It's Mardi Gras Season!!!

Saturday was the official start of the Mardi Gras season here on the Gulf Coast, and it was our first parade of the season in Ocean Springs, a small yet adorable beach community here in South Mississippi. We try to go to this parade every year because its a small yet nice and they have really great throws (for those of you that are not familiar with Mardi Gras.... throws are trinkets that they throw right off the "floats"). As usual we had a great time and got some great goodies and a TON of beads and moon pies! Here's a few pics from the day :)

Around Town...

Hi there!!! Have you missed me? LOL! Sorry we've been kinda busy lately... which of course is a good thing while the hubby is away. My In-Laws came from Florida for Easter weekend, they drove in on that Thursday and stayed till the following Monday and we've been busy ever since! Hope you all had a good Easter! It was my first Easter NOT cooking and man, I'll tell you... I could get used to that! I never understood why people ended up going out to eat for the big holidays but I TOTALLY get it!!! Think about it... you don't have to cook and you didn't have to plan, you didn't have to spend extra money on food that might go to waste, there's no mess to clean up and everyone still gets to be together and have a nice meal! It was just the four of us... me, munchkin and momma-in-law and daddy-in-law and we decided (and by we, I mean I) to go to the Beau Rivage Casino Buffet. It was awesome! They had all our usual regular favorite foods (I LOVE the pasta station) and roasted Turkey, Glazed Ham, Prime Rib and Snow Crab!!! All for $29.99 you can't beat that folks!

We also went to the Easter Egg parade & egg hunt, which I have to say I was a bit disappointed in... The parade was almost non-existent (and whoo, they threw old mardi gras beads... like we don't have a ton of those already at home) The egg hunt was small and the kiddo didn't get a whole lot of eggs and all they had inside were cheap candy like tootsie rolls and smarties. I guess its better than nothing, but next time I will know better and just skip it to do my own at home.

We went a few days to the beach and lounged in the sun and flew our kites which was awesome since we've had alot of wind from the weather system that moved over Texas a week or so ago, ya know... the one that caused all those Tornados... Which by the way... the kiddo has been eating up the news on that stuff lately LOL! She is still very much on her "tornado kick" ;)

I also took my in-laws around to the local spots while they were here, and I think they really enjoyed seeing the "off the beaten path" not so touristy spots. We have a small beach community down here that is just over the bridge from Biloxi and its called "Ocean Springs" (ya might have heard me mention it before... I used to work over there). I have always loved it, and thought it was a charming little town with a beautiful historical center. They have cute boutiques and shops, amazing restaurants, cafes and bistros and its just beautiful to stroll down the cobblestone streets under the shad of the magnolia trees, when they are in bloom. It's really like page right out of Southern Hospitality magazine... they even have a old fashioned salt water taffy store and a 50's five & dime soda shoppe!

I know we've done a ton of other stuff but this is all I can think of at the moment, time seems to be flying by and there are days where I struggle to keep up with it, but I am grateful! We have offically 36 more days of school left (and until we are Florida bound) and about 90 days left till we go on our vacation to North Carolina! Woohoo! I can't wait!!!

Here's some of the pics I took while strolling around town... I just love the vintage look of everything... hope you like them. :)

This one is from inside the five & dime and soda shoppe and its probably my favorite.

It reminds me of the place that my grandparents used to work at.

They also brew and bottle their own cream soda! Its still the same family recipe from 1943!

Old fashioned hard candy... and one oogling kiddo LOL! Only .20 cents!
See! You still can get "some" things for less than a quarter ;)

My favorite donut shop ever! Hands down they have the best donuts ever... why?
Because they are made with potato flour! And the potato flour makes them light and fluffy!
Plus everyone in there is nice as peach pie... don't believe me?... come see for yourself any day of the week the counter inside is packed wall to wall ;)

Laissez Le Bon Temp Rouler !!!

Meaning... "Let the good times roll!" And that's exactly what we did on Saturday! We went to our first Mardi Gras parade of the season. I seriously, no SERIOUSLY LOVE this time of year down here in what I like to call "Cajun country" the weather is beautiful, the out door cooking starts, the food smells amazing and the people are so friendly. I swear if I could have chosen a birth right I'd have made myself been born a Cajun ;) Cause they sure know how to have a good time! The parade was awesome, we watched some of the brightest and most colorful floats go by and throw us TONS of trinkets, while we danced away to Zydeco music. We spent just about all afternoon hanging out in Ocean Springs, its a seaside city just over the bridge from Biloxi, its also the city I will be working in starting tomorrow. We also have a another parade next weekend in D'Iberville which is also over another bridge but in the opposite direction, Biloxi is a Peninsula ;) And then next month we are going to NOLA for my birthday! This year it just happens to fall right after Fat Tuesday, so it should make for an awesome time but just enough time to pass for the "tourists" to leave ;) Not that I consider myself a "local" or a "tourists" I am some where in the middle... but if you asked me to stay here permanently I would in a heart beat! Anyway here are a few pics I took from the parade before my camera died lol. Enjoy and remember, Laissez Le Bon Temp Rouler!!!

I took this Saints one for my dear friend Ashley WHO DAT! ;)


The Ocean Springs High School Band :D (Yes, I used to be a band geek)

The Kiddo dancing with her Daddy to the Zydeco music :)

Mr. T Ain't got nothing on this girl! ;)

Two whole grocery bags full of "throws"... and this was after we gave two arm fulls away to our neighbors down the street! :D

Our First Mardi Gras Parade!

Today was awesome! We drove over to Ocean Springs, MS and enjoyed our very first Mardi Gras Parade!!! It was honestly fantastic! Such cool floats and fun people all around us. We got TONS of beads!!! The munchkin got so many “throws” & “trinkets” she could barely stand up! The parade started about 12pm and we got our seats on Beach Blvd around 11:00am, we sat freezing in 40 degree weather for about an hour but it was well worth it. It warmed up a bit after the parade started, with all the excitement you sorta forgot about being cold anyway LOL! I cant wait till next weekend and all the weekends to follow up to Ash Wednesday because its Mardi Gras Parades from now till then! Next weekend is Mojo fest in D’Iberville!!! Cant wait!!!

YAY!! For Air Force honor guard!!

WHO DAT NATION!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!

The pile of loot!