Oh, You Pretty Things: The Newport Flower Show

Every year the historic Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, RI hosts a three day event dedicated to all things floral.  The event features award winning specimens, floral inspired art, and arrangements from esteemed designers.  We drove over to the infamous Bellevue Avenue to take in the colors and intoxicating smells, to soak up the botanical beauty.  

To celebrate the affair, I donned a Flora necklace with a blue gingham dress, a pair of gold Jack Rogers to stay comfortable.  We strolled about the lawn, eyeing the vast selection of silk scarves, floral artistry, and antique botanical lithographs.  Before making our way into the mansion, we grabbed a frozen Del's lemonade to cool down.  Mmm.

The mansion itself is unbelievable.  Passing through its doors transports you to another place and time with each room boasting a personality of its own.  Every detail was thoughtfully conceived, with artistry painstakingly etched from floor to trim.  It is a home that exudes utter opulence, modeled to replicate a retreat for French royalty in Versailles.  Walking through, accompanied by great bursts of color from the floral bouquets, was a majestic experience.  We will be back. 

Our favorite part of the show was a tent filled with individual flower specimens, each of them more beautiful than the last.  The roses were impeccable, the allium blossoms were bigger than our heads, and the peonies were the stuff of poetry.  We walked slowly down the vases, examining each flower's perfection.

The icing on the cake was spotting fashion icon Iris Apfel during an afternoon tea session.  Starstruck, we listened in as she talked about personal style, grinning as she explained how her mother emphasized personal sensibilities.  She explained, all you need is a great black dress, a pair of black pants, a beautiful black cashmere sweater--then you can use jewelry to change your outfit in infinite ways.  Iris, thank you, we could not agree more!