CHRISTMAS lighting all over the world....

Ever since I was introduced to the festival of christmas, the only things that cross my mind are the christmas tree in decorative lights, the Snow and the festive colours red, white and green. I always dreamt of experiencing the above mentioned elements of christmas.

My stay at Germany for 6 years made me live my dreams. A month before the christmas festival, all the streets are decorated, people are constantly buying gifts for family and friends. Every mall is decorated and the whole place is covered up with lights. I can go on and on.....about this.

The use of decorative, festive lighting during Christmas is a long standing tradition in many Christian cultures, and has been adopted as a secular practice in a number of other non-Christian cultures too.

Displays of Christmas lights in public venues and on public buildings are a popular part of Christmas. The displays utilise Christmas lights in many ways, including decking towering Christmas trees in public squares, street trees and park trees, adorning lampposts and other such structures, decorating significant buildings such as town halls and department stores, and lighting up popular tourist attractions.

Here are a few pictures of the christmas lighting in a few parts of the world. (Picture courtesy: Internet)
In Toronto, Canada

Zurich, Switzerland
Vatican, Italy

Tokyo, Japan

Stuttgart, Germany

Medieval Streets of Baden Baden, Germany Moscow, Russia

Colosseum in Rome, Italy

A traditional home decoration, Poland

Champs de Elysees, Paris

Malaysia

Denver, USA

Blue Christmas celebrations, China

Velankanni Church, Tamil Nadu, India

Barcelona, Spain I hope you all enjoyed seeing these pictures as much as I enjoyed writing this. In response to this article, I request all my readers to share their 3 must have's for a true christmas decoration.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!

MY FIRST GIVE AWAY........

I was so excited when Jamie from AllModern.com contacted me about hosting a giveaway! AllModern.com is an amazing website that has everything you need to furnish your modern spaces! Be sure to check out their modern bedding & their contemporary bedding lines. They have generously provided a $50.00 spending allowance for a lucky Cherishing Spaces reader and a follower!

I personally like their Alessi and Vitra Collections. Do not forget to check them out. Absolutely wonderful !!!! Some of the products are shown below…..

A bright green Spices Pepper mill....

A bright yellow Mandarin Citurs Juicer....Drinkware Collection....
Beautiful Wine stoppers....

Some Elephant Motifs on Cushions....

Linen Wall Flower Bedsheets...

Household Accessories Set...

Lemon Duvet Collection...Some Fancy Corkscrews.....
Now here's how you can win this;

Step 1: Become a follower of cherishing spaces by simply clicking on the button that says follow.
Step 2: Specify one item that you would love to get as a gift from All Modern…. in the comments section.
Step 3: On the other hand, you could also visit the above links and specify a personal product of your choice that is within the range of $50.00.

Step 4: Last date for receiving the giveaway entries is 22nd Decmber 2009

TRY YOUR LUCK THIS CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!!!!

ALL THE BEST !!!!!!

For the love of DAMASK.....

As a child, my fascination included so many things....one of which was the reversible fabric. I often wondered how difficult and creative a task it was to weave a fabric that can be used on both sides. One such fabric was the DAMASK. In simple words....Damask is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. It derives its name from its supposed origin, the city of Damascus, Syria. Damask weaves are commonly produced today in monochromatic (single-colour) weaves in silk, linen or linen-type synthetic fabrics which feature patterns of flowers, fruit, and other designs. Damask weaves are most commonly found in table linens, but are also used for clothing and furnishings. I specially love to use damask motifs in floral designs and would like to see them in all possible options that I can think of. Some of them are as follows.

Use stencils in Damask to create beautiful feature walls.

If you find stenciling tedious, simply opt for a textured wall paper in damask motifs. You can also create frames of art using different damask fabrics. This would become a fabric wall mural in damask motifs.

Try your hand at creating an interesting art piece using the damask motifs and acrylics using some stencils. Make stencils of your own with simple damask motifs.Interesting metal sofa in a damask motif backrest adds subtle elegance to an otherwise ordinary sofa.Stencil out or decoupage damask motifs on candle holders, picture frames to achieve a true damask look to your schemeFancy bath accessories are now available in damask patterns at various outlets.The traditional damask fabric is in now and are available at many outlets in a variety of colours.Using a simple damask motif wallpaper, a damask patterened mirror frame and a damask shaped ceiling fixture adds elegance and beauty to simple interiors.Try matching the valance of your bed in a damask fabric to create a subtle interest and a touch of elegance.

Ask your carpenter to etch out simple damask motifs on left over wood pieces....join them together to create an art piece.

(above images courtesy: Internet)

Here is a simple moodboard showing damask motifs used on different mediums to create a harmonius scheme.

I hope you all liked this article. Is there anything you would like to know. Please do write to me...

Creating Focal Points of interest.....

Our eyes are in constant motion. Whenever you want to give them rest, try creating some interesting corners in such a way that our eyes stop for a moment before they proceed. I would like to call these focal points. They not only draw attention but deviate your eyes from viewing those areas that do not need attention.

Hope you all liked it !!!!!

Kai Kriye: Mixed Media!

Hi readers,

It gives me immense pleasure everytime I introduce an artist on my blog. Today, I introduce Veda Murthy of Kai Kriye (means hand art in kannada). She has created this wonderful masterpiece which is a treat to the eyes. I am sure all of you who would like to create some theme based interiors would love this artwork. I am highly inspired by this creation. Please do take a look. Click on this link below.....I do not want to spoil the surprise by adding the picture here.......

http://kaikriye.blogspot.com/2009/11/mixed-media.html

Kai Kriye: Mixed Media!

Inspiration Turkey.........from my album

Hagia Sophia pronounced in Turkish as Ayasofya is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and to have "changed the history of architecture. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 A.D. on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous two had both been destroyed by riots). It was designed by two architects, Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The Church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 15m (49 foot) silver iconostasis. It was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years. To read more, please click here....

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction of Istanbul. To read more, please click here.... Some pictures of both these and their interiors for you.

Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi in Turkish) is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. It was built of wood after the Conquest of Istanbul around an old Byzantine building which became the part of the Old Bedesten (Old Bazaar) today, and got bigger and larger throughout the centuries with the addition of new sections and inns. The Bazaar initially consisted of two warehouses only, known as Inner Bedesten and Sandal Bedesten. Than open streets were covered with doomed roofs connecting separate buildings to each other. Today the bazaar covers an area of approximately 31thousand square meters (333thousand square foot) with its over 3000 shops (some even say 4000), 17 inns (Han), 61 streets, over 20thousand employees, 4 fountains, 10 wells, 2 mosques, several cafes and restaurants, change offices, a police station, and 22 gates. It resembles a giant labyrinth and can be a little complicated for the first-time visitor, but after a couple of visits there you can familiarize with it because streets are arranged almost on a grid plan, and shops tend to group themselves according to the type of goods they sell. To read more....click here...

I hope you enjoyed all these pictures from my personal album. Are you interested in knowing more about turkish home decor....please do write to me and I shall be glad to assist you.....