Cel ebrating WOM EN
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
TONGUES AND TAILS ARE WAGGING ABOUT YUPPY PUPPY PET SPAS
“Magic Eraser” Treatment
STAFF MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Cheryl is an aesthetic nurse injector and laser specialist with 13 years of experience in the industry. She is part of the creative mind behind Renu Med Spa. Cheryl began her nursing career in 2005 working in the hospital setting, then transitioned to working for a well-known board-certified facial plastic surgeon for 12 years where she learned to perfect her craft in the aesthetic industry. She also trained for two well-known laser companies teaching offices how to utilize laser technology. Cheryl prides herself on creating a personal relationship with clients, getting to know them and understand their aesthetic goals. She is continuously educating herself and immersing herself within the industry to bring you the most up-to-date treatments. Cheryl will work with your lifestyle and budget to get you the most refreshed look, and then teach and assist you in maintaining it.
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
Robin Seaton Jefferson, Stacey Collins Bibb, Mel Boban, Angela Broockerd, Chelsea Haynes, Julie Brown Patton
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Carol Green The Graceful Lens, John Lore, Janie Jones
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
3:5-6
LUXURY LIVING
Fischer Homes is proudly building in communities throughout St. Louis including O’Fallon, Dardenne Prairie, Wetnzville, St. Paul, and more! 9
Estates at Huntleigh Ridge
- Wooded Homesites - Quick Move-In Available - Resort Style Amenities - Variety of designs, from ranch-style to five-level living - 11 Floorplans - Cul-de-Sac Homesites - Scenic Views
Riverdale
inside the issue
Yuppy Puppy Owner, Jessica Cooke with
Belle’s painted spots created by Yuppy Puppy Spa in Cottleville.
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: BECOME 2025 Women’s Day of Inspiration Summit awards special grant to Miranda Malone. 2-4: BECOME, Women’s Day of Inspiration Summit at Renaissance Hotel. Empowering speakers, and curated networking opportunities. 5: Early Edge Insurance an Allstate Agency in O’Fallon grand opening celebration a special ribbon cutting. 6: Publisher, Kelley Lamm, KMOV, Paige Hulsey representing their children’s books at Main Street Books Author-Showcase. 7: The Women of LBB enjoying KARAOKE FOR WISHES to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
IMAGES BY SANDRA
IMAGES BY SANDRA
IMAGES BY SANDRA
8: The Women of LBB enjoying KARAOKE FOR WISHES to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 9: The Women of Estetica Med Spa supporting KARAOKE FOR WISHES to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 10: The Andersons, Ebert’s and friends stole the show singing “Love Shack” at KARAOKE FOR WISHES 11: KARAOKE FOR WISHES fabulous committee to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation at the Marquee in New Town. 12-13: Incredible singers took the stage and friends cheered at KARAOKE FOR WISHES to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation 14: NOW OPEN! 100% vegan French-inspired La Vie Vegan Bistro owner Natacha Douglas Located in Historic St. Charles.
CHRISTINA SCHMIDT
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 multi-purpose 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.”
For more information or to donate or get involved with the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, visit JJKFoundation.org or call 618.274.5437.
DAPPERED UP DOGGOS
Tongues And Tails Are Wagging About Yuppy Puppy Pet Spas
ARTICLE BY STACEY COLLINS-BIBB, ED.D.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN LORE
“If you leave, don’t bother coming back.” This was what Jessica Cooke says she was told by her employer when her child was sick in the hospital with RSV. In her early 20s at the time, Jessica chose to be by her daughter’s side; she returned to work, but was reprimanded. Until this moment, she had never considered being a business owner herself.
Coming from a long line of self-employed entrepreneurs, Jessica had seen firsthand how much work business ownership required, and it wasn't what she had envisioned for herself. But then she faced the ultimatum working mothers have been given since women joined the workforce: be a mother or be an employee.
Jessica says this pivotal moment lit a fire in her heart: "I would never again have to choose between my children or my livelihood."
"I grew up with limited financial resources, and in my early teens, worked as a dog groomer. Then came high school, then college. A job in I.T. lacked fulfilment for me, and it was then I left
the technology sector and again found work in the animal and pet space, for the employer described at the beginning of this story," Jessica explains.
Ironically, she had loved her career, and had planned to make it a lifelong vocation. But she says that wound up not being her destiny; instead, she started her own business.
The Yuppy Puppy was established in 2003 in a small storefront in a strip mall in Winghaven. Offering only grooming services, Jessica started short-term pet sitting, and the business grew, requiring additional space.
The Yuppy Puppy then expanded to two bays at the same location, offering grooming and boarding. Before long, however, it was clear Yuppy Puppy would need its own location. In 2017, Jessica opened Yuppy Puppy Pet Spa in its current location.
Although excited to open a bigger, better location, Jessica says it was crucial that her business not become so large that
“YUPPY PUPPY OFFERS A PET HOTEL WITH 24-HOUR CARE; STAFF IS ON-SITE AROUND-THE-CLOCK KEEPING FURRY FRIENDS COMPANY.”
she lost that personal relationship with the dogs and their families she served. “I didn't want my dogs to become a number. They have families, unique needs. They have special blankets that they love! I didn’t want to lose that,” Jessica reflects, “one of my little dogs wouldn’t eat until we prayed first.”
Although The Yuppy Puppy is one of the cleanest facilities around, Jessica says the last thing she wanted was for it to feel “sterile.”
During 2020, business slowed due to COVID-19, but although they couldn't accept pets for grooming or boarding,
Yuppy Puppy didn't stop working. Instead, Jessica and her staff went to nearby pet adoption centers and cleared them out, giving all the dogs grooming and spa treatments, as well as training to ensure they could be adopted. This kept staff working, and saved the lives of dogs.
Today, Yuppy Puppy Pet Spa has two locations: the original Winghaven site and the new Cottleville locale.
A full-service pet spa, Yuppy Puppy offers a pet hotel with 24-hour care, day stay, play camp, training, grooming and self-wash. Completely family-owned
and local, Yuppy Puppy is not a franchise. Committed to transparency, Jessica says staffers are always happy to give a tour of the facility. Notably, Yuppy Puppy consistently wins a place in the local A-Listers and Chamber of Commerce awards. In 2021, Yuppy Puppy was named “Coolest Pet Place in America," an honor bestowed by experts in the business. Then in 2023, Jessica was named Small Business Association Woman of the Year. She also received the Champion for Children Award for training a service dog for children who are non-verbal, bringing her commitment to children and animals full-circle since that notorious day more than 20 years ago.
Committed to the community she serves, Jessica continues Yuppy Puppy’s rescue efforts with a building just for rescue dogs. To date, Yuppy Puppy’s rescues exceed 2,500. The staff bands together to support each other. Employing many single mothers, if one employee needs to get her child on the school bus, and another needs to pick her children up from school, they stagger their work schedules to ensure they never feel torn between making a living and being a mother.
And remember that baby in the hospital with RSV? She’s now in her 20s, and a proud member of the Yuppy Puppy staff.
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."
An important mission of St. Louis Mom is encouraging moms to stay healthy and well. Through partnerships with Siteman Cancer Center and other local health institutions, the team works self-care into their content often. For mothers looking for local resources for their family, they'll also find a place where they are encouraged to take care of themselves. Resources for staying updated on preventive care at all stages of motherhood, whether one is pregnant with their first child, long past the diaper stage or even a mom to older children, is offered for inspiration for taking care of one's whole self.
"I'm passionate about moms feeling seen and heard in motherhood, and that they feel encouraged hearing what they're doing is important," Rebekah says.
Contributing St. Louis Moms writer Meg Smidt (Your Coach Meg) reflects on what the publication has meant to her: "Being a part of the St. Louis Mom community for the past five years has been such a gift. As their fun, purple-haired empty nester and proud Lolli (grandma), I get to share my journey, my lessons and the joy that comes with embracing life's new chapters. It's been an incredible experience to connect with other parents in our vibrant city, offering a space where we can celebrate both the beauty and the chaos of motherhood. Through writing, I get to be part of a larger conversation, inspire and laugh together, because life is a lot more fun when we do it with others!"
info@stlouismom.com StLouisMom.com
Experience great dining, shopping & entertainment at Streets of St. Charles. Check out the newly opened Mission Taco Arcade!
Hwy 70 @ S. 5th Street | StreetsofStCharles.com
Take advantage of the beautiful spring weather with all the fabulous patios at SOSC. ash1818.org | 636-946-6127 | admissions@ash1818.org 619
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Discover More at the Academy! Promethean Boards | Robotics | Makerspace French and Spanish | Daily PE | Service Learning
Scan for upcoming events, schedule a tour, or join our playgroup for children 3 and under. And don’t miss Summer Camp opportunities for all!
BALLOONTIFUL THINGS MAKE LIFE’S OCCASIONS MORE BEAUTIFUL
ARTICLE BY JULIE BROWN PATTON
Evoking Cheer, Joy, Freedom Through Event Decorations
Little did former nurse Maria Widaman know she'd become a balloon artisan. However, during May 2023, she made it a whole new business, based from O'Fallon, Missouri.
"For as far as I can remember, I've always wanted to use my creative side in a way that would bring joy to others. Sometimes when I had downtime as a NICU nurse, I'd decorate the rooms of premature babies who would be hospitalized anywhere from one month to even a year," she recalls. "I'd also decorate the rooms of patients in the ICU during holidays or birthdays to brighten up their stay."
After Maria's second daughter was born, she says she decided to put her nursing career on hold. "I missed being able to express my creative side and started targeting my energy toward learning how to plan budget-friendly parties and celebrations for my friends and family. This included learning how to make these amazing balloon garlands I kept seeing that were becoming a staple for most events."
Maria now offers custom balloon installations for corporate and commercial spaces, as well as events such as baby showers, birthdays, Grandparents Day, Halloween, galas, baby gender reveals, graduations, bridal showers, Mother's Day, anniversaries, engagement parties, proms, fundraisers and baptisms.
Maria Widaman
"This allows me to do something I love while being a present mom and wife. I love all the people and relationships I've made from this business. I enjoy hearing people’s stories, and being a small part of whatever it is they're celebrating. I also like that it allows me to de-stress from the busyness of everyday life once I get my balloon pump going," she says.
Her installations and backdrops include design, installation, breakdown and cleanup.
She says she produced her first balloon garland during winter 2023, while offering to do events for discounted rates. She also reached out to small businesses, churches and nonprofits to do events free of cost.
She adds that the physics of balloon decorating drew her to the industry, noting that properly built balloon structures won’t fall down or fly away. “Balloon work requires a lot of design forethought and balance."
The most current trend, or most popular setup, Maria explains, is a half balloon arch with a personalized chiara-style backdrop because this allows for a beautiful photo op while making any event pop. "Some other trends are shimmer backdrop walls, faux or real florals added to balloons, big and small bow accents, and what's known as balloon ropes."
Maria says she likes to go above and beyond to ensure her final product matches clients' visions. "Sometimes this entails 10-plus emails back and forth, phone conversations or walkthroughs. I'm a perfectionist and I ensure my work reflects that."
Due to customer and business growth, the Widamans are exploring bringing on parttime support to maintain the high level of service expected. They also plan to add more inventory marquee letters and other unique backdrops.
"We don’t take being hired for any event lightly. I'm always very honored and grateful that people trust me with their events. My husband and I feel very blessed and grateful to have what we do and love to give back. Therefore, we offer either pro bono services or very steep discounts to nonprofits, charity organizations and fundraisers," she states.
As a veteran-owned company, she says they offer a 10% discount to any active or retired military client. "We love the doors this business has opened for us."
balloontifulthings@gmail.com
908.906.8399
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
Florals and Fruit
Add a 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. Fill the surrounding space with water, 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.
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.
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.
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
realty report
A SAMPLE OF RECENTLY SOLD PROPERTIES IN ST.CHARLES COUNTY.
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. locations | 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 3RD
Midwest Maifest
New Town Amphitheater | 2:00 PM
Midwest Maifest is a German festival filled with craft beer, wine, spirit samples, vendors, great food and live entertainment until 6 p.m. that evening. All ages welcome; wristbands required for those aged 21 and older. St. Charles Sister Cities, a not-for profit
Schedule your Free Consultation Today and mention City Lifestyle Magazine for $1000 off treatment
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organization, has been facilitating exchanges between St. Charles and Ludwigsburg Germany for more than 30 years. Visit MidwestMaifest.org.
MAY 17TH
Taco The Town 5K
Legacy Park, Cottleville | 8:00 AM
Join Cottleville Weldon Spring Chamber of Commerce and Stay Cool Climate Control for the inaugural Taco the Town 5K! Runners hit trail at 9 a.m. Runners receive the following with their paid registration: custom finisher medal; race T-shirt; socks featuring Freo, the Stay Cool taco guy; two tacos at post-party; one margarita at post-party (for runners age 21 and older).
MAY 23RD-25TH
Missouri River
Irish Fest: Weekend Of Craic In St. Charles
Frontier Park
This Fest features storytelling, athletics, food, beer, traditional crafts. The Children's Area has face painting, Irish crafts, a fairy tea party and Irish dance demonstrations. A marketplace offers Irish items for sale. A full lineup of Irish entertainers and musicians are featured all day long at the main stage in the middle of the park. Call 800.366.2427 for final schedules.
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
