Our 2014 Christmas Mantel and Blog Hop ...

Greetings, friends!  

Today, I'm happy to be joining 10 incredibly talented bloggers as they share their beyond beautiful Christmas mantels!  

And, while our mantel is far from a show-stopper, I'm humbled to join these fabulous ladies to spread a bit of Chistmas mantel cheer!  

So, here it is:

I have to admit, I was in a bit of a holiday mantel "slump" this year ... maybe it was the new house ... maybe it was missing our old fireplace ... I just couldn't get with it!  And, then, as I was wandering through the aisles of HomeGoods, with my typical "deer caught in the headlights" look, I spotted it!  There it was ... at long last ... my mantel inspiration!  (My sincere apologies to the sweet  group of ladies whom I almost knocked over getting to it!)

Once I put 50 holes in the wall trying to center it and hang it at the proper height above the mirror, it was time to start working my way down, with red, black and white being the main colors.

This cute reindeer from Hobby Lobby was then cast as the centerpiece on the mantel!  While he was so handsome and whimsical on his own, I wanted to add a bit of "oomph" behind him to help show him off a bit, so, I hung a simple wreath behind him and then let green and silver join the fun, too:

And, okay, "bow maker" will never make its way onto my resume, but, I was on a mission to add a few to our flocked garland, to tie in the black and white colors in our cute chalkboard sign.  So, thank you, Youtube, for the tutorial!  

I then added leftover ribbon to a pillow (from IKEA) to carry the black and white theme around the room, which I'll share later ...

As I was "shopping" our Christmas bins, I had forgotten I had these cute red trees (from Wal-Mart a few years ago) ... don't you love free decorating?!

Originally,  I didn't plan on using our nutcrackers this year, but, as I closed the lid on the bin where we keep them, I'm pretty sure I heard a muffled cry ... so, out came a couple of them!

We can't have a sad Nutcracker, now can we?  I'm happy I added this fella and his twin because, no matter how hard I might try to stay simplistic, I always *need* a little bit of bling!

Our colorful view as we relax on the couch ...

You can never go wrong with a faux poinsettia from Michael's, can you? 

Of course, I had to carry the black, white, red, green and silver theme over to our tree, too!

I hope you'll come back soon to see that and the rest of our room.

You won't want to miss the other mantels on the tour ... they'll undoubtedly inspire you like they did me!

Atta Girls Says

Chateau Chic

Far Above Rubies

French Country Cottage

From My Front Porch to Yours

Housepitality Designs

Savvy Southern Style

Shabby FuFu

Stone Gable Cottage

White Lace Cottage

Thanks so much for stopping by,

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Inspiring Eminent Artist: Hari Krishna

Today the art form that I am going to showcase here on my blog is very interesting and unusual. Let me ask you a question, how do you express your feelings and emotions? Maybe by crying when you are sad, laughing when you are happy, dancing when you are joyful or yelling when you are in pain. Let me introduce you to an artist who expresses his feelings and emotions by running his fingers in the sand and giving it a shape that tells a story and conveys his emotions. Readers bring your hands together for world renowned sand artist Hari Krishna.

Hari Krishna is a sand artist. He has done B.F.A from Hyderabad. Hari belongs to Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Here is how he shares some of his cherished moments with us.

My Sand Art got national recognition when I expressed my grief for Nirbhaya case through my sand art. I felt very sad and helpless and I wanted to stand against such heinous crime, so through my sand art I expressed my emotions and feelings about the importance of women in our lives as a sister, daughter, wife, mother. After the sad demise of Nirbhaya my this particular sand art video went viral on Facebook and I was approached by Zee Networks to perform at Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa grand finale to dedicate that work to Nirbhaya.
Watch this video and I am sure you will be in tears. 

I got national award in YouTube global video challenge 2012 which was sponsored by Indian external affairs of ministry, Google, YouTube & Incredible India. In this contest the concept was to show the greatness of India in 5 min video, it was a tough job to show the greatness of India in 5 min. I pondered over and over again, finally I came up with the idea of depicting our Indian culture, customs, folk dances, instruments and different famous places in India through my sand art. 

I made a video and got first prize. Which was awarded to me by Salman Khurshid, (then Indian external affairs minister) and Anurag Kashyap (Film Director) and some foreign embassies from different countries, in Delhi.
I got an opportunity to work with Shankar Mahadevan (music director) for ZEE Sa Re Ga Ma Pa grand finale, when I performed my sand art at stage Shankar Mahadevan sang for my act which was dedicated to Nirbhaya.

Now I perform sand art for social causes like child labor, terrorism and natural disasters like Amarnath flood and create awareness through my art. I feel blessed when I receive a heartwarming response from millions of people around the world. I get all the encouragement from my father and my fans. 

Drawing with sand is not that easy, it takes lot of patience and I need to practice a lot before every performance. Each performance requires lots of preparation. First, I draw the story board, then I experiment on sand table, time is the major factor as I have to change the creation one after another according to the story. 

My ultimate objective is to create awareness about our environment and planet, say no to plastic, I created 7 feet Eco friendly Vinayaka statue in my colony and made approx. 500 small Ganesha statues and gave away them to people during Vinakaya festival. I have planted around 600 plants in my area and encourage people to do so. 

Sand is not the only medium, I have used tea also to draw a portrait of our honorable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. 
Watch this video and you will be stunned!!

Art is present everywhere in nature, you just need to open your mind and observe the nature, you will find lots of inspiration. That's where I get my inspiration from. In the last I would like to say, please don't pollute our planet keep it clean, conserve energy and grow more and more plants!!

Thank you so much Hari for inspiring all of us. You are a blessed artist and your send art is truly mesmerizing. I could not look away or even blink when I watch you performing sand art. I wish you a great success ahead!!
Dear readers how do you like this art and did you enjoy watching videos...let me know your views. 
Want to get inspired more, check out this link: Inspiring Eminent Artists

Coming up next, quick and easy way to beautify your small garden. Stay tuned!!

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Online Art Gallery AnYahh and Giveaway

"Art washes away from soul the dust of everyday life."

                                                                                      - Pablo Picasso

An artist can relate to this statement very well. But I think even if you aren't an artist or painter, Art does affect the mind and brain of viewers too. Art has a powerful and positive effect on our mind and soul, it awakens and activates the senses, it stimulates the brain. 
Visual arts are like a feast for the eyes.
 Today on my blog, I am featuring an art gallery that is a feast for the eyes in the true sense. Dear readers introducing AnYahh art gallery,  an art gallery that aspires to give each person the privilege to own and appreciate real art. Now if I tell that you too can have an art or painting on very affordable rates, I know you will dance in joy :) Lets have a look of what they have in store for you.

In their own words, "Our goal is to unravel the realms of art to all who desire to aesthetically enhance their lives with art. We assist art lovers in the acquisition of affordable art collectibles and cater to collectors, corporate organizations and clients who require customized work".

AnYahh showcases a diverse selection of contemporary works by emerging artists. You can browse through their gallery and can pick a piece that reflects you.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Choose the Art that fits your home, your style and enhances the look and feel of your abode. A painting not only adds color in the home, but it also boosts the artistic taste. AnYahh offers you the best, whether you are looking for a traditional artwork or a contemporary style painting, or even seeking to customize a piece of art. 

Other than the paintings they have a beautiful collection of home decor and personal accessories. Browse through their 'Art Collectibles' section and you will be tempted to buy all of their collections. 

Giveaway

Now let me share a piece of news. I have recently got featured on the Hindustan Times Estate in a list of top Indian interior design bloggers and I have over 1555 fans on Facebook page now. That calls for celebration isn't it. So in association with AnYahh I would like to give away one of my lucky readers something from AnYahh's mesmerizing collection. 

What you have to do, to enter this giveaway:

Go ahead and check out their entire collection and let me know what you like the most. I will pick the lucky winner randomly. 

Now have a look what I have picked for you. One lucky winner will get any one of these:

1). Jewelry Box

OR

2). Serving Tray

OR

3) Set of Two Mugs & 2 Coasters

                                              With one more art mug 

Hurry readers, giveaway offer will end on 15th Dec. 

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Creative Nativity Display

It all started this summer when my son gave me a single, huge elk antler. I knew that I wanted to use it for my Christmas display with greenery but the rest came as I was working on getting the loads of Christmas decor out to decorate...





I had seen a Nativity scene on Pinterest inside a cloche and knew that would be happening in my home!


This summer garage sales allowed me to locate a

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Our Christmas Foyer ...

Happy Holidays, friends!  

Can you believe we're already into December?  Not me!  But, that hasn't stopped us from decking the halls and "fa la la la la-ing" around our new home.

When it comes to holiday decorating, I'm a fan of "themes," whether it's colors or a "story."  Like here in our foyer, where I've gone with a simple, traditional theme with hints of a vintage Christmas.

When you first walk in, you're greeted by our accent chest and the first (of 12, yikes) trees ... this one dressed in reds, golds and greens.

Our Victorian carolers are ready to serenade you ...

singing "Silent Night," as large snow flakes fall.

Over on our tree, of course, I had to start with a crazy topper ...

and then filled it with glittery ribbons, poinsettia leaves and the "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments (another song for our carolers to sing).

I also added our oversized musical instruments to serve as background music as the carolers sing to our special friends, whose Christmas cards from years' past are lovingly tucked in the branches.

And, at the back of our foyer, I added a bit of Christmas, too, with pretty plates and holiday pillows.

I love BHG's line of Christmas plates (Wal-Mart), even wishing I could step into the scene:

They even added a few new plates this year, like this sweet one:

A simple wreath hung on our secretary reminds us of the "JOY" of the season!

I love it all "aglow."

I hope you'll join me as I share more of our holiday home in the days to come, including our mantel, where I'm excited to be a part of this upcoming blog hop!

Thanks for stopping by,

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Upscaling Ceiling Fan Blades!

My son Charlie has figured out that I can do a lot of things and that I love doing for him.



Over Thanksgiving and the weekend, we were together...he lives in Kansas and I live in Illinois. He brought me 5 brightly painted ceiling fan blades from his old farmhouse.


The previous owners painted it this awful color probably for a childs room. Since this farmhouse has 5 bedrooms, he has

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