from textiles to the Taj: adventures in Delhi and Agra

the last few days of my India trip were spent in New Delhi and Agra. I got a chance to add to my textile collection, visit with a friend, see the Taj Mahal, and see some of the sights of Delhi. it was very bittersweet leaving India but I'm hoping to make another trip in early 2013 :).

amazing handmade textiles at Kantha Shop

added to my scarf collection at fabindia

<3

photos don't do the Taj Mahal justice

me at the Taj Mahal

the gemstone inlay at the Taj Mahal

really cool carpet at a temple in Delhi

I got to play dress up at my friend Pankaj's jewelry store in Delhi

sunset at Humayan's Tomb in Delhi

things I adored this week: chevron prints in India

I adore chevron prints and was very excited when they kept popping up during my travels in India. here are some shots of chevron in many different places:

chevron at the Taj Mahal

mirror chevron at the City Palace in Udaipur

chevron carved in the red sandstone of Humayun's Tomb in Delhi

chevron carpet at Hot Pink in Jaipur

chevron floor at our hotel in Udaipur

chevron floor at the City Palace in Udaipur

chevron textiles at Aashka in Jaipur

chevron floor at a temple in Delhi

the colors of jaipur

I'm back from India! I had an incredible time and found India both enchanting and inspiring. over the next two weeks I will be sharing some of the photos I took during my time in Jaipur, Udaipur, Delhi, and Agra.

it has always been my dream to go to Jaipur and the city completely lived up to my expectations. the colorful buildings and glittering gems provided me with so much inspiration {an india-inspired collection is in the works!}. here are some of my favorite snapshots from my three days in Jaipur:

we did some textile shopping at Anokhi and I wish my suitcase had been bigger

dinner at 1135 AD in Amber Fort, very delicious!

amazing architecture at Amber Fort (the archways were my favorite part)

me at Amber Fort!

I became obsessed with these gold shapes at the top of domes (I kept envisioning them as earrings :)

very colorful archways at narain niwas palace (a hotel). sneak peak: I'm going to use this color palette in a necklace :)

jeanne shops for scarves at Aashka

my favorite store in Jaipur

I was in scarf heaven at Hot Pink

Jeanne decides which scarves to purchase

me after our successful shopping trip

adored the traditional blue pottery (made in India since the Mughal rule) at Kripal Kumbh

backdrop to teatime at the Rambagh Palace

colorful shoes at the Johari Bazaar

bangles I purchased at the Johari Bazaar

stay tuned for photos of my visit to Gem Palace (aka what I envision heaven must be like)!

what jackie wore: india

as I prepare for my upcoming trip to India, I've been busy working on my wardrobe (pretty minimalist: kurtas, leggings, cotton scarves, and simple jewelry) and looking for ideas of what to bring. I came across these photos of Jackie Kennedy's 1962 trip to India. I absolutely adore the colors and prints she chose and wish I could pack such amazing dresses.

images, Life Magazine

next adventure: India

I named my blog "passports and pearls" because a lot of my inspiration has come from my travels (the first necklace I ever made was inspired by gemstones I purchased in Barcelona). I absolutely love traveling and my bucket list is comprised mainly of international adventures. one of the countries I have always wanted to go to is India so when the opportunity recently presented itself, I jumped and I am now in the process of planning my adventure (if you have any advice, suggestions, etc for traveling to India, please email me at katie@katiebartels.com)!!!

It's going to be an amazing way to kick off 2012 and I cannot contain my excitement for the gemstone buying portion of my trip :)