the no-shoes rule

One of the best rules we've instituted in our new home is taking off our "outside" shoes at the entrance and slipping into a pair of comfy "inside" slippers instead. It helps keep the house really clean -- something I very much appreciate at the moment because I'm doing the sweeping and mopping myself!

I've placed the shoe rack right next to the apartment's main door. The top shelf holds a bunch of house-leaving essentials (keys, pens, wallets, umbrellas, raincoat) and a delightful mint foot spray from Spa Ceylon, one of my favourite (albeit terribly overpriced) Sri Lankan brands.

The other racks are home to a whole bunch of shoes and sandals worn commonly by the husband and I. Honestly, this is one thing I'm going to ensure in any house I live in ever again. The floors look clean and the house feels far more hygienic -- I don't have to worry about germs hanging on to the undersides of my shoes spreading throughout the apartment!

moving day!

We've finally moved into the new place! Today morning saw us getting here bright and early with the packers. By noon, all the worldly possessions we had brought with us were lying in the kitchen. The day was spent unpacking and organising about half the boxes. 

Most of the clothes and kitchen items were at the top of our priority list, followed by books, DVDs and some decorative items to make the place look homey. Although we've had to leave most of our books and movies in storage in Delhi, we have some perennial favourites and a few new titles with us.

Check out the bookshelf -- it's my own interpretation of the gorgeous shelf unit I wrote about in a recent post. The shelf unit was already there. Everything else is ours, including some souvenirs picked up during our travels and a few cherished gift items from family and friends.

glassy goodness

A brief note about my profile picture and why I chose it. I came across this beautiful photograph on the Good Housekeeping website. It's part of great write-up about a few simple ways to dress up your home.

For me, this idea captures the essence of my whole Domestic Goddess project. It's easy, it's economical, it's environmentally responsible, and it looks absolutely lovely. It's going to be the first way in which I decorate my own apartment -- a few glass bottles with green moneyplants and dry grasses (if I can get my hands on them here). 

I'll place them on the windowsill of the open, so that the light filters through them and they get the luminous quality you see in the photo above!

Picture source: Good Housekeeping

from dorm girl to domestic goddess: the plan

WHY?

After 27 years of living in assorted places (my parents' home, college accommodation, hotels, transient flats), I finally have a home to call my own for the next two years in a brand new city. I'm inspired to make it bright and beautiful, warm and efficient -- a space for my husband and me to live a joyous life.

WHAT?

The plan is to learn and become really good at running a home: from cooking and doing laundry, to organizing and fixing things, to decorating and managing finances.

WHERE?

A compact, semi-furnished second-floor apartment in a small South Asian city on the coast.

WHEN?

December 2012 to December 2014

WHO?

I work (luckily, mostly from home). I love spending time with my husband. I read all kinds of books and enjoy intelligent television shows. Greenery makes my soul happy and high-heels make my soles happy. I occasionally come up with forced puns. (Consider yourself warned.)

HOW?

The idea is to explore all kinds of resources, and see what works. Websites, blogs, DIY guides, craft books, cookbooks, advice from my mother and mother-in-law, common sense, and whatever else is available.

SO?

This blog is meant to track this daunting journey and collect the best domestic tips and tricks I discover -- a collage of interesting things, a space for ideas and inspiration to flourish.

Picture source: There She Goes