Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Miss Luna C's Spring Adventures and a Secret Swap

Welcome back to this installment of the Tales of the Traveling Totes Adventures! For the background on this series of related posts, you can read all about the makings of the Traveling Totes Tribe here, and catch the earlier adventures at the bottom of this post.

After the inaugural year of Traveling Totes, our members bounced around ideas of what direction our tribe might take next, and how we could get to know each other a little better. What fun that has been! That getting to know each other is the real focus of my post today, and I'll explain that a little further on. For now, here's a sneak peek of what's to come!
Secret Swap: Texas Treasures
Miss Luna C's adventures pick up since our last recap of March 1 with the weather finally breaking out of winter's freeze. Miss Luna C has helped me out in a few activities since the weather has been heating up.

Miss Luna C was put to work in mid-March, helping me out with toting things to the antique mall where my two sisters and I (Panoply) rent space. For at least one of my weekly updates to fluff our booth spaces, I loaded her up with vintage camera equipment I had for sale, along with some miscellaneous spring items.
To the Antque Mall 
Then, just before Easter, my sister M and I participated in a Blenko Glass Factory workshop and made glass eggs on the shop floor, and Miss Luna C was right there with me.
To the Blenko Factory Workshop
Upon our return to the factory to pick up our eggs a week later, Miss Luna C helped me out by hauling a few things home from the Annual Blenko Factory Warehouse sale. You can read more about those adventures here, and here.
To the Blenko Factory Warehouse Sale
In early May, it looked as though spring was regressing in our region, so Mr. P. and I took another trip south, to Naples, FL. Little did we know, when we left town, we'd be taking the long way to get there. Seems the weather wasn't cooperating between home and the Gulf Coast and, combine that with an economy airline, and you've got yourself a ticket for delay....we were waylaid in Myrtle Beach, SC overnight, and didn't make it to Naples until the next day.
Air Travel
We stayed in a Marriott property for the overnight delay, and I simply had to capture the obvious photo opportunity you see below...the decor was a dead ringer coordination for Miss Luna C's color combo, hahaha!
A Perfect Match!
Once all the arrangements had been modified (our hotel and rental car), we made the best of the night in Myrtle Beach by going to Broadway at the Beach for an evening walk and dinner. The next day, we reached Naples without further ado, and made ourselves bums on the beach for the rest of the week. It was a nice way to segue into warmer weather once home.
Beach Baby
Since my arrival home, Miss Luna C has taken a little break, but I've been busy in both home and garden.

As I mentioned at the start of my post, we Traveling Tote tribe members wanted to get to know each a little better this go around. We collectively decided to participate in a "secret swap". All those 'in' were to receive a name drawn and sent by Patti from Pandora's Box. We were each to shop for a regional gift for our swap mate, based on two things. First, the gift could have a flavor from our home region, or an area we traveled to recently, with a nominal value pre-agreed by all participating. Secondly, we were to make an effort to read a little more of our swap mate's posts in order to tailor the gift to their style, likes, etc. Well, folks, I'm here to tell ya I am now an unofficial Cowgirl, thanks to my swap gift sender, Sarah Anderson from Hyacinths for the Soul, who hails from the great state of Texas!
Oh my goodness! My gift package received was an absolute treat, both literally and figuratively, full of Texas-themed goodies! Sarah knows Marburger/Round Top are on my bucket list, and she also knows I collect napkins rings - monogrammed, particularly. Look at this very cool, personalized vintage ring she selected from Marburger treasures, with the Marburger/Round Top shop guide tucked inside.
Marburger 'Branded' Napkin Ring 
This package was so full of awesomeness, and pictured below are some very cute items for tablescaping (another activity Sarah knows I enjoy): a set of cowgirl napkins and unique, cowgirl hat place card holders, along with a Breakfast Tacos regional cookbook from Austin and one of Sarah's tried-and-true casserole recipes. Yummo!
Tablescaping in the Making
Here are another couple items I must show you. Sarah must be in cahoots with my other two Panoply sisters, as she sent me these little zippered pouches and told me to show them who's boss, lol! (My sisters are often accusing me of taking charge).
Boss Lady
There were fabulous treats - pecan praline clusters, mints in Texas-themed tins, HUGE Texas Hold 'Em playing cards (all visible in the collage photo). There was even a nod to my love of gardening included - a packet of Texas bluebonnet seeds - which I've planted and am happy to report they are emerging as seedlings as of this writing (they'll be annuals in my region).

To Sarah, you are such a thoughtful person whom I am so glad to know and share our love of things we have in common (you know what they are). And to Patty (who, incidentally, is my secret swap gift recipient), thank you for bringing us tribe mates together, and for keeping us organized - it's so much fun! To all the readers out there - thank you for giving us purpose in sharing our traveling tote adventures by reading our tales, and by participating with your comments. We love it!

If you'd like to revisit Miss Luna C's previous travels, just click on Traveling Totes under the drop-down menu bar Travel header (top of blog), and you'll find all those posts. Or, just click on any of these links here:


Until our next adventure (coming September 1, 2016), thank you for traveling along. It's a pleasure to have your company and visit!
Where have all the other Traveling Tote tribe members been of late?  By all means, go check them out at the links below. If any of you out there in blogland are also traveling tote carrying chicks and want to join us in our adventure sharing, just let one of us know by dropping us an email. 
Rita C. at Panoply

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