One of my most favorite places in the world is north Georgia - Lake Burton in particular. I was lucky enough to be up there over Easter. In spite of the early spring, it was still pretty cool on the water, so my mom and I decided to go into Clayton on Saturday, while the boys played golf.
Going to Clayton is not necessarily a creative act in and of itself. However, going on an adventure, with an open mind, can result in unexpected inspiration. An added bonus, my mom and I had a fun mother daughter day together.
Clayton is a wonderful little town that is about 20 minutes from Lake Burton and probably a little more than 2 hours northeast of Atlanta.
We started our day with lunch at Grapes and Beans. I had their wonderful portabella pita, which is a regular on their menu. My mom had a slice of their pimento cheese tomato pie. If you are ever in the neighborhood, I would strongly recommend stopping by for some delicious grub. They also have cute t-shirts in great colors.
From lunch we drove out to a flea market. There was a very eclectic assortment goods, everything from glassware and lamps made from the center of a wagon wheel to leather goods and old records.
I came away with a few purchases that I am pretty excited about. First, I found this great navy and white enamel bracelet.
It was originally marked at $14. That price was crossed out and $10 was written underneath it. When I asked the lady about the bracelet, she said that I could have it for $5. I was impressed with my negotiation skills - although, I probably would have paid $14. It looked perfect with my Easter outfit.
As we were getting ready to leave the flea market, we ran into a very nice gentleman who was selling tomatoes. These weren't just any tomatoes, they were heirloom tomatoes. He had a wide selection of varieties and they were priced very reasonably. After talking to him, it became clear that preserving these heirloom strains was a passion for him. Since, good tomatoes are one of my favorite things about summer, I purchased 2 of the Gold Medal tomatoes and 1 Cherokee Purple. These were recommended for me because they are particularly hearty plants. Hopefully, my thumb will in fact be green and I will have some scrumptious homegrown tomatoes, perfect for culinary treats!
We left the flea market and headed back to downtown Clayton. There are several great antique shops and art galleries. When we were in the Main Street Gallery, I found this wonderful, small, painting by Moni Hill.
I was drawn to her work because of the vibrant colors she uses - I went back and forth as to which piece of hers I wanted to purchase. I ended up with the one above because I thought that it would add a lot to the alcove around my sink. Don't you agree? :)
Going into my shopping trip in Clayton, I had no expectations or agenda. The result was I was open to be inspired by what I was exposed to.
I hope that you are able to go on an inspiring adventure of your own and would love to hear the details in the comment section.
And as always, make it your own!
~Kate
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