Oh, my GAWD! The Joisey girls made quite an entrance at the cast party for Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Murder Mystery Dinner at Cena. With their big-haired bumps and major bling, Snookie lookalike Wendy Whiner and mom Wanda gave the crowing crowd just a little snippet of what “Death of the Nutria Rat Queen” has in store for the audience in August. And, from what Party Girl witnessed, it will be quite a show! Between barbs, guests nibbled on sesame-crusted pork loin, bacon and tomato tarts (heavenly!), white bean hummus, and spinach and artichoke dip and got into the spirit with Trenza Rosado (a nice light rosé) and Estrella Pinot Grigio. Will prognosticator Dude Ledouche predict the winner (or the murderer)? You’ll have to buy a ticket to the event, slated for Aug. 13 and 14, to find out.

A la carte was the scene, and white linen was the theme for Sippin’ in the Sunset, an event benefitting the Festival of Light sponsored by the Oil Center Renaissance Association. As patrons perused the silent auction items (Party Girl coveted a gorgeous necklace and earrings set donated by Paul’s Jewelry), Oil Center restaurants dished out their fabulous fare, including a rich Seafood Acadiana from the Petroleum Club, shrimp and artichoke soup and bread pudding from Hub City Diner, Tuscan bean soup with chicken and hummus from Renaissance Market, grape leaves from host á la carte, crawfish enchiladas from Blue Dog, coconut lemongrass chicken with rice from Crowne Plaza Hotel and mini cheesecakes from Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Looking winsome in white were Karmen Blanco, Karen Lippmann, Connie Gardiner and Jo Ellen Coussan.

Erin Spizak (Wendy Whiner) and Kenny Toups (Boo Decuir)	Ashley Guidry (Wendy Whitebread) and Stephanie Ladner (Kay Surrah)
Susie Brunet (Melinda Whitebread) and Ashley Guidry (daughter Wendy Whitebread)	Liz Webb (Wanda Whiner) and Erin Spizak (daughter Wendy Whiner)
Ben (Stu da Snoop) and Ashley (Sissy Stardust) Berthelot	Debbie (Muffy Bountiful) and Fred (Dude Ledouche) Mills
Allyson Pharr (Buffy Bountiful) and Debbie Mills	Miriam Bourgeois, Alyson Haymark and Dan Hare
Marie Bellard, Rick Chappuis and Johanna Villarreal	Donna Denton and Lee Gray
Frank Foley, Rick Dickerson and Rhonda Foley	Dennis and Sue Brooks, and Lisa Ferguson
Mark Shepard and fiancée Amanda Forness	Dr. Ken and Francie Bouillion, Raoul Breaux and Gerd Wuestemann

Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Written by Dege Legg

Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Written by The Independent Staff

SPLISH SPLASH
Eva Schwartz makes me want to get dirty. That’s the best way to appreciate her craftsmanship. Schwartz has a fine nose for combining natural scents, which she captures in unctuous bars of handmade soap.

BIRD IN HAND
The rogue well may be capped on the Gulf floor, but there are still millions of gallons of crude oil bobbing out there off the coast. And that means years of mitigating the disaster.

PERFECT STORM
As we approach the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, there’s no shortage of books that have been published memorializing the tragedy. But a few stand out from the pack, transcending the narrative account of events and offering enduring social commentary and perspective.

Earl “Boogi” Hebert finds inspiration, and the spirit of his late father, painting through the night on his back porch.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Written by Nathan Stubbs

Earl “Boogi” Hebert remembers the day he started painting: March 14, 2006, the day his father, Earl Sr., passed away. Without really knowing why, he took out the old brushes his dad had handed down to him and got to work.