NOLA

Girls Trip: something the women in my family look forward to the beginning of every summer for the past hmmm... many years.  Last year we oh so rudely didn't include my mom and had a sister's trip to New York, but for many years before that we all got together at different places to go shopping, eating, and enjoying our time together on a girls trip! 

This year we decided on New Orleans, just a 2 hour trip from us, and off we went!

Friday we drove straight to this beautiful lunch place Cafe Amelie and actually sat OUTSIDE despite the 100 degree heat!  

Their sandwiches all sounded delicious, so we each got a different one and rotated them around the table once so that we each got a taste.  Here's my muffaletta (the 1st time I'd ever had one).  

 After lunch we went to the Canal Place Shops and were extremely glad to be the air conditioned mall.  The shopping was fun and successful, but then it was time for dinner.  GW Fins was a wonderful seafood restaurant with a very cool dining room.... where I ate every last bite of my dinner....

 Bourbon Street

 Saturday morning breakfast at Cafe du Monde

 Saturday we spent the whole day shopping Magazine Street.  Tons of antique, furniture, clothing, shoe, & specialty stores. 

 This was my favorite store... it smelled absolutely heavenly and was a combination of beautiful home decor, a flower shop, antiques, and the owner's personal pet parrot/birds.  I wanted so many things in the store for my house and look forward to going back to Dunn & Sonnier.  

 We had lunch at Cafe Rani, a restaurant I had been to years ago with Ben's family, and had yet another delicious meal.  my Cobb Club sandwich...

 After more shopping & exhaustion, we relaxed at the hotel before dinner time.  

We had a place in mind that didn't take reservations, but when we drove by, it seemed a little sketchy.  So, at the last minute we made immediate reservations at the Pelican Club.  Rather than ordering entrees, we ordered 6 different appetizers and a soup and shared them all.  Almost all of the appetizers on the menu sounded delicious & this way we each got to sample more flavors.  It did not disappoint!  

 Sunday morning was time to go home, but not before the long awaited brunch at Stanley's.  I started to love Eggs Benedict when Ben & I went to London last year, so I ordered the Eggs Stanley... basically Eggs Benedict with fried Oysters on top.  WOW....

 We strolled back through the French Quarter to the car to return home.... 

 New Orleans has such wonderful & different food, so it's hard for that not to be the focus of our trip.  We did a lot of shopping but were reasonable when it came to buying.  I always love spending time with my mom & sisters and can't wait for where next year takes us!?!? 

I was looking forward to getting home and seeing my hubby.  All weekend all he told me that he did was yard work and "work."  Much to my surprise, when I got home I realized that he had some surprises up his sleeve.  He had quite a productive weekend doing projects around the house. Most notably, Ben went & purchased and put together the patio furniture dining set that I had picked out a few weeks ago and was wanting!  My parents gifted us with money to buy patio furniture of our choice 2 Christmases ago, but Ben & I saved the money because we thought we would be moving soon.  Here we are at the same house 2 years later, so it was time to fulfill our Christmas gift!  I was very appreciative that Ben surprised me and got this done.  Now we just need to have a party.  :) If it hadn't rained today, we would have eaten dinner out there tonight!  

 After this busy weekend and typing up this overview, I am exhausted and definitely going to bed early! Loads of laundry have been done and to work I'll be going in the morning.  It's taking some time getting used to this new schedule for me, but I'm extremely grateful for it!  Night!