Part 2~Spring Decor In The Kitchen/Dining Rooms!

Dining Room Decor









Mercury Glass Candle holders from Nell Hill's in Kansas City



I made these large greenery toppers complete with nests



Notice in the nest is a tea strainer to simulate an egg for whimsy



 Burlap Nest Art that I made with letter cookie cutters and a ladle 



 Cookie Cutter letters painted in black and white check







Ladle holds eggs in a bookpage paper

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Grow Indoor Plants Like A Pro!!

So when I asked you lovely people out there, that what else do you want to see on this blog many of you wanted more DIY and more about indoor plants. So here I am with someone who is 

pro gardener and has a big green thumb and sharing her 

gardening tips with us: Reshma Sharma.

No one better than Reshma can do a post on gardening. So I am leaving you with this well-written post by Reshma and images of her beautiful plants and interiors. She has a beautiful blog 'Dreams Are Made Of These' check out her blog and I am sure you will be addicted to going through it over and over again. 

Every room needs a center of attraction. It could be a beautiful floor rug, a piece of furniture or some other feature. But very often it lacks just that something to set it off. Plants are the perfect answer for providing  a focal point. Choose the right one and the room comes alive.

Plants can be used in a variety of ways to add atmosphere to your home and give your decoration character. They can be used to highlight a certain corner or even to camouflage an ugly feature in the room.
Houseplants are expensive items and the choice is extensive so choose carefully. It is important to keep them well and alive. Keep in mind the climate of your region and the amount of sunlight your room gets. Take care of your plants and keep the soil healthy and pest free. You may come across certain problems that indoor plants are prone to -

1) Pests like white flies, mealy bugs and green flies make an appearance every now and then. You can control them with sprays available in the market/ plant nurseries. Always read the instructions before spraying and make sure you carry the plants outdoors while doing so. Let it remain outside for at least 24 hours before bringing it back inside especially if you have kids/ pets.

2) Some diseases and disorders may trouble your plants too like powdery mildew, wilting and yellowing of leaves that eventually fall off. If you see a white powdery formation on the stems, just clip the stem off and burn it so that it doesn't spread on to other plants. Plants  may wilt as a result of too much or too little water or being attacked at the roots by pests. If the leaves drop rapidly, the plant has probably received a shock due to rapid change of temperature. If the leaves turn yellow slowly then the cause might be too much water. So watering should be right, don't over-water, the soil should be kept just moist.

3) Make sure you keep the plant in a nicely ventilated, sunny spot like a window sill and keep turning the pot frequently. If not done so, the plant will turn towards the sunlight and bend in a one direction and get distorted. Keep turning the pot and it will grow upright. Rooms with south facing windows are very bright and hot so keep the plants at least 3 feet away from them. Herbs can be grown in pots and kept on the kitchen window sill where it gets ample sunlight and yes, keep turning the pot.

4) Hanging baskets are a great way of growing indoor plants. It is a great solution when you don't have too much space on the ground . The baskets can be hung on parapets and ceilings in a sunny balcony. Even people residing in flats can beautify their balconies with the hanging ones. It makes a world of difference and looks pretty too. Trailing plants like Ivy, Spider plant and even seasonal plants like Petunias, Geraniums, Impatiens can be grown to add color to your space. 

Some indoor plants that are quite successfully grown and maintained in India are:

1) Spider plants - They have long , thin leaves and looks best in a  basket. the long wiry stems grow into white starry flowers and plantlets giving it a spidery appearance. The plantlets can be carefully snipped and pegged down in separate pots and propagated in a similar manner. I have had a lot of success with this particular plant. I had bought two plants few years ago and now I have at least twenty of them.
They are fuss free and don't need much attention. Just place the pots in a well ventilated sunny room and water when required so that the soil looks moist.

2)Monstera - A big plant that can add a good amount of drama in any room . It has big leaves and can be grown as a creeper too in a corner near the stairs or in a living room that is well ventilated and well lit. Water well just when it requires. Do not over water.

3) Philodendron- This needs the same treatment as Monstera  since both the plants are similar in appearance and structure.

4) Syngoniums - Also called goose foot plants. These are plants with leaves like a goose's feet and in time, they develop into a climber and can be trained up a trellis or potted in a hanging basket. Water liberally in summers and spring and sparingly in winters. They make great indoor plants.

5) Ferns like asparagus fern and maidenhair fern can be kept indoors even in a hot and humid temperature. They grow well even in bathrooms since they enjoy humid atmosphere. Water when the soil starts to look dry and keep them near a sunny window.

6)Peace lilies- Keep it in a shady spot which doesn't get direct sun. This can also do well in a  humid atmosphere.

Image Source: Click Here

7)Areca palm- Certain palm trees do well indoors too. Areca palm is the most common and the most hardy one I've seen. Totally fuss free and grows well. It can grow to a good height so keep it in a big pot.  Water well but make sure the water does not collect in the pot or around it. The light should be good  and it needs good ventilation too. Avoid contact from direct sunlight. This plant can add a tropical look to any setting and also adds as an air purifier. Keep pruning the tree and remove any stems that have brown leaves.

Image: Mine

I know I know all of you are now lost and not able to take your eyes off Reshma's beautiful space. Head over to her blog and see more mesmerizing images. Leave a comment here and let me know your views. 
Grow your indoor garden it's easy and fun.
Happy gardening folks!!


P.S: All images except last two are provided by Reshma and subject to copyright. Please don't copy or reuse without her permission. Thank you!!

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Simply Spring Gathering ...

That's right, friends ... even though it still feels like Winter lots of places,  according to our mantel, the warmer temps have arrived ... the bunnies are hopping ... the *faux* florals are blooming ... annnnnd, the fake eggs are out in full force!  

And, because I'm joining some of my blogging buddies and sharing Spring inspiration, I just know that our combined forces will chase Winter away once and for all!

Yes, certainly our Spring touches will grab Mother Nature's attention and encourage her to move the season along!

I mean, after all ... pretty, faux plants from IKEA should help scare the cold temps away, right?!

And, this sweet "bunny in a basket" ornament and faux flowers from Michael's should make old man winter go into hiding! 

And, naturally, these seasonal pastel malted milk balls will entice Spring to come closer, right?!

Look ... even our little bunnies have had enough by showing that they "shalt" not "hear, see or speak" of winter ANY more!

If that still doesn't send the cold away, hopefully, our egg wreath (from Home Goods) will help to do the trick!

If not, our banner (from Target) announcing SPRING will certainly let Mother Nature know that enough is enough!

I say that you join forces with us by pulling out your eggs, bunnies, florals and anything SPRING to help make winter disappear(!) ... whaddaya think?  No way will it want to stick around if we all ban together.  I'll be eagerly waiting to see all that you do!

Until then, I'll just stare at our mantel a bit longer and see what happens!  LOL

Be sure and take a peek at the others (links below picture):

Creative Cabin - Electically Vintage - Housepitality Designs - On Sutton Place - Savvy Southern Style - Stone Gable - French Country Cottage - Home  Is Where the Boat Is - Pariscope Home - Sophias Decor - Top This Top That

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

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Contest Alert!!

Hello dear readers!!!

I have few news to share....

I am running a Facebook Holi Contest. If you are interested in participating then click here. There is nothing much to do to participate. Just click a colorful picture of your creation, your artwork or it can be a beautiful nook in your home where you have used lot of colors and post that pic here. To win the contest try to get maximum likes on your picture.

Below are the images of my hand painted and hand crafted products that you can win. (Any one of these).

Secondly I would like to share that I have created Google+ page of this blog. See it here, follow it and stay tuned as you can win something BIG. When I say big it really is very BIG. 

Want to know what I am talking about......well you can win this:

• A WEEK of designer wear with outfits from 3 big designers
• A full makeover by the Absolut Studio
• Complete access to the venue
• Celeb status on LFW social handles
• Cameras and VIP passes to shows and lounges
• 
  

What you have to do:

Just click a selfie (A photo that you have clicked of yourself) and share it on G+ with hash tag #styleselfie and #Lakmefashionweek.

Are you ready.. then just go click....click....click!!

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Part 1~Spring Decor In the Living Room!

Living Room Fireplace







With The Morning Sun Shinning In



Fun With The Urn and Orb



Nests Abound



Coffee Table Decor



Up Close



New Spring banner








Come back for more Spring Decor in the next post!



These parties I love to link up to or check out my Blog Parties tab
Monday
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple  
Make

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Our Refreshed Dining Room

Happy March !!

It's sunny and beautiful 70 degrees today here in South Carolina ... could Spring truly be on the horizon?

I'm continuing to add touches of the new season around our home, with our dining room being the latest "stop."

Because I love adding blue to my color palette in our other main rooms, I thought it'd be fun to add it to our dining room, as well, to mix with the yellow that I tend to keep bringing back in here:

Candlesticks that were once bronze, turned grey are now enjoying a layer of AS Duck Egg on the buffet!  I then took away bulky matching lamps and opted for a taller, skinnier lamp on one side ...

and, balanced it on the other side with a beautiful demi john filled with faux branches:

I spread the love of blue over to our shelves, as well ... these vibrant plates from TJ Maxx work easily with just about any other colors!

The tiny pops of "gold-ish" yellow in the plates work well with our "frenchy" yellow plates from Home Goods:

And, you know I'm a fan of "faux" because of my lack of a green thumb ... these "pretties" from Michael's help add a lovely touch of Spring to our table.

These jeweled napkin rings remind me of the big ol' jewelry I love to wear ... when I spotted them at Pier One, I knew that they'd be a fun addition to our table, as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by our refreshed dining room ...

Come back soon, as I'm sure bunnies and birds will be popping in, too!

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Let's go on a pilgrimage. A Chai Pilgrimage.

I got to know about Jenny Kostecki-Shaw and Patrick Shaw (a.k.a. The Masala Chai Wallah) way back in 2008 when I had a series on my 'A Cup of Chai…' blog called Tea with friends and they had sent me a photograph of their chai.

I became aware that they were in the process of compiling a book on their many tea adventures in India and being a Chai-lover and a design enthusiast I kept updated on their blog, website and subsequently their Facebook page.
In August 2013, they used Kickstarter.com to fund for their beautiful book Chai Pilgrimage which they have self-published.
It was but obvious that I ordered my copy of the long-awaited book as soon as it was available for purchase!

So today I am going to share about this delightful piece of art and it's creators!

Jenny is a freelance illustrator and national award-winning children’s book author and illustrator.

Patrick teaches Ayurveda, Ayurvedic cooking and Ayurvedic herbology at the University of New Mexico in Taos and has been making homemade masala chai for over 20 years. Their daughter, Tulsi, has boundless patience with her publishing parents even though she doesn’t like chai.

 In their own words they tell you how this idea took shape and resulted in a book…

'We LOVE chai! The aroma of simmering spices fills our home each morning as the sun rises over the mountains. We also love India—her people, spiritual traditions, music, food and art have become woven into our lives. 

One morning while sipping chai, we had this crazy idea to fly to the chai motherland of India, spend four months steeping ourselves in chai culture and collaborate on a book. So we did! 

Chai Pilgrimage is our way of sharing our adventure and discoveries with you! It is our experience brought to life in a full-color art and photo filled travel journal, where we use chai as our compass to discover the people, places, spices, traditions and gods of an ancient culture. 

We also wish to share everything we’ve learned about brewing up a deliciously healthy cup of homemade masala chai with beautifully illustrated recipes and chai wallah tips on the art of chai making. 

We hope it offers a soul-nourishing vision of human connectedness and an opportunity to sip chai on the other side of the world!'

I have been so taken in with Chai Pilgrimage book, I have been devouring the visuals, the heartwarming narratives and beautiful illustration techniques.

Jenny has used various mediums to illustrate the book. Here is a video that shows us how she uses these techniques.

She also shares this frame from her studio:-)

Reading the book has been 'soul-nourishing' indeed. Especially for me sitting in sub-zero temperatures in Minnesota:-)

The book has so many interesting Chai recipes, I tried the Elaichi Chai yesterday…

Today I plan to try the 'Chai Guru Chai' taught by Patrick's friend and teacher Hamid Drake.

So do drop by their website Chai Pilgrimage  and their Facebook Page to read more about their book or order this beautiful, visual book. A great gift for yourself or to anyone who loves chai, spices and India! 

Go on a virtual pilgrimage. A Chai Pilgrimage!

( Images from Chai Pilgrimage.com and styling by Arch. Copyrighted Materials)

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