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 

Metamorphosis Monday

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 Childs@ The 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

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 

Tablescapes Thursday

and 

Love Your Creativity