Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Vignette

 Summers can be harsh but what you need to make them bearable are pretty small decorations or vignette at home to make you cheerful. Presenting some vignettes from around my home that have bought a smile on my face!

Small subtle changes in decor to suit the season always re-energizes me. How I love these mood lifters...I have compiled for you, some flora & fauna arrangements, clicked on various occasions!

Birds of a feather flock together!
Isn't he dressed to kill?
All eyes on the dragonfly!
Mighty yet beautiful!
I heart the pair of cows!
How do you find my arrangements? Stay tuned folks.Coming up soon with a DIY. It's a perfect one for the summer. I am sure you are going to simply love this one.Till then take care.Stay hydrated, stay fresh.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Colours of life!

Life is so full of colours and there cannot be a better occasion than Holi to remind us of the colours that fill our life with love and joy!

A small story in pictures that unfolds the true meaning of life thru its varied hues.


Colours of nature...

Together they make for a pretty sight!

Like a breath of fresh air...

Fiery but welcoming...

shaded...

Endless stretch of flowers in their full glory...


Much needed... colour of peace
white ... calls for peace



Colour of candies...
tasty and yes colourful!



can I own all of these?


Colour of glass...



delicate ...






Colour of spices...

when we talk of colours, can food be far behind?            (Via Pinterest)























Appetizing! (Via Pinterest)


Colours of our very own pagadi ( turban)

Imagining my little boy in a colourful pagdi (Via Pinterest)


Wish you all a very Happy Holi!


Friday, March 18, 2016

A beautiful home with Chipakk wall decals

We are into an age where we would want everything to happen quickly and easily.Well who doesn't?
This comes at a time when my hubby is constantly lamenting over the boring workplace that he has to be in for major part of the day.

Many a times 'A' works form home and his desk faces a blank wall.Well, we had no other option anyway! The only window in the room doesn't have much of an appealing view to position the desk suitably in front of the window either.

So, we always thought that the wall will see better days and from a blank canvas evolve into something appreciable.Last week,after it became clear that I could not sustain more of  A 's cribbing, I decided to do a makeover. A makeover of his work area...

Now, as you might have heard about decals, they are really a quick fix to enliven any area. Also known as wall appliques, wall decals are the easiest and coolest way to transform your living spaces. These special graphic vinyl stickers can be applied to your walls and they’re easy to handle too! Simply peel and stick.

There are multitudes of options available online now a days.One such company that caught my attention was Chipakk Wall Decals.

Chipakk’s wall decals are typically thin sheets of vinyl on one side and adhesive on the other.Various themes in about 15-18 categories are available.

Chipakk has decals that would fit all age categories and can be best used to highlight even pooja rooms, meditation area and even have decals with quotes that can be easily fixed in office spaces for that much needed boost.

Themes like Chalkboard and glow in wall decal are ones that I have earmarked for a later buy.Kids would simply adore it.They have other popular cartoon characters too!

I must also mention that for the quality guaranteed, the prices seem to be very reasonable.They even make for excellent gift options. Let me give you an idea, of some of the decals that I found interesting.


Would look apt in a teenager's room!


Ideal quote to accompany you during your meditation session!

Create a small zen corner with this ideal decal!

Ordered for a nature inspired wall decal from chipakk. I felt that a design with nature as the theme,with flora and fauna can bring a lively and chirpy feel to the room. As I finalized on this one, another particular aspect that I realized was that the decal was also multi coloured. Green, orange and brown should also help in bringing the much necessary colour into the room.

To go about the actual process of ordering and delivery of the product was fairly simple and the ordered product arrived within a week neatly packed.It also provides a sample, just in case you would want to try out before fixing the actual decal.


Front of the decal...
Backside of the decal...

 The design is sandwiched between two papers, a transparent sheet and a backing paper. It is relatively simple but there is a certain trick or knack to apply the decal on the wall.You will need a partner to fix it on the wall for sure.Secondly, start from a corner of the sheet and make sure that the design adheres to the transfer sheet. This can be ensured with the help of a 'squeegee' that is provided along with the kit.While transferring on the wall too, do not do it at one go .Instead start the action from the top left corner and proceed downwards slowly making sure that the decal is getting fixed on to the wall.
A step wise instruction sheet is provided which should make your process easy.

It takes just about 15 minutes from start to finish.From the time taken to decide how and where to place the decal to finally get the work done, it's as easy as a song. Believe me!

So this is the Before pic of the room....



And this is how it looks now.




Isn't that an awesome transformation?


And to get all of this done in the absence of my hubby was even more exciting! He was extremely glad to see the much needed change in his work space .So what if he cannot view the real birds and trees. This is the next best to it!

The best thing about Chipakk is that unlike other available decals in the market, they are extremely thin making them look just like paint. They can be applied on any flat surface including walls, glasses, mirrors and tiles.  Chipakk is waterproof from the outside. You can wash it with a wet/damp cloth.

So folks, Transforming your plain and boring walls is now easy and mess free...Just hop on to Chipakk wall decals for more info on their products.



Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Papier Mache

Papier Mache is an art of making beautiful and useful products from paper either by way of  making a pulp or paper strips glued together with adhesive.

I have always wanted to try this art form and got further inspired when Anuradha Kapoor show cased some of the products she had designed ,in a Facebook page that we are a member of.

About Anuradha, let me tell you she is a powerhouse of talent.Very sweetly she obliged to share with the readers of sajavat the basics behind Papier Mache.


Paper Mache Ganesha on canvas...



A closer look...


In her own words...

I have been an ardent advocate of recycling waste and turning it into something of beauty and utility . I firmly believe we have a responsibility towards the world we live in and as far as possible should recycle things and not turn this beautiful earth we call home into a dump yard . We should manage our waste smartly and let our earth breathe 
I have done a project called' Wonder Waste' in which I have used discarded bottles,cans, paper,plastic containers and turned them into lamps,vases,pen stands,masks, paper weights, flower pots etc.

Bottles and bowls...




Truly appreciate her thoughts on recycling waste and to turn it into an object of beauty.

So much colour...


She explains to us the procedure behind this wonderful art.

Papier mache is fairly simple but needs an adept hand as the dough dries quickly and you have to be fast to mould it to the required shape else it turns hard and you can't work with it . Sharing the procedure of making the pulp first.

1. Shred newspaper into small bits and soak it in water . Once you have done that ,boil it for about half an hour . Let it cool and stand for two days . Then grind it in a mixer ( the home mixi will do ) and keep adding water or the blades will get stuck , also be careful about the air bubbles which form while grinding , and stir it with a spoon. The pulp is ready . 

2. To make the dough you have to put a bit of pulp in a container , mix enough linseed oil ,glue and plaster of Paris to make a firm dough , like atta . 

3. Remember that you have to work quickly as the dough hardens fast , so it is advisable to make it in small portions and make a fresh batch when you have finished making whatever you are making.

4. If you have taken a bottle as a base you have to take the dough and firmly press it onto the bottle and wetting your hands a bit ( not too much) smoothen out the dough evenly on the bottle.You can give it any shape you want ,depending on the pattern you have chosen .



5. Once done keep it to dry in the sun for two days . You can paint on it with acrylic or oil paints once it is completely dry .

Doesn't that sound fun and creative? And what better than to use something as ordinary as paper and turn them into awesome decor accents.



Papier Mache masks

You can always visit Anuradha's Facebook page Anuraya for more such creative inspiration!

I am definitely going to try my hands soon on this wonderful art and of course will post it here.Till then take care folks. A very interesting post on  quick and easy makeover is up next! so stay tuned.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

The secret to a happy home!

Homes are our heaven! The dream of millions is to have a space of their own. Considering that it is a major investment, we leave no stone un turned to keep it safe, strong and beautiful. All your free time and energy is spent in setting the home right, moving around things till the desirable is achieved.
These days we also can have the help of experts and bloggers in the field of interiors and décor who guide you to add the extra zing to your abodes! Not only do they give you interesting decorating tips but also informative ones.

One such blog that I found to be a little different and providing info also on the maintenance and upkeep of our homes is The Happy Homes Blog’. As I was reading through the various posts on the blog, I had an instant connect with it. Most of the time we are concerned more about the décor of our homes rather than its overall maintenance and this is one aspect which cannot be over emphasized. Some years back, we had to take up a major repairing work in our home because of negligence in waterproofing. What started as a small issue, took a real bad turn. One of our walls had a mild dampness which we could see over time but somehow never thought much about it until it started showing an ugly patch of black wall due to mold formation. Preventive maintenance would have tackled the issue at the very start. I remember we had to shell quite a bit to set it straight.

Another incident that comes to mind and we are dealing with it currently. My parents’ home is going through a major revamping because of some floor tiles that has come off loose. One thing led to another and we could hear many tiles making ‘that’ particular sound when you walk on them that finally it came to a point that the whole flooring has to be replaced.

Why am I boring you with all these woes? Just to stress on the importance of waterproofing, fixing and caring for tiling, insulation and all other regular upkeep that one must carry out in their homes. The happy homes blog addresses all such problems that you didn’t have a clue about. Now does it make sense when I say, it’s a Different blog?


 This blog is the creative space of Pidilite Industries Ltd. Dr. Fixit and Roff are the brands under Pidilite which are offering expert care in  home improvement and renovation.


On 26th February, Pidilite held a very interesting and informative event at the launch of its blog ‘The happy Home Blog’. The Happy home blog will cater to your pre, during and post construction needs in areas such as renovation, building a new home and keeping it in trend all with the help of experts in this field!




At the launch of the blog, Mr Sanjay Bahadur, Global CEO, Construction Chemicals Division, Pidilite Industries Ltd, said, “We at Pidilite firmly believe that it’s our duty to assist our consumers face various challenges in the upkeep of their homes. This is why the blog offers insight across all the various aspects of home maintenance. It is our hope that through this blog our expertise, accumulated over several decades in the industry, can be shared with home-owners to help give shape to their dream of home-ownership. ”

Some pics of the launch event:









The happy home certificate wall…

The panel of experts who graced the occasion were:

•         Alpa Dalal, Pulmonologist
•         Omkar Thakur, Vastushastra Consultant
•         C.A Ramesh Prabhu – Head of Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association
•         Shilpi Kakkar Madan- Contributing Editor, Better Homes

The Blog (thehappyhomes.co.in) features posts and articles across various categories giving home-owners an insight into different aspects of looking after their homes.
This blog is like a real eye opener .It discusses so much of these issues which we are not aware at all. Visitors to the blog can sift through posts on waterproofing and insulation as well as roof-repair, tiling, décor and renovation ideas among several more. The blog also features a ‘healthy home calculator’, which poses a series of questions and determines the health of a particular home based on the answers given. Isn’t that something different & interesting? I am sure, going to take up this questionnaire.


The Happy Home blog has prominent bloggers like Sharon D’souza, Rukmani Roy Kadam, Disha Mishra Dubey and many others on board who give us an insight into the finer aspects of Home improvement and development.

Some of the recent topics that I found interesting and engaging are

  






I seriously recommend the blog to everyone who love their homes. The happy homes blog will surely help all, to have a happy and healthy home.

Sharing some inspiration wall

Yesterday, I was looking out for inspirations to cover a blank wall for one of my bedrooms.I found so many ideas and have 'pinned' some. Have a look. Haven't really zeroed on any one.I feel, will do a mix-match.Perhaps a border from one of these and the main motif from some other image. Every time I liked an image,I felt this will be it! But the next moment, another image arrested my attention.So am still a little confused.Anyways you have a look.Let me know if you can help with this.


Loved the border ! Seems simple at first,but it requires symmetry...






These are called Mandala designs.May be a smaller version of the huge floral motif.What say? 



I am always in for tree designs



Repetition of this pattern to form a square... 




or may be a circular one?


This is so lively and colourful...



Another one...colours are the key elements to beautify any space
So you see basically am still at square one.Want to draw something...my hands are itching but still don't have a clue to, as to, what it should be!

Que sera sera...Let me leave it at that. Meanwhile if you have anymore interesting ideas, am ready to get further confused...
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