Checking in...

My posts seem to be getting further and further apart. I apologize for that. It is just by the time I finally sit down to jot my thoughts down, it is way past my bed time. So what's been going on? 

Let's see, I attended my first ever Barry Manilow concert. It was actually more fun than I thought it would be and considering that Barry is 70 years old, he does put on a pretty good concert. He sang for a little over an hour and a half straight. 

Myself, Jenny and Elizabeth before the concert. 

What else? Baseball season has started. Yay!!! Not sure how LSU will end up doing as they are struggling a little bit, but at least there is something to watch til almost football season. 

Mardi Gras! I went with my friends on that Saturday for the Endymion parade. It was so HOT! I think the temperature almost reached 80 that day. After all the cold, it was a relief to be in the warmth and sun. We were able to get pretty close to Ian Somerhalder's float. He is even more gorgeous in person as he is on tv. We caught a ton of beds and had a great day all around. 

Craft update: 

I've created another burlap wreath. This one has made its way home to Texas at a very good friend's house. Burlap isn't hard to work with but it can be difficult. This one took me about 3 hours to complete. A little over 2 hours to complete the base and another hour to decorate it. The flowers, the ribbon and the letter are all removable so if one wanted to change out the theme you could. 

I finally have completed page 1 of the Mini Alice and Snow White. On to the next page! 

Now the best for last! I have been looking the last few weeks for a new companion. After losing Duke, I was on the fence about whether or not I would ever get another dog. While I've enjoyed the freedom of being able to go where I want when I want, I've missed the companionship a dog brings. Well, I have finally found one. I adopted, just yesterday, an 8 week old puppy. It is a male and he is soooo tiny!!! Not even 2 pounds. His mother is a mix of rat terrier and chihuahua. It is believed the father may have been a Shih Tzu. 

His name is Chuy and so far he is really good. He spent his first night in the crate from about 10:30 pm to 6:30 am. Never once cried or whimpered. He is eating well. He is biting everything but his toys cause he is already teething. I think he is going to be a smart fellow. 

Happy Mardi Gras!

If you ever get the chance, you should take a trip to New Orleans to experience Mardi Gras.  It is a fun time to be had that is just so overwhelming that it is difficult to describe.

I have been going since I was a child. First with my parents, then as I got older I went with various groups of friends and sometimes my sister.  I've even been lucky enough to do Bacchus ball. 

The past two years I  have been doing a little bit tamer, more family friendly Mardi Gras with my friend Jenny.  That doesn't mean it isn't any less fun! 

Saturday we went out to see Endymion.  Jenny's husband rides in this parade.  We took photos of him but due to the nature of his job, I am unable to post any pics of him.  However, I can post pics of the family and we had plenty of opportunities for pictures!

Lil Phil eating some cotton candy that Ms. Melinda bought.  (I am a firm believer in filling the kids full of sugar and then handing t hem back to the parents!)

Conner was so overwhelmed.  This wasn't even parade time but he was so busy people watching that he just held his cotton candy.

The Captain float for Endymion. This was as they were staging the parade.  Riders hadn't arrived yet.

Watching the staging of the floats.

Woo hoo!! Kelly Clarkson's float set up right in front of us!

Showing off their  Mardi Gras outfits! 

Our annual picture!  I promise Conner was having fun, even though it looks like he is miserable here.

I think this was one of the maids of Endymion.

Kelly Clarkson!!!

Kelly Clarkson and her fiance.

King of Endymion

I caught a football --while holding Phil on my back!

Sunday we went to Saint Stephens.  This is a church that for its annual fundraiser sells tables in their school's cafeteria that you can purchase for the day.  You are allowed to bring in food and drink or purchase food and drink from them that they sell.  We just choose to buy our food and drink, it goes to a good cause.  And the best part of this is that you have access to a clean bathroom!!  We saw 3 parades that day and I was one tired girl!!!  We watched Okeanos, Mid-City and Thoth.  Bacchus rolls after that but I had to get home since I had to work on Monday.

Jenny and Diane

Jenny and lil Phil

This is how we do it in NOLA!!!  Ladder time!

Some more ladders! 

The Walking Dead seemed to be a theme in the groups this year. 

A little line dancing to pass the time between parades.

Mardi Gras

Yes, I am a few weeks late on this post but better late than never!

This year I spent Mardi Gras weekend with my friend Jenny from work and her family and friends.  A whole new experience for me. 

The original plan was to drive down Saturday morning and we would then head out to see Endymion (huge Saturday night Super Krewe parade).  Jenny's husband Phil and a few of his friends were riding this year so we were going to go watch them.  Then Sunday was to spent at with Jen's family and friends watching the day parades. 

Well, half of that plan happened!  The forecast for Saturday called for rain, rain, and more rain.  Now the weather forecasters in New Orleans were swearing up and down that the rain was going to end by 2 or 3 pm and that the parade was going to get off on time.  Let's back it up to last year: last year the Saturday of Mardi Gras was another wash out.  It rained so much it flooded!  Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day though.  Because of the rain, the Saturday parades were rescheduled for Sunday and Monday.  The plan for Endymion was that it would go after Bacchus, another super krewe.  The problem with that was that the parade was still running at 2 am on Monday morning!!!  So due to last year's fiasco, they were not going to do that again this year. 

I drove down to New Orleans about 10 am on Saturday in the pouring rain, well at least in Baton Rouge.  By the time I got to Metairie (around 11 am) it was just overcast.  I made a quick stop at the LNS, Acadian Corner, then was on my way to Jenny's (I'll post pics of my purchases in another post!).  The rain finally  hit New Orleans about 2 pm and it poured!!!  We kept close watch of the news of whether the parade would run.  They pushed back the start time from 4 pm to 5 pm.  I believe it finally started at about 5:30 pm.  In the rain.  With lightening.  We weren't sure who was crazier, the ones who were riding in the parade or the person who allowed it to roll!!!??

Jenny and I suited up in our rain gear and headed out to see Phil and the guys in the parade. 

We got on the road and the rain started to come down even harder.  At that point, we made the decision to head to the nearest drive-thru daiquiri shop and then head home!  The remainder of the evening was spent in our jammies, sipping on daiquiris while watching the parade on tv!

Sunday ended up being a beautiful, kind of chilly day.  We had a great set up where we had a table in a school gynasium where we could set up food and drinks and all day access to clean bathrooms (this is very important!!!).  Concessions were also sold.  Anything you could want, red beans and rice, sausage poboys, hamburgers, hotdogs, etc etc.  They even sold soft drinks, beer and wine. 

The day started at 5:30 am as we had to leave by 7 am to get our spot in the school parking lot.  Parade start time had been moved up to 9 am since some of the Saturday parades had to be incorporated into the Sunday line up.  It was a good day of food, drink and laughter! 

Best seats!!!  At the top of a ladder!

Now I can't not make another comment on the food that we had!!  On Saturday we had sandwiches made with Mardi Gras bread.  Oh yes, this is a tradition that Jenny insists on continuing.  The bread ("Kids bread") is made by a local store in New Orleans. 

Then, I had at least 3 different kinds of king cake over the 2 day span.  If not more!  I actually lost count as there was plenty of king cake on Sunday.  This picture is just of the ones that Jenny had at her Mom's house.

Another weekend of Mardi Gras fun, come and gone!  Cannot wait for next year as it is always a good time!

Good bye Mardi Gras! Helloooo Lent!

Oh, it has been such a great Mardi Gras Holiday!  Yep, it is a holiday down here in the South!  I've been off of work since Friday and I am dreading going back to work because it has been so nice to have no stress or worries! 

It has been a busy six days!  At first I wondered what I would do with myself, but now, I'm wondering, "Where did the time go?"

Mardi Gras
I was able to get down to New Orleans on Sunday for parades.  I have to say that this was one of the easiest trips I've ever taken.  It only took 1 1/2 hours to get down to the Quarter and find a parking spot.  For Mardi Gras time, that was like "ZOOM".  That never happens.  Plus we were able to find a great parking spot in a really nice (clean, well lit) parking garage.  Not to mention pretty cheap, only $20 for the day. 

We hit 4 parades: Okeanos, Thoth, Bacchus, and Endymion.  Endymion is typically a Saturday parade but due to the torrential rains that our area had on Saturday, they moved the parade to Sunday.  We were on a great corner, Tchoupitoulas and Poydras, that was at the end of the parade routes and were surrounded by great people who were fun to talk to and were polite!

Captain of Okeanos

This is either Okeanos or Thoth.  Can't remember!

King of Bacchus, Andy Garcia!  He was a great king! 

His float was stuck in front of us for about 10 minutes and he really played it up for the crowds!

One of the Bacchus floats.  This year they were playing tribute to World War II vets. 



Crafting

I did get some stitching and scrapping done!  It wasn't all fun down in New Orleans, although a very good time was had down there! What happens in New Orleans, stays in New Orleans! :)

Baby Blanket

I have managed to finish the well and the bucket on the baby blanket.  When you look at it as a whole, I don't feel that I have very much more to do.  So, I hope I can keep it up and continue to work on it!

Butterfly Fairy - Night

On February 27, my sister's birthday, I started the latest project I am doing for her.  I've made some progress on it. 

Scrapping

I even managed to get one page done of scrapping.  Finally I did some pictures of my niece Cassady Hope.  In these pictures she was 7 months old.  So I've got some catching up to do and a pile of pictures to finish off!

Well, that's all I have for now!  I go back to work tomorrow.  Yuck!  I had an interview with a headhunter today that went very well, so now I am just waiting on a call back.  Friday brings Stacy and Marly Grace into town.  They are spending Friday night with me before they head off on a cruise.  I can't wait to have a night out with them! 

The 40 days of Lent started today.  For Lent I am giving up all fast food, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Sonic.  Which will really limit when I go out for lunch during the work week but will also  help with me saving money! :)

Till later!