An excellent Sunday, a day in six parts

Part 1: no more floods! All the water was successfully pumped out, and our street is no longer a river. So much better.

Part 2: Jessica and I attended a swanky clothes swap, run by a woman I met while out with friend B. After some fun, random conversation, she turned to me and extended an invitation to her annual clothes swap event. The event ended up being exceptionally fun, and we both scored some great sartorial finds and great new contacts. Success!

Part 3: The Saints won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Part 4: Jessica and I measured Tulip for her winter coat and booties. We think she will love them. {Not.}

Part 5: Nap. No explanation required.

Part 6: B and I decided to cook dinner at his house. He lives in a converted warehouse in the Marigny (read: no kitchen). So, atop his tricked-out hot plate, I made pasta fagioli. It turned out fabulously, and I felt like a little bit like a mad scientist in a soup lab. So fun! I also met his new little rescue puppy, who one minute was wild and rambunctious and the next, snoring away. Hilarious. I love puppies!

Good, good, good day.

Lots happening this week: mayoral debate, Christmas show, Saints/Dallas game, writing Christmas cards and wrapping Christmas gifts....! I just love this time of year!

Jessica, this one is for you

"This is not a parking spot!"

I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know how I pulled that off, but I did!!!!!!!!

YAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!

Supposedly there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

Mmm, can't quite see it yet.

The ribbons, the ribbons!

Friend B ran errands with me Wednesday night - never have I ever had a straight boy offer to go to Michael's with me and then cheerfully debate the merits of Christmas ribbons - red vs. green, satin vs. grosgrain.

The verdict? Red, grosgrain. Fabulous, obviously.

And then we had omelettes and milkshakes for dinner. It was very fun.

Going native

I'm a real (well, almost real, faux real, as real as you can be without having gone to high school here) Southerner.

I wear boat shoes.

I need some Who Dats!!

For the Saints - Who Dat!!

11 - 0 - Who Dat!!

For good friends - Who Dat!!

For people telling you the truth - Who Dat!!

For cute puppies - Who Dat!!

For getting to read cases about circuses for class - Who Dat!!

For my little sis - a giant freaking @#$%!@#$@!# Who Dat!!!!

Read this post with a sing-song rhythm in your mind

Plinka plinka plinka plunk

Plinka plinka plinka plunk

Our neighbor got a keyboard plunk

And is learning scales plunk

Night and day

Day and Night

Plinka plinka plinka plunk

Delicacies

I ate lunch on the porch today {in the smothering humidity} while Tulip whirled around the yard in a black blur. As I took a bite of my croissant sandwich {major yum} I noticed she was eating something as well. Grass? Nope. A stick? Nope. A....frog? DING DING DING.

Ew.

And then she got the hiccups, which totally made the 8-year-old in me think that the little froggie was hip-hoppiting around in her tummy. {Which I kind of think serves her right!}

Cannot think of a sufficiently excited title for this post!

Literally just this second, I scored a meeting with Mr. X, one of the largest angel investors in Louisiana, who knows everyone and everything about entrepreneurship in this city. I want to jump for joy and flip the bird to studying for my econ exam {that is in an hour}. But I won’t, I’ll keep studying.

{but I am so FREEEEEEEEAKING EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!}

Yo ho yo ho it's a {sailor's} life for me

Yesterday concluded the sailing season for the year, and I am completely hooked, anchored in, captivated and in love with this sport. From the blue and red ropes to flaking the main to the exhilaration of catching the wind to the competition of the races to tacking to jibing to trimming the main to switching the jib to running around smelling like sunscreen wearing boat shoes…I love it. Added to my list of life goals: own a sailboat. I absolutely cannot wait for the season to start up again in the spring.

In the meantime, I'll keep practicing my bowline knot. I only have 678 ties to go...

Vegetarian vs. Carnivore

Tonight Jessica and I shared a pomegranate for dinner.

Tulip ate a cow's trachea.

Yes, really.

Geaux Saints Geaux!

This game was amazing. From our perch high above the endzone, we screamed, cheered, booed, and contributed to the absolute madness, choas, pandemonium of everyone in New Orleans cheering for the home team. We wore our new jerseys (Brees for me, Shockey for her) and Jessica completely "out-Sainted" me with a pair of gold lamé leggings. They were amaaaaazing. I know several of you have requested photos but...gold lamé is a sight that must be seen in person.

So now we're 5-0. It's pretty great. Can't wait for the next game!

There and back again: the Wedding

The driving force behind my trip to New York was Jessica and Kevin's wedding. Since the trip fell over my birthday, I decided to stretch out my vacation time so that I could play in New York after my bridesmaidly duties were fulfilled.

First up, the wedding.

Jessica and Kevin's wedding was simply wonderful! Fun, joyful, easy, relaxing, full of loving families and friends - it was truly a joyous celebration of love and commitment.

It was an absolute delight to witness my friend marry someone who cares so deeply for her, and who is kind and loving and attentive and just about the sweetest person in the world. Jessica and I have been talking and daydreaming for a very long time about her wedding to Kevin and it was such an honor to be a part of their special day.

After the beautiful ceremony - which included Jessica's sweet mother and Kevin's amazing parents - this crew got down! I've never seen dancing like I did at this party. My dates has some smooth moves, and he whirled me around the dance floor all night. Jessica and Kevin stole the night with a salsa number that blew everyone away. The DJ had the coolest set-up that included giant screens on which he projected the music video of the song he was playing. It was great - and when "Thriller" came on, he stopped the whole thing and taught the crowd the dance. It was so fun.

And now for the pictures...

Waiting to go down for the ceremony

{This is a candid shot, taken on an iPhone, can you believe it?}

Jessica has never looked more beautiful, or Kevin more handsome

My dashing date

{Who carried all of Jessica's essentials and my flat shoes - what a trooper!}

Us on the Princeton campus

Another shot on the Princeton campus - it's so stunning. I wish I could go to undergrad again!

The bridesmaids with Jessica and Kevin. Doesn't Jessica look so beautiful??!

{Also, how on earth am I the tallest one of the bunch?}

Reception!

Jessica and Kevin laughing at the toast.

Jessica and Kevin - here's to your happily ever after!!!!!

Yes, I watch SYTYCD

You standing here is a sign of victory.
-Lil' C

SYTYCD filmed auditions in New Orleans this year, and the episode aired tonight. As I watched the entire episode, I was pretty much alternating between bouncing out of my chair with excitement for these incredible dancers and sitting, crying in awe of their triumphs. So many of these dancers have never had formal training - dancing is just part of the cultural fabric of this city. Dancer after dancer just brought serious heat, but what else would you expect from NOLA? One kid even introduced the "New Orleans Bounce" which blew everyone away. I mean, seriously, it was some of the fiercest stuff I've ever seen. He was there with his best friend, his mentor, who had taught him to dance when he was a little kid and had woken him up at 3:00 in the morning the day of the audition to make sure he was there on time.

And he's just one example. This city is filled to the brim with passion, talent, and soul. It's everywhere you go, everyone you meet, every song you hear sung on a street corner. Music is the heartbeat of this city, and it seems like everyone, from tiny children to old-timers and everyone in between, carries that heartbeat.

I love this city so much. It sets me on fire, and every day I feel like new things are possible. Each person here has had their heart broken, made sacrifices to come back, and keep going. This city taught me that. It has taught me to be alive, to be honest, to try every day, to be strong. Just like each one of those dancers, and just like this gorgeous city, each of us still standing here is a sign of victory.

Macro. Hmmm.

My friend sent this email to me from across the classroom today:

This is a lot of Y=C+I+G / F(K,L) I (r) MPL * MPK all finished off with a nice WTF.

Exxxxactly.

{am I so busy that I can't get pictures anymore? apparently}

Today has been full of loveliness. The weather is vaguely crisp, it's cooler than it's been in weeks and it almost maybe awesomely makes me think that fall has fallen. I just love fall.

A great something I've been obsessing over for weeks literally fell into my lap today. This is why overthinking and obsessing pays off! Because when the opportunity presented itself, I was able to articulate my ideas and {just maybe} move my personal agenda forward a step. Major hooraying is happening in my head.

Someone that {I thought} had forgotten about me suddenly resurfaced, and another opportunity has come from it.

Someone cut down one of my ideas this afternoon, one that I'm so excited about. She deflated me a bit, but it also reminded me why I am so determined to make it happen.

And of course, someone is getting married in 4 days, and I am just beyond thrilled.

Ok, must go back to reading my econ book. I forgot how long it takes to read textbooks...

My plan for zen appears to have worked

Maybe it was the yoga.

Maybe it was the fun-with-friends.

Maybe it was taking a night off from homework.

I'm going to go with D, all of the above.

I'm feeling refreshed, with renewed calm and positivity.

Happy Friday!

Her Highness, the Queen!

Look at our little snickerdoodle!!!!!!!
Front page of the NewWave.

Win the title for sheer loveability, while unicorns covered in bacon jam frolick around Joel Robuchon's backyard

No, I didn't write that title, but it made me laugh out loud, which was extremely welcome on this {very tired} Thursday.

Things are wild and hairy-scary these day. A lot is happening really, really fast, and it's definitely hard to keep my head above water. Sometimes it's just the tippy tip of my nose that's above water...

I had a final on Tuesday, which I am 98.5% confident I rocked. I know it's not about the grade, but I just can't help my inner Hermione from rearing up inside me with a ferocious desire to be the best.

I'm going to yoga tonight. I am in need of some serious om-ing.

And in case it's another two weeks before I post again:

Jessica: 10 days!!!