And I am back ... ;))

 As much as I try ... this time of the year, does end up being ... exodus from bloggy world ... ;)) ... and yep! Madhavi, you were soooo ... right ... it was the lil' brats B'day. And though the house is all bare ... we had to gear up a little - bitty for the D day ... it was the day ... lil' pirate girls invaded us ... :))

And rolling up the tissues ... love ... love ... love ... so to please the pirate gang ... I went along with red ones ... and the entire table setting sort of just floated around it ... layers of table covering ... check ... check ... ;)) ...  greens ... check ... check ... :)) ...

Well! one big commitment of the season is over ... looks like I can slowly think of getting back to work ... and share some ... I -SUPER -LOVE, projects ... sure there was some upholstery work I experimented with ... weee-heeee ... coming up soon ... more Kantha love ... ;))

Sooooo ... while, I shake and stir myself up a bit ... here's leaving you with some quick shots of the reds again ... sorry, would have loved to not have ... so yellow a picture ... but gosh! ... ask any B'day kids mum ... what the moments before the gang arrives are like ... I 'm not sure which is more ... knots or gripes ...;))

Soooo, I shall be back real soon ... and you can trust me to get those pretty pic.'s of all the projects along ... :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Pink Room ... Part II ... :)

 

 ... here we are with the current status of the pinkroom ... it thrills me to bits that lil babe ... chose to keep the bed mommy designed for her. You have to believe me when I say ... it scored over an offer (from daddy dear) of a bunk bed ... :))))

 I have to say I am in love with the glowing stars  ceiling work ... honestly I can have that in the grown ups room as well ... its just awesome to switch off the lights and ... blink-blink ... there they are ...an all star lit sky under your roof ... :))) .. love ! love ! love! ... I wanna have that ... ;)

 Have to admit ... one of the only design contributions have been these lights... and I  quite enjoyed how they thrown diff. lights on the two diff. walls ...

 ... infact I didn't mind the crystals at all ... they add a bit of that fairy tale romance.

... as we speak we have finalised our fabric for the curatins and once we have them ... surely I will manage some better pic's against the window glare ... ;) ... which would then leave a few shelving we need and yes! the chair upholstery.
Am pretty sure we will be have some tiffs as we head to the accenting the room stage ... but I know you are all wishing the very best to me ...  it is quite another thing to watch all your concepts get flipped out even before you turn your back .
The prob. with being a designer mom ... is... that your kids think they are born ... pro's, at DIY projects ...;)))) Silly mom  ... had to go to school for it... ;) ... Baah !

Chalk board paint and a quick fix solution ... :)

 I decided to remove Sarah's floor stand chalk board and instead give her a bigger space on one of the walls ... was a nice ... plain and simple and a no hitch kind of ... an idea  ... and of course that was until the painters arrived and declared they had lost the catalogue with the design that I had picked ... :))))) ... ah! on the last day of paint job schedule and a  house full of other contractors  ... that's not a nicey thing to hear ...  but then as all designers will share with you ... SOS calls on site is always something to be ready for ... and soooo ... here was my quick fix for the situation ...

 ... do what we all do best ... ;))) ... google ... :)) ... yep! I google mirror silhouette and some interesting options popped up ... taaa-daa ... and ofcourse you'd thing the painters are obliging ... oh! no mam' ... they are completely allergic to trying anything other than the predefined path ( yep! learned that from 1st year out of design school ) ... and then they love to sit back and watch, as if saying ... o.k, designer lady show us a fix ... hell! I'll show you...
I have them paint the basic rectangle ... ooooo.ky, so far easy-peasy ... then comes the tricky part ... ;))

... they love to sit back and watch and some quick free hand outline and I had the frame ready ( the outline of which you can see taped ) ... fill in the paint, guys ... ;)) Yep! believe me  ... not just the clients ... its the contractors ... our carpenters and painters and just about everyone who tests you as a designer.Guess, not making it an ego clash and knowing things can be fixed and have to be handled ... you can salvage a design project from failing.
 And ... oh!look my client is already enjoying her new wall ... :) Will share the entire room ( though bare -basic as yet)in the post coming up next ... :) And more stories about this smarty pants client of mine... ;))

Good morning foggy Gurgaon ... :)

 Never mind mom's not done with the garden clearing up after the changes ... its super foggy here in Gurgaon ... and the mention of Santa got my girls (all dressed in pink) ...  to go CRAZY ... ;))

 ... this is what it was all snug and right next to the Christmas tree ... we are late ... our lights just went up yesterday ... :)) ... I think I need the right ambience to get going ... so the freezing last evening got me all excited and I even added the star on top of the tree ... as for the decorations ... well ! move over mommy ... its Sarah's tree now ... :((

we are a neighbourhood of spoilt brats ... and if Sarah ... Aimee and Sofiee were not enough ... I got two more across the fence ... :)) ... my morning buddies  while I have tea with my neighbour across the fence ... meet Bruno who competes with Sofiee , in whose the bigger brat of all ... Ah! honey  ... both of you win hands down... :))

Annnnnd there comes Frisky, Bruno's big brother ... today, all dolled up in two sweaters and a wizard coat on top ... :))))

Well! Mona and Rajee are two happy and blissful mommies as we sip our morning tea ... Its a wonderfully... Christmassy feeling morning here today ... wooohoo ... what Monday morning blues ... I here by declare and off today ... ;)))

P.S - At a recent women entrpreneur group meeting , they told us Business owners are just employees without a boss ...;)) ... now, what fun ... on a foggy morning like this I better live up to it ... :)))))))))) 

Who says mom's work thingies are boring ... :)

It is really fun watching kids get innovative around mom's work ... my daughter,was busy this evening while I had some important e-mails to respond to ... kids sure have a way of finding their own perks and treats ... 'we' do comeback with tons of goodies ... from the carpenter's workshop ... 'we' do have our very own samples from the weavers .... ;))

... and who said you can't play war games with mum's new stocks coming in ... yep! my inventory count is two short ... and the missing pieces are in my daughters treasure box ... while we have the rest lined up for a ... ??? ...

...yesss !! the new deliveries arrived some time back and we will be adding them to our Diwali collection coming up soon ... hope you have e-mailed in your requests ... we do have limited stocks ...

In the mean while ... it sure is fun seeing lil' Sarah ... and the ingenious games foot scrubbers make ... :) 

Just a few B'day details ...

... once you've thought over your colors for the party ... the fun starts just about then ... its getting the lil' details to have a hint of your colors  that pulls the whole room together ... in my case the party fav.'s  are a big way of adding that color element ...

 ...  one year , we hung ribbons from the chandelier and just stapled lil' paper hearts in two shades ... randomly ... suddenly the kids had a lot of interest in the chandelier ... :):)

... if you are like me and get put off by the typical b'day store shiny mickey mouse or princess on just about everything and claims of pulling your theme party together ... well! ... what do I say ... loads of triangles stapled on a ribbon and wala!! ... you can't go any more personal ... infact tiny fabric pieces are even  more adorable ...

... well! there's my two cents on making your do's a lil' more intimate  ... making them more about you and boldly telling your guests you cared enough to go this far ... believe me they never miss the details ... :):)
Its a lovely feeling to walk into a party and see that the hostess cared to go that extra mile for you ... :)

Crazy month of May ... :)

 so I designed the tutu for my lil' girl ...;) ...I was a wanna be fashion designer once... :)

 I have loads of e-mails ... facebook reminders and comments ... for missing out regular updates on my blog ... the honest truth is ...  every year, around this time.. ( and this is just how it will always be) ... cause it is a real- real  and I mean it when I double emphasise it ... really crazy time in our household ...
It was Sarah's B'day mid month and the tom-tomming about it starts early ... that's when my tensions soar high ... and I wake up in the middle of the night imagining lil' 5 yr. olds hate me for a lousy party. ... come on seriously... ask any mom of lil' 5yr. old's ...

packed and ready to be shipped out to the clubhouse

 I always want to take pictures of the entire setup ... once things have been designed and the styling for the final look is complete ... Aah! dear me ... do I speak of a picture perfect life ... that's not how it really happens  does .. it ...if you are going solo ... its crazy at the last minute ... the cake needs  to be fetched ... its scorching hot outside it could melt  ... the extra hands are not on time ... oh! this year the balloon guy almost stood me up ... #*!@*#% ... :):) ...

ready with my flowers for the tables ... God! save them from the scorching heat

... so no matter all you plan the  ... last miutes are all crazy pulling the whole thing off and I miss out having someone photograph it for me. Luckily this year a dear friend helped me with the kiddies at play ... pic's .... but the MY KIND OF PHOTOGRAPHY ... sigh ...
But never the less ... I am really inspired by one of the readers who wrote to me saying she loves to refer back to my blog everytime she plans her parties ... well ! how about it ... in the next few posts I want to share with you my two cents on some quick party styling for kiddies ... Oh! if not for the dead line ... I'd say I love doing those crafty lil' styling ideas ... plus I'll share with you some of my fav. party blogs to refer to when planning your next party ... hope you'll come back and join me  ... and yep ! I'd for you to share your fav. lil' tricks for the parties ... leave me a note and I'd absolutely love to hear from you...

Wishing my baby a Happy B'day ... :)

 Its been 6 most amazing years of our lives ... our big girl  ... Aimee, turns 6 yrs. old tommorrow ... and like every proud mom ... I just can't help shaking my head in disbelieve ... 'Gosh! how fast do these kids grow'...

 ... feels like just yesterday we brought her home at 4 weeks ... and believe me we have done it all ... waking up  in the middle of the night to feed her ,cause the lil' tummy was growling ... carrying her on a pillow, cause we had to travel and her sleep was precious ...;) ... everytime that fav. tiger of hers was torn to shreds,there magically appeared an identical one ... so she never missed it ... :)

... from peeking through the grills on the terrace  ... to roaring over the parapet ... in a year ...

... she is a complete lady ... very clear in voicing her opinion that she prefers the tub to the shower ... weeeee ... did I mention she insisted on washing her pwas in the basin and brushing in the mornings ... ofcourse the toothpaste was not interesting ... just the toothbrush would do... ;)

... she is the best big sis' Sarah could have wished for ... and the best t.v watching buddy ... :)

... Christmas in our house is always officially declared when Aimee goes nuts looking at the Christmas tree being put up ... nothing can put her to bed on Christmas eve ... two sneeky eyes are always looking at mum ... trying to get a peek at the happenings under the tree ... its true the only thing that works to put her to bed is ... 'Santa, get Aimee no gifty ... if Aimee doesn't go to bed' ...

... nothing like some cool beer .. under the Goa  beach shacks ...

...

 ... heading out to Goa... was all about giving her an experience of the beaches ... and had it not been for her we would never have discovered Arco Iris ... and I would never have done one of the most popular post on this blog ... the Goa style ...

... our vacations are incomplete with out her ... she is so adapting to all that we put her through ... including lil' cousin Dennis and lil' sis Sofiee ... the threesome playing is a a site for sore eyes ...

...oh! and did I mention her play dates with best buddy Doginder ...

... my precious baby has turned so many 'not dog people' ... into 'dog people' ... that over the years I have lost count. I  admit I feel soooo proud of my baby to hear many friends and some strangers tell me  that, Aimee awas a turning point in their lives ... 'she's changed us' ... 'she's the first dog I pet' ...'the only one I trust my kid to play with' ...

... she's a blessing in my life ... a very special one indeed ... I hope and pray for a long and healthy life for my sweetiepie ...  :)

Its wonderful to share such precious moments of our lives with all my readers ... because I know many of you share my sentiments ... and for that ... thankyou so much ...:)

Meet Sofiee ... the newest addition to my brood ... :)

Ah ... ha! ... I do have to admit to all of you all ... I was being very cheeky- sneeky ... tried doing a Leonardo da Vinci thingy ... giving you clues, about my next post. And did I loooooove it ... :) ...; )

... and soo ...Phhhlease meet  ..............Sofiee ( spelled so because of Aimee.... my first one) ... the cutest lil' thingy that you all spied in the pictures ... o.k, let me come out and be honest ... this is what really happened while I was shooting ...

... so she thinks Aimee's water bowl to be a personal paddling pool ....  much to Aimees disgust ...

...and as if that was not enough ... Sarah's painting came floating down the dining table ... and Sofiee, added her personal touch to the painting and mom's floor .... aaaaah! my Italian marble .... ;) ...

... incase, you all wonder how Aimee my 6yr. old and Sofiee, my 6 week old ... (who are not mum and daughter by the way) ... get along ... Aaah! well ! ... lets just say its difficult to say who the trouble maker is ... :) ... they are still swinging between I love you 's and I hate this creature ... in this pic. nopes, that not a kissy ... its a dicey moment before Aimee gets a bite on her cheek ... ;)

... and this is what ensues ... can't catch them stationary ... Aimee all offended and Sofiee doing this lil' power dance with her front paw and tail ... ofcourse no guesses who finally ran for help ...

... so she has plundered my garden ... pooped and peed all over ... but I wouldn't have it any other way ... at night when they both snuggle together in one bed (even though each has her own) ... I do thank God for all the blessings in my life ... three very special ones ofcourse ... my precious girls ... :)