Ikat Easter Eggs

These Easter eggs are inspired by the patterns and vibrant colors in Ikat fabric. They are very easy to make, especially for last minute Easter party plans!

You will need:
- hard boiled eggs
- Sharpie markers
- pencil

First, use a pencil to draw guidelines on your egg.

Then you can draw the pattern. In this case, I chose diamonds. It can be chevron, or curvy shapes.

Next, choose your color scheme.

I like to start with the lightest color first.

Color the eggs with Sharpie in an up-and-down motion to create that Ikat effect.

Fill in the rest of the egg with another marker

And don't forget the final touches.

And you are done!

Go ahead and try making them and I hope you enjoy my tutorial!

Marrakech Style

Moroccan style is probably one of the trends that I see all over the internet. I'm not surprised that more and more people are in love with the unique vibe, and a more outdoorsy, laid back, bohemian character. If you want to try to capture that Marrakech style into your home, here are some tips that may help you.

Vibrant gem colors are nicely combined with neutral sandy tones. In the photo below, bright poufs make good contrast with the white rug, which also looks good against the dark floor tiles. For more texture hang brass lamps or place metallic accessories like candle holders.

Don't forget to play with pattern. I absolutely love their floor tiles. Morocco is famous for the intricate geometric design instilled by Moorish culture. Their religion does not allow the use of animals and human figures as part of decoration so that's why plants, floral motifs, and inscriptions from the Koran are very prominent in designs.

1. Fellah Hotel via Luxurious Magazine
2. Door via A Door a Day
3. Marrakech Tiles by Hanna Hiatt via Pinterest
4. Rugs via Billiebillie

Liberty London Fabric

Today while browsing on Pinterest I saw Liberty London's newly designed fabric for their autumn/winter collection and I find them all beautiful.

Their new collection was inspired by the poem "The Earthly Paradise" by William Morris. As an writer he was influenced by charm, color, sound, scenery, fragrance, and beauty of the visible world. This led the team from Liberty London to use their senses - sight, smell, hearing and taste to come up with new fabric designs.

These are some of my favorites from their collection:

1. Joshua Graham A Tana Lawn

"The design team was inspired by actress Tamsin Greig as well as other musical and dance performers to create the audio story collection. 

Joshua Graham was created blindfolded, surrounded by pens, pencils, paint and pastels whilst listening to 'Music inspired by gardens'. The final design, drawn with chalk pastels, focused on the tempo and rhythm of 'Country Gardens' by composer Percy Grainger."

2. Ninataylor A Tana Lawn

"The powerful scents that unlock memories and emotions are what inspired the Design Studio to create prints based on fragrances sold at Liberty. 

Ninataylor is a simple design of hand painted sandalwood leaves inspired by the fragrance 'Avignon' by Comme des Garçons, an aroma traditionally associated with incense."

3. Sweet Cherries A Tana Lawn

"Jamie Oliver – one of Britain’s best-loved chefs – has inspired the nation to revive forgotten cooking skills and was one of the collaborators for a collection relating to a sense of taste. 

Sweet Cherries is derived from love heart cherries and their splats, and the star shapes made by star anise. Jamie and his team pressed these fruits onto fabric to produce an all-over texture."

4. Kussman D Tana Lawn

"Inspired by William Morris’ poem; ‘Iceland First Seen’, the Liberty design team travelled to Iceland on an exploration of the senses to create a series of designs relating to the wonders of sight. 

Kussman is a miniature jigsaw of Icelandic horse silhouettes. Horses born and reared in Iceland are bred from species dating back to the 9th and 10th Centuries. "

See more of their collection at the Liberty London website.

Using Wall Decals

Here's a design tip. Decals are not just for store front signage, you can also use them as wall decoration for your home. If you are renting an apartment, and the building has strict rules against painting and installing wallpaper, then wall decals are the way to go.

Another advantage of using wall decals is that they are highly customizable - you can install them however and wherever you want. There are many different styles for wall decals that are available everywhere. In this case, this huge gold heart shaped decal from Urban Walls was used as a "statement piece" for an office.

via Urban Walls

There are also patterned wall decals that totally look like wallpaper. I like the triangle decals in the photo because they make the room look fun.

via Urban Walls

Wall decals are easy to apply as long as the surface is clean. It will stick to almost any kind of surface. And if in the future you change your mind and decide to replace them, you can just easily peel them off. Also, they're easy to clean. Since wall decals are made of vinyl, you can just wipe them with a damp cloth.

Here's another patterned wall decal: plus signs. The black plus signs look cool against white furniture. It looks clean, but it shows a lot of contrast.

via Urban Walls

And here is one of my favorites: Gold polka dots. 

via Urban Walls

Gold polka dots also look nice in a little girl's bedroom. It's totally different from the usual pastel painted kids rooms. No, they won't make your room look like it's infected with chickenpox. Because really, they're cute and quirky. And even if you're a grown up it will still look nice in your room. :)

via Urban Walls

Kelly Green Accents

I am in love with kelly green at the moment because it's such a glamorous color. But I like to use this kind of green sparingly. In a room that has a black and white or neutral color scheme, you can add kelly green as accent. That extra pop of color will make the room look even more sophisticated.

My favorite example is the entryway below by City Dwellin'. Upon entering the room, you are greeted by the solid, bright green credenza along with the black and white patterns on the wall and on the floor. The bunch of white peonies also gave the room more charm.

1. Entryway via City Dwellin'

2. Living room via Charm Home Design

3. Dining room by Kay Douglas via Veranda. Photo by Mali Azima

4. Dining room by Christina Murphy Interiors via TRADHome. Photo by John Bessler

This is my inspiration board for the color scheme. Also, I love the wallpaper. It's very Great Gatsby.

1. Superfresco Easy Cinema Wallpaper, Graham and Brown

2. Emerald Table Lamp, Lowes

3. Credenza, Fabulous Mess

4. Parsons Side Table, Bungalow 5

5. Arbor Trellis Linen Print Pillow, Shades of Light

6. Quincy Pillow in Green, Joss & Main

7. Stockholm Three Seat Sofa, Ikea

Decorate Your Pencils with Washi Tape

Hi guys. I took a long break from blogging because I was reviewing for my licensure exams. And now that the exams are over, all I have to do is to wait for the results and go on with my life.

I have left over #2 pencils from the exams, five of the six pencils that I bought were not used. Of course I will still be able to use these in the future when I return to work. To make these pencils a little livelier, I decorated them with washi tape.

Bought these rolls of washi tape from Hey Kessy. Some of these are from their new collection.

Just cut a strip of washi tape with the same length as your pencil. Stick it on to the pencil and carefully spread it, making sure that there are no air bubbles left. Do this step twice, as the pencil needs two strips of tape to be completely covered.

Then when you're done, trim the edges and sharpen your pencils.

Tadaaa! Your boring yellow pencils are now bright and colorful.

Here's another shot of the finished product. Look how pretty they are now that they're clad in patterns.

This project is so easy, even kids can do this and use their decorated pencils in school. It's good to be back! I will write more on this blog now that I have enough time for it :)