Family room art gallery wall

I have been thinking of doing an art gallery wall ever since we moved in the house in October of 2010. I have mentioned how much I love birds in decor. I have proclaimed myself an avian addict in one of the earlier posts.

I am finally done with the art gallery wall in my family room.  It's time for the reveal. Here it is!

I used the Hanging studio Easle from Pottery Barn to hang the pictures. I like mixing vintage prints with modern photography. I did limit myself to 4 main colors. yellow, black, sea green blue and brown. Most of the pictures have bird theme but I fell in love with this magnolia picture from Melanie Alexandra. Although it does not have a bird in it, I think the colors do work with the rest of the art gallery. 

 Here is a closeup.

The family room is still a work in progress. Right now I am working on decorating the mantel. I still have to get a rug and a couple more accessories. I hope you will ignore the blinds just like I do. I need to get roman shades to replace the blinds.

The art gallery is opposite to the kitchen and every time I look at it, I feel happy!  I love the yellow! A little bit of sunshine in my family room.

I will be done with the family room soon!

To know where you can get vintage images at a great  price, check back soon!

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Announcing the winner of the $40 store credit giveaway from Urban Walls

A big thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway.

The winner is mindie w. Congratulations!

Winning comment: "Like Urban Walls on facebook - mindie w bsyb100 at gmail dot com"

Note: Winner was selected using Random.org.

My contact: radhikanavelkar@gmail.com

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A thank you note and review of a drawstring backpack from o&el

A while ago, I hosted a giveaway for o&el. Carie was sweet enough to send me one of her drawstring backpacks. Man, did I feel lucky when she asked me to select any one of the backpacks! We got the lantern backpack.

I love the bag and so does my 4 year old! The bag is made of soft corduroy and is lined with a complementary fabric. The lantern applique is just beautiful The finishing of this bag is excellent! It is perfect to carry all her books, her favorite little lamb lulu and snacks for our next vacation. These are perfect for a sleepover or an overnight trip to the grandparents house.

These are a great choice for a hands free backpack. Drapes easily on back of  a stroller and comfortable enough to fit on an adult’s back for one less thing to hang on to. It is a great gift for the birthday boy or girl or for expectant parents at the baby shower.

The bags can be customized by adding the recipients name. Carie can design any applique of your choice.

Do visit o&el and check out the adorable backpacks and hair accessories in the store.

Here are some of the products in her store.

A pair of clips retail for $5.00 and headbands for $12.00.

Do visit o&el. I can guarantee you the quality and service is great! You will not be disappointed!

Thank you once again!

Radhika

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T-shirt home decor

To celebrate Earth week, and I wanted to share with you some ideas on how to recycle your old t-shirts to create some amazing decorative accessories for your home. We can go green while making our homes look great!

Photo Credits: Anyone can quilt

Make pillows with your kid's favorite t-shirts.  This is a great idea to incorporate a cartoon character that your kid loves in their bedroom ,without going overboard .

Photo Credits: Betz White

You can frame t-shirts to make inexpensive art.  T-shirts with bold graphic prints look great when framed!

Crotchet t-shirt yarn to make these beautiful bowls to hold your jewelery, watches and other items that get collected on your dressers and nightstands! I bet we all have a husband who will throw the keys and wallet on any flat surface insight.

Weave beautiful rugs with old t-shirts. To learn how to weave this rug click here.

Photo Credits: Craftaholics Anonymous

I love this wreath. The pom poms are made from old t-shirts.

Make a bean bag cover. Any teen would love a bean bag covered with his favorite team t-shirts!

Making a quilt out of t-shirts is a great way to use all the t-shirts that you collected on your travels.They make great gifts for Graduation, Going off to College, and sports fans.Cannot sew yourself, there are lots of Etsy sellers who can do it for you.

You might also enjoy reading Clever Storage solutions.

 I enjoy sharing unique and creative ideas with you. Check out my idea gallery.  If you like my blog, Do follow me on GFC/facebook/Twitter . I love new readers!

Photo Credits: Etsy, Craftaholics anonymous, Betz white, Urban Outfitters.

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DIY kids rugs

Area rugs can add much needed softness to a room. They can also cause a big hole in the pocket. some of the rugs I came across range from 200 to $500. The good news is, You can make them yourself!

Photo Credits: Yes, I made that

The felt ball rug in the top right is by The Little Kidz Closet and cost $299.  Yes, I made that  made it   using old felted sweaters and some nylon twine for much less! What a great way to recycle old sweaters that you plan not to use next season. If you are not up to making the felted balls all by yourself you can buy them on Etsy . Just lay them down in a pattern that you like and stictch them together.

Photo Credits: Gypsy Republic, Pottery Barn Kids

I love these rag rugs. You can buy the pottery barn chenille version(top right) for $349 on sale, or make a DIY version for a whole lot less.  Craft stylish has a great tutorial on how to crotchet a rug from old t-shirts.

Want to have some fun, use a hoop and let the kid's help you make the rug. Detailed instruction on family fun.go.com.

Photo Credits: Garnet Hill, Etsy

The one on the left is from the lily Pulitzer collection and larger one retails for $498. The one on the right is made with cut felt. You can download the pattern and instructions here.

DIY can take some effort and time but is well worth it in the end! For more DIY ideas, visit the idea gallery.

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$40 store credit giveaway from Urban Walls to get a vinyl decal of your choice

I am thrilled to announce a giveaway from Urban Walls. A $40 store credit from Urban Walls to get a vinyl decal of your choice. 
Here is a small sample of what they have in their store.Urban walls can customize almost any wall decal for you. From a simple jpeg picture to a thought in your head, they can make your vision a reality on your wall.

Wall murals/stencils are expensive and require a lot of effort and time. You can add so much charm and personality to a nursery or kids room without spending a huge sum of money on a muralist. Whether it is a small monogram, a quote or their favorite character, you can add it with ease.

My favorite is the boy's silhouette blowing bubbles! What a great way to personalize your kids room.

you can get the look of designer wallpaper without having to spend the a huge fortune with these vinyl decals. If you are scared to commit to a wallpaper this is a great alternative! Urban Walls has designs that are perfect for today's modern homes.

The vinyls at Urban Walls are cut (with no edges or backgrounds) from a specialized vinyl that is specifically designed for home decor. Unlike standard high gloss signage vinyl, the product has a matte finish that gives a gorgeous painted look without bleeding or permanency. They are easy to apply and last for many years .

Every design is available in a wide range of colors!

Giveaway:

The winner gets a $40 store credit to choose any decal in the store in any color!

How do you win:

Mandatory Entry

1. Visit Urban Walls and tell me which decal you would select if you win. 

Optional additional entries

2. Like Urban Walls on facebook. Here is a link to their facebook fan page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Urbanwall/127657407254727

3. Follow House on Ashwell lane using GFC/facebook/twitter.Same for existing readers. Leave me a comment telling me you are an existing follower. You can leave one comment each for GFC/facebook/Twitter.

4. Share this giveaway on facebook.

5. Tweet about this giveaway. You can tweet once every day.

6. Share this giveaway on your blog.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Giveaway ends on 04/24/2011.

Best of luck!

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Announcing the winner of the Melanie Alexandra photography giveaway

The winner is ...  Little Brick Ranch! Congratulations!


Winning comment:

AAANNNDDDD - I posted your button for this giveaway on my sidebar!!

Desperately keeping my fingers crossed!!!

The winner was selected using random.org.

Note to winner: You can contact me at radhikanavelkar@yahoo.com.  Please mail me your mailing address and the link and size of the photograph that you wish to receive.

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A thank you note

 I have to thank these ladies for featuring me on their blogs! I think this was long due.

Busy Mom's tips featured my blog on the Totally Tuesday Blog hop! The blog features helpful tips to today's busy moms on the topics of family vacations, saving money, home decorating, cleaning, organizing, fitness and more.

My post on How to upcycle kids games and toys was featured on Polish the Stars. Megan loves to create beautiful things!

Adorable Easter treats for kids was featured by the Holiday snobs in their post Fun with food for Easter. Check out Dot and  Gillta's blog The Holiday snobs! They are 2 fun crafty gals who love sharing ideas to decorate your house for every occasion!

Thank you so much!

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Heartsy - A sample sale site/Groupon for Etsy products

I came across this and couldn't wait a moment to share it with you guys!

Heartsy is a great site that works similar to Groupon, the only difference being it has deals only from Etsy stores.

Here are some of the amazing deals going on right now!

62% off Handmade jewellery at Jacaranda Designs

57% off  plants at ToHOLD

60% off at Bath & Body at Green Mountain Soapworks

There are new deals everyday! There are no fees to sign up, so go ahead and sign up. 

Get great deals on Handmade items from Etsy!

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camouflage your TV with an art gallery wall

A lot of us have a huge plasma screen in our family rooms, which is not always the prettiest thing to stare at! We all love our television sets, but I rather it not be the focal point of the room. A great way to make the TV less of an eye sore is to camouflage the TV with an art gallery wall.

Here is some great inspiration.

 I would love to look at pictures of family or art that I love, rather than to look at a blank wall behind the TV.

If you like collecting mirrors, show off your collection as done by this homeowner. Create a mirror gallery wall!

This picture is by coastal living and I love the large bold art behind the TV.

Hope I didn't fail to inspire you today!

Check out more ideas for every room here.

Love,

Radhika

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Fine art photography giveaway by Melanie Alexandra

Hello Friends, I am happy to introduce to you Melanie Alexandra, an artist based in San Francisco. I love her work and I bet you will too!

At Melanie Alexandra Photography you'll find fine art photography featuring travel photographs, carnival photography, days at the beach, landscapes, nature, macro and surreal wall art.

She has beautiful Nature photography in her store. I love these blooms! They remind me of spring. Infact I bought one for my own house!

Love this landscape!

I am in love with the carnival series!

A picture of my favorite city San Francisco.

There are some amazing shots of Paris!

She has premade sets of 4 pictures, each of size 5x5

This is a small sample of her work. There are more than 200 images in her etsy store. I am sure,you will find something that is perfect for your house !

Buy it:
You can buy these at her Etsy store. She has a Spring sale - 33% on all items store wide.

Win it:

The winner gets to select any image from the store to be printed on a 8x8 /8x10 photo paper or select any of the premade sets (4 pictures each of size 5x5). Shipping is covered by sponsor.

Rules to Enter the giveaway:

Mandatory entry:

1. Visit Melanie Alexandra Photography on Etsy and tell me which is your favorite image.

Additional optional entries

2. Follow Melanie's blog http://www.melaniealexandrablog.com/ 

3. Follow House on Ashwell lane (GFC/Facebook/Twitter) and leave a separate comment for each. If you are an existing follower leave me comment too!

4. Share this giveaway on your facebook page.

5. Tweet about this giveaway.

6. Post about this giveaway on your blog.

Giveaway ends on 4/15

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Adorable Easter treats for kids

Yesterday on Tuesday made these itsy bitsy Carrot patches with wafer biscuits and chocolate frosting. She even made those edible carrot treats. She used green gum to make the carrot stems!

Pizzazerie made these adorable bunnies on a stick using pound cake, marshmallows and straws for the stick. I love the bow ties.

These Sweet bird nest cookies are just too adorable to be eaten! It's like a work of art! She used roasted coconut for the nest and has a detailed tutorial on her blog "The Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle" on how to make these cookies!

A Pizza is made of candy, choclate and peanut butter and topped with pastel colored m&m's would be perfect as an Easter desert for kids! Let the kids have fun smashing the choclates! This one is by French Knots.

Do not forget about the drinks. The Autocrat  came up with this idea of peeps on a straw! Sweet and Simple! I love it!

Want more Easter ideas, click here.

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Announcing the winner of the $20 store credit from My Carrie Creations

The winner is Katie from Katie's Nesting spot. Congratulations!

winning comment: Link to where I posted on FB: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1228903893&ref=profile#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=205697722792435&id=244319003602

A huge thanks to everybody who participated in the giveaway.

Note: Winner was selected using Random.org.

Katie: You can contact me at radhikanavelkar@yahoo.com . Send me your mailing address and choice of backpack.

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Jaipur block print bedding for my bedroom

Currently I am working on our Master bedroom. Fabrics make a large part of how you want a bedroom to feel. I wanted something that will create a relaxed atmosphere and a global look. I have always loved the Jaipur block print fabric, and now you no longer have to travel to the  India to get the look!

Big designers and large retail chains are coming up with block print quilts and duvet covers that will help you achieve this world traveled look!

I love the new collection bedding collection from John Robshaw. My favourite is the orange and blue collection. I love vibrant colors for summer!

Given my budget, I think I will go for the hand blocked + Jaipur quilt from West elm. What's great about the block print is it works great with all kinds of decor.

World Market is also a great place to get block print quilts for a great price. The Ravi quilt below retails for 69.99.

Here is some more eye candy.

Can't wait to finish with the master bedroom. It's just a Bed and mattress for now. A long way to go.


Photo Credits: John Robshaw, West Elm, Pottery Barn, World Market, Apartment Theory

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Magenta for outdoor spaces - Hit or miss

I was really excited to see the crate and barrel outdoor collections catalog . Contemporary furniture and accessories full of bright vibrant colors. My favorite collection would be alfresco, but the color that really stood out for me, was Magenta. It is the color of orchids, A shade of purple with a little tint hot pink mixed in. Not a lot of retailers have this color in their outdoor collections.

I love lime green, orange, yellow and blue but, Magenta looks to be the new color on the block. So if you are not afraid of color, go ahead and try out this new fun youthful color.

Here are some more modern outdoor accessories that are in the same hue.

Photo Credits: 1. Outdoor stools by Frank Gery available at inmod.com 2. Pots by Pad Outdoor 3. Fruit bowl by AmbienteDirect

You can add Magenta as an accent to your outdoor space. I think It looks great with white or as in the picture below with turquoise.

Photo Credits: Furniture store blog

This homeowner has gone full force with Magenta! May I say,you need to be a real dare devil to do a look like this! Not something I would ever do in my own house.

photo credits: color.interiordezine

What do you think?  Magenta - Hit or a Miss?

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