TALES OF THE TRAVELING TOTE AND A GIVEAWAY!

Traveling Tote Adventures

Welcome to another adventure of Tales of the Traveling Tote. This is where my fellow Tales of the Traveling Tote friends and I share our latest travels, projects and our most current events. You will have an opportunity to visit other members at the end of this post.

 New York City in December 

We traveled to the big apple again this past December to enjoy Christmas in New York with our family. You may remember some of these photos from another post but some you haven't seen.

It was fun experiencing the sights and sounds of Christmas agin, especially with family. 

Miss Courtney enjoyed some

of the sites with us

RockerFeller Center

My sweet son, daughter-in-law and grandson

Connor's first trip to NY

Jim and I were thrilled to enjoy dinner with Linda and her husband again this year. We met at Bar 65 at Rockefeller Center. It was delightful, and the view is amazing, who could tire of this! Linda blogs at More Fun Less Laundry but is presently taking a break.

NYC window art, and so much to see

Interesting and lovely decorations everywhere!

We enjoyed the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall

Hmm, Christmas in NY two years in a row, maybe it's becoming a tradition for us. 

What a great trip with my family!

Around Town

We haven't been anywhere since NY so I thought I would ask you to come along for a walk with Miss Courtney and me. A favorite walking trail is near downtown. Winding beside the river mother nature provides a beautiful backdrop. But, on this day we'd just had a deluge of rain and the river is still swelling and rising.

Caution! Rising Water

Notice the park benches are already in the water

Some trees are budding out around town but not yet here.

Tulips are blooming

Miss Courtney is enjoying a beautiful sunshiny day

Miss Courtney plans to come here for a picnic soon. I will look forward to that!

After so much rain the river looks really muddy


This is the area where the path ends. There is an amphitheater here for concerts, a popular place all year. A great fireworks show on the Fourth.

Capital Park-Historic Site

Only a few blocks from shops and businesses and major traffic congestion you will find this little sanctuary. Peaceful and a lovely place to relax or take a walk. This is the site where Tuscaloosa served as the State Capital of the state from 1826 to 1846. It was relocated to Montgomery in 1847. The building was later used as home to Alabama Central Female College for ninety-nine years. In 1923 the historic building burned to the ground.

This site is often used for weddings and wedding portraits

The old Capital Building 

Source

I hope you have enjoyed our walk. I will have to take you on a tour during spring when azaleas are in full bloom. Truly breathtaking!
Thank you for your visit, I hope you will leave a comment, it's the only way I know you stopped in.

Drawing by my sister Iris

This is where Miss Courtney and I will be soon. Nothing like sand under my feet and the sound of waves crashing on the beach for a relaxing getaway.

Be sure to join us March 1

Now for the Giveaway!

Cherry Kay of Entertaining Women will be hosting the giveaway for a chance to win three checked bunny candles from MacKenzie-Childs. For a chance to win just leave a comment on her blog post. 

Traveling Tote members would love for you to visit.

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

Cherry Kay and Carrie Ann Hall @ Entertaining Women  

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🙏
 for a special friend 

“thoughts and prayers for our fellow toter RJ @ Sketchy Reader as she is away caring for a family member"

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Dishing It and Digging It

TALES OF THE TRAVELING TOTE AND A GIVEAWAY

Christmas in New York

Saks Fifth Avenue 

I would like for you to meet the two newest members of the Traveling Totes.  From Sketchy Reader,  Ricki Jill and from Cici's Corner, Lea. A huge welcome to both.

I want to say how much I enjoy meeting  these sweet bloggers for lunch.  Jenna, Ricki Jill  and I have met for lunch in Birmingham on several occasions. Two of the latest was the Grand Bohemian in Mountain Brook and another at the Cheesecake Factory in Hoover. We are lucky we live close enough for lunching together. 

I had lunch with this sweet blogger a few times while visiting Fairhope. I came out to see Leslie Anne Tarabella while she was at Barnes and Noble at the Summit for a book signing. Congratulations Leslie Anne.

The Majorettes are back in town. 

Tales of the Traveling Tote

Welcome to another adventure of The Tales of the Traveling Tote. If you follow my blog you will remember last October, my Traveling Tote adventure to New York to meet with some of the Traveling Tote members. It was a wonderful trip. With my birthday coming up in December my sweet husband ask me what I might want for my birthday. It took only an instant to reply "Christmas in New York City!" It was truly a "Christmas fantasy." Of course a little snow would be icing on the cake for this southern girl. The first morning, walking into our hotel restaurant which has a wall of picture windows overlooking Central Park, I could hardly believe my eyes. The park was covered with a beautiful blanket of snow! Here are some of the sites Jim and I visited on our trip. 

  New York

Our hotel ~ The Park Lane

Columbus Circle

New York City Public Library

Recognized by it's lion statues, Patience and Fortitude

Was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965

and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1966

  

Adjacent to the library is Bryant Park. Winter here is a Midtown wonderland with it's shops, restaurants and ice rink surrounded by skyscrapers. It reminds me of European Christmas markets. 

Rockefeller Center

The ice rink and the iconic Christmas tree, a must see!

After a long cold day of seeing the sights we had reservations at Bar 65 at the Rainbow Room. We did this back in October and it was a definite repeat performance not to be missed.

Greeted by Victorian carolers

Our next day included a trip to the Mackenzie-Childs shop. It was only two blocks away!

Lots and lots of window shopping. The holiday windows at Christmas are simply, "spectacular!" Sorry, my photos can't capture the fun and creativity.

Tiffany & Co.

More Holiday windows

And, in one of those shops I met Jay Strongwater. 
I was delighted to meet the man behind some of my most treasured pieces and picture frames.

Saks Fifth Avenue holiday window displays were magical! A light show with music and a Disney cast of Snow White for "Once Upon a Holiday." 

And, look who I ran into!

After a lot of window shopping in the freezing weather we were ready to warm up and The Radio City Music Spectacular was just the place. It was cold with a few snow flurries when we went inside.

After the show we were not expecting snow accumulation. With the crowd, there was no taxi or Uber service to be found. The sidewalks were completely iced over.  Jim found the only transportation available. A Pedicab! Not transportation you want on a night like this. Hmmm, and they say southerners can't drive in the ice and snow! It was chaos!!! Slipping and sliding all over the road and into the sidewalks is not something I'll forget anytime soon.

Thank goodness the snow was almost over by the time we were delivered safely (amazingly) to our hotel. We had dinner plans with sweet Linda of More Fun Less Laundry and her husband. They were fantastic and walked over later and we enjoyed a cozy dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby. 

The next day we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Christmas tree was a twenty foot blue spruce decorated with angels in silk robes looming over an 18th century Neapolitan Nativity scene. It was magnificent!

The Met

Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Creche

The Portrait Collection

The afternoon was for walking. Just around the corner from our hotel was the Plaza. I just had to pop in. The Christmas tree was so pretty.

If it's a little early for lunch or tea at The Palm Court, walk down the steps to the Plaza Hotel food court.  Sprawling with gourmet food vendors, antique and gift shops. One special shop I found was "Eloise at the Plaza." Tiny tea sets and gifts and this room. It is used for birthday and tea parties and every little girls dreams. And, did you notice the black and white floor. Looks a little like Courtly Check.

Christmas is a special time to visit New York. I hope you enjoyed the tour. Miss Courtney and I would love to know about your visit and we hope you will leave a comment, it's the only way we know you were here!

Now for the Giveaway!

 Jenna at The Painted Apron is hosting the giveaway for a chance to win a MacKenzie-Childs soap dish and Beekman 1802 goatmilk soap. For a chance to win just leave a comment on her blog post. Winner will be announced March 10. 

Other Traveling Tote bloggers would love for you to visit.

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

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Linda G with Miss Poppy @ More Fun Less Laundry

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

Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Sketchy Reader

Lea and Miss Scarlett @ Cici's Corner

Please join us for our next adventure and giveaway June 1, 2018.

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