Nola West

Saints for Sinners

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:14:00 +0000

"The Saints are the Sinners who keep on trying."-Robert Louis Stevenson

This is one of those blog posts that has been on my to-do list for ages! But I am glad that I waited because rather than just blog about how awesome Saints for Sinners hand painted medals are, I can show you the wonderful gift that I recieved over Jazz Fest. Rob Clemenz (the artist behind these medals) is a dear friend of our dear friends and he had a "sneaking suspiction" that I was pregant, so he delivered these three specially picked medals to our place of lodging during the fest. My three saints are Saint Philomena (Patroness of expectant mothers, newborns and infants), Saint Anne (Patroness of mothers, grandmothers, teachers and grace) and Saint Margaret (Patroness of pregnant women and nurses). I adore them and have not taken them off since Jazz Fest. They are the perfect mix of my Catholic upbringing, kitsch, and art. Can you tell from the photo how magnificent the colors are? Rob imports the medals from Italy and then meticulously hand paints each one and updates the Saint's story for modern day. They are the perfect "token of comfort and serenity!"

(Sorry for the iPhone photo but the camera is packed away in the hospital bag.)

Race and Religious

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Do you remember that incredible wedding weekend we had a year ago in New Orleans? Remember the gorgeous site of the Rehearsal Dinner? Well, the lovely home of Gran and Billie Semmes has been featured on Design*Sponge and they have a brand spankin' new website up with all the rental details. Check it out! Make sure you read the history section. What a labor of love the Semmes have undertaken with this exquisite property.

photos via raceandreligious.com

Hello, hello, hello!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:54:00 +0000

I'm baaaack! I had no intention of neglecting this blog for sooo long, or to stop reading your blogs. I thought I would take a week hiatus and it turned into two months. My most sincere apologies. I honestly don't know what happened. I used to constantly have blogging ideas floating around in my head but I think baby brain took over. So how have you been? I hope you all have been well. So lets catch up quickly!

Our most important news is: we are exactly one week away from our due date!! Can't believe this portion of the journey is almost over. I have had a wonderful pregnancy and can't wait to meet the bun.

In other updates, I finally cut my hair. I have been wanting to donate it to Locks of Love for about a year now, but I wanted to make sure my hair would grace my shoulders once cut so I dealt with the ridiculous length. As someone so painfully pointed out to me, I got my mom haircut...ouch! But as we get closer and closer to B-Day, I am embracing it more and more.

You can see them at the Fest: Amos Lee "Supply and Demand"

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:22:00 +0000

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We like to stash a few Spicy Natchitoches Meat Pies in our pockets, so that we always have food on demand when hunger strikes in the middle of a great set.

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Buds of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:44:00 +0000

.....Taste buds that is. Seriously craving French Macaroons!

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A chattering bird builds no nest.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:28:00 +0000

Please pardon my absenteeism this week. On the homefront: we are in full swing on feathering our nest....its musical furniture time. I am surrounded by stacks and stacks of books, computer equipment, DVDs, and VHS tapes [these are headed straight to Goodwill]. On the workfront: we are moving a most wonderful client in this week, so there are punch-lists to be made, furniture to be received, linens to be purchased. It's a wonderful week with so much going on!

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Happy Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:12:00 +0000

Hope you have a fun-filled, creative, productive, relaxing weekend! Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will have settled on what to give up for lent.

Love this fragrance bar at Bond No. 9 in New York, using a vintage brass offering table and quite a colorful assortment of perfume bottles. [Please pardon the grainy iPhone image.]

You can see them at the Fest: Michael Franti and Spearhead "Sound of Sunshine"

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:52:00 +0000

As our days are getting longer, I really think that I can hear the Sound of Sunshine. What a glorious time of year!

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For a taste of sunshine, try a Mango Freeze from the lovely folks at WWOZ.

Image via.

Stenciled Happy Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Completely enamored with Candy Chang's public art in New Orleans. With the installation Before I Die, she turned an abandoned property into a place for a community to display their desires using chalkboard paint. She also tags a few of her favorite haunts with spray chalk in It's Good to be Here. It's lovely to see happy thoughts plastered everywhere.

Via I Art U.

Happy Mardi Gras!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:39:00 +0000

"Let pleasure be the rule, day and night" -Rex 2011

Mardi Gras should be a national holiday.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:49:00 +0000

Heading out the door for the weekend.

Sorry I haven't been around here much this week...our internet was on the fritz. Let's catch up next week! Have a great weekend.

I need a Muses

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:35:00 +0000

Someday, when I live in New Orleans again, I will be a member of this Krewe. How much fun could you have decorating, bedazzling, and feathering shoes as Mardi Gras Throws?!?!

All photos via and copyright Erika Goldring Photography

Right now as I should be thinking about daycare and preschool waiting list....all I can think of is getting on the Muses waiting list. Happy Tuesday....one week until the Fat one!

Suspended sculpture

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Loving these modern mobiles by Flensted [I think the bun will like them too]. Happy Monday!

You can see them at the Fest: Robert Randolph & the Family Band "If I Had My Way"

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:19:00 +0000

RRTFB always puts on an exciting stage show, dancing from behind his pedal steel guitar [and all around]. Love this quote from the Jazz Fest site: "He’s a maniac—a stool-kicking, happy-footed, rubber-kneed virtuoso who did for that instrument what Jerry Lee Lewis did for the piano. "...if that doesn't conjure up an image of what his set will deliver then I don't know how to else to explain it. Love the vibe and fancy foot work of this video...a bit different from the funk sounds I am used to from Robert Randolph...it's a bit more gospel goodness.

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All this dancing has me craving a few veggies. How about some Jama-Jama (Sauteed Spinach) + Fried Plantains from Bennachin Restaurant also some Shrimp Macque Choux from the United Houma Nation for good measure. Mama always told me to eat my veggies. Yum!

Fried Plantains and Jama Jama via

Shrimp Macque Choux via

Revitalized and reinvented

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Don't you love finding cash in your pockets while doing laundry? I had a similar sensation this weekend, while nesting I found these lovely linens from Studio3, never used, and completely forgotten. Talk about a cheap thrill!

"Revitalized and reinvented." Each piece is an upcycled vintage linen with a new silkscreen print. Much like these linens, I am starting to feel like our little bit of cabinet space is starting to serve us better.

Frosted Glass Pharmacy Bottles

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Happy Tuesday! How was your weekend?

Bathroom organization project update: Since I am essentially in a panic state of organizing, I didn't allow myself to scour antique stores but these bottles are doing the trick nicely. Promise to share photos once the project is wrapped up.

Frosted Glass Pharmacy Bottles | Countertop | Restoration Hardware

Fever Pitch

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:44:00 +0000

It feels like Spring here in Houston, and I have Spring Cleaning Fever. I am hoping to spend every minute of this weekend organizing in preparation for the bun. Let's hope I have a productive enough weekend that I can share some images with you next week!

Source: livingetc.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: myvibemylife.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: thewrendesign.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: paloma81.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

What are you up to this weekend?

You can see them at the Fest: John Mellencamp "My Sweet Love"

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:27:00 +0000

Three words come to mind when I hear John Mellencamp: Family. Road. Trips. Growing up we had one cassette tape with Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA on side A and John Cougar Mellencamp American Fool on the B side. Honestly, I really haven't thought much about Mellencamp since those summer anthems of my grammar school days. But I do really dig the sound of the new album "No Better than This" produced by T-Bone Burnett and recorded using only one microphone and a mono-tape recorder. It's raw sounds have me waxing nostalgic for all those easy summer days.

John Mellencamp | My Sweet Love (official) from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.
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Since we are reliving our youth today...what was more important on a hot summer day than riding your bike up to the neighborhood sno-ball stand? or drinking sweet tea? or a little nibble on some Roman Candy? All the little sweet indulgences that make time stand still...all available at Jazz Fest.

Plumb Street Snoballs, Image via

Sunshine Concessions Rosemint Iced Tea, Image via

Roman Chewing Candy Company, Image via

Heart on a string

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:23:00 +0000

I was contacted last week by the lovely Houston Smilebooth crew to create a custom Valentine backdrop for a Menil mixer, called Menil by Moonlight. So I whipped up some heart garland, using my favorite bingo paper + color aid + baker's twine. The color palette we chose is so very J.Crew Spring. I love it.

How was your Valentine? Mine was splendidly low key.

Love in the moment

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:16:00 +0000

Spotted this print over at the new coffee shop Black Hole [by the Antidote/Poison Girl clan] and loved it. There are so many towns that I love...New Orleans, Houston, Charleston, Austin, Baton Rouge, Barcelona, San Francisco, Chicago...to name a few. I love the ambiguity of this print so that I can declare my love of the moment.

Available on Etsy

Have a wonderful weekend!

You can see them at the Fest: Avett Brothers "Kick Drum Heart"

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Avett Brothers always deliver a lively and infectious set...they keep my ticker pumping. Love these North Carolina boys.

For another combo that packs a punch, check out the Crawfish Sack, Oyster Patties, and Crawfish Beignets from Patton's Catering. Delish!

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L.O.V.E. continues

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Will gave me this poster last year. My nickname is Lala. The Pixies said it best: "all i'm saying pretty baby / la la love you don't mean maybe..."

Available on Etsy

Love Fest Continued...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Source: theindigobunting.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterest

So. freaking. obsessed. with this song. Brett Dennen: "Sydney, I'll come running" from his forthcoming album Loverboy.

I am so honored that Brett is kicking off his new tour in Houston, in my very neighborhood at Fitzgerald's. Unfortunately we will be in New Orleans, so I am pleading for Brett to please play New Orleans during Jazz Fest! Please!

Love Fest

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:18:00 +0000

I'm not really into the Hallmark version of Valentine's Day but I do enjoy the idea of a love fest. I hope that your Monday is off to a great start!! We have a crazy busy week ahead of us, so pardon my short posts.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Lauren on Pinterest

You can see them at the Fest: Arcade Fire "Wilderness Downtown"

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I am sure that you all have seen this amazing Chrome Experiment using Arcade Fire's Wilderness Downtown. It's amazing. Technology never ceases to amaze me, just put in the address of a former residence and then you have a bespoke music video. In keeping with the Jazz Fest theme, I entered the old address of friends who lived across the street from the fairgrounds. Its poetic how still this part of town is in the google images and how lively it will be in April/May.

Here is the Teaser:

For the full length video click: Our old Fest hangout!

After last week's post, our friend Courtney suggested that the food line up needed a little love too. So we are adding a food pairing. This week is the Cochon de Lait Poboy from Love at First Bite...not that it is wild boar but you get where I am going with this... Such a yummy blend of slaw, dijon, pulled pork, it is a MUST taste.

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