IT'S LOVE

I am falling madly in love with my room! I finally got my TV yesterday (I feel so cool now) ... its B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!! Its a 26 in LG and its got a nifty wall mount that allows me to see it from my couch and my bed! Now only if my cable wire wasn't accidently cut (dad) ... I could watch the Hornets game tonight! (which my parents are attending ... my dad is ecstatic)

 I also got my Pottery Barn Rug in today!! Let's just say Oscar is seriously in love! He played on the rug for hours while I studied today! Just see pictures below ... he was very excited about this addition. You can also see the wood floors that really came out awesome, my mom wants to redo the entire house with this satin finish! My dad looked at her like she was NUTS! Although there is still much to be done ... my room is really coming together! FINALLY, I am excited to spend time in my room! With school ending soon, I'll really have the time to add personal touches ... like pictures (which I really miss!! ... I haven't had a picture in my room since Katrina!)

He was getting in trouble for scratching the new rug. Which seems to be his new favorite thing.

BATHROOM

My sister and I have been wanting to redo our bathroom sooo badly. Well my dad was trying to put this off until next school year. Since Kaitlyn would not be here ... which I thought was a really bad idea because then I would be going through MORE construction during school. Well my dad had to redo some of the ceiling in the bathroom for the second floor and while he was doing this he stepped down and his foot went through the floor. I never thought I would say this (and will never say it again) but "GO TERMITES!!" They apparently ate up our sub-floor and now we have to get new flooring!!! SCORE!!! We also need to invest in some termite control ... which my dad keeps putting off until the house is done ... which could be in 10 years! But I am so excited about the bathroom!!

We want a piece just like this Pottery Barn one, my dad is in the process of pricing it out to see if it is smarter to buy the Pottery Barn edition or make our own!  Lets just hope this doesn't turn into a nightmare project! But this pieces with our footed tub ... I can't wait!!!!!!

MY LIST!

Its been another busy weekend trying to get my room finished! I made a lovely list of all the big things that have been done and that still need to be done. This should make me feel better! 

DONE LIST:

• Painting
• Mattress
• Flooring
• Ceiling Fan
• Desk Area
• Rug (ordered)
• Mattress Topper (ordered)
• Blind (ordered)

TO DO LIST:

• Refinish Dresser and Night Stands (started)
• TV
• DVD Player
• Shelving Unit
• Table
• Curtains
• Bed
• Bedding 
• Slipcover for Couch
• Vanity

Hopefully once school is over my Dad and I can get to building the Shelving Unit, Table, Vanity and Bed!! AHH thats a lot! Maybe it wasn't a good idea to make this list! 

FINALLY!! LACEY AND JEFF ARE ENGAGED!

I couldn't be more happy for them. I hope one day I can find someone that compliments me as well as these two compliment each other. I have been dying the past few weeks knowing this was coming. I am so excited that Jeff is going to be an official part of the family now! 

I know its kinda a silly picture ... but I love it! They're hotter than a hot pocket! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLI

I don't have any pictures from the other night ... but I still had to say Happy Birthday. (didn't want you to be left out) No quotes will be repeated ... but I must say I have never laughed so hard in my life. I am also obsessed with the Broken Egg now! 

ROOM REPORT CARD ... PLANTS

MY NEW PLANTS!!

One for my desk and one for my night stand (for now).

African Violet

Oscar is all worn out ... it was a busy day! He just wants a belly rub, his life is so hard.

ROOM REPORT CARD ... DESK

There is still work to be done ... but major improvements have been made!

We installed an under-counter light which I love, I can finally read my textbooks without an annoying glare. I have my new fabric up (it still needs a border though). I also found some fun color pencils today at Barnes and Nobles that got added. 

ROOM REPORT CARD ... CEILING FAN UPDATE

The fan is in, with my energy efficient bulbs!! I can finally see in my room at night ... its so awesome! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISSY!

Ashley turned 18 today! Unfortunely due to the obnoxious amount of homework/studying I had to do today I was unable to go hang out with her today at the French Quarter Fest. But we both owe each other a present for our birthdays this year ... so I am thinking we need a sister outting soon to celebrate our big milestones this year 21 and 18. I can't believe she is graduating this year and going to leave me. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when you leave ... I'll miss you so much! 

MY COUSIN PARKER ... THE CELEBRITY

Incase you missed him on America's Funniest Videos! You may need to know Parker to really understand how hilarious this video is. His mother takes an ungodly amount of pictures of the poor child. He is constantly posing, so the fact that he just wants her to take a pictures is so funny in itself ... and then immediately wants to see them. This really makes me miss him! Moments like this happen all the time with this little one, he is too cute and too funny! 

MAGAZINE FILE

I used pink felt to turn these banker box magazine files into lovely pink accents for my desk area. Most magazine files were too tall for my desk hutch self, so this was a great solution. Then I added some scrap fabric I had left over from covering my hutch cork board. Final pictures of my desk area are forthcoming! (end of this weekend I hope)

  - - notice oscar in the 2nd picture trying to eat the felt. he had a lot of fun annoying me with this project

ROOM REPORT CARD ... PRINTING STATION

This is my new and improved printing station. That is also home to my textbooks for this semester. Its a great extension to my desk, which is the project I am focusing on this week. Especially since finals are coming up and I want to have a nice and stimulating place to study! (that statement kinda makes me laugh ... ) It was originally built by my Popps as my entertainment center for my room to hold cds,dvds, etc... but it functions so much better this way. 

WEEKEND UPDATE!

So this Saturday was the semi-annual Crunk Fest that Lacey and her friends invented! hahaha It was a ton of fun! We started at Port of Call, made our way to the French Market, stopped at Margaritaville, saw all the artist next to Jackson Square (and a wedding!), then we journeyed to Pat O's and finally to the BBC. It was so much fun and so nice to just walk around the French Quarter. Especially the BBC, Justin danced his little heart out in the street for 2 hours ... he had a fan club on the BBC balcony. Everyone was so upset when he left ... they kept asking us where he was. We danced, we drank, we had heart-to-hearts, we ate, and we were still home by 11 to get a goodnight sleep!! I wish I had pictures ... Lacey and I both forgot our cameras! It was definitely a successful Crunk Fest ... it was official when Jeff was drunk off 3 sips of his mansoon! haha

Then today the family got to see a Hornet's game. We got 4 tickets to the club level and a parking pass ... high class I know!! It was a lot of fun just to hang out with the family. There was also a baby crawling contest for a $500 gift card to dillards ... it was SOOO CUTE!!! The hornets won, so that made it perfect! I had my camera for this one. (Notice the reflection of the court in the disco ball!)

ROOM REPORT CARD ... RUG VOTE

I really want a rug ... and I can not stop thinking about this one since I saw it in Pottery Barn's magazine maybe a month ago. Which color though? I am trying to decide on my definite color scheme for my room. I am kinda leaning toward the expresso because lately I have been really liking blue, brown and gray. So I am thinking that may be my color palette, with hints of pink for splash. But I really love the yellow rug! AHH!!! But that may be too many colors. Idk ... tell me what you think!! 

PLUS ... I need to find a really awesome fabric store and soon. I want to start sewing together my room! haha 

This is what I am thinking ... 

I had picked out my blue awhile ago and always thought hot pink small accents would look awesome with it. Well then on AT one day I saw this ... 

I love it ... if that blue is not the same exact color of my walls, with the hot pink accents I had been dreaming about for over a year now. The gray is perfection ... I love that it's a heathered grey with flacks of brown.

So ... duvet cover - gray! I picture (and doubt I will ever find) but I have seen fabric that has branches with little buds on them ... Urban Outfitters has these but it has little red buds. 

If I could find something similar but with pink buds ... I think that would be awesome! I would really like to find something that was more subtle, but I love the branches with little buds. My little pink flair! (Jess) Then I think the brown rug ... which I can not wait to do yoga on. My furniture is going to be either painted white/creamy or wood stained an expresso black/brown. 

So please tell me what you think!!! I love/need feedback!!!

pictures via : potterybarn.com, apartmenttherapy.com, urbanoutfitters.com

ROOM REPORT CARD ... OSCAR

So this past weekend the floors and painting were completed!! So I finally got to move back into my room ... yayy!! Then on Wednesday we got our new mattresses ... big yayy!! After 21 years, I finally have a bigger bed! hahaha No more knocking Oscar out of the bed! Well when I went to brush my teeth and wash my face before jumping into my new bed ... Oscar was busy picking out his spot on our new bed. I have no idea how he did this, but it was soooo cute!! He is so funny ... while we were moving me out of my room a few weekends ago, my dad and I were taking all my clothes out because there was going to be an obnoxious amount of dust. Well as we are moving all of this, I see Oscar run in my room, get a toy and run in my mom's room. Then he does it again, and again ... he was picking up his toys and helping us move! hahaha 

FRENCH QUARTER FESTIVAL 2008

25th ANNIVERSARY

APRIL 11 - 13th

I am so excited, I love French Quarter Festival! Check out all the awesome food!!! Tons of music, alcohol, and more food than you can handle ... a perfect New Orleans Affair!! Among the events there is an oyster eating contest, battle of the bands, and they are giving away a vespa!!! 

FOOD/ DRINK MENU

Old U.S. Mint

Abita Beer

Abita Light $4

Abita Restoration Pale Ale $4

Abita Amber $4

Abita Jockamo India Pale Ale $4

Bach Dang Café

Shrimp & Pork Spring Rolls w/ Peanut Sauce 1 for $3 or 2 for $5

Grilled Salmon w/ Jasmine Rice & Salad $8

Grilled Chicken w/ Lemon Grass $6

Mixed Green Salad $3

Crawfish Egg Roll 1 for $3

Vendor since: 2007

Cookin’ Cajun Cafe

Cajun Roast Beef Po-Boy $5

Smoked Alligator Sausage on a Stick w/ Bone Suckin’ Sauce $4

Jazzy Shrimp & Chicken Pasta $5

Eat New Orleans

Roasted Pork & Cole Slaw Po-Boy $5

Shrimp & Grits $5

Italian Olive Pasta Salad $4

Coconut Buttermilk Pie $3

Vendor since: 2007

Fetzer Wine

Chardonnay, White Zinfandel or Merlot $5

Jazz Tacos

Tacos Hondurenas (Chicken, Pork or Beef) $4

Gorditas (Chicken, Pork or Beef) $4

Tamales (Chicken, Pork or Beef) $4

Pupusas $5

Juan's Flying Burrito

Louisiana Crawfish Quesadilla $5

Vendor since: 2005

Koz's Restaurant

Creole Jambalaya $5

Crawfish Etouffee $5

Turtle Cheesecake $5

Vendor since: 2008

Montrel's Bistro

Seafood, Chicken & Sausage File Gumbo $5

Red Beans & Rice $5

Bread Pudding w/ Praline Sauce $4

Pat O'Brien's Bar

Hurricane $7

Category 5 $6

Bloody Mary $5

Vendor since: 1984

Southern Comfort

SoCo Mango Mama Freeze $4

SoCo Lime Freeze $4

Kohlmeyer Lawn

Abita Beer

Abita Amber $4

Abita Light $4

Abita Jockamo India Pale Ale $4

American Culinary Federation

Smoked Turkey Leg $6

Sweet Potato Praline Tartlet 2 for $5

Corky’s BBQ

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich $5

Grilled Hamburger $5

Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich $5

Vendor since: 2002

Fetzer Wine

Chardonnay, White Zinfandel or Merlot $5

Juan's Flying Burrito

Cheese Quesadilla $3

Chicken Quesadilla $4

Vendor since: 2005

Ralph & Kacoo's

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya $5

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce $5

Vendor since: 1993

Southern Comfort

SoCo Lime Freeze $4

SoCo Mango Mama Punch on the Rocks $4

SoCo Mango Mama Freeze $4

The Dough Bowl

Spicy Andouille Po-Boy w/ Caramelized Red Onions $5

Chaurice Sausage on French Bread w/ Pickled Okra & Tomato $5

Beef Sausage on French Bread w/ Peppers $5

Berger Great Lawn

Abita Beer

Abita Amber $4

Abita Light $4

Abita Restoration Pale Ale $4

Abita Jockamo India Pale Ale $4

Audubon Nature Institute

Crawfish Bread $5

Vendor since: 2000

Barreca’s Restaurant

Crawfish Etouffee $5

Chicken Andouille Jambalaya $5

Crawfish Remoulade Salad $5

Alligator Sausage Po-Boy with Creole Sauce $5

Vendor since: 1990

Bennachin

Jamaican Chicken with Rice & Veggies $6

Caribbean Fish with Rice & Veggies $6

Beef Pattie $4

Sweet Potato Pie $3

Vendor since: 2005

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company

Fried Seafood Bites $5

Shrimp Skewer $5

Combo (1/2 order of each) $7

Vendor since: 2002

Fetzer Wine

Chardonnay, White Zinfandel or Merlot $5

Gumbo Shop

Red Beans & Rice $5

Chicken Andouille Gumbo $5

Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Chips $5

Vendor since: 1984

Hard Rock Café

Hamburger with Chips $5

Hot Dog w/ Creole Chile and Chips $5

Vendor since: 1999

Häagen-Dazs

Ice Cream Small $4/ Large $5

Vendor since: 1992

New Orleans Original Daiquiris

Jungle Juice Small $5.75/Large $10

Pina Colada Small $5.75/Large $10

Vendor since: 1984

Ninja Restaurant

Chicken Teriyaki on a Stick $4

Chicken Teriyaki on Rice $5

Shrimp Fried Noodles $5

Combination (Shrimp Fried Noodles, Chicken Teriyaki & Rice) $7

Vendor since: 2005

Pat O'Brien's Bar

Hurricane $7

Category 5 $6

Bloody Mary $5

Vendor since: 1984

Serranos Salsa Company

Chicken Taco $5

Fish Taco $5

Beef Taco $5

Vendor since: 2003

Southern Comfort

SoCo Mango Mama Punch on the Rocks $4

Ted's Frostop/Mrs. Wheat's Pies

Cajun Meat Pies $4 each or two for $7

Crawfish Pies $4 each or two for $7

Vendor since: 1986

The Clock Bar at the Chateau Sonesta Hotel

Cajun Pulled Pork Wrap with Salsa & Cole Slaw $5

Oreo Cookie Bread Pudding $4

Vendor since: 1999

The Praline Connection

Grilled Chicken Livers with Sweet Hot Pepper Jelly Sauce $5

Mustard Greens & Rice $5

Combo Meal (Greens w/ Livers or Wings) $6

Cheesecake with Praline Sauce $4

Pralines $2

Vendor since: 1994

Harrah’s Foundation Stage

Jackson Square

Abita Beer

Abita Amber $4

Abita Light $4

Abita Restoration Pale Ale $4

Abita Jockamo India Pale Ale $4

Antoine’s

Oysters Bonne Femme $5

Crawfish Bisque $5

Vendor since: 2007

Begue’s at the Royal Sonesta Hotel

French Quarter Pasta $5

Chocolate Cake w/ Raspberry Sauce $4

Vendor since: 1984

Ben & Jerry's

Ice Cream $4

Vendor since: 2006

Bywater Bar-B-Que

Oyster & Artichoke Florentine $4

Cajun Chicken & Tasso Over Rice $5

BBQ Ribs $5

BBQ Hamburger $5

Vendor since: 2006

Café Giovanni

Spicy Crabmeat Caprese Salad $5

Seafood Martini $5

Caprese Salad $4

Crepes a la Cart

Strawberry Crepe $5

Hazelnut Chocolate Crepe $5

Strawberry & Hazelnut Chocolate Crepe $6

Vendor since: 2007

Desire Oyster Bar

Cajun Jambalaya w/ Creole Sauce $5

New Orleans Bread Pudding w/ Whiskey Sauce $4

Vendor since: 1984

Fetzer Wine

Chardonnay, White Zinfandel or Merlot $5

Jacques-Imo's Cafe

Slow Roasted Duck Po-Boy $5

Boudin w/ Creole Mustard Sauce $5

Shrimp Etouffee $5

Creole Seafood Pasta $5

Vendor since: 2007

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

"INCOMMUNICADO" Tropical Long Island Iced Tea $5

"MOJITO" Cuban Rum Drink $5

"WHO'S TO BLAME" Margarita $5

Vendor since: 1997

Muriel's Jackson Square

Louisiana Crawfish & Goat Cheese Crepes $5

Shrimp & Eggplant Stuffing $5

Combo Plate $8

Vendor since: 2002

New Orleans Original Daiquiris

Jungle Juice Small $5.75/Large $10

Pina Colada Small $5.75/Large $10

Vendor since: 1984

Pat O'Brien's Bar

Hurricane $7

Bloody Mary $5

Screwdriver $4

Vendor since: 1984

Ristorante Carmelo & Pizza

Cheese Pizza $3 Pepperoni Pizza $3.50

Crabmeat Ravioli Aurora $5

Italian Sausage & Peppers Sandwich $5

Calzone $5

Vendor since: 1984

Saltwater Grill & Oyster Bar

Blackened Soft Shell Crab Po-Boy $7

Crawfish & Spinach Bread Bowl $6

Alligator Burger $5

Vendor since: 2005

Southern Comfort

SoCo Mango Mama Freeze $4

SoCo Mango Mama Punch on the Rocks $4

SoCo Lime Freeze $4

Ted's Frostop/Mrs. Wheat's Pies

Cajun Meat Pies $4 each or two for $7

Crawfish Pies $4 each or two for $7

Vendor since: 1986

The Alibi

Barbeque Shrimp Po-Boy $6

Barbeque Shrimp Pasta $6

Vendor since: 1997

The Alpine Restaurant

Blackened Catfish Sandwich $5

Vendor since: 1993

The Bombay Club

Beef Brisket Sandwich $5

Creole Chicken Streudel $5

Vendor since: 2002

Trey Yuen Cuisine of China

Crawfish with Lobster Sauce $6

Shrimp Fried Rice $5

Egg Rolls (2 per order) $4

Combo (One of each) $8

Vendor since: 1984

Tujague's

Shrimp & Crabmeat Stuffed Merliton with Creole Sauce $5

Brisket of Beef with Horseradish Sauce $4

Vendor since: 1984

Vaucresson Sausage Company

Creole Hot Sausage Po-Boy $6

Creole Crawfish Sausage Po-Boy $6

Vendor since: 1984

Vega Tapas Café

Creole Tomato Gazpacho $4

Gulf Shrimp Ceviche $5

Crawfish & Manchego Tortilla $5

FRIDAY'S EVENTS

SATURDAY'S EVENTS

SUNDAY'S EVENTS

For more information visit: nola.com and fqfi.org