Why didn't I think of that?

Why didn't I think of that?

Every now and then you come across great ideas that make life just a little easier.  These are a few simple and inexpensive (if not FREE) problem solvers that I thought were worth sharing and left me thinking, why didn't I think of that?

The first stroke of genius are these Gear Ties



These super strong rubber covered twist ties come in lots of colors and 3", 6", 12", 18", 24" and 32" sizes.  They have a gripable rubber coating and a strong interior wire that holds whatever shape you desire.  I first spotted these at the hardware store and picked up a few as replacements when I lose twist ties that come with packages. 

Then I discovered how great they are for keeping track of cords.  But, as I've recently discovered, there are probably hundreds of uses for Gear Ties.

As wine glass markers

To keep your yoga rolled up

As a stand for your iPad or iPhone (the wire really is this sturdy)

And at just a few dollars for a pack of 4, how can you go wrong? 

The next million dollar idea offers a great storage solution with style. 







Every parent knows the scenario.  You cherish every last scribble your child creates until you are dangerously close to appearing on the next episode of hoarders.  The solution?  

These Lil' DaVinci Kids Frames.  These allow you to proudly display your little one's latest work of art and store up to 50 additional masterpieces inside the frame.

 

 

 

William's race car wheel art looks pretty cool

 

 

 

And there's still room for pine cone and snowflake art, too!

 

 

 

Last but not least, the last brilliant idea on the list is 100% FREE and easy

 

 

  While renovating our kitchen, I did what most do in search of packing supplies- Dumpster Diving! This is when a much wiser friend told me where I could find endless free boxes without the dirty work.  Just go to the post office!  It is so simple.  Just drive around the building to the loading docks, and help yourself to as many bulk mail bins as your car will hold.  Use them as long as you like, and when your done just bring them back.  If you live in the New Orleans area, I recommend the main post office downtown on Loyola Avenue. 

 

 

They are made of corrugated plastic so they are waterproof and won't fall apart.  They come in 2 easy to lift sizes, have lids (if you request them) and their built in handles making them much easier to carry than regular boxes.  Pretty good for the environment too, if you think about it.

 

I even kept one to store cleaning supplies below my kitchen sink

 

Well, I hope you've found some of these ideas as helpful as I have.  If necessity is the mother of invention, then this mother has found a few that make life just a little easier.

Je ne sais quoi

Je ne sais quoi...

What is that invisible yet permeable essence that we find so infectious in the French culture?  The markers of effortless style and a timeless chic leave this American girl longing for that je ne sais quoi.  Here are a few fun things for the Francophile in all of us.

www.cachette.com

The aptly named, Cachette, which translates as "hiding place," brings the best of small European market finds to your door step.  Imagine having a really stylish, well traveled friend with a great eye and connections to boot. 

 Everything from hand soaps

to decorative items for your home

 

they even have something in store for les enfants

And if somehow you don't fall in love with all the great loot, the story of how Anglo-French couple Stephen and Delphine gave up their lives in London to move to the South of France to start up this little operation will certainly appeal to your inner romantic.

Another fabulous French find are these beautiful books by Vicki Archer.  Not just pretty on the coffee table (although they are), she manages to convey that elusive spark that draws you in.

and

"I like to think that in France there is a sixth sense - a French sense... French sense is simple - it is chemistry, a magical mix of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures... As a nation France has chemistry, as individuals the French have spark." -Vicki Archer, FRENCH ESSENCE

Which leads me to me next book collection with deep roots in France

I first discovered Assouline's book collections when I saw this box set, or as they call it the Lifestyle "survival kit," and mistook it for wall art.  Little did I know how wonderful the books inside would be.  I loved it so much I gave one to a friend as a house warming gift when she bought a place in the French Quarter.  How can you go wrong with Italian art, cocktails, Veuve Cliquot and chocolate ?

Now this has opened up an entirely new spending habit with a few of the following to blame

"We have always heeded the French expression savoir vivre, which translates roughly as knowing how to live. This means being guided by a clear value set that privilege our passions. It means we put our resources and our time into things that matter: knowledge, relationships, and experiences; into history, culture, and travel. It means we favor things that are rare and precious not for their price tag, but because they enrich our lives." - Pierre Assouline

 

There's no place like home

Be it ever so humble...

My porch

There's no place like home

Cliche perhaps, but never were truer words spoken.

In the McMansion age of Vegas, disco, glitter granite, it comes as a breath of fresh air when people forgo the starter castle flash in favor of the well worn elements that make a house a home.

Gorgeous old farm table

Salvaged molding shelf

During my time in Real Estate, I have had the pleasure of viewing some truly spectacular properties.  Some of them large and extravagant, even rivaling museums for their art, antiques and historical significance.

Philip Street


Third Street

St. Charles Avenue

Yet I've always found that the homes that have been loved and lived in resonate most with people.
Perhaps it is the New Orleanian in me that values the old over the new, but cookie cutter design fades, and age and charm cannot be faked. 

Italianate corbels on Chestnut Street

Garden District gate and wall at Chestnut and First Street

Garden District sidewalk (Coliseum Street)

What makes a house a home?  If a house is too stark or "done" it looses its human element.  Its the photographs, the "if these walls could talk" stories, the treasures collected over a lifetime that draws people in.

My Mother's baby shoes

Henry's room (and rabbit)

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." - Maya Angelou
or
"Where we love is home- home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

My Mother, Suzette (being held), with her parents, Delores and Buddy, and brother Jeffrey.

"Not before Good Friday"

"Not before Good Friday," was her gardening mantra. 

 

 My grandmother, Joan  (of Joan and Hughsey and the Gin Martinis), had quite the green thumb.  She always maintained an impeccable yard and a beautiful garden.  She attended her Green Acres Garden Club meetings regularly, and their highly coveted "Garden of the Month" sign frequently found itself planted in her front yard.  One of my favorite memories is of the time my father, ever the prankster, "stole" the sign and placed it in front of our house.  The irony was that, at the time, my sisters and I were at a standoff over who would weed our overgrown garden and spread the mulch that had been sitting in bags next to the garage for 2 weeks.  Certain that gardening thieves had stolen the sign for themselves, Grandma immediately called the police and reported it stolen.  Needless to say when she arrived at our house later that evening

(as she did almost every day), she was not amused.

This was her copy of George Fitzley's Growing and Preserving Your Own Fruits and Vegetables that  I now keep in my kitchen

Gardening was a point of pride for my grandmother.  She read books, subscribed to magazines, and attended lectures all about gardening.  She knew her stuff and her marching orders were you DID NOT put any new plants in the ground before Good Friday in New Orleans.  The method to her madness was that by Good Friday the risk of a lingering hard freeze was all but eliminated.

 Each spring, at the first sign of warming weather I always get the itch to head to the nursery and break out the gardening tools, but then I hear her saying those words with her heavy New Orleans accent. "Not before Good Friday."  As far as time lines go, it seems a rather arbitrary day, especially since Easter and Good Friday follow the liturgical calendar and therefore fall on different days each year.  But one thing I've learned is you don't argue with Joan.

It has been a few years now since she passed away, but I always think of her most around Easter time and, of course, Good Friday.  She would always hide eggs in the back yard and the Easter Bunny would always make his way to her house with baskets for me and my 3 younger sisters.  Before we were too old and too cool to appreciate them, she would make us gorgeous smocked Easter dresses with cross stitched collars to go with our new patent leather shoes.

This is me just before I turned 1 on Easter Sunday at my Grandparents' house



Now that I am all grown up with a family and children of my own, I wish William and Henry had gotten the opportunity to meet her.  She would have cross stitched John Johns until the cows came home and probably shown up at our house every evening just as she had done at my parents' for years.   I may never be one tenth the gardener she was, but as long as there are Easter Sundays, there will be Good Fridays and memories of Grandma.

Joan Shall (Grandma)



Down on the farm

It's springtime, and it's time to get down on the farm...

...Or at least the Farmers Market!

In a perfect world, all of my grocery shopping would take place at the Farmers Market.

  I would never go zooming to Canseco's for a Tombstone at 6:25 on a Wednesday evening, I would make all of Henry's baby food from scratch, and every meal I made would put Ina Garten to shame. 

 In reality, I am all about the occasional Sam's haul (I mean, really.  How can you beat a $5 rotissere chicken?)  But there is nothing like going to the market and being surrounded by gorgeous flowers, herbs, fuits and vegetables.  And now for a little inspiration...

Lucky for us there are 3 weekly markets in New Orleans.

Tuesdays @ Uptown Square (200 Broadway) 9:00-1:00

Thursdays @ American Can Company (3700 Orleans) 3:00-7:00

Saturdays @ Corner of Magazine & Girod (700 Magazine) 8:00-12:00

Love, love, love tomatos.

Broiled, stuffed, or sliced with Mozerella and Basil drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar.  

Which brings me to my next market favorite.

I can't ever leave without picking up at least one new herb plant. 

Plant some mint or rosemary near your front door to keep the mosquitos at bay.

Bring them inside for a pretty indoor herb garden.

Or watch them take off outdoors.

Oh, and the flowers!  These cherry blossom branches are huge, look great and they last FOREVER.

Can't pass up a bundle for under $8

Just in case you need a little more inspiration, Bon Appetit, Y'all, by Virginia Willis is my new obsession.  It boasts "Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking," and let me tell you it has them in spades. Just try her recipe fpr Shrimp with Parmigiano-Reggiano Grits and Tomatoes and see if you don't agree.

Broiled tomatoes withe feta, oregano and basil

So enjoy the fruits (or veggies) of your labor, and put a little life and color back into dinner plate.