Bev (center) with board member Helen Butcher and  event co-chair Mathilde Currence for the Lighthouse for the Blind fund-raiser on March 15. The gala is at Arnaud’s, where guests will dine on that restaurant’s famed cuisine, while learning more about the important work of this group. The Lighthouse for the Blind serves people in the region who are blind or visually impaired by providing job training, competitive employment and services. For information and tickets, call 899-4501.


Get ready for “Sentimental Journeys” on April 20 and 21, because you can bet that the three fabulous co-chairs featured on our cover are doing just that! Kudos to Sandra Pulitzer, Catherine Freeman and Jon Vaccari who will be hosting the most spectacular party of the year to benefit Longue Vue House and Gardens. The event kicks off with the patron party on April 20, with the gala and auction on April 21. Both nights’ cuisine is sure to be outstanding: John Besh of Restaurant August is the host chef and Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington, D.C., is the guest chef for the patron party and Peter Moore of the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans will be the
gala host chef with guest chef Thierry Rautureau of Rover’s Restaurant in Seattle. The decorations are always over the top, so start getting together with friends to decide what exotic places you want to bid on. A few of the more than 30 trips around the world include: fashion week in Milan, a tour of Vienna, Prague and Budapest, and a tour of Machu Picchu and the Amazon Rainforest. Longue Vue really needs our help this year, so you don’t want to miss this gala.

“Art in Bloom,” a benefit for the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Garden Study Club of New Orleans, is back this year, March 28 to April 1. To celebrate
its return, I did a table inspired by this event that pairs the museum’s art with
fantastic floral tableaux. The patron and preview party, where you can get a sneak peek, is March 28. Be sure to also check out in the article all the special events
that “Art in Bloom” co-chairs Kate Werner and Leah Engelhardt have planned.

WYES-TV/Channel 12 is turning 50 on April 1! In honor of that milestone, there is a brief piece about this cultural institution in the “Nostalgia” column. Without this station, the city would not have the benefit of  PBS programs such as “Sesame Street” and “Masterpiece Theatre,” nor locally produced shows, “Steppin’ Out” and “Informed Sources.”

I just got back from Leontine Linens at 3806 Magazine St. where manager Connie Cavallino helped me pick out the perfect wedding gift for a wonderful friend of mine. The selection of glamorous satin quilts, hand-appliquéd accessories and custom-made bed clothes is unbelievable! Everything in the shop is exquisite and they can monogram linens and accessories for your bed, bath and table.

If you are looking for an historic house for your next wedding, corporate event or reception, then the Magnolia Mansion (2127 Prytania St.) is just the place. It has recently been renovated with lots of additional space including a large, elegant courtyard and there are accommodations for guests. Also new is a space downstairs called the Big Easy Spirit Gathering Room, which brings a chic, downtown feel to the Garden District. Be sure to call them for your next event at 412-9500.

Please get involved with rebuilding our beloved city, including helping improve the public education system, fighting crime or gutting a house. Help your
neighbors and look out for each other. We can gripe about our problems or we
can go out and start solving them ourselves!