Jump

Going to the lake this weekend (yes, again). Last weekend it was with family, this weekend with friends. 

I predict a lot more alcohol consumption. 

Image from Dress Design & Decor

Budweiser Knows Me

I think they knew I needed a little inspiration to pull me thru this Friday funk and on to the weekend!

Vroom Vroom

Thanks again, Facebook. 

Preppy

Why can't this be my life? Let's bring chic polo matches to Missouri.

Photos from Veuve Clicquot's Facebook page and Vogue.

Wedding Wednesdays

That's it. I'm starting a Wedding Wednesday tradition. Yep, right now.

It's not that I'm obsessed with weddings or getting married... I just think they happen to feature some of the best design and photography around. Seriously. My 'blog it' folder is filled with posts about weddings just waiting to be shared!

So if you like weddings... or like me.... or like design, photography, rings, and pretty dresses, stay tuned right here every Wednesday.

This first entry comes from Landlocked Bride (and I'm sure many future posts will too). What a great alternative to bubbles or rice at a nighttime wedding. Sure, your dress may catch fire, but a photo like this makes it worth it, no?

#weddingwednesday (or should it be #wedWed? clever.)

Good Story

I can't take credit for this story... I read it at The Boomerang Table, fell in love, and just had to share... Enjoy!

'You may not recognize the name Edith Shain, but chances are, you’ve seen her photo.

In August, 1945, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt was shooting in Times Square when the US declared victory over Japan, and an end to WWII. At the same time, 27-year-old nurse Edith Shain joined co-workers and fellow New Yorkers pouring into the streets to celebrate. An unknown soldier grabbed her by the waist, tilted her back, and gave her a kiss. Eisenstaedt snapped an image, which later appeared in LIFE magazine, and 65 years later, that photo remains instantly recognizable to millions of Americans.

One of the most fascinating details about that photo is the fact that Eisenstaedt failed to catch the names of his subjects, and for 35 years, neither was identified. That changed in 1980 when Ms. Shain sent a letter to him, finally solving the mystery by identifying herself as the recipient of a kiss from a man she didn’t know, saying, “Someone grabbed me and kissed me, and I let him because he fought for his country.” The modest woman later confessed she kept silent for so long because she was embarrassed to have been photographed while kissing a complete stranger.

Edith Shain passed away this week at the age of 91. When I read her obit yesterday in the NY Times, I was struck by a comment she once made about the iconic photograph and what it meant to her. “It says so many things,” she told the Associated Press. “Hope, love, peace and tomorrow.” Well said, Edith.'

I can do anything.

We could all take a little 'think positive' lesson from this girl, don't ya think?

Thanks Taylor for sharing this video (and for starting an awesome new blog I can't wait to follow!)

Surprise

This weekend my Dad said something about a dress from 'Christian Dior'. I didn't even know he knew what that meant.... Just goes to show that even the people we know best can surprise us.

PS: Yes, that dress is Dior and I saw it here.

Shazamed

One Eskimo, 'Kandi'


Neko Case, 'People Got A Lot of Nerve'


Train, 'If It's Love'


The Decemberists, 'Perfect Crime #2'

#musicmonday

Meet Me in St. Louis

Golden

Heading to Tablerock for the weekend... hoping it's half as bright, sunny and golden as this picture.

From Dress Design and Decor

Staying

You've probably heard, but I didn't get MTV TJ (I know, sad face... but read my post from yesterday for all my thank you's! I seriously can't express enough how much I love all you guys for supporting me!). 

Anyway. 

Things I can do now that I know I'm not MTV's TJ:

• buy my Avett Brothers tickets for their show at the Pageant
• stop tweeting... as much
• book a flight to NYC for play instead of work
• buy my LouFest tickets
• RSVP to Liz's wedding
• plan another weekend at the lake
• take off work the Friday of Mizzou's Homecomig and start planning my other Mizzou football tailgates
• start 'living' in my house (including but not limited to going grocery shopping for reals, painting my dresser, hanging up pictures, planning a BBQ...)

The list goes on and on.... don't worry St. Louis, your girl is here to stay!

Freedom!

The MTV TJ contest is (sort of) officially over. Voting has closed on the ZYNC page, so now it is totally out of my, and your, hands. They announce the Final Five on Friday, but no matter what happens, I know I have a ton of people the thank already...

• My sister, who (I think wanted me to win more than even I did and) made me the Facebook page that quickly became 'Danielle 4 TJ' central. 
• Everyone at Atomicdust that was super supportive of my 'sidejob'.
• Girls Guide to the Galaxy for writing an amazing story about me and supporting me along the way. 
• Pretty Little Empire who let me throw their name, pictures, and music all over the internets. 
• All of my family and friends who signed up for Facebook and Twitter just to help me. I hope that you guys get some real use out of the sites and grow to love them as much as I do. 
• The entire St. Louis Twitter community who rallied behind me (even though we may have never even met in person). You guys are awesome. 
• All the Delta Gammas at Mizzou and beyond who took my plea to help a sister out. 
• Chelsea, Amanda, and Madison who all scored 90% on my quiz and confirmed my suspicions that people who follow my blogs (and are in the J School and DG) know me better than anyone else. 
• Everyone who joined and added pics to the I Love Pets group on Flickr
• St. Louis Bread Company, who provided a booth for me to sit in and work (and break down in tears). 
• All of my friends who had to deal with said tears.
• Remy and Mason at The Bull, who supported me on Twitter and on the air; Dana at Show Me St. Louis, who came to my office to interview me; Don at the South County Times; Deb at St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Josh at Mizzou Magazine; Beth at Lindbergh High School; and the folks over at St. Louis Social Media and Technology Report and the Mizzou Alum site.... hope I didn't forget anyone...
• Asher Roth-you are super cool. I'll be waiting to buy your new CD when it comes out for sure!
• All the other TJers.... I'm coming out of the contest with 19 new friends who are exactly like me!
• MTV, duh. Brett and crew.... you guys are amazing!
• And everyone who voted, wrote about me in their blogs, made it their Facebook status, commented on my blogs, RTed me, congratulated me in person.... you all are wonderful. Lucky for me, there are too many of you to thank. Just know that I'm forever grateful. 

And if I forgot you... Sorry. It's been a crazy couple of weeks and I lost my mind back there somewhere. 

[Reblog:] The other market in Soulard

Note: This post originally appeared on Girls Guide to the Galaxy. The site has since gone under, and I'm not sure how much longer these posts will still exist. But they were good. And I don't want to loose them. To see the original, click here. 

I never fancied myself one to get invited to elite parties and classy gallery openings (but lately, that’s been just the case, thanks to a certain contest I am in), but I jumped at the chance to go check out Soulard Art Market’s recent showing, ‘Social Media & Media Social.’

The showing was a special, private reception for social media folks like myself to come check out what they’ve got going on there to prepare for the Contemporary Art Museum’s Open Studios Tour, which kicks into high gear this weekend.

Open Studios highlights many of the working artists here in St.Louis. It’s all about welcoming the public into the creative spaces where they work and, in many cases, chat with the artists themselves!

Bonus: It’s free.

Open Studios is going on this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, from 10am-4pm). You can get a map of the locations and give yourself a little self guided-tour, or sign up for one of the many tours offered through the Contemporary Arts Museum- including bus, bike, and even Segway tours!

And if SAM (Soulard Art Market’s clever moniker) wasn’t already on your list of places to stop by- let me tell you, it should be.

SAM is operated by a core group of resident artists- meaning there is something for everyone there. Drawing, painting, digital and traditional photography, mixed media, sculpture and jewelry … I guarantee you’ll find something there you want to walk away with (for me, it was Jane Martin’s neon-hued South City streetscapes).

Here’s a little taste of what you can see at the gallery, thanks to SAM’s Flickr page:

SAM was one of those places I drove by practically every day and thought, ‘Oh, an art gallery. Wouldn’t that be a fun place to check out someday?’ Unfortunately, as we all know too well, ‘someday’ rarely comes along.

Even if it isn’t this weekend, make sure you take the time to stop in there and see what our local artists are creating. The artists at SAM each maintain a personal display space as well as coordinate the monthly main gallery exhibits, which are usually free and open to the public. Plus, most of the artwork is offered for sale. Did someone say, ‘redecorating?’

For more information on Soulard Art Market or the Open Studios Tour, check out their websites:

http://sam.soulardartmarket.org/

http://openstudiosonline.org/

We Are Mizzou

Is it football season yet?

The Like, Wishing He Was Dead

Heard this on my way to work this morning. I like The Like.

Boy Toy

I friggin' love Zac Efron.

(Note: He is at Ronnie's tonight and I won't get to see him. I am sad.)

Facebook Does It Again

I might need to start a 'greatest hits' album for all of these.

Social Media NOW.

By far, the best social media presentation I've seen (and believe me, I've seen a lot of them). I know that 104 slides seems like a lot, but trust me, it's worth it.

What the F**k is Social Media NOW?

View more presentations from Marta Kagan.

MTV asked:

What three MTV moments have resonated with you most?

Made: I Want to Graduate From High School
Forget becoming a cheerleader or skateboarder or homecoming queen, this is one episode of Made I will never forget. It wasn't about being pretty or popular or branching out, it was about something simple. All this kid wanted to do was make it out of high school with a diploma in hand.

When people think of MTV, certain things come to mind: The Hills, Justin Bieber, Date My Mom, oh, and music too I guess- but what people forget about is how current and controversial MTV's programming can be. This Made episode, the True Life series, the issues addressed on countless seasons of the Real World, not to mention campaigns like 'Choose or Lose' have become regular staples on the network. In my opinion, if my generation is any more educated and open-minded, we have MTV to thank.

The 2009 VMAs
No, Kanye stealing the mic from Taylor is not the moment that 'resonated' with me... although it helped. The 2009 VMAs was the first time I really saw the power of social media. The first time I really saw how it was changing our regular habits.

You see, I had been watching MTV's finale of ABDC and the VMA Red Carpet special, but then I switched over to AMC for my weekly dose of Mad Men before the VMAs actually got underway. Minutes into the show, messages like 'F@#k Kanye' and 'Poor Taylor' started popping up on Twitter. Immdiately, I switched back over to MTV, and before I knew it, the trending topics on Twitter were all MTV-related: VMAs, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Shakira and Pink (they were wearing the same dress that night...).

We're not waiting for recap shows or next day coverage anymore. When things happen- big things like Kanye and even small things like what we ate for dinner- we are talking about them right now.


Britney's 'Comeback' at the 2007 VMAs
Okay, I've mentioned this one before... but it deserves to be said again. The night of those VMAs, we had just had our weekly sorority meeting at the chapter house. Instead of trying to rush back to our apartments or dorm rooms, a hundred or so girls crowded into the TV room to try to get a glimpse at their fallen idol, hoping this would live up to past performances- 'I'm a Slave 4 U' with the snake, 'Satisfaction' with that nude body suit, the Super Bowl with Aerosmith and former boy toy Justin and crew.

Every girl in that room had favorite Britney moments- favorite songs, favorite performances, favorite videos. The fact that we were all brought together by a single artist, by a single program shows the collective viewing power MTV has over generations of viewers. Britney is an icon, yes... but MTV is the icon that made her.

“The celebrity you will be interviewing is... Asher Roth.”

‘Eeeee’

-Me, giddy with excitement.

You see, I love Asher Roth. His first big hit, ‘I Love College’, conveniently came out my last semester of college and was my anthem that spring. We blared it down Providence, down Rollins, down College, and of course, in Fort Myers on spring break.

And (confession:) every time it gets to the ‘Freshman, freshman, do somethin’ crazy’ part... I cry.

I am not joking.

So, needless to say, when MTV told me I would be interviewing him for the TJ Challenge... I. Was. Psyched.

What I expected to get from my interview with Asher Roth:
Just a goofy party boy.

What I actually got from my interview with Asher Roth:
A goofy party boy who is also really down-to-earth, honest, and smart.

When I got on the phone with Asher, he was chilling out in LA, ready to hit the pool before a writing session for his new album, which he hopes to be finished with in November or December- just in time for those holiday sales! (Mom Santa, add that to my Christmas list now.)

Writing and recording for the album is in full swing, but don’t expect a tour from Asher any time soon. The self-proclaimed ‘pale white kid’ will wait until summer is over before he goes out touring in the hot sun. In the meantime, he’s got his SPF, his water, and his work to keep him occupied.

He's already promoting his new single 'G.R.I.N.D (Get Ready It's a New Day)', and has a concept for the video that any social media lover (aka me) can get behind-

He’s leaving it up to the fans.

That’s right. Fans submitted their own videos for' G.R.I.N.D', and Asher and his team will pick the best of the best to be chosen (again, by the fans of course) for the official video.

“We want them to feel like this is their project. That they have the control. That they can pick something dope.”

The videos aren’t the only way Asher is keeping his fans engaged while they wait for the next album. This guy’s as active online as an MTV TJ. He stays connected on Twitter and Facebook, and through his seriously awesome website.

“I’m 24, and when we were looking ahead to 2010, 2011, we thought there would be flying cars, holograms, future sh*t... This is where we are. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, even though that’s faded a little bit. Now, I’m in the music business... I never thought I would be here... and it’s way bigger than just music. It’s about how we are as people. Its about our personality... I want to welcome people into our world.”

And just a note: Asher isn’t logging on via the iPhone. He's got a Blackberry through Verizon... and proud of it. (Anyone looking for a spokesperson?)

There’s no doubt that Asher is most famous for his party anthem, ‘I Love College.’ In fact, when I told people I was interviewing him, all they wanted to know was why he loved college so much. The avid beer pong player (and competitive flip cupper, too) says that besides the obvious reasons- you know, women and drinking, like he says in the song- college is really all about the experience.

“You’re learning about life. It’s a human experience. It’s social. It’s branching out.”

And when asked what he loves more than college, Asher responds without hesitation-

“My family, my friends, and my freedom.”

Cue the ‘awww’s’, right?

I can hear his friends laughing in the background. “They’re laughing because they know I love them,” Asher tells me, before shouting, “I love you guys!”

The new album, tentatively titled The Spaghetti Tree, is all about life after college, but Asher isn’t forgetting about the hit that made him a star.

“Hopefully it sticks around for years to come. I think people really connected with it.”

They sure did. And here's hoping Asher sticks around for years to come too.

(Image credit: Asher's Facebook page. Check it out. And 'like' it.)

Super

[Reblog:] A Real 36 hours in St. Louis

Note: This post originally appeared on Girls Guide to the Galaxy. The site has since gone under, and I'm not sure how much longer these posts will still exist. But they were good. And I don't want to loose them. To see the original, click here. 

I love it when our great city gets positive publicity. Especially when said publicity is coming from a publication as big as the New York Times. In case you missed it, there is this great article, 36 Hours in Saint Louis, that came out a few weeks back and quickly made its rounds on the Internet.

I’ve already gone through and mentally highlighted all the places I want to visit on the list (Cherokee!Winslow’s Home! Franco! … ), but it got me thinking. How am I spending my 36 hours (or a little more) in St. Louis?

Friday

6:00pm

It’s the weekend! I made my way home from work, picked up the pup, and went down to Soulard for a walk. The area boasts some of the city’s finest old buildings and a dog park (for the brave pet owners…. aka, not me).

7:30pm

It was time for a stop in at a new Soulard establishment, International Tap House, or iTap as it is so cleverly called. iTap boosts an impressive beer list and a fantastic patio. Perfect for an afternoon brewsky. Plus, they brought out a doggie bowl of water for my pup! Thoughtful, eh? We both quenched our thirst!

10:00pm

Is there a better way to spend a nice evening than hanging out on a patio listening to some music with friends? I don’t think so. Atomic Cowboy always has a great mix of  popular DJ-driven music and local live bands to satisfy its patrons. Plus, it has the perfect crowd (in my opinion)- an even mix of college guys in salmon-colored polos (and their bro-posse) and tattooed hipsters drinking their PBRs.

Saturday

11:00am

I made my way over to the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market. Scratch that. I attempted to make my way over to the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market. I went to the park, strolled around a bit, but in attempt not to get lost, I refused to wander too far from where I had parked. Not a big deal- I actually checked out the Market last Thursday on its weekly stop downtown, and my aimless wanderings gave me a chance to enjoy a pretty park on a pretty day. Oh and shoot this cute video of ducks.

1:00pm

All that walking made me thirsty, and I knew right away just what I needed. No, not more beer from iTap. I needed cucumber water.

Have you ever heard of this interesting combination? Something about the slice of cucumber in ice water quenches my thirst like nothing else can. Intrigued? Head on over to Benton Park Cafe and try it!

Benton Park Cafe serves up the perfect brunch on summer mornings. I recommend the Hoofer omelet (um duh, it has bacon) but choosing between the potatoes and the fruit cup for your side is going to be up to you. I’ve had both, and even I have a tough time making up my mind! (and no, the fruit cup is not one of those sissy sides made up of mostly melon that they serve at most restaurants, this is strawberries, grapes, pineapples, hmm hmmm good).

Oh, and on the way out the door, don’t forget to grab an Iced Benton Park Mocha. It’ll cool you down and perk you up.

2:00pm

Sure, there are plenty of great public pools you can waste the day at in Saint Louis (not to mention a couple decent waterparks), but personally, I’m more of a ‘backyard pool’ gal.

Green lawns and clean cars and swimming pools are part of the good life, American style.
-Alvin Weinberg

I grew up with pools in backyards- at my grandparents, my cousins’, my friends’, my neighbors’. Every house, including my own had a pool in the backyard. I honestly don’t know any other way to spend my summer days.

5:00pm

While you’re down in South County (oh, I’m sorry, that’s not where your pool is? Too bad…), make sure to stop by Spanky’s Frozen Custard and grab yourself a frozen treat. The custard is good, but after a day in the sun there is nothing better than a fruity, refreshing treat. I usually go for the Pina Colada Slustard (A slustard is half slushie, half custard, and it is seriously delicious), but I’m also a big fan of their Strawberry Fruit Coolers.

9:00pm

Looking for a nice little block of bars that’s sort of downtown, but free from the crowds on Washington Avenue and the Landing? Head down Locust to hit up this trifecta- Schlafly, El Borracho, and Tin Can.

All three are great places, with great service, to just chill with your friends. Grab a table, grab a beer (Summer Lager, Sol, and 16 oz. PBR, respectively), and enjoy a night out with your besties (at bars where you can actually hear each other’s conversation).

Sunday

Is there a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than a backyard BBQ with friends? All you need are some snacks, beer, and Saint Louis’ finest pork steaks and you’re set. Oh, don’t forget the washers!

And if you’re really lucky, you’ll be spending your 36 hours in St. Louis the weekend of Fourth of July and get the extra special treat of watching fireworks under the Arch! At least, that’s how I topped off my weekend! Enjoy this little snippet of the show while you start making your own plans for a weekend in Saint Louis…