NOLA Anthropologie

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. We took a mini vacay to NOLA this weekend and had a great time relaxing. I definitely loved being away from my computer for a few days.

In August Anthropologie opened in NOLA and this was my first chance to check it out. They took over the spot Pottery Barn once held and totally recreated the space. I could have easily spent hours in the store while taking photo after photo. Instead I had a limited amount of time and felt the need to covertly capture images. I thought I'd share a few with you...

They had really cute, creative holiday displays...

Even the staircase was unique....

I loved the display case filled with peach colored boxes. There were so many items I picked up hoping to purchase that were marked: "prop."

This funky P&S photo doesn't capture the beauty of this chandelier. It was wrapped in thick rope. I bet this would be an easy DIY project!

This display of lovely colored mittens was just darling. Replicating this in a child's room would be sweet...

I really, really, really wanted to take this desk home. The sawhorse/artist table was to die for! I wonder if I could get my hubby to construct something similar that I could splatter with my own paints over time?

Even the "shopping carts" at Anthro are chic. I loved these market totes but deliberately did not pick one up. I would have filled it in no time! Instead I limited myself to what my already busy hands could handle. :-)

I'll share more NOLA photos soon. Hope you've had a great week!

Update: 30 Before 30

On recent vacation I got the opportunity to scratch another item off my 30 before 30 list. In our beach front condo the owners had a box of beach goods and toys for guests to use. Amongst all of the vacation necessities was a G.I. Joe kite and we toted down to the sandy shore. The wind was perfect and I easily got the kite up in the air. It was totally exhilarating to run along the shoreline and see the tail of the kite to begin to flutter as it climbed higher and higher. Though the G.I. Joe kite may not have been ideal (or mature!) it was perfect for accomplishing that goal.

I thought now would be a good item to post my progress on my 30 by 30 list. With 195 days to go, I am pretty happy to have some major things crossed off but there is still a ways to go.

30 Things Before 30

1. Read the Bible.
2. Plan a great trip with my hubby to celebrate my 30^th + our 5^th anniversary.
3. Open my own photography business.
4. Set up my Etsy shop for my photographic prints. 
5. Finish designing our wedding album and get it bound.
6. Get professional photos taken of me and Mike by a photographer I admire.
7. Continue learning to crochet and complete an actual project.
8. Plant a lemon tree in our yard.
9. Find an exercise that I love an implement it into weekly schedule.
10. Fly a kite.
11. Go to some sort of “pick-you-own” farm.
12. Finish my office (make it a workable space).
13. Organize my magazine clippings and idea books.
14. Acquire a nice set of watercolors.
15. Begin using said watercolors.
16. Go on down to the Audobon Zoo (where they all ask for you!)
17. Find a suitable album for our photo booth photos and organize them.
18. Go to at least one concert.
19. Find a way to organize and make easily accessible the hundreds of recipes I have bookmarked (mostly via tastespotting) so that I can actually use them!
20. Watch the sunrise on the beach.
21. Begin my “art wall.
22. Help my mom finish her cookbook.
23. Get “The Bright Side Project” featured in a magazine. (it has been in a newspaper!)
24. Redesign my blog.
25. Paint our hallway.
26. Give flowers to neighbors on May Day. missed May Day this year so it will have to be late or on a different day
27. Buy all the spices that belong on a spice rack.
28. Complete very special BSP project.
29. Make some sort of jam or jelly.
30. Discuss babies with my hubby.

How are you guys who are also playing along with the 30 by 30 thing doing? Scratched anything off the list. Let me know if you have a list of your own, I'd love to check it out!

Rosemary Beach: Tracery Interiors

{ a few of my snaps from rosemary beach }

Our trek down 30A led us to Rosemary Beach. This seaside town was my favorite of all the towns along the gulf we visited. Cobblestone streets and beautiful light, airy architecture make you feel as though you've been transported to an entirely different country. Rosemary Beach is the perfect combination of the Traditional Neighborhood Development and the quintessential beach town. We went up and down the quiet streets and found a few favorite shops, one being Tracery Interiors.

 { above are a few of my favorite interiors from tracery interiors website }

Tracery has created interiors across the South. A peek at their website and blog will give you a glimpse at some of the beauty they've created. Based in Rosemary Beach, Tracery Interiors has a storefront that offers home furnishings, art and decor. Thomas Paul pillows, the simrin glasses I've been wanting and plenty of other gorgeous goods filled the stop. I ended up taking home a cute frame and some seashells to use as filler around my home.

{ photos of tracery interiors shop, from their blog }

Luckily the sweet girl behind the counter let me know that Tracery Interiors has an online shop. So even if you can't make it to Rosemary Beach you can still browse virtually.

Seaside Stop

Sadly our Florida beach vacation was clouded by a bit of rain. We managed to get a few hours a day by the sea but thunderstorms sent us seeking other ways to entertain ourselves. One day we headed down the scenic 30-A to take a peek at Rosemary, Seaside and Alys Beaches. It was really neat to see how each community on the 30-A coast boasted its own unique charms.

Airstream trailers lined the streets in Seaside and served up tasty treats. My hubby checked out the goods at Barefoot BBQ. Of course I had to check out the cupcakes at Queen Bee Cupcakes.  Sweetcakes from an adorable trailer? Who can beat that?! I sampled the Red Velvet and the Vanilla Chocolate with some icy cold milk. In between the two Airstreams we visited were a few others serving up goods: Fruit Cocktail offered juices, purees and adult beverages and Frost Bite served shaved ice in unique flavors. I couldn't help but drool a bit over the Tolix chairs too!

Beach Time

The hubby and I got back from a nice, relaxing vacation yesterday. Lots of fun and exciting things to share. But for now...I'm still on beach time. Check back soon for posts about the trip, my favorite photo session yet, and lots more.

Creole Creamery

Combine the fact that I've been to NOLA more times than I can count with my love of ice cream, throw in a few beaming reviews and I still can't figure out why it has taken me all this time to finally head over to the Creole Creamery. On this last trip I refused to head home without making a pit stop and I got my wish.

Creole Creamery has been around for years and is a favorite for locals and foodies alike. Known for their unusual and rare flavors, each batch is made with fresh ingredients and when they are gone, they are gone. The list of flavors they've concocted over the years is quite lengthy and drool-inducing.  I decided to try two scoops that were the epitome of South Louisiana--Red Velvet and Black & Gold Crunch. Of the two the red velvet was my favorite with luscious cream cheese ice cream and chunks of the New Orlean's staple--the cake. MMmmmmm!

If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend dropping by. It was a delight--especially on a record breakingly hot day in LA. Next time I want to try: Banana Malt (an ice cream flavor) and Molasses and Oatmeal Cookie. The sherbets and sorbets sound delish too. The thought of doing the Tchoupitoulas Sundae Challenge crossed my mind since the options all seemed so appetizing! Take a peek at their flavors...which would you try?

Colombia

Yesterday was an amazing day for me. My husband came home after 30 long days in Bogota, Colombia. He traveled there for work and it was a long 720 hours. The hubs and I have been an item for 11 years and the longest we've been apart before this point was a mere 7 days. But we got through it and I'm super happy to have him back home safe and sound.

So as to not have the time drag on and be super lonely I tried to keep very busy. Thankfully I was blessed with a couple great trips to NOLA, lots of time with my family, plenty of photo shoots and lots of projects around the house. As you can imagine this has kept me quite busy! Now that life is settling back down a bit, at least routine wise, I'll be a better blogger again.

I'll share some great photos my hubby took with a little point-and-shoot camera on his international trek.

Have you ever had to be away from your sweetie for a long period of time? I don't know how military wives do it! Thank goodness for Skype!

Back. Besh. Books.

Hello out there! I know you must have thought I vanished.
It was a busy week and I feel like soon I should be back on blogging track.

I just returned from spending a few days in New Orleans, one of my favorite cities and of course it was a great time. As always the case when I visit, our trip was filled with tasty meals. Before heading home I had the chance to dine at Lüke, one of John Besh's restaurants. We popped in for lunch and the chef himself stopped by too. The food at Lüke was excellent and I'd highly recommend it if you are ever in town.

John Besh himself made a pit stop at our table to say hi and I got him to autograph a cookbook to me. I'm really excited because a few of the recipes from the menu are in the book, so it will be fun to try them out at home. And if you aren't in town perhaps the cookbook would be a great addition to your kitchen! The photos in the book are beautiful and I love that it tells a bit about the Louisiana culture. Of course each and every recipe in the book looks delish so it would be a wise investment for any foodie.

Tomorrow I'll share another yummy stop. See you then!

*Note, I did not get a photo with the chef. Kind of bummed and kind of sad since I'm a photographer right?

Italian Rustic

This book belongs on my bookshelf. And it transports me (virtually) to Italy. Now if only I could make the real trek!

Illustrator Love: Mary Blair

A few weeks ago my sister, my hubs and I headed to New Orleans for the day to view the much anticipated exhibit Dreams Come True: The Art of the Classic Fairy Tales From the Walt Disney Catalogue at NOMA. Being a huge fan of illustration and admittedly a lover of all things Disney it seemed a must-see.

While there was I introduced to several Disney artists/illustrators whose work awed me. My favorite part of the exhibit was looking at preliminary sketches and character developments. A few of the illustrators really stood out to me for their whimsical + unique styles and I thought I'd share them with you guys.



First up, Mary Blair. This beloved designer worked for Walt Disney beginning in 1940 (continuing until her death in 1978) and they collaborated on such projects like Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Disney loved her work so, that he asked her to assist with the design of It's A Small World (my favorite ride!).



I'm sure that one look at her amazing handiwork and you'll see why I love her work. Believe me when I say how grateful I am for computers but I have to also say that hand-drawn and painted illustrations are just so amazing! It was really neat to see all of these works up close and to read about the work and detail that goes into producing feature films.

Fun fact: Disney's The Princess and The Frog used hand drawn animation! I LOVE to see traditional 2D media back in the forefront.

Stay tuned for another fabulous artist I learned about on my trip...

Bergdorf Beauties

NYC at Christmas time is magical. Last year when visiting, one of my favorite activities was viewing the windows at Bergdorf Goodman. All of the windows are fabulous decked out for the season but theirs were spectacular. This year BG's windows are equally amazing with the theme being: A Compendium of Curiosities. Described as "A wild cast of character. Tinged with op-art and references to M.C. Escher. Paradoxical points of view. Vintage Victoriana. Laced with the Lewis Carroll "Alice" books. They are surely fantastic!

Sweden Swoon

My mom's family is from Sweden and I really hope to one day travel there. Until then, these photos from Chelsea Fuss of Frolic! (who is living in Sweden at the moment) are holding me over. The colors are gorgeous and the countryside seems just amazing. Take virtual vacation this Monday with me...