A DAY AT LOWRY PARK ZOO, TAMPA

Last Saturday my friend Jeanne and I took five kids to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. What a hoot - two grannies and kids ages 2-12! The weather was very "iffy" at the outset but we braved on anyway. It was brutally humid and warm.

This zoo has a very high rating and I was impressed with the variety of animals that live there. We got to see many critters but not anywhere near all of them. We got to see the albino gator and a baby chimp! So cool!

We grannies pooped out way before the kids did and had to call it a day at mid-afternoon shortly after we got caught in a downpour. I'm sure everyone slept well that night, I know I did!

I would highly recommend a visit to this zoo (maybe in the cooler season), just have lots of $ on hand for food for humans and treats to feed the animals and birds. At least the parking was free. As I looked at the photos I took I decided that my personal favorites were the penguins, giraffes AND the blue frogs. I think the kids loved the giraffes. What an amazing world the Lord created for us! JUST AWESOME!

AN AFTERNOON PROJECT

CHANGES IN DISPLAY

I spent a couple of hours at the shop yesterday and put brown "silk" at the back of the hutch hoping to show off my wares better. I think it worked and I send special thanks to my BFF Jan in Seattle for the advise!

PEDDLER'S VILLAGE - DADE CITY, FLORIDA

Well, I did it! Today I spent hours and hours setting up my space in the Peddler's Village, Dade City, FL. The shop is owned and operated by Lonnie Monteiro who is very personable, kind and helpful. She just took over the shop in April and is making wonderful changes. Every time I go there it looks better and better!

The quaint town of Dade City is about half an hour from our home, it's a nice, easy drive. Even though it rained all day, it was kind of nice and cozy (okay, it was really warm and sticky but I'm trying to make this a nice story) and a perfect day to set up. Despite the rain, the shop had customers which was very encouraging for this newbie vendor.

I have rented that cream colored hutch under the lattice work next to the window. I'm just tickled with the location - plenty of natural light and good exposure.

The shop has a whole balcony of vintage clothing and accessories including lingerie, shoes, bags and hats. Can you spot the reclining lady in the photo? What a hoot!

You will find just about everything in this huge store. Besides the large room that is shown in this photo, there is just as much room on the other side of the main entry (not shown in photos) just chock full of goodies!

Pottery, fine glass, jewelry, linens, primitives, dolls, china, you name it, Peddler's Village has it! Oh, and if you can't find what you're looking for, just ask Lonnie. Amazingly, she knows where everything is! AND it's refreshingly obvious that customers are treated well and much appreciated.

Here is the fruit of my labor...linens, hankies, jewelry, china, etc, etc...lots of stuff! I plan to add more to fill up the hutch very soon. The lattice needs decorating and Zippy the monkey looks kind of lonely up on top so he will soon have friends up there.

I have jewelry in the top drawer and hankies in the second. I plan to purchase some nice baskets for the side cubbies so it will be easier to view tablecloths and tea towels.

Pictured here are Pam Blaho (vendor) and Lonnie Monteiro (owner) relaxing at the 50's kitchen table after a tough day in the shop.

So if you are in Florida, Dade City is worth checking into. It's located 40 miles northeast of Tampa. There are lots of little shops & restaurants. Plant City is another old town worth checking out - it has tons of antiques shops and eateries. But first come to Dade City and be sure to stop in Peddler's Village. See you soon!