Tales of the Traveling Tote: Safely Social Pt 3

Hey y'all, it's time for another chapter of the tale of the traveling tote. Not sure what that is? Go here to get the story behind it all, and go here for my personal travel history with the traveling tote. 

Hello, December! Today we begin a new month, the final month of 2020 (yay!). Rabbit, rabbit! We are a full eight+ months into this pandemic; hence the subtitle Safely Social Pt 3.

Do you find yourself watching TV and calling out even the most benign activities actors are engaged in as a COVID violation in terms of present day being safely social? And where did Hallmark get all these new 2020 Christmas movies, anyway? Were they leftovers on the editing floor from last year?? (The answer to that is at least one NO, as I caught an obscured glimpse of a taxi driver in once scene of "A Nashville Christmas Carol" wearing a mask! It's the scene where actress Jessy Schram's character is wearing the white coat.)

We actually took a trip back in September! Whew, the conditions for taking a trip are so much more complicated! Not only do we have to pack more to have a safe trip, but we have to make sure who we're going to see is/are practicing socially safe skills. My local sister and I drove to Cincinnati one weekend in mid-September to do an estate pick with my sister who lives there. For those unknowing, we three sisters and our antiquing adventures are the crux of why Panoply the blog was created - to share all that we do in our booths locally with the sister who is in Cincinnati. She fully participates and is dubbed the CTO - Chief Traveling Officer. 

Several truckloads of one of my sister's friends' downsizing were picked up the week before our visit. We texted a series of photo exchanges and price negotiations in deciding what to purchase for resale. Everything was left in my sister's garage the week leading up to the weekend marathon of pickin' and grinnin'.

Among our haul, we scored some great 1950s toys, including these metal toys (below) made by Doepke. My brother-in-law even got in on the act by helping clean up the toys to ready for our holiday booth displays. 

And guess what? They already sold - before Thanksgiving!

We came home with a carload, and the other two sisters met again the following weekend halfway between our town and Cincinnati to exchange yet another carload, and one more remains in Cincinnati.

I really should do a post of our booth displays from 2020, as it's one of the few activities I've continued through this pandemic (apart from the six weeks we were shut down until May 11 to flatten the [first] curve of this virus). I've journaled it all, just haven't felt the motivation to sit down and post it yet.

So, that was really my only trip to report since our last update. However, Mr. P. and I did take a couple day trips to go leaf-peeping in West Virginia in October. 

The real problem with traveling with a tote these days is the sheer size. I am trying to keeps hands free as much as possible, and certainly don't like putting my bag down anywhere I go these days.

Since I'm not really seeing anybody or going anywhere special (Zoom doesn't count!), I decided back in June to start letting my hair 'travel' a bit. My pixie was cut too short for my liking on my first trip back to my hairdresser after the shut down, so I've decided to go for something between a longer, shaggy pixie and a French bob. Still short, but a little longer than my pixie I've worn the past several years. I like messy hair so, for now, I'm letting it wander. 

These are two styles I really like - this....

Source

...and this:

Source

And this is my current stage of growing out my short pixie. Ugh, my hair grows travels pretty slow, and I may end up going right back to where I started.

Perhaps a petite bucket bag/crossbody will be in order if I last the journey. I think I'll need another bag to add to my tote family collection, something easier to travel with. Santa, are you reading this?

NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!

The Traveling Totes Tribe is offering another giveaway and Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul is our giveaway sponsor this time. One lucky reader who leaves a comment on Sarah's post today will have their name thrown into the hat for an opportunity to win this set of MacKenzie-Childs Festoonery and Courtly Check paper goods. These are perfect for safely social small gatherings, where you can use and toss! 

Be sure to check out my other traveling sisters' posts to see what they've been up to during these COVID times.

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Patti with Miss Kenzie and Miss Taylor @ Pandora's Box

Jenna with Miss Coquille @ The Painted Apron

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply (you are here!)

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Jackie with Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home

Ricki Jill and Countess de Monet @The Sketchy Reader

Join us again on March 1, 2021 in hopes that we'll ALL get lucky and see an end to (or at least a vaccine to curb) this horrible pandemic nightmare we will have endured for an entire year.

Thanks so much for your visit. I love reading your comments, and be sure to leave one on Sarah's blog for a chance at our token gift. If you're still with me this far, I want to invite you to my post that will be publishing within the hour of this one today. It is a Botanical Christmas tablescape and it will be/is available here. Stay safe, and Happy Holidays! 

Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Love Your Creativity, Finding Silver Pennies, BNOTP, All About Home Common Ground, All About Home Follow the Yellow Brick Home, A Stroll Thru Life, My Wee Abode, Thistle Key Lane, Bluesky at Home, Zucchini Sisters, French Ethereal SYS, Katherine's Corner TFT, Grace at Home, My Thrift Store Addiction, Karin's Kottage Centerpiece Wednesday