Vending at Voodoo Music Festival

We just got finished vending at Voodoo Music Festival. This was our second year but last year doesnt really count as it was the first one back after Katrina and the ticket sales were down. This year was really different as they sold 180,000 tickets. I'm quite sure we saw at least half of those people.So, in no short order:
5 Important Tips to Help You Sell at a Super Large Show.

1. Booth Display is everything .We decided to go with a Marie Leveau theme and create a bit of a voodoo altar that was supposed to be going in the living room. Many of the people who visited our booth commented about how the display drew them in.

2. Have plenty of promotional items to give the lookie loos.We learned from the first year that many will come back and check out your online shop for their holiday shopping after the show.Heather had 13 sales on Etsy after handing out promotions.
3. Have clear signs that communicate you will hold items til after the show and/or ship them so that customers dont have to carry them around.On friday when sales for the big ticket items were lukewarm, we decided to change the signage to clearly communicate this service. Several customers took us up on it on Saturday. Coincidence?
4. Do use this opportunity to experiment.I decided to try to sell some of the recycled clothing I usually sell at festivus to this crowd. They ate it up!Last year was when Heather first tried Voodoo dolls and the Fleur Debris.All have been huge hits. We probably wouldnt have tried it if we hadnt been at such a big show.It really paid off!
5. Phone a friend. Get a sitter for the pets & help to enjoy the show. You will be tired. They will miss you.

Friday night Sheba was just rambunctious from missing us all day. She was much more mellow and relaxed after having a friend come by and walk her and let her out. It also made us feel less stressed. That being said, enjoy some of the show. Make sure you have help so you can take some time off and take advantage of the show all around you. That's what its all about.

Lez Zeppelin at Voodoo Music Fest

What I love about Voodoo fest is the opportunity to see new shows.

We heard about how great this act was and had to chek it out. Lesbians + Led Zeppelin = Good times, right?
Great Name, Great Band. Close your eyes and you could never tell the difference. Ah Ah ah Ah ah................

Whodo Voodoo

Voodoo Music Fest Experience hits the Big Kville today and we're in it.We've been feverishly burning the midnight oil in anticipation. Yesterday we hit the back streets of city park to set up. Voodoo takes on a carnival type atmosphere but I suspect these carneys may have once followed another kind of DEAD.It's all in the patchouli!

We are also convienently located close to the henna tattoos.If a spate of boredom hits, we can check out the WTUL tent,Habitat for Humanity. There is also a Post K Psychiatric services tent.Yeah we're gonna pass a good time yall.

My top pics are the Saturday set of the Hot 8 in the WWOZ tent and the Sunday night set of Morning Forty Federation that happens right before WILCO closes out the fest.

Recycling Returns to New Orleans Area

I'll never forget driving into my neighborhood on Sept 16 2005 and seeing my recycling all over the neighborhood.Since that fateful date, the only way we've been able to recycle is put all of our stuff into the car and drive it to a drop off point, hoping the car wont get totally ruined in the process.

Calls to our City Council, mayor's office and local environmental office have never been returned when we called to ask when we could get recycling.I went to a meeting late last year that mentioned a recycling company that had a private service pre Katrina would be starting back up again. Called and talked to the guy and he said our neighborhood would be last on the list. So I put my name on the mailing list and waited.

Low and behold we are now getting our recyling picked up tomorrow and it couldnt have been an easier process.We went online to this site http://www.phoenixrecyclingnola.com/and clicked on our neighborhood on their map. We're in area 8. There was a brief form to fill out and then you are led to paypal.For fifteen dollars a month we get two pick ups and they even pickup glass! Glass! Yall we havent been able to recycle beer bottles anywhere at all in the city since K.Here's the list of what you can and cannot recycle:
http://www.phoenixrecyclingnola.com/materiallist_print.php

You just put together your own bins (We're using the same tubs we've been storing all the stuff in)and tomorrow we'll be on the lookout.This is free enterprise at its best. Go to the site and check them out http://www.phoenixrecyclingnola.com/

Thrifting on Sundays in New Orleans is back!

Am really excited to announce that Thrift City USA, formerly of MidCity has now expanded their hours to be open on Sundays, 12-5pm in Gretna. Thrift City, Terry Parkway near the intersections of Stumpf and Carol Sue has expanded their hours to be open on Sundays, just in time for Halloween. Remember the good old days when you could shop at thrift city and go get a Cuban sandwich at Garcia's just a few streets behind? The word on the street is that Cubans may also be hitting the best bank. More details to follow.See ya Thrift City this Sunday.This features Julie Pieri, my fave thrifter in crime. Miss and Love ya Jules!

New Orleans Food Coop Meeting Tonight

We're really psyched that the Community Food Coop is finally getting up and going with new iniatives other than the food buying club. Tonight they are having a meeting at 625 North Rendon at 7 PM (potluck starts at 6)to discuss and vote on new ventures such as a mobile food truck and such. This is really good news for the Mid City area, having lost Whole Foods in April 2005, then there was the market that was not so hot and closed suddenly and the new market not yet to open. It is also a low cost alternative for those of us who want good healthy food but cannot afford the whole paycheck prices.Their site is http://nolafoodcoop.org if you want more info or just come to the meeting tonight and check it out.

Blog Action Day

What Can Artists do to Save the Planet?
1. Use recycled materials in your work. In New Orleans we are lucky to have The Green Project and Recycled for the Arts where you can pick up paint and materials to use. Other good places to look are thrift stores of course, yard sales, antique shops and salvage yards. Often you will spend less too and get more creative.
2. Make it yourself if you cannot find a recycled alternative. In internet is a great resource for how to do just about anything.
3. If you have to buy new supplies, buy it locally in a small locally owned shop. At least you are not paying to have the item trucked to your city.
4. Purchase wind credits and a Terra Pass to offset the equipment and vehicle you use.
5. Instead of throwing away materials you wont be using, freecycle or put it on craigslist.

Iguana, Interrupted...

Since my last post last Tuesday morning, Beyonce the Iguana, has gotten loose and we havent been able to find her. We posted signs all over and there was a recent sighting of her by the Gretna Fest. That would mean she walked 12 blocks over. The police were very nice albeit slightly amused.
Currently adopting a wait and see approach as it isnt cold here yet. She is a big healthy girl but once it gets cold she will have probems.

Salvaging for junque in the French Quarter

We spent our weekend in the quarter this past weekend just trying to be a tourist at home and spend as much money there as possible to support the community. One of our favorite things to do is take the ferry over on our bikes and ride freely about, burning off all of those calories from the beignets. Our second favorite thing to do is junque shop.
It is hard to get past the fabulous junk of Decatur street when they have Bottom of the Barrel Antiques.Their motto is "this aint your Grandma's antique shop" and it must be true as most of the employees have quite a bit of tattoos.The store is stocked mostly with auction goodies from the region and they are known for having affordable armoires and chiffarobes. We are there to hit the junk barrels where they have $1 and $5 items of assorted metal and rusty bits.Open noon to 10pm, Tuesday thru Sunday, Bottom of the Barrel is a cant miss for junksters.1209 Decatur.
After hitting bottom of the barrel, it is time to hit Le Garage at 1234 Decatur.Advertising "antiques, vintage and surplus," this is the place to go for costume inspiration, especially for anything military-ish. Marcus runs the place and he is very friendly and open to a bit of bargaining.This place is known for the vintage costumes but we prefer the junque. Tons of rusty doorknobs, escutcheons,old silverplate and a great collection of old metallic lace was found there this weekend.Open everyday from 1-5, this is a great place to find creative inspiration without breaking the bank. Junque heaven.

Blind Boys of Alabama make a visit to St. Augustine Church Treme neighborhood New Orleans

The Blind Boys of Alabama made a visit yesterday to historic St Augustine church, the first US Church formed for the Black community in one of the oldest Black neighborhoods (if not the oldest) in the United States, the Treme. The place was packed and this is significant because after the storm the church was almost shut down and deconsecrated by the diocese due to lack of parishoners and consolidation of parishes.There was a nationwide effort to keep the church going(well and there was something like a lock in led by local protest group Common Ground but that's another entry) and these donations have kept the church going, but just barely. The organist travels from Houston Texas *every* weekend.At work we used to order their catfish (came with macaroni & slaw)plate lunches every Friday to assist but this of course has gone the way of so many other things. What I love about Treme is they still have CORNER STORES there, about four or so of them.You can stop and get a cold drink or get the paper or even a sandwhich and you dont have to get in a car.There was a second line after mass and then the Blind Boys kept showing up all over the quarter and giving the Tourists a thrill.