Big Easy Fun: Chillaxin' on Magazine Street

Happy hump day! This past weekend I had a heavenly visit in The Crescent City aka New Orleans. I traveled down to The Big Easy for a good friend's wedding and ended up having the time of my life. She and her husband are a couple that make me love love even more, I ate like a pig, listened to great live jazz and discovered a new shopping haunt that I'm excited to tell you guys about.

While I had read about the trendy shops and hip restaurants on Magazine Street in mags like Lucky before, this visit was my first time in the area. After a $15 cab ride from the French Quarter, my girls and I ooohed and awwwed in boutiques up and down Magazine Street. A vintage lovers dream, the strip of about 7-10 blocks was a nice retreat from the often loud and crowded Bourbon and Frenchman Streets. I scored a sweet little vintage purse from Funky Monkey while my girl Big C snagged a beautiful Petro Zilla sundress from the retail goldmine. I'm also totally siked about my long Indian inspired drop earrings for a mere $12 from the nearby Ah-Ha boutique that I ended up wearing to my friend's wedding.


Me (in the purple dress) and my girl Shay during the wedding reception. I'm wearing my new earrings in this pic. ;-)

A true highlight of our excursion was the dip into Sucre for a sweet treat. Everything from gelato to marshmellows are for sale in this adorable space. Apparently Oprah digs their delectable desserts as well.


Sucre on Magazine Street in The Big Easy is a must-visit. I can still taste my blueberry treat -- part custard, part tart (called a Bluet). Mmm, mm good!

If you happen to make your way down to Nawlins in the near future, be sure to do something off the beaten path as well. Take a walking tour of the historical Treme neighborhood and learn about the free Blacks who were doin' it big in the South long before slavery was officially abolished in the U.S. And then get yourself a plate of catfish and grits from Lil' Dizzy's. Tell Ms. Lucy I said "Hey!"

What Recession?: Vintage Shopping 101

Okay so the recession is very real but I refuse to moan and groan about it. That old saying about the happiest people not having the most of everything but rather making the most of what they do have couldn't be more timely. And it applies to how we dress as well.

Enter vintage shopping. Vintage has been "hip" for a minute now but folks are looking to vintage and secondhand (or third or forth) even more to make a dollar stretch. Um, keeping your home off the foreclosure block or ensuring Junior stays at University is more important than a new Gucci purse, right????

But I know many people are intimidated by vintage shopping. So, I dug up an article I penned for a custom published mag nearly 4 years ago on vintage shopping. Here are a few highlights:

*The first lesson on vintage shopping is to understand exactly what it is. Constance White, fashion expert and style director for eBay explains, "A garment generally has to be at least 10 years old for it to be considered vintage."

*The best vintage items are probably right under your nose, or in your attic. Search through Grandma's chest and you just might uncover the perfect little clutch you've been looking for. Remember this post about shopping in your own closet?

*If you're saving your pennies (Who isn't these days?), stay away from vintage stores in places like NYC's Soho or Washington's Georgetown. Vintage doesn't always mean inexpensive and touristy areas usually mean higher price tags. Instead, opt for Goodwill, Salvation Army, garage/yard sales and flea markets off the beaten path.

*Fret not if you don't strike gold on your first vintage adventure. It might take a few visits to the same store before you land that must-have item.

*Before determining whether you really have a bargain, check for missing buttons, permanent stains and other damage like rips. Only you can know for sure if the repair costs will be worth it in the long run.

*Wearing head-to-toe vintage is quite a challenge to pull off--even for a vet. Try to stick to mixing elements of vintage into your existing contemporary wardrobe. The result is more likely to be modern and sophisticated than dated and weird.