Family Time in New Orleans

Hey there, sweet friends!  We had a yardsale over the weekend, so it was a busy time around our house, but good to get some things cleared out of here. It was a good success and I sold a lot of things, so that made me happy! I’m determined to keep at it until things are way more organized and uncluttered around here.

We had a wonderful visit to New Orleans, my sister and I, so I wanted to share some of the things we did and of course, share those girlies with y’all. They are so cute and adorable and make us laugh all the time.  They are typical 2 and 4 year olds and pitch fits with the best of them, but their sweet sides make us just want to eat them up.

We picked up Miss Iris right after we got there from her daycare.  She had just woken up from her nap. They are just a couple of blocks away so we took the stroller and got her.

Parker came home a little while later with her other grandmother and it was fun to see them both.  Renee had taken them Easter baskets so it had plenty of candy inside. This Pez dispenser was a big hit! Didn’t we all love Pez growing up, I sure did!

That first night, we ate at a local spot near their neighborhood, The Blue Crab. It sits right on the water of lake Pontchartrain and there are boats all around.  The food is delicious too.  I can never pass up this wedge salad with grilled shrimp.

My sister got a pasta with shrimp and we decided to split them, so that’s exactly what we did. I wanted both so it was great to share them.  Both were delicious, but I’d pull for my wedge salad just a tad more than the pasta if I had to choose.

It was a beautiful evening on the water and the girls had fun being outside.

We then went back to their house, so Iris could open her presents.  We got there on her birthday, April 18th and she turned 2.  She was so cute, really getting into tearing into packages to see what’s inside.

My sister loves to buy them both cute shoes and Iris is a big fan of shoes, so that’s a win win.  She loves to try to put them on by herself.

A Baskin Robbins ice cream cake complete with candles topped off the birthday celebration. Mom and Dad gave her a little help with blowing out the candles.

Iris was a fan of the ice cream cake too.  Aren’t 2 year olds the cutest?

We had some gorgeous weather while we were there, which I’m so grateful for, because it’s been pretty sucky here in Atlanta and I’m so ready for blue skies and sunshine.  We went out on Friday downtown to the water front to see these big tall ships that were docked and open for touring, free to the public.  Of course, that meant lines of people, but we picked a shorter one and stuck it out.

These were so neat to see.  I can imagine them back in the 1700’s or 1800’s touring the seas.

Apparently they make the rounds, docking in many cities across the US, so lots of folks can see them up close.

The Natchez riverboat made a pass while we were waiting.

We visited the Elissa and it was fun to see inside, the beautiful details of an old ship.

As you can see, Elissa is over 100 years old and has been restored to her former beauty.

I love seeing the woodwork on old ships like this.  The water and weather take a toll, but beautiful woodwork shines through.

She was outfitted with plenty of patina on the wood and brass parts.

We stopped and took time for a family photo, a good spot to pose.

Very interesting tour and we are glad we got to see it. We only had time for one ship, as the 2 little ones aren’t into waiting in line too long.

I loved this view down the spiral staircase, imagining what is down there.

One more good spot for a family photo, by the wheel.

Parker thought it was all pretty fun too.

The long bridge near downtown and French Quarter.

By then, we were getting hungry so we went to a spot Lauren has wanted to try, Auction House Market.

It was really decorated neat with all the marble counters and floors. Really trendy looking place and it was set up with several different food vendors all around the large open seating area, so you just choose what you want and order, then sit down. Sort of like an upscale food court.  I tried empanadas and they were delicious.

On Saturday morning, we headed to City Park and Morning Call, a staple in the area.  This place is open 24 hours, offering coffee and beignets and more.

I fell in love with beignets after having them in New Orleans years ago and we always make sure we get this sweet treat when we visit. My sister loves them too.

City Park is a beautiful place to visit and it has a great kids playground, so is a favorite place for Lauren and her family to go when the weather is good.  Lots of folks come to City Park for all the activities around there.

It’s beautiful with the moss draped trees and birds and wild life all around.

I usually see some sunning turtles, but didn’t see them this time.

It’s such a pretty place.

Iris and Parker love playing on the playground and they had a ball climbing, swinging, and sliding.

Two little monkies!

We also stopped in on Magazine Street for a little bit of shopping and browsing.  This was a cute shop, Grandmother’s Buttons.

The sign on the front door said it all with style and button flair.

Even the lighting was all buttons.

Magazine Street has so many shops and restaurants and we only saw a few on this trip, but it was fun to browse and look.

Colorful doors caught my eye along the way.

And I couldn’t help but notice the flying bunnies just like I have in this shop window.

Another shop sold just umbrellas and they were prettily displayed.

Another treat we got our very last day was Muffalattas from another local to them restaurant, called R & O’s.  This place is always popular with the locals and since my sister and I discovered these delectible sandwiches a couple of years ago, we crave them everytime we go down there.  They do not disappoint. These are HUGE and feed 4 people easily.  I want to learn how to make them at home. They have ham and cheese and chopped olive spread on top and wow, are they good.

I gave Parker some birthday money since I wasn’t there for her 4th birthday in February, so we took her shopping at the dollar store to let her pick out some treats.  She chose a little wooden birdhouse to make, so Aunt Rhody got to help with this one.  The gluing of the balsa wood pieces was tedious, so I did that part while she watched. We had to wait until it was dry before she could paint it, so we left it for a few hours and then came back to it.

Parker had fun with the paint brush and all that color mixing she did.  She got it all painted on every side, but I’m not sure this little fragile thing would last through much of anything, so it may not make it very long.

We had a great time with Lauren and the girls and it’s always a treat to visit New Orleans and get out and about seeing things down there.  The food experience is always fun too, we dearly love to eat new things and New Orleans definitely has some unique dining treats.  Hope you enjoyed this recap!  I’ll be back soon sharing about our visit to Covington and Mandeville, both pretty places!

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