Reeti's Green Oasis

Today I am delighted to share a some images of a childhood friend's home. She  also happens to be my sister-in-law as she is married to my cousin :) Now I may be in trouble with my cousin for calling her my childhood friend first :) Reeti and Rishi met at my parents' house and their love affair blossomed :) As kids Reeti, her twin Preeti and I were rather inseparable. We were neighbors too so it was easy to hang out!! We are in three different cities now and it has been years since we hung out properly. However, as they say, childhood bonds never go away!

Reeti and Rishi live in Noida, India. These are images of her stunning terrace garden. She spends a lot of her time there. More so during these lockdown days. I see many delightful images of her terrace garden on her Instagram stories. We all need an oasis to get away from the daily humdrum and this seems like the perfect sanctuary to unwind and relax. 

Reeti is a successful entrepreneur, an avid runner and a marathoner. A fitness fanatic, an avid traveller and a mom to her beautiful dogs. She is the Captain of Adidas Runners' Delhi where she coaches runners from across the NCR region.

Reeti and her sister Preeti will always be two friends with whom I share a lot of fun memories:) They were also the duo my mom liked having around more than me, especially at a party, as I was always running away from housework :)

I love Reeti's plants and her aesthetically designed terrace garden and balcony. So enjoy the views as they are such a pretty sight.....

Vintage style brass lamps, the exquisite wall art and the prayer flags add so much charm to this space.

Reeti and her dog Rustam on the terrace.

Thanks Reeti for sharing your beautiful green oasis with the readers of My Dream Canvas. Follow her on Instagram for more images of her home and her fitness journey.


Images: Copyright Reeti Sahai @thedefaultrunner

Introducing Maloos Crafts

Nothing brings me more joy than featuring artists on My Dream Canvas. It is amazing how much creativity and talent is out there waiting to be discovered. Today I am featuring the work of Maloos Khonsarian of Maloos Crafts on Etsy.

In her own words " I am a mother, a photographer, and a creator! Patterns are my passion and I feel inspired every time I come across a distinctive design. If it’s on a dress, I will try it on! If it’s on a vase, I will find a home for it on a shelf. If it’s on the wall of a beautiful monument, I will incorporate it in my photographs, paintings, prints, collages, and jewelry designs and I will apply it onto everything around me from trays and cheeseboards to vintage furniture.

Each item has a unique design and is one of a kind, just like you"

Maloos uses Middle Eastern designs to create her pieces of art. Resin and wood are the two primary mediums she uses to create these lovely pieces. Each item in her store is unique and will be the only one in existence!

This delightful cheeseboard is my personal favorite :)

To view more of her exquisite designs visit her Etsy store and follow her on Facebook.

The intricate patterns and the details in her handcrafted pieces are amazing!!

Thank you Maloos for sharing your work with the readers of My Dream Canvas. 

Images: Maloos Crafts and subjevt to copyright.

Personalized Maps by Mapiful

I am excited to introduce a Swedish brand called Mapiful.  This company gives you the option to print personalized maps of any location in the world.  You can easily customize the text and they will print it out, mail it in a sturdy black tube and ship it to you wherever you live. Yes they ship worldwide!

For my map, I chose to customize it with the caption "My Dream Canvas" on a map of Seattle with its coordinates. As MDC was created in Seattle, my kids gave me this lovely idea. As it turns out, its my perfect Mothers Day gift :) My Dream Canvas is my third baby and has been my companion and my online diary for years :)

For now, I like how the map looks hanging out with my plants. I plan to hang it in my study. Mapiful can help you personalize your home in a delightful way. Your home has a story and the Mapiful map prints help convey that story. 

The good news is that my collaboration with Mapiful will give my readers  50% OFF the 2nd PRINT for this beautiful campaign! 

So head on over and create your own map. Once you have received your map,  frame it or simply tape it on your wall, take a photo and post to Instagram using hashtag #mapiful and mapifulfamily. They would love to see what you have done with your map so don't forget to tag!! 

Please note: This post is in collaboration with Mapiful. The images  and words are sincere and this review is my own. I can never agree to review products that I don't believe in or wouldn't own and use myself.

Meena An Artist Extraordinaire

 My Dream Canvas gives me the opportunity to share the work of some of the most talented people from around the world. Meena Kumar and MDC have had a long association and its wonderful to feature her again today! Meena is a lady with immense talent and creativity.  A few years ago I featured Meena's mom beautiful home in Coorg, India which was a big hit. You can view the post here.

Meena's creativity described in her own words " l love to paint and dabble in photography. I have also progressed in hand lettering quotes over the last year, and enjoy creating digital art and portrait illustrations. If you are interested in getting a custom portrait illustration or a personal hand lettered art, feel free to start up a conversation with me via email and we can work on a custom piece for you. I am offering digital downloads only, no physical item will be shipped "

Meena is completely in love with her latest passion. Do follow her on Instagram to view her latest work and visit her blog Sivalaya to follow her journey. 

Meena recently created an illustration for me. It represents one of my favorite memories from my childhood. My Dad asking my Grandma ( Nani ) to make "chana ghugani" She would make this dish for him often and it was delicious. My mom and I can make it too. However, I do believe that there was nothing quite like my Nani's version :) It was a treat to see my Dad relish it.  She would love making it for him even when she got really old. I am so grateful to Meena for this delightful recipe illustration. I am waiting to hang it on my kitchen wall :)

Here it is .......

Some of her work that caught my eye is this portrait illustration of a teacher. What a lovely teacher's gift this would be :)

A personalized  milestone birthday gift :)

A delightful cheesecake recipe. Imagine the possibilities, you can create so many personalized recipes for yourself. Such a lovely way to preserve a family recipe.

You can contact Meena via Email to commission her to create your own personalized artwork.

Images : Copyright : Meena Kumar 

Reminiscing and Celebrating the Festive Season with Tania

Festival time in the United States is fun and joyous. Its the time to celebrate the festive season in our own unique way. Yet, there is one thing, one emotion that connects us all. It is the desire to recreate the joyous atmosphere we left behind in India. It is a walk down memory lane,  a time to reminisce, and a time to create new traditions and memories. For me this time of the year is all about family, love, laughter, blessings, happiness and twinkling lights :)  

I wanted to do a post where I could share a glimpse of a home dressed up for the holiday season. Tania has created festive vignettes in her home that are stunning. What pleased my heart is how beautifully she has incorporated pieces from my little store into her puja decor. 

In Tania's own words, her home dressed up for the occasion....

Durga Puja and the Hindu festive season is my favorite time of the year, without fail. The leaves are just beginning to turn colors in this part of the continent. The days are warm and the evenings are cool. When I was young and we were still living in India, Durga Puja was a sprawling and elaborate ten day celebration that required months of planning. Each year, my extended family gathered in my maternal ancestral home in Benares to fast, feast, pray, and welcome Durga home. The three story house was filled with the fragrance of hundreds of flowers, freshly ground chandan, incense, and the distinct scent of the oil that filled brass lamps, and camphor - scents that I still cherish to this day. None of those celebrations exist anymore. The house is gone. The traditions as they were, are gone. Many of the people are gone, too. The last time I had the privilege of seeing it all was in 2001, when I was 12 years old. For this reason, Durga puja is an extremely colorful yet slightly bittersweet time for me. 

For the last few years, it's become a tradition for me to set up a small Ma Durga shrine at my parents' house. It is a personal way of celebrating those auspicious ten days. The last time that my parents went to India, they were able to bring back some of the heirloom puja articles from my mother's home - hammered copper vessels (ghots), brass plates and cups, and an intricately carved stone sondesh mold belonging to my grandmother, among others. One of my favorites is a majestic, heavy, five pronged brass lamp, or panchapradeep - objects that have been in my family for generations. Over the past four years, I have slowly been incorporating these articles into my Durga Puja set up. I'm not a particularly religious person, so this becomes my puja every year: picking out fresh flowers, finding greens from our garden, and painstakingly arranging and re-arranging everything until it's up to my satisfaction. At the center of it all is a gilded clay statue of Durga that I found in Gariahat market in Kolkata when I visited in 2016. 

Naturally, I miss the grand Durga Pujas we used to have in Benares, and I am always nostalgic for pujo in Kolkata, which overtakes the whole city - but which I have never seen myself, only caught glimpses of in photos and accounts from friends. Here in DC, I’m so incredibly lucky to have a huge Bengali second family, where we celebrate with just as much enthusiasm as we would’ve in Benares or Kolkata - new clothes, bhog, temple visits, listening to Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s timeless Mahalaya recordings in the mornings. Each year, the smell of incense, camphor, and sandalwood, and the steady, familiar chants of the mantras, the unmistakable sounds of kaanshis and dhaak drums always fill me with equal measures of joy and nostalgia. Here’s hoping that I can be in Kolkata for a pujo, super soon - but until then, our larger-than-life Bengali community in DC is doing a fine job of keeping the pujo spirit just as alive as it was when I was young"

Tania thank you for inviting us into your home! Your words have brought back so many of my childhood memories. The festivals are truly bittersweet. Living abroad our lives have changed in big and small ways. However, creating new traditions, while keeping some semblance of the old intact, is such a beautiful way to celebrate this season.

Tania Chatterjee is a brilliant photographer and you can visit her website  to know more about her. Follow her on Instagram as her posts are a visual treat.

All the images above are Copyright Tania Chatterjee and cannot be used without written permission.

The Shop At My Dream Canvas has a host of goodies for the festive season. Click here to visit the store!

Trends Coming this Spring: Unique Wooden Watches by JORD & A Giveaway

Hello there! I have noticed off late , how much I have been drawn to natural elements. Wooden accents in particular seem to be dominating my home. My new dining table is made from reclaimed wood. I love the grains on it and the cracks and crevices. 

 JORD a company which makes authentic wood watches that are both handcrafted and sustainable reached out to me, I was certainly intrigued. JORD  watches are one-of-a-kind. Handcrafted from natural wood and sapphire crystal glass, they are beautiful, strong and totally unique.

I have been admiring these sleek wooden watches for a while on social media and so I am thrilled to own one now. I chose the Frankie Zebrawood and Champagne style watch.  The design is minimalistic and the watch looks sophisticated and elegant. The best part is that I feel that the watch can be worn by both men and women. JORD  (pronounced Yode) is based in St. Louis, where they we are constantly developing new designs. The watches are are a sophisticated mix of natural, and largely re-claimed materials, combined with quality movements and components.

I was curious to know more about the materials used to create this timepiece. The wood used in my watch is native to West Africa. Zebrawood offers a striking grain contrast and exceptional finish. Although the growth rings are very pronounced, the wood occurs naturally with both large grain and fine grain patterns. Zebrawood is considered to be a luxury hardwood!  Exciting :) I find these details fascinating as its so much nicer when you know the origins of the product you love!!

I really like the craftsmanship of my watch. I am pretty sure this is going to become one of my favorite accessories. While there are many watches out there, the wood used in all of JORD's watches makes it so eye catching.

Here is some more information about JORD's watch collection:

• Most watch backplates can be engraved!
• All Cedar humidor presentation boxes are engravable, as well!
• The watches may be sized for the owner
• Most watches have additional options for customization -- mixing and matching faces and woods!
• Every watch comes with a one year warranty and options for return and exchange
•  Free worldwide standard shipping.

I cant wait to show off my new watch :)  For all those of you looking for a new watch or the perfect gift for any occasion make sure you stop by and check out JORD

There is a fun surprise Giveaway for you as well, so scroll down to the end of the post for details :)

 
Now here is the real treat for all my lovely readers!

GIVEAWAY TIME

ENTER HERE for a chance to win $100 towards your next JORD watch. The winner will receive a $100 gift code toward the purchase of any watch in their collection! The best part....this Giveaway is open to readers worldwide!!

The winner will be emailed in a month (after the contest has concluded), provided all the conditions have been met.

Everyone who enters the giveaway form will get a consolation 10% off gift code. Yay :)

Good luck! 

In full disclosure this post is a partnership with JORD Wood Watches, however all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own."

Wooden Wrist Watch

Hello and Introducing Wood Lucker

Hello there! Its been ages since I wrote a post! I have to sheepishly admit that this is my first for this year! I seem to be more active on Instagram lately and would love for you all to join me there as well. 

Sustaining a blog is hard and yet My Dream Canvas and your constant support gives me immense joy! My aim is to bring you inspiration, fresh ideas and new content. While I have neglected my writing, my love for photography keeps me going :) I post daily snippets from my life on Instagram along with pictures of the MDC Casa. The absolute best thing about belonging to a blogging fraternity is interacting and discovering immensely talented and creative people.

Ann Wood and Dean Lucker  are the dynamic crafting duo behind an amazing and imaginative Instagram account WoodLucker. Ann particularly is renowned for her paper botanical creations. She creates stunning paper flowers and paper food among other things that look astonishingly like the real thing!! Don't believe me....take a look at my favorites from her collection. Ann manipulates paper and wire, using drawing and cutting with sharp embroidery scissors. She then applies fine cuts to achieve realistic feathers, food and flowers. These sculpted creations are then hand-sewn on to wool and velvet backgrounds before being framed in vintage frame stock. The work is delicate and a nod to craftsmanship from decades ago. Ann hand paints all the paper creations in her collection.

Ann and Dean's collaborative work combines a love for illustrated paper art and forgotten histories into  objects that are filled with sentiment and longing.

I am equally charmed by their 1940's home in Minnesota. Here are a few images....

I hope you have enjoyed seeing a preview of Ann's work and home. Visit their website and follow them on Instagram to know more about this dynamic and creative duo. 

Thank you Ann!!

Images: WoodLucker and Subject to Copyright