"Well, it's not that far down to paradise, at least it's not for me. And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility..."Sailing, Christopher Cross
Right before this last trip to Paris, Mr. Gorgeous made one of my childhood dreams come true - he gave me a convertible (a Mamma's Day/early birthday gift)! I only got to drive her for a few days before I had to leave on a jet plane. But, as soon as my return jet touched ground, I put the top down and hit the road! The combination of visiting my beloved city, Spring, and my sporty new wheels inspired me - to hit the road and find the things I love most about Paris in my own 'backyard.' My first stop? - Glen Ellyn's Farmer's Market, with my faithful canine companion - Coco - by my side, of course...
Farmer's Market, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
While open air farmer's markets are nowhere near as extensive as those in Paris (i.e. rue Cler), they still offer a lovely selection of fruits, veggies and flowers from local Midwest farms:
The Glen Ellyn Farmer's Market is a 5 minutes drive from my children's pre-school. For a few Springs and Summers, I regularly did my weekly veggie/fruit shopping before I picked my babies up. But once they all moved to our local grammar school I stopped going. It was so nice to return.
Unfortunately, there are no flower vendors - SIGH!
Except one...
Be sure to check out their Tussie Mussie's
These arrangements were not only stunning,
they filled the entire outdoor space
with their fragrant spicy scent!
Brooke Ryan - Floral & Garden Designer
Brooke's flowers/arrangements are rue Cler worthy - gorgeous! You know that I had to introduce myself and find out all about her. Aussie native, Brooke Ryan cuts amazingly gorgeous blooms from her cottage garden (a few miles from the market site), as well as from the huge nursery she runs - but only (stunning) completed floral arrangements :{ Don't worry, you know that I'll work on getting her to start selling bunches of cut blooms - yeah, I'll be her first and most loyal customer ;-}Of course the most important question I asked? - when can I visit and photograph her gardens! Brooke said yes, but asked me to wait until early June, when her gardens are in full bloom - can't wait! So keep a look out for my post dedicated to Brooke's glorious blooms...
From start to finish, my Convertible Adventure was pretty amazing! The first lesson my convertible adventure taught me is that is really is not that far to paradise and tranquility: the sun's glorious warmth shining down, a warm gently whipping wind, Sade soulfully crooning about being a Soldier of Love, Coco curled up on my lap - un jour parfait Parisien dans l'Illinois. I can't wait to see where my little convertible takes me next; but I'm even more eager to share the adventure with you...
Vivre! Rire! Aimer!
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