Pre-Mardi Gras Weekend in New Orleans

Hi all!

So I know I said I would write my next post about my crazy host mom, but that's going to have to wait. I just spent the weekend in New Orleans and I really wanted to share my adventures with you all!

I was in New Orleans for my friend Jane's debutante/Mardi Gras ball.  I had been one time before and I absolutely loved it.

We arrived late Friday night, but had no energy so we went straight to bed. On Saturday morning we got up early, then headed to the French Quarter.  Naturally, this was one of my favorite places.  From the architecture to the street names to the brightly colored doors, the whole thing made me nostalgic for France.

Our first stop was of course the famous "Cafe du Monde".  We had to wait in line for 30 minutes but it was definitely worth it.  We had beignets and café au lait, and I was in heaven.  It didn't even matter that I got powdered sugar all over my clothes.

Here's a picture from the cafe.  

After our food coma, we walked over to the French Market, which sold lots of cool jewelry, masks, and food! Once again, I felt myself missing those markets in the South of France.

French Market

Then we made our way to Bourbon Street, which was crazy! It wasn't even Mardi Gras yet, but that didn't stop people from celebrating early.  I thought I was going to get trampled.  It was an experience, that's for sure.

After a few hours of shopping and sightseeing, it was time to get ready and go to the ball!

The first part of the ball was held at a hotel, and after that everyone went to the New Orleans Country Club for a late-night breakfast buffet and dancing! The band that played was incredible, and the dancing was a lot of fun.

The next day after a late start, we headed over to Magazine Street for a parade! There were about 25 different floats, as well as high school marching bands and dance teams.  What I thought was really funny was that instead of throwing out candy to the kids, all the floats threw out Mardi Gras beads! I may have gotten slightly injured by some of them, but I still managed to catch quite a lot.

My friends and me at the parade--I don't think we have enough beads ;) 

I found it really interesting how seriously New Orleans takes Mardi Gras.  Almost every house we passed either had a Mardi Gras flag, Mardi Gras colored wreaths, and many other decorations. My friend, who is originally from New Orleans, told me that instead of Spring break, they would have a "Mardi Gras break". It seems like Mardi Gras is like Christmas in New Orleans!

On our way home from New Orleans, we were itching for some real seafood, since we were right on the gulf coast.  So we stopped in a cute beach town called Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and were looking for a restaurant with fresh crawfish.  We finally found a restaurant called "Lil Joe's", which had all kinds of fresh and fried seafood.  Normally I'm not the biggest fan, but I had to try it.  And it turned out to be delicious! I had the soft-shell crab po'boy, and the crawfish.  We were all really happy that we made the detour.

Here's a picture of the restaurant:

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend and I was so glad I got to go back to New Orleans and explore new things! I hope to return soon.

Have any of you been to New Orleans? If so, what was your favorite part?

xox

Helen

P.S. Next week I PROMISE I will write about Beatrice, but I'm warning you that the post might be long...lots of stories to tell.

Vive la France!

Daily Open-Air Markets

August 2014

Hello again! 

I apologize for my long absence. I had a really busy summer and then spent my fall semester in France! So these next few posts will be talking about my incredible experiences in France and Europe that I wanted to share with you all.  

I spent 4 months this fall in the South of France. I chose to study in France for 2 reasons: because of my lifelong connection with France through my french godmother, and because of my love of the language. I chose to study in the south in particular, because after reading the famous book, "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle, I knew I had to go see the places he wrote about.  

I stayed in a small city called Aix-en-Provence, which literally means "the city of water", and naturally, there were fountains everywhere. Fun fact: You can drink from all of these fountains! The city was founded in 1st century AD by the Romans. There are still ancient ruins, old churches and buildings that give the city so much history and charm.  It was amazing to live in a place like this, especially when I am used to living somewhere not even 300 years old.  

One of my favorite things about the South of France was the open air market that occurred every day. I passed 2 of these markets on my way to school.  Each day the markets would sell fresh produce, flowers, cheese, and lavender pochettes.  On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, they would sell clothing, tablecloths, dish ware, as well as food.  My housemate and I would frequent these markets weekly, almost daily, to purchase fruit and cheese from our favorite vendors.  And every Saturday, my friends and I would go to the markets and pick up baguettes, saucisson, cheese, and fresh fruit. Then we would go to one of the nearby parks and have a picnic! It was a great way to explore Aix and to enjoy the outdoors, since it was almost always sunny.  

The markets are one of the things I miss most about Provence.  Aside from farmer's markets, we really don't have open-air markets in America, so that was a big change coming back.  Another thing I miss is the cafés that lined every street, where I would stop almost every morning for a fresh, warm pain au chocolat.  I went to one café so often that by the end of the semester the saleswoman knew my name and my order. But you can't blame me for taking advantage of the french food, especially since I was definitely not getting the full experience in my host family (more details to come...). 

In any case, I absolutely loved living in Aix, and the fact that it was so small helped me to get to know the city more easily.  Also, everyone was so friendly and welcoming that I immediately felt at home. I will definitely return! 

Coming up in my next post: How to deal with a difficult french host mother.

A bientôt! (See you soon!)

Helen

Winter Beauty Essentials

Winter Beauty Essentials by hgkack featuring DevaCurl

CeraVe face moisturizer
target.com

Eucerin body moisturizer
target.com

Body moisturizer
target.com

DevaCurl styling product
nordstrom.com

Styling product
target.com

Bare escentuals cosmetic
sephora.com

Maybelline volume mascara
$28 - nelly.com

Bare Escentuals pencil eyeliner
beauty.com

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My suitemates and I have been really into healthy eating lately, so a couple days ago, we decided to make a healthy dessert...banana-oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! At first these sounded pretty gross, because to be honest, I'm much more of a traditional chocolate chip cookie kind of girl.  But my friend suggested we try them, so I thought, "why not?" She had all the ingredients, which were: bananas, oats, and chocolate chips.  It was so easy to make.  We mashed the bananas first, then slowly added the oats and chocolate chips.  My friend had made this recipe so many times that she didn't even need a recipe, or measuring cups! We just eyed the amounts, and it turned out great! We formed the "dough" into balls, and then baked them for about 15 minutes.  They turned out to be delicious, and you can barely even taste the banana! They are only 45 calories too! So I did not feel bad when I ate 3 cookies...So if you are ever in the mood for a healthy and sweet treat, these are perfect for you! 

Enjoy!

Helen 

Don't Wait.

Another week has gone by, and as I look back on the past week: I think, "What have I accomplished?" One of my biggest problems is that I let the time pass by, and I don't always live my life to the fullest. A lot of times this is because I'm just lazy, but I also hate when it becomes the end of the day, and I still haven't done anything.   If you let life pass you by, all of a sudden it will be too late to do the things you want to do.  And I'm sure you have all heard this countless times before, but it really is important.  What if you knew today was your last day? How would you spend it? And with whom would you spend it? Treat every day like it's your last one.  And try new things every day! Another crucial thing is to surround yourself with people who support you, and who make you a better person.  They are the people who will encourage you to pursue your dreams. And whenever you have a chance to experience new things, GO FOR IT! You never know when you'll have another chance to go for a hike, travel, or make someone happy.  This is something that I constantly think about, and you all should too.  One of my favorite quotes is, "Wake up an hour earlier, to live an hour more".
What do you hope to accomplish in your life? Don't wait! Take charge of your life, and don't let anyone else decide what can make you happy.

xx

Helen

Sundays

Oh, how I love Sundays.  I'm writing this while watching last week's episode of Downton Abbey. What a crazy week this has been! We went through recruitment and rush for our sorority, and yesterday was bid day.  Very fun, but busy.  I will be glad to have a break!  But the main reason I love Sundays is because of church.  Going to church is such a great way to reflect on the past week, and spiritually prepare for the week ahead.  It's also a nice break, a full hour away from all the craziness, to just enjoy the presence of God.  That always starts my day off right.  Then I usually go to brunch with my friends, and eventually start homework. But since I'm not always motivated, I let myself watch an episode (or three) of one of my favorite shows, Gossip Girl, White Collar or Downton Abbey.  Because I deserve it, right?  Then a few hours later, I grab dinner, call my parents, and then start work.  There's something about Sundays, though, that just makes me feel refreshed.  Even if the past week/weekend have been busy, I still have this feeling of serenity, almost a calm before the storm, aka the week ahead. What I've learned though, is that attitude is the most important. When I have a positive attitude, I tend to work harder, focus more, and just enjoy life.  So I am going to be optimistic about this week, and it will be a great one!

xoxo

Helen

A Bountiful Brunch

I haven’t done a restaurant review in a while, so I decided it was time for another one. This past weekend my dad, grandpa and I wanted to go out to lunch, so we looked on Urbanspoon for the best lunch restaurants in St. Paul.  One of the first results was a place called Colossal Café, which had locations in both Minneapolis and St. Paul.  It had good reviews, so we decided to try it.  When we got there, we saw that it was a very small and hip café, where most of the customers were in their late 20s.  So we felt a bit out of place, but it didn’t matter.  Colossal Café is famous for their brunch, so we had come at just the right time.  They boast of their fresh ingredients, and all of their meals are made from scratch.  

The menu looked delicious, and contained plates such as: Apple, brie, and walnut “flapper” (a yeast-based pancake), stuffed omelets, and juicy frittatas.  I chose the “colossal breakfast”, which was 2 eggs, their homemade sourdough bread, and a beautifully arranged bowl of fruit.  Needless to say, it was scrumptious.  And I couldn’t resist sneaking a bite of my grandpa’s “flapper”, which was to die for.  Overall, it was a great experience, and the service was wonderful.  I would highly recommend this quaint little place for breakfast, lunch, or just a fresh cup of coffee. 

Enjoy!

Helen