Best (ad)dressed.

So officially awards season is over but I have one award to present...Best (Ad)dressed.  My heart goes pitter-patter whenever a familiar piece of penmanship arrives in the mail.  It seems that I also giggle every time something arrives in our mailbox from San Francisco as our friend Anna has a giddy time addressing envelopes.  Here are the two funniest envelopes that I have received in the mail in lately:

The top envelope enclosed my socks and Mardi Gras Mambo|Great State of Texas arrived exactly on Fat Tuesday. 

Safety First!

While my RN mother might prefer that we stock our first aid box with hemostats, ointments, and bandages; we consider tonics and potions of another sort to be our first line of defense.  Will scored this first aid box from a trash pile on a construction site, and we decided what better use than as a guest minibar.  I still have a few modifications in mind but we are stocked and ready for service...

I think that our obsession with mini-bottles is a holdover from our time living in Charleston when any drink bought on a night out started with a pour from a mini-bottle.  Ordering a round of shots took a few math skills: I'll have three {insert liquor of choice} split five ways....or on a rowdy night five split three ways.

Rebecca Ward Continued....

I just can't stand it....I have to post these additional images of Rebecca Ward's craft.  Happy Monday!

All images via RebeccasWard.com

Rebecca and Kate + Tape

I L.O.V.E. Rebecca Ward's work for Kate Spade, it is just Brilliant {that's right, with a capital B!}  And then to celebrate this fabulous installation, Kate threw a Tape Party where invitees were able to create their own pink and yellow concoctions...Genius! 

Installation images via Rebecca Ward and Party images via Kate Spade.

In the infancy of our relationship, my husband declared his love for gaffer's tape.  A holdover from his technical theater days when there was nothing that couldn't be fixed or secured with gaff tape.  Now I too can share in his obsession...only my approach will be ornamental.   

Be sure to also check out the stop motion video of the installation.

I'm Sold!

I love Steve Lambert's style and humor in his art.  His anti-advertising signs are brilliant, sarcastic, and just good fun.

Steve Lambert solo show walkthrough from Steve Lambert on Vimeo.

All images via visitsteve.com

Mission Statement

So you know how all companies have overly edited mission statements hanging in their lobbies and printed in employee handbooks.  Here at Nola West, we are officially adopting the following as our mission statement:

by M C Turgeon

Tea Time

Our teapot is leaking, I can never have enough linen, and after reading Clodagh's thoughts on tea cups, I think I need some new ones without handles {so I can inhale the tea}.  Here are my latest lusts for a tea party.

Fokus cups; Wedding Tea {my mother-in law gave me this tea on our wedding day...it is so delicious}; Staub Teapot; Strickly Business tea towel; 1943 Japan brass tray.  [Sidenote: the Strickly Business tea towel reminds me of Jason Schwartzman in Darjeeling Limited so I threw in a photo for fun, via.] 

Inside the Loop: guest blog

This week I am thrilled to be stepping in for the ever-original and adventurous Courtney over at Inside the Loop as she broadens all of our horizons and continues her journey through India and Nepal {can't imagine all the wonder and magic she is experiencing and that we will soon get to live vicariously through.}   To me Courtney is blogging royalty with an amazing community centered around her site and I am beyond honored to be featured this week.  

So if you are not already in the loop, follow me.

Urban Cowboys

Its Barbecue Cookoff weekend here in Houston, which is the start of the annual Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo.  Having never attended a rodeo before living in Houston my gracious friends have educated me on Rockies jeans, mutton-busting, calf scrambles, and all things Rodeo. To get in the spirit of Go Texan Day, I am reviewing Geoff Winningham's urban cowboy-esque images from the 70's.

Here is to a month of honky-tonk in America's fourth largest city.

Are you checking me out?

You bet I am you fantastic little barcode!  Sure I have downloaded several barcode fonts but these are beyond fantastic!  In my next life when I am a product designer this will adorn my packaging {which will be minimal and eco}.

 via