Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Happy Haunting Kitchen


Halloween decorating is all 
done and we are enjoying some 
new things at 
Purple Chocolat Home.  
This will probably be our 
last month here, and definitely 
our last Halloween here, 
but I decided I would have fun 
decorating for Halloween 
anyhow.


You have seen me decorate 
my kitchen counter with 
my boards for years, but 
this year I decided to elevate 
them.  My son had made me 
this small board several years 
ago and I purchased acrylic 
feet and glued them on the 
bottom to create some 
height, interest and bling.


After he had given me that black 
board, I decided I wanted a large 
one so I ran to Home Depot and 
purchased a board and painted it 
black and sanded it a little.  

We had these feet that I got on 
Amazon and I asked hubby to 
screw them in.  It literally took 
less than 15 minutes to elevate 
this board.  Everyone who has 
seen these loves the change. 



I like layering the smaller 
board in front of the 
larger board.  


Most of my Halloween 
decor was already boxed 
and moved, but my two 
Haunted Houses were in 
special boxes to be hand 
carried.  I decided I needed 
some decor out, so I 
got these out and that 
started the decorating!


I also had to display my new 
furry cat pumpkin from 
Home Goods.  The grandkids 
really love the houses and 
the furry pumpkin.  They 
are really good to just look 
and not touch.  


Hubby went with my son and 
grandson to a Jet's game in 
New York and he asked what 
I wanted him to bring back.  
I said, "Oh, go to the 
Mackenzie-Childs store and 
get me something!"
So he went and took pictures 
and I chose this.  What a great 
guy!!  


Beaulah is happy with all of 
the fun new changes and 
she is ready to party.  
We are advertising all 
of our parties as our 
"Last Halloween Party Here" 
but we are excited to move.  

I will be posting this with
Tablescape Thursday
Metamophosis Monday
Love Your Creativity


Monday, September 4, 2023

Happy Painting for the New House


Life has been extra crazy for 
the past year and a half because 
we are building a new house.  
We have had this property 
for over 35 years and lived 
out here in the old house for 
3 years in the 90's.  Our oldest 
daughter lives next door with 
her darling 7 children and we 
can't wait to live next to them.

It seems to have taken forever, 
but when I looked at the date 
on this picture, it was just a 
year ago, so I guess we have 
made good progress. 

Cabinets are in, painting is in 
progress and railings are 
starting to be installed. 

We are hoping for a move in by 
the end of the year.  I told them I 
wanted to be in by Halloween, 
but no one ever gets in by their 
move in dates, do they?!!


Besides sorting and boxing, I 
have had a few painting projects.  
I ordered these balloon chairs, 
but the color was way off from 
my table and the other cane 
chairs I had purchased.  

I am always nervous to try to 
paint something like this, but 
I started with Country Gray 
acrylic paint on a sponge 
brush and had a microfiber 
towel in the other hand to 
wipe off where I needed.  


It went really quickly, 
and I even did the second 
one while a darling three 
year old granddaughter 
played down in the basement 
by my side. 


This Orangerie is the room 
that will house these chairs 
and a gray washed table. 
An Orangerie, if you aren't 
familiar with the term was 
a place where tropical plants, 
including citrus plants were 
brought in during the winter.  

We have had palms that we 
bring out during the summer 
and bring into the basement 
for 20 years, so we will use 
it for that, but it will also be 
a room for entertaining.  

It is one of my favorite 
rooms in the house, and 
you will find me here during 
the cold winter months 
soaking up the south sun!

I will be posting this with 



Friday, September 1, 2023

Tales of the Traveling Tote #36 and A Giveaway


Welcome to our September 2023
edition of 
Tales of the Traveling Tote.  

Here at Purple Chocolat Home 
the summer has been consumed 
with building our new home 
(now into it 20 months!)
and trying to go through 33 years 
of too much stuff! 

It is mind boggling and we 
are so sentimental that 
we want to bring most 
everything with us! 

Well, not really, but way too 
much! We have already done 16 
Suburban loads to thrift stores 
and tons of trash can loads, 
but between entertaining, costumes, 
tablescaping and decorating, 
we have so much to sort through.


I am so busy I haven't blogged or 
even read emails.  I searched my 
emails the other night and discovered I 
was to create the sidebar for 
Tales of the Traveling Tote 
for December!  Good thing I 
checked!!

Well, then I couldn't find my 
tote and wondered if I had 
left it on my last trip.  I was 
wondering if I would be kicked 
out of the group if I couldn't 
find it - a bit of a panic!  

After searching everywhere I 
could think of - and mind you, 
it isn't a small item - I thought 
of my purses which were already 
packed up in five boxes.  

Lucky me, it was at the top of 
the first box I checked!


I thought I might have left it 
on the houseboat down at 
Lake Powell, and since we are 
done for the year, it would have 
been until next May before I 
would be able to check. 
Good thing I found it!!!!!!

We were able to sneak away for three 
Lake Powell trips this year so that is 
where Miss Madi K and I were able 
to go.  


Miss Pansy got to travel along 
too as she makes a nice bag 
for boating. 


We invited two families from our 
neighborhood for the August trip. 


We had ten kids and 6 adults.  
One of our favorite games we 
play with kids is 
The Candy Bar Game. 

The basic idea of the game is 
you place 3-4 packages or pieces 
of candy in the center.  Everyone
takes turns rolling the dice inside 
a bowl.  If you roll doubles or 
7 or 11, you get to pick a candy bar,
announce what you picked and 
then hide it behind your back 
or under a pillow.  People can steal 
it from you if they win a turn, but 
they have to remember what it was
and who had it.  After three 
possessions it is permanent.  
When the last piece leaves the 
table, the game is over. 
Oh, and if the dice fall out 
of the bowl you skip your turn, 
and if you don't pick your 
prize before the next winner, 
you miss your turn! Lots of fun.

Well, we had one darling boy 
who is 8 years old and he gets 
seizures if he eats sugar, so I 
had to come up with a 
new plan.  I decided on the 
Dollar Store Game. 


We decided it was even more fun 
than just candy.  Everyone had a 
blast and we didn't tempt him.

Miss Madi K helped carry all of 
the prizes down and keep them a 
secret.


Of course, sugary desserts are a 
huge part of our Lake Powell 
experience, like this chocolate chip 
Pizookie, or Skookie, with homemade 
ice cream and homemade hot fudge.


So I found a Pillsbury Sugar Free 
Brownie mix and sugar free 
chocolate chips at the grocery store, 
and I made him sugar free vanilla 
ice cream using powdered Swerve.  


He was such a happy guy!  
His mom had said she would 
go without sugar with him, 
but at 8, how hard is that, so 
I had fun experimenting.  I even 
made his hot fudge with 1 T. 
sugar free chocolate chips 
melted with 1 T. cream. 


I think besides the Dollar Store 
game one of the kids' biggest 
surprises was that I got on the 
water rockets to battle it out!!
(My favorite thing to do at 
Lake Powell!)


Our final night was a 
Copacabana Party, 
where everyone dressed up 
for dinner in tropical clothing.


Summer fun is over, but 
we were glad to get away, and 
the best thing was, the builders 
kept working while we were 
gone each time. 

When I get time I will post 
our Lake Powell menus.  I 
just ran into someone the 
other day who requested I 
keep posting those.  We love 
to eat, so food is a big part 
of our Lake Powell experience.

Now for the fun giveaway.  
I am hosting this month, 
so leave me a message and the 
winner will be chosen randomly 
on September 8th. 
Include your contact information 
if you don't have a blog so you 
can be notified.  


Ooh, this is such a fun, fun prize.

Visit our other fabulous 
travelers and see where they 
have been off to.

 Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 

Emily with Miss Courtney ChildsThe French Hutch

 Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box  

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda

Rita with Miss Luna C Panoply 

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Jackie and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home (you are here)

Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Sketchy Reader












Wednesday, August 30, 2023

A Jane Austen Party Tablescape


Join the lovely ladies of my Craft Group,
also known as the 
Overachievers, 
by some of the husbands.  
We gladly embrace that title. 


We received a Save the Date in the 
form of a small vase filled with 
flowers at the beginning of the summer, 
and then we received this lovely 
invitation.  


Karen and her husband are the owners 
of Dove Cottage.  She is a master gardener 
and she and I have collaborated on 
several Relief Society parties this 
year.  
(Relief Society is our church's 
women's organization and 
we are both in charge of parties!)

Everything she does is over the top.
The gazebo is situated at the back of 
their property along the river and 
she lives in a Victorian house.  What 
a setting for a Jane Austen party!


The table was decked out with pink 
ribbons, pink flowers and pink candles 
with lots and lots of lace.  


The table settings were pink and white.  
We each had a fan and our name tag 
at the places. 


She purchased images on Etsy and 
sewed together little pockets that 
held our napkins and flatware.  


There are eight of us in the group.  Our sweet 
Jann Olson of Have a Daily Cup 
passed away earlier this year from cancer.  
We miss her dearly.  





The chandelier was hung with roses,
pink tea cups and cards featuring 
Jane Austen's books.  



It was so magical with all of the 
flowers and ribbons and candles. 


Karen made the center greenery runner 
with branches from her yard.  


We were each given an assignment for 
the food and it was all delicious. 


Even our punch was pink.  


As we ladies were gathered and 
taking photos and admiring all 
of the beauty, we got a huge surprise.  

Let me say first, before I show you 
the surprise - we were all watching 
Jane Austen movies in preparation 
for the party, and I had just seen 
this very scene in 
Sense and Sensibility.  
I thought - "We need this!"


Across the lawn walks her husband 
Gene carrying a tall cake on this 
magnificent stand that he made, 
and he was dressed in costume!!!


Karen and Gene holding the 
fabulous cake on the amazing 
cake holder!  Now we have to have 
yearly Jane Austen parties, just to get 
the use out of this.  

I had just given Gene a hard time.  
Silly me, I had assumed that the 
men were invited, so hubby has 
his costume all ready.  Karen said 
she had asked Gene and he had said 
there was no way he was dressing up!!!

Surprise!!!


The pound cake made by Amy 
was delicious.  We all said the 
Empire dresses made it easy to 
eat so much delicious food.



As night fell we had a 
reading by Becky.  She 
read an article her 
great grandmother had 
written and published in 
the Relief Society Magazine 
in the early 1900's.


The sun went down, the crickets 
came out and it was a magical 
end to a fabulous evening.  

We suggested to Karen that 
she leave the decor up and 
have this be the theme for 
their next Relief Society Party.

I am so blessed to have such 
lovely and talented friends.  

Thanks Jane Austen for your 
inspiration!


I learned I need a lady's maid!!!
Hubby was gone to a meeting and 
I had a hard time doing my own 
hair, zipping my own dress up, 
and even doing the clasp on 
my necklace!!!


Thanks for visiting and joining in our
fun!  

I will be posting with 
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