Bring Your Walls To Life, Let The Colours Express Themselves

A house doesn’t seem finished without some great pieces of artwork on the walls. They cast a life into the bland walls. Whilst you have a numerous of varieties to choose from, wall paintings are one of the best options to complete your furnishing. One of the best online stores to get your artwork done is PortraitFlip for your home decor.

From the vast varieties, art forms have to offer, PortraitFlip has chosen some of the best options which are apt for a home. It is not only essential for the mental health of the people living in it, but it also acts as a focal point and helps to spruce up the walls.

The following are the diversification they offer in home decor according to the diverse audience they serve.

1. Buddha Painting 
Spirituality is the key aspect of many people around the world. What could be more soothing and refreshing than having to look at the beholder of spirituality every now and then?

2. Religious Paintings 

Human beings seek a purpose in their lives which is given by a religion. Having a symbol of your religious beliefs painted and put up will constantly remind one of o]the beauty of having faith in something.

3. Abstract Paintings

Abstract art is one of the best way to channelise the energy within one. What one feels cannot be better expressed than in the form of art.

4. Figurative Painting, Superheroes Painting and Celebrity Painting
Everybody has that one special person in life whom he or she idealizes and looks upon. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to recurrently look at the face who constantly reminds you to be motivated and focused?

5. Wildlife Paintings
Loving an animal awakens that part of your soul which could have never been otherwise touched. Animal lovers are so full of generosity, empathy and sentimentality. Your favourite animal brings out a quality in you. How about getting that quality boldly portrayed on the walls of your home?

6. Landscape Paintings
For the travel enthusiasts, a scene of beauty is a joy forever. Marking some exotic scenery permanently as a part of your home decor would definitely be so exciting. 

7. Flower Paintings
Each flower and each of its variety of colours is symbolic of a different emotion present within. Flaunt them out with your favourite ones being framed and involved as your home decor.

8. Pet Paintings
Pets are a very dominant part of the owner’s life. Their dismissal can be really woeful. Get your favourite picture of your pet painted and hence you preserve one of your favourite memories. 

9. Village Life
To be attached to one's roots is one of the best ways to stay connected to the pleasures of simplicity. Having a warm memory of your native place is nothing lesser than a blessing. 

10.Vintage Cars and Bikes 

For the young riders who behold their destination or the old ones, beholding the direction, having a picture of their favourite ride from the epoch being painted.

Apart from offering such a vast and versatile variety, they also offer a number of mediums of paintings, namely, watercolours, oil paintings, pencil or charcoal sketch, pencil colours etc. All these masterpieces work more than just decoration. These wall arts are a part of your interior design that carries you away in a flow of thoughts and releases stress.

PortraiFlip has to offer free shipment worldwide. Complete customer satisfaction is guaranteed. They assure 100% money back without asking any questions in case of a dissatisfied customer. Each artist give in their best for the smile of our happy customers. They have superior customer services and exceptional product value. With a multi-tire quality check process and lowest prices guaranteed, PortraitFlip definitely is the best website for this job.

Also, all sorts of customized paintings are done here and for any occasion. Be it Birthdays, Anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine's Day or any other special occasion; PortraitFlip happily customizes your portrait to make your gift very special and touching for your loved one.Some of our Completed gifting products are shown below. You can also see a list of their completed orders.

To order, you just need to upload your fond picture and select the medium and size. You are notified via email when the painting starts. After the completion of the painting, its sent to the customer for approval. If the customer require any revision, we welcome the suggestions wholeheartedly. The product is not shipped until the customer is completely satisfied.
*Guest Post

Infuse Your Home With Elusive Aroma ft. MKC Diffusers

Probably no one can resist a 'good' smell, at least I cannot. When I ponder so much about the fragrance I wear on my body, isn't it obvious to catch on the equal endeavour to fill my home with irresistible aroma too. Well! my current obsession while building up a collection of aromatic product for our new home includes the Siddharth by MKC Reed Diffusers. Sounds like a new name?? Lemme introduce the brand...

Brand Info:
Every space needs a little something more. To give your personal haven that sensory upgrade, Siddharth by MKC brings their selection of aromatic fragrances which brings the essence of the choicest ingredients for that invigorating experience. Siddharth by MKC is where retail therapy meets ethical, cultural and aesthetic values. All the indulgence, none of the guilt.

To begin with, the MKC diffusers come in 'classy' packaging. The moment you open the box, you're 'in' for a visual and sensory treat for sure. A delightful fragrance and the octagonal diffuser bottle placed against a floral cutout will win your heart in the first sight. The box looks no less than a sophisticated gift-set.

Each of the MKC Diffuser box contains a clear glass decanter (bottle) filled with aromatic diffuser oil and 9 reed sticks. The cork fixed on the neck of the decanter keeps the fragrance intact until you start using it. I liked the little cards hanging next to the bottle that clearly reads the descriptors of fragrance that you smell upon using the diffusers.

These diffusers are easy to use, as you just need to place the reed sticks in the bottle so that it starts absorbing the aromatic oil. After a while, simply flip the sticks so that the dry side of the sticks is now immersed in the bottle while the wet side is up to naturally spread the fragrance into the air. This practice can be repeated as and when you wish to boost the intensity of fragrance and experience a luxurious atmosphere around you.

I received two of many available variants in Carnal and Ittar fragrances.

 Carnal 

Invigorating freshness spiked with white musk and precious woods. It is a modern scent that evokes power.

Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon

Heart notes: Lavender, Precious Woods

Base notes: White musk, Sandalwood

Ittar 

An ode to Jasmine Ittar - the favorite perfume of the Nizams of Hyderabad.

Top notes: Jasmine, Orange Blossom

Heart notes: Sweet Pea, Rose, Oakmoss

Base notes: Musk, Woody, Cinnamon

If you are looking for something convenient and practical to spread subtle, continuous fragrance throughout your place, then a diffuser might well suit you better than any other options like aroma candles or room sprays. 

I like using diffusers as these are a better and exciting alternative to aroma candles for the reason that I need not to keep an eye on burning candles while deciding an apt corner to keep a lit candle in my house and there is no melted wax spilled behind. I don't even need to use a burner to heat up the oils, the reed sticks do the job. These are absolutely handy if you prefer a unadulterated and long-lasting scent in your cozy abode.

Both the fragrances that I used are genuinely relaxing to welcome me back home after a tiring day. I've been a fan of woody aromas of late and the subtly evocative Carnal diffuser with a blend of Bergamot and precious woods makes me feel peaceful at heart. On the other hand, Ittar diffuser has gently sweet and refreshing Jasmine scent perfect for the season. The diffuser oil used in all MKC diffusers is alcohol-free to offer us a pure sensory pleasure. Without being overwhelming to senses, these perfectly balanced scents are elegantly comfortable to smell.

The brand presents a decent range of diffusers variants to appease you with captivating aromas like Oak, Mist, Dew, Nectar and Velvet. Order your preferred aroma at Rs. 1100/- each. And when you make a purchase, you feel glad that the brand contributes a share of every purchase towards funding for health and education of underprivileged.

These diffusers are not basically ornamental, but with their attractive shape and golden etching, they certainly make a stunning focal point for any room's decor. It also makes a lovely gift for your loved ones to leave a lasting impression.

I strongly recommend to use MKC diffusers in almost every environment including your home, workplace, hotel room or any personal space to promote holistic wellness with these aromatic products and discover the transformative power of essential oils used in its fine blends.

Win Premium Bedsheets in #MyIconicHomeContest (Closed)

Starting from tomorrow, we will post one trivia question every alternate day related to the sponsor website Myiconichome.com or my blog on our "Facebook" timeline. 

All you have to do is to answer all the questions on the contest posts.

COMPULSORY RULES:

1. Subscribe to my blog via email and verify your subscription.
2. Follow Alive n Kicking PUBLICLY on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and YouTube.
3. Follow Myiconichome PUBLICLY on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram.
4. Share this blog post and every Trivia post on your Facebook timeline using hashtag #MyIconicHomeContest. Do tag both pages and atleast 5 friends (the more the merrier) while sharing.
5. After completing all 4 steps above, just mention your email address, Facebook, twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube names in comment section of this blog post (we will not be able to track your entry if you don't comment here) 

Prizes:

THREE lucky winners who complete the compulsory steps mentioned above, give all answers correct and are interactively engaged with us during contest will take home a beautiful premium quality Welhouse double bedsheet each. 

P.S. Your efforts will be closely monitored.

Its a sponsored giveaway, so I won't be held responsible for delay or damage of prize hamper in transit.

Winners Update (31.01.17)
Congratulations Latika Dheer, Aishwarya P Krishnammachary, Saloni Almal. Wait for an email from us to claim your prize.

Mattresses, Sleep Patterns & Online Buying ft. MyIconicHome.com

Every bright day begins with a sound sleep story of the last night. How you feel when you wake up every morning instantly revels about the night you had and the day to come. There is no better feeling than getting up all fresh and recharged after a good night sleep. To me, getting to sleep undisturbed is one of the most fulfilling reward everyone should cherish in this fast-paced life. Because

Do you know we spend almost one third of our lives sleeping? Hence, it makes sense to spend time, effort, thought and money on what kind of mattress to buy. Most of us feel condemn our budget for continual compromise in choosing the right sleeping surface that can be detrimental to our health.

If it convinces you to replace your not-so-ideal mattress, but you don't have the courage for the exhaustive exercise to go from store to store and feeling muddle-mind seeing the same mattresses at different price, I recommend buying one online.

Wondering whether mattress can be delivered at your doorsteps?? Well, yes! Here is a savvy online marketplace myiconinchome.com to help you make informative choices before you find the best mattress for your bedroom (and many other home decor and interior products for that matter)...

The 'iconic' features that store offers are-

Selecting a mattress is very personal choice. And if you are loyal to particular 'brand' since ages and want no looking at other brands, you will be pleased to know that myiconichome retails in most prominent brands in line viz. Kurl-on, Sleepwell, Spring Air, Nilkamal to name a few. And if you're trying to stick to a budget, the store has an array of options to choose from, starting as low as INR 3000 depending on your preference. So rest assure you'll find our best pick without burning a hole in your pocket.

The mattresses available at myiconichome are in standardized sizes. But these days, it's a common trend to get the customized furniture made for our houses. If this is the case with your bed also, then you might be looking for a place to get your mattresses custom-made.  You will be amazed to know myiconichome provides you the facility to make a call to them and obtain expert opinion on the mattress best suited for your requirement. The customer can not only put forward his concern about preferred material, but can also get the hybrid-style mattresses tailor-made on order beyond non-standard sizes. The stores also guarantees quickest delivery at 10000 pin codes nationwide. Kudos to the team! I firmly believe your hunt for the best store to buy mattresses online ends here.

Now, the last thing that you need to ensure is to consider the kind of mattress that guarantees you comfort of your entire body and has the ability to disperse while supporting your body weight, and conforming to your body shape. Ideally, a good mattress is the one that keeps your spine in a healthy alignment. 

Hope your bed will now be adequately prepared for a stress-free sleep.
Happy slumbering!

DIY- Plastic Planters In Cute Doll Shape

Let's make our home an expression of happiness. How about making someone welcome you with a cute smile every time you enter your home? Nope! I've not deputed an ever-smiling gatekeeper, but these are the beautiful planter-dolls that you may place at any corner of your house for a unique decoration with positive feel of greenery.

And if you want to make few for your dream house, here are the easy steps -

Material Required for 1 Doll:

• Large Plastic Pots - 3 nos.
• Small Plastic Pots - 12 or 14 nos.
• Brush
• Acrylic Paints
• Scissors
• Piece of cloth in Black Color
• A stitched dress for doll (Optional)
• Silicon Adhesive 
• A Piece of Rope

How to go about it:

1. To make arms and legs:

• Pierce a hole at the base of every pot.
• Place 3 or 4 small pots upside down one above the another.
• Take the rope through the holes pierced in all pots and attach them together putting a knot under the lowermost pot. 
• It will make either an arm or leg of the doll.
• Repeat these steps 3 times more so that you have 2 arms and 2 legs ready with you. (Make sure to use the same number of pots to make both the arms as well as both legs to maintain the symmetry in the size)

 2. To make the upper and lower portion of body:

• Place one of the bigger pot upside down and cover it with the sticthed piece of cloth to resemble like the dress of doll. You make completely skip using the cloth dress and paint the dress with acrylic paints.
• Now place two bigger pots over this dressed pot in such a manner that it holds the dress due to its weight. The inner pot is actually the one that will be used as real planter.

3. To attach the arms and legs with central body parts:
Use silicon adhesive to stick the arms and legs at the proper position. It will be easily done since the plastic pots are light-weight than clay pots. If it doesn't work, the piece of ropes can be knotted together to tie the body parts and then be painted beautifully.

4. Finally, paint the eyes and lips on the topmost pot with some cute funny expressions using acrylic paints and stick a stripped black cloth neatly on the back side of facial painted pot to look like doll's hair.

The happy planters are ready to decorate your garden, balcony, staircase or any neglected area of home so brightly. There can be a number of variations in designs depending on your creativity, time constraints, material available and ofcourse how passionate you are ;) There is one more design here.

Did you like this home decoration DIY?  Have you tried this kind of home decoration ever? If yes, I'm eager to know your creative ideas...

How Scented Candles Spread 'Shades of Joy' In My Home...

The decorative ideas for my home is the only thing on my mind these days.. Reason being, I'll be shifting to my new house very soon. So I've been really watchful for cute, quirky, funky and elegant decor pieces that can brighten up my space.

Besides those retro vases, beautiful wall decals, door hangings, bells n chimes and classic paintings that I've been amassing for years; I have a fancy for a special accessory that spices up any home décor so elegantly i.e. Candles.

Well! I feel there is a charm and magic in candles that we may capture by placing them at different corner of our home. Different kinds of candles can play significant role in creating the perfect ambiance. Out of wide range of candles available for accessorizing a house, the scented candles are my personal favourite. I received some scented candles from Shades of Joy in different colors and shapes.

It made me feel so special that the talented lady Ms. Karishma handcrafted all these candles exclusively for me keeping the Floral theme in mind and I'm so much excited to show you what she created with much love and interest :)

This set of four floral candles replicating sunflower design amazingly tickle the senses with their mild aroma and compliment interior of an aesthetically decorated personal space. I may place these short-heighted candles either on my bedside table, countertops or on wall mountable candle holders.

The long, pillar candles are always my most loved ones. Earlier I've used plain pillar candles in bright n dull hues depending on how I want to compliment my room. When lit, the candles infuse the room with therapeutic scents and never fail to cheer my spirits. But I swear, the carving done on this candle is so eye-pleasing that I can't gather the courage to illuminate my room by burning it up ;)

A few pieces of these candles here n there is an effortless way to bring along the feeling of an occasion even on ordinary moments and add dramatic flair to life.

I love the sculptural finish of this simplest flower candle that is ready to bring instant style and serenity to my home. The gorgeous nature-friendly shade of green is giving it an exotic appeal with sheer sophistication. It will surely be a royal addition to my decor pieces and will attract the eyeballs with a promise to enchant mood lighting.

This little, chic, curvy bodied candle looked so cute for its rolled gathering. I wish to locate these into small clusters of different color combination at varied angles in my living room to depict & enhance the softening, flickering effect of the candlelight.

Now, enough of the floral theme display... so here is one guilt-free indulgence for every sweet-tooth.. a cupcake candle ;) You may make a guess who in the family might have liked it the most..yup, my little boy. He has booked this tempting candle to be used as a part of his bday decor. No wonder! coz  it smell delicious and looks good enough to eat.

These incredibly pretty candles are no less than a masterpiece and stamp someone's creative sense. They can define your personal style, set your mood and can surely perk up your cozy home with a touch of elegance.

Feeling interested to get them crafted for your place? Do connect with Ms. Karishma at +91 9833198943 or by order by sending a DM at her Instagram handle.

I would love to know your tips on decoration with candles.. Please share some and spread joy :)

Deck Up Your Space With DecoHome

Enhancing your looks must be on your cards for the celebrations that are still on at this time of the year. But like we are so considerate for our appearance, the space where we are living should also be dressed up with an exclusive appeal. In this hi-tech era, when anything and everything is so conveniently obtainable online, I'm tempted to select the best range of home decor for my sweet home to jazz up its current look..and if you too are also looking for some home styling options, this post is gonna be your savior...

If you are racking your brains on how to give your house a luxurious look within budget, DecoHome is here to give your imagination as realistic feel that you always dreamt of. After every few years, we are fed up of seeing same kind of interior in our house including curtains, cushions, pillows, bedding etc. & want to bring in a change. Infact, its a trend now-a-days that every family member insists on adorning his/her space as per personal choices to feel more connected to it. To shop the most varied collection of curtains, cushions, tiebacks online in India, one just needs to explore the smart portal DecoEssential and you will be enticed to spice up your existing interiors with the trendy yet pocket friendly products which are designed keeping in mind the market trends. Not just that, you can simply pick a color theme that goes well with your house's exteriors and can add a pop of colorful accents.

But when your house is ready to strike in new avatar, the old/faded hardware show up their face spoiling the entire glam look. So why not invest some more bucks wisely and install quality curtain rods, blinds, valance etc so that your house screens itself seamlessly decorated. Usually we need to visit and hire a professional for this task, but DecoWindow is within our reach that promises to provide quality products online without stepping out of your cozy space. I bet you won't find this kind of service anywhere else that so keenly looks into the minute details.

Other than accessorizing your house, when you require to utilize the area within your house to the utmost practicality and are thinking of mounting wall shelves, brackets or any other kind of fixtures, you just need to switch to another dedicated section on DecoHome where you would find relatively inexpensive options for lovely wooden fixtures like door seals, bracket sets etc. Do not forget to light up your planting area with garden torches to zest up your leisurely time sitting in your private space :)

Decking up your our homes is much more simpler now without spending hours looking for appropriate place and person to shop for our sweet home. Just a careful eye and refined taste can do wonders to lay down our creative ideas online at DecoHome.

Second Blog Anniversary Contest Powered by HouseThis and Jabong (Closed)

Hello Everyone

Hope your homes and hearts are brimming joyously this festive season :) For most of us, Christmas and New Year celebration is the highlight of the fun-filled end of the year. To make your celebrations more exciting, I'm hosting a fun contest to celebrate my blog's second anniversary. yippee :)

This contest is powered by Jabong.com and House This and is sure to bring a smile on your face. HouseThis is one of the most fashionable home furnishing brand that makes your private space reflect your refined taste beautifully. A HouseThis product is not just a piece of fabric, it has been created to inspire, to allow you to express yourself. It is created to allow you to make your home an extension of you!

Remember, I shared in my FB post that my blog Alive n Kicking is completing two years on 5th Jan. So the giveaway starts today and end on 5 Jan, 2016 (midnight).

Contest Rules:

• Subscribe to my blog via email and verify your subscription.
• Follow Alive n Kicking, Jabong and House This on Facebook. 
• Follow me, HouseThis and Jabong India on twitter. 
• Follow me and Jabong on Instagram (optional)
• Answer in comments below this post "What's your plan to spruce up your home decor this new year?" The most impressive answer will be selected as winning entry that qualifies all the rules.
• Sharing the giveaway post on your Facebook and Twitter timeline is mandatory while tagging all the pages and your friends.
• Confirm your participation by leaving your details in the comments section below along with email id, links of shared post and tweet. 

Prize:
The winner will receive a beautiful hamper worth Rs 1000 from House This collection to fulfill their wish to decorate his/her house.

Look at some of the HouseThis products that I am loving ...

P.S. Its a sponsored giveaway and the prizes will be directly sent by the brand to the winner.

Coming Together For A New Beginning

“If you want to be happy, find a career doing what you love.” ...this line used to echo in my mind ever since I was quite young to think about working. I wanted to break out of my family's tradition of getting the daughters married after they complete their studies. I wanted not only to get educated, but also pursue a career I was wildly passionate about i.e. teaching. I had a gut feeling to choose teaching as my profession to unlock the door to success and fulfillment.

My daydreaming turned into action and I eventually got a full-time lecturership job right after completing my Masters degree. I considered myself luckiest amongst all the eligible candidates who had a powerful jack to secure that job position for them. But my stars and my academic credentials ensured that designation of great repute for me. :) I could visualize myself being an idealistic role model for the next-gen students since they would be able to relate to me more conveniently.

Few days at my workplace were genuinely welcoming, full of happiness and pleasure. I had humblest feelings of regard for my peers who were helping me in every possible manner to get familiar with the system. I trusted my good fortune and praised my colleagues too much for their moral support even at my home. Till the end of my first academic session, we all had built great rapport with each other and I was loving teaching and learning side by side. But this was the time, when I was shaken by the awestruck jolt to my faith. A colleague of mine who had developed insecurities due to my achievements and started feeling envious of my increased popularity, tried to spread irrational rumours about me and my work ethics. Though it wasn't unheard to me of someone who tries to steal credit of another person's efforts and defames anyone out of jealousy, but it was beyond my imagination that it could happen to me too. :( I would either continue working feeling miserable and hating my life or stayed at home giving one excuse or the other to stay away. 

When the sadness of my heart and negativity of my behaviour wasn't bearable, I burst into tears inconsolably at the dinner table that night. Mom wrapped me in her arms and took me to the terrace to have a word with me. We sat #together on a mat on the floor and she spoke her heart out in very simple words -- 

"Dear, this life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people as well. Even you and me are perfect at hardly anything. At times, we might also hurt someone just like everyone else. So firstly there is no point judging others on your terms. Over the years, what I've learnt is to accept others faults and choose to celebrate others' differences. This is the only key to create a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And when I say 'relationships', I don't only mean our family bonding, but it encompasses our co-workers and colleagues also. It is always in your best interest to work #together as a team. But if the circumstances don't allow you to do so; believe me that no one can ever steal the fruits of your labor by talking bad things behind your back. Just be certain that you will meet your own deeds in the future. So just try to cheer up and find your inner strength by not complicating things, because your negative attitude is stealing all the good things from your life." 

In this age after spending more than a decade in the same profession, I am actually wise enough to try searching for positive things about my co-workers and their behaviour. I don't feel discouraged by office-politics which practically exists at any workplace. But that memorable day when I spent few moments of getting #together for a upbeat conversation with mom have dictated me the real worth of being optimistic, motivated and passionate for relationships, specially when they don't come to please me as per my wish. Now life seems to #LookUp to a purpose at last and the world seems a place to live better :)

Housing.com

Co-incidentally, the conclusion of my story harmonizes with the vision of Housing.com that aims at helping people concentrate on the most important aspect of their life i.e. company of loved ones :)