The Weekly Story ~ wk 95

Hello my lovelies... How are you all doing? Hope the week ahead treats you well... 

I've been super duper busy with work & helping out with Nrityanjali .. My older one has her kathak performance mid October and I've decided to volunteer .. *sigh*... so between, work, home, school, family, friends, homework, school projects, swimming, other classes, kiddie parties and now kathak, my life is on a huge roller coaster ride... 

Here is a glimpse of a home tour coming your way soon.... My friend got this gorgeous lamp... *smiles* I've always wanted a tall standing lamp.... and this one looks gorgeous in her home... 

Weekend took us to the beach... We've officially started our outdoor season in Dubai... season for outdoor parties, bbqs, picnics and beaches... *smiles*

Now... can you guess... which one I got home from the below three *smiles*... 

And I am sooooooooooooooo horribly sorry... for forgetting to announce the winners of the Craftsia give away.. Comment no. 6 & 13 are the winners... Anamica & Uma... please can you email me and I'll send you all the details... Have fun!! 

I'm you know... how to link in to the weekly party here... so join in the fun... *smiles*

Welcome October Sponsors!

 

So glad to have these new sponsors on board and hope you’ll take a minute to visit their sites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, thanks to these renewing sponsors for their continued support of my blog:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS—I have loved reading your hair horror stories.  Still three more days to tell me about yours!

Beautiful family rooms

Hello all! Hope you had a fantastic week and have an even better weekend planned. I’m looking forward to some time with some girlfriends and perhaps some pumpkin picking? The weather is supposed to be fabulous. Why do I always talk about the weather? I don’t know. It’s my thing. Anyway, today I had to show off some of the LOVELY family room spaces you all linked up last month at the August

My Hair (and a Flat Iron Giveaway)

 

{This giveaway is now closed.}

 

Taking a break from decorating talk today to blog about what really matters:  my hair.  Just kidding, but I do have a little gift for (one of) you so stick with me.

I don’t think any girl is ever completely happy with her hair.  I’ve done some pretty stupid things with mine, including getting a super tight perm (bangs included) the summer before I started college (whaaaat???) and cutting off my long hair right after getting pregnant for the second time:

 

 

They say you should never do anything drastic to your hair while you’re pregnant.  I should’ve listened to them.  I loved it for the twenty minute drive home—and then not so much after I walked in the door and saw my husband’s reaction. . . . (He will deny this.)

 

 

 

I invested a lot of thought and effort into my hair during my twenties. But, I’m finding that as I get older, I don’t have the interest in spending tons of money or time on it.  (And, I get so fidgety sitting in that chair for very long—anybody else?)  I would like to say that I’ve become low-maintenance, but that’s probably pushing it :)

 

 

 

 

For the last couple of years, I’ve just gotten trims and I’ve even started coloring it myself occasionally (because I’m not low-maintenance enough to let the grays show). 

 

 

   

 

(All of that work, and I’d really just like to have hair that looks like my three-year-old’s.)

 

 

So, in the spirit of better hair, and because I appreciate my readers, I have a little giveaway.  Misikko (a site that specializes in flat irons, hair dryers and curling irons) recently sent me one of their Hana Pro 1” flat irons to review.  But, since my hair is at the stage where a big curling iron works better than a flat iron (and I just bought a new one not too long ago), I’m passing it along to one of you.

 

 

$130 value

 

To enter, just be sure you either subscribe to my blog or are a Google Friend Connect follower.  And, leave a comment on this post telling me the stupidest thing you’ve ever done to your hair.  I’ll choose a winner based on the worst/funniest/craziest response :) and will announce on my Facebook page on Wed., October 3rd.  Looking forward to reading these. . .

 

 

PS--Be sure I have a way to contact you if your profile isn’t linked to a blog. Thanks!

Early Fall Mantle

Pardon me, I'm trying to get back into the swing of blogging again and I'm a little behind on showing off my September mantle.

October is just around the corner and the Halloween decorations are calling to me. But before I pull out the bins and re-do my mantle with a scary flair, I thought I would show off my glitzy early fall mantle. 
  
It was an easy display. A huge gold frame borders a few smaller ones with a line-up of shiny and sparkly pumpkins in front. And some candles and faux plants mixed in for interest. 

It was a great way to ease into the more "themed" months of October and November.
Linked to Centsational Girl

Mini pumpkins three ways (fall linky!)

Well HEY! I’m back to finish up our series of fall linkies – this time we’re sharing easy, inexpensive, quick fall decor ideas here at TDC!: I’ve already shared a few of my simple fall decorating projects this year – the pumpkin wreath took less than 30 minutes because I just stuck everything in and called it done: And even making the new wood trough for fall goodies in the family room was

A makeover story ~ Sumathi

Another unique makeover story to share with you today.... 

Over to Sumathi ~

We just moved to this new home 4 months back .. Few rooms/walls in my house are yet to be furnished/done and would like to do that in slow-evolving phase rather than impulse finish-do…. I love to decorate and rearrange things in my house. I don't really like to fill too many things(photos/paintings) and minimal/functional would be my choice....

 

Living room - I have kept “Orange” theme which happens to be my favorite color

Uruli filled with flowers bloomed in my garden really do charge me up …I feel everyone should experience the pleasure/joy of  growing atleast one plant/tree and delight that u get when they bloom/grow..

My home is not definitely “picture-perfect” always as u get to see in magazines/sites and have been used to clutter which my 2 boys make (including me). I can’t sleep without chanting my heavy daily dose of “clean-up …clean-up….Cllllllllllean up “  mantra to my boys !!!

I like the little jharoka on this wall... What do you like??

... and if you've got a makeover to share... email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com 

Hiring a “Budget-Friendly” Decorator

 

Since I’m no longer taking any design clients, I thought this might be a fun topic to tackle—or at least to open up for a good discussion.  Blogs and HGTV have definitely put the idea in lots of people’s minds that it’s possible to redecorate an entire room without spending loads of money with the help of thrifting, DIY’ing, repurposing, repainting, etc. . . But, what happens with those people want to hire a decorator to help them do all of it? 

 

Can you design on a dime AND hire a decorator?

 

my thrift store dining chairs ($12.50 each!)

 

 

I think people are attracted to my blog because, well . . . I decorate with pretty cheap stuff and manage to make it look okay.  I found that when I was decorating for other people, I would get lots of emails from prospective clients saying they liked my budget-friendly style and wanted help recreating the same thing in their own homes. 

 

 

the Habitat Restore lantern I “restored”

 

 

I still stand by my philosophy that good design doesn’t have to be complicated or pricey.  But, I think you know what I’m getting at.  Decorating my own home on a budget has been a process that has included hours of shopping, scavenging, sanding, repainting, and just plain old sitting and thinking about how to change things up.  It takes time.  Time that might surprise clients if they’re being billed by the hour. 

 

 

DIY mirror-to-chalkboard

 

 

So, let’s discuss. . .

 

Designers/decorators:  How do you set realistic expectations so that you’re fairly compensated for clients who want to design on a dime?

 

Budget-minded homeowners:  Do you think a budget-friendly decorator is an urban legend?  What are your expectations when paying someone to help design a room with repurposed and thrifted pieces?

 

 

Store Finds

I'm taking you to Bangalore today.... to visit IndyaKaleidoscope

and this is what Preethi has to say.... 

A few years ago, travelling to different parts of the country on official assignments gave me tremendous insight into the rich culture of India. The love of traditional Indian handicrafts led me to the door steps of many artisans, who with little or no formal education,seemed to understand and create crafts that were in perfect harmony with nature.

A strong urge to leave behind the rat race and find a more meaningful life, gave birth to an idea - IndyaKaleidoscope. It took a while for the entire idea to shape up, research to back it up, a lot of soul searching and finally Indyakaleidoscope(IK) was registered in July 2011. Today, exactly three years from being just an idea, IK is working with seven different craft groups and two individual artisans and is providing them with a marketing face.

Our commitment is not only to our artisans, but also to our customers. Our motto is to make Indian handicrafts popular in every Indian home and make it available at an affordable price. The journey of Indyakaleidoscope has been made possible by the unshakable support of customers, friends and family. We hope to reach out to more craft communities and in the process fill a lot of homes with the joy of Indian crafts.

I welcome you to be a part of the IndyaKaleidoscope journey and experience.

... and here are a few things from the store.... that I want to bring home.... *smiles*...

And since... reds, oranges, Buddhas, peacocks... are my favourite... Can you see why I love this store so much... *smiles*...

Visit Indya Kaleidoscope and tell me what you think... *smiles*

Decorating the mantel for fall

Hello all! How are you this fine fall day? Sorry this post is later than usual – I was sidetracked by a quick (if two hours there and two back can be considered quick) trip to IKEA. WHOO! I’m back today with our fall mantel and will be linking up over at Kate’s shindig: Since our new, big mantel is still new to me, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it this fall. I knew I wanted

A Lantern Pendant Over Our Kitchen Island

 

I hope you’re not sick of hearing about the kitchen.  I’ve just been focused on it lately—and I’m almost ready to move on.  But first, here’s one major change we made over the summer that I haven’t shared yet.  Ever since we moved into this house, I’ve been envisioning replacing the light fixture over the island with a big lantern:

 

 

 

 

 

And, when Ballard put their lighting on sale this summer, I took that as my sign to go for it.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve loved the straight, simple lines of these lanterns for a while, but when it came time to order, I went back and forth between ordering the medium or large size.

 

 

 

 

 

In the end, I decided to be brave and order the biggest one.  I’m glad I did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also wanted to make sure that whatever we put up didn’t fight against the the chandelier we hung over the table.  I think the combination of a curvy chandelier and a really simple lantern worked out pretty well together:

 

 

 

(Do you know how difficult it was to keep my kitchen counters cleaned off for the three minutes it took to snap these pictures?  I swear it goes from one mess to the next.  Oh, and my seven-year-old is hiding behind the island.)

 

 

Sponsor Giveaway…Paint It Like New

Happy Monday! Hope you had a beautiful weekend!

I have special news for you today! One of my oldest sponsors on the blog, Paint It Like New is kindly giving one lucky Decor Happy reader $200 to use for painting. Yes, $200! That could be used towards painting anything – a table, chairs, your entire kitchen cabinets, perhaps?

Remember, I had them redo my daughter’s dresser because I really mucked up the red paint:

And then, one of the best things I ever did was transform a dated pine TV armoire into linen storage (I have a bit of a pillow obsession.) Paint it Like New painted the inside and out and it turned out beautifully plus I love reusing what I already have. 

I’m a big believer in leaving things to the pros when you don’t have the time or know-how to DIY (yes, my hand is up on that one! Time is at a premium these days!)  I love painting items (and kitchen cabinets) in shades of white and cream as they never feel dated and the pieces will work in any room. But that’s just me! With PILN, you can choose any colour!

You can read this post about Paint it like New and their process.

To enter:

• Leave a comment and tell me what you would like to have painted. (And if you haven’t hit the blue “Join this Site” button in the sidebar on the right yet, I would appreciate it if you did! That way you won’t miss any updates including finding out if you are the winner!)
• For an additional entry, “Friend” Paint It Like New on Facebook and leave an additional comment letting me know.
  Note: If you don't have a blog and/or your email isn't evident, please include in your comment so I can get in touch with you if you win!

The giveaway is open to Ontario residents (or any Canadian resident willing to delivery and pick up their item!)  The giveaway closes Monday, October 15th at 8:00 am  EST. The lucky winner will be randomly selected and announced that morning.

Good luck and thank you Paint It Like New for this generous giveaway!

Have a great week!

PS I’m at a preview of Style at Home’s new Limited Edition Home Decor Collection tomorrow am from 8-10. You can follow all the fun and see sneak peeks on their Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.  The cozy throw above is calling my name!

Show us your basements (fun spaces)

Well hello there! I’m back on this beautiful (chilly!) Monday with another Show Us Your House link up! This time we’re sharing basements, playrooms and rec rooms. (Does anyone call them rec rooms anymore? How old am I?) As many of you know, we finally finished our basement this year. I say finally because we’ve lived her for 8.5 years and every four months or so of the past five we’ve said, “

Freshening Up Our Front Door

 

With a new season comes quick changes for our front door.  This is what I like to call the poor man’s customized door mat:

 

 

 

 

I picked up a $5 mat at Big Lots and painted on our house number using stencils and paint I already had:

 

 

 

 

 

(The pineapple finials were one of my best yard sale finds--$2 each.)

 

 

 

Instead of killing mums this year, I opted to put these in our planters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(They look like they have little berries on them.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whoever spots the uninvited guest first gets the prize :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What changes have you made to your front door or porch for fall?