Furoshiki - The ancient Japanese art of gifting....

     Courtesy - my friend (Shaf), today I came across this fantabulous Japanese long-time tradition called 'Furoshiki'. The word Furoshiki means 'bath spread'. First used in public bath houses,'furoshiki' served as a wrap to hold the bather's clothes. Eventually, the furoshiki’s usage extended to serve as a means for merchants to transport their wares or to protect and decorate a gift.

      'Furoshiki' are often decorated with traditional designs or by 'shibori' (silk crepe), or 'chirimen' (tie-dyed fabric). Modern 'furoshiki' can be made of a variety of materials, including silk, cotton, rayon, or nylon and of course are reusable. A 'furoshiki' is nothing more than a sheet of cloth, but it can adequately wrap anything regardless of shape, for example as gift wrapping because of its design and pleasing appearance. (Excerpt : Wikipedia,infomapJapan)

   'Furoshiki' were used for weddings in Japan earlier, where parents of the bride would prepare 'furoshiki' with patterns such as cranes and other birds, fans, pine trees and waves, all symbols believed to usher in happiness and fortune.

 Images via Jenn PlayFord Designs. 

 

Image via chewing the cud

 Wrapped wine-bottles from mottainai

Furoshiki bag with straps from  japon-kara

Eco-bags from Kyoto Breeze

 Furoshiki can be folded  in various forms and can be used as gift wraps (Visit Jenn PlayFord's wrapping techniques illustrated here) and to carry books, bottles, anything. This art of tie and knot done without the use of scissors and tape is amazing indeed !! Happy wrapping ;-) !

Add Cheer with Blue daisies..!

     Doing your own floral arrangements is  fun and  is one of the easiest and affordable ways to add liveliness to any home.
    These delicate blue daisies are mostly available in any florist shop and they normally come with long stems, which I had cut and put it in a bone china bowl with the help of a flower pin.You can also use floral foam instead of flower pins to perfect the arrangement.

   

Blue is a color that is known to have universal 

appeal ; It's the coolest color that soothes a 

person's mind and provides peace and tranquility....

Hope you all enjoyed this flower arrangement...!! Have a great weekend !

I am sending this post for the "September Blog Carnival - Say it with flowers" hosted by the Key Bunch. ;-) ;-) ..........!!!

FACT FILE:

Cost       : Bone China Bowl  ~  Rs. 100
Location : Poppat Jamal & sons, Chennai.

Eco-friendly shoes from Ivory and Moss

    This post is about Bianca whose mission is to make adorable, affordable and eco-friendly handmade baby and mama gifts - Well, I think that she has by now accomplished her mission- her handmade baby shoes are so gorgeous and are just perfect for little ones who take their first steps. She started making shoes in 2007 and  creates couture items in custom colors and fabrics. Her shop "Ivory and Moss" can be found on Etsy here.

Totally chic fashioned with uniqueness !!

This is one of my favorites...

Absolute cuteness ....with the rose flowers ..

The little lamb looks soo.... sweet , right ?

All Images CopyRight Ivory and Moss.

A great Day !

 Image Copyright Ideal Home and Garden Magazine

Today's been a great day in more ways than one - the blog reason being - I visited two stores locally whose owners have agreed to let me photograph their amazing decor-ware .... ;-)

Fruit Bouquets

A fruit bouquet is an arrangement of yummy-li-cious fruits in the form of a bouquet. Normally these bouquets are used for gift-giving purposes ; they also make beautiful centerpieces for parties. The fruits are cut into various shapes and arranged into matching containers with the aid of skewers.

A delicious bouquet blooming with fresh strawberries, pineapple daisies, cantaloupe and grapes.

On Valentine's Day, gift this to your sweetheart - it's sure to melt hearts everywhere... 

A perfect way to brighten one's day ...!

A delicious arrangement , arranged in a keepsake golf ball container.

Make your next party a Fruit Fiesta with this refreshing flavor combination !

A perfect complement for summer picnics and barbeques !

Fresh strawberries hand dipped in gourmet chocolate and arranged in a ceramic container.

A strawberry lover's delight... 

A juicy combination of fresh, white chocolate dipped, and blue sprinkle topped strawberries.

All images via Edible Arrangements . Copyright Edible Arrangements.

Tabletop Tuesday

Thank You, patty  for the lovely write-up that you have put about my tabletops  -  it feels great to be featured on your blog.

Had submitted many snaps for patty's Table Top August feature;  it was a pleasant surprise to see all the pictures being featured ... here... ;-) ;-) ;-) . Thanks again ;-) .

FACT FILE
Cost       : Bunny ~ Rs 100
Location : Archies gift Gallery, Chennai ( Valentine'z day collection) 

Forest Song Collection from Treo

    Treo from Hamilton Housewares P. Ltd., offers an exquisite range of crafted birds called the "Forest Song" collection. This brand has carved a niche for itself in the markets across the country, and has a wide collection of glassware, opalware, gift sets, tea sets, storage jars etc.,

These bird statues are a perfect add-on to the decor of any home.

 Believe me - They look more realistic than seen in these pictures..... ;-)

Visit Treo products here. Images copyright Treo.

Have a great weekend !

Have a great weekend !!
This weekend has been very special for me,  since I have published my first post ....;-) .. How about yours ?

FACT FILE
Cost       : Yellow Ceramic Pot ~ Rs.150
Location : Central Cottage Emporium, Chennai.