Where are these Lakshmi goddesses? In natural niches carved by flowing water, in a red earth cave somewhere deep in the jungles of India?
Nope. They’re where we can see them every day. On a wall in our dining room:
Here’s a side shot so you can see the niches are deep to give Lakshmi room to sit:
The west side of our house has a lot of windows, making a lack of many appropriate east-facing walls to choose from. The niches feel a bit misplaced here, but I think that’s more because we need something in that empty space between the mirror and niches.
Lately, we’ve been busier than ever. There hasn’t been time to work on finishing the India apartment in Chennai for many months. So I’ve decided to bring a little more of India into our Chicago home, instead of trying to get back to the India apartment so far, far away. So the focus for awhile on this site will be much closer to home.
And speaking of that, these Lakshmi niches I recently hung in our newly-painted dining room … I made the niches in a handbuilding clay class way back when we lived in Minneapolis. They’re intentionally unfinished and crude, to look like niches lifted from the earth of an exalted, revered cave hidden in the jungle, holding long-forgotten artifacts. The kind of place where you risk poisonous snakebites and mysterious curses if you dare venture there. Risking all to find Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth:
I love reading your blog. You’re creative in a way I *get*…much more cultural depth than just color and placement. Thanks!
Thank you Anastasia! That means a lot!
You’re welcome.. I also nominated you for an award here :)
Oh my goodness you have the BEST blog. Funny. I love the idea of a floating aircraft carrier world traveling commune! THAT’S IT — that’s what I’d get if my husband’s business sold for $100 million some day. Ha, as if! But IF, it’s like a floating island so we could travel the world and he can have his plane, and the carrier shouldn’t be too scary to land a little single-engine plane. Right? Thanks for helping me figure out the rest of my life if we ever hit the big time!
Thank you so much for the award — I try to post pretty pictures here, but boy does my writing so not stand up to yours! :)
(PS I hate cheap dollar store stuff too — not snobby thing, people should be willing to pay for quality things they keep instead of filling our landfills with dollar store stuff)
Exactly.. Why spend $2 on something that will last 6 months (but you’ll always need) when you could spend $40 and have it forever. And likely the $2 is made of plastic, and the other of something less icky! Thank you for the compliment on my blog! Very sweet :) I do love yours though. The imagination and all the colors. Love love!