Oh, it’s good to be home again! I’ve missed being in my own house and my own bed, but also enjoyed the time in Florida with my hubby. What a week it has been! I’ve missed all of you too, but hope to catch up this week and come by to visit. Y’all need to come by everyday this week, as I have a full week of posts to share and I think you’ll enjoy them all. Time to catch up on the laundry and get back to my regular exercise routine.
I was on my own during the week for the most part and had to find things to occupy my time. So, I had heard that Dade City, FL had some neat antique shops and since it’s only 25 miles from Lakeland, drove over one morning to check it out. This is the town courthouse, which sits right on the square. Isn’t it beautiful? Moss on the trees in Florida has always held a certain fascination for me. We used to drive down to see my mom’s relatives in this area when I was growing up and it was always a thrill to start seeing the moss in the trees. We didn’t have that in Atlanta and I always thought the moss was so picturesque. I still enjoy seeing it sway in the breeze and take over the trees.
Tucked away in some of these small Florida towns are historic districts that thankfully have been preserved and brought back to life. Dade City is one of those small towns who has done a great job with keeping the quaint ambience. We enjoyed beautiful Spring weather last week in Florida and the temps couldn’t have been more perfect for a day of browsing the shops.
This first store I stopped in was a girl’s dream come true. Called Willio, it had everything…a lunch spot, decor shopping, and cute clothes and accessories.
Check out this luncheon area. It was just the cutest place, a true diner feel! I can just see all the ladies coming in here to chit-chat and have lunch.
Lots of great looking things to look at and admire.
Tablescapes and accessories.
For the rooster lovers.
Vera Bradley wall of purses.
More purses.
Butterflies
And around the square were several shops and antiques stores that were delightful to browse in. A fun way to spend a few hours.
Eye candy galore.
This shop had my particular favorite thing, bunnies and birds.
I had to keep my wishlist in check.
Antiques on the sidewalk.
And this was fun….I spotted my IDENTICAL piecrust table in an antiques store. You can see it was selling for $195, which I thought was a pretty good price. Not as good as my $75 yardsale price, but good nonetheless. It was in very good condition too. 
Lots of pretties and collectibles.
There were many shops to browse and I loved the small-town feel of Dade City.
Live orchids in one shop.
This was my very favorite shop in Dade City, called Old City Market, it was a treasure trove of fun things. The shop owner is also a decorator and the store is chock-full of wonderful accessories and furniture. Many things are new, with a vintage feel and she is really an artist with the accessorizing.
Walking in the front door.
Curio cabinet with seashells, which of course I loved.
More shells and lamps.
These shells were such a pretty color.
Vintagey light fixtures.
Quilts
Pillows and linens
Lots of large-scaled beautiful things.
The old buildings on the square are a perfect backdrop for these shops.
One area was for kids things.
I loved this wall with the letters and how pretty it all looked with the worn brick backdrop.
More shells displayed in a cake stand.
And this is the only thing I bought that day. The sweet little natural birdie and birdsnest (they were only $5 for both, so a good price) came from the shop that had all the bunnies and the candles from the last shop, my favorite.
Isn’t Florida WONDERFUL! I love Dade City. Your pics are great, the shops look like you could just go wild! I can’t believe you didn’t buy more, what restraint!
Hi Rhoda! Wow, those look like some great shops! And you only bought one thing, what great self restraint you must have!
Can’t wait to see more of your photos!
I loved going shopping with you Rhoda. This looks like my kind of day just shopping and having fun. Hope you have a good week.
ME OH MY! That is some inspiration!
Thanks for sharing it all with us, Rhoda!
xo
Oh my, looks like you hit some fabulous shops! Thanks for all the inspiring photos.
Your feet must have really been hurting at the end of this day, I was worn out just looking:)
I find that if I am taking pictures for the blog I am less likely to actually shop. Makes getting to explore stores affordable! I loved that you could walk away from all of those pretties with only that sweet small item.
Thanks for the tour.
Neat stuff!
Becky K.
We used to go to Dade City and Plant City quite a little bit while living near Tampa. Always had fun. Thank you for these photos which brought back good memories.
Oh how I love that winged bunny!!!
Wow!
Love,
Sue
We winter just south of Dade City and you went to some of my favorite places. I bought one of those turquoise shells for my bathroom. Did you get to see any of the homes in Dade City? Like Plant city, they are gorgeous. Next time you go I’ll send directions for the prettiest drive south out of town, ie, big hils and horse ranches. Thanks for sharing. Christy 🙂<><
I enjoyed your pictures of Dade City. (BTW Marie, Dade City is about an hour away from Orlando). I wanted to point out that it’s not “Willio’s”–it’s “Williams” Lunch on Limoges. I work in Dade City and it’s one of my favorite places to eat when I want to treat myself.
–Tara 🙂