Cel ebrating WOM EN
EDUCATION
AS GOOD AS GOLD
LIFE + CULTURE FOR I KNOW THE PLANS
ARTS + CULTURE
LET’S STICK TOGETHER
InVita Health and Wellness offers individualized care in St. Louis and its surrounding areas to improve and support your health. We are a multi-specialty functional medicine and wellness medical spa that helps our clients with individualized care plans to boost their body image and overall health. We specialize in alternative medicine modalities that focus on holistic healing and natural wellness Our services are designed to address a wide range of health concerns and promote overall vitality
Celebrating Women
I don’t know about you, but I love any excuse to celebrate the incredible women in my life, the ones who make this world a little richer, a lot more beautiful, and infinitely more meaningful.
From wives and mothers to daughters and lifelong friends, these women shape our stories in big and small ways. And with Mother’s Day on the horizon, our hearts naturally turn toward moms, not just the biological kind, but all the strong, nur turing, generous women who’ve loved us like their own.
They’re the mentors, teachers, neighbors and quiet heroes who’ve poured into our lives without asking for anything in return. They’ve shown up, stood by us, lifted us and cheered us on when we needed it most. For that and so much more I am forever grateful.
May is also the perfect month to shine a light on the women-owned businesses in our community. Supporting local is always in style, but there’s something special about backing a woman who is chasing her dream while lifting others along the way.
That’s one of our favorite parts of this role connecting with the powerhouse women who are building, creating, and inspiring across our city. They’re movers and shakers. Builders and makers. Bold and quiet. Their presence seen and unseen adds layers of beauty and brilliance to our everyday lives.
So here’s my challenge to you: take a moment this month to reach out to the women who’ve impacted your life. Send a quick text, make a heartfelt call, or set up a video chat with someone who deserves a little love and recognition. It doesn’t take much to make someone feel seen and it’s always worth it.
Cheers to the women who make life brighter, better and beautifully unforgettable.
May 2025
PUBLISHERS
Gordon Montgomery
gordon.montgomery@citylifestyle.com
Kelley Lamm kelley.lamm@citylifestyle.com
COPY EDITOR
Julie Brown Patton | julie.patton@citylifestyle.com
PUBLICATION DIRECTOR
Casey Pierce | casey.pierce@citylifestyle.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Christina Iris Schmidt christina.schmidt@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Julie Brown Patton, Robin Seaton Jefferson, Chelsea Haynes, Mel Boban
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Carol Green
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Antanette Ray
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Anna Minnick
JUDITH SCISSORS
Discover Senior Living Your Way
314-993-0111 | T he G aT eswor T h . com
Facebook.com/TheGatesworth
One McKnight Place, St. Louis, MO 63124
The Gatesworth is an independent senior living community conveniently located north of Highway 40 just off I-170 Exceptional People. Exceptional Living.
The Gatesworth provides the perfect canvas to enjoy life your way. Living in an exquisitely appointed apartment surrounded by beautiful, lush grounds, you’ll feel inspired to pursue new interests, expand your knowledge, build friendships and embrace your independence.
Discover The Gatesworth and experience exceptional senior living today. Call 314-993-0111.
inside the issue
city scene
1-5:Hats by Dianne charity fashion event to raise funds for T1D. 4: BECOME, Women’s Day of Inspiration Summit at Renaissance Hotel. Empowering speakers, and curated networking opportunities. 6-7: Wish kid Skylar brought the guests to their feet singing “Happy” at KARAOKE FOR WISHES.
8: KARAOKE FOR WISHES committee all smiles
with guest Pat Liston of Mama’s Pride at Carbon Members Club. 10: Publisher Kelley Lamm
KARAOKE FOR WISHES.
Original, yet timeless.
Edgy, yet sophisticated. Modern, yet classic.
AS GOOD As Gold
CELEBRATING THE JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE CENTER’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE WORLD CHAMPION WHO MADE IT HAPPEN
ARTICLE BY ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROL GREEN PHOTOGRAPHY
“There is gold in all of us.” It’s the first thing one sees when visiting the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation website. The motto is fitting, as its founder is known as one of the most gracious, impressive and positive people.
Considered one of the “50 Great Athletes of All Time” by ESPN, and named by Sports Illustrated the "Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century," Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a legend in St. Louis and the world over. But thousands of children who grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, will remember her for many years to come for so much more.
Twenty-five years ago, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center and Academy were born out of the foundation Jackie started in 1988. The 6,200-square-foot multipurpose center sits on nearly 50 acres in the middle of East St. Louis, where Jackie was born and where her desire to find her own gold began.
A humble and seemingly fearless woman, Jackie’s athletic credentials are unquestionably among the best ever, in all of sports. A six-time Olympic medalist, including three gold, one silver and two bronze, Jackie dominated the Olympic heptathlon and long jump events throughout her career, which spanned four Olympic Games: 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996. She is the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon, the first American woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the long jump, and the first woman to score more than 7,000 points in the heptathlon. And astonishingly, despite the advancements in technology and training used by athletes around the world over the decades since, she still holds the World Heptathlon Record at 7,291 points, which she set at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
But Jackie hasn’t just broken records. She has been building futures for decades. The JJK Foundation has been empowering young people for a quarter century. In the beginning, she “didn’t need a building to help people.” She simply used her own sponsorships from her athletic achievements. “You want to help people, you just help,” she says.
She says she wants to do for others what her first coach, Nino Fennoy, did for her. “He saw the potential in me, I did not know I had,” she says. “I just had fun running, jumping and playing basketball. We ran on dirt in the park. But we were young. We didn’t know any better.”
She says her parents, Alfred Joyner and Mary Ruth Joyner, and her great grandmother, Ollie Mae Johnson, all played a part in her ability believe dreams were possible. “We lived with my great grandmother and lived off of her Social Security check. But my parents focused on what we could control, not putting limits or barriers on us. And I focused on, ‘I can do it.’ When you are younger, you have imagination. For me, seeing the 1976 Olympics Games on television helped me make that connection of seeing that what we were doing running on the dirt meant something, that I could one day represent my country and compete amongst the world’s best.”
After the Olympics, Jackie didn’t put her awards on a shelf and fade into the record books. Instead, she chose to return home in 1988 and live out a greater purpose. She established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation that same year. And from it came Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s (JJK) Winning in Life program series in 1996; the Jackie Joyner-Kersee (JJK) Center in 2000; the Jackie JoynerKersee (JJK) Academy in 2021; and in 2022, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK FAN).
A unique public-private partnership between the JJK Foundation, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Illinois Extension, The JJK FAN Center’s mission is to provide quality youth and community programs in STEAM+Ag, the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) with agriculture (Ag), food production, nutrition and physical activity, in East St. Louis and beyond.
The program is designed to eventually offer indoor and outdoor urban agriculture demonstration sites, as well as space for youth and community members to engage in hands-on training and certification programs related to growing food, ag innovation, and nutrition for improving health and performance, all in line with Jackie’s dream to provide youth in East St. Louis the opportunity to “win in life” and transform a community that inspires the world.
“And this community is like any other community,” Jackie says. “It is filled with very articulate, loving, thriving people who really want to make a difference.”
The JJK Academy uses the BJU Press curriculum, which incorporates a variety of hands-on and multisensory learning approaches focusing on academic rigor, visuals, critical-thinking exercises, manipulatives and activities that take students beyond just reading a textbook.
According to the Foundation, “Being born in a city that is severely under-resourced and shrouded in stereotypes does not have to limit the course of a child’s future. Their first step to greatness starts here.”
Jackie says the JJK Winning in Life program series is based on her fundamental belief that there is gold in all of us. She says the question then becomes: “How do we create a proven solution, for youth that face the severest of economic and societal hurdles, that will develop the mindset and instill the confidence, dedication and self-respect to achieve the greatness that lives within them?”
The program focuses participants on setting and achieving a series of goals through calculated risk-taking, challenging their determination and grit and expanding their critical thinking skills. “The essence of the program teaches the students that, in spite of life’s challenges, winning happens for those that strive for the highest standards and stay true to the highest values,” Jackie says. “It takes a lot of courage and faith to face the most severe obstacles and believe in yourself enough to know you will overcome them.”
According to the JJK Foundation representatives, the programs have “grown to become a safe haven and learning-rich environment for area youth, where the challenges and limitations of one of America’s most notoriously deadly and impoverished cities will never define where a child can go, or who they can become.”
Jackie says next she hopes to create an endowment to continue the legacy of the Foundation long after she is gone.
“Being born in a city that is severely under-resourced and shrouded in stereotypes, does not have to limit the course of a child’s future. Their first step to greatness starts here.”
In the end, Jackie says its all about faith. “It’s my faith and my belief in God. I pray a lot. Every step of the way was filled with life lessons that have tested my character, my strength, my motivation, my desire. But through it all, I learned something. I don’t let fear get the best of me.”
Today, Jackie mentors athletes, as her husband of nearly 40 years and former coach, Bob Kersee, coaches them. She says it’s actually tougher for her to watch others compete. “When I was in it, I gave my all, but the anxiety is greater in the stands than it ever was being out their competing.”
Humble to a fault, Jackie was reluctant to answer, when prodded to answer the question: “Are you still fast?” Eventually, she nods though, “I’m still pretty fast.”
THE JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE CENTER’S
For more information or to donate or get involved with the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, visit JJKFoundation.org or call 618.274.5437.
HEALTH-ENTHUSIAST CULINARIAN PLANTS SEEDS For Whole Food Diets
STL VEG GIRL FOUNDED NATION’S FIRST PLANT-BASED, NUTRITION EDUCATION CENTER
ARTICLE BY JULIE BROWN PATTON
Caryn Dugan loves to eat. In fact, in high school, she says one of her friends called her the human garbage disposal. Her then-faves included Velveeta cheese and fried bologna. But her brush with cancer in 2008 prompted a pilgrimage into the healthiest of eating. So much so, she built a business based on "meals that heal," all through plant-based diets, and became known as the 'STL Veg Girl.'
"An insatiable need to learn how the food we put in our body directly affects our health continues to be my quest. During reading, researching and meeting with authors, instructors and medical experts in the field of nutrition science and health, I adopted a plant-based, whole foods diet," she explains.
"It’s no secret that mainly unprocessed, real food is what our body responds to and uses to develop a strong immune system to help fight off disease and chronic illnesses."
After sharing healthy recipes via regional television segments, home shows, corporate kitchen classes and health immersion events, Caryn launched into making house calls to deliver customized meals. She also became certified through the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in 2011.
"Today, still delving deep in continual education and always working toward the highest in certifications, I enjoy teaching plant-based culinary classes and serving
my clients. Whether you're looking to reverse an illness or take preventative measures to avoid one, looking at what you put in your body is a good place to start. The most asked question I receive is, 'How do I begin?' My answer, A Plant On Every Plate," she asserts as a wellness coach.
Combining all of her interests and information, Caryn founded the Center for Plant-Based Living in Kirkwood during 2019, which she says was the nation's first plant-based and nutrition education center. She made the decision to close the center's physical location last summer due to the broad acceptance and flexibility of virtual programming.
Presently, Caryn collaborates with James Loomis Jr., M.D., MBA, FACLM, to produce and provide "The Doc & Chef" online videos on top nutrition topics. She says they build 10- to 20-minute videos, and an evidence-backed blog post around each one. "Jim served as the medical director for the Center for Plant-Based Living, and he's a practicing lifestyle medicine clinician and the medical director at the Physicians Committee in Washington, D.C."
call with her. Dr. Loomis joins the group on a quarterly basis for an "Ask The Doc" call on Zoom.
"Our membership is built like a streaming service where members can watch whenever they want," Caryn states.
In addition, Caryn also works with the Hospital for Special Surgery staff in New York City regarding orthopedics and lifestyle medicine.
Dr. Loomis and Caryn also co-authored a 350-page book on what they deem the six pillars of lifestyle medicine through the lens of food. They serialized this information in six parts, with each booklet focusing on a pillar: WholeFood, Plant-Predominant Eating Pattern; Physical Activity; Restorative Sleep; Stress Management; Avoidance of Risky Substances; and Positive Social Connection. She says they like to "marry nutrition science to plates of food."
“Whether you had a health scare or are just taking preventive measures, I can help soften the learning curve.”
Additionally, this duo travels the world to do live Doc and Chef shows at conferences and events worldwide, including throughout the United States, the US Air Force, cruise ships, Romania, Moldova, Canada, the Virgin Islands and Europe.
She says the center’s virtual members have access to an on-demand library of plant-based cooking classes, 150-and-growing recipes, interactive live virtual cooking classes and a monthly accountability support group
"Never did I ever think little STL Veg Girl in 2011 would be here," Caryn sighs.
• Center for Plant-based Living for classes and events.
• STL Veg Girl for recipes and online cooking program.
• The Doc and Chef for nutrition science and application.
Rejuvenate Your Neck
Reveal Radiance
If you're noticing excess fat, sagging, or a lack of definition in your neck, you're not alone. ese concerns can stem from various factors, including subcutaneous fat, deep neck structures, aging, or skin laxity — each requiring a unique approach to achieve a smoother, more sculpted look.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH SOLUTION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
e best way to find out is with a personalized consultation. A er a thorough exam, we'll cra a tailored treatment plan to meet your specific needs.
LIPOSUCTION
Ideal for those with excess fat beneath the skin but no significant signs of aging or skin laxity. If you have firm, youthful skin and just need to eliminate stubborn fat, liposuction is a great option. This procedure is minimally invasive and can be done in-office with a tiny incision under the chin.
DEEP NECK LIFT
If you're looking for more definition but don't have major aging signs, a deep neck lift might be the answer. Perfect for those who've always had a fuller or less defined neck, this procedure targets both superficial and deep neck layers to sculpt a refined, youthful contour. Performed under general anesthesia, it's done through a discreet incision under the chin.
FACELIFT & NECK LIFT
For those experiencing significant aging in both the neck and face, including sagging, jowls, and loose skin, a facelift and neck lift offer comprehensive rejuvenation. Excess fat is removed, underlying structures are sculpted, and excess skin is tightened for a refreshed, natural look. This procedure involves both a facelift incision and an under-the-chin incision, performed under general anesthesia.
drsarhaddi.com |
At The Kaiser Law Firm, P.C., the father and son team of Phil and Andy Kaiser, with over 60 years of combined experience in the estate planning, asset protection, elder law and business law fields, along with their dedicated support staff, are here in Chesterfield to meet the needs of your family and those of your business. As a family owned firm, we understand what matters to your family and your business.
St. Louis Cardinal Mike Matheny shares his experience with Kaiser Law Firm who helped him put a plan together to ensure things were set up as my family needed them to be.
Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals
For I Know The Plans...
FROM A LIFE SENTENCE TO A LIFE TRANSFORMED
ARTICLE BY ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON
“Imagine losing everything you love in a single day: your home, your children, your freedom. The pain drops you to your knees. But as the tears dry, you face a choice: Stay broken, or stand up and rebuild. My name is Judy Henderson. In 1982, at 32 years old, I was sent to prison for life. The crime? A murder I didn’t commit. It took 36 years for the truth to come out. I was 68 when I was finally freed and pardoned. By then, I’d spent more time behind bars than I had in the free world. This is my story.”
With the prologue to Judy’s book, written with Jimmy Soni and released in April 2025: When the Light Finds Us: From a Life Sentence to a Life Transformed , she pulls the reader into her gripping story and allows them to experience the depths of human despair as well as resilience and the transformative power of hope.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”~ Jeremiah 29:11
She says the scripture was handwritten and taped above the mirror in her cell for years.
Judy was a 32-year-old mother-of-two and a business woman when she was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. But rather than surrender to despair, she transformed her sentence into a mission. Behind bars, she earned her GED and paralegal certification, pioneered programs connecting incarcerated mothers with their children, and became a powerful voice for women's rights and prison reform. Her advocacy work led to landmark legislation recognizing battered women's syndrome as a legal defense in Missouri.
Pardoned in 2018, Judy says her release wasn't just freedom; it was vindication. Today, she serves others through Catholic Charities and continues to advocate for criminal justice reform. Nine grandchildren and
nine great-grandchildren have been added to her family since she was sent to prison.
“No matter your situation, there are choices,” Judy says. “With anger, you can get bitter or you an get better. A lot of people can be in dark, dark situations. There are people in their own prisons out here. But I believe you are born with everything you need to create what you want in your life. You don’t have to stay bitter. You can always turn that resentment into something better. I just thought, ‘Look at all the people I can help.’ My mother taught me to always help others.”
Before her life took what she calls an “unthinkable turn,” Judy says she was living the quintessential American dream. "My days revolved around my two children, Chip and Angel, in our modest suburban home. Our calendar was filled with dance recitals, barbecues and birthday parties: the ordinary joys of family life.”
Following her divorce, she got involved with a man she will only refer to now as her “co-defendant.” Nevertheless, at the time, he was charming and charismatic, and though now she admits there were red flags, she fell for him.
She says one day, he approached her with what seemed like a simple request. “He needed to confront a man named Harry about an unresolved financial matter.” She agreed to go.
But what he had planned was “far from a simple confrontation,” Judy writes in her book. “In a horrifying turn of events, he robbed and murdered Harry in cold blood.”
Even more horrifying, her co-defendant manipulated the narrative, framing her for his crime. And despite her clean record and evidence supporting her innocence, she was convicted of Harry’s murder, while her co-defendant walked free.
“In 1982, I was sent to prison for life. The crime? A murder I didn’t commit. It took 36 years for the truth to come out. This is my story.”
“But in my 36th year of incarceration, my plea was granted. The governor himself arrived to deliver the news and apologize for the lifetime stolen from me,” she says.
She was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In her book, Judy describes prison as a “foreign land with its own brutal language,” saying “danger lurked everywhere: shanks fashioned from toothbrushes,” and “invisible lines separating rival gangs.”
“At first, I tried to disappear,” she says. “I’d mumble apologies for the slightest bump into another inmate, my eyes glued to the floor. But it was impossible to be invisible in these crowded confines. My middle-class background and soft-spoken manner might as well have been targets on my back.” Worse, she says her attempts to hide screamed weakness.
So, she made the only choice she could. She learned to adapt. She says she learned to meet stares with unflinching eyes, to stand her ground and let her voice carry an edge of threat.
The prison system, she says isn’t interested “in rehabilitation, only punishment. We were systematically stripped of our names, our stories, our very humanity,” mere numbers, faceless entities “shoved along like cattle. Hope felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford.”
So, Judy focused on survival. She did what she knows best: found hope where there seemed to be none. “Even in prison’s bleakness, there were pinpricks of light. We found small ways to rebel, trading contraband, makeup or hair color. These actions may have seemed insignificant to outsiders, but they gave us precious moments of control…”
They made jokes and mimicked the guards, created silly nicknames for the prison food, crafted celebrations using crude cakes made of hoarded snacks, and sipped lukewarm tea in chipped mugs.
“‘You do the time, or the time does you,’ prisoners say. I chose to do the time.”
For decades, Judy says she rebuilt herself through education, faith, therapy and service. “I devoured
entire libraries, arming myself with knowledge. Faith anchored me,” she writes. “In the depths of confinement, I discovered spiritual freedom: a newfound purpose. I learned to turn raw emotion into action.”
She wrote to legislators, taught fellow inmates, became an advocate for prison reforms and protections for abused women and testified before state legislators. She even led fitness classes.
“Always, I remembered I wasn’t just an inmate; I was a mom. Prison didn’t erase my identity as a mother. It forced me to reimagine it,” she writes. “I became a voice on the phone, a lifeline of love and guidance.”
The “fragments of motherhood” kept her connected to her family and her true self, as she clung to her belief justice would prevail. “They strengthened my vow: I's speak to my children as a free woman once again, my name cleared.”
At every turn, she petitioned the state for her freedom. She crafted and recrafted clemency pleas. She spent thousands of hours with lawyers, mastering every intricacy of the legal system. Yet for 35 years, every one of those petitions failed.
“But in my 36th year of incarceration, my plea was granted. The governor himself arrived to deliver the news and apologize for the lifetime stolen from me,” she says.
“It was my faith,” she asserts. “I know God had me. Everybody who came into my life, they were there for a purpose, and He orchestrated their miracle to happen. I would think, ‘This isn’t God’s plan. He said in Jeremiah that His plans are to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.' So that gave me the strength to go on every day. In prison there is very little you can control. I controlled that, for 36 years.”
For decades, Judy rebuilt herself through education, faith, therapy and service: “I devoured entire libraries, arming myself with knowledge. Faith anchored me. In the depths of confinement, I discovered spiritual freedom: a newfound purpose.”
LET’S STICK TOGETHER
ARTICLE BY MEL BOBAN
St. Louis Mom is more than a local website destination; it's a community. When founder Rebekah Coste was living abroad and experiencing motherhood for the first time, she says she looked for a local resource for women like her, but she couldn't find it. Fast forward to Rebekah's return to her hometown
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY LARAMORE
St. Louis Mom Fosters A Local Community
“I want more women to know that the habits they form in their household is shaping our entire community.”
St. Louis, and she came across the opportunity to curate this very 'online' place she was dreaming of for local women. Enter St. Louis Mom.
"My hope for St. Louis Mom is that it will be a powerful tool for building community between mothers and a space where mothers know how powerful their role is in raising up the next generation," Rebekah states.
The site covers details in topics such as aging, beauty, fashion, health, wellness, lifestyles, pregnancies, current events, travel and social awareness.
Beyond their website, the group's executive team, along with a team of writers, passionately organizes helpful resources for mothers from
their podcast, social media channels, local events, guides with handpicked spots for St. Louis transplants, and more.
Rebekah and her team band together with one collective goal: helping moms understand how important their role is in their household and their community. She explains, "We're not just wiping noses and packing snacks, we're forming someone that is about to go out into the world, and it's important. I want more women to feel how valuable they are, and celebrate in knowing that the habits they form in their households are shaping our entire community. Your sphere of influence is in your home, and that's where we can focus our energy."
“My goal is for my business and each commemorative piece I create to reflect three treasured traits of God: creativity, excellence and kindness.”
S U RROUNDINGWITH H APPINESS , INSPIRAT
'When we write, we remember.' Encouraging human souls to experience something good every day is the objective of Leah Spiros, calligrapher, engraver, painter, event artist and owner of Wrapped + Written.
Through her St. Louis-based company, she designs and makes commemorative goods that recipients keep to enhance their spaces while sparking smiles at each glance.
"As far back as I remember, I've loved words. Beautifully written words. My mom had the most lovely, consistent cursive, and her mom had distinct handwriting. I also remember being gifted a book on the poet Phyllis Wheatley. I was so inspired by her use of quill and inkwell, and the gorgeous samples of her writing. For my 9th or 10th birthday, my parents bought me a set of calligraphy pens , pretty papers and a portable office carrying case. I thought I'd arrived! However, as much as I loved to dream, create, read and write, I never knew or thought of it as a career until much later in my adult life," she recalls.
Calligraphy Artist Provides Fine Art Services For Gifts, Brands And Keepsakes
ARTICLE BY JULIE BROWN PATTON
I O N
- Leah Spiros
Then, nothing glass or metal was safe: "If I found it, it got engraved!"
Leah's services span calligraphy, hand engraving and product painting. She also can be booked to create these services for private commissions, brand activations and onsite events for luxury retail.
"I love creating one-of-a-kind, handmade statement pieces, and work with a variety of fine art mediums to create custom, bespoke luxury gifting for businesses, individuals and events," she explains. "Wrapped + Written has now been in business for six years. It's both humbling and exciting to look back at where I began and see where I am now. I've learned a ton, and there’s still so much more to learn, I'm looking forward to it."
Leah also assists others with tapping into their unique talents by conducting calligraphy workshop happy hours. She's also done hand-painted ornaments, personalized lemons as place cards, monogrammed leather tags and engraved tumblers for both commissions and special events, such as “Stanley Saturday” at The Vault Luxury Resale.
Examples of items she can monogram or engrave: leather bags/clutches/wallets, crystal, wine/alcohol/spirit/fragrance bottles, glassware, keepsake boxes, vases, envelopes, watches and awards/diplomas/certificates.
"I help people elevate their gift giving. Bespoke gifting goes beyond the name; everything about it captures something specific to recipients. Those gifts speak volumes," asserts Leah.
A few of her favorite created pieces are a hand-engraved song on a whiskey bottle; a bottle with a 360-degree hand-painted design with St. Louis toile background; and “snow globe” bar menus for a winter wonderland-themed event.
WrappedWritten.com
Magical Memories For Mama
Still missing the mark on Mother’s Day gifts? Lean into trendy, timeless classics that will leave every matriarch feeling like the most magical woman in the world.
Fabulous Florals: Unique bouquets with peonies, anemones and tulips symbolize honor, wealth and unconditional love. Celebrate mom with an arrangement that offers purpose behind the petals. Stunning Stationary: Monogrammed stationery is cute, classy and curates chances to pause, reflect or express gratitude and kind words to family and friends. It’s timeless. Lovely LEDs: Is mom casually dropping comments about aging skin? Red light therapy boosts collagen, reduces inflammation and targets wrinkles. Help her fall in love with the person she sees in the mirror, all over again. Solo Staycation: Recharge Mom’s batteries with a couple of nights of R&R. Solo trips promote rest, self-discovery and freedom. Don’t forget to support local, boutique hotels and inns.
Considerate And Creative Presents To Surprise Mom For Mother’s Day
Top Left: Amazing Amazing Anemones. | Middle: Studio STL/Fox 2 Now Host Top Right: Boutique Hotel. | Bottom Left: Custom Stationary with Wax Stamp
ARTICLE BY ANGELA BROOCKERD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
From Stem To Vase:
TRANSFORMING FLORALS INTO ART
Flowers have a rich history of symbolic meanings.
As far back as the 19th century, they were used to convey secret messages. Stories throughout history recount how flowers were used to send hidden messages between people. French publishers began producing flower dictionaries that cataloged the many floral codes that had been gathered over time. Some of these meanings were linked to the flower’s root name, often derived from mythology, while others were drawn from the flowers themselves. The colors, medicinal properties, and even the superstitions
associated with these flowers all contributed to the creation of this secret language.
In addition to their symbolic significance, flowers bring natural beauty to any interior, enhancing spaces with their color, texture, and mood-boosting qualities. Floral arrangements not only create a cozy atmosphere but also infuse a room with personality, elevating the overall ambiance. There are multiple ways to creatively integrate florals into your home, and whether using fresh or artificial flowers, creative displays can make quite the statement piece.
Florals and Fruit
Add an extra burst of color and texture to your floral arrangement by layering fruit around the edges of your vase. To achieve this, place a smaller vase inside a larger one, ensuring the flowers stay contained in the inner vase to preserve their shape. Fill the surrounding space with water and then arrange sliced fruit along the vase’s outer sides. For a fresh touch, add ice cubes to keep the fruit looking vibrant longer and to hold them in place. Not only will the flowers’ fragrance fill the air, but the citrus notes from the fruit will add a refreshing scent.
Hanging Florals
For a dramatic effect, try creating a hanging floral display. Floral cones are available for this style, or you can craft your own for a more personalized, organic look. The contrast between long-stemmed white flowers and a dark wall creates a striking visual impact. No matter how you choose to display them, flowers are a wonderful addition to any room. They boost mood, improve air quality, spark creativity, and bring a decorative charm to any space.
Flower Frogs
Using a frog to display flowers creates a minimalist yet elegant look that highlights the individuality of each bloom. It helps the stems stay in place. To set it up, place the frog on your chosen display base, whether it’s a vase, bowl, platter, or any container you prefer. Then, simply insert the flower stems by gently pressing them into the prongs. Tip: Flowers with sturdy stems and a lighter top work best in a frog, as delicate blooms tend to lose their shape more quickly.
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Creating beautiful smiles
Aging Steadily On Your Feet:
The Comprehensive Guide To Decreasing Falls & Maintaining Balance
By: Dr. Beth Templin
If you've noticed you aren't as steady on your feet as you used to be, it's tempting to think that it's just a normal part of aging. You may not know when it was that you started to lose your confidence and when you started to worry about every step you take, but now it's starting to limit what you're able to do. If this is happening to you, yo u're not alone. We hear this all the time In fact, Balance Issues are the most common problem we see at HouseFit. Most people realize their balance won't magically get better on its own, but they still don't take action. It might be because they don't know what steps to take to make their balance better OR they don't truly believe balance can be improved "at their age". Fortunately, there are several option s to get you back on your feet again Over the last 20 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients who’ve had a fall (or several), and I’ve been able to help them get their lives back. In working with so many clients, I’ve been able to put together a very helpful Guide “How To Decrease Falls: Helpful Tips To Keep You Steady On Your Feet”.
Inside this special guide, I share detailed information, such as:
Top 3 factors that cause falls and how to minimize your risk in each area.
The 4 parts of balance that work together to keep us steady and how to find areas of improvement.
How to “Test Yourself” to find out if you're at risk for a fall
Simple exercises you can do at home to start improving your balance AND much more!
I want to make this guide available to you free of charge! To claim your copy, simply call us at (314) 9391377 or visit the website housefitstl.com/balanceissues to download the report.
If you’re ready to start taking positive steps toward regaining your balance and an active lifestyle, this free guide will let you to start this process with confidence!
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
MAY 1ST-11TH
Animals Aglow
Lantern Festival
Saint Louis Zoo | 6:30 PM
The Chinese lantern festival Animals Aglow returns to illuminate with dozens of new, towering lanterns and light displays through May 11. This year's presentations include a 100-foot-long tunnel of traditional Chinese lanterns, an interactive beehive topped with giant hummingbirds, the 12 Chinese signs, nightly cultural performances and specialty food and drinks, plus wildlife from Africa, South America and the Arctic.
MAY 2ND, 3RD, 5TH 60th
Anniversary
Celebration For Slyman Bros.
Slyman Bros. Ballwin | 4:00 PM
Slyman Bros. team members are celebrating the company's 60th anniversary. Three generations of Slymans now man the brick and mortars of Slyman Bros. Appliances Centers, as the company that started in 1965. They will start with a ribbon cutting with the West County Chamber for designers, builders, remodelers, landscapers and other home-building vendors, followed by celebrations with customers.
MAY 9TH
The Open Road: Sonic Landscapes
Saint Louis Art Museum Auditorium | 6:00 PM
This narrated multimedia concert explores relationships between American music and the Exhibition “In Search of America: Photography and the Road Trip.” From open deserts of New Mexico to gentle mountains of
Appalachia, to bustling cities bursting with frenetic energy, it'll explore the sounds of the American landscape with music from Aaron Copland, Ned Rorem, Rhiannon Giddens, Duke Ellington, Libby Larsen.
MAY 10TH
2025 St. Louis Microfest
Rhone Festival Grounds | 12:00 PM
Microfest is a beer tasting festival that offers festivals goers the chance to sample hundreds of international and craft beers. The festival also includes live music, food and fun. Profits from the festival go toward funding Lift For Life Gym, which serves 500-plus youth members annually. One Session: Noon-4 p.m. (VIP admission); 1-4 p.m. (general admission). Go online to StLMicroFest.org
MAY 29TH
The Heidi Chronicles
NJT | 7:00 PM
NJT presents the play that earned Jewish playwright Wendy Wasserstein the Pulitzer Prize: "The Heidi Chronicles." Funny, touching and written with grace and sensitivity, it's a moving examination of the progress of a generation, from the socially and politically activist 1960s to the success-oriented 1980s, a time during which the status of American women underwent profound change. See: JCCSTL.com/arts-ideas/ new-jewish-theatre/current-productions
MAY 31ST
TEDxStLouis Hosts 'Curiosity' Talks
Missouri History Museum | 7:00 PM
TEDxStLouis invites the community to spark new ideas and challenge perspectives at the upcoming 'Curiosity' Talks. General admission tickets are $37 per person. The event features influential local voices exploring bold ideas on leadership, critical thinking, biodiversity, data literacy and even the impact of lighting design. Each talk is designed to shift perspectives, ignite conversations and inspire action. See TEDxSaintLouis.org.
