Also, You guys can find me posting on style and fashion over at The Bee's Knees Blog for
Showing posts with label Guest Post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest Post. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Ye Olde Renaissance Faire
Last year, a dear friend of mine from high school, Miss Ashley B, went to the Texas Renaissance Festival and wrote me up a lovely guest post on the experience complete with tons of photos. But since I never got a chance to post it up for you guys and I'll be having my own Texas Renaissance Festival outing this Saturday, I thought now would be a perfect time to post it up - Hope you guys enjoy!! xo KB
I have always wanted to go to the Renaissance Festival ever since high school. The honors classes always scheduled a trip to Plantersville, Texas, where the nation’s biggest Ren Fest is held annually- eight weekends out of the year. Unfortunately, my dad never let me go because it was “too expensive.” For some reason, I find it hard to believe 40 dollars is a hefty sum. But I digress.
A few months ago my husband, Tyler, picked up a Renaissance brochure from Albertsons just to do it. I guess because he knows I’m obsessed with medieval times and anything before the eighteenth century. As soon as I saw it I thought, “Holy Sh*t! I forgot about this thing!” and looked at all of the dates. One of the weekends just so happened to fall the day after my birthday – October 17th, and 18th- the Fairy and Elves themed weekend. Close enough.
We decided to only go the Saturday just to see if we would like it (could handle it). We drove up to Lake Charles, Louisiana from Baton Rouge the night of my birthday – the 16th. In doing this, we broke up the trip almost in half just to cut up the five and a half hour drive. We ate sushi with his family and had cake…and blah blah blah – now the Renaissance Festival. ** angels break into chorus**
My husband decided that night along with friend Mike and little brother Paul, to dress up. They hadn’t previously planned this, but since my costume was so epic they would have looked like idiots. The costumes they made didn’t exactly change that, but they tried, and it was a cute effort – kind of. Just kidding.
They stayed up until 2:30 am sewing their own crests onto Wal-Mart shirts (heyo!). I went to bed at 1:30 just watching this spectacle. That was a bad idea considering I had to wake up at 5am to braid my hair and do my makeup. They woke up at 6am. So basically we got the same amount of sleep. Yippee. We left at 7am, an hour later than we wanted to. It all turned out okay; we got there just a little later than expected.
When we arrived at the gate – we arrived at pure awesomeness. Turns out the people who don’t dress up look like the uninterested stand-outers. The moment we walked in, “Ann Boleyn” got up in our grills and we looked like deer in the headlights. I guess we weren’t expecting the old English accent right off the bat and it caught us off guard. She asked, “ Are ye lookin’ fuh me?” First I said to myself, “ I thought Ann Boleyn spoke more elegantly than this?” Then Tyler, Mike and Paul all just nodded. Assholes. She went on to tell us about the jousting match and what section of the crowd she will be sitting in. We didn’t go to the jousting until 3pm.
There were a lot of awesome characters walking around. I have given Kora a few of the ones I took pictures with, and some that I snuck photos of. You can tell in some of them because they have a look on their face (helmet) like they just caught a small medieval castle peasant stealing an apple. One looked as though I stole his soul. Oh well, I got the picture.
The first thing on my agenda was to buy a turkey leg. Of course we went to the place that was the only shop that didn’t carry turkey legs. Now, I’ve heard from everyone that has went, to get a darned turkey leg and I’ll be damned if I didn’t get one. The bartender wench said that most of the food stores have them and just to look around. Well I guess we were blind because soon after we turned the corner all we saw were giant wooden turkey leg signs. DOH! Tyler bought us each a turkey leg, and it was glorious. I also supplied Kora with these sweet pics.
We mainly walked around the entire day because there was so much to see (and buy). They had rows upon rows of costume shops. Since there are different themed weekends, such as pirates, gypsies, Scottish clans, elves and fairies, Halloween and Christmas, each shop had different types of clothes. They had a store for wooden mugs, silver mugs and you –name-it-they-had-it mugs. They sold colorful hand carved staves, wooden chairs, authentic micro-suede capes, scarves, candles… I mean anything, and that was just the “trade district.” That’s what I’ll call it for now. In the Mage Quarter, and that’s what it’s actually called, they had “Drench a Wench.” This was the medieval style dunking booth. She said typical trash talking things and so on. They also had a guy locked in the stocks that you could throw tomatoes at. He said some pretty nasty things such as “hey honey if I had a face like that I’d paint it too.” Below the belt, but funny. The Mage Quarter was pretty much an entire section of games and crafts. You could also shoot bows and arrows, throw ninja stars, toss maces and axes, and fish in ponds.
The chapel section of the 56 acre theme festival was very pretty. They are totally legit chapels and there was actually a wedding held that day. We saw the procession of the bride and groom coming from the Trade District. The chapels had vines growing all around them and they were also near a courtyard with a fountain. Very cool.
One of the shows we saw was the “Ded Bob Show”. He was like Jeff Dunham the ventriloquist comic on Comedy Central except the man had a mask over his face. That definitely defeats the purpose, but his comedic improve more than made up for it. He called on members of the audience to embarrass them and thank God he didn’t call on me. PHEW. Sorry guys, no pics, I was too nervous he would get me on stage. The jousting show was “different”. I was expecting some spectacular reenactments, but I guess these guys were retirees of the Medieval Times restaurant because they kind of sucked. They completely whiffed when going to lance the other knight and purposefully threw themselves off of their horses. It was almost comical, so I let it slide. I wasn’t going to let it ruin my awesome adventure.
One of the last places we went to was the cape store because it looked like capes from Lord of the Rings of course. They even had little leaf brooches. Shut up- it’s cool. The guy working the counter inquired about Tyler and his friend’s crest and asked if they were “part of a thing”. I laughed. On the inside. Mike followed with, “Oh no man, we made these.” He pointed to each of them as he said, “I made mine, he (Tyler) made his, oh and (Paul) his mom sewed his.” THEN, I laughed. Poor kid. The guy seemed a little too amazed for comfort, and then proceeded to tell us how he wears his cape every day. Awkward.
That about sums up my day at the Renaissance Festival. We’ll probably go every year now because I had that much fun. I also got a Renaissance Festival 2009 ceramic mug out of it, so it’s all good. The next one on our list is probably the Christmas one because they apparently deck the town out in lights and stuff. The town stays up all year; they just maintain it in the off season I guess. We didn’t get a chance to see the rest of the craft stores such as the candle making and glass blowing stands. We also didn’t get to explore the Magic Gardens section. Now I know what’s first on the list next year! OH, and they had an armory museum, it was cool. The end.
Monday, October 12, 2009
GP: A Weekend in the Life of LyLa
So this guest post is coming a little late today, but trust me! It's well worth the wait. Today's guest post comes from the one and only LyLa. I don't even know if I could describe the bond between LyLa and I...I've known her since 5th grade and shes been there for every happening worth mentioning in my life. She's: the girl I formed the "Karen Kipplewhite Club" with in 6th grade as we mixed Jelly Bellies to make "strawberry daiquiris," the girl who made me think English riding was the coolest thing ever, my college roommate, the person I text from 1000 miles away for dating advice, the most amazing cook, an inspiration in my faith, the executive consultant on my love interests or lack thereof, my hair dresser, my co-worker, my daily dose of the giggles, my creative bouncing board, a low maintenance travel buddy, the originator of pockets o' sunshine, a motivation in my work ethic, a Friday lunch food critic, the girl who makes fun of my terrible music indulgences, the person who laughs the loudest when I dance, the person who's always bluntly honest when I need the truth, and my biggest cheerleader. In short, shes a best friend. She's in every aspect of my life, and so it's with great pleasure and pride that I let her into my blogging world.
So, hello again! I'm Lyla... Kora's friend, co-worker, hairdresser, and the list goes on... I was so honored to be able to choose the winning photo in her last contest, and here I am again... my first guest post. I'll be honest, I'm no blogger. My first actual blogging experiences have come from Ms. Kora herself. But, all of yall are GREAT! I'm so inspired by what so many of you write and actually take the time for. Really... my hat's off to you ladies. Yall are like a whole little community that support each other and encourage each other, and I just think yall are the best.
So... onto my first posting experience. For a little background, I'm 24, married, proud mumsie of 3 dogs (Jolie', Brian, and Coors) and 1 kitty cat (that would be... Mama Cat, so original, I know). I live out in the middle of nowhere on about 5 and a half acres in a little red house my husband and I moved there, gutted and renovated. When I'm not working, I spend most of my time hanging out at home, cooking, cutting grass, working hard to make time for being crafty, and trying out new restaurants and places with my hubby.
Alright, that's out of the way... let's get down to it... my Louisiana weekend. Recently, we tried a new restaurant in little old Maurice, LA, called the Villager's Cafe' . So, this was our Friday night outing. Now, here's our first lesson... if you're in Louisiana and try something that pretty much knocks your socks off in the oh-so-good department, I need you to put on your best Cajun accent and say, "C'est Bon!!!" with as much gusto as possible. Ready? Ready??? "C'EST BON!!!" Alright, thanks. I feel the love. So... back to the task at hand... the Villager, aka a big serving of C'est Bon goodness. This is a teeny tiny little place that actually used to be a house, but they just knocked down walls and made it on big room. You eat off of old electrical wire spools and drink Cokes out of the bottles. There's maybe 6 tables, tops. The menu is short and sweet, but mmm, mmm, mmm. I ordered the Philly po-boy and sweet potato fries, and my Mr. ordered the "Villager" po-boy (Ham & roast beef with pepper cheese and au jus gravy on Langlinais french bread) and a half order of chili cheese fries. My sweet tea came in an old time goblet and the Mr. had a Coca-Cola, which he, of course, swears tastes better in the bottle. If, for some crazy reason, you venture far enough South to my end of the earth... please try this place!!! I'm hungry just thinking of it now...
So, on to Saturday. The weather in Louisiana is about as unpredictable as it gets... for example... my wedding. The day before, we had gale force winds. The crew of guys putting up tents for my reception literally had to call for reinforcements so that the tents wouldn't end parlaying a duck in my parents' pond. Day of... cloudy. As soon as the trolley arrives to pick up me and my lovely ladies... the skies unleash and it's pouring down rain. 15 minutes later at the church.. blue skies, sunny, the sky staring down as if to say, "Who, Me?? I was raining??? You're making this up..." Yeah.. it's like that.
We were kind of waiting around to see what Mother Nature had in store for us on Saturday. There was supposed to be a "cool" front moving through. For us, that means the highs may be in the 70s in October. So, it was a bit rainy and cloudy, but I made some biscuits and coffee, we got our dose of calories for the morning, and we were off! I actually wore long sleeves for the first time since the summer and actually needed them!!! We both threw our rubber boots in the back of the truck, just in case, and ventured to Washington, LA for the Old Schoolhouse Antique Fair. This entire town should be considered an antique because it's like stepping back into another time when you go. It's extremely small, basically just one main street with a couple of antique shops. But, there is an old two-story school that they turned into an antique mall. Each of the classrooms is a different vendor, and the gym behind the school is divided up into a bunch of different vendors as well. Twice a year (the second weekend of April and October), the Schoolhouse holds an antique fair. So, in addition to all the of the shops set up in the school and gym, there are probably 50 more set up in tents all around the grounds of the school. People come from the entire state of Louisiana and the surrounding areas to sell and shop. Such a great concept and SO much fun!
The Mr. and I have been going religiously for the past few years, so we couldn't pass it up, despite the gloomy weather. I picked up some really great buttons from the 50's that I want to use on an upcoming hair bow craft venture and 2 cast iron wall hooks with horses and cowboy boots for my sister-in-law's bday. He picked up some frying scoops for his beloved fryer of all things delicious, including, but not limited to, frog legs, shrimp, and fish.
The rain held out for a few hours, and right as it started to sprinkle, we decided to take our loot and mosey on back home. We stopped at the Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino for lunch... also "C'est Bon..." I had an overstuffed baked potato with grilled chicken and the Mr. had Potato Nachos... basically all the oooey gooey goodness of nachos, but on top of waffle fries. Heaven on a plate.
Unfortunately, Queen Bee Mother Nature decided to unleash her misty, dewey fury on Saturday night, so we opted out of heading to the Abbeville Cattle Festival ...a girl's hair can only take so much frizziness in one day, you know??
So, we headed to the famous Maurice City Bar to watch LSU and the Florida Gators with a couple of friends. As many people know... LSU has some of the most die-hard fans out there. I, mon frere, am not one of those. I cannot feign undying pride for the Tigers. Sorry, sisters. I love watching the games, it's a great get together, don't get me wrong. But, we were surrounded by super-fans. I believe it broke everyone's heart in the bar that night that LSU lost.
So, to you super-fans out there... I send you a virtual Bloody Mary to sooth your soul.
**Moment of Silence**
Okay, onto Sunday!!! My favorite day of this weekend! GUMBO COOKOFF in New Iberia, LA, my hometown. Here's a nice little description of the cookoff from the Tabasco website. Basically, there are 50 or so tents set up, each with a different group or company, cooking any kind of gumbo imaginable... chicken and sausage, seafood, alligator and duck, and the list goes on. Bands play... yesterday were graced by two giants of Cajun and Zydeco music... Wayne Toups and Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie ... everyone who loves Cajun music loves these guys. I think I've heard at least one Wayne Toups song at every dance and wedding I've ever been to.
If any of you are from small towns, you'll know that at a big event like this, you'll see everyone and their mama... and I mean that literally. As if out-of-this-world, all-you-can-eat gumbo wasn't enough, you get to meet up with everyone from New Iberia. We saw kindergarten teachers, old bosses, friends from elementary school, ex-boyfriend's moms, friends with babies... you name it. This is my faaaavorite part. Ask Kora... I know everyone. We could go anywhere, and I'll probably see someone that I've gone to church with, have done their hair, know who does their hair, am related to, or maybe all of the above. Cue Miranda Lambert's "Everybody Dies Famous in a Small Town," please, Mr. DJ. So, catching up with old friends, eating gumbo till you can almost pop, and washing it down with Fremin's bread pudding... do you see why I love this place??? Visiting at my mom and dad's and the in-law's wrapped up the day before it was back home for a relaxing night before the workweek ahead.
So, I know this is kind of a long post... maybe it's good that I don't have my own blog... I'd take up too much of your time, ha. But, I hope you got to gain a little insight on the life of a Louisiana lady. Keep supporting my lovely friend, Kora B. You don't know how much you encourage her everyday. Yall are great and with all this blogging love, I feel like you each have a little Southern hospitality in you. Thanks for reading!!
-Lyla
Sunday, October 11, 2009
I'm Bacccck!
Sadly my guest post for today fell through, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm back from a super wonderful & busy weekend tomorrow in Birmingham.
I'll be working on finishing up my blog design website this afternoon. So expect the link to that as soon as it's ready to go!
As far as tomorrow goes, I have my favorite person - LyLa! - coming to guest post while I have a doctor's appointment and some lab tests.
In short, there's a ton of stuff coming your way, just stay tuned!
[Just a quick photo from my trip!]Saturday, October 10, 2009
GP: No Place Like Home
Okay, so remember a while back how I gushed about this gorgeous couple and their amaaaaaazing engagement photos? WELL! Through the magic of the internet, the super talented photographer, Courtney Dellafiora, found my little blog and passed the link along to the bride. This is why I love the internet folks... anything can happen. I started talking with Angel through Facebook, and LyLa's totally right when she says this girl is the nicest girl you could possibly meet. She and I got to talking, and I thought it'd be sort of fun for her to do a post here since I'll be attending my cousin's wedding today in Birmingham and her and Brian's photos are my absolute favorite thing I've ever seen dealing with ...well ...a wedding! . I can't say how much I identify with this post - it's sort of the theme holding my blog together - exploring your roots and finding your sense of home is an experience unlike any other. I wish I could link you to Angel's blog - but she doesn't have one yet! So read up and encourage her to start blogging asap!
No place like Home Thanks SO much to Kora for allowing me to share a piece of my world with everyone... what a rare opportunity! How Awesome is that?! Just the other day I was longing for a new creative outlet and blogging has always been in the back of my mind, along with photography. I am VERY honored and pleased to be here as a FIRST TIME BLOGGER! It's actually kinda scary in a fun way, which is perfect considering Halloween is around the corner. October is my FAV time of the year! :)
A little about me: I recently made a HUGE change in my life. Over the course of the summer I got ENGAGED, moved out into the Country from the City life of Lafayette, I started a new job and my Fiance and I bought our FIRST HOUSE. *WHew!* It has for sure been a TOTALLY exciting "metamorphosis" in this journey that we call life. I stay busy making our new house a HOME (we planted our first tree) planning ALL of our many Wedding festivities ( I have tons of tips) working as a Hair Stylist and keeping up with family and friends near ,and mostly FAR! I must also say I have been very fortunate to have made some AMAZING new friends here in my Fiance's hometown! ;)
I "immigrated" from Texas in 2004, I feel that I was subconsciously looking for a better understanding as to where I "came" from, my ROOTS. I have ALWAYS mysteriously been drawn to the seductive "Voodoo" Charm of Louisiana. There is something about this southern state that is unlike no other place in this world. It is a land where acceptance to be EXACTLY who you are, Good food and good ol' neighborly camaraderie STILL exist. Do I EVEN have to mention the LSU TIGERS, and there are GOBS of Cultural and Artistic opportunities where the freedom to express yourself is welcomed AND encouraged. What are rare blessing to find these days, I could elaborate on why I LOVE Louisiana allll day!
I NOW have an explanation for my strong unknown desire. The desire to drift all alone ,across state lines and explore unknown territory as a single 18 year old Female. I guess there IS NO place like HOME... My family on my fathers side on down the line CAME FROM Rayne/Churchpoint, La. A LONG line of Cajun French settlers by way of Canada and France. It is amazing to me the strong connection that I have felt running through my veins and the full circle that I have made, Settling down and preparing to marry the love of my life RIGHT NEXT to the VERY parish my ancestors are from?! Life is an amazing MYSTERY that I cannot wait to sample more of...
Friday, October 9, 2009
GP: A Little Taste of Louisiana...in the City
Happy Friday lovelies! I hope everyone has a fabulous end to their week... Today I'm on the road to Birmingham and I couldn't be more excited - not only because of the trip, but today is the day that I have THE Summer from B is For Brown guest posting on my little blog. If I could, I would take her blog to Junior/Senior Prom and write about it in my gurnal (that's a girly journal - I'm so against "diary") as I doodled little hearts inside the B's. I adore it that much. Last week, Summer even gave me the honor of doing my first ever guest post. I hate to seem so cheesy, but daily I'm so amazed that I could have met someone so genuinely sweet and caring through this little blog. I tell her we're kindred spirits with our Louisiana Girl roots, our Ollies, and our slightly disturbing love of the 'stache. She says the word "kindred" gives her goosebumps. And that right there makes me smile.
Hello gang. Quick intro: I am Summer from B is for Brown. I know some of you and for the ones I don't know, please introduce yourself to me. I would love to make some new blog friends and follow new blogs.
Now onto the good stuff: My dear friend, Kora B. asked me to guest post for her and well, I am beyond honored. I am jumping up and down like I ate too much blackened catfish, had a few too many hurricanes (no boobies will be shown here) and got my toes nibbled by some La. gators swimming in the Atchafalaya River! I am thrilled. Can you tell? ;)
I decided to talk a little about Cajun things you can find in NYC. I am originally from the great state of Louisiana and miss it on a daily basis. When you are missing home you need to seek out the comforts from there to make you smile again. At least I have to do that. So, let's get started...
Some Cajun Restaurants I Frequent:
The Delta Grill - They serve Abita beer. 'Nuf said! They also have a killer blackened catfish platter.
Acme - Crab cake po-boy is to die for!
Great Jones Cafe - Cutest place in the world! Andouille Omelet and Crescent City Smothered Eggs = yummy! And wash everything down with a Cajun Mary.
Mara's Homemade - Gator Bites and Crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms are delish. However, I found that one of the owners was not very friendly at all. Plus I think they hail from Memphis. I hate giving a bad review, but when I walk into what is supposed to be a Louisiana place in NYC, I want to feel like I am in Louisiana and we don't have attitude. However, they did decorate it very well!
Two Boots Pizza - They have a pizza called The Dude which is a cajun, bacon cheeseburger pie: tasso, ground beef, cheddar & mozzarella and the Bayou Beast which consists of bbq shrimp, crawfish, andouille, jalapenos, & mozzarella.
1.two boots, 2. Great Jones Menu,
3. Great Jones,
Some things LSU:
LSU NYC/NJ Alumni Association - This chapter brings the South together in the Big Apple. We gather at Legends Bar to watch the football games and drink and eat lots. They also host an annual crawfish boil, usually in July. The crawfish are driven up from Baton Rouge, so we get the good stuff!
A dollar store on the Upper East Side - MCW @ Saving the Best for Last told me that she saw LSU gear in the window of a $ store here in NYC. I cannot believe it and feel I need to take a field trip to find this place!
A Louisiana style hotel:
The French Quarters NY - No one I know has stayed here when visiting the city but I have heard some great things about it.
An old Cajun jazz place (no longer in business):
The Cajun: Jazz! - I am so sorry that this place closed down. It was such fun to go there on a weekend night!
I should add that I carry a fleur de lis totebag everywhere, so I am constantly bringing Louisiana everywhere I go in the NYC! Does that count??? Thanks for reading!
Laisezz le bon temps rouler,
Summer B.
[KB: &&&&& Then Sum Sum sent me this little bit & asked me to add it to her post...How could I say no? Flattery gets you everywhere bebes.]
What I think of Kora B:
she is beyond awesome.
i love how she takes pics of her food like i do.
she has fantastic taste.
i love and appreciate her "little thing" posts.
she has a love of anything & everything vintage.
she loves photography and has a great eye for it.
she is one talented techie (& i think dorky is the new black).
she supports local artists.
she knows just about everything.
that face of hers: i mean, could she be any more adorable?! i think not.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
GP: Shades of Color
Happy Thursday lovie-dovies! While I haven't left for my weekend trip yet, I dooo have the first guest post in my little series for you guys! Today's guest poster is Miss Katie from one of my top 5 favorite blogs, Off Switch. My love for this cheery gal and her blog may be what some consider "stalker-ish." - srsly, just check twitter and see what I'm talking about. It's just that I love anything she puts out there... it's all so.... refreshing. Did I mention she has a killer eye for etsy finds? See what I mean below!
first thing's first, thank you so much kora for inviting me
to do my very first bloggie guest post! i'm so thrilled to be here!
---------------
ok, ok... now let's get down to business!
my name is katie, and usually you can find me over at my
anything that tickles my fancy at a given point in time...
lately, i've been compiling some of my etsy favs in a series
i like to call, shades of color... so, without further ado,
here is the newest edition in the series:
yellow!
if you like my shades of color collections,
-------------
before i go i wanted to leave you all with a link to my
handmade greeting cards.
have a wonderful thursday everyone!
{ps: don't forget to laugh today!}
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Small Break + Thanks
First off, I want to thank everyone for such positive feedback on my guest post over at B is For Brown. You kids are absolutely amazing! Feedback like I've gotten encourages me oh-so much and really makes blogging fun. Thank you all soo much. And thanks again to Summer for the invite!
Last night I spent close to 5 hours at the local after-hours clinic. I've been in a little it of pain, and last night I found out that I'm dealing with some infections and a few other issues (read the play by play on Twitter) In just a bit I'll be leaving work to head to a doctor's appointment to get a better look at the infections and run some tests. So its safe to say, I'll be taking a tiny break from Bloggie Land today.
Also, I just wanted to thank Lil Miss Butterbean & Katie from Off Switch for keeping me company on Twitter last night as I waited. You girls are awesome and I can't thank you enough!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Gimme Sum(mer!)
Hello lovey-dovies....
I've officially done my first guest post everrrr. I was so excited (& nervous!) to put something together for one of my favorite bloggers. You can find my ode to Summer's fabulosity and a list of 26 of my favorite things over at her blog, B is for Brown.
As with all firsts and big occasions in life, we must celebrate!
More on this tonight =)
I just like to keep everyone waiting. haha
Also, LyLa will be picking the winner of the first ever Dixie Lust Photo Contest and I will announce the winner bright and early tomorrow.
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