday (during the day and it was SO HOT!).  Tiny Maa Durga and her kids made by a talent school-going kid! How amazing is this?!  A beautiful sthal poddo in full bloom. These magical flowers start white and turn pink!  My sister carried this beautiful circle bag from Riddhi Pankaj, which is illustrated by Karubasona. Both of these are our favourite brands owned by women entrepreneurs.  Shubho Saptami! Have a lovely day! 

 Hello Loves!  I love jewellery and beaded and boho jewellery especially takes me back to my college days and reminds me of walking in flea markets and finding something beautiful and quirky to wear.  When I found Gemini Art and Craft I was reminded of the kind of jewellery I wore as a college student and I needed some of her creations in my life.  I got 3 earrings from her back in February and ordered a fresh batch of earrings this month too.  Here are my new acquisitions.  These earrings were love at first sight.  I love the quirkiness of these beauties.  Love the mix of colours, the textures and the beads and wool and cowries.  I can't wait to wear them.  The Goa vibe is so strong in these babies.  Love love love.  These are made from papier mache...I think.  They are super light weight and so pretty.  Immensely wearable.  These fish friends I bought for my sister.  A beautiful piece that will go with so...