A Sunny Disposition

A Sunny Disposition, oozes beautiful designs, patterns and unique handmade bags, clutches and wallets, all made by Susan John, based in Bangalore. Her bags are perfect to those that love bold colours and ethnic designs and if you have a weakness for bags like me then I can guarantee you are going to love Susan’s creations.

Let’s take a peek into Susan’s craftsmanship and learn more on how it all started and enjoy the beautiful patterns and colour combinations.

“A Sunny Disposition”…. A catchy name for your creations. How did it all begin?

Hi, My name is Susan and I am the one woman force behind A Sunny Disposition. I make a whole range of bags from clutches, wallets, big bags, small bags and a host of other bags! All done by me, from my tiny spare bedroom in Bangalore, India with a whole lot of love and passion.

"A cloudy day is no match for A Sunny Disposition"- William Arthur Ward  This was the quote that kept coming back to me while I was looking for a word or phrase to sum up what sewing means to me. I was in a corner of the US 4 years ago where it was almost always cloudy or raining. Sewing was a ray of sunshine at that time. Now it’s a way of life for me! :)

 

Do you have a designing background?

The only structured design background that I have is, a degree in Architecture and a couple of years in an architecture firm, where I had the opportunity to unleash my creativity on unsuspecting clients. However, my actual design background, passion and flair for what I'm doing has a lot to do with my family -  having a fabulous interior designer for a mom, a talented textile/ graphic designer for a sister and a level headed merchant mariner father who loosely binds all us crazy gals together! Mark Twain says that "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why" .  In that sense, I am really fortunate to have discovered exactly what I want to do with my days.

 

Where do you get your inspirations for your designs?

I find inspiration from all over but I am drawn to bold solid colours, repetitive modern prints and functional bags. I love challenging my skills, making each bag a little better than the last one. I'm constantly trying to add or improve some feature that I thought I couldn't do on my earlier design. 

 

Are your products available within India or outside as well?

I market and sell through my facebook page only. I take on limited number of custom orders per month. Every client has a personal touch they want to add to their bags and I help them achieve that - this could be anything from colour options for certain bags, additional pockets and such. The best orders are those who inspire me to create a wholly new and different bag pattern.

 

Do you have an online shop and accept customization? What is your dream for your venture?

I like the organic pace at which A Sunny Disposition is growing. For the moment, I'm going with the flow and I hope that I can continue doing what I love, and people continue to appreciate it. 

Have a look at my handpicked favorites from Susan’s creations

 

Click here to browse through her Face book page. And email Susan at asunnydisposition.shop@gmail.com if you have any enquiries or customization.

Images via A Sunny Disposition



 

Recipe of the month: Summer Salad

Gone are the days when Salads used be boring with just a bunch of lettuce and tomato. Today anyone can create an exquisite salad with tangy vinaigrette and dressing that is a meal by itself or even a respectable stand-alone entrée, just like soup. It’s so versatile and you could serve a different one every day!  And more importantly it’s the best way to make sure that we eat vegetables, whole grains and fruits on a daily basis.

 Today’s recipe is a summer salad that is cool, hydrating and simple to make. And this recipe is contributed by Mrs. Shantha Thomas, a cookbook author and an ardent advocate for healthy food and lifestyle. Her love for healthy, fresh, organic food and her travel experiences around the world has influenced her recipes in her book 101 Salad Delights for Health and Vitality. Shantha Thomas, wife of a renowned plastic surgeon, Dr.C.Thomas, has been in Oman for more than 35 years, has embraced different cuisines from all over the world and experimented as she travelled along with her husband. Her inspiration to write her book is her love for food, cooking and her family who encouraged her as she experimented with her recipes.

I have personally tried out her recipes and I can vouch that her recipes are low fat, high on fiber, low on sodium, definitely nutritional and high on flavour. If you want to try out her healthy salad recipes grab a copy of her book as it is available in most of the bookstores here in Oman. Her dream is to publish more books that focus on soups, pickles, vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes and I personally hope to see more in the near future.

 So here is the recipe for a perfect summer meal…..
 

SUMMER   SALAD (serves four)

 

Ingredients:

 Dragon Fruit Balls - ½ cup

Any melon balls     - ½ cup

Ripe Mango chopped    - ½ cup

Kiwi Fruit chopped         - ½ cup

Mixed salad leaves – 1 cup

(rocket leaves, iceburg lettuce, romaine lettuce, lollo rosso etc )

Cherry Tomatoes – a handful

Scallions chopped – 2 tbs.

 

Dressing:

1 tsp. lime juice

2 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. Thai chili sauce

Salt a pinch

 

Method:

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients separately and pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Mix it very slowly. Cool it for half an hour and serve in separate small bowls.

It is perfect for a hot summer day! Enjoy the salad!

 

 

 

If you have any enquiry or wish to get in touch with Shantha Thomas, please email her at shanthathomas@hotmail.com


Images are clicked by me