Our own Festival of Flowers

Yesterday's visit to Biltmore house, where arrangements

of spring flowers brightened and made even more lovely

every room, inspired me to decorate a little on my own! 

Of course, you-know-who won't be very happy with me...

He calls this carnage. And me? Well, I'm a no-good flower murderer!

Which means we need to get our stories straight...

I was minding my own business in the produce section at Whole Foods

this morning where a bunch of you were hanging out, just hoping someone

might come along to pick you. Someone driving a cute mini-Cooper with

a vast collection of flower vases to fill at home... Yeah, that's the ticket!

Just whatever you do... Don't mention that you've ever seen this section of the gardens!

Just in case, I'll bake some cupcakes... Better make them German chocolate,

stuffed with Rolo candies. These are always a good distraction for whatever...

I may or may not have done!

Speaking of what I may or may not have done... I

freely admit to adding to my cake stand collection

This was a steal in Alabama last weekend - only $7.00! I'm very

sorry to say I paid seven-times that amount for the one next to it!

I love how heavy it is, and look at the thick rim it has!

I almost forgot to tell you... We went back to Tupelo Honey Cafe

in Asheville yesterday! Lori, their Director of Operations sent us a

little gift to help us celebrate his birthday yesterday - Thanks, Lori!

Breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe was ah-mazing! And, I picked up a copy of their

new cookbook - Which I cannot wait to bring to their book signing next month!

Now that I have the THC cookbook, I'm eager to create

their fantastic Goat-cheese/basil grits on my own!

See that little chicken?

I hit the gift shops at Biltmore hard yesterday!

I brought home six bottles of Biltmore salad dressings too - Because all the

bottles I bought at Christmas, I ended up giving away. But not this time!

That also goes for all the Biltmore Estate jams I picked
up. Oh!, and I also grabbed this cute little Bunny dish!

Now that my cupcakes are out of the oven and my story about where my

tulip arrangement came from seems to have passed, it's time to get outside!

Heck no, he doesn't believe me... Trust me, it's the cupcakes talking!

I love spring!

I especially love Spring here!

Where the crabapple tree in the front yard is buzzing!

And the bleeding hearts are popping out all over the place!

They're a favorite of mine in his gardens!

I have lots of favorites!

Japanese Maple trees are high on my list!

And, high on his list of favorites is me!

Mostly because I over-fill the bird feeders with the black

oil sunflower seeds he and his friends love so much!

I'm not the only one that hit the Biltmore gift shops hard yesterday...

Someone put mom and dad's birthday check to good use there for his garden!

Because there can never be too many gazing balls!

My addition to the gardens from the Biltmore gardener's gift shop is this turtle!

Because every garden needs a turtle!