Deuces

Two of my favorite mansard houses in Soulard side by side 

Sunday morning in Soulard

Soulard a l'orange

A recently updated Soulard mansard.  I like the top mansard.  Not sure about the orange paint around the windows.  After attending Webster schools I am a little orange adverse.  It has to be the exact right color of orange to work for me. This one is just a little too red-orange.  But overall a nice job.

Boxy but good

I saw this little guy on 9th Street in Soulard across from 9th Street Abbey.  I can't decide if it's infill or a rehab.  I guess that's the sign of either a good rehab or good infill if you can't tell the difference between the two.  I thought to myself, "boxy but good."  That comes from Crazy People.  Dudley Moore rebrands Volvo as boxy but good.

But the neighbor to the south?  Condemned.  You don't see that much anymore in Soulard.  I'm guessing because the course of bricks above the door appears to be falling in front of the entryway.

Kids in Soulard say the darndest things

Mommy, I could either use the bathroom in our house or I could just use one of those on the corner.
 

Says my son who asks everyday if he can use one of the porta potties set up on our block for Mardi Gras.

Just another typical Soulard weekend

The weekend was another blur. I know, I know.  I always say that.  But this one was really crazy.  We still found time to got to Soulard  Oktoberfest, enjoy a long walk and watch the Go St. Louis Halloween 10K.  And had karate, volleyball, dancing, 4 soccer games, hockey and Kay's whole class 6th grade birthday party at Sky Zone, 

Gus with his new friends at Oktoberfest. One of the girls was a friend of Gus' cousin.  

Gus in lederhosen.  He actually got a $2 tip for dancing so hard. I should have been fined for drinking too hard.  

Walked by a wedding.  Like the car.  Lots of hipsters at that wedding.  

A wedding at the brewery stable.  I've never seen that before.   

Neighborhood block party for National Night Out. We have ours in October as opposed to August. There were about 150 there earlier in the evening.  I thought the lights were a nice touch.

Halloween Run.  

Wrapping up the week

Picked up the girls from Camp Cedarledge.  Audrey stayed in the Glen, the same place I stayed  for 2 weeks during the summer of 1982.  Fortunately for Audrey she has a much better hair style than I did.  

Gus' last day of SLU camp.  I love that camp and he did too.

End of year swim party for the girls who played sports this year for SMOS.  

A Soulard tap and run, which is some kind of 4k with beer stops.  Only in Soulard.  And hours later on the same street was the naked bike ride. 

Barcycle

What?  You don't have one of these in your neighborhood?  This is a barcycle.  You and your people pedal and drink while a driver navigates the barcycle from bar to bar.  I've read the barcycle has been idle while undergoing scrutiny bythe taxi commission.

Exciting things to open!

 I love my calendars.  I use Outlook at work and ical at home and both feed to my iphone.  I also subscribe to my husbands work travel schedule.  I have color codes for everything.  Red for work, pink for school, purple for Girl Scouts, orange for sports, etc.  I have just one paper calendar I hang in the kitchen to keep the kids reminded of relevant dates.  Without my calendar, I am lost. 

I have a category called "neighborhood need to know".  Things like festivals, openings, closings, etc.  A small but important category.

Four dates have me excited.

July 14- reopening of the Grand Bridge.  Finally.  The span from highway 40 to Chouteau will re-open.  Holy Smokes it's been a while waiting on this one and the roads handling Grand's load have been a mess (Vandeventer, Compton).  During the school year the Grand bridge affects me greatly because I use it to get to my kids school from downtown.  And then during the summer my kids go to camp at SLU and how great it will be to pick up the big kids at SLU and get to Mimi's preschool in Shaw without dealing with the congested mess of Vandeventer/Chouteau/Manchester/etc?.  (This week the kids are all at different camps at Hampton/Gravois- Gus at karate, Audrey at Willmore Park, Kay at Cor Jesu).

July 27- Opening ceremony for the Olympics.  I confess. I am an Olympics junkie.  I will watch the Olympics for 3 weeks straight. I think I've even planned the births of my children around the Olympics.  I have good memories of watching the Olympics in the middle of the night while breastfeeding (Mimi Beijing 2008, Gus Turin 2006).  I was pregnant with Kay (Sydney 2000) and Audrey (Salt Lake 2002).    I planned this year's summer vacation around the Olympics so I wouldn't miss any coverage.  I will be glued to my TV.  See this post from my 63104 mom tumblr for an Olympic encounter with 1996 Magnificent 7 member Shannon Miller:  LINK.

December 2012- reopening of St. Louis Public Library's downtown branch.  I am so excited to see the remodel.  Love sunny Barr Branch, but Central is so much bigger.

Sometime in the future- a Great River Greenways trail expansion from downtown all the way down to the River des Peres trail.  If I have my information correct, I'd be able to get from my house in Soulard to a trail along the Mississippi that would then take me to the River des Peres trail or northward to downtown and beyond.  Does anyone know how exciting that would be?   If there was a Sidney Street trail head, I'd be only about 1/4 mile from the trail.  As opposed to now where we have to load up the bikes and drive to a trail.  With 4 kids, that doesn't happen very often.  I'd need an industrial bike trailer to get those bikes around.  See here:  LINK.

Sad/Happy

Some things over the Memorial Day weekend made me sad, like this little mansard buddy near Ohio and Sidney in St. Louis near St. Francis de Sales.  It's owned by Stanfield Investments and delinquent in taxes.

But the remainder of the weekend was filled with visually pleasing things.  Our girl scout troop had planned to go to the Junior Jamboree at Forest Park.  That event was cancelled due to low registration likely due to the fact the Girl Scouts had no publicity for the event, especially when compared to the PR overkill they are doing on the Big Day for Girls on September 22.  We are probably skipping the Big Day for Girls.  The 100 birthday bash was traumatizing and I am not sure I can handle that kind of crowd again, especially on a precious Saturday. 

Back to the picture.  Our troop (now Juniors!) went to Forest Park anyway with absolutely no plan.  And it was a good day.  We fed the ducks, played on the playground, took the Metro bus around the park and hung out at the History Museum where low and behold we had a campfire in front of a VW bus.  

And lots of other good stuff- bike racks, hydrangea, digging rocks.

These bike racks have been popping up everywhere.  I think they are handsome.

OMG.  Is there anything better looking than this year's hydrangea?  I have NEVER seen them this colorful.

BBQ at the neighbors where the local kids ruined a lovely landscaped garden by digging rocks to haul around in dumptrucks.  Sorry Jen!

Another backside

Another party, another mansard backside.  This one is a favorite Soulard mansard we visited at a last minute BBQ arranged by our neighbors.  I tell you what- our little intersection of 12th and Sidney in Soulard is where all the action is happening.  When we moved into our house 10 years ago there were no kids in any of these houses.   But alas, we now have enough for a sizable party.  The count at the BBQ was 14 kids, age 11 or under.  I'm glad we could all get together.  Next time remind me to stay away from the knock-me-on-my-ass margarita mix.  It sneaks up on me every time- 1 can limeade, 1 can tequila and 1 can beer.  

Getting the stop sign back

A few weeks ago the city removed a stop sign at the intersection of 12th and Victor. I have no idea why. I think I saw a car counting box on Victor (is that what it's called? one of those strips attached to a box where you drive over it and it counts cars). I doubt many CARS come across 12th/ Victor right there. But lots of PEOPLE use that intersection which is not surprising considering there is a church, school, grocery store and cluster of businesses on the block.

Clearly the south Soulardians complained and we got our stop sign back. I must not have been the only one complaining. I called citizen's service bureau at 9 am and that same morning the temp stop sign went in. I really, really doubt the city's street department is that fast.

In my continuing theme of city kid pictures, here is my youngest Mimi underneath her school's dragon sculpture (a Bob Cassilly original). She's in the middle. Her friends are two of a set of triplets and the boys look almost identical although she is certain the boy is O.

at the Island

Here are the badmansard kids at Soulard's newest frozen yogurt place, the Island. The Island is so named due to the Soulard neighborhood being somewhat of an island, cut off from surrounding neighborhoods by Broadway, Highway 55, Gravois, etc. We walked to the Island on our way to Pontiac Park.

The Island is located on Russell near Menard in the space formerly occupied by Paste. It is like Fro-yo or Yo My Goodness in that you add crazy toppings to your yogurt and your purchase is weighed by the ounce. According to my resident frozen yogurt expert Audrey, the price per ounce at the Island is much less than her former go-to spot Fro-yo.

I had a raspberry pomegranate yogurt and it was quite good. We spent about $13 for 5 of us. The kids concocted bizarre yogurt/gummy bear/m+m/fruit cups.

The lady behind the counter was helpful and sweet. The decor was cute. I hope this place does well. I love having an ice cream shop in Soulard. The last place I had for ice cream was the DQ on 7th Street and that closed abruptly about 3 years ago.

Go get yourself some Island frozen yogurt!

Mardi Gras party

Mardi Gras 2012 is over. Well, it really hasn't even started since it isn't until Tuesday. But my night-before-the-parade-party is over and O.M.G. It was totally awesome. I loved it. I do regret feeling a little bit like a bride in that I know everyone if having a great time but I really don't get to talk to guests as much as I'd like.

total number of guests: 167

best investment: two bartenders/helpers. They cost $325 but totally worth it.

culinary hit: my red beans and rice is tasty. People love it. I take no credit. It's the wonderful andouille from G&W that makes it so good. I took my regular recipe and multiplied by 15 to make enough to fill a giant pot. My National rice cooker churned out enough rice to go with the red beans.

best Mardi Gras dress: MINE! An awesome retro DVF I picked up on the clearance rack at Neiman's. It screams Mardi Gras. (that's me in the green and black dress with my friends Amy and Janet)

how many beers: 275. We had about 40 left over. About 1/2 bottles, 1/2 cans. Almost all AB and Schlafly products.

Favorite beer: hands down- the vintage Busch can.

wine: I bought one of those giant boxes and that was pretty much gone, as well as about 5 additional bottles.

strangest thing people drank: coffee flavored Patron? Someone drank the whole bottle.

bourbon or vodka? Bourbon won. About 3 large bottles consumed. Rye too. Old fashioned's were popular.

Jagermeister, really? Yes really. About 1.75 liters of it. I read in Food and Wine or some other high brow magazine that the best way to liven up a party was to freeze Jagermeister and offer shots. Suddenly a bunch of 40 year olds remember when they were 21 and the party is a lot more fun.

time people left: about midnight

glad I purchased: 2 giant Rubbermaid recycling trash cans. Empties went in there and could be taken out to the dumpsters in the morning.

most surprising guest: a friend from law school who came with a school dad. I was really happy to see him. He was always such a gentleman, making sure us girls stayed safe at those crazy Mardi Gras parties in the mid 1990's.

guest break down: high school: 15%, family 5%, college 15%, work 25%, school parents 30%, neighborhood 10%.

best success: People went in the parlor! They had little choice with that many people in here.

nicest hostess gift: a St. Louis cheese plate from the Initial Design in WG. I had coveted its cousins the dish towel and Christmas ornament at Sign of the Arrow. Love it!

best thing about having a giant party: the house is as clean as its ever been. The laundry is in drawers. Everything is clean. The toys are put away. There are flowers and the house smells good.

3 stupidest things I saw the day of the Grand Parade: guy in drunken stupor walking down the SB Highway 55 on ramp in the dark about to merge into traffic on foot. Guys picking bricks out of my sidewalk and throwing them. Crazy meth head guy hitting a hipster in the head with a beer bottle.

One of the kids took this picture of the chandelier in the parlor. Not sure which kid. They frequently take the camera to take pictures of each other, the TV and random animals. The kid in the bonnet is my niece; the kid in green is Mimi.

I like how this picture turned out. The chandelier not original house itself but it is an original fixture from the 1880's. The ceiling medallion is original to the house.

The chandelier is the best part of the parlor. Okay- I like the fireplace too. I HATE the rest of the room. The chairs are too big. I hate the couch. I hate the fact I picked out red furniture (I bought the furniture in 2002 the day after we moved in. It was a hasty move. Dumb. I should have left the parlor empty until I really knew what I wanted).

Back the complaining- the rug is cheap looking. I like that the coffee table and end tables come from my grandmother's house, but they really don't work in the room or with the furniture. I want to re-do the whole thing. I keep seeing pool blue, maybe even with the red. Or make the entire thing white. I see a much smaller couch (like a love seat) with two smaller chairs all pulled to the middle of the room for actual conversation.

I scheduled this post for February 15 at which time I will be up to my elbows in making red beans and rice and a bazillion other things for the 175 people we expect to come here for our annual Mardi Gras party. It sounds like a lot of people (it is a lot of people!) but it's not too bad and feels more like an open house with people stopping by all evening. And when those 175 people come over, will they hang out in my parlor? NO! It's the most unwelcoming room ever. I guess I'll move the booze to the parlor and people will have no choice but to go in there. That's a sad parlor when the only way you can get guests to go in there is the lure them with booze.

Finding Jesus in a bad mansard

Another gem on South Broadway. Is it a church? A health clinic? A store? I don't know. Well, according to the sign Jesus is there. And the other signage tells us the place is open. Balloons too! I propose a rename: the Jesus Family Outreach Balloon Bad Mansard store.

More about seeing/finding Jesus. I usually go to St. Margaret of Scotland. I try to go to Sts. Peter and Paul in Soulard once a month. It is the structurally largest of the many Catholic churches in my neighborhood- giant, Gothic, buff/black, 8th street, built by Germans, spire you can see from highway 55/44 merge.

Sts. Peter and Paul has a much smaller group of regulars than SMOS. My reasoning for skipping SMOS in favor of Sts.PP is that SMOS is pretty crowded and Peter/Paul is not. Peter and Paul really, really needs people to fill the pews. I am happy to go to Peter/Paul when I can. Fr. Foreman gives great homilies, Young Catholic Musicians operates out of Sts.PP and there is 365 day a year service to the homeless.

Anyway, Bishop Rice (who is excellent, by the way) was visiting Peter/Paul back in the fall. In his homily he encouraged that we find Jesus in the everyday chaos of life. I swear he was looking right at me when he said it, which wouldn't have been that hard considering the layout of Peter/Paul (like a mini amphitheatre in a huge Gothic church). So every since then that's been my spiritual goal. Finding Jesus in the chaos. There certainly is enough busy chaos at the badmansard house with 4 kids, stressful jobs, a full calendar and a new puppy. And some sad chaos with extended family that I won't try to explain. Anyway, everyday I am trying to see Jesus in it all.

Back to the mansard. This mansard is chaotic. I see Jesus. Enough said.

Cooking with bad mansard

Two of my favorite St. Louis products, both available at Vincent's. I don't know the folks at Vivienne's, but the Lochhead vanilla people are friends. The women on the photo are my friend M's mother/sister in-laws. Love the Lochhead vanilla. It's manufactured out in Fenton but the consumer bottles are packaged here in Soulard.

d'Avent

Here is my deconstructed Advent wreath which is neither in a circular wreath form nor does it technically have the correct variety of evergreens. Nonetheless, it's how I do Advent. I have Southern magnolia coming out of my ears.

I have these ridiculously happy and abundant Bracken Beauties in our front yard*. Every year I whack off branches to decorate the mantles and make wreaths for the doors. Do you have any idea how expensive magnolia wreaths and swags are at even wholesale suppliers like Baisch and Skinner? $50 a pop. Crazy.

Candles are from Missouri Candle Company. They smell like baby powder.

*not sure anyone in the city has a proper front yard. We have a nice tree lawn along the street and a small courtyard where the Southern Magnolia thrive. They usually are only happy to a zone 6 (St. Louis is a 5), but a Bracken Beauty does very well here if it is shielded from the NW wind.

Nattyville, Soulard, USA

Golf carts and gators. Is this a retirement community in Phoenix or St. Louis' hippest neighborhood? Based on the green trees and red brick buildings, this ain't in Arizona. But still, everyone seems to drive a golf cart. This 'license plate' reads "Nattyville."

That's how we roll in Soulard. Drive your golf cart around and get some Natty at Vincent's. Which brings me to a friendly neighborhood reminder recently blasted on the Soulard email blaster- the 3rd district police wanted to remind everyone that golf cart drivers could be pulled over for suspected drunk driving and asked folks in the neighborhood to please be more care when they drive golf carts to the bars at night.

The only city neighborhoods where I've seen a lot of golf carts as modes of transportation are Soulard, Lafayette Square and St. Louis Hills (Kay's soccer coach drives a gold cart to and from practice).

Any golf carts in your neighborhood? Ever seen intoxicated golf cart drivers?

My sidewalk is in a documentary.

A neighbor sent me this video. Imagine my surprise- right at about the 25 second mark there is my sidewalk. I am quite flattered my sidewalk made the cut.