Nicki's Central West End Guide

Big River Holiday Swap set for December 11

The first Big River Food Swap held in early October was such a success that the twelve participants who brought an array of foods and handmade cards (see the assortment of offerings above), were planning a follow-up swap--a Holiday version---before the afternoon was over. 

Jennifer Walker, Kelly and Nick Reding, and I have set the date for the follow-up event on Sunday, December 11, from 1 to 3 p.m. The swap will be held in the same location as the first one-- 449 N. Euclid (at Washington). Almost anything goes, as long as it's hand-crafted. We'll be gearing up our Big River Food Swappers Facebook page soon, so you can leave a message there, sign up on eventbrite, or simply email (nickisbuzz@gmail.com) to let us know you'll be joining in. It isn't necessary to know what you're bringing when you sign up. Surprises are the best!

P.S. - As far as quantities, pack up as many of whatever it is as you want. Last time the participants brought varying amounts, and somehow it all worked out. 

P.P.S. -  If you want to read a great description of food swapping in Chicago, read this on a blog called West of the Loop. Thanks for the link Mary!

"Art with Us" in action

It's wondererful that our cultural institutions have community outreach programs, but it isn't often that we can see one in action, or witness how it impacts the people who participate. The St. Louis Art Museum's "Art With Us" program (as described on its website) "provides interactive, hands-on art education classes to youth in collaboration with community and social organizations throughout St. Louis City and County." There are twelve "Art with Us" sites in the St. Louis area, and one happens to be right here in the neighborhood.

Over Halloween weekend, I visited Yvette Wood's Studio W in the Pierce Arrow Building on Washington (just east of Euclid), where 11 enthusiastic students, ages 5 to 16, had just completed a ten-session class inspired by Monet's "Water Lilies" (on view at the Art Museum until January 22). The children, some of whom were dressed in costume, hail from Peabody School, Northside Community Center, and one attends Gateway High School. The last session, which occurred that Saturday, was a "show and tell" for parents, and the children were bubbling over with excitement.

At the beginning of the course, the budding artists took a field trip to the Art Museum, and after viewing the exhibition, created their own water lilies in Yvette's studio, see above. Yvette, who taught at Meramec Community College for thirty years, arranged them on glass squares (to simulate the pond), and the children, under her expert direction, used pastels to recreate the garden at Giverny right here in the Central West End, see photos that follow.

The children were photographed standing in front of the pieces they collaborated on.

The older girls created a stained glass window, above, which they were understandably proud of.

For more information about Yvette Wood's drawing classes, call: (314) 324-5847. I've been taking lessons from her for a couple of years, and if she can teach me how to draw (and she has), she can teach anyone!

Sunday, November 13

Mill Valley, early November 2011

As I was looking out the window from my sister Sandy's condo mesmerized by the wildlife below, she explained that the thirteen Snowy Egrets, left, hatched in April. While I was watching them, a man took a seat on a park bench, right, and read the paper while his well-behaved Jack Russell (who is a faint speck in the photo) kept both eyes focused on the birds. Later that morning I walked very close by the adult Egrets on a nearby shore. I understand that the birds, which at one time were on the endangered species list, nest in the trees on DeSilva Island which is partially visible at the top of the photo.

A rusted piece of metal in one of the estuaries looks like a squirrel, doesn't it? And the photos that follow are of a charming vine and assorted flowers I discovered around Richardson's Bay.

 

 

A "working" vacation in San Francisco, Part I

My sister Sandy invited me out to San Francisco last week to assist with several decorating projects. This struck me as somewhat comical since she is the one with the the interior design credentials, but she offered to pay for the ticket, and if there's any excuse to visit my other favorite city, I'll take it, even if work is involved. Another carrot she threw my way was that we could take in the exhibitions at the DeYong ("Masters of Venice") and Legion of Honor ("Pissarro"). Frankly, the most important bonus was that I could also visit with other family members, including a son and another sister, who live in the Bay Area.

The photo above shows the view as you walk around Strawberry Point in Mill Valley, which is close to Sandy's condo. In the middle distance you might see San Francisco; Sausalito is to the right. Unfortunately, I didn't take my better camera, the Canon G6, which would have produced superior photos. I was worn out by the Halloween posts and wasn't sure I was even going to take photos for the blog while I was away. Of course, once I got there I quickly changed my mind. I find, and I've mentioned this before, that I am always looking for ideas that might translate to the Central West End, and San Francisco is fertile ground for that sort of inspiration. See below for examples.

Off Union Square there are flower vendors who are able to set up shop all year 'round because of the favorable climate.

And because of the weather, the florist on Clement St. can just roll up her garage door, and she's open for business. There were three fabulous florists in the CWE years ago, the late Jon Prel, who operated his business out of the space where The Eye Bar is located at Euclid & McPherson, and Hereford Andrew, which occupied a space on Lindell just west of Salt. Regrettably, that business moved to a location on Brentwood Blvd. Ken Miesner, a well-known florist at Plaza Frontenac, had a shop space where Cecil Whitaker's is on Euclid.

Sidewalk planters, above, outside Le Centrale, and autumn-hued Kalanchoes, below

Another interesting idea is the use of alleys for bars (not advocating another one!), restaurants, and shops, above and below.

The photo, above and below, shows Claude Lane, where one of my favorite clothing shops, Maggie O'Leary, is located.

   Here's an idea for a simple, very sturdy bike rack that I saw outside the DeYong Museum. We could definitely use more bike racks here, and I understand a design is in the works.

On Union Square the latest in shoes and sunglasses hatch out of gold-filled eggs in the Louis Vuitton window.

Back in Mill Valley, thirteen snowy egrets (in next post) that hatched out of real eggs in April and assorted ducks were my entertainment as I hung curtain rods in the windows overlooking the estuary which happens to be Sandy's front yard. So, I did earn my keep on the trip, shopping for fabric (fabulous Sal Berressi's on Bryant in the Mission District), being the navigator to the upholsterer's workshop located in a garage in the Haight, and of course, a couple of trips to the hardware store for assorted whatevers. Next time I'm summoned to help I'll pack my own screwdrivers. Sandy's were given to her when she left home at age 18---we lugged the same handleless toolbox with a license tag that says "Sandra, Missouri," from project to project, and lo these many years later, tools that have seen better days. 

Dana's dahlias

This trio of sherbet-colored dahlias was photographed in neighbor and interior designer Dana Romeis's small city garden. Dana planted the dahlias, which are grown from tubers, so they get filtered western light. As Dana told me recently, "they grew to 10-inches tall and then just sat there all summer long." Cool autumn weather certainly brought out the best in these beauties, didn't it?

Sunday's World Championship Celebration at Busch Stadium

It looked as if the whole metropolitan area made its way downtown Sunday afternoon for the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals Parade. The parade started at Union Station and proceeded east past the newly-renovated Peabody Opera House, above, and on down Market Street to the stadium.
 

You would never imagine that you would run into anyone you knew in a crowd such as this, but we did see CWEnders Peggy and Guy McClellan, whose southern garden was such a hit on last week's blog postings.

Jim and I had tickets for the festivities inside Busch Stadium, but getting there required some ingenuity. We parked at 14th and Delmar and walked from there. Any excuse I can find to wind my way through City Garden, above, is always a pleasure. It is a magical place any time of day, any time of year. 

Seats in the stadium were $5, with  all proceeds going to a very worthwhile charity called Cardinal Care. Our tickets put us high up in the right field corner, which offered a great vantage point for some terrific photos. I had my little Nikon Cool Pix camera with me and I think it did a fine job of capturing the celebration.

That's Cardinal player Matt Holliday shown talking to a reporter on the big screen.

After speeches and replays showing how the Cardinals came from so far behind and wound up at the top of the heap, a shower of confetti rained down and fireworks exploded over the stadium.

It has been a very exciting time in St. Louis to say the least. Now that the Series is over, think about going out for dinner in the neighborhood. I know all of the restaurants, except perhaps for the sports bars, have lost business over the last few weeks while people stayed home to watch the excitement on tv. The Series may have been good for restaurants downtown, but not for the rest of the City.

After this post I am taking a blogging break (except for an upcoming post on Sunday) while I am in San Francisco for a few days of r & r. In fact, while I am away, I intend to think about the blog and how to make it work better for me. This is the second anniversary of "Nicki's Central West End Guide"--580 posts so far on life in the CWE---and it's time to regroup, revamp and rework, i.e. this blogger needs to get a life! Until later...

Halloween 2011: Finale Part II

The Black Swan couple, above, was one of ten finalists. The ballerina in black is a "he."

Third place in the Costume Contest went to the ladies from St. Charles, above, who dressed as four Johnny Depp characters.

The American Gladiator contestants (Team Lanier from Brentwood) won second place in the Halloween Costume Contest.

Edward Scissorhands, a crowd favorite above, from Lebanon, IL won first place.

After the winners were announced, I headed back home to put my "Miss Piggy" costume back in the box until next year, while revelers carried on into the night on Euclid in front of Sub-Zero.

Halloween 2011: What a finale!

The annual CWE Halloween Costume Contest last Saturday night filled the intersection of Maryland and Euclid with party-goers packed shoulder-to-shoulder in costumes that spooked, shimmied, & shocked.

One of the contestants showed up wearing only a ribbon that was tied at his throat, stretched down his torso, and looped back up to his neck (not pictured, though he loved posing). He seemed oblivious to the cold.

You knew the Rally Squirrel would show up, didn't you?

Halloween 2011 Part III

Noelle Lopez, above, Zumba instructor extraordinaire (at Sante Chase), holding one of her miniature greyhounds dressed as a spider. The other barely shows up in his fairy costume at the bottom of the photo.
Not surprisingly, the jailbird, above, was one of the prizewinners!

There wasn't a category for felines in the Halloween Parade Saturday. However a pair of Seal Point Siamese cats attracted their own brand of attention as they tugged at their leashes to get into the action. I was rather amazed at their bravery amidst all the canines in attendance, but their owner said that his cats think they're dogs, so what's the fuss?

Next up...some cool two-legged cats!