NOLA: Part II

I recapped part I of our New Orleans trip last week. I'm back today with part deux of the trip.

Since there were 15 of us, we needed accommodations that could fit and sleep all of us. The MOH found a home in Belle Chasse, LA, which was about 15 minutes outside of New Orleans. It was a rental, so we weren't sure what to expect. Krob and I Ubered to the home, which seemed fairly normal from the outside. However, you were in for quite the surprise when you actually made it inside. The entire house was painted in 33 different colors. The bedroom Krob and I shared had some purples, pinks and yellows on the walls. It was also still undergoing construction, but more on that later.

Mine and Krob's room for the weekend. This iPhone photo doesn't do it justice, but there were some serious colors happening in here.

As it turns out, the house belongs to Antonio Banderas' stunt double:  Dino dos Santos. Yep, you read that correctly. We got Dino to do some stunt tricks for us.... never a dull moment. We got to the house, Dino made dinner for the group and we spent the rest of the evening in the pool. We ended the night with Andy's lingerie shower at the house.

The following day, we were scheduled to go on a plantation tour, but a last minute change of plans had us headed to a rum distillery and brewery instead. We rented a party bus for the day, so we sat back and enjoyed some mimosas, while the driver took us to the Old New Orleans Rum Celebration Distillery. We partook in the tour and tasting- my fave was their Gingeroo, which is a spicy, ginger flavor, with rum (Krob and I each took a bottle home), hopped back on the bus and made our way to NOLA Brewing. No tour here, but they do serve lunch by McClure's BBQ, which was delish.

Sidenote: The staff did seem a bit annoyed that such a large group came in. The bartender at one point had some eye rolling going on. I understand there were 15 of us, but none of us were rude or obnoxious. We were there because had heard some great things about the company and wanted to check them out.So- note to anyone wanting to try NOLA Brewing- I wouldn't recommend coming in with a large group - or at least give them a heads up before said group arrives.

Aside from that little hiccup, we all got lunch (loved it) and most of us tried out their flights (delish). They had some unique flavors, which you don't find everywhere.

Next stop: back to the house to get ready for Andy's big night out. First on the agenda for me, though, was a quick power nap. After a quick nap and a quick shower- I threw on my black dress, did my hair and makeup and was ready to go! One of the girls brought along flash tats for everyone, which was a super fun way to "accessorize" as a group. I was put in charge of bringing along the umm... how shall we say... "adult items" for the evening. I had to class them up a bit though, so I pre-purchased some purple shot-glass necklaces for all, I bought Andy a super classy one that hung from a pearl necklace, some glow-in-the dark straws, some whistles, some bubbles... you know.... the usual ;) A good friend from college brought along a blow-up Willy.... Willy accompanied us everywhere that evening.

The group right before dinner!

The driver dropped us all off at Brennan's , which was very accommodating of our group. They gave us a private room upstairs and a fixed menu, which worked out well. The only downside- were the adult beverages, which were also fixed (so you were stuck with the house wine, margarita or a martini). Not the end of the world, but some options would have been nice. Dinner was yummy and once the bill situation was figured out, (Thank you, Venmo, by the way- which is a lifesaver for paying someone you owe very quickly) we were on to our first stop.

Bridesmaids+Bride

Now, I highly recommend a good game for a bachelorette. This time, we had group challenges, where you have to have photo documentation of the bride partaking in the challenge. Super fun and the Pat O' Brien's crowd was also up for it! We stayed there for a bit, and head to the Cat's Meow for some karaoke fun. We ended the night at the Beach- which was an experience in and of itself :) At the end of the evening, some of us Ubered back to the house- and some of the girls took a cab back. All was well, and all had fun!

I'll be back tomorrow with our last day in NOLA!

NOLA

I forwent a vacation this summer in lieu of an out-of-town bachelorette party in New Orleans (I don't have the extra time at work at the moment and I did not want to miss Andy's bachelorette). So, Krob and I turned it into a 5-day weekend, and headed to the bachelorette a bit early to do some exploring.

Now, I've been to New Orleans only one other time, and it was to watch our friend run a marathon. If you have done any race spectating, you know it's a great, but different way to see a city. So Krob and I wanted to do some touristy things while we were there.

We headed out Thursday night. And over my dead body heck no were we making the drive all the way from Houston to NOLA. Ain't nobody got time for that.... We flew out Thursday evening, so we could both work a full day (the things we do to be functional adults). Stopped for the obligatory adult beverage at Pappadeaux in Hobby where our bartender told us about the elusive Abita Strawgator that we had to try while in NOLA (if you are an Abita fan- that would be a mixture of their Andygator and their Strawberry beer). Hopped on our flight, and made it to NOLA within an hour- we were there by 10:30 p.m. If you were on the fence about saving some extra cash by not flying, please trust me on this one- do yourself a favor, buy the flight and thank me later!

That wonderful fiance of mine didn't want Krob and I wondering the streets of New Orleans, so he got us a hotel on Bourbon Street. Now, we stayed at the Royal Sonesta the last time we were there- and once again- it didn't disappoint. We Ubered to the hotel, stashed our stuff in the room and made it to Bourbon Street for a late dinner. If you have not previously thought yourself to be an Uber person, please also consider changing your mind. Krob and I Ubered all over NOLA - super easy, no exchange of cash necessary and we never had to wait longer than 5 minutes for a driver. Bonus: you can split the fare with your friends very easily.

I was obsessed with the beds!

We wanted to try some oysters (when in Rome...). We stopped into the first busy restaurant we came across (we were hungry) and ordered some chargrilled oysters. And.... we weren't fans. I don't know if it was the size of the oysters (they were quite large) or the fact that they were warm... or maybe it was a texture thing. We just weren't feeling them. Then, we walked around Bourbon Street in search of the Andygator (no luck) and headed back to the room about 1 in the morning. We had an early start the following day...

A stop later in the trip!

Day 2

We had big plans Friday before we headed to bachelorette festivities, which began Friday evening. We signed ourselves up for a 3 and a half hour bike tour of the French Quarter and the Garden District. Before the bike tour, we ate at the Ruby Slipper Cafe on Magazine Street. We split the Florentine omelet and some fruit. Delish and perfect right before our ride!

The bikes were super cute and came with a basket to store your personal items!

The bike tour was a such a neat way to see the city. There were about eight people in the group, and Buzz Nola did a fantastic job at navigating us through key points around the city. Biking will always be one of my favorite ways to discover a new place.

Before we stopped for a snack!

Cute little home on the tour!

One of the houses in the Garden District.

The famous "Commander's Palace" across the street from the cemetery we stopped at.

The bike tour took us through one of their above ground cemeteries.

Obligatory bike pic- and hey there- you can see my trusty Barrington bag in my bike basket!

The only downside to the bike tour, was that Krob and I had to check out of our hotel prior to the bike ride, so we stored our luggage with the concierge. We were hot and sweaty after the bike ride and needed a place to change/freshen up. We had to resort to the bathroom in the hotel lobby.

The evening before, we got smart and made reservations at NOLA, one of Emeril's restaurants. It was a short walk from the hotel. (Please note: the Royal Sonesta was nice enough to let Krob and I store our luggage there the full day before we met up with the rest of girls). We were seated right away. It was super cute inside - it had an almost warehouse/industrial feel. We started off with some cocktails- I forget the exact name of mine, but it was citrusy and delicious. We decided to split the shrimp and grits and the pizza of the day. The food came out quickly, the waiters were fantastic and the food was tasty. The shrimp and grits were topped off with bacon and their special red chili sauce. Our pizza was a combination of mushrooms, and several meats. It was also very tasty. We decided to skip out on dessert, but only because we were way too full.

Outside of Nola. Yes we were matching- we have no shame!

Shrimp and Grits

After that, we had some time to kill while the rest of the ladies made their way into New Orleans. One of the places we stopped on our bike tour, was one of the oldest bars in New Orleans - Jean Lafitte's. You can read more about the history here, but it was built in the 1700's and was believed to have been used by the Lafitte brothers. We stopped by for an adult beverage- it is very dimly lit inside- and I would love to go back in the evening on a return trip. Krob and I did some shopping in the French Quarter for a bit and headed back to the hotel to grab our luggage to meet up with the rest of the group.

Seen while shopping

Jean Lafitte's Bar.

Bourbon Street pic on our way back to the hotel to grab our luggage.

NOLA Part II tomorrow.

Friday Favorites

Crazy Busy is the best way to define the season of life I am currently experiencing. My workdays tend to be overcommitted, and I find myself leaving the office with a bigger "to-do" list than when I arrive. Make it to the end of September.... Make it to the end of September.... has been my mantra of late. Personally, things haven't been much slower- in between trips, personal commitments, my running and all of the in-betweens. (Not to mention a wedding to plan) But you know what- if I am being absolutely honest with myself- I really wouldn't have it any other way. Sure- having a solid hour to veg on the couch or catch up on my reading list might be nice. But amidst all the "busy," there is so much to be thankful for.


So here are five things I am loving this Friday!

1. The ladies in my life

This was a pic taken from Andy's bachelorette party in New Orleans a few weeks ago (I'll have to do a separate post on that). I'm thankful to have friendships that have lasted through the years (I was actually pledge trainer for all of these girls pictured here). For these particular ladies in the photo- some live closer than others - I'm happy to be able to pick up where we might have left off last time. I'm also lucky to be surrounded by smart, goal-oriented women. Which leads me to my next Friday Fave....

2. My bestie

I can do life with Krob! We can sweat 3.5 hours around NOLA on bikes together. There was also that time she got way busted for sneaking alcohol onto a cruise ship, but that is a different story for a different time. We have run several half marathons together, been stuck in a thunder storm on a river together (shoutout to Kim- my other bestie), I even poisoned her once with my first attempt at barbecuing. We.Have.Some.Stories!!!!! And that leads me to number 3...

3. This Guy

He just makes me laugh- and makes sure I'm fed so I don't get hangry. Annnnd he just put a ring on- so extra points for that too.... Bling pic in case you missed it the first time.... And because I really just can't stop staring at it...

4. This Guy

This is the other man in my life- and I just love him. He is an 85 pound, furry, bowtie wearing, slobbering, humping, farting beast. But I love him. He can do no wrong. Except when he eats birthday cakes and cupcakes- and I don't particularly enjoy when he humps children. He's lucky he's so cute.

5. Happy one month until Andy's wedding

In a little less than a month- Andy gets married. SO excited for her and her new chapter! After all of the planning that has been done..... it's time to finally enjoy some of it! Proud of you, Be-all!!!!

Happy Friday- wherever it might take you. When I head out of the office this afternoon, the fiance and I are headed down to dinner in Galveston to meet with one of his lifelong besties!

Happy weekending!

Life Lately: Engagement Edition

Life lately has been equal parts crazy and equal parts fun. And by fun, I mean that Aaron and I got engaged over Memorial Day Weekend!!!!!!

Cue sappy post here....

Many of you have known me for years and know that this happened in God's perfect timing. I believe that everyone has to walk their own journey and go through their own experiences to truly appreciate where the road might lead them in the future. Aaron and I found each other (at the dog park) exactly when we were supposed to.

THE ENGAGEMENT

I honestly had no idea this was coming. Sure we had conversations about the future and we both just knew. I knew in my heart it would happen when it was supposed to, so I wasn't stressed out about the when. I knew Aaron would do it when he was ready. We had long-standing plans to visit my family in California over Memorial Day weekend. We had the Clif Mountains to the Beach Half Marathon to run (more on that to come). This had been on our schedules for awhile, so I honestly didn't think much of it. We flew into LA Thursday evening.

Friday was a free day for us. We got up, chatted with my dad for a few and decided to explore. It was a million degrees cooler in California, so we decided to spend some time near the water. We went to the Ventura Harbor and walked around the shops for a bit. Ate lunch at Andria's Seafood (best clam chowder bowls) and made our way to the beach for a bit. By that time, it was time to go meet my mom to pick our race packets up. We headed that way, picked our packets up and drove the race course and were done for the day.

Saturday, Aaron and I made the drive up to Santa Barbara. He had never been- and everyone needs to experience Santa Barbara at least once in their lifetime. We walked around State Street and did some shopping for a large majority of the day, and grabbed a bite to eat at Paxty's Pizza before we left- so yummy!  Then, we made the drive home to carb load with my family (grandma and uncle and cousin included) to prepare for the race the next day.

THE RACE

I'll go into more detail about this race in a different post. But long story short, it was a point to point half marathon and I got a PR. The weather and the views were gorgeous. You literally start the race (very very verrrrry early in the morning - but more on that later) in the mountains of Ojai and you run down to the beach. Gorgeous view and great run.

Needless to say, after a 4 a.m. wakeup call and 6:30 a.m. start time- I was exhausted. We got back to the house to nap!

THE PROPOSAL

My parents were grilling out for the last dinner before we flew back to Texas. It was delish, after dinner, I was still exhausted, but Aaron insisted on seeing the beach one last time before we headed back. I really didn't want to go (hello- I was tired), but I pulled it together and we headed out.

We went back to Ventura Beach and walked along the water for about an hour. We saw some dead seals, pelicans, dogs and boats. Gorgeous night. Around that time, the sun started to go down, and Aaron suggested we sit and enjoy the sunset. I was still not expecting anything at that point- the man must have nerves of steel, because he wasn't acting nervous. He asked me to close my eyes...... and I was like ::pause:: {I mean.... he's been known to streak .... so I was a bit concerned} he finally convinced me to close my eyes and started saying some really sweet things.... and when I opened them- he was on both of his knees- with the bling. It was such a sweet moment for both of us- and we could not be more excited!

THE BLING

I mean, let's be honest, this girl loves her some bling. But this isn't just any old bling, this is THE bling, and Aaron did good. He was so sneaky. He took a few rings from my bedroom to take to the jeweler for sizing and had them in his possession for several days before returning them. I did not notice a single one was missing. for SEVERAL days. But that is neither here nor there, and I pay much better attention to my bling.

His friend referred him to his family jeweler several months ago, which is when the process started. Over the course of several months, Aaron showed him pictures of some of my go-to pieces so the jeweler would have an idea of my taste. Aaron also sketched a photo of what he had in mind, and they went from there.

They had several diamonds flown in from Antwerp, so Aaron could hand-pick which stone he wanted in the ring. The end result is perfect. It's special to me because he went through so much effort to make it perfect.

So, in case you haven't seen it already- here is picture of the goods:

THE BACK STORY

My parents had known he was going to propose since March- they just didn't know when. Aaron flew to California on a business trip and mentioned he might see my family if he had a chance. He said he talked to my dad before he flew out and he would try to make it up to see them if his flight got in early enough. That night, I called my mom and she said that Aaron was going over for dinner. I didn't think much of it, but that turned out to be the night he asked. So my parents were holding onto a pretty big secret for awhile.

Apparently there were other secret-keepers. He told Kim's brother David that he had the ring. Risky- since Kim is one of my besties. And he showed the ring to several other people. Turns out- since it was Memorial Day Weekend, Kim and David were both at their parent's house- and David mentioned Aaron had the ring...... quite a shocker for Kim I'm sure :) So when I called Kim at the airport Monday morning to spill the news- she wasn't surprised at all!

He didn't tell anyone he was going to do it- not any of our friends - or our parents- he didn't want to risk the word getting out.  

WHAT'S NEXT?

We are both so excited and have enjoyed these past couple of months. We don't have a date picked out and are narrowing down a location - or two! The most important thing for the two of us is that we enjoy the process and that everyone around us enjoys the process. We don't want to get so caught up in the details - that we lose sight of the marriage (but the details will be fun as well). I'll check back in and more things are decided. Let the planning begin!

Houston Rodeo

Florida Georgia Line

I figured I'd give you a quick update on what's been going on in my world lately. Long story short - I've been working like crazy (I have a citywide event I'm planning for September. And in case you haven't heard, Houston is the 4th largest city - anyways- I'll let you do the math). I've always been a big believer in work-life balance. So in between having fun with friends and work - it's left little time for anything else. The Houston Rodeo comes to town every March. This year- we went a bit Rodeo crazy if you will. We were lucky enough to score tickets to see some of my fave artists this year:

• Miranda Lambert
• Zac Brown Band (a personal favorite of mine)
• Florida Georgia Line
• Blake Shelton (another personal fave of mine - who doesn't like Blake?)
• Brad Paisley
• Luke Bryan (he can sure put on a good show)

Zac Brown Band

Brad Paisley

Luke

 Let's talk about this Luke Bryan pic real fast. We had good seats to Luke- courtesy of Miller Lite. And by good- I mean we got to touch him! He came right up to the fence - and we got to get real personal with Mr. Bryan. It was quite an experience - and by experience - I mean it was cool, but he has quite the diverse audience if you will....

 Growing up in California, I was never exposed to anything like this. The rodeo is indeed- an actual rodeo with real cowboys and real livestock. Who knew? Each evening, the rodeo takes places a couple of hours before the concert. And honestly, one of my most favorite parts about the rodeo might be the mutton bustin' (if you don't already know what it is... basically they stick small children on large sheep and they ride the sheep until they fall off). Exhibit A:

Naughty Sheep!

 I also love the other events:

Chuckwagon Races

One of my favorite events to watch is the Calf Scramble. They release a bunch of calves and the kids (all members - I believe - of local FFA branches) chase the calves. If they catch a calf, they can raise it for the next year!

They are stubborn little things!

I felt like we were at the rodeo at least once a week this year! I can't wait for it to come back again next year! Anyways, Happy Thursday! I'll be back tomorrow!

Life Lately in Five Words or Less

Why am I so bad at this? The first few months of 2015 have been filled with lots of work and lots of activities! I figured it might be better just to show you. So, here we go:

Checked out the new dog-park. 

First bike-ride of the season.

Went indoor skydiving.

Tried out the new bike path!

Enjoyed the warm weather.

Harry the horse in Belton.

Went to Houston Rodeo (ALOT)!

More fun at the rodeo!

Yep ladies, that is Luke Bryan!

Kate and I at the Rodeo (where else?)!

As far as the running goes, I took some off after the marathon to let my body recover a bit. We've been doing several shorter runs throughout the week, yoga once a week, and have added in some strength training days.

Upcoming race: We will be headed to California at the end of May to run the Clif Bar Mountains 2 Beach Half Marathon!