Tales of the Traveling Tote #36 - Switzerland and Italy

Tales of the Traveling Tote - Winter Edition

 If you are here for the first time, welcome to Mountain Breaths. Today I am joining a group of talented bloggers to bring you our Tales of the Traveling Tote. Do not expect to see palm trees in this post!  I had Olympic fever and am a winter sports enthusiast. The Adirondacks (where my camp is) has a special relationship with the winter Olympics. Lake Placid hosted the Games in 1932 and 1980 (Joe attended), and that history lives on as the region continues to be a center for world class competition and training. A dozen athletes from our "north country" competed in Pyeongchang. So off we went to Lake Placid and stayed at the Mirror Lake Inn im February for Joe's school break.  

Each afternoon at 3:30, they have "High Tea" and something we have enjoyed over the last 20 years going to the inn. Then we roamed around the inn and the town enjoying the Olympic vibe. Take me back! I can get used to eating chocolate chip cookies every afternoon.

Lake Placid rolled out the welcome mat for us. The village embraces the Olympic spirit like nowhere else. It's nearly impossible to go anywhere in the village without encountering somebody in training for something, whether it's skiing, bobsledding, mountain biking or a triathlon. Everything about it, the whole vibe. Main Street is decorated in red, white and blue and adorned with welcome flags.

Flashback to December when we travelled to NYC after Christmas. If you travel on Amtrak, did you know that you can get a Red Cap to haul your luggage and put you on the train? It's a service they offer, although my husband always tips them. You will find the employees with the Red Caps when you check into Amtrak at Penn Station. I love this service since we are always first to board the train. Guess where my first stop was? Yep, to Magnolia Bakery to get my favorite cupcakes. As soon as my teeth hit the buttercream, all is good in New York City. 

Brrrr, can you tell I was frozen to the core but a quick stop at Magnolia Bakery cured that. Also, a trip to NYC is not complete for us without lunch at Tavern on the Green. It's under new management, and we have many fond memories over the years. It is very relaxing and they don't rush you which is great because it took me an hour to warm up. 

If you are planning to be in NYC around the holidays in December 2018, the trees are spectacular. We walked the streets and enjoyed the trees at Tiffany, Lotte New York Palace, Bryant Park, Washington Square Park, Le Parker Meridian, Chanel and Rockefeller Center. 

My friend Tami shared a photo of her tote while attending a Stitching Getaway with many talented ladies.

To see what Miss Aurora's tote sistas have been up to, click on the participating blogs below.

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Linda G with Miss Poppy @ More Fun Less Laundry

Linda P with  Miss Lola @ Life and Linda Life and Linda

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

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Jackie with Miss Madi K @ purplechocolathome.com

Lea with Miss Scarlett @ www.ciciscorner.com

Ricki Jill with Countess de Monet @ The Sketchy Reader 

See you again in June with more adventures! Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo

Debbie

Tale of the Traveling Tote - Vermont

Now that I have your attention, go make yourself a pretty little fruit cup today. If you wish, you can enter your name in a drawing to win this adorable MacKenzie Childs Courtly Check enamelware lidded container. Details are listed below!!!

Meet the "Tales of the Traveling Tote" bloggers!  If you are on Instagram, this is our hashtag.  #talesofthetravelingtote  Their blogs are listed at the end of this post.

Family portrait. The "girls" do get around. New York City, Rhinebeck, Tybee Island,

Sycamore Hill Gardens, Marco Island, Key West, Apple Orchards, 

and My Hero.

Here I am envisioning what I would carry in my tote to the Girlfriends Luxury Getaway at the Equinox Resort and Spa in Manchester, VT. Joe and I enjoyed shopping at the designer outlets on his Spring Break in April. 

Cayuga Lake Wine and Herb Festival - Drink. Eat. Garden. Repeat

Sharing some herb trivia... did you know that Basil is sometimes called "Kiss-Me-Nicholas" in various parts of the Italy where it is considered a token of love. A girl wearing a sprig of basil suggests her beau need not keep his distance.

I love Parsley Spread - 1 bunch of parsley (chop it fine and dry well - use leaves only)

Mayo - sufficient quantity to make it spreadable

Salt and Pepper

Grated onion - very little (about 1 tsp)

Use with crackers or on a chicken sandwich

Each winery we visited gave us an herb or vegetable plant. They have all been planted and I hope to share my bounty this summer. 

I would be remiss if I didn't show you this picture of my sister Diane. This was not planned but thanks to Mr. Mountain Breaths keen eye he made the black and white connection while we were standing in the parking lot chatting. 

Miss Aurora loved toting goodies for our little Easter bunny. Xavier turned one in March.

Thank you for traveling along! Now for the giveaway!! Leave a comment on Panoply's blog for your chance to win. The winner will be announced on June 10th. 

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply is hosting a MacKenzie-Childs giveaway. Details on the blog.

To see what Miss Aurora's tote sistas have been up to, click on the participating blogs below. 

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester

Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry

Linda with  Miss Lola @ Life and LindaLife and Linda

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

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

My friend Tami and Miss MC la Mer are enjoying Cape May. Miss Aurora and I would love to join them!

Thanks for stopping by to visit the crazy tote ladies! xxoo Deb

Traveling Totes - MacKenzie-Childs Giveaway

It's the holiday season and time for indulgence. Let the festivities begin! I've lit a candle for us to enjoy with some very merry tea.

First, let me say that MacKenzie-Childs should have their own float in the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade and we could be on it singing "I am dreaming of a Checked Christmas" all while holding our totes. The Traveling Tote ladies have been busy swapping Christmas ornaments from places they have been. Emily at The French Hutch sent me a MacKenzie-Childs ornament!!! The ornament is inspired by a grand English country manse decked out for a holiday fete. It's called "Yuletide Manor Cloche" and it captures a stately scene in miniature. It's a silver-dusted tree bedecked with colorful ornaments and it is under a traditional glass dome, topped with Courtly Check ribbon. 

Thank you so much Emily--I loved adding it to my MacKenzie-Childs ornament collection!

September and October were fun filled months here at Mountain Breaths. We had a bachelorette party for my niece and toured six Finger Lakes wineries. What fun that was! Jamie and Shane are a sweet couple and are getting married in February on Marco Island, FL. My niece is like a daughter to me.  In the photo below, my sister Cheryl in the pink top and Jamie holding the sign. 

At the end of September, we let the good times roll and celebrated my sisterinlaw's 60th birthday with eleven family members in New Orleans. We arrived Friday afternoon for a long weekend and tried to squeeze in as much as possible including going on a swamp and bayou tour (Joe and I were pretty brave to hold a baby alligator - not so cute when it gets bigger), shopped on Magazine Street and the French Market, toured Mardi Gras World, listened to musicians at Jackson Square and celebrated Cheryl's birthday in a surprise birthday parade on Bourbon Street. You may be familiar with the wedding parades that are popular in New Orleans, and it requires a lot of planning to get the permit, hire the jazz band and hire police officers for a birthday parade. We rented a house on Burgundy Street in the French Quarter that we found on Airbnb. 

In October, we pedaled these "bikes" on the New York Central Railroad in Saranac Lake. It was difficult to get a reservation, but I finally got one and IT POURED. We still had fun, and dressed for the weather. After we freshened up at the Depot, we headed to Lake Placid to have lunch at our favorite lunch spot "The Cottage" on Mirror Lake. 

Ever since we got back from New Orleans, Joe has been making this Muffuletta sandwich recipe. He made it for our bachelorette winery trip and made several for his students. It's an amazing sandwich if you like olives. One of his student's told him it's the best sandwich he's ever had, and to not tell his mother he said that. LOL

 I am so enjoying the friendship with my fellow Courtly Check gals. Who would have thought that a tote bag could make us a close knit group. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!

Debbie with Miss Victoria and Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths  (That's me!!)

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry

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

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

 I am hosting the December giveaway for the Traveling Tote Tribe. Leave a comment on my blog letting me know you would like a chance to win the MacKenzie-Childs acorn ornament below. I will draw a lucky winner on December 8.

We will offer a MacKenzie-Childs giveaway with our next 4 posts, each time with a different host!  

The next post will be March 1, 2017.