Love Your Creativity Link Party #357

2026-05-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

"Love Your Creativity." The place where you can share your latest blog posts. Just link up at the bottom of this post. You could be featured next week! Share your home decor ideas, tablescapes, garden projects, crafts, recipes, frugal living tips, lifestyle posts and more. The party starts at 12:00 Pacific time.

Last week I shared another adventure of

The Tales of The Traveling Tote

You can visit each of the gals in our tote group to see where their travels took them.

There is also an opportunity to win Mackenzie Childs shopping tote by visiting and leaving a comment on Ricki Jill's blog, The Bookish Dilettante

Tales of The Traveling Tote #47

2026-05-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

From Airport Anchors to Wedding Bells: Our New Jersey Adventure

They say travel is about the journey, not just the destination. Well, our recent trip to New Jersey for my niece’s wedding certainly put that theory to the test! While the wedding itself was a beautiful highlight, the path to get there was a comedy of errors—mostly involving long lines and very little sleep.

The Best Laid Plans

Our original itinerary was a dream: a scenic detour to Aurora, New York. We had every intention of visiting the Mackenzie-Childs farmhouse, a place that has been on my bucket list for ages. We were also looking forward to a long-awaited meetup with dear friends Patti and Debbie from our Traveling Tote group. Sorry ladies, I was very disappointed I could not meet up with you.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas. A wave of bad weather triggered a domino effect of delayed flights, and as the hours ticked by, we realized our New York detour was slipping through our fingers. We never did make it to the farmhouse, but it’s officially staying on the "must-visit" list for next time.

Our 15 Minutes of (Unintentional) Fame

The real "adventure" began during our layover in Atlanta. If you’ve seen the news lately, you might have caught a glimpse of two very tired travelers in the TSA line—that was us!

Rita, one of the gals in The Traveling tote was watching the news and shared these words with our other tote gals.

Ladies, watching news just now, I spotted this gal walking through the extended lines of TSA in ATL (according to header).

Linda, that's not you & Paul is it?? Lol. The resemblance is uncanny! Patti responded and told everyone, it sure is, They never made it to NY to see Mackenzie Childs and Deb and I. Thank you Rita for sharing this photo.

Between the massive crowds and the endless wait times, Paul and I ended up being photographed for a news segment on the airport congestion. We were exhausted and running on fumes, but looking back, having our "airport struggle" captured on the evening news is a story we won’t soon forget.

Celebrating Love in New Jersey

After the marathon of delayed flights and security lines, arriving in New Jersey felt like reaching an oasis. We were there to celebrate the wedding of my husband's niece, and despite the rough start, the joy of the occasion made the travel fatigue melt away.

Paige and James

There is nothing quite like a family wedding to remind you why all the travel stress is worth it. We traded the fluorescent lights of the terminal for the glow of the reception, toasted to the happy couple, and finally got some much-needed sleep.

Since we spent a lot of time in the airports, I snapped some photo with Miss Lola. This was Newark airport with lots of NY goodies.

Miss Lola hanging out at the Newark airport.

We enjoyed lunch here at the Newark airport. A cozy sitting area.

On our way home, we stopped in Detroit. They had a very cool elevated tram at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

For a chance at winning this Mackenzie Childs tote, leave a comment on Ricki Jill's blog, The Bookish Dilettante

I hope you visit the other tote gals to see where their travels took them.

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda

Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Jackie with Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home

Ricki Jill with Countess De Monet @The Bookish Dilettante

Stay tuned for our next Traveling Tote adventure on September 15th.

Love Your Creativity Link Party #356

2026-05-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms, grandmothers, pet moms and mother figures who fill our lives with love, strength, and kindness. Today is a celebration of your endless care, sacrifices, and the countless ways you make every day brighter. Wishing you a day filled with love, joy, and appreciation for all that you do. 💐

My mom passed a few years back. I think of her often and miss her so much.

Last week I shared a cheerful tablescape embracing spring.

Chinoiserie Meets the Garden: A Toile and Tulip Tablescape