The Most Magical Place on Earth

So Tuesday I took a long drive with my best friend Katherine, and we ended up in Orlando, Florida. Now this was no coincidence for we have embarked on another adventure. For the next five months, I am working at Walt Disney World. AMAZING, right?!!? So after a long but fun morning of paper work and scheduling, now it's time to unpack my life haha. Look forward to some posts about the wonderful world of Disney

'Eiffel for this color'- OPI

Today, I was challenged by my dear friend, Katelyn, to blog about my nail polish collection. I texted her this afternoon to tell her of my recent purchases, and she directed me to her most recent blog post. Well ma'am here's what you asked for. To start off, let's just say that I can equate my nail polish collection to my book collection...it might even rival my book collection (re: Favorite Things blog post). A little scary right, especially for the pocket book.

 Well here it is in all of its glory

I really should invest in a better container to keep such a valuable collection...the bag cannot zip closed anymore. Either an occasion to find a new bag, or a sign to stop buying nail polish. What do you think?

Before I send all of you spend-thrifts into a tizzy lecturing me about the economy, let me explain myself and the reason for the enormity of my collection. Ulta, the beauty supply store, runs a special on every 2nd Tuesday of the month (or something ridiculous like that) where you can buy two and get one free. Let's just say, I've attended many 2nd Tuesday events at Ulta. Soooo basically every third nail polish that I own was free, and a few were given as presents...Yeah, I know, still sounds bad. Hmmm, nail polish, books, and don't even get me started on coffee....I need to reevaluate my spending habits.
Now enough negativity and excuses. Seriously who knew buying nail polish could be an interesting investment. The names from OPI are enough to intrigue any willing purchaser. My favorites include: We'll always have Paris, You don't know Jacques, and Glitzerland. Strangely enough, there seems to be a trend. I think I buy them as much for their names as for their color...and their connection to my favorite places.

Due to my keen memory, I can spot an OPI color and name it on command. Think they have a career in such a thing? A necessary talent, right? Ok, well I can apply my memorizing ability to other things too. I also have a knack for remembering outfits and to which occasion it was worn from years ago...one of my quite necessary talents, and the reason I was a successful art history student. Memorizing works of art was the same as remembering what Catherine wore to LSU's homecoming game our junior year. Nail polish might not be as important, but it does complete an outfit, portray a certain image, and represent your personality. From the green nail polish that shocks your grandmother to your pristine and prim manicure for the job interview, it's the vital completion to an outfit.
Well there you have it folks...another reason I should declare myself a shopaholic.

Tomayto or Tomaahto

To take a minor detour from my cousin's wedding, I must relate an interesting event I attended last week. Recently, I have become the backup guest for my parents... you know, if someone bails on their plans, they invite me with the added bonus of my stellar company and driving skills; not that I mind since you know it is the summer and my calendar is sooo booked (sarcasm of course). Well last week, it turned out that my sister-in-law had to work late, so I was called in as a replacement to attend a special dinner at a local restaurant. This occasion just so happened to be hosted at one of my parents' favorite restaurants, La Provence, a John Besh restaurant in between Mandeville and Lacombe, Louisiana. Now, my family's relationship with La Provence starts long before John Besh's ownership of this charming and pleasant Provencal auberge.

My father first savored the Provencal cuisine in the 1970s when it was first opened by native Frenchman and chef Chris Kerageorgiou in 1972. Loyal patrons for decades, my parents brought me and my brothers to the restaurant as children where we referred lovingly to the chef and owner as Uncle Chris. So many birthdays, anniversaries, Easters, and Christmas eves were celebrated at our beloved La Provence, and we have continued to frequent the restaurant now under the masterful eye of Chef John Besh who bought the restaurant from Uncle Chris before he passed away.

La Provence still possesses the old world charm and familiarness that I grew up with, but now with an updated and innovative twist. Anyway, this was the location of the special dinner themed solely with crab meat and tomatoes. Sounds interesting right? Like something off of Iron Chef perhaps? Well that was the basic idea...each course had to have those ingredients...even dessert (a little strange and thankfully without crab meat). The evening started with a delicious coupe de champagne, followed by an heirloom tomato Bloody Mary featuring the Belvedere Bloody Mary vodka (good way to start the evening, right?) Now I'm not a fan of Bloody Marys, but this was delicious. The evening continued with 5 courses...but I'm only going to tell you about my favorites.

 

Accompanying the Bloody Mary was the first course, a crab and tomato bruchetta. This was extremely simple, but one of my favorites because you could really taste the freshness of the ingredients.

Following the bruchetta was a chilled tomato and crabmeat soup and salad. The salad consisted of avocado, cucumber, crab, and fresh herbs. Yum! and so refreshing for the Louisiana steamy summer.

After two other courses, we finished the evening with a tarte tatin of late season tomatoes, salted caramel and mascarpone ice cream, and served with a 2002 Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Rosé Champagne. Hesitantly, I tasted the tarte, and I was pleasantly surprised by the sweetness of the tomatoes...it could have almost been an apple tarte if I closed my eyes. The champagne was the best part about the dessert though haha. It was another successful and memorable evening at La Provence, enjoying wonderful company, delicious food, and exquisite wine.

(Book count: 6 read, 44 to go!)

Sweet Sweet Summertime

Summer. This blissful season gives cause to celebrate...for various reasons. The end of school, a cousin's wedding, our country's independence, and even the steamy weather. All perfectly reasonable reasons to celebrate, yet this summer is different for me. Newly graduated, I do not have school supplies to look forward to buying in August, no epic tailgating for LSU to attend, and no classes to anxiously anticipate. This is WEIRD! Despite this strange and awkward transitional time between being a college student and a real person (Eek I'm an adult!), I am still allowed to participate in the wonderful celebrations of summer...and oh I have.
   The first adventure of the summer which I embarked on was a trip to Nashville with my mother to celebrate my cousin Elizabeth's wedding. Upon arrival, we immediately began preparations for a bridal luncheon to be held on Friday. After only two days, my aunt, mother, and myself had cleaned, shopped, cooked, and decorated till we were about to drop...just in time to actually attend the luncheon and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We naturally began this Southern bridal luncheon with Mimosas, Kir Royales, and an interesting cocktail concoction that my mother and I perfected. All the twenty-eight ladies in attendance enjoyed a wonderful luncheon in my aunt's charming 60s style ranch house and atop her newly completed deck. Perched at four tables in the beautiful southern sun, we indulged in a delicious menu:

Tomato, cheese, and asparagus quiche

French potato salad with green beans

Green salad with mandarin oranges

And artisan bread and

delectable desserts from a local bakery 

(aptly named Provence)

These delicious dishes were made by my mother and aunt who learned how to cook so skillfully from my grandmother who was greatly missed but not absent from the weekend's festivities. Although the luncheon proved to be difficult work, the experience and friendships made were wonderful and well worth it.

 

A picture of my aunt's dining room after the luncheon. Sadly, I was too busy talking and with my bartending duties to take pictures during the event.

(Don't worry...more to come about the wedding)

Favorite Things

Everyone has their favorite things to buy. From fathers and their power tools to grandmothers and their cook books, some innate part within humans compels us to own, possess, and collect certain things. Like any other normal 20-something year old girl, I love to shop. Clothes, shoes, purses, makeup; the list is never ending. However, one item in particular is the perpetual top-liner on my list. Books. I didn't realize I had a problem until I moved home from college. Along with the boxes and bags of various and sundry items, I had stacks upon stacks upon stacks of books perched precariously on every available surface in my room. I nearly twisted my ankle trying to step over one of these literary towers. Despite the disorder of my now over-packed childhood room, I became a regular at the local Barnes and Noble; I tried to reboot my kindle (the cord is lost somewhere among the unpacked boxes); and I visited the local library to apply for a new card.
I realized I had a problem when I couldn't take the chaos of my room any longer and decided to organize my books. My friend, Catherine, suggested that I separate those books which I had read from the unread. The unread pile grew steadily as I continued to unearth novels around my room. Final tallies leave the unread at 50. FIFTY BOOKS! Some people don't read that many books in a lifetime, and yet here they sit in my room. How does this happen? Am I a candidate for hoarders?
Despite my predicament, there is just something wonderful and exciting about the discovery of a new story, the expectation of a happy ending, and the satisfaction of acquiring knowledge- learning a little something more of the human condition to make sense of this life.
Ok, now that I've adequately philosophized, let's get down to the problem at hand. I have 50 unread books in my room. Whatever the excuse was for not reading them at the time of purchase, no excuses are acceptable now. I am not allowed to buy any more books until I have finished this hearty stack which now resides under my desk. I will update you periodically on my progress and give a short review of some of my favorites or even least favorites.

Currently, I am reading Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada.

I know, it sounds depressing, but I love historical fiction, and this novel is 

set in Nazi Berlin. My mom has read it and said that everyone should read it

just to get a kind of perspective on how lucky we are today.

 

Also this summer, I have read The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

This is by far one of the best books I have read in a long time. Multiple

reviews are likening this book to To Kill a Mockingbird, but I find that 

The Help offers a perspective which is appropriate for young adults and 

people my age. You definitely should read it if you haven't already.

 

Happy Reading!

Good Afternon!

Hi and welcome to my blog! As a recent graduate from Louisiana State University, I have many new adventures and experiences ahead of me, so I thought it was only appropriate to start a blog. I hope to provide a nice insight to many different areas. Please enjoy reading!