So there are definitely major tourist traps all over New Orleans. I guess Court of Two Sisters could be considered one of those overpriced restaurants- but even when it’s over run with tourist (like moi), you should go. The food is good. Really good. Shrimp etouffee, eggs benedict, bread pudding, pecan pie, delicious omelets with anything you want in them and on them (including shrimp creole and chives)- seriously, this is the place to stuff yourself silly with cajun/creole food. Did I mention it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet?

That’s why I wore this jersey dress- plenty of room to expand. And teeny polka-dots are slimming, right? (Those photos at the bottom: I did that little dance pre-buffet. I wasn’t moving around nearly that much post-buffet. Le ooff).

Dress and purse, Urban Outfitters; Boots, AE; Necklace, River Island.

And to answer some of your questions:

1) Cath and I will most certainly write up a list (with tantalizing photos) of all the things you must do when you visit New Orleans.

2) Brad Pitt is not actually running for mayor down here, but the idea is very popular. The best place to buy tees in the city (including “Brad Pitt for Mayor” tees) can be found outside of the Quarter on Magazine Street at a place called Storyville. They also have an online store here.

3) Oh and we love vacation photos on fellow bloggers’ blogs (Japan! France! Hong Kong!), but I find it hard to know whether these NOLA photos are interesting to everyone or just us. So we’ll keep ’em coming 😉 Thanks for all the sweet comments, bebes!

So you know about Louisiana humidity. It turns out it’s great for your hair. Especially if you wear it wrapped up while it’s wet and then let it go. If there’s not humidity in the air my hair has a minimal wave. with humidity it does this mermaidy thing. I love NOLA!

For most of the trip I’ve packed boots and dresses (I’d wear this uniform year-round if I could). The dress is about six years old (the first thing I ever bought from H&M) and the boots are Tarjay. Again, the hair is brought to you by Louisiana. 

Check out the photo post below for more NOLA.

A sweet piggy mask made of pink feathers! A little creepy or strange? Maybe. But that’s why I put the title in french. “Cochon” sounds whimsical and theatrical, non? I found it at local antiques mecca Kudzu Antiques with its friend (a goat mask made of white feathers) marked “old theater costume masks– fragile.” I think they are pretty neat. They are made of papier mache and a plethora of pink and white feathers.

I don’t intend to actually wear either mask out. I added them to the decor in my bedroom (I’ve got a creamy, beige-y, soft pink thing going on. Yup- incredibly girlie).

So, fear not, locals. You won’t see me traipsing around Decatur dressed as a pig or goat, but I thought a little dress up on a Sunday afternoon couldn’t hurt.

This cochon mask goes perfectly with an pink vintage tea dress Cath found for me at Salvation Army many moons ago. The shoes are Payless Marc Jacobs’ knock-offs from 2002-ish. Remember those?

I remember reading a long time ago that mask were bad luck to hang up in your house, especially if they were from another culture other than your own. Sounds like a lot of phooey to me, but if that were true I’ll just say these are my inner Cajun hanging on my wall (old Mardi Gras mask, non?).

Speaking of Cajun things. Cath and I are headed to New Orleans this week! It’s my first real vacation in two years, and my first time in twenty years to visit NOLA (all I remember from my last trip is beignets: eating beignets, making beignets and then eating some more beignets– hopefully this trip will be quite similar).

Laissez les bon temps roulez!

The end of summer is just a few days away- boohiss! I’m a fan of fall layers and crispy, colorful leaves and pumpkins and cider, but I’m really a Spring/Summer girl at heart. I like the heat and the sun and long days and short nights. Le sigh.

But I think I might have found an answer to my nostalgic summer woes: a beautiful new (and summery) outdoor chair from the 1960s to use year-round. Cath and I have a mid-century thing going on in our living room, so when I saw this at Kudzu Antiques on Saturday, I had to snatch it up. Isn’t that turquoise color awesome?! I’m pleased as punch! Any time this winter I start feeling a little blue about the cold, I’ll crank up the heat and sip something summery while sitting in my turquoise chair.

Happy Monday, ladies and gents! Hope this week treats you well!

A little while ago I threatened the return of the biker short (see here). That was not an empty threat (as most of you hoped 😉 ). I’ve been sporting these hot, shiny things all summer: under big tees and – my favorite- incongruously girlie dresses. I actually have a second item of neon hidden under all this feminine lace and cream: a hot pink bandeau (also from American Apparel). 

I like the idea of the pink just barely peaking out. It reminds me of the red petticoat Rhett buys for Mammy in Gone With The Wind- you can only see glimpses of red when she swishes around.

I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m still a fan of neon and still a fan of bike shorts. For those of you who hate both of those things- no worries, they will be put away for the winter. I’ll have to find cold weather replacements. Any thoughts? Maybe an actual red petticoat. 

It’s another Friday, lovely readers! Woohoo! I hope you all have wonderful and/or relaxing weekend plans. I’m hoping to hole-up for a bit with my bf and eat some delicious food stuffs.

What do you ladies and gents think of this dress below? I bought it at UO on sale earlier this summer and thought it was the perfect summer dress. I tired it on in the deceptive low-lights of the UO dressing rooms- perfect! lovely! couldn’t be happier! I tried it on at home and realized then that it was quite see-through. Boo. My somewhat successful (read: ghetto) solution was to stick a matching halter under it and wear a nude colored body stocking thingy. Not exactly the perfect summer outfit when you have to add a few layers to it. However in the photo below, I look quite pleased with my “ingenuity”/I blinked.

Even with it’s high maintenance tendencies, I still kind of love it because of the slashing action in the back. Also, as Fall creeps up on us, I’m clinging onto summer in any way I can- and you can’t mistake this dress for autumnal- even with the layers. This is a salt-breezes, sun-on-your-skin, toes-in-the-sand kind of dress. The last hurrah of summer!

p.s. Any readers from Milwaukee? Cath is there this weekend on a business trip. I miss ya, KitCath! Bring me back some cheese, please 😉

www.studio10salonsuites.com commander cialis

Hi Lovely Readers!

Apologies for the brief hiatus! I’ve been under the weather for a while and trying to take it easy, and Cath had to work all weekend (Book Fest – woohoo!) and is in recovery mode. Regular blogging and commenting will resume shortly!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend- and ran into your own Wild Things!

xoxo,

Lar

The lovely Ela from Extra Dressing on the Side tagged me to answer a few random questions. Get ready for some scrolling action– ooo boy!

What is your current obsession?

Re-watching The West Wing (it got me through the Dubya era).

What is your horoscope and how do you relate?

Cancer: I am a nurturer and fiercely loyal. I’ve always had an affinity for the ruby slippers (ruby being our birthstone). Where I fail as a cancer is as a water baby- I can’t swim!

What are you wearing today?

I’m lounging around in my oxford shirt. What? You say I bear a striking resemblance to Audrey Hepburn? Thank you! I am so very flattered! (In all honesty, I’m sitting on a couch- not exactly in the same attitude as Audrey- in my pajamas. I figured I would save you all from the banality of that photo).

What is the last thing you bought?

Groceries from the local farmer’s market (organic gala apples-nom, nom, nom).

What do you think about the person who tagged you?

The gorgeous Ela from Extra Dressing on the Side has to be one of my favorite new bloggers! She has a great sense of style- always looks so chic- but more importantly is one of the kindest blogger voices out there. Oh! And she loves to eat (me too, Ela!)- next time Cath and I are in Toronto- we’d love to stop by!

What’s for dinner?

This is how I usually set my table for dinner, tonight was no different. (Or I might have just had a baked potato from Wendy’s. This self-proclaimed foodie is blushing.)

What’s your favourite decade, fashion wise?

I’m jumping centuries here, but can I say the regency era? I know a lot women think these kinds of clothes make them look perennially pregnant, but I like to think about all the crumpets and scones I could eat- and not feel a bit of restriction. It’s the prettiness of the 19th century without those damn rib-breaking corsets.

What are your must haves for summer?

Oh a vacation! Here preferably (I have yet to take one- le sigh).

What would you love to be able to afford?

More travel! Like I alluded to in the previous post, I hope to be doing this a lot in the next few years. Those two continents? Africa and Asia, please! This photo of Ethiopia below is taken by my beautiful friend Pam. Check out her other gorgeous photos from around the world here. You’ll get an instant travel itch- guaranteed.

photo credit

What is your favourite piece of clothing from your wardrobe?

Surprisingly I don’t think I have one! If I had to choose, I would pick my FEED bag from Whole Foods- I love things that look good and do good.

AsianCajuns

What is your dream job?

For 15 years of my life, my dream job was dancing with American Ballet Theater. and then I went to college. Since then I’ve been a book seller, gallerina and (currently) graphic designer. I’m not sure what comes next!

What is your favourite magazine?

I read the usual fashion mags, Vogue, Elle, Nylon, iD, etc., I honestly don’t have a favorite at the moment. I’m not just saying this to pander, I really do get more inspiration from fellow bloggers than from glossy magazine pages.

Describe your personal style?

Years of reading books and magazines about fashion, closets full of clothes and shoes- and I can still never successfully answer this question. At the moment it’s fairly eclectic and I’m still refining it- this blog is one way to explore my personal style.

Which Beatle is your favourite?

George Harrison. Probably because he was my mom’s favorite.

What are you proud of?

Graduating summa cum laude. Learning how to make gumbo (this took longer).

Did you make it this far along in the post? Congrats to you! Hope you are having a wonderful almost-Friday!!!

xoxo,

LL

That’s my gorgeous mom circa 1970-something. Note the long flowing hair, grass grazing cotton dress and leather pocket book. The VW beetle in the background is her’s too.

By the time Cath and I were old enough to go scavenging through our mom’s closet, shoulder pads were in (sadly that was roughly twenty years ago and we didn’t have the prescience to hold on to those pre-Balmain geometric shoulders). Gone were the days of Frye boots and suede vests of her hippie years, but a few things sneaked through her closet, and then my closet, in the decades that followed.

Exhibit A: teeny Moroccan-looking coin purse:

I think it coexists beautifully with my UO embroidered vest, but looks a little more Eastern European than George Harrison.

I’m not sure if my mom hung out with any AsianCajun hippies in her day (doubtful to be sure), but I hope I have some of her Howie’s Happy Hippie House (honest to goodness name of a house she lived in) je ne sais quoi. True to recessionista form, everything I’m wearing is not new: Blank jeans from Rockit, A&E boots (4+ years old), UO top and vest, purse via Jacquelyn’s closet.

Oh and a huge thank you to the beautiful Sher at Beneath The Crystal Stars for this lovely award! Let the 10 random facts commence:

1. I’ve had a crush on Hugh Laurie since his Jeeves and Wooster days.

2. Before our communal ballerina dream, Catherine wanted to be an astronaut and I wanted to. wear glasses (I punched out the lenses of magenta sunglasses and wore them around the house). Shortly after the magenta frames DIY, I did have to get actual glasses and now can’t see a thing without contacts- oh the irony!

3. I consider watching Sister Wendy talk about art a spiritual experience. Watch the Bill Moyer’s interview here.

4. I read three to four books at one time and finish one of those four 50% of the time: I am a promiscuous reader.

5. I’m currently reading a biography about the intrepid Beryl Markham, a few spiritual books, and Water for Elephants.

6. I rarely finish nonfiction books, so it looks like this round Water for Elephants will triumph- possibly.

7. I’m a little book-centric at the moment because I’m excited about this weekend’s Decatur Book Festival (the largest book festival in the South East. Book worms unite! Huzzah!).

8. Cath and I can’t tell each other apart in pictures where we are five years old or younger. I’m guessing I’m sporting the uneven socks- intentional of course, and Cath has her eyes closed. Cath, any guesses?

9. In 2010 I will travel to at least two new continents.

10. Hillary Clinton was the speaker at my graduation from college. I shook her hand before I received my diploma!

I’m supposed to pass this award a long to 10 other bloggers, but I hate having to choose amongst so many wonderful blogs. Whoever hasn’t yet given 10 random facts about themselves, please feel free to leave at least one in the comments section. We love reading those!

LL

I’m still pretty stoked that high-waisted things came back into style. I know they aren’t for everyone, but for a petite lady who would sometimes like to fool the eye to look taller, I’m pleased as punch when I put on a pair of shorts like these. The additional beauty to these is that they are made of lycra and cotton- all stretch, but still chic in seamless black. Now why is this so alluring? Well,the only drawback that high-waisted pants and shorts that I’ve discovered is they don’t encourage eating. And I like to eat. I really do. In my high-waisted jeans I’m often at the mercy of that upper-button (or two or three) and they don’t stay fastened through dessert- very ladylike, I know.

With these deceptively chic babies, I can eat creme brulee until the cows come home. Now tell me that’s not the perfect pair of shorts: leg lengthening and dessert-friendly. Just the way I like my bottoms.

Shirt is thrifted, bag from Ann Taylor, shoes from F21, shorts from Free People.