Spruce Up That Space!

 

pumpkinHappy Halloween Y’all!

I trust you all had a fun weekend and for all the others who managed to get through all the events that make Halloween what it is; thank God its over! This year has been so hilarious with all the happenings in pop culture and politics; it would be difficult to not have costume ideas. I had the pleasure of participating in the North Texas ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ Walk this past weekend and I kid you not, I was walking alongside Donald Trump, The Mad Hatter from Alice not too far behind and Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad around somewhere :)….just to name a few, it was so much fun!! πŸ™‚

In this post I want to talk about sprucing up your space – whether its your home, apartment or office cubicle; you name it, I’ve got you covered!

Decorating a space can be likened to telling a story about who you are and what you love. It reflects your taste, personal style and mindset. Decorating a spaceΒ can sometimes be so intimidating that a few of us NEVER-GET-STARTED. We fear that its just too much of a hassle, or the fact that we go through different phases or seasons where our likes change so randomly that we feel there isn’t Β a need to decorate because come a few months down the line, we would loath ‘that huge iron bird sitting on the mantle over the fire place we thought was so cool and eclectic’….ahem <coughs> πŸ™‚ that was me not too long ago…ha ha! πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€

I have a few questions that can help you get started. Lets start at the top of the list:

  • What is Your Budget? How much are you willing to spend? And I’m referring to situations where your’re decorating an apartment you intend to live in for a few years as opposed to a home that comes with a longer time line.
  • What is Your Space Like? Do you have a lot of space that looks empty and bare no matter what you do and want a smaller and more cozy feel to it?
  • What is the Existing Color Scheme of The Space? For example, If you have cream painted walls and Β a cream colored carpet as most rental apartments; and you’re not willing to repaint the whole space, you can opt for darker toned furniture for better contrast.
  • What Style Best Describes You? Are you a lover of all things ‘comfy and chintz’ or do you like a more contemporary upwardly mobile look to your space? There are so many styles but everyone has a dominant style expression.
  • Less is More. There is a fine line between a well decorated space and clutter. You do not need one of every shade of pottery or ten different paintings hanging on your wall just because your grandparents unloaded their house. There’s a show for that and its called ‘Hoarders’ πŸ™‚ Don’t be afraid to sell or give away things you’re not using or don’t have any use for.

We only live once guys so why not feel great about the space you’re in right now instead of waiting till your dreams come through (and they will)! These are a few pictures of some pieces that brighten up my space. Let me know your thoughts and what has worked for you so far.

Ciao until next time!

 

Periwinkle Starr

 

 

Baking!!!….Its that time of the year.

bakingbasics

As a little girl growing up, I have vivid memories of my Mum baking at home. The warmth of baking, us kids loitering around and patiently waiting to taste the remaining batter from the mixing bowl and spoon after she had poured into the pans was heavenly. I have to say these memories always…and I mean ‘ALWAYS’ give me a warm, fuzzy feeling πŸ™‚

Now I don’t know how this connects but in some way I always felt safe, cared for, loved and most of all happy even as I watched her icing those famous ball gown cakes. You know you’re an 80’s kid if you remember those princess cakes where the gown was the cake and you stuck the mannequins upper body into the cake and iced the whole thing! I feel old saying this but ‘those were good days’. The things we did for the love of sugar and all things sweet πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚

Unfortunately, these days, you can’t even indulge in a treat without mentally converting confectioneries into hours at the gym. :/ For the health conscious among us, I’ve heard this saying over and over again,’Its the only way to live longer and without some form of medication’. But its still such a pain….albeit a good one.

A lot of friends of mine and co-workers seem to think that baking is harder than cooking. I used to think so until I watched a couple of episodes of Chopped; a cooking show where the contestants are given a limited number of ingredients (that in my rational mind don’t even make sense) and asked to create a meal. It was then I realized that baking is an easier option than cooking!!

What Makes Baking Easy-er…. πŸ™‚

  • There are set measurements on the ingredients. How hard can it get? I remember on a few occasions trying to get cooking recipes from an older relative and it was so difficult because they… ‘cooked from the heart’. Translation: You would have to watch me do it a few times to know what it is you’re making…rofl πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ Now, I am no psychic but every bodies heart is Β wired differently and it depends on what time of the day you’re cooking from ‘that heart’…hahaha.
  • One plus one is always two. So simple Beyonce had to reiterate it over and over in a song. What you mix in is what you get. Even if you had a patch over one eye and one leg in a cast, you can still bake the perfect upside down chocolate cake πŸ™‚
  • You can always make do. When you go over board with a little more flour, sugar or spice; that treat can still be salvaged (to an extent). What I mean is – a recipe can still be eaten without someone ending up in the ICU at the end of the day even though I cannot say the same for several meals I’ve had to churn because they just weren’t edible…and even if I had a dog, which I do not and I tried to ease my guilt by cajoling it to eat the mistake I just made; trust me it would give me that look…the ‘you know this is crap and you’re expecting me to eat it’ look. πŸ™‚

Anyways, we are at that time of the year when the baking frenzy picks up. If you’ve always bought your goods at the store or cajoled that sweet aunt of yours to make an extra batch of goods for you, why don’t you switch it up this year. Baking is not hard, its fun! And if you find yourself stressed out from work, family or life; instead of pottery making :/, why not try baking..the results are by far more edible πŸ™‚

Whether you’re making your signature cupcakes for the 1000th time or starting out with regular sugar cookies for the very first time; you are creating something and that’s always amazing. I’ve shared a few pictures of when I made an upside down cranberry cake. Trust me when I say that I’m no expert but that cake was scrumptious.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend! Let me know your thoughts, comments and experiences baking. Feel free to share what has worked for you in the past and what you would like to do better. Ciao until next time!!

Periwinkle Starr

Vacation or Stay-cation…Now or Later

Hello All!! I hope your week was awesome. On this fun day, I would be writing about time off – whether its a vacation or a staycation which I must say is becoming the new norm. Now, we all kn…

Source: Vacation or Stay-cation…Now or Later

All Things Art, Architecture & Life…

Thinking back on my view of an artist, I had always imagined the greats. Such people as Leonardo Da vinci, Michelangelo and Mozart were the epitome of what the word ‘artist’ meant. Never would I have considered myself one. I remember being 4 years old with a keen sense of what I wanted to wear for the day. I would change clothes multiple times in a day. Dressing up was so much fun that my Dad had to move my drawer out of my reach and instructed our nanny not to let me change clothes unless it was absolutely necessary….haha.

Looking back with wistful eyes, I realize now that the artist in me was already alive. The beauty of this blog is my exploration of art, architecture, photography, fashion consulting, lifestyle, food, space planning and so much more…sharing life experiences and appreciating where we are with a keen awareness of where we want to be.

So lets keep exploring this amazing journey called life!