'Tis the Season to Sparkle (Holiday Tablescape)

A big chunk of my happy childhood memories are those associated with festive celebrations. Maybe it was because we had family and friends over.....extra attention was paid to decor......there was shopping for clothes involved.......or the simple fact that good food and a special spread was the order of the day. When it came to Christmas and food, my mom and nani would make the most delicious Christmas  delicacies, starting with the fruit cake, mazipans, cookies and kal kals to just name a few of my absolute favorites. While mom and nani would toil it out in the kitchen, my sister and I would be incharge of the holiday decorating. We would have fun experimenting and decorating the place to our hearts content.  Oh ! How I wish I could turn back time.......

Fast forward to today.....I do indulge in baking but nothing as fancy as back then. It's hard not to get caught up in the Christmas spirit around you. I try to make it special for my family in my own little way. I always prepare a special home cooked meal and enjoy it in a festive setting with my loved ones. The effort is so worthwhile when I see that my son is busy building his set of happy memories.......

But given today's time constraints, it does seem like a huge effort to be able to pull off something like this. My luxe tablescape looks like a lot of effort went into it but there lies the catch. 

Looking at your holiday decor through a new set of eyes always helps.....finding innovative ways to use what you have is the name of the game. This year my holiday seasonal swag found a new place to decorate. No, not the mantel above the fireplace or my stairway. It was placed along the length of my formal dining table to add to my Christmas Tablescape. I decided on working with the cream and brown color palette with gold and red thrown in for the luxe effect.  

You'll are familiar with my festive table runner. Like I've said before, investing in a neutral table runner always helps as you can change the other design elements and have a whole new look every single time. Neutral colored placemats sporting an almost herring bone like pattern in gold were pulled out from storage. Mixed it with my everyday plates and boom, things started to look good. A few special touches like the jeweled ornate candleholder with its antique gold finish and airy quality adds a timeless elegance to the setting....The new addition to my home this Christmas were these gorgeous looking colored crystal stemware. In shades of red, they bring in the much needed punch of color to the tablescape and break up the neutral color palette. 

Seasonal sprays find a whole new innovative use. Fresh flowers were swapped for a few light gold and antique pearl berry spray picks that were tucked into a crystal vase. I love how it turned out. Little boxes of my favorite chocolates have been gift wrapped and placed on each place setting to add that extra special touch.

And now for one final look:

Wishing you a wonderful and fun filled Christmas !!!

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.  

In the Christmas Spirit (Breakfast Nook Update)

My family and I tend to spend a lot of our downtime at home, in our breakfast nook. Transforming this space to complement the season's festive mood was just the thing to do. I started by adding a red natural woven chattai table runner to ground all the other elements of this setting. Next,  I switched my green lamp  with the terracotta red lamp from my formal dining room.  

Looked around in my stash of holiday decor and found these galvanized metal stars that were once part of my son's bedroom decor. When he outgrew the "twinkle-twinkle little star" phase, I stored them away thinking I could put them to good use someday. Glad I didn't get rid of them.  I think they add the perfect Christmas touch to the setting.

Adding more Christmas cheer to the breakfast nook console is a faux wreath from Michaels. I've let it rest informally on the console keeping in mind that the place is often used to relax and unwind. The chalkboard gets updated with little snow flakes strung at varying lengths with golden gift wrapping twine. "Let it Snow" seems the apt phrase to go with the wintry Christmas feel.  

A voluptuous wooden bowl (a flea market find) gets filled to the brim with Holiday ornaments in shades of green, gold and deep reds. Cookie box sporting a plaid pattern seems befitting for the occasion and is stocked from time to time with the  family's favorite cookies. A mug is kept handy for anyone who needs  milk or hot chocolate  to go with the cookies. 

You cannot have a Christmas setting without candles, can you ? My collection of votive holders in hues of shimmering gold, greens and reds are brought out to work their magic. (Tip: If you already don't own a set of mercury glass votive holders, make sure you get yourself a set. They seem to take a simple looking vignette to a whole new level). Some ornaments randomly strewn on the runner complete the look.

I put this vignette together in less than 20 minutes. The simplicity of the setting is something I love. I'm also thrilled about the fact that I worked with what I had. Just remember you don't need a whole lot to make things look pretty.

Coming up next, a luxe Christmas tablescape. You'll be surprised at how simple it could be to put together a glamorous looking tablescape for your Christmas party/dinner....

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.

    

In the Christmas Spirit.............

Good evening folks !!!! How are we doing today???

An unplanned weekend getaway has kept me away from  my blog. It was a welcome break.......to slow down and not have to worry about a schedule or a routine. These moments help me step back and look at things from a new perspective. 
Now back from the road trip, I'm enjoying the quintessential Christmas spirit.......sharing a few moments and corners from my home today.

The countdown is over and the excitement of presents waiting under the Christmas tree and the little surprise gifts hidden in the most unassuming of places, makes the heart swell with the festive spirit:) A glowing fire lit in the evening, warms our body and soul, as we sit around and chatter silly nothings. An impatient 6 year old waits for the clock to strike 12, to open his presents.We no longer have to wait for him to sleep, to put out the presents. He's well aware of Pa Santa and Ma Santa now:) But the opening of the presents will have to wait until tomorrow morning as no matter how much the little guy tries to flight his sleep.....he's not going to make it beyond 10:30.His dad will have to carry him up to bed once he falls asleep on the couch. 

The morning of Christmas is what I enjoy the most.......the sound of wrapping paper being ripped apart accompanied by squeals of laughter and excitement......looking around and seeing your family and loved ones around you and a mug of hot cocoa and a stack of pancakes to dig into..........

Giving you'll a heads up about some wonderful things I've been coordinating for my lovely readers. More on that coming up during the week....... You'll enjoy the rest of your day:)

Images:Clicked by me. Please do not use without prior written permission.

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright   

A Globally Inspired Christmas

Good morning lovely readers!!!! It snowed yesterday:) Our very first snow this winter.......everything looks so pretty under a blanket of snow. Schools are off so I have my little one at home with me today.  

Christmas spirit is running high...........lists of presents are being made and are being checked off once the perfect present is found, secretly stashing away those presents in the most unassuming of places, and of course decorating the Christmas tree, mantel and planning a menu for the holiday dinner.

When my little guy knows it's going to be Christmas soon, he magically transforms into an absolute angel........putting things in their place, doing his home work without being asked to do so, eating up all his veggies........the list is endless.The reason behind this responsible behavior is not so angelic. He has a motive : to melt my heart with his "I'm a GOOD BOY attitude" and for me to say yes to all the presents on his WANT list. His parents are fully aware of it. It's just that he thinks he's smarter and I let him think so. Cause my life gets a lot easier with him being a GOOD BOY;) 

Now coming to our post for today...........three of my favorite picks for a globally inspired Christmas this season. Some of the decorations are versatile pieces and could be used all year round.

These wonderful ethnic gourd ornaments have been hand carved with folk art flowers and birds and hand-painted in vivid tones by women in rural Peru. Once Christmas is over, place them in a wooden bowl and they would look pretty on the coffee table.
My next pick is from India. How wonderful are these recycled Kantha textile beads. This is a versatile piece and not limited to the holiday season. Once things are wrapped up for Christmas, these would make a fun and eco-chic display in a nursery or kids room.

Looking for an unconventional take on the regular stocking to dress up your fire place or mantel.............these stockings made from vintage Uzbek Suzani are one-of-a-kind and are sure to be a show stopper.

You'll have a wonderful day and do drop me a line on how are you'll gearing up for Christmas.

 Images: Via, Via, Via