Night at the Museum - Art Crowd MFAH

On Friday, my friends and I spent a night at the museum....no, the exhibits didn't come to life...but it was lively nonetheless (ha).

I'm not a member of Art Crowd, but I attended one of their events as a guest on Friday in the Audrey Jones Beck Building of the MFAH. The exhibit is called Line: Making the Mark. <<<Click there to find out more about the exhibit. The event description read something like, open bar, some light bites, music and artsy activities - count me in!

Art Crowd, a division of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston membership, is a group of young MFAH members interested in expanding their experiences at the Museum. According to the description on the website, it's the perfect atmosphere for connecting with other young people involved in Houston's dynamic art scene. Idk about connecting (we met a few people but not tons) but it was definitely cool to have that different vibe. Typically, when I think of going to the Museum I think of a school field trip in a really quiet gallery...all you hear is low whispers, footsteps and creaking floorboards...people staring at the pieces with the appearance of knowledge....perhaps the stench of pretentiousness in the air. This was far from that...everyone was chill and having a good time. 

I'd like to think of myself as someone who can appreciate art. Not only the finished product presented on a canvas or manifested as a sculpture...but the artist's process intrigues me. I like to imagine the artist's inspiration and I'm curious about the thoughts that went through their minds...what lead to the strokes of the paint brush onto the canvas in front of me. Art evokes emotion and is thought provoking. I can respect a still painting that can have such an impact on nations and generations and the artists behind it all. Think about it....art reformed the entire world during time periods like the Renaissance. 

Also, I like to write posts like this for people who say there's nothing for young professionals (black or otherwise) to do in Houston. Obviously, it depends on what floats your boat. But, I believe complacency overwhelms and if its not readily available, its easy for a person to think that the fun just isn't there. Fortunately, I have friends who are just as adventurous as I am so we are frequently finding new and exciting events in the area. 

So this was a fun, out of the norm thing for us to do.

As you enter the Museum, there's a large room with sculptures and a wall that contains the engraved names of museum supporters, which is a spectacle in itself:

 

 

To right, was a room that contained artifacts from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt.

Then finally, the exhibit itself:

Like the name suggests, the art was made mostly of lines. It was interesting to see each artist's rendition....never realized you could do so much with a simple line. But that's why I'm not an artist. 

Fun and different Friday night, huh? What exciting new things have you done lately?

Mardi Gras 2015 and the Zulu Ball

I swear I should have been born in New Orleans (close second after Brazil). I don't know much about the city but when I visit, I always feel at home. There's something about the culture and the people....its hard to explain. 

Of course, my family is of creole descent. I have yet to get a full understanding but maybe that'll be my next genealogy project. I did one on my father's side years ago and the findings were incredible. Turns out I have some pretty famous relatives and it gave me a new sense of self. 

At any rate, I am told that we come from a city in Louisiana called Crozier, is about 10 -15 mins south of Houma. My great grandfather's last name was Crozier. My sweet grandmother's maiden name was Crozier. My cousins still carry the last name Crozier. So either we named the city or the city named us. Whatever the case may be...I'd like to go there and discover more about what makes me, me. 

Last weekend was the world renowned Mardi Gras. I've never been to Mardi Gras.....in fact the idea of Mardi Gras previously sent me into a slight panic. The thought of a large (understatement), uncontrollable crowd of heavily intoxicated people worried me so its never been on my list of things to experience. 

About a month ago, a close friend brought up the idea of attending the Zulu Ball. This friend spent 4 years of college in New Orleans and knows just about everything about the city.So when he brought it up, I was confident that it would be an amazing experience. But...I did not know the ball was held during Mardi Gras. Hell, the Zulu ball is considered to be the event that kicks the whole thing off! (face. palm.) It wasn't until later that I discovered this very important fact and then....there was the panic. P.S. I know this panicking sounds irrational....but its real. 

Over the course of time before the festivities, I heard horror stories from some people (thanks alot) but my friends reassured me that it wasn't as bad as I imagined, or as I had seen on TV, and I went and...am I glad I did. 

For those who don't know, click here to get the history of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club. The origin of the club and its importance in the community is pretty interesting. 

So...I got an evening gown, stuffed it in my suitcase and caught a 5:48 Spirit Airlines flight to NOLA on the Friday evening of the ball. 

Sidenote: Spirit Airlines would charge you to breath oxygen and take a pee on their planes if they could. Make sure that if you are so inclined to purchase a ticket here, b/c...let's face it...the prices are insanely low...you go ahead and pay for a checked or carry-on bag at the time you book the flight to avoid other fees and check-in for the flight as soon as they give you the option. Otherwise, you will be charge $10 to check-in and possibly $100 to check a bag. This was my first time flying Spirit and I was appalled by all these extra charges. I had heard...but I had no idea it'd be like that. I'm a self professed airline snob but I'm also down for spending the least money possible so I might use them again...now that I know what to expect. end rant.

Anyway, I wont lie to you....the weekend started off rough. The flight was delayed, the rental car reservation was canceled somehow, it took members of our group forever to get ready and then we had a little fiasco with the tickets. We walked a country mile in heels and couture, carrying bags of food and liquor, then arrived to the convention center at nearly midnight only to be greeted with what appeared to be everyone in New Orleans and surrounding parrishes....couldn't find our table.....b/c this is what it looked like in there. I just got frustrated all over again while typing that paragraph. 

Fortunately, we had a bottle of Maker's Mark at the table and a few swigs of that had all our attitudes back on the up and up. From there, the night was incredible. We watched Fantasia and Juvenile perform...danced, walked around and met new people and just had a fabulous time until about 5am. 

  

 

  

So....this was my Zulu Ball 2015 crew....and we had a blast. Looks like we just began a new yearly tradition. I also wanna thank Steven Coleman of Cole Colors for doing our make up. He reeeallly beat our faces and we got so many compliments.

The next day we rolled out of bed, hit 3 different restaurants for food...ordered a 20 piece bucket of chicken from McHardy's (just b/c we could) and then went out to watch the Krewe of Endymion Mardi Gras Parade. 

Very brief explanation of Endymion. Endymion is a Super Krewe - as far as the parade goes, it is defined by its stunning use of visuals and floats laced with new technology and celebrity Grand Marshals. Endymion is one of the largest parades of the 80 that occur during Mardi Gras. The Endymion, in Greek Mythology, were the most handsome of men and the god of youth and fertility.

So we parked and walked across was seemed like the entire city of New Orleans....this is what we saw on the way: 

 And now...I have a suitcase full of beads. One of them is still blinking. And no...I didn't have to flash anyone to get them. Common misconception about Mardi Gras....lol. It happens....but not all the time lol. The floats were huge and so elaborate. It was definitely a sight to see.

Some people who have homes along the parade route have parties in conjunction with the festivities. We attended one such party....super fun. Can't disclose too many details...ha. 

All in all...and this is no surprise...Mardi Gras is one big party....that lasts for several days. I found that b/c I went with people that knew the city and had been there before, I had less of a likelihood of a full on panic attack which is always good. Instead...I had a memorable weekend with my people....good times. 

This was a lesson for me too. I love an adventure and doing things outside of my own personal box. But...fear can hold you back. You've got to experience life (in the safest way possible). I think that bit of advice translates to other areas in life as well. I'm glad I stepped outside my comfort zone...it was like a mini personal milestone. I'm grateful. 

What did you do last weekend? 

GEV nominated for the Liebster Award!

I was recently nominated for a Liebster Award by Bieke de Clercq, a certified style and image coach from Belguim! Isn't that cool? The internet and blogger community makes the world so small. In her awesome blog, Lifestyletalks, she discusses fashion, food and travel...and of course, her cute Westie, Cesar. I totally dig her basic rules of fashion: Know yourself and simplicity. Plus, I love the goal of her blog....inspiration to discover...that translates to so many different things.

I really appreciate the nomination Bieke! I'm so excited to share the news with everyone!

Here's a little bit about the Liebster Award:

The Liebster is an award given to newbie bloggers by other bloggers. It was created to enhance the discovery of new, upcoming bloggers and to give them a boost. I think it's a really cool idea.

This is how it works. Once you're received a nomination, you are asked to do a few things in return:

So...here we go. 

11 Facts About Me

1. I love...LOVE...to travel. If I had my choice, I would stop working and travel the world. 
2. I think I'm Brazilian...but I'm not. 
3. I was born and raised in the City of Houston....the only time I've ever not lived here was for college.
4. I got my travel gene from my grandmother. I have the fondest memories of her bringing me souvenirs from The Netherlands and when she would go skiing in Lake Tahoe. 
5. I love it when my friends travel...especially if its b/c they've caught my wanderlust. My favorite example of this was my May 2013 trip to Rio de Janeiro. 2 of my friends who had never really left the country got passports for the first time and came with me. That was one of the greatest feelings ever...I felt like I inspired them to get out, and get exploring the great big world. 
6. I am a comedian. I love to laugh and make others laugh. 
7. I am an attorney by trade.
8. When I get stressed I like to bake cakes. 
9. I have to travel somewhere at least once a month or I'll go crazy.
10. I love Paris. I go there at least once a year. 
11. I have an incredible, close group of loyal friends...and I love them dearly. 

Here are the questions Bieke asked me:

1. Why did you start blogging?

• I started blogging as an outlet and a relief from stress in my life. I'm a lawyer...I practice civil litigation for large corporations. As you can imagine, there are times when I want to snatch all my hair out. Also, I am not given enough vacation time. 10 days simply isn't enough. So, the reason is actually threefold....I needed a creative outlet for myself. People are always asking me about all the traveling I do so I needed a way to share all my experiences with others. Finally, since I basically live for my next trip, I wanted to have reminders of my experiences and I'm able to essentially live vicariously through my own travel life. I guess another reason is to inspire others to see the world.

2. What do you like most about blogging?

• I've never been very good with expressing emotions. I've always preferred to write things down....that helps me get my point across. I'm also very guarded in real life so blogging gives others insight into my personality and in addition getting slightly jealous about my travel life. But I only want people to get jealous enough to go do some traveling of their own.

3. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

• I've seen it. My idea of perfect happiness is the beach on Mykonos Island called Agios Giannis. If I could combine that beach with the Brazilian people and culture and some of my favorite people.....that would be perfect indeed. See what I mean? There are other things that could fit into this category but...right now....this is it.

4. What's your favorite garment and why?

• I don't actually know the answer to this question. As of right now, I'm a big fan of this huge pink scarf I bought in Greece. It doubles as a blanket when I'm on airplanes and I take it with me everywhere.

5. What simple pleasure in life do you most enjoy?

• I'll tell you what, watching a sunset is definitely my answer to this question. You can watch the sunset wherever you are...free of charge. It doesn't matter what the weather is like...and even when its a little cloudy...its always a show.

6. What's your biggest dream?

• My biggest dream is to set foot on each continent within my lifetime. It's not such a lofty dream...very attainable. But more than that, I want to see as much of the world as I can before I'm unable to travel. Eventually, I'd like to have the means to stop working for a month or so and travel the whole time. 

7. What is your favorite book and why?

• Well folks, I know this sounds crazy...or maybe not...but I'm not a huge fan of reading. I read a lot as a part of my career. Lately, I've been trying to engage in reading books recommended to me by friends. Reading a good book serves as a good way to pass the time when you're in flight or between flights like the time I had to spend the night in the San Francisco airport...I finished reading a whole book that night. I like books about journeys. Not necessarily about a trip across the country but a personal journey, a professional journey, etc....books about legal things like To Kill a Mockingbird... books about historical events and personalities. But no....I can't actually think of a favorite.

8. Which city do you like most and why?

• This is a toss up between Paris and Rio. I love Paris because of it's allure. It's an incredibly beautiful city, the history and the architecture....so easy and so elegant all at the same time. I love getting lost in Paris. There's something spectacular to see around every corner. Each neighborhood has its own beautiful personality....its romantic and interesting, chic and stylish. It's also like...even though everything is the same...I discover something different each time I visit. People watching from table in a cute little cafe in Paris is a great past time. It sounds so simple....but it's so great.
• I love Rio because of the electric atmosphere. I felt the people and the culture when I went there...like I belonged....should have been born there. The people, the beaches, mountains...so beautiful. I was in Rio during the beginnings of renovation for the World Cup and the Olympics. I felt the angst of the people as their government took money that should have been used for education and other more important things, and used it to build stadiums that would later be abandoned. My heart sank every time I heard a new story about the demolition of the favelas...even though some those neighborhoods were hotbeds of criminal activity...they are homes to many Brazilians. I love the fact that these people will dance all out in the middle of the street on a random Tuesday night. I loved the part of town called Lapa where the streets were teeming with music and people...the clubs....samba....wow. I feel nostalgia.....like my home country is calling me back lol. I even met some awesome friends in Rio. 

9. If you had a really bad day, what's the one thing that can brighten it up?

• I rarely have a bad day just because, I try not to let myself have bad days. I stay neutral so things don't affect me to much. But...if I do have a rarely bad day...a glass of wine and one of my favorite ratchet reality TV shows help me out. They remind me that...my life isn't so bad after all lol.

10. What's your guilty pleasure?

• Cheese and/or sweets.

11. What's your favorite life quote?

• Well....that's tough. I try to live my life according to Bible principles so I'm going to with a scripture. Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6.

OK...now its your turn! 

I nominate

• Brandon LeBlanc, author of My Long Strange Journey
• Fallon Hamilton, author of Change30Venue
• Reggie White, author of To Be Black and Blue

Nominees questions:

1. What's your favorite city and why?

2. Why do you blog?

3. Where are you traveling to next?

4. What/who inspires you?

5. Who would you most like to meet, alive or dead?

6. If you had a choice, where would you live?

7. What's your goal(s) for 2015?

8. Describe yourself in 10 words or less.

9. Give me an example of your ideal weekend.

10. What's your favorite color and why?

11. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Thanks again for the nomination!