A Farewell to Summer!

We are enjoying the last of the summer days before Autumn comes around. What began as a dull and dismal day, turned out completely different by the end of the day! We drove down to the beach. As the sun came down, we witnessed the most magical sunset.

You can see my kids watching the sunset in the image above :)

The evening reminded me of one of my favorite quotes "Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time." -John Lubbock

 I am going to miss the endless summer days. The kids head back to school next week. Life is going to change as I know it! However, I shall look back and smile at all the wonderful summer memories! I am ready to embrace autumn now. With fall around, expect to see a few changes to the MDC Casa :)

Images: My Dream Canvas and subject to copyright!

Weekend Inspiration!

Sigh! This looks like the perfect corner to snuggle up with a good book and some chai :) My weekend looks nothing like this. I am having a super busy time these days and this looks pretty idyllic.

Hope your weekend is everything you want it to be! See you around!

Image: via

A Home in Sydney

This home on Design Files recently caught my eye. The first image has quite a few of my favorite things......the map on the wall, the tribal pillows, the books and the guitar peeking through :) I like it also because the house looks well loved and lived in! Its nice to see spaces filled with things the owners love. It gives you an insight into the lives of the people living there, don't you think?

 To view pictures of the entire house, click here.

Images: via

The Versatile Vintage Lassi Glass

One of my favorites at my little store are these vintage lassi glasses. They are the perfect addition to the global home. I use quite a few home of them at my home to store various things......especially flowers :) These glasses were used to serve Lassi in the old days. Lassi is a traditional yogurt based drink. These antique glasses are from India. They are made of metal and brass and each of them have their own distinct engraved designs.
Grab them from here before they are all gone :)

Images: Shop At My Dream Canvas and subject to copyright.

The Essence of Home

The lovely ladies Deepa and Supriya at Aalayam are celebrating their 100th post. They have a beautiful blog filled with inspiration that you don't want to miss. They asked a few of us bloggers to talk about "what home means to us" A thought provoking question! As I began writing, it made me think of a lot of things about my home, my family and my blog.  So please humor me as I ramble on :)

" I put my heart and soul into designing my spaces. My home is a labor of love because it gives me the opportunity to weave my own unique story. My home tells the story of my family, our roots, our adventures, and shared 
experiences. It’s filled with the people I love. My favorite books line some of my shelves. There are souvenirs from our travels, along with my favorite photographs. I have pieces from weekend visits to flea markets and antique store finds that I could not resist. My home is also filled with our hopes and dreams. It records our victories and the obstacles we have overcome together.I hope that it is a story that my children will carry with them. I want them to reflect back on their childhood home as a place of comfort and immense joy :) So the design is simply a means to an end. I don’t really focus on the mechanics of the design, because I want my home to evoke a warm fuzzy feeling at the end of a long day! 

Ultimately, the home is much more than just a menagerie of exquisite décor items. My favorite pieces go back many decades. They are heirlooms that were bought by my Grandparents. These then passed down to my parents. Now, they grace my home. These pieces give a sense of timelessness to my home. These precious things have an eternal beauty. They follow no trends, but they will never go out of style. They fit perfectly in my home. Since my home is a narrative of my family’s journey, it evolves with time. I look back at my own house and it looks very different from what it was before. There have been no dramatic or architectural changes but a few subtle changes have crept in. My home has grown with me :)

Do visit Aalayam to read the entire post. Congrats Deepa and Supriya! May there be many more wonderful milestones for your lovely bog.

Image: My Dream Canvas

Fabulous Finds : A Literary Book Shelf Cum Storage Box :)

I am a big fan of HomeGoods. I usually stumble upon something every few years which I absolutely adore! My Suzani chair was a HomeGoods find as well. This storage box gives you the illusion of leather bound books lined on a book shelf!! Each and every book mentioned here is a classic. I have read them all :) Gone With The Wind of course is an all time favorite :)

The box can be opened and has storage space inside. I bought it for my anniversary and told my husband it was a gift from him. Smart eh? :) 

Have you discovered an unexpected treasure for your home recently. I would love to know? Here's wishing you a great weekend!


Image: My Dream Canvas

Reminiscing With Mom Part 2

I am back with Reminiscing with Mom - Part 2. My mom is very touched with all your wonderful comments and thrilled with the lovely responses to her first guest post :) 

Let the story begin Mom........

"Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it!

One's first home is always special and I am no exception. My first home was a temporary hutment! It was an army barrack with four rooms in a row and a narrow veranda/patio in front. Hutments typically have mud walls. Also, there was no running water.  It is hard to believe, but we had to wait for almost three months to get the hutment :-). 

Initially, I did have mixed feelings. While I was happy to have our first house, I was also a wee bit apprehensive. I had no clue on how to set up a home. Growing up in my parent's house, I had become accustomed to any easy and comfortable life - one that didn't involve any household responsibilities.  I also had not been exposed to Army life and the accompanying protocols. To add to my apprehensions, I learnt that my anxious mother and brother were coming on a short visit. They were keen to see us settled in our new home. The whole prospect seemed extremely daunting.

However, my optimism prevailed. I let go of all the negativity in my mind. When I took a closer look at the new house, my attention was drawn to a lovely, dried up 12 foot tree right in front of the house. It had beautiful twisted branches and a shelf like table of sorts wrapped around the trunk of the tree. This sparked my enthusiasm. I hung two wicker lamp shades at different heights from the branches. I must say it was eye catching :) This look pleased me immensely and set the ball rolling. I was immediately geared up for the action ahead:) I convinced myself that setting up a home in an odd looking barrack could be a lot of fun!

We had some basic furniture in the house. Almost all of it, needed to be re-touched and painted. I really needed some additional seating in the living area. I put my thinking cap on and got a carpenter to make me two square seats using planks from the packing crates. I painted them and got bright pillows/cushions to go with them. With the seating issue solved , I was ready to tackle my next project or DIY in today's terms :) I created a book shelf to store my husband 's large collection of books. A major issue for me was not having curtains for the rooms.  We were new homeowners and short on cash :) There were no credit cards to bail us out 40 years ago:) However, we got lucky! On a road trip to Pune (India) we came across curtain material made of hessian or "burlap" as you call it! It was an absolute novelty in those days. Today, I am told burlap makes quite the fashion statement:) I think it looked quite rustic and chic. I believe it continues to have the same effect on the design world even today! I found them in attractive colors and with an affordable price tag. We chose two sets. The first one was a pretty green, and the other one was mauve.  I liked the unusual, yet striking combination :) In those days we all had a sewing machine at home. Therefore, it was not too difficult to get a tailor to rig up pretty drapes:) Once the drapes were put up, I was all set :)

Our first guests were my mother and my brother! I am sure they were surprised to see me in a completely different environment. Yet, I could see the joy on their faces to see me happy and settled in. They were pretty impressed with my handiwork :) The fact that our dwellings were temporary made them over look the other shortcomings such as the tin roof, rough brick floors and no running water!! Their coming made both of us really happy and they too loved their stay! Six months later we were allotted our permanent (a misnomer) accommodation! We actually felt awful at the thought of leaving our first home. Reality dawned on me and I realized that this was how my life was going to be! I had to simply accept this fact and happily move on! Changes are inevitable for all of us, but in the Army, the clock does tick faster! Our permanent  accommodation was a little bungalow. At the time, it seemed as if we were moving into 5 star accommodations :) The house came with polished stone floors, smooth walls, and concrete ceilings. We had lucked out :) However, in less than a year, it was time for us to move on and set up another home!"

Now that is a story for another day :) 

Madhu

Thanks Mom! As we could not locate a picture of the first house my parents lived in, I asked my mom to draw a sketch from memory. Here it is...

Images: A waterlogue sketch of mom and me of a photograph taken on March 19th, 1975 and a sketch of my parents first home!

Come Fly With Me To Mykonos

I have fallen in love with the images of this restaurant called Caprice in Mykonos, Greece! It looks absolutely gorgeous.

Summer is coming to an end in my part of the world! The kids head back to school and we will all be bound to follow a routine. I am going to miss everything about summer. The endless, sunshine and the chaos at home:) Its so nice to break away from routine the same time every year. We all need to recharge our batteries and summers in the Pacific Northwest does just that :)

What are the thoughts that come to your mind as look at these images? Sigh! If only I could hop on a plane now and see this gem of a place myself :)

Images: via

Monday Happiness

It was a beautiful Sunday! Endless sunshine and family time. The kind of day I love :) The pretty Dahlias on my window helps ease the Monday morning blues.

I will be back with hopefully lots of sunshine and a lot more smiles right here at My Dream Canvas!


Image: My Dream Canvas and subject to copyright!

Dreamy Outdoor Living and Thank You

We had the hottest day on record yesterday followed by severe lightening and thunderstorms after that! It was a weird day weather wise :) With only a month of summer left for us, I want to make the most of the outdoors. This stunning space makes me drool. Sigh! If only my backyard looked like this.........I would do a happy dance :)

Thank u for the lovely words about my mom's first post on My Dream Canvas. If you have not read it, click Here to do so. As a Army wife she moved homes very often. In this series she talks about her different homes......the challenges and excitement of doing up homes both big and small in different places!

That's mom and me a million years ago :)

Image: via
Image 2 : Family pics

A New Series on MDC Reminiscing With Mom :)

I am thrilled to announce a new series on My Dream Canvas where my mom Madhu Varma will be a guest contributor :) A home always reflects who you are, and I am no exception. My home, to a large extent, mirrors the homes where I grew up. In this case when I say homes, I do not mean the four walls of a house  because in my case that changed frequently :) I am talking about the home my mom created for us as a family. We were a family of nomads and our home changed frequently. However, all the homes we lived in had mom's special touch :) 

My mom, like many others during that time, (nearly 40 years ago) created her first home without the web as a resource :) There were hardly any home decor magazines and there were no blogs to read.  She could not purchase home decor products like we do with a click of a button:)  On my insistence, she has agreed to be a guest blogger on My Dream Canvas. This is where she will share her journey of creating homes, both big and small, as an Army wife! 

Take it away Amma (Mom)..............

Today sitting and chatting about the days of yore , Anu suddenly came up with this unusual suggestion. "Why don't you write a post for my blog?" I was indeed taken aback! I am not sure where this will take me......... but, for now, I shall ramble along and share my experiences with you :) 

As an Army wife, our home has never been in one place. The cities, the environments, the climates, the vegetation, and of course the houses, changed almost every year. If we were really lucky, the change happened only every two years. Each house had a unique space and the sizes varied greatly.

Setting up a home was certainly a challenge.  We also had limited resources. The resources, thus came from our imagination, ingenuity and compulsions. We had an image to live up to and a home to be proud of. My furnishing inventory in the early days was small. It comprised of 10 curtains per room for 4 rooms. It was long enough to be adjusted according to the dimensions required. Then there were two carpets, one large and one small and my prized collection of  family heirlooms. The furniture provided by the government was standard and we hardly had any of our own. We picked up knick knacks where ever we went. However, I guess what stood out was how it was all displayed.  Each one of us did it differently. We were also quite adept at polishing, painting or touching up to cover up the blemishes which were plenty :)  We Army wives certainly learnt a lot from each other as well. 

For me, personally, it was such a treat to see Inside Outside on the stands when it came out about 35 years ago. I  subscribed to them immediately:) The other option was Femina.  If we were lucky, there would be an issue of Better Homes and Gardens in the library. Much has changed since then, and certainly, for the better. With the click of the mouse I can see beautiful websites and blogs showcasing the work of artists, designers, and architects. Thanks to this vast treasure of information our horizons have expanded. Interiors and designs have evolved thanks to the fusion of a vast array of artistic inputs. We are thus richer in ideas. 

Even with the plethora of available options it is very easy to fall into the trap of blindly copying the entire design, However, it is best to soak in the ideas and then accentuate and design your space with your own brush.  Emphasize your own style.

Reading MDC and other blogs has introduced me to a new world of creativity filled with ideas from people around the world. It is certainly an amazing learning experience. I am really enjoying it:) I shall be back  in a few weeks to share my journey.  Join me, as I reflect on the days gone by :) "

Thanks Mom, I can't wait for Part 2. I hope you all will feel the same way :)

Fabulous Find : Handcrafted Jewelry By "Soumeiran"

My Fabulous Find for this week is Soumeiran.  A fantastic find for those who love handcrafted jewelry! I get very tempted when I see Suchitra's creations :) "Soumeiran was founded by Suchitra Gulvady for the love of silver, mingled with stones and beads strung together to create one organic statement."

Soumeiran's collection Maaya has been launched recently and is absolutely stunning. You can find Soumeiran on Facebook and contact her via Email.

Happy Shopping people and have a great weekend :)

: Copyright Soumeiran

Designer Kathryn Ireland's Home and The Giveaway Winner

When a fabulous textile and interior designer decides to sell her home in France, it has simply got to be seen :) This beautifully restored French farmhouse belongs to Kathryn Ireland and dates back to 1760. It's stunning to say the least. Take a look, and prepare to be swept away......... or simply buy it and make it yours!! Please don't forget to invite me if you do :)

To view more pictures of this home click HERE!

Now, I am here to announce the name of the winner of the CRAFTISAN giveaway. I apologize for the delay but here goes.........

The winner picked via Random.org is Wendy Hatton. Congratulations Wendy! Do contact me with your address at the earliest so that we can ensure that your goodies get to you right away :) Thank you to my fabulous readers both old and new for a fantastic response to the Giveaway. Last but not the least, a big thank you to CRAFTISAN for a very generous giveaway!!

Images: via

A New Week at MDC!!

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy start to the new week :) I am enjoying my kids summer break and its wonderful to have my parents here :) My Dream Canvas has some exciting things lined up for you this month :) Its been a great start to the month with a fabulous Giveaway from CRAFTISAN. Thank you for the fantastic response to the Giveaway.  One lucky winner will win all these lovely products featured in the image below. Remember this Giveaway is open to my readers worldwide. I will pick the winner tomorrow, so make sure you enter!!!

Click HERE for details!!

Image 1 : via, Image 2: My Dream Canvas