Friday, 5 November 2010

Tuesday, 2 November 2010

Festive goodies to enhance your diwali...

Apart from the traditional brass lamps and the earthy diyas which are evergreen, why not add some zing into your diwali decoration with these creative, innovative and interesting goodies.

Sharing some lovely accessories from some very creative stores...

Tribal Route
Welcome prosperity and good luck by hanging these...Decorate with Lanterns...
Ceramic incense stick holders...
Available at Tribal Route

The Loose Ends Store
I completely fell in love with these 'Truck Art' inspired cushions and lamps...
What vibrant colours and so Indian!
Switch on some colourful festive glow...

Matsya
Beautifully decorated terracotta lamps...
Available at Matsya

Bliss
A rainbow of tealight holders and lanterns...
Bliss showcases some great brands from across Mumbai and India.
Available at Bliss

The Color Caravan
Patachitra-painted bottles and other goodies...
Available at The Color Caravan

Have a fabulous, colourful and safe Diwali everyone!

Will be away from this space for a couple of days cleaning, decorating, celebrating with family and friends.

(images from Tribal Route, The Loose End Store, Matsya, Bliss, The Color Caravan)

Monday, 1 November 2010

The Monkeys Have Been Set Free ....

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween !!  We had a weekend full of fun festivities.  And, yes, we decided to "rock" the Snooki/The Situation look (from MTV's Jersey Shore).  Yo!  Actually, it was fun to wear a wig that is my natural hair color (almost makes me miss being a dark, dark brunette).


Annn-eeee-way ... so, recently, I decided it was time to free the monkeys from our mudroom so that they could go back into their natural habitat (lol). 

BEFORE:  I really did love the red monkey wallpaper that was in there for about 4 years, but, honestly, it always made the room appear a bit dark, and it really limited me in my decorative accessories.


I was greatly inspired by incredibly talented Kim at The Twice Remembered Cottage ... she added beadboard to her dining room (fabulous), and I knew that this was the look I wanted in our mudroom.   And, as many of you know I've been on a lighten and brighten kick lately, so you shouldn't be surprised that I "attacked" this room and turned it into this:


We (meaning our neighbor) added beadboard and 4" wide pine molding (both chair and base) to mimick more of a "farmhouse" look.  I then painted  the walls SW Antique White. 

BEFORE:  Monkey and palms ev.er.ree.where!


AFTER:  Yay(!), lighter and brighter:


In keeping with the farmhouse feel I was going for, our friend removed the basic door casings and added the wider 4" pine molding ... love it:


I found this fun vintage sign at Michaels and placed a plain black frame around it.  I am waiting on a few oversized, metal wall laundry pins from Ballard's to go on this wall, too.


The area beside my washer/dryer remains my little grand central station, as far as calendar, invites, etc., goes.  We had the black granite (that once sat on our kitchen island) cut down and placed here instead:




Above the cabinets, I placed a few fall pretties:


On the wall by the door leading to the garage, I placed this fun chalkboard (from Home Goods) that has cute little knobs ... love how rustic it is.  And, of course, I couldn't wait to break out my chalk paint markers:


On the wall opposite the washer/dryer, I added a coat rack (from Lowes), a picture ledge from Home Goods (that I painted white), along with some fun black picture frames!  Actually, I found the frames as part of a boxed set at Belk's (50% off ... score)!  They are super lightweight, and you simply hang them on the wall with Command Post Strips (that were also included):


I opted to place a few frames on the picture ledge since I love the layered look:


A coupla "Fall" pillows sit on the black bench below, which also serves as perfect storage for stinky shoes (lol):


And, lastly, no mudroom is complete without a clothes bin embellished with a little chalkboard (which I couldn't help but to add a goofy title to ... yes, I'm a doof), along with some ca-ute Spiderman pj's hanging out:


We're still tweaking this room.  I really am enjoying the change!
Thanks for stopping by,

Saturday, 30 October 2010

doily patterns...

Tealight candles adorning our entrance...
Tealight candles have become a big part of the Diwali illuminations in many Indian homes. I love using these along with the traditional oil diyas.

I wanted an interesting background to form a base for these candles. Coasters were one option but I zeroed in on traditional 'Kolam' stencils available widely in stores that sell 'pooja articles' or stalls near temples.


The patterns remind me of doilies that my mother used to crochet during my childhood:-)

A lotus shaped kolam stencil...

Some interesting design stencils...

(images by Arch)

Tuesday, 26 October 2010

glassy illumination...

As the festival of lights approaches, my head is bursting with various ideas to try out at home.
I also love checking out what's new in the market for diyas and lamps...

Recently I picked up these small glass oil lamps. It's a small flower shaped glass container with enough space for two tablespoons of oil. On top of it goes a detachable metal flower-shaped wick holder!
Placing them on a terracotta plate and scattering white rose petals makes it a lovely center of interest.

Love the floral pattern the light and glass together create:-)

You could also place them on small traditional coasters and line them on your window-sill or entrance...

Here I have placed it on small framed 'Patachitra' painting.

(Images by Arch)