Instant Cheer...

No expensive curios needed. No designer artifacts.
It's the simple things in life that add that sparkle to your home and a smile to your face.

Yes, I am talking about fresh juicy fruits & colourful fragrant flowers and the magic that they bring into our homes.Today I share with you all loads of beautiful moments created by flowers & fruits in my home...

Take out that old brass 'matka' or 'kalsi' and fill it up with seasonal flowers, just a couple of them will do the trick.Let your creativity flow, write down happy notes;-)Don't have a brass vase, no worry go ahead and use empty glass jars......or empty wine/beer bottles. The brand lettering adds to the beauty. Add some whimsical touches, ceramic ducks picked up from a local fair...Don't have a florist nearby, no worries pick up some wildflowers from the roadside or some seasonal flowers from the trees:-)

These flowers and fruits certainly lifted my spirits on a rainy day like today!

Wish you all loads of happiness with vitamins and fragrance:-)

pinning my interests...

...something that has been keeping me completely occupied these days!

Pinterest is a visual board style photo-sharing platform, where users can categorize their inspirations under various topics.

The best part is with just the 'Pin-It' button on your browser you can pin all your inspirations to your Pinterest page, while you surf the internet.

Here are screenshots of some of my boards.

A board for 'My Style' on interior design...

An inner page with my recent pin...

You can follow me archanasr on Pinterest as well! Let's share and get inspired!

Diwali Inspirations...

With Diwali- 'The Festival of Lights' around the corner, I have been looking everywhere for inspiration to decorate my home. There are amazing, sparkly diyas & lamps available in the market, fancy gift packs of dry fruits & sweets, amazing packaging of chocolates and so on but I want to do something innovative, something simple, something beautiful, something traditional, something different.

So why look elsewhere? I keep sharing ideas from my home now and then, but this is the first time I have decided to share Diwali Decorating Ideas formally.

Some ideas & inspirations from my home to your home every single day from today to Diwali that is on 9th Nov, 2007. (Ok, I have said it!)

Now please be with me and do tell me what you think of this. While I try and share some inspiring ideas, the next couple of days...

Pink for the Cure...

My post for 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month"

Let me start with this bright pink studio home of fashion designer Malini Ramani. This space is a mix of bohemian, goan & international styles. Crystal lotus infront of a multi-faith mandir (shrine/temple) in her lounge area.
The lounge area has lot of pink velvet with pictures of friends and her guru in the backdrop. The wrought iron & shells chandelier is her own creation.Old rose walls with a Gautam Vaghela painting in one of Pinakin Patel's Alibag projects.Priti Paul & Jaouad Kadiri's Moroccan retreat.'Vogue' Magazine Photographer Norman Parkinson captures the richness of India through his camera.
The MTV Office in Bangalore by Sandeep Khosla & AssociatesAlpana & Rahul Kirloskar's bungalow in Pune with a large centre table with Sanskrit script on torched granite in the living room. A painting by J Swaminathan on the wall.
A verandah with a large wenge seagrass sofa with vivid pink upholstery.Some pink festive decorating ideas from Elle Decor Magazine.

Glass Candle Stand from Klove Studio, Fabric from House of Ishatvam, Atmosphere, Old Goddess Lakshmi print from Moonriver.Wrought Iron lamps from Good Earth, Chair from India Chic, Fabric from Muslin.
Bright pink upholstery from Atmosphere.

&

finally an artist whose paintings I really admire- Dhruvi Acharya.

She says,"My paintings focus, through allegory, on the roles of being a woman and artist plus a mother and daughter, of living life as a couple with two boys, or life as a couple with two careers … it is all these dualities, the “two-ness” of my existence that makes life both stressful and enjoyable. And these dualities find their way into my paintings, through allegories and metaphors, images and colours... read more here "

Bound, Acrylic on panel, 2001 In the Middle of the Night, Acrylic on panel, 2002
Flower PowerUnplugged, Acrylic on Canvas, 2000

(images from Elle Decor Magazine, Indian Design by Daab, Inside-Outside Magazine, Vogue, Dhruvi.com)

Flowers in the kitchen...

Flowers brighten up every corner of our homes, why should the kitchen be left out;-)Enjoy your day!