Oooohh, this blog post title makes it kind of sound like our own book signing event! Ha! Chapter 1: Asian, Chapter 2:Cajuns, The End. As Lar mentioned in her Magical Monday post, we headed over to Feast for Mary Kay Andrews’ summer book launch earlier this week. Lar’s favorite part about the launch? The amazingly delicious brownies from Sweet N’ Sinful. Nom, nom, nom.

Lar and I are both saving our copies of Summer Rental for our Maryland beach trip in three weeks. I can’t wait!

Lar’s outfit: Tracy Feith for Target dress, Unleashed espadrilles and Deux Lux bag.

Cath’s (my) outfit details: Second hand Rebecca Taylor tank, Forever 21 skirt, H&M belt, Madewell heels, necklace and purse from Vivid Boutique in Decatur.

Yep, that’s a weird face in the following photo, but I wanted to include a close-up of my nails. I don’t know the exact color, but it’s a gray-ish/green-ish Essie color and I love it. I’m not usually the nail polish-buying type, but I might break down and get a bottle if I can figure out the color. Sew Psyched, maybe?

Tomorrow morning I’m waking up at 5:30 a.m. to hit up the giant annual Baptist church yard sale in Decatur. Here’s hoping I’ll find some good storage solutions for my new (but old) itty-bitty house. Wish me luck! I’ll be posting updates on Twitter.

Cath and I designed a birdhouse for this Sunday’s Solarium Patio Party auction.* Doesn’t that sound fancy?! Well, the party certainly is, but not the AsianCajuns. So we had to bring the fancy to our birdhouse in the form of Dorothy Draper (over-the-top interior designer extraordinaire)!

Here’s a photo of the fancy lady herself:

The key to painting a birdhouse a la DD? Don’t hold back on color, gilt, and pattern. I sure hope there are some more-is-more birds out there. I’d be so embarrassed if our birdhouse sat on the market, ignored by cardinals and finches in search of beige siding.

Above: the Dorothy Draper birdhouse. Below: Dorothy Draper’s actual designs (most of these images are from the Dorothy Draper Exhibit in New York).

I love her exuberance, don’t you? Big and bold and color everywhere. I’m sure some of you are wishing for a beige-y Restoration Hardware catalog about right now – and I can totally understand that. I’m not sure I could actually live in a DD house, but I sure hope our winged friends can!

What do you guys have on tap for the weekend? Patio parties? Birdhouse painting? Do tell!

xoxo,

Lar

*Proceeds from the auction support The Solarium in Oakhurst. Purchase your Patio Party tickets here!

On Cath: H&M tunic as top • Limited skirt • Dolce Vita shoes • Purse and necklace via Vivid Boutique in Decatur

On Lar/Moi: H&M top • AE shorts • J. Crew belt • Duex Lux purse • Gladiators from shop in Florence many years ago • Necklace from Snoozer Loser

Seriously, we wish you guys were all local so we could bump into you today at our favorite art event of the year: the Decatur Arts Festival. There’s gonna be painting, sculpture, leather work, glass blowing, funnel cakes, lemonade! How soon can you get here?

———–

In loving memory of Alma Fleetwood. Alma, we will miss you most of all.

Most of you know Matt, Lar’s husband, nerd-glasses-wearer, doctor scientist and owner of a fantastic mustache. But you may not know Troy, my boyfriend. I mention him frequently, but rarely post photos of him on the blog because I want to respect his privacy. Why should he have his face plastered everywhere just because his girlfriend is a blogger? Am I right?

Well right or wrong, I’ve decided to forgo that mindset because I want to take a minute to brag about him – ha!

Last Wednesday Troy played on the square in Decatur and sounded amazing! That’s right, Troy is a musician (singer, songwriter, guitar player) and an amazing performer – yeah I’m biased, but it’s true! The concert was one of the first times he’s played his original songs in front of so many Decatur friends (he usually plays covers for his paid gigs) and everyone loved it. The whole event made me swell up with pride even though I can take absolutely no credit for his talent and drive whatsoever as a musician. I just sit back, listen and enjoy.

The photo above makes it look like just one person was in the audience – whoops. Girlfriend/photographer fail. Just believe me when I say it was a great turnout. Tons of friends, family, colleagues and locals showed up for the event.

Want to see a proud girlfriend face?

Horrible. I have no idea what I’m laughing at or why my eyes are closed, but I’m including the photo so you can see the whole outfit I was wearing for the concert, which took place midday so I’m wearing my work clothes.

Asos jacket (hand me down from Lar), thrifted shirt (gift from Lar), Limited skirt, Madewell heels and necklace from Vivid Boutique in Decatur.

I wore my sparkly gold Sally Hansen nail strips for over 2 weeks. They ended up chipping during my move this past weekend, but I’m so impressed with how long they last. I’ve heard from a few people that the solid color nail strips don’t hold up as well, so I’ll be sticking to the sparkles and patterns.

Ever the supportive sis, Lar came out for the concert too.

Lar’s outfit details: thrifted marching band jacket, Target shirt, Blank jeans, and Frye boots.

I absolutely love the detailing on Lar’s jacket. It brings me back to my high school marching band days – oh yes, I was intimidatingly cool in high school as a band geek. Any mellophone or french horn players out there? Woot, woot!

All in all, a fantastic outdoor concert and perfect weather. Thank you to everyone who was able to come out and see Troy – I know it meant the world to him!

And thanks to everyone for the kind words about my move. It was a hot and long Sunday, but I’m now officially moved into my new space – Troy’s itty, bitty house in Decatur. I’m surrounded by boxes and bare walls as I write this post and it’s driving me crazy. I’ll be spending the next few weeks after work unpacking and decorating. I promise I’ll post photos once I can get the place looking somewhat presentable.

Hello lovelies! Lar, here. Stuck in bed on a steamy Atlanta Sunday with what I think is strep throat. Delightful, eh? I’ll try to not cough on you!

What I should be doing is helping Cath move (she’ll be about 5-10 minutes closer to me in her new place- woohoo!). Argh, I hate feeling like an invalid, especially because I know Cath is stressed today and I want to be there to lend a non-contagious hand.

Since Cath and I are not in any shape to be taking outfit photos today, I thought I would do a little cheat and show you what we wore last week when the weather decided to go all San Francisco on us and dip into the 60s as a high (we’re usually in the 80s and 90s this time of the year). Cooler weather means layers, even tights, which I usually can’t stand wearing. I love the way they look, but as a bunhead for more than 15 years it’s nice have have your legs free after so many years of incarceration. Oh and check out my brogues! They aren’t Prada (where for art thou,  color blocked platform?) but thrifted Anne Klein finds!

(Below: Lawd, girlll, what is going on with your har?! Apologies, readers- I’ve given up. The haircut is still a few weeks away, but I can’t even be bothered to run a comb through my mane these last couple of days. Long hair and great amounts of Southern humidity do not mix well with me. I’ve always been hair lazy, but add frizz and I can’t even pretend it looks beachy-chic any more).

On moi/Lar: Betsy Johnson tee (hand-me-down from well-dressed cousin), dress is Ramona West vintage, tights unknown, brogues Finders Keepers, bag is Anne Taylor, trench is DKNY (both years old).

Cath has always been much better at mane-tenance (get it? sorry – stuck in bed all day does bad things to my blog writing). I aspire to be like her in the hair department. Though it is thoughtful of me to give you a good way to tell us apart, non? Lar = disheveled mess with a pouf, Cath = sleek, gorgeous locks regardless of style.

On Cath: H&M blazer and trousers, F21 leopard tee, Madewell belt and shoes, bracelets thrifted and Gorjana.

Happy moving, Kitcath! And to the rest of you, happy lazy Sunday!

Hello dear readers! Thank you for your wonderful comments on the last post. It is definitely going to be hard to be apart from Lar for a few years, but we’ll visit each other a lot and still blog together – just in two different time zones.

Lar and I had a great weekend that included visiting a shooting range, going to see Bridesmaids, watching Eurovision, eating another delicious meal at Miso Izakaya, attending a baby shower at Watershed, going on a day trip to Chattanooga and watching season 2 of Twin Peaks.

Lar’s outfit: secondhand necklace, Zara tank and skirt, secondhand jacket, Jeffrey Campbell heels.

I love, love, love Lar’s Zara skirt. The pleats, the length and the color are all perfect.

But the best part about Lar’s whole outfit is her jacket. It’s a Derek Lam she found at Finders Keepers! She got it for less that $40, which is about a tenth of what it’s worth. That’s almost as good of a find as her Bottega Veneta bag.

Lar and I have decided we both want a hair style change. So we’re going to get our hair cut together in a few weeks. We’re thinking Alexander-Chung-inspired, shoulder-length hair. I suppose that doesn’t sound too drastic, but it’s a big deal for us since we’ve both keep our hair pretty long for the past 10 years.

Before I get my hair cut, I’m taking full advantage of the length – wearing my hair in braids, in a high bun or a sleek ponytail.

Cath’s outfit: Gap cardi, dress from Lulu’s, Aldo shoes.

I hope you all had a great weekend! Expect some future posts on our shooting range trip and Lar’s day in Chattanooga. And don’t forget to enter the Lulu’s giveaway!

Doesn’t Cath look so cute and west coasty in this photo (above)? So cute in fact that she should move there when I go? Yeah! I think so too!

So it’s not definite that I’ll be in California just yet (Boston and Edinburgh are the other glittery possibilities), but this whole leave-your-twin-sister-for-2-to-3-years is stressing me out no matter if it’s north, east or west of the ATL. I haven’t actually given it much thought because (crosses arms and pulls grumpy face). . . I don’t wanna!

On Lar: LNA dress • thrifted sweater from Finders Keepers • necklace c/0 NOVICA • Kenneth Jay Lane cuff • Jeffrey Campbell sandals • Deux Lux purse

On Cath: Hat an top, F21 • Necklace, local boutique • Shorts, Urban Outfitters • Belt, thrifted J.Crew from Finders Keepers • Clogs, MIA • Sunnies, thrifted

I keep telling people I’m trying to be zen about the whole thing and just go where life takes me, but who am I kidding?! I like plans, I like goals, I like charts, and calendars and to-do lists! AND! I like being only 20 minutes (at most) away from my twinie at any given time. I guess my only choice is to lasso Scotland, Massachusetts, and California into Georgia. Totally doable. Any other ideas? Anyone?

In less grumpy news . . . stay tuned, lovely readers! We are going to have a Lulus giveaway contest in our next post. And the great part about that? Even if you don’t win you’ll still get a special AsianCajuns discount code. Woohoo! I’m excited cuz I’ve had my eye on these awesome tribal shorts.

So one of my best wedding presents? My bestie bought us tickets to see Kylie Minogue in concert – the pop queen’s first visit to the ATL! The concert was a terrific spectacle, best summed up by the gentleman who sat in front of us at the concert, “That was the gayest thing I’ve ever seen… and I LOVED it!!!” Me too, sir, me too.

We pre-gamed for Kylie with some sweet tea vodka and flower poufs from my wedding decor:

On Cath: F21 shirt, thrifted necklace, Gap jeggings, Dolce Vita shoes
On Lar: Zara tank and skirt, Express necklace and cuff, Madden Girl shoes, Sally Hansen nail strips

Oh! And you lovely readers, my engagement photos by the wonderfully talented Aharon Hill made it on the Wedding Chicks blog! I’m tres excited. We are trying to get some of my wedding photos out and about too.

I hope you guys had a wonderful, wonderful weekend and Mother’s Day!

xoxo,
Lar

I’m ashamed to say that going to see Waris talk was the first time Lar and I had been to SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) Atlanta. The Atlanta campus has been around for a few years now and has a full calendar of events open to the public. I love the images on the outside of the SCAD Atlanta building (above).

Outfit details: tank from Rockit Boutique, skirt from? and wedges from a clothing swap.

Lar is trying to show off the swishiness of her skirt that she bought years ago at a cute boutique in Birmingham, AL – it has a print of some famous painting on the bottom layer. She’s currently in San Francisco with her hubby who is working for a few weeks at Stanford – otherwise I would pick her art historian brain and ask her about the painting.

I am so in love with the Clare Vivier clutch Lar got me. I use it every chance I get.

This sweater might not be the most flattering piece I own, but I’m liking big drape-y tops this season.
Outfit details: H&M sweater and skirt, Clare Viver clutch, and Jeffery Campbell flats.

I hope you all had  good start to the week. The Decatur Arts Festival poster unveiling is this Thursday – I can’t wait!

Have you guys met Mae yet (see her blog Thereafterish if you haven’t)? Cath and I were over-the-moon when she wrote us a few months back to let us know she would be in Decatur for a wedding – all the way from Detroit.

We only had a few hours for our fashion blogger meet up last Saturday, so we decided to take Mae on a mini whirlwind tour of Decatur. Check out her amazing post on the afternoon here.

First stop: Leon’s for some delicious food and drinks.

Next stop: Squash Blossom Boutique – one of our favorite shops ever. Mae and I fell in love with Puma, the store mascot.

Habitat for Humanity installed seven playhouses on the square for the week and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take blogger outfit shots. Below Lar is the photog and Mae is the gorgeous street style model. If only Tommy Ton was in Decatur that day!

I loved Mae’s Dolce Vita wedges – the back zips have tassels! My Aldo shoes (in the background) are some of my most comfortable summer heeled sandals that I own. I really think a girl can never have too many nude heels, so I’m adding Mae’s wedges to my wish list.

A close-up of an amazing gift from Lar: a buttery leather, orange Clare Vivier clutch. It’s my new all-time favorite accessory. I can actually fit my cell, wallet, coin purse, lip gloss and a notebook in it without a struggle.

Mae and Lar tried to get a few outfit pictures of me standing in front of the Mondrian-ish house, but the crazy running, screaming kids totally freaked me out. I think I was born without a maternal gene – eesh.

I built my outfit around my new clutch: Michael Stars sunglasses, thrifted silk top, American Apparel shorts and a Nixon watch from Worthmore Jewelers.

I loved Lar’s outfit – and hair! She pulled her hair up in a high, half ponytail and wore white sunnies from Rockit Boutique. The dress is from Creature Comforts (I bought it for her when I was out in LA last summer), American Apparel skirt, and Jeffrey Campbell shoes.

Our last stop was Rockit Boutique where we ran into another fashion blogger.

It was a perfect fashion blogger day.

The absolute best thing about writing this blog is the amount of wonderful people we’ve met because of it and our day with Mae completely encapsulated that. Thanks for visiting Mae, come back soon!