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Holding Harts

Sometimes fashion is viewed as something that is just a little bit frivolous.  However, as a new clothing line launched by New Orleans native, Daquari Alane DeLeon demonstrates, fashion and art can be vehicles for very important causes.  This collection called Holding Harts “hopes to bring awareness, healing and a voice through art and fashion to those who are hurting from childhood sexual abuse.” 
Images c/o Holding Harts
 
 

Each design in the collection is a Holding Harts sketch that is has been applied to a women’s tee shirt.  The line features 7 different designs available in sizes small to extra-large, and prices start at $42.  To purchase a piece of the collection, you can go to the website at www.holdingharts.com.  A beautiful design combined with a good cause is always something to check out.
Elizabeth McNair
Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
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children's clothing elizabeth mcnair etsy

Everything’s White

One of the most exciting things about Etsy is that you can find beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces which might be difficult to find otherwise.  These items are much more personalized and have the potential to be heirloom items or treasured possessions.  The beautiful crotched items in Joyce Florence’s etsy shop Everythingswhite fall into this category.  As the name implies, almost everything in the shop is made of white thread.  Joyce agreed to do an interview where she shared some more about her lovely creations with us.

Baby Girl Dress- image c/o Everything’s White

Since you have been doing needlework for over 40 years, what prompted you to start your etsy shop “Everythingswhite”? 
I just love to make pretty things, preferably, white lacy things. I was crocheting doilies, doll clothes, bedspreads, table runners, sweaters and scarves for me and an occasional baby set for friends at work. But, you can only make so much and then you don’t have any place to put it all. I loved making things but I didn’t necessarily have to keep them. So I thought I might try to sell them.  I only knew about ebay for online selling so I asked my older sister who also does beautiful needlework if she had ever sold on ebay. She said “no” that she sold on ETSY. She got me started in 2008 but I didn’t actively “work” my shop until 2 years ago. 
All the work I do, whether in my job at the Fitness Center or making things for ETSY, I feel I must glorify my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to convey His love to everyone I come in contact with. I try to be as patient and understanding as I can be, which can be really hard when dealing with the public. When I started my ETSY shop, I asked the Lord how I could glorify Him in this endeavor. That is why in every order I include a beautiful crocheted cross, free of charge. I hope to brighten someone’s day when they receive this little gift. In a way, I feel like I am sharing God’s love to that person. 

Christening Gown- image c/o Everything’s White

Where do you get the ideas for your designs? 
I have to admit that I use a lot of patterns because of the time factor. I have created some items on my own or when a customer sends me a request for a custom order, but I haven’t had the time to really create a lot of my own designs. Sometimes I visualize something I would love to make but it takes a “back burner” when I have customers wanting items that I use a pattern for.  I had a customer who wanted a baby diaper cover so I checked out some patterns but hated them, so I designed my own based on her requests.  If that customer had not requested a diaper cover, I would probably have never thought about making one.  I also worked with a customer to design a baby cocoon. She devised the filet pattern I would use and I made her a baby cocoon that came out beautifully. Fortunately, my mother gave me all her old craft and crochet books that date back to the 1940’s. I probably have over 500 books and magazines that are loaded with some of the most unique and beautiful patterns. I have just barely scratched the surface in the books I have. I look through them periodically and always find something new and different. 

What are your most popular items? 
I sell a lot of baby items. I love working with my customers that are having a baby or grandmothers buying for their new grand baby. They are always so happy and thrilled at the prospect of a new baby. I get caught up in their excitement. Sometimes I hate to charge them. I almost feel like I need to make them a shower gift for free. Of course that would be hard for me to do. I have items in my shop that I think are unique to me. One is my lacy crocheted baby dress made in size 30 crochet cotton thread from an old Magic Crochet magazine pattern and my winter white mohair sweater. I also do very well with christening gowns. I have sold a number of them. My most exciting sale was a crocheted skirt and top that took me 4 months to make. 

White Romantic Women’s Sweater- image c/o Everything’s White

Do you think that living in the South has influenced your designs? 
I have never really thought about this much but now that you ask this question I can see how it probably has. All of my items are very traditional.  I use very simple, elegant designs in just about everything I make. When you think about lace and doilies you think about an old antebellum house with these furnishings. When I modeled my crocheted skirt and top, all my friends said that in the picture I looked like a Southern lady going to a tea party. 
What are your plans for Everythingswhite in the future?  
I really dream that one day I could quit my day job and do ETSY fulltime.  I am hoping to at least go part time in a few years so I can devote more time to my shop. I have sold knitted and sewing items on ETSY but again the time factor stops me from doing a lot of this because I have so many requests for crocheted items.  Sometimes I wish I could have more sales on ETSY. I hear some shop owners talk about having several sales a day.  However, I don’t know if I could make that many items.  I am a “one person show”. I make everything for my shop. I don’t employ anyone else. Right now I am pretty busy with a retail order and a couple custom orders for customers.  Usually I have about 1 sale a week and that keeps me busy. I work 8 hours a day and I am usually training for some running event so I only have several hours at night to work on items for my shop. I also have the weekend, which helps me to catch up somewhat.  Right now, I am training for a marathon at the end of February and I am running 9 and 10 miles every morning. Still I also love to knit and sew, and I do hope to add more of these type items to Everythingswhite one day. I also would like to open another shop on ETSY called “Everythingelse” so I can sell some items in other colors. And maybe eventually have a chain of shops with “Everythings_?___” as the title.
Thanks to Joyce for sharing with us.  Definitely stop by Everythingswhiteto see some more of Joyce’s beautiful crochet work.
Elizabeth McNair
Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
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Meet The Staff

By now you’ve probably noticed a few new voices on the site.  Slow Southern Style brought on six great interns this past January, and it’s been  fun to watch them settle into their roles here. Click through the page break to meet Amber, Brandy, Elizabeth, JelLyn, Meghan, and Miranda.  And don’t forget to click on their names to see what they’ve written so far!



Meghan
I’m a Southern girl, bred and buttered. I have bounced around the region and most recently landed in lovely Louisiana. I have had an eye for fashion and a flair for the dramatic since I began putting on runway shows in my hallway at age 6. Film comes second to fashion for me, and often I find my style is influenced by what I’ve watched recently.


Miranda

My name is  Miranda Humphrey and  I am not a native to the South, but I am definitely a local with ancestral roots. In fact I wouldn’t consider myself native to anywhere being that I grew up in the Air Force. I did however spend most of my youth in California and Nevada with some of my 20’s living throughout the Northwest before settling in Louisiana. 
My personal gumbo recipe is  a deep roux of culture and anthropology, then add unconventionality, appetite, adventure, and a dash of esoteric.  I’m definitely at home in New Orleans.
I don’t discriminate between Earth Tones and Day-Glo, High Life’s or French 75’s.
I love architecture in all things; clothes, buildings, music, food, words…
Anthony Bourdain and Anna Wintour are my personal heroes.
I’ve come to understand New Orleans and the South, as an infinite muse as well as a pragmatist’s achilles heel.
If I had to pick my last meal on Earth, it would be eggs benedict traditional, a heaping side of jumbo lump crab meat, and a giant mimosa.
My favorite patron saint is the New Orleans Saints. Who Dat!

Amber
Hi, I’m Amber!
A new homeowner and remodeler in the Garden District. A design lover and fashion style junkie. I have a love for textiles and great design..and New Orleans culture where I’m born and raised.
Here’s the A to Z of everything about me!
A. Age: 26
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore that you hate: vaccuming the rugs
E. Essential start to your day: H2O or grapefruit juice and my blogroll
F. Favorite color: Coral
G. Gold or Silver: I’m really loving gilver
H. Height: 5’3
I. Instruments you play: I can snap my toes to the beat of anything.
J. Job title: intern, coordinator, administrator, blogger, designer
K. Kids: three… Gigi a Cairn Terrier, Marley a Pit Lab Mix, and King Louie a Great Dane mix
L. Live: New Orleans, LA  – Garden District
M. Mother’s name: Brenda Ann
N. Nicknames: A Train, Toodah, Gal
O. Overnight hospital stays: yes when I was younger
P. Pet peeves: when I’m walking down the street and my purse makes my skirt or dress rise… so annoying
Q. Quote from a movie: “(whistles) Engine room! Where the hell’s my drink?” Dudley Moore as Arthur
R. Right or left handed: Rightie
S. Siblings: three brothers
T. Tattoos: a Saints Fleur de Lis i got a few days after Hurricane Katrina
U. Underwear: worn most of the time
V. Vegetable you hate: Pimento ugh!
W. What makes you run late: Not looking at the clock
X. X-Rays you’ve had: teeth a bunch, arm twice, wrist twice, hand once, ankle 2 times, knee once… I hope that’s all.
Y. Yummy food that you make: I cook a big pot of Chili when I go to my familys ranch in Amite. I’m also awesome at toast.
Z. Zoo animal: much rather the song but I guess da elepants axt me too. They’re my fav!


JelLyn

Well hi there darlin’! 
My name is Je’Llyn Morvant but many of the folks closest to me call me mama J. 
I’m a homegrown southern gal born and raised in Cajun Country. I spent my 20’s on the west coast in southern California where I studied fashion design, the beach, and late nights. I drove the cross country trip back to the bayou in my volkswagen van 8 months pregnant for my first, a bright, creative and motherly young lady bursting with attitude, Kaya Ruth. Though my journey in southern California may have not been complete my destiny cleared me a new path back home. 
I am a wife to a wonderful young man and a mother to two beautiful, strong spirited young children. For me it is indeed truth that inspiration is a driving force. I have a passion to create. Something. Anything. Inspiration motivates my day and my decisions. Inspiration is to my spirit what air is to my lungs, what blood is to my heart. The blog world is a nouveau way for me to collect my thoughts, my inspirations and our happenings. I began my virtual existence bayoubohemian.com when my youngest, a baby boy whom we named Sage Francis, was only 6 months old or so. We lived in a much smaller space then and the opportunity to spread out my supplies to work with jewels, metal, or cloth were near null. I was yearning for an outlet. Surfing the internet was an easy, choke hazard free escape with loads of inspiration lurking behind each click. I was going deeper and deeper into the abyss of visual inspiration while reading of other mothers and creators documenting their experiences, their inspirations and telling of their passions. I one day decided to create my own ‘journal’. My very own virtual place that stands as a reminder of where I have been and where I wish to go. A place that catalogs who I am today that I can reflect on tomorrow. A place that just may inspire another bohemian spirit juggling the challenges of motherhood and family while trying to nurture her own soul. 
Today is a new day. I have studio space to create and I am getting lots done, of course never enough, but lots none the less. I am a professional juggler, trying to accomplish many things at once always being distracted and pulled from the task at hand. But I am happy (most of the time). I am expressing myself creatively and I am getting involved with more things that help my spirit feel accomplished and up-to-good. Conquering some of my silly fears, letting go of what others may think and truly being myself. Discovering who that is exactly more each day. 
I am certainly pleased to be a part of Slow Southern Style and to introduce Lafayette to its stylish southern scene. We here Cajuns have a lot to show off. An unconventional aesthetic rich with culture and intrigue. Small town girls (and boys) with big style.
you can find me at 

Brandy
I grew up in a small town in South Louisiana. I can be found in New Orleans on the weekends. I am looking forward to soon becoming a fulltime New Orleans resident. I am a student at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I love shopping even I spend no money. I someday hope to open my own boutique. I love exploring New Orleans and finding new places to shop and eat. I am excited to begin blogging with Christy and discovering all the amazing talent around New Orleans and meeting new people.




Elizabeth

I’m a college student with a major in English and International Studies.  I spent my junior year studying French abroad in Angers, France, and during that year I ate as many chocolate eclairs as possible.  A few things that I enjoy doing include baking cupcakes, reading books, and taking ballroom dancing lessons.  While I may not be the typical girl you might expect to be interested in fashion since my entire wardrobe fits comfortably in my tiny closet and I certainly never look like a runway model, I love the way that style is a form of personal expression.  At Slow Southern Style I’m looking forward to combining my interests in fashion and writing.

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
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Gator Heads and Oyster Shells courtesy of Half Shell Productions

If you’re still looking for something to complete your Mardi Gras costume (or perhaps you haven’t even started on it yet), Halfshell Productions may have your solution.  Tracy Hamlin in NOLA offers a selection of appropriately quirky Mardi Gras headdresses and bustiers.  Like all good Mardi Gras costumes, Tracy’s designs feature plenty of feathers and beads as well as some more unconventional materials.
Photo courtesy of Half Shell Productions

Here’s a bit from Tracy herself about her unique offerings.
You mentioned in your Etsy shop profile that you started making headdresses for the 2011 Mardi Gras season.  What prompted this?
Costuming is a New Orleans tradition. Sometimes it only takes one item:  a bustier, headdress or top hat, to begin the whole look and feel of a costume. That’s how it was for me. I made a Cajun Carmen Headdress, and then a feathered bustier, to march with Mondo Kayo on Fat Tuesday of 2011. I had so much fun wearing the outfit that I wanted to offer that one piece of “the look” that fires one’s creative process. 
 
Where does your inspiration for your designs come from?
 
My designs use local items like preserved alligator heads, feathers, king cake babies and nutria pelts because people in Louisiana have a connection to them.  I designed and wore the nutria skirt and Gator Bustier to the Righteous Fur Fashion Show in Lafayette in October. Nutria pelts are so lovely to work with. The fur is extremely soft, and I try to incorporate it into my designs as much as possible
Photo courtesy of Half Shell Productions


You use so many different elements in your creations.  How do you choose the materials for each design?
 I sold a Gator Headdress to someone in Bulgaria.  Through etsy.com, I have sold nationally and internationally, so obviously other cultures have connections to the designs, as well. I also like the look of layers: feathers in background and alligator heads and other items in the foreground. I do have some standard designs, but sometimes, I start with a number of items and put them together in a totally different pattern which creates a new design. At times, I have no idea how a piece is going to end up. Adding and subtracting items until it feels just right. I have to keep materials on hand so they can be incorporated into designs. That means that I have to keep collecting and upgrading the materials that I work with.

 
What are your plans for Halfshell Productions after the 2012 Mardis Gras season ends?  
I love what I am doing right now.  My 2012 plans include creating new designs, working with new materials, and going to more markets to expand my client base.
If you need still some unique Mardi Gras attire or if you’re just interested in taking a look at some of her designs, be sure to check out Tracy Hamlin at Halfshell Productions on etsy.
Photo courtesy of Half Shell Productions


Elizabeth McNair

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style
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Hidden Treasures of the Cabildo: Carnival Edition

This post was written by Elizabeth McNair, one of Slow Southern Style’s interns. You’ll get a chance to meet her in the upcoming weeks but for now check out her blog, Life of Lovely, and be on the look out for her bio soon.

Now that the holiday festivities are finished, you might be wondering what to do on your quiet evenings in January.  Why not view Hidden Treasure: Carnival Edition at the Louisiana State Museum?

The Carnival Collection at the Louisiana State Museum will allow a small number of visitors to see the museum’s large collection of costumes and other pieces related to Carnival.  While the public does not usually have the chance to view the entire collection, Wayne Phillips will take visitors through the museum’s storage rooms to get the full experience.  The location for these tours will be the Museum’s Collection Storage Facility at 1000 Chartres Street in the French Quarter.

This special opportunity is hosted by the Friends of the Cabildo.  For two days only, January 17th and 19th, tours will take place at 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm.  The cost for this exclusive tour is $15 per person or $10 for Friends of the Cabildo members.

If you’re interested, you will need to call Rebecca Duckert at 504-523-3939 to make the required reservations.  Call soon because spots are limited.  

Interested, but can’t make it to this tour?  Another event Hidden Treasure: Decorative Arts Edition is planned for March 20th and 22nd showcasing Newcomb Pottery and led by Curator of Decorative Arts, Katie Hall.  

Elizabeth McNair

Twitter: slowsouthstyle Facebook: Slow Southern Style