Tales of the Traveling Totes #19

Hello, readers! I am delighted to be joining my fellow traveling tote tribe sisters in an update of the latest adventures! To read how this group originally began, click here. To read all about my tales since joining the group with my two totes - Miss Luna C and Miss Charley C -  you can go to this link.

I have been totally and wholly submersed in my project of downsizing since we last recapped on March 1, and I am beginning to see the light at the end of this tunnel.

On March 15 it became quite clear that I needed some help in purging and organizing from nearly 5,000 sq feet down to 2,300. I rented a 10' x 10' storage unit to help myself out. Miss Charley C thought this was the perfect answer to storing much of my 'stuff'.

She was right. On April 10th, the first of three phases of moving occurred. This is mostly my vintage inventory that I rotate between home and shop, fostering and selling. I hung all my wreaths along the top of corrugated steel perimeters with over-the-door hooks, S hooks and wreath hangers.

The second move of the furnishings which made the cut to the condo occurred on April 23rd. Things are still disorganized, not ready for debuting on the blog, but coming soon.  A third, final move will be made from our prior home to the auction house before the 10th of this month (fingers crossed).

I took a couple opportunities with Miss Charley C to break from the stress of the downsize. The first was with Mr. P. to his 50th college reunion (!!). That was mid-April in Bristol, TN, celebrating alumni in an event called Dogwood Weekend. There were several planned events throughout the weekend honoring his class, including a breakfast (below). My saucer had a dogwood on the bottom, so I was the lucky winner of the table centerpiece begonia.

We took some time to walk the campus, beautifully designed with buildings around an oval.

We went inside what is now the university's theater, previously home to the school cafeteria when Mr. P. was a student there, and had a little fun, running into a few celebs.

Edgar and Miss Charley

Me & Willie & Miss Charley C

Following that weekend, a girlfriend from high school days invited me and a few other classmates to dinner out and an evening of 70s music by the Doobie Brothers. As you can see below on the TV screen at the sports bar where we dined, this was the same day as the historic close of the PGA Masters tournament which Tiger Woods once again claimed the winning green coat!

Our performance center for fine arts is a venue performers almost always comment on, with great stage accommodations and acoustics.

We had a blast, before, during and after the show! I saw the Doobie Brothers in the mid-70s, and they're still just as good now as then, with original members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons.

A little fun outside, after the show, with sculptural installments on the property.

With all the time and effort spent on downsizing, my goal was to turn over the keys to the new owner by May 31. We came close, as the final move of remaining furniture is scheduled for transport to the auction house no later than June 10. My capstone to the move was a planned trip to the Gulf Coast of FL at the end of May, beginning of June. This is one of my happy places, and this time we're celebrating my birthday there, too. There'll be more to share about our new digs and summer fun in upcoming posts, I promise!

NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!

The Traveling Totes Tribe is offering another giveaway. Ricki Jill of The Sketchy Reader is our giveaway sponsor this time. One lucky reader who leaves a comment on Ricki Jill's June 1 post will have their name thrown into the hat for an opportunity to win this MacKenzie-Childs neoprene wine bag! I have one and it's really nice - you'll love it. Hurry over now!

Where have all the other Traveling Tote tribe members been this winter? Check them out at the links conveniently located below to see. It's always fun when we come together, no matter where we travel, near or far.

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
Cherry Kay with Miss Carrie Ann Hall @ Entertaining Women

Come see us again on July 31 in a special post, "Fun in the Sun". We wanted to capture summer as it's happening, and show you how our totes enjoy the lazy days, summer breezes, and other outings of the season.

On September 1, we officially close out summer and recap our adventures. Be sure to leave a comment on Ricki Jill's blog with this adventure for a chance to win the wine bag! 

Thanks for your loyal readership, I appreciate each and every one of you!

Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Weekend, DIDI, BNOTP, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, Celebrate Your Story,SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm

Embracing Summer: Pineapple Delight Tablescape

Hello readers! It's been sooooo long since I last posted. I have been deep in the throes of the biggest project of my life - moving! We have downsized from our big house to condo living and, more specifically, loft living in the city. More on that to come in future posts, but today I am embracing summer and sharing a tablescape with my sights on more fun, less work!

A huge shout out to this week's hostess, Chloe, from the blog, Celebrate and Decorate, for inviting me to join all the stylists whose links you'll find at the bottom of this page, each celebrating a tablescape interpretation of welcoming summer!

This tablescape is one of the last ones I created in the sunroom at my former home, my favorite space there. The tablescape, though never published before, was created late last summer. Although our house sold in February, I am still moving things out and will likely be doing so through the end of May.

My table inspiration of pineapple delight came from a simple tablecloth I found at WalMart! The colors made me smile, and I quickly knew I had things at home that would complement a fun table for summer.

Fiestaware square dinner plates in sunflower yellow turned on the diagonal set the stage for my place settings. Continuing with that feeling of things a bit off-center, I fanned my tropical leaf motif napkins sideways across the table, creating a sort of monstera, large-leaf appearance. The pineapple napkin ring catches the ends on each napkin.  Fun, polka-dot flatware keeps the place setting casual, and the small yellow (exterior) fruit bowls on the plate's side continue that off-centered look. A hosta leaf adds a little flourish to each bowl's interior.

The brass pineapples on the table were a vintage find a couple years ago. Not exactly sure of the original purpose (there were three more, smaller, and did not nest), but the largest one looks and serves duty as a cocktail shaker. the smallest one is being used for appetizer skewers while the middle one simply serves as table decor. Colorful straws and pitcher, LaCroix coconut beverages, and wavy glasses all suggest tropical drinks.

The floral arrangement was from my summer garden: limelight hydrangea, Mexican sunflower, zinnia, black-eyed Susan, anemone, butterfly bush, hosta leaves and magnolia branches. The bouquet was plunked inside a small glass in a cored pineapple for my centerpiece.

A vintage Glasbake fish dish might readily serve a smoked salmon or perhaps skewered shrimp, both favorites of mine. 

The sunglass serving dish with pineapple trim carries out the fun theme and adds a bit more delight to the table. I have used this dish for nuts and condiments with summertime entertaining.

Here's looking toward summertime fun, and hoping you'll enjoy lots of delight, pineapple or otherwise!

Pineapple Delight Tablescape Source List

Tablecloth - WalMart

Square Plates - Fiesta Outlet (Flatwoods, WV)

Napkins - Belk

Glassware - Keurig

Sunglasses Serving Dish - Corningware Outlet (Woodbridge, VA)

Polka Dot Flatware - Pfaltzgraff

Napkin Rings, Brass Pineapples, Lotus Bowls, Fish Glasbake Dish - Vintage, Estate Purchases

I hope you feel a bit inspired by today's tablescape. Tablescaping is one of the many subjects I so enjoy as blogging content. I invite you to enjoy all the other bloggers listed below, for even more inspiration. Again, a big thank you to Chloe for organizing us all!

Monday

a casa di bianca | My Thrift Store Addiction | Bluesky at Home | Celebrate and Decorate

Tuesday

Everyday Living | Life and Linda | Knock It Off Kim | Home is Where the Boat Is

Wednesday

The Painted Apron | Me and My Captain | Debbee's Buzz

Thursday

My Family Thyme | Living with Thanksgiving | Zucchini Sisters | 

Follow the Yellow Brick Home | Panoply (you are here!)

Friday

Sweet Sensations | Chasing Quaintness | Katherine's Corner | Corner of Plaid and Paisley

It feels so good to return to a sense of normalcy with blogging again. Thank you so much to all my readers, so many of you loyal readers from past years. I've appreciated all the emails and comments on social media, well-wishing me and cheering me on through my downsizing journey. If you're a new reader here, I hope you'll return again for future posts. Feel free to leave your comments!

Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Weekend, Amaze Me, DIDI, BNOTP, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, Celebrate Your Story,SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm

Spring Blooms Tablescape

Hello readers, hello March! In today's post I'm sharing a tablescape with spring in mind. Whether your March came in like a lion or like a lamb, today we will focus on the promise of "Spring Blooms" here at the table. Color is key!

All week I am celebrating spring tablescaping, along with a group of other stylists, hosted and organized by Chloe Crabtree from the blog Celebrate and Decorate. In planning my table today, I knew I wanted to start with my dinner plates from the MacKenzie-Childs Flower Market line. These plates were created with a background choice of white, green, blue or black. I loved the black, simply for how dramatically the [predominant] tulip bloom in blue / purple coloring stood out against it.

I kept the table linens softer, layering a pale pink linen square (with matching napkins) over a yellow damask round cloth. In coordinating drinkware, I reached for a set of vintage mugs I had with an equally dramatic orchid bloom decorating the mostly black mug. The swirl stems are antique Depression glass, with an iridescent finish. The flatware is vintage (Nobility Plate silverplate), in a delicate rose pattern.

If you notice in the photo above, the table was set originally with no placemats. It was at that point in which I wanted more color for the table to really feel spring-like. I added what I found to be the perfect placemats beneath the plates. The pink leaf tips were a common thread for the linens and centerpiece, tying them all together nicely.

The centerpiece of pink peony blooms with ferns are a faux arrangement with "acrylic" water, nestled in a clear, round (bowl) vessel.

The napkins are held by miniature watering cans, used as a place card for each setting. The salad bowls are a clear glass with lettuce leaf-shaped embossing. The salt and pepper shakers are glass with blue and yellow guilloche enamel lids.

The MacKenzie-Childs teapot in the Flower Market pattern adds yet more color and bloom to the overall table styling.

The mugs are designed with the added surprise of sipping and seeing another dainty orchid bud inside each gold-trimmed rim.

From the MacKenzie-Childs website, the description of the Flower Market line reads, "set a sunny table in glorious color, fresh from a country garden....", and that was my goal today. Spring blooms of daffodils, tulips, iris, poppies and peonies are just some of my favorites in the garden from March-May (Zone 7a). If it's too early for spring in your region, having potted blooms - such as orchids, kalanchoe, or even potted bulbs like hyacinths or tulips - is a great way to usher in color and create your own spring! Check your grocery and find many potted bulbs / plants you can later plant and try nurturing outdoors.

My table today is set for four, perhaps to be shared with three volunteers who will come to my house and help me in my move / purge. I may even let you take a set of dishes home with you for your trouble! Bring a truck, I might even let you take the table and chairs.😉

For plenty more Spring inspiration, please see the complete list of bloggers participating in this gathering below, and links to their tables. Each day different bloggers are featured, and the links are updated to take you right to their posts. Be sure to check back to see them all. To Chloe Crabtree - a special thank you for organizing this event!

Monday

a casa di Bianca | Red Cottage Chronicles | Panoply | The Little Yellow Corner Store | From My Carolina Home 

Tuesday

 Celebrate & Decorate | Everyday Living | Home is Where the Boat Is | Belle Blue Interiors | Living With Thanksgiving

Wednesday

The Painted Apron |  Debbee's Buzz | Bluesky at Home | Corner of Plaid and Paisley | Home and Gardening with Liz

Thursday

Sweet Sensations | Life and Linda | Chasing Quaintness | Our Crafty Mom | Zucchini Sisters

Friday

My Thrift Store Addiction | My Family Thyme | Me and My Captain | Follow the Yellow Brick Home | Katherine's Corner | Twelve on Main

Tablescapes are but one subject on my blog, and you can find other topics on the main menu at the header of my blog. If you're on a mobile or handheld device, just scroll to the bottom of your page and click on web version to see the menu. You may also search topics with keywords, or by labels, both options located on the sidebar of my web page. 

Spring Blooms Tablescape Source List

As a vintage and antique wares dealer, my typical fashion in tablescaping is mixing a blend of found items with newer, more readily available ones. For your own unique styling, try shopping your local antique malls, thrift stores, or flea markets for unique additions to your table designs.
Tablecloths, napkins,  Nobility Plate flatware, guilloche salt and peppers, lettuce glass salad bowls, Depression stemware, Otagiri black orchid mugs, miniature garden pails - vintage purchases

Flower Market dinner plates, teapot - MacKenzie-Childs

Placemats - Pier 1

Silk peony arrangement in acrylic - local overstock auction house purchase

Thank you for your visit today. Your readership and comments are always welcome.

Rita C. at Panoply

(A special thanks to Shelley from Calypso in the Country's Best of the Weekend 3/15/19, Kathryn from the Dedicated House Make it Pretty Monday Week 286, and Beverly from How Sweet the Sound: "Anything Goes" Pink Saturday March 23, 2019 for featuring this post!)

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Weekend, Anything Pink, Amaze Me, DIDI, BNOTP, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, The Scoop, Celebrate Your Story,SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm

Tales of the Traveling Totes #18: Urban Renewal

Hello, armchair travelers, and Happy March!  Thanks for joining another adventure recap - this being #18 - of the Traveling Totes. This group got started back in 2015, and you can read all about it at this link. My personal tales with Miss Luna C and Miss Charley C can be found here. Be sure to read to the end of this post for another great giveaway, just in time for spring!

The theme of my travel update today is Renewal. More specifically, Urban Renewal. I've been lying dormant through much of winter here on my blog and, well, it's because Mr. P. and I are MOVING - downsizing - into an urban loft. We are ready to begin a new chapter in home living.

Miss Luna C in our urban loft 

You may or may not be surprised, or think this is the ultimate in Luna C life and living. If you were paying close attention, I have been dropping hints with comments throughout the past year both on my blog and blogs I read. The process of buying and selling happened very quickly and unconventionally, starting on the day of our last traveling tote update. We received an unsolicited call from a realtor, asking us if we would be interested in selling our home. Events of both buying and selling continued to unfold throughout the holidays, and we closed on our urban loft in mid-February. We closed on the sale of our home this week, the last week of February.

We had been looking at condos since 2011, initially as a second home (in FL). Ultimately, we shifted focus toward downsizing locally, and all the signs were pointing toward a GO to seize this timely opportunity. I'm mentally ready for this, even ready to leave my beloved garden (there is a shared terrace garden at our new home!), but the logistics of downsizing are somewhat daunting to me. 

So, my friends, my travels have almost exclusively been spent in purge activity - death cleaning -  right here in my own house, running up and down from my basement to second floor, and to donation centers. Immediately following Christmas, I started organizing and separating Christmas decor. Our contract allows us to stay in our home after closing on its sale, so the purge has been intentional, not impulsive. Our target move date is no later than late May, preferably sooner. Since January 1, I have purged clothing (taken to women's shelter),

Clothing Purge 2019

paper (still more to go, but the shredding company made a house call and shred on premises!), 

Paper purge 2019 - first cut

dishes (at least seven complete sets, and 2 partial, more to go), 

Dish Purge 2019 - first cut

vintage furniture decor (much more to go!),

Furniture Purge 2019 - first cut

and shoes/purses (Miss Luna C, Supvr) Four family members grabbed some before donating the rest.

Shoe / Purse Purge 2019 in process

The irony of the shoe/purse purge was that I received an email from Benita Roberts of Chasing Quaintness - on the same day - informing me I had been randomly selected and won a copy of Marie Kondo's "the life-changing magic of tidying up". I'm still waiting on some magic in getting this purge complete!

Just a day or so after closing on our house, when the stress valve of purge activity / moving was ready to blow, our realtor texted me, offering a break with a pair of tickets to see the touring Cirque Mechanics: 42Ft - A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels at our local performing arts center. Short of running away and joining the circus that day, it was the perfect antidote for Mr. P. and me, along with Miss Charley C.

Now, a quick look at our new home (listing photo, below), and I will send you off to my other traveling tribe mates to see travels much more interesting than mine, I'm sure. I'll be back - when I can - and fill you in on more details of this new adventure.

NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!

The Traveling Totes Tribe is offering another giveaway. Cherry Kay of Entertaining Women is our giveaway sponsor this time. One lucky reader who leaves a comment on Cherry Kay's March 1 post will have their name thrown into the hat for an opportunity to win this set  of adorable MacKenzie-Childs bunny candles! Hurry over now!

Where have all the other Traveling Tote tribe members been this winter? Check them out at the links conveniently located below to see. It's always fun when we come together, no matter where we travel, near or far.

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
Cherry Kay with Miss Carrie Ann Hall @ Entertaining Women

🙏🙏Thoughts and prayers for our fellow toter RJ @ The Sketchy Reader,
as she is away caring for a family member! 🙏🙏

Thanks for traveling along on our adventures. Hope to see you on our next adventure recap, June 1, 2019. Don't forget to leave a comment on Cherry Kay's blog!

Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Weekend, Amaze Me, DIDI, BNOTP, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, The Scoop, Celebrate Your Story,SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm

Purple Passion: Fire and Ice Tablescape

Welcome, readers! Today I'm sharing a tablescape I've dubbed as "purple passion: fire and ice" to warm your winter day, spark some friendly conversation and, hopefully, deliver some inspiration for an inviting table setting.

This week I am celebrating a table set for Valentine's Day, along with a group of other stylists, graciously hosted and organized by Chloe Crabtree from the blog Celebrate and Decorate. My table today is set for four, perhaps to be shared with a favorite couple for Valentine's Day, or maybe three girlfriends, a la Galentine's Day style. 

The table begins with a matelasse cloth as the base, as white as fresh fallen snow. The glass chargers are like puddles with ice rings, sitting upon placemats in regal purple. Candlelights reflected in the charger's center are subtle mood enhancers at the table.

Dinner plates are classic, Mikasa '.Magnolia'.

The lavender transferware salad plates were a vintage find last summer. They are circa 1880, made and marked Epine U & C Sarreguemines. Utzschneider and Company was a porcelain company that made ceramics in Sarreguemines, Loraine, France from about 1775. Transferware, like these plates, and majolica pieces were made by U & C in the late 19th century.

Gray napkins are reminders of typical winter skies, rolled and bound with beaded rings that mimic ice pellets. The purple stemware has a crackled base, like frozen water in winter.

The flatware is Fortessa 'Lucca', nice and solid in weight.

Candlesticks of varying heights are a mix of high and low (both in profile and price points), placed on a vintage quilted mat in the center of the table, made by artisans from a well-known WV co-op. Two silverplate birds (salt & pepper shakers) are perched nearby.

The pansy plant (from the 15thC French word, pensée, meaning thought or remembrance) was simply "planted" in the circa 1880 Atkins Brothers Sheffield silverplate biscuit box inside a plastic bag. The pansy is part of the viola family, a European wildflower, and is a wonderful early spring flower which can also be enjoyed as a winter planting in Southern regions. Its fragrance is sweet, and the flower is edible. In the Victorian language of flowers, where open display of affection or love was frowned upon, the pansy was a secret courting symbol of love or admiration. I am using the term purple loosely in this case, as this plant variety shown is actually known as blue blotch. 😊 Vintage soup spoons are filled with lavender buds tied with tulle, ribbon, and vintage millinery florals.

Whether you're hosting Valentine's, Galentine's (love with your gal pals), or just enjoying an ordinary, quiet dinner by candlelight, I hope you've been inspired with even one idea as a takeaway from my tablescape today. For plenty more inspiration, please see the complete list of bloggers participating in this gathering below, and links to their tables. Each day different bloggers are featured, and the links are updated to take you right to their posts. Be sure to check back to see them all. To Chloe Crabtree - a special thank you for organizing this event!

Monday

a casa di Bianca | Panoply | From My Carolina Home | Corner of Plaid and Paisley | The Little Yellow Corner Store

Tuesday

Everyday Living | Life and Linda | Knock it Off Kim | Home is Where the Boat Is | Belle Blue Interiors

Wednesday

Bluesky at Home | Debbee's Buzz | The Painted Apron  | Camelot Art Creations 

Thursday

Home and Gardening with Liz | Sweet Sensations | Celebrate & Decorate | Our Crafty Mom | My Family Thyme

Friday

Follow the Yellow Brick Home | Zucchini Sisters | Red Cottage Chronicles | My Thrift Store Addiction | Me and My Captain

Tablescapes are but one subject on my blog, and you can find other topics on the main menu at the header of my blog. If you're on a mobile or handheld device, just scroll to the bottom of your page and click on web version to see the menu. You may also search topics with keywords, or by labels, both options located on the sidebar of my web page. 

Purple Passion: Fire and Ice Tablescape Source List

Vintage Tablecloth, Crystal & Glass Candlesticks, Center Quilted Textile, Bird Salt & Peppers, Silver Biscuit Box, Lavender Transferware Salad Plates  - Estate Sales, Auctions, Antique Dealers

Place mats, Napkins, Glass Chargers, Glassware - Pier 1

Napkin Rings - Kohl's

Flatware (Lucca) Fortessa - Sur la Table

Feel free to leave your comments so I'll know you stopped by. Please note that Google+ Support Team announced February 1, 2019 that all Google+ pages and its features are going away (or have already) by April 2019. This includes the Google profile pages and feeds, followers, + button, and comment feature, so if you try to leave a comment on my page and cannot, it is because that function was disabled by Google, not me. All past Google+ comments will disappear.

I am on the Blogger platform, and am now using Blogger comment function. If you cannot leave a comment, I will appreciate an email at wv.panoply@gmail.com letting me know. I would love for you to follow my blog by email with Feedburner subscription (sign up is on sidebar, just below the labels). Interaction with readers is one of the things I value most in blogging, and I don't advertise or sell your email to anyone. Thank you for your visit today. 

Rita C. at Panoply

(A special thanks to Christine of Rustic & Refined's Dishing It & Digging It #239 , and all the gals (Chloe, Kari, and Benita) at Celebrate Your Story #167 for featuringg this post!)

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Weekend, Amaze Me, DIDI, BNOTP, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, The Scoop, Celebrate Your Story,SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm