GreenTea Design

Please welcome Greentea Design, the new sponsor of An Indian Summer !

Greentea was born of the need for contemporary Asian designs in the west. Greentea collaborates with select group of talented artisans to design stylish Asian furniture, and works with experienced buyers who hand-pick antiques from Japan, Korea and China

And that's not all! Living up to its name, Greentea has imbibed 'green' as its philosophy. All its furniture is hand-built from reclaimed wood salvaged from old country homes and warehouses. The seasoned wood adds to the charm of beautifully designed furniture pieces

Greentea is located in Toronto, and they deliver worldwide

Psst.....Get Greentea's latest kitchen guide from their site. And do take a look at their Mizuya kitchen cabinet collection. For a quick overview of Japanese, Korean and Chinese furniture, click here

It all began this day last year...

Last year, I started this blog

And the very next day, you started visiting me

This year, there's a lot more to come

Since you all are so very special!

[to be hummed to the tune of Last Christmas by Wham!]

Tee hee!

Happy first b'day to An Indian Summer!

* Well, it did all begin this day last year. A lot, a Whole Lot has happened since then....this blog and YOU have changed my life in more ways than one! Thankfully, all for the good! You ask me how? Even if you don't ask, I will take you through a quick retrospective, along with some of my favorite images from one year's worth of posts....

Clockwise from top left: Though we gotta.., Fairies, elves..., Wanderlust hits again , Rent a tent

* As I started writing about design and decor, I realized how passionate I am about this, and how much I enjoyed writing about design and sharing & 'talking' with you. Your comments, feedback, suggestions and immense love made, and still totally makes my day! So much so, that earlier this year, I decided to change my career track when at its peak, and took the jump (gulp!) to focus solely on my blog and the bazaar. As of today (yes, on my blog's bday!) I made the choice of becoming an independent consultant that will allow me to divide my time between doing some good for corporate training, and some good for the world of design :)

Clockwise from top left: Royal retreat - Devigarh, Before you read.., Kingdom in the Himalayas, Sun, sand...

* My vocabulary increased to include a new word: e-friend! Starting from Maryam who was the first non family/friend to leave a comment on my blog, to Kim and Jo who first featured An Indian Summer on their fab blog, to Linda whose emails never fail to cheer me up, to Vini of the prolific comments fame, to Katie who got me hooked to her blog through her kitchen reno, to Maddie, Gillian and Tara who reveal new meaning each day through their beautiful writing, to Stan and Kus, talent extraordinaire' Design Asia partners, to Joanna, Erinn, Helena, Brownyn, Melissa, Arch, Pam whose posts never fail to inspire me, to all my amazingly talented blogger friends who have appreciated An Indian Summer and given it a place on their fabulous blogs, and, to all the generous and loving readers who leave little notes for me...even when I am away from my blog! I am sure I have missed mentioning a lot of other efriends.... just open up the comments section or the blogs listed on the left...you'll find them there!

From: Join the club, There are photographers..

* I am still recuperating from the emotions expressed in the last two retrospectives! Give me a moment before I speak again..

Clockwise from top left: In the pink of things, Truly Indian, Today's inspiration, Look what I found

* I realized how well I sing...on my blog that is! I have so much fun writing posts around a song, or finding songs fit to a post! I am planning to hone this skill further, so watch out for more singing posts! I will also be open to requests! ;-)

From: When I am feeling blue..., Iran

* When you write a blog, there is always this question of how open and personal you can be or should be. Well, I started with stating my name clear and upfront (yup, that's my real name). I didn't realize one interesting consequence of that. Now when I google my name, God knows what random part of a post (or a song, as is most likely in my case!) will get thrown up beneath my name! Good fun most of the times! But, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing important moments of my life in the last year with you...my travel and vacations, my best-half rechristened as Mr. Shaking Head, my sister's wedding and my home and festivities!

From: The wedding story, 1790 miles.., Diwali...

* Of course, cats and cute babies found a way into this design blog too!

From: This post is about, Fairies, elves..., And then Ivanhoe said..

* And, the first year of my blog also brought about my first entrepreneurial venture: An Indian Summer Bazaar! Starting and running the bazaar brought about such roller coaster of emotions and mental & physical labor, that I almost went back to my 'safe' strategy and management corporate work! But boy, did I enjoy the adrenaline rush! It was so much fun!

I know you are wondering when am I launching the next bazaar? Well, given that I also have this Independent learning consultant thingie to work upon, I have decided to launch the next bazaar just in time for Diwali and Christmas. I will continue to help you with your personal shopping requests from India in the meantime.

An Indian Summer Bazaar

Phew! Hope I gave you enough reading material to last you the weekend? ;-)

Before I leave you for the weekend, couple of things...

~ THANK YOU ! For everything. Keep visiting me and writing to me

~ Enjoy your weekend! We will meet again on Monday with a brand new sponsor for An Indian Summer!

I am back home...

.... and I still like gorgeous furniture! ;-)

Quick tip to overcome jet lag: Look at some nice warm pictures. And if these pictures happen to be of Tucker Robbins furniture, well, rest assured, your jet is no longer lagged! While I adored the raw lines of this 'monk turned world traveller turned designer', I gasped at these beautiful images on his site. Do take a look...and tell me what you like!

'Tis the time for some...

...retail therapy @ London!

I am one happy girl after doing a whirlwind tour of my favorite stores this weekend...Ikea, Habitat and Zara Home :-)

Look at all these lovely colors that are in this summer!

I will back home next Sunday. Back home to Mr. Shaking Head, and an early torrential monsoon!

Collection of Tribal Armbands

Tattoos Designs In History

President Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill's mother had something in common. They both wore tattoos. While Jennie Churchill's tattoo was allegedly covered for the sake of reputation, and Teddy Roosevelt's was simply in a location which was not readily visible, this caused quite a stir amongst most of their...






Author: Mark Hargreaves

President Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill's mother had something in common. They both wore tattoos. While Jennie Churchill's tattoo was allegedly covered for the sake of reputation, and Teddy Roosevelt's was simply in a location which was not readily visible, this caused quite a stir amongst most of their day as well as modern-day history buffs.

President Roosevelt's daughter Alice had a tattoo also in a concealed location. Neither Mrs Churchill nor President Roosevelt's artwork lent itself to gaining a sense of respectability amongst the average citizens. Even whilst such notable figures possessed tattoos, they were still found to be socially unacceptable

Ancient Tattoos

The Ice Man - Otzi
Going as far back as any studies go on the question, it is claimed that the "Ice Man" who lived some 3300 B.C., had some manner of tattoos. Upon discovering the remains, researchers could do little rather than guess that this primitive kind of tattoo was for the purpose of warding off evil spirits, or that it may be some type of rite-of-passage award.


Ice Man Tattoos

Merged on his spine and behind one knee and on one ankle, the Ice Man had roughly fifty-seven tattoos. It is impossible to do further than speculate as to the actual rationalization for them, it most certainly shows that tattoos aren't unique to current eras nor to the individuals in the present-day world. As the Ice Man was the oldest mummified human remains found in Europe, modern day tattoo fans have history on their side - there's nothing whatever new about tattoos.

In the past, tattoos were connected to an altogether varying nature than during the in recent decades. There was nothing notorious or rebellious about them at all. It used to be that tattoos were reserved for those of high social standing, and were not available to average individuals. Tattoos were only available to and a sign of those who were wealthy, important, and mostly in some high position. Sweden's King Oscar had tattoos; also England's King George IV. In that period tattoos were considered a status symbol.

In other time-periods, tattoos also served specialized purposes. Going the furthest back in American history, assorted Native American tribes utilized tattoos; it was primarily for the goal of showing their position to one's individual tribe. For the Polynesians, tattooing was a mode of relating family history; each individual had his own distinct tattoos to show the story of his family. Some of the earliest explorers on the American continent are said to carry gotten this background from the Polynesians' forms of tattoos.

Two of the oldest Egyptian mummies were discovered to have even had tattoos. These tattoos, which are only found on female mummies, consist of patterns of lines, dots and dashes. As the women themselves were connected to ritualistic practices, it is assumed that the tattoos they had were in some way representative of that fact. It is only speculation on the parts of the researchers, due to their knowledge of the lifestyles of that period in time.
Although Oriental symbols are undeniably trendy for tattoos in America, it is not widely known that both the Japanese and Chinese cultures have held a strong opposition to the occupation of tattooing all through history. With both societal and religious viewpoints agreeing that tattooing is something which ought to not be done, it is still widely held to be a means of contaminating one's body. For the ancient Chinese, tattooing was used as a punishment for criminal practice, putting such visible marks on an individual to forever brand him as a felon.
ArticleSource:http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/tattoos-designs-in-history-317608.html
About the Author:
Tattoo designs from around the world along with articles on the history and techniques of tattooing. More informative articles on tattoos and tattooing are available here

Black Tribal Designs

Individuality and Style Expressed Through Body Art

If you’ve ever seen the program "Inked" you’ll realize that tattoo design has become more popular than ever before. What is the genesis behind this new craze?

Author: Craig Thornburrow

Currently, there are hundreds of thousands of online sites wherein you can pick and choose a tattoo design, print it out and take it to one of many tattoo parlors in your area. Incredibly, there are well over 40 million individuals who have tattoos. What is it about tattoos that are so appealing?

The history of tattoos dates as far back as the Stone Age. However, you may recall that in 1991, a 5300 year-old frozen mummy was discovered in the Otztal Alps and aptly named "The Iceman." Upon examination, he was found to have 58 tattoos.

In other cultures around the world from the Maori in New Zealand to the Ainu in Japan, the art of tattooing – although its origin can be traced back to the fourth millennium and earlier – still exists today and has morphed into a more contemporary art form.

While the Mendhi is a temporary tattoo made primarily of henna, it is nonetheless a popular form of tattooing that originated in India. The difference between this form and traditional tattoos is that the Mendhi does not penetrate the skin, but the patterns applied to the skin last for a period of three to four weeks.

Why have tattoo designs become so popular? It has become a symbol of individuality. Considering there are well over 40 million individuals who have tattoos, it seems clear that the reasons are uniquely their own. As seen on the program "Inked," people decide to have tattoos commemorating loss of a loved one, or utilize symbols denoting their specific culture or religion, or a tattoo design that represents a sentiment they feel aptly describes their own convictions.

An indication of just how popular tattoo designs have become is evidenced by the more than thirty thousand tattoo parlors available today. As state earlier, there are close to 200,000 online sites that offer a tattoo design in every genre imaginable. While there is certainly no shortage of tattoo designs, there are occasions when a person may outline a specific design or idea that he or she cannot find on the internet.

Tattoo designs can range from the more simple design such as a small butterfly to the more intricate and larger images such as a caricature. Over the last several years, tattooing has been used as a method by which permanent makeup can be applied. For example, some women may have their lips or eyebrows tattooed with a color of their choice.

There is no doubt that the art of tattooing has become a more acceptable form of self-expression. To this end, the tattoo design will continue to emerge and become perfected by those artists whose vision and creativity serve to enhance the scope of this ancient art form into the next millennium.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fashion-articles/tattoo-design-individuality-and-style-expressed-through-body-art-397698.html

About the Author:

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on tattoo designs and a tattoo art book at http://www.tattoodesignparlor.com

Sacred Heart Tattoo Design

Mom and Dad Rose Tattoo

Click on thumbnails to view larger image.