A Homemade Life

There’s one particular blog that I often bumble over to, when I’m in the mood for a slower, more hands-on life. ‘Hands-on life’? Now, isn’t life hands on, you may ask. Well, in today’s day and age, where grocery is ordered online and veggies come from cans and packets, clothes from a catalogue or store and a meal often from a takeaway or a cook, life is more about delegation than DIY.

When life is whizzing us by, jet-set on deadlines, stress and general busyness, don’t you ever wish for a calmer spot, a more warm, home-grown life and an inner contentment that no corporate career can offer? Well, I certainly do. It was this decision to slow down and soak in everything that life has to offer that’s got me going DIY and hands-on in various aspects of my life.

My meals come from my soup pot and wok, where I cook them with chutzpah and love. My clothes from the village weavers; veggies from the local haat (Indian village market) and our vegetable garden; healing from holistic ways; employment from entrepreneurship; and, entertainment from simple sources.

The endeavour is to live a green, homemade life, wherever and whenever possible. So, coming back to the blog I love bumbling over to – it’s called SouleMama and is all about her family’s life, as they go about spinning and living a warm, happy homemade life.

I find a lot of inspiration in how Amanda and her family live, and I hope you will too.

Photo credit: SouleMama - Amanda Blake Soule

Cookie Jar in the news!

The POOL interview with me :)

Woohoo....It's such a lot of fun to be on the other side of the interviewing table :) ! POOL - a national design magazine, interviewed me about this blog - Cookie Jar, my thoughts on writing, dreams and plans. It was such a pleasant change to be giving the interview, rather than taking one.

Thanks Maitreyi & POOL Team for the opportunity! And Thanks to all of my readers, for the support and for being there :)

Luscious!

Photo credit: Jean Georges

Hey! I've been away for a long...even after all those promises. Time's been flying. Between the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Luscious Health and all the excitement of setting up a new business, there's hardly been much left to do anything else.

Ah! and then there's the thing about Very Very effective time management. I get by pretty well with my current time management skills, but am so interested in becoming a Guru at this :). Who wouldn't?

By the way, before we go over to another stream of conversation, let's catch up with Luscious Health. What's that, you may ask?

Luscious Health is my brand new Health & Nutrition Coaching company!!!!! Yayyyy....a baby business steadily making its way out of the bassinet.

Please check out the this jewel of a wellness studio, right here: http://www.luscious-health.com/

AND here's my joyful Giveaway....a FREE WELLNESS SESSION. It's an hour-long session with the focus on YOU, your health goals and your wellness mission.

So, if getting healthy, happy and fit has been on your mind this year, get in touch with me to turn your goals into a reality. 

My email: luscioushealthcoaching@gmail.com

See you there soon!

p.s. Oh...and this Free Session Offer is valid till Feb 16, 2012!!!

A Super Shutterbug

Tracy Clark. I’ve been stumbling across her name every now and then since last year. Since I signed up at Bigpicturescrapbooking.com. And in these past few months, after poring over her blog, sifting through her beautifully-crafted images, I can safely say that I’m totally inspired. To craft pictures, to capture the everyday minute …with gossamer threads of light, smoky panes of shadow. There’s more than a touch of vintage in her pictures. They definitely remind me of a time that’s uncomplicated and slow.

Founder of Shutter Sisters, an ace photographer and a writer with some interesting titles to her credit, Tracy is a creator and crafter, who merges snapshots and words with equal ease. So people, don’t let me keep you from hopping over to her blog.

Doggy Boo

Ladybird love

Sweet nothings...

Image Credit: Tracy Clark

Nourishing tales

Hellooo everyone!

Hold those tomatoes...pleaseee....

I know...I know...I've been a runaway blogger for the past couple of months....and neglected Cookie Jar like no blogger should! But hey, a gal's gotta study when she has to study.

Yup, you heard right. I've gone back to school. To a Health, Nutrition and Nourishment school to upgrade my knowledge and delve deeper into a field that I've always enjoyed. So, guys, here's the whole scoop. I'm studying at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City, and will soon be a Certified Holistic Health Coach or a Health Coach, to put it more simply.

So, in a few short months, if any of you would like a lifestyle and health makeover, a generous dollop of happiness or some wholesome mind-body-spirit nourishment, then be my guest at Luscious Health, my brand new health coaching business.

More later. And this time, I won't disappear down the rabbit's burrow ;).

Be your own boss

I love it when people can stop working for others and become their own boss. When they can slip off the heavy chain called ‘corporate job’ or for that matter any job, and slip into the role of an entrepreneur, running a business doing what they are passionate about. It could be a craft business, a writing venture, a food biz….anything that makes that person tick.

I ‘met’ Meytal Ron at the Etsy hub and was happy to see another person doing what she loves. A designer and artist, she worked in the high-tech 3D design arena before giving up her day job to start Jolinne and Honeyboo, two quirky Etsy stores where she retails lovely prints. Having always loved painting and art, it was not a surprise that this hobby was turned into a viable business and art that all of you are sure to love.

I love books

The sound of music

Puppy love

See more of her work at Jolinne.

Read her interview at the Etsy Blog.

Image credit: Meytal Ron

A Feast of Colors

Every now and then, while researching for information or when I get tired of working, I hop onto my magic carpet and cruise over to interesting blogs. One fab blog leads me to another, one artist/entrepreneur introduces me to another. And in this way, I get to see a wide range of quirky, creative, whimsical, pretty, breathtaking blogs and ‘meet’ a bunch of interesting people.

In fact, these blogs led me to start my own web diary, a place where I decided to interview these bloggers. But as the days go by, I realise that interviewing all of them will take time and while I continue to send out interview requests, I need to post good stuff out here for you to dig into. So from now on, you’ll see a lot more snazzy snippets in this online scrapbook. Snippets about cute blogs, artists, entrepreneurs and interesting people. You’ll see more art and craft. More eye candy. And of course, the interviews too.

Talking about creativity and eye candy, you just have to-have to go over to A Creative Mint. Started by LA-based Leslie Shewring, an architect and interior designer by degree, a product designer by profession and stay-at-home mother by passion. This blog is her treasure trove of projects and photographs that she has put together with lots of TLC. I personally love the luminescent colours, the simple yet beautiful photos and the exuberant mood boards.

Pretty pink

Cool blues and greens

Pages from Leslie's journal

Sherbet

More roses

See more of her lovely images at A Creative Mint.

Image credit: A Creative Mint/Leslie