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02/13/12
Where does Cupid’s arrow fit among floats and beads?
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01/30/12
Comic Con New Orleans 2012
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01/18/12
When I first moved to New Orleans (to attend Newcomb College in 1999), Bywater was a place that only those “in the know” talked about; and when it was mentioned, we were warned to only go “with a group.”
Since then, much has changed in that neighborhood and in New Orleans (understatement of the century, right?). I’ve had a blast in Bywater and in other sections of town from which I was once warned away.
When I went to Bywater last weekend, I found it to be everything I was promised in college and more – except that going “with a group” still holds true, but only because it can be more fun that way.
My fiancé, a very dear friend and I had made the trek (because when you live in “the sliver on the...
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01/04/12
By this point we’ve all read, heard and seen that, whether we like it or not, 2012 is here with a vengeance. Along with the start of a new year comes the pressure to make a resolution. My confession: I’ve never made a New Year’s resolution. I don’t believe in them and, honestly, I feel like it’s just another way for others to substantiate our internal fears. We should all try to be our healthiest, fittest, most honest and most charitable selves, without pressure from strangers.
However, for me, this year is different. During 2011 I had my first hugs with new babies and my last with loved ones; I attended weddings and funerals; and (I think) I grew up a bit. Since this year feels different, I decided to start it differently and finally made a...
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12/21/11
At no other time of the year (except maybe for Carnival) do so many people have Traditions (yes, with a capital “T”). Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a stickler for traditions myself – I served as ritualist for my sorority for two years and was once known to cry when, instead of having our traditional Thanksgiving afternoon at the house, my Dad brought home box seats to the Cowboys game. But there’s something about traditions affiliated with the holidays that engenders extremes of emotions.
When my fiancé and I bought our home, we started new holiday traditions. Anyone who has gone through the merging of family holiday rituals will understand the worries of that first year: Will my parents get upset? Will his? Will we get time just to...
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11/30/11
True confession: I am a beach girl. On all of those “What Kind of ___ are You?” quizzes there is always the question: Do you prefer the beach or the mountains? I have, and will always, check next to “beach.” Nothing against the mountains; I’m sure they’re lovely and that snow and all of the activities that go with them are wonderful, but I’ll take the beach and a body of water any day.
I am blessed in that my parents are beach people too. Since I was 8, our summer vacations have almost always been to Grand Cayman – and I know every inch of that seven-mile, white-sand beach. I became a Caribbean snob and am proud of it.
Then I met the man who is now my fiancé and I learned about the magic that is Gulf Shores. His...
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11/28/11
Attending nonprofit events in New Orleans could be a full-time job (and wouldn’t that be a blast?). This past weekend was no exception, with “Uncork the Cure” benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; “Boudin & Beer” and “Carnivale du Vin” for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation; “A’s & Aces” gala; “What’s Cookin’ with CASA” benefiting Court Appointed Special Advocates; the “Odyssey Ball” benefiting New Orleans Museum of Art and many more.
I was lucky to attend both “Boudin & Beer” and the “Odyssey Ball”* and I can assure you that the nonprofit scene in New Orleans is alive and well.
“Boudin & Beer” heralded the Emeril Lagasse...
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Morgan Packard may not be a native New Orleanian, but with every passing day New Orleans becomes more her home. Attending Newcomb College and gaining her masters from Tulane University, Packard immersed herself in the culture and peculiarities of the Big Easy, the culmination of which was reached when she joined the staff of Renaissance Publishing in May 2006. You can reach Morgan at (504) 830-7227 or morgan@myneworleans.com.
