Wednesday, June 5, 2013

GOING BUGGY


The streets of 
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE 
are crawling with bugs

Black Bugs

Red Bugs

White Bugs

Hot pink Bugs 

Grass green Bugs

Metallic blue Bugs

Orange Bugs

British racing green Bugs

Baby blue Bugs

Taxi yellow Bugs

Two tone Bugs

Striped Bugs

Arrogant Bugs

Bugs for sale


Old Bugs

New Bugs

and even


not real true Bugs

The VW Beetle was designed by Ferdinand PORSCHE in 1938

it's in the DNA so the resemblance is uncanny 


Great design is timeless

"If it ain't broke don't fix it"
German engineering
Hecho en Mexico

And these are about the only kind of bugs you will find in this charming 17th century
Mexican town where the air is clear, the streets are clean, and the locals are charming.

Though walking is the primary mode of transportation 
through the cobbled streets
BUGGIES are popular 
 for transporting girls to their Quinceaneras

The Latin American celebration of passage from girlhood to womanhood
reminds me of our Sweet Sixteens

store window filled with Quinceanera finery


Insect edibles  
(NOT!)

In many parts of the world bugs are considered a delicacy
Though I am all for absorbing local cultures this is a "taste" I have not cultivated

Now some bugs are more loveable then others

The Voracious Lady Bug 
devours plant eating insects and is a great favorite of farmers



The same coloring that makes her attractive to children 
makes her unattractive to predators

Setting things a-buzz

Napoleon favored the industrious bee as an important symbol of his reign


Hundreds of bees were sewn into the velvet of his coronation robes


and one was embroidered on the toe of each of Josephine's slippers worn
to her crowning as 
 Empress of France

NAPOLEON CROWNING JOSEPHINE
by
Jacques-Louis David

JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID
1748-1825
The Neo-Classicist court painter for Napoleon - 
originator of Empire Style

The bee soared as a symbol of power and prestige
Society began to incorporate it into every form of fashion and design

 A small piece of Napoleonic furnishing brocade

ISABELLA STEWART GARDENER MUSEUM 



 At least one bee has survived from the famous red robes depicted
in Jacques-Louis David's painting

Though the bee has become a bit of an overworked cliche 


it still has charm
embroidered discreetly on the underside
of a shirt collar


FLATS-Napa Valley

I never leave home without it

Is it by coincidence that this contemporary bedroom 
with Neo-classical influences
nods to the coloration of the bee ? 

But no cliches here

INTERIOR DESIGN -KELLY WEARSTLER


Charles Darwin referred to the critical pollinator as the Humble-bee 
( hence  Bumble-bee )


A bumble bee can sting more then once 


Beware the bee stung lip look


In the nest there are three kinds of bees
ONE SINGLE 
QUEEN BEE

WORKER BEES
always female - leave the hive to collect nectar
DRONES
always male - never leave the hive and their sole purpose is to fertilize the Queen 

Maybe more then you wanted to know ????

Pure honey

I will spare you the details of how bees make honey-
it could gross you out- 


and yet...

WINNIE-THE-POOH
1926

                                                                                       ...almost everyone loves honey

Buzzing off till next time...

Rela