Weight Loss Challenge Wk 5

Over the last few weeks, I've cut most of the sugar out of my diet. Very few sweet snacks, no Alcohol, etc. Before I started losing weight, I ate candy everyday and had a few drinks most days. (Hence, the weight gain.) Cutting out sugar has been a lot easier than I thought. You know, I'm on a weight loss mission. This has had two side effects. My face has thinned out. Huh! I always thought I had a round face. Guess not.

Before/After

And I was walking down the cereal aisle and wanted to buy sugary Lucky Charms. I haven't eaten sugary cereals since I was in college. That was a light bulb moment for me. I need to allow myself occasional treats or this weight loss won't stick. After my long run last week, I made myself a small brownie Sunday. (FYI...brownie sunday = awesome) And I still lost weight.

This weeks progress:

	Big Man	Δ (%)	Meg	Δ (%)
Starting wt (lbs)	258	0	182	0
Wk 1 wt (lbs)	255	.99	177	.97

Wk 2 wt (lbs)	255	.99	176	.97

Wk 3 wt (lbs)	252	.97	175	.96
Wk 4 wt (lbs)	252	.97	173	.95
Wk 5 wt (lbs)	251	.97	172	.94

Do you have treats every day/week?

Winner: CSN Giftcard

And the winner is...Teamarcia from Running off at the Mouth 

Congrats Teamarcia!!! Send me your email address to megmehell ((at)) yahoo to collect your fabulous prize. 

Thanks to everyone who entered.  

Mmm...Beer

Over the weekend, the Big Man and I headed west to Lafayette to enjoy the Gulf Brew 2010, a local beer festival.  A fundraiser that benefits he Acadiana Center for the Arts. We tasted samples of as many as we could of the over 80 beers offered, many of them microbrews and craft beers made everywhere from Texas to Florida. And I love beer, especially when is cold on a hot July day.



We had a great time hanging out with the Rabs and drinking sampling beer.

Beer tasting tables. The samples are severed by "volunteers" who get in for cheep and get to sample after their shift. It's not a bad deal if you ask me.

They give you these tiny cups that they fill to the top and tiny trays that only fit two cups. Most tasting tables had 3-4 beers to sample.  There was a lot of spilling. See the Big Man's shirt below.

Don't forget to enter my CSN Giftcard Giveaway. 
Entry closes tonight at midnight. Winner announced tomorrow!!!

Half Marathon Training Wk7

Last Friday, I decided to run this weeks 8miler instead of this week. (I've appointments this Friday and I didn't want to just skip it.) Even though I knew there was a heat advisory that day and temps would reach into the mid-90s, I wanted to run outside. Because I bring the girls to school, I can't hit the streets until 8AM when its already 85deg and 90% humidity. Running outside in the heat is part of the training. My race is in October and it can still be in the mid-80s that late in the year.

But I tried to be smart about running in the heat and humidity. I hydrated well the day before. Carried extra water. Ate a PB sandwich before and carried fuel. Wore a hat and tried to be in the shade as much as possible.  None of it seemed to help. I was feeling the effects before I finished two miles. At 5miles I was done. But I had to get home, two and half miles. More than once I thought about flagging down strangers for a ride.  This is the reason I bought my road ID. If I pass out on the side of the road, whom ever finds me will know where to drop me off. I don't know what more precautions I can take to avoid this happening again.

My only options are running inside or pushing my long runs to Saturday when I can get out there at 6AM. The idea of run 9-10mi on the treadmill. Yuck. And I like having Fridays to myself to rest after a long, hard run. Plus we are usually so busy on the weekends.


This weeks half-marathon training plan:

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
07/25	07/26	07/27	07/28	07/29	07/30	08/01
Rest	lift upper body Spin bike	30min run	Spin Bike lift upper body	NOTC Free For All 2mi	Spin Bike / Road Bike	Bike

Any ideas to help me run in the high NOLA heat and humidity? Should I drink more than just plain water on long runs?


Don't forget to enter my CSN Giftcard Giveaway. 

Sunday Dinner - 07/25/2010

Tonight's dinner is a new recipe to me. We love Middle Eastern food. All the spices and flavors in this dish sold me on the recipe. Plus, I wanted a new way to cook fish. Normally, we bake it in the oven or grill it. This dish cooks fast and is easy to prepare. I didn't double it this week. I find seafood doesn't reheat well.

Seafood Tagnie

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp saffron, threads
8 oz canned clam juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1lb raw tilapia, cut into 1 x 2-inch strips
3/4 lb shrimp, peeled
1/3 cup cilantro,  chopped

2 cup cooked couscous, hot

Instructions
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 min.

Add the clam juice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, the veg for10 mins until soft.

Add the tilapia and shrimp to the pot; simmer, covered, shrimp are cooked 6–7 mins.

Remove from the heat, then stir in the cilantro. Serve over the couscous. 

If you have any question/comments about this recipe, pls leave me a comment or email at megmehell at yahoo dot com.

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as I did. What did y'all have for dinner?

Don't forget to enter my CSN Giftcard Giveaway. 

Spillway Classic Race Report

This weekend I ran one of my favorite NOTC races, the Spillway Classic. The race is only 3mi but it's a trail run full of water and mud and fun.  And it's not far from my house at the Bonnet Carre Spillway in Norco. (Nothing is close to my house.) This is one of those races where you feel like you make money on the deal. For your $20 (for NOTC members) entrance fee, you get a technical T with free beer and food at the post-race party.  The first 500 finisher got a sweet  Spillway Classic medal that doubles as a bottle opener. If I'd have know that, I'd have ditched my friends to haul butt to snag one. (Well, maybe not)

This year the Big Man and I met up with some of my DetermiNation committee members before the race. 

  Pre-race photos

As we we milling about waiting for the race to start, the sky was steadily darkening.  We were kind of happy about the impending rain. The rain might keep down the temp. But rain storms in SE Louisiana have tendency to come on fast and drench you. More than once, I've been caught running in a rain so hard you can't see.  The rain held out until we were in the trees and then it was just a drizzle.

The rain rolling in

The first mile of the race is run along the spillway levee. This is the toughest part of the race.  It's paved with gravel and you have to watch where your foot lands. There is no shade.

 Running on the levee

The course then turns down into the spillway and proceeds through the “gauntlet.” This is where the craziness begins.  This is the part of the course with the most water and mud. You should not wear new shoes. Most people fall often with help from they're friends. Some runners try hard to get as muddy as they can. (Not me. I'm too much of a girl I guess.) 

After all the muck the course turns onto the main trail deeper into the woods. Then we continue on a path parallel to the canal back towards the finish line. This is the best part. Along the way there are,  log jumps, muddy/slippery sections, low limbs, switch backs, and a wooden bridge. This part is mostly single file. So you have to go the pace of the person in front of you. But this race is more a for fun than speed. It took us 58+mins to run 3mi. Once you are thru the wood, the finish line is not far.

After the race, we headed to the fire hoses to wash the mud off. It took a decent amount of time to wash off the caked on mud.  Some people were still muddy after the hoses. Now they were muddy and wet.

Then it was time for beer and food. The beer line was long. Only 4 taps for 2000 racers. Not nearly enough. I gabbed the Big Man and I hot dogs and chee wees to eat while in the beer line.  I knew we were going to need food before we had alcohol. We grabbed two Michelob Ultra (yuck) each. Then got back in line. 

Post-race party

All that fun and we were home before noon Sunday morning.




Don't forget to enter my CSN Giftcard Giveaway.

CSN Giftcard

Y’all may not know this but I don’t like to shop. Well, that’s not 100% true. I don’t like to shop at the mall or any other brick and mortar stores. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to internet shop. The thing is that I’m not a patient person. When I know what I want, I don’t want to have to look around 1000+ places to find it. Seriously, internet shopping is the reason I got a debit/credit card.

 

I have found a new place to shop, csn stores. They have everything, cookware, fitness equipment, baby gear, bedroom furniture sets, like I said, everything. The website is really easy to navigate. Finding a new place to one stop shop on the web is going to come in handy for Christmas shopping. Plus, they have free shipping (may be international shipping charges).

 

I was so excited when the folks at csnstores.com contacted me and offered to sponsor a give away. One lucky person will win a $50 gift card to the csn website.

 

To Enter:

1. Visit CSN's site here, come back and leave me a comment – Mandatory
2. Be or become a Blog Stalker; leave me a comment – Mandatory
3. Tweet, Facebook post, or link on your blog about this give away; leave me a comment for each (Tell me in a comment what you did) – Optional

 

Deadline for entry: Midnight, Thursday, July 29.
Winner will be selected via random.org and announced soon after.
Residents of the US and Canada are eligible.

Half Marathon Training Wk6

I'm in the sweet spot of my training. Far enough in to be in a grove but the long runs aren't too long yet. I feel strong and confident. No worries (yet) that I can't finish a long run. 

Last Friday, I ran my 6.5mi on my mill. A full mile farther than I've ever been able to last on a mill before. Usually, I pass out from boredom. There wasn't much of a choice. I kept the girls home with me so we could go do something fun later in the day. So it was mill or nothing. Actually, the time flew by. I netflixed a show and started running. Not a bad way to spend time. 

I am now the proud owner of my very own new (to me) spin bike. Nanny Goats gym upgraded their bikes and sold the used ones for $150. I'm sooo excited. I no longer have to be the selfish B at my work gym during lunch. (My work gym only has one bike and since I have a nice boss I leave for lunch early to nab the bike before anyone else.)  And the Big Man set up a TV in the spare room so we can watch while we run or spin. My front room was supposed to be the extra TV room for the kids. But now I guess it's my home gym. Yea!

My new toy

My training schedule for this week isn't too bad.  Only 3mi for my "long" run. Although, the more I think about it. I might run the 8mi that's scheduled for next week's long run. I have a few appointments next Friday. I doubt I can squeeze in 8mi too. Or should I just skip the 8mi? Well, I'd run some that day just not the full 8.

This weeks half-marathon training plan:

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
07/18	07/19	07/20	07/21	07/22	07/23	07/24
Spillway Classic	lift upper body Spin bike	30min run	easy walk lift upper body	spin bike	3mi	bike

Should I run 8mi this Friday? Or run my scheduled 3mi and run as many as I can next Friday?  
What are you excited about this week?

Sunday Dinner - 07/18/2010 (Party Food)

This week I didn't prepare well for Sunday Dinner. I've been feeling a bit uninspired in the kitchen lately. So this week I decided to make a few new recipes. A family friend was having a party. The recipes below are new ones to me but they are tasty and low in weight watchers points. As you know, most party food is high in calories and fat. I always try to bring a healthy dish I know my kids will eat.

The quiches were a big hit at the party. They are tasty. (If you like eggs, which I do not.) I love finding grown up finger food recipes to serve at partys. Filled wonton wrapper cups is likely to make a regular appearance at my future partys.

I'm so glad I found a recipe for veggie pasta salad. Nanny Goat has one and has been promising to share it with me. But some how after months of asking I still haven't gotten the recipe. I think she's holding out on me.


Mini Bacon and Cheese Quiches (3pts for 2)
Directions
Mini muffin tin
36 wonton wrapper

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices turkey bacon

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat 36 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray. Gently press 1 wonton wrapper into each muffin cup allowing ends to extend above cups. Spray edges of wrappers with cooking spray; set aside.

Cook bacon over med-high heat until crisp. Set a side to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, stir-fry onion over medium-high heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg substitute, milk and cheese.

Stir in bacon and onion until well combined. Fill each wonton wrapper with about 1 tablespoon of filling mixture.

Bake until quiche mixture is set and edges of wrappers are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Yields 2 quiches per serving.


Veg Pasta Salad (3pts for 1cup)
Directions
14 oz (1 box) uncooked whole-wheat pasta
1/3 cup olive oil, extra virgin
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium green pepper
1 medium sweet red pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 yellow summer squash
1 zucchini
1 can green peas

Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain again and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, oregano, mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic to make the salad dressing. Set aside until ready to use.

Slice green pepper, red pepper, yellow squash, and zucchini into small, thin peices. Combine with peas and tomatoes.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta with vegetables; pour in dressing and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and chill about 2 hours.

Of course, we had party food left-overs for dinner tonight along with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I'll try to be more inspired and organized next week.


If you have any question/comments about this recipe, pls leave me a comment or email at megmehell at yahoo dot com.

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as I did. What did y'all have for dinner?

Weight Loss Challenge Wk 3

Three weeks down. I finally feel like I'm getting enough protein on Weight Watchers. It took a little time to adjust to the points distribution. A decent size pork chop is only 3pts. I guess I've never really know proper portion size.

While I was organizing our office, I came across this picture of the Big Man and I at his graduation. I feel sad for the girl in this picture. Only 22 but 200lbs. And if you asked me if I was happy with my body, I'd have said yes. But I only ever wore pants and rarely wore short sleeves.  And I was sad. I was hiding from my emotions. I hated to leave the house because I hated to get dressed.

Me, the Big Man and the Senior Project Car

I've been giving myself a hard time the last few months because my weight loss has stalled. But I look at that picture and can see how far I've come. Not only physically but emotionally. I feel like I can try anything. I may not be great at it. But at least I'm doing new stuff.

This weeks progress:

	Big Man	Δ (%)	Meg	Δ (%)
Starting wt (lbs)	258	0	182	0
Wk 1 wt (lbs)	255	.99	177	.97

Wk 2 wt (lbs)	255	.99	176	.97

Wk 3 wt (lbs)

252

.97

175

.96

I think I need a new scale. The Big Man has a hard time getting an accurate weight. He can get off and on 3times and get  different weights. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the size of his feet vs. the size of the deck of the scale. Does any one have a suggestion for a man-size scale?

NOLA Running of the Bulls 2010

Here in New Orleans, we will disguise anything as a reason to drink. Especially if we can start drinking early in the morning. Well, I've found a new event I'm adding to my favorites list, NOLA Running of the Bulls. Basically, it's a pub crawl. But you dress in white with a red neckerchief and sash while you run from the roller derby girls dresses as bulls. The bulls are armed with wiffle ball bats. If they catch you they, "gore" (wack) you in the booty with the bats. Yep, it's as awesome and ridiculous as it sounds.

The idea is that everyone meets at the Three Legged Dog bar before 8AM. (Oh, yes. I got up early to do this silliness.) There's a quick ceremony to pay tribute to San Fermin. Then the running begins. (Well, there's not as much running as I would have like. But most of the participants are non-runners. ) The "run" is about a mile long to the Ernst Café, where many fun things in NOLA end.

One of my favorite parts of this event is outfit planning. Nanny Goat and I will use any excuse to plan an outfit. I figure we spent more time  discussing what we wore than we did actually wearing it. But we like clothes.

Our outfits:

Me & Nanny Goat. Cute, right?

My favorite part were the kicks. I got them for $13. I love the internet.

old school Kangas=Awesome

I had the camera so I made Nanny Goat do all the "dangerous" stuff. Like get wacked so I could get a picture. There was a gauntlet at the end where all the bulls lined up and people ran thru to get beat. I asked her to do it so I could get a picture. But the shutter speed on my camera is too slow and she is too fast. NG had lots of bruises. But she a trooper.

Nanny Goat getting "gored"

There were 4,000 participants with over 80 RollerBulls out on Saturday plus spectators. I was surprised how many people were in the French Quarter awake to watch the Running of the Bulls at 8AM on Saturday morning. 

Crowd shots

There was a special guest appearance by New Orleans' own Rolling Elvi!. These guys are a social club who dress like Elvis and march in parades and other events.

Of course, I needed my picture with the Elvi. Check out this Elvi's cape. Very well done.

And last but not least the Roller Derby girls. If I had time, I would totally join the roller derby. But they train twice a week and race one night a week. They are tough and intense and awesome. 

I love how much effort they put in there costumes. They really go all out.

Nanny Goat and I had a great time. But we didn't bring any liquor. We figured we could by it at a bar. Too many runners. Next year, we know it's not an actual race and to carry our drinks.

Training Wk5

I got some nice running in this week. The unseasonably cool weather we had last week made my Tuesday evening run very pleasant. Not too hot or humid. I didn't even carry water. (I almost always have water.) Instead of running my 2.5mi on the treadmill Friday. The Big Man for a family walk. Li wanted to run so I left her run ahead as I followed.  But she has my grace and wiped out after a block. Poor baby landed on her hands and knees. She got a nice little bloody scrape on each. MM wanted to run too since her big sister was out of the stroller.  So cute. Running the way 2yr olds do. We had a nice evening.

Saturday, I wore new kicks to an event (a post on that to come). I like to save my good running sock for long runs so I wore my cheapy ones. Those new shoes tore up my heals. Then Sunday like an idiot I wore the same kind of sock on my run. Blood on the heals of my Newtons! I'm so mad at myself. Wednesday, I'm going to by more good socks.

My Battle Scarred Newtons

And of course, I've now added more scars to my heals to match the semi-missing big toe nails. I can't decided if I should paint my toe nails and wear sandals or hide my poor runner's feet. 

I'm excited and nervous about this weeks plan. I have run anything more than 5mi since April . Gosh, two and a half months. That was so long ago. Oh well. Time to get back on the ball.
This weeks plan:

Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
07/11	07/12	07/13	07/14	07/15	07/16	07/17
30min run	lift upper body bike	30min run	easy walk lift upper body	bike	6.5mi	bike

How do you feel about your poor scarred, blistered runner's feet? Ugly and deformed and should be hidden? Or badges of honor to be shown off with pride?

Sunday Dinner - 07/11/2010

This weekend was jam packed as usual with lots of fun activities. I originally planned not to have a Sunday Dinner post this week. I just couldn't fit it in. But my very sweet hubs cooked dinner and took pictures long the way. (This is why you marry a Cajun man. They cook.) He knows how important this is to me and he loves me. So the recipe below is his. I hope enjoy this healthy Enchilada bake.

This recipe is sometimes called an Enchilada bake or Mexican Lasagna. You can “hide” a lot vegetables in this and everyone likes Mexican.

This is an easy recipe that you can add or remove ingredients depending on your personal taste. It can also be prepared the day before and put together in about 30 minutes so its great for throwing together after work.


Enchilada Bake
Directions
2 lbs chicken breast tenders

8-10 oz. fresh spinach
Corn Tortillas (or whole wheat)
2 onions, chopped
4 bell peppers, chopped
1 ¼ cups low fat shredded cheese
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can rotel (drained)
1 small can diced chile peppers
Mojo Criollo marinade
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
2tbsp olive oil

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350deg. In a large heavy bottom pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, place chicken in pot to brown the chicken a little. Turning once to get both sides brown.

With chicken in pot, place chile peppers, onions, and bell peppers over chicken.

Pour ½ cup of Mojo Criollo marinade over veggies and chicken.

Place cover on pot and place in 350 degree over for 1 hr.

Remove pot from oven and strain the contents to remove the liquid that has cooked out of the vegetables. Carefully remove chicken (it will be tender and falling apart). Set aside and let cool.

Return veggie mixture to pot and place on stove over medium heat to further caramelize onions. Stirring occasionally. (Optional – Add a tablespoon of Mexican seasoning to veggie mixture for a little more spice)

While onions and peppers cook a little more, heat a small non stick pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and a tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Toss spinach a handful at a time in pan for 3-5 minutes to soften spinach. Once you have sweated all of the spinach, set is aside and dice your chicken.

Everything up to this point can be done the day before and refrigerated overnight to speed up prep.

Now to build your enchilada bake. Begin by layering a 9 x 13 pan with tortillas. I use 8 to completely cover the bottom of the pans.

Next, add spinach, chicken and top with 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Add a second layer of 4 tortillas here to help absorb some of the juice from the veggies. Add you onion/pepper mix and top with 6 tortillas.

Pour can of enchilada sauce over top. Use a fork to place rotel over top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of cheese over top.

We enjoyed this with black beans and a little guacamole and baked tortilla chips.


This is an easy recipe and it’s very versatile. You can add vegetables like frozen corn, sliced zucchini, squash, chopped broccoli or whatever you have on hand to the onions and peppers while they caramelize.

I'm grateful the Big Man cook and wrote up this recipe. It made my evening much easier. He was also kind enough to do the dishes.


I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as I did. What did y'all have for dinner?

If you have any question/comments about this recipe, pls leave me a comment or email at megmehell at yahoo.

Weight Loss Challenge Wk 2

Week two of the weightloss challenge is done. I feel like I'm settling in to the new diet. I had so many flex points and activity points left for today I didn't even bother to count points. Eating better and

Friday afternoon, the Big Man and I dressed the girl for a walk. While I dressed MM, the Big Man tied Li's shoes. But he didn't double-knot the laces. I noticed he doesn't-double knot his own laces. That got me thinking. Do grown ups not double-knot? Am I just a goofy fool who can't walk with out her shoes coming untied?

We weighed in this morning to check our progress:

	Big Man	Δ (%)	Meg	Δ (%)
Starting wt (lbs)	258	0	182	0
Wk 1 wt (lbs)	255	.99	177	.97

Wk 2 wt (lbs)	255	.99	176	.97

I think I mis-recorded my weight last week. I think it was 179 not 177. But either way I still lost a pounds this week.


Do you still double knot your laces?

ET-138 Roll Out Party

Today, the final External Tank that is scheduled to fly into space rolled to the barge that will take ET-138 down the Mississippi Rive to the Gulf then to KSC. Michoud threw a big party to commemorate  the successful deliveries of ETs over the last 37yrs. Prior to the roll out, there were a few speakers. Then the Storyville Stompers Brass Band lead the 2nd line and hundreds of handkerchief-waving employees following the ET as it was transported one mile to the Michoud barge dock.  Most employees were not allowed to walk to the barge so I don't have any photos of it.

This tank is special not only because it is the last ET but because my mom is the Hard ware Specific Manager (Missile Mom) for ET-138.  She put in a lot of hard work and time into this, her final tank.  My mom has worked her at MAF for 25 yrs.  The ET has been her life for a long time. I know today was bitter sweet.

My mom, her tank, and Diane

Astronaut Mark Kelly Speaking at the ceremony prior to Roll Out

ET-138 Rolling Down Saturn Blvd

Storyville Stompers

The tank will all the employees 2nd lining behind. 

I was lucky enough to be able to walk in front with my mom, Diane and the Transportation guys.

While it has been a few years since I worked on the ET program, I am proud to say that I did. I am (as are many other people) sad to see the end of the Space Shuttle. I am even sadder that there is and may never be a replacement vehicle.

Good Bye ET-138 have a safe barge ride and a safe Mission.

[Update: Check out the video on the LM webpage. My photography/communications friends at work put it together. They did an amazing job.]

Paint Like a Master

Well, not me. My painting is limited to 2D turtles and pigs. But the talented people at Corks N Canvas will give you step by step instructions how to paint a picture along with a local artist. Oh and not to mention they let you bring your adult beverage of choice.

Last Friday, three of the four Shuttle Sisters (Laurin couldn't make it) plus two headed to Mandeville (on the Northshore of NOLA) for an art class.  We were lucky enough to be seated up front of the class. We had a great view of our instructor, Eddie. He gave us step by step directions on how to paint our very own Street Car. I've never had any art instruction and am surprised how much I learned in a 3 hour class.

Elizabeth, Mel, Kristy, Me and Jen setting up our Canvases and Paints before class stared

Sketching the Street Car and Painting the background

Painting trees and the Street Car

Laurin enjoyed herself even though she couldn't be there

The finished product. Not too shabby.

If you are looking for a fun night out with the your girls, I recommend  an art class (at Corks N Canvas) and a bottle of wine. Not only do you get to bond with friends you get a piece of art you painted to hang on you walls. This is a genius idea. I can't wait to do it again.