A Stable turned Summer Home

Are you surprised to see a worn out stable turned into a summer home?? I was :-)  This absolutely gorgeous home is situated in the sunny island of Formentera.  Formentera is part of the Balearic Islands in Spain, and lies south of Ibiza in the Mediterranean Sea.

Almost the entire original building has been preserved. Artifacts bought by the owners from Bali and Sumatra adorn the stunning terrace. Teak wood, stone floors and other natural elements give this home a unique look. I love the  chandeliers in the white bedroom....sigh.....so romantic!! 

What more can I say......I love everything about this home :-)

Image: via

Spring and an interview on Purplehomes

Its almost April and spring is around the corner. Though we are going through a bout of dull, grey and wet weather........ I live in hope!! The trees are beginning to bloom and there is a hint of color everywhere. I am eagerly waiting to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom along Lake Washington. The display is spectacular every year!

As you know, my window sill is an ever changing canvas. Today, I am dreaming of the blue sea, swaying palms and a gentle breeze :-) So, what's on your spring agenda? My son has his spring break coming up, and I am trying to think of creative ways to keep him busy :-)

I was recently interviewed by Prachi of Purplehomes for the lovely series on her blog called Design Talks. I was thrilled to be included, and the interview was a lot of fun. Prachi is an incredibly talented and creative lady and her blog is one of my daily reads. You can read my interview here!

A cheerful Home !!

Thank you so much for all the emails and comments about my neck sprain. I am slowly getting back to normal. As you can see, I cannot keep away from My Dream Canvas:-) I have been meaning to bring you this delightful house tour for a while now, so here goes......

Samantha lives in a cottage in San Francisco. I love the colors throughout her home. It looks so warm and inviting.....don't you think? I asked Samantha to describe her home for my readers, and this is what she had to say......

"I'm a mama, and freelance photographer living in San Francisco. Our cottage is a mix of favorite objects and layers of patterns and colors, selected on the basis of what makes us happy, and then blended together."

I agree with Sam, Don't you think........that a house becomes a home, when we surround ourselves with the things we love??

Welcome to Sam's world.....

Love these gorgeous lanterns...

Dreaming of the beach.......

A lovely collection of sea rocks and sea urchins...

I love the use of just the initial several times instead of the full name.......

Thank you Sam for welcoming us into your lovely home.

Images: via

Just checking in...

On a break!!

A neck sprain is forcing me to take a break from blogging!! I am really sad and I will miss you guys. Hopefully it will be a short break! I am making my husband type this..........poor guy has no choice:-) A trip to the doctor, and I am pumped up with pain medication.....and bored out of my mind. I can't read, watch TV or blog. Enjoy your weekend friends.....

See you back here soon!!

Europe2You

I am so happy to have discovered Europe2You! A website specialising in bringing authentic European antiques,art and accessories to the rest of the world. I really like the rustic flair of their products. I love this stunning collection of bake ware and serve ware by master potter Istvan Barkonyi. The best part.......they are all microwave,dishwasher and oven safe!

The lovely vintage Spanish olive tray reminds me of my trip to Spain......the delicious olives, tapas, sangria's....... sigh.....I need a holiday!!

Image: via

A splash of Turquoise

I have mentioned my new found love for turquoise before......
The love is now flowing into my family room:-) I have always been known to lean towards earthy colors.........so this is a big shift for me! The spring makeover for my family room has turquoise accents all over the place!

So what do you think?? Does it say spring and the new me :-) The living room still has my earthy hues....beige, cream, rust..... and that's my comfort zone! However, my turquoise room is me being adventurous, and I quite like the feeling:-)

So what's your color for spring??

I am linking up with Between Naps on the Porch for the 115th Metamorphosis Monday!

Bold and Beautiful in Vermont

Designer Wendy Valliere's home in Vermont is a real treat. Bold and beautiful with a lot of drama and style.......her home was featured recently in the March/April 2011 issue of New England Home. This farmhouse dates back to 1842 and the restoration is stunning to say the least. I love the turquoise door in the first picture........

What can I say.......turquoise is my new love:-)

Images: via

A trip to the Pataudi Palace

A few days ago, my parents spent a night at the Pataudi Palace in Haryana, India. The Pataudi Palace is a heritage property which belongs to the Neemrana group of hotels. Recently this stunning palace was also one of the locations for Julia Robert's movie, Eat Pray Love. The palace was designed by the Austrian architect Karl Molt Von Heinz in the style of the grand colonial mansions of Imperial Delhi. I  love the look and feel of these old colonial mansions. The dreamer in me relates to the history and romance of these old buildings. These lovely buildings in all their restored glory stand today as a testament to a bygone era.

I asked my Dad to take some pictures of the lovely palace......and as usual, he did a splendid job!!!

My absolute favorite images are these night shots......sigh!! What a beautiful sight.......don't you think??

A peek into the next door colonial bungalow which the current royal family uses whenever they are in Pataudi!

All images : My Dad :-)

Good morning Monday

A new week begins.......my day is cold and dreary! However, I can't complain....this weekend we saw ample sunshine. A trip to a park with iconic views of the city, some good food and of course retail therapy......Sunday was hectic but fun!

A few orange tulips.......heralds the arrival of spring! Trust me, my breakfast nook is never this clutter free. Since I did clean up the mess, I managed to take a few pictures. Everything does look better with some sun around:-)

Have a lovely week folks!!

I am joining the Weekend wrap up party at Colours Dekor!

Holi (Festival of Colors)

Happy Holi everyone! Holi is the festival of colors celebrated in India. My growing up years, Holi was all about the revelry and the onslaught of colors everywhere. The colors (called Gulal ) is smeared all over your body, face, hair........you get the picture :-) The celebrations lasted from morning till night. My mom's fabulous spread of food on the table, new clothes bought by my grandmother which we wore after washing away all the colors. Although, I distinctly remember that I had colored nails for almost a week after Holi :-) Yes, I played Holi pretty aggressively:-)  

Nostalgia is setting in......,..they were happy times:-)

Hope you are enjoying the weekend?  Here's wishing you happiness and colorful days..............

Weekend wishes from my house to yours....

Its Friday.........yay!!! I have a busy weekend and week ahead of me! Parties, birthdays, errands, shopping and my baby brother's visit........so endless cooking:-) I am so looking forward to it. My husband and brother are both into cricket. With the matches being played in India, we are going to be up through the night:-) Hopefully, the kids will sleep through all the excitement.....

I will be back here soon! You all have a lovely weekend:-)

Zee Longenecker

A homemaker, artist, photographer and so much more. I could go on endlessly.......and still do no justice to Zee Longenecker's incredible talent and creativity. Zee is a Brazilian who now lives with her husband, children, and cats in Arizona!


Today, I am featuring Zee's bright and beautiful craft room where she weaves her magic. From photography to handmade crafts and designs, this is where it all comes together. With a space as pretty as this, you can only imagine the extent of her artistic talent. Do drop by her lovely blog, Etsy shop and a gorgeous photography portfolio. You'll know what I mean!!

Thank you Zee for being a part of My Dream Canvas!

Images: via

A Legacy

Today is my Grandmother's birthday( Nani). She is no more....... but her legacy lives on............

I spent a large part of my life with her and she has been a great influence in my life. She was elegant, beautiful, wise and kind. I am proud to be her granddaughter! I surround my home with things that belonged to her, and it makes me feel happy and loved!!

Global Inspiration and Elle Decor

The latest issue of Elle Decor has tonnes of global inspiration. These are images from Brazilian designer Sig Bergamin's beach retreat! You can view the issue here.

Image  1 : via

Image 2 : flickr

Simple joys

My favorite time to browse the web, blog, read, write, watch TV is the early afternoon. My son is in school and my daughter takes her nap. The house is quiet for a change:-) A few flowers can brighten any day for me, some green tea and a magazine........and I have my "me time". While I do enjoy this solitude for a while........I eagerly await my son's return. I love listening to his stories about his day in school:-)

What's your idea of "me time"?

I really want to thank my readers who left such lovely comments about my mom's email. As I mentioned earlier, she was surprised, and really touched by the response.

Have a great Wednesday!

I am joining A Beach Cottage for Good Life Wednesday!

My Mom's words!

We have all been talking about the crisis in Japan. Sometimes the thoughts in your head just stay there......don't you think?  Sadness, confusion, despair, anger, empathy, fear.....and so much more!!

Today, I want to share parts of an email my mom sent my brother and me about the recent tragedy in Japan. I know I am moving away from the usual topics I blog about...but this is an exception. My mom too will be surprised by this post, as she has no idea that I am quoting her today. Her concerns, as a mother and a human being, have been eloquently put into words in an email to me.

My mom's email.....

"The trauma that Japan has been growing through is certainly very very distressing. May be it is a wake up call for the world and the people in general and we must all sit up and think. Modern technological advances are all very exciting and good for our comfort, but at what expense? The ecological balance is going awry. The life and food chain is disrupted, the world after all is not just for humans but for other species as well. Besides we are all getting more and more adept at tampering with nature's way. It is also time we all woke up and realised that energy is limited and we must all start conserving it.....be it oil, coal, electricity, water and minerals. Indiscriminate mining, drilling, felling of trees....and so much more. I am worried. Not so much about myself, but the world that you all have to live in. So please do your bit. Looking after the world that we live in is not the responsibility of others or a government. We all need to contribute. I am saying this with all seriousness and this is not just an emotional advice. I think I must begin with my family.

Not for a moment, am I suggesting that nature can be controlled or tamed. There will be earthquakes, Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, floods, etc etc, but let us not over stretch and exploit what we do not understand fully. The repercussions can be horrendous......"

So these are simply a mom's words to her kids. She is merely looking out for her family!  However, when you think about it........if we all take a tiny step in the right direction we might be able to do some good!

Image : Pic taken by me in Bali

Inkling Prints

Kiran Ravilious is the lady behind the UK based Inkling prints. I have admired her hand painted designs for some time now. I love the elegance and simplicity of her designs. I am delighted today to be featuring Kiran's lovely designs on My Dream Canvas. Here is the story of Inkling prints in Kiran's own words........

"I live in the UK with my husband, our two daughters and our dog. I am originally from Singapore, but moved here 7 years ago. I trained as a graphic designer, but I've always been interested in printmaking. I started printing on fabric 2 years ago. I took a break to have my baby and now I've started printing again.

About my work: I carve my design on to a piece of linoleum. I then ink the design up and print it on to fabric. My designs are bold and intricate, but also simple. I print them mostly on natural linen. All my work is done in my studio in my garden. I'm very influenced by flowers and plants."

Make sure you check out Kiran's Etsy shop for her gorgeous new designs. She is also a fellow blogger, and you can read her daily musings at http://blog.inklingprints.co.uk/

All images via : Inkling prints