A Love Affair

A love affair between and French General and an Indian princess....sigh!! Well, that is the story behind the fabulous Pan Dei Palais hotel in St Tropez in France. When I saw these images I was convinced that this was a hotel/palace in India........France somehow was far from my mind :-) However, this is the home of the dashing General Allard and his beautiful Indian princess, Princess Bannu Pan DeÃ. He built this Indian colonial styled home in 1835 as a tribute to his bride.

The home was transformed in 2006 as a neo-colonial style hip boutique hotel in the heart of St Tropez. The suites in the hotel have Indian names like Shakti, Deva, Durga.........and more. A hotel filled with history, romance and exquisite decor............it totally appeals to the dreamer in me :-) I am so in love with this place, and I wish I could be on a jet plane to the glamorous and chic St Tropez.......

Read a fascinating article in the Deccan Herald about this property and the legend here.

.

Images: via

Monday magic

Monday blues........I don't think so :-) Its Monday magic here on My Dream Canvas. Every once in a while I come across images that make me smile :-) They get stored in a special file both in my heart and on my laptop :-) Here are my two favorites for today. A glass house with flowering fruit trees, the gorgeous lampshades with the myriad hues and an outdoor haven in pink and white. I could go on and on....but let me just ask you this......aren't they magical??

Here's wishing you a fantastic week ahead!!

Image: via

Memories of my first home

On this cold and snowy day........I am filled with memories of my first home. I fell in love with this gorgeous brick fireplace first......and then the house :-)

Till date when I think of a warm and cosy place.....I am reminded of this room. The excitement of doing up your first home and the memories that go with it.........the endless trips to furniture stores.....hubby cringing every time I brought it up :-) Decorating my son's nursery before his birth. My mom and hubby were my captive helpers......unfortunately for them, I chose to decorate in the middle of the night :-) The joy of bringing my son home from the hospital. The numerous parties with our wonderful friends back in the east coast.

Don't you feel that your first home is always the most special, no matter where you go?

I seem to be reminiscing a lot today and also rambling a bit.............so will end here :-) Happy almost Friday folks........... and have a great weekend.

I am joining Cindy's blog for Show and Tell Friday.

Snow day

Its a snowy day. There is not a lot of it..... but then snow at sea level, that's big for us here in the Pacific Northwest :-) I am taking a snow day break :-) Hubby is home, I can hear my kids incessant chatter :-) All is well in my world! I am enjoying the view outside with endless cups of tea :-)

What are you doing this Thursday afternoon? Do you have some fun plans for the weekend??

Stay warm and see you back here soon...............

Luxury in the Pyrenees

Ah...Spain!! The two weeks I spent there five years ago was never quite enough. This elegant and charming home makes me want to return even more :-) I am not sure, if I can afford to holiday in the Pyrenees mountains but.........it doesn't hurt to dream??

This 1000 year old property is now the Casa De San Martin hotel. A beautifully restored property which once belonged to the oldest monastery in Spain. Its rustic elegance and modern amenities makes it a dreamy and idyllic retreat for me :-)

Perched away high up in the mountains and away from reality, where time stands still. The Casa De San Martin beckons.......

Images via

Soma

I have always been a big fan of Soma. I visited their shop many years ago on a trip to Jaipur. Thankfully, they have two outlets in Delhi and its always on my shopping list whenever I go home !! Soma has perfected the art of block printing with its vibrant and lovely designs.

From clothes, accessories, linen, bedding and so much more, Soma tempts me with all its gorgeousness :-) These images remind me of spring.......not a bad feeling as we are bracing ourselves for some snow here soon :-)

Images via : Soma

A weekend away from reality

Seattle has many moods!! Some of you might be familiar with it, or perhaps have heard about it :-) The famous one........the  dark and brooding city with the endless rain!!

Well, every once in a while we experience something different. The dark clouds vanish and this gorgeous city reveals its true form !! I for one, am lucky to call this place home.

We  are a crazy family. This weekend, all errands, chores or rather reality was brushed aside. We drove for miles admiring and taking in all of this surreal beauty. I must say, my two brats are quite the little troopers and joined in with no complaints :-)

Here is a snapshot of my weekend. The pictures do little justice to the actual experience..... and yet my camera kept clicking way :-)

Here's wishing you a great week ahead and keep smiling.....

I am joining Sarah's blog, A Beach Cottage for Good life Wednesday's.

Pride and Prejudice

I surround my home with the things I love. Old books, Buddha statues, brass knick- knacks and after Valentines day.........gorgeous red roses :-)
Today, after the usual cooking and cleaning, I sat down with a cup of tea and one of my favorite classics, Pride and Prejudice. I could read only one chapter before reality set in, and yet I am not complaining :-) I have read this book a million times......... but can you ever have enough of the quintessential Mr Darcy :-) Did you know that Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice in 1813 ? Yet, nearly 200 years later...... most of us are still enamoured by him? Hey......what can I say, I am a literature student and a bit of a dreamer :-)

Have you read the book ? I would love to know ? Here's wishing you a wonderful wednesday and a great week ahead.









I am joining Kim's blog for Wow us Wednesdays! and Cindy's blog for Show and Tell Friday! and Good life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage and the party at Very Merry Vintage Style

Views to die for

Its officially a rotten day!! The incessant rain makes me want to run out of my house towards sunny skies. Unfortunately, I will have to run very far to catch a glimpse of the sun :-) However, the image of this gorgeous room, with the spectacular views does take my mind away from my misery :-)

This is the home of an artist, Martha Sturdy. A dramatic private getaway, overlooking the Georgia strait in British Columbia. Its a mere few hours away from my home...maybe I should drop by to say hello :-) I am pretty sure that, I cannot do that, but I can admire her living room from afar :-) The white, minimalistic and ultra modern decor of this room is usually not my style but then today is different!! I love the look !! The wall of sheer glass makes this room both bright and beautiful!

Image via

The winner !!

Hello friends, its that time again.....I am ready to announce the winner of my Valentine Giveaway!!



Drum roll please.....and a one, two, three....I picked the winner using random.org.

The lucky winner of the gorgeous Timeworks clock is Kanika Bahl :-) Yay!! Kanika, please email me your address so that I can mail you the new clock! Thank you all for participating in the giveaway and for all your wonderful comments.

Image: via

Happy Valentines Day and a guest post

Happy Valentines Day to all my friends out there. I will be announcing the winner of the Valentine Day giveaway later tonight, so make sure you stop by :-)

BollyInstyle is a fabulous website dedicated to contemporary art, fashion, and style with a touch of Asian inspiration. I am delighted to be featured at BollyInstyle. Here is the link to my guest post.

Have a lovely day and a great week ahead.

Valentine magic and vintage silver

Valentine's Day is almost here!! What do I like about Valentine? The flowers and chocolates of course:-) They are everywhere! I am busy helping my 5 year old write the numerous Valentine cards for his classmates in school. The joys of motherhood:-)

I wish you all a Happy Valentine's day, filled with love and happiness. May it be with that special someone, family or friends! My Dream Canvas is celebrating the magic of valentine with vintage silver, pink, gold and blue!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you here next week! Don't forget to enter my Valentine Giveaway. The winner will be announced on Monday. Thank you for all the lovely comments. They make my day......everyday :-)

I am joining Cindy at Show and Tell Friday!

Sunny afternoons

Its Wednesday afternoon!! The sun is shining and the skies are blue..............
Remember my de-cluttering target?? Well, I am making slow but steady progress. The bags are piling up in the garage to be given away. I wish I had a magic wand that would make it all happen faster. I have no choice but to toil away. My husband is not enjoying his share.....I might add:-) This is a view of my family room which is usually chaotic. It has to be cleaned numerous times in a day!! You are obviously seeing the cleaned up version:-) The lamp in the corner is a purchase from "Home Goods", courtesy a Mathew Mead giveaway.
Have you seen Holiday with Mathew Mead? Visit them here for some fabulous summer inspiration.
Giveaway's are such fun, especially when you win:-) Do remember to enter my Valentine Giveaway here.

I am joining Kim over at Savy Southern Style for the First Wow Us Wednesday Party!

Picture perfect

I stumbled upon this gorgeous book, "Living Beautifully", and the images are absolutely gorgeous. These old cups and plates (flea market finds) are glued together to form a tower, almost like a cake. The idea is to fill it up with sweet treats or candy and you have the loveliest creation I have seen!!

Are you inspired? Call me crazy........ but I am dying to try it out for no reason at all:-). It would be perfect for a little girl's birthday, a Valentines day party.....the possibilities are endless!!

What do you think? I look forward to hearing from you. Its the countdown to Valentines Day here at My Dream Canvas. See you around:-)

Remember to enter my Valentines Day Giveaway!!

Image via

Tulips,Giveaway and Parties

How was your weekend? Mine was a somewhat productive. I managed to complete an article which I had been working on for a while......yay!!! A bit of decluttering, a trip to the aquarium with the kids and of course Super bowl :-)

My new Buddha, a lovely gift from a favorite aunt has found place in my family room. I made a brief stop to the store to pick up some tulips....I just had too:-) They look so pretty on my windowsill, and remind me of spring:-) We are in for some dry and sunny days this week and I can hardly wait.

I have some exciting things coming up this week, so stay tuned :-) A reminder, please don't forget to enter my Timeworks clock Giveaway that ends on Valentines Day!!

I am joining Patty at Colours Dekor for the Weekend wrap up and Mary at the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

See you around folks!!

Click to view larger image.

Weekend wishes

The beauty of a red rose.......simple, elegant and classic. Love, smiles, joy, laughter, comfort and warmth.....its the eternal gift! Here's wishing you an utterly fabulous weekend filled with lovely moments.....

Do remember to enter my Giveaway for a chance to win a handcrafted clock by Timeworks Inc. Winner will be announced on Valentines Day, February 14th.

A Giveaway and a Birthday!!

Its my Dad's birthday today. To celebrate this lovely day, My Dream Canvas is announcing an exciting Giveaway:-) The giveaway is a delightful collectible clock from Timeworks Inc. I am a huge fan of Timework's antique and whimsical designs. Timeworks, is a California based company and each of these clocks are individually made by hand. To know more about Timeworks Inc please visit them here.

Here's some information about this particular clock. The clock is called "Latin Botanical Strawberries". An aged brass plate incorporates the Latin designation "Fragaria Virginiana" onto the clock. The decorative hands and optional aged brass pendulum add elegant accents.

I am happy to announce that this Giveaway is open to readers all over the world.

Now for the fun part:-) To enter this Giveaway all you need to do is:

1. If you like what you see, become a follower of my blog on the sidebar and leave me a comment.

2. If you are already a follower, then just leave me a comment.

3. For a second chance, announce this giveaway on your blog and let me know in another comment.

4. If you don't have a blog, please leave your email address in your comment.

Remember this Giveaway is open to readers worldwide. I shall pick the winner on Valentines Day, February 14th.

Good luck everyone!!

I am joining Cindy at Show and Tell Friday at her fabulous blog My Romantic Home to spread the word!

Magical Day

It was one of those truly gorgeous "days". We don't have many of them in the Pacific Northwest in February! Bright blue skies, crisp and cool with snow capped peaks, and the glorious sun flickering through the stark trees.....it was magical. Sitting by Lake Washington today, I feel blessed. A large portion of the United States is battling with snow or ice storms and I don't envy them at all!! I do hope its less severe than the predictions. Stay warm and stay safe. I shall be thinking of you........

Hello February!

Its February!! Time seems to be flying.......I wonder what's in store for in 2011??? For now, I am a happy gal:-) The sun is shining today and that pleases me immensely:-) Here's wishing you a fantastic month ahead. Sending lots of sunshine and smiles your way!

Image :via