Bug Life

For a piece of visual entomology, look no further than Alex Wild Photography! Mirabelle has been following Alex's Twitter account for years now and this is one of my favourites: a Twitter perk that stands out from the Twitter mush!

There you get close with the bugs and once you magnify and get to their level, discover the beasts of engineering that they are: fascinating, awesome and pretty darn scary too!

Calliphora augur, Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia

Myrmecia pyriformis, Yandoit, Victoria, Australia

Nesomyrmex wilda, Harlingen, Texas, USA

Nasute termite soldier, Yandoit, Victoria, Australia

Pogonomyrmex comanche, Red Rock, Texas, USA

Apis mellifera, Austin, Texas

The macro-photographic skillset of Texas-based American biologist Alex Wild plays its magic and his carefully-chosen
subjects are equally magical. The descriptives bear none of the generalist attributes that non-scientists like myself are guilty of using all too often when faced with unidentified small creatures: critters, bugs, insects, creepy-crawlies, flying things (ha-ha!) and other often-erroneous and somewhat disrespectful captions.

Here we dive deep into entomology territory, the taxa, order, genus, species and sub-species, and catch ourselves on a learning curve if we are serious enough about the views we entertain. This is how I found out, as a starting point, that myrmecology is the entomology branch related to ants.

When faced with the ingeniosity of life at its tiniest level, you cannot help but think about the Great Architect of the Universe and how none of this would have been possible without Him at the helm. Without politicising this post, I would venture the belief that atheists are deniers of God when you witness how the divine has engineered nature in a way that is humanely impossible to achieve.

Anastatus sp., Austin, Texas, USA

Ceratopogonidae forcipomyia, Cayó District, Belize

Hesperolabops gelastops, Austin Texas, USA

Tutelina elegans (male), Urbana, Illinois, USA

Chrysina lecontei, Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, USA

Tetragonisca angustula, Morretes, Paraná, Brazil

Alex Wild has managed to build a captive audience out of science proselytes like myself, and the macro-photographic journey amongst creatures of the tiny order is both captivating and humbling!

Source: All photography by Alex Wild Photography.

Crumbling Châteaux

With modern times achanging, old money does not warrant stability and continuity: one way or another the estates it relates to likely meet their fate. Heating bills, maintenance and repair costs, and property taxes end up sealing the deal on one remorseless Winter night.

Passed down the generations, the estates increasingly turn into financial burdens (financial money pits!), unless pockets are deep and/ or resourcefulness (return on investment projects), DIY skills, family team spirit and general stamina are unequivocally high.

Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers (dating back to 13th century), Les Trois-Moutiers, Vienne, France

Maybe any land-related business attached to the estate (farming, winemaking, fruit orchards, garden nurseries, crafts, hospitality) which used to support or supplement its income ends up folding altogether due to high running costs and other expenditures - and the implacability of French taxation (so be said). The château lifestyle may then take a turn for the worse and bite the dust...

Likewise the French château dream may turn sour for those idealist buyers and unpractical investors who succumbed to the lure of a quick, cheap and fanciful purchase, only to find out that they are biting more than they can chew. And then the château lifestyle increasingly becomes a distant vision. 

Château de Maupas (built c.1580), Maupas, Dordogne, France

I have little knowledge about the history of the châteaux featured herein - and the reasons that led to their falling from grace. Regardless, my aim is not to blame or condemn. Mirabelle knows only too well how easy - very easy - it is for a property - grand or otherwise - to fall into disrepair, catch you off-guard, and for its maintenance costs to escalate beyond repair, especially when the property has not been consistently looked after or if you have been dealing with cowboy builders and other rip-off con artists from the associated building trades. Those elderly ladies made out of stone, brick, slate and wood require constant methodical TLC: choose to disregard or overlook it at your peril!

Château de la Boissière (dating back to 19th century), Edern, Brittany, France

Some owner-renovators and passionate volunteers are riding the wave high and proud and making a success out of their property venture, through blood, sweat and tears. First expect cold sleepless nights, spartan comfort, improvised dinners out of a camping stove, and chamber pots for toilets... Or best make a caravan your home while a modicum of comfort is being established in your property. All in all, keep at it and never lose sight of the reward at the end of the dirt track, beyond crumbling plaster and patches of dry rot!

Château de Coat an Noz (built 1870), Belle-Isle-en-Terre, Brittany, France

Source: (1-5) French château photography via Châteaux de France. (1) Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers (built 13th century), Les Trois-Moutiers, Vienne, photography by Pierre Mairé. (2) Château de Maupas (built c.1580), Issac, Dordogne. (3) Château de la Boissière (dating back to 19th century), Edern, Brittany, and (4) Château de Coat an Noz (built 1870), Belle-Isle-en-Terre, Brittany, photography by Morgan Corbet. (5) Château de Bonnefontaine (built 1818-1822), Altwiller, Alsace. (6) Château de Blancafort (built 1453), Sologne, Loire Valley. (7) Château de Meauce (built c.13th century), Nivernais.

Château de Bonnefontaine (built 1818-22), Altwiller, Alsace, France

Depressed about the château sorry state? Cheer up and read on...


Château Success Stories:

• Adopte un Château, in partnership with Dartagnans, presents itself as an innovative crowdfunding scheme designed to bring together investing members of the general public willing to be involved in the rescue of a struggling château that has fallen into disrepair. The initial goal is for the investors to collectively meet the seller's asking price. By purchasing one or more shares (affordably priced at 51 euros a share), they become in effect one of the several owners who will be involved in the château's future, with its renovation funded by its conversion into a profitable business. This is exactly what is happening to our featured (1) Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers right now! Now whether the scheme has real potential for the safeguard of a château - or is purely utopic - remains to be seen, especially in the long term.
• Push open the door to a successful privately-owned current château renovation scheme: Château de Meauce (built 13th century), set in Nivernais, the Central area of la belle France. The château is featured on the Adopte un Château website.
• Follow the river and admire the quintessential châteaux of the Loire Valley: those are healthy and wealthy! And while you're at it, take a leisurely stroll through the grounds and the gardens. 
• If your pockets are deep and you envision yourself as the proud owner of a renovated château in Sologne, within the Loire Valley, you are in luck! Château de Blancafort (built 1453 as a fortified stronghold) is up for auction... and already has your name on it! 
• Purchased in 2015 by TV personality Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel Adoree, Château-de-la-Motte Husson is the star of a (British) TV home renovation series. The Loire Valley-located château (which finds its origins in Medieval times and was rebuilt 1868-1874) also hosts vintage weddings and other hospitality events under the umbrella of The Vintage Pâtisserie, Angel's hospitality company.
• In the French Pyrenees village of Château-Verdun, Château de Gudanes (built mid-1700s) is too enjoying a second youth! Its new owners are a couple of  dynamic Aussies who gave up their home comforts from Down Under for a château life made up of cracks, leaks, drafts, overdrafts... and much joy! The château restoration is well underway now and paying off! In fact, each Summer paying guests are invited to contribute their skills in exchange for a slice of the pie. 

Château de Blancafort (built 1453), Sologne, Loire Valley, France

Château de Meauce (built c.13th century), Nivernais, France (pict source)

Marble Effects

Spider veins, ombré streaks, swirls and translucence. Over its lifetime, nature has mastered the art of the marble effect to the point of sublimation where imagination becomes restriction. For us mere humans, to aim to emulate it in its depth of colour palette on a compressed timeline becomes a superfluous bout of vanity. But let us not be deterred by the feat. As long as it is not overdone, a marble effect is a chic and effective way of carrying a style or brand identity. The beauty of it is that, with a little talent and persistence, you can create it from scratch, without a slab of marble in sight!

Sources: (1-3) Nothing does it better than nature itself. Take a height and keep those peepers peeled because marble patterns occur naturally in the wild... with no marble in sight. Their majestic occurrence stands at the confluence of rivers, deltas and shorelines; it covers wide perimeters! Aerial photography in Australia by talented French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. (1) Sandbanks on the coast of Whitsunday Island, and (2) ibid., Queensland, Australia. (3) Shark Bay Sandbanks, L'Haridon Bight, Peron Peninsula, Western Australia. Those aerial seascapes exemplify nature's artistry at play. (4) In Chilean Patagonia, the aptly-named marble caves (Cuevas de Mármol) on Lake General Carrera display nature's intriguing marble sculptures. 'Marble Cathedral, Chile', photography by Karl-Heinz Raach, laif/ Redux, via National Geographic. From this point forward, anything manmade will irrevocably pale into less significance compared to nature's feat. (5) Yet would you believe this to be faux marble? Grand Antique by BVK Paintworks. Dutch master painter Barre Verkerke stands as close to nature as possible in his decorative representations. He applies his specialist skills to decoration and restoration projects alike. (6) Marbleised stationery is ever so stylish; when this is achieved by putting those seldom-used nail varnishes to good use, it's creative upcycling! Marbleizing Stationery by Kendra Smoot for A Cup of Jo, photography by Seth Smoot. (7) Why sweat the small stuff when you can purchase the template? Nude + Pink Marble Business Card Template by The Design Label (Meera G), via Creative Market.

P.S: Marble effects take on another dimension when paint is applied to a viscous water solution under the Ebru technique in order to (re)create a Fine Art painting that is then transferred to paper. Turkish artist Garip Ay shows us his step-by-step approach, recreating Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night (1889) and Self-Portrait (1887) to great effect:

Little Miss Penguin Bloom

Mirabelle loves happy pets, whether they be a doggie, a hedgehog, a chicken, a unicorn, or a magpie! Penguin Bloom is a clever little bird who has bridged the gap between life in high places and human dwellings. She was rescued as a baby by Noah Bloom and raised by the whole family in Newport, New South Wales, Australia. She is free as a bird to fly as she pleases, and is always welcome home, where she is known to sneak in, especially on wet nights. She has remarkably bonded with her adoptive family. The little darling has also become an Instagram sensation, with a following of 89K subscribers! Who can resist the cuteness of it all? I certainly can't!

Source: All photography via the Penguin Bloom Instagram account, except (5). Browsing little Penguin's Instagram account is guaranteed to bring instant sunshine to your day! Scores of adorable, cracking pictures! (1) 'Drying off after a shower' (04-Aug-2014). (2) 'Noah wishing he could fly away with me' (26-Mar-2015). (3) 'Seriously need my own headphones' (06-Sept-2014). (4) 'Giving some advice and a little extra weight' (23-May- 2015). (5) Photography via the Cameron Bloom Instagram account: 'Myola road sure can wear you out' (25-Mar-2015). (6) 'High heels' (26-Jun-2015). (7) 'Tuesday morning pump' (09-Sept-2014). (8) 'Freedom' (03-Jun-2015). (9) 'I've been gone 8 days and this morning thought I'd better come home and say hi.' (14-Apr-2015). (10) 'Where we going Roo?' (06-Dec-2014). (11) 'Rain inspired beauty shoot' (13-Sept-2014). (12) 'Love transcends all colours' (11-Jun-2015).

★ 15-Aug-2015 Update: Things have progressed into Super-Stardom for our Penguin! She has clocked over 95.9k followers on Instagram to date, not to mention that she now has her dedicated website. And can you believe that she has a book in the offing, due for release 1st April 2016 (no joke!), to be published by ABC Books! Book photography by Penguin's dad, Cameron Bloom, and narrative by New York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive. Now Penguin, all these grand achievements of yours make up what we call 'Girl Power'! Read Penguin's story here and pre-order her book here.

(22-Jul-2015)

Coastalicious Resort Fashion

With the weather warming up our northern hemisphere, Mirabelle is feeling Coastalicious. This article is no invitation for retail therapy, other than sending your Winter wardrobe into hibernation and sprucing up those Summery items from last year out of the closets.

Off you go, enjoy the great outdoors: feel the light breeze caress your hair, catch a glimpse of sunshine (no matter how elusive it might be), observe nature coming into its own, and listen to the songbirds! Take pictures out of wild flowers or try identify them with the help of a botanics book, or a knowing friend. Venture down the roads less travelled, make it an adventure for you and your significant others. Improvise a picnic or buy a bag of potato chips from the pier and share it. Pick seashells discarded by sea tide onto the local beach, or just lay a plaid onto the garden lawn and make out a teatime celebration with your loved ones, share stories and anecdotes. Make sure to include nature into whatever you do, for nature is a provider of peace and harmony.

Sources: (1) Cave Swim, Point Lobos (State Reserve CA), photography by Kevin Russ, via Flickr. (2) The Organic Certified 100% Natural Sparkling Citrus Bloom Body Oil by Swedish cult brand Estelle & Thild will invigorate the senses with a burst of citrus base notes and hints of mint. (3) Inspire Organic Cream Eye Polish ('Inspire' is a shade of metallic baby blue with a hint of silver) by RMS Beauty. The RMS Beauty product range was created by Makeup Artist Rose-Marie Swift, and are not only organic but also gluten-free, GMO-free, soy-free, NANO-free and not tested on animals. In addition, the formulations are based upon raw, food grade and organic ingredients in their natural state, allowing their living, healing attributes to penetrate and rejuvenate the skin. (4) Pancratium illyricum, a fragrant bulbous perennial found on the sandy beaches of Northern Corsica, photography by Mirabelle, (01/09/2012). (5) Raw Sapphire Earrings, part of the 1909 fine jewelry collection by Erica Weiner, inspired by antiques, and handmade in NYC. Sapphire is a very interesting stone indeed: "The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire and its reflection colored the sky. For millennia, this blue stone's healing powers have been associated with the eyes: Egyptian physicians created an eye wash with sapphire, and Medieval texts refer to it as an elixir for the eyes (particularly when dissolved in milk). [...] Buddhists believed that sapphires had a calming effect on people, which facilitated their devotion to prayer and meditation." (source: Erica Weiner). (6) Thin Multifaceted Pale Sea Glass Eco-resin Stacking Rings with Metallic Gold Leaf Flakes, by RosellaResin, via Etsy. (7) Marinière Glénans Délavé (Nautical Striped T-Shirt), by Tricots Saint James, image capture from their Printemps-Eté 2015 Collection (SS2015) catalogue. Tricots Saint James are a highly-reputed French coastal leisurewear manufacturer, based in Normandy and established 1889. They started off as a specialist knitwear firm, catering for fishermen, which soon enough appealed to a wider range of sailors, yachtmen and seaside tourists worldwide. (8) Harp perforated leather espadrille wedge sandals, with laser-cut scallop trim and ankle strap, by Tabitha Simmons, via Net à Porter. More footwear from Tabitha Simmons website. (9) Cape York Pearl Shells by Coastal Vintage. (10) Rizzaneze (Southern Corsica), photography by Eric Volto, via 500px.

@baguettemagique @rmsbeauty @ericaweiner @Etsy Sparkling Citrus Bloom Body Oil is a great choice for summer! Thanks for including us.

— Estelle&Thild (@EstelleThild) June 24, 2015

I'm Not Yours

It was one of those heartstring moments while idly surfing the high tides of the web: Mirabelle stumbled across a nifty monochrome animation cleverly put together by Brighton-based freelance animator Nick Murray Willis for the 'I'm Not Yours' song by Australian brother and sister duo Angus & Julia Stone. Not exactly the sort of video you may wish to show your sweetheart on Valentine's Day (unless purposedly trying to prove a point...), and while not lifting spirits up on a sad rainy day, it certainly won't leave you indifferent, we promise!



I'm not yours - Angus and Julia Stone (2011) from Nick Murray Willis on Vimeo.

A Reason for Love

On this beautiful Royal Wedding day, where princes and princesses depart from fairy tales to briefly invade our thoughts, and when daydream becomes sweet and rosy, it seems that love is everywhere to be found, and this print incarnates the most appropriate statement that we imagine HRH Prince William to have whispered to his blushing bride.

Source: Limited edition (1-100) print, hand-printed on an antique 1893 printing press on 100% cotton rag archival paper by Bespoke Press in Brisbane, Australia.