Small Break + Thanks

First off, I want to thank everyone for such positive feedback on my guest post over at B is For Brown. You kids are absolutely amazing! Feedback like I've gotten encourages me oh-so much and really makes blogging fun. Thank you all soo much. And thanks again to Summer for the invite!

Last night I spent close to 5 hours at the local after-hours clinic. I've been in a little it of pain, and last night I found out that I'm dealing with some infections and a few other issues (read the play by play on Twitter) In just a bit I'll be leaving work to head to a doctor's appointment to get a better look at the infections and run some tests. So its safe to say, I'll be taking a tiny break from Bloggie Land today.

Also, I just wanted to thank Lil Miss Butterbean & Katie from Off Switch for keeping me company on Twitter last night as I waited. You girls are awesome and I can't thank you enough!

Gimme Sum(mer!)

Hello lovey-dovies....

I've officially done my first guest post everrrr. I was so excited (& nervous!) to put something together for one of my favorite bloggers. You can find my ode to Summer's fabulosity and a list of 26 of my favorite things over at her blog, B is for Brown.

As with all firsts and big occasions in life, we must celebrate!

More on this tonight =)

I just like to keep everyone waiting. haha

Also, LyLa will be picking the winner of the first ever Dixie Lust Photo Contest and I will announce the winner bright and early tomorrow.

I'mmm Baccccccck!

Hmm... let's do a catch up post of sorts.

*ahem*

• I'm back from Houston - and I had an amazing time! I cant wait to tell everyone about my little adventure at The Chocolate Bar!

• I took 2 extra days off of blogging to veg out and treat myself to some ridiculous tv watching - Last night I caught the rerun of Kathy Griffin and Paula Deen on the D-List, which is totally my favorite! "You need a gay miracle ... you need a giracle!"

• I'm extending our little photo contest through the weekend since I've been a little neglectful of blogging this week. The winner will be announced MONDAY 9.28.09.So get those entries in!

• The Sugar Cane Festival begins tomorrow around here.... HI SUGAR!

• Tinsel & Treasure is the weekend - I'm going with my mum and company and I absolutely can not wait. LyLas has been talking this thing up for a year!

And We're Off...

Come this afternoon, the family and I will be hitting the road and making our way to Houston, Texas.

While I'll be gone all weekend and wont be blogging, you can keep up with me through Twitter.

I hope each of you has a lovely weekend.

(image via WeHeartit.com)

Buzzzzzzzy Bee

Aside from my latest giveaway (Please Please Please ENTER... and that's not begging. Don't make me show you begging!), I've been a little scarce around here lately. Please don't think I'm ignoring your comments and blogs. I'll be around soon to comment back and read all that my bloggie friends are writing. I've spent the past two nights feeling absolutely inspired and working on a new little venture. I'll be giving all the details on Monday, when I return home from a weekend trip. But until then, I'll give you a ginormous hint on what I've been whipping up!

&&&

And once again, don't be shy about entering Dixie Lust's First Photo Contest!
No need to be from the South to enter - Just get creative and see what you can come up with the themed promt!

I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours

Now most of you know LyLa as the girl who lets me take pictures of her food (oh...and her eating said food) for all of the Friday Lunch Posts or the girl hiding under her desk... To me, shes a bit more. I've known LyLa since 5th grade. She's been a classmate, a best friend, a roommate, a hair stylist, and more recently - a coworker. Last November, she became the other half of the wondrous "Accounting Girls" duo. On days when I sing (off key) to myself aloud, do random karate kicks as I make my way back from the filing room, and misinterpret classic rock lyrics, I thank the heavens that I work with someone who tolerates me - someone who keeps me laughing as she joins in the chaos.

In recent months, she's shared in this whole blogging experience with me. She feigns Publishers-Clearing-House-Winner like surprise when I get new followers. She follows up listening to my daily analytics report with "Your blog gets so much traffic, you need a crossing guard!" But best of all, she's constantly thinking of new and creative ideas for adventures, posts, and contests.

Last week, I was just babbling aloud about feeling a bit over-whelmed and uninspired. I went on about how the South is just such a big, exciting place and I just didn't know where to start. That's when LyLa's wheels started turning - and she came up with a three-fer.

Letting you guys inspire me to get a' movin in the form of a contest.

Not catching on?
No worries.

Let me explain.

Oak Tree. Main Street. New Iberia, LA

Beginning today, Dixie Lust is holding it's first photography contest.

Here's the run down:

• You must be a follower to enter
• You will have one week to submit your photo (9.16.09 - 9.23.09)
• Photos must be submitted by e-mail
• The theme for the photo contest is "My Southern Adventure" - there are no specific guidelines on photo content. It can range from still life, to landscapes, to vacation photos - anything that makes you think of a southern adventure.
• Photos must be personal photographs - i.e. taken by you, have you in the photograph
• At the end of the contest, I will select 3 - 5 of the photos that I find most inspiring. Out of that batch, LyLa will choose her favorite as the winner.
  

The winner will walk away with:

The Chartres St. Gift Basket from the legendary New Orleans cafe, Cafe Du Monde which includes: Regular coffee and chicory, beignet mix, powdered sugar and powdered sugar shaker

and a "Got Beignets?" T-Shirt also from Cafe Du Monde

After the winner is announced, LyLa and I will use the winner's photo as inspiration for an adventure and take our own southern adventure photos to share with everyone!

UPDATE: Just realized that beignets might be more of a Louisiana culture thing than I thought, so if the above has got you scratching your head, click here to learn more about the "official state doughnut of Louisiana"

Just a Thought....

There are just some days when I wish I knew where I'd be in 3, 5, and 10 years from now... Just so I'd know where to focus my energy and time in the present.

Au nom du père, le fils, et l'esprit saint...

Next item to add to The Great Southern Adventure:

Attend a full Sunday mass at the beautiful St. John's Cathedral in Lafayette, LA.

Want to share your southern favorites? Head on over to my Great Southern Adventure post and leave a suggestion. It could be anything - a band, restaurant, attraction, street, museum, hotel, and on and on and on. Your suggestions are then added to the list and the week that I go on your adventure, I'll feature your blog (or twitter) on the sidebar! So what are you waiting for, head on over!

A Motley Crew

Costume Shop Window

Jefferson Street

Lafayette, LA

January 2009

Sunday Shopping

Inspired by the latest giveaway at Rockstar Diaries, I did a little online shopping today at Shabby Apple. I have a few things coming up that I need dresses for so...

I scooped up this little number.....

...and this one as well.

Can't wait for them to come in so I can play dress up and match them up with shoes and clutches. Hurrah!

Little Thing 23

Random acts of kindness (and fabulousness) from one of my favorite bloggers and fellow Louisiana Girl, Summer from B is for Brown

really.

Nice people make me smile smile smile.

Sunrise Cigarettes

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Who: Sons of William

What: "Sunrise Cigarettes"

Why: These kids are the ULTIMATE. I don't even know how to convey what this band is for me. They were one of the first local bands that I fell in love with. It's southern rock and roll at its best. I could tell you so much about them but I'll save bits of that as I feature more of their songs. Right now, I'll share Sunrise Cigarettes with y'all, as it was the first song I heard by Sons of William. And I'll throw in that I often sell their merchandise at Louisiana shows - so if you're ever near a show, stop in and tell me hi!

More: Had to include these just cause I love the photos so much... These are from a SOW/Marc Broussard show at the Soul Kitchen in Mobile, AL back in 2006.

Little Thing 22

Candlelit bubble baths on a Wednesday night - specifically a bubble bath with Indonesian Teak tea lights in my clearance priced Slovenian glass candle holders

Let's Hope Talent is Genetic...

Simply put, my mama is one helluva woman.

If I had one wish, it would probably be to grow up to be her.

She's on top of everything - every little detail - from fully themed dinner parties to managing a house so clean it's completely reasonable to consider eating off the tile floor. So when it comes to gifts, it goes without saying that presents are rarely bought. Instead, there's a 3 week marathon of non-stop sewing and crafting.

One thing that my mum's perfected is the baby bib / burp cloth combo. As LyLa puts it, my family reproduces like rabbits - there's alllllwaaaays a baby on the way. Each bebe gets showered with custom matching baby goodies - right down to the diaper bag.

These are the latest made for our long awaited and very much deserved baby boy in Houston.

Yep.

Bitty baby crawfish for the bitty baby boy

I can't wait to see this on him when he arrives in November.

Live. Laugh. Love.

St. John Street

Lafayette, Louisiana

January 2009

Grumps Magee

If you guys haven't noticed, I disappeared for a few days and while I could easily blame it on exciting Labor Day plans, I'll be honest - I was a complete grump with a serious case of the "I don't wants." I've been stuck in my head, annoyed, grumpy and just plain lazy - and with no real cause for all this moodiness. I stayed in all day yesterday just so I wouldn't spread the negative, yet a tiny bit of it made its way over to Gentleman Caller. While I'm in a much better mood now, I just wanted to say I'm sorry to GC.

(images via WeHeartIt)

Houston, We have an Issue!

You know what they say about issues, right?

ISSSSSH-YOU!

mahaha. Get it? It's you? Issue?

Man. I don't know why I find that so funny everrrry single time.

*sigh*

I digress.

(image via WeHeartIt)

My dear dear expansive and knowledgeable Internet, not this weekend but next I'll be making my way to the big bad city of Houston, Texas. And aside from my long-awaited trip to The Chocolate Bar, I don't really have much else planned. I've already done the usual shopping and the expected dinning places, but I'm looking for something to blow my mind.

What are some of the "can't miss" places in Houston?

The Levee

Typical Sunday with Gentleman Caller...

He finds it funny that I'd jump out of a plane with no fear yet I get nervous when he drives on the levee...

Little Thing 21

Hanging out with Mizz Wormser again after waaaaay too long (since December!) and getting to see how incredibly happy she is being a New Yorker with her oh-so funny boyfriend!

(Photo circa 2008)

Holy Moly... The Hottness.

Post pre-birthday lunch with Lyla (figured that one out?), she and I were doing our usual "scan facebook on two computers that are 10 feet apart & call each other over to show our findings" thing when she called me over to see some engagement photos. Assuming the photos were an atrocious hot-mess (seeing as how we live for for the tacky, absurd, and awful), I ran over - oh the contrary! Lyla went to Aveda with the Bride-to-Be and vouches that this gorgeous girl with the gorgeous fiance in these gorgeous photos by this insanely talented photographer is super sweet and incredibly nice. Ahhh, of course.

As a photography geek, I'm professing my love for this one - the field, the light, the pose... everything. It's absolute perfection.

Click here to see the rest of the photos from the session and to read a little bit about the couple and the location (Ville Platte, y'all!).

And be sure to check out the rest of Courtney Dellafiora's blog. The things this woman can do with natural light - it's pure insanity. Oh, yeah - she's never taken a class or read a photography book in her life. Jealous much?!

Every Leaf is a Flower

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus

While most of the United States has four individual seasons, Louisiana has chosen to adopt the theory that two mashed-up cuhhhh-razzzzy seasons are all you really need. There's "Oh My Damn - It's so freaking hot that I just may go sit nekkid in the convenience store walk-in beer cooler while sippin' on an 32 oz. Icee " which is normally April through August. (And yes - that was "nekkid", not "naked") And then there's my favorite season "Oh My Damn - I can finally blink without breaking a sweat so bring on the steaming hot Gumbo and let's all sit around a ginormous fire" which takes up the rest of the year.

Its as though everyone is writing Autumn a pretty little love letter on their blogs today, and I won't be any different. "Oh My Damn - I can finally blink without breaking a sweat so bring on the steaming hot Gumbo and let's all sit around a ginormous fire" (or OMDICFBWBASSBOTSHGALASAAGF if you care to call it so) has seemingly come along with the flipping of my calendar and to say I couldn't be happier is a complete understatement.

I feel as though I'm about to burst out of my skin with pure exhilaration. I don't even think I can describe how great a mood I'm in - it's as though nothing can go wrong, and when it does, it simply doesn't matter. I'm marveling how easily my mood is influenced by the weather. Is anyone else like this?? It's like a dash cool air, a smidgen of clear sky, a little bit of sunshine and as Emeril would say BAM! Best mood ever!

It doesn't hurt that things are fall-ing (ooh my did I just attempt a weather pun?) back into place with Gentleman Caller and we've started seeing each other again. =)

(Image via WeHeartIt)

A Little Gifty For Y'all!

I know you guys love Grass is Greener just about as much as I do - and tons of you left comments and posted links for the huge giveaway that just wrapped up. So if you aren't fortunate enough to be Mama Belle, I have a little surprise for you!

Starting Friday (9.4.09) all the way through Monday (9.7.09), use the code "dixielust" in the Message to Buyer field at checkout and save 15% on all items in the store as well as 15% off on any custom pieces!

Haley is working hard this week to stock the store with more fabulous goodies, including those super adorable storage pouches (see above!) that so many of you liked! So go scope out your favorite bits today and get on that this weekend!

Food Trumps Electronics

(In reference to this)

Kora Bruce: I should probably get an otter box .... i just dropped my iPhone into a bowl of gumbo.

Gentleman Caller: Gumbo? where did you find gumbo?

Kora Bruce: oh yeah surrrrrrrre. don't even worry about the iPhone... My mother made a gumbo. It was delish. You're jealous.

Gentleman Caller: Oh, how is the phone?