Motivational Mondays

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.

- Ayn Rand

Motivational Mondays

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

- Maya Angelou

Lola.

Me and my boyfriend recently adopted a beautiful little puppy! Meet Lola!

She's four months old and is part American Bulldog and part Husky (hence the bright blue eyes). So far, she has been an absolute dream. We've only had her for a week and she already knows how to sit, shake, sit pretty (pops both of her feet up and sits on her hind legs) and lay down. She won't walk out of the front door until we tell her to, and she's almost potty trained! Best part, she absolutely loves to cuddle. I'm a proud Mama! 

Lola is already spoiled! But, how could anyone resist this little face?

And of course, she's an LSU puppy. I can't wait to get her a jersey. Must wait until she's fully grown. :)

Motivational Mondays

Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them. 

- Ann Landers

Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday is here! Aaaaand I'm not in New Orleans. :( 

But, as promised, I made a King Cake to share with all of my classmates. I was astonished to find out how many of them had no idea what a King Cake was. The idea of the plastic baby inside completely freaked them out, as well, which when I think about it, is completely understandable. 

The King Cake represents the three wise men that brought gifts to baby Jesus on Christmas Day. Traditionally, anyone that finds the plastic baby inside of the King Cake has to buy the next one. The three different colors also have a significant meaning. Purple represents justice, green symbolizes faith, and gold represents power. 

Cinnamon and sugar are pretty standard when it comes to a King Cake, but you can add any flavored filling that you want. Making it from scratch was a lot harder than I anticipated, but everyone said that it tasted delicious, so it was well worth it! 

Care Package of Love

I came home yesterday to a wonderful surprise waiting for me! My parents sent me a lovely care package of New Orleans treats! Filled with staples from home that I've surely been missing, I am so excited to get to cookin’! Jambalaya and gumbo are two classic New Orleans dishes that everyone should try at least once! The thing I’m most excited about is the beignet mix from Café Du Monde! I’ve never made beignets before, but I’m looking forward to trying it out.


The 21 of February marks Fat Tuesday of Carnival in New Orleans, and it’s a tradition that I am so sad to miss. I’ve never skipped Mardi Gras in all of my 22 years, and it truly breaks my heart. In order to celebrate the occasion all the way from Florida, I’ll be making a King Cake next week for my classmates! Pictures to come! I hope they enjoy the traditional dessert as much as I do!

Last, but not least, Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! 

XLVI

Even though my beloved Saints didn't playing in the Super Bowl, I still rocked my Brees jersey for the big game. 

Super Bowl parties are the best, whether your team is playing or not. The good friends and food totally make it! Since I was crunched on time I picked up these adorable and festive cupcakes from the store. 

Adorned with super bowl themed rings for each team, they were the perfect treat! I was obviously rooting for the Pats, but had a good time either way. 

My favorite part was definitely the half time show! Madonna killed it, and I absolutely loved all of the costumes! I'd wear this Cleopatra inspired ensemble any day! 

Photo credit: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/293396/20120206/super-bowl-halftime-show-madonna-dazzles-cleopatra.htm

I'm already looking forward to next year since The Big Easy will be hosting it! Crossing my fingers that the Saints go all the way! : ) I hope everyone had a fabulous Super Bowl Sunday! 

Easy Living

After living in Orlando for a few months I’m beginning to discover a few things about the city.

1. Everyone that lives here insists on driving UNDER the speed limit…by at least 10 mph. It drives me bonkers.
2. Florida really is the sunshine state. It’s been at least 70 degrees out everyday, and I’m beginning to reconsider all of those winter items I bought. I’ve worn my new winter heels maybe once. : ( On the bright side, I can always lay out by the pool while I study! : )
3. So far, I’m finding it very hard to entertain myself on a budget. Everything fun here seems to cost lots of money. I’m sure that once I become more familiar with the city I’ll find more budget friendly options, but so far no luck. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

I’ll be getting a puppy in about two weeks and am so excited about it! It should definitely help out with my entertainment issues, even though they can be a bit pricey to have. I can't take it anymore! I need the company. I’m planning to adopt one from the pound if I can find one there that suites me. I’ve been googling puppy names like crazy and have a short list drawn up. I’m still undecided and probably won’t pick until I get the puppy and figure out his/her personality. My new family addition can't get here fast enough! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! 

Old School Paper

One of my friends is having a birthday party on Saturday. While this isn't big news, the fact that she sent out old school, paper invites is! I’ve come to realize that my generation lives in the day of the evite. Unless the event is a big ordeal, like a wedding or baby shower, Facebook is almost always protocol when it comes to party invitations.

While I don’t at all mind the “greener” option, it was refreshing to see an old staple emerge for a smaller occasion. I really love the blog, Easy Made Invitations. The blog features many different categories with tons of adorable ideas like these:

Hopefully, I’ll have an event in the near future. I’m dying to go old school and make my own festive invitations!

Out of Africa

Right after Christmas I was off to Arizona to visit my boyfriend’s family. While we were there we took the kiddies to the Out of Africa Wildlife Park. If you’re ever in the area I suggest you check it out!

One of the best events of the day was the safari tour. Our driver bribed one of the giraffes into our bus with a cookie, and I was able to get some great pictures!

Keebow, the giraffe!

Later on in the day we passed by the rhino area while he was getting some shade inside of his house. Since we couldn’t see him we started yelling his name, “Boom Boom,” which was posted on the outside. After awhile he actually came out! He got so close to us and put his head right on the barricade. We were close enough to pet him. The base of his horn was literally as big as my leg. It was amazing to be that close to such a powerful animal.

My boyfriend managed to get a video of him as he came out!

The best part of my day was when I made out with a giraffe, literally. One of the zookeepers gave us some cookies to feed them and here’s what happened next:

My face in the end is priceless. I’ll never forget it!