Seasonal Colours

Strike a statement in your home with seasonal and holiday colours and using plenty of festive foliage, handmade decorations and candles as your Christmas décor to create a unique and magical atmosphere.

a contemporary mantel with red and white, Image via housetohome

 

 

Decorate with berries and eucalyptus leaves, Image via Lonny

 

Image via Lonny

 

Christmas candle centerpiece, Image via DIY enthusiasts

 

 

Image via Skonahem

 

Enjoy the season!

 

Countrykraftz

I came across this great online store called Countrykraftz bringing handpicked home décor and lifestyle products. It’s a joint venture started by Ninu Thomas and Nitha based in India. If you still haven't finished your Christmas shopping, why not visit Countrykraftz virtually and shop for your loved ones and save time.

Over to you Ninu Thomas to learn a little more about yourself and Countrykraftz

How did Countrykraftz begin?

Countrykraftz is a joined venture of me and my close friend Nitha, who is based at U.S. Both of us are interested in home interior and lifestyle products. So we decided to do something related to this area

What inspired you to start an online store?

Nitha came up with the online store idea, because we could operate it in our comfort zone. Both of us have children and we do not want to deviate from our priorities. Opening up a physical store needs lot of time and dedication when compare to online store. When we realized the possibilities of the E commerce market in India we ended up with this idea. However, we certainly have plans to open up local store in the near future.

Where are you based?

We are based at Kochi, Kerala.

What kind of products do you cater to?

We are purely into Home interior products. We offer a wide range of crafts collection from various parts of India. Our range of handpicked curios includes Photo Frames, bottle holders, wall decor, Planters, Home Décor, Gifts, tribal crafts, handmade pottery, handmade cutlery and much more. Apart from these, we are introducing our own line of products. We want to include a little bit of contemporary style too. Functionality and design are taken care when it come our designs. We are meticulous about the decorative and utility aspect of our products. We will introduce our products soon.

Do you ship outside India as well?

No, we do not ship outside India. However, we have plans to undertake international assignments in near future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to browse through their product range and here to access their facebook page. Happy Shopping!

Images via Countrykraftz

Christmas Cheer and Ideas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and Christmas is around the corner. If you aren’t in the Christmas spirit yet, I am sure you will be after browsing through these Christmas inspirations because each one of you deserves to feel that special and wondrous Christmas spirit.

For elegance wrap a gold ribbon around the tree, Image via Better Homes and Gardens

Candy Jar Mantel Décor, Image via Better Homes and Gardens

 

 

DIY Holiday Jar - a layer of greenery, handful of cranberries and water, Image via Better Homes and Garden

 

 

Sparkling decorations with ornaments and lights, Image via Better Homes and Gardens

 

Add colour with candy stripes, Image via housetohome

 

 

Decorate with Pinecone, Image via Better Homes and Gardens

 

 

Cinnamon sticks tied with a ribbon for a fragrant display, Image via housetohome

 

 

a personal touch to surprise your guest, Image via housetohome

 

 

 

Pops of colour to your white décor, Image via Better Homes and Gardens

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ― Melody Beattie

This is one of my favorite quotes. I always believed that thankfulness is an extension of one’s character. So cheers to life and a BIG THANKS to each one of you who faithfully read my blog.

With Thanksgiving around the corner and Christmas not far away, there is so much of inspirations around you to take away…. Here are some that I’d like to share with you

 

A beautiful centerpiece with flowers, fall leaves and pear, Image via myhomeideas

A dessert table, Image via CountryLiving

A decorated mantel, Image via Better Homes and Gardens

 

Keep the centerpiece compact to pass dishes easily, Image via CountryLiving

Decorate with Candles, Image via CountryLiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Loving my weekend

After the beautiful rain last night the weather has changed for the better…. Its cooler….… birds chirping in glee welcoming the new season… light breeze….. Flowers bloomed and I love the beautiful colours in my garden….I pray the weather in Oman gets even more cooler and I hope we experience good winter....  After a whirlwind week there is nothing more relaxing than just getting absorbed in nature’s beauty in your own garden……

How is your weekend going?



my little snowman is waiting for winter



Its always a pleasure to have vistors in my garden

 

 

 



blessed to have this view

 

Images are clicked by me

 

JewelBox

Shimmy Radhakrishnan, based here in Oman, was introduced to jewelry making by her friend and eventually starting making beautiful pieces using different mediums and materials led to her dream venture called JewelBox. When I met her in person, I realized how artistic she is with her designs emphasizing colour and texture, handcrafted and specializing in ethnic designs.

Here is what Shimmy had to say regarding her passion

When did you get started with JewelBox?

JewelBox was born on July 15 2012

What inspired you to start this? Did you take any formal training to start this venture?

After years of corporate work I decided to take a break and enjoyed taking care of the family but I had some extra time in hand which I wanted to utilize. I wanted to do something which will make me happy. It was around the same time a friend of mine had started doing jewelry. I really loved the idea and joined for a 3 hour course on jewelry making as I always had a passion for fashion accessories:) It was so addictive that I could never stop doing it and that led to the birth of JewelBox!!

Do you provide any jewelry making classes?

As of now, I am not providing any classes.

Are most of your jewelry pieces unique?

Majority of the pieces in JewelBox are unique but there are a few which are replicated based on request and I take customized orders as well.

Do you have a physical or virtual store? How do you market or sell your creations?

I have a virtual store and it’s through my Face book page :) I do most of the marketing through that and also planning to have one on Etsy soon. And I participate in exhibitions and events where I showcase my jewelry.
 

 

 

Click here to visit her Facebook page and view all her designs and if you wish to get in touch please write to shimmyrk@gmail.com

Images via JewelBox

 

 

Winner for the Kottanz give-away

It’s time to announce the winner for the give-away from Kottanz!!

 

Thanks to all those who participated…… Lincy Jacob, Asha Daniel, Kamini Gopal, Sarah Grace Jacob, Archana Someshwar, Usha Sasi…..  Loved all your comments!!!  Please continue to participate as there are more give-aways coming your way!

And

The lucky winners are: Asha Daniel and Usha Sasi

Congratulations!!!

 Asha Daniel and Usha Sasi, please write to gift.kottanz@gmail.com to claim your beautiful weaved basket.

 

Image via Kottanz

The Indian Sparrow

Sonali, a fashion designer by profession with her international experience with Ralph Lauren and working as a merchandiser and head of embroidery design with designer Azeem Khan, began her own venture called The Indian Sparrow. TheIndian Sparrow based in Pune, has a wide product range like hand-looms, lacquer ware, handcrafted leather, hand-spun and hand-woven scarves and stoles and earthen ware. Sonali openly shares with us on how this venture turned out to be a living testimony of God’s Love.

Here is what Sonali had to share.... over to you Sonali...

“It began out of a broken life! Had a break for quite sometime... Well life threw a few curve balls at me....where I was just trying to find myself! But God has been faithful… God has truly raised me and strengthened me through His grace and love and blessed me with the desires of my heart...and thats The Indian Sparrow...a living testimony of His love.

I launched The Indian Sparrow in October 2012.... Right from planning to participate in Kitsch Mandi, a flea market, that happened for the first time in Pune....to the sourcing, the label design, the printed labels....in 2 and a half weeks time....was all ready by 28th Oct, the day of the exhibition! Since then I began exploring my little space in this whole Fashion drama! My heart has always cherished the stories that hands create...be it hand-looms or embroidery or any other path...

My inspiration....indeed my homeland...Untamed India...who has shaped up her heritage over the ages...and whose stories we still hear, embrace and thrive on :)... The Indian Sparrow was just dropped in my spirit by God...a name perfect for the unassuming handcrafted stories of India...with an eternal sky to explore… “

 Have a look at the products she offers

 

Click here to view her Face book page for updates and if you have any enquiries you can email Sonali at theindiansparrow@gmail.com

Images via TheIndian Sparrow

 

Happy Diwali!!!

Wishing all my readers a Happy and Prosperous Diwali!!!!

May the lights continue to sparkle in your lives and have a great year ahead!!

 

Images are clicked by me

 

Open Plan Space for Your Home

A house with open plan space is one of the most sought after feature in recent years. Open plan homes look great, giving a sense of free flow of space, open view with a lot of light, increases your chance to socialize and entertain guests and also to keep an eye on the brood from any corner of your home. And the downsides of such a plan can be tackled through a clever floor design.

Distinct zones can be created with bookshelves, furniture and storage units to give visual or physical partition. Keep your cooker and hob near a window away from the living room to contain your cooking smell. And opt for soft flooring and lot of soft furnishings to minimize noise.



Image via Home Designing





Image via Home Designing



 

 

Image via homelife, photography Armelle Habib

 

 

Image via homelife, photography by Shannon McGrath

 

 

Image via homelife, photography by Richard Powers

 

 

Image via homelife, photography by Richard Powers

 

Image via homelife

 

 

Image via homelife

 

 

Would you opt for an open plan space for your home?