We may have claim to the first Mardi Gras, but they take the cake.....

"Ahhhh, memory impairment........the free prize at the bottom of every Vodka bottle"
 - Sheldon Cooper

This past weekend my travels took me to good ole New Orleans, Louisiana.  I really can honestly say that of every major US city I have ever been to, NOLA is special.  It is completely different from any other city in the way that NO other city is like it.......seriously.

New York, Chicago, Boston, Philly, etc are all great and have their own flair and vibe but nothing touches the individuality of NOLA.  From its founding to now it remains, in my mind the most unique city.

I must say that the people that live in this wonderful city are just as wonderful and unique.  I had the pleasure to run over for a night to celebrate the upcoming marital vows one of my pledge sisters will be taking soon.  In lieu of hand grenades at Tropical Isle, Hurricanes at Pat O's and boas we went for the more laid back approach.

Dinner at Galatoire's was amazing.  I have eaten my way around many of the NOLA classics and many of the newer trendier places but had not yet tried Galatoire's.  The service and experience were amazing as with any of the classics but the atmosphere was completely different and I LOVED it.  It was loud and colorful just like the city in which it resides.

We then took the party over to the terrace at the Ritz Carlton (my all time favorite place to stay) and toasted the bride to be with some bubbly.  It was a lovely end to a lovely night.

The group of girls we were with were so fun and absolutely hilarious.  I got my ab workout in over cocktails.  Their personalities were as colorful and crazy as the big easy and they sure did make it enjoyable!

Staying Balanced without a Zen Garden..........

 "Part of being sane is being a little bit crazy" - Janet Long

Is it even possible to stay completely sane and balanced without complete relaxation?  I don't know how some people survive a day. It is hard enough to get my child up, fed, dressed and out the door for school.  Then tackle my day of balancing work, laundry, cleaning, errands and carpool.  THEN topping it off with making dinner, getting my child fed, in the bath and to bed at a reasonable time.  At the end of this madness I might have an hour of time with my husband.

I only have ONE child.  One.

This past summer we were at the beach for the weekend with friends.  One of my close friends is the mother of 3.  They are roughly 6, 4 and 2 in age.  I say roughly because those are ages on their birthdays that are coming up.  From the time we arrived through the weekend she did not stop.  It was amazing.  I had never seen anything like it and I am one of three.  Between chasing after the baby, making sure that the big kids were playing nicely and the girls and boys were getting along and sharing she didn't sit.  The girl put together 4 kids lunches in 30 seconds flat without blinking an eye.  Bath time was amazing.  She literally had them all in and washed in less than a minute and thirty seconds.  I was amazed.  I quickly came to realize how easy I have it with one.  Now I know how she stays so thin :-)

People without children or spouses often wonder how you find time for each other, or your friends, family, anything but the everyday routine.  It's hard.  You have to plan.  You have to make plans with friends and keep them even when all you want to do is get in PJ pants and order chinese to watch American Idol.  Maybe sometimes crazy moms drink too much wine or have too much fun but it's all about finding balance.  You go balls to the wall in your everyday life, might as well keep up the trend, right?

Big ball-n starts

NEREIDES BALL-
Let's chat! I first got invited to this ball by one of my best friends moms. I now LOVE it.  its so fun! Just sayin.............so, before i Head to NOLA tomorrow, I had to post from this awesome, underrrated, ladies ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love you, Nereides!  PS- you are the shiz!

Scoot'n Around UNaccessorized.........

Tomorrow evening marks the first ball of the carnival season for me.  Although I am very excited about this, as I usually am for the start of the craziness, I have no idea how I am accessorizing this season. 

I keep my Mardi Gras style very simple.  Classic BCBG or ABS gowns for the most part, easy hair, natural make up and a little clutch.  This year we are throwing in two gowns that I love, but are a little out of my comfort zone.  And a make up artist.  Luckily I have a good friend that can work some magic with that hot mess that appears under your eyes when you have been out too late the night before.  (Thank you, Logan Connor at Nouveau)

The one issue I have is accessorizing.  I am awful.  I have 3 pairs of classic earrings I wear with everything from running shorts to formals.  Pearls, my blue topaz David Yurman cookies and the classic silver Tiffany knots that were a graduation gift from my best friend.  Did I mention that I graduated from college 12 years ago?!?! Same for necklaces- I wear pearls with EVERYTHING.

I need a sassy fashionista to take me on and SCHOOL ME on this because sometimes preppy and sassy just don't meet so well in the middle.  Any ideas- all are welcome!  I need to bust out of this accessory challenged haze!

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends.....

"With every friend I love who has been taken into the brown bosom of the earth a part of me has been buried there; but their contribution to my being of happiness, strength and understanding remains to sustain me in an altered world."
- Helen Keller 

One of the greatest things I value in this life is the friendships that I have formed over the years.  I would like to think of myself as a fiercely loyal friend.  Almost to a fault.  I am not a perfect friend, as I am not a perfect person, but I am a damn good one.  

One of the things I have learned in my 33.5 years is that true friendships are a rare blessing.  It is easy to meet people and I have a large network of "friends" but I have come to realize how very easy it is to be friends with someone when things are wonderful.  It is quite another thing to find friends that will stick with you through poor decisions, messy situations and the ugliness that can be life in general.  


I have been fortunate.  I know this.  I have the most wonderful friends that anyone could ask for.  I know that I can call on these people, my true friends for ANYTHING.  And I appreciate them very much.  It makes me feel great to be the kind of friend that they can call on as well.  Even if it is to vent about my dog getting in the trash again, it is wonderful to know that they will listen.  


One of the best feelings is to know that although you grow individually, you do not grow apart from these special friends.  No matter the distance or time that has gone past.  They are there.  And you know they always will be.........................

And so it begins...........

Fact- Mardi Gras began in Mobile, Alabama in 1703.  New Orleans became a city in 1718.
Fact- I love Mardi Gras in Mobile and will not return to the celebration in New Orleans. Not because it is not fun, but because I enjoy Mobile that much more.

I had my first Mardi Gras experience in 1997, my freshman year at The University of Alabama.  There were a bunch of girls in my sorority from New Orleans and my room mates cousin was at Tulane so we went over to check it out.  We did the whole Bourbon Street thing.  MISERY.  The best thing that came out of that weekend was that VERY randomly I ran into two friends from home.  Adam Kramer was at the University of West Alabama and Jamie Lamanna was at the University of Tennessee and I saw them on Bourbon Street.  Fun.

The next 3 years I went back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.  Our friend Kathleen, also from NOLA took us.  We stayed with her family which was awesome because we had a GREAT experience.  Her mom always had the house stocked with red beans, jambalaya, gumbo and even made us beignets for breakfast.  We stayed uptown and watched the parades on St. Charles, spending our nights at places like The Boot and Fat Harrys.  Those 3 years doing Mardi Gras in NOLA were so fun!

THEN...........I started dating this young man (who later became my husband) from Mobile, Alabama.  In 2001 I had my first Mardi Gras in Mobile and have celebrated in this city every year since.  I LOVE Mardi Gras in Mobile.  For starters, it's really clean.  It is a family affair.  People come out for parades with their children, you don't see people flashing for beads like you do in the French Quarter.  The parades are so fun!  Each parading society has their own "thing" that makes them unique and special.  And the balls!  OH, the Mardi Gras Balls!  I cannot get enough.  The year I was pregnant with Hunter I went to like 12 events.  I was 7 1/2 months and huge and had a blast.  I love shopping for Mardi Gras attire.  The hats and cocktail dresses and suits for the day parties and the gowns for the white tie balls.  I love them all for different reasons.  The Inca ball is always a blast because they have FUN bands- for example- the Molly Ringwalds and we always dance all night.  MOT I love because we always see all of our friends that night- people that we may only see once a year- and again, we dance all night.  IM because its not as crowded but still just as much fun- I love seeing the entire mardi gras court make their grand entrance and LOVE seeing all the trains on the girls dresses- and again, we dance all night. The OOM party is great because they have the best food and a martini/ bloody mary bar and it is so fun to see the fashion.   And the KOR party I love because it's Mardi Gras and I love any excuse to wear a hat!  I cannot get into the other balls because we would be here all day.

Now that I think about it,  I can pretty much cut out cardio for much of the carnival season because of the excessive dancing.
 
Hunter LOVES the parades and especially loves the nights his daddy rides.  In this wonderful small southern port city we get over a month of celebration- parades, parties and revelry in general that most people are not lucky enough to ever experience.  It is one of my favorite things about Mobile.

It was also pretty cool to see that one of Mobile's older societies, the Knights of Revelry (KOR), was on Dirty Jobs the other night with Mike Rowe (shout out to Baltimore).  They have Folly as their emblem and are known for the bladders he bangs- formerly pig, now cow.  Unless you have experienced it is sounds CRAZY and it is, but that's just how we do things down here.  Go big or go home!

Here are some pictures from over the years for your viewing enjoyment.  And if you ever want to experience this for yourself, come on down to MOBILE- the city where it all began!

                                              KOR- Folly Bangin' those bladders!

                                               Hunter all dressed up for Lundi Gras parades-

                                              the night MOT followed the IM parade and daddy

                                                              had his first MOT ride!

                                                                     MOT parade

                                                        The dragons the MOTs are known for!

                                                                Nereides Ball 2008

                                                                        Inca

                                                     Enjoying the OOM Street Party

                                                                MOT Ball fun!

                                                       The family out for Joe Cain Day!

                                                                           INCA

                                                                Hunters first parade! 

For more on the history of Mardi Gras in Mobile check out The Mobile Carnival Museum.  They will get you good and educated on Mardi Gras!

Holy Mobile

So, I have just discovered the ap for mobile blogging. This discovery is a total game changer. Oh lord, it is so on! I cannot wait to find things on the go now!

What a happy Thursday this has been, indeed!

Tennis Anyone?

So.......a couple of years ago I decided to get back into tennis.  March of 2010 actually.  Since there are no adult field hockey or lacrosse leagues here I needed a sport I enjoy to play.  I had taken up golf a few years ago and love it but it gets expensive and takes SO LONG.  And, you obviously don't burn many calories while you are riding from hole to hole and drinking beer.  I had tried training for a half marathon but with 2 ACL surgeries under my belt that didnt work so well.  SO- tennis it was. 

One of my girlfriends (Margaret) and I decided to split a private lesson once a week for more one on one instruction.  Unfortunately, a few months later, while playing at the tennis center I tore the ACL on my "good knee" and back to surgery I went.  Completely sidelined for what seemed like forever.  Want to hear about irony?  Try coming home from the er on memorial day weekend to find all the tennis clothes you ordered online on your front doorstep while you are on crutches. 

So, surgery in August and then rehab meant no tennis for a while.

I decided that I should continue in September 2011.  I found a group to do a beginners clinic with me so that I could ease my way back into it.  My skills needed some work and I really needed to take my time getting back into feeling comfortable on the court.  After all, I had a new racquet that had only been used twice- should put that bad boy to work!  After a couple of clinics it was time to find a team to play on.  Luckily, my friend (Jan) was looking to start one in a 2.5 winter USTA league.  SCORE!

We started play a couple of weeks ago.  I had never played doubles so I was super nervous going into this winter season but as I have gotten more and more used to it I find that I am much more comfortable and my confidence is improving.  I definitely don't suck as badly as I thought I would and LOVE playing doubles now!  I cannot get enough. 

I get to wear those adorable outfits I bought a while back, use that racquet and as of late I have even been able to dig out the Under Armour cold gear.  I'm getting used to sharing the court and communicating with my partner and even my serve is improving.  I am having a BLAST!

My friend Brandy that plays 3.5 and has been playing for a couple years now told me that I would get the tennis bug and she was OH SO CORRECT.  All I want to do is play tennis.  Rather than work out on an elliptical I would LOVE to get on a court and I get very excited for practices and matches.  It is just what I have been looking for and I cannot wait to improve and get more competitive. As an added bonus the attire is wonderful!

Now, the challenge..........finding people to play with all the time :-)

Got Art?

I have to give mad props to my girl Catherine "Beaton" Dominick for helping me with this blogging thing.  So, MAD PROPS.

If you are an art collector, an artist, or have any desire to be either you really need to check out Catherine and her art.  She is an amazing person and so fun and travels ALL THE TIME which makes her work that much more original and interesting.  Everything has a story as with a lot of work, but her stories are cool.  So you should check them out.

Catherine "Beaton" Dominick's ART

We now have 9 pieces and they are all so very different and I love each of them.

BUY MY FRIENDS ART!

Dear God. Please Save these Girls.

So, I'm a reality TV junkie.  I watch Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2.  I'm not afraid to admit it.  It is on my DVR and for some reason is a guilty pleasure.
One thing I do not get is how these young women can see their lives unfold on national TV and not change them.  HELLO JANELL- HELLO CHELSEA.
Let's start with Janell just because her mother has a great accent.  It's so pleasing to the ears.  She bothers me the most.  She had a child at a young age and has chosen to be an absent fixture in the childs life.  She chooses partying, pot and her homeless, criminal boyfriend Keiffer over responsibility.  GROW UP HONEY.  You are 19 now.  Get your ass in school so you can make some money to support YOUR child.  It must be so hard and stressful to be her.  To live in your mothers house rent free AND have her care for your child.  Sleep until noon everyday, go out every night, not work, not go to school and get a new car.  Poor, poor girl.  Her life is so hard.  And how dare her mother as her to wake up early to care for HER child.  UGH.  The nerve.

And then there is Chelsea.  Oh, how I want to save this girl.  From her hair and herself.  First of all, enough with the animal prints, you are not on safari.  I wish she would take a couple weeks off from tanning and find out what her natural hair color is. She is a cute girl with a supportive family.  DUMP THE DOUCHE.  Adam sucks.  I cannot say enough how bad Adam sucks.  Guh- you are being emotionally and verbally abused.  Dr. Drew has told you, your best friend tells you and your father tells you ALL THE TIME.  He only comes back when his new flings end. You know, the ones he cheats on you with- yea, them.  What a freeloading jerk.  GROW UP ADAM.  At least she takes care of her child.  And doesn't go out partying all the time.  Props to Chelsea.  Now, let's do something about her hair.

Final thought- I hope Corey doesn't die of the black lung now that he wants to be a coal miner.  Guess that makes Ali and Aleah coal miners daughters.  In WVa.  How original.  At least he is working.  AND- Joe- really?  Complaining bc your baby momma files for child support.  To support YOUR child.  How dare she. Especially when you could use that money to fund your music career.  Good luck with that.   

It's about ME. Not YOU.

I've been wanting to do this for a while and decided finally to just sit down and do it.  This blog will be about the everyday life I lead in South Alabama, family, thoughts, challenges, travel, wine, sports, reality TV, shopping and whatever else I want it to be about because, after all, it is my blog and I can write whatever I like :-)  So, lets get to it!