It is considered the most important day of your life—and you don’t want to spend it worrying about tables, décor and dealing with vendors. Brides who want to plan their own festivities often feel overwhelmed by the way things will—or will not—come together on the big day, and St. Louis event organizer Kate & Company offers a unique semi-planning services to help these brides stay blushing, not flustered.

Writing your thank-you notes should start right after any engagement party you may have. If people are kind enough to give you a gift, a lovely handwritten note (on a fold-over note card, written in black ink) is a priority—a priority you should carry all through the bridal shower, cocktail parties, rehearsal dinner and wedding events.

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.

The Missouri History Museum is now offering a fun way for history buffs and barflies alike to gain an appreciation and a new perspective on the city’s fine public houses. The new initiative is called History On Tap: Pub Tours of St. Louis' Historic Neighborhoods. The first excursion led participants through Soulard. The next tour will focus on Dogtown and is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24. More info can be found at mohistory.org.

An assistant of Sir Paul McCartney recently called local designer David Deatherage to discuss purchasing a vintage desk--  the desk that was featured on the cover of LN’s Fall 2012 Elegant Living edition.

We asked for submissions of moms with doppelganger daughters and spitting-image sons, and LN readers did not disappoint. After careful consideration--and a little help from your Facebook votes--we've selected St. Louis' best Mother's Day Look-Alikes. Coming in at first place is Kirk Day School fourth-grade teacher and mother of three, Lisa Engel, and her 8-year-old daughter, Reagan Engel, of Webster Groves. For winning, Lisa will receive a full-service package at Dominic Michael Salon, including a haircut, blow dry, manicure, pedicure and makeup application. Below, we have included some of our other favorite look-alikes, with many so similar it will leave you wondering 'Which is which?'

EdLetter / 4-19

ART & ANTIQUES

Did the apple fall right next to the tree? Is your child your doppelganger? Are you the mother of mirror-image children? Celebrate your look-alike loved ones with LN’s Mother’s Day Look-Alike Contest!

The physical and digital worlds are becoming one and the same. The social experience has shifted, and common words like ‘virus’, ‘mouse’ and ‘like’ have double-meanings. And much like our day-to-day reality, the online realm functions in accordance with laws that should be known by all, digital participants or not.

Sitting down to talk about Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ programs to avert bullying, the first obvious question is, What does Shakespeare have to do with bulling? As it turns out, the connection runs deep.

Kudos to chef STEPHEN GONTRAM and the crew at 5 Star Burgers. The Clayton burger joint recently made eater.com's list of The 25 Hottest Hamburgers in America Right Now.

I’m on Facebook. I’m not proud. Admittedly, I really only check the site to monitor Cranky’s postings—what boys she’s posing with, scanning a photo for a stray can of beer in the background—but a problem has emerged. Facebook no longer is the cool college social networking hub it was in 2005. Now it’s the 21st century equivalent of a slide carousel of your neighbor’s family vacation. It’s the digital version of cropping, and worst of all, it apparently is the world’s most unproductive cure for boredom. I’ve realized something: Facebook isn’t cool anymore.

A tough economic climate, an aging baby boomer population and the high prevalence of social-media use are predicted to create the biggest hurdles for local attorneys and their clients this year. 

On any given day at The Gatesworth, you can stop by the Fitness Center and find residents partaking in exercise classes, using equipment or swimming laps in the pool. In the Starbird Theater, a group may be discussing current events, enjoying classical music or listening to a professor from one of the local universities. In another area of the senior living community, a social worker may be meeting with residents as part of a support group; while in the dining room, a book club gathers over lunch. Anywhere you turn, The Gatesworth offers opportunities to support a resident’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. “Our goal is to provide programs and amenities that help them live a more active, happy life,” says executive director Martha Kessel. “Seniors are living longer, and it’s so important to stay healthy and learn new things every day.”

Congratulations go out to Cafe Madeline, which celebrates 10 years in business this month. The cafe, located at the Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park, is commemorating the anniversary with a brunch special available through January, where guests can buy one brunch at the regular menu price and get the second for just $10.

James Beard award-winning chef MICHAEL MINA will be in St. Louis soon to host St. Louis Community College's (STLCC) annual benefit dinner, ‘Falling In Love...in Five Courses.’ The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Four Seasons downtown, and will also feature the talents of the hotel's executive chef FABRIZIO SCHENARDI and CASEY SHILLER, executive pastry chef at STLCC culinary program, as well as some of the program's students. The cost is $295 per ticket, with proceeds going to benefit students and programs at STLCC. For info, call 539-5358.

You know what? I get it. Well, I mean I’m starting to get it. Kids grow up. They walk, they talk. They learn to add and subtract; and eventually, they reach a level of algebra that surpasses my diminished capacity. They learn how to play a sport or a musical instrument. They may even pick up a second language. However, here’s something you might not know: They drive. And we’re not talking Big Wheels or those little imitation things that buzz up and down the driveway—actual cars.

It is beginning to look a lot like the holidays. This ‘most wonderful’ time of the year, however, also is a most distracting and stressful time of the year, especially if you are a kid.

The USO of Missouri, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that focuses on lifting the spirits of America’s troops and their families by providing a ‘touch of home’ through its facilities, a shoulder when needed and family-friendly events.

Chef STEVE GONTRAM'S long-awaited burger restaurant, 5 Star Burgers, is now open for business at 8125 Maryland Ave. in Clayton. In addition to beefy burgers, the menu includes some veg-centric sandwiches like the Veggie Burger and The Portabella Stack, plus a bevy of shakes and floats. We've received some reports from the field that the Sweet Potato Fries with Salted Maple Cream are not to be missed.

When I was a kid, people used to say we lived in a fast-paced world. Phones had click lines, documents could be faxed, and homework could be done on computers. Clearly, that all seems quite leisurely now. Cranky, 14, and Whiny, 13, are all about social media--and that’s fine. They 'friended' me and I monitor their activity, trolling their Facebook pages every now and then--everything is fine. Let me rephrase: I thought everything was fine.

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.’