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.
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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...