It's a Southern Thing...

A few weeks back I put together a 2-CD mix of my favorite songs that remind me of home. I tried to keep it to local musicians or at least bands that I've seen in concert. Here's what I came up with...

CD 1:

1. The Way I Was Made Griffin House
2. Hey Girl O.A.R.
3. High Heels Sons of William
4. Sweet Southern Moon The Benjy Davis Project
5. Parlez-nous à boire Beausoleil
6. New Orleans The Benjy Davis Project
7. Sunrise Cigarettes Sons of William
8. Rosealia (Single Remix) Better Than Ezra
9. Rusty Cage Johnny Cash
10. Simple & True Sons of William
11. The Bayonet and the Cigarette K.S. Rhoads
12. Street Legal Shootout Meriwether
13. We Can Live Sons of William
14. Let the Music Get Down In Your Soul Marc Broussard
15. For God's Sake Sons of William
16. Love and Happiness Marc Broussard
17. Lucifer Hands Sons of William
18. Louisiana Saturday Night The Benjy Davis Project

CD 2:

1. Machine Gun Baby Meriwether
2. I Feel Home O.A.R.
3. Do It With the Lights On The Benjy Davis Project
4. Give Him Cornbread Beau Jocque And The Zydeco Hi-Rollers
5. Extra Ordinary Better Than Ezra
6. Breaking My Back Sons of William
7. Jenny Says Cowboy Mouth
8. Look So Easy The Benjy Davis Project
9. At the Stars Better Than Ezra
10. Phoenix Down Meriwether
11. Good Better Than Ezra
12. Empty House Seth Rung
13. Make Believe Sons of William
14. This Time of Year Better Than Ezra
15. Savannah Sons of William
16. You Can Leave Your Hat On Marc Broussard
17. Stay All Night Sons of William
18. The Rain The Benjy Davis Project
    

Little Thing 7

The fact that Gentleman caller stores his trendy new iPhone in the front middle pocket of his Mossy Oak over-alls.

Little Thing 6

My Mum brought me a sweet little something back from her day at the casino.

Intervention

Look, I'm not normally one to interfere with people and their decisions, but when I got in the car on Friday and I saw what Mother Nature was trying to pull...

I had to pull her aside and have one of those awkward talks with her:

Me: Look, I really didn't want it to come to this, but I see that it has. I mean ... what is this all about? Is there something you need to tell me?

Mother Nature: .::silence::.

Me: When you started out in the 90's, I said to myself "Eh,... She's just getting back into her old habits. No worries." But then you went ahead and pulled a 103. I thought "Hey, maybe its one time thing." But today, you whip out the big guns with a 108? Is this totally necessary?

Mother Nature: .::silence::.

Me: I don't want to tell you what to do, but if I were you I'd cool it off for a bit. People are starting to talk. My boss is complaining about the color of her lawn. The people of Blogger are starting to list off ways to beat you, and me.... poor little ole' me. I'm a pasty one. And while I've been diligent about applying my SPF 70, I fear there's only so much it can do. Please Mother, if you don't change for anyone else, do it for me...

Mother Nature: .::silence::.

Me: Really? I'm glad we had this talk.

A couple hours later, I got this - and it lasted all of 3 minutes.

People of Pinhook, you can thank me for your rain later.

For now, just call me the Weather Whisperer.

Blog Facelift

Hey Folks!

I've been at my computer for waaay too long today. I've been toying around with the idea of switching from a plain jane blog to a blog with a background design - perhaps even getting a custom design from Shel's Scraps. But I want to know what you think....

Cast Your Vote at the Poll on the right >>

Flashback: January 2009

It's Friday night, and while I should be getting ready to go out to Blue Moon Saloon, I'm going through the 12,000+ photos & videos stored on my Touch Smart.

I've been sorting for a few hours and I'm finding all sorts of old photos that make me smile. I was thinking I might even a post a few every now and then as part of a"Flashback Series."

I stumbled across a few videos & photos from earlier this year when RubyLocks & I had a home photo shoot in hopes of coming away with a new Facebook default photo.

They're all a bit silly/posey & quite narcissistic, but they made me smile.

Reporting Live from Le Photoshoot

(Forgive the unsynched sound & feed. It was filmed at the wrong speed.)

There's something fishy about RubyLocks...

Oh yes. We take ourselves oh-so seriously.

What I'm Really After...

Me: I'm off to Ville Platte in the A.M.

Gentleman Caller: If you take Exit 23 off of I-49, I'll be right around the corner.

Me: Will you have insane amounts of beef, chicken, pork, and wild game? Because thats what I'm looking for...

What can I say? I know how to make a man feel wanted.

My Ollie-Monster

My beloved Olivia Grace Rose.

She's a sassy badass annnd a loveable snuggle bunny.

Delayed a Little...

I'm a little late on this, but excited none the less to congratulate

Louisiana State University

on their 11-4 win over Texas in the College World Series.

Congrats Tigers on being 2009's NCAA National Champs!

For more about the Tiger's win and the CWS, visit LSUSports.

Little Thing 5

Singing along (& dancing) to the "90's Big Hits" station on Yahoo! Music as they play Mr. Big's "To Be With You."

A Bad Case of the Meat Sweats...

Looking forward to the Smoked Meat Festival in Ville Platte!

If y'all weren't already aware, I absolutley love meat - beef, pork, chicken, wild game. Bring it on... I love it all. So this weekend, I'm determined to make a pilgramage to my mecca.

From CajunFun:

Le Festivale de la Viande BoucaneeVille Platte.

Fri 6/26/2009 - Sat 6/27/2009

(Smoked Meat Festival)

June is festival time is South Louisiana, and when you hear the music and smell delicious food coming from clouds of smoke, then it's Le Festivale de la Viande Boucanee, better known as the SMOKED MEAT FESTIVAL. This two day event, promoted by Chapter 632 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, is held on the last full weekend of June each year in the "Smoked Meat Capital of the World", Ville Platte, Louisiana. Music begins Friday night and continues until the festival closes.Renowned entertainers have included The Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson, T.G. Sheppard, Janie Fricke, Percy Sledge, Doug Stone, Billy Joe Royal, John Conlee, T. Graham Brown, Mel McDaniel, Joe Stampley, B.J. Thomas, Wayne Toups, Jo El Sonnier and rock n' roll favorite, Na Na Sha. Festival highlights include the World Championship Smoked Meat Cookoff for amateurs and professionals. The backyard cooks and the professionals are equal to the task of preparing meats in varied and imaginative ways, each using their own special seasonings and methods of smoking the meat. The cook off is open to any kind of dish using smoked meat, such as sausage, tasso, pounce bouree', deer, pig, rabbit, even fish. Festival guests enjoy entree samples sold at individual booths and hear a little bit of bragging from last year's champions. Enjoy the highly competitive "best decorated booth" race, arts and crafts booths, beauty pageants, and local artisans. Saturday's opening ceremonies honor all veterans who have served our country and remember our fallen comrades from the Vietnam War. Bagpipes, color quard salutes, F-15 jet fly overs, and patriotic quest speakers will touch your heart in this emotional ceremony. It will give your Fouth of July celebrations new meaning! All proceeds from the festival are put back into the community and parish through funding of charitable, civic, and community projects, and providing financial assistance to needy individuals and families. Admission: Adults $7, children under 12: $1. ID's required, no ice chests or pets, lawn chairs welcomed. Civic Center Grounds

(Image via WeHeartit)

RIP MJ...

Michael Joseph Jackson

August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

A local radio station asked listeners to call in with their favorite Michael Jackson memories or a story about how he played a part in their life. All I could think about was this night back when I was 15. Lyla and I were stuck in the JFK airport over night due to flight cancelations. Just having spent 2 weeks overseas, everyone was cranky and ready to be home. Lyla, delirious with exhaustion, broke out into a rendition of MJ's "Black or White." I just remember catching a mad case of the giggles and joining in on some music video-esque dancing. The whole thing just made my night. I cant think of JFK or MJ without thinking of that night.

Rest In Peace, MJ.

You will be missed dearly.

(Image via WeHeartIt)

Little Thing 4

Finishing all my work before my deadline without having a mental breakdown...or blowing up at anyone.

(Image via WeHeartIt)

Little (BIG) Thing 3

Gentleman Caller has finally finished with all the legalities on his new property and gets to move onto his 15+ acres near Lake Martin TODAY!

(Photo of Lake Martin by Photographer Steve Guillory via Flickr)

Vacation State of Mind

So, I've officially re-entered the real world - turned on my mobile, checked my e-mail, back at work, etc. But I can't help but feeling that gooey-relaxed-no worries vacation state of mind. I've yet to unpack from my 2 day weekend getaway at Cajun Palms and quite frankly don't plan on doing it any time soon. I plan on reveling in my post-vacation joy as long as possible, and nothing is going to drag me out of it... not even a silly to-do list. I had such a blast this weekend and it was sooo nice to spend some quality time with the family. If you guys haven't already heard about this place, you must check it out. I'll post soon(ish) with photos and a play by play.

(Image via WeHeartIt)

Regulars...

When Lyla & I were 17 or so, we used to frequent the local Bennigan's...and by frequent I mean we ate there once or twice every weekend. We'd joke that we were VIPs. All the waiters recognized us and knew our usual orders. I'm starting to think that we've reached that point again with a little Mexican restaurant in Lafayette called Blue Agave. While I stick to my usual (Tortilla Soup, Crunchy Tacos, & Flour Chips w/ Queso), Lyla likes to change it up. But trust us....you can't go wrong with anything on the menu! Everything is absolutely delicious. Here are few shots from lunch...

Blue Agave
3558 W Pinhook Rd

Lafayette, LA 70508-3607

337.837.7720

Little Thing 2

Listening to Oldies all day at work on Fridays

(and laughing at LyLa as she sings along)

(Image via WeHeartIt)

Beside Myself...

1 day until "relaxation to the max-ation"

(Image via WeHeartIt)

Countdown...

T minus 2 days until my highly anticipated Stay-cation Weekend. I absolutely can't wait to layout and relax and I'm even more excited to share all the details with you guys come Monday.

25 Summery Things to Do on a Weekday Afternoon

1. Paint a picture, quote, or anything really on a small canvas. Make it something small enough to finish in one afternoon.
2. Blast beach music while doing housework.
3. Lay out in a beach chair and read a magazine or book, even if just for an hour.
4. Make a summery dinner. Try making something similar to what you'd order at a restaurant on the beach.
5. Bake something easy and fun. Only make one dish and make sure it doesn't take hours of prep or hard work.
6. Mix up a pitcher of your favorite warm weather drink (Margaritas, Sangria, Iced Tea, etc.)
7. Give yourself a pedicure in a bright cheery color.
8. Take your dogs for a long leisurely walk around the neighborhood.
9. Treat yourself to a bubble bath complete with tropical scented candles.
10. Unplug for an hour. Turn off all your and hand-held devices and take to the backyard. Layout on a beach towel and block out all distractions and nagging thoughts.
11. Take a nap. Try putting your pillowcase in the freezer beforehand for a little something extra.
12.Rent a fun, summer movie - Mamma Mia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Dirty Dancing
13. Be a kid. Have ice cream for dinner.
14. Eat dinner outside at home. Have a picnic complete with sandwiches, chips & dip, cookies, and lemonade.
15. Don't feel like cooking? Have dinner at a restaurant that has an outdoor dining space. Take your time. Pretend you're on vacation.
16. Blow bubbles.
17. Go see a band play at the Blue Moon Saloon . At the bar, order your favorite Abita Beer.
18. Grab a snowball from the local snowball stand and enjoy eating it outside.
19. Don't have an outdoor spa? Fill a baby pool with warm water and relax in your "hot tub."
20. Have a small group (2-3 people) over for dinner. Have each person bring one of their favorite summer side dishes or beverage.
21. Set up a sprinkler system in your yard for watering flowerbeds, lawns, or trees. Just so happen to have your swimsuit on under your clothes.
22. Have a "Make Your Own Pizza" Night. Get toppings you love, roll out canned pizza dough, and have a blast.
23. Redecorate with summer in mind. Switch out your usual pillows, change curtains to light sheers in bright colors, and replace a few framed photos with photos from a fun vacation.
24. Designate one day a week for vacation-wear. Break out your favorite tourist-y clothes that you'd normally save for vacation - a bright colored skirt, beaded sandals, flower in your hair, whatever makes you feel sassy.
25. Have a dog wash outdoors. Gather your dogs and bathe them without caring how wet or dirty you get.

Little Thing 1

Lately, I've been trying to be more aware of the small things in life that make me happy. So here's the start to what I hope will be an "ongoing post of gratefulness".



Here's to the elderly gentlman pumping gas next to me this morning who took off his hat as he told me good morning and wished me a great day.

(Image via WeHeartIt)

Coming Soon...

The past few weeks at work have got me feeling like I've come down with a nasty case of senioritis... But as "grown-ups"( I use that term very loosely) we know that this is the school that never lets out. The weekends are flying by, the weeks are dragging on, and all I want to do is experience summmmer. I keep day dreaming about all the magical summery things I'd be doing if I didn't have an 8-5.

So today LyLa came up with the genius idea of compiling a list of things we could we do to get the most out of the season. It's a list of 25 or so things that can be done on a weekday afternoon (no more wishing & waiting for the weekend!). And all of the ideas are simple and practical enough to actually do - not just in theory.

Hopefully we'll have the list ready by tomorrow!

Cant wait to share it with y'all.

Feels Like Summer

Hey Boys & Girls!

Its Friday!!!! and while that means the weekend is upon us, it also means that LyLa and I got to go out of the office for lunch today. Every week it feels as though we count down our packed lunches until Friday. But for the past few weeks, we've been in a bit of a rut - cycling between 3 or 4 of the usuals. Don't get me wrong, I love a healthy heaping of Mexican or Italian as much as the next girl, but it was just time for a change. It's been in the upper 90's all week and we're dying for some sort of vacation, so LyLa suggested Zoës Kitchen in River Ranch. We ate outside at one of the shady tables, enjoyed the weather - and possibly pretended we were on vacation.

LyLa excited about the change in scenery + the great "beach weather"

I ordered the Turkey Sandwich, Potato Salad, & Baked Lays

Topped it all off with Limeaid in a jazzy "sports cup"

LyLa got the Greek Pita, Pasta Salad, & Baked Lays

Seriously.The perfect light lunch for a exhaustingly hot day - doesn't leave you feeling like you can't move.

The Long Way Home

Perhaps I should have started this whole shebang off with an introduction or some sort of explanation of what I plan to do with this blog. But... I'd much rather start off with a pretty little something. Today after exercise, I decided to take the (very) long way home and stopped to take a photo of these gorgeous oaks.

(And for all of those who know what a terrible driver I am - Please know that I pulled over with my emergencies on in order to take this! I did not... I repeat...did not take this while actually driving.)

Contact Kora

kora.bruce@gmail.com

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