Muscaaaaah-ri

I arrived at the flower markets this morning feeling grouchy. The sheds smelt weird, I stepped in a puddle and my feet got wet, the iris were too small and the baby was apparently practising ultimate fighting manoeuvres in my belly, which was cool but distracting.

Then I spied this last teency bunch of grape hyacinth winking at me, and I snatched it up and it was mine and I was not grumpy anymore!



So I whipped around and did the buying for work in a flash, then picked up a few bunches of white ranunculus for the muscari to nestle in.

Ranunculus are the comfiest of the flowers, if you didn't know.

Lockie hearts sweet peas

I busted Lockie admiring my sweet peas this morning, and so, being stuck at home waiting for The Telstra Man to come and fix all our internet woes, decided to make a little wreath for his head (Lockie, not The Telstra Man).

He really liked it. I was worried that wearing such an accessory might compromise the little guy's masculinity, but he doesn't even lift his leg to pee so I don't think it's a big deal.

Oh, hello.

I woke up thinking about peonies this morning. They are so lovely.

It has been over a month since my last post - very bad. To all my adoring fans (Dad?), I apologise.

I have not been taking pictures. I have not really been interested in very much.

And this is why.

The first trimester has not been a joy, its main features having been unrelenting nausea, crippling exhaustion and spews that just sneak up without warning (tmi?). I will be 14 weeks on Friday so hopefully it is NEARLY OVER.

I promise this will not become a Baby Blog. But I thought I should explain my absence.

Oh boy oh boy oh BOY

Chrissy's BFF is Phil, and Phil's special lady is Kylie. Before I met them, Chris said "Phil and Kylie are perfect together cos they both love to throw a footy and play beach cricket".

He must have been right, because on Saturday Phil and Kylie are getting MARRIED.

And guess who is making the bouquets, buttonholes and corsages? Yep Yours Truly. And guess what will be included in these bouquets, buttonholes and corsages? Yes that's right these very freesias.

More on the flowers, the couple and the big day to come. Eeeep! I love a wedding!

That could be arranged

My flower school leftovers often languish in a bucket in the laundry, but not this week. How could anyone let these beauties go to waste?

I fell in love with the hydrangea, then the hydrangea fell in love with the gumnuts, the gumnuts with the lotus pods, the pods with the flax...

The colours, especially in the hydrangea, are breathtaking. Ridiculous. Colours like this make the 3.20am start worth it.

Winner

As I may have already mentioned, my arrangement won the best flower category at Saturday's Village Fair.

So what if it was the only entry. A ribbon's a ribbon... right?

David Austin

So I realise I may be coming across as a total rose freak, but I'm not. For serious. And anyway, David Austins aren't like other roses, with layer upon layer of delicate little petals, they smell like roses should.

DAs can be thorny little bastards. They're not giving it up for just anyone, you gotta EARN it!

They have spontaneous little tantrums, each flower dropping all its petals in one go which is far more spectacular than slowly withering away. David Austin roses are such drama queens.

Brooklyn, NY

While I'm sure it has nothing on Bundeena, Brooklyn seems like a pretty rad place, and I'd like to be there right now. Cold mornings, daffodils, amazing shops... delicious.

My ideal day would start with a stop-in at Catbird to buy some alphabet rings, a love heart ring, and probably some other things.

All that spending would surely leave me peckish, so I'd need pop by baked for some cupcakes with deer on them. Because they have deer on them.

My last stop for the day would be at Saipua, maybe to buy some soap and flowers, but mostly in a creepy attempt to get close to Sarah and absorb some of the creative floral genius that oozes from her very pores. The chick is awesome.

First image by cmv (away), second image from Catbird, third image from baked, last image from Sarah's blog

Roses, again

I never was one for roses before I started flower school, but now, when I come across a special bunch, I can't keep my hands off em. This was such a bunch. A soft pinky brown (nice brown, not dead brown)... the hint of a frill on the edges of the petals... . lovely.

My friend Yvonne brought this Johan Potma monster print back from Germany last year. These flowers suit him well.

Kari Herer

Design*Sponge pointed me in this photographer's direction a couple of weeks back, and I have become obsessed. Check out Kari's Etsy shop and you will be too.

Magnolias and a bug? Perfection.

Lotus

These lotus flowers caught my eye at the markets on Friday morning, and it was love, pure and simple.

Lotus have such a short vase life, and were particularly droopy thanks to the (40degree!) heat we had over the weekend. But I was droopy, too. All of Sydney was droopy.

I popped them in my blue vase from Bison ceramics. I want their entire range. In every colour.

Corymbia ficifolia

...aka Flowering gum, to brighten the house this week.

Aussie and South African natives have kind of an uncool reputation... a bit stiff... a bit 80s... But most of them are totally spectacular and can be fun when used cleverly. This bride's bouquet, featured on once wed, is especially awesome.

$2 roses

They were old stock. The grower almost didn't want to sell them to me.

But they were so pretty, and I felt sorry for them surrounded by their super-fresh looking friends. So I gave them a chance, and they gave me three days of loveliness.

Dahlias

One of my flower school teachers told us that dahlias are only ever a funeral flower.



I wanted to say

If that's true, Bernie, then WHY do I see them in so many bridal bouquets and table centrepieces on wedding blogs? And also, I buy them and plonk em in a vase at home all the time, and they're fabulous! The possibilities are endless! Get with the times, old mate!

But Bernie can be a pretty scary guy, so I kept my trap shut.