Bayou Babe - Fields & Freckles Photography LLC

By far one of my best adventures to date was spending Halloween weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and of course, I decide to celebrate it in one of the sketchiest cities – especially on this holiday. I know I’m gonna be that mom that decorates the house for Halloween to the extent the Kardashians decorate for Christmas (google it – you’ll see what I’m talking about). Ever since I moved south I have wanted to go to New Orleans. There’s just something about it that has always had my attention. I can proudly say, now after visiting, that it is one of my favorite places in the United States.

Besides going for Halloween, my friend & I went to New Orleans for Voodoo Music Festival. We went to Bonnaroo together this summer & we knew we would be the only ones willing to get weird in New Orleans on Halloween. If you know me, I’m obsessed with music festivals. I’ve been to Bonnaroo in Tennessee twice, Lollapalooza in Chicago, & now Voodoo in NOLA. Every fest has different crowds & lineups. Sadly the last day was canceled due to weather, but throughout the weekend we got to hear Alesso, Jack Ü, Florence + the Machine, & The Struts. I’ve seen Skrillex multiple times (it’s a sad addiction) but I finally got to see Diplo dance live & Florence run across the stage barefoot & topless.

Now back to the beauty of New Orleans! I don’t think I can even describe in words everything about it but I’ll try. There is live music playing everywhere, at all times. The smell of fried seafood & Cajun spices follows you around every corner. Even if you don’t eat seafood (like me) it still smells hella incredible. I’m not a spice lover either but I was obsessed with all the food I tried. The beignets & coffee at Café du Monde tasted far better than I could’ve ever imagined & were surprisingly cheap considered how popular the place is. I love how you can walk down any street & there be a restaurant or bar every 5 feet. I considered trying to get a barefoot picture on the Bourbon St. sidewalk tiles for the sake of Fields & Freckles but decided I didn’t want some nasty fungus/glass in my feet so I settled for my disgusting wet & muddy Converse. *Word to the wise, don’t wear white Converse to a rainy music festival because you’ll end up with water/mud up to your ankles & have to bleach them multiple times to still be left with a rotting smell* Even though it poured THE entire weekend (& I’m not even exaggerating it literally torrentially down poured), I had the time of my life. I know this blog is all about my obsession with fields but let’s just pretend Bourbon Street was my field last weekend. I frolicked up & down it happier than a hippie in a field of wildflowers. I earned beads, I threw beads. I danced with random strangers in the streets & met incredibly nice & genuine people everywhere we wandered. I never thought I would enjoy grain alcohol as much as I did (google ingredients of NOLA Hand Grenade drink). The architecture of the buildings & houses were stunning; plus they were decked out in the most Halloween decorations I’ve ever seen in my life. Not to mention the breathtaking aboveground cemeteries. Exploring the art studios in the French Quarter/marketplace & seeing local art/artists was a beautiful experience. Sometimes you come across incredible places in life that illuminate your soul – mine was glowing in New Orleans & I’m counting down the days until I can go back.

Now, FINALLY on to my fashion from the trip!! (If you’ve made it this far, you may as well just keep going). One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting the actual house they used to film American Horror Story: Coven. I’m literally watching that season for the 4^th time as I’m typing this. It’s not that I like witches…it’s that I love that they’re all boss ass bitches who stand up for themselves & don’t put up with bullshit. One of the most famous quotes from Coven, “Wear something…black” is my life motto. We visited this house on Halloween day & it was humid as hell. My camera lens kept fogging but it made the pictures look creepy so I kept it! I have a sticker of Misty Day (the one who brings animals back to life) on my laptop because she’s literally my spirit animal. Messy hair, Fleetwood Mac, & resurrecting animals; what more could ya want. Fun facts (cause I know you all care): the house is 20,000 sq. feet, was built in the 1850s, & was actually a school at one time (hence the quote at the front gate). It is absolutely breathtaking to stand in front of so I figured I’d do an impromptu & super creepy photo shoot! I wish I could’ve brought my camera around more but the rain and Bourbon Street shenanigans left me with only my phone the majority of the time.

(some mad Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas vibes)