And the winner is....

I numbered the list of people that Swapna Mehta sent me and used Random.org to generate a number. 

And the winner is......

Anuradha Varma from My Dream Canvas!

Some Sound Horn Please for Anu :)

Reveal Thyself!

Hellooo! I know I disappeared from here for a while. I haven't forgotten you, just desperately trying to come up for some air while I am drowning under work. Work/ Life balance you say? Sigh!

The Red Patang giveaway closed a few days ago, but I haven't picked a winner as yet. We have a few MIAs here. As you know the giveaway was only for readers from the US or Canada.

Rajat Puranik
Patrick Eliot
Kunal Patel
Shweta Amar

Rajat, Patrick, Kunal and Shweta if you are from the US or Canada please do write to me at soundhornplease [at] gmail [dot] com so that I can include you in the giveaway. I will wait till Monday, 11th April before I hear from you and will then declare the winner.

via

The sideboard above is a stained oak vintage piece from Alfred Hendrickx. 

Like it? I loved the idea of one of the doors being an abstract painting, but the wood stain reminded me of the cheap plywood vinyl kitchen cupboards that were popular in India not so long ago. Like it? Hate it? What gives?

India-Inspired Picks of the Month

Hello folks! Well rested from the weekend? Monday blues still on? Debuting this week on SHP is a new series called the 'Picks of the Month' to chase away those blues. I would ideally have done a 'Picks of the Week' series, but at present spare time has become a hard commodity to come by.

Ready for some window shopping and some sighing? 

Madhubani inspired Mr. Sun and Lady Moon cushions. How cute do they look sitting side by side?

Remember the post on the dying art of hand-painted Bollywood posters here on SHP? Well CB2 is now selling an 'artwork' hand-painted by Bollywood signboard painters. 

But, I wouldn't buy that at all. I'd rather get myself this lovely accent table 'inspired by the centuries-old red lacquer wood kneading bowls of the Chettiar in Tamil Nadu at India's southern tip, each is handpainted in an optimistic burst of bright calligraphy squiggles and brushstrokes by Indian signboard painters whose trade has vanished in the age of computer graphics.' 

These tables have been made in collaboration with Ayush Kasliwal, a young Indian industrial designer who is keeping the traditional skills of local craftsmen alive with the creation of modern objects.

How about this lovely 3-piece set of lotus candleholders? Should I?

Have you taken part in the Red Patang giveaway as yet? Hurry! It closes on April 4th. And in case the rules are unclear, you need to 'Like' Red Patang on their Facebook page to be eligible for the giveaway and a 10% discount. According to the rules set by Swapna from Red Patang, following SHP is insufficient to win the giveaway, you need to Like Red Patang on Facebook too. Good luck!

Red Patang and a Giveaway!

Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway Time!

NRI Indian parents wondering where to source Indian clothes and games for your little ones without having to pay exorbitant shipping costs or deciding which ones are priority while packing those already bulging suitcases on every visit home, Red Patang is here!

Red Patang is a newly launched website for Indian inspired products that are unique, fun and hard to find. Founder Swapna Mehta as a new parent realized that there was a need for a single shopping portal for Indian families in North America. When I asked Swapna why she quit a successful hard-earned career in Finance to start Red Patang, her response was "Some day I wanted our daughter to feel proud that her mother followed her heart."  Awwww... Swapna, I think your daughter will definitely be very proud!

Take a peek at some of the wonderful stuff Red Patang has to offer...Amar Chitra Katha Comics, the Little Guruskool educational series, kurtas, handcrafted lacware toys and Chumbak products at affordable prices.

I am writing up the post today, as Red Patang offers weekly deals every Monday, with deep discounts of 20% to 40%. Red Patang ships economically at a flat rate of $5 for every order in the US and $15 for every Canadian order. So, hop over here and get shopping for your little ones. Also, do keep your eyes out for products coming soon on Red Patang for the grown-ups too ;)

Also, Swapna has been kind enough to offer a giveaway for Sound Horn Please readers!

Very aptly, they are Sound Horn charms and Keychain from Chumbak featured here before. 

The rules of the giveaway as set by Swapna are,

1. Become a fan of RedPatang on their Facebook Page and leave a comment here saying so.  If you are already a redpatang fan - share the giveaway via facebook and leave a comment that you did so.  

2. Follow Sound Horn Please and leave a comment. If you are already a follower, leave a comment saying so.

For an extra entry  - 

3. Blog/Tweet/Facebook about the giveaway and post the link as a comment.  

Each action gives you one entry. The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian readers only. The giveaway is open till April 4th, 9 PM EST. 

I've had e-mails from a lot of readers here asking me about fun new Indian products they could buy for their kids, so I have a series of posts all this week on some lovely Indian kids' products available. 

Watch this space!