Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau, Alaska, is 3,417 miles from my home in Monroe. Not a weekend jaunt. But I dreamed of dining there as I began planning our Alaskan vacation. My research revealed the best way to taste Alaska within the one- to two-week time frame most people have for a vacation is through a cruise or a land-cruise journey. That’s where it gets complicated. You can go to whatever cruise line you want and book directly. I recommend you consult with a travel agent to plan this …
A Woman With a Vision: How Laura Kiefer Navigates Everyday Life and Blindness
One day soon, Laura Kiefer will likely be completely blind. For now, her vision is impaired only in her periphery, meaning that her best field of vision is directly in front of her. At the age of 22, Laura was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that causes breakdown and damage to cells in the retina. Because it is an inherited degenerative eye disease, Laura watched her mother work through the same diagnosis, including giving up her driver’s license on the same day she became legally blind. All …
Old Hollywood meets Modern Luxury
“People hire me to make their house beautiful. It’s not about me and my tastes, it’s about them. Each of my projects is unique to fit my client, creating their version of beauty.” -Cole Baker, Interior Designer and Owner of Maxie Home Interiors Local interior designer and owner of Maxie …
Volunteers of America’s Caring Gifts
30 years ago, Volunteers of America began its holiday campaign to raise money and provide services to the most vulnerable in our community. They’re known as…Caring Gifts. What if you could buy all of your family and friends a Christmas present, have someone else mail it to them and give a meaningful donation to help those in need in our community all at the same time? Well, Volunteers of America North Louisiana has made your Christmas dreams come true by allowing you to do just that. Since 1989, North Louisianans …
Sno-Port: The Science & Wonder Of Snowflakes
The forecast is calling for SNOW!! Gather your holiday sweaters and prepare for a blustery season at Sci-Port Discovery Center’s new exhibition, “Sno-Port: The Science and Wonder of Snowflakes.” Get ready! A season of winter and intrigue is coming to Sci-Port Discovery Center as two new attractions come to life. The first of these additions, “Sno-Port,” a temporary ten-week exhibit, will be taking over the first floor of Sci-Port Discovery Center beginning November 30 . So, how is Sci-Port making it “snow” in the ArkLaTex? Sno-Port will consist of a …
Dr. John Waterfallen: 40 Years of Commitment
Eleven years ago, I suffered a devastating loss. Only 4 months into marriage, my husband and I became pregnant with our first child. Excited and surprised, we were ready to start our family. At about 12 weeks we sadly lost the baby and were diagnosed with a rare pregnancy called a Molar Pregnancy. At the time, this type of pregnancy was very “unusual” and not too many cases had been seen in our area. Scared and confused, I sought many opinions, which all ended with more questions. To put it …
Women Networking
“Network like a woman” is new terminology to me, but I’ve been watching men network like men for years. During my training as a facial plastic surgeon, I was often one of the only women in the room. I noticed that the male surgeons who were hanging out on weekends, playing golf or having dinner together often discussed their practices, referred patients to each other and, in general, were friends as part of their business relationships. There is a reason it is referred to as a “good ol’ BOYS’ club.” …
SocialGoats: Getting Others Aware Today Successfully
Author and motivational speaker Rasheed Ongunlau once said, “It is not blindly pushing your own agenda that will enrich the world. It is your ability and willingness to understand, appreciate, anticipate, address, serve and support the lives of others that will.” Since its inception in 2017, SocialGoats’ has strived to be a beacon to its community by uplifting, supporting and serving others. Moreover, this organization has been a heavy influence in utilizing its resources to promote the talents of local entrepreneurs and artists. This article allows readers to get a …
FROM HER PERSPECTIVE: Miss Louisiana 2019
(headshot photography by Steven Palowsky) “Are pageants even still relevant?” “Are you sure you still want to compete? Aren’t you getting a little too old to be dedicating so much into a pageant?” At 22 years old with nearly seven years of involvement with the Miss Louisiana Organization — three years of competing for and one year of serving as state titleholder with the Miss Louisiana’s Outstanding Teen Organization, and then going on three years of competing for the Miss Louisiana title, these were questions I received fairly regularly. What …
Levi’s Legacy
My son, Levi, will never turn 4 years old. He will never have a 4th birthday party, surrounded by friends wearing Paw Patrol party hats. He will not grin with pride and embarrassment as his family and friends sing to this little boy who was adored by so many. Levi will never celebrate another birthday, because on June 10, 2018, our precious son drowned while we were on vacation in Alabama. My husband and I always knew we wanted three kids. We had two girls: Lily: she is 10 but, …
Louisiana Meets Idaho: The Trip of a Lifetime
The 10 of us had been planning our trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River for over 18 months before we finally set out on the rafts. We’d seen pictures, slideshows, and heard lots of tales of the Middle Fork. Nothing could prepare us for the fun, scenery, or sadness we felt on the river. Like I said, we’d been planning this trip for what seemed like years. We had been texting, calling, and meeting up about this trip for months! The anticipation and excitement were high for …
Tabula Rasa Design: The mind is blank but emphasizes the freedom of individuals to author their own soul…
On unicorn-like rare occasions, I have the enviable project where my clients have no real preconceived ideas or direction in which they want their home to go. When this happens, I am mentally (and sometimes physically) doing the “Snoopy dance!” One of our most recent clients were just such folks. In actuality, this puts more pressure on me as a designer. I have now the unenviable task of imagining how these relative “strangers” should live, or rather, how I imagine them to live. On top of this, I must work …
It’s Permanent: A Little of This and A Little of That, Turn the look you HAVE into the look you WANT…
It’s Permanent and Anna Stephens work together by creating a plan for you to turn the look you have into the look you want. A combination of Botox, dermal fillers, superiorly formatted skin care products, and skin lift & tight procedures really can take years off of your appearance without surgery. Fillers are NOT JUST For Lips & Wrinkles! Dermal fillers are primarily used to fill lines and wrinkles in the face, but fillers are not just for lips and filling in the lines and wrinkles anymore. Yes, most women …
Water, the Incredible Life Force…Not All Water Is Created Equal
Masura Emoto wrote an elegant book that I picked up again from our extensive office library. His New York Times best seller is entitled The Hidden Messages In Water. The crux of the book (so visually captivating) is that when water is exposed to sounds, words or pictures; and then frozen, the subsequent crystals have unique characteristics. When exposed to lovely music, kind words like joy and gratitude (my 2019 word) and beautiful pictures, the resultant crystals, seen under a microscope, are stunning! When water is exposed to loud or …
Keeping it Real with Teri Netterville: A Fresh Start
The beginning of each new school year was always one of my favorite times when I was a little girl. The excitement of seeing all of my friends again after not seeing them for a whole summer. The excitement of finding out who my new teacher was going to be and which of my friends were going to be in my homeroom class. It was all just so exciting. One of my very favorite parts of a new school year was getting all of my new school supplies. Brand new …
Reclaiming & Restoring My Life & My Home
Can you pinpoint a precise moment that changed absolutely everything about your life? That literally changed the trajectory of your path? For me, that moment in history came in the form a conversation with my now ex-husband when he sat me down on Sunday evening, July 5, 2009, and told me he had messed up. My mind swirled. In one short sentence, everything I knew to be true became false. My hopes, dreams and plans shattered. My future stolen and there was absolutely nothing I could do to change the …
Don’t Quit Your Day DREAM
One hot Fall afternoon in the mid 1980s, a small but mighty 6-year-old twirled into her very first class at Miss Tommie’s School of Dance. Her new leather ballet shoes softly padded on the cool linoleum floor in the open studio building. Within those walls, with the steady guidance of the loving, passionate, and patient Miss Tommie Church, Lindsey Williamson Butler got her first introduction to something special. A calling. A magical merging of beauty and power that somehow transcended the earthly bounds of physics and logic to create something …
This is Us
My wedding dress isn’t the only thing that no longer fits. I’m not the same person that my husband married. Fifteen years in, I remember what that woman looked like, but I have no idea who she was. We’ve changed. At the age of 24, Pat and I were married in a large wedding in our home town. There were 20 members in our wedding party. I remember our vows and that Pat sweated profusely throughout the entire ceremony. But mostly I remember crying in the bathroom at the reception …
Hostess with the Mostess: 5 Steps for an EPIC Halloween Party
If you’re thinking about doing a glam hostess with the mostess Halloween party, here’s a step-by-step guide! Theme: Decide the type of Halloween party you want to have. Do you want to go gory-slasher-flick style? Do you want to keep it kid friendly? Do you want to do a vampire theme or a mad scientist theme? I decided to do a spooky glamorous theme. Is that a thing? I think so! I don’t love the gory Halloween stuff but I love to create a creepy and spooky atmosphere. Decorations: You …
5 Ways To Find Financial Peace with Your Spouse
Under the influence of romance, practicalities often go overlooked or unaddressed. While disputes over who takes out the garbage might not be lifechanging, studies show that couples who can’t agree on how to spend and save have a higher likelihood of divorce. To maintain a healthy relationship, it’s important to address these financial questions before they become a problem. Talking about money remains taboo in polite society, yet so much of your family’s life and future is dictated by the financial decisions you and your spouse make today. With so …