Memorial Day Weekend

It was my birthday weekend and it was full! 

Friday was my actual birthday.  It didn't go exactly the way I wanted it to go, but it was a fairly ok day.  I did go to Biloxi to the outlets.  Got some new jammies from the Disney Store, Eeyore ones (my favorite character).  And enjoyed a ride in my car, with the windows down and the music cranked.  That's always a good time and I actually did that a few times over the weekend as I shuttled back and forth from my friend Jenny's house.  I did get to speak to most of my favorite people on that day.  There were a few that were late and then there are some that are now on my naughty list because I didn't hear from them. 

But with my birthday not being exactly how I wanted, the rest of the weekend was pretty fun. In addition, I made some goals for myself for this summer. I want 37 to be a great year. I've already started that off by having already lost 21 pounds. I am headed toward my first goal of 35 pounds. I hope that by the end of the fall to actually reach that number. I am also going to get out more. I don't mean to like bars and such. That is just not my scene, any more. But out to the Lakes and parks, coffee houses, etc. Time to meet some new people!


Saturday was a full day!  After a very restless night where the insomnia was kicking it up badly, I started the day off pretty early going to Sam's with Jenny and her mom to get stuff for our BBQ later that day.  The highlight of the trip was Jenny and I looking over the steaks and asking each other which cut of meat was the best to grill but still cheap enough so Phil, her husband, wouldn't be upset that we bought too expensive of meat.  Yeah, the guy next to us was laughing so hard, he could barely choke out that anyting in that section woudl be fine for grilling. 

Then we went to the pool for a few hours with the kids.  I love, love, love, being in the water and sun.  It is the most relaxing thing ever!!! We also went to get sno balls afterwards.  Now that is always fun!!!

Sunday was a little calmer. Ok, not really. We left super early for a quick trip to New Orleans for a birthday party. It was at City Park's amusement park area at the Carousel. Jenny gets dizzy really easily so I was the lucky one who rode the carousel with lil Phil. I think I went around 7 straight times. I didn't walk too straight once I got off that Carousel!!



This was me after about the 5th time around.



I love this face!

After the birthday party we went to a local mexican restaurant in Metairie. I made the big mistake of going to the restroom at one point in the meal and ended up with the sombrero and a birthday flan. So of course Jenny had to take pictures and then proceeded to post them on facebook. Oh yay me!!! I had managed to go 37 years without ever having to be embarrassed in this way. I figure the picture is already up on facebook, why not my blog too?

Monday was a day of rest for me. Well, sort of. I did manage to stay around the house. I folded 2 weeks worth of laundry. Washed the dishes in the sink. Finished my laundry. Spent time with Duke (poor man, he's been so neglected and I am traveling at the end of the week. He is not going to be a happy camper). Made a quick trip to Walmart because Duke literally killed his monkey toy. He split the butt open for a 2nd time (I'd already sewed it up once) and there was stuffing all over the living room. I had to throw it away. So off to Walmart for a new one and a spare. I also stopped at Jo-Ann's. Did any one else go and hit the sale? DMC threads were on sale 3 for 99 cents. I now own all the colors through the 300s. Yay!!! Now to just put them all away! I went out to the Lakes for a walk in the middle of the afternoon because I thought it would be a great idea to go walking in the blazing sun, 93 degrees outside. I was restless and needed to do something! A late lunch with Dad and my day is over. Ok, yes, it is only 5:30 but I plan on vegging for the rest of the evening. I have a busy week ahead of me with lots to get done.


Happy Memorial Day!!! Thank you so much to those who are serving and who have served! You are much appreciated!

And the good times keep coming…

This birthday week has just been full of surprises!!

Today my co-worker and dear friend Jenny planned a little surprise cake for me. Plus decorations and a hat.

I'm not working on my birthday, Friday, and today most of the office was there. So she planned it all.

The cake was so good. A pile of whipped cream surrounded by brownie bites, drizzled with caramel sauce and then pieces of pretzels on top.

Tonight was an early birthday dinner with my Dad at my favorites seafood restaurant. I have no idea what this weekend is going to bring so tonight it was!!

One more day of work and then I'm off for 4 days!!! This week has been full of surprises! I cannot wait to see what the next 2 days will bring!!

What a start!

I've been so down lately that I can't believe how quickly everything has turned around for me! It all started last Tuesday when I had a pre-birthday dinner with my parents.  My mom was leaving on Wednesday to go home for my two cousins high school graduations.  So we got together for take out from one of my favorite restaurants and to open presents.  My parents were beyond generous!  I received two Madame Alexander dolls, Snow White and Cinderella, an Eeyore plant decoration and the biggest surprise of all, I received a plane ticket to visit my grandparent and family for 4th of July week.  I am so excited! It has been so long since I've been there to visit. I've already contacted my cousins. 

Thursday night I went to get my eye brows waxed.  Doesn't sound very exciting , does it?  Well, let me tell you, it was the most relaxing experience I've ever had!!!  I had a gift certificate for a spa, so I booked an appointment.  They take you to a room where they have you lay down on a cushy bed with your neck supported and your legs elevated.  Soft classical music is playing.  Not once did I flinch or tear up.  And my eye brows looked awesome afterwards.  If it didn't cost so much, I would so do this every month!!!

Friday night was time for a pedicure.  Woo hoo!  Nothing like getting your feet and toes pampered!  It takes a good hour, but so worth the time!  I love to have my feet massaged. And to pick out a cute color to paint my toes!!!

Saturday was spent at the pool.  It was a great day!  A little sun.  Some swimming.  I forget how much I love to be in the water until I get back into it.  I could, if I had the time, swim every single day!!!  Then I watched LSU shut down South Carolina in this weekend's baseball series to take the regular season SEC champtionship!!  Woo hoo!  My boys are hot right now!



Beautiful day at the pool!

Later on Saturday, an old friend came by for a visit.  We had a great time.  Talking, catching up, a little sight seeing.  He had never been to LSU.  Like really?  That astonishes me! So I took him down to the campus and drove through it.  Went by Death Valley (football field), PMac (basketball arena), Mike the Tiger's cage, the basketball practice facility to see the Shaquille Oneal statue.  All the typical touristy spots. I LOVE showing off my alma mater!





Ron and I (I was having a really bad hair day!)



He brough me presents! Who doesn't love presents! He always manages to get me things that I adore.  I am a huge lover of sunflowers so the napkin holder that he got for me, is perfect! And now I just need some pictures for the photo album he gave me!  And as a Mexican girl, of course I need another set of maracas!  LOL

Sunflower napkin/note holder, handmade photo album, maracas

Friday is my birthday.  I have the day scheduled off but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take the day because I have a convention coming up next week.  But I think that I managed to get most of the work done on Monday so I can take off Friday!  Woo hoo!  A 4 day weekend.  Do I have plans?  :/ Nope!  No plans.  I may go over to Jenny's house for a BBQ on Sunday and/or Monday but other than that, I have no plans.  Everyone is either working or going out of town for the weekend.  It is the curse of having a Memorial Day birthday.  So I'm tossing around some options.  Maybe a shopping trip to Biloxi?  There's a cute little cross stitch store in Ocean Springs that I like to go to.  Or maybe go to the beach for the day?  Or go to New Orleans?  I have options and luckily, most times I enjoy my own company! :)

I've had birthday cards in the mail the past two days.  Yippee!  Love getting mail, that isn't bills! So now I have thank you notes to write!

I hope that the rest of the week goes as well as it has begun!!!  I can only hope!

Fingers crossed!!



Long Week!!!

Started the week off with a trip 2 hours down I-10. Worked a convention for 2 days at a casino. It was fun. The co-worker I was with is a very good friend and we hung out at the bar and casino afterwards and had some drinks and laughs!!!



At the Jack Daniels Bar enjoying some nachos after a long day!



First, Jenny lost her money.



Then I lost my money.



Then my 2 hour drive home turned into a 4 1/2 hour detour through little town Louisiana! An 18 wheeler overturned on the interstate, closing it in both directions! What did people do before cell phones? I got off at the first exit I could, pulled up google maps and began driving. I had a detour route to take, the problem was the traffic wasn't moving towards that detour. So I made my own detour to get to the detour. At least I kept moving! Even saw a rainbow.

Then it was 3 days in the office playing catch up. I have a convention in 3 weeks and I am so far behind!!! I spent those 3 days glued to the computer, barely coming up for air!!

Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows opened this weekend. Yes, I just had to go see it!!! Love Johnny Depp! And I think he and Tim Burton make great movies. The movie was good. Not as corny as I thought it would be. Definitely not dark enough for my taste. And to be honest, I didn't like the ending. But I didn't feel like I wasted my time or money!!!

50 Shades of Grey

I've been getting questions about the book 50 Shades of Grey. Yes, I have read it. Read the entire trilogy. I was curious about it after seeing an article in People magazine about the book and then several other news sites. I wanted to know what the big deal was. There was no big deal. At least I didn't think so. In a nutshell, it is about sex. A dominant and his subordinate. I didn't really care for it. I read it, I'll probably never read it again. But if you are interested in that kinky sex stuff, let me recommend the Sleeping Beauty series by Anne Rice. It is much better written and an actual story. Or Exit to Eden is a good choice too. Also written by Anne Rice.

Other Stuff

I am still in the hunt for the 20 pounds lost. I hope to obtain that goal by the end of the month. That one wish is within my control. I hope by working hard I can accomplish it because honestly my birthday is not turning out the way I wanted it.

I've been doing some spring cleaning, finally, around the apartment. Finally feeling like I'm in control at home!!! The mess was out of control!! Duke's toys were absolutely spread out everywhere!! But I feel that now I can finally have friends over again without being embarrassed! And now, I have more free time to have fun!

Because I was so industrious with my cleaning, I have been able to sit down and do some stitching.  I've made great progress on Dragon Knot.  I cannot wait to get this one done!!! It has been around for almost 5 years!  Time to be completed.

I am looking forward to the coming week.  Lots of work to be completed at work but also lots to be looking forward to starting next weekend! I hope everyone has a great week!

120 Days

It has been 120 days today since I started exercising and dieting. To date I have lost 17.5 pounds. Yay! It seems so little overall when you think of 120 days of work but it is about 4 pounds a month. I have another 17.5 pounds to go to my first goal weight.

My clothes are fitting so much better. Items I haven't worn in years now fit! And fit better!! It is like having a whole new wardrobe with out shopping!!

This weekend I spent doing spring cleaning. I have not finished but made a good start! 6 bags of trash. The bedroom was completely dusted cleaned most of my craft boxes out from under my bed, but not all. The balcony was completely cleaned and is now ready for entertaining. I have more to do and hope to get to it next weekend.

This week is already starting to be topsy turvy! I am scheduled to go on an overnight business trip on Monday but now it seems it might be turning into a 2 or 3 night stay!! Time to scramble for dog care!!! Plus pack enough clothes, just in case!!! Not to mention having my desk at the office covered. I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed.

Now I'm off to tackle my next task. I hope to post another update of Dragon Knot soon! Til then here are some pics of the flowers in my little garden on my balcony!

Spring is here!

Spring is here!!! We have had some beautiful weather these past few weeks and it has kept me busy during my free time. 

Last weekend, I went to DC for the very first time.  I was only there for 2 whole days and I was attending a leadership symposium for work so there was little time for sightseeing.  But I am anxious to go back if I can!

I did manage to roam the grounds of the Capitol and visit the Botanical Gardens.  There was an exhibit of orchids occurring.  They are such beautiful, fragile looking flowers.  But I have been told that they are actually quite easy to care for.  Hmmm, I sitll don't think I dare to try to grow one!

LSU Colors!



Pineapple!  I didn't know this was how they were grown!

Very little stitching has been done.  Between work, working out, Duke, and friends/family, there's been little time to stitch.  :(  But I have managed to put in a stitch or two, here and there on Dragon Knot when I can. 



Close up of the middle section



The entire project.  Only a few more pages left to go!



I have gotten some reading done however.  Well, my flight to DC was delayed two hours going there. Then the weather went from 80 degrees and sunny to 40 degrees and rainy and my plans to visit a friend fell through so there was some time in the hotel.  I managed to finish The Girl Who Played with Fire.  I've been trying to find time to read this book.  It was good!  Not my typical genre but very good!  I am now trying to read the third and last book in the series!

In two weeks, Charlaine Harris, the writer of the Sookie Stackhouse series, will be in town for a book signing.  I am hoping to get to it and have the last book of the series signed.  :)

Ok, break time is over.  My apartment looks like a tornado came through so I've been spending a good part of this weekend cleaning.  I'm making progess.  Slowly but surely. Hopefully by next week I will have it back in order after neglecting it for so long!  

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. Mine was very good!!

It started Thursday evening when my best friend surprised me on her way to Houston. Her and the kids were passing through and we had the opportunity to have dinner. It was the best present!! Put a smile on my face that lasted all weekend!

Friday I had the day off! Yippee!! It was much needed. Did a little shopping. Visited with my mom who is recovering from gall bladder surgery. Was also lucky enough to be at my mon's house when her best friend came by to drop off a most delicious chocolate cake. I must confess I had a piece for lunch!!!

Saturday I joined my friend Jenny and her kids at the Bass Pro to see the Easter Bunny. That was a trip. Those boys just go and go and go. We then had lunch at VooDoo Barbecue. Delicious!!!

Sunday was spent quietly at home. Church in the morning. Late lunch with my parents. Bath for Duke.

All this food this weekend! Thankfully I was able to work out every day. I am finally down 15 pounds and I want to continue with the weight loss.

Now it is time to get ready for the work week. I'm excited that in 2 weeks I'll be going to DC for a 2 day seminar. I've never been but it ends by 3 on Sunday so I am hoping to do a little bit of sight seeing before I fly home on Monday!

Happy Birthday Cassady Hope!

My baby niece is 3 years old today! She is an absolute joy and brings sunshine, smiles and laughter to my life!!

A Stitching Update

I feel like it has been quite a while since I've done any blogging about my favorite hobby, cross stitching.  But I have some fun stuff to share!

The polar bear piece that I finished around the New Year is finally framed!  It looks so good!  I do believe that I am going to keep it for myself and hang it in my bedroom!  The frame is actually navy blue.  Not sure why it looks black in the picture as I took it in natural light.  I love this piece and it pops even more in person.  I wish you could see the "sparkle" in the fabric!

I got the above piece framed at Acadian Corner in Metairie.  Love that place.  When I was there to drop the piece off to be framed I picked up two Mill Head Buttons & Beads kits to work on, at some point, for Mardi Gras.

Purple Mask

Teal Mask

And finally, some progress on Dragon Knot 2!!!  I have finally completed 12 pages of this project.  Only 4 more to go with 2 of those pages not even covering a quarter of the page!  I hope to finish it this year.  At least that is the goal.  Then the decision, how to finish it?  Frame it?  Make a pillow out of it?  A wall hanging? 

In addition to all the stitchy goodness, I've been reading too.  I finished Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I highly recommend it.  If you like crime novels.  I think that is what I would classify it as.  I typically don't read that type of genre but the book was a gift (Thanks Jill, it was an awesome read), my friend must know me better than I know myself!!! I also read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  Awesome book!  I loved the creative thinking behind the disappearance of the Roanoke colony, the reason behind the Civil War, who John Wilkes Booth really was and well, just the life that Abraham Lincoln secretly led. Another recommendation!  And last, but not least, I am reading the book behind the new tv series, GCB.  It is similar but different.  So far I've enjoyed reading the book and watching the show!!! 



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!