It's Great to Be a Baton Rouge Kid

Having discovered her passion for art a young age, Melissa Maloney Wallace has been applying her creativity to a variety of jobs ever since. This New Orleans native is a work-at-home mom who finds inspiration from spending time with her son and shares stories with him of the New Orleans of her youth. These precious moments sparked the idea to use her talents to create a unique coloring book with New Orleans' kids in mind.

Fueled by big dreams, Wallace received a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Nicholls State University and used her passion and skills to teach elementary school children upon her graduation. When Hurricane Katrina forced her husband, Grant, to search for another position as a chef, Wallace used her graphic design talents to work with him at a restaurant in Florida. She created all of the menus, ads, and the logo for the restaurant. The couple didn't stay away for long, making the move back to Louisiana and opening their own restaurant on New Orleans' Northshore. Here, Wallace once again found inspiration to create logos, ads, and even paintings that adorned the restaurant's walls.

This working mom's impressive résumé includes being the party planner for Commander's Palace and opening her own graphic design business, Let's pARTy NOLA. Wallace resides in Mandeville, Louisiana, with her husband and their three-year-old son.