Embracing Life

Our first full day in New Orleans began with Keith getting up super early for a run.  (I slept in.)   When he got back, we took advantage of the expanded continental breakfast that the hotel offered.  It was yummy, except for the waffle-making incident someone incurred. ;)  After I finished getting ready, we headed out to walk around the French Quarter. We found ourselves on the other side of Jackson Square for my first beignet in 10 years.  It was wonderful! I love the cafe au lait as well.  Even when you order one around Chicago, it just doesn't taste as good as when you have it at the Cafe du Monde. :)  After eating, we walked down to the French Market, this amazing flea market that has basically everything you could imagine.  For lunch, we ate at the French Market Cafe - Keith had an alligator po-boy, dressed, and I had a muffaletta.  Thank goodness I only ordered half - Keith had to finish it! It was huge!   ...

For fun and memories, I'm sharing a day-by-day recap of our anniversary trip to New Orleans. We arrived on November 3. Our flight left Chicago at 11:30 a.m., so our morning was a flurry of getting kids ready for school, last minute packing (for me and the kids), and driving to the airport. The flight was uneventful - I am glad we went with Midway since it's smaller. The hotel shuttle dropped us off at the amazing Dauphine Orleans hotel. Choosing a hotel was one of the hardest decisions I had to make about this trip. I wanted something in the French Quarter, close to everything we love, as well as steeped in history... and ghosts . Yup, that's me. :)  Now, sadly, we did not see a ghost, but we still had a great time! Our room. We stayed in one of the carriage house guest rooms. I loved the look and feel of the room. The view outside our door Another view from our doorway The door to our room After checking out the hotel (they serve iced tea and cook...

We just got back from an amazing 10 year anniversary present to ourselves: New Orleans! I'll be blogging about the trip soon, but wanted to share the present I got in NOLA. Every time we go, I buy a piece of jewelry from a place where everything is made by local artists. Here is my newest piece:

In honor of Fat Tuesday, and my love for everything New Orleans, I finally fixed my charm bracelet last night. The beads and charms were bought the first time I visited the Big Easy. Keith and I went back two years later for our honeymoon.   When re-doing the bracelet last night, I decided to only use my favorite memories for the charms - reminders of our special time together - visiting St. Louis Cathedral, a carriage ride around the French Quarter, a streetcar ride to the Garden District (and Lafayette Cemetery No. 2), and a mask reminiscent of Bourbon Street. I just wish there was a charm for Cafe du Monde! My love for New Orleans began with a book in 1994. Interview with the Vampire. I had seen the movie first, but it was the book I fell in love with. I truly felt at home there more than any other place I've traveled to. I'm so glad I have been able to share that love with the man I love.    Laissez les bons temps rouler!

I love love love New Orleans.  But of course, the closest I will get to NOLA this year are the beads I'm wearing today.  (Obtained the boring way, not the flash your ta-tas way!) Because today is Fat Tuesday,  I thought I'd share a few of the things that I love about New Orleans: Cafe du Monde's cafe au lait and beignets! YUM! Jackson Square Lafayette Cemetery #1 Watching the sun rise Street cars to the Garden District No visit would be complete without a visit to Anne Rice's former home If you really know me, you know that I may be a *tad* obsessed with vampires. I read many novels before Anne Rice came along, (Bram Stoker's Dracula, Carmilla, etc.) but Interview with the Vampire introduced me to New Orleans.