Showing posts with label St.Louis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St.Louis. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

My Kids Are Famous!

well sort of...

seems like they had primo seats at Sunday Night's World Series Game in St. Louis. They sat right behind the batter so they were visible all evening. Their Facebook page lit up with friends from all over letting them know. My SIL makes great faces of disgust. pretty funny. I guess they were more fun to watch than the Cardinals!




My daughter's comment on the one below was
 "looks like Keith is eating this guy's brains...very Halloweeny!"





more fun photos of them HERE

Come on you Birds,
let's win this!!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Last Weekend's Tips and Tidbits

(say that title fast 3 times)

Being with two professional photographers this last weekend was a little intimidating to say the least. I'm just a bumbler and fumbler in the photography department. Any photo that I get that's good is more of a "happy accident" than I can say that I have a plan and know what I'm doing. So Anne and Elizabeth were shooting away Sunday afternoon when we were wandering the streets of Historic Kimmswick, Missouri. Since it was Father's Day, an Antique and Street Car Show was in progress and I had to look like I was at least partly worthy of their company. I decided I'd take photos of them, instead of trying to compete in their class.

"Dueling Photographers", 
you know, instead of "Dueling Banjos"




For some great photos of these vintage cars from last weekend go by E's (now also known as "Bitsy") If you're squeamish about a bunch of loud mouth gals (no, I didn't say "broads", but I guess that works too) and some horrible pics of me, then don't go there...I've told Bitsy that Anne and I are looking for Payback! If you have a few minutes and don't mind blushing, Elizabeth has a hilarious and "insiders" version of the weekend highlights.

 And  Someone we know has been complaining that my other photograph of the three of us had her so washed out that she looked like a "ghostly apparition", I decided that I'd put a different one out here. Same pose, just a little less manipulation to take the focus off my wrinkles and saggy-baggy, slouchy topside. And hey, what can I say, I had self tanner in my suitcase and these pasty little blondies didn't!


Elizabeth took a few minutes to give me a mini lesson with my camera, and I learned more in 10 minutes than I'd been able to figure out on my own in the last two years. I have to admit, Anne has tried to help me, but she shoots with a Nikon, and I have a Canon. So when I realized that E had a Canon too (mine is not even in the same league as hers), I was excited to see what I could grasp in a short time.

Then when we were back here in Springfield, we ran to Barnes and Noble and I found this book, which Anne swears by, and said helped her figure it all out. Maybe there's hope for me yet. I'm going to put my nose to the grindstone to try to understand at least some of this mumbo jumbo!


Another little tip I wanted to pass on to you is something I think we've all had handed to us by "Blogger", but didn't know how to change. Remember how we used to be able to click on a photo in the blog posts and it would enlarge, and then with another click it would get even bigger? Big enough that we could study even the smallest item in a store display? wow, did I ever miss that and complain about the slide show that replaced it. Which didn't enlarge much of anything...
OK, so Anne told me how to get back to the "Bigify" mode. Go to your Dashboard, then to Settings. Then find the Heading of Posts and Comments. Click on that and go to "Showcase images with Lightbox".
Click on the box and say no, or unclick the box. That will take you back to the original way of viewing individual photographs on the blogs. Oh how I've missed not being able to see all the goodies in a distance or room shot. Thanks Anne!


Anne and James (the best houseguests ever!)

Let me just say something about blogging and friendships...don't ever let anyone tell you they aren't real or important. Meeting Anne after almost three years of phone calls has been nothing short of miraculous. And then to meet up again with Elizabeth after 4 years, and find a friendship, ...well...let's just say that God has plans that sometimes we just don't know exist.

xoxo,
p.s. who of you out there have had Bubble Tea? (an Annie favorite)
and have you choked on them on your maiden voyage?
(Thai concoction of flavored tea with milk and round balls of tapioca)

p.p.s. And if you haven't joined in for Vintage Inspiration Friday,
 it's still going strong, just scroll down to the next post.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

So...here's the plan

See this girl...
we've been waiting to meet for almost three years.
Anne lives in Texas, I live in Missouri.
We started talking when our blogs were babies
hanging out on Theresa's sidebar.
(thank you, dear Theresa!)


She'll be here in just a matter of hours.
Then later this week, we're headed to St. Louis 
to stay with my daughter and her husband
at the "Bed and Breakfast".
(just kidding...but they're wonderful hosts!)



Then we're going to meet up 
with one of the sweetest, most talented gals around...
and we're going to let E take us to all her haunts and hang outs.




So, posts will be a little fewer this next week.
We'll still be having Vintage Inspiration and Monday Marketplace,
hope you'll join in as usual.


And I can guarantee that I'll have lots of fun to share next week!

Then, when I'm back, I'll be celebrating my 3 year Blogaversary
with a knock out Give Away of Carolyn Westbrook's new book.
"Through the French Door"


so get ready!!

(I'm thinking that this will be one of the best weeks ever!)

xoxo,

Saturday, October 29, 2011

What I managed to snag while in St. Louis...

We didn't get to some of our regular antique spots like, Big Bend, Treasure Aisle, or Warson Woods, but we did make it to my favorite little shops, Tin Roof and White Swan Antiques (University City, corner of Bruno and McCausland). These are true antique "stores" not a mall. There are always great finds and good buys.


So there's this little chip on the rim,
but who cares, this Majolica was only 12 dollars!


Books for 80 cents.




immaculate grain sack, rusty yellow garden tool,
and gravy boat from England.





Since painting the Living Room "white" this summer,
I've started collecting white matte pottery for the mantle.



Anyone know about either of these white pieces?
They didn't have any markings.



And another of my small obsessions,
Biscuit tins. and if they're plaid...
well, just get outta my way!






whoops, another biscuit tin, this time in green


and a silver plate heavy platter for 5 bucks that has a little copper showing through...


nothing that a few strategically placed goodies won't take care of.
(good grief, I can't believe I haven't shown off my million dollar velvet pumpkin!)


this sweet baby isn't old, but I have Christmas plans for him.



and my next project...


...with "help"!

xoxo,

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

St. Louis Visit

Fall is my favorite time of the year to visit the kids in St. Louis. They live in an historic community, close to Washington University. Their home was built in 1904, just after the St. Louis World's Fair. The trees in their neighborhood are so gorgeous and the town is decorated for Fall Harvest and Halloween. 



We did a little antique shopping at Cherokee Street on Sunday afternoon. The architecture of the storefronts and homes is amazing. St. Louis is an old city, first founded by the French in the 1760's. This was a booming antique center for years, but it's been hit hard by the economy. There are still several great stores here, enough for me to find some things of course!










Sunday morning we had a wonderful brunch at the Lemp Mansion.




This was the family home of one of the early large breweries in St. Louis, and is well known for it's history of ghosts and hauntings. They hold ghost tours, events, and parties throughout the Fall, but today we were just interested in the delicious homestyle fried chicken dinner. 



Our daughter Erin and I out front.
(sorry, I take the worst photos, I actually DO have eyes!)


They were renovating the ceilings, and this was in the Dining Room where we ate. Do you see the one black raven at the edge? ...very creepy.



Dining Room


Gardens 





Keith and Erin in the Lemp Mansion Garden.



They've lived in their home for several years and have mostly done cosmetic updates. But they are starting a bath reno upstairs and a kitchen makeover soon. They want to bring back the authenticity of the kitchen that a makeover in the 80's had taken.



She had a cute pumpkin display on the porch, but I never got a photo of it.



I just took a few photos inside, but this was the one I was interested in; their new Restoration Hardware Entry Lighting. The photo doesn't do it justice, as the reflection of light was wonderful.


RH website



Dining Room
The house has 10 foot ceilings throughout, and Erin's mother-in-law made wonderful draperies for not only the Dining Room, but the Master Bedroom and Living Room. (so glad that wasn't my job!)








I did a post two years ago, but this was also 3 cameras ago, so the photos are less than good. We don't get to see them as much as we would like. Springfield is only 3 hours away, 4 if you have to eat and potty. Erin is a sales manager with a real estate developer so her getting weekends free is hard, and Keith is in sales with IBM so they both have demanding jobs. We love them to pieces and they are the best hosts anyone could ask for! 

Hope you'll be able to join in tomorrow for 
Vintage Inspiration Friday



"anything vintage or vintage inspired"
and all your Fall Decor!

xoxo,
p.s. I'm about caught up with the laundry!

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