Bindi's Bazaar is Back in Town

I'm Back!

A Summary of What I've Been Up To plus 3 Huge Changes.

It's been a long while since I wrote my last blog entry, a lot of reshuffling and reorganizing has been taking place, both with the shop and at home. It sort of started out with planning my daughter's first birthday, that took on the scale of nothing less than a wedding reception. I tend to take on several projects all at the same time without realizing how much effort it takes to get through them all, all the while juggling two kids. Well, baby number 2 had a great party, we were so happy to have all our close friends and family from all over town and Bay Area celebrate with us. The day went well including the cupcakes surviving the 90 degree weather. I had so much help from my neighbors, friends and loved ones that in the end we managed to pull the butterfly/princess theme all together! 

After the birthday weekend I felt as though I had been hit by a bus, I don't recall ever feeling so tired in my life. It took 2 weeks and a strong reflexology foot massage to get over the fatigue. 

During that 2 week recovery period, I had no energy left to do anything other than think, a lot! I began to think about the direction in which I wanted to take this blog and the store. I realised that it was time to make a few basic changes, it's just that those basic changes took over 2 months to set straight and there is still a whole lot more to be done! 

So here are the major changes:

1. Name change: I'm no longer using KurtiTown as my business name. For one if you're not Indian, it's way too hard to pronounce correctly. Second of all, the name kind of limits my scope, I don't want people to think that all I house are tunics. Where did the name Bindi's Bazaar come from? That was courtesy of the fine ladies of Corporate Rejects, but why did I choose that one out of a whole myriad of possibilities? Well I will save that for another blog entry.

2. New website: I now have my own website which gives me the flexibility to design my little portal on the internet, I like being able to create a layout that I choose, and to be able to add multiple pages. This is where I have to admit most of my time in the last couple of months has been spent. Check it out at www.bindisbazaar.com

3. Merged my blogs: I started out my KurtiTown blog and the Mommy and My Time Blog at the same time, only the latter wasn't supposed to be linked in anyway back to KurtiTown. It was meant just for me, a space where I could be my true, sometimes sarcastic self. A blog where I could pour out my heart and soul without having to worry about being judged since no one would know who wrote it. Hah! I hadn't realised that this blog showed up on my blogger "complete profile" and a few of my close friends had read my entries. The feedback I got was surprisingly positive and when I mentioned that I may not continue it, there was a resounding "no"! Apparently I had articulated exactly how my friends felt and what they dealt with on a regular basis while raising their own young families. So rather than hide this from the world I decided to take ownership of what I had begun and incorporate it into my regular blog.  

I have learnt so much over the last 6 months through my children and business, met some awesome people, and strengthened old friendships, which have helped nudge me onto the correct path. I am so excited about the future and its possibilities and am looking forward to your company!

Revive and Makeover Your Sari

If you had a typical Indian wedding, chances are that you ended up with a truck load of saris that you loved at the time but are now dated, worn or you just don't have an occasion to wear one. My case is the latter, I would love to wear a sari but i live in a town where there are not too many opportunities to drape one on. Most of my saris have sentimental value and I simply feel guilty keeping such brilliant fabrics folded and stored in the least used section of my wardrobe. I can hardly bear to part with them, but at the same time they're just collecting dust and over time they will begin to disintegrate.

So began my brainstorming endeavor to breathe some life into those six yard saris. If you don't have a sari but would like to try out some of the ideas, the goodwill and thrift stores have some great finds.  As anticipated, a lot of these ideas require some skill in sewing, but if you're like me and don't own a sewing machine and would prefer not to deal with it anyway, you can always enlist your local tailor or dry cleaner to make some simple stitches for you. The results are awesome and cost much less than if you purchased them in some of the bigger retail stores out there, besides, you end up with an item that you have a real emotional connection to. 

What else could you ask for?! So many benefits rolled into one, here let me list the wholesome goodness of sari craft for you, since i'm already in a list making frenzy:

1. Recycling and reusing material is eco-friendly

2. You finally bestow a functional purpose upon your sari

3. Declutter your closet, give yourself an excuse to go buy clothes you will actually use

4. Fill your home with memories 

5. Enjoy the satisfaction and pride that comes from spearheading your own project

6. Plus the gushing compliments from you're friends!!!

7. If executed efficiently you will actually save money too!

6. The end result is a "one of a kind" item, we're all about being unique at KurtiTown!! 

So, here is the list of things you can make:

1. Ever seen those pillows and cushions at Pier1 Imports and thought "I could so do that"? Well now is your chance to get cracking!!

2. Table runner and matching place-mats. It would be so cool to use the end part of the sari "pallu" as the runner since it is the most decorative part of the sari, and use the body of the sari to make co-ordinating place-mats.

3. Why stop at the dining table, let's use the rest of the sari to make pot holders and decorative aprons!!

4. Cut out a small square from a thin cotton sari, put potpourri in the center and tie up with a ribbon. Now you have classy looking air freshener. Use it in your bathrooms and closets too!

5. Use the same idea above to wrap gifts for special ones.

6. Imagine a beautiful gold, embellished sari border glued to the cover of a journal or cookbook. Great idea for a personalized gift!

7. Cute baby girl summer dresses, smocks and skirts made from your cotton sari

8. A little more ingenuity required, but how about a stuffed toy made from sari fabric. A whole bunch of little elephants, giraffes and tigers sitting on your window ledge in vibrant colors would look so cozy and fancy too!!

9. How about "India" themed Christmas decorations, that would be awesome.

9. Small silk purses, zip bags and messenger bags too!

10. My favorite idea, make some curtains and use a fabric liner if needed to block the sunlight out. 

Add character to any room using your own saris!

11. How about making art out of your most precious and exquisite saris? Frame a part of the sari in a large wooden or vintage looking frame. You can take this further and make an entire accent wall by using a single or combination of sari material with an assortment of frame sizes.

12. Use the sari material as quilting squares. 

13. Duvet and day bed covers.

14. I have seen this in India, where they make a thin mattresses out of saris and stuff it with cotton. Great to roll out when the guests arrive, throw in some matching lounge pillows and logs and it will be a sensation!

15. Stitch sari borders onto the ends of bath towels and hand towels to add a glamorous, personalized touch!

So there you have it, with a little investment, you can tap a huge resource just sitting in your closet...waiting for you....ok well let me know if you have done any sari makeovers in the past, or you can even comment about other ideas and thoughts!

KurtiTown...global, colorful, unique

Holi, the Festival of Colors and Spring

Having lived in the western world for the better part of my life, and then to live in India during my late teens, this festival would always throw me off guard and out of my comfort zone. We tend to have a pretty large personal space in America whereas in India and other countries, it's not so hands off. Every year on this day, our neighborhood turned into a "free for all" water fight. So when a random person off the street drenches you with an icy bucket of rose colored water while you're unfortunate (and unaware) enough to be on your way to you're weekly math tuition class (which by the way, was cancelled without my knowledge, apparently it's an unwritten rule that you step out of your house at your own risk on this day), it's a pretty steep ramp up into the world of India's finest festivals!

This year, Holi the festival of colors, celebrating the triumph of good over evil falls on March 8th. If you ever happen to be in India on this day, you better watch out, you will most definitely be doused in colored water and powders.It's one of the most amazing and brilliant festivals celebrated amongst Indians today. The night before Holi, people light bonfires as a metaphorical representation of the defeat of evil. The next morning, children and adults alike delight in smearing vibrantly colored powder on their friends and family, and spraying one another with colored water, officially welcoming Spring and the warmer days to come.

Holi brought along with it some interesting lessons for my teenage self, it taught me first and foremost, to embrace life, to shed any inhibitions or self doubt, and no - the whole world is not looking at you, so take it easy. Holi introduced me to color in ways that I had never seen before. India is a country steeped in history, art, textiles, and culinary concoctions, none of which would be complete without the use of color in a very bold and definitive way.

Back here in USA, we've been having some pretty rough weather ourselves, with snow storms and rain (well, not so much in Northern California except last week). March is here, so lets shed our winter coats and fleece pants and into something bright to pick up our spirits. Colors have a way of influencing the way we feel, so bring on the reds, blues, greens and yellows!

Oh...and yes, the following year, I was definitely ready for the water bombs and welcomed any unexpected color attacks with my own fair share of shrieks of laughter!!

Holi is truly an electrifying day!