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nola, jazz fest, and a beignet addiction

As promised…our road trip to New Orleans!

The weather was perfect for our trek to The Big Easy the first weekend in May. We rolled in for our long weekend on Friday:

New Orleans welcome sign

…dropped our bags off at the hotel and walked (safety first!) with mimosas to to Jazz Fest. Pit stop at Whole Foods for the bathroom along the way, and naturally I couldn’t resist this photo from their bathroom:

Whole Foods Bathroom

Can you see the “dance flo” text? BHAHHH! (I’m easily entertained. Translation; cheap date:)

Onto the festival, with people, parades, and music- oh my!

New Orleans Jazz Fest

New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

Relaxing Jazz Tent:

New Orleans

New Orleans

I would’t necessarily think of Christina Aguilera when I think of jazz, but that girl with her big pregnant belly got me dancing:

New Orleans

New Orleans

Great long day at the festival, trolly ride back to hotel, and sunset:

New Orleans

After a shower and prep for dinner, we ran into this crazy fun and awesome parade of a wedding party one block off Bourbon Street, celebrating their nuptial NOLA-Style:

The next morning, completely random tree/sky/building “up” photo as we wandered around:

New Orleans

(If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I became slightly obsessed with sky/skyscraper/cloud photos while living in Chicago, and took a lot of photos there.)

We probably walked 20 miles on Saturday, just wandering…people, streets, and food:

New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

…which is a good thing, because we at beignets 3 times that day. Three. Oh the heavenly beignets at Cafe’ Du Monde:

Beignets

Beignets

Jackson Square was a fun stop:

New Orleans

…for a balcony glass of vino and a perfect people watching spot at Tableau:

Tableau New Orleans

..and of course, a most random street “band” for entertainment:

Next up was R Bar where we met hometown chef Newton Blanchard, stirring up an enormous pot of gumbo:

New Orleans

New Orleans

This guy pulls to the side of the street, every Saturday, preps this giant serving of New Orleans best that’s ready for the taking “around 6pm” and people flock. No charge, just a donation. We chatted with Newton and sat around outside for a good 2+ hours and stuffed our faces. I mean stuffed:

The Big Easy

My sweet, sweet, boyfriend, who’s straight from French-Cajun Country himself- was in heaven:

Gumbo

(Yikes…I think this is the official first photo of us I’ve posted on BLR. Actually, I think this is the first photo I have ever posted of  my love life here and It’s been nearly 6 years. Clearly I’ve held out for someone who was well worth the wait:)

The food was super hot (temperature & spice) I could barely take little bites, but I had to dig in immediately after Newton served us:

New Orleans

New Orleans

I will say it here first. I have eaten and posted here about a lot of food over these years, but holy moses was this roadside, stirred from something that looked like a shovel and served in a styrofoam bowl with a plastic fork some of the best ever. (Good thing I’m living with a Cajun. I’m sold!)

*Side note the striped can in the background above is my total summer favorite. It’s Radler actually, by Stiegel. Beer + grapefruit extra cold = heavenly delicious and refreshing. It’s hard to come by, so if you can get your hands on a can- do. Then bring me one, please.

After the feast and time with the locals, I played with sidewalk chalk at the Frenchmen Street Market:

New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

…and laid on the ground because it seemed like a good idea at the time and I was already filthy from walking around all day, anyway. I’m not scared of a little New Orleans, funk:

New Orleans

Love me some life on the Blue Lollipop Road!

One last stop for our 3rd round of beignets after-dark and our day was complete:

New Orleans

We made a good samaritan practice while noshing round 3, and tracked down a guy who had left his wallet at our table. He came back, the group next to us cheered, and missing wallet man from Tennessee gave us hugs. All love at the end of a day in The Big Easy with a full belly, a face full of powdered sugar, and the best travel partner in crime by my side.

I’m already ready to go again.

Where are you traveling to?

#NOLA #JazzFest #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad

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i want to hang out with these people!

This. Is. Hilarious.

Some girls wish for diamonds and pearls and all things fancy when they meet their person. Me? If I could sing-and-dance-party through life in sweats like this woman with her man having a blast- put a fork in me! That’s my love heaven. So fun.

Can you say hop on the party train these two are riding?

#Karaoke #SingIt #NoFilter

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the learning tree

I’d like to think that I’m the last person who needs anymore you just never know lessons. Most waking hours, my mind races; “Today the day! Don’t wait! Life is short! Do it now! Carpe diem!” (Insert whatever other go get ’em saying, here.) Then again, a healthy dose of holy sh*t did that just happen?! How am I still alive?!- is good for me. (For all of us, really.)

I’ve been working & staying deep in the country of VA for 2 weeks. I’ve driven/moved my car just twice during this time. Two times only in two weeks. During my regular routine, I’m moving, shaking, driving, and grooving 100 times a week. Thankfully during my current much lower-key than usual routine, I decided to venture off retreat mountain, to meet an old friend for lunch on Tuesday. If I hadn’t, me and my precious Honda partner in crime could’ve very well been crushed.

Yikes.

This is where the BLR-Mobile had been parked for days- minus the branches of course:

Big oak tree broken branch

Big oak tree broken branch

Big oak tree broken branch

Big oak tree broken branch

And this happened:

Big oak tree broken branch

Big oak tree broken branch

Big oak tree broken branch

Big oak tree broken branch

Tree guys came to the call of duty:

Big oak tree broken branch

While It’s fun that my fantasy of having a big, strong, scruffy, strapping, lumberjack-type man coming to “rescue” me has finally happened, really I’m just happy that no one was home when this branch decided it was too tired to stand up any longer.

Dear lucky stars, timing, whoever/whatever out/up/around “there” is looking after me,

Thank you.

I’m really not sure what else to say.

~Diane

What’s keeping you in check this week?

#AdventuresInTheCountry #LumberjackRescue #MotherNature

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ttaa

Today’s Things That Are Awesome?

This video! What a trip:

Oh if we could all could be so articulate, hilarious, and creative calling out ignorance with such a positive spin like this chick. Amen sister!

How do you stand up for the truth?

#MissAmerica #GetAMapPeople #Ignorance

PS~ If you’ve never visited the website Upworthy…do yourself a favor and put it in your bookmarks.

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i watched this funky little flick…

…and while it had some very slow moments, I really liked it, and thought it told a story that so many of us can identify with:

I rarely press pause during movie time, but I did twice during this one to note a couple of lines that intrigued me:

“I always thought that…I’d end up with somebody who’d make the world feel bigger.”

“Oh, you know, taking a lifetime to become an overnight success.”

I’m putting See Girl Run in the BLR recommended movie pile for sure. Check it out if you want to take 1.5 hours of chill/think time this weekend.

Who makes the world feel bigger to you?

#WhatIf #NevertForgetWhereYouCameFrom #ComplicatedLove #Maine

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