Princess for a Weekend!

The Windsor Court is famous for hosting teas, and the hotel has recently begun featuring one themed tea a month. This month was the much anticipated Princess Tea, and the Windsor Court enlisted the services of a real live princess to grace the presence of the lucky guests…just kidding it was only me; however, I certainly did feel like a princess that weekend. I was dressed as Sleeping Beauty, and all of the little girls truly believed I was the real deal. As soon as they walked through the doors of the Windsor Court, they ran over to me and wrapped their little arms around my legs. There were a few girls who were a tad frightened of me at first; however, their fears quickly subsided once they saw other little girls flock to me. The menu and atmosphere were composed of all things princess: the harpist eloquently played tunes from Disney princess classics, the sandwiches were shaped like crowns, and the party favors were crowns given to everyone personally by me, the guest princess at the tea. The weekend was a wonderful experience and I would love to participate in another themed tea. Tea at the Windsor Court is truly a magical experience. Even on days when the tea doesn’t have a theme, its hard not to feel like a princess!

A Culinary Treat

This morning I was invited to attend a photography session at the Windsor Court for Culinary Concierge. The magazine is featuring a dish from The Grill Room in their upcoming issue. The theme of the issue is red, white and blue so naturally, the dish was a Foie Gras dressed with blueberries.


It was so interesting to watch the food stylist pick apart the way the setup was put together. It made me realize how much thought goes into just one picture. I also got a few lessons from the photographer on how to eliminate glares and make a colorful picture really stand out. It's safe to say I don't have a future in photography, but the lesson may come in handy one day!


After the shoot, the chef, Drew asked if I would like to taste the dish. Of course, I did not hesitate. All I can is YUM! I definitely recommend it if you ever visit The Grill Room. Visiting Windsor Court was such a pleasant way to start off my day!

1,000+ Facebook Fans in 3 hours

There are two lessons to be learned in this: give the people what they want...and don't underestimate the effectiveness of direct email blasts.

The Windsor Court Hotel recently announced the winner of their "Have a Ball" Sweepstakes, Amy Corley-Bergeron, who was awarded with Saints tickets, a stay at the Windsor Court Hotel, as well as pre-game brunch.

I ask you though, who was the real winner in this contest?

As an avid Saints fan myself envious of Amy's great fortune, I must hold back on stating the obvious- the winner being Amy. But from a marketing standpoint, the Windsor Court brings home the trophy.

The fans of the Windsor Court hotel Facebook Page were submitted into a drawing for Saints tickets, hotel stay and pre-grame lunch. The hotel eventually gave Keating Magee the green light to use the list previously drafted and send out an email blast regarding the contest. The results were astounding. Within minutes the Windsor Court's Facebook Fan count rose exponentially. 3 hours passed and 1,000 new fans were garnered. The contest proved to be a major success.

We live in a digital age. With more people owning smart phones, which are at arms length away at all times, emails are almost instantaneously read. Unfortunately, an email blast can easily slip into the same category as spam. We can counter this by getting their attention and offering an enticing prize. After the Saints' Super Bowl win, its almost as if this entire city's blood runs black and gold. An offer to win tickets, as well as fine dining at the Windsor Court, stirs excitement and buzz for the hotel. I applaud the joint efforts of Keating Magee and the Windsor Court and await the next contest where I may be so lucky!
Geaux Saints!

The Perks of Being an Intern

This past weekend I got to experience some of the better moments of intern life, getting an inside view at some fabulous events that I otherwise would have never had a chance to attend - Butterfly Tea at Le Salon and the Jade Absinthe Launch (part of Tales of the Cocktail). I did countless mini-projects for both of these events, so getting to attend them was extra gratifying. I got to see my work come to fruition and got to see yet another slice of New Orleans lifestyle I hadn't seen before.











Butterfly Tea
While I'm not exactly in the target demographic for Butterfly Tea, I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn't like this event. The Audubon Nature Institute partnered with The Windsor Court to create three afternoon Tea seatings, featuring butterflies from the Audubon Insectarium. The tables, the butterfly set-ups, even the sandwiches were so elegant - the amateur photographer in me had to take advantage (as you can see). The event went well overall, but it made for a busy day and I went home a little more tired than usual.

Jade Absinthe Launch
In my four years here, I have never managed to attend a Tales of the Cocktail event. My August birthday meant that this would be my first and last opportunity to see this much anticipated festival - but my empty wallet also reminded me that it probably wasn't going to happen. Luckily, the Windsor Court, one of KM's clients, hosted an event and I was sent to help out and take some pictures. The event was definitely worth the wait. Ted Breaux (left), creator of Jade Absinthe, put on a great show and I really enjoyed meeting him and learning about the product. Absinthe has seen a comeback in the US, and this high-end line is crafted by Breaux himself. The absinthe cocktail samples were delicious and the crowd was VERY interesting. While acting as impromptu "bouncer" I met several interesting people like the President of the Absinthe History Museum, the owner of Pirate's Alley, a few media personnel and some other notables.
All-in-all I would say it was a great weekend to be an intern in NOLA.

Add to Resume: Proficient in Tying Bows

In preparation for the U.S. Launch of Jade Absinthes at the Windsor Court, invitations needed to be made; and 200 bows needed tying. Raquel created the invitation and I had the joy of assembling the parts. The key to maintaining one's sanity with a task such as this, is to ensure you:
-Maintain an athletic and upright posture (slouching most certainly will result in back pains)
-An occasional knuckle crack/finger stretch is needed (to avoid getting carpal tunnel)
-Hydrate
-Keep mind occupied on another subject other than shiny red bows (I thought about my grocery list, an occasional song, and lapsed into some peaceful self reflection)