paint your prayers...

This post is largely inspired by Geninne Zlatkis, one of my earliest flickr and blogging friends. She is an extremely talented lady, who illustrates, draws, sketches, paints, carves stamps, crafts, cooks, home schools and also paints on pebbles!

Yes, in her beautiful homes in Mexico (designed by her architect husband) one of the ways in which she adds cheer and beauty is by painting natural motifs on collected pebbles, an interest that I share with her:-)

I always bring back pebbles and stones from our various travels.

I was inspired to try my hand in painting those lovely pebbles. I gave it an Indian twist by painting the traditional 'Kolam' or painted prayers...

Tiny Lord Krishna's feet, for Janmashtami...

Some painted prayers give company to my succulents....

Why restrict yourself to just Kolams, let your creativity flow~ Try Alpanas, Blockprint motifs or any symbol that holds a special meaning for you:-)

Do paint your prayers and see them answered in the form of cheerful corners in your home:-)

(images by Arch)

Popote pale mazingira yanaweza kuhifadhiwa vizuri na kutunzwa vizuri. (Mrs. Jossyanne in Lushoto - Tanzania)

Lushoto nilikupenda sana, kwa kila kitu kwa hiyo wananchi wenzangu tupunguze tarumbeta tufanye kazi , tuelimishane khs mazingira wapendwa,
  tushirikiane, kuweka nchi yetu ktk hali ya usafi kuna, kuna baadhi ya miji ni misafi sana kwanini DAR mshindwe ??? mi ili suala la malundo ya taka ktk vituo vya mabasi, mbele ya mashule ni aibu, tukumbuke magonjwa yanaanzia hapo kuna wanao tililili sha maji machafu mitaani, suala hili sheria zichukuwe mkondo wake jamani, usafi ni kwa kila mtu. siyo kila kitu serikali. tuache hizo kasumba. tupende mazingra na kuyalinda acheni kukata miti hovyo. ukikata miti panda miti tuwafundshe watoto pia kutunza mazingira na kuyalinda. mungu awabariki wote, asante.

HIZO NI BAADHI YA SEHEMU AMBAZO TULISHIRIAKIAN ANAO NA KUWAELIMISHA(MRS. JOSSYANNE IN LUSHOTO - TZ)

Niliwapa mikakati jinsi ya kufanya na Ila nilikuta baadhi ya bustani wameishapanda maua na miti ila tulisadiaana nao baadhi vitu. na kuelimishana nia aina gani ya maua, miti ambayo inastahili weather ya Lushoto ni kuzuri sana, wana ardhi nzuri hali ya hewa ni baridi baridi inakuwa rahisi sana baadhi mimea kustawi vizuri udongo wao una rutuba maji yapo. Tulifurahia sana mi na mume wangu kuona walivyojitahidi kimazingira hizo ni baadhi ya kazi ambazo tulishiriki ktk upandaji, wa miti maua. na vitu vingine vingii sana. nashukuru tulipata ushirikiano mzuri kutoka uongozi wa Lushotos sisters na ma fathers,pia namshukuru sana Father odillo.

Baby nursery decoration

Maandalizi ya vyumba vya watoto wetu ambao tunategemea kuwakaribisha duniani, hua sio magumu kama tufikiriavyo. Hii hutokana na budget yako ulivyojipangia, kwani kila kitu kinakwenda na budget.

Sasa basi hapa kuna makundi matatu ya baby nursery room decoration, ambayo ni 

• Watoto wa kiume
• Watoto wa kike
• Watoto mapacha jinsia tofauti.

Hivyo katika makundi haya, kuna rangi zinazowakilisha watoto hawa, na hizi rangi tunazijua ambazo ni 

• Watoto wa kiume rangi yake ni blue light
• Watoto wa kike rangi yake ni pink light
• Watoto mapacha jinsia tofauti rangi zao hua ni zilizopooza. Yaweza kua brown, green etc.

Kuna wengine hawataki kujua jinsia ya mtoto, kwa watu hawa nawashauri wapambe vyumba vya watoto wao rangi za neutrals yaani zisiwe pink wala blue.

Hizi ni baadhi ya picha ya nursery baby rooms.

INTERNET PROBLEM

Hi all,  napenda kuchukua nafasi hii kuomba radhi kwa kuwa kimya muda wote huo, tulikua na problem ya internet na internet provider wangu alikuwa analishughulikia swala hilo, yaani lilikua nje ya uwezo wangu.

Sasa mtaendelea kupata mambo mazuri na ushauri kama ilivyo ada ya blog hii yetu.

Nawatakia siku njema.

handmade creativity...

Today I am featuring two very talented young women Kanika Bahl of Anek Designs and Kalyani Ganapathy of Kye.

Kanika Bahl is a textile designer from NID and has recently started her own Etsy Shop called Anek Designs. She designs handcrafted home furnishings and accessories.

Brocade Fabric Gift Envelopes

Colourful Fabric Gift Envelopes

Kantha work mobile pouches

Potli Keyrings

Do drop by at her blog, ...AND ANOTHER or Anek Designs on Etsy.

Kalyani Ganapathy is an illustrator/artist and also the creator of Kye. A venture where she designs home furnishings and accessories.

Kye has just launched their monsoon collection of handcrafted cushion covers called Monsoon Struck

Embrace, screen printed and hand embroidered cushion cover

Siesta, screen printed and hand embroidered cushion cover

Birdie, screen printed and hand embroidered cushion cover.

You can order online by writing to Kalyani of Kye at writetokye@gmail.com.

Hues from Dastakar Nature Bazaar 2010

Craft Bazaars and Melas have a special place in my heart, the colourful ambience with India's rich art & crafts displayed by artisans are a treat to the eyes...

Here are some frames from the colourful Dastakar Nature Bazaar.

Loved the vibrant kites, how magical a room would look with loads of them hanging from the ceiling!

Never tire of these colourful baskets made of wild grass.

Dastakar's Ranthambore Project. The Tiger motifs on bedspreads, cushion covers were so charming:-)

Mirror mirror on the wall, can you spot me at all;-)

Beautifully crafted paper-mache' birds from Orissa

Handmade Dolls

Gorgeous terracotta pots, jars and pans from Kumbham Pottery, Kerala

Intricate Kantha work on silk from West Bengal

Want to hang some pink elephants and blue fish?

Some beautifully crafted baskets and home accessories

The Dastakar Nature Bazaar is on till the 15th August, 2010.

(Images by Arch)

Ramadhani Greetings- Kutoka Homez Deco.

Homez Deco Kreative Homez, Inawatakia Mfungo mwema Katika Ramadhani hii. 

Nyufa kwenye ukuta wa makazi yetu

Nimepata experience ya kua nyumba nyingi kabla hata ya mwaka zinakua zina ufa, eidha ni kuanzia chini ama juu.

Hii ni kutokana na kua mafundi wengi tunawaowachukua watujengee wamekua ni waongo ama tunataka cheap labour, ama tunaowapa wasimamie nyumba zetu wamekua wakila hela, wachora ramani feki etc. sababu ziko nyingi.

Sasa basi sio watu wote wana muda wa kusimamia nyumba zao wakati zinajengwa, na hii  ni kutokana na kwamba hali ya maisha imekua ngumu siku hadi siku.

Tumekuwa tukiharibiwa nyumba zetu na kuliwa hela pasipo na sababu za msingi.

Nimejaribu kutafuta ushauri kwa wataalam wa mambo haya, ambao ni archtect etc.

Wamenipa ushauri na kama kawaida hua nina share nanyi ninapopata mambo mazuri.

1. Jitahidi kupata ushauri kwa wataalam, kama contractors, artchects etc. ambao wamesomea na hiyo ndio fani zao.
2. Acha kuchukua cheap labour.
3. Kama una uwezo wa kifedha ni bora ukamtafuta contractor akakujengea nyumba yako, hii inasaidia kua kama kutatokea tatizo lolote lile yeye ndie atakuwa responsible, najua ni gharama, lakini ni afadhali nusu shari kuliko shari nzima.
4. Kua makini na mafundi maana sio kila fundi ni fundi, kama hutoweza kuchukua contractors maana unaweza ukachukua dalali, ama msaidizi wa fundi akakuambia yeye ni fundi kumbe sio fundi. Utapeli ni mwingi sasa.

Kwa kweli sababu ziko nyingi sana, na nitaendelea kuwaletea ushauri, na sasa niko kwenye mchakato wa kuwatafutia contacts zao ili, muwasiliane na wawape ushauri pia.

NB: KUA MAKINI MATAPELI WAKO WENGI SASA, NA SIO KILA MTU AKIKUAMBIA YEYE NI FUNDI BASI UKAMUAMINI, GHARAMA YA KUREKEBISHA MAKOSA NI KUBWA ZAIDI YA UNAVYOFIKIRIA.

KUPIGA PICHA KABLA NA BAADA YA KAZI NA KUJA KU SHARE NA WADAU WENZETU

Dear all, napenda kuchukua fursa hii kutoa somo kidogo kuhusu kupiga picha za before and after za kazi zangu.

Dhumuni ya kupiga picha ni kuonyesha ni jinsi gani tunaweza ku share aidia na wenzetu, na kuendelea kuelimishana juu ya hili. 

Kama kila mtu angekua anakataa kupiga picha kazi aliyofanyiwa tuwengeweza kweli hata ku download kwenye internet? Na hii inaonyesha ni jinsi gani wenzetu wamekua wakiendelea, maana hawakai na mawazo ya maendeleo wao binafsi

Homez Deco Kreative Homez, inapomfanyia kazi mteja wake inahakikisha ameridhika, na hua tunapiga picha kabla ya kuanza kazi na baada ya kumaliza kazi. Na hua tunataja tuu mahali ya sehemu kazi ilipofanyika, tunajua kua kuna mambo ya uhalifu etc. yote hayo tumezingatia na ndio maana hatutoi details za mteja zaidi ya kutaja mkoa.

Nawaomba ndugu wadau, muondoe wasiwasi, woga etc, ili tuendelee kuelimisha, maana ndio lengo la blog hii na si vinginevyo kama baadhi ya wengine wanaoanza kuibadilisha lengo la blog hii iwe uwanja wa malumbano.

Kama una mawazo, mchango, ama hata kama umedecorate mwenyewe nyumba, chumba, sehemu ya biashara, garden etc. Piga picha ututumie nasi tuuta share nawe na kusaidiana katika hili.

Nimekuwa pia nipigiwa simu na kuulizwa maswali ya wale wanaotaka ku decorate nyumba zao, na nimekuwa nikiwajibu bila hata charges zozote zile. 

Tuondoe wasiwasi na tushirikiane katika hili. 

Nawashukuru woote.

Arusha Work Photos,

Ndugu wadau napenda kuchukua fursa hii kuwajulisha kua, sitaweza kuwawekea picha ya kazi ya Arusha kama nilivyoahidi, Sababu ni kua mteja mwenyewee ameomba picha za nyumba yake zisiwekwe kwenye blog, na kwa hilo basi nimeheshimu maamuzi yake.

Samahani sana kwa hilo.

At the centre...

Every home has a central hub around which the daily activities of the family revolve.

The dining table is where most of our tasks are accomplished but there is another space in our drawing room, the centre table (actually it is an old ancestral swing converted to a low table) where we spend many evenings chatting with family & friends.

It is also a space like a canvas where I keep painting various hues in the form of floating flowers, things from our travels, magazines, books...

Here are some vignettes from the ever changing arrangements on my centre table...

Roses and wooden block from Jaipur, Rajasthan

Frangipanis & Pebbles from Nubra Valley, Ladakh.

Wooden Padukas from Jew Town, Kerala

(images by Arch)

IT IS SO SAD TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME OF US THEY DON'T THINK B4 THEY ACT. SHAME ON YOUUUUUUUU........

Habari za muda ndugu wadau, Nashukuru sana kwa wale waliokuwa wakinijulia hali mara kwa mara katika kipindi nilichokua kimya.

Kinachonisikitisha ni kua kuna baadhi ya watu ambao nahisi upeo wao wa kufikiri ni mdogo na utaendelea kua mdogo.

Katika hali ya kiubinadamu na ya kikawaida na yakutumia akili tuuu, Blog hii hua inakua up to date mara kwa mara, lakini zimepita almost wiki 2 kama sio tatu sija update chochote. Sasa unashindwa kujiuliza what is wrong with the person?

Mtu mwenye akili timamu huwezi tuu ukatuma comments za kipuuzi bila kujua chanzo, Kwa kweeli inasikitisha sanaa, na nimesikitika sanaaa.

Naomba blog hii isifananishwe na blog zingine, most of the blogs zinahusu fashions etc.

Hizi ni baadhi ya comments nilizozipata;

1. Anonymous said... 
July 27, 2010 10:02 AM  

i u cant up todate ua blog achia nafasi wengine waanzishe unatia aibu 

2. Anonymous said... 
July 28, 2010 7:31 AM  

hi,,
hivi hujui unaboa siku hizi? yaani mi nilitegemea umeacha kazi umejiajiri utakuwa active kumbe imekuwa tofauti yaani unaboa blog siyo nzuri tena no picture no nini toka mfano toka urudi arusha nitaweka picha ni muda gani umepita? be active mama kifupi sijapenda hii hali yako nataka uendelee thats why nakueleza ukichukia shauri yako ni kwa faida yako.

Deliwe

3. it boring to veiw the same staff all the time, don u search new stuff ?

4. Anonymous said... 
August 10, 2010 12:45 AM  

please jaribu kuwa up to date kama blog nyingine cuz unaacha picha muda mrefu sana.tunahitaji vitu vipya ili tufungue blog yako everyday sawa kama tunavyofungua za akina zeze,tk,nuru the right and more.thnx

These are some of the comments ambazo nimezipata.

Naomba niwajibu kama ifuatavyo kabla sijatoa reasons za kua kimya.

Comment no. 1 

Naomba ujue kua kila mtu ana uwezo wa kuanzisha blog yake, kwa mimi kua kimya sio kwamba nime ziba nafasi ya watu wengine wasianzishe. Mimi nilikaa chini na nikafikiria kua ni vizuri ku share na wenzangu kuhusu mambo ya home decorations, so nikiamua kukaa kimya haikuhusu, ama nikiamua kuifunga blog yangu haikuhusu, na ni wewee ndie unaetia aibu, kwani sijui uko carne gani kwamba hujui kua blog ni mtu yeyoyote anaweza kuanzisha.... kama huna kazi useme usaidiewe na sio kuandika upuuzi.

Comment no. 2

Mi nadhani kidogo una hitilafu na huna chakufanya, ukiaangalia tuu kalenda yako itakueleza it's just two to three weeks sija update, kwa kwa alie na akili timamu lazima angegundua kua kuna hitilafu. Blog hii nimeianzisha kwa ajili ya kuelewesha jamii na muyafanyie kazi yale ambayo nimekuwa nikiwaelekeza, na si kuangalia tuuu picha kama unavyofanya wewe, maana unadhihirisha ni jinsi gani una kremisha picha. GROW UP MY DEAR NA SIO KULALAMIKA BILA SABABU.

Comment no. 3

Usikremishe tuuu kua ni lazima niweke picha za ku download kwenye internet, hazitakusaidia saanaa kaama ufikiriavyoo. Elewa kwa nza ndio uendeleee na vingine, 

Comment no. 4

Naomba kukufafanulia kua, sio blog zote zinafanana, na kila blog ina theme yake. Usifananishe blogs. Kimya kingi kina mshindo.

Najua kua siwezi kupendwa na watu wote, ila naomba ijulikane kua mimi ni binadamu na sio machine, kuna ugonjwa, kufiwa, etc. Yote hayo ni yakujiuliza kabla ya mtuu huujaanza kuandika utumbo, na ujinga. 

Next time think before you write anything to anyone.

REASON OF MY SILENT IS THAT, I'M EXPECTING TO BECOME A MOTHER. SO AS WE ALL KNOW THERE ARE MORNING SICKNESS ETC. AND IT'S JUST 8/8/2010, I WAS TAKING MY LAST INJECTION FOR MALARIA DOSE.

I AM HAPPY, AND THANKS TO ALL WHO WERE GIVING ME A CALL TO SEE WHY I WAS SO QUITE ALL THOSE DAYS, AND WISHING ME TO RECOVER VERY SOON. THANKS MY LORD.

BUT THIS DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T WORK OR TRAVELL TO ANY REGION TO WORK, JUST GIVE ME A CALL AND WE DISCUSS THEN I WILL BE THERE IN YOUR REGION TO WORK.

Haya nyie wenye vihere here, vya kutuma ujinga na upuuzi, mtakua mmeelewa sababu sasa. Mimi ni binadamu na nina maisha yangu pia ya kuyaangalia.

Attiser

Seaside Savvy Quilt

Here I was sitting with a huge mug of ginger chai, nursing a sore throat and fever when I received an email from Seema of Attiser.

Seema shared a mesmerizing collection of hand-block printed linens & bedding with me and I must admit, the colours were so beautiful, it just completely lifted my spirits and I just had to feature their products on Rang Decor.

Sweet Nothings Quilt

Seema specifies that in their collection of handcrafted bedding and linens they have tried to create a unique look by combining handmade Indian block-print with country style decor and adding new contemporary colors to come up with a new, fresh, airy and bright look that can be defined as a fusion look.

They have a range of home decor products~ Bedspreads, Quilts, Table Covers, Curtains, Cushion Covers, Napkins, Placemats and even Moleskine Books

Sage Midori Table Napkins

Southern Nights Table Napkin

Sweet Nothings Table Cover

Amethyst Amore Table Cover

Seaside Savvy Cushion Cover

Amethyst Amore Cushion Covers

Attiser's mission so beautifully worded~

Kindling Passion in Color, Discovering Beauty in Imperfections

Crafting artisan-quality products, to bring unique beauty to our world.

Transforming ordinary homes with extraordinary handmade creations.

Empowering our community through fair and ethical trade.

Wooden block with intricate design

Quilting process

Do visit Attiser and pick up some handcrafted colourful beauties for your home.

(images from Attiser)