My one of a kind VINTAGE Liberty of London Ruffle TanksGetting Ready for Shows and Jazz Fest Season

It's Jazz Fest time down de bayou- the past few years that seems to mean rainboots and ponchos. I was hoping my new raincoats would be ready to sell by now but issues with the fabric have come up. So its back to the drawing board and maybe by monsoon season (July?) I'll have them ready to launch.

In the meantime, I'm working on incorporating the vintage liberty fabrics my Aunt ALice left me into everything possible for Spring and Summer.I sold out of all 50 at Round Top by the first weekend so am really hoping the Farmchicks show the same love until my copycats arrive. It was disappointing to hear I had a copy cat at Round Top - just two booths over this time- every garment, every accessory, bleh. I've always got tons of ideas anyway, so that's fine- it was just a bit of a drag. Just wait til Fall Marburger salvagistas!

Anyhoo, I'm churning these tops out and enjoying April in New Orleans. It's a bit rainy but lovely all the same.Hoping my next pics will be MAY FLOWERS!

Seasons Change & Good Times Down on the (urban) Farm

What a difference a month makes. It was still a bit chilly and rainy last post. Then the sun came out and I got busy planting:



I know most people are busy plotting their victory gardens full of tomatoes and butterbeans, but down de bayou we get real serious about flowers! My grandmother made me work in her garden every summer, and bless her heart at 87, she still tills the soil up every spring and under every September. I prefer the garden full of flowers, and if the plants also yield something to eat, great. I truly dont trust the soil here, nor feel much comfort in food grown in plastic containers out in the hot heat with icky miracle grow (plant food should not be blue).

After planting my seeds, I hit some estate sales:



I love this color of vintage pink. Its not peach, not pink. My mother would call it shrimp.

Speaking of shrimp, fish meal makes the best fertilizer. You can get a quart of it at Whole Foods and it will last all summer long. I used to use chicken manure but it made my flowers too leggy. It does smell better than fish meal though...



I'm hoping that these plants will all grow. We lost almost every plant in the yard during the freeze: plants that all lived through Katrina, trees I nursed in planters year after year until able to buy my house,plants given to me by my Aunt Alice who is no longer with us. The yard looks a bit forlorn, and uncared for so we shall see. I have planted all of the sunflowers I can find and taking small solace in vignettes seen while sitting in the garden- soft focus preferred.



So two weeks I got this lovely french vintage ticking at auction. I couldnt resist and lay awake at night thinking of things to do with it. I am busy trying to keep these paws off of it:



A very helpful garden gnome who likes to chew the peat pockets and barks at the cats who try to jump in the flats of seedlings. Who doesnt love spring?