Friends (make)..the greatest gifts

If you're staying abroad one of the best parts is getting to meet new people and making new friends...since I moved to Korea I have had the good fortune of connecting with folks from different countries, different cultures, people with varied interests and hobbies...but the flip side to this is that you do have to live with the physical distance from your old ones ! Somedays you wake up thinking of those individuals who have been with you for as many years that you can think back, who have shared the ups and downs, who have bunked classes with you in college and nursed your hangover after that graduation party... :-) And that's when you look around your home and you realise that they are very much around you, through the beautiful things that adorn your corners that have been thoughtfully selected and gifted to you by them...

And so today's post is dedicated to some of these truly special girls of mine, people who are brilliant and blessed with some of the most loving and giving hearts I know of :-)

By now am sure you know of my love for collecting Buddhas in various forms...this time on my trip back home I carried back with me the first statue from my collection, a birthday present in 2012 from one of my closest friends, Guramrita.

  

She has an amazing sense of style and this totally reflects in this exquisite Buddha that she chose for my home...

It is carved out of wood with dull gold polish on it and mirror work that gleams whenever the sunlight falls upon it. Needless to say, I always have been and continue to be mesmerised by this work of art...a lovely gift from a dear friend who always encouraged me to find the 'buddha' within myself...one of the most beautiful and strong souls I know...counting days to the next time I'll get to share a cup of chai with her again or savour some of her fabulous cooking ! :-)

When we get married our friend circle widens with the beautiful inclusion of those that our better half has grown up with including his or her group of childhood friends and college besties and the next artefact here is a stunner from a very dear friend of my better half...a gorgeous brass Ganesha that occupies pride of place in my home..

If you are wondering what the red border is all about then let me share with you that is a beautiful example of how metal and fabric come together to create something so aesthetically pleasing. This has been set against a subtle cloth vignette in brown and gold and has a gorgeous scarlet fabric border enclosing the idol...

..Beautiful is it not ? And what a lovely gift to give someone who is about to start a new journey in life, in more ways than one ? Thank you for this Rashi, am SO glad we met and we truly treasure this one from our collection ! :-)

There are some people who know us better than we know ourselves, we have spent the formative period of our lives with them, played truant from tuition classes together, shared endless rounds of dessert after exams got over, and even when its been so many years and we don't get to see each other more than once a year perhaps, whenever we meet them it feels like we never parted...and this is a beautiful wedding present from one such friend who goes beyond being loving and being gifted and is extremely dear to me...a set of candle stands that add the classic European touch to our home...

I light them up on Friday evenings when it it just the two of us at home or when we have people over and simply love their understated elegance...

Must mention here, that though Lara could not make it for our big day, she made a special effort to ensure this beautiful expression of her love and good wishes for us reached us before we undertook our journey to Korea, and I am so glad we have these beautiful candle stands here with us, a lovely reminder of her thoughtfulness and warmth that are so inherent in her nature...thanks Lara, love them !

And last but in no way the least, is a mention of a very dear friend...someone I did not grow up with or go to business school with, but someone I met and spoke to for perhaps just ten minutes at work in India and we hit it off like we had known each other all our lives...my friend Jayeeta, the superwoman with wheels on her feet, one foot on the road and the other in an airplane, the tough negotiator at work and the soft-hearted lady who melts at the sight of a puppy...my confidante, sounding board and so much more...here is a lovely gift from her, which was something I had always wanted...a beyond-beautiful 'kantha' bedspread...

She selected this for us on a trip to Kolkatta and the beautiful embroidery and the colours just stole my heart when I set my eyes upon it...it was far more stunning than anything I had imagined in the context of this form of art...

Known for doing things in style and for her attention to detail, she ensured everything was perfect, from the gift itself right to the gorgeous tissue bag that it came in...

I must confess though, to not having used the bedspread yet, simply because (at the risk of sounding a little crazy) I feel it is too gorgeous to use (as a bedcover at least) :-) Someday perhaps when we have enough wall space, I see it going up as wall art in our home...nevertheless, I take it out of its green envelope many a times, and feel the 'kantha' stitch underneath my fingers and can only feel blessed to have friends who spoil me so much  :-) Love it J, thank you !

I have always said whenever I have had a chance to speak about what makes my home what it is, that cherished gifts from my pals make the corners of our apartment come alive. It is the beauty of the artefacts chosen by them, as much as their great taste, superlative sense of style and love for me that all adds up and lends that special touch to the decor in our home. 

These are things that I shall cherish forever, just as much as I cherish the bond I share with those who thought of these wonderful gifts, treasure the memories we have of all our great times together, and raise a toast to the friendship that keeps us this close...even when we are many miles apart. Thank you for being so immensely thoughtful, and for always being there :-)