Medusa Inspired Tea Kettle From Afghanistan

Hey Debdoozlers! Hope you are all in the best of health and happiness. This weekend I stopped by Afghanistan. What I really mean is the Afghan booth at the Global Village. My goodness, I think I've been to 15 countries this year thanks to that fair. I stopped by Afghanistan mainly to check out their beautiful rugs. Sorry I didn't take any pics, but just imagine unique, beautiful and quality and that pretty much sums up a rug from Afghanistan. Oh, don't forget pricey which would explain why I didn't bring one home. :-( One day, God willing ONE DAY!

Any way, on my way out I was stopped in my tracks when I came across these tea kettles that I like to call Medusa tea kettles. They were soooo cool. I wanted to snag one, but I'm really trying to get a grip on spending on household items. When budget's and desire's collide photos kick in and immortalize the coveted object. Here are a few shots I thought I'd share with you all.

So unique. Have you seen anything like them? Do you think I should have grabbed a set? Hmmmm…..

Thanks for stopping by! 

-Debora

New End-Table From India

Hey folks! We've had some crazy weather out here, but it's still nice enough for an evening visit to the Global Village. They are scheduled to shut down for the season by March 1st, but rumor has it they will stay open until April 18th roughly. There hasn't been an official statement made yet, so if you haven't been there yet, jump on it!

I have a few more things to share from my last visit. Today I want to share this beautiful end-table from India! I've actually been looking for a small Moroccan style end-table, but after searching for almost two years I had no luck. When I went to the India stall at Global Village I came across this cute table and fell in love. The white accents are actually inlay not a painted design. The best part about this table…well you'll have to scroll through to the end for the surprise! Enjoy the show!

Ready for the surprise? This table breaks down and folds for easy transporting. Isn't that awesome? Inside there are two latches that hold the table top to the legs. The legs are assembled with hinges all around so it could be folded flat. After disconnecting the top from the legs they folded flat and easy to package if you need to move, ship over seas or even give as a gift! 

Total awesomeness in my opinion. Such a simple yet super convenient design, if only all furniture could be folded down for a stress-free move lol. What do you think? Did I score? I just want to thank destiny for depriving me from finding that perfect Moroccan table because this Indian one sure is a perfect addition to our home! What unique pieces do you have in your home? Would love to know so leave a comment below! Thanks for stopping by!

-Debora

Gold Ombre Vase

Hello, friends! I have another 30 second DIY to share. I'm sure you all have plain clear vases chilling at your house. Give it a coat, or partial coat of paint and watch it glow in it's new makeover. That's exactly what I did with an old vase I was gifted for my wedding. It had beautiful lines and a great shape, but it was a little boring in it's clear glass form. I use my vase to store my flat & curling irons, and seeing the tangled black cords threw the vase was sooooo ugly. 

Before….

 After….

Huge difference right? I knew I wanted to spray it gold, but didn't want to conceal the glass entirely. The ombre effect immediately came to mind. To guarantee a nice fade towards the bottom of the vase I felt I would have better control by spraying the vase upside down. 

With the top of the vase now down I started spraying from the bottom up. I kept the spray can about 8 inches away from the vase because I wanted a very translucent look. I gave the vase 2 light coats around.

Spray paint tends to drip easily on glass particularly if you don't use a primer. Since I wanted a semi translucent coat I couldn't use primer. I had to make sure to keep a good distance with the can from the vase and not to spray too long to prevent dripping.

It's hard to see in the pictures, but when the sun shines in my room a lot of light shines through the gold and the vase radiates. It now conceals the ugly cords while simultaneously letting the light through. A little bit of a black accent from the handle peaks threw. I think it's perfect.  I can still use it for flowers since there is not paint inside, but I have to gently wipe it from the outside to prevent any scratches. I can also put a candle inside which really glows beautifully. I'll have to post pics of that latter. 

What do you think? A simple project that could really change a space, right? Give it a try and tell me how yours turns out! Thanks for stopping by! 

-Debora

Toy Chair Repair

Hello Debdoozlers! Today's fixer-upper is like no other. An innocent Fisher Price musical chair fell victim to my kids' wrath, but luckily I stepped in to save the day! I can't remember if the chair was gifted to Z1 or Z2, the point is one of them was very little when they got it which makes it old, but still in perfect working condition for Z3. Well, it was in perfect condition until the fateful day that met this chair. 

My kids, not sure which one of them did it because ironically no one broke it, stepped ( or maybe body slammed it? ) on the seat until it cracked. Before I could think of how to fix the crack they had completely broken a piece out of it leaving the electrical exposed.  

How about a close-up for dramatization? 

Geometric Pots

Hey all! I've been wanted to gather a virtual collection of geometric/multifaceted pots to share with you all starting off with my very own find. When I first saw geometric pots (which are also called multifaceted pots) I fell in love. Like seriously in love. I also thought they were only available for purchase online. Why would I think that? There isn't a thing I haven't seen out here in Dubai. Literally, after the moment I stopped searching for a reasonable purchase online I found my very own at Homes R Us, (what a unique name lol). Homes R Us is a popular furniture and house wear store located across the UAE. You can imagine the joy that overcame me when I found this little number below...

White geometric pot from Homes R Us. 

It's perfect in so many ways, but if I had the choice I would get the rest of these too lol. Enjoy the round-up...

Spiritual Friday: Updates On Goals for 2014

Hey all! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am late on my "Spiritual Friday" posts, but I'm finally getting them out. In my last post, I shared my newest discovery with you all. A life coach and personal trainer who was filled with loads of good advice. Some of the advice he, (Jesse Brisendine) shared was on setting and managing your goals. He inspired me to finally tackle a goal that I had on the back burner for way too long: physical fitness and health. I know, I know everyone wants to get healthy at the top of the new year, but for me the timing was just coincidence.

Since then I've been running and working out almost everyday with only a 2 day break in the week. I am so proud of myself for sticking to it this far, specifically because I've hit my 21 day mark. What is so special about 21 days you ask? Well my doctor told me it takes 21 days to form and stick to a habit. After you pass your 21 day mark your new routine should now be second nature and harder to break.

Removing Ink Stains From White Chairs

Hey hey all! Hope you are all well. I'm back with a punch today! A punch that will knock a stain out of a...let's say... a WHITE chair. :-) A couple days after I posted my reupholstered old green chairs I was surprised to find this new black accented detail on one of them.

The stain was darker. but I took this photo after I had already applied the remover on it. 

Spiritual Friday: Setting and Organizing My Goals

Hello Debdoozlers! I know my spiritual Friday posts are few and far between, but I guess you can say I’m about quality not quantity. Of course it sounds cliché, but it’s the truth, plus I hate rushing to put things out there and find that what I’ve posted is a bunch of crap. Here I am now doing it right or at least trying (o:

2014! I am so stoked about this upcoming year. My health isn’t up to par, my time management is still under works and my kids, well, my kids are a handful, and the hubster is so consumed by work that when he does have time for us, it throws off our routine lol.

Via 1Year 1000 Things Challenge

Twine Wrapped Lanterns

Hello Debdoozlers! Hope 2014 has been treating you well so far, if not, don't give up, the light always shines through! Unfortunately for these lanterns though, there won't be any more light shining through them :-P Don't worry, it's ok, because now they are brighter than ever :o) Today's project is twine wrapped lanterns! Yay! I love lanterns and I love twine and these two were a match made in heaven.

My last twine project was really fun and pretty unique considering twine has been kind of played out in my opinion. As a matter of fact, because bloggers have wrapped almost everything just short of their kids, in twine, I was discouraged to try another project with the natural fiber. After some thinking and wanting to salvage some lanterns I had that were falling apart, I went for the gold. I hadn't seen lanterns wrapped in twine before, and it was a perfect way to salvage mine.

Off I went. The supplies were simple-- hot glue, two small lanterns, thin hemp/twine rope. I got the twine from Walmart on my last trip to the states, but I've seen it out here in Dubai at Daiso, Carrefour, and Creative Minds (located in Barsha).

The lanterns were originally a weird dark brownish color. They looked like they were made of scrap metal, but were still cute. Many moons ago I decided to spray them gold and they turned out so beautiful.

Bursting With Turquoise -- Old Mosque in Dubai's Old Souk

A week ago a friend from Los Angeles was in town, so I put on my tour guide cap and took her to my favorite place. The Dubai Old Souk. I never get sick of that place. It's one of the oldest places in Dubai (if not the oldest) and frankly it's a breath of fresh air next to all the new and modern architecture. Near the Souk is a very old Mosque. I think it's an Iranian Mosque just from the style of the tile. Iranian mosques are famous for intricate and colorful turquoise tile. It is definitely aging and needs major repair, but it is one gorgeous mosque that leaves me gazing at it forever! Here are some pics for you all to enjoy!

It's so dreamy. I love this mosque. I think it is my all time favorite and am so happy that I'm finally sharing it with you all. What do you think? Have you seen a more beautiful structure on your end of the world or a place you've visited. Leave a comment below and thanks for stopping by! 

-Debora

Growing Sprouts for the New Year

This post has been updated as of Jan 13,2014 

Happy New Year everyone! What better way to start the new year than with fresh, green, new life in your home? It's a common tradition in the Middle East, Iran and other parts of the world as well, to grow sprouts from fenugreek seeds or black lentils. It's a very fun and simple project, brings new life and color in the home and you can eat it later too! Let's get started!

The supplies: 

shallow bowl such as an ashtray or condiments bowl/plate

small hand full of fenugreek seeds (or black lentils)

a few cotton balls

water to water your seeds

 First, take your cotton balls and stretch them out nice and thin. 

 Then, spread them out as flat and evenly as possible in your bowl.

Experimenting With Scotch Tape Expressions:Part 2

Hey all! This is my first post for 2014! Can you believe 2013 has gone by so fast? Of course you can't, but here we are :o). If you remember a couple posts ago I experimented with Scotch Expressions tape and wasn't too happy with the results. I gave it a second chance thinking that maybe the problem was the material I used the tape on. In that case it was vinyl. This time I tested the tape out on cardboard. I had a small cardboard box that I use to store the pedal and cord for my sewing machine. It was ugly and falling apart. I strengthened the box with regular tape then decorated it with the Scotch Expressions. 

Small cardboard box.

 Starting from the top, I wrapped the tape around until I reached my starting point and cut the tape. I repeated for each row following. 

When I got to the last row, the tape hung over. I cut the corners and folded the tape down to the bottom of the box.