The 'E' in decor must be for 'Emotion' :-)

There are many realizations that hit you when you decide to move overseas, one of the biggest ones being 'baggage restrictions' and the thought of handing over those 'wedding lifaafaas' to airport staff in exchange for the much dreaded excess baggage receipt !This is one case, when you truly and woefully realise that 'the sky is the limit' ! :-(

Inexperience makes you buy a lot of desi stuff as you dream of doing up your pad in the new country with those gorgeous ethnic (and very heavy ) Indian ceramics and sculptures ! Little did you know that they would not be seeing the light outside of their cartons until such time a kind aunty or uncle is travelling (hopefully with empty suitcases) and is willing to deliver the 'goods' to you :-)

So other than the few light weight decor items that you bring with you, you mostly rely on exploring the local flavour of the country that is hosting you, which is a great idea until that moment of truth strikes, and you start converting the price tags into INR :-) You know it is time then to look at other options, of original, innovative (and definitely more pocket friendly) decor ! And if there is an emotional context to the object in question, even better ! 

So that is exactly what happened here when I saw this beautiful antique silver necklace staring at me that was lovingly gifted to me by my father many many years ago. I realized I had carried it with me but somehow forgotten to unpack it while trying to settle in. Needless to say, was thrilled to discover I have it here...

My father picked up this lovely neck piece for me from a remote village in the heart of Central India. He has a passion for all that is antique, and while that is something I hope to blog about another day,  this was a clear reflection of his love for old world charm, as it was for his daughter :-) My happiness knew no bounds when he gave it to me. I think I must have slept with it next to my pillow, out of the sheer thrill and excitement, at being the proud owner of something quite so beautiful ! :-)

You would concur though that this is not exactly 'everyday wear' and I have thus had limited opportunity to wear it in the past. Even then I carried it with me to Korea, for the sheer sentiment attached to it. You know when you pack your suitcase when you're getting married, you put in more of emotion and sentiment in there, than utility and practicality and am so glad that's how it is :-) 

So the minute I saw this here, I realized it would look really nice as a part of the decor in our home and I sped to the framing shops nearby , husband ( dutifully and every so supportively ) in tow ;-)
I loved the awe in the shop owner's eyes when she saw what we wanted to get framed. Appreciation for beauty needs no language, the eyes say it all I guess :-) 'Would you like me to polish it for you?' she asked, and received a horrified 'ani' (Korean for 'no') in unison from us!! How could she possibly suggest we sacrifice the lovely dull look it had acquired over so many years ! That would be nothing short of 'character assasination' in this case ! Our vociferous response silenced any doubts she may have had on the subject, and we moved on to choosing the frame. The better half chipped in with his ideas on the look-and-feel of the frame, and we decided a cream distressed finish would be befitting of our treasure ! That done, delivery dates were finalised, some pleasantries exchanged and I started to count backwards waiting to see the final outcome. 

D-Day arrived after what seemed like the longest week ever, and I was overjoyed. It was worth the wait, for they did a lovely neat job, leaving me with the option of hanging it on the wall or letting it stand against the table...

Doesn't it look nice as it adds some colour to the white wall here ? 

As it does on the table...

And you know the best part ? This is on hooks! So I always have the option of teaming it up with a lovely starched cotton saree, smearing on lots of kohl and letting it add its antique glamour to the outfit :-) But leaving that for another time, happy to let it adorn my home for now, resplendent against its red velvety background :-) 

I am sure you'll agree that objects as precious as these deserve to be put in a place where you can catch a glimpse of them regularly, so you can feel the emotions attached to them resurface, and experience that timely tug at your heart strings :-) And while I love everything else that I have in our home, this one will always be slightly more special :-) So regardless of whether you stay in India or abroad, do see if there is a precious piece of jewellery that you would like to use to do up your home. And while you're at it, do share it with me too :-) Take care. See you here again soon.