Following the Louisiana Antique Trail

Since I was little, my mom and I have loved antiques and shopping for vintage items. I love finding unique pieces or discovering the stories from the past, and each antique shop is different from last. Looking around one a while back we found a brochure for the Louisiana Antique Trail that listed 95 stores all across the state!! Obviously we knew we had to try and visit each one for the blog! They even have a website devoted to it at LouisianaAntiqueTrail.com!

So keep following along as we share what makes each shop special along the trail!

Fearless Finds: The Louisiana Market

After 25 years of business in the same location, The Louisiana Market at 2710 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has become more than a familiar sight among the Cottage Shops; it’s a tradition. The current owner, Lisa Foreman, began working at The Louisiana Market three years ago with plans to buy it, and in July of 2014 that’s what she did. Her only employees are her family, and they show great dedication and support. Lisa was so warm and inviting, and it was obvious she loves what she does. Most of our visit was spent talking about and meeting her local artists (many to be seen on future blog posts!) and exploring the shop.

The Louisiana Market has anything and everything Louisiana! “What I try to do is to promote Southwest Louisiana,” Lisa explained as she showed us the wide variety of products, art, and décor she carries. She has cookbooks, dishware, and gourmet foods including Virgin Pecan Oil. You’ll find unique t-shirts and jewelry, most referencing Louisiana. They even make super cute gift baskets for any occasion. Most recently they filled miniature pirogues with goodies for a local Mardi Gras Krewe.

Lisa works closely with local artists selling their works and helping them reach a broader audience. She even connected one with the flag company she buys from, and now the artist’s designs are featured on flags! There are beautiful works all around the shop including watercolor, acrylic, and oil paintings, local pottery, and recycle art.

Specialty coffee is also available at The Louisiana Market. All the beans are roasted and flavored in Mooringsport, Louisiana, and they are sold by the pound, whole or ground. The flavors are so unique with names like Swamp Gold and King Cake. I actually bought a half pound bag of ground Café Beignet and love it! I can’t wait to go back and try another flavor.

We will definitely be regular customers now and know where to find unique gifts in the future. So whether you need a present for a native Cajun or want to share the Louisiana spirit with a faraway friend, pay a visit to The Louisiana Market to find exactly what you’re looking for!

For more information visit thelouisianamarket.com, like them on Facebook, or call 337-656-2908.

Fearless Finds: Fleur De Lis Candles

Ever wonder what a monkey fart smells like? Well during my drives to work I kept hearing about a candle shop in Lafayette, and what really got my attention were the names of the candles like Monkey Farts and Oilfield Trash. I love candles and thought to myself, “I have to smell a Monkey Fart!!” So that’s the first thing I did upon arriving at Fleur De Lis Candles.

But I didn’t stop there. I smelt Butt Naked and Cajun Hot Flash and King Cake and so many others! The names are so unique and fun, some are even customer-created. But walking around the shop I noticed that most of the candles and wax melts are primarily white in color, and that made me wonder why. We were told that the candles are made with fewer petroleum by-products which is where the color comes from, so for cleaner burning, they opt for fewer colored candles.

This brings us to how it all got started. The owners were searching for an affordable, eco-friendly candle that didn’t skimp on scent, so when they couldn’t find any locally, they did the research and began creating and selling their own out of their snow cone stand. Now they’re located at 3816 West Congress Street, Suite 3 in Lafayette, Louisiana, and all candles are created and hand-poured onsite.

Another unique service they offer is they will pour a candle in whatever container you bring them. The owner told us they’ve seen everything from Ragu to baby food jars, and they’ll cut the price down for your recycling efforts! Most custom candles can be done within 24 hours.

We actually got to have a sneak sniff of their newest scent, Bunny Burps! Everyone is going to love it!

This is a must-stop for all candle lovers. Believe me, you won’t leave empty-handed! We went last week, and I have already been through three cubes of my Mardi Gras wax melts! I am loving the scent! It smells great but isn’t overwhelmingly strong.

As we were checking out, Lexi got a text from her Granny asking if they had a Kettle Corn scent. That’s one scent they don’t have, but they wrote it down and will hopefully be working to create one! Maybe we will even be able to create the name for it!

For more information check out their website fleurdeliscandles.com, like them on Facebook, or call 337-534-8865.

Fearless Finds: Grandma's Garden Flower and Gift Shop

What woman doesn’t hope for a bouquet of fresh flowers on Valentine’s Day? I sure do! Actually what am I saying? I hope for flowers all the time! They are a timeless gift and perfect for every occasion. But Valentine’s Day might be the holiday most-known for flowers, so the ladies (and a few gentlemen) of Grandma’s Garden Flower and Gift Shop in Welsh, Louisiana, are hard at work preparing. Fortunately, they let us take a peek behind the scenes, and the owner, Roylynne Harris, shared her story about the shop’s humble beginnings.

 

The origin of the name alone gives me goosebumps. Roylynne told us that before her grandma passed Roylynne would go each Sunday after church to her grandma’s house for a home-cooked meal and a visit. Before she would leave her grandma would send her to the garden, clippers in hand, and tell her to cut whatever she wanted. Her grandma would then wrap the flowers in a paper towel for the long drive home where Roylynne would then arrange them in mason jars and vases. “I always said if I ever had a flower shop I would name it Grandma’s Garden because that’s where I found my love for flowers,” Roylynne explained. Nine years ago she made true that promise and started Grandma’s Garden out of her home.

Grandma’s Garden is now located on the corner of Main Street and Highway 90 in Welsh, Louisiana, in a re-purposed gas station. Before Interstate 10, 90 was the main road to travel, and as a gas station the building hosted Elvis and the infamous Bonnie and Clyde. Nowadays the building is filled with flowers and all sorts of gifts, including Tyler candles. I actually fell in love with this beautiful pillow embroidered with Louisiana spelled out in cypress trees.

As for the flowers, Grandma’s Garden has a widespread customer base and delivers anywhere from Kinder to Jennings to Gueydan starting at $5. Flowers arrive daily from Beaumont and Lafayette, and they take both walk-ins and phone orders. Their services also include weddings, funerals, Homecoming and other events.

With Valentine’s Day coming up quickly, Roylynne and her helpers are making sure they are ready for anything with over 800 roses and dozens of pre-made “green ahead,” as they called them, vases ready to be filled with whatever selection of flowers you’d like.

We really enjoyed meeting Roylynne and her crew at Grandma’s Garden and getting to see the inner workings of a flower shop! Please pay them a visit the next time you’re in need of a gift, and they’d love to help you find something perfect.

For more information or to make an order call Grandma’s Garden Flower and Gift Shop at 337-734-3597, and find them on Facebook.