Saturday in the Park ...

They say that you can measure the success of a city

by the amount of greenery it offers....

... well actually that's just something I made up.

I would measure the success of a city that way and 

indeed my city scores very highly in this category.

Hyde Park is one such successful spot.

Cafes within walking distance and ample parking.

A lovely lake, picnic benches, a playground...

... and all importantly ... lots and lots of trees.

A mocha or two ...

... something sweet filled with caramel goo...

..... a friend who'll eat the crumbs you drop...

... people smiling and kids giggling....

What more can you ask?

This kind of public art is popping up everywhere and 

I must say I just love it.

We even spotted a couple of Black Swans...

Our state bird 

I think Hyde Park will see a lot more 

of the JAm family this Spring

****

So how was your weekend?

Your plans for the up and coming week?

We spent today in the garden cutting back

mad bushes and weeding.

In a minute my brother will be dropping by

with my nieces... It's been a very blessed weekend

Tim Walker & Tree of Life...

So today I ventured into the garden with all my dresses from Tree Of Life.

I had grand plans to create my own homage to 

Tim Walker.

If you have not yet seen any of his work then do take the time to visit his website. 

Here you will see where I got the idea of photographing beautiful dresses in a tree.

Unfortunately a few unexpected issues resulted from this crazy, somewhat adventurous notion.....

Firstly the neighbours (and my Pooch) thought I'd gone bonkers.

Secondly I had only just completed placing them all over the tree (on twigs that I had cut to make hangers with) when these dark and threatening clouds appeared out of nowhere. What ensued was both immensely frustrating and comical.

Just to clarify the Pooch found it comical, I found it frustrating!

So in a bid to save the dresses from getting drenched I raced to beat the shower

 and pack everything away.

I was feeling rather miffed, since I had not yet taken any photos with the "real camera" and even more angry because Pooch had managed to leave a smelly present in the middle of the lawn (thus ruining the Hermes slash Lacroix atmosphere!) Then the phone rings (of course) and, as I rush inside to answer, I forget all about the pooch's contribution, step directly onto it and take (most) of it with me into the house.

I'm pretty darn sure that Mr Walker has not had this happen on ANY one of the many amazing photo shoots he has orchestrated (and he does work with animals) I'm also pretty sure Mr Walker would find my homage to his Dress Lamp Tree  somewhat... um ... how shall we put it... ridiculous??

As pretty as these cotton and satin lovelies are, they ended up looking more like ghosts.

(or invisible hanging corpses!?)

So as I returned inside the house I couldn't help but feel somewhat deflated.

I decided to post the measly few I-Phone shots I snapped anyway because I suppose they are quite poetic (in a tragically weird way) and they will always remind me to think before I venture outside with half my wardrobe... in the winter... with the pooch. Grrrrr!

Now if by some magical chance anyone from Tree Of Life should see this post I would like to stress that no dresses were harmed in the making of this post (miraculously) and that I promise to attempt a more superior advertisement for what is undoubtedly one of my favourite clothing stores in Perth.

I am very lucky to own as many of their dresses as I do. Even though most of mine were purchased on sale (and in some cases at 70% off) I still feel their prices are reasonable and their styling divine.

For a better view of their creations see HERE and HERE.

Anyhooo. You live and you learn right?

POINT IN CASE:

I am not Tim Walker. I am me.

I may not have a giant Oak and lights to place within each dress.

What I do have is a divine Ornamental Plum (soon to blossom) as well as a wonderful wardrobe of cotton and satin loveliness.

I may not have an assistant who knows how clean lenses, set props and make me tea.

What I do have is a pooch who never criticizes my crazy ideas.

(Sorry I growled at you Eddie - you poop wherever you want Sweetie.

Just not on the path way or the lawn... try the garden bed.... I repeat the garden bed!!!)

And last but not least  - I may not have succeeded today but I am not defeated.

I will attempt this idea again one day. Possible on a smaller scale.

With help. And tea.

Down South

A rammed earth cottage in the middle of five acres of quintessential Australian Bushland.

A few days of nothing but rest and relaxation.

A trip to the Valley of the Giants 

(first time for us)

Climbing the Gloucester Tree! (Facing your fears)

Drinking the best red wine.

Eating soup, pizza and pasta.

Sleeping in

Walking

Talking

Loving

Yes please!

This was a vacation to savour.

The JAm family (with Pooch of course) just being.

It's highly under rated this "just being" business.

At first I felt the urge to organise, tackle a book, 

clean (*!?#) and then slowly this manic obsessive behaviour of mine dissolved into a pool of sweet nothing...ness. Sit... look... think... don't think.

Read - or not.

Wait... walk... have a beer... eat now... eat later.

Who cares?

(Certainly not the kangaroos that greeted us every morning)

Fact (s)

The Valley of the Giants is a must 

(if you're heading down South in Western Australia)

You can have pizza every day for a week. 

You can have pasta every day for a week.

Being a red wine snob is not a bad thing.

Harry Potter rocks (I whittled a wand for my son... yes that's right... I.... "whittled"!)

Lavender scones with honey and clotted cream are quite unlike anything I've ever had before.

A family vacation is a blessing.

I love my life.

Hush now...

The weather on Friday was just utterly and completely sublime.

Partly cloudy, cool breeze, sun breaking through the clouds from time to time...

Perfect for walking Eddie and breathing deeply.

I am one of those people who loves nothing more than a jolly good tongue wag -  if you couple that with tea and cake, well then I'm yours for life. However whenever I get to spend some quality "alone time" with my thoughts, my hopes and my ideas (and my crazy dog) I'm duly reminded of the sacred nature of simple, allowing and reverent SILENCE.

Perhaps walking my pooch highlights this even more since he just trots along compliantly

 following a scent here...

and claiming territory whenever he can...

We're lucky enough to have a few small parks within a short walking distance from where we live.

My favourite being Roberts Park - so named due to the eccentric old man who has lived next to it for the last 45 years (more photos of it here)

It has a creek flowing through it and a number of really beautiful trees and tree ferns 

(pictured above) 

It's also home to a family of ducks - Eddie wanted to say hello but they would have no part of it.

I love the fact that it's really quite small, and surrounded by houses, yet whenever I'm there I always feel like I've entered another world. For some reason I'm quite often lucky enough to have it all to myself.

I sat beneath the canopy of the tree ferns and just watched, waited... listened.

Turtle doves cooing gently, the whistle of the wind lulling me into a dream state.

Sometimes it's very important for me to simply .... Hush

So I will.

Sweet Street and Bird Treat

Well I'm off to Mr Sparrow to get a Frankie Spaces mag (Yay!) and I find myself musing along a street in Subiaco. So this will be the street I live on when I fly back to Perth to visit family. Here I will have a "city pad" and then I do believe I shall have me a country dwelling somewhere between Margaret River and Albany... Yes definitely. 

Subiaco (or "Subi" as we call it here) is home to my favourite shop, my favourite burger joint and some of my favourite tree lined streets. Rupert street, however, takes the cake.

I think I would actually venture so far as to throw a street party when I live here - with homemade lemonade, egg and spoon races, 

 pony rides for the kids...

Mother Nature winking at me as I walk to the shops...

...to buy a sweet pastry and a good book

(or a Yoshi towel for a treat...why not?) 

Or maybe I'll just sit...

...and observe

all 

the

 treasures

that trees have to offer.

With grace...

... and dignity

...unsurpassed

PS - Remember this bag? Well guess what?

It's mine! Complete with matching purses for super duper handbag organisation and co-ordination.... Lucky gal is Moi