A Taste of New Orleans

Can you believe summer is coming to an end?!  I hope your summer has been magical.  One of my favorite memories from this summer was my trip to New Orleans.  I've always wanted to visit so when I found a Mister G-friendly room at fancy hotel in the French Quarter for a dime I couldn't have been happier.  

Spoiler alert: Pretty much all of the highlights of the trip are food-- and I broke my sugar fast with shameful vigor.   My first indiscretions were beignets and coffee at Cafe du Monde.  Seriously-- they're every good thing you've heard about them and more.  

I didn't take that many pictures while I was in New Orleans.  It was really hot out and I didn't really feel like lugging my camera around.  I totally enjoyed soaking up my experience without the distraction of capturing the great splendor of the city.  

My favorite meal was at a restaurant named Mister B's Bistro.  I had the BBQ Shrimp which came highly recommended from the friendly doorman at our hotel.  Everyone in New Orleans says, "That's stupid" when they talk about how delicious something is.  Let me tell you, the BBQ Shrimp was crazy stupid.  I had to wear a bib to eat it and clean my hands with a hot towel and lemon after I finished!  

On our last day we took a cab to the Garden District and walked along Magazine Street.  We found an adorable cafe with homemade gelato.  John ordered watermelon and I enjoyed salted caramel and vanilla cookies and cream.  My gelato was way better and John's spoon was constantly sneaking into my trough.

More favorites...

Walking Mister G around the French Quarter-- Although Mister G stuck to his usual diet, the new sights and smells were quite the treat for him!  Oh yeah, and everyone there LOVED him!  Naturally...

Live music on Frenchman Street-- If you want a more local scene + the best music your little ears have ever heard, head on over to Frenchman Street.  My favorite bar was Blue Nile where we saw To Be Continued Brass Band play.

I loved the architecture.  The buildings and homes were so beautiful!

Pralines-- Stop by Leah's bakery and pick up a few pralines.  Yeah, you guessed it... They're stupid too!

Cheeseburger and Baked Potato at Port of Call-- My sister recommended this place and it did not disappoint.  John and I were both in Heaven chowing down here.  Easily my favorite cheeseburger and baked potato ever.

Oliver's-- We ate dinner here on our first night.  We ordered the gumbo flight for an appetizer.  Amazing.  The salad dressing here was out of this world.

Did you go anywhere this summer?  Don't forget to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway!  The winner will be announced next week!  

A Nook Book: DIY Tablet Case by Jessica

Okay. Confession.  I have a move coming up.  For every 2 episodes of moving motivation I watch (aka Hoarders), I pack one box.  It's a slow and ineffective process, and truth be told, it's not great for my creative spirit.  Good thing I have a crafty friend to pull my slack!  Remember my friend Jessica, the gorgeous bride who was the inspiration behind the wedding series?  She made this amazing Nook Book to hold her e-reader.   

Jessica said she started with an old book and used a sharp blade to gut the book of its pages.  She glued felt to the inside covers.  She measured her Nook and glued elastic to the corners to hold the Nook in place.  Then she glued another piece of felt to cover the glued edges.  (Don't mind the ziplock holding some of my finest BFF "mix tape" cds underneath her Nook!)

Jessica said her one regret is not chooising a skinnier book-- so be sure to look for a book that is a similar width as your e-reader!

Don't forget to enter to win a $50 Shabby Apple gift card!  Have a great weekend, loves!  xoxo, Ashley

Late Summer Style + Shabby Apple Giveaway

I seriously love the transition from summer into autumn.  The weather is still perfect and the anticipation of everything fall is so fun-- leaves changing colors, pumpkin bread, and warm lattes.  Even though it's been a few years since college, I still get pretty excited about "back to school" shopping.   New jeans, cute sweaters, and seriously, who am I kidding-- Crayola everything is on major sale :)

The amazing people over at Shabby Apple are joining the Summer Blog Party and graciously giving one lucky Mister G and Me reader a $50 Shabby Apple gift card!  Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Here are some of my favorite summer to autumn transition pieces--from Shabby Apple, of course!

 Desert Modern Dress

Maple Dress

 Yellow Days Dress

Cider Dress

Bianca Dress

The sweet people over at Shabby Apple didn't want to leave anyone out-- they are also giving Mister G and Me readers 10% off orders for a month!  Use the code mistergandme10off at checkout.

Summer Blog Party Post: DIY Beach-y Frames

Hello friends!  Here's fun way to remember your favorite summer vacation.  

You will need:

Old Frame

Sand

Glue

Old Paintbrush

Sea Shells

Cover your work surface.  Paint a layer of glue on your frame and sprinkle a generous application of sand.  After the glue dries you embellish your frame with a seashell or two.  I used Elmer's white school glue-- but if you have a heavier shell you might want to use hot glue or E-6000.  Happy crafting!  xo, Ashley

Summer Blog Party: Summer Style with Shannon of Shannon Heart's.

Summertime means parties, cute dresses, and sandals!  I'm so excited to welcome Shannon, one of my favorite style bloggers, to the Summer Blog Party.  Shannon's blog is full of inspiring outfits, amazing giveaways, and beautiful photography.  Check it out here!  

Hello friends!  My name is Shannon and I blog over at Shannon Heart's.  Shannon Heart's is a style blog where I write about personal style, with touches of photography and tasty treats.  I'm so excited to be here today and thrilled to be a part of Ashley's Summer Blog Party.  I've been loving all the posts so far.

Today I am sharing my favorite trends for this Summer.

- Mini Dresses: Shorter lengths are great for the hot months of Summer.  You can throw on a mini dress over your bathing suit for a casual beachy look, or dress up a mini with heels and jewelry.  It's a versatile and flirty piece for Summer.

- Turquoise & Gold Jewelry: Summer is all about bold, vibrant jewelry and no color stands out more than turquoise.  I love turquoise combined with gold because it compliments sun-kissed skin.  The best thing about turquoise is that it goes with so many colors, from neutrals like black and white, to daring colors like coral or hot pink.  If you're looking to add a fresh piece of jewelry to your Summer wardrobe, you can't go wrong with turquoise.

- Lace: Lace is feminine and sweet with a touch of sex appeal.  It's a more modern take on the traditional eyelet fabrics for Summer.  I'm loving this trend in classic white lace, or in bolder, brighter hues like pink and green.

- Feathers: Feather details on clothing give it that free-spirited look that Summer is all about.  I love feather jewelry, but am also loving feather detailing on blouses and dresses.  Feathers can give a basic piece of clothing an eye-catching and unique look. 

- Wide Brimmed Hats: One of the most stylish ways to protect yourself from the sun is by wearing a wide brim hat.  A wide brim hat tops off your Summer look in an effortless, chic way.

- Neon Sandals: Embrace the bright sunny days with a pop of neon on your feet.  The key to this trend is to never wear too many neon pieces at the same time.  I think neon sandals is an easy way to stay on trend without going too far.

Thank you so much for having me today.  Please stop over to my blog and say hi.

xo,

Shannon

Summer Blog Party: Summer To-Do List with Megan from And Here's To You Mrs. Robinson

Hey friends!  Hope you're all having an amazing summer!  Today I'm so excited to introduce you to my bloggy friend Megan.  If you haven't met her yet, you're in for a treat.  She's the biggest sweetheart and is so real on her blog, which I love reading!    

Hello Mr. G & Me readers!!  My name is Megan Robinson from {And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson} and I'm really excited to be sharing on Ashley's blog today!  When Ashley told me about a big summer bash I got really excited for the opportunity to share some of my favorite summer things. 

This is actually going to be our last summer in Utah so I have a whole list of things to do to live it up. 

Some of the things I'm looking forward to this summer are: 

playing at the park with my son going down the "swye" (translation: slide)

taking hikes up the canyon and looking at all the different rocks  {rocks sound so exciting I know!},

going to all the local fairs and activities, 

 and exploring our little neighborhood and playing outside while the weather is good! 

I'm hoping to make this a summer to remember with lots of time enjoying the great outdoors [before we move to a place where it's WAY too hot to hang out outside!].  I love seeing my little boy discover new things and learn about the world around him.  So hopefully we'll be able to continue to make lots of fun discoveries this summer! 

Thank you, Ashley, for letting me share my summer to-do list with you!!  LONG LIVE SUMMER! :)

DIY Flip Flop Tutorials

One of my favorite things about summer is definitely flip flops!  They are so comfortable-- but have a bad rep for being less than stylish.  Today I have a great collection of easy DIY flip flop tutorials.  They are super cute and best of all-- they cost pennies to make!

The Knot So Hard Flip Flop Tutorial via The Mother Huddle

Altered Flip Flops Tutorial via Alisa Burke

DIY Beaded Flip Flops Tutorial via Trinkets in Bloom

Braided Strap Flip Flops Tutorial via Make It Love It

Easy Fabric Flip Flops Tutorial via Two Shades of Pink

Changeable Flip Flop Straps Tutorial via Simple Serendipities 

Yoyo Flip Flops Tutorial via Making It Fun