women's day decoration with white flowers

If you want to make your home more lively and cheerful, fresh flowers are the easiest way to do so. 

Although I prefer colorful flowers, this time I tried something different. This all-white flower arrangement has such a peaceful, calming, and serene feeling to it. 

 Happy International women's day!!

Beach Vibe and Nautical Decor

Hiya friends !!! How's it going? If you love sun, sand, sea shores and everything about it then you are my kinda person. I love it!! Just thinking about it makes me feel as if the breeze is blowing in my hair and I am somewhere listening to the waves instead. Ahhhh..That's what makes a girl happy!! 

I am so addicted to summer that I am having withdrawal symptoms!!!

Coming back to reality here I was sitting in this white cafe with extra tall ceiling showing off its ventilator pipes. While my sunny boy is busy with blocks in the play area here(Thank God for cafes with toddler play areas:) the idea struck to make a beach themed room.  Since I am really time famished like most of the mums with kids of my boys age, I am taking it one by one. 

I started with a art piece with my toddler. Since I became Mom I just find it hard not to include him in things I love doing the most. You must have noticed increase in number of art/craft/DIY decor projects with my sunny boy on this blog :) I just cannot separate it. There is no 'me space' in my house. It is our space- Mommy and sunny boy. 

We both have lots of sea shells collected from various beaches - memories of happy leisurely weekends!!! I was craving to do something with them. Something but didn't know what. Pinterst doesn't really work for me when I want to make something with my heart in it - something original that I can love all my life!! 

And suddenly a light bulb lit over my head.. I snapped my fingers and said "idea".. I just love that feeling.. 

Its very simple to make!! You only need a canvas, a box full of seashells and colors. 

Here's how we made it!

I told my toddler " so today we going to paint a heart" he gets excited when he hear those words... 

I asked him to choose a color to paint the canvas. I was happy he choose blue. 

I made a stencil of heart and kept it in the center. After he was finished painting I showed him some magic by pulling off the heart stencil to reveal the white heart under it. I poured glue over the heart and gave him box of sea shells to stick them.

 "Only on the heart" I emphasized. Once dry and when he was not looking I added some more sea shells on the sides to make it the perfect shape !! 

There its done!! 

It is very good way to make a beach holiday memento with the kids! 

  To make a table vignette I used some of our keepsake items from various trips to beaches in different countries. 

The flip flop are candles. They are so cute it would break my heart to burn them. 

That's an underlying idea to bring all the related memories in one room. 

Holiday photos, paintings, sea shells and hats. Its going to be a slow long process but I hope to get there soon. You will get to see the progress as and when. 



Sharing it with:

Artsy Corner , Home and Garden,Artsy Frasty,Thursday Tablescape, DIY sunday, Inspire me Tuesday!

Thai floral table arrangement

Hello friends! How is the week treating you all? My week as usual was divided between getting over the weekend relaxation and  planning for the next weekend. My mind has been drifting to our trip which we did around this time last year. We went to the very relaxing, stunning, colorful, green Thailand . Thailand has hot and humid climate which is perfect for many oriental varieties of flowers. 

We stayed at Mandarin oriental. It has every possible nook, corner and table ravishingly,  elegantly decorated with exotic , colorful, vibrant floral arrangements. The concrete bowls with floating lotus were placed in the garden which led to the outdoor pool and restaurant. These pop of colors were so soothing  to the eye and relaxing in the hot weather. It instantly puts you into the state of nirvana !!

 Floral arrangements need not be elaborate,  grand , eye popping all the time. Single stem flower arrangements look equally exquisite and elegant. They blend gorgeously in the setting and rest of the decor. These minimalist arrangement complement the setting well especially when there is limited space or the arrangement need not  be the center of attraction. The color combination of the flower and the vase in first picture which was taken in the outdoor restaurant is soothing. The lovely stem/s are displayed angelic in a clear glass vase. 

I would love to have tea like this every day.. A white plate, banyan leaf cut round, orchid, green tea with lemon and honey in a clear glass.  Divine!!! 

I would really enjoy recreating all these arrangement for my dining table .. That is if I find lotus here and I don't think they look any good with artificial lotus.. So till then I will dream and reminisce !!!!

Joining the party at Tablescape Thrusday, Home and Garden, Home sweet Home, Show and Tell!! 

Tibetan treasure

Traveling to Tibet has been a long cherished dream for me. Mysterious land with abundant natural beauty, tradition and culture. I am fascinated by the local Tibetan lifestyle- their traditional clothing, wooden houses with beautiful intricate Buddhist carvings, hand painted furniture , unique clothing and costumes. 

Till the time I actually visit the place I am managing my urge to travel by collecting antics from Tibet. This is one of my beloved item from that region. I saw this neglected in a dusty dark corner hiding underneath a small carpet in an antics shop. I loved it instantly. I did a bit of check for authenticity and it was mine for only $20.

The shopkeeper didn't know much about it except that it is scripture storage box from Tibet. It was used a box for storage of the pages of a Tibetan Buddhist Sutra, or other complete text. Inside the box are beautiful Tibetan symbols- auspicious symbol of Lotus flower and tiger. The symbols are made in Buddhist line art.   

Some of these boxes are painted directly on the raw wood while few are covered with leather and some like the one I have is covered with cloth before being painted .Gesso was used to produce raised decorations. Brass corners and iron ring hinges on the sides and top were done as a decorative element. 

It sits happily on my old chess board as a centerpiece on the table. I create wooden vignettes since I have a toddler at home. Its quite practical as it wont break or hurt him if it is picked or fell down from his hands. 

Joining the party at BNOP, Inspire Me tues !!

Floral arrangement with Bohemian touch

Like always some flowers last longer than others even if they belonged to the same bouquet. The flowers in the fire engine themed centerpieces  I had created ( see here) didn't last longer. I created a smaller arrangement with the ones which had survived. 

The jars around it are from Jordan. Made from wood and hand painted. Nicely complement the arrangement making it look electric vibrant colored  Bohomian. 

Images taken by me@ my home. Subject to copyright. 

Children party centerpiece

 The venue of my son's Birthday party was the local fire station - perfect for the theme and a boy party. It was a big hit so much better than a party hall. I will share all that fun later. But I will first share with you the preparations. So today I will tell you about the centerpieces. You know me I think no happy occasion is complete without flowers.

I used my sons formula tin cans. Covered them with red and yellow color papers which was the color theme. Tied a ribbon around them. Filled them with florist foam and arranged the flowers. Fixed the ballon in the center. 

Lastly I designed and printed fire engine themed centerpiece toppers and fixed them in the foam as well. This way flowers got added to the theme without looking out of place!!

More posts about my son's fire engine themed birthday party:

Handmade fire truck gift 

Edible Matchsticks

All the images are taken by me @ my home. Please do not use without permission.

Indian themed walls

There is something dreamy, nostalgic, old world charm to this room. And I am loving it!  I get drawn to such beautiful wall features but then I think these wont really look good in our modern lives. We can take some features from it like the painting ,silk curtains and the wall color and create that look on one wall. That will look stunning..!! Some day I will do that .. Some day.. till then I will keep dreaming!!

Image from here.

Decorating with paper doilies!!

Remember the table arrangement I did on Thursday. The centerpiece was made by a row of glass bottles with pretty colorful flowers in it... So today I am going to show you how to up cycle/ reuse/ decorate plain bottles to use them as vase..(I know I said Sunday but I am so super excited that I am writing this two days earlier..:)) This one is very easy ...For this you need:

Small sized paper doilies, Clear glass bottles(used, emptied and washed) , flowers , scissors ..thats it!!  So let's start..

Take a small sized doily.. Fold it into triangle ..

Then cut it so that a circle will remain in the center..Another way could be a draw the glass bottle neck shape on the doily and cut it..

It should look like this..

  Thats it.. now put it in the bottles neck ..

and fill it with water, salt and flowers.. done!!!

Arrange many bottles the same way in a row.. 

Done... Isn't it easy way to decorate your table plus to reuse your glass bottles..

I will share some more ways to up cycle bottles soon...!!!

Frangipani Decor

It will be a week now that we moved into a serviced apartment. It is pretty neat.. I really like the design and decor of this apartment..and the view of the Hong Kong harbour is  breathtaking!! I will give a tour of this place before we move into our own pad.. 

There are two parks near by .. one is Pacific place garden(small garden) and other is the Hong Kong park.. So baby and I go for walks and strolls there.. There are lots of frangipani trees here and I love to collect them.. 

 Frangipani or Plumeria flowers are very delicate and perfect for summer decor. They don't last for long although..Enjoy them while they last..their amazing aroma and the tropical feel to it.. The best way to decorate them is to float them in a bowl of water or dip them in water in shallow bowl/vase  like I did. I put them in this shallow bowl..actually it is a ashtray but we both don't smoke so we don't need it and I think it makes a pretty good vase!!!!

After bringing them home put them in water right away or in the refrigerator or put them in a wet cloth napkin and fold it from all sides. They will last longer if it is cooler in the house..so if you are doing a decor piece with frangipani flowers for the evening then it is better to put the Aircon on.  

So you can see that the number of flowers in my little vase are increasing after each day's walk:) Now it is overflowing.. 

So I kept some in other vases..Soon I think all the empty vases and pots will be filled with flowers picked from strolls:) Such small things also help me personalize this temporary accommodation and helps us to make it feel at-home!!!!!


Have a lovely weekend!!!


Linking to these lovely parties Show and Tell Friday, Home sweet Home, Show and Tell Saturday!!!!

Art for kitchen

I found some pictures of my kitchen in the Singapore home on my laptop.. When we moved to that home I didn't like the kitchen..It was a big comprise compared to our fancy and very modern kitchen in the Switzerland home..This one had tiles from top to bottom..you know the white square ones..I call them bathroom tiles. Since I love to cook and didn't have a helper till I got pregnant I wanted the kitchen to look pretty..somewhere I can work and cook..So decided to beautify it a bit. 

I had made these Chai paintings some time back..each painting has a different cup style and on the background are words for tea around the world..some 20 different languages I think..like tea, tey,chai, cha, caj,tee etc

I bought wall decals with cherry blossoms print on it. It worked like magic. These are very durable, easy to clean and remove. I fixed a huge flowering branch with flowers dropping from it over the sink, some near the kitchen back door and one over the hob. I also put some near the switch board and the paintings.


Wall decals are easy way to beautify the walls without any damage to the walls. There are some awesome kitchen decals available in the market which will add instant spark to the room. 

I fixed some wooden birds I had bought in Madrid , cheese board from Amsterdam, some vintage tins I collect in Europe and a money plant in a recycled bottle..etc ..

After going through all this trouble to make it look better I have decided that  I will not compromise on the kitchen in the new home here in Hong Kong:))

One vase 4 stunning centerpieces

Let's look at 4 different ways to arrange flowers and create awesome centerpieces using the same vase ...

     

Arrange Calla lilies with long stems or floating flowers-orchids with lemons and lemon slices, floating candles. Use large tropical leaf like a banana leaf or Monstera leaf as a table mat.. This decor will look splendid on a romantic occasion or even a lovely elegant party with friends..

Arrange tulips as a bouquet and floating in clear vases alternatively in a row in the center of the table. Float candles in tall glasses .. sprinkle tiny flowers on the table..This centerpiece can make your table look very festive ... 

Use seasonal flowers and fruits for creating a seasonal look..

All the beautiful images are courtesy brown paper design.

Happy Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

Wish you all a very happy weekend!!!!!!

:- show & tell Friday

Chinese table decor

I did this table decor on a rainy day with dull weather a few days back. I love to decorate the table as per the menu and especially on dull days to make it cheerful. Change is always good for everyone...makes us feel so good..break from the routine.

As you must have guessed the menu was Chinese. I made use of white mainly to brighten up the table. 

To my surprised when I was checking my earlier table decor I saw that lat time when I did a Chinese table decor I had used white as the major color as well. It was very pretty..see here!! I had taken those photos at that time with iPhone and these are from the same iPhone as well.. but I see that for some reason the earlier are sharper:( I have to check what's wrong.

Anyway back to the decor..the pretty lotus candle is from Penang,Malaysia. I bought lots of them from the Thai Buddhist temple.  I kept some sea shells in the bowls. 

The red tea pot is just a vignette ..I have no intention of using it.. because first it is too pretty and second it is too small!! The golden silk coasters are from the China town..

I have the pencil chopsticks in all colors..They look very realistic .. bought them during the Chinese new year this year..I used pink ones for me and the blue one for DH!!

Lovely glow of the lights when I put on lights in the evening..We had a good time.. romantic and relaxed!! 

Joining the party at Susan's for Tablescape Thursday , Sherry's Open house link party,

Cindy's Show & Tell Friday, Sherry's Home sweet Home!!

Christmas decor

In Singapore Christmas is a month long festival..The city dazzles from Nov to New year.Every year Singapore has a theme for the tropical Christmas ..this year it is Christmas in love!! There is lot of music,dance,night feasts, Christmas floats and lot more events happening in the city!! 

Getting into the mood I have decided to decorate  my apartment for Christmas early this year!! In this tropical country we don't need a fireplace.. but I am kind-of missing having one since I had one in Zürich.. Can you believe I actually (by mistake) brought the firewood we had in Zurich with our shipment to Singapore.. hmmm..That's another story!! So to fulfill my desire to have a mantle ..I have decorated the new mahogany cupboard top which we bought recently. It also serves as a divider between the living area and the dining area.. This is how it looked like till a few hours before..

This is now it is looks like now..

All decked up for Christmas...





I brought 3 plants of Poinsettia this weekend.. Two of them I placed at the end of the cupboard top.Decorated them with some golden ornaments around the base.







On one side I kept a cute little carriage full of presents and gifts..I had bought it from a Christmas shop in Schwarzwald area(Black forest) in Germany!!





On the other side I kept a silver leaf near the pot..I just love the colors..the striking red and the golden ornaments!! It looks very festive!!!





In the center I kept my crystal reindeer on a wooden box!!  I love this reindeer ..It from a Christmas market in Zurich.. It looks so beautiful.. its pose, shape and the bells to its antlers/horns are very pretty..I fell in love with him the moment I saw him!!!

I placed some tiny pine cones near the box.. It is actually a tea &spice box which I got as a Christmas gift from a online grocery store(migros)  in Zurich!! 





How can I forget my cute Santa candy jar... I love him to bits:)




Joining the parties at th Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, with Diana @ The Girl Creative for Just Something I Whipped Up  ,with Cindy @ Cottage Instincts for Make it 4 Monday ,Marty's Tabletop Tuesday , Becca @ Blue Cricket Design for Show &Tell , the Lettered Cottage for Holiday home linky party, Gina @ the shabby chic cottage for Transformation Thursday , Sharon&Rekha @The key bunch for December Carnival , Emreen@ Liven things up for Its Festival time ,Cindy @Romantic home for Show &Tell  Friday , Robin@All things heart and home for all things merry and brite and Lori @bedifferntactnormal for Show&Tell!