The Parade...

 

 

 

 

Flowers in our hair...

Sunlight in our eyes...

Jello shots...

Vodka soaked Gummy Bears...

Dancing...

A few minor injuries...

Continuous dancing...

Belly laughs...

Family... and Friends...

And memories we will never let go of...

We survived Mardi Gras 2012... 

Until next year...

Mardi Gras 2012

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry for the silence around here lately...

Real life has been incredibly less quiet...

It's been Mardi Gras in South Louisiana 

which ended Tuesday night...

These are a few images from our Krewe's ball on Saturday night.

I was outgoing royalty, and as such,

was required to wear a white gown...

More pictures will be shared as soon as I have them.

Cheers!

It's a Special Day...

 

To the world, it is Valentine's Day...

To us, it is my friendship soulmate's 25th birthday...

So... on this very special day

I'd like to send a birthday wish to my sweet friend...

May this day be as extraordinary as you are,

and may this year be filled with a million more memories

that make you laugh so hard you cry,

and make you remember that life is beautiful

and you are loved...

Happy birthday my sweet friend!

<3

We'll Take a Cup of Kindness Yet, For Auld Lang Syne...

Natalie and I joined some friends at the Geaux Entertainment Party at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans as we all welcomed the New Year...It was a night of extravagance, wine, champagne, sequins, vodka infused whipped cream, laughter, dancing, old friends and new, and the hope of a new year to get it right... These are a few pictures from that evening...

Better late than never... 

Here's to Promise and Hope; Champagne and Glitter; Love and Friendship and the Magic of a New Year...

A sense of nostalgia and hope always overcomes me this time of year... when the idea of a new beginning is just on the  horizon and the memories of the past year are at the forefront of our minds... 2011 was a wonderful year. It was woven together with love, laughter, tears, triumphs and tragedy; new friends, old friends, and the departure of those we never imagined would stray... It was a year of three different jobs until I found one that fit for this time in my life; and another move, but this time just down the street. It was a year of the birth of my first niece and the adjusting to and adoring having three new members of our family. It was a time of engagements and weddings, all of which left lasting marks on my spirit... a year of broken hearts and new hopes... new friends and the disappointment of old friends. It was a year of history making moments and the magic of quiet moments with those who make this life worth living...

As I prepare for a night of beauty, champagne, glitter and friendship... I cannot help but be disappointed because the boy won't  be with me, and S will be celebrating with our friends in another space. Still, they will both be with me in spirit and I am so overwhelmingly thankful to be welcoming the New Year with one of my best friends in one of my favorite cities in the world... As for New Year's Resolutions, I don't think I believe in that... I believe that the New Year just provides us all an opportunity to spend another 365 days trying to be better... better children,  better siblings, better aunts or uncles, better coworkers and friends, better lovers and better members of the human experience... No, I won't make a resolution for 2012... Instead, I will make a wish... one wish that I will carry within my heart all the year through... I will make a wish and hold the hope of a beautiful, healthy and prosperous New Year for those I love... those who make my year, every year, more magical and joyful...

Wherever in this world you find yourself, my sweet friends... I hope that you are filled with joy and hope and love... I pray that you are surrounded by people who lift you up and make you  believe in all the beauty this new year promises... Mostly, I hope that you believe that 2012 has amazing things in store for you, because...

It does...

Happy New Year my loves!

Thank you for being a part of my world...

It makes all the difference...

XoXo

Randi

Oh the difference a year makes...

Happy New Year to my Siamese Twin....

New Year's Eve 2010

Thank you for being one of the few constants in my life over the past 6 years...

Such a Merry Little Christmas

I've caught myself, and many of those around me, saying over the past few weeks that it just doesn't feel like Christmas. Despite the ever present sounds of Christmas music, the constant viewing of holiday movies, and the twinkling lights all over town... something just wasn't there. I suppose it happens that way though... Some holidays wrap you up in their spirit and hold you until you are forced to rub the magic from your eyes; and find it in the every day moments of life... Other times, the holidays just sort of arrive and pass... This Christmas was a little of both. 

For many reasons, it was a very bittersweet time for my immediate family. Still, the most important things were always at the forefront of our minds and hearts... Whether they were beside us, or out serving a greater part of God's plan... our family is healthy and ever growing... There were tears of worry and sadness, but mostly there was an abundance of joyful tears arising from hearts overcome with love and gratitude. As I looked around, I silently thanked the Lord for the love and the life that I have been blessed with. 

As a child, every Christmas morning... my little brother would climb into my bed and insist that I wake up to see what Santa had brought. He was always the first face I saw on Christmas. This year, the first smiling, perfect face that I saw was my niece. It was her first Christmas and although she is not old enough to understand the magic of it all... our day was more blessed because we have her. Overall, it was a day filled with surprises, love, and the hope of many more holidays with the hearts that make up this family. After all, isn't that what matters most in the end...

However you spent this Christmas, I hope that it was filled with magic and the hearts that you hold the dearest to you... 

XoXo