What's in the Box? (Walkovers)

"What's in the Box" is the newest category for TMN. Just like Jeri's corner, every so often, I am going to feature something brought to my attention by my uber-fashionable buddy, Patrick Box. Patrick is know for his exorbitant shoe collection, so I thought it would be appropriate to start there. Shoes.

As soon as he got these in and he sent me a picture, I instantly fell in love. Walkover is a super chic brand that produces some kick ass kicks and I want ALL of them. Unfortunately. I'm neither rich nor anywhere close sooo....I'll have to do like Patrick did and wait for some deals on Gilt. Totally worth the patience. These shoes are GREAT!

Hurricane Isaac

Well this is fun.

But really - for us it's really not to bad...yet. Since we've been off of work since Tuesday (and probably won't go back until Friday), I'm trying to look at this as a nice little vacation. Just one where I can't exactly leave the house. I'm staying with my friend/roommate, Danielle, because I didn't want to leave her alone, and several of our friends have been coming in and out throughout the days. We still haven't lost power, so we're just hanging out, playing cards, watching TV, eating, more eating, and (of course) partaking in beverage consumption.

The weather is starting to get bad, so hopefully this will be able to last a little bit longer. I'm not looking forward to when WE lose power and it "just gets real, real hot"...

Estate Sale

As I was nursing my hangover enjoying a scone and coffee Sunday morning, I ran into my friends, Jason and Lou who had run in to grab a coffee in between estate sale shopping. Lou goes to them all the time (he has this weird obsession with chairs) and I've gone once or twice, but not too, too often. Therefore...I packed up my stuff and decided to join them. As I thought, there was a ton of crap, but there was also some pretty awesome pieces. I can definitely see myself going to more and more!

Polos and Pearls

This past Saturday, my friend, Johnny Patrick (Patrick's Fine Jewelry) participated in St. Francisville's Polos and Pearls event. Similar to a While Linen Night or White Light Night, locals and tourists flocked to downtown St. Francisville to enjoy live music, food, and drinks. My friends, Patrick, Ryan, Danielle, Krystal (APOL) and I drove up late Saturday afternoon and ended up enjoying ourselves so much that we stayed much later than I anticipated. I love these kinds of events so if you go next year, you'll definitely see me there!

Friday Finds: Happy Fatz Hotdogs

In the Houston area? Hungry? Hotdogs it is. How delicious do these look? I mean...

I'm trying to post more relevant info for my out of town readers, and I think Houston is a great place to start. My friend, Michael, is a newbie to the area, and I'm so jealous because he gets to try out all of these great new eateries. He and our friend Matt recently went here, and when he sent me the pictures, my mouth instantly started watering. Yum!

Happy Fatz Specialty Dogs

All dogs are ¼ pound Hebrew National Kosher Beef
                 Served with your choice of kettle chips, slaw, or fresh fruit

Happy Fatz Dog- $7
            Tomato, onion, bacon, cheddar, dill pickle, yellow mustard & Happy Fatz Seasoning 

Texas Chili – $8
            Homemade Shiner Bock chili, onions, cheddar, fritos
Baron Van-Ratchet- $7
            Happy Fatz sauerkraut, spicy mustard, crunchy pretzel topping on soft pretzel bun
Al Capone (Chicago style)- $7
            Fresh onion, tomato, dill pickle, relish, sport pepper, yellow mustard, celery salt
Philly Dog- $7
            Grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms and melted provolone
Slaw Dog Millionaire- $7
            Coleslaw, bacon, red cabbage, celery salt
The Clucker- $8
            Hash browns, bacon, grilled onion, fried egg cooked over easy, secret clucker sauce
St. Louis- $8
            Happy Fatz special baked beans, bacon, grilled onions, basil garlic mayo
Perro De Mexico- $8
            Happy Fatz special charro beans, sour cream, fresh avocado, fresh pico de gallo, cilantro, queso fresco, salsa verde, rolled in a tortilla
Lotus Blossom - $7
            Fresh spinach, red cabbage, Happy Fatz white cheddar pimento cheese on a jalapeno bun
Ricky Ricardo- $8
            Panini style hot dog with ham, provolone, dill pickle, honey Dijon mustard
The Godfather- $8
            Panini style hot dog with roasted red pepper, purple onion, pepperoni, provolone, olive tampenade

Paper Lanterns

We've all seen them growing up. You remember - in your "girlfriend's" room in the corner hanging from the ceiling. The walls are probably a lime green with hot pink accessories here and there with one big white paper lantern. No? Well, here's a fun way to use the same concept, but with an updated and mature twist. There are so many options that it all depends on the concept you're going for. For example:

Outside Wedding Reception:
- all white
- strung romantically from trees (preferably oak)
- different lengths and sizes

Clothing Store (with a modern feel)
- all white
- same size, hung at the same height, and all the same width apart
- keep it contemporary, clean, and crisp
- ex: very clean line of lanterns to anchor a table display of jeans

Graduation Party
- depending on the formality, you could use different sizes and hang from different heights, etc
- use school colors!

Fiesta!
- multicolored
- different, vibrant colors, heights, sizes, etc

There are some similar examples here!
(Thank you, Michael, for the pictures!)

Coconut Water

This is getting me through it.

Last night, I was convinced to go to Happy's, a local downtown bar where the girls dress in skimpy clothing and serve big pitchers of beer to fat, sloppy frat guys. JK, it's fun. The point, however, is that I got in way past my bedtime and I am struggling this morning. Thank God for coconut water!

"Coconut water is an isotonic solution which replaces the fluids and minerals that the body loses during physical activities. For this reason, many athletes and persons who work out regularly are encouraged to drink coconut water to replace all the minerals and fluid that they lose while working out. " - According to this source.

AKA - it's also a great cure a hang over...when a Bloody Mary isn't an option. I've only picked them up from Whole Foods, but I'm sure other over-priced-but-super-chic grocery stores sell them, too. Cheers!

Rain in the Quarter

It seems these New Orleans posts are becoming more and more regular. This time was much more low key than other trips, though. After heading home to Covington on Saturday for some grilled (yes grilled) pizzas, I drove down to the South Shore to spend time with friends. Since there was no special occasion, it made my time there nice and relaxing.

The next morning/early afternoon after going out, my friend, Frank and I drove down to the Quarter for lunch at Stanley's (after trying a few other places that were PACKED). I love the French Quarter in the morning - especially when it's raining. It really is a beautiful part of the city, and it was so nice to get out and walk around despite getting a little wet. Not surprisingly, the restaurant was deeelish. (Try it if you haven't been! I got the Pepperoni Pizza Caesar Salad Poor Boy – French Bread Pizza with Pepperoni, Provolone and Mozzarella Cheeses, Basil Pesto, Romaine Lettuce And House Made Spicy Chipotle Caesar Dressing. OMG) After that and a Bloody Mary (clearly), I took a quick nap then headed back to good ole BR. Good to be home...even if the word "home" is a bit ambiguous right now...

Vanity (Arles and Cream)

 

This was one of my very first Annie Sloan project for a client. Obviously I'm in love.

I created a custom color mixing A.S.'s Arles and Cream to produce a more buttery yellow. I wish I had better/more pictures to show the inside of the drawers which I completed in A.S.'s Provence. It. Was. Everything.

Mended Furniture - All White

 

 

 

Annie Sloan's Old White, that is. My friend, Johnny's mom asked me to redo a small table she had, so I (of course) accepted. It came to me a little beat up and kind of a funky dark green. It wasn't bad at all, but I knew I could make it even better. Per her request, I'm only using one color - Old White. Last night, I started applying all the waxes, and hopefully I'll be sharing the finished product with you tomorrow. Keep reading!

Talenti Gelato

Mmm...I loooove Talenti gelato. It's now become one of those nightly guilty pleasures...

Since moving out of my house, I've been temporarily staying with my friends, Ryan and Danielle, who were gracious enough to take me in (allowing me to avoid the commute to/from Gonzales where a lot of my things are). Since they live within walking distance, I've been picking up a lot of dinners from Whole Foods. While it may not be the most cost effective option...I love it. My favorite thing has become grabbing an iced tea from Starbucks, then running into Whole Foods for a fresh salad with chicken and quinoa and enjoying my dinner on their outside patio.

The point of this post: when we were shopping for dinner one night, my friend, Ryan introduced me to this gelato that's sold there. There are tons of flavors, but so far my favorite is the Sicilian Pistachio. Two spoonfuls a night and I'm good to go. I have a major sweet tooth, and that does the trick. Next time you're at Whole Foods check them out - I promise you'll love them!

Jeri's Corner! (Birthday Lunch)

Sunday, after the Red Dress Run, I invited a few of my closest friends to my parent's for some apps, drinks, and lunch. Despite the fact that we were all a little hung over, we all had a good time hanging out and laughing (especially with MawMaw) as we recounted the weekend's festivities.

After we ate grilled chicken and sausage, salad, and black bean salsa, we all stuck around for some cupcakes that we butchered cut into fourths for easier sharing (and champagne). A quick GREAt Jeri's corner idea: hand-written cards for sauces, dressings, and ingredients. It adds a personal touch to something that's ordinarily pretty generic. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty great afternoon. Now, as I write this back in Baton Rouge, I'm nursing one of the worst hangovers of my life (dramatic enough for you?)

PS - The picture of the 6 of us is somewhat a joke - picking at the fact that our lives are so "wonderful and perfect". Orchid, anyone? #besties 

RDR 2012 - My Oh My

Last year was my first time attending the Red Dress Run, and I had so much fun. This year - I have no words. It was one of the best weekends I've ever had. Instead of just going in for the run, we decided to make a weekend out of it. Ryan booked a room at The Clarion (aka - House of Clarionne) where he, Matt, Stephanie, Brennan and I called home base for the weekend's activities. It was one of those out 'till four, up at 8 kind of scenarios - thank God for Tylenol and Powerade Zero...

Despite my slight wardrobe malfunction where a small rip turned into a full fledged slit up the butt when Michael and Ryan went to "fix" it, I'd say it was pretty much a perfect day. Starting at Lafitte's for Purple Drank at 10:30ish we eventually made our way to Bourbon and St. Ann where we spent the rest of our afternoon drinking like fools and getting cray. Cray cray. How we made it out that night (again until 4) I'll never know.

Favorite quotes of the day:

- Fanny packs; they're just so sensible.
- Your crappy friends, but you're all I've got.
- You're dress is offending everyone here.
- On the Causway!

- Dominique Moceanu, you look like you just finished your floor routine!
- Bitch stole my look!
- #nakedsissies
- What's happening? Ryan, not now...
- The Haus of Clarionne
- Oh, Zanielle's gonna be real real mad...
- OMG - glitter is the STD of the crafting world

It's Mah Birthday, Y'all!

Tomorrow (August 11th), you're all cordially invited to attend my birthday party. Look for me - I'll be in the quarter in a red dress.

But seriously, how great is it that my 26th birthday falls on the day of The Red Dress Run?! "Sponsored by the Hash House Harriers, a self-proclaimed "drinking club with a running problem," the Annual Red Dress Run through the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans is another of those uniquely New Orleans fun events that doubles as a fundraiser. It is open to men and women alike and though the concept originated as a charitable event to raise money for breast cancer research, it donates its proceeds to other charities as well." - Courtesy of neworleansonline.com. Truly, it's a pretty standard New Orleans event where thousands of people gather in the French Quarter to drink and party - the only difference is that it's done in a red dress.

I'll be posting Mondayish about this year's RDR, but I thought it would be fun to repost the pics from last year to give you an idea of what we're getting into. Hopefully see you there!