{Mardi Gras Célébration}

Travel Spotlight: New Orleans

Are you ready for a photo overload?

I just spent a fabulous week in New Orleans.

From start to finish, it was quite an adventure!

Here are a few pictures to recap the trip:

Dressed and ready to have some fun :)

We arrived just in time for the start of the parade at the Endymion ball!

Day parades!

So pretty...

Mardi Gras is not something to be missed!

Some of my bead catching buddies :)

I think I caught roughly 200 beads during the week?

Yep...this was a slow night!

It only gets crazier...

Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras!

Had a blast out at night with these lovely ladies!

Bachelor Party #1

Beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde!

Hangin' in the French Quarter...

Jazz in the streets :)

I could live here...

Shopping on Magazine Street!

Fun ladies day out ;)

Mmm po'boys!

Visit to an above ground cemetery...

A stroll through City Park...

Gumbo :)

Natchez Steamboat Tour!

This day was especially jam packed!

On the Riverwalk...boy, you cray ;)

St. Louis cathedral...

Inside...

Enjoying a warm day out in the square!

Crawfish & shrimp!

Hottest hot sauces...I think you know what this means...

Reward for trying the ghost pepper salsa ;)

Hurricanes from Pat O's!

Stop along our cocktail walking tour...

Oak Alley Plantation.

I fell in love with these trees...

My lovely roommates for the week :)

Thank you Allison for such a fun experience!

(And thanks for letting me have a car to explore a little more of Louisiana :)

If you know me personally, check out the rest of my adventure via Facebook album!

Images courtesy of © 2012 Chateau de Victoria

{New Orleans Bound}

It's almost time.

This time tomorrow I will be on my way to New Orleans...

Time to get my party pants on!

As soon as I arrive it is literally go time.

Hair, makeup and donning this old prom dress...

(It still fits! Had to show you guys!!)

...will quickly follow my landing in LA because my friend & I have been invited to Enymion, the mack daddy of Mardi Gras balls!

Stay tuned...

...I'll be around, down at the bayou!

Images courtesy of © 2012 Chateau de Victoria, Pinterest and Google

{Some Like It HOT}

There are times when heat can become almost unbearable. For example, traveling throughout Spain in the late summer with everything you have on your back. Or, at the family 4th of July BBQ when the heat index decides to set a new record in honor of the holiday. Personally, I'm not a fan of excessive heat unless I'm back on Grand Cayman island with crystal clear water in front of me to jump into at any given moment...or if I'm about to devour a jumbo jalapeno.

Stuffed Jalapeños

For someone who isn't a fan of the heat, I practically worship the jalapeno. In my eggs and soup, on my pizza, stuffed with cheese, you name it I've eaten it. I've even tried chocolate jalapeno cookies (the recipe didn't work out so well to say the least).

Best Pizza: Pepperoni & Jalapeño

For those of you who share my love of hot & spicy foods, here are some benefits of eating chili peppers: they help fight migraines/sinus headaches, avidly fight prostate cancer cells, lower high blood pressure, fight inflammation, help burn fat & lose weight, protect your heart, provide loads of vitamin C, and (obviously) warm you right up! So while others are making cookies & pies for holiday comfort food, I will be researching homeade hot sauce recipes and anything related to jalopies :-)

Cornbread with Jalapeño

All images via Google