Things I wanna make someday...

This post is for all you crafty people out there, all those who love trying project ideas for your home...and those bitten by the DIY bug....
It amazes me to see the myriad of talent in blog land and such wonderful ideas....Today I'm sharing with you a few that I came across. I'm sure I will try these someday.....

A photo collage lampshade via

A spoon mirror via

Twig Candle holder via

Scrapbook paper dry erase board via 

Remember the earrings organizer I made recently... well, here is another idea....

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You may have seen this one....Prachi at Purplehomes featured this on her blog....

And then I made my own.....you can find it on my blog header as well...

I have a few more....but I think I should keep them for another day, lest your mind explode with the creative juices...

Most of these have a tutorial if you click on the source. For any questions, send me an email, and I'll be glad to help. If you try any of these, share them with me....I'd love to see your version.
For a zillion more craft ideas, check out Craftgawker.com.

Happy crafting!

My home office

The last few weekends, hubby and I have spent some time cleaning and organizing our home office, little by little. Few weekends, just for one room...you ask?? Yup...., that's right!
We have the luxury of a spare room that we call our home office, with two desks, a couple of bookcases and (sob..!) lots of clutter. So....for all of you who have seen my home tour here & here and wonder how my home looks nice in those pictures...let me confess, I do have my share of clutter and unruliness, all tucked away in this room. Tangled wires, a load of  unsorted mail, growing pile of paperwork, my in-progress crafts and projects; and anything else that does not find place elsewhere in our home, finds its way to this room. With all our effort, its cleaner now, but nowhere close to being called a pretty space.

Ever since we moved into our home, the office has been the most ignored room of all.....even though husband and I spend a considerable amount of time here. It is also the place from where I blog. Which brings me to the realization that before I get started on my bedroom makeover, I should do something about this room first.

Here is some inspiration that I gathered....

This is the office of Jen from Made By Girl.

I'm drawn to the dark wall and the white shelving in the above rooms....

And look at these creative ways to stay organized.....

Last but not the least, inspiring words framed up and displayed as art...

Do you like these rooms...? Which one do you like the most? 

I'll soon start planning my home office makeover....will keep you all posted. 

Life in general...

Hello friends! How was your weekend? Mine was a mixed bag...with a little bit of everything- going to a birthday party, meeting friends, dining at one of my favorite restaurants, cooking a sumptuous meal....all of that and some much needed relaxation at home.

The birthday party that we went to, was at a petting farm. My son enjoyed it thoroughly; the pony ride, running after the bunnies, petting the lambs, looking at the hens and baby chicks, all of it.....I did too, as I realized it was my first time petting a rabbit......:)

It's the peak of summer with temperatures soaring beyond 90 degrees. The weekend brought some rain and it was a welcome relief. On Sunday, we relaxed at home and watched the drizzling rain....
I took some pictures of flowers at home....

PS: I was reading some of my recent posts and I realized that lately I've blogged a lot about crafts, projects and so on...It's true that I stalk blogs for DIY ideas and interesting things to make....but I have to admit that I always enjoy reading posts about people's life in general...Its a window into the life of people like me....and its interesting to get a glimpse of it. It's also a way to connect with someone, who is otherwise a stranger to you....Are you like me? Do you enjoy reading about life in general? Do let me know what kind of posts you like reading the most...

Linking in to the Weekend wrap up

My yellow wall...once again!

I have blogged about my living room and the yellow wall before....( see here & here). You can catch a glimpse of it in my present blog header as well...some may say that I'm obsessed with it, and I will admit that it's true to some extent.... 

My living room is an ever changing canvas for me, the only thing constant being the yellow/orange wall with the motifs. I keep adding, changing things around here....So this time I changes the artwork on the wall. Those of you following my blog may remember my recent post on frames that I found. 

I have had the idea for a long time, and have been working on it little by little...finally I put it all together. 

Here is what I did....I spray painted the frames a dull gold, and hung them together on this wall.

This is how the frames looked when I got them....

A close up of the painted frames on the wall...

Within one of the frames, I added a wooden block (coincidentally it was already painted golden from the time I used it for decorating a gift wrap)

In another one, I hung a Tibetan bell.

On the side of the frames, I added a wooden shelf with a hint of green and a small golden Buddha head.

Now, a little bit about this wooden shelf.....This was a garage sale find for a dollar. The moment I saw it, I fell in love with its old and rustic look with the carving. For one dollar, it was a steal. I have had this for a while, only waiting to find a good place for it.  May be now, it has....

So what do you all think of my new wall decor? Like it...???
I'm really not sure of what's looking good and whats not...?? I would love all the feedback on this, good as well as bad, do let me know.....

I'm linking in to Good life Wednesday, Metamorphosis Monday, Buddha scapes.
Also joining Debbie's Newbie Party

Stunning stones

Happy Friday folks! Are you all looking forward to the weekend? I am! It's the Fathers day weekend and my friends and I have planned a get together lunch and a fun day for all the Dads (just like we celebrated Mother's day). 

I'm here to share with you these striking stones crafted  by some very talented people. 

Stone dolls via Maya Made

Painted stone magnets via Etsy

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I loved these colorful hearts on the stones....they would make such cute little gifts!

Have a great weekend!

Home tour: Catherine's home in Miami

What's a design blog without home tours? .....right? Yes, this is a design and decor blog, so I think..... So here's my first home tour: The home of Catherine in Miami. 

A crafter, traveler, design enthusiast, and a collector- all this and more-  make up for wonderful home.

Catherine is an immensely talented girl who blogs at Inspire Bohemia, a blog very aptly named after her own style of decorating.

This is what Catherine has to say about herself:....

"I love collecting treasures from all over the world on my travels, as well as here in Miami at garage sales, thrift stores and more.  My philosophy is if I can't be traveling the world 24/7 then I must surround myself with beauty and world treasures to create a comforting sanctuary!"

Well said, Catherine. That is what makes your home so warm and inviting, reflecting your personality.

I'll let the pictures do the talking now....

Catherine's collection of matryoshka dolls, the budhha, the kilim rug and the suzanis....all these give  a truly global feel to her home.

The shadow boxed on the wall are all made by Catherine and showcase her collection of coins from her travels.

This is wall of her own sketches. 

For more pictures of Catherine's home, visit her blog here.

I hope you enjoyed the first home tour on my blog.....and I hope there are many more....Have a great rest of the week!

The beauty of flowers and what they mean to me...

I love the beauty of the gladioli and the fact that they come in so many colors...I have this purple one that bloomed recently in our yard, to me it's an unusual color that I haven't seen often.....

 I cut it and brought it inside and made a table vignette on my side table....

Some may argue against growing gladioli in the yard as it yields just one single bloom in the entire year...But for me, each bloom brings back childhood memories....that is one of the main reasons I like this flower. As a child, I always remember having them in our garden back in India. My mother would be so happy to see them bloom and then they would find their way into our home in flowers arrangements, adding beauty to our home.

Linking in to the Weekend wrap up.

Treasures from Mexico

Hello Peeps! I promised you some more pictures from Mexico, so here I am....( for those of you who've had enough of my posts about Mexico; I promise you, this is my last one until I make another trip there:)).

Mexican handicrafts include a variety of things ranging from pottery, handmade baskets and hats, woven blankets, wooden toys and masks, beads and gems, silver jewelery...the list goes on. What really left me salivating though,was the bold and bright colored pottery with intricate detailing. I just couldn't get enough of it. If it wasn't for the airline baggage policy, and then my budget constraints, my bags would be full of it.

I loved shopping at Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue), the local market in Playa del Carmen near Cancun. The street itself looked so vibrant and colorful.

Plates and bowls

Close up of a wall plate- loved the intricate design!

Mirrors with Mexican tile borders

Colorful Suns

Platters and Trays

Gorgeous Sinks!... wish I could get one of these....

Magnets

Now, about the treasures that I brought back home....

A man sitting with his head hidden behind his hat.....he sits on my side table now.

A wooden mask....

A handwoven, colorful straw bag....

I'm using it as a basket to store my stash of handmade paper!

There are a few other things that are yet to find a good place in my home, one of them is the colorful sun- I always thought that I HAVE to get a 'Sun' whenever I go to Mexico, and so I did:)

For some more pictures from Mexico, visit Sharkara's blog...yes, we went there together.

Linking in to Good life Wednesdays, Show and Tell Friday