Alabama born and bred, this New Yorker fell in love with the city and found a quintessential French Quarter residence to call her own just weeks before Hurricane Katrina. While the photography alone is worth a glance, Shriver weaves an intimate tale, sharing her NOLA love notes with us as she discovers her neighborhood and decorates her home. When we hear so much about spikes in crime, increasing property taxes, hurricanes, and crooked politicians (I’m looking at you C. Ray Nagin), it’s a necessity to take a moment to dwell on the positive details that make this city so special.
Category: local flavor
My NO Prop wifey Leslie Almeida is at it again. Celebrating 5 years of sugary bliss, her annual king cake party is the largest public tasting in the New Orleans area. In fact, I’m just now coming down from last year’s sugar high. With over 20 king cakes, including a home baked category, you might want to start your Lenten fast a little early to prepare for the doughy gluttony that will ensue. My personal favorites from last year ranged from Haydel Bakery’s classic cake, Domenica’s “so good it’s not even fair” concoction of bananas, mascarpone, and salted caramel, and Cake Cafe’s goat cheese stuffed variety. In addition to all of the cake cake cake cake cake, there will be live entertainment and raffle prizes, all wrapped up in the beautifully renovated Little Gem Saloon.
Slow Southern Style is giving away two free tickets to one lucky random winner. Contest runs through January 31st, winner announced on February 1st.
All you have to do to enter is:
1. Comment below what’s your favorite place to buy king cake and
2. Like Propaganda New Orleans on Facebook.
Can’t wait to find out if you’ve won? Buy tickets online here and receive $3 off with discount code SSS.
Last week I was asked to be a guest on It’s New Orleans, an online radio station with a slew of interesting programs. Every week they do a show called Happy Hour that highlights intriguing people in the city. I had a lot of fun talking about Marrero (ahh suburbia), Slow Southern Style, and my long standing love for fashion. I also played flute in front of an audience for the first time in about 9 years- that’s what I get for listing it as a hobby in my bio. I’ve already picked apart my 1.5 minute performance and noted every single flaw, but you be the judge. Listen to the show online by clicking here.
Hourglass Productions- purchase it online here |
Made & Made- custom handmade millinery |
I love strolling through a good art market, discovering little handmade treasures from local artists. But most of them are daytime outdoor events, which means slathering on sunscreen and sweating it out during the summertime. And since I’m working weekends now, my work schedule doesn’t always align, and the tables are packed up long before I’m punching the clock. Frenchman Art Market founder Kate Gaar is helping fill the need for an alternative time slot every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5:00pm-1:00am. The market is located in the midst of Frenchman Street, New Orleans’ venerable hot spot for good eats and live music when the sun goes down. Tucked into an empty lot across from D.B.A. and next to Spotted Cat, it’s easy to catch your favorite band, then stroll across the street with beer in hand to scope out another form of local talent-handmade crafts. There’s plenty of art, jewelry, re-purposed vintage clothing, housewares, even twinkling fleur-de-lis topiaries and a documentary film maker were out on my last visit.
John Dyer, a friend and co-organizer, explains how the Frenchman Art Market came to fruition.
“Basically this was a pop-up market that started during Jazz Fest weekends this year. Kate just has a passion for art and artists and has basically single handedly (excluding yours truly) put this together. We are seeking a very diverse group of art vendors. We don’t really want food/drink vendors and we definitely don’t (can’t have) musicians because it’s already on Frenchmen and there’s plenty of other places for that.
This is a venue strictly for diverse local artists and we want to gear it towards festivals/conventions that are in town. Meaning we want to have a strong base of artists that we can book according to what’s happening in the city that weekend. As of now we are leased through January and hoping we can sign longer. We have started a petition at the market and are trying to get as many locals to sign it in show of support to the city.”
Keep up with the Frenchman Street Art Market on their Facebook page. If you’re an artist interested in participating http://neworleans.craigslist.org/ats/3194148695.html
Blouse: Sparkle & Fade via Buffalo Exchange Jeans: Citizens of Humanity via Buffalo Exchange Cross body bag: Kate Landry via Buffalo Exchange Flats: Melissa via UAL |
If your group of friends are feuding like a modern day version of the Hatfields vs. the McCoys, you might want to take it to reality t.v. A well known cable network wants to share the blood bath with a national audience, so they’re putting out a casting call in the New Orleans area. If your group of friends is age 21+ and have a score to settle with a rival group, e-mail reality@lizlewis.com with the following info.
⋅ Name
⋅ Where do you live?
⋅ Occupation
⋅ Phone
⋅ Email
⋅ Describe your group of friends in three words
⋅ How long have you known each other?
⋅ Who are the members of your crew?
⋅ Describe your enemies:
⋅ Why are you enemies?
⋅ How long have you been feuding?
⋅ Have you ever had a confrontation?
⋅ Please include a photo of you and your friends.
- What: Passport to Freret Street: Thrifty Fashion Show/Contest
- When: Sunday, May 13th 9:00 pm
- Where: La Nuit Comedy Theater, 5039 Freret Street
Whenever I have friends come to visit, I plan their trip around meals. I tend to err on the side of strategic over planning. I’ll pencil in a day of sight seeing, but the main attraction will always be breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So when Southern Living sent over a copy of Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook, I was eager to thumb through it.
The recipe I tackled was Shrimp Destin, a fairly easy one. Given my penchant for the tasty crustaceans (I’ve got a shrimp tattoo after all) it was an obvious choice. I’m definitely not a by the book cook- I prefer to improvise if I don’t have all ingredients on hand. For example, Shrimp Destin called for dinner rolls or rice, so I substituted what I had on hand. In this case it was jalapeno bread. I’m sensitive to gluten, but trust me you’ll want something to sop up the aromatic butter with. Aside from the generous helping of carbs, this recipe is one of the lighter ones in the book. Since my husband and I try to eat fairly healthy, we used Earth Balance instead of real butter. The dish turned out great- we both snuck seconds.
Sunglasses & dress, Buffalo Exchange Melissa shoes, Nordstrom Rack |
My friend Kasimu Harris of Parish Chic |
How we roll. Not my bike but I wish it was. |
My sweet friends Corey and Hattie Collins. |
Fish tacos from G. W. Fins |
A lush French Quarter balcony |
Life imitates art imitates life- painter creating art via her marionette puppet |
Rachel and her best friend, Whitney |