Homes of the GD

So it's been almost two months since we visited New Orleans, but I took lots of pictures and there was lots of stuff to share so this is the third and probably final post of what we did there.

Our last morning in New Orleans, we took a walking tour of the Garden District.  I definitely recommend walking tours if you like to learn some of the history/background and get a feel for what you're learning about because you're walking around and seeing everything.  What I remember most about the Garden District were all the beautiful houses.  Apparently, the Garden District was built by Americans that moved to New Orleans after the Louisiana Purchase who didn't want to live with the French/Cajun people in the French Quarter.  The neighborhood is a little classier in my opinion - it's more quiet and has a nice neighborhood feel.  Anyway, back to what I was saying - the houses.  Beautifully built and very cool.  I'm just gonna post a picture of a house and tell what I learned about it.

Anne Rice, author of Interview with a Vampire, lived in this house and then Nicholas Cage later lived in it, but then he had to give it up because of all his money problems.

Archie Manning's house - I thought my dad and brothers might think this house would be cool to see.  Can't you imagine little Peyton and Eli throwing the football with their dad in the frontyard?

This house was Walt Disney's inspiration for the haunted mansion ride at Disneyland.  This house reminded me of all my family that loves Disneyland (especially Stacy).  I can see it, but I totally thought this next house would be better inspiration for that ride.

Isn't that tree in front creepy?

John Goodman's house - They say he's out on his lawn a lot and will talk to people passing by.  He wasn't out when we were there.

Sandra Bullock's house - well one of them I'm sure.  She bought this house when she adopted a baby from New Orleans.

Nothing famous about this house as far as I know, but I really liked it so I took a picture.  I think the staircase leading up to the front door is cool.

I took more than just house pictures.  The Garden District has a pretty interesting graveyard/cemetery and a cool restaurant and lots of cool shops on Magazine Street that we checked out.  It was a very enjoyable experience in the GD.

Back to Nashville

 A few weeks ago (actually almost a month ago), I went up to Nashville for a girls trip with two of my best friends from college, Lauren and Julia.  

We did so many fun things including walking up and down Music Row, going to the Country Music Hall of Fame, hanging out in the District, checking out Opryland/the Grand Ole Opry, walking around Centennial Park, and going to the Bluebird Cafe.  

And, of course, we hit up some of the best places to eat including Pancake Pantry, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, Monell's, and Loveless Cafe.  

I recommend every single thing we did and every single place we ate.  Seriously, two thumbs up!  Both Lauren and Julia wrote posts already, and they both have better pictures.  So see their posts here and here.  

In addition to all they've shared, I'd like to say that Nashville has become my favorite city in the South, and there are many reasons for that.  One is because of all the many fun & exciting things to do, and two is because I always have the best company when I'm there. :) 

Lauren and Julia are some the most wonderful people I have ever known and will ever know.  They've known me in my most immature/awkward moments as well as in my greatest, and they have loved me and supported me in all of them.  I just know they were meant to be a part of my life.  I had the greatest time seeing them again, catching up, talking about families & friends, where we live, things in life that are great & things in life that are hard.  I could not have asked for a better girls trip!  

Some of the best adventures of my life have been with Lauren & Julia, and I'm really glad our most recent one was in Nashville!   

Riverwalk

When Newel and I were down in New Orleans we walked along the Mississippi River waterfront from Canal Street up to the Riverwalk Marketplace.  We really enjoyed the openness and the breeze from the river.  Here are some pictures we took:

Newel & the M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I River

Some very yummy beignets we ate from the famous Cafe du Monde.

And more of New Orleans.

I know the pictures don't show much, but I really enjoyed the riverwalk since it was cooler out in the open versus in the busy, crowded streets of the city.  You learn to find ways to escape the heat to some degree in the South.

Side note: I should add that the summer has been mild here in Birmingham (I think).  It doesn't seem as hot as last summer.  Or maybe my body has adjusted to Southern weather better than I thought it would. :)

Yum

So here's a personal adventure that took place in the South: baking with yeast. :)  I use to have a yeast phobia.  For some reason, I thought yeast was seriously hard to work with and that the only chance I had to make decent bread was my dear friend, the bread making machine (which I still think is a really great and respectable way to make bread).  But then I finally caught on to the Our Best Bites blog and found yeast bread recipes that looked so, SO delicious.  I wanted to make them so much that I just made myself overcome my fear of yeast.  I started with the rosemary focaccia recipe which was divine, and then I tried the breadsticks.  I loved them so much and was so proud of my work that I took a picture.  I know, I'm now one of those people that takes pictures of their food.  Oh well.  Still proud!

I definitely recommend both recipes.  The shaping of the breadsticks was a little bit of work for me, but any normal bread-making person can easily handle it.  If you are feeling wary about yeast or bread-making in general, don't worry, I believe in you and know you can make whatever you want!

More Southern Talk

Just a few other things we've picked up on since living here.  For some of the originals check out this post.

On the flip of that - on the other hand; as in "I like going to work, but on the flip of that, I don't." :)  I like saying 'on the flip of that' better than 'on the other hand' now.

Hosepipe - hose/garden hose.  I don't really get this one; pipes are hard, right?

Buggy - shopping cart.  I thought babies went in buggies, not groceries.

Ma'am - what/pardon/excuse me?
For example:
Me: "Where do you hear the R sound in bear?"
Student: "Ma'am?"
Me: "What?"
Student: "Ma'am?"
Me: "What?"
Student: "I didn't hear the word.  Say that again."
Me: "Oh, right.  Where do you hear the R sound in bear?"
This one obviously took me a while to get.  Still gets me sometimes.

Boy, you gone crazy/you have lost yo' mind - means what it says.

Mess - a person/thing/situation that's disarrayed, out of sorts, etc.; as in, "Newel, my little Sugar-Bear is such a mess."

Hot mess - a person/thing/situation that's REALLY disarrayed, disheveled, out of sorts, etc.; as in "That Hillary is a hot mess" (on the day I wore two different shoes to work).

Bless your heart - an expression of sympathy like 'you poor thing'... at least when it's been said to me.  I've since realized that "bless your heart" can also an expression of "you're kind of an idiot" so pay attention to context!

Love me this Southern talk. :)

Some Explaining

I'm a little guilty of blog neglect again.  Don't worry, I didn't forget I had one like last time.  Things just got a little busy and those other things came first.  I really wanted to have a new cool post about more we did in New Orleans or a fun weekend I had with some of my best friends in Nashville, but I just don't have the brain power to do that.

BUT...I was reading my last post about the French Quarter and thought I would explain a little more of why I liked St. Louis Cathedral so much.

It was because it's a church and it was beautifully built, and when we were walking around everywhere, it got really hot and really noisy.  We decided to go inside the cathedral,  and as soon as we walked in, it was quiet and cool (amazing AC) and peaceful.  It reminded me that when we slow down and are still, we feel peace and we can listen to our heart, and what it's saying to us.  I love to be in quiet, holy places like my the church building I usually go to, or the temple, or even out in good, ole Mother Nature.  Feels like home, feels like God.