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I love Mirliton Fest. It’s my favorite out of all the gazillions of fests we have because it’s still a mostly local gathering in an intimate neighborhood park. I’ve volunteered for the past two years and it’s just a blast … Continue reading
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I was reading some of my favorite blogs on Friday evening when I came across this post from NOLA Defender blog . Free admission to several Museums in the city? Sounds like us! We looked thru the list and chose … Continue reading
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After a rain soaked Labor Day weekend , we were very happy to be given a picture perfect Saturday. We headed out to Lafayette Square in New Orleans to attend the 5th Annual New Orleans Seafood Festival. We got there … Continue reading
This is the second post in a series that promotes locals to buy local, supporting New Orleans metropolitan farmer’s market vendors and merchants. I went to the Gretna farmer’s market with a friend yesterday, had lunch and came home with some nice goodies. If you go, on the second Saturday of each month, beginning again in September, the Gretna Art Market accompanies the farmer’s market.
We drove across the Crescent City Connection to the westbank and took the Lafayette Street exit. Once you get off, you take a right on Lafayette street and drive down to 5th street. There you take a left and go to Huey P. Long Avenue. We stopped at Common Grounds Coffee for a strong cafe au lait, then proceeded to the market.
At the beginning of the outdoor market is a visitor center with a statue of baseball legend Mel Ott.
The market is covered held under the old train depot – a nice place in case a stray shower approaches then vendors have shelter from the rain.
At the entrance to the market, Schexnayder’s Acadian Foods is prominent – the business is located in Kenner, LA. and provides catering services as well as selling at both the German Coast and Gretna farmers markets. Their claim to fame is the Hurricane Sauce which can be used in many dishes. I’ve had their catered barbeque and I can attest it is some of the best to be had in the city! Their smoked chicken salad is to die for!!!
If you are looking for bromeliads, this gentleman had a lovely assortment.
Fleur de Bees, a local honey producer was selling honey, lip balm and bee pollen.
The next vendor was Sailey’s Restaurant and Catering. He described his artichokes and informed us they were available at local grocers like Dorignac’s.
The next vendor was Maria Plaisance Catering from Gretna, who gave me permission to post her phone number – 228-9557 – her jambalaya looked mouthwatering!
Next to Maria was Lori with Hungry Hounds Dog Cookies – My friend bought a few for my dog and I can testify that my pup ate every last crumb! She was also selling dried okra pods which were sweet and fresh.
There were a couple of vegetable vendors…
…and a gentleman on the end selling plants and citrus trees. I told him that I’d purchased my satsuma tree from him at the Gretna Market about 4 years ago, and how this winter will be the first that I let it set the fruit. I’d been pinching off the orange blossoms the last few seasons to allow the growth energy to go into the growth of the tree like he recommended and this winter I’ll have well over 3 dozen satsumas ripen – he was happy to hear the report back on his product!
There was some music being played…
…and next to the musicians was the lady from Portera’s Panetteria (Bakery), located in Destrehan 985-764-0291. She makes Italian cookies and takes custom cake orders too!
There was an enterprising young lady helping her mother sell delicious canned goods – the zesty pickles were awesome!
Next to her was Candle Nature, selling all soy candles – they are stocked in the local Rouses Markets.
Chef Ernie of Fame Confectionary – 367-4775 – gave me a few wonderful samples of his delicious and creamy pralines. He and his family also makes heavenly hash, sugared and spiced nuts, all beautifully boxed and ready to give as lovely gifts.
And finally, the couple from Amato’s Winery in Independence, LA. was selling an assortment of their wines.
So afterwards, we walked another block to the riverfront amphitheater to share some hot tamale balls and pulled pork meat pies…
…and to look at all the bounty we’d purchased…
…while enjoying the nice breezes off the Mississippi River.
Another farmer’s market will be profiled in the coming weeks…
I wrote a bit about The Healing Center in a previous post. It sounds like a great concept but will reality match the vision? I’ve heard rumblings that some residents in the ‘hood aren’t too happy with some aspects of the center such as the apparent confusion as to the hours that Cafe Istanbul will keep and when liquor will be served. For a little inside info, read the comments on my previous post which includes a report by Lord David of a recent neighborhood meeting in the center.
New Orleans artists and crafters are gearing up for the city’s “most interesting market”- Freret Market! Saturday, June 4 (tomorrow) catch your favorite NOLA crafters and artists from 12pm-5pm near the corner of Napolean and Freret.
I particularly love this market as 3 of my favorite things in life are sold there: food, art, and flea market items (which are always great for repurposing!) The day also includes live music…lots of live music…because let’s not forget- this is New Orleans! Tomorrow will be my third time participating in the Freret market as a vendor and one of the characteristics I have enjoyed is watching the market rapidly grow over such a short span of time. The momentum of the team that leads the market is incredible. Freret now boasts 80+ vendors with a waiting list! I (and my business partner in crime Jeremy) are honored to be among so many local talents. The camaraderie formed between repeat vendors is priceless.
Markets such as this are a huge reminder to everyone in our city about how important it is to shop local.
Mark your calendar to attend. Tomorrow will be the last Freret market until September. (Although we’re hitting record high temps now, July and August typically get even hotter!) And drop by our booth (SHULTZILLA) and say hi 
Keep it cheeky!
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For more info on the Freret Market, visit: freretmarket.org
I have a confession to make. A book lover’s confession. The kind of secret that could get me thrown out on my ass in certain bibliophilic circles around the city. I can’t stand William Faulkner, and before last May I had never attended even one book club gathering. That’s two confessions. Let’s stick with the second and just let the first one exist. (Although, I have to say here that Faulkner is the inspiration behind one of New Orleans’ best annual literary festivals.)
Last May I started working at Garden District Book Shop, one of the oldest and quirkiest independent book stores in New Orleans. (You just try and figure out how we organize our shelves. There’s logic to it, I swear!) An absolutely wonderful woman named Deb MacDonald had run the book store’s monthly book club for the last fifteen years, and due to unavoidable circumstances, she could no longer. She asked me to take over. If you were ever lucky enough to have met Deb MacDonald in her many capacities as book lover and reading promoter throughout New Orleans, you know there was no way I could tell her no.
I have to admit skepticism on my part at first. Many of these women had been attending this book group for the entirety of its fifteen-year existence. They’d formed friendships, deep attachments to one another, and certainly to Deb. I worried they wouldn’t accept me. I worried over what we would talk about. I’d attended dreadful lectures in the past where an overbearing audience member forced a writer to defend the moral choices of a character. Would we spend most of our time talking about our personal lives? What if they picked terrible books? And what was the role of a book club leader anyway?
What I encountered was a large group of incredibly intelligent and well read women who opened their circle of fold out chairs to me so that we could sit together and discuss our shared passion: books. In small and unrecognized ways, these women seem to me the backbone of the city. They are lawyers, artists, librarians, editors, teachers, and writers. Many have spent their lives in New Orleans, and many others have transplanted themselves and adopted this place as their own.
We’ve never unanimously agreed on a book, and I’d probably fall out of my chair in shock if we did. But we’ve consistently read incredible books I may have not picked up on my own. Whatever our opinions, we defend them in the circle with fire. During the best meetings, we change one another’s minds, broaden perspectives, shift ways of thinking. We also do a lot of laughing. And just a tad bit of drinking afterward. It is, after all, a book club. In New Orleans.
I’ve come to think that perhaps this book club wasn’t a great introduction to the world of book clubs. If my time with it ends, my expectations of my next book club are now so high they can’t be met. This book club has offered me a community unlike any other. While it is similar to the MFA program I’ve attended in terms of a deep love for writing, the book group allows for a unique dynamic of such disparate individuals to come together and share a reading experience. There is a beauty in this that I didn’t expect.
I know throughout I’ve kept saying women. We just haven’t had any men in our book group yet, but we would certainly welcome them. And we always welcome new members. You can join us every second Wednesday of the month at 6:00 inside The Rink at the corner of Washington and Prytania. We always like seeing fresh faces. Or, there are other book clubs you could check out around town. You could also always start your own. I highly recommend it. A book club engenders deep friendships where there is always something interesting to talk about.
Do you all belong to book groups? Have they been good experiences?
Our Femme Fatale today is Kerry Fitts, creator of the vintage inspired southern gothic designs of Bayou Salvage. All of the materials in her designs are either vintage,commercial salvage or eco-friendly newer materials sourced in the USA and she’s been featured in an array of media including Mother Jones Magazine,Southern Flourish,Readymade Mag and New Orleans Homes & Gardens. Kerry is as charitable as she is talented – 10% of her profits go to local causes.
How long have you been making clothing and accessories and what inspired you to choose this craft?
I’ve been making clothes from an early age and started making jewelry in graduate school (UNO FILM) just for fun. It was a great release from schoolwork and first it was like ohh look at all the pretty colors and then after spending so much money on materials and supplies I started to sell them at the first show in town, Bywater Art Market. My first market there was Christmas 2001.After selling out at that show I was addicted!
Is it your full-time occupation?
No- I teach at Delgado Community College as a full time instructor- both are full time passions. I plan to sleep upon retirement.
What is your earliest recollection of design and/or sewing as a passion?
It started with Annie Hall. Not only did I love the movie when it came out but dressing in buttondowns, ties and vests was so much fun in 6th grade. It was like playing a part in a school play but no one knew you were in it. Shortly after my grandmother taught me to sew. We went to the mall and my allowance didnt afford buying all the clothes I wanted. We went to the fabric store and came home to sew. By the weekend I had 5 skirts just like the ones at the mall but better colors. Wish that cute pink and yellow striped dirndl number was still around…
My mother was also a bit of a fabric collector and clothes hound. It was heaven to look through her closets at her pill box suits, Chanel bags and crazy 70s caftans from her travels. You could piece together her mysterious girlhood with an outline of the outfits.
Vintage fashion was very accessible and undervalued in that day. It was nothing to go to Goodwill or Salvation Army and buy gorgeous vintage clothing for just a few dollars. I started buying early and often. At one point I had close to 10 leopard coats. Kinda crazy for the deep south!
Tell us a bit about your creative process. Do you start a project with a beginning, middle and ending in mind or does it evolve as you go?
I am inspired by both materials and nostalgia at the same time. The beginning is amassing fabrics or sample vintage pieces that remind me of a time and place that seems fun to visit or revisit.
Deconstructed pieces take a bit longer to realize. I usually work with a silhouette that works well and then go into the vintage stash to see what will work well with those constraints.
Who’s work has inspired yours?
I have an undergrad degree in creative writing and an MFA in film. Literature and film are a guiding influence. I love dressing characters in my mind from Tennessee Williams’ plays, Flannery O’Connor’s short stories and films by Elia Kazan. I grew up watching Perry Mason and Turner Classic Movies on the sly all night long at home. The only designer I know of to any extent, besides Edith Head, is Coco Chanel because of a school paper on her.
If you find yourself losing interest in a project do you feel guilty and push yourself to finish or set it aside saying, “ah it’s just not meant to be”? Do you have any tips you can share regarding motivation and/or discipline in completing projects?
Some projects just cannot be saved. It is hard to let items go. Over here, seasons dictate the viability of designs. If samples arent completed before the season begins, chances are they will have to wait until next year anyway. It is a good idea to put the project out of site for a while- maybe in a box- and date it. If you do not go looking for the box for over a year, probably best to let it go and dont look back!
Where do you see yourself and your work in 5 years?
I’d love to design costumes for another film-it is really cool to see how wardrobe wraps itself around narrative and character. It would be great to do a few more fashion shows and even a video or two.Collaborating with more fabulous women artists like the pictures shown. I hope to intersect design and story perhaps by fashioning characters into the written page as well…
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WARNING: Be prepared for a Bayou Salvage addiction when you visit her Etsy shop. I’ve already contracted a serious itch.
Thank you, Kerry, for a delightful chat!
Connect with Bayou Salvage on the web:
Bayou Salvage on Etsy
Bayou Salvage on Twitter
bayousalvage@yahoo.com
Buy Handmade! Buy Recycled! BayouSalvage!
Art for Art’s Sake is rolling this week-end and one of NOLAFemmes favorite sisters is participating in a photo show on Magazine Street. New Orleanian Laura Bergerol is a world-renown professional photographer who contributed to our Katrina Photo Project this year with several of her beautiful and haunting photos of homes in the city. Laura and Boise based photographer Stacy Ericson created Images Without Borders in the wake of the Haitian earthquake in an effort to supply humanitarian aid through their talent as photographers. They enlisted other photographers to join the cause and now you can view and purchase their stunning photographs this week-end at a showing at The Shop of the Two Sisters, 1800 Magazine Street during Art for Arts Sake. All proceeds with be donated to Doctors Without Borders, less the cost of printing, and are limited edition prints that will be retired after purchase.
Laura was kind enough to give NOLAFemmes access to the photographs in the show so we could share a few of them with our readers. So, if you’re out and about for this event Saturday evening, be sure to stop by The Shop of the Two Sisters to catch Laura’s show between the hours of 6 and 9 p.m. Here is a listing of participating Magazine Street merchants.
Recently a friend and I were talking about garden ornaments and he suggested I go to Old World Casting Co. on Magazine Street where, he said, beautiful ornaments and statuary could be found at great prices. So I headed over there and was very excited to find a huge array of garden ornaments including fleur de lis’, crosses, gargolyes and many other lovelies. I snapped a few pics and chatted with the owner, leaving with the only and final “There are fairies at the bottom of the garden” ornament for a mere $5.00. ( See it in the slideshow below & weep, late-comers! )
He has a huge selection of fleur de lis’ and crosses in a host of styles – there’s bound to be one to fit every desire.
This is a shop I’ll return to again – a fantastic find for gifts for others and yourself at prices that will delight everyone.
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Old World Casting Co.
4712 Magazine Street
404-949-7888
OWCC@live.com
Today we’re featuring New Orleans’ jewelry designer Heather Elizabeth of Heather Elizabeth Designs. Heather specializes in original hand-crafted New Orleans inspired jewelry and accessories. I talked to Heather recently for the scoop behind her fabulous designs.
Heather Elizabeth
How long have you been making jewelry and what inspired you to choose this craft?
I started making New Orleans photograph jewelry in 2002. My inspiration simply comes from my love affair with the city of my birth, New Orleans. I am a 5th generation New Orleanian. I moved to NYC in 1995. I got so homesick in NYC that within a year I was back at home in my beloved New Orleans. Upon my return, I was hungry to know everything about NOLA. I had piles of New Orleans history books on my nightstand and I was shooting a lot of film around the city from 1996-2002. I decided to quit my job as the window dresser of Hurwitz Mintz on Royal Street in 2002. I had no idea what I was going to do to support myself. I looked around my home at all of my NOLA photographs laying around and my history books. It was at this point that an idea popped into my head to make jewelry of my NOLA photos. I started with only necklaces in 2002 and now the rest is history. 
Is it your full-time occupation?
Heather Elizabeth Designs is my fulltime occupation.
What is your earliest recollection of arts and crafts as a passion?
I have been involved in arts and crafts since I was a little girl. My grandmother was very creative. She could sew elaborate dresses and make just about anything she wanted with her bare hands. Her own mother was milliner on Louisiana Avenue in the early 1900’s and made gorgeous hats. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and I think she had a tremendous impact on the nature of my business. It’s sad because she passed away when I was only 18 years old. But, I know she is watching over me and helping me in any way that she can. So, I suppose I am indebted to my ancestors for my creative streak.
Tell us a bit about your creative process. Do you start a project with a beginning, middle and ending in mind or does it evolve as you go?
My projects definitely have a beginning, middle and ending. I tend to be a person that concentrates on the end result. So, I usually “flesh” the whole idea out on paper and then proceed with creating the piece.
Whose work has inspired yours?
I am particularly fond of the portrait miniatures that men & women owned as keepsakes in the 1700 and mid- 1800’s. I also love all Victorian jewelry and Art Nouveau jewelry. I am especially fascinated with mourning jewelry of the Victorian period. The craftsmanship of these pieces has inspired me to create some new hand cast designs which I will be debuting in the Fall. If I were to pick an artist in the present day, it would be my friend Kiki Huston. She is a local jewelry designer and although her work is contemporary, she inspires me to keep coming up with new ideas and to try new techniques.
If you find yourself losing interest in a project do you feel guilty and push yourself to finish or set it aside saying, “ah it’s just not meant to be”? Do you have any tips you can share regarding motivation and/or discipline in completing projects?
If I start to lose interest in a project, I just take a break for a few days and come back to it. Sometimes it may even be as long as a week or two, but in the end I will get my projects done. As far as motivation goes, one thing I value is having a bulletin board with pictures of things that inspire me to be creative. I change the pictures on my inspiration board every now and then to keep things fresh. I am in the process right now of remodeling my studio space. One of things I will do when everything is in place in the studio, is to hang some art work of my friends who show at the local art markets. The art work of my friends will also serve to keep me inspired while I am busy at work!
Where do you see yourself and your work in 5 years?
In 5 years I see myself owning a Heather Elizabeth Designs boutique selling my unique jewelry in New Orleans.
Where can we purchase your jewelry?
You can purchase my jewelry online at http://www.hedesigns.com. You may also purchase my work at the Arts Market of New Orleans, Bywater Art Market & Harrison Avenue Marketplace year round (with the exception of June, July and August). And, lastly my work is sold at select shops around the GNO area and they are listed on my website.
Where you can find Heather Elizabeth on the web:
As YatPundit said (thereby starting the viral buzz), it all started with a tweet a week ago today
and now it’s exploded into a huge Who Dat diatribe. The Who Dat Nation is on fiya!
The tweet in question was referring to this tee (left) worn by Lauren Thom, the creator of Fleurty Girl tees. She received a “cease and desist” letter from a division of the NFL who claimed to have sole rights to “Who Dat” . Further, she was told she could sell her remaining inventory of tees as long as she paid a 10% royalty to the NFL. Needless to say, locals raced to buy the tee with each tweet updating the unfolding status of a virtual David vs. Goliath situation.
Lauren was actually fine with being allowed to sell out her inventory and leave it at that but the Who Dat Nation had other ideas. (More on that later.)
The next morning Lauren was the guest on @mrs_cocktail’s (Ann Tuennerman, founder of Tales of the Cocktail) The Straight Pour on local radio WIST-AM where she talked at length about her tees, her store and the NFL brouhaha. The 1/23 podcast can be found here – scroll down to The Straight Pour. I am very happy to say I scored the infamous tee for calling in to the show and doing a little schmoozing. (With a bit of a talk about a possible so far non-existent westbank tee!) Since then she’s been interviewed and quoted so much I can’t even begin to post all the links here – I probably don’t even know the half of it anyway.
The upshot of all this is that now there are tons of pages on FaceBook screaming out the rage of the Who Dat Nation against the NFL. As of right now (9:16 p.m. on Thursday night) here are the pages dedicated to putting the NFL on The Who Dat Nation’s sh*t list:
DEFEND #WHODAT
Hey NFL! Keep your hands off of WHO DAT and the Fleur De Lis
The NFL does NOT own the fleur De Lis or the phrase “WHO DAT”
Who Dat Nation STAND UP
“Who Dat” Belongs To The People Of New Orleans
The Who-Dat Nation WILL NOT buy “Who-Dat” Merchandise licensed by the NFL
So, NFL, hear us loud and proud: “Who Dat” belongs to *US* – to New Orleans and her crazy, happy, proud, partying, dancing, crunk Saints-loving people and NO ONE ELSE.
TRUE DAT!
Update: Here’s a link to Lauren on Garland Robinette’s show yesterday.
Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator – Create Your Own
Palmer Park Art Market is a regular feature in Carrollton. Artists booths, live music, great food vendors, kids activities, library stand, local nonprofits, and of course the park’s permanent playground, gracious oaks, and open, inviting space. We went to explore.
My 6-year old son and I picked out books from the library stand, where the organization supporting our city libraries sell gently used books for around $1. He asked for Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour and I pointed him towards some Goosebumps stories to cut his teeth on first (both are still outside of his reading realm, though he still carries adult novels around and has at least two tucked in his bed at any moment — currently these are Adrienne Rich’s Dream of a Common Language and Flaubert’s Madame Bovary). I picked up books 1 and 2 of Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. For this I am thankful. Lyra rocks.
Walking around the booths, I came across an artist who reminded me of another artist. Both artists are similar in age and used themes and materials in a similar manner, so I wondered if they came from similar backgrounds or training? Turns out, no.
Lorriane Gendron is a Louisiana native. Her work reflects it. She characterizes herself as a folk artist and uses a themes from Louisiana life as her subjects.
The Mardi Gras dancers collection is wonderful: full of spirit and detail. I love that Santa — no, Papa Noel — is holding an alligator.
My son liked the Cajun Nativity scene. So much so that he took this picture of it. I love the musician and bayou animal mix.
Another photo by The Boy, of a Mardi Gras rider.
Here is the artist, Lorraine Gendron. She has a website, too, just in time for that holiday gift! She added that you can just call her and she’ll make you what you want. (Note: she also has a really great streetcar piece and works on commissions.)
My pictures reflected my love of Ms. Gendron’s tent, but there was so much more to see and do. We saw several friends and ended up playing with the kids on the playground. We shared snacks and took turns kid-watching and food-retrieving.
Finally, when we were sure we were going to get a good nap out of our two, we started the walk home. Lots more Louisiana-themed art was there to delight. My son adored this painting and ordered that I take a picture of it. He’s become partial to art involving seafood.
And maybe other kinds of sea things, too. I blame The Little Mermaid.
My 3-year old daughter, however, was much more interested in land-dwelling creatures. The conversation went like this: “Mommy, can we get that doggie?” “No, he has a family.” Mommy, can we take a picture of the doggie?” “Let’s ask…” Then after getting the alright, “It’s okay, we can take his picture.” “Mommy, NOW can we take the doggie?” And so on.
Something for everyone.
Palmer Park Art Market is held every last Saturday of the month (unless of rain, in which case, it may be Sunday) at Palmer Park on the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne. There will be another special holiday art market in December (19th and 20th).
It’s free, full of open space, entertainment, food, and wonderful atmosphere to get on your Joie de Vivre!
Wow, it’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is this thursday! That means only four weeks until Christmas ~ have you started your shopping yet? Even if you’re one of those super organized people who shops all year for your Christmas gifts, you may want to pick up another gift or two in the next couple of weeks. After all, shopping is part of the fun of the holidays. The last couple of years my fun holiday shopping has been all online and I love it that way. I can take my time in the comfort of my own home and peruse the many, many beautiful things to choose from while sipping whatever my beverage of the moment might be. 
Shopping online doesn’t mean forsaking local merchants either and I’ve compiled a few of my personal favorites here for y’all.
NOLA sacred heart scarf
This cool in the extreme NOLA Sacred Heart scarf handcrafted by Mags of Art by Mags is at the top of my list. Meaning – I want one! It’s also a perfect gift for anyone who loves NOLA as it’s age and gender neutral. It would even rock on Fido for those chilly early morning romps. And it’s made of eco-friendly bamboo-cotton. The sacred/flaming heart is Mag’s original design and can be purchased in several colors.
Sweet Olive's Fleur de Lis soap
Sweet Olive Soapworks soaps are hand-made with love right here in New Orleans using locally grown organic ingredients. They have a wide variety of soothing soaps to naturally and sweetly scent your skin such as the All Natural Absinthe Soap, The All Natural Ponchatoula Strawberry Soap, the All Souls Soap which is sage infused with activated charcoal for spiritual cleansing and Ms. Antoinette K-Does Red Beans and Rice soap. I’m wanting to try the Moon Brew described as “Ruled by Artemis, goddess of the moon, mugwort stimulates the natural rhythms in women and is said to enhance prophetic dreams. Immerse yourself in the pagan goodness of this mugwort infused soap with a blend of rosemary, lavender, and cypress essential oils to relax your body and soul.”
These lush soaps are perfect stocking stuffers and hostess gifts. After all, what woman doesn’t like a little pampering in her bath?
Sucré ~ New Orleans Collection
Nothing is more deliciously decadent and soul-satisfying than fine chocolate (IMO) and Sucré more than fits the bill with their array of chocolaty delights. The New Orleans Collection marries chocolate with flavors native to the city like bananas and rum, pecans and chicory and serves them up beautifully in their signature turquoise box. This is definitely on my Christmas wish list ~ (would someone tell my husband, please?)
Happy Shopping!
