Photo Blog of Natchitoches and New Orleans, LA

well...i am FINALLY recouping from my week long vacation. been home for a week and i'm still in a slight daze. well worth it though. when i can find the time and the energy (not an overabundance of it quite yet around here), i will blog in detail about the trip. but for now, here are some photos to take you along our journey. i took many more, but i chose a few of my favorites. enjoy!

i would like to first set off the mood as we were leaving dallas headed east, "born on the bayou" by CCR came on the radio. couldn't get any better than that...

leaving shreveport, LA - headed southbound

had to snap a shot of this sign in the boudin shop - we had definitely entered coon ass country - i could hardly understand a word anyone was saying - strong south louisiana accent

the boudin (prounounced boodan) shop in breaux bridge, LA (famous for the boudin)


crawfish balls from the boudin shop. oh.my.goodness.

the atchafalaya basin - largest swamp in the US - definitely don't want to be breakin down around these here parts

another shot of the atchafalaya basin (please notice how i did not get OUT of the car to take a photo - there's a good reason for that ;) )

welcome to natchitoches (pronounced nakitish)

view towards the cane river from the river walk - it was breathtaking

fountain in the cane river - see the rainbow? :)

stunning magnolia tree along the cane river

all the benches looked like this. the fleur de lis definitely has a new meaning to me after experiencing louisiana.

banana plants outside the roque house

gorgeous, huge, OLD oak tree - i fell in love with it. the photo doesn't do it any justice.

the roque house

the roque house door

front door to the roque house

the steel magnolia house - primary filming of the film "steel magnolias" - they filmed the movie in natchitoches

the steel magnolia house

the mighty mississippi river - crossing over into baton rouge, LA

chartres street - french quarter - new orleans, LA

our hotel - le richelieu

one of my favorite photos of the trip - the andrew jackson statue in jackson square. i was amazed how this photo came out

jackson square in the morning

in between jackson square and the st. louis cathedral. i love the colors in this photo.

joan of arc statue - maid of orleans

gas lamps along the streets of the french quarter. i absolutely fell in love with them. especially at night. it completed the feel and ambiance of new orleans for me.

trompone player outside cafe du monde

cafe du monde coffee - i don't drink coffee, but for regular coffee drinkers, it's some of the best coffee in the world...chickory

beignets at cafe du monde. yes, they are as delicious as they look.

lake pontchartrain (the r is silent) and the causeway. 2nd largest salt water lake in the US. the causeway is the largest bridge over a body of water in the WORLD! 24 miles long. we drove all the way across and all the way back. i really felt connected in this part of louisiana - this is where many of my ancestors are from.

french quarter - new orleans

chartres street - new orleans

french quarter - new orleans

the seafood platter at deanie's. mikey and lance split it and still didn't get 1/2 way through it. good lord!

inside the st. louis cathedral

the st. louis cathedral

let me explain this photo as it came out very fuzzy. this is the statue of jesus behind the st. louis cathedral. we were walking back to our hotel from bourbon street one night and the shadow from the statue on the cathedral was utterly amazing. the photo did not capture it at all.

statue of jesus behind the st. louis cathedral. i thought it was really neat how the bird was sitting on his outstretched hand.


and this concludes our photo journey. i hope you enjoyed it. i will sit down and write more about the trip later, but it's amazing the stories that can be told through pictures. i'm definitely going back, but i have to admit, i will not be going back to new orleans in august. it was SWELTERING hot. even in the tour guide books, they have events for every month and what's listed under august says "In August, we sweat." nothing else. and that's the truth.

Friday Evening Shadow Dance on My Back Porch

For.The.Love.Of.Pete.

so i woke up this morning with this song immediately in my head and it still has yet to stray.

"HERE I AM! ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE!"

yes, the same one by the scorpions.

why on earth? i have been asking myself that same question all morning. so just thought i would share.

maybe it has something to do with the fact that TODAY IS MY LAST DAY of work and i'm off for an entire week! going to NAWLINS with my sweetie. i.can't.freakin.wait.

i will be back soon with lots-o-pics to share.

ciao my lovely blog friends!

Top 5 Funniest Fake Facebook Pages

dude.

funniest shit i have seen in a long time. i am still laughing hysterically. it's out of control.

Top 5 Funniest Fake Facebook Pages

Jesus' Facebook Page

Facebook Passover

Facebook Pages We'd Like To See

Welcome to The Twilight Zone

butterfly : ok so i had to share this
me and ivycurlz went down to get muffins in the basement down here
and the little chinese guy is like "merry christmas!" with a big smile on his face
we are like uhhhhhhhhh
and they are playing white christmas, then it went to another christmas song
ON THE RADIO STATION (no it's not a cd)
i felt like i was in the twilight zone

the davish one :WTF?!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
That's AWESOME!

butterfly : then of course ivycurlz is singing at the top of her lungs
tell her merry christmas
:P

the davish one : just did... this ought to be funny

butterfly : oh it will be. and she's UBER hyper today on top of it

the davish one : she writes " Santas comin early!'
LMFAO!!!

butterfly : christmas in july maybe?
doo doo doo doo
wtf
that was very bizarre

the davish one : twilight zone time!

butterfly : if this is a sign of how my day is going to go, i don't know if i should be scared or just go with it
LOL

the davish one : Trust me, just go with it...

butterfly : will do then
this should be interesting...

the davish one : Exactly!! God knew you needed a visit from the Cosmic Jester!
(especially after yesterday!)

butterfly : you ain't lying ;)

the davish one : ivycurlz needs your help in picking out office supplies to gift to your santa singing friend downstairs...

butterfly : HAHAHAH this is hysterical
too bad we don't have any red staplers
:P

the davish one : I KNOW! That's totaly what I was thinking...http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/supplies/61b7/

~ New Necklaces ~

i've been a busy bee today whippin up these beauties ~ check em out ~

more HERE

From Ivycurlz to Butterfly :)

zoe&zac

for those of you that know me know that i certainly am not a shoe person. if it were up to me i would be wearing flip flops or barefeet 365 days out of the year. unfortunately my place of employment doesn't allow either of these, so i have to compromise. i have a couple of pairs of shoes that i wear to work. and they are comfy. and i like them well enough.

i stopped in payless shoes tonight on my way back from my shopping adventure at whole foods and i found these cuties to wear to work. i was iffy on getting them, but then once i read about how green this company is...well...i caved. :)

Burning In The Pits of HELL

photo courtesy of photobucket

ok so i know the title is a little abrasive, but seriously folks. this is beyond ridiculous. i think we should take this as a sign.

this summer in our great state of texas is out of control! and by out of control, i mean OUT OF CONTROL.

being the nature loving, hippie gal that i am, i try to make the best of things...but this is excruciating. it's too hot to even go to the pool! the pool water is so warm it's like you are taking a luke warm bath in 150 degree weather on top of that. yuk.

you know it's bad when you walk outside and you instantly can't breath and feel the fire all over your skin.

we've had some bad summers, but this one is definitely a doozy. last summer amazingly wasn't so bad, i think it only got over 100 degrees for a couple of weeks...which is nothing considering the rate we are headed in this one.

i got a giggle on a comment of a friend of mine's facebook last night asking if we had air conditioning down here in texas. holy crikey...could you imagine life without it here? not to mention all of the heat related deaths we have EVEN with air conditioning.

just the forecast for today alone from a local news station :

Noon : 99 degrees, Sunny

Detail : Heat advisory until 7pm tonight

Winds : S 10-15mph

5pm : 105 degrees, Sunny

Detail : Sunny and very hot. Heat advisory continues

Winds : S 10-15mph

uh, so not only are we burning in the pits of hell, but with NO wind on top of it. shoot me now.

so with all of this said, i am going to be going against my hippie nature this summer and continue to stay in the air conditioner so i don't #1, fry like an egg and #2, develop the worst kind of skin cancer known to man. not to mention the million dollar electricity bill.

this blows.

SOS - send some northern winds...pronto.

Weekend in Pictures

our sleeping bella on friday night :


gorgeous flowers at the pool:


ladybug's masterpiece:

gift by me to my boss' new baby girl :

gift by me to ladybug's baby sister:

crack monkey's creation for the ladybug :

our new windchimes :

ah, tranquility :

Buggiter. (My version of Bugger)

well, plans for a new braunfels / austin weekend fell through unfortunately. we are replanning for mid-late august. mark my words, it WILL happen. haha.

so instead, crack monkey and i have converted our plans into a girls weekend with the ladybug filled with much pool time, some good chick flicks and some artsy fartsy creativeness.

i will be most sure to take photos from our fun weekend and post them for your viewing pleasure.

until then, i bid you adu (more than likely) cuz i'm busy as hell at work. (i know you are shocked by that news).

ciao bellos and bellas!

KITTY KLASS

it's dangerous inside our heads at times....

butterfly : do you like my cuter booter tiger?
ivycurlz : awwww yes
thats adoreable
butterfly : i want a tiger *ivycurlz*
ivycurlz : lol
when i win the lotto i will buy you one fo sho
butterfly : sweet. i will have to have a house with a lot

of land so it can roam around
and sleep with me in bed at night. cuddles!
hehehe
ivycurlz : okk ok i buy you a big house too
with lots of land
butterfly : i love yew

look at my tiger...don't you just want to squeeze him and give him

big kisses?

then he will bite our faces off

no he's too young for that.

give him another 3 months or so,

then he will bite our faces off.

rawr.

ivycurlz : not till hes older

he will lick our faces

butterfly : i want him

ivycurlz : then in about 6 months

butterfly : i love hims

ivycurlz : eat our faces

butterfly : nom nom

that's what i can do,

i will raise them until they get to the age of biting my face off,

then send them off into the wild and keep them from being

endangered

ivycurlz : lol you gonna teach them to hunt

butterfly : sure! LOL

ivycurlz : hahah okdeokkkeee

here eat my arm and my leg

come catch me tiger

rargggh

butterfly : i think i'm seriously going to consider this.

move to india or somewhere and start my own wild tiger rescue

raise the cubs until they start scratching my face, then

let them go off into the wild.

sounds like a plan to me

ivycurlz : omg lets go

im in

butterfly : i would love to do that with you

ivycurlz : omg that would be the most perfect job ever

butterfly : let's do it

ivycurlz : live out in the wilderness

butterfly : and cuddle with tiger cubs all day

ivycurlz : have tons of land

feed them giant bottles of milk

butterfly : maybe we could throw in a few elephants too

and giraffes

but we can specialize in the tigers

LMAO

ivycurlz : eeeh

elephant poo is bigger than me

giraffes yes

butterfly : ew you are right.

let's stick with the tigers

ivycurlz : maybe some black panthers

butterfly : ooh yah

ivycurlz : they are pretty

or lionesses

butterfly : let's just do big cats in general

ivycurlz : YES

big cat india farm

butterfly : "IVYCURLZ AND BUTTERFLY'S BIG KITTY

RESCUE"

then undernearth it will say "rawr"

ivycurlz : LOL i love it!!!

lets call it KITTY KLASS

Klass for K*, L* and S* and S*

LOL

butterfly : ooooh that's GOOOOOOOOOD

ivycurlz : lmfao!!

butterfly : we will have to be extra careful with the girls

to make sure they don't get their faces eaten early

ivycurlz : it was stoopid but funny

butterfly : cuz they will be all up in their faces

LOL

ivycurlz : they can wear hockey masks

butterfly : perfect

ivycurlz : doooo dooo dooot doood ooodd

pink ones

lol

butterfly : that might scare the little kitties

ivycurlz : so they dont look scary

butterfly : lol yah

ivycurlz : weeeeeeeeeeeeeee

oh what fun

butterfly : i am ready. let's go.

i am assuming we need to capital or some loans

to get started on this venture of ours got any connections

with the mob?

ivycurlz : um well i did have uncle vinny

but hes 6 feet under now bad drug deal

butterfly : blast!

ivycurlz :we could knock over a bank here in the states
have pre-paid airline tickets
jump straight on the plane
and head to india
never get us there
butterfly : i like the way your mind works.
ivycurlz : when do you want to go eat?
butterfly : wheneva. do you have your lunchy here?
ivycurlz : yep!
found it stuffed in the back of the freezer
butterfly : let me finish posting our good idea to blogger, then i'll

be ready
:P
ivycurlz : lmfao!!!
omg
well maybe someone rich will read it and want to sponsor us
butterfly : you never know
ivycurlz : that would be
r
a
d
i
c
a
l
butterfly : "now accepting donations"
lol
ivycurlz : kids, were moving to india
lol!!
butterfly : on that note, let's eat!

Irrelevant Quizzes for your Thursday

Created by Recipe Star

Created by Recipe Star

Happy Pancakes

the ladybug said LL's pancakes looked like a smiley face...so he added the smile. sunday fun at denny's.

Fun on a Friday

The Davish One : I found out some guy is following me on twitter, and so I looked at his stuff
and he wrote this: Alexander led 40K men, over 20K miles in 11 yrs to be what he was. What r u willing to do? Be lazy? Or be Great? You can't be both.
Which has managed to put me in a tail spin for the last 20 minutes
butterfly : whoa.
i pick lazy
LOL
The Davish One : HA!
butterfly : greatness can be in my mind
The Davish One : It's hard being up here
away from ya'll
butterfly : come down and play *the davish one*
hahahhaa
(about 2 minutes later when i realized that he is actually in philly right now)
butterfly : funny thing is that i thought you were speaking in the figurative sense
then i realized you were being literal
wow, i really made myself laugh there
The Davish One : HAHAHAHA!!! Nice One *butterfly*!

Tim Burton's - Alice In Wonderland

9 High Resolution Photos/Concept Art From Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’

wow, is anyone as excited about this movie coming out as me???? :) :)

The Controvercy of MJ

this is probably going to open up a can of worms, but it's a reality. i have heard MANY mixed emotions surrounding the death of michael jackson. including myself.

most of what you're hearing is shock, sadness, the death of such a huge icon for my generation. i mean, he truly was OUR elvis, OUR beatles. granted, he was neither of the 2, but he was that big to us. and i say WAS because since his legal and morality troubles started, people did see him differently.

all of that aside, you can't argue with his talent as an artist. he brought something that no one was ever able to bring. he was truly THE crossover musician. if it wasn't for him, there would not be many of the artists out there today. seriously. my parent's generation and honestly anyone even 5-10 years older than me does not understand our feelings. they went through the death of elvis... i was too young when elvis died to feel that impact. i feel it now, but not when it actually happened. i remember when i first got the cassette tape "bad" in 1987. i was 11. my mom bought it for me. i remember wearing it out in the cassette player. i remember watching "thriller" and thinking it was soooooooo scary, but i also thought it was AWESOME. (now that i look back, that might have been the start of my zombie obsession. ha!) michael jackson's music had a huge impact on my childhood and my growing up.

he was always eccentric, but that's ok. who isn't now-a-days.

now, for the can of worms. even my own boyfriend who is my age is not at all saddened by this news. it doesn't impact him in any way. he grew up with it just like i did. but in his eyes "God don't like ugly". and yes, he is right. if the allegations were true, and only MJ and God know the real truth, then i absolutely agree. he was not found guilty of the charges. but i also have no tolerance for child molesters. and if is what he truly was, then yes, God knows that. and that is between him and God.

but i don't know for sure. i can't accuse when it all very well could have been one idea that tumbled into a full on lie because one person thought they could benefit from the money that they would receive and other people decided to hop on the train. i just don't know. i don't know the guy personally and honestly when you are in the spotlight that much, you don't know what to believe.

all i know is the impact that his music had on me and that it STILL has on me. i hear his songs and i reminisce. and i sing and i remember days of my childhood. i remember mtv when they actually played videos. they are good memories. and i can't ever deny his talent as an artist.

it's very sobering and i feel somber. i hope that people will remember his legacy and his music and not the accusations and the legal troubles that were brought to light. that's between him and God as i said before. all i know is that we truly have lost OUR superstar.

RIP The KING of POP

good lord i am still speechless. michael jackson was such a HUGE part of my adolesence growing up. i still listen to my greatest hits album i have of his a couple of times a year. good flashbacks there. for our generation, this is such a huge loss. i mean, yah, the guy got pretty creepy and weird in the past...well...many years. but regardless, he was the king of pop and no one could touch his talent for our generation. he opened so many doors. 50 years old. such a horrible loss.

i had way many favorites by michael jackson...but if i had to pick one, this is the first that came to mind.

you will be missed, michael.

Interactive Post

ok so my fabulous friend, the davish one and i have been having a conversation and i was disturbed to find out that a close friend believed this article to be true. i would like to know from my readers out there if they find this true as well or if they thought it was as bizarre as i did :

The Davish One : Okay *name withheld* and I are hammering it out over this article. She says it's totally correct.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1195336/Body-dysmorphic-disorder-Four-beautiful-women-distorted-way-THEY-themselves.html
butterfly :oh god. dont get me and *name withheld* mad at each other
let me look
The Davish One : not trying to start drama.
butterfly : lol
The Davish One : you agree?
butterfly : um
no
The Davish One : is your body image better than this
please tell me it is
butterfly : i think this is overexagerated
i mean yes, there are things about myself i am not too crazy about, but this is WAY far fetched
seriously
The Davish One : okay, for that... listen to *name withheld*'s first response:
*name withheld*: good article. and absolutely correct i see a chubby midget with four chins and a big nose when i look in the mirror. ;)
butterfly : surely she is kidding
The Davish One : um, no
I thought so too
but no
butterfly : uh
i don't know what to say
The Davish One : and the big nose is a body image from her mother
yeah me neither!!!
(apparenly *mother* asked if *name withheld* wanted a nose job for her 18th bday)
Now I understand why she never believes me
butterfly : jesus christ
The Davish One : when I tell her she's pretty
And I thought not trying to sleep with her would give me street cred
she said, some.... but not much
well, thank god you're more balanced....
but I bet if you showed this article to *another name withheld* she'd agree with it
butterfly : jesus. i've never in my life....
i mean i know i am overweight and i'm not where i want to be, but i think i'm relatively an attractive person. there are things about myself that i'm not too excited about, but nothing that DISGUSTES me.
wow....that's just...wow.
i can't even say anything.
The Davish One : THANK YOU!!!!
I knew that women's (and perhaps mens) self image was distorted
butterfly : they really need some therapy on self worth i think
The Davish One : like most women see themselves wider than they are, which is why anorexia is an issue
butterfly : good lord
The Davish One : Seriously!
There's a lot to be said for Self Love
butterfly : i agree
and that HAS to start on the inside
The Davish One : And then there's that
;)
butterfly : otherwise your outside version of yourself will never be correct
good lord. i am very disturbed by all that.
The Davish One : You are truly happy with yourself and it shows. You shine from the inside, and I LOVE IT, *butterfly*!!!
butterfly : aw thanks *the davish one*
The Davish One : I'm getting there on myself....
And it's getting better
butterfly : good!!!
The Davish One : and people respond differently
There are parts of me I love
and parts of me I (used to hate) now just want to better
butterfly : it's amazing how the self worth will shine through and people can see it
sure!
The Davish One : People see more of what we project that of what we are.... interesting isn't it
It's not what is actually there
but what we project that is there
I think about this and the nature of the universe a lot....
butterfly : no wonder your brain is full
:P
The Davish One : I'm trying to see the Universe as it truly is... not the constructs we project....
butterfly : metaphysics
The Davish One : And yeah, it makes my brain full, and causes me to 'hurt' other peoples brains. :D
butterfly : hehehe
The Davish One : yep meta physics
butterfly : that's why i love "what the bleep do we know?"
The Davish One : WOO HOO!!! Me Too! And I do all the time
butterfly : it's all about one's perceptions
The Davish One : smoke breaks can be lots of fun in my head
Yeah, and then I start working magic, making my own reality...
butterfly : i love you the davish one
The Davish One : For example, I have the ability to control traffic lights, and have proven this to many a person, including my mom
butterfly : and i love that you make my brain hurt
The Davish One : LOVE YOU TOO!!!!
Hahahaha, the pain means it's growing. and that's a good thing
butterfly : no pain no gain. gotcha.

Fun With crack monkey

crack monkey: hey, where do you get your shin guards for soccer?
butterfly : soccer city
you can also get them at academy or sports authority
crack monkey : got another softball to the shin, in the exact same place.
butterfly : uh
need shin guards :)
crack monkey : but softball shin guards are stupid huge
butterfly : yah just get soccer ones you should be fine
crack monkey : will you come with me? am a total retard when it comes to soccer stuff. might end up wearing it on my head.
butterfly : oh dear. haha yes.
you are supposed to be italian - soccer is in your blood
lol
crack monkey : hay! i resemble that remark. ;)
butterfly : lol!

Yogi Tea - Chai Rooibos

my new favorite tea : Yogi - Chai Redbush (Rooibos).

mmm it's fantastic. i do 1/2 hot water and mix with 1/2 hot milk for my own personal chai rooibus latte. add a little splenda, and whalla - PERFECTION.

and the biggest bonus - it's organic and naturally caffeine free.

me and LL spent 2 hours in central market the other day. i would LIVE there if i could.

Quick Update

i have been a horrible blogger lately. and for that i apologize.

i'm still here and i TRY to catch up on my blogger friends, but lately i have been so incredibly out of the loop.

work has been absolutely insane. you know with all the rumors of the mortgage business being in such turmoil and no one is buying houses or refinances, i call BS! we are busier than we have EVER been in the 2 years that i have been here. we can't keep our head above water. i'm trying to balance work and home as well as i can, but it's getting very difficult. i am beyond burnt out. i need a vacation bad. LL and i are trying to find a good time in august or september to take a week stint out to gulf shores, al and come back through new orleans on the way back. i sure hope we can make that happen. in the meantime, crack monkey and i are taking the ladybug down to austin and new braunfels the weekend of july 10th where we will be staying HERE. AAAAH, can't WAIT!

i just moved 2 weeks ago. that was insanity. all the packing, the moving, the unpacking. and i still have quite a bit of unpacking to do, but i'm getting there. we love the new place. it was $270 cheaper than what we were paying and it's about 100 sq ft bigger. that was a no brainer. lots of trees, quaint little neighborhood. i love it.

LL and i are doing great. he's just got back from a month long tour in europe and is about to go back mid july for another 3 weeks. things are busy busy busy in all aspects of my life right now. i can't wait to take a day just to lay on the couch. i don't foresee that happening for quite some time though, so for now, i have my sights set on my weekend venture south on 35.

Comes The Dawn

i was reading a friend's blog a bit ago and was feeling and hurting for what she seems to be going through right now. it made me think of 1 of my 2 favorite poems. i read this often to give me strength.

"Comes the Dawn"

Author: Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security,

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today,

Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans,

And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn

That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure...

That you really are strong,

And you really do have worth.

And you learn and learn...

With every goodbye you learn.

You Know It's Summer Vacation When...

....your daughter will NOT stop calling you on the very first day of summer break every couple of hours. same.exact.conversation...only slight differences...

me : "hey baby"
ladybug : "hi..." all sigh-ish and slumpy-like
me : "whatcha doin?"
ladybug : "nothing... i'm bored."


for the love of god, please don't let this happen all summer long. :P

It Must Be Lunch Time

ivycurlz : hello

my name is hungry montoya, you ate my father prepare to die