Tuesday, June 14, 2011

jamaica.

 just thought i would share some photos from our recent trip to jamaica, which basically consisted of beach, red stripe, jerk chicken, repeat. we stayed in negril and spent a night in montego bay. in negril, we stayed in an adorable boutique hotel, the palms negril, where everyone knew our name by the end of the first day, we didn't have to fight over beach chairs and no one judged us when we ordered hawaiian pizza and played cards on our porch. our biggest adventure consisted of an accidental trip to the famous and super annoying rick's cafe (we intended to go to the sweet spot, a local jerk chicken joint. and when we got into the cab the cab driver sped off and we thought he knew where we wanted to go. and he thought we wanted rick's cafe. so that's how that happened). and of course parasailing - the most effortless $10 a minute i ever spent.

Monday, June 13, 2011

summer of da ginger

 i'm glad that someone decided to address the well-known phenomenon know as the "summer of da ginger." it clearly goes without saying that summer - the season of unremitting sun exposure, constant outdoor activity and frequent spf disregard - is when my fair-skinned companion positively thrives. no? perhaps this individual hopes to bring some much-needed exposure to the red-headed community. maybe it's a declaration that this summer, no amount of sun burn will stand in this ginger's way. either way, i think these photos demonstrate that this discrete campaign is definitely attracting the right audience. 
p.s.: yes, those wayfarers do say chicago on the side. no apologies from that ginger. 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

anxiety girl!

literally*, this is me.

*to be said like a kardashian, obvs

the butcher

 marty and i finally tried the butcher a few weeks ago. i was already a huge fan of cochon, the butcher's big brother/restaurant, partly because the head chef has a polish last name, partly because they smoke all their own meats, and partly because you can eat like a king even if you're on a budget. the butcher is basically the daytime version of cochon,  with delicious hand-crafted sandwiches, a myriad of small plates and lots of pickled goodies. it made the over-30-minute-long wait almost 100% worth it. we followed up with some delish homemade carrot cake whoopie pies (i used this recipe). i definitely will be returning when i'm craving gastropub grub but it's too early to start drinking. 

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

most delayed post ever - jazz fest!

 now that my computer is back in action and i have a proper place in which to organize my photos - as if keeping them on several, easily misplaced sd cards wasn't a brilliant idea - i can start re-enjoying them here on this humble little blog. during the first weekend of may, marty and i got to go to jazz fest (my first time!). stupidly i didn't realize that jazz fest is so much more than a music festival - it really celebrates the culture of the city and the many cultures that contribute to it. in addition to enjoying ms. lauryn hill, who miraculously took the stage on timeish, mystikal (yes. mystikal.), and anders osborne yum, i got to meet and speak to dan baum, the author of nine lives: death and life in new orleans*, see mardi gras indians, and participate in a real haitian "second line" with RAM. to top it all off, i got to hang out with my friends AND eat some delicious food (helloooo, cochon de lait po' boys!). definitely one of my favorite festival days ever.

b.t.dubs, we here at choosing change heart festivals... check out our adventures at strawberry festblues & bbq festlollacajun zydeco/creole tomato/louisiana seafood festoyster fest, and of course, wednesdays at the square here and here    
 mustaches are quickly becoming my favorite thing ever, probably as a tribute to this guy
*read this book. read it if you think you know everything there is to know about new orleans, read it if you know nothing about new orleans. it'll teach you a lot.

Monday, June 6, 2011

bridal brunch

 not surprisingly, i have had a slew of friends get engaged these last few months (at age 26? shocking, i know). most recently, our friends shelby and charley (yes! of athena fame!) decided to get hitched, so becky and i jumped on the chance to put together a little ladies brunch to celebrate. we ate at atchafalaya, where we toasted with make-your-own bloody mary's and silly mustache straws and wore diamond rings that put shelby's to shame (i think you'll see the comparison down below - no competition!).
the bride-to-be at the head of the table, so she could be adored properly
another future bride!
of course, no congratulatory brunch would be complete without a photo shoot in front of a giant cast-iron skillet holding handmade pinwheels. duh! congrats shelb! and meghan too!