Mardi Gras Mavens

Mardi Gras 2024! 

Those who live in the Gulf South are well acquainted with the tradition of Mardi Gras. In February, you can find parties, parades, and other Mardi Gras events throughout the region, and the observance is known for being a good time. Some years, I lean into Mardi Gras more than others. This year, I celebrated the season in two big ways.

Two cuties at Krewe de Cardinal!

The first one was the annual Krewe de Cardinal party. This benefit for St. Richard's Catholic School is, in my opinion, one of the best Mardi Gras parties in the Jackson area. They always have a rocking band, a fun photo booth, great food and (glowing) drinks, and a busy silent (and live) auction. The crowd here comes dressed to party, too! 

This year, I bought a fabulous dress from Babe Beyond, invited my sweet sister, and hit the town! (A note about this gorgeous dress - looking at the online photos, you can't tell that the mesh v-neckline at the bust is actually quite sheer. When the dress arrived, I decided to tuck a discreet black silk scarf inside to make this more opaque. But I told my sister that, if I started letting loose at this party and yanked that scarf out of my bosom, she'd better get me outta there before the society page of the newspaper got a photo! Heh.) 

As always, we had a great time at this party! We typically see a lot of friends there, and we made some new friends this year, too! Lots of dancing, and they had a gorgeous bourbon bar this year where you could try some delicious bottles. Such a fun night!

Also in 2024, after a hiatus of many years, I made the pilgrimage down to New Orleans to go to some actual Mardi Gras parades. My sweet friend and former co-worker Kay was hosting a big party for the Chaos and Muses parades, and she invited both my friend Anita and I, as well as our plus ones, down for the shin-dig. 

Did Kay catch shoes? YOU KNOW SHE DID. 

I invited my friend Caron, and Anita's daughter Hannah was meeting us down there as her plus one. Caron, Anita, and I all drove down together. We dropped Anita off at her hotel, then checked into the Ace, which was well located for walking during our stay. (I've stayed here before and always enjoyed it - great location, fun aesthetic, and some good on-property food and drink.) Then we gussied up and got ready for some fun! (Did I wear a gold sequined top and a giant Mardi Gras headband? Do you even have to ask?)

Pre-gaming

Caron and I pre-gamed with cocktails at Josephine Estelle, and then we headed over to the Lafayette Hotel to meet up with Kay, Anita, and Hannah for the main event. Kay had rented out part of the hotel's bar area and had some dedicated bleacher space on the parade route. There was great food and drinks, but the best part was that we knew so many of the other fun folks at her gathering! 

We enjoyed some refreshments, and then the parades got started. The floats and marchers were so flamboyant and colorful and inventive! I loved the Les Bonnes Vivantes, who rode elaborately decorated, motorized bathtubs in the Muses parade. (And the rubber duck floats were HUGE!) 

We caught so many throws - beads, toys, shoes, just everything you can think of. I'm not much of one to hold onto that type of stuff, so I gave most of what I caught away and just kept a couple of strands of beads as mementos.

We ended the night quite late, but happy, a little tipsy, full of delicious food, and dripping in beads. Caron and I walked back to our hotel and hit the hay! The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast at Luke (Their spinach and mushroom omelette is the TRUTH.) before heading home. 

This was such a fantastic way to do a Mardi Gras parade. There was no shoving, no folks stepping all over you or puking on your shoes, and we were parked right in front of a dedicated space that provided food, drinks, and clean bathrooms. Kay was a wonderful hostess, and I am so thankful and glad that she invited us! 

Until next year, let the good times roll! 

Caron is the bossest boss who has ever bossed. I will not be taking any questions on this.