Stand and Deliver

I am nothing, if not predictable, I'd always wanted to grow roses.

I've never been one of these 'niche' types, whose style is like that group of avant garde
 Northern European designers,

whose names I can never remember.

Here's me popping herbage into a coq au vin, wearing a diamante rose ring on a Thursday night.
I must confess, I forgot to soak the bird the night before in the wine, it was ad hoc.

Back in the day, Mr Fascinata and I installed a rose garden. It was not, ad hoc.

Mr Fascinata had driven way out to Marburg with me, along the way to (Toowoomaba, Queensland) to source some of the best rose species from 'Stop and Smell the Roses' gift store and plant nursery. They were a treat. We came back to the House of Flora, armed with every bit of rose-how-to-care-for frippery you could imagine.
And, for a while I was diligent.

I knocked myself out, creating a faux olde worlde patina on the pots.

The yield was pretty good for a while, and the garden delivered.

Not quite like this above, but more like this loveliness, below.

Just one or two blooms, at a time.

I compensated quantity for quality presentation techniques, tricking up all sorts of floral frippery.

Inspiring all sorts of stuff in my head.

Who can forget Valentino's frippery at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art?

I can't move on.

One of the workers had these on the other day.

Another one of the workers made this amazing rose book sculpture!

How good is it!

Do you remember the bling-blinged neck Moet bottle, I gave it away, and then I felt regret.

What a shocking admission.

  

Do you love these hats?

Sadly, the rose garden hasn't lived up to my expectations.

Have you ever had a an experience that hasn't come through with the goods?

My 'too good to be true' two cocktail gowns from Dhgate on the 'net certainly fit that bill.

And, Dhgate put me through all sorts of frippery trying to get them to Stand and Deliver.

I lost in the end.

I've got a few loose ends to tie up this post.

Remember those two layers of chocolate heaven?

Well, it turned out to be only one, on a hollow platform!

I came home one day to see the box slightly askew, where Mr Fascinata

had tried to pull it apart to reveal the next layer of loveliness.

To no avail.

 No delivery.

My small potted rose garden, brought me all sorts of joy.

But then it became problematic.

To this day, the focus is more on the pots' patina and less on the flora.

I got heavily into cultivating a faux patina on the pots and pedestals.

Things have changed, nowadays, my roses seem to spend much of their time looking like this.

Luckily, I managed to photograph just about every decent bloom I had, before most of the plants shrivelled,
 over the last few years.

Against a striped armoire, in a flea-market vase.

A freakishly successful macro.

On Philip Starck's clear plastic frippery, that no-one is allowed to sit on.

Here's Mr Zavros with his Louis chairs. I am in good company.

I don't think he'd sit on his either.

In a vase by celebrated glass blowing artist, Stephen Morris, Byron Bay, Queensland.

As a shrine to Buddha and his birthday.

Just because they are beautiful.

On a non-functional sequinned, Target supplied cushion.

A whatever.

On a happier note, if anyone really cares, I am still knocking myself at Boot Camp.

You should join. I swear it is like a mind and mood-enhancing drug!

Boot Camp is proving to Stand and Deliver.
I'm also concerned about the Tent Embassy in Musgrave Park in Brisbane's West End. I'd have to agree it's high time to redress so many equity issues with indigenous Australians in the areas of health, education and incarceration.
I can understand the messages they are standing and delivering.
Hope there's not too much strife.
Not sure what the solution is?