In a quest to find the right Garnet

It all started on the Tuesday morning when Sra announced the theme for Week 2 of the  Fifty-2 Weeks of 2013. I had checked my mails earlier that morning and had made a mental note to check the group's page later for the theme. And guess what happens next. My daughter calls long distance and asks if I had seen the theme. She was pretty excited for it was a photography based theme. I replied in the negative and went on to check. Meanwhile, she was also logged in and we spent the next 20 minutes on facebook chat discussing potential subjects, vetoing few, the excitement growing with each idea
 
The colour Garnet was chosen for the week's photo based theme.
Thinking aloud we put forth whatever object that came close in colour to garnets.

Pomegranates - veto; a dear friend has a very nice picture for her profile!
Mixed fruit jam - possible, but would it not be too pale?
Grenadine syrup, rose syrup - for I had a bottle of each; check 1
Kumkum - veto, we just posted it for a theme in another group
Red roses - no fresh flowers, what next
Jewellery - veto Cannot go to the bank and operate locker / no costume jewellery on hand
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So much thought went in that I even suggested to her to see if my mother had, somewhere, stashed my primary school blazer :)
Colour Garnet sat in my head, gnawing my brain so, that I would send Niki Facebook messages that would read "Qatar's National flag" or "West Indies Cricket uniform".
I even told her to check if, in my mother's cupboard, she had saved a 'Hero' pen, for, they would usually come in a deep maroon or a beautiful chromium green with the golden cap.
And as I walked around my house with this purpose in mind, I was stumped to see 'garnet' which otherwise I have not noticed at all.
How do you choose when, wherever you turn, you find a subject beckoning to you?



For one, my prayer room altar is a vivid burgundy pink; two carpets in my living room have predominantely maroon-brown thread work. On the wall, there is a Chinese shell painting - I vividly recall, the shopkeeper telling me that peacocks bring prosperity. She instructed me to put the art piece on the Southern side as the back ground in the frame is garnet!




My walk in closet has a whole range of shades that grow/pale in accent, but all nearly passable as garnet.

Not withstanding, I have two non stick stew pots, coated at their maroon best. My pantry has red chowri beans and rajma and red chills that are not nearly red, but as brown-red can get; only at this point I was not complaining!

And there lie dozens of sticker bindis that sit safely inside a biscuit tin among safety pins, hairpins and more. My sister had given them to me, so I can give them to a spa assistant, but they somehow never reached her.

I tried to create some activity mood and tried these.

My camera kept clicking whatever I sighted and turned the lens on to. Meanwhile Niki had done her assignment, and I liked hers much, but both of us agreed that we will still give it more thought before we post. Then finally, she just shot her bangles and posted too, while I was still toying with ideas.
I am sharing a few pictures here, but posting another in the group's page. Have a look at that and the many other nice and very fitting-to-the-theme creative shots; it is just a click away from here.
I had brought in two plants whose leaves are beautiful by themselves; when I cannot find flowers in the garden, I cut these leaves for my vase at the work table. I did so today too and there ended my quest for the garnet! I have a picture to share and my vase is holding these beauties that bring a smile every time I pass by.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures that nearly went in as my entry, but stalled for want of a better idea.
Now go check the compilation of Week-2 on Facebook and stay tuned for many more, for our theme-week ends only on Monday.