SPRINGTIME IN WONDERLAND

BY MARY DITCH | PHOTOS BY MISTY LEIGH MCELROY

Stepping into the home of Todd and Cecilia Ledet is like stepping through the looking glass and finding yourself at home in Wonderland.

Brilliantly collected over the years, the Ledet home is full of antique furniture handed down over the years, each piece with its own story to tell. Filled with whimsy and charm, the home begs for you to take a closer look at each nook and cranny to see what fantastic tale the piece will tell. The eclectic style is purposeful, as each item that finds a home within their walls is meaningful to the homeowners.

The Ledets moved into the three bedroom, three bathroom home in 2021. “I love the tiny porch on this home that I can decorate and I love the neighborhood. It looks like a movie set. It’s very quiet,” shared Cecilia. The open floor plan was something new for the Ledets but

Cecilia enjoys being able to cook and still see into the rest of the home.

Cecilia’s favorite things in her house are her mother’s collections of pieces and treasures, such as the antique organ in the front hall. She also loves her book collection which finds a home inside an antique bookcase from Spain. The monkey light fixture in the front entryway is another piece she loves and brought from her previous home to this one. POV

BY ISABELLE GAREIS PHOTOS PROVIDED

Local Houma native and high school student Claire Wiley is making a splash in the competitive deep sea fishing world with her remarkable ambition and love of the sport. The young athlete has already won multiple fishing competitions and caught the attention of national fishing brands like Pelagic with her talent, which she shares almost daily on social media.

Claire Wiley is a student at E.D. White Catholic High School and has had an interest in fishing her whole life. “I really began fishing when I was a baby, as soon as I could hold a pole," said Claire. "My dad fishes all the time out of Cocodrie, Grand Isle, and other places in Southern Louisiana, and would take me out on his boat from an early age-- I just s father, Michael Wiley, fondly remembers Claire’s first experience fishing: "The first time I took her out fishing she was only three years old and caught a redfin all by herself," said Michael. s when I knew she had a talent for the sport and was going to really go places. Claire was born into it." Claire’s family has always encouraged her interest in the outdoors, with frequent hunting trips to Colorado, fishing trips, and more. "We were very blessed as a family to be able to spend that time outdoors," said

It was not long before Claire began catching impressively large fish, from bull dolphin to giant amberjack and more, alongside finding success in her hunting with her family. "Her Instagram got started with hunting pictures-- just casual pictures of her in her gear with game," explained Michael. "She would use hashtags and tag brands that she was wearing while hunting and began to gain a lot of attention on social media. I was giving her some tips and suggestions, but she was doing it all herself. She started to get reposted by these large national companies, and it was so interesting to watch." Although Claire’s hunting pictures were proving popular on social media, it was not until she began competitively fishing and posting pictures of it that her Instagram presence took off-- one s biggest moments was when she entered the Gulf-wide Bobby Carter ’s Swordfish Showdown last year and placed in the tournament. "Claire caught a swordfish and fought it for almost an hour and a half," said Michael. "That was a huge deal because it was gulf-wide, from Texas to Florida, and Claire won almost $14,000 for that performance." However, it was sharing Claire’s win on Instagram that caught the attention of her largest national brand

"I had a picture taken of myself with the swordfish I caught in the tournament and was wearing a Pelagic shirt," said Claire. "I had tagged Pelagic in the picture and shared it with them, and that is when things really took off." Claire went on to befriend the marketing head of Pelagic and spoke with her regularly, which led Claire to be able to work on a professional level with the company and even attend sponsored fishing trips. "Claire has had the amazing opportunity to catch giant golden tile fish, giant amberjack, and giant wahoo, which she continuously posted on her Instagram while wearing Pelagic gear," said Michael. "You can see how much she loves the sport in her face and people can't resist that. Her Instagram presence has grown and she has done this all on her own." Pelagic was so impressed with Claire’s talent that they went on to offer her a brand

"Basically, Pelagic contracted me to be an ambassador for them, so I post pictures wearing Pelagic gear with the fish I catch and link their website along with it," said Claire. "I also have a special bio on their official website and have opportunities to participate in their fishing tournaments in Cabo, Pura Vida, Key West, Key Largo, Costa Rica, and more," Claire explained. "We also follow a code of conduct to make sure we represent their company well. I'm really looking forward to participating in their tournaments and doing more with the company as I continue to grow in the sport." Alongside all of her work as a brand ambassador for Pelagic, Claire is in the midst of gearing up to compete in multiple tournaments, such as the New Orleans Invitational, s Invitation, and New Orleans Youth Invitational. Claire is also planning to compete in the next Swordfish Showdown Competition, with the first leg of the tournament taking place from May 1st-31, and the second leg from August 1st-31. "We are really excited for these tournaments," said Claire. "I'm feeling good about them and hoping to win."

Claire plans to continue deep sea fishing and other outdoor sports as long as she possibly can. "I have always loved fishing and being on the water," said Claire. "I want to see how far I can take it." As said on her official Pelagic bio, she hopes to travel the world one day, "crossing off fish one by one," and there is no doubt Claire’s talent will allow her to continue to do great things on a local, national, and international stage. To learn more about Claire, please visit her Instagram profile @claire.wiley1. POV

Our area boasts numerous women-owned and women-run businesses, including retail, medical, construction and oil and gas, and that number is on the rise! Women serve our community in many positions of leadership all the way up to CEO and president of the board. When it comes to women-owned small businesses, Louisiana ranked eighth in the country in 2022 with 3,886 women-owned small businesses per 100k people.

These women inspire us and represent us at some of the highest levels. We are grateful for their dedication to our communities both professionally and philanthropically.