24 in 7

To be more specific,

24 things in the last 7 days

With the idea of my last post still fresh in my head and realizing that I've essentially been away from blogging for a week, here's a smidge of what life has been like for me.

In the last week, I....

1. Ran into my beloved Pat the Lush not once but twice and reminisced about all the roadtrips we took to see Sons of William & Marc Broussard, joked that The Sheriff liked me better, and wondered what "Easy B" the merch guy was up to
2. Had my Aunt reference The Boy formally known as Gentleman Caller by code name in conversation
3. Got a little crush... possibly?
4. Ate the wonder and holiness that is Panera Bread. Twice.
5. Won the Roadside Photography Giveaway from Off Switch whilllle I was on a road trip [Oh, Irony - How I adore you!]
6. Went old school and downloaded DC Talk's "Jesus Freak"
7. Missed reading all your blogs
8. Went for a 3 Hour Glucose Test that took 4 and a half hours
9. Witnessed one of the most beautifully sincere weddings I've ever been to.
10. Fell in love with all the green hills of Birmingham
11. Laughed when people mistook me for "being with the band."
12. Read Veil of Roses in one sitting
13. Was diagnosed as Diabetic
14. Have been in some sort of twisted Marc Broussard/Matisyahu/OAR music mood
15. Decided that it's best to be barefoot
16. Had 4 uhhhh-mazing guest posters here at Dixie Lust
17. Wore my "Breakfast" Tee from Dirty Coast
18. Shared my final "last meal" with LyLa
19. Was shocked with weekend gossip
20. Wished I could see my dad's side of the family more often - especially little Nathan & Aslan
21. Enjoyed an entire hotel bed to myself while watching The Nanny & Frasier
22. Dreamt of traveling for a living
23. Launched my very own Blog Design site
24. Been truly happy and excited about whats to come

I know. I know.

Some of those are teasers,

But no worries my lovelies, posts to come.

Au nom du père, le fils, et l'esprit saint...

Next item to add to The Great Southern Adventure:

Attend a full Sunday mass at the beautiful St. John's Cathedral in Lafayette, LA.

Want to share your southern favorites? Head on over to my Great Southern Adventure post and leave a suggestion. It could be anything - a band, restaurant, attraction, street, museum, hotel, and on and on and on. Your suggestions are then added to the list and the week that I go on your adventure, I'll feature your blog (or twitter) on the sidebar! So what are you waiting for, head on over!

The Great Southern Adventure...

Last Updated: September 8, 2009

Adventures Experienced: 003

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Love something/some place and don't see it on my list??

Leave your suggestions in the comments or e-mail me and I'll

add it to my list. The week I complete your suggestion, I'll feature your

blog on the sidebar.

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Abbeville

• Amores Pizzaroma - ((via LyLa))

Baton Rouge

• Harrington's Cafe - Stuffed Shrimp, Crawfish Pie Specialty ((via Jess))
• Atcha Bakery & Cafe - Falafel ((via Jess))
• Chelsea's Cafe - Grilled Cheese, Tomato Basil Soup ((via Jess))

Big Cane

• Have GC show me what all the fuss is about

Houma

• See Sons of William play a hometown show

Lebeau

• Visit Stelly's Restaurant, see the 135 yr old snapper turtle, and have a burger with fries

New Iberia

• Early Morning Breakast with a good friend at Victor's Cafeteria
• Book's Along the Teche - Find a book by a local author and actually finish reading it
• Spend the morning at Jungle Gardens - WALK not drive & photograph my findings

New Orleans

• Neophobia - Find art/accessories/small furniture (within my price range - hah!)

White Castle

• Nottoway Plantation - Tour the plantation & dine at the Mansion Restaurant ((via Haley))
  

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Fort Worth

• Billy Bob's Texas - "The World's Largest Honky Tonk" ((Via Blissfully Enamored))
• Stockyards Cattle Drive on East Exchange Ave. - ((via Blissfully Enamored))

Houston

• The Chocolate Bar

San Antonio

• The Menger Hotel - wander the halls in search of ghosts and such ((via Korie))

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Pascagoula

• Bozo's Grocery - Shrimp PoBoy ((via Evie))

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Coconut Beach

• Spend the morning at Butterfly World

Delray Beach

• Dinner at DaDa's

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Savannah

• The Lady & Son's
• Vinnie Van Go-Go's - ((via Steph))
  

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Now would be the time to comment...

So dear Internet, this is the part where I ask for your help.

And below is where you graciously offer it up...and lots of it.

I've begun to compile a Southern Wish List of sorts - small towns, beautiful cottage lined streets, mom and pop eateries, wacky tourist attractions, historic bed and breakfasts, etc etc etc - all places and things that I'm dying to experience. It'll be an ongoing list of sorts and we'll see how much I can get through before complete and utter exhaustion sets in.

So tell me...what do YOU think I need to experience? Where should I go? What should I eat? What are your favorite places? And they don't havvve to be in just Louisiana. What about Texas? Alabama? Arkansas? Mississippi? Florida? Georgia?

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
    

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.

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.