Mardi Gras Ball 2014

Jeff and I went to Shreveport for the weekend.

His friend Kevin invited us to be a guest at the Mardi Gras Ball for the Crewe of Centaur. This year, Kevin is serving as the Duke of Fun. 

The ball was held at the Shreveport Convention Center. The Crewe transformed the ballroom into a magical setting. 

Each member of the royal court was given a theme for their table. The decorations were over the top. And everything on the table was a gift to the guest, so the place settings and treats were all taken home at the end of the night. Being part of the royal court is not cheap! 

The gold and white tables belong to the King and Queen. I loved their decor!

This was a 'voodoo' table. 

More tables, each one was unique and filled with so much detail. 

Our table was 'Sportmans Paradise'. It was decorated in blue and white. Kevin, his wife, and daughters put so much effort into the table. It was beautiful. 

When we first arrived, there were appetizers - gumbo, tamales, chips/dip, and drinks. 

Then came the royal procession. Each member of the court was announced and came on stage in full costume. 

Each court member was pushed through the party on a rolling wooden stand. The royalty threw beads to the crowd of 1,000. Everyone in the crowd had confetti sticks to throw. 

At the end, the King and Queen arrived and everyone paraded through the ballroom. 

After the parade, there was a live band and lots of dancing. At 10:30, a breakfast  buffet was served. And by midnight, the evening drew to a close. The pageantry, enthusiasm, decor and tradition was unbelievable. We were lucky to be a part of it! 

Mardi Gras in Shreveport 2013

If you ever get the chance, take a road trip to Louisiana around Mardi Gras.

When you get there, find out where the closest parade will be held. When you find out where the parade is, you might want to go visit the parade floats the night before it actually rolls.

Take a few small children with you, so you have an excuse to act like a child too. Then stay up late and eat lots of King Cake.

The next day, when your small children wake up at 6am and are hungry, just go downstairs and eat breakfast at the hotel. While you are eating breakfast, you might notice that there are a lot of little girls dressed up in formal wear. That's when you realize that TLC's Toddlers and Tiara's is being filmed right in front of you!

After you are done watching a live reality show, head out to the parade route. While you are at the parade route, you might notice that your kids can't really sit still for 5 hours while waiting for the parade. So, let them run around and have fun talking with friends and family.

When the parade finally starts, catch as many beads as you can. Scramble for cups and get knocked in the head by miscellaneous throws. Wave your hands in the air and yell, "Throw me somethin' mister!"

After the parade is over, you might realize it's way past dinner time. So go pick up Chicken Express and head back to your hotel. When you get back to your hotel, spend the rest of the night letting your kids jump on the bed and watch tv until they fall asleep with big smiles on their faces.

The next morning, when your small children summon you, pack up your things and head back home. On the way home, stop and eat fast food while enjoying the fact that you are 'technically, still on vacation'.

Once you get home, unload all your beads, trinkets, and cups onto the driveaway. While you are sorting them, you might notice you brought home way too many 'treasures' from the parade. So, you might want to organize them into ziploc baggies and give them away to your children's friends.

Then go inside, do two loads of laundry, and look at the photos and videos you took with Instagram and Vine on your trip. Looking at your iphone will remind you that despite all the laundry, you really did have a lot of fun.

And chances are, when Mardi Gras rolls around next year, you just might take another road trip to Louisiana.