An award and a Tag ;-) ;-)

Yipee....!! I am happy to announce that  I received the "You are the best Blogger"  award  from my dear friend Kary of Effortless cooking, Easy baking ...!!

The rules of this award are ....

• Pass on the award to the blogger you think deserves it.
• Comment or email them to let them know they have got the award.
• Share 7 facts about yourself.
• Link and thank the blogger who has given you the award.
• Copy and paste the award logo on your blog!

I am slightly bending the rules here by not revealing 7 facts about myself.. the reason being ,  I did that very recently here ... ;-) ;-) ...

I would like to pass this award to the following talented and inspiring bloggers. Hey , the list is in no particular order.... ;-) ;-) ....!!

1. Patty ( Colours Dekor )
2. Rekha & Sharon ( The Key Bunch )
3. kala ( Kala Pohl Studio )
4. Bhavana ( Blending art and craft )
5. Priya  ( Once upon a tea time )
6. Divya ( Sound Horn Please )
7. Kanika ( And another ... )
8. Gagan ( Of peacocks and paisleys )
9. Komali Nunna ( Entertaining from an Ethnic Indian Kitchen )
10. Shivani Negi ( I discover my style )

So, what are you waiting for... ?!?! Grab  the award and pass on the fun ....!!!

A sneak peek into my parents' garden ...

Every time I visit my parents' home, the one place where I always look forward to spend my time is their garden - the plants are always laden with flowers in vibrant colors and there are more plants than one can imagine probably hundreds of them in the small area to one side of the house and on the terrace.Both my parents are avid gardeners - and thatz' where my love for greenery comes from..Though both mom and dad share their love for gardening it's mom who is crazy about her plants -  always visiting local nurseries hunting for new plants...In fact, her garden is the one thing that she worries about when she has to leave  home for a long duration .... ;-) ;-) ....

Here are some pictures - most of them shot by me during a recent visit to my parents' home ....

  

  

I am still researching on my momz' weird tastes...

Thatz' a cracked ceramic jug  - Seeing this just

brought a smile to my face... ;-) ;-)

Mom's Orchid plant collection ....  

Crown of Thorns in different shades...

They are always surrounded by honey-sucking insects....

I have uploaded all these pictures with the faith that none of you would be asking me the names of these plants ;-) ;-) Too much of confidence ... Huh !!! ;-) ;-) ...!!

I am linking this post to the Green Thumb Decor party going on till April at Patty's blog.

Serve with Style - 3

Using  foam stickers on straws -

A simple idea to spruce up your serving style ...!!

 Use self adhesive foam shapes on straws. Just peel of the paper at the back of the sticker and paste it on the straw before serving . This idea will be more ideal for birthday parties or other parties at home...!! 

 To read my other posts about serving with style click here and here.

I am linking this post to the parties - Show of your stuff party  and  Strut your stuff Thursday. 

My attempts at jewelry making ...

Last weekend I had been to jewelry making classes with a close friend of mine - Never before I had been interested in jewelry making but I must admit that it was a lot of fun and we both totally loved it.. !!  We had spend hours discussing on doing something useful during the weekend and even though both of us never had a thought about joining the jewelry making class, we zeroed upon the same because of the short duration and mainly the timings...!!! When I learnt some Western techniques like stringing, looping , wire wrapping etc., my friend tried her hands on  bridal jewellery - and the pieces have turned out better than we expected  ;-) ... ofcourse, with the help of the patient instructor.. !!!

Wire wrapping technique : Done at the jewelry class. 

Done with faux cat eye beads using Knotting technique. 

This was the first piece done by me at the jewelry class. 

Matching Earrings for the chain ... 

A chain done using wooden beads - **bling** ..!! 

 These are the pieces that I tried making on my own..!! 

So, which piece is to your liking - Waiting to hear your comments ;-) ;-) ....!!!

I am linking this post to the Weekend Wrap Up Party at Colours Dekor , the talent tuesday party , I made this tuesday ,  and the blog parties here, here and here.

Have a great week ahead !!

Have an  enjoyable week ahead !!
And ...To all the wonderful women in my life and my blogger friends .... - Wishing you all a Happy Women's Day !!!