Ted Wight's St. Louis Style

Grain Silo House

Check out this fun building!  See more pics and find out more HERE.

Dining Out For Life is Today/Tonight

Dining Out for Life is today.  Don't forget to dine at one of these fine restaurants tonight....some are also giving proceeds from lunch.  Check out this LINK for a list of participating restaurants.

I will be hosting Terrene with a group of people, though I think it is booked.

The Ladies Are Back in Town!

One March I was driving through Mississippi and tuned into a radio garden show.  The South has a way of phrasing things in a gentle and creative way. The radio host was commenting on the azaleas that were in bloom and said, "The ladies are back in town!"  My "ladies" are back and they are bright and showy!

Prison Performing Arts- Birthday for the Bard Party

Last night I attended a fun party at Duff's in the CWE....Birthday for the Bard benefiting Prison Performing Arts. The event featured some excerpts from the performances they are doing at The Pulitzer.

Interesting Pendant Lights

I ran across these today and thought they were interesting.  Find out more on this BLOG.

Ste. Genevieve Estate

Own your own Grant's Farm down in Ste. Genevieve! On 700 acres with a 20 acre lake. Yours for only $3,200,0000.

For more information, contact Bridget Neichter, Coldwell Banker  314-878-9820

Morning Garden Pics

Spring is here and it may be 80 today! These pics are from my front yard garden.  I think it is important to put some effort into the front of your house rather plant some yews, put down some mulch and call it a day.

Another pic....golden arborvitae in the front.

 

Soulard Courtyard

 I stumbled into a lovely Soulard courtyard that is next to the home I featured yesterday.

2214 Menard, Soulard

Now is your chance to live in style in historic Soulard!  This 1890's duplex has just hit the market.  The 2nd and 3rd floors are a great living space for the owner of the building and the 1st floor is a rental unit.....bringing in some income to the smart owner. Towering ceilings and open living space make this pad special. The deck and New Orleans-styled courtyard are fanatastic and an ideal place to host your Mardi Gras party!

Yours for $265,000

3655 Cleveland, Tower Grove

This is one of Tower Grove’s finest houses with all of the modern amenities to make city living comfortable. New kitchen with granite counter tops, Viking range, Thermador oven and butler’s pantry. New over-sized two car garage. Pool with solar automatic pool cover. Additional side lot. Yard fully enclosed with a 6-8 ft wood privacy fence. Four bedrooms and 2.5 baths including a master bath with a Jacuzzi tub, marble-enclosed shower, dual sinks and washer/dryer closet. 3^rd floor features two of the bedrooms and a full bath. An original stained glass window graces the grand staircase. Leaded glass, special molding, built-in bookcases, and paneling finish this home off to make it special. This home was completely renovated in 2004 with new plumbing, sewer lines, wiring, windows, heating, cooling, new hardwood floors and a finished  basement. Tax abated until 2013.  $419,000 

Cafe Ventana

Today I took my sons to Cafe Ventana located just west of Vandeventer on West Pine. My sons and I had panninis and finished the meal off with beignets. Three thumbs up from everyone!

Artichokes

Our family has always been big artichoke fans. Spring means artichokes are in season!

I think I have come to realize that the vast majority of the population does not know what to do with an fresh artichoke.  I remember my roommate in college came home with me in the Spring and my mother served us artichokes with dinner.  I looked across the table and he was chewing on something for a while.  He put the whole leaf in his mouth.  I bet he was wondering why we were so enthusiastic for chewing on something so tough.

The only way I like an artichoke is steamed with either lemon butter or hollandaise.

Here is what you do:

First wash the artichoke. Cut the stem off about a half an inch from the base.  Pull off some of the outer leaves. Trim the thorns off of the ends of the remaining leaves.

Put them in a pot with a steaming cage on the bottom.  Add water (make sure that the water does not run out while you are steaming.  Nothing is worse than burnt artichokes) and spray some fresh lemon juice on the artichokes. Steam them until you can easily poke the base with a knife.

Now before you start cooking, make sure that you have artichoke plates. I think William Sonoma has them.

Pull off the leaves, dunk them in the lemon butter and then drag them through your teeth.  Arrange the consumed leaves in a nice pattern on your special plate.

When you get down to the small leaves, it is time to cut the choke out and get to the heart...the best part of the artichoke. 

Yum....and enjoy!

Photograher- Keith Mosier

Last year at Tasteful Affair....see yesterday's post...I was the lucky bidder of one of Keith Mosier's photographs.  I love this composition of the Las Vegas graveyard for old signs.

A Tasteful Affair is....this Sunday at The Chase!

Don't miss A Tasteful Affair benefiting Food Outreach this Sunday at The Chase.  General partygoers can come at 2 PM....though you can pay a little extra and get in early. So much good food offered by the city's best caterers....auction items....and fun people!

Get tickets ....HERE.

Clarksville, MO Antique Festival

Looking for something to do next weekend?  Clarksville is having an Antique Festival.  Sat., April 25 and Sun., April 26th.  Over 100 dealers!  Auction at 4 PM Saturday at the Clarksville Antique Center.

Stay the night....check out this LINK.

Tour the Elgin/Cottrell House.....remember last Father's Day when I was sandbagging there.

Spring Garden

I love the late-blooming Geranium Daffodils...... notice the blue trash dumpster in the background.  My neighbor has a little problem with throwing things away.  This is her third dumpster.  U City is forcing her to "declutter" her house so that it can be inhabitable again.  She has not been able to occupy the property for the last four years. Next time you want to save a greeting card or a newspaper clipping....remember that you one day may have to deal with the blue dumpster.  Those flowers do not look as pretty anymore...do they?

And the Lilies of the Valley are almost blooming!

Easter Day

Easter was spent up at our farm in Pike County. I made Golden Basmati Rice with Apricots....it was delicious try it HERE.

My Aunt Bunny and me in our composition of pink.

My nephew Jack and his cousin.

My sons...Teddy (I think he likes to go by Ted now....though he will always be Teddy to me) and Nicholas (I think he goes by Nick now...though again...)

Teddy with my older brother from New York state

Dining Out for Life...coming Thurs., April 30th

New Orleans Notes

Before swinging into St. Louis for Easter, my brother made a visit to New Orleans for a little family pilgrimage.  After the Civil War, when the South was rebuilding, my great great grandfather moved there from Maine and started a successful shipping hardware business.  Although he was probably first viewed as a "carpet bagger" from the North when he showed up in town, he became an important citizen of New Orleans.

Here are some interesting pics from my brother's trip"

This is my great, great grandfather's house on Prytania street. Believe it or not, his name was Pearl Wight

Here is a plaster model of the Wight mausoleum located at Tulane University.

Here is the architectural diagram located at Tulane.

This lovely window is in the back of the mausoleum.  You can see some of the damage to it from the hurricane.

Here is the actual mausoleum.  I understand that there are eight spaces in it and only two used. I think it would be fun to be put here....though no one would visit me.

Tea Dyed Easter Eggs

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Newspaper or other paper to cover work area
• Eggs, hard boiled and cooled completely
• Teas of whichever types you want (herbal ones work best)
• Bowls or other containers
• Measuring cup
• Boiling water
• Egg spoon, slotted spoon, or tongs
• Empty egg carton

Step1

Cover the work area with paper to protect wood from moisture.

Step2

Wash the eggs in warm soapy water to make sure there aren't any oils or soil on the egg to interfere with coloring. Hard-boil the eggs.

Step3

Make the dye mix. Pour 1 cup boiling water over at least 2 tea bags and steep for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the tea bags to remove all of the dye and set aside. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the mix and allow to cool to room temperature. Different teas can be used in different bowls for variety.

Step4

Gently add eggs to the desired bowls. Make sure each egg has room so that liquid touches all sides.

Step5

Allow the eggs to float in the tea bowls for at least 1 hour.

Step6

Lift the eggs out of the bowl and check the coloring on the eggs. Return to the solution if the desired color is not achieved.

Found HERE

Lamb Cakes

Easter is coming and usually every year I make Lamb Cakes for the family.  I have been doing one white and one chocolate cake.  This year I am doing a couple of side dishes instead.  Here are some nice lamb cake pics from the web.

Here is what the cake should look like:

I don't know if this is a cake or a character from a claymination film

Here is one I found on this fun BLOG.

A tragic lamb cake about to be devoured by rabid peeps

I think this is a poodle cake.

Bull's Eye Eggs

It is Easter Week and I have eggs on my mind.  Earlier this week I made myself a soft-boiled egg...today it was a Bull's Eye.  My mother used to make these for me when I was a child. I got distracted this morning and it sort of got over cooked...at least you get the idea.

2 Downey Lane, Olivette

Here is an interesting mid-century home located on a large lot in Olivette. This house features concrete floors, tons of windows and two rooms with fireplaces. Not much has been touched in this home since it was built in 1946. Hurry....on this large lot some developer is going to buy it and put two houses up. There were tear downs on both sides of this house. Offered at $439,000.

Listed by Diane Rosenfeld  Laura McCarthy  314-725-5100

17 Hortense Place

Last Friday night I attended an interesting lecture at the St.Louis Art Museum by Anthony Alofin of the University of Texas.  Alofin is one of the preeminent Frank Lloyd Wright scholars. It was interesting how he spun some St. Louis elements into the history of Frank Lloyd Wright....from Wright attending the 1904 World's Fair and seeing the German Exhibits with their innovative straight line decorative elements....to being Bernoudy's instructor....to our one Wright gem in Kirkwood's Ebworth Park.

I understand that Alofin was particularly interested in 17 Hortense Place in the CWE.  This Viennese Secessionist house designed by Tom P. Barnett in 1909.  In Charles Savage's book, Architecture of the Private Streets of St. Louis, he says, "Perhaps nowhere in this country was there a better example of the influence of Otto Wagner and contemporary Austrian design."

I think you can see how this movement influenced Wright.

Below is a current picture of this home and a scan of a page from Savage's book.  The house was stripped of much of its decorative elements by one owner.  In the 80's one of the Maritz kids bought the house and put the decorative columns back in place. She also added a slide from the second story to the pool!

Egg Cups

When I was growing up, my mother served us soft-boiled eggs about once a week.  It seems that people do not eat soft-boiled eggs as much.  Well in honor of Easter week, I made myself a soft-boiled egg for breakfast yesterday.  With a dollop of butter on top and a sprinkle of red pepper...it was delicious!
 

Wall Ball '09

Last night I popped into Wall Ball '09 held at 3rd Degree Glass on Delmar.  Artist paint while the party goes on and you can bid on their artwork. Funds raised go to SCOSAG... an organization that promotes teaching art to kids.  This is always a fun party!

 

 

Morning Garden Pics

Good Morning....I hope we do not get a freeze in the next few days.  Spring has sprung and a hard freeze will really cause some damage.

Former Prisoners @ The Pulitzer

Staging Old Masters: Former Prisoners Perform at the Pulitzer

"In conjunction with the current exhibition of Old Masters works, the Pulitzer announces the launch of an innovative program in which former prisoners use the exploration of art and theatre to help develop skills for their future lives and employment. Staging Old Masters: Former Prisoners Perform at the Pulitzer features theatrical performances by former inmates on themes related to artwork featured in the exhibition. These will take place at the Pulitzer with two performances every Sat., April 4 through May 2, at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm and two performances each Sun., April 5 through May 3, at 1:30pm and 2:30pm. Performances are open to the public and free of charge."

Houska Sculpture

Being friends with artist Charlie Houska can be nice....especially when he gives me things!  Here is a gift of a damaged sculpture removed from Children's Hospital when they replaced it with a new one.

Metro Suspends Bus Service on Many Routes

If you have not noticed the signs recently....keep your eyes open...a ton of the bus routes have been suspended.  This is due to the failed measure last Fall to increase funds for Metro. My question is this...how do people without cars get to their jobs if they can not catch a bus?  In these times of trying to reduce energy consumption, we should be increasing public transportation instead of restricting it.

Now for a little selfishness....one of the few luxuries I give myself for working so much is a nice lady who comes in every two weeks to clean and do my laundry.  She does not speak very good English and takes the bus.  I have not seen her in over two weeks. It may be time for me to do a load of laundry.