31 Days: Day 29

The house is decorated, the candy dish is full, and Hocus Pocus is in the DVD player.  The only thing needed to complete the Halloween season is a couple of pugs in costume.  Don't they look fancy?  You may recognize these costumes from previous years (if you've been reading or following me on Facebook that long).  We're going vintage this year.  Plus mermaids are pretty big here, so Jackie's feeling extra beautiful.

31 Days: Day 28

Does it get any more Halloween-ish than Hocus Pocus?  I think not. 

31 Days: Day 27

Three full evenings of prepping for a Skills Fair at work, then a 13 hour day spent working the Skills Fair = lots of late posts and a  glass  bottle of wine.

Also, our back patio has been looking much more welcoming these days.  And it's feeling more welcoming, as the high temperatures have been 72-78 degrees the past couple of weeks.  Have I drilled in the fact that I love the weather right now?  I do.  We've added an outdoor rug to the mix as well, but I was too tired to peel myself up for another picture.  Laziness it is, folks.

31 Days: Day 26

Did anyone guess who we were for Halloween?!  If you follow me on Instagram, you already know.  Introducing, the Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter!

Here's where we got the gear:

• Party City: wigs, plastic top hat, tights, makeup, and eyelashes
• Hancock Fabric: pink and purple fur (40% off, mind you), scrap upholstery fabric and scrap chiffon for the hat, and scrap lace for Will's ruffled sleeves
• Goodwill: pink jogging skirt, black velour blazer, vest, dress pants, and floral scarf

I used pink felt, the pink fur I bought, and an old headband to hot glue some ears together.  I didn't get a shot of the head-to-toe costume (or the back), but I also used the fur and some hand-stitching to make a pink and purple striped tail, and added some pink trim to my boots.

For Will's hat, I hot-glued the upholstery fabric to a basic plastic-y top hat, then added the chiffon as a ribbon.  

Voila!

The get-ups turned out even better than expected, especially Will's!  His face looks a bit whiter with the flash than it was in person, but you get the gist.  With all the pictures people asked for while we were on Frenchmen Street, it's likely he's floating around all over Facebook and Instagram now.

31 Days: Day 25

Just another apartment in the city.  I'm forever in love with the old architecture.

31 Days: Day 24

We've been anticipating the opening of the Saenger Theater for quite a while.  It was built in 1927, then destroyed during Katrina in 2005.  The city has been working to restore it for years, and the doors finally opened in September.  Not only were we excited to see the interior, but we were lucky enough to score pre-sale tickets from some friends to the Book of Mormon as well (which we'd been dying to see).  After appetizers and drinks at French 75, we enjoyed time with friends and the fantastic show, then a nightcap at Batch Bar.  Here's a shot of the beautifully restored theater entrance.  

31 Days: Day 23

It's about the best feeling in the world to have the windows wide open at the end of October.  I live for 70-75 degree weather.  Truly.  The pets feel the same way.  Here's Olive, plotting her escape to the wilderness of New Orleans.  One passing of a mule-drawn carriage and she'd shoot safely back into the house.

31 Days: Day 22

As I've said before, Halloween is huge here.  For that reason (and because I'll take any opportunity to dress up) we've been working on our costumes the last few days.  I always prefer to make my costume rather than buy a set that's already put together, but sometimes finding all the pieces can be a challenge.  We got pretty lucky this year.  A quick stop at Goodwill in Mid City gave us most of Will's attire, and pieces of mine.  All we needed was a trip to Party City and JoAnn Fabrics to finish it off.  This is part of the stash.  Can you guess what we're going as?!

31 Days: Day 21

After nearly every weekend here, it's hard to get back to reality on Monday.  We tried so many great new restaurants/bars when the 'rents were in town, but we'll always have our "usuals" to come back to.  R Bar is one of those places.  It's a block from our rental and the dogs are welcome, so it just feels like an extension of our front yard.  It's one of those places I'd feel totally comfortable walking to after work in dress pants and a blazer, or on a random day in my pjs.  Those of you that follow me on Instagram have probably seen pictures of the pugs getting cozy at the bar.

P.S.  Have you noticed my recent obsession with nighttime photos?  I just love the way it all looks in the dark!

31 Days: Day 20

The last day of my parents' visit, after breakfast at Who Dat Cafe (yea, we love it), we took a cemetery tour at Cemetery #1 near the Quarter.  We hadn't done any of the touristy deals like this since moving here, but thought we'd give it a shot since my parents were in town.  I can't say it was the most useful two hours of my life (mostly because our tour guide thought of himself as more of a comedian than a guide), but we learned some interesting tidbits and explored an area we hadn't before.  Plus the weather was ah-mazing.

On our walk back, we happened upon the Treme Fest second line just as it was about to start, then afterward met friends at the Rum House uptown.  Following lunch, we did a little couch-sitting for Sunday football... then did more face-stuffing at Mona Lisa that night.  We don't hold back.

31 Days: Day 19

Day 2 of my parents' stay was eventful and relaxing at the same time.  We started with brunch at Buffa's in the Marigny, then we walked around the Bywater for a good bit, exploring thrift shops and boutiques.  Dinner was at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, followed by a stroll along the river and visit to Jackson Square.  Obviously, we couldn't pass Cafe du Monde without chicory and beignets.

Notice we're all wearing jeans?  And my mom's wearing a jacket?  That's right, fall has introduced itself to New Orleans!

31 Days: Day 18

My parents came in town this weekend for the first time (although my mom came in August with my grandmother also).  My dad had only been here 48 hours in the heat of July many years ago, so he was pleasantly surprised by the city and all it has to offer.

We spent their first evening in town trying new restaurants and visiting friends.  After dinner and oysters, we met our friends at a housewarming party, my parents got to spend some time at their rooftop pool (with drinks, not swimming), and we wrapped up the night at R Bar near our house.  My Dad and our friend, Rob, got in a round of pool.  I was (somehow) steady-handed enough to catch a slow shutter-speed shot of the action.

31 Days: Day 17

Now that New Orleans is giving us sub-80-degree weather, I can't stop spending time outside.  I've decided the heat of June through September is totally worth it.

We spent this evening with a drink and simple sandwich on the porch, watching the kids across the street attempt to master some skateboard tricks.  Entertainment at its finest.  My go-to sandwich these days: cucumber, tomato, and avocado mashed with feta cheese.  Yum.  And the Riesling is courtesy of our pals, Rob & Angie, leftover from the biweekly friends' dinner the night before.  Not a bad Thursday.

31 Days: Day 16

We took a break from our biweekly dinners for a while when things got super busy, but now they're back in full force!  This night involved Greek lasagna (recipe here), pan-roasted Brussels Sprouts, and pumpkin ice cream for dessert... plus great friends and wine as usual!  It's nice to get back into the swing of things again.

31 Days: Day 15

I mentioned yesterday that I love New Orleans at night, and I talked about how different everything feels.  Remember the picture from day 5?  Bourbon Street at it's finest.  Check it out at 5 AM on a weekday.  Peace.

31 Days: Day 14

On my way to the gym in the morning (this is going to make it sound like I actually go to the gym every morning) I always love how different everything looks.  The quarter is so quiet and peaceful, it's tempting to meander around with a cup of coffee in the dark, rather than sweat my butt off.  I'm especially fond of the Halloween decor.  I mentioned before that tons of other houses in the Quarter and Marigny were decked out before ours.  Halloween is serious business around here.

31 Days: Day 13

We wrapped up our weekend with a visit to Seafood Fest in City Park.  There were drinks and endless food vendors with every seafood dish imaginable.  I could have spent all day (and 3000 calories) hopping from booth to booth.  Between the 4 of us there were black bean tacos, shrimp and artichoke pasta salad, Kung Fu Tuna, and Nutella crepes devoured.  

Being Sunday though (Saints day for New Orleanians), the game was displayed under the shade of one of the Oaks.  No New Orleans festival is silly enough not to offer some football watching on Sunday.  

31 Days: Day 12

Breakfast is our favorite meal of the day here.  The food is awesome, but I loooove me some New Orleans breakfast.  Grits are my soulmate.  I could eat them for every meal for the rest of my life.  I'd had them several times before we moved here, but I now realize I never had real grits.  Instant grits are crap.  "No self-respectin' southerner eats instant grits" (any My Cousin Vinny fans out there?).

Apart from the grits, the corn cakes at Who Dat Cafe are second on my list of food-infatuations.  They have a Huevos Rancheros special that involves jalapeño corn cakes, black bean salsa, eggs, and sour cream, and it pretty much makes my life complete.  Naturally, we had to share the love with our friends during their visit.  And the weather is perfect right now for breakfast outside in the shade.

31 Days: Day 11

With our best pals in town, we pretty much haven't stopped going.  We're having such a great time showing them around, trying new restaurants/bars, and just catching up, I haven't taken my camera out once.  Therefore, my photo of the day is this fabulous grainy, dark iPhone shot.

It's still great enough to share though, because this happens to be Pirate Pizza.  Like, the whole thing is right here in this picture.  If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me mention them a couple of weeks ago at a Bywater art fair.  These guys have their whole mobile "restaurant", if you will, built onto a bike.  They occasionally show up at events in New Orleans to serve their awesome pizzas.  We never really know where they'll be when, but when we see them, it's kind of like Christmas morning in the form of a bicycling pizza oven.

31 Days: Day 10

My succulent obsession is going strong.  I've been stalking Harold's Plants in the Bywater ever since my neighbor filled me in about their low prices.  We've had a couple casualties in the past month or so though... apparently I'm better at keeping pugs alive than plants.

A little less brown, please...

When we moved here a few months ago, I mentioned the idea of changing the color of these two rattan chairs.  After eyeballing this set-up for a while though, I realized I was more aggravated by the color of the tile-top table in the middle than by the chairs.

31 Days: Day 9

We added the finishing touches to the front porch for Halloween.  I have the sudden urge to watch Hocus Pocus.

31 Days: Day 8

Continuing my obsession with beautiful fall weather, we enjoyed tapas and drinks on the back patio this evening.  I've been dying to use this space, but it literally felt like an oven in the August and September heat.  You may notice the lime green citronella candle.  Melted.  To the table.  That's what a day of early-September New Orleans heat will do to you.

Tonight we had crostini with olive relish and a side of dirty martini.  Yep.  It's martini season again, everyone.  Hallelujah.

31 Days: Day 7

We officially have a below-80-degree day in the books, folks.  I'm sure it's the way everyone up north was a few weeks ago when you all felt the first tinges of fall.  It made me feel like skipping work and lying in the sun with a cup of coffee all day.  I didn't.  But I wanted to.

Instead, I busted out the Halloween decor.  All the apartments and cottages in the quarter had their holiday decor up 2 weeks ago, so I'm a little behind.  Halloween is a big deal here, apparently.  Sort of second in line to Mardi Gras as far as decor and costumes go.  I'm looking forward to not being the only person over the age of 12 in costume this year.  And you know Jackie's pumped to dress like a mermaid again.

Here's our simple set-up, pugs and all.

Returning for Babies

Warning... this post may induce Baby Fever!

We realized when we moved that missing big events would be the most difficult part of leaving Indianapolis.  When I say "big events" I mean weddings, friends' baby/bridal showers, and the arrival of new babies, mostly.  Our long-time pals, Matt & Josie, welcomed their first baby boy into the world a couple of weeks ago, and we couldn't take it any longer.  We had to get back to Indiana to love on the new addition (and his parents!).  Seeing our friends with a new, larger family (pup included) was the best, and Baby Lucas could not have been any sweeter.  Hello sleepy, soft, fresh-smelling bundle of love :)  Will was actually a little perplexed at the pleasantness of new baby smell.

Fortunately, the weekend we were able to make the trek just so happened to be right after our great friends (and past neighbors), Shawn & Brandi, celebrated their little girl's first birthday!  It was a relief to catch up with them (after the minor scene Brandi & I created at Dufour upon meeting up for the first time in months) and see how much Ava has changed since June.  She also happens to be the happiest little creature to walk crawl the earth, so she was full of laughs, and love, and just overall cuteness the whole time.

So for the Bowers fam, Severns fam, and anyone else needing a good solid baby session, here are a few of my favorites (naturally, I blew up my camera trying to capture everything over the weekend).

31 Days: Day 6

I half-expected the stifling heat of New Orleans to go on forever, but it's finally beginning to break.  The pugs and I took advantage of the 80-degree weather and spent a great deal of time on the front porch.  There was good travel-reading, a continuous soft breeze, and the smell of basil from the yard.  Kirb evidently caught wind of it as well.  I had to stop him from peeing on it once or twice (marvelous creatures, pugs).  As I've mentioned before, my basil grows like a weed here.  I'm getting 2 cups of pesto every other week.  And devouring all of it.  

Allowing myself the time to relax and read some great pieces, I was able to enjoy this article in the New York Times Style Magazine ("T") about New Orleans (first brought to my attention by my grandmother's voicemail this morning).  It's a great discussion about the culture and life here.  Sara Ruffin Costello is able to find the words to describe the uniqueness of this city in a way I'm usually unable to.  And she references the Bywater a lot- one of our favorite neighborhoods!  I highly suggest reading it for anyone who lives here, wants to visit, or is just bored enough to do so. 

31 Days: Day 5

We technically didn't get home until after midnight last night... as a result of a fun evening out and an equally time-consuming experience with a boot on our car.  Add this to the list of reasons why we prefer to travel on foot or bicycle.  So this post is coming a bit late.

We normally avoid this street like the plague, but we attended a dinner function for Will's work at a lovely French restaurant that has an unfortunate position on Bourbon Street.  Galatoire's has been operating at it's current location since 1905, so it's hard to blame them for the chaos that has surrounded it over the years.  I'm still dreaming of the banana bread pudding I enjoyed there last night, by the way.  Ah...

Anyway, this is a shot right outside the doors of the restaurant on Bourbon.  This street, unfortunately, is the sole destination for some tourists and what many people picture when they think of New Orleans.  It's the furthest from anything this city is actually about, made up primarily of drunk tourists with obnoxious souvenir alcohol vessels and loud top 40 music.  Nevertheless, it's an easy place to go occasionally and pretend you're 18 again on spring break.  It's also a fabulous place for people-watching.  If I can bear the experience some evening, I think I could create an enlightening and highly entertaining portfolio of photos on this street.  I may have to have a bottle of wine first.

31 Days: Day 4

We found someone who was still enjoying the effects of the afternoon showers.

31 Days: Day 3

The longer I live here, the less I notice all the charming details of this city.  Shutters and chipped paint.  Love.

31 Days: Day 2

Every evening on my way home, I pick up Will from work, drop our stuff at home, and take the pug-beasts for a w-a-l-k.  Tonight was no different.  They're behaving because they know dinner will be served when we return home.

31 Days: Day 1

Meeting our friends' sweet 18-day-old baby boy for the first time.