Hello, visitors!

Since moving to New Orleans, we've made some awesome new friends that have made the transition here an easy one, but we miss our long-time pals and family from back home at the same time.  While we worried that moving here would make seeing everyone back in Indiana more difficult, we also hoped New Orleans and it's fabulousness would encourage people to pay us a visit.  I'm excited to say that since I offered up our spare bedroom HERE, we've already recruited several more visitors!  Aaand the offer still stands for all you friends and fam that are looking for a southern escape as the weather gets cooler :)

Anyway, we were lucky to have our first visitors come in August!  My mom and grandmother made the drive from Southern Indiana to check out the new digs.  And it just happened to be my birthday that weekend.  Happy birthday to me!  We didn't have time to do much of the touristy stuff we think visitors would enjoy- cemetery tours, beignets at Cafe du Monde, swamp tours, etc, etc.  (most of which I like to do, too!), but we were able to show them around a bit.

There was French Market shopping involved.  It resulted in my grandmother haggling down the price of a necklace she liked, then buying me a giant red Buddha for the mantle.  Success!

 
 

There were drinks had on the patio at The Columns Hotel in the Garden District.  Did I mention the weather was below 85 degrees?  Ummm- heaven.  New Orleans is not known for comfortable weather in August.

Crème brûlée and a Stella.  Obvious combo, no?

Then my super-wonderful hubby treated us to a fancy schmancy dinner at Emeril's New Orleans.  I almost died.  So. Good.  My taste buds will never be the same.

Then there was cake!  Will discreetly ordered a chocolate mousse cake with chocolate ganache from New Orleans Cake Cafe and Bakery.  I almost died again.  If we would've done a time-lapse video this weekend, we could probably actually see the pounds pack onto my body.  

The how-to of birthday-cake-eating.  No shame.

The next morning we started out with my grandmother trying to blend into this cute house a couple doors down from us.  A good morning, obviously.

My birthday was complete with pinned dollars.  A southern tradition.

No trip to New Orleans is complete without a walk to the quarter.  Then midday drinks, food, more food and drinks, and live music on Frenchmen.  Our weekend was packed, and so much fun!  Thanks for coming, you two... bring on the next guests!