Happy Friday

It is Friday, right? It's funny that since neither Will nor I have work, we just don't care what day of the week it is. Other than making sure that rent and bills are paid on time, we ain't got nuttin' to worry about. Well, other than the fact that I'm not used to this, so I constantly feel like I'm forgetting something. Hopefully not. While I have been living in this little bubble I've missed some fun little link ups, but I am a fond believer in the phrase better late than never, so I'm still going to put my two cents in. That's just the kinda girl I am...

The kinda girl who...

Always tries to look 'put together' when I leave the house.

Works out to eat more.

Dedicates every fiber to my marriage.

Can read people and use that to my advantage.

Doesn't cook every meal perfect, but can compete in the kitchen.

USED to be a 'career' minded woman.

Knows a lot about cars, can change a tire, and even my own oil!

Rarely curses.

Only loses my cool when I'm PMS'ing. That I'll admit.

Isn't afraid of guns.

What can I say? Shooting is for sport and for putting food on the table in my family. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm all about gun control...we have great control of our guns, hence why we are all a good shot in my family.

You may not want to watch the following, Kathy. I know you Canadians can't handle this, even though I think you'd be a bad@ss shot. 

Just sayin'.

And because blogging really is like reading Cosmopolitan these days and for the simple fact that I LOVE Erin...

I'm actually watching Sex And The City right now, which confirms my choice in Carrie. I wouldn't say I'm just like her, but I'd rather be the go-getter that gets Mr. Big {symbollic of Will to me} than neurotic, whorish, or meek like the others. 

Okay, enough play time, I have to go "work" on my closet room. Haha, who am I kidding here? I'm SO excited to work on the closet room! We are setting it up and updating it this weekend and I couldn't be happier. Don't worry, I'll share more once this house starts coming together. I want it all done right now, but I have to keep reminding myself that there's no time limit. Ain't got nuttin' but time. Happy weekend, all!

One Of My Favorite Places In The World

You know how normal people go to a dealership or shop locally for a car?
My husband is not normal. A few months ago, he decided that he wanted a particular GTO or what he calls a Goat, and he has spent countless hours scouring the Southeast for the right one. I knew this was going to be a pain in the ass because I would be the one driving him to wherever this car would show up, ergo I used it to my advantage and hinted that he search fun places. New Orleans was on the top of that list, so I didn't argue when he found his "dream" car there. He still admits that he used up every brownie point he's ever earned for allowing this insanity, but at least New Orleans kept him from going negative. Winkwink

We booked an awesome room at the Hotel Modern in Uptown New Orleans, which put us on a great parade route, right next to The Bar, and about a mile away from the French Quarter. Unfortunately, we didn't actually get to see a parade, but we did get to meet up with my friend from high school that I haven't seen in TEN years. As a matter of fact, other than Facebook, we haven't even spoken in ten years, which is a testament to our friendship.

As a local, she took us off the beaten path for a real NOLA experience. We went to Cafe 615 for dinner (where Catfish is the side dish for Gumbo), and we all had so much fun we decided to continue it on Frenchmen Street. Laurel and Chance wanted nothing to do with the tourists on Bourbon Street, so we got a VIP tour of the local bars. However, don't think we are too cool for school; we still called it a night before midnight. Geez that seems really sad now that I type it out. Hey, there's always next time.

The next morning was gorgeous, so we meandered down to the French Quarter for breakfast. We had lofty plans of eating at Cafe DuMonde, but considering about 1,000 other people decided on beignets, we ended up at the Gumbo Pot.

It was right off the river and allowed Weiser to sit on the porch with us, so it turned out to be an awesome substitution. As soon as my Eggs Creole hit my lips, I knew that I loved this place, in spite of the fact that it got bad ratings on Urban Spoon. Would I say it's a 'must eat'? No, but I would say it's good if you don't have time or patience to wait for a meal in the French Quarter.

We decided to take a different route back to the hotel, so we finally got to walk Bourbon Street. I was underage during my other visits to NO, so this was my first time physically walking the strip. It actually reminded me of the Red Light District in Amsterdam, minus the naked women in the windows. But close.

Bourbon Street, where the bums smell better than the drunks, the locals are more colorful than the tourists, and the cocktails are always to go.

One of the neatest things I saw was a Before I Die wall.

Before I Die is an interactive public art project that invites people to share their hopes and dreams in public space. Painted with chalkboard paint and stenciled with the sentence “Before I die I want to _______”, the wall becomes an enlightening way to get to know your neighbors and discover what matters most to the people around you. It creates a public space for contemplation and reminds us why we want to be alive in the world today.

This was an awesome mini trip, and now I just want to go back. Of course I'd rather go when we don't have to bring an extra vehicle home...even though the 'Goat' was totally worth it. {More on that later!} So, what would you write on the wall?

Always BELIEVE

I'm going to give you two truths and a lie as to why I almost forgot to post today.

#1 I'm still tired from NOLA

#2 I forgot was day it was

#3 I was distracted by ridiculously good sex with my husband last night

#4 Too many margaritas

Okay okay, so maybe this is a trick...there's no lie ;)

All I can say is that this was an amazing weekend. Great times, scrumdiddlyumtious food, good friends, a new toy, and we even had time to create the most amazing margarita mix that no one has ever seen or tasted. You just wait until I get the pictures loaded.

Uploading and blogging is going on my to do list with the rest of this:

+ Get the closet room set up.

+ Pick up some of the items we need to set up the new house.

Bathmats, rugs, shower caddies, storage drawers, etc.

+ Run, run, RUN, to get ready for a 5K on March 8th!

+Finish editing pictures from my last two photo shoots.
Only one a few pictures left, and I love how they are turning out!

+Still make time to relax together and soak in the new place.

You know how we are all waiting for the 'other shoe to drop' or the next disaster? I  think we should all be waiting for the next WONDERFUL thing, and I saw a  quote this morning that reinforced it. I'm going to actually try to begin wondering "What amazing thing is going to happen next" instead of imagining the worst, because things don't have to be 'too good to be true'. Yes, our lives are peppered with sadness, trials, and unavoidable problems, but that doesn't mean we should be in a constant state of worry. I'm going to amend the following quote by adding the latter, and I'm going to adopt it as my new mantra. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength...

Always
BELIEVE THAT
Something WONDERFUL
IS ABOUT TO Happen.

Now  I must bid you adieu. I suggest you now go read this article about love and marriage from the New York Times. Boy, is it on the money! We have the capacity to have better marriages than ever {if you are with the right person}, but you have to put EFFORT into it. For those of you that always ask how Will and I have such a great marriage, here is some insight.
You can thank me later.

NOLA For The Weekend? Why Not!

I hope staying up past midnight isn't a recurring theme, but tomorrow {Friday night} I know it's going to be a late night. You see, we have up and decided to hit the road for a quick trip to New Orleans! Long story short, I brought my truck and we trailered our '71 Monte Carlo, so now Will needs a daily driver. Unlike a normal person, he has decided to search every state around us, and has come up with a car in Covington, LA. I could care less about Covington, but any time I can slip in some time in The Big Easy, I'm all for it.

I've probably never mentioned it, but Will lived in Louisiana as an Air Force Brat. Mind you, he was very young at the time, and not ready to party it up on Bourbon Street, so this will be his first time in NOLA. Oooh doggie am I ready to pop his cherry. Bring on the Cajun food, Mardi Gras shenanigans, and Beignets! We only have about 24 hours {Why the heck didn't we plan to stay longer?}, but I'm positive we can have a rip roarin' good time. My goal is to be able to drive my truck home sans hangover. Maybe.

Here we are at the last parade we went to...

I swear I'm not a priss, however I will never say no to someone carrying me. C'mon, who wouldn't want to avoid crazy crowds, city blocks, and blisters on your feet? Ya know?

I have a feeling we will have just as much fun this weekend! Did I mention I love having time off...indefinitely? It is great being able to pick up and go whenever we want. A girl can definitely get used to this ;)

Have you ever been to Mardi Gras or New Orleans?