Autumn I heart you, please stay a little longer.

Dear Autumn, I love you. I love you so much, I wish it was Autumn all year round. If I were a billionaire (or oil tycoon, its like chose your own adventure, which ever one works best for you,) I would travel the world, blowing glass and chasing Autumn. I would live in Autumn all year round. Seasonably mild. Yes sir. Best type of weather for blowing glass, sipping wine and watching the leaves turn. Also good for cooking extravaganzas in the kitchen, dressing in layers and makes pale skin look awesome. Its win, win.... for me, anyways.

I mean look at this, grey skies, golden leaves, whats not to love. Today we took a drive up to Mt. Lofty Botanic gardens. Sure, we got lost along the way, maybe we got there at 4 o'clock and the park shuts at 5, but hey, we saw some colours!

I kind of wanted to go to check it out because in a couple of weeks, I will be taking the associates for a design project. I thought it would be nice to get them out of the studio and get them thinking on a different level. For me personally, I take a lot from nature (sorry mother nature, I'm like the bandit who steals all your good ideas and passes them off as my own) and I was hoping they might find some inspiration too.

Its hard work being an associate and the time for reflection or fresh inspiration can be rare. Its real easy to get bogged down in technique and trying to perfect that elusive perfect tumbler, so to speak. It's easy to forget that glass can be beautiful and fluid, craving movement and spontaneous action. It's not all goblet making and skittles, so to speak.

I gots a lot of work to do. I gots alot of decisions to make. It's crunch time, so to speak.

Anyways, I love you Autumn. You are my favourite. Summer is for jerks in bikinis. I am a pale skinned giant who likes layers, changing leaves and Autumn months.

lightbulb....

So the string garden.....

"Curioser and curioser," said Alice as she tumbled down the rabbit hole...

Seems these delightful little chaps are also known as "Kokedama" or more affectionately known as; "The poor mans Bonsai". Well, well, well, what a co-winkydink, as my sister would say. Japanese related and I didn't even know it. I feel like there is potential here for new research material!! I am a part of a group show which is entirely garden related, later this year and have been wondering which direction to take, maybe this is a good start?

So quite often these little guys are covered in moss, and moss to the Japanese is considered quite beautiful. Moss even appears in ancient poetry and even in the national anthem of Japan (so I'm told..) meaning that Kokedama can now be regarded as a part of Japan that fuses tradition and modernity.

They are the ultimate in sustainable living and for the space conscious. Low maintenance, beauty in the everyday. Sounds like my kind of thing... its nature that can be held in your palm. Ever precious, yet surprisingly sturdy and resilient. Much like Japan itself in this difficult time?

Ladies and gentleman, I think I have found my beginning.

String Gardens

These by far were the most amazing thing I saw at the flower show. I had spied them before, trawling through the internet, but nothing beats seeing them in the flesh. They were just beautiful. All these hanging creations made for quite a striking installation. They are called string gardens. You can find some more here if you were interested. I can't figure out if these are grown over quite a period of time of just literally strung together. Maybe I should try and make some? How do I keep all the dirt together? (With the string you idiot) This idea will probably go in the pile with my vertical garden idea....I don't think i am much of the gardener type, shame because i really am in love with the idea of it. (Just spent the morning trawling through the Daylesford Organics blog man that is one amazing family. I think i might want to be them. This awesome rag tag bunch of super talented, both crafty and green thumb, up and moved to the country to start an organic farm 10 years ago (with an 8 month old baby) to start their new life. The mamma has her own blog Foxs Lane which is equally awesome.) I can keep succulents alive.....sometimes...does that count? I have a Brendan too, he likes gardening, does that count? Surely with these qualifications a move to the country to become organic farmers with lots of puppies is the obvious thing to do? Because lets face it, at the moment not much else is working out for me. How bad could a total upheaval be?

Im finding it hard to beep my head above water at the moment. Have suffered some setbacks and am worried I might go the way of Alice and drown in a sea of my own tears. I just thought this year was going to be amazing. In reality its turning out to be quite the opposite. How do i find the path again? What is lady universe trying to tell me?

I feel lost at sea.

Who would have thought there were florists in limbo?

While we were in 'limbo' in Melbourne, we were lucky enough to be there the same time as the Melbourne International Flower Show. There were some amazing arrangements, some were clearly over the top (florists gettin a little too excited) but here are a couple of images of some impressive arrangements while I sift through the masses...