50th Wedding Anniversary

On June 30th my grandparents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. 

                       

I am so happy with how the platter came out ... Mama B cried ... so it was worth my hand throbbing awfully!

** Notice Papa B kicking back the Champagne!! .. my fav! **

I'd like to give a shout out to Posh Paint Pub!! I purchased the platter and paint, took it home, painted the platter on my time, brought it back and they fired it for me. It was awesome! They have so many wonderful things you can paint ... 

KAIT'S BIRTHDAY

Kaitlyn's Birthday Celebration ... Granny Smith Apple and all. 

Long story short ... someone threw this apple at Brad's rear and it was instantly turned into the centerpiece of the night! 

   

     

FOR GOOD

So its been 6 months since I started this blog ... I made many New Years resolutions in my first post and this is how they are going ....

1. SAVING MONEY

I have consistently saved $200 a month and sometimes more. Its funny ... because I am still doing everything I want to do (ok maybe not buying as many clothing items) but honestly I don't miss it. I also really enjoy watching that number grow. 

2.  WORKING OUT

Although during school I was doing awful about working out, I have made up for it this summer. My mom, sister, Kaitlyn (aka step-sister), and my cousin Lacey have all joined the gym with me, which makes it easier to go sometimes. I hope I can keep it up while I am in school ... because this was the 3rd week and I really see a difference in a lot of things. My jeans are looser, I sleep better, and I have way more energy during the day. I never thought working out (esp. at night) would give me so much energy the next day ... but I like it!! I am also completely obsessed with this gym ... West Jeff Fitness Center. Its like having a personal trainer ... without having someone breathing down your back constantly. Although Kait has pretty much become my personal trainer ... and sometimes I want to kill her because I feel like I am going to die if I go any longer ... but I must say I did 15 mins non-stop cross-country training on the elliptical on wed. and did not feel like I was going to die and that is something I would have never done before because I would have thought ... "No way I can do that." Well now I can do it because of Kait. She also pushed me to do this Kickboxing class which I am now also obsessed with and would have never ventured to do on my own. Our russian teacher Fabienne is amazing and its definitely a great way to get some anger and aggression out after 4 days of work.

3.  GETTING ORGANIZED

Since January my room has been coming along nicely. My dad and I have been kicking ass. Now I have entered a new stage ... the space is there ... but how do I fill it?? I have been shopping and finding tons of things I really like ... but I have a few problems. There are tons of stuff I packed away after Katrina and then even more from my apartment, and still more from putting things away when I left for Michigan so the room could be torn apart. So now its a matter of taking each box down, and deciding if it will continue into the "new room" or be thrown out. Well last weekend, I started. First, were the dolls my Maw Maw had given me. So I got them all out and put them where they belong. I know this is going to be a very slow process of going through everything but I know it will pay off in the end. 

4.  POLITICS

This one I don't really feel like talking about ... its so sensitive. All I will say is I do like the fact that I have been talking with various groups about Politics ... its a very hard subject for people and it shouldn't be taken lightly. I do enjoy seeing the different views. Its almost beautiful to watch someone talk about politics ... whenever someone speaks their mind about politics they are passionate about it and there is always a reason behind their beliefs. Usually something happened in their life that changed them in some way, and we must all see the beauty in that. Or be very very afraid! haha It could go both ways ... luckily I have only witnessed the brighter side. 

5.  TRYING NEW THINGS ... SEEING NOLA

New things that I have tried ... vegetarianism, kickboxing, oysters, blogging, ... I know there are more but I can't think of them right now. Seeing Nola ... I must say I have been non-stop since Kait got her ... but there is still so much I want to do and see! I have visited new places and ones I hadn't seen in awhile ... bridge lounge, baru, the zoo, St. Joseph's on Tulane. Much more to come this summer I hope! 

PS ... I would like to thank all my friends and family for helping me with my goals so far. You have all opened my eyes to things I have never seen or thought of before. And I will be mushy and quote a verse from a song "For Good" in my favorite play WICKED!

I've heard it said 

That people come into our lives for a reason 

Bringing something we must learn 

And we are led 

To those who help us most to grow 

If we let them 

And we help them in return 

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true 

But I know I'm who I am today 

Because I knew you... 

GARDEN

Some pictures from our lovely garden ... all thanks to Momma! She takes good care of her plants!

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

VEGGIE GARDEN

Today we planted our vegetable garden! We have eggplants, cherry tomatoes, creole tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions. I can't wait to eat our fresh veggies!

      

    

    

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 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! 

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!)

JESS'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ... UBER FUN!!!

Too bad I don't have more pictures ... which may be a good thing. 

Chappy: "do you feel like a piece of meat now? ... well at least your the filet mignon, not the ground meat"

Lacey's text message to me: "when you wake up ... in case you don't remember ... you had tons of fun"

THE CAPTAIN!!

EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES

REASONS I HAVEN'T BLOG ...

-  School ( 3 tests and a paper this week)

-  Work

-  Mama B in the hospital

-  My room or lack there of since I have been residing in the living room for almost 2 weeks!

-  My fender bender/ really mean guy!

-  Easter holiday

Is this acceptable Jess?? haha

REASONS I AM HAPPY RIGHT NOW!

-  I am done my 3 test and my paper

-  Its the weekend and Jess's bday celebration is tomorrow!!!

-  Mama B is home and feeling good!!!!!!!!!!!

-  The floors/ painting will be COMPLETELY DONE by tomorrow!

-  Although my little fender bender was total drama ... the insurance company said it will probably be 50/50 which means my policy will not increase and I will get a $215 check to do whatever I want with ... since my car is not damaged ... and the insurance company also found out that the mean guy was lying!! HAHAHA

-  My sister is back in town and she totally cheered me up!! Although sometimes I want to kill her ... I freakin love my sister so much!! We had such a fun day on wed. -- I got her from the airport, we met my mom for lunch at Fellini's and the weather was awesome!!! Then we died laughing at the doc office. After we stopped at Creole Creamery for some ice cream and sat on the bench outside eating our huge waffle cones and homemade ice cream! then we got new make-up and we went tanning ...  thurs we got our eyebrows waxed too! Thurs I also had a lovely outdoor lunch with Jess and Kells ... who I also missed!! 

THE BEST 21st BIRTHDAY EVER!!!

I had the best birthday weekend ever!!! It all started Friday when I got to work and my desk was all decorated!! Then lunch with a cake "shot." Dinner at Bourbon House with my cousins! Then the surprise party! I was so beyond surprised. I heard screaming and just thought it was some idiots yelling on a balcony ... just typical Bourbon. Then I saw Lacey looking up, so I looked up and realized that I knew all those people yelling! It was perfect!! Yall are amazing, I am so lucky to have such awesome friends and family! Saturday the family just hung out and we got sushi. Sunday we had party #2 at the house with friends and family ... made Maw Maw's gumbo and just hung out. I just wish I had more pictures ... so I will have to collect everyone else's ... that way I can remember this PERFECT BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!! Here are just a few. 

Special Thanks goes out to ... Mom, Dad, Ashley, Kelli, Jessica, Dante, Lacey, Leigh, Liz, and Meg!!!!!!  YALL ARE THE BEST!!! It was the best birthday present anyone could of given me! I hope everyone had at least 1/2 as much fun as I did!