Creations, Unexpected Inspirations
Inspirations can come from very unexpected places. I have learned to follow my instincts and just see where they lead me…The other day, on a whim, I stopped by the Fairhope Public Pier and was greeted by the rose garden in full bloom
Fairhope, Alabama is one of my favorite places to visit, a totally charming town where you can actually park on the street, and it is always full of flowers, they are absolutely everywhere!
When I was here a month ago there were glorious beds of tulips in perfect bloom
The rose garden is the gateway to the pier on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay
There is eye candy galore in this quaint little town
Blooming baskets of flowers hang everywhere on almost every street, all year round
Private piers and boathouses dot the shoreline
An incredible walking/biking trail winds it’s way through the magnificent old trees
Spanish moss literally drips from the trees
It was a stunning day, 73 degrees, bright sunshine and a gentle cool breeze
It made me want to rush home and paint~my little detour was the source of unexpected inspirations!
Memory benches line the path
This one was dedicated to “Bones, Jabel & Preacher Ponder,” beloved pets perhaps?
You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll see in this eclectic community that is totally dedicated to supporting the arts. Have you ever seen a license plate from Aruba?
Fairhope is full of panoramic water views and quirky little shops and buildings
The houses are all unique
Many of the homes have wonderful names and signs out front, but are hidden by the lush trees and long winding driveways~
I pulled into one driveway just to take a photo, and the car behind me was turning in too, it was their house! I was so embarrassed! A little further down the road, I tried again, just pulling in for a quick photo and believe it or not, it happened again! I gave up and headed home before someone called the police about a crazy lady snooping with her camera!!
I did want to mention the reason I was in Fairhope, I was there for a Southern Bloggers Jubilee conference~
The inspiration from this group of talented women WAS expected, let me introduce you to them:
Kim founded our group, to gather and share ideas and information. Her blog is her focus now that she is an empty nester and she writes about everything from fashion, home and gardening to adoption~ you can find her at Cozinest
Debbie is an artist who transforms furniture and other treasures with a paint brush and she also makes unique jewelry. You can visit Debbie at Flower Child Designs
Beth Anne is the genius behind The Eat Beat, Fairhope’s newspaper featuring all the news about the best places to nosh, recipes and food news. Fairhope has amazing places to dine, and each one features artsy atmosphere and divine food. Get the scoop from Beth Anne at The Eat Beat
Bonnie shares her beautiful gardens, travels and tablescapes. She is a great photographer and I have recently enjoyed a trip to Pompeii on her blog, Living with Thanksgiving
Lorraine blogs about ebay projects and sales, treasures she finds, and various activities of her talented family, and you can visit her at Clamco
Linda has a thriving vintage and antique shop in Mobile, Al. and she blogs about home decor and special finds. She also makes awesome picture frames and her husband crafts incredible furniture. If you visit her at Coastal Charm you will want to plan a trip to Mobile asap to purchase her treasures!
Hope lives in Fairhope and pursues her passion for creating jewelry while enjoying the beach and coastal life. Visit Hope at Crafty Hope to see her “oh so cute” jewelry!
Leslie Anne writes about all things Fairhope, photography, her family and just about anything else~You will smile a lot when you visit the charming Leslie Anne at Fairhope Supply Co. Be sure to check out her post on “23 Southern Sayings” and Advice from a Southern Mama, “Don’t trust a man who won’t eat grits.”
Karyn is a published author and swim team mom. Visit Karyn at Karyn Tunks to read all about her fabulous children’s book, “Jubilee” and be sure to say hello on her new blog swim team lifestyle where she shares some mom insights and swim team life
Emily blogs at the French Hutch, and she loves all things French. She always has some wonderful tablescapes and beautiful things going on.
Ellen is an author and a lover of color which is reflected all over her beautiful home and wonderful tablescapes. Her blog is called Scribbler Unfocused and you never know where she will take you!
If you are interested in joining us for the next conference just click on the big blue button on my right side bar
for more info about Fairhope click here
Thanks for touring with me today!
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I will be sharing with these fabulous parties and blogs:
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What a picturesque little town! Looks like a lovely place to visit:@)
Jenna, I’ve taken some of those very same photos. Fairhope is a picture postcard kind of town and flowers are indeed everywhere. I love your painting! And you are so sweet to list all the bloggers from the meet-up. Thank you for the mention! Next time you’re in town, there is a little parking area just past the Wash House with a path that leads to the bay and to the right-of-way path that goes all the way up to the Grand Hotel. I posted it about it here:
http://clamcocottage.blogspot.com/2014/03/lets-go-for-walk-along-bay.html
And Leslie Ann also did a really nice post about the beautiful houses along the bay here:
http://fairhopesupply.com/2013/06/houses-on-the-boardwalk.html/
Thanks for the links Lorraine, I can’t wait to check them out! My photos did not to justice to what I saw the other day, and I can’t wait to explore that path, thank you for a local secret~
This looks exactly like my kind of place!
I’ve been caught in a few driveways, too!:-)
I had a picnic just last week in the exact spot in one of your photographs! I’m so happy that our bloggers group is together and am learning so much from all of them!
I love living in Fairhope – even though it’s a small town, I never run out of things to write about!
Hurry back!
Jenna,
What a wonderful post about this charming little town. Did you stop in at the Garage? I went there for the first time last week and I think that you would like it. Maybe in June after the meeting, we can do some shopping at a few places in Fairhope. Funny story about the driveways…that sounds like something that would happen to me in heartbreak. Thanks for the sweet comment about my business 🙂
Blessings,
Linda
Thank you. Really enjoyed your pictures. Have a Wonderful Day!
From: the Painted Apron >To: lizzm@att.net >Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2014 3:01 AM >Subject: [New post] Creations, Unexpected Inspirations > >the Painted Apron posted: “Inspirations can come from very unexpected places. I have learned to follow my instincts and just see where they lead me…The other day, on a whim, I stopped by the Fairhope Public Pier and was greeted by the rose garden in full bloom Fairhope, A” >
Thank you Liz! They don’t do justice to the beauty of this town~
Jenna, I hate that I missed all the fun! I hope to make the Southern Bloggers Jubilee some other time, since my schedule didn’t allow it this time. I went to college with a guy from Fairhope, and he was very proud of his home town. Now I see why!! Thank you for sharing the beauty there. I love those quaint little shops!
Jenna, I am so sorry I missed the last meeting too. This is a great group and I am enjoying getting to know all of you.
Your post on Fairhope is delightful. (One of those words southerners use) . It is a charming town that has so much to see and do but has the small town feel that I love.
Have a wonderful week enjoying our fabulous weather.
Jenna, What a charming town! It reminds me a little of Beaufort, SC with the boardwalk, boats and arts community with their mermaid statues. Don’t you just love Spanish moss gently blowing in the usually humid breeze? 🙂 Sounds like a fun group for your conference!
What a wonderful place to visit. So happy you followed your instincts. And I’ve got to admit a license plate from Aruba is quite unusual.
While I loved having this post at Seasonal Sundays, it would be great at my Friday link party called “Oh, the PLACES I’ve been!”. Perhaps you’ll link it next week.
– Alma, The Tablescaper
Jenna, this is a town I’d like to visit. I’m in awe of their wonderful gardens.
Jenna, What a lovely town and a beautiful post. Each photo could be a painting. Did you paint that one? It’s absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for sharing.
Hugs,
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Thanks Wanda Ann, it is a special place. I “painted” that seen with my Waterlogue App, but I am going to try to paint it for real soon!
Jenna, I just now found this post. Your photos are fabulous and I so appreciate being mentioned on your blog. We missed you at the conference and hope to see you on June 10th!