PieWorks...

Partially because I don't like to cook on the weekends and partially because I find the weekends to be a good excuse not to eat healthy, I inevitably end up eating pizza. It's almost like I don't have any control over it! I am pretty sure I am addicted to PieWorks bread sticks with parmesan and peppercorn dipping sauce. I know, I know... it's not good for you, but WHY is it so good!?!?

Which Wich...

Lunch break lends itself to exploring new restaurants every now and again. Katie, Diane and I went to the Louisiana Boardwalk to check out Which Wich. I love the concept. You grab a paper bag indicating the particular sandwich you want. Then on that bag you x the x-tras. You can mark anything and everything listed on the bag for no additional charge! It is nuts! I went with the Vegetarian Wich and Katie got the Classic Gyro. Both were tasty.

it was good night and not goodbye

Erica,

You will forever be remembered for the things that you did at Camp Fern. Thanks for your years of hard work and dedication. The campers were blessed to have you. Congratulations on your new adventure!

              Love you,

Thank you to Mrs. Margaret and Mr. Lee for a thoughtful evening!

last of the New Orleans pics...

 {Lauren was Maid of Honor for Catherine and Will's wedding at The Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church. I love that the gentlemen wore tails and white gloves. So fancy! Catherine looked stunning, of course.}

 {The reception was held at the Audubon Tea Room. They passed out Mardi Gras masks and had a kickin' band!}

 {On Sunday we met the folks, Mrs. Mary and Mr. Roy, Laef and Sarah at The Ruby Slipper for brunch.}

 {Who doesn't love brunch!?}

{It has been a long time since I have been in a small independent bookstore. Aren't they magical? I am pretty sure Tison and I could have spent the whole day in the Garden District Book Shop if we didn't have to drive back to Shreveport. We picked up the audio book Bossypants read by the author herself, Tina Fey. It is hilarious! A must read/listen.}

heatwave...

Is it just me or is this summer heat driving you crazy?! I mean literally crazy! I am just about sick of constantly sweating. I am not talking the girly version -perspiring- or "glowing." I mean straight up clothes sticking to you, running down your forehead, not cute HOT! Even though it is so lame to talk weather- it is all I can do. I talk about how hot it is with the shuttle driver, the bagger at the grocery store, people walking down the street...ok, you get the point.

Here is a conversation Tison and I had today via gchat {note: this chat is pure ridiculousness, but he honestly makes me laugh out loud everyday.}

So, I guess we have Tison to blame for this heat...how are you coping with the weather?

The Help...

My friend Daci had the wonderful idea of starting a book/movie club this month. We started with the book The Help. Lucky for me it was my travel book throughout my trip to Turkey and I have been dying to talk about it! Eight of us met at the theatre for the opening night of the film, during which I laughed and cried. Afterwards, we ate Strawns fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and chocolate pie and shared our thoughts. I know it is cliché, but the movie is never as good as the book. We had a great discussion about the differences between the movie and the book, the 1960s and today, and which characters were our favorite.

Check out Daci's review here. She cracks me up.

Have you seen or read it yet? What did you think?

pool party on Saint Charles...

Last weekend in New Orleans, we were invited to a pool party and cook-out for Walker's friend that just returned from Afghanistan.They pulled out all the stops. From fried green tomatoes to boudin stuffed rabbit, this pool party was the perfect summer Saturday. Thank you for your service, Tibbs.

 Walker was working the grill most of the day. Sally heard that we were in from out of town and hadn't packed swimming suits. She was insistent I borrowed one of hers.

She couldn't have been any nicer- and look at that sweet smile!

 Sally also offered Tison a robe while his shorts-turned-swim trunks were in the dryer. While robed he enjoyed pretending it was his house and thanking everyone for coming over.

Dear New Orleans,

I love you.

Sincerely,

dat dog...

After a night with Walker at a house party and inevitably Kingpin (where you can find him anytime), we woke up hungry and ready for lunch. Right down the road from Walker's place is a small, but delicious hot dog establishment appropriately named Dat Dog. I know wieners are usually reserved for ball parks and street vendors, however this place kicks it up a notch. This isn't your every day dog, no sir. Craving German Smoked Bratwurst? Or maybe Slovenian Sausage is more your style...get in line at this hot spot. The homemade sourdough bun makes any entree choice a good one, plus the toppings are outrageous!

PS- I recommend Kingpin {where we went Friday night} not only for the shuffle board and darts, but for the taco truck parked outside every friday night! This vendor serves the best tacos I have ever tasted-no lie! Pretty sure it was called Taceaux Loceaux. Mouth watering good, my friends.

weekend in NOLA

Tison and I leave today for New Orleans to attend a wedding. It has become a little tradition of ours to go to New Orleans at least once a year for a fun getaway. The Big Easy is one of my favorite places on planet earth. There is just something about it that makes me excited.

{Last years trip here}

Happy weekend dreamers :)

J'adore Pretty Things...

It has been awhile since I have done a J'adore post

so I thought I would show you a few things  I am loving today!

1. This article from Garden and Gun. It's a must read ladies and gents.

2. I am a crazy music lover. I feel like I can't breath without it! My new love for making playlists and discovering new music is Spotify. You have to be "invited" so go here and put your email address in to try it out if you haven't already. In about 3-5 days you will have an email from Spotify to activate your account. It's almost too good to be true!

3. I came across this House Tour in Apartment Therapy today. I am fascinated by how they created such a welcoming and exciting living space with only 1,250 square feet. It is making my head reel with design inspiration!

4. My Mom and Dad went on a vacation last week to several wineries in Texas. {how adorable is that!} My Mom knows how much I adore illustrations. When she came across the children's book titled Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, she couldn't pass it up! (You should totally click to look inside.)

5. How adorable is Gwyneth Paltrow? I will show you how adorable she is- go to her GOOP site that is written by her. There are recipes, travel and restaurant suggestions, a few personal antidotes. She is so inspiring.

6. I am also loving the fact that I have been blogging since July 2010. Can you believe it! Here are some past J'adore posts: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

-xo-

a dreamer's holiday: The Blue Mosque

As I walked up to the Blue Mosque, I was completely overwhelmed by its magnitude and incredible architectural detail. Our tour guide gave a long speech in front about the specifics of the mosque, but I was more interested in walking around and snapping photos. However, I did learn that it is an operating Mosque and all visitors are required to take off their shoes and cover their shoulders. Some were given wraps to cover their legs too. Honestly, who wears short shorts when you are visiting a mosque? I mean really. As you can see in the picture above, I also wanted to cover my head.

After I got over the stench of hot socks that greets you at the entrance, I stood in awe and admiration at the  hand painted tiles covering the walls and ceilings. The Blue Mosque gets its name not from the exterior, but from the blue tiles on the inside. It contains more than 20,000 Iznik tiles and 260 stained glass windows. Thousands of hanging lights created an orange glow inside; I imagined what it must have been like for the person who had to light each one when they were candles.

moving in goose neck style...

Lauren, David, and baby Hudson are 1st time home owners! Hudson picked it out himself. This Sunday was move-in day and with the help of eight friends and family members the gooseneck trailer was empty in 32 minutes! We jumped into organizing the kitchen first. Three hours later we were still at it. It was a nice reminder of how much time goes into settling in a new place.

{Oh, sorry. Do you need help?!}

{You are doing a great job guys. I'll just keep holding this heavy camera.}

Congratulations!