Where Do You Get That Stuff?

People ask me all the time where I get the little bits and pieces that make up the shrines, fetish boxes and assemblages I put together. So I thought as I go on buying trips, I would snap a few pictures of some of my favorite places...I do have many of them right here in New Orleans and I will share those with you in later posts.. but for this past weekend I went to Lafayette, LA with my beloved spouse to attend a conference for the Society of Louisiana Iris. My husband is an avid hybridizer of these beauties for the past 30 years...checkout his website if you love a great Louisiana native plant: http://www.zydecoirises.com/. While he plays with his iris friends, I go junking.

As it so happens, the weekend of the Iris conference coincides with the weekend of the Big Yard Sale at Washington, Louisiana's Old Schoolhouse Antique Mall. Not to be confused with Washington Parish - Washington LA is located just a few miles above Opelousas LA right off I-49 and is very easy to get to from Lafayette. The Schoolhouse is two stories and filled with dealers along with the gymnasium which is also chocked full of good stuff.

But what makes this particular weekend special is that twice a year (April and October) the Schoolhouse invites dealers to sell in the schoolyard. I only go to Washington LA on this weekend because of these dealers in the outside yard. I found, Angela, a wonderful dealer of vintage fabric and clothing from the 1920s. Bought 2 long dresses from the 1920s that are just wonderful, some great handmade doll clothes and a vintage Lodge Hat for the Odd Fellows Rest Association. And several other dealers of old windows, photographs, religious icons and other odds and ends.

The Old Schoolhouse in Washington LA is about a 2 1/2 hours' drive from New Orleans and is worth the trip if you want to combine it with Sunday Brunch at Catahoula's Restaurant in Grand Coteau, right down I-49 towards Opelousas. Catahoula's is my all time number one favorite restaurant. They opened one in Lafayette too! Ate there on Thursday night and it was the best meal I had all weekend!

Juliette