Where are the Beautiful Shops of Florida?

Have you ever been in a town wondering where the beautiful shops are and how to get there? Nobody knows Florida like someone who has lived there for awhile. Time has given us a great advantage that newcomers and visitors long for.
Having had a beautiful shop, I have made friends with some wonderful couples with beautiful shops. Their talents have inspired me. The road has been calling me and I am answering. Come along with me for some" Retail Therapy." I think I need a week's worth!

Quite time

A Lakeside Retreat

An important part of my life, as necessary as water and air is the beauty I find in nature. Growing up in Indiana I had full run of my grandparents farm. I would daily retreat to the woods and just over the hill find peace at the rivers edge. The sounds of the water are so soothing. Ahh....peace. This is our land in Odessa. It too has a beautiful waters edge. I find myself enjoying the same retreating ritual. Psalms 23 He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

Tea at Main Street Tea House

There are just some things that a girl has to relive as often as she can.

Remember those tea parties that you would have with your girl friends?

Any time you dress up and put on hats and laugh and share stories with

your girlfriends is considered a day well spent for me.

Add a new friend to the mix and it just couldn't be any better.

Today I spent the afternoon with my good friend Kathleen and her friend

Kathy who is now my friend too. We visted the Main Street Tea House in

Safety Harbor. My friend Randi Scott owns this beautiful tea house.

Her strawberry scones are incredible! It's an experience everyone should have!

Look what I caught

It was a nice evening when Dave got home from work so we decided to fish until dark.

I know this sounds like bragging but......."LOOK WHAT I CAUGHT.

8 pounds. Usually I just float in the boat as Dave casts. I just felt like I was going to

catch the biggest fish.

I humbled him ya all.

Something's fishy

He came flying into the house with this fish. Remember that movie On Golden Pond?

I believe they had a fish named Walter. Well, Dave caught Walter. He has been returned

back to the lake. The fish weighed 13 pounds. HONEST.

As you can see he is passing his passion on to the next generation.

You have heard it said, Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.

Teach a man to fish and he will be divorsed 3 times during his life.

One more

I need to go to blogging school....

Please bear with me as I learn.

Flower Therapy

It's coming along, this little cottage garden of mine.

This is the walk way up to my back door. I planted it

for my friends because as you know, "Backdoor guests

are Best."

The blue bell like flowers are called Sky Vine.

My neighbor calls it Kutsu with a flower as it would cover

my house and his if I let it. One year I had it on our gazebo

and by the end of summer it looked like a giant ball of flowers.

Although it got so out of hand it was awesome to walk inside

the gazebo and see the flowers hanging down.

A Scrapbook Begins

When things go from Ugggggggly to pretty it is

worth recording and so my scrapbook begins.

It is amazing the manual labor that must have gone

in to this porch. Can you imagine the hours that

were spent? Can you imagine the hours we will

spend scraping and painting? hmmm....maybe

I will hire this one out!

One Shabby old House

She sit on Eufaula Ave anxiously awaiting the day that her doors will open to guests. Our Victorian Cottage is slowly but surely metamorphosing into a beautiful haven. Join me as I share with you what we have done.

Every room was wallpapered. Even the ceiling!

Every room had old carpet.

Every room needed the walls fixed.

Every room needed painting.

And so the project began.