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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