Betsy's Picture(sque) Wall

Hello lovelies! How is this fine Tuesday morning treating you? I'm happy because I got sunshine today (the real deal, not this kind)...I'm so influenced by the weather, it's not even funny. Maybe we should move to Florida or something---lifetime supply of sun n' sand! So anyhoo, after a looo-oo-oong hiatus I've decided to revive the old favorites on this blog.....I miss doing posts on entryways and home tours, and I'm hard at work trying to bring them back to life... so I thought we'd start on the right note!

Today we're off to visit Betsy (mom, fellow decor-addict, and DIYer extraordinaire!) at her gorgeous home in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I'm a big fan of Betsy's blog, aptly named Making Pretty, where she always has some fantastic DIY or thrift-store-find makeover brewing. So when I saw how beautifully she'd done up her entry, I just had to blog about it. Like many real people homes, there is no devoted foyer space or hall, yet she's managed to create a gorgeous, welcoming entryway. And I love that, because it's never about the big bucks for me, it's about a vision, some ingenuity and pure.unadulterated.love--that's what makes a home, home. Welcome to Betsy's.

I love that wall color! Her entry is mostly comprised of thrift store finds (the dresser, the foot stool, the rug, most of the art, the little silver foo dog, the bamboo tray), and most of the pieces have had some "work" done on them--the foo dog was spray painted silver, the dresser had new drawer pulls installed. She's got such a fun anecdote about the Georges Rouault print you see in the picture above---when she came across it while thrifting, she kept wondering why it seemed so familiar. The answer came to her several years later, while going through some old family pictures--it had hung in her mom's living room while she was growing up!! (I can SO relate to this story, I've always been drawn to objects similar to those in my mom's home. :D) The mirror is from her parents' home as well! :D

The red coral hook from a clearance sale at Anthropologie holds her mailbox key, there's a small dish to hold change, the dresser offers ample storage (they have three kids and kids need storage!)--form and function--I love it!

And even though this is totally unrelated to entryways, I have to introduce you to a few of her (many, and ongoing) DIYs....

Oh the awesomeness of this pink chair (a goodwill find) upholstered in a Dawat rice sack!!

A design*sponge-inspired jewelry bust (made from scratch, y'all!). This lady's resourceful, above all else! Do check out her lovely blog for more inspiring ideas...

Thanks for sharing, Betsy!

Here comes the sun!

*Sigh.of.relief*--three days of sulky stormy weather is just about all I can handle!!! So how was thanksgiving at your end? We had a quiet, relaxed dinner with just immediate family (read: mama bear, papa bear and baby beal!!!) which was a nice contrast to last year's thanksgiving where we spent (a cumulative) two and a half days stuck in various airports around the country!(How bad was it?--the entire airplane load of people clapped when the pilot managed to land the plane safely---I had this guy sitting across the aisle from me--white knuckled and  muttering prayers under his breath---the tiny little plane was being tossed around something fierce in the storm! My son slept through the whole thing and though I was calm, I just wanted to get back home and sleep too!!!).

So anyway, I would recommend a nice day IN if you can mange it....yesterday was perfect --I cooked a nice dinner, we did some crafts, I manged to read a bit and at present both papa bear and baby bear are snuggled up in their respective corners reading their books for the day (yes, we're using black friday to chill at home!). The perfection of the day makes me want to sing (you don't want to hear it---trust me!!)....it's nice to have a day with no "agenda" !!! LOL!

So I'll leave you on this perfect day with some shots from around home as the morning light streamed in the windows...

My happy Coleus, drinking in the sun!

As I run out of floor/window space for my plants, I'm thinking of going vertical! Especially since I'm running amok, making little cuttings and starting new plants all over the place! *grin*

Yes I changed my entryway display-again! LOL! --I think I have too much free time *smiles*.

I'd LOVE to know-- how has the week been treating you? :)





PS: I hope to be back later this weekend with another home tour that I'm working on. I also wanted to put in a few announcements: I wonder if you remember the immensely-talented jewelry designer from this post? Amrita has recently started retailing in Bangalore, at a store named "The Orange Bicycle". If you loved her work, you now have a destination to buy it from!

I also wanted to let you know that there's another CSN giveaway happening here in blogland. This time hop on over to Pree's blog to enter for your chance to win a CSN giftcard!

Plus, If you still haven't entered, don't forget the CSN stores giveaway I'm hosting!

Playing tag.......

So I thought I'd (finally!) get around to tackling the various tags and awards that have been bestowed on me*!!! Since I haven't been very punctual with these, I need to start at the very beginning (which IS a very good place to start!). This is my dear friend Patty's tag from a couple of months back (!!).

Patty: What’s a perfect styling for you?

Perfect styling for me is not about money. I'm not big into designer labels but if I see quality that is affordable, I'll snap it up!! In clothing, I'm very laid back, its mostly jeans and a tee or tunic for me. I like to dress it up with a little sparkle or a bright scarf. In the colder months, I'm usually found buried under layers of warm stuff--I get really cold! I love to dress up in Indian clothes every once in a while and I'll go the whole hog--with bindis and bangles and pretty earrings!! The key for me is adding accessories, but I don't overdo it....nothing can kill a look faster than too much of anything. It's either a scarf OR a necklace. If it's a turtleneck, I'll usually go with bold earrings. For instance, I'd wear this with jeans......

My brown linen shirt, peacock earrings (these get worn a LOT!) and my brass bracelet.

Styling around the home would be about comfort and practicality. With two boys (one six year old and one much older (!!), I need to have a home that can handle the everyday occasional projectile. It also has to have that personal connection for me.  You can also see snippets of my home in some of my earlier posts here. I need to have lots of green (the live variety!--though I wouldn't mind some of the other stuff too!) around me and my home is full of plants- some thrive, some I mange to kill. I never give up. 

Some lucky bamboo cuttings that I'm trying to grow!

A cozy corner reflected in the entrance mirror.

My entryway--utilitarian, but not drab. Holder for mail, glass dish for keys, under the demi-lune table are two baskets, one for mittens/scarves (and the occasional helmet) and another one for umbrellas. Also visible in the reflection--my darling husband's contribution, the gallery wall. While I gave up in frustration after (days of!) measuring and laying out, he just stepped in and eye-balled the whole thing! I think it took him all of half an hour to do what I couldn't commit to in weeks of plotting and planning. (Now you know why I married him!!) :)

Patty - On what do you spend most of your money?

That's an easy one--my home!


Patty - What's your favourite song at this moment?
Gah! I can't name just one...it all depends on my mood!! I love music and my tastes range from this to this. Oh and I love this and this and this. If I had more time I'd start a music blog as well (actually I have opened one, but just haven't had the time to work on it!)

Patty - Which excellences do you think you have?

I'm good at stuff. I don't know about excellent tho'. I'm a good cook, I'm good at my job, I'm good at doing stuff I want to do. I'm also pretty good at evading stuff I don't want to do.

And oh, I'm also good at kicking back and lazing! :)

Patty - And what are your failings?

Temper! Red-hot, white-hot temper! And Procrastination!

Patty thanks for inviting me to this one--you were right, it was fun! :D

Now for the next tag/award by the sweet Kanika of ...And Another blog! I just need to disclose seven things about myself that you might not know! Here goes:

1. I don't particularly like some games ( like tag!). But I love other games. Like chess--I can play it all day, it relaxes me.

via.

2. I'm a bit of a germ-o-phobe. I carry two types of sanitizers in my bag, there's another sanitizer in my car, one by the door, one in my gym bag, and I can't go to the park without one.

via

Related note: I wash my hands incessantly. They're dry and cracked and have little chippy flakes of skin. No wonder. Related/unrelated note: I'm happy to let the kid play in the mud. I've never stopped him from jumping in puddles either--he's a kid and this is what kids do. He gets dunked into the bath after playtime and that cleans him up. (Only one bath a day!).

3. I used to drink gallons(!!) of tea when I was younger. My nickname in college had -tea suffixed to it. I now drink up to three cups a day.

4. I never cheated in any of my exams...no, not even in elementary school. I got where I am on my own hard work and I'm really proud of it.

5. I hate going to the dentist. I cry. I get grey hair the day before I have to go to the dentist's. (My dentist laughed so hard when he heard this that his goggles nearly fell off!)

6. I'm a control freak. I need to be in control all the time. I'm the worst back seat driver ever. Related/unrelated note: That's why I don't drink---I HATE that feeling of losing control over my senses. I also discovered that I hate NO at the dentist's even more than I hate pain and so I don't take it.

7. Small courtesies are very important to me--I like to dole out my thank yous liberally. I also stop for pedestrians and return shopping carts to their corral. A little kindness goes a long way as far as I'm concerned.

8. I have a bit of a rebellious streak in me. I may break rules from time to time. See? I just broke one. I'm about to break another rule and not nominate anyone in particular. I'm opening up the tag to all of you!


The latest award was bestowed on me by the lovely Emreen of Liven Things Up: thank you, shukriya, merci beaucoup!! and I would like to pass it on to all of you, my lovely readers-who-are-bloggers-as well!!

And that dear audience, winds it up for now! I'll be back later with a lovely home-tour....how is your week going so far?




*Yes, I know I have a tag-free, award-free thingy up on my blog, but I was tagged nonetheless....and I felt really guilty turning down perfectly nice folks for my silly whims and fancies!!

All pictures (those without credits) taken by me. Please write in if you need to use them.

More entryways.....

Oh hello! how are you and how has the week been treating you so far? are you ready to take off those shoes and just lean back? great, because the next home we're peeping in to is filled with warmth and love.....just what you need after a long day at work. Our lovely friend Sudha has made it so welcoming that you may never want to leave!! (But I need you to mind your manners, stay a while, and pull out graciously, for we will be returning to Sudha's lovely home for tea and a home tour in a few days!!).

Some of you may already know Sudha, she blogs over at "The Design Enthusiast", and an enthusiast she is: her posts on Indian decor are extremely informative, meticulously researched and beautifully executed. Her home is warm and welcoming and feels like "home". Let's stop by and say hello, shall we?

Her beautiful entry, all decked up for diwali.

The entry looks just as charming in the daylight!

Love those sweet hanging bells and plants!

A closer look........

Sudha likes to collect turtles--this is her new friend!

She has a sweet rocker sitting next to the entry!! Doesn't it look inviting? (I could sit there for hours!)

Another view. Sudha's artwork hangs up on the wall.

There are so many more stories in Sudha's home, we'll just have to return for the tour!! Meanwhile, why don't you hop on over to her blog and get acquainted? Thank you for sharing Sudha; we'd love to see the rest of your home, the entry has really piqued our interest now!

Entryways, the plot thickens.....

Your entryway, your first impression. What does it reveal about you?  :)  we're travelling to Texas today, to knock on Geeta's door. Does her entry say anything about her? Does it say spunky, fresh? does it tell you that the person who has made this house her home is smart and talented and would probably be the one person in the party able to hold a conversation on many, varied topics? It does, if you look at the clues carefully.............

Geeta, on her front yard: "I love a front yard landscape that is low maintenance and I have a few trees and shrubs that stay all year around."

Stepping up to the door, you're greeted by this little elephant: "A small elephant bell hangs on my door knob and I love to hear the bell ring  every time somebody opens my front door. No way, I would have done this, if I lived in India, where every 10 sec somebody comes over."

LOL! (How true, Geeta, how true!!) and I have to say that I love hearing the sound of my elephant bell too!!

Artwork by her husband's aunt. Pretty sunflowers liven up the console. That lamp looks very interesting!!

Painting on the opposite wall, also made by her husband's aunt. I love it when you have a personal connection with the artwork on your walls, don't you?

Geeta says (and I so hear you on this, Geeta!) that this entryway is often comandeered into a soccer field/tennis court by her kids and husband, but that they do put away the clutter once they're done...that's good to know!! No point having a stressed out mommy/wife, eh?  :) 

Have you visited Geeta at My Cafe Terrace yet? if not, hop on over and say hi! Thanks for inviting us in Geeta!!

Gentle readers, be sure to check back later for more entryways!! And, if you have an entry that may like to see a few more visitors, be sure to send in your pictures!

Entryways: the sequel

As the festive season draws closer, many of us are busy decking our doors. Here in the west, fall-inspired wreaths are beginning to show up on doors all around me....what a beautiful way to usher in autumn! Elsewhere around the world, my blogger friends have been busy adding that special touch to their doorways and entries as well. Today, we'll be visiting two blogger homes for inspiration... :) When I ventured into the world of blogging, little did I know that I would be making friends along the way. I envisioned it as a solitary activity, where I penned down my thoughts for an anonymous faceless sea of 0s &1s, a plasma. Now, three months into blogging, I realize all that it has come to mean to me....I don't write for the great intangible; I write for my friends. When I read blog entries out there, I have this conversation going on in my head. As a result, most posts are (in my mind) dedicated to one or the other of these fantastic, talented, supportive, thoughtful, thought-provoking, unique personalities out there. Real people. I may not have a face, I may not be able to touch, but I know you're there, sitting in front of the screen, reading, and that tea you're drinking-- it probably tastes as good in your time zone as it does in mine. I read of your successes and I smile. I read of your pain and I shed a quiet tear. Your instantaneous, impromptu  email brings a wide smile to my face. You've worked your way into my heart.

This post is dedicated to my many new friends.....here's to the camaraderie girls! back to my lovely contributors for this post, today--both these ladies have by now earned a very special place in my heart.... so in no particular order, lets step in to their worlds shall we?

Lets start at the gate:

That's right, Patty's gate...giving you a clue to the colorful vibrant, bubbly personality that lives within. She shares her home in Dubai with her husband and two vivacious daughters.

The gate opens into a cute lawn with an adorable birdbath. Don't forget to put something out there for our little feathered friends...winters can be so harsh for them.

Close-up of the bird-bath. This was a very clever DIY effort on Patty's part...she had this tree stump and found the bird-bath basin in an outdoor store. She got it home and it fit perfectly! I'm sure the neighborhood birdies must be extra chipper now!!

Won't you climb those steps? I love how inviting it all is...... :)

Some close-ups of the gorgeousness..........

Her Sri-Lankan terracotta chimes. (note to hubby: let's get our fishy chimes up, shall we?--sorry for the personal note you guys, but my hubby is my go-to man for all things related to a drill and hammer+he's the tall one!!)

Sri-Lankan brass bell. DROOL!

If you've been following us desi design bloggers for  a while, you probably know that Patty is nevvver done decorating....she is a constant source of inspiration and fresh ideas. When you're done reading this post, click on over to her blog and make sure you follow, so you never miss a post.............

What can I tell you about Pree....all I can say is, I wait for her posts every day, to see what she's been up to. At times it's food, at times it's decor, sometimes it's art; her posts always promise to entertain, she has stories aplenty to share. Pree lives in Toronto with her husband. Her personality has all I'm drawn to in real life, a strong, independent woman, with a fantastic sense of humor. Her blog is about food, but also about so much more. Her taste (as you will see from the photographs that follow), is impeccable.....

That picture wall! Several of the paintings up there are by her. Don't miss that stool over by the door. Pree, did you cart that all the way from India?

What a difference a plant makes!

From a different angle. Pree's rendering of Frida.

Leaves you wanting for more, doesn't it? You're in luck-- you can find her home tour here and here. When you're done with the home tours, go over to Pree's blog and revel in the (many more!!) corners of her beautiful home, and in the the stories she weaves........

Update: If you have any photographs of your entryways that you'd like to share, send them along and we'll all drool over them together!! You can find my e-mail under the "contact me" heading in the column on the right. What are you waiting for? Get snapping and get in touch!!

How do you lay out the welcome mat?

What does your entryway say about you....To paraphrase a  common commercial.."what's in on your wallet door/entrance/porch?" I had put this question to a few of my blogger pals, and I'm glad I did! Look at what I discovered.................

Anu of "My dream canvas" has a sweet yellow terracotta bird & chime to greet her guests.....

Sanghamitra from "Rainbow-the colors of India" has some tribal masks and traditional brass lamps gracing her entrance.........

Kamini's Veranda...lovingly put together with a multitude of green plants, lovely hanging lamps, lanterns, bells and birds...her walls are adorned with folk art....That's what I call an entrance...when can I drop in Kamini? If you missed her home tour earlier, here is the link...

What's on my door?..........

There are a few other blogger friends who are in the process of getting their pictures across to me...if you have any you would like to share, please do send them in......let's inspire each other! Stay tuned for part two of the "welcome" series.....