Today I am going to live vicariously through the excitement of vacations past. If 2019 wasn't winning in it's quest to crush me I might be headed to New Orleans for Mardi Gras (a favorite thing). As life would have it I still can't breathe very well, my 19 year old kitty cat needs me to feed her or she doesn't eat enough to sustain herself and my friends had other plans (not that I am normally above traveling on my own).
In 2015 I finally had the opportunity to scratch "Go to Mardi Gras" off of my bucket list and what I learned in a few days was that a few days is not enough, once is not enough and in the days before I headed to NOLA, there was a parade with an all female crew, that gives out hand decorated shoes and there was a parade with an all female crew that gives out hand decorated purses. In both cases only to a lucky few.
In 2016 I missed it again. I just did not have the time. I missed Muses (shoe girls) and NYX (purse girls) for a second year.
In 2017 I had a week off and I got there in time to see part of the NYX parade. A sweet local girl gave me an eye glass case that she caught. I was so excited...because I am basically a really old 4 year old and it was cool. The next day I prepped all day (like I was going to prom) for the Muses parade then I was off to see the Muses and hope one of them saw me! .
I lugged my "costume" 1200 miles. My husband asked me why, for the time and money, I did not just make a shoe...well that's not the point! (although I may do that this week)
Someone on the first vehicle to go by in the parade took a picture of me!!! I thought that was a good sign but he may have been the last person to see me at all. I really worked for a shoe and one flew past my head but it was not for me. In the end I did get a shoe...with the help of a refrigerator sized man that kept standing in front of me...really the Muses could not see me to decide for themselves if it was my year. He handed me that shoe and I was sort of ummm nuh ah kind of stuttering happy. YAY!!!
Her name is Trixie and she is beautiful :)
Coincidentally she looks like she could be related to my homemade, hand bedazzled shirt :)
Trixie among other parade toys... including the awesome eye glass case from the sweet local girl.
My BF donated a hat to my outfit. I painted it then I had to wear it on the plane because it did not fit in my carry on luggage and I think the paint was still a little wet.
I did not think I had a picture of the outfit! I found one. Yay (again)!
The parade theme was Doctor Seuss, I did not know that in advance.
(heads up
ummmm when people hate you, delete and block you on FB photos they took and tagged you in go bye bye too, so save them as you get them if you want them because you never know)
In 2018 some friends took me to Mardi Gras for the whole week. It was an awesome situation with such nice people and I did ALL of the parades! (All of the big ones, that happen the last week, that I knew about)
I got a crazy amount of stuff that week because... well most people have the good sense to get out of the rain but I do not and it rained a lot. Torrential down pours, dumping water out of my shoes and ringing out my socks did not slow me down and when you are one of the only die hard crazy people at a parades ...well...you get stuff. My boots were wet for a week, therefore so were my feet. I tried to blow dry the boots but they never got completely dry and they would immediately get wet again. I had plastic bags around my feet, I ruined the shoes, and I don't know how a week worth of little damp feet didn't make them sick. lol
Day 1- I got 3 purses at the NYX parade! It was pouring and I was happy. Wet shoes for the rest of the week...worth it.
Day 2- Muses. I made a friend that was hanging out near where I was watching parades. We did the "where are you from originally" thing and 15 minutes later decided we may actually be kin :). She got a Shoe!!! It was as much fun to see her get a shoe as it is to get a shoe.
Parade float.
As the parade ended and I watched my chances at a shoe roll away...and debated running around the block to catch a few floats coming up the other side then a kind soul handed me a shoe. Apparently I looked sad and it was more fun to make me smile than to put a shoe on the piano. I call her Charity. Isn't she beautiful?!? (That's rhetorical)
Home with all of her friends and the reigning shoe, hanging out on her stand in the back ground. The Blue purse on the little table is my favorite form NYX. Believe it or not we donated about 75 lbs of stuff to charities but I still needed and extra suitcase to get home.
I am not sure if I like these or the Jimmy Choos better...no it's these... definitely these.
I missed a free Bahamas trip that would have helped with with my seasonal misery. I even wondered if it might have helped my breathing issue and now I am about to miss Mardi Gras (that is just joy) but my breathing would not permit the hard work that is parading (lol) and my beautiful little girl kitty "George" (as in "I will name him George, and I will hug him, and pet him, and squeeeeeze him") is 19 years old and not feeling well. She needs me so even if the stars had aligned so that I could have gone I could not leave her. She is worth it ...even if she takes me down with her.
This is George (on a better day) the tiny little kitty that rescued me...in a Pet Smart.
In celebration of my lost winter sanity retreats I may turn up the heat, find a palm tree and waves to play on the computer, sit in a bathing suit, on top of a pile of beads from Mardi Gras past, drinking a hurricane (and if I survive that a strawberry daiquiri) while decorating an old shoe and petting the cat.
Wears 0 (not intended for wearing)
Purchased/Received- February 2017 and February 2018
Cost... It depends do I count airfare and costume supplies???
Comfort N/A
Pair #46a &46.5
