Tag: mardi gras

Random goings on and such

Things that have been happening lately:

  • I bought the boys’ first concert tickets tonight. We’re going to see some band all the kids are digging, twenty one pilots. I think that has to be all lowercase. Apparently a bunch of their friends are going. I mean, my first concert was Julian Lennon and a magician was the opening act. TOP THAT, BOYS.
  • A few days after the concert, I’m leaving for a big trip to New Zealand and Australia for work. I can’t believe it’s coming up so fast. My coworker Deborah and I will be speaking at various WordPress events to try to recruit more Happiness Engineers. A few days in Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne. So crazy!
  • Oh, and next weekend (I guess I should put this in chronological order but nah) I’m marching in a parade (Alla, if you’re going to be here.) I’ll be in pink, head to toe, with the Krewe de Pink (a breast cancer charity.)
  • And THEN the Wednesday after that (the 22nd) I’ll be riding in Nyx! Yay! I will be on float 41 in the second to last position on the main float on the driver’s side at the top. Something like that. Easy enough to remember, right?
  • Went to a parade last weekend. Drank too many margaritas. Tis the season!
  • Put shelves up in the boys’ closet. Which always, always makes me think of this.

God I love that movie.

 

Like Cinderella

This weekend, I went to a ball! Oooh, fancy. Well, I’m riding in a Mardi Gras parade this year for the first time (one of those things to check off the ol’ bucket list, if I were the type to use the phrase “bucket list”) and part of being in a krewe (no, that’s not a mispelling) is that there’s a fancy ball.

There are all sorts of rules like you have to wear a mask and you have to wear a floor length gown. FLOOR LENGTH GOWN? This was sounding expensive. Fortunately, my friend Lorie had a dress that I could borrow. I was skeptical, since Lorie is about 6″ shorter than me, but magically, it fit me perfectly!

Anyway, I had the dress. I ordered a mask off Amazon. Terry’s daughter was coming to braid my hair to put in an updo. My friend Jenn was lending me some jewelry. I joked that I felt like I was Cinderella and they were the little birds and mice coming to dress me.

In the end, I felt more like an glamorous screen siren than a princess, but whatever.

img_7951

We had a full on photo shoot while some of the residents of the assisted living facility looked on.

Soon, my chariot arrived (Jenn’s Jeep, that is) and I was off to the ball!

Now just some random pictures:

If some are blurry, it’s because there was an open bar.

Anyway, in true Cinderella fashion, I was home by midnight. Only because I’m at least twice her age, and I couldn’t hang that long. But at least my glass slippers (er, black flats) both made it home safely.

 

 

 

Happy Mardi Gras 2016!

As people here are fond of saying…

Everywhere else, it’s just Tuesday!

Just a random sampling of fun pics from the last few days…

And a bonus video of dancing boys:

I’m also calling this my 366in2016 entry for February 7 and 9th, since I include pics from those days.

February 6, 2016

We went to a parade on Saturday that takes place within walking distance. My friend’s son Liam marched in it, so of course we embarrassed him thoroughly by screaming his name as he walked by.

IMG_1127

February 5, 2016

I volunteered in Linus’s class for the school Mardi Gras parade yesterday. The theme for his class was French artists, and the cute was overwhelming. They all had artist’s smocks, floppy ties, mustaches, and berets, naturellement.

IMG_8736

Bonus pic of Millie:

IMG_8742

January 22, 23, 2016 (and other stuff)

IMG_8444
On the 22nd of January, Ziggy destroyed his dog bed. Sigh.

IMG_8463
On the 23rd of January, I went wig shopping at Fifi Mahony’s and wore it to a parade that evening. Heather also got a wig. I just realized I used all of my birthday money on hair. My mom gave me some that I used to get it chopped, and my in-laws gave me some that I used for this fabulous wig. Woot!

In other news (I haven’t really blogged much lately besides pics) my latest New Orleans Moms Blog post is up. I used an old picture of Oliver for this one.

mgprob_feat.jpg

Happy Mardi Gras!

Hard to imagine, everywhere else, it’s just Tuesday.

Mary Catherine and the Pussyfooters
Friends
Tired of parades
610 Stompers
Parade!
Dancing ladies
Linus helping with the king cake.
Sweet smile
Me and Anne
Hermes!
This lady drives us to school?!??
Lots of high school friends
Best birthday party ever!
Parade

Mardi Gras (so far)

Last night, I went to Muses with a bunch of friends (including a couple of kids, but not my own) and had so much fun! Muses is probably my favorite parade. And honestly, at this point, if I didn’t see any more parades, I’d be fine.

Their signature “throw” is a glittered shoe. Literally, a shoe they cover in glitter and jewels and other sparkly things. (So you can imagine how that might appeal to me.) I was lucky enough to get TWO last night! So fun. Yay!

We made signs.
Liam marched in this parade.
Wigs and Jello shots.
Elvis!
Lots of Elvi!
The best shoe of the night.
Shoes!
One of Heather’s shoes.
My spoils!

Monday morning things

I wanted to blog about a few things that don’t really merit a post of their own.

I baked a king cake!

I’ve been wanting to try this for a while, and finally got around to it this weekend. I used the recipe in this blog post. [Please ignore the line, “(Pronounced Nawlins in case you don’t want to sound like a fool)” because that is absolutely, 100% untrue. Please don’t ever say “Nawlins” in my presence.]

The only changes I’d make next time are:

1. Three strands instead of two. It was very puffy. Not necessarily a bad thing, but there was definitely a higher ratio of bread: filling than I’d prefer.

2. Get a real baby, not a LEGO minifigure that I sterilized. Though it made for a hilarious photo. I crack myself up.

You're going to put me WHERE?
You’re going to put me WHERE?

3. Get the colored sugar to sprinkle on top. I colored the icing instead, but sugar would be prettier sprinkled on top of the icing (not in lieu of.)

IMG_8616

I was really happy with how it came out, though. So yum! And P was really happy to get the “baby.”

Hair product recommendation

Saturday night, I went with some friends to a walking parade, Chewbacchus. I think you can imagine what the theme was. I looked all over the house for the Princess Leia wig I had at one point, but then I remembered that I have long dark brown hair. No wig needed, just a Pinterest tutorial!

Worked like a charm, and I was so enamored with the bun-making technique, that I went and bought a hair donut thingy yesterday from Ulta.

IMG_8655

Oliver’s writing

Oliver had his writing journal from English class in his backpack and HOLY COW it was a treasure trove of cute. I can’t wait to get my hands on Miles’s and Linus’s. My favorite entry was the one that said, “Today I will inoy my dad.”

Oliver, school, and Mardi Gras

Yesterday was a big day. It was Oliver’s class’s last day at the zoo as well as the school’s mascot unveiling and their Mardi Gras parade.

The kids (dressed as animals for the parade later that day) gave presentations about things they’d learned in the last four weeks at the zoo. Oliver discussed endangered animals and something else. Reptiles?

IMG_2511
Oliver pontificating on endangered animals.

After the presentations, we went to the zoo auditorium to watch the movie they make at the end of their 4 week session. Looks impressive up on the big screen, eh?

The drama!!!
It’s a French film, so obviously subtitled.

After the film, there was a potluck and then we headed to school for the big mascot unveiling and the parade.

The kids had voted for which mascot they wanted, and so there was much excitement in the air as they unveiled…

What’s in the box?
Let’s open it up!
It’s the…
Loup Garou!

So here’s the problem with the kids going to a French school. Now I’m going to have to say “Loup Garou” a bunch of times over the next eleven years. Maybe can we agree the non-French-speaking amongst us can just call him the Werewolf?

In any case, he was pretty awesome. Very Teen Wolf.

IMG_2555
The kids were really excited. Hey, has anyone seen Mr. Chip? Oh, just wondering.

Next up, the parade!

Ollie and his BFF
My favorite butterfly.
Linus’s class made superhero costumes.
Another view.
Super excited about the parade
Millie throws.
Only in New Orleans?
The parents also got way into it.

Some things.

Just booked George a ticket to the UK for this summer! Yeah, I’m going with him, but I used frequent flier miles for his ticket, and I’m just kind of keeping an eye on ticket prices for a few days before I book mine. There’s plenty of availability on all of the flights, but egads they’re pricey. I remember back in the olden days when a round trip ticket was under $800. I mean, yeah, it was more than a decade ago, but still.

We’re going to be spending half of our time in the Lake District in the outrageously picturesque village (is it a village? Or a town? I’m going to call it a village no matter what) of Keswick. I mean, come on…

The rest of the time will be spent in London. I cannot wait to go back. Just want to wander the streets and soak it all in. And find a bottle of Winter Pimm’s. I wonder if that will be impossible in June? Hmm.

Speaking of travel, I’m going to Las Vegas for a few days at the end of February for Kristina’s 40th. Woo hoo!

In other news…um, no other news, really. Here are some pictures I took with my phone yesterday.

Monkey
Monkey
Monkeys.
Pretty leaves
Bike training.
Me ‘n’ baby Jasper

Oh yeah, baby Jasper. I took some pictures of him for my friend Megan, even though I’m a little mad at him for being born two days late (is it too much to ask that he be born on my birthday? Ann Frances cooperated but nooooo he had to have is OWN birthday.) But he’s cute so I’ll forgive him.

I’m just going to post this one of him. Mardi Gras baby!

IMG_2300

Oh yeah, one more thing. Today, January 20 is not only marks seven years since the boys’ due date, but also 40 since mine. Random.