Christy Lorio: Cows, floods and other embarrassing ways to kill a car

My husband and I have two vehicles, which aren’t spectacular or inspiring. They’re old, but not in a cool, classic-car kind of way. However, our class of 1999 Honda and Nissan are paid for, run well, and get us where we need to go safely and without worry. While we didn’t purchase them in their birth years, we’ve had them for a long time. I’ve taken my truck cross country twice, slept in the back of it on camping trips, survived two highway blowouts, and have taken care of it like it’s one of my cats.

Christy Lorio: For what it’s worth (Cash for your clothes)

Everyone has a “what was I thinking?” moment when gazing into the depths of their closet. You know the feeling — bought it even though it didn’t fit, talked yourself into since it was on sale, or shelled out an exorbitant amount of money for the latest trend that you now hate. Before sending it off to the thrift store, you might want to sell it to recoup some of the cost. There are several avenues you can take, but the most bang for your buck is listing on Craigslist.

Christy Lorio: Dress for the fest

I love Spring in New Orleans. The weather is as perfect as it’s going to get, the roster of festivals grows every year, and we get to enjoy balmy, beautiful evenings. But in order to maintain this idyllic mindset, you’ll need the proper clothes and accessories to keep that fun day in the sun from turning into a sunburned sweat fest. Read labels | I’m not talking about designer goods: check the tag for fabric content. Stick to cotton, linen, and tencel if you want to beat the heat.

Christy Lorio: Apparently, marriage sucks

I rarely read grocery store fashion magazines. You know the type: a model or celebrity with unnaturally white teeth gracing the cover, Photoshopped to perfection. She’s usually a nubile thing, wedged between headlines that promise “Lose 10 inches now,” “Your best sex life ever,” “I was a spendaholic,” etc. Sounds silly, right? Glamour Magazine is one of the worst, in my opinion.

Christy Lorio: We’re waiting for you, HGTV — me, my husband and the cats who let us live with them

You know those design shows where couples win home makeovers just by submitting a peculiar story? Well, I have a hell of story, and I’ve got the cats to prove it. One of the things I love most about living in New Orleans is the way that old homes permeate neighborhoods with their aura. Sometimes I make up little stories when I’m biking past a particularly eye catching structure. I’ll construct one-block tales of who lived in it, where they were from, and sometimes I’ll formulate imaginary fodder for horror stories.

Christy Lorio: Fashion Weeks

There’s been a lot of buzz about the small yet growing fashion industry in New Orleans. From local designers, manufacturing facilities, and two fashion weeks, the future is bright for fashion in the Crescent City. What’s that? Two fashion weeks? Yup, you heard that right.

Christy Lorio: What the heck is up with our grocery stores?

Judging by a handful of my previous articles, I’m obsessed with two things: customer service and grocery stores. Which is funny, given my pawning off of makin’ groceries on my husband. In our household we divide chores evenly, and while I’m relegated to loading the dishwasher and being the primary dog walker, he’s the one keeping our pantry stocked and the litter box clean. A funny thing happened last week, however; somehow we both hit up two different grocers, and we both had exceptionally foul experiences. I’m not one to trash talk businesses, but something is amiss at our locally owned grocery stores.

Christy Lorio: New South, Old South, Dirty South, what South?

If you keep up with trendy Southern magazines they way I do, you might have noticed the diatribe in the latest issue of Oxford American by editor Marc Smirnoff, thoughtfully bashing his competition, Garden & Gun. In a nutshell, he calls G&G out for being a romanticized glossy for rich, white people.  If you aren’t familiar with the publications, Oxford American touts itself as the “Southern magazine of good writing” and Garden & Gun is “the soul of the South.” I have a subscription to both magazines, and guess what? I like them both equally.

Christy Lorio: Just not Pinterested

Pinterest. You may have heard about this new site that seemingly everyone is addicted to. The premise is simple. Any time you find an inspirational photo on the Internet you save it as a sort of mood board. Then, your friends can see what images you’ve saved and you can all inspire each other.