View allAll Photos Tagged Realizations
"It is a difficult thing to say in what ways can significance be determined. Stature or width or volume or height; all of them possibilities, but who knows what is right? The more I explore what I seem to find, is that nothing can stand up to the mind."
Kallur Lighthouse, Kalsoy, Faroe Islands
Self Realization
It is crucial to understand that when we die, it is only the death of the human body; the spirit (our soul) lives on. When we die our soul loses its physical connection with the world which we know when we are alive.
Everything we do in this life, we should do with the conscious awareness that the consequences of every action will carry on after we leave this world; that our soul will bear the burden of it.
With this thought should come a realization; what is the purpose for us to be in this world!
Inner peace and happiness actually comes from a clear conscience which keeps our soul at peace!
Let me elaborate this point with an example – If we help someone in times of need, or give food to the poor, these actions will not result in any monetary gain, but these actions will fulfill us at a spiritual level because our soul will reap the rewards of these actions, even after our exit from this life. On the other hand if we cheat or steal money from someone, this action might result in a temporary gain of a monetary benefit, but will lead to a guilty conscience - which is the unrest of our soul. It is our soul which will have to face the consequences of these deeds.
So whatever we do in life, please do keep in mind that every action will result in a positive or negative reaction from our soul. So if you truly want to create a life full of inner peace and happiness, be fair with others, keep your word, and be kind and generous. This approach to life will rid us of corruption and dishonesty & will steer our lives in the direction of success and prosperity.
Maryam Arif
raw
I don't care if you hate this or if it gets no comments or favorites or if everyone ignores it. This is for me.
Today I had many realizations. One, photography is something that is starting to grow on my even more, and it's a passion that I hope never dies.. Two, I am not in love. Not even a little bit anymore. It was a tough realization and it didn't go without many tears, but I can't love anyone right now. Maybe I'm incapable. I always want to think Sameer and I were perfect, but we were not even close. So many things were wrong with that. And I'll never be able to forgive him for what he's done, and how he's treated me. I'm done with living leaning on someone else all the time, and I'm moving on to live for myself. And now, I'm on a journey to discover the identity I need through photography and through living the way I always should have.
This is a beginning.
Frannie was a year behind me in High School. She was so cute and vivacious. She still is...
It's wonderful that we are still friends...
Miss Cecily, my beautiful wife, shot this photo with her iPhone 6 Plus.
Photographed in the Self-Realization Meditation Garden. It is a cliff top garden high above the Pacific Ocean 🌊 in Encinitas California - Cardiff By The Sea
IMG_0584
Shot with a Minolta CLE
Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 lens
Fujifilm 200 (US) film
Shot at EI 200 and developed normally
Developed by The Darkroom
Scanned with a Coolscan 9000ED
~ in bloom are the tulips purchased this past Friday...
~ and so is the realization that happiness is a decision...
A happy, creative, wonderful Monday & new week ahead in all possible ways for everyone!
P.S1: the picture is almost SOOC, really loving Northen light in Spring ~
P.S2: the album of our new home has been undergoing quite a few changes, until it reaches to a name fully representing itself. It seems that borrowing the name of this English wallpaper, with which the main living room wall left as we enter has been covered, fits more appropriately than anything so far. So The Pearl Birches House it is for now therefore :) Some more pictures here ~
Some info:
~ mirror: vintage 50s scored on ebay 3 years ago
~ storage system: 3 Besta / Ikea units 120 x 40 cm with white shiny doors, horizontally adjusted next to each other.
~ glass candle holders: Bloomster / Ikea {on my wish list since about 4 years, happy to have got them this Christmas for myself}
~ wishbone from a birch tree in the garden of the house I grew up in Greece. Belongs to my tiny collection & it's the medium sized one.
~ paper bag: for various household uses found in almost every supermarket.
~ handwriting: done with a permament silver marker
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A night view of Cesenatico port canal, whose design and realization is usually attributed to Leonardo da Vinci (I am not sure how solid the foundation of this claim are). The canal is provided with a modern water gate to protect it from the incoming waves when necessary (but such a device could well have been present since the beginning, as Leonardo was an expert hydraulic engineer).
On the left there is St. James church (a XIV century church rebuilt in the XVIII century). In the canal you can see some of the traditional boats parked there as part of the exposition at the Marine Museum (sorry, it looks like the site is only in Italian). Since 1986, during Christmas time, these boats become populated with 50 wooden life-size sculptures creating a very peculiar Marine Nativity scene.
During this photographic session I was thinking of Leonardo conceiving, designing and surveying the realization of this canal. I found myself brooding over the fact that ordinary people dream by night, whereas a genius is always dreaming - especially when she is awake :-)
I have blended three HDR images derived from a 3-bracketing, -1.67 ev/0/+1.67 ev, generated and tonemapped with Luminance HDR 2.4.0 (Fattal, Reinhard05, and Mantiuk06 operators).
I am not fully satisfied with the result of this scene (especially the spot lights, which have proved to be beyond recovery (grrr!), so I hope to receive useful comments, suggestions and critics helping me to understand what are its weak points (and possibly how to avoid them in the future).
Luminance HDR 2.4.0 tonemapping parameters:
Operator: Fattal
alpha: 1.49
beta: 0.92
Saturation: 0.81
Noiseredux: 0.05
fftsolver: 1
---
PreGamma: 1.55
Operator: Reinhard05
Brightness: 1.0
Chromatic adaptation: 0.28
Light adaptation: 1.0
---
PreGamma: 1.18
Operator: Mantiuk06
Contrast Mapping factor: 0.88
Saturation Factor: 0.5
Detail Factor: 2.2
------
PreGamma: 0.48
Drifter; development 2008 to 2016, realization 2017
In addition to early designs, the exhibition features new, previously unseen work by the Dutch duo Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta – the founders of Studio Drift. Specially for the presentation at the Stedelijk, Studio Drift will create the largest-ever installation of Fragile Future. At the core of the installation will be Fragile Future Chandelier 3.5 (2012) acquired by the museum in 2015. Another highlight is Drifter, a floating concrete monolith measuring four by two by two meters. After making its world première at New York’s Armory Show in 2017, this magical installation will be on display in the IMC Gallery at the Stedelijk. The film Drifters (2016) and the installation Materialism (2018) go on view for the first time. In total, the presentation comprises eight of Studio Drift’s room-filling installations, together with a selection of films.
The work of Studio Drift occupies a unique place at the interface between tech art, performance, and biodesign. As a museum that has always placed great importance on both art and design, and performance, the Stedelijk Museum is the perfect venue to display this transdisciplinary work. Gordijn and Nauta engage with contemporary topics such as sustainability, the meaning of natural processes for today’s environment, and issues raised by the use of augmented reality. Their work focuses attention on a society in flux, shaped by the impact of fast-paced innovations, without judging.
We saw this bloke (whom we suspect to be a British tourist) fish on the rocks for hours on end, with apparently not catching anyway. The. It dawned on us: the mother-in-law must be visiting.
Why the parenthesis around (Old) in the title? you might ask. Well, I've come to the realization I've reached an age where one must be careful about calling people old. Stones and glass houses...
The Old Man and the Sea was required reading when I was in middle school. One has to wonder why as Hemingway actually wrote some good books.
Hello Everyone!
I had a realization today. I go on this website almost everyday, sometimes multiple times, and have interactions with all these different photographers, yet I know almost nothing about them. The same goes the other way, many of you do not know me, and I want to reach out and share something of myself with you. I appreciate every comment and the people who regularly view my work and want to write something more personal today. So, here is a list of ten things about me.
1. This photo was taken in my bedroom. I think one's bedroom is a very personal place which is why I chose it as the setting. Here I am, passed out on all the pillows, which is very similar to how I awoke this morning.
2. I am a vivid and regular dreamer. I actually keep a dream journal because I dream so regularly and usually have crazy dreams. I typically dream of people I know but with a fantastical twist. I decided to express these crazy dreams of mine through the clouds hovering above me.
3. I am very close with my family. My mom is one of my best friends.
4. I love waking up in the morning and drinking a cup of warm coffee.
5. I have always been an artist. I actually started my creative journey as a painter and recently discovered photography. I loved painting, but I believe photography is my true passion.
6. I am in college. Next semester I will be traveling to Rome with one of my close friends, Helen. She is lenimiss on flickr :) Check out her photos they are wonderful!
7. Music is another one of my artistic outlets. I love to sing and play guitar.
8. I am an introvert, but I am not shy. I can actually be extremely talkative!
9. I love physical activity and run often. I used to do gymnastics and wish I could be a dancer. I find dancing so inspiring and liberating. I appreciate everyone with that special talent!
10. Lastly, I love to learn, and that is one of the reasons I am so drawn to photography. I am continuing to learn and grow with every shoot and that process is incredible.
Wooo that was a long post! Feel free to share something about yourself as I would love to get to know you better. What would you like to share about yourself that helps define who you are?
Self-Realization Fellowship Temple on Sunset Blvd in East Hollywood. (Established by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1942.)
thoughts, confessions, realizations & quite a few pictures around our home shared here ~
have a wonderful rest of the week everyone :)
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Realization washed over her in alternating waves of pain and numbness.
"If we don't end war, war will end us." - Words by H.G. Wells
For The People of Ukraine
Millions of people around the world want to find practical ways to show solidarity with Ukraine.
Here is a list of organisations you can donate to and help people affected by the terrible crisis. Every little helps. 'Thank You'.
Help for Ukrainians in Poland. Important addresses and telephone numbers.
P.C.P.M. - PILNE: Pomoc Dla Ukrainy - URGENT: Aid for Ukraine
The U.N. Children’s Fund in Ukraine
Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal with Adrian Lester
for Flickriver - Sophie Shapiro
I would like to thank everyone who takes an interest in my work. I am truly grateful. Please take good care of yourselves in these uncertain times. Keep well, safe & inspired.
Kind regards,
Sophie
.
Everyday my dreams come true
In every moment I feel it new
I see those dreams right begin
For every step I run
How persisting can these dreams be?
And how persistent can be the motivation
That every incident in my present life
Brings me nearer to the realization
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© All rights reserved. Use without permission is illegal
Please do not add graphics in comments
Amazing architecture and inside decor. I am posting now some picture of the interior. Tantalizing... really beautiful.
Notre Dame Cathedral of Ottawa is a masterpiece created entirely by our architects and sculptors. It belongs to a class of wooden and stone churches which bears witness to a fine building tradition, and it ranks among some of the inspired works whose great beauty comes as much from their magnificence as from the profound faith of the artisans who crafted them.
Today the spaciousness, majesty, and sacred character of the interior of this cathedral strike the visitor just as they did a hundred years ago. In the reigning dimness, one soon makes out the long, narrow, and high central nave, with its line of imposing Gothic arches running from the entrance all the way to the main altar. On each side, bundles of slender columns divide the nave from the aisles. Supported by these columns and covering the side aisles are terraced galleries that look out into the nave and help to define its vastness. Above these large arches runs a blind arcade, with three arches per span, which accentuates the rhythm of the nave. Over each segment stands a high window. In the sanctuary, the large arches progressively open up to a view of the windows set in behind them, the blind arcades display their theatrical decor and the high windows look like beams of light beneath the imposing sculpted flowerlet that terminates the lierne and unites the ribbing of the apse in a crown above the main altar.
The most surprising and fascinating aspect of this sanctuary is the richness of its Gothic ornamentation and the originality of its iconographic programme. It is in studying the decoration and especially the sculptures of the sanctuary that the spirit of Canon Bouillon's utmost creativity becomes evident. Strongly inspired by a long medieval tradition and influenced by the neo-Gothic movement, this iconography is at once complex yet coherent, traditional yet innovative, symbolic yet largely accessible. Although it has a traditional air, it bears the markings of its nineteenth century central-Canadian roots. The sanctuary of Notre Dame of Ottawa permits us to enter into the circle of a great assembly: patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and saints gathered around Christ, amidst the angels, in the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem. But surprisingly, in different niches of honour, we recognize Saint Joseph, patron saint of Canada, as well as Saint John the Baptist, and St. Patrick, patron saints of the Archdiocese of Ottawa.
The ornamental ensemble of the sanctuary conceived by Canon Bouillon was realized between 1876 and 1885 by a team of craftsmen, carpenters, and sculptors, the most familiar being Philippe Pariseau, Flavien Rochon, Olindo Gratton, and Philippe Hébert. Often the same men who laboured at the cathedral site also worked on the Parliament Buildings. Most of these men lived nearby and were either parishioners or fervent admirers of Bouillon, although some were total strangers to the city, such as Philippe Hébert, a Montreal artist whom Bouillon summoned in 1879. At that time this young sculptor had neither a job nor prospective employment and was planning to move to the United States. He later became famous throughout Canada for his monumental bronze sculptures, and the cathedral prides itself on having more than sixty of his wooden sculptures: his greatest sculptural ensemble.
The first series of stained-glass windows installed in the cathedral dates 1879. Made by the English glassworker Horwood, these windows consist of geometrical motifs painted in grisaille and embellished by light touches of vivid colours.
Most of them were replaced between 1956 and 1961 by a series of 17 historiated windows, continuing the tradition of teaching biblical events through pictures in glass. They are the work of Guido Nincheri of Montreal, and tell of the mysteries of Christ's life and that of the Virgin Mary.
Of particular prominence is the large window located just above the cathedral's main entrance. The tall figures painted in the centre of this window represent, from the left to right: St. Patrick, St. Paul, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Peter, and St. John the Baptist.
At the entrance to the sanctuary, in the two lateral rows joining the nave's side aisles, have been erected secondary altars of sculpted wood, covered with gold leaf and decorated with precious stones; they are rather like the shutters of a giant triptych of azure and gold.
The altar located on the left side of the sanctuary was built in 1879 and dedicated to the Sacred Heart. On the right side of the sanctuary is the altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin (pictured). Built in 1885 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is the most splendid of this church's three altars, and Canon Bouillon's final realization in the cathedral. Really a masterpiece.
The Treasures of the Cathedral
The collection of sacred vessels, liturgical vestments, old silverware and antique oil paintings which are in the possession of the cathedral is precious and of great interest. Most of these artworks come from Europe, and are mainly of Italian origin.
A chasuble and a stole in cloth of gold, part of a superb enselble of rich liturgical vestments.
Golden chalice decorated with precious stones offered to Alexandre Vachon (sixth bishop of Ottawa), by his mother, on the occasion of his ordination to the priesthood, May 22, 1910.
Golden chalice decorated with six enamelled medallions, offered to Canon Georges Bouillon on the occasion of his golden jubilee, January 25, 1924.
Golden chalice richly decorated with precious stones and twelve enamelled medallions, offered in 1886 to the Diocese of Ottawa by les Dames de Ste Anne, very likely on the occasion of Archbishop Thomas Duhamel's installation as first archbishop of Ottawa, July 24, 1886. In addition, from the same collection, a golden ciborium of the same style, but wthout any inscription.
"n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk."
I am filled with dread at the realization that this is the new it thing here....two more coming soon. I just need to say, I must have been temporarily crazy to decide on this combo. UGGGGGGGGGGGH...and if someone requests these, take the nice little price you envision and immediately double it. Even then you will feel like you caught the short end of that, LOL!
© Daniela Hartmann, flickr.com
In order to be an immaculate member of a flock of sheep, one must above all be a sheep oneself.
(Quote by Albert Einstein)
The letter "S" of my keyboard is striking. It tell_ me _omething of _elf-realization. That'_ fine by me. Now, I am _itting here without that letter ^^. I will try to _olve that problem before the peaceful revolution will expand. Hopefully your keyboard i_ o.k. and no letter i_ di_cu__ing the meaning of life with you.
_____________________________________
Um ein tadelloses Mitglied einer Schafherde sein zu können, muss man vor allem ein Schaf sein.“
(Zitat von Albert Einstein)
Der Buchstabe "S" meiner Tastatur streikt gerade.
Erzählt mir wa_ von _elb_tverwirklichung. Na, wunderbar, da kann ja jeder kommen, wo kommen wir da bloß hin? Ich ver_uche die friedliche Revolution irgendwie einzudämmen, bevor eine_ Tage_ auch einer Deiner Buch_taben Dich mit einer Blume begrüßt und ander_ _ein will al_ die anderen Buch_taben....
Ich habe dem "S" aus Draht Füße gebastelt und eine kleine Stoffblume angeklebt. Mit Sekundenkleber bleibt dann auch die ganze Konstruktion auf der "Alt"-Taste stehen. Weil die Tastatur doch ein wenig langweilig aussieht, hat das Foto in Photoshop noch einen blauen Anstrich bekommen.
All my images are copyrighted.
If you intend to use any of my pictures for non-commercial usage, you have to sign them with © Daniela Hartmann, flickr.com. Please write a comment if you have used it and for what purpose. I would be very happy about it. I am curious about the context in which the image is used.
If you have any commercial usage, you need to contact me always first. USE WITHOUT PERMISSION IS ILLEGAL.
You find some of my photos on Getty Images.
My name there is "alles-schlumpf".
Besting Damian was the easy part. The more difficult task was convincing Jim to allow me to detain him in the cave, fortunately whilst he may want to even the score with Damian the realization that Damian knows that Bruce Wayne and Batman are one in the same was enough to make him agree. Nice to see he still has faith in what I claim to stand for. It’s seeing people like him believe in me that keeps me going.
Tim was able to successfully rescue his father unharmed much to my relief and it appears as though he’s managed to patch things up with Miss Brown…..or the Spoiler as she seems to be going by these days. At first I chose to withhold who the Crimson Knight claimed to be. I couldn’t be certain without another DNA test to be sure. Sadly the results came back positive. All this time. The man who has been fighting me for control of Gotham has been my son. My own flesh and blood, trying to kill me. Certainly not how I expected this to go. I was certain that it was going to be Ra’s or even the man who led the Pêna Duro prison revolt.
I want to linger on this discovery. Learn what it is that Ra’s did to Damian to make him into this monster. But deep down I know that time is against me. The last thing I can do is stand still. He’ll be coming for me, and I need to be ready.
”I know I hoped for you to one day have a child of your own Master Bruce, but I was rather hoping you wouldn’t do so until you finally chose to hang up your cape and settle down.”
”It’s as much a shock to you as it is to me Alfred.”
”I can only imagine sir.”
”It’s just…..my own flesh and blood…..fighting against me…..trying to kill me…..”
”It’s painful, isn’t it Master Bruce? The sense of betrayal, the feeling of failure that you weren’t able to stop them from making that bad decision.”
”You still think about what happened to Julius?”
At the height of the cold war Alfred and his brother both operated in the Soviet Union, gathering intel for MI6. One night the KGB paid them a visit and abducted Alfred, but left his brother unharmed. It turned out Julius had agreed to sell Alfred out in exchange for being granted asylum with the Union. They executed him two days later for spying. It was only after a prisoner exchange organised through the United States government that Alfred was released. I dread to think what he was put through during his time in captivity, but it was enough to make Alfred consider leaving the service. Were it not for the intervention of the head of MI6, Alfred would have left the service there then. Instead it would be the events of the Santa Prisca revolts that would lead him to retire from the service. It’s after his retirement that Alfred met my Father.
In a way, were it not for the events of Santa Prisca I wouldn’t have Alfred today and that’s something I dread to think of.
”Yes. May he rest in peace.”
Alfred never likes to talk about Julius. He prefers to remember the good times rather than what his final act was.
”I’m sorry that I’m bringing up those memories again Alfred.”
”It’s alright Master Bruce. I just hope you can do for that young man what I couldn’t for Julius.”
”Let’s hope so Alfred. Let’s hope so.”
”How long do you think it will take for him to get here?”
”He’ll be coming with the full force of the League. At best I’d say we have two weeks.”
”You think he’ll come for the boy?”
”I’m certain of it. We need to be ready.”
”Shall I send work to Master Dick?”
”No. The last thing I need is him worrying before it happens. He’ll just get in the way. Have we heard anything from Jason?”
”Nothing. I suspect his comms have been destroyed though. I sent a feedback signal and got nothing back from them.”
”We can only hope.”
”Shall I dispatch the Batwing to Greene’s house sir?”
”No. We need to consolidate our forces. If Jason’s out there, he’ll make it here by himself.”
”Bruce……….”
”It appears your son wants a word with you.”
”So it would seem. Where’s Tim?”
”Last I heard he said he was going to visit his father.”
”Glad to hear. Keep trying to reach Jason on his comms. If he doesn’t respond we’ll have to begin preparing a contingency plan.”
”Brucie……..”
”I’ll deal with our guest.”
”Very good Master Bruce.”
I raise my cowl over my face and walk down to the brig. There in the middle cell stands Damian without his armoured suit and with a smug look across his face. He’s had that look on his face ever since he regained consciousness in the cell much to my annoyance, all because he knows that he holds the advantage. Ra’s will be coming for him and he’ll bring the entire League of Assassins with him. Even with all our allies, we’ll be outnumbered.
But numbers aren’t everything.
”How long do you think it’ll be before he comes then Father? I reckon it will take him ten days to assemble all the League’s forces and bring them to Gotham.”
”Ra’s won’t make a move until his agents are in place throughout Gotham. Fourteen days is the best case scenario.”
”So……you’ve accepted the truth. I take it you ran another DNA test then?”
I nod for a brief moment or two.
”I’ve accepted the truth of where you come from. That doesn’t make you my son.”
”What I being taken in due to pity does?”
”All three of them are more like sons to me than you.”
”I’ll enjoy ramming my sword through you heart when this is all over. Gotham will soon be known as the City of the Demon.”
”Not whilst I still draw breath.”
“That, I intend to remedy once I’m free of this cage. You know this won’t hold me Bruce.”
”No. It won’t. But it will give me extra time. Enough time for me to turn the tide in my favour.”
”You keep telling yourself that Father. It’ll make it all the more glorious when you fall.”
”I’m sorry Damian. If I had known, I would have tried to save you. Instead I seem to have damned you to life of servitude.”
”I serve no-one!”
”I think Ra’s disagrees.”
With that I begin to walk up back to the batcomputer where Alfred’s desperately trying to reach Jason.
”Sound proof the cells Alfred.”
”Are you sure you really want to do that Master Bruce?”
”No. But I have no choice. It’s clear where Damian’s loyalties lie. I can’t have him knowing of our preparations.”
”So this is it?”
”I’ve known that was only a matter of time till he came for me.”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. For a brief moment I’m at peace with my thoughts. Batman’s fight for survival may be over. But Bruce Wayne’s is about to begin.
”We’d better start making preparations for the Endgame protocol.”
”Yes Master Bruce.”
Two weeks. Two weeks to be ready. I just hope that’s enough time.
Kendall Katwalk, part one - from Hikes of 2024.
This was a really fun hike. I'd been looking forward to the "Katwalk" for some time, and I believe I had in fact wanted to do it the year before, but conditions and timing didn't pan out. This hike didn't disappoint, and I did keep going beyond the Katwalk to see Gravel and Ridge Lakes.
It was during this particular hike, in fact, when I realized my Nikon was no longer functioning, which is why you won't see any 35mm photos for the rest of last year's hikes.
Image made with my Innova 6x9 Pinhole.
Another reality of this journey we're on is our willingness to change. Whereas in the past, I would never have posted this photo (taken in 2015), I now have no qualms about it. Things that bothered me then seem like superficial trivialities now. The dreaded super-close-up, with crows feet on full display, made me shudder back then. But what makes me shudder today is the realization that vanity can only lead to a pervasive neurosis, and that in turn can strip us of the freedom and joy by which natural and unfettered personal expression can flourish. Live and learn, Leanna!
I was a child of the 90s, but I still grew up with 1970s Barbie. Over the years I began to acquire a collection of playsets, fashions, and dolls from the 70s. But ultimately, my passion for Barbies of the 70s was sparked by one beauty. While "treasure hunting" at the flea market sometime in 2003, I spotted a very old, hot pink box with the "fancy" Barbie logo. Inside the box was the original SuperStar Barbie. I had no idea how old she was, but when I looked at the date, I was shocked to see that Barbie was twenty seven years old, more that twice my age. My heart went out to her--I felt like she had been in prison for nearly 30 years.
For the next week I went on and on to my dad and sister about SuperStar Barbie. I thought she was magnificently beautiful--I loved how she resembled her cartoon so closely. I also fancied her hot pink dress...I thought it would look incredible on my Sparkling Jasmine. The next weekend Dad took me to the flea market and bought me SuperStar Barbie, who I dubbed "Shayla." Within minutes of being in the car I freed Shayla from her "27 year prison cell." For some reason, I attempted to undress her (perhaps because I wanted to try it on Jasmine who was with me at the time). I came across the horrifying realization that Shayla's dress was fused to her body. Dad, using a pocket knife, surgically separated Shay from her dress while I held my breath in anticipation. Somehow, Dad managed to removed the dress with no damage to it. Shayla had only a few clumps of fabric stuck to her torso, but was otherwise alright. Shayla is the number one reason I forever swore off keeping dolls boxed.
Not long after, I stumbled upon an eBay listing for Ballerina Barbie and Cara. I fell in love with Cara--she was a vision of true beauty. Poor Barbie never stood a chance. I begged and pleaded with Dad to buy me the two. When that didn't work, I cried. So Dad bought me the pair even though he had instated a "no more eBay" policy at our house. The night they arrived, my sister and I took them to our camping trailer where we frequently had sleep overs (even though the trailer was parked in our front yard). Within seconds of me opening the shipping box, Cara's two arms fell cleanly off. It's a good thing that she was eventually repaired...even though it took nearly ten years!
My sister and I always had luck finding playsets from the 1970s. One of my favorite pieces in my entire collection is the 1973 Beach Bus. The day we bought it, we also got several 80s and 90s patio/beach playsets (I specifically recall that we got two grills). Ever since, Colleen and I always played with the Beach Bus, as well as the other sets (namely the grills). I became madly obsessed with the Malibu dolls that were advertised on the box. I was thrilled when I found a reproduction Malibu Barbie at K.B. Toys sometime later. Then one day, Dad bought me two tattered Barbie cases filled with 80s Barbie dolls at the Salvation Army. Inside one of the cases were TWO Malibu Barbie dolls, who I named Aubrey and Ali. They were technically named when my sister and I secretly played with dolls one time when I was eighteen. Even though I had two "authentic" Malibu Barbie dolls to use in the Beach bus, I still insisted on using it for my "modern" dolls like Jasmine, Mary-Kate and Ashley, my Bratz, and my other favorites. Malibu Barbie is perhaps my favorite Barbie doll ever made. At this time, I have six Malibu Barbie dolls--each I have found a creative excuse for buying. For example, I have used "I need that outfit," "she's only fifty cents," and "the poor girl will rot here," as excuses. I'll be honest, I'm still tempted to buy more every time I cross paths with a Malibu Barbie at the flea market. I always feel a pang of regret when I pass one up.
Even though 1970s Barbie dolls existed twenty years before I did, they are still a beloved part of my childhood, just as newer Barbie dolls, Bratz, and Disney dolls are. As an adult, some of my earliest finds when I began collecting again were from this decade. I love and cherish every doll, playset, and fashion that I have been lucky enough to incorporate into my collection. I still find 70s Barbie dolls just as magical and exciting as I did the day Dad bought me my Shayla doll. For me, it was SuperStar Barbie, Malibu Barbie, and the Beach Bus who made me fall in love with the 70s...and they are also the reason I became enamored with the American Girl doll Julie Albright!
The Self-Realization Fellowship Encinitas Retreat, Hermitage, and Meditation Gardens is a spiritual retreat, monastic ashram, and meditation gardens in Encinitas, California, United States. Its famous golden lotus towers rise above the white wall along Highway 101 near Swami's Seaside Park.