Work in progress: The patio

Hello friends .. How have you been? Did you miss me? I certainly missed you guys so much..I am working on my patio to enjoy the summer..But that's not the only reason its also because I want my son to have respect and love for nature..I make it a point to teach him about birds, trees , flowers etc..

So a week or two back I saw a pair of Bulbul visiting our empty terrace..The desire then awoke to create a bird friendly patio and greenery around the house.. I kept aside all my thoughts about what if we move again and the Dubai weather.. I started 'window shopping' the few big garden shops which are here. I decided to go for hardy plants which can take full sun and flower as well .

This is how the patio decoration is progressing...I have tried to reuse/recycle things that I already had as much as possible..

This is our old coffee table which I have used outdoors ..The chairs are in need of some cushions which will add a pop of color to the black set up.. Right now the big teacup with red and white flowers..

These blue birds are solar powered and they light up at night creating a lovely ambiance.. These can be found in Ikea ..they come in a set of 5 and with clips to attach to the pots or branches. Love them! 

A few more in yellow..some candles ..

I have recycled my son's bathtub which I used when he was a newborn as a bird bath.. The pebbles/stones are from all the countries I have lived in :) Crazy collection I have!! Everyday I add flowers fallen from my plants to float in the tub.. and also change the water and clean the stones to keep away the moss..

I re potted some flower trays ,,,Found a old table which came in handy..

My little fairy has travelled with me everywhere and has survived ..she does need some repainting but I just love her ..some tea light holders find place here and there for now..

A lot of ideas are yet to put in place ..lot of rearrangement as well but I have started seeing visitors already ..Bulbuls (couples and singles), house sparrows, mynahs, purple sunbirds and some larger birds like doves.  I am loving it!!

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Carboard box creations

Soon in few weeks we will move into our own house. And sea shipment coming too. It is stressful to even think about the amount of boxes in that 40 feet containers and the small/big items that need to be cleaned and put in place. After our last experience in Hong Kong I am just keeping my fingers crossed that this time the movers will do a better job. Having said that I am preparing myself for the worse.  I think moving within a city is easier but moving countries in not easy ..of course depending on personality types.. some of my friends get equal stress even if they move next door..some don't even move just thinking about it :))

Anyway I am looking for some stress relievers.. My idea is that if I see something worthwhile to do with those cardboard boxes I will be more enthusiastic and positive to emptying them..So I plan to make a cardboard box house for my lil one and a cardboard box car ..Here are some ideas as inspiration..

                                      Courtesy: thislittlepiggyhouse

Isn't this pretty .. The kids entering the house makes it so interesting 

                                                                             Courtesy : myslcmommy

 I like this painted cardboard house..the whimsy drawings are so lively..lot of work and paint  though ..But very pretty ..

                                                                                                              courtesy: Frogandsnail

This is another colorful example ..I guess for older kids ..so much fun isn't it..

                                           courtesy: herecomethegirlblog

Making alphabets out of cardboard box also looks like fun ..can come in handy to decorate the room or fun learning thing..

                                          courtesy: michelemademe

Another lovely cardboard box house .. This one seems doable ..all the other examples above are ready made products but this one is not. and if I am not wrong the shipment boxes are usually this size..This blog also gives the details of how she made it.. 

                                                     courtesy: morestylethancash

This house is so cool..This blog gives detailed instructions how she made it with 2 boxes..doable indeed .. maybe for older kid..I am bit biased to the one above as it has no door and my son is just 1 ..Nevertheless the detailed instructions are very good ..very helpful..

Now moving on to cardboard cars..My son loves cars..especially red cars.. In fact ball and car were some of the words that he learned to say early on..

                                                   courtesy: Its aboysworld

This is my inspiration..very much doable.. I think can be done with one big box..The lovely lady on the blog also posts how she made it..

                                                                             courtesy: iwonderbee

Another lovely example..so pretty isn't it..This blog also gives all the detailed instructions how she made it..

                                                                   courtesy: repeatcrafterme

Another lovely car ..It is made of pampers box..I enjoyed seeing the pictures of her kid enjoying it..could just visualize mine enjoying it as well..

WOW..God bless these lovely ladies who make life easier other moms..free of cost..I say pay it forward!!

A dream entrance

So the other day I was walking with my baby near by. When I spotted this beautiful  entrance to a restaurant.. I simply loved it..

I love everything about it!!! It is a blend of Indian and middle eastern style..The row of Moroccan lanterns hanging on the sides..The bouganvilla peeping from the pillars..along with other plants which seem to be hardy and sturdy for extreme weather (and my brown thumb as well) I love the big elephant with a Ambari (elephant seat) statue. There were two on both sides..The tall vase on each side of the door..although I will go for a oval shaped vase..

 This is my dream entrance ... my inspiration in new house..I sorted out the easy part ,i.e, where to buy the bouganvilla and the tall earthen vase from. I am thinking of painting the vase myself..Still have to figure out where to buy these exact lanterns and the elephant from..

 Till then I will dream on...

Postcard from life

   I passed this beautiful shop selling Turkish lamps the other day.. How could I not stop and shop.. I wanted to buy more or rather all of these but oh God what a dilemma... I don't have a house yet you see:))  But that didn't stop me from shopping for smaller lamps and many lovely Turkish delights.. I told my DH with a sad face and my big eyes wide open but dear these are so small aren't they I can keep them in the serviced apartment and move them easily to our pad...How could he not agree .. He is so sweet!!!

Hope you all had a great valentine's day!!!

Have a great weekend!!

My baby's first birthday party

My son's first birthday happened a few days after we landed in Dubai.  Baby and I both fell sick with flu and cold apart from the relocation jitters. But I was determined to give my son the best possible first birthday I would possibly can. As you all know I had made the decorations in Hong Kong and brought them with me in a box like precious treasures.  I had planned the entire day in Hong Kong . The night before my baby's birthday at night even though I was drowsy because of the medicine and really tired and jet lagged I pushed myself to complete the decorations. The aim was that later in life I don't want to fell guilty that I didn't do my best on my baby's first birthday. and I am glad I did all I could do..

Currently we are living in a serviced apartment.. So I don't have control over the furniture and furnishings.. I hanged the transportation bunting .. He loves red cars, trucks and buses ..This is even today a big hit with him.. I am planning to put the printable in my etsy shop soon..A perfect for little boys..so watch this space..

Another one..hanging over the TV panel..

He loved the racing car bunting as well... He has fascination for the car wheels..so I had made these ferrari wheels patterns.. I am so glad that my hardwork paid off...

                                              The three of them hanging side by side..

The cake I was made to order.. I found this lovely cake shop in Dubai on Facebook.. I had researched many cake shops in Dubai when in HongKong.. I wanted a red car on the cake..None of the cakes in any cakeshop in Dubai came any close to this one.Some had plastic ( so tacky) car on the cake..some said they would make the car out of cornflakes and just cover them with fondant.. Finally I found a cake shop(thanks to Facebook) who made the car with fondant ..looks perfectly like the real one..on the Mcqueen theme and it was decorated so beautifully with tiny tires..stonesetc all made of fondant..I customized the decorations,size and lettering all via email..

Sugarholics is the name of the cake shop in Dubai. I ordered the cake on the evening before his birthday.. So that I could surprise him in the morning..oh his expression and reaction was priceless..We all gobbled the yummy base cake ..It was a red velvet cake( red being his favorite color) with vanilla cream frosting..

I had made some table decorations..He loves flowers as well.. so I had bought a bouquet and placed in a formula can which I decorated with paper and ribbon. Then fixed some race flags, signals, car wheel and  I had made earlier in his food jars..

The car and wheel designs I made earlier fixed on skewers..I made one Mickey mouse one as well as he loves Mickey Mouse..It is in the flowers bouquet..

 I also had booked a professional photographer for a family photo shoot in the evening..This lady aslo I found via Facebook..I had booked her when in HongKong. And so glad as the photos have come out gorgeous..special memories of the day..

Then we went out for a early dinner at the Dubai Mall which is just across the road ..The baby eat his favorite stir fried broccoli.. As a mom it makes me very happy that he likes broccoli ..a lot!!

A beautiful day indeed.. 

 Later in the evening before he went to bed I took his hand print in air dry clay..took it many days to dry.. Once we move into our own pad I hope to frame it along with his one year photos..

Discovering Dubai

Hello friends.. How are you all doing? Its been quite a while since I posted here.. Its been some 10-12 odd days since we moved to Dubai from Hong Kong. I must say this change was initially very challenging for me. But now I am adjusting well.. Both baby and I fell sick since I had not anticipated that winter would be chilly here.. 

Now that we are both doing fine.. Baby and I go for long walks discovering Dubai..one step at a time..

I am in love with the beautiful lamps,lanterns and light fixtures here..

 I took lots of pictures in Souk in Dubai..Souk or Souq which is an open-air marketplace or commercial quarter in an Arabic..
Had a hard time just choosing a few.. 

Enjoy the pictures..

All images taken by me at the Dubai mall.

Party preparations ..

Admist crazy packing for moving to Dubai, I managed to find some time to make decorations for my sunny boys car themed first birthday. I have designed, printed, cut and assembled all of these myself. Really enjoyed doing it although it was tiring designing and creating the tiny patterns and cutting the fine details.

Sharing with you some pictures I took at home..

Hello 2013!!!!!!!!!

Hello friends.. I am back to blogging..Wish you all a very happy new year!!!! Have you guys made annual  to-do  list for 2013. I have.. I made one last year as well..and am so glad that most if not all of the tasks I had planned for 2012 are done!! Looking back at 2012, it has been a very good year personally..

- First and the most important is that I became a mother. I have a sense of fulfillment now... I feel so complete after giving birth. It was the most painful ( physically) yet happiest moment of my life. My baby is the joy of my life and I am enjoying every single moment of being a full time mom. 

 A sketch I made of my mom holding my son when he was 1 month old.

- My parents came to Singapore for my delivery . They stayed with us for 5 months. We enjoyed Mommy's lovingly hand cooked food for all 5 months. She cooks such tasty yummy food. Even the simple dishes taste so heavenly when cooked by her. They both are so positive and optimistic about life. Brought back lot of positivity, witty sense of humor and energy to my life. 

- starting my own business . It hasn't made me richer but I feel happy, confident and strong.    This creative work makes me happy and satisfied that's why I do it. It keeps my spirits high all day. I can smile and be cheerful all day for my child. A happy full time mom ( especially in the growing years ) makes happy children I believe and is my experience so far.  I am also glad that I could achieve some level of mastery in managing time taking full time care of my son and doing other household chores without any help.

- I have got back into pre-pregnancy weight..

- I have seen most if not all of Hong Kong. Enjoyed the winter, experienced the typhoons, ate delicacies, visited most of the  the nooks and corners worth seeing, shopped antiques and local artifacts etc etc

 It had some downs as well but then this blog is my positive diary and I don't want to focus on wrong things.. No one should.

So what are your plans for new year..It is 10 Jan now. I made my annual to- do list just yesterday.

The first is another big move. We are moving to Dubai in 10 days .. It just happened suddenly..I know we moved to Hong Kong some 8 months back. But that's just us. I am just extra flexible to move, love to travel and live/ experience different parts of the world. 

Will keep you posted!!

till then
xoxo
Purnima

Christmas in Hongkong

Just sharing with you some picture of the holiday and Christmas decorations here in Hong Kong. 

Ecofriendly christmas was the theme.. all the decorations and the trees are made of recycled goods..

All trees are made of yarn balls or  tissue paper ..and other such recycled material..

Flying reindeer and giant ornaments..

Couldn't help add this one..My baby amazed by the big teddy bear..

All the trees are decked with lighted snow flakes 

A giant teddy and decked up buildings

A huge tree decking up a square in the central district...

Huge ornaments and fairy wheels with reindeers..

Hong Kong island skyline..only this image is via Bayimage all others taken by me

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!!