Mardi Gras Ceramic Serveware, Oh My!

     Every Mardi Gras season, I eagerly await using my vast collection of Mardi Gras-inspired ceramic platters, bowls, chip & dips, and plates. I have been collecting these unique pieces since the early 1990s. Most were purchased from two of my favorite Thibodaux shoppes, House of Fashion and Old Estate way back when.
     There is no secret that I love Mardi Gras, so collecting Carnival-inspired serveware is a task I do not take lightly. I can never have just ONE (Right, J?).

Vast collection of Vicki Carroll ceramic serveware

     Many of my collection pieces are by ceramic artist, Vicki Carroll. Her studio consists of "a diverse and lively gathering of hand painted and decorative accessories that can enhance your own personal style".

     Here are pieces of my Mardi Gras serveware collection:

Large round platter

Large oval platter...perfect for king cakes

Chip & Dip

Square platter

Notice the chip=well used!

     Recently, I also discovered a few pieces by local ceramic artist Debbie Kraemer of dk clay which is located Uptown. Check back soon as I will devote a future blog to her original work. I find her work to be classic and so well made. Stay tuned!
     Here are a few pieces by DK that I have purchased recently:

     Living just a block off the famous Uptown parade route, I am so enthused to be able to use such spirited serveware. I have used my collection for many years from Atlanta to NOLA, and I hope to for many Mardi Gras seasons to come.

My Atlanta Mardi Gras

Custom Fleur de lis cookies...McIntyre's Bakery, Smyrna, GA

Roasted red pepper dip & veggies

Fiesta dip & pretzel sticks

King cake

Pepper jelly made by Honey

Crawfish popcorn bites by the Big Easy Grill, Atlanta

     And even better, these pieces are oven and dishwasher safe. Easy use, easy clean-up = Happy me!

My Atlanta tablescape

Happy Serving, y'all!

     And on further note, Happy Birthday to BFF LK !!! Cheers to a great friend who calls me Rondella. Yes! Add that to my list of nicknames on my blog, The Acorn...A to Z

Lori in her Mardi Gras headpiece...LOL!

Cheers, Lori!

On Parade... Collectibles by Lorraine Gendron

     A number of you asked and commented about the whimsical wooden cutouts in my Mardi Gras Home Tour post earlier this week. So here it goes...

Parade of characters on display in guest room

     Upon moving back to Louisiana in the summer of 2008, I fell in love with the unique wooden creations at one of my favorite Magazine Street shoppes (and yes, I spend a lot of time on Magazine Street---miles of fun).
     Lorraine Gendron, a Louisiana Folk Artist from Hahnville, has created these wonderful, whimsically painted wooden cutouts representing New Orleans iconic images. Her work is treasured by collectors around the globe.
     After receiving my first Lorraine Gendron original from J for Christmas of 2008, I was hooked. Since then, I have received more as gifts and purchased a few of my own. Thanks, Honey! My first one was the Rex float which is part of the Floats Collection.

Rex Float

Float Collection

     I look forward to the Mardi Gras season each year to display these fun wooden creations with my Mardi Gras decor. Though I put them out only for the Mardi Gras season, they make a great addition to any and all decor all year long.
     Here are some more from my own Lorraine Gendron collection:

King

Flambeaux

Zulu Warrior

Jester

2nd liners

     Compliments abound from many when they see these wonderful figures, each with its own distinctive personality.
     Here are more from the Lorraine Gendron Collection:

Mardi Gras Indian Collection

Flambeaux Collection

     In New Orleans, Lorraine Gendron's work is available at Gentry on Magazine Street and Judy at the Rink on Prytania Street.

Happy Parading, y'all !

On parade...on mantle