If you're feeling sorry for yourself,

just check out this baby! Don't you feel better already?



This is Sylvie, made by Julie, who is totally rocking the blog photography at Seattle's Nordic Heritage Museum.

Volunteer Park Conservatory--Seattle, Washington

My buddy Julie (one blog, second blog) up in Seattle recently had the awesomest baby, ever. I totally stole this picture from her Flickr stream.



Now Julie's on "mostly unpaid" maternity leave looking for free stuff to do in Seattle. I enjoyed her visit to the Museum of Communication and the Western Bridge (with cool secret front door).

Then I remembered that I still have unblogged pictures from my visit to Seattle's Volunteer Park Conservatory from last July. It's free. Julie, go check it out. (Also, if you blog pictures of your Rem Koolhaas library, I will totally link to you.)

Anyhoo, without further ado, ladies and germs, Seattle's lovely Volunteer Park Conservatory.





Fact is, I was quite enchanted by the old-school flower beds out front.





And this poodle was rad.



I zoomed in on this from across the parking lot because I didn't want to ask if it was okay to take pictures.



Awesome.

Okay, inside, there are orchids and tropicals, a substantial cactus and succulent garden and, of course, a big misshapen penis. Erm, I mean, Amorphophallus titanum. Have you noticed all the cool conservatories have one nowadays? Let's take a look...













Jeebus!











Aloe plicatilis.



Note how the planter bed is just, like, eight inches deep.



Pedilanthus tithymaloides cv. variegata (Euphorbiaceae)



Plants are amazing.







ADDED: Julie visits the Conservatory and takes great pictures.