West Bank Salon to Support Breast Cancer Awareness

I ran into my favorite local hairdresser, Alise Lavergne at Regis Salon in Oakwood Mall, last night and found out that the salon will soon be participating in a national campaign to raise funds to fight breast cancer.

On October 18, 2008, Regis Salon will be offering $15 hair cuts with all proceeds for the day being donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Can’t make it on the 18th?  $15 vouchers will be available for purchase and will be good for a hair cut through the end of November.

In preparation for the event, donations of gift basket items are being accepted.  The gift baskets will be raffled off throughout the day, raising even more money to help defeat a disease that has impacted too many.

For more information, appointments or to make a donation, please contact:

REGIS SALON
OAKWOOD CENTER
197 WESTBANK EXPY STE 1225
GRETNA, LA 70053
(504) 362-0274

Be sure to ask for Alise!

Copyright 2008.  Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.

Updated Information! Operation Facelift Offers Grants to Algiers Business Owners

Important Updated information:

Due to the evacuation for Hurricane Gustav, the application deadline for grants has been extended to September 26, 2008. 

This is a reposting of an article originally published on August 25, 2008.

There is more exciting news for the Algiers business community!

The Algiers Community Foundation and the Algiers Economic Development Foundation will be awarding a total of $50,000 in grants to business owners along General Meyer Avenue in Algiers in a project that has been named Operation Facelift.

Individual grants of up to $2,500 are being offered to improve exteriors and facades including:

• Windows
• Landscaping
• Signs
• Doors
• Exterior lighting
• Awnings
• Exterior paint
• Other improvements designed to enhance the appearance of the business

With the proposed Federal City moving one step closer to reality in Algiers, this is a great opportunity for business owners in the area to bring in new customers by improving the curb appeal of their buildings.

Interested business owners must submit application for the grants by September 16 26, 2008 at the AEDF office in Algiers. 

Some Important Notes About the Program

Funds awarded are only for the specific purpose of improving the facade or overall appearance of a building and/or grounds

Business owners remain responsible for obtaining the required city permits for any work

Grant proceeds will be used to reimburse business owners upon completion of the project.  No grants will be awarded for work done prior to the grant application process.

Grant recipients must adhere to a timeline for completion of the improvements

More information about grant guidelines and application

Since I drive along General Meyer every morning, I’m looking forward to seeing those improvements happening soon!

Copyright 2008.  Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.

Frames and Fun, Fabulous Fleur de Lis Gifts

How could I have grown up in Algiers and never stepped foot into Frames Inc.?  I don’t know how this major oversight happened, but I made up for it today!  My husband visited the store earlier this week and told me that I had to check out some of the beautiful fleur de lis gift items they have in stock since he knows I am all about using the fleur de lis to decorate everything and everywhere.  With a few minutes to spare this afternoon, we ran over to grab a colorful flag to hang in our garden room. 

With a convenient location on Kabel Drive, even the outside is welcoming…

 

Once we made our way inside, I was blown away by how much fabulousness (is that a word?) was contained in the shop. 

 

Picture frames, decorative items, candles, wedding and baby gifts, jewelry…with much more to offer than just fleur de lis, the list goes on and on.  What started out as a trip for a flag turned into not only a flag, but note cards, linens and wall hangings.  One of the owners, David, was a wonderful host as we wandered through the store oohing and aahing over just about everything we laid our eyes on and he graciously wrapped up the things I bought as gifts.

 

The selection of cards was outstanding as well, with speciality themes including Sweet Sixteen, Congratulations on Your New Home (I’m sure I’ll be back for more of those!) and some of the most unique thank you cards I’ve seen in forever.

I feel like I’ve been missing out by not knowing about this gem that is right in my own backyard.  David and David, the owners, are members of StayLocal! and are as dedicated as I am to shopping and supporting our locally owned New Orleans businesses.  When I can do that AND stay on the West Bank, I know I’ve found another winner.

Need a unique gift , custom framing or just want to wander through and check them out?  Visit Frames Inc at 3439 Kabel Drive in Algiers.  You’ll be surrounded in fabulousness too!

 

Photos and pictures Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel/West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.

Ouch! That Stings…

It’s that time of year again in New Orleans…buck moth caterpillar season.  I remember my first experience with these nasty little critters.  We had moved into a house in Algiers that had a huge oak tree in the front yard.  I loved that tree.  It gave me the perfect spot to plant some shade loving flowers and kept the front of the house from getting hit directly by the hot, summer sun.

But the very first spring we lived there, all of sudden we were seeing these fuzzy, black caterpillars crawling across the porch and the sidewalks.   They were everywhere!  On the cars, in the driveway and worst of all, literally falling out of the trees.

                              

Photo courtesy of:  urtica at flickr.com

One day, my oldest son (who was small at the time) started screaming at the top of his lungs while in the front yard.  It turned out that one of the caterpillars had fallen out of my beloved oak tree and stung him on the back of his neck.  Thank goodness for dear Mrs. Robinson, who lived across the street, who promptly ran out with a tube of toothpaste to put on the sting.  Don’t ask me how it works, I just know that it did.

Thus began the annual tree spraying every spring in my yard.  The street we live on now is lined with oak trees, so I coordinate with my neighbors and we all get our trees sprayed at the same time.   If you have an oak in your yard, I highly recommend you do the same!

From the LSU Agricultural Center website:

Buck Moth
Hemileuca maia Drury
This purple-black caterpillar has a reddish head and small round white spots over its body. Several spiny structures are located on each segment of the body. When touched, these spiny structures cause a burning, itching and reddening of the areas stung. Buck moth larvae tend to cluster on branches and move about in a follow-the-leader fashion. Primary hosts include oak, willow, wild cherry, rose and several other deciduous plant species. The larval state of this species is prominent in April and May, but larvae have been collected in late May.

For more information on getting your trees sprayed:

Parkway Partners offers tree spraying for $75 per tree.  (You must sign up for spraying by March 31st)

Adrian’s Tree Service in Algiers

Tree Man, Inc. in Algiers  (504) 394-4207.  This is MY tree guy and he will offer discounts to neighbors who all get their trees sprayed at the same time.

Here’s to a sting free spring!

p.s.  My youngest walked through the room while I was writing this and saw the picture of the buck moth.  His response was “Man, those caterpillars are MEAN”!

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Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.

Washing and Waxing on the West Bank

Anyone who know me knows that, to me, my car is just a way to get from point A to point B.  I’m not attached to it, don’t have a name for it…it’s just a car.  Which is probably why I don’t spend a lot of time washing, waxing, vacuuming or detailing it.  I’m sure there are some stray french fries in the back seat from the kids and more than one Diet Coke can rolling around the floorboard.

But even I have my limits for how dirty I’ll let my car get, and when it no longer looks black, but is instead a muddy shade of gray, it’s time to get it washed.  So, last week, on one of those beautiful sunny days we had, I stopped in at the General Meyer Car Wash.

As I was waiting in line, the owner came over and tapped on my window.  He said that since my car was pretty dirty (gee, he sure does know how to woo a girl!) I might not be too pleased with the job that the automatic drive through wash would do in cleaning it.  Amazingly enough, he offered to have me pull into one of the manual wash bays and he soaped and brushed the dirt loose and put me back in line for the auto wash.

Now THAT is customer service!  No extra charge.  No hand sticking out for a tip.  Just a local business owner who wanted his customer to be happy with the results.  Makes me want to wash my car more often….

               

You can visit the General Meyer Car Wash at 4933 General Meyer Avenue in Algiers.  Self service washes, vacuums, shampooing and more are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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