Thank you, Karen Cramp!

A lovely Connecticut woman sent us the nicest compliment:

I’ve attached a couple of pictures of Billy’s book on our main display, front and center. Do tell people who are looking to get copies that their local, independent bookstore should have no problem getting it for them. Baker & Taylor and Ingram, the two big distributors to independents like us have plenty in stock. We get our special orders in two days and don’t charge shipping, unlike some large, unpleasant online places that start with an ‘A’.

It took me only two days to tear through the book. It was even better than I’d hoped, based on the wonderful op-ed piece he’d done for the Times. I do a lot of what’s called ‘hand selling’ in our business. I have a herd of loyal customers that take my word for what’s good, and trust that I know their taste and I’ve been so pleased to put this book into their hands.

Best,

Karen Cramp

House of Books

Kent, CT

A Beautiful Built-in, My Studio and Billy's Office

This cabinet was covered in thick, white paint

The floors had linoleum, there were three layers of sheetrock which even covered the cypress wainscotting in my studio (which you cannot see due to the photo angles and furniture).


This is Billy's office and what my studio looked like before



But the milk paint color is pretty

Just arrived in NYC after stopping by New Haven area to visit friends... Ruthie Monday will come as soon as I have all my equipment set up!

Inez Scroogs, Student Harmonica Instructor

These are photos of a young girl who used to live in our Carondelet house. These photos were taken as a WPA project. Billy found these photos in the Louisiana Division of the New Orleans Public Library online.



Isn't that neat?

Thanks for your support!

A lovely woman from Portland, Maine named Shannon asked a very good question. She wanted to know who to contact if she wanted to refer her local bookstore to the distributor of Billy's Book, Down in New Orleans. The publisher of down in New Orleans is the University of California at Berkeley Press. I asked Billy about the specifics and here is his answer:

The information for booksellers interested in ordering books from UC Press is located on their website at http://www.ucpress.edu/books/bookstore/ There is a link for the sales representatives on that page and at that link there is information for the representatives for each region. I think that is how independent bookstores can order copies of the book.

-B

We are happy to hear from Shannon, and double-happy to hear that she thinks that the Portland community would be interested in the book. Thanks!

Down in New Orleans is Finally Available!

Look to the right!

Yay!

If you should want to support the book, which we would greatly appeciate, please order it from your local bookstore. We really want to support local business!

Two NOLA bookstores we love:

Octavia Books -Billy will be reading from his book here on the first Thursday, September 6, time to be announced, but he will probably start at 6pm
Maple Street Bookshop

Billy will be on Thacker Mountain Radio on September 13 at 5:30pm, in Oxford, MS.

The Kitchen

I am very excited about our kitchen. It was a much, much later addition to the house, so it is sort of modern in its lines. We outfitted it with some stand alone Ikea kitchen furniture -the white parts of which will be painted a nice, bright color. Note to all: never drink and put togther Ikea furniture. Never. Not even one harmless little cocktail to deal with a no-AC work environment. It is a very easy process, but a nonchalant/overconfident attitude inspired by the cocktail will result in putting pieces that almost look alike into incorrect places and that royally stinks.


I am most excited by the stencils that I made for the walls. I painted these to about plate rail height and I like the way these turned out. Excuse the dark pics.



For lack of better materials, I used an old vinyl shade I had hanging around for a stencil plate.



Billy and I have always had a Chambers oven in our Nola kitchens. Someone threw this one out after the storm, and Billy picked it up of the street! Free! Now all we have to do is refurbish it and drag it in...

Ruthie Monday Orr's Island

Now them is some frickin' happy pooches. Check out the grins.



Hanging out at Princes while we get some clam chowder on Orr's Island

Beach day

Went to the beach yesterday with my sister Manna, Vi, Jess, my father in law Big Bill and his partner Soukha and B. Here are a few Vi-centered pics.

Manna and Vi (stars represent three sisters)

Manna, Violet and Me (photo by Billy)

The Front Entrance

This is the front entrance. We have repaired the caved-in ceiling and painted the walls. we have yet to touch the trim. I am NOT looking forward to painting the stairwell.

Out and About in Maine

On vacation, just got the computer up and running....

I finally have a little time to post the goings on of my life, now that I away from the renovation process for a bit.

To come:

For all who have been asking (some hounding) for pics of the renovation, pics of the house as it was the day we left NOLA

Ruthie pics- and yes, one to make up for this missed monday

Pictures of Orr's Islnd, Maine, where we are milling about this year

Violet pics

etc, etc.