Ek Gerbera.
Anek Gerberas.
More scorching beauties to come…
Happy holidays are back. Its once again the time of year to bring back that optimism that took a back seat for a while.
A lovely friend of mine who passed away this year, left his message for us:
Go with the flow,
carve your path,
overcome obstacles.
Reach your destination,
like a river…
For a tough and trying year that went by, this is the time of the year for all happiness, love, understanding and peace to come around.
So, enjoy your holidays. Wish you a Merry Christmas. Lets us all look forward to a scintillating new year that becons happiness, peace and prosperity for one and all.
It is now time to eat, pray and love 
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There is strange electricity in the air these days… not just the dry static but the creative kind. Art is oozing from every corner, canvases, etsy and blogs. People are designing like they care a damn. These are great times.
To keep the tempo going, here is my free blog giveaway for the creative souls who want to make something special for their homes.A solid color handmade box with recycled paper that holds inspiration within.
Sturdy Handmade Paper Utility Box for Reuse
Open the box and what do you see?
About 20 handpicked dried woodroses, including buds and flowers from my place. They are delicate, exotic, long-lasting, down-to-earth and can be made into many lovely things.
What are Wood Roses?
They say that the botanical name for wood rose is Merremia tuberosa. It is creeper/ climber/ vine that grows like crazy in a short span of time and flowers only when is has firmly established its presence. While the fresh flowers are bright yellow, the dried ones are richly colored in shades of mahogany, brown, beige and tans. Each dried flower cracks open to reveal 4 seeds. These flowers are fragile but last for years. And these flowers are lovely.
Box full of delicate wood roses - So far handled with care
What’s the catch?
This is not a sweepstakes contest or promotion giveaway. It is simply a gift for those who want to create. You only have to want it so much that it will be yours.
I have two boxes full of delicate wood roses, packed carefully, ready for dispatch. Also note that the sturdy box is plain/ not branded and can be re-used for storage.
You have to create something out of these roses and share it with me so that I know you indeed made a good use of these beautiful roses. You need to share your photos of your creative project. It is this simple.
How do I get my free giveaway?
Just let me know and I will give it to you in a week’s time. If too many people ask, allow me the liberty to pick out the lucky two.
PS: While you leave your comment here, please do not provide your personal/ contact details in this form below. I will contact you with the email id you have provided here.
In case you missed your chance, I might be gladly compelled to make another box for you. Nothing makes me happier than seeing these wood roses come alive in some art lover’s home.
Getting Ideas?
Here are some ideas and inspiration for you to create something new. You can do anything with it… make an enchanting woodroses wreath, dress up your dinner table, adorn your candles, or simply place them where it touches your heart… these lovely dried flowers stay for as long as you care.
But then, surprise me! Inspire me!
DIY - Welcoming WoodRoses Wreath on your Door
Wood Roses with some dried seed pod inspiration
Surround your candle with woodroses
Magic starts after Twilight - Click on the image for this table centerpiece tutorial
Now, do you want this box?
17th March 2012 – BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Thank you all for writing and sharing your thoughts on these woodroses giveaway. Im pleasantly surprised to see how many of you love these flowers and want these to be yours.
Since I have only two boxes, I’m forced to pick out the winners randomly. There is no way I could select anyone based on their lovely comments. That would be so unfair.
So the winners of Wandering Mist Blog Giveaway are:
1) Sejal
2) Diane Melendez
Congratulations to you both. I will send an email shortly confirming your contact address. I hope that I see some lovely creations from your end soon. Please share your project photos with me.
And those who did not win but have melted my heart, I have a few flowers that I can give you. I will write to you soon and figure out a way to give them. But the deal remains the same. You have to make something out of them and share the photos.
It is easy to win when there is nothing to lose. I will be having more exotic giveaways soon, so stay connected. An easy way is to subscribe to this blog feed and stay updated on my upcoming giveaways.
Wander by again.
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Untitled - Oil on Canvas - 36"x36"
This hiatus has been long. But for all things good.
For growth. For change.
For re-charging the batteries.
For clearing the mind-clutter.
For focus. For clarity.
For absorbing more.
For rolling up sleeves and
For making some dreams come true.
“She turned her can’ts into cans, and her dreams into plans.”
Kobi Yamada.
See you soon!
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Winter morning. Warm Sunlight. Warmer Muffins.
Wake up to the aroma of freshly baked orange almond muffins… just out of the oven! What a thought! Just made real.
My inspiration to bake comes from my kid who loves anything pulled out of the oven. His love for these treats make me all the more adamant to bake clean-good stuff than feed him lard-loaded bakes from the local bakers! Not to mention the ever-increasing junk that comes with it (read synthetics, preservatives, colors, and many things gooey and weird).
Here is a simple recipe that wont take too much time or effort. Within half hour you will find a batch of warm, soft, orangy, fuzzy, crunchy, yummy, cupcakes ready.
Big Batch of Almond Muffins with Orange Juice & Peels
My ingredients are always approximates and keep changing everyday but to help you get the idea, here is the closest measurement.
Ingredients for Orange Almond Cupcakes:
- Flour – 1 1/2 cup
- Baking Powder – 1 1/2 tsp
- Oil – 3/4 cup
- Sugar – 3/4 cup
- Eggs – 3
- Salt – 1 pinch
- Vanilla Extract – 1 1/2 tsp
- Almond Extract – 1 tsp (optional)
- Orange or Lemon Juice – About few tablespoons or as per taste
- Crushed Almonds – a handful
- Dried orange peels – a handful (optional)
How to make Almond Orange Cupcakes:
- Sieve flour and baking powder together. Keep aside.
- Whisk eggs well.
- Add vanilla essence, almond essence, sugar, oil, salt, orange juice and mix well.
- Add almonds and dried orange peels.
- Add flour to the wet mixture. Mix gently.
To make Orange Almond Cake:
Grease your baking dish with oil or butter and dust with flour. Pour the cake batter immediately. Bake for 30-40 mins at around 170 degrees centigrade or until the toothpick/knife comes out clean.
To make Orange Almond Muffins:
Spoon the batter into cupcake moulds and bake for 15 mins at around 170 degrees centigrade or until the toothpick/knife comes out clean.
Crusty Muffin Top with Craters - An Invitation by Itself
My Notes:
- These cupcakes were born out of available ingredients in the kitchen. Anything that could seemingly fit in the taste meter was popped in. Orange, almonds and vanilla is a good combination. So it works. If you substitute orange juice with lemon juice, you get Almond Lemon Cake or Cupcake.
- The sugar can be adjusted as per taste. I generally use minimum quantity of sugar in the bakes. I do not believe in icing unless the occasion demands embellishment.
- Orange peels are the secret behind many tasty cakes. Follow the link for a quick and easy way to make dried orange peels that can be added to Christmas cakes, chocolate cakes, etc.
- The almond essence is not required unless you need heavy almondy taste. Since most of the available almond essences in the market are synthetics, it is really not needed. Go more on real almonds.
- Some people like their cupcake crust crunchy and browned. For this, you can leave them in the oven for a few minutes extra.
Try it out. Its really quick and fast. Not to mention, better than what you can possible buy. Drop me a note if it was worth the try.
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