NOLA with the gals

We took Jenn to NOLA for a long Memorial Day weekend to celebrate her upcoming nuptials. I'm not sure I've ever had more fun or slept so little. I gained 4 pounds, which is the sign of a truly fabulous time. :)

Friday night we went to Port of Call, which is known for their hamburgers and monsoons. We had both. Neither disappointed. We also ran into The Compositionz, who I've seen several times at weddings and such. They serenaded us while we waited in line. Sweet boys.

One of the members of the band was getting married too!

Outside Port of Call

Me and Hilly Bean

Our days were spent by the pool, which was apparently THE place to be if you were a guest at The W Hotel on Poydras.

Our bride

Me, Jenn and Liz - one of our Boston gals!

Saturday we ate at Mother's for lunch, which is always wonderful, then we sunbathed until it was time for dinner. Basically, we ate all weekend.

Saturday night we ate dinner at Capdeville, which is probably one of my new favorite spots in NOLA. The macaroni and cheese is to die for. And the chorizo french fries.... forget about it. We got to meet the owner, James, and he ended up coming out with us Sunday night. Nice guy.

The girls with James, the owner of Capdeville

Sunday we went to brunch at the Palace Cafe, where Jenn was once again serenaded by a band. They sang "What a Wonderful World" and the cute little bald guy on the left side with the glasses was so funny. He would sing "I hear babies crying... shut up, baby!"

Brunch at Palace Cafe

After brunch, we walked to Jackson Square because some of the girls had never been. I had never been into the cathedral when there mass was in progress. It was pretty neat.

Sunday night, we ate at Grand Isle. Great oysters. While we were eating, we used the iPhone app aLike to determine who our celebrity look-alikes were. It's the greatest thing because the celebrities look NOTHING like you.

I mean, I love Alyson Hannigan but really?

After dinner, we went to Lafitte Bar which is one of the coolest places I have ever been to. It was built in the 1720s and is the oldest structure used as a bar in America. It doesn't even have electricity.

Lafitte

Stacy's husband collects fire department shirts from different cities, so we had to stop and get him one. Naturally, we hopped in the fire truck.

It was a great weekend, and I cannot wait for Jenn's wedding in 11 days! For now, girls, I'll just leave you with this....

Mother's Day, DIY Curtains, Moving and Teeth(?)

The month of May is a crazy one for the Odom/Rice/Patrick clan. My parents are moving, and it's all hands on deck until May 31. I've been sewing curtains for the sunroom during the morning and packing at Mom's in the afternoon. After Erin tested the waters using drop cloth for curtains, I decided summer was a great time for me to make some. I took a few photos for you DIYers out there:

 

My ceilings are 9 feet tall and my windows go almost all the way to the top, so I got the 9 foot drop cloth which allowed for a 4.25" opening at the top for the rod and about a 3" hem at the bottom. The 6' in width allowed me to cut the cloth in half and have two nearly 3' panels (about 35").

For the first one, I pinned the cloth around the rod so I would know exactly how big of an opening I needed for the rod. (For each subsequent panel, I just measured the correct amount.

Then I drew a line with my fabric marker so I could cut it in half.

Now I have 2 panels!

Then I just ironed a doubled over edge and sewed the length to get rid of the raw edge.

Once I was finished with that, I sewed a hem at the bottom and created my opening at the top.

Donezo!

This is what the windows looked like before curtains.

I've only finished 4 panels (enough for one wall of windows) so I have 10 more to go. I haven't decided which way I like them better. What do y'all think?

Closed

or spaced?

In other news, MaryCollis has been a holy terror for the past couple of days. I can only pray that she's getting teeth because otherwise I have absolutely no idea what her problem is. She looks real cute in these photos, but don't be fooled. There's a nightmare in there.

I'm pretty sure God made children overwhelmingly adorable so their parents wouldn't throw them out the window during times of teething, sickness and terrible 2s. Can I get a witness?

Chad bought me some BEAUTIFUL roses for Mother's Day, and they still look just this beautiful. Gosh, I love when I can get some good use out of flowers. I was so sick I nearly died on Mother's Day, but Chad took care of the baby without me really having to ask. What a man.

The Downtown Farmer's Market is here! Man oh man. I bought a loaf of homemade bread (which is nearly gone), some homemade jam, honey and squash. 

MC dominated her peanut butter sandwich on homemade bread.

View of our neighborhood from the 3rd floor (MC's play room/my sewing room). I am nearly finished with the 3rd floor, so I'll post before and after photos soon!

We went to visit with my girlfriend Bryn and her baby boy Cotter yesterday. Ah! I could eat him up. Those eyes. Those lips. It's too much.

While cleaning out Mom and Dad's house, we have stumbled upon some real gems. Exhibit A: An encouragram from World Changers circa 2000 from Ben Angel (aka Bennie Angel).

Exhibit B: A certificate from Laurel Junior Auxiliary from 1989 recognizing 1700 hours of service from my mom. That's right. That's nearly 71 days of service in one year. Chad wonders why I can't say no. Volunteering is who I am, and this is proof.

And if ANYBODY doubts that I am a carbon copy of my mother, please feast your eyes on Exhibit C: Cindy Rae Odom's cheerleading portrait from high school. Go Tigers!

Ketchup

It's been a very hectic last couple of weeks, so Imma catch y'all up on what's been going on. First, there was Day in the Park... Which has consumed Jane and me for the past 2 months. The weather was great, and that's all I'm going to say about that right. Because I'm so relieved it's over and I don't want to think about it until next year. Amen.

Vendors setting up at Day in the Park

Sick MC

Besties

MC in a cute Beaux et Belles outfit

I was recruited to face painting toward the end of the day, and this little lady requested a "full face butterfly."

After DITP, I managed to walk the 100 yards to Ashley and Will's for a crawfish boil. We ate a lot, we watched the derby, it was hot.

Ole Will Burroughs won the pot.

My parents sold their house and are moving. And I still don't want to talk about it. Since we will be getting an antique bed and armoire from their house, we had to move out the brushed nickel bed and chest that in no way matched our 100-year-old home. Since the room was essentially empty, I thought it was the perfect time to paint. No more blue!

Before.

Before.

In progress.

After! Grant beige. I'll post a true before/after once the antique furniture is moved in.

I went to Mom and Dad's house this week to go through some stuff in my closet. My mom insisted I try on some cocktail dresses and formals from when she was younger. I obliged. It turned into a sort of fashion show/photo shoot. 

My prom dress from 2003. Still fab.

I also tried on this one from high school. Fit like a dream!

Awesome 80s.

Um, I love this one. I will be wearing it to something soon. Say what you want about those shoulder pads, but they are fierce.

Yesterday, we had a senior party at my house since Mom is homeless at the moment. Everyone had a great time.

MC in a Beaux et Belles outfit from last summer. Still cute!

Laying on my pregnancy float. Ha!

MaryCollis and I have been sick this week. She's got cold-type symptoms, and I just can't quit coughing. Ugh. At least the MCT2 is over, which means I'm off for the summer!