Emily Villere Dixon

The Greatest Football Flicks

Gameday August 12, 2019

The 2019 LSU Football season starts THIS month, and while we have fall camp to get us through the next few weeks without an actual LSU game, I decided to do a little “research” on some of the greatest football movies and shows you can watch to help pass the time.

Thanks to a little help from some of my “internet friends”, I’ve put together the following list in no particular order covering all ranges of football from high school to college and the NFL to help get you get ready for the upcoming season!

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS | Not only is this one of the greatest football shows, but it is also one of the greatest TV shows of all time. There’s a love triangle between QB1, the head cheerleader and the town bad boy (#TeamTimRiggins). It shows Texas high school football at its finest, ultimate #couplegoals between Coach Eric Taylor and his wife, Tami Taylor, plus so many other classic characters and story lines. #TexasForever

RUDY | This is a heartwarming story of working as hard as you can for a goal and ultimately achieving it after a life of trials and tribulations. Spoiler Alert: The good guy wins. If you don’t shed a tear when Rudy finally takes the field, are you even human? And, I don’t care if he was offsides.

REMEMBER THE TITANS| Any movie that includes Denzel Washington, football and a fabulous soundtrack is sure to be a hit, and this movie is the perfect football film. It tackles (no pun intended) integration in football and celebrates the friendships, family and community that comes from the sport.

THE BLIND SIDE | Who doesn’t want to be a BOSS southern mother like Lea Anne Tuohy? I especially like this movie, because it is based on a true story and dives into a lot of particulars surrounding college football, like recruiting. (Coach O even makes a cameo as himself when he was the head coach at Ole Miss!)

VARSITY BLUES | “I don’t want your life” is such an iconic 90’s movie line. This movie shares another depiction of Texas High School football, which probably gets me in my feelings since I grew up there and that’s why I like it despite what Rotten Tomatoes says.

EVERYBODY’S ALL-AMERICAN | This movie is filmed on LSU’s campus with shots inside Tiger Stadium and also has a brief cameo from LSU Director of Football Operations Sam Nader.

LITTLE GIANTS | The “Annexation of Puerto Rico” and Becky “Icebox” O’Shea and are pee-wee classics that stem from a team of misfits who challenge the top team in the county. This movie is totally “kid-approved”.

THE WATERBOY | It might not be a 100% accurate portrayal of football in South Louisiana, but it is sure to make you laugh like most Adam Sandler films.

WE ARE MARSHALL | Most sports movies elicit strong emotions, but this one really hits your heart since it is based on a true story. In 1970, 37 Marshall football players and multiple staff members died in a plane accident, and the film chronicles the rebuilding of the team, university and community.

LAST CHANCE U | This docuseries gives good insight into a big part of college football that most people don’t really understand – Junior College (JUCO) football programs. I think the first season is the best and I am partial to any other season set at East Mississippi Community College.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: THE LONGEST YARD | ANY GIVEN SUNDAY | DRAFT DAY

If you have any others that you feel should be on this list, drop me a comment to let me know! I have two more Sundays off this month during fall camp, so I will probably watch a few of these football flicks myself.

Five Ways You Can Help Companion Animal Alliance

Live Local Baton Rouge, Pets April 29, 2019

Y’all know I’m all about saving the puppies! I’m teaming up with some other locals and Companion Animal Alliance this summer to spread the word about CAA and get others involved at the shelter so we can keep caring for and saving animals in Baton Rouge!

If you aren’t in the market to adopt an additional family member, there are still many ways you can help out your local animal shelter. So, until I can have my dream ranch with an unlimited amount of puppies on it (a girl can dream, right?!), these are five of the other ways WE can help Companion Animal Alliance.

IF YOU DON’T LIVE IN BATON ROUGE, YOU CAN STILL DO EACH OF THESE THINGS BY GETTING INVOLVED WITH YOUR LOCAL SHELTER!

I commonly hear, “I can’t go into the shelter…it just makes me so sad.”, “There’s no way I could see those dogs like that.”, “I would want to adopt them all if I went, so I better stay away.”, etc. Well, what you see in the shelter might be sad, but isn’t it more sad to think that you could help make a difference for these animals and our community and you aren’t? Isn’t it sad to think that in many circumstances humans have already failed these animals, and you are too sad to help them? Of course it is sad to see to this, but if we don’t see it, then how do we expect the situation to change?

1. VOLUNTEER

Volunteers are the heartbeat of every animal shelter and animal rescue in general. Without volunteers, it wouldn’t be possible to save as many animals as CAA currently does. The new shelter, located on LSU’s campus, has changed the game when it comes to how you can help out. It is centrally located in town, it’s easy to get to and is full of new amenities and ways to help. It doesn’t matter how much or how little time you have to volunteer or what you can do, because every minute and every task count.

INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING? YOU CAN FILL OUT THE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION HERE.

Once you go through a quick orientation, you can volunteer in a variety of ways at the shelter, including CAA’s new program called “Date a Dog”. You can check out a pup for a fun day around town, or if your time is more limited, you can walk a pup around the dog park located at the shelter or for a quick walk around campus. This makes the dogs so happy to get out of the shelter, even if it is for just a brief period of time.

YOU CAN REGISTER FOR NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION HERE.

Whether volunteers want to work hands-on with the animals or prefer office jobs and yard work, it’s all important to CAA and it’s vital to keep the shelter running!

2. ATTEND EVENTS

Who doesn’t want to attend fun events around Baton Rouge while also helping animals in need at the same time?! This is literally the definition of a win-win situation. Companion Animal Alliance has a calendar full of events going on around the Capital City throughout the year that directly impact the shelter. These include the Cap City Beer Fest, Fur Ball, multiple Yappy Hours at the Bulldog and now the FURRY FUN RUN!

CHECK OUT CAA’s FACEBOOK PAGE AND THEIR CALENDAR TO FIND OUT ABOUT NEW EVENTS!

3. DONATE

Did you know that donating only $5/month gives treats to one dog for an ENTIRE MONTH? One of your monthly coffees can make a puppy happy and full for 30 days. CAA has a variety of ways to donate based on your budget. You can be a reoccurring donor at any price, a one-time donor and even pick certain areas at CAA to donate your funds.

BECOME A CAA MEMBER BY SIGNING UP HERE!

Of course the first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘donating’ is money, but there are multiple other ways to donate to CAA! You can donate your time through volunteering, and you can donate household items to keep the pups comfortable and cut down on costs for the shelter. A couple of times a year, I pick up a bunch of $5 blankets at Walmart to donate. And, don’t throw away your old sheets and towels around the house, the shelter can put those to good use too!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VARIOUS WAYS YOU CAN DONATE TO CAA HERE!

Also, you can donate while making your regular amazon orders! While shopping on amazon, if you use this specific link to shop through AMAZON SMILE, a portion of your purchase is directly donated to CAA. Also, CAA has an AMAZON WISHLIST set up, so you can easily donate items without even leaving your house!

4. SHARE ON SOCIAL

Social media is a HUGE asset to animal shelters and rescue groups across the country and has definitely played a role in the rising success rates of saving animals. By sharing adoptable animals through various social media channels, there are more eyes on each animal and more people become connected.

I feature an adoptable CAA pup each week on my Instagram page, and so far, we have a 100% success rate of finding these animals their furever homes. Of course, this success isn’t only because of my posts, but the posts get shared to a whole new audience, others see these available animals and tell their friends who might be looking, and the reach of CAA directly grows.

FOLLOW CAA ON: FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

Through this new campaign we are launching, we are not only spreading the word on social about adoptable animals, but we are also sharing how to get involved with the shelter if you can’t adopt. Social media is key to getting our message out to the public. It’s quick and easy to share an adoptable animal from any of CCA’s social pages on to your personal page. You never know when a connection could be made!

5. FOSTER

Without fosters, shelters wouldn’t be able to save as many animals as they currently do. In the South, especially, shelters can reach capacity fairly quickly, and the only way to continue bringing more needy animals in is for other animals to either leave the shelter due to adoption or fostering.

Fostering allows kennels to open up for other animals in need and is another vital piece to the success of a shelter. Fostering is a bigger commitment than my list above, but CAA will work with you depending on your schedule. You can even be a weekend foster if that’s all your schedule allows. Even a couple of days outside of the shelter is extremely beneficial for these animals.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOSTERING PROCESS HERE!

I can’t tell you how great of a feeling it is knowing that not only are we working together to save the lives of animals in need, but we are also matching people with pets that will provide such wonderful lifelong relationships. I can’t imagine not coming home to my dogs each day, and I think everyone…and every dog…should have the opportunity to have a relationship this strong and important!

WANT TO LEARN EVEN MORE? My blogger friend Leslie is also joining me for this new campaign, and she gives you 11 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT COMPANION ANIMAL ALLIANCE over on her blog, Southern Flair.

PS | ALL of the pups featured in this post have been ADOPTED through Companion Animal Alliance!

Mardi Gras Essentials: Let Them Eat the Best King Cakes

Live Local Louisiana, Mardi Gras February 21, 2019

It’s officially Mardi Gras season, and one of the best and most traditional ways to celebrate this time of year is with some Mardi Gras King Cake! Or in my case, with quite a few King Cakes. Can’t stop, won’t stop.

I knew I wanted to do a post on the best King Cakes, but there was no way Shea and I could eat all of these cakes by ourselves. Actually, it might have been possible, but I didn’t want to test that theory out. So, I decided to throw a party for my girlfriends where we could all taste test this spread of King Cakes from all over South Louisiana.

The Best King Cakes from South Louisiana

The majority of these bakeries ship King Cakes all across the country. This is a great option if you are craving some real Louisiana King Cake and live out of town or if you want to share the love with others who don’t celebrate Mardi Gras as much as we do. Follow the links to see how to purchase!

NONNA RANDAZZO KING CAKE:

One of my all-time favorite King Cakes is by Nonna Randazzo’s out of the Northshore/New Orleans area. Their signature white icing with sprinkles might look different than a traditional King Cake, but the flavor of the actual cake is absolutely delicious! I’m not a fan of the word ‘moist’, but this cake is soft and has the perfect texture. If you live in Baton Rouge, they are delivered fresh daily to Carnival Mart during the Mardi Gras season.

NONNA RANDAZZO’S (above) | WHOLE FOODS (below left)

The best king cakes for Mardi Gras featured by top Louisiana life and style blogger, Emily Villere Dixon

POUPART’S BAKERY KING CAKE:

My next favorite King Cake is a cream cheese filled cake from Poupart’s Bakery in Lafayette. Once I discovered this bakery a few years ago, I make sure to have multiple of these King Cakes during Mardi Gras. The sugar and icing create the perfect topping texture that has a sweet, but not too sweet, taste.

Another unique option from Poupart’s Bakery is the traditional French King Cake. It is made up of a round puff pastry with an almond filling (see it on the blue cake stand in the pictures below). Pop it in the oven to warm it up before serving, and oh. my. goodness!

SUCRE (below left) | ROUSES (below right)

If you don’t live in Louisiana but still want to partake in the King Cake festivities, Whole Foods Market offers their own version. I know it’s not local, but it’s at least an alternative if you don’t live anywhere that specializes in King Cakes or if you need a quick pick-up while you are already out grocery shopping. It is actually one of the prettier King Cakes I had at my party.

During the Mardi Gras season, there are also tons of other King Cake ‘inspired’ treats to choose from, and it’s fun to see people get creative with their rendition of a King Cake treat.

The best king cakes for Mardi Gras featured by top Louisiana life and style blogger, Emily Villere Dixon: king cake macarons

The best king cakes for Mardi Gras featured by top Louisiana life and style blogger, Emily Villere Dixon: king cake balls

The best king cakes for Mardi Gras featured by top Louisiana life and style blogger, Emily Villere Dixon: king cake ice cream

SUCRE MARDI GRAS MACARONS | BREW HA-HA CAKE BALLS | BLUE BELL KING CAKE ICE CREAM

There are so many different King Cakes to test in Louisiana that this list of the best king cakes could go on and on forever. My friend Leslie, creator of the blog Southern Flair, put together this King Cake bucket list, so you can eat your way through the Red Stick’s best options this Mardi Gras season.

Don’t forget that if you are lucky enough to get the baby, you have to throw the next King Cake party! Let me know if there is a King Cake that I absolutely have to try before this year’s Mardi Gras season comes to an end!

YOU CAN FIND ALL OF MY MARDI GRAS CONTENT HERE AND IN MY GUIDE TO MARDI GRA S!

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER!

Gameday | September Sideline Style

Gameday, Style Gameday Outfit, Outfits, Sideline Style October 2, 2018

It’s been a wild and crazy September for the LSU Tigers! We played five games in one month, opened the season in Cowboys Stadium, won our first SEC game on a last-second field goal and beat two Top-10 teams in the first three weeks. Whew! We are currently undefeated and have already exceeded most people’s expectations.

I’m still over here wearing my all-time favorite pants on the sidelines most Saturdays (even though the clasp on the zipper is broke, and I had to find a binder clip the morning of the Auburn game to keep my pants up all day…). Some of my favorite gameday items throughout the first month of the season include this dress, this necklace and these shoes. I re-wore a top from 2016 for the Auburn game, because I was convinced it brought us good luck the first time I wore it (for Coach O’s first game as interim Head Coach vs Missouri when we set SEC offensive records), and I proved to be right when we beat Auburn in one of the most epic LSU games I have ever witnessed! You’re welcome, Tiger fans.

I’m glad I invested in this raincoat, because I needed it last weekend when it rained for the entire Ole Miss game. I even had to do my postgame interview with Coach O in the rain, so I’m glad my jacket was cute, because my hair and the rest of me was a MESS! I’m excited to get the month of October rolling, and we start out at the Swamp versus Florida. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s been so much fun watching this team so far this season. Five games down and seven to geaux!

GEAUX TIGERS!

LSU VS MIAMI

LSU VS SOUTHEASTERN

Sweater: Madewell (sold out) | Pants: J. Crew | Shoes: NikeiD | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Bracelets: Kendra Scott – Live Lokai

LSU VS AUBURN

LSU VS LOUISIANA TECH

Dress: JaneHudson | Booties: Sosis Boutique | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Tiger necklace: Mimosa Handcrafted

LSU VS OLE MISS

Top: J. Crew | Pants: J. Crew | Raincoat: J. Crew | Shoes: Nike Air Max 270 | Earrings: Annie Claire Designs from Sosis Boutique

Top 5 LSU Football Memories from the 2017 Season

Gameday, Life in Football LSU, Working in Sports August 28, 2018

With only five days to geaux until the LSU Football season officially kicks off, it’s time for me to look back at my five favorite memories from the 2017 season. Every year there are a handful of memories that stand out from the others, but let me tell you, there are always a lot to choose from!

I enjoy writing this post each season, because it reminds me of all the amazing opportunities I have working for the Tigers, and it excites me knowing that I have another season ahead of me to fill with even more memories. Here’s to season No. 7!

YOU CAN READ MY TOP 5 LSU FOOTBALL MEMORIES FROM 2016 HERE!

5. FLORIDA + TENNESSEE GAMES

One of the things on my bucket-list is to watch the Tigers play in every SEC stadium. In 2017, I was able to knock two stadiums off my list AND watch LSU win in both of them. The Florida game is always one of my favorite games on the schedule, and there is a ton of football history between these two teams. It took me 30 years, but I finally experienced my first game at The Swamp. We had just lost the weekend before and needed a big win. It was early. It was hot. It was so humid. It was everything I expected. And we won.

It’s hard to check the SEC East stadiums off of my list, because we don’t play all the teams each year. I was so excited to see Tennessee on our schedule last season knowing I would get to experience Neyland Stadium in the fall. The last time LSU played the Vols was in 2011, so I knew this opportunity wasn’t going to come around again for a while. Despite horrendous weather conditions (I sat in the press box so didn’t get a drop of rain on me!), the Tigers won AND I got to meet Smokey. And Coach O gave an epic halftime interview. It was a solid day.

4. INTERVIEWING ALEX BREGMAN

I am so thankful that my job allows me to interview so many interesting people and former Tigers on a regular basis. I have interviewed some big names over the years, but when Alex Bregman showed up on the sidelines, I’ll admit that I was very excited and a smidge nervous. Not only was Bregman a standout baseball player at LSU, but he had also just won the world series with the Houston Astros after the city was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Bregman is quickly becoming one of the most popular faces in baseball and is representing LSU along the way.

3. THE COMEBACK GAME

LSU was coming off a very emotional win at Florida before hosting 10th-ranked Auburn in Tiger Stadium. After only 17 minutes of play, Auburn was up 20-0 over LSU. Things were not looking good, but we came back to score 20 unanswered points – overcoming LSU’s largest home deficit against an SEC opponent in history. The Tigers won 27-23 thanks in part to a stellar catch by Russell Gage and a punt return for a touchdown by DJ Chark. This was a fun one to celebrate!

This game also holds a special place in the hearts of two families that I met during this weekend. I put together one of my favorite stories ever about the Perry and Boswell families and their unique connection to the LSU-Auburn game. You can read more about them here.

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE COMEBACK GAME HERE!

2. PLAYING BYU IN NEW ORLEANS

A week before the 2017 season opened, Hurricane Harvey devastated my hometown of Houston, Texas. We were scheduled to open the season playing BYU in Houston, but plans changed since NRG Stadium was being used for disaster relief. The game was moved to New Orleans and no one skipped a beat. If any fanbase knows how to handle a hurricane, it’s LSU and South Louisiana. It was truly remarkable to see the city of New Orleans and the LSU community come together to help Houston with flood relief while also putting together a major college football game in very little time. People stick together down here, and we are reminded of that often. Also, opening the season by shutting out the Cougars 27-0 wasn’t too bad either!

1. ENSMINGER NAMED OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

There was no way any other moment was going to beat out this one! I have worked for Steve Ensminger for six years, and there are not many better feelings than watching someone you believe in achieve one of their ultimate goals. Obviously LSU Football is extremely special to me, but its the people that I have met along the way here that truly make this place home. Coach Ensminger and his family are some of those people, and they have become family to me too. After breaking records as the interim OC in 2016, I can’t wait to see what the season has in store for our offense!

— LAGNIAPPE —

As always, a season provides WAY more than five memories, and even though this blog post is dedicated to my five favorite moments, I can’t leave the following out.

2007 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP REUNION

We celebrated the 10-year reunion of the 2007 National Championship team by bringing the players back for a weekend full of LSU Football. I was in school for the Tigers’ last championship win, and it was so much fun to catch up with old friends on the team and Coach Miles. It was great to watch everyone reconnect after a decade and celebrate such a special season.

DOUBLE NO. 18’S

Coach O let the cat out of the bag earlier in the spring, giving the jersey to Christian LaCouture, but that actually led to an unexpected No. 18 announcement during fall camp. To everyone’s surprise, a second No. 18 jersey was awarded to fullback JD Moore. Moore came to LSU as a walk-on, earned the starting fullback spot, received a scholarship AND kept a 4.0 while majoring in Architecture. To see the surprise on his face and hear how much the jersey meant to him was a very emotional moment.

7 LSU PLAYERS DRAFTED TO THE NFL

This is a story that NEVER gets old, and fortunately for us, this is a common theme each year. LSU has more players in the NFL than any other university in the country. We had another seven Tigers get drafted after the 2017 season, and that’s why we are #NFLSU.

As always, I’m here to keep you in the loop with everything LSU Football related throughout the entire season! You can find me here, on Twitter, on Facebook and on Instagram with consistent updates throughout the season.

GEAUX TIGERS!

LSU Gameday with Kendra Scott

Gameday, Style Gameday Outfit, Outfits August 20, 2018

Just when I thought my jewelry boxe(s) were overloaded with enough purple and gold options to get me through at least the 2030 football season, Kendra Scott once again delivers with some new and fabulous gameday jewels. I have written before about how Kendra Scott is a one-stop shop for all of your gameday jewelry, but now the cult-favorite brand offers a whole new color palette tailored to your team’s specific colors – and I’m talking whatever color you wear when cheering on your team.

When I wrote about my 5 pieces to create the perfect gameday outfit, I included finishing off your outfit with some gameday accessories that represent your team. Like I mentioned above, I have tons of purple, gold and yellow options to choose from, but Kendra Scott has now designed the perfect LSU purple and LSU yellow to wear on gameday. This is, in fact, a very serious development.

I’m lucky that the ladies at our local Kendra Scott store in Baton Rouge once again helped get me ready for this upcoming LSU Football season with some new accessories to wear on the sidelines. There was no way I was leaving the store without these purple earrings…and quite a few other items!

One of my favorite services that Kendra Scott offers is the Color Bar where you can design your own pieces with over 50 styles and more than 30 colors to choose from. The possibilities are endless, and it’s fun to design your own unique piece that features your team’s colors.

Even though the brand rolled out new styles for their new gameday color options, you can still can go to the Color Bar to customize classic Kendra Scott styles, like the Rayne necklace and Danielle earrings.

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These are a few of the other ways I styled my Kendra Scott gameday jewels for football season. You can find even more gameday outfits in my LSU GAMEDAY SHOPPING GUIDE and in my ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LSU GAMEDAY.

I have owned many of my Kendra Scott pieces for years and always get so much use out of them. They are the perfect way to accessorize your gameday look, and you can always wear them with any outfit for the other six days of the week!

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The Greatest Football Flicks