A Wonderful Afternoon of Shabby Chic, French Country, Old Florida Charm, and New Found Friends At Posh on Palm!
I'm so excited to share with you the second half of my Mr.'s and I's beautiful day last Saturday down in Sarasota. I was on pins and needles just dying to get to this place all the while feeling like an excited child at Christmas time. My husband was laughing at me the whole time we were trying to find the address where Posh on Palm calls home. This is probably the longest post in history so be ready!
As usual I got lost even though the shop owner at Sharalyn's drew me a map to the street and it was only somewhere two blocks away! But as the streets in Florida cities go most places, they never go straight! We came to this intersection where 5 streets come together and I just couldn't get my sense of direction working, and couldn't figure out which way I needed to go. Of course I went the wrong way and then couldn't find my way back to the point where I went the wrong way from! I was so frustrated because I just wanted to find this boutique and be there! Finally without even realizing it we were driving right in front of the store! After finding a street side parking place where I could get my Mr. out of the car in an area where he could walk safely with me and the trusty cane, I braced him up against the building near the door so I could take photos of the store front windows.
And then......we went in! "Oh my!", was all I could say! I couldn't even move as this building and boutique was just to die for. The setting is in the antique district of downtown Sarasota. The building was once a grand hotel back in the 1920's. The rooms upstairs are still there but need much work to restore to use again. Mark's dream is to one day be able to fix it up to utilize it as a Bed and Breakfast. I would be there in a heartbeat! Mark and Susie are both so talented I can only imagine how gorgeous it would be. I would love to live in the boutique itself as it almost looks just like a home filled with beautiful things and so comfortable. You'll see marble floors, beautiful tin ceilings, gorgeous massive old marble columns and old wooden architectural columns that are part of the decor, plastered walls which some of which Mark had done to give it a more dripping look. They also had taken old sheet music and applied in areas where it looked like the plaster had chipped away.
Now you have to understand one thing before we explore here. I have always been so envious of all my business friends with all the places they have been and the people they have actually gotten to meet. So many of these people I'm talking about here are boutique owners or artist and crafters with well known names like the ones you see featured in all the magazines we read. One's like "Romantic Homes", "Victoria Bliss", "Romantic Country", "Southern Living", "Romantic Living", and so many more that I love. But today, it was my turn and all I could think of was "Eat Your Heart Out" ladies!
As soon as we walk in, Susie and Mark came up to us with a warm friendly greeting. I made sure to remember their names as I brought the magazine Victoria Bliss with their article featured in it with me so I wouldn't forget, and the first words out of my mouth after I said, "OH MY", "OH MY", was "you must be Susie!". I then told them how I have followed them for quite some time all the while just swooning over what I could see in front of me. I was just paralyzed where I stood with the views that surrounded me, and I just kept saying how excited I was to actually be here in their world. They probably thought I was totally wacked, but it was so hard for me to contain my excitement! We took my Mr. over to sit on this gorgeous couch that you see on their website that I would love to have myself. Mark sat with my Mr. and they chatted for 3 hours along with Susie when she wasn't with me or customers. I asked her if I could take pictures and she said yes, so I ventured through the store with so much awe that sometimes I forgot to snap the camera! I never take the camera any where I go, but now it will be an automatic! Susie and Mark are just wonderful down to earth sweet folks and it wasn't long before we felt like friends. I told her that she and Mark were now our new BFF's. We laughed. I will hold onto in my heart a comment that Susie said to me when we talked about different things in her shop. Things like ideas to use different things for, or how this or that would be neat done like or used like this...she said "we seemed to have a lot in common, and how we had some same like ideas and thought alot alike". I don't know why, but I felt so privileged to be able to think anything like her. My husband and I both felt honored to meet them and spend the time we did with them. We'll be going back sometime in July as they are expecting new shipments of items for the store. I told them that on our next trip I'd bring a picnic basket with some fruits and cheeses, crackers with some type of spread, a bottle of wine for them, and we'd have a picnic lunch with them. They are just such a joy to be around and it was the highlight of the day for me. Well worth the drive and getting lost!
After I finished looking and photographing for 2 1/2 hours we all sat on those beautiful couches in a living room setting surrounded by so much talent and beauty that has been featured in the magazines, and chatted for a bit. I then got photos of Susie and Mark and they took a photo of us. They had told us of some of their favorite restaurants as we hadn't eaten all day and were starving, and we left after loading my Explorer up with a 1900 antique metal shabby chic day bed that I just couldn't leave without. I also couldn't go without a gorgeous antique necklace I found and a cute tank top with a sweet ribbon rose on it. We choose a real Mexican Restaurant that Mark told us he loved called "Two Senorita's" because my Mr. loves real Mexican food, and was craving it. It was totally fab! We sat outside on the sidewalk cafe which was relaxing and fun watching all the people walk by. We then left and went down to St. Armand's and Lido Beach for a short time as my grandson had called and we found out he and his girlfriend were there shopping and beaching, and at that time watching the sun set. A beautiful end to our perfect day, one we truly needed so badly.
So with no more chatter I'd like to share with you some of the photos (LOTS and LOTS!) we took at Posh on Palm. There are many so grab a beverage, put your feet up and enjoy a world of totally shabby chicness.
Thanks for visiting with me once again and Enjoy! (But eat your hearts out!) :)
This antique cabinet is massive! And Sold ....My sweet Mr. sitting on the chicy loveseat
Mr. Mark in the Mirror
Beautiful Tassles Can Be Found Too!
Gorgeous Chandelier!
Isn't she BEAUTIFUL! Look at her legs and feet! How FAB!
Wood spindals for legs and decoupaged vintage shoes ... so clever!
She sets on an old vintage floor lamp for her stand
So Unique!
Love the rhinestone hanging letters....also the wall that Mark did
Another recycled dress form with the unique legs and vintage decoupaged shoes.
Love Love this bedding!
And the BED!
That smaller rhinestone vintage necklace is now MINE!
You'll find lots of gorgeous jewelry like these peices throughout the boutique
These peices are just sparkly stunning!
OMG! This was stunning! An Old Antique floor lamp with a vintage slip for the shade. Awesome isn't it?!
If it's there when I go back I'm bringing it home!
This bed did come home with me! Soooo Cool isn't it?! 1900 piece!
Fabulous Clothing from a designer in CA. Floral brooches are made by Susie and gorgeous!
Ribbons, vintage laces, and rhinstones. To die for beautiful! Romantic clothing for sure.
A dish full of Susie's handmade brooches. I bought the sweet tank top next to it.
BEAUTIFUL! White cabinet with the inside painted pink.
Things inside the cabinet
Stunning isn't it?!
I bought that little jewelry holder mannequin there on the left with the bird on it
WISHED I COULD BRING THIS HOME! Soooo COOL!
Can't wait to get my pillows made and get this set up in my room!
Love these gauzy chair covers
Mark makes those jewelry neck things..I forget what he called them now, I love them though!
More gorgeous jewelry
Sweet rusted shabby chic mini but good sized mannequins
Love the way they use photos of vintage ladies on thick paper for selling their earrings on
I know all these photos are a little over the top, but there is so many neat things to see!
Some of you I know will love all of this!
Thinking of many of my pink sisters at Make Mine Pink! They would love this place!
Isn't this a great way to showcase your vintage wedding memories?!
The Gorgeous Tin Tile Ceilings
Gorgeous Original Columns
The Pink Room
Vintage Ballet Gowns
Love the Bird Hooks and Drawer Pulls
Aren't these old door knobs awesome?!
Mr. Mark
I wanted this in the worse way ..it was beautiful ..Dress and Jacket $550.00 smacks!
I should have shown more of the Jacket...the pockets were made with vintage lace crochetd
dollies with ribbon roses..also had a couple of satin transfer labels with Victorian women on it and one that was under he collar. The dress was embellished with one of Susie's beautiful rose floral brooches dripping with vintage laces! This was simply to gorgeous for words to describe!
Loved this ring..band is stretchy...very cooool!
Isn't the hand too cool?!
Vintage Victorian Birdcage Light
Here's another one....Mark made them
The dressing room...Love the love seat..it's for sale too
Me and My Mr....Jack
Whew! We're done Shopping! It was almost just like you where there wasn't it?!
I hope you enjoyed discovering Posh on Palm with us. I had a ball!
Now to the restaurant! We are totally starving!
I love this look..this was above our heads where we ate outside
So Glad we took Mark up on this Mexican Place! The Food was Excellant!!
My Awesome Good Delish Dinner
Greens, Dates, Grapes, Sugared Pecans, Gorgonzola Cheese, The Best Flavored Chicken Breast and a Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing ...So Yummy!
This was Mr. Jacks ...does look good ...but mine was sooo much better! :)
Told Ya! I can't wait to go back for MORE!
Now to go meet my Chase. Saw this on the way which I have seen a million times but this is so cool
I thought I would share this. It's at the Marina in Sarasota. We pass it on the to St. Armand's. I couldnt
get a real good shot cause I was in the car at the light and didn't have time to jump out to get a better view.
Cool Huh! Thats a HUGE statue of an American Sailor Kissing an American Nurse. Maybe they are
husband and wife, or boyfriend and girlfriend, don't know. Must be he's just come into port from war.
I should research the story behind that. Bet it may be interesting.
Over the bridge to our Island and then it was on home! My darling man was exhausted and I needed to get him home. It was simply the most fabulous day in two years for us! We need to do this more often and by golly gee, I am going to make sure we do!
Tata for Now! Thanks for coming along. Until next time....and make sure you take time too!
If you can't visit Posh on Palm at their brick and mortar boutique, visit them here at
They would love to see you!
