Name that Photo Contest!

(You'll forgive me if I go for that "purple with a hint of magenta is in the red family" thing, right? Especially since I'm desperate for your help? I'm not above groveling you know. *grovel grovel grovel*)

This is one of a series of three images I created this weekend of a purple (oops, I mean reddish-tinted of course) chrysanthemum. I'm really pleased with how the turned out and would like to list them in my etsy shop. The only catch is I'm utterly and completely stumped for titles, or at least for titles that aren't "Purple Chrysanthemum 1, 2 and 3". 

So here's where you come in:

Put on those creative thinking caps you've all got and suggest some titles, either for the series or for the individual photos. If I choose your title for the etsy listing I'll send you a 5x7" (or metric equivalent) copy of your choice of the three images.

To keep things straight we'll call the photograph featured here "Purple Chrysanthemum 1". Purple Chrysanthemum 2 is here and Purple Chrysanthemum 3 is here.

Leave your entries in the comments please, and have fun with it. I can't wait to see what you come up with. (Ok, actually I'm desperate, so please play. Pretty please with a cherry on top?)

UPDATE: THEY'VE BEEN NAMED AND LISTED AND CAN BE FOUND HERE, HERE AND HERE. CLICK TO SEE THE IMAGES AND THEIR NEW TITLES IN MY ETSY SHOP.

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

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If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

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Summer Stock Sunday - 1st Grade Graduation

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No worries for those who've asked, we're not still sick - just buried under an avalanche of end of the year activities, extended work deadlines (meaning my project still hasn't ended), studying for the IBLCE exam in late July, and a host of other commitments...

Continuing last week's end of first grade theme, another major event in the calendar was Maya's graduation ceremony. (Israeli elementary schools are very big on end of year events, each kid has had numerous different ones, most during non-school hours and all requiring various purchases and attendance commitments by their parents, hence the atrociously neglected state of my blog... If you think I'm exaggerating, she's already had two, the writing on the white board is the details for the third (an evening class picnic on Monday night, with water activities, parent attendance required, and please bring a drink, a bathing suit and a change of clothes), and Wednesday night she's got both an end of year event at her afternoon program AND a friend's birthday party. It's crazy, my 7 year old's social calendar FAR exceeds my own.)

Here's Maya receiving her certificate from her teacher. Her "oh my god my teacher is KISSING me!" body language cracks me up.

So what are you all up to this fine summer week? Play along and let us know :).

 

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Cherries!

I'd be out buying some of these deep red beauties right now - and trying hard not to eat them all before I got back - if both of my kids weren't home sick today. Looking at the empty cavern that is my refrigerator I'm afraid we'll all die of scurvy long before whatever virus this is gets us!

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

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If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

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Summer Stock - Sefer Torah Party

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Summer time also means the end of the school year, and if you're a first grader here in Israel that also means a big event where you are formally given a copy of the Book of Genesis (which your parents had to buy and put on your bookshelf months ago, so not exactly a surprise) in preparation for beginning to study the Torah (the Old Testament - the Jewish Bible) in second grade (yes, the Bible is a required subject even in the secular public schools).

In Maya's school (which is not the same elementary school her brother attends, or even the other one he's going to next year, but that's a subject for another day when I feel like raising my blood pressure and having a big league world class rant against our worthless excuse for a mayor, but nevermind...) all four first-grade classes held a combined ceremony on the school's outdoor stage the other night. They dressed in the traditional white, sang songs, danced dances, and some of the children, Maya included, came up to the stage individually to recite a line or two in front of several hundred beaming parents and teachers. After about an hour of singing, dancing and reciting the gold-covered books were passed out and it was time for a picnic dinner and the traditional giving of small gifts from the PTA (in this case a decorated cookie shaped like a Torah scroll, a tiny little book of psalms (why? what child is actually going to read them?), and a few taffys. I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear that the cookies and the taffy were the bigger hits.) Once they were properly fed, watered and sugared up for the rest of the evening it was time to head home, tired but proud, and put the book away until they start studying in earnest next year.

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PS My Arty Craft is turning one and Kathy is holding a giveaway to celebrate! One lucky reader will win a 5x7" photograph of their choice from Around the Island Photography. It's open for two more days, so head over there and leave Kathy some comment love now for your chance to enter.

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Lunar Eclipse, 15 June 2011

What a perfect subject for my return to Skywatch Friday after a "life got in the way" (i.e. I had no time to shoot much of anything, including skies) hiatus that went on far too long. I had a fantastic and completely unobstructed view of last night's lunar eclipse right from my patio. Even the clouds stayed away until after the moon was completely covered. Here are a few images of the eclipse as it happened, and then a collage showing how it progressed.

Enjoy!

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

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If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

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Pickled Vegetables

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With their red tops, these Middle Eastern style pickled vegetables for sale at the Hatikva Market were just crying out to be featured for Ruby Tuesday, don't you think?

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

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If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

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Summer Stock Sunday - Flip Flops

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If it's summertime it must be flip flop season - I've been putting mine to good use, and this shoemaker in Tel Aviv's HaTikva neighborhood certainly looks prepared for the long, hot summer season.

What on your agenda this summer? Join the Summer Stock gang and let us know:).

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PS My Arty Craft is turning one and Kathy is holding a giveaway to celebrate! One lucky reader will win a 5x7" photograph of their choice from Around the Island Photography. Leave Kathy some comment love over at My Arty Craft now for your chance to enter.

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Like my work? Here's a chance to win a 5x7 of your favorite print!

My Arty Craft is turning one and Kathy is holding a giveaway to celebrate! One lucky reader will win a 5x7" photograph of their choice from Around the Island Photography. Leave Kathy some comment love over at My Arty Craft now for your chance to enter.
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Tel Aviv's HaTikva Market

Doesn't this just make you want to run out and buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables? It sure does for me, especially those gorgeous red cherries!

Visit the 2011 kickoff edition of Summer Stock Sunday for more images from my photowalk in Tel Aviv's HaTikva Market (and while we're on the subject, did you play along this week? If not, what are you waiting for - join in the fun next week with this great summer-themed photo project - the more the merrier :)).

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

.

Welcome to Summer Stock Sunday 2011!

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And just like that, winter is over and summertime is here, and with it the 2011 edition of Summer Stock Sundays - the place to share all those great summer memories each Saturday at 2pm EDT (9pm here in Israel) - post your favorite summertime shot to your blog and then come here and sign the linkie so that the other participants can find you to visit, and of course a comment here is always welcome :).

Here's mine to get things rolling - because what says summertime more than watermelon?

This giant pile of watermelons were on sale yesterday morning at Tel Aviv's Hatikva Market. But how to choose?

How to know which stall really has the "number 1 watermelon"?

 Many of the stalls take one and cut it open to show their customers the quality of their fruit. This one looks good to me, don't you think?

I didn't actually buy one on yesterday's photowalk (you'll be seeing more of that in the days to come - it was good fun and quite a success photographically) because I already had one at home, but ours too was delicious and extra refreshing when we ate it at the pool this afternoon. (As an aside, did you know that Israelis don't generally serve watermelon in slices to eat while the juices run down your chin? Nope, they cut them up into bite-sized chunks and serve them with forks. Often, especially for outdoor meals like our picnics at the pool, they just hand out forks and everyone helps themselves from the communal bowl, one piece at a time. A bit more prep-time up front but a whole lot easier to eat this way.)

How's your summer shaping up so far? We'd love to see what you're up too so jump right in and join the Summer Stock crew! 

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Summer Stock Sunday - who's in?

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Yikes, this year's Summer Stock Sunday nearly got away from me! Luckily Hip Chick was here to give me a much needed kick in the tush polite reminder that it's already June and high time we got started!

So... *drumroll please*

It is my great pleasure to announce that the 2011 edition of Summer Stock Sundays will kick off THIS WEEKEND. 

What's Summer Stock you ask? Why, it's this:

Each week, beginning THIS VERY WEEKEND, 9pm Saturday night Israel time, 2pm EDT, we all come here to share our quintessential summertime photos. What says summer to you? Is it the pool? The beach? A backyard barbecue? A comfy old pair of flip-flops? Grab that camera and snap a picture! Whatever summertime looks like in your corner of the world this is the place to come share it - put up your post and then come add your link to Mr. Linky. Visiting other participants is encouraged, after all, sharing is what blogging is all about.

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Don't worry about whether your photos are museum-quality or not - Summer Stock isn't about perfection or The Pursuit of Serious Art. It's about summer - about kicking back and having fun, in whatever form that takes for you.

So grab those cameras and get ready - it's summertime and it's happening right here around the island!

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!

.

If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

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