Becca Edwards & Peter Jordan

Trend section: Saturated Spring

Every December, I go back and review the 'hits and misses' from the season’s runway looks. This year, rather than just saying what was wrong with my 'not-so-favorite' looks, I wanted to single out a piece that does work, and then find items that--in my humble opinion--work better with it. Here are my runway 'fixes.'

Not so much a trend as a lifestyle, the equestrian look always is a classic for fall. But what I love about this style now is that the individual pieces work so well with other non-equine items you own.

Our take on a gentleman’s hunt country retreat incorporates a few masculine must-haves, including game trophies, equestrian-inspired wallpaper, hand-painted drinks cabinet, and a horse-handled silverplate ice bucket for the evening bar service.

St. Louis has its share of top-notch interior design talent, but it still is fairly rare that their work finds its way onto the pages of national publications. That’s why the showcase of interior designer Joy Tribout’s work in the July 2012 issue of Traditional Home is particularly noteworthy. It features the room that Tribout and daughter/design partner Tammy Caruso designed for the Traditional Home 2011 Bridgehampton Showhouse, which was chaired by designers Alexa Hampton and Mario Buatta. When all was said and done, the Tribout-designed room stood out as one of the very best—if not the best—in a very large house featuring the work of some great new design talent, as well as well-known names.

Newly published author, 13- year-old MATTHEW PEARLMAN, is doing plenty of name-dropping in the pages of his first book, That’s Great Advice! Advice from Pro Athletes for Kids, Written by a Kid. Matthew, a soon-to-be freshman at Valley Park H.S., turns to marquee players like the St. Louis Rams’ STEVEN JACKSON, basketball’s KEVIN DURANT and baseball’s CHIPPER JONES for positive character lessons. The young author has a July 19 book-signing scheduled at Lester’s Sports Bar & Grill in Ladue, from 4 to 7 p.m. When he’s not hobnobbing with the pros, Matthew volunteers as a math and reading tutor at Valley Park Elementary School. Proud parents are DR. BRYAN and LENA PEARLMAN.

It doesn’t matter if you live in the heart of the city or the far reaches of suburbia—horses are a part of our town’s history and heritage. In the early part of the20th century, many people still used horses as their primary source of personal transportation. The horse-andbuggy days are long gone, but the love and fascination of horses remain strong.

Story: More than 30 artists, acrobats, dancers, riders and musicians from Canada, France, Belgium, Morocco, Poland, Moldavia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and the United States perform with four dozen horses representing 10 different breeds in a two-act extravaganza conceived by the folks behind Cirque du Soleil.

These eight homes are stunning examples of luxury homes that were listed or sold in 2011:

With a truly novel, innovative idea for the time, Dr. William Smith and his wife, Elizabeth, traveled from Massachusetts and purchased a tract of land in Godfrey, Ill., so they could create a caring home and offer medical care, a healthy diet, physical exercise, education, socialization, recreation and meaningful work to people with developmental disabilities. This fundamentally radical concept in 1897 became known as Beverly Farm. “They were very forward-minded people,” says Anne Stotler, community relations director at Beverly Farm. “They wanted to create a community for people to grow, develop, mature and come into their own, without being hidden.”

A 15-acre gated equestrian estate in Town & Country offers high-end finishes and amenities throughout a 10,000-square-foot manse and extensive grounds. The home features a port-cochère design with a 7-car garage, plus carriage house. Special living spaces include an elegant dining room with marble floor, well-appointed fireplace and two-story barrel-vaulted ceiling with exquisite millwork, and a 1,600-square-foot kitchen/breakfast/hearth room area with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. The home has six fireplaces in all, multiple circular staircases and 7 bedroom suites, including a main-floor master suite. In addition, more than 1,500 square feet are finished on the lower level with billiards, exercise and theater rooms.

  Russell and Jeanne Belle of Town & Country are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah, to Francis Houde, son of Mr. and Mrs. Yvon Houde of Machias, Maine. 

It’ll be an extra special Father’s Day at CIRCUS FLORA this weekend, since three of the performers are new fathers this year! Proud dads include GIOVANNI ZOPPE, who plays Nino the Clown and Sancho Panza in this season’s Ingenioso, equestrian aerialist SASHA NEVIDONSKI and aerial performer ANDREW ADAMS. Their babies range in age from 4 to 11 months and have small roles in the production. Incidentally, we’re told Circus Flora is partnering with the SAINT LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA to celebrate its 25th anniversary next year. Expect circus performances at Powell Hall in January!

I n recent decades, organizations that help people who are ‘different’—living with physical or other kinds of limitations—have cropped up to advocate on their behalf. What has resulted is a landscape that works to provide ‘normal’ opportunities to people who in the past didn’t have them.

How often do we open an Architectural Digest or Veranda magazine and see a spectacular dining room, bedroom or foyer with the most amazing, hand-painted wallcovering and wonder where it came from? Recently I was viewing the spring collection of Brunschwig & Fils and was introduced to an amazing resource they represent: Paul Montgomery Studio Hand-Painted Wallpapers.

    St. Louis native MAURA KIDWELL (Clayton HS ’00) is drawing raves for her turn as Miep Gies in The Rep’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank, which runs through March 7. Kidwell plays the Dutch woman who served as Anne Frank’s protector from the Nazis during World War II. “While she did play a big role in helping the Franks, she didn’t see herself as anything extraordinary,” Kidwell says. “Knowing that about her takes the pressure off me as it relates to my role in the show.” The real Gies passed away in early January, one week before Kidwell began rehearsals for Anne Frank. “She was the one who actually preserved the diary—and she never even looked at it for all those years!” The Chicago-based Kidwell is a member of Redtwist Theatre and also counts commercials and industrial and feature films among her credits. Her parents are MARY and TIM KIDWELL of Clayton.

A rare papal honor has been bestowed upon a St. Louisan for the first time in the history of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. POPE BENEDICT XVI has presented DAVID MUECKL with the Papal Honor of Knight Commander with Star of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. The Order, established by POPE GREGORY XVI in 1831, is one of the five pontifical orders of knighthood in the Catholic Church. Well-known members include BOB HOPE, EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER and JOHN J. RASKOB. Mueckl has served Holy Mother Church at the Vatican level and here in St. Louis as chief administrative officer for the archdiocese. He is among only a handful of Americans to receive the honor. His installation into the Order, to be overseen by ARCHBISHOP ROBERT CARLSON, will be held in St. Louis at a yet-to-be determined date. 

Beginning this month, new Missouri guidelines take effect, changing the formula that dictates how child support is paid.