GiddyNiddy

Monterey. Carmel by the Sea. 17 mile drive. Pebble Beach. Drinks at the Bench.
Checking all the tourist boxes 😀
17 mile drive courtesy of our 17 year old driver 💕

Doing what tourists do in California ❤️
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Spring/Summer mantle love ❤️ Dreaming of backyard wine evenings and lush gardens 💭
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On my recent trip to India, I found this incredible piece of jewelry at a street vendor near my parents home. A bit of cleaning/polishing and changing the middle fake stone to a pearl gave this piece a new lease on life. Wish I had taken a before picture. It was literally a diamond in the rough waiting to be discovered and elevated. I will definitely enjoy wearing this finger ring that encapsulates India in so many ways for me.
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This is easily my favorite picture wall in the whole world! It was so much fun to go through the many magazines with my daughter and put this together when we redid her room as she entered her teen years :) It’s been over a year since we did this. I love going into her room and looking at the pictures and other little trinkets she has added on the wall along the way. It reminds me of a happy day spent with her ❤️
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I have the most talented big sister in the whole world! She is definitely a hard act to follow.
She has way too many talents to list here altogether! For now, sharing this beautiful granny square crochet blanket she made with merino wool. It looks delicious.
Of course, like a good little sister, I have appropriately reminded her that I have a birthday coming up in err….like 8-9 months so plenty of time for her to make me one too 😬 Sisters are the best! ❤️
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This cake topper for my absolute favorite 17 year old in the whole world! Can you tell that he loves tech along with his love for robotics, and football! I wanted to add shoes too and books (his other two loves) but ran out of space 😀

So, my mom asked me recently, until what age I plan to make cake toppers for my kids. I told her 18. I think that’s a good age to stop until they especially request one for their birthday. Given that once 18 they will be heading out to college and might be far away on their birthdays 🥲 The thought makes me sad :(
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This Pixie Lime Peperomia has come back from the brink of death a few times! Phew….still one of my absolute favorites 😍
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It’s customary in India to eat something to freshen up your mouth and breath, after a meal. The most common mouth freshener is fennel seeds though there are gazillion other things that are available in the markets in India. I used to bring some back with me every time I visited India, but now you get enough variety right here in the US! I put all of the different ones I have in this little tray so my guests can enjoy them too. And bonus, some of this stuff is great for digestion too.
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New addition to my Ficus collection thanks to @gguntor
The leaves on this fig are stunning! I would call it love at first sight 😍
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A simple and easy DIY winter centerpiece for a table. Few pine cones, few branches of pine from our backyard, a leftover floor tile, throw in some candles, and voila! Beautiful, warm, and inviting 🌲
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In India winter months are synonymous with certain foods that are considered nutritious and appropriate for the weather. Black sesame seeds are one of those important ingredients for winter snacks. I had made these jaggery and roasted sesame seed laddoos for my family as part of celebrations of Makar Sankranti festival that Hindus celebrate to thank the Sun God for his blessings of warmth and glowing rays. They are delicious as well as nutritious treats to satisfy the sweet cravings. Super easy to make too 😋
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My hubby’s birthday is synonymous with Pineapple upside down cake. His special day is just a little less extra special without it! 😄I gladly oblige every year. Cheers to your health, happiness, and success U ❤️One day of the year where you can have your cake and eat it too 😁
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Fresh brewed ginger chai and morning sun ☀️ Good morning!
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According to legend, a girl named polka dot begonia died under the paws of hungry wolves in order to save her father. When villagers brought her back to the village, her blood left a trail the entire way. Later, the places spilled with blood were covered with red mountain flowers. They named these flowers after the girl.

The story behind Polka Dot Begonia. Mine decided to throw some blooms for the first time ever ❤️

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A new mantle deserves a new art piece 😊 I love animal silhouettes and this one I made fits perfectly on the new mantle. Coming soon to my Etsy Store as well.
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The new and improved fireplace ❤️
Thoughts?
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Some bottled up old stories waiting to be set free.
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Propagation station! If you are like me, you don’t just trim your plants and then throw away the cuttings! We cut and we propagate. We are the crazy plant people. The more we have, the more we want!
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This beauty is going under the knife next! It’s growing taller and does not want to branch out. Hopefully this trim will force it to 😀
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****Fireplace Remodel - BEFORE****

One of my last projects of 2021 was to bid goodbye to this builder grade fireplace and change it to something I always wanted! Reveal coming soon. One of my most exciting projects for sure 😀
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It was time for this fiddle leaf fig to be repotted. This beauty is 8 years old and had become severely root bound. It’s been a mother plant to many as I would propagate cuttings every time I trimmed it and shared the new plants with friends.
With my husband’s help I finally repotted it around Christmas and hopefully gave my beloved tree a new lease on life. I hope it will throw out some fresh leaves to show me it’s happy and content with the extra space ❤️
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First snow day of 2022 ❄️ ⛄️
These cutest little clay figures are still one of my absolute favorite clay art made by my now almost 17 year old back when he was about 12 ❤️
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#2022

May 2022 be so bright that we all need shades! Health. Happiness. Joy. Love. Success.
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#2022

Thank you @smarangella for this awesome idea and recipe. Just boil a few sprigs of fresh rosemary (I still had some in my veggie garden. It’s pretty cold hardy), boil it in water, let it cool. Strain the water, and store in a spray bottle. It’s ready to use. Spray it on your scalp daily for healthier hair.
Felt like doing a quick sketch of rosemary to go with the post 😊
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We are always looking for interesting places to visit when we do road trips. This graffiti tunnel in Atlanta GA, on our recent short n quick road trip, definitely checked that box.
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Merry Christmas to all 🎄May this holiday season be joyous and filled with time with your loved ones ❤️

A group of 14 year olds putting together a gingerbread house village, leads to just two completed homes and a whole bunch of missing candy 😂
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What’s holiday time without fresh baked cookies! These delicious M&M cookies courtesy of my 14 year old daughter. Baked from scratch for her school friends and Bball team. Marked and laid out clearly with instructions for all of us. We each got to eat one 🙄 Oh the generosity! 😂
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Another custom cake topper. This one made especially for a super sweet 16. Can you guess that she loves to crochet? This sweet teen is old school and loves all kinds of crafts. A talented young lady indeed ❤️ Happy Birthday A!
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Like every year, our homemade, hand crafted, Christmas tree is up and decorated. I plan to sit under it on Christmas Eve to remind the kids that I am their gift 😁 ha ha not sure how that’s gonna fly 😜
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What an amazing experience to see and hear the incredibly talented and the most accomplished living opera singer of our times, Andrea Bocelli. His performance in DC was as surreal an experience as I have ever had! He sang along with his 9 yr old daughter, his 22 year old son, the beyond talented orchestra, the choir, the Soprano and the Baritone artists, and the host of other performers, and dancers, who definitely made this an unforgettable evening. Our very first Opera experience, but one that we would love to repeat in a heartbeat. There was so much more to this concert than what I can express in words.
Like @celinedion once said “If God would have a singing voice, it must sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli.”
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