Laissez les bon temps rouler

Laissez les bon temps rouler. The official cry of Mardi Gras! Let the good times roll! Now, down here in Louisiana we claim Mardi Gras as "our" holiday. Side note- yes, I am aware that Mardi Gras originated in Mobile, Alabama, but we stole it. For those of you who do not know what Mardi Gras is, it's a celebration leading up to Lent. It begins on or after Epiphany and ends on Ash Wednesday. It's a time of gluttony and celebration before a time of fasting and remembrance. And if you have never been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, you must go- at least once! While in college I attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans a couple of times and I had the luxury and fortunate experience of going with people FROM New Orleans. Why does this matter? Well, I skipped all the "touristy" things and traps and got to experience Mardi Gras without a bunch of drunk out of towners. I have composed a few tips for those first timers:


- do NOT GO TO BOURBON STREET! End of discussion. If you'd like to experience Bourbon Street, go at some other time- NOT DURING MARDI GRAS. Pure craziness. The street is so packed that you literally get carried with the crowd and it's where all the stuff that makes the national news happens.


- head Uptown (St. Charles/Garden district area) for the parades along the "family friendly" routes. Beware though- there are no boobs for beads allowed on that part of the parade! (Not that you should show your boobs for beads, or any reason in New Orleans. If you are that desperate for beads, I've got tons and can mail you some).


- Most restaurants or establishments won't allow you to use the restroom unless you are a paying customer, which is why it's good to set up shop Uptown for parade watching. Go to a local bar and befriend them- they are more likely to allow potty breaks. My favorite bar in New Orleans is Fat Harry's on St. Charles. It's a local/upscale/college frat bar, and is a ton of fun! They also let people use their restrooms (or they did several years ago)


- Here's another potty tip: the boys line is always shorter than the girls potty line! I figured out real quick to use the boys restroom and just lock the door, or hell, just lock the stall and when someone came in, I would say "there's a chick in here!" and they would normally wait. Don't judge, desperate times call for desperate measures.


-Purses: don't take them during Mardi Gras. Get your ID and cash (NO CREDIT CARDS!) and give it to the guy you're with to put in his FRONT POCKET. NOT IN THE BACK POCKET.



- Also, if you are underage, don't think you can get away with drinking during Mardi Gras. Ask my hubs- he got a MIP during Mardi Gras, yes, he is probably the only human on the planet who gets an MIP during the world's biggest party. Remember people: ATF stands for Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms- they don't care about the fight in front of you or the millions of people smoking weed. If you're drinking and you're underage, they WILL ticket you! (Right babe?)


- Bourbon Street: if you MUST go to Bourbon Street, don't go past St. Ann's. It's to New Orleans what Montrose is to Houston.


- Restaurants: while you might be tempted to hit up the New Orleans favorites such as Commander's Palace, Brennan's, Cafe Du Monde- those will be PACKED. If you head Uptown hit up St. Charles Tavern for a late night breakfast/brunch the next day, or G & B's for a good greasy bar food joint.




And I seriously digressed- I completely meant for this post to be about Mardi Gras decor, and now I am reminiscing about my wilder days. :) 


 I know most of y'all are putting up Valentine's decor but here in the Pea household, we have up our Mardi Gras decor. I can't stand a naked mantel, so as soon as Christmas came down, Mardi Gras went up! Ha. Here is what we have currently- I will probably add to it next year, but this year's budget was a wee bit tighter since I'm on maternity leave!

Mardi Gras Mantel: I made the wreath and the mesh and fleur de lis accents were purchased at Ellis Pottery and Red Door Interiors

JP insisted on being in a picture. He's a camera hog and constantly photo bombs....

Front door swag

My 'everything tree"- I decorate it for EVERY holiday/season. I decorated this with Mardi Gras garland, purple lights, and beads from past Mardi Gras parades! Easy and Cheap!

ignore the tacky 80's style wall paper. we are renovating my grandparent's old house and the entry way is the LAST room we have to do!

Table center piece: crystal vase filled with beads and gold/purple/green ornaments. Feathers and peacock glitter sticks give it that Mardi Gras obnoxiousness :)

Last point for this post: be on the look out at after Christmas sales for purple, gold and green decor that be used for Mardi Gras decorating! Same for Valentine's day decor- look for pink, red and white during Christmas sales!