I’ve been in Tulsa Oklahoma for the week; I figured Las Vegas in July wasn’t hot enough, I should come to Oklahoma, lol.
Just kidding, I am here for work; when you travel for work a lot, it’s easy to get get a bit jaded. I really try to take advantage of the opportunities given to me and I try to find something fun to do or see in each city I get to visit.
One of my coworkers mentioned that Tulsa was the center of the universe!! So how could I come to Tulsa and not make the effort to find the center of the universe landmark?? Seriously, it would be pretty dumb not to, right? BTW, I was with a few locals today and none of them had been, are they being dumb?? Frankly, yes, lol.
Now before I get comments about how the universe is infinite and how do they know that Tulsa is the center of it? Shhh!! Let’s just have a bit of fun and check it out.
It was a little hard to find; I would have thought that the center of the universe would merit some signage or a plaque? But there was nothing, just a brick circle in between West Archer St and North Boston Ave.
When we found it, we briefly thought we had been had; was this it?!
The location was a bit anticlimactic; but the freaky thing is not what it looks like, but what happens when you are there.
This spot is the site of an acoustic anomaly; what does that mean? It means that if you stand in the middle your voice sounds amplified to you, but muted to those standing outside the circle. And I swear to god, it true, it worked!! We took turns in the center and it was pretty freaky.
This odd sound abnormally has been studied with no clear consensus of what or how it works.
We stood in the middle and took videos to see if we could capture this freaky effect; above is my friend trying it out. In my video below, my voice does sound amplified.
Ok maybe you had to be there?? But it was freaky; we had a few laughs trying to figure out what the trick was, but we weren’t able to solve the mystery. And I am glad we didn’t, half the fun not knowing what the secret is?
Right beside this freak of nature is another Tulsa landmark, the Artificial Cloud, so look up.
Ok, I may have been a little too excited by this excursion? But man, we were inside all day and will be for the next few days; it was great to get some fresh air…ok it was more hot and humid than fresh! 😎
If anyone has anything else that we should see while here, please let me know. I am hoping to find some more free time to roam!
Self Care Sunday is the newest thing; why? Because we are so busy taking care of our kids, our jobs, our parents; that we have zero time to take care of ourselves. But guess what? If you burn out everyone around you will be screwed!!
Self Care Sunday is finding a bit of time every week to do something to help re-charge your body, mind and soul.
Here are 5 easy ways to chill the f@$# out!
Get Out!
When I am not sitting at my desk in the office; I am in an airport or scrunched in an airplane seat; It can be stifling. My remedy is to go out and get some fresh air.
There is something about being outside that calms me; wether it’s going for a walk in the desert or snowshoeing in the forest, being outside centers me and quiets the voices in my head…you guys have those little voices too right??
Work It Out!
To prep for this post, I did an informal poll and a lot of you mentioned that working out helps keep you sane…I don’t get it, but whatever, lol, kidding ish.
Nicole, one is my very best cousins, she says that her workouts keep her present and in control; and that feeling of accomplishment afterwards is a big win!
My Nicole inspiring me to practice my hand stand.
Feel the Rhythm of the Beat!
One of my friends is living a modern version of The Brady Bunch, between her and her boyfriend, they have 6 kids!!! One of her passions is dancing. On Sunday’s she cranks the tunes and dances in her kitchen while she does her meal prep for the week.
I have another friend who got so tired of seeing her kids playing video games, that she turns the games off and makes them dance with her. At first they rolled their eyes, but now they look forward to it. They learn the newest dance moves together, she’s now an expert flosser.
Learn Something New
Another friend in a house with three teenagers has decided to learn how to play guitar; it’s something she has wanted to do for years. She has paid for guitar, piano and drum lessons for her kids; now she is finally taking the time and focusing on learning how to play.
Shhhh!!
In my informal poll, many have said that they just need a bit of quiet time by themselves. With the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, I can relate to this one.
Find some time and a quiet corner to read. Fill up your tub and take a warm bath or get in your car and go for a little drive…alone; being alone with your thoughts can help keep you grounded.
How do you chill and re-charge? Maybe by reading my Sunday blog posts??? Lol
Thanks for reading! Have a great week! Be kind to yourselves.
Axe throwing is the new hip thing to do and after the week I’ve had, there was nothing that sounded better than throwing a sharp object at something! I’ve been wanting to try it for awhile and I’m so glade I did, because we had such an axe-cellent time!
It’s sort of like bowling, except instead of throwing a ball you’re hurling a super sharp axe. We booked two lanes at the Timber Lounge on 19 Orange Lane in Moncton; which is located next to the Pump House Brew Pub. Check them out online at: http://www.timberlounge.ca , on Facebook under: Timber Lounge Axe Throwing – Moncton. Or on Instagram at: timberloungemoncton. (they didn’t pay for our night, but hey if they wanted to invite us out back, we would be down for that… just saying.)
I’d never swung an axe before, but full disclosure, I am pretty sure I am a direct descendant of some hunky Viking, lol, so I assumed, I’d be super good at it.
We were greeted as soon as we walked in and after signing in, we got drinks while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive. Because why not have a few drinks before playing with axes, right?
The Timber Lounge has a really cool vibe. We got lucky and had the back lanes, which gave us a bit of privacy, as it wasn’t always pretty.
Our guide, who’s name escapes me, sorry. So I’ll call him Hans, since that sounds very Vikingy; his name is probably Marc or Jean? Lol. Anyway, Hans, explained the safety rules and showed us how to throw properly; during our practice throws he gave us pointers. He coached us and encouraged us all the way through. Hans was awesome! Please tip Hans if you go and he is your guys.
We each managed to get a bullseye, some…Stacy, got a few more…ok, a lot more.
My cousin Nicole had perfect form and the most graceful swing, but still managed to finish last. Sorry, Nicole; she’s naturally good at everything, so she can handle a little ribbing.
My brother, Serge, showing us how it’s done. He started strong, if I’m part Viking, then I guess he is too? But he got beat in a tie breaking axe-off by me!!
Our axemen and axewomen, top left, Kenda the small but mighty, Bullseye Stacey, Liette la Viking. Bottom left, Mary Helen aka Mrs. Brady, Serge, the silent one and Gina the beautiful beast; if there was a prize for best biceps she would win!
Mr. Bullseye or Stacey, won in a hard fought final round, beating his opponent, me, by one point. It was a nail biting finish…ok probably just nail bitting for me, because I really wanted to win, lol.
What I liked about this activity is that at the end of each round, you start fresh, so if you sucked, you can theoretically redeem yourself.
We started with a round of round robin and then, the top 4 axed it off, before the final axetravaganza; where the top two battle for the win.
Fun fact, Mary Helen had the most “unique” swing, and by unique, I really mean wonky, lol, but ranked #2 in bullseyes.
If you are looking for something fun to do, this is it!! We had so much fun! It exceeded our axepectations, (most fun axe puns provided by Stacey and Gina).
I really think we all would have played better had we been wearing plaid. Our next tournament, I think plaid, tuques or Viking Hornes will be mandatory!
I highly recommend the Timber Lounge Moncton; Lord tundering Jesus it was fun! (Ok, not sure why I am closing this post off with a Newfie accent? It just felt right, lol.
All the hipster cities now have axe throwing bars, look it up and try it!
Hoppy Birthday! – How to throw bunny themed party.
This post will show you how to throw a fun Bunny themed party, you’re welcome; for a young child or a late forty something grown woman…whatever.
I understand that as we get older some may not want to make a big deal about their birthdays and some may not want a party; but I am not some people, lol.
(My last post generated a lot of new subscribers, thank you and welcome. Full disclosure, this a full on fluff piece, but it doesn’t have an underlying deeper meaning, so keep reading).
I throw parties and events for a living and for most of those events, sadly, I don’t have full and complete free reign; and it turns out that I love full and complete free reign! Lol. So when it’s my birthday I want a party and I want to plan it myself!!
I am not talking about a huge party, I prefer small intimate gatherings, but there needs to be a theme, formal invitations, some sort of decorations, a cake and swag bags for my guests to take home, like when we were kids.
Last year I had a co-party with my friend Claudia who’s birthday is the day after mine. We went to a fancy hotel’s tea room and had a tea party with tiny yummy sandwiches and sweets with 20 of our friends. It was so much fun even though I don’t actually like tea! Lol
For our swag bags last year, we had antique china cups filled with colorful macaroons with a thank you note. The thank you note matched the invitation, naturally.
BTW a tea party theme is great for wedding showers and baby showers too. Feel free to steal any of these ideas. If you want more tea party ideas, here is my tea party post. It was called Girls Gone Wild, but no girls actually went wild in the post, lol: https://oui-liette.org/2018/08/02/girls-gone-wild/
That was last year; this year my birthday falls on Easter Sunday. I took this as a sign that it should be a bunny theme.
Full disclosure, I am a corny person; dorky puns are my jam, as you will see below.
I usually find a cool image that speaks to me and build my theme around it. Last year I found the picture of the three ladies pouring tea with fabulous flowers in their hair.
This year I fell in love with this bunny; his face and his butt!
My best friend, who is an amazing hostess, offered to host my birthday dinner. Not wanting to impose too much, I offered to buy my own cake. She loves baking and quickly turned my offer down. She asked if I had any requests, I told her it needed to be chocolate and have eggs or bunnies on it. And to be bratty, I sent her elaborate cake pictures leading up to the big night for “inspiration”. We have been friends for over 30 years, so she knows my bratty ways and didn’t reply to any of my texts, which made me send her more, just because I thought it was funny. I was trying to break her and make her reply with a, knock it off, but her will and resolve are strong, lol.
She is a designer and has a beautiful home, I am very fortunate to have her as my bff!! For anyone in the Moncton area looking for a designer with impeccable taste, contact me and I will hook you up with her.
Her table setting is a perfect example that a little goes a long way. She had all white dinnerware with pale blue linen napkins and a white tulip centerpiece. I love her vintage water glasses, they added a bit of sparkle. And in keeping with my Easter theme, I sprinkled colorful chocolate eggs.
Our hostess and bff Guylaine (pronounced guy as in gee…oh never mind, lol)
No birthday of mine would be complete without a headband, lol. I brought bunny ears for my party guests, why? Why not!
I celebrated my birthday last year in Las Vegas with my beautiful and amazing new friends. This year I was lucky enough to celebrate with my childhood friends in Canada.
I feel that the red head on the right would want me to explain her wearing a hat at a party. She was having some eye issues and couldn’t wear any makeup, she thought a hat would be a good camouflage, lol. We stuck a set of big ears on her and called her Elmer Fudd, lol. She is normally the glamest one at the party.
For dinner we had gourmet pizzas, ordered in from our fav restaurant. Ordering in is a great way to free up the hostess so she can have fun and not be stuck in the kitchen all night.
Turns out a few drinks helps with your creativity. Stacey and I thought our mirror image pic was brilliant last night. Mmm… I still think it’s cute this morning, lol.
I am happy to report that my cake did not disappoint! It was chocolaty and delicious!! And it had mini eggs on it.
Only 4 candles to avoid a fire hazard, lol. The cake was made from scratch with love, it was soooo good!
I want to thank all my bunnies for helping me celebrate in style! People say, you only turn 40, 30, 50… once; we’ll guess what? You only turn, 41, 37, 49…once too! My point is every year is a milestone and for those who are freaked out by getting older, the alternative is even more freaky.
Each year we are blessed to celebrate another notch in our belts, some people don’t get the chance to grow old. We need to be mindful of that and embrace the opportunities that another year will bring.
I hope this post inspires you to celebrate your birthday and your friends. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it should be fun.
I had a basket full of colorful eggs at the front door for guests as they left; full disclosure the two first bunnies to leave the party didn’t get their eggs, because I was a little too busy having fun and temporarily forget about them.
In my eggs were two small chicks, a lip balm, who doesn’t need another lip balm and a thank you note. I think it’s a nice small gesture, I am going to follow up with a thank you text as they chipped in to buy me a fabulous gift, which wasn’t necessary, but greatly appreciated!!
Fun was had by all, thanks to my Crazy, Sexy, Cool Chicks!! Omg, that would be a cool theme for a party!! Maybe next year?
I wish you all a Hoppy, corny, meaningful Easter!!
muah!
Liette
(for more pics of my adventures, check up my Instagram page: oui-liette)
If you wonder why some of you see my feature picture twice, I post it twice so that those who subscribe and read from their emails can see it too.
In this post I will share a few tips on how to prepare for your first hot air balloon ride. I consider myself an expert now that I have been up in one exactly one time! Lol
Ok so I am not an expert, but I can share a few tips, here we go!
We were driven to the desert where we watched the balloons being set up and filled with air, they were way bigger than I thought they would be.This photo was taken by my friend Sean Miller, he brought his big camera, I just use my iPhone.Photo by Sean Miller.
Hot Air Balloon Fashion
The perfect way to ruin your ballooning experience is to show up dresses improperly. Chances are you’ll have to be onsite before dawn; make certain you’re warm enough to get you through till sunrise. We had a few in our group who were cold and cranky before we even got off the ground. I was happy we didn’t end up in their balloon.
The trick is to dress in layers, I had a t-shirt, my trusty black turtle neck and a light fleece like zip jacket. I threw a pair of light gloves in my cross body purse before leaving the house and I actually wore them before lift off. It gets cold in the desert before sunrise.
You also need sneakers; sandals and flip flops are a no, no. And make sure you are wearing socks. When you are in the air, your bottom half can get cold, while your top half gets hot; the big burners that heat the balloon air give off a lot of heat.
You also have to climb into the balloon basket, like literally climb, straddle the side and get yourself inside, so make sure your pants will accommodate this movement. I wore jeans with stretch.
If you have long hair tie it up or wear a hat, you don’t want your hair getting caught up in the burners.
What Should You Bring With You?
The views are absolutely spectacular, so make certain your phone is charged, you’ll want to take a lot of pics. My friend brought his camera and small case; I had a cross body purse that I use when I travel. There isn’t much room in the balloon basket so just bring a small bag.
The air is cool the higher you go, so I packed tissues and my sunglasses in my bag. They provided us with a bottle of water.
Safety First
You will have to sign a waiver, we had to sign two. The captain will go over the safety rules and will make you practice a rough landing position, aka a crash landing. I obviously knew there isn’t landing gear on these things, but I never really put much thought into how they landed. They can hit pretty hard, bounce and drag before they come to a full stop…oh and the basket can tip over…with you in it.
We had a smooth landing, but I was ready! My knees were slightly bent and I was facing in the direction that the captain had instructed us to face. I took these rules very seriously; I may or may not have “bossed” other passengers to turn around and face the other way??? I can’t really recall for sure in all the excitement, but that could have happened?? Lol
What I found a bit surprising is that the balloon basket is sub divided into sections. So there isn’t a lot of room to move around. This is so you don’t bounce around in the event of a rough landing.
I am not really scared of heights, but I am scared of falling to my death. The basket sides are high, I am 5’7, the side of the basket was mid boob height on me, lol. This made me feel secure; you aren’t dangling over the edge, you are pretty contained.
You can see the basket dividers in this pic. There is another divider between me and the lady beside me. You can fit 2 people per section.
Enjoy the Ride!
It was such a cool feeling to float, we reached a maximum speed of 12 miles per hour. It was very peaceful and serene. I would highly recommend a balloon ride to anyone visiting, who is feeling adventurous; and to locals who want to see Vegas from above. It was $140, tax included, so not crazy expensive.
This pic was taken by moi, not too shabby!
The colorful balloons against the blue sky were so pretty it almost looked fake.
Vegas Hot Air, Sin City Balloon Rides, is the company we went with; they had three balloons in the air that morning. There were a few other balloons from different companies in the air when we ventured out. They look deceivingly small in the air.
We flew over this balloon, the view and colors were awesome!
We got a great view of the strip in the distance, but the view of the mountains that surround Vegas was spectacular. I am fairly certain most tourist that stay on the strip aren’t even aware that Las Vegas is in a valley. You don’t see the mountains when on the strip.
Photo by Sean Miller
What Goes Up, Must Come Down.
I think we were in the air for over an hour ish? Time flew bye, pun intended.
It’s a balloon tradition to have champagne after each ride. Captain Mike was awesome, all the staff were friendly and made it fun. Side note, captain Mike had the nicest teeth, lol. I felt, I needed to add that completely irrelevant detail… you are welcome!! 😜
I highly recommend Vegas Hot Air Sin City Balloon Rides, tell them Liette sent you. They will have absolutely no idea who the heck I am, lol.
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any ballooning questions!
(If you are easily scandalized, please don’t read, 😳)
Roses and chocolates are fine…I guess? If you like that sort of thing? Here are 5 other options to help SASS up your Valentine’s Day…or night? Whatever, lol.
Scissor Sisters Booty Bucks
Not ready to put a ring on it? The Scissor Sisters have a few hilarious ways to say…mm, I love you??
They have created super funny Booty Bucks for that special someone in your life. If interested, please DM Melissa on Insta: lil_gingersnap, they are 50% sass, 50% kick ass and 100% fun!
My two favs are: “I’am so glad we got drunk and had sex”and “You repulse me the least”, lol. Share which you like best??
What’s Wax Got to Do With It??
Nothing!! Just say no to wax; body sugaring is the way to go! If you are so fortunate to live in the Moncton area, then you are fortunate enough to visit our local goddess, Kimberly, at Kimberly the Studio. I’ve been to lots of fancy places with fancy spas and Kimberly is by far the best at what she does!!
What does she do you ask? She does it all! Lol, she’s been called a Vulva Artist, she will make your vagina look and feel it’s very best! Not for anyone else, but for yourself. She’s an artist and a poet and embodies female empowerment. I make a beeline to her studio whenever I am in town.
Guys, a gift certificates for your ladies will help spice up your love lives. Another way to spice it up, would be to get your backs sugared, lol, just saying.
I think this pic captures Kimberly’s cool vibe.
Her studio, Kimberly the Studio, is located at 139 Archibald St, in Moncton. If you are too far to visit Kimberly, aw so sorry, I feel really bad for you. Make an appointment with your local ladyscaping artist; you just won’t get the Kimberly experience.
She also wanted me to mention that that The Aberdeen Cultural Center will be hosting their annual fundraiser, l’art en boîte. Valentine’s Day in Moncton is not just heart day, its art day!! For $50, you get to go home with an original piece of art. Check them out, buy your ticket, support local artists.
Get A Heart On!
One of Moncton’s best Restaurant’s, if not the best, is Gusto Italian Bar & Grill. It’s located on 130 Westmorland St. If you haven’t been, I can guarantee you will looove it!
It’s the perfect place to take your sweetheart on your next date night; all their food is amazing, but their freshly made cheesecakes are on another level!
They also have a super cool vibe with lots of dark corners on the main level; perfect for a romantic night out.
How cute is this Chicken Florentin Pizza? .
Meet Gusto’s hostess with the mostess, Guylaine, flaunting their gluten free, pecan caramel cheesecake. It’s beyond delicious! I have no idea what’s in the crust, but I could have just eaten the crust alone and been super satisfied; and did I mention it’s gluten free? It’s their feature cake until March.
Netflix & Chill, Solo
There’s no shame if you find yourself in between lovers this VD Day…oh I mean, VDay 😬
Plan the perfect night in; order yourself a heart shaped pizza and a few slices of cheesecake to go; wash it all down with a box of wine and binge watch the first season of You and Dirty John. You will be counting your lucky stars that you’re single after watching, trust me!! Man that is some scary shit!!
(Also if you don’t know what Netflix & Chill means, look it up 😳)
Custom Condoms!
Here’s an idea, skip the homemade card and go for custom condoms; yes you can have a custom message printed on the package. Full disclosure, I haven’t tried these…yet, but OMG what a fabulous idea!! FYI, all my friends are getting oui-Liette condoms next Christmas! Lol
I hope this post helps to get you in the mood. Please note, I am not being paid or getting freebies to promote the companies & services listed above; my shout outs are ligit. Ok…I may get a free slice of cheesecake from Gusto’s every once in awhile?? But just the ones that flop over and aren’t pretty enough to serve to customers, lol.
And I just noticed an unintentional theme, all my featured companies in this post are from female boss ladies!! Except for the condoms, not sure if that is a female led business or not? But it’s a great ideas so probably thought of by a woman?? Kidding…sort of.
Thanks for reading, share the love by liking or sharing!!
Shout out to my nephew Jack for being a great little photographer and all round supporter!
Trying to keep my balloons in check, the struggle is real! Oh and the theme song for this post is 99 Red Balloons, obvs!
A Mad for Plaid Christmas! Easy tips on how to pull off a plaid theme!!
This year I decided that it would be fun if our Christmas Eve Dinner had a theme; and since plaid seems to be the latest new hip trend, why not make it a plaid theme? If you are Canadian, it’s been hip forever, lol; plaid and Christmas are a natural fit so I thought it would be easy to pull off.
I did find that finding the perfect plaid item to wear was, well hard to find, lol. What I envisioned wearing wasn’t available at the local mall and I waited too long to order something online. But I am no quitter! Plus all but my guests are pumped and on board; so full steam ahead with my Mad for Plaid theme!
What to wear?
This was my initial vision…yeah, I didn’t find anything this chic!! 😳
Can you have a plaid theme dinner without asking your guest to dress up? Probably, will it be as fun? No! No, it won’t. (teasing, feel free to skip to my pictures of plaid dinner table ideas if you don’t want to deal with my plaid shenanigans)
My Christmas Eve guests have been asked to wear some sort of plaid. I left it open to interpretation; I am looking forward to seeing everyone plaided up! (yes I know plaided isn’t a real word, but it should be!).
I finally found something I like, it’s a beautiful red and black plaid shawl that I will for sure wear again; it’s basically a huge blanket. My mom has a funky pair of red plaid pants that I am sort of lusting after. She’s the most stylish woman I know! My dad will wear a red and black buffalo pattern shirt so he and I will match.
This would have also worked; there is nothing more Canadian than plaid and jean on jean, right?!
Decor
When it comes to decor, concentrate on your dinner table. I always make that my focal point. I think most people associate plaid with rustic and homey comfort; I personally think of a tall rugged Canadian lumberjack named Alex or Jean-Guy…..lol, ok moving on; the point I was trying to make before I got distracted by visions of lumberjacks dancing in my head is that it’s so easy to pull off a plaid themed dinner table. All you need is a plaid tablecloth or piece of fabric, mason jars, pine cones and a pop of something green and red.
This was not a staged photo. This is a real live Canadian male wearing plaid, holding an axe, while standing in the snow, lol. Is he an actual lumberjack? Sure, why not? (No he isn’t).
Last year I filled mason jars with cranberries and floating candles. Some green branches, fairy lights and red balls. So easy, yet so pretty!!
We picked the pine cones ourselves; combined with the greenery my table smelled like Christmas!!I added a few shiny red balls.A few mason jars with cranberries and floating candles, instant cool mood lighting.This is my pallet for this year’s tables, i will add some greenery, floating candles and some mini lights. I think it’s going to look soooo pretty!
This year I will have gray and black table clothes with red napkins. I will repeat the other same items from last year; hey, if it isn’t broken, no need to fix it!
Pro Planner Tip
Here is a super helpful tip for any and all parties, big or small; the key to creating a cool vibe for your guests is lighting! So please dim the damn lights!!!
Light some candles or load up on fairy lights, nothing ruins the mood like bright overhead lights…you’re welcome!!
This is my cozy plaid wrap. Apparently this red and black pattern is called Buffalo… who knew? Photo creds to my nephew Jack!!
I wanted to post this before Christmas in case someone is looking for ideas on how to dress up their dinner table. I will share pictures of my Christmas Eve Dinner on my Facebook page, oui-liette.
Enjoy these last few days before the big day. I know they can be stressful; it may seem that everything I do has to be perfect. That’s actually not the case. I pre plan as much as I can and then the day of any of my personal parties or huge corporate events, I am pretty chill and roll with the punches. Don’t let the idea of perfection ruin the moment. Life is messy not perfect! Lol, enjoyez-vous!
