Sunday, 7 March 2010

Serenity in the Master Bath !!

Happy March, everyone (gosh, wasn't it just Christmas) ?!  For the one and a half people who read my blog, I'm sorry I haven't posted recently ... between my son turning four (bittersweet, indeed!), myself turning 41 (eee gads!), where we had a big ol' adult birthday bash at our house last night, complete with DJ and disco lights (what FUN), and adding new touches to our master bedroom and bath, time has gotten away from me !!
 Speaking of the bathrooms ... okay, admittedly, I LOVE seeing baths that say "calming," "relaxing," and a "touch" of coastal.  These rooms tend to be done in soft blues, creams, taupes, etc.  I've imagined waking up and walking into such a serene space to start my day, face my wrinkles and apply gobs of makeup.  So, I finally bit the bullet and made a few changes to our master bath to attempt this look.


BEFORE: Once again, it was done in my "go to" colors ... red/gold/green.  (As always, feel free to click on the pic to enlarge it.)



AND, AFTER:  We painted the walls Duron Millet.  The whimsical animal print rug use to live in another room ... it was a bit too big for the main part of our bath, so I cut it down a bit, which gave me a bonus runner ... yippee !!


We also added new lighting, took down the builder's basic huge mirror and opted for two matching ones instead.  I'm enjoying being greeted by the whimsical wall words that took me forEVER to put up on the wall (LOVE wall words, but 9 times out of 10, they end up crooked ... ugh)!!


I finally found a fabric that I liked !!  And, yes, I know my mis-treatment is in need of serious help, as it's pinned together ... still need to sew the poor things and add a tassle trim on the bottom:




Same with the shower curtain ... in need of sewing (and addition of a tassle trim) as well (oops):


I wanted "something" with color to go in between the mirrors to fill the gap.  So, I bought three 8x10 canvases on sale at Michaels and covered them with the same fabric as my window mis-treatments and shower curtain (adding a starfish to the middle canvas just for fun).  I like how it ties all the fabric pieces together. 


Love having the bowl of shells on the vanity ... they serve as a fun reminder that we live by the ocean.


And, of course, I was SOOO excited to find this accent chest at Kirkland's ... it matches the blue in my fabric to a "T" !!  I want to add a different piece of art above the chest, eventually, but this one will do for now:


Well, that's what I've done so far.  Still need finishing touches and to complete my "toilet" room.  I'm going for beadboard wallpaper and chair molding.  I'm also painting the upper portion SW Stratton Blue.  I'll post that (and my bedroom revamp) soon !!  I'm off to catch up on everyone else's projects !!

Thanks for stopping by,



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Thursday, 4 March 2010

Friday, 26 February 2010

Matsya

I am a big lover of Indian art & crafts and when I came across Matsya, I was completely amazed by the lovely products created by artisans from various parts of India.
Jat Embroidery pouches.

Matsya~ Is a venture started by Neha Gandhi, an artist, potter & a craft lover. Neha studied at Sir. J.J School of Art, Mumbai and then went on to learn studio pottery in Golden Bridge Pottery, Pondicherry. Her love for the rich art & crafts of India took her to Maharashtra & Gujarat where she used her creativity to work closely with various artisans.
Matsya is a platform through which Neha wants to create awareness about artisans' life, their culture and age old traditions by featuring the artisans stories about their skills, time and creativity they invest into the craft. Also how our purchasing choices directly impact the livelihoods of thousands artisans and the survival of generations old traditions.
Stunning hand embroidery.
Neha says,"Our goal is to showcase the natural beauty and workmanship in Indian arts and craft by presenting them in contemporary style and form. By doing so, we offer original art that all of us can relate to. They serve as a reminder of our roots, to everything that we have been and therefore are even now."
Hand painted local terracotta pottery.
Here is a collection of some of the many art & crafts at Matsya
Beautiful wooden lacquer craft ladles.
Intricate embroidery by artisans from Kutch.
Leather pouches.
Patchwork Quilts
Block print bags
Jain Keri design on contemporary cushions.
Ceramic Urli.
Hand painted Coffee Mugs
Handcrafted Coffee Mugs & Madhubani coasters.
Jain Art on a pen stand.

In addition to displaying innovative uses and designs of traditional crafts at Matsya, They retail & take corporate orders of an assorted variety of stunning products.

You can get in touch with them at matsya.crafts@gmail.com or become a fan of Matsya Crafts on Facebook to get updates on their various products & events.

(images by Neha Gandhi)

Monday, 15 February 2010

The Heart of our Home ...

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend !!  And, while I'm sure most of you are tired of hearing the word "snow," we were *snow* excited (har har) to have a tease of it here in Myrtle Beach this past Saturday.  Jax loved playing in it ... building his first snowman and making his first snow angel. 

Well, come on inside for a cup o' hot chocolate or hot tottie while you take a peek in our kitchen.  It's truly my favorite room in the house ... where I wish I was constantly whipping up award-winning meals.  Sadly, the only thing I tend to *whip up* in here is chaos ... constantly changing things around !!  Decorated in a french/wine/bistro theme, we really do enjoy the open flow of this room:







We've also enjoyed adding a few custom touches.

BEFORE: laminate countertops covered every surface (including the island, which I don't have a before pic of).  First, we added Black Galaxy granite to the island:


THEN:  Here's the island with added face panels and a coupla coats of SW Antique White ... eventually I'm going to *attempt* to add a brown glaze, and I'd love to add some sort of stencil or embelishment on the side panels.  Also, the parameter countertops are now fancied up with Golden Beach granite.


BEFORE: plain ol' backsplash:


AFTER:  Neutral tiles and a decorative border now fill the space:


As for the pantry door ... I attempted to give it a little personality by adding a chalkboard to the upper half (had the burch wood cut at Lowe's ... rolled on some black chalkboard paint and added molding). (And, oops, clearly it's time to wipe away the snowflake wishes!)


Annnnnd, of course, I've *futzed* around with the accent table in the breakfast area ... can you spot the little fellas I picked up the other day?


Here's a closer look at them.  Ahhhhh ... bunnies ... aren't they cute ?!  And, now that we got to enjoy a little bit of snow, these ceramic furries have been instructed to hear of no more winter; see no more winter; and speak of no more winter !!  Bring.on.Spring !!


Thanks so much for stopping by !!





I'm linking up with:

Metamorphosis Monday at BNOTP

Make Your Monday at Twice Remembered

Made it Monday at The Persimmon Perch

Make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts

Making the World Cuter Monday

Toot Your Horn Tuesday at A Silly Little Sparrow

Make it Yours Day at My Backyard Eden

SYS Thursday at Somewhat Simple

Thursday, 11 February 2010

DIY~ Bulb Plant Holders

Rang Decor reader, photographer and home decor lover~ Meena Sriram from Ottawa, Canada shares with us a simple but beautiful do-it yourself, Bulb Plant Holder.

Meena narrates, "To be honest, I found this bulb in a small but very quaint store called Laras, downtown Ottawa. I picked one up from the store, later tried making many, got my apartment superintendent to help clean out the bulbs, its not something that you can easily do with a kitchen knife (err..realised that after some very painful tries)

Once the inside of the bulb is cleaned out, the rest is fun and easy, decorating it with African beads and shells and anything else that strikes your fancy!"
The bulb plant holder enhancing the beauty of a corner...
Bulb Plant Holder decorated with African beads...
Now, that is something I would definitely try out:-) The bulb plant holders can add a magical touch to any corner of you home.

Do give it a try!

( images by Meena Sriram)