oh, tableaux!

proof of my mardi gras veteranhood - and what i wish i could wear to the ball instead.

if you aren't from the south, maybe you've never heard of mardi gras. and even if you are from the south, maybe you aren't lucky enough to live in a part of the south that celebrates.

as you can see, mardi gras was a routine part of my life growing up. my aunt and many of my family's friends were in some of the societies. my dad and his band used to play on a trailer in the parade, and i'd sit on the back. we'd catch moonpies, fight other parade-goers for stuffed animals... there were many times i got hit in the face with beads so hard it bruised.

as i got older, the mardi gras experience changed. i went to new orleans (not home to the original mardi gras, mind you - that's mobile!) and sat wedged between thousands of people on bourbon street, unable to move, for a solid two hours before giving up and leaving. how can you party when you can't extend your arms to hold a hand grenade?

i prefer my home state for an authentic mardi gras experience. this weekend, i'm off to fairhope with three of my good friends to attend some parades, and a ball of course! getting ready is a lot of the fun, but the actual festivities themselves are awesome. if you ever have the opportunity to go to mardi gras, even if it isn't in alabama, GO! it's a totally "norm" thing for me since i grew up with it, but i haven't met anyone who doesn't enjoy the experience. and while this year i won't be donning an awesome purple mardi gras sweatshirt to the parades (i wish i was, honestly), it's going to be a blast.