Ways to a have a romantic setting at home

A house is a structure made of walls and roof.  Add in, splashes of colour, tasteful decor, fragrance filled ambiance, fun loving people and there you have a beautiful Home!

For all of us, at some point, life becomes mundane. Especially with couples, where both of them are working, time constraint can be a reason. Not to worry! Let’s bring in some excitement and look at various ways to set the tone for a romantic evening at home.

Create a special setting at home

Flowers & candles go hand in hand. Try and be creative. Also, you know your partner better.  Go ahead, keeping in mind, the likes and dislikes of Him/Her. Light several candles along the entrance to your living room and beyond. It creates the mood for a cozy, special time with your mate. A hand written note is a clear expression of love. It also adds that special personal touch.

A personal touch like a handwritten note is a sure heart winner!

Bring colours into your home by changing the soft furnishings like the cushions, throws, rugs, bed linen and the like. Since you want to make your evening special and memorable, pay attention to your dining table décor too!

Rose petals can be strewn all over the dining table. Create an arrangement of candles, but be sure you are able to look at each other.

An ideal setting for a relaxed meal

Play a soft music in the background, which you both would enjoy.

Decide on the menu and the dress code

The idea is to spend some quality time together. So prepare in advance, the menu for the evening. Put on your best dress. After all, you want to impress your partner.

Bring romance in the air

The air at home should smell fresh. Here it would be good, if you can add some fragrance.

Spray a fragrance that works well with both of you.   A wide variety of fragrances are now available in the market. They help to create a positive environment and gives out a soothing smell.  

Fragrance can act as a mood elevator

   

They can definitely help those house proud homemakers to create that perfect space for togetherness.

Now that the tone is set for a romantic warm evening, weave the magic, spread love & enjoy the moment.

Picture courtesy: All images are sourced from the net

                                    

Srilanka Ayubowan ! ( Srilankan greeting meaning May you live long! )

This summer of 2014 we visited Srilanka. A land of Buddha, rich cultural heritage,vast beaches, amazing flora and fauna, colonial styled houses, Ceylon tea and much more...

Though we spent 6 days,7 nights, we have covered only the south west of Srilanka. I will try to squeeze in as much as possible in this post. As we stepped out of our aircraft inside the Srilankan airport, we were welcomed by the calm and serene idol of Lord Buddha and this was followed by many other Buddha idols we found en route our travel, in this beautiful country.

Our first stop over was at Kandy. We visited  the famous Sacred Tooth Relic Temple of Buddha also referred to as the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Sinhala). It is located in the palace complex of the former king of Kandy. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Brillant artwork inside the temple.The ceilings and the walls none is spared!

We had a beautiful sunset view of the temple.The temple premises was lined with flower stalls and the lotuses made for a visual treat.

In Kandy we housed in The Cinnamon Citadel. Let me also share some amazing interiors of the hotel.

The cushions make for a pretty sight!

A perfect way to idle away time

The background is covered with handmade mats

Art behind doors of our room

The lobby was decorated with  brass artifacts

The pinnawala elephant orphanage is very close from kandy and was a day trip. kids had fun feeding milk to little elephants.And the momma... that's me, had double fun, what with lines of shop selling colourful wares.

Look at the baby elephant

Elephants bathing , unmindful of the tourists watching them!

Now some pics for the shopaholics ....Elephant dung is used to make paper products. This is really like producing a treasure trove from wastes.

How happy I am!

A treat for the shopper in you!

Our next halt was at Taj Bentota and Taj manages a private beach. Looking back we had a wonderful time on the beach as a family. A much needed break for all of us.

Gaze on all the snaps below and take a virtual tour of Bentota with me. Let me begin with the Taj Interiors.

The Taj property set amidst lush greenary

Kids had a wonderful time running around the vast property

Magnificent setting

Huge chandelier drops

Gorgeous wood work  and the panelling on the ceiling

The entrance to the hotel

Having a gala time!

Srilanka is a place for all. The adults can relax and take it easy. For the kids, it has beaches, zoo, elephant camp ( the kids are always in awe of these beasts), water sports, coral reefs, turtle hatchery etc.

We also visited Hikkaduwa which is a famous place for sighting coral reefs. It is also a popular international destination for board surfing. That day was a high tide day and it felt as if our little boat was somersaulting on the waves. A bit scary it was but was worth while. even managed to get a small coral reef from one of the boatsman who gifted it to my son.

Hikkaduwa is supposed to house 70 varieties of multi coloured coral.

The turtle hatchery is another major attraction.The Green turtle,Oliver Ridley,Star turtles are a few of them.It is a part of turtle conservation,thus saving them from extinction.

Patterned!

I know this post is getting longer and longer and it is a image heavy post. I think I  will do a second post to do complete justice.
So watch this space for more. The next post will focus on various handicraft of Srilanka, Laksala the government Emporium, Gemstones of Ratnapura,Galle fort, Ambalangoda mask factory and antique shops. Stay tuned folks .Will be back soon.

Sajavat adorns a new look !

Hello,

2015 is finally here to stay and after, all the excitement of the last few days of 2014, I know most of you may be taking it easy.
How's the beginning of the year treating you? Hope there is happiness all around.

There are a few hiccups at our end, but nothing major, so only grateful..That's life for us. The best teaching of life is to live in  the moment and enjoy it. Rest is unknown... and that's the beauty of life!

At sajavat, I have made a few changes...added  some of my artwork, some new tabs below the header.

Do check them out and a gentle reminder...also join sajavat on facebook

Planning to start the year on sajavat, with a travel post to a land of art, history and rich cultural heritage. stay hooked....