Category: vacation

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outdoors vacation what i wore

What I Wore- Into The Woods

I’m not the type of gal that typically looks forward to vacationing in big cities. There’s a reason I live in New Orleans– miles of metropolis doesn’t appeal to me. Perhaps growing up with a swamp literally in my backyard had some effect because when I want to get away from it all I do mean all of it. No cell phone reception, no internet, no nothing. A few weekends ago I took a digital detox by renting a cabin in rural Mississippi in the Homochitto National Forest. It was so utterly blissful that I didn’t want to come back home.

Just because I was having a John Muir moment doesn’t mean I want to totally dress the part. Actually, he was probably pretty snazzy looking- the clothing in the 1800s was far superior in construction than what we buy in stores today. Anyway the trick to looking good is to not really worry about it. Pick comfortable clothes that are somewhat stylish and please, leave the heels at home. Easy, right?
This is a simple shirt but I love the details. The big buttons in the back are just enough detail to add interest without being distracting. The dolmen sleeves update a classic cut so I can own this for years and not worry about looking dated. It’s also by Billy Reid, one of my favorite southern fashion designers so the quality is superb.
Nadia is such a bitch, stealing another shot. You know how everyone supposedly looks like their dogs? I’m still waiting to get tall and skinny just like mine but I shouldn’t hold my breath. I guess we both have big ol’ *ahem* athletic thighs so maybe I’m on my way after all.
If you are seeking your own transcendentalist moment read about my first experience at Forest Retreat on this guest post I did on NO Adventure.
Dolman sleeve shirt- Billy Reid via BillyReid.com
Jeans- Seven for All Mankind via Buffalo Exchange
Shoes- Toms via Gnome
Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
news vacation

Slow Southern News

I’m going on another brief hiatus on Thursday, this time for reasons more fun than moving! I’m visiting two of  my best friends in San Francisco for 5 days. In the meantime here are some news bits to hold you over.

  • Saks Fifth Avenue is giving away free goodie bags loaded with samples and special offers when you make a $75 beauty purchase as part of beauty week now until March 5th.
  • The Marigny Theatre & Allways Lounge is once again hosting a nutria fur fashion show. Nutria-palooza! II: Righteous Fur Fashion Show takes place March 6th at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. 
  • The 1st of the month Freret Market will be on March 6th from noon to 5:00pm. As always local artists, jewelers, and clothing designers will be hawking their wares.
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Categories
hiking vacation

Grand Canyon

I promise I’ll get back to musings on southern style but for a moment I’d like to share photos of what I did on my winter vacation. Before Katrina my husband and I visited the Grand Canyon once a year  until the time we moved to Arizona. We even took a working vacation in 2003 and spent 3 months working for Xanterra at the restaurants on the rim. In 2004 we got married at Havasupai so clearly the Grand Canyon is a special place for us.
I’ve stood in front of this sign at the trail head more times than I can remember but have never taken a picture. We hiked to Phantom Ranch, my favorite place in the world besides New Orleans. Note the drop in elevation from the trailhead to the river. That is a #$!@ on your knees on the way down and a %$#@! of a climb on the way out. Imagine being on a treadmill at the highest incline for 7.1 miles and subtract the ability to get off.

Speaking of steepness check out that trail! We trudged through ice and snow for about 1/2 of the hike in. Some might call me crazy but I actually enjoy this and nothing makes you appreciate walking on flat, dry ground than a steep walk through the snow.

Sis and I at Cedar Ridge.

The bottom of the canyon looks quite different from the top. This was taken standing on a little bridge next to the Bright Angel campgrounds. The large bridge in the background is the black bridge.


Where Bright Angel Creek spits into the Colorado River.

My sister and I both got the memo about black North Face jackets and gray Target yoga pants. We didn’t even realize we were outfit twins until the second day. How dorky.

Here I am getting ready to hike out after spending 3 nights at the bottom.

My husband
If you are interested in planning your own Phantom Ranch trip I highly recommend scoping out Hit the Trail, a comprehensive guide about hiking in the Grand Canyon. I’ll leave you with a few quick tips.
  1. Know what you are getting into. Canyon hiking is like climbing a backwards mountain. While the descent might seem easy at first remember you have to take the same way back up. Everything in the Grand Canyon is steep but some trails are harder than others. The descent is harder on your body but the ascent will really get your heart racing.
  2. Be prepared. I really can’t say this enough. You never know what the weather will be like or if you will get injured. Bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, and appropriate clothing. If you really want a lesson in what not to do Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon is a good start.
  3. Be aware. How close is that edge? Is that a branch lying across the trail or a rattlesnake? What’s that big horn sheep doing over there? 
  4. Don’t be the $#@!^%#@! that feeds the wildlife. Don’t take anything that isn’t yours and hike out all of your trash.
  5. But most importantly have fun! You are here to experience one of the natural wonders of the world. Take lots of pictures, attend a ranger program, soak in the sights, and just sit back and comprehend how incredible your surroundings are.

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Categories
vacation

I’m back!

I’m back from Arizona and ready to start posting! As great as it was getting out of town I need a vacation from my vacation. It went a lil’ something like this:

Monday: flew into Phoenix, rented car and drove 4 hours to Grand Canyon
Tuesday: hiked to bottom of Grand Canyon
Wednesday: relax
Thursday: relax
Friday: hike out of Canyon, drive two hours to Jerome to stay with friends
Saturday: hang out in Jerome for a few hours, drive two hours to Scottsdale (Phoenix), check into hotel, shop at H&M, meet friends at 7:00pm for dinner
Sunday: wake up at 8:00am, check out of hotel, shopping at Nordstrom Rack, lunch with a friend, fly out and back home at 111:00pm

Phew! I never claimed that I take relaxing, easy vacations. I’ll post some pictures as soon as I can and then it is back to my usual reports on southern style. For now I leave you with a shot my myself and Justin, a sartorialist’s dream. He’s one of my best and closest friends and I love him dearly.

p.s. Two things I need to fully disclose.

1. On our first flight back home there were tv monitors built into each seat. This meant that we could watch TWO FULL ESPISODES OF JERSEY SHORE BACK TO BACK. Considering I’ve never had cable t.v. in my adult life this was amazing. We were actually pissed that our flight landed on time because we missed part of the last episode.

2. The day before we left my husband and I put an offer in on a house and it was accepted. It’s not just any house but the home we lived in before Katrina. Having that hanging over your head during vacation is kind of exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. More on first time home buying later.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
Categories
hiking vacation

Vacation

I’m taking a bit of a breather from life and blogging to go on a much deserved vacation. I haven’t taken a proper vacation since August 2008 so I am long overdue.

 Next weekend I have my sister’s college graduation, the Nola Eats holiday party, my work holiday party and then I hop on a plane the next morning for three nights at the bottom of the Grand Canyon followed by visiting friends in Jerome, an ex ghost town, as well as Phoenix. Phew!

I plan on making a few posts from now until Friday to hold y’all over.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style