The Secret Garden
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Recently, I found a secret garden. Well not really a secret...but a hidden gem of Raleigh that is underrated. Though being at Meredith College for 3 years now, I have just now heard of the J.C. Raulston Arboretum located right down the street. This beautiful place is a botanical garden devoted to trees and plants found in our American landscape. The arboretum is used a lot for plant professionals, but it is also opened to the public daily just to visit and relish in its beauty.
This hidden gem is on Beryl Road, just down the street from Meredith and NCSU. If you want a cool place to enjoy this lovely spring weather, I highly recommend visiting. I spent about an hour there and still didn't have time to see everything. Once inside, you forget you're in the big city of Raleigh. I felt like I was inside The Secret Garden. I love devoting time on the weekends visiting new places and doing things I love. If I never knew this arboretum existed 1 minute down the road from my home, imagine what other spectacular places are out there waiting for me to find them. I have a whole list on the notes section of my phone filled with places in the Triangle (food/nature/shopping/etc) that I want to see and I can't wait to spend more time checking places off.
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The OOTD
This top is from Marshall's and is by the same brand, Artisan NY, as the lace up linen top featured in my previous post! These shoes were also a Marshall's find and my jeans are from the American Eagle Outfitters Outlet! If you don't have time to check out Marshall's, here are some similar pieces:
Top: https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=630902924&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=629958567&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
Jeans (both $30!): https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=536964081&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=536959902&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
Shoes: https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=611192411&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
Kendra Scott Elyse Ring: https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=629968998&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
(gold version): https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=626128629&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
Ray-bans Erika Style: https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=335998458&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
(this color is 50% off at Ditto): https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=485298953&pid=uid4704-39145552-28
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Each person holds a combination of experiences inside them. We are part what we think and part what we see. Each one of us has a mental library full of beautiful things we have seen and emotions we have felt. Each new experience you have adds to your life and makes you who are. You visit a new garden or taste a new food and you think it's whatever, but it shapes your life. Imagine spending your life locked in your bedroom alone & eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner & never getting to open your window blinds and seeing the freshly fallen snow & that was all you ever knew. You'd be different right?
We bounce off the people we interact with. We see new gardens and experience how beautiful God's creation is. We find favorites recipes to make or restaurants to eat at and take time to have a break from the daily life of work or school or both. I think it's important to find small things to do daily that bring you joy whether that be having a certain food, praying, having devotion time, drinking a cup of coffee, or writing. For me, I like to do a variety of those things. I drink my morning coffee and reflect on my intentions for the week. I pray about those things throughout the day and use the app Daily Bread to read a devotion. I also like to take time in my day to do some blog writing and planning. Whatever it is, find something small that keeps you focused and encouraged about life especially when things start to seem bland and too routine. It really helps to have a little time to learn new things. Then, when you do have time for fun like a holiday or weekend you don't have to work, find new places you want to visit that you're interested in and GO!!!!
As always, thank you for joining me at The Coffee Table.
-from Anna with love