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....

Revisited....

The year 2014 comes to an end. It has been a fulfilling year for me ...Family wise and on the work front.

Pretty, pretty! ... full bloom

To reminisce, that Sajavat was born in the year 2008. It was Archana Srinivas of Rang Decor who inspired me to blog. She has amazing talent and her blog Rang Decor true  to its name, captures the colours of life. Along this road, I have had the pleasure of getting to know many co bloggers.

The layers, add to its beauty!

Archana Srinivas (Rang Decor)

Patricia Torres (Coloursdekor)

Sharon & Rekha (Keybunch)

Rajee Sood ( RajeeSood blogspot)

Deepa & Supriya (Aalayam Inspiration)

Anu Varma (Mydreamcanvas)

Lakshmi Arvind (Celebrations decor)

Bhawna Bhatnagar(An Indian Summer)

Priya (Once upon a tea time)

Laxmi Nagarajan (Dressyour home)....      are a few who have helped me discover the simple joy of blogging. Today I want to confess,"I  have been thrilled by the way you write, your photography skills ,the content and variety of your posts. There is a special connect I feel with all of you."

Pristine...Just like the ideas and concepts shared by my blogger friends...

Then there are others who joined the bandwagon recently.

A special note of thanks to Disha Mishra Dubey of  Design decor disha.( she knows why!) It is unlikely of me, to ask for help but at the drop of a  hat   mail, Disha was there to my rescue.

Some more beauties...

I admire the blogs of karishma Bannerjee (A treat for the senses), Sruthi singh (The eastcoast desi), Nayana Donga (cherish dream live) & Shalini Pereira (All things nice)

And of course all followers & readers of Sajavat, thanks a ton.There have been times when sajavat has taken a backseat, but its always been your love & support and word of encouragement, that  I have survived in this blogosphere.

special note of thanks to my readers...

Looking forward to a promising year. May 2015 have endless possibilities for all of you.



A very recent development...Sajavat is now active on Facebook too. Looking forward to connecting with you on FB as well.

 Happy New Year!!

Homesake - Product & Website Review

About Homesake

Homesake started operations in the year 2014.Their products are largely inspired by vintage and antiques, at the same time adding a contemporary touch.The items are handcrafted, making them unique and they are handpicked  with focus on taste,quality and value.

Colourful votives  from Homesake

Product Range

Their product range includes crystal ware, wall mountings,vases, cutlery, photo frames, candle stands and hurricanes,votive, t-light holders, Jewelry and much more. Lots of product to choose from, during this festive season!

Little embellishments hanging from the neck of the vase...pretty!

Absolutely fell in love with these...cute danglers too!

Royal Blue Neck piece

Website Layout

The page  layout is simple & easy to navigate.It gives you a good peek into their collection. Further there is a clear segregation of products.They are grouped into Home decor, Tableware, Jewelry and Gifts. Also you can sort the products based on price, name and position.

By clicking on the product of your liking, you can get a quick view of the product.This in turn gives a clear description of the product.

Another notable feature is the Compare product.You can shortlist various products and asked them to be compared. Description and price wise comparison can be achieved.

 Payment & Delivery 

They accept all major credit cards.So there is no payment hassle. Also alternatively, they have a return policy if the shipment is received in a damaged condition.The usual turn out time for the product is within 4-7 days.All products above Rs 499/- are shipped free of cost.

Some of the other products that I really liked in their collection were....Have a look

They are lovely isn't it? Go ahead surprise your loved ones this year with these amazing gifts. Perfect for the festive season.They are sure to win hearts! To drool over the products and buy, go to 

www.homesake.in

Ideal spaces at home to spend quality time with your partner

We all have our own ideas and choices for a perfect home. Similarly there are certain spaces in our home where we like to spend more time with our partner.

Some of these ideal corners can be …

    Morning tea/coffee time in the balcony

                     Imagine setting up a table for two in the lush greenery of your balcony. The warmth of the sun, company of your beloved and the morning tea… It’s an ideal way to start your day.

  Perfect reading nook

                        If both of you are avid readers then creating a special corner for reading and sharing can be a wonderful idea to spend more time together. The true beauty of a relationship lies in creating time for each other though; you may be carrying out your usual daily routine work.

                  Create a seating on the floor

                                 It would be a good idea to create a seating on the floor by using area rugs. Bring in some throws, cushions for that ideal setting. Also use of aromatic oils helps to elevate the mood. It also calms and revitalizes your mind. Fragrance is all about trying to communicate emotion. The emotion of Love!

       Bedroom

                              For any couple, the bedroom is the most private space, where they get to spend their time with each   other. So always keep your bedroom devoid of any clutter. Make it look spacious. Frame a photograph of the best moment of your life and keep it at eye sight. Always spread clean bedspreads. Use a room freshener that you both love. Fragrance is an intangible element but is most effective to bring romance in the air. Place many cushions and pillows on the bed. This helps give a cozy feel. Have bedside tables to place all essentials like mobiles and table lamps.

Making dinner time special

                         If you are a working couple, it makes sense to make the meal times a special time. This can be achieved by foremost, taking care to choose a dining table that gives you that kind of intimacy. Restrict the dining table to be a 2 seater or 4 seater at the most. Then, lay the table runner, place some flowers in a vase, mood lighting, spray some air freshener and make the most of this time. Good food, endless conversation, lovely ambiance can help you to bring a perfect end to the day.  

                                                         

Picture courtesy: All images are sourced from the internet

5 TIPS TO SPREAD THE FESTIVE CHEER AT HOME

Christmas and a Grand New Year awaits us.So let us make our home festival ready. Some tips to enliven our home and spread happiness.

 To know more read my post at Hometalk.Sulekha

Candles & Flowers... say it all!

Pic courtesy: Internet