a little gratitude...

Thanksgiving vacation - those 5 glorious days and 4 wondrous nights of pure glutinous goodness - was a week ago, if you can believe it. Now I have pulled out the neon lit tree and ornaments, stockings and garland. It is Christmas time! As lights start coming up in the the yards in my neighborhood, I am trying to hang on to every second of this special time. I am pretty sure no time throughout the 365 days of the year  goes by faster than the next 3 weeks. The calendar fills up with parties and get-togethers, the Shreveport streets are at its most congested with lanes of people in search of the perfect gift...and, hopefully, there is a nip in the air. I have no problem keeping my car radio on the local station that plays nothing but Christmas carols 24-7 or keeping Christmas Vacation in my dvd player.

Before I get too far ahead of myself and end up in the North Pole, let's reminisce on Thanksgiving.

{fried turkey, biatches}

{Tison's potato salad was amazing and included bacon,yes, bacon.}

{This was us prepping for the Thanksgiving meal the night before.}

{Hey Miss Bailey!}

{After gorging ourselves with an amazing display of food at the Tison's house, we went to my parents to catch up with them for some post meal card making. My mother is better than Hallmark, people. She is literally a professional. Any kind of card making tool you are looking for- this woman's got it!}

{Mom bundled up some Thanksgiving leftovers of turkey, stuffing and homemade rolls so I could make my all time favorite Thanksgiving dish- the leftover turkey sandwich!}

{We ended the night with some wine and dominos. I wasn't lying about these glorious nights.}

{Friday was spent recovering from a food coma and watching the LSU game, but Saturday was Friendsgiving!!! Beginning at Superior, then Vintage, and ending at Wine Country.}

I want to say thank you to all of the people that come and visit my little blog about my life with my family and friends. This little corner, my tiny sliver of the enormous piece of the internet pie, is one of my favorite hobbies and it makes me so happy that you visit every once in awhile. :) Happy Holidays!

{see previous thanksgivings here}

a walk down an olympic memory lane...

My first trip to Greece was in 2004 with a group of students and two teachers from Centenary College. It was part of a module required for graduation. This trip was probably one of the most monumental in my experience traveling abroad to date. I still remember it so vividly. I loved the Greek culture from the moment I stepped off the plane. I loved the fact that the trip was planned out by the teachers, so it was literally carefree. I enjoyed not knowing anyone in the group before leaving, but returning with new friends. The trip was filled with educational landmarks with enough time in each location to get lost and take it all in. In fact, the tour bus did leave me behind in one location because I had wondered off exploring... thank goodness someone noticed 15 minutes later that I wasn't in my seat or I might still be there! It was such a growth opportunity for me at a mere 20 years old.

Every time the Olympic Games roll around I think of this trip to Greece and our time spent in Athens, as they were just few months out from hosting the event in 2004. We got to view the stadium, stand next to the Olympic flame, and even run where the first Olympic Games took place. Did you know that the first ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC? Let's take a walk down memory lane...

 Yes, we saw Troy in Greece! Can you believe they had an intermission for a smoke and bathroom break?!

The beaches were in-cre-di-bly beautiful! I may or may not have gone to a topless beach...

 The little old ladies in the small towns were the cutest, dressed in all black dresses and scurrying through the narrow streets. Most of them really did look like the My Big Fat Greek Wedding grandmother, Yia Yia.

These pictures make it look like I went to Greece in 1972! Isn't amazing how technology has changed so much in 8 years! I hope you all are watching and enjoying the Olympic Games as much as I am.

Ευχαριστώ πολύ 

for visiting.

visiting the four kingdoms: day 1

I left my heart in Disney World. I am not saying this to be poetic or sweet or anything. It is just the truth! I was spoiled getting to spend every moment of every day with Tison. This morning I threw a pillow over my alarm clock to stifle the radio so I could keep sleeping. I have done more morning grumpy-grumbling than ever since our return. Who would have thought that coming back from an amazing vacation would have such negative effects on my work ethic! Don't get me wrong, I am extremely thankful to have a job, but I just want to play all day! Anyone else experiencing a bad case of senioritis this summer?

In an effort to relive the experience, I am going to walk you through our days spent at the four kingdoms at Walt Disney World, park by park. It is truly the happiest place on earth! Leaving bright and early (4:00 am) we drove from Shreveport, Louisiana to Sandestin Beach Resort, Florida - then left Sandestin the next morning for Orlando. We arrived around 3:00 pm, just as it was beginning to rain. A quick stop in a gift shop for ponchos began our first evening which we spent at Downtown Disney. I highly recommend Downtown Disney for adults as an evening activity. There are tons of restaurants and live outdoor music to choose from.

This is how we spent our first full day at Walt Disney World:

{Hitting the ground running, Tison and I started the day at the educational ride, Spaceship Earth. This is the ride in the Epcot dome. It cracked me up when the computer screen in front of us displayed our future if we keep recycling. I didn't even know they had snapped our picture- Tison's face so hilarious.}

 {I thought I was going to pass out after this ride. The G-force from this ride creates a pressure in your head that made me feel like my head might explode if it didn't release "into space." Why I thought I could handle the "More Intense" version of the ride is beyond me! It literally took us about 4 hours afterwards to feel normal again.}

{Tequila shots in Mexico are a must do!}

 {We enjoyed Bratwurst and Oktoberfest beer for lunch in Germany.}

{I absolutely loved visiting all of the countries! Everything was done with so much attention to detail. Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom were also visited, but I guess I was still feeling the effects of the Mission: Space ride and didn't take any pictures!}

{Captain EO aka Michael Jackson was amazing. It is a 1986 3D film that follows Captain EO and his crew on a mission to rescue the planet through the gift of music, dance, and light. Need I say more?}

{I was more than impressed with the way Disney grows their own vegetables and distributes it to the resort restaurants. That Tomato "tree" right there produces 36,000 tomatoes a year!}

{After our fun at Epcot, Tison and I rode the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. We really squeezed every minute out of this day!}

{We walked around the Magic Kingdom beginning in the area called Adventureland where I wanted to ride The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Ali, Matt, Mrs. Chris and Mr. Tim met up with us there for the Disney classics, It's a Small World and Mad Tea Party; as well as riding Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and race cars! The fireworks display began while we were on the racetrack and it gave us a perfect view of the show. What a happy accident!}

{My favorite things from day 1: The World Showcase at Epcot, seeing Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom for the first time since I was 9, the Space Mountain ride, and the fireworks of course!}

everyone has a story...

...and here is mine!

 Tison's mom and dad took us on a family vacation to Disney World last week. It was such an incredible trip. I was excited about going, but had no idea how magical it would actually be! I haven't been since I was 9 and although I had some memories of the trip with my family, the memories have grown a little fuzzy. Tison and I hit the ground running, spending a full day in each of the four Walt Disney World parks: Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. On Sunday (Father's Day) we had just left Hollywood Studios to go back to the hotel so I could change and get ready for a night out to see fireworks. I am powdering my nose and putting on my new orange tunic when I look over and see Tison has his head buried in a pillow. "Oh no," I think. "He must be getting sick." I push and prod him, saying "We aren't going anywhere if you are feeling bad. You should sleep. We have one more day at Disney and we're not going out if you are sick!" Little did I know he had special places picked out at all the parks and was carrying the ring around in his pocket the whole trip looking for the right moment to propose. He had decided that tonight was the night and it would be under the fireworks. He was so nervous I thought he was sick! I said, "Why are you letting out all this nervous energy, WHAT is the matter?!" The second those words rolled off my tongue, I knew.... He said, " I can't hide anything from you, come here" and right in the hotel room he took my hand and got down on one knee. Looking up at me nervously shaking with love pouring out of his eyes, he said, "I love you so much. Will you marry me?!"

Tison and I have been dating now for a little over 3 years, although we met 8 years ago. It has been a long road for us, dating off and on since I was 21.  I was so terrified of the word marriage- thinking it meant I would have to change not only my name, but who I was to be with someone. When I met Tison he scared me because we were so compatible - that it could get serious. As the years went on I realized that whether we were dating or not, he was the person I wanted to talk to. I missed him and wondered what was happening in his life when we weren't together. I contemplated what this meant. I realized over all this time that I couldn't imagine my life without him in it. I have found someone that doesn't try to change me, in fact he gets my weirdness, he encourages my crazy ideas, he motivates me when I need encouragement, he comforts me when I need to cry, we laugh and sing all the time, he makes me feel good about being me. With Tison I have never been more myself and I have never felt more loved. We have grown to love each other more than I ever knew was possible. He is my best friend. He is my true companion and partner in life. When he asked me to marry him I was in complete shock- stunned even. Those ugly little emotions and insecurities tried to rear their ugly head and Tison could see it on my face. He said, "Are you scared?" and I answered, "Yes." and he said "me too." That's when I knew. I knew that it was all going to be okay. We are going to walk down this path together- scared - but believing in our love for each other.

 Thank you for a wonderful, magical, and most memorable trip Mrs. Chris and Mr. Tim, Ali and Matt. 

We love y'all.

A little romantic music to go along with the post:

New Orleans & All That Jazz...take 2

{On Saturday evening Emily and the girls finally made it in to New Orleans. They had a hell of a time maneuvering through the rain all day from Houston. I was super excited to see them. The concierge at the W Hotel suggested Capdeville for dinner, so we put on our lipstick and walked a few blocks over.}

{Starting from left to right we have fried red beans and rice with green onion aioli and hot sauce. On the top right are jalepeno, sweet corn & cheddar fritters. We also tried the smoked salmon deviled eggs, but I guess we ate them so quickly I forgot to catch a picture first. Also photographed here are the steak frites with red wine butter and bleu cheese. I ordered the Truffle Mac and Cheese. It blew me away. The waitress suggested ordering the smaller portion and add grilled chicken. I could kiss her- it was perfecto! Dinner was followed by a few drinks at the W Hotel bar and a walk down Bourbon. It was shoulder to shoulder jam packed with people. Richard and I eventually lost the group. I have completely no sense of direction and only knew how to get back to the hotel! Needless to say, it was an early night.}

{Sunday began by hopping in a local record shop on Decatur in search of new music for my valentines gift - a record player. We picked up LCD Soundsystem and Fleet Foxes. Eeek! I am so excited about it.}

{I am sure everyone has their favorite oyster spot in the Big Easy, but this one is mine. I tried Felix's with my friend Rachael on Mardi Gras weekend a few years back. Their oysters are so fresh, the hot sauce is so spicy, the crackers- well, the crackers are the same everywhere. It's a killer combo though. And even though I prefer a speared fried pickle, those little pickle chips were pretty damn good.}

{I ran into my sister Leslie and her friend Mary at Felix's. She also found a new puppy! ;D}

{A little jaunt down North St. Peters led us to Urban Outfitters and straight into the French Market where Russell and I ordered the Dirty Banana, a nice blend of organic banana, amaretto, coffee liqueur, and vanilla bean. You must wonder if I ever stop snacking? The answer is no. No, I don't.}

*For some reason the blogger server is rejecting my Bacchus Ball photos - the WHOLE reason we went down there! Ah, well. I guess I will have to drag this on for another day. See y'all tomorrow?

New Orleans & All That Jazz...

Hey dreamers. It's been awhile. When my sister Les and my bf Lauren reminded me that I needed to blog, I knew it had been a long time. Not that I need to make excuses for not blogging because I do this for fun, but I will let you know what I've been up to. I went to New Orleans with friends for Mardi Gras last weekend and came back with strep throat. I haven't had it since I was in college! I thought those sick days were over when I got my tonsils out, but I guess I partied too much in the dirty south. My dad gave me a shot last Wednesday and I am finally feeling more like myself.  It is amazing how immobilizing strep throat can be. It's not the same as when you are a kid and you miss a day of school. I stressed out and felt guilty about calling in sick to work. I worried about the things that would pile up for me while I was out or the burden I would cause my coworkers by not being there. Isn't it interesting how we feel guilty about slowing down and actually take care of ourselves? Even asking for or accepting help can be hard. It was a nice humbling week of realizing how I need to take better care of myself, that pulling the covers over my head to sleep off a 101 degree tempature isn't being lazy, and when I do feel terrible it's ok to accept help from others. Thanks Tison and Mom for doting on me.

Now- on  a lighter note- who wants to see Mardi Gras pictures?! 'cause there are A LOT!!!

{Shortly after we arrived on Friday night, I met Captain Morgan and got to throw beads off the balcony.}

{We walked around looking for a place to lunch on Saturday and happened upon The Green Goddess. I was perusing my Food and Wine Magazine earlier in the month and snapped an iphone photo of this drink and thought, "I must remember to try this when we go down to New Orleans, but I'll probably never find it." But find it we did! And I ordered that there cocktail from the creator and goddess herself, Lizette. Every bit of this masterpiece was fresh-squeezed, mixed, and perfected by hand. It is called the Ninjarita. "Hawaiian black lava salt rims a tribute to the city's favorite saviors in a bled of Azunia gold tequila, Mathilde orange liqueur, fresh satsuma juice, ginger syrup, black pepper syrup, fresh lime juice, and Gekkeikan sake." I mean, wow. }

{If that drink wasn't enough reason to go in, we ordered andouille shrimp and grits that was to-die-for. I'm pretty sure I will crave this for the rest of my life. This is going to become a must stop place for me every time I go to NO.}

We were all lunched up and ready to browse through art gallerys, light shops, jewelry stores and more...ps- that diamond ring I tried on costs $20,000!!! whaa....t? and as you can see, we also saw Dick Van Dyke from Mary Poppins. aaaa-chim chiminey, chim chiminey, chim chim cher-eee...}

{Well, it started POURING outside- so what did we do? We ran into the Tropical Isle, of course! We're a couple of parrot heads. What was the most popular drink of the weekend you ask? SHARK ATTACK!!!}

Check back tomorrow. I'll be finishing up the Mardi Gras weekend pictures :) I hope everyone is well!

xo,