iPOPPING P.E.D. PACKS
Pity the poor iPod in its clear plastic cover. Have mercy on the brilliant MacBook, unsheathed and vulnerable to the merciless claw of gravity. Protect your precious Apple products; they are washed in the tears of angels. But why wrap them in blah, when you can deck them out in hipster haute couture? Enter Blythe King, a Breaux Bridge artist whose seamless seamstress creations are designed for carrying personal electronic devices in style. King uses vintage fabrics and includes buttons, pockets, snaps and straps, to create one-of-a-kind carrying cases that will leave your square, PC-using Philistine friends speechless. Prices range from $12 to $45, depending on the amount of craftsmanship involved in producing the item. Get yours at blytheking.etsy.com . —Walter Pierce
MUSICAL BIRD HOUSES
Tommy Myers got tired of his wife buying knick knacks for the house. “I can make that,” he said after she brought home a pricey bird house. “You always say that, but you never do,” she retorted. The next thing you know, Myers was in his workshop. His quirky birdhouses may never be the residences of wrens, but they certainly are conversation starters for the chirpy among us. Take his Drum and Bugle bird house. The kid-size “First Act” drum with a deep burgundy glaze encircles a cypress house, with silver horn instead of a landing bar. Sitting on a cymbal, surmounted by sticks, the bird house is an inspired flight of whimsey. The houses run from $40 to $200, and can be found at Sans Souci Fine Crafts Gallery. Call 266-7999 or check out the Web site at www.louisianacrafts.org . — Mary Tutwiler
CRAWFISH COMPENDIUM
Did you know there are 39 different species of crawfish? That in the early part of the 20th century, many Louisianians thought eating crawfish outside of Lent was an embarassing admission of poverty? Can you identify a Form I from a Form II male crawfish? These are just a few of the revelations packed inside “Crawfishes of Louisiana,” out from LSU Press. LSU at Alexandria biology professor Jerry Walls, the author of over 40 books on various animals, leaves no stone unturned when it comes to this definitive book on mudbugs. Walls covers all the bases, from crawfish biology and history 101 to some of the important economic and ecological issues now facing crawfish farmers and their cash crop. And of course, no crawfish compendium would be complete without some cooking tips and recipes (Walls also chronicles how to keep a crawfish as a pet). “Crawfishes of Louisiana” retails for $27.50 and is available at most major bookstores or online through www.lsu.edu/lsupress . — Nathan Stubbs