Friday, October 30, 2015

The Golden Days of Fall…Traveling Tote #4

The Traveling Tote #4

Welcome to 
"The Golden Days of Fall"

(my front door wreath)

Around the corner is the Pumpkin Patch.  We have been going there yearly for over 35 years!


They have the best selection of fresh pumpkins and over the years have added a corn maze, hayrides, and lots of fun for the local children.


My tote carried my hand painted pumpkin...


…for a few photo shoots!


--------

A few weeks ago I took Miss Kenzie back to the "motherland": the Mackenzie-Childs store in Aurora!  
I wish I could fit this farmhouse inside my tote and bring it home with me!


It was a gloomy day, but it's always fun to treat myself with a few special gifts from the store ...


...and to tour the farmhouse...



-------

Every fall we take a trip to the local wineries in the Finger Lakes region in NY.


We traveled around all of Seneca Lake...

 ...visiting 8 wineries and one cidery...

...we even "tailgated" with snacks and wine"!


-----

Another favorite place we visit each fall is Beak 'n Skiff Apple Orchards


 It was just voted the best Apple Orchard in the US !  

It was quite exciting to be recognized by a reader of my blog while in the Orchard - She came running up to me asking "Is this the Traveling Tote?"  It was fun to see you Sherri!!


Six of us went apple picking, tasted beer, hard ciders, gin, vodka and bloody mary mixers!


And we also had lunch: Chicken salad with apples and celery - YUM!


The Empires were delicious and I came home and made a yummy apple sauce!


The third weekend in Oct we drove 7.5 hours to Ohio to see Carter!  The rainbow in the morning promised us a safe trip!  We went to his Karate ceremony, out to dinner, shopping, to the pumpkin patch, played games and even went to a winery!  It was a quick, fun-packed visit!


Throughout the fall I have been going to the Farmer's Market for fresh veggies and spices.  I made some delicious tomato sauce, canning some, freezing some and eating some!


There is nothing like fresh arrabbiata sauce:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To read about the Traveling Tote from the beginning, go HERE

THE TOTE IS ON SALE HERE IF YOU WANT TO JOIN IN ON THIS FUN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my other Traveling Tote friends:
Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 
Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry
Rita with Miss Luna C Panoply 
Sarah with Miss CC @ Hyacinths for the Soul
Samantha with Christabel @ Samantha Stone
and our non-blogger friends:
 Colleen with Miss MacKenzie Joy
Tami with Miss MC la Mer

Sarah, at Hyacinths for the Soul is offering a giveaway - make sure you visit and leave her a comment:
All who leave a comment on her post will be
entered into a draw for a $25 Starbucks Card,
Miss Merri Mac's treat as a Thank You for
following along and joining us for
Tales of the Traveling Totes.
Winner will be announced November 11, 2015.




Happy Halloween!



Thanks for stopping by, 



Traveling Tote #5 will be published on Dec 15 and the theme will be:
Preparing for the Holidays!


Joining DIY by Design

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Love them apples.....

There is nothing better than a fresh, crisp apple in the fall!  

We recently went to the local apple farm and picked a gazillion Empire apples!


Today I made chicken salad with a leftover chicken breast, one apple, a stalk of celery and a little mayo....


I sprinkled some florida seasoned pepper on it...


...and it was so good that I ate the whole thing!


Pin It

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Halloween Luncheon for 2

My dining table is set for a luncheon for 2!  My girlfriend stop by for a quick lunch and this took only minutes to set up!


I used "spider" dishes I bought last year at the Christmas Tree Shop, filled with pumpkins I made a few years ago ....


....and Courtly Check enamel dishes from MacKenzie-Childs:


The menu was simple:


My centerpiece was a black tree showcasing my collection of old keys:


Off to the side I placed my farm post pumpkin I painted many years ago:


This is his partner:


Off to the side, I have a few more pumpkins...


Are you wondering how to make a Caramel Kiss Martini?


One shot of this....


...and 2 shots of this:




Pin It

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Chocolate Pizza Factory is local company that has the creamiest chocolate!


They are my "go-to" place for chocolate pizzas!


They even have chocolate wings and chocolate drumsticks to go along with the pizzas!

Pin It


Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Tables at MacKenzie-Childs

I recently visited the MacKenzie-Childs store in Aurora, NY and took some photos of their autumn table settings:


Pumpkins were everywhere, all sizes and patterns!


The Farmhouse Diorama Dining table was also decorated... 


...with each setting sporting a painted pumpkin on a glittered leaf:


The kitchen table, set in Parchment, highlighted apples, the NY state fruit:


Each setting had a golden beaded apple...


...with courtly checked leaves!


Of course, they are also preparing for the holidays ahead....


...lovely layered Evergreen enamelware and fruity arrangements...


...and topiary trees:


The Christmas trees were fully decorated, too!


Another fun visit to the store!

Sharing with Tablescape Thursday


Pin It