26 and Fabulous!

The idea for this blog came from a brilliant conversation with my incredibly clever and witty friend Taylor over Google chat. That’s not to say that all of our conversations aren’t brilliant and witty, but this one ended up in both of us starting a blog so it gets special mention. (Side note: I think it’s safe to say that Google chat has preserved my mental stability. Working at home has a million perks, but sitting by yourself all day is not one of them. Thank you, Taylor, for your fabulous chatting skills, without which I would not make it through a work day).

Anyways, we soon came to the realization that if we enjoyed reading other blogs so much, why wouldn’t everyone want to read ours? They would obviously be clever, well-written and full of good ideas. I already have a slightly unhealthy addiction to reading Taylor’s blog, which is an adorable collection of “All Things Fabulous”- I highly recommend it to anyone who also loves fabulous things. I decided that my blog would be an entertaining and memorable collection of stories and pictures of the events in my life. I thought I’d begin with my 26th birthday weekend, before it becomes just a fleeting memory and I start to accept the undeniable fact that I’m now at the end of my “mid-20’s.”

Growing up my parents would ask me where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner, and my favorite response was always “Shoney’s!” Everyone thought it was a strange choice for a 10-year-old, but if I had a Shoney’s right here in Shreveport, I would have been there as an excited 26-year-old for a delicious all-you-can-eat feast. When Justin asked what I wanted to eat this year, I thought long and hard and decided to go with a Louisiana tradition: crawfish. A year and half ago I couldn’t have told you what a crawfish looked like, but we have quickly become “mudbug” connoisseurs. You just won’t find me sucking the guts out of their heads like most people here like to do…

My birthday continued with an exciting night at one of our favorite casinos, The El Dorado. When we first moved to Louisiana and didn’t know anyone else here, Justin and I spent many weekends at the casinos, learning to play roulette and craps and never quite learning when it was a good time to leave. There are five casinos in Shreveport along the Red River, each containing gorgeous hotel rooms and unbelievable buffets, and the actual casinos are boats attached to the building since gambling can’t take place on land. Imagine my surprise when I realized about four months later that every time I walked into the casino I was actually walking onto a boat. I’ll blame my lack of observation skills on the free and unlimited bourbon and gingers they give me while I’m there.

In the midst of my chocolate cake and Riesling high, I suggested a trip to Little Rock, AR the next day to continue the celebration. Justin and I made a spontaneous trip to Little Rock last January and had a blast. We have been to Arkansas now five times in the past 18 months and have loved every trip. We saw spectacular, breath-taking views as we hiked to the highest point in Arkansas at Mt. Magazine, celebrated the 4th of July at a water and amusement park in Hot Springs and spent a long, hot day digging for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park (which, may I add, was much harder than I was lead to believe it would be). On our first trip to Little Rock we sang the night away at a fantastic piano bar called Ernie Biggs, and I couldn’t wait to go back. For any of you who have known me for even five minutes, you know that a night singing along to songs I know all the words to and listening to dueling pianos is my idea of a perfect time. Ernie Biggs didn’t disappoint- I quickly forgot about turning 26 and instantly felt like an 18-year-old at Alligator Rocks my freshman year of college. Perfect.

To finish my birthday weekend, I ate until I literally could not eat any more at one of my favorite places: Cracker Barrel. Many of you probably know that while I love Cracker Barrel, Justin hates it, and if you’ve heard the story of our first drive to Louisiana together and the Cracker Barrel fiasco, you’ll know that him going with me on Sunday was a BIG deal. But I couldn’t have asked for a better end to an already wonderful weekend.

I have to make a quick note of all the amazing presents I received from my friends and family all over the world. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Gorgeous jewelry engraved with quotes (so perfectly me), a new collection of books with topics such as cakes and ghosts (yes, I have very strange and differing interests) and an economy-sized box of Mike and Ikes…I loved opening every single one. And I wanted to make a special note of two of Justin’s gifts that really hold a special place in my heart. I opened two jewelry boxes to find a stunning Fleur de Lis necklace and bracelet. As the state symbol of Louisiana, the Fleur de Lis is everywhere and a constant reminder of the fascinating French culture that we’re living in. After he gave them to me he said “When we leave here, wherever we go next, I just want you to have a reminder of where we started.”
Shreveport, Louisiana…who would have ever thought. But my gorgeous Fleur de Lis reminds me that it has been the perfect beginning on this awesome adventure.

Here’s to being 26 and fabulous. I can’t wait to see where it takes me. And now that I’ve written a short novel, I have some Google chatting to do.