Lamps around the house

Table lamps around the house add that elegence which most people imagine are works out of designer magazines....yes that is so true.The magic of lamps is a secret designers have long been aware of.

Do a trial for yourself... instead of all those wall sconces ...try a lamp... you can go in for a floor lamp or you can have a table lamp.Never compromise on the wattage that a home needs for a practical day to day living. Any design idea, (just like romance) will fail the test of time if it is not practical. And remember go in for ones where you can fit in power saving bulbs.I never feel guilty putting on my lamps ...just our little take on energy saving and being guilt free.

A Rose Arrangement

Beautiful pink roses ...arranged in a whiteware tureen.My florist send these beautiful bunch of roses...all it takes to have it arranged in this style is...a tureen and two bricks of florists-oasis,and a sharp knife or blade.

Soak the oasis in water...so that it is completely saturated ... will help the flowers not dry out soon.Next see how high you want your arrangement...stand two pieces of the oasis in the middle of the container and mark height...cut off the extra...start to stuff the container with the oasis(cut them if need be into thinner pices ).Its pretty easy to work with ...makes you feel almost like a sculptor.

Once you have completely filled ithe container...take your sharp blade or knife and start shaving off the oasis in the shape of a dome...you may not need to be excate in your shaping ...but near about would be fine.

That done ...you are ready to start sticking in the flowers (you can cut their stems short ...though not too short cause they need to go a bit into the oasis to absorb water.Fill out the container with flowers evenly ...

For fillers...I cut the left over stems and pushed them between the flowers...just push a little deeper in, so that the cuts of the stem are hidden and all you get to see are the lovely rose leaves...I love the tone on tone effect, in flower arranging and so I also used ,tuberose buds with pink tips.Make sure you keep adding water to the oasis...if you feel it may be drying out a bit.

Granddad’s old accent chairs

the chairs as we got from dada-dadi's house

My husband and I inherited a pair of his grandfather’s old accent chairs. They were quite famous in 60’s and 70’s, quite predictably part of the modern design trend seen in interiors around that period in India (I dare say…judging by the simple straight line design) and probably the last remaining would still be in existence among the stockpile of furniture in the old army houses.
I grew up with quite a few of them as an ‘army brat’ (proud of it as hell)…and every time, mom called the MES people... (part of the army’s set up that handles the housing and other needs of the army) to change the upholstery…it was predictably either a deep maroon or a orange and may be a grey once in a while.
These chairs were special in more than one ways. I wanted to restore them to their original glory, like I had seen in so many of dada and dadi’s photographs. They had great basic design, so what I decided to do was just change the cushioning inside and find a fabric to upholster it with. A great upholsterer would do the job. The challenging part was finding the right fabric to co-ordinate it with rest of my collection of furniture. It was this decision that kept this project shelved for the longest time ever
One day at the furnishings store …Seasons I saw a cream color fabric. It looked like synthetic damask…with a mix of botanical and animal patterns on it. After some thought…that is what I chose for the chairs. An additional detailing that I later ended up adding was wide headed brass pins. I really like them for the simple reason that as they tarnish …the piece gets a graceful elegance.
I like the chairs and how I could save their simple lines of modernism …and the upholstery giving it the classic look. the reupholstered version

Drape your Christmas tree this year...

What ever the size of the tree you pick ...the trimming goes the same way...the star at the top...ornaments and garlands on the whole tree and a skirt at the base.Let me explain each as we go along. Oh, and don't forget the lights.

Each year when our tree is put up...I have a personal favourite ritual...drapping it with yards and yards of fabric.This year Sarah having declared that mommy's got to make it a pink Christmas...I bought about 6 meters of this beautiful pink crushed silk fabric(buy a saree)... it is enough to pull over a 7 feet tree ,we have.I start by rolling it into a ball and start unrolling it slowly on the inner side of the tree ...pull and tuck as and where you feel the need...its about passion ...no science ... and you'll slowly reach the top.I love it because it instantly fills up the tree...sets the color theme for you to follow...psst ...and I love to collect fabric...yards and yards of them.

It is best to put in your lights now ...so that it is easy to adjust the fabric and lights and make sure you don't let the lights burn into the fabric some place...its easy ...just got to slowly arrange the lights on the branches to avoid the lights touching the fabric.

Hanging up the ornaments is all the fun you want ...start from the top coming downwards... I open one ornament box at a time and start hanging them, as it feels nice...bunch them up,or balance them out evenly all over the tree... and believe me I am usually adding something to hang till the very last minute ...it is never enough.

Don't forget the skirt...and don't fret if you can't find a nice one at the stores...I haven't found one to fall in love with either... some yards of fabric to the rescue again...bunch up one side of the length of the fabric...hold it around the base of your tree ...tie it with a ribbon to hold it there...and spread it all around the tree base...literally like a skirt you'd hold up with a drawstring... :)

And leave the star for your sweetheart...unless you have the advantage of the inches over him.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY

Christmas...work in progress

Love the reindeers I found at @HOME Stores... Sarah and I are working at creating new ornaments of our own ...bought some pretty petunias in all shades of pink and purple that I could find...and its all work in progress..Hope to have you back here...

Hurricane Lamps ...

These beautiful hurricane lamps are made of paper...with tea light candles inside them. Make as many as you want and put them around in groups...the effect of the candle light is enough to set you in the mood to celebrate.
For this craft project you'll need... gateway paper,it is stiff and stands well (you'll find it at all big stationary strores that stock up for architectural students ... paper punch (christmas themed design)
...glue stick
...scissors
How to ...Cut the paper into different sizes you'd like (rectangles or squares)... punch one side of the sheet with the design you decide on (I found these beautiful double star design punch)...this side goes up(not down because then your candle will show through)...overlap the two sides of the sheet and stick them with the glue stick. You've madeyourself a beautiful hurricane lamp... put it over a tealight candle.

12 days to Christmas

Its 12 days to Christmas ... we've pulled out the tree and all the excitement is beginning to brew...my lil' Sarah is getting old enough to tell mommy a few things she likes...and its going to be a pink Christmas this year.
I found this pink crushed silk fabric at one of the dupatta stores...draping it on the tree quite sets the mood and the theme for all the decorations to happen...believe me, when I say I too am waiting to see what it all turns out like this year.
Most definately come back to see how to... trim your Christmas tree ...

I love to come in, to a beautiful ... fragrant home.A pot full of tall tuberoses ...and my whole home is fresh and inviting...I have tried the aromatic candles and the room freshners...but these flowers so far have been the most effective and I haven't heard anyone complain of headaches with this fragrance...well atleast not so far.

Saving my Tankhas

Our first trip as a family after the birth of our lil’ Sarah was to Dharamshala, abode of his holiness Dalai Lama…and my shopping therapy was as important a part of the schedule as the schedule itself. And that is where I picked up my first tankhas. The dealer gave me a choice of brocade fabric …which they use to stitch the tankha on and do a neat job of framing .
Lo and behold …on reaching home, my gut feeling told me the fabric I picked was not really happening. The Tankhas somehow did not look as magical as I wanted them to. I just could not hang them up as they were. Any ardent shopper knows, it’s not a nice feeling. And yes, they did find themselves a place in the back shelf.
A nagging guilt to make it work and a hunch that it just might work…I took it to my framers. Was not sure if I was going to actually ask him to cut the brocade... that is just what I did...and asked him, to leave just about 1 and a half-inch of border of the brocade fabric around the tankha. To high light the beautiful pieces I had, I gave a 4 inchs of, off white mount around it. The frame I picked was brushed gold and antiqued finish.
It worked.

Restoring an old tray

At an old furniture market in Delhi, I came across this oriental tray…looking completely junked with no traces of polish… a broken foot and a missing wooden piece on the main body. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the dragon carving .The whole frame it was fitted into and the interesting legs.
The Sikh gentleman, I bought it from assured me he’d fix it …knowing the craftsmen ship in these parts I quite trusted him. Though not before letting him know I was a stickler for details and he had a tough cookie at hand. (yeah whatever, I was just melting away at the thought of how beautiful it would look on my console table and may be I could keep my beautiful fern pot in it or may be the pillar candles…)
He polished it my favorite walnut color and the new piece of wood next to the dragon carving was perfectly matched to the rest of the body. The part of the leg, which was missing, he made a complete, identical new one.
A piece of cast away junk …beautifully restored to its original beauty. It looks elegant on the console table with my cream-colored pillar candles.

This is a flower arrangement we did for Diwali one year... a great centre piece for the table and its height made it quite dramatic.The container is an aquamarine color hand blown jar...filled in with white lillies , red anthriums ... and dry twirley sticks. Pouring in the water before starting to arrange the flowers is a better idea....less mess for later. Arrange the sticks in first ,all it then needs is to fill up with the flowers.The sticks by themselves, at certain angles, help anchor the flower stems.