Tales of the Traveling Tote No. 28 & Giveaway

Welcome to the Tales of the Traveling Tote #28, and Happy September! Our tales began in 2015, and we are still journaling our tales each quarter. You can go here for my personal travel history with my totes - Miss Luna C and Miss Charley C and Miss Penny.

The BEST event of this past quarter was the birth of my first grandchild, a girl, born August 17. It's all still very new and exhausting, but this sweet child is such a miracle. Thank you to everyone who prayed for the baby, my daughter and son-in-law along their journey.💜

My June birth month couldn't have started out any better than with a huge surprise party my daughter and son-in-law hosted for me the first weekend of June! Can you even imagine how hard it would be to keep a surprise a secret with an immediate family of 8 siblings, their spouses, their children and their spouses, and their children.......I was shocked (I think we were ALL shocked they were able to keep it a surprise)! I knew my daughter and sil were hosting a birthday cookout for me, but when I walked in her door, and the music started and my siblings and their spouses came through, one by one....total surprise! So much fun!

My friend Karen and I hit the Everything Fiesta outlet my birthday week too. Fiestaware is manufactured in WV, and there's an outlet about an hour north of where we live. Shopping here is fun, but mostly a crap shoot as far as what to expect. 

All the seconds are super cheap, and some seconds are hard to discern the blips. Firsts are also sold in the outlet, and are priced below retail. This is a good opportunity to purchase seasonal items, as they are not as frequently marked down in retail as, say, a regular place setting would be.

We also hit the Blenko Visitors' Center in mid-June while they were having a 15% markdown of all seconds, which are already priced quite favorably. I added an item to my growing collection of colorful glassware, soon to share here on the blog.

I took a monthly subscription for a car wash that's less than half a mile from where I live. This makes dashing through the soap so easy after any trip. Three minutes later, my 15 year old car looks brand new again.

Little did any of us know the shock wave that soon followed after my family gathered for my birthday. My Panoply's sister husband of Cincinnati passed away unexpectedly later that month. You've heard me share before in our antiquing travels how he would host us by cooking wonderful meals while the three of us shopped. He and my sister were married 53+ years of the 58 we all knew him.

Everyone in the family was so grateful to have had that visit with him at my surprise party. We traveled to Ohio for his celebration of life in mid-July. We stayed right in the center of town, adjacent to Fountain Square. 

We said our last goodbyes, and I know my sister will appreciate any and all prayers, good vibes and/or positive energy you might send her way as she navigates life without her soulmate. Gardening was a hobby pastime for him, and his bounty was shared with all who came to the visitation.

In late July, MacKenzie-Childs hosted the barn sale virtually for the second year in a row. My local boutique that sells MacKenzie-Childs was encouraging shopping local of items they stocked which were part of the sale. So as I scoured the daily barn sale offerings, I took screenshots of items I knew my boutique carried. I was able to snag both of these pictured below (picture has wonky waves because I literally took a picture of my desktop screen) at barn sale pricing, without shipping charges!

I got a few more things at great prices, but was disappointed with one order that was accepted and acknowledged as in stock, only to receive an email two weeks later as canceled, due to being oversold.

In mid-August, in the midst of Hurricane Fred's post-tropical storm, my daughter went into the hospital for induced labor delivery of my first grandchild. She labored for 20 hours before she and her obstetrician decided a c-section was the safest means of delivering her baby girl. I was fortunate to be able to be with my daughter and her husband most of labor, and then after delivery. One really special treat was having one of my high school classmates be my daughter's assigned nurse post delivery! She has been with me in previous tote traveling escapades, as told here and here, and noticed the tote in the room right away!

Baby Jacqueline was three weeks early due to the circumstances, and things have been hectic since, but everyone's doing great. Thank you to all who prayed for their little family. Jacqueline has very expressive arms, most notably rehearsing Swan Lake. Her Mama says she'll be an Olympic gymnast, in spite of her Mimi and Mama dancer lineage. She can be anything she wants to be!

NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!

The Traveling Totes Tribe is offering another giveaway and Cherry Kay at Entertaining Women is our giveaway sponsor this time. One lucky reader who leaves a comment on Cherry Kay's post today will have their name thrown into the hat for an opportunity to win these super cute Patience Brewster (a MacKenzie-Childs acquired line) seasonal towels. These are a perfect accessory to celebrate Halloween with whimsy. 

Be sure to check out my other traveling sisters' posts to see what they've been up to the past few [mostly] summer months.

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 Bookish Dilettante

Cherry Kay and Carrie and Haul @ Entertaining Women

Join us again on December 1, 2021 for another edition of the Tales of the Traveling Tote. 

Thanks so much for your visit. I love reading your comments, and be sure to leave one on Cherry Kay's blog for a chance at our token gift. Stay safe, and Happy September!

Rita C. at Panoply

Parties I Share With: Pieced Pastimes, Love Your Creativity, 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, Our Hopeful Home, Karin's Kottage, My Hubbard Home FWF, County Road 407 Farmhouse Friday