Barn Board Kitchen

Barn Board Kitchen shelving

Open shelving in a rustic contemporary kitchen

I have always wanted open shelving in my kitchen but didn't like the look of store bought shelves. So I decided to get some barn boards (mine come from an old barn more than 100 yrs old). I got them sanded, cut and glued to fit my kitchen. I then stained them in light walnut Danish oil to give it a more rustic and aged look. The boards are oak and after staining the grain of the wood show a bit of golden undertone. I absolutely love the look of a rustic contemporary kitchen and so I decided to go with the dark satin and to contrast the dark stain I chose nickel brackets. I am happy how the kitchen looks for now but still there are few areas that I would be tackling in the next few days. Thanks for stopping by!

'Dream' Banner

I just love how banners make any room look instantly lived in and cosy. I decided to make a banner for my little girl's room and she definitely loves it. She picked the word "DREAM". I made this lovely banner from a table cloth. The table cloth had seen better days and now even better as it has turned into something prettier. I love the way it looks over the bed, absolutely amazing, fit to be in my little princess's room.

I think re-using left over fabrics or small cut out fabric pieces for this job is an excellent idea. I love the way this little project turned out and I'm sure to make more banners in the future.

My new line of French Country Living collection

Have been extremely busy with work at the clinic and shop, so didn't get enough time to blog. No more whining and let's get to the point. Few days back, while going through a French country living magazine I saw a gorgeous picture of a French country side home nestled in a rural village. The living room was airy and casual with no hang ups. This inspired me to design something that was meant for casual living and here are the few pillows I designed for my shop. Have a look and enjoy!

These pillow's are made from nubby looking vintage grain sack type fabric. The design is inspired from French country side which boost a natural casual living. The pillow will give any room an instant French country feel without going to a great extent. I absolutely love the fabric color which is lovely creamy French.

Lamarque Roustit Pillow

'Grains' Moulins de Bouvet Pillow

You can buy these on my etsy shop by visiting: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Thefadedtearose

Red cross Burlap pillow

I always wanted to make these lovely pillows. I have seen them in different magazines but the only difference is that, the Red cross is either embroidered or stitched right on the pillow. I am just not good at embroidery or stitching things onto something. For me, it makes more sense if I can replicate the same look by using fabric paint. Acrylic paint works just fine and does not wash off.

In this project I have used apple barrel Bright Red 20501 and folk art Burnt umber 462.

Both are acrylic paint and I mix them in the ratio 1: 1. I start drawing the cross at the centre by taking measurements on the pillow cover, which I have already stitched.

Once the drawing is perfect where you want it to be then put a piece of thick cardboard or plastic sheet inside the pillow cover so that the colour does not bleed over the other side of the fabric. Use a paint brush with which you are comfortable and start filling the paint at the centre and then slowly with a steady hand do the borders. As I am doing this on burlap which tends to have bits of fibres sticking out you have to be careful as you go. You can also get the borders right by using fine tip painting brush. There is one more variation if you don't have a steady hand, you can make a cross with masking tape. In the next tutorial I will show you how to do this step by step with masking tape. If you have any ideas to make it better you are always welcome to share it with us.

Red cross Burlap pillow

Carrots and Potatoes in a rich Creamy sauce

Happy 2011 everyone! This post was published in January but it got accidentally deleted so here it is again! I know this post has nothing to do with home decor but like everything else I thought it would be good to share it with all of you. Like every year this year too I am planning to eat healthy, sumptuous food. Recently I came up with a healthy way to eat potatoes without having them in a traditional way of mashed potatoes or having to deep fry them like fries and they taste evenly delicious. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 5-6 medium size red organic potatoes diced

2. Organic baby carrots

3. 10 -12 Baby spinach leaves

4. 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped flat- leaf parsley

5. 1 cup orange juice

6. 1 tablespoon unsalted Butter

7. 1 teaspoon Brown sugar

8. 1/4 teaspoon Salt

9. Black Pepper

10. Cream cheese

Getting started

Boil potatoes and carrots in boiling water until they are 80 % done. You don't have to peel the skin off if you are using organic red potatoes and baby carrots. Don't cook them completely they have to be underdone as they are going to be sauteed  later. Once they are cooked run them under cold water this also helps to get the extra starch off. In a saucepan add 1tbsp unsalted butter when the butter is just started to melt add brown sugar, don't let it caramelise completely. Add boiled potatoes, carrots and saute for a quick minute. Add 1 cup orange juice get the liquid to reduce by one fourth.  Add baby spinach at the end as it cooks very quickly. Finally add salt, ground black pepper and garnish it with some chopped parsley. You could also put some cream cheese on top if you don't mind the extra calories. It tastes good with rye bread or even as a side dish with any chicken recipe. Use your imagination and have FUN cooking!

''Holidays'' Shopping Mania OR Guest Phobia

The clock has already started ticking for the Holiday countdown. It's the time of the year to feel most stressed about gifts, entertainment, guest, parties and decorations. To cut the stress out of our lives, I have come up with a few strategies that has helped me through these years to stay calm and focussed.

1. The first rule of holiday shopping is shop early and don't wait for the last minute sales and discounts. Even if you are not an early shopper, you can get good deals even in mid December, when we start approaching the 12 days of Christmas. Many good deals can be found even on the internet and the big fuss of hopping store to store trying to find a deal can be totally avoided. But be sure to check for the stores policy on returns and shipping charges. This year I was lucky enough to find deals on Amazon where many online shops where offering great deals and discounts on books.

2. Don't keep unrealistic goals like cooking, trying the best recipes, buying gifts for everyone, decorating every room in the house all at one time. Decide what is REALLY important for you and put it on a list. Only do things that you are sure to accomplish. Don't over-estimate yourself, by doing that you only put yourself down if you happen to miss on a few things.

3. Try to exercise and stay fit during the Holidays, this also helps to de-stress and would make you feel better off not gaining the extra pounds during the holidays. Hit the gym or if you are not a gym person, go for walks or stretch doing Yoga or Pilate with your friend.

4. Drink at least 5 to 6 glasses of water to stay hydrated. Dehydration and in winter, YES we do get dehydrated in winter due to cold, dry weather. Getting dehydrated zaps your energy and makes it difficult to concentrate. You can also drink herbal teas and fruit juice to stay hydrated. This time of year, many of us end up drinking more alcohol than usual and we tend to end up gaining weight. If you drink alcohol, try having a glass of water between each drink to keep you sober and hydrated.

5. Get enough sleep, do everything you can to create a bedtime ritual that helps you unwind and relax. Take a hot bath add a few drops of lavender to the water, read something soothing or have a chamomile tea.

6. Ask for help if you need help shopping or taking care of your kids. Don't try to do it all on your own especially when you feel burned out . Asking for help is not a sign of weakness it actually is a very smart decision.                                                                                                                                                   

7. Last but not least ACCEPT the fact that you can't please everyone as there is something that will always be lacking.

Natural living and beyond!

Naturally! That word is quite a run of the mill to use when you want to sound everything perfect. By saying that do we even think how natural affects our life or are we so much over-Whelmed from day to day living that we don't even need to take a pause and think. We know it is good for ourselves and the environment to live naturally. But the question is how we do it or even if we know how to do it the next question is, is it economical? Natural products are considered to be more expensive than their synthetic competitors. There are several ways to cut down the cost especially in this economy, where people have become more money wise. There are simple things like making your own natural body scrub from commonly found household ingredients like oatmeal, honey and rosemary oil. If you want to make it more luxurious add a few drops of lavender, which also acts as soothing ingredient as it calm nerves and helps to get a good night sleep.

Nowadays with so many options and a overly stressed life, we don’t even think before using or throwing away things that are not bio-degradable. Take an example of thousands of computer and Television sets that are thrown in the dump for that big screen LCD or plasma. The question is do we really need it or is my television set SO out of order that I need to get a new one. Isn’t it common sense to know that every electronic that we buy is out dated in a couple of years. We have to learn to be wise and responsible, through the minimalistic approach. Abundance can be harmful at times when one does not have the wisdom to use it correctly. Simple things like getting in the car and reaching a place is taken for granted and we don’t even give a thought about walking to a near by grocery store or car pooling to work. Anyone who cares about themselves, their family, their community or the planet as whole should come up with ways to live a more holistic and sustainable life. Till then live well Naturally!

This is my Favourite place to shop when I am in search of ingredients for making Natural Handmade soaps.
http://www.handmadesoap.ca/