Thursday 6 January 2011

The Friday Mix

I simply love Fridays… as it’s my weekend!! And weekends are a great time to meet old friends or make new ones… *smiles* Hence The Friday Mix is a simple blog swap… I’m blogging at Kamini’s Saffron & Silk today and she will be blogging at Colours Dekor. Would you like to blog swap with me?? Please email me on torresp27@hotmail.com

Hi to all you blog readers! Patty here has asked me to swap blogs with her today....have never blog-swapped before, so this is a first for me, and hopefully not the last!!!!!

I don't know about you, but when I read someone's blog, I always try to picture the blogger in my head...and wish I could know more about them as a person....who they are, what they do, their family info etc etc......I feel it just makes the blog more enjoyable. So assuming you feel the same way - let's start with introductions......my name is Kamini of Saffron and Silk, I am a mother of a 30 year old and am fast approaching that ripe old age of 50 which I used to think was the "prime of life", but when I see all you young bloggers out there, I feel ancient!!!! But like they say age is only a number (I always wonder who this "they" is?), but I am digressing. Back to me. I am an Interior Designer by profession, worked in the US in the retail sector for 10 years - a little bit of boat/marine design, a lot of commercial design and the last 4 years at Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, designing their Southwest California stores while imbibing huge quantities of their coffee during work hours!

Here is a pic of the store I designed in Marina Del Rey in California.....

After 23 years in Seattle, I moved to India in 2006 to take care of my in-laws but do not practice design professionally any more. So after mulling it over for a few months and to fill that design void, I started this design blog about 10 months ago. It started more as a place to record things that I find beauty in, as a hobby to while away time...but it has now become an all consuming, all pervading force...I live and breathe S&S.....my schedule revolves around my blog posts and my 6' x 6' study space is my home - what I call my blog spot!!! And yes, I'll admit it, I am a obsessive nagging neat freak.........much better than I was 10 years ago, but I still have an OCD about neatness!

So when S&S isn't taking up my time, I paint! I am an artist in a continuous state of learning, and sometimes feel I will never get to that "hallowed" place where I feel I know everything there is to know about the art of painting!!!! I am fond of oil paints probably because they are so forgiving, watercolors are my biggest nemesis and dry pastels and charcoals are what I use for a quick, easy, instant gratification, afternoon painting session!

Some of my favorite artists are - Deepa Vedpathak, Vishal Misra, Vrindavan Solanki, Jiaur Rahman - whose paintings I love and try to recreate. When I am not blogging or painting I am most probably gardening. I am also a bit of a health freak........so I am trying to grow as many organic veggies as possible in the backyard! It was downright impossible at first, but slowly things are beginning to grow. I love yoga/pilates and chances are that everyday between the hours of 5pm and 6pm I am sun salutating or pranayaming or am in some twisted asana pose in yoga class!!!

Ummmm....let's see what else? I love dogs, all breeds, all colors, all sizes, but my absolute favorite breeds are dachshunds and beagles. I have 2 daschunds, Lucy and Junglee....funny, clownish, affectionate creatures who sleep on my bed and keep my toes warm and snore all night! And as much of a neat freak that I am, I don't mind that they leave dog hair on the bed and wet paw prints on the floor!!! I have yet to figure that out...

Here is a recent pic of them in some ridiculous Santa hats!
I still dabble in design a bit, doing small fun projects for friends and a lot of unnecessary large projects at home. I love orange - orange orange, deep orange, light orange, burnt orange...anything! But lately I am feeling the pull of turquoise blue and deep pink, colors I laughed at a few years ago....?
So when I am not doing any of the above, I am probably reading or cooking, both hobbies I enjoy!

So there you have it....a little bit about me that I hope will make it more fun and enjoyable when you read my blog. Thanks Patty...this was way too much fun!

Hope you’ll hop on to Saffron & Silk… and be as inspired by Kamini as I am!! And if you want to join the Friday Mix and blog swap with me… email me on torresp27@hotmail.com

13 comments:

  1. I loved that office desk, very apt lighting added there..

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  2. So nice to read about Kamini, she seems so vibrant!!

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  3. Kamini - that was lovely! Your pics are beautiful and I loved the bit about the wet paw prints on the floor : ) precious!

    This blog swap idea seems like fun - 5 stars!!

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  4. Great Kamini, it was nice reading your blog here. Your dogs are really cute.
    Happy blogging!

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  5. Wow! I love those paintings N am drooling at ur study place! Pretty pretty pretty

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  6. Your dogs are cute... Smiling and mischevious faces. Your carcoal sketch is beautiful.

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  7. Lovely to know a little bit more about you Kamini! Lovely sketches, and that last pic is one of my all-time fav tabletop pics!

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  8. Loved reading about you, Kamini...how about designing a project for me? I would love it! :)

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  9. Kamaini..why dont you design my new home..???

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  10. Lovely idea, the mix up! both very talented ladies, fantastic blogs, warm personalities................

    :)

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  11. Lovely post,Kamini ---and it is so nice to know much more about you.

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  12. WAY TO GO Patty! Don't know how you keep coming up with these new ideas to keep the blog going :) Now I am off to read your post on S&S

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  13. Ksmini what a beautiful & personal post..i loved getting to know you more through this post

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