Friday, March 31, 2006

3D Chalk Drawings by Julian Beever




My friend Wern sent me these amazingly optical illusionary chalk drawings. Check them out - they look awesome!

I have had to attach only my favorites, because my blog is stingy with the number of pics I can upload at one time :(

Go to
http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/ to see his whole collection

Orangeblossom xxx


Daffodils in Bloom (and other stuff about flowers!)

Last night, Jo showed me an article about flowers and their holistic properties in a Spirit and Destiny Magazine. Then on the way to work today, I was sitting on the bus, and glanced out the window, and instead of focusing on the grey skies above, my focus was drawn to the fields of daffodils in bloom in Memorial Park. A smile rose from the corners of my mouth and I marveled at the simple beauty that can be found all around us. Flowers have such a positive effect on us, their colours span that rainbow and back and their smells tickle our receptors to life.

If I were to return as a flower, I would be a sunflower. Even though I love roses (and I mean if you came back as rose, you would be guaranteed to be the most sought after rose in town!), its sunflowers that I really adore. They are such happy flowers, they rise and fall in the presence of the sun, the sun is their life force and they worship it without hesitation.

My mom and gran are both avid gardeners and I always admire their dedication and knowledge about things fauna and flora. So I will dedicate this post to them and all others that give their time, energy and love to nurture these fantastical creations.

Throughout history, flowers have been used as medicine for their healing properties. Flowers are still used today in this capacity as people increasingly demand homeopathic remedies that modern medicine cannot offer. Near the turn of the century, Dr. Edward Bach created several flower essences that would help heal holistically. They do not work directly on symptoms, but help our spirits to heal, which in turn, helps our bodies heal.

Here is a brief A-Z list of common flowers and what they represent:

Azalea: nearness
Bachelor's Buttons: work, individuality
Buttercup: friendship
Camellia: company, gatherings
Clematis: serenity, steadfastness
Cowslip: secrets
Crocus: birth, rebirth
Daffodil: communication of secrets
Daisy: simplicity
Hawthorn: divination
Heather: powerful woman
Heliotrope: wellness and vitality
Honeysuckle: fertility
Honesty: honesty
Iris: frail but hearty
Jasmine: night rendezvous
Lady's Slipper: wealth
Lily: purity, life
Lily of the Valley: death, change
Lupin: passion
Magnolia: unfolding events
Morning Glory: glory, quickness, firsts
Mum: affection
Myrtle: remembrance
Orchid: promises kept
Pansy: weakness
Petunia: gentleness, shyness
Primrose: modesty, guardianship
Queen Anne's Lace: gentleness, quiet strength
Rhododendrom: In waiting
Rose, red: love, fidelity
Rose, pink: youth
Rose, yellow: infidelity
Rose, white: silence
Snapdragons: power, man
Sunflower: power, strength, watchfulness
Snowdrop: children
Tulips: constancy
Verbana: motherhood
Violets, purple: fidelity
Violets, white: betrayal
Waterlily: otherworldliness, dreams
Wintersweet: eternity


So next time you are out and about, take a few minutes to look around at the flowers and perhaps have a chat with them or give them a stroke or just gaze lovingly at them, because they are special gifts from the earth!

Have a fantastical weekend and safe travels!

Orangeblossom (which is a symbol for purity!) xxx