Weekend Trip to Natchitoches, La.

Smoochies! This is the only pic of Trey and I together on our anniversary trip. Me thinks Trey rather likes playing to the camera.

The foods, the sights, the sounds and the shopping in Natchitoches, La., is first-rate southern style at its best. Trey and I drove in mid-morning on Saturday and spent the entire day exploring. Lunch at Mamma's Oyster House, crawfish etouffee, was Ah-mazing.

(As a side note to all of you who know me, yes, this vegan broke down and ate things I'd normally shun. Hey, it was either eat or starve.)

I had no idea before I arrived that Natchitoches was so quaint. It's like a mini (very mini) and clean New Orleans just two hours from home.

Trey and I took a carriage ride through the downtown area and learned about historic homes and buildings, including the locations where the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed. We also visited the Magnolia Plantation, participated in an art exhibit openening and had sushi (very good, at that) for dinner.

Our stay at the Samuel Guy House bed and breakfast was nice, but the highlight of our accomodations was the lip-smackin' delishious complimentary breakfast on Sunday morning.

Check out more pictures of our stay in Natchitoches on my Flickr page.

Relics of the Past

A building in downtown Arcadia, La.

Rummaging through files of old photos the other day, I came across little gems of fond memories from years ago. Trey, the hubs, and I used to be avid antique and vintage items hunters.

These are the interiors of a couple antique shops in downtown Arcadia.

Maybe it was a phase because we sure haven't done that in a while. Currently, we're in a "purge it" phase. Want to come to our yard sale?

More antique shop interiors.

Anyway, I thought it'd be fun to post some old photos (blogged long ago) of one of our antique hunts in Arcadia, La., infamously known as the town where Bonny and Clyde were shot down in 1934 by police officers.

These pics were taken at Bonny and Clyde Trade Days.

There is a monthly flea market, Bonny and Clyde Trade Days, that draws quite a weekend crowd. People actually travel from all over the place in their RV's and camp on grounds near the flea market.

Quaint. Yes?

The 1920s and 30s were, to me, such a fascinating period in American history. Just yesterday I went to see Public Enemies. Ah, the costumes, the music, the love story. Très romantique.

Twenty Candles and Then Some

It's mine! For the back-yard art studio.

This is the box Trey was hauling into the house when Wednesday, the morning of my B-day, I bleary-eyed stumbled out of bed and into the living room. Good thing I can't see without my contacts and didn't altogether ruin the surprise. Once I saw what he got me, I miraculously woke up and danced a jig, and all without my first cup of coffee.

This is the sushi bar I ate at on my B-day.

In homage to the confounding tradition of celebrating getting older, I've been reveling every day since Wednesday. Yes, I've reached one of those non-milestone ages that you would think only really deserves a card and maybe a cookie, but I'm amping up some much-needed enthusiasm for the big 3-oh my god am I that old?

This is the bar, of which I did not get to partake, at the restaurant. Boo!

For dinner, Trey, his parents and the girls (sweetheart nieces who colored me a card. I melt, melt.), took me out to Samurai, a trendy, dimly lit sushi bar where the music is fitting of a nightclub ... thump, thump, thump, un-ch, un-ch, un-ch.

To anyone from the north Louisiana area who happens upon the place, take my advice and never order the Thai tofu and veggies plate. Trust me. There aren't enough vegetarians in this area for the cooks to marinate the stuff, much less cook it right. The sushi is, however, da' bomb. But don't get me wrong. Despite the disapointing meal, I had a nice time.

A limited view of Shreveport's skyline.

On Saturday, my extended B-day bash, Trey and I drove to the Starbuck's in Ruston where we visited with my pal, Roz, who recently moved away but was in town on business. Then we were off to Shreveport where I had the most mouth-watering, delicous vegetarian Indian food at Indigo. To ice the proverbial cake, I finally found two books on crochet that I like (those are really hard to come by) at Barnes and Noble and went shopping at the Louisiana Boardwalk from which I walked away loaded down with shopping bags. Ah, getting older really isn't so bad. Is it?

My Vacation Photos vs. Anthro Catalog

Image from the latest Anthropologie catalog

Finally! I got my Anthropologie catalog in the mail. To my surprise, I found that half of the photos were taken in Austin, TX, where I've had some pretty good times and hope to call home one day.

I took these photos inside Uncommon Objects, Austin

The topmost photo, from Antrho, is part of a vintage-y spread that reminds me of Uncommon Objects, the coolest labyrinth of an antique and oddities shop in Austin's SOCO. In fact, the photo could have very well been taken in the shop.

Photo from Anthro catalog

The image, above, was taken at the Jo's coffee stand next to the Austin Motel where Trey (hubby) and I once stayed while on vacation. Every morning we stopped at Jo's for coffee and breakfast. To the side of the stand is a covered deck with tables and seating where people and their pets watch morning joggers and evening passersby.

This is the photo I took of the same Jo's coffee stand.

"Shaved Ice" image from Anthro

Here is a photo from the Anthro catalog of a girl sitting in a diner. The picture at the top right of the triptych, below, was the location for that photo shoot. You can tell by the tiled, checkered wall. And just to throw in a little Louisiana lagniappe, I included a gander at the front of Uncommon Objects.

Images by me. Compare the photo on the top right, above, to the "Shaved Ice" Anthro pic.

New Shop Listings

Island Jaunt Necklace

I just posted new jewelry to the Petite Minx shop and there are a handful of items to be added before I get busy making more. These two necklaces were way fun to make. I love the colors and how the wooden disks on the cluster necklace (below) sound when they clink, clink together.

Wooden Charm Cluster Necklace

In an unrelated note, I took this photo, above, on a rainy day in downtown Monroe, La, as my hubby and I perused the city's annual Art Fest. The colorful balloons were a beacon on the gloomy day and juxtaposed in an ironic way next to the fallout shelter sign.

Back with more later.

Tales of a Beach Vacation

I'm back from my vacation and though I'm slightly under the weather I am invigorated by the brief change of scenery.

Cherry Grove Beach - two blocks from where we stayed - a few miles from Myrtle Beach.

I took lots of photos and ate copious servings of Thai food. Walks on the beach were punctuated by sea shell hunting (some of the shells will be used in upcoming one-of-a-kind necklaces!) and the chilling high gusts of wind made the water too frigid for wading.

Drinking ginger and cinnamon tea, waiting for a plate of pot stickers. Yum yum. Trey is pictured in the background.

Admittedly it wasn't the best weather for lounging at the beach so I did plenty of perusing under the cover of clouds at outdoor shopping markets.

Market Commons - an upscale outdoor shopping venue. My favorite place
I shopped at on the trip.

Inside Antrhopologie. Love, love, loved their merchandising.

The last night we were in Myrtle Beach my hubby, Trey, and I went to see Le Grand Cirque at the Palace Theatre. The show was quite similar to Cirque du Soleil. At first Trey tried to act all macho like he wasn't planning to enjoy it, but once he saw the amazing displays of strength and death-defying stunts he perked up. He didn't actually admit to loving the show but I know he did:)

Inside Antrhopologie

Now I'm easing back into my day-to-day routines getting some freelance work squared away before I dive headfirst back into Petite Minx. First objective -- fill the Etsy shop.

New Jewelry and an Outing

Love, love, love this Petite Minx necklace. Pendant-ebony wood; beads are bead chrysanthemum and vintage wood stained a cranberry hue; 19" with a 2" adjustment.

Though I haven't so much as tweeted in the past few days I've still been busy making jewelry, and here are some of the latest creations. While prepping to go on vacation I've been juggling a host of -- might I add random and plentiful -- business related obligations.

So please have patience with me as my Etsy site is relatively barren. After returning from vacation I vow to stock it to the gills.

Left-antique brass chain, shells, betelnut, white-washed wood and plum-hued silk; right- horn "tooth" pendant, black agate beads, antique brass chain and micro-fiber "suede"

Wrapped onto gold-tone wire are a freshwater pearl and an antique brass coin. The cord is micro-fiber "suede."

But it hasn't been all work and no play for me. The First Fridays art crawl in Ruston that I mentioned (last post) was a blast. I stopped by Thousand Words Photography to restock my display, but before I got the chance to mingle with any of the art crawlers my hunger led me to 102/a Bistro where complimentatry hors d'ourves and wine were being served.

Inside 102/a Bistro

The newly rennovated building looked swank and amazing and the food, which includes sushi (my fave) was to die for delicious. Also, I heard from a little birdie that there may be several vegan meals on the menu, too. Hooray!

Well, that's it for now. It's back to work for me.