Treasure gathered in NOLA

Hello Bloggie,
I have a few things I would like to share with you tonight. They are a couple of my favorite things I was lucky enough to grab in Nola last month. I had a ton of fun while we were there, and truly enjoyed everything New Orleans had to offer. The culture is rich, and the locals so much fun. I felt the history alive in the city, soaked in the architecture, and kept my eyes wide open to all the beautiful sights. The word I would use to describe New Orleans is gritty. Mainly because everything about it had texture, the smells, the foods, the people, the surroundings...everything. When I think of the word gritty I think of texture, gritty is the opposite of smooth, full of little bumps and flaws which make it unique and wonderful.

One thing that is a big part of New Orleans culture and history is voodoo. I don't practice or believe in voodoo myself, but I can appreciate that it is part of that areas past, present, and future. Besides, as I love anything spooky, it is right up my alley! SO, that being said, one of my treasures I acquired in Nola was a voodoo doll.

She is so cute! I picked her up at The Jamie Hayes Gallery on Chartres Street in the French Quarter, from the Voodoo Child Doll collection. The tag told how she had a pinch of Gris-Gris (magic potion) inside her and that ifyou wanted to cause someone pain hold her, think of the person, then stick her with a pin (which there was one provided on the back of her head). Hahahaha, it was said with a wink and added to her charm, I love how the tag says, "the better to stick you with"! She now resides on my purse, just incase I need to use a little emergency voodoo action. Watch out foes o'mine, you may end up with a headache...;)

Another treasure is something I was given, I didn't spend a dime on it. While in the Quarter we were delightfully surprised to learn there was going to be a parade. We had made our way there just after Mardi Gras so we weren't expecting anymore parades. We watched as an Italian parade for St. Joseph's Day made it's way through the Quarter, it was a big parade and they threw LOTS of loot consisting of various things, most of which was in the italian colors, red, green, and white. Necklaces, flowers, stickers on our cheeks that looked like lips, feather boas, garters, candy, footballs, waterguns...everything you could think of, everytime I would look up it would be something else.
Then a man walked over to Savannah, my sister Daley, and I and took out some of the cutest little bracelets from a baggie he was carrying. He put one on each one of us, and then said, "My daughter made these for me to give out." Awwwe, I thought they were adorable anyway, but when he said that I fell in love with mine! I could picture this little girl sitting down and making a bunch of bracelets for her Daddy to give out at the parade. That is something my daughter would do, and I have loved the bracelet ever since. I don't know who this little girl was, but she represents the love of a daughter to me and I have worn it ever since...

Another treasured item was definitely my awesome New Orleans hat, I have already pictured it at the top of the blog. Just putting it on my head makes me feel ten times cooler than I feel without it. It says New Orleans on the side in little gold letters, that the letters are small and kind of hidden is something I like about it, like that extra little bit of coolness is only apparant to the people who really want to notice my hat.

Probably my favorite treasure of all though, would be the memories I will always have of the whole trip. I had a great time with all my family, got to learn a lot about the history and feel of somewhere I wouldn't have otherwise known, and I got to travel! After leaving I can definitely say...I can't wait to go back!

Your friend in Texas,
Amanda with an A