Happy weekend!

Hello my dears! Are you all set to embrace the weekend? Its a long weekend here in the US, three full days of relaxation....and I'm so ready for it. I have just finished my daily morning dose of blog reads and I thought I'll put in my two cents on my own blog.

There is not much planned for the next three days other than a barbecue and pool party today:)....I have a few projects that I want to finish and I'll spend some time doing those. Hopefully, I'll share them with you after the weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend!

A peek into my home...

Thank you 'The Key Bunch' for showcasing my home so beautifully on your lovely blog! I'm absolutely thrilled...:). Check out the post here.

Few things that caught my eye....

When I go on vacation to a new place, I always like to capture the unusual, the characteristic things that I come across. Mexico is all about bright colors and vibrant decor. There were many such places where I did not have my camera handy and I miss having a picture of them....but here are some shots that I took. 

Lanterns

Hand blown glass lanterns in the Italian restaurant where we dined .....

The star shaped lights hung from the straw ceiling of the lobby of our hotel...

And this was definitely the best....large shells hung as lanterns at the pool side restaurant. I missed taking a picture of these at night when they were all lit.

A carriage turned Plant holder

.....Ain't this a pretty sight?

A mosaic on the floor


The mosaic sun was on the floor of the pottery shop where I picked up a few pieces...Gorgeous, isn't it? Notice my feet at the base:).

Linking in to Good Life Wednesday.

A lovely evening in the backyard

I really wanted to be here this morning and blog about my weekend, but some things kept me away from the blog. There is a lot happening behind the scene at ATB (all things beautiful) and also on the personal front...things that might make my life take a turn. I'm not sure if its for the better ...but I'm hoping for the best. I am a person who looks forward to change but when that change is about to happen, I resist it and get all nervous....Do you know what I'm talking about?


This weekend we had our first barbecue of this summer and it was the first one in our own backyard:). I was so thrilled to finally enjoy this part of my house. Its starting to get really hot during the day but the evenings are still very pleasant with a light breeze. While my mind wandered with various thoughts, I just wanted to forget everything and enjoy the evening.

Linking to Patty's Weekend wrap up.

I'm back...

....from my vacation all refreshed and relaxed. I brought back a few goodies from Mexico, which I'm so happy about (more on that later) and then a tan which I'm not so happy about....

Mexico is a country with a lot of culture and in many ways it reminded me of India.  The small corner grocery shops, the rickshaws on the roads, the quaint little houses with colored facade- all this made me feel like I was in a small town in India.

Once I was near the ocean, it was another world altogether. The water appeared turquoise and azure blue at times. The straw huts with the ocean as the backdrop seemed to be just calling my name. The views were absolutely breathtaking.
 

 Stay tuned for more from Mexico. I have lots to share! For now, I'll get back to unpacking, laundry and the 'not so fun' stuff- the aftermath of a vacation. Have a wonderful weekend!

Talent discovery: Sonam Srivastava

Recently I chanced upon the work of Sonam Srivastava- a young and vivacious girl who has been in the US for less than a year and is spending her time making some beautiful stuff. A textile designer by education, Sonam is a true artist. She has done painting, batik, and then ceramics. In her words "Once you fall in love with Clay, you stay in love forever." I totally agree, Sonam!


Today,  I'm showcasing some of Sonam's work with clay. 

Her work is very much inspired by nature...don't you just love the textures on the clay??? Take a closer look....

A few more platters....

What a cute flower holder...!

And finally, my favorite- these Ganesha wall plaques....gorgeous! Sonam, how about making me one of these:)...?

Sonam blogs at Designing life. To see more of her creative talent, visit her Facebook page here.

Just Checking In

Hello everyone...how's your weekend going so far? I'm in the middle of finishing up my packing for our trip. We are heading to Cancun, Mexico tomorrow. Yayyy...!

Looking back on our vacations so far, I realize that we haven't taken many beach vacations in all the eight years of our marriage. It is probably because we live so close to the beach being in Florida, its almost something that we do not value much. But there is something about staying right at the beach, that makes a beach vacation one of a kind...waking up to the rising sun over the ocean, hearing the sound of the waves hitting the shore and knowing that you can go for a stroll at the beach anytime....all this makes it soooo amazing. I think my mind is already there.....So looking forward to it!

Have a wonderful week!

Images: Our beach vacation at Hawaii

Getting a little crafty

A quiet afternoon at home and this is what kept me busy....I have confessed my fetish for handmade paper here and I also shared with you all the gift wrapping for my sister's wedding. Well, it was time to make use of all the left over scraps that I carried back with me from India.

The scraps of block printed hand made paper...

A very inexpensive wooden mirror from Ikea

mod podge and a brush...

I cut the paper into smaller pieces and then randomly arranged them to get an idea of the pattern.

And then I got to work.... the messy part with the mod podge. See the detailed technique here.

almost half way done...

And the result....My Paper Mosaic Mirror....

What do you think....? Like it....?

I'm still trying to find a place for the mirror.......on the wall...???

Or on the side table...?

Linking to  Metamorphosis Monday, Wow us Wednesday, Good Life Wednesday, All things inspired, Blue cricket design, Transformations & Treasures.

Also linking to Show and Tell Friday

The joys of gardening...

I have tended to my garden a little more this season.........and the results are absolutely delightful. Every now and then, on my way out or back into my home, I stop to take a look at my garden, espy the new buds in my rose bush, admire a new bloom on my hibiscus or wait for that stem of gladioli to blossom...It gives me a sense of achievement to see the flowers bloom...and makes my heart very happy...Ahhh ...the joys of gardening!

Images: My garden

Linking in to Mosaic Monday, This week in my garden, Today's flowers and Good life Wednesdays.

A day to remember

Good morning friends! How was your weekend and mother's day? I had a terrific time on mother's day. Friends and I had planned to go for a group brunch at a nice Greek restaurant close by. In the morning, my 2 year old son presented to me this sweet delight...a rose from my garden attached to a bookmark along with a note written by my hubby....and said in his sweet little voice Happy Maaders day, mama!

Isn't it sweet......? I was so touched and totally surprised.....what a great start of the day!

We were four families with a total of five kids. Its not often that we can muster the courage to eat out with all the kids, but since it was mother day, we decided to take our chance...It turned out to be wonderful. We sat outdoors and it was a breezy afternoon. There is something about  eating in an outdoor ambiance that gives me a feel of being on a vacation.
After lunch, the mothers girls went out for a movie while the fathers took care of the kids...a rather unusual way to celebrate mother's day....mothers without their kids. But, I have to admit, we totally enjoyed our time off. ...A day to remember for sure!

Weekend wishes!

I've had a busy week and a very busy Friday. It had been raining since morning and that made going out and running errands all the more tiresome. I'm now taking a breather and ready for the weekend with plans only to relax and shop some. I may try to fit in a tad of house cleaning....

On another note, what's your plan for mother's day? Anything special planned...or maybe you'll get a surprise:). Well, whatever it is that you do, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

I'll leave you with some beautiful flower pictures to get you to a good start. 

  

And how about some of this....?

Images: via

Remembering Sanibel island

I woke up this morning thinking about the beach....maybe because we are gearing up for our upcoming beach vacation. We are headed to the Caribbean in a few days and I'm all so excited.... I like beaches for many things...I like watching and hearing the waves splash on the shore, walking in the sand barefoot, and the best part is collecting the shells....  The most spectacular sight on the beach is that of the setting sun. The changing colors in the sky always takes my breath away.......

These pictures are from a day trip to Sanibel island here in Florida, a beach known for its shells...

Do you see the shell in the sand? There are tons of these lying in the sand....you don't have to hunt for them...

The stunning views of the sun set...and the colors in the sky...

I'm joining A Beach Cottage for Good life Wednesdays