Aura Bishop
Aura is a writer, performer, and podcast producer loving life and drinking lots of coffee in the Irish Channel.
Step inside one of the top bead shops in the country on Magazine Street
The Bead Shop caters to everyone from trending hobbyists to Mardi Gras Indians.
Carnival during COVID-19: How to make the most of Porch Gras 2021
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a second wave of high infection rates, Mardi Gras parades and related events have been cancelled this year. Let’s take a look at some resources and ideas for having your very own virtual Mardi Gras!
Fashion always comes back around: A guide to vintage clothes shops in New Orleans
New Orleans has always been a destination for great secondhand and vintage fashion, for both locals and tourists alike. Many people are making the commitment to shop secondhand to minimize the negative effects that the mass-market clothing industry has on the environment, as part of their New Year’s resolutions. For others, shopping vintage is about collecting favorite styles from different decades or finding unique items that stand out in a crowd.
Disco Warehouse: the Irish Channel’s unique open air artist, gift market
It’s like if your cool uncle had a garage stocked with fun things you never knew you needed until you saw them. Local art, vintage furniture, and imported goods fill the space from wall to wall. The spacious back yard boasts a year-round-selection of cactus plants for sale and is host to frequent open-air artist markets on the weekends with a variety of vendors from the area.
Bark meets art at the Bywater’s NOLA Bark Market
NOLA Bark Market is an unusual local business that serves multiple needs in the heart of Downtown New Orleans. Part art supply store, part pet supply store, part doggy day care and place to take art lessons, this shop recognized that many residents of the Bywater and Marigny areas are both artists and pet owners.
Bakery Bar: the Lower Garden District hideaway where drinks meet dessert
Where the Lower Garden District meets the Warehouse District, a cute, old brown cottage with an interesting history sits in the shadow of the Crescent City Connection overpass. Once a neighborhood grocery, then an infamous punk bar, and eventually an Italian restaurant, it’s now home to the recently reopened Bakery Bar, an establishment featuring one of New Orleans’ most beloved decadent desserts – doberge cake – alongside craft cocktails and savory offerings from executive chef Joel White.
The French Quarter is home to one of the oldest perfume shops in North America
Originally founded on Bourbon Street in 1843 by French perfumer August Doussan, the shop has changed hands and shifted into different storefront locations in its 175 + years in business, though a commitment to quality and consistency has remained at the heart of its legacy. It’s one of the oldest continually operating perfume shops in New Orleans and North America.
How Octavia Books keeps pages turning during digital age
Octavia Books has been a neighborhood staple for over 19 years now, for many good reasons. The independent book retailer opened in the year 2000 – a time when many small bookstores were closing and big-box chain stores were popping up in mall parking lots across America.
Fast Times at One Eyed Jacks: ’80s night is dance party that’s spanned decades
In a city known for jazz, funk, and hip-hop, it might be surprising to learn that an ‘80s-themed dance party has been happening every week for nearly 20 years, yet this tradition has endured and thrived.