Little Thing 56

Being reminded of gorgeous Louisiana sunsets

Tout Simplement Magnifique

Just a quick one before I get on with my Thursday!
(That's right...THURSDAY. Not Wednesday like half of us are feeling. Hallelujah!)



Having a google alert on your name comes with a few advantages. Sure, you know when the internet is talkin' bout you. But you also manage to stumble upon insanely talented Louisiana photographers who share your name and your love for New Orleans.
What's that?That only happens to me?Yeah. I know.
I'll share with y'all.You can treat yourself to Michelle C. Broussard's New Orleans Slideshow as well.

Exhausted Love

So I'm absolutely exhausted this beautiful Friday morning!But since I've been non-stop all week with such brilliantly wonderful happenings,I thought this would be the perfect time to try my hand at Summer's Friday, Im in Love Series!
So this Friday, here's what I'm in love with:

Un.


The beautiful people at Bayou Teche Brewing who bring me samples of their newest beer, LA-31 Biere Pale while I merch the Marc Broussard show.

Deux.

Anyone who is willing to make me their super-secret-from-scratch-recipe crepes for me at 1 in the morning and lets me lick the Nutella off of the knife.

Trois.

Women, who even at age 50+, have the cojones to bring the no pants party out in public.... and Im pretty sure everyone got a flash-peek at her cojones once or twice.

Quatre.

Canes Sauce.If you've had it, you know thats all that needs to be said.

Cinq.

My brother and my pretty-much sister in law - This past week with them has been a total blast and I'm absolutely blessed to have them both in my life.
ps. Hillary loves salad?

Six.

The new Secret Society - Laid back wine and cheese Wednesdays with MTher complete with silly talks and eavesdropping.

Sept.

Nights at Enterprise Plantation with my family.Realizing that I completely lucked out in the awesome family department.& even having my Aunt call me out about "slacking on the blog"Hi Aunt Molly! This post is for you!

Puttin' on My Merch Pants

Tonight.

Like I need to say anything else.

((image stolen from the Sheriff - cause thats how I do?))

South Side

"here we are now going to the south side

i pick up my friends and we hope we won't die

ride at night, ride through heaven and hell

come back and feel so well. "

"South Side" MOBY

Okay so maybe the above song has nothing to do with my delicious Friday lunch, but its stuck in my head and who doesn't love a little lyrical flair in their posts?

So theres not much to say about Southside Bakery other than it is pure palate awesomeness. From brownies to cookies to cakes - they have it everything to satisfy your sweet tooth. But my favorite part has to be their lunch menu and their gourmet burgers!

On the way over to Southside, we saw pimped out golf carts at the custom rims shop.

My delish gourmet bacon cheeseburger and french fries!

Peace, Love, & FESTIVAL

While I'm off to Houston this weekend for the Stroll for Epilepsy, I can't fight the excitement about the upcoming week.

I've already mentioned the Marc Broussard show at Blue Moon Saloon

and my cousin Matt is getting married on Friday

But what I'm most excited for is....

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE LOUISIANE!

The official festival website describes it best:

Festival International de Louisiane is a community-based, non-profit arts organization formed in 1986 to produce an annual visual and performing arts festival celebrating the French cultural heritage of southern Louisiana – primarily a combination of French, African, Caribbean and Hispanic influences. The largest outdoor, FREE Francophone event in the U.S., the Festival places special emphasis on highlighting the connections between Acadiana and the Francophone world. Each year performing, visual and culinary artists from Europe, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean and the Americas are invited to share their talents with Louisiana artists, residents and visitors.

And y'all.... I'm soooo jazzed for this festival.

Everyone's begun looking over the schedules and comparing notes on who they're excited to see, I'm already tasting of all the local and international food vendors lined up along the streets,...Lafayette is abuzz with excitement.

The Festival drums up even more excitement with their videos on YouTube...

So I've picked a few of the ones that make me smile to share with y'all.

This one is a must watch. I see it as such a visual of how diverse the festival is and proof of how excited everyone gets.

Plus a kid I went to High School to with is in the video - I refer to him as the funniest person Ive ever met.

You can pick him out by his lopsided 'fro.

22 seconds of down-right stinkin' adorableness.

I die. Totally my favorite part of the festival as well!

An insane set a few years back by Balkan Beat Box

Cant wait to share more of the festival with y'all!

Its About That Time Again...

Just when I start to feel like its been too long since I've gotten my Marc Broussard fix, another show pops up just around the corner.

This time around Marc will be doing his Festival International show at Blue Moon Saloon on Tuesday April 20th.

If any of y'all are in the area, Id love to see your happy smiling faces!

Whether you've seen his live show ten times or you've never even heard his music, you're in for a real treat. Come on by the merch table and tell me hi!

Monday's Shuffle...

Oooh My.
In an attempt to see a certian handsome twangy boy (that I'm still not quite ready to write alllll about) amidst a insaaane week - last night we did what I'm going to refer to as a "SoLa Shuffle."

A - My House
B - My Work
C - Handsome Twangy Boy's Work
D - Handsome Twangy Boy's House
R - Rendezvous Point

((PS - Dont overlook that super lovely Lombardi Trophy over in Drew Orleans, LouBREESiana))

What happened at Rendezvous Point you ask?
Just your usual Dinner + Wandering around PetSmart...
trying to convince a certian someone that they need to buy a kitty cat.

"It's been hardly a moment //And you are already missed//There is still a bit of your skin//That I've yet to have kissed" - hellogoodbye

Little Thing 41

Spending my Saturday with Ben at Jungle Gardens...

Belief Has Brought Us Here

Click HERE for the best video EVER.

(( video via Sum // sorry couldn't get the embed feature to work))

I know some you are saying to yourself, "Hey People of Louisiana - It's just a football game."

And you know what we say to that?

1. Shush 'yo mouth. Jesus don't like ugly.

2. WHO DAT?!

The Saints are New Orleans. New Orleans is Louisiana. Louisiana is Football.

One in the same.

Now c'mon and celebrate with us.

Cause as Gov. Bobby Jindal has proclaimed, it's "WHO DAT NATION WEEK!"

Are Twelve Twenty-Somethings Smarter than a Single 5th Grader?

((I keep myself entertained, even while pumping gas))

Y'all really,... I hate to brag, but I've had theee best New Years extended weekend. Way better than I expected it to be - so to 2010, keep up the good work buddy. You're sucking way less than 2009.

New Years Eve is hands down my favorite pseudo-holiday. It's just one of those kind of nights. It's just about friends and family coming together - it's not about the truckloads of presents or slaving away in the kitchen all day. Everyones in this weird, hopeful, happy trance as we wish upon the clock for the best year yet.

This year, we did another bonfire at LyLa & her hubby's house out in Henry (read: Boondocks) - it's the second year that we've done our NYE thing there. There's something about their house that feels like home. Maybe its the fact that LyLa alwaaaays has something amazing cooked up (Seriously. This time around it was 4 types of homemade kolaches, 2 types of brownies, and some sort of cheese dip in a a heated dip bowl that looked like a Sombrero...don't even ask on the last bit). Maybe it's all the puppies and Mama Cat running around and snuggling up in your lap. Or it's possibly the fact that if you decide last minute to spend the night, there are a pair of pajama pants and a blanket waiting for you on the couch. Maybe it's all of that plus a few other things that have MTher and I begging for LyLa to adopt us. Like I said... It just feels like home. And theres no where else I would have rather spent my last day of 2009.

The night started off with grand ideas of a bon fire (real logs! no pallets!) complete with s'mores - but at 10 minutes 'til midnight it started raining and everyone headed in to the kitchen. As we stood around the kitchen - everyone still catching up with each other - someone turned on the TV in the other room and the countdown began. It made me laugh to myself... we all counted down with a little less enthusiasm than normal and as the clock struck 12, the room was oddly silent. Everyone lined the kitchen cabinets, arms crossed or holding their drink close to their chest, eyes darting around the room and finally resting on the floor. Then someone said what we were all thinking.... "Man.... we're getting old." A bunch of twenty somethings.... feeling old. What a way to bring in 2010.

As if feeling "old" wasn't enough - we added insult to injury and gathered around LyLa & D's new TV (hello gorgeous!) and attempted to play "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" on the Wii. Turns out...we're not.

Oh man - we were awful! We had the med student guessing at 5th grade health, the MBA student trying to help, and a draftsman attempting 2nd grade measurements. Finally, we just started yelling out the first answer we saw and hoped it was right.

Education FAIL.


Me + Mel


SKing + Me


We ♥ Woodchuck


Sadly, we are not smarter.

Sunday Reading

I've holed myself up on the couch, under my warmest fuzzy blanket, and settled into Chris Rose's 1 Dead in Attic . I find myself getting goosebumps with every turn of the page, and making mental notes of every line that I wish I could pass on to you...

But for now, the dedication page says it all...

NOLA Part IV: Insane Throwback

Preface: This post is mainly for Lyla. She's been on vacation all week, and my lonely little heart misses her at work. This one is dedicated to her.

Backstory: Last month Lyla and I were at an "event" ( I won't say for what - That'll surely get me in trouble. Also, I won't even dare to use the word "party" - because that would imply an entirely different atmosphere.) Okay so we were at an "event" and there was a gentleman at this "event" - You could describe him as "mid-forties" and "straight laced."

He came by to inform us that he used to listen to country music but now he listens to that new fangled "pop music." He then went on to ask us if we had ever heard of the Black Eyed Peas, and if we knew their *new* song "Boom Boom Pow." LyLa & I shrugged and we're notified that it was his official jam - like roll down the windows and blast it sort of jam.

If you thought that was a jem of imagery, prepare yo'self.

Later in the evening, LyLa over hear these bits: ""Back in '88, I went to a bachelor party at the Dungeon in the French Quarter....," "...it was so crazy, we played whatever we wanted on the jukebox." "...you could even buy cigarettes from a machine inside the bar."

WHAAAA??! Party over in '88!

So as I was trolloping around the FQ on my little NOLA rendezvous, I stumbled upon the insanity that is NOLA's *greatest* party mecca, the Dungeon.

Please do not make me describe the crowd out front. It pains me too much.

NOLA Part III: Worst Trip Photos...Ever.

I know you kids have been waiting for these for a while.

But before we continue on, let me point out a few things so you can skip over them if you make a comment. SKing and I apparently have a very limited number of poses - I'm going to say a max of 2. It may look like more, but trust me those photos are just us transitioning into pose un or pose deux. Also. I promise we were actually in NOLA - the French Quarter to be exact - for these. I'm aware that you can't actually see this but in the background of these there are actually drunks making asses of themselves, hoochie girls making out for attention, and some old guy thinking hes going to get some because hes wearing a von dutch hat circa 2003. Hello Dirty Coast! And thirdly and lastly, you're going to be all, "Dude Kora... did you really have to photoshop each of these into black and white submission?!" Yes. Yes I did. I had to shield your beautiful bloggy eyes from our "walking dead" corpse-like-faces... a result of our tranny makeup not being able to withstand the humidity of Bourbon.

And if you're wondering about the hunky Scottish boy in the photos, We may not know many poses, but we certianly do know how to make friends and keep it classy.

NOLA Part II: Satan Moonlights as Rachel Zoe

Lets start out with this little jewel of information: Sometimes I do things with out really thinking them through. Sounds innocent enough, right? Like Sunday night when I made toast, poured myself a big glass of cold milk, and settled down with my new Women's Health... And I realized that my skim milk had gone reaaaaally bad (I'm talking chunks bad).... but only AFTER I had taken a big ole gulp of it.

Yeah.

I'm gagging a little now just thinking of it.

But really, I do silly stuff like that quite often. I just get an idea in my head, and I just sort of run with it... whether that thought is "OHH Jesus, Momma needs some yummy breakfast for dinner." or say...."Oooohweee sexy strappy hooker heels?! Perfect for NOLA..."

(Some of you see the direction this is headed. For everyone else, the point of this post is to show I'm nowhere near the perfect hair/perfect red lips/so in love with everything that makes KLaw cringe.)

So. New Orleans. Fabulous girls weekend.

My partner in crime for the weekend was the amazing and oh-so fashionable, SKing. The girl talks about Louis, Channel, and Manolo like they're old childhood friends. And although she could easy rock out a t-shirt and jeans, she overdresses for everrrrything. Not hatin'. Just saying she looks uber fab on any occasion.

So in the days leading up to our rendezvous with the Big Easy, I get to thinking that this weekend would be the time to step up the fashion game. "Heck," I think, "I used to be a fashion major. I'm certainly not afraid of the sassy. I've just gotten lazy."

In the sweaty haze of trying on 934 outfit combinations, I settle on a heatherd grey v-neck, a black leather skirt, a red Members Only jacket, and the fiercest strappy ankle booties I have ever seen. Never mind the fact that I think ankle booties make my legs look like tree trunks. I was going to sacrifice them in the name of fashion...

In the hotel on Saturday night, we were a little behind schedule so we raced to throw on our outfits, scrub off a little bit of our tranny make-up (Thank you to both MAC Cosmetics and Florescent Lighting. You kids are awesome), and straighten our hair that was already matted with sweat from running up Canal.

In the split second that I had to spare I scanned the mirror and imagined a little Rachel Zoe on my right shoulder uttering "I die." and a little Mayra on my left cooing "Bananas!" as she eyed my shoes.

I felt fab.

Until 2 minutes later...

As we trucked it down Bourbon street.

I could feel the sticky sweat start to roll down my back, so I ripped off the jacket and checked my watch.

Cursing and picking up the pace, I began to do that reallllly lame half-jog as I weaved in and out of traffic. Thats when I noticed the zippered back of my skirt was now in the front... WTF?!

Turns out the leather skirt was quickly moving up and around as I walked. No wonder I was hearing so many "Damn Girl..."'s from the Bourbon folk.

I die.

No really.

I die of mortification.

By the time I got to One Eyed Jacks, I had to duck into the shadow to adjust just about everrrrything. and sadly the rest of the night went much the same way - lots of unintentional skin, lots of adjusting, lots of swearing and moaning in pain.

Fast forward to the next morning: my thighs were literally purple from chaffing because the skirt was so fitted/didn't breathe, my feet ached so badly that I cringed to even think of walking, annnnd I had a 3 inch long blister on my feel from my oh-so fierce shoes.

Kora's NOLA Fashion: epic. fail.

Worst. Outfit. Ever.

Got that?

Marc Broussard Prize Pack Winner

I'm a weee bit late posting this, but I chose the winner of the Marc Broussard Prize Pack Giveaway this morning and the winner is...

Megan
from

Houma, LA

Megan will be receiving a copy of my favorite Marc Broussard CD, Carencro, a Marc Broussard T-shirt, a box of Macaroons from Sucre on Magazine Street, and a wooden fleur key chain.

Thanks to everyone who entered. I can't wait to put together more prize packs for you guys to win!

Fu Man Roux

I've gone ahead and entered the Stache Contest over at B is for Brown.

This is my submission - a Cajun 'Stache that goes by the name of the Fu Man Roux.

Here's what I sent in with my entry:

"I came up with the idea thinking about how you always go out to dinner here and there's some crazy Cajun rocking a fantastic stache but as he's chowing down on all the delish Cajun food, bits and pieces get stuck in his stache (and beard, and I once even witness someone get crab shells in their bushy eyebrows! ouch!)... so in my stache creation, I tried to cram in all the yummy bits from our food: crabs, crawfish, gator, Tony's, Tabasco, file', rice, and of course red beans on to my favorite 'stache style - the fu man chu!"

Palming Up...

Earlier in the year, I got involved with a local life coach and a group of women I came to refer to as my "women's forum." And after that very first sentence, some of you are flying over to close out the window - "Get me out of here! One emo post, a week or two of barely posting, and Kora's back laying it all out there with talk of therapy and meshugana women who are so allll about the feelings." Oh contraire mon frere. Stay with me. This is going somewhere. As I was taught in my very first session, life coaching focuses on the "now" and the "future" while therapy tends to delve into one's past. It's of a way of figuring out your values and living a life each day that reflects those values. Sounds a little new agey, right? Like I'm over here in billowy tie-dyed gauchos and strappy tevas, about to get my healing stones out and realign my chi....

Not quite. Most Tuesdays it felt like a convergence of Lafayette's elite - women who wanted to do more (all while being dressed to the nines). There was the stunning Argentinian newscaster who wanted to pursue journalism in Louisiana, the straight from the J.Crew Fall catalog psychiatrist who wanted to be more creative, the woman diagnosed with cancer as she took care of her aging mother who wanted to make time for herself... the list goes on. It was hours of conversation that had me walking out the door inspired and fearless - ready to do it all. But each week, before the discussions began, before we mapped out that weeks goals, before we compared notes on our struggles, we started with meditation. As Camille, our life coach, instructed - we sat up straight, feet flat on the floor, palms in our lap facing the ceiling all while she guided us through breathing exercises.

It began as a silly jab at the new agey spiritual side of coaching. When things got insane around the office or someone was pushing their redonkulous ish's on me, I feigned a meltdown and claimed that I needed to rush to the bathroom for meditation - or to "palm up, " if you will. But eventually, I found myself in all seriousness sitting on the back of the toilet, back flat against the wall, eyes shut, & palms up when things got to be too much. It was nice to just sit and breathe - just to be in that moment and not worry about what just happened or what piece of insanity was on its way.

It's no secret that life's been a roller coaster for me these past few weeks. And while a lot of amazingly wonderful things have come my way, it just feels like I haven't stopped to breathe. Ive been running around trying to fit in so much all while having the new concern of monitoring this whole "health ish." I haven't blogged as often as I would have liked to, but don't think I'm fading away. New Orleans was my so-said "swanky girls" weekend. While I had the time of my life, running around the dirty coast, chasing handsome boys, in heels on no sleep is just a weeee bit exhausting. I started my week already burnt out. Meanwhile, things have really taken off with Blog Lust. I'm so excited about all the people I'm getting to meet and all the designs I'm getting to try out, but I'm a little bit late in getting it all optimized for efficiency. This week I did some researching and bought a laptop so I could be the "Nomad of Blogging and Design" (Seriously, please refer to me as that. It's the most bad ass nickname. I die.) I'm really not complaining - I'm thrilled with so many aspects of my life these days. I just don't want you guys to think I'm not here to stay.

This weekend, I'm catching up on life. I'm taking a breather. I'm palming up in the grandest sense of it all. I'm holed up at Cajun Palms this weekend - I've got my own cabin here, laptop and design software in tow. I plan on using all the hot water in the shower, wearing stretchy pants all weekend, drinking a few Purple Hazes, and completely catching up on my blogging and design - all with no excuses. I will sleep late. I will go in the hot tub, despite the fact that its November. I will watch ridiculous amounts of Disney Channel and Sex and the City (hello pink velour book of DVDs!).

Basically, I'm here this weekend to do anything and everything I want - to do all the things I've been meaning to catch up on and to stop feeling "behind." Just to be in the moment and enjoy where I am.

Stick around cause there's going to be a ton coming your way - the rest of my New Orleans trip, coverage from Zydeco Weekend at Cajun Palms, announcements for friends, and so much more.

NOLA I: The Not So Grand Entrance

You'd think this would have been more help...

8-0. Need I say more? oh wait... WHO DAT?!

Forget New Orleans, Let's pass it up and head to the West Bank.

URRRH, We're not lost. We ♥ the West Bank... By the way, why are the exits not numbered?!

After our lengthy trip to Gretna (3 minutes), we find out theres a toll to get back into NOLA. *cue the frantic search for cash*

While we're stuck here, lets get new facebook defaults!

Still lost, but actually in NOLA

Right about the time we pulled out the giant fold-up map

Dickie Brennan's Palace Cafe on Canal Street

Our Hotel on Canal

The view from 2828

See the river?!

Part 2 to come tomorrow!