Tales of the Traveling Tote 40 and a Giveaway

Welcome to the Tales of the Traveling Totes 40th post. (Wow, the big 40!) We are so glad to have you visit.  A group of the most fun ladies take their MacKenzie-Childs totes all over the place and share their adventures quarterly.  
Also welcome to Purple Chocolat Home's new home.It was a long journey, but we are now in and settled and Miss Madi K and I want to share our first photos with you.  

We moved in on December 8th with just enough time to set up a tree and do a little decorating. 
With traveling a lot during the cold winter months, it has taken some time to work on getting all settled in.  In addition we were getting our old house ready to sell.  
Hooray, it sold, even with the market the way it is!!

We have spent all spring 

and summer working on the 

back yard.  It still isn't done yet!

We were making progress and 

then we had a 100 year hail 

and rain storm and that set 

us back a bit with erosion, 

but the house was OK.

It was like a snowstorm with 

all of the hail.  The gardens 

are all shredded and fruit 

destroyed.  Our lower property

was flooded, but the house was 

fine.  Many houses were like a 

river running through their 

basements, so we feel blessed.   

Miss Madi K and I are going 

to start the home tour with 

one of my favorite rooms 

(wait, they are all my favorites - 

we spent several years designing 

the plans). 

This is the Orangerie - the French 

would bring their tropical plants 

into their orangeries during the 

winter.  We put in a sink and 

a drain in the floor.  

This piece you may recognize

from my old house.  We loved 

it and wanted to keep it, so 

we added a small sink so that 

watering plants would be easy.  

I can store vases and things 

below.  

It has its 

own heating and cooling 

system to keep the plants alive.  

I knew from the very beginning 

that I wanted it to be an entertaining 

space and to have a 

Modern French feel.  

Two amber chandeliers 

and beams add to the 

French flair.  We anchored

the one end with a gorgeous

fireplace.  

Miss Madi K and I set out 

to decorate the room for 

it's first party - 

A Mad Hatter Tea Party.

It was so much fun entertaining 

in the Orangerie.  I will give 

more details on our tea party 

later.  

Thanks for visiting, now hop 

on over and visit our other 

ladies of the 

Tales of the Traveling Tote.

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

 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

Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Bookish Dilettante

Visit Jenna's blog for a 

chance at this fabulous tote.

I always wish I could win these 

fun giveaways!!!

See you on December 1st for another adventure.

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