a road trip honeymoon!!!

Yes, that's right! We have planned our honeymoon! Tison had the day off for Fat Tuesday and when I got home from work he had made a whole honeymoon itinerary...eeek! What a sweet surprise! I'm so excited. I have always talked about how I would love to go to Asheville, North Carolina. I have heard nothing but amazing things about the place. Tison remembered this and scheduled the whole thing around it. We are going on a road trip baby!

Our Honeymoon Itinerary is still in progress so please let us know of any restaurants or attraction ideas! With 250 independent restaurants in Asheville alone, we would LOVE to hear your suggestions!

{The first day of our married life}

Sunday May 19, 2013 - Drive to Asheville, North Carolina
Leave Shreveport around 530/600 to get to Asheville 12.5 hour drive
Check in Hotel
Walk around downtown – grab some food and drinks

Monday May 20, 2013 - Discover Asheville
- The Botanical Gardens of Asheville, The North Carolina Arboretum 

{check out this incredible fall foliage time lapse video as well}

Tuesday May 21, 2013 - Asheville
 Biltmore Village/Estates - House, Winery, Gardens and Conservatory
Blue Ridge Parkway afternoon hike

Wednesday May 22, 2013 - Asheville
Discover the Outdoors – Hiking, Scenic Views, etc
Grandfather Mountain
Appalachian Trail – North Carolina edition
Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures

Thursday May 23, 2013 - Asheville/ Charlottesville
Check Out of hotel
Take our time to Charlottesville, Virginia driving up Blue Ridge Parkway
- 5.5 hours from Asheville
Check in Hotel
Walking Tour:
Belmont Neighborhood, art galleries, local breweries, wineries, etc
Historic Pedestrian Mall
Visit University of Virginia

Friday May 24, 2013 - Charlottesville
Spend morning at Thomas Jefferson's Estate - Monticello
Mulberry Row  and  Saunders-MonticelloTrail
Ash Lawn-Highland - home of James Monroe
Hike at the Shenandoah National Park

Saturday May 25, 2013 - Charlottesville/Memphis
Take the long way home! Stop in Memphis
Spend day/evening in Memphis

Sunday May 26, 2013
Head home 

Live Happily Ever After!

just a couple a lucys...

A couple of weekends ago, my parents along with Tison, and I experienced our first couples date together. A first of many to come I'm sure. We piled in mom's car and hit the road toward East Texas. On the west side of Marshall in Harleton, Texas lies a vineyard named Enoch's Stomp where acres upon acres of rolling hills are covered with grapes on the vine. I'm awfully glad this fifth generation grape grower found his way from South Africa to America. The evening was filled with wine tasting, dinner, grape stomping, and vineyard touring. It was extremely hot, especially after Mom and I completed the grape stomping competition, but the atmosphere reminded me of A Walk in the Clouds.  Remember that one?

My coworker and friend Katie and her roommate Britney met us there.

After dinner the grape stomping competition began. My mom and I split the 10 minute stomp in two. I can tell you, it is a real workout stomping for 5 minutes straight. and don't get me started on the pressure! Mom and I are competitive!

I really thought we had it, but alas. Someone out stomped us. Isn't the color of that grape juice disgusting? Who wants a glass?

There was some confusion with the purchasing of our tickets, but when Dad upgraded Mom and I, a perk was getting t-shirts! Thanks, Dad. (even though you called me and Mom a couple of Lucy's)

All in all, it was a wonderful first date with my parents. ;)

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.}

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 :)

a dreamer's holiday: it's about the journey and the destination

On the first night in Istanbul I took a taxi to a recommended seaside restaurant. It was probably the freshest fish I have ever been served! Dinner was followed by an evening walk next to the Bosphorus, then to a rooftop bar for this spectacular view.

sister time at coffee rani

a few happy photos from our trip

down south 2 weekends ago...

Chicago Tomfoolery...The Trilogy, Part 2

by: Justin T. Tison

Friday November 5 had Lindsey and I waking up with a clear cut plan of action. Eat breakfast, shop, see the sights, and get to South Bend, Indiana in time for Jordan and Patrick’s rehearsal dinner. Plans are good for Lindsey and I because without them we tend to meander and procrastinate through life. November 5, however, was not going to be one of those days. After the already photographed and exhibited breakfast for that day Lindsey and I took to the hip streets of Lakeview for some shopping. Lindsey was able to get to one of her favorite places, Anthropologie, which I learned several times this trip, is a shopper’s destination not afforded to the affluent citizens of Shreveport/Bossier.

After a complete dismantling of her checking account, aided by their extremely courteous and doting staff it was off to Wrigley Field for some guy stuff, i.e. taking cute and fun pictures outside of it because baseball season is over and we couldn’t get in there.

Once we saw Wrigley and the majority of the beautiful Lake View neighborhood on foot it was off to South Bend, Indiana for the wedding that was the main reason for our trip to Chicago.


It was during our trip to South Bend that Lindsey and I saw our first, and if seasonal weather patterns have anything to say about it, possibly only snow of the winter. It was already cold up there but then it starts snowing off of Lake Michigan and that stuff is for real. This snow was totally different than the snow we get down here. Up there it’s all huge snowflakes that mean it when they say they are going to stick to the ground and make travelling Southerners think twice about living around here. Down here we get snow that has already given up on life and is just wafting to the ground in hopes of finding a nice place to lie down and die. No sticking to the ground, no beautiful snow capped sunrises on our wedding day, nothing but gross wet slosh that we have to plod through till 9:30 am when our temperatures rebound into the eighties.

Thanks to Richard and Emily Raley and their gracious family we were able to procure free living arrangements for our time in South Bend. They have a nice condo right off of campus that has a stream or something behind it, which housed real life deer and geese. The place was free, it was warm and we both truly appreciated being able to stay there.

After getting into South Bend and getting ready we headed on over to the Basilica at Notre Dame to watch the rehearsal and so that we can follow the people we know to the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was housed in an old mansion (Tippecanoe Place) that had been converted into a restaurant. The place was really nice with a definite old world feel, plus on cold winter mornings you can hear Old Lady Tippecanoe’s cries for solace over the din of harried South Bend breakfast lovers. It was a beautiful dinner in a charming, historical setting, you can’t ask for much more than that. Plus, afterwards we headed to the Madison Oyster House and Bar and really took in the local color. This place has huge draft beers (Fat Tire anyone?) for 3 bucks and the atmosphere of the place was very cool and laid back. It seemed to be a favorite haunt of our hosts because we went there both Friday and Saturday night and it was a definitely a good time. Plus we got were able to astound people with our ability to talk to absolute strangers with absolutely no compunction or alarm.

Saturday November 6 had Lindsey and me up and at ‘em as early as any day during the trip would, not including our travelling days. Due to the busy schedule of Notre Dame’s Basilica, Jordan and Patrick’s wedding was at nine in the morning. Now, in theory we were both taken aback by this time but in practice it is absolutely marvelous. By 10 am we were already on our way to the reception, which being from the Catholic variety had plenty of alcohol to get party going. The best part was that since the wedding was over in the morning there was none of that, “oh great, I have to go to a wedding later” feeling that can really bring you back down to Earth.

I feel that I would be amiss if I did not mention that the wedding was beautiful, the basilica was beautiful and the bride was beautiful. Plus, God had seen fit to kiss his creation with a light dusting of glittering snow that made the morning all the more magnificent. I was really happy to be there for all that plus for a chance to experience a 10:30 am – 3:00 am wedding reception featuring an open bar. I am not sure if I can go back to the old way of doing business after experiencing it that way.

After 4 hours of morning wedding reception tomfoolery it was off to find a place to watch the LSU game. Well, it just so happened that Lindsey and I had a condo that offered cable at no extra charge. But before we had come to that conclusion we had been discussing with fellow LSU fans about where to watch the game. The only option that seemed agreeable to everyone was a place called Between the Buns. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it there as everyone else seemed to teeter away from the idea once that became the only location to watch. Perhaps it was the less than appealing name or the idea that maybe we just didn’t know what we were going to get into in a place named as such.


So with our new friend, Dan, whom we had met at the reception and had decided to follow us wherever we were going afterwards, we went back to the condo to enjoy the Tigers football game.


A little over half-way through the game the three of us had to get back out there in time to meet a chartered bus to take us across the Michigan-Indiana border for a evening at the groom’s father’s bar. This quaint little watering hole was in Niles, Michigan. I cannot imagine a life cooler than owning a bar and only opening it for family events and St. Patrick’s day but that is, apparently, the Stein & Vine’s hours of operation. Packed with food, family and friends, it made for a great finish to a wonderful day in South Bend celebrating the nuptials of some good friends.

{Check back Monday for the third and final Chicago Tomfoolery:The Trilogy}