WE Is Four!

Another milestone for Widow's Endorphins!  This little floral photography blog is now four years old, and nearing 38-thousand views!  WE did it...and I mean that in every sense.  Thank YOU for reading, and sharing.

It's been an amazing year of personal growth, moving outside of my comfort zone to enjoy new and wonderful experiences, and explore places I had not discovered.  For the first time in nearly three decades, I journeyed back to the Westcoast of Canada - my true home - and hugged old friends who are forever young in my heart.  I travelled to a small town in Ontario, to meet a big hearted family, and wandered down the back alleys of Toronto's Kensington Market district.  

In this age of social media, I challenged my own anonymity, posting photographs of myself on Facebook and other on-line pages.  The kid who dreaded annual school pictures, forced herself to take selfies, over and over again. 

This was the year of a new face for my floral photographs too!  Thanks to the fashion forward women of Vancouver-based Stolbie Brand stolbiebrand.com, I have expanded my line of floral clothing to include the elegant and graphic cannabis leaf motif. 

Thank you all, for your encouragement over the years.  Here are a few of your favourite blogposts from 2018...

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/02/im-not-afraid-of-my-shadow.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/08/marijuana-in-abundance.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/08/home.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/03/fifty-shades-of-pink-if-lipstick-could.html

http://widowsendorphins.blogspot.com/2018/03/time-is-gift.html

Here's to a brilliant new year of adventures and beauty!

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

Monarch Butterflies

For some, the sight of a butterfly is a loving sign from a deceased loved one, that they are ever near. Cultures around the world, from the Japanese, Chinese, and Russians, to North America's Indigenous peoples, see butterflies as symbols of souls, transformation or rebirth.  The ancient Greek word for butterfly - psyche - means soul.  In Mexico, where millions of Monarch butterflies arrive in late Fall, around All Souls Day and the Day of the Dead, the butterflies are thought to be returning souls.

Ironically, Monarch butterflies are threatened with extinction.  The US Center for Biological Diversity says the Monarch butterfly population has declined 80% over the past decades.  In July, their Senior Scientist, Tierra Curry wrote, "On top of the loss of milkweed in its Summer grounds, logging in its Winter home in Mexico has increased, a severe storm this Spring killed millions of Monarchs, and a mine now threatens the Monarch Biosphere Reserve."  Curry says the "catastrophic decline" in the Monarch population is in part due to the use of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide on genetically engineered Roundup resistant crops.  Milkweed is killed.  Milkweed is the only source of food for Monarch larvae.

Monarchs are a symbol of transformation, and of rebirth.  They metamorphosize from larvae, to caterpillar, to butterfly.  I have a coffee mug with the inspirational words, Just when the caterpillar thought its life was over, it became a butterfly.  It took on a whole new meaning, when my husband was finally listed for a liver transplant.  It takes on yet another meaning, now that I am in the "pupa stage", recreating my life as a widow. 

      
Schoolchildren learn about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly.  For those of us who've forgotten: the butterfly eggs are laid on the Milkweed plant, and the larvae hatch, and feed on it exclusively, growing into fat caterpillars.  The caterpillars then encase themselves in a hard, protective shell, and transform from this pupa stage, to emerge from the cocoon as butterflies.

As the days grow shorter, and the light changes, Monarch butterflies begin their migration from Canada and the US, into Mexico.  It's an arduous journey of 5-thousand kilometres, or 3-thousand miles to the warmth of their Mexican Winter home.

A 56-thousand hectare, or 140-thousand acre Monarch butterfly reserve in Mexico, is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. The government funds indigenous farmers in the mountain region to preserve the Monarchs.  There, the butterflies hibernate, until the siren call of Canada's northern climes stirs them.

I'll bet you didn't know that two dots distinguish the male Monarch from the female.  If you look closely at the photo above, you'll see two black oval shaped dots on a straight black vein, on either side of the tail of the Monarch.  It's a boy butterfly!

Did you know that the Monarch was the first butterfly to have its genome sequenced?  They were also transported to the International Space Station for breeding.  They truly are regarded as the monarchs of the butterfly world!

Science loves the Monarch, and so do The Arts.  I've added new designs to my Art of Where clothing line, based on the photo of the Monarch butterfly taken in Toronto's High Park last week. Great for those of you heading to Mexico for the Winter!

http://bit.do/draped-kimono

http:/bit.do/flare-dresses
http://bit.do/AOWbodycon

http:/bit.do/kimonos

Photographs and Designs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Inc.

The Summertime Blues

The song goes, "there ain't no cure for the Summertime blues".  My prescription is to get my camera, and go searching for Summertime blues, in all their nuanced splendor.  Before I know it, I'm feeling blissfully happy.

Delphiniums are a perennial favourite, with a variety of blues ranging from the palest baby blue, to lapis, and deepest midnight blue.  They stand tall, however, they need the support of a solid stake, because their heavy heads bend and break in a Summer rainstorm.  They're beautiful alone, and spectacular in a large group.     

Bluebeard is another blue Summer flower.  It too, grows tall.  Bumblebees and butterflies seem to love this plant.  In the shadows, the flower appears to be a deep, inky blue.  In full sunlight, the softer lavender shades are seen.

  

Hydrangea ranges in colour from white, to green, to pink, to raspberry, magenta, lilac, lavender, lapis, and twilight blue - sometimes all on the same shrub.  The blues of the Hydrangea are calming and peaceful.

Cascading Blue Lobelia brings contrast and sparkle to window boxes and hanging baskets.  The petite flowers bloom by the hundreds, forming mounds of blue, which can be seen a block away.  They were the inspiration for a fabric pattern used in designing the Blue Lobelia on White Lace kimono...available on Art of Where.  http://bit.do/kimonos

    

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.

Wearable Art

I can't sew a straight line.  So, no one is more surprised than me, to have my own line of clothing! Designed using my fine art photographs, the clothing line includes breezy flare dresses for Spring and Summer, as well as lightweight kimonos, which are great for the beach, or curling up at home.

There are two versions of the Peacock Feathers flare dress - each with a mirror image of the front, on the back.  The dresses and kimonos are easy care, and quick drying.  Machine wash in cold water, and tumble dry on regular cycle - or, let drip dry.

 

The Peacock Feathers kimono is one of the designs which works for both men and women.  These are afterall, male peacock feathers!

The peacock feathers are part of a feather bouquet which I bought a few years ago, in Toronto's "Little India" district.  It is a six block area, which Tourism Toronto bills as the biggest South Asian market in North America.  They were part of the decoration for a Moroccan themed birthday dinner party for my husband.  Yes, I know Morocco is no where near India - we Canadians are masters of "fusion confusion".  

Bridal party season is almost here!  It is the trend for brides to give each bridesmaid her own kimono to wear while getting her hair and makeup done before the wedding.  Bridal photographs now include pictures of the bridal entourage all wearing their matching, or complimentary kimonos!  These vivid prints won't fade, and will be a lovely reminder of a happy day.

The kimonos would also be a lovely Mothers' Day gift!  Doesn't this say, "relax, rejuvenate"?!  It's great for a spa weekend away, or at home.

Ordering a kimono, or flare dress is just a click or two away.  On the right side of the blog, near the top, where it says, "Let's Go Shopping", you'll see a listing for my Art of Where shop.  If you click that, you'll see all of the kimono and dress designs, along with pricing and order information.  But wait, there's more...   

There are two versions of this kimono - great for best friends, sisters, or Mother-Daughter gifts.

Unlike the flare dresses, with a back and front that is a mirror image of the other, the front of each kimono design, is completely different from the back.

There are also two versions of the Birthday Bouquet flare dress.  One, showing the bouquet as it appears in the original photograph, the other is an inverted view, with the crystal vase forming the bodice of the dress.

This is the fine art floral photograph used in the kimono and flare dress design.  I called it, Birthday Bouquet, because it was made up of flowers in two different floral bouquets given to me on my birthday.  The crystal vase and flowers are reflected in a mirror.  

With the enviable exception of those in Vancouver and Victoria, Canadians live with snowflakes for many months of the year.  Yet, the snowy white blossoms of the Cherry tree enthrall us.  The photograph was taken last year, in Toronto's High Park, where thousands make an annual pilgrimage to celebrate the arrival of the blossoms, and Spring.  

The freshness of this flare dress captures the joy and optimism of the arrival of Spring.  

This is the front and back of one of the two versions of Cherry Blossoms Blue Sky. Since blossoms represent a new beginning, this kimono would make a lovely gift for a young graduate, bride, or a young mother.  

This is the other version of the Cherry Blossoms Blue Sky design.  

Stargazer Lily on Japanese Paper is the photograph which inspired this flare dress!

These Stargazer and white Oriental Lilies against the blue wall, inspired this flare dress design. There's a retro feel to this dress.  It reminds me of the Hawaiian prints from the 1940's and '50's.

As the sun slowly sinks in the West...the campfires begin to burn.  The Awesome October Rose image is of one of the Campfire Roses which bloomed on my balcony last Summer and Fall.

The flare dresses are perfect for a hot Summer day, or a hot Summer night on the dance floor.  The fabric is made in Canada, of 72% Ecopoly and 28% Spandex, and wicks away moisture. 

There are two versions of the Campfire Rose flare dress.  I like the ruffles created by the petals.

There are also two versions of the Campfire Rose kimono.

All the kimonos are made of lightweight silky knit 100% Ecopoly fabric, with a knit bamboo fabric trim, and chiffon belt. They are printed and sewn in Canada, on Canadian made fabric, and priced in Canadian dollars.

There are more designs...you'll find them, along with information on how to order at:

https://artofwhere.com/artists/ruth-adams-widow-s-endorphins-photographic-images-inc-/clothing

Clothing designs and original photographs copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Incorporated.