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Troy and Maria Mercer Hometown: Slaughter, Louisiana (Troy), Baton Rouge (Maria) Artistry: Handcrafted wood bowls and serving pieces, Middleson Handcrafted Online: middlesonhandmade.com, @middlesonwoodwork When it comes to working with sharp objects in his hands, Troy Mercer is an expert.

Kristin Songy Diehl. Photo by Caitlin Hebert. Kristin Songy Diehl Travel Advisor, Kristin Diehl Travel ITEM IN MY WARDROBE A great baseball hat and Krewe sunglasses PERFUME YSL Libre. Clean and classic. PLACE FOR DINNER At home. My husband’s steaks are better than most steakhouses, and I don’t have to do the dishes. PLACE I HAVE TRAVELED TO iStock.com/borchee Safari in Tanzania, hands down. Nothing else compares. WAY TO UNWIND A run around Webb Park or tennis at Bocage. Moving outdoors is how I reset.

In Europe, summer serves as both a season and a verb. And while, officially, Americans do not clock out en masse for the sunny months, there is a large-scale migration from south Louisiana to the sandy shores of neighboring Gulf states and the murky waters meandering through The Boot. For Louisiana residents with second homes, they are most often on a lake or water-logged byway—False River and Lake Rosemound are among the most notable local escapes.

Photography by Lois Hebert. While all of Dr. Lauren Luke’s patients are dear to her, one in particular set her on a course to change the lives of local breast cancer survivors. Promises are rare in medicine, but when a patient arrived in Luke’s office, she had one request: intercourse with her husband one last time. Luke knew she could help, and after weeks of pelvic floor therapy in the cozy, boutique-style treatment room, the patient had a new request.

Hydrangeas are the quintessential Mother’s Day gift, their big, lush blooms bringing instant joy and elegance. But here in Baton Rouge, many varieties are still putting on a beautiful show well into July. While they make wonderful gifts, they can also become dependable, long-lasting additions to our local landscapes when given the right care. In our hot, humid subtropical climate, hydrangeas generally prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.

Maureen Stevens, founder of Stevens & Co., pictured in front of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. As the saying goes, you learn a lot about someone when traveling with them. And while luxury travel agency Stevens & Co. founder Maureen Stevens and her team are not there in person, they touch every facet of their clients’ trips. Plus, they are only a phone call away to grant every desire, from suite upgrades and reservation changes to securing a coveted Hermès appointment abroad.

Annette Mire had been a part of many book clubs throughout her life, but she always felt like there was something missing. In 2007, she had the idea to start a travel book club, where the group would read books about a certain location and then travel there. Teaming up with friends Sondra Pilgreen and Gypsye Bryan, among a host of other charter members, the Ramblin’ Readers book club began.

Photography by Jen Ocken. Indulgent, refreshing caviar is just the thing for a Friday lunch, says Eliza Restaurant chef-owner Russell Davis. Not long ago, the Bocage eatery added hackleback caviar, a domestic roe sourced from shovelnose sturgeon, to the permanent menu. It’s also offered as a Friday lunch special. “We really love this caviar,” Davis says.

Photography by Kim Meadowlark. Interior styling throughout the two spaces is by Margaret Zainey Roux. Much like a cardboard box in the hands of a child, a blank slate space has endless potential in the hands of a designer. At least, that’s the case with this forgotten, above-the-garage area and design professional, Laura Cedor. When Cedor first toured the space, one area housed a lone pool table, and the other was lined with mirrors left behind from a time when it acted as a gym.

Krista and Anna Rose Scurria are redefining what lingerie shopping looks and feels like in Baton Rouge. Through their boutique, La Belle Intimè, the mother-daughter duo has created a space where vulnerability meets empathy and where finding the right fit isn’t just about clothes but about confidence, too. The idea came while Anna Rose was attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Anna Rose has spinal muscular atrophy and is in a wheelchair.