Thursday, June 1, 2017

Tales of the Traveling Totes #11 ~ Keeping Austin Sweet


Welcome to Tales of the Traveling Totes #11!

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate

Patti @ Pandora's Box on thinking of this idea,

getting our group together, and organizing us along the way.




Look how our group has grown!

When Patti first purposed this idea to Debbie and me, 

who would have guessed that two years later

we would still have adventures to share and that along the way

others would grab a Courtly Check tote and join in the fun.




Jenna ~ Katie ~ Linda

Please welcome our latest travelers.




Other than an April weekend get away  

with my childhood girl friends,

Miss Merri Mac and I haven't been on many adventures.

 The getaway to the lake was relaxing with stunning views, 

 friendly roaming deer, and lots of laughter as our group

caught up with each other since last year when we were together.





For lack of any interesting excursions to share,

I decided to put on my candy stripe shoes,

 grab Miz Checkers (aka MacKenzie-Childs Town Tote),

and take you on a "Sweet Tooth Excursion"

around Austin town.  Interested?





With a forecast of frosting with sprinkles,

 I'd say the timing is perfect!





First stop ~

 hey cupcake! An Austin Original




 What started in 2007 as a "vanilla dream"

 by a young man named Wes Hurt,

 hey cupcake! now celebrates its tenth year in business.

An Austin icon known for its air stream venues,

one can find these delicious cupcakes at three different locations.

Click here to read a previous post on hey cupcake! 

You'll get a more complete idea of this clever business model.




Our choice ~ Red Velvet

 The ten menu choices are the 

 same at each location,

 and one can also ask to make the cupcake a

 "whipper snapper."

 That's when they inject the cupcake

  with fresh whipped cream.

 Red Velvet is our favorite and 

 one of the best sellers.





Next stop ~

 Cup Caking Desire, Austin's Smallest Bakery

Cup Caking Desire is Austin's first and only Bakery Trailer.

 Created in 2011 by Brazilian Interior Designer, Luciana Roth, 

 the bakery specializes in cup cakes, cakes,

 cake pops, petit fours, and cookies.  

 All are made from fresh ingredients onsite inside 

 the specially designed trailer.


Going home with us ~ Strawberry Fields

Made with bits of strawberry inside and topped with

a chocolate covered strawberry over strawberry 

 butter cream, this delicious cupcake is a winner.




Last one for the day ~  

Cupcake ATM @ Sprinkles



Sprinkles, a California based company, 

has just recently come to Austin, and with it,

Austin's first Cupcake ATM.

With a line waiting out the door, it's convenient

to simply walk up and make a purchase at the ATM.




Inside our ATM box ~ Sprinkle

The Sprinkle is a cheery cake loaded with rainbow sprinkles

and topped with vanilla buttercream adorned 

with crunchy rainbow non-pareils.




Inside the store, customers can order from a broader menu selection

~ cup cakes, ice cream, cookies, and drinks.

There was even an adult cupcake choice for May, 

the Casamigos Margarita,

a key lime cake loaded with Casamigos Blanco Tequila 

and topped with key lime frosting.



Doggies love cupcakes too, so Sprinkles offers a special

sugar-free doggie cupcake with yogurt "icing".




The age old slogan here in town is

Keep Austin Weird, but today it's 

Keep Austin Sweet!


~ Don't Miss the Fun ~
More Tales of the Traveling Totes
at the links below.

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths
Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch
Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron
Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester
Linda G with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry
Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Patti with Miss Kenzie and Miss Taylor @ "Pandora's Box"
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply




Just in time for summer picnics or pool side parties,

  the Traveling Tote girls are giving away a 

 Courtly Check enamel ware container.

Rita @ Panoply

 is our host this time around, and to be entered you must leave a 

 comment on Rita's blog for a chance to win.

Good luck to all!  Winner will be announced on June 10th.


To Visit Previous Miss Merri Mac Adventures

Just click on number links below. 

#1, #2, #3, #4, #5 # 6, #7, #8, #9, #10 and also
here, here, here, and here.

Join us for our 

next adventures on September 1.




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Saturday, May 13, 2017

Shhh . . . Can You Keep a Secret?






Shhh . . .

 Can you keep a secret?




Mother's Day Surprise

out on the terrace in a favorite spot.




 I'm going to pamper my mom with 

 delicious tea time goodies.





Big, beautiful magnolia blooms

 will fill the air with their sweet fragrance.





There will be fresh biscuits 

 with dad's yummy kumquat marmalade .   .   .

 You can find the recipe here.



And a cup of my mom's 

new favorite tea.



It's a blend of green jasmine tea with

 hibiscus, sweet rose, and soothing cornflowers

 made especially for Williams Sonoma.

 My mom says it's delicious!




 She likes to sweeten her tea with a

 drizzle of Tupelo honey.


Maybe she'll share some goodies with me.

 I love to eat!




Happy Mother's Day!
What are you going to do to pamper 

your mom on Mother's Day?





MacKenzie-Childs ~ Courtly Check Enamel Ware

MacKenzie-Childs ~ Taylor Ceramics

Grace's Teaware ~ Cup and Saucer

Susan Branch ~ Mother's Day Tiara

 Williams Sonoma ~ Fortnum and Mason Mother's Day Blend


Joining


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Thursday, May 4, 2017

Alfresco May Day Lunch




It has been a glorious spring here in Texas.
The cool, sunny days this time of year
remind me of why I love living in Austin.

May 1st is known as May Day around the world.
In many places, it is a day filled with marches and protests,
but for me, May Day is about flowers and 
sharing a sweet bouquet with family and friends.
I fondly remember the tradition of May Pole dances
in the early years of my elementary school days.
We made May Baskets and left them as gifts for others.

When a cousin phoned to say she wanted
to spend some time together on Monday,
I decided it was the perfect opportunity to set an
alfresco lunch out on our terrace.

Everyone knows I love an excuse to set a pretty table,
so the impromptu visit had me gathering up
my favorite MacKenzie-Childs 
dishes to set our table.

A gift bouquet of tulips were added to
another small bouquet of mixed flowers to fill my sweet
Rose Cottage vase from MacKenzie-Childs' Taylor Ceramics.

Each setting began with a Courtly Check charger.
Fluted edged dinner plate in King Ferry
was paired with a mini compote in Dublin Hill.

This setting is a dinner plate in Madison
paired with a mini compote in Glen Park.

Plaid and floral napkins by April Cornell
and golden bee napkin rings were a nod to the
whimsey of MacKenzie-Childs.

Refreshing iced tea .   .   .

With a slice of lemon hit the 
spot as we sat down to enjoy lunch.

Chicken salad in avocado boats and
a side of fruit was served with a choice of soup.

I had a delicious
Canadian Cheese Soup.

Karyn enjoyed a 
cup of tasty lentil soup.

Terra Beauregard Sweet Potato chips
added something crunchy.

Dessert waited under this hand-painted
glassware cloche in the Tulip pattern.

Chocolate covered coconut macaroons
along side cranberry and orange coconut macaroons
were picked up from Whole Foods.

What a treat to have my 
sweet cousin stop by for a visit.
Click here to read another post that features 
Karyn's 50th Birthday Luncheon.

Thanks for joining me today.
Happy Month of May!

For more information about these beautiful 
MacKenzie-Childs dishes, 
pop back over to my previous post here.
You can order these retired patterns through May 14th



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