An Inspiring woman: Maria Sibyalla Merian (art & insects inside)

Hello Lovelies!

 The art of Maria Sibyalla Merian: Masterful insect drawing in the late 17th century, beginning of the 18th century. image via Jane's blog.

I have a board on pinterest called "Inspiring Women" - the inspiration for it obviously comes from Jane Flanagan's series of posts that are all about discovering the lives and deeds of incredibly "Inspiring Women" on her wonderful blog (a must daily read).

 Cover of the book "Amazing Rare Things". Art by Maria Sibylla Merian



On her blog, Jane has criticized our collective (mis)use of pinterest, and I fully understand her position. I try my best to not "hoard", as Jane puts it, that is I try not to mindlessly collecting beautiful images all day long while neglecting my own life.

That said, I find pinterest practical for the time being, as a virtual bookmark of sorts, especially now that we can have secret boards. I personally avoid pictures of hairdos, beauty products that are not organic, weddings, babies and tattoos on my pinterest boards.

 Maria Sibylla Merian, Passion flower plant and flat-legged bug, c. 1701-5 image via a great article on insects in art.

Some other boards I created aim to share the work of artists I admire, my own artwork, as well as other interests I think are valuable enough to share. That is why I mention the masterful art of the insect illustration by Maria Sibyalla Merian here today.

Maria Sibyalla Merian was a woman, an accomplished artist, an "insect lover" or rather a naturalist with a pioneering spirit, all wrapped in one. Her accomplishments as a woman living in the late 17th centurey are beyond amazing. Read more about her here.

So here am I adding today a "pinnable" image of one of her plant/insect illustration, so that anyone not aware of Jane's blog can see it on pinterest and get to know Maria Sibyalla Merian and many, many other inspiring women.



Enjoy!

-Naomi of TeaButterfly.

Sharing My Happiness

Hello Lovelies!

flower photo from a French organic cosmetics company... I hope I'll remember their name!

Today I sent this email...


"The GON (Get Organized Now) happiness project - I'm quite HAPPY to share my thoughts with you!
My name is Vic and I live in beautiful South of France, Europe.


1) Five Happy Moments

* well I'm in love right now, so i feel very happy every day!
* but the small things matter, too: good music, fresh flowers etc...
* when learning something new
* when travelling to a new and interesting place
* this one is for future surprises!

* * * * *

2) Small Doses of Happiness

I drink water! when hydrated properly, i get less to no-headaches, and feel less grumpiness

i listen to good music, whether upbeat ou smooth, depending to my mood

i have fresh flowers every week from the farmers' market

i raise my eyes and watch frequently the sky, the moon, the clouds

* * * * *

photo via

3) Putting Yourself Back Together

i don't put pressure on myself to be happy again
i smell essential oils from the bottle : try oils of litsea cubeba and citrus aurantium aurantium
i drink strong tea


* * * * *

4) Three Inspirational People

my boyfriend, because he's so young yet so mature. he amazes me everyday.
albert Einstein for his inspirating life and witty quotes
Phineas Newborn Junior, the underrated jazz pianist.. he was a genius!

* * * * *

5) Top Ten Things

writing in my blog with no pressure to do it everyday
fresh flowers: looking at them arranging them smelling them etc..
snap photos with my mobile phone
flickr and pinterest as new ways to doiscover interesting visual things
DIY projects that i can actually complete
essential oils and aromatherapy
going to my weeky yoga class
cloud-watching
anything that involves water: washing my body/swimming/bathing
walking a daily walk

for further information:
my flickr
my pinterest
my blog

-Vic"

I hope you enjoyed it!
-Vic from TeaButterfly