Valentine's Day Mardi Gras Style!

I started this post a week ago--and then went MIA! You can blame exhaustion, work, lack of umph, lack of creativity, just lazy, or come up with your own excuse. At any rate, for you that actually have a hankering to read my posts---I'm BACK!!! Warning this is going to be picture heavy today as I'm going to be showing pictures from our ball last Saturday.

For most people in the world that celebrate Valentine's Day it is spent as a quiet romantic evening with their significant other, spent wishing you were with your significant other, or having either a pity party that they don't have someone or that they hate all members of the opposite sex because of their former significant other. Well, for those that are involved with the Krewe of Harlequins, Valentine's Day was done Mardi Gras Style! This year, our Mardi Gras Ball for the Krewe of Harlequins was on Saturday, February 14. For Dave and I, we combined the two with our table decorations.

This is the first year that Dave and I have not been in one of the skits or dances as part of the tableau, so we didn't have to stick with the theme of our group this year. As this WAS our Valentine's Day date, we wanted to make it a little more on the red/pink/white as opposed to other colors this year.

As is tradition, the day of our ball we begin with breakfast with two of my oldest friends. Terry-no-blog, you've already met, and Penny-no-blog, Dave and I go to breakfast--meeting before 7 in the morning so that we can be at the Coast Coliseum by 8 for practice and time to decorate. I think this is probably one of the best pictures ever taken of the 3 of us (especially at 7 in the morning!).

Dave thought that we could show y'all the more fanciful and regal side of Mardi Gras as opposed to the lecherous, rauchous, drunk, rebel rousing side of Mardi Gras. I'm sure many think of Mardi Gras as nothing but a big party in New Orleans. In actuality it is more. This is one aspect where--yes there is drinking and dancing and having a great time, but it is also a time of paying homage to the royalty of the court--the maids and dukes and their King and Queen of that year's ball. Our krewe still does much of our ball based on the traditional old style of New Orleans--with elaborate costumes, fanfare, and yes royalty. Allow me to introduce you to the regal side of Mardi Gras.

And yes the picture is not totally in focus, when you have someone as they dance around the floor for the final royal promenade things don't stay in focus long enough to allow for the flash and shutter to keep up with them (at least not with the camera we had at the ball).


Princess Pocahontas and Canadian Mounty as our Ball Captains--

Our maid representing the musical Evita and Duke representing the King of Siam










This is a husband and wife that were both in the court--but they were not "coupled" in the court. He was our duke representing Brigadoon from Scotland and she was representing Russia's Anastassia.






Our maid representing France's Can-Can and duke England's Erin










Our maid representing Japan's Madame Butterfly

For some reason I don't have pictures of the two remaining dukes. Of course, Dave and I WERE a little backstage. We were the ones putting on the capes and collars on everyone. Yes, all of those feathers sit as a collar on the shoulders. Most of them weigh between 15-25 pounds. In addition, the men have capes that are attached at the shoulders that then straps that wrap across the front to the back, wrap at the back and then tie in the front under all that costuming. And because we were busy holding up collars, head pieces and capes/trains, we weren't able to also take pictures of the process--although we really should do that one day. No one would ever believe all that it takes to get into one of these costumes--nor what it takes to make them! And yes I've done BOTH as well as worn one in another ball in a previous year many moons ago!

Now for his and her royal majesties, may I present the King and Queen of Harlequins representing the musical South Pacific--first back stage and then together with their 6 pages and the past year's reigning royalty).












So there you have it, the royalty for the 2009 year of Harlequins. May their reign be honest and true to the krewe for the year. Now Laissex les bon temps rouler! Let the Good Times Roll! And that they did. WE left at 1:30 and we were by no means the last to leave. Here is what the three buddies and then Dave and I looked like a little after midnight!

So as you can see, we all had a GREAT time and were still going strong at that point! Of course, the four of us here with our Harlequin (who looks pretty good to be 33 years old) are not big drinkers and with cokes (per 8 oz cup) and water (per 20 oz bottle) being priced at $3.75 a drink and beer $5.75 and mixed drinks at $7.75 each you can see that we stuck to the water fountains more than anything. Actually an empty purchased water bottle, water from the fountain and a box of to-go packets of Crystal lite goes quite a long way! LOL None of the 4 of us had to worry about hang overs. Now the table behind me on the other hand, well, let's just say that they went home with a lot less money in their pockets and a huge hangover the next morning I'm sure! LOL

So to those couples that I invited and they did not attend, you missed an excellent show and a really good time.

To find out more about what Mardi Gras is and isn't and what it's all about, you can go here--the website to discover all you need to know http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/

After all that we did back stage Saturday night, I decided I needed a new "title". And since one of my blogging friends had turned herself into a hero, I decided I could too! Therefore, I went to make myself into a hero--and you can too by clicking here. But this is what I look like as a super hero--ready to tie any cape to the body, hold the and strap the largest collars on (with help from my trusty side kick of course--but he's not made his super hero yet!), it's the Royal Royalty. Now what is funny to me is that this site named me without me doing anything but picking out the wardrobe and all--not knowing anything of my last weekend! LOL

But we were tired. And then after resting and relaxing all day Sunday I came home Monday from work and got quite a surprise with THIS:

These shelves were all empty when I got home--and have been until yesterday when I finally had a chance to actually start sorting through things. Dave, I absolutely love you for the little things like this that you do for me when I'm not expecting them. Thank you!

And everything on the top shelf is scrap. And that is just what I dug off the top of my cutting table and one bin. Wait till I get into the rest of the bins, the chest of drawers and boxes of fabric so I can start organizing it. Now Melissa, see why I said I need your help? LOL

It is time to rest your weary eyes from reading through this post and for me to go scrub floors--YUCK for me! I'll check back in with y'all later. Time to get off my butt since I've commented on many of the 183 comments I've read through this morning! I've been here awhile I guess you could say! (Oh and I don't dare spend the time to go look at the 83 more posts that are NOW there!)