For the Love of Peonies and Giveaway Winner

Good morning! Its peony season in my part of the world.... and I have to warn you that I am obsessed with this flower:) In the days to come you will see many many images of this delicate beauty! I could not resist taking these pictures this morning with my phone. My camera will come out shortly :)

My apologies for announcing the winner so late. The Suzani coasters have been won by Zest and Leisure  via random.org. Please contact me with your address by the end of the week to claim the Giveaway!


See you around!

Image: My Dream Canvas

Summer Inspiration : Bedding By Kerry Cassill

I am keeping the summer inspiration alive as I visit Kerry Cassill's exquisite bedding collection. The colors reminds me of India, my childhood and the Indian summers in Rajasthan and Delhi. Visit the store to get swept away! Sigh! Now, I want all of it :)

Its eclectic, colorful and comfortable!!

Images: Kerry Cassill and subject to copyright!

Summer Homes on MDC

Its getting to be that time of the year again....the countdown to summer :) Here in the Pacific Northwest that means short lived....abundant sunshine, happy faces, scenic drives and so much more. I am bringing back the " Summer Home" series on My Dream Canvas. Every week I shall share with you one home that epitomises a summer home for me!

On another note, I am doing up a corner of my home. For once, I have a theme... " These Are A Few of My Favorite Things."  Any "Sound of Music" fans out there ? Stay tuned to see what I mean !!

I will announce the Suzani coaster Giveaway winner later today!!

Image: via

Design Crush : Designer Lauren Soloff's Home

I love my share of patterns and textiles. However while too much of everything looks divine on paper and in print, for my home home I tend to be a wee bit more conservative :) When a room looks too busy it unsettles me!!

I like texture and colors in layers with a backdrop that makes it pop. I love it when a few pieces draw your attention! For me this room with the stunning rug and the pretty greens against the whitewashed walls are just perfect. My crush of course is on that table :)

The room has as the article rightly said " an unstudied look" which is everlasting and so refreshing! You can view detailed pictures of the home Here! 

What do you think? How much is too much for you??

Images: via

Life's Little Moments!

Sometimes a crazy day takes a different turn when you spot something around you that makes you smile. In that instant, that little moment/gesture makes you take a deep breath and you instantly feel relaxed! Even if its brief it can be a wonderful feeling :) 

I have Justina Blakeney's new book " The New Bohemians" sitting pretty on my coffee table. I stopped to admire it as the light came filtering through my windows. This is a lovely book filled with tonnes of inspiration and ideas! I am having so much fun reading this book and admiring the wonderful homes and images captured in this book! 

Have you read it??

On another note, the other reason for my lethargy is this delightful cabin! Its pretty, right? I am missing it a lot! We spent three nights here last week. It was a cabin filled with 6 adults and 6 children. We were there with some of our closest friends and it was a blast. Fun and relaxing..... the best part was listening to the children run around and laugh endlessly :) 

It was therapeutic to get away and just be around people who you are most comfortable with! The cabin was lovely and the views were wonderful! Okay, I need to stop now and head back to work....

See Ya later!

Images: My Dream Canvas

A Georgian Manor

Its been a slow start to the week for me! One of those times when there is too much to do!! As a result......I am managing to do absolutely nothing!! Does that happen to you?

I shall get this sorted out soon!! For now, do enjoy these lovely images from my archives of a delightful Georgian home featured in Period Living. UK.

The Suzani coaster Giveaway ends this week. Make sure you enter :)

Images: via

Bohemian Home of Erin Ashleigh

I love getting a peak into people's homes! Today we are visiting a lovely home near Perth, Australia. The owner describes her style in a simple way, " I like a lot of intricate patterns, natural textures, wood and ceramics, and lots of greenery. I don't know where that falls in on the style scales! It's a bit of a jumble really." 
I love the way she describes her style and I like the look and feel of this home. It looks loved, lived in, warm and full of character and charm. 

What do you think?

Images: via

Tea and a Walk Down Memory Lane With Lakshmi Arvind

I am kicking off this week with Tea Time at Lakshmi's home in New Delhi. Lakshmi is a fellow blogger, a brilliant photographer and a wonderful friend. I find depth and beauty in each and every frame captured by Lakshmi through her camera lens. Her home is a visual treat, it has an old world charm and beauty that is absolutely mesmerising! Do visit her blog and on Facebook to view her incredible pictures! As you can clearly see, I am a huge fan :) 

A fellow chai lover, she has captured some really exquisite tea time moments!  

Take it away Lakshmi... 

"It’s the little moments and memories that always made "TEA" special!

A set of embedded memories in life and aren't they all what made life special today and always?

"Come inside for a homemade tea "I have always heard my grandma say to whoever comes to visit and whoever went her way and no one went without having a cup of tea!

The mornings were pleasant at home. My Dad used to like piping hot milk tea in glasses and it was he who taught me to make good tea, the proportions that went with making tea. He was very particular to have them in tea glasses. Senior school days were the best   memories we had, of making emotional and 

earnest appeal to Amma (Mom) to pour a little of her tea into the glass of milk in hand:)-how we enjoyed the milky fragrance of the little tea in a huge glass of milk:)-These childhood fragrances are the best and continue to be with me and I realize them more as I am far from the family and this is what makes us miss them! 

Now tea for me is a "reflection of all the images, of all the stolen tea moments from time "I have been clicking and collecting so far. As i see them its happiness tasted and all those times well spent, be it be on a rainy day, on the wet parapets of the huge old house in a village in the South of India, the tea posed with the flowers collected in arecanut boats, the grandmas milky tea in huge differently shaped steel tumblers or in tea glasses.For me A good cup of tea has its own share filled with thoughts, memories, secrets, pictures and quotes!"

I can almost visualize the home and the tea time moments that Lakshmi talks about........it really is a beautiful story and a lovely memory!

Images; Lakshmi Arvind and subject to Copyright.

A big thank you to all those who have appreciated and submitted images for this series. I will be taking a short break and will resume the tea time series in a few weeks!

A Dreamy Irish Stone Cottage

Lovely!!! This is what weekends should be about :) A picturesque Irish stone cottage waiting for me filled with vintage finds and rustic charm! The owners stumbled upon this 19th century cottage by the river on one of their walks!  The cottage was then lovingly restored by them into this delightful home.  Sigh!....sounds idyllic!

I am in love with their story....what say?? Here's wishing you a dreamy weekend ahead!

Images: via

Tea Time Continues With The East Coast Desi

I have received many many gorgeous images of "Tea Time" from across the world. Its been such a treat to share these tea time moments with fellow "chai lovers". My apologies as I have not posted a lot of images that are in my inbox. I shall get to all of them as soon as I can :) Today, I am taking you to visit "The East Coast Desi". Sruthi Singh's delightful blog and her home is a treat to the eyes. I have featured Sruthi's lovely home on MDC way back in 2013. An incredibly talented fellow blogger and chai enthusiast, I am delighted to have her back on MDC today :) 

Take it away Sruthi....

 “To me, CHAI is a way of enjoying life’s simple pleasures! It is not only about taking delight in the cup of hot, aromatic, amber liquid….but it is the whole experience of selecting the blend of tea to brew, watching the concoction change color, pouring it into a favorite tea cup, cuddling the cup in my palms, watching the steam escape the cup and put on a show of its own and then of course the finale of savoring the hot beverage, as it soothes my throat and warms my insides! 
My day starts with my cup of chai…..besides being my morning fuel, the morning chai moments serve as a means to connect with my husband, deliberate over unfinished business and chalk out a mental POA to make the rest of the day more productive. And later in the day when I begin to lose steam, my second of cup of tea comes to my rescue. This time, I usually like to reserve it as “Me Time” - a moment of solitude that serves as my elusive escape into another world, even if it is for a mere 10 minutes. But that being said, all we need is an excuse to brew a pot of tea at my casa. Be it weekend mid-day lounging in the sun room with family, chat sessions with friends when entertaining or just warming up on a languid winter afternoon with a good read, a cup of chai is always within arm’s reach."

I also enjoy capturing my everyday tea moments through my lens and sharing these on my blog, The East Coast Desi.

Thanks Sruthi for sharing your tea time moments with me and the readers of MDC. The tea looks tempting and so does the presentation:)

On another note....have you checked out my Suzani coaster Giveaway?

Images: Copyright Sruthi Singh of East Coast Desi

A Giveaway and The MDC Casa!

 Hello! I have some thing here which would hopefully shake off your Monday blues. It is a Giveaway to thank my readers all over the world :) A giveaway to celebrate MDC's 6th Birthday :) My love for tribal patterns and every one's enthusiasm for Suzani's is what this giveaway is about! I am offering a set of 4x4 tiled coasters with suzani motifs. I fell in love with these coasters on Etsy and ordered them for this giveaway! However, before I share more details about this exciting giveaway, here are a few images of my home which I took this weekend!
My house is now 9 years old and in desperate need of some "tender loving care". Paint touch ups, scraped doors, nail holes, scratched floors, yes it is all there! This spring, hubby and I are rolling up our sleeves and getting to work :) Its going to be slow and we will make mistakes but hopefully we will fix most of the issues :)

Do you have any funny stories about your home renovation and repairs? I would love to know!

Now for the Giveaway........here is the picture of the 4 pretty coasters :)

1. For the First entry: Tell me why you love Suzanis? Leave a comment on the blog.

2. For the Second Entry: Follow My Dream Canvas on Facebook 

3. To triple your chances, spread the word.......mention this giveaway on Facebook/tweet about it or blog about it and leave me a comment telling me about it.

4. I will announce the winner on April 24th :) The best part is that this Giveaway is open to my readers worldwide!!

All the best and a big thank you from me!

Images: My Dream Canvas.

Dining Outdoors?

I love to day dream :) Some days I fall for it a tad more :) Today, is one of those days. My backyard is a complete disaster! In my my perfect world...... I would love to dine outdoors in the summer. This one comes pretty close to what I have in mind :) 

What about you? Do you like the idea of dining outdoors? 

Happy Friday people, enjoy........and keep on smiling :)

Image: via