Blue Skies and Sunshine

I'm Princess Tiana owner and head chef of Tiana's Palace - one of New Orleans' most up and coming restaurants. I'm married to a huge dork.

[memeorchard]

starter sentences / marriage goals

‘Okay, the only way we can resolve this is by playing Battleships. You versus me, living-room sofa, right now. Bring wine & popcorn.’  ‘You can’t be serious about wearing that to ___’s wedding, NAME. We’ll be the laughing stock of the family — more than we are already, that is.’  ‘What’s the matter, love? Who do you need me to murder?’ ‘I never expected to end up married to someone who rick-rolls me via Spotify the second I get in the front door. Congratulations for defying my expectations.’  ‘Darling husband/wife, you can find your nerf gun & ammunition in the garage. First one to be struck cooks dinner.’  ‘Matching onesies are marriage goals god-tier & you can’t change my mind.’  ‘Spaghetti A-B-Cs and potato smilers are totally an acceptable dinner, babe, and not just for our kids. Bon appetit.’  ‘We’re not playing monopoly, because you always cheat & then cry when you still lose anyway.’  ‘Here you go, babe! Date-night Happy Meals, complete with mini Furbies.’  ‘I know you had a shit day at work, love, so let me rub your shoulders and tell you all about my shit day at work.’ ‘Let’s get a chihuahua and call him something like Bruiser or Danger and watch people’s looks of confusion in the street.’  ‘Welcome home, love. I burned dinner and the dog ate your passport, how was your day?’  ‘I’ll clean the bathroom, you do the shopping. You’re better at extreme couponing & I know not to mix bleach with cleaning fluid.’  ‘Help, it’s an emergency! Eight legs, hairy and scary, and it’s behind the bathroom door out of reach of the vacuum cleaner, so babe I’m afraid this is definitely one for you.’  ‘Not lazy? Sweetheart, you’ve literally drank all of the milk and put the empty bottle back in the fridge.’ ‘Peel half of the potatoes while I drive home, I said. Not ‘peel half of each potato’. Honestly.’  ‘Flour is what I needed for the recipe, not flowers, but thanks anyway.’  ‘Peak romance is when you proposed with one of those lollypop rings from the carnival.’  ‘Nobody gets to call you a muppet except me, husband/wife. You’re officially my muppet.’  ‘I love how I always end up wearing your painful shoes and you always end up wearing my comfortable sweaters.’  ‘I just got us divorced in the Sims. Probably less expensive than the real thing.’  ‘Pillow war is only fair when you’re not literally wearing armour.’  ‘Remember when we got married & we were bouncing on the hotel bed like ten-year-olds while everyone in our family thought we were forking?’  ‘You drive like you’re in Monaco for the races. I’m not giving you command of the car.’  ‘I’m glad I married you, ___. You’re the only one in the world as weird as me.’ 

[neworleansprincess]

spiderben2011‌:

“Hmm probably some spicy Cajun chicken, turkey, shrimp, or even crayfish. Grew up by the sea so my grandparents would always buy some seafood to eat…although now that I am here I wouldn’t mind trying this gumbo you speak of. Also do you guys serve gator burgers too? I heard they’re supposed to be good.”

Cajun chicken, shrimp, crayfish? This was right up Tiana’s alley! Her mouth almost started watering just thinking about it, and then of course her mind began to whirl with recipe ideas and menu possibilities. 

“Gumbo is one of the house specialities here at Tiana’s Palace,” Tiana grinned with pride. “But sorry, gator burgers are one of the things we don’t have. That and frog legs.”

[neworleansprincess]

mabxllxrose‌:

“She was!” Her eyes sparkled with delight, not having talked about her mother a lot as it deeply saddened her father so she learned to avoid that topic. “I don’t remember much. But I do remember the sound of her voice, the touch of her hand, her smell, and of course her cooking.” A fond smile appeared. “What about you? Your father sounds like a pleasant man as well.”

Tiana’s smile grew. Those were the things she remembered about James as well. She was eight when he went off to war, so her memories of him are far and in between, and the older she got, the less she remembered. 

“Daddy had this warm glow all around him,” Tiana explained. “All he had to do was walk into a room and everyone’s mood would instantly improve. Especially my Mama’s” She laughed remembering just how happy their little home was when they were all there together. 

“He inspired my love of cooking, and it’s because of him that I now own my own restaurant. Tiana’s Palace. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

[nolafoodporn]

Wanted to lick my phone when I saw this fabulous #nolafoodporn 📸 taken and created @freezystreet! We’re waffling on Wednesdays from now on! 🍓🍨🌞 . . . . . #foodporn #sharetheporn #freezystreet #nola #rolledicecream #waffles #whippedcream #followyournola #nolaeats #eats (at Freezy Street) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0oD3Emlp3L/?igshid=18pl9afw4uo8p

[neworleansprincess]

mabxllxrose‌:

Belle thought for a moment, going over the various dishes she loved in her head, before settling on the perfect one. “Garbure.” she replied with a smile. “Like gumbo reminds you of your father, this dish reminds me of my mother. She made it often, I miss her cooking.”

Tiana dimpled slightly at that. Even the dishes were similar - a variation of a stew with endless combinations. And yet here they both were with very specific versions of the dish in their minds, and their hearts. “Your mother sounds like a very special person.”

[neworleansprincess]

Eating gumbo always makes me remember my Daddy. Isn’t it funny how food can spark a memory like that? What about you? Is there a dish that makes you nostalgic for something?

[neworleansprincess]

Like a whirlwind, Naveen took Tiana into his arms, spun her around and dipped her with ease and grace, like he did every time. And with the smarmiest smirk on his face, he murmured, "Hello, my darling," once they were nose to nose.

Tiana let Naveen move her and dip her as he liked. She was used to these surprise twirls by now, and thoroughly enjoyed them. 

“Hello yourself,” she replied, and nuzzled his nose with hers, dimpling as she did so.

[maldonianroyal]

                                 ♔t: home || ask || rules  ♥︎♡♥︎  ♕n: home || ask || rules

                      “You just kissed yourself a princess.”                              “And I’m about to do it again.”                                                             - ❦ -

[maldonianroyal]

In Session || Tianaveen - College AU

[neworleansprincess]

maldonianroyal‌:

He wanted to do everything in his power to reassure Tiana that she would be fine in his hands, in his arms – without the risk of sounding too forward, but yet his feelings were genuine, not only for this small dance lesson. 

“Do not worry; I’ve got you.” Again he promised, not with a beaming grin this time, but a softer smile as he gazed at her. 

“We will start with a simple ‘step-touch’ where we will step out with one foot, step in the same direction with the other foot as if they were touching.” He spread his right foot out just a little, so that it wasn’t weird and awkward as he still held her while she was standing still, then the left followed. “And then we step back with that second foot,” his left foot moved back to where it was before in front of her, “and touch again with the first,” and the right followed. “Just that over and over again. Very simple.

“And if you’re confident enough, shift your weight a little on the leg that you step on out first so it feels like you’re swaying out a little with every step out as you go back and forth.” He demonstrated again in tiny steps. “Your turn, Tiana; we’ll do it together. Step, touch, step, touch, step…” he continued to repeat as he prepared to follow her as well, while in the back of his mind he thought of a better, slower slow song than the one that he had before.

Tiana glanced down at his feet, studying his every move, feeling her nerves build up again. The way he moved was so graceful and effortless. It was mesmerizing to watch, even just this simple step that he was showing her. She could watch him all day and not get bored.

And then he wanted her to join in and her panic bubbled up. 'Come on Tiana you're being ridiculous. Even babies can do this dance step. Probably.'

"Okay... step, touch, step, touch," she whispered to herself, and followed along as best she could. But even as she tried to mimic Naveen's steps, she knew it was hopeless. She was just too stiff and awkward, and was lagging behind his steps, and couldn't seem to catch up, no matter how intently she stared at their feet.

"I'm sorry," Tiana whispered, avoiding his eye contact. She felt too embarrassed to look at him. It was such a simple step and she still couldn’t even do it right. All she had wanted to do for months was impress him, which Tiana knew she could do with her cooking. So why had she agreed to dance with him? Every move she had made in the right direction before this was going down the drain with every stiff step she took. After tonight he would never want to speak with her again. 

"I told you I was terrible."

[tianaveen]

✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟfashion queen on screen AND in the parks *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

[neworleansprincess]

maldonianroyal:

Back in the kitchen, Naveen beelined for the stove while still keeping the image of how his wife looked all aglow in his mind as he was determined to keep her smiling tonight. After stirring a pot, quickly, he took a peek at the main course he had already put in the oven beforehand. He bounced a little out of impatience, wishing that it would cook faster – perhaps Evangeline and Ray could lend him a hand there? – just so he could rush back to Tiana’s side and enjoy each other’s company instead of him constantly checking if all his hard work didn’t reduce to charcoal. Of course he himself had experienced the anticipation of eating a well-cooked meal with the love of his life but having to wait, to the best of his patience, for her and the food more times than he could count.

The weeks leading to their anniversary dinner, he tried to anticipate how to kill this lull in interaction between him and his wife as he prepared their meal. His best option was to have Louis and the Firefly Five perform while Tiana enjoyed the bread and salad, but the alligator insisted that he didn’t want to intrude on such a special occasion, especially not with the whole band as well, saying it should be just the two of them. Maybe it was for the best, because that would’ve probably meant paying and feeding the band extra for their troubles, which he wasn’t prepared for.

As the aroma of broiling beef rose out of the crack in the oven door, Naveen smiled to himself. In the middle of his thoughts in wondering if he actually salted the meat enough before, he heard the familiar swing of the kitchen doors opening. Out of panic, he hissed a quick “Faldi faldonza!” under his breath and slammed the oven shut, louder and harder than expected, causing a few things to rattle around, as he turned toward the door and found Tiana standing there. He was about to blurt out her name (also in surprise) but her request, and that look on her face, stopped him. Again, his heart caught, seeing her outfit fully now. Gosh, those big brown eyes made his fluster disappear and the loneliness in her tone made him want to cry; now he just wanted to cover her face in kisses and apologize over and over. But–

“I’m sorry, my princess. Believe me, I want to, but,” he started, then paused, remembering he had to stir the pot again, to which he did. “I need to keep an eye on this. I will be done momentarily, I promise, my love.” He tapped the wooden spoon on the edge of the pot to let what was on it fall back into the sauce. A little hum in thought passed through his pursed lips before he snapped his fingers and started to clear some space on the counter. “Maybe you could bring the plates back in and we could enjoy the appetizers here, together. And… and then you can watch me, er, awkwardly try to plate the main dish.” The last part he admitted with a bit of a nervous laugh. “Then we can bring everything back out to eat there. How does that sound?”

Watching her husband run around the kitchen with his sleeves rolled up and the apron over his dress clothes, Tiana was once again struck by just how far he had come since they had first met. This was the same man who couldn't even mince a mushroom, and now he was cooking her a delicious multi-course meal all by himself. 

Of course there were some hiccups, like him not calculating exactly when the food should be done to make sure there was no waiting, but Tiana didn't really mind. She was just so proud of him, she had to stop herself from covering him with kisses. The last thing she wanted to do was have him lose his concentration and burn something. The kisses would have to wait until later. 

When he suggested she bring everything in here, Tiana broke out into a wide grin. "That's a wonderful idea, sweetheart," she said, and quick as a wink went back out into the dining room. Sure she had spent a long time putting up the lights and making the big room feel more intimate, and eating in the kitchen was effectively ignoring all that hard work she had done, Tiana didn't mind in the least. This was their anniversary, damn it, and she was going to spend it with her husband. And it wasn’t like they were going to spend the whole night in the kitchen. 

Even though it had been years since she had worked as a waitress, the instincts she had for carrying multiple trays at once never seemed to leave her. Tiana balanced the food that Naveen had carefully brought in only a few minutes before and set them down in the kitchen. 

Tiana took another piece of bread and dipped it into a different sauce than she had before. The flavors danced on her tongue in a way she hadn’t really tasted before. Had Naveen really made these?

She scooped up another piece and offered it to her husband. “Everything tastes delicious so far, honey,” Tiana said. “Are these recipes from Maldonia?”

[beautifullouisiana]

[camiinoa]

Now that you’re up, m y  l o v e Let me remind y o u Those d r e a m s you have Before they all came t r u e Nothing to be said or  d o n e

@danareadsthebooks y e a h they uh…they cuddle alright ah ha;;  (；´∀｀)

[ostolero]

[lesbiantiana]

tiana: have you been eating my beignets again?

naveen: no

tiana: then why is there powdered sugar all over your shirt?

naveen: *sweating nervously* that’s cocaine

[neworleansprincess]

maldonianroyal:

February 17th, 1926. Naveen wouldn’t have admitted it, but he was glad it was a date that was easy to remember as it was three days after valentines; or as he usually thought of it: the date 2-17-26 – the month being two split in half would become two ones, subtract one one from the tens of the year, then add the other one to the ones of the year to get the seventeen. Honestly, he didn’t have to make it a math equation, but he found the numbers lining up that way pretty amusing. 

But finally, a whole year had passed since his and Tiana’s wedding, their first wedding anyway. He was happy knowing he could marry her twice; he would marry her again and again if he could. Even though their second wedding was definitely more publicly known (as they were both human from start to finish that time and in front of many people; they even have a news clipping of the event framed in both the restaurant and their house – he was secretly anticipating Palace guests to notice that date there and to wish them a happy anniversary then), the date of their first wedding was definitely more special since it was more magical in more ways than one’s average wedding. 

Naveen had been practicing in secret for weeks, maybe a month or two – he honestly lost count as he was distracted by the anticipation of the event, to prepare a Maldonian meal for his darling princess. His shirt, that he had pressed so carefully was now rolled at his elbows and covered in an apron – because heaven forbid he got anything on it – and his suit jacket was hung far, far away from any food. The rice turned out well, looking fluffy as the steam rushed out once he lifted its lid from the pot. Setting it aside, he heard Tiana’s voice coming through the kitchen doors. 

“I am fine!” He called back, stirring another pot boiling on another burner. Quickly he took a small spoon and dipped it in and took a quick taste after cooling it with a few breaths. “Just making sure everything is perfect!” He added a little more minced garlic and lowered the heat before turning toward some plates of salad and bread with various dips he already prepped earlier. He drizzled the tangy dressing he made himself – like the rest of the meal – and carried out the salad and bread out to the main ballroom of the Palace.

He almost gasped to himself once he saw his beautiful wife all done up for the occasion at the table, lights catching all her wonderful features (all of them) from all angles made his heart skip a beat. He didn’t miss a step though as he made his way to her, carefully setting the plates down in front of her and where he would sit. 

“Mon amour, my love,” Naveen paused to kiss her temple. “You’re simply breathtaking. Literally.” He couldn’t help but laugh a little as he pressed a kiss to her cheek as well. “Thank you for being so patient, but I will be back again. Please,” he motioned to the appetizers, falling into his server role, “enjoy. The dressing is a creamy ginger-lemon type of, er, thing,” he waved his hand in insecurity; it was weird talking about food that was not Tiana’s, “it’s both sweet and sour, but not too much, with a little kick, I think. And then the dips that come with the bread is a yellow curry, this one is a hummus, and the other is more of a raita with a little bit of horseradish. That one is my favorite.” He pointed out each one, then took a bit of his own bread and dipped it in the creamy cucumber sauce he pointed out and took a bite. “Again, I will be back. I love you, Tiana,” he said with his mouth full and placed another kiss to the top of her head before disappearing into the kitchen once more.

Naveen looked so dashing when he brought out the food, Tiana felt her heart skip a beat. Well, maybe dashing wasn’t the right word, with his apron on it kind of ruined the effect a little. But that didn’t mean that she didn’t want to grab onto that apron and pull him in for a kiss, because she very much did. She’d have to save that for later, though, as she didn’t want him to lose his concentration while balancing plates. 

She beamed at the compliments and his kisses. “You’re not so bad yourself,” she replied, giving his apron a little tug now that the plates had been safely set down. As her attention was brought to the appetizers, Tiana gasped. He had done all of this by himself?  It was like nothing she had ever seen either. Impressed, Tiana wanted to know more, specifically where the recipes had come from, but when she started ask, Naveen began explaining the dishes. She couldn’t wait to try them all, and had to laugh as Naveen couldn’t seem to wait either. 

Tiana smiled again as he kissed her once more, but before she was able to say, “I love you, too,” he was gone. Tiana frowned, looking at the wonderful variety of food displayed before her. It did look delicious, but this was their anniversary and she didn’t want to eat alone. She carefully folded up her napkin and headed back into the kitchen. 

As soon as she walked in the door, the smells enveloped her, making Tiana’s stomach rumble. Despite her intense curiosity to know exactly what he was making for the main course, she stayed by the door so as not to spoil the surprise. “Naveen, please come to the table eat with me,” she said, making her best puppy dog eyes when he turned her way. “It’s lonely out there without you.”

[ababwa]

In Stitches || HP AU

[neworleansprincess]

ababwa:

It was a good thing he was already done with beignet he just had or Aladdin would’ve almost choked on it out of surprise at her little question, which would’ve caused even more of a commotion than the two laughing at each other. “Wha- What’re you talking about?” He tried to play it off with another scoff. “I’ve got plenty of time left. Pssh…” With the wave of his hand, he tried to dismiss it then purse his lips for a moment. “I mean. Uh. To be honest I don’t really… like… get what the big deal is making it some… I guess, crazy fancy event in just asking someone to go to the Ball with you. Like, why is there such a big expectation?” In frustration, he huffed at his bangs as he folded his arms on the table before resting his chin on top of them. “Isn’t it better to just put more focus on the actual event of going and whatever?” He thought about it a little bit and remembered that his mother would probably be ecstatic about it and would try to send him some dress robes she made herself. He huffed again while letting that question sit in the air a bit.

“Buuuuut,” he finally broke the silence by drawing out the vowel of the word. “Speaking of rumors, I just so haaaaappened to hear sooooome people saw that Beauxbaton-transfer Slytherin guy was talking to youuuu in front of a Yule Baaaaall poster earlier.” It was kind of silly to refer to him in that way since the student in question transferred in about three years ago, but it wasn’t a common thing, so most people knew who was being referred to. “What was thaaaaaat all about?” This time he tried to hide the smirk that was slowly creeping onto his face, but was doing rather poorly as he awaited Tiana’s answer.

“For once, you’re making sense,” Tiana teased. She agreed wholeheartedly about promposals being silly. It was just a dance invitation, not like asking someone to marry you (though she hoped Aladdin would go all out when he asked Jasmine to marry him because yes that was definitely going to happen as far as Tiana was concerned). 

“It doesn’t have to be a big production, you know. Jasmine would probably like something simple anyway. But you should still hurry up or she’s going to find someone else to go with,” Tiana teased, knowing that would never happen. Still, Aladdin needed to hurry up. 

The mention of Naveen immediately brought her mood down. “Don’t even,” Tiana huffed. “He was just trying to prove that dances are fun, and it didn’t work, ok?” She sighed and forced herself to count to five before continuing, lest her complaints about dances somehow ruin the idea for Aladdin. 

“You know dances aren’t my thing, and now Naveen knows it too. It’s not that big of a deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire school knows by now,” Tiana said with a fake smile in an effort to hide her self consciousness about the whole thing. She could just picture Naveen spreading her insecurities to everyone, and they would all have a great laugh wouldn’t they? Now she’d never get asked to go, but then again Tiana really didn’t want to go anyway. But the fact that no one would ask her made her feel like something was wrong with her. If everyone else could have fun at dances and she couldn’t... well. 

“I think I’ll just hide out in the kitchens until the Yule Ball is over,” Tiana said with a laugh, though at this point she was seriously starting to consider it.