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