The Money Issue

CUE MAGAZINE A M O N T H LY

LIFE + STYLE + DESIGN

MONEY

Saving for retirement by the decades R E A L E S TAT E

How urban planning affects housing costs

THE

MONEY ISSUE

What to do with your hard-earned money #FOLLOWING

Laura Helen Marks throws (mosaic) stones

GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS

SEP T EMB ER 2018

SHOPPING

Places to stash your cash Investment accessories worth the splurge

CONTENTS 6

SHOPPING

Creative ways to stassh your cash

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FEATURE

10

FASHION

11

MONEY

12

15

S E P T E M B ER 2018

Why shopping in-peerson at local retailers matters

Dress to invest wiith these splurge-worthy fiinds

Tips on saving forr retirement in your 20s, 30s and beyond

REAL ESTATE

How urban plann ning affects housing cossts

#FOLLOWING

Laura Helen Marks does adult lit and stepping stones

REGULAR FEATURES:

5 Editor’s Letter 14 Resources

[ FROM THE EDITOR ]

MONEY. Countless songs are written about it. It’s the subject couples argue about the most.

It’s one of the things we can’t live without, yet many of us don’t know how to live with it, either.

Saving money, preparing for big life milestones such as purchasing a home or retiring — these are complex ideas that require guidance to navigate.

September’s Money Issue is here with some advice — some weighty, such as our real estate feature in which an urban planner offers her take on the surge in New Orleans’ housing prices, and some tongue-in-cheek, like our shopping feature about ways to stash your hard-earned cash. If you’re looking for tips on stocks and other investment strategies, I’m afraid all you’re going to find are a cool wallet made out of cork and a really nice mattress.

Financial planner Jude Boudreaux offers strategies for reaching your retirement savings goals.

You still can have the occasional frose, and it’s fine if you consider your costume wardrobe an investment. Boudreaux says putting away money for retirement doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality of life, but rather balancing those extras with securing the necessities.

When indulging in a little retail therapy, our feature story makes the case for shopping locally and in-person. The impact of spending your dollars in the city goes a long

ON

CUE

P H OTO BY K A R L A P H OTO G R A P H Y

way, and also enriches your shopping experience.

Speaking of local retailers, spend a few coins with #Following subject Laura Helen Marks. She crafts gorgeous mosaic stepping stones by hand in her home studio (formerly her glass-strewn kitchen floor, now a backyard bistro table and shed).

I’ve ordered one of my dog, Burrito.

Be sure to ask her about her new book, but disclaimer: The subject isn’t for the faint of heart.

Yours in peace, love and mosaic puppy power,

Publisher | JEANNE EXNICIOS FOSTER Editor | KATHERINE M. JOHNSON Creative Services Director | DORA SISON

EDITORIAL

Sales Coordinator | MICHELE SLONSKI

Managing Editor | KANDACE POWER GRAVES

Senior Sales Representatives JILL GIEGER

Contributing Writers SARAH RAVITS, SUZANNE PFEFFERLE TAFUR

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[ SHOPPING ]

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WAY S T O IN A WALLET Every item in Queork retail stores is made from real cork (like the ones plucked from those wine bottles and currently clogging the junk drawer) that’s been fused to cotton and sealed with silicone, making it a naturally water- and stain-resistant fabric. Cork is harvested from the outer bark of the cork oak tree, so it’s a sustainable resource that renews itself about every 10 years. While you may not regenerate cash on the same timetable, a wallet or wristlet made from cork fabric shelters bills in an eco-friendly and fashionable way when you’re flush.

BIFOLD WALLET IN TIGER PRINT, $49, AND “HANNA” WRISTLET IN DARK BROWN, $65 AT QUEORK.

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STASH YOU R

CASH Money vessels from the conventional to the inventive B Y K AT H E R I N E M . J O H N S O N

IN A BABY BANK

Depression-era Americans were understandably distrustful of financial institutions. People began to horde their money at home, and for those who couldn’t afford a safe (which was most people), an innerspring mattress was the next-best thing. It’s pretty difficult to break into someone’s home and steal cash from the mattress while the owner is sleeping on it.

Post-recession, it appears many Americans share their ancestors’ distrust. According to the 2015 American Express Spending and Savings Tracker Report, 43 percent of participants said they keep their savings in cash, and of that group, 53 percent say they hide the bills at home.

A 2012 report from Marist College found 11 percent of participants keep their cash under the mattress. If you’re going this route, invest some of that money in the mattress itself and spring for this ultra-comfortable one from Mattress Direct. Mid-City store manager Gary Trahan says it’s constructed of six different layers of memory foam, including a cooling gel layer on top.

ICOMFORT BLUE MAX 1000 CUSHION FIRM MATTRESS BY SERTA, FROM $1,999, AND ADJUSTABLE FOUNDATION BASE, FROM $1,200 AT MATTRESS DIRECT.

IN THE FREEZER

The tradition of gifting newborns with silver dimes can be traced through many millennia and cultures. It has some relation to the Christian tale of the three wise men, one of whom arrived at the Nativity with a gift of gold, and to the Chinese zhua zhou ceremony held on a baby’s first birthday, for which relatives often give coins as gifts.

Some believe silver dimes represent good luck; others see it as a practical way to begin a child’s nest egg. But no matter the reason (or whether your dimes are pre-1964 and made of real silver), this adorable alligator bank makes a great gift for any little one.

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What better place to hide your cold, hard cash than in the freezer? Former Louisiana Congressman Bill Jefferson wasn’t the only person to have this idea — according to that same Marist College study, 27 percent of participants squirrel away their money in the icebox. If you need extra space to put earnings from all those odd jobs you’ve been doing, go with this 36-inch freezer from Sub-Zero. Regulated by microprocessors that control temperature, routine defrosting and lighting, and featuring single-piece-construction insulation and magnetic gaskets around the door, this model keeps up to 22.8 cubic feet of cash — and food, if you’re so inclined — fresh.

ALLIGATOR BANK, $65 AT MIGNON FAGET.

3

UNDER THE MATTRESS

BUILT-IN STAINLESS-STEEL FREEZER BY SUB-ZERO, $8,055 AT NORDIC KITCHENS & BATHS.

IN A VINTAGE BANK If you’re looking for something more grown up than a ceramic piggy (or gator), Michael Gaule of The Celtic Woodshop handcrafts banks made from vintage post office box doors.

These doors were manufactured for a No. 3 size drawer, which would have been used by businesses and corporations. The doors measure 6 inches by 11 inches, but the depth was enormous — Gaule says one of these drawers could fit 60 to 100 No. 1 size drawers inside.

Manufactured by the Corbin Lock Co. in 1920, this style of door was in production between 1902 and the 1950s. Gaule constructed the bank out of reclaimed Australian jarrah wood.

1920 CORBIN LOCK CO. DUAL-DOOR BANK, $539 AT IDEA FACTORY.

[ R E TA I L S TO R E S ]

Up close Shopping in-person has its own rewards

BY SUZ A NNE PFEFFERLE TA FUR SHOPPING ONLINE COMES WITH OBVIOUS BENEFITS. Wearing pajamas and sipping wine while ordering is a big one. Online retailers pose a threat to brick-and-mortar businesses, but New Orleans boutique owners — like the handful we highlight here — have found ways to evolve and even thrive under the pressure. Each business cites the pros of shopping in-person for a particular product and the reasons why their loyal client base continues to support them, and ultimately, the local economy.

When shopping for lingerie online, customers often pick items based on aesthetics. But what looks pretty in a picture isn’t necessarily designed for all body types, says Peggy Gundlach, general manager and buyer for Basics Underneath, a Magazine Street lingerie boutique.

Gundlach and owner Desiree Petitbon work closely with each client in the comfortable setting of their shop.

“We try to assess what the customer is here for,” Gundlach says. “We usually fit them, and then suggest a product that we feel would suit them best, either by their body type, their age or their lifestyle.”

Gundlach and Petitbon select their merchandise with their regular customers in mind.

“We’re getting a feel for how they live, what their needs are, and we’re buying a product to respond to them,” Gundlach says, adding that the store’s business approach (and location) has helped it maintain a cult following.

“We have a very loyal customer base, as do a lot of the Uptown stores,” she says. “Going to a place that you’re familiar with, where you know the people have selected things with the concept of what might work for you, is a more pleasant and effective way to shop.”

Before the advent of online shopping, people would wander into gae-tana’s, the women’s apparel boutique, while strolling down Maple Street. But owner Carolyn Billet says “the traffic pattern changed.”

Now, most of her clients are shopping with a specific item in mind.

“The change meant that we had to make the most of the shopper’s experience, and help her along to find what she was looking for,” Billet says.

Although her boutique is situated in the university section of Uptown New Orleans, Billet welcomes women of all ages — “all the way up to 80,” she says — and folks from all around Louisiana. Many of her clients are regulars.

“We know the people who shop with us, so it’s very easy for them to have access to what they need,” she says.

Gae-tana’s does have a website and a Facebook page, but Billet prefers to promote her merchandise through Instagram, which in her opinion is the most effective social media platform for e-commerce.

But it’s better for customers to visit the store when contemplating a purchase, rather than rely on what they see online.

“It’s always more enhancing to shop where you can see the garment and feel it, because a lot of times the colors don’t look exactly right online, and some fabrics aren’t as nice as other fabrics,” Billet says. “We have a lot of fabrics that are conducive to our weather, and if you didn’t come in, you wouldn’t see them all. You’d only see the ones we picked out to put online. We have a much wider selection in the store.”

[ R E TA I L S TO R E S ]

Nestled inside The Rink shopping center on Prytania Street, Garden District Book Shop has faced two major challenges: Amazon.com and e-books.

Owner Britton Trice initially noticed customers were drifting away when online shopping and electronic reading devices went mainstream, but attracting local and visiting booklovers is no longer a problem.

His business, which has been open for nearly 40 years, continues to flourish.

“Part of it’s just doing what we’ve always done well,” Trice says.

The shop hosts free book events throughout the year and stocks a selection of tomes that appeal to customers, along with books signed by the author, which aren’t available from all online retailers.

When wandering through the shop, guests can get recommendations from a bookseller and may “stumble upon titles that no online algorithm is going to ever choose,” Trice says. “We have a fair (number) of tourists coming into the store, and it’s daily we get people saying, ‘Gosh, I wish we had an actual, physical bookstore in our community where we live.’ Being a part of the community is really important to people.”

Earthsavers has been around long enough to experience the shift from in-store to online shopping, but Retail Manager Mandy Hahlos says the beauty and wellness store has adapted by boosting its online presence and offering a wider variety of products, along with incentives to stop by one of its physical locations.

“It’s important for local retailers to keep up with the trends online and also have the knowledge of what consumers are looking for,” Hahlos says, noting that Earthsavers’ clients are “ingredient-savvy.”

“Customers may visit because they saw something online, but they still want that one-on-one customer service that we give them,” she says. “We even take advice from clients on what type of new products they want to see (in the store).”

Since it’s safer to choose a beauty product based on advice from an expert rather than a brief product description found on a website, making a trip to the store means you’re more likely to leave with something you like.

“We have amazing skincare experts that can either encourage customers to try a product before they buy it or give them a good skin care analysis of what they need to buy, based on their needs,” says Hahlos, adding that Earthsavers can provide samples to clients, especially those with rosacea, acne or other skin conditions.

“It’s difficult to compete (with online retailers), but I feel like our clients are true to us,” she says.

[ R E TA I L S TO R E S ]

Despite the ease of ordering trendy toys online, Little Pnuts in Lakeview continues to win over new customers. Daily sales have nearly tripled, says owner Melissa Pia Bossola Beese. June, which is typically a slow sales month, was one of the busiest months of the year, she says.

“Our customers are very loyal, and I think it’s because we’re unique,” she says. “We don’t carry what most other stores would carry. We have a lot of European brands, and we have the toys that parents look for to keep their kids off their iPad.” Beese stocks toys that are not available on Amazon.com, along with goods for people with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other special needs. One of the store’s customers is in her 60s, and is blind. When she arrives at Little Pnuts with her caregiver, Beese helps her find interactive, sensory games with sound and texture.

Other clients include parents who feel they can’t find a toy their child likes. The staff at Little Pnuts offers suggestions and reassurance that customers will choose the right thing.

“We want to make sure that parents don’t feel like they’re floundering,” Beese says. “We want to educate the parent and say, ‘You’re not helpless.

You can help your child. Let us show you what you need.’”

You are never fully dressed without a good manicure.

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[ SHOPPING ]

Investment ACCESSORIES

BY S A R A H R AV I T S & K AT H E R I N E M . J O H N S O N

FALL FASHION I SS U E DAT E :

OCTOBER 2

Throwing on a blazer adds structure and elegance to any outfit, even jeans and a T-shirt.

A D S PAC E R E S E RVAT I O N :

SEPTEMBER 21

LORO PIANA STRETCH WOOL BLEND TWOBUTTON BLAZER, $598 AT BROOKS BROTHERS.

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Add a pop of vibrant color to your signature look with red nail polish that complements all skin tones. Brandi Blocker, owner of LaPierre Cosmetics, says this locally made shade (named after her mother) looks good on everyone.

“JACQUELYN” NAIL POLISH, $15 AT LAPIERRE COSMETICS.

Denim is a staple, not just for play but in the work kplace, says Steven Puttt, director of marketing for f Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans. “Because of th hat fact, we find that every yone is now investing in quality denim that lasts and se ets a signature look.

Complete a timeless look with a flattering-for-all shade of red d lipstick. “Women love this blu ue-red shade — it works on mo ore tones than an orange-red sha ade,” says Becky Gherty of Sephora at Lakeside Shopping Center. “The satin finish goes on really creamy, and I love it because it doesn’t wear like a sta tain and it lasts all day. And Dior does such a great job with their packaging.”

GE LE HIGH SKINNY RAW-EDG JEANS BY FRAME, $210 AT T SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.

LUXE SATIN LIPSTICK IN COLOR 999

BY DIOR, $38 AT SEPHORA.

A handbag with a classic silhouette is the perfect accessory for any outfit.

“JAMES” SADDLE BAG IN MOOSE, $698 AT TORY BURCH.

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CLOTHING • JEWELRY GIFTS • COSTUMES ACCESSORIES

Have pumps ever gone out of fashion? A classic, sleek set will take you from a board meeting to a night on the town.

Photo © themissinglinka

“PENELOPE” CAP-TOE PUMPS IN SEA SHELL PINK AND PERFECT BLACK, $378 AT TORY BURCH.

[ MONEY ]

real LET’S GET

BY S A R A H R AV I T S

Forming a realistic plan to save for retirement

BY NOW, YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD THE EYE-ROLLING ANECDOTE that you’ll be able to save a fortune for retirement if you just forsake the avocado toast and everything else that might bring you a few moments of temporary but expendable joy. People have read think pieces that suggest not going out (ever) and instead investing or saving that money. But realistically, as New Orleanians who live in a city that offers us a lot of indulgences (not to mention the rising costs of living), it’s hard to follow that advice. After all, this is a city where it is acceptable to purchase a tutu at any age and consider it an investment. Here’s a more realistic approach to saving for retirement by the decades.

IN YOUR 20S

If you’re fortunate enough to have found a full-time job or career that offers benefits and a 401(k), Jude Boudreaux, financial planner at The Planning Center, recommends seizing this opportunity, even if you can afford to put away only a small percentage of each paycheck.

Employee 401(k) contributions are automatically deducted from your paycheck during each pay period. The money is taken out before taxes, and contributions are invested at the employee’s direction, so you have the option to take high-risk or low-risk investments. Most employers match at least a percentage of your 401(k) contributions.

“That’s free money,” Boudreaux says. “That’s the easiest way to amplify your savings early on.”

At this age, it’s important to develop an awareness of spending habits. Take note of obligatory expenses such as rent, car insurance, phone bills and student loans, along with the things that enhance your lifestyle, such as dining out, traveling or going to music festivals.

“Ultimately, being able to retire is about being able to live on a fixed income,” he says. “The more you understand about your spending, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to retire one day.”

Your 20s also is a time to think about your goals. Although those goals will change over the course of your life, Boudreaux says it helps with saving money if you have at least one clear goal that can help you justify staying in and eating a bowl of cereal for dinner instead of going out for a meal and drinks (and after-dinner drinks).

“It’s difficult to say ‘no’ to spending money on things like going out if you don’t have a bigger ‘yes,’” he says.

Consider that paying off student loans is itself a type of savings. It may be a sound financial plan to put extra income into paying down those debts before contributing heavily to a retirement account.

“It’s freeing up future cash flow,” he says.

IN YOUR 30S

At this stage, Boudreaux advises trying to find a fulfilling and rewarding career — especially since people are retiring later.

“For people who have found the right career, work has never been better,” he says. “Think about longevity. We can save a little more slowly because we have a few more years in the workforce.”

Consider paying for programs that will advance your career, such as getting a certificate or taking a class to learn a new skill. In the long run, it’s a good investment.

This also is a decade for promotions and pay raises. Boudreaux suggests using that money to pad your retirement account. For example, if you get a 2 percent raise, try to put 1 percent of that increase into savings (after buying yourself a celebratory daiquiri or two, of course).

“These are real opportunities to save without it hindering your lifestyle,” he says.

People often start families in their 30s, and while schooling can be incredibly pricey, early childhood isn’t as expensive as you might think — parents of young children don’t have as much free time to spend money like they used to.

Boudreaux also recommends setting up a Roth IRA, an individual retirement account which allows you to set aside after-tax income (up to a specified amount) each year. At 59-and-a-half years old, you can make taxfree withdrawals.

IN YOUR 40S

At this age, you might have teenaged kids and complicated financial responsibilities such as caring for aging parents, so saving can be particularly tough.

“One thing I often tell clients is that they make college loans, but they don’t make retirement loans,” Boudreaux says. “This sometimes means having difficult conversations with your kids about what you can or can’t do for them. But it’s better to have that conversation now than to have the conversation about having to live with your grown kids because you’ve run out of money in retirement.”

He advises against investing aggressively to catch up on retirement funds — this is a recipe for disaster for those who aren’t comfortable buying and selling stocks in volatile markets. Be aware of your risk tolerance.

“If market downturns keep you up at night, trying to be extra aggressive will eventually catch up with you,” he says.

IN YOUR 50S AND 60S

Lifestyles might change in your 50s, allowing for more cash flow. Maybe your kids are done with school, so you can get back into saving.

At this age, don’t focus only on what you’re retiring from, but what you’re retiring to. Perhaps after all these years of a fulltime job, you just want to craft raunchy costumes year-round with your Krewe du Vieux group or take up gardening and golf, or all of the above. In the early years of retirement, people can spend too much of their savings before incomes level out, because they’re finally taking “the big trip” or embarking on a new passion project.

Financial planning is a tricky thing with constantly moving variables, but it can be tailored to your lifestyle and shifting goals.

Boudreaux advises clients to do what they can, figure out the risks they’re willing to take and ignore the Forbes articles lauding 20-something billionaires.

“There’s no yardstick to compare your savings to someone else’s,” he says.

[ R E A L E S TAT E ]

ON THE UP AND UP (AND UP)

BY K AT H E R I N E M . J O H N S O N

An urban planner explains some reasons for New Orleans’ home price surge

HOUSING COSTS ARE ON THE RISE IN MANY PARTS OF THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA,

and while that certainly is a boon for the real estate business, it can leave homebuyers in a state of sticker shock. While there are many reasons for the surge, something as imperceptible as the way urban planners designed the layout of a neighborhood can be an underlying cause.

Urban planning may seem like an amorphous term from a university course catalog, but it actually touches all of us every day. Simply put, urban planning is the development of communities, both in the present and with an eye to future needs. Effective planning involves the cooperation of many fields and professions to design the way that a community functions: property developers, local officials, community members, transportation engineers, etc. Marla Nelson, associate professor at the University of New Orleans’ Department of Planning and Urban Studies, sheds some light on the ways urban planning affects the costs of housing. She specializes in economic and community development.

Planning entire neighborhoods may be a moot point in New Orleans, which is built out at this stage of its 300-year existence. Most construction in the city is concerned either with filling in the occasional vacant lot or redeveloping existing structures.

The Charity Hospital redevelopment project is an example of urban planning at work. The LSU Health Foundation is vetting ideas from three RFP (Request for Proposal) developers to find the best proposed plan for rehabilitating the building, while also working with the Greater New Orleans Foundation to establish a broader planning strategy for the district surrounding the hospital.

“In a crude sense, we could say growth and development is good, and we’ll take anything,” Nelson says, “but (planners) are asking tougher questions, and putting more requirements to it.

Is this development going to benefit newcomers or people within the community? What does this mean for the affordability of the current housing stock? What does this mean for the businesses that are going to benefit or be hurt by it? Who’s paying the cost of this development?”

[ R E A L E S TAT E ]

Some factors that increase housing costs

So, is the price worth it?

“I’ve heard people say, ‘Well, if you’re looking to buy a house, wait a couple of months and see what the city does with the short-term rentals [legislation],’” Nelson says. Some hypothesize if the City Council issues rules that crack down on whole-home rentals, “that’s going to really cut out of the market people who are speculating and buying whole houses,” she says. “that will bring prices down. people talk about how they saw that when the (film tax) credits dried up.”

Nelson says she ultimately can’t answer whether it’s worth it for homebuyers to pay premium prices for property in trendy, desirable areas. She questions the sustainability of such a surge, hesitating to call it a housing bubble, but cautions against overleveraging on a home, especially if it’s an area that floods frequently. the only way to navigate this tumultuous cycle of volatile home prices is to do due diligence before deciding to buy, and to really consider why you’re buying the home in the first place. If you’re concerned mostly with the exchange value of the home, consider carefully whether you will get the return on your investment that you’re hoping for when you’re ready to sell.

“You [also] can think about (purchasing a home) in terms of your use value,” she says. “Your use value is that you’re living in it and it’s important to you. If you want to live somewhere and you can afford to live there and that’s the place you really want to be for whatever amenities it has, I think that’s always correct.”

DESIRABILITY IN MODERN-DAY NEW ORLEANS HAS SHIFTED BACK TO THE HISTORIC URBAN AREAS OF THE CITY. CUE MAGAZINE • S e p t e m b e r 2 01 8

Desirability of the housing stock is a major driver of home prices.

“It really helps to think about the development of New Orleans, and how it happened and how it reflected different neighborhood characteristics that then became desirable,” Nelson says. “First, we built in the French Quarter, then treme and then Uptown, because this was high ground.” relative safety from floods was the first desirable housing trend. Once engineers developed the ability to drain the many swamps in the 1940s and ’50s, suburban areas like Gentilly, Lakeview and New Orleans east became desirable because they allowed homeowners to move outside of the congestion of the city. As racial tensions and economic downturns (such as the oil bust of 1986) began to flare up in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, the concept of desirability shifted again, and homeowners moved even further away from urban areas to outlying ’burbs such as metairie and St. bernard parish.

Desirability in modern-day New Orleans has shifted back to the historic urban areas of the city. A current trend is the concept of new urbanism, a movement that values concentrated, mixed-use neighborhoods that offer a combination of residential, retail and commercial services over traditional euclidean zoning, in which business-oriented sectors are separated from housing. these walkable, bikeable areas (such as bayou St. John and Faubourg marigny) are in high demand because of their easy access to services and amenities.

“You could have this urban lifestyle with a really unique, historic housing stock relatively affordably, compared to other big market cities,” Nelson says. the demand for these desirable neighborhoods helps inflate home prices and fuels housing speculation. Urban planners consider development based on building and zoning codes, but those responsibilities can run deeper than that.

According to the American planning Association, urban planners have an ethical responsibility to advocate for the public interest, especially in instances when the public’s preferences clash with those of developers. “that’s a big sticking point within the planning academia and profession — the idea that there is no single public interest,” Nelson says. “We can try to identify an interest that serves the greater good, but while we can aspire to this idea of a public interest, we also know that there’s a multiplicity of communities and stakeholders and interests within these groups. Oftentimes, planners have to navigate among those tensions.” the short-term rental debate is fraught with these tensions, Nelson says.

“I think there’s a very firm argument to be made on the side of affordable housing advocates and community groups that are concerned that [short term rentals are] inflating housing costs or changing their neighborhoods,” she says. “but at the same time, you have property owners who have certain rights to do what they want with their property, so it’s about finding that balance. It’s a real divide within planning. … We’re really trying to thread the needle and come up with a policy that is fair and that’s going to have the impacts that fulfill the values that we think are important. It’s going to infringe on someone’s rights, but are those the rights that we should be

most concerned about? … It’s hard, and there’s going to be pushback.”

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Home Works

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RESOURCES

A listing of the retailers and professionals featured in this issue ssu of CUE Magazine.

5 WAYS TO STASH YOUR CASH PAGE 6

The Celtic Woodshop The Idea Factory, 924 Royal St., (504) 524-5195; www.celticwoodshop.com Mattress Direct Citywide, (884) 456-8375; www.mattressdirect.com Mignon Faget The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal St., (504) 524-2973; Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, 500 Port of New Orleans Place, first floor, (504) 345-2679; Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-2244; 3801 Magazine St., (504) 891-2005; www.mignonfaget.com Nordic Kitchens & Baths 1818 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 888-2300; www.nordickitchens.com Queork 838 Chartres St., (504)) 481-2585; 481 3005 Magazine ne St., St (504) ( 388-6803; www.que .queork.com

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Two (2) separate renovated cottages on a large 48 x 127 Lot in an excellent Marigny location. Main house is a 2 bedroom camelback and 2nd cottage is a 2 bedroom rental. Off street parking for several cars and room for a pool in the rear. $845,000

T AC

3 bedroom Lower Garden District side-hall with off street parking, just off Magazine Street. Spacious home with a nice rear yard. Demand location with large entertaining spaces awaiting your personal touches. $439,900.

Licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission for more than 35 years with offices in New Orleans, LA 70130

Michael L. Baker, ABR/M, CRB, HHS President Realty Resources, Inc. 504-523-5555 • cell 504-606-6226

UP CLO CLOSE AND PERSONAL PAGE 7

Basics Underneath 5513 Magazine St., (504) 894-1000; www.basicsunderneath.com Earthsavers Lakeside Shopping Center Annex, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-0225; The Premier Centre, 3414 Highway 190, Mandeville, (985) 674-1133; 5501 Magazine St., (504) 899-8555; www.earthsaversonline.com gae-tana’s 7732 Maple St., (504) 865-9625; www.gaetanas.com Garden District Book Shop The Rink, 2727 Prytania St., (504) 895-2266; www.gardendistrictbookshop.com Little Pnuts Toy Shoppe 209 Harrison Ave., Suite C, (504) 267-5083; www.littlepnuts.com

INVESTME TMENT ACCESSORIES IES PAGE 10

Brooks Brothers The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal S St., Suite 121, (504) 522-4200; w www.brooksbrothers.com La aPierre Cosmetics ww ww.lapierrecosmetics.com Sak Saks Fifth Avenue 301 Canal St., (504) 524-2200; www.saksfifthavenue.com Sephora JC Penney at Oakwood Center, 197 Westbank Expressway, Suite 2, Gretna, (504) 227-2112; 414 N. Peters St., (504) 561-9889; JC Penney at Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 837-9880; Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 830-4567; www.sephora.com Tory Burch (opening September 2018) The Shops at Canal Place, 333 Canal St.; www.toryburch.com

LET’S GET REAL PAGE 11

The Planning Center The Rink, 2727 Prytania St., Suite 18, (504) 717-4862; www.theplanningcenter.com

#FOLLOWING:

[ #FOLLOWING ]

LAURA HELEN MARKS

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Professor of practice at Tulane University and creator of Stone Cold Stones

Favorite thing about living in New Orleans? “After coming from Baton Rouge? Sidewalks.”

Favorite place to get a po-boy?

“Parkway (Bakery & Tavern).”

B Y K AT H E R I N E M . J O H N S O N PHOTOS BY K ARL A PHOTOGR APHY

LAURA HELEN MARKS IS ABOUT TO PUBLISH A BOOK. Before I get to the details of it, there’s a necessary … and touchy (pardon the pun) backstory.

Marks, a native of Bristol, England, spent a year studying in the U.S. as a part of her undergraduate career, and took up residence at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge.

“I felt like I had something to learn from the South,” Marks says. “The South has an interesting history, which remains very present.”

After completing her time in the States (and meeting the man who would become her husband), she went back to England with the intention of returning to the U.S. to pursue her doctorate. Marks dabbled in subjects she enjoyed — subjects the rest of us would find … ahem, intense, such as trauma studies, horror films and other body genres. While taking a literature class on race, gender and terror in the South, she watched Mandingo, a 1975 Blaxploitation film about racially charged, brutal sexual encounters on a Louisiana plantation. While researching the film, she came across an African American adult film star who called himself Mandingo. She wondered why he would associate himself with such a reviled term pulled from slavery rhetoric. Mandingo wasn’t the only actor doing this — she soon found plenty of eyebrow-raising names and tropes in contemporary adult films.

“I realized that there was a lot behind this that wasn’t being acknowledged,” she says. “I found that modern pornography is based heavily on 19th century pornographic literature [and] photography. …

A lot of the edgier ideas of modern porn are entrenched in this historical era.”

Her dissertation grew out of these findings, and during the next 12 years, her book, Alice in Pornoland, blossomed from that work. In it, she connects popular novels of the era such as Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Picture of Dorian Gray with Victorian pornographic literature.

“When I really started to look at (pornography), I realized that it overlaps with contemporary action movies, horror movies — all the stuff I was already working on — but had all these areas that were unexplored,” Marks says. “It comes

up a lot, as soon as people find out what I research. I’ve always been ‘the porn girl,’ so people want to talk about it.”

And she’s not ashamed to oblige. Her side project, Stone Cold Stones, is a colorful, sparkling collection of handmade mosaic stepping stones — many of which proudly feature heavyweights of the vintage and contemporary adult film industry. Marks got the idea to make these stepping stones when she moved into her Uptown home a year ago and found the side yard caked in multiple layers of hardened earth, under which was some very unattractive concrete. She decided to pave over it herself.

After her initial creation (the Wu-Tang Clan emblem) and a few fails (there’s a stone featuring star drag performer RuPaul hiding under the house), Marks has developed her own system for creating her mosaics and even the molds for the stones. She works with images of everything from pets to pop culture icons, using photographs and hand-drawn designs. Her favorite works were commissioned by a customer who requested four small stones featuring actresses Lily Tomlin, Bea Arthur, Lauren Graham (of Gilmore Girls fame) and Angela Lansbury

What TV show are you currently binge watching? “GLOW, The Challenge and Project Runway.”

What’s something you really want to make into a mosaic?

“I want to make all the Sylvester Stallone movie posters into stepping stones.”

What do you do when you need to feel like a kid again? “Play with [my tortoise] Doodlez. I also have an inflatable pool.”

MUSTHAVES

in the motif of Christian saints.

“I had to create the designs myself and make it recognizable as that person,” she says. “Lorelai from Gilmore Girls might just look like a chick with brown hair. I worked in all the various gestures of the saints. Angela Lansbury is holding her glasses. Lily Tomlin is so cheeky — she’s got her hands in (the collar of) her shirt.

It was so elaborate, and I was so nervous when I was ‘hatching’ out the stones.”

Bomber jacket from the set of the 1986 Sylvester Stallone film Cobra Stepping stone featuring mosaic of adult film star Vanessa Del Rio — “She is a porn and hip-hop icon!

At 50 years old, she was in the music video for Junior Mafia’s ‘Get Money.’”

Ivory Snow box featuring adult film star Marilyn Chambers — “Right before she filmed Behind the Green Door, she did a modeling gig for Ivory Snow. When the people at Ivory Snow found out, they recalled all the boxes. My porn studies students got their money together and found one and gave it to me.”

Stepping stone featuring Madonna cradling adult film star Jeff Stryker — “It’s from a larger work with Judy Garland, Joan Crawford and some other queer icons.”

Jeff Stryker action figure — “He sent me two packs of his playing cards when I ordered it — I guess it was really him.”

Doodlez — “He’s a bad-ass, tropical, meat-eating South American red-footed tortoise.”