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May kicks off Art Fair season in St.Louis with wine and hayrides

By on May 10, 2012 in Arts, Central St. Louis County, Events, Featured, The Weekender, West County

Art, wine tastings, great food, hayrides…but most importantly art.  May kicks off the spring and summer season of Art Fairs in and around St. Louis with three big ones.

May 11-13th

First up (and located at one of my favorite St. Louis treasures) Laumeier Sculpture Park is holding it’s 25th annual Mother’s Day weekend Art Fair.  Over 700 applications are submitted and only 150 artists are accepted.  Admission is $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.

Friday from 6-10; Saturday 10-8; Sunday 10-5

Friday kicks off with Art of Wine; for $12.00 enjoy music and get unlimited tastings from area wineries. (Um, this is where I will be).  Saturday and Sunday will feature the Creation Location with hands-on activities for kids and performances by artists.  There is a Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday but it is sold out.

May 18-20th

Next Weekend is the famed Art on the Square.  This is totally worth crossing the river, for a nationally recognized art fair this is arguably the biggest event of the year in Belleville.

Friday 5-9; Saturday 10-8; Sunday 11-5.  This event is $FREE

Large interactive children’s area with take away projects, local food, and entertainment.  This fair has been ranked as #1 in the country.

May 19th

Faust Fine Art & Folk Festival combines two events into one, often called the Folk and Fine Art Festival – you get your bang for the buck.

Saturday 10-5 and only $5.00

Take a hay ride to an 1800′s village and enjoy tours and demonstrations of blacksmithing, pottery, rope making, and other arts and crafts.  While at the event check out the fine art at the juried art, live music, food, and free rides on the carousel.

Choose one or choose them all, they are all juried shows with excellent art.  My top pick is Laumeier because I love the park but my aunt has been attending Art on the Square for years.

Brought to you by: Mills Properties
Photos courtesy of: Laumeier.com and artonthesquare.com
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Sweet Sixteen Games in St. Louis

By on March 22, 2012 in Events, South County, St. Louis City, The Weekender, West County

This Friday, March 23rd, I will be watching 2 of the Sweet Sixteen games at the Edward Jones Dome right here in St. Louis! Pretty awesome!

My company created a group bracket as part of the ESPN NCAA Challenge and I’m still in it! Surprising considering I don’t follow basketball, had no idea who the teams were and started choosing my teams an hour before the bracket had to be completed. But I still have my Elite 8 and I am currently in the lead for the most possible points. Yes, I know I’m probably getting cursed at right now as you’re reading this…that is if you’re a basketball fan. However, because I’m still in it , I’m excited to get to see a couple of the games first-hand (FYI-I have Kansas beating NC State and UNC beating Ohio).

If you’re excited to see your bracket picks in action, I have good news…there are still tickets left. You can still get tickets to see Kansas play NC State and UNC  play Ohio on Friday, March 23rd at 6:45pm at the Edward Jones Dome.

If you’re more excited about the Elite 8, more good news! You can still get those tickets too!  The Elite 8 game is on Sunday, March 25th at 1:00pm at the Edward Jones Dome.

Or if you’d rather spend your money on beer while watching the games for free, there are plenty of great sports bars that are sure to be a good time this weekend during the NCAA March Madness celebration:

Three Sixty rooftop bar, one of the hot new bars in downtown St. Louis, with, from what I’ve heard, the most spectacular views of downtown and the arch. The bar will be packed with sports fans and they have plenty of t.v.s for you to enjoy.

Stadium Sports Bar and Grill located in Lumiere Place Casino. It has tons of tvs and it’s a really big bar for those “I need my space” types.

HotShots Sports Bar and Grill has several locations from downtown to St. Charles. *FYI-the downtown location does not do Happy Hour specials on game days

McGurk’s Irish Pub and Garden located in Soulard. This bar is huge! They have 3 bars (possibly 4), and 2 of them are in this huge tent, plus tons of tvs everywhere, and an outdoor patio if you want to hang out before the games.

Helen Fitzgerald’s Irish Bar and Grill has t.v.’s all over the bar and offers great Happy Hour specials.

The Post Sports Bar and Grill is located in Maplewood. They have lots of t.v.’s and great happy hour specials…and great reviews from RFT and UrbanSpoon.

The Jive and Wail Piano Bar in downtown St. Louis isn’t a sports bar, but has been raving that they are a great place to hang out for March Madness games. They do have some high def flat screen t.v.’s and will also have their piano performers keeping the party going.

Flannery’s Pub located on Washington Ave in downtown St. Louis. It’s a smaller bar but it’s sports oriented and they have plenty of t.v.’s so if you can get there early and get a good seat at the bar, you win.

Happy March Madness! Go

Brought to you by Mills Properties
Photos courtesy of rockchalktalk,  freeextras, & nextagnews

 

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Run a St. Louis Marathon With Me…Ok a Half Marathon

By on February 10, 2012 in Events, North County, South County, St. Louis City, The Weekender, West County

With Lindsay’s recent post on her bucket list and Keith’s on losing weight I thought this would be a good addition.  My goal is not to lose weight; although that’s bound to happen, this is a bucket list item for me and I think this year it’s time.

Starting early spring and into late fall there seems to be 5k after 5k in St. Louis. I’ve always wanted to run in one but so far it’s never happened.  Even more intriguing to me are the marathons. I’ve always seen people who run marathons and thought about what an amazing accomplishment that must feel like, what dedication that takes to get yourself to the level that you can do that.  I used to run. It felt so good.  Like with most people I’m not really sure why I stopped but it’s been years, well…it had been years until a few months ago when my husband decided to take up running as a part of his fitness routine.  That gave me the push to start again three weeks ago.

That first run burned my lungs and left me gasping for air.  Slowly I’ve been building up…very slowly.  I love a runner’s high. I love adding even 1 minute to my running time or a slight increase to my speed.  I’m building up very slowly. The last thing I need is an injury to put me down.  I want to be able to run a 5k (about 3 miles) as my regular run by the end of February,  run that amount 3x times per week through March and April, then start training for a half marathon.  My husband has agreed to run a half with me, though I’m not entirely convinced that he really wants to.  I want a finisher’s medal.  In looking for half marathons, I came across a bunch in St. Louis this year and even more 5k’s. Here’s a list of the ones I found most interesting.

February:

Run for the Chocolate on February 12th: Man I wish I was ready to run.  Racers will be categorized by age and relationship status.  With “singles” and “off the market” wearing different shirts.  The website says this will help you determine who you can flirt with after the race.  This one is a 5k.

Truffle Shuffle on February 18th: Lots of chocolate for runners this month.  This race is held in St. Charles and who wouldn’t love a race sponsored by Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Factory?  Honestly as a child of The Goonies era it is the name alone that attracted me to this race.  This one is a 4 mile road race.

The Sandmine Challenge on February 25th:  Oh my goodness, this is totally going on the list for 2013.  This looks over the top amazing.  It’s a race in a CAVE!!!  It’s an old sandmine in Crystal City so it’s one of a few that have caught my eye outside the metro area.  Check out the video.  This is a 4 mile run in sand.

March:

St. Patrick’s Day Run 3/17:  This is a big one with over 13,000 participants.  Run goes through downtown St. Louis.  This is a 5 mile run.

Alton Half Marathon 3/24:  I’m thinking about the 5k that goes with this one. Several things attracted me to this race.  One, I live on that side of the river so this is basically in my backyard.  Two, it’s half the price of most of the St. Louis marathons. Three, it isn’t normally too crowded.  You may have noticed from my lack of detail above that I’m not totally impressed with a crowded run with nothing special involved.  This one has amazing river views including a run across the Clark bridge over the Mississippi.  This is a 1/2 marathon and a 5k.

April:

RUN4MS  on April 7:  A run through Kirkwood. This is one of many runs put on by Missouri Running Company.  This is a 4 mile run.

GO! St. Louis on April 14: This one has something for anyone who wants to run.  It’s a whole weekend of fitness. They have a 5k, a half marathon, full marathon and a relay marathon.

So I’ve only made it through April and this post is getting too long. I’ll catch up with you again around time for the Go! St. Louis to make sure I am still motivated and fill you in on the rest of the great runs, including my goal Rock N Roll marathon in October.

Lindsay, if you want this off your bucket list you are welcome to join me, plenty of time to prepare.  In fact I’d love all the runners from Mills to join me, maybe some cool green “Team Mills” jerseys?

Brought to you by Mills Properties
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My Black Friday Adventure

By on December 2, 2011 in Events, Good Eats, West County

This is the story of my very short Thanksgiving and very long Black Friday.

8:30 am- Left Carbondale to go to St Louisvictoria-blog
11:00am- My arrival, which included hugs from nephews and sister
12:00pm- Thanksgiving meal:chicken (sister, good) sides (by me, not so good)
1:30pm- nephews went down for nap, her hubby slept, sis and I looked at Black Friday advertisements
3:00pm- kids wake up, we attempt at playing phase 10, lasts maybe 10 min
3:10pm- coffee, lots of coffee is being drank by adults, nephew puts his finger in my coffee
4:00pm- went on a walk around a pond to walk off much chicken I ate
5:00pm- sis got ready, I played go-fish with nephew
6:00pm- ate at a Middle Eastern resteraunt, sooo good
7:25pm-went to bathroom at Walgreens, drove around
8:00pm-thought OldNavy was open, wrong. walked around mall
8:30pm- sis tries to convince me to watch Twilight, I refused
9:20pm-walk into Walmart, amazed at all the people crowded around items
9:25pm-competetitve sis convinces me to wait for my desired waffle maker
10:00pm-HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT. PEOPLE GO CRAZY!!!!
10:02pm-a guy we befriended while waiting, gets me my waffle maker
10:10pm- I am freaked out by the animal like behavior of people around store
10:10pm-1:15am- store to store, gas station coffee, and old navy
1:20am- “not standing in that line” put my foot down at Old navy. We went and ate greasy pizza in food court instead, great shopping fuel
1:20am-4:00am-mall shopping/target shopping/khols shopping
4:15am-about to leave Khols, I grab a couple towels to have something to show for staying awake so long besides a waffle maker
5:00am-leave St Louis to drive back to Carbondale
6:00am-take a powernap at McDonalds parking lot, eat some food equally greasy as the pizza I ate at the mall
7:00am- stop at another McDonalds for a sweet tea to stay awake
7:15am- driving with my windows down for the cool air to keep me awake, sipping my tea , and wishing I wasn’t so stupid for driving back home
8:00am-arrive at home, fall in bed almost immediately

The End. Black Friday took over my Thanksgiving and memories were made.Did anyone have a similar Black Friday experience?

brought to you by:mills properties

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Holiday Light Festivities!

By on November 17, 2011 in Events, Featured, St. Louis City, The Weekender, West County

This weekend starts the beginning of the most amazing part of the holiday season…2nd to Christmas presents of course!

Holiday Lights!!….So Romantic, So Fun, So Festive!!

downtownThis weekend kicks off the start of the holidays in downtown St. Louis with the Macy’s Festival of Lights. Sure you can go see the lights anytime but this Friday, November 18th from 4-6:30pm in the City Garden on Market and 8th is when the real show happens! There will be performances by Circus Flora, carols sung by the St. Louis Carols Association and Grand Center Arts Academy Show Choir, the tree lighting ceremony,  fireworks, and a surprise from the Grinch.

And this is just the beginning!!

People love putting on light shows and I love seeing them. If you’re not into the whole outdoor, huge crowd shindig, here are some additional light displays where you don’t even have to get out of your car!

Never Enough Lights in St. Charles County: A neighborhood light show where you can tune your radio in to listen to a synchronized song list while driving through. And there’s no admission! It’s just spirited holiday goers decorating their homes for the love of the season and allowing us to enjoy their creativity. Begins November 25th at 5pm each night and runs until January 1st.

Way of Lights at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL. This well known holiday light display also kicks off this weekend and runs through January 1st (If you’re looking for a romantic occasion, you can ride through this light show on a horse-drawn carriage). There’s also a laser light show, an indoor Christmas tree display, a petting zoo and more! This is definitely one of the best places to visit during the holiday season.

The Tilles Park Winter Wonderland in West County begins Wednesday, November 23rd. Another popular light display made even better by a romantic horse drawn carriage ride through a dazzling winter wonderland. Saturdays are for carriage rides only. There is a fee to drive through this light display: $9/car and prices vary for the carriage rides.

Just 2 blocks down the road from Tilles Park is another neighborhood creation of lights called Geoff’s Christmas Lights and Garden Railroad. Six neighborhood houses have teamed up together to provide a fun, festive light display synchronized to music for your free holiday enjoyment. In addition to the light display is a railroad, which seems to be pretty extensive from the photos, and will surely be a crowd-pleaser for the little ones.

The St. Louis Hills neighborhood puts on a great light display as well. It’s known as Candy Cane Lane. This holiday display begins Sunday, November 27th at 7pm with a kick-off party in Francis Park with special appearances from Fred Bird and Santa Claus. Sure you could drive through this light display, but I think this one would be better seen with a group of friends, some hot cider, and a festive stroll down Candy Cane Lane.

waterfallChristmas Wonderland in Alton, IL may be a little farther than some want to travel, but this holiday light show boasts more than 2 million lights including a cascading waterfall! And your children can visit with Santa in the Enchanted Forest and play with the animals in the petting zoo. This light festival begins November 25th and opens at 5pm on weekends and 6pm on weeknights. (*Warning: If you don’t want to get out of your car, don’t go on the 28th).

While there are clearly plenty of light displays where you can stay in your warm car and still enjoy the holiday festivities, sometimes you have to suck it up, bundle up and endure the chilling Winter weather to view some spectacular sights. And what better place to go than the St. Louis Zoo!

penguin

U.S. Bank Wild Lights at the St. Louis Zoo: This colorful, enchanting light display begins November 25th and is open every Friday-Sunday until December 30th. There is a $5 fee to attend this holiday attraction, however, it includes other activities such as fireside stories, live performances, and rides, and is well worth the visit!

lightsWhile I can guarantee I haven’t hit every light festival, I have done my best to give you the most fun, festive, and romantic displays that St. Louis has to offer you. If you haven’t yet joined in the St. Louis holiday spirit, Get it Together! It’s time! And it begins this weekend at the City Garden!

Brought to you by Mills Properties

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It’s Nacho Mama!

By on October 25, 2011 in Apartment Living, Edwardsville, Good Eats, St. Louis City, West County

It’s Nacho Momma!

I love a good nacho!  Now, let’s be clear.  I am NOT talking about the tortilla chip covered in processed cheese food that is glop and can be used to spackle holes or as mortar!  I am talking acrab nachosbout creative, luscious versions of tortilla chips topped with real cheeses, some yummy meat, and a lot of other festive and fabulous toppings too numerous to mention.  I am on a quest for the different, the delicious, the best nachos in St. Louis.

One of my favorite not-average nachos is at a chain restaurant.  “What?  Gasp! A chain restaurant?  How dare you?!”  Well folks, I do dare!  I love a good Joe’s Crab Shack Nacho!  Why?  Uhmmm, crab?!  Yeah, it’s the crab!

Joe’s makes their nachos with their extra creamy and chock-full-o-crab crab dip.  Picture your favorite artichoke spinach dip made out of crab and cheese instead.  Add it to a nacho with more cheese, some crisp kernels of sweet corn and black beans (I love a black bean) and you have nacho indulgence! logo-schlafly

Second best?  Try the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood right off of Manchester and Southwest.  Their nachos are BISON nachos with a lovely beer/cheese sauce hugging the tops of the tortilla chips.  Ah!  Beer and nachos, nachos and beer.  Lovely!

I challenge you.  Where are the best nachos in STL?  Please share.  I am having cravings….

Joes crab shack bullhorn clawJoe’s Crab Shack has two locations in the STL area, both right next to major malls in Fairview Heights and at Mid-Rivers in St. Peters.

I also love a good inappropriate t-shirt…Don’t tell my 8 year old!

Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63143-2454
(314) 241-2337

Brought to you by Mills Properties!

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