Fabulous Find: Here is St. Louis by Anastasis Films

I found this video by Anastasis Films on the Explore St. Louis facebook page. With the catchy little soundtrack and images of the people, businesses, and attractions that make St. Louis splendid, they captured the heart and soul of this great city. I'm especially partial to the scenes from my neighborhood, Soulard, including Soulard Farmers Market and Bogarts Smokehouse. 

On this rainy Wednesday (if you're in St. Louis), sit back, relax and enjoy Here is St. Louis.

School Days

I'll be the first to admit that I love school, always have. With the exception of a hideous “first day of high school outfit” (while no photographic evidence exists of this monstrosity, rest assured, my mother sent me to a brand new high school wearing Umbro shorts, a white Hanes t-shirt with "GCHS” stitched on the front, and a brand new pair of Keds. How I wasn’t shoved into a locker is beyond me.) and braces worn throughout all FOUR years of high school (whose bright idea was that, Dr. Bauer?), my school days were filled with friends, fun, and Flags.

Kindergarten through second grade, I attended St. Mary’s-St. Mark’s Catholic School in Madison, Illinois. A Polish Franciscan parish, the grade school was headed by Sr. Mary John and employed several Franciscan nuns as teachers. Our grade school was unique in that there were two separate schools located in two towns for two separate age groups. Kindergarten through fifth graders attended St. Mary’s in Madison and sixth through eighth graders attended St. Mark’s school and parish in Venice, Illinois. I was a student in the last second grade class to make our First Holy Communion at St. Mary’s before the school was permanently closed in 1988 and demolished a few years later. A vacant lot is all that exists now, but for the students who passed through the heavy wooden doors, memories of “Balloon Day”, the city-wide Halloween parade, and recess spent on the front asphalt lot live on.

Little Linda, on my first day of school, ca. 1989

Third through eighth grade took me to St. Elizabeth’s School in Granite City, Illinois where I played volleyball, basketball (horribly), and cheered on the Royals. I was Confirmed with the name “Victoria” here, played Tom Sawyer in our eighth grade class production and graduated with a class size numbering only in the 20’s. Entering high school in 1995 into a school with 1,200 students, I was wholly unprepared to deal with lockers, a confusing campus map, and hordes of students getting from one classroom to the next.

I was a third generation Granite City Warrior, walking the halls like my mother and grandfather did before me. As a student in the 1950’s, my mom was the Present of the Future Homemakers Society. With my lack of cooking and cleaning skills, that’s a club I surely wouldn’t be accepted into! Instead, I became a member of the Red Peppers, a spirit club that attended all of the home football and basketball games until I tried out and made the award-winning Marching Warriors as a member of the Color Guard. Four years of band camp, Homecoming “mums”, May Carousel, and friendships flew by and before I knew it, I was the first person in my family bound for college.

Unsure of what I wanted to major in and armed with a two year scholarship, I attended Southwestern Illinois College where I was a member of the College Activities Board, got used to not hearing bells call me to every class, and ventured away from home for the first time when I was accepted into the Walt Disney World College Program to “live, earn, and learn” at the Happiest Place on Earth. Armed with my AA, I headed to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where I worked two jobs to pay my way through school, including a semester spent studying in Salzburg, Austria and graduated in 2004 with a BS in Speech Communication.

Earning my "Ducktorate Degree" during the Walt Disney World College Program.

Much has changed since my school days first began in 1986. If you’re wondering where I’ve gone to lately or why I’m late posting a New Restaurant Wednesday post (three in the line up!), I’m probably at the Emerson Library or the East Academic Building of the George Herbert Walker School of Business at Webster University or spending hours draining Panera of their Hazelnut coffee while putting together marketing plans and conducting market research.

Just another "school day" studying at Panera.

Four classes, one Capstone, and one more year until I graduate with my MA in Marketing and mark the end of my school days…for now.

Weekend Recap: #Billner Wedding Edition

Bride & Groom: Stessie & Brian

Rehearsal Dinner: Copia Restaurant & Wine Garden; St. Louis, MO

Wedding Ceremony & Reception: World's Fair Pavilion; St. Louis, MO

After a courtship that began at the Missouri Botanical Garden and bloomed through seasons of Cardinals baseball and Mizzou football (and perhaps more than one season of The Bachelorette), Brian and Stessie were married last weekend under the arches of the historic World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park.

Saying "I Do" overlooking the Grand Basin in Forest Park

August is typically hot, humid, and downright miserable in the Gateway City and after a summer so hot and dry weather forecasters compared it to the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, we were prepared to sweat through our J. Crew bridesmaid dresses to witness the Billner* wedding vows. Amazingly, we shouldn’t have worried at all because the often unpredictable St. Louis weather dawned calm, cool, and positively perfect.

Much like the "Billner’s" love of the city, their wedding day was a virtual tour de St. Louis. We dressed and drank morning mimosas at The Cheshire, took photos under the Arch and in the beautiful Lafayette Park, and dined on local favorites Pi Pizzeria, Pappy’s Smokehouse, and Gus’ Pretzels at the reception. We danced to the tunes of the rockin’ Ralph Butler Band, drank an assortment of Schlafly beer, and watched the fountains in the Grand Basin turn the colors of a glorious peacock as day turned to night.

Photo courtesy of Shannon Lee Images

From the simple Chuppah where the couple recited their vows to the Ketubah, hand-painted with their own, unique wedding contract to the heirloom jewelry worn by the beautiful bride, no detail was overlooked. The #BillnerWedding was the perfect reflection of the bride and groom ~ simple, classy, and full of fun.

Brian and Stessie ~ Thank you for including me in your wedding party and for including all of us in a day we’ll never forget.

*Not everyone creates their own wedding day hashtag, but this couple did. Catch up on all the fun by following #BillnerWedding on twitter.

**Many thanks to Lauren & Laura for the use of their fabulous photos.

***Additional thanks to Shannon Lee Images and forte who rocked the professional photos and video.

Fabulous Find: Iris Apfel

On my flight to Vegas last month, I picked up the July issue of Delta Sky Magazine and read an article about a stylish gal about Manhattan. She’s a fixture on the New York fashion scene, she has her own line of accessories on the Home Shopping Network, and she’s a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Human Ecology, Textiles and Apparel Division. Think this is a young professional climbing the corporate ladder? Think again, divas. Iris Apfel (neé Barrel) is a 90 year old fashion icon known for her big, bold, chunky jewelry and those signature owl glasses.

“I’m a geriatric starlet, my dear, don’t you know.”

Born in Queens, Astoria on August 29, 1921, she studied art history at New York University (art history lovers unite!) and held down several jobs throughout the 1940’s until opening Old World Weavers, a high-end textile company, with her husband Carl. A fixture on 5^th Avenue long before the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art organized an exhibit of her personal clothing and jewelry collection, Iris became recognizable after appearing in a 2008 Coach advertising campaign. This year she’ll help break another age barrier when she appears in the MAC Cosmetics “Celebrate Aging” campaign where she collaborated on a makeup collection for all ages.

Iris Apfel for MAC

She’s unique, confident, and not afraid to speak her mind (who would be at 90?) as illustrated when she told The Telegraph, “Most of the young people today look dreadful. And celebrities look even worse.” Agreed, Iris, agreed.

For decades she was an educated and successful businesswoman in her own right and now she’s being recognized for her standout style. Now, that’s the kind of diva I want to be.

{Images courtesy of Google}

Weekend Recap: Wedding Edition

The Year of The Wedding kicked off this weekend with a Saturday filled with wedding memories for two of the cutest cousins around.

Bride: Lauren

Bridal Luncheon: Ravanelli's; Granite City, IL

Lauren and her family drove in from Kansas for Ben’s wedding reception and we decided this was the perfect time to have a Bridal Luncheon in her honor. A 2011 graduate of Kansas State University, Lauren is a polished and creative bride-to-be and we’re all looking forward to her wedding in September.

Bride and Groom: Sara & Ben

Wedding Ceremony: Gulf Shores, AL

Wedding Reception: Knight of Columbus Hall; Granite City, IL

Ben and Sara met three years ago through friends and on Saturday we celebrated their nuptials with a wedding reception in our hometown of Granite City, IL. The bride was beautiful in a layered wedding gown with a black belt and flower accent at the waist. Staying with their beach wedding feel, the groom dressed in a casual white linen shirt and black dress pants. Keeping with the “movie” theme from the wedding shower, the décor was black and red with accents of feathers and flowers on the tables. It was the perfect setting for my first ever second cousin and his beautiful new bride. Welcome to the family, Sara!

Photo Friday: Goin' to the Chapel

This Saturday, my family will gather to celebrate at my cousin Ben’s wedding reception. Ben and his bride were married a few weeks ago on the beaches of Gulf Shores, so this weekend will be one big celebration full of food, fun, and more than a few polkas.

Ben is my oldest second cousin and the first of my grandparents’ great grandchildren to get married (another great grandchild is getting married in September and another in May 2013!) I vividly remember when Ben was born because I was sure he was going to steal my spotlight (I was not about to let that happen!) and I nervously asked my grandmother if she was still going to love me after he was born. She reassured me that she would, of course, and Ben grew from that tiny baby boy to a star soccer player to a grown-up CPA.

Ben and I, 1987
{Missouri Botanical Garden}

New Restaurant Wednesday: The Chandelier Bar {Las Vegas Edition}

When I was planning our Vegas Vacation, I knew there were a few things on the list that were a “must do.” One of those things was drinking a cocktail at The Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan Hotel. Located on The Strip, The Cosmopolitan is one of those places that makes you feel like you have arrived. It’s sleek without being sleazy and it’s contemporary without being cold.

The Cosmopolitan's signature cocktail

We bypassed the sophisticated Vesper Bar (though, we would have a nightcap there later) and strolled past the betters at Book & Stage and headed straight for The Chandelier. Designed by the New York City architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, The Chandelier is three levels and two million crystal beads of fabulous. Its glittering façade makes a “wow” statement even in Vegas. The Chandelier isn’t a place where you’ll find the slot machine weary tourists giving their wallets a break, but in their place you’ll find a younger, sexier, style-conscious crowd.    

Two million beads of fabulous

From the ambiance to the superb service to the strong signature Cosmopolitan cocktail created by mixologist Meriena Mercer, visit The Chandelier and you’ll see why it was voted 2012’s Best Bar on The Strip by Lavish Las Vegas. The next time you're in Sin City, slip on your best little black dress and head to The Chandelier for a cocktail. It's what every diva should do. 

Cheers to the best Cosmopolitan's in Vegas