A reverence and respect for water is a universal theme, found in cultures from ancient Greece to the remote Pacific Island of Vanuatu. The ritual significance of water spans across the globe to include the Native American rain dance, Christian baptismal font, the gleeful splashing of the Songkran water festival of the Dai New Year and the solemn funeral pyre on the Ganges. Learning to manage water, whether it is a lot or a little, is an important part of our shared community. Well-handled water can be cleansing, refreshing, energizing. Out-of-control water has the power to drown and destroy, to wash away with time even the greatest of mountains.

The whole ‘green’ movement is finally catching up with the design industry here in the United States, with many architects and designers doing their best to be environmentally friendly with the materials they specify for a new home.

Having lived and worked in St. Albans for 22-years, Melinda McCarthy has seen the area grow from a rural retreat to a much more active community. “My kids are grown now, and my oldest son lives in Chicago and hasn’t been back here for years,” she says. “He came home not long ago and said, I can’t believe all the stuff they have now, why didn’t they have all of this when we were growing up? If you’ve been here before and you think you’ve seen St. Albans, you haven’t: You need to come back. Everything has changed—but the beauty remains constant.”

Cini is now open in Ladue’s Colonial Marketplace. The ‘fast-casual’ Italian restaurant concept was created by DAVID JONES and DOUG TIEBER (developers of Buffalo Wild Wings in the St. Louis area), along with FRANK and CARMELO GABRIELE of Il Bel Lago. Short for ‘arancinis,’ the name comes from a traditional fried Italian street food staple made with rice and vegetables, which will be handmade daily at Cini. Also open at Colonial Marketplace is The Original Pancake House, known for its mouth-watering breakfast treats like the Dutch Baby and Apple Pancakes. 

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

Hearing loss is one of the most common health complaints of older adults. But today’s technologies are making hearing loss easier to live with, and research is holding promise for new treatments in the future.

Communication is one of the very first skills we learn in order to navigate the world. As infants, we are quick to begin communicating our needs and respond to those around us. However, babies who are born with hearing disorders and children who lose their sense of hearing face a very different communication landscape—one that now involves technology and strategies to help them to communicate with the wider world.

As a senior artist for MAC Cosmetics, Jane McKay is a regular participant in the Fashion Weeks of New York, Milan, Paris and London. The industry veteran has worked in every aspect of the company, from artist training to customer service and the global sales division. We asked her about this season’s trends.

Maxine Clark grew up in the decade of big dreams realized. Today, the Build-A-Bear Workshop founder is affectionately gazing back on the journey of her own realized dream.

The common wisdom is that people who love their work are those who find the most success. Here, we feature three women who prove that common wisdom right: By following their dreams, each built a business that has seen more success than most of us would dare to dream for. As John Updike once said, “The refusal to rest content—the willingness to risk excess on behalf of one’s obsessions—is what distinguishes artists from entertainers and what makes some artists adventurers on behalf of us all.”

Story: May ekes out an existence as a cook at a nameless place in a tiny town on the Mojave Desert. Her home is a drab motel room with a bed, a table, a couple of chairs and drinking glasses stored in the bathroom. Her life is dreary but made drastic as well by the unwelcome arrival of her former lover, Eddie.

Known by some as the St. Louis spring event, Friends of St. Louis Children’s Hospital recently held its 10th annual Table Tops event at The Ritz-Carlton. 

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.

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.

Since its release in 1991, “The Matrix” trilogy has remained a popular movie in science fiction. From the cool, black leather and sunglasses clad protagonists, to the frightening idea of reality being an illusion, “The Matrix” has enthralled viewers for over 20 years. On April 5 and 6, as the St. Louis Symphony continued its [...]

Admiring abstract art. Analyzing articles in The Wall Street Journal. Researching the Dead Sea Scrolls. Not the usual activities for an older adult, but for Henrietta Freedman and other local retired professionals, it’s all in a day’s coursework. As co-founder of the Lifelong Learning Institute at Washington University, Freedman has given area seniors the gift of being in college again. And it’s a pleasure, not a chore, this time around.

Belching is a sign of appreciation for a fine meal in some cultures. But it’s not such a positive thing when it’s accompanied by heartburn, coughing and throat irritation—the classic symptoms of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Q: While eating out with my husband a few weeks ago, we had a wonderful, thick slice of prime rib at one of our favorite restaurants. My husband, as usual, smothered it in horseradish cream. It made me think that other than cocktail sauce, what else is horseradish used for? I’ve seen the fresh roots at the store, but never had the courage to try and cook with it. Can you give me some ideas?

Classical music has officially made its return to the St. Louis airwaves. The station's opening week also unveiled the debut of the Ladue News Minute, which can be heard on RAF-STL.

The next time you think you’re too smart to be scammed out of money, consider the Ladue businessman who recently lost $3 million in a Jamaican lottery scam.

Grand Center Inc. will be presenting its annual Visionary Awards to six area women on May 13 at The Sheldon. Ranging from theater to music and every art form in-between, these women are making a difference in the St. Louis artistic community—and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

Let's face it. Nobody really knows which investments are going to be sure-fire winners. Even the savviest financial gurus tell horror stories about seemingly reasonable ventures that inexplicably went south.

Fresh, fun and fabulous—that’s the idea behind our spring nail polish picks. Go on, try a new shade…you know you want to!