These photos from a 2009 trip are my little ode to Mardi Gras and the beautiful city of New Orleans. What a magical place. The comfort food, hospitality, music, and architecture...it all captured my heart.

I remember walking the streets of the French Quarter completely mesmerized by old mail boxes. Each one felt mysterious yet they could tell a thousand stories. The letters they saw come and go, the residents who anxiously put their keys into the hole to unlock messages from afar. These metal mail boxes were little signs of life and they were made even more intriguing by the colors and textures that surrounded them.

Now, I can't talk about NOLA without sharing a something from Preservation Hall, aka my happy place. Watch and you may understand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7M8ZkQma3I