Weekend fun

This weekend in Lafayette was Festival International. You can read more about it at the Festival website here. It's a World Music Festival that has been going on here since 1986 and it's pretty awesome!! I had never heard of it or been to it until 2 years ago because in New Orleans going on the same weekend every year, the last weekend in April and first weekend in May, is JazzFest. I have been to JazzFest for more than 6 or so years, starting in 1999.  I think I went every year in high school and then 2 more years.  It's really fun but expensive, it's $45 for a 1 day ticket, that's not counting food.  Festival International on the other hand is FREE, yup FREE! You can bring in any food or drink, you aren't searched at the gate, because well it's in the middle of downtown Lafayette and there is no one entrance, and the whole FREE thing never gets old.  you hear music from bands who are from ALL over the world, SERIOUSLY!  THIS is a great article on who to see at Festival.  It's written by a like minded mama regarding parenting and she lives in Lafayette!  We went Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday we heard Debauche Russian Mafia Band! They were REALLY different, but fun to watch.  They were the first band we caught on Saturday.  We also caught Pedrito Martinez Band, I REALLY liked them! It was Afro-Cuban and had some amazing musicians!  We were walking by Teada, which was Irish music. I have a fascination with Irish music probably because well...I am Irish! so we stopped to listen for a few minutes. The penny whistle drew me in.  We also checked out ALL of the local artisans. They have some amazing things!  The food is also awesome and pretty cheap! We got some Pork Jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and some malibu festival punch.  The food was $5 per dish, like most of the food, and like I said was AWESOME!!   On Sunday, we caught Vishtan who we REALLY enjoyed! I loved the accordion and kept telling Audrey music. She kept pointing to the stage and dancing.  We then grabbed some grub, a blackened crawfish tamale, it was REALLY good!!  We headed over to hear the Savoy Family Cajun band where Audrey got to run around some. She visited with people, walked up some steps, danced, and had a GREAT time.  We then went shopping.  We got Audrey a couple of cool things: a small African drum, and a handheld drum that you turn in your hand and it makes noise.  She had a blast with the hand held one. I managed to get smacked in the head once with it, but it wasn't a big deal.  We then saw a really cool jewelry place.  I think  I should say that I am very very picky with jewelry so for something to catch my eye that is really saying something.  I was only looking,but Carlo had other ideas.  He bought me a necklace from a place called arts kinetic.  It's beautiful.  It's an old coin, Japanese or Chinese, with a silver key, and a ruby (they hang separately) it has 3 small freshwater pearls around the clasp and one that is above the ruby.   After our fun day at festival we came home and Carlo cooked us up some yummy blackened tilapia and lightly battered and fried eggplant. The batter he used was seasoned with tumeric, mustard seeds, cayenne, chili powder, and coriander seeds. This was something he had eaten in India, well it was somewhat similar.  Honestly, those eggplant would break anyone of a potato chip addiction.  It had that perfect crunch on the outside with lots of flavor and the inside was soft.   Well, while he fried outside, Audrey and I hung out.  It was a GREAT weekend! 

on our way to festival

Audrey's AWESOME Tom's! They FINALLY fit! :-)

my new necklace! :-)

Audrey and her wagon

toting around her wagon. Don't mind the construction, we are building a yoga space. It's in the VERY early stages

the princess

Eli buddy!

me and my boy

she was talking to herself deciding what to put in her wagon

so....happy he's home!!

swinging right before bath time