Christmas in Louisiana

This is Dixie, Ayden and Vera. Ayden has the biggest heart of any little boy I've ever met. He loves kissing his cousin Vera and little sister and hanging out with his "aunt" Jessica. I am going to miss this kiddo.

This is Stacy, Dixie's sister.  She is pretty rad.  Her and her husband Josh were hostesses for Christmas and were way awesome about me crashing in on all the fun.  I love their family like my own.

Pawpaw Chuck!

These two little girlies make me want to have babies. They are soooo sweet.

Seeesters Stacy and Dixie

This is Stacy's husband Josh, with Vera and Pawpaw.  I love this picture.  Vera is so happy!

Just arrived to New Orleans for some site seeing and shopping.

Ian, funny kid.  He wouldn't take these sunglasses off for anything. I think it was like one of those "Big Daddy" things where he's protected from strangers with em on.  Ian cracked me up the whole trip.  He has the face and demeanor and middle name sake of his pawpaw Chuck, and it's super cute.

So you know how some cities have those silver statue looking dudes that pose very still and if you give him a dollar they'll do something crazy or unexpected?  Yeah.  This wasn't one of those kind of moments. He was really just a statue. This uber lame dude in the yellow was the "artist"....Scam artist....

Some of the fam walking around

This is a muffalata... it's something you gotta try when in New Orleans. Preee good.

French quarter

Bras.

Bourbon Street

This voodoo doll store was awesome. I loved the colors and creativity.  Dixie and I got each other little voodoo keychain dolls.  Hers had a mohawk and mine had a tutu.

Jamie Hayes is a known local artist who creates bright and fun pieces that I dig.

This keyboard smile is sort of his token signature.

Frolf! Markus on the left is Dixie's husband and Josh on the right is Stacy's.  These guys are a lot of fun to be around, as you can see.

gift wrapping

Vera enjoying the paper as much as the gifts :)

Ayden got this awesome 4D shark model that I loved just as much as he did.  Ayden and I both share an affinity for sharks, which I think is sort of unusual as most people prefer dolphins or whatever.  Anyway, we watched a lot of YouTube shark videos and stuff together.  T'was fun.

Cute as a button

Ian waiting for the fun to begin.  Hilarious.

Dixie and Afton.  Afton has the cutest voice.  She jibberjabbers constantly and I love it.  She is such a cool kid.  It's strange that she's only 7 months older than Vera.   She has like this old soul and you almost forget she's a baby.  I love that little girl!

Shark tooth.  You can hardly see it, and I'm not sure why he's frowing...buuut he was pretty excited about it.  This must be his earnest look. haha

Impromptu karaoke.  This is Ms Lorna singing with Vera and Josh

Stacy, Dixie, Charlie, Aunt Videt, and uncle David singing Christmas songs.

The family

Hello. It's me. Just keeping my promise.

Today was a great Sunday.  The majority of the single's ward was absent for the holidays so our congregation was small.  I loved it.  The spirit in our ward is always strong, but for some reason it seemed extra special and intimate this day. Yay. :)

I wore blue suede heels to match my blue fingernails.  It made me feel coool.  I also wore these pink lace fingerless gloves that pretty much rocked my world. 

From this angle it looks like I was totally punk rocked out for church...and no worries, mom,  I wasn't!  I had a very classy Anne Taylor dress on, so the blue nails and fingerless gloves were just fun accessories.

Anyways...moving on....

I am driving to Louisiana tomorrow to see one of my dearest friends, Dixie Mann who is in from England + her hubs + darling offspring + rest of the Holloway clan, which is pretty much my extended family, so I'm quite excited. I've never been to La... here I come Nawlins + Red Stick! ... K, they don't actually call Baton Rouge that... 

Currently....In the meantime, I am [not] packing and laying in bed, doing one of my fave past times.  Downloading music and rocking out and stumbling.

Ever heard of Rusted Root?.... They're awes.

Alert.  I'm feeling throat-ish.  I need to not get sick on this trip. That would be bad for the babies that I intend on snuggling the entire time.

so...
This is what I'm thinking for the future.
I'm getting certified to dive and learning surf (for reals this time).  This coming Spring/Summer is going to be epic. And I don't use that word lightly.
Somehow I'm going to try and make it to a Tony Robbins seminar that is happening in Ft. Lauderdale in March.
I am going to continue to run and perhaps sign up for a race (yikes!)

Why am I looking so far into the future? ...

Let's talk about what is most pressing- My birthday party! In like 3 weeks!
OH M'GSH.  It is going to be. the! BEST! It's going to be a suuuuper fancy masquerade. AH!

Here's my inspiration.  I can't decide which girl I'm going to channel.  Probably the one on the left.

And.
I like this picture.

I'm happiest when I'm dancing.
The end.

This is your life. Travel Often.

The Book Thief.

The last book that I read that had such a touching impact on me as this, The Book Thief, was the Kite Runner... which makes me think of Memoirs of a Geisha too.  (Note how all 3 of these involve war in the plot) I don't know why I am drawn in so tightly to books that depress me for hours after I finish the last page.  I'm so attracted to the melancholy! ... Not all the time, but they seem to stay with me far longer than books that make me laugh.  I love tragedy and suffering.  I guess it's b/c I love it when the human spirit prevails maintaining hope and love.  There is probably some psychological suggestion that a therapist can offer me as well...
Anywho. This book is brill.  I don't like to let myself cry b/c I have sensitive skin, you know...and it's not good for my complexion.  I couldn't help myself this time; tears flowed.  If you like this sort of thing too, give this book a read.

question.

If you call a person and they pick up, but they don't actually answer the phone, and you think they actually meant to send you to voicemail b/c you can hear them talking to other people in the room, what level of creepy is it if you just stay on the line and listen in...?
I totally just spied on somebody-for like five minutes.  And I feel super guilty...even though nothing embarrassing was said... I think I feel guilty b/c I was hoping that something embarrassing would be said....ha
I think this is a losery moment for me. 
This is real life.

Jump for my love. (this title in no way reflects the contents of this post.)

My blogging has slowed to practically a halt.  Ever since I moved to Tally I've been 98% uninspired.  I don't know why.

It's not that my life is less exciting.  It's not that I have less things to say.  (It could be that I almost never remember to take pictures.)  I just haven't felt compelled to share.  Sorry.  I know you're totally broken up about it.

Well. Anywho.

So a couple of you actually are broken up about it, and tis the season for giving, so I'm going to return to the blogging sphere and put myself out there for you. Nice, eh?

And... wow, look at the time, it's 2:16 and I have to get going b/c I am teaching a class at 3.  Dang. I actually had something to say. I really did this time.

But don't worry. This is my post to jump start my posting again.  I promise.  From now on, it won't be a month between entries. I'm going to be a blogging monster.

I have stuff I plan to put out there....Just wait.
Like how I'm totally craftastic these days.  How I discovered a seriously rad vintage shop here that rivals all vintage shops in Richmond VA.  How I love my calling.  How horseback riding is hazardous to my health and a risk to my business, but I won't let it stop me.  How my holidays are going to be spent.  How I'm going to totally go fishing soon and I anticipate it changing my life... and how my turning 28 next month is going to mark the coolest year of my life; Basically adventures in my personal wonderland.... OH AND- how FLORIDA is SOOO not warm in the winter and I'm seriously beyond disappointed....  Honestly and truly, whoever misinformed me is in big trouble mister.

Stay tuned.