Carnival Cruise Lines Sponsors New Orleans "Boo at the Zoo"

What's over 70ft long, made out of 800+ pumpkins, and lights up at night? 

A Pumpkin Fun Ship of course!  Sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines, of course. :)

New Orleans' "Boo at the Zoo" at the Audubon Zoo is one big fun tradition! 

Thanks to Carnival, "Boo at the Zoo" this year just got more fun.

Look at all of the fun Pumpkins filling out the Pumpkin Fun Ship! 

Carnival Cruise is sponsoring Boo at the Zoo at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans this year, and one of the main attractions is a massive 70-foot-long “Fun Ship”-shaped display comprised of more than 500 carved jack-o-lanterns.  Look how convivial this looks! 

Among the jack-o-lanterns are some Fun Ship 2.0 themed carvings.  Here are a couple of the awesome stencils for your own Jack-o-Lanterns!  Have fun. 

You can follow all the fun on Carnival's Facebook here!  Have you been on a Carnival Cruise/ 

Warmly,  Carolina Mama

My Mardi Gras

Happy Mardi Gras Ya'll!

A native of New Orleans, growing up I have many memories of Mardi Gras. I grew up in New Orleans and its Northshore. Do you know one of my earliest Mardi Gras memories? Actually this memory became a tradition.

Leaving town! :) My parents would load up one of our station wagons, all of us would be out of school for Mardi Gras - bonus, all seven of us and off we would go. This partiular Mardi Gras we drove 'north' to Hattiesburg, Mississippi and it snowed! You know snow was more exciting to us than another round of beads. Eventually, we did other things, the beach included.

Mardi Gras became synonomous with family time and a little vacation getaway.

There were the years I was in marching band and I'll never forget the year that I was marching on the end of the front row of our band with my flute. It was quite a position to be in. With the crowds of people my Band Director marched beside me to make sure my instrument would not get jolted.

As a young adult, working in New Orleans and living Uptown. The parades were our lives - you couldn't even get around it literally. After work, you just joined the parade the routes home were closed. I have many good memories of parade fun and I also have to admit I have many memories as a young girl thinking what's the point. The mayhem that ensues is not of this world and I really didn't want to be a part of that.

Though I will always love home and tradition, I do not miss the madness. Yet, I am thankful I have a 'joie de vive!" due to my heritage. Here's a glimpse of the fun. Know this, Rex is where its at all things Mardi Gras and this guy gets best costume in my book, The Aretha Franklan Hat! costume! Winner '09.

Lassez le bon temps roulez.

Warmly,