My hubby took me to my first Clippers basketball game when we started dating about five years ago. I was instantly hooked and have been following and learning more about the sport ever since. We go to as many games as possible and we were both dying to go to the NBA All-Star 2014 weekend in New Orleans. Luckily a family member was able to pull a few strings with a friend of his and snag us some sold-out tickets. I literally was jumping for joy! We booked what seemed to be the last available ticket to New Orleans, packed our bags and had an amazing little getaway together. I hope you guys enjoy some of our personal photos around the city.
I am quite possibly the worst ever at packing for trips! I always have this romantic notion in my mind that I am going to dress up every single day of my vacation and then my feet are killing me half way through or I am freezing because I didn't anticipate how cold 63 degrees feels like with a wind chill factor. Luckily, New Orleans was very hospitable with the weather and located on almost every block you will find an Asian foot massage spa. We pampered our feet to the fairly priced massage twice during our short trip and I was able to wear heels everyday without crying. So even though my team lost in the All-Star Game I felt like a winner.
The above outfit is a casual chic baseball sleeve midi-dress that I found on sale at Forever 21. It is featured in my latest Mall Haul video
here. I warmed it up with my favorite fuzzy infinity scarf that I've had for years. The scarf doubled as a wrap for when I was chilly from the blasting A/C in the New Orleans Arena. My shoes are from
Go Jane and my bag is Christian Louboutin.
For the actual NBA All-Star game I wore this sexy two-piece set from
I'm Haute. These bare midriff outfit sets are a celeb favorite lately and I must admit that I'm rather obsessed with them! They are a killer combo of sophistication meets sexy. Since we were planning on going out to dinner after the game I naturally wanted to be all dolled up and I couldn't wait to wear this sassy little number! I paired it with my nude ankle strap high heels from
Go Jane and my black and nude jacket from
She Inside.
Earlier that afternoon we did some walking around in the French Quarter. We came across the Adidas pop up social media spot aka #adidasintheQuarter. Sports retailers had pop up shops all over town to capitalize on all the fans in town for the NBA All-Star weekend but this was different. This location wasn't actually selling anything. Instead they were offering a free experience in hopes of generating a social media buzz. The setup was rather impressive. They had a DJ spinning the top hip-hop jams, Adidas All-Star Jerseys to borrow, a huge mesmerizing light wall which would display your team of choice and a photographer snapping away free pics to be emailed to you almost instantaneously. Overall the experience probably took five to ten minutes out of our day and we have some pretty cool pictures to show from it. Thanks Adidas!
After our impromptu Adidas photo shoot we decided to reward ourselves with a piece of heaven from the famous
Cafe Du Monde. Listen to me when I say, Cafe Du Monde is a
must for anyone visiting New Orleans. They opened in 1862 and have been going strong for 24 hours a day ever since. You'll only find them closed for the occasional hurricane or on Christmas Day. Cafe Du Monde has a very limited menu but don't be alarmed. They know what they are good at and they have perfected it.
The only food on the menu: Beignets.
Beignets are described as French doughnuts but I would describe them as a doughnut and funnel cake falling madly in love and having a perfectly fluffy, yet ever so slightly crunchy, melt in your mouth love child. These pillowy pastries of perfection are fried and then covered (and I do mean covered) in powdered sugar. My mouth is seriously watering just thinking about these special treats.
My outfit for walking around during the day in New Orleans was pretty casual. I wore a loose fit plain white T-shirt with my shredded Machine Jeans. I rolled up the bottoms of my jeans to showcase my blue suede Dolce Vita booties that match my indigo blue Celine Mini Luggage Bag. I finished my look off with some
circle sunnies and a
long necklace from I'm Haute.
Unbeknownst to us, the first parade of Mardi Gras was the day we arrived in New Orleans. The town was covered in colorful decorations and beads were everywhere you looked. Seriously, beads were stuck in trees, hanging from balconies and all over the streets. I was super excited because going to Mardi Gras was on my bucket list. Even though this was New Orleans' smallest Mardi Gras parade I am happy to check that off my list. I'm not sure if I could handle a busier Mardi Gras celebration because this one seemed insane enough to me. We tried walking down Bourbon St which was a completely over crowded mess. Literally everyone was pushing into everyone and it took a good ten minutes just to walk a block. I'm glad I can say that I've been there, done that but I doubt I'll ever intentionally plan a trip to New Orleans just for Mardi Gras.
New Orleans has so much more to offer than just the craziness of Mardi Gras. Besides all of the stunning architecture and mind blowing history, the city is bursting with culinary adventures. Every single meal that we ate was mouth watering delicious and memorable. The above picture is from our belated Valentine's dinner at
Restaurant R'evolution. When my hubby and I travel we like to enjoy at least one nice dinner together and Restaurant R'evelotion surely delivered. Our steaks were cooked perfectly and I found a new favorite wine: Domaine Bertagna, Pinot Noir, 2010. The coolest part of dinner here is the complimentary dessert that is served in an ornate jewelry box. Each drawer of the box contains a different chocolate or cookie. So cute!
For casual dinning I recommend
The Ruby Slipper Cafe. We popped in here for brunch and my taste buds with never be the same. I can't stop thinking about their Eggs Blackstone dish which is like a southern take on Eggs Benedict. My favorite spot for lunch was
Meals from the Heart Cafe which is located in the adorable French Market. Their menu features organic, gluten-free and vegan options. I ordered the okra gumbo and raw beets salad. With every bite I could taste the love.
Travelling is my number one passion in life. I always come back from my trips feeling blessed and excited from the new things I just experienced. To me, life is all about the experience.
