Before the Summer comes !

It's time to remind myself to take stock of the weather situation. While most of my friends in different parts of the country are waiting for the Spring season, we in India are half way through it. Winter has gone and the narcissi have been replaced by the roses ,which soon will be replaced by the purple wreathed creepers whose five bladed flowers helicopter gently to the ground in the hot breeze. The creepy crawlies have emerged from their hibernation and the birds are looking for hollows to start their nesting. The days are hot but the mornings and evenings are still pleasant and cool. It's the perfect time to spend maximum time outdoors, go for picnics, host brunches ,entertain friends and family on your terrace, patios, balconies, indulge in alfresco dining or generally laze around on that bench lying outdoors with a book or a magazine, chat with friends or just spend time doing nothing but dreaming . Sounds fun !

It won't be long before the hot ,scorching summers will start playing havoc in our lives forcing us indoors. It won't be long before the air conditioners will start whirring forcing us to pull those blinds down, make coolers and shakes and settle down with malmal dohars thrown over the feet instead of the cozy blankets. Well, summer has it's own pleasures but there's still time for that.
So, before it's too late to realize how short lived Spring was and what we missed doing while it was here, I have totally busied myself with getting all my outdoors corners ready, sprucing them up and giving them a more 'lived in' look . The balconies, the aangan, (the courtyard) the small terrace, they are all looking happy and ready for the season . I'm expecting some house guests too, so all the more fun, right ??

 Nestled between some indoor plants,a wooden bench, some bright and cheerful cushions, some lanterns and terracotta stuff is this small aangan corner with my madhubani  painted on the wall and this happens to be our favourite haunt thesedays .

The hanging plants trail down like a veil so no need for curtains here ;)

The small terrace 'sit out' is a great place to enjoy your morning tea . Even a balcony works wonders.

The jute chair- swing will perhaps not be looked at for the longest time possible after a month or so, so it's  the perfect time to bond with it :)

 Flowers happen to be your friend in this season, so if you have a garden, do spend some good quality time with your flowers . Sit in the shade with a book or a cup of tea/ coffee or milk shake and enjoy these moments as much as you can.

Okay , so there you are with lots of  ideas up your sleeve and it's up to you to implement them. Going by the restraints and constraints that we face in our day to day life, I know it's never too easy but worth giving  a try.  Outdoors is not just a place where your car is, you can be there too ;) Take a breather, smell the roses and enjoy the outdoors and keep dreaming :)