• Raising a glass to art, education
Birthday and bonhomie -- and both within blocks of each other.

• A FIESTA OF HOME TOURS IN STORE in N.O.
A series of self-guided home tours and French Quarter walking tours presented by the Spring Fiesta Association, a nonprofit cultural tourism organization, gets under way this weekend. A yellow Spring Fiesta flag will hang in front of each home on tour. Cost: $22 in advance, $25 day of tour. Tickets and information: 504.581.1367, 800.550.8450, www.springfiesta.com.

• A LOVE AFFAIR WITH SHOTGUN HOUSES
Taylor Gist

• GARDEN ADVICE
I live in Slidell and my Norfolk Island pine has taken a big hit from the cold. It is all brown and the branches are falling off. Can I trim it back -- will that help? Or is it dead?

• GARDEN REBIRTH MAY BE A BENEFIT OF THE FREEZE
STARTING POINT: When Nancy and Don Adams bought their home on Coliseum Street 25 years ago, Nancy Adams insisted on one thing.

• GROWING CONCERN AFTER AN UNUSUALLY COLD WINTER, YOUR GARDEN NEEDS SOME TLC
Let's face it: With all of the evergreen trees, shrubs and ground covers we use, we are accustomed to our landscapes staying relatively attractive all year long.

• Plaque has a back story
A brass plaque depicting a courtship scene, made in the early 20th century by the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Co. (1852-1940).

• THIS WEEK
THIS WEEK

• TRASH-TO-TREASURE FURNITURE WINS AWARDS
A burnt-out car seat, leftovers from an oyster broil, a structural beam, a mosaic of wood strips and a folded door: All were components in the winning entries of Salvations 2010, the juried recycled furniture competition hosted annually by nonprofit salvage depot The Green Project.

• TURNING PAGES AS YOU TURN THE SOIL
As gardeners turn their soil in preparation for new spring beds, many also will turn to books for guidance. To meet demand, a new crop of gardening books is out, and we've selected three, each of which focuses on a different approach to plants. Whether you're looking to grow flowers, food or even medicine, you'll find some tips between the covers.

• XAVIEr triangle cottages and garden are a delight
They've done it again! I read in the paper Monday that Xavier University has sent more African-American students to medical school than any other institution of higher learning in the nation -- for the 16th consecutive year.

• CONCERTS
concerts

• Cut for the cure
When I met Bailey King in February 2005, she had a fuzzy halo of hair, and she was happy to have eyebrows. She was 15 and recovering from a rare, aggressive tumor on her brain stem. She had had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to treat it.

• Dawn Barrios 57, attorney
Dawn Barrios is a local attorney involved in litigating the Chinese-manufactured drywall trials in U.S. District Court in New Orleans.

• Game Dork
New and coming soon

• Gods & Monsters
I am not prone to hyperbole unless I'm being obviously funny about it, like when I call my cat the cutest cat in the world. So please believe my earnestness when I say "God of War III" may be the best game in three years, since ... "God of War II" came out.

• Hot Picks
FRIDAY

• People
JAMES-BULLOCK MARRIAGE ROCKED BY REPORT OF INFIDELITY

• Spin wisely to maximize benefits and avoid injury
Indoor spinning is all the rage. Just look at the 1,052 Minnesotans who broke the Guinness World Record recently as part of Life Time Fitness' "Ride of a Lifetime" challenge at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The company hauled in 20 truckloads of stationary bikes for a raucous good time.

• Springtime is for ... Hitler?
"When you got it, flaunt it," coos Ulla, the sultry Swedish knockout hired as a secretary for the two feckless protagonists of "The Producers," the smash Broadway musical having its New Orleans premiere tonight courtesy of the Jefferson Performing Arts Society.

• TASTE OF EUROPE
I was fortunate enough to take my first trip to Europe recently, spending time in France and Italy. One of my favorite parts was the people watching, particularly watching the way the locals ate, which gave me fresh insights on our dining habits back home.

• THEATER
theater

• THEATER
theater

• FOOD BRIEFS
FOOD

• Italian method cuts salt, oil from Chinese stir-fry
Stir-fries are great, easy suppers, but the cooking method often calls for a fair amount of oil, and I feel compelled to make the dish taste as if it came from a Chinese restaurant, which gives me permission to overload on salty and sweet additions.

• Kiddie paparazzi
Sometimes, the most memorable moments happen during the daily clatter of life. Especially when they involve children.

• Make your own multi-grain bread
Frequent contributor B.C.R. writes: "I wanted to share what I'm making tonight. Over time I've developed a good multi-grain bread, using the Cuban Bread from Bernard Clayton's great bread books. Clayton got the recipe from James Beard, and it appears on page 46 of his Beard on Bread as a 'French-Style Bread.' I added the whole grain cereal and the wheat flour, and it makes a marvelous and flavorful loaf.

• One enchanted evening deserves another
Several enchanted evenings!

• People
FOX, CONAN O'BRIEN CLOSE IN ON A TALK SHOW DEAL

• The way of the curd
If cheese were banned from my diet, I would be a sad puppy. I can't sleep unless there is an assortment of cheeses stashed in my refrigerator. Both my husband and I are fond of Brie, Munster and blue cheeses, but he also favors aged cheddars while I lean toward fresh cheeses that are uncured and unripened, such as cream cheese, ricotta, mozzarella, mascarpone, fromage blanc and goat cheeses.

• Big Easy elegance
Maison Montegut, built in 1794 for the surgeon major of the Spanish army, is a French Quarter townhome with a brick courtyard and a quiet fountain. There's a sophisticated air about the place.

• Fashion notes: Oscar cufflinks, Pliner shoes, LPO duds
New Orleans jewelry designer Ashleigh Branstetter paid extra close attention to the red carpet coverage of the Academy Awards show this year. But she still missed the moment when her jewelry made its debut on national television.

• Get your green on
Whether the subject is your garden or your favorite St. Patrick's Day beverage, NOLA.com wants to see your photographic take on the topic "All Things Green."

• It's not easy being green
It's a bad time for leprechauns. There are few government programs to assist them -- even under a Democratic administration -- and there is the whole green card issue. Sorry, I couldn't resist a green card joke, the topic being leprechauns and all. I guess that lowers the humor bar here considerably. Take my leprechaun -- please.

• People
N.O. WOMAN 'BLOWN AWAY' BY HGTV DREAM HOME

• Photo caption
David Dartnell's Chemisiere Louisiane label, launched at Maison Montegut in the French Quarter, is an updated take on the easy elegance he first created with David Dart: linen shifts with attached scarves, peplum jackets, eyelet trapeze dresses, and flowing skirts in flax and silk. Bright floral prints and ruffles add feminine, but not overly girly, touches. Sizes range from 4 to 3X, and prices start at $200 for a linen dress and go up to about $400 for evening wear.

• Network exec celebrates partnership with Cox
Within the historic Latrobe's on Royal, applause thundered at the announcement that the upcoming New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival would be filmed for broadcast on TV5MONDE, the French television network now carried on Cox Cable.

• People
'GOLDEN COUPLE' WINSLET AND MENDES CALL IT QUITS

• The perfect party numbers were 100 and 5
Centennial salutes were the buzz for a brace of parties. At Antoine's the Rotary Club of New Orleans, the 12th oldest in the world, hailed a hundred years. The following day, the Fine Arts Club followed suit with similar socializing at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Stewart Jr.

• Twist of faith
The dedication of Wesley Hall's new home in the Lower 9th Ward was a kind of milestone: It celebrated the 100th house finished by volunteers of Project Homecoming, a rebuilding ministry of the Presbytery of South Louisiana.

• A sororal soiree is one of three social receptions
Eyes and owls headlined a pair of parties, thanks to the President's Wine and Cheese Reception given by the New Orleans Academy of Ophthalmology and the alumnae ado of Chi Omega sorority, which has the wise old bird as its emblem. The respective venues were the Sheraton New Orleans and the Garden District residence of Drs. Barbara and Edwin Beckman. Elsewhere, history made its mark. At the Timberlane Country Club in Gretna, and with the Jefferson Parish Historical Commission and the Jefferson Historical Society of Louisiana as the sponsors, a Founders' Day banquet unfolded in observance of the 185th anniversary of the legislative establishment of the parish of Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson was the namesake.

• Back where he belongs
"How was Vancouver, Dad?"

• People
MORTIMER MAKES HER BID FOR REALITY STARDOM

• PRODUCTION NUMBERS
After returning to New Orleans in 2009 with the city's first full season of touring musical productions since Hurricane Katrina, Broadway Across America announced today its 2010-11 slate of shows, including "Monty Python's Spamalot," "Shrek the Musical," "Cirque Dreams Illumination," "Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles," and "West Side Story."

• An appetite for Paris
PARIS -- On Valentine's night -- the same evening Drew Brees swapped a football helmet for a crown to reign over Bacchus in New Orleans -- I was sitting in my Paris hotel's deliberately dark restaurant, where a votive candle and a tight bunch of red roses topped the black table.

• 5 Hot Reads: New in stores
The Pacific

• BACK TO THE BATTLEFIELD
Introducing a premiere screening of "The Pacific" in New Orleans earlier this month, Tom Hanks hailed Sidney Phillips from the stage.

• Daves' DVR
Celebrity Apprentice One word for season nine: Sinbad! Today, 8 p.m. WDSU.

• Don't worry, be hoppy
I could tell from Claire's e-mail that she was upset. She and Randall had just been to their first parent-teacher conference, where they found out Tierney is quiet in class, rarely works independently and doesn't ask questions.

• Family history
No matter what he accomplishes, Hugh Ambrose knows he will always be identified as the son of the celebrated historian Stephen Ambrose.

• Hardcover fiction
Hardcover fiction

• Paper Trails
Abu Simbel, Egypt

• Picture of the Past
1964: Corned beef and sauerkraut

• Return of girl detective spices up March mysteries
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery

• Stirring theater
HBO's "Band of Brothers" told the story of World War II's European end game through the eyes of an entire company.

• 'It couldn't get any better'
HOLLYWOOD -- Two days before attending his first Oscars ceremony, New Orleans actor and "Hurt Locker" star Anthony Mackie was playing it cool.

• Late wine connoisseur's New Orleans collection goes on the block
Dressed in a tailored Bijan suit, Lloyd Flatt clutched a magnum of 1924 Ausone as he led the Storyville Stompers through the French Quarter. It was 1987 and Flatt, along with a bevy of wealthy wine collectors, was taking a lunch break from a long morning of tasting.

• Party equation is joy times three!
With an at-capacity 400 attendees assembled to party at the Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport, the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce celebrated Jubilation, its annual meeting and merriment. Brown-Forman provided the spirits during the silent auction activity and Bonterra Vineyards, the wines for dinner. As guests sat to sup, they enjoyed the big band sounds of Swingaroux. Then came a brief presentation, a live auction spearheaded by Jay Ceravolo, and dancing. Lots of dancing!

• The trouble with Prospect.2
I loved Prospect.1, the $4.5 million art exhibit that sprinkled New Orleans with delicious international art installations from November 2008 to January 2009 the way Emeril Lagasse sprinkles pork chops with seasoning. And I was licking my lips in anticipation of the sequel, Prospect.2, a second art smorgasbord originally scheduled to run from November 2010 to February 2011.

• A SAMPLE FROM THE HOME SHOW
By Karen Taylor Gist

• GARDEN ADVICE
What type of fertilizer (8-8-8, 27-0-12, ?) and schedule do I use for St. Augustinegrass?

• GET HELP navigatING GREEN INCENTIVE programs
Bridget Joseph and her boyfriend, Frank Rose, recently bought a partially renovated shotgun-double-turned-single in Mid-City, and thanks to a variety of local, state and federal incentives, they'll be able to make it more energy-efficient without breaking the bank.

• JOSEPH STREET COTTAGES HOLD SURPRISES
Last week, I wrote about one of my favorite March rituals, the Preservation Resource Center's Shotgun House Month, but did I mention that I have others?

• MIXED COMPANY THE SLEEK AND THE ANTIQUE MEET IN ARCHITECT PETER TRAPOLIN'S WAREHOUSE DISTRICT HOME
It was Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the giant of modern architecture, who said, "God is in the details."

• PARK-SIDE GARDENER PLOTS WAYS TO BRING JOY TO VISITORS
SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE: Manny Bright tries to give back for all the enjoyment her home on Audubon Park has given her for the past 45 years.

• PICK A PEPPER
By Dan Gill

• WEST JEFFERSON REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS
WEST JEFFERSON

• CONCERTS
concerts

• People
CONAN O'BRIEN TAKING HIS SHOW ON THE ROAD

• Stephen Englehardt 28, high school math teacher
Stephen Englehardt was always an athlete. From age 6, he played every youth sport offered. High school included football, wrestling and golf. He played defensive back at Rhodes College in 2000 and walked on at LSU during the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

• SUMMER CAMP DIRECTORY INSIDE
The Times-Picayune's annual listing of area summer day camps appears today on

• When love turns to lard
You can blame your metabolism. You can blame your genes. And now, researchers say, you can blame your weight gain on something else: your love life.

• Bring on the bistro food
I am so ready for warmer weather and longer days. Most of all, I want something substantial but not too overwhelming and full of flavor to enjoy for a leisurely supper. I don't know about you, but I've had my fill of hearty foods like gumbo, chili and red beans and rice, at least until next fall when cooler weather returns.

• DIY prom dress: Some teens design, make their own
When Karynn Johnson steps onto the dance floor at her senior prom, she won't have to worry that any of her classmates will be wearing the same dress.

• FOOD BRIEFS
FOOD BRIEFS

• How sweet it isn't
Meringue letters perched atop the sugar-free cupcakes sitting on the buffet spelled out "Mr. Big Stuff" and "Happy B-Day."

• N.O. recipe book full of good stuff, and for a good cause
So what does a rhinoceros have to do with relief for earthquake-flattened Haiti?

• Opera ambitions and good deeds celebrated
That's what musical friends are for!

• People
OSMOND BACK ON STAGE AFTER SON'S FUNERAL

• Clapton rushed through his set in less than two hours
Slowhand, this wasn't.

• Italian athletes, a Scottish poet and children are celebrated
Scotch guard!

• People
LINDSAY LOHAN TAKES ON E-TRADE BABIES IN $100 MILLION LAWSUIT

• Strait is smooth as silk, but how 'bout a little sweat?
The sum total of sweat shed by George Strait on his current tour likely would not fill a thimble. Country music's coolest operator added little, if any, to the total during his two hours on stage at a full New Orleans Arena on Friday.

• THE WAIT WAIT IS OVER
Peter Sagal isn't often recognized, unless by voice.

• Backstage with
Hollywood -- The Kodak Theatre stage is where the singing and dancing happens, where the jokes are cracked, where the showbiz side of the Academy Awards takes place.

• Ill-timed dances, killer hosts, great ratings
It was late in the 9 p.m. hour of ABC's broadcast of "The 82nd Academy Awards." Early still, as it would turn out. The production was working its way through a DVR-defeating slog of craft awards.

• No Nell Nolan
Due to expanded coverage of the Academy Awards, the Social Scene column that normally appears on Tuesday will run on Wednesday.

• People
SOMBER LIL WAYNE BEGINS ONE-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE

• Yat's entertainment!
HOLLYWOOD -- Here's how my morning-after scorecard reads: 14 Oscar nominations with local connections, and seven wins.

• And the Oscars go to ...
MORE OSCAR WINNERS

• Battle of the banquets
History got an update with three rounds of hobnobbing.

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Sandra Bullock

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Sarah

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Maggie Gyllenhaal

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Gabourey Sidibe

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Charlize Theron

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Cameron Diaz

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Penelope Cruz

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
zoe Saldana & Vera Farmiga

• Susan Says: More red carpet reviews
Jennifer Lopez

• Throw me an Oscar, mister!
Hollywood -- Sunday was Oscar night, and maybe it was because of New Orleans' multiple rooting interests in the show, but there was a subtle Mardi Gras feel to Hollywood's annual pull-out-all-the-stops celebration of itself.

• 5 Hot Reads: New in stores
Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter

• A DANCE LEGEND IN TOWN
A DANCE LEGEND IN TOWN

• A world of 'Hurt'
HOLLYWOOD --Right now, everybody's talking about the new 10-film Best Picture field. They're buzzing about James Cameron's chances of surprising everyone again and taking home the big prize. They're wondering if box-office darling Sandra Bullock will actually beat master-of-the-craft Meryl Streep.

• If these shelves could talk
Stroup's tone was ominous.

• Inventive, engaging reimagining of Homer's 'Odyssey
"I have never been at a loss for a tale, lie, or synonym," says the hero of Zachary Mason's "The Lost Books of the Odyssey," who shares this much at least with Homer's Odysseus.

• Picture of the Past
1950: Kindness of strangers