Field trip to Jefferson Variety!

We were in NOLA for Easter weekend, and were able to fit in a trip to the splendor that is Jefferson Variety!

If you've never been and consider yourself addicted to all things sparkly, Jefferson Variety is totally worth the trip. Gaudy fabric and trim, fringe of all lengths and colors, rolls of sequins, sparkly appliques...and of course, glitter. Oh, the glitter.

This was my first trip to Jefferson Variety in a few years, and my first chance to see how it measured up cost-wise now that I've developed some personal guidelines regarding glitter purchases. My general rules are (1) I don't like to pay more than $2 per ounce, and (2) I like to buy at least an ounce of any given color to ensure I have enough to work with. 

Jefferson Variety had two types of glitter, the larger grain glitter which is sold in the bigger tubs (I used this chunkier glitter for my wedding shoes*), and fine "crystalline" glitter which is $4.98 for a 4 oz tub. At about $1.25 per ounce, this is one of the best glitter prices out there (it's in range of what you'll pay for Recollections on sale or with a 40% coupon). Obviously there aren't coupons for Jefferson Variety, so the prices are more fixed than a spot like Joann's or Michael's. 

~Glitter Glitter~ (pricing specs at Jefferson Variety)

Shelf of tubs and tubs of fine glitter at Jefferson Variety

In addition to the excellent price, Jefferson Variety carries some really unique glitter colors. The three colors I bought (in particular the coral) all stood out as being unlike glitters I'd ever seen elsewhere. They also had some more standard color options like silver, gold, white and black, which would be good to add to your supply stash if you didn't already have them in one form or another (I have these covered at the moment).

I narrowed my glitter choices down to a bright coral/orange, iridescent lime green and a multi-toned deep forest green/ iridescent black. I also splurged on a few appliques. Once I eventually checked out**, the lady ringing me up put my purchases in a long skinny plastic bag and added knots between the tubs of glitter like she was stringing vintage pearls while explaining "it's so they won't explode in your car." Ingenious.

Look at this marvelous feat of glitter transportation engineering. Added bonus, it looks like a string of cartoon sausage links, and that cracks me up.

Total, I spent $22.59 on this trip, including:

• Three 4 oz tubs of glitter (coral orange, lime green and forest green/black)
• Three fleur-de-lis appliques at $0.98 per applique (we used a few of these in 2012... I'm a sucker for a fleur-de-lis)
• That awesome shrimp applique, $2.39 (which is destined to be combined with the coral glitter above it for a "hard out here for a shrimp" shoe I'm envisioning)

My purchases!

Afterwards, as if this weren't enough NOLA greatness for one day, we stopped to have lunch at Crabby Jack's (snapped a picture of the hours sign, because I was in a documenting type mood) and ran by the Saturday Art Market at Palmer Park (no pictures whatsoever because my hands were full of the Plum Street Snowball I enjoyed as I meandered...I have no regrets). 

*My groom was from Kansas; with my love of glittery shoes ruby slippers were more or less inevitable.

** Note to self: next time, go wait in the line to have fabric cut whether you're fabric cut or not, as that appears to be the system.