Creative Cocktails from the Planter's House

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My in-laws were in town this past weekend, and they were kind enough to watch Roscoe while my husband and I went out for a little belated anniversary dinner at the Planter's House. I had been meaning to visit since it opened up over a year ago, but I hadn't gotten a chance before I got pregnant and after I was pregnant there didn't seem to be much point in going to a place that is all about the cocktails. Yes, cocktails! Welcome back to my life, booze. I have missed you.

Sister Style: Maternity Edition

I love A Beautiful Mess, particularly their sister style posts. I've been meaning to do a copycat post with my sister, Molly, for a while. We finally made it happen and upped the ante a bit by making it all about maternity style! Yes, my sister is also pregnant. She's due two weeks before I am, though we're pretty sure we'll end up going into labor at the same time.

Brûléed Grapefruit

During the first trimester of my pregnancy all I wanted to eat was sweets and carbs. Now that I've entered the blissful second trimester I'm suddenly craving fresh fruit and salads, which is a nice change of pace. Lately, I've been really into grapefruit and one of my favorite ways to have it is brûléed with a drizzle of crème fraîche on top. I first had grapefruit like this for brunch at Winslow's Home here in St. Louis. Their version is delicious, but it is easy to recreate at home.

10 Reasons To Get Excited About IKEA in St. Louis

Tomorrow is the grand opening of the new IKEA in Kansas City. We still have another year to go before the St. Louis store opens, but that doesn't mean we have to wait until then to start getting excited. I'm already building my shopping list. If you've never been to an IKEA (which is understandable considering the closest one to STL is in Chicago) read on to see what all the fuss is about!

Source: IKEA

Weekend Getway: Giant City

This past weekend the husband and I met up with some family for a fun weekend getaway at Giant City State Park, just south of Carbondale, IL. We had such a wonderful time that I thought I would share some photos in case anyone out there is looking for a place to go for a quick break from the city before the summer ends.

Dinner at Niche: Cause for Celebration

Recently, my husband and I celebrated our third anniversary with a visit to Niche. Back when Niche was in Benton Park it was our go-to restaurant for special occasions, but we had not returned since the restaurant relocated to Clayton almost over a year and a half ago. I’m not sure why it took us so long to get back, especially since Niche was just as fantastic as ever and remains my top choice in St. Louis for a fine dining splurge.

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Fashion Inspiration: Halloween Edition...Dracula!

Long before Bill Compton and Eric Northman ran Louisiana, well before Lestat and Louis creeped on New Orleans (man, vamps like them some Louisiana), centuries before Barnabas Collins cast dark shadows, there was one vampire who ran the show.

That vampire was Dracula. And today, my freaky fashion fanatics, we pay homage to him by biting (ahem) his style.

Enter...Dracula!

jacket by Balmain, vest by Mochino Cheap and Chic, jeans by C L O S E D,  earrings by MSGM, shoes by Valentino

Fashion Inspiration: Halloween Edition...Frankenstein's Monster!

Halloween is almost here, and I am excited, as it is my favorite holiday. But I don't think it should only happen once a year. I think we should be able to dress up as whatever we want to be whenever we want. In fact, that's why I started this blog.

But alas, the public isn't ready for full blown costumes year round, and I'm not into cosplay (never say never), so I have to find a happy medium. For me that's being inspired by people and characters I love and turning those ideas into fashion forward ensembles everyone can love.

So in these next few days leading up to All Hallow's Eve, I'm going to take inspiration from classic Halloween characters and spin it into great looks for you. You are welcome.

Enter... Frankenstein's Monster!

jacket by Isabel Marant, top by Elizabeth and James, Pants by DNA, earrings by Adia Kibur, creepers by Underground.

Fashion Inspiration: Hood Pope

I have had this A$AP Ferg song, "Hood Pope," stuck in my head for the last three days. I can't help but be intrigued by this idea of a pope figure walking through the slums, blessing hooligans and drinking "Jesus juice."

 Like his comrade, A$AP Rocky (who, btw is dating supermodel Chanel Iman), Ferg has a passion for fashion. He attended an art high school, and his father owned a clothing boutique in Harlem. His own personal style, however, is pretty basic. Ferg favors long sleeved black tees (if he's even wearing a shirt, which is seldom) and jeans. So this post is about how I take an idea of a look from a song and make it work in real life.

 My take on "Hood Pope:"

drop crotch jeans by 6397, embellished jacket by L Wren Scott, sneaker wedges by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jesus Piece by Arianne & Co, beanie by Madewell.


Please, listen to A$AP Ferg's "Hood Pope" here:




Here you can watch Ferg break down "Hood Pope" for Jay Z's Life and Times.