Happy Friday, friends!  You may have noticed from a slight Instagram overload that I spent last weekend in the South Market District in New Orleans.  I’ll admit that I was pretty unfamiliar with the area beforehand, but now I have no doubt that I’ll be back.  Jenn and I stayed at the way too cool for school Ace Hotel, and it was such a fun atmosphere.  The lobby had a great bar area serving craft cocktails to the city’s coolest kids (I did my best to blend in), and the rooftop pool provided a much-needed cool-down from the New Orleans HEAT.  (It was a serious sauna last weekend, y’all.)  During our stay we pretty much ate our way through the South Market District, and fitting with New Orleans, we never had a bad meal.

Company Burger: Four words for you: sweet potato waffle fries.  I would’ve been sold on that fact alone, but the burgers really do match this place’s reputation.  So delicious and perfectly proportioned – no giant hunk of meat that takes the whole thing over.  Plus, there’s a gourmet mayo bar, and who can hate on that?

Willa Jean:  No lie, this was one of the best brunches I’ve ever had for four reasons: crawfish and burrata toast, shrimp and grits, grilled banana bread, and frozen rosé.  (That’s right, they froze it.  And due to a spontaneous thunderstorm, we were forced to stick around for another round.  Twist my arm.)  Also, every breakfast place should serve biscuits with Tabasco honey because that shit was bomb.

Blaze Pizza:  On Sunday night, all we wanted was something easy and comforting.  Enter Blaze Pizza.  You can choose from their menu, or they’ll build your own pie with whatever your little heart desires, right in front of your eyes.  Paired with a lemon basil beer from Nola Brewing Company, it was Sunday night perfection.

Other spots to note:

Stumptown Coffee

Stonefree Boutique

Arhaus Home

Freda

Hattie Sparks

Barre3

And the area is only getting better and better.  It was quiet and peaceful and just felt clean and new.  The South Market District was way less crowded than some areas of the city, and for those looking for something a little different than the French Quarter / Bourbon Street norm, I can’t recommend checking out this area more.  And if you do, show up hungry!

xoxo

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by the South Market District, but all opinions are my own.  It really was just plain fun…and delicious!  Thank you for supporting the brands that make My Style Diaries possible.

Friends who brunch together…  This weekend I got to meet up with two of my favorite gals Jenn and Krystal for brunch at Willa Jean in New Orleans (seriously, so yum), and we all basically showed up wearing different versions of the same thing.  Apparently it was floral midi dress day, and I swear, this actually was unplanned.  When the whole “midi” thing first happened, I was like, no.  I felt like it hit my leg in a weird place, but after experimenting with a few hundred styles, I’ve found that slits are my midi best friends, and also, heels only.  Unless you’ve got a model bod like my friend Krystal above, I’d recommend sticking to heels with midi silhouettes.  Also consider fabric.  For me, it’s definitely important to stick with lightweight, loose fabrics that move with me.  Anything heavy or stiff just turns into…not a good look, girl.  And if you’ve been dying to try out a floral midi dress?  Well, you’re in luck, girl.  Because the one I’m wearing is currently on sale for 40% off.  (And don’t let the long sleeves scare you.  They’re super light and sheer.  I mean, I wore this dress in New Orleans this past weekend which was basically like an oven.)  Looking for a few more picks?  Head over here or here because the options are seriously endless.

xoxo

Photos thanks to Brooke Boyd