Happy Sunday

I woke up this morning to do some spring cleaning and one of my major tasks was to throw away my old magazines. Instead I found myself gazing at them with inspiration. I find it so hard to throw away home décor and food magazines. So I did a little bit of space management and piled everything in a magazine basket. For now I just treasure them till I find a reason to down size my collection – if I ever find one...

Images clicked by me

Flower Muse

Flowers in all their infinite variety are the friendliest in the flora world. Flower arrangements are one the easiest way to add colour, life and extra texture into your home décor. Love filling my house with bloom filled vases because it adds such beauty and life to my days and it need not be expensive. I saw this useful article where you can use your ordinary household items like ceramic ware or vintage teapot to display flowers.

Click here and get inspired by some of these flower arrangements to freshen up your place


Images via CountryLiving

Famous Engagement Rings

This Blog post is a little offbeat from my regular posts but I had to feature this because of the designs and breathtaking beauty on beautiful diamonds, sapphire or emerald and other gemstones. Vogue recently featured Engagement rings that adorned some of the famous and stylish women, who influenced the look and style of many aspects in fashion.

Click here to view and envy some of the other famous engagement rings.


Images via Vogue

Banana in Rum

Banana in rum sounds easy right :).... yes it is.... If you have last minute guests at home this is a quick and easy to make dessert. And it's perfect for summer. This is another recipe I learned at Shiney Jacob's cooking class. Weekend is approaching soon... try this recipe and let me know how it turns out.

Ingredients:

Banana – 2
Sugar – ½ cup
Rum – 1 ½ tbsp
Warm Water – ¼ cup


Serves 2


Method:

Caramelize sugar and water then simmer for 30 seconds. Then add sliced bananas and simmer for a minute and add rum. Serve it warm with vanilla ice-cream.

Images clicked by me

Vintage Elegance

The inspiration and design of any vintage piece always intrigues me. The challenge lies in how we match vintage with our regular home décor. If you have too many vintage pieces in one room you get a museum and dated look. You need to strike a balance by combining antiques with modern pieces.

My interest in vintage has grown. I believe it’s not suitable for all homes but it’s a fun way to inject life and personality to any tired space. An old vintage trunk can be a coffee table or an old dresser works great as a hallway table and upholstery is a great way to freshen up an old piece. Here are some pictures that show how old and new creates a pleasing contrast.

Images via Homelife

Sunshine's Garden Boutique

A garden space at home, big or small is definitely a space to unwind. But when you add accessories along with your plants you transform your garden into a paradise. Sunshine's Garden Boutique , based in Bangalore, is one place that caters to garden accessories, sculptures, water features, furniture and different kinds of planters. Most of their products are inspired and handpicked across the globe. As you venture into this boutique you will see accessories such as terracotta, pebbles, natural driftwood and a wide range of bonsai plants. They also provide a variety of garden solutions that include landscaping and designing. I can’t wait to visit Sunshine's Garden Boutique when I am in Bangalore as I need to dress up my garden.

Click here to visit their boutique.

Images via Sunshine's Garden Boutique

Art of Gift Wrapping

Gift wrapping influences people’s reaction to gifts and its fun! It’s not just a holiday affair anymore. You can make an ordinary hostess gift extraordinary by bringing a carefully wrapped potted plant tied with a bow or a bottle of wine tied up with a fancy ribbon. It’s all about the anticipation, excitement and effort. I love to see the recipient’s smile and sense of wonder which only a wrapped gift can conjure.

If you want to learn more on different techniques of gift wrapping please click here to view step-by-step instructions through photos and videos.



Images via Homemade Gifts Made Easy

iPhone Wardrobe

iPhones are integeral part of our lives now and celebrated for many things like great design, fun, easy to use, media and a host of other applications you never thought you needed in a phone. There is an App for everything! So why not get an iPhone cover that matches with your style. Vogue has handpicked iPhone cases that is inspired by current fashion statements.

Images via Vogue

Magic of Pottery through Saundhi Mitti

"Saundhi Mitti" is India’s first online pottery market that sells unique contemporary pieces in ceramic ware. It has gained popularity because of Ruchira Bhatia’s (founder) passion for pottery. She has created a platform for potters across India to showcase and sell their pieces to a wider audience. Most of their pieces are created through experimentation, innovation and through accidents as well. Here are some of their beautiful creations:

Click here to visit their website.


Images via Saundhi Mitti