NEW ORLEANS LIVING

The latest lifestyle news from around New Orleans

2010 Pit Bulls of New Orleans calendar helps support responsible pet ownership Full story »

Congregations and houses of worship across the nation will recognize the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation this weekend in honor of National Donor Sabbath. National Donor Sabbath, celebrated each year before Thanksgiving, kicks off the "Give thanks. Give life," season by using houses of worship to remind Americans of the critical need for organ and tissue donation.... Full story »

Draw all day and all of the night at The Green Project in Faubourg Marigny Full story »

Restaurant should reopen by the end of the year Full story »

Marcelle Bienvenu claims her family won't sit down to the Thanksgiving table unless there's spinach Madeline and other south Louisiana favorites. Other people I know are starting their own traditions this year. Personally, I'm thankful that we will have raw Louisiana oysters year-round, and I'm looking forward to making my family's favorite oyster dish that has been on our... Full story »

The 2009 Christmas New Orleans Style Cathedral Concert Series opens at the St. Louis Cathedral on Tuesday, Dec. 1 with trumpeter Irvin Mayfield. The free concert series continues with 12 additional performances throughout the month, mostly on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The hour-long shows start at 6 p.m. New to the series this year are the Spirit of New... Full story »

Here's a story that's got it all: Music and love, heroes and handguns. It starts near the bar at the Maple Leaf, pauses briefly today at your computer keyboard, and then rolls on toward Hollywood Boulevard. Derrick Tabb, snare drummer for the Rebirth Brass Band and founder of the after-school Roots of Music band program for New Orleans middle-schoolers,... Full story »

Tuesday, Nov. 17: Swimming with the fishes We docked at Freeport in the Bahamas this morning. It’s a working port, with container ships, cranes and workmen. Not lovely, but it was much easier to navigate. Getting off of the boat was much easier here. We simply strolled off and walked to a tented area where large signs showed us which... Full story »

The video game aisle can be intimidating for aspiring Santas who haven't touched a joystick since "Pong." But it has something for everyone: riveting solo adventures, online multiplayer battles and fun-for-the-whole-family social games. Here are some of the best picks for this holiday season. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" ($60, for the PlayStation 3, rated T for teen) Rakish adventurer... Full story »

You might wonder why a retired FBI agent who spent much of his career working on terrorist investigations would want to run a nonprofit group aimed at saving the young people of New Orleans. James Bernazzani, 54, thinks the Youth Rescue Initiative is a great fit for him. “I’m using a lot of the skills I learned in my... Full story »

Monday, Nov. 16: Six-toed cats that live like kings This morning, we got up a bit later than expected (OK, we stayed up late for the comedy stylings of Mr. Louis Nixon, watched folks make fools of themselves at karaoke and then danced in the disco, so we were tired). We quickly grabbed cereal and fresh fruit from the... Full story »

This season's Christmas tree displays include trees made from feathers at a historic home in Indianapolis, a thank-you tree in Boston sent from Nova Scotia, and the Obamas' first National Christmas Tree ceremony in Washington. The National Christmas Tree is scheduled to be lit on Dec. 3. Details of this year's ceremony have not been released yet, but traditionally... Full story »

New studies on canine social skills are shedding light on why dogs and humans have such strong bonds. The studies are finding that dogs, in some ways, are more socially evolved than other animals, even primates. TIME magazine has a Sept. 21 article explaining recent experiments to test this theory. The most striking clue is that dogs can follow... Full story »

Planning to take a cruise on Carnival’s Triumph, which took its first seven-day cruise out of the port of New Orleans last Saturday? I’ll be collecting tips from the crew, from fellow travelers and from my own experience. Here is what I’ve learned so far:  Full story »