Monday, June 13, 2011

Festival Season = Joy!

Louisiana festival season is in full swing and this past weekend we took in the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Vieux To Do, three amazing festivals all rolled into one. First, it was the Creole Tomato Festival, followed by the Louisiana Seafood Festival, capped off by the Cajun-Zydeco Music Festival. Though it was brutally hot (antonym for joy), we tried to stay cool by keeping the Abita beer tent in business and snacking on the amazing blueberry basil sorbetto from la Divina Gelateria.




It was so hot we didn't eat much, but the fresh produce and heirloom tomatoes from Covey Rise Farms were so beautiful we couldn't help, but relish in all the bright colors and endless recipe possibilities.








Friday, June 10, 2011

NOLA = Joy!

So, we've finally made the move to New Orleans. It only took one year, one week, and three days to sell our home in Baton Rouge, but who's counting? No more long commutes, no more Metairie traffic, no more idiots stopping on the spillway to gawk at the river rushing into the lake (it's just water, people). This is home. And, will be for awhile.

School's ended and I have my summer to explore, write, be creative. I think the city will be good for me. I'm already inspired on an hourly basis and feel like a child walking through my new Faubourg St. John neighborhood. My head is on a complete swivel and I can't take it all in fast enough. The other morning I was inspired to go walking, and brought my camera along to capture some snaps of this beautiful place.

This looks exactly like what I imagine Villa Villekulla looks like. Any minute I am waiting for a horse to peer over the fence and for Pippi Longstocking and Mr. Nilsson to come bounding down the stairs. (God, I am such a dork!)
  
The peaceful and serene Fortier Park
Chess, anyone?
Just your average, ordinary neighborhood park complete with modern sculpture.
This neighborhood is full of amazing stained glass, but this is one of my favorites.
So beautiful! I wish I didn't kill everything I try to grow.
No lie - these are hand-carved, and painted wooden posts. And, yes those are corn cobs.
I can't even paint a bedroom without getting the wall color on the ceiling. How on earth did they so carefully paint the top of this porch?
Ivy-blanketed stairs
And, of course...our friendly neighborhood Saints fan!