Five things that will help you while planning your travel to Bali from India. What comes to your mind when you think of Bali? Abounding natural beauty, volcanic mountains and terraced fields, amazing sunsets, beaches and coral reefs, yoga and meditation retreats were the things that came to my mind when I visualised Bali. But to be honest, besides all of these, the Indonesian visa exemption was our prime consideration for selecting Bali as our holiday destination this year. Based on my travel experience, I am listing here five things that you should know when you travel to Bali from India. V ..read more

Easter commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. Celebrated on a Sunday, this springtime holiday is all about hope, love, peace and joyful living! The long Easter weekend starts with the Good Friday and ends with the Easter Monday. The Friday before Easter, known as Good Friday commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary just outside Jerusalem. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Easter Friday is an observance that involves fasting and praying including church services. Holy Saturday is the transition between Crucifixion and Resurrection. Ea ..read more

The mid of April, (14th and 15th), ushers in the New Year in many parts of India such as in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur and Odisha. Who wouldn’t want to begin the New Year in a bright, cheery and nicely done up home? So, this is the time when many people start to spruce up their homes, especially if their home décor has started looking old, drab or boring. However, the limiting factor to give a new look to your home is often the time, effort and the cost involved in this process. We’ve got the answer to this problem; It lies in Upcycling. Wh ..read more

Hello dear friends, Hope you all are doing great. I have been away from blogging for a while and am writing after a BIG G—AP. Well, I have to let you know that this month, I have launched the Life11 online store for home decor, handicraft and gifts. Having started with a small collection of products, which include wall hangings, hand painted trays, pen stands, key hangers, gift box, flower vases, coasters, terracotta masks, terracotta jewelry, pot hangers, comforters and quilts, I am working towards increasing the number of products. Our handcrafted goods & gift items are sustainably made ..read more

Creativity can find expression in myriad ways and creative inspiration can come from varied sources. In an Instagram-inspired moment earlier this year, I had used some of the pictures to make theme-based tea coasters (I had written about those in the post Tea coasters as India souvenirs and cool gift ideas). Since then, I have painted trinket boxes, designed wall hangings, and subsequently proceeded to source different art and craft objects from different artisans, who are considered the masters of their craft. Thus, I went on about building my collection of handicrafts, home décor and gift it ..read more

Between the truth and lies is a blurring line. Our imagination often weaves its own web in our mind, furnishing each of us with our own version of the truth, which may be far removed from the truth of others. Needless to say, life is not as rational, logical or transparent as one would want it to be. Based on the premise that life is sometimes stranger than fiction, ‘A Basketful of lies’ by Geetashree Chatterjee is a collection of fifteen short stories reflecting on the vagaries and irrationality of life. The deceptively simple stories present the complexities of urban life and human behaviour ..read more

A dreadfully cold, desolate place covered with snow all around the year, where political prisoners were sent by the tsars and bears can be seen in the streets is how most people think about Siberia. I was fascinated with the Great Siberian Plains right from when my teachers had told me of this vast stretch of land that witnesses extreme winters, with temperatures reaching up to -40 deg C. Naturally, I was quite excited when my visit to Russia last month included a 3-day program in the Western Siberian cities of Tyumen and Tobolsk. It was similar to the kind of excitement I had felt at the pros ..read more

Easter commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. Celebrated on a Sunday, this springtime holiday is all about hope, love, peace and joyful living!The long Easter weekend starts with the Good Friday and ends with the Easter Monday. The Friday before Easter, known as Good Friday commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary just outside Jerusalem. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Easter Friday is an observance that involves fasting and praying including church services. Holy Saturday is the transition between Crucifixion and Resurrection. Eas ..read more

The mid of April, (14th and 15th), ushers in the New Year in many parts of India such as in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal , Assam, Manipur and Odisha.Who wouldn’t want to begin the New Year in a bright, cheery and nicely done up home? So, this is the time when many people start to spruce up their homes, especially if their home décor has started looking old, drab or boring.However, the limiting factor to give a new look to your home is often the time, effort and the cost involved in this process. We’ve got the answer to this problem; It lies in Upcycling.What ..read more