Taking A Break
Thank you for stopping by. The Bon Vivant blog is currently on hiatus. You can contact Melanie at Melanie@MyNewOrleans.Com.
Bon Vivant
Heat Emergency
Keep your grooming cool at work as the temperatures rise, and rise, and rise.
Book Knowledge, Part Two
‘Bon Vivant’ Summer Reading Roundup friends and family edition
Book Knowledge, Part One
The third annual ‘Bon Vivant’ Summer Reading Roundup
Less is More
‘Essence of Things,’ exhibit at New Orleans Museum of Art celebrates minimalism
Révolution!
Channel your inner French guy or gal at the July 15 Bastille Day Fête at NOMA
House Sitting Hospitality
Creating a cozy space when friends or family house or pet sit for you
Go Local
West Elm invites New Orleans and Louisiana artists, makers and designers to submit work for showcase
Designing Life
Birthdays, Baccarat, redecorating and a philosophy for good living
Heating and Cooling
Tips for beating the summer — er, spring — temperatures
Veer South
Southern Style Now showcases Southern stars of art, writing and design
Afternoon Delight
Skin and spa treatments made for a weekday lunch break escapade
Julia Reed’s South Part 2
An interview with the author about her book, the New Orleans food scene and learning to make cocktails as a child in Mississippi
Southern Style Entertaining
Julia Reed’s new book is your new entertaining Bible, New Orleans signing May 3
Mudbugs and Brews
Crawfish do’s and don’ts and a few New Orleans bars and breweries now boiling
Seersucker Style
Books, signings, Sippin’ In Seersucker and celebrating the Southern summer staple
Rut Busters
9 Ways to Slay Malaise
Living in Ab-stentia: Week Six – The Final Countdown
If you count today, there are four days remaining until I get to enjoy the delicious taste of Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne. The NOLA.Com #AlcoholFreeFor40 Challenge ends Easter Sunday. My blissfully long weekend however, begins Thursday afternoon and runs through Monday. Then…
Living in Ab-stentia: Week Five – Parades, Breweries and Brennan’s Edition
Fun Fact: You can, it turns out, go to the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade and not drink. That is, while sobriety is slightly frowned upon, there’s no rule against it and you won’t be sent home. This is…
Living in Ab-stentia: Week Forty Seven, er I mean Four
Confession: I originally labeled this entry “Week Five.” Nope, it’s but week four. With about two and a half weeks, or 19 days (or 456 hours — not that I’m counting) left in the NOLA.Com #AlcoholFreeFor40 Challenge, I’m going to…
Living in Ab-stentia: Week Three
Leisure travel without a pre-flight adult beverage wasn’t something I considered when I accepted the NOLA.Com #AlcoholFreeFo40 Challenge. This weekend, we attended the Houston friend’s going away party I mentioned in last week’s post. Our flight to Houston was early on…
Living in Ab-stentia: Week Two
What a difference a week makes. After going off the sauce for the NOLA.Com #AlcoholFreeFo40 Challenge two weeks ago, I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see or feel a difference. Week one and most of this past week (week…
Living in Ab-stentia: Week One
When you abstain from alcohol for longer than a few days, it causes anxiety — for other people. I’m of course mostly joking, but there’s a kernel of truth to it. Since announcing that I’m doing the Nola.Com #AlcoholFreeFor40 challenge,…
Living In Ab-stentia
Bon Vivanting without the booze
Mardi Gras Manual
The elements of Carnival style in a handy pocket guide
Party Primer
Tips for hosts and guests for being prepped and peppy throughout Carnival season
Only in New Orleans
Words and phrases familiar to New Orleanians
Resolving for More: A Listmakers List
As a listmaking enthusiast, the beginning of a new year is always an exciting time. There are so many possibilities for lists. Here’s a list: Home improvement projects for 2016 Travel destinations for the winter months (No. 1: Key…
Staying In is the New Chic for New Year’s Eve
With long waits for taxis (and Uber serge pricing), unpredictable weather and the inevitable disappointment when that allegedly fabulous event you commit to winds up being a dud, a night in for New Year’s Eve sounds more and more appealing.…
Progressive dinner party makes entertaining a cinch
Last month, one of our neighbors suggested a progressive dinner party for our building-wide Christmas gathering. Her thinking was this way, no one person had too much responsibility. It was a brilliant idea. I volunteered to do cocktails at my…
