Gambit's CUE March 2019

CUE MAGAZINE A M O N T H LY

LIFE + STYLE + DESIGN

GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS

M A RCH 2019

SPRING PRETTY

The freshest looks for the season

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CONTENTS MARCH 2019

5 Editor’s Letter

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HEALTH + WELLNESS Diet and nutrition trends

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CUE TIPS

New Orleans-based decorative paint line Jolie Home and (adoptable!) kitten yoga with NOLA Tribe Yoga at the LA/SPCA

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FASHION

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From the runway to your local boutique — what’s hot for spring

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15 SHOPPING

The resurgence of market-style retail spaces

#FOLLOWING

Join Ansley Seaver Marshall on the dance floor at the Legacy Donor Foundation’s Soul Revival gala

ON THE COVER: ABSTRACT POLKA DOT DRESS, $89 AT JACI BLUE.

[ FROM THE EDITOR ]

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Although it feels more like summer most days, with unbearably high humidity, warmth just this side of oppressive, and rain, rain, rain. But that’s OK: better days are on the way, as is the height of crawfish season, second lining Mardi Gras Indian tribes on Super Sunday and afternoons that are picture-perfect for sipping rose outdoors.

To help get readers in the mood, we present the Spring Issue of CUE Magazine, full of stories that will shake off the winter (well, winter-ish — it never got quite that cold) blahs.

First, it’s time to inject some Yours truly and her littlest furbutt, Ellie, at Barkus fresh life into your wardrobe. 2019. (Wakanda Forever!)

Local boutiques are stockGet moving with the instructors ing ready-to-wear versions of the from NOLA Tribe Yoga and some runways’ hottest trends, from polka fuzzy, adorable and adoptable kittens dots, golden hues and saturated earth tones to super-feminine ruffles and at the LA/SPCA during the groups’ barely-bare midriffs. Bonus: rompmonthly kitten yoga series. You don’t ers and wrap dresses appear to be need to be a cat person to appreciate here to stay, so if you stocked up last the massive effort the LA/SPCA puts spring, you’re good to go. into housing and caring for its kitten Next, check in on those New Year’s population, or the cute, curious kitties resolutions to “eat better.” Did you tumbling all over the place. start a new diet on Jan. 1? Have you These stories and more are here already fizzled out on it? If so, certito coax you back into the light. fied health coach Becky Caracci may Peace, love and a slew of sunny days, have an explanation for you in our health & wellness column. She dissects health food trends and offers expert advice to help you find the right nutrition plan.

ON

CUE

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

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C UE M AG A Z I N E •

Senior Sales Representatives

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[ H E A LT H + W E L L N E S S ]

WHAT’S ON

YOUR PLATE? Breaking down the latest diet trends B Y S U Z A N N E P F E F F E R L E TA F U R WHEN IT COMES TO LOSING WEIGHT, there’s more to consider than just diet and exercise. Becky Caracci (www.beckycaracci.com), a certified health coach, says you first have to determine why you want to lose weight, and then decide how you’re going to make it happen.

As a health coach who holds a degree in dietetics and nutrition from Louisiana State University (as well as a representative for Juice Plus+ nutrition supplements), Caracci is an expert on fitness and nutrition, but she also seeks to understand the psychological component of her clients’ eating and exercise habits. She tries to make clients aware of why they’ve developed those habits and the reasons they’ve started a diet.

“It’s easy to educate a person about healthy eating and what they should be doing from an activity-level standpoint, but it’s another challenge to motivate that person to break unhealthy habits,” Caracci says.

She believes there are benefits to starting a diet that go beyond weight loss, one that instead motivates people to learn more about the science of nutrition and exercise.

But there can be a downside, she says.

“Most (diets) are [difficult] to sustain for the long run,” Caracci says. “If you try something and lose 10 to 20 pounds, and then return back to the way you were eating and you gain it all back, that’s defeating.”

Caracci discusses current diet trends, explains how each one works and weighs in on each diet’s safety and effectiveness.

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The keto diet

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With the ketogenic diet, you drastically reduce carbohydrate intake and replace the deficit with fats, which sends your body into ketosis, Caracci says. Since your body doesn’t have carbs to burn for energy, it burns fats instead.

Doctors have found that the keto diet is effective in treating children with epilepsy, and it also helps Type 2 diabetics quickly decrease their sugar intake. But when you attempt to reduce consumption of unhealthy carbs like sugar, Caracci says, you may also reduce the carbs found in fruits and vegetables, which contain micronutrients. Those micronutrients help you build immunity, get better sleep and function in general.

“It’s your medicine really,” she says.

“Omitting a food group is a bad idea.

If you’re reducing your carb intake to the point where you’re not eating enough fruits and vegetables, I don’t approve of that.”

The pegan diet

The pegan diet combines elements of the vegan diet (which excludes consumption of all animal-based products) and the paleo diet. The paleo diet prohibits grains because it’s “based on what our ancient ancestors supposedly ate during the Paleolithic era” — nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables and free-range animals and fish, Caracci says.

“If you’re following a vegan diet because you’re passionate about animal rights, I get it,” she says. “If you’re following a vegan diet for weight loss, I don’t think it’s appropriate because a vegan diet omits protein that you can find in some very healthy animal products.”

With the pegan diet, however, you eat foods that are low in sugar, along with plants, grass-fed animals and other natural ingredients. Caracci doesn’t like that the pegan diet, like the paleo diet, omits grains. Wholewheat carbohydrates provide B vitamins and energy, she says.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is “not so much about what you eat, but when you eat,” Caracci says. This diet requires fasting for two nonconsecutive days a week by eating one small meal each of those days. During the “feed days” of the week, you can eat “whatever you want,” as long as you include produce and foods that are not heavily processed, she says.

“I’m going to recommend intermittent fasting as a strategy if my client is very focused, determined and can stay the course with it,” she says. “Otherwise, it’s pretty difficult to maintain.”

Plant-based diet

People on a plant-based diet eat about five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit per day.

“For each meal, half of your plate should be filled with produce,” Caracci says. “It’s all about replacing an animal product here and there with a plant.”

Not only do fruits and vegetables contain micronutrients, but they have plenty of fiber, which benefits your digestive health. Caracci believes that no matter your specific diet, everyone should consume multiple servings of fresh produce every day.

Mindful eating

With mindful eating, you eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full, says Caracci, adding that you should slow down while dining and enjoy your food.

“The whole idea with this diet is that you put your phone down, turn the television off and just practice the habit of eating mindfully,” she says.

“We live in such a fast-paced society where everything is meant to be convenient. Well, convenient (food)

usually means processed (food). If we’re eating it on the run, there’s a good chance we’re not even paying attention to what we’re eating.”

Easing diet discomfort

Gastrointestinal (GI) problems are an unfortunate side effect of healthy eating, Caracci says.

Some foods that are filled with the micronutrients we need can cause bloating and cramps. Vegetables — the food group that’s the focus of nearly every diet — tend to be the culprits because they contain an ample dose of fiber. Broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are the top offenders, she says.

There are two kinds of fibers: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers are absorbed by your gut bacteria and, in most cases, help you maintain healthy intestines and normal bodily functions, Caracci exlains. But people who are sensitive to soluble fiber can experience intestinal distress.

Caracci says the body can better digest foods that have been cooked (steamed, roasted, boiled or sauteed).

“It starts the digestion process for your body,” she says. “So, when you eat it, it’s a little easier to digest, so you have less distress in your intestines.”

Also, make sure to chew your food thoroughly, because saliva breaks down food particles. This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but, as Caracci points out, we’re often talking while we’re eating, so we don’t take time to chew our food.

If your gut already is inflamed, consider taking a probiotic. Caracci gets her probiotics by eating plain Greek yogurt every day, as well as by taking commercial supplements.

[ FASHION ]

SPRING (fashion) FORWARD

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

THE SPRING 2019 RUNWAYS DID NOT DISAPPOINT, and neither do the ready-to-wear fashions arriving at local boutiques.

Paper bag waists, one-shoulder necklines, super-feminine flounces and ruffles, golden hues, polka dots and dynamic neutral shades in bright yet earthy tones are the trends we’re loving. Silhouettes got a spring shake-up too — crop tops that show juuust enough midriff and utility looks (especially jumpsuits) with cargo pockets and belted waists a la the always-fashionable trench coat dominate clothing racks across the city — but neophobes, fear not: rompers and wrap dresses still reign supreme.

Golden girl

Show some skin

Thong body suit, $78, and paper bag waist linen pants, $160 at Lucy Rose.

Embellished denim crop top, $135, and skirt, $160 at Lucy Rose.

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Yellow-and-white striped wrap dress with flutter sleeves, $220 at Hemline.

Crop top with adjustable center ruching, $36.99, and terra cottacolored mini skirt, $36.99 at NOLA Boo.

Silk crop top with scalloped lace detail and paper bag waist silk trousers, $265 for the set (also available separately) at Claudia Croazzo.

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[ FASHION ]

Puff-sleeved red-andwhite embroidered wrap dress with asymmetrical hem, $211 at Hemline.

Eyelet and embroidered romper, $269 at Hemline.

Flirty and femme

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Polka dot and floral romper with open back detail, $98 at Lucy Rose.

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Tie-front romper with open back, $76 at NOLA Boo.

[ FASHION ]

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SHOW YOUR LOBES SOME LOVE 1 - Beaded feather earrings, $38 at Hemline.

2 - Off-white flower earrings with rhinestone center, $24 at Hemline.

3 - Beaded and embroidered lips earrings, $82 at Lucy Rose.

5 - Multicolored rattan pompom hoops, $68 at Lucy Rose.

6 - Beaded and embroidered lemon earrings, $82 at Lucy Rose.

7 - Brass and wicker hoops, $12.99 at NOLA Boo.

Claudia Croazzo 4214 Magazine St., (504) 605-3005; www.claudiacroazzo.com Hemline (Metairie Road location) 605 Metairie Road, Suite B, Metairie, (504) 309-8778; www.facebook.com/hemline.metairie Jaci Blue (on cover) 2111 Magazine St., (504) 603-2929; www.jaciblue.com Lucy Rose 534 Chartres St., (504) 267-0305; 600 Metairie Road, Suite A, Metairie, (504) 218-7368; 3318 Magazine St., (504) 895-0444; www.shoplucyrose.com NOLA Boo 517 Metairie Road, Suite 200, Metairie, (504) 510-4655; www.shopnolaboo.com

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4 - Beaded flower earrings by Mignonne Gavigan, $275 at Hemline.

WHERE TO GET IT:

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THIS SPRING, EARRINGS ARE ENJOYING TRENDS OF THEIR OWN, especially beadwork. Neutrals abound, so one pair of earrings can transition easily from work wear to formal wear, and bright and bold shapes are widely available to punch up any outfit (including your coffee run boyfriend-tee and leggings).

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[ SHOPPING ]

On the

MARKET Shops with rental space benefit retailers, clients and the local economy

PHOTO BY SUZANNE PFEFFERLE TAFUR

BY SUZ ANNE P F E F F E R L E TA F U R

The Garden District Marketplace recently opened on Magazine Street Uptown.

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FOUR YEARS AGO, WHEN STACY TUCKER MARTINEZ OPENED ZELE NOLA — short for New Orleans Local Artisans — (2841 Magazine St., 504-450-0789; www.zelenola.com) she became one of the many local entrepreneurs to experiment with a market-style business model. Her sprawling, indoor Magazine Street shop now hosts more than 100 vendors offering handcrafted jewelry, artwork and New Orleans-inspired clothing — all under one roof.

“Zele has become a destination location,” Martinez says. “One thing that locals like about it is that it’s always changing. You’re not going to walk into the store and see the same merchandise all the time.”

By paying a monthly fee, local artisans and entrepreneurs can rent space in Zele and display their products. Martinez sells those products and

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receives a commission.

“Zele is more a side gig for people, since they don’t have to be in there all the time,” she says.

Building on the success of Zele NOLA, Martinez opened the Garden District Marketplace (2850 Magazine St., www.instagram.com/gdm_nola) across the street. Vendors pay a daily rental fee, but if they plan on staying for several consecutive days, they can leave their inventory in the space overnight.

Offerings in the Garden District Marketplace range from Oriental rugs and vintage clothing to handmade soaps, apparel for pups and leather cuff bracelets. Some craftspeople work on their latest project while shoppers stroll down the market’s aisles.

Both stores support local artists and benefit the

New Orleans economy, Martinez says.

“Every dollar that’s spent in town on local [merchandise] regenerates up to three times.” She says market-style shops favor retailers as well, since launching a brick-and-mortar business is time-consuming and expensive.

“One benefit for retailers is to put yourself out there to see how (your business) is received by the public, without the huge financial cost and time commitment of opening your own place,” she says.

Helene Roniger Rightor opened ReDu Marketplace (4700 Magazine St., 504-252-9427; www.redumarketplace.com) in mid-December because she wanted to create a community for artists, creators and designers. Renters at the bright Magazine Street locale are required to make a three-month com-

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mitment, and then pay for space from month to month. Merchants can remain in the building “as long as they’re selling,” Rightor says. She receives a commission from her vendors’ sales. Dixie Belle Paint Company’s mineral chalk paint was the first local product she featured in the store, but ReDu now offers garments imbued with watercolor designs, fine art prints and home decor designed by craftspeople from the greater New Orleans area.

“There are so many talented people out there,” says Rightor. “I just wanted to be surrounded by them and support them, the community and myself.”

ReDu also hosts arts-and-crafts workshops and events where guests can paint while sipping wine.

Magazine Merchant House (1150 Magazine St., www.facebook.com/magazinemerchanthouse), just outside the Warehouse District, welcomes a rotating roster of purveyors that sell an eclectic mix of antiques, home furnishings, vintage clothing, imported textiles and accessories, along with glassware and kitchenware.

“The merchants are all individual entrepreneurs,” says owner Rosa Dunlap. “Some of them may eventually open their own retail stores, but it can be prohibitive to do that as a start-up entrepreneur, mainly because of the overhead and the time it takes to run a full-time retail shop.”

Magazine Merchant House likely will become a monthly pop-up, she says. This gives her merchants time to source new products from within the region. The next pop-up is Saturday, March 23.

Dunlap promotes the market’s events and clients on social media, but many of her patrons tend to be folks who live in the surrounding neighborhood or are passing through.

“We’re in a highly visible location, and a number of people walk through that door,” Dunlap says.

“Hopefully, everyone is profitable and makes sales, and also comes away with a great experience.”

With the market model, customers enjoy perusing a curated collection of unique items sourced from various artists and entrepreneurs, in one space.

“I really don’t think there’s anywhere else in town that you can go and find as many great vintage, mid-century and antique pieces that are also accessibly priced,” Dunlap says. “The prices are not reflective of the kind of prices you might find in an ongoing retail store that has more overhead. We would rather scour, find great deals and pass on that value to the customer.”

PHOTO BY SUZANNE PFEFFERLE TAFUR

The ReDu Marketplace features fine art prints, home decor and clothing created by local craftspeople.

PHOTO BY SUZANNE PFEFFERLE TAFUR

Zele NOLA offers a rotating collection of handcrafted jewelry, art and clothing from more than 100 vendors.

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

C UE M AG A Z I N E •

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[ SHOPPING ]

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[ CUE TIPS ]

A FRESH COAT OF

PAINT

BY K ATHERINE M . JOHNS ON

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LISA RICKERT, CEO AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF AVE HOME AND JOLIE HOME, is a master of the name game.

“I’m a person who likes to put love and light into the world,” Rickert says, and the names of the sister companies she, her husband and brother founded — and the products each line puts forth — attempt to do just that.

“Ave” (Latin for “a welcoming home” or “hail” or “honor” — and pronounced “ah-vey”) paints a picture of a cozy, peaceful lifestyle.

Ave Home’s furniture line (launched in 2016) is designed to be “the next best thing” to antiques, creating quality riffs off classical furniture styles while imbuing them with fresh energy and modern touches such as matte finishes, intricately carved panels and tapered legs.

The Ave line is divided into three styles: traditional, modern and raw, the latter of which features unfinished wood. While designing the raw pieces, Rickert already was

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toying with the idea of creating a decorative paint line to complement or enhance the wood’s rustic, rugged qualities. She and the team launched Jolie (French for “pretty”) Home, a line of decorative paints, topcoats and gilding waxes in November 2018.

Rickert is proud of the holistic, user-friendly ethos behind Jolie’s products.

“I believe that you, as the user of our products, need to be the hero,” she says. “We’re here to ask you, ‘What is your beautiful? How can we help you go through a creative transformation?’ ” To help customers narrow down a colorway from 42 shades of paint, Jolie Home’s website has a style quiz that identifies your aesthetic as one of eight looks, such as farmhouse, traditional, industrial and Scandinavian. Next, colors and finishes are suggested, as well as application techniques. Jolie’s complimentary “Everyday Guide” (available at Jolie retailers and online)

P H OTO C O U R T E S Y J U L I A K A L AC H N I KO F F

Lisa Rickert, CEO and creative director of Ave Home and Jolie Home.

provides step-by-step illustrated instructions on how to achieve the line’s six most popular finishes, such as distressed, smooth or textured. Many of the looks can be achieved with nothing more than a paintbrush and a lint-free cloth.

“People need to have the tools to be successful,” Rickert says.

“Ultimately, we’ve got to build the confidence.”

The palette is centered around a few collections of neutrals, which Rickert defines as “anything that is a muted tone or a more complex color,” for example, Zen, which appears to be gray but contains traces of a “mature” blush hue with a taupe undertone. Want to mix your own colors? There are instructions for that, both in the “Everyday Guide” and in Jolie’s cache of YouTube tutorials.

The paint isn’t just for furniture.

It will adhere to many surfaces,

PHOTO COURTESY JULIA K AL ACHNIKOFF

Jolie Home’s paint collection is anchored by groupings of neutral hues, such as this selection featuring Noir, Swedish Gray, Uptown Ecru and Gesso.

including concrete, metal, plastic and tile, and in most cases doesn’t require any sanding or priming. The paint can be used on interior walls as well, although Rickert points out that it has a very matte, flat finish, so she recommends using a texturizing technique to give the wall some dynamism.

The Jolie Home line includes its own custom-designed paintbrushes, which, along with the finishing waxes and varnishes, make the line a one-stop shop. A little of the paint goes a long way.

Rickert says one quart gives you 33 percent more coverage than a quart of traditional latex paint (about 150 square feet total, or 10 small projects worth).

The paints are nontoxic and water-based (and therefore breathable in New Orleans’ humidity), and although the pigment that forms the base of each paint is different, the maximum VOC (volatile organic compounds) found in any of the colors is 4 grams per liter. A typical can of flat latex paint contains an average 150 grams per liter.

“I’m having so much fun,” Rickert says. “It’s fresh and it’s new and that’s what we want people to feel about their homes. … And then you can always change it in a few years. … We try to get people to think beyond just a single piece of furniture or a single object. What we’re really trying to do is create a more beautiful space which, to me, leads to a more beautiful life.”

The Jolie paint collection is available locally at Clayton House (1600 N. Collins Blvd., Covington, 985-892-6368; www.claytonhousemarketplace.com), Creative Finishes Studio (2013 Metairie Road, Metairie, 504-909-9028; www.creativefinishesstudio. com), Melange by KP (5200 Highway 22, Suite 2, Mandeville, 504-807-7652; www.facebook. com/melangebykp) and NOLA Gifts & Decor (5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Suite 17, Metairie, 504-407-3532; www.nolagiftsanddecor.com). The products also are available online through Jolie’s website (www.joliehome. com) and Amazon; 20 percent of all direct-to-consumer online revenue is routed back to the nearest local retailer “to support the localized experience and the small shops,” Rickert says.

[ CUE TIPS ]

MEOWMASTE

BY K ATHERINE M. J O H N S O N

PHOTO COURTESY L A/SPC A

Kitten yoga classes are limited to between 20 and 25 participants to allow the kittens (and the humans) to move around the room easily.

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Kitten yoga at the LA/SPCA combines NOLA Tribe Yoga’s power vinyasa flow and restorative yoga techniques. Oh, and there are kittens.

in some way, shape or form, seeing if they want to adopt or volunteer,” Vial says. “A lot of times, there’s a misconception that all we do is adoptions or humane law or the clinic … so any chance we get to get more people in the door and educate them about the variety of things we have to offer — we try to jump on those opportunities.”

Classes are $20 per person, and participants must register in advance (www.nolatribeyoga.com/kitten-yoga). Proceeds are split evenly between NOLA Tribe Yoga and the LA/SPCA. Participants can bring their own mats or rent one from Tribe for $3.

Kirchner and Vial emphasize that the class is what participants make of it — serious yogis can get in a good early morning workout, and cat lovers can get in some good kitty cuddle time, even after class has ended.

“People can come into our adoption wing and hang out with (the kittens) as long as they want,” Vial says. “If you want to cuddle with a kitten for three hours after class, by all means.”

If after all that cuddling you just have to take that kitten home, the LA/SPCA makes it easy. The kittens in class are already vaccinated and weaned, and participants get a discount on adoption fees. The next class is Saturday, March 30 at 9 a.m.

Vial and Kirchner hope to host a puppy yoga class in September to coincide with the LA/SPCA’s NOLA on Tap beer festival and fundraiser.

Children’s books

by New Orleans artist and author Alex Beard, at Bywater Clothing.

Metallic gold leather tassel clutch, handmade in New Orleans, $240.18 at Claudia Croazzo.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT E ACH BUSINESS, LOOK FOR THEIR AD IN THIS ISSUE OF CUE MAGA ZINE. TO HAVE YOUR BUSINESS FE ATURED IN THE NE X T NE W + COOL, C ALL SANDY STEIN AT (504) 483-3150.

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yogis doing headstands.

“And the kittens really make class less intimidating,” Kirchner says.

“They seem like they’re born to do this.”

Classes are limited to between 20 and 25 participants to allow freedom of movement for both humans and kittens. Sometimes older cats get in on the fun, especially during the fall and winter months when the LA/ SPCA’s kitten population is smaller.

Spring is kitten season (when feral cats are mating and reproducing), and the facility sees a surge in kitten numbers, usually lasting until May, when temperatures start to rise.

Some years, however, kitten season lasts through June and July.

“Kitten season is challenging and it’s very resource-intensive,” Vial says.

“I think we spent $35,000 on kitten formula alone last year. The struggle is … that a lot of them come in without their moms, and their chances for survival plummet.”

Those kittens must be bottle-fed every few hours by LA/SPCA staff, volunteers and foster families (who often foster entire litters of kittens at a time). Vial wants to spread awareness of this demanding but essential task — after each kitten yoga class this spring, she plans to allow participants to assist with bottle-feeding.

Not only will this help out LA/SPCA workers, but Vial hopes it will encourage more people to engage with the facility’s many programs. “(Kitten yoga) just gets different people in the door seeing what we do, seeing if they want to get involved

C UE M AG A Z I N E •

I WISH I COULD TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT HEADLINE, but props for that and other cat-themed puns (“feline fine,” “purrfect poses,” etc.) go to Alicia Vial, communications director at the LA/SPCA, to the co-founder of NOLA Tribe Yoga McKensie Kirchner and to the team of volunteers and instructors from both organizations that works together to put on the monthly kitten yoga series at the LA/ SPCA’s West Bank facility.

Yes, you read that correctly: yoga with fuzzy, nuzzly kittens roaming around the room.

Kirchner and Baye Tilson co-founded NOLA Tribe Yoga in 2016, and built a business based on hosting pop-up classes in nontraditional spaces.

“We try to find places where New Orleanians are already living and thriving and enjoying life, and try to find a way to infuse a new sense of movement and mindfulness into those places,” Kirchner says. “The first thing about removing the barrier of entry is meeting people where they are.” Tribe frequently hosts classes in beer gardens and bars around the city, and when the opportunity arose to bring its accessible style of yoga to the LA/SPCA, Kirchner was enthusiastic. “Cute, adorable kittens are a perfect way to do that,” she says.

The yoga classes are a blend of power vinyasa flow and restorative techniques. Tilson shares teaching duties with fellow instructor Kaitlyn Clement (nicknamed “Kitty”), modifying the intensity of class exercises to accommodate the range of skill levels — from very-first-time beginners to

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3021 ANNUNCIATION ST.

2460 BURGUNDY STREET

Upgraded Irish Channel cottage with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths & a large office loft. High Ceilings, wood floors and a cute rear yard in an excellent Irish Channel location. $439,000

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. $829,900

ING

High-quality new construction with an open floor plan, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, wood floors, high ceilings and the energy efficiency that only New Construction can offer.

Incredible value at $ 264,000

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

HOME WORKS

JUST LISTED!

Client-Driven Real Estate with Collective Results!

Voted by Gambit readers as the #1 Real Estate Agent in the Metro Area 2018!

Witry Collective

900 Camp Street, Suite 301, New Orleans, LA 70130 504-291-2022 - WCnola.com

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Licensed in Louisiana, USA • Photo: Zack Smith Photography

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Pretty 1 bedroom/1 bath condo near the lake.

• Outdoor pool with BBQ grills • Covered Parking • Exercise Room and Sauna • Hi-tech Building Security.

$140,000 Shannon J. Uschold 504-934-2011, sju@keytonola.com PRINCIPAL BROKER/OWNER, KEY TO NOLA PROPERTIES LICENSED IN LOUISIANA

HomeWorks PROMOTE YOUR PROPERTIES WITH COLOR ADS BEGINNING AT $150 CALL SANDY AT (504) 483-3150

[ #FOLLOWING ]

#FOLLOWING:

MARSHALL Partner and Realtor at McEnery Residential and chairwoman of Legacy Donor Foundation TAKE A GOOD LOOK at the lower righthand corner of your driver’s license.

Do you see the word “Donor” in tiny block letters? Whether or not a little red heart appears on yours, the fact that “Donor” is there at all is due to the efforts of the Legacy Donor Foundation (LDF), an organization whose impact many of us have felt, but may never have heard of — an organization to which Ansley Seaver Marshall is proud to give her time. In addition to her day job as a partner and Realtor at McEnery Residential (a 6-month-old boutique real estate brokerage) and as founder of the Ansley Marshall Group of Realtors, Marshall also is the chairwoman of LDF and a co-chair of its 2019 annual Soul Revival gala, which takes place at the Port of New Orleans March 16.

BY K ATHERINE M. JOHNSON PHOTOS BY K ARL A PHOTOGRAPHY

“There are so many noble causes in New Orleans, but to say that you are actually working for something that’s saving lives is a pretty amazing thing,” Marshall says. She quotes LDF Executive Director Nicole Labadot: “This is not a search for a cure — it is the cure.”

Since its founding in 1999, the LDF has mounted marketing and public relations campaigns and educational outreach both solo and through partnerships with other Louisiana-based organizations to promote awareness of the need for organ, eye and tissue donations. The group’s partnership with Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) alone has been meaningful: by including the option to become a registered organ donor in the sequence of registering for a driver’s license, the number of names on Louisiana’s donor registry has more than quadrupled, increasing from 450,000 to 2.6 million registered donors. Ninety-five percent of those registered did so through the OMV. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the LDF and its Soul Revival gala. Marshall is excited to be part of planning the pomp and circumstance that this year’s milestone event will bring. The party features entertainment by a gospel choir, a DJ and a band, and “we’re still working on a few surprises,” she says. “It will definitely feel new and different this year, and it will feel special

for the 20th (anniversary). … We’re hoping to reach out to the generations that have pitched in already, but also the next generation of people who would like to get involved.”

Before Marshall became a Realtor and a volunteer with LDF, before she was an attorney at Jones Walker law firm and before she went to law school, she graduated college and moved to Paris for a few months to learn some “life lessons,” she says. She spent her days taking in French art, architecture, history and culture, although she admits she never got a good grip on the language.

“I could read menus very well, but I would butcher the language, unfortunately,” she laughs.

After living abroad, she returned to New Orleans to attend the College of Law at Loyola University New Orleans.

“I wish I could have stayed longer (in

Paris), but the real world was beckoning me back with a very humbling job at a law firm,” Marshall says.

“I came back with my new heels from Paris and I was the file clerk back in the ‘paper days.’ I was kneeling on the floor filing papers … but I loved it.”

After working a few years as an attorney and having her first child, she decided it was time for a career change.

She went into real estate, which shares the same intensity and high stakes that she loved about practicing law, and hasn’t looked back.

“I got my first real estate listing while I was in the hospital in labor with my second baby,” she says. “I should have known then that that is exactly what real estate is like — whenever you’re trying to do something really important, something will come up.”

Marshall’s real estate business keeps her busy, but her nonprofit work is just as essential. Even though she and the other LDF chairs still are hard at work organizing the group’s March gala, she’s already anticipating the LDF’s Fall in Love Luncheon in September, which features a fashion show starring models whose lives have been impacted by organ donation.

Some models are living donors, some have received donated organs, and some are friends or family of organ recipients.

“Every story I hear really moves me,” Marshall says. “It really puts a human face to it … [and] puts your life into perspective.”

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