Storytime

Last week daughter and I (and baby boy) ventured to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. This has been an annual event since daughter was 15...with only a few years missed in all that time. It's a great day out, wet or dry, sunny or windy...and I come away inspired and filled with new ideas. It's always nice to see what is on 'trend'. This year it was obviously garden rooms... Hanging baskets of all kinds... native gardens are still big. And pampas grass is HUGE. It was not only in gardens but in so many floral arrangements as well. As I said it is good to see what is on trend, and if you have to have the latest in your garden, then you zoom home and start planting. But of course, next year something else will be in vogue. And if you have to be on trend, then your garden will have to change... and change again and again. I have never been one for trends. I know what I like, what I don't like, what works on ou...

On Saturday, just as Melbourne decided to finally have some rain, daughter and I headed off to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.  I thought I had an umbrella in my car, she thought she had one in her car...neither one of us did. However we had a fun day out, no matter the weather. And of course the weather did force a lot of folks to huddle under cover. The Royal Exhibition building is just amazing.  I think we spent just as much time looking up as down at the exhibits. This is a place where you have to come home with ideas. A floral bee...come on. Surely EVERYONE wants/ needs one of these!  Wasn't too keen on this idea. But there was definitely something for everyone. I do love these 3D pictures, created with succulents.  My kind of artwork for a garden wall! This was stunning. Pink and green and lush. And check out the kokedama. Something else on my 'attempt to create' list. Some ideas are...

Recently I read a 'best selling' young adult writer. I had numerous recommendations to read his work, with people telling me I'd be blown away with his writing. Now in all honesty, perhaps I chose the wrong book. Perhaps I was in a bad mood, bad place etc when I read it. And we all have different views on 'great', 'good' or even 'okay' books. But I'm afraid I just didn't like it. (It is now nominated for an award which just shows how little I do know). Over the years I have found that I have become quite a harsh reader. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a lot of books. Enjoy...not LOVE...not WOW THIS IS AMAZING...enjoy. Which is almost the equivalent of being told your work is...nice. I became worried. Am I too pessimistic? Have I lost myself and am unable to see the magic? Then I realised I can find magic. I worked last weekend when the Pakenham show was on and we had the stilt walkers get ready in the library. It was amazing t...