LOUISIANA Legends & Lore

By Alan Brown

$21.95

Lean back into Louisiana lore with an earful of New Orleans jazz and a bellyful of Cajun cuisine. But when the music dies down and the lights flicker out, hushed conversations bleed into the darker mysteries of the Pelican State. Storied outlaws like John Murrell, Eugene Bunch and Leather Britches Smith steal into the room. Voodoo priestesses Marie Laveau and Julia Brown are already there, along with the Phantom Whistler and the Axman of New Orleans. Folklorist Alan Brown educates and entertains with tales of the unseemly, bizarre and other worldly, like the legends of the Rougarou, the Lutin and the Honey Island Swamp Monster.

Book Review is Presented by Books Along the Teche

337-367-7621

106 E. Main St., New Iberia

Jeanne Gondron Stiles: Original Stiles

Available at: www.originalstiles.com and the artist’s social media platforms.

Price: Starts at $5

A unique gift is hard to find. Luckily, Original Stiles has many options to pick from. Jeanne Gondron Stiles of Loreauville, designs “creations from jewelry, to door signs, to handwritten recipe cutting boards.” Original Stiles prices range from $5-$80 including keychains, cutting boards and rose petal rosaries, which are available on the artist’s website and social media platforms. In 2005, Stiles launched the business and has flourished ever since. According to Stiles, “My business has grown exponentially thanks to word of mouth from happy customers and social media… I am constantly striving to be better and use the talents God has given me to give back!”

Lindsay Smith: Elise Claire Designs

Available at: Eliseclairedesigns, eliseclairedesigns@yahoo.com

Title of piece: ‘Bride-To-Be Bracelet Set’

Price: $27

Need the perfect gift for any occasion? Lindsay Smith, owner of Elise Claire Designs creates handmade bracelets, pacifier clips and more customized items. Smith is a native of Loreauville and this January, the mother of three opened Elise Claire Designs online. “I wanted something that was doable while caring for them. I came across benedict bracelets and LOVED them, so I decided to start making them on my own for myself and from there it took off,” Smith said. Elise Claire Designs prices range from $8-$60 and are available on Smith’s social media platforms or through emailing the artist!

Jaime Normand: Clay & Brass – Ceramic Jewelry

Available at: The artist’s social media platforms and www.etsy.com/shop/clayandbrass

Title of piece: ‘Emerald Sunburst Studs’

Price: $38

The one-of-a-kind ‘Emerald Sunburst Studs’ from Clay & Brass – Ceramic Jewelry are added to our shopping cart! Jaime Normand, a Lafayette local, kicked off her career by working under a ceramicist who designed handmade tableware in New York City four years ago. “I would go home to my small Brooklyn apartment and make tiny clay jewelry pieces while watching Gilmore Girls. I would also fire them in a small kiln in my bedroom,” Normand said. After leaving the city, Normand continues to flourish and makes pieces everyone loves. Clay & Brass- Ceramic Jewelry prices range from $20-$75 and are available on Etsy and social media!