Thursday’s Special: Sparkling Beauty

 

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This memory takes me back to the gardens of Villa Melzi in Bellagio, Italy. It was the first time I had opportunity to take a photo of a shining diamond 🙂

I dedicate this post to Johanna that you may know as Restless Jo. She is a diamond, but not in the rough 😉

**About Thursday’s Special: It is a ‘non-challenge’ challenge that appeals to bloggers eager to wake up their creativity and show their own ideas and interpretation of the world. I invite everybody interested to join in. There are no themes, titles and techniques set for your expression, there are no limits and restrictions (no red tape whatsoever). The only thing required is to post a photo post on Thursdays entitled “Thursday’s Special: (your theme/title)” (as explained in my Thursday’s Special introductory post), to provide a link to my Thursday’s Special post, and to leave a link to your post in the comments section of my post. If you like Thursday’s Special widget, feel free to grab it and post it on your blog.

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Check out the other entries for this week’s Thursday’s Special:  

67 responses to “Thursday’s Special: Sparkling Beauty”

  1. Paula, I am embarrassed! Thank you so much 🙂
    I was admiring the lily and thinking to myself “ha, lilypads!” and then smiling because I too have been to Villa Melzi, then “boomph!” There I am! It’s so nice of you. I love lilies. I loved Villa Melzi. I loved Bellagio. And I’m becoming quite fond of you 🙂 The music is beautiful too- what is it, please?
    The funny thing is that I was going to bombard you with boats for this week’s Thursday Special, but then Sonel came up with boats for her split toning. Have you seen it? I really am embarrassed this week! So here I am, looking at my boat photos… and that’s as far as I’ve got.

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    1. 😀 Don’t be 🙂 You deserve it, Jo. I was happy to hear you knew Villa Melzi, and even more to be able to revoke your memories 🙂 The music in the post is by Robert Haig Coxon: “Sparkling diamonds” 🙂 Yes, I saw Sonel’s fab challenge and I know you were the first one to suggest boats when b&w challenge was still on – LOL. Have fun Jo. Don’t worry about TS: You can post whenever you like and whatever you like. As I get older I am trying to be more patient 😀 Happy Thursday 🙂

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      1. That should mean I am VERY patient, Paula, but somehow it doesn’t 🙂

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  2. How very beautiful!

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    1. 🙂 Thank you Amy

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  3. Excellent! I think someone out there is trying to tell me something. This is the second B&W water lily image I’ve seen in the past few days, and it’s stunning. Considering the lengths I’ll go, or more accurately depths, to photograph water lilies, I can’t believe I’ve never considered B&W. I am now though.

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    1. When I was working on this one I thought what would Jeff’s beautiful pink lilies look like in b&w :). I think you should try it. Judging from your b&w work that I’ve seen so far I am sure it would be a great hit 🙂 I am happy that you like my shot 🙂 Thank you, Jeff!

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      1. When I saw a very similar photo to one of mine, only in B&W, this past weekend it really got me thinking. Then I saw yours and know I have to try it! 😀

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  4. […] more Thursday Specials this week, please visit Paul’s blog Lost in […]

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  5. There is a special flavour in this B & W lily. Beautiful! My entry to the Thursday Special this week contains some ugly images:

    Thursday Special: Vodou

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    1. Thank you so much Opalla for taking part. I find your post most interesting 😀

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      1. Thanks, Paula! Your Thursday Special has encouraged to think about something special to write about. 🙂 You are setting a great example too. 🙂

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  6. […] . Linked to Lingering Look at Windows and Thursday Special. […]

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  7. I can’t but agree with all the other comments on this post…..
    This pic is fantastic, Paula!

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    1. Sei dolce Anna. Baci ….

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  8. This is really beautiful…

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    1. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  9. It’s a shopping post from me this week, in Manchester’s zany Northern Quarter. http://travelwithintent.com/2013/10/17/art-craft-patchwork-supplies-manchester/

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    1. You are already up there Debbie 🙂 I like it 🙂 Thank you so much for participating in TS.

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  10. […] This is an entry to Paula’s Thursday Special. Check it out here: https://bopaula.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/thursdays-special-sparkling-beauty/ […]

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  11. I agree with Jeff. This is great as B/W.

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    1. Takker og bukker 🙂

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    2. Thank you for entering the TS Max 🙂 Commuting is eating a big part of our daily lives. The photo is great!

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      1. I use my bicycle to get back & forth to my slavery: it’s cheaper and quicker than public transportation, plus I get the benefits of really deeply inhaling all those toxic fumes from all the traffic.

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  12. […] Today is Thursday…Time for posting something Special… […]

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    1. 😀 Gracias por no olvidar Ilargia 🙂

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  13. Beautiful and infinitely delicate…!!!
    Here is my entry for today….

    TS: Fearless…


    Hope you like it! Have a nice day!

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    1. Te agradezco mucho, mucho Ilargia 🙂 Me he encantado lo que escogiste para este dia 🙂

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    1. 🙂 Thank you, Joshi 🙂

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  14. […] sure to visit Paula’s Thursday’s Special and other entries. Hope you will join us […]

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  15. […] to Paula and WordPress for the Thursday’s Special Non-Challenge Challenge […]

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  16. Paula, that is a SPECTACULAR photo, I love it!

    Here’s one from me for this week: Not Quite the Hudson River School

    Not Quite the Hudson River School

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  17. […] I was thinking how best to approach this, I suddenly found myself a sparkling diamond on Paula’s  beautiful Thursday’s Special.  What’s a girl to do but slap on some powder and […]

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  18. Hi Paula….lovely photo! My Thursday’s Special is a little mad!! Anyway, here’s the link!

    Thursday’s Special:


    🙂

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    1. I did not see anything mad in it :O. The photos are unbelievably good and the poetry.Thank you!

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  19. Sonel invited me to go wild. Not quite sure if this is what she meant 🙂
    http://restlessjo.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/boats-and-more-boats/

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  20. Simply lovely, Paula. And well deserved for Jo 🙂

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  21. Great shot, Paula. Looks beautiful in B&W.

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  22. I always love your work.

    I wonder, do you ever get notified when I click on “like” as I’m quickly perusing my reader?
    It doesn’t really matter, but I was curious anyway.

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      1. Stay away from my blog. I don’t like it there. Here its good.

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            1. Are you one of those people that can’t sleep on a full moon night?

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              1. Moon makes faces, teases me. How can I sleep?

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                1. 😀 Yes, she has just stuck out her tongue at me 😛

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                  1. Ain’t he worn out,
                    Tired of his routine?
                    Everyday he appears
                    Shines bright, disappears
                    Only to reappear
                    The following day

                    Look at that moon
                    Flaunts, his borrowed light
                    Ramp walks a new style
                    Every night

                    One moonless night
                    I lost my way back home
                    Returned back to the bar for one more

                    I saw him sitting in a corner
                    Sulking, plugged to a charger

                    “Switching on? Switching off?”

                    Grumpy old schmuck that he is
                    kept staring at his empty glass

                    I bought him a rum, three cubes of ice
                    “time you took a break”

                    Sun slurred “this job is all i got”

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                    1. 😀 This is cool. Yours?

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                    2. Hmm…When I was a child I thought just like we look up for the moon, when on moon I’ll have to look down to find you

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                    3. I am going to fight her tonight and try to get some sleep 🙂

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  23. The contrast emphasizes the fragility of the lily so well!

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    1. One can see so much more once the colour has been removed 🙂 And you know that so well, Patti 🙂

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  24. That lily is almost translucent Paula! Brilliant as always.

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    1. 😀 It have never occurred to me, but now you have me thinking. THANK YOU 🙂

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  25. wow … what a great shot! just goes to prove that B&W can be just as powerful (or as subtle) as color!!!

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    1. That one was quite unexpected 🙂 Many thanks, mate 🙂

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  26. […] this summer. Then all of a sudden a few opportunities presented themselves; first I found some nice water lilies in Italy on the shores of Lake Como; then there was a gigantic one in our botanical garden in […]

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  27. la fragilità della ninfea è la sua bellezza, mi piace che la foto sia stata scattata in Italia

    Like

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