DIY: Baby Booties as Give-aways

Planning a baby shower is so much fun…  it’s a celebration for the mother to be and for her to be at ease. A recent baby shower was so much fun… especially when everyone pitches in!!! It took some DIY, Pinterest and YouTube inspiration, awesome food and to top it all up with some fabulous and gorgeous cupcakes and cake! What a fun day it was!

I had so much fun being a part of the décor team… made the pompoms… star strings for decoration… and my favorite… I managed to make baby booties as give-aways… it doesn’t cost much… all you need is some plastic or foam cups, scissors, ribbon, stapler and some candies of your choice.

Click here for the tutorial… and have a look at these pictures to see what it looked like…

All images are clicked by me


 

Design5 Studio

Decoupage is an upcycled art that involves a lot of cutting and pasting of different images, photographs, postcards or pictures on any object that will transform it into a collective art item and gives a vintage feeling to it. I am quite fascinated by this art but till today I've never really ventured into it but I hope to do so one day. I came across the work of Molly from Design5 Studio, a decoupage artist, on Instagram and I immediately fell in love with her work and I knew that very moment that I have to introduce you to her beautiful work. All her designs are just gorgeous and I personally love her jewelry boxes and her trays!

 Have a look at her beautiful decoupage work and let’s hear from Molly herself and am sure her creative journey will inspire many of you creative minds out there…

 

 

How did it all begin?  Who is the founder?

I am Molly, a decoupage artist. I have a university diploma in Fine Art & Design that sparked a lifelong practice.  I’ve created projects across various communication disciplines of design. Graphic, space, 3D, brand identity et al. After a long stint in design I decided to chase my own dreams rather than somebody else’s. Out of this dream was born –Design5 Studio.

Design5 Studio started out of my love for creating 'functional' design. I believe that design is functional...design is human. Not virtual. Because it is meant for people, for a purpose. If it does not communicate, holds no interaction, then it is not design.

At Design5 Studio, I create 'eco-whimsical’ and fun, decoupaged wooden home decor and fashion accessories out of various sources of wood. My designed products reflect my belief that a good design touches you. Tickles you and even leaves you amazed. I immerse myself in the details. I have a knack for what I do. I live for what I do… and I love what I do.

 

What was your inspiration to start this studio?
I have always believed that design is the medium that connects the body with the soul. It touches all your senses. And that’s how it reaches your inner being. Design5 Studio was born with this endeavor. To create design that touches people. The interface of design rarely mattered. So what was graphic in its early days became substance later on. 

Over the past years, I have tried to create work that not just meets a brief. But takes a larger responsibility. Decoupage was another expression of the same dream. It was a way to make the ordinary, extraordinary. An old European art, long forgotten became my magic wand to infuse life into not just lifeless objects but also give new meaning to my dream. It gave wings to my passion of design and more importantly expression to my creation. 

Similarly, Upcycling (of wood, structure or material) was undertaken with the promise of finding design a home that rests on a past that was forgotten or just utilized. Be it furniture, boxes, bottles or just plain old cloth. My vision just needed a surface. 

Over and above all this I keep thinking what really keeps inspiring me, pulling me together, pushing me to find new horizons, challenges and expression. What happens now is possibly answered in what triggered all this firstly…It’s my daughter. She gave me the catalyst to find energy in a creative career that almost had reached a stop. The inaction became the trigger. The inertia provided the momentum, to propel not just my life, but my design journey. Design5 Studio is my vision.

 

What's unique about your products? And what's the most fast moving one? Tell us a bit about your product range.
I design, handcraft and decoupage wooden products. Right from Soft Birch Wood Hand Clutches, Keepsake Jewellery Boxes, Trays, Clocks to exclusive Wooden Jewellery. 

Reviving vintage furniture using Decoupage is a deep passion. Bringing old, worn out furniture pieces back to life brings an enormous amount of creative satisfaction. And everything has an option of personalisation too. These products make for great signature accessories for yourself and your home.

My most selling products are my keepsake/jewellery boxes and recently my wooden earrings have become my star attraction!

What is your vision for Design5 Studio?

Something we all believe in and truly is what we work towards. Personally, as well as professionally. We strive for objects, accomplices, and accessories. This applies for our homes too.

At Design5studio, our endeavor is to make you and your homes, beautiful. More beautiful.

                                                                                                                                                     

Thanks Molly for sharing your journey with me and my readers. And we hope to see more and more of your beautiful work and keep inspiring us all.

 

Click here to hop on to her website and you can follow her on instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/design5studio/ 

 

All Images are via Design5Studio

 

Monday morning inspiration: Welcome to Vandana's home

The start of a new week is so difficult for everyone… lots of coffee to wake you up and to get started… and I thought why not some eye candy for your Monday morning…

Vandana, a fellow blogger, who is the author of “Seasons in the Sun”, has warmly invited us for a tour of her colourful and vibrant home… so sit back and enjoy!!

"Hello all! I am Vandana. I live with my husband and son in Bangalore. I had been into teaching for about 14 odd years with a few breaks in between. Over the last couple of years I have given up my teaching job and am home but of course have taken up learning a new language; something that I had longed for! Well, this 'being home' has helped me indulge in a few things I love doing.
I love reading decor and travel blogs; nurtured the desire to have my own blog where I could pen down whatever I liked or loved. And hence was born Seasons in the sun....
A clean and aesthetically done up space and garden were some of the things I grew up with. My earliest inspiration has been my grandmother who brought me up. Later on the basics of aesthetics
evolved further courtesy the several beautiful decor blogs and glossies. Much of my learning is from them.
As far as my decor mantra goes, it is extremely simple. I, most often, go by my impluse, my love for bold bright colours and my love for ethnic and kistchy elements of decor. I also swear by the 'two minute ' decor theory ( probably this one is my own innovation! ) I believe in investing more on furnishings than on furniture pieces! Since the job scenario these days isn't stable and require a lot of travelling, I try to make do with temporary changes within the home and decor.
Also a small living space restricts me to do much. So my ultimate focus is to make the most of the space available and organise for more storage.
That's about me and my home.
I am really thankful to Rachel and Tickled by inspirations to feature my simple home :-).... "

I loved what I saw.... especially her vignettes and her use of colours..... did you? Thanks Vandana for inviting us to your beautiful and vibrant home. Click here to follow her lovely blog for inspirations.

Have a good day everyone and a fabulous week ahead!


Images via Vandana



 

Recipe for the month: Mixed Berry Pavlova

Pavlova is an absolute gorgeous dessert and quite simple to make…. Rustic to look at and perfect for summer. I used strawberries and raspberries for flavor and it complemented well with whipped cream and the meringue… the whole texture is fantastic. I am quite happy with myself with the way it’s turned out and I begin to wonder if this has become the end to all my cakes… haha.. kidding!!!

Before I move on to the recipe I’d like to salute all the food bloggers around the world… I have to say the effort behind their blog is tremendous… there has to be perfect lighting… take pictures in different angles… edit the pictures…typing out the recipe... all this requires a lot of time, energy and patience… so thanks to all those amazing food bloggers and food stylists who inspire people like me to keep experimenting their recipes and keep clicking away!!

So let’s move on to the recipe for the show stopper…

 

 

Recipe is adapted from Food Network. Click here for the original recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites (room temperature)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons corn flour
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries
• Triple Raspberry Sauce (enough to coat the berries)
• 1 cup cold whipped cream (already prepared)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the raspberry sauce

• 100gm fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 to 6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam     

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.

Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl and beat it on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. Then slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the corn flour onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the baking paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I baked two smaller ones to sandwich both with whipped cream. So my meringue turned out thinner.

For the raspberry sauce: Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam into the bowl of a food processor process until smooth. Chill.

Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with raspberry sauce, just enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.

Tips

·         To save time make the raspberry sauce the previous day.

·         You can even bake the meringue the previous day and store it in a airtight container.

·         Use fruits of your choice… sliced bananas… just passion fruit… kiwi

All images are clicked by me




 

Nigella’s Moonblush Tomatoes

There is always happiness in nature’s bounty…. My weekend started off with a good harvest from my kitchen garden… reaped beautiful cherry tomatoes and I wanted to do something different with it. I remembered while browsing through Nigella’s cookbook, where she oven dried the cherry tomatoes and infused it with olive oil, salt and thyme. Instead I used basil and it still tasted so good with my salad… especially with goat cheese … Try it out and I am so sure you will be hooked on to it.

 

 

 

Recipe adapted from Nigella's Cookbook. Click here for the original recipe...

Ingredients

·         500 gms cherry tomatoes

·          1 teaspoon table salt

·         1 teaspoon dried basil

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 220°C

2.       Cut the tomatoes in half and sit them cut side up in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, thyme and olive oil.

3.       Put them in the oven, bake for about 5 minutes and turned it off. Leave the tomatoes in the oven overnight or for a day without opening the door.

4.       You can store it in an airtight container with olive oil.

 

All images are clicked by me






 

Studio Dhi

Recently I came across this minimalistic lamp on Engrave, which is something new and fresh. And I found myself browsing through similar gorgeous lamps made by the same home décor brand, called Studio Dhi.  Kavya Sundaram, an architect by profession whose passion is interiors, is the brainchild behind this brand and Mithun Stephen is the co-founder who takes care of marketing and technical sphere. If you have an old wall unit or a coffee table that needs some kind of upliftment, Studio Dhi is the right place to be.

Have a look at the lamps that she has designed and let’s get to know more about Studio Dhi from Kavya herself and about the décor services that she offers… 

 

 

 

 

Tell us a bit about yourself and your inspiration to start Studio Dhi

 

I am Kavya Sundaram an Architect by profession and a designer by passion. I hold a degree in Architecture and am passionate about interior design. I am the founder of this concept design studio and Mithun Stephen is the co-founder, who’s behind the technical knowhow and marketing.

We all know that there are talented architects and interior designers to design innovative spaces, but there is hardly any expertise in the home decor area. Home Decor plays a role equally important as the building envelop. “The space you inhabit is an extension of yourself” it defines your character, mood, work everything. This is how Studio Dhi’s intervention began. Also during our on field research with the home décor items, to our surprise we discovered that the kind of décor and furnishings existed 10 years back are still continuing. Everyone has their own dream space to create but with the existing products in the market, they are forced to choose the products which are at the least close to their expectation, which results in having a regular space like any other… But Studio Dhi focuses on creating a new grammar to your space!

 

What does “Dhi” signify?

 

“Dhi” is a Sanskrit word which has many meanings like being meaningful, understanding, reflection, design, intelligence, opinion, meditation and lot more. Everything we wanted to say about our brand, fitted in just these three letters.

How unique is Studio Dhi?

Every product at Studio Dhi is made entirely by hand from heart taking inspiration from around. The idea behind this brand is to create a complete environment, both interiors and exteriors by simple and innovative designs. We dream of bringing luxurious, hand‐crafted décor accessories to living spaces across the world. Presenting you is a platform to celebrate art and culture through great products.       

 

What is your vision for Studio Dhi?

 

In today’s lifestyle, we see décor and furniture as two separate elements. These two elements together complete a space. Future of home décor is about slowly transforming these two elements as one, where your furniture doubles as a décor. We are currently working towards that.

 

 

Any home décor tips for my readers?

 

Most of my clients have one question in common i.e ‘How do I make a space look appealing?’ Well here are some tips

 

·         Try to follow balance, proportion and harmony.

·         Choose Quality over quantity

·         Add some Details — small touches of designs on elements in the room.

·         Choose Neutral, calming tones with earth tones.

·         Last but not the least Light plays a huge part.

 

We always follow our decorating mantra "less is more."

 

Thanks Kavya for sharing your inspiration and experience with us and for the lovely home décor tips.

 

You can follow them on

 

website: http://www.studiodhi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioDhi/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiodhi/

 

 

Images via Studio Dhi

 

 

 

 

 

Home Tour: Residence of Disha from Design, Decor & Disha

I met Disha, a super talented lady, through her blog and I was just blown away by her gorgeous home and her passion for home decor, her art, her enthusiasm for DIY and her style. Today Disha gives us a glimpse of how her home exudes ethnicity, colours, textures and happiness with her amazing talent. She has created a beautiful cozy and inviting home, with a beautiful mix of old & new, vibrant colours and different textures. Her passion is chronicled in her blog, Design Decor& Disha, and it is a one stop for inspirational ideas for home decor and art & DIY ideas.

Are you ready to see her beautiful home?? Well Disha has graciously opened up her home to take us through her lovely space... over to you Disha.

Thank you, Rachel, for inviting me here on your lovely blog. I am honoured.

I wear many hats, I am a work at home mother, freelance writer, blogger and sometimes I enjoy being an artist, crafter and gardener too. (Let me share a secret here, I slip into various roles easily as situation demands. For an instance, I play electrician, plumber, cleaner, domestic help, driver, technician and what not when the need arises).

I am a decor enthusiast and love everything that is aesthetically pleasing if it isn't then I turn it into an eye pleasing stuff. Okay! A lot of bragging has been done now let me show you how these roles that I play every day give me the opportunity to do what I love most. Let's take a tour of my home with me as I wear one hat at a time. My home, a place that has been evolving with my decor aesthetics each passing day. I love warm hues and hence you will get to see lots of warm colours in my home.

As a blogger and freelance writer, I get lots of opportunities to play around with my imaginations while doing product photo shoot and styling.

 

A dormant artist in me often wakes up and creates something and then I have to find a place to display it. Here are some of my artworks that I display proudly in my home.

This is Madhubani painting that I asked my sister to draw and then I filled the colours with homemade natural dyes.

Below are the Lippan work (mud mirror work) wooden panels that have got several thousand views on my YouTube channel. 

Stale coffee in my kitchen cabinet was put to good use and result was this Buddha painting.

Now let me wear a crafter's hat. I am an avid crafter and I love to reuse, recycle and upcycle. In my home, you will see a lot of recycled and upcycle stuff.

This is my foyer wall that had painted when I moved into my apartment five years ago. The sunburst mirror you see here is an example of best out of waste (made from broomsticks)

A dry branch that I found in my balcony garden is now blooming and looking perfect in my living room.

I make newspaper coasters and paint them in striking colours and patterns. One such coaster set in the image below was done in Suzani pattern.

 

A glass bottle I painted a long ago.

 

Now meet a gardener Disha :) I love gardening and find it therapeutic. Whenever I am stressed either I paint or I love to spend time with my plants. 

I keep changing my garden decor the same way I keep changing my home decor. I love creating Zen spots and there is one in my balcony garden too. I take pride in saying that all my planters are hand painted.

 

I totally enjoyed being here on 'Tickled by Inspirations' with you all. Thanks once again Rachel for having me here :)

I hope you enjoyed this wonderful home tour treat... I loved it and i don’t mind just browsing through it again and again... Thanks so much Disha for opening up your beautiful home to me and my readers. I wish you all the best and hope to meet you in person soon!!

Click here to browse through her blog, here to follow her on Instagram and here to get updates through her Facebook page. Enjoy your Thursday!!

Images are copyright Disha