Botanical Babes and Farmers Market Faves

Today has been a pretty productive day.  I woke up and hit the Mississippi Farmers Market.  It was hopping!  All of the fresh produce is sprouting and and the flowers are in bloom.  There were tons of vendors & shoppers and live music to wake you up on a beautiful Saturday morning!

Late this afternoon I walked over to my friend Shanda's house to check out her beautiful hot pink hydrangeas that she has just planted this year.  They're still babes, but soon enough they'll be big enough to cover the ground around the large oak in her back yard. 

We will see how big they are this time next year, along with my 

3 baby ginkgo trees.   

I had such a fun morning at the farmers market!  First I stopped by this produce stand and had a nice chat with a man about all the fresh produce they were selling.  I told him I'd be back to get some strawberries, but 15 minutes later when I returned they were gone!  Next Saturday I'll buy what I want when I see it!

The reason why I said I'd be back to get the strawberries is because I had to get to the vendor who is the #1 reason 

I go to the farmers market.  Mr. Ric Shafer of Dolly Farms in Vicksburg, MS

I get nervous that all the flowers will be gone before I can get to him.

{Dianthus, Sweet Williams, Fox Glow, and Roses}

But not only does he grow the most beautiful flowers, he also has onions, lettuce, fresh eggs, and more!  He only sells what he grows and he grows something all year long!

{Naturally colored by the hens}

{Edible flowers in the lettuce}

Don't miss his next round of beautiful flowers (Zinnias) and 

produce (Kale, Beets, Potatoes and Tomatoes!) 

Another vendor that I like to visit at the market is Vickie Gilbert.  She paints beautiful paintings on old windows.  These are some of the ones she was selling today, and she also does commissions.

I own this one.  I had it hanging above my child's bed, but I got nervous that it wasn't stable enough.  I need to get this hung somewhere asap!  I love it!

These tomatoes are from Indianola, MS.  There were so many people around this table that I couldn't get in, but I'll be back!

I met the High Heeled Hippie, Ms. Peyton Johnson Collins.  She had some really beautiful lettuces today.  Look for her on Facebook for great recipes and where she will be selling her heirloom edibles!

Two other nice people I met were Mitchell Sevel and Lorrina Lynn of mgseafood from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Mitchell gave me a hard time about only buying one pound of shrimp.  Well Mitchell, you were right...I got home with my one pound of shrimp and my husband said, "Wow, thanks!  You should have bought 3 or 4 pounds!"  Oh well, hope to see yall again soon.  

On the way out I stopped by Maw Maw's Delights for a sample of her delicious salsas.  She also makes some pretty good looking cakes as well.  

After I brought the shrimp home, my husband contemplated dinner all day.  Lucky me!  

We had grilled fresh gulf coast shrimp for an app.  

Then he made crab cakes for the main course from fresh gulf coast crab meat a co-worker gave him.  

{Pictures of crabcakes didn't turn out, but trust me, 

they were divine!}

For dessert, we had some kind of apple crisp awesomeness that I was not allowed to ask what all was in it.  Fat-ta-ning, but 

De-lish-ous!

So Full and Happy!