Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

NOLA (New Orleans)

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The last time I was in New Orleans, it was Mardi Gras. Was it a sleepless series of hoopla and parties for me? Nope—I was 12 and with my grandparents. I remember the atmosphere of the town, but I’m pretty sure I was asleep by 9pm at the latest. Oh but those beignets, mmmm. So in the spirit of all things New Orleans (especially because of the awesome new series on HBO—Treme) today we Shop Local NOLA aka New Orleans.

The Back Porch Shoppe is run by Darline and her husband and guess where their “studio” is? Their backporch. Duh. And Darline is also a certified clogging instructor—I had nooo idea what that was, so I looked it up. Clogging is a folk dance with roots in African American, European, and traditional Cherokee dance. Pretty cool. It’s basically representing the earliest of our ancestors here in the United States. Darline and her husband make each piece in their shop by hand, from cutting the wood, to sanding, and then painting the designs and pattern. Darline has another shop as well. You can find ephemera like hardware, buttons, old bottles, lace, etc. All good stuff when you lie to repurpose or remake things yourself.

My other brush with New Orleans culture was when I planned a wedding for a cute couple from there. The had won a wedding from Martha Stewart Weddings in Puerto Rico. One of the things they wanted to include in the party was a Second Line dance. So of course, we needed umbrellas. And just like Liz, the maker of these umbrellas, we also used them to keep the guests shaded. I love the idea of walking through the streets with one of these fantastic creations. It serves a really important purpose, too, because we all need to stay out of the hot sun as the weather gets warmer. Liz’s work is also available in person, at Lost & Found at 323 Chartres St. in the French Quarter (504) 595-6745.

I have a little girl with unruly hair, so I am always on the hunt for cute hair clips. I wouldn’t describe these clips from Etsy seller FunkyHairClips as cute, they’re way cooler than that. I also love how she explains her story of starting her handmade business, she says that she was an English major, and if history were a band she’d be a groupie. So here designs are a reflection of that love of the old, and she gets inspiration from the streets of New Orleans and the eclectic blend of the old and the new. She says, “my true love is New Orleans–the hot tropic climate, the madness of Mardi Gras, the saturation of color, even the sprawling gothic voodoo creepiness of the “Cities of the Dead”. Give me my aging madness–floods, disasters and all! And that about says it all, don’t you think?

Summer in the Gulf

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It’s interesting how things “get to you” in an unexpected way. I, like many others have been hearing reports about the story of the oil spill in the gulf. I try to keep up with the news – partly because I find it interesting, and also because I think it’s important to stay informed. With the advent of blogs and social media – what I’ve noticed over the years is how events become more real and more personal – as you hear so many more of the stories from people who are affected.

I went to New Orleans for the first time this fall, for a wedding, and like so many others before me I fell in love with the city. I’d love to go back some day, not just to New Orleans but also to visit some of the surrounding areas. It is a city rich in history, with an energy unlike any I’ve experienced elsewhere. But after Katrina, there is still a slight pall hanging over the city – the cities residents freely engage with visitors, and after learning that we were visiting, more than one local told us how the city has changed, and how it has affected their families.

Today while doing some research for my post – which with the sunny weather and our upcoming trip to California (see my last post for all the details on that) I thought would have some kind of of a beach or summer theme – as that’s my frame of mind these days! I came across the lovely shop of L. Young Studio – and was immediately reminded of Louisiana by items like the one pictured above. And then it reminded me of fellow blogger, Mallory, at Miss Malaprop who finds herself in the midst of the mess in the Gulf… And the beauty of the items in L. Young’s studio put it all together for me – it reminded me what a shame it is that they have to deal with more heartbreak.

So while it is almost summer here, and things are rosy for me – I take this as a reminder to consider what’s going on elsewhere and to see if there is at least a small way I can help in the links that Mallory has provided here.