A crazy Southern sky full’a storm clouds didn’t stop me and my Mom from hitting up a local garden center’s Spring open house event this past weekend.
We were like kids in a candy store amongst all the pretty flowers and plants.
Mom was on a mission to find us a couple of hanging pots for the naked shepherds hooks sticking out of our front flower bed.
There were so many beautiful varieties to choose from…
We ended up picking these two because she thought I’d be able to keep them alive the longest…
I’m still regretting not bringing home a couple of these for my naked porch pots though…
Begonias. *sigh* Sweet, sweet begonias. (I will be back for you- I promise!)
After we loaded our flowers into the car, we decided to pose like Vanna take a walk around the property…
I love a good ‘walk n’ talk’.
Especially when it takes place underneath umbrellas like these…
…and is occasionally interrupted by invitations to tiny islands like these…
Lamar and Johnny definitely know what’s up when it comes to walk n’ talks…
After our stroll around the pond, we headed over to Eastbrook Flea Market. Mom was on the hunt for a little mirror to hang on the fence in her secret garden…
We looked at lots and lots (and lots!) of contenders, but in the end she chose the little round one in the photo above.
We saw so many great flea market finds while we strolled from booth to booth. I loved the tone of this big basket…
…and those map and glaze-covered boxes would be kinda fun to make too.
We saw a neat twig-covered chandelier, pretty pastel-painted frames, stunning vintage cameras, a magnificent, blue-painted mirror, a sweet little garden-themed chandelier, and a colorful, folding ruler, like the one we used in our Flea Market Style magazine article…
There were lots of farm-style wares too…
And I could’ve just eaten up this driftwood frame, antique trunk, and vintage card sorter…
…as well as this seafoam green butter slicer, wooden number ‘thingy’, and this amazing old metal bed…
It was such fun shopping trip, and although I really didn’t plan on bringing anything home with me, Mom went ahead and bought us this piece of framed photography we’ve had our eyes on for quite a while now…
The tag on it said ‘Old Minnesota Farm Family Panoramic Photo’…
…and it is right up this Minnesota girl’s alley!
(alley?...pasture?)
So many things draw me in…the simple old farmhouse…the little kiddo standing on the chair (in front of his mama?)…the six-pane windows…the one that’s open upstairs (what does that room look like up there?)…
The little girl in the middle…the weathered barns in the back…the beards on the men…all their s’penders and straps…
The car on the right side of the picture intrigues me too…surely it was parked there for a reason (composition?)…
The whole thing just makes me wanna build a barn on a bed of round rocks somewhere!
(One with a chevron-patterned door, and teeny-tiny square-shaped windows, of course.)
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Oh the thoughts that ran through my mind when I saw the Minnesota farm picture….what were there names, etc!!! So fun to see you and your Mom enjoying the day together!!!!
The best time out with your mom. I’ve got the butter slicer – amazing to see a picture on your blog. Great baskets of flowers. What a great slice of time you posted today. Thank you.
– Joy
Thank YOU Joy!
🙂
I like how you show all the little details of that photograph that you like so much! What fun!
Camille
It’s still a little too early for flower shopping in Illinois, but I’m so ready for it. Enjoy those beauties!
Sounds like a wonderful day! That walking trail seems heavenly.
just lovely… every little bit of it…:)
Oh how I love that photo. We were out driving yesterday looking at old barns. I say barns are the comfort food for your eyes.
OH MY is that photo stunning! I can SEE why you had your eyes on it! GORGEOUS!
What beautiful flowers! You should go back and get those begonias. I need to get started on my hanging flower baskets. That walking path is gorgeous. Love the little round mirror. Very cute. That picture is simply amazing!!!
I know, right? Those things are still haunting me….in a good way. 🙂
Now I’m itching to go shopping for plants for my black thumb to kill and flea marketing for fun! So wish we lived closer! 🙂 xoxo Do you remember that “brush” cup that I got from you at your’s and Rhoda’s yard sale? It ended up in our newly remodeled bathroom! 🙂
The brush cup! Yes! Glad you could put it to good use! 🙂
Wonderful pictures!! Why do you seem to have such good finds? I wanna go vintage/flea shopping with you!
Belly B
I love the fuchsias and begonias! And what a fun trip to the flea market… makes me want to head out to one next weekend. We’ll have to see if I have time 🙂
I love the farm photo. I’m not surprised that there’s a seemingly random car in the photo. Cars were signs of success and were often given pride of place in photos.
I’m a professional historian, and I’ve seen *many* historic family photos that include objects that the family was obviously very proud of. It was a lot more difficult for early photographers to manipulate light outside of their studio, so most on-sight family photos were taken outside. But, that didn’t stop the families from dragging outside stuff like their massive pump organ or their matching dining room sets!
That’s SO funny, Amanda! Thanks for the info…cool to know! 🙂
I am so jealous of you seeing all those beautiful spring flowers. The snow is still on the ground here and I really cant wait until I can go shop for flowers to put all over the terrasse.
What a fun day, Layla…the perfect day. 🙂
You just described the perfect day. LOVE the picture. Thanks for sharing the details up close.
Southern Homes and Gardens is amazing, isn’t it!? You need to take a picnic and eat by one of the ponds- such a serene place! And Eastbrook- you are making me so homesick! There used to be a little Thai place right next to Eastbrook that I loved, too. Thanks for the memories!
We had lunch there! 😀 It’s called the Green Papaya and it is DIVINE!!! Mmmmmm.
(Note: They’re only open til 2:00)
The Green Papaya is such a great place to eat lunch! I do not seem to be able to order anything except the Pad Thai there. Yum!!!
Your mom is so cute! Just like you!
What a fun day! I looooove begonias. I have two big ones on my front porch. They give you so much color for so little upkeep energy. 🙂 Except my neighbors dog ate almost all of one of them.
Beautiful flowers!! I am in love and cannot wait to see that around here. Our flea markets don’t seem to have anything that beautiful! Jealous.
I have a trunk just like that that I got at an auction for $15 about 10 years ago!
I’m glad you and your mom had a wonderful day. It was fun to get to tag along on your shopping adventures. The farm photo is really neat. Show us when you’ve decided where it’s going to live.
I definitely will, Beth! 🙂
cool! I can’t wait to put my begonias out and I LOVE the photograph!
oh how wonderful! thats so sweet you and your momma! Sarahlynn
I love reading stories about your mom! Such great memories being made…..treasure them! Loved that butter slicer!
Hi El’s Mama!!
So much fun, girl!
You may have just sealed the deal here. I MUST come for a visit. I’m dying for a little spanish moss umbrella-action!
YES! Please! Come! 😀
What a perfect day — flower ‘picking’ and treasure hunting with your very first friend, Jude! I love old photographs and could get lost in one for some time.
Your Friend,
Deborah
Did you all go to Caffco? If not you should next time it is behind Southern Homes and Gardens. Also next time you are in Wetumpka you should go to Wetumpka Flea Market and Antique. It is in the Winn-Dixie shopping center.
We have found some great things to buy at the Wetumpka Flea Market. If I can’t find what I am looking for at Eastbrook, I can usually find it there.
Photographers used to go around t rural America, knock on people’s doors and offer to take their picture. It was the only time many people ever had their photo taken. The photographer would tell them to bring out their family and anything that was important to them. That car was probably the homeowner’s pride and joy. Sometimes you will see cars, wagons, cattle….all aout in front of the family house or barn. So fun that you have a piece of rural America!
What a fun day! The walk was gorgeous, and your stunning photographs make me feel like I was there! The old farm photo is amazing…it really draws you in and makes you curious about the family in the photo! Thanks for sharing, Layla! 🙂
What a great day! Southern Homes & Gardens is a great place to take pictures…I took some of my son last year for my husband’s Father’s Day gift. I guess we need to go back out there again while all of the flowers are out.
The farm folks were showing off their car. It was a sign of their prosperity:)
What a beautiful day 🙂
i’m so unbelievably jealous that you have such a great flea market to pick through!
I think I might just need to visit Alabama!!!!
Whoooo, lots of nice treasures and time with your mom. The tree canopy is very cool. We don’t have those kind here. Lots of trees, but not those “mossy” draped ones.
My fave item is the farm panorama. So much detail in one photo!!! No wonder you had to have it!!!
Ahhhh! I can’t wait till Indianapolis’ weather is nice enough to do this! Growing up in Florida I miss the tree canopies like the one’s you enjoyed!
Love the pictures of the garden and antique stores. It makes me miss home SO SO much! I’m from NC and now live in AZ thanks to the USAF. I haven’t lived in NC for the last 12 years. Your southern talk and “twang” make me miss it even more when I read your posts. That picture…so cool and I agree with you about the questions it conjures. Those weeping willows are so beautiful. When I was a little girl my Grandmother let me have my treehouse in the one she had in her front yard. The treehouse was me sitting in the bend of the branch eating a PB&J. lol Good times. Great memories!
Layla,
What a lovely day! Thanks for sharing with us:)
Danna
I love the tree pictures during your walk! Is that spanish moss or something entirely different? Also, I didn’t know you were from Minnesota. How long did you live in MN and where?
Hi Katrina!
I was born in Mankato, and raised on a hobby farm about 20 from there. I moved away when I turned 19…I miss it sometimes. (Not the snow though!) 🙂
Your pictures are absolutely beautifu!! I would love to know what kind of camera you use.
Thanks! It’s a Canon 7D. 🙂
Ah, your killing me with all these Spring Flowery pictures. I’m a Southerner that now lives in the Midwest, and I’m dying for some flowers and colors and green grass already! Plus, so sweet to see you and your mom having so much fun together. I miss my fam:) But…such a great post!!!! Looks like y’all had so much fun.
Could that whole post be any sweeter…love the MN pic…
Love all the phtotos. The flowers were fun, but cannot beat flea market photos!!!!
Lovely post today. Makes me wish it was warm enough here to get started on flowers. You are so very lucky to have a mother to share those memories with. Love the old blue and green frames and I adore your new picture. Hmmm…I wonder where it will go?
Your comments about your mom and her mission to find you hanging plants make me crack-up. My mom is the same way. I think she takes pity on our sad little landscape-less yard, and insists on buying us plants. I always have to warn her, “These may not live, Mom.”
“I know. I just think you need some …”
🙂
I too look at old pictures like that one and my mind swims of questions of who what and where not to mention why?!?!? History is so cool..i wonder who the picture belongs to and do those people in the photo know that a pictrure of themselves is hanging in some total strangers house?(Well they probably don’t know now). Love it all, looks like you had a great time chillin with your momma. I love being with my mom too. Thanks for sharing your day! Mary
Layla:
I have that trunk in our storage area, but just not sure how to decorate with it. Any ideas would be appreciated Layla. I love seeing your outing with your mom ~ my mom turned 80 this year and is still out shopping every saturday with her girlfriends.
What a wonderful picture and beautiful walk and sweet time with your mom – just perfect. Thanks for sharing – Cailan
Looks so fun. It seems that lots of people get flea-market-fever right alongside their spring fever. I’ve never been to one, but I would love to go!
There is nothing more fun than to hang with your best friend.
who just happens to be your mom .
You are very blessed and so is she.
Come to think of it I am too.
I am with my best friend and my 2 preciouslly hysterical grand babies
at least 3x a week.
Start planning lots of mommy sleep overs when your kiddies begin their wonderful life with you.