Story: Katha has a high-powered job in the city that keeps her in high-stress mode. Her husband Ryu is a plastic surgeon who seems always to be on the run. One day, when Katha by chance meets a dapper fellow named Dean on the street and inquires about his ‘retro’ look, he hands her a brochure about the Society of Dynamic Obsolescence.

Kids’ imaginations are running wild at some of the latest creative and technologically advanced toy stores in St. Louis. LN takes a peek inside...

If you’re waiting for the Skyfall line at the box office to die down, here’s what's hot on DVD

A charming 1968 tour book I recently was given begins thus: Savannah is a lady. A lady never shouts. Savannah speaks in a soft Southern murmur. Listen closely. She has marvelous memories to share.

Story: A group of teenagers in late 19th century Germany grapple with their emerging sexual drives and desires, trying to fit into their rigid, repressive society. Between the stern, authoritarian discipline of their teachers and the lack of any clear direction by their parents, they stumble through controversial issues including rape, abortion, homosexuality and physical and sexual abuse as they struggle to comprehend their own identities.

National League Wild-Card Game I hope that everyone remembers the St. Louis Cardinals’ miraculous championship run last year, because it probably won’t happen again. The Cardinals will play in Atlanta against the Braves this Friday at 4:07 pm in the National League wild-card game. The Cardinals only made the game due to the recent rule [...]

Well, it’s that time of year again. Cranky, 14, Whiny, 13, and Punch, 11, are back in school. But somehow, this year, things are a little bit different. It’s been brewing like a storm on the horizon, so I wasn’t shocked at the occurrence. I was, however, shocked by the enormity of it all. Suddenly, all three of them have cultivated a social life. A social life—I might add—that is much more time-consuming and entertaining than my own. There are limitless options for a tween/teen weekend: sports, movies, hanging out. Occasionally, a kid will have parents brave enough to host a party—I think brave is the word I’m looking for—but in the end, things are as they have always been: The nucleus of young-teen socializing continues to be ‘the dance.’

This week, we continue our conversations with LN’s Show House designers. The 2012 William Bernoudy Ladue News Show House opens Oct. 5 and runs through Oct. 21. For ticket information, visit laduenews.com or call 269-8836.

Win-win! St. Louis husband-and-wife team JASON and JENNA SIEBERT emerged victorious during the most recent Cupcake Wars on the Food Network.

Story: Riccardo, Count of Warwick and Governor of Boston in the late 17th century, is secretly in love with Amelia, wife of his secretary, best friend and confidant Renato. So, the governor is delighted when he learns that Amelia’s name is on the guest list for an upcoming masked ball. When Renato tells him about a conspiracy to have him murdered, Riccardo dismisses the danger. Instead, he decides to follow up on information obtained by his page Oscar and pay a visit incognito to a fortune teller named Ulrica, who has been condemned to death.

Pixar has come under fire during the last few years. When you come out of the shoot with Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo, you’re going to be hard-pressed to keep that batting average. Finally, with last year’s Cars 2, the shroud was readied: Disney murdered Pixar. Well, the good news is, we don’t have to pull the plug just yet. Brave may not be Toy Story, but it certainly isn’t Cars 2.

Story: The Smiths, a ramshackle clan who live in a trailer house “on the outskirts of Texas,” have reached a decision: Matriarch Adele must go. Permanently. That’s because Adele, who is divorced from Ansel Smith and living with another man, has taken out a $50,000 life insurance policy on herself. We know this because her wastrel son, Chris, heard about it from Adele’s boyfriend. Now Chris, wheels turning in his fevered brain, concocts a scheme to do away with dear old mom and collect on her policy. He enlists the aid of his dad, who semi-listens to the plot while watching something on his dilapidated TV.

OK. This is the first of the two Snow White-themed films to be released in 2012. This one is the more light-hearted, comedic version—think the animated Disney classic. The second, Snow White and the Huntsman, is a little more, ahem, ‘Grimm.’ I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting much and I would advise you to do the same. If you go in with the bar set low, you will have a satisfying movie-going experience.

Location: 

Forty-four years ago, when the St. Louis Blues skated onto the ice for the very first time at the old Arena, Bobby Plager was right in the middle of the action: He turned opposing players upside down with his patented hip checks and blocked shots, and threw many a mean right-hand punch. He recorded the team’s first assist, first penalty and the first game misconduct.

As you know, Thanksgiving is an extremely important holiday for retailers because without it, we wouldn’t have the day after Thanksgiving (a.k.a. Black Friday), the single busiest shopping day of the year.

Many of you know that I spend most of my time in print complaining that there are no original ideas in Hollywood, that everything is either a remake or a reboot—not even sure what the difference is—or a sequel or a prequel. Well, here we have something that is completely new and different, I am happy to report. It’s original, it’s compelling, and it’s completely mediocre.

CITY COFFEEHOUSE & CRÉPERIE

> STEVEN CARAVELLI, executive chef at Araka in Clayton, has moved on. According to Caravelli, the split was a friendly one, and he’s currently searching for his next kitchen gig. Sous chef MICHAEL BURNAU has stepped up to helm the Araka kitchen.

When fickle March segues into the cruel days of April, and you just have to have some spring, I can think of nothing better than a car trip to the Deep South, preferably via the Natchez Trace Parkway. 

   The new year is the perfect time to celebrate a new beginning, which is just what Corey Stranghoener and Brian Reuwee planned when they set the date for their Jan. 2, 2010 wedding. Having gone to school in Maine, Corey says she loves the snow and was excited to have a wedding with the theme ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside.’

So it’s that time of year again—the holidays. For the past couple of years my holiday shopping experience has been less than ideal. In a single mall parking lot in 2009, I was dinged, rear-ended, flipped off, yelled at and tripped. Although the tripping was done by my children, so I can’t really count that. So this year I turned to online shopping. And it’s a good thing too, because you should see the Christmas lists submitted by Cranky, Whiny and Punch. To describe it as techno-heavy is like describing Stalin as austere.

    The men and women who serve our country put their lives on the line to keep us free. That’s what makes the work of three St. Louis-based organizations so important: They express the thanks of a grateful nation by supporting troops and their families.

As an interior designer I believe that entertaining is a natural extension of the environment you create in your home. I often hear that people don’t entertain “because I don’t know how.” Rubbish! Entertaining