Memories ~ Warm recollections ( part 3)

Memories are made of these..........

 How do you 'can' a day ? 

Those days that seem so perfect

that you want to access them whenever the need arises ...

Hello and welcome to the concluding part of 'Memories....warm recollections'. It was great to talk about memories, to hear some of yours and to talk about lots of mine and also to smile through all of them. Last week, Boisali Biswas shared some lovely moments from her life that had been so beautifully preserved and transformed into wonderful memories. In case you missed it, you can find it here :)
Today, I have some wonderful friends here who are sharing a page or two from their diary called memories with us , so let's hop on to that part NOW :)
Anuradha Varma does'nt need any introduction I'm sure. She's the person behind that dazzling smile and the blog My Dream Canvas. It was the first blog that I ever started to gawk at and following it was but a natural consequence . The lovely images on her blog along with those happy thoughts took me to a faraway land that I always wanted to visit. Later, when I got to know her as a person, I realized that she was a lovely person as well. Most down to earth and so easy to connect with. In fact, she was the one who introduced me to the blogger world which eventually led me to starting my own blog, so that is how special she is :)
 She loves to travel and bring back a souvenir or two from her travels . This is how she makes the most of them :) In Anu's words .....

" I believe that a home looks happy if it is made up of a happy collision of memories and experiences. For me my home reflects where I come from, my personal taste and my travels. While we shop at stores, buy pretty things and decorate our homes......what makes it unique is how we present it! 
When you bring in something that is yours, be it a family heirloom, or something with a story to share...... you are giving your home its own unique character. I have just realized that my home is filled with quirky things, which may not be of any value to anyone but mean the world to me! I use a lot of my own photographs from my travels and hang it around the house, I collect vintage style maps, I have sea shells from my trips to the beach in a jar, I  a collection of postcards that my Dad sent me when I was little on a wall. I could go on and on.......but you get the drift :) So be different, live your life and your experiences through your decor. You will be surprised how much fun it can be :) Go ahead and  personalize your home and weave your memories into your decor

These are images of how I use shells from various beach holidays in my decor! A constant memory of a happy time :)

That's a lovely way of incorporating memories into your decor and making them a part of your daily life instead of tucking them somewhere in the closet . Does'nt it look pretty ? !! :)
Thank you Anu :)
Images : My Dream Canvas.

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Parama Ghosh is a wonderful person I recently met ( online ,of course) but her easy going nature and lovely aura makes me feel as if I've known her forever. If you want to know her better, do visit her blog Potpourri and make sure you don't miss her home feature there. I instantly fell in love with this boho girl ( who carries off a long printed skirt with a head gear with equal ease just as she carries a saree , looking stunning in both ). She is just the girl next door whom you would love having over for a cup of evening chai along with Haldiram's aloo bhujia ,while you gossip about the world and end up feeling good about it too ;)  Here she shares something really unique about herself which she bottled up in the most fascinating way ;) Here is what she says ...

It was raining in January that year. There is perhaps nothing unique about the January rains, except for the fact that you may need an extra blanket at night. But there WAS something special. It was the first rain of the year. And suddenly, I had this stomach-squeezing, heart-itching desire of collecting the first rains in a bottle. (Yes, I am weird. I keep collecting things that makes me happy. Sea shells, rain water, sand, pebbles, ‘butterfly-shavings’ from a sharpened pencil, train tickets...the list is as long as Rapunzel’s tresses).

On the hottest day of the summer that year, I bottled the rain water and penned down a favourite song of ours on it. It was a no–occasion gift for Mr. Mostly-Right. The lyrics of the song, loosely translated would read: “I promise you a cloudburst on the hottest day of the year”.  My message in a bottle. A promise forever.

Isn't that unheard of ?? She is a girl after my own heart . What a lovely way to 'bottle up' a moment and to make memories out of it :)
Thanks Parama :)
Images : Parama Ghosh.

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Last but not the least , a friend I made some time back, Vandana Choudhury, who is not a blogger ( yet) but has the most amazing aesthetic and decor sense that I've come across. She's a lovely person and has the most amazing smile that reaches straight to your heart always encouraging, always there to lift up your spirits :) I am so happy to have her  sharing some wonderful memories with us here :) So let's hear it from Vandana.


"What a beautiful subject to write on. In this context, I must mention that I shall be walking along the path that leads me to my cherished memories. Memories that bring in a smile and cheer to me and not the unpleasant ones which I would want to let go of. We all have fond memories  that are our constant companions, those, that would never ever leave us,no matter what.Why not open your box of treasured memories as you read on?I read this quote somewhere...'The best thing about memories is making them.' Those random memories pop up anytime, anywhere.Where memories are concerned, 'down memory lane' is the most obvious phrase I have come across.It is not that we visit memory lane once in a while.Rather, I would say memories are always a part of our lives. At least, in my case,they are always with me along my journey of life.True, specific things help these memories to spring up,bringing along with them so many faces,so many incidents and so many emotions.I feel memories give life so much character.Today,I shall be talking about those  happy memories,little things that evoke those emotions of joy and happiness in my life. I hope you experience unadulterated happiness and your smiles  stay on as you join me in my journey through memories.
The 'taal pata r haat pakha' or the hand fans made of palm leaves were something I came across during one of my trips to Dilli Haat. These were being sold as  pieces of decor to adorn our homes with. These instantly took me back to my ancestral village which  did not have electricity when I was a child.I remember my paternal grandma would fan me with huge fans made out of palm leaves.How cool it felt!Today,I have kept a couple of these fans, not just as pieces of decor but something that make me smile and fondly remember those days of fairy tales and star-studded skies.

  Who would ever forget these 'boyaam' or ceramic jars? These have so many stories to tell.I guess, they are also known as 'barnis' in some parts of the country.These days we have a whole lot of varieties in different colours and textures.But as a child,I would only see the white and glazed brown version of these.And what do I remember these for? Well,jams and jellies and pickles!Those lip-smacking guava jellies my grandma used to prepare, would be my absolute favourite. It is no wonder then that these  ceramic jars ('boyaam') remind me of her, her culinary skills and her unconditional love for me!

 Very , very sweet and touching indeed. In fact. these are things connected with my childhood too. Those boyaams are still used at my parents home for pickles, especially mango pickles and I still ask my mom to set aside some for me every summer when the mango season arrives :)
Thanks Vandana :)
Images : Vandana Choudhury .

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It's been really refreshing and rejuvenating going through these lovely moments ( some from your life, some from mine) that seem so mundane when they transpire but they actually turn into some of the best memories with the passage of time that we can ask for . So, whenever we go through a lull period in life, instead of mulling over what's lost and what we could'nt achieve , why not torture ourselves with happy memories and thoughts of times gone by ?  Good idea !
Thank you Anu, Parama, Vandana and Boisali for your contribution and to each one of you who has contributed to this post in the form of comments and messages. I  shall cherish each one of them :)
See you soon....so long.....keep those memories alive :)