Parties!

A few of my lovely ladies at Galentine's! 

 

I do love a party. And if you look, there's nearly always a good one brewing somewhere. 

After I got back from Vegas, Mardi Gras season was upon us. For a few years now, I've looked forward to going to Krewe de Cardinal's annual shin-dig. It has great food, great (glowing) drinks, a rocking band, a fun photo booth, and both silent and live auctions. They also usually have an artist on site, a person who creates a work of art as the party revolves around her/him. By the end of the night, the piece is complete, and it's sold off. It all benefits St. Richard's, a local private school. (I have friends whose kids attend, so it's all for the children! Heh.) 

Krewe de Cardinal with Laura and Anita

This year, I threw on a showy dress that I bought during my last trip to Napa, invited my older sister to join me, and spent the night whooping it up with her, some childhood friends, and sweet Anita and her hubs. 

A few days later, it was time to celebrate again - Galentine's Day! Hubs and I typically celebrate Valentine's Day by going out to a really nice dinner together (though often not on the actual night, as we hate crowds and waiting in line). Similarly, I celebrated Galentine's Day on Saturday, Feb. 12, with some of my best gals gathering for a lovely brunch at my house. I made a gorgeous salmon dill frittata, a lively fruit salad, and rich raspberry butter. I also served whole grain toast, bacon, and all the fixings for yogurt parfaits. Sweet Caron brought a gorgeous blueberry bread pudding, and I made two specialty cocktails (full of champagne, naturally - one with raspberries and a sugar cube, and another with red moscato for a lovely pink hue) for my cadre of ladies. Everyone wore pink, sipped their drinks, ate delicious food, talked, laughed, and thanked heaven that we were all friends.  

I really cannot recommend finding a squad of people and doing everything you can to hold onto them. Having close, long-time friends will make such a positive difference in your life. Honestly. 

Galentine's nibbles!

Next up - St. Patrick's Day! Though I didn't throw a party for this holiday, I went to one. Every year, Jackson, Mississippi, hosts a big celebration and parade for St. Paddy's Day. There's tons of live music, several local businesses get in on the Irish of it all (Fenian's Pub, Hal and Mal's, etc.), and the Sweet Potato Queens rule their kingdom for a few consecutive days. 

When the day of the parade dawned, we had gorgeous weather. Clay, hubs and I all donned our green and headed out. We parked a bit outside of downtown, walked down to the parade route, and staked out our spots. There were tons of people, food trucks, and activity! The parade started, and we saw lots of marchers, the Sonic Boom (!), great floats, the Queens, and more. We caught tons of throws and made friends with the folks near us on the sideline. When it was over, we loaded back up into the car and got a (very late) lunch. 

Next up - Easter! Stay tuned!

Two cuties at the St. Paddy's Day Parade!
(Clay is obviously too cool for school.)