Gasparilla. Never heard of it?

Neither had I before moving to Tampa, nor did I have any fondness for Pirate decor or for that matter own anything with a Jolly Roger on it. My how things have changed. {be sure to scroll down the entire page to shop this look}

To give you a little background on Gasparilla, or Private Fest as it is also referred to {if you live in FL you can skip ahead to the last paragraph or stick around to learn a little history}, it goes back to good ol’ Jose Gaspar, “last of the Buccaneers,” who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the late 18th and early 19th century. Gaspar, given to calling himself “Gasparilla,” served as a lieutenant in the Royal Spanish Navy for five years until 1783 when, upon seizing command of a Spanish sloop-of-war, he with his fellow mutineers set sail for the Florida straits. And so the young Spanish aristocrat-turned-pirate began an adventurous life as outlaw of the sea.

When Jose Gaspar died, he supposedly left an untold fortune in buried treasure somewhere along the Florida coast. Though that treasure has never been discovered, the story of the swashbuckling Gasparilla was unearthed and his memory revived in 1904 when Tampa’s social and civic leaders adopted the pirate as patron rogue of their city-wide celebration.

The first invasion was so successful and well-received by the people of Tampa that a city-wide demand was voiced to make the Mystic Krewe organization permanent and to replicate the carnival each year.” 

Flash forward to modern-day Gasparilla…

Pirate gear abounds for the weeks leading up to the celebration – they can be found on painted finger nails, t-shirts and proudly flying flags on most homes – and of course the colorful wreaths adoring neighbors doorways. But what about inside your home?? Are you ready? To help you out, I have picked out a few items to sprinkle a little Gaspar feeling through out your home so you will be ready to welcome your bead wearing revelers with open arms! And even better… they are all live links straight to Amazon – so with just a few clicks your pirate bounty will be on its way!

SHOP THIS LOOK – click on the images to find out more

GASPARILLA DECOR FOR THE KITCHEN

GASPARILLA DECOR FOR THE HOME

GASPARILLA DECOR FOR THE BAR

GASPARILLA DECOR FOR THE BEDROOM
 

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