Tales of the Traveling Tote

the Painted Apron

7 years ago

Welcome to another tale of the traveling totes! I am a newbie to the group, but I have already have had a ton of fun with these wonderful ladies, and my tote, Miss Coquille

Miss Coquille is named after the French word for shell, because she will be doing most of her traveling going back and forth between the Gulf Coast and Birmingham, Alabama
Early February

“What are we doing back here?” moaned Miss Coquille

“Why, it’s positively winter!” she exclaimed

“Not a tree!” she gasped

“Oh no, not snowmen!” announced a clearly horrified Miss Coquille…

Actually, I was pretty horrified myself after spending the past three weeks on the coast, in almost summer like weather

I couldn’t wait to pack the winter things away!

“We won’t be here too long” I assured her, ” just a trip to the salon,

and to deliver this baby cozy…”

“Oh, I do love carrying the soft yarn and sewing supplies” she cooed, “and of course, presents!”

“We’re going to meet MG for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant” I told her

“You will like it, great atmosphere, and very cozy…”

“Oh, alright,” she said, “but then please take me back to the sea, it’s calling me!”

I’ve learned Miss Coquille can be quite the drama queen…

Mid February

“Feeling better?” I asked her

“Yes…” she sighed, “I’m finally home!”

Late February

“Today we’re going to visit Miss Emily and her tote at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear!” I told Miss Coquille

A fabulous Mardi Gras arrangement greeted us in the lobby

The Grand Hotel sits on the eastern edge of Mobile Bay and is surrounded by these wonderful old trees dripping with Spanish moss

It was raining buckets the day we went but still looked so beautiful…

These trees wear sparkling lights all year long, so magical!

We were so busy laughing and talking and catching up with another mutual friend from Fairhope, Leslie Anne, that we barely took any photos!

Emily & I were also busy watching Leslie Anne eat the legendary Grand Hotel Bread Pudding that came with her lunch

It came with a little pitcher of whiskey sauce, which she thought was salad dressing, and she poured it over her romaine…

I promptly made a mental note to add this bread pudding to my March Recipe Bucket List {posting tomorrow}

If the whiskey sauce can double as a salad dressing, I’m all in!!

On the way home Miss Coquille and I stopped at one of my favorite funky shops

It’s full of original art and creations, but they have a strict no photos policy 😢

This incredible fat kitty cat was perched on the stool by the entrance, but I had to take this photo from afar because Miss Coquille wanted no part of that!