Saturday, April 27, 2013

Focus On Life ~ Week 17: Color, Week 15: Aged Beauty


Am back again on track with the photo challenge. Had been busy the last 3 weekends. Will try to make up for it this time :-)

Week 17 first...Color.
How does color affect my mood? Profoundly! It brings an instant smile, a real happy one, and brightens up my day.
What made my birthday bright and sunshiny was this drawing my youngest niece sent to me


The drawing has everything I like...colors, lots of them, and a huge naughty smile :-)

The crocheted ball is something I picked up at the San Jose Amtrak station on my way to Santa Barbara. I have no clue what I will do with it...but I had to get it...see how vibrant the colors are...how energetic it makes you feel


This has been the easiest challenge for me. I cannot imagine a world without color, thankfully I don't live in a cold, snowy place. I would not like that much.

To see more colors...head on to Sally blog.
http://thestudiosublime.com/2013/04/26/focus-on-life-week-17

I have one more set of pictures to share...for week 15.
Aged Beauty.
I had to think quite a bit for this, trying to think of the oldest thing I have. I tried to remember what I had brought with me when I moved here in 1997, and I had my subject.

This is my Dad's briefcase. I brought my "important papers", diplomas, certificates, etc in it. And used it to store more paperwork as it accumulated...until I bought a filing box.


This briefcase brought back so many memories. My dad is enjoying retirement now, but in his younger days, he was a force to reckon with.


Scuffed as it is, it still reminds me of those days...when I was daddy's little girl, totally in awe of her superman daddy (and two things these are still true :-) I even bought a mini version of this bag when I started working at my first job. Sweet days, those were! I miss my daddy, can't wait to see him again!

39 comments:

  1. wonderful images and stories! thank you so much for sharing :)
    happy saturday and have a wonderful week!
    no. 14

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  2. i meant to add, i'm a daddy's girl too! he's coming today to stay for the weekend, and share my birthday tomorrow :)

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    1. And I am very very jealous you're going spend your birthday with him!
      Happy Birthday!

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  3. Well I live in a cold snowy place ... so my house is full of colour.... but I love spring and summer when I have a garden to play in... if only I could prevent the deer eating all my flowers!

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    1. I did live in the midwest for about 3 years, and did not quite hate it, but having been in California for over a decade, I don't think I can go back there. Even rainy days bring my spirits down...so snow might not be a happy thing for me anymore.

      Yeah, colorful and vibrant prints is the home decor I like too :)

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  4. I love the little ball against the drawing!

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  5. Beautiful colors! and your Dad's case is certainly a venerable piece! The little crocheted ball is for playing hacky sack - a game where you try to keep the ball in the air using only your feet.

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    1. Thanks Beti! I had to go look up "venerable", and yup, exactly what I wanted to say about it!
      And thanks for introducing me to hacky sack! I would never ever have known!!

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  6. Aww, I'm a daddy's girl too, I feel ya! And crochet ball my friend is a hacky sack, actually I think that may be a brand name I'm not sure how to spell, but a foot bag. Toss it up in the air and use your feet and body to keep it up. Play with friends in a circle for maximum fun. As a teen my group of friends would never be without one, any school break, bus stop, place to hang about - that's what we did

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    1. Daddys are the bestest! :)
      I just looked up hacky sack...thank you...sounds like a lot of fun!!

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  7. what a sweet post Kashmira :) from your Niece's card to your Daddy's briefcase. Family. It does (hopefully) make you smile

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  8. What a sweet drawing! Love the crocheted ball, too. I bet your Dad is proud that you still use his briefcase- such a symbol of a professional man, isn't it?

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    1. Thanks Janet. She's a sweet kid (atleast with me, lol :)
      My dad is a thorough professional, that's for sure, but I don't think he knows/remembers I have this with me! I should send him the pics ;)

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  9. Children do like to use bright, cheery colors don't they. Like a bright summer day.

    The briefcase - memories of different roles in life, huh. Plus you used it for important papers too, so what an important case.

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    1. Yeah! My niece loves drawing, with tons of colors :)
      And yes, important case indeed!

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  10. Lovely post, dear Kashmira. Your daddy's brief case brought many memories of my daddy too. So precious.

    Your photo shoots on colors are excellent. I am working on macro photographing. Tough.

    And by the way, Just Bead It is an excellent bead store in the city of Concord. I know Renu's store House of Beads too, in Walnut Creek. But I don't think I ever met Renu. Just heard the name through the grape vines. Do you know her?

    Now my next project is the anklet!

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    1. Thanks Dita Di! I saw your post of FB about your dad, he was a writer! Wow!

      As for the macros...just try to play with it without worrying about the results...it will all fall in place (that's what I do, never really know what I am doing!)

      Yes, I know Renu aunty, never been to her store though, her family and my family are friends...dad knows them since i was a kid.

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  11. Love the pictures of your dad's briefcase. You can tell how much you treasure it.

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    1. Thanks Mary! I had the briefcase tucked away in a corner behind a closet, and it was all dusty when I brought it out. Kind of made me feel how dad is treated these days too..he's retired...not as influential and powerful like he was, so a bit neglected. Made me very sad :(

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  12. Your niece has an eye for colour - love her drawing too.

    Funny - we came here in 1997 too... and our most important papers were in a similar briefcase (black): my husband's :)

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    1. Yes she does! She loves drawing, and my sister encourages her to do what she loves, just like you do with William :)

      What a coincidence abt the briefcases :)

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  13. I love how kids are not afraid to use color. It was sweet of your niece to send you such a sweet birthday picture.

    Locw you dad's briefcase. I'll bet it smells wonderful!

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    1. Yeah! I try to be that way, but sometimes hide my colors when I feel they might be garish. My toes are a BRIGHT yellow right now, but i doubt i would wear skirt that color ;)

      Hmmm...i shld go smell it :)

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  14. What a great drawing. I know that everything the kiddo draws for me has so much color and immediately brings a smile to my face. I'm sure your niece's artwork does the same.

    I love your dad's briefcase. It's awesome that it holds so many memories for you.

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    1. Thanks Tanya!
      I guess the colors are a great reflection of how the kids are feeling when they are drawing...happy and carefree!

      And the briefcase is going to stay with me always...even if I eventually empty it out :)

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  15. Bright vibrant colors make me happy and I can't imagine a world without color either.
    What a special keepsake to have from your father!

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    1. Am so glad nature gives us all the colors we need, isn't it!
      Yeah, love having that bag for sure :)

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  16. Happy Birthday Kashmira. What a fun present. That crocheted ball is pretty. Thanx for sharing memories of your Dad with us.

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    1. Thanks Becky!
      Oh, I could write an epic about my dad..maybe I should ;)

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  17. I love the birthday picture and the crochet ball is so colorful. Just having color around makes me happy too. The briefcase is a wonderful keepsake memory for you.

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    1. Yeah....all three things in the pics are happy things for me :)

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  18. Both shots are wonderful! The brief case is beautiful.......

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    1. Thanks Courtney! Hey, you're a pro photographer, right?

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  19. Your niece is very thoughtful. Lovely gift. I cherish drawings from my own children and now the grands. Your father must be a wonderful person. What a great role model to grow up with.

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    1. Thanks Mary, yes, she is very sweet :)
      And my dad...like I mentioned in a previous comment, I could/should right a book about him! He is an inspiration for many outside of our family too. Am blessed!

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