Wade, Phil and Sammy

Wine Tasting Party - May 31st

2009-06-03T21:28:00.005-05:00

Phil and I hosted our Wine Tasting Group Party on Sunday, May 31st. The theme was French Wines and everyone brought at least one bottle. Phil made appetizers and we were able to have them outside on the patio. Wade made a Claret Punch and Lemon Drop Martinis. Our group consists of Rose Ann & Chuck Schuermann, Chris & Chuck Colombo, Gary & Joan Banstetter, and Dianne & Ralph Winn.

Here are some pictures from the party:

Rose Ann with French Chocolate Bark

Dianne and Phil

Chuck Colombo, Gary, Ralph and Chuck Schuermann

Rose Ann, Chris, Wade and Joan

Paris Trip 2009

2009-06-03T20:52:00.003-05:00

Phil and I traveled to Paris, France on May 14th with two very good friends, Rose Ann and her husband Chuck. Two other friends, Lisa and Debbie, were already there and we joined them as well.

We stayed in two different hotels for 4 nights each, the Marriott Rive Gauche and the Renaissance Le Parc. Each hotel was very nice but we enjoyed the Le Parc hotel best. It is located in the Trocadero area of Paris which is not too far from the Eiffel Tower.

We took a day tour of the Loire Valley Castles and visited, Ambois, Chenanceau and Chambord. You will see pictures of each and I would recommend this region to anyone wanting to gain some insight and history of early French culture.

We also took a train ride for the day to Bruges, Belgium. We had been there before and wanted to go back to visit this charming town. It is known for chocolate and lace but we wanted to experience walking along the canals and enjoying the sights on this great spring day.

There were so many happy experiences, ones that we will not soon forget. Paris is truly an amazing city and one that none of would ever tire of visiting. Phil and I are lucky to have visited Paris more than 8 times in the past years and hope to return to the "City of Lights" again.

Here is the link to our photo album: http://gallery.me.com/wc1208/100133

Dream House and Tea Room, Ballwin Missouri

2009-04-21T20:36:00.003-05:00

The gift shop that Phil helps with was on our local television show "Show me St. Louis" again. All of the ladies do such a nice job and the gift shop looks amazing. Judy Macher, the owner, has done so well with her events, lunch menu, and gift selection for the gift shop and tea room.

Here is the short video that was used in the program today.

Aspen Ski Trip 2009

2009-02-18T20:36:00.008-06:00

We had a great time again this year in Aspen. Phil arrived a week earlier than I did but he had trouble getting into Aspen where I had a blue sky day with no troubles at all.

We stayed at the Hotel Durant again this year...9th year in a row? It was so nice to be greeted by Rhonda at the front desk and then to be able to see Brian, Cynthia and to meet Sam during our stay. The hotel and guests are the highlight of the trip and we met many people that we see each year and were able to meet new friends as well.

Tom from London, David and Susan from New Jersey, Ginger and Jim from Evergreen, CO are friends that we see each year. This year we met, Doris and Karl from Germany, Lesley and Ian from England and Mike and Sue from Australia. They each made our stay so enjoyable!

It was fun having dinner together at Jimmy's with the regulars and to watch the super bowl at the St Regis Hotel. Even though Arizona lost, it was still a great game.

The snow was perfect for skiing and Phil and I both agreed that the snow was "faster" this year. It enabled us both to ski really well.

We are already looking forward to next year. Here are just a few pictures from the trip:

Phil with new ski jacket and pants

Phil, Ginger and Tom

David, Wade and Susan

Wade, Doris, Phil and Karl

Susan and Jim

Phil, Wade. Ginger and Jim

Elf Dance 2008

2008-11-27T12:21:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Visiting Jim and Helen Montague in Clio, Michigan

2008-11-25T20:06:00.003-06:00

Jim, Wade, Phil and Helen

This past weekend, Phil and I made a trip up to visit Jim and Helen Montague in Clio, Michigan. They are actually the parents of a friend of ours but we are so close to them and claim them as our own too! They both had birthdays this week and we wanted to visit them to help them celebrate.

We flew into Detroit and then rented a car for the drive to Clio. It is close to Flint and also Frankenmuth which is a great German town! It is known for being the home of Bronner's (World's largest Christmas store). We took Jim and Helen to Zehnder's for a great chicken dinner on Friday evening. On Saturday, Phil and I were able to visit Bronners and also walk around the nice shops in town. Close to Frankenmuth, there are Outlet stores and we were able to wander through them as well. That evening, we joined other family members and had a great meal at Lucky's.

Great weather, flights, food and laughter made the trip so much fun for us! We hope to be able to visit Jim and Helen again next summer! Happy Birthday Jim and Helen!

Frankenmuth Historic Marker

Zehnder's Family Restaurant

Rachel and Donita

3 Generations - Rachel with mother, Donita and grandmother, Helen

Dream House and Tea Room

2008-11-12T20:40:00.003-06:00

A close friend of ours, Judy Macher, is the owner of the Dream House and Tea Room located at the intersection of Kehrs Mill and Clayton Road. Today, her gift shop and tea room was featured on our local Channel 5 television station (KSDK). Here is the link to the 2.5 minute showcase. It is a beautiful shop and Phil was instrumental in the design and also gets to do some of the buying for it.

Click here to view the video.

Click here to view the gift shop website.

Good going Judy!

Tennessee Visit 2008

2008-10-21T18:31:00.009-05:00

Debbie, Wade and Gena

Debbie, Mike and Elizabeth's home

Fall decorations

This past weekend, Phil and I traveled to east Tennessee to visit my sisters and close family members. I have 2 sisters and a brother in Tennessee and was sure glad to see both of my sisters again! Debbie and Gena live about 3 miles from each other in Seymour, Tennessee at the foothills of the Smokey Mountains.

We left St Louis and drove to Nashville on Thursday, Oct 16th and stayed overnight. The next morning, Phil had the chance to see a beautiful Tennessee autumn morning. The leaves had begun to change but had not peaked as of yet.

Friday night, Debbie had invited our sister, Gena, her husband Scott, daughter April and son Jared. Also attending were my cousin Danny and his wife Ann along with their son, Brian. Debbie and her husband, Mike, along with their daughter Elizabeth were our hosts.

It was a lot of fun catching up and hearing old stories of the times we all shared together when we were much younger. I am so glad that Phil was finally able to meet my family!

Gena and Scott have 2 beautiful children and have done very well raising them! April is very pretty and off to college now and Jared is in the 3rd grade. I can remember playing with April as such a small child..it just amazes me how fast they grow up. This was the first time I had met Jared and was so glad to finally meet him. He is such a gentleman and very smart too!

Danny and Ann live in Sevierville and I was so happy to see them again! Brian, their son, continues to work with Oak Haven Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Take a look at the website and make your plans early as each cabin is so beautiful!

Debbie, Mike and Elizabeth added on to their home this past year and did a beautiful job! Elizabeth is now in the 8th grade and it was fun getting to pick her up from school. We got to watch a video of her riding horses at the summer camp she attends too.

Enjoy the pictures and I hope each of them will come visit us in Missouri soon!

Brian Murr

April Jett

Danny and Ann Murr

Scott, Debbie and Mike

Jared and Elizabeth

Gena and Phil

Gena, April, Jared and Scott

Debbie, Wade, Jared and Gena

Rombach Farm Pumpkin Patch - October 2008

2008-10-05T11:54:00.007-05:00

Today, Phil and I went on our annual pumpkin hunt to the Rombach Farm in Chesterfield, Missouri. This year, due to the very wet Spring and Summer, the pumpkin patch is just overflowing with pumpkins and gourds. We noticed a French variety of pumpkins too. They are more flat looking but still nice to have on display. Phil noticed a particularly good pumpkin and we chose it. I will carve it for Halloween and have it on the doorstep. I also had to buy some pumpkin butter and looking forward to having biscuits soon to sample it.

Here are some pictures from the pumpkin patch and I hope you all get to visit a pumpkin farm this year!

We saw some pumpkins that were over 200 lbs.

Lots of mums

Old tractor with scarecrow driver

One view of pumpkin patch

Wade with this years pumpkin

Phil at country store

New Driveway Resurfacing - Oct 2008

2008-10-01T10:51:00.007-05:00

Fall wreath on door

Front of house

Garage side of house

The past couple of days we had our driveway resurfaced and they did a great job! We used Bebb Asphalt here in St. Louis. We will not have it sealed until next Spring. They did leave us some notes for care. Mostly common sense things but parking the car in the same spot each time or turning your steering wheel back and forth will cause some damage. This was the last project that we had planned for 2008 and glad to have it finished. Here are some pictures that I took today.

Connecticut -Rhode Island Trip

2008-09-25T20:21:00.015-05:00

Mystic Seaport

Stonington, Connecticut

Phil and I took a quick trip up to New England to visit a few areas that we enjoy. We flew from St Louis to Hartford. We rented a car and headed for the coastline of Connecticut where we stayed in Mystic. We ate lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, The Skipper's Dock, in the borough of Stonington which is close by. Also in Stonington is one of the best places to eat Breakfast and Lunch too, it is called, Noah's.

Wade at Stonington

Phil at Stonington

We traveled from there to Newport, Rhode Island. Here we stayed one night at the Hyatt Regency Goat Island. We received a water view and I was pleasantly surprised to see a nice lighthouse from my window too. In Newport, we love to shop and eat lunch at our favorite restaurant called The Brick Alley. While in town, we chartered a sailboat along with 25 others for a 2.5 hour cruise in the Newport harbor. We ate dinner at Sardella's and enjoyed a nice Italian meal.

Lighthouse on Goat Island in Newport

Next we headed to Essex, Connecticut and stayed at the Griswold Inn. We have a favorite room there and was able to enjoy it again. We visited Chester, Marlborough, Old Saybrook and other small towns while in the area.

All in all we had a great time with super crisp days and blue skies. We keep asking ourselves if we could live there one day and we keep saying "YES"! Hope you enjoy the photos.

Stonington scenic area

Tall ship at Mystic Seaport

Randall's Ordinary Restaurant in North Stonington

Essex, Connecticut

Sammy Picture

2008-08-19T18:17:00.002-05:00

I needed a new picture of Sammy for my desktop and after about a dozen tries...I got the one I wanted. He is now 8 years old and still acts like a kitten. We love him so much! I hope you enjoy the photo too.

Arnold Family

2008-08-19T18:07:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures of some longtime friends in Colorado. The Arnold family all got together for some group pictures and I would like to share them with you. Sharon and Butch are the parents and have 3 amazing daughters, Sharlyn, Kara and Krista. Each of them have beautiful families of their own. I really enjoy keeping in touch with them and watching the new families grow. I hope to be able to visit with them soon!

From Left to Right

Krista, Butch, Sharlyn, Kara and Sharon

Arnold Family Group Photo

July 4th VP Parade in St. Louis

2008-07-06T20:58:00.009-05:00

Happy 4th of July!

My company, Maritz, sponsors hot air balloons each year in the Vail Prophet (VP) Parade on July 4th each year. This was my fifth year as a volunteer balloon handler. You never quite know what to expect weather wise here but this year was the most pleasant since I moved to St. Louis in 1996. What a gorgeous day for a parade! They had forecasted rain all week and we were prepared to be wet and miserable until the day before when they finally called for a nice breezy day with the high temperature of 80! (It usually is around 95-100)

Maritz was given 3 balloons this year, they were smaller but challenging still in the breeze. I lead one of the balloons and I must say, I had a great team as we kept our balloon in line and in perfect position the entire route. One of the fun things we get to do for the crowd is "spin" the balloons. This year we got to spin more than any year and had quite a work out.

Here are some photos and I hope you had a pleasant and safe 4th of July too!

Group picture

Pat, Mary, Dawn and Wade

Mary, Pat and Dawn

Posing in front of our balloons

Our balloon

Lined up and ready to go!

House Walkway

2008-06-06T12:46:00.006-05:00

Happy June everyone!

I have been working on a walkway project for a couple of weeks now. The rain certainly has not helped except to set the stones better in the ground. I am almost done and certainly glad to have a walkway in the back of the house.

Here is the process I used:

1. Lay flagstones in yard

2. Using a shovel, dig around the shape of the stone

3. Dig out the area about 2 inches in depth

4. Level the area with rake

5. Add sand about 1 inch deep in hole area

6. Place stone in area and then use extra sand around the edges

Here are some photos:

Paris Trip 2008

2008-05-30T14:00:00.010-05:00

Phil and I along with our friends, Rose Ann and Chuck Schuermann, traveled to Paris, France in late April. We had so much fun exploring new areas of Paris! Also, Phil and I traveled to the Provence area of France to a small town called Vaison la Romaine. This is where Phil took a cooking class with Patricia Wells a few years back and always wanted to return. We took the TGV train to Avignon and rented a car from Avis for the day. We made our way back to Paris and enjoyed our time with our friends. The highlights for me were visiting the Opera House, exploring the Trocadero area, and taking a bike tour with Fat Tire Bike Company. I highly recommend the bike tour! There were so many neat things that happened but just wanted to show a few pictures too. We are looking forward to our next visit there too!

Added new Blog link - Debbie and Chip Thole

2008-03-27T07:22:00.005-05:00

Hey all, hope you are welcoming Spring to your area of the world! We are getting more rain in the St. Louis area and we just don't need it. I will be posting some pictures of the yard soon as it emerges from the winter season.

I have added a link to friends of mine - Debbie Thole and her husband, Chip. Check out their blogsite link on the right.

They just returned from Italy and they also have a black lab, "Buddy"... and we have a chocolate lab "Buddy" who stayed at the farm house when we moved in 2002. He is now 10 years old by the way.

We are getting ready for our Paris and Provence trip in late April. I will be posting some pictures of the hotels and itinerary soon.

Happy Spring!

Wade, Phil and Sammy

Aspen Ski Trip Feb 1-8, 2008

2008-02-10T20:42:00.000-06:00

We have returned from our annual ski trip to Aspen, Colorado. This was Wade's 12th year and Phil has been going to Aspen since the late 60's. This year it was a challenge just to arrive as our flight from Denver circled the airport at Aspen with a slim chance to land but there must have been angels watching over us as we did just get in. All flights for the remainder of the day were cancelled.

The Hotel Durant, our second home, was waiting our arrival and it was great to be greeted by Rhonda. (She even wrote "Welcome Home" on a note left in our room.) Also great to see Cynthia, Brian and a new associate of the hotel, Ruth.

Returning guests that we see each year, Tom from England, Jim and Ginger from Colorado, Susan and David from the New York City area, and our friends from Germany. We met many nice hotel guests from the Channel Islands, Germany, and the US.

It did snow each day and we were amazed at the snow amounts. This was certainly the most snow I have ever seen anywhere! Skiing was fun but did require a bit more work with the powder each day....Phil and I did really well again. We are good blue run skiers.

Highlights of the trip included eating at Montagna at the Little Nell. We also enjoyed eating at Jimmy's American Restaurant downtown. We did not see any Hollywood stars this year but we are not sure, as we could have been skiing right along side anyone on the slopes and never know it!

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Hotel Durant ~ 10th Mountain Division Statue

Colorado Rocky Mountains ~ Sams Knob at Snowmass

Big Burn Ski Run at Snowmass ~ Snowmass employee on Fat Tuesday

Rhonda at Front Desk ~ Cynthia at Front Desk

Tom from England ~ Jim and Ginger from Colorado

German friends ~ New Snowmass Info Sign

Wade with snow drift ~ Phil with snow drift

Wade in downtown Aspen ~ House on Cooper Street

Happy New Year 2008!

2008-01-11T22:55:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to add a few lines to say Happy New Year to all of my family and friends!

We had a great Christmas and New Years again this year! New Years Eve was spent at a home in Florissant with many musicians and actors/actresses of local theatre. Now it is not many parties where the entire room knows all the lyrics to the music from South Pacific! :-)

New Years Day, we had 4 friends over to watch Football...One of our friends was a graduate of the Univ. of Wisconsin and I being a graduate of the Univ. of Tennessee....we watched the Outback Bowl Game where Tennessee beat Wisconsin 21-17. I kept my celebrating to a minimal excitement and switched the game over to Missouri who also won their game against Arkansas...38-7.

Phil cooked many appetizers and then served a wonderful beef tenderloin dinner. All in all it was a very relaxing and fun day! Hope yours was too and that you have many more good times in 2008!

December Snow

2007-12-16T17:19:00.001-06:00

We had our first snowfall in St. Louis on Saturday, December 15th. Phil met me after my work day at Crate and Barrel to have dinner with some friends at Maggiano's. It was lightly snowing while we ate and when we came outside.....there were at least 3 new inches of snow on the ground. We drove home on the interstate and it was covered with snow for the 10 mile drive. We both made it home just in time as I saw many stranded cars and people having trouble. We ended up with 8 inches of snow on the ground.

Here are some pictures I took of the house.

Disney World Visit

2007-11-22T11:29:00.000-06:00

I joined my sister, Debbie, and her family in Orlando November 9th through the 13th. While we were there we celebrated her birthday on Nov 9th and her daughter, Sylvia's, on Nov 13th! We went to Disney World for 3 days and saw the parks transform into their holiday decorations too. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Group shot on Main Street at Walt Disney World. From top left, Sylvia, Debbie, Mike, Wade

Kneeling is Madison and Elizabeth

Wade, Sylvia and Debbie at Rainforest Cafe

Debbie and Wade at Animal Kingdom

Debbie with Tigger at Grand Floridian Character Breakfast (Madison bending down)

Madison, Mary Poppins and Elizabeth

Debbie, Elizabeth and Mike....this may be their Christmas Card

Going Away Party for Bob and Liz

2007-11-02T21:20:00.000-05:00

Back in September of this year, we threw a going away party for 2 of our Crate and Barrel family members. I took pictures with my camera and then discovered that I didnt have my memory card in it. After a few weeks, I remembered that my camera has built in memory and that I had to have them stored. Today I finally downloaded them to my computer. Yea!

Bob, who opened the store in St. Louis was an assistant manager and Liz was an office manager. I took some pictures at the party and have posted them below. Bob is now in Arkansas living the good life and Liz moved to Denver, CO and is working at a Crate and Barrel there.

We all will miss them both very much!

Sharon Arnold - Light The Night

2007-11-01T20:46:00.000-05:00

Light The Night is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's nationwide evening walk to celebrate survivors and commemorate lives touched by cancer. The walk is held in the twilight, with everyone holding illuminated balloons. My friend Sharon Arnold, Westminster, CO and friends walked in Denver and then traveled to Penn., Phoenix, and Las Vegas to walk with the girls and their families and friends. Sharon is a shining example of how a positive spirit and attitude along with healing prayers can defeat this crippling disease.

My new BMW!

2007-09-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't wake up on Friday morning and say "Hey, I am going to buy a BMW today." I had made a call to the dealership and was just curious what my Honda Civic was worth. I found out that it was pretty good. I was on the way to the gym and got a call from my salesperson and he asked if I could stop by. Next thing I knew I was signing papers to get it that night! It is a 2007 328i and my first BMW. The color is platinum bronze and it is new this year. I was thinking about Sparkling Graphite (Gray) but when I saw this one, I knew it would work for me. I have got to go back to the dealership today for some last minute details. It drives really well, Phil has 2 BMW's an X3 and a Z4 and I guessed it kinda rubbed off on me. Here are some pictures, you can click on each for a larger image.

Greek Cruise Trip - Aug 24th to Sept 3rd

2007-09-11T20:29:00.000-05:00

Hey, we really had a great time on the cruise! I took over 400 pictures and have built a small album for you to see some of the highlights from the trip. Celebrity Cruises did a great job in helping us have a very enjoyable vacation. We departed and returned to Rome. The ports we visited were Messina, Sicily, Italy then to Mykonos, Greece on to Kusadasi, Turkey, then to Santorini, Greece, on to Rhodes, Greece and then back to Naples, Italy. You can view the entire itinerary earlier in my blog. I had my head shaved in Kusadasi and it was fun! I played basketball and volleyball in the pool each day and Phil attended wine tasting classes and read 2 books. Hope you enjoy the pictures! Just click on the link below to go to the album. It is always good to be home again!

Greek Cruise Album

Alejandro Family

2007-08-03T12:06:00.001-05:00

I have a friend, Sharlyn, (we go way back) that is living in Las Vegas but we didn't get to see her or her family on this trip as they were out of town to attend a wedding.

They sent some pictures and I thought they were so good that I wanted to add them to my site here. Sharlyn (Arnold) Alejandro, her husband, James, Rimma and Evan.

I hope that on the next visit they will be in town or better yet, you can come to St. Louis!

Las Vegas Trip Pictures

2007-08-03T09:31:00.001-05:00

We had a great time in Las Vegas! It was hot but we were expecting it to be as well. The highlight had to be our meal at Caneletto Restaurant at the Venetian Hotel. We had a patio table and it was just like sitting in St Mark's Square in Venice. We also enjoyed the Paris Hotel as it was next door to our own hotel, the new Planet Hollywood Hotel. The Wynn Hotel and Belagio Hotel were extremely nice too! I did gamble and of course, won some and gave it back.

Here are some pictures from the trip. I took these with my Samsung Blackjack phone:

Planet Hollywood Hotel:

Paris Hotel fountain,Eiffel Tower, and Buffet:

Venetian Hotel Gondola Ride, Canaletto Restaurant:

Wynn Hotel Exterior and waterfall:

Phil in Belagio Hotel with Chihuly glass in lobby:

Caesars Palace Living Statues:

House Garden Pictures

2007-07-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

I took some pictures of our plantings around the house. We work hard at keeping everything watered and weeded. Here are just a few pictures that I took with my Blackjack phone.

Trip to Atlanta - July 12-16

2007-07-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

We had a great trip to Atlanta! The weather was cooler than average and I am glad because I did a lot of walking outside. Phil attended the AmericasMart Gift Show and I got to join him for about 1/2 day. It is fun looking at all the new products for 2008 and Phil had many appointments with exhibitors.

I took Friday and Sunday off from the Gift Market and went sightseeing. Since I used to live in Atlanta, I wanted to see how much has changed. Centennial Olympic Park is just beautiful and 11 years since the Olympics, it is nice to see how important it still is to Atlanta.

I was able to visit the new Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca Cola, and I took the CNN Studio Tour (something I never did while I lived in Atlanta for 13 years!). The aquarium is the world's largest and I really enjoyed it! I still like the Living Seas exhibit at DisneyWorld best but this is a close second. World of Coca Cola is in a new location in Atlanta, next door to the Georgia Aquarium, and very informative and fun as well. I really enjoyed the CNN Studio tour and will never be able to watch CNN again without thinking that I was there in the studio. I saw Heidi Collins and Chuck Roberts.

I also was able to visit 2 Crate and Barrel stores in Atlanta. One at Lenox Mall and the other at Perimeter Mall. It is always fun for me looking at our other stores and see how they operate.

Ok, here are some pictures that I took while walking around.

Goodbye Sherry!

2007-07-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

One of the first people I worked with here in St. Louis is Sherry Griffin. She is leaving our company and country to live in Scotland with her son's family.

Here are some pictures of our luncheon we arranged in her honor.

Bye Sherry and best of luck to you!

Off to Atlanta!

2007-07-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

We are flying to Atlanta this weekend to attend the AmericasMart show for retailers. Aside from being a dentist, Phil is a buyer for the Dream House and Tea Room Gift Shop here in Ballwin, MO. I lived in Atlanta for 13 years and looking forward to visiting some friends and seeing some new and old sites. Atlanta has a new aquarium called "The Georgia Aquarium". I will be using the rapid rail service called "Marta" to get around....no need for a car this trip. I will post some pictures from the trip after we return.

This is the start of our traveling season and in a few weeks we will be in Vegas!

VP Parade 4th of July - St Louis 2007

2007-07-04T18:03:00.000-05:00

Today, I joined many of my co-workers at Maritz and we participated in the VP Parade downtown St. Louis. We handled a hot air balloon called "Dazzle the Dalmation". It was so much fun and although it started out breezy under mixed clouds....by the time we ended up at the end of the parade route, it was hot! Here are some pictures and I am looking forward to doing it again next year!

Team Crate - Race for the Cure

2007-06-18T10:44:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, June 16th....Crate and Barrel sponsored a team for the Susan G Kohlman "Race for the Cure" in St. Louis. We each wore T-shirts that said "Crate Cares". There were over 65,000 participants and St Louis broke an attendance record again this year! Most of us walked 3 miles for the cause (Emily and Crystal ran the entire 5K) and it was amazingly easy and fun! Here are some pictures from the event. Alot of the employees had to work a full day after this and put in a long day! Thanks everyone!

Updated Kitchen Pictures

2007-06-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

We made alot of progress on the kitchen and have the countertop, sink, and all appliances. We are waiting on the wall treatment which is going to consist of wallpaper and dry set stone. We are really happy with the progress so far and I even got to cook on the new gas stove last night. You will notice that we have blue tape marking where the pulls and handles will be placed on the cabinets. Here are some pictures. I will post final pictures next and it will not be long now. Please click on the images to zoom in on them.

Before _____After

Before _____After

Before _____After

Las Vegas Trip Update

2007-06-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

Phil and I will be going to Las Vegas to attend the Furniture show there. Phil has not been to Las Vegas in many years (Pre-Mirage build) and this will be a great chance to show him the new Vegas! We are staying at the new Planet Hollywood Hotel..I really tried to get the Paris Hotel but they were sold out. I love roller coasters and will be riding them as Phil watches from below.

We have reservations for dinner at The Venetian Hotel. On our Italy trip last year, we ate at the foot of the Rialto Bridge in Venice and friends say this restaurant is remarkably done.

We will post pictures from the trip right here on our blog.

See ya,

Wade

Crate and Barrel - Goodbye to Bev and Kelvin

2007-04-30T17:51:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, April 29th we had a chance to say goodbye to 2 of our original employees here in St. Louis. Beverly is leaving for the summer to become Assistant Manager of a Detroit area store, then she will be leaving for college at the Univ. of Missouri/Columbia. Kelvin will be heading to Dayton, Ohio to manage a multi-store crossdock for Crate and Barrel.

We will certainly miss these two and only wish the best for them in their future positions. Please come back and visit us often!

Here are some pictures I took from the going away party.

(Click on the above images to see a larger image)

Kitchen Remodel Update - March 25, 2007

2007-03-25T18:42:00.000-05:00

We are getting ready to start with the flooring. I thought I would show some pictures of the kitchen with the drywall up and new pitched 15-foot ceiling in the breakfast room. All electrical is done and new control grids installed for the various can lights, ceiling lights, and cable for the TV.

Please click on any image for a larger view.

Las Vegas Trip Planned for Summer 2007

2007-03-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

Phil wants to go to Las Vegas...that alone is something I thought I would never hear because he does not like gaming at all! The draw is that there is a big furniture show this summer at the Convention Center and he would like to attend. (He is a buyer for the Dreamhouse Gift Shop listed below in an earlier post.) I have us booked at the Aladdin Hotel, soon to be the Planet Hollywood Hotel -- I think I saw on the web somewhere. We are just going for a couple of nights. Here is a link to the hotel and monorail. It is cool that you can ride in comfort now down the strip. Will keep you posted on the trip!

DreamHouse & Tea Room Gift Shop

2007-03-09T10:15:00.000-06:00

Phil is instrumental in helping with a local tea room and gift shop in design and buying. Here is the link to the DreamHouse & Tea Room Gift Shop. The owner, Judy Macher, has Phil attend the Atlanta Gift Show to help buy products for Christmas and in general. If you are ever in the Ballwin, Missouri area, please stop by and check out this beautiful shop!

Promotion at Maritz for Wade

2007-03-07T12:08:00.000-06:00

Hi all, I did want to post that one of the exciting things that has happened lately is that I was promoted at Maritz this past week. I will be assuming the new position of Web Program Manager with our International Group Travel Department. Currently I am in training and will be on the team full time starting May 1st. I have been trying for this since May 2006. Thanks for all your kind wishes sent to me!

Wade

New England Trip Planning

2007-03-06T08:44:00.000-06:00

We are all set now for our trip to Connecticut and Massachusetts in May. We will be leaving on Thursday, May 3rd and returning on Monday, May 7th. Looking forward to staying in Essex, CT again at the Griswold Inn. Also, we will be visiting Mystic Seaport, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Stonington, and Newport. We also will be checking out the Mohegan Sun Casino. Look for more information to come......

New Volvo Concept Car - XC60

2007-02-25T10:16:00.000-06:00

I just bought a new car in May of 2006, being a loyal Honda customer, I chose the 2006 Honda Civic. I really like the car and having had 3 Accords. 2 CR-V's and 1 Civic before this car, I thought the design, size and that it came with Navigation was just what I needed for the present time. (I even passed over the BMW 325i for the Civic)

Now, I have heard of a new SUV for Volvo that is still in concept design but I will be watching this closely as it is due for the 2009 model year I am told.
Click here to see it up close. There is an intro part to the site and you can skip it or watch them assemble the car from start to finish.....pretty cool.

Right now, look for me in my Royal Blue Civic

Greek Cruise Itinerary - Celebrity Cruises

2007-02-24T09:01:00.000-06:00

Hello, I thought I would add our cruise information for Greece this summer. We will be flying to Rome, Italy and then departing for a 10 night cruise before returning to Rome. I am excited that I will be able to see the Greek Isles and also be able to show Phil one of my favorite places: Isle of Capri off of Italy. We will get to spend an entire day on the island and it is just beautiful!

Click here to take a look at the Itinerary.

Ciao,

Wade

New House Pictures

2007-02-23T13:38:00.000-06:00

I found this site that I created when we got our new home in 2002. I just want to keep this here for a reference. Here is the link: http://www.geocities.com/wc1208/newhome.html

Aspen Ski Trip Feb 3-10, 2007

2007-02-19T22:10:00.000-06:00

Hi there, we did go skiing again this year (Wade's 11th year and Phil 30+ years). Aspen was beautiful and the weather was mild, in fact it was colder here in St Louis many of the days. We never saw it snow in Aspen but they had received more than enough to keep us happy on the slopes. We stay at the Hotel Durant right in Aspen and were able to see Brian and Rhonda again! The highlights of the trip were the familiar faces at the hotel; Tom from England, Susan and David from NYC, and we made friends with Steve and Janelle from Minneapolis this year! We did go to the T Lazy 7 Ranch for a Western Dinner Dance and Sleigh Ride too...had a great time! Here are some pictures from the trip:

Next year, we may even have a few friends join us from St. Louis on our trip. Looking forward to it already!

Kitchen Remodel

2007-02-19T21:45:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting but we have had quite a bit of excitement around the house. We are in the middle of remodeling our kitchen from the ground up. First it started with us selling our existing kitchen cabinets and appliances...thought it would take a while but sold everything to one buyer! That was around January 15th and we think we will be without a kitchen until at least April. Cabinets are on their way but we are still deciding on the new countertop and fixtures. Here are some before pictures and current ones too.

Here are the current pictures: (Sammy is looking for his cat food)

We will keep you posted on the progress and until then.....we accept care packages!

Bye for now!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2006-12-29T12:43:00.000-06:00

It is close to being 2007 and I hope all of you have the best year ever! For this new year, we are busy making plans for the following: new kitchen remodel, vacation in Aspen for our annual ski trip, vacation to Connecticut and Massachusetts in May, and the big trip for this year.....10 night Greek Cruise departing from Rome, Italy! Phil is also planning on taking a cooking class in Bologna in June. I would like to take some time off this summer from Crate and Barrel to enjoy the weekends with Phil and Sammy.

Here is our Christmas photo for this year....it was also on our Christmas card.

Today Katie Couric Farewell - MSNBC.com

2006-11-01T20:43:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to Katie Couric's last show and the short documentary on Ordinary People with Extraordinary Courage. You will find the link about halfway down the page.

Today Katie Couric Farewell - MSNBC.com

Here is Sammy, a Maine Coon, born May 1, 2000

2006-10-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

1st Entry into our new blog!

2006-10-27T07:52:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone, This will be our site for all news and updates! It seems we always have something going on and this would be a good place to keep it. From time to time we will post pictures and life happenings.

Right now the CARDS can clinch the World Series tonight here in St Louis!

Keep watching for more here!

Wade