Tales of the Traveling Tote #16

RABBIT ~ RABBIT

It's the first of the month and time for a new edition of 

Tales of the Traveling Tote.

Welcome to Tales of the Traveling Tote #16.

Summers in Texas are hot, and cold drinks are a must!

The first Sunday in June we headed off to join "The Chef's"

twin for lunch and indulge in an ice cold milkshake.

The Peached Tortilla is a small local restaurant known for its 

simple Southern comfort food with an Asian flair.

They are also famous for their monthly 

Shakes, Burgers, and Bubbles 

brunch on the first Sunday of the month which features 

a themed milkshake in collaboration with a local vendor.

Featured that Sunday was The Tiny "Peached" Pie, 

a cinnamon and ginger snap infused vanilla milkshake, topped with

 whipped cream, sprinkles, and a peach crumb Tiny Pie.

Kevin, the Bar Manager, is a genius at mixing up cocktails as well as his signature mega shakes for Shakes, Burgers, and Bubbles.

Click here to read about the talent behind The Peached Tortilla.

As you can see, 

the twins gave it a thumbs up!

Today is September 1st.

If you are in Austin, you should stop by

 the  Peached Tortilla on Sunday.

They will be serving the Henbit Monster Cookie Shake,

a peach leaf milkshake made with pecan brittle and

topped with whipped cream, matcha powder, and

a Henbit Monster Cookie!

 When July rolled around Miss Merri Mac 

and I headed to Whole Foods Market 

to cool off with a gelato on the 4th of July.

You can read all the details here

Liberty and Gelato For All!

The big news of our summer was a much anticipated trip
to Aurora, NY for the anual MacKenzie-Childs Barn Sale.
Miss Merri Mac and I packed it up and off we went.

Attending this event had long been on my wish list.
With a milestone birthday this year, I decided
there is no time like the present to make dreams come true.
Thank you to my thoughtful husband for the gift of this trip!

We flew into Syracuse, rented a car, and 

headed south to the quaint town of Aurora, NY.

My home away from home that week was
E. B. Morgan House, in Aurora, NY.
You can read more about this beautiful property
that is part of Inns of Aurora in a previous post here.

Fargo Bar and Grill and The Inns of Aurora Dining Room are the
only options for dining in town.  Both offering delicious options, lunch and dinner was often shared wih friends at one or the other.  

 Honestly this was truly more fun than I ever imagined.

You can read an earlier post here for all the 
details on attending the actual Barn Sale.  

 Fellow Traveling Tote friend, Patti @ Pandora's Box

joined me for the sale and brought along

these adorable "shopping shoes"!

 That evening Debbie @ Mountain Breaths with Miss Aurora

and her thoughtful husband, Joe, stayed for dinner at 

Inns of Aurora.

The "icing on the cake" for this birthday trip was the 

opportunity to actually meet up with friends who 

I've known only through their blogs or on Instagram.

In addition to all the fun of the actual Barn Sale, 

just spending time on the grounds at the

 MacKenzie-Childs historic dairy farm was totally amazing 

~ beautiful vistas, gardens, historic farm house, and shop.

MacKenzie-Childs ~ Aurora, New York

And yes, I did return with a few Barn Sale bargains.

With everything 50 to 80 % off retail, it was all very tempting.

Many have asked for photos of what I bought.  Unlike most who 

go prepared with a shopping list, I chose to let serendipity give direction to my purchases.  I was thrilled to add to my Courtly Check ceramics and to find a few other things as well.

It's almost impossible to get a good photo of this space,

but we have a little corner in the music room with a selection

of Courtly Check pieces collected through the years.

I've had the Courtly Check Groovy canister for some time, 

so I was thrilled to find a Courtly Check Globe canister.

And well, that handsome princely Frog on Courtly Check Ball

simply hopped into my cart and insisted on returning to Texas.

I had my eye on the adorable Funny Bunny since he was first offered last spring, so I was almost giddy when I spied this guy. 
He hangs around on various things, but he's especially handsome
on the Black Flower Market ice bucket that followed me home. 
Love using this piece for fresh flowers or a potted plant.

Garden girl that I am, I had to buy this beautiful Watering Can.  
It also makes a great container for my Barn Sale bouquet of 
Courtly Check Sunflowers, and well, 
Mack the Bear was just too cute to leave behind!

Miss Merri Mac and Miz Checkers 

invite you back for the next edition of 

Tales of the Traveling Tote on December 1.  

We have a big trip planned that we want to share.

Come along and travel with:

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box

Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester

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 and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home

Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Sketchy Reader

Lea and Miss Scarlett @ Cici's Corner

 Leave a comment on Life and Linda 
to be entered in this giveway.

Also Joining

Dishing It and Digging It @ Life and Linda  Mosaic Monday @ Normandy Life

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsen Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner Home and Garden Thursday @ Delightsome LifeShare Your Style @ Vintage NestVintage Charm @ My Thrift Store Addiction, Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound