E is for Earrings!

There is nothing in this world like a good pair of hoop earrings! I love me some hoops. The bigger the better (but not THAT big....don't wanna be THAT girl). I got beer from my dad, coffee from my PaPaw, NKOTB from my sister, and hoop earrings from my mom. Like me...she loves a pair of hoops.

There are many reasons that I love hoops. They go with pretty much everything and when is the last time you heard of hoops going out of style? NEVER! I also love the convenience of just throwing in some earrings and feeling completely accessorized.

D is for Donnie Wahlberg!

Ok....I know that this entry seems a little bit juvenile, but I am a firm believer that as adults, we all need an outlet. We all need something to help us escape from the world's harsh realities.  Mine just happens to be boy bands. Like many women from my generation, I was a New Kids fan. I still remember the first time I found out about them. My older sister Kellie and her friend were listening to the Hanging Tough album in her room. In traditional little sister fashion...I crashed the party. They told me I had to pick a favorite (because you know that everyone had to have their designated favorite). My sister had already claimed Joe and I'm not sure who her friend had picked...but my boy was going to be Donnie Wahlberg. Now that I'm grown....I've come to realize that he was a great pick for me. He's edgy, the bad boy, easy on the eyes, and looks great with his shirt off.

I will even admit, that although I am now a grown woman, I still get excited when I see him. Last year when they came to Lafayette, a little piece of my girlhood dream came true. Kellie and I were on the 6th row and Donnie himself was pretty much in front of us throughout the entire performance. And although I knew that this could embarrass my sister and possibly myself, but I had always said if we got close to the stage that I would make a sign. I did and it read "Donnie, I've waited a long time to say this. You're finally single, I'm finally legal, Let's do the damn thing". Mr. Wahlberg not only saw the sign, but pointed to it, winked, and gave me a pelvic thrust. Now, I realize that's just part of the show for him...but in my girlhood mind, the sign made him just as happy as it did me.

And if they tour again...I have to raise the bar and think of another sign......

C is for Coffee!

Before I get started...I do realize that people say all the time that they love something more than anyone in the world all the time. And while I'm sure that there are some people out there that love coffee more than me...I've got to be close to the top of the list of people who love it the most. And I'm a REAL coffee drinker. While I do enjoy the occasional latte, there is nothing better than me than a hot cup of black coffee. No cream...no sugar....no fancy flavors. Just good old fashioned black coffee. I've been a coffee drinker for an extreme portion of my life too. I started drinking it around the age of 4 or so. My PaPaw loved a good cup of coffee and in the mornings when I'd go to his house before school....he'd make me a cup to help me get my day started. As an adult. I'm very happy to say that I'm glad that many of my memories with my PaPaw began and ended with a cup of coffee!

B is for Beer!

Ok...I know that headline might sound bad. But I mean that I love beer in the best way possible. I don't just sit around and booze it up...but there is nothing better than an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. And I must say that I came buy it honestly....I get if from my dad. He's a beer guy too. My first trip to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis was when I was 4. It turned out to be a bit disastrous when my older sister, Kellie, told me that the escalator would swallow me whole if I didn't step off in time. To make a long story short.....I freaked out....held up the tour...and had to be carried. And now that I'm older, I'm willing to make the assumption that the people behind me in the line were not happy that their free beer at the end of the tour was being held up due to a kid scared of moving stairs.

ABCs of Me! A is for Australia!

I love to write. It's something I have always had a passion for. However, as much as I love to write....sometimes I am absent from my blog because I'm just not sure what to write about. Sure...there are always things on my mind....but I don't always want to share them with people and I know people are always interested.

However, I have been wanting to write more and make it a daily thing for me....it's fun....it's therapeutic...and it's a great way to share my story. So in an effort to write more I set out on a Google search to find blogging ideas. And after searching long and hard...I finally landed upon an idea that I liked. The ABCs of me. For the next 26 days I will take a trip through the alphabet and showcase something about me to correlate with each and every letter of the alphabet.

And since I'm going in order, my first entry is about the one place in this world I am dying to visit. AUSTRALIA! I am completely fascinated by this country. I have always been intrigued about it, the people, the culture, and the sights that there are to see. I think that koalas are the cutest things in the world and I am drawn in by the way the Aborigones maintain their sacred culture and still live side by side with the modern Australian world. Although I haven't made it there yet....I will one day.

Music Mondays! Can you feel it?

An oldie....but a goodie!

Jennifer's Final Fling......

One of my very best friends, partners in crime, and keeper of my wildest, deepest, and darkest secrets is getting married. I couldn't be happier for her and Chad. One thing I have learned from my experiences in coming of age is that a group of girl friends take the news of a friend getting hitched far better than a group of guy friends. We don't see it as the end of the world...we see it is a happy time and a reason to celebrate. It's an opportunity to wear fancy clothes, get your nails done, and celebrate......but girls like a good party too.

This past weekend I hosted Jennifer's bachelorette party in the Big Easy. Jennifer and I have a rich history in NOLA. Throughout our friendship which has spanned over a decade, we have engaged in many New Orleans adventures. They include hand grenades, karaoke, shots, watching the sun come up, and moments that would make our mother's cry. So...I thought it was only fitting that I honor our friendship with one last NOLA night.

We started out bright and early with a dozen Meche's donuts and a SUV full of eager girls. We got there and started the day off right...day drinking. Hand grenades at the Tropical Isle....it was grand. And for those of you familiar with this New Orleans staple...they now come in regular and skinny.

Before our adventure began we found out that not only is Channig Tatum is opening a bar on Bourbon Street...but the very fine Mark Wahlberg is in the city filming a movie...this is what I consider to be the backdrop for the most epic weekend ever. Although Mark and Channing were not fortunate to find out what it's like to party with us....we had a great time imagining what it would have been like....I like to think they would be please! *Mark is my second favorite Wahlberg. However, I think he would have been the perfect consolation prize to Donnie*


From there, we headed to our hotel...got ready....had cupcakes and champagne and then head out to eat. We went to Emeril's NOLA restaurant right off the quarter. Had some cocktails and a great dinner and then head out to Bourbon Street....probably the street that holds the most secrets in America.

Our night started off low key at the famous Pat O'Brien's piano bar.....we were ready to go with hurricanes and penis straws (a bachelorette party staple). While we were there some guy asked who was getting married. I said all of us...that we were polygamist....the joke went over his head...but  I thought it was rather cleaver.

Then it was to one of our faves....Cat's Meow. It's filled with drunk people attempting to sing karaoke. One think that always amazes me about a karaoke bar is the variety of songs. There is always someone who sings a love song...someone who sings an old school hip hop...and then one guy who sings a song no one wants to hear.

As the night progressed....we bar hopped to a few hole in the walls and ended the night with a Lucky Dog. Overall....wonderful weekend. I would like to call it Jennifer's last fling...but personally...just cause she's getting married....I think she still has a few keg stands left in her!