Irumz Cakes for Mothers Day

If you are based in Dubai... here is a fabulous offer for you...

Only 4 more days to go!!

... 3 lucky winners will be announced on 5th May.

Now you can win a 2kg cutomized cake and 2 cupcake bouquets by simply liking and referring "Cake Cuisine Dubai" facebook page to your friends!



The more you share on FB, the more chances you stand to win!!



This offer is for all the UAE residents only, cakes to be picked up from Dubai ...

Also visit Irumz blog : irumzcakecuisine@blogspot.com



For enquiries or orders, contact us on :

facebook - - - Cake Cuisine Dubai

Phone - - - 055-6120585

email - - - irum.adnan@gmail.com

Sure hope you will participate.... All you need to do... is simply like Irumz Cake Cuisine.... Good luck to you all... 

Board and batten kitchen island

Well peeps, it had been FOREVA since I had done a DIY project and man, I missed it. :) While working on this one I was in my zone, and it felt good! I have been planning this project for the longest time, but was just trying to figure out one little detail before I got started. This one is in the kitchen and involves…can you guess?? I’m sure you’ll be shocked. The kitchen island: This

Cheery Fabric Finds

 

Remember the Windsor Smith fabric that I used (and happened to find in a remnant bin) for curtains in the breakfast nook of our old house?

 

 

 

I often get emails asking for the fabric source, so when I recently spotted this new Braemore fabric online, I wanted to share since it’s similar but at a much better price point:

 

 

 

 

The chartreuse is my favorite but it also comes in a few other colors . . .

 

 

 

 

And, check out these companion fabrics.  I think a combination of these would make for a really happy breakfast nook or dining room:

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

All of these fabrics are available here.

 

Made with Love Party

I bet you know I totally enjoy these linky parties... more so, coz you pop by to say 'hello' to me.. and often I find interesting new blogs and get inspired...



Today, I'm collaborating with Mommy-labs, The Magic of Play and Rainy day mom... to bring to you Made with Love Party... Its a monthly party!! I know.. its late for April... but I am sooooooooooooooooo sure you'll join in... coz you guys are simply awesome... *smiles*



This is my first time, and I may sound a bit confused ... but from next month on.. I'll talk more about 'me time' and show you some treasures that come out of 'me time'... *smiles*



I love to do a lot of things.... and I'll be using this linky to show you some of the things I totally love to do... Its just that my day job doesn't really permit me to do most of the stuff... and partly... its all left in my head... *sigh*

Anyway, one of my favourite things... is hosting a party... I love setting up tables for little people... All they need is loads of colour and something they can easily relate it... And that makes them happy... The smiles on their faces are priceless!!

And ofcourse... putting together a sweet table is one of my favourites...



and then involving the little ones... Below.. is my older one preparing the birthday banner letters... and my younger one and her friend decorating cup cakes...



oh and while you are here.. don't forget to read about the ladybirds that all these little ones loved...

So I sure hope you are joining this party...



There will be NO weekly story this Monday... so please come back for the Weekly story next week... But if you are here... then don't forget to link up your 'Made with Love' project... Here are the guidelines..



What can you share? 

1. Your own creation please!! ~ Art in ‘any’ form – a DIY, a craft, a before-and-after project, your photography, home decor, painting, sewing, quilting. 


2. Food – a savoury, dessert, a meal, any delicacy that you made for your family, friends, yourself 


3. Music or Poetry – It can be a video of a song you sang, a dance performance, a recital 


4. Literary Work: Stories, poetry, songs, ‘ghazals’


5. Any other creations... 


6. And please share only 2 posts in a month... 

Who can share? 

1. Doesn’t matter if you are a mom or not, a dad or not, married, unmarried – any of you can share your creation.


2. Bloggers or non bloggers – there’s no restriction. I know there are so many of you who love to create but may not have a blog. 


3. So, to celebrate the 'me' within you... share your creation via a link on your blog, facebook account, flickr stream, a pinterest page (let me know if you want an invite!) or even your online photo gallery! or simply email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com and I can do a post for you... 

Oh.. and I promise to show case two of my favourite linkys in next months party...

<center><a href="http://coloursdekor.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://www.mommy-labs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/madewithlove.gif" /></a></center>

Wall Decor Giveaway

*This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to winner Tina Matteson -- singin(at)compuserve(dot)com. (Tina, email me at thriftydecorchick(at)gmail(dot)com to get your gift card!) Well hey! Hope you have some super fun stuff planned for the weekend! Like watching movies, laying around, painting your toenails – you know, the fun stuff. ;) I’m back with another AWESOME giveaway this weekend – EvgieNev

A “Corner” Office

 

You may have noticed that I’ve had using every little area of your home on my mind lately, and this apartment is a perfect example.  At the end of Wednesday’s “Send Me a Picture” post, I asked readers to upload their own favorite spaces to my Facebook page, and this photo, uploaded by Skyla, stopped me in my tracks:

 

 

She took a small, unused corner of her 425 square feet studio apartment in D.C. and turned it into a stylish office space.  For impact, she painted this one wall a rich shade of emerald green.  (It’s “Hanging Vine” by Mystic Paint.)

 

She even made room for a small dining area:

 

 

 

 

Beauty really is in the details.  Take a look at more of her small, yet perfectly styled, space:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s no surprise that Skyla’s home is a finalist in this year’s Small Cool contest on Apartment Therapy.  If you like it as much as I do, take a minute to vote for her space here.  (Voting ends April 30th.)

 

 

You can also see more of her home by visiting Skyla’s blog, Sanity Fair.

 

Male - so small .... so pretty...

I was in Maldives two years ago.. sometime in October I think!! Do read my Maldives post first!!



Male’ would certainly count as one of the smallest capitals in the world in terms of its physical size. Different from other islands in Maldives, Male is a city of high-rise buildings and paved roads. The main streets attract tourists with its shops & offices and all the government offices are located in one area.

Male does not have any beaches… However, a paved scenic harbour is a pleasant walking or jogging route – very popular as the sun sets and the temperatures drop.

Main places of interest in Male are –

The Islamic Center – is an architectural landmark of Male. As you approach Male you can see its majestic golden dome. The centre is a big mosque enough for 5000 people, a conference hall, classrooms, Islamic library & offices.

Local Market – Must visit the Male First Market… and just a block away is the Local Market. These are little stalls with a variety of local products mainly vegetable, fruits, nuts, chips, home made sweets & pickles and bananas and bananas hanging on coir ropes from the ceiling.

The National Museum – this is supposed to be the only remaining building of the Sultan’s palace, which is now part of the Sultan’s park. It is a three storey, Edwardian colonial style building. Don’t go by its outwards looks, inside there is an amazing collection of articles, artifacts ranging from thrones & palanquins to riffles, ceremonial robes, headgears, umbrellas, earthen pottery and even the first printing press!!

One thing for sure.. I did not expect to see this wealth of history!! So go on.. and discover Maldives!!

Voting request for Traffic Message

To think that a 10 year old... can do this.. is simply awesome.. and definitely deserves a vote... so hop on to Southern New England Traffic Message Competition ... voting page and vote for this entry under elementary aged 10 (its the last entry!)

And while you are there look through all the finalists entries that have been selected from the thousands of submissions they received... 

And I am totally impressed by this 10 year old... ~ Poorna's poster... 

Don't you think this is impressive!!

My to do list

Oh me oh my. I worked long and hard painting a DIY project today and had hoped to show you, but my right shoulder screamed begged cried uncle. I try to paint with my left hand and it just doesn't go as well. :) So I’m going to baby the shoulder tonight and I hope to finish up the project tomorrow. (I am really excited because it’s a big color change and I LOVE how it turned out!) So anyhoo,

Happy Birthday to Me Giveaway!

I’m usually not one to shout from the rafters that it’s my birthday. In fact, I don’t think I mentioned my birthday on the blog the past three years.  But this year, I had a change of heart.   So -  it’s my birthday!  Let’s celebrate (good times, come on!) (Remember that song? yeah, you’re probably too young.)

I really do believe it’s better to give than to receive so with that in mind, I have an amazing giveaway for you today!

via BHG

Not one…

Not two…

But three amazing items to be won!

1) First up is this gorgeous tea towel by Avril Loreti.

Remember I framed one of Avril’s tea towels in my daughter’s room here?

2) Next up, is a print of your choosing from photographer extraordinaire, Tania Fitzpatrick.

 

I met Tania at this year’s One of a Kind Show and thought that she was so smart to have her prints fit into a square Ikea frame.  No expensive framing required!

3) Last, but not least is a copy of Domino, Quick Fixes which you can read about here.  I received a copy for my birthday but already have one, so if you weren’t able to get your hands on one, you still have a chance!

There has been some controversy about these special edition issues but I still think that it’s worth a read, especially if you weren’t a subscriber to the magazine when it was in print.

To enter:

1) Become a follower of my blog by clicking on the “Join this Site” button in the sidebar and leave a comment. If you are already following, just leave a comment.  If you don’t have a blog, i.e. I would have no idea where to reach you, leave your email address.

2) Tweet this giveaway mentioning @vanessajfrancis. (additional entry)

3) Blog, FB etc. for additional entries.

Giveaway open to North American readers only. I will draw a winner on May 4th.  Good luck!

Well, I have to run. I’m heading out to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s Yard Sale for the Cure Media Challenge in a few minutes!  You can read my teammate Christine’s post about it here.

Send Me a Picture: What I Love Most About My Home

 

I don’t know about you, but I always find myself dwelling on what still needs to be done around our house, rather than enjoying the things we’ve already done.  When you love “home improvement,” I think it’s easy to have that tendency.  So, to keep things positive for this month’s Send Me a Picture post, I asked several design bloggers to send me one picture that sums up what they love most about their homes.

 

SEND ME A PICTURE:

What I Love Most About My Home

 

 

 

What I love most about my home . . . are unexpected touches like our barn door.

Ashli, Mini Manor blog

 

 

 

 

What I love most about our home is our Living Room. It's where we spend the most time as a family, playing games or curling up to watch movies. It has great vaulted ceilings and is painted in a vibrant green that makes me smile the moment I enter the room. To keep it warm and cozy we have filled it with touches of our family through photographs, special books and cherished art projects.

 Jennifer Jones, IHeart Organizing

 

 

 

 

What I love most about my home is the built in bookcase in my living room. It was made for me as a Christmas gift last year. Styling it is certainly a work in project, but its potential is what excites me! The room now feels complete without the awkward, empty alcove which was there before.

Jane Gallant, Modern Jane Design

 

 

 

 

What I love most about my home from a design perspective is my office wallpaper. It look me a long time to narrow down my final selection, but I'm so happy with the end result! I don't think I'll ever tire of it!

Marianne Simon, Style For Living

 

 

 

 

My living room is in a state of being re-decorated, and I'm sort of in-between right now, but this spot is probably my favorite of what I've done so far. I love the little vintage kilim rug pillow on the sofa, and my new tree in the corner!

Kristen F. Davis, KFD Designs

 

 

 

 

What I love most about our home is that even though it's a rental, I've personalized it for us - including our cat Sephora. Being in a new space has allowed new ways to view & group existing pieces together to tell the story of us - from photos of NYC to palm fronds representing Miami. Most recently, hubs brought home a cow skull & horns, which will be an interesting element to add and now represent us living in Arizona.

Lynda Quintero-Davids (aka NYCLQ), Focal Point Styling

 

 

Want to share your own photo of what you love most about your home?  Pop over to my Facebook page to upload it.