Wrapping Comes Before Gifting

Of course we all know that a beautifully wrapped gift makes a world of difference and adds that special elevating dimension to the entire activity of sharing.

This post stems from a personal experience of last minute gift wrapping and how self-defeated one feels walking in to a friend's home with a gift that could've had  happier packaging. Last year at this time we had devoted double digit number of pages to a feature on Ideas for Gift Wrapping. This year again, perhaps because this is the time when gifting hits its crescendo, that wrapping ideas take center stage.

A few trawled out ideas that could be an inspiration: 

Button down a pin wheel on small individual ones

The Bold monochromatic

Collect interesting ribbons wherever you might find them

For Oversized Drama

Beautifully simple

Papers with pom poms can make it easier

Touch of elegance

From school books to gifts, just the labels  are different

French Knots that work as knobs for drawer boxes

Sing along

For home made cookies

A Neat pile

Potpourri

Lil Goodie Sacks

Options within a Dimension

Chocolate Editions

Organic all the Way

Many ways of Combining with Brown

Lite n Lemoni

Many ways with wool and chord

The catch I figured is to be on the look out for interesting pieces that would work as embellishments on a gift and then execute it neatly.....there is still time before the bells begin to jingle...so happy wrapping!
 http://pinterest.com/missmridula//missmridula/

Advantage Mumbai as BMW Guggenheim Lab opens its third mobile lab

This last weekend would have been one of the red letter ones for Mumbaikars who feel strongly about 'meaningful public spaces' -- spaces that add quality to general day to day living, those that are interactive and encourage citizens to be participatory in their non-private immediate environment.

The BMW Guggenheim Lab, a mobile laboratory that explores Public Space and Urban Life, opened last Sunday at Mumbai after doing similar launches in New York and Berlin. Of all the Indian cities, Mumbai was undoubtedly the most appropriate city to be chosen for this experiment. Describing it as 'one of the most complex populous and culturally rich cities in the world' curator of the Mumbai Lab, David van der Leer rightly says that "everyone living in a city has a stake in its future and our programs are designed to bring people of all backgrounds and viewpoints together to address important issues related to urban life".  http:/www.bmwguggenheimlab.org/ 

The six-week program Mumbai Lab's central site will be presented from 3pm to 9pm on the plaza of the the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Activities will also be offered on dedicated dates from 5pm to 9pm at additional labs in five communities throughout the city. These are:

Horniman Circle (Fort): Dec 13-17, 2012
Priyadarshini Park (Malabar Hill): Dec 20-23, 2012
Sambhaji Park (Mulund East): Dec 27-30, 2012
Batliboy Compound (Mill Worker colony):  Jan 3-7, 2013

Mahim Beach: Jan 10-13, 2013 

We are hoping that there will be lessons for the rest of the Indian cities too.

Back to the Metals

Mudita Mull's Designs: Fresh from the Mint


So, I have this interesting story to tell......I have had these two very sweet young girls as my neighbour for the last two years. For more than a year we met occasionally at our common staircase, running in and out of our respective apartments but with with a firm resolve that "one of these coming weekends" we would spend an evening together. And so life went on...excited snatches of latest travels as we'd mostly meet on way or back from airports and each time we'd sign off saying let's try and catch up this Saturday....till I find images of fabulous metalware being shown at the New York Gift Fair in my Linkedin Inbox. The name rings a bell and I search more on the designer's name and background. Guess what... the designer is none other than the quieter, lesser seen of the sisters living upstairs! I could have hit myself because those days I was editing Livingetc and there was so much that we could have done together. But it turned out that Mudita was not ready to show in Indian market at that point of time.

The last few months have seen a lot more activity, both at the staircase and in my living room. We finally broke the jinx and have been seeing a lot more of each other and talking design and elder sister Savi's great travel stories. Not forgetting their brother Anand with whom I share a special Dengue bond!

These are some images from her latest collection:

If you have lived in the hills,  Hydrangeas just have to have been one of  your friends.
Here it is a platter...fill it up to your liking

A little flourish wouldn't harm

Perfectly finished smart nut bowls

Salad Servers that will bring a table to life

After nine years as Head of Design at Michael Aram's studio Mudita now rolls out her own line and  shows mostly at International Gift Fairs of New York, Atlanta and others. 

While Mudita and self bond over Design; Savi, her elder sister, and I bond over Food! And I am going to ask her to join me for a Cake mixing tomorrow...until then...

see more of Mudita's work at www.muditamull.com

Phone Camera Library

Sifting through my Phone Camera

Yes, Diwali was a long time ago...and in this long period I have been traveling both literally and metaphorically! While on the physical level I did a road trip to the tribal and border areas of Rajasthan which included Pokhran and Pushkar besides Barmer, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur; on the metaphorical level I have been sorting thousands of pictures on my phone, camera and iPad. After eight hours of uninterrupted work, I find I have only just begun.

The ones below were taken at the Viabuzzino store (same building as Artemide) opening at Defence Colony, New Delhi.

  Light source has been concealed behind the front panel to show the  sculpture as a silhouette against the light washed wall.

Paper lanterns good for alfresco dining

Domes and colours integrated with lights

Lights that look like peel slivers!

Embedded LEDs?

Wall embedded lights 

Light graphic fixtures that have multiple possibilities for installation.

Upward movement

As is evident, many of these would need to be integrated at the architectural drawing level in the making of a building, though some can be retro-fitted, the designers say.

Happy Diwali!

Add Warmth and Cheer to the Festival Spirit.......HAPPY DIWALI!

Happiness always follows the flicker of warm flames...