Need a Big Garden Inspiration?

 I have been stepping through one grand gate after another enjoying breathtakingly beautiful gardens. 

This one is at the Oxford University in England.

Oxford began to flourish in 1167 when the English king, Henry 11 ordered all students and scholars in France to return home.  

The dining hall and the stairway were used in the filming of Harry Potter.  It was hard to capture a good picture while on a tour with many others.   All I seemed to get were heads and sneakers.

In 1968 President Bill Clinton won a Rhodes Scholarship and with that the opportunity to study at Oxford where he studied government and played rugby.

And I,  just finished walking through the halls and grand buildings and in the garden and my mind is full, perhaps not with the wisdom of what so many others have learned in this place but full no less of appreciation for the experience.

Need a little Garden Inspiration?

 Do you need a little garden inspiration?

While taking my daughter boot shopping in South Tampa we  visited all of my favorite shops on S. Manhattan St. Three Fabulous Shops filled with wonderful furniture and decor.

First stop was the beautiful outdoor space at Relic.

Makes you just want to go outside and plant something doesn't it?

 If you don't have a green thumb then just strategically place a floral picture for a pop of color.  

 I love this happy looking metal bird.  It just may keep the cranes out of my garden!

 I love all the pots.   They can look rather attractive all grouped together when not in use.  

Isn't this grouping wonderful.  I am less likely to forget to water a pot of plants that feeds me.  Here we have plantings of herbs and flowers and vegetables all in a pot.

So when the stress of this life gets to you and you just happen to be in Tampa, step into this sweet secret garden section called SPROUT at Relic.  We will step inside the 3 fabulous shops all a garden stones throw from each other making this destination a great place to take your girlfriends.  Make sure you bring a truck.   You are going to want something I promise!

Enjoy your weekend.

Hugs

Becky

With a good pair of boots....

My daughter is going to a Kenny Chesney concert next week and what proper concert attending country music loving lady wouldn't dress for the occasion.  So off we went to Keys Country, one of the best boutiques in South Tampa known for country girl bling and boots.

 This cute gal is one of the owners.  

 Check out the wall of boots that awaited us!  

 My personal favorite were the Abby Rose Old Gringo Boots.   Obviously they were others too because they didn't have my size.   However we played in the boot pile trying on this one and then that one.

 I loved these blingy boots!    

 I also loved the brown and tan boots and my daughter the floral boots.   Now mind you, boots are an investment.  The low end starts around $250 and the ones I had on were $450 so settling was not an option for us no matter how dog gone cute the other boots were.   Feeling all good about ourselves about not being impulsive or keeping ourselves from being shot by our husbands we left empty-handed.  As we were driving home my daughter got a call from her hubby and placing me on speaker phone we agreed that with a major birthday approaching she should have the boots she wanted.   I told him that he would never regret the purchase as I had purchased the boots that she is wearing below when I had had the same major birthday. ( I won't mention how many years ago that was, ok?)

 Do cowgirl boots ever go out of style?

She makes an old pair of boots look great doesn't she?

These are the boots she chose.
So with that we would have to agree with the Keys Country slogan however adding to it just a bit... 
" I'm fairly certain that with a new pair of boots, a sweet mini dress and a string of pearls I could rule the world and look awesome at a Kenny Chesney concert!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

 I hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day.

It's nice to be pampered isn't it?

The memories of those sweet expressions should help us all to face....

MONDAY!

WISHING YOU A BEAUTIFUL WEEK!

White Wednesday

Joining Kathleen and all the girls for White Wednesday...
Let me introduce our little Ava.

The Fancy Flea Was The Place To Be

 Today was a beautiful day in Florida and a perfect day for the Fancy Flea.

The Market was buzzing with busy vendors when we arrived and I could tell that this was indeed worth the trip from Tampa to sunny Lakeland FL.

The market is held in the spring and the fall each year.

 The vendor from this space is actually in a shop in Tampa called Relic which is right down the street from  Summer House Marketplace.  

 I love her creativity!

 You may recognize this beautiful clothing from Kim of Paris Rags.  She tempts me every time!

 Say "cheese" Deb!

Sweet Deb from Vintage Soul.

Her shop is another worth the trip outing,

located in St. Cloud, FL

 I'm kicking myself that I didn't bring these home for the Shabby Old House!!

 Shopping in this wonderful space was Shelley from Sweet Pea Home.  I love her style!

And although I didn't get a picture because my arms were filled, I ran into my dear friend Jane from Artfully Graced who was there with new blogger friends.

How did you spend your Saturday?

I hope you filled it up to the top with great things, just like I did my truck!

Tornados and the Beauty of Volunteers

 Lessons from the garden...

 Sweet determined surprises whether in groups of many or just one willing to move heaven and earth to appear.

 And who cares if they come in a Cracked Pot

 Just as long as they come!

Praying for the victims of yesterday's storm and that the beauty of volunteers would been seen everywhere!

Fifi O'Neill's Book Signing at Posh On Palm

 I had the privilege of attending a book signing party for Fifi O'Neill given by Susie and Mark Holt at their beyond beautiful shoppe, Posh on Palm in Sarasota FL.   Fifi, is known for filling our minds monthly with beautiful inspiration from the pages of Romantic Country to her current work of artistic wonderment, " Romantic Prairie Style."  To finally make her acquaintance was a very special treat for me!  Don't you just love the Cowgirl boot bouquets?

Susie and Fifi have long paired Beauty and Romantic living as a signature to everything they touch.

I think we should hail them as the Romantic Beauty Queens!

I found Fifi to be a charming lady with a cute sense of humor and the store filled up with many of her friends and followers.

The atmosphere was breathtaking as Mark and Susie had made sure that this was a glorious event for their special friend Fifi  and their delighted guests.

Just as I can assure you that this was indeed a beautiful evening I can assure you as well that you too can  experience the same moments of beauty on each and every page of Fifi's book, 

Romantic Prairie Style.

Springtime Whites in Eufaula

I look forward to the drive to Eufaula from Florida in the springtime.   You just never know what flowering subject will make it's debut from one week to the next.    I saw the most amazing trees filled from limb to limb with beautiful white blossoms and what a spectacular show they made all the way from Tallahassee to Eufaula.

Their beauty lined the roads and graced many lawns.    I found myself saying to myself, "  I am going to have to plant one of these amazing trees just as soon as I can find one."     I couldn't wait to find out just what they were.  

For as many years as we had been going back and forth from FL to Eufaula I had never seen them before.    It's hard to leave warm sunny Florida in the winter months so our timing this year was just right to see these pretty spring beauties.   You can only imagine my joy when I found that the Shabby Old House had her very own gloriously white flowering tree.  

  

All dressed up for springtime and waiting to greet us it welcomed us home.

I got dizzy looking upward into all the blossoms.

And when I couldn't look up anymore I  decided to take a walk around the town.  Eufaula is such a beautiful town in the spring.  The trees were everywhere and it wasn't until I went to see my dear friend that I figured out exactly what they were.   In the fall the trees lining the roads in my friends neighborhood are the most beautiful shades of autumn.   She told me that her Grand Daddy had lovingly planted them and to my surprise those very same beautiful trees were covered in white blossoms.  The mystery was solved

They were Flowering Pears.  So if you want to beautify your corner of the world I can assure you that you won't be disappointed with this beautiful tree,  unless of course you have allergies.  To that I give you my sincere apology because I plan to plant one more tree!

I am joining Kathleen for White Wednesday.  

Make sure you check out the wonder of whites today.

Hugs

Becky

Vintage White Iron

The collections of vintage white iron pieces  are perfect additions to any secret garden plans one might be dreaming of.  In fact if it were possible I would take every square inch of this peaceful plot along with every crusty, rusty iron delight.

 I can just see this collection under the big magnolia tree in the yard at our Shabby Old House.   I actually did take the herb planter home.  I didn't mind the rush hour traffic with the glorious smell of lavender filling the air.  It really is calming.  

 A vintage white iron table and chairs with loads of white flowers would welcome my guests.  This planter just may be next to come home with me.

 Rooms without walls or doors tucked in quiet corners of the yard are just waiting to be created and never have I dreamed as much as I dream when I stop to linger in the nursery area of this sweet little shop in Tampa.  

   I am so happy that you have joined me today as I share for Kathleen's White Wednesday, a shop I have come to love in Tampa.
Relics has it all.  Fabulous furniture and flowers and wonderful vintage lawn furnishings and garden decor. Truly a wonderful mix of old and new.