Life is all about little beginnings,

of new things,

of new hobbies,

of new life,

of new directions,

of new seasons,

of new thoughts,

of new emotions,

of new phases,

of new experiences ,

of new roles

of new us.

Here are a little glimpses of new beginnings that Monika has made this year

The child with his dad learning and loving to drive the baby sized All Terrain Vehicle

New buds, blooming flowers always bring happiness, excitement and joy… a beginning which is always welcome

In our hindu customs, Fire is the beginning of all things good and new and we begin the new year with fire too

Adding that little personal touch to anything makes it worth that much more and a special gift. A small note, a few words, a thoughtful wrapper or box, a photograph from yesteryear are few ways of doing that.. Snapfish gives you the option of creating gifts with a photograph of your choice, or photographs in the form of a collage, a poster, calendar and so much more. In this new year, here’s to new ideas….

They have now come up with playing cards that can be customised. Pick a photograph that you love, and want to see as many times as possible, get a set of playing cards done with that photograph and voila, your wish is fulfiled.

How easy is that?

Imagine, if your daughter or son has just graduated from college and is good at poker or other card games, you can create personalised Playing cards and send them out as gifts to their close friends or your family members. It is a cool way of not only giving people something they love and enjoy but also giving them something to remember you by!

And guess what… the 1st time you register with Snapfish.com, you are given a surprise offer too…

Go on… place your 1st order rightaway……..

`There is so much we dont know within our own city, and at times revisiting places gives them a new perspective, adding to our knowledge and treasure chest. Deepa Mohan shares the experience of visiting  one such place in Bangalore..

One of the most ancient temples in the Bangalore urban area is the Gavi Gangadheswara Temple, in Gavipuram, in the Basavanagudi area. “Gavi” in Kannada means cave, and the temple is situated in a low-ceilinged rock cave.

Your best friend welcomed the new year by tying the knot. The fun and activities that began post Christmas seemed to have gone on till Dec 31st and beyond. Spending time with friends, travelling, and watching a friend take a leap into the next phase of life are all memorable events. Now that you are back to base, and to routine, there are days when you look back on the photographs taken during the trip and reminisce. How about creating a canvas of  a few select photographs and sending it out as gifts to your newly married friend?

What a wonderful idea, right?

All you need to have is a Snapfish account and a collection of photographs to choose from. Infact, now Snapfish even offers an order of Canvas portraits at an unbelieveable price.

Once you are done registering, spend some time on the various Canvas printing options to choose the format that you fancy. Thereon, all it takes is a few moments and you are done creating your portrait…

Ship it directly to your friend and hold your breath for the excited phone call… Nothing can beat the joy you find in your friends voice and the precious memories relived through the prints….

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
~Lao Tzu~

With the dawn of the new year comes the opportunity for many to make a fresh start, try their hand at something new and challenges… There are many who take life changing decisions while others look for new venues to make their current position interesting. It could be travelling to a new destination, Changing gears and moving to a different career path, or simply taking a hobby to the next level. Sathish Kumar who has a full job has taken to Photography and is now experimenting, learning as he goes. Here he shares some of the shots taken during the past few days, which not only caught his eye , but are breath taking moments as well.

The morning sun reflecting in the waters is a sight worth getting up early for. We were on a holiday when i decided to rise early and see if i could capture the sunrise.  Walking along the waters, listening to the silence while the birds came awake slowly was magical.

The bright coloured leaves scattered across the floor, felt like a reflection of our lives. We are all working on so many different things, trying our hand at a multitude of activities, sometimes we lose control and get overwhelmed.

Visiting temple is a weekly activity, but that particular day i had carried my camera along. Watching the women across flower shops and fruit stalls sell their wares, i noticed this one stall selling yellow threads. The woman said “this is the sacred thread, meant for women who are looking to get married and those praying for the long life of their husbands”…  I was amazed and fascinated with this concept… but who am i to question belief!

What is it that you are doing new this year?

A new year has arrived, bringing with it new dreams and hopes! Every year we make plans, sometimes even chalk down a few resolutions, and as the year progresses, these get lost in the daily activities while other times it seems like Life has other plans for us. Nithya shares a few photographs that she says are all about looking at life from a different angle.

One morning my husband called me at home to say “I have been granted a few days off, shall we go to Rajasthan on a roadtrip?”. I was taken aback and questioned him on this sudden plan. But, eventually did give in, and off we went on a road trip from Mumbai to Rajasthan, making the most of the journey. As we drove along, we spoke about life, the years that had passed by and how much our lives had changed. It now revolved around the children, putting our own personal dreams on the back seat. That was when we decided to change things.

We made a pact to set aside time for each other, and for one self, doing whatever we pleased for that hour or few minutes. It was as if we were looking at life from the outside.

As we roamed the streets of Udaipur, the palaces overwhelmed us. But what caught our eye were the many windows across floors, which was a common factor in all the structures. It felt like the Gods were giving us a sign, asking us to step back, and start afresh….

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Here’s wishing you all a Wonderful New year!!