Weekend reading with your Cuppa Joe

Yesterday, on twitter, I read a tweet on my timeline.. and read the content on it and it infuriated me - just like it did thousands of others..So I re-tweeted it ..

Read for yourself if what Urban Outfitters is doing by ripping off this indie designer's idea .  

So anyway, I went to bed , still thinking about how big corps do this every so often , and how the whole issue would unfold . 

I woke up this morning and hello ! To my surprise I read this tweet on my timeline : 

woah ! I read the article in bed , just as soon as I could rub my eyes and read it clearly . Yes, I am an I-phone  junkie ! 

Yay ! Hallelujah !! I did a little victory dance as best as I could - while in bed - trying not to wake my husband . 

I am genuinely happy for the designer truche as the power of social media pressure got to Urban Outfitters. 

Do they not have their own designers or are they running out of steam that they now have to blatantly steal ideas from other designers? No, they haven't apologized for anything. They simply took the design off their shelves . 

Will they address the issue ? Who knows ? Maybe they will ..wishful thinking ? I think so. 

So, silence is golden ?? I don't think so . This kind of silence with no apology is hurting their brand .After committing a mistake, the first step to set it right is to apologize, in my mind. Will someone tell Urban Outfitters that for me ? Surely, they have a PR guy reading all the negative publicity thats going around. 

For the record , I love the designs in truche's shop . Something good did come out of this ugly episode. I know there was overwhelming support - what did people do pre- social media days ?!  And I hope the negative publicity for Urban Outfitters has translated into tons of sales for truche.

Another one of my recommended reads is from Pikaland - Illustration and Innovation .

Interestingly, this one also addresses the issue of being a copycat ! Honestly, guys, that was not the theme I was going for  ! It just happens to be trending topic this week :) 

I like to save the best for last !

From the very innovative and intelligent mind of Isa Noisette -  Using Branding to reflect what you believe in . 

Just in case you aren't familiar with Isa, she's this superwoman who runs 2 businesses , takes care of 2 kids under the age of 3 , blogs often , guest posts often...the list could go on. Her blog - The Academy - is awesome.and she puts out really fantastic information out there. So, hop on over and give her some love. 

Have a wonderful weekend ..and don't forget to enter my giveaway here ! 

MMMM..mmmm..Macaroons

I mentioned recently, about how much my son enjoyed macaroons for an after school snack . So did his mother and sister. My, they melt in the mouth .They really do ... sigh !

We had chocolate flavored macaroons. ..With its crisp/soft outer shell and delicious creamy filling inside, it tasted like a soft cloud in the mouth . As you can tell, we relished them very much .

This delicious trap is also a bit expensive ..tsk tsk tsk ..so I have to learn to make them . I think I might try this recipe one of these days. But, in the meantime, I enjoyed drawing macaroons -and in different colors/ flavors too .  That's something that doesn't cost me a lot of money :)

Macaroons via Doodle Kreations 

Chocolates & Easter

My name is Lakshmi and I am a chocoholic. There, its out in the open and I am dealing with it. How so , you ask ?

By combining my love for chocolates with Easter, I am venting all of the craving into my illustrations . Its the best way to avoid over eating them . Its non fattening, its a good place to imagine all the chocolate in different forms , it doesn't make its way to my waistline .

(Confession : Having said all of the above, Sunday morning , we had Chocolate pancakes with chocolates syrup- made from scratch, by yours truly. )

Since I love chocolates so much, I love drawing them up . I am not limited to chocolates , mind you . I love sweet stuff . So, this post is all about sweetness .

The chocolate hot cross bun greeting is already in the shop, by the way . The others will be joining the hot cross bun real soon. 

I drew up the Easter bunny on the weekend ..and by the way, the bunny is a chocolate bunny . Would I have it any other way ?

The macaroons or macarons have manifested here simply because we had them a few weeks ago. It was the first time my son ate them . He declared they were yummy . ( Junior chocoholic in the making ) This one deserves a post by itself , I think ..but here is a sneak peek . There's more where that came from ...

And so continues, my love for food and drawing up food .. so help me god !

I have food on my mind ...

...and My Kitchen Rules or MKR is to be blamed ! I am captivated by that show . I love the challenges and the concept behind the show. Its very intriguing watching the contestants battle it out. I am big fan of Manu and Pete. Maybe more Manu ..the french accent might have something to do with it .

Rhubarb & Roasted Strawberry Cheesecakes via MKR 

Since I have been watching the show regularly - it airs Monday thru Wednesday evenings , I am obviously very enraptured by the artistic creations of food . Lo and behold, I have been drawing up illustrations relating to the kitchen . I have been having so much fun with it . Who knew, drawing food could be so much fun ?!
Check out the works in the pipeline ...what do you think ?

Halloween Items in Store

Hello all :)
I cranked out the first of my Halloween Items in my shop. Did I mention, FREE SHIPPING ?? The first five buyers can avail of this opportunity :) Have you checked out these items ?? Prepare to be spooked !! well, not really....
What do you think ??

Amu featured :)

Check out Liga and Janis's blog - Filigreephotos . Its a lovely blog . Liga was kind enough to feature Amu and her feathery friend on her blog . This week, the theme was geometry. And well, Amu fit right in with the circles/ polka dots on her dress :)

Thank you Liga for featuring my work :)

where and how do I begin ?

My first post on doodlekreations - a little bit of me, a little bit of the ones near and dear to me. That's what I hope I can achieve. Much as I spend my day enjoy being a mommy to a energetic 4 year old boy and a spunky 15month old girl, I wonder how things have changed for me over the last couple of years .

A typical day begins with our little girl waking and demanding milk at the crack of dawn and from then on we are all on the 5th gear. Quiet time allows me to check the email , facebook ( I FB a LOT!) and etsy. My favorite time is when the little munchkins hit the sack and I get 'me time' and 'our' time with my hubby. Off late I have been painting again. I took up the brush and paint after a hiatus - now that our baby sleeps better (thank god !) . I get a good 2-3 hours at night to doodle and paint.

My latest project is a painting for my sister . We have been talking about this since June' 09. Yes, it is well overdue ! Well anyway, my point is, I am thoroughly enjoying creating this for my sister and brother-in-law. I hope they will enjoy it in their home. She was specific about what she wanted.. one painting split into 4 canvases , warm colors and white flowers ! Well, its taking shape and I will post a picture once it is done.

What I hope to actually do is doodle more. I hope to create something that is special to me. Like my husband said once, " When you draw for yourself, thats when your drawings are so full of life". I hope I can unleash all that creativity. I get so inspired and humbled when I see works by all the talented people out there... have you checked out etsy ?

On their Quit your dayjob series, this week is featured a woman named Vana, who is an architect and now has her own business doing what she does best- creating. Check this out http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/quit-your-day-job-lepapierstudio-7167/

A true inspiration for an architect like me who has been wondering how best to utilize my skills while I am at home with my kids.

So, anyway this post is in honor of all the artists out there - people who create something out of nothing, who persevere and create wonders and make it look so easy. Here's hoping I learn from you and muster up the courage to be able to show my work soon.

Take care, people.