Of red and green...

There have been rainstorms on my cherry trees, and gift gathering in my mind as the first of festive December arrives at Hillview - on rather a cool and unseasonably un-summery day.

I bought the Green House door a present!

And it sort of was for me too... Looks so magnificent to my eyes that I get a Christmassy smile on my head every time I see it!

And in-of-doors I am vasing up all of the fresh December blooms from my garden so that a new floral discovery can be made around every corner.

And while I wait out the cool change inside with my ornaments and things of red and green, I have the perfect Diva/Christmas slippers to warm, and charm me before the heat hits hard, the rains desert us and the Aussie summer delivers it's usual harshness and sunburnt beauty.

Hope you're enjoying the beginning of the Advent month, where ever you be!

Shell xx

Dear Friend,

I am so glad you came to stay. To hug your bones, and look in your eyes, and know you more, was a precious thing.

To have you play with my babes was delightful! To sit up with you all night talking, confiding, expressing, about how we'll change the world and feeling the Spirit of hope in the room was amazing...

To sit with you under the sunshine sipping tea was special, and long overdue. I can feel you have blossomed with the spring...

And those blooms! They spoke of everything as friends we love, and why we love. Their colour, delicacy, vulnerability, beauty and spirit was... [pause]

{I'm crying again!}

In short; it was so good to hug your bones, and look in your eyes, and know you more.

Dear Friend.

Love, Shell xx

Flowers for September

Rain threatened our annual visit to Floriade yesterday, but in the end did not prevail. I had been up early making and baking homemade treats for our lunch time picnic and stroll through the flowers. (I made myself so busy in the kitchen that I forgot to take photos of my Gourmet Sandwiches, Quiche Lorraine, and nutty-chocolatey-cookie Delights!)

However I believe {& you will soon discover} I have made up for the lack of food related photography in floral subjects, and wonderful blurry family-love-snaps like this of the newlyweds, and one of my other beautiful sisters-in-law and nephews strolling the Floriade parade.

I love the way Canberrans come out after Winter to see the bulbs and blooms, and to my mind, the first glimpse of Spring and proof that the warm, signature Australian weather is on it's merry way...

I gushed at Daphne. {And though it is perhaps socially unacceptable} I still wanted to pick some and have you smell it with me! Bring it home and put it in a vase by my bed. Perhaps I will just have to grow some instead...

In amongst a shrubbery, and cluster of trees which formed a sort of maze and plant like cave, we found this furry fellow! Known as a Possum; I think they're one of our most beautiful native marsupials, and we can thank the zoom on my camera for allowing us this close up look at him.

We picniced throughout the afternoon and enjoyed the sun which made a welcome, yet non-forcasted appearance. I greeted many a perfect flower which posed for me so willingly in the breeze and had to giggle at the yellow tulip, placed so accidentally in a bed of red daisies.

So often in my life I have been that yellow tulip...

I realised that four of the Tully women were wearing the same shoes in different colours {which is hardly surprising when one works in a shoe shop!} But to all be wearing them on the same day, was photo worthy!

Spring feels truly here. One picnic down, so many more to come this Spring!

Shell xx