As you may have heard, the Mardi Gras parades and festivities ... Laura Tolbert, also known as Fleur de Lolly, has been sharing recipes, table decor ideas and advice for fellow foodies and novices ...

She also added hanging Mardi Gras balls on picks, using the wire ribbon to attach them. A glittery fleur de lis made a focal point ... On the trend of Mardi Gras decor: "I think a lot of people ...

And, in a show of pride, New Orleanians reembraced the likeness of the fleur-de-lis. By Mardi Gras 2006 ... where previous decorations typically were limited to flags or bunting.

But it's really just how I'm visualizing the decor dilemma that's cropped up ... a 6-inch-square canvas with a fleur-de-lis -- an image that does double duty -- to serve as the focal point ...