On the bottom floor of NOLA Craft Culture in Mid-City, the women of Muses get to work. 

“This is going to be a death star sitting in the galaxy and the eventual plan is to have the laser coming out so that’s going to be fun,” Muse Alysia Loshbaugh said. 

“I am going to do an ice cream shoe so I’ve made a little chocolate ball and then I’m going to do vanilla and strawberry next,” shoe decorator Maya McGee said. 

Owners Lisette Constantin and Nori Pritchard offer a glittery haven for decorators in the months leading up to Muses Thursday. 

“We stay on Saturday nights especially during crunch time like this when friends and family come and do their own glittering,” Constantin said. 

Those who dream of one day joining the Krewe and veteran riders alike gather here to decorate shoes with glitter, glitter, and more glitter. 

“Pretty much I’m a panic glitterer. Usually I start with a bunch of shoes. I just kind of base coat them and then the shoe sort of tells me what it wants to be as it’s as I’m working on it,” Constantin said. 

“I’m trying to get in the system of designing the entire shoe before I start glittering but for the most part I just glitter and then pick a theme as we go,” McGee said. 

After a year without glitter gatherings, the Muses are thrilled to be back in the workshop and on the parade route. 

“I’m ready for like all the parades to start rolling,” McGee said. 

“We’re really, really excited to be back on the float this year and be able to ride,” Loshbaugh said.  

“We’re so excited. Everybody’s just calling it ‘epic gras,’ you know, it’s going to be amazing,” Constantin said.