DON ROCHLEAU II has joined the investment firm Alvery Bartlett Group as a registered representative. Rochleau earned a B.S.B.A. in finance from Lindenwood University.

This summer, think of your backyard as the next decorating frontier. Use designer-quality furniture, rugs, lighting and charming decorative accents for stunning results.

As vibrant as Seattle days are, after-dark activities are equally as spirited with untold clubs and bars ranging from the Old World elegance of Oliver’s Lounge to great jazz at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley.

Stories: Winning Juliet focuses on the new girl at a high school who runs into unexpected animosity and resentment by some established ‘popular’ students when she decides to audition for the female title role in the school’s production of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo & Juliet.

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.

Story: Sam and Dinah are a young married couple living the good life in suburbia. Sam is a businessman who commutes by day to his job in the city, while homemaker Dinah tends to chores around the house and caring for their son, Junior.

When Saint Louis Ballet presents its Contemporary Series on May 10 and 11 at The Touhill Performing Arts Center, it will premiere brand new choreography by artistic director Gen Horiuchi, Dance St. Louis’ Michael Uthoff and Christopher d’Amboise. A renowned choreographer, former artistic director of Pennsylvania Ballet and former principal of New York City Ballet, d’Amboise says he was inspired by his previous work with Saint Louis Ballet, and created his work in conjunction with the troupe. He gave us insights into the process and the upcoming performance.

From every specially selected brick, cupola and stone fountain to each knowledgeable employee, Sterling Bank is “built to last,” says chairman and CEO Ken Poteet. And the company is building onto that rich culture with a new Chesterfield location, set to be open by the end of April and run by Poteet's son, Mclane Poteet. 

Versatile, comfortable and flattering, denim is not just for cowboys or weekend wear anymore. denim has undoubtedly become a staple in everyone's closet. And for spring, denim (and its sister, chambray) is more popular than ever, showing up in every shape and style. Pair your denim with white accessories for a fresh way to wear this much-loved fabric this season.

April

Elaine Blatt welcomes guests into her contemporary Ladue home with a warm smile and cup of frothy cappuccino. The day she welcomed me was particularly cold and snowy. She was busy packing for an upcoming photo journey, destined “to get out of the cold.” She also was completing work on From Field to Fork…The Plants We Eat, her photography exhibit opening March 15 (through May 31) in Monsanto Hall at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It the first time I have seen the petite and stylish redhead casually dressed without one of her signature hats atop her head.

Story: Thomas has grown weary interviewing actresses for the starring role in his new play, Venus in Fur. It’s written in the large, bombastic style of 19th century European literature, a genre Thomas laments is all but extinct in modern art. He prepares to leave the audition room in frustration when a flamboyant, stunningly attractive woman enters the room.

When British Royal Navy officer Captain George Vancouver arrived in this slice of Canadian heaven in 1792, he was transfixed by what he saw.

Maybe your bedroom closet space is limited to a few flimsy wire racks and a metal pole, or you struggle to fit groceries in a disorganized pantry. Perhaps there’s no storage system in the garage, or the entertainment center is overrun by cords and DVDs. If you find yourself in such a situation, California Closets may have the answer to your home organization problems, says James Cline, the company’s retail sales and marketing VP. “We work to align our customer’s needs and desires with an exact solution. We could have two spaces with the same dimensions, but because we are customizing each for that particular customer, you’ll never see the same design twice.”

When David and Thuy Smith first were approached about the possibility of building an ‘active house’ for their new home in Webster Groves, the couple was turned off by their admitted misconceptions of what a green home would entail.

Wine has been an integral part of cocktails since that first brilliant person decided to mix two spirits together to see what would happen. Many familiar cocktails contain types of wines as components, from fortified wines to apertif wines to sweet dessert varietals.

Story: Using social media as both a tool and a plot device, playwright Lia Romeo presents a quartet of tales, played out in one act and 90 minutes, which depict the values and vices of communicating with others through 21st century adaptations of the internet.