House Crush of the Week

I knew it was high time to start my own blog when I realized that I had over 50 pictures of houses, decor in restaurant bathrooms (yep), paint colors in strangers' homes, furniture "just because it was awesome...," (you get the drift), just sitting on my iPhone at all times. 

Anyhoo, I figure I should share the wealth of my fabulous house photos that I have taken over the past couple of months.  Although I feel like I "know" every house on my driving and walking routes, I am sometimes surprised by something unique or beautiful that I have never noticed before!  I am constantly snapping pics of houses around New Orleans (and when visiting other cities) for posterity simply because they are neat and worthy of remembering. 

Check out this one.  I am always obsessed with conversions of doubles into singles.  This house looks like two doubles connected by a closed-in portico.  I have never seen anything like it. 

Enjoy!

Left side of the front of the house....love love love those shuttered-in spaces on conversions of old porches (Usually they are bathrooms or massive walk in closets!)

Cute address on the shady oak outside, too.

This photo allows you to see that there are two "sections" (identical to each other) facing the street.  The house literally looks like two doubles attached by a recessed entryway/hallway.  Nifty!

Ignore the work truck!  See the entryway and "hallway" between the two large single sections. 

Also, note the great ground cover and the well-done stained and bricked sidewalk.  No treacherous New Orleans sidewalk for these homeowners. 

I wish I could capture how the entirety of the house sits on this corner lot in a quiet and tree-lined stretch of Uptown.  Sorry for the tiny pics.  If someone out in blogland knows the owners, give them a heads up that I love love love their home!

Cheers,

JSH

P.S. If you are ever moved to snap a shot of a great home exterior (wherever you are), please send it in!  There is so much eye candy surrounding us in our daily routines, and I know I seem to forget that sometimes. 

Ersta Mirra (Oyster Mirror)

I dedicate this post to all of the seafood that will be consumed with gusto during this Lenten season. 

I knew I had to have this mirror the first time I spotted it a couple of years ago.  To me, it is the perfect combination of casual Southern elegance and funk. I love that it doesn't translate as "oyster shells" in the cheesy beach theme sense, especially from a distance.  There is such beauty in its imperfect texture...and I could go on. 

Currey and Company.

These mirrors (or something very similar) are hanging in Luke Restaurant.  Every time I am in there, I convince myself that I need to just "do it" and point and click.  Practicality, however, always gets in the way, and I just could never bring myself to buy the sucker. 

I think I also fell in love with the idea of decoupaging sticking oyster shells to something when I saw this photo in Cottage Living (RIP) oh-so-long-ago.  An entire fireplace covered in oyster shells...ahh, I still remember the article like it was yesterday.   

 

 

Needless to say, this Fall, when the perfect spot in our home opened up for the mirror, I decided it was time to make a decision.  Because I could not bring myself to buy it outright, I decided to make it.  DEFINITELY not something I had ever done before, but I figured all I needed were the shells, a mirror and something to adhere the shells to the mirror, right?  Well, right-ish. 

Shockingly, the hardest part was obtaining said oyster shells.  I would not have pictured locating oyster shells in New Orleans to be difficult.  After tons of phone calls and an insanely early wake up time for my poor mom, we obtained two 50 pound bags of shucked oyster shells from P and J Oyster Company on Toulouse. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Apparently, P and J does not sell bags of shucked oyster shells to the general public.  The poor guy on the phone did not know this.  He was super nice and, when my mom arrived, felt bad that we had trekked down there based upon the wrong information.  So, moral of the story...I suggest going to Cooter Brown's or maybe Acme or Felix's for your oysters if you live in New Orleans.  (Any suggestions for sources are welcome, by the way!)

The two huge bags yielded only the amount of oysters seen in the below mirror.  A majority of them were the wrong size, too barnacled (not sure if that is a term), broken, or just plain ugly.  The main problem was finding small, similarly sized oyster shells. 

After leaving the selected oyster shells (which reeked and were very wet and filthy!) in an ice chest cooler filled with bleach for two weeks, they were finally ready to be cleaned and then dishwashed on the boiling hot setting.  The "selection and preparation" of the oysters was the most time consuming and frustrating part of the project...it certainly did not involve creativity, just a strong stomach and patience. 

Unfortunately, I didn't take videos or photos of the process.  I affixed the (finally) clean and shiny shells to my old Ikea mirror with this: 

Clear Silicone Caulk from Home Depot

I think using clear kitchen and bath caulk was a good option...I didn't burn my hands hot gluing and the incredibly heavy oysters are STUCK on there without lots of gooey buildup.  After carefully arranging them for about two hours and affixing them with the clear silicone, this guy was the result of my labors.

Ta-da!

   iPhone pic of oyster mirror.

    up close shot.

I think it came out pretty good, despite the insanely tedious oyster cleaning and selection process.  I know that it is not the mirror from Currey and Company, but for the price --$10.00 for two bags of oyster shells, $6.00 for the silicone--, I am thrilled with it.   My favorite part was the challenge and the actual crafting, of course. 

Although I can't quite provide you with a step by step tutorial of how to make this mirror, I can tell you that you should not be afraid to try making one of your own using the above supplies...I think mussel shells would be a fantastic material as well.  In faaaccct, a quick lil google search turned up this guy.  (From none other than Martha.)  You could certainly use this concept to create a mussel shell mirror.

    Tutorial included in this link from Martha

I will happily answer any questions you have about the mirror creation, but must warn you...it was a trial and error project! 

Cheers,

JSH

P.S. Welcome Lent.  I am actually craving this time of restraint and sacrifice with glee...my "more is more" personality requires some much-needed control.  I think this control will start by not eating Zapps and King Cake for my daily breakfast...

 

Happy Mardi Gras!

A sore throat and slight fever may have sidelined our usual Mardi Gras day activities, which typically involve a 6:30 am wake up call, Zulu with mimosas and bloodies (from Igor's), catching my sleeve of cups and mini boeuf gras from my dad, and then an amble through the Quarter to the Marigny for all-day costume viewing. 

However, there is one tradition that simply cannot be stifled regardless of illness or stitches (poor Craig!).  It is a without-fail, must-happen, required closure of each Carnival season. 

You know you love it. 

We do it once a year.  That is all.  And, yes, there is a "vegetarian option" for me, a biscuit and fries.  We emerged from our house, got in a long line with the post-parade costumed revelers and ordered our a la carte options and combo.  A successful Mardi Gras indeed.

Happy Happy Mardi Gras...may you enjoy the spirit of Carnival today wherever you may be! 

Cheers,

JSH

Stompers and Splits

Greetings from New Orleans.  Happy Lundi Gras from an overstuffed, exhausted and sick reveler.  It has been a fun (albeit pretty tame, thank god!) weekend of parades, king cake, wine and more wine.  Our guests arrived in a timely manner at the airport and are back to regular life.  I have no voice and no brain cells, but wanted to check in with you gimleters!

My oldest friend, Leigh, joined in the fun starting Thursday night.  A native New Orleanian, she now resides in the City of Angels and has not been to Mardi Gras for five years.  It was about time!  Leigh, of course, contributed to tears of laughter and hilarious antics throughout the weekend, but her greatest contribution to Lombardi Gras/Mardi Gras was informing me of the first all-male dance troupe started by her cousin.  The "610 Stompers" were founded in late 2009 as an answer to the "Pussyfooters" and "Camel Toe Steppers" and other all-female marching groups.  Leigh's dad is the oldest stomper and most of the menfolk in her family make up the group.  It also turns out that some of my girlfriends (including Leigh's sister) serve as "610 Splits," the "bodyguards/regulators." 

Let me just say that there is no question that the 610 Stompers brought down the house hizzle during the Saints Victory parade as well as Muses.  The reaction from the crowd as they watched men of all ages, shapes and sizes do mid air splits in Coach's shorts and mustaches (some real, some fake) was equivalent to its response to Reggie rocking his shades on the front of his float.  I have never laughed so hard during a parade in my life.  They are utterly amazing!

Without further ado, here is a hilarious interview with Leigh's cousin as he explains the concept behind the Stompers as well as their gear and "message." 

The 610 Stompers interview courtesy of http://www.nola.com/.

Now...below is a sampling of some of the Stompers' performances at various "engagements" throughout the city.  If you are at work, I highly recommend turning down the volume and trying to stifle your laughter, but you may not be able to do so. 

At the Saints Victory Parade from http://www.youtube.com/.




This clip features Leigh's dad, Fred.  He is third from the front on the far right.  Who knew that he had such moves?



I hope these clips have gotten you in the Carnival mode....there are tons more on http://www.youtube.com/.  Just search for 610 Stompers.  Congratulations to Leigh's cousin, Brett, and all of those who organized and contributed to the success of such a fine group in such a short amount of time.  You have proven that "ordinary men can have extraordinary moves" to all of New Orleans (and the world!) 

Cheers,

JSH

P.S. Off to assist Lizzie in finishing up her Mardi Gras costume!

Happy Lombardi Gras

Beau and I returned home at about midnight last night from partying down with 800,000 to 1,000,000 (!) of our closest friends at the Saints victory parade.  Of course, you can see some professional snaps on pretty much any news or sports website, but I have included some of my favorites below.  My iphone pics were wayyyy too blurry for your eyes.

Backdrop of the Dome.  http://www.nola.com/

The Saints are coming! http://www.nola.com/

He got down off of the float near us to share the trophy with the crowd...mob scene! 

http://www.nola.com/

 

I have never seen anything like it at any parade I have ever been to...and I have been to alot of parades in my day.  Downtown could not be entered or exited for hours.  In fact, here is a picture of someone's traffic finder on iphone.  That pretty much says it all. 

No way in, no way out!

Absolutely no complaints here, though.  The revelers were friendly, happy and considerate.  Everyone wanted to just catch a glimpse of the gods and perhaps touch them or get an autograph.  We were all collectively committed to sharing in the moment, relishing the enthusiasm and trying to capture a snapshot of the night in our minds. 

Beau, of course, was dead set on us making eye contact with Tracy Porter by doing an IU cheer...and we were successful! 

The ultimate trouper, of course, was Lucy.  She froze under her blanket after eating blue cheese on scooby snacks at W.I.N.O. well past her bedtime, but never asked to go home and never complained.   She, too, wanted to catch a quick glimpse of Coach Payton holding the trophy (and maybe catch a bead or two). 

Nola baby. 

Here is a pic that my dad sent me from his office building.  This sums it up. 

Cheers,

JSH

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

It is waayyy too soon for me to stop posting about all things Saints-related, right?  I thought it would be fun to review some black and gold wallpaper options from New Orleans' very own Flavor Papers.  I have long-admired their funky and over-the-top designs and can vouch for the high quality materials and considerate service.  If it is good enough for Lenny Kravitz and J.A. (Jonathan Adler), it is good enough for all of us, no? 

Let's review some of their fabulous options for your new Who Dat themed Southern-Gothic-cool powder room, dining room, or statement wall.  All below options are from http://www.flavorleague.com/.

LOVE this one.

Fire Hydrants...clever

Check out their fun website.  The papers were initially printed in the Flavor Lab in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans.  Since Spring 2009, the Flavor Lab has been printing in Brooklyn.  Bywater is now the location of the Flavor Fabric facility.  There are no fabrics shown on the site, but I am guessing they must be still be in the works. 

I highly encourage a visit to the Flavor Lab in the Bywater.  Definitely worth a look, especially if you are considering an injection of something hip and unconventional this Spring!   

Cheers!

JSH

P.S.  If you need some real life inspiration, their installations section is perfection.   
http://www.flavorleague.com/installations/

Affordable (non cheesy) Art

Two of our most stylish friends, Paola and Jose, are a wealth of fresh design information.  We spend much of our time together discussing new home finds, great hotels and restaurants, travel and, recently, our 5:30 a.m. fitness routine.   They are a wonderful resource to me for travel tips and great design finds both online and in New Orleans. 

Their post-Katrina Uptown home is a complete showstopper.  I don't think I have ever been in a home that so aptly reflects the owners' collective style as theirs.  Paola and Jose's first home in Lakeview (RIP) was a precious bungalowy sight to be seen.  It was replete with an entire bar room.  Yep, I said it.  A chic and fabulous bar ROOM.   However, after Katrina's devastation, these two uber stylish weekend warriors were somehow inexplicably able to top the awesome Lakeview cottage.  I could hardly believe my eyes when I first saw their new post-K home, which they freshed up and infused with their signature look.   They outdid themselves.  Loss for words.

I admire their style so much because it is very unique for the more traditional tastes that dominate New Orleans.  Their home is absolutely ripped from the pages of Dwell Magazine or Design Within Reach.   I am still in awe that they were able to locate one of the ONLY non-traditional Victorian cottages in the entire 70115!

Now that I have gotten you all hot and bothered about these tastemakers' digs, I am not yet going to take you on a house tour.  Because they are some of the most meticulous and gracious hosts I know, Paola asked that she be given fair warning to clean the casa and get it prepped for your eyes.

Don't fret, though.  I am going to share with you one of Paola and Jose's genius finds.   Have you ever been to this website? 

http://www.md-canvas.com/

Paola and Jose have this great piece in their kitchen...I believe that it has been discontinued as it is no longer on the md-canvas site.   I spotted it immediately and asked them where they found it.  I was shocked when they let me into this lil secret.  Hanging amidst tons of really great original paintings from galleries all over the city, their digital canvas does not come across as mass produced or schlocky! 

Although I believe that art that you love does not have to be expensive, I also think that you should own and display art that expresses your personal style.  Sometimes art that you love does not come with a price tag that you can afford.  I think that this site provides the perfect solution to the "do I wait for 20 years until I can buy the PERFECT piece or do I slap up something to fill the space?" conundrum!

There are some potentially cheesy options, but there are also some quite lovely pieces on md-canvas...and for "big art," the canvases are affordable.  I can also vouch that they. look. good.  I PROMISE that Paola and Jose have not a tacky bone in their bodies!

Here are some of my faves...they could be your own statement piece for a song!

  Moody and sexy indigo

Love that yellow, of course...esp. up against that gray. 

A little industrial vibe....

Fun/Thought Provoking.

Duh.  Of course I had to pick an orange one.

Now, kids...the one I suggest you don't purchase is this one.  It reminds me of one of those office posters that says things like, "Inspiration: Pass It On." or "Team...there is no 'I' in Team." 

Happy Hunting...let me know if you select anything great. 

Cheers,

JSH

P.S.  I am going to Me-ah-me.  Not for the Superbowl...a couple of weeks from now.  If you have good restaurant, shopping or fun-stuff-to-do suggestions, please send them to me!