Hotels, New Orleans

Alex and I stayed at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans for our honeymoon. It is located in Central Business District ( CBD) and was about a 10 min walk to the French Quarter. We stayed in a  HUGE suite. The Windsor Court is said to be one the nicest luxury hotels in the area but it was not really our style. The service and rooms were great but we have stayed in more luxury places for less. It is very very traditional and I think that might have been what we liked least about it. We are more of a modern, clean line loving type hotel and that is just not what New Orleans is about. There is nothing modern about NO, so we had to get used to that.  High Tea is supposed to be amazing here, we unfortunately did not got to attend it.  

 

The International House Hotel is also in the CBD, I really like the look of this place so it might make the short list for where we might stay on our next visit.

My parents stayed at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street when they made a visit and loved every thing about it. They had a room facing the court yard and did not have any problems with noise. They were down there this past February and the city was still celebrating the Saint's Super Bowl win and Mardi Gras was the just finishing up.

There seems to be lots of little B&B tucked into little alley ways around the city so I am sure there are many more amazing places out there yet to be discovered by me.

Sucre, New Orleans

Wanna treat a friend to something sweet, decadent and French? Well, let me suggest macaroons from Sucre. A box of these lovelies ended up on my doorstop one day from my good friend Katie and I have been loving them ever since. I have yet to taste a macaroon as good as the ones from Sucre. They are melt and your mouth amazing.

dejarnette new orleans

Katherine, the owner and artist of Dejarnette New Orleans is a true blue Internet friend of mine. I discovered her website years ago and have bought goodies from her thru the years. Before my wedding I reached out to Katerine over email to let her know that Alex and I were going to New Orleans for our honeymoon and whether or not she had a store and if she had any favorite restaurants to recommended. Well, Ms Katherine just blew me away with her response. She created 3 beautiful pages of the most valuable city information that rivaled any guide book out there of where to shop, eat and play and included maps. Not only did she list a restaurant and the address, she listed why we should go there, her favorite dish and really cool inside advice. Her recommendations became the outline of our visit. 
Alex and I probably fell in love with New Orleans with the help of Katherine because we saw the city thru her eyes a little bit.

Her on line store is a must see! Thanks again Katerine for all of her help. XO everyone and have a good Monday.

New Orleans

Have you been to New Orleans? It is one of my most favorite places in the United States if not the world. I have been a lot of places and no place is quite like New Orleans. It is dirty, sexy, sultry, charming, magical and enticing city. I could go on  and on with these adjectives. It has history like no other place in the United States and almost feels like a foreign city. It has a dialect of its own making and a array of food that you could never anywhere else get in one area. The people are welcoming and charming and mysterious all in one. It is a city that seeps into your bones when you visit and is forever hard to shake. The music, the food, the history, the architecture, the people, the art and the tragedy this city has and has gone thru gives it depth that many places lack.

Alex and I went to New Orleans for our honeymoon. We fell in love with the place right away and it  made our really short list of places we would like to live. We can't wait to go back for a visit and soak up more of it fabulous culture.

This week marks the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As you flip thru the news channels and radio you hear story after story of what people went thru and what it was like 5 years ago during the storm. Last night before bed I was watching the news and they were showing how Habitat for Humanity was building right that minute a house. The hammers were going and there was lots of noise. It was 11 at night. But, it only brought a half smile to my face. Why, are we seeing this kind of footage 5 years later. These scenes are what we should have been seeing months after the storm. The more of this rebuilding effort I am seeing today five years later the more it drives home the fact that we as a country 100% failed in helping our fellow Americans when they needed it most. Our government on all levels failed and is still failing when it comes to NO's rebuild. In terms of a rebirth that is another story. That city has more lives in it than a cat, and even thou they can't seem to get a break they always have some spirit left in them.

I feel that celebrities like Brad Pitt and Harry Connick Jr  have brought more awareness and help and aid to NO then our United States Government. It is quite amazing what those 2 men have done. At last count Pitt's non profit organization Make it Right has built 50 homes in the Lower Ninth Ward and Connick Jr has help build a musician's community with 72 single family homes and 10 rental units that will center around a Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.

To hear Brad Pitt's most recent comments on New Orleans and his Make it Right Foundation click here.

In next couple of days I will share with you some of mine and Alex's favorite places we visited there and maybe one day you can make a trip.

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Lets take a trip..

Isn't this travel journal form Poketo awesome. Make me want to take a trip just so I can fill it out. The description on the website is so perfect that I just posted it below. AND. It is only 24 bucks!!

Travel Journal can do all. Heavy chipboard cover with a rubber band to secure the notebook. A pocket to save your tickets, receipts and other little memories from your trip. Pre-planning section with a check-list of things to bring. Detailed day by day itinerary. Daily Planner and notes section. All you have to do is to remember to bring it on your next trip. Not going anywhere anytime soon? You can even use it on your daily journey through life!

Your new best friend...

See that little knife thinger sticking up...well that baby is a Bride to be's best friend.  When all those registry gift start showing up on your door step that little knife is the best tool ever to open those boxes. Its not too sharp and very short so there is no real fear of possibly damaging what might be inside the box or cutting your self. Trust me on this one, or just try it out for yourself. You can thank me later brides and grooms to be. Isn't getting mail so fun!

graphite corkscrew from Crate and Barrel

Today and Tomorrows mantra

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playing with the moon

It was a full moon last night. Did you check it out? Aren't these images just beautiful. My favorite is the one with the girl trying to lasso the moon.

(sorry, no track back to images)

matches

I collect matches...these would be nice to add to my collection.

from Trend Hunter

musical chairs

My parents have a chair kind of like this sitting in their garage waiting for one of use kids to take. I think painting it a super rad color like one from above would give it new life and a new reason for me to love it!! I call it brother and sister!!!

image via

picture time: pillow talk

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Back to school cool!

 my backpack #1

my backpack # 2

a warm/stylish blanket for late night foot ball games and lunch in the quad!!

A new lunch box...no wait its a leather clutch

a cool note book

a new desk would be nice

gotta have a new planner

pens that last SEVEN years!

 some file folders

It's back to school time? I always loved going shopping for new clothes and new supplies. Getting everything ready and packed just so was my favorite thing to do. So, here is my list of back to school items I would pick up if I were heading back to school!!

picture time: family

image by Alexis Mire

facts of life!

so true.
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clever products

Sailboat Popsicle Molds

Coat/Mail rack

Rain Level Boots

Alice coming alive

Bed Hog Sheets

Post Card Garden

Mila's Daydreams

 Bookworm

 Pippi Longstocking

This morning before Alex left for work he said to me, you have to look up this blog that I wrote down next to the computer. Well, you know you have a keeper when this is what he was talking about.
I know Mila's Day Dreams have been floating around the Internet for a long while now but I could not help but share this little story. Love you babe.